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Chapter Text

Six Weeks Before the Wedding

What We Know About the Liyue Tianquan’s Wedding

By Aether Viator

Although there’s still some time to go before the big day, people are already calling it “The Wedding of the Year,” and with good reason. Jin Ningguang has a reputation for perfection, and there’s no doubt that she’ll spare no expense when it comes to tying the knot. With the date approaching, let’s go over what we know about the event so far.

The Couple

Ningguang is the 33-year-old Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing. She’s respected and feared in equal measure by Liyue Harbor’s elite. Citizens have her to thank for public policy reforms that improved the quality of the nation’s drinking water. An architect in her spare time, Ningguang designed her own home, nicknamed “The Jade Chamber.” Professionals in the field have praised it as a marvel of modern design.

Her partner, Beidou, is cut from a different cloth. Not much is known about her, since she prefers to avoid the limelight, but many know her as a community leader. One of her recent accomplishments, the Clean Harbor project, cleared Liyue Harbor of debris after a hurricane rocked the city. She describes herself as a fan of sailing and travel.

Rumor has it that the couple met during their organizing efforts and sparks flew (some because of their many disagreements). It seems that opposites attract, because despite those disagreements, the two women continued to meet privately and later announced their relationship on social media after a year of dating.

The Engagement

A year after publicly declaring their relationship, an engagement announcement followed. No word on who proposed, but both ladies sported matching rings in their photos (gold for Ningguang and silver for Beidou, with marquise cut gemstones). The couple were on a short sailing trip that afternoon to celebrate their anniversary. A romantic proposal on the water suggests Beidou was the one who got down on one knee, but Ningguang is pretty proactive herself. What are the odds of a double proposal?

The Ceremony

Photographers and news outlets have sent their requests, but invitations have just started going out, so whether we’ll learn anything about the wedding itself remains to be seen. Will it be traditional or modern? Will it be local or are they holding it abroad? It could end up being an intimate affair with just a handful of guests or a huge blowout. Whatever the case, it’s bound to be memorable.

*

Four Weeks Before the Wedding

Major in journalism, they said. You could do something worthwhile, they said. What no one had said to Aether (which they probably should have) was, “Lower your expectations.” He remembered being eighteen, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, his head full of dreams of breaking a big, important story. But over the next four years, that optimism waned. Those dreams faded. And now here he was, employed by a website that posted fluff pieces and listicles, working the wedding beat.

Aether didn’t even like weddings. Marriage he could get behind, but the industry that had sprung up around them was depressing. It wasn’t just the extravagant price tags that made his soul feel like a rapidly disintegrating graham cracker; it was the competition. Everyone was trying to outdo each other. Who had the best dress? Who had the best catering? Who had the best flowers? Whose vows tugged the hardest on everyone’s heartstrings? It became less and less about the couple at the center and more about the event itself.

Romance is dead, Aether thought as he scrolled through a “ring-shaming” group he’d joined as part of the job. Comment after comment of women snarking on screenshots of other people’s engagement announcements. Having worked this beat for a while now, Aether could distinguish high- and low-quality jewelry, but Lord. If someone wanted a Pikachu ring, then they could have a Pikachu ring. As long as it fit comfortably and didn’t turn their finger green, who fucking cared?

Aether’s sister, Lumine, shoved his legs off the couch so that she could sit down. “Move. The new episode of Bake Off is on.”

Aether grunted and moved without taking his eyes off his phone. He wasn’t in the best mood. If he’d gotten approval to attend the “Beiguang” wedding—as it was colloquially known—he wouldn’t have to be scraping the bottom of the barrel for content. But, shocker, their shitty pop news website hadn’t made the cut. Only the high-end fashion magazines and prestige lifestyle reporters had made it onto the guest list. Aether knew that he was cheap stew meat compared to their filet mignon, but he didn’t need it rubbed in. He bet he could do their job just as well, actually. Despite his distaste for this particular beat, Aether didn’t half-ass it. (Not when it counted, anyway.)

“Lumine,” he said, turning his phone to show her his screen, “is this ugly? Does it make you outraged?”

Lumine looked at the ring in question. “I mean, it’s gaudy.”

“Anything else?”

“’Radioactive’ comes to mind.”

“Great, I’ll go with that.” Aether bookmarked the picture.

“You should just quit,” Lumine said, bringing a handful of popcorn to her mouth.

“And do what?”

“You could start a personal blog. Then you could write about whatever you want.”

“How’s that gonna pay rent?”

“Make yourself a profile on one of those monthly donation sites. If people like what you have to say, then they’ll drop a few dollars to help you keep doing it.”

Aether had considered doing that, but being your own boss meant no benefits. And if he flopped…

A text notification appeared at the top of his screen. Aether perked up.

Albedo [2:00] Hi, do you want to meet for coffee? I have the next hour free.

There was nothing Aether would enjoy more. He could finally stop scrolling through pictures of rings and mentally spiraling. He sent a reply.

Aether [2:00] sure, the usual spot?

Albedo [2:01] Yes. I’ll meet you inside.

Aether rolled off the couch and grabbed his wallet off the kitchen counter. “I’m going,” he said, lacing his sneakers.

“Where?” Lumine asked.

“Coffee with Albedo.”

“Okay.” Lumine put up her feet on the spot her brother had vacated. “Enjoy your date.”

“It’s not a date. We’re just friends.”

“You can go on dates with friends.”

Aether sighed and shook his head. He knew what she’d meant. Whenever Aether mentioned Albedo, Lumine was quick to bring up his non-existent crush. She insisted that Albedo was into him, but Aether didn’t believe it. Albedo “maintaining relationships is exhausting” Kreideprinz was not in the market for a boyfriend. He seemed, in fact, so far removed from the concept of dating that their mutual friends had long since given up introducing him to people. Lumine’s evidence wasn’t convincing either.

“He stares at you,” she’d say.

“He stares at everyone.”

“He’s always taking time out of his schedule to see you.”

“I’m his friend, so yeah. He’s gonna want to see me sometimes.”

“Uh-huh. Albedo ‘sorry, I can’t come to your birthday party because I’m in the middle of important research’ Kreideprinz just casually sets aside his work for all of his friends. That’s totally normal for him.”

“It’s not like he’s canceling plans to talk to me.”

“Didn’t he mention he was on a stressful deadline the last time he came over? And he hung around for hours. He never shuts up when he’s around you. Plus, I caught him doodling your face.”

“Again, he does that with everyone.”

“You’re hopeless.”

Honestly, Aether wouldn’t know what to do if Albedo liked him romantically. Albedo was way out of his league. The gods blessed Albedo with good looks, intelligence, and artistic talent, and other people couldn’t help but be drawn to him, even when met with gentle aloofness. Aether wasn’t immune to it. He was only human, after all. But he was happy that Albedo even considered him a friend. It would be unfair to expect more.

*

Albedo studied the piece of cardstock in his hand, flipping it from back to front as though more information would miraculously appear. Earlier that day, he’d discovered a small, elegant envelope in his mailbox and somehow failed to connect it to the “save the date” card he’d received a few weeks ago. He was still sure that there’d been a mix-up. Doing a few paintings for someone couldn’t have earned Albedo the right to attend their wedding. But that was his name and address on the envelope.

He had never been to a wedding before, but like all large social gatherings, Albedo was leery of them. This one was especially daunting. The ceremony and reception were in Liyue, where he’d know no one except the bride—and only in a professional sense. (Albedo did have another contact in Liyue Harbor, but it was unlikely he’d attend the wedding.) There was a space to write the name of a “plus one,” but who would Albedo bring?

Although someone instantly came to mind, Albedo dismissed the thought. He couldn’t ask Aether to come with him to a location wedding. For one, his job revolved around weddings. It would be like work for him. Second…

Albedo had been working up the courage to ask Aether on a real date for about (he did some mental calculation) two years, and so far, hadn’t quite made it. They went to places and events together, just the two of them, but these outings were tagged “as friends,” even when not explicitly stated. They were always just “hanging out.” Albedo was under no illusion that Aether gave him special treatment. He was a people person with tons of friends.

(Last time they’d had dinner together, though, Albedo had wanted to try something Aether had ordered, and instead of just transferring the piece of fish to Albedo’s plate, Aether had presented it to him on the end of his fork and let Albedo bite it off the tines. Albedo might not have been the most socially adept, but that seemed outside the bounds of typical platonic interaction.)

Aether could have his choice of dates. He was handsome, funny, kind—everything a person could ask for. Yet he currently didn’t have a partner. Albedo couldn’t remember the last time Aether had mentioned going on a date. This suggested that either Aether was too busy for romance, had totally lost interest in dating, or wanted someone he couldn’t have. (The thought of someone refusing Aether made Albedo indignant on his behalf and equally irritated that Aether would rather pine for someone unattainable rather than realizing Albedo was right here.)

For two years, Albedo had been torn between confessing his feelings and preserving the comfortable rapport they currently maintained. He wished he could suppress them, wished he could be content with the status quo, yet he only seemed to fall deeper and deeper with no end in sight.

Regarding the wedding, there was only one correct choice: he’d decline.

Just as Albedo reached into his bag for a pen, he heard someone call his name from across the café. He looked up to see Aether making his way across the dining room, beaming like a ray of sunlight. Albedo hurriedly shoved the invitation into his bag instead.

“Hey,” Aether said when he made it to Albedo’s table. “You texted at exactly the right time.”

Albedo’s heart swelled. Oh… whenever Aether told him things like that, he felt truly special (even though he knew he wasn’t). Aether pulled out a chair and sat.

“This job is killing me. But you don’t want to hear me complain. How are things with you?”

“Fine,” Albedo said. “I don’t mind if you complain. Venting can be cathartic.”

Aether sighed. “I think it’s turning me into a worse person. I can feel myself getting more cynical. Did you know there are entire groups devoted to making fun of stranger’s weddings? I mean, some of them probably have it coming… Oh, damn it. You see what I mean?”

Albedo couldn’t help but smile. “Sometimes a certain level of cynicism is required for a beat like yours. Love is a wonderful thing but reading about all the pomp and circumstance that goes into a high-profile wedding makes me anxious. It makes one wonder where other people’s priorities lie.”

“You read my articles?”

“Of course, I do.” Albedo had zero interest in weddings, but his interest in Aether overrode that.

“Wow.” Aether rested his chin in his hand. “I should try to read your work. Isn’t your research published somewhere?”

“If you’re curious, I can lend you the journals I’m in. I should warn you that the articles are technically dense. They might be difficult to understand.”

“Are you saying I’m dumb?”

Albedo’s heart stopped. “No, no,” he said quickly. “That’s not—”

Aether laughed. “It’s okay. I’m kidding. I know that’s not what you meant.”

Thank goodness. Albedo had inadvertently offended people in the past by speaking too bluntly or not speaking at all. He often missed hidden implications in others’ speech or even his own if he wasn’t actively thinking about it. Aether could usually understand his intent, though. He was good at looking past the surface.

“Did you order yet?” Aether asked.

“No, I was waiting for you.”

“Ah, thanks. What do you want? I’ll treat.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Albedo said.

“I’d like to.” Aether stood up. “I’ll get something from the pastry case, too, if you feel like it.”

That was tempting… Albedo glanced at the rows of muffins, pastries, and cake slices behind the glass. His sweet tooth won out. “That coffee cake looks good,” he muttered. “We could share.”

“Got it. Are you having your usual to drink?”

Albedo nodded. As soon as Aether’s back was turned, Albedo put his face in his hands. He remembers everyone’s favorites, he told himself. He’s always thinking of other people. Don’t get carried away.

Aether returned a few minutes later with their coffee and cake. “Here you go,” he said, placing Albedo’s caramel macchiato in front of him.

“Thank you. I’ll pay you back for it.”

“No need. It’s a treat. My next article should more than cover it.” Aether sighed and shook his head. “Maybe don’t read that one.”

“You seem particularly unhappy with your work recently,” Albedo said. “Have you thought about finding something else?”

“You mean quit? I wish, but I’d just get shuffled into a similar beat at a different company. Lumine thinks I should go independent.”

“Will that not work either?”

“It’d be like starting from scratch.”

Albedo wished there was something he could do. The best he could offer was sympathy. He and Aether were in completely different fields, so he didn’t have any positions to recommend. During their undergraduate studies, Aether had worked on the school newspaper, and his articles had been engaging, timely, and important. He talked about budget cuts to already underfunded departments and campus protests. That he was now relegated to fluff pieces about wedding etiquette seemed unfair.

“I was hoping to get an invite to the Beiguang wedding,” Aether said glumly. “That might’ve turned things around.”

Albedo sat up. “Beiguang?”

“Ningguang and Beidou. It’s supposed to be the wedding of the year, and they were super selective with the guest list. We applied for a press invitation and got shot down.”

“You… wanted to go?”

“It’s a major event and Ningguang is a high-profile political figure. I need something impressive in my portfolio,” Aether said. “Otherwise, I’ll be stuck writing ‘Top Ten Flower Arrangements for June Weddings’ listicles for the rest of my life. I don’t know how I’m gonna do that if we miss reporting on the wedding of the year.”

Albedo didn’t believe in a higher power, but this was so serendipitous that his atheism wavered just a bit. “I have an invitation,” he said.

Aether’s eyebrows shot up. “You do?”

“I’ve done paintings for Ningguang in the past. I wasn’t sure if I would attend her wedding, though. Large events like that can be tiring. But,” he wet his lips, “seeing as you need this story, I can put you down as my plus one, and we can go together.”

“You would do that?” Aether’s eyes shimmered with gratitude.

I would do anything for you. Albedo swallowed that thought. “Of course. I’d feel more comfortable attending with a familiar face anyway.”

“But, um, we can’t let anyone know I’m a journalist,” Aether said with a blush. “They didn’t approve our request to be there, so… I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

“Simple. Just say you’re my date.” Albedo had years of practice keeping his cool, but when Aether was involved, his typical self-control wavered. He was trying very hard to seem casual about this arrangement.

Aether seemed to think it over. “Your date… Yeah. That could work. Actually, we could go one step further. Taking someone to a wedding is pretty serious.”

Albedo gave him a curious look.

“If anyone asks, you might as well tell them I’m your boyfriend.”

Chapter Text

2 Weeks Before the Wedding

R.S.V.P.

Please respond on or before May 6^th, 20XX

M r. Albedo Kreideprinz & Aether Viator

🗹 Accept with pleasure

☐ Regretfully decline

2 Number of Guests

☐ Meat             🗹 Fish            ☐ Vegetarian

*

“I can’t believe you’re doing this,” Lumine said. “Using a man’s feelings in order to advance your career is so unlike you.”

“I’m not! He’s the one who suggested it.”

Two weeks. The plane tickets were purchased, the hotel room was booked, and Albedo had sent his RSVP card. There was technically still time to reverse the decision—all it would take was a call or email—but no way was Aether going to back out. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He was also excited to visit Liyue. Aether had studied abroad there during undergrad, but that had been several years ago. They planned to arrive the day before the wedding so that they could indulge in some tourism. Aether couldn’t wait to explore the city with Albedo. As far as he knew, Albedo hadn’t left Mondstadt since his mother handed him off to a family friend when he was a teenager. Aether had thought about suggesting a trip for a while now, but Albedo’s studies were too demanding. He felt bad enough whenever Albedo came over near a deadline. This was finally Aether’s chance to show him places further afield than the mountains.

For some reason, Lumine was being weirdly negative about the whole thing. “You know, the brides rejected your invitation request for a reason. I’m not saying you can’t go, but are you seriously going to write an article about the wedding? What does your editor think?”

“My editor thinks it’s great,” Aether said. He’d emailed the same afternoon he and Albedo met for coffee. His editor hadn’t even asked where he’d managed to nab an invitation. An article about the Beiguang wedding was sure to get clicks.

“Didn’t you call your editor a, quote, scumbag churnalist who only cares about maximizing ad revenue? If he’s on board, then it can’t be the most moral decision you’ve ever made.”

Aether sighed. “Look, I’m not saying that it’s the right thing to do. But I just have to take this one kind of questionable route to get the story, and if it works, I can find a better outlet with a better beat.”

“And what if you do your job too well?” Lumine picked up the sleeve of Aether’s suit from where it hung on the back of his bedroom door. “You could get pigeon-holed into writing about weddings for the rest of your life. Let’s say the editor of The Steambird sees your article and thinks, ‘now that’s a guy I want covering celebrity weddings and engagements.’ It’d be more prestigious, but you’d still be researching different types of lace.”

Aether had considered the possibility. “Even that’d be better than what I’m doing now. Do you know how many people would kill to write for The Steambird? Mona’s so lucky…”

Lumine let the sleeve drop and threw up her hands. “I’m talking to a brick wall. If I were you, I’d just go to the wedding and enjoy it. Kiss Albedo on the mouth a little.”

“I’m not kissing anyone on the mouth unless they want me to,” Aether said.

“He definitely wants you to. He asked you to go to a wedding with him! He’s agreeing to be your fake boyfriend!”

“That’s just something we’re telling people. It makes more sense for him to bring a committed partner than a friend.”

“Oh yeah? Whose idea was that?”

Aether suddenly couldn’t make eye contact with his sister. “Mine.”

“And how did Albedo react?”

Aether rewound his memory two weeks back. He tried to recall whether Albedo had had a significant reaction to the suggestion. It was difficult to read Albedo’s emotions at the best of times. He’d seemed sort of taken aback, but he’d agreed to the lie without arguing. Aether had assured him that they didn’t have to do anything he wasn’t comfortable with.

“I don’t think anyone’s going to expect us to kiss in front of them,” Aether had said. “They might ask a few questions to be polite, but I figure we can tell the truth for most of them.”

“Like how we met?”

“Exactly.”

Albedo had been contemplative. “Then there won’t be much acting involved. It sounds doable.”

In the present, Aether said, “He wasn’t gung-ho about it or anything. If he wanted to go out with me, then he could just ask.”

Lumine shook her head. “How are you this dense?”

*

It had been a while since Albedo had taken time off. He’d almost forgotten how to put in a request. While he was waiting for the inevitable approval, he figured he should inform his fellow interns.

“I’ll be out for a few days later this month,” he told Sucrose while they were having coffee (with plenty of milk and sugar) in the break room. “I’m going to a wedding in Liyue with Aether.”

Sucrose’s eyes went huge behind her glasses. “You told him how you feel?”

It seemed everyone knew about Albedo’s crush except Aether. “Er, not exactly,” Albedo admitted. “I asked him if he wanted to go as my date so he could cover the wedding and we mutually agreed that we’ll pretend to be in a relationship as a cover.”

“You’re going to lie?” Sucrose said. “But isn’t that risky? If the brides find out you’re sneaking a reporter into their wedding without their approval, they’ll be upset. Isn’t this violating their trust?”

Albedo nodded. There was no way around it. The set-up was unethical. But… “They probably won’t find out. The article will be published afterward, and I doubt they’ll see it.”

Unless Beidou and Ningguang were the type to search their own names, then they’d be totally unaware. It wouldn’t even cross their minds that a pop news site like Aether’s was covering their wedding.

Albedo was less concerned with the brides discovering them and more with whether he could make this fake relationship a real one. This trip was a test. Albedo had been holding back for years, but this was his chance to show Aether what a good partner he could be, all behind the safety of their lie. If the trial run was successful, then there’d be a lower risk of Aether turning him down if he asked him on a real date afterward. Albedo just had to show him how good they’d be together.

Easier said than done.

One Day Before the Wedding – 24 Hours Remain

The flight was grueling but watching Liyue Harbor come into view through the plane windows gave Aether a fresh burst of energy. It appeared to have a similar effect on Albedo, who leaned around Aether to see, his lips parted in wonder. They’d shared a glance as the plane dipped lower. Aether’s heartbeat quickened when Albedo gave him a secretive smile.

Their hotel was a short taxi ride from the airport. The room overlooked the harbor. It was a gorgeous view: bright blue water, equally blue sky dotted with puffy clouds, a bustling market near the docks. Aether took photos while Albedo unpacked his suitcase. They’d both traveled light, since they only planned to be in town for the weekend. It felt like they were performing a heist—get in and out of the wedding without attracting too much attention, then scurry back to Mondstadt with their ill-gotten gains. Well, Aether’s ill-gotten gains. Albedo was really just an accomplice.

“If you’re not feeling too tired,” Albedo said after he’d set his toiletries in the bathroom, “I’m planning to meet a friend and thought you might want to come. He said he’ll treat us to lunch.”

Aether would never turn down a free meal. He was also curious about Albedo’s friend. “Is this the author you draw for?”

Albedo nodded. “Zhenyu. He’s in his second year of university.”

An image of a young, bespectacled literature student flashed through Aether’s imagination. Just the kind of person Albedo would be friends with. “I’d be down to meet him.”

“Good. I’ll let him know you’ll be joining us.”

Aether hoped Albedo’s friend would be fine with him third-wheeling. A part of him was disappointed that the first thing Albedo had suggested doing was meeting someone else. Aether had been envisioning just the two of them touring Liyue’s busy streets. Well, whatever.

Albedo’s thumbs tapped at his phone. “He says he’ll meet us in front of Wanwen Bookstore in fifteen minutes. Are you ready or do you need more time?”

“I’m ready.” Aether grabbed his bag, made sure they each had a hotel key, then mapped a route to the bookstore. Luckily, it was located in the same district they were staying in. He and Albedo nearly got turned around trying to find the right staircase that would take them to the shop, but they arrived on time.

“He’s inside,” Albedo said. “He said to find him in the sci-fi and fantasy section.”

Aether sighed with relief as they stepped into the air-conditioned bookstore. He was already sweating from the trek, and the day was only supposed to get hotter. There was a young man in front of the sci-fi and fantasy shelves, skimming a novel.

Albedo said, “Zhenyu?”

The young man looked around, his eyes lighting up. Zhenyu had dark hair chopped into an asymmetrical bowl cut. He wore round sunglasses, which were pushed onto his forehead, and a white button-up tucked into his shorts. The outfit reminded Aether of a schoolboy. I was kind of right about the glasses.

“Calx! We finally get to meet in person!” Zhenyu said. “You look exactly how I imagined you.”

Was that a good or bad thing? A good thing, probably. Zhenyu seemed happy about it, not to mention Albedo was one of the prettiest people on the planet.

“My real name is Xingqiu, by the way. But you can still use Zhenyu if it’s easier for you.”

Albedo held out his hand. “Albedo. Similarly, you can continue to use my penname.”

Zhenyu—Xingqiu—shook. He glanced at Aether, who was standing out of the way and observing. “And you must be…”

“I’m Aether.” He waved. “I’m just a tag-along. It’s good to meet you.”

“The pleasure’s all mine,” Xingqiu said as he shook Aether’s hand. “No need to reduce yourself to a ‘tag-along.’ You’re one of Albedo’s most treasured friends. He’s told me so much about you!”

He has? Aether glanced at Albedo for confirmation.

“I may have mentioned you a few times,” he admitted.

What exactly had he said? Aether hoped it was only good things. He doubted Albedo would’ve bad-mouthed him to his online friend. But it seemed like Xingqiu knew more about Aether than vice-versa. How often did Aether come up? In what context?

“Would you like to walk around a little before we eat? If you’re hungry, we can have lunch first and then sight-see. I’m alright with either order.”

“I’d like to look around first,” Albedo said. He turned to Aether. “What do you think?”

“Sight-seeing sounds good to me.”

Xingqiu clapped his hands once. “Excellent. I want to show you Yujing Terrace. I think I sent you photos before as a reference for that one scene. Where the spies met to trade information.”

Albedo appeared to cast his memory back. “Oh, yes. With the koi ponds?”

“That’s the one. It’s far more scenic in person, though your illustration captured it beautifully.” Xingqiu lowered his sunglasses. “I’ll lead the way.”

He returned his book to the shelf and headed for the exit. Albedo and Aether hung back a moment.

“So, um…” Aether began. He rubbed the back of his neck. “You talked about me?”

Albedo seemed to stare straight through him. His eyes reminded Aether of the view of the harbor—all that blue-green water, sparkling in the sun. “Of course,” Albedo said. After a second, he added, “Should I not have?”

“No, no, it’s not a problem. I didn’t think I’d come up, though. I mean, I can’t be that interesting to Xingqiu.”

“You’re very interesting, Aether.” Albedo started toward the exit. “We should catch up.”

Xingqiu was waiting outside, a sly smile on his lips. He’d lowered his sunglasses to protect against the midday glare, but Aether was close enough to see his eyes through the dark lenses. Why did he look like he knew something they didn’t?

No, he knew something Aether didn’t. Seriously, what had Albedo told him? How could Aether find out without asking directly? Lumine’s insistence that Albedo had a crush on him echoed in his ears. No way. He couldn’t picture Albedo gossiping about a guy he was into like a teenage girl at a slumber party.

“Aether, you’re a writer too, right?” Xingqiu said as they descended to the street. “Is your work published anywhere?”

“Yeah, but it’s just articles. Boring stuff.”

