Work Text:
It was bright when Fu Shen woke up, early afternoon sun shining through the pulled blinds. His thin lips pulled downwards, slender hand raising to shield his eyes as he let out a light groan. Pain seized his hips as he tried to move, his sharp gaze falling on the empty spot beside his bed.
Yan Xiaohan, that dog.
Had he seriously left him here to wake up alone after doing the deed late into the night? Normally his boyfriend couldn’t bear to part with him and he would wake up in his arms if there was no reason for either of them to be out. Fu Shen tried not to dwell on it as he slowly sat up, propping himself on the stacks of pillows behind him. He bent over to massage his legs with a wince. No matter how much physical therapy he went to, or how much he did his exercises, it was always the same when he woke up. Numbness that moved into pain, and eventually limited movement.
Thankfully Yan Xiaohan had been thoughtful enough to leave Fu Shen’s wheelchair next to the bed before he’d fled from it. Fu Shen stretched out to pull it closer, maneuvering himself into it with practiced ease.
The soft smell of something cooking filled his nose as he wheeled himself out of the bedroom, down the flat hall and towards the kitchen. He raised an eyebrow as he entered. So this was where Yan Xiaohan was hiding.
“Ah, you’re awake?” Yan Xiaohan turned to him with a smile, frilly apron clashing with his sharp and masculine features. In a few short steps he was bending over to press a kiss to Fu Shen’s forehead, then capturing his lips lightly. “Breakfast?”
“It’s past noon,” Fu Shen retorted drily, lips curving upwards against all his attempts to look annoyed. “Why weren’t you there when I woke up. Too scared to wake me up, hmm?”
“The lord is so clingy,” Yan Xiaohan teased, tapping Fu Shen’s nose. Fu Shen slapped his hand away not so gently. “Did you forget what day it is?”
“Don’t change the subject,” Fu Shen snorted, letting Yan Xiaohan wheel him over to the table within their open space kitchen. He moved over to a dining chair and leaned on the table, chin resting on his hand as he watched his unfairly attractive boyfriend go back to the stove. His gaze trailed down his rippled back muscles, barely hidden by the tight shirt he wore, and he almost forgot the conversation that had just been having.
Fu Shen was not one to be distracted, but it was difficult around someone like Yan Xiaohan.
“Did you really forget?” Yan Xiaohan looked over his shoulder, pouting in a way he did only when he wanted something. Fu Shen bit back the snide remark on his tongue in favour of a cool look and raised eyebrow, as if saying, you think I could forget?
Of course, he had no idea what Yan Xiaohan was talking about. What was the importance of today? He had memorised every important date relating to them both: their birthdays, the day they started dating, the day they first said “I love you”... What else was there to miss?
If it was a truly important day, would Yan Xiaohan really have left him to sleep? Fu Shen had grown used to weekends waking up in his arms no matter how long he ended up lying in (thanks to a certain someone’s night time needs). It was strange, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what was going on.
Yan Xiaohan let out a tut as he placed a bowl of steaming noodles in front of Fu Shen. He went between the kitchen counter and table a few times, placing more dishes in front of them, before finally sitting opposite Fu Shen.
“Eat up, we’re going out later.”
“Oh, where?” Fu Shen hummed, carefully picking up his chopsticks and popping a wonton into his mouth. He still wasn’t used to the warm flavours of home cooking, even after the years he’d lived with Yan Xiaohan. It was something he truly cherished… Even his boyfriend had gone overboard for whatever occasion this is.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” Yan Xiaohan shot back, dark eyes glinting and goading him to keep asking. Fu Shen rolled his eyes at him. “It’s a special day.”
Fu Shen gave a non committal hum, concentrating on the food and trying not to look too perturbed. It seemed that Yan Xiaohan wasn’t going to tell him, and he knew that he wouldn’t be able to get it out of the man that so easily kept secrets. Though they were rarely kept from Fu Shen. He pushed the thought aside, deciding to trust in whatever Yan Xiaohan was doing.
The rest of the meal was eaten in a comfortable silence.
“I’ll get washed and ready then,” Fu Shen said once he was finished, pushing the empty dishes towards Yan Xiaohan. He pulled himself up to stand, leaning on the table as he stepped around it until he was in front of his boyfriend. A teasing smile framed his lips. “Be good and clean up.”
“What’s my reward?” Yan Xiaohan smiled, hands resting on Fu Shen’s hips and pulling him closer.
Fu Shen leaned forward until their lips almost touched. “You need a reward for something so simple?”
“Yes,” Yan Xiaohan said with confidence, capturing Fu Shen’s lips before he had time to respond. Fu Shen tilted his head down and melted into it, allowing Yan Xiaohan to deepen the kiss and gently lick his lips. He only pulled back when things started to get hotter, lightly nipping Yan Xiaohan’s bottom lip in warning.
“I need to get ready.”
“Why don’t I help you shower?” Yan Xiaohan asked with a charming smile, as if there wasn’t a devilish glint in the eyes that were trailing down Fu Shen’s loosely clothed body.
“No,” Fu Shen put a firm hand on Yan Xiaohan’s shoulder before he stood, pushing him back down. “Unless you don’t want to go out today, hm?”
Yan Xiaohan let out a light huff, hands squeezing Fu Shen’s waist before reluctantly letting go. “Don’t take too long.”
Fu Shen laughed. Ah, how needy his boyfriend was. He gave him another quick kiss. “I won’t.”
