Work Text:
“I just feel it's good to be alive, have the sun shining,
and have someone's name to call.” -ep12
In the beginning, Zhou Zishu had tried to keep count of the days, out of a need for some kind of structure. But among the stone walls, dusty tomes, and farming tools, nothing changed. Nothing marked the passage of time. The days had already started to blur together by the time the now white-haired Wen Kexing had woken up, surprised to not be dead.
Zhou Zishu scrolled up the book in his hands, glaring at the purple-robed back that was turned to him.
… which was a discussion to be had on a better day.
“A-Xu.” Wen Kexing turned away from the bookshelf, holding up a book. “This martial arts style looks interesting. Have you seen it before?”
Zhou Zishu barely glanced at the manual.
“No.”
With a small pout, Wen Kexing put the book away but was soon giggling at something else he’d found.
“A-Xu! Don’t you think this wooden cow looks like the old monster?”
Zhou Zishu sighed, looking up at the shelf that reached the ceiling somewhere beyond sight. How many years had it taken for Ye Baiyi to grow so bitter and jaded in his isolation? How many days until Wen Kexing would have exhausted his curiosity toward the books and was ready to chew his way through the walls?
Wen Kexing walked around the shelf, slender fingers running along the books, eyes keen and wide. After a decade of the life of a spy-master, the carefully collected and guarded knowledge felt more like a burden to Zhou Zishu. He’d had gladly traded the heavy secrets for more peaceful days, relaxing in the sunlight and…
He turned his attention to Wen Kexing, who had picked up another book but quickly slammed it back where it had been, sending a cloud of dust flying around them. Blinking rapidly, Wen Kexing’s eyes darted from one book to another as if searching for an escape.
Zhou Zishu glanced at the book. Something about weddings.
Hesitantly, he reached out a hand toward Wen Kexing’s shoulder. He had not yet decided how to approach the topic of A-Xiang. There was no drunk-like-a-dream here. He didn’t know if he could soothe Wen Kexing if he got too agitated.
Wen Kexing evaded his hand, striding away from the bookshelves. Taking a deep breath, Zhou Zishu followed him but soon realized he couldn’t say where he’d gone. He searched around, half running, certain he couldn’t lose him inside the armory but…
Something cold smacked into the side of his head. Zhou Zishu spun around, scowling.
Wen Kexing stood in a pile of snow, disarmingly keeping his hands up.
“Don’t be so grouchy, A-Xu. Who do you act so tough for? Do the books need to be reminded they are in the presence of the formidable master of the Four Seasons Manor?”
Zhou Zishu gave him an exasperated look and brushed the snow off his hair. He hoped that when it snowed at the manor, Prince Qi or Shen Shen would bring someone for Chengling to play in the snow with. The boy was still young and had needed to endure more than even adults had in the past few months.
“A-Xu!” Wen Kexing rolled up another snowball in his hands. “Which do you think is whiter, the snow, or my hair?”
Zhou Zishu turned around and walked away.
“A-Xu?”
“A-Xu!”
“A-Xuuu~”
Zhou Zishu brushed some dust and debris off a gray stone stair and sat down, patiently waiting as Wen Kexing trailed after him, wiping his hands dry on the hem of his robes.
“Come sit here.” Zhou Zishu patted the stair by his side.
“Why should I sit? Didn’t I sleep for days? I—”
“Sit!”
Robes swishing dramatically, mouth a thin disgruntled line, Wen Kexing obeyed.
“You take this Senior Brother role too seriously. Is it because you don’t have Chengling to—ah—”
Zhou Zishu wrapped his arms around Wen Kexing, gently drawing his body against his own. Carefully, he folded the hands cold from the snow inside the sleeves of his robes. Wen Kexing relaxed, his head settling down against his shoulder comfortably, like it belonged right there.
“A-Xu…”
Zhou Zishu closed his eyes, leaning his cheek against the white hair that even in the gloom of the armory was brighter than the sun.
“Lao Wen.”
Like this, it was going to be fine.