Ex-husbands #wangxian "accidentally" getting stuck in the broom...
ron@ronniexian
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Sep 05, 2024
~7 min read
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Ex-husbands #wangxian "accidentally" getting stuck in the broom closet at nielan's anniversary dinner, and being forced to interact with each other for the first time since their painful separation.
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(nope, Sizhui and Jingyi have nothing to do with this, nope. NHS wasn't even in the country. He knows nothing about it!)
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It's awkward. It's never been awkward between them and now they're both desperately looking anywhere but each other.
The thing, there's only so much space. It is a broom closet after all.
The thing, there's only so much space. It is a broom closet after all.
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"How long does it take to get a... whatever tool you need to unjam a door knob?" WWX tries to joke after an eternity (3 minutes) go by and he can't stand the silence anymore.
"I do not know," LWJ replies because it's the polite thing to do.
"I do not know," LWJ replies because it's the polite thing to do.
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"Maybe dage doesn't have... whatever it is they need?" WWX tries to guess. Now that he opened his mouth he won't be able to shut it again until he's out of here, he knows. It's gonna piss LWJ off but there's nothing he can do about it.
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"I believe Nie Mingjue possesses every tool known to men," LWJ comments.
"Yeah, you're right."
LWJ doesn't mean to, but the words are out before he can think any better.
"Am I?" he asks, impulsively, foolishly. There is no need for this gratuitous attack and yet...
"Yeah, you're right."
LWJ doesn't mean to, but the words are out before he can think any better.
"Am I?" he asks, impulsively, foolishly. There is no need for this gratuitous attack and yet...
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WWX snorts.
"Oh, if memory serves, you've always been right, Lan Zhan, about everything."
"Wei Ying's memory has never been the best." LWJ blinks slowly. "You've said it yourself."
WWX shakes his head. The smile on his face is not a nice one.
"Oh, if memory serves, you've always been right, Lan Zhan, about everything."
"Wei Ying's memory has never been the best." LWJ blinks slowly. "You've said it yourself."
WWX shakes his head. The smile on his face is not a nice one.
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"Ah, Lan Zhan. Some things are impossible to forget." He smirks. "Like your stubbornness."
"Or Wei Ying's allergy to commitment," LWJ points out. He really doesn't know what's come over him.
WWX gapes at him.
"How dare you? I committed. I'm not the one who gave up on us!"
"Or Wei Ying's allergy to commitment," LWJ points out. He really doesn't know what's come over him.
WWX gapes at him.
"How dare you? I committed. I'm not the one who gave up on us!"
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"Wei Ying, you left."
WWX, who had been sitting on an ergonomic footrest, stands up so fast he hits his head on one of the brooms behind him
"What did you want me to do, Lan Zhan? Did you want me to kick you out of your own place? Did you want me to uproot our son from his home
WWX, who had been sitting on an ergonomic footrest, stands up so fast he hits his head on one of the brooms behind him
"What did you want me to do, Lan Zhan? Did you want me to kick you out of your own place? Did you want me to uproot our son from his home
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"It was not my own place," LWJ retorts, then quietly adds, "it was our home." He closes his eyes. "And Wei Ying left."
WWX sucks in a breath. "I saw this happen before, Lan Zhan. I know how this movie ends. Shouting matches, angry silences. Sizhui doesn't deserve that. We don't"
WWX sucks in a breath. "I saw this happen before, Lan Zhan. I know how this movie ends. Shouting matches, angry silences. Sizhui doesn't deserve that. We don't"
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"Besides," WWX goes on, scratching absently at the wooden door, "it's not like you ever asked me to stay."
There's no immediate reply to that, and WWX is suddenly overtaken by the dread of thinking he might've crossed a line.
There's no immediate reply to that, and WWX is suddenly overtaken by the dread of thinking he might've crossed a line.
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It's funny, they've had so many arguments, but somehow, this, after everything, after they gave up, this, feels worse.
WWX is about to apologize when LWJ finally says:
"I could not."
"Not worth it?"
"No."
WWX is about to apologize when LWJ finally says:
"I could not."
"Not worth it?"
"No."
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WWX turns his back to him so LWJ won't see his welled-up eyes.
"Yeah, took you long enough to realize that," he comments, voice a little hoarse, but there's nothing he can do about it.
"Wei Ying?"
LWJ's voice is so full of... feeling. WWX is suddenly angry.
"Yeah, took you long enough to realize that," he comments, voice a little hoarse, but there's nothing he can do about it.
"Wei Ying?"
LWJ's voice is so full of... feeling. WWX is suddenly angry.
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He turns back around, not giving a shit that he's crying.
"What, Lan Zhan? What? Why are we having this conversation? Why are we still talking if you don't think I'm worth it?!
LWJ frown. It's a strange expression on him. He looks confused.
"What are you saying?"
"What, Lan Zhan? What? Why are we having this conversation? Why are we still talking if you don't think I'm worth it?!
LWJ frown. It's a strange expression on him. He looks confused.
"What are you saying?"
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"Do you want me to repeat your words for you?"
It hurts, it hurts so fucking much. WWX knew it, he knew from the beginning that LWJ would grow tired of him, that he was too much, but still, knowing doesn't make it hurt less.
"I did not say you are not worth it."
It hurts, it hurts so fucking much. WWX knew it, he knew from the beginning that LWJ would grow tired of him, that he was too much, but still, knowing doesn't make it hurt less.
"I did not say you are not worth it."
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"Lan Zhan, you literally--"
"Be quiet, and listen." WWX is so stunned by the words that he does snap his mouth shut. "How could you not be worth it? You are worth everything! Everything I have, everything I am. It is yours, Wei Ying. It has always been."
