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Zhang Xinjie was meticulous. Rows and rows of neat characters, careful diagrams and extensive notes on Glory spoke to that, as well as his carefully adhered to schedule. But he was also meticulous in his appearance as well. Every piece of clothing he wore was pressed to perfection, his hair was always neat and his posture without fault. Some would argue that he didn’t sleep, that he recharged through sunlight, that he was some kind of highly advanced AI robot being tested on the Glory scene.
Han Wenqing was well-aware that this was nonsense, as was the rest of Tyranny. Zhang Xinjie stuck to his meticulous schedule by choice, not because he was a robot, in bed at eleven and up by six. While he didn’t keep the rest of his team on such a rigid schedule, Tyranny followed the strict training schedule that Zhang Xinjie had helped handcraft in order to be as productive as possible.
Although Tyranny was fully aware that their vice-captain was not a highly advanced AI robot, he still sometimes wondered how someone could be so diligent that every moment of every day was scheduled and assigned a certain task. From eating, to practice, to exercise, every activity was recorded on Zhang Xinjie’s schedule and he stuck to it religiously.
Even leaving aside the schedule, Zhang Xinjie took great care to look put together from the moment he got up to the moment he disappeared into his room. In fact, the only instance that Han Wenqing had ever seen his vice-captain even slightly ruffled was after their daily exercise and even then, he was more put together than the rest of the team.
Zhang Jiale looked up weakly from where he was sprawled out on the floor, Lin Jingyan half-heartedly flapping a towel over him as his teammate gasped for air, face flushed and beaded with sweat. When he realised his entire team was staring at him, judgement radiating off them, Zhang Jiale dragged himself off the floor and into something that could be called a sitting position.
“He’s not human.” No one needed him to elaborate on who he was talking about but he did so anyway, “vice-captain Zhang, he cannot be human. He exercised with us for hours and he seems fine, barely a hair out of place!”
“Perhaps you’re simply weak.” Zhang Jiale gaped up at Lin Jingyan until the towel was dropped on his face but he whipped it away in favour of staring up at his teammate.
“You seem so nice and innocent- in reality you’re just as dirty as your old partner!” Lin Jingyan seemed unaffected by the accusation, smile still on his lips as his shoulders lifted in a casual shrug.
“We were the Criminal Duo Jiale,” he responded, tone carefully crafted to be as patronising as possible prompting Zhang Jiale to hurl the towel back in his face, laughing at the face Lin Jingyan made as it collided.
Han Wenqing hung back as he mulled Zhang Jiale’s words over in his mind, laughing at the fact that their Spitfire liked to joke that Zhang Xinjie wasn’t human. While his habits were well-defined and one could set a clock by his sleep schedule, Zhang Xinjie was simply diligent and committed to living as healthily as he could.
With that in mind, it was unlikely that any of them would ever see Zhang Xinjie ruffled, not when he seemed to be committed to keeping himself neat and tidy at all times. Even if it seemed impossible, such as after spending time exercising.
Zhang Xinjie had a tradition that all members of Tyranny were aware of and willingly took part in without complaint though they always threw in some teasing. The tradition was, that whenever a promotional gala took place, everyone attending would line up in front of their vice-captain while he ran a critical eye over their clothing, pointing out anything they needed to adjust or fix.
“Jingyan you have a cuff tucked into your sock, Jiale, tie your hair back more neatly, Qiying smooth down your collar and captain Han,” Zhang Xinjie pursed his lips, “tie your bowtie.”
Zhang Xinjie was fully aware that his teammates deliberately left tiny issues in their outfits for the sole purpose of reassuring him that everything was fine. He felt the familiar burst of warmth in his chest at the gesture before returning his mind to the matter at hand. Before Han Wenqing could respond, Zhang Jiale chimed in, tease clear in his tone.
