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Xie Lian wasn’t sure exactly when he started dating Hua Cheng. They’d known each other for a short time in elementary school but hadn’t really been close yet. They didn’t meet again until high school, when Xie Lian was a senior and Hua Cheng a junior. Then, something had suddenly clicked. Much to his friends Feng Xin and Mu Qing’s chagrin, Xie Lian had been glued to Hua Cheng’s side the whole year and still kept in touch with him after graduating.
Really, Xie Lian’s graduation didn’t change much in their relationship at all. They were together so often outside of school that they never had to miss the other for long. During university, they just sort of moved in together. As if it was completely natural.
They supported each other through it all. At Xie Lian’s university graduation, the look in Hua Cheng’s eye when he congratulated him nearly brought Xie Lian to tears. Hua Cheng was always so tender and patient with him. When he wrapped Xie Lian up in his arms that day, there could be no doubt that they would spend the rest of their lives together.
So now, here they were living in their very own house together. It was a cold winter day, and Xie Lian was still waiting for Hua Cheng to get home from work. Xie Lian was between jobs right now; he moved around a lot. But Hua Cheng never minded this about him. He had always been willing to do whatever it took to be with Xie Lian.
Just thinking about it made him blush. He had finished all the housework and began daydreaming about how they could spend their evening together. It had snowed a lot the day before, and all the lakes were frozen. They could stay inside and cuddle like they usually did, or…
As soon as Hua Cheng opened the front door, Xie Lian was upon him. He plastered kisses all over his cold cheeks.
“San Lang! You’re home! Oh, I’m sorry, you must be freezing. Let’s close the door.”
Hua Cheng laughed and swept his boyfriend off his feet, the door swinging shut behind him.
“What’s got you so excited, gege? I know it couldn’t be this lowly one, could it?”
Xie Lian swatted him. “You know I’m happy to see you every day. I was just thinking since you’re here, we could…Ah it’s nothing, you must be tired. We can do it some other time.”
Gently, Hua Cheng lowered him onto the sofa before snuggling in next to him.
“What is it, gege? I’m never too tired to do something with you.”
Almost guiltily, Xie Lian ducked his head away. “Ah…you’re too kind, San Lang. If it’s not too much, I was thinking maybe we could go ice skating? I used to go a lot with my mother. It’s been so long since I…”
Usually this was the part where Hua Cheng would swoop in and reassure him. Tell him it was never too much, tell him they could skate as long as he wanted. Instead, he was being strangely quiet. Xie Lian, misunderstanding his silence, immediately began to apologize.
“But what was I thinking? It’s so cold out, and you only just came inside! We don’t have to go. You know I’m grateful for all you do, you don’t have to indulge me.”
Hua Cheng’s eyebrows shot up. “No, no, of course we can go, gege. Not cold at all. You do so much for me, too. How could I not indulge you? Time spent with gege is never wasted, after all.”
The smile returned to Xie Lian’s face, his cheeks turning rosy. “If San Lang says so. I think I still have my skates somewhere. I’ll go grab them and then we can get you some as well.”
After a half an hour of searching, he managed to locate his old skates. They still fit, but they were extremely dirty and dingy. As soon as Hua Cheng laid eyes on them, he insisted on buying him a new pair. Normally Xie Lian would have said it wasn’t necessary, but since they were already getting some for Hua Cheng, he relented.
Hand in hand, they walked the snowy streets of their little town on their way to a shop. The sun was setting, burning orange and purple on the horizon. It glistened beautifully on the snow, capturing Xie Lian’s gaze. Hua Cheng barely spared it a glance. He only saw it through the reflection in his boyfriend’s eyes.
Lights were strung on many of the trees they passed, and all the shops emitted a warm glow. The people almost all recognized them, sending them friendly smiles and waves. Suddenly, Xie Lian’s heart felt full to bursting. His life had really been such a dream since settling down with Hua Cheng, hadn’t it?
