The AntiChrist

@† Wang Yibo Zhan was glad that he did not need to explain the situation. Happily, he leaned into Yibo's side as they walked off, ignoring his parents' screams from behind them. And, just because Zhan knew that they were watching, he leaned in to kiss Yibo again as they walked, pecking him innocently over his cheek. "I bought you pig trotters," Zhan reported, grinning as he held up his bag victoriously. It was nothing compared to all the food Yibo got them, but he was happy to contribute anyway. Just before they turned the corner on the street, with Zhan's parents screaming and wailing obscenities from just down the sidewalk, Zhan stopped Yibo. "I love you," he told the younger sincerely. After everything they'd been through, they were happy, and they had all they needed in each other.

@† Xiao Zhan When it came to Zhan, Yibo had no self-control on spending. From the food stall, he ordered Sichuan Boiled Fish, sliced beef tripe in chili oil, and Chongqing styled fried chicken along with two stir fried vegetable dishes to cleanse their palates. He knew that Zhan loved all of these foods, and he would have no qualms about bringing the leftovers to work the next week, so there was no harm in ordering more food. Yibo had also grown to love the taste of spicy food because of how often he ate it with Zhan. He recalled fondly how Zhan had discovered his love for spice after they had been living together for a few months. Lost in his little daydream, time slipped by quickly until his number was being called and he quickly picked his order up to meet up with Zhan again.

Seeing Zhan in the distance, Yibo could only see that his husband was interacting with someone. The oncoming crowd made it hard to see, but then soon, Yibo could see the faces of who Zhan was talking to clearly. The sight of Zhan's uptight parents made Yibo lose the feeling in his face. There was a tingling sensation in his chest, and his grip around his bag of food tightened. What if they were here to take Zhan back? They had managed to find him after all these years, and these people were not beyond using force, as Yibo knew from first hand experience.

He was stunned as Zhan bounded up to him and suddenly pressed a kiss over his lips. Yibo looked at his lover in shock, as Zhan was usually not the one initiating PDA between them. However, Yibo could easily tell from the older's words what he wanted to do - get out of this situation. "Sounds good lao po," Yibo answered back, holding Zhan's gaze with sincere affection. "Come on, let's go. I bought you your favorites." he said, holding up the bag and guiding Zhan by the waist to walk in the other direction of his parents.

Behind him, Yibo heard Mrs. Xiao's voice screech again, "That devil child has corrupted you Xiao Zhan! XIAO ZHAN! You come back here right now and kneel before the lord! Or else you'll burn in the pits of hell, forever shunned from his glory!"

@† Wang Yibo Zhan's brow twitched at Yibo's nickname for him. He hadn't been a fan at first, but after ten years together, he had basically learned to shrug off Yibo's antics rather than giving Yibo something that he could tease Zhan over. "Okay," he said agreeably, eyes already scouring for something that Yibo might like. There was a stall that Zhan easily recalled from he and Yibo's youth — pig trotters. He swore that the old woman running the stall was the same one from ten years ago, too. So, just for nostalgia's sake, Zhan approached her to order a serving of the pig trotters.

Waiting on the side, Zhan could see out of the corner of his eye a couple approach the stall as well. They were older, more weathered, but they caught Zhan's attention. Zhan glanced once, then turned back to his phone as he waited, replying to one of Mrs. Wang's texts about whether he and Yibo would be visiting the next day (they would, as they usually did every Sunday).

"Xiao Zhan? Son?"

Just as Zhan had suspected. Of the 16 million people living in this city, Zhan had to bump into his parents. To be truthful, he had only thought about them only a handful of times in the past ten years, and each thought was only fleeting. He held no love for them after what they'd done to him, and Zhan was certain he did not want reconciliation. He ignored their call, pretending to be captured by something interesting on his phone.

"Son! It's you!" Mrs. Xiao sounded angry. "Why are you ignoring us? You ignored us for a decade, what kind of a son are you? Where did you even go? We tried so hard to find you." All of a sudden, her waterworks show had switched on. Zhan ignored it. "Do you know how worried we were?"

"We can forgive your sins if you come with us to the church right now," Mr. Xiao said. "The lord will cleanse you of your sins if you accept him and atone."

