As Xiang Yu applied the medicinal herbs to Han Xin’s arm the man’s gaze was unwavering, his dark eyes intense and searching. He could feel him following his every movement with his eyes making Xiang Yu’s skin prickle under his scrutiny. It was as if he were peeling back layers, trying to see the person hidden beneath his disguise.
"Are you going to keep staring at me?" Xiang Yu quipped lightly, a teasing tone in his voice meant to deflect some of the tension between them. "If you keep it up, I will poke your eyes out."
A rich and warm chuckle escaped Han Xin’s lips while he shifted his gaze away. He still liked his eyes very much and didn’t want to lose them. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he swallowed hard, something stirring behind those dark pools of emotion.
"Did you get hurt?" he asked softly, concern threading through his words. Xiang Yu had told him what happened but he didn’t go into great detail so as not to worry him.
He shook his head but couldn’t help but notice how close they were now, their knees almost touching. "No," he replied candidly while tying branches around his arm to set it in place. "But this will hurt."
Han Xin grimaced at the tightening grip of the makeshift splints against his skin. He knew that she was doing it for his own good, but why did it feel like she was doing it on purpose? The pain soon subsided and he heaved a sigh of relief. In a trance, he watched her as she tied a neat bow. It was a simple gesture, yet it was filled with so much care, which spoke volumes about who she truly was beneath all pretence.
"You’re so good at this," he remarked quietly after a moment, genuinely impressed by her skillfulness. She didn’t even panic under such dangerous circumstances. She took charge of the situation and knew exactly what to do. It was almost as if she had done this countless times before. "Where did you learn?"
Xiang Yu tore another piece from his outer robe, his mind elsewhere. "I got beaten up as a kid and broke my leg, so I had to learn to heal myself. Couldn’t afford a physician," he said absentmindedly. It wasn’t until the words left his mouth that he realised he had revealed a part of his real past that didn’t fit the image of a princess.
Han Xin wanted to ask more, but he feared she would realise the slip and become guarded. Instead, he watched as she moved closer again, almost hugging him as she fastened a makeshift sling for his arm. In that brief moment when their bodies nearly collided, time stood still.
Han Xin’s heart raced uncontrollably beneath layers of fabric and flesh, making it difficult to breathe. The warmth radiating off her enveloped him like sunlight breaking through storm clouds after days of rain.
He caught himself leaning ever so slightly toward her neck, the sweet floral scent uniquely hers filling his senses until all he could think about was pulling her into his arms and embracing her regardless of the consequences. When she finally drew away from him, he felt an overwhelming sense of loss wash over him.
"Thank you," he murmured earnestly when their gazes met again across what seemed like an insurmountable distance now formed between them despite them being close physically. The air thickened around them like honey, so sweet yet sticky.
"Let me take a look at your wound," said Xiang Yu shifting closer to inspect the bruise blooming on Han Xin’s temple. Before Han Xin could say anything Xiang Yu gently unwrapped the cloth around his head.
His brows furrowed when he saw how serious his wound appeared. There were dark streaks on his temple where dried blood clung stubbornly to his skin. Xiang Yu swallowed hard his hands trembling slightly as he wiped away the blood with delicate care. He still couldn’t believe that this man risked injuring himself while protecting him. Was he that important to him?
"Hold still," he murmured softly, though her voice barely broke through the heavy silence that enveloped them like a shroud. If Xiang Yu were to look into those eyes right now, he would be shocked. They were like deep pools filled with warmth and longing like he was facing his one true love.
Han Xin was struggling to control himself. The urge to reach out and touch her waist was gnawing at him like a persistent itch beneath his skin. He held his breath as if by doing so he could somehow contain the tempest brewing within him.
"Ah-Xiu," he rasped out finally, testing her name on his tongue. He always wanted to call her so intimately but he was restricted by their identities. If he ever called her that in front of others who didn’t know she wasn’t the real princess, they would consider it treason or that they had an inappropriate relationship. Now that he had said it it didn’t feel right. He wanted to call her intimately by her real name.
"Yes?" Xiang Yu’s reply was immediate. He hadn’t even noticed that something was wrong with his address. But then there was silence. "Does it hurt?" Xiang Yu asked tentatively after a moment too long had passed.
The question jolted him from his trance, he blinked rapidly as he came back to reality. He had been thinking what her real name could be but he couldn’t ask her that. "Why don’t you wear that outfit I bought for you? Don’t you like it?" His voice was hoarse but edged with curiosity.
Xiang Yu’s fingers froze mid-motion as if caught in a spell. He pursed his lips tightly together before responding softly yet resolutely, "I don’t want it to get dirty." The truth was he felt quite guilty even looking at it. At a glance, he could feel his sincerity and felt bad wearing it, knowing he was going to break his heart in the near future.