"You're going to what?" Mina yelled and Xander quickly covered her mouth, shaking his head wildly.
"Minnie, if you don't keep quiet then everyone's gonna hear before it even happens!" Lumina hissed and Xander pulled his hands off of Mina's mouth, "Besides, are you really surprised? We all knew it would happen eventually."
"You bitch, you knew the whole time!" Mina said, sounding almost offended, "And you didn't tell me!"
"I'm his sister! Of course, he told me first!"
"Still! I mean, listen, I'm in shock!" Mina exclaimed, "I knew it was going to happen eventually but I didn't think eventually was now!"
Xander coughed, "Uh, that's why I'm telling you as well. Because it's happening this evening."
Mina's eyes widened, "Wait, is that why when Owen started talking about proposals two weeks ago at Val's birthday, you changed the subject—"
"I panicked! He was going to talk about me and Kaedan, and I really didn't want Kaedan to catch on! I mean, I got the ring months ago, and I've just been preparing myself for the right time. With everything going on and all the uncertainty…" Xander sighed, "I'd rather do it now when I can be sure we'll get to have this moment. I wanted to tell you because I know Kaedan sees you as a little sister. I've already told Owen, and I've convinced him not to spill to his boyfriend for a couple more hours."
Mina smiled, "If it's my blessing you're asking for, then, of course, you have it. You two have been through so much together and deserve to be happy," At those words, Lumina's smile widened a bit, and she and Mina gave themselves a knowing look that Xander didn't notice.
"Okay, okay, good. I think that's everyone down which means I can proceed with the plans," He said to himself more than anyone else. As he walked off, Mina and Lumina looked at each other.
"Did they both really—"
"They really are meant to be together, dear Lord."
Xander had planned everything as much as he possibly could, with Elliot even telling him that he might be going a bit overboard. He couldn't help it though, he loved Kaedan so much and he wanted to take this next step together. Neither of them had the best life, but he wanted this moment to be something that they both remembered as a good memory for the rest of their lives.
He asked Elliot exactly how their proposal had gone, but they had only shrugged, "I won't lie, Chae did it really out of the blue. It wasn't planned or anything, I think we were in the middle of fighting one of the White Lotus branches and she just straight up asked if I would marry her. I said yes. We didn't actually get married till much later, I mean, you were at the wedding. But the proposal was entirely impromptu," They responded.
"Why does that certainly sound like something that you two would do," Xander muttered and Elliot shot him a look.
"You almost proposed to Kaedan months after you met him, you are in no position to talk, Mr. Casanova. Now, come on, let's go find Chae since it seems that you're hopeless with this. It would help to stop daydreaming about him for a second so you could put together a plan."
"Why do I know you again?" Xander grumbled.
Elliot hummed, "Because we had a one-night-stand like ten years ago—Dear Lord, that was ten years ago—And then realized we clicked, decided to date for a while because we were lonely, and then that ended when I met Chae."
"I wasn't asking for a history lesson, it was a rhetorical question."
"Nice to see you've still got an attitude to go with that pretty face."
Everything had been set up. As much as Xander had lived in other Sectors, he was born and raised in Sector 2, which meant he knew all the best spots. There was a beautiful, hilly field with patches of evergreen trees everywhere, where there were fireflies that glowed beautifully from evening into night, and the view of the sunset was perfect. He had always wanted to take Kaedan there but now seemed to be a perfect time. They could leave in the evening and get there in time to see the sunset and then…
Xander was nervous.
Logically, he knew that Kaedan wouldn't say no to him, they'd established the strength in their relationship over and over again, but a small, nagging part of his brain couldn't help but ask if this was okay, if this wouldn't hurt Kaedan, because he never wanted to hurt Kaedan again, just as he understood Kaedan never wanted to hurt him again.
As he let Leon braid his hair, these thoughts kept clinging to his mind, and he almost didn't hear the boy speak, "So, any special occasion for me doing your hair like this? You normally don't ask for something this fancy."
Xander grinned, "Well, since you were so adamant about doing my 'long pretty hair' as a kid, I couldn't possibly deny you the opportunity."
"That's—Shut up, Xander," Leon groaned, his face red, "You don't have to come to me every time! Besides, Hyunwoo, Bella, and Chae let me do their hair anyway so…"
"Bella, huh?"
