The Cave

by yourheartsdesire

Summary:

Knight Luo Binghe was framed with treason. As punishment, the ruthless King Shen Qingqiu throws him down and seals him inside the notorious cave system, where according to legend, lives a magical monster.
However, Binghe gets more than what he bargained for when the real monster turned out to be more humane than the monster that lives in the skin of King Shen.

There circled a legend, a myth in the Kingdom of Zíháo. The legend said that a magical monster dwelled in the mysterious cave system that was edged between the ridges of Cang Qiong Mountain. It was said to be carved by the spirit-rich Luo River thousands of years ago, saturating the place with an intense amount of spiritual energy.

No one actually knew the nature of this said monster nor its origin of creation, only that it was a perverse twist of nature, an intolerable existence under the heavens. The mouth of the cave has been long sealed when knights of the previous era caught evidence of a primitive life-source inside. So, when the search parties didn’t return, the edict was passed and the cave was sealed.

The fact that this monster never actually showed itself or harmed anyone outside of the boundaries of the cave, was not of importance. It was human nature to be intolerant to those radically different, fear of the unknown turning into passion-filled hatred. Ugly a thing it was, yet this was what ruled thousands of years ago, and not seemed to be changing anytime soon.

To tell the truth, the cave monster has long been forgotten by the common folk. The incident at that time created a buzz, nevertheless it has gradually died down when decades passed uneventfully. And it would’ve continued to be sinking even deeper into oblivion if it weren’t for the current head of the round-table, King under the heavens, Shen Qingqiu.  

King Shen was a ruthless man, ruled with an iron fist and was known for his vengeful and distrusting personality. Everyone feared him, even his closest advisors and generals. It was almost impossible to get on his good side but really fucking easy to fall out of his grace.

Lou Binghe should have seen this day coming. He really should have.

All the signs were there; the disgusted glares, the dissatisfaction with literally anything he did or the increasing level of abuse towards his person. King Shen who hid nothing of his hatred and jealousy, has been trying to find a valid enough reason to get rid of him.

The young knight bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood, anger seeping into his very bones. Binghe knew he was set up, but could not open his mouth to defend himself. No one would listen to him anyways out of fear of drawing Shen Qingqiu’s anger onto themselves.

With the heavy accusation of treason, Binghe was supposed to be beheaded by all means. However, King Shen wretched as he was, decided that’s too kind of a sentence for an ungrateful brat like him. Hence, here was Luo Binghe standing at the edge of the gaping cave, gravely facing the threatening darkness.   

Binghe heard someone reading out loud his verdict but all he could concentrate on was the heavy weight of King Shen’s gloating smug stare making this blood crawl. He was to be thrown in there and sealed inside, fated to die a painful death in the claws of a dreaded monster nobody has ever sighted.  

However, Binghe didn’t feel even a speck of fear. Neither death nor the monster scared him. He wore a chilling cold expression on his handsome face even when King Shen struck him in the chest with his sword and pushed him down the edge. All Luo Binghe could feel was blinding fury and a desperate need for revenge.

The fall was long and the landing was harsh. It was a miracle Binghe didn’t break any bones, although that didn’t lessen the burn of the impact. Crawling onto his hands and feet, Binghe shakily stood up. He ignored the sharp pain of his fractured ribs or his bleeding thigh, he turned around to glare upwards at the only light source far above his head.

And as the outside iron doors were sealed back with a loud bone-chilling creak, Binghe heatedly swore on his own life. “Shen Qingqiu, you revolting mongrel! I will kill you. I swear I will not rest until I tear you apart and watch you take your last breath! Even if it kills me, I’ll take you down.”

The cave’s perfect darkness embraced him. No matter which direction Binghe looked, he couldn’t see anything. The only thing he could sense was his somewhat elevated breathing amplified in his ears and the chilling coldness of the cave air.

Grunting, Luo Binghe decided he needed to light a fire, find a weapon, kill the monster, get the hell out of there and then kill the real monster. In that exact order. But before he could have even begun to fumble around for the flint stones in his pocket and find burnables, he saw muted lights dancing at the corner of his eyes.

At first, Binghe thought he was imagining things. He took quite the fall, maybe he hit his head? But the lights were still there, swaying softly in the air like they were fireflies - the only difference was that their lights were colorful. Some green, some purple and some blue. Although the young knight was on edge, he didn’t sense any harmful intent from the tiny - butterflies? He wasn’t sure, to be honest.

Their light became stronger too, as the minutes passed by, illuminating the cave more and more. Binghe looked around, taking in his prison for the first time. It was gigantic and gave off the feeling of a solemn nostalgia that only ancient places possessed.

The ceiling was packed with sharp stalactites, twinkling in the light as if they were made of crystal. At ground level, Binghe could see numerous openings and crevices leading anywhere. Just as he was expecting - the cave didn’t look welcoming but didn’t seem that threatening at all either.

It gave Binghe the feeling of not belonging.

Just as he was about to take a step forward, he crushed something under his boots. Looking down he realized the thing he crushed was an aged human skull. As a matter of fact, there were numerous skeletons scattered around him. The poor bastards have either been killed by the fall or couldn’t find their way out.

While the sight would’ve discouraged anyone else, Binghe was delighted. Judging by the skeletons’ position they didn’t die a violent death - of course, if we don’t count dying upon impact. But most importantly, there were no signs of mangling or mauling. Not even traces of chew marks on the bones, meaning they decayed naturally.

There’s no monster. Binghe thought to himself, a smug smirk on his lips.

Just as he thought, since the first time he heard of the damned legend. There was no such thing as monsters. But scared people tend to overstate passing shadows and weird shapes. Which in turn, became ridiculous tales with ugly bloodthirsty beasts that parents tell their children to frighten them into behaving.  

The young knight picked up a rusty scabbard lying next to one of the skeletons. To his surprise, the blade inside was completely free of rust, sharp double-edged with fancily carved motives at its handle - a top quality blade. It made people wonder just how did it end up ditched there.

Luo Binghe was immensely satisfied with it, and without delay, he tied it to his own belt. Then straightening up, Binghe took a chance and picked one of the smaller cave openings. Now all that was left was finding the way out.

His exploration was going slower than he would’ve preferred due to his leg injury. He managed to stop the bleeding by tying his thorn off shirt sleeve around the wound, but it still ached like a bitch. The stab wound on his chest went ignored, seeing as it wasn’t that deep.  

It must be mentioned that Luo Binghe despite his young age of twenty-four was an excellent knight. Before King Shen conspired against him out of jealousy, Binghe was considered one of the best in the entire kingdom. He worked twice as hard as all his peers and it showed in the results he produced in every area, be it swordsmanship, courtesy towards ladies or gentle courage in his every action.

Even now, with his title stripped from him and name disgraced to the dirty ground, Binghe holds himself with grace and sheer determination. Injuries were an intimate part of his life, especially through his childhood. Such measly wounds couldn’t hold him back.

Have had much worse.

Hours later, deep in a side-branch of the cave, Binghe stopped abruptly. For the first time since he was struck down, he heard a noise that wasn’t made by himself. It was distant and soft, so soft Binghe almost wrote it off as the ringing of his ears.

But the closer he walked, the louder the noise became. It was an unmistakable sound of water trickling. That served as a pleasant surprise since Binghe didn’t expect to find flowing water down there. Rain water collected into a lake? Maybe. But a generous fresh creek? Definitely no.

As he rounded the corner he was greeted with a wondrous sight. The cave widened again, although this hall was a tad bit smaller than the one at the entrance if it was possible it was even more eye catching.

The creek pooled into a gorgeous lake, taking up at least half of the hall, twinkling like a giant rare gem. And it wasn’t just because of the phosphoresce floating lights. The lake itself was glowing from strange crystals ebbed into its bed.

However, what really shocked Binghe that there was vegetation down there where sunlight never reached. Greenery was clinging to the walls and the dry ground of the hall, flowers he had never seen blooming like it was the high season of summer. Their pleasant fragrance saturated the cool air.  

“Perhaps there was some truth to those tales,” Binghe mumbled to himself at this sight. After all, without some rich life-giving energy, this cave couldn’t be this lively, this alive .

Binghe glanced down at the water, figuring this must be a small brook of the ancient Luo River - the very same he was named after. Luo river was said to be able to double one’s life upon someone consumed its water. Intrigued, the young knight knelt down by the lake and tasted it.

It didn’t taste any different than any other normal well water, nor did Binghe feel any different. He wasn’t disappointed, however. If it could clench his thirst and keep him alive until he found the exit then it already served its purpose.

Splashing water into his face and washing the blood from his arms, Binghe felt freshened. Of course, it didn’t provide the relief a proper dip would’ve brought but Binghe wasn’t about to blindly jump into an unknown lake. Even if there was no mythical monster, aquatic predators still were a possibility.

