Villain Saving System (BL)
Chapter 240 - 5.50 See You Again

Chapter 240: 5.50 See You Again

CW: some not so explicit scene :)

***

As soon as the surgery on Joshua was done, Lu Yizhou’s mission in this world was also completed. Without the parasite in Joshua’s body, he would no longer pose a threat to Terra’s life.

Lu Yizhou woke up after two hours of sleep, having been roused by 666’s excited cheers right beside his ears. And then, he spent the rest of the night gazing at Terra’s sleeping face and tracing the star-shaped birthmark that peeked out through the loose collar of his pajamas. A determined light gleamed in his eyes. This time... he wouldn’t leave Terra behind, not anymore.

[How much time do I have left?]

[666: Errr, according to the system panel, you will expand all of your senses in two years’ time, lose your mind and then be executed by Lieutenant Yves, Host. But now that you have bonded with a guide, there won’t be any risk for you to lose your mind anymore so the simulator is still trying to find ways for you to leave this world. Heheh, please wait a moment.]

Lu Yizhou mentally calculated in his mind. [Thirty years.]

[666: Yes, yes 666 knows—eh... What?]

[Make it thirty years. The time limit.]

[666: ...]

[What? You can’t do this even after hacking into the simulator’s kernel?] Lu Yizhou said it in such a condescending tone plus eye roll that instantly made 666 see red!

[666: W—Who says 666 can’t?! 666 can, 666 will definitely do it! There, now Host’s time limit in this world is thirty years from now on! Hmph, Host is lucky to have such a competent 666 by Host’s side! But I have to warn you, Host. The longer you spend in the simulator, the weaker your body in the real world will be. After all, Host is still in a coma, remember?]

[I don’t care.] Lu Yizhou’s eyes turned soft when Terra snuggled closer to him. He tucked the guide closer and let out a content sigh. [I will stay with him as long as I can, even if it’s just for a second more.]

[666: Ugh, whatever! 666 is so stressed! Because of Host, 666 will become a criminal among systems if today’s deed is found out! Even though this is all so exciting—No! What 666 means to say is, Host has to make it up for 666 later!]

[Alright.] Lu Yizhou promised with an amused huff. Then, he added with such sincerity that it threw the system off guard. [Thank you, 666.]

[666: W—What are you thanking 666 for?! *sniffles* no, you’re wrong, 666 is definitely not crying! 666’s nose has just gotten a bit stuffy!]

Lu Yizhou mentally rolled his eyes and didn’t point out how 666 didn’t even have a corporeal body to begin with.

At long last, he could finally let go of the last burden on his shoulders and heaved a sigh of relief. Hours passed by so fast when he matched his breathing with Terra, silently waiting for those golden orbs to show themselves to the world. The sun gradually rose in the horizon, painting streaks of blue and purple on the clear morning sky and then, Terra quietly roused from his sleep. First, his nose twitched adorably and he let out a soft grunt, burying his face deeper into the crook of Lu Yizhou’s neck and rubbing his face there. The spoilt gesture was so adorable that Lu Yizhou couldn’t resist chuckling.

Terra drew back slightly and blindly sought for Lu Yizhou’s lips even without opening his eyes. "G’morning..."

"Morning, sweetheart." Lu Yizhou supported the back of his head and engaged him in slow, sleepy kisses.

Terra subconsciously pressed deeper into him and Lu Yizhou could feel the guide’s hardening length on his thigh. In response, Lu Yizhou shifted slightly so Terra received a bit of friction enough to trigger sparks of pleasure behind his sleepy eyelids. A soft, breathless moan escaped Terra’s lips and he pushed on Lu Yizhou’s shoulder until he lay flat on his back. As soon as he did, Terra climbed atop of him, legs bracketing his waist; his pajama pants clearly outlined the shape of his erection. The guide’s head was still bobbing on and off and his eyes hadn’t even fully opened yet. Bathed in the morning light with his mussed up long hair, rosy cheeks, and the shirt that slipped off to the side, showing his milky shoulder that still bore the marks of Lu Yizhou’s passion last night, he looked like the combination of godsend angel and soul-sucking demon wrapped in one beautiful package.

