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"So, where are we going?" Wei Ying asked, clinging to his boyfriend's arm as they walked to the subway.
"You will see," Lan Zhan replied evenly. Wei Ying gave a theatrical pout as they had to separate to scan their transit passes, but as soon as they were through the gates he was on Lan Zhan's arm again, tugging.
"But er-gege, what if I want to know now?" he asked. Lan Zhan had yet to give him any details about what he had planned for them that day, which Wei Ying thought was entirely unfair. He'd simply been told to dress comfortably and be ready for Lan Zhan to pick him up at eleven. He'd done so, and in his opinion had been very patient already while waiting for his boyfriend to tell him what they would be doing.
Lan Zhan made a noncommittal hum and Wei Ying sighed, looking up at the ceiling.
"That's it, you've decided to let the suspense kill me," he said plaintively, still clinging to Lan Zhan's arm as the other led him through the station to whatever train they would be taking. "Almost a year of bliss and this is how it ends, with me starved for information and you coldly keeping it from me..."
Lan Zhan nudged him to the left, indicating an escalator down to the tracks and Wei Ying went automatically, still clinging to his arm.
"Exactly a year," Lan Zhan said softly. Wei Ying blinked, looked at Lan Zhan for a moment, then surreptitiously checked his watch for the date.
Lan Zhan was right. It had been exactly a year since their first date. Wei Ying had been so busy between school, work, and babysitting his neighbor's adorable grandson that it had entirely slipped his mind. Of course Lan Zhan hadn't forgotten, had planned some kind of romantic outing for them, and all Wei Ying had done since Lan Zhan had picked him up was whine and complain.
It was their anniversary and Wei Ying had totally forgotten.
"Ah, Lan Zhan..." he said as they got off the escalator, an apology on the tip of his tongue, but Lan Zhan shook his head.
"No need for apologies between us," he reminded Wei Ying softly.
"But I totally forgot. I didn't get you anything," Wei Ying said.
Lan Zhan shook his head again.
"Your presence is gift enough," he said sincerely. Wei Ying felt himself blush to the roots of his hair and he buried his face in his boyfriend's shoulder with a whine.
"Lan Zhaaan, what have I said about saying such sweet things?" He really couldn't take it when his boyfriend said such things so earnestly; they always seemed to go straight to his heart, warming him from the inside out.
"Mn. Consider it your punishment," Lan Zhan said.
"Unfair," Wei Ying said. "Cruel and unusual punishment! I'm pretty sure that's not allowed."
Lan Zhan just looked at him, one perfect eyebrow delicately raised as if to ask whether or not Wei Ying might prefer a more traditional punishment for his behavior. Wei Ying's mind helpfully supplied him with several recent memories of the things Lan Zhan had done after leveling him with such a look and he felt his face burn bright red.
Really, that face was entirely unfair outside of a bedroom!
He was saved from having to say anything by the arrival of the train. Lan Zhan tugged him gently along, no longer looking at him like that and Wei Ying could breathe again. They got on the somewhat crowded train car, standing near the doors as if they didn't intend to be on for very long. Moments later, the doors shut and the train began to move.
Wei Ying looked at the map above the door, trying to guess which stop was theirs.
"Patience," Lan Zhan murmured to him, barely above a whisper. Wei Ying pouted at him, then fluttered his eyelashes like flirting would help him convince Lan Zhan to spill the beans.
Lan Zhan kept his eyes on the subway map as they passed several stations, only the faint curve at the corner of his mouth showing his amusement. The train car slowly began to fill up as they went along as more and more people got on.
Finally, Lan Zhan tapped his side as they approached another station.
"Here," Lan Zhan murmured. Just then the train stopped and the doors opened. Wei Ying followed his boyfriend out, looking at the station name and feeling a bit surprised. There wasn't much here, unless…
"We're going to the mall?" Wei Ying asked. Lan Zhan nodded.
Of all the places they could have gone, Wei Ying would never have guessed the mall. He knew it was far from Lan Zhan's favorite place to be; too loud, too crowded, too overwhelming.
"Any store in particular?" He sidled closer and took Lan Zhan's hand again, squeezing. Lan Zhan squeezed back but kept his eyes up, following the signs out of the station and guiding Wei Ying along.
"Patience," Lan Zhan said again.
Somewhat mollified by knowing their general destination, even if Lan Zhan was still cruelly keeping the specifics from him, Wei Ying mimed zipping his lips shut with his free hand and then just enjoyed the walk.
