Work Text:
Zhao Yun Lan strolled purposefully towards the Dragon City University. Life was good.
Well, anything was good compared to eternal burning, but even apart from that he felt particularly jubilant today. Finally, all his patience and persistence were about to pay off. Being a child was not particularly easy once the memory of his previous life started to resurface. He saw his share of shrinks before shutting up about actually being the Zhao Yun Lan, who saved Dragon City and possibly the whole planet five hundred (give or take) years ago. You would think that future people knew better. All the details he gave were shrugged off as common knowledge or overactive imagination of an overly sensitive boy with a hero complex who happened to have the same name as a historical figure. So annoying.
A small rural community where Yun Lan's family lived was a boring place in the middle of nowhere. Even learning that space travel was a thing again did not make up for that. No searching for Shen Wei or even Da Qing, who might still be around, no adventures or any kind of fun, space-related or otherwise: just healthy food, fresh air and a lot of sun. Teenage years were so mind blowingly boring that the only way to get through them relatively sane was acing the Citizen Verification exam that these days was used instead of age to prove one's adulthood and then earn enough money to pay his way to Dragon City and Special Investigations program at DCU, all despite his parents heated prohibition.
Now, taking in the city bustling with life all around him, Zhao Yun Lan thought with satisfaction that he was finally making progress in his search for Shen Wei. They made a promise, didn't they? So it was only a matter of time before they met again. If he reclaimed his memory somehow, there was no way that Shen Wei had forgotten him. What better place to meet again that DCU? There were a lot of Dixing there these days, students and faculty both, old enmity mostly forgotten, a thing from history textbooks. There was no professor named Shen Wei at the University, but that didn't have to mean he wasn't there. Maybe they would get to live out one of Zhao's favourite 'earnest teacher vs naughty student' fantasy scenarios after all.
There was uneasy feeling pulling at him, one he didn't remember having in this lifetime - he was being watched. Zhao Yun Lan paused, pretending to be impressed with a monstrosity of a building across the street, and studied reflections on the glassy sides of fish-shaped monorail cars sliding past him in a steady flow. Sure enough, there was one car gliding slowly near the curb behind him, keeping enough distance between them so not to be immediately noticeable. Still, no excuse for chasing flies, berated Zhao himself. He was about to switch on a mod he partly coded himself and partly got from one of his 'buddies' (gaming took place of heavy drinking bonding when you just recently turned eighteen), and it was a good mod, too, though not exactly legal, when somebody bumped into him with a soft 'sorry' and a sharp bite of a needle into his arm. The sunny day grew dim suddenly and then disappeared completely.
***
It seemed life took a turn for the worse, thought Zhao Yun Lan hazily. His throat was parched, head throbbed painfully, and there was a distant murmur in his ear indicating that the implant's operating system was offline. No wonder that Shen Wei was watching him with such wretched expression, although a space suit was surely a bit excessive. Was he hurt chasing after another one of those fugitive Dixings? No, that can't be right. Why was Shen Wei so upset then?
And then Zhao Yun Lan heard what Shen Wei was saying and reality rushed in.
"Zhao Yun Lan, I am sorry I had to kidnap you this way", that was what he was saying. "I would have come for you earlier but I had to make sure that you were safe and make arrangements to protect you." Now that Zhao heard the words he could see the guilty look in Shen Wei's eyes and coiled tension in his posture. The moment was too precious to let it slip by.
"Who are you?" Zhao Yun Lan rounded his eyes and made his voice as boy-like as possible, aiming for a picture of frightened innocence. "What do you want from me?" Maybe whining was a bit too much, but what the hell. Here Shen Wei went again with silent sacrifices and doe eyes while Zhao spent years trying not to think what if they never meet again.
He was rewarded by Shen Wei going pale and still, dark eyes filled with despair. No glasses this time, noticed Zhao, detached. Shen Wei was really, truly here, at last. In a space suit. The same as Zhao wore, apparently. Was that a spaceship control room around them? A spaceship flying in the actual space, if Zhao was any judge. He knew quite a lot about spaceships, accidently, as he wanted to fly one immediately after finding out that was an option. Imagine piloting a space bike, fast and agile, flying free in a vast depth of space! Somehow, though, not one of the space programs he applied to wanted him despite him being a perfect candidate. Their loss. Anyway, who said that you need formal education to ride a space bike? Not Zhao.
Shen Wei, still deathly pale, was visibly trying to get a hold of himself. Lips tight, face turning into polite mask Zhao was so familiar with. "You.. You probably won't believe me now, but it is dangerous for you to stay in Dragon City at the moment. I am a friend.. of your parents.. and I am going to take you to a place where you will be safe until danger passes"
Zhao Yun Lan couldn't help but laugh. Some things never changed; making up believable cover stories was never going to be Shen Wei's strongest suit.
"Where is my jacket?" he asked, hiccuping, trying to pass his reaction as hysterics. Shen Wei silently stood up and left, soon returning with a tidy package which he carefully placed in Zhao's hands, not making eye contact and looking sad and dejected. Zhao signed. He searched his jacket's pockets for something he always had on him in hopes that he had earned some good karma after all and would meet Shen Wei again.
Shen Wei's eyelashes fluttered up when he heard a rustle of a lollipop wrapper. Zhao Yun Lan took his time giving the candy a good lick before putting it his mouth and rolling it around with his tongue, enjoying how defenceless Shen Wei looked against his secret weapon. Familiar heat pulled at his gut at the sight of Shen Wei's ears coloring up. Zhao gave him a big toothy smile.
"See, how unpleasant it is when the love of your life lies to you or is in no hurry to reunite with you?"
Shen Wei blinked once. Twice. Swallowed. Tried to say something. Nothing came out. Zhao Yunlan rose up from his place decisively, crossed up the distance between them in two easy strides and bent over Shen Wei. "Say - Yun Lan, I won't do anything like this ever again" he whispered. Then Shen Wei's eyes went all dark and hungry, Zhao Yun Lan's wrists were caught in a steel grip and his lips were claimed by the hot mouth.
***
Space suits were not designed for make-out sessions. It was a sad fact, but a fact nevertheless. Zhao Yun Lan did his best to get rid of both of their suits, and he was not successful. Not from the lack of effort, but because Shen Wei for some reason took the damn suits side and refused to part from his and didn't let Zhao undress either. It was so unfair. Together, alone - and still no sex.
"There is something you need to know" said Shen Wei, avoiding Zhao's eyes. That wasn't going to end well, Zhao Yun Lan thought with a sinking feeling. Right on cue, a siren started blaring and one of the dark screens switched on on its own.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!!" Zhao pointed at the screen in indignation. "You are dead!!"
"Get lost," Ye Zun on the screen waived at him dismissively. "Brother Dear, did you think that you could keep something like this from me? Don't you dare leaving me. That's not how this works." He almost hissed. "You tricked me, but the game doesn't end here. Or ever" Ye Zun smiled beautifully and the screen went black again.
"I see you've been busy" Zhao Yun Lan said to Shen Wei mildly. "Start talking."