“I think they’re entertaining,” Albedo said.

Another meaningful look from Xingqiu. “You’re biased,” he said.

Albedo shrugged. “Aren’t we all? As long as we’re aware of them, having biases doesn’t prevent us from viewing things critically. I, for one, find Aether’s work engaging.” To Aether, he added, “You shouldn’t devalue your work.”

Aether’s heart skipped a few beats.

“Your face seems a little pink,” Xingqiu observed.

“I-it’s probably the heat,” Aether said quickly. “Anyway… Yujing Terrace?”

*

Xingqiu was a decent tour guide. He knew a lot about some of Liyue Harbor’s historical buildings. Albedo tried to listen, but his attention continued to wander back to Aether. Albedo hadn’t predicted that Xingqiu would allude to their previous conversations about him. In retrospect, perhaps it had been a mistake to talk that much in the first place. He hadn’t admitted to having romantic feelings for Aether in so many words, but Xingqiu had guessed it. Now they were all in the same place, and Xingqiu was clearly reveling in knowing Albedo’s “secret.”

Albedo liked Xingqiu, but he could be a bit… difficult. It came with being a creative. Albedo had yet to meet an artist without major personality quirks, himself included. Xingqiu was also quite intelligent and observant—at least when it came to other people. The closer someone or something was to him, the harder it was for him to reach the truth. One only had to talk to Xingqiu for a few minutes to realize that he was completely smitten with his best friend, but he’d deny it up, down, and sideways in a way that made it clear he believed it. (The last time Albedo had gently suggested that wanting to bite your best friend’s cheeks because he was, quote, “just too cute when he gets frustrated,” wasn’t strictly platonic, Xingqiu had written him a thesis about “bosom friends” and while he was gay, Chongyun wasn’t, and besides he’d been joking anyway.)

“Aether, Albedo,” Xingqiu said as they paused on a walkway through the koi ponds. “Do you want me to take a photo for you?”

“Sure,” Aether said, handing his phone over.

Albedo didn’t think anything of the suggestion until Xingqiu said, “Stand a little closer. I want to make sure you’re both in frame.”

Ah, I see, Albedo thought. He’s trying to “help.” He took a step closer to Aether. Aether didn’t seem to sense any ulterior motives to this ordinary tourist activity. He flashed a piece sign at the camera. Albedo, meanwhile, just stood there.

Xingqiu sighed. “Albedo, do something with your hands.”

“Like what?”

“You could make a heart.” Xingqiu demonstrated with his own arms, lifting them over his head. “Oh, you could each be half!”

“I doubt that would suit me,” Albedo said.

Aether laughed. “We should do it. It’ll be cute.”

Albedo considered. If Aether wanted to… Remember the goal. He had to show Aether that he was boyfriend material. “Alright, then.”

Aether put an arm around Albedo and raised the other over his head in an arch. Albedo copied him. He wasn’t as enthusiastic about making a heart as he was about being close to Aether and feeling his hand settle into the dip at Albedo’s waist. He hoped that in the near future they wouldn’t need excuses like this at all. Albedo would be free to tuck errant golden hairs behind Aether’s ears or hold his hand while they walked or… his thoughts grew hazy.

Aether turned to him. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing in particular,” Albedo lied.

The picture turned out nicely, although their heart shape ended up looking more like a circle. Albedo made it his wallpaper. Did Aether like doing things like this? What were his feelings on matching clothes? Was he comfortable with public displays of affection? A significant factor preventing Albedo from throwing caution to the wind and asking Aether to date him was that he hadn’t dated much himself. Albedo had attempted to fill the gaps in his knowledge through research. There were plenty of books and websites and podcasts dedicated to relationships—some of which seemed less rooted in factual information than the others—but most of the advice boiled down to, “It depends.”

People, being as varied as they were, had different ideas about love and relationships. There was no foolproof methodology for being The Perfect Boyfriend. If Albedo wanted to know what Aether’s type was, he’d have to ask. But how did one ask without giving away an ulterior motive?

Albedo had mulled over his plans for the weekend on the plane. He’d had plenty of time to do so. By the time they touched down, he’d figured it out: the wedding was an excellent cover to initiate a conversation about relationships. Albedo would ask Aether a few innocuous questions about Beidou and Ningguang’s impending marriage, mix in a few hypotheticals, and hopefully receive a clearer picture of what Aether envisioned for himself. Simple.

It would have to wait until Xingqiu wasn’t present, however. Albedo didn’t need him getting mixed up in the sample. (He already knew Xingqiu’s ideas about romance, which were all fanciful and dramatic. He’d described “peak romance” as “being willing to fall on your sword for someone.”)

After walking around Yujing Terrace for a little longer, they took shelter under a pavilion to escape the heat. Xingqiu offered to buy them some bottled water from a nearby stand. Aether and Albedo were left alone in the shade.

Aether fanned himself with a folded map. He was flushed and sweating, but he seemed content. “Are you having a good time?” he asked.

“Yes,” Albedo said. “I’m glad we came early.”

“This is a gorgeous part of the city. It’s even better at night, when they light up the lanterns on the koi ponds. That’d make a great painting.”

Albedo agreed that Yujing Terrace was lovely, but he was more artistically inspired by the bead of moisture rolling down into the hollow of Aether’s throat. He briefly forgot his plans in favor of staring at it.

“You okay?” Aether asked. “Is the heat getting to you?”

Albedo blinked. “I’m alright. Er,” he cleared his throat, “are you looking forward to tomorrow evening? The wedding. What do you think it will be like?”

“Hm, it’s hard to say. Ningguang’s wealthy, but she’s a politician, so it’ll probably be classy and elegant. I don’t think she’d go over the top. From what I hear, Beidou wouldn’t go for a big blowout either. I’m sure it’ll be fun, though!”

“I haven’t been to many weddings,” or any, “so I’m not sure what to expect.”

“Well, they’re different from couple to couple. Some get married in churches, others don’t. Couples in Liyue usually wear red, but white dresses are internationally popular, so…” Aether shrugs. “Based on the invitation, it sounds like Beidou and Ningguang are having a private ceremony and a public reception banquet. They’ll probably share some speeches. There might be dancing.”

Dancing… Albedo had never danced in public before, except with his younger sister at festivals. That typically involved holding hands and spinning around. “Are you going to if there is?”

“Sure.” Aether treated Albedo to a broad smile. “Would you join me?”

Albedo’s heart leaped. “Well, if I’m supposed to be your boyfriend then I can hardly refuse.”

The already present blush on Aether’s face deepened. “Right. I almost forgot.”

Was that a bad sign? Albedo supposed Aether could be forgiven, since they only had to pretend during the wedding itself.

Aether twisted the map in his hands. “Y’know, this might be the first time I’ve had a date for one of these things. I never got a plus one since I was there for work. No one’s ever asked me, either. The last guy I dated…” He trailed off.

“What about him?” Albedo said, keeping his tone as neutral as possible.

Aether sighed. “Nothing. Someone he knew actually got married while we were together, but we didn’t go. He had an invitation; he didn’t feel comfortable attending because he didn’t approve, and it’s not like we’d been dating long-term or anything.” He shook his head. “I’m not super broken up about it. It’s just kind of funny that I ended up covering weddings as a job and haven’t dated since.”

“Why haven’t you? Did the relationship end badly?”

“I don’t know. It wasn’t a bad breakup, just sad,” Aether said. “Between that and this stupid wedding beat, I kind of lost the energy for dating. Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all depressing.”

Albedo’s earlier hope had waned drastically. Aether must have loved his ex-boyfriend very much to be put off dating for so long. He probably still did love him. Albedo was both sad for Aether and frustrated at the existence of his ex. How was it fair for him to compete with the memory of someone else?

Xingqiu returned just then with their water. “Apologies for the wait! Here you are.”

They each accepted a water bottle from him. Albedo hadn’t realized how thirsty he’d been until he drank. The temperature and humidity today was truly oppressive. He was grateful that the wedding would not only be at night but indoors.

“How about lunch?” Xingqiu suggested. “I know a great place you just have to try! My friend works there.”

“I could eat,” Aether said, screwing the lid back onto his water bottle. “Albedo?”

Albedo nodded. Sadly, he didn’t have much of an appetite anymore.

*

Xingqiu’s friend worked at Wanmin Restaurant, a small but highly respected establishment on the other side of town. They took a taxi—courteously paid for by Xingqiu—and managed to find a table inside. Everything on the menu looked delicious, but Albedo was too distracted to decide on a dish. The phrase Aether is over romantic relationships kept ringing in his ears.

Would it be ethical to try convincing him otherwise? No one liked being forced to do something they didn’t want to. It was bad enough that Aether didn’t like his job. Aether was nice enough that he might give Albedo a chance, but… Albedo didn’t want half-hearted commitment. All or nothing. There would be no point if Aether didn’t feel the same as he did.

“Having trouble deciding?” Aether asked after Albedo turned the menu over for the third time.

Albedo nodded. “You should order for me. I’ll trust your judgment.”

“Oh, if you’re sure.” Aether skimmed his own menu, brow furrowed in concentration. “I’ll get something light. You usually don’t eat much.”

“He must be quite familiar with your tastes,” Xingqiu remarked.

“Aether’s just an attentive person,” Albedo said.

Aether smiled bashfully. “I just picked things up after a while. We’ve had dinner together a lot.”

Xingqiu’s eyes glittered. He raised his eyebrows meaningfully at Albedo, but Albedo couldn’t be sure what that exact meaning was.

They ordered a few items to share in addition to their chosen meals: mint salad and a plate of thinly sliced fish. The salad had chilis in it, producing a spicy-minty tingle on Albedo’s tongue. Aether had ordered him something called jewelry soup, and it seemed to be the exact thing to treat his lack of appetite. It was mild, yet still flavorful enough that Albedo felt like he could finish the whole bowl. A rarity for him.

“How is it?” Aether asked after Albedo had had a taste.

“It’s delicious. Would you like to try some?”

Aether nodded.

“Here,” Albedo said, holding out his spoon, recalling how easily Aether had offered him his fork that one dinner.

Aether smiled and leaned over to drink the broth. When he finished, he ran the tip of his tongue over his lips. “That’s really good,” he said.

Albedo tried to ignore Xingqiu smirking at him from across the table.

After they’d finished eating, Aether left the table to use the restroom, and Xingqiu found his opportunity. “Are you two dating yet?”

“No,” Albedo said with a sigh. “Not yet.”

“You brought your crush with you to Liyue without confessing your feelings? What a risky move,” Xingqiu said. “Are you planning to tell him while you’re here?”

“Hopefully,” Albedo said, silently adding, If everything goes to plan.

Xingqiu tapped a finger against his chin. “Two friends on a trip abroad, but one of them has unspoken feelings for the other… it would make a good light novel. Imagine the tension.”

Leave it to Xingqiu to immediately start plotting a story. Albedo supposed he should be grateful that Xingqiu hadn’t rattled off already existing titles with that premise in order to advise him. Better not tell him about the wedding or the details of the plan. Albedo knew for a fact that Xingqiu would pounce on that kind of premise.

“You could have picked a worse location for a romantic confession,” Xingqiu said. “Though I can imagine you’d be in for an awkward plane ride home if it goes poorly.”

“I’m aware.”

“Well, you’d better make it so good that he can’t say no! What are you planning to say? Tell me your exact words.”

Albedo hadn’t written himself a script. After all, he hadn’t even decided whether to confess during or after the wedding. (And he was starting to second-guess confessing at all.) “I’ll say, ‘Aether, will you go out with me?’”

Xingqiu shook his head. “That won’t do. Lead up to it a bit more. Let him know the depth of your feelings.”

Albedo considered. The depth of his feelings? How did one turn the abstract into something concrete? “I guess I could say that I’m in love with him. Just, ‘Aether, I’m in love with you.’”

“Being direct is a virtue, but not in this case,” Xingqiu said. He crossed his arms. “You need to build. Just hitting him with the ‘I love you’ is too much at once.”

“How would you do it, then?”

Xingqiu mulled it over. “I think I’d start by listing all the things I find cute or admirable about him. I’d say that I enjoy every moment when we’re together, and then take his hand and tell him how I feel. Looking deeply into his eyes, of course.”

That sounded doable.

“Preferably,” Xingqiu went on, “this conversation would occur at sunset or perhaps under the stars on a secluded mountaintop.” He sighed wistfully. “That would be perfect.”

Albedo didn’t think he’d have time to take Aether to a secluded mountaintop. The rest, however, was within his power. “Thanks, Xingqiu. That’s actually very good advice.”

