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The heat within him should be overwhelming… but instead, he is freezing. His whole world is tumbling in slow motion as he holds Wei Ying. He desperately tries to muster some strength that could bring Bichen to them, so that they could have a chance. At the very least, maybe Wei Ying could be taken to safety.
But it was no use.
They were falling. Lan Zhan could do nothing but sob into Wei Ying’s hair thrashing about in the wind. The ground is getting closer with its jagged stones and promise of death. The cries of the people atop the cliff shouting with disbelief echo in horror.
“W-Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan’s voice is broken, straining to shout over the wind.
Wei Ying doesn’t speak. He is completely passed out in Lan Zhan’s arms, blood trickling down the side of his face and onto his throat.
Why did I jump after him? I could have… I could have…
He holds Wei Ying as close to him as possible.
I don’t want to lose anyone else…
He thinks of Wei Ying’s expression as his corpse army turned on him only moments before. He had submitted himself to his fate completely. He accepted his own loss… but Lan Zhan could not.
Especially not you…
The wounds covering Wei Ying as the army tore at him were too much to bear. Lan Zhan panicked and ran into the crowd.
Anyone but you.
Wei Ying, bloody and faint, had pushed Lan Zhan away and stumbled towards a cliff. “Leave me! I don’t wish for anything to happen to you! This… this was my choice.”
Lan Zhan sprinted and jumped after him, grabbing his arm. Wei Ying merely smiled, his expression broken. The corpse army and warriors here to fight him were close behind. He went to sit and wait for the others to finish him off, but the ground beneath him gave out.
Lan Zhan leaped forward to grab him just as the cliff’s edge broke away.
So many memories flood through Lan Zhan’s mind as they fall. He is too weak to do anything now. They were out of time.
Wei Ying’s eyes flicker open just before they hit the ground. His voice is hoarse, but he smiles. He seems almost relieved. “It’s over, isn’t it?”
They go together, but not in an instant. They lay in a heap for a brief moment at the bottom of the cliff. They listen to each other’s heartbeats as they go, a steady rhythm falling into eternal silence.
『••✧••』
~ MODERN DAY ~
Tick. Tick. Tick.
“Ah, Wangji. You sound even better than the last time I was here. How is that possible?” Lan Xichen smiles at his younger brother practicing the violin on the other side of the large sunroom. He sets down a cup of coffee on the mahogany side table and goes to leave.
“Practice.” Lan Zhan doesn’t look up from his sheet music. He moves the bow with elegance and calculated purpose, filling the room with a complex sonata.
“I’m sure of that.” Lan Xichen smiles. “Warmer weather is on the way. I’ll have the ladies switch your wardrobe to something more appropriate.”
“I’ll do it myself.”
Lan Xichen nods. “I’ll be away on my business trip to Rotterdam for a few weeks. Try not to get too distracted by the company arriving soon.” He winks, chuckling at how Lan Zhan tries to hide his blush by turning away. “See you later.”
Lan Zhan doesn’t watch him leave. Before stopping, he waits until the sound of loafers clicking on the quartz tile fades down the hallway. He wipes the sweat off his brow and sets down his violin. He walks to the table and takes a sip of the coffee. He grimaces. “Too sweet…”
He sets it down and stretches, looking out the window. The large round sunroom is dimly lit by a few small banker’s lamps. The night outside is quiet, save for the familiar sound of the cicadas welcoming the onset of summer.
Spring had been cooler than usual, so the guest that Lan Xichen had mentioned hadn’t come around yet. Lan Zhan takes his phone out of his pocket and checks his calendar. “Tomorrow at eight.” He turns off all the lamps and returns his white violin to its carrying case. He sighs, undoing his bun and letting his hair loose. “Or so he says…”
『••✧••』
It’s half past nine in the morning when he finally arrives.
“Sorry, I’m late! I got a flat tire on my way here and had to fix it.”
Lan Zhan turns to look, remaining seated on a blue deck chair. “Mn.” He adjusts the collar of his linen button-down and returns his gaze to the Architectural Digest magazine in his hands. “It takes that long to change a bike tire, Wei Ying?”
