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“Wake up..” She cooed in his ear, her voice soft, and he just barely opened his eyes, uncurling himself from the position he was resting in, a quiet groan slipping out of him as he felt her fingers brush his bangs out of his eyes, her words quiet as she whispered once more, “It’s your birthday, my love.”
Xiao sleepily shook his head, and he curled up against her, apparently not quite ready to get out of bed just yet; it was a shock to her, really, considering that he’s usually up and out the door long before she’s awaken, and hell, even before the sun has risen. And if, on the rare occasion that he decides to stay back from his duties, and spend a day with her — which was very unlikely, but, the prospect of it sticks regardless — he is usually out of bed and doing something around the house. It was.. nice, for him to sleep in with her like this. It’s not very often that she gets to sleep in with him at all.
His arms slung around her, pulling himself closer to her, and she smiles, pulling his body on top of hers, face flushing red at how quickly he seemed to melt into her, head resting in the crook of her neck, his breaths soft on her neck, eyelashes fluttering as he just barely opened and closed his eyes, as though he were trying to get himself back to sleep.
“You’re clingy this morning..” Yelan mumbled, her fingers tracing circles on his bare back, and he hummed into her shoulder, his fingers grazing her collarbone as he shifted around, like he was trying to become one with her. What an adorable sight, she thought, pulling him as close as she could, a soft hum slipping out of her; although it was shocking seeing him be so clingy with her, it was something she also enjoyed, getting to hold him so close, when it is very rare that they ever sleep in together.
His breathing slowed, breaths soft on her neck, body falling slightly limp, his grip on her loosening, and it was clear to her that he had fallen back asleep as a result of their closeness and her comforting touches across his skin; she figured, if anything, maybe she should go back to sleep, too. No use in staying up if he’s asleep.
And so, she passed out rather quickly, arms wrapped around him, practically lulled to sleep from his weight on her, his breath on her neck, his fingers resting on her collarbone, just slightly wrapped around the side of her neck; she loved the touch he gave her, the feeling of his body on hers, snuggled up against her; she loved listening to his soft breaths, his quiet mumbles, and his whimpers; everything he did could lull her right to sleep, comforted by his presence.
The two slept well past dawn, time inching just past noon when he finally woke up again, groggy, sun blinding his vision as he opened his eyes, a whimper slipping out of him, burying his head back into her neck, shielding his vision. His whimper seemed to awaken her, and her hand runs up his back, shuddering at the feeling of his head nestled in the crook of her neck, shielding himself from the sun, and it finally came back to her mind; the reason he was likely sleeping in with her like this, instead of being awake and off doing something within her home, is because he does not particularly care for his birthday, but also, he is likely dreading the prospect of her celebrating it with him.
He had told her so before — when they first started dating a few months back — that he had never really celebrated his birthday. That it was just sort of a meaningless celebration to him, something he never really participated in, and she remembers how she told him that she was gonna make it the best day she could. Though, perhaps he will be more keen to it now that they’re more comfortable with each other; he had told her once that ‘he did not sleep’, that Adepti do not need sleep, yet, here he was, just barely awake on top of her.
“You don’t wanna face the day, huh?” She whispered, and he lifted his head from her neck, sitting up on her lap, just barely straddling her hips. His eyes were squinted, adjusting to the sun, and before he could respond, she spoke once again, “I get it. But let me make this day special for you, hm?”
Hesitantly, he nodded, “..Okay.”
“You know.. your voice is always so cute first thing when you wake up,” She hums, and Xiao’s face flushes red, climbing off her lap and sitting beside her, looking away. Yelan leaned over, planting a kiss on his cheek, before tossing the covers off of her and getting off the bed, stretching, “Do you want something to eat?”
“No.. I’m okay.”
He was clearly lying through his teeth, because as soon as he said that, his stomach growled just loud enough for her to catch it, and she huffed, arms crossing over her chest, “Uh-huh.. Sure. Okay. How about this? You take a shower, and I make your favourite dish. You’re clearly hungry, and it’ll be nice and fresh for when you get out. Maybe it’ll make you feel a little better about today?” She turned around to look at him, and found him staring at her, a look of adoration adorned across his face, and she internally panicked, face flushing red.
He did not verbally respond to her, only nodding, eyes still fixed on her, and quietly, he mumbled, “..You.. you are so, so beautiful..”
“S-Stop it.. Go get in the shower,” She giggled quietly, hurriedly rushing out of the room; at this point in their relationship, she was still not used to his sudden compliments; she was not used to any surprise kisses from him, as he was not one to typically give the affection in such a broad and bold way. His words echoed in her mind, her pulse quickening, and she could not stop the blush on her face, nor get rid of it, and as she entered the kitchen, it seemed to only deepen.
