The Winter Boy's Novel (Xingyun FