Zhao Yunlan was tired.

Everything he had strived to build with the S.I.D; his duty to the people of Dragon City and beyond, had crumbled down to nothing in the matter of a few days.

He felt as if even the S.I.D family he had grown to love was now in disarray, and even the Black Cloaked envoy, his Professor Shen, seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Yunlan wasn’t stupid to realise most of his bad decisions over the past few days had come about due to him not having the calming presence of Shen Wei around him; stopping him from losing his temper too quickly, or helping him through the tough choices he would have to make to keep everyone afloat.

And Zhao Yunlun was tired.

Tired of the mask of confidence and bravado he constantly wore to hide the fact that, on the inside, he was a terrified child calling out for his mother...

He hadn’t slept properly for about 3 nights, what with everything Zhu Hong and her dream.

He felt as if falling asleep would leave him weak and vulnerable to whatever dark magic might still be around... Or even worse, it’d leave him alone with his memories & longings...

The human body, however, cares little for wary hearts and potential traumas, instead kicking into self preservation mode.

Yunlun had slumped down uncomfortably in his chair 5 minutes after he returned to his flat and fallen fast asleep straight away.

His mind drifted in and out of various dream lands, until he suddenly felt himself fall into one.

His surroundings were unfamiliar, and yet he vaguely knew them somehow.

He was laying in fourposter bed, luxurious red curtains shielded the rest of whatever room he was in from him.

He couldn’t tell what time of day it was, for even with the shine of a mysterious light through the curtains, it was obvious the world outside was dark.

Yunlan then began to become aware of two very significant things.

One, he was not alone in the bed, as the other occupant, attached to his right arm, shifted slightly.

And two, he was completely under the red sheets.

Yunlan turned his head carefully to look at his bedmate, only to find he could only see the top of their head.

The long black hair of the person was confusing to him.

If this was another part of Zhu Hong’s dream, why would she not have her usual hairstyle?

Just as he was pondering this, the figure stirred again, nuzzling closer to Yunlan.

’...Zhu Hong?’ Yunlan whispered cautiously.

The figure sighed and spoke, which was when Yunlan realised that this very male sounding voice was definitely not Zhu Hong.

And was also definitely a voice he knew very well.

‘Who is ‘Zhu Hong’?’ Murmured a sleepy sounding Shen Wei.

Yunlan was frozen with shock as Wei turned his head to face him with a small frown on his face.

‘I sure hope that isn’t some floozy you’re going to leave me for, now?’ Wei asks, a hint of something playful yet disapproving in his tone.

God, Yunlan had never been so happy to hear Wei scold him again.

‘It’s you...? It’s really you!?’ Yunlan softly exclaimed, gingerly reaching towards Wei’s face to touch it.

Wei’s frown dissipates into one of mild amusement and confusion.

‘Of course it’s me, stupid’ He says fondly, turning himself to fully face Yunlan. ‘Is everything alright?’

Yunlan is too transfixed with staring at every aspect of Wei’s face to reply, his fingers continuing to just barely touch the Professor’s face.

He couldn’t believe it was Shen Wei he was seeing, especially when this Wei was so utterly calm and peaceful, a lazy smile on his still sleepy face. Yunlan had never seen him so comfortable and carefree, and it made him look years younger.

It was then Yunlan re-noticed the waves of long black hair coming from Wei’s scalp. Curiously, he reached up and began to run his fingers through it, perhaps in his haze to check whether it was a wig or not.

’...why’s your hair like this?’ Yunlan asks quietly, twiddling a piece of hair in his fingers.

Wei snorts, before bringing his hand to the side of Yunlan’s face.

‘I could ask the same about you’ He replies with a smile, sweeping Yunlan’s fringe from his eyes.

Yunlan frowned slightly, glancing down at his shoulders to see strands of equally long hair coming from himself.

‘You seem out of it this morning, love... Did something happen yesterday you didn’t tell me about?’ Wei asks, continuing to run his hand down Yunlan’s face in a soothing manner.

‘I... I don’t know’ Yunlan stutters. ‘I think I... I’m dreaming right?’

Shen Wei laughs, a soft sound that makes Yunlan’s heartbeat waver for some reason, before reaching his hand down to pinch Yunlan’s arm.

‘Oi!’ Yunlan yelped, whacking Wei’s hand away.

Wei just continued to grin at him. Yunlan had never seen him this playful before.