And the view. He'd never say no to time spent watching Lan Zhan's handsome profile, after all.
The walk wasn't long and soon enough they had reached the mall. Lan Zhan opened the door and ushered Wei Ying inside before following, then took his hand again and continued to lead him. Wei Ying let himself be led, looking around at the different stores with mild interest as they passed, trying to recall the last time he'd been in the mall and, more importantly, the map.
But before he figured out what part of the mall they were in, Lan Zhan slowed to a stop in front of a store.
Wei Ying looked up. They were in front of a Suning, an electronics store that Wei Ying rarely set foot in because he couldn't afford any of the items in it. Maybe one of the charging cables, but even that would be a stretch.
He was still blinking away the shock when Lan Zhan steered him into the store.
"Wait, Lan Zhan, I can't afford-" he started to say, but one look from Lan Zhan had him shutting his mouth.
"I can," Lan Zhan said simply, once there was no danger of him being accused of interrupting. Using his grip on Wei Ying's hand, he tugged him gently towards the back of the store where there were rows and rows of laptops on display. Only then did Lan Zhan let go in favor of pushing gently on the small of Wei Ying's back.
"Pick one," Lan Zhan said. Wei Ying just stared for a moment, looking from the rows of laptops to his boyfriend and then back again.
"Ah, Lan Zhan, you spoil me too much," he said, trying for teasing and not really managing. "My old laptop is fine, really."
Or it had been, before he'd gotten caught in the rain last week. He'd been trying to fix it with some old parts he had lying around and it more or less worked now!
"It is old," Lan Zhan countered, which was also true, since it had been outdated even when Wei Ying had picked it up from the secondhand shop he'd found it in. When Wei Ying still hesitated, Lan Zhan went in for the kill. "Let me take care of you?"
Wei Ying was so weak to that question in Lan Zhan's voice. He smiled, some of his hesitation falling away at the naked hope in his boyfriend's voice.
"Well, if my er-gege insists!" he said, turning to peruse the laptops. He gravitated towards the economy models, the cheaper ones meant for travel or for occasional use, but Lan Zhan grabbed his elbow and steered him gently towards the sleeker gaming models that could handle abuse.
"Lan Zhan, it's-"
"-our anniversary," Lan Zhan finished for him in a tone that brooked no argument. He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to Wei Ying's cheek. "Consider this additional punishment for forgetting."
Wei Ying's face went as red as his hoodie.
"What 'punishment', if I'm spoiled like this every time I forget something important, maybe I just won't remember anything at all!" he said. Lan Zhan huffed a small laugh.
"Then I will remember for you," he said. Wei Ying smiled and turned to face Lan Zhan, kissing him briefly on the lips, then turned back to look more seriously at the laptops.
"You win, you win!" he said. "Help me pick?"
They spent a little time going over the options together, comparing different specs and reviews, Wei Ying frequently trying to convince Lan Zhan that he'd be fine with the cheaper options, really, and Lan Zhan reminding him that his programming classes would be too much for such a machine.
They eventually settled on one that was still higher-end than anything Wei Ying had initially considered, but it was a sturdy machine that could take a beating, had exceptional battery life, glowing reviews from people other than paid tech influencers, and a truly impressive amount of RAM.
While Lan Zhan went to find an employee to help complete the purchase, Wei Ying's eyes couldn't help but wander to the nearby section. There was a display of headphones, various brands ranging from cheap to expensive, everything from earbuds with and without cords to over-ear headphones with built-in noise cancellation.
He'd been considering replacing his headphones for a while now. The ones he used on his daily commute were falling apart, the fabric covers flaking off the ear cups, one side held on almost entirely with duct tape, the charging port barely functional. He could at least look at the options and then maybe come back when his headphones actually stopped working.
He was looking at some of the cheaper options when Lan Zhan returned, a tag in hand to present to the cashier when they were ready to pay. He turned to his boyfriend with a smile, only for Lan Zhan to head to the more expensive side of the display. Lan Zhan looked for a moment, then seemed to find what he sought, and nodded decisively. Only then did he turn to Wei Ying.
"Red or black?" he asked.
"Red or black what?" Wei Ying asked, walking over, pretty sure he already knew. As expected, Lan Zhan was standing near a display of incredibly expensive over-ear headphones with all the bells and whistles. It would take a month of Wei Ying's pay just to afford a pair! "I really don't need them."
"You do," Lan Zhan disagreed. He seemed to consider something for a moment, then grabbed a placard for a red pair and a black pair. "If you do not choose, I will get both."