Wei Ying laughs and skips over to Lan Zhan. He leans to look underneath the large umbrella Lan Zhan sits under. “You haven’t seen me in months and the first thing you do is mock me?” He giggles playfully and pulls the magazine out of Lan Zhan’s hands. He wiggles his eyebrows. “Is this really more interesting than me?”
Lan Zhan snatches back the magazine and lowers his large sunglasses over his face. “Ridiculous. I saw you the other day in town.”
“Ha! I waved at you and you ignored me!” Wei Ying scoffs, feigning annoyance.
“But that still means that I saw you. It hasn’t been months.” Lan Zhan flips a page, ignoring the fact that he’s not reading the article now.
Wei Ying shrugs and sighs. “I guess you’re right as always, Lan Zhan.” He walks back to his bike. “I’ll just get started then!”
“All right.” Lan Zhan glances over as Wei Ying bends over to reach into the small trailer attached to his bike.
The white shorts he wears tightly hugs his behind and thighs, leaving nothing to the imagination. He wears a red tank top; his toned arms are on full display. Lan Zhan clears his throat when Wei Ying notices him staring.
Wei Ying smirks but doesn’t say anything. He gets out the cleaning supplies. He makes his way to the pool and removes the cover. He checks the filter and pump. Lan Zhan watches him as he works diligently, making even the most boring of tasks in cleaning the pool look effortless and enjoyable.
Lan Zhan stays on the pool deck all day, reapplying sunscreen every hour and having copious amounts of ginger lemonade brought to him by the manor’s maids.
The sun is nearly starting to set and Wei Ying is finishing up his work. He takes off his baseball cap and wipes at the sweat on his brow. He scratches his neck and the freshly shaved undercut beneath his ponytail.
He checks the pool water test strip one last time and smiles, satisfied. He cleans up all of his supplies and returns them either to the pool house or his bike trailer. Stretching, he strolls up to Lan Zhan.
“Hey, I just finished up. It all looks great, so it’s ready to-” He quickly clasps his hands over his mouth. Lan Zhan is asleep. Wei Ying giggles and backs up towards the pool. “One… two… three!” He turns and runs, ripping off his tank top and flinging his baseball cap off of his head. He leaps into the air and cannonballs into the water.
Pool water splashes up in a huge wave into the air and all over Lan Zhan, completely drenching him in an instant. “Wha-?!” He stands, vision blurred by the water and soaked hair in his eyes.
Laughter erupts from the water as Wei Ying comes up for air. He cackles with delight and splashes Lan Zhan more. “Aha! Lan Zhan, join me! Join me!” He dives back underneath the water.
Lan Zhan stands, stunned. He wants to be angry. The air is starting to get cold and he is soaked from head to toe. He doesn’t like to be humiliated and especially does not care for being woken up.
But he can’t bring himself to be mad for long. He sighs. There’s no use in removing his shirt or shorts since they’re already drenched. He walks to the pool’s edge and lowers himself in.
The automated pool lights come on and he squints to see Wei Ying at the other end of the pool. He waves and does a spin. “Lan Zhan! Let’s see how fast we can each swim to the other side. Ready, go!” He starts freestyle swimming toward Lan Zhan.
Lan Zhan sighs, breaking into a perfectly formed butterfly stroke down the length of the pool. They pass each other in the middle and Wei Ying spares a smirk in Lan Zhan’s direction.
Lan Zhan beats Wei Ying by three seconds. Wei Ying pouts and makes his way back over.
They meet in the center of the pool. “Ah, man… I’m never gonna beat you.” He flicks Lan Zhan’s shoulder. He treads easily next to Lan Zhan. “It’s not fair that you have a pool to practice in.”
“The last time I went in the pool was right at the beginning of winter. It’s been a while for me.”
“Geez, I get it. You’re just naturally perfect in every way.” Wei Ying floats on his back.
“That’s… not what I meant, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan hadn’t meant that in a bragging way.
“I know, I know.” Wei Ying waves his hand in the air, gazing at the stars appearing in the night sky above.
