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Usually, Wei Ying thrived under the colorful strobes lights of a club, but today was no such case.
He nursed his drink as he looked across the table at his brother and his best friend staring at one another, looking sickly in love. Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang were set to get married next month and were currently in Las Vegas celebrating their joint bachelor party. Nie Huaisang laughed at something Jiang Cheng said before leaning in and giving him a kiss.
Wei Ying finished the rest of his drink. He was happy for them. Really he was. He definitely wasn’t thinking about the fact that his last long term relationship was when he was a senior in college, nor the fact that he had only had a string of short term relationships since, nor the fact that he was now 30 and ready to settle down but had no one to settle down with.
Ya. He was totally fine. Really happy…
He needed another drink.
—
Lan Zhan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Clubs were not his scene. He hated the pounding music, the bright lights, the crowd of bodies pressed against one another.
But, it was Mianmian’s 21 birthday, and he was willing to brave it for his best friend. She sat across from him at the booth, laughing with her entourage of classmates that she invited along. Lan Zhan was familiar with some of them, but he was only really close to Mianmian.
“Lan Zhan, we’re gonna go dance. Want to come?” She asked.
He shook his head, lifting his glass. “No, thank you. I’m going to get another drink.”
She gave him a smile, one that said ‘I know you don’t like being here but I’m so glad you came’ before allowing herself to be dragged onto the dance floor.
Lan Zhan watched them go before standing and making his way to the bar. He took an open seat at the end, waiting for the bartender to make eye contact so he could order.
“Hey there beautiful,” a man crooned in his ear, plastering himself against Lan Zhan’s back. Lan Zhan shivered in disgust. This was the other thing he hated about clubs: the endless stream of horny men who thought they had a chance.
“Hey now, why so cold? I just want to buy you a drink and get to know you better.”
Lan Zhan turned to glare at the man, hoping it was enough of a determinant. It was not. He instead leaned even closer into Lan Zhan’s personal space.
Before he could say more, however, a voice to his right interrupted him. “Man, if the look on his face isn’t enough of a sign that he’s not interested, don’t know what is.”
The pair turned to look at the source of the voice. Lan Zhan’s eyes blew wide. He was gorgeous. His short wavy hair was partially pulled back, revealing the laugh lines that accentuated his smile and eyes. He was wearing black ripped jeans that were skin-tight, with a form-fitting red shirt and black leather jacket. If he wasn’t too dignified to drool, Lan Zhan would be already.
“Stay out of it man,” the creep sneered.
The handsome man let out a sharp laugh. “You must be stupider than I thought if you’re still trying. Look at him.”
The creep and the pretty man looked in his direction. Lan Zhan didn’t even bother looking at the creep, continuing to stare at the handsome stranger instead. He was pretty sure his face was flushed.
The creep huffed out something under his breath, clearly embarrassed, before walking away.
“You ok?” The handsome stranger said.
Lan Zhan nodded dumbly, before finding his voice. “Yes. Thank you.”
The man gave him a brilliant grin. “No problem,” he said, before leaving. For some reason, Lan Zhan stopped him, grabbing his wrist.
“You should stay,” he said shyly. “In case he comes back.”
The man’s smile got impossibly wider as he took a seat next to him. “I’m Wei Ying.”
“Lan Zhan.”
“Can I buy you a drink, Lan Zhan?”
He nodded. Wei Ying grabbed the attention of the server and ordered them two gin and tonics.
“So, what are you here for?” Wei Ying asked, handing him the drink.
“It’s my friend’s birthday. Why are you here?”
“My brother is getting married to my best friend.”
“Congratulations.”
Wei Ying let out a laugh that sounded somewhat bitter. “Ya. It’s great.”
“It doesn’t sound great.”
His smile softened. Lan Zhan couldn’t help but smile back. “Sorry. I’m happy for them, I really am. It’s just when your best friend and your brother get married, you start to think about where you want to be in your own life.”
“And where is that?”
Wei Ying leaned in closer to Lan Zhan. “You know, settled down, preferably with a pretty boy that I picked up from the club.” Lan Zhan felt his face flush as he took another sip of his drink. “Maybe we’ll have a nice house and a few little ones running around.”
He didn’t want to admit how nice that sounded, despite the absurdity of having just met the man. He settled on playfully glaring, saying, “How bold of you, Wei Ying.”
