"Have you seen Yifan and Yixing?" Lu Han asks when he enters back to his study bringing with him bundles of scrolls that are pressed to his chest. Zitao hears the door opening and closing and the small oomph the other lets out when he saves one of the parchments from falling but he doesn’t trouble himself with standing up to help the other. The younger just shakes his head, preoccupied with the pendulum on the elder's desk, eyes following the motions of the metal spheres hitting each other as if hypnotized by their repetitive movements.

The smaller one doesn't seem to be too bothered by the younger's apparent lack of response even when he huffs, "Ugh! They always disappear when you need them the most." Then he dumps the scrolls he has been cradling onto the table, the light weight of the materials only allowing for a soft thud to resound when the rolled paper meets the wood. The tanned male is still silent, shrugging his shoulders as his only reply while his gaze studies the pendulum that has already slowed down. Lu Han groans again and does nothing but return to his previous task, sorting the messages to be sent out to the different kingdoms surrounding their land, only poking Zitao when he is already halfway through to finally help him. The younger nods and without warning stops the time before taking over the elder's work, stopping for a few seconds to observe the other's face despite having seen it many times already. He stops his hand from reaching and touching the smaller one's face in favour of segregating the rolls of paper properly before snapping his fingers again.

When Lu Han sees the finished job before him he shoots the younger a grin to which Zitao responds with a slight nod, swiftly moving to where the elder's book shelf is in hopes of disappearing before the other can notice the reddening of his cheeks, willing his thoughts to change immediately just in case the prince's advisor decides to penetrate his mind. He had to push the idea of kissing the elder to the back of his mind because he knows he'll hear an earful from the other if he just suddenly leaves the room. Thankfully, the doe-eyed male doesn't seem to be suspicious of his actions, turning back to face his desk to finish other matters given to him by the prince.

What Zitao doesn't see is the smile blooming on the advisor's face, the stretch of his lips widening when he sees himself inside the younger's mind again, biting his lower lip so as not to give the other a hint that he has infiltrated his thoughts. It's not only because he doesn't want the prince's most trusted guard to get mad at him for once again entering his mind, he also silently wants to keep watching what the other is thinking of and with him, wondering when the guard will finally make a move to make these fantasies into a reality.

"Quick, Yifan!" The taller male can hear his lover's voice, chipper as always as he bends down again to retrieve one of Yixing's clothing-his trousers this time. Yifan is half afraid that someone will see his beloved's body as they walk deeper into the forest but knowledge tells him that no one will dare step foot in their territory without permission, not even people from neighboring kingdoms. Even knowing so, he can't help but be on high alert, eyes scanning their surroundings as he follows the trail of clothes his lover leaves behind.

"Love, hurry!" He hears the younger call out to him once again as he finds the last piece of the other's clothing near the edge of the clearing. When he emerges from the foliage, he catches sight of Yixing standing in the middle of the open space with his back towards him, completely and free, his arms lifted to his sides and his head tilted up to face the sky as if he is offering himself to the heavens. The smaller male seems to have perceived the elder's arrival and turns the upper half of his body with a warm smile on his face as he beckons Yifan using one hand, the other now lowered and still on his left side. The taller one doesn't reject the call, placing Yixing's clothes on the nearest tree stump before he removes his own, eyes never leaving his lover's figure as the other squats down and reaches for the small flowers that have grown over the spring. His lover's humming travels to his ears and he feels every muscle in his body relax just by hearing the smaller one's voice, the sound also urging him to hurry and join the other already.

Finally, Yifan folds his undergarment and slips it in between his tunic and his trousers, placing his satchel and sword over their clothes to act as a paperweight and a warning to anyone who dares to touch their belongings. Yixing seems to have heard his approaching footsteps because he stands up from where his fingers have been caressing the soft petals of the bluebells that are within his reach. The younger turns around with a smile on his face, genuine and ecstatic, and the taller male is afraid of the latter description. He bites his lower lip and looks behind them, the castle already hard to see from where they are because of the tall trees obscuring its figure. A hand is placed on his cheek and he melts in its warmth, neck instantly pivoting to face the younger, his eyes alight with excitement as they hold Yifan's own.

"Lu Han is going to kill us," he whispers as he lifts his hand to place it over the younger's, moving it so that he can kiss the smaller one's palm, eyes closing when he smells the scent of the flowers on his beloved's fingerti