Archive of Our Own ^beta

It was the beginning of a normal day, the sun was shining brightly, Liyue was bustling, and Xingqiu and Chongyun were hand in hand. Xingqiu had woken early, much before the sun had begun to show in full, and promptly decided he was in the mood for adventuring with Chongyun. So, he had immediately set out for Chongyuns residence after having a maid send invites to some of his close friends.

Despite the fact that Chongyun was not a morning person, he had still agreed to the trip to Dragonspine and allowed himself to be dragged around Liyue by his best friend to prepare. In the end, he had been the one to carry the food, the warming bottles, and the first aid. Thankfully he'd been able to carry almost half of it in his bag, but that still left him with a lot to hold on his own causing him to trip and stumble in a fruitless effort to keep the supplies from falling.

And then came the laughter.

"I paid for the supplies, dearest Chongyun, so I believe you understand why it is you must carry them, correct?" Xingqiu had teased. Chongyun shot him a dirty look, that held no real malice, for laughing at his struggle. He sighed fondly because as much as this was a struggle, affection filled his heart at the boy's giggles, and he couldn't find it in himself to really care.

Of course, Chongyun couldn't hold Xingqiu's hand while carrying so much, so a good amount was swept away by his friend anyway.

When the duo had arrived at Wanwen Bookhouse, Chongyun's eyes fixated on the four people standing outside looking through the collections of books. Lumine with Paimon, Xiangling, and Yun Jin were standing by the shelves. Paimon seemed to be arguing with Lumine, most likely about being hungry again, while Yun Jin sat next to them, happily engulfed in a book about classic opera shows. When the two boys became visible Xiangling began sprinting toward them.

"Hey! You guys kept us waiting here forever!" She exclaimed, arriving right in front of them and poking an accusing finger at Xingqiu's chest. "We were waiting so long Lumine managed to help three people in the span of an hour, and I had to stare at boring books that have way too many words!"

Xingqiu sighed "Mm is it my fault that you can't understand basic vocabulary?" He retorted, removing the hand in Chongyun’s to cross his arms. "And Yun Jin seems to be enjoying herself, so I can't seem to understand your point."

"That's because she found a book she likes! There isn't a single book in this store about cooking and the only one here about food has boring dull food!" She argued, flicking her finger against his head.

"Oh of all the-" Xingqiu began, before getting cut off by Chongyun’s hand. When he looked accusingly at the boy, Chongyun sighed and simply responded with a "Let's go before you get banned from your favorite place in Liyue." Before removing his hand lest it get bitten. As much as the two's affectionate arguing was endearing, the librarian was seeming to reach her limit with the noise.

Xingqiu quickly sent a pout Chongyun’s way, before sending a sheepish smile towards the disgruntled woman at the desk and dragging the group out of the bookhouse.

-^-

Once they had arrived at the mountain they had split the supplies among themselves. The group was certain they wouldn’t need to split up, so because Chongyun was the only claymore user he took most of the supplies, which he was fine with. 

Chongyun was a cryo user, and due to his pure-yang energy he ran a bit hotter than others. He didn't believe he would have too much trouble in the ice cold temperature, so if he had any trouble, all he really had to do was stick to Xingqiu and he would be fine. The boy had a weird way of making his pure-yang energy act up, most likely because of the way he made Chongyuns heart flutter and his knees weak.

Once the group had gotten all their belongings settled, the group set out to the mountain. Ready for anything coming their way.

-^-

Chongyun was lost.

He wasn't sure how he got to be in this situation, one second ago he was with the group, staying close to Xingqiu, and laughing along to the words he couldn't hear from his friends in the overpowering winds. They were staying close to the path and letting Xiangling light any torches they found. However, they soon let their guards down when things became too comfortable. Suddenly they were being chased by Fatui men and while they were able to hold them off, the noise attracted other monsters as well. 

They decided to make a run for it, but the slippery path near the lake and Chongyun’s inability to balance himself with the bags of supplies caused him to fall into the water. The water was deathly cold and he hadn’t got enough air before he fell. He needed to get out but he needed the Fatui men to leave.

