10001 Nightmares Party

[Fic] lost in the forest of this heart (The Lost Tomb Reboot)

Summary:

Liu Sang is alone. He has no backup, no connections, no safety net. And in the tomb raiding business, that's never a good thing. So in order to buy himself a somewhat safe position, where he won't be seen as expendable, he begins a rumor that he's dating Wu Xie.

Wu Xie, after all, is the perfect person for the role; he's from a wealthy and influential family, is legendary in the business, and is close friends with Liu Sang's idol. More importantly, he's famously distanced himself from tomb raiding and likely won't ever hear of the rumor. This means that for years, while Liu Sang builds up his own connections and reputation, he has some measure of safety.

And then he shows up at a tomb raid, hired by Wu Erbai (already a risk in itself, but the man has never said anything about the rumor) to find that Wu Xie (and Liu Sang's idol) is there.

...Shit.

Notes:

This is a Work in Progress. It is not finished. It might never be finished. Read at your own risk.

Chapter 1

Notes:

this fic exists for one (1) reason:

the idea of wu erbai spending years hearing rumors about his nephew and this Random Person™ being super in love is hilarious to me. even more hilarious; wu erbai hasn't been able to confirm it one way or another because liu sang always pretends to misunderstand, or like he's listening to vital information and thus "sorry, I missed what you said"'s him every time. and wu xie? wu xie won't talk to him about his love life!

so wu erbai goes years with these rumors, and then, finally, he sees wu xie and liu sang in the same room together! time to catch liu sang in his lies (bc he never really believed them, it's not like he doesn't know wu xie is smitten with xhang qiling, okay). and then. then.

wu xie. stares like an idiot. and just—is so fucking obviously in love with liu sang.

the second wu erbai is out that tent, he's texting wu xie's parents.

they can finally use their Wedding Plan™!

Chapter Text

In Wu Erbai's camp, there are voices that he doesn't recognize.

Liu Sang is used to this; Wu Erbai works closely with some people, people who are obviously affiliated with the Wu family, but he also hires plenty of outside assistance when required. And from what Liu Sang was told, this is a fairly big tomb that he's supposed to map, so the new people aren't a shock. That they're talking about him is annoying, but also not something that he's not grown to expect.

He meets Wu Erbai when he exits the car that'd picked him up, greeting him respectfully and ignoring the tension that always befalls him when in this man's presence. Wu Erbai, after all, has been hearing rumors about Liu Sang dating Wu Xie for years now.

They're not true, of course.

But Liu Sang started them for a reason, and he can't afford to clue in Wu Erbai one way or another. So he greets him politely, following him to the tent and keeping his head high. The Wu people he's met before step out of his way, polite in the face of rumors that have never been confirmed one way or another. Like always, Liu Sang pretends that he doesn't notice it.

Wu Erbai steps into the tent first where they're still talking about him, and Liu Sang follows. And obviously, he hears it when Wu Erbai is called "Ershu," by two people.

That's not something people call Wu Erbai. Unless, of course, they're related to him.

Wu Erbai's eyes seem glued to him when he straightens, adjusting his suit to compensate for the poor fit. Those are not eyes that miss anything, and Liu Sang lets his gaze slide past him like he doesn't notice. Instead, he looks at the two people standing in front of them, both male, both older than him.

He's fairly certain what's happening here, he just needs to know who's who. Wu Erbai wouldn't be staring at him so much if he wasn't waiting for a very specific reaction, after all, and so Liu Sang just looks away from the strangers, frowning like he's annoyed about something.

"This is the master that I've hired, Liu Sang," Wu Erbai introduces him, and Liu Sang preens a little, straightening his back. Then, of course, Wu Erbai says, "Liu Sang, this is Pangzi and Wu Xie."

...Shit.

"I know," he snorts, turning away from them before any of them can say anything and ruin the whole thing. He turns instead to face the man who has to be Zhang Qiling, whom Liu Sang has heard so much about. Pulling out his phone, he snaps a quick photo to the background noise of Pangzi complaining about him. Zhang Qiling merely looks at him while he does it, not saying a word.

Pangzi is still complaining when Liu Sang turns back. Looking straight Wu Erbai, he says, "No one told me they'd be coming along," ignoring the complaining from Pangzi and the intense staring from Wu Xie.

