The Wind Leads Me Back to You

"Goldenrod or yarrow, young man?"

The kind voice of the elderly lady drew Han back, away from the delighted laughter of children and vendors shouting their wares. He'd been specifically watching two kids bouncing about the stalls past colourful, triangular flags, carrying little dragonflies knotted together from bamboo.

Han smiled. "Goldenrod, please."

As the lady began looking for a bundle to hand to him, he glanced back.

He'd noticed a man chuckling and playing with the kids, fitting right in despite towering above them. He had dark skin dotted with freckles, untamed hair and a sparkling gaze, his smile as bright as the sun beating overhead.

Han had been in town for a few days now, and he'd seen him around. He'd even caught himself keeping an eye out for this man a few times. There was just something in his face; something open and kind—something deeply familiar.

Seemingly sensing the gaze on him, the man looked up. His grin became a close-lipped smile as he met Han's eyes.

Han jerked his head back to the elderly lady. "Thank you," he murmured, giving her a few coins in return for the herbs. He then tucked the package into his satchel and walked off.

One of the children, a little girl, ran past him with the force of a rushing river, only to let out a yelp as her dragonfly flew out of her hands. "Oh no!" she cried.

Han quickly reached out and managed to catch the toy before disaster struck. "Here you go," he offered, bending down to return it.

The girl skidded to a stop, staring up at him with wide brown eyes.

The man with the untamed hair caught up to them, smiling as he looked down at her. "What should we say?"

"Thank you, mister!" she exclaimed shyly, taking the dragonfly and running off.

"You're welcome!" Han waved, before turning to the man. He briefly wondered if there was something he wanted to say, or if he himself should say anything. But while it wasn't like Han to be tongue-tied, the embers of the man's eyes seemed to burn away his words.

His companion finally remarked, "That was a nice save back there. Real swift too! Don't know if I could've been any faster myself."

Han found himself relaxing as he smiled at the praise. "It was nothing, really. I just did what anyone else would've done."

"You saved her dragonfly and the race! Now she's still winning against her brother, so I'm sure it's much appreciated." The man stuck out his hand. "Name's Leigh, by the way."

"I'm Han." He shook Leigh's hand, the warmth from his palm feeling just right in his own.

There was hesitancy as he slowly drew his hand back, but the smile on his face was genuine. "Well…I guess I'll be seeing you around then, Han."

He dipped his head. "Of course." And as Han turned to go, he could still feel the man's ember gaze burning into his back.

That day he officially met Leigh, he found himself staying in the marketplace much longer than he usually would, hovering over stalls like a dragonfly above water. Leigh was still playing with the children. But Han knew he often ventured outside the town. He wondered what was keeping Leigh here today.

"Would you like to give this flower to that handsome stranger you've been staring at?"

Han stopped before a stall, his face flushing slightly. "Is it that obvious?"

The man who'd spoken nodded, setting down a basket. He looked amused—a little mischievous, a lot playful.

Han stepped closer. "You're a vendor?"

"I sell flowers," the person explained, holding up one of his blossoms. It was a plumeria. "This one symbolizes rebirth, charm, beauty, and grace. A sort of new spring. A new opportunity to bloom in the light." He nodded back at where Leigh was standing, now surrounded by children and laughing as he swung one of them onto his shoulders. "It'd be a lovely gift, I'm sure."

Han studied him. His shaggy, messy red hair was tied back in a loose ponytail and he had eyes the colour of fresh spring grass, with worn robes and a small dagger tied to his belt. "How much for the flower?"

"Free of charge." The vendor smiled. "I'm feeling generous today."

"Oh no; I couldn't just take it," Han tried to say.

He shrugged back. "It won't matter later on, anyway."

He furrowed his brow. "Excuse me?"

The vendor perked up. "But if you really want to pay me, would you mind tending to my stall while I head out for a little bit?"

Despite his concern, or maybe because of it, Han nodded. His words had marked him as someone to keep an eye on, and there wasn't anywhere in particular Han had to be just yet, so his morning was free.

"I'm Vix, by the way."

"I'm Han."

"Han, hmm? A wandering traveler?" Vix pointed him to some containers. "You don't exactly seem like a roguish adventurer."

He raised an eyebrow as he put out the containers for Vix to fill with his flower arrangements. "And you don't exactly seem like someone who routinely sets up shop to sell flowers."

"Mm, that's probably because you're right." Vix paused. "I just took over the business after my…adoptive father…left."

Han caught the hesitation in his voice. "Why did he leave?"

"Maybe he got tired of it all. Or…maybe he just got tired of me." Vix smiled a little, but it was tinged with sadness, his hand hovering over a dahlia.

Before Han could press him more on the matter though, he clapped his hands and announced, "Alright, time to greet the early morning customers!"

While Han was curious, he saw no reason to pursue the matter further yet—especially not when he himself had things he would rather not tell. He let Vix guide him in the first few sales before the man slipped off, almost unnoticeably, and Han was left on his own for the time-being.

"You run a stall here?"

Han turned from thanking a woman for her purchase to be faced with Leigh. "Oh, no! I'm just watching the place for someone else. I'm not actually from around here."

"What a coincidence! Neither am I."

"A wanderer?"

"Yes! An adventurer too, if you will."

Han smiled. "You certainly look the part of a roguish adventurer." Vix has a point. "Definitely more than I do."

"Thank you," he chuckled back. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was meant as such," Han promised.

Leigh hung around the shop, leaning against the wooden stall to chat. Han found himself feeling free to say a little more than he usually would, laughing happily. Something about Leigh just felt welcoming. He reminded Han of summer campfires under the starry sky, when he'd look up at the moon and fireflies and feel the most safe in the world.

Leigh's eyes were embers of a sparking flame, and Han felt himself growing warm.

Vix returned to the stall half an hour later, thanking Han for his help. When he noticed Leigh, he raised a teasing eyebrow.

Han's cheeks warmed again but he didn't address the obvious gesture, instead introducing Leigh to Vix.

And so it went for the next two days, with Han assisting Vix in the morning when he would slip off for about the same amount of time. As the days went, the wind around the town seemed to sweep even stronger, and Han gleaned a little more about Vix.

Once, when he was helping the vendor cut the stems of a few blossoms, Vix was telling him stories about his father. He'd already been sharing the things he'd learned from him about flowers, but Han realized this was the first time he was talking about their relationship explicitly.

Han later dared to venture, "You said your adopted father left you… Did you two have a good relationship?"

Vix paused in his snipping. "We…did."

"He sounded like a good man. I guess I'm just perplexed what could've driven him to leave."

"A mistake of his past caught up to him." Vix set his scissors down. "And I became just another mistake of the past to leave behind."

A strong gust of wind suddenly pushed through the market, causing the coloured flags around them to fly like tropical birds soaring.

Han furrowed his brow. Vix's mentions of his father were beginning to form a pattern. Another time, Vix mentioned how his father had fallen for someone in his friend group only to lose her to his best friend. Han supposed the "mistake" he'd mentioned referred to the envy growing in him from that.

Even with this gathering storm, Han found the concern beading on his mind like dew being dissipated a little by Leigh's sunny presence.

"Here's some cookies from Granny Miyo and little Ruby. I think they like me well enough, but Ruby probably likes you most of all," Leigh was saying, handing Han a package.

Han smiled, arching a brow. "Why me? Aren't you quite charming all on your own?"

Leigh brightened, chuckling. "She probably won't forget that you saved her game anytime soon. It was very heroic of you." He then tilted his head to the side. "You think I'm charming?"

"I do."

"And you mean it?"

"Of course!" Teasingly, he added, "What? Do you need proof?"

He grinned. "Proof would be nice."

Han paused, tapping his chin in a playfully thoughtful manner. He then began reaching for the plumeria in his hair, but a sudden strong blast of wind ruptured the peace of the market and made him freeze. He turned to the forest, where a whirlwind seemed to be gathering.

People let out startled cries as their hair and clothes and objects flapped around them.

"What is that?" Leigh exclaimed.

Han had a sinking feeling in his stomach. "I'll go check it out," he murmured. "Please watch the stall for me in the meantime."

"Wait, Han! What if—?"

"Everything will be okay." Han faced Leigh and offered a reassuring smile. "I promise."

Leigh's shoulders loosened. Some of the panic left his face and he nodded.

Then Han was off, rushing toward the woods.

He didn't stop until he saw the ruins, crumbled and broken, all covered in moss. But the usually dilapidated area now shook with activity, the etchings on their stone surfaces glowing. The ruins radiated an irritated, hostile energy, like a beast forced awake from slumber. The winds stormed above them, a cacophonous symphony.

