Work Text:
Yin Hanjiang stared out the café’s window as his coffee grew cold in front of him, again. He really wished the waitress would stop refilling it every time it did. He didn’t even like coffee, it was always Wenren E going on about how he couldn’t survive the start of his day without his morning cup. If the cup grew cold maybe he could pretend that Wenren E was simply running late like he sometimes did.
Movement from the corner of his eyes finally drew his eyes from the window and he saw the waitress approaching for the umpteenth time. He stood quickly and dropped a couple of bills on the table before rushing out. Another refill just might break him. Nobody needed to see that.
A snowflake landed on the tip of his nose as he walked down the street. Snow? Was it winter already? It seemed liked spring was just a few days ago. It couldn’t be winter yet, Wenren E didn’t like the cold. Yes, he was just joking yesterday about how spring was the perfect weather. There was no way it could be winter; he hadn’t finished the gloves he was knitting for him. He was going to give them to Wenren E on the first snowfall, maybe even work up the courage to ask him on a date.
Someone hit his shoulder as they passed by. “Watch where you’re going man!”
An indescribable rage filled Yin Hanjiang, were they blind? Couldn’t they see that he was trying to protect Wenren E on his other side? He turned to apologize to Wenren E, people didn’t use their eyes these days. There was no one on his right side, oh no did he leave Wenren E behind? He spun to look behind him, it was dark, when did it become dark? Wenren E’s smile looked the best in daylight, he just saw it. His smile made the sun shy. Why was everyone moving so fast? Who took Wenren E from him?! Wenren E would never leave willingly, he said so himself. He said Yin Hanjiang would always be by his side. Does that mean Yin Hanjiang left Wenren E? How could he do something so stupid?
He was inside a room. He wasn’t quite sure how he got there but it must be his, that was his coat and Wenren E’s coat. That’s right, Wenren E moved in recently. It had ben the happiest day of Yin Hanjiang’s life, it was another way to have Wenren E close to him. He could make meals for him, make sure he was sleeping well. That must be what happened, Wenren E must have stepped out for another one of his meetings, he was always having those. Yin Hanjiang just needed to prepare a meal for him and be ready for when Wenren E gets back. He’d surely be hungry, he might not have had his breakfast smoothie even. Yes, that’s what he’ll do.
Why was everything so loud? Who were these people in his apartment? Everyone should get out! This was his sanctuary with Wenren E and they were desecrating it! One of the strangers put a blanket around his shoulders and bundled him out of the apartment. He strained his head over his shoulder, trying to see what they were taking him away from but he couldn’t see anything through the swathes of water they kept pouring into the apartment to douse the flames.
Shu YanYan was saying something, he could see her mouth moving but no words were reaching his ears. Yin Hanjiang wanted to scream, tell her to stop talking to him but he couldn’t move any muscle in his body. She seemed to give up eventually, pointing at him as she spoke to someone else in the room. He tried to turn his neck to see who she was talking to, maybe Wenren E had been here all along. This could have just been some elaborate joke. Wenren E wasn’t so cruel as to worry him like that, but Shu YanYan has always liked harebrained schemes. It wasn’t Wenren E, just Baili Qingmao looking at him worriedly. None of them were worth his attention, he turned his head back and focused on wiggling free of whatever restraints they’d put on him.
Someone was pulling on his shoulder, dragging him from the depths of sleep. He struggled violently, trying to cling to the vestiges of the dream that let him see Wenren E again. They couldn’t take Wenren E from him a second time! He wouldn’t allow it. But his struggles were all for naught, he woke up.
He lashed out at the unfortunate soul who had awoken him, BQM caught his arm just before it hit her face. He hated the look of pity in her eyes. He hated all of them, how could they be here while his Wenren E was gone? None of them deserved it.
Sleep was his haven, Wenren E came to him in his dreams. He could finally talk to him there, hold him, shower him with the love he deserved. Shu Yanyan and her girlfriends kept waking him up, spouting nonsense about him needing food and sustenance. She didn’t understand, none of them did. All he needed could be found in his dreams, they just had to let him be.
Wenren E was looking sad these days, he tried to hide it behind his smiles, but Yin Hanjiang has known him for too long. Wenren E was hiding something from him, and he was going to find out what it was. Then the coughing started. Yin Hanjiang dug through the trash and found the bloodied tissues Wenren E had been hiding from him. Wenren E was sick? Then why didn’t he tell him? He thought they were a team. They could fight this together.
Wenren E got weaker as the coughs wracked his body harder and harder. He no longer had the strength to hide the bloody handkerchiefs and nothing he ate would stay down. Yin Hanjiang was run ragged looking for a cure despite the doctors saying all they could do was ease Wenren E’s pain. It couldn’t end like this, there had to be a solution. Wenren E was not allowed to go anywhere Yin Hanjiang could not follow.
He was gone. Yin Hanjiang turned up at the hospital one day and Wenren E was gone. The bed cleaned like he had never been there. His anguished screams brought the doctor and nurses running. Who took Wenren E from him?! His grief turned violent as he threw everything he could see across the room, they were hiding Wenren E from him, and he would find him. He felt a pinprick in his elbow as some nurses held on to him. Everything grew dark, a lone tear sliding down his cheek. He wasn’t asking for too much, he just wanted to be with Wenren E.
Wenren E didn’t want to leave Yin Hanjiang. Yin Hanjiang was fragile, he needed him but despite how tight he was holding on to life, he could feel it slipping away. He just wanted Yin Hanjiang to be happy and taken care of. The lifeline that was thrown to him would take him away from Yin Hanjiang, but it was only for a while and then he would be able to come back. Wait for me my love, just hold on a little bit more and we will be together again.