To Hell With Brothers for Life
Oh no, this can't be happening.
After over a hundred years of silent accompaniment and dozens of years of cringe-worthy pointless pining, Zhexi thought she could finally live out the rest of her immortal life in some much-needed peace and quiet. Hopefully away from that uselessly heroic, attractive, and loyal, and NOT HERS, bastard of a Commander. Enough, at least, for her to let the time wash away all the feelings she'd developed for him through the ups and downs they'd encountered together over the years.
After all, the millennia-long war between the Moon and Sun factions was finally well and over now. The new Saintess and Mediator of the Immortal Realms have just announced the upcoming grand wedding between her and the Moon Emperor. And Zhexi's commanding officer has consequently just renounced his post to go travel the Realms. Never mind that his brother, the Sun Emperor, would much rather he come back to assist him in the peace works as the Crown Prince, now that he isn't stuck to the frontlines anymore.
Either way, after everything, Zhexi has just agreed to take up his post as Commanding General of the Sun Factions' Army. Or what's left of it anyway, what with all the remaining paperwork and the logistics of personnel displacement in the sudden absence of their eternal year-long war. Goddess knows there's no better person suited for the job, now that he's decided to just up and leave, after the centuries' worth of years she's worked by his side as his aide/secretary/soldier/comrade and (in his words) so-called 'brothers-in-arms' in the army.
Zhexi thought she could finally have the much-awaited retirement she'd wanted, putting the distance she needed between them, ever since she'd sprouted those ridiculous feelings for him. Feelings that were as unrequited for him as his own were for the damned Saintess.
She even went as far as to search for him in The Realms in the midst of her busy preparations just so she could get that closure she'd so hopelessly needed from him.
Thankfully, it seems he believed they were parting on good terms when she left, and as he put it so succinctly, she would forever be one of his 'lifelong good brothers' even if they decide to momentarily part ways here.
That and he'd completely forgotten about her previously embarrassing near-confession. Probably thought it was nothing more than a momentary lapse of judgment due to too much alcohol and some loose-tongued sentimentality following the end of the war.
Just remembering that awkward, stilted conversation and the embarrassing mention of the anecdotes of their last mission down in the Mortal Planes was enough to give her the cringes of a lifetime. An immortal's lifetime.
Of all the things she could have dredged up to convince him of their completely platonic brotherly feelings for each other, THAT was the one thing her clumsy brain managed to come up with in the spur of the moment? Really??
Oh, they sure were platonic. Their mortal reincarnation's counterparts were so straightlaced in their relationship that they didn't think anything of complimenting each other's nude figures in the training room showers.
Oh my dear Goddess, why do straight guys act so goddamn flirtatious in their interactions with each other?? And why on earth was she reincarnated into a mortal MALE's body in that mission!?!
She couldn't look him in the eye for months without blushing a crimson red after they finally transferred back to the Immortal Realms and had their memories restored.
And now her big mouth just had to bring that up again.
Cheers to confusing bromance.
Just when she thought she could put all of that behind her...
BAM
She finds herself suddenly reincarnated nearly two hundred years back, into her own younger immortal self, who's just about to enlist in the army and meet him again.
OH, HELL NO!
Wish her luck cause she's gonna need a lot of it if she's to brave through this emotional roller-coaster of a journey again with him.