When they found a shop selling skates, Xie Lian stopped his beloved before they went in. Without saying a word, he gripped his sleeve tightly.
“Gege?” Hua Cheng questioned. Instead of responding, Xie Lian pulled him close. He went on his tippy toes, burying his face in Hua Cheng’s neck while holding him. He truly was in the best place in the world right now.
Hua Cheng closed his mouth and embraced him back with strong arms. They stood like that for a moment, breathing each other in, until they heard a light giggle.
Standing in the doorway of the shop was Xie Lian’s friend, Shi Qingxuan. She wore red lipstick the same shade as Hua Cheng’s coat and had on a green coat of her own. Around her wrist was a pink bracelet. Beside her was a very disgusted looking He Xuan. They seemed to have just bought a few things, judging from the bags He Xuan had in the hand not held in Shi Qingxuan’s.
“I knew you two were big on PDA, but you’re blocking the path! Come inside already, hm?” Shi Qingxuan said.
Face bright red, Xie Lian dragged Hua Cheng past the other couple into the shop. Despite having just come from there, Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan followed close behind them. He Xuan glanced back at the door longingly before giving in to his energetic partner with a sigh. As much as he complained, he knew what he was getting into when they started dating.
“So whatcha shopping for, A-Lian? We got all sorts of things. I want to try as many winter activities as I can with He-xiong! I look so cute in winter clothes, after all.”
Xie Lian laughed with only a slight bit of nervousness. “Oh, just some ice skates. I haven’t gone in a while. And San Lang…”
He actually wasn’t sure if Hua Cheng had ever skated before. Knowing him, he probably had. One of the things that first got Xie Lian so enamored with him was his expansive knowledge about so many topics. Even things he didn’t know a lot about, he could figure out easily. For some reason, this did not seem to apply to calligraphy. Xie Lian had even given him lessons back in high school, but he never improved. Skating was nothing like calligraphy, though, so there was nothing to worry about.
“Oh!!! That sounds like so much fun! I can help you pick out skates, if you want. Your boyfriend may have good style, A-Lian, but I know you’re more likely to go for practicality. What do you say?”
Even if he said no, Qingxuan would probably linger around to ensure he made a good choice anyway. Plus, she was right. As long as they were good quality, Xie Lian would have no problem picking out the most drab pair of skates in the shop. Except this time, he actually wanted something nice to match his San Lang. It couldn’t hurt to let Shi Qingxuan help.
When Xie Lian gave her a nod, she flitted around the shop excitedly to find him something good. He Xuan stayed stubbornly in place, having zero interest in assisting.
While Qingxuan examined each pair of skates closely, measuring if they were worthy for her friend, Hua Cheng began to pout. He had had his Gege’s full attention mere moments prior, and now these people which he would not admit he was friends with were stealing it all. The first one to notice this was actually He Xuan because Xie Lian was busy doing his best to give Shi Qingxuan his honest opinion on five different pairs of skates at once.
He Xuan rolled his eyes. “Trust me, we wouldn’t still be here if it was up to me. We were supposed to go to dinner after this. You have some shit timing…”
The pout evaporated off Hua Cheng’s face, replaced with a glare intense enough to melt all the snow outside.
“Is that so? Even though you didn’t say one word to Qingxuan when she dragged you back inside?”
He Xuan promptly shut up and looked the other way.
~❄️~
After what felt like an eternity but was really one single hour, Shi Qingxuan and Xie Lian settled on a pair of bright white skates with gold accents. Hua Cheng, with no help from anyone, picked out the most flamboyant pair of red skates he could find. If one looked closely enough, they could probably see the words “gege notice me” written on them.
Shi Qingxuan then proceeded to invite them to dinner with her and He Xuan.
“It’s too late to go skating now, sillies! Let’s eat and skate together tomorrow!” she had said.
So they did. And just to be petty, Hua Cheng made sure to be as grossly affectionate with Xie Lian as he could throughout the entire dinner. At one point, he managed to pull him into his lap right as the waiter walked up, leaving Xie Lian a complete mess. (He never actually made a move to get up from Hua Cheng’s lap, though.)
