Work Text:
Cheng Xiaoshi was crying almost concerningly quiet.
Small wet hiccups and desperate gasps escaped his shaking form, as Lu Guang held his friend in a loose embrace. His cheek still stung from the punch, but the quivering hand on his shoulder, laying there, reaching out for him despite everything, was all he needed to ignore the pain.
Instead all his attention went to the mess of a friend before him.
The crying seemed almost muted in comparison to when Cheng Xiaoshi cried normally. Every time Lu Guang had witnessed Cheng Xiaoshi's grief, he had been loud and attention grabbing, a maelstrom of feelings one was unable to move away from without leaving something of oneself behind. It was so like his entire personality, boisterous and open.
Which made the quiet trickle of tears falling down with small gasps accompanying them all the stranger in comparison. But Lu Guang wasn't any more concerned about this fact than he was at the situation as a whole.
He knew that it wasn't that Cheng Xiaoshi's grief, taken from a life that wasn't his, brought along from people he should have never met, was less than when he stubbed his toe or he saw one of those nature documentaries that were a bit too real for a quiet evening. It definitely wasn't that.
It was more that he had been crying for so long already, in another person's body, years before from their current time, that he had no energy left to give in his actual form to continue his show of sadness and loss to its fullest.
Lu Guang would know, he had heard and seen every moment of when Cheng Xiaoshi had called and cried, trapped under rubble and the body of a mother not his. He had witnessed every second of the agony his partner had gone through, unable to do anything but watch and try to coax Cheng Xiaoshi back.
Not that that had worked.
Time had run out before Cheng Xiaoshi had been willing to return by himself. After which he had stood silently only to lash out, to give a short outlet for his wilder feelings, only to become the quiet mess he was now.
Now all that was left was grief and mourning, of lives that should have never touched them, of times that shouldn't be changed, moonlight streaming down from the windowed roof in an attempt of atmosphere that didn't work in the least. Lu Guang held his partner, tried to sooth him through one of his rare touches, tried to keep this clear glass man of naivety and charm from shaking and breaking apart. His silence and lies had been needed, had been what ascertained that he was able to hold his friend still like this, the possible ripple effects scarier than any anger Cheng Xiaoshi could bring him.
Because even if Cheng Xiaoshi was seething, was lashing out and furious, he at least was still here.
The loose hold, the quiet touches of support on a shaking body worked. Slowly but surely. With time, so precious and still so unforgiving, sobs turned into sniffles, turned into soft gasps of breath, arrhythmically broken with a harsh inhale.
Lu Guang kept on holding Cheng Xiaoshi, kept providing the warmth of a body alive with just some slight pressure, of a heart still beating and here for him. Tried to convince his friend that this was now, that this was their time, their past and not the broken apologies of what Cheng Xiaoshi had just left.
As Cheng Xiaoshi released another shuddery breath, Lu Guang was reminded once again of why he sometimes hated how the roles had been given.
He was the watcher, the observer, the voice unable to act, unable to help, except give callouts and warnings, providing guidelines to follow through all the scenarios they visited. Providing familiarity in pictures of unfamiliarity but overall unable to do more, no hands to hold or feet to move. Especially if he wasn't listened to, if his directions to trails of times gone by were left in favor of the unexplored wilds by a heart too pure, too naive, to truly be able to stop and step back.
In those instances he was useless.
But Lu Guang was also once again reminded of what his own power entailed, of the stories he saw and had seen, pictures turned down and offers rescinded. Rarely people with happy stories searched for help in rumors, for they seldom needed the services Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang could provide. Salvation in urban myths truly belonged to those desperate, to those scarred and clamoring for faint hope, not those with happiness in their hearts and laughs on their lips.
Which just meant some of the pictures had worse times than what Lu Guang was comfortable with allowing Cheng Xiaoshi to visit. Especially when the 12 hours of observation, of watching through others eyes got cut short by a sudden end.
Those were always a sure no.
Lu Guang didn't want to know what happened when a past body died while possessed, what happened to the one rooting around in a form not originally their own. And he wasn't keen on finding out in any way.