She made her way towards the fridge, pulling out the ingredients she needed, and began preparing the dish he liked; it was a sweet, light and airy dessert — a definite contrast to the things she normally eats, and definitely not breakfast food, but then again.. It was well past noon, and it’s also his birthday, so who cares?
Yelan heard the shower begin to run and she hummed, tuning out every sound except for the thoughts in her own brain. She became so absorbed in her cooking that she failed to notice him enter the room, nor his presence behind her, until his arms wrapped around her waist, and he hugged her from behind, head resting against her back.
She flinched, a squeak slipping out of her, caught off-guard; she didn’t even notice him enter the room, let alone hear him, but she slowly melted into the embrace he was giving her, hands moving to rest on his, a small hum slipping out of her once more, “Mm.. How was your shower?”
“..Fine.”
His words were slightly muffled, and she giggled, looking down at the dish she was preparing once more, noticing it was finished, and she wriggled free of his grasp, leading him to the table in the other room, “Sit down. I’ll bring you your food.”
She returned shortly after with the plate of his food, and he stared at her, a blush on his face, fingers fidgeting in his lap, and as she set it down, he looked down at it, clearly hesitant. She sat beside him, crossing her legs, hands falling into her lap, and she spoke softly, “I know it may not be as good as what you get at Wangshu Inn, but.. I tried my best.”
“I’m.. I’m sure it’s good,” He responded, glancing up at her, just the smallest hint of a soft smile on his face, before speaking again, “..Thank you. You did not have to make this for me..”
“I wanted to.”
Silence fell between them, and he still hesitantly stared at the food sitting in front of him, hands fidgeting in his lap, and she observed his hesitance, a little bit of confusion showing on her face. Soon enough, however, he began eating it, but he was very slow.. as though he were embarrassed.
She did not say anything, though, and just looked away from him, lips curling into a soft smile. Out of her peripheral view, she could see his expression soften, and his cheeks flush, a low sigh coming out of him.
“T-Thank you, again.. It’s really good..”
“Why’re you so flustered?” She looks at him, a hand reaching up and wiping a little bit of the dessert from his face, and he goes red, looking away from her.
There’s silence before he speaks, like he’s trying to find the words, “..Uh.. I guess I just.. Don’t know how to act,” He pauses, glancing at her again, before looking down at the barely eaten almond tofu in front of him, “No one has ever really made a fuss about my birthday like you have.. nor have they cooked something for me in celebration of it.. I just.. I don't know how to act.”
There is another bout of silence, before he quietly whispers, “I also.. don’t normally eat around you. It feels weird.”
She hums in acknowledgement, before looking away from him, hands falling into her lap once again, and she is quiet for a few minutes, allowing him to eat, and finish his food, before she speaks up once more, “..Okay. So what is your ideal birthday? Or just.. Ideal day that we spend together, that’s maybe just a little.. extra special?”
Xiao shrugs, mumbling some jumbled mess that she couldn’t really understand, and she sighed, standing up, and grabbing the empty plate that sat in front of him, “How do you usually spend your birthdays?”
“Fighting.”
“..I see.”
She left the room with the plate, and he heard it clatter into the sink in the kitchen, before she returned, a somewhat awkward look on her face as she stared at him from the doorway, arms crossing over her chest. He stood up and walked over to her, and she could tell there was a little bit of hesitation in the way he walked, and couldn’t help the soft smile that rose to her face.
“I-I think.. I would like to spend today with you.. If that’s okay.” His eyes were practically glued to the floor, not looking at her, a little bit of a quiver in his body, and she could only wonder why he seemed so nervous.
Perhaps it was because they had never really spent an entire day together. Usually, one of them was busy with their respective jobs, and only really could meet in the night, which lately, they had spent sleeping. Yelan had convinced him to take his birthday off, to stay at her place for the night and day, even if just for a little bit, but she didn’t expect him to actually agree. She figured that he was walking up to her to inform her of his decision to leave and go out, not to.. stay.
Recovering from her surprise, her words were gentle as she assured him, a soft smile on her face, “..Of course. I don’t mind at—“
She was cut off by his lips on hers, and she could practically feel the heat and embarrassment that radiated from his skin as his arms wrapped around her neck, pulling her down, making it easier for him to kiss her; how his warm fingers grazed her back, sending chills down her spine as she reciprocated his kiss, arms uncrossing and hands grabbing him by the waist, pulling him even closer.
The kiss was sweet, slow, tender; clearly a gesture of appreciation from him, thanking her through action for what she had cooked for him, trying to make his birthday just a smidge more enjoyable than it is every other year. He could feel how she smiled into the kiss, a little overwhelmed by the giddy feeling that seemed to take over her senses, and she just barely mumbled against his lips, causing him to freeze up and go even redder.