~❄️~
The next day, after they got dressed to go skating, Hua Cheng had to forcefully recede the blush on his face through sheer willpower. Xie Lian looked so damn good. How was it possible that a person could look this good and that this person was HIS boyfriend? He had ascended into a higher plane of being.
Xie Lian wore a long sleeved white shirt, soft to the touch and just thick enough to keep out the cold. Overtop was a cream colored sweater with a matching pair of pants that accentuated his build perfectly. His hair had been pulled up into a bun with a white ribbon and a coral red pearl hung from his left ear. Then there was the cherry on top, the chain around his neck holding the ring Hua Cheng had given him so long ago.
The ring wasn’t an engagement ring or a wedding ring, as they hadn’t gotten there yet. Hua Cheng had gifted it when he was only in high school. He thought of it as a sort of promise ring, one that may as well contain his very life force. Apparently, Xie Lian thought the same because he never took it off.
Hua Cheng himself had a matching pearl earring tied at the end of the braid in his hair. He had in a prosthetic eye today instead of his eyepatch because maybe with both eyes he could keep his gege’s gaze off those date-ruiners, Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan. He had on what looked like the same coat as the day before but was actually a brighter, more passive-aggressive shade of red. Just for good measure, he wore a crop top (he was NOT cold) and a tight pair of black pants.
They weren’t sure if the nearest lake was safe to skate on, but when the four of them arrived, there were already a few people skating there.
He Xuan stuck out like a sore thumb wearing an endless abyss of black amongst the white snow. Shi Qingxuan wore a green dress with fluffy white accents and damn they really did look good in winter clothes. Around their wrist was a purple bracelet.
“Gege, let’s go this way,” Hua Cheng said once they approached the ice. He pointed to the spot with the least amount of people possible. Xie Lian smiled and nodded in agreement.
Shi Qingxuan didn’t even notice their absence, already skating gracefully and showing off to anyone nearby. He Xuan stood to the side, perfectly still despite being on the slippery ice.
Xie Lian had gone ahead a little, skating to their spot while assuming Hua Cheng was right behind him. He was not. He stared at the ice with a slight furrow in his brow, calculating how long until he was completely fucked.
The answer was not long. Xie Lian noticed his hesitance and skated right back over within a few seconds.
“San Lang, what’s wrong? Do you need help?”
Plastering a grin onto his face, Hua Cheng shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong, gege. Didn’t mean to worry you. Let’s go.”
He stepped onto the ice and then fell over at such a speed only Xie Lian’s reflexes could’ve reacted in time. He managed to catch him without falling backwards. Hua Cheng clung to Xie Lian’s arms, using every last drop of strength to stay balanced while not leaving bruises. This was not an easy feat for the usually impressive man.
“Ah…my apologies. I misstepped.”
Realization dawning on him, Xie Lian allowed a slight tease into his voice. “San Lang. Do you not know how to skate? Be honest.”
Hua Cheng opened his mouth at “know how to skate” and instantly closed it again at “be honest”. Okay, so he had never gone skating before. It wasn’t that unusual. What was unusual was that he fell over. He fell over. And he’d barely taken one step! He already knew this wasn’t going to go well for him. How could his luck suddenly forsake him like this?!?!?!
“…I have not done this before exactly,” he sidestepped. “But I’ve seen plenty of skaters. You can let go now. I was just falling for you again.” He added a wink at the end to make Xie Lian’s hold weaken.
When he fully let go, everything was fine for a moment. Hua Cheng stood in front of him, perfectly poised, and it lasted all of two seconds. He started to wobble when he went to move forward, and Xie Lian anticipated what was going to happen next. Before he could fall, he grabbed his hand and moved closer.
“Dear, you don’t need to pretend.” He laughed. “You know I won’t judge. You’re so silly, San Lang, really. If you want me to teach you, you can just say so.”