"The black!" Wei Ying yelped, knowing that Lan Zhan absolutely would get him two ridiculously overpriced headphones if he didn't pick. Lan Zhan nodded, satisfied, and put the red placard back.
As they turned to head to the checkout desk, Wei Ying latched onto his boyfriend's arm.
"Lan Zhan, you spoil me," he said, warm and a bit overwhelmed. "Let me at least buy us lunch!"
Lan Zhan nodded as they reached the cashier.
"Mn. Acceptable," he said, handing over the placard and tag for the employee to retrieve their items. "Later."
"Wh- wait, there's more?" Wei Ying asked, stunned. Lan Zhan nodded. Wei Ying was given no more chance to question the itinerary as the cashier came back and Lan Zhan completed payment. Only when they were heading out of the store, bag in hand, did Wei Ying find his voice again.
"Your uncle already thinks I'm a gold-digger. Lan Zhan, this is too much," he said, even as he clutched the bag to his chest.
"Mn," Lan Zhan said in a tone that meant he definitely thought that such a thing was Lan Qiren's problem and not Wei Ying's. "Wei Ying is unfortunately resistant to other people spending money on him."
Lan Zhan cast him a sidelong glance.
"He will learn."
Wei Ying could only gape, stunned, as Lan Zhan stubbornly pulled him along to the next store. And then the next. And the next.
Within what felt like no time at all, their arms were laden down with bags from all sorts of stores, with all kinds of items inside; the same fancy shampoo and conditioner that Lan Zhan used and Wei Ying had complimented after an overnight stay at his boyfriend's apartment, handmade soaps that smelled of sandalwood and bergamot, a new jacket for the upcoming colder months, a new set of boots to replace the ones Wei Ying had worn through, the latest in a novel series he'd been keeping up with, the list went on and on.
As they moved from store to store, Wei Ying realized something.
Everything Lan Zhan was buying him was either something Wei Ying needed or had mentioned wanting in the past few weeks. Anything he'd praised, anything he'd mentioned in passing, anything he'd lamented needing to replace, Lan Zhan bought it all.
It was the most thoughtful, overwhelming thing anyone had ever done for him. How much attention must Lan Zhan have paid to everything that fell out of Wei Ying's mouth to know just what he needed?
They were taking a break on a bench for a few minutes before they headed back to the train and eventually, Wei Ying's apartment. Wei Ying leaned against Lan Zhan's side, holding his boyfriend's hand, still smiling.
"You've spoiled me so well today," he said, still marveling at the number of bags at their feet. "I don't even know if my apartment can hold all this!"
It was mostly a joke, but to his surprise, Lan Zhan seemed to tense for a moment. Then he took a deep breath before speaking.
"Your lease is up at the end of the month," Lan Zhan said softly. He shifted a little, careful not to dislodge Wei Ying's head, and after a moment pulled out a plain black box from his pocket.
He handed it to Wei Ying, who sat up to open it. Inside there was a plain silver key on a black rabbit keychain, utterly unremarkable except that Wei Ying knew what it was.
After all, Lan Zhan had an identical key on a white rabbit keychain.
"… a copy of your apartment key?" Wei Ying asked, looking at his boyfriend in surprise. Lan Zhan met his gaze steadily.
"Move in with me," he said, not quite a question and not quite a plea. Wei Ying was completely lost for words.
His lease was up at the end of the month, only two short weeks away, and he'd been meaning to talk to his landlord about renewing but hadn't gotten around to it yet with how busy he'd been. After all, the location was convenient and the rent was within budget (read: cheap as hell), though the apartment itself left much to be desired otherwise.
Lan Zhan's apartment, by contrast, was only slightly less convenient; it only ten minutes more away from work and school on the same metro line, in a far nicer part of town, and was much more spacious.
And, most importantly, Lan Zhan's apartment had Lan Zhan in it.
Really, there was only one answer Wei Ying could give.
"Yes."
Lan Zhan leaned forward and kissed him, practically forcing him backwards as his tongue swept along the seam of Wei Ying's lips, totally uncaring that they were still very much in public.
Not that Wei Ying was any better. He opened his mouth, welcoming Lan Zhan's tongue inside for a very thorough kiss.
When they finally broke apart what felt like full minutes later, Lan Zhan rested his forehead against Wei Ying's.
"Happy anniversary, Wei Ying," he murmured. Wei Ying gave him a brief, chaste peck on the lips.
"Happy anniversary, Lan Zhan."