Lu Yizhou sucked in a breath and placed his hands on Terra’s hips, tugging him down so they could rock against each other, slow at first before Terra gradually picked up the pace, riding Lu Yizhou so boldly and beautifully. The sight was almost divine, Lu Yizhou couldn’t take his eyes off him. Until the end, Terra tossed his head back and let out a quiet cry, collapsing atop of Lu Yizhou’s chest in a boneless heap. "That... is a very good way to wake up in the morning." He said after he had regained his breath.

Lu Yizhou nosed Terra’s temple and inhaled his natural scent, the shampoo as well as sweat and musk that clung to him. It had rapidly become one of Lu Yizhou’s most favorite scents in the world. "If you like it," he slipped one hand under Terra’s shirt to rub his naked back. "...then we can do it everyday."

"Really?" Terra propped himself up by the elbow and this time, his golden eyes were full of clarity. He took one look at Lu Yizhou and paused.

"What’s wrong?" Lu Yizhou asked after seeing the perplexed look on his face.

Many scenarios popped up in Lu Yizhou’s mind but never in his wildest dream would he guess that Terra would ask in that quiet tone of his that meant that he was currently trying to shut off his emotions. "Are you...going to leave?"

Lu Yizhou tucked his hair behind his ear, his brain kicking up a gear. Why did Terra suddenly ask this kind of question? Did he know that Lu Yizhou’s mission was already completed? Had he heard the system’s notification last night? Well, whatever it was, Lu Yizhou didn’t like the look that Terra was giving him right now. The guide couldn’t even look straight into his eyes and his shoulders were drawn back slightly; hunched, as if trying to make himself as small as possible. "Terra, look at me." Lu Yizhou said seriously. Then, when those golden eyes hesitantly lifted to meet him, he offered the guide a thin smile. "I have promised you that I won’t leave. I mean every word I say, love."

Terra gave him a dubious look, clearly not fully convinced. Well, not that Lu Yizhou could blame him, judging from the history where he kept on leaving without a word.

"Thirty years." Lu Yizhou helplessly confessed. "I can stay here for thirty more years." It was better for him not to divulge the risk of messing with the simulator’s time limit and how it would affect his real body, it wasn’t a matter important enough to burden his lover.

"Thirty years..." Terra repeated blankly. For a split second, Lu Yizhou was unable to read the look on his face and his heart almost sank to the pit of his stomach. Was it not enough? Should he ask for fifty years, or even a hundred years to stay here?

But then, before he could demand 666 to change the time limit, the cloud instantly dissipated from Terra’s face to show the dazzling sun and a smile formed on his face; it was like looking at the sun itself. With the force of the roaring waves, Lu Yizhou could once again perceive Terra’s emotion through their bond; the overwhelming relief, satisfaction and glee, so strong that it rendered Lu Yizhou breathless. "That’s... awesome. It’s more than enough." He let out a choked laugh, and tears started streaming down his beaming face. "Thank you. Thank you so much for staying, Lu Yizhou."

He was so beautiful that it hurt to look straight at him. Lu Yizhou’s throat seized. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth and his chest was so full to the point of bursting. He felt like a live wire on the cusp of exploding, his entire body coursed with electricity so pure that it numbed himself of his surroundings and all he could see, hear and touch was Terra and Terra alone.

Exactly how deep would he continue to fall for this amazing man? Lu Yizhou had no idea. He had long lost control of his own heart, his own body, his soul. Some might even call him obsessed. The principles he upheld, his view of life and his belief, all of them threatening to crumble in the face of this one, lovely smile. He was sure that now, if Terra were to demand him to jump down from the rooftop, he would ask the guide to choose which building he preferred.

He lifted one trembling hand to cup Terra’s cheeks and wipe his tears away, not trusting himself to speak. In the end, he could only let his actions speak for himself. Rolling Terra over and pressing him down to the mattress, Lu Yizhou impatiently crushed their lips together into a rough, bruising kiss.

***

On that fateful day, the country was shaken by a huge uproar when many people suddenly collapsed at the same time. In the middle of the street, inside the running car, the train, the soldiers doing daily drill, the reporter that was announcing the news, one fifth of the people in the entire country was immobilized for unknown reasons. Accidents happened one after another, and panic quickly rose among people. W—What was happening to the world?! Was this another parasite attack after the mishap on President Merrick?!