"Be quiet, and listen." WWX is so stunned by the words that he does snap his mouth shut. "How could you not be worth it? You are worth everything! Everything I have, everything I am. It is yours, Wei Ying. It has always been."
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"Then...?" WWX asks quietly.
"What was not worth it was forcing you to stay when you so clearly did not want to." LWJ blinks and WWX realizes he's not the only one crying in this broom closet tonight.
"Lan Zhan?"
"I have also seen this movie before, Wei Ying."
"What was not worth it was forcing you to stay when you so clearly did not want to." LWJ blinks and WWX realizes he's not the only one crying in this broom closet tonight.
"Lan Zhan?"
"I have also seen this movie before, Wei Ying."
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And then WWX remembers. LWJ's parents. The way his dad trapped his mom in a dying marriage, and how that destroyed her.
"I would never force you to stay. Having you under the same roof is not worth the cost of losing you."
"I would never force you to stay. Having you under the same roof is not worth the cost of losing you."
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WWX reaches out and, for the first time in months, touches LWJ, cupping his face.
"Oh, Lan Zhan, my Lan Zhan." LWJ closes his eyes at that. A single tear runs down his cheek and WWX wipes it away with his thumb. "What happened to us?
"Oh, Lan Zhan, my Lan Zhan." LWJ closes his eyes at that. A single tear runs down his cheek and WWX wipes it away with his thumb. "What happened to us?
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It takes LWJ a while to find his voice again.
"I believe," he says quietly, "we have unresolved traumas from our childhood."
That gets a surprised chuckle out of WWX. How could he forget how funny LWJ is?
"I think you're onto something there, gege."
"I believe," he says quietly, "we have unresolved traumas from our childhood."
That gets a surprised chuckle out of WWX. How could he forget how funny LWJ is?
"I think you're onto something there, gege."
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"Mn," LWJ agrees, bringing a hand up to hold the one WWX has on his face. "Wei Ying, I did not sign the divorce papers."
WWX laughs again, but this time is a little helpless.
"I didn't even open the envelope."
WWX laughs again, but this time is a little helpless.
"I didn't even open the envelope."
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LWJ's lawyer was way too efficient, he had the papers ready a week after WWX had left home. It made WWX think LWJ couldn't wait to get rid of him.
In truth, LWJ had been afraid WWX might struggle financially after leaving in such a hurry. He didn't want WWX to have to crash at
In truth, LWJ had been afraid WWX might struggle financially after leaving in such a hurry. He didn't want WWX to have to crash at
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friend's places or worry about rent. He, of course, did not voice those concerns.
But he does now.
For the first time in months, or maybe forever, they open their hearts to each other. They talk, and, more importantly, they listen.
But he does now.
For the first time in months, or maybe forever, they open their hearts to each other. They talk, and, more importantly, they listen.
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Once, they feel like they have all cards on the table, once both feel like a weight has been lift of their shoulders, LWJ takes hold of WWX's hand and laces their fingers together.
"Wei Ying, come home?"
"Wei Ying, come home?"
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WWX blinks. He's pretty sure he hasn't stopped crying for the past half hour.
"Yeah, Lan Zhan, yeah," he nods. "I wanna go home."
He pulls LWJ in, or maybe LWJ pulls him in, he's not sure on the details, because what matters is that they're holding each other, they're kissing.
"Yeah, Lan Zhan, yeah," he nods. "I wanna go home."
He pulls LWJ in, or maybe LWJ pulls him in, he's not sure on the details, because what matters is that they're holding each other, they're kissing.
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It feels like the first time, but it also feels familiar, safe, indeed, like coming home.
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They are obviously still making out when the door is miraculously opened from outside.
NMJ covers both Sizhui's and Jingyi's eyes while loudly clearing his throat.
"If you guys are done... dinner's ready."
NMJ covers both Sizhui's and Jingyi's eyes while loudly clearing his throat.
"If you guys are done... dinner's ready."
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It takes a lot of effort but wangxian manages to pull apart in the end, but they keep their fingers laced.
NMJ pulls LJY away with him, but LSZ stays.
"Baba? A-Die?"
NMJ pulls LJY away with him, but LSZ stays.
"Baba? A-Die?"
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"Baobei, c'mere," WWX beckons him, and once LSZ is within reach, pulls his kid over for a sort of group hug.
"Baba, you're coming home?" LSZ asks, voice muffled from where he buried his face on WWX's chest.
WWX kisses the top of his head.
"I am, radish, I am."
"Baba, you're coming home?" LSZ asks, voice muffled from where he buried his face on WWX's chest.
WWX kisses the top of his head.
"I am, radish, I am."
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"I love you both so much," LSZ cries, tightening his hold on both his dads to bring them as close together as he can.
"We love you, too," LWJ says.
"And we promise to behave like adults from now on," WWX pokes LSZ's ribs. "So you won't have to lock us in a broom closet again."
"We love you, too," LWJ says.
"And we promise to behave like adults from now on," WWX pokes LSZ's ribs. "So you won't have to lock us in a broom closet again."
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LSZ blushes, but he has spent way too much time with NHS by now to commit the rookie mistake of admitting to anything.
"Let's go eat," he says instead. "Everybody is waiting."
"Let's go eat," he says instead. "Everybody is waiting."
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"Yeah, let's go."
"Mn."
There's some awkward shuffle until all of them manage to step out. It would've been easier if they had let go of each other, yeah, but none of them is ready for that yet.
The end.
"Mn."
There's some awkward shuffle until all of them manage to step out. It would've been easier if they had let go of each other, yeah, but none of them is ready for that yet.
The end.