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'Thank you for the meal, but I'm afraid I must be off!' Xingqiu excused himself from the table and waved goodbye to Chongyun. Chongyun smiled and waved back as Xingqiu walked out the door of Wanmin restaurant. Neither of them heard Xiangling approach, but her voice was a dead giveaway, that Xingqiu heard as soon as he stepped outside. Her shrilly delivered question to Chongyun was apparently initiating a conversation, and Xingqiu swore he was going to leave them alone and head on his way, until he managed to make out Xiangling's first sentence and immediately became intrigued.
'SO, are you going to ask him out?' She burst out. Xingqiu was hovering by the noticeboard, hidden from sight by Xiangling and Chongyun, but he could hear them clearly (mostly due to Xiangling's very loud, very high pitched voice), and was instantly puzzled by this question. He fought hard not to look around to make out Chongyun's expression, because Xiangling was being extremely forward in a topic Xingqiu had never heard Chongyun discuss. Romance was quite literally the last thing Chongyun associated himself with, even covering his ears when Xingqiu read out an excerpt from a romance novel was a normal reaction for him. Xingqiu's steadily moving train of thought was interrupted by some mumbling from Chongyun. Listening in proved useless, as Chongyun's answer was very quiet. Xingqiu moved closer around the edge of the building, where there was a window right above the table where they were talking.
He tried not to cringe at himself. Stalking his friends' conversation after just leaving, Xingqiu thought, How ridiculously shameful. Snatches of words floated through the window in Chongyun's voice, 'Can't....shouldn't know that...how did...crush...Xingqiu...friendship,'.
Every second of this was muddling up Xingqiu's brain even more. How was Chongyun's response to asking some unknown person out, Xingqiu's name? The thoughts in his brain were ticking like a bomb about to go off, when amongst the restaurant's muffled chatter, Xiangling's voice rang out with such clarity that it was like an arrow to the skull.
'Jeez, you've been friends for what, 10 years? How long have you...'
Xingqiu's heart was beating faster, and he swallowed thickly to wash away the lump that was settling in his throat. He was both dreading and desperately needing the end of Xiangling's poorly conducted sentence. It was impossible... but what if...?
'...y'know... liked him?'
Xingqiu forgot how to breathe. His head was swimming, barely having enough brainpower to focus on piecing together Chongyun's response. The only thing he heard after his ears reattached themselves to his nervous system was heavy footfalls, and a door slamming. He blinked in the sudden darkness of his own room. He had run so far and so fast, but he didn't feel breathless. He felt as if all the worlds air had just crashed on top of him.
It was so rude, so terribly wrong to have overheard such a private conversation. No, no, don't jump to conclusions, don't think like that... Xingqiu tried to tell himself, right before his thought process took a leap the size of Mount Aocang. When Xingqiu had hunches, they were rarely ever wrong, but he had to be, he had to be wrong to think Chongyun liked him back.
Xingqiu pictured Chongyun's face, his eyes, his gentle smile, and how god damn pretty he was. Xingqiu could barely handle the weight of knowing about his own massive, embarrassing crush on his best friend, but Chongyun liking him back? Xingqiu thought he might just die on his bedroom floor.
Okay, I can handle this, Xingqiu thought. I know that my best friend has a crush on me now, and I just need to deal with it. He rests his hand on the doorknob, pausing, and tracing his lips with his tongue in thought. My best friend has a crush on me. He rolls the sentence over and over in his mind. Calmly, Xingqiu removes his hand from the doorknob, turns around, flops on his bed and screams into a pillow.
Xingqiu emerged from the pillow, red-faced and wide-eyed. He had been deep in his thoughts for so long now, but didn't have any plans to stop. He couldn't wrap his head around the possible fact that Chongyun, Chongyun, the sweetest friend on the face of Teyvat, could feel the same way about Xingqiu the way Xingqiu had felt about him since he could remember.
Did Chongyun's heart also do backflips when Xingqiu smiled at him across the room? Xingqiu erased the thought from his treacherous mind. He mustn't get his hopes up, after all, all he heard were muffled snippets of conversation through the window of a noisy restaurant. Yes, that's it, Xingqiu breathed in shakily and tried to fan the pink tinge away from his face, just a simple misunderstanding. He would be able to face Chongyun tomorrow, as just friends, nothing more, totally normally, as they had always done.
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As it turns out, Xingqiu could not face Chongyun. The nervous energy had piled up overnight, and the next day, seeing Chongyun's gentle smile through a crowd of people was literally just enough to make Xingqiu melt.
Before Xingqiu had time to panic further, Chongyun almost instantly launched into conversation, saving Xingqiu of any embarrassing babbling.
'Xingqiu! I was going to invite you yesterday, but you'd left before I got the chance. You see-'
'Uh- invite me where?' Xingqiu nervously asked. He knew Chongyun meant this innocently, but the itching thought at the back of his mind wouldn't leave; He wants to ask you out, he wants to ask you out, he wants to-
'Ah, some caves near Azhdaha's domain that Auntie Shenhe mentioned to me,' Chongyun told him with a bright expression, his eyes wide and sparkling.
