Disclaimer:Dynasty Warriors and its characters are not mine, they belong to Koei. I'm not making any profit from writing this story.

Author: Vovô

Pairing:Gan Ning x Ling Tong.

Genres:Romance, Humor, Drama, Adventure.

Warnings:Yaoi, Lemon.

Beta: Xian Ke (thank you for helping me so much! And I'm so happy for sharing this love for GNxLT with you too!)

Summary: Two loves in a pirate's heart. A restless soul with no home. As the ship sails, he dreams of adventures... As his heart beats, he yearns for love.

A/N: This story is some kind of a sequel to Shaky Ground—my other GNxLT story—but it can be read as a whole new story. It's just that I like to think the story of Shaky Ground ended there, but other times I want to think there's a continuation. So maybe the readers could choose what they want it to be ^^ This first chapter is not so short, because there's smut in it (already!) and smut always makes my chapters longer. I wanted it to have more humor, but it came out with some drama, I'll try to brighten the mood in the other chapters.

Word counting: 4,845.

A Home for a Pirate

Chapter 1

The waters grew cold and the waters grew warm. All sort of colors spread over the land while the moon and the sun danced in the sky. They world had turned for a year when a splash was heard in a place lost in the seas. A silver glow was trembling over the dark blue waters as they opened their way for a figure to emerge.

Gan Ning felt his body shiver slightly as the warmth of the waters slid down his skin, exposing him to the night breeze's touch. He looked around—beyond the languid waves—and saw a distant glow of white sand, below a horizon of sparkling stars. He took a deep breath. The world seemed to be so far away. His memories of the war were slowly fading into a gray abyss. Sometimes they howled and echoed somewhere distant in his soul, but they soon were replaced by daydreams of warm smiles and laughter. His friends... Were they alright? It had been so long since he left them, after the war ended. Peace had finally returned to its place in their world.

So one day he was gone.

Gan Ning took a ship and traveled without destination, throwing himself in the arms of the unknown. He hadn't been alone. His former soldiers accompanied him in the beginning of his journey. They filled his days with jokes and smiles and brawls sometimes. They were all happy together... but they started to disappear slowly over the time... over the ports. And one day, Gan Ning took his ship and left alone.

However, he didn't felt alone. He had his good memories, warm memories of hot breaths and whispering fingers; tall memories with long legs and irritating smirks that turned into kisses. Gan Ning loved them all, the light kisses, the playful kisses, the angry kisses, the hard kisses, the desperate kisses that drew him into a confusion of arms and moans.

Maybe it was time to go back. No, he was sure it was time to go back. Out of the waters and back into the ship, he set sail when the taste of the salt was still on his lips. The beating of his heart served as a compass towards what he wanted, what he needed.

That night, he set a destination for the first time in his journey.

xxx

It was the same place, but it seemed so different. Gan Ning had walked through Wu territory, through sunny fields and roads. They hadn't changed much—at least the places where he stepped in—but they smelled different... And a different song echoed in the air, a breeze of hope and peace caressed his ears.

Where would the blond find him? Would he have to go far? Gan Ning felt he could take anything; he could face anything if it was to find what he was looking for. And what he was looking for...

LingTong.

Where'sLingTong? Was his first thought when he reached the palace yards. Several heads turned in his direction and eyes were surprised with the recognition of a former officer of Wu. His body advanced through halls and corridors in loud strides, as quick as the beating of his heart. His chest constricted in an anxious mixture of joy and pain. He just wanted... so much...

And then he saw a young man dressed in red. As opposite from what Gan Ning expected he would do, he kept himself in place. For a moment, he didn't dare move or breath. Gan Ning fixed his glowing orbs on the image in front of him and a lump of words and feelings remained stuck in his throat. For a moment, he was paralyzed, held in a dream that was real, not being able to do anything but love.