Deciding to rest there for a short while, Binghe walked a bit further up and sat down onto a moss-covered smooth rock. The cave was peaceful, and with the addition of the gentle sound of water flowing, it didn’t feel that achingly empty anymore. Hand on the hilt of his sword, Binghe closed his eyes to mediate.

An unknown amount of time passed, when a noise jerked Binghe out of his mediation - a splash on the surface of the lake. The sound loud in contrast to the placid silence. Staying perfectly still, all the knight did was opening his sharp eyes.

What he saw rendered him completely motionless. His heart was beating wildly in his ribcage, with a mixture of disbelief, fascination, and well-grounded alarm.

There was something in the water, moving about like a huge energetic fish. But it had a human torso, with arms and a head like that of a human! It seemed like the creature hadn’t yet noticed his presence, as it was playfully skirting around the surface. Diving down only to resurface shortly again, repeating the motion a few times.

This gave a good opportunity for Binghe to take in the creature in detail. And fucking dammit, it looked beautiful. Even though Binghe couldn’t see its face clearly, the creature’s beauty was evident. It was perhaps the most stunning being Binghe has ever seen. And Binghe had met many alluring ladies during his years of service in the palace, mind you.

The man - at least Binghe figured it was male, due to the lack of breasts on its chest - had long, flowing hair done in a simple updo that didn’t come lose even as he was moving about energetically. Its tail was long, and sleek covered with frilly fins ending in a fluttering caudal fin that faintly reminds Binghe of a court lady’s skirt.

And the colors! Binghe was floored by the sheer gorgeousness of it all. The scales on the creature’s tail were mostly green parakeet and emerald with a hint of sapphire, while all of the fins twinkled in pastel lilac. Not even the king dressed in his full glory looked as magnificent as this creature did.

Binghe was abruptly forced to stop his wandering as the creature’s joyous dance suddenly came to a halt. It finally took notice of his presence, pinning its otherworldly eyes onto the knight’s figure.

Muscles tensing, Binghe felt like the air was knocked out of his lungs. His hand trembled on the sword, gripping it so tight all the blood fled from his fingertips.

Those features, that face… he knew that face. It was the face of King Shen, his worst enemy.  

Yet… it wasn’t. The longer Binghe looked at the creature, the more he didn’t look like King Shen. His features had some strange similarities, like the arch of their nose and the shape of their lips was the same. However, while King Shen looked cold and regal, the person in front of him had softer edges and a very noticeable absence of hatred in his eyes.

Plus, the creature had a strange condition - his eyes were of different colors. The right one was deep-blue while the left one was silver gray.  

As different as west and east.

Binghe couldn’t place the creature’s strange expression anywhere. The man with the tail didn’t seem irritated or scared. His movements betrayed no wariness or caution either; only blinked curiously at Binghe. Fleetingly it reminded the knight of a child.

“Am I dreaming again?” The softly uttered question curled the creature’s lips downwards slightly into a depressed pout. It was not meant for Binghe’s ears, nor was the creature expecting Binghe to answer but in the tense silence, it was impossible to ignore.

Wait, Binghe’s brain worked a hundred miles per hour. Does he think I’m his imagination?

“That’s my line,” Binghe gruffly threw the line out, testing the waters. The creature showed no hostility up until now, so if not forced Binghe would rather not christen his newly acquired sword with the other’s blood.

At that creature’s dejected demeanor melted away faster than ice under scorching sunlight. Gorgeous two-colored eyes widened, pretty mouth parting around in a silent ‘o’ from shock.

“Y-you… you are real? ” His voice went high with what Binghe deemed was hysteria. “How is this possible?”

“I bleed, I breathe and I’m talking to you. You tell me,” The young knight retorted, wincing internally right after. He was supposed to be working to establish a temporary peace and not trying to vex the other - at least until he figures out how to leave the cave. Or how to kill it.

“I thought I smelled blood… but I wasn’t sure. It’s been years since I last met a human,” the creature mumbled, mostly to himself totally unabashed about Binghe’s witty remarks.

It was probably a very bad time to stop to think about how smooth and pleasing the creature’s voice was. There was a certain lofty arch in the way he dragged the syllables accompanied by a sensual purr. If Binghe needed to describe it in one word he would have chosen ‘seductive’.

“Well… I have never met a uh- … a magical fish that can talk in all my years so…” Binghe trailed off and resisted the urge to facepalm. He was expecting the other to get offended, but the creature only blinked once before bursting into a fit of giggles.

“Not fish. Merman,” he spoke once the laughter calmed down. A wide smile stretched on those pale cheeks, probably from the hilarity.

“Merman is it,” Binghe noticed the creature skirting shyly to the edge of the lake, closer to him, but didn’t comment on it. “I’m Luo Binghe, a human, at your service.”

There was something unnameable in the creature’s smile. “You are a knight.” It wasn’t a question.

“Not anymore, no,” Binghe denied, his voice suddenly chilly. That was a rather fresh wound on his loyal heart.  

The merman stared at him for a long while, those eyes peeling the flesh and skin off Binghe until he was standing naked with nothing but his soul on display. At long last, the man in the water relaxed his narrow shoulders. “You seem different from the rest.”      

“Different?” Binghe’s eyebrows traveled up. If anyone that was different here was the merman. Humans were all alike, one could trust them to be greedy and lecherous. While this creature in front of him, Binghe couldn’t read well at all. He couldn’t tell what the other wanted either.  

Resting his elbows on the rocks on the edge, the merman smiled again. This smile free of any hidden meaning behind it, only unrestrained longing and curiosity reflected in it. “Hm. Different. I don’t sense any killing intent or gluttony from you. You also don’t seem to be scared of me.”

“Pardon me, but you don’t look very threatening,” Binghe knocked his head to the side, a teasing undertone in his voice.

Sleek eyebrows furrowed slightly on the merman’s face, but the widening smile gave away the fact that he wasn’t angry. “Really? Everyone who ever saw me either screamed and run or drew their weapons and tried to kill me.”

“They probably never took the time to properly look at you then,” Binghe’s mouth was faster than his brain. He was really there, flirting with literal danger and not even the least bit apologetic about it.

What a fucking day.

Out of all the possible reactions, Binghe would’ve never guessed the merman’s cheeks would dust with blush, those previously straightforward eyes averting bashfully. Enlightenment was like a slap in the face. Binghe felt like he was the real beast here because he wanted to continue just to see what other adorable expressions the merman’s face can distort into.

“Yuan.”

“Hm?” Binghe re-focused onto reality.

“My name,” the merman stressed, the blush still shining on his face. “It’s Yuan.”

Binghe nodded. “Yuan. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”  

Yuan’s chuckle was short-lived but amused. “You don’t have to speak like a knight to me, Luo Binghe.”

It was Binghe’s turn to laugh, a tad bit awkwardly. Scratching his own nape he spoke. “Apologies. Force of habit.”

“You’re bleeding,” Yuan observed, ignoring his apology.

Binghe looked down at saw that indeed the stab wound on his chest has reopened when he moved his arm. Groaning under his breath Binghe effortlessly pulled his tattered shirt by the nape, leaving him naked from waist up. He then carefully tied the material across his chest, to press onto the bleeding wound.

The knight knew he was lucky that the cut was clean and rather small, not giving many opportunities for festering. But he still needed to make fire and disinfect it as soon as possible. Plus he also had a rather nasty injury on his thigh as well that needed to be tended to.

Too deep in his thoughts, Binghe didn’t realize the change in Yuan’s expression. Missed the way the merman’s breathing skipped when his eyes landed on Binghe’s nicely-built chest which was tattered by both fresh and dry blood. Or how Yuan’s body seemed to want to curl into itself making himself smaller as the knight stood up towering over him - Yuan’s two-colored eyes enchanted by the way the muscles moved.

Only when Binghe begun to walk away, did Yuan snap out of it. He hastily swam after him, at the edge of the lake. The noise reminded the knight of his newly made acquaintance in the water so he came to a halt. With the seriousness of a monarch, he spoke. “Thank you for sparing my life even though I waltzed into your home rather rudely. I must go now, but it was a pleasure to have met you, Yuan.”

Yuan’s face fell, looking so sad it almost made Binghe’s heart tremble. “You are leaving? But you are bleeding! Will you come back?”

“I don’t know yet,” Binghe said with some difficulty.

The merman’s shoulders dropped, his pearly teeth chewing on his lower lip. He appeared nervous almost like a maiden who was confessing her love. “You don’t need to leave. You said it’s my home, so I say you can stay. Will you stay?”

Binghe’s lips curved almost unnoticeably around the corners. Yuan was dangerous. He was a dark horse whose power Binghe couldn’t assess but possessed the face of an angel and the voice of seductress. With every uttered word he made Binghe want to stay, to relax and lower his guard.

Binghe needed to get out of there. Urgently.

“I- I need to treat my wounds,” Binghe ended up saying, stiff and awkward. “I’m leaving now.”     

