Work Text:
A head of light blue hair made its way through the crowds in Liyue Harbor. The boy it belonged to was panting slightly, a camera held securely in his hands. Work that day took longer than expected. The fire in Qingce village was big, the flames catching onto every house and plant as the winds blew. Fortunately, extra help came in the form of travelers from Mondstadt. Still, he was late.
The sun already started to set before he found himself looking up at the familiar staircase of Wanwen library. He gave himself time to catch his breath. Inhale, exhale. He fixed his hood, tried to flatten his hair, and made sure his camera strap was properly placed around his neck. Bracing himself, the boy pushed open the doors and took in the smell of books.
"Welcome back, Chongyun," Jifang greets behind a large stack of hardbound novels. "Could you kindly help me carry these?"
Chongyun immediately shuffled forward to take most of the novels off the head librarian's arms. He followed her to the shelves that contained all the fantasy books and watched as she deftly arranged them. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but was interrupted.
"Was that my beloved's name I heard?" came a voice from above. A rather mischievous face popped out from the second floor balcony, its golden eyes sparkling in the sunlight. "How was your day, dear Chongyun?"
The photographer looked up at Xingqiu with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry I'm late," he said, handing the last book to Jifang. Xingqiu's expression softened.
"What matters is that you're here now," the golden-eyed boy replied.
As soon as the librarian got permission from Jifang to leave for the day, the two began heading down to the harbor. The sun had fully set by then. A chilly breeze had people adjusting their jackets and scarves with the librarian doing the same. The harbor was lit with various decorations: lanterns, string lights, and the like. Xingqiu looked at everything in wonder, orange and red and yellow bouncing off his hair and emphasizing his eye color. Chongyun found himself reaching for his camera as his boyfriend turned to him with a large grin.
Snap!
This moment, with Xingqiu in the center surrounded with Christmas decorations and lights, now immortalized in a photograph.
The librarian blinked in surprise but said nothing about it, already used to the spontaneous photo-taking. Instead, he continued leading Chongyun through the harbor. They passed the Feiyun Commerce Guild and multiple stalls before reaching the staircase. Right in the middle of the harbor was an enormous green Christmas tree, decorated with flowers, tinsel, and various multicolored ornaments.
"Wow," Xingqiu breathed. The photographer silently agreed. He took a picture of that too, the Christmas tree surrounded by presents (that are definitely just props), stalls, and a whole lot of people.
They spent most of the night exploring and trying what the different stalls offered. There were those that sold clothes, those that sold food, and those that sold trinkets and Christmas decorations. Many times, Chongyun catches Xingqiu trying to sneak spice into his food. There was the fruitcake, the gingerbread men, and even the candy canes.
"Xingqiu!" he exclaimed as the librarian attempted to startle him with a small party popper, but ended up laughing when his boyfriend hit his own knee instead.
"Don't laugh at me, Yunyun!" Xingqiu complained, but he was laughing too. After making sure the librarian was uninjured, they picked up the unopened party popper from where it rolled a few feet away from them. Chongyun took another picture as he handed it to Xingqiu, fondness evident in his golden eyes. This time, the backdrop was the sea, the starry sky, and the moon half hidden behind the clouds.
Their last stop was the wharf.
They sat down on the edge, letting their feet dangle over the water, and allowed the crowd's voices to settle until they sounded like white noise. The photographer filled the relative silence with a tale of his day, how the pictures he took for work turned out. Half a decade as Xingqiu's boyfriend let him become more comfortable around his partner. And the librarian listened. He listened to the low notes of Chongyun's voice as he talked about the fire and the travelers who came to help. He listened, and continued listening, because he loves and cares for the boy seated beside him. He loves, he respects, and he's so pleased that it was this person his younger self chose to be with all those years ago.
"Let me take a photograph of this moment," he whispers. Chongyun's voice softens and stops as Xingqiu takes out his phone. He opens the camera app and raises the device so the lens capture both of them.
Snap!
This moment too, with Xingqiu and Chongyun smiling contentedly beside each other, gold and frost blue eyes reflecting Christmas lights, now immortalized in a photograph.
The librarian lowered the phone with the smile still on his face. "Thank you for today, dear Chongyun. I enjoyed every moment of it."
Light pink dusted the photographer's cheeks, smile becoming even just a little bit wider. "Merry Christmas, Qiu."
"Merry Christmas, Yunyun."