She calls him one day, asks him to meet up with her at the park. Against his better judgement, Longya agrees.
Mayu is perched precariously on the highest branch of the big oak tree, legs crossed at the ankles and so far up it looks as though she is one with the afternoon sky. Her dress flutters gently in the cool autumn breeze, and her hair swirls, a golden halo around her head. She looks angelic; Longya knows better, however.
Mayu sees him and waves, but does not make a move to come down.
Instead, she beckons to him.
"Come, Longya," she says, and pats the spot on the branch next to her. "There is much we have to discuss."
.
.
.
The view from the tree is beautiful.
Unlike Mayu's words, which are acerbic.
"I asked you here because I have a proposition for you."
Longya sighs exasperatedly. "You know I won't do anything that will bring harm to Tianyi or Qingxian."
Mayu sneers. "This hasn't anything to do with your pathetic, twisted little love triangle."
"Then what is it?" Longya asks curiously.
.
.
.
Honestly, Longya has to admit that he knew where this was headed the second he saw her name light up on the screen of his phone.
"You need to stop calling me," he mumbles as sharp nails rake none-too-gently at his back, "We can't keep doing this. You do know Tianyi's going to find out and kill you, right?"
Mayu hums distractedly, her teeth finding the column of his throat. Longya's breath catches as she bites down.
"Then why do we always end up doing this?" she ponders.
He doesn't reply.
.
.
.
It's not as though he goes seeking Mayu out. No, she is always the one calling him. But Longya goes to her, every single time — like a lovesick puppy she has on call.
Tianyi grows increasingly suspicious as his disappearances become ever more frequent.
When he is going out every second night to 'hang with Moke', Tianyi finally confronts him.
"I know he is your good friend, but you've never felt the need to see him this frequently, dear Longya."
Longya laughs a little nervously and bends down to tie his shoelace, desperately running through excuses in his mind. From his pocket his phone beeps, and Tianyi's eyes narrow.
"Who are you really sneaking out to see, dear Longya?"
"Tianyi —" he protests, but the angel has a steely look in her eyes, and before he knows it, she has managed to wrestle his phone from him.
"... I knew it! Oh, Longya, why must you do this to yourself?" The pity in her voice makes him hang his head in shame. Tianyi sits beside him on the cool marble staircase. She pats him gently on the shoulder.
"It is alright, Longya," she sighs. "After all, we all have those people who we can't help but fall victim to."
He doesn't see it, but her gaze lingers sadly upon his bowed head.
.
.
.
12:09am
Longya?
12:17am
You know I don't like to be kept waiting.
12:36am
Has the angel Tianyi finally gotten to you?
12:45am
Longya, if you don't come over right now, you know there will be consequences.
1:08am
Fine. You know what I'm capable of. Just you wait, darling.
.
.
.
"Just throw the phone out, Longya," Tinayi begs for the thousandth time.
"No," he insists, taking one last look at the screen before stuffing the device back into his pocket. "I need to know if Mayu suddenly decides to do something stupid. Like kidnap someone and hold them hostage in exchange for me. You know she could."
Tianyi chews her lip anxiously. "I know that. But you can't keep reading every nasty text message she sends you, Young Master. It's making you angry. I can tell."
His phone beeps.
4:17pm
You're weak for bending to her will, Longya. You know she doesn't love you like I do.
Longya growls and stomps out of the kitchen.
Slamming his bedroom door, he flops face-down on his bed, the phone still clutched in his hand.
It beeps yet again.
4:19pm
Come back to me. You know it'll happen eventually.
4:19pm
Don't you miss me, Longya?
Frustrated, Longya tosses his phone—but not far. It lands several feet away on the edge of his bed.
He doesn't miss Mayu—and yet, there is a certain heaviness that comes with her absence, and the feeling of unease which crawls under his skin.
4:26pm
Be a dear and meet me on the rooftop of the Shanghai Tower. I'll be waiting.
He doesn't have the will to disobey.
.
.
.
When he arrives, Mayu is sitting cross-legged against a tall stone pillar near the edge of the roof. She beckons, and Longya is jogging over to her before he can grimace and stop himself.
The air is humid, even in late afternoon, and the sky an odd, sickly shade of orange.
"Tell me why I'm here," Longya tries to demand when he reaches Mayu, but it comes out as more of a plea.
Mayu raises a delicate hand, pointing to a green area in the distance.
"Do you see that? That's the park with the oak tree you used to come meet me at."
"So?"
Mayu smiles one of her rare smiles.
"Come back to me, Longya."
Longya scoffs. "You've gotta be kidding me."
"This is no joke, Longya. People will suffer if you don't."
His breathing picks up, and he can feel his head beginning to ache. "Mayu, what have you done?"
"Your fickle angel friend is at that park right now. As are my men. And rest assured, Usano Mimi and her friends will not go down so easily this time. You see—" Mayu pulls an ornate, bejewelled pin from her hair, "—this time, we have magic on our side."
Longya shakes his head. "You'll never beat Tianyi, henchmen or not. She's too powerful."
Leaning against the pillar, he stares down at the city below them.
"Leave me alone, Mayu. I'll never come back to you."
He should've known better than to be so careless with his words. He's standing on the edge of a building that's over a hundred stories, for god's sake.
In a flash, Mayu is on her feet, her hairpin flying towards him, thrown with an uncanny accuracy (Longya would later remember that it was enchanted).
It embeds itself in his hand — through his hand — and with a yell of horror, Longya realises that he is pinned, quite literally, to the pillar underneath his palm.
The pain is ghastly. As is Mayu's expression of utmost fury.
"You forget, Longya, that I will have you by any means. Dead or alive." She reaches under the hem her black dress, and with a deft flick, she has her favoured weapon in hand. Longya's blood runs cold.
"You're insane," he stammers, his voice shaking, "You're out of your mind, Mayu."
"I'm sorry," she says coldly, but for a second Longya thinks he sees sincerity flash through her eyes.
"Come here, Mayu," he says, and surprise colours her expression before she is clambering, almost stumbling to where he is pinned, one hand to the pillar, the other clenched by his side.
"Let me free," he implores her, brushing the fingers of his free hand across her temple. Mayu narrows her eyes, but pulls the hairpin from his hand. Longya's eyes water from the pain and he grits his teeth, screwing his eyes shut tightly.
"Longya, there is no you, or me. There is just us," Mayu says, and her arms entwine themselves around his body, entrapping him.
Longya wraps his good arm firmly around her waist, and brings his bloodied hand up to cradle her cheek. The blood smears onto her skin and hair, painting them a deep scarlet — but Longya doesn't care.
He tentatively tries to step backwards, but feels nothing but air beneath his feet. He is on the edge of the Tower.
"Just us," he echoes, and Mayu nods.
"Well, if it must be."
And he barely has time to register Mayu's surprise before he is stepping backwards off the building, pulling Mayu, still cradled in his arms, along with him.
They fall, although it seems to take forever.
Far, far down towards the hard concrete below.
Mayu's eyes catch his in those last few seconds before the impact, and she is not angry, Longya realises, but glad. She sees the beauty of this.
'Just us', she mouths, and Longya smiles.
Author's Notes:
This was supposed to be uploaded a while ago, but it slipped my mind. Whoops.