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One day's ride away from Hetao was hardly a useful place for Tang Fan to doubt a plan for the first time in his life. If he had to do it, he could have doubted himself when the idea originally began tickling at his mind, months ago, or when he'd received Wang Zhi's letter.
Or when he'd replied to said letter, offering not the requested advice, but an assurance that he and Sui Zhou would come visit personally to look into the matter.
There was every possibility that they would beat the letter there, with how swiftly they had departed. Sui Zhou had asked few questions about the rush, trusting that Tang Fan wouldn't hurry them out of the capital without good reason. Sui Zhou was very easy to work with and live with and be in love with. Everything would have been perfect, except -
Well, that was what Tang Fan was hoping Wang Zhi could help with.
The border was close enough now that if it had been an emergency, they could have ridden through the night and arrived in the morning, but their horses were tired and there was no pressing need. They stayed in a courier station, seeing to their horses before eating the simple dinner that was offered and retiring for the night. The room had two beds, which Tang Fan was glad for: he wouldn't have to pretend to argue with Sui Zhou over who got the bed and then watch him sleep on the floor.
It had happened twice already on this trip, and Tang Fan didn't like it. Sui Zhou seemed to get a quiet satisfaction from giving Tang Fan the bed, which – was something. But Tang Fan liked it better when no one had to give up anything.
-
It was an easy ride to Hetao the next day, and the sun was still high in the sky when they reached the gates of the city. A guard led them to the governor's house, where a different servant took their horses and showed them into a room to wait for Wang Zhi. Tang Fan took in his surroundings with interest. This room was considerably plainer than the palace, but the understated decorations and comfortable furnishings made it feel undeniably like a place Wang Zhi belonged.
A third servant came along to pour them some tea and apologize on her master's behalf for keeping them waiting. Tang fan laughed and said he was sure Wang Zhi wanted to them to know just how busy and important he was up here. Sui Zhou thanked her for the tea.
Before too long, Wang Zhi swept into the room through the main door, a cloak swirling behind him and a rosy glow in his cheeks. It looked like life at the boarder had treated him well.
Greetings were exchanged; Sui Zhou expressed regret at pulling Wang Zhi away from his work early; Wang Zhi, eyes sparkling, turned it back around and said it was the least he could do after pulling them so very far away form their own work.
“Of course we had to come here personally,” Tang Fan said, clicking his tongue. “You're our friend, after all.”
Wang Zhi smiled. “Then I hope you won't mind when I put you to work right away.”
Tang Fan affected flustered affront – really, him, a guest, being put to work before he had even had a chance to wash his face? - but something warmed in his chest at the easy way they fell back together into the comfortable give and take they'd had back in the capital. Maybe this wasn't the worst idea.
True to his word, Wang Zhi took them around to talk to several different witnesses and one suspect of the incident he'd written Tang Fan about before he let them rest. Through dinner he listened to Tang Fan work through all his thoughts on what he'd heard, Sui Zhou occasionally interjecting with his own observations. There was no obvious conclusion yet, but one didn't feel very far off, either. Truly, this was a matter that could have been resolved via letters.
But it was more informative to speak with the witnesses directly, and the delay of waiting for letters to be carried to the border and back might have complicated things considerably.
And Tang Fan had missed seeing Wang Zhi's face.
He happened to glance at Sui Zhou once at dinner, while refilling his cup, and saw him gazing fondly at Wang Zhi. Wang Zhi's eyes crinkled when he caught their combined look, and Tang Fan flushed just a little bit. That was good then.
-
Wang Zhi waited until after dinner the next day to ask them the real purpose of their visit. They had just identified a previously unknown witness, from whom they'd been able to obtain a sample for Ding Rong to test in the laboratory Wang Zhi had improbably built for him in the months since their arrival. (Sui Zhou and Tang Fan had shared a look that promised they each wouldn't comment on it if the other one wouldn't. Some things were better left alone.) In all likelihood, the case would be wrapped up tomorrow.
As they wound down together after dinner, the subject of conversation drifted toward more personal matters.
“It would be very unlike the Tang Fan I know to come out all this way just to talk to a few smugglers with me,” Wang Zhi said with an inviting smile. It was the kind of smile that said he was confident he'd get everything he wanted out of you in the end, so you might as well spill it now.
“'If you help me, I'll help you,'” Tang Fan quoted. “I need a favor.”
Wang Zhi's smile deepened. “How convenient that you just did me one.”
Sui Zhou chuckled, one amused huff, but didn't break into their negotiation. In the entire time they rode the long roads to the border, he never did ask, aside from case-related questions about the content of Wang Zhi's letter to Tang Fan. He had seen Tang Fan write back, but he seemed content to leave that as Tang Fan's business until Tang Fan decided to enlighten him.
And that was the problem, wasn't it? Ever since – it was months ago, it should hardly matter – but for months, Sui Zhou had been content to let Tang Fan mind his own business. Ever since that time, hadn'ttouched Tang Fan even once. Tang Fan was the kind of person who minded everyone else's business before his own; he didn't know what to do when the same courtesy wasn't applied to him.
Suddenly, Tang Fan wished he and Wang Zhi were alone. Another person was a normal thing to need to seek advice over. Interpersonal relations could be complicated and delicate; without being able to see into Sui Zhou's thoughts, how could Tang Fan hope to untangle the riddle of him alone? Needing to consult with somone else over the question of another person was easy.
But if he couldn't ask about Sui Zhou, if he had to ask about himself - Tang Fan screwed up his face. There was no barrier to him seeing his own thoughts. To not have been able to figure it out himself was just embarrassing.
Ah, he was going in circles again.
“How do you learn not to flinch?” Tang Fan blurted, entirely without planning to.
“Runqing, you didn't-” Sui Zhou started.
Tang Fan held up a hand. You didn't do anything wrong, Sui Zhou was going to say, the way he had the other times. That wasn't the point. The other times, they hadn't been able to argue their way back to normal, so cleary Tang Fan had been having the argument wrong.