When the Fatui had finally decided he was likely dead and set out to find his friends, Chongyun was able to get out of the water, he coughed and struggled to breathe in due to the cold air stabbing his throat. His hands were shaking from the air hitting his wet skin and he wanted so badly to lay down and rest, but he had to keep moving. He already knew he was on the path to hypothermia, but allowing himself to rest would just mean the chance of death would go up. 

So he staggered up and started walking.

Getting lost in the midst of cold snow was almost certainly a death wish, especially in a place where enemies could be lurking wherever. The panic sweeping through his bones at the thought of never being found terrified him, and made his heart start thumping with adrenaline. If he didn't get to a fireplace soon he would freeze, but the snow bit at his eyes, and he couldn't feel even a hint of warmth anywhere. 

He was alone now, wandering a path he didn't recognize, and nearly out of warming bottles from some opening in the lake and his attempts at keeping warm. The brief warmth could do nothing to help his wet clothes, and they made him practically unable to keep warm. All the food got cold and soggy, but he tried to salvage anything he could.

His only chance to survive would be to find a Fatui or hilichurl camp because he couldn't start a fire on his own, and they would have one going. But he didn't believe he could fend them off with the immense pain he felt from just shuffling around. The world was a blurred, white abyss, and he just wanted to sit down and give up.

But he couldn't leave Xingqiu alone.

If anything, he had to survive for him. Had to keep his smile, his happiness. And that hung on Chongyun, and whether he was strong enough. 

If he could get back to his group he would be saved, but the mountain was humongous and he didn't know if he could find them in time.

His hands had long stopped shivering, they felt numb and prickly, and if he remembered correctly that meant frostbite was taking effect. If he didn’t get to fire soon, he might not come out with all his fingers and toes.

In his incoherent stumbling to find fire, he heard something. Perhaps just his imagination, but anything would be better than this, a cold empty realm with him just waiting for death to take him. He focused on it, doing his best to hear anything other than the rapid screaming of the wind around him.

"Ch-..un! ..-ngyunn? Wh..e -.re y-.u!?"

Someone was.. someone was calling his name! He couldn't tell who, but he knew it had to be someone who could help him. If only he could tell what direction they were in, if only his voice was strong enough, if only he was enough .

"-yun! Ple-.e ..-ongyun??" The voice stumbled, they sounded extremely worried, their voice seemingly coming from every direction, an echo that sounded too close and too far. He stumbled in a direction, hoping maybe it would be enough to help them find him. Maybe they'd hear his raspy voice, maybe they'd see him through the mist, maybe they woul-

Sharp stabbing pain on his back pierced his thoughts, he could feel the skin tear and warm blood begin to flow, and he was slipping onto a hard surface. Loud cracks echoed in his head, and he had to wonder whether they were his bones or the ice.

He opened his eyes to find one of the Fatui smiling smugly down at him, saying something Chongyun couldn’t hear, before slamming the head of his sword into the ice. And this time he was certain the loud crack was the ice.

Someone screamed. A piercing scream that felt too close. And once again he fell into a cold, blue abyss. 

-^-

Xingqiu had been searching for his friend, looking in every nook and cranny. Searching his brain over and over for a memory that might help him. They had been fighting the Fatui and a group of hilichurls when they had decided to run because it was too much for them. One second Chongyun had been right behind him, and then he wasn’t. 

 He was trying to keep a calm expression on his face despite the absolute terror he was going through. A million questions threw themselves at and around his brain as he frantically all but turned the mountain upside down. 'Where is he? What's he doing? Is he okay? What if he's dead? Oh god whatifhesdeadwhatdowedoIneverevenconfe-'

 He was screaming his friend's name on the verge of tears, hoping maybe he'd be able to hear it despite the howling winds, when he'd heard the crack and the sound of the Fatui machinery.

He'd assumed he had walked close enough to another camp for them to see him so he began to inch away when he heard it.

A scream.

A raspy, broken scream. One that sounded like it had been hurting for too long. One that sounded exactly like his best friend.

So Xingqiu ran.

-^-

As Xingqiu sat near Chongyun's bed, the adrenaline slowly began to pour out of him. There was no pain to feel, as Barbara had supplied him with enough food and first aid to almost completely heal his injuries from fighting three Fatui at once, but an ache burned at his chest.