"Enough," Zhan said when he finally decided to respond. "I have my own life now. There's no space for you or the church." At that moment, the hawker had finished with his pig trotters. Zhan took the bag from her and turned to leave, bumping into Yibo who had just returned as well. In a rush of madness and rebellion toward his parents, Zhan greeted Yibo with a kiss over his lips. "Hey," he said, his free hand taking Yibo's. "There you are. Let's go. These people are bothering me, I don't know why."

@† Xiao Zhan Looking back, it seemed like the day when Yibo happened across a church in a quaint and secluded neighborhood had been a distant dream. The only living artifact that could attest to the scene being a reality was that he had Zhan right by his side. In the blink of an eye, Yibo had graduated high school, and then college. While he would've never guessed that working with children would be his first choice, becoming a youth dance instructor turned out to be a befitting job for him.

When he and Zhan could finally move out on their own, Yibo remembered his mother crying and taking ahold of their hands. She recalled the day when Yibo had 'brought home a new son for her,' and in each of their hands, stuffed them a sizeable red envelope. Not long after, they settled into official married life with their first child - a kitten that Yibo found in the pet store that somehow reminded him of Zhan when they had first met. Though life was simple and each day passed without many surprises, Yibo was content. He had everything he needed, and the one person who mattered the most to him by his side.

One weekend, when they both had some time off to go out on a date, Yibo decided to take Zhan on a mini roadtrip. It was just to get away from their usual town sights and for them to breathe in the air of another city. Revisiting the city from which they once roamed the streets of at night, Yibo peered down the bustling streets lined with stalls and sounds of business taking place. It looked similar - not much had changed. "Lao po," Yibo called out to Zhan, pointing to a restaurant stall that was selling some Chongqing specialty dishes, "I'll go buy lunch. You look around and see if there's anything else you want. I'll be quick, hm?" Yibo smiled as he gave Zhan's hand a little squeeze and went off to buy all the foods that he knew Zhan loved to eat.

@† Wang Yibo As Yibo had promised, Zhan was able to get into a good university with his art portfolio. He studied hard in school with Yibo and Mrs. Wang's encouragement, and landed himself work as a graphic designer a few months after his graduation. Slowly, over several years, Zhan saved up enough to pay Mrs. Wang back a /portion/ of what she should have been charging him all these years for living under her roof. Of course, Zhan knew there was no way she would accept cash, so he and Yibo had bought her a pretty new bag and taken her for a long day of pampering. They had decided to relocate as well, moving out into a quaint flat half an hour away from Mrs. Wang. It was close enough that they could visit often, but far enough that they had their independence and their bliss.

A week after moving into their new place, Yibo brought home a small surprise in the form of a little kitten. Zhan named her 'Jian Guo', and life between the three of them was absolute bliss. Slowly, Zhan left his parents behind as a distant memory as well. They had no idea how to contact them, and Zhan was honestly not very sure either besides having their phone number memorized. Life was good — why did Zhan have to go back to a time where it wasn't?

@† Xiao Zhan " Yibo!"

Well, that was more like it! Yibo smirked as he stood up to hug Zhan tight also, a wandering hand giving Zhan's buttocks a playful squeeze, "Well, yes baby, but I'm the one ing you," Yibo corrected him endearingly. He smiled as squeezed Zhan against his body, his lips pressed loosely against the older's cheekbone. "I love you so much, Xiao Zhan," he also confessed honestly. "Let's always be together," Yibo muttered, closing his eyes as he stayed in this comfortable position with Zhan in his arms, "There's nowhere, and no one, else more perfect than what we have in this moment."

@† Wang Yibo Zhan knew exactly what Yibo was getting at with his suggestion, and he wasted no time to amend his statement. " Yibo!" he giggled, throwing his arms around the younger and hugging him tight. Without Yibo, Zhan would not be anywhere close to where he was today. "I love you," he told the younger, his cheek pressed tightly over the top of Yibo's shoulder. The love he held for Yibo was much deeper than the love he held for anyone else, not even God, and that was what convinced Zhan — spending his life with Yibo would be the best decision he'd make. He wanted to let Yibo know it, so he said, "I want to be with you."

