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Sunlight streams into their hotel window and onto the man Xiao Zhan holds in his arms. He strokes the tufts of hair that dare to defy gravity with his palms, attempting to pat them down. The bundle of white comforter groans against his stomach. Xiao Zhan chuckles.
Beside him, the gentle ring of bells loops itself for the fifth time.
“Yibo, you’ve got to go,” whispers Xiao Zhan, a chiding tone in his voice. “You’re going to miss your flight.”
“It’s our wedding anniversary,” Yibo whines. “Can’t the world stop for a day for us?” He unburrows himself from the comforter and pouts. Xiao Zhan wants to capture that bottom lip with his mouth. He bites his lip.
“We have to work, baobei,” Xiao Zhan can’t help the endearment from breaking free. It’s only with Yibo that waves of affection pour out of him, unrestrained. “Besides, we’ve got the New Year’s to celebrate. We’ll go visit Mama and Baba, then come home before our flight.”
“There’s more,” mumbles Yibo. His voice is muffled by Xiao Zhan’s stomach.
“Hmm? More?”
“Surprises.” Yibo peeks from the comforter and smirks. “Wait for it.”
Xiao Zhan rolls his eyes, a fond smile on his face. “Don’t tell me it’s going to be another wardrobe mishap.”
“Zhan ge,” Yibo finally sits up. “That was not a mishap. I just wanted to pair up with you!” He captures Xiao Zhan’s arm and trails feather touches from his elbow up to his arm. “And, maybe let the world know that we’re lowkey married.” He wears a sly grin on his face.
Another eye roll. “That was not ‘lowkey’, Yibo. You practically screamed to the whole world.” Xiao Zhan chuckles at the thought. What happened in Douyin Night wasn’t a coincidence, no matter how much people speculate. He remembers sending Yibo photos of DSquared’s Spring collection one Saturday night while he was shooting for a drama. Yibo encouraged him to wear them during an awards show, and Xiao Zhan did. Little did he know that Yibo was also going to wear something from the brand in the same event.
Sometimes, his husband can be a little shit.
If it were Xiao Zhan from a year ago, he would be fumbling and crying out in panic over making their relationship known. However, with the events happening right after their marriage, he can’t bring himself to care anymore. He doesn’t brag to the world of their marriage because of the nature of their careers, but he also won’t deny it.
Only a fool will be ashamed of being Wang Yibo’s husband. Xiao Zhan is an extremely lucky man. He whispers a silent prayer to his ancestors for investing all their luck on him.
He still remembers their wedding last year. Yibo had booked a private establishment to propose during the Chinese New Year holidays. After a night of celebrating with wine and emptying the box of condoms the staff had prepared for them, Yibo whisks him away and surprises him once more by getting them married by a foreign officiant. Their parents and some close friends stood as witnesses to the event.
Of course, with the climate about same-sex marriage in the country, they could hardly hope to be wed here. However, Xiao Zhan was touched with the lengths Yibo went to just to get them married right then and there. His decisions on those cold, winter days shone brightly in his arsenal of memorable moments, and he doesn’t regret making a single one of them.
With Yibo, Xiao Zhan becomes another man, a man he has kept buried after realizing the burden of adulthood and his chosen career. With Yibo, he becomes the person he has long forgotten: carefree, expressive, and happy . Yibo has made an honestly happy man out of Xiao Zhan.
Yibo just huffs his chest in pride. “We looked good together, though.”
“You were the type in high school to get matching stuff, weren’t you?” Xiao Zhan jabs, pushing Yibo’s shoulder lightly. Yibo pushes back, and they fight until they are a mess on top of their white sheets. They look at each other for a split second and break into a laugh.
Yibo takes his hand and presses the back of it to his lips. “I don’t want to go.” He rubs the ring with his thumb fondly.
“I don’t want you to,” Xiao Zhan whispers back, humming softly and burying his nose in Yibo’s hair. He catches a hint of sickly sweet hotel shampoo and something uniquely Yibo, a mix of faint musk, patchouli, jasmine, and fruit. He is a scent Xiao Zhan has grown accustomed to in the past year. He smells like home.
Yibo wrestles him until he is on top of Xiao Zhan. He gazes at him , a silent message in his eyes which they both understand without verbalizing. He leans down on his elbow and captures Xiao Zhan’s lips in his. Xiao Zhan tastes morning and warmth.