Xingqiu beamed smugly. “I know. I don’t think he’ll say no to you. I’ve been watching him today, and I think he likes you. You two would make a wonderful couple.”

“Really?” Albedo said.

“Yes. And on the off chance that I’m wrong…” Xingqiu winced. “Well, I’ll help you get a separate flight to Mondstadt.”

Chapter Text

The Big Day

At the first wedding Aether covered, the bride’s ring-bearer dog bit one of the groomsmen and piddled on the floor in the middle of the ceremony. At another, the maid of honor got drunk and delivered an embarrassing speech about all the guys the bride had slept with before “settling” for her husband. And at a third, another couple got publicly engaged in the middle of the reception, sucking all the oxygen out of the room and infuriating the bride and groom. If something could go wrong at a wedding, it would. And the bigger the wedding, the higher likelihood of disaster striking.

Although disasters made for more interesting articles, Aether hoped everything would proceed smoothly. He didn’t want to get caught up in a scandal or see anyone get injured. Most of all, he didn’t want to be discovered as an undercover reporter. He’d seen gatecrashers get thrown out on their asses before, even if he technically had a valid invitation. His hands shook as he attempted to knot his tie for the third time. Aether hadn’t felt nervous until now. He shouldn’t have been. It wasn’t like he was getting married.

Albedo emerged from the bathroom where he’d been brushing his teeth. Aether stopped struggling with his tie to stare. He’d never seen Albedo in formal wear before. He looked even better than usual. His dark blue suit contrasted nicely with his fair hair.

“Do you need a hand?” Albedo asked.

“Um,” Aether looked at his tie, “yeah.”

Albedo turned Aether toward him. As he took up the loose ends of the tie, he said, “Perhaps we should discuss the details of our fictional relationship. It may come up in conversation. For instance, how long have we been seeing each other?”

“A year?” Aether suggested. He watched Albedo’s deft hands form a simple yet elegant knot.

“Do we have any pet names for each other? I’m not particularly a fan, but if you’d like…”

The thought of Albedo calling him any kind of endearment set Aether’s cheeks ablaze. “We don’t have to. It’s probably better to keep things simple. People will notice if we’re uncomfortable.”

Albedo nodded. “Can you lift your chin a bit?”

Aether did so. He wondered if Albedo could tell his heart was beating faster than before. He nearly jumped when Albedo ran a finger around the inside of his collar to straighten it.

“There you are,” Albedo said as he stepped back.

Aether faced the mirror again to observe them both side-by-side. They made a believable couple, he thought. It had nothing to do with physical attractiveness; Albedo simply seemed to fit in the space next to him, occupying it as naturally as any other. Was it because they were already close friends?

Albedo checked his watch. “It’s almost time. We’d better head to the venue. Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Aether said.

*

Here it was: the Wedding of the Year. Aether and Albedo’s cab pulled up to the loop outside the hotel entrance, where various other vehicles were depositing guests in evening wear. They followed the stream of people into the lobby. Signs directed them toward a ballroom. A uniformed employee stood outside the door, checking people’s names off on a tablet.

Aether took a deep breath and offered his arm. Albedo placed a hand just above his elbow. Although Aether was the one leading, it felt more like Albedo was supporting him.

Albedo spoke close to his ear. “Don’t worry. No one will be suspicious. There’s no reason to doubt you.”

His words were comforting but having Albedo’s voice tickle the side of his jaw made Aether’s heart race. They approached the door together.

“Name?” asked the employee.

“Kreideprinz,” Albedo said.

Aether held his breath as the employee scrolled through the list of names on her tablet. “Ah, here you are. And your plus one?”

“Aether Viator.”

“Excellent. One of my colleagues will direct you to your seats.” She gave the screen a tap, then gestured for them to continue inside.

The ballroom was arranged for a banquet, with several circular tables set up around the room. The head table was empty for now—that would be Ningguang and Beidou’s seats, along with whoever they considered closest to them. Red and gold dominated—tablecloths, draperies, lanterns both hanging from the ceiling and placed on the tables to create an intimate feel. What really struck Aether, however, was the presence of red and gold leafed trees in planting pots, strategically placed to give the illusion of outdoor seating.

“Wow,” Aether breathed.

Albedo seemed impressed as well. He lightly squeezed Aether’s arm.

A different employee approached them. “Hello,” she said. “May I have your names?”

Aether let Albedo do the talking. He tried to estimate how much all of this must have cost. The trees alone had to be expensive. Not to mention that had to be moved in here. How long did it take to prepare? How many people were required to put everything in place?

Albedo gave Aether’s arm a tug. “Aether? She’s showing us where to sit.”

“Right,” Aether said, his thoughts still occupied by all the individual elements in the room.

They were led to one of the round tables and told to choose whichever adjacent seats they liked. Aether picked one with a clear view of the head table. A large screen hung behind and to either side of the dais, paused on a gold and red title card declaring this event to be Beidou and Ningguang’s wedding. Looking closer, Aether spotted a video camera and projector placed near the table. Even guests seated near the back of the room would get a decent look at the brides.

“What do you think so far?” Albedo asked. “Do you approve?”

“It’s very classy,” Aether said. It suited Ningguang. He wasn’t sure about Beidou, however. She’d always appeared to have humbler, down-to-earth taste.

Aether discreetly took out his phone under the table and started typing in his notes app. He didn’t want to forget a single detail. As he listed the décor, Aether scanned the room for other important guests. He recognized a handful of government officials and industry leaders. Both the public and private sectors were represented tonight. If someone set off a bomb in this room, Liyue might fall into chaos by morning.

Albedo poured himself a glass of water from the carafe at the center of their table. “I wonder who else will be sitting with us. There are six more chairs.”

Aether was curious as well. Someone else wealthy and powerful? Other couples? His questions were soon answered by the arrival of a young woman with pink hair and a dress to match, escorting an elderly woman on her arm.

“Hi!” said the young woman. She paused by Albedo and Aether’s chairs. “I don’t believe we’ve met. This is Madame Ping,” she gestured to her companion, “and my name is Yanfei.”

Albedo and Aether got to their feet to return her introduction and shake hands. “Nice to meet you,” Albedo said. “I’m Albedo, and this is my partner, Aether.”

“Ooh, are you the same Albedo that did that pretty landscape painting Ningguang has in her office?”

Albedo nodded. “That’s me.”

Madame Ping had warm, soft hands. She smiled at Aether and Albedo. “Ah, an artist. And what about you, young man?”

Aether hesitated. Should he lie? “I’m a journalist.”

“I better be on my best behavior, then,” Yanfei said with a giggle. “Don’t want to end up on the front page. Right, Granny?”

Madame Ping chuckled good-naturedly. “I’m sure that whatever happens tonight will be off the record.”

Aether could only nod helplessly. He didn’t plan to include any of the guests in his coverage unless they were already public figures, but he still felt bad about lying to a little old lady. Yanfei pulled out a chair for Madame Ping on the other side of the table.

“How do you know the brides?” Albedo asked.

“I’m an attorney,” Yanfei said. “I’ve worked with both Beidou and Ningguang in the past. Of course, Granny knows everyone. She remembers when Ningguang was just an incredibly driven university student! Isn’t that right?”

Madame Ping nodded. “I couldn’t have predicted she’d rise to Tianquan, but I believed she’d make the most of her ambitions.” She laughed. “I’m a bit surprised she decided to get married. Whenever she described her plans for the future, she seemed uninterested in settling down. She made it sound like a hindrance. I suppose it goes to show you that people can change their minds.”

“Really?” Aether said. “That does sound like her, I guess.”

“She must love her wife very much to alter her plans,” Albedo said.

“Love is a great disruptor,” Madame Ping said. She turned to Yanfei. “I remember your parents caused a stir among the extended family when they chose to tie the knot.”

Yanfei nodded, sighing wistfully. “They eloped despite their parents’ disapproval. Very romantic. What about you two? Are there wedding bells in your future?”

Aether should’ve seen this question coming. He just hadn’t expected it so soon. He shared a glance with Albedo. They hadn’t agreed on an answer, but if they were pretending to be committed then…

“Maybe,” Albedo said. “We’re still discussing it. There are advantages and disadvantages to marriage, so we want to consider all of our options.”

Spoken like a true scientist. Aether relaxed. He added, “The legal privileges would be nice, but Mondstadt is pretty relaxed when it comes to stuff like visitation and adoption. I don’t know how it is here in Liyue.”

The word “legal” had an instant effect on Yanfei. “Oh, it’s much more complex here!” she said, then launched into a lecture about rights, tax benefits, and all the necessary steps to be married in Liyue Harbor. She wasn’t kidding when she said it was complex, and most of it bounced off Aether’s brain. His mind wandered.

How did Albedo feel about the concept of marriage in general? The way he spoke, it sounded like he could take it or leave it. Albedo didn’t even date, so marriage probably wasn’t on his radar at all. Aether tried to imagine him falling in love with someone, proposing to them or being proposed to, and walking down the aisle. Although the pomp and circumstance of a traditional wedding didn’t suit him, Albedo would look great in white. He was a very sincere person, too. Eternal commitment might be something he'd want. Albedo in love… what would that look like? When Aether tried to picture a random, faceless person as Albedo’s spouse, he felt uncomfortable.

A new arrival at their table snapped Aether out of his reverie. Yanfei cut off her lecture to greet them. “Oh, hello there, Xingqiu!”

Both Albedo and Aether twisted in their seats. Xingqiu, dressed in formal wear, stared back at them. He was joined by another boy his age with fair hair. He glanced at Xingqiu questioningly.

Yanfei flapped her hand at him. “Get over here! We don’t bite.”

Xingqiu recovered from his shock and grabbed the empty seat beside Albedo’s. “I was just admiring the décor. This is a lovely venue. Hello again, Albedo.”

Albedo nodded. His expression betrayed nothing. However, he had to be thinking the same as Aether: What is he doing here?

“Funnily, I don’t recall you mentioning you were attending the Tianquan’s wedding,” Xingqiu said, smiling pleasantly. “It must have slipped your mind.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t mention it either,” Albedo said. “I would’ve thought you’d be excited to share the news.”

“I’m only here as a proxy for my father. If I’d known you were coming, I would have said.”

The young man sitting on Xingqiu’s other side leaned over and quietly asked, “You know each other?”

Xingqiu jumped. “Oh, how rude of me! This is my friend, Chongyun. I’ve told you about him before. Chongyun, this is Albedo.”

Chongyun nodded politely in Albedo’s direction. He seemed nervous. He quietly greeted Madame Ping, who seemed familiar with him. They struck up a conversation just between the two of them.

While they were privately conferring, Xingqiu said, “And Aether is here, too! Did you tell him yet?”

“Tell me what?” Aether asked, suddenly worried. Had Albedo been keeping something from him? His instincts yesterday had been correct.

“You haven’t,” Xingqiu said. “Never mind, then.”

Aether gave Albedo a questioning look, but Albedo didn’t appear to notice. As he was pondering what Xingqiu could possibly be talking about, the last two people assigned to their table arrived. Aether didn’t see them approaching, but Yanfei let out a squeal of delight.

“Oh, now it’s a party!” she said. “Wait, you guys aren’t here together, are you?”

“Nope, we just happened to show up at the same time,” replied a feminine voice.

“And apparently were assigned the same table,” someone else added wearily.

Aether stiffened. He knew that voice. He looked up to see if his ears were deceiving him. They weren’t. Of all the people in all of Liyue Harbor—a huge city in an even bigger country—fate had conspired to bring Aether face-to-face with Xiao. It had been years, but he still looked the same, maybe better than he had before. Xiao didn’t like formal wear, but it suited him well.

Xiao seemed equally shocked. In fact, he looked like he wanted to bolt. His pupils shrank as he met Aether’s gaze. “Aether?”

“Xiao,” Aether said, too stunned to say or do anything else.

The young woman who’d arrived with him had already sat down beside Yanfei, making the chair next to Aether’s the last available seat. She was a brunette, wearing a dark suit. “You’ve already met?” she asked innocently.

“Yes,” Xiao said and left it at that. He sat down in a hurry, turning his head away from Aether as though not looking directly at him would make the situation less awkward.

Albedo obviously saw all of this. How could he not? He leaned over and asked quietly, “Who is he?”

Aether lowered his gaze to the place setting. This was awful. Albedo hadn’t signed up for this. But how was Aether supposed to know? Maybe it was karma for lying. He sighed.

“Do you remember that ex I mentioned yesterday?” Aether whispered back. “That’s him.”

*

Well, this was an unexpected development, to say the least. What were the odds that Aether’s ex-boyfriend would also be a guest and seated at their table? It was as though Albedo’s previous luck required a counterweight to restore balance to his life. He couldn’t have accounted for this. What should he do?

