Forget. The words seared through Wangji's mind, resounding over and over again like an empty vessel. Forget him. The words haunted him in his dreams, his mind, the same way a familiar face did, gracing his thoughts.

"Oublie-le. Please," he pleaded softly, and for a moment, Wangji was back on the battlefield again. His vision fluttered in front of him, tipping unsteadily. Instinctively, he looked down, growing more aware of the fingers intertwined with his, slipping away millimetre by millimetre as he did so. His arm seemed to throb again, but he felt numb to the pain.

But no matter how many times he looked down, no matter how many times he relived this memory, it still took his breath away.

Familiar silver eyes were now replaced by ones of crimson, but Wangji knew all the same. Wei Ying. The name came out as a ragged whisper against his tongue. His eyes were bloodshot and red, and looking up at Wangji with so many emotions he could combust. Regret crossed his features in a bitter dance across the lovely planes of his face, his pink lips twisted into a soft grimace, with a gentle trace of a smile. I'm sorry, his eyes seemed to whisper, his body pulling down.

Lan Zhan could feel himself losing him slowly, bit by bit, as his body tipped further and further downwards, threatening to pull both of them into free fall. He dig his knees even more tightly into the ground, ignoring the protests of his own body as stone sliced through his skin. Warm blood trickled out of him, but at that moment, nothing else seemed to matter.

"Let me go, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying's voice came out in stilted breaths as if he were half gasping for air. He was, Wangji realised. A little too far, a little too late. Blood spilt out of the wound in Wei Wuxian's stomach in infrequent streams, blood staining his robes that were already caked in grime and dried blood. Monster, Wangji could hear Lan Qiren's voice as well as he could hear his own, but for the first time in a while, he pushed back against it, trying to get the words out of his head.

"Let me go,"

But Lan Wangji held on stubbornly, willing his grasp to stay strong.

They were close enough for Wangji to hear his heartbeat, growing mildly fainter by the minute.

"No."

A look that crossed between fondness and anguish crossed Wei Wuxian's features, his lips pulled into a painful half-smile. "Stubborn as always, Lan Er-Gege. You can let me go now. I mean it this time."

But Lan Zhan's reply remained steadfast. "No. Won't let go of Wei Ying."

"Lan Zhan," this time, his name was a quiet reproach. "If you don't let go now, we'll both fall."

"Wherever you go, I'll follow."

And he meant it. He could feel the strength in his arm slipping away second by second, the rock scraping across his skin, but hell if he wouldn't try. To pull him over, even if it was foolish to think they could run away. Maybe it'd be better to fall with him, to let go.

"Don't do this now, Lan Zhan." This time, desperation seeped into Wei Wuxian's voice, tinged with despair and a mild hint of...wistfulness. "Please,"

Don't make this harder for me, Lan Zhan. I don't want to leave you. But we can't.

I can't.

There was no chance of Wangji pulling him up, that much Wei Wuxian was certain of. His arm was already wounded, and he was exerting himself just to keep them up.

Just a few stolen minutes, a few stolen moments.

"I love you, Lan Wangji. But the more you try to catch up with the shadows, the harder it is to pull away. That's all." The crimson in his eyes seemed to fade for a moment, turning from crimson to grey, back to Wei Ying again.

Or maybe he was always Wei Ying in the first place. But the world was blind, and Wei Wuxian wanted nothing but to run. To escape.

I don't want to leave you behind.

But there was no choice.

His eyes opened for a fraction of a second as footsteps resounded behind them, before dislodging his arm from the older boy's.

Je t'aimais. "我愛你。藍湛，再見。我們在下一輩子在見多一次吧。謝謝你。"

Translation: "I love you. Goodbye, Lan Zhan. May we meet once again in our next lives. Thank you."

With that, he smiled once more, letting the image of golden eyes searing into his imprint themselves into his eyelids, once again. Pulling his eyes shut, he let himself fall, surrendering to the air.

The wind whipped past his skin, biting into every open wound he had, threatening to drag him further and further down. He should be afraid, that much he knew. But the familiar whisper of ice against his stomach stayed far away, nothing but calmness filling his heart.

He could feel the darkness in his heart unfurling, the voices and spirits of those he'd loved and lost, of those whom he'd brought back and guided, swarming him, threatening to take him further.

But this time, he wasn't afraid.

He had Lan Zhan, after all.

Even if he wasn't here anymore, his memory would still live on in him.

Words threaded in and out of his head, and he lost himself but by bit, unravelling like bits of broken glass on a spool of string.

But just before he let go, a voice seared through his mind.

"魏嬰，我們下一輩子再見吧。我會在每一輩子愛你。我愛你，再見。"

Translation: "Wei Ying, let's meet in our next life. I'll love you in every lifetime. I love you and goodbye."

Smiling, Wei Ying surrendered, letting the darkness take him under one more time.

I love you.

By now, I'm the only one who still remembers. Do you remember now, Wei Ying? Can you hear me from where you are? A thousand words and a million questions swarmed through Lan Zhan's mind. No matter how much time had passed, staring back at the stars, he couldn't help but remember.

For once, they weren't in Gusu.

Instead of the familiar scent of earth and wood, this place simply smelled like incense. There was something heavy to it, something oddly intoxicating and confusing that Wangji didn't really like, a scent with too many layers that made his head dizzy. He didn't want to be here, after all. But the Wens had left them with no choice. Follow, or die. Quietly, he raged, letting the unfamiliar feeling of fury rage through his veins, adrenaline running through his blood, a weird pressure building up at the back of his spine, as if encasing him, preparing him to fight. Despite the pain that seared through his leg, he wanted nothing more than to rip the smirk off Wen Chao's face.

Bastard, he thought, ignoring the shrill voice that ran through the courtyard.

He could hear his uncle's voice in his brain snapping at him to pay attention, but he wasn't here now, was he?

No, it was only when a certain boy stepped forward that he started paying attention.

The moment the younger boy stepped in front of him, Lan Wangji could have sworn his breath was taken away. He didn't look that much different from what he had been a few months ago, not really. His eyes were still a stunning shade of grey, the same shade Wangji imagined to be a cross of the stars and the sky. His grin was still the same, but his ebony black hair was now streaked with a few strands of sunbleached brown hair. Wangji felt his heart stir up in his chest, beating faster and faster.

Heck, how was it possible for someone to look this pretty? To look so handsome? But it wasn't the thing that stood up to him the most, this time, but the way he carried himself. There was an aura of confidence to him this time, one that Wangji wasn't quite sure of. It wasn't quite like the boyish confidence he'd carried just a few months earlier, the same one that came infrequently, with hesitant smiles and quiet fidgeting, especially when he thought no one was watching.

But there was something almost reckless about his confidence now, something brash in the way he stood, but gentle all the same. The moment their eyes met, Wei Wuxian started, smiling before walking towards him. "I didn't think I'd see you here," he breathed, eyes sparkling with glee.

Somehow Lan Wangji didn't think he'd ever seen someone so happy to see him. "Mm," he answered, trying to suppress a smile of his own. "It's been long."

At this, Wei Wuxian's smile turned into a mischievous grin. "Missed me?"

"Mm."

"I can't hear you, Lan Zhan," this time, Wei Wuxian's smile was almost diabolical. His fingers looped through a few stray strands of hair, pulling them back. Wangji pretended to ignore it when his fingers brushed against his forehead ribbon, hitting it slightly askance. The same way he pretended to ignore the flaming behind his ears.

"Missed Wei Ying." At that, Wei Ying simply laughed, every note like music to Lan Wangji's ears. "Sentimental now, are we?" he teased, cooing when he saw how red Wangji's ears were. "You're too adorable, Lan Zhan."

Wangji could have worn his heart stuttered. But as Wei Wuxian pulled him closer, pretending to stumble into him, he didn't miss the brush of his hand against his. "I missed you too," he whispered. "Meet me at eight later? Behind the fountain,"

Wangji simply nodded, his silent response one of bliss.

And if their fingers intertwined, no one had to know.

What happened that night?

Your name's engraved in the bottom of my heart, Wei Wuxian. Would you come back to it, just one more time?

But the thoughts faded in and out as easily as they came, and this time, Wangji found himself falling.

Not again.

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A/N: 1654 words! Yup, another Songfic this time, but I wanted to try translating one of my favourite songs in Chinese this time...some of the lyrics used are lines from the MV, the others are my own interpretations or translations- I've wanted to write something inspired by this time for so long, I'm glad I actually did it- and there'll be a part 2 to this- I originally wanted this as a oneshot, but somehow just this part of the lyrics ended up this long...either ways, I hope you guys will enjoy this one, and thank you so much for reading!
Also, go and check out the song if you want to! I really love it!