“Oh.” was all Yuan uttered, his eyes downcast in defeat. Binghe thought he saw actual tears twinkling in them. He all but turned on his heels and run away, ignoring the screaming muscles of his injured leg. If he stayed, Binghe felt like he would have done something very embarrassing.

It took him roughly three hours to gather enough burnables for a small campfire. By that time he was utterly exhausted, drenched in sweat and stomach churning with hunger and thirst. Ignoring all of the above, Binghe got the fire going and with great concentration, he holds the blade of his sword above the flames until it became bright yellow.

He gritted his teeth, priding himself in the fact that he didn’t scream out when the white-hot steel pressed onto his open wounds. It was only for a few seconds, yet it was enough to seal the gape and stop the bleeding leaving an ugly mess of burnt skin in its place. With jerky movements, Binghe re-tied the shirt-made-bandages then proceeded to sit there until the pulsing pain lessened somewhat. Then he promptly passed out.  

 

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Binghe had no idea how long was he out, but he was sure of two things; most of his strength returned to him and his stomach was trying to eat itself. As much as the young knight wasn’t ready to face Yuan and all those confusing emotions that came with him, Binghe needed to go back.

Even he couldn’t live without water. So back to the hall he went, listening for the sound of trickling water. He didn’t need to strain his ears for long, as he soon arrived back. A familiar looking lake greeted him, with a unique twist to it.

Yuan was floating atop the surface, his cheek adorably squashed heavily onto a smooth rock at the edge seemingly fast asleep. His dry hair, elegantly followed along the curve of his shoulder and back, while the ends were spreading out in the water. Binghe inhaled sharply at the sight, caught between wanting to look away and wanting to never again look at anything else.

He walked closer soundlessly, sitting down by the lake some distance away from the merman. Binghe had been thirsty but the type of thirst he was experiencing now was beyond the material need for water. It reached deep within Binghe’s heart, bringing forth unfamiliar carnal greed.

The young knight knew it was horribly indecent to stare at someone - let alone someone who was vulnerably asleep. But how could he look away when Yuan was delicately prone in front of him, looking better than painting and softer than any maiden?

Yuan’s skin was pale but still glowed healthily. Starting from the arch of his shoulder and the outer side of his collarbones, tiny scales scattered the skin though it retained the softness. As the scales increased in size around the merman’s torso and the shy of his lower back the colors only intensified until it all mended into his tail.

Ethereal.

Binghe almost tailed and run again, because his heart was entirely overwhelmed and the knight had zero ideas what to do to make it stop. But then Yuan let out a sleepy moan, and his body shifted as he woke up and Binghe knew it was too late to leave.      

Unfocused differing eyes blinked around until they settled on Binghe’s figure. Yuan instantly looked more awake, an uncertain yet terribly excited smile stretching onto those thin lips.  

“You’re back!” he sounded out of breath.

Binghe nodded. “I’m back.”

They fell into a short-lived silence and Binghe was rocking his brain to say something. Yuan beat him to it. “Your wound is better now? Do you not need help?”

“It’s better now,” Binghe answered with honesty and finally remembered why he came here in the first place. He slowly unfastened the bandages off his wounds and inched closer to the lake intending to drink and clean his body somewhat.

Only before he would actually reach out to the lake, Binghe finally remembered to look over at Yuan who didn’t move from his position. Yuan, who realized he was caught staring, closed his mouth and tore his eyes away from Binghe’s displayed body so fast, one would think he got burned.

“Is it okay?” Binghe asked the ambiguous question, gesturing to the water.   

Blinking rapidly, an even deeper shade of red settled onto Yuan’s cheeks, suddenly defensive. “Why do you need my permission? Do whatever.”

An exasperated huff left the knight’s chest. “I meant like, you won’t drag me down and drown me if I approach, right?”

Yuan mumbled something so softly, Binghe didn’t hear it. “What was that?”

Blinking up at the human, the merman suddenly pushed himself away from the edge of the lake and cautiously swam closer to Binghe. “I said ‘come in’.”

Kneeling by the lake, Binghe sent a smile Yuan’s way that couldn’t really be called a smile. They were close. So close, if Binghe were to extend his left hand he could touch the silky-looking black hair. “I don’t need that. I just want to wash the blood off my wound.”

Yuan’s eyebrows furrowed, looking slightly offended although, at what, Binghe couldn’t figure out. Shifting closer again, Yuan found himself face-to-face with the other. “That’s why you should come in, stupid. ”

When seeing the sparks of confusion in Binghe’s eyes, Yuan whined low in his throat and cupped his right hand gathering water in his palm. Before Binghe could ask what he was up to, Yuan swiftly pressed his hand right over the knight’s chest splashing the water straight onto the healing wound.

Binghe growled, mainly from being caught off guard rather than pain. He could concentrate on nothing but the warm hand on his chest, and the intense need to take the delicate wrist into his hand surged through Binghe’s body resulting in a shiver.

But the hand was already withdrawing and Binghe snapped out of his thoughts. Yuan wasn’t looking at him but at his chest - more specifically at his stab wound. So looking down himself, Binghe almost cursed out loud from shock. He barely could stop himself from jumping up.

The wound was visibly mending itself, the marred skin slowly evening out but the process slowed and stopped before it would’ve healed up completely.

“Need more water,” Yuan whispered, his lulling voice soothing Binghe’s racing heart. When his eyes found Binghe’s again, he raised further out of the water letting his shoulders and slender collarbones come into view. Coaxing, he almost sounded like he was begging. “Come in?”

Binghe felt very attacked, but just one look at those shoulders scattered with tiny scales and the thin lips that became pink form the nibbling Yuan did to them, he knew he was a goner.

Fuck it, he thought and decided to throw all rational thoughts out of the window. Standing up and moving away from the temptation, Binghe felt like he could breathe again.

Yuan almost lunged after the knight, and couldn’t keep the disenchanted expression off his pretty features. But that was wiped away just as quickly as it appeared when he saw Binghe’s hands wordlessly peeling away the sword from his waist, then his boots and lastly his pants. All these items landing in a heap on the ground.

Yuan either didn’t know it was unseemly or just simply didn’t care about such human etiquette, stared at Binghe undressing, totally enraptured. With such intense attention on themselves, many would feel awkward or overly conscious of their shortcomings - but not that of Binghe.

The knight has never been prone to shyness, and although there weren’t many cases he let others see him nude he never really minded it either. Plus he knew he looked good. If he so wanted he could’ve had a dozen lovers back at the palace from the sheer amount of maidens that threw themselves at him.

Too bad none of them ever captured his attention. Until now, Binghe thought and felt like he should be more upset over the fact that the one that managed to make his heart race was not just a man but also an entirely different species .

With a loud splash, Binghe’s head emerged from the surface, shaking the water out of his messy hair. Yuan got a big amount of water in his face but there was only delight in his twinkling eyes.

“So what’s the deal?” Binghe asked, careful not to move around too much while his wounds were healing.

“What do you mean?” Yuan swam back and forth, obviously trying hard to suppress his excitement.

“The water. Why can it heal my wounds?”

“Ah, that! It’s been like that since I was born,” Yuan answered faithfully. “I don’t exactly know why can it heal injuries. But because it’s not a problem I didn’t investigate.”

Seems like the merman didn’t know the secrets of the cave either. Binghe also couldn’t detect any signs of lying so he let it pass. “Were you born in this cave?”

Yuan nodded, eager to share. “Yes. There were more of us back then. My grandfather was the strongest amongst us. He even had the power to shift!”

“Shift? You mean, to have legs like a human?” Binghe furrowed his brows slightly.

“Yes. But that was also the problem,” Yuan’s voice became softer. “One time when he was going out, a hunter saw him. I… I think you can guess what happened after.”

Binghe nodded, expression grim. Yuan continued on his own volition and the knight let him. Something told Binghe that Yuan has been in a desperate need to vent to someone for a while now. “There was no more peace for us. At first village people came, hunters. Then later soldiers and knights. All of them came to kill us and bring our bodies back as trophies.”

“Binghe… y-you know we never hurt humans. Only to protect ourselves when they were attacking us,’ Yuan’s voice was shaky, he himself has long shifted sideways to hide his face away from Binghe’s eyes. “It went on until a group arrived. They were more skilled than the rest, with better weapons too. I was only like… twenty or so cycles old I think? In the fight, only I survived because my brother hid me away.”

Yuan took a shuddering breath before turning to face Binghe. His cheeks were wet but not form the lake water. “It’s been a long while now. Nobody else came since then. And nobody ever came back twice .”

“Until today,” Binghe finished it for him.

Yuan smiled softly and nodded. “Until today.”

“Hearing this… I really wonder why didn’t you strangle me the moment you had the chance,” Binghe should’ve kept his mouth shut but he was cursed with brutal honesty. He always said what was on his mind, even when the situation wasn’t suitable.

A wet chuckle echoed in the hall, but no answer came. The silence felt a bit awkward but not tense. To give themselves something to concentrate on Binghe conversationally asked. “What do that twenty cycles mean? How do you count time?”