They had left the mountain with a sobbing Xingqiu and a passed out and injured Chongyun. Mondstadt was the closest city they could get to and Lumine happened to know a healer that could help deal with such a big injury. They had gotten there as quickly as they could, and Xingqiu had to be pried off of Chongyun so Barbara and a town doctor could operate on him.

Xingqiu had sobbed into Xianglings shoulder until he was allowed into Chongyun’s room, choking out apologies and mumbling prayers to every adepti he knew. 

And once he had been allowed in, he hadn’t come out.

The sisters helping with the healing had informed the group about how Chongyun had a concussion and a mixture of hypothermia and frostbite. He most definitely wasn’t in danger of dying and they were able to patch up the flesh wound on his back well enough it wasn’t a problem, but he would be passed out for a few days because of the concussion. 

He had written a letter to his father, telling him he would be unable to return home for at least a few weeks for private reasons. Not that anyone could read the tear-stained letter, the mixture of his already horrible handwriting and the sobs that racked his body led to a completely unreadable letter. But he doubted his father truly cared about the affairs of his second born son.

His friends had to bring him food and blankets so that he could at least rest a bit. When he had softly mumbled a thanks, but hadn’t moved from his spot next to Chongyun, Xiangling had given him a gentle scolding about how if he wanted to be alive when Chongyun woke up he better eat, and if he wanted to see him, he better make sure it wasn’t from the hospital bed next to him.

Xiangling had been the most common visitor other than Xingqiu, the others tried to come as often as possible, but the situation was too familiar for Lumine, and Yun Jin was very busy with shows. A few other friends came by but seeing the state the two were in wasn’t very easy, especially when they had only seen the duo joyful and smiling before. Shenhe came by once and a while, but mostly ignored Xingqiu. Only there for Chongyun.

Looking at Chongyun, pale face, and looking even more tired than Xingqiu himself, the ache in his chest began to spread itself even further, up and towards his throat. Overflowing his head. Began spilling out his eyes and mouth.

Whispers of apologies, prayers, and threats filled the room almost all the time. He apologized for making him hold all those supplies, prayed to every archon he knew to keep his friend safe, and threatened Chongyun to get well soon.

He had tried his best to stop crying, to pull himself together, but he had never been good at doing that around Chongyun.

It had been three days, Barbara had reassured him he would wake soon, but it really didn’t show on the boy's face. His face hadn’t twitched, nor moved at all. He looked like a dead boy breathing and it killed Xingqiu inside, no matter how much he was reassured.

"You're gonna be okay, okay?" Rasped the young boy, eyebrows creasing together "cause if you're not, I'll- I'll kill you." He hiccuped, drawing out a hand that had long fallen asleep and cradling his face. Again, the boy did not respond, his face didn't even twitch.

“I’m sorry, I'm so, so sorry” he sobbed.

He almost didn't notice when the boy's face gently leant into him, so slowly it looked like he had hardly moved. But Xingqiu noticed when his hand felt heavier, and he shot his head up to look at the boy.

A sparkle of hope caused his breath to catch, and as he inspected his face, he noticed that Chongyun’s head had moved from where it originally was.

As he was about to scream for Barbara, who had left to bring him some lunch, she was suddenly right next to him. 

"Holy-" he flinched, but quickly found her finger on his lips. She made sure his hand was still holding Chongyun’s face before turning to him.

"Shh," she whispered, "hmm, it seems he is reacting well to physical touch, and he’s showing some signs of spatial awareness." She began to unstrap some of the IVs that had been feeding him and lowered the metal bars surrounding his bed.

When she was done, she turned to him and looked expectantly. Not knowing what she wanted, he sent a questioning glance between Barbara and Chongyun. She rolled her eyes and stepped even further from the bed, gesturing to it. "He's still in a bad place, and I can't promise you this will help completely, but I believe I've read in some of my books that physical touch can be extremely healthy for patients, especially from people they care about, because it makes them relax." She paused to take a deep breath. "If he is somewhat aware of his surroundings, then physical touch may be a way to speed up the healing."

He sat dumbfounded for a moment, "you got all that from him leaning into me?" He questioned, slowly lowering himself onto the bed in a sitting position. 

