"A-Xu, do you remember the first time we looked at the stars together?"
As if he could ever forget. Zhou Zishu looked up at the stars as he snuggled closer into Wen Kexing's embrace, seeking a warmth he didn't really need in the rather warm summer's night but wanted to feel anyway.
"Yes," he answered after a long moment. Good wine and even better company, not that he'd been ready to admit that back then. "I also remember how it ended and why our peaceful night got disturbed." He felt Wen Kexing shrug and could perfectly picture the innocent expression on his face. He leaned back until the back of his head was resting on Wen Kexing's shoulder and smiled up at him. "My Lao Wen, a devious mastermind of needlessly complicated revenge plans."
He got a soft laugh for that. "It felt right at the time."
Zhou Zishu barely resisted rolling his eyes and moved his head just enough to press a kiss against the side of Wen Kexing's neck. "You were halfway insane from pain back then." Mentally and physically. "Your judgement was more than clouded. Like a star- and moonless night."
The hold around him tightened just that bit more. "I got better," Wen Kexing offered but the words were spoken in an almost questioning tone.
"You did," Zhou Zishu confirmed quietly. It had been a long and hard battle but eventually time had healed the deep wounds life had inflicted on his soulmate.
Almost absently he took a strand of silvery-white hair and twisted it between his fingers.
Hair like starlight, he'd told Wen Kexing once after a rare bout of being poetic had overcome him. It suits you, Lao Wen.
The simple compliment had made him light up like the sun itself and since that moment Zhou Zishu had made sure to pepper more compliments into his speech. Not too many, of course, no need to inflate that ego more than necessary, but he loved the way Wen Kexing looked at him after a simple compliment.
"So did you, A-Xu," Wen Kexing offered almost hesitantly after a few moments of silence. "You've healed so much," he elaborated after Zhou Zishu gave a vague, questioning sound, still occupied with contemplating Wen Kexing's beauty and elegance. "More than I ever dared to hope for."
He had, hadn't he? Zhou Zishu could barely remember the man he used to be - hurting, desperate and in search of death, but not too fast of one. In hindsight, he'd been waiting for a reason to resume living, to find something - or someone - worth living for. Time, if one had the luck to have enough of it, really could fix anything, it seemed.
Even two fucked up souls like theirs.
"Ah, but that's too deep for a beautiful night like this," Wen Kexing said after yet another short but meaningful silence. "We should enjoy the sights and delight in what we have." Now it was him who pressed a kiss against Zhou Zishu's temple.
"Pity we don't have wine," he grumbled but he didn't really mean it. What he had meant was his promise to live on ice and snow forever if only he could share that forever with his Lao Wen.
"I think we still have some ice-water around…" Wen Kexing was threatening to move and disturb their beautiful equilibrium.
"Lao Wen," Zhou Zishu said softly, making sure that his tone conveyed fond amusement instead of annoyance. "Don't," he added even more quietly. "The night is perfect. Don't disturb it."
A deep sigh, a quiet laugh and Wen Kexing settled down again. "A-Xu, A-Xu," he said fondly. "You just don't want me to dump you on ground."
"You do that and you can spend the rest of the night alone out here. And the next one and the one after that. After that you can begin to make it up to me."
Wen Kexing's answering laugh was joyful and honest in a way it had never been before they had ended up here. Another hard-won thing, the simple pleasure of teasing each other, the luxury of nothing but time.
"I'd never do that, A-Xu." The promise sounded far more sincere than probably had been intended and it made Zhou Zishu feel warm and treasured.
"I know," he answered simply and once more snuggled down into the warm and loving embrace. "Let's look at the stars, Lao Wen."
Just at the edge of his vision he could see Wen Kexing look at him with that sweet, totally besotted expression he had, before he, too, raised his head towards the night sky with a smile.