"No," Leon said firmly, "We are not changing the subject, I've had enough people asking about that. What's the occasion and why do you look like you're actually using those four brain cells of yours to consider something."
Xander laughed, "Always on point, Leon," He sighed, "I…Well. I'm planning to propose to Kaedan today."
Leon stopped, blinked a couple of times, and then his eyes grew wide, "No way! It's finally happening, oh my god, I've been waiting forever for this! I'm so happy for you guys!"
"Slow down, Leon, he hasn't even said yes yet," Xander laughed.
The boy hummed, "And that's what you're concerned about, I'm guessing?"
"I don't know, I'm scared that I might be…Trapping him? It's not like we're planning to see other people and we always talked like we would end up getting married but I…I don't want to marry him and end up hurting him," Xander said softly.
"I think that's a risk you have to take," Leon spoke, continuing to braid his hair, "You guys have talked everything out. Even if things aren't always happy, you have to trust each other to work things out together. And I think that you guys can definitely do that. He loves you, Xander, and you love him. After everything you've gone through, you deserve happiness."
Xander smiled, "Huh. See, sometimes, I wonder if you actually stole one of my brain cells."
"You need to keep it out of my reach, then."
"Should be easy enough, shortie."
Leon groaned, "I'm literally like 5'9, what else do you want from me?" And Xander laughed.
"But really, thank you, though."
Leon smiled back, "No problem. Now, go get your man."
"You look gorgeous, what's the occasion?" Kaedan asked, a few hours later as Xander started the car. The older man laughed a bit as he pulled the car onto the main roads.
"Is it a crime for me to dress up for my boyfriend? Make myself as desirable as I can to him?"
Kaedan raised an eyebrow, "You know you're always desirable to me, you don't have to try. But I very much appreciate it," He looked Xander up and down with a look that made him shiver.
"Hey, angel?"
"Hm?"
"As much as I enjoy this, I need to focus on driving, and I can't do that if a hot guy has his hand on my thigh," Xander said. Kaedan hummed nonchalantly but did as he asked. Instead, he moved Xander's hand on the joystick, placing his own hand on it and covering it with Xander's.
Kaedan grinned, "Better?"
"Darling, you're killing me," Xander groaned as he turned left.
"Where are we going anyway?" Kaedan asked, "I don't think you told me anything about this place."
Xander sighed, "Remember when we were on a break a couple of years ago? I came back here to Sector 2 for a while, right?" Kaedan nodded, "I stayed at this place for a while I when was back here, Lumina and I actually used to camp out here all the time when we were kids. It's a beautiful place, and I just…I wanted to bring out to a place that means a lot to me."
"Alex…" Kaedan said softly, "I…Thank you. I'm glad you wanted to show me a place like that," He leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, "Although, I do want to ask, how much longer till we get there? I really want to kiss you but I can't distract you right now."
Xander stepped on the gas pedal just a little bit harder.
As they finally stepped out of the car half an hour later, Xander felt proud as he heard Kaedan take in a gasp, "So, what do you think?" Xander asked, smiling.
"It's so beautiful…You used to stay here?" Kaedan asked softly, wonder in his eyes as he looked around, taking in everything.
"Mhm. I needed to get away from everything, it was all too much. So, I rented a camper and basically lived here for a while. It was really nice, being able to be on my own for a while, away from all the stress of…Our lives, in general," Xander responded just as quietly. Kaedan took his hand, rubbing his thumb gently over the back of Xander's hand.
"That makes sense," He responded, "This seems like a wonderful place for that. You said Lumina and you used to go camping here as well?"
Xander nodded, "Well, I wouldn't say it was camping exactly. My parents—Sorry, they're not even my parents—My aunt and uncle kicked her out all the time as punishment for the stupidest things. She was a literal child at the time, and I considered her my sister even back then. I couldn't just leave her to fend for herself. My aunt and uncle didn't really care where I went as long I came back home at some point. So A'Li and I ended up setting up tents here years ago," Kaedan smiled at the way Xander slipped into his nickname for his sister, "Whenever they kicked her out, we would stay here. And then our aunt and uncle refused to support her financially, and I joined the White Lotus to get money quicker…"
"I never asked because I didn't want to remind you of that time but…How old were you when you joined?" Kaedan asked softly.