@† Xiao Zhan " God!"

Though what Zhan was saying was theoretically true, it didn't sit well in Yibo's ears. He rose with his boyfriend, smiling endearingly at Zhan while the older male claimed his own life back. "Well, yes baby," he said, but then stepping in close to grab Zhan's hand, "But I'd rather you not sodomize an imaginary old man in the heavens, so let's try that again, shall we?" he urged, wanting to hear something so suggestive directed towards himself instead.

@† Wang Yibo What /did/ Zhan have to say? He tapped his fingers against his chin, deep in thought. What would Yibo say? Well, Yibo would probably renounce God in a strong way, as confidently as Yibo could. Zhan thought for another moment, then he giggled. " God!" he exclaimed. Bouncing to stand up, Zhan towered triumphantly over the bucket of burning ashes. 'Free man'. Zhan liked that. He liked it a lot. The feeling of being free was wondrous. Zhan was unchained, for once. " GOD!"

@† Xiao Zhan The heat from inside the burner emanated outwards quickly as the flames caught onto the pieces of bible verses that Zhan threw inside. Yibo wanted to ask if he could partake in the burning, but he felt that it was a ritual for Zhan, almost like a coming of age ceremony of sorts. Zhan had finally decided to walk his own path instead of following the footsteps of an invisible entity. For that, Yibo was proud. He couldn't detract from Zhan's experience. It felt like just minutes of standing there and watching the paper turn black under the flames and disintegrate into small dust particles, but it was oddly cathartic, even for Yibo as a bystander. Once Zhan finished, Yibo grabbed the lid and placed it over the burner to kill the fire. "Great job baby. How do you feel?" he asked, sitting on the ground and patting the spot next to him. He grinned widely as he realized just how big a conversation Zhan had made, "So, what do you have to say for yourself, as a free man?" he asked in a playful voice.

@† Wang Yibo The best part about being away from his parents were that there was no one to try and convince Zhan to rethink his actions. Yibo and his mother often asked him for his opinion, and when Zhan shyly presented it, they would nod and accept it as it was. And now, when Zhan wanted to get rid of his bible, Yibo hurried to accommodate Zhan. It gave him the confidence to squat beside the burner and begin tearing out pages from his book. Slowly, he fed the fire, putting in a couple pages at a time to keep the it going. It didn't take long before the entire thing had been reduced to a pile of ashes. Zhan stood, brushing soot off his hands. "It's... gone."

@† Xiao Zhan Yibo had wondered if Zhan would be able to transfer to his school with him. His mother had promised to help him look into the situation after they had sit down with her to explain Zhan's dire situation. She was more than eager to help him adjust to a new lifestyle, but given her own busy days out of the house, there was little time for her to arrange Zhan's school transition. So, Yibo deiced he'd just stay home with his boyfriend too. He quickly grew accustomed to the feeling of having Zhan by his side when he woke up every morning and then hearing Zhan's gentle breathing in his ear when he fell asleep at night. The routine felt natural to him, as if he had been living it his entire life.

When Zhan suddenly brought up the idea of burning his own bible a week and a half later, Yibo's first response was a chortle. "What, really? You're serious?" he asked, then nodding in agreement, "Sounds good, let's do it. I'll help you baby!" Yibo said, taking Zhan's hand and guiding him out to their backyard. He knew his grandparents had left an incense burner in their storage a few years back to burn paper money for the Qingming Festival, but what better time than now to use it for Zhan's purposes? Yibo quickly retrieved it and placed the red burner in front of Zhan. "I'll just get some paper burning in there first," he said, lighting a piece of paper with the lighter inside the burner. He threw it inside the container, causing smoke to rise out of it. Yibo watched intensely, standing next to Zhan with an excited expression on his face, "Okay, you can do it now!"

@† Wang Yibo Zhan had no idea how he was ever going to repay Mrs. Wang's kindness. Yibo insisted that he rest without worrying for a bit, and so that was what Zhan did for a week. He did not go to school nor any places that his parents might find him, nor did he dare leave the house without Yibo. One day, after Yibo returned from getting a quick snack for them, Zhan held up the copy of the bible he found from the bottom of his schoolbag. "I don't want this anymore," he said. His parents' words about avoiding Satanistic things surfaced in his mind earlier when he dug it out. "I want to burn it," Zhan said. It wasn't as though he thought he could spite God or anything, but he figured that it would make him feel better and more satisfied than simply throwing it in the garbage.