Fortunately, General Ethan — the living legend that had long since disappeared from the public — quickly took control of the messy situation with an iron grip and commanded the army to seize all the people who had collapsed. They were then locked in a quarantine where their safety would be ensured.

When he once again showed himself on a live screen that was broadcasted throughout the whole country, his declaration created another wave of uproar. H—How could it be? All those people were actually infected by the parasites?! "...But worry not." General Ethan said solemnly, his strong voice and all assuring tone offered comfort to people whose family, friends and lovers were being taken away. "We will try our best to save as many people as possible. Here we have a team of most capable surgeons in the whole country to perform operations on your loved ones. As long as they haven’t yet reached the final stage, I guarantee that you will have them back into your life in a few months’ time. Until then, I sincerely ask all of you to remain patient and calm."

The General paused, considering something before his lips tightened into a determined line. "Our country has been fighting against the parasite for years. Many people died, many soldiers had fallen... but today, I proudly declare that we have won! We have won against the despicable brain-sucking creatures that have wrecked our lives! From this day on, the parasite will no longer exist. I would also like to use this opportunity to offer my sincerest gratitude to General Kai, who has been among the headline news and hottest discussion these past few days. His contribution for this country is undeniable, it has been—"

"Pfft." Terra quietly laughed into his fist when he caught sight of Lu Yizhou’s rapidly souring face. "What’s the matter eh, honored General Kai?" He singsonged, lips twitching in an effort to hold back his laughter. "People are screaming your praise everywhere, General~"

Lu Yizhou pinched his brows with a constipated look. Nobody told General Ethan to sell him out just like that! He had had enough of the attention he got because of the President, he didn’t need to be some kind of crownless hero either! Goodness, his peaceful life had just passed by in front of him...

"Are you really unhappy about it?" Terra poked his cheek and giggled again in schadenfreude. He was holding Lu Yizhou’s phone with both hands whilst leaning on Lu Yizhou’s side, reading the comments out loud. "’Hah, I knew it! To everyone who claims that General Kai has committed a felony, are you ashamed yet? He has saved everyone’s ass, including yours!’ Heheh, this one is funny. Next, ’Oh, I can’t imagine what kind of hardship he has gone through. Being the most wanted person all the while fighting against the parasite, that’s so cool!’ ’But where is General Kai? Why haven’t we seen him anywhere?’ ’I miss him sooo much. He’s an A rank dark sentinel, so handsome, sharp and sexy at that! Please, does anybody know if he has bonded yet? If not, I would like to—the fuck."

The smile slipped off Terra’s face and was replaced with a scowl. "What do you mean you want to be his guide?" To his dismay, there were so many comments below that claimed that they were General Kai’s beloved wifey, little girlfriend and w—what? Hidden mistresses?! He turned to the man beside him with an incredulous look. "You have more than one mistress?!"

Lu Yizhou merely leveled him with a flat stare and snatched the phone from his hands.

"Ah, wait—" Terra lunged forward for the phone but Lu Yizhou kept lifting it out of reach until the guide subconsciously climbed into his lap. "I still haven’t read enough yet—"

"That’s enough internet for today." Lu Yizhou turned off the phone and threw it to the nightstand. In an instant, General Ethan’s voice disappeared from the room and only then did Terra realize the suggestive position he had put himself in. He cleared his throat and intended to climb off but it was already too late. Lu Yizhou had caught him firmly, preventing him from moving even an inch. "Mistress?" He narrowed his eyes, making those silver orbs look all the more intimidating. Honestly, it was so hot that Terra’s brain turned blank for a second. "I have a mistress?"

Something in the way Lu Yizhou’s hand glided up his thigh, his low and baritone voice, and the hidden meaning behind those words, made Terra stammer out. "H—How do I know?"

"Terra." Lu Yizhou let out a long suffering sigh, his exhale brushed against Terra’s cheek, rising goose flesh all along his body. He couldn’t think— not when Lu Yizhou was looking at him with that kind of gaze that meant that whatever he was saying next would potentially make Terra combust in place. And lo and behold, he was right. "There’s nobody in this world that knows me better than you. Sometimes, even better than myself. Now, do you think I have a hidden mistress or not?"