A silence falls between them. Lan Zhan joins Wei Ying and also decides to float on his back. It’s calm and not windy. The air is cold, but the heated water of the pool is enough for the temperature to be comfortable.
Wei Ying breaks the silence. “Do you ever think it’s odd?”
“Hm?”
Wei Ying closes his eyes. “I’ve been your neighbor all my life and your pool boy for nearly ten years… but we barely know each other.”
Lan Zhan thinks about it for a moment. “We only speak when you’re here cleaning. I’m usually busy and not here for the entire day like I was today. It’s not as if we chat the entire time, either. You’re here to do a job. I don’t think that’s odd.”
“No… not that part.” Wei Ying stops floating on his back. He goes back to treading water and tilts his head as he looks at Lan Zhan. “I know all that. But… you’re clearly interested in me.”
Lan Zhan’s face and ears turn beet red. He loses his balance and dips below the water. He comes back up to the surface, coughing up the water he accidentally swallowed. “What?”
Wei Ying smirks. “You’re not as hard to read as people say you are. I’ve known you for too long to believe that.”
Lan Zhan is stunned and at a loss for words. He swims backward a bit towards the shallower water.
Wei Ying follows. “But that’s also not the thing that’s odd.”
Lan Zhan quirks an eyebrow. His feet meet the bottom of the pool, so he stands as Wei Ying slowly inches closer. His ears and cheeks still burn hot. “What is, then?”
“You know how I said that I don’t really know you?” Wei Ying stands now, too. His eyes look directly ahead at Lan Zhan. His voice doesn’t waver. “I lied… it’s like I always have.”
“It’s like you said...” Lan Zhan clears his throat, having difficulty maintaining serious eye contact right now. He wishes he wasn’t so flustered when it came to Wei Ying. “You’ve always been my neighbor. We’ve seen each other grow up in passing. Then, you started working here during the warmer months ten years ago. You have learned things about me-”
“-No! That’s not what I mean either.” Wei Ying jumps forward, gripping Lan Zhan’s drenched linen shirt. “I… it’s something else.”
Lan Zhan is worried. Wei Ying’s face is twisted with pain. He’s clearly struggling with his words, but Lan Zhan is unsure of how to help him.
Wei Ying groans, still holding Lan Zhan’s shirt. He twists his fingers into tighter fists. “It’s like… we’re drawn to each other somehow.”
“Like… fate?” Lan Zhan is trying to piece together Wei Ying’s thoughts.
Wei Ying shakes his head. “Not… exactly. At least, I don’t think that’s the right word. I’ve just… been having these strange dreams all of a sudden.” He breaks away from Lan Zhan and goes to step out of the pool. “Nevermind. Just forget I said anything. I’m not making any sense.”
Lan Zhan wishes he knew what words to say in a moment like this. The reason he never speaks to Wei Ying about anything other than surface-level topics is because he has never been confident in social situations.
He can perform his violin in front of hundreds of people, join his brother on his business trips on behalf of their family’s trading corporation, and make his elders proud of his accomplishments… but he is unable to form a meaningful connection with anyone outside of those obligations.
Especially to Wei Ying, who always makes him flustered. He can’t seem to put his finger on when it started, either.
It’s just always been this way.
Wei Ying is out of the pool. He goes to one of the deck chairs and pulls off a towel folded on it. He dries himself and drapes the towel over his neck. He picks up his hat and tank top off the ground.
All Lan Zhan can do is wade in the water and watch as Wei Ying packs up his supplies. He gets onto his bike and turns. He’s forcing a smile. “I’ll see you next week, Lan Zhan.” He pedals away, leaving Lan Zhan alone under the night sky.
He gets out and sits on the edge of the pool, kicking his feet back and forth underneath the water. What had Wei Ying meant by them being drawn to each other? Did that mean Wei Ying liked him, too?
“It can’t be that simple,” Lan Zhan says aloud to himself. Wei Ying had looked really upset.
Lan Zhan stands and makes his way back to the manor. He walks through the halls still drenched, not bothering with a towel. He waves off a towel offered by one of the maids and hides in his room to think.
