Chapter Text
Blade has no idea where he was. One moment he was fleeing from his pursuers that came in the forms of hostile monsters from the Antimatter Legion. And the next moment, he ended up somewhere else. He wasn’t sure where he was, puzzled with the drastic change of surroundings. He looked down at the wound on his abdomen.
He cursed himself for his carelessness. Blade can still vividly remember the way the sharp tip of a jagged weapon stabbed his side. Had he not avoided it in the nick of time, he might have died back then. Although he will come back to life no matter how many times he dies, Blade prefers to keep living until he completes his goal.
He groaned, removing his hand to reveal blood clinging on it. Some of the blood managed to seep out from his bandaged fingers, dripping onto the floor. Blade staggered forward, leaving a trail of blood behind. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but anywhere was better than here. He needed to regroup with Kafka and Silverwolf, who were waiting for him.
It was gradually getting harder to breathe. Every inhale and exhale he took made him winced in pain. The corners of his vision are gradually getting filled with blackspots. He furiously blinked his eyes; resisting the urge to pass out.
However, he could barely take another step as he felt his strength leaving his body. Blade tipped forward, gravity pulling him down. The last thing he heard was someone shouting followed by rapidly approaching footsteps, before everything turned pitch-black.
~
“...say you found him again?”
“I found him near the Alchemy Commission. If I was not there, he could have died, Jing Yuan.”
Jing Yuan? No wait, the other voice sounds familiar…
Blade opened his eyes, straining them against the brightness in the room. He stares at the ceiling, waiting for his vision to clear up. When it did, he looked around, noting he had been carried to an unfamiliar room. His fight-and-flight instincts took over. The hunter intended to rise, only to whimper when a surge of overwhelming pain shot through his body. The sound he made alerted the other two presences.
“Careful there. You should not be moving about the moment you are up.”
Blade froze when a petite and slender hand rubbed his back, tracing circles. He looked up and the sight before him rendered him speechless. There he was, looking as beautiful as he remembers. Dan Heng or Yinyue Jun , looks the exact same as before. A pair of turquoise horns proudly rested on top of his head: a sign of power and high status bestowed upon him. His long and abyssal-like hair flowed down his back.
It wasn’t as long as Blade’s hair, for it managed to reach the middle of his back. Some of Dan Heng’s hair had fallen forward and off his shoulders, hanging in the air. His teal eyes show evident concern for him; an emotion Blade hasn’t seen for a long time. The hunter’s heart felt constricted for a moment, as if something was squeezing it. Blade jerked away from the other’s warm touch, ignoring the faint hurt flickering across Dan Heng’s face.
“What happened and where am I?” Blade asked, wincing at how hoarse his voice sounds.
Dan Heng sighed, straightening himself and looked down at him with an impassive look. “You are in the treatment room of the Alchemy Commission. I found you passed out on the streets and I managed to treat your wound.”
Blade’s eyes flickered down, noting how the wound was gone and he was as good as new.
It looks like I’ve returned to the past, but how? And why must it be here?
He tossed the sheets aside, intending to stand up but Dan Heng stopped him with a firm hand on Blade’s shoulder. The hunter raised his head, narrowing his eyes in warning.
“Let me go.”
Just as he remembers, Dan Heng was stubborn in his way. He boldly maintained eye contact and frowned. “No, you are still injured and it would not do you any good to walk around. You need to stay in bed for two more days before you’re fully healed.”
Blade bristled but said nothing else. He huffed, laying on the bed and turned with his back facing him. He was aware that he was acting like a child, but that didn’t matter at the moment. Blade rested one arm underneath the pillow while the other was placed in front of him. He heard an exasperated sigh behind him and the sound of footsteps gradually fading away, followed by the sound of a door closing.
The man was left to his own thoughts. It didn’t take him long to fall asleep, into the world of awaiting dreams.
~
“Dan Heng, I’m not the only one who sees the similarities, right?” Jing Yuan asked.
The general has been eavesdropping on their conversation from the beginning and he has no shame in admitting it. Dan Heng pursed his lips. He crossed his arms, his long and scaly tail slowly swished side to side behind him. The Vidayhara was able to recognize the frightening similarities of his beloved with the… stranger who shares the same face and voice before him. The only three major differences were his hair and eye color along with their personalities.
The one resting right now seems to withdraw into the shell while his lover was more open, kind-hearted and carefree. Dan Heng sighed, uncrossing his arms to rest them by his side. “I am not sure how it happened, but I think we should be careful. I have a feeling he must have accidentally passed a portal that brought him back to the past.”
The general blinked. “Then, that means he’s from the future?”
Yinyue Jun nodded. “Yes, you are right. But I might be wrong, which is why I will be questioning him once he has fully regained his strength. If he dares to harm Xianzhou, rest assured I will take good care of him.”
Jing Yuan chuckled, resting a large hand on his friend’s left shoulder. “All right. Sometimes, I forget how intimidating you can be, considering your short height.”
“... I do not see how my height has a play in this.”