“Ah vice-captain, shouldn’t you do it for him? After all, if he does it himself you’ll just have to fix it for him and it will take far too long.” Zhang Xinjie raised one eyebrow but Lin Jingyan chimed in to agree with Zhang Jiale, voice soft.
“He’s right, we only have five minutes before we leave.” Zhang Xinjie opened his mouth to refuse but neither Zhang Jiale nor Lin Jingyan seemed likely to let this go and he glanced up to meet Han Wenqing’s eyes, question clear in his own. When his captain offered a barely perceptible tilt of the head, Zhang Xinjie reached up to tie the offending article, fingers quick and deft.
Han Wenqing was glad that Zhang Xinjie was busy with his bowtie and that the rest of his team weren’t as skilled at reading his expressions as his vice-captain was. He fought the keep the flush away from his cheeks, not expecting the visual of Zhang Xinjie’s fingers at his throat to elicit such a reaction from him. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to notice, tugging the last tie into place before nodding, satisfied with the result.
No one noticed when Han Wenqing took a moment to take a breath, refusing to let anyone notice the flush spread across his cheeks from such an innocuous gesture. Zhang Xinjie didn’t seem to think twice about the action, already smoothing a crease in Zhang Jiale’s jacket while the other jokingly referred to him as father, prompting his vice-captain to roll his eyes.
Han Wenqing caught up with his teammates before anyone noticed that he’d fallen behind, and if his fingers touched the bowtie at his throat, well, no one noticed that either.
At the gala, Zhang Xinjie was pulled into socialising immediately, being the most senior member of Tyranny who didn’t scare people into submission with just his face at rest. Ye Xiu sidled up to where he was sat at a table, flute of champagne in his hand as he seemed to be waiting for something. Han Wenqing merely stared at him but Ye Xiu was not deterred and simply continued waiting.
“Should you be drinking that?” Han Wenqing had heard the stories about Ye Xiu’s infamously low tolerance and Su Mucheng appeared out of nowhere to grab the flute from his hand.
“He should not, he’s trying to leave all the socialising with sponsors to his teammates.” Ye Xiu grinned up at Su Mucheng aiming for innocent but landing on smug.
“But they’re much better at I than I am, look even Old Han has left Xiao Zhang to face the sponsors alone.”
“Management says I scare people.” Ye Xiu hummed in agreement and Su Mucheng rolled her eyes, gliding gracefully off as she returned to charming potential sponsors. Han Wenqing spotted Chen Guo and Tang Rou doing the same before his attention was caught by his vice-captain. Ye Xiu turned his attention back to Han Wenqing and saw that his friend’s eyes were fixed on Zhang Xinjie across the room, shaking hands with some wealthy potential sponsor. His smile widened as he caught sight of something that may make the night a little more interesting.
He repeated Han Wenqing’s name three times before he flicked his friend’s shoulder, undeterred by the glare that was levelled at him when he finally dragged his eyes off Zhang Xinjie.
“What’s so interesting over there?” Han Wenqing wondered briefly if he could just stand and leave Ye Xiu to his theatrics but the other would likely just follow him, so he remained sat, waiting for him to finish. “Ah Xiao Zhang is over there, he does look nice tonight, all dressed up.” Han Wenqing remained silent, refusing to engage but Ye Xiu continued to stare at him, content to wait him out and Han Wenqing hoped he’d leave if he gave him an answer.
“He looks as put together as he always does.” Ye Xiu leant back, a few buttons of his shirt undone, jacket abandoned somewhere, his sleeves were rolled up and his tie loose around his neck. In short, he looked at home and casual while Zhang Xinjie looked as polished as ever.
“Does he ever look ruffled?” Han Wenqing isn’t sure what expression flickered across his face, but whatever Ye Xiu saw had a sly smile spreading across his face and Han Wenqing knew that nothing good came from that smile. “More to the point, would you like to see him ruffled? Less polished?” Ye Xiu didn’t bother waiting for an answer, tilting his head back with an amused sigh while Han Wenqing waited for him to calm down.
