[Xingqiu x Chongyun] Lost For Words☆

Guests

Tomorrow, will be the official start of the Lantern Rite. Stalls and venders can be found everywhere in Lyiue, with with elegant colors and lanterns hanging all around.

Its calm right now, but as the festival continues throughout the next week I'm sure it will become a lot harder to bear.

"Chongyun! Look!" I'm called over by Xingqiu.

He showed me a booth selling some grilled tiger fish. The food was decorated to fit the festival's theme.

"Two, grilled tiger fish kind sir." Xingqiu put up two fingers while reaching for his mora.

"You know, since the festival officially starts tomorrow, I wonder if Bennett and Razor will be coming today." Xingqiu says, handing the mora to the man, then handing me one of the fish he had ordered.

"They didn't show up yesterday, so today has to be the day." He continues. "I told them to come early, but their really pushing the time dont you think?"

Xingqiu looks over to me, and and we begin to walk down the streets once again.

"How do you know they didn't arrive yesterday?" I ask.

'Right, that's why we're out here anyways.'

Ever since my failed attempt in asking Xingqiu out to the festival, Xingqiu has been telling me about  the people he had met in Mondstadt.

Bennett and Razor.

Razor had been the person he had tutored during his stay, while Bennett was someone he had run into his first day there.

"I went around Lyiue yesterday looking for them. But I haven't hear of any Mondstadt vision bearers arrive in Lyiue yet.

'So they have visions too.'

When Xingqiu talks abou the two he seems, normal. Not like when he first arrived, or back when we were out near Luhua Pool.

Does he really miss his friends from Mondstadt that much.

'Or does he...'

No.

'Like someone...'

It was only a month.

'from Mondstadt'

I stand still, tightly holding the grill tiger fish in my hand.

"Chongyun?" Xingqiu looks to me,  before looking onto the booth behind. "Oh- wait a moment Chongyun, I'll be back."

Xingqiu quickly runs off, patting my shoulder, telling me to stay.

'does he?'

I ponder the question, getting lost within my thoughts.

"Is this, right place?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. Would of helped out a bit if he told us where to go before leaving. I guess we'll just have to ask a round to-"

Something suddenly pushes me from behind, startling me back to reality.

"Ow ow ow ow!" I turn to see a boy with goggles and bond hair, rubbing his head. I look to also see another, boy with white hair, wearing a dark hood, standing behind him.

"A real sense of deja vu here, huh." I hear the one with goggles mutter, with a soon followed laugh.

"I'm sorry." I bow slightly to apologize.

"No no no no." He waves his hands. "Its my fault, really." He laughs nervously.

I look at both of them and see the boy infront of me has a Pyro Vision to his side, but unable to see if the hooded boy behind him had one either. Both clearly seemed to be foriegn, but neither's cloths seemed to match of what I knew of Mondstadt's clothes.

The goggled boy puts out his hand. "Allow me to introduce myself," he smiles "im-"

"Bennett!"

I quickly turn to see Xingqiu holding a small closed bag, waving, with his other hand.

He seemed, happy, to see him. To see them.

It was nice seeing Xingqiu look so happy. I even smiled myself, but it left once Xingqiu had grabbed both of Bennett's hands, cupping them in his own. It felt forced now.

"I was just looking for you two." Xingqiu says to them. "My friend Chongyun was helping me out too." He took his hand from Bennett's and gestured to me.

I quickly bow, and introduce myself. "I am Chongyun, nice to meet you." I look to the two and continue. "Its nice to see Xingqiu's friends from Mondstadt."

I look over to the hooded boy.

If the boy in front was Bennett, then he was obviously Razor.

Xingqiu let's out a gasp, quickly moving his attention to him. "You're back in your Wolvendom cloths!"

The hooded boy, Razor, steps back and give a slight nod. "Yes, Favonius clothes are nice, but like my clothes more." He says.

"you should say "I like" it sounds better." Xingqiu corrects Razor, putting an emphasis on the "I"

"Does that mean you moved back to Wolvendom?"

Razor shakes his head. "Not yet, but I, will go back soon." He says, following what Xingqiu said.

Xingqiu laughs, congratulating Razor, and soon all three go off in a conversation of their own, with me no longer being a part of it.

By this time I notice the tiger fish Xingqiu had bought for me was cool enough to eat.

"Oh, I forgot." I hear Xingqiu say, as I tune back into their conversation. "Bennett come here."

Bennett leans towards Xingqiu as Xingqiu pulls him closer, whispering.

"Ah! You- thank you... Xingqiu." I see Bennett back away, his face a bright red. Bennett was now holding the bag Xingqiu once held in his hands.

With the two now apart, with Bennett's face red, and Xingqiu wear his usual teasing expression, I begin to wonder.

'Does Xingqiu...'

'Are they...'

I shouldn't be jumping to conclusions, no matter the case. I shouldn't be too brash.

'Calm down Chongyun.' I tell myself, I have to stop myself from thinking like that.

"There he is! Chongyun! Over here!" I quickly turn around to see Paimon and Traveler  waving as they approach us.

"Woah, Traveler and paimon too! I didnt think I would be seeing you guys here." Bennett says in suprise.

"Bennett and Razor?" Paimon looks to the two. "we didn't think we'd see you here either. A small world huh."

Traveler puts their arm around me, nudging me a little closer to them "Its nice seeing you all, but Chongyun and I have some plans for the day. You dont mind if we borrow him for a bit, Xingqiu?" They ask with a kind smile.

Something about Traveler's question seems to change the lively atmosphere, to something more tense and silent.

Between me, and Xingqiu, as we both look at eachother.

"Uh... sure you can, Traveler." Xingqiu says hesitantly, looking away.

"Great! we'll see all of you again some other time." Paimon says, breaking the tension that surrounded us.

But I could feel, that something, still lingered.