Wang Zhi raised an eyebrow. “This sounds like an interesting story.” He sipped from his cup. “But what makes you think I have any special expertise on flinching?”
“It's not much of a story. We haven't touched since shortly after you left," Tang Fan said, not knowing how else to put it.
Sui Zhou frowned, and Tang Fan shrugged, a little bit apologetic and a little bit defiant. It was what had happened, after all.
"I flinched, and it scared him, and now he's too scared to touch me, and that's made me all jumpy so now I can't promise that I won't flinch again, which just makes him more scared and - it's a mess. And it's not that you have an expertise, I just wouldn't trust this to anyone else," Tang Fan said, blushing a little.
"And you don't know how to break us out of it," Sui Zhou said, slowly, sounding like he was just putting the pieces together.
Tang Fan scowled. Well, there was no need to put it so bluntly, but yes.
"I'm not sure how many ideas I'll have," Wang Zhi said. "But perhaps we can start simple. Maybe it would help to practice."
"How so?" Tang Fan said. He had, of course, brought up the idea of touching each other purposely, under controlled conditions, to break them out of it, but it hadn't gone well. When they tried it, Sui Zhou claimed he saw Tang Fan start to flinch again, and worse, he had blamed himself. They hadn't tried again since.
"You and I," Wang Zhi clarified. "Come sit with me and we'll practice it together until you're comfortable." He shifted minutely on the couch, his pose opening up into a space that could include Tang Fan. “If you do well, then Sui Zhou can see that there's nothing to be afraid of.”
Tang Fan glanced over at Sui Zhou. And if there was something to fear, if Tang Fan did poorly at this experiment, it wouldn't be Sui Zhou who had hurt him again. Wang Zhi was so smart, so generous. Tang Fan sat down on the edge of the couch and cautiously leaned back against Wang Zhi's bent leg. After months without more than incidental touches among friends and family, even this much contact felt deliberate and weighty.
Tang Fan was just beginning to let himself settle into it when Wang Zhi clicked his tongue at him, chiding. “Aren't you supposed to be getting accustomed to the touch of another? This barely counts. I think you can do better than that.”
Tang Fan gasped in affected outrage. Shouldn't Wang Zhi be gentle with him, when he had already explained what a sensitive situation it was? Would it be such a bad idea to ease him into it, so as to be sure nothing went wrong? And instead Wang Zhi took the opportunity to bully him into things! But really, coming here he could have expected no less.
Wang Zhi smiled expectantly and patted his lap. The only way Tang Fan was going to fit there was if he reclined too. He blustered even as he scooted down on the couch, folding his legs up to fit. “Really,” he said, arranging his upper body carefully to avoid poking any elbows or shoulders into Wang Zhi. When he settled, his head and shoulders were resting on Wang Zhi's stomach and chest. It was really quite intimate.
Wang Zhi gave him a moment to breathe, then draped his arms around him loosely, hands folded on Tang Fan's shoulder. It felt – fine. Not too much. Tang Fan wondered if he was supposed to be doing something in particular to demonstrate how fine this was so far.
From his seat, Sui Zhou watched with a drawn expression, hands braced on his knees.
“Comfortable?” Wang Zhi asked. Tang Fan suspected this was not for his benefit.
“No problems yet,” Tang Fan reported, only somewhat untruthfully. He felt a bit jumpy under his skin, but it would settle down by itself in a minute or two, he thought. It wasn't a problem if he didn't make it a problem.
Wang Zhi patted his shoulder, and Tang Fan's breath stopped. He kept doing it, a soft, predictable rhythm, and slowly Tang Fan started breathing again.
“I wonder how long you can stay like this?” Wang Zhi mused.
All at once, the tension bled out of Tang Fan as the task at hand transformed from somehow convince Wang Zhi everything is fine to simply stay put. Tang Fan sighed indulgently. “Oh, hours, probably.”
Sui Zhou frowned. “Don't force yourself.”
“I'm not,” Tang Fan whined, because they'd had this argument before too.
“He's not,” Wang Zhi agreed, a smile in his voice. “I am.”
All the air in the room seemed to slow down and still for one glimmering moment.
“Wang Zhi,” Sui Zhou started, voice heavy with warning.
“Mm,” Wang Zhi hummed, unconcerned by the coiled threat of Sui Zhou's body. “This is about the time you were kidnapped by Li Zilong, isn't it?”
“Sort of,” Tang Fan said, squirming a little. It felt wrong to refer to that time as the kidnapping when it had really been the time the capital was almost bombed to dust and Ming almost toppled.
And anyway, this was mostly about the time Sui Zhou had reached for him and Tang Fan had flinched.
“You gave yourself away to Li Zilong as a gift in exchange for information,” Wang Zhi said. Tang Fan swallowed, not really wanting to hear Wang Zhi's opinion on that. Across from them, Sui Zhou was still wound tight with potential violence. It was making it hard for Tang Fan to relax as he should.
Instead of handing down judgment, though, Wang Zhi just stroked Tang Fan's shoulder with an idle thumb and said, “And did he appreciate his gift?”
Tang Fan's throat went tight. It was stupid. The idea had worked, hadn't it? General Gao had been able to walk out with all of Li Zilong's plans. And later, Tang Fan had walked out as well, which was more than he had expected going in. It didn't really matter what had happened in between, did it?
“He didn't hurt me,” Tang Fan hedged, not quite able to meet Sui Zhou's eyes.
Wang Zhi's hand tightened on Tang Fan's shoulder. Tang Fan knew that he hadn't answered the question, but he was hoping it would satisfy Wang Zhi's curiosity anyway. Trying to answer the question made him feel all squirmy.
“But he didn't appreciate you either,” Wang Zhi said.
Sui Zhou interjected gruffly, “Does it matter what he thought? He's dead.”
“No, it...it didn't go like I thought it would.”
“And how was that?” Wang Zhi prompted, almost gentle.