Ling Tong was surrounded by children; he had been teaching them a few fighting moves. The air had been filled with laughter and giggles, but they suddenly stopped when little heads turned to a certain direction. All pair of eyes stared in awe at a blond man a few feet away. Ling Tong's smiling face became serious as he set his eyes on the other warrior. He gaped in surprise when he recognized the face he knew so well, the face he would never forget.

"I think it's time for a break now," he told the children when he regained the ability to speak. The aspiring warriors looked at Ling Tong in a moment of hesitation before dispersing in playful laughter again.

He walked slowly towards the blond, as if he still didn't believe in his eyes. Was Gan Ning really there in front of him? It had been... months, maybe a year since he left. Closer, Ling Tong realized Gan Ning was all there, standing in his golden aura, like a statue made of sun. He was bare chested and no longer wore any armor, but the bells were still there. Ling Tong traced the tattoos with his eyes, tasting the music they once created when those muscles and arms were around him.

"Your hair is longer," he whispered after a pair of fingers lifted a blond lock and let it lay back on Gan Ning's skin.

"You're wearing a scarf," the other man let a small smile appear on his face.

"Don't you like it?" Ling Tong had a playful tone underneath his question.

Gan Ning savored the voice that caressed his ears sweetly and stared at warm brow orbs—they seemed to draw him in. Never had he felt like this. With no one else.

Ling Tong put his hands on his hips. "Yes or no?"

The blond woke up from his reverie and smiled playfully. "Would you stop wearing it if I said no?"

A small frown appeared on Ling Tong's face. He was about to answer when a group of children ran into their conversation, brushing their small bodies against the two men in their game. "Hey, kids, I'm having a serious talk here."

The smallest of the boys eyed Gan Ning and then grabbed a piece of Ling Tong clothes in his small fingers. "He looks mean..."

Ling Tong smirked. "He's a pirate. Pirates are mean."

"Is he trying to hurt you?" the boy asked seriously.

"No... He wouldn't do that. He knows I can beat him any time I want, so..." he assured the boy. "Don't worry, go there and play with the other kids. But you know, tomorrow, I'll see you at training."

The boy smiled and ran in the direction of the other children, but not before sticking his tongue out to the blond.

"Hey!" Gan Ning yelled. "Come back here, you little brat!"

Ling Tong chuckled and put a hand on the blonde's chest, preventing him from chasing the boy. "Let him go, he's just a kid."

"But kids need to know to respect Gan Ning."

"He won't if you start running after him..."

"He's lucky I'm in a good mood."

"Yeah?" Ling Tong let one of his fingers play with a bell on the man's chest.

Gan Ning drank in the beautiful features of the other warrior. "Yeah."

Ling Tong touched the back of the blonde's arm and made him walk with him. "I have something to show you."

Gan Ning followed Ling Tong, walking beside him, remembering the sounds of his steps, smooth, sensuous in synchrony with the sway of his body.

The sun kissed their skin in that late afternoon, as they slowly walked, welcoming each other's presence after the long absence.

"Are you training those kids to fight? I thought the war was over." Gan Ning asked when they entered the palace.

"The war is over, but the kids still need to learn how to fight." Ling Tong looked at the blond. "Not for killing, but to protect their land, to protect the ones they love."

Gan Ning remembered the times of war, how he had seen many die, how many died by his hands. How many families he must have shattered... Had Ling Tong really overcome all the pain he felt for the loss of his father and transformed it into another feeling? A strong will to protect the people?

"I don't know how you can do this." Gan Ning smiled sadly, wondering if, deep inside, Ling Tong still felt the shadows of a silent hatred towards him.

"I need patience! Lots of it. You don't know how those kids are sometimes. I must be the king of patience now..." He stared at Gan Ning with narrowed eyes. "You don't know how it is to wait for a stupid pirate to come back home."

Gan Ning felt his chest clench in a sudden feeling of guilt. Ling Tong had been waiting for him. "But I'm here again, ain't I?"

"Yeah..." Ling Tong looked at Gan Ning, seeing everything that was the same and everything that changed. He could tell he came back different from his journey, but the way he looked into his eyes was the same, that everlasting flame.

