Tᴏ ᴛᴀᴍᴇ ᴀ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜs ᴍᴀɴ『ʙˡᵃᵈᵉ ˣ ᴍʀ』

IX

Uɴᴄᴏᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀsᴛ

Blade says his nightly partings to Kafka while situating himself at his chosen spot and eventually falls into an unusually deep slumber.
When Blade opens his eyes he finds himself in a vaguely familiar place. He was leaning against a maple bonsai next to a familiar face; Dan Heng...
"Aiya, where is he...."

"Huh?"

"Where you listening at all ▓▓▓▓▓? I'll say it again then. M/n was supposed to be here an hour ago...I'm worried about him now.."Blade was confused even more...What did Dan Heng IL say? What was the word?
"Dan ▓eng–"

"Gē ge, xiānshēng!! Sorry I'm late but look what I got!?"Surly enough M/n pops up holding a clay jar of what Blade presumed was wine.
"M/n, what is it this time?"

"Jiannanchun!"

"Oh, Aeons...I guess you two will have to drink without me, you're so late I ran out of free time. How about you two spend some quality time after I leave?"M/n cocks his eyebrow at this but shrugs and sits down without much of a fuss.
"Ah! I see why you were late, your spring ceremony must have run long, huh?"

"....I–I don't want to talk about it..."

"Well if Dan ▓eng IL isn't going to say it, I will. You look nice M/n."Blade felt as if he were in the back seat of this memory but what his former self said was true M/n did look nice in his ceremony clothes.

"I was getting to that, I swear. Though your hair could use a bit more taming~"M/n chuckles at this comment, he knows full well that the hair of a Qilin was never to be tamed. It's what made them stand out the most besides their slick back horns.
"As if, our thick hair is our pride and joy. Anyway let's move on–"Blade caught sight of what seemed to be a bruise on M/n wrists, it was bright against M/n's S/t skin. Gently, Blade catches M/n's wrists.
"What happened?"

"......"

"M/n...I get it...How was your day before the ceremony?"Blade softens up at this and tries his best to distract his 'junior'. This question sparks M/n to shake the clay jar with a huge smile and explains how Jing Yuan bought it for him.
"It's the first of this month's new batch! So it's expected to be good!"

"And expensive. I can't believe Jing Yuan...Ah, I must go, remember to save me some."Dan ▓eng IL leaves the two to be alone but M/n frowns deeply at this.
"Thanks, xiānshēng...Dan ▓eng IL would be disappointed if he knew how I felt about my position.. You're the only person who understands my sorrow and pain."

"You should tell him that you hate your position...Why carry the burden as you do, you're starting to drink more than usual."

"It's my place in the Qilin community, it was predestined that I take this place. I can't understand the Shamim... everyone was expecting Winter to be my season, hell even I was but I guess we're wrong.."M/n sighs while learning against Blade, he tenses up for a moment but leans back against M/n.
"One day, you'll be free from those chains and I'll be there with open arms to welcome you to a truly free world."

"Thank you. Uh, have you noticed that Dan ▓eng IL has been acting strange? Mainly when I call him Gē ge... It's like he hates it now or maybe he thinks I'm childish.."

"That's definitely not the reason...But he'll come to terms with whatever is going on in his mind."M/n looks up at Blade with a small smile, cheeks a bit red from the wine. Even at that moment, Blade found M/n's beauty to be eternal. As he watches, his former self learns over enough, their lips barely touching.
"Xiānshēng I...I–"

"Don't say anything you'll regret."

"I won't regret this...I like you. I always have, I mean anyone could tell with how I address you."Blade found himself blushing at this, especially as he watched his former self and the 'young' M/n share a tender first kiss under the maple bonsai.