Four Wedding Bottles and a Wine Speech

It's Jiang Yanli's wedding day, but all Wei Wuxian can focus on is how he broke up with his boyfriend last week. Unlimited wine at the wedding could bring disaster or healing for everyone involved.

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Written for Day 7 of WangXian Week. The possible prompts were "Passion | Marriage | Soulmate AU"

Not as directly related to the prompts as my other fics. I'm very tired. Two 20-hour days will do that to you.

Thank you to neolith for the beta!

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The wedding had gone off without a hitch. The paperwork was all signed, the vows had been said, now it was time for the fun part.

The banquet.

Or, it would have been a time to have fun—if Wei Wuxian were in the mood to have fun. Instead, he sat at his table, close to the head table where the bride and groom would sit, and pouted. He sat there and watched guests pour in, handing over their red envelopes and waiting as the amount of money inside was counted. He sat there and fiddled with the placard that held his name as the guests were ushered to their assigned seats. He sat there, at his sister's wedding banquet, and was miserable.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the emcee said into the mic, garnering everyone's attention. "May I now present, the bride and groom."

Firecrackers were lit and they popped, loudly, along with the clapping of the guests, as if the fireworks were as excited for the marriage as everyone else. Jiang Yanli, wearing an understated yet gorgeous white gown and veil, entered the room on the arm of Jin Zixuan, who was wearing a black and white tuxedo. Both of them had huge smiles on their faces.

Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli went to stand at the table designated for them, and then Jin Guangshan took the microphone from the emcee to give a speech. He got as far as, "As the father of the groom, it is a pleasure to see so many guests here today—" before Wei Wuxian tuned him out.

No doubt he was going to start expounding on how much the wedding cost, down to the napkins, to boast about his wealth. And with Wei Wuxian's mood the way it was, he was likely to punch the old man if given half the incentive.

Wei Wuxian flagged down one of the wait staff and quietly asked for "a glass—no, bring the whole jar" of wine. Across the table, Lan Wangji frowned in disapproval. That only made Wei Wuxian pout deeper.

If this were a week ago, Lan Wangji would have been the one asking for the wine and pouring it for Wei Wuxian, not judging him for it.

A week ago, he had been lying in Lan Wangji's lap while they watched TV and pointed out terrible writing in the shows. A week ago Lan Wangji had smiled at his jokes, even if everyone else said they were lame. A week ago—

Jin Guangshan's speech must have ended because people started to clap, so Wei Wuxian gave a few cursory claps as well. The wine he asked for arrived with the first course of the afternoon. He drank a glass of the wine first.

The food was good—exquisitely good. It ought to be for the price. Only half of Wei Wuxian could appreciate it though. Memories of eating Lan Wangji's bland meals, of Lan Wangji eating every bite of Wei Wuxian's intolerably spicy foods with a blank face, took up the other half of his mind.

Back when they first met, Lan Wangji would never eat anything spicy. He glared at anyone—Wei Wuxian—who tried to make him. Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang always said Wei Wuxian should have recognized how much Lan Wangji loved him sooner, because by the time Wei Wuxian asked Lan Wangji out on a date, Lan Wangji was already willingly stomaching Wei Wuxian's cooking—which could make any normal person hurl from how spicy it was.

At some point during the first course, Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan left the room, only to return with the serving of the second course in new outfits. Both of their outfits were red with gold accents, and Jiang Yanli had significantly fewer hair pins in. Wei Wuxian had helped pick out those outfits. Lan Wangji had given his opinion as well, with hums and head shakes.

The waiter brought Wei Wuxian another jar of wine.

Anyone who was not eating had begun to get up and dance along to the music played by the emcee. The emcee played American Top 40, mixed in with lots of love songs in both English and Chinese. Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan had to move around the central dance floor to get to each of the tables to greet their guests.

"A-Xian," Jiang Yanli said when she approached his table. Her eyes flickered uncertainly across the table to Lan Wangji, then she put on her best smile and said hello to each guest in turn at the table other than her brother.