“Xinjie is always put together, I am certain that everyone is curious about how he looks when he’s more relaxed.” Ye Xiu’s expression twists into incredulity as he stares at his friend, wondering if he was playing dumb- but Han Wenqing was straightforward to a fault. And oblivious to the fact that he liked his vice-captain. Before he could decide whether he should intervene and enlighten Han Wenqing of his own feelings, Zhang Xinjie came over and cut in.
“Captain the sponsors wish to meet you, if you are willing.” Han Wenqing stood without another word, raising a hand in farewell before following after his vice-captain. Ye Xiu shrugged to himself, deciding that Han Wenqing would likely figure it out before long. In the meantime, he’d have some quality entertainment.
As it neared ten thirty Han Wenqing found an excuse to allow them to return to the hotel, in actuality he walked over to their manager and informed him they were leaving, but Zhang Xinjie offered a small grateful smile as they piled into the car.
The journey back to the hotel was passed in a comfortable silence and Zhang Xinjie paused before he vanished into his own room, turning back to face Han Wenqing, adjusting his glasses slightly before he spoke.
“Thank you for taking my schedule into account captain.” Han Wenqing wasn’t entirely sure of what to say in response and he just nodded, which seemed to be all Zhang Xinjie needed as he slipped into his room, door clicking shut behind him.
Han Wenqing disappeared into his own room, shrugging his jacket off his shoulders, hanging it in the wardrobe before turning to his bowtie. And pausing. As he’d never tied his bowtie like this before and he came to the realisation that he didn’t know how to undo it. And he didn’t want to damage the fabric, it’d been a gift from his parents and so, Han Wenqing found himself knocking on Zhang Xinjie’s door.
He was not prepared for how Zhang Xinjie would answer the door.
Earlier in the night, he’d told Ye Xiu that he’d never seen behind the perfectly composed, perfectly put together image that Zhang Xinjie presented to the world. Now he had and it was taking a great deal of his willpower to not blurt out the first thing that was in his mind. Which would have been you look lovely. Fortunately, he had more control over himself.
“I can’t undo the knot.” Zhang Xinjie’s expression clearly conveyed that he was judging Han Wenqing, one eyebrow arching in disbelief. The effect was blunted however by the fact that Zhang Xinjie was barefoot, sans jacket and he’d undone a few of the buttons of his shirt, revealing a glimpse of skin.
Han Wenqing fought back a shiver as Zhang Xinjie untucked the loop and pulled the strip of cloth free in a few moments while he tried not to be intimidated by his vice-captain’s clear disbelief at his inability to undo a bowtie.
“Thank you.” He left quickly before he could do something to embarrass himself, like comment on how nice Zhang Xinjie looked when he was more relaxed. Han Wenqing could feel his vice-captain’s eyes on his retreating back, but he refused to acknowledge the warmth pooling in his stomach and he shut the door behind him, confused as to why the sight affected him so much.
He mulled the thought over in his mind for a long moment before realising the answer. It must be because he’s never seen Zhang Xinjie so human before. It was a new experience and therefore surprised him, threw him off. If he just saw Zhang Xinjie less put together more often, it wouldn’t have such an effect on him because he’d be used to it. Han Wenqing finished getting ready for bed, confident that his plan would be a success.
Han Wenqing hadn’t quite expected his plan to work out perfectly, but he didn’t expect it to be this much of a failure. Despite having seen Zhang Xinjie less than perfectly put together a few more times since the night of the promotional event, it never failed to render him mostly speechless and biting down on compliments that he was certain would not be appreciated.
He was holding back the urge to brush the hair away from his vice-captain’s eyes, push up his glasses for him and smooth out the frown that had his lips twisted. They were going over management’s suggested publicity events and comparing it to the team’s training schedule.