“To be really honest with you I’ve been sitting on these kinds of ideas for a bit, I just didn’t want to bother you, or give you false hope.” She smiled sadly at him. He looked up at her, before turning to Chongyun.

“You don’t need to be shy, in fact, this may help you as well, I’ve noticed your physical state has been declining. I want to help you Xingqiu, this really isn’t healthy” She sighed. 

“I’ll let you be alone, but please, take my advice?” She pleaded before walking into the main building, mumbling something about showering and singing.

He sighed, turning to Chongyun. Slowly, so as to not rustle any of the remaining IVs and to make sure he didn’t hurt the boy, he lowered himself onto the small bed. It was too small, so of course he has curled up against him already. The boy was warm from the blankets wrapped around him, and he smelled like freshly washed linen because of the gown they had given him. His skin was soft, and his face looked so gentle while sleeping, and he just looked so sweet.

 He slowly wrapped an arm around him, and gently placed his head into the crook of Chongyun's neck, doing his best not to rest too much of his weight on him.

“Oh Yun,” he whispered gently against his skin. “I really really miss you” 

He thought back to the days that he and Chongyun laughed together, thought back to the pranks, the handholding, and the days he and Chongyun had been happy. He smiled sadly, remembering how Chongyun had always loved his singing, even if it made his Yang energy act up. He started humming the tune to a popular Liyue lullaby.

Even though his voice was cracked and Chongyun might not even hear him, he whispered the words gently while tears slowly fell down his face.

And he was able to fall asleep for the first time in days right there with Chongyun in his arms.

-^-

Chongyun was drowning.

He felt himself being pulled, dragged down into a deep, black abyss, and every second it became harder to keep swimming up. His lungs didn’t burn with the need for oxygen like they normally would underwater, but the huge unknown space around him and his steady sink into the cold, dark abyss, scared him much more than drowning.

His head felt fogged, like when he was sick or when he got up too quickly after sitting down for too long. The world around him felt strange, felt confusing, but he could tell he needed to move. He had one thought on his mind and he knew he had to do it. He had to swim.

He should have lost motivation a long time ago, but every second thoughts of Xingqiu tugged at his brain.

If he didn’t live, he knew Xingqiu would take it harshly. He knew it would take months, maybe even years to recover from it. And if he didn’t live, who could help Xingqiu with the minor inconveniences in life? Who would help him with his letters, his bags, his mood? 

Who could he go to cry after a long day when Chongyun is the only person who allows him to be himself? 

When Chongyun thought of the grief and pain Xingqiu would go through, it made his skin burn. Made the struggle in swimming seem smaller.

But of course, the waves were stronger.

They tossed and turned him and at some point, he didn’t know whether he was swimming upwards or downwards but the small white light that was further down.

He had heard stories from old adventurers that said sometimes when an adventurer got too close to death, only to be saved last second by a healer, they saw a bright light. Some theorized it was the path to a new life, whether the afterlife or rebirth.

And if Chongyun knew anything, he knew he did not want that.

So he kept swimming away from it, no matter how strong the waves were, he kept going. When his motivation was burning a little too low, he would think of Xingqiu, and how hopefully he would be saved soon enough.

Eventually, the sea began to calm, he could drift without needing to swim for long periods of time. But he continued to swim in the seemingly never-ending sea because he hated the unknown, and the sea around him told him nothing. Time couldn’t pass, space never moved, and he couldn’t help but feel helpless to the sea around him.

-^-

At some point in the dark sea around him, he began to feel warmth on his cheek. And even though he didn’t know what it was, or where it was coming from, he leaned into it. And it felt so sweetly familiar, that he couldn’t help but feel his heart begin to flutter. 

The warmth slowly began to spread, the feeling on his cheek moving to feel like an arm around his waist, and it felt like someone was curled up around him with their head resting on his neck.

The comfort made him feel so wonderfully loved , and it made him want to start crying like a child because he missed being held by Xingqiu so much . He missed talking to him, he missed reading to him, he missed writing him stupid letters when he was away on adventures and he missed attempting to understand his responses.

But most of all he missed Xingqiu. 

And when he began to feel something gently playing with his hair, he finally let himself begin to cry.

-^-

Xingqiu awoke a few hours after dark, and when he slowly got into a sitting position, he noticed that Chongyun's face was a bit red, and had tear tracks.

The thought that Chongyun had been crying while sleeping made Xingqiu’s heart hurt, and he wondered what could be going on in his head. He gently stroked the boy's forehead, smiling at the way the boy's face seemed to settle at the touch.

Before he could lay back down and go back to sleep, he noticed that there was a plate of Crystal Shrimp left by his bed, with a note left next to it.

He slowly got up from the bed and picked up the note. 

‘I know ur probably gonna sleep past dinner 'cause you’ve been awake for three whole days, so I brought you your favorite food! Get some more sleep after too!

-Xiangling (the best person ever)’

The note brought a small smile to his face, and he sat down at the small desk next to Chongyun’s bed to eat the dish. As he began to eat, he observed the food had a much spicier undertone to it than when he made it. 

While he ate, he observed Chongyun. He seemed much more rested than before Xingqiu had wrapped his arms around him, so he assumed it had helped them both, and his heart fluttered at the thought of Chongyun finding comfort in him even while he was unconscious.

Once he had finished the food, he climbed back into Chongyun’s bed. He thought briefly about making a response to Xianglings note but realized she wouldn’t be able to read it anyway, as well as he would probably see her in the morning.

When he had made it successfully into the bed without jostling Chongyun too much and had gotten into a similar position as they were in when they had first gone to sleep, he sighed happily.

Even though Chongyun was still unconscious, he felt more alive than he had before, and he finally started to believe that he would live.

As he drifted off to sleep he could faintly recall feeling the motion of a hand on his back.

-^-

Chongyun didn’t believe he could sleep in the sea he was in, but the warmth made him feel like he could get close enough. He became aware awhile after the warmth had shown up, and he noticed the warmth seemed to have moved during his moment of ‘sleep’.

Instead of curled up against his side, it felt as though it was resting against his chest. It wasn’t too heavy and felt more like a weighted blanket except all balled up against him. It was much more comforting than it most likely should have been, but he didn’t really care.

As he sat there, allowing himself to take in all of the comfort he could, he began to feel the warmth moving away. He panicked for a second, getting close to tears at the thought of being stuck in this hell on his own again, before he realized he could still feel the presence of it.

It felt like he had someone watching him, except it felt much kinder than a glare or someone spying on him, it felt like when Xingqiu smiled at him, or when he watched him fight.

So he calmed his heart and waited because somewhere in his heart he knew the warmth would come back, and he already couldn’t wait. The thought that he was getting dependent on it made him blush, but he ignored it.

He smiled widely when it returned, surrounding him like it had when it first arrived. His heart thumped when he felt it against his neck again.

He wanted more than anything to get out of this place, he knew it wasn’t real, knew it had to be some figment of his imagination, but that didn’t stop him from fearing it, fearing losing to the waves.

But at least he had something to comfort him, something to hold him, even if it weren’t as good as the real thing. Even if it couldn’t compare to the days that Chongyun had held Xingqiu in his arms when he cried, when Xingqiu had done the same for him, it couldn't compare to when they had won a particularly hard fight. Even if the warmth couldn’t compare to Xingqiu in all his wonderfulness.

-^-

Xingqiu woke up near after sunrise, and he felt more rested than he had in the last 4 days.

Barbara had been standing near Chongyun’s bed when he woke, checking up on Chongyun. She smiled at him when he had sat up and had happily told him Chongyun’s health had gotten much better, and that he was showing signs of waking up soon.

She had pointed out that his arm had moved while he had slept, that it had wrapped around his waist but fell off when he had woken.

The movement made Xingqiu’s heart flutter, and he started smiling harder than he had in weeks at the thought of Chongyun finally waking up.

He gently grabbed Chongyun’s hand and began rubbing small circles on his knuckles.

He smiled at Barbara thanking her for her help because he really owed her his life.

She told him it was nothing, and that all she needed was maybe a few visits from time to time.

“I’d really like to get to know the Xingqiu who isn’t crying over my patient all the time.” She had teased, smiling and patting him gently on the head. She left again, most likely to give him more privacy. 

