lirelyn

Happy Wednesday! Two WIP snippets, one from the next chapter of the lantern by the door (modern zcx AU) and one from my original Untitled Space Lesbians project.

Lan Zhan answered the phone quickly, which annoyed Jiang Cheng even more. He could have bothered to text back a quick yes or no.

“Wanted to make sure you’re still expecting us for dinner, before I get the baby all set to go out.”

There was a moment of silence, then Lan Zhan said, “I apologize. I had forgotten the day. We will need to reschedule.”

Up until ten seconds ago, Jiang Cheng would have said Lan Zhan’s one good quality was his adherence to schedules and order. “I see. I should have confirmed earlier in the week, instead of assuming you’d remember us.”

“I do apologize.” There was a distinct hiss to the ‘z’. “We’re experiencing some upheaval right now.”

His first wild thought was that Wei Ying had come back: had come back and gone straight to Lan Zhan’s and neither of them had even bothered to tell him. “Anything I can help with?” he said acidly.

“No, thank you. There is water damage in my building. We have to relocate temporarily. Nothing to concern you.”

Jiang Cheng leaned against the wall, deflated and feeling the sharp backwash of guilt that always came when his anger had overreached. “Oh. Gosh. That sounds like a hassle. I’m, uh. I’m sorry.”

“We’ll manage,” said Lan Zhan. Now that he was listening, Jiang Cheng could hear the strain in his voice. “I apologize again for forgetting to cancel.”

“Please, it’s no big deal,” said Jiang Cheng, wretchedly aware that he had been making it a big deal. In the background he could hear wails that must come from A-Yuan. “Uh. You have somewhere to go?”

She took her opportunity to look, in the few seconds before Vi noticed her. Vi had always kept her hair short, and now it was buzzed tightly around the back and sides of her head. Her shoulders had broadened, and there was a swirl of a tattoo showing under the sleeve of her T-shirt. Two lines that hadn’t been there before showed between her brows as she shook a cocktail shaker briskly.

Then Vi saw her, and all her movements stilled. For a second she looked seventeen again, unsure and full of hope. She gave Tempe a tiny nod, and finished making her customer’s drink while Tempe slowly approached the bar, feeling like she was stepping on forbidden ground.

“You’re here,” said Vi when Tempe finally stood at the bar across from her.

“I’m here.” Yesterday it had all happened too suddenly to disturb her calm. Today the hugeness of it settled over her: Vi standing opposite her, almost smiling, wanting to see her. It clenched around Tempe’s chest and squeezed, the sudden memory of the last time Vi had looked at her before yesterday, the hostility and the rage. Tempe had spent so long thinking That’s fair, that she hadn’t noticed how much it had hurt. It had buried itself like a shard of metal in her heart, and it was hurting her now, working its way out.

“Luce!” Vi said, and the other girl behind the bar looked up. “This is my friend. We’re going to sit and catch up.”

Luce gave Tempe a sharp, assessing look, but all she said was, “Got it, boss.”

Vi led Tempe to an empty table in the corner. “What’ll you have?”

Tempe couldn’t remember the name of a single drink.