Chapter Text
“Ah. San Lang look!” Xie Lian popped up from where he’d been digging through his things. “I knew I brought my household registration with me when I moved.” He’d have to put it somewhere he’d actually remember instead of just shoved into a corner this time.
“You’ve been looking for it?”
“Here and there. It’s not as though I actually needed it for anything. I just couldn’t remember where I put it.”
Hua Cheng smiled at him. “Gege doesn’t want to get married?”
Xie Lian felt something in him startle at that. He knew, in a logical sort of way, that you needed your household registration to get a marriage certificate, but he honestly hadn’t thought of marriage as something for him. It had long been something for other people. A concept he’d only ever know in theoreticals.
Now though. Now he thought of it. Thought of Hua Cheng, his best friend, his roommate, his —
Hua Cheng, who he already lived with. Hua Cheng who supported him physically and emotionally and who had tried time and time again to support him financially. Hua Cheng who he already wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Who he wanted to be the one to greet his parents graves with him and get to sit by his side if either of them were in the hospital.
Hua Cheng, who he couldn’t ever believe he got to be so close with.
The response was tumbling out before he thought to stop it.
“Okay.”
Hua Cheng’s smile turned startled. “Okay?”
All at once the happy, delusional thoughts swirling in his head crashed to a halt. Cold shame crept up in its place. Okay? Hua Cheng hadn’t asked Xie Lian to marry him, he’d just asked about marriage in general! They weren’t even dating technically. It was just that they acted like— just that sometimes he just thought that—
It didn’t matter what he thought. Xie Lian knew better than to get his hopes up on things like that. He knew better and he’d known better, even after all they’d been through together, he’d never let himself really think too much about the idea they could be like that for exactly this reason.
Throat suddenly tight, Xie Lian looked away. “Nevermind.”
It was too late though, Hua Cheng was coming over to sit with him on the floor. “Okay? Gege, did you just agree to marry me?” His tone was light and playful, but Xie Lian did not feel like playing. Not about this.
“San Lang, don’t tease,” he said softly, unable to look at him.
A hand on his cheek forced his gaze over though, tilting his face towards Hua Cheng. He could’ve resisted it, the touch was light, but instead he closed his eyes.
And then felt lips settle against his.
Hua Cheng had kissed him. Hua Cheng was kissing him.
They’d technically kissed before. Hua Cheng had a habit of kissing his hands or head and Xie Lian kissed whatever he could reach when they cuddled. But this was more than a little peck when they were soft and warm and had no other way to express their fondness.
This was a kiss.
“Gege,” Hua Cheng was smiling as he pulled back. “Let’s get married.”
“Do you think they’re open still?” It was a stupid question. It was a Tuesday evening after work, of course a government office wouldn’t be open still.
“Probably not. We could take vacation days and go in tomorrow.”
Xie Lian was nodding before he finished talking. “I’ll tell my boss. What else do we need to bring?” His head was swimming in a mush of joy.
“I’ll look up the requirements for marriage certificates, you call work,” Hua Cheng kissed him again.
Xie Lian sunk into it like each kiss had the power to get him drunk. By the time Hua Cheng pulled away, Xie Lian was pleasantly tipsy off it, and truthfully Hua Cheng didn’t look much more sober of love.
Xie Lian pulled away in a daze, going to call his boss. He was fortunate that his job wasn’t anything too strict. They’d spent so long without being married, they could’ve waited, and perhaps if Hua Cheng had not suggested he would call off work Xie Lian would’ve been very content to wait however much longer was required of him.
And really, it was just a piece of paper, it had more legal significance than emotional to Xie Lian after so long never thinking he’d marry.
But he did want it. And he still couldn’t quite ever believe how easily Hua Cheng gave Xie Lian the things he wanted. How simple he made wanting and having. So Xie Lian thought, why not? Why not let Hua Cheng give him what he wanted?
“Are you sick?” She asked, sympathetic.
“No, I'm getting married.” Even saying it made giddy joy rise up in him.
“Oh. Well. Congratulations then.”
“Thank you. I should be back into work after tomorrow.”
“Alright. Are you having a ceremony or just registering?”
“I don’t know we haven’t talked about it yet.”
He could hear the amusement in her voice over the phone. “Alright. I’ll let you get back to planning that then.”
And then Xie Lian was right back in Hua Cheng’s arms, both of them over the moon with thoughts of tomorrow.
***
“San Lang, are you still awake?” He whispered into the back of his fiancé’s neck, spooning him close.
“I am.”
“I’m not sure I can sleep.”
Hua Cheng twisted around in his arms so they were nose to nose. “Too excited?” He teased.
But he was right.
Hua Cheng laughed at him for nodding. Not unkind, just joyful and free like Xie Lian felt. “Me too. I’ve been going through to figure out if there’s anything more I can prepare.”
“We’ve already got all our documents by the door. We could pick our outfits.”
Picking up a marriage certificate didn’t require any fancy outfits, it was paperwork, people usually just registered in normal clothes. But there was nothing to say they couldn’t. Besides, Hua Cheng looked fancy every day to Xie Lian.
“Okay,” Hua Cheng kissed him again, just because they could, before sitting up and going to his closet.
“Should we match?” Xie Lian asked as he turned on the light.
“We could try,” Hua Cheng laid out a few more basic pieces from his wardrobe that Xie Lian could sort of replicate.
“Do you have more shirts that look like this?” It was just a red button up, but he’d always thought it looked stunning on Hua Cheng.
“I have a black one,” Hua Cheng offered.
Hm. Hua Cheng in black also looked stunning. Lost in thought picturing it, Xie Lian was startled when Hua Cheng leaned in and kissed him with a laugh. “I’ll take black, you take red?”
“Wear your red pants,” Xie Lian nodded, going to find the darkest jeans he owned. They weren’t quite black but they were close. He could picture it already, the two of them side by side with inverted colors. “What are you going to wear for jewelry?”
“Does gege want to borrow some to match?”
Xie Lian shook his head. “I just like seeing what you wear.”
Hua Cheng smiled, digging through his jewelry until he pulled out a ring too small for either of them.
“Is that one of your mother’s keepsakes?”
“En,” Hua Cheng threaded it onto a thin chain. “Would gege do me the honor of keeping it safe from now on?”
Xie Lian wondered if it was possible to smile too much. “Only if San Lang puts it on me.”
Grinning, Hua Cheng did. With gentle hands he tucked Xie Lian’s hair to the side and clasped the necklace together, letting the ring lay lightly against Xie Lian’s chest.
And Xie Lian could think of no wedding gift more precious.
Except maybe the marriage certificates they’d both get to take home tomorrow.