Tang Fan wanted to cover his face in mortification. “I thought that it would be exciting,” he said. "Can you believe?" He remembered hungry eyes on him as the sack lifted, the nauseous tilt of his stomach that was half flutter of anticipation. “It's not something I would have done for fun, but since it had to be done, I thought – it would be disgusting and salacious but in a,” he flushed deeper. “An interesting way, maybe.”
Sui Zhou opened his mouth, then closed it. Tang Fan got stuck watching him, not even hearing if Wang Zhi had another question. Sui Zhou's big hands were folded over each other, knuckles white. “You don't have to talk about it,” he said, finally.
That again. “Is it that I don't have to talk about it, or you don't want to hear it?” Tang Fan burst out, frustrated.
Sui Zhou's face spasmed. “Runqing...” He paused for a long time, face working. All the while, Wang Zhi kept petting Tang Fan's shoulder, keeping Tang Fan attuned to that one point of contact amid all the others.
“It's over and done with,” Sui Zhou said, finally. He held up a hand when Tang Fan opened his mouth to protest. “It was horrible and you were alone; we looked and looked and couldn't find you. If it's painful for you to talk about...now that I finally found you, that's the only pain I can save you from.”
Tang Fan's heart crumpled a little. In all the months since he'd flinched away and Sui Zhou had stopped touching him, Sui Zhou had never stopped caring for him. He'd listened to Tang Fan talk through cases, drawn his baths, cooked nearly every meal for him. His home was Tang Fan's home, and he had shown him that over and over in every way he had. The distance between them had felt insurmountably wide at times, but he had been right there, loving Tang Fan as best he knew how.
“Oh, well,” Tang Fan said, blustering. He felt the need to flip his sleeves and pace around the room, but that would require climbing out of Wang Zhi's lap first. He didn't know if he'd be allowed back in, so he stayed. “In that case – I didn't mean anything by it. You don't have to hear it if you don't want to.”
Sui Zhou's eyes softened and Tang Fan's breath caught.
“I would still like to hear it,” Wang Zhi said, and Tang Fan flooded with relief. To Sui Zhou, he said, “You can leave the room if you'd like, but Tang Fan didn't come all the way from the capital to keep a story to himself.”
Sui Zhou searched Tang Fan's face and whatever he saw there made him shake his head. “I'll stay.”
“Go on,” Wang Zhi said, with a squeeze to Tang Fan's shoulder.
So Tang Fan told them. It wasn't much of a story – the eyes, then the hands. The laughter as Li Zilong told his men not to disturb him. The way Tang Fan had thought it was a good thing, then, something he could use. How he hadn't dreaded it.
Then, the drugged tea. That was nothing Tang Fan could use. Li Zilong laughing again as Tang Fan became bleary and uncoordinated. The hands again, pushing at his clothes, even though it was all wrong now.
Then, nothing. Waking up in a cell with a stale mouth and a raw soreness in places that he immediately decided it was better not to think about. It wasn't the worst thing that had happened to him, but he didn't like it.
Even then, it wasn't entirely fear Tang Fan felt as he concluded that Li Zilong would probably want to use him again. He hadn't, in the end, and Tang Fan had kept himself on alert for any other chance, but he had still regretted it: there goes that chance.
The captivity had stretched on, uninterrupted, as Tang Fan alternately hoped and then chided himself for hoping.
And then he had been cast out into the street, bleeding, and staggered into Sui Zhou's arms. It had felt good in that moment, right, just as it always did. No part of Sui Zhou reminded Tang Fan of any part of what had happened in Li Zilong's hideout.
“If I had known that was the last time he'd touch me, I'd have made more note of it,” Tang Fan told Wang Zhi, his heart twisting. “The next time we were both home together, he reached out to – I don't even know –”
“Fix your hair,” Sui Zhou said. He was staring at the floor near the foot of the couch, eyes moving as if he were reliving the scene. “You had a bit hanging down near your face.”
“Obviously it was harmless, but it startled me somehow, and I flinched a little – I swear I didn't mean to, it just happened – and you haven't touched me again. Even when I asked.” It was impossible not to address this last part to Sui Zhou directly. Tang Fan wanted so badly to undo the damage from whatever momentary confusion had come across him in that moment. He wanted Sui Zhou so badly.
“You took a full step back and tripped over a stool,” Sui Zhou said, hollow. “You looked terrified.”
“You startled me,” Tang Fan repeated, mournful. “It might never happen again! How do you know if you don't try?”
Sui Zhou shuddered a little. It was horrible to watch. Whatever he was feeling – repulsion, regret, anger? - must be horrible to feel, and Tang Fan didn't want to hurt him. But he was hurt too, and worse, lonely. He didn't know how to fix it.
“So you see,” he said to Wang Zhi. “We're at an impasse.” Except Tang Fan didn't really believe in impasses. There had to be a way around this one, even if he couldn't see it.
“How long do we have?” Wang Zhi mused. “If you can stay a month or two, we can probably ease you two back to whatever constitutes a normal level of closeness for you.”
Despite the heavy atmosphere, Tang Fan felt a giggle rise in his throat. This was why he had been so sure Wang Zhi was the only person they could go to: he had opinions on the way they related. Once, he had even offered to step in if they ever got tired of dancing around each other. Tang Fan had never known how serious the offer was, but he hoped...
“We should go back soon,” Sui Zhou said. “This isn't an official trip; we'll both be missed.”
“Two days, maybe three,” Tang Fan clarified. “We couldn't know how long it would take to clear up your case, no one will miss us just yet.”
Sui Zhou hummed agreement. Wang Zhi sighed. “There's nothing for it but the dramatic route, then. We'll act out the kidnapping, but this time it goes the way Tang Fan wants it to.”
Tang Fan's whole body flashed cold, then hot. That was – that was an option? He'd only thought to go back as far as the flinch, in his idle fantasies about fixing the past, but if they could go back farther – if Wang Zhi thought that could actually work, Tang Fan would try it. His skin prickled with excitement and dread and he looked at Sui Zhou beseechingly.
“No,” Sui Zhou said.