The other man sighed, "Well, I'm guessing you're asking both how old I was when I joined and when my first kill was. Surprisingly, they have different answers. Come on, let's start walking and I'll tell you."
Kaedan nodded and let Xander lead him through the grass. It wasn't too tall, but it was taller than normal. It seemed that no one had been maintaining this place.
"The policy of the White Lotus Assassins was that you joined after your first kill. I think I was the first one to go to them only to turn them down. I don't know why, but I guess it made them want me more. Leaving out all the messy details, they basically framed me for murder and told me that the only way to save myself and A'Li was by joining them. I…Didn't know any better. I was only ten. The first time I killed someone, I was eleven years old," Xander explained.
There was a sharp intake of breath, "Only ten years old? They…They wanted someone that young?"
"To train, or brainwash, I suppose," Xander sighed, "If it weren't for A'Li, I might have lost all my humanity. She was the reason I was doing it. I didn't want to do it, but I would for her. At the time, she didn't really understand what it was I was doing. She only found out when I was around sixteen. Even then, she…She trusted me. She didn't think I'd be doing it if I had any other choice…"
Kaedan turned to him, cupped his face in his hands, and looked him in the eyes, "They robbed you of your childhood, and I wish I could give you that back. All I can hope is that I can make up for it for the rest of your life."
Xander's heart was filled with love for this man in front of him, this man who had been through him thick and thin, who had chosen to love him again and again, even when it had been difficult. This man had chosen to let him go when they needed the space so they could come back together stronger than ever. How could he not love the man that had taught him to fight for himself?
"Follow me," He said softly, his heart beating faster and faster. It was getting closer and closer to the moment that Xander had been building up for. As they made their way to the clearing, he knew he had done right by the gasp Kaedan let out next to him.
"Oh, Xander…It's beautiful…" Kaedan whispered, looking at the evergreen trees casting shadows of the gold-lit grass, the sky was many hues, beautiful oranges, yellows, golds, and pinks, and the setting sun shone brightly, its last moments of brilliance before the darkness seeped in.
Xander smiled. It was time.
Turning to Kaedan, he took his hands, "You're the only person I've been with that I've ever brought here to see this. This was a place that only A'Li and I knew about, and now, you know as well," He said softly, "Kaedan, I love you so much. We've been through a lot together. I know we've had our arguments and our…Strange situations. Our relationship isn't the most conventional, but we've made it work. And you…You've been amazing to me, Kaedan. You've taught me so much, you taught me how to be better, you taught me that I can love again and most of all, you taught me that I have a choice. And…And now, I'm offering you a choice as well."
Kaedan's eyes widened as Xander knelt down on one knee, pulling out a small, red box. It seemed he had finally caught onto what was happening.
"Kaedan, will you make me the happiest man alive, and be my husband?"
The other man had covered his mouth, the tears streaming down his face as he held back his sobs, "Oh, you damned beautiful fool, I love you so much, you couldn't have waited one more day? Up, come on, get up," As Xander looked at him in confusion, standing up, Kaedan tucked his hand into his pocket and pulled a small box, almost exactly the same as the one in Xander's hand except it was green, "I was going to propose to you when we got back to the house after this."
Xander stared at him in shock, and he could feel the tears in his eyes, "You…You wanted to…"
"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Kaedan asked, letting out a watery laugh, "Xander, you've saved me over and over. You've freed me, and you've chosen me over and over again, even if I didn't deserve it. You've been unbelievably patient with me and you…You make me want to be a better person, for you and for myself. I love you, Alexander Guocheng Liu. So, will you make me the happiest man alive and be my husband?"
Xander laughed as well, wiping away his tears, "Only if you'll be mine too."
Taking his hand, Kaedan slipped the ring onto his finger gently. It was a beautiful ring, it seemed that both of them had the same idea with the gold and green. The one Kaedan had gotten for Xander had a simple gold band with a large teardrop emerald as the center stone. Kaedan looked up at him and wiped Xander's tears, "It looks beautiful on you, Alex."
"Now it's your turn," Xander responded softly, taking Kaedan's name and slowly sliding the ring onto his finger. The ring Xander had gotten for Kaedan had a gold band with small emeralds embedded in it all around and a large circular-cut emerald as its center stone. As Kaedan admired the ring, a choked sob escaping his mouth, Xander pulled him into a tight hug, arms around the other man's waist, "My fiance. My King," He whispered.