Yunlan became suddenly so aware that even if this was just a dream (although he severely doubted it: that pinch really hurt!), he still wanted to enjoy every moment with this strange, long-haired version if Shen Wei.

He abruptly rolled onto his side, facing Wei, who looked mildly startled for a second before smiling and repositioning himself to face Yunlan fully as well.

‘You’re really beautiful, you know?’ Yunlan found the words leaking out of him like he had no control over them.

Wei had the audacity to blush at that, averting his gaze from Yunlan’s.

‘You’re not too bad to look at yourself’ Wei said coyly, looking back up at Yunlan through his eyelashes.

‘I’d really like to kiss you’ Yunlan’s mouth ran off without his brain cells again, causing him to feel a bright red blush to creep up from his chest.

Wei at least had the decency to try to hide his grin, before he gave Yunlan a look he’d only ever seen the man have when Yunlan was being particularly shameless and flirtatious.

It was part annoyance and part ... Wanting.

‘Why don’t you?’ Wei asks quietly, sounding almost breathless.

Something in Yunlan snaps, causing him to surge forward and capture Wei’s lips in a fierce and passionate kiss.

Wei kissed back with equal reckless abandon, his hands had moved to grip the back of Yunlan’s hair almost painfully.

The continued to kiss, pushing and pulling against each other’s lips, hands reaching out and grabbing as much of the other as they could, until Yunlan began to feel himself go lightheaded from the lack of oxygen.

He pulled away from the attack on his lips, breathing heavily. Wei continued to almost frantically trail open mouthed kisses across his face, chin and neck.

‘Hey, hey’ Yunlan whispered, pulling Wei’s face back towards his and soothingly his cheek.

He shuffled closer to Wei, until he could feel almost every inch of the other’s body against his own.

Yunlan then captured his lips in a softer kiss, before resting his forehead rest against the other man’s and letting their breaths mingle.

The desire in Wei’s eyes softened and he huffed out a small laugh.

Yunlan didn’t have the energy to ask what he was laughing about as he felt his eyelids droop.

He wrapped himself impossibly closer to Wei, who had started a hand gently through his hair.

Eyes still closed, Yunlan reaches for his hand and entwines it with his own.

He’s immediately brought back to their first meeting, where the awkward and orderly Professor Shen held onto his hand just a second too long, he eyes looking at Yunlan as if he were a miracle of life.

They had come so far from that encounter, and it didn’t take a genius to realise they’d fallen in love with each other along the journey at some point...

‘I’d really love to stay here forever, you know’ Yunlan softly whispers, his eyes remain closed and his hand is still firmly clasped in Wei’s. ‘At the time, I didn’t quite understand Zhu Hong for wanting to stay in a dream but now... I get it...’

Yunlan finally opens his eyes and turns to look at Shen Wei, whose eyes are fondly looking back at him.

‘I’d stay wrapped up here with you forever, with no death or pain or sacrifice to worry about...’ He continues, brushing a loose strand of hair from Wei’s eyes. ‘Can’t we just do that?’

He sighs, turning his body to curl more into Shen Wei.

There’s a comfortable silence for a moment before Wei speaks softly.

‘Life isn’t as simple as that, love... It’s the pain and sacrifice that make us stronger, wiser, braver. And without death, we can never truly appreciate the wonder and beauty of life...’

Wei sits up suddenly before turning to Yunlan with watery eyes.

‘I know you feel like your duty and obligations hold you down, Ah Lan, and you may feel that running away is your only option at the moment. But if you are the man I know and love, the man who I would die 10,000 deaths just to see his smile, then I know you would never run from an opportunity to save others...’

Yunlan feels a tear trickle down his face as he nods.

Wei almost sadly reaches over to wipe the tear away when Yunlan feels the world around him shake.

He feels the scene around him fade away, desperately he reaches his hand towards Shen Wei.

‘I’ll find you again, I promise!’ He half cries, feeling the warmth of Wei begin to disappear.

Wei then mouthed something, or perhaps he yelled it, which Yunlan couldn’t decipher.

Yunlan suddenly bolted awake with a gasp. He was still in his chair, he had no idea what time it was and his neck had a horrific crick in it.

The dream with Shen Wei was still buzzing vividly in his head, he could even still feel the ghost of Wei on his lips.

The last image of Wei flashed in his mind again, the words he had so desperately tried to tell Yunlan in the final moments.

Words Yunlan could read so much clearer now he was awake.

‘I love you, Zhao Yunlan’