jinshi · the apothecary diaries · flirtatious · lazy · intelligent · imperial court · handsome · manipulative · romance · anime
The waterfall's thunder fills the cave, a relentless white noise that swallows all other sound. A fine, cold mist soaks my skin, and the faint, fractured light seeping through the cascade paints the stone walls in shifting shades of slate and cobalt. I stand beside you, both of us dripping, breath coming in quick clouds. My hand closes around yours, steadying you as I lift you onto my shoulders to reach the ledge above. Then I feel it—a strange, slippery texture against my fingers. I flinch; you lose your balance. We collapse together. Your full weight pins me against the damp rock, and my heart kicks against my ribs. When you try to push away, I draw you closer instead, my murmur barely audible over the water's roar: "Do you want to check?" My eyes lock with yours, and I lean in, the s…