He required more information. All he knew about Xiao was that Aether had dated him for a short time, and that the dissolution of their relationship had been sad rather than contentious. Sounded like a mutual split, but it had been one with long-lasting effects, since Aether hadn’t dated since. Even if they’d both agreed to end the relationship, there was still a possibility of lingering affection between them that might prove problematic. Albedo needed to discern if these feelings existed.

“Xiao, I think you know most everyone here,” Yanfei said. “Have you met Aether’s partner before?”

Xiao’s head whipped in Aether and Albedo’s direction once more. This time, Aether scrambled to avoid direct eye contact. It felt like a spotlight had fallen upon them both. However, Albedo was more in control of his emotional responses than either of them. In that, he had an advantage.

“No, we haven’t met,” Albedo said coolly. “Xiao, was it? I’m Albedo.”

Xiao met his eyes. His already obvious discomfort instantly increased. He might’ve been trying to hide it, but the way his face turned to stone betrayed him more than it aided him. Was he sizing Albedo up? Making comparisons? Did he see Albedo as competition?

As far as physical attraction went, they were evenly matched. Xiao’s features were sharper, but his height and build didn’t seem that different from Albedo’s. Regarding his personality…

“So, what do you do for a living?” Albedo asked, keeping his tone neutral and polite.

“Cybersecurity,” Xiao said.

“Interesting. Do you know the brides through that or is there another connection?”

“Through work. Technically.”

Xiao’s answers were curt. Perhaps he was a bit socially awkward. Or he disliked the sight of Aether with another man. Time to provide a new stimulus and see how he reacted. Albedo placed his hand on Aether’s thigh where he hoped Xiao would notice.

“Aether’s told me a little bit about you,” he said.

Xiao definitely saw it. “Did he…”

Aether’s thigh tensed beneath Albedo’s palm. Albedo squeezed it. He added, “I’m glad we’ve gotten a chance to meet. I was curious.”

Xiao’s mouth became a flat line. Albedo waited for him to say something. His hand on Aether’s leg actually served a second purpose: it was a message. If you have any hopes of rekindling your relationship with Aether, let them go. Right now, Albedo was—for all intents and purposes—Aether’s boyfriend, and he wasn’t interested in sharing. Truth be told, he was already feeling uncharitable toward Xiao for breaking Aether’s heart, so he could admit that it was a petty gesture. Animalistic, even.

Aether took Albedo’s wrist and, at first, Albedo thought that he was about to reinforce Albedo’s claim, all according to plan. But he removed Albedo’s hand from his thigh instead, replacing it in his lap. He appeared to muster the strength to look at Xiao again.

“So, you’re doing well?” he asked.

Xiao startled. “Y-yes. I guess you are, too.”

Aether nodded.

Albedo felt as though his chair had been pulled out from under him. He’d just been blocked. Why? Such casual touches were normal between couples, weren’t they? He’d miscalculated. Aether was a kind person and probably didn’t tolerate jealous displays like that.

On his other side, Xingqiu leaned over and whispered, “Did I just hear Yanfei refer to Aether as your ‘partner’?”

“You did,” Albedo whispered back.

“Yet you haven’t confessed.”

“I’ll explain later.”

Xingqiu wasn’t satisfied. “You’re lying about something. Why?”

“Later,” Albedo insisted. “I see you invited Chongyun. Are you finally going to—”

“I have no idea what you mean.”

Meanwhile, the others had looped Aether into a new conversation, glossing over the initial awkwardness that accompanied Xiao’s arrival. Albedo was unsure what to do. Aether was nice to everyone, so his consideration of Xiao’s feelings might not mean anything but… what if it did? Those two shared an entire history Albedo wasn’t privy to.

Competing with a memory was bad enough. Albedo couldn’t hope to succeed against the real thing.

*

This was a code red disaster. Aether was paralyzed, stuck between the rock and a hard place that were his ex-boyfriend and fake boyfriend. He could no longer concentrate on notetaking. Both of them seemed angry at him.

With Xiao, Aether understood. They had dated during Aether’s year abroad in Liyue. It had been an emotionally intense experience. Xiao had never really dated before, never let anyone in, and to other people, that would’ve been a red flag, but Aether wasn’t deterred. Xiao was a good person. He was sweet. Being with him felt special because of how rarely he showed that soft side. Aether been Xiao’s first. Xiao had told him he loved him. It could easily have become something more serious, the physical distance between them be damned. Unfortunately, it died when the spring blooms came.

That was due in no small part to Xiao’s own baggage. Aether had thought they could face his mental health issues together, but Xiao just kept pulling away. Although they had both agreed on the breakup, Aether had never been able to shake the feeling that he was a coward for letting it happen. He’d been ashamed for feeling relieved when they split, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. There was a nagging voice in his head that jeered, It was just too difficult for you. You couldn’t handle the fact that it wasn’t a perfect, fairytale romance, so you cut and ran. Real love is messier than that. You’re not ready for it. So, he stuck to writing about other people’s relationships. He never worked up the courage to contact Xiao again.

He'd secretly hoped that one day he’d have an opportunity to apologize. Get closure. They could meet in a neutral setting. Instead, they were reunited at a table with six other people, one of whom was pretending to be Aether’s new, incredibly committed boyfriend.

Speaking of Albedo, he must’ve been put on edge by Xiao’s appearance, too. He’d spoken politely to Xiao, but there was a cool undercurrent to his tone that made Aether feel guilty for suggesting the fake boyfriend scheme. Albedo hadn’t been briefed on what to do if an ex showed up at the event. No doubt he would’ve refused to go along if he’d known that was a possibility. They’d agreed beforehand that they wouldn’t need to put on a big performance.

And then Albedo had put his hand on Aether’s thigh and Aether… had been powerfully turned on. He knew he shouldn’t read too much into it, but the casual yet possessive nature of the gesture had ignited his nerve endings. He’d had to quickly move Albedo’s hand before he discovered just how much Aether liked it. Humiliating. Worse, he couldn’t tell whether it was just a side-effect of going untouched for too long or whether it was Albedo in particular that caused the reaction.

Aether was spared having to examine that too closely by the arrival of the brides. Music heralded their entrance, along with an announcement. Everyone in the room turned to watch the doors as they swung open.

The brides walked toward the head table arm in arm. They both wore red—Beidou in a jumpsuit with an attached overskirt, and Ningguang in a heavily embroidered qipao. Guests cheered as they walked down the center of the room with the small bridal party. The brides were glowing. One of the hired photographers snapped several pictures. Aether, meanwhile, had to sear the image into his memory. He couldn’t name whoever had designed their outfits at a glance, but they seemed to be custom pieces. Only the best for the Tianquan, he thought.

He was already writing the article in his head while the brides’ friends gave their speeches. Ningguang has never been one to blindly cling to tradition. The reception combined old and new in a refreshing mix… mélange? No, too pretentious. Aether couldn’t pay attention to the speeches; the topic of enduring love was kind of a hard sell right now. He hoped their love would endure, otherwise all of this—the décor and fancy outfits and press coverage—was going to be pretty embarrassing years later.

Aether wished he could shut off his inner cynic. Ningguang and Beidou looked happy. They kept sharing warm glances and speaking quietly to each other whenever a speech ended.

Dinner was served after the last speech. Everyone had individual main dishes with shared small plates. Thankfully, Aether’s appetite was still intact. Yanfei didn’t hesitate to take a picture, so Aether did as well. He and Albedo had fish cooked in a fragrant broth. The white flesh flaked easily off the bone and melted in the mouth. Again, only the best for the Tianquan.

Albedo delicately picked at his. He had a small stomach to begin with, but he put his chopsticks down earlier than Aether expected. He let out a quiet sigh.

“No good?” Aether asked, surprised.

Albedo shook his head. “It’s delicious. I just don’t have much of an appetite.” He reached for his water glass.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine. Thanks for your concern.”

Aether scanned the table. No one was paying attention to them. “About Xiao—”

“You don’t have to explain. Of course, you couldn’t have known he’d be in attendance.”

“I just don’t want you to have to feel like you have to play anything up because he’s here.”

“Alright. I won’t.”

To Aether’s disappointment, Albedo seemed to withdraw further. He’d thought he was correcting a misunderstanding.

“I’m sorry for overstepping,” Albedo added.

Aether blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll refrain from putting hands on you without permission again.”

Oh, that. Aether coughed. “I mean, I didn’t really—”

“What are you two whispering about?” Yanfei called.

Hu Tao elbowed her. “Leave the lovebirds alone.”

Heat surged up Aether’s neck. Beside him, there was a quiet clink as Xiao rested his chopsticks on the side of his plate. He muttered something about needing the restroom and abruptly stood up.

“Huh,” Yanfei said as he left. “Do you think dinner doesn’t agree with him?”

Hu Tao giggled. “You’re so nosy, Yanfei.”

“I can’t help it! It’s part of my job to ask questions.”

Aether suspected that it wasn’t the food Xiao disagreed with. His meal also sat mostly untouched on his plate. Without thinking, he said, “I’m gonna go check on him.”

Albedo turned to him with a weighty look. “Aether…”

Aether hesitated.

“Never mind,” Albedo said, looking away again. “I hope Xiao is okay.”

Aether felt like he was making the wrong choice somehow, but he couldn’t tell what the right one was. His sympathies were torn. He supposed he could always clear things up with Albedo later; with Xiao, his chances were far more limited.

“I’ll be back in time for cake,” he promised, then left the table.

*

That’s it. I’ve lost. Albedo didn’t like to think of love as a competition, but it was clear that there wasn’t any room left in Aether’s heart for him. Up until now, Albedo had been ignoring the wine bottle placed on their table. He reached for it. As he drank a cupful of rice wine, he noticed Xingqiu sliding his phone toward him. His notes app was open.

Are you and Aether together or not? I thought you weren’t.

Sighing, Albedo typed his reply and passed it back.

We’re not. I brought him as my plus one because he wants to report on the wedding. We agreed to pretend to make things easier, though I fear it’s just caused further complications.

Xingqiu’s eyes widened as he read. His thumbs moved furiously.

Report on it? Does he not have a press pass?

No. It got rejected.

Then he shouldn’t be here, should he?

Probably not.

I can’t believe you two are fake dating and you didn’t even tell me. And you’re doing it to sneak around the brides’ rules. You’re going to be in huge trouble if Aether publishes anything about the wedding. You may never get invited to an event like this again.

That’s a risk I’m willing to take.

What about Aether? This is his job, isn’t it? If he gets blacklisted, what is he going to do?

Albedo’s stomach suddenly dropped. He hadn’t thought of that.

Xingqiu added something else. You should come clean and hope the brides forgive you. I heard they were very selective with who they let into the wedding. THEY WILL NOT BE PLEASED.

They’ll probably never know, Albedo wrote back. The website Aether writes for isn’t that well-known. I’m sure he’ll give them positive coverage anyway.

That’s not the point!!!

Albedo understood what he was getting at, but it was too late now. Aether had promised his editor an article on the Wedding of the Year. When he thought of the desperation in Aether’s voice when he’d talked about being stuck with his current job forever, Albedo couldn’t imagine persuading him to abandon the plan. He even felt selfish for thinking this would be an opportunity to advance their relationship. Albedo poured himself more wine.

Xingqiu took his phone back with a huff. “Setting all of that aside,” he said out loud, “you’re going to let your boyfriend run after another man like that?”

“Aether is an adult and can make his own choices,” Albedo said. “I don’t want to be overbearing. He wouldn’t like it.”

“Are you sure? In novels—”

“Real life is different from fiction.”

Xingqiu frowned. He turned to Chongyun. “How is your meal? They didn’t put any spice in it, did they?”

“It’s not too bad,” Chongyun said. “The mushrooms are good.”

Albedo looked around the rest of the table. Yanfei and Hu Tao were gossiping. Madame Ping appeared to be quietly enjoying her meal. No one seemed to care that Albedo was there. They might not even notice if he left. The temptation to retreat and let Aether enjoy the rest of the wedding on his own reared its head. Albedo hadn’t wanted to come without him, and now here he was anyway—alone.

He took out his phone. He could text Aether to say he wasn’t feeling well and would go back to the hotel room first, but Aether was welcome to stay. Albedo wouldn’t be stranding him, since they’d both arrived by cab. And it seemed like he and Xiao had a lot to talk about.

You’re going to let your boyfriend run after another man like that?

Albedo stood up.