Xingqiu almost breathed a sigh of relief, he was not ready for...nevermind...
'Ah, of course, are these caves suitable for your thaumaturgy training?' Xingqiu said, regaining his posture.
Chongyun nodded gleefully, 'Yes! I heard they are full of evil spirits, and uh,' his face flushed but he still maintained eye contact with Xingqiu, 'I trust no one else but you to help me,'
Xingqiu remained unaffected by this (only in his facial expressions, meanwhile his head was screaming at how cute Chongyun was being) but beamed brightly.
'I promise I will help you as much as I can, if Shenhe entrusts you with such a big task then I am sure you can emerge with victory!' Xingqiu almost took on a narrator-ish style of speaking, because this really was seeming like the beginning of an epic adventure.
Chongyun usually tried to dial down big outbursts of emotion, to stay calm and keep his yang energy balanced, but he was obviously so excited by this that he smiled bigger than Xingqiu had ever seen him. His normal sheepish grin was a full smile, and Xingqiu's heart nearly popped like a water balloon. Then it did when Chongyun turned his head slightly towards him.
Oh.
He had dimples.
A simple dent in his face. Chongyun's grin only lasted for a second, but it was imprinted on Xingqiu's brain for eternity. He had dimples. Xingqiu knew every centimetre of Chongyun's perfect face, his smooth skin, bright eyes and pale eyelashes, and his lips that Xingqiu almost refused to look at. He couldn't believe that he had missed Chongyun's dimples. Did Chongyun know he was doing this to Xingqiu? That he was driving his best friend crazy just by existing?
'Qiu? Are you okay? You kinda... froze..' Chongyun asked tentatively. Xingqiu snapped out of it. He was so humiliated for being that obvious. How else would he react after finding out Chongyun had dimples?
'Ah, yes, perfectly fine! Sorry, I spaced out for a bit' Xingqiu replied cheerily, still a little dazed. He really hoped he hadn't been lost in thought for that long. 'What are we waiting for? You have spirits to exorcise!'
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As Chongyun's obsession with these caves became greater, so did the weight of Xingqiu's feelings. Ignorance really is bliss, he always thought every time Chongyun turned to look at him or asked him how he was doing. The absolute thought of Chongyun liking him, thinking about him, wanting to be more than friends with him, was absolutely torturous. Xingqiu couldn't help feeling like the stupidest person in Liyue. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed the little things, how Chongyun's cheeks tinged pink then Xingqiu touched him, the way Chongyun's gaze lingered slightly longer on Xingqiu when they were together, the silence that lingered when Xingqiu leaned against Chongyun, like he was lost in thought. And all this time together, exploring the caves, really wasn't helping in the slightest.
Chongyun excitedly started to drag Xingqiu to the caves in the small hours of the morning every other day, as eagerly as a child in a lolly shop. Occasionally he would grab Xingqiu's hand in darker areas, as a precaution in case they got lost. Xingqiu wasn't aware that safety precautions didn't normally make you feel like you might faint.
The pair thoroughly searched the caves, week after week, were spent in dim light and emerging with scrapes and scratches and quips of; 'It was simply too fast, don't beat yourself up,' and, 'My, you certainly did get very close,your best yet,' from Xingqiu after a very discouraged Chongyun failed yet again to exorcise even a small spirit. Yet they still returned to the caves soon after, and the cycle of Xingqiu's seemingly endless pining repeated.
Xingqiu could have easily avoided this predicament if he decided to be brave and tell Chongyun what he knew and how he felt. But the problem with that is that Xingqiu is very smart, so smart that it made him stupid. So he did what a normal person would do when they learn that their crush feels the same way; absolutely nothing.
What was he supposed to do under these circumstances? Xingqiu had overheard a private conversation, and there was a very high chance that Chongyun's feelings would be hurt, or his trust in Xingqiu would be tainted after Xingqiu told him the truth. Even worse, Xingqiu could have misheard majorly, and Chongyun didn't even like him at all. All these possibilities made his head spin, so the smartest choice was clearly to treat everything with normalcy until Xingqiu was absolutely certain that he knew how Chongyun felt.
Of course, Xingqiu was surprised by the fact that instantly after this decision was made, their 'normalcy' became spending long hours in enclosed spaces and winding tunnels, with nobody else but Chongyun. Just them. In the dimness. Together.
It would all be over soon, Shenhe would whisk Chongyun away to another form of training, one that wasn't the reason Xingqiu woke up in the morning but also the reason his soul felt like it weighed a million pounds.
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'She's not that fast, you can reach her!' yelped Xingqiu as he sent a flurry of hydro swords towards the giggling ghost girl. They had finally cornered a large spirit, the ghost of a young girl who only wanted to play 'chasey'. She was simply wandering the caverns, but ran as soon as she sensed Chongyun's excess yang energy, the culprit of all his exorcism failures. She seemed very harmless, but a spirit is a spirit, and Chongyun could exorcise her.
The pair raced towards her, as her glowing skin illuminated the entire tunnel in an eerie ring, running just out of their reach while laughing all the way. Chongyun was getting so close, Xingqiu couldn't let the ghost escape him again. Suddenly the tunnel ended, and the trees began. The exit of the cavern spat them out into a large, dark clearing of an unknown forest. The little spirit girl was stunned too, blinking in the sudden change of scenery, when Xingqiu seized his chance.
