Author: cold_cappuccino
Rating: K+
Pairing: Hong Kong/Taiwan
Summary: AU."I'm going to leave you with a senile old man and find happiness elsewhere because you couldn't give it to me when you had the chance."
Note/s: It'd feel extremely weird reading 'Taiwan' and 'Hong Kong' as names since this is an AU XD –that or I just can't pull it off. Some more notes about it in the end but for now here it is~ 3

And yes, DBSK has eaten into my soul. Story is sort of based on their song 'Why Did I Fall In Love With You?' XD …I'm sorry, does that give too much away?

Traditional Chinese wedding is a no go for me. Author is too lazy to describe -_-; and do not question religion .

'Make A Wish'

Wang Zhi rests his back against the cream colored walls of the room his brother had specifically requested for his company's New Year's Eve party. He didn't hate parties his brother would throw –for whatever reason. If he takes it all in stride, Zhi thinks, he knows he'll be able to get over the whole mingling with people and showing a prize smile (though he never really did the latter) to win over more clients. Just…ever since these office parties started, Zhi had never once brushed the sand-paper side of a matchbox against a matchstick. It was that little part of New Year he looked forward to even if his face gave none of the enthusiasm he had in him away. That much hadn't changed about him but his brother had other things to worry about now rather than his safety with fire crackers. Thus, the event was skipped to make way for planning and running the whole celebration with the rest of the company, where to Zhi, every year's theme was 'boring and lifeless'.

Somehow, during the mandatory toasts (always, always a good thirty-minutes before midnight because they took that long with speeches) Zhi manages to camouflage himself against the wall despite his suit's obvious contrast to it and he finds himself enjoying (as much as he possibly could) the cool night air.

Bouts of laughter echo from right behind him and he revels in what little silence he could get as he tries to drown out the noise –only for his endeavors to end in vain. He lets out an audible sigh of defeat, thankful that he is alone, and leans against the balcony's railings. The snow that starts seeping through his coat jacket is just an added bonus to the very eventful night. He rarely ever curses but perhaps tonight, one word isn't beyond him.

Zhi never speaks much, not even if he's alone, which consequently leads to being able to hear the voices that join together into (very obnoxious) laughter and a slur of words spoken out loud. They all come at once and the only thing he is permitted to hear is Mei's name and another joyous laughing chorus. He is about to return to the party and find himself a nice chair to sit on for the rest of the night when he hears more bits and pieces of this year's hot topic. He stands, back against the brick wall by the sliding door where two people are talking, both with drinks in hand.

"Lee Mei Lin doesn't even carry the Wang name," a woman's voice speaks, Zhi doesn't bother to give it a face and continues to listen in, slightly intrigued. He folds his arms across his chest, relaxing his stature in case someone were to pass by and find his position odd.

"Yes but I believe she owes the Wang family a lot for taking her in when her parents died. Almost like a sister to them, even addresses the older one as such."

"As an older sister?" They both laugh at the joke (not so inside because everybody knows—Wang Yao may act like he's 40 but looks don't like –he looks like he's barely gone past his late teens), Zhi masks a chuckle with a cough.

He shakes his head and is about to turn to face the door and slide it open to dive back into the pool of drunk men and women but decides against it, blinking at the flash of chestnut brown hair from a distance as his form of surprised. His feet take him over the low balcony onto the snow-laden streets, attempting to catch her thankfully, slowing form.

"Where are you going?"

"Zhizhi!" Her eyes widen and she looks more frightened than surprised but then she could easily both. Probably both.

"What are you doing out here?" Gege will get mad if he finds out you left." She scolds lightly –not at all convincing but Zhi isn't one to point that out. At least, not until he needed to do so.

"No…" he begins carefully, "Gege will get mad at you for making me come out here to chase after you."

"Ah—point taken." And she is never really one to argue with him when he makes sense.

"So that means you came out here without his permission?"

She pales, hands curling and uncurling at her sides but she doesn't run like her mind tells her to. Feet firmly rooted to the snowy ground, she exhales heavily through her mouth and then nods.

"Yes, I suppose that's accurate." Mei smiles a little and takes his hand before he can say anything to stop her and drags him in the opposite direction of the building.

"You won't tell him, will you?"