“Please,” Tang Fan said, surprising himself with his vehemence. “You don't have to be here– ” he really, really wanted Sui Zhou to be there– “but we have to try it. What's the worst that could happen?”
“An unsatisfactory evening,” Wang Zhi cut in. “In which case you're no worse off than you are now. Better to ask what's the best that could happen.”
Sui Zhou glared at him.
“In the best case,” Wang Zhi continued, smiling, “We have a very satisfactory evening indeed, and all your problems are solved.”
“Please,” Tang Fan said. He needed this. He wasn't above begging.
The corners of Sui Zhou's mouth turned down in distaste. “Do I have to be Li Zilong?”
Against his back, Tang Fan felt Wang Zhi shrug. “it's up for negotiation. Tang Fan could be the captor, if he wanted, and you could be the gift. Maybe all I need to do is direct.”
Tang Fan shook his head. “Don't be ridiculous. This is a do-over, right? Obviously I get to be the gift. Wang Zhi, you're the one who I've been given to.” It sent a pleasant shiver down to his toes to even say it out loud. “Guangchuan, you can be...my captor's trusted advisor.” A warmth bloomed in Tang Fan's chest as the scenario coalesced before his eyes. He was sure he was blushing, but who wouldn't? “He's invited you to share his gift because he values your insight so much.”
“That could work very nicely indeed,” Wang Zhi said. His hand, chaste and friendly on Tang Fan's shoulder this whole time, slid toward his neck and squeezed gently at the muscle there before traveling further, sliding down his chest until just the very tips of his fingers rested inside Tang Fan's lapel. The touch lit up all of Tang Fan's nerves and left him warm; he sighed in contentment.
Across from them, Sui Zhou looked like he was chewing on a particularly dry and sinewy cut of meat. “You would like that?”
“Yes,” Tang Fan insisted.
Sui Zhou's brow had a deep furrow in it. “Can I have some time? Not tonight.”
It was hard not to deflate at this, but it wasn't a no. Tang Fan sat up a little to turn his beseaching gaze at Wang Zhi. “Tomorrow?”
“I'm at your disposal,” Wang Zhi said.
Tomorrow, then. It was probably decent to feel at least distaste at the idea, but all Tang Fan felt was a frission of excitement. It would only be a game, but he was going to be given to Wang Zhi.
As his gift.
A bolt of pure arousal went through Tang Fan, and he savored it. He couldn't believe it had never occurred to him to go back as far as the kidnapping for a solution. Not that it had made such a mark on him, but how he hadn't even realized that he'd let Li Zilong's botched attempt spoil every fantasy about being a helpless prize he'd ever had.
Wang Zhi was about to give them back.
-
Someone showed them to their rooms. Two separate rooms, just like at home, though they both opened onto the same courtyard.
As Tang Fan was about to follow the servant into his room, Sui Zhou caught his sleeve for an instant and tugged before letting go. “Can we talk?” Sui Zhou asked.
Tang Fan nodded and followed Sui Zhou into his room, where he closed the door and started to pace. “This idea,” he said.
“It could work,” Tang Fan hastily assured him.
“And if it doesn't?”
Tang Fan bit his lip. “I still want to try.”
Sui Zhou frowned. “Even if you knew it wouldn't change anything?”
“Maybe,” Tang Fan said. Then amended, “Yes. It's hot, okay? It sounds exciting. Do you hate me, for being into this kind of thing? Even after everything? You can say it makes me some kind of sick pervert to want it, but I do.”
“I don't hate you,” Sui Zhou said at once. He stopped pacing. After a long pause, he said, “If you're sick, I'm sick for wanting to see it. So we might as well just both - let it be normal.”
Tang Fan's whole body flashed hot. The best he'd hoped for was that Sui Zhou would go along with it, that the scene would act as a catalyst for better relations between them. A demonstration that Sui Zhou had nothing to fear. “You really want to see it?”
Sui Zhou nodded, expression drawn.
“Guangchuan,” Tang Fan breathed. He wanted to run into Sui Zhou's arms. He wanted to kiss him. He didn't want to do anything that could possibly jeopardize their plans for tomorrow.
With great effort, he stayed still, but he couldn't stop himself from vibrating in place. “That's really hot,” he said, in lieu of showing Sui Zhou how hot it was. “I'm going to go back to my room and jerk off about it now, I think.”
Sui Zhou's eyes flashed as he looked up at Tang Fan. His gaze was piercing, the distance between them agonizing.
“Unless you'd like to see that, too...” Tang Fan tried, shifting his posture invitingly.
Sui Zhou shook his head with what looked like considerable effort. “Better not. See you in the morning, Runqing.”
Tang Fan acquiesced and bid him goodnight. It was normal for Sui Zhou to want some time alone to think.
Tang Fan was only human, though. If he got a little loud, knowing Sui Zhou was listening in, he couldn't be blamed.
-
The next day dragged on endlessly. Wang Zhi insisted on attending to a full day of work, leaving Tang Fan and Sui Zhou to entertain themselves until he returned in the evening. Tang Fan read while Sui Zhou exercised in the courtyard; when that got boring, they went on a ride together.
The knowledge of what they planned to do later burned like an ember in Tang Fan's belly, even if they didn't talk of it. He'd look over at Sui Zhou and be hit all over again with Sui Zhou wanting to see him at Wang Zhi's mercy. Back then, if he had found Tang Fan in time, would he have watched? Certainly not. But the idea set all of Tang Fan's nerves aflutter anyway.
They turned their horses around when the sun started to sink lower in the sky, but still had time to bathe and for Sui Zhou to commandeer the kitchen from Wang Zhi's cook after returning.
At last, Wang Zhi returned from his work. Supper was just the three of them again, and the atmosphere was somewhat stilted until Sui Zhou confirmed that he would join them later on. Wang Zhi beamed and praised the cooking, and after that things warmed up considerably.
