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“Yelan,” He breathed, eyes scanning over her figure. She stood in her doorway, body adorning a gorgeous dress that hugged her curves and exposed her back, her arms crossed over her chest as a flush rose to her face, “You look… beautiful.”
The jewelry around her neck and the earrings that dangled from her ear were the very same ones that Xiao had gifted to her for her birthday, and they looked so well with the dress she wore. He was simply entranced, face red as he admired her beauty, finally settling his eyes on hers, a genuine smile on his face.
He held his hand out, and she took it, stepping out of her doorway and into the cool air, shutting the door behind her, “So, where do you want to go?” She asked, glancing briefly at him.
Xiao squeezed her hand, walking with her, hand-in-hand, “I’m not sure. Do you want to go for a walk, or maybe out to eat?”
“Anything you want to do.”
Xiao hummed in response, and the two walked together, hands interlocked, a comfortable silence falling between them.
Three year anniversary. It seemed crazy, and it wasn’t that huge, but Xiao had never imagined himself being in a relationship; he always preferred to be on his own, yet, to his own surprise, he found that he quite enjoyed being in her presence. She was always so tender and loving with him, being far more patient than he ever expected her to be; he doesn’t blame himself for falling in love with such a wonderful girl.
The moment they met, he could tell that they were in for an interesting relationship; he could sense the fire in her, the way she spoke to him so nonchalantly, tearing him up with no care in the world, and it was surprising to him, as no one had done that before, not one person ever had the guts to stand up to someone so significant. But she did.
Their relationship had never been perfect, he’s done lots of stupid things, running away and refusing to accept his feelings, breaking promises and insisting on doing what ‘felt right.’ Through it all, though, she stayed by his side, being the person he knew he could fall back on in his darkest times. And she knows that he will always be there for her, too.
Yelan broke the silence, squeezing his hand, “What are you thinking about?”
“Oh, ah, nothing…”
She raised an eyebrow, but dropped it, continuing to walk along with him. Eventually, they reached the beach, just as the sun began to set, leaving a gorgeous glow across the sky and ocean, and on Yelan as well.
“You look so pretty tonight.”
“You’re being so straightforward, what’s gotten into you?” She giggles, her face red as they stand in front of each other, a smile on his face and a flustered look on hers.
Xiao shrugged, “I just felt the need to tell you how gorgeous you are, that’s all.”
Her face was tomato red at his point, trying to hide it in her hands, a smile on her face as small giggles erupted out of her. Still, after three years of him constantly professing his love, she was not used to it at all; it felt foreign, but oh, how she loved it.
“Ohh, can you believe it’s been two years of us dating?” She asked as she looked to the skyline, reaching out to hold his hand again.
His eyes were on her, still admiring the dress she wore, how it hugged her curves so perfectly while still complimenting every aspect of her, the jewelry that he bought her and how she seemed to elated to be wearing it… She truly was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen.
“Yelan…” His eyes flickered up to hers, a nervous expression on his face.
“Hm?”
“I have a question.”
She nodded, “Shoot.”
Xiao was silent for a minute, gathering the words in his head, “I… um, what would you say if someone asked to marry you?”
Her eyes widened and she stared at him for a second, before answering, “Well… I guess it depends on who it is.”
“Okay…. what if it was me?”
“Well… I think I would say yes… Why?”
“Okay…” He nervously swallowed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ring, all while she watched, a gasp falling from her mouth as soon as she saw the ring.
“Oh my god. You’re crazy.”
“Um… Will you marry me, then?” He held the ring out to her, a bashful expression on his face. It wasn’t a super special proposal; he knew that she preferred small things, nothing too extravagant, and he hoped that she was happy, but he couldn’t decipher the expression on her face.
“You… You’re crazy. Oh my god.” Her hands went up to her face, hiding the tears that pooled in her eyes, and he tilted his head to the side a little, bringing the ring down a bit. Within a second, her arms were around him, a cry coming from her, and he breathed a sigh of relief, hugging her back, kissing the side of her head.
She pulled away, wiping her tears, and he took her hand, sliding the ring onto her finger, listening to her laboured breathing as she tried to calm down. However, it failed, because she began to sob, staring at the ring and blubbering.
Panicked, he hugged her, “What’s wrong? What’s wrong, why are you crying so hard?”
“No, no,” She laughed through her tears, hugging him back, staring at the ring on her finger, “It’s so beautiful, Xiao, oh my god…. I love you, I love you so much, yes, I will marry you…” Her words were rushed as the tears took over her voice, and he smiled into her shoulder, pulling away from her and reaching a hand up to wipe away her tears.
“You’re such a pretty crier, do you know that?”