And so Yuan, like an exchanged person, began to explain how the flow of the river shifted once per three lunar months. Currently, it was high-tide and when it shifts to low-tide then the next cycle would start. Binghe quickly did the math; this meant twenty cycles old equaled to a five-year-old in human standards.

“How old are you by the way? You look older than me,” Yuan inquired, his fingers twirling a strand of his hair like he didn’t know what to do with his hands.

“I’m 24 years old. So around 96 cycles?”

Yuan looked taken aback. He swam even closer, his tail accidentally bumping into Binghe’s leg. Taking a good look at the knight’s face, Yuan pursed his lips but not before muttering “Impossible.”

Binghe snorted, but on the inside he got worried. “Why impossible? How old are you ?”

Yuan peeked up at Binghe from behind his lashes, hesitating. “I’m 122 cycles old…”

 

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Having acquired the unexpected friendship of the merman, Binghe’s days in the cave became a lot more endurable. Yuan was useless when it came to the knowledge of how to get out of there, but he was a chatty and curious thing.  

“So.. how did you end up here anyways if not for “monster” hunting?” Yuan, heavily leaned against the side of the lake to watch the knight. Binghe was roasting the fish the merman caught for him over the small campfire. His moves were practiced like a chef’s.

“The King I was serving framed me then sentenced me to death by sealing me in here,” The knight replied, keeping it as simple as possible.

“Why? Did you do something bad?” Of course, Yuan’s curiosity wasn’t satisfied with that curt answer.

“He hated me for being better than him,” Binghe shrugged, however, the manner of his speech was rigid. “He saw me as a threat and decided I must be get ridden off.”

“So he is an asshole.” Yuan summarized so bluntly the laughter was punched out of Binghe’s lungs.

Shaking his head, Binghe smiled with scary intensity. “He is an asshole. And I will kill him for what he did.”

“But.. for that, you must get out of the cave first.” Yuan carefully stated a certain meekness ebbed in his body language. He appeared scared of that look in Binghe’s eyes.

“And I will.” Binghe confidently promised and failed to notice how Yuan’s shoulders dropped and mouth thinned with a thinly veiled guilty expression. A tense silence followed up - only the cracking of the fire and the soft flow of water was heard.  

Yuan chewed on his lower lip, skittering nervously in his place. He looked like he wanted to say something but every time he opened his mouth he immediately closed it again.

“Is revenge that important?” the merman cautiously inquired, after minutes long of gathering the courage to speak.

Binghe finally turned to look at Yuan in the eye, eyes devoid of emotion. “It’s the only thing that keeps me going, Yuan. Aside from that, I have nothing else.”

Yuan wanted to argue but after seeing the resolute look on Binghe’s face he gave up.

 

-----------------------

 

It was hard to keep up with the passage of time in the cave. Days and weeks blurred into each other. Binghe who was still tirelessly trying to find the way out, adapted the unhealthy routine of going until he almost collapsed from fatigue then slept for a few hours only to continue it all over again.

The cave system was complicated, and there were days when Binghe didn’t see Yuan at all. Wherever the merman could he followed him via the passageways that were underwater, but those didn’t reach everywhere.

Seeing monotonous walls and a closed-off ceiling Binghe truly missed those days when he could ride across wide fields and watch the calming night sky spreading above his head. But as the saying goes; one can never truly appreciate what they have until it’s taken away from them.  

There was impatience in his young heart, suppressed anger and annoyance and above all a heart-wrenching feeling of being lost. After long-long days spent underground Binghe’s resolve was shaking.

Now don’t misunderstand. He still stood firmly by the fact that he will get out of there and take his revenge. But on the other hand, he had a lot of time to himself - which meant a lot of time spent alone with his thoughts.

He wasn’t lying when he said that revenge was the only thing keeping him alive. He was an orphan, who lived with a poor washer-woman until she tragically died from weak health. Binghe was living on the streets, eating scraps and moving from village to village. When he was the mere age of nine, he was recruited by chance to be trained as a knight in the king’s army.

Luo Binghe thought his life would take a turn for the better but his real sufferings only begun then. His peers and teachers bullied him, placing enormous burdens on him aside from the already harsh training. No one wanted to be his friend, after all, what good comes from befriending an orphan nobody?

Those years almost broke him, but Binghe stubbornly kept holding on. And all that bullying, all those extra assignments, and chores that was supposed to break him down, turned into his strength. Binghe became stronger than any of his peers and placed first on the day of their inauguration.

Becoming an official knight come with some relief, but it didn’t get rid of people’s jealousy or the more sophisticated methods of bullying. But Binghe didn’t care. All he ever wanted was to belong somewhere, and he naively thought he could perhaps find that by King Shen’s side.

How fucking foolish.

Binghe was exploring a passageway where water didn’t reach, hence Yuan couldn't come with him. The knight found himself missing the chatter and the noises of splashing as the merman was playing around. He imagined how Yuan’s lips would curve upwards after getting chastised, and how his voice would shake with mischievous laughter.

His pretty hair would fall like a veil around his shoulders, and how his nicely-shaped fingers would run through it in order to get it under his rule and out of his mouth.

How graceful. Binghe soundlessly huffed in amusement.

“That dork.”

It was scary how when the merman wasn’t by his side, Binghe’s thoughts kept wondering back to him. Binghe didn’t even remember what sort of thoughts occupied his head prior to getting to know Yuan. The merman crashed into his life like a lightning out of blue sky. Or maybe, that wasn’t exactly accurate - Binghe was the one who literally crashed into Yuan’s life.

But nevermind the minor details. Yuan rocked Binghe’s world.  

How did Yuan come to occupy such a big part of his head, his heart in such a short amount of time? Binghe deep down knew the answer but stubbornly refused to think about it. He knew his heart oh so thirstily yearned for love and affection. He knew of his tendency to latch himself onto whoever shows him even a little bit of genuine care. He knew his heart will be his downfall one day, but heaven help him, he couldn’t control it.  

And Yuan was so warm, so vibrant it made Binghe’s heart squeeze with overwhelming, crushing affection. Binghe’s crazy heart filled his head with unspokable desires, made the blood in his veins buzz and his fingers twitch with the want to act on those thoughts.

The feeling was new, confusing and exhilarating. Binghe never wanted it to end and desperately hoped to put and end to it at the same time.

 

-----------------------

 

Binghe somehow found himself back to the hall where he first met Yuan. In a strange way, it felt like coming home, as he saw the familiar curves of the wall and the calm lake. After having a drink and washing up, Binghe laid on his back at a relatively smooth surface and watched the phosphorescent lights wobble like toddlers who are just learning how to walk.

He almost fell asleep, but a realization shot a dose of ice into his heart chasing the sleepiness away: Yuan still hasn’t come. The merman always showed up where Binghe was after a few minutes, no matter what hidden nook of the cave he was in - if there was water, Yuan would appear. The knight swore Yuan had a fifth sense or something. So for him to stay away this long was not normal.

Binghe jumped onto his feet and grabbed his sword. Something was wrong. But what? Where? How does one go on about finding a merman?!

Frustrated and worried, Binghe set off towards the hallway that Yuan showed him - the river only slightly widened there but it reached much deeper. The knight remembered Yuan mentioning how he liked it more because the acoustics were better there.

Maybe he is holding a one-man concert and didn’t notice. Binghe tried to reason logically but doubt kept bubbling up in his chest making him unable to truly relax. He almost burst into running just to get there faster only barely managing to hold himself back.

His legs betrayed him in the last fifty meters, as he impatiently runs and took the left turn arriving at his destination. At first, he didn’t understand what his eyes were seeing. Yuan was almost completely out of the water, lying on the wet flat stone with only the tip of his tail still submerged in the water.

His whole body was shivering, eyes closed, mouth open around a soundless syllable while his hands were fisted by his sides. He seemed to be in a lot of pain, and all of Binghe’s annoyance was melted away by the tidal wave-worthy concern.

Only when he strode to Yuan’s side and looked him over realized Binghe that there was something he missed. Right beneath Yuan’s soft stomach where the scales started the merman’s genital slit was swollen pink oozing what it looked like slick, the head of his dick half-way out.

Oh.

Yuan’s eyes flew open as he heard the sound of footsteps, their eyes met and for a second both of them froze dead in their tracks. Then Yuan let out a pitiful sound between a whine and a moan and Binghe almost reeled back. The merman’s right hand flew right above his private area as if wanting to cover himself but in the end, it dejectedly dropped back down by his side.

“I - I’m sorry Binghe,” Yuan spoke with great difficulty, tears catching on his eyelashes. Binghe was never more confused and horny in his entire lifetime; which mind you, was not a good combination.

With rather tense movements, Binghe crouched down next to him. After a brief second of hesitation, he touched Yuan’s forehead which was burning up. The merman sighed into the touch, a brief look of relief flashing across his lovely features.

“Are you sick?”