He's not sure if the staring is helping or not, so he just pretends it's not there.

"It was a last minute decision," Wu Erbai says, glancing at Wu Xie and then back at him. Liu Sang narrows his eyes and snorts again, extra condescendingly.

"You came to me because you needed my help, right? Then I'm in charge," he says as he starts undressing, possibly turning a little so Wu Xie will have a better view.

The pointing at his tattoo is annoying, but Wu Erbai's quick, "Yes," is gratifying.

Liu Sang smirks, and stares right at Pangzi when he says, "Shut up."

Then indigent flailing he gets in response is hilarious. "Ershu—" the old man calls and Wu Erbai's answering shut up is glorious. Especially the way Pangzi folds instantly, suddenly incapable of saying a single word.

Liu Sang huffs a laugh, not even bothering to hide it. He almost feels like sticking out his tongue at the bigger man, who's now just glaring at him in silence while Liu Sang finishes changing his clothes.

He's still ignoring Wu Xie.

Wu Erbai is still glancing between them, clearly studying their every move.

Liu Sang asks, "Is everything ready for me to begin?" and begins to move before he even gets the answer, knowing full well that they are. He walks around Wu Xie like the man doesn't exist, and is Wu Xie still staring at him? Yes, yes he is. Wu Erbai, at least, is no longer studying Liu Sang as intensely.

It’s easier, outside. He’s good at his job, and he knows exactly how to go about it for the best possible result. And so he loses himself in the work, drowns out the sound of Wu Xie’s heartbeat and stuttering lungs, the sound of Pangzi’s mutterings, the sound of Zhang Qiling’s silent and steady heartbeat. He, too, drowns out the noise of the gossip, ignores the pointing and the jealousy.

He listens enough to be sure that nobody has yet caught on to the rumors untruthfulness, because that’s information he needs to know. He doesn’t think Wu Erbai will kick him out or anything if he figures it out, but one can never be too certain.

And he’s... not sure if he’s ready, to be without that safety net.

(Not sure if he wants to be without it.)

He can feel Wu Xie’s eyes on him as he sets things up, as he sorts out his equipment and gets everything ready; can hear, too, the sound of their talking. He focuses on his work, and despairs that he can’t properly drown out the noise yet. There are birds, too, high above, flying in circles like they’re lost.

Done, he finally stands, brushing off his hands as he goes to where the group has settled. He nods to Wu Erbai, and begins handing out instructions. It’s precise work, but Wu Erbai’s men are actually well-trained and experienced tomb raiders; he does think they can pull it off. Even if maybe he’s a little more condescending and arrogant than he usually is.

But he needs... he needs to seem annoyed and upset with Wu Xie, he needs to have a pretense for not talking to him that won’t give away his lies. And he can’t talk to him—if they talk, Wu Xie will say something to give it away. He won’t know better. (Wouldn’t care even if he did.)

So he settles for a surly attitude, and projects every bit of arrogance that he can. And he never, ever looks at Wu Xie.

The evening, while waiting for everything to get ready, isn’t any better.

He’s worked with some of these people before, on smaller digs. Some of them are even free-lancers, like him (although far more established and with actual backing) and he’s worked on jobs with them that Wu Erbai had had nothing to do with.

It’s probably a good thing, that in the tomb raiding business, competence speaks for itself. Because otherwise, he doesn’t think some of them would tolerate him.

There are mutterings, while he works. Quiet, careful chatter as they debate whether his rumor with Wu Xie is true. It goes on and on, and those that are actual Wu people are debating the fiercest. Liu Sang’s lips twitch when one of them proudly declares that he and Wu Xie are obviously already married, and another one passionately interjects, certain they’ve broken up, that that’s why Liu Sang is ignoring Wu Xie so intently.

He wonders, as he works, if he could swing that? A breakup story, would it still hold the same weight? Maybe, he thinks, if he could convincingly play heartbroken and like they’re still in touch?

Wu Xie’s lungs rattle when he coughs, and Liu Sang frowns.

He gets in position, and the bombs go off. One after another, solid, thumps that echo and boom through his head. It’s blinding, silencing the rest of the world as his hearing narrows down, focuses, his world thinning and narrowing and twisting until there’s only this; the bombs and tomb below that they map.

