19 Days - One Shots

Glitter and Angry Faces

One Day

Thump.

Thump.

Zhan Zheng Xi's heartbeat resonated loudly throughout his chest. He was surprised no one else at the alter could hear it.

He's here.

Zheng Xi's piercing eyes never left the man standing before him, his handsome face shining almost like he was wearing... Glitter? Zheng Xi wasn't entirely surprised.

His sense of responsibility for his parents and his new relationship and his feelings for his best friend were playing tug-of-war with his sanity. What was he supposed to do?

He felt the people surrounding him shift as most of them wondered why the best man had only just shown up; why he was standing in the middle of the alter. Zheng Xi could feel the looks of others fluctuate between himself and the best man but his gaze never wavered from the man before him. People were now whispering between themselves, rumours floating around his conscience.

Zhan Zheng Xi heard He Tian and Mo Guan Shan exchanging whispers in the front row but still he never left the gaze of the man that was expecting something. But expecting what? Zheng Xi knew he was fooling himself; he knew exactly what the man wanted.

He wanted Zheng Xi. He always had.

But could Zheng Xi give himself to another man? He himself was a man. It was so wrong but he couldn't stop the thoughts of them racing through his mind. Could he go against his parents' wishes, shocking his friends and family for one man? Would Zhan Zheng Xi put himself before others for the first time?

His mother stood and walked towards the best man, as if she knew of the war inside her son's head. She spoke to him but he brushed her off, his eyes not leaving the man he wanted more than anything in this world.

A voice disrupted Zheng Xi from his conflicted thoughts. "You alright, Zhan Zheng Xi?" He Tian asked, raising an eyebrow.

Zheng Xi could do nothing but sigh, not knowing the answer himself.

"Zheng Xi? Hey." He turned to look at Xiao Hui*, who was smiling brightly at him.

"I," Zheng Xi gasped and breathed heavily. "I can't breathe."

Xiao Hui smiled sympathetically. "I know. It's okay. Take a deep breath. You'll be okay."

Zheng Xi breathed heavily again, his heart weighing down on itself. "I can't do this," Xiao Hui's smile fell from her face. "I thought we were doing the right thing, but this isn't it. It's been this way since high school. You know that as much as I do."

She smiled sadly as she shook her head. "You don't have to explain."

"Xiao Hui, I'm sorry-"

"Hey," she spoke softly. "you deserve to be happy, okay? I'll be fine. And you're right. I know you love him more than you'll ever love me." She smiled sadly at him.

Zheng Xi nodded before he turned and took a step down to face the blonde man before him. This was it - his last chance to change his mind. He could step back up beside Xiao Hui and make her his wife. They could have children that would make his family proud.

Or he could choose another man - someone who could give him no children and someone he could never marry as long as they lived in China. He could choose Xiao Hui and feel regret in his heart forever or he could choose the one person that made his heart race; the one person that made him happy. The one person who put him first. He needed to think of only two words that would make up his mind. Only two words that would forever change who he was, how people would see him.

Jian Yi.

Zheng Xi stepped down and walked towards Jian Yi. The whispering grew louder, causing Zhan Zheng Xi's mother to walk forward with panic and embarrassment. She looked at her eldest son, bewildered as to why he would choose a man over a woman. "Zheng Xi, what are you doing?"

He stopped and held onto her arms gently. "That's enough, mother. You know how I feel about him. You always have. It's time you accepted it and stop pushing me to marry Xiao Hui because it's not fair on her and neither of us will ever be truly happy. I love you, mother, but you need to let go." He kissed her forehead and marched past her.

When he reached Jian Yi, he didn't hesitate to grab the lapels of the man's suit and pull him close until their chests touched. Zheng Xi closed the rest of the distance between them and pressed his lip's against Jian Yi's.

*

Zhan Zheng Xi opened his eyes. Turning over, his eyes landed on Jian Yi's pale slim back as he sat on the side of the bed, his head looking down at something. Zheng Xi wormed his way out of their black silk sheets and crawled across the bed. He wrapped his arm around Jian Yi's shoulder and slid his hand down his smooth chest, resting it on his stomach. Jian Yi, startled by the sudden contact, looked up as Zheng Xi rested his head on his shoulder.

"Good morning," Zheng Xi's morning voice was like honey to Jian Yi. "What are you looking at?"

"Good morning, Xixi," Jian Yi smiled, his head coming back down to look at the picture frame in his hands. A smiling Jian Yi and Zheng Xi were sat on a blanket on the beach, their shadows cast out behind them due to the setting sun. "I was just looking at this picture of us."

Zheng Xi smiled at the memory. "Ah, when we went to Peru."

"Yes. We watched the sunset on the beach."

"Then you decided it would be funny to strip naked and go swimming."

Jian Yi frowned and turned his head to look at Zheng Xi. "All of me needs to be tanned, Xixi!" He looked away, a pout on his lips as gave an indignant reply, "That stupid police officer didn't need to be so grumpy, though."

"You did argue with him." Zheng Xi pointed out.

"And you defended me." Jian Yi cooed.

"We almost got arrested." Zheng Xi laughed.

Jian Yi sighed fondly. "What a good chase that was. Good thing we were faster than him." Zheng Xi shook his head and fell back onto the bed. Jian Yi put the photo back on the nightstand and laid himself across his boyfriend's bare chest. "You're in quite the good mood this morning."

Zheng Xi hummed softly. "Hm. I had a good dream."

Jian Yi raised his head to look at his boyfriend. "Yeah?" When Zheng Xi nodded, a soft smile on his face, he continued. "What about?"

Zheng Xi's smile grew bigger. "All I'll tell you is that there was a lot of glitter and angry faces involved."

Jian Yi frowned. "That sounds awful! Who would ever be angry at glitter? It's wonderful stuff; in fact, I think I want to get some to play with!" He shifted and tilted his head slightly. "If there were angry faces, why was it a good dream?"

Zheng Xi lifted his hand and brushed his thumb over Jian Yi's cheekbone. "Let's just say there was only one thing on my mind during the dream, and it wasn't the angry faces."

Jian Yi smiled lovingly at Zheng Xi. Soon it turned into one of amusement. "It was the glitter, wasn't it?"

Zheng Xi laughed - a wondrous sound. "Sure, Yi. It was the glitter."

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In case you forgot, this is Xiao Hui - Zhan Zheng Xi's cute little stalker.