“No I… for my kind... it’s mating season,” Yuan’s voice shook, fresh tears finding their way down his cheeks. “Started this morning… it’s why I couldn't come to meet you. I’m sorry.”

“Idiot!” Binghe rebuked without any real heat behind it. He didn’t withdraw his hand. “You could’ve - I don’t know… give me a heads up? It’s not like I can’t go a day or two without you.”

Yuan only made a very pitiful noise which resembled a humorless laugh, his eyes looking apologetic. Then another wave of whatever passed over him and his teeth released his lip and a strangled moan was wrung from the depth of his throat. A violent tremble assaulted his body, which caused his forehead to be pushed against Binghe’s palm more prominently.

Binghe was in a trace, watching the scene like a teenager who just stumbled upon their first porn book. The crown of the merman’s cheeks was red and his small chest heaving rather heavily. His dick was pushed further out until with a soft pop it stood in its entirety. Binghe felt his own dick twitch in interest within his pants.

Yuan looked so pretty like this.  

The merman moaned; throaty and wanting. Louder than before. When Binghe noticed the pair of heterochromatic eyes staring at him with so much desperation and pleading, he realized he had said that out loud.

Binghe withdraws his hand with great difficulty. Yuan whined in protest, his tail lifting off the ground as if trying to find friction. The knight gulped dryly, finally turning his head away from the indecent view. He had blush spreading across his cheeks too. “Why don’t you- … you know, take care of it? I’ll go and uh… leave you to it.”

Yuan’s eyes widened, and before Binghe could even move to stand up he lunged at him knocking him onto his butt. Binghe was forced to place his hands on the ground to keep his balance, and Yuan took advantage of his momentary confusion to crawl all the way into his lap.

When Binghe felt the heavy weight of Yuan’s tail settling onto his thighs, his brain short circuited. Alas, Yuan was so wet all over and not just from water but also from the slick he produced, that he almost slid out of Binghe’s lap with the same momentum. The knight’s right hand shot to the narrow waist to stead them both.

“P-please,” Yuan whispered into the tiny space between them, unable to meet the knight’s eyes. “Binghe, I want you. Please. It hurts.”

The merman’s hands were loosely clinging onto Binghe’s neck, giving the other a chance to escape if he truly didn’t want this. Binghe was hyper aware of all the places they were touching, feeling the hot, moist exhale on his lips and the vague outline of Yuan’s dick against his left thigh. It was all too much and yet not enough.

A groan akin a growl grew from Binghe’s throat, and he lunged forward claiming those trembling lips in a rather forceful kiss. Yuan pliantly let Binghe bite, nibble, and suck. The merman even obediently parted his lips when Binghe’s tongue coaxed them open, albeit not without making a sound of surprise.

All the moans and soft sounds were eaten up. The knight was kissing the merman like he was a dying man and Yuan was the life-giving water he desperately needed. In turn, Yuan was clinging tightly onto Binghe’s shoulders by now, not willing to give up even an inch he was granted.

When they parted to breathe, both of their lips were slightly swollen and shiny with spit. Yuan shuddered again, and Binghe could feel a fresh load of warm slick soaking his pants. The differences in their biology were ought to make Binghe feel weirded out to some degree, however, the knight found he really didn’t care.

All he wanted was to make Yuan feel good. Better than he had ever felt in his entire life.

With a gentle but firm movement, Binghe turned them around placing Yuan onto his back and hovered above him. The merman was watching him with rapt attention. Aside from some wandering hands across Binghe’s irresistible pecs and biceps, Yuan was waiting for Binghe to take the lead almost shyly.

Exhaling deeply, Binghe pushed his forehead against Yuan’s, while one of his hands cradled the merman’s face with the utmost care. Binghe’s voice was rough from desire but his tone was incredibly gentle. “How do you want this?”

Yuan turned a deeper shade of red and made a whimper in embarrassment. “I- I’m an iner, Binghe.”

“What?” Binghe blinked.

Yuan wriggled underneath him with a varying degree of discomfort and impatience. Not quite meeting Binghe’s eyes, Yuan tried his best to explain on his shaky voice. “My kind also has sub genders besides male and female like for you humans. Iners are capable of laying eggs while oners can put fingerlings in the eggs.”

It was a rather vague explanation, but Binghe had a feeling he will have to work with this limited information given how both of them were at their wit's end. And when his brain caught up with everything, something dark flashed in Binghe’s eyes.

Placing his calloused palm over Yuan’s stomach just above his genital slit, careful to avoid touching his weeping dick. The merman convulsed from the sudden touch, his two-colored eyes wide open to stare at the content smirk on Binghe’s lips.

“So you’re saying you have a womb under here?” Binghe dragged the sentence out slowly while putting the barest of pressure on the flat stomach. There was ruthlessness in his teasing - a promise of something that would’ve felt like a threat if Yuan weren’t so turned on. The merman barely could stop himself from trembling like a leaf in the wind. “That you can get pregnant and grow round with fingerlings?”    

Yuan shakily inhaled and nodded, not trusting his voice. He tightened his hold on Binghe’ shoulder, his nails sinking into skin uncomfortably yet the knight didn’t show any signs of discomfort.

“How curious,” Binghe commented, looking contemplative although his own erection has long been tenting his trousers.

“Are you going to do it or not?” Yuan hid behind annoyance and defiance, to hide just how terrified he was that Binghe would stand up and leave him like this. “‘Cause if you think that you can- ahh ”

Yuan couldn’t finish his sentence because Binghe suddenly grabbed his dick and started stroking it leisurely. Wet squelching sounds filled the still cave air alongside with soft whimpers and grunts.

The merman’s hand flew to Binghe’s wrist that was jerking him off, not trying to stop him nor encouraging him, just holding on for dear life. But Binghe couldn’t make fun of him even if he wanted to because Yuan looked drop-dead gorgeous at the throes of pleasure.

There was panting, writhing and more obscure sounds. It didn’t take all that long and Yuan was coming with desperate gasps on his lips. However, instead of shying away from stimulation, the merman pushed Binghe’s hand down toward the slit right beneath his dick.

“Please, put it in, please,” Yuan begged, his voice sounded so fucked out even though they just started. Every single word he said while begging felt to Binghe like he was being caressed with honey. “I need it inside... please, please put it in.”

The knight, who was already starting to feel discomfort from his too tight pants wasted no time to fulfill Yuan’s request. He slowly eased his middle finger inside the slit and was rewarded with a wrecked moan and a small trashing of Yuan’s tail.

Binghe breathed out a curse, because fuck, fuck, fuck. The inside of Yuan was warm and incredibly wet. Tight enough to feel the walls trembling but loose enough to be tempted to add more fingers until he made Yuan cry. Until he stretched him to his limit. It was a sadistic thought, and Binghe was momentarily surprised by his own brain.

Seeing absolutely no signs of pain on Yuan’s face, Binghe pulled out only to thrust two fingers back inside the wet heat. Yuan bit his lips trying to hold back the sounds threatening to escape. The merman lifted his head to look down where Binghe was working his way inside but then dropped it back onto the ground just as fast when that spot was accidentally touched inside him.

Yuan shivered violently in Binghe’s embrace, a sharp gasp leaving his throat. Binghe was momentarily surprised, his fingers frozen but Yuan started lifting his waist trying to get the fingers to hit that place again.

“Oh,” Binghe grunted and now with three fingers, he started to move his hand aiming to find that spot in the merman that made Yuan completely wrecked. It wasn’t easy because that spot was far deep inside - which is why Yuan tried so hard not to touch himself. During his heat, only a partner’s dick could satisfyingly stimulate his erogenous spot, and until now Yuan had no such luxury.

Binghe’s hands were bigger than his, which naturally meant his fingers were sturdier, longer. But even Binghe seemed to be having problems reaching that itching place inside, and even when he did it was not enough . It made Yuan mad with need, and could no longer hold back the tremors of his body nor the trashing and curling of his tail.

“B-Binghe…” Yuan breathed heavily, his vision slightly blurry with tears but his hands started to paw at the knight’s belt. “It’s okay. I’m ready now… I’m ready.”

Jaw tensing from concentration, Binghe nodded and pulled his fingers out. Yuan moaned woefully, evidently having to hold himself back from complaining about the lack of anything in his twitching hole. Binghe skillfully removed his belt and threw his sword away, before freeing his achingly hard dick from his pants with a low groan.

Yuan blinked tears out of his eyes to look, and he felt himself watering at the sight - both at mouth and downstairs. Binghe was big. It forced a choked-off needy whine from the merman even though Binghe hasn’t put it anywhere near where he wanted it yet. If Yuan put his hand next to it for measurement, starting from the tip of his fingers Binghe’s dick would reach beyond his frail wrist.

And while even many ladies would feel a slight bit of fear at this sight, Yuan only felt unrestrained, ardent delight. His biology was different than human’s, and a merman’s body could easier adjust to their partner’s size.