Kaedan laughed a little, wrapping his arms around Xander, "You know as well as I do I'm not a king. After all, as long as my father is alive, I can never be king."
Xander shook his head, "It doesn't matter. You'll always be my King, no matter what. I don't care if you don't have people to rule over, or a sector to preside over. In my heart, you're always the same king you were meant to be when I met you all those years ago."
"Dear God, you're going to kill me someday with your sweetness, Alex," Kaedan murmured, shoving his face into Xander's neck, "And I'm glad I get to spend the rest of my life with you, baobei."
Xander groaned and buried his face in Kaedan's hair, "Look who's talking, future husband."
Kaedan didn't even bother to respond to that, instead resorting to pulling Xander into a kiss, one hand on the small of his back and the other sliding from the back of his neck into the other man's hair. Xander smiled against his lips and Kaedan couldn't hold back a small laugh, "My future husband," He whispered. This time, it was Xander that pulled him in, pressing his lips against Kaedan's, not too rough, and yet not gentle at the same time. He felt the shorter man pull the hair tie out of his hair and suddenly, Kaedan was pressed up against him, almost pushing him back, hands in Xander's hair. He groaned as Kaedan tugged his hair lightly, wrapping his fingers in it. He pulled away, catching his breath, "As much as I enjoy where this is going we should…We should really go tell the others…"
Although, his words were being refuted by the way he tilted his head to let Kaedan press kisses to his jaw and neck, "Oh, I don't know, baobei. I think they can wait a bit longer, don't you?" Xander could feel the other man's grin against his skin and his hands on his waist.
"I kind of regret teaching you what that means. You really like calling me that, don't you?" He murmured, his hand sliding into Kaedan's hair as he pressed him closer.
"You can't fool me," Kaedan smirked, "You like it when I call you that, don't you, baobei?" He didn't need a verbal answer, the way Xander tightened his grip on Kaedan's hair.
Xander breathed out, "Kaedan…"
The man finally took mercy on his fiance and pulled away, swinging the car keys around his finger, "There's a hotel five minutes from here. I'll drive. Just be a good boy and sit in the passenger's seat, will you?"
"Angel, if you don't stop teasing me, I don't think we'll make it to the damn hotel," Xander said breathlessly, but let the other man lead him.
Kaedan looked back at him grinning, "That's the fun of it, isn't it?"
When they got back to the house to tell the other the news, everyone knew better than to question what had taken them so long.
"You knew, didn't you?!" Kaedan yelled at Mina, who was cackling so hard that Lumina was practically holding her up, "And you decided not to tell either of us!?"
She wiped away a tear, "Listen, it was a true comedy, and besides, it confirms that both of you were meant to be," She laughed and Lumina giggled.
"Minnie's right, there was no way we could have intervened in this," She said, looking at her brother, "That's why Mina was so surprised when you asked her earlier. Because Kaedan had found me to tell me about his plan yesterday as well."
Owen piped up, "If I seemed taken back, Xander, it was because Kaedan had told me that he was planning to propose to you and I had just been shocked about the coincidence. Obviously, I think you two were meant to be together, as much as I don't want to see it," He gagged a little at the end.
"I don't think I could agree with that, after all—" Elliot was shut up by Chaewon covering his mouth.
"Elliot, babe, they literally just got engaged. I think we can hold back the flirting for at least a day. And don't scar the poor boy," She said, pointing at Owen's horrified face, "I wouldn't want to know about my sibling's sex life either."
Simultaneously, all of the people in the room with siblings grimaced.
"Wait, you knew!?" Fenix exclaimed, looking at Owen with betrayal in his eyes, "And you didn't tell me?!"
Owen rolled his eyes, "Babe, I'm Kaedan's brother. Of course, I knew. And I didn't want to take away the chance for them to announce it so I didn't tell anyone else, but Mina, Lumina, Chaewon, Elliot, and Leon also knew."
Fenix pouted, "Unfair, I wanted to know as well."
"Come on, don't make that face," Owen urged him, before sighing and leaning up on his toes to press a kiss to his cheek, "Better?"
"Hm, I don't know, maybe one more kiss—"
Owen covered his mouth and turned to the others, "Fenix has reached his limit for things he's allowed to say today, we can continue the conversation now."
Whatever Fenix was saying was muffled firmly by Owen's hand.