Yibo’s lips move down to his chin, then to his throat. There, he sucks slowly, closing his eyes and focusing on the task at hand. When his lips let go of Xiao Zhan’s throat with a wet pop, he looks at his handicraft proudly. Xiao Zhan almost wants to smack him, but he didn’t want to ruin the moment.
The kisses head towards his arm. Yibo pauses to whisper, “I love Zhan ge’s shoulders” onto the balls of his shoulder on his way downwards. Xiao Zhan’s skin blushes with each kiss and lights the growing fire inside his belly. He wants to pin his husband down and repeat last night’s eventful activities.
They are interrupted by a phone ringing on the bedside table. With a groan, Yibo tears his eyes away from his husband and picks up the phone. Xiao Zhan uses this moment to catch his breath and let the buzzing in his skin fade.
“Yes?” Xiao Zhan hears an evident pout in Yibo’s voice. “Jiejie, c’mon . I need more time with him. Please? Yes, yes, I know the New Year holidays are coming up, but we won’t see each other for another five days—!”
Xiao Zhan chuckles. Even if he denies it, Yibo really acts all cute when he wants to get his way, especially with the people close to him. Xiao Zhan himself has been a witness (and a victim) of that adorable pout multiple times.
Xiao Zhan notices the way Yibo stares at him with a pleading look. Being the older one, he ought to be the more responsible. He should push Yibo to dress up and catch up to his flight in two hours’ time.
But, Xiao Zhan is also his husband. He is a husband who wants to spend more time with his husband. So, he opens his palm towards Yibo and waits for him to hand the phone over.
“Wang jie, hello,” Xiao Zhan greets.
“Xiao Zhan. I swear to god , if you’re here to talk me out of rushing Yibo to the airport, you’re terribly wrong.” Feisty. Well, that’s Wang jie for everyone. Spunky, fiery woman who is ready to shove ten fans out of the way just to get Yibo to their van.
“Wang jie, calm down. Let’s think about this, okay?” Xiao Zhan puts on his placating tone. “Most sishengs know Yibo’s flight schedule by now. If you go there at this time, they’re going to find him and cause trouble.” He watches Yibo rush giddily to his side. Xiao Zhan pats his cheek lovingly. “If you delay your flight to, hmm, I don’t know, by three hours? You’ll make it just time for shooting and you won’t have any sishengs to deal with.” Yibo sniggers at him.
A deep sigh. “Xiao Zhan-ah, have you ever considered a career in diplomacy or law? No matter how sweet you are, the way you talk sometimes makes me think I’m back in our debate team.” The room is silent enough for her frustrations to come through the speaker. Xiao Zhan and Yibo crack up. “Fine. Fine . You win. We’re booking another flight. Yibo, you’re paying for this.” She says pointedly before hanging up. Yibo raises his fist and cheers as he dives onto Xiao Zhan’s chest.
“I get two more hours with you, Zhan ge,” Yibo wiggles his brows. “I want round...what is it now, 5?”
“Aiya, Yibo. I’m not as young as I used to be, you know?” Xiao Zhan pretends to pinch his forehead. Yibo just giggles. His husband raises himself using his elbows, effectively caging Xiao Zhan onto the bed.
“We have so much time for more , Zhan ge,” there it is. The pout Xiao Zhan can’t ever refuse. “There’s a few more days until New Year’s. I can’t wait that long to have you in my hands again.”
Xiao Zhan scoffs. “Excuse me? We’ve been in a long-distance relationship since 2018. I don’t understand how two weeks are going to make a difference.”
Yibo straightens his arms, rising and leaning forward. He noses at his ear as he drops his tone and whispers. “Zhan ge, please? I want to feel you for days, remember the shape of you in my hands.” He leaves soft pecks from Xiao Zhan’s cheeks, then to his nose, and finally on his lips. “Listen to you moan because of me.”
If Yibo saw the pink flush on Xiao Zhan’s cheeks and chest, he doesn’t mention it. Instead, he grins when he sees something in Xiao Zhan’s eyes and takes it as permission. They hold each other one more time and bask in the afterglow of warmth they’ll never exchange for anything in the world.