Terra’s breath stuttered as the tip of Lu Yizhou’s fingers grazed against the soft and sensitive flesh of his inner thigh, raking his shorts up until it strained deliciously against his swelling cock. Flush spread across Terra’s cheeks and he bit his lips to contain the embarrassing sounds that almost spilled out of his mouth. Why the hell was his body so needy? Just... It was just this morning that Lu Yizhou fucked him fast and rough against the bathroom tiles, just as he requested. So why was he tempted again?!

Alas, he couldn’t deny that he liked it. Very much. When those silver eyes laid only upon him, when those gorgeous smiles appeared only in his presence, he wanted Lu Yizhou to be his and his alone. Terra didn’t even realize he was genuinely feeling jealous of the thirsty comments that sung for his sentinel until Lu Yizhou squashed the worry inside him to dust.

"Lu Yizhou..." He said weakly, paws kneading on the sentinel’s chiseled chest. "I can’t think straight if you’re this close..."

"Good." Lu Yizhou’s fingers barely brushed against his growing erection and Terra almost choked on his saliva. It was so brief and light he didn’t even know if the sentinel was doing it on purpose or not! "Listen to me, sweetheart. There will be no one else. In the past, present or future, there will only be you."

Terra’s head dropped to Lu Yizhou’s shoulders and he finally let out a needy whine. "Yizhou..."

"Hmm?"

"Do—Do something."

"Do what?" Came his amused question. Terra gritted his teeth. He was doing it on purpose! He definitely was! "I will not know if you don’t tell me, Terra."

"You—"

The doorbell suddenly rang, shattering the intimate moment between the two. Part of Terra was relieved yet another part was equally disappointed that Lu Yizhou stopped. He had to muffle another giggle when the sentinel drew back with a darkened face. As much as Terra wanted to ignore the unwanted visitor, he knew that only less than five people knew their new home address. Ever since the event in the hospital three months ago, Lu Yizhou had immediately took a year long vacation — it was way longer than allowed and the higher ups had been complaining about it but they all shut up when Lu Yizhou threatened that he would submit his letter of resignation — and two months ago, they had moved into this little cozy cottage by the lake side, living the blissful life they had always yearned for.

Either way, Terra just couldn’t get used to the life in the city and he couldn’t describe how over the moon he was when Lu Yizhou suddenly presented him with this house. A safe haven that belonged only to both of them.

Terra climbed off Lu Yizhou’s lap with a sigh, this time the latter no longer held him back. He looked outside the window to see that the moon was already high in the sky. Who might be coming at a time like this? Terra’s curiosity lasted until the moment Lu Yizhou opened the door only to show the two people he didn’t want to see the most: Yves and Joshua! Terra knew that both of them were acting irrationally last time because of the parasite, yet somehow he just couldn’t bring himself to like them. It was Joshua who had fired the shot that cut a permanent scar across Lu Yizhou’s face, and he hated Yves simply because he was such a simp for this kind of person!

"What do you want?" Lu Yizhou asked directly, not even welcoming the two inside the house. Inwardly, Terra swooned at how mean he was all the while keeping the frown on his face.

Joshua flinched at the harsh tone and Yves had the audacity to look ashamed.

"Now, now." Doctor Wyatt appeared behind both of them and clicked his tongue in exasperation. "Don’t be so cold, General. They have something they want to say to you and Terra."

Huh, so Doctor Wyatt was the culprit who had told Joshua and Yves about this address. When the doctor caught his eyes midair, Terra deliberately turned his head away and harrumphed to show his displeasure. Doctor Wyatt cleared his throat and tried to salvage the situation. "It won’t take even two minutes, right?"

"That’s right. I apologize for intruding on you at such an inappropriate hour. It’s just that..." Yves took a deep breath then suddenly bowed ninety degrees. "Please allow me to offer my deepest regret, General! I have let my feelings get on the way to duty, defied your orders, and almost harmed you and your guide. It’s a grave mistake for me as a lieutenant. I couldn’t help but feel remorseful everytime I thought about it but when I asked around, I found out that you have taken a leave and moved somewhere so I begged Doctor Wyatt to bring us here. I can’t live my life without asking for your forgiveness so—"

Beside him, Joshua also bowed along. "I am deeply sorry for everything I have done, General Kai, Terra."

