Freeze! || A XingYun/ChongQiu Fanfic

Not a Date

Chongyun kicked a stray pebble along a shallow river. He kept his hood on even if the weather wasn't so hot today and the sun didn't shine as bright as usual. Chongyun felt as if the atmosphere could tell what he was thinking, and it somehow knew how let down he was.

He sighed and kicked another pebble, leaning back from the weight of his claymore, and forth hard enough to send the pebble flying before sinking far into the river with a resounding plop. He felt heavy as he sent another pebble flying.

And another pebble.

And another.

He wanted to break them, send them all away into the river, leave them drifting away as tiny specks of dust that meant nothing to him. As he was about to kick another one, he stopped. Kicking small innocent pebbles into the distance won't solve half of his problems, nor would sulking in disappointment. Besides, he was starting to think that he looked like an idiot anyway.

Chongyun brought both his arms to his side and sat under a nearby tree. He closed his eyes. He could feel the warm air brush his skin, then his hair, rustling the leaves on the tree, then continuing along its journey. He could hear the quiet splish-splashing of the small river, flowing continuously in one path without delay. If only Chongyun could have somewhere to go, too, he wouldn't be stuck here doing nothing.

He didn't feel much like an exorcist today.

He didn't feel much like anybody.

~

Earlier that day, Chongyun had waited in Wanwen Bookhouse again, sitting in a chair and laying his head on the table, buried in his arms. He wanted to ask Xingqiu out on a date (Chongyun wouldn't admit it though) that day, but he was already feeling embarrassed at the thought of it.

How am I going to ask him? Oh hi Xingqiu! I was waiting for you here. Anyways, wanna go somewhere? It's definitely not like a date or anything! And it's nothing weird because we're just friends, right? Ugh, what am I getting myself into?

It was actually Xiangling's idea to take him for a walk. "You could spend some quality time together! Like lovebirds and old couples... Besides, all you ever do is look for haunted houses to sit in for a while, maybe you need a break," she had said.

Chongyun sighed. Maybe he did need a break. All these heat waves, ghosts, and living off popsicles were getting to him.

A tap on his shoulder sent him back to the present, blinking his eyes and turning towards the boy who now stood curiously behind him. The two boys silently looked at each other, not paying any attention to their surroundings anymore. Chongyun hadn't noticed that he was staring at Xingqiu's face intently for quite a long time, gazing into his golden eyes and admiring his flawless complexion until he suddenly leaned closer, startling Chongyun and making him topple off his chair with a yelp.

"Ahahahah! Oh, dear Chongyun...what shall you ever do without me?" Xingqiu laughed pleasantly and stretched a hand out to the other boy, who reluctantly took it. Chongyun turned warm when both their hands touched and felt his face turn pink. He pulled himself up and set the chair back upright.

"Sorry..." Chongyun muttered under his breath, pushing back his hair.

Xingqiu sat on another chair and propped his chin on his hand. His golden eyes languidly watched Chongyun stand awkwardly in front of him, from his right hand fidgeting with the cuff on his left arm, to his shifting, light blue eyes and his pink cheeks.

"Hmm...I would've never guessed you'd be anywhere here. What's the occasion?" Xingqiu asked with a smile. "And by the way I really loved the book you gave me, it makes me want to visit Qingce Village sometime, too."