This One Love

Author's Note: Thanks again to Mayu for the wonderful reviews. No, we havent gotten to a lemon yet, there are still a few chapters before that, but theres a close call on one in this chapter, so enjoy!

Chapter 4

Ying relaxed back into the pillows propped against the headboard with a contented sigh. She wondered if it was possible to be happier than she was right now. The last couple of weeks had been like something out of a dream for her. Zhuge had spent nearly every waking moment with her, talking, walking through the gardens, and even just sitting quietly in the room together. She knew a lot more about her husband now than she had before, and it only made her feelings for him stronger.

She had taken a lot about his character for granted, and was grateful for the time to figure him out. They still hadn’t went back to the conversation they had been trying to get through the day before she got hurt, which was fine with her, she still wasn’t sure she’d be able to talk about it just yet without getting flustered and choking up again. She was having to re-evaluate her true feelings for her husband anyway. She had known she was fond of Zhuge, but the more time they spent together the more she thought it was something more than just that, but she was afraid to admit to herself what she really thought it was.

They hadn’t been attending meals in the dinner hall since the battle. Zhuge had been having food brought to them or he went and got it himself, which was also fine with Ying. She’d rather not have to deal with the men smirking behind her back and whispering about how she’d gotten herself hurt. She was going to have to work doubly hard after she recovered to get them to stop.

She was brought back from her musings by the door opening and Zhuge coming in with their dinner. She allowed a smile to cross her face as she watched him setting things out on the table and her eyes wandered over his form. He presented a nice view, even in those damned robes. She had to convince him to wear something different outside of battle. Or nothing at all, she thought before she could stop herself, and had to quickly divert her attention when he turned towards the bed.

“Ready for dinner, Ying?” he asked, chuckling to himself at her slightly flustered appearance and wondering what thoughts had caused it.
“Hmm? Oh … yeah, sure,” she said, scooting to the edge of the bed and standing up.

Zhuge pulled her chair out for her and had to resist the urge to press his face into her hair as she brushed past him to sit down. Gods, but she smells nice, he thought to himself as he sat in the chair beside hers. He had to do something to distract himself before he lost his mind or did something stupid.

“Your unit has been working on the juggernaut design you gave them all this week.”
“Oh, how is that going?” she asked, hopeful
“They are making good progress, actually, but it will still be some time before the design is testable with them working around skirmishes and assignments.”
“Well, as long as they’re actually trying, that’s what counts.”

Zhuge had to smile at the proud light that took over her face knowing one of her inventions was going to be used in battle. It made her quite striking in his opinion … quite similar to the change her sleeping clothes made compared to her normal or battle clothes. He had to fight to keep his eyes from wandering over her as that thought crossed through his mind. His wife was far from the plain, half-pretty woman the rumors made her out to be. She was quite beautiful when she wasn’t dressed for battle. He hadn’t realized he’d been ignoring her till the tap on his arm brought him back to focus on her curious gaze.

“Everything okay? You almost looked like I’d bored you to sleep for a minute there.” Ying wondered if she really had put him to sleep with her chattering as she asked the question.
“Not at all, I just got distracted by my thoughts for a moment. My apologies.”
“Thoughts?” Ying asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
“Since you seem to be so curious, I was thinking to myself how beautiful you look.”

Ying almost dropped her fork in her surprise at his quite admission, meeting his eyes with her own shocked stare, wondering if she was still caught in her afternoon nap and this was just another dream.

“Me?” and she kicked herself for sounding so hopeful with that question.
“Yes, you. I do not see any other woman in here that I could be looking at right now,” Zhuge said, unable to hide his smile.
“Umm … thank you, Zhuge, I’m flattered,” she said, looking back down at her plate to keep from blushing under his scrutiny.

She was so caught up in trying not to embarrass herself that she almost did that and worse when she nearly jumped out of her chair at the touch of his hand on her cheek. This was what she’d wanted the last two weeks and longer, why was she so nervous about it now? Just enjoy it; he IS your husband after all, she told herself as she met his gaze.

Zhuge noticed her slight jump and how she tensed when he brushed the back of his hand across her cheek, but he thought the time was well past to make some kind of gesture to show his feelings, so he gently tilted her chin up as he turned his chair, thankful that she didn’t make a move to pull away from him after her first show of surprise.

“Ying, you’re a very beautiful woman, especially at times like this when battle clothes and armor aren’t hiding what you really look like. I hope you believe me when I tell you that.” He was talking quietly, hoping she wouldn’t change her mind and run from him.
“I do believe you, Zhuge … I’m just not used to compliments like that from anyone.”
“Then I’ll have to make sure I give them more often,” he said with a smile, leaning closer to her.

She didn’t make a move away from him, so he moved closer to her as he tilted her chin up a bit more, moving to press his lips to hers … and growled inwardly when the knock on the door made them both jump. Sighing quietly, he changed his direction and brushed his lips across her cheek before standing up and going to answer the door, talking quietly with the messenger before closing the door and turning back to Ying.

“Our lord wants me to meet with him and the other generals in the council room to discuss the coming battle,” he said apologetically.
“Then you have to go talk to him,” she replied, fighting the urge to pout at the interruption. She knew how long those meetings lasted and she’d likely be asleep by the time they let her husband leave. Oh well, such is the life of the strategist, she thought wryly as she forced a small smile to show she was okay with it, when what she really wanted to do was go strangle that damned messenger.
“I’ll be back as soon as possible,” he said as he left, closing the door quietly behind him with another sigh and headed down the hall. His lord had the worst timing.