*

Xiao didn’t leave in the direction of the restrooms. Instead, after exiting the ballroom, he headed toward another set of exterior doors, which opened onto a wooden deck overlooking the harbor. The night was balmy, but there was a refreshing, salt-scented wind off the sea. Xiao hunched over the railing. He reminded Aether of a bird with its wings pulled in, staring at the ocean waiting for a fish to get near the surface.

Aether stepped into the space next to him. He cleared his throat. “Hi.”

Xiao sighed heavily. “Somehow, I knew you’d follow me.”

“Uh, well… I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“You didn’t have to. I came out here to be alone actually.”

Aether bit his lip. Great, off to a bad start. “I was thinking we could talk. Away from everyone else.”

“About what?”

Do I have to explain it? Maybe Aether should’ve just come back when he was ready. Too late now. “How you’re doing. It’s been a long time. We haven’t talked in a while.”

“There’s not much to say,” Xiao said. “I can’t share details about my job. I haven’t moved or switched careers. Everything is generally the same as you left it.”

As you left me, he means, Aether thought. “That’s good. It’s, y’know, stable.” He instantly regretted his choice of words. “I mean, it’s good there haven’t been any crises. And you must be pretty well respected to get invited to this.”

“I didn’t want to come,” Xiao admitted. “But my coworkers were persistent.”

“Right. This isn’t really your thing.”

Silence fell between them again. Aether shifted his weight. Come on, just be normal. He added, “Seems like some of your friends are here, though.”

“They’re not really friends. Just people I know.” Xiao finally looked at him. “How did you end up here?”

“Oh, um. Albedo had an invitation.”

“I see.” After a beat, he said, “How long have you been dating?”

“A-a year.” Aether had almost forgotten the timeframe he and Albedo had agreed upon. “We knew each other from university, but we didn’t get together until recently. I kind of took a break from… anyway, he’s done art commissions for Ningguang, so he got an invite.”

Xiao seemed to absorb this. “You should go back,” he said. “He’s probably waiting for you.”

“I will, but first—”

“Aether.” Xiao’s gaze burned. “Do you want to know what your problem is? You’re too nice.”

Aether blinked. This wasn’t the first time he’d heard this criticism, but it was the first time Xiao had said it.

Xiao went on. “We broke up. You don’t have to worry about me anymore, alright? Your boyfriend is in there,” he pointed back toward the hotel, “probably wondering why you went after your ex. And maybe he’s more understanding, but if I were him, I’d feel hurt.”

Aether was sorely tempted to explain the truth, but the words wouldn’t come. He recalled how despondent Albedo had seemed when he’d left the table. Oh. Oh no. I abandoned him. Albedo wasn’t the best at handling large social gatherings. Xingqiu was there, but he had his own date. Everyone else was a stranger.

“Honestly,” Xiao said, “it stings a little, you checking up on me like this after years of no contact. I was fine with you moving on. But it looks like you still pity me.”

Aether’s stomach dropped. “I don’t. That’s not…”

“Be honest. You feel guilty. That’s why you’re pestering me now. It’s just to reassure yourself that you didn’t make things worse by leaving me.”

I do, but not because I think you’re helpless without me or something. Aether took a deep breath. This was all too similar to the way they used to argue when the relationship began hemorrhaging. The key was not to lose his cool.

“I feel bad about not reaching out to you afterward,” Aether said. “Even though we weren’t dating anymore, I still cared about you as a friend. I still wanted you to be happy. Is that so crazy to imagine?”

“It is. I made you miserable.”

“Don’t say that…”

“You’re making yourself miserable right now. I don’t… resent you for how things ended. We came to a mutual agreement.” Xiao looked away from him again. “Maybe I want you to be happy. That’s not going to happen if you’re still worried about me.”

Aether didn’t say anything. Xiao was right. He let the sound of waves sucking at the wooden posts beneath them fill the space where a response would’ve gone. This wasn’t the closure he’d hoped for, but it was closure. After a few seconds had passed, he said, “I actually do feel better now, hearing you say that.”

Xiao hesitantly faced him. “Are you happy? In general.”

“I guess so.”

“You guess?”

“Work is…” Aether stopped himself. Probably shouldn’t discuss the specifics in this setting. “It’s okay. I don’t really like what I do. I don’t get to write about stuff that matters. Although,” he twisted one of his fingers, “Albedo thinks my articles are entertaining. I thought they’d be beneath him, since he’s a total genius, but… he actually reads them. And he’s not the type of person who lies to make people feel better.”

Xiao rested his chin in his hand contemplatively. “Seems you like him a lot.”

“I do?” Aether realized he’d been smiling. “I mean, yeah. I really… like him.” Saying the words out loud made his heart skip. He did like Albedo. More than he’d initially thought possible. “I have to—"

A pair of hands appeared from behind Xiao’s head and covered his eyes, accompanied by a cheerful, “Guess who!”

Xiao jumped. He pulled free of the hands and spun around. “Please don’t do that.”

“Weh,” said the person standing behind him. “You didn’t even guess.”

It came as no surprise by this point that yet another person Aether knew was at this hotel tonight. Venti was shockingly well-connected for a guy who’d dropped out of college to pursue a career in poetry and busking. He was (kind of) dressed up for the occasion, though his bow tie was already hanging undone around his neck.

“Hi, Aether!” Venti lunged forward to give him a hug. “Boy, am I glad to see you guys! I don’t know anyone else here. Xiao, wasn’t Zhongli invited?”

“He’s traveling,” Xiao said. To Aether, he added, “Seems you know everyone.”

“I don’t really,” Aether protested. “How do you two know each other?”

“Oh! I’m friends with his former boss,” Venti said as he let Aether go. He clapped Xiao on the back hard enough to knock him off-balance. “Long story, I’ll tell you about it later. Aether, are you covering the wedding?”

Shit. Aether hastily shook his head. Xiao asked, “Covering?”

“This is his beat,” Venti said, as if it wasn’t an embarrassing thing to announce. “Celebrity weddings, trends, bridal shower do’s and don’ts…”

Understanding dawned on Xiao’s face. “Oh. That’s… interesting.”

“I’m just here as a guest, though,” Aether said hastily. He doubted either Venti or Xiao would realize he was lying. As far as Aether knew, Venti didn’t read his articles and prayed Xiao wouldn’t look them up, either. “I’m here with—” His mouth snapped shut. Venti knew Albedo; he’d know that they weren’t actually dating.

That was all Venti needed to hear. His eyes sparkled. “With who? With Xiao?”

“No,” Aether and Xiao said at the same time.

“He’s here with me.”

None of them had heard Albedo approaching. Though he appeared outwardly calm, Aether sensed a storm raging just behind his eyes. If I were him, I’d feel hurt. Aether winced. They weren’t actually together, but the practical reality was that Aether had left his date at the dinner table. Doing that to a friend was bad enough. He could imagine how it must have looked.

Venti gasped loudly. “No way! I think I just won the betting pool.”

Albedo turned to him. “The what?”

“What?” Venti repeated with a nervous chuckle.

Xiao’s eyebrows furrowed, but he didn’t comment.

Albedo grabbed Aether’s hand. “A word?”

“Okay,” Aether said, but they were already moving towards the hotel doors. He stumbled after Albedo, electricity pumping through his veins. Relax. Please. Aether hadn’t thought he was into this. They stopped at the end of the hall. There was no one else around, though Aether could hear people moving around the hotel.

Albedo turned to face him, his hand still clasped around Aether’s. He held it tightly, as if Aether might suddenly fly away.

“Before you say anything,” Aether said, “I’m sorry for ditching you. If this were a real date, you’d be totally justified dumping me.”

“Dumping you would be an overreaction, regardless of whether this is real or not.”

“It was still rude.”

Albedo sighed. “It’s alright. You’ve always been concerned about other people. Xiao was an important person to you, and it wouldn’t be like you to ignore his distress.” He paused. “If you want to get back together with him, now’s your chance.”

Aether shook his head. “I don’t.”

“You’re certain?”

“It’s been years,” Aether said. “Even if I wanted to try again, I don’t think it would work for him. He’d be better off with someone else.”

Albedo released another breath, this one slower than the last, like he’d been holding it.

“Besides,” Aether said as another blush came on, “I’m here with you right now. And—”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence. Xingqiu came barreling down the hall, interrupting them. He seemed slightly out of breath. “I feel the need to inform you that they just rolled the cake out,” he said. “Some people might be interested in seeing the cutting?”

Albedo released Aether’s hand. “We’d better hurry back. You don’t want to miss anything.”

It took Aether a moment to realize what he meant. Article, right. He couldn’t skip describing the cake. Yet as they raced back to the ballroom with Xingqiu, he wished they could have finished their conversation.

Chapter Text

The Big Day, Already in Progress

The wedding cake was a sight to behold. It towered before the brides, topped with icing roses and gold dust. Albedo and Aether had made it back to their table in time for the cutting, an event which Albedo gladly would have skipped if not for its supposed importance to Aether’s article. He didn’t see the point in witnessing the happy couple posing with the knife and feeding each other cake, unless the aim was to make guests envious that they didn’t get to have any yet. A lot of wedding traditions seemed designed to inspire envy. Albedo had read enough of Aether’s articles to understand the competitive nature of these events.

And, having just come off a quiet fit of jealousy, perhaps he was more sensitive to it. The knowledge that Aether and Xiao had carried out a private conversation still chafed, despite Aether’s assurances that nothing would be rekindled between them. If anything, talking to Xiao might’ve reminded Aether why he took a break from dating in the first place.

Besides, I’m here with you right now. Albedo didn’t want to have false hope. Aether could’ve been about to say, And it would look bad if I focused solely on my ex instead of the man I claim to be dating. A matter of optics, not feelings.

The cake was wheeled away to be disassembled and cut for the guests. Albedo gazed after it longingly. A little sugar would improve his mood tenfold. He hoped whoever was in charge of divvying up the cake would be quick about it.

Xiao returned, looking resigned. He tapped Hu Tao’s shoulder. “Switch seats with me.”

“Huh? Okay,” she said.

Aether let out a quiet sigh. Albedo looked over at Xiao, who nodded at him, then chose somewhere else to direct his gaze. It seemed the immediate threat had been neutralized. But what about the underlying damage?

“What did you talk about?” Albedo asked under his breath.

“Um…” Aether glanced around the table. “I’ll tell you later.”

Albedo supposed he’d have to be patient. “Also, was that Venti?”

“It was. He got an invite.”

“Impressive.”

“He could’ve told me,” Aether muttered. “He knows about my job.”

“Would you have been his date if he’d had a plus-one?”

Albedo knew he shouldn’t have asked. Any answer would disappoint him. Aether’s brow furrowed. He was actually thinking about it. Albedo knew he shouldn’t begrudge him; the whole reason they were here was for Aether’s article. He had no right to be jealous or upset. If only his limbic system would get the memo.

Aether said, “Being Venti’s date to anything would be a huge ask.”

He wasn’t wrong; keeping up with Venti would take both skill and stamina. “Even if he was your ticket to a new job?” Albedo pressed anyway.

“Well…” Aether shook his head. “No. Why make it harder on myself? This is difficult enough as is.”

Albedo understood. While everyone else was enjoying themselves, Aether could not. The wedding was, from the beginning, a chore, made worse by Xiao’s unexpected appearance. Albedo was fighting an uphill battle. He should’ve seen that. It had been foolish to try and use the event to confess his feelings. How could Aether find the atmosphere romantic when he was obligated to break the event down to its base components for the sake of reporting?

Servers finally began distributing individual cake slices to the guests. It was just a white cake with buttercream, but the crumb was moist and perfectly sweet. Although Albedo was soothed somewhat by the sugar, it didn’t fix his growing malaise. Everything should’ve gone differently. But that was how experiments went sometimes. No matter how many variables you controlled for, your hypothesis could still be disproven.

Contrary to what an outside observer might think, Albedo’s emotions ran as deep as the roots of an old tree. He might be able to manage his emotional outbursts, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel. And he currently felt so strongly he thought he might be ill. He put down his fork and left his cake slice half-eaten.

*

At first, Xiao switching seats had seemed like a good idea. Now, Aether wished Xiao had just sucked it up and sat next to him in silence. Hu Tao had not stopped talking about funerals since taking Xiao’s chair. Aether couldn’t get a word in edgewise. He had to give it to her, though; she was clearly passionate about her work.

“Weddings and funerals are two of the biggest events in a person’s life,” she said. “A lot of people think that means they have to break the bank, but they really don’t. Wangsheng Funeral Parlor aims to give our customers the respectful send-off they deserve without making the process harder on the living. Ah, but it’s also important to have a plan for how you’re going to rest in peace. I’ve already spoken to the brides about this, and Beidou wants to have her ashes scattered at sea! Of course, it’s her decision, but wouldn’t it be more romantic for them to be buried side-by-side?”