So yes, it was needed for Lu Guang to be the watcher, cause how else could he keep Cheng Xiaoshi from more harm than he was already willing to go through? How else could he keep Cheng Xiaoshi from living things even Lu Guang had a hard time stomaching?
Lu Guang's innocence, his eyes filled with the calm blue of the sky, were his sacrifice to keep Cheng Xiaoshi safe. Safe from things he should never know, should never live, should never feel and regret himself.
Just like with Emma.
Protecting Cheng Xiaoshi was Lu Guang's main focus, shielding him his duty and honor. Which is why he would always do his utmost to make sure his partner was as alright as he could with the power bestowed to him.
And in this moment, Cheng Xiaoshi a pale mess of dried tears and reddened eyes, Lu Guang would work with the simple things.
"Can you walk?", he asked softly, one hand still heavily on a slightly quivering shoulder.
Cheng Xiaoshi inhaled, eyes squeezed shut, before giving a nod. No verbal reply from the time jumper, no energy left to give.
Lu Guang took it as it came. "Good. Let's get upstairs."
Upstairs to where their beds were, to where they could maybe catch some rest in the late hours of this night steeped in loss and tragedy. Lu Guang couldn't help the flutter of relief in his heart when Cheng Xiaoshi followed him as he stood up, his pale hands still as quiet support, as assurance on the time jumpers shoulder and body, while in turn the one hand of Cheng Xiaoshi didn't let go of his grip on the Lu Guang's shirt.
They shuffled together, Cheng Xiaoshi with his head down and steps low, Lu Guang watchful and careful, his face calm as usual, up the steps and to their shared room. During the entire trip, the hands interlinking them didn't let go. From neither of them.
That was probably the reason Lu Guang didn't let go, even when they reached their destination. He followed Cheng Xiaoshi down on his lower bunk bed, the thought of sleeping above, in his own bed separated from his partner not crossing his mind.
Instead, echoed words of fear, of the past in a cracking borrowed voice, bounced around in his head.
"I'm scared, I'm scared of the dark! I'm scared of being alone!"
Xiaoshi shouldn't need to be scared.
So Lu Guang laid down next to his friend, keeping his grip, even as hands shifted and a face was buried in his shoulder. One or two quivers ran over Cheng Xiaoshi's form as he pressed as close as possible to Lu Guang's warm body, one hand taking a tight grip of Lu Guang's own fingers, while the other still clutched at his shirt.
Lu Guang let him, allowed the close contact with the pull of a concerned frown on his lips, his free hand running through wild black hair and removing the hair tie to allow it its full freedom. No words were spoken as Lu Guang kept running his hand through Cheng Xiaoshi's black mane. Both taking solace in the other, taking the comfort they needed, even with broken sharp words lying in the picture of the past moments ago and the sting of a cheek and knuckles still fresh.
This was what Lu Guang protected. Would always do his utmost to protect.
The body in his arms pressed close, relaxing slowly but surely, breath evening out. A wild spirit and a whirlwind of energy, too forgiving, too feeling for the job they did, but also the reason Lu Guang kept close, was able to keep close.
Cheng Xiaoshi would forgive him. Had already forgiven him in a quiet way consisting of hands clutched together, fingers tangled, and a head breathing softly into Lu Guang's chest.
Still, once morning came and new light spilled into their dim moonlit room, Lu Guang would offer the thought of a break. Their escapades through time, especially this one, had taken enough for now, clearly painted in the bags under their eyes and their bodies pressed close. Cheng Xiaoshi would probably forgive almost anything Lu Guang did, but there was no reason to search for a breaking point in the time jumpers' almost unwavering trust.
A period of relief from flinging their eyes and spirit through time and it's many pictures would help any cracks that had developed to heal. Would help their disturbed bond of trust to smooth over.
Hopefully.
And it would also mean Cheng Xiaoshi would be in reach, would be here where Lu Guang could help better, could touch and act, for a while longer. Here where Lu Guang could protect better. Would, as he had sworn on every drop of blood in his body.
The past could wait and the future remain, for these quiet seconds of reprieve. They both needed it.
Especially for all that was to come.