He turned toward Chongyun, smiling at the calm expression on the boy's face. A sudden wave of softness hit his heart and he lowered himself enough to put his forehead against Chongyun’s.

“Yun, oh my dear Yun, I love you so much.” He whispered, staring down at the boy lovingly.

And he silently placed a small kiss on Chongyun’s nose.

-^-

Chongyun felt warm.

This is understandable because of his Pure-Yang energy, and he has been cuddling a warmth, but this is much more. He feels like he’s slept out in the sun for too long, or like he went on a long adventure with no rest or water.

The thing is, the warmth is almost entirely by his heart.

He’s felt this before, like when Xingqiu teases him for staring at him, when Xingqiu gets a little too close to his face, or when Xingqiu stares at him for a bit too long.

Of course, at those times, he had his popsicles, he could cool off his Yang energy. Now he was stuck burning and he wasn’t sure why.

Maybe it was because he had felt a soft rubbing against his knuckles, maybe it was when he felt the weight near his chest return, but most likely it was when he felt a soft weight against his forehead.

And if he wasn’t almost completely sure the warmth was Xingqiu, he might’ve been concerned.

Of course, the thought of Xingqiu holding him like that made the heat nearly two times hotter than it was before, so he tried to ignore it. But really it was the only explanation for the warmth he had been with.

He knew he was in a place that was in his head, that was the only explanation for the almost endless sea that surrounded him despite the fact that he could still breathe.

And the most logical explanation was that the warmth was someone in the real world. That just left him to wonder who it was, it couldn’t be one of his adventure buddies, because they weren’t close enough for that. It couldn’t be Shenhe, because she wasn’t one for physical touch. The only explanation was that it was Xingqiu. 

Xingqiu would be by his side if he was as injured as he thought he was, and probably even if he wasn’t too badly wounded. And if anyone tried to mess with or touch his body, he would stop them, because he was one to get jealous easily.

So, most likely, it was Xingqiu.

And truly he didn’t mind it, because he had really been suffering alone. He had been afraid, lonely, and he had been losing hope. So Xingqiu holding him had truly been his savior because he might’ve given up alone.

That just left him to think about Xingqiu, and how he had held him so closely. 

The thought of Xingqiu, the boy that he had been in love with for so long, embracing him so often and so closely, made his body burn more.

And, god it was getting a bit too hot for him at this point. If this was any other moment he would’ve passed out by now, but it was a little too late for that.

Just as he began to calm down, he felt the warmth cupping his face and could feel a warm breath against his face. And he really couldn’t handle it.

The red, hot, warmth spread from his heart to his entire body. He was burning , and he couldn’t even find it in himself to care. His breaths started to grow more labored, and his world started to blur, but the feeling felt so wonderful he couldn’t even focus on it.

He hit his peak when he felt gentle lips against his nose. The thought of Xingqiu’s lips against his skin made his entire body begin to burn a thousand times hotter. 

His eyes flew open and a gasp fell from his lips, and he noticed that for once, he wasn’t in the sea.

-^-

Xingqiu was about to lift himself off of Chongyun when he noticed that the boy was breathing rather hard and that he was sweating.

He was about to call for Barbara when Chongyun’s eyes flew open and a loud gasp filled the room. The boy immediately sat up, most likely regretting it from the look of pain on his face.

Xingqiu sat dumbfounded for a moment because his best friend had just woken up out of nowhere. Chongyun looked up at him, eyes widening and his mouth hanging open, most likely a mirror of Xingqiu.

“Xingqiu?” Chongyun mumbled, voice breathy and cracked from days of un-use. His voice snapped Xingqiu out of it and made him realize what was happening.

“Chongyun!” He screeched and threw himself at the boy. Chongyun yelped as he was tackled, catching Xingqiu in his arms, and somehow not falling backwards.. He found himself laughing at Xingqiu’s antics and wrapped his arms around him because god had he missed him.

Xingqiu came to a realization and started throwing the boy around in his arms. “You idiot! You got yourself horribly wounded and gave me a bunch of grief just to wake up out of nowhere?!”