Zhang Xinjie’s jacket was slung over the back of his chair and he was wearing a soft black t-shirt underneath. He was focused so fully on the arrangements needed that a little furrow had appeared between his eyebrows and he let out a breath that was just short of a sigh.
Han Wenqing understood why, since Happy had begun to make headline news in the e-sport scene, management had been pushing for more sponsorships, more publicity appearances and interviews. Zhang Xinjie had joined him in resisting the push, trying to avoid disrupting the team’s training schedule, but it was becoming less of a request and more of an order.
Which was why they were sitting up, long after the usual time their meetings ended and Zhang Xinjie had clearly decided that being formal when it was so late, relatively, was a waste of time. Not only was his jacket shrugged off his shoulders, his hair was ruffled, likely a result of him running his fingers through it in frustration.
He glanced down at his watch to see that it was growing late and he tugged the papers away from his vice-captain, prompting Zhang Xinjie to blink at him in confusion.
“It’s late.” Zhang Xinjie glanced at his own watch and he seemed surprised at the time, eyes widening for a moment before he gathered up the papers and slid them into a folder.
“Tomorrow then, captain Han.” Han Wenqing nodded, unsure of what else to do as his eyes followed his vice-captain as he left and he felt the urge to let his head drop into his hands. This was becoming a problem and it might be time to seek out some help.
Ye Xiu was laughing at him. Han Wenqing had expected this, but he still thought it was overkill for Ye Xiu to continue laughing at him for- he checked his watch, five minutes and counting. He could feel his frown deepening, but this had little effect as Ye Xiu continued to gasp for breath beside him. Han Wenqing wondered if he should have gone to speak with Xiao Shiqin or Yu Wenzhou instead, but he knew Ye Xiu the best out of the four master tacticians, though the longer the laughter lasted, the more he regretted his decision.
“Ye Xiu-“ he tried but was cut off by the man waving one hand helplessly at him as he wheezed for air. Han Wenqing resigned himself to waiting it out, hoping that Ye Xiu would stop laughing soon.
He didn’t.
Meanwhile, Zhang Xinjie was having a far more pleasant conversation with Yu Wenzhou and Xiao Shiqin, the discussion initially focusing upon Glory, but as usual, it soon shifted gears towards more personal matters. Yu Wenzhou tilted his head to the side, focusing on Zhang Xinjie as he spoke, pouring him another cup of tea.
“Is something on your mind?” Zhang Xinjie frowned, tapping the rim of his cup with his pencil, the beat steady and neat while he sorted out his thoughts.
“I find myself,” here he paused, as if searching for the right word, “wishing to date my captain.” Neither Yu Wenzhou nor Xiao Shiqin seemed to be expecting him to say that, but Zhang Xinjie hadn’t finished. “I would typically ask him if he felt the same in return but there are obstacles.”
“Such as?” Xiao Shiqin took a drink while Zhang Xinjie glanced down at the list he’d written out.
“If it ended badly it may upset the balance of the team and even if we did not break up it could still jeopardise our teamwork. Han Wenqing is, technically my superior which adds further issues and on top of that, we work well together, even on a personal level and I would not like to lose that in pursuance of a romantic relationship.” His friends nodded at his reasoning and Yu Wenzhou seemed to mull the words over in his head for a long moment.
“Nothing much changed when I began dating Shaotian,” the other two watched in mild exasperation as Yu Wenzhou seemed distracted by his own thoughts, eyes soft and far away for a moment before pulling himself back to the present. “We fell into a romantic relationship without anything else changing.”
“That is reassuring, but neither myself nor Han Wenqing are particularly like the two of you.” The other two huffed soft laughs at that, Huang Shaotian and Han Wenqing did not have similar personalities and the thought of the two being more like the other was…amusing, to say the least.
“There can’t be anything lost in asking,” Zhang Xinjie turned to face Xiao Shiqin who seemed fairly confident in his assessment. “Captain Han is professional, even if something were to shift between you two, he wouldn’t allow it to affect the team.” Zhang Xinjie glanced down at the pencil he was still softly tapping against the table and cut the movement abruptly.
