when things fly apart [Unknown (TV 2024) Fanfiction 關於未知的我們 ]

the wheel ever-turning my way and yours

Yuan tries not to dwell on the inexplicable shift in his and Qian's conversation on his birthday. He's learned the hard way that managing his own expectations is the key to avoiding heartbreak.

He had applied to graduate just before that phone call in March; a week after the call, his request is certified by the registrar's office and his path out of university life is set. He doubles down on job-hunting over his spring break, intent on having offers by the time he graduates so he has something to make Qian proud of him whenever they see each other next.

Working in tech means he has his pick of where in the world he ends up. He knows he should be applying to as many places as possible, both in the States and abroad, but more often than not, he finds himself applying to openings in Taipei.

He misses home.

He's working on his resume and wondering if his Thai is good enough to apply for a multi-lingual position when, for the first time ever, Qian calls him in the middle of a random Tuesday morning.

"Ge?" Yuan answers the phone, alarmed; it's nearly ten p.m. in Taiwan. "Is everything all right? Lili -?"

"Whoa, Yuan, calm down," Qian says immediately. "Everything's fine. I just need to ask you something really quick."

Yuan has never been more flustered in his life, including all of grade ten when he was trying to figure out why he kept having crushes on other boys.

"Okay?" he prompts Qian tentatively.

"I'm thinking of moving out of the apartment," Qian says. "West, over the river. Someplace a little safer."

Yuan didn't know what he'd been expecting, but it hadn't been that. "Oh. Okay," he says, relaxing a little, still waiting for the reason behind Qian's call.

"Is that alright with you?" Qian asks. "Lili is pretty happy at the idea of getting out of Wanhua. But I don't want to move if you're tied to the place."

Yuan sits heavily onto his desk chair. "That's okay with me," he says haltingly, still processing what's happening.

"Are you sure?" Qian says. "You won't miss coming home to the apartment?"

Yuan shakes his head. "My home is you and Lili, Ge, not the apartment," he says, his heart on his sleeve in a way it hasn't been for a long time. He immediately regrets it - it's the point at which Qian tends to shut down a conversation and change the subject. Yuan braces himself for a soft rejection.

Instead, Qian hums in appreciation. "That's good to hear," he says to Yuan warmly. "I'm looking forward to a shorter commute. The construction on the local line has been going on for over a year now and driving is a bitch."

Yuan nods. "Good. You can sleep more, then. And eat regular meals."

Qian laughs, the gentle sound falling through Yuan's chest like spring water on stones. "You haven't been home in almost four years, Yuan. You have no idea how much I eat or sleep."

"And don't drink so much," Yuan scolds gently, leaning back in his chair, a grin starting to spread over his face. It's so natural, so them, having a silly conversation in the middle of a mundane weekday, that Yuan's heart is threatening to burst with the warmth and familiarity and love.

"I quit drinking eight months ago," Qian says like he's commenting on the weather.

Yuan sits straight up in his chair. "You - you did?" he asks.

"Mm. I didn't mention it?"

"No. What made you decide?"

"I'm old, Yuan," Qian groans dramatically. "I can't handle the hangovers anymore."

"Could you ever?" Yuan says, still grinning into the phone.

"Qù nǐ de."

Yuan laughs. "Do you feel better, at least?"

Qian hums an affirmative. "I feel great," he says earnestly. "And now I have all this extra money to buy a condo across the river."

Yuan laughs again. The joy he's feeling is threatening to suffocate him.

"Hey, Ge," he says, wanting to keep talking about something, anything, just to keep hearing Qian's voice. "I'm graduating at the end of May. Will you and Lili come to the ceremony?"

"Yes," Qian says.

"Sorry it's such short notice," Yuan says. "I wasn't sure if - if you'd be able to."

If you'd care enough to come.

Granted, international flights to the US cost an arm, a leg, one's firstborn, and a metric tonne of saffron, but it seems to Yuan like Qian is doing well at H.O.T.

"Text me the date and I'll work it out with Lili," Qian says. "And Yuan?"

"Mm?"

"Start calling me 'Qian' instead of 'ge', would you?"

Yuan blinks, confused.

Don't call me that.

"I've always called you that," he says slowly.

"When you were little," Qian explains. "You're too old to call me that now."

Yuan pauses. Qian doesn't sound angry or irritated; he sounds matter-of-fact, calm, like the request he's making of Yuan isn't an odd one, given their familial customs. "Okay," he says uncertainly.

"I've gotta run. Be honest about the condo photos I send you, all right?" Qian says.

"I will," Yuan assures him.

They hang up.