-
Yan Xiaohan talked about everything but their destination during the car journey, navigating it as if he’d been there many times before. Fu Shen played along with it, pushing down the questions threatening to break out with each flirtatious joke shot in his direction. If Yan Xiaohan hadn’t been driving Fu Shen would have jabbed him in the side by now, ignoring how his lips curved up into a permanent smile the whole way.
“We’re here?” Fu Shen questioned as they pulled to a stop at the side of the road, a dusty section that substituted for a car park. From what he could tell they had gone into the mountains, surrounded by tall forests at all sides. Even from the car the scenery was breathtaking. “Are we going for a walk?”
“Sightseeing,” Yan Xiaohan hummed, flashing him a devilish smile before helping Fu Shen out of the car. “Helping to jog your memory.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my memory,” Fu Shen snorted, shooting Yan Xiaohan a glare. His boyfriend just laughed, deep and filling Fu Shen with a comforting warmth, before pushing his wheelchair towards a narrow path.
It wasn’t a particularly smooth walk, but Yan Xiaohan was strong enough to carry them when needed, and it was a short distance until they reached a flat plateau. Fu Shen’s narrowed eyes swept across the sight before them, gazing at the sharp cliffs and flowing rivers. His brow furrowed. He had a feeling he’d seen this before…
“Do you like it?”
“Hmm,” Fu Shen let out a thoughtful hum, tilting his head to the side to slowly rake his eyes up and down Yan Xiaohan. “The scenery is quite beautiful.”
Yan Xiaohan smiled so wide that his eyes creased handsomely, unable to resist taking Fu Shen’s hand in his own. Fu Shen smiled too as their fingers entwined, rough palms pressing together. He turned back to look at the valley.
“Do you remember what happened ten years ago?”
“Ten years ago?” Fu Shen raised an eyebrow. Ten years was a long time, and with the accident that had damaged his legs were other long lasting effects. His mind was still sharp but his memory wasn’t quite what it was, blurry the further back it got. He would have been only sixteen at the time. “Bits and pieces.”
“You promised to never forget our time together,” Yan Xiaohan pouted.
“I didn’t, I remember everything from the day we met- oh. That was ten years ago. Here?”
“It was,” Yan Xiaohan’s eyes shone. He swept his free hand out towards the valley. “This is the tenth anniversary of our meeting, and this is the place where we first met.”
“You really are sneaky, keeping your mouth shut about this,” Fu Shen jabbed, giving Yan Xiaohan’s hand a vicious squeeze. “Trying to make me look like a bad boyfriend, hm?”
“I would never,” Yan Xiaohan smiled, gaze filled with a face of innocence Fu Shen could easily see through. “Am I not allowed to surprise you? Ah, can’t you act a little more shocked, I’m hurt after all the effort I put in.”
“Dream on,” Fu Shen snorted, even as his expression softened.
Of course, Yan Xiaohan quickly went on to ruin the mood as he leaned forward with a teasing grin. “You were so small and demanding when we first met, with your group of rich friends looking down on us. I really wanted to teach you a lesson.”
“I seem to recall someone else being a nuisance,” Fu Shen sneered, pushing down his simmering temper at being goaded. He had been young then with little experiences of the world, of course the two had clashed! And continued to clash again and again, until he realised the depth of his feelings for Yan Xiaohan. “Was it me who got us stuck outside for a night?”
“I don’t regret it. Otherwise, would we be where we were today?”
Fu Shen resisted rolling his eyes. What a romantic. Not that he would admit how much it touched him, coming to a place where he met the one person that felt like home.
He tilted his head as Yan Xiaohan let go of his hand, taking a few steps back.
“Ten years ago, I first met you in this valley. I fell for you then, and have followed you since in the hope that one day I could be your friend, or even just have infrequent conversation. I never expected that you’d end up feeling the same way as me and that we could build a life together. Now, I want to dedicate the rest of my life to you. Fu Shen, will you marry me?”
Fu Shen’s eyes widened in shock as Yan Xiaohan got down on one knee, bringing himself to the same level as Fu Shen and presenting a ring. It was nothing special, a simple silver band with characters etched inside.
He was speechless.
Fu Shen had never expected to get the chance to date someone, nevermind marriage. His life with Yan Xiaohan was something he’d only ever dreamed of. He knew that this was mutual. But marriage, the next step, wasn’t something that had crossed his mind. Binding themselves to each other eternally… hadn’t they already done that through their words?
“Fu Shen?”
At Yan Xiaohan’s call Fu Shen looked up from his shaking hands, meeting Yan Xiaohan’s reddened eyes. He felt his own heating up, a sign of weakness he would never have shown before. A happiness they had found in each other.
“Of course,” Fu Shen choked out, leaning forward to grasp Yan Xiaohan’s hands and pull him closer. Fu Shen’s lips quirked up into a smile. “Do you think anyone else could put up with you?”
“Really ruining a romantic moment here,” Yan Xiaohan retorted, even as a giddy smile crossed his lips and lit up his attractive face. “I worked so hard on it.”
Fu Shen grasped his chin and pulled him in for a kiss to shut him up. Their lips slotted together in a gentle motion, relaxed and languid as they shared the intense feelings bubbling between them both. Their eyes were soft as they pulled away.
“I can’t wait to make you my wife,” Yan Xiaohan murmured, pressing another light kiss to Fu Shen’s lips.
Fu Shen quickly pushed him away, patting his cheek. “...You’ll make the best wife one could ask for.”