Work Text:
In Zhengting’s dream, he’s biking home from somewhere with his parents and his sister. They stop at an intersection because his sister wants to see something, and his parents wave at him to let him know that it’s ok for him to go home first. So that’s what he does.
In his dream, he bikes past his middle school, the creamy white and dull green buildings blurring together on the edge of his peripheral vision like a cartoon. He makes a wrong turn somewhere, but he turns again and he’s back on the right route again.
He bikes past the city library and art center and on his left is the park’s tennis courts. He’s never went home that way before, but in his dream he turns onto the road next to the tennis courts and slows down.
He’s biking slowly on the sidewalk now, the tennis courts to his right and on higher ground than the sidewalk, a ramp of mulch in between. A call of his name makes him stop and turn his head. He looks back and sees Zeren, a classmate who used to be his close friend but now doesn’t talk to, waving at him, and he’s slightly shocked as he waves back.
Zeren is dressed in his track uniform as he walks out and down from the court to greet Zhengting, along with some other kids Zhengting doesn’t recognize.
“You should stay and watch,” Zeren’s saying, and Zhengting’s brain helpfully supplies that this is probably some sort of tennis camp.
“It’s fun.” Zhengting wants to ask why but he finds himself already nodding and getting off his bike.
Zeren disappeared as Zhengting started to walk his bike to the parking rack, but when Zhengting’s pushing his bike through the mulch he sees the face of Fan Chengcheng.
Zhengting doesn’t know Chengcheng very well, they’ve only been in a couple of classes together, and never partners for anything. The only things he knows about Chengcheng is his resting bitch face and the fact that Zhengting’s best friend, Justin, has a crush on him.
Zhengting doesn’t realize he’s been staring at Chengcheng until the other nods at him in greeting, to which Zhengting replies hurriedly with a tight-lipped smile.
Zhengting has always been rather intrigued by Chengcheng’s cold exterior, because he’s heard stories about how crazy Chengcheng can get when he’s with his friends. It almost makes Zhengting want to be friends with Chengcheng himself, but Zhengting has always just kept to himself. For what reason, dream Zhengting doesn’t know.
He’s stepping onto the mulch now, bike parked, and in the flow of people Zhengting spots a familiar figure.
“Justin!” He calls out, and he walks over to hug him because it’s summer break and it’s been such a long time since he last saw his best friend.
Justin turns around and beams at Zhengting, and Zhengting is about to ask him about his life, maybe, when he spots Chengcheng again, over Justin’s shoulder. Justin follows the line of Zhengting’s gaze and his face positively lights up, and the smile Justin had just given Zhengting pales in comparison because this is real emotion.
“Chengcheng!” Justin exclaims, pure happiness radiating from him, and at this even Chengcheng breaks out of his perpetual expressionless face to give Justin a smile. A smile that sends Zhengting reeling because wow if Chengcheng wasn’t already attractive before, he’s definitely really attractive now.
Zhengting watches as a look passes between the two before Justin is by Chengcheng’s side, too close, but Chengcheng doesn’t move away, and Zhengting may have just stumbled upon something.
“We have to get going now,” Justin is saying, but all Zhengting can focus on is how perfect they look together, how good Chengcheng looks, and in this dream, Xukun is not someone that exists.
“See you later,” Justin waves over his shoulder, and Chengcheng looks back at Zhengting once, gaze unreadable, before they walk away into the sun, leaving Zhengting behind, alone.
An ugly emotion rising up in Zhengting’s chest as he watches the couple’s retreating figures, silhouettes blending together, but the feeling isn’t new to Zhengting. An urge to grab Chengcheng by the back of his shirt and spin him around to kiss him, a cruel need to see how Justin would react if Zhengting did it.
But Zhengting doesn’t, and just stands there, letting darkness envelope him instead-
Zhengting jolts awake, but unexpectedly the bitterness still remains - what does Justin have that I don’t, why would Chengcheng pick Justin over me, but next to him Xukun is warm and soft and homey so Zhengting wonders where the green-eyed monster came from and buries it deep inside him before snuggling into Xukun and falling into a dreamless sleep.