Zhi shakes his head, a negative sign and stares straight ahead as they walk through the lantern lined streets. It takes awhile before his cold hand grasps hers in return, as if suddenly coming into some sort of understanding. He knows enough that something is wrong; Mei has been quiet for a minute too long for him think otherwise and she only squeezes his hands in response to that, biting her lower lip. They continue walking, with Zhi following closely behind because he doesn't have much say the matter anyway and he doesn't really mind being dragged along by her. Especially not after years of having to get used to it.

"You know how Gege is with his business, Zhi." She says and they stop walking. He glances back and sees that the building is no longer in sight.

"I'm aware."

Her smile is a little crooked, and her words are unsure, "but you know how he does things that are good for us."

He only nods.

"Wait. Before I say anything else."

Once again, Mei takes him by surprise, wrapping her arms around him as she tiptoes to effectively capture his upper body into an embrace.

"Meimei," he breathes, a puff of cold air forming into a ball in front of him. She giggles a little but doesn't let go and Zhi takes this as a sign to mirror the action. Mei hides. She tries to, burying her head into his neck, willing her mind to clear up before she speaks again.

"Zhizhi, thank you." She speaks, finally, before looking up at him. For everything. She adds in her head but doesn't say it because she wants to remain cryptic and mysterious in hopes that he would ask what it means.

As if on some sort of sick cue, the snow starts to descend upon them. It's light and the wind isn't even strong enough for him to hear in the silence of the near-empty streets but what Zhi wants is rain, lighting and thunder, loud booming thunder to drown out his pounding heart. He doesn't ask, not even a confused expression escapes his well-built façade.

He is quite sure though that there is obviously something wrong and being the brother people had so perceived him to be over the years, he is obligated to help or even fix things if he can. He usually can.

"Meimei, close your eyes." He pulls away from her and holds her at an arm's length, their height difference suddenly becoming so evident.

"Ah?"

She does as told anyway and then feels his cold hands on hers again, this time taking both of them in his grasp.

"Make a wish," he whispers, not knowing the reason for doing so entirely but he goes along with it wishing for himself that the rain and thunder he was asking for arrive now. It is the only thing he can offer since she has yet to speak of the problem plaguing her. He is patient and never presses people for answers, mostly because he has no reason to but when it comes to Mei he usually just waits it out until she's ready to speak of whatever bothers her because she would always tell him.

Dirty details and all.

He is happy, but not entirely, with his place. He knows that Mei trusts him more than anyone. Perhaps even more than their Gege and he knows that she is aware of his unspoken self-appointed duty of trying to keep her happy.

Her reason simply being the fact that he is her pseudo-brother.

His only reason, to see her smile.

"Mm? Alright~"

The slight upturn of her lips means she's actually thinking about it (Zhi can see it on her face, plain as day) and had Zhi blinked at the exact time half a second had passed from when she last spoken, he would have missed her moving forward but he doesn't miss it and moves forward himself, brushing his lips lightly against hers in a purely platonic brotherly way.

Or so he likes to think.

Everything doesn't seem as convincing when Mei brings her arms up around his neck but Zhi likes to stick to the illusion. It's safer that way and perhaps their Gege won't kill him if he finds out.

Which he won't.

Not ever.

Puzzled and nervous as he is, Zhi waits for his innards to calm down until Mei is the one to pull herself away. She doesn't utter a word but they both take a moment to regain their composure and continue walking.

"What did Gege toast this time, Meimei?" He nearly chuckles, remembering what the two ladies were talking about back in the building.

She breathes again, still as heavy as the first but she continues to walk, hand in his and then she opens her mouth, and speaks as if nothing had transpired just minutes ago.

"I'm getting married, Zhizhi."

"I'm going to leave you with a senile old man and find happiness elsewhere because you couldn't give it to me when you had the chance."

Finality in tone of the voice in his head, Zhi steps out of the hotel room they are required to stay in prior to the wedding, donning yet another suit. To him the words Mei had spoken to him that day before they went back to their brother's party would forever sound like that but he didn't breathe a word of what he thought of, not after the congratulations he got for retrieving the run-away bride-to-be. They were all smiles and he'd never seen his older that proud –it wasn't even funny anymore.

"Didi, the bride wants to see you, aru." Zhi believes that he can almost hear the smile in his brother's voice as the older man walks down the hall to give word.

He mutters a quick 'okay' right as he darts into the direction of the room where Mei stays. It feels like forever until he reaches the door and he knocks first (knowing firsthand what it feels like to be assaulted with multiple sharp objects when he neglected to do so), only turning the knob when he hears a soft 'come in' from inside.

"Zhizhi?" She turns around, already in the white wedding dress she had picked out with his help.