A little wistfully, Tang Fan wished they could bring Wang Zhi back to the capital with them and keep him. Things were so much brighter with him at their table. Perhaps he and Sui Zhou didn't share the same exact feelings for him, but whatever they had between the three of them, it worked.
After the meal, they retired to a different set of rooms than last time. It was warm and comfortable, with rich wall hangings and a large bed behind a privacy screen. This could be nothing other than Wang Zhi's personal chambers.
Wang Zhi led them to a slightly sunken area where a fire was already lit in a low hearth, furs and cushions invitingly arrayed around the hearth.
Tang Fan barely had a moment to wonder how they would even start – would he have to wear a sack over his head? Would he be sent out of the room and then invited back in? - before Wang Zhi settled gracefully into a low armless chair, holding his hand out for Tang Fan to follow him. Without seeming to expend any effort at all, Wang Zhi arranged Tang Fan on the floor next to him, sprawled over the furs with his head in Wang Zhi's lap.
Sui Zhou watched them a little warily, staying out of the circle of warmth from the fire until Wang Zhi gestured him over.
“Come see the gift my ally to the south sent me,” he said, petting Tang Fan's hair away from his face. “Such a generous tribute...it's a shame the doner couldn't be here to share him.”
Sui Zhou knelt cautiously near them as Wang Zhi set the scene, just out of reach. Tang Fan pouted at him. After all their talking last night, he had hoped Sui Zhou might be a little more open to this. Ah, well. At least he was here.
“But I have you,” Wang Zhi said, folding Sui Zhou into the fantasy. “Such a rich gift shouldn't be enjoyed alone, should it?”
Tang Fan shivered pleasantly. No, it shouldn't. They should enjoy him together. Wang Zhi stroked his hair again, threading his fingers through the strands and sending tingles across Tang Fan's scalp.
“Mm,” Sui Zhou hummed, neutral.
Wang Zhi poured tea for both of himself and Sui Zhou - Tang Fan was noteably excluded - and offered a tray of small pastries to Sui Zhou, who took one politely. Wang Zhi took his time selecting his own before putting the tray aside. He held the pastry out to Tang Fan, but chuckled and batted away his hand when Tang Fan reached for it. “Cute,” he said. “Let me feed you.”
His fingertips brushed Tang Fan's lips as he held the pastry to his mouth, patiently letting Tang Fan eat it from his hand in three bites. When he was done, Wang Zhi brushed a crumb from his chin and dusted his fingers off on a handkerchief. His eyes trailed over Tang Fan's face, followed by a light fingertip tracing over the line of his jaw, down his neck and into the lightly damp hollow of his throat.
Tang Fan felt the weight of the moment settle over him like a thick blanket. Ordinarily he would be talking, participating, but - he didn't know what to say. What's more, Wang Zhi didn't seem to need him to say anything at all.
As if to prove his point, Wang Zhi stroked Tang Fan's neck again. “It's a little warm in here, isn't it? We should make sure our pet is comfortable.”
Sui Zhou met Tang Fan's eyes, questioning. As if Tang Fan would have changed his mind! He trusted Wang Zhi implicitly.
"Ah, this one is feeling a little stifled," Tang Fan said, wavering between an affected voice and his own. He wasn't sure quite how to play it to reassure Sui Zhou and stay within the fantasy, but luckily, that seemed to work.
"We should," Sui Zhou agreed. He wet his lips. "Make him more comfrotable."
Wang Zhi hummed, pleased, and his fingers made quick work of the fastenings of Tang Fan's clothes, tugging and pushing at the layers until Tang Fan was all but naked to the waist – his outer robe was gone, the inner layer opened down to his navel, collars pushed off his shoulders so the sleeves trailed long over his hands. He felt truly helpless now, unable to feed himself even if Wang Zhi permitted, and more exposed than if he had been fully nude.
Once again, he realized distantly that still didn't feel the impulse to talk, and this time, he decided he liked it. He was here for one purpose alone, and to accomplish that he need do no more than observe. Let Wang Zhi puppet him around like a little doll and enjoy whatever came from it.
“He's beautiful, isn't he?” Wang Zhi asked Sui Zhou. A cool finger traced the line of Tang Fan's collarbone, and Sui Zhou's eyes followed its path hungrily. If it hadn't been for Wang Zhi's touch holding him together, Tang Fan might have shattered into a thousand pieces under the weight of that gaze. The whole time they'd been living together he'd known Sui Zhou cared for him, yes – but never like this, never in more than fleeting moments or hints.
“What should I do?” Sui Zhou asked. Tang Fan couldn't tell if he was asking for himself, or as Wang Zhi's friend in the fantasy. He supposed it didn't matter.
Wang Zhi loosened Tang Fan's hair from its guan and set the ornament aside. “You're my audience, of course. All you need do is watch.” He buried his hand deep in Tang Fan's hair and slowly pulled a handful tight, nails lightly scratching against Tang Fan's scalp. “No touching without my express word.”
Sui Zhou had shifted his weight slightly closer, drawn in by the show; at this, he sat back. “All right.”
“Good.” Wang Zhi tugged Tang Fan up by the hair, gently but firmly, until he was half-sitting beside him. He released his hair – a loss – but wrapped his arm around Tang Fan's waist, holding him close. He offered Tang Fan a bite of dried fruit from the tray of snacks, waiting until Tang Fan parted his lips and then placing it directly on his tongue. The intimacy of having Wang Zhi's fingers inside his mouth, even for so brief a moment, made Tang Fan flush. The fruit exploding sweetly across his tongue felt like a tangible manifestation of Wang Zhi's tightly-focused attention.
Something occurred to Tang Fan that made his stomach clench uncomfortably. “You didn't drug any of this, did you?”
Wang Zhi tutted. “And spoil the performance of such an obedient pet? Never.” He fed Tang Fan a rich roast nut, the pad of his finger dragging against Tang Fan's lower lip. “Look how beautifully you take it from me all on your own.”
To his embarrassment, Tang Fan made a small, breathy noise. Wang Zhi smiled, turning to Sui Zhou. “Doesn't he take it so well? One can't help but wonder what else he can take in that perfect mouth. If I were ever to drug him, it would only be an aphrodisiac – imagine the picture he'd make all worked up and begging to be used.”
It was Sui Zhou's turn to make an involuntary noise. Wang Zhi's arm tightened around Tang Fan's waist, pulling him half into Wang Zhi's lap. His eyes were almost as hungry as Sui Zhou's as he took Tang Fan's debauched appearance in, his free hand trailing down Tang Fan's neck to his chest, leaving goosebumps behind.
“Please,” Tang Fan breathed, not quite sure what more he was asking for. This was already the most erotic experience of his life. He felt drunk on touch. Surrounded by the two men he trusted most in the world, a treasured gift especially for them – it was stronger than wine.
“What if I want to savor you,” Wang Zhi said, a smile dancing on his lips. His hand flattened over Tang Fan's pectoral, cupping the small rise of muscle and squeezing. Tang Fan's breath caught and Wang Zhi's eyes sparkled. “Exquisite.” He selected and ate a pastry, then passed the tray to Sui Zhou, who waved it away.
“Saving up your appetite?” Wang Zhi asked mildly. His hand trailed down Tang Fan's ribs to the soft rise of his belly. “I wonder how long it's been since you've seen a beauty like this.”
Sui Zhou shook his head.
Wang Zhi laughed. “Too long, then.”
Tang Fan lost track of how long he teased them both for. Once, he deftly untied Tang Fan's sash and spread his robes open so the only thing separating Tang Fan's red, straining cock from the air were his thin inner pants. Tang Fan was sure things would escalate quickly from there, but Wang Zhi just went back to idly chatting with a distracted Sui Zhou and alternating between petting and hand-feeding an even more distracted Tang Fan.
The way he touched Tang Fan was so confident, so proprietary, like he knew every inch of Tang Fan's body even though they had never touched like this before. It made Tang Fan's stomach flutter and his head go hazy. Sui Zhou had his hands folded in his lap now, carefully holding onto them as if they'd disobey Wang Zhi's orders and gravitate toward Tang Fan's skin if he let go. The restraint and the anticipation in that one gesture lit Tang Fan's nerves up with little sparks.
“Look,” Wang Zhi said. “He's leaking.” He gestured with his chin to Tang Fan's tented pants, where his cock had indeed leaked, turning the fabric translucent. When he glanced down, Tang Fan could see the color and the outline of his cock through the fabric, seeming unbearably obscene.
“Let's see what he has for us here,” Wang Zhi said. “Sui Guangchuan, would you help me take his pants off?”
There was an audible click as Sui Zhou swallowed. “Am I allowed to touch him?”
“Maybe later, if you're good.”
With a hum of assent, Sui Zhou shuffled over on his knees and carefully peeled Tang Fan's pants off him, careful to touch only the fabric. Tang Fan lifted his hips when Wang Zhi prompted, and then Sui Zhou was sitting back and Tang Fan was laid out bare on the furs. He stretched his legs, sighing, and looked up at Wang Zhi.
“Can I touch?”
“Mm, I think not,” Wang Zhi said, low. “This gift is all for me.”
Tang Fan whined and squirmed a little. Oh, that was so hot. What right did it have to be so hot? In the back of his mind, he'd kept waiting for it to turn sour, for something to remind him of that time and throw him out of the moment. And he hadn't forgotten that time, exactly, but it was far in the back of his mind, muffled behind layers of how good this was.
“Pretty even here,” Wang Zhi mused. His fist circled Tang Fan's cock and he stroked loosely, spreading the clear liquid around. Tang Fan arched up involuntarily, following Wang Zhi's hand. The touch was exploratory, almost clinical, but it felt like a shock after Wang Zhi had spent so long working him up.
“Fuck,” Sui Zhou breathed, in a tone that went straight to Tang Fan's dick.
“So responsive, isn't he,” Wang Zhi agreed. He spread his legs and coaxed Tang Fan further into his lap. Wang Zhi's expensive scent surrounded him, and he nestled back happily into Wang Zhi's soft embrace. Like this, Wang Zhi could easily reach him with both hands. It couldn't have been clearer that he was touching for his own sake and not Tang Fan's, little zings of arousal going through him as Wang Zhi's hands worked, but never building into more.
Tang Fan kept his gaze mostly on himself in Wang Zhi's lap, or else letting his eyes fall shut entirely. It was too intense to look at Sui Zhou – he was watching Tang Fan avidly, lip bitten between his teeth. Tang Fan had never seen him like this; had feared he never would, and to be put on display for it -
He shuddered, and Wang Zhi chuckled into his ear. He cupped Tang Fan's balls, rolling them in his warm palm. “You wouldn't mind if I let my friend have his way with you, would you, pet? He looks quite smitten.”
Tang Fan whined. He wouldn't mind, no. It was easier, so much easier, to let Wang Zhi decide when and how it would happen. Look how far they'd gotten already. On their own, Tang Fan and Sui Zhou had never gotten beyond a few weighted gazes late at night, heavy with things neither of them knew how to express.
Wang Zhi's exploring fingers made their way to Tang Fan's hole, glancing over it at first and then spreading his thighs obscenely wide, hooked over Wang Zhi's legs and putting him on full display. Wang Zhi took a small bottle out of his robes, and when his fingers came back, they were slippery and faintly tingling.
“Something to open you up,” Wang Zhi said, anticipating his question. “It should be a little bit warming and stimulating, but if there's any discomfort, you'll tell me.”
Tang Fan nodded. It was hard to follow Wang Zhi's instructions when two of his fingers were stroking over his hole, pressing on the rim but never quite catching. He chanced another glance at Sui Zhou's face, then had to turn his head away, flushing furiously, at the hunger he saw there.
“Can...” he started, then bit his tongue. Gifts shouldn't make requests, probably, no matter how prized they were.
“What is it?” Wang Zhi asked. His finger circled, pressing now but not quite hard enough to push in. Tang Fan felt alight with anticipation.
