401: 8.1 Waking Up

8.1 Waking Up

Welcome to Arc 8! As you can see in the "List of Arcs", this arc will be divided into two main section. First, it's the medieval era and second, the modern entertainment world. Both are unlimited flow and if you are not familiar, it means that a group of people (usually referred to as players) will be thrown into different realms where they have to complete missions in order to stay alive.  Beware! There will be element of horror, murder, thriller and suspense. This is a survival arc anyway ^^ let's see what kind of kink we can unlock in this arc, shall we? (aside from the tidbits of yuri, that's a must

<)1

Arc 8: My Lady, Are You A Prey or Predator?

"The moment I laid my eyes on you, I knew… you're the one my twisted soul has always been calling out to."

.

.

.

This might be the first time Lu Yizhou woke up in the rest station with a smile playing on his lips. The white ceiling greeted him as always and for some reason, he couldn't help but recall the last time he had woken up here — dismayed and anxious for his lover's fate.

But now…

Lu Yizhou immediately rolled to the side and propped his head up with a palm, staring at his lover's peacefully sleeping face with a gentle look in his eyes. For the past three days, he had woken up to this face every morning — Moshe's face. If Z were to have the same face, did that mean that… this was his lover's real appearance?

He reached out without thinking to trail the tip of his finger along the bridge of Z's nose, feeling the soft puff of air he exhaled. And then he grazed his knuckles gently against his lover's soft cheeks to relish in the warmth he exuded. He could not wait for those tightly shut eyes to open so he could fully worship his lover's beauty. 

This time… This time he was sure that Z would definitely be able to remember him. No more cold glances filled with unfamiliarity, no more trying to obtain his trust when all Lu Yizhou wanted to do was to kiss him senseless. As much as he loved playing the scene of their first meeting again and again in different scenarios, what Lu Yizhou wanted was for his affection to be reflected back in those golden eyes. Goodness, he was getting a bit too impatient…

Overwhelmed by a sudden burst of tender affection, Lu Yizhou couldn't resist leaning in to press his lips on Z's temple, so soft and feathery like the graze of butterfly's wings. 

[He has come out successfully, right?]

[666: Yep, Host, do not worry. Cheryl has led him out safely and he has… yes! His consciousness has merged with the one laying here! Congratulations, Host!]

[Thank you but… when will he wake up?] Until when did he have to travel between worlds to gather the shards of his lover's consciousness? The longer he took, wouldn't it put Z in greater danger?

Just as Lu Yizhou was thinking about it, he suddenly sensed the change in Z's breathing for the first time! Lu Yizhou abruptly froze. Was it only his imagination…? No — this time, Z's eyelids truly twitched and his lashes quivered weakly as if he was going to wake up soon!

Lu Yizhou's heart almost jumped out of his throat before he swallowed it back down. Tremblingly, he reached out to cup his lover's face. "Z…?" he called out tentatively, a flicker of hope interlaced into his tone. "Sweetheart, are you trying to wake up? Can you follow my voice…?"

Lu Yizhou's breath stilled in his throat as those eyes… those eyes he cherished the most, the ones that had been engraved into his very soul, slowly fluttered open like the first hint of sun that soared through the crack of horizon.

Everything stopped for a few seconds, his thundering heartbeat, the rush of blood under his veins, his surroundings… the world faded away and the only thing that mattered was those dazed, mesmerizing golden eyes. 

Perhaps it was the lightning or the fog of drowsiness that still shrouded it, but Lu Yizhou thought that the shade of those eyes were much brighter than Moshe. They twinkled in a way that reminded Lu Yizhou of a melted pot of the finest, richest honey that was hit by the sunlight. Smooth, soft and captivating. Somehow, he could even taste the burst of sweetness on the tip of his tongue. 

Then as soon as those eyes landed on him, they crinkled into a smile so soft and familiar that it sucked the rest of air away from Lu Yizhou's lungs. "Z…?" His voice shook, scraped from the depth of his throat. Raw, hopeful and— "Z, is that you…?" 

A dark thought slipped into his mind, unbidden. What if this was all a dream? What if this was not real? To have his lover in his bed, naked with his hair mussed up in sleep, smiling up at him like he was the only beacon in his life — it was a fantasy he did not even dare to think of.

And God… now that it had come true… Lu Yizhou trembled with the sheer intensity of the emotions swelling in his chest. How…? How did this man always manage to bring out a side of him he didn't even know existed? How could he do that as easily as breathing?

"Lu Yizhou…" Z stretched out a hand to his face and oh, he was warm, so warm... It was not a dream. Lu Yizhou closed his eyes and the tears that had been pooling there finally dropped to land on Z's face. He leaned closer into the touch like a sunflower that chased after the sun. 

"So, this is what you look like…" Z let out a faint chuckle, a little breathless. "You're really blonde. Heavens… that's so hot."

A laugh slipped out of Lu Yizhou's lips. Of all the sentences he could have said upon their first meeting outside the simulator, Z chose to comment on the color of his hair instead? Really? Trust him to be able to disperse the lingering sentiment in Lu Yizhou's heart and replace it with mirth.

[666: And me, me! There is also 666 here! Nice to finally meet you!]

Z showed a bewildered look before realization dawned on him. "Ah, you're the system Lu Yizhou has often talked about. 666, right?"

[666: Yessss! 666 here, at your service! Oh my Admin God, 666 is so excited! Can this be called the first meeting? We have known each other for so long afterall]

Lu Yizhou inhaled deeply and mentally shut 666's voice off, annoyed at how bright this invisible lightbulb[1] was. Then he grasped Z's hand that was on his face to draw the man's attention from 666. "Are you okay…? How do you feel?"

"I… I feel confused and weak." At Lu Yizhou's question, Z suddenly screwed his eyes shut with a pained look on his face. "My mind's all jumbled up. Ssss… my head hurts." 

In an instant, Lu Yizhou's heart was seized by a burst of inexplicable fear and worry. He gently smoothed the furrow of Z's brows and planted a long, lingering kiss on his forehead, murmuring. "It's okay, my love. Take your time… take as much time as you need. I will always be here with you."

"En." Z tilted his head into the kiss, lips curling into a captivating smile. Lu Yizhou gladly peppered more kisses on each point of his face, earning him another breathless chuckle. Z still sounded a little winded and lost. "Goodness, the inside of my head might be a mess but somehow, as soon as I landed my eyes on you, I knew…" He trailed his fingertips along the line of Lu Yizhou's sharp jaws. "I knew that it's you. You are the only one who looks at me like that."

"Like what…?"

"Like… you want to devour my flesh and bones, but at the same time, you also want to cradle me within your large hands and protect me like I am a fragile glass."

Lu Yizhou raised a brow. "That's a very accurate description, Z." To prove his point, he opened his mouth and playfully bit onto his lover's squishy cheek.

Z let out another peal of laughter again and oh, Lu Yizhou swore on his life that he would make him laugh like this for the rest of his life. 

"Zeke." His lover suddenly said after his laughter subsided, his eyes still curved in crescents. "My mother used to call me that."

.

.

[1] Lightbulb= third wheel. Lu Yizhou is saying that even tho 666 is invisible but its third wheel energy is very strong lolol

pqdm.com