Mei offers a smile holding each side of the dress, almost as if she were to curtsy and then she spins around with a little giggle.

"Well, Zhizhi, do I look pretty?"

He nods numbly, settling down on the couch –anything to keep him off his impulsive feet.

"Is that all you have to say?" She pouts, crossing her arms over her chest with a huff before she marches over in front of him.

Zhi doesn't look her in the eye, doesn't speak and keeps his expression vacant.

"Zhizhi~ now's not the time to look like that!" She exclaims as she plops down –dress and all—beside him. He worries about the dress for awhile but his concern is swatted away by her 'Zhizhi~ all you care about is the dress?'. He sits back against the couch once the tension in the atmosphere dies down and the world is spinning under his feet again.

"You look very pretty, Meimei." The strain in his voice was difficult to hide but he manages somehow, biting his lip when she looks away to do the same.

Everything is too abrupt for them but it is 'about time' for everyone else. Their Gege claims that this is for the good of the company. Zhi had once questioned why he wasn't the one to be betrothed first. He was shut up immediately when he gets a 'because no one woman would want to spend the rest of their lives with a rock, aru'. This isn't meant to insult him he knows but Zhi doesn't try to fix this little issue with himself after the little conversation they have about marriage because it's too late, he thinks and he's already shown enough of him to one person.

Just too bad, he couldn't marry her himself.

"Zhizhi." She begins and the hope in her brown eyes is too hard to miss.

He raises a thick eyebrow.

"Zhizhi…I…"

And after all the things he's mulled over, he's back here again. Back to the people-less snow-laden road.

Back to wishing.

"Zhizhi…I want to make a wish."

Mei takes his hand in hers and brings it close, nuzzling it like a blanket. She notices his reluctance and frowns a little before loosening her hold on the hand but not letting go of it entirely.

"Please Zhizhi, one last time."

His heart is doing that thing again. The one where it doesn't obey him and quiet down because she might hear. He really thinks she might hear if he doesn't take control of the situation soon.

"It won't be good if Gege opens the door to find the bride kissing the best man." He says pointedly.

Much like before, she hates it when he makes sense and she trembles slightly with anger, annoyance and an unsatisfied spoiled-brat streak (that could well be Zhi's fault).

"Fine, Zhizhi." She lets go of his hand and turns away abruptly.

Zhi feels his shoulders slump.

"Meimei—" He tries but she doesn't budge.

So he stands up, each step toward the door heavy and finds himself regretting each one because Mei doesn't turn around, not until he closes the door and regrets not even making the slightest of movements herself.

"Zhizhi, you make a wish." Enthusiasm echoes through her voice, trying to break the ice.

He isn't drunk. Alcohol was never his thing, therefore, Zhi wonders why on earth his legs feel like gelatin, stepping next to the man he'd lost to (the guy didn't even have to try!) but he doesn't say anything and tries to fight the migraine coming on to go in for a tag-team attack on him.

Not now, he thinks as the wedding march begins again, signifying only one thing.

Zhi opens his eyes to be greeted by the same brown ones that were looking into his own with hope just a little while ago. She walks, slowly but each step she takes toward the altar is sure and confident. His iron grip on reality nearly falters and his legs almost topple over thin air once her eyes sweep over him, his direction. Him.

He thinks for awhile and part of him settles for, 'I wish you didn't have to get married'

He closes his eyes to steady himself and the groom takes his eyes off his bride (how dare he—he would think but he is too busy being dizzy and faint and remorseful, anticipating the worst) to ask him if he's okay. He nods, eyes still shut.

Things are somehow clearer with his eyes closed. He can see her, eyes dead set on him as he stands, oddly closer to the altar. Mei is nearing where he stands, her face fully visibly now even under the veil draped over her head. He offers a smile and she accepts it graciously like complementary candy –only better because you can get those anywhere.

You get this kind from one person only.

Rarely.

but his head voices, "I wish you happiness."

She encourages him, sensing the slight hesitance ever-present in her dear Zhizhi and his foot is off the ground a few centimeters.

"Ah? But Zhizhi, this is your wish."

Zhi opens his eyes, digs his heel into the ground before he manages step forward and more importantly, make his wish come true.

He shrugs with one thought in mind, exactly.

Note:/s:

*Gege: older brother
*Meimei: is actually little sister but I decided to put it in her name as well.

And don't bother if I missed anything ;_; I'm too brain-dead to think about anything else.