“I love how sweet you taste,”
Quickly, he pulled away from her lips, face red, and then, to hide his face, he looked down, arms unhooking from her neck, hands fidgeting. Xiao heard how she hummed, and then giggled, fingers squeezing at his waist, eliciting a small, quiet yelp out of him, before she spoke once more, “I don’t normally like the taste of sweet things.. But.. I think you make it a little more bearable.”
“You.. you always manage to fluster me, somehow..” He whispered, bangs falling in front of his face, hiding his flushed cheeks from her. Her hand traveled up, and then her fingers traced his jawline before grabbing his chin, and gently lifting his head to look at her.
“You’re so pretty when you’re embarrassed, how could I not?”
And then, she kissed him again, but this time, it did not last nearly as long. Just a simple kiss, before she pulled away, grabbing one of his fidgeting hands and leading him back into her bedroom, sitting him on the bed. He looked up at her, confused, eyes fixed on her as she walked into her closet.
He heard her rummaging around for something, and he laid back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, watching the ceiling fan spin around and around in circles until he heard her come back into the room, giggling.
When he peered up, he noticed the box she was holding, and he sat up, a look of curiosity adorning his features. His eyes twinkled, clearly interested in whatever she was holding, and she hummed, walking closer to the bed, handing the box to him.
“A gift. From me to you.”
Slowly, he unwrapped the bow that was holding the box together, and as he opened it, he was greeted with the sight of two matching bracelets, the metal a sparkling silver, a pearl the colour of their respective elements placed neatly in the middle, settled between two smaller crystal gems. His jaw dropped as he stared down at the box, and then he looked up at her, a soft smile crossing his face.
“..I know you likely won’t wear it very much, perhaps only when we’re together at night, but.. I saw this set, and I thought it was really cute. I have something else for you too, but I figured I could bring this out first.. How do you like it?”
“I.. I think it’s beautiful. I like it.. very much. Thank you.. you didn’t have to get me anything at all.” He shyly looked down at the box once again, eyes drifting across the intricate pattern of the bracelet, and he noticed the engraving of the first letters of their names on the side of the bracelet, a soft hum slipping from him at the observation.
Gently, she took the box from his hands, setting it on the bed, and she then took the bracelet that was presumably his, and slid it onto his wrist, fingers grasping his hand tightly, a soft smile on her face the entire time.
His gaze was soft as he stared at her, a giddy feeling blooming in his chest — she had always been so beautiful, with and without makeup. He just adored seeing her bare face, no presence of eyeliner, no eyeshadow, none of that lipstick he adores so much; he loved the way she smiled as she held his hand, sliding the bracelet onto his wrist; how her eyes held so much joy, sparkling, radiating the love she always expressed verbally. He loved.. her.
Though, he does not think he could admit it just yet.
“You.. you always look so beautiful when you smile like that,” He mumbled, face flushing red, and he observed how her smile only grew bigger, glancing at him, cheeks slightly reddening.
“You’re on a roll today with the compliments,” She giggled, letting go of his hand, and she hummed, “I have just one more thing for you, my love.”
And away she went, now retreating out of the bedroom, and again, he patiently waited, albeit a bit awkwardly, fidgeting with his fingers and now, fidgeting with the bracelet on his wrist. It was solid, gradually thinning out and twisting into strands before holding a blue pearl just in the middle, indicative of her element. And as he twisted it around, he could see the engraving of the letter of her first name, a heart next to it, and he could only think.. How much did it cost? And especially for two of them? He shudders at the thought. She need not spend that much on him.. It makes him feel a little bad.
His thoughts are quickly disrupted as she strolls back into the room, holding a rather large bouquet of Qingxin flowers, a wide smile hidden behind the abundance of flowers.
“Oh, Yelan..”
“I got you.. your favourite flowers, too!”
The bouquet was easily bigger than his head, and he blushed as she came closer, handing him the bouquet, and he looked up at her, peering around the large bouquet, doe eyes slightly embarrassed, an awkward smile on his face, unsure of what to do.
“Ah.. T-Thank you.. You are so kind to me.. as usual,” He set the flowers down on the bed, before glancing up at her, hands folded in his lap, “How did you get all of those? They’re very high up, and with your stamina..”
She shrugged, “I did it somehow. Without dying. Hehe, isn’t that all that matters?”
His eyes narrowed but he didn’t press the matter, and instead, stood up, arms immediately wrapping around her. He was not much for physical affection, hardly at all, and so, it shocked her to see him be the first to give the affection, when it’s usually her. Today, he’s full of surprises, isn’t he?
Yelan reciprocated his act of affection quite quickly, pulling him closer, kissing the top of his head, arms wrapping around him. His head rested just atop her chest, practically breathing in her scent, the faint smell of that perfume she always wore lingering on her skin, and his eyes fluttered closed, body relaxing into the embrace he initiated.
“Can I.. Can I spend the night again tonight?”
