Chapter 93: Chapter 93

Flopping onto his bed after yet another long day of packing, Sun Fang stared up at the high ceiling. His gaze followed the soft lights, most of the lamps turned low or off entirely. He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment and just breathing. Chest rising and falling with the motion, he pressed a hand to his stomach, feeling his breaths moving his whole body.

He lied there like that for a total of almost half-an-hour, allowing time to become something nebulous, a force more imaginary than anything. He wasn’t dozing, wasn’t sleeping, but just… resting.

So much had been happening in the last few weeks. The purchase on the house had gone through (obviously), the conversation with Mo Cheng had been taxing but good for everyone. And there was so much packing. So much. Granted, Ivy did the majority of it, but Sun Fang certainly walked around adding things to boxes when the mood struck.

He’d been cooking his own meals, too, because he didn’t want to bother Ivy more than necessary. Turned out that Sun Fang wasn’t a very good cook, though.

Just… there had been a lot.

When his brain no longer felt like confused mush, Sun Fang yawned. He sat up on the bed, bouncing a little on the soft mattress (just for fun) and then rolled off it. Expertly standing on his feet, he padded out of the bedroom and into the hallway. The living room was entirely full of boxes in various stages of being filled, so he just skipped that place entirely. Instead, he headed for the kitchen and fixed up a cold drink. Dropping a pink straw in there, he then wandered out onto the balcony, spinning around the boxes.

On the balcony’s table laid multiple of his sunglasses, and he grabbed the silver-framed ones as he passed, plopping them on his nose effortlessly. Walking right up to the railing, Sun Fang stopped and stared out at the city, and the dome beyond it. He tilted his head back, breathing in the dry air and feeling the scorching sunlight on his face.

He couldn’t be out long—he hadn’t put on any sunscreen. But for just a moment, he wanted to breathe this place in.

Sipping at his drink, he felt the cold liquid move through his body as his eyes drifted over the tall towers, the mini-domes and the various greenhouses splattered throughout the city. He didn’t even say anything when Ivy stepped out onto the balcony, just continued to slowly drink as he memorized this view.

Closing his eyes, he let go of the straw and breathed in deeply. He stood still, unmoving as a statue. The sunlight beat upon him, the warm air blanketing him.

He opened his eyes. ”Do you like this place, Ivy?” he asked, not turning back. Guillotine had been good to him, he thought. It had been an escape for the better part of his adult life and when he finally ran away for good, it had welcomed him with open arms, allowing him to make himself into something new. It had been nice here, had been a good place for them both as they healed and moved on and figured themselves out.

Sun Fang sighed, beginning to sip at his water again. Ivy moved beside him, coming closer and stopping next to him. It didn’t lean on the railing like Sun Fang so often did, and it didn’t say anything for a long minute. But, finally, Ivy said, ”It has been nice, to be here with you.”

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Sun Fang’s mouth pursed. He glance at Ivy, ducked his head at the openness he saw there, and cleared his throat. ”You don’t… think we’re making a mistake, moving?” Sun Fang stared right back out at the view, his gaze frozen upon it. Was he holding his breath? He didn’t know, or care, just wanted that bit of pressure on his chest to go away.

”You want to move there,” said Ivy, no inflection. Sun Fang couldn’t stop himself from glancing this time, just a quick motion barely more than a second long. He saw only Ivy’s serious, expressionless face meeting him.

Clearing his throat again, he added, ”But don’t you think it’s kind of fast? That I made the decision too fast? That I haven’t properly thought it through?”

”Do you think that?” asked Ivy.

Sun Fang laughed, slightly deliriously. He shook his head and dragged his hand through his hair, mumbling, ”I don’t know. I don’t—I want to do this. But I don’t want to ruin a good thing, you know?”

”It will not be ruined,” Ivy said, and Sun Fang turned his body to face it.

”No?” he asked, raising a light eyebrow.

Ivy shook it’s head. ”No,” it repeated, voice strong. It looked right at Sun Fang as it said, ”No matter what happens, it will not ruin anything. I will be right here, with you. Whether you’re unhappy there, whether you want to move back, whether you change your mind or not… I will be here, with you. Always.”

Sun Fang’s eyes watered. He stared at Ivy, lips parted. Eventually, he brushed a finger over the wet edges of his eyes and sniffled softly, pressing down on his smile. He peeked at Ivy out of the corner of his eyes, mumbling, ”Are you sure?”

”Yes,” said Ivy. Sun Fang nodded, then licked his lips and bit down on the bottom one. He placed his now empty glass on the wide railing, smiling at Ivy. Then he giggled, raising a hand to cover the sound.

”Okay,” he mumbled between the giggling, ”okay.” Then he looked at Ivy, and the serious way it was still staring at him, and he said, ”I will always be with you, too. You’re my favorite person.” In response, Ivy nodded, seriously, and Sun Fang smiled wider, his grin growing. He glanced out at the city before him, and felt only pleasure, and then he took Ivy’s hand and pulled it back inside.