"So... What is it you have to show me?"

"Ah..." Ling Tong awakened from his reverie. "I forgot to tell you something. You no longer have a room."

Gan Ning blinked a few times and then stared at Ling Tong in disbelief. "What?"

"Well, you left and... Someone took your room."

"But..." Gan Ning had left all his treasures there. He knew that he might lose them one day, but he didn't think people in Wu would do this to him.

"It's already done..." Ling Tong patted the man's shoulder sympathetically.

"Who's there now?" If Gan Ning found out who...

"I'm there. I asked Sun Quan soon after you left and he couldn't say no to me."

"You..."

"My room now." Ling Tong smiled victoriously as he stopped in front of the door. "Wanna take a look?"

"Yeah..." Gan Ning crossed his arms and entered the place that once was his.

"There are too many things here, you know, from the previous owner. I don't know what to do with them..."

A profusion of colors hit Gan Ning's eyes when the door was opened. He could remember the sound of giggling coins when he saw the wooden chests. And there was the elegant chuckle of the pearl necklaces and the rubies embracing each other. Adorned swords were facing one another in challenge on the wall. Daggers were in a fighting stance, prepared for adventures at an island made of jade, surrounded by a sea made of silk. The colorful fabrics danced in waves over the noble chairs and chubby couches. Maps and scrolls discussed a strategy for a treasure hunt over the table. The warmth of memories filled Gan Ning's chest, making him breathless by the image of the past that hit him. It was all so precious.

Suddenly, a small metallic sound floated around the air. Gan Ning turned towards the window's direction and saw a pair of bells. They moved with the wind and danced around each other before fighting gently, hitting one another, metal against metal, yelling playfully in little jingles. And then they brushed softly against each other and stopped together in a silent understatement.

Gan Ning chuckled softly when he recognized a pair of bells he had given. He looked around his room... Ling Tong's room... Their room... And saw the other man sitting on the edge of the bed. Gan Ning walked towards him and stood between his opened legs. "Here already? Wanting to make up for the lost time?"

Ling Tong looked up and smirked. He pulled Gan Ning forward by the waist and started to loosen sashes, open belts, pulling and pushing until he dropped the unnecessary items of clothing to the floor. Ling Tong pulled the pirate's pants down and made him stand naked in front of him. His eyes stared at the body exposed to him, from the top of the sun kissed stubborn locks—standing proudly on the top of his head—to his toes. The blond pirate was really there. Entirely there. He then embraced his waist and pressed his face to Gan Ning's abdomen, feeling the muscles twitch under the warm skin. Ling Tong traced the lines with his lips and pressed his nose to Gan Ning's burning body. The pirate smelled of sand and water and sweat and love. Ling Tong pressed the legs between his thighs and held him tightly with his arms. They were together and he wanted to cry in joy.

Gan Ning stared down at Ling Tong's face and felt his heart clench in his chest. He didn't know how he had survived without him. Some days he stared at the horizon, saw the seagulls flying over a blue sky, thought it was fine... only to spend the nights drowned in alcohol to make him numb the pain he felt. Why was he a man torn between two loves? The wanderlust and...

"Ling Tong..." he whispered softly, calling the young man's attention. He entwined his fingers in soft brown hair and caressed Ling Tong's nape with the other. Gan Ning pulled his lover's head slightly backwards so he could lean over him and take his mouth in a passionate kiss. Their lips pressed hard against each other in desperate need. The hunger that awakened—instead of being satiated by the devouring kisses—seemed to be growing with every bite, every lick, every time their lips met. It was similar to when they fought; it was hard and emotional because of the depth of the desire that always laid underneath.