There was no hesitation in her answer, voice soft and gentle, slightly pulling away to look down at him, “You don’t even have to ask. I’ll always say yes.”
Her hand slid under the hem of his shirt, cold hand drifting up his back, fingers fluttering across his skin, and he shuddered, pulling himself closer to her once again, and for a few seconds, they just stood, arms wrapped around each other, breathing in each others’ scent.
“What do you do during the day? When you’re here with nothing to really do..?” He mumbled against her, and she pulled away, leading him back to the bed, moving the flowers and sitting down on her side of the bed, shoulders slightly pressed up against the headboard. He climbed onto the bed and sat beside her, resting his head against her shoulder, slightly looking up.
“..Honestly, I don’t really do much of anything. I just stay at home.. most of the time.”
There was a prolonged bout of silence, before he sat up, crawling onto her lap, his cheeks flushed as his hands settled on her shoulder, voice shaky as he asked, “W-Well.. Why don’t we.. change.. that?”
“Oh? What do you mean by that?”
There was a knowing smirk on her face, and he groaned, face flushing red with embarrassment, murmuring something akin to ‘you know what I mean’, and she giggled, leaning in, gently pressing her lips to his.
He could not help but smile against her lips, and soon enough, the two had burst into giggles, while simultaneously trying to kiss — it wasn’t working out for them, though. Her hands slid up his thighs as he straddled her hips, lightly squeezing at his skin, and soon enough, their kiss had turned a little hungry, maybe even greedy, a desire taking over both of their brains.
It became a blur; one moment, he was sitting on her lap, greedily kissing her, and the next, they were in an inseparable position of passion, legs tangled together, hands interlocked, pleasure coursing through both of their veins, making the moment all that more special.
The exchange was rather gentle, tender, unlike the ones they usually share, unlike the sex they usually have; he figured, if anything, she wanted to love him a bit more tenderly, as it was his birthday. Nevertheless, it was a special, sweet moment; one that he greatly appreciated.
And despite it being more tender and loving than it usually was, that did not stop him from leaving hickeys and small bites along her neck and collarbone, even dipping further, nor did it stop her from doing the same to him, perhaps with even more intensity. It was.. their way of claiming each other, without directly saying it.
When he finally came back to, he was snuggled up against her, pulled on top of her, his head resting on her chest, and he moved his head to look up at her, a soft hum slipping out of him.
“..Thank you..”
“Hmm? For what, my love?” Her hand slid down his back, fingers fluttering over his warm, flushed skin, and he shakily exhaled, arms wrapping tighter around her, laying his head back down on her chest.
“For.. for.. you know.. Loving me so.. sweetly,” He quietly mumbled, and she softly giggled, her eyes fluttering shut, hand sliding back up his body, towards his neck.
“You don’t have to thank me.. You’re quite formal all the time, you know that?”
He was silent in response, but as she opened her eyes to look down at him, she could see the soft smile on his face, and the slight redness that spread across his cheeks. Yelan giggled once again, and the two lay in silence for a couple minutes, enjoying the other’s embrace.
“Hey.. I’m gonna get in the shower. Come with me. I want to take you out somewhere.. To celebrate a little more.”
Yelan nudged him a bit, and he groaned before practically rolling off of her, albeit begrudgingly, and her words seemed to click in his head as he sat up, stretching slightly, “I.. I showered earlier.”
“Can’t hurt to shower again, c’mon.. It’ll be fun.”
And so, she dragged him off the bed, leading him to the washroom with her, and she seemed a bit.. excited. What exactly was her plan, anyway?
Before he could step into the shower, however, she grabbed his hand, sliding off the bracelet, and placing it on the counter, not wanting it to get wet, and as she dropped his hand, she leaned closer, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead, and then turned to face the shower, reaching towards the faucet.
As she turned the water on, he stepped in, letting the slightly cool water hit his body, shivering slightly, and he heard her laugh at the shudder that shot through his body, a sly tease slipping out of her, “Should have waited till it got warm..”
Soon, she was next to him, the water starting to run hot, and as it enveloped his body, he sighed, glancing up at her, seeing her relaxed face as the warm water ran down her body, as well. Suddenly, he felt her hands on his waist, and he shook his head as she looked down at him, another one of those mischievous looks on her face.
“Don’t do it..”
“And if I did..?”
Her hands inched further down, towards his hips, fingers lightly fluttering against his skin, trying to tickle him, and he shook his head, biting his lip, threatened by a quiet giggle, his hands gripping her wrists, stopping her from moving any further.
“You know I like seeing you laugh.. You’re so serious all the time.”
He seemed a little embarrassed, really; they were standing in the shower together, nude, and she was trying to tickle him? It was too much for his brain; he could not help but feel a little embarrassed. She seemed to sense his embarrassment, however, and she leaned in closer, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead, a hand sliding up his back to hold his head in place.