Slowly, he remembered his question. “Your friend. Can he touch himself?”
“Mm, my pet is so considerate. Go ahead and touch yourself, if you want,” he instructed Sui Zhou.
Sui Zhou squeezed his erection through his robes as though in a trance, eyes never leaving the place Wang Zhi was refusing to enter Tang Fan's body.
That hadn't been what Tang Fan had meant, not at all, but if Sui Zhou didn't feel comfortable with them seeing him, he supposed it would do. He'd rather have him here and fully clothed throughout than not part of this at all.
“You want him so bad, don't you,” Wang Zhi said, and Tang Fan could track who he was talking to because his fingertip finally, finally breached Tang Fan's hole. Tang Fan had never been so keenly aware of a single square cun of his body in his life. Wang Zhi circled the rim, spreading the tingling salve as thoroughly on the inside as he had on the outside.
Slowly, his circles went deeper, until his finger was steadily thrusting into Tang Fan. A second finger joined the first, the two pushing into his rim together until his body let them in. Wang Zhi didn't thrust deep – he seemed entranced by the moment of entry, slipping his fingers out and easing them back in over and over.
The massage was far from unpleasant, but Tang Fan knew that just a little deeper it would feel so much better. If this had been any ordinary encounter, Tang Fan would have hurried his partner along long ago, but as a toy for Wang Zhi, how could he give any instructions? The idea that anyone could know Wang Zhi's pleasure better than himself was laughable.
“He's so soft inside,” Wang Zhi told Sui Zhou in a conversational tone, as though entirely unaware of the suspense he was keeping Tang Fan in. “So needy. Watch how his flesh clings to me when I withdraw my fingers. His body doesn't want to be empty.”
Sui Zhou squeezed his cock through his robes. “You should go deeper,” he said in a rough voice. “He'd like that.”
“Hm.” Wang Zhi's fingers scissored, spreading his entrance – holding it open so Sui Zhou could see inside. Tang Fan thought he might spontaneously combust. “Would you like that?”
Sui Zhou tore his gaze away from Tang Fan's hole and met Wang Zhi's eyes. “I – yes.”
“Good,” Wang Zhi said. The next thrust sank deeper and Tang Fan let out a small groan of satisfaction. Yes, yes - now he was starting to feel opened up, the fingers making room inside of him and brushing tantalizingly over his prostate on each stroke.
“Fuck,” Sui Zhou said.
Tang Fan had never heard this exact tone from him. It made Tang Fan want to bite him, to wrap himself around Sui Zhou like a limpet and take all that intensity into himself. The fact that he couldn't, not without Wang Zhi's permission, turned him on even more.
Tang Fan was bewildered when Wang Zhi's fingers left his body. He felt grasping and wet without them; he wanted them back.
“Come,” Wang Zhi said, sitting up straight and dislodging Tang Fan from his boneless slouch. “Let's get you more comfortable.” Wang Zhi tugged at Tang Fan's limbs until he understood he was being rearranged and went along with it. Wang Zhi stripped him out of his open robes and laid him out on the furs, reclining on a cushion next to him and raking his eyes over Tang Fan's bared skin. His expression was so fond, so indulgent, Tang Fan thought he might burst.
With his wet hand, Wang Zhi stroked Tang Fan's cock slowly, just long enough to make Tang Fan squirm. Sui Zhou had shifted with them, coming around to kneel at Tang Fan's feet, and when Wang Zhi lifted Tang Fan's leg and pushed his fingers back into his softened hole, Sui Zhou had an unfettered view.
Which meant that Tang Fan had an unfettered view of Sui Zhou's face as he watched Tang Fan's body greedily swallow the fingers. Shutting his eyes gave him no respite; Sui Zhou's gaze was so intense Tang Fan swore he could feel it on him.
“Such a hungry little hole,” Wang Zhi said, hooking his fingers and dragging them against Tang Fan's walls. Tang Fan wasn't really listening to Wang Zhi's words as much as the tone he said them in: the one that said he approved of what he saw, and would use Tang Fan in whichever way he liked. It was turning Tang Fan on to a wild degree.
“Could you do me a favor, Sui Guangchuan? It would be a shame not to fill him up all the way. I could use your cock.”
He said it so lightly that the meaning didn't immediately register.
“You want me to-” Sui Zhou said, sounding gutted, and still it hadn't hit Tang Fan.
“Yes,” Wang Zhi said, eyes sparkling with something close to mischief. “If you think you can perform.”
Tang Fan's mouth dropped open and only then did the last few moments hit him. He stopped breathing.
“Yes, I'll – anything you need,” Sui Zhou said. His hands went to his sash and he paused. “How do you want me?”
Wang Zhi talked him through stripping his clothes off and slicking up his hard cock, fucking Tang Fan slowly on his fingers the whole time. Tang Fan didn't breathe the entire time. No, that wasn't right – he must have, since he didn't pass out, but he felt as taught as a drawn bowstring and as empty as a vast cavern.
“Good boy,” Wang Zhi said, when Sui Zhou got into position between Tang Fan's legs and held his cock ready. “Just like that.” His fingers spread Tang Fan open. “Go on. He's waiting for you.”
Tang Fan whined. Sui Zhou was looking at Tang Fan's fluttering entrance, wholly focused on the task Wang Zhi has set for him. It made Tang Fan's blood run hot to be reduced to no more than an object, a willing hole Wang Zhi could pass around and use.
Then Sui Zhou sank into him, and Tang Fan had no more room for thoughts in his head. All he had room for was how full he was, stuffed so tight he felt it in his throat, in his shaking legs, in his watering eyes. Sui Zhou was propped over him, still looking down at the place their bodies met, and without even thinking Tang Fan reached out with both arms and gathered him in, collapsing their bodies together and opening his mouth against the muscle in Sui Zhou's neck.
He might have moaned Sui Zhou's name; he wasn't very aware of what he was saying. Sui Zhou's hips flexed and he fucked into Tang Fan like someone in a dream.