Wei Ying threw his head back and laughed. “Sorry. Had one too many drinks it seems. So Lan Zhan, where are you from?”
The pair continued to talk and drink. Lan Zhan found out that Wei Ying was an interior designer, but that his own home was a complete disaster. He lived close to Lan Zhan, and, most surprisingly, he found out that the man his brother was marrying was his brother-in-law’s brother. They talked and drank, talked and drank, and then drank some more.
“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying slurred, his eyes dark and smoldering, “where are you staying?”
And that was the last thing he remembered.
He woke up sometime later to the sun shining directly onto his face. He groaned in frustration and pain, slowly blinking his eyes open. That’s when he felt an arm tighten around his waist and a warm body plastered against his back.
He froze. Who was behind him? What had he done last night? Why did his head hurt?
He brought his hand up in an attempt to block out the sun, which was making it so much harder to think when he noticed a silver ring glitter on his finger.
He shot up (which was a bad move, as his head began to spin), jarring the man next to him.
“Huh?! What’s going on?” Wei Ying said confused.
“Wei Ying.”
“…Lan Zhan? What are you doing here?”
“Wei Ying, are we married?”
—
Wei Ying froze. He. Looked at Lan Zhan, getting momentarily distracted by his defined, nake chest, before noticing a silver ring on his finger. He shot up next to Lan Zhan, groaning in pain after doing so.
“Lan Zhan.”
“Wei Ying.”
“Lan Zhan!”
“Wei Ying!”
“What happened?! Why are we wearing rings?!”
“I was hoping you would know!”
“Right,” he said, taking a few deep breaths to try and calm himself. “Right. I remember asking where you were staying. And I noticed you were starting to get tipsy, but you insisted on staying to drink more. So we took a few shots. And then…”
“…and then?” the other finished.
“And that’s all I remember.”
Lan Zhan sighed. “There has to be some other clue as to what happened.”
“Right! You’re absolutely right Lan Zhan! You’re so smart.”
He received a wry smile. “I should hope so. I worked very hard to get into the school I do.”
Wei Ying froze for a second time. “Wait, you’re in college?!”
Lan Zhan gave him a confused look. “…yes. I’m 21.” Wei Ying stayed silent. “Wei Ying, how old are you?”
“I’m 30.”
The pair stared at each other in stunned silence for an extended period of time.
“Let’s deal with this later,” Lan Zhan rasped out.
“Right.”
Wei Ying reached for his phone on the bedside table, hoping to find some clues as to where they were last night. When he unlocked his phone, his photo album appeared, already opened. He scrolled to the bottom of his album and opened the most recent picture. It showed himself and Lan Zhan kissing in front of the Vegas sign. Wei Ying felt his face heat and he quickly scrolled to the next one. That one showed the pair holding one another, their foreheads pressed together, giggling. They looked happy and madly in love. Not at all like they met less than 24 hours ago.
“Wei Ying, what is it?” Lan Zhan asked, hooking his chin on Wei Ying’s shoulder.
Wei Ying’s heart fluttered. This man was too cute. He tilted his phone towards the other and showed him the photo. Lan Zhan gently took the phone out of his hand. A light pink dusted his cheeks as he flipped through the album.
As Lan Zhan continued to look at his phone, he stood on shaky legs, attempting to find more evidence. He rustled through his jacket pocket and found a folded piece of paper. He took it out, unfolding it. It was a marriage certificate from the “Love Birds Wedding Chapel.” He turned and held it up to show Lan Zhan.
Lan Zhan took a visible gulp.
“So,” he said.
“So,” Lan Zhan parroted.
“It seems that we are married.”
“It seems so.”
Silence. Eventually, Wei Ying broke, collapsing onto the bed next to Lan Zhan.
“Lan Zhan, I’m so sorry.”
“Wei Ying, what are you sorry for?”
“You’re so young! And I’ve somehow convinced you to be tied down. I feel like I’ve ruined your life.”
Lan Zhan gave him a soft smile and held out his hand. After a moment of hesitation, Wei Ying took it and sat up against the headboard next to him.
“Wei Ying, I’m as much at fault as you are. I was also drunk. And…and you didn’t ruin my life.”
“…I didn’t?”
Lan Zhan’s ears turned pink. So cute. “No, you didn’t. I don’t…hate the idea of being married to you.”