Hua Cheng almost denied it. But in that moment, with Xie Lian’s eyes so full of fondness and their hands intertwined, he gave in. A smirk crawled its way onto his face.
“You’re right, gege. You should absolutely teach me. You’re the best there is. This humble student will do his best to follow along,” he purred. When Xie Lian’s breath caught for a moment, he knew his luck was returning.
“Ah, such a flatterer when you haven’t even seen me skate yet. I’m a little rusty. We’ll figure it out together, okay?”
Hua Cheng nodded, his confidence slowly filtering in again as Xie Lian helped him glide across the lake. His movements were far from refined, but he was able to keep from falling as long as he kept by his boyfriend’s side.
It was a new feeling. Hua Cheng was quite athletic and well built, if a bit slim, and he’d certainly not been so uncoordinated since he was a child. Even though he hated to feel lacking, he found he didn’t mind it as much this time. Whatever got his gege so close to him.
His plans were quickly foiled by one Shi Qingxuan.
“A-Lian! You’re finally out here! You must be a great skater, I’m sure of it. Do some tricks with me!”
If Hua Cheng told Xie Lian to stay and keep him steady, he would. But maybe a moment to learn to keep balance was what he needed. Besides, Shi Qingxuan hadn’t come all the way here today to not get Xie Lian to skate with them.
“Go ahead, if you want to. I’ll be fine. And I’m sure you will be, too,” Hua Cheng said a tad too flirtatiously.
It was the right decision. He figured out how to keep his balance far quicker than before with the added motivation that, once he did, he could watch his boyfriend skate.
And fuck was he good. Of course Xie Lian had been humble about his skating ability, perhaps not even remembering himself how amazing he was. But after he got into the rhythm of things, he was so incredible it was impossible to look away.
He moved so gracefully, like there was no way he could fall. His expression was focused yet so at peace. To Hua Cheng, there was not a single person on that lake or in the entire world except him. Him, spinning and turning and looking oh so fine while doing it. Hua Cheng hadn’t even noticed his mouth fall open slightly. There was no willpower in the world that could ebb away the sheer adoration spelled out across his face.
Determination flooded him at the sight before him. He wanted Xie Lian to feel the same way while watching him someday.
~❄️~
For the rest of the season, the two returned to the lake often. Soon, it wouldn’t be cold enough to keep the water frozen, and they would have to stop coming.
Apprehension filled Hua Cheng. He’d been practicing as much as possible so they could skate together properly before it was too late. He just didn’t know if he’d be good enough in time for what he had planned.
It was a quiet evening, just the two of them alone on the lake. Xie Lian was always beautiful, but tonight as Hua Cheng watched him, he especially understood how his beloved must have been feeling when they embraced outside the shop. It was now or never. He knew he wouldn’t get a better chance.
“Gege, will you stop for a moment?” he asked. “Stay here for a minute and watch me. Please.”
Xie Lian raised an eyebrow but did as he was told.
He was really so proud of his San Lang. His progress was very impressive, and it was clear he had been working hard. He took to skating like he never had to calligraphy, although that wasn’t a high bar to get over. If Xie Lian mentioned it, Hua Cheng would say it was all thanks to his amazing teacher.
After a moment, Xie Lian noticed something strange in his movements. Hua Cheng wasn’t doing any tricks, he was skating in a curly sort of line. It was almost like he was trying to spell something out. Even after years of reading his boyfriend’s atrocious writing, he didn’t have a chance of making this out. So he used context clues instead. What would he be…
Oh.
When Hua Cheng finished, he skated up to Xie Lian, grabbed his hand, and dropped down to the ice. It couldn’t be comfortable, but he didn’t seem to notice at all. His voice was in complete contrast with the freezing air as he spoke.
“Gege…” He swallowed. “Xie Lian. Will you marry me?”
Tears were already streaming down Xie Lian’s cheeks. His face was red enough that it didn’t feel cold at all.
“Yes. Yes I will.”
And then they were in each other's arms again. The one place they would always belong.