“Can I,” he was saying to Wang Zhi, though if there was more to the question Tang Fan lost it under the rushing of his blood.
“It's alright,” Wang Zhi said. He stroked Tang Fan's hair back from his sweaty forehead. “Look how badly he needs it.”
With his head in Wang Zhi's lap and Sui Zhou pressing him down, Tang Fan felt blissfully hemmed in at all sides. There was nothing but these two, and they both wanted him. “Tell me I'm pretty,” he slurred.
Sui Zhou made a punched-out sound and fucked him harder, lifting his hips off the furs.
“Beautiful,” Wang Zhi said. “My ally must have searched high and low for you, didn't he? And then spared no expense.”
Tang Fan whined. Wang Zhi took a fistful of his hair and tipped his head back, exposing the long line of his neck. He traced a bead of sweat down, following its path over the knot of Tang Fan's throat, and then dipped his finger into Tang Fan's slack mouth, feeding him the salt.
“Especially like this – not many get to see you so abandoned, do they? All flushed and wet. Exquisite.”
Sui Zhou's hips stuttered; he buried himself deep in Tang Fan and ground into him for a long moment.
“Did you just come?” Tang Fan gasped, incredulous. Sui Zhou shook his head and after composing himself for a moment more, drew all the way out and repositioned himself, kneeling up and dragging Tang Fan's lower body onto his lap before fucking into him again with renewed vigor.
This left his body as exposed to Wang Zhi's gaze as it had been when they started, but now the exposure felt a thousand times deeper. Wang Zhi was watching Tang Fan get fucked, the way Sui Zhou's thrusts were moving his body along with their rhythm. His cock was smacking wetly into his stomach, his toes curling in the furs behind Sui Zhou, his thighs twitching and jerking. Pleasure curled up his spine, inescapable: he was utterly at their mercy.
Sui Zhou came without warning, his fingers digging into Tang Fan's hips as he dragged Tang Fan down onto himself hard and shuddered through it. Abruptly Tang Fan was filled with heat and a stab of arousal so sharp he locked his knees against Sui Zhou's flanks to keep him inside.
“Don't you dare pull out,” he ordered, wrapping a hand around his dark red cock. He stroked himself off fast and came with heaving breaths, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes as his body clenched down tight around Sui Zhou's still-hard cock.
Before he'd even come down from it, he was reaching out and pulling Sui Zhou in, crashing their mouths together in a clumsy rush. “Guangchuan,” he breathed into Sui Zhou's mouth, before kissing him again. His Guangchuan was so good. He never wanted to stop kissing him.
Almost hesitantly, Sui Zhou's hands landed on Tang Fan's shoulders, gripping a little more firmly when Tang Fan moaned encouragement into the kiss. Sui Zhou made a low noise of his own and hauled Tang Fan up into his lap, slipping out from him in the process. Tang Fan had no time to regret it because it was Sui Zhou who kissed Tang Fan this time, the scratch of his beard and the firm press of his lips making Tang Fan's heart ache.
Wang Zhi cleared his throat delicately. “Well, this looks like it was a successful mission. I'll leave you two to it.”
Tang Fan reached out behind him blindly and grabbed Wang Zhi's wrist. With some effort, he turned his face out of the kiss, leaving Sui Zhou to mouth along his jaw.
“Isn't this your room?” Tang Fan asked. “Where are you going?”
“The whole house is mine,” Wang Zhi said mildly. “I'm sure I can find somewhere else to sleep.”
“But you haven't...” Tang Fan frowned. “Isn't there anything we can do for you?”
Wang Zhi's expression changed. “Oh, don't worry about me. I got everything I wanted.”
It should have been Tang Fan's cue to let Wang Zhi go, but he simply didn't want to. They couldn't just let him sneak off into the night, not when he'd done all this. He tugged Wang Zhi's hand and pouted.
“Stay and cuddle me,” Tang Fan said. As soon as the words left his lips he doubted himself – did he really have the right to demand anything more from Wang Zhi, after he had already been so generous to them both? But his body and mind were loose with sex, and the doubt didn't feel as pressing as it might have. “If you want to,” he added.
Wang Zhi settled back down, looking a little unsure for the first time that evening. His eyes flicked over Tang Fan's shoulder to Sui Zhou. “Wouldn't you mind?”
It threw Tang Fan off for a moment, before he realized Wang Zhi had no reason to know - “Guangchuan sleeps alone.”
Wang Zhi's eyes met Sui Zhou's, and after a moment of wordless communicatoin, he nodded. “Then I'll stay.”
He made to get up again, and this time Tang Fan let him. He moved around the room, cleaning up and changing for bed, and Tang Fan threaded his fingers into Sui Zhou's hair and tipped their foreheads together. “We'll do this again, right?”
Sui Zhou kissed him. “Yes,” he said, simply.
Tang Fan's heart felt soft. “Good,” he said, cupping Sui Zhou's beloved face. A look turned into a kiss, which turned into two, which soon turned into them panting into each other's mouths again.
“Go,” Tang Fan said, laughing. “Get out of here, or we'll keep Wang Zhi up all night.”
He stumbled to his feet, pulling Sui Zhou up with him. It felt so good to not worry and calculate before reaching out to him. To have the freedom to simply have him, in every way he wanted.
“If you freeze up again,” he said, as Sui Zhou was collecting his clothes from the floor. “Or if I...give you cause to worry. Don't think I won't drag you back out here again to fix it.”
Sui Zhou met his eyes and nodded once, too solemn for Tang Fan's light tone. “All right.”
“Ah, Guangchuan. You're really too good.”
Sui Zhou's eyes crinkled, and Tang Fan just had to follow him to the door and kiss him one more time. “Goodnight,” he said.
Sui Zhou kissed him back, soft and lingering. “Goodnight, Runqing. See you in the morning.”
Tang Fan beamed at his back all the way down the hall, then turned back into the warm room behind him. He was going to get to rest in the soft circle of Wang Zhi's arms all night long. Life was really too good to him.