Sliding across the dewy grass, he whipped out his sword and cornered the spirit. She shrieked, and made the grave mistake of turning around. Chongyun summoned more talismans than Xingqiu could count, screaming with cryo energy, pulsating and glowing, soaring through the glade and colliding with their target.
Chongyun's brows furrowed with concentration, reciting the chant under his breath. Xingqiu could only stand in awe as the whirlwind of frost subsided, leaving nothing but a cool breeze behind. It had all happened before he could blink. Xingqiu turned his gaze to Chongyun, who was open-mouthed and staring straight back at him. There was no little ghost girl blocking their view anymore. The forest whispered, pouring into the awed silence of the two boys.
After all the anticipation, neither of them could believe it. The silence was shattered by Chongyun's screaming of joy. He contained nothing, and he didn't need to, because there was no spirit left after he had successfully exorcised it. Xingqiu dropped his sword and ran to Chongyun, who was jumping on the spot and whooping with pure happiness. His hair was ruffled, his shirt was askew, but his normally soft cheeks were cracked open by a massive grin.
And there they were again. The small, seemingly insignificant dents in Chongyun's cheeks that literally nearly killed Xingqiu. His dimples didn't move as he leaned forward and wrapped his arms tightly around Xingqiu.
Remaining calm was the most useless solution in the world right now, but everything in the world seemed to stop. Chongyun was warm and inviting, enveloping Xingqiu. All the romance books Xingqiu had ever read were currently failing him dismally. Why did they always write about kissing? Xingqiu didn't have time to piece together his brain enough and hug Chongyun back before he pulled away.
Chongyun only moved back a small measurement, removing his hands from Xingqiu's waist. They were still very close together, their chests almost touching. Chongyun didn't notice any of this, thank the Sevens, Xingqiu thought, but his face was flushed and he was still grinning.
'I did it. I can't believe I did it,' Chongyun whispered, shaking his head in disbelief, then locking eyes with Xingqiu, 'I really couldn't have done it without you, Xingqiu. Thank you so much,'
Xingqiu did what any totally platonic friend would do. As if possessed, he cupped Chongyun's cheeks with his hands and kissed him. Xingqiu had moved faster than he could think, but the kiss was light, a simple brush together. Xingqiu felt all the butterflies in his stomach dissipate the moment he pressed his lips against Chongyuns. It was a pure second of ecstasy before Xingqiu realised that this was the single most idiotic thing he'd ever done, and hastily pulled away.
Xingqiu only moved away a centimetre, about to apologise profusely for his actions, before he felt Chongyun pull him back. It felt clumsier, Chongyun's mouth moving gently against Xingqiu's, but still just as perfect.
Xingqiu could feel Chongyun's temperature rising, but neither of them moved away. Xingqiu's mind was swimming, he could barely string together a thought but I'm kissing Chongyun, I'm kissing Chongyun, I'm kissing him. After an eternity, they broke apart. Xingqiu exhaled softly, still stunned, his hands on Chongyun's face and Chongyun's hands in Xingqiu's hair.
The entire world blinked, and even the wind stood still as the silence surrounded them, still holding each other. Xingqiu's eyes slowly moved up Chongyun's face, taking in his stunned expression, and mentally preparing for what Chongyun might say, until Xingqiu spoke first.
'You have...really soft lips,' Xingqiu breathed, drowning in awkwardness. Oh, how he wished he could die right then, safe from the coming judgement. At least he could die happy, after kissing Chongyun!
'How did you know?' Chongyun finally asked, his voice cracking.
'Pardon?'
'You knew I liked you, didn't you,'
'I found out on accident,' Xingqiu admitted, 'and I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have been listening in, and I shouldn't have acted so quickly without asking-'
Chongyun shut him up by kissing Xingqiu again, who very,very nearly fainted right then and there.
Chongyun pulled away more slowly, this time leaving Xingqiu the stunned one.
'I'm glad you found out though, I was too much of a coward to actually say anything,' said Chongyun shyly, his face flooding with a bright shade of red. Xingqiu swallowed, washing down the butterflies that had returned.
'I like you too. A lot, actually,' Xingqiu whispered.
'Yeah, I kind of got that,'
Xingqiu laughed quietly, resting his forehead on Chongyun's shoulder so he wouldn't see the blush creeping across Xingqiu's face.
'Archons, I really am stupid,' Xingqiu mumbled, still laughing.
'Yeah,' Chongyun replied, lowering his hands down to Xingqiu's waist, pulling his body in again, 'but now you're my stupid,'
'That's awfully forward,' Xingqiu spluttered, taken aback. He turned his head to face Chongyun, who was chuckling sheepishly.
'You want to be my boyfriend that bad, Yunyun?' said Xingqiu teasingly, watching Chongyun get steadily even more flustered, as he always did when being called such a childish nickname, with the addition of being asked out.
'On-only on one condition,'
'Anything, dearest Chongyun,'
'You kiss me again,'