“I’d like to be able to gauge his reaction more accurately. I will wait a little while, to see if I can decipher his feelings towards such an arrangement.” Both his friends nodded, expecting him to decide on that, knowing that he didn’t like to act on incomplete information where it was avoidable.
While Zhang Xinjie’s discussion had been fruitful, Han Wenqing was still waiting for Ye Xiu to compose himself enough to answer his question. He was unsure as to why Ye Xiu had found the question to be so hysterical, but from the way he was still gasping for breath, apparently it was highly amusing.
“Ye Xiu, I just said that Zhang Xinjie looks nice when he’s less put together-“ Unfortunately, far from calming him down, Ye Xiu simply waved helplessly at the door, and at this point, Han Wenqing had given up on getting anything out of him and decided to cut his losses.
He patted his friend awkwardly on the back as he let himself out, wondering if he would have had a more productive time figuring out what to do with the warm bundle of emotions in his chest if he’d stayed home. At least he wouldn’t have sat in silence while watching Ye Xiu grow redder and redder as he wheezed.
“Hello captain.” Han Wenqing was pulled out of his thoughts by Zhang Xinjie’s voice and he pushed down the urge to startle.
“Was your outing productive?” He blinked in surprise when Zhang Xinjie’s head tilted to the side, in the same way it did when he was contemplating something that was giving him trouble. The sharp focus in his eyes had something swooping in his stomach but Han Wenqing didn’t avert his gaze and a barely there smile graced Zhang Xinjie’s lips.
“It was illuminating.” Zhang Xinjie nodded, disappearing up the stairs and Han Wenqing wished that Ye Xiu had offered something more useful than hysterical laughter. As if he’d been summoned by the thought, Han Wenqing’s phone chimed and Ye Xiu’s contact popped up.
Ye Xiu: Xiao Zhang is straightforward, you should just tell him about your feelings.
Han Wenqing scoffed at the suggestion, at the idea of walking up to his serious and straight-laced vice-captain and telling him that he found him cute. While Ye Xiu had apparently lost any sense of shame years ago, Han Wenqing still had a sense of propriety. Which left him where he was before, lacking any ideas as to how to confess.
Everything came to a head that evening.
Han Wenqing walked into the kitchen only to nearly trip over his own feet and he managed to catch himself on the counter before he faceplanted. Somehow, this seemed to escape Zhang Xinjie’s notice, his full attention being focused on rummaging through the stock of tea. He was muttering under his breath as he did so, but that wasn’t the reason Han Wenqing had lost his composure.
Despite seeing Zhang Xinjie in a variety of more casual outfits in the time they’d led Tyranny together, he’d never seen him quite this casual.
Zhang Xinjie was wearing a onesie. But not only was he wearing a onesie, he was wearing a bright yellow chicken onesie. The hood was down, his hair was ruffled and messy and he wasn’t wearing his glasses. Han Wenqing blinked when he realised the onesie had a pair of little yellow wings and he fought back the urge to walk over and tug Zhang Xinjie against his chest.
He attempted to smooth his face into something other than abject longing before Zhang Xinjie turned around and his vice-captain’s cheeks dusted pink but he soon composed himself, reaching up to grab a second mug.
“Would you like a cup of tea?” If he was honest, Han Wenqing had not heard what Zhang Xinjie had just asked him, still stamping down on the impulse to ask about the onesie. He nodded, mind unfocused meaning that he startled when a mug of tea was presented to him.
He didn’t even like tea.
He took a seat, mimicking Zhang Xinjie and he found his eyes fixed on the way his vice-captain’s lips pursed to blow on the surface of his tea. He let his sit, knowing he wasn’t likely to drink it, but Zhang Xinjie broke the silence first.