“You tell me it every time I cry,” She giggles, sniffling and letting him wipe her tears away, staring into his eyes, a smile on her face.
“I… I love you. A lot. I’m glad you want to marry me… I want to marry you, too. Um… I hope you like the ring.”
“Aw, I love you too…. And, of course I want to marry you. You mean everything to me, Xiao. I couldn’t even imagine my life without you now,” She paused for a minute, “You’re the best thing that has happened to me. Ever.”
He wrapped his arms around her neck, pulling her down for a kiss, the tears beginning to fall from his eyes, too.
They were practically made for each other, he thinks. There is nothing in this world that has given them more joy than being with each other, seeing each others most brutal vulnerabilities, breathing in the same air; being there for each other.
Now, they are going to be intertwined forever; there’s no going back. They’ve made a commitment, and even if their relationship begins to stutter, they’ll be able to get over the bump and come out stronger, like they have before; like they always will.
“I will never stop loving you,” He whispers, pulling away from her lips briefly, “Even after death, you will remain the only thing that I want.”
Tears fill her eyes, and she begins to sob, their lips connecting once more, sinking to the ground and holding each other tight, sharing kisses through tears and sobs. It all felt so special, everything he did, it was all for her; never in her life did she think she’d end up in a relationship with the person she had admired most, but it’s happening, and she’s marrying him. It felt unreal.
“Oh, Xiao, how I love you…” Yelan whispered as she pulled away from him, hiccuping as she tried to choke back her sobs, lips quivering.
He couldn’t help but smile, seeing how her eyes seemed to plead him to kiss her again, the tears rolling down her cheeks, lips pouted and quivering; how she sat in his lap, looking so content, hands gripped onto his shoulders while he looked up at her, with nothing but love and adoration on his face.
“I love you too.”
Yelan’s eyes flickered to the sunset behind them, and she gasped, quickly pointing towards it, “Look at the sunset, it’s so gorgeous…”
Xiao turned around to glance at it, and his eyes widened, lips parting slightly. The sky was turning gorgeous hues of pink, blue and purple, reflecting across the ocean in front of them, the sight wonderful.
She scrambled off his lap, trying to yank him closer to the water, however, she failed, so she gave up and decided to run onto the sand, sitting down and staring at the sky. He chuckled, walking closer and sitting down beside her, taking her hand into his own, laying his head on her shoulder, staring into the beautifully hued sky as well.
“I’m glad I’m here with you tonight, Xiao.”
The smile that had been stuck on his face only grew wider hearing her words, and he turned his head, kissing her shoulder, “You’re so cute.”
“Shut up…”
When he looked up at her, she was completely red, a dazed smile on her face as she thought about his words, giggling to herself. All he could do was smile, it was hard to even drop it, because he would just end up smiling again; it had possibly been the best night of his life.
“I can’t wait to marry you.” He squeezed her hand, and she huffed, the smile on her face growing wider.
“I can’t wait to marry you, too. It will be the best day of my life.”
Xiao moved in front of her, leaning in and kissing her once more, his arms wrapping around her neck, while her hands settled on his cheeks. Everything about it was so tender, so sweet; she would not trade it for the world, being here with him and being engaged to him. There is nothing more she wants in this world than to be with him, till the day she dies, and beyond that; forevermore.
She leaned back, laying on the sand, him hovering overtop of her as they continued to kiss, the moment becoming heated as time passed, his hands by her head, buried in the sand to steady himself.
It was a moment that they hope would stick in their mind forever, a moment so tender and full of love; a moment they never thought would happen 3 years ago. It was all surreal, but it was their reality, and they would not change it for the world.
As the sun continued to set behind them, and as they continued to share the sweet moment, one thing became extremely clear to them.
Their love for each other is something that cannot be defeated, it cannot waver, for it is strong and the glue that holds them together is the strings of their heart. They are intertwined by soul, by heart, and it will remain that way until the end of time.
He pulled away from her lips for a brief second, breathing heavily, looking at her blissed face beneath him.
“I love you, Yelan. I love everything about you, your face, your personality; all your little quirks, your boldness… My love for you will never end. Even if you die, I will love you until the world stops spinning.”
He cut her off before she could respond, kissing her once more, and when he did, he could truly feel all their sparks ignite, a fire blooming in their veins and sealing their love for each other, becoming unbreakable.
There is nothing more in this world he wants than her, and he is finally getting it, forever and beyond. Nothing can break them apart.
He will love her for as long as life allows it, and even after that, he will find a way; he will love her in every life, in every universe, and they will relive the amount of love they
feel for each other every single time.
When there is no more Yelan, there will be no more Xiao; the despair that will plague his mind will be devastating, for he cannot live without her at his side.
He will never stop loving her. Not now, and not ever.