As she did, however, her other hand slid around to his stomach, lightly teasing, pinching at his skin, full-on tickling him, and he whined before bursting into giggles, trying to get away from her, hand reaching up and gripping her wrist, “Okayyy, okay, I-I laughed..!”
Yelan, however, continued her relentless attack, to the point where he was giggling loudly, and that was when she finally stopped, retreating her hand from his stomach and grabbing his waist, her other hand sliding down to do the same, pulling him close, “I always love hearing you laugh.. You should do it more often. You look good when you’re laughing.”
His arms wrapped around her, and he rested his head on her chest, looking up at her, a little bit of a sour look on his face, “You know, there’s other ways to make me laugh..”
“Tickling you is the quickest, my dear.”
Xiao’s face flushed red at the use of the pet name, and he murmured something she couldn’t hear, averting his gaze, eyes fluttering shut, She giggled quietly, hands sliding up his body, just lightly teasing his skin, and he pulled away from her, his voice slightly shaky, “Maybe.. maybe we should actually start washing up..”
“Hmm.. I guess you’re right.” Her hands retreated from his body, and she reached over him, grabbing the shampoo, and she hesitated for a minute, before glancing down at him, “Do you think you need to wash your hair again? Since you were in the shower this morning?”
“..Mmmm.. Maybe I should, cause.. You know.. I was sweating a lot..”
Yelan giggled, but then nodded, and she poured a bit of the thick liquid in her palm, before setting the bottle on the edge of the shower, and she ran her fingers through his hair, spreading the shampoo throughout the strands, and he protested, his hands reaching up to grab hers, “I-I can do it myself, you don’t have to—“
She swatted his hands away, before continuing to wash his hair for him, fingers running through his hair, nails dragging along his scalp, “I want to do it for you. It’s nice. I want to pamper you.”
He was silent, save for a grumble that slipped out of him, and he let her wash his hair, eyes fluttering shut, a bit of a sour look on his face. However.. Despite his protests, she was quite gentle with him, and it made it a little bit better, having someone else do it so gently for him, and after a few seconds, the sour look on his face melted, changing into one of bliss instead, cheeks flushing red.
“Well.. Will you let me do it for you, too?”
She smirked, her words holding a teasing tone, “Baby, I’m not even sure if you can reach up here.”
“I am not that short!”
Yelan giggled, and she guided his head under the water, rinsing the shampoo out of his hair, fingers still working through, making sure it was adequately rinsed before she took him away from the stream of water once again. As she did, she pressed another kiss to his forehead, mumbling, “I’m just teasing you. Of course I’ll let you. I have no objections,”
They switched positions, so that she was now closer to the stream of water, and he grabbed the shampoo, repeating the same process in which she did for his hair.
However, he seemed to struggle a bit more, due to her height, and it seems that even if she was teasing, she was right; he could not quite reach all the way up, fingers just barely extending past her head. He groaned, and he went on his tippy toes, so that it would be easier for him, and he mumbled to her, “..Seems you were right.”
Instinctively, her hands gripped his waist, so she would be able to hold him up if he slipped, and she giggled, shaking her head slightly. Eventually, he got her hair thoroughly washed, and she leaned back, allowing the water to run through her hair, her fingers moving through, making sure it was adequately rinsed as well.
He seemed more than a bit sour that he couldn’t do more, and as she stood upright once more, she looked down at him, pinching his waist, “Don’t be sour. You did as much as you could, so, thank you, Xiao.”
The rest of the shower went as they usually do; they washed each others’ bodies, small, teasing remarks thrown at him every now and then, in anticipation of his defense; she always loved seeing how he reacted to her teasing.. It was fun to rile him up, sometimes.
Every time he washed her body, however, he seemed a bit embarrassed, and maybe it was because it was just slightly more intimate, but she didn’t mind. He was always so gentle with her, caressing her skin; he had always been such a sweet lover, since the moment they started dating. It was.. not something she was expecting him to be, but alas, he definitely exceeded her expectations.
“Okay.. let’s get out now, we’ve been in here for.. a while.” She turned the water off as soon as they had finished washing each other, and she opened the curtain, stepped out of the shower, and he followed, holding her hand.
She handed him a towel, and then grabbed her own, wrapping it around her body, and as she finished, she felt his arms wrap around her from behind once again, and she contentedly sighed, leaning into his touch.
“You’re clingy today.” She reiterated, and he hummed against her back, arms slightly squeezing around her.
“You don’t like it?” He mumbled, words muffled, and she shook her head, sighing once again.
“No, it’s not that I don’t like it, silly. I love it. You’re just not usually like this.”
He was silent, and then slowly, his arms retreated from around her, and she turned to face him, a questioning look on her face, and as she opened her mouth to speak again, he beat her to it, his words slow and careful, “I.. I think that.. I love.. you.”