~
To say Blade was disappointed when he woke up in the same room would be an understatement. He pushed himself up, running his hand through his hair. He tried to recall what happened when he was on the run. Brief images flashed about in his mind. One was him defending himself from an onslaught of attacks. Another was him giving up on standing his ground and chose to flee, heading to where Silverwolf was waiting. Blade furrowed his eyebrows when he remembered passing through something like a gate.
It was glowing. He didn’t have the time to think twice about it, wasting no time in passing through it.
Maybe I passed through a portal and ended up here.
“Ah, you are awake.”
The hunter snapped out of his trance. He looked up to see Dan Heng entering the room with a tray of food held in his hands. Blade remained silent, observing his figure as he drew closer. The smell of freshly-cooked chicken porridge filled the room, and his stomach grumbled the moment he smelled the fragrance.
Dan Heng said nothing about it; much to Blade’s relief. He placed the tray on the bedside table, picking up the bowl and spoon before handing it to him. The hunter’s eyes flickered between the two, hesitant.
“Did you really think I would poison you?” Dan Heng asked, arching an eyebrow.
Blade scoffed but said nothing. He accepted the bowl and spoon, holding them carefully as he eats. Despite the rather plain appearance, there was a wide range of flavors that burst the moment he chewed. Among the flavors he was able to pick out ginger. It was the exact same flavor that he used to eat back in the past, when he came down with a high fever. Dan Heng wasn’t a skillful cook, but he was able to at least make decent porridge. His lover used to love adding some sliced and fresh ginger into the porridge.
“Is it good?” Dan Heng asked, noting his silence and how he had stopped chewing.
Blade blinked and swallowed. “It sucks. The worst I’ve eaten.”
Despite his rather crude comment, he ended up finishing everything and the bowl was completely clean. Dan Heng smiled; in which Blade pretended he didn’t see.
“How are you feeling?” Dan Heng asked, returning after handing the tray to one of the passing people.
Blade glanced at him before looking away. “Better, thanks to you. Do I still have to spend my days bedridden or am I allowed to walk around?”
Dan Heng hummed. He approached the hunter, leaning over from the waist and rested a hand on the side of Blade’s abdomen; right where the wound was. Blade stiffened up. His vision was hindered by pitch-black hair. Yinyue Jun was close enough for Blade to get a faint whiff of his natural scent: peppermint and faint incense lingering on his figure.
Blade felt his heart skipping a beat when he could vividly see the other’s godlike face. He can see Dan Heng’s long eyelashes and his mesmerizing teal eyes. His eyebrows were furrowed and his lips were pressed together in a thin line, wistful. Blade shivered at the feeling of Dan Heng’s smooth, slender and petite fingers slipping under his shirt to get a clearer feel of the wound.
“Hm, it looks like it has healed completely,” he reported, moving away and straightening himself. Blade could detect the faint satisfaction in Dan Heng’s voice, who was no doubt proud of his healing ability.
“Oh, that reminds me. I am quite curious to know about your identity, stranger from the future,” Dan Heng asked, arms crossed across his chest.
Blade’s heart fell to the depths of his stomach. His eyes widened slightly; an action that was barely noticeable, if Dan Heng didn’t have enhanced sight. He saw no point in denying the truth, and surrendered with a sigh. “When did you figure it out?”
The Vidayhara hummed, moving to sit by the chair situated beside the bed. “You have many similarities with him, and even a child can see that with their eyes. Now tell me, what happens in the future?”
Blade narrowed his eyes, barely able to stifle the snarl leaving his lips. “Isn’t it obvious, Yinyue Jun? You made me like this. I’m suffering from the consequences of your thoughtless action.”
Dan Heng stared at him, multiple emotions flickering across his face. His shoulders stiffened up and the grip on his upper arms tightened slightly. Blade felt a twinge of pride, knowing the other must be suffering under the anguish and regret of his crime.
“... What did I do to you, Yingxing?”
“You have no fucking right to call me that anymore!” Blade shouted, consumed by anger. He bared his teeth at the other like a ferocious and untamed beast.
Something akin to hurt shone in Dan Heng’s eyes. Once again, Blade felt pleased at that but didn’t show it on his face. He took the other’s silence as a chance to continue.
“You… You made me immortal, even when you knew Immortality is heavily looked down upon in Xianzhou. And yet, you did it without a second thought. I didn't ask for this. All I wanted was a noble death and now... now I can't even die. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to live like this? It’s painful, with how the mara is whispering to me, telling me to surrender my body and mind to them.” Blade paused, bitterly laughing.
“After you turned me into this… this unsightly creature, you ran. You fucking ran, like the coward you are! You turned your back on me, when I needed you the most! You couldn’t bear the thought of seeing your beloved like this and you chose to flee!
He got off the bed, tossing the sheets aside without a second thought. Blade looked down; noting how he wasn’t dressed in his usual bloodstained clothes.
As if he was able to read Blade’s mind, Dan Heng got up and headed to the other corner of the room. He returned shortly, a stack of neatly folded clothes held in his hands. The expression on Dan Heng’s face was unreadable, but not to Blade. He accepted the clothes, dumping them on the bed and turned, with his back now facing Dan Heng.
The man knew the Vidyadhara like the back of his hand. He has stood by Dan Heng’s side long enough to detect his emotions. And right now, Blade can see he was feeling disappointed and furious. The hunter wasn’t sure who or what he was furious at, but it was none of his concern. All he wants to do is get out of here. The mere thought of spending another minute in the same room as Dan Heng makes Blade feel tempted to resort to murder.
He didn’t say anything to shoo the Vidayhara out of the room and stripped from the comfortable white robe. The faint choking sound coming from Dan Heng made Blade smirked, amused. Blade was by no means shy about his body. If anything, he was rather confident in his build. The strenuous training Jingliu put him and Jing Yuan through in the past had helped him improve his stamina and gain muscles.
Blade reached for his shirt, only to pause when he sensed cool fingers grazing along one of the multiple scars littered on his back. He looked over his shoulder, having to glance down as Dan Heng stared at the scars with his lips pressed in a thin line.
“What are you doing?” He muttered.
“How did you get all these scars? Did you get them from your battles? If yes, you should be more careful…” He pointed out, voice trailing off.
Invisible alarm bells rang off in Blade’s mind when he felt the familiar sensation of Dan Heng about to use his healing abilities. He instantly turned, reaching out to grab the shorter man by his slender wrist. Blade ignores how his fingers are touching when it is wrapped around Dan Heng’s small wrist. Dan Heng gasped, startled by the sudden action. He shook his captured wrist; a futile attempt to free himself but it was useless. The grip merely tightened in response, earning a slight wince from Dan Heng.
Blade leaned down until the tips of their noses brushed against one another. He narrowed his red eyes. The corners of his lips tugged downward in the form of a snarl. “Just what do you think you’re doing, Yinyue Jun? Are you trying to atone for your sin?”
Dan Heng trembled, slowly dazing out at the attractive display of how terribly small his wrist looks in the grip of Blade. “I… I merely wanted to heal the scars.”
Blade lowly chuckled; his breaths fanning Dan Heng’s lips. The sound does wonders to Dan Heng, sending fiery heat down to his cock. It was extremely shameful for Dan Heng to realize he was getting hard with someone who doesn’t belong in the current timeline. Dan Heng shuffled about, attempting to hide the growing tent in his pants.
Blade saw this and sneered. With one smooth movement, he maneuvered them around. Blade shoved Dan Heng down onto the bed, just beside his clothes and hovered over him. Blade has one knee shoved in between the other’s thighs, forbidding him from closing his legs. His right hand pinned Dan Heng’s wrist above his head.
The sight beneath him made him paused for a moment.
He can never get enough of the way Yinyue Jun’s pitch-black hair magnificently spreads out behind him. It makes him look more beautiful than he already was. Blade noted the faint blush decorated on the other’s cheeks, dying his skin an adorable shade of light pink. The thought of him being the only one with the privilege of witnessing the esteemed Yinyue Jun, in such a flushed and putty mess, made the beast in Blade purred in delight.
“Yinyue Jun, how would your beloved think if he were to see you like this?” Blade purred, purposely dug his knee into the now evident tent in Dan Heng’s pants.
The choked mewl emitted from those tempting and kissable lips sounds heavenly to Blade. It reminded him of the past with Dan Heng; the times where they fooled around like young teenagers who are madly in love with one another. Blade laughed at Dan Heng’s teary red eyes and how flushed his pale skin was.
“Such a needy whore, aren’t you?” Blade cooed, leaning down to whisper those words into his ear. And because he was a tease and an asshole, Blade blew at Dan Heng’s ear, savoring the startled squeak from the squirming man beneath him.
Blade moved away, rising to his feet and continued getting dressed. He watched from the corner of his eyes as Dan Heng pushed himself up. The Vidayhara gave him a pair of pleading eyes, desire and lust swirling in them. Blade smirks, now fully dressed.
“Aw, is someone getting sad that I’m leaving?” He mocked.
Dan Heng blinked twice and regained his composure. He cleared his throat, smoothing the wrinkles on his clothes and stood up. “... I do not know what you are talking about. But, I have something to say.”
“Which is?”
Dan Heng paused, looking at Blade. “I am sorry.”
Blade was taken aback by the utmost sincerity in his voice and his sudden apology. He stared at the other, unable to say a word for a few seconds. Blade blinked. He turned and headed towards the door, hand resting on the doorknob. He paused, as if he was pondering over something and looked over his shoulder.
“Yinyue Jun.”
“Hm?”
“... I hope you’ll still remember I haven’t forgiven you yet.”
Blade didn’t wait for a response and left, slamming the door shut on his way out. He covered the bottom half of his face with one hand, able to feel his ears flushing red.
Yinyue Jun… I hate that I still love you, even after what you have done.