Terra discreetly scooted to hide behind Lu Yizhou’s broad back, hiding from the outburst of sincerity from the two people he had never expected. He had no idea how to react, thus he did the one thing he was most comfortable with, and that was clinging onto the hem of Lu Yizhou’s shirt. He felt the sentinel reaching out to him through their bond as he let out a sigh.

"Apology accepted."

Yves and Joshua beamed up at him with two identical expressions. "One more thing," Yves added. "I have put in the request to be stationed in Joshua’s hometown. We will move there next week so... this might be the last time we will meet you, General. Thank you for everything, I have learned so much from working under you!"

Lu Yizhou merely inclined his head in acknowledgement.

Feeling awkward, the couple then hastily bid their farewell. "And that’s my cue." Doctor Wyatt shoved something into Lu Yizhou’s hand, so fast that Terra didn’t have the chance to see what it was. "Goodbye, lovebirds." Just like that, Doctor Wyatt also left to the direction where they came from.

"What was that?" Terra asked when the door closed behind them but he promptly froze in place when Lu Yizhou suddenly got down on one knee and held up a box of... Terra blinked and blinked, but still the sight in front of him remained unchanged. A disbelieving gasp escaped his lips as his eyes shot up to meet the sentinel. "L—Lu Yizhou...?"

"Terra." Lu Yizhou’s voice shook as if he was nervous. But how... how could he be nervous? Lu Yizhou and nervous could never be put in the same sentence, in Terra’s opinion. "Marry me."

In the small box Lu Yizhou held out was a pair of platinum rings, sparkling against the light overhead. And to Terra’s surprise, the ring looked so, so familiar. His pupils trembled as he recalled it. How could he forget? Afterall, this was the ring he had previously worn for decades...

Terra sucked in a breath. He suddenly felt dizzy, so much that he could only stutter. "H—How..."

"I have Doctor Wyatt help me to order the same design as what we have before." Lu Yizhou explained gently and— holy, was he blushing? Was that a blush Terra saw rising high on his cheekbones? "Originally, I had planned to propose to you on the same day when we moved in here but unfortunately, the ring took longer than usual to finish so..." Lu Yizhou finished his sentence with a shrug.

Propose. His sentinel was proposing to him. Terra felt like the ground had just swayed beneath his feet and he had to hold onto the nearest wall for support. "But... But..." He stammered out dumbly. "We have been married before..."

Lu Yizhou’s eyes crinkled with smiles. "Sweetheart, I would like to marry you again, as many times as I can if you’d let me. Will you indulge this one wish of mine?"

Terra pursed his lips tightly but for the sake of God, he couldn’t hold back his tears any longer. How could he be so lucky? What had he done to deserve this man? "Y—Yes..." He sobbed as Lu Yizhou slipped the ring into his finger, back to the place where they should be. "Yes, yes, yes!" He threw himself forward and Lu Yizhou readily caught him. Bubbles of laughter escaped Terra’s throat, the delight was palpable to every strand of his hair. He might even be floating if not for Lu Yizhou’s arms around him. "Yes, Lu Yizhou, I will marry you again and again! I will do it again with you a thousand times over!"

If previously, their wedding was one that was celebrated by two kingdoms and spread to every corner of the world, this time it was a very quiet affair. Their guests consisted only of the doctors and nurses that had cared for Terra in the hospital, General Ethan who acted as the witness and Doctor Wyatt, who held Terra’s arm as they walked down the aisle.

Terra was clad in an off-shoulder pure white wedding dress that pooled around his legs, embedded with thin laces and crystals that reflected the dazzling sunlight. His long hair had been pulled into a high bun with a flowy ivory veil covering his head, the end of it trailing behind the dress. He held a bouquet of white roses in his hands. His spirit animal, Blackie, was strutting beside him with its chin held high proudly and a white little bowtie around its neck, looking very handsome and adorable at the same time. Even from such a far distance, Lu Yizhou’s sight-sense enabled him to vividly catch the rosy blush on Terra’s cheeks, the glimmer of happiness in his eyes and the small curl on his lips that he couldn’t restrain. He was so beautiful that it stole Lu Yizhou’s breath away.

Doctor Wyatt had to clear his throat loudly so that Lu Yizhou could finally tear his eyes away from Terra. The guide’s giggles rang out softly and Lu Yizhou’s heart soared at the beautiful sound.