He runs himself a bath. He tries to lose himself in the scents of camphor, sandalwood, and vanilla he infused with the water. They usually bring comfort, drifting over him in seamless waves of reassurance.
But tonight, they seem to do the opposite. An uneasy feeling in his stomach begins to twist. He groans, biting at his fist as a burning pain in his head starts to grow. It’s overwhelming and the pain comes flooding in all at once.
His splitting headache pounds and expands, seemingly filling his entire body with overwhelming pressure.
He feels like he might scream. It’s so intense and he can’t move from his spot.
Suddenly, the pain stops. He catches his breath for only a moment before another feeling comes over him. This time, it’s a gentle bloom. He pants, exhausted and confused. He feels his eyelids begin to droop. He fights for them to stay open, but fails.
『••✧••』
Lan Zhan opens his eyes to a blue mist drifting through the air. It’s near impossible to make out any definitive shapes. He waves his hands in an attempt to cut through the haze, but he fails. He walks in a daze.
He feels smooth rocks and soft grass underneath his bare feet. The air is cool against his naked body. This all seems familiar, somehow. He doesn’t question how his body seems to move on its own as if knowing where he is supposed to go.
He stops when he feels freezing water against his toes. He pulls them away just as the mist begins to dissipate. His brain fog mirrors it, disappearing all at once.
He’s standing next to an array of serene springs tucked away in a mountainside. Trees stand tall across every inch of the area and arched bridges flow elegantly with the landscape.
He knows he’s never been here before, but then why does it feel so familiar?
His thoughts get interrupted by the airy sound of a wind flute being played in the distance. The delicate melody bounces off of the trees. It shapes itself delicately into a low humming sound coming from behind him. Lan Zhan turns but sees that no one is there.
He feels more confused by the second. As if to comfort him, a voice behind a tree calls out to him.
“What will it feel like? To have survived?”
Lan Zhan squints, searching for the owner of the voice. “Who are you?”
The voice ignores him. It speaks in low, hollow tones. “And to keep on living… surviving… existing together? Hand in hand?”
Lan Zhan steps into the cold water. It spreads an intense chill up his legs and into the rest of his body. He wades towards the tree where the voice is coming from. He tries to make out the silhouette of the person hidden behind it. “What do you mean?”
“Maybe when I’m finally done with the dreaded endings… I can finally begin again somewhere else.”
Lan Zhan bites at his lip, willing the cold to stop distracting him. He grabs some rocks at the edge of the spring to pull himself out. “Who are you? What do you need?”
“I need you to not let go.”
“Let go of what?” Lan Zhan cuts the palm of his hand on one of the rocks as he gets out. He ignores the sharp pain and walks up the slanted bank to the tree.
“Stop.”
Lan Zhan obeys, concerned with how the voice is now much clearer and colder.
“You must promise me something.”
Lan Zhan answers instantly, as if his mind already has an idea of what is happening. “Anything.”
“Set me free. And promise me that it won’t end like this next time.”
“I don’t understand. Why? How?” Lan Zhan lunges forward, gripping the tree and finally leaning forward to get a look at the person. No one is there. He glances around.
“It’s not for me to tell you.” The voice calls out once more from down within the spring this time. It lingers in the air unlike any voice Lan Zhan has heard before. It’s almost as if it alone is the master of the space around them. The mist begins to creep back in, slowly closing off the area and making it difficult to see again.
“Wait!” Lan Zhan’s body is frozen, helpless to do anything about not being able to see who or what is speaking to him.
Suddenly, a soft hand reaches out to caress Lan Zhan’s cheek. The touch is warm, a stark contrast to the chill that seeps into his skin. The voice whispers directly into his ear. “Wake up and smile at me again.”
No words are able to leave Lan Zhan’s throat. He stands, frozen in the blurry and freezing mist. He gets a brief flash of a pair of light gray eyes staring at him until he slowly fades from consciousness and falls to the ground.
『••✧••』
“Sir! Are you alright in there?” An insistent knocking at the bathroom door wakes Lan Zhan up. He is laying in the bath still, his feet and hands all extremely pruney. The early morning sun filters through the bathroom windows.
