Citadel of Hearts: The Emperor's Triumph | JC

Chapter 39: Dance of love

As their parted lips hung in the lingering haze of their shared breath, Jeonghan found himself gasping for air, enveloped in the protective embrace of Seungcheol. Each inhale brought with it the rush of their intimacy, while Seungcheol's heartbeat echoed the intensity of his love.

"Today, you are the very embodiment of ethereal beauty," Seungcheol's words brushed delicately against Jeonghan's rosy cheeks, his lips bestowing tender kisses upon them.

Jeonghan's smile bloomed like a delicate flower as he traced the elegant contours of Seungcheol's cheekbones with the pads of his thumbs. "My devotion to you, Seungcheol, knows no boundaries. It ventures into the depths of madness, intertwining with every essence of my soul," he confessed, his gaze locked with Seungcheol's, the darkness of his eyes shimmering like stars in the night sky.

"You must nourish yourself. You've abstained since the dawn," Seungcheol remarked, his embrace briefly tightening before he reluctantly withdrew. "For me...?" Jeonghan's disbelief colored his words, unable to comprehend that Seungcheol had willingly fasted for him.

"For whom else?" Seungcheol's smile was a soft whisper, his thumb tenderly tracing Jeonghan's cheek as he offered a spoonful of rice. Jeonghan's smile widened, his eyes forming crescent moons as he entwined his hand with Seungcheol's, guiding the spoon towards himself.

"You first," Jeonghan insisted, pressing the spoon against Seungcheol's lips. "The sight of you finding satisfaction in your meal is all I need to break my fast," he declared, urging Seungcheol to partake.

Their gazes locked, an unspoken bond of love and devotion passing between them as Seungcheol took a bite, his eyes conveying a silent promise. "May the gods grant you eons of life, and if necessary, I would offer my own to prolong yours," Jeonghan murmured, tenderly brushing Seungcheol's hair back.

"I refuse to exist in a world devoid of your presence, my beloved rose," Seungcheol declared, offering the second bite to Jeonghan, sealing their eternal love with each shared morsel.

"It has been an eternity since I last held you like this," Seungcheol murmured, his grip tightening around Jeonghan's waist as he pressed his lips against the delicate curve of Jeonghan's neck. Jeonghan tilted his head, offering his neck in surrender to Seungcheol's affection. "And it has been an eternity since I felt this utterly lost in your embrace."

"Believe me, it was torment to have you so near, yet my hands ached to caress you, to feel the softness of your cheeks, to run my fingers through your hair," Seungcheol confessed softly into Jeonghan's ear, eliciting laughter from Jeonghan as he playfully squeezed Seungcheol's cheeks.

"That sounds like poetry," Jeonghan remarked with a chuckle, swaying into Seungcheol's arms as they stood together by the railing, gazing up at the tapestry of stars adorning the night sky. "I wouldn't mind being a poet if you were the poem I was destined to write," Seungcheol declared, resting his chin on Jeonghan's waist, their love a celestial symphony echoing through the night.

Seungcheol's voice, rich with longing, caressed the air, as he uttered, "My cherished rose."

"Yes, my love?" Jeonghan's tone was tender and warm in response.

"Shall we retreat before the rain arrives, lest it dampens our spirits?" Seungcheol suggested, but before he could finish, the first raindrop kissed his skin, igniting a sparkle in his eyes, mirrored by Jeonghan's laughter.

"Now that it's here, why not revel in its embrace?" Jeonghan proposed, his laughter a delightful harmony to the falling rain.

"Revel in it?" Seungcheol's brow quirked, but Jeonghan had already taken his hand, guiding him away from the railing as the rain intensified, enveloping them both.