A tear?

Noticing that the area was empty, Han let out his wings and ascended towards the ripple in time and space, only to spot a fox hiding by some stone columns, its green eyes wide with terror. What is a fox doing here?

Before he could wonder any further, a few of the ruins trembled violently. Han held up his hands, preparing to use his qi to fix the tear. The spiritual energy of the ruins resisted him, shaking harder now. Beads of sweat pooled on his forehead as he bit his lip.

"No, stop!"

Han jerked his head back in surprise, his concentration broken as the fox leapt from the ground into the air, transforming into a human so that he could tackle Han. The two crashed to the ground. The spiritual energy of the ruins swelled now that they were no longer being suppressed.

Han let out a gasp at the impact, but also at the face that now peered back at him.

The wild green eyes of the fox belonged to Vix, his red hair a curtain of fire around Han's face. "Stop, please," Vix begged breathlessly. "I have to bring him back—"

"Han! Han, are you okay?"

Both of them turned to the new voice and Vix transformed back into a fox, darting away from Han. Just as Leigh approached, Han managed to hide his wings as he sat upwards. He held his shoulder with gritted teeth.

"Han!" Leigh spotted him and joined his side, helping him stagger up. "Are you alright!?"

"I'm fine!" He grabbed Leigh's hands. "You need to go! It's dangerous here!"

Leigh spotted the growing tear with wide eyes before spinning his attention back to Han. "What about you!?"

"I"—I can handle this. I can fix this. But you—you're only human; you can't—"I'll be fine! Now go!"

Leigh took a step back before turning to run, but he couldn't help looking back at Han. His eyes widened.

Above Han was a giant column that groaned, its stone cracking as it lurched downwards.

"Han!" Leigh screamed, causing the other man to look up.

Han sent him a reassuring smile just as the column collapsed.

Darkness had settled.

The first noise that came back was the sound of crumbling stone, little cracks sending bits of it tumbling down. Some hit him in the face, causing him to scrunch up his eyes before he blinked them open.

And at first, there was nothing but white and the ringing in his ears. Then the rush of wind as his body seemed to lose gravity, suddenly suspended in midair, as a hazy voice of someone far, far away came to him.

"Hey, hey! Are you okay?"

While muffled, he could still make out the urgency in their tone. He tilted his head back as his vision settled.

Wide blue eyes, as bright as the sun-kissed sky, stared down at him, concern etched all over the person's face. But this isn't a person, is it? There were stars in the darker parts of their iridescent purple-pink hair, blue like the night.

And the wings. They had wings.

Large, beautiful wings of ruffling feathers that surrounded them both like a safety blanket, causing him to reach out and touch one of them in wonder. "You're an angel," he finally managed to breathe. "Han…"

"Leigh—"

"Did I…Did I just die?"

The man carrying him relaxed, his wings sweeping closer around them as he let out a light laugh.

But when Leigh took a closer look, he realized that Han's shoulders weren't just trembling from laughter. He was crying.

"Hey, hey, I'm alright." Leigh reached out and brushed away some of the tears with his thumb. Han's skin was soft but cold beneath his touch. "Please don't cry."

Han shook his head, the relief having flooded his face evident. "I just… When you pushed me out of the way, I was so scared… I thought for a second that…that…" He trailed off when he met Leigh's eyes, neither wishing to relive the panic from minutes prior. "Just—thank the stars you're okay," he finally managed to whisper, leaning down. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Leigh's gaze softened as he managed to smile. "Yeah…I'm glad too. At least now I'm here to cheer you up."

Not in the mood for any jokes, Han's wings grew ruffled. "Why did you follow me?" he demanded, now descending. "You could've died! Y-You're only human, and humans can be so fragile! But I…I can't die the way you—"

"I don't know," the other man admitted. "It just…felt right. Like I should follow you." He moved so that he could sit upright, wincing. He reached up to brush the plumeria still in Han's hair. "I may have just met you, but I feel as if I've known you for a lifetime. And I wasn't about to let that lifetime end just yet."

Han's eyes widened. As Leigh had sat up, a necklace with a shimmering, rectangular gemstone had slipped out of his cloak. A gemstone like mine. The breath in his lungs burned with so many feelings he couldn't yet identify them all. But somehow, with Leigh staring into his eyes, his hand in his hair, and the necklaces they both wore, Han had a feeling. "We did know each other," he whispered in wonder.

