MINGHAO

You held Minghao's hand tightly as you knocked on the door of the king's study; despite the late hour, you knew he would be awake, worrying for his sons.

"Come in," the king's tired voice called.

You entered, smiling at the way the king's face lit up when he saw Minghao.

"Are they safe?" the king asked, obviously struggling to keep his composure.

"All of them safe and relatively unharmed," you affirmed. "Chan sustained a small cut and some bruising, but nothing serious, and he's the only one who was hurt."

"Where were they?"

You reached into your pocket and laid out the golden cup, silver twig, and a faerie's hairpin on the king's desk. "They were being held captive in the faerie queen's court, for some insult your wife gave the queen." You scanned his face carefully. "Thankfully, the curse is broken, and they need not go there any longer."

"How did you know how to save them?" the king asked quietly.

You hesitated, and Minghao squeezed your hand comfortingly. "I was a changeling," you admitted. "I was raised in the faerie court for thirteen years of my life."

"Both her curse and ours are broken," Minghao spoke up. "Father, you know how curses are broken..."

The king nodded, observing the objects on his desk carefully. "Well, Miss y/n, I have to reward you, as I promised," he said at length. "And from the looks of things, you've already decided what reward you'd like."

You blushed deeply, making Minghao laugh.

"Go," the king said warmly. "Get some rest. Heaven knows it will be our first true rest in years..."

——

Minghao stopped you in the hallway as soon as the study door closed.

"Minghao, what —"

He silenced you with his lips on yours, wrapping long fingers around your waist to bring you closer to him.

You melted into the kiss — your mutual lack of experience didn't make anything awkward; rather, the kiss was simply chaste and soft. Passion could come later.

"Let's get married," he whispered against your lips as he broke the kiss.

"Already?" you muttered, trying to contain your blush.

Minghao smiled, gently caressing your cheek with his thumb. "You're my true love, I'm yours, what more do we need?" he asked. "I love you."

You grinned in spite of yourself. "Whatever you say, Minghao... But you have to propose in a more romantic way later, we're both exhausted and I want to sleep."

Minghao swooped in for another kiss, soft and lingering. "Give me a little more time, and I'll find a good way to propose later," he agreed. "Now, go to sleep."

——

Minghao kissed you often; that first kiss, full of fire and passion and uncertainty and adrenaline. The second, soft and needy and followed by a whispered proposal. The third, loving, caring, with adoration in his eyes.

And the kiss he gave you the night he proposed, after the both of you had long since lost count of the number of kisses you'd stolen in quiet corners or late at night when no one could see.

It was a mere two weeks after the night you saved him. It didn't feel scripted, or stilted — it was just you and Minghao, under the moonlight by his favourite fountain on a warm summer night.

He was down on one knee in front of you, his eyes full of adoration and holding your hand in his.

"Y/n l/n, I love you more than anything," he said softly. "You're my sun, my moon, and my stars; without you, my world would be dark and cold and dreary."

He pulled a velvet box from seemingly nowhere, popping the lid easily with one hand. "Will you stay with me... forever?"

You knelt to kiss him as an answer, and that was a kiss you would both remember for the rest of your lives.

Minghao laughed happily when you separated, easing the ring out of the box to slip it onto your finger. "I'm so glad you came to help us," he said, his voice still full of joy. "I don't know what I... what we would've done if it wasn't for you."

"Probably died," you teased as the two of you stood up.

Minghao laughed again, more animated than you'd ever seen him before the night you saved him. "Most likely. We would have died before our thirteen years were up, probably." A playful glint entered his eyes. "That would have been very sad for me."

Knowing where this was going, you smirked right back as you took his hand, comfortably lacing his long fingers in between yours. "Oh?"

"I would never have gotten to meet you," Minghao said, and dove in for a quick, chaste kiss.

——

Your wedding was simple; only family, friends, and a select few foreign dignitaries for the show of things.

Minghao pulled you into a clear space of the garden after he made his polite rounds accepting congratulations, his eyes twinkling.

"Dance with me," he said eagerly.

You let out a chuckle, cocking your head. "All you've gone through, and you still love to dance?"

Minghao smiled and kicked his shoes off, tossing them over his shoulder. "It's different when it's with you, y/n."

He was a fantastic dancer, better than you could ever have imagined.

"I assume this talent didn't all come from dancing in the faerie court," you ventured.

Minghao smiled and spun you around, making you squeal in surprise. "No. A few of my brothers and I have always been dancers — I suppose that's why we're the ones least affected by our misadventures."

You smiled dizzily as he spun you again. "It shows. You're amazing."

"Not as amazing as you," Minghao teased.

You went pink as Minghao stole a kiss, melting into his arms.

"I love you," he murmured, soft eyes half-lidded.

"I love you too," you replied, and kissed him again.

_________________

aaaand part 2, with my baby hao hao!! as with almost every minghao scenario, this got away from me quite a bit at the end, and I had to rein it in a bit so as not to show favouritism,,,,

anyway, I hope you like it! I have another exciting update coming later today, so do look forward to it ;)

I love you!!!