Work Text:
Time bows to no one. Lu Guang knows this very well—exceptionally well, in fact. Possibly more than anyone ever has or ever will. He has struggled and weeped and danced in Its very palm, pleading for a second chance. In spite of the hand forcing him to keep twisting and the grotesque smile he imagines It wears as It observes the feeble being in Its grasp, Lu Guang continued to struggle and weep and dance, compelled by his own pathetic yet unwavering determination.
This could all be for naught, but he refused to believe so. Something would change. Perhaps Time would feel sorry for him and for them. For what the three of them never had the chance to be. For what the three of them could have been if they did. It has never been merciful before but for Lu Guang, It may be. It had to be. Or all the crying and sobbing and begging he's done for the past hour will have been for nothing.
The idea comes to his mind abruptly, in the middle of his ragged voice hiccuping sobs and whispered pleas. To use the power Cheng Xiaoshi unknowingly bestowed on him upon his untimely death to bring them back and start all over again. His brain is already supplying him with ideas like you still have the photo from the basketball court and it would be so easy to just take it out right now before stopping at one that makes him inhale sharply: What would Cheng Xiaoshi think?
Using his power like that after all his lectures about leaving the past and future undisturbed only to turn around and exploit it at the sight of his own misfortune… Lu Guang imagines the hurt of betrayal on Cheng Xiaoshi's face. His hands tremble from the weight of the thought alone, not helped at all by the ever-present threat of Time looming over his shoulder.
He remembers Cheng Xiaoshi's dying wish and the unforgiving embrace of his blood-soaked hands, not cool or stiff to the touch yet but still lacking the warmth he always gave off, the life he had mere hours ago. This Cheng Xiaoshi is dead. He will not know of anything that transpires hereafter, and he will not feel anything for it either. That fact brings back the now familiar ache of nausea clawing up his throat and the sting of teardrops at his eyes. He's not here anymore to feel the betrayal he surely would've.
If he dives, Cheng Xiaoshi would not have to know. He'd live blissfully unaware of the fate that befalls them if Lu Guang has it in his power to do something about it. So would Qiao Ling, who could never comprehend despite her best efforts the true extent and influence of their abilities. And if they found out, it would not be a preferable situation, but he could make it work. They'd be angry and questioning and maybe even hateful, rightfully so, and though Lu Guang hopes to avoid that kind of future, he'd do it because he'd rather have them alive than as a couple of bloody bodies he used to call friends.
How could Lu Guang, unloved and unwanted as he was until them, give up those he'd be willing to die over and over to save? It's unthinkable, he reasons, as his hands, caked with blood, pull themselves away from the corpse he no longer wants to look at. He stands up shakily, walking away from the mess of blood and body in a mindless daze. Up the stairs he climbs, eyes glancing around but not taking anything in, yet decisively avoiding the direction he just came from. As his legs move sluggishly and his breath continues to stutter, he imagines. In just a few minutes, he can see them again, as people with lungs that breathe and hearts that beat.
Qiao Ling, imposing and mischievous, who steals their food sometimes and demands rent. Qiao Ling, kind and determined, who promotes their business in various manner and fights for them and herself tenaciously. Qiao Ling, his friend, who can beat them in any game, loves bubble tea and has an infectious laugh like the sound of unadulterated joy.
Cheng Xiaoshi, reckless and naive, who charges in head-first and frequently gets into petty arguments. Cheng Xiaoshi, honest and empathetic, who can never look away from someone in need and makes stupid jokes. Cheng Xiaoshi, his Cheng Xiaoshi, who can cook delicious meals, play video games for hours and has enough love to fill up the entire ocean and more.
By this point, Lu Guang has managed to get his battered and bone-tired body into their room, with the photo from back then placed on the desk. He brings his hands up, only millimetres away from each other, and only seconds from making a world-altering decision.
For Qiao Ling and Cheng Xiaoshi, he will tear down the world and build it back up again. Lu Guang will do whatever it takes, even if it means going up against the very notion of Time Itself. He will stop struggling and weeping because there is no Time left for grief. He will stop dancing and look It right in the eye. As Lu Guang fulfills his wish, It will keep an eye on him, and It will see what exactly he can do. It will have no choice but to sit back and watch as Lu Guang defies Its very concept, distorting and destroying what Time has upheld until this very point.
He closes his eyes, exhales slowly, and with a resounding clap, the world ends and begins anew.