But the last bomb doesn’t go off.

Frowning, he opens his eyes and sits up straight. He looks in the direction, glancing around to see if it’s just a delay, but nothing happens. He can’t hear it either—something went wrong. Scowling, he pushes himself to a standing position, stalking off to where his idol and the others are waiting.

“Who planted it?” he demands, anger beginning to burn in him.

There is blustering and denials and lies as he stalks up to it, and he ignores it all. Inconsequential bullshit, it’s just a distraction.

The birds falling to their death are less so.

The urgent running from doom as the earth itself chases them is terrifying.

Falling into the earth is both painful and scary as shit.

When he finally lies still at the bottom of seemingly a crevice, Liu Sang stares up at the what little he can see of the night sky and wheezes into the silence, his heartbeat pumping away in his ears, the sound, for a moment, overpowering his whole world. So for a moment, there’s just the sound of his breaths and his heart, and his fingers scrambling for purchase in the ground.

The sounds recede, and he forces himself to his feet. Dusting himself off, he scowls as he think about that stupid bomb. He scowls even more when he realizes that he’s not equipped for traipsing through a tomb because that’s not his job. That’s not what he does, and Wu Erbai knows it. Then he scowls at the idea that Zhang Qiling might think this is his fault, and he doesn’t want to make a bad impression on his idol.

(Even though he certainly already has, ignoring Wu Xie so thoroughly. They obviously care about each other, and Zhang Qiling can’t have liked Liu Sang treating Wu Xie like that. Even though Zhang Qiling is hard to read, with his steady heartbeat, it’s not difficult math.)

Liu Sang pinches his forearm through his jacket, grimacing, and gets himself back together. He takes a deep breath, and he listens.

Wu Xie is... surprisingly close actually. They all are, but Wu Xie’s the closest. So Liu Sang sets his face into something that doesn't scream that fall almost scared me to death and walks around the corner to find Wu Xie digging through the earth for something. He stops, furrowing his eyebrows, and looks over Wu Xie’s shoulder.

Wu Xie glances back at him. “Are you going to help or just stand there?” Wu Xie rasps, the rudest that Liu Sang has ever heard him.

He could drag it out but—he does need a cordial relationship with Wu Xie.

So he says, “That’s not Pangzi.”Wu Xie stills, then resumes digging at a slower rate until he tears the backpack free. Liu Sang can’t help click his tongue, saying, “I wasn’t lying.”

Wu Xie stands up. He turns to Liu Sang, looking him over. This close, with just the two of them, Liu Sang can hear his dying lungs the easiest yet. They’re struggling, failing, falling apart. He doesn’t understand why Wu Xie would go to a tomb, when he’s on the edge of death. Shouldn’t his family have locked him up in a hospital somewhere?

Liu Sang breaks the silence. “You’re dying,” he notes, voice thankfully flat.

The stillness Wu Xie falls into is unsettling. His muscles freezing, his heart skipping a beat, and his face loses all expression until it’s completely blank. It’s... scary. It’s scary, and Liu Sang almost takes a step back.

“How did you know?” Wu Xie asks, tilting his head.

Liu Sang can’t help but smirk, pride filling him. The fear gives way and he points to his ear. He doesn’t need to say anything—Wu Xie understands what he means. Wu Xie’s eyes widen, his heart stuttering in his chest as his lungs freezes. He’s staring at Liu Sang again, and Liu Sang stares back.

Notes:

I can't remember if there are any lines I've lifted directly from the show...

I'm doing camp nano in April, so who knows when the next update will be. (plus, i am currently prioritizing my original novels)

I have some sort of weird, strange prejudice against short chapters in fanfics, which is screwy because I write 1k chapters on my origfics, so really, what gives? nevertheless, I am trying to plummel it to death, so this fic will have 2k chapters.

also, I haven't finished the show. i am on ep 11 of season 1, but am rewatching it so I'm actually on ep 5. plus, I haven't watched all the shows in between and you can probably tell.

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#Fandom: MISC - TV #Post Type: Fic #Rating: Teen #Status: On Hiatus #Tag: Crack Treated Seriously #Tag: Scheming #WC: 1000-5000