"Thank you for coming," Jin Zixuan said once she was done with the greetings. "It means a lot to us. Truly."

Wei Wuxian scowled briefly. He really did not like Jin Zixuan. He preened himself like a peacock, flaunted his money, and had taken ten years to stop being a dick just because he liked Jiang Yanli and didn't know how to tell her. But his sister loved the asshole, so Wuxian would accept him.

Raising his wine glass, Wei Wuxian led the table in a toast. "To my jiejie and her new husband!"

Jiang Yanli gave Wei Wuxian a big hug before she left. "Don't drink too much, a-Xian."

Wei Wuxian scoffed at the very idea. Everyone knew his alcohol tolerance was high. He would be fine.

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He would perhaps not be fine.

Six courses later, Wei Wuxian had no idea how much he had drunk. The waiters kept taking the empty wine jars away whenever they brought him a new one. That made it very hard to keep count. Judging by the expressions on the faces of his tablemates—awe, disgust, worry—it was a lot. No doubt he was several bottles further in than even Jiang Cheng, who was playing the role of the Father of the Bride today and supposed to be drinking with basically everyone.

Speaking of, some time ago, Jiang Cheng had given a very moving speech about growing up with Jiang Yanli as a sister, and how she taught him everything he knew about love, and everyone had gotten misty-eyed or flat out began crying. He wished their parents could have been there to see how lovely she looked and how amazing she was as a person. Jiang Yanli had to go get her makeup fixed afterward.

Wei Wuxian remembered family dinners between him and his adoptive siblings. Jiang Yanli did most of the cooking, with Jiang Cheng's help and Wei Wuxian banned from the kitchen. At those dinners, his sister helped him realize that what he felt for Lan Wangji was more than friendship. She talked him through realizing he was jealous when Lan Wangji hung out with other people, that Lan Wangji was the first thing he talked about in the morning and the last thing he mentioned before going to bed, and that all his plans for the future included the phrase, "Lan Zhan and me."

A bit after that, Meng Yao, Jin Zixuan's half-brother, had given a speech. It was mostly thanks to Jin Zixuan for treating him like family and allowing him to help plan the wedding. He was sure to give the lion's share of the credit to their father, Jin Guangshan, however, and the entire speech came off sounding like he was sucking up to the Jin patriarch rather than really congratulating the couple.

A whole bottle might have disappeared during Meng Yao's speech. Wei Wuxian really wasn't certain.

Before she died, Yu Ziyuan, his adoptive mother, had been a strict and harsh parent. Though she was nothing like Jin Guangshan in personality or proclivities, she had sometimes revealed a similar opinion of orphans as Jin Guangshan had of illegitimate children. There were times when Wei Wuxian honestly had no idea why she had agreed to adopt him, because there was little good she seemed to see in him. Her proudest moments all included Wei Wuxian's close relationship with Lan Wangji. The prestige of being friends with the Lan family. The wealth. The stability he brought to Wei Wuxian's life.

She had been right too. Lan Wangji gave Wei Wuxian stability. He calmed Wei Wuxian's storms. He helped Wei Wuxian's mind slow down and focus. He was the best thing in Wei Wuxian's life—other than his sister, of course.

Another glass down and the bottle was gone.

"And now, a speech from the brother of the bride."

"Oh shit," Wei Wuxian whispered when the emcee looked at him expectantly.

That was right. He was meant to give a speech. He had practiced it for a month in the bathroom mirror, Lan Wangji giving pointers or praise each time. He had memorized it. Hopefully well enough to deliver it while more than a little drunk.

Please, god, don't let him embarrass his sister at her wedding.

Standing from his seat, Wei Wuxian made his way to where the emcee was holding the mic out for him near the back center of the room. As far as he could judge, he didn't even wobble on the way there. One point to Xianxian.

Clearing his throat, Wei Wuxian faced his sister. "Jiejie," he started. Some people aww'd and others frowned, no doubt because he was not her blood sibling. "You are so beautiful. Inside and out. Like Jiang Cheng said, you taught me so much about what it means to love someone." He smiled. So far so good. "Because god, I do not understand what you see in this guy, but you love him, and that's what's important, and if I'm being real honest I will admit he's gotten way better since you started dating him."

Some people around the room gasped. Bad mouthing the groom at the wedding? But Wei Wuxian ploughed ahead.

"Just like I got better when I started dating Lan Zhan. And I don't know what he saw in me that made him say yes to that first date either, I'm just glad he did." Wait, that was off topic. With a shake of his head, Wei Wuxian tried to remember what came next in his prepared speech. "But yeah, jiejie, you helped me work through so many problems in my life. Math homework. History homework. Writing homework. I was really bad at doing my schoolwork." A few people did him the courtesy of laughing. "If not for you and Lan Zhan keeping me on track, I might not have graduated, so thanks for that."

Jin Zixuan had his face planted in his right hand, propped up on the table. Jiang Yanli rubbed his shoulder placatingly but kept her eyes on her brother, who was obviously not alright. And Wei Wuxian knew she knew he wasn't alright because there were so many words building up inside of him that it had to be clear to the whole room. He couldn't hold them in.

"And for helping me with my relationship troubles too," he pressed on. "Like when I was stressing over what to get Lan Zhan for our first Christmas together," he waved in the general direction Lan Wangji, "and you told me it didn't matter, because as long as it came from me, he would love it."

He hadn't believed her at the time. Lan Wangji came from such a well-off family. He was so perfect. How could Wei Wuxian just give him any old thing and think it was worthy of his wonderful boyfriend?

"And we went to see Christmas lights and drink cocoa together and it started snowing and the flakes caught in his hair and I thought 'ah, I understand. If he's with me, I'm happy. I don't need a present,'" Wei Wuxian revealed with a happy sigh. "But he always gets me one anyway, you know? And I love that about him."

All of his attention shifted to Lan Wangji, still sitting in his assigned seat. Were his ears pink? Did he know how much Wei Wuxian loved him?

"I love you, Lan Zhan." His voice wobbled. Was he crying? "I'm sorry about that stupid fight we had. It was all my fault. I was being unreasonable and selfish and I didn't listen to you."

People were definitely whispering all over the room now, but Wei Wuxian was too caught up in his speech to his ex-boyfriend to notice. The world had narrowed down to only the two of them. Lan Wangji was all that mattered.

"And I shouldn't have broken up with you, because the truth is that you're everything I've ever wanted in my life. You're beautiful even first thing in the morning, or when you accidentally drink my wine and try to steal animals from the local pet shop. You're so passionate about music and teaching and I know your students love you. But not as much as I love you. I love listening to you play music at home, or compose new songs that you'll make me guess the title of, or—Back off, I'm talking."

He lurched away from where Jiang Cheng had tried to take the microphone from him and began wandering closer to his original table, closer to Lan Wangji.

"Lan Zhan, my point is, you're my soulmate. You're the one person in this world who knows me better—," he jerked to a stop when the mic's cord pulled tight but kept talking, "—than I know me. Always. And I want you by my side always." He held his hands up in a praying motion, the microphone pressed between them. "So please forgive me and let's be together again. Okay?" He inhaled deeply. "Lan Zhan, when jiejie's wedding is over, let's get married."

The gasps were so loud this time that even Wei Wuxian's distracted, wine-addled brain picked up on it. Blinking rapidly, he finally let his eyes trail around the room and take in all the shocked and appalled faces of the wedding guests.

"Oh fuck." The only saving grace was that the microphone was no longer near his mouth for that particular exclamation. Everything else had been perfectly, painfully clear over the speakers.

He had ruined Jiang Yanli's wedding.

Wei Wuxian felt the tears well up in his eyes, but before even a single one could fall, someone took him by the waist and led him from the room. He didn't know what happened to the mic, but he thought someone took it from his hands as he was pushed past them. The person who had grabbed him didn't stop walking until they were two hallways away from the banquet hall where the party was happening.

It was quiet in the new hallway. No one had parties happening there, apparently.