@† Xiao Zhan Not wanting Zhan to have any more layers of stress on top of what he was dealing with, Yibo didn't move from his spot in front of the older's house until Zhan had gone inside to grab everything that he needed. When Zhan came out with some papers in his hand, Yibo breathed a sigh of relief. This would be one less thing for them to worry about. "Of course! She already loves having you over, and she /did/ say you can come to our place and stay over anytime baby," Yibo reassured Zhan as they raced towards his bike and quickly got on. Even if there wasn't anyone looking (at least not that Yibo noticed anyways), he revved up the engine and sped out of Zhan's small neighborhood. To his right, Yibo even whizzed past the church from which he first encountered Zhan.

When they returned home that afternoon, Yibo helped Zhan settle into his room. His bed was big enough for them to share, and he had enough space to clear up a big corner for Zhan to put his belongings for now. Yibo didn't mind giving up some of his space, but since Zhan didn't have much stuff to begin with right now, the move-in process could happen over time. That evening when Yibo's mother came home, she greeted Zhan with a warm smile and a generous invitation to stay as long as he'd like, "Just make yourself at home Ah Zhan. You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like!" she chirped while placing a steaming hot plate of rice and beef stew in front of him for dinner.

@† Wang Yibo Luckily, in their rage, Zhan's parents seemed to have forgotten to confiscate the keys from his backpack. He nodded, pulling them out of the side pocket and running back up to the front of the house to let himself in. The sound had caused one of his neighbours to emerge from her own home, peeking suspiciously at Yibo and Zhan. Zhan ran all the way up to his parents' bedroom. He had never seen the hiding place himself, but he had once inadvertently overhead his mother telling his father to retrieve their passports 'from the closet'. So, of course, the closet was where Zhan ran to first. He picked up any box or container that looked like it could hold any important documents. To his luck, they were all there. Pulling out his passport and his birth certificate, Zhan left the box open on the ground, too rushed to put everything back neatly. It pained him to think that he would not be able to return for a while, at least, so he continued to hurry out the door without looking back. Slipping on his only pair of shoes, Zhan hurried to pack his documents away. "I'm ready," he sniffed. "Will your mama be okay if I stay for a bit?"

@† Xiao Zhan At first, all Yibo felt was a strong resistance from the bars. He was rooted into place even though he was pressing onto the gas pedal with all his force. It didn't seem like the bars were budging, but all of a sudden, Yibo felt wind rushing into his face as he sped down the street from the lack of pull back. He'd done it! Quickly braking his bike, he turned the engine off and ran back to Zhan, helping his boyfriend out of the window. Yibo gathered Zhan into his arms, smiling and pressing a kiss to the older's forehead, "Of course I did baby. I told you, I'm right here." Looking around to make sure his parents weren't turning the corner or anything, Yibo pulled Zhan in the direction of his bike, "Come on baby, let's get going...oh wait! Do you have the house keys? Can you go through the front door to get anything else you need?"

@† Wang Yibo Once Yibo had managed to get the rope around the bars, Zhan backed away from the window. The motorcycle revved, and Zhan could hear it practically /straining/ in an effort to get the bars off. They finally flew off with a loud /pop/, bouncing forward as they were wrenched off the frames. Zhan hurried to meet Yibo outside, stumbling as he clambered out the window before falling into Yibo's arms. He hugged the younger tightly, tears of relief flowing from his eyes this time. "You came for me," Zhan sniffed, his voice muffled from his face pressing against Yibo's shoulder. "You really came."