His brain is foggy and he’s confused. He’s never fallen asleep in the bath before. He steps out and stretches. His body is still sore from being cramped in a bathtub all night.
“I’m fine. There’s no need to worry.”
The maid clears her throat. “Sorry about that sir. It was just that you didn’t come down for your usual breakfast, so-”
“There’s no need to apologize. I’ll be down in a few moments.”
“Understood, sir.” The maid starts to walk away.
Lan Zhan adjusts a towel around his waist and makes his way to the door. He opens it up. “Actually, wait. Please bring my breakfast to the sunroom. I’ll have it while I practice.”
The maid turns to nod at him, but quickly turns away when she sees that he’s only wearing a towel. “Right away.” She hurries away.
Lan Zhan stands in his bedroom. He cannot remember what happened in his dream. All he knows is that it felt more real than any dream or nightmare he has ever experienced.
There’s a gnawing feeling in his heart. He clutches his chest. “What happened to me…”
“I’ve just… been having these strange dreams all of a sudden.”
Wei Ying’s words from yesterday come to mind. Was he also experiencing the same things?
He shakes his head. It was ridiculous to even think that. After all, they were just dreams. He makes his way to his closet to get dressed. He pulls at the doorknob but flinches when his hand starts to sting. He looks down at it.
A cut on the palm of his hand bleeds and drips slowly down his wrist. He takes the towel off from around his waist and presses it against the wound. He’s not sure how he hurt himself.
He’s used to having cuts and bruises on his fingertips from long practice sessions with his violin, but never large gashes on his palms. He was always careful to look after his hands so that he would be able to practice for longer and play to the best of his ability at all times.
He has a feeling that this must be connected to his dream. First, he falls asleep in his bathtub. That’s the first unusual thing. The second is his injury. And the third is probably the most unusual of all.
Wei Ying.
『••✧••』
They had had lots of conversations over the years, but never anything as serious or worrying as the one from last night in the pool. The look on Wei Ying’s face still worries Lan Zhan. Usually, he’s playful and mischievous. He’s never looked that unsure of himself before.
Lan Zhan ignores the breakfast on the table next to him. He plays his violin and allows the melody to write itself. He has to make sense of it all before he sees Wei Ying next week.
His crush on Wei Ying grew throughout the years. He hadn’t even realized that it had been happening until a few years ago. Lan Zhan was playing La Capricieuse Op. 17 in the garden for his brother, grandfather, and some extended family.
Wei Ying had snuck into the garden party and was milling about by the snack tables.
Lan Zhan hadn’t noticed him at first. He was too distracted by how he was playing. He was disappointed with his performance today. Something was missing.
His mentor always lectured him harshly when he played more romantic pieces. She always told him that he needed to truly feel the emotion that the song aims to express and to make the bow an extension of that feeling.
Lan Zhan kept playing, desperately trying to get a clear picture in his head of what love meant to him. He was drawing a blank. He felt the eyes of the party guests on him as his melodies completely fell apart.
The sweat was dripping down his face. He had never let down a group of people with his playing before. His brother and grandfather were watching him in shock.
Just before he was going to completely give up and stop playing for the afternoon, his eyes had fallen upon Wei Ying stuffing his face with lotus leaf wraps. It wasn’t the most elegant of images, but for some reason, Lan Zhan’s heart swelled.
He had never felt such an emotional pull toward his music until that moment. Their eyes met and he finished the song not only with technical perfection but in a way that captured the hearts of everyone in the garden It had blown them all away.
Wei Ying had even stood there and watched in awe, ignoring the grains of rice stuck to his face.
Now, as Lan Zhan practices in the sunroom many years later he always seems to picture that moment whenever he feels lost with a piece of music.
He has never told Wei Ying this before. It was something he never felt that he was going to admit… until last night.
Wei Ying knows how Lan Zhan feels about him. Lan Zhan is more at ease with that than he thought he would be. It was nice that it was unspoken. With the way Wei Ying had been acting, it doesn’t seem strange to assume that he also feels the same.