Binghe gave himself two quick strokes before he got on top of Yuan again, the weight more than welcomed by the shivering merman who eagerly wrapped his hands around the other’s neck again. But Binghe didn’t show it in immediately much to Yuan’s chagrin. Holding his dick, Binghe dragged the head along the curves of Yuan’s swollen slit, making a mess of the oozing slick and his own pre-cum.

Yuan never felt this turned on in his entire lifetime, and he had been through numerous mating seasons alone. As expected, having a partner really did mix things up in the best possible way.

“Please… ” when the poor merman couldn’t take it anymore, he pleaded on that honey-like lewd tone.   

“Shh,” Binghe gently coaxed, though his dark eyes were flashing with a perverse, carnal satisfaction. “I’ve got you. Relax for me, Yuan.”

The merman wanted to retort that he had been relaxed and ready for a while now when all his thoughts were cut in half. Binghe pushed in, steady enough to be able to stop if something’s wrong but gone was the overly-gentle caution from his movements. He didn’t stop until he bottomed out, and Yuan who was forced to take all of Binghe in one go forgot how to breathe for a few seconds.    

“Mother of pearl…” The merman gasped, saliva slowly collecting at the corners of his mouth. He could feel everything ; every bump and every curve and a heavy head that pressed deliciously right onto his prostate. It was a heavenly feeling, and Yuan in his momentary haze thought he never wanted Binghe to pull out.

And then it got even better. Binghe started moving, his thrusts searching at first and without any real rhythm. Yuan kept making those embarrassing small sounds, but heaven help him, he couldn’t keep them in even if his life depended on it. The friction was just right, Binghe’s dick curling into his body with ease.

Yuan was so happy he could cry. Binghe was the perfect size for him too - his dick wasn’t so big it would cause tearing but endowed enough to appease his hunger, unlike Yuan’s small fingers, ever could. Yuan thought he had reached the peak; that this was the absolute best he could ever feel during sexual intercourse.

But once the knight shifted slightly, Yuan whined so loud he borderline screamed. If it was possible Binghe’s dick entered deeper from the new position, the tip sliding over that sweet spot and going beyond, even further into his body.

“Oh, oh, oh…” Yuan’s eyes widened at the new sensation, desperately clinging to Binghe and trying to muffle his voice into the strong chest. Although it was Binghe’s very first time too, the knight was a fast learner with a keen eye. And when he saw Yuan’s hazed teary eyes and the honest reactions of his body Binghe knew he did something right.

So with precision and power, Binghe started fucking Yuan in that pose in that angle aiming for that same spot. And Yuan was dying but at the same time, he was climbing higher and higher as if trying to reach the skies. Every little nerve, every piece, every part of Yuan was taken apart and put back together in the most intense, most raw way.

“Ahh, that’s… Binghe I’m - it’s so good… ahh, ah,” Yuan was trying to speak, to express his overwhelming feelings but could not concentrate ending up muttering almost incomprehensible syllables.

When a particularly hard thrust made Yuan broke into a string of kitten-like mewls Binghe couldn’t hold it back anymore. He leaned down and bit into the tender arch of Yuan’s neck, drawing a shocked yelp from the merman. Binghe didn’t stop until he scattered blue and purple bruises all over Yuan’s neck and collarbones.

While marking up the merman, Binghe almost didn’t notice the slight change of Yuan’s body inside. For the last few thrusts, Binghe felt his dick bumping into a spongy substance that wasn’t there before, making the knight confused enough to slow down significantly.

But Yuan trashed under him, begging him to not to stop like someone who would die if Binghe stopped. But Binghe firmly pinned the merman to the ground and shifted before coming to a complete stop. Yuan looked like he had swum hundreds of miles at full speed, completely out of breath although his eyes reflecting unsatisfied desire and desperation.

“Don’t stop, please, don’t stop,” he sobbed, trembling all over trying to move his hips but Binghe’s hold was stronger than he anticipated. With great difficulty Yuan continued, throwing out all sense of shame and embarrassment if it meant Binghe would start moving again. “T-that’s just… my womb… i-it’s opening for you. Because my -... my body accepted you as our mate.”

Binghe was flabbergasted, yet the knowledge pleased a dark part of him immensely. Without further fiasco, the knight resumed thrusting - fast and rigorous like an unleashed wild animal. He could feel his orgasm building up, dangerously close, however, Binghe didn’t want to come before he could get Yuan over first.

So he targeted that place, and the reaction from Yuan was the hottest thing Binghe has ever seen. Delirious from the forceful pleasure, Yuan’s lips kept moving around half-words of begging, voice high from the chanted whines.

Binghe’s dick kept running past his prostate, rubbing it with intent but ultimately stabbing at the mouth of Yuan’s womb. Yuan never felt this way ever. Had no words for it either. Such a deep part of him has never been touched by anyone or anything, yet here was Binghe effortlessly coaxing his body open and baring such an intimate part of him as if it was nature’s will.

But what scared Yuan was how bad he wanted Binghe to succeed. Wanted him to go deeper and properly claim him without take-backs and doubt. Maybe it was just the heat speaking, but Yuan didn’t care - couldn’t care.

When the head of Binghe’s dick finally slithered inside that tiny opening Yuan’s tail trembled badly and subconsciously curled around Binghe’s legs. It took three thrusts aimed dead-straight into his womb for Yuan to come, lips open around a silent scream.

Binghe, seeing Yuan reach his orgasm allowed himself to come too. Out of courtesy, the knight tried to pull out, but Yuan didn’t let him move away even an inch, clinging onto Binghe with all his might. His body hungrily taking all that Binghe had to offer.

Both of them were panting, trying to catch their breath however the tension finally seemed to cease. Yuan bit his lips at the feeling of Binghe’s cum filling deep in his womb, but at the same time he noticed how the endogenous symptoms of his heat began to dissipate almost instantly afterward. And when his muscles stopped cramping, Yuan all but collapsed onto the ground without an ounce of energy left in his body.

Binghe pulled out, and Yuan sighed contently. The knight studied Yuan lazily; the love bites on his neck, the hand-shaped bruises around his waist, his pink dick and the swollen slit which still twitched every once in a while. It was all his doing. These were the marks he left on Yuan. It sat well with that new-found possessive side of his.    

“You’re beautiful,” Binghe heard himself saying. It was true. Yuan was gorgeous in general. Even more so right now.

Yuan’s lips curved upwards slightly, tiredly turning his head towards Binghe before opening his arms doing grabby motions. “Carry me to the water?”

“So spoiled,” Binghe accused, whereas that wasn’t true at all. Nevertheless, the knight hooked one arm under Yuan’s armpits and the other under his tail and just like that jumped into the slow river.

When they resurfaced, Yuan’s laughter was ringing in the air. Binghe’s mouth also curved, finding Yuan’s amused chortles contagious. They cleaned their bodies gently and unhurried, floating in the water like a pair of lotuses. Yuan’s smile reached his eyes, everything about him emitting happiness and relaxation.

Twirling a strand of Binghe’s curly hair around his fingers, Yuan giggled at nothing and leaned in, to peck Binghe’s lips. He mumbled, shy even after what they did. “Thank you.”  

“It was my pleasure too,” Binghe confessed, the shy of his cheek stubbornly refusing to let go of the red hue. “So.. thank you too.”

They stayed in each other’s arms, behaving as if they had all the time in the world. Binghe had never felt so at peace, so at home next to anyone ever. Of course, the afterglow certainly played a part in that, but it wasn’t everything. He wanted to keep Yuan to himself, to keep that blissed smile and those merry eyes on him, and him alone. Binghe never wanted to let Yuan leave his side ever.

Want to take him with me. It was like receiving a revelation.   

“I want to take you with me,” Binghe opened his mouth and spouted the harshest of the truth with a straight face. Yuan, raised his head from Binghe’s shoulder to look at him in astonishment.

When Yuan wasn’t saying anything, Binghe took it as an invitation to elaborate. So he did. “I can’t live in this cave forever. But if I leave then you’ll be left all alone again. And- well, I know how bad it is to be alone. That’s why I want to take you with me.”

Yuan kept staring at Binghe, a cavalcade of emotions swimming in his two-colored orbs. “B-but I can’t shift. I’m a merman. I’ll need a lake or a river.”

“No problem. I know of a place. Its well hidden and the water reaches deep. My own hunting hut is right next to it.” The one Binghe built with his own two hands, in the sanctuary of the secret of the wilderness, where no forms of abuse could reach him. The knight never showed it to anyone, but he was willing to take Yuan there.

Yuan worried his lips. “I’ve never been outside. I don’t know anything about the world.” His unspoken question of ‘ will you take care of me ’ hung heavily in the air.

Binghe’s arms tightened just slightly around him. “Then I will teach you. I’ll not abandon you, Yuan. I swear it to you, on my honor as a knight.”

The opposition was softer this time around. “But you said you aren’t a knight anymore.”