@† Xiao Zhan Yibo hated this sight. His boyfriend was trapped behind bars like a caged bird that needed to spread its wings and fly. He ran up to the window, gripping onto the bar with one hand while his other hand intertwined with Zhan's. "I'm here baby!" he panted to the older, slightly out of breath from his running. "I'm going to take you away. Wait for me, okay?" he asked. Seeing the bars that blocked his complete view of Zhan's face made Yibo even more desperate to get them off as soon as he could. He peered into Zhan's room, seeing that it was even more empty than yesterday. "Get all your belongings baby. I'm going to tie a rope to this bar and I'll pull them off." he told Zhan. Retrieving the rope from his bike, Yibo worked with a frenzied intensity that made him only see a straight line in front of him. After securing the rope in a dead-knot around the bars on Zhan's window, Yibo grabbed the other end of the rope, tying it against the frame of his motorcycle. He revved up his engine again, and without a second thought, drove full speed ahead to pull the bars off.

@† Wang Yibo Hearing the sound of a motorcycle approaching, Zhan knew that Yibo had come for him. He hurried to his window, sliding it open as much as he could so that he could stick his arm through the bars and flag Yibo down, as though Yibo might miss his house. "Yibo!" he called, waving desperately. "I'm here!" He had no idea how his boyfriend was going to manage to get the bars down, but he knew that if Yibo promised him something, he would get it done. When the younger came up to him, Zhan sniffed, linking their hands together. "Yibo... are you here to take me away?"

@† Xiao Zhan "That's okay. We'll figure something out," Yibo told Zhan as he hastily went back outside to get on his bike. He wouldn't be able to call Zhan on the phone while he was riding his bike, so reluctantly, Yibo coaxed Zhan, "I'm going to hang up now so I can drive okay? I'll be at your place soon." Yibo placed the giant rope that he found in the storage compartment of his bike, "Twenty minutes baby. I'll be there. Wait for me. I love you."

Yibo weaved in and out of the streets as he speeded towards Zhan's house. If his spedometer would let him go any faster, he would. Through his helmet visor, he only focused on the road in front of him, not stopping until je was in front of Zhan's house again. This time, he saw the black bars that jutted out from the wall that was Zhan's room. His boyfriend was in there, and he needed Yibo.

@† Wang Yibo "I think it's kind of drilled in, but it's not too deep," Zhan reported. Pressing the speakerphone function on the screen, Zhan left his phone on his bed as he began to pull out a couple of his shirts, folding them neatly and placing them in the bottom of his bag. His swollen eyes felt too tired to keep open, but Zhan pushed on, sliding his sketchbook against the back of the pack and tucking the pencils Yibo got him against the side. "Should I bring my ID?" Zhan asked, his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach when he realized he could not access the rest of the house. "Oh no... my parents have it in their room."

@† Xiao Zhan For Christians blinded by their faith, Zhan's parents sure moved quickly when it came to stripping Zhan of his freedom. Yibo frowned at the new piece of news. He couldn't just show up empty-handed then. What was he going to do, throw his motorcycle at the bars? That would be plain stupidity. "Okay, I'll think of some way. Wait for me baby," Yibo reassured Zhan, going back into his house and into the basement where his mother stored some tools. Maybe he could bring a screwdriver or an electric drill. "Can you tell me what the bars are being held up with?" Yibo asked Zhan over the phone, then realizing that the bars were on the outside and that Zhan was on the other side. As he rummaged through the tools, Yibo's hand suddenly brushed against something textured and rough. His hand gripped around it and he held it up, giving a firm nod of his head, "I think I got it."

@† Wang Yibo Zhan headed to the bars over his window and gave them a miserable tug. They were bolted on quite firmly — Zhan would definitely not be able to take them off with his own bare hands. "There's bars on the window," he reported to Yibo in a small voice. Not wanting to hang up just yet to face everything alone, Zhan picked up his backpack and set it on his bed, looking around his room for anything precious to pile beside his bag. He tried to clear his mind for a moment. His parents would be home by nightfall, so he would have to hurry. There was no time for second-guessing.

@† Xiao Zhan The moment Zhan gave his okay, Yibo was revving up the zoom out of his house. "Okay baby," he said, unplugging his phone from the charger and scrambling around for his bike keys. "I'm coming. Just pack everything you can. You can't get out of your room right? How about slipping out of your window the way that I did yesterday?" he suggested, already stepping out of the door when and starting up his motorcycle.