Although his words were quite hesitant, and careful, he was staring directly at her, eyes searching hers for any sort of negative reaction, and finally, a large smile spread across her face, her cheeks flushing a pretty red colour, “You.. love me?”
“..Yes.”
He could have swore that her eyes started sparkling, overwhelmed with joy, and she pulled him close, kissing the top of his head, and she whispered, her voice giddy, “I.. I think that I love you, too.”
She held him close for a few moments, before pulling away, that same wide smile on her face, and he giggled quietly, arms wrapping around her neck, pulling her down, making it easier for him to kiss her.
It was a short, sweet kiss, but it was one that was definitely indicative of the love they shared, and as he pulled away, there was a shy, but happy look on his face, cheeks flushed.
As they separated, she reached for his bracelet that was on her counter, and she grabbed his hand once again, slipping the bracelet back onto his wrist, before bringing his hand up, kissing the soft skin, in a slightly teasing way.
He could only giggle, wriggling his hand free of her grasp, “You’re.. silly, sometimes.”
Yelan shrugged, smiling, and then she grabbed his hand once more, fingers interlocking, and she led him out of the bathroom, back into her room, “You should start getting ready, I want to take you out.”
“..I don’t have very many clothes here.. or, at all.”
“Hmm.. Actually.. I got something new for you just the other day. Let me go and get it.” She let go of his hand, and once again, went into her closet, beginning to rummage through her drawers.
Ah.. Right. She had made a point to buy clothing that was more comfortable for him to wear, for when he spent the night, so he wasn’t sleeping in his less comfortable clothes.. He was not aware that she had even bought regular clothing for him to wear, and he felt his cheeks flush, as he stood a little awkwardly, waiting for her to come back.
“I found it, come and get it!” Yelan yelled from the closet, and he timidly walked over, peeking his head into her closet, and she threw what seemed like a sweater and a pair of jeans at him, giggling, “You’ll look nice in those, go change.”
“Okay.”
And so, he retreated back into her room, and he changed into the sweater and jeans, a little surprised at just how comfortable it really was. Soon after, Yelan walked back into the room, and she was in a cute blue dress, with a sweetheart neckline; the dress accentuated her curves nicely, and as he scanned her figure, he noticed the bashful look on her face, and the quiet words that slipped out of her, “How do you like it?”
“You look.. so gorgeous,”
She sat at her vanity, and he could see the soft smile on her face, her hands reaching for the earrings that hung from the stand, grabbing them, and putting them in her ears, a soft sigh slipping out of her, once more.
“When we go out.. You don’t mind if we stop in Liyue Harbor, do you?” He timidly asked, sitting on the edge of her bed, legs crossing over one another, and she glanced at him, shaking her head.
“Not at all. We can go anywhere you’d like, lovely.”
A comfortable silence fell between them as he continued to watch her getting ready, observing how intricate she was as she put her pink lipstick on, the eyeliner, and then her mascara; all her movements seemed so careful, rather calculated, and as she turned around to face him, she looked absolutely stunning, and he could not help but tell her that.
“..You’re absolutely stunning, you know that?”
“Oh.. stop it,” She giggled, standing up, walking over to her bed, and she grabbed the box that held the other bracelet, grabbing it, and slipping it onto her wrist. It was the same as his, but with a teal pearl in the middle, and the engraving of the first initial of his name, a little heart next to it, and she hummed, “We should.. get going. It’s gonna get dark soon.”
“Okay.”
He got off the bed, and she grabbed his hand, fingers interlocking, and she led him downstairs. She grabbed a small clutch that was hanging by the foyer, and she set it down on the table as she slipped on a pair of blue heels, while he put on his own shoes, and they exited the house, hand-in-hand once again.
“You know, you look nice in that sweater, too. I think it was a good pick on my part, hehe,” Yelan nudged him, and he smiled, hand squeezing hers just slightly.
“..I think you always pick good things. You have a good sense of fashion.. I can’t say the same for myself.”
She hummed, free hand reaching up and brushing her bangs out of her eyes, “Mmm, I think you’re just fine, silly.”
Once again, silence fell between them as they began to walk towards Liyue Harbor, the sun still shining in the sky, just slightly beginning to set. As they continued to walk, they engaged in a bit of small talk, a little banter, often erupting into giggles; it felt so surreal to him, to have someone around him now to make a fuss out of his birthday, when for centuries, there had been no one like that. He had been alone for so long.. but he’s no longer alone. And he hopes that he can stay with her for as long as possible.
“Have I made your birthday a little more special, this time around?” She asked, and he nodded, glancing at her, a soft, small smile on his face.