By the lakeside, under the clear blue sky, they declared their vows once again. To stay by each other’s side until death— no, not even death could separate them this time.

"I love you," Lu Yizhou whispered as he lifted Terra’s veil and placed a chaste kiss on his lips as if it was their first time all over again. Under their feet, Monroe — with black bowtie — was shedding tears quietly as its feathers were groomed by Blackie.

"I love you." That was also what Lu Yizhou said thirty years later, when they laid on the same bed that overlooked the lake, with birds chirping outside their windows and sunlight casting shadows on Terra’s silhouette.

Their fingers interlaced with the pair of rings catching on light, heads leaning softly against each other. "It’s time, isn’t it?" Terra let out a sigh, wistful but happy nonetheless. The guide’s body had gotten weaker and weaker for the past few weeks, as if he too was preparing for the time when they would leave this world. Last night, he could no longer leave the bed despite Doctor Wyatt’s inability to point out what was wrong with him. "Time flashes by so fast when I am with you."

Lu Yizhou hummed, thumb drawing circles on Terra’s palm. "We still have a lot of time."

"Right," Terra laughed wetly. "This is not the end. Not yet." He took in a deep breath and turned slightly to kiss Lu Yizhou’s cheek. "See you again when I see you, my beloved."

Lu Yizhou turned to face him and at the same time, Terra’s eyelids gradually fluttered shut. Even in his fifties, he still looked as handsome as ever, with laugh wrinkles around his eyes and the soft upturn on the corner of his lips. He let out a content sigh and Lu Yizhou’s heart constricted at how familiar it was, just like how they went to bed every single night with Terra snuggling close to him. But today, their stolen time was up. The tomorrow they waited for would come in a different form and Lu Yizhou would make sure that they would make their way back to each other again.

"See you again... Z."

[System notification: Initiating Host’s withdrawal in three...]

As soon as Lu Yizhou said the sentence, Terra’s weight turned heavy on him and his hand lost its strength. Lu Yizhou swallowed past the lump on his throat and reached out to wipe the tears on the corner of Terra’s eyes. Except before his hand made contact, Terra’s body abruptly shattered into thousand pieces of light like the personification of sunlight itself, floating like thousands of white butterflies around Lu Yizhou, caressing his cheeks like the seed of dandelion that loved playing with the wind. His wedding ring tumbled to the mattress, rolling a few times before it came to a still right in front of Lu Yizhou’s eyes.

[Two...]

Lu Yizhou’s lips parted in shock, his hand still outstretched where he had grabbed onto nothing. "...What?"

[One...]

[The withdrawal has been completed.]

***

Seeing the burst of white light fluttering up from the little cottage to the clear blue sky, Doctor Wyatt quietly let out a sigh from the hill where he was observing in secret. "Finally, this time it’s a happy ending."

Beside him, General Ethan hummed with his arm around the doctor. "As it should be. Both of them have suffered. They deserved to get a second chance and live happily. The question is, will they wake up when the time comes?"

Doctor Wyatt blew on his bangs, exasperated. If he could be honest, he held little hope that they were going to make it. Afterall, they... He shook his head. No matter how small the possibility was, even if it was only 0.01%, he was going to cling onto it until the very end. "Come on, we should follow them too."

General Ethan smiled and offered his hand. "Let’s go."

In the next second, they too shattered into millions of light that surged up into the sky and disappeared, leaving the empty world without its core energy behind

.

.

Mini theater:

It’s a total coincidence that Lu Yizhou found out about what Terra had been drawing in his sketch book. They had just moved into their new house and cardboard boxes were strewn everywhere. It’s a huge mess. Lu Yizhou opened the one nearest to him and found Terra’s sketchbook there.

Terra had no idea his sketchbook was missing until the next day when he woke up and found every single one of his drawing framed on the wall along the hallway.

Lu Yizhou called it his hall of fame.

.

.

Arc 5 — The End

A/N: Gotta give you a little plot twist in the end *giggle* have you seen it coming? Who do you think Doctor Wyatt and General Ethan are?

Next arc, LYZ will become a very humane, beautiful and eerie spirit doll *evil laugh* can’t say I won’t enjoy torturing you with this one