“…you don’t?”
“Do you?”
“No!” Wei Ying said hurriedly, startling Lan Zhan. He cleared his throat to cover his embarrassment and eagerness. “No. I don’t hate it either. You’re really pretty, Lan Zhan. And so smart. At least, I think you are.”
“I am,” he replied with a coy smile.
Wei Ying laughed. “Is it crazy if I don’t want to end this? I mean, we’ve only known each other for less than a day. And we don’t really know each other, do we? What if we regret it? What if you realize I’m not what you want?”
Lan Zhan looked down at the picture on the phone of them laughing at one another. He held it up for Wei Ying to see.
“I think, subconsciously, I already know what I want.”
Wei Ying smiled and ran his thumb over Lan Zhan’s finger.
“So…what do you want to do next?”
Lan Zhan hummed in thought. “I want to get dressed, find some breakfast to help cure my hangover, and spend the rest of the day getting to know my new husband.”
His smile widened as he leaned in to place a soft, sweet kiss against Lan Zhan’s lips. “I like the sound of that husband.”
After some more cuddling and kisses, the pair finally made a move to find food. Lan Zhan gave Wei Ying a university sweatshirt and sweatpants (“I’m not sure my other clothes will fit.” “No, it’s cute Lan Zhan! I love repping my husband’s school.”). They made their way towards the elevator and went to the restaurant on the first floor. Lan Zhan ordered the sweetest things on the menu whilst Wei Ying ordered the greasiest.
With food now sitting in his stomach, Wei Ying began to get flashes of the night before.
The pair stumbled down the street, latched on to one another for balance. Lan Zhan tripped over an uneven part of the sidewalk and stumbled. Wei Ying caught him and the other began to giggle.
“Lan Zhan! You’re so cute!”
“Noo~ Not as cute as youuu,” Lan Zhan sing-songed.
“Sure, sweetheart. Whatever you say.”
The pair continued to walk before Lan Zhan stopped him, gasping.
“Wei Ying, look!” He pointed across the street to one of those tacky wedding chapels that people eloped at.
“Why are you pointing at a wedding chapel, Lan Zhan?”
Lan Zhan rounded on him, grabbing the front of his leather jacket. “Wei Ying, let’s get married! Let’s make your dreams come true.”
Wei Ying let out a nervous giggle. “Lan Zhan, you must be really drunk!”
The other stuck his lower lip out in the cutest pout Wei Ying had ever seen. “Not drunk. Just want to marry Wei Ying. Wei Ying is so handsome, so kind, so good…” He was hugging Wei Ying now, crooning sweet words.
He groaned. “How can I resist you? Alright, let’s get married.”
Lan Zhan cheered and pulled him across the street.
“Wei Ying?” Lan Zhan called, standing outside the elevator doors. He snapped back to the present.
“Ah, sorry Lan Zhan. Let’s go back to the room.” He grabbed the other’s hand and led them back. “What do you want to do now?”
“Shower,” he replied instantly.
Wei Ying laughed. “Alright. Why don’t you hop in while I find us a movie to watch?”
“Sounds wonderful,” Lan Zhan replied with a smile. He gave Wei Ying a peck on the cheek before walking into the bathroom and shutting the door.
Wei Ying sat on the bed and flipped through the movie options before landing on a classic. He paused the movie and waited for Lan Zhan to finish.
The sunlight caught his ring, and he began to mess with it. More memories flooded back to him.
“Sign here and you are good to go,” said the woman at the front office.
Wei Ying drunkenly scribbled his name before handing over the pen for Lan Zhan to do the same.
“Wonderful! Do you all have rings?”
The couple stared at her in a state of drunken confusion. The woman chuckled.
“It’s no problem. We have some simple ones here for an extra fee. Would you like to purchase them?”
“I’m not-”
“Yes!” Lan Zhan interrupted. He turned and gave Wei Ying his cutest puppy-dog eyes. “Wei Ying, we have to have rings. Otherwise, how will anyone know that we’re married?!”
Wei Ying groaned, dropping so their foreheads touched. “How can I say no to you?”
Lan Zhan gave him a radiant smile in response. The lady behind the counter cooed.
“You two are so cute! That’ll be $80 for two rings. What are your sizes?”