@† Wang Yibo Zhan wanted to leave, but what of his parents? If he left now, naive as he was, he knew that he would not be able to return — maybe not for a long time, maybe not ever. Sniffles filled the line as he paused to consider it. Yet, the thought of never seeing Yibo again was much more painful than leaving behind his parents and his old life. He nodded as he wiped tears away from his eyes, saying in a scratchy voice, "Yes... I want to leave. What do I have to do?" Looking around his room, Zhan realized that he did not have a lot of belongings. His most prized possessions could be packed away in his schoolbag. "I want to see you..."

@† Xiao Zhan "I- I... My parents locked me in... They said I'm never — /hic/ — leaving the house again."

Yibo's brows furrowed when he heard what Zhan was going through. How could anyone, let alone his own parents, consider imprisonment in the house as a suitable form of punishment like that? Yibo was quick to reassure Zhan when his boyfriend expressed his concern. "I won't baby. I'm right here okay. Do you want me to come and get you?" Yibo offered, clutching his phone tightly, "Just tell me if you want to leave babby, I'll come for you."

@† Wang Yibo Zhan cried for a long time before he was able to speak. He wanted to tell Yibo that he was okay, but was he really? His own parents had beaten him severely, something they had never done before. They were so blinded by rage that they did not even notice the fresh ink over his ankle. "Y-Yibo," he hiccuped when he was able to talk. "I- I... My parents locked me in... They said I'm never — /hic/ — leaving the house again." A fresh wave of hot tears was brought forth at the thought of being trapped inside his small room for the rest of his life. "Yibo... I want to be with you... Don't leave me, please."

@† Xiao Zhan Yibo's face was green when he got home that night. The thought of how he had abandoned Zhan back there without even turning to look back even once was eating at his conscience. What would happen to Zhan now that Yibo wasn't there? Pulling out his phone with trembling hands, Yibo began to text Zhan, hoping for a response to hear about the other's safety. When his mother came home, she could tell Yibo was in a bad mood, and left him to his own devices. With no response from Zhan, Yibo had a sleepless night. All he could do was hope that the phone in Zhan's hands had not been taken away so quickly.

The next morning, he had dark circles under his eyes as he stared at his phone. He was sitting by the wall, his phone kept alive by the charger all night in hopes of a simple response to update him on how Zhan was doing. Yibo's eyelids were getting heavy, but when he heard the sound of his ringtone, he immediately burst up, sliding the pick up button and holding the phone to his ears, "Baby?! Are you there? Is everything okay?" Yibo asked frantically, but all he heard was sobbing noises.

"Baby, I'm here. Did you get my texts?" Yibo asked with great concern, "Talk to me baby, what happened after I left? Are you okay?"

@† Wang Yibo Zhan pushed at Yibo when his father arrived. "Go!" he yelped, fearful for his boyfriend's life. It was probably the worst night that Zhan had to endure. His parents yelled at him for hours, striking him across the face every so often to 'beat the living sin out of him'. Zhan didn't even have the heart to check his phone — it was left in his bag, hidden beneath his bed. His face hurt and his body was filled with bruises. The very next morning, his father installed steel bars running across his windows, as well as replaced his bedroom door so that Zhan could not open it from the inside. There was a simple slot at the bottom for them to slide in a sloppily-made meal for him. That evening, after his parents had gone for church, Zhan finally dared slide his new phone out from under the bed. There were nearly a hundred messages from Yibo, but Zhan called the younger boy without reading any of them. When Yibo picked up, the comfort of hearing Yibo's voice brought Zhan to tears — all he could do was cry.

@† Xiao Zhan Yibo pulled out of Zhan just as the older pushed him off, rolling off the edge of the bed and scrambling to pick his clothing up. He had barely put his pants back one when he saw Zhan's father approaching him. "," he cursed, also panicking, "Baby, we should go-" Turning to glance at Zhan, concerned for the older's life just as much as his own, Yibo hesitated on if he should run or not. However, when he saw that Mr. Xiao was solely talking to him, Yibo gave Zhan one last apologetic glance before making a dash towards the open window and squeezing his way out of it. He didn't look back as he continued running, his heart racing as he raced down the streets towards the direction of his motorcyle. The entire time, Yibo was praying (yes, praying to Zhan's God or whatever) that his boyfriend would be alright.