“It’s good for relaxation.” Han Wenqing’s eyes flickered up to meet his friend’s and saw the authority in his eyes. He lifted the cup to his lips obediently to take a sip, frowning as he swallowed and Zhang Xinjie levelled an unimpressed look at him. “What does it taste like?”
“Tea.” Zhang Xinjie looked like he would be quite happy to walk away from the conversation entirely at that, but he simply sighed instead, taking another sip. Han Wenqing caught the curve of a smile however and he couldn’t help the way his eyes kept straying to his lips.
Zhang Xinjie didn’t miss the way Han Wenqing’s eyes didn’t shift from him, flickering from his outfit, to his hair and then his lips. He’d told his friends that he’d prefer to wait and gather more information, but from the way Han Wenqing’s eyes remained fixed on him, it seemed that he had his answer.
Han Wenqing startled out of his thoughts when Zhang Xinjie yawned, hand moving to cover his mouth as he glanced at his watch and frowned. He finished his tea and stood while Han Wenqing couldn’t help the thought that reminded him if he caught Zhang Xinjie in a kiss, he knew exactly what his mouth would taste like.
“Goodnight captain.” Zhang Xinjie’s tone was even, but there was a look in his eyes that Han Wenqing recognised. It was the same look he got when one of his tactics was executed perfectly. It was a look of smug triumph.
Before he could read anything else from his face, Zhang Xinjie had washed out his cup and left the kitchen, leaving Han Wenqing to watch after him, still fighting the urge to pull him into his arms. He dropped his gaze to his cooling cup of tea and wondered what could have brought that look to Zhang Xinjie’s face.
Meanwhile, Zhang Xinjie was editing his schedule for the next day before he went to bed. He shifted a few things around before slotting in his new activity, making it official. Written into his calendar was “Talk to Han Wenqing” clear and final.
The next day found Zhang Xinjie extending their discussion regarding balancing training, physical activities and publicity events without overexerting anyone. Despite everything being sorted out as well as it could be, Zhang Xinjie coughed to catch Han Wenqing’s attention.
“If you have a moment, there’s something else I’d like to discuss with you captain.” Han Wenqing took his seat again and waited for Zhang Xinjie to collect his thoughts. He didn’t expect the words that came next however.
“Are you attracted to me?” The open look of surprise on Han Wenqing’s face was worrying but the flush that was spreading down the back of his neck was reassuring. Before Han Wenqing managed to recover enough to say anything, Zhang Xinjie continued, having successfully predicted that his captain would need a moment to recover. “If you are, would you be amenable to entering a romantic relationship with me?”
Han Wenqing, who’s brain had nearly recovered from the first question shut off again at the second one. He was distantly aware that he was staring and should try and say something as opposed to remaining in shock but he couldn’t figure out what to say. Zhang Xinjie’s expression had begun to shift from patiently waiting to nerves.
“If I’ve misjudged the situation I apologise and I hope this won’t affect the way we work together-“
“Yes.” Han Wenqing finally found his words and interrupted his vice-captain midsentence. “Yes I find you attractive and I would like to be in a relationship with you.” Zhang Xinjie was startled, but the smile curving his lips was pleased and Han Wenqing didn’t think before he spoke next. “May I kiss you?”
To his surprise, Zhang Xinjie nodded, leaning across to meet Han Wenqing halfway, pressing their lips together. His mouth tasted like the same earthy tea that he’d tried the night before and Han Wenqing found his hand cupping the back of Zhang Xinjie’s neck, tilting him up to a better angle. Zhang Xinjie made a soft, pleased noise before they broke apart and Han Wenqing felt the overwhelming urge to pull the same noise from him again.
“I’m glad you like me in return.” Zhang Xinjie’s hair was mussed, lips slightly swollen and Han Wenqing couldn’t help but think he’d never looked more beautiful. That his vice-captain looked wonderful when he was pulled out of his rigid neatness. That he wanted to hoard the sight to himself and cherish it.