“I can be if I swear on a king again,” Binghe countered with fire. Yuan chuckled at his intensity but played along.

“And what king will you swear on?”

Without missing a beat, Binghe took Yuan’s right arm and brought it to his lips. “You, of course.”

Yuan blushed all the way to his ears. He was about to refute, hence Binghe beat him to it. “And don’t say you aren’t. You are a merman, and you have a marvelous kingdom down here. You are the strongest around so naturally, you’re a king.”

Yuan pursed his lips, clearly contemplating Binghe’s words. “So… you say I’m a king?”

Binghe nodded and Yuan continued. “And you say you would swear to be my knight?”

“Yes,” the knight nodded again, holding Yuan’s eyes with his. The merman chuckled, this time rather delighted.

“If you’re my knight it means you’re not leaving me ever. Right?”

“When a knight swears to a king, it's for a lifetime. With that the knight promises their utmost loyalty and service, even including laying down their own life for their king,” Binghe explained, not leaving out anything. His voice got soft, almost whispering.   

Yuan lowered his voice to match the mood around them. There was heartache in his reply. “But I don’t want you to be my knight.”

“Why?”

“Because a knight and a king… they can’t be mates can they?” Yuan looked away from Binghe’s sharp eyes. Taking Yuan’s chin in his fingers the knight turned his head back to face him.

“Who said they can’t be together? A knight has already offered his heart to his king. And the king is the ruler. He can do whatever he wants.”

Yuan blinked rather dumbly. “Whatever he wants?”   

“Hm. Whatever he wants.”

“Then I will allow you to be my knight,” Yuan excitedly announced. Binghe’s chest vibrated from his soundless laughter but sunk down to hold Yuan under the roundish part of his tail drawing him simultaneously closer and raising him further out of the water.

Yuan’s hands naturally flew to Binghe’s shoulders to steady himself, peeking down at the human whose cheek was nuzzling against his stomach. The merman’s heart fluttered at the sight, fingers slowly treading into Binghe’s wet locks pulling just barely as if wanting to pull him closer.

“I, Luo Binghe, swear on my name to loyally follow you, Yuan -” A feathery kiss was pressed against Yuan’s stomach. “- to protect you, -” Another kiss right on top of Yuan’s ribs. “- and serve you ‘til death calls my name.”

Yuan who was gradually lowered until he was again face-to-face to the knight. Gulping almost unnoticeable, Yuan’s voice was hoarse with emotion. “I accept you, Luo Binghe.”

Binghe smiled then and was about to move in for a kiss when Yuan spoke. “You’re mine now.”

There was a hum of an agreement, and it sent a pleasurable buzz through the merman’s body. Yuan continued. “I don’t have many things but I always take care of things that are mine.”

“Knew I’d be in good hands with you,” Binghe teased, and Yuan delightedly leaned in to press his lips against his. This kiss wasn’t like their previous ones; instead of the intensity of a raging inferno, they moved against one another slowly, savoring but deep. Trying to remember what the other tasted, smelled and felt like.

It left them breathless, and when they separated Yuan took Binghe’s face in his hands and looked into his eyes with an intensity Binghe has never seen on the merman’s face before. “Binghe, I have to show you something.”

“Okay?”

“But first,” Yuan pressed his whole body against the knight’s, the end of his tail loosely curling around Binghe’s ankle. Binghe could feel the slight tremors in Yuan’s body, and see how his breathing started to get irregular again, already guessing where this was going. “I need you again.”   

“Command me, my king,” Binghe whispered into Yuan’s ears, enjoying the gasp in response. “Tell me what you need and I’ll give it to you.”

“You. I need you again. I-in me,” Yuan whispered, embarrassment taking over but determined to get it out.

Binghe decided to have mercy on him without teasing him and that’s how they eloped for the second time, right there in the water. Yuan desperately clinging to the edge of the pond while Binghe fucked him unhurried but firm, dragging it out until Yuan was so gone he was hovering between consciousness and dreamspace.  

 

-----------------------

 

What Yuan wanted to show him was actually the exit of the cave. It was underwater, the distance a tad bit risky if one wanted to dive down and swim by themselves. But Binghe had Yuan with him who effortlessly dragged him through the passageways, reducing both time and effort.

And soon Binghe saw the light at the end of the tunnel. They resurfaced in a small natural well, the rocky walls thoroughly uneven making it that much easier to climb out. Binghe found himself in one of the many valleys of the Cang Qiong Mountain range, trees sparsely grew and the air fresh. If Binghe wasn’t mistaken, the peak at his left was Qing Jing Peak - it had that characteristic facet of a spear reaching towards the sky, the very top always white with snow.  

There wasn’t a soul in sight, but that was expected. If it really was Qing Jing Peak as Binghe guessed then they were roughly in the middle of the whole mountain range. Roads around here were sparse and even those lead through heady heights and dangerous serpentines - something that many rather avoided if possible.

Looking back down at Yuan, who was still waiting in the well Binghe’s heart ached. This journey was going to be hard, borderline impossible. Hiking around here was already considered a risky hobby, let alone while having to carry a merman in one’s arms.

But Binghe was burning with determination. He never was one to give up in face of a challenge. Yuan threw him his sword and boots, that were placed aside to dry. Until then the knight wrung ropes from liana and tied it to a nearby tree.

Taking Yuan out of the well was a rather hilarious escapade. For the first try, Yuan accidentally slipped through Binghe’s arm and fall back into the water with a loud splash. For the second time, it was the rope that let loose because Binghe tied it wrongly. Heavens had mercy on them on the third try though, and Yuan could finally say that he ‘took his first step’ outside of the cave.

Binghe wet his shirt - or rather what was left of it - and tied it around Yuan’s tail to help preserve the water on his skin. And so without further delay the set-off.

After trial and error, they arranged themselves in a way that Yuan was clinging to Binghe’s back while the knight was carrying his curled up tail. This way Binghe could see where he was stepping and Yuan could help to hold up his own weight.

Nevertheless by the time the sun was setting both Binghe and Yuan were exhausted. The knight found a small pond, a pooling of a melting glacier for the merman and even though it was slightly colder than what Yuan was used to he happily swam around to explore it despite his fatigue.

“Binghe,” the knight heard his name being called and turned towards Yuan.

“Yes, Yuan?”

“I’m happy,” the merman confessed, the tired smile on his face speaking a thousand words. “I’m truly very happy.”

“Then I’m happy too,” Binghe smiled and reached out to hold his hand. They fall asleep like that, fingers tightly clasped together refusing to be apart even in their dreams.

It took them roughly fifteen days to reach the edge of the Cang Qiong Mountains - a journey that could’ve been done in five. But Binghe purposefully avoided the roads to shield them from curious eyes, instead followed the trodden paths of animals and made bypasses to find water for Yuan.  

“See that towering formation in the distance?” Binghe motioned into a direction with his chin. Yuan raised his head from the knight’s shoulder to look up. “That’s the capital city. And that towering building? That’s the palace.”

Yuan studied the picture, for a while not saying anything, even after Binghe resumed walking. “That’s where that bastard lives?”

It took Binghe a few seconds to realize who Yuan was referring to as a ‘bastard’. He let out a humorless chuckle. “Yes. That’s where Shen Qingqiu lives.”

Yuan murmured something which Binghe didn’t quite catch. But when the knight sent him a questioning look Yuan repeated it on a firmer tone. “Not for much longer.”

“Huh?” Binghe was surprised by the amount of anger in that sentence. It felt like ever since they got it on, Yuan became quite protective of him. Which was frankly a bit ridiculous. Binghe was the knight. He was the one who swore to protect the other. Though he definitely appreciated the sentiment, his hungry heart enthusiastically eating the attention up like a sponge.

“There is… there’s actually one more thing I haven’t told you, Binghe. Please don’t be angry,” Yuan’s voice was soft and guilt ridden. Binghe only barely tilted his head to indicate he was listening.

“It is true that I was born in that cave and it’s also true that I’m a merman who can’t shift. But there is one thing my grandfather and parents left to me before they died.”

Binghe shifted his hold on his tail with a soft grunt. “Well, what is it?”

“It’s a spell,” Yuan blurted out and Binghe faltered in his steps.

The knight has heard of those. They were magical solutions to unsolvable problems. They said only powerful witches or magicians could cast spells, and those were far and few in between. And although people feared magic, when someone became truly desperate they tend to not care about the means as long as it produces the desired results.  

And Yuan was saying he could cast a spell?

“What type of spell?” Binghe barely knew anything about magic, but he knew that there were different categories of spells. Mainly divided into curses and blessings, but there was a third category too which focused on breaking already casted spells.

“It’s an ancient one. The river gifted it to my grandfather when he was… born ,” Yuan answered.

The river did what?

“The river knew that he was wronged, so the river taught him a spell which could be used both as protection and as a weapon. Every merman can only cast it once in their lifetime though.” Yuan’s voice sounded like he was reminiscing about a long lost past. “It’s called an ancient spell because it’s both a curse and a blessing in one. Also, it’s unbreakable.”