The problem isn’t where they go from here, it’s the nature of their connection.
Next week he would be seeing Wei Ying again. There’s only one way he can think of to sort out his confusion and be able to think clearly until then.
Practice.
『••✧••』
Every morning from then on Lan Zhan wakes up confused. He desperately tries to remember the dream from the nights before as he goes about his day, but nothing ever remains.
It’s finally the day. Wei Ying will be coming over in an hour, assuming he’s not late again, and Lan Zhan has decided that he will be the one to bring it up. He doesn’t want Wei Ying to feel pressured or scared to the point where he leaves again.
He just has to figure out where to start.
『••✧••』
The sound of Wei Ying’s bike bell chimes pleasantly as he rounds the corner. He smiles and waves to Lan Zhan, but there are uncharacteristically large dark circles under his eyes.
“Morning, Lan Zhan.” He parks his bike and goes about his routine. Lan Zhan sits awkwardly on the deck chair. He told himself he would make the first move today, but he’s still nervous.
How can he bring this up in a way that won’t sound awkward? He doesn’t want to freak Wei Ying out. He can’t just tell him that he’s also been having strange dreams because it’s not as if he remembers anything from them.
He rubs his thumb over his healing palm. He’ll bring it up later once Wei Ying has finished cleaning the pool. He doesn’t want to distract him.
Lan Zhan pretends to nap as Wei Ying cleans. Toward the end of his routine, Wei Ying climbs up onto the high dive to scrub it.
It’s usually one of the last things he does, so Lan Zhan makes his way over to him. He calls up to him. “Wei Ying?”
Wei Ying continues to scrub. “Yeah? What’s up?”
It’s a little awkward between them now. Lan Zhan takes a deep breath. He can’t let that stop him. He clears his throat. “I was just wondering if you wanted to talk about last time. There are some things that I need to tell you.”
Wei Ying laughs nervously. “Oh… well if it’s about how weird I was acting just forget all of that. It really was nothing.”
“It’s not nothing. It’s important.” Lan Zhan starts to climb up the ladder. It’s hard to strain his voice this much. It is a high dive after all.
Wei Ying peers down at him. “Hey!” He waves his hands. “It’s really fine. I don’t know what I was on about.”
Lan Zhan continues to climb up. He reaches the top, holding onto the bars and remaining on the ladder. “You being all worried and worked up is not fine. It may not be my place, but…” He reaches his hand out to Wei Ying. “I care, as you know apparently.” He feels the tips of his ears growing hot.
Wei Ying doesn’t make eye contact, returning to scrub furiously at the already pristine high dive. “No. It’s not my place. I know I act all confident and everything, but I got ahead of myself. I was just babbling.”
“So, you’re not still having dreams?”
Wei Ying freezes.
Lan Zhan steps lightly onto the high dive and crouches down. “Because I’ve been having them, too. It’s just… I can’t remember what happens.”
Wei Ying drops his brush and sponge. He looks at Lan Zhan. “You can’t remember them either? So, how do you…” Tears start forming in his eyes. “How do you know they’re the same as mine?”
Lan Zhan shakes his head. “I don’t, but you said you felt like we’re drawn to each other somehow. Right?”
Wei Ying nods.
Lan Zhan pats his chest, inching his way forward toward Wei Ying. “I do, too. And it’s not just the crush I have on you.” He nervously takes a deep breath. “You know it’s a bit rude to beat someone to the punch like that?”
A tear falls down Wei Ying’s cheek. “Sorry.” He adjusts himself so he’s turned towards Lan Zhan. “I didn’t mean to, it just came out-”
“-Don’t be sorry. I’m not sure if I would have ever told you anyways.”
“Well, I’m glad I was right.” Wei Ying sniffles.
Lan Zhan holds out his hand one more time. “I’ve been practicing a lot more than usual lately. I’ve even been composing. If you want, we could go inside and you could have a listen.” He tries to push away his nerves. “Then we could discuss this more after having something to eat.”
Wei Ying nods. “Okay, but Lan Zhan?”