Gan Ning pushed Ling Tong over the mattress and crawled over him like a beast that hungered for flesh. Fearing for his clothes' safety, the long-haired warrior started to take them off his body in haste. Gan Ning's hands were impatiently claiming all the skin that was revealed in hard caresses. Ling Tong was having a hard time breathing steadily with all that was happening, he missed all that so much. Gan Ning's mouth explored his body, traveling over his shoulders and chest, going down his torso and still craving for more. The blonde's arms hooked around his thighs as he positioned himself in between them. He took the organ that implored for attention in his mouth and sucked a few times, feeling it harden. Then he licked the length from base to tip, tracing the underside in a wet caress. Ling Tong was squirming in joy under him, panting as the mouth came over him again and sucked hard.

At a moment, Gan Ning sucked the head one last time before moving away. If he wasn't mistaken, there was a vial in the first drawer of the bedside table. And there it was. Where he left it. He looked at Ling Tong, in his glorious nakedness over the mattress and wondered if he had given himself to other men during his absence. On their bed. But that was a question he wasn't in the mood to discuss at that time. At that moment, he only wanted to... be with him once again.

Gan Ning returned to the warmth of Ling Tong's body and put one of his legs over his shoulder for him to gain better access. He let the contents of the vial fall over his opening slowly, making it slide over the skin and some drops land on the sheets. His fingers smeared it over the place and inside. Gan Ning used all the patience that was still left in him to prepare Ling Tong. He spread the substance over his hard member and laid the vial beside him. Gan Ning guided his organ to Ling Tong, until its tip brushed the opening. He pushed forward and hissed at the tightness, retreating to try again.

Ling Tong urged for him to go on, desperate to feel Gan Ning once again. He saw the blond lifting his other thigh, until the back of his legs rested on the blonde's shoulder. Ling Tong felt the large head brush against him once again and took a deep breath before feeling it enter. He closed his eyes and felt the rest of it moving in, painfully, slowly, and he felt tears cloud his eyes.

Gan Ning forced his way in, feeling the tight heat enveloping his hard member. He retreated once more and went back deeply, until he felt Ling Tong's body surrender completely to him. Gan Ning moved out almost completely and grabbed the back of his thighs, slamming back in a hard motion.

Ling Tong cried out in pain and pleasure, feeling Gan Ning thrust in him harder and harder, taking him with desperate need. He felt his entire body shudder in delight with the rough treatment. It was just what he needed, what he was craving for. The back of his thighs were reddened by Gan Ning's fingers and nails squeezing the skin, while the length slid all the way inside him.

"Gan Ning..." Ling Tong warned, he was close. He grabbed his own member in hand and slid his palm over the length, squeezing it and stroking it until he was almost at the edge. Then he stopped and waited for Gan Ning to reach the same point as him. He felt the blonde pushing his thighs forward with his body and thrust in him desperately, hard and fast until he was coming in profuse waves. Ling Tong smiled in satisfaction as he resumed the movements of his hand and set free a pleasure he had been holding, just to feel it with the blonde.

They both panted in blessed exhaustion. Their bodies were a mess of limbs and sweat, smelling like sex and lustful devotion. Their skins were glistening with sated desire and longing.

Gan Ning lay beside Ling Tong and stroked his cheek. He felt a hand come over his blond locks and their lips met in a soft kiss. Gan Ning leaned over Ling Tong and kissed his neck and chest, until he found the place where the heart was beating for him. He slid his cheek over it, feeling the beating under his skin. Gan Ning locked his gaze with Ling Tong's and smiled playfully. "Did you miss me?"

The brunet's heart started to beat faster and Gan Ning felt it. Ling Tong sighed, how could he lie to him? But instead of answering he returned the question. "Did you?"

Gan Ning's expression became serious. "You don't know how much."

"But why haven't you come sooner? Was your journey that good?"

The blond lifted himself to sit on the bed. "You bet. We found a ship and we traveled to all those new places."

"We?" Ling Tong arched one eyebrow.

Gan Ning smirked. "Yeah, we. Why? Did you think I've been alone all this time?"

Ling Tong wanted to lift himself up in a sudden bolt of rage, but the pain in the lower half of his body prevented him to. "You heartless bastard."

