Chapter Text
Running for leisure was different than running for sport—this was a truth that Xie Lian knew all too well.
The buzz of adrenaline was quieter, and less insistent when he was out on his daily jog. He remembered the days when he could run as fast as he wanted, with nothing but a clear track in front of him, flanked by two competitors on either side. Now, he had to weave through pedestrians, dodge bicyclists speeding down the sidewalk, and jump curbs.
It was different, that was for sure. But that didn’t make Xie Lian love running any less.
Passion for the sport pumped through his veins and energized every fiber of his being. Even if he hadn’t touched a track in three years, he still dreamt about running around and around and around, breathing sharply, his feet pounding the ground in a steady rhythm. Almost every night he dreamt about racing, and almost every morning, he woke up disappointed.
Every time his late-morning run came to an end was also a brief moment of stabbing disappointment, but he brushed past it. There were things to do. After all, he couldn’t neglect homework just to run around all day.
Xie Lian returned to his studio apartment. It was small, but suitable for his needs. The kitchen was a triangle in one corner of the room, and there was room for a bed, a television, a small table for eating at, and a desk. The bathroom was equally tiny, but at least it was private.
Even though it was hardly March, and still rather cold outside, the runs left Xie Lian sweaty and pleasantly tired.
When he stepped into his shower, it was nice to wipe the salt from his face and soak his almost-short hair in the warm water. As he cleaned himself off, he thought about the rest of the day and all the things he needed to do. A few assignments… An essay. A handful of readings.
Admittedly, Xie Lian didn’t love being in school, but he didn’t have many other options. At least, he always reasoned, he was getting a teaching certificate along with his history degree. That way, he would be able to get a job after graduation. He wasn’t sure if he really wanted to be a teacher, but the only thing he ever wanted to do was run, and now that wasn’t exactly an option.
No matter what he did, or what he tried to think about, it always, somehow came back to running. Xie Lian figured that it was only natural. After all, he ran from the age of 8 until he was 18. After a decade of doing one thing, then abruptly stopping, it made sense that Xie Lian would still be hung up on it.
He stepped out of the shower and dried himself off. After pulling on a pair of comfortable pants and a hoodie, Xie Lian went to his computer, ready to start on his work for the day.
A knock on the door stopped him in his tracks. Xie Lian never had visitors. He didn’t exactly have friends… He wasn’t unfriendly—he liked people. It just always seemed like people thought he was too busy (or too uninteresting) to be worth their time.
After a moment of processing his surprise, Xie Lian approached the door. He opened it and was even more surprised to find two men standing in the hallway. He recognized them right away—Mu Qing and Feng Xin. People who once considered him a friend.
Technically, they should have had to buzz in, but it wasn’t unusual for people to slip in after others at the front door. He wondered if they were worried he wouldn’t answer if they called up ahead. He liked to think he would have, but Xie Lian actually wasn’t entirely sure.
The three stared at each other for a long moment before Xie Lian offered them a smile and a greeting. “Hello, Mu Qing… Hello, Feng Xin.”
Mu Qing looked as if he very much didn’t want to be here. His arms were crossed over his chest, closing himself off from Xie Lian. He nodded silently in response to the greeting. The sour expression on his face could have curdled milk.
Feng Xin, on the other hand, seemed more open. He actually answered, “Long time no see. Sorry about visiting you without any warning.”
“It’s alright,” Xie Lian insisted graciously. “It’s nice seeing you, really. I guess I’m just wondering why you’re both here. Did you need anything from me?”
Mu Qing and Feng Xin shared a strange look. Eventually Feng Xin nodded firmly. “We were hoping you had some time to talk.”
˙✧˖°👟 ༘ ⋆｡˚
At the fast food restaurant up the street from his apartment, Xie Lian sat across the table from his two friends. The other men sat shoulder-to-shoulder, pressed together awkwardly into a booth. Even though they were technically getting lunch, no one was eating their food.
Feng Xin insisted on covering the cost of Xie Lian’s meal, and Mu Qing grumbled something about Feng Xin trying to bribe him. Xie Lian had an idea about what Feng Xin might want to bribe him about, but he still pretended to be clueless when he asked, “Did you want to talk about anything in particular?”
Mu Qing and Feng Xin exchanged another glance—they’d been looking at each other like that ever since Xie Lian agreed to go with them. Eventually, Mu Qing faced Xie Lian head-on.