“..Yes. It’s my first birthday with you.. And it definitely surpasses all the other ones I’ve had.. So.. Thank you, for making it more special,” He pauses, gathering the thoughts and words in his mind, before speaking up again, his words a little more quiet, “I.. haven’t felt this happy in a long time. You completely changed me.. and it feels silly to say, but.. you really did. I look forward to every day that I get to see you.”
She squeezes his hand, a wide smile on her face once again, but she has no words to say; it seems he’s left her completely speechless. She can only smile, her words caught in her throat, and squeeze his hand every so often, their walk to Liyue Harbor coming to an end as it comes into view.
Finally, after a prolonged bout of silence, she manages to speak, her words slightly shaky, “..I didn’t know I made such an impact on you..”
“I would go as far as to say you’re the best thing that’s happened to me. In a.. long, long time.”
She stops walking, her face a pretty red colour, and she looks down at the ground, and she wriggles her hand free of his, both hands reaching up to cover her face. He steps in front of her, his hands reaching up and grabbing her wrists, bringing them down from her face, his lips curled into a soft smile. She leaned down, face red, and trapped him in a sweet, tender kiss, wriggling free of his grip, hands sliding down to his waist, pulling him closer.
Xiao reciprocated her kiss almost instantaneously, arms wrapping around her neck, giggling into the kiss; it was a little funny to him, how flustered she had become, but he couldn’t lie; he was also very flustered, but he felt the need to let her know of how much she had changed his life, in just the last year; it was absurd, how quickly his life went from quite boring, to full of life, to.. something to look forward to. But he loved every part of it. And he wouldn’t trade it for the world.
After a minute or two, they separated for air, breath heavy, and she giggled as soon as she opened her eyes, noticing that her lipstick was now smudged all over his lips.
“Oops.. I forgot I was wearing lipstick.”
“Oh.”
She reached a hand up, thumb trying to wipe the lipstick off of his lips, and the skin surrounding, but it was kind of unsuccessful; it seemed to have stained his skin just a bit, and there was no getting it off without something wet, so, she took her hand away from his face, and then licked her thumb, and rubbed the lipstick off.
He complained and groaned as she touched his face, trying to swat her hands away, but she was persistent, rubbing at his skin until she had gotten a majority of it off, and then staring down at him with a triumphant look.
“I got it off!”
“Yeah, well, now my face feels raw.”
“Mmm.. Would you have rather gone out with my lipstick all over your face?”
He was silent for a minute, before shaking his head, “Well, no—“
“Exactly.”
Xiao rolled his eyes, as she giggled, opening her clutch, and grabbing an extra lipstick she had kept in there, reapplying it to her lips, as well as she could without looking in a mirror, anyway.
As soon as she finished, she put the lipstick back in the small purse, and grabbed his hand again, continuing the walk to Liyue Harbor, their small banter starting up once again, going back-and-forth, before bursting into quiet giggles. It was a cycle, until they had finally reached the harbor, the sun having lowered in the sky just a bit more.
“Okay. I’ll be back. I have to go and.. get a couple things. I shouldn’t be long.” He let go of her hand, and began walking away, before he turned around, his words loud enough for her to hear from a distance, “Don’t go anywhere!”
She gave him a thumbs up, leaning against the fence of the bridge, before turning around and watching the sea, observing the ships that pulled in and around to the port.
The time passed, and eventually, he returned, holding a couple of bags, and she turned around to face him, a curious look on her face, “What did you get?”
“I can’t tell you. It’s a surprise.”
She narrowed her eyes, but shrugged, murmuring an ‘okay’, before she grabbed his free hand, and began leading him out of Liyue Harbor, fingers interlocking with his once more, “I want to take you to watch the sunset.”
“Okay.”
“Do you want to drop those off at my place, so you don’t have to carry them with you? We have to walk by it, anyways.”
“Okay.”
And thus, began their walk to wherever she was taking him, the sun just beginning to set in the sky, which meant they had to hurry. So, their walk turned into a bit of a jog, which meant they were both laughing a bit, having to quickly drop off the bags at her place, before continuing their walk — or rather, jog — to the place she wanted to take him.
“Come on, hurry!” She giggled as she looked back at him, their jog having devolved into a full on run at this point, and he laughed as she dragged him along, tugging him towards her.
“I’m going as fast as I can, Yelan,”
“Well, go faster!”
They continued running, hands interlocked, but at this point, she was near dragging him, insistent on getting to the place before the sky began to change colours, the two of them giggling the whole time, becoming increasingly out of breath.
Eventually, they reached the top of a hill, and she nearly collapsed onto the grass, panting, breath heavy, and she stared up into the sky, just as it began to change colours, and she smiled, “We.. made it, shit..”
He sat beside her, not nearly as out of breath as she was, and he rested her hand atop hers, sighing contentedly, “Yeah.”
Silence fell between them, save for her heavy, struggling breaths, and he looked over at her, a bit concerned, but she waved him off, mumbling that she was fine.
After a bit, her breathing had returned to a normal pace, and she sighed, eyes still fixed on the sky, “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more for your birthday. I wish I could have taken you out somewhere, like.. for dinner, but most of this was planned on a whim.. hehe,”
“No, it’s.. it’s perfect.” He glanced at her, and leaned in, pressing a kiss to her cheek, and she giggled softly, a grin on her face. He pulled away from her, and glanced up towards the sky, “I.. I think the sunset is always quite beautiful.”
“Yeah. I agree,” She hummed, and she moved a little closer to him, till their shoulders were touching, “But.. I think you’re more beautiful.”
His cheeks flushed red at her compliment, and he shook his head, a soft smile on his face, “Back at it with the compliments, huh?”
“Well, it’s my turn — you’ve been at them all day, silly.”
He was silent for a minute, before he rested his head on her shoulder, eyes still fixed on the sky, which was now an orange-ish pink hue, “..Yelan. What are your thoughts on your birthday? I know it’s.. quite soon, actually.”
“Oh, you know.. I don’t really care much about my birthday.” She shrugged, glancing down at him, her free hand reaching up and brushing his bangs from his eyes.
“..Why not?”
“In recent years I just.. have been too busy to stop and celebrate. And, you know.. There could always be something lurking around the corner, trying to ruin your day. So.. I just forget about it. I haven’t celebrated it since I was a teenager.”
“..I see.”
Silence fell between them, their eyes fixed on the sunset, watching the sun dip lower and lower beneath the skyline, the sky turning all sorts of pink-ish orange hues. It was beautiful. It was… everything he wanted to experience with her, a memory he wants to fondly look back on — his first birthday spent with her, as a couple. A couple… It still doesn’t feel real to him. Will it ever?
Cutting off his thoughts, her hands had suddenly grabbed him, pulling his body onto her lap, just slightly between her legs, holding him against her, kissing the exposed nape of his neck, words a soft hum, “You’re so cute when you’re lost in thought like that…”
He softly smiled, shifting on her lap, cheeks flushing red at the proximity, “Why’re you saying that all of a sudden?”
“I just wanted to tell you, hehe,”
“..You’re very sweet, as always.”
Xiao seemed to melt into the embrace she held him in, her arms wrapped around his waist, holding him against her, and he could not help the content sigh that slipped out of him, held so close to her, feeling her lips against his neck, her breath on his skin, her arms around him; it was all so, so nice. She knew exactly how to make him relax, and she used it to her advantage every single time.
As the sun fully set, the sky turned dark, the stars shining, the moon illuminating the two, and for a minute, it felt like it was just them in the world. No one else, just them — no work to attend to, no duties, no responsibilities that weigh them down — just them. Held so close to each other, breathing in each others’ scent, her attempt at making his birthday so much more special than it is every other year; he could not help how he melted into her embrace, the soft murmur of a ‘thank you’ slipping out of him, and her hum against his neck, head resting against his back.
He shifts in her lap, wriggling free of her grip and moving to face her, thighs straddling her hips, and once again, her arms wrap around him, a soft smile on her face as she stares up at him, her gaze so full of love he could not stop the blush that rose to his face, overwhelmed by her tender gaze.
“I.. I said it earlier, but.. Thank you. For everything,” He started, his arms wrapping around her neck, hands fidgeting behind her back, “Today.. Has been a very good day. The best I’ve had in a while.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I… I love you, and I… really wanted to make your day as special as I could. It’s part of my duty as your girlfriend,” She giggled, a hand reaching up and caressing his cheek, “Really, though. No need to thank me.”
He pressed his lips against hers, another kiss, sweet and tender, his face flushed red as he did so, and she reciprocated, pulling him closer, smiling against his lips, her hands sliding around to hold his waist, and the two of them shared a sweet exchange, a gesture of appreciation from him,
As he pulled away, he laid his head in the crook of her neck, resting against her, arms wrapped around her neck, legs straddling her hips. Her arms remained wrapped around him, just barely rocking him in a soothing motion, her eyes closed, a soft smile on her face.
He whispered into her neck, his eyes fluttering shut, “I… love you too. More than you can imagine.”
Yelan pressed a soft kiss to the side of his head, a hand sliding up his back, holding him closer against her, snuggling against him, breathing in his scent. She could feel his breathing slow, his breaths steady and soft, and then, his hold on her gradually decreased, body relaxing completely, as he passed out in her arms, a very clear indication that she had become his safe place; she was his safe person.
The thought only made her heart flutter, and in the most tender voice she could muster, she whispered right back to him, her voice oh so full of tender love, her arms gentle around him, fingers tangling in his hair, holding him tight.
“Happy birthday, my love. I hope your day was truly as good as I wanted it to be.”