"Han?"

He pulled Leigh into a tight embrace, burying his face in the other man's shoulder.

Leigh smiled, stroking Han's hair comfortingly. "Hey, it's okay… We're okay."

When they finally separated, Leigh held out a slightly crushed toy dragonfly. "It's not much, but…after we met, I wanted to give this to you."

Han's chest swelled with warmth as he took the object, cupping it in his hands as if it were a real dragonfly, with wings so fragile. Fragile…and yet it is a creature of transformation. Adaptability. "Thank you. I—" He looked up at Leigh, but before he could take the plumeria from his hair, he spotted a fox lying beneath broken slabs of stone. Han stood up.

Leigh followed his gaze.

Han stalked over to the creature, recalling his wings. The fox himself transformed into a human as he noticed the angel approaching.

"Vix."

"Han." The fox spirit let out a sigh, rolling over on his back to stare up at the sky. His right eye misted from green to white as a few of his wounds began to heal. "I guess that's over, isn't it?"

Han crouched down beside him, cautious and wary, but not hostile. "What were you trying to do?" he asked.

For a long time Vix was silent—until a gust of wind burst through the air, stirring his hair like a flame. Han followed the breeze with his eyes. He must be a minor god of the wind.

Meanwhile, Vix closed his eyes. "I just wanted to see him one more time."

"Him?"

"My dad." He slowly drew himself upward. "But I guess it wasn't meant to be. All those things he did… Betraying his friends…"

"I…" Han felt himself soften somewhat. It wasn't a monster staring back at him, but a child—lonely and scared and guilt-ridden. Hurt. "I know your father envied his best friend for getting the girl, and that he…left you, but—"

"I didn't explain everything," he murmured back. "He didn't just lose that best friend because of envy, he killed him.

"And I hadn't known. It happened before he adopted me. But the truth came out when they found us and revealed all the ways he hurt others"—Vix's shoulders shook now as he laughed bitterly—"how he hurt me… To save himself, he set his home ablaze and left me to the wrath of those he'd betrayed. He abandoned me."

Han realized something. Like him moments ago, Vix wasn't just trembling from laughter, but also from tears. "Vix…"

"Maybe I should never have tried forgiving him. Maybe this was a sign from the universe not to."

Han glanced back at Leigh, who was watching them with concern. Then he pulled the plumeria down and held it out to Vix. "I think you need this more than I do," he stated softly. "You told me…'a plumeria symbolizes rebirth,' and you can still have a new beginning."

"But after what I did…"

"You just wanted to reconnect with someone close to you. I can imagine the pain of losing such a someone." Han's eyes found Leigh's again. Because of you, I discovered how precious this person is to me. He turned back to Vix. "Maybe your father can't be forgiven, but you can be."

After a few moments of speechlessness, Vix took the flower. "Thank you," he murmured.

They sat in silence, although it was not uncomfortable silence, until Vix stood up and transformed back into a fox.

"Han…I don't know if you'll ever know how much this means to me. Thank you for everything." He glanced back at the ruins. "I want to find myself. Heal myself the way my eye cannot do for me. But if you ever need my help…don't hesitate to call on me. I understand it might be hard to trust me after all this, but if you ever do, I'll come. I promise."

Han nodded, smiling slightly. "I believe you."

Vix dipped his head and as he darted off, Leigh joined Han. "Hey, you okay?"

He stared up at the sky, letting out a long sigh. "I'm alright. Just a little tired."

Leigh rubbed his arm awkwardly, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I'll probably be leaving town soon, considering all that's happened…" He glanced back at the ruins. "But I also just can't seem to stay in one spot for too long." He looked up. "Would you…like to join me?"

Han met his ember eyes. He was glad to receive the invitation, because it felt right. It was a constant and a truth. Just as time flows forward, the fabric of space remains untorn, and dimensions don't mix, he'd always be with Leigh. And as an angel, it was Han's duty to ensure these truths.

He smiled. "I'd love to."

So they returned to town together. A fox watched them go from afar, sitting on a cliff as a breeze stirred. The fur of his bushy tail resembled a gentle fire, and near the ruins, plumeria blossoms swayed.