Work Text:
The great Anakt Garden, home to children being nurtured for the prestigious “Alien Stage”.
Cheng Xiaoshi had entered the garden at a young age, with his sister.
They were two peas in a pod, and times at Anakt were fun, if not a little tiring.
But Cheng Xiaoshi wanted to do well, because every time he did well, the snow prince would smile a little, and that made everything worth it.
The Snow Prince, a silly title he gave to the most beautiful being in Anakt, (at least, in his expert opinion).
Lu Guang was beautiful, natural white hair that encased his face, enhancing his smooth skin and cat-like eyes.
He looked as if the gods had favored him.
His sister, Qiao Ling, would tease him about it, but she was right, Cheng Xiaoshi adored Lu Guang.
Everyone at Anakt Garden knew of course, sometimes Vein would laugh when he talked, (he never understood why Lu Guang disliked Vein so much), and Xia Fei seemed out of it every time he was near, but they both understood him, Lu Guang was his life long partner.
He would spend his time with Qiao Ling and Lu Guang, making them flower crowns and just being… happy.
So when Qiao Ling disappeared around the time they had passed the “Alien Stage” trials, he was devastated.
He didn’t know where she had gone, whether she was alive or dead, and their guardians were rightfully pissed.
Throughout all this, Lu Guang was always there, always supporting him.
He didn’t need anyone but Lu Guang in his life anymore.
But it would be better if Qiao Ling was still here.
The training for “Alien Stage” was gruesome, there would be times where Cheng Xiaoshi would just pass out in his assigned room and not be able to move for hours with how sore his body had become.
But still, Lu Guang was always there for him.
And so it was all worth it, because even if he lost “Alien Stage”, he knew Lu Guang would still be proud of him, and that they would all live happily ever after in the Great Anakt.
Time was all they needed, and they seemed to have plenty of it left.
…
Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang were to be against each other in Round 1.
Cheng Xiaoshi was excited, he wanted to show off his skills to Lu Guang, to show him how much he had improved from the first time they ever sang together.
And he would get to sing out his love for Lu Guang in front of thousands, if not millions, of aliens, truely, what was better than that?
The two were backstage, right before the round started, and Lu Guang looked apprehensive.
“A-Guang? Are you ok?” Cheng Xiaoshi asked him, concerned.
Lu Guang seemed to step out of whatever daze had occupied his thoughts and looked at Cheng Xiaoshi, “I’m fine, just… nervous.” He nodded.
Cheng Xiaoshi smiled, “Don’t worry Guang-Guang! Even if you lose against me, i’m sure you’ll do well that the Great Anakt would open a spot reserved specifically for you! You’re just too pretty, maybe they’ll bring you back as a special judge or something!” Cheng Xiaoshi rambled, grinning.
Lu Guang gave him a smile, it didn’t quite reach his eyes, but that factor went unnoticed.
As they stepped out onto the stage, swirls of blue and yellow filled the arena, an hourglass blooming in the background, sand falling.
They started singing, together.
Lu Guang looked peaceful, his face not contorted with stress anymore, and his body relaxing as he sang.
Cheng Xiaoshi watched in awe as Lu Guang’s face illuminated with a cool blue, this felt right, like they were made for this, made for eachother.
The timer was running out.
Cheng Xiaoshi sang with love, his heart filled with it, as he poured it out to the crowd, to Lu Guang.
They turned to face each other, the hourglass at its final grains.
Reaching their hands out to each other, as if they were to clap.
Lu Guang had a warm smile, the softest smile, the most love filled smile.
But he wasn’t singing.
Cheng Xiaoshi smiled back, he could feel the warmth Lu Guang brought him, that melted all his sadness away and gave him peace like he had never known before.
Their scores illuminated alongside their childhood pictures, 91/35.
Cheng Xiaoshi was still smiling when blood covered his face.
His eyes widened, in disbelief.
What happened?
Why was there blood on his face, and why was Lu Guang on the floor, bleeding out.
Cheng Xiaoshi touched his face, looking at the blood that burned his face.
His legs felt weak, and he dropped to the floor.
He couldn’t say anything as he watched in horror as Lu Guang’s dead body bled out.
The next two rounds were a blur to Cheng Xiaoshi.
He thinks it was Xia Fei first, and then maybe Vein.