Binghe listened carefully, his entire attitude carefully neutral the whole time. “What does it do exactly?”

Yuan was silent for a few seconds as if scared to disclose this part of the truth. “It takes away my attacker’s - or a person of my choosing - humanity gifting it to me and in turn casts the curse of my grandfather on them.”

Binghe came to a stop then, the air growing tenser around them. When Binghe spoke again, his voice sounded strange. “The curse of your grandfather… you said he was wronged.”

“Yes,” Yuan meekly answered.

“He wasn’t always a merman. He was a human,” Binghe put the puzzles together. “And the curse is his hybrid nature, isn’t it? Your hybrid nature.”

“... yes.”

“So if you cast this spell on someone they became a merman and you become a human. Is that what you’re saying?” Binghe sharply turned his head to look into Yuan’s round eyes. The merman nodded soundlessly, his lower lip marred with teeth from the worry of upsetting Binghe.

“And are you willing to do that?” The knight inquired, dead serious. “Becoming a human?”

Yuan looked straight into Binghe’s unnerving eyes. “Binghe, that’s all I ever wanted. Even more so since I met you,” The last bit was mumbled like a precious secret but the knight heard it well as it was whispered right next to his ear.   

Binghe’s eyes twinkled with something Yuan couldn’t quite name, but it didn’t mean anything good. Not for anyone who he was plotting against anyways. Yeah, get fucked King Shen.

“I have a plan,” Binghe announced, full of vigor. “But I need your help, Yuan.”

“Anything.”

 

-----------------------

 

Binghe’s return caused havoc as much amongst the townsfolk as it did in the court of the palace. Everyone has long written him off as someone dead, an unfortunate closed case. Life went on.

But all of a sudden, Luo Binghe, the best knight known amongst his generation who was announced dead, reappeared completely unharmed. Wearing black and red robes, the legendary missing Xin Mo sword at his hip. But what really poured oil to the fire was the rumor that Binghe brought back the body of the cave monster he slaughtered.

Binghe rode all the way up to the gates of the palace, his stallion majestic black pulling a small cart carefully sealed and covered. Half of the town crowding after him, intrigued, curious and helplessly hopeful. The oppressed masses cling to Binghe’s light and strength, looking up at him to lead them, to free them.

The clear riot-in-making stroke fear in the hearts of King Shen’s men. But what really scared them was Binghe clad in black, at the front of the crowd looking like an undertaker that came for their souls.

Binghe sneered at his fellow peers, who were on guard duty. They almost fainted when they saw him. One did pee himself while the other’s hand trembled so badly he dropped his sword.

The crowd got angry in Binghe’s stand, and they effectively swarmed the guards and pushed the gates open. Binghe didn’t stop them, and when he rode inside the palace grounds the people cheered loudly trying to follow after him. All the guards swarmed to the open gate trying to stop the angry crowd from entering, basically giving a free way to Binghe.

The knight lead the horse straight into the double-doors of the throne room, entering like a wrecking ball then skidding to a halt.

King Shen was green and purple with fury, naked sword already in his hand when Binghe crashed into the room. There was no one around either, as all guards were sent to deal with the mob. King Shen had been waiting to deal with Binghe personally.

Perfect, a flash of appreciation, as well as a scary frenzy, filled Binghe’s eyes.

“You filthy bastard,” King Shen growled as he walked down the stairs from his throne, approaching Binghe. “You aren’t just pathetic but also foolish! You should have stayed dead, while you still had the chance because what I’m about to do to you is much worse than death!”    

Binghe lazily twirled Xin Mo in his hands, a dark smirk on his lips as he stared at the man who ruined his life. “Big words from someone who is about to regret ever being born.”

“Scram you maggot!” King Shen sheeted and lunged at Binghe with his sword full of killing intent. The knight evaded the stab and twirled to the side. Their swords letting out sparks and sharp clanging sound every time they met - the battle intense and fast-paced from the very first second.

Yet Binghe didn’t put 100% it into the fight, only evaded and occasionally did a feint making King Shen raise his guard thinking he will attack only to side-step. It felt like a cat playing with a mouse and King Shen got angrier by the second.

“Stop fooling around and come at me with all you’ve got!” King Shen bellowed, veins popping on his forehead.

Binghe smiled then, all gums and teeth and jumped on top of the cart where he carefully navigated them. “Aw, but King, you misunderstood me. I ain’t here to kill you.” And with that momentum, he tore the cover off the cart. King Shen dug his heels to stop, eyes narrowed and fingers white around his sword’s hilt.

But all words got stuck on his throat when a head emerged from the cart, and his gaze was captured by two-colored irises. King Shen felt dread running down his spine at a very familiar face - that was his face!

Whipping his eyes towards Binghe, King Shen was about to demand what this all meant when he found he couldn’t move. Yuan started chanting something on an ancient language, never taking his two-colored eyes off the king’s form. And with that came a terrible bone-crushing pain, but King Shen couldn’t even scream because he still couldn’t move a muscle.

Binghe watched with rapt attention as the man who struck him down, had his future, dreams, and aspirations stripped away from him. King Shen’s face was red then ashen, sweating and trembling all over as he was forced to feel the bones and muscles in his legs melt then mend together into a shape of a fish tail.

Yuan was also panting by the end of the procedure. Though he didn’t appear as worn out as King Shen did who finally collapsed onto the ground. Binghe stepped up to Yuan, carefully lifting him out of the cart to place him on his trembling legs. Legs!  

“I love you,” Binghe pressed a strong kiss onto Yuan’s lips, feeling so happy he could cry. Yuan gave him a relieved smile, before turning to look at King Shen with an icy expression.

“Let’s put a proper end to this bastard,” Yuan said disgustedly. Binghe gave him another kiss, this one landing on his cheek before stepping away and bowing.

“As you wish, my King.”

King Shen writhed on the floor, the pain still fresh and body horribly sensitive, staring at his tail with a terrified expression. Binghe walked up to him, crouched down to be able to look him in the eye and asked serenely. “How does is feel to become the monster that was supposed to kill me?”

King Shen trembled in his full body but bit his lips hard refusing to say anything. He was placed into the cart where Yuan stayed previously, robes and crown taken from him. Binghe got on his horse while Yuan sat on the cart, looking coldly down at King Shen.

Right before they would have rode outside, to get on with the final act of their master plan, Yuan leaned in close to King Shen. “Remember well what happens here today. This is for what you did to my Binghe.”

“Your Binghe?” King Shen spat back.

“That’s right. You threw him in the cave to die, not knowing you pushed him into my arms and with that saved us both.”

King Shen looked even more horrified at the implication. He glanced at Binghe’s back with a newfound disgust and terror. Yuan chuckled which sounded innocent but the undertones were cold as ice.  

“Don’t look so disgusted,” Yuan cooed. “Maybe, in a few decades your Binghe will also come crashing into your arms and then - oh then, you’ll understand.”

 

-----------------------

 

Years later, the events of that day were told by the people like this:

King Shen was born with magic in his blood, hence his arrogance and ruthlessness towards everyone. But he hid it very well, only using it secretly to cheat his way up and kill whoever opposed him. There was an even better-kept secret though.

King Shen had a younger brother, who was born with an even better magical constitution. So out of jealousy and hatred, King Shen cast a curse on his brother turning him into a monster and sealed him inside the cave.

But when years later Luo Binghe, a righteous knight who was betrayed by his own king, was cast down into the cave too, fate had it that both who were wronged found each other. Binghe and King Shen’s brother joined hands and broke out of the sealed cave and then came back to deliver the revenge approved by Heavens.

Whatever exactly happened to King Shen? The rumors waried at this stage. Some said he was cut up into a human stick by Luo Binghe. Some said he was blinded, muted and thrown deep into an underground prison. Again some said the younger brother gave back everything that was thrown at him those many years ago, turned the evil king into a monster then sealed him into the cave.

But regardless of the variations, one thing was crystal clear; King Shen received his rightful retribution and no one shed a single tear for him.

As for Luo Binghe and the younger brother of King Shen? Nowadays, everyone knew them by the names of King Luo and King Consort Yuan, respectively.

Some might ask, how come it wasn’t King Shen’s younger brother who was crowned king? There was a simple answer to that.

The thankful crowd that was liberated from King Shen’s cutthroat rule was desperate to raise their saviors to the vacant King position. Yuan was considered given that he was of royal blood, but he insisted he didn’t want the crown since he wasn’t literate and literally grew up in a cave. Hence Luo Binghe was made into King.

But at heart, he always considered Yuan his king, and for the sake of his husband, he would drop anything at any time just to satisfy his every wish.

Notes:

You can tell, I just really like mermaids/mermen? Whatever this was totally self-indulged, don't judge.
I just wanted to write smexy times between Binghe and merman Yuan... how did it turn into this??
Anyways,, I wrote this instead of working on my other fic lmao

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