A small chuckle escaped Gan Ning's throat. "I told you, you had to come with me." Oh, how he missed that furious expression on Ling Tong's face... He tried to contain his chuckles when he saw a punch coming his way. "Hey, calm down, baby." He grabbed the brunet's wrist.

"Don't tell me to calm down! You come here as if you were finally back and you tell me in my face you've only used me for your entertainment. How do you expect me to be calm?"

"Come here..." Gan Ning held him tightly. "It wasn't what I meant... It was just me and a few of my soldiers back from war."

"It wasn't only one?" Ling Tong furrowed his eyebrow in anger.

Gan Ning laughed. "We just traveled together, we didn't have sex!"

Ling Tong looked at him in disbelief, feeling like a jealous fool. "You... I thought..."

"Oh... that's cute, you love me so much."

"I don't love a filthy pirate."

"Yes, you do."

"I don't."

"But I do."

Ling Tong blinked a few times. "What?" he asked in confusion.

"I'm telling you I love myself." Gan Ning smiled. "I don't know why you shouldn't."

"Love myself?"

"No, love me."

"I'll go crazy if I do."

"You know you're not very sane, don't you?"

"No, I'm not, that's why we're having this crazy talk."

Gan Ning chuckled. "Yeah..." The man leaned back against the pillows and felt the welcoming feeling of being back in a place he knew. In a place that used to be his home. Used to be... Where was his home then? His ship? Or nowhere in the world. Maybe his destiny was to roam around forever, until something made him stop, until he was killed and then... Would he die alone?

"You have a strange look on your face... It almost seems you're thinking..."

"Hm..." Gan Ning felt a finger over his cheek and turned to look at his lover. "Ling Tong... Have you finished whatever you were doing here?"

"What? You want me to leave?" The brunet looked at him in disbelief. "Did you forget it's my room now?"

Gan Ning chuckled. "No... I was talking about those things of honor and duty you were doing for Wu."

"Ah... That... Hm... There's still a lot to do. You know, I've been traveling around the country and I only got back some weeks ago. You were lucky to find me here."

"And when do all these duties end?"

"Hm... I don't know." Ling Tong moved closer. "Why? You're thinking about leaving already?"

"It's just that... I found a deserted island and it looks like no one had ever been there. You know, I found a few of these places during my journeys, but I've never found something so incredible. There's a place so high it makes you feel you're touching the sky. And there's a waterfall that I don't know where it comes from, like it's materializing from nothing and falls down from up there. I thought of calling the place Island of Gan Ning or Xingba's Island, I'm still thinking about it... And I've been thinking... Maybe I need someone there to be my witness."

"Just to be you witness?"

"Yep. I thought you'd be the perfect witness because you're an officer an all and I could have free sex."

"Oh, thank you for making me feel special."

"You're welcome, baby." Gan Ning stared at him expectantly. "So... What do you say?"

"I... I don't know..." Ling Tong frowned in thought. "Can you give me some time to think?"

"Sure. Hm... Five minutes is okay? I just left my ship in the harbor and... I think no one would dare to steal it but... there are a lot of thieves and pirates out there, you know?"

"I can't believe it... You're more concerned about your ship than me."

"No, it's not like that... but... I don't trust those new guys taking care of the docks."

"You know what? Stay with your ship," the brunet hissed.

"Ling Tong!" Gan Ning grabbed the man by his wrists and made him stare at him "I want you to come with me!"

The expression on the brunet's face softened. "Gan Ning... I'm glad you came back for me... But I still have some things left to do... If only you gave me some more time..."

"And what? I come back and you tell me you won't go again. You know what I think? That you're too afraid to come with me. You're too selfish to leave your things, your rank, your place in Wu and leave with a pirate. You're too attached to what you have here to really accept me for what I am... and love me for what I am, and come with me."

"You're right. There are things important for me here... There are things I love here. There are things I have to take care of. And you're a big boy; you can take care of yourself... But don't you think I've never thought of throwing it all away to be with you... just to be with you one more time... Life just made us meet in a strange way and... get together in a strange time. Now it's setting us apart... Don't you think I suffer?"

