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When Mei Nianqing steps outside, his breath crystallizes in the icy breeze. Winter has arrived at Mount Tonglu and covered it in a thick layer of snow. Everything feels muted around him and when he takes his first steps up the mountain, the cold creeps under the layers of his robes. He shivers.
But the day is bright and clear, and the view is breathtaking. Even from where he stands, halfway up the mountain, Mei Nianqing can peer down across the former kingdom of Wuyong. With glittering white as far as the eye can see, the plane looks far less dreary than what Mei Nianqing is used to.
Like this, it's not hard to imagine the once glorious kingdom that still resides beneath.
But then, the sun vanishes behind a cloud and the sparkling grandeur returns to dull white. It's a sobering thought. The past is long gone and Mei Nianqing can only hold onto what little thing remains.
He hurries up the mountain until he reaches the place where caved-in walls allow entrance into the looming mountain.
Mount Tonglu has changed over the years. There's still heat in the deep earth of the mountain but the lava has dried up, at least for now. It's still not a welcoming place.
Mei Nianqing knows the inside of the mountain just as well as the tiny hut above it that he calls his home. He finds Jun Wu sprawled out in a shallow pool of bubbling water. The hot springs have been a nice surprise in the barren belly of the mountain and Jun Wu uses them often.
Like so many times before, Mei Nianqing steps closer until he can kneel at the edge of the pond. He likes to complain about his age, but he does feel the centuries that have passed deep in his bones. “My dear highness,“ he quietly greets Jun Wu. There is no reply. This isn't very unusual. There is still so much resentment in Jun Wu's veins, so much bitterness. Mei Nianqing knows this. He doesn't begrudge him, not anymore.
It's hard to let go of the past but they have time. Outside, the world moves on, but here it's just the both of them in their quiet exile. He doesn't mind it so much. Taking a comb out of his sleeve, he runs it through Jun Wu's unbound hair, detangling it bit by bit. It's soothing to fall back into those familiar patterns from a time when their world was still whole.
There is not much left of the bright young prince he used to know nor of the powerfull ruler of the heavens. Jun Wu is a broken man, and Mei Nianqing is left with the pieces of what once was.
Mei Nianqing takes a deep breath, shaking off the thoughts of the past. He is here now with the man he once loved, the man he still loves.
“Why are you still here?“ Jun Wu's question is so sudden that Mei Nianqing almost drops the comb into the hot spring, just barely catching it in time. There are days Jun Wu doesn't bother talking to him and Mei Nianqing assumed it would be one of those days.
It's nice to be wrong sometimes. “Because I want to,“ he replies after a moment.
It's the same reply he always gives. He's run away for so long and he's tired of it, so very tired. He doesn't want to run away any longer and he wants to stay at Jun Wu's side to make up for all the time he couldn't.
Silence follows his words, and Mei Nianqing smiles a small rueful smile. It's never the right answer to give, after all.
Then, Jun Wu turns around and Mei Nianqing is reminded once again how much he's changed. With dark circles under his eyes, and skin almost sickly pale he is far from the brilliant man he once was. To Mei Nianqing, he is still beautiful.
When he reaches out, Mei Nianqing doesn't flinch. For a long second, Jun Wu's hands hover in the space between his neck and his face, before they settle on his cheeks. The gesture is unusually tender and Mei Nianqing's heart suddenly aches.
“What is there to stay for?“ Jun Wu asks. He sounds a little lost. Neither of them are fading, no matter how many years pass. “Why are we still here?“
Mei Nianqing doesn't have an answer for that either. “I don't know,“ he admits. “I'm here for you,“ he adds as an afterhtought. At this point, he's sure that his entire being is tied to Jun Wu. Maybe it has always been that way.
“You're a fool,“ Jun Wu tells him, and there's a smile tugging on the edge of his lips. It's been so long since Mei Nianqing saw him smile. It gives Jun Wu back his former glory and Mei Nianqing still reacts the same way as he did when he was much younger and less broken.
Leaning in until their foreheads touch, Jun Wu repeats. “You are really a fool.“
Mei Nianqing opens his mouth to reply, but no words leave his mouth. Jun Wu kisses him. His lips are chapped and a little dry, and Mei Nianqing's heart feels like exploding.
“I missed you,“ he mumbles into the kiss, words muffled by Jun Wu's lips. He's missed this so much. When Jun Wu doesn't pull away, Mei Nianqing winds his arms around his neck, leaning in just a little closer.
He loses his balance for a second, and he would have tumbled into the hot water if it weren't for Jun Wu's grip holding him steady. A laugh bubbles up in his throat. He feels giddy, it's almost like being young again.
Jun Wu smothers his laughter with another chaste kiss. There's no need to say much more.
With his arms around Jun Wu's neck, breathing into the same space as his highness, Mei Nianqing remembers what it feels like to be happy.
“I don't really mind being a fool,“ he admits into the tight space between them.
This time, Jun Wu is the one laughing.
When Mei Nianqing leaves that day, he feels a little lighter. Just as he exits the mountain, stepping out in the soft afternoon sun, he spots a flash of color across the snowy mountain. Not far from where he stands, bright pink flowers are stark against the white snow. It's been years since the land has been alive and Mei Nianqing stares in wonder.The plum trees are still small and they bend under the weight of the snow.
Yet, their flowers encrusted with ice bloom proudly.
Mei Nianqing smiles softly. It's easy to forget that winter will be followed by spring. There is always hope for new beginnings.