Chapter Text
"What do you wanna bet those two are dating?" Xiangling whispers to Xinyan.
"I'm betting those two have a crush on each other, they seem way less lovey dovey then Gaming usually is in a relationship. I'll admit this is more than average for him but not his usual." Xinyan replies as Xiangling nods while the both stare at their friend and his "friend", who are practically trying to fuse with how close they are to each other.
Hu tao leaned in closer saying, "I'll bet 1000 mora on them already dating." The other two pyro vision weilders nodding along having gotten the gist of their new bet.
Gaming's "friend", Freminet, was here on vacation since lantern rite is just around the corner, supposedly he started coming every year because he liked the festival, but considering he only started coming after Gaming's big Wushou dance they knew there's more to his reasoning.
The only reason that Gaming's friends know all this is because Xinyan had needed help with a concert she's doing during lantern rite so she asked her friends and Gaming, Xiangling, and Hu tao had time to help out. She also needed help in setting up some equipment and fixing the instruments for her friends since they were all second hand bought, and wouldn't you know it Gaming has a friend who is acquainted with tech.
None of them were shocked, Gaming has a wide web of friends and aquatintces but seeing the two now, with Gaming sitting behind Freminet his arms wrapped around his torso, head perched on his shoulder, made them rethink their relationship. They're all sitting Gaming's apartment while Freminet fixes their equipment, with Gaming talking his ear off, across the room from them. Originally Xinyan had planned to practice while their equipment is being fixed but they chose to stop after seeing the two boys interacting, not that they noticed the sudden lack of noise with how absorbed they were in each other and Freminet's work.
Sitting not too far away, on Gaming's couch, they could hear the two talking on the living room carpet, more so Gaming talking since he's more talkative and louder then Freminet, "-The treasure hoarder screamed so loud I'm sure the adepti probably heard it," Freminet seemed to laugh at his story, "But yeah that was probably the most exhausting chase I had to do you wouldn't know the amount of scolding I got from my dad and boss for it. But like I have a reputation to uphold I couldn't just let some treasure hoarder steal the stuff I'm guarding."
With another soft laugh Freminet replies, "Something similar happened to me, I was diving and was just floating but I had felt something tugging at me and a blubber beast had taken one of my boots, it took an hour to find and get the boot back. Lyney and Lynette wouldn't stop teasing me." Yet another reason to believe their in love was how much Freminet is talking. When he spoke to Xinyan he wasn't rude, incredibly polite actually, but he was to the point just asking what they need and instantly got to work. Yet with Gaming he's sharing stories, laughing, and explaining every random question the brunette has.
Gaming does an overdramatic gasp before he says, "Those cute chubby things? I didn't know they could do any wrong." Freminet once again laughs at Gaming's antics but then sits up straight catching the girls off guard.
Gaming, seeming to have either expected or gotten used to this, moves away and stands up as Freminet stays sitting and says, "I've finished fixing all your instruments." Back to his more professional tone Freminet presents his work, which Xinyan marvels at.
"Dam these look great! Gaming you've been hiding this from me all this time!" Xinyan jokingly complains.
Freminet opens his mouth to talk but Gaming beats him too it, "I know he's amazing isn't he? And it's not like I've hidden him I've told you guys about him." Gaming's comment makes Freminet flustered looking off to the side. Xiangling giggles at the two of them while Hu tao and Xinyan think back on when he's mentioned someone like Freminet, and realize he's mentioned him very often.
Having regained his composure Freminet stands up and says, "Sorry but I have to go now, but if you need any more help you can ask."
Gaming slouches a bit obviously disappointed, but then rushed to his kitchen grabbing a bag from a cupboard and giving it to Freminet, "As payment for you help!" Freminet smiles taking the bag, the girls nod to each other mentally agreeing that Freminet has just gotten used to Gaming's gifts.
Waving Freminet goodbye Gaming returns to the livingroom to face the three girls all laughing at his much too happy expression, "What's up with you three?"
Hu tao is the first to answer, "You owe Xingqiu and Chongyun an apology for all the times you teased them cause you're the exact same."
This elicits a choir of laughs from the other girls and a look of confusion from Gaming, "What are you talking about?"