“This was Feng Xin’s idea,” he said first. Then, “He’s the one who wants to talk.”
“You fucking liar. This was both of our idea,” Feng Xin hissed. He raised his hand slightly, as if poised to smack Mu Qing upside the head, but after a cold glare from the other man, he seemed to think better of it. He picked up his cup of soda, and instead of drinking it, he just fiddled with the straw. “Whatever. We’re both here as friends-”
“We’re barely friends anymore.”
Feng Xin plowed ahead, ignoring the snarky comment, “As friends. To ask you for your help.”
Xie Lian knew what he was going to say next, but he still felt his chest hitch when Feng Xin continued, “We need you to come back to the track team.”
“I’m sorry…” Xie Lian started softly. He wanted to let them down delicately, without disappointing either of them too badly. “I’m not an athlete anymore. I don’t think I can help.”
Mu Qing responded with a pointed roll of his eyes.
“What did I say?” he addressed Feng Xin. “I told you he wouldn’t agree. After all, we haven’t heard from him in over three years, and we go to the same university. We’re better off without him.”
Xie Lian bowed his head apologetically. “I apologize for disappearing like that. I was in a bad place last time we spoke, but that doesn’t excuse my behavior. You’re probably right that you don’t need me on your team.”
“Bullshit,” Feng Xin answered snappily. He slammed down his cup, sloshing a bit of soda out from underneath the loosely fastened plastic lid. “You agreed to come out with us, knowing exactly why we came over, right?”
When Xie Lian didn’t answer right away, Feng Xin took that as agreement. “Then at least part of you is curious about what we need.”
“I guess… I wonder what could be so wrong with the team that you need to ask for help from someone like me.” He really meant it when he said the last time they spoke was not the best. He didn’t feel like reliving that particular time in his life just now, but the memory sat at the back of his mind, staring him down. He just couldn’t understand why they wanted him now, after all this time.
“It’s because the team we’ve got is shit,” Feng Xin explained, expression and tone hot.
Mu Qing elaborated, calmer than his counterpart, “Last year, most of the team was upperclassmen. They all graduated, leaving us as the only seniors, and with a few underclassman.”
“And the underclassman are indifferent as hell, and we can’t figure out why.”
“Right,” Mu Qing agreed begrudgingly. “Besides them, we managed to recruit a handful of freshmen. But right now, we only have nine runners.”
“And they stink,” Feng Xin reiterated.
Mu Qing didn’t outwardly confirm this, but his expression pulled a bit, indicating that he didn’t disagree with Feng Xin’s rather crass evaluation of their skills. “Feng Xin stepped up as team captain, but we don’t have a coach anymore. That hasn’t done much for motivation.”
Xie Lian’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “What happened to the coach?”
“Budget cuts,” Feng Xin spat.
“Ah…” Xie Lian considered the still-wrapped burger sitting in front of him on the table. He never expected to get an opportunity to come back. It felt like he should take it, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure if he belonged in this world anymore.
But he also recognized how bad this situation really was. The Xianle University track team had always been exceptional, but it sounded like all of the bad luck in the world aligned at once to deal the team a killing blow. Losing the entirety of the leadership to graduation, inexperienced freshmen, apathetic upperclassmen, no coach… It was no wonder they were reaching out to Xie Lian as a last ditch-effort to salvage the fast-approaching track and field season.
“I’m flattered that you’re asking me for help, but I-”
Feng Xin interrupted him, voice strong and unwavering, “All that matters is this: Do you want to run again? Nothing matters outside of that. You don’t even have to do that well, just show these kids how we get shit done at Xianle University.”
“I…” Xie Lian wasn’t sure. He really wasn’t.
Feng Xin exhaled harshly at his timid hesitation. Clearly, he thought his short speech would get rid of any doubt in Xie Lian’s mind. He relented, “Fine. Then let’s compromise. You come to the track to see what I’m talking about, and then you decide if you’ll rejoin.”
He held out his hand, hoping to shake over the deal.
Xie Lian’s fingers twitched from where they were resting on the table. After a moment, he reached out and gripped Feng Xin’s dry hand in his own. They shook.
Of course, Xie Lian was nervous. He stopped competing for a reason. But just going to the track didn’t mean that Xie Lian would rejoin the team. He just wanted to see what all the fuss was about…