"Then why don't you come with me? Just for a while... I'm not saying I'm gonna steal you away from the world... I just want to show you the things I see... And maybe..."

Maybe I am the selfish one. Wanting to have all the things I love... I just don't want to lose anything...

"Give me one year... until I finish what I have to."

"I don't want to give you a year. Because I know that this year will become two and then three. I know you will serve Wu with all you have to give, and you'll become an important man in the kingdom and then all those things you have to do won't stop coming... And if I don't drag you out of here, maybe... maybe I'll lose you for good one day. You'll marry and have kids, and you'll no longer have space for a pirate in your life."

"Gan Ning..." Ling Tong was afraid to face the other man, because deep down he feared he was telling the truth.

Suddenly, the blond got up from the bed and dressed hastily. "Maybe... Maybe I already lost you." He looked around the room that once was his. All those treasures... Once they belonged to him, but in his past. In his present, what he had for sure was his memories. Maybe the man on the bed was a memory too. A soon to be memory that would haunt his dreams forever. "Ling Tong... it was good to see you." He smiled sadly and left the room without looking behind.

His steps resounded over the empty corridors of the palace as he rushed through them. The night soon engulfed him when he stepped outside. It had grown cold and Gan Ning felt the air even colder against his bare chest... Because inside, he held a saddened heart.

Gan Ning didn't even know how he had reached the docks, but the fact was that he did, faster than he expected. He got on board the ship and prepared to set sail... to where, he didn't know. Maybe he would lose himself forever in the seas, be like those madmen who traveled until they could no longer breathe, until the waters engulfed their bodies, until their souls were eaten by the time.

The wind was blowing angrily against the sails; it would surely carry him fast out of there. The waves started to crash against the sides of the ship with more force. The weather was changing furiously. It didn't take long for him to hear the clouds thundering over the sky and see a distant light crack over the horizon. Some more whips of electricity hit the dark night before raindrops started to fall mercilessness.

The weather was terrible, but Gan Ning didn't want to give up on his intent. He pulled the anchor inside and felt the ship moving. It was then he saw a soaked thing running towards the docks. Gan Ning blinked in surprise when he saw a trembling figure filling his vision with color. Ling Tong was pale and soaking wet and was the most beautiful thing Gan Ning had ever set eyes on. The man rushed towards the ship and jumped in a desperate attempt to reach it.

Gan Ning saw Ling Tong's body scrape against the side of the ship and then fall to the freezing water. He held his breath when he saw the warrior disappearing under the dark waves.

Ling Tong felt a piercing coldness envelope his body and fought not to be sucked to the bottom of the river. He tried to swim towards the light, but he saw none around him. Then he just let his instinct guide him upwards, until he was facing a different type of cold. He felt the chilling wind hit his skin and he shivered all over. It was so hard to breath and he felt his strength leave his body. He tried to concentrate and summon all his will to be able to shout. His mouth opened in the form of the name he had called so many times, but he felt his voice muffled by the harsh wind. The ship moved far away from him and it was all he remembered before the darkness took control of his senses.

xxx

A small chuckle filled the dim lit room.

Ling Tong opened his eyes and found a pair of golden orbs making fun of him.

"You should be grateful, I saved your ass out there."

The brunet cursed under his breath. Just when he got the chance to get rid of the damn pirate, he had intertwined his path with his once again.

Fate was an ironic thing...

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tbc...

A/N: I hope you like this first chapter and I'm excited to start the next one. Thank you for reading and thanks to the ones who encouraged me to write more GNxLT, I love this pairing so much and it makes me happy to see there are people who like it too! Thanks to all the ones who have read Shaky Ground and thank you, XianKe, for being the beta for this story, it made me feel less worried to know you liked it!

So I'll be writing the next chapter of this fic and finishing another DW story, a Zhao YunxCao Pi (for those who are interested). If you want to know how my stories are progressing, here's my twitter: vovo_ficwriter.

See ya!