Perhaps it was too early to tell him this, perhaps their relationship was too new but Han Wenqing tucked the knowledge safely away, certain that someday, someday the time would be right.
Zhang Xinjie was pleased to find that nothing much had changed between them. That the fact they were dating hadn’t shifted their relationship drastically. And, unlike Yu Wenzhou and Huang Shaotian, as the rumours from Blue Rain suggested, they remained professional during training and day to day workings. But at night Zhang Xinjie would relax in Han Wenqing’s room, curled up next to him until it was time to go to sleep.
These pleasant thoughts distracted him from the post-match interview where they had been kept for much longer than usual, the reporters trying to squeeze as much information out of them as possible. Despite no one on the team responding to the loaded questions, the reporters were relentless and when they were finally free, Zhang Xinjie knew it was long past his usual bedtime and he couldn’t help but be frustrated.
Han Wenqing’s hand brushing against his own was grounding and once they were sat on the bus Zhang Xinjie let his head rest on the other’s shoulder, leaning into him, slipping his hand into Han Wenqing’s. The bus started to move off and he was asleep before he realised it.
Han Wenqing was loathe to wake his boyfriend, knowing it was already much later than he liked to stay up and he looked so peaceful, lips slightly parted as he slept. Zhang Xinjie pressed himself more firmly against his side and Han Wenqing eased him into his arms, one arm under his knees, the other supporting his shoulders and he carried him to his room, not knowing the code to Zhang Xinjie’s.
His vice-captain curled more securely into his chest, making a soft, sleepy noise of contentment as he walked through the club, hoping they didn’t bump into anyone. Zhang Xinjie, even mostly asleep, was cooperative as Han Wenqing stripped him down to his underwear and tucked him into his bed. Before he could leave, a hand curled around his wrist and Zhang Xinjie’s eyes cracked open and he offered a weak glare.
“Stay.” When Han Wenqing tried to tug his wrist away, the grip only tightened and the glare sharpened. “Don’t go. Stay.” And Han Wenqing didn’t want to resist and so he nodded, got himself ready for bed before curling around his boyfriend.
Zhang Xinjie’s legs immediately tangled with his own, a soft contented sigh escaping his lips as he settled down, smugness radiating off him and Han Wenqing tucked his arms around him, utterly content with the arrangement.
They were married. They’d left Glory behind and they were married, silver bands around their fingers and Han Wenqing nearly couldn’t believe it. Nearly. But Zhang Xinjie was in front of him, ring encircling his finger, smile on his face and it was real.
Before he could stop himself, he loosened his husband’s tie and ran a quick hand through his hair, ruffling the strands. Zhang Xinjie had stayed immaculate throughout the day but Han Wenqing thought he looked much better now. His lips began to shape around a question but Han Wenqing spoke first.
“I like you ruffled.” Zhang Xinjie blinked in confusion as Han Wenqing pressed him up against the wall, eyes bright with happiness. “I like it when you look slightly mussed up and I like it when I’m the one responsible for it.” The confusion melted into a sharp smile and Han Wenqing couldn’t help but feel he’d revealed a new weakness, but when his husband tugged him down into a scorching kiss, he couldn’t bring himself to dwell on it.
They stayed in the quiet little corridor for a long time, too caught up in each other to remember that their wedding reception was carrying on without them. Han Wenqing had one hand tangled in Zhang Xinjie’s hair exposing his neck while he pressed a warm kiss against the pale skin, his husband’s voice reduced to soft sighs and moans.
When they re-joined the reception, not only had Zhang Xinjie’s jacket been shrugged off, but two buttons of his shirt were undone, his hair was messy and he had a very obvious bruise on his throat. Han Wenqing couldn’t help the smug feeling in his chest, even as his husband sent him a heated glare that promised retribution.
Everything was right. A sentiment Zhang Xinjie whole-heartedly agreed with, even if his husband’s attentions had Huang Shaotian cackling at him from across the room. They were content and happy.