Wei Ying felt his heart drop at the memory. He couldn’t let Lan Zhan walk around with some cheap, $40 ring that would more than likely turn his finger green. He deserved better!
Suddenly determined, he picked up a hotel pad of paper and wrote his husband a note so he wouldn’t get the wrong idea. ‘Don’t worry! I didn’t sneak out. I just need to run an errand. I promise I’ll be back soon. Xoxo.’
He then briskly walked to the elevator and out the lobby doors in search of a store. He pulled up the nearest Tiffany’s onto his phone and hailed a taxi. Once there, he picked out two silver wedding bands with a single, lab-made diamond incrested in each. Surprisingly, despite not remembering a good chunk of the night, he remembered Lan Zhan’s ring size. He then hailed a taxi back to the hotel room.
He opened the door to find Lan Zhan sitting on the bed in a bathrobe watching TV. His hair was pulled into a wet braid and he had a face mask on. He looked so adorable that Wei Ying almost keeled over from cuteness.
Lan Zhan turned to him as he entered the room. “Wei Ying? Where did you go?”
Wei Ying went to the bed and took Lan Zhan’s hand in his. He slipped the cheap ring off of his finger. His husband let out a desperate sound as the ring was taken away. Wei Ying saw fear written across his face, probably worried that he had changed his mind.
“Shh, sweetheart, it’s alright. I haven’t changed my mind. The rings we got at the chapel are cheap. They’ll probably turn our fingers green. So I got us some new ones.”
He reached into his sweatshirt pocket and pulled out a ring box. Lan Zhan gasped at the sight of the ring. Wei Ying took it out and slipped it onto the other’s finger. “Lan Zhan, will you continue to be my husband and stay by my side until our last breaths?”
Lan Zhan’s eyes began to water. Wei Ying felt his do the same. It all felt so surreal. They had met less than 24 hours ago and yet he felt like he was proposing after having spent 10 years together. He felt nervous and giddy. He felt young.
Lan Zhan cupped his face and pulled him into a sweet kiss. “Yes, Wei Ying.”
Wei Ying beamed. He ignored the stickiness of the face mask and kissed Lan Zhan several more times. Eventually, he allowed his husband to put the new ring onto his finger. His heartfelt light.
Later they would call their friends and family to the hotel bar and share the news. Later, Wei Ying would endure his brother’s angry rants and as Lan Zhan fielded excited questions from their friends. Later, they would map out the rest of their lives.
But for now, they spend their time talking. Wei Ying recounted what he remembered from the previous night, and teased Lan Zhan mercilessly for being the one to propose first. They learned every detail they could about one another, and Wei Ying fell more and more in love with his husband with every fact he shared.
And when they grew tired of talking, they learned everything they could about each other’s bodies.
—
Lan Zhan sat still as Wei Ying finished braiding his hair. He fiddled with the ring that hung from the chain around his neck. He had refused to get rid of their original wedding rings.
“I want to remember, Wei Ying,” he had said. “Even if they are cheap, I want to have them as a sign of how easily and readily we chose one another. How easy it was to fall in love with you.”
Wei Ying had kissed him senselessly for that.
“All finished,” his husband announced, leaning down to kiss his cheek.
Lan Zhan smiled and stood. The pair are dressed in all white, Wei Ying in a white dress shirt and pants, and Lan Zhan in a white blouse and pants.
Today was their one-year anniversary. Wei Ying had insisted they have a real wedding to celebrate it, but Lan Zhan refused.
“I wouldn’t change a thing about our wedding, Wei Ying,” he had said. “Other than remembering it all, that is.”
They settled on having a vow renewal instead. Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang had offered their home and lavish garden as a venue. Their closest friends and family now waited for them in said garden, with Lan Xichen standing at the end ready to officiate.
Wei Ying took his hand in his and brought it up to his lips. “Are you ready my love?”
“Mn. Are you?”
“I’m not gonna lie, I’m a bit nervous. This was a lot easier when I was drunk. Think I have time to maybe down a few?”
Lan Zhan pulled him into a deep kiss, thoroughly derailing the other’s train of thought. “Don’t you dare. I want us to remember this.”
Wei Ying smiled softly at him. “You’re right husband, as always.”
“Mn. We shouldn’t keep our guests waiting.”
They opened the large doors leading to the garden and made their way down the aisle, hand in hand, ready to commit to one another all over again.