"We're talking about you and your "friend"." Xiangling says making sure to say friend over exaggeratedly.
"Freminet and I? We're just friends." The girls once again break our into laughs and stare at him making him say, "Fine I do have a crush on him."
Xinyan cheers as Hu Tao throws up her hands in defeat while Xiangling says, "Crush? Please you two were all over each other your practically already dating, lemme guess you guys platonically cuddle? Platonically kiss?"
Gaming kicks his feet averting his eyes making them laugh again, "No way you've actually done that?!" Xinyan asks in between fire or laughing.
"Well not kissing but yeah we did cuddle." His defense makes Xiangling fall off the couch as Xinyan puts a hand to her chest trying to stop her laughter.
Gaming huffs, but it's drowned out as he recalls the story of why they had started cuddling, when Gaming has gone to Fontaine to visit Freminet and Freminet couldn't go to his home so had to stay in Gaming's hotel room. As he finishes thinking over the story he wears that same love stuck smile.
Having sobered from her laughs Xinyan asks, "Is he coming to our performance?" Gaming nods so Xinyan continues with, "Then we should start practicing don't want you to look bad in front of your "friend."
🎸
It's just a few minutes before they go on stage and Gaming is constantly checking his hair and clothes, to his friends amusement. This time they chose to stay quite letting him stew in his checks knowing that he's a performer so he'll be perfectly fine on stage, and considering Freminet likes his dancing this isn't this first time he's performed for him.
Finally Xinyan sees the sun dip beyond the horizon signalling they need to go on stage, waving to her friends they quickly walk out on stage where their instruments already are. Standing in place they wait for the people to come in and while everyone checks their equipment Gaming spends most of that time looking through the people until he suddenly waves excitedly, and it doesn't take a genius to know who he's waving at.
🐧
Having arrived early Freminet stands at the front of the crowd while Xinyan does a greeting to all of them, but unlike most other's he's staring at Gaming, who keeps glancing in his direction with a smile on his face. Even though he's seen them practice and wearing these outfits that Xinyan picked out he still marveled at how it looks on Gaming. All of them had picked more rugged style as since natlan was freed from their war their fashion has trickled into other nations leading to a punk asthetic popping up around the nations.
With Xinyan's greeting reaching it's end she does a count down and they all begin their song.
🦁
The crowd shuffle away while Gaming takes a breath seeing Xingqiu and Chongyun go up to congratulate them. While doing some stretches Gaming feels a tap on his shoulder and quickly spins around to find, as he expected, Freminet. Gaming quickly envelops the boy in a hug happy to see him, "You guys did really good." Freminet says.
"Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!" Putting Freminet down Gaming looks himself over seeing a lot of sweat, "Sorry, I may have a pyro vision but wow you and Xinyan don't play with that pyro tech.. technics? Is that what you called it?"
"Yeah, sorry we got carried away." Freminet says.
"Nah don't worry it looked super cool, but I'm gonna need to go wash off the sweat, wanna go take a dip in the sea?"
Though liking the idea of going for a swim Freminet acts as a voice of reason, "You don't have any swim wear or back up clothes so you'd have to be naked and that would be really awkward." Gaming hisses at the idea also unwilling to do so.
Playing with his hands Freminet thinks of an idea to help. Acting on it Freminet reaches out to Gaming's hands and grabs them both and releases bursts of cryo, "I can't wash the sweat but this should help with the heat." Gaming short circuits staring at his hands, but soon calms thanks to the cryo. The two stand mostly in silence while Gaming appreciates the cold and Freminet gets the courage to speak, and so he says, "You look really good."
Catching his attention Gaming responds, "I can ask Xinyan if I can keep this outfit so I can wear it when we're hanging out." Freminet looks down, flustered by the idea.
From the other side of the stage Xingqiu remarks, "Wow it reminds me a bit of me and Chongyun."
Hu Tao jumps and says, "That's what I said!"
But Xiangling comes to their defense saying, "Hey atleast they haven't been pinning for over 15 years." To which Xingqiu waves his hands with a flurry of excuses while everyone teased him and Chongyun.
Freminet and Gaming are none the wiser too caught up in yet another one of Gaming's stories.