Archive of Our Own

Where Daddy Yin has an important question -

He said it once, and he knew when he did that, it was only a matter of time before he would happen. 

 "I'm really going to do it Zulu." Yin smiled as he crouched next to his pup. "I'm going to ask the question." 

 Zulu barked in what he thought was assent, and he smiled. "Finally."

--- 

There were questions that defined our entire lives and answers that changed them completely. Before, he had all but promised, that if the time ever came when this particular question was to be asked, he would be the one to do the asking. 

 And he was a man of his word.

Except back then, he didn't realize that before asking the question to the one who had the answer, he first had to make his way through the people that mattered the most. 

He did that, diligently, like a soldier on a mission. What he didn't count for, however, was an addition.

An addition that was very much a part of their lives and very much the one that could decide if all his hard work was worth it in the end.

 "Hey Samsam, can I ask you a question?"

They were seated on the floor, dozing off on a lazy Wednesday night like they always did.

"Do you miss your p'Zu?" The pup perked up at the mention of the other pup's name, and Yin laughed. "Of course you do." 

 Although they had a bumpy start, it was almost inevitable that the two would develop an almost familial bond. After all, their parents were basically married.

"Do you want to live with your p'Zu and me?" 

 If Yin was being honest, talking to the dogs felt a little silly in the beginning. But as the years went by, he started to appreciate the fact that they were their own family unit — his small family — as everybody liked to call it.

"I miss your papa too every time we're apart. It's very hard to say goodbye when we have to." 

 There were moments when days felt longer, and as he soon came to realize, it was because he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with the person he loved the most.

"What if I told you I have a solution?" He hummed, sitting up so he could grab a small pouch from his pocket. "I love your papa more than anything in the whole wide world. I really want to marry him and be your daddy forever. So I got him a really pretty ring. Look—"

Yin holds up a simple silver band, gaze softening when the Sam lightly uses his paw to touch it. "You like it? Do you think Papa will like it?" 

 Their youngest barked and started wagging his tail, and he doesn't speak pup, but he'll take it as a good sign. "He will?"

"I got your Papa this ring because I will ask him to marry me today. Is that okay? Can I marry your Papa?" 

 Sam barked again and licked a big his face cutely. 

 "Is that a yes?" Yin laughed when Sam pounced on him happily. "Yes, Daddy loves you and P'Zu the most too."

Their cute little moment was interrupted by someone (their important someone) clearing his throat from the doorway. "I leave you two alone for a few minutes and I come back to find that Sam has stolen you from me?" 

 "What can I say, Sam loves me a lot too." 

 "Of course he does."

War saunters over to them, lifts Sammer up in his arms, and unceremoniously plops himself next to a very smiley Yin. "You two had a meaningful conversation?" 

 "You can say that." 

 "Anything I need to know about?"

"Just that Sam misses P'Zu." 

 "You sure about that Mister Wong?"

With the way War's eyes were obviously raised in challenge, Yin knew that he should be feeling nervous. That's how it always went in movies, in books — in fiction. But he should have known better. He should have known that real life was always going to be so much better.

Looking at War now - his War covered in dog fur, a stray piece of dog treat suspiciously stuck on his shirt, smelling of clay and hair tousled in every possible direction - there was no ounce of nerve in his body. Not even the weight of the ring in his pocket can shake him.

He knew when he was twenty that War was special and he knew when he was twenty-three that he was the man he was going to marry. He knew when he said that if there was ever going to be a proposal, it would be him. He knew then that it was only a matter of time before THE question.

Maybe back then, he was too young to fully understand what the things he knew meant, but looking back now — he always knew what he wanted. 

 "You heard everything didn't you?" 

 "Depends, did you want me to hear everything?" 

 "Well, I didn't mean for you to hear everything."

"Then you should have thought of that before asking Sam for my hand in marriage while I was just in the next room making some popcorn." War pretended to glare at him, wrapping his arms tightly around Sam who only sighed in what can only be described as annoyance.

"Sam looks so tired of his silly papa." Yin teased, reaching for the pup to free him from War's clutches. "Run bud, I'll keep your Papa here." 

 "Not even married to me, and you're already spoiling my kid." 

 "He's our kid." 

 "Show me the adoption papers quick!" 

 "War~" 

 "Anan~"

"Let me ask the question before we get distracted again." Yin began, pulling out the ring in his pocket for the second time in thirty minutes. "You heard what I told Sam—" 

"War Wanarat, Samsam and Zulu's papa and the love of my life, will you marry me?" 

 — 

Maybe happy endings weren't just found in fairy tales — Yin's personal favorite was lying on the couch with War lying on top of him while admiring the shiny new ring on his finger.

"What is Sam said no?" 

 "Sam wouldn't say no, he loves me." He replied, wrapping his arms around War's waist to pull him closer. "And he can't human talk so I'll just pretend he said yes." 

 War giggled happily. "And that's why I'm marrying you even though I didn't get a speech."

"And I've endeared myself to everyone around you just to make sure I get all my check marks in order." 

"So that's what you were doing all these years, sneaky." 

 "Learned from the best." 

 "Me?" 

 "No, my fiance." 

 "That's me." 

 "I know. I just wanted to call you my fiance." 

 END.