“I guess,” Aether allowed.

“Do you have a plan for your remains yet?”

“Um… not really.”

Hu Tao winked. “It’s never too early to start making arrangements! You could be hit by a bus tomorrow.”

Thanks for the reminder. Aether tried to return her smile. “Good point.”

“What’s your budget for funerary expenses?”

“Small.”

“What’s your occupation?”

“I write for a news website.”

“Oh! This is a perfect advertising opportunity for me. How much for a spot?”

“Uh, I don’t know. You’d have to talk to someone else.” The ads they ran on the website could be for anything from the latest hit streaming show to supplement scams that would actually give your computer a virus if you tried to purchase them. Whatever let them keep the domain name.

Hu Tao giggled. She said, “I’m making you anxious, aren’t I?”

Aether shook his head. “Not at all.”

“Don’t worry. It doesn’t offend me.” She gave him a playful shove. “Most people get nervous talking about death. But that’s because we don’t acknowledge it enough. Avoiding uncomfortable topics just makes it harder to deal with them further down the road.”

She was right about that. For example, if Aether had contacted Xiao sooner, maybe they could’ve worked things out in a less stressful environment. And if he had taken a second to sit down and parse his feelings towards Albedo instead of trying to stifle them, maybe he would’ve asked him on a real date instead of dragging him to Liyue for an event neither of them was enjoying.

Albedo was flagging. Aether had never seen him fail to finish a dessert before. Under different circumstances, he’d suggest leaving early. However, leaving early meant missing the rest of the wedding and crucial details for the article. And if Aether missed crucial details, then this whole trip would’ve been for nothing. I’ve gotta turn this around.

There was a flurry of activity near the center of the room as hotel employees rearranged potted trees to clear a dance floor. It must have been time for Beidou and Ningguang’s first dance. Once set-up was complete, an emcee got on the microphone to direct everyone’s attention to the brides as they walked hand-in-hand onto the floor. A spotlight came on, bathing the pair in bright light.

And then a second spotlight came on, revealing Venti standing on the dais with his autoharp in his arms. So that was how he’d gotten an invitation! He cleared his throat and began to sing as he played. Aether recognized the song. It was a popular ballad, not one of Venti’s own compositions, and he performed it well. The brides waltzed in time, their dresses shimmering under the spotlight.

Live music for the first dance, Aether thought as he made another note on his phone. He couldn’t deny it seemed more romantic. “A soloist provides a more intimate feeling to the first dance, creating the illusion that the couple is alone in the world—despite the fact that we’re all gawking.” Don’t actually include that last part. He tore his eyes away from the brides for a moment to glance at Albedo.

Albedo’s thoughts appeared to have drifted far away. He wasn’t watching Venti or the brides. What could be going through his head right now?

On Aether’s other side, Hu Tao was swaying in time, and next to her, Xiao leaned on the table with his chin in his hand, a melancholy yet relaxed expression on his face. Madame Ping listened with her eyes closed and smiling. Everyone seemed to be lost in the moment. It felt like they were all in a dream, and Aether was the only lucid one.

Venti finished the song with a metallic chord, and the spell was broken. Guests applauded. Beidou and Ningguang also turned toward the stage to clap. Venti bowed in all directions. He looked pretty pleased with his performance. His self-satisfaction was well-deserved, even if Aether hadn’t been able to concentrate on it.

After he left the stage, a DJ was quickly swapped in, and guests began to gather on the dance floor. Yanfei and Hu Tao sprang out of their seats immediately. While they sprinted off, Aether turned to Albedo. This was his chance to improve things.

“Do you want to?” he asked.

Albedo didn’t seem to hear him at first. It took a moment for him to look in Aether’s direction. “Do what?” he asked, apparently dazed.

“Dance. You promised me you would.” Technically, Albedo hadn’t promised per se, but he’d said he wouldn’t turn Aether down.

“Oh, that’s right.” He took Aether’s outstretched hand and allowed himself to be pulled from his seat.

Aether led him onto the dance floor. Albedo’s expression became less gloomy as Aether drew him closer. The DJ had started with an up-tempo song, so it was easy to find the beat and stay on it. Albedo was a natural, as far as Aether was concerned. They’d never done this before, and he suspected Albedo didn’t usually go dancing. Of course, he’d be a good dancer regardless. He took to new skills like a fish to water.

Aether liked him so much, but what could he do about it? Albedo was only here as a favor to him, and Aether had already fumbled his responsibilities as a good date. The best he could do was make it to the end of the wedding with their friendship intact. Now wasn’t a good time to ask Albedo if he’d be open to more than a friendship. What if he said no? That would just make the evening even more awkward, not to mention the rest of the night. They had to go back to the hotel together and fly home. And Albedo would probably say no. Why would he want to be with a mess like Aether?

Focus on finishing the article. Don’t worry about stuff you can’t control, Aether reminded himself. Albedo’s out of your league anyway. How are you supposed to keep up?

“Aether, are you having fun?” Albedo asked, startling him.

“Um, I am now,” Aether admitted.

“It’s alright if you aren’t. This is work for you.”

Aether bit his lip. It was that obvious, huh? “Uh…”

“Why did you decide to take this beat if you dislike it?” Albedo asked. “You’ve always wanted to report on more substantial matters, yet you didn’t seek out another news outlet.”

“It pays the bills.”

“Given how miserable it seems to make you, I don’t know that it’s worth it.”

Aether stumbled, nearly stepping on Albedo’s foot. “Sorry?”

“There are many employment opportunities you might enjoy more which pay equally or better. Why are you putting in so much effort with so little return? What are you afraid might happen?”

You’re making yourself miserable right now. The blood drained from Aether’s face.

Albedo came to a halt, forcing Aether to stop with him. He sighed, gently removing Aether’s hands from his shoulders. His gaze was downcast. “I’m sorry. I’m in no position to criticize. The unknown is overwhelming. We’re all just doing what we can to get by. I… excuse me.”

And he left Aether on the dance floor.

*

Albedo didn’t know where he was going. He felt awful. What had come over him? Who was he to ask why Aether didn’t make a dramatic change in his life? He couldn’t even tell Aether how he really felt. Implying any degree of cowardice on Aether’s part was the pot calling the kettle black.

Yet, at the same time, Albedo’s heart was bruised. Aether had never been as unavailable as he was tonight—more concerned with his past and future than with the present. He was so near and still out of Albedo’s reach. Wasn’t it cruel of him to suggest the whole boyfriend pretense if he showed no interest in making it a reality?

Albedo needed to be somewhere private. There were photobooths set up at the perimeter of the ballroom for guests to make their own memories. Very few people were using them right now, preferring to dance. Albedo ducked inside one, pulling the curtain closed behind him. It wasn’t the most isolated place, but at least no one could see him.

A moment later, the curtain was wrenched aside. Aether came in, squeezing onto the bench beside a startled Albedo, who unconsciously scooted over. Aether’s face was flushed.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” he said.

Albedo soundlessly opened and closed his mouth. He hadn’t thought Aether would come after him. But of course, he would. Aether was just that type of person.

“We’re both having a bad time right now,” Aether went on. “Tell me how I can make it better.”

“I…” Albedo genuinely couldn’t think for a moment. They were packed tightly into this photobooth, pressed together from knee to hip. His stomach swooped when Aether suddenly placed a firm hand on his thigh and leaned toward him.

Aether’s gaze was pleading. “It’s okay if you’re mad. You totally have a right to be.”

Is he not angry himself? Albedo was at a loss. “I’m not mad.”

“But you’re unhappy.”

Albedo exhaled. “I suppose. Still, what I said—”

“You were right.”

Albedo stared at Aether, eyebrows raised in surprise.

“I’m scared that I’m not good enough to make it on my own,” Aether went on. “That I can’t get the beat I want because I suck. And if I suck, maybe I should just give up.” He visibly swallowed. “Or maybe I’m only good at judging other people’s weddings because I fumbled my last serious relationship, and I’m trying to make myself feel better.”

“You don’t suck,” Albedo said. “I think your articles are insightful, even if I don’t particularly care about the subject matter. The one about themed weddings was amusing.”

Aether groaned. “It was mean.”

“I didn’t get that impression. As for your other point…” Albedo hesitated. “Did the break-up disillusion you that badly?”

“I really hurt him.” Aether hung his head. “I think I hurt him worse by trying to apologize. I shouldn’t have dated him in the first place.”

Albedo ignored the pangs in his chest and said, “And you don’t want to hurt someone again.”

Aether nodded. “When I see all this,” he waved his hand to encompass the spectacle around them, “I can’t help thinking that none of this matters. It’s borderline insulting. Loving someone is hard and messy and complicated…” He paused for breath. “Weddings are just theater. They’re selling this impossible idea about ‘happily ever after’ and the more I report on it, the worse I feel. I’m a part of it. And I tell myself at least I’m not totally buying in, but that doesn’t matter.”

Even when he’d vented before, Aether hadn’t been this painfully honest. Albedo turned over Aether’s hand and laced their fingers together. He didn’t care anymore.

“I understand,” Albedo said.

“I wish I didn’t think that way.” Aether looked at their joined hands. “Beidou and Ningguang seem happy.”

“They do. Though I’m sure that has more to do with how they feel about each other than the trappings of the wedding itself. Some of it may be theater, but the emotions behind it are genuine.”

“Right… Ugh, I’m so sorry. This should’ve been fun. All this stuff just got dragged up.”

Albedo squeezed his hand. “Well, I’m glad you feel comfortable sharing with me. I won’t judge you for it.”

“So, what’s been bothering you?” Aether asked. “I won’t judge either.”

Did Albedo dare? After that speech, his chances with Aether seemed slimmer and slimmer. And yet… “You’re right about loving someone. A relationship will never be perfect, because humans can’t be perfect. But we keep falling in love anyway. We know that weddings are just a formality, yet we invite our friends and loved ones to celebrate. It’s natural to be worried about hurting someone or being hurt. You shouldn’t give up, though.”

Aether’s ears turned pink. “I haven’t.”

Albedo tilted his head inquisitively.

Aether looked up at him again. Determination glittered in his eyes. “I actually—”

The photobooth curtain tore open.

*

Aether and Albedo jumped. Are you serious? Aether was cursed by other people’s bad timing. He looked around at the woman framed in the doorway. She had twin tails and pointy space buns. Her expression was severe.

“Aether Viator?” she asked.

Aether’s guts immediately twisted themselves into knots. This could not be good. The woman seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t recall where he knew her from. “That’s me,” he said reluctantly.

“Come with me, please. You too,” she added to Albedo.

Albedo and Aether exchanged a worried glance before climbing out of the photobooth. The woman walked them out of the ballroom and into the hall. She was dressed like a guest, but her demeanor was that of a bouncer. They stopped several feet from the doors. When she spun around to face them again, Aether finally remembered where he’d seen her. This was Keqing, the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, and a close professional contact of Ningguang.

Keqing crossed her arms. “You shouldn’t be here.”

He knew playing dumb wouldn’t work, but Aether said, “What do you mean?” anyway.

Keqing brandished her phone. There was one of his articles. With his name on it. He’d written it when Beidou and Ningguang had announced their engagement. Well, shit. How had she found out? Either someone must’ve told, or she’d recognized his name by itself.

“You’re not on the approved press list,” Keqing said. “I’m going to have to ask you to delete any notes or photos you’ve taken and vacate the premises.”

“I have to leave?” Aether said. “But I’m not crashing. I’m a guest.”

Keqing pointed an accusing finger at him. “You’re attending under false pretenses.”

“I…” What could he say? She was right. He wasn’t really Albedo’s date. He hadn’t come because of him, but because of his job. Forget running into Xiao. This was karma at work.

Aether opened his notes and erased them so that Keqing could see. He showed her his photo gallery as well, just to prove he hadn’t taken any illicit pictures.

“And you,” Keqing said, turning to Albedo. “You aided and abetted him. You brought him as your plus one. Don’t lie and say you didn’t know.”

Albedo lowered his gaze. “I didn’t think it would be an issue.”

“Sorry, but you’re going to have to leave with him.”

“That’s not fair,” Aether blurted. “Albedo had a valid invitation. He just let me tag along because I begged him. It wasn’t his idea.”

Albedo’s eyes widened. Keqing seemed skeptical. “Even if that’s true, it doesn’t change the fact that he violated Ms. Ningguang and Ms. Beidou’s clear rules regarding their wedding.”

