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"What's this?" in his hands he held a tiny red box.
"What else, Valentine's Chocolates you dense cloud," she said, voice filled with her usual bravado.
However, she looked to the side as she added, "Don't think too much about it."
"Oh, thank-” On impulse, he thought to thank her, but then he thought, ‘did she spike these with chilis or something?’
“wait you didn't do anything to these did you?" he looked at her with an accusatory glare.
Her usual mischievous smile was plastered back on her face as she said "What? Me? Why I would never~? Hehehe"
He grumbled at that.
…
He spent the rest of the day mulling over whether or not he should risk eating them. Eventually, curiosity got the better of him.
"Xingqiu if anything happens, blame Hu Tao," he told the hydro user as he held one of the chocolates.
Xingqiu just watched expectantly, excited to see what'd happen next. Only to be disappointed as Chongyun hummed in mild surprise.
"Nothing?" Xingqiu asked disappointed.
"Mint" his favorite.
...
A month later he was browsing a store for something to get her for white day.
'Hmmm, white chocolates would be too plain, besides, what flavor would I get, she got me mint after all... what does she like? does she even like chocolate?’
It was there, bent over, staring at items in contemplation, that she found him. He didn't notice her walk up to him and position her mouth right next to his ear.
'What about a flow-' his thoughts were cut short by a mischievous voice whispering in his ear.
"heya cloudy~"
"Wah-!" he yelped in surprise, falling backward.
She giggled at him, then turned uncharacteristically serious in her curiosity, "You buying someone a white day present?" no hint of her usual mischief.
"Oh, uh, yeah..." he replied sheepishly scratching the back of his head. Looks like he'd been caug-
"You seem to be having trouble picking something out, do you want some help?"
He blinked at her, surprised at how genuine she sounded. Did she not know the gift he was picking out was for her?
"Uh... yeah actually, I was thinking chocolates would be too plain"
"ooo~, does Chongie have a crush and wanna give something special to a special someone?" she teased. ‘Ah, there’s the teasing’
"Wha-!? No! I-I just-!" He stuttered. Him having a crush on her?
"hahaha, well, if you don't wanna explain you don't have to," she said turning genuine once more, this was getting weird.
"if not chocolate why not get some other food," she looked upward and tapped her finger to her chin. Then she snapped "maybe a dinner date"
"That'd be too romantic, it's not like I'm dating them" he deadpanned.
(She breathed a small sigh of relief that he didn't catch.)
"What about flowers?" he suggested
"Ehhh, I don't like flowers as a gift for anything other than the departed,” she began. “flowers die too quickly, and besides there are so many different rules and meanings behind specific flowers and a lot of the right ones might not fit the white day theme"
"Well if you were receiving the gift what would you like to get?" he asked, looking back towards items to suggest if she couldn’t come us with anything.
She hadn’t expected that question for whatever reason.
"O-oh well... huh... I haven't really thought about it..." she raised her hand to her face and examined it absentmindedly.
"maybe jewelry," she said suddenly.
She mulled over the option, "Jewelry is less fleeting than the other gifts, and good jewelry can even be worn after death. It’s also not as by the books as chocolate, since you seem to want to give something special, but not as romantically charged as a dinner date as long as you don’t get anything too fancy"
He considered it for a moment, then walked over to the jewelry section.
She watched him curiously.
“Necklace or earring?” he asked her.
She pondered for a split second before simply answering, “Necklace.”
He thought it over a second longer before finally settling.
"Could I get that simple silver chain, with a white box?" he asked the attendant.
she stared at him with incredulity and disappointment.
"isn't that a little plain? Doesn’t that kinda defeat the whole ‘not wanting to get chocolate’ thing?" she deadpanned.
"Can it Walnut" he snarked back.
The attendant let out a small chuckle at the young couple.
"Let me just grab one of the white boxes from the back sir"
...
As they stepped out of the store he took the silver chain out of the box.
She looked at him curiously. If it was really gonna be something that plain, why didn’t he just go for the chocolate?
She peered over his shoulder to get a look as icy blue energy danced around his palm, forming an icy pendant in the shape of a butterfly.
"Oooo" she let out a sound in awe.
He turned around to face her.
"so that was your plan... clever cloud. It’s pretty" she praised.
"oh," he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "thanks, I guess."
"can I try it on~," she asked non-seriously, fully expecting him to say no.
"Sure," he said to her surprise.
He moved his hands to hook the necklace around her neck.
She was stunned. She blushed slightly with his hands and face so, so close.
As he backed away and admired his work, “it looks good on you.”
She just stood there recovering for a second, why was her heart being so fast? She questioned herself before finally responding, “Oh, uh, thanks, shame though sinc-”
She motioned to take it off but he waved a hand at her. “It’s yours”
She froze again. (that’s the second time in less than a minute) “Wait, bu-”
“The white day gift was for you, you Walnut.”
‘Oh,’ she felt silly, how did she not realize that.
An awkward silence fell on them as she gazed at him, still not fully believing things.
“D-don’t think anything of it, okay? It’s cause you got me something for Valentine’s day and it’s tradition and all.” He said embarrassed (little ice tsundere). Looking away to avoid her gaze
She nodded in agreement, “y-yeah, of course”
They just stood there in awkward silence for another moment before he decided maybe now would be a good time to leave.
“Well, um… I’ll be going now, I’ll see you,” he said awkwardly as he turned around.
"Thank you," she called out after him as he went on his way.
She then touched her fingertips to the pendant now hanging from her neck.
She smiled as she whispered to herself. "It's perfect, I love it."