He couldn’t be too sure, he didn’t know anymore.
The segyeins ushered him out of his pod, into the changing rooms.
It was his round again, he was facing his next opponent.
They made him wear a white suit, yellow accessories adorning it, what he wanted to wear with Lu Guang, what he had to wear alongside someone else.
He stood still on the stage, he couldn’t feel, he couldn’t think.
Music started playing again, illuminating his body as his opponent came from behind him.
Liu Xiao, “Alien Stage”’s 49th winner.
He smirked as he watched Cheng Xiaoshi.
His moments were familiar, he was getting all up within Cheng Xiaoshi’s personal space.
It angered the black haired man.
Cheng Xiaoshi tried to continue singing, his voice shaky, his eyes flashing with discomfort.
Liu Xiao’s voice was melodic, it was unfair to compare the two.
And suddenly he wasn’t singing against Liu Xiao anymore.
Lu Guang.
Lu Guang was there.
Cheng Xiaoshi smiled, his eyes widened, he held his arms out, to try and touch Lu Guang, as the other held his face.
And then he was brought back to reality.
This wasn’t Lu Guang, no, Liu Xiao came back to his field of vision.
Cheng Xiaoshi wanted to collapse, he wanted the floor to swallow home hole and take him to Lu Guang.
He wanted this all to be a dream.
Memories flooded his vision, times with Lu Guang, with Qiao Ling, being happy.
This had to be Liu Xiao’s doing.
Cheng Xiaoshi couldn’t do anything, his body numb and his throat hoarse.
He couldn’t sing, and instead looked at the arena basking in a pink light, Liu Xiao in the center as the segyein’s cheered him on.
Lu Guang, a figure of Lu Guang as a child back in their Anakt days, walked past as he watched, his body following the boy, only to be faced with Lu Guang’s bloody body.
This was too much, too, too much.
Cheng Xiaoshi couldn’t do this anymore, he wanted to give up.
Liu Xiao came close to him, singing that sickening song.
Cheng Xiaoshi couldn’t see anything but red.
The next thing he knew, he was choking Liu Xiao, punching the other’s face ‘till he was bloody and bruised.
The robot guards pulled him away, kicking and screaming.
His clothes were torn, his face was manic, his eyes illuminated in an angry yellow.
The guards pinned him down, their guns at his head.
He looked at them with distance, with anger.
An emotion he never thought he could feel, it was bubbling inside of him.
Sudden smoke came up, the arena filled with gas.
Cheng Xiaoshi could feel himself being lifted up by a tuft of pink hair.
The pink haired boy looked back, glaring at Liu Xiao.
And Liu Xiao looked at the two, his bloody face just staring.
Cheng Xiaoshi had no strength in his legs, and couldn’t feel anything as they escaped from “Alien Stage”.
…
Cheng Xiaoshi had really first only met Lu Guang when they were being dropped off for the entrance of “Alien Stage”.
They were both encapsulated in these clear boxes.
Confined in a spacious area.
Cheng Xiaoshi was talking with his guardians, Qiao Ling’s guardians, actually.
Two kind aliens who had taken him in from the slums and raised him as their own.
They gave him everything he needed, and they motioned they had to go to his sister.
Cheng Xiaoshi smiled and nodded his head.
On the opposite side of him was a boy, white hair and cat like eyes that seemed so dull.
Cheng Xiaoshi looked at the boy in wonder, a gorgeous boy, like an angel.
He stared at him, while dull eyes stared at him back.
Cheng Xiaoshi put his hand to the glass, an indescribable feeling of familiarity washed over him.
The boy dressed in pure white mimicked his movements.
Cheng Xiaoshi smiled, a bright, infectious smile.
He could feel the glass being pulled away.
He was leaving the angel.
Cheng Xiaoshi cried, tears streaming from his face as he banged on the glass wall, realising it was futile and he was too weak to do anything, he opted to just waving goodbye.
The beautiful angel waved back, entranced.
Cheng Xiaoshi swore he would meet the boy again, he would search all of Anakt Garden if he had to.
Cheng Xiaoshi curled up into a fetal position, still wearing the outfit from the 5th round.
His face filled with tears, eyes in shock and mind scattered as he tried holding himself closer.
Time was all they needed, and they had none left anymore.