“Ah- Xingqiu I’m- I’m sorry alright! Just stop doing that- You’re gonna kill me!” He yelped in response, the shaking causing his head to ache.

Xingqiu stopped and stared at the boy in his arms. Chongyun’s face burned red from the close proximity of their faces, and the fact that the boy was practically in his lap, thankfully, not close enough to cause a real problem.

Xingqiu gently placed his forehead against Chongyun’s, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply the boy's scent. Chongyun smiled, staring at Xingqiu’s pretty face.

“You nearly gave me a heart attack you know,” Xingqiu whispered accusingly, opening his eyes and staring into the other boys. “I thought you were dead when I saw you fall into the ice.” 

Chongyun sighed, bringing Xingqiu’s body closer to his. “I’m sorry, I really wish I could have woken up sooner, or never fallen asleep in the first place. I’m sorry for making you worry.” He sighed again, taking his face away from Xingqiu’s and placing it on his shoulder. 

Xingqiu let out a breath of relief, and let his head gently rest against Chongyun’s. He wanted more than anything to kiss Chongyun, kiss his nose, forehead, and cheeks. But he didn’t want to scare Chongyun away when he had just got him back.

“Xingqiu, can I tell you something?” Chongyun mumbled against his neck, his breathing sending shivers up Xingqiu’s back.

“Of course, dearest Chongyun.” He smiled, the fancy talk making a comeback. Chongyun breathed a laugh before he brought his face back up to smile at Xingqiu. He gently put a hand on Xingqiu’s cheek.

Xingqiu blushed at the touch but gently leaned into his hand. 

“I care about you a lot. You're probably one of the best things that ever has happened to me, and I hope we don't ever have to part again.” He whispered earnestly, staring up at the boy with eyes full of love.

His words made Xingqiu’s heart begin to thump because he was so sweet , and he looked so lovely that Xingqiu really couldn’t stop himself from wrapping his arms tighter around the boy and gently leaving a kiss against his forehead.

Only when he had brought his face away from the others had he realized what he had done. He was fully ready to get asked to leave by a grossed-out Chongyun, but when he looked at the boy, his face was fully red, and he was wearing a small smile.

Chongyun started giggling, because finally he knew Xingqiu felt the same after years of pining, and it was in a hospital bed . And eventually, Xingqiu joined in.

 Xingqiu cupped Chongyun’s face in his hands and began kissing Chongyun everywhere, peppering them over every place he’s dreamed about. Chongyuns face was entirely red, but he was smiling, holding XIngqius hands and leaning into them.

Of course, eventually, a sister walked in and ruined the moment, but it was okay because they could handle a little scolding from Barbara, and they both were still riding on the euphoria from each other.

Eventually Xiangling had learned of Chongyun waking up, and of their new relationship. So it was inevitable she would burst into Chongyun’s room screaming.

 “Finally! I've been watching you two god-damn idiots pin over each other for years!”

She yelled, causing a blush to raise on both of their cheeks. 

“You knew?!” Xingqiu had yelped, while Chongyun placed his head in his hands. 

She rolled her eyes, “Of course I knew! You two were so obvious about it I wouldn't be surprised if the entirety of Liyue knew!” she shot, sitting down at the bedside chair, mumbling something about oblivious friends.

Of course, as much as Xiangling was disgruntled, she had still hugged Chongyun and threatened to fill all his food with Jueyun Chili if he ever got injured like that again. He had happily obliged.

The pair got many visits over the course of Chongyun’s recovering, mostly close friends, and they all told them they were glad Chongyun was okay and they the two had finally 

Soon enough, Chongyun was allowed to leave, with strict orders to rest for at least a few weeks. As much as he wanted to get back to adventuring, Xingqiu would be staying with him until he was better. And Chongyun knew if he tried anything Xingqiu would put him six feet underground. So they spent their days lounging around his house and taking the occasional walk around Liyue.

Once Chongyun had recovered, Xingqiu would go on as many dates as possible with him. They would ignore Xingqius parents, and they would ignore anyone who looked at them weird. He would kiss him, he would hold him, Xingqiu would do everything in his power to protect him, and he knew Chongyun would do the same. Because Xingqiu loved him, and Chongyun loved him back.