No one had stupid, drunk, fuck-up brothers ruining their weddings. "Shit." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I never wanted to do that to her." A few tears slipped down his cheeks.

Someone wiped them away and Wei Wuxian finally saw that it was Lan Wangji who had spirited him away. Lan Wangji stared at him with the same intensity now that he did on the day he asked Wei Wuxian to move in with him.

"She will not be mad at you," Lan Wangji assured him. His hands were still cupping Wei Wuxian's cheeks, wiping away any tears that fell. "As soon as she can, she will come to check on you, to make sure you are alright. And she will not let anyone else say you ruined her wedding either. You know this."

Of course, he was right. Jiang Yanli would stand up to God themselves to defend her brothers. So Wei Wuxian got drunk and desperately begged his ex-boyfriend to marry him in the middle of her wedding. So what? People were allowed to be emotional at a wedding. She would never let anyone get away with blaming him for anything while she was around.

She was too good to him. Just like Lan Wangji was too good for him.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you. And ripped up your sheet music. And said all those terrible things about you," Wei Wuxian babbled, still crying. He wished he were sober for this conversation so he wouldn't cry so much. This was embarrassing. "I got fired. It was a shit day overall and I was upset but I shouldn't have done any of that to you. It wasn't your fault. I'm sorry. I'll do better, I promise."

Lan Wangji leaned in to place a kiss on Wei Wuxian's forehead that instantly stopped his babble.

Still with his lips touching Wei Wuxian's skin, he said, "I forgive you."

A weight fell from Wei Wuxian instantly. "Lan Zhan…"

With one last caress of his thumbs under each eye, Lan Wangji pulled his hands from Wei Wuxian's cheeks. He didn't go anywhere though, only reached down to take Wei Wuxian's hands in his own. His eyes, still so intense, bore into Wei Wuxian, straight into his soul.

"I accept."

Wei Wuxian was too drunk for this. "Huh?"

"You said we should get married after your sister. I accept."

Wei Wuxian squeezed his eyes shut for several seconds, then looked again. He wasn't hallucinating. Lan Wangji was really standing in front of him, holding his hands, agreeing to get married.

"But—," Wei Wuxian faltered. "Didn't you hear what I said before? I got fired. I don't have a job. I have no income."

"I have enough for us both," Lan Wangji reminded him. "And you will get another job."

Wei Wuxian tried to motion down the hall to indicate the wedding banquet, but as his hands were still held he had to resort to nodding that way instead. "Didn't you see what I just did? I'm a mess!"

Lan Wangji nodded, agreeing. "I heard it."

"Then—"

"That first Christmas. The snow was in your hair too. I thought, 'Ah, I understand. If he is with me, I am happy.'" Lan Wangji gave a tiny shake of his head. "Wei Ying is not a mess. Not to me. He is my soulmate. I have known it since the day we met." He leaned in to press a quick kiss to Wei Wuxian's lips. "Let's get married."

Wei Wuxian felt like he was floating. Lan Wangji had just proposed! Well, Wei Wuxian proposed first, but still. His head was spinning. "I'm too drunk for this."

The sound of quick footsteps reached them before the person turned the corner to enter the hall. It was Jiang Yanli in her third outfit change of the night – this one in the typical purples and pinks of her family. She must have used the clothing change as an excuse to come find them, because her eyes widened when she spotted them and she hurried over.

"A-Xian, are you alright?" she asked.

Wei Wuxian smiled and nodded. "Mm." He pouted. "I'm sorry about your wedding. I had the perfect speech planned too. I just—"

Jiang Yanli shook her head and smiled. "You haven't ruined anything. Even a-Xuan agrees. Things have been really hard for you lately, and weddings are meant to be emotional."

Sometimes the love Wei Wuxian felt for his sister was so strong he thought he might burst from it. He lowered his eyes, grinning, and caught sight of his hands still held in Lan Wangji's.

"Jiejie, guess what?" he asked in a conspiratorial whisper.

She smiled, indulging him. "What?"

Wei Wuxian pulled their entwined hands up to nearly their heads. "He said yes!"

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fin