Aether was about to keep arguing, but Albedo cut him off. “It’s fine,” he said. “It wouldn’t feel right to stay while Aether gets kicked out. I’ll go with him. Please send my apologies to the brides.” He took Aether’s hand again. “We’d better go. You didn’t leave anything at our table, did you?”

“No…”

“Come on,” Albedo said gently. He tugged Aether after him, out into the night beyond the hotel entrance.

*

Albedo didn’t bother attempting to hail a cab back to the hotel. The evening was mild, and the view of the harbor was excellent. He and Aether walked along the waterfront, a salty breeze ruffling their hair. If not for Aether’s article, Albedo would have been relieved at getting kicked out. They were free.

Aether paused to lean against the metal railing running alongside the walkway. “I’m sorry,” he said, resting his head on his arms. “I ruined your evening.”

Albedo shook his head. “No, you didn’t.”

“I probably ruined your business relationship with Ningguang.”

“It doesn’t matter. Aether…”

Aether lifted his head with a forlorn look. Why was he so upset on Albedo’s behalf and not his own? He was the one who had more to lose. Albedo wasn’t even going to attend initially. But that was just like Aether—always more concerned about other people.

Albedo touched Aether’s shoulder. “I don’t care about the wedding or losing Ningguang’s commissions. I’d rather be out here with you than alone at that reception. So, don’t feel too bad about it, alright?”

“That was so humiliating. It’s just not my night, is it?”

Albedo rubbed a soothing circle between Aether’s shoulder blades. “Well, look on the bright side. We weren’t enjoying ourselves anyway. I’m sure another opportunity will arise. You’ll have plenty of chances to expand your portfolio.”

“You’re so cool. You know that, right?” Aether said. He put his chin in his hand. “You always know the right thing to say.”

“Me, cool?” No one had ever used the word “cool” to describe Albedo. (At least not where he could hear them.) Around Aether, he felt very un-cool. He didn’t always know the right thing to say. He desperately wanted to know what Aether had been about to say in the photobooth. The moment had passed, trampled beneath Keqing’s high heels, and Albedo didn’t know how to bring it up.

You need to build. He had to tell Aether how he felt, potential for reciprocation or not. Xingqiu had told him to lead up to the confession. They weren’t on a mountaintop or in a garden, but this spot by the water seemed romantic enough. Where should he begin?

“Things may not have gone to plan,” Albedo said, “but I’m still glad we came. The cake was delicious. And I liked dancing with you.”

“Me too.” The ghost of a smile appeared on Aether’s lips.

“Yesterday was nice, too. Traveling together and touring a new city with you felt,” Albedo hesitated while he searched for the right word, “natural. I’d love to do it again.”

“That would be amazing.” Aether sighed wistfully. After a few beats of silence, he said, “Um, this is going to sound weird but… A while back, I wrote an article on how to keep from turning into a ‘Bridezilla.’ The main piece of advice was to remember what’s really important. It’s not the flowers or the cake or any of that stuff; it’s the people you love. I just typed out some stock advice without really thinking too deep, but this whole thing reminded me of it.”

“It did?”

“Yeah.” Aether smiled. “At the end of the day, I’m happy I’m here with you, even if it’s not perfect. You know… I think I would’ve said yes if you’d asked me to be your date. Without all the article stuff. I would’ve told myself it was to be a good friend, but that’s not it.”

Albedo could hardly breathe.

“Um, I really like you,” Aether said, leaning back with his hands still gripping the railing, teetering backwards. “Sorry I waited until now to say that.”

“You like me,” Albedo echoed.

Aether nodded. He was blushing furiously. “I know you’re probably too busy for dating, and I did a pretty bad job of playing your boyfriend tonight. But I wanted to tell you anyway. I can’t keep being scared. Otherwise, it’s like I never learned.”

“I’m not too busy. I’ll always set aside time for you.” Albedo’s heart pounded. “Aether… do you want to go out with me?”

“Yes.” Aether’s voice was quiet. “Do you…”

“Yes.” Albedo delicately cupped Aether’s chin.

Aether’s eyes widened. It was the last thing Albedo saw before he closed his own and kissed Aether on the mouth. His lips were soft and sweet. Aether seemed surprised at first, then returned the kiss, equally tender and wanting. He turned so that he could pull Albedo into his arms. Albedo nearly forgot that they were on a public harbor walk.

“Is this too forward?” he asked, momentarily breaking their kiss. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while, and I didn’t think to—”

“It’s fine.” Aether’s eyes were sparkling. “It was romantic.”

Albedo lowered his gaze, smiling to himself. “Oh, good. I had hoped to demonstrate my suitability as a partner while we were here. I don’t have much experience, so I’m not sure whether I succeeded.”

“You’ve been great.” Aether leaned in, his lips hovering near Albedo’s without touching them. “But I think I already had a bit of a crush on you.”

“Is that so?” Albedo laced his fingers behind Aether’s back. “I should have just told you how I felt. Then we could have saved ourselves all this trouble.” He sighed. “I also feared rejection. Especially when you ran after Xiao.”

Aether dropped his head to Albedo’s chest with a pained noise. “I’m so stupid.”

“It’s alright.” The danger had passed. Xiao wouldn’t be coming between them now. “You’re not stupid. You’re caring. I like that about you.”

Aether raised his head again. “I should still make it up to you. Do you want to go on a real date? There’s probably places around here that are open late.”

Tempting. “That would be wonderful,” Albedo said, “but perhaps some other time. Right now… I’d like to go back to our hotel.” He curled the tail of Aether’s braid around his index finger. Forget worrying about being too forward; he’d wasted enough time already. “You can make it up to me another way.”

*

Ten Hours Post-Wedding

The first thing Aether did the next morning was send his editor a brief email: I quit. He tossed his phone onto the nightstand. The clatter accidentally stirred Albedo, who was barely visible beneath the duvet.

“Hm, you’re awake?” he asked.

“I had to take care of something.” Maybe Aether would regret it later, but that was a problem for his future self. He rolled over to nestle closer to Albedo. “I don’t want to get up.”

Albedo wound his arms around him. “You’ll have to eventually. Our flight is this afternoon.”

“Let’s extend our stay.” Aether was dreading having to tell Lumine that she was right. About everything. He wouldn’t be able to avoid admitting it once he was home. And he wanted more time with Albedo before work and job hunting made it harder to see each other. Having your long-term friend become your boyfriend warranted time off to adjust to the change, right?

“I can’t,” Albedo said. “The lab will be expecting me.”

“They can survive a few extra days without you.”

Albedo drew Aether into a kiss. “There’s still plenty of time before we have to be at the airport,” he breathed. “Let’s use it wisely. We can argue about staying longer in Liyue later.”

“But if we decide to reschedule our flight now, then we don’t have to rush,” Aether protested, though without much enthusiasm. He was open to dropping the topic in favor of other activities.

However, they weren’t able to get very far. Albedo’s phone started ringing. He extricated himself from Aether’s embrace and checked the caller ID. Aether’s jaw dropped. Ningguang. The cheerful mood he’d just been in dissipated instantly. He should’ve known this would happen.

“You’d better answer,” Aether said.

Albedo did so. “Hello,” he said, calm as ever.

Aether could faintly hear Ningguang’s voice on the other end. “Good morning,” she said. “I heard that you were forced to leave the reception early last night. I’d like to discuss the reason for that with you in person, if you’re able to meet.”

“Ah,” Albedo said.

“Bring your partner with you.” She gave the order as though Albedo had already agreed. “This concerns him, too, obviously. Beidou and I will be at Liuli Pavilion in an hour.”

Albedo gave Aether a questioning glance. Should they go? They had to. Ningguang didn’t sound angry, just business-like, so maybe she was willing to hear them out. If there was a chance to save Albedo’s reputation, then they needed to take it. Aether nodded.

“Alright,” Albedo said. “We’ll be there, too.”

“Excellent. See you then.” Ningguang hung up.

Albedo sighed. “I guess we should get ready.”

*

Aether was so nervous he thought he might be sick. He hadn’t anticipated speaking to the Liyue Tianquan face-to-face on this trip. He used to dream of nabbing an interview, back when his hopes were at their highest, but this felt more like being called to the principal’s office. It didn’t help that Ningguang had reserved a private dining room.

“It will be fine,” Albedo reassured him before they went in. He gave Aether’s hand a brief squeeze.

Ningguang and Beidou were seated at a small table in the center of the room. They were already having tea. Ningguang was just as elegant up-close as she was in photos and broadcasts. Beidou seemed more approachable in jeans and a scoop-neck t-shirt. She smiled and said, “Hi there. Have a seat.”

Aether pulled out a chair opposite Beidou. He felt more comfortable facing her than Ningguang. She didn’t seem upset, either. Albedo took the teapot from the center of the table and poured Aether a cup, then one for himself.

“So,” Ningguang said, “I think we can skip the formal introductions.” Her gaze flicked to Aether. “Keqing showed me some of your work. It was certainly… something.”

Aether’s face paled. I’m dead.

Beidou laughed. “Oh, go easy on him, babe.”

“I’m sorry,” Aether blurted. “I was just going to report on the food and decorations and stuff, but I know that probably doesn’t matter. It’s still a violation of your boundaries. Our site didn’t get a press invitation, so I shouldn’t have tried to get around that.”

“Well, I doubt it would have been a disaster,” Ningguang said languidly. She blew on her tea. “In all honesty, we probably wouldn’t have noticed. That said, it’s the principle of the thing, and I appreciate your sincerity.”

That was good, right? Albedo asked, “Can I ask how you found out that Aether wasn’t an ordinary guest? He had a valid invitation as my plus-one.”

“Another concerned guest gave Keqing a tip. She cross-checked the press applications and found his name, then searched for his articles online.”

“Keqing shouldn’t have kicked you out,” Beidou said, folding her arms. “That was too harsh. Deleting your notes was enough.”

“She simply had our best interests at heart,” Ningguang countered.

A concerned guest… Who could that have been? Aether’s thoughts immediately turned to Venti. He was familiar with Aether’s work. But he’d also let that information slip to Xiao. Would Xiao have done something like that? If so, he probably thought he was doing the right thing, with the added bonus of not having to see Aether.

“Anyway, I figured we should talk it out,” Beidou said. “No hard feelings, alright?”

Ningguang nodded. “I’d still be willing to purchase your paintings in the future, Mr. Kreideprinz. And I wouldn’t dream of badmouthing Mr. Viator’s site or his work. I know what it’s like to do whatever you can to make a living.”

Badmouth the site all you want. Aether just smiled. “Um, congratulations, by the way,” he added. “On your wedding.”

Beidou grinned. “Thanks. It wasn’t easy getting here, you know. Ningguang once said I was the last person she’d ever think of marrying.”

“Don’t tell them that,” Ningguang chided.

“Why not? It’s funny.”

Ningguang sighed in exasperation. “You make me sound so cruel. If I recall, you were equally adamant that you had no romantic feelings for me whatsoever.”

“That was back when I thought you were a snob.”

Albedo glanced at Aether, an amused smile on his lips. Aether returned it. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen next, but he was eager to find out.

*

zhenyu

I had to tell, I’m sorry! 🙇♂️ I didn’t think you’d be kicked out!

You’d just be in worse trouble if you’d let Aether publish that article…

Calx

It’s alright. I understand.

Things worked out better this way.

zhenyu

Did you end up confessing your feelings? 👀

Calx

I did.

zhenyu

And???

Calx

That’s private 😊

zhenyu

>:T

Well, you wouldn’t be smiling if he didn’t like you back, so I was right

Calx

While we’re on this topic, how are things with Chongyun?

zhenyu

How many times do I have to tell you that he’s just a friend!

But he did say something super cute at the reception after you left, listen to this:

[zhenyu is typing…]

*

Two Months Post Wedding

Weddings…

By Aether Viator

I told myself I was never going to write about weddings again, but it’s kind of hard to stop after doing it for so long. And now that I’m in a committed relationship, people ask us if we’re considering marriage (“people” = my sister). I never know what to say to that. We knew each other for a while before we started dating, but I don’t want to rush. There’s a difference between being friends and going out. We’re still learning what that’s like.

But if we do decide to get married, I want to skip all the extra parties and favors and junk that we don’t need. I was never into that stuff in the first place, and having to write about it for years didn’t help. It feels really freeing to admit that. That’s just me, though. If you want to have a huge blowout, go nuts. After all, it’s supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life. Relationships can be complicated, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a fairytale romance for one day. Your love is just as real whether you say “I do” in the middle of the woods or in a chapel or on a boat or on a seaside cliff. It’s real even if you get rained on or your in-laws fight. Things won’t always be perfect, but hey, we keep falling in love anyway, right?