“Mn.”
“I’m just a pool boy.”
Lan Zhan just stares at him for a moment. A bright feeling bubbles up from inside him and suddenly he’s alight with laughter.
Wei Ying watches him with wide eyes. “Lan Zhan?”
Lan Zhan can’t help it. He’d been overwhelming himself with his dreams all week and building up this conversation this entire time only for Wei Ying to go and say something as trivial as that.
He had fallen hard for him. How dare he make him feel this way so easily. He finally manages to get ahold of himself. “Sorry…” He composes himself and smiles softly. “Want to come inside now, my pool boy?”
Wei Ying’s shock at Lan Zhan’s laughter fades ad he goes to stand up. “Yeah, I think-” Suddenly, he loses his balance on the high dive and slips. His knees buckle and he falls backward.
Panic overtakes Lan Zhan’s body. He’s never moved so fast in his life. “Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan reaches and grabs onto him just as he teeters over the edge.
They plummet down to the water together, with Lan Zhan wrapping himself around Wei Ying as tightly as he can.
They hit the water together with a deafening smack.
They remain below the surface and Lan Zhan holds Wei Ying in his arms. He pauses to overcome the shock of the impact, trying to ignore his already aching joints.
All at once, a wave of loud noises and the crying calls of people echo in his head. His eyes shoot open and he sees Wei Ying looking at him with the same shocked expression. They float underwater and gaze at each other as it all comes flooding back.
Wei Ying being attacked by his corpse army. Lan Zhan’s last attempts to save him. The helplessness as they plunged into the darkness together.
I don’t want to lose anyone else…
Especially not you…
Anyone but you.
There’s no air left in their lungs. They make a break for the surface together, gasping for air. They swim together in a mess of tangled limbs to the shallow end.
Wei Ying’s body is racked with sobs as he grabs onto and pulls Lan Zhan as close to him as he possibly can. He buries his face in Lan Zhan’s chest. “It’s not over, isn’t it?”
He remembers. He remembers all of it.
“My Wei Ying…” Lan Zhan cannot believe it. They hadn’t been dreams at all. They were memories. He was finally awake for the first time in so many years.
He drinks every inch of Wei Ying in that he can. He runs his fingers through his hair, feels up his long torso, and titles his head up to look at him.
Wei Ying gazes at him through teary eyes. He sniffles. “Lan Zhan… Lan Zhan…”
Lan Zhan pulls him in for a kiss, savoring the taste for the very first time. He had waited two lifetimes for this, without even knowing it. His entire being craves the way Wei Ying gives in completely. Wei Ying belongs in his arms just as much as Lan Zhan exists to hold him.
Lan Zhan pulls away just an inch away from Wei Ying’s face, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Don’t run through my dreams like that anymore. I want to be well-rested in order to care for you during the day.” He plants a kiss on Wei Ying’s forehead.
Wei Ying laughs softly. He brushes Lan Zhan’s wet side bangs out of his face. “This entire time… I’ve been trying to remember you. You were right here. I’ve…” He kisses Lan Zhan again. “I’ve been with you in two lifetimes, but know I know you. Turns out all I needed was for you to come back to me.”
Lan Zhan nods. “Like I promised?”
“Like you promised.”
Lan Zhan ignores the way his body aches as he lifts Wei Ying out of the water. He sets him down on the deck chair and looks over his body. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
Wei Ying shakes his head, pulling Lan Zhan down onto the chair with him. Lan Zhan winces a bit.
“Ah, sorry!”
Lan Zhan slumps, rubbing at his shoulder. “I deserve more for not being able to save you the first time.”
Wei Ying sits up and grabs Lan Zhan’s hand and holds it gently. He plants soft kisses on it and all along Lan Zhan’s arm. “But you did. We’re here.”
Lan Zhan nods. “You’re right.”
Wei Ying kisses his forehead once more and cradles Lan Zhan’s face delicately in his hands. “Now, smile for me again, my Lan Zhan.”
Lan Zhan grins and for the rest of his life by Wei Ying’s side, he never stops.
『••✧••』