Chapter Text
Xingqiu had been hiding a secret for some time now, his feelings for Chongyun kept growing stronger as time progressed and keeping his feelings compressed too long, he developed a disease over time, The Hanahaki Disease.
A condition where flowers contaminated inside his throat bloomed with different plants until it took over him, and he was unable to breathe.
His condition was still young as of now but his feelings weren’t and no matter how much he wanted his sickly feelings for Chongyun to never leave him, if he didn’t want to die, he had to get the surgery for it to be gone from his system along with his affection for Chongyun.
He loved him. He couldn’t just abandon years worth of affection and attachment saved up for years and years for Chongyun to disappear with a blink of an eye so, what was the choice he was going to pick?
Did he choose his everlasting fondness of his best friend or a numb memory of his liking for him to be washed away?
No matter how many books he read, he couldn’t answer a question like that.
So in simple words, as much as he hated using those words, was it life or death he was going to choose?
“Hey Xingqiu, have you always been coughing like that?” Chongyun grazed his bony hands on Xingqiu’s sweaty palm and rested upon them, his pale blue eyes gazing at the crimson splattered petals that had been following Xingqiu for a while. Xingqiu on the other hand became self-aware of his surroundings at last, flustered at the sensation of his best friend's cold palm resting on his now steaming hand. He wasn’t in his usual dreamy world anymore and leaned back on a bench with Chongyun in the middle of Liyue. Chongyun became a little more relaxed watching as Xingqiu’s chest rose and fell like the wind swishing the fresh leaves back and forth.
Xingqiu coughed yet again, his throat burning and aching every moment he spoke and replied trembling, as if thorns were swirling about in his throat stretching and poking at his esophagus, “Oh about those? It’s nothing you need to-“ his sentence was broken by another cough, this time with a new flower and more bloody patterns arching through the soft petals enclosing it with grimy pieces of flesh.
His vision glowed with anticipation. He couldn’t stand to see his very own best friend coughing up…flowers and what not. The sight of ripped pieces of small flesh disgusted him on an entirely different level. He could not stand this anymore. Chongyun helped himself up and grasped out for Xingqiu’s hand, “I think it’s time to see Baizhu…this sickness of yours is getting to my head. I can’t just sit here and do nothing about it” He muttered, his breath slowly dropping.
“Chongyun, you don’t have to do this,” As he opened his mouth, stems lurched from the back of throat and carried through, sparking a few leaves and colourful flowers scattered among the chipped stems.
“Xingqiu! You and I both know this is not normal.”
He didn’t need to say anything more at this point, his friend already had understood where he was coming from. He held onto Chongyun’s freezing hands as he lifted himself up, almost tripping from his coughing.
Chongyun wrapped one arm around Xingqiu to support him through the busy streets of Liyue. The crowd of people rushing past him seemed almost like a blur. The amount should be at least imitating for most people but something about having your best friend help you through the bustling roads made it feel like these people didn’t exist and he and Chongyun were the only people in the world.
If only they could stay just like this for a little longer, to observe him. He just needed a little bit more time. He was already red at his touch, and would benefit from just a little more extra time hanging into him.
As he dragged his friend up the seemingly endless stairs to the pharmacy, Baizhu whilst helping another lady rambling about how her medications weren’t working properly and she was still living with the same fever for a month, noticed how the two boys were struggling and rushed to help as Changsheng held onto dear life.
Chongyun had never seen a middle aged man run down stairs that fast in his life.
“Oh my archons, poor boy…” Baizhu hurriedly assisted his best friend to be carried up the stairs. “What’s his condition?” Chongyun asked, eagerly waiting for an explanation to be given. This…sickness of his had to be resolved soon enough. “I’ll have to get a proper diagnosis though I do have an idea but can I please have you wait?” Baizhu sounded a bit embarrassed telling a young boy that he had to wait for his friend to get a diagnosis without any warning and clear response. His voice sounded hesitant, like he was holding something back from him. Chongyun noticed this, too afraid to add onto their conversation if he did have anything else to say.
He watched as Xingqiu left a trail of flowers before the door while an angry lady banged on the door yelling about her medication.
“Baizhu! I swear to Morax!” She turned and left the pharmacy, muttering about how she’d never enter anywhere near this pharmacy again.
Baizhu emerged from the closed door and sat down beside the Cyro vision holder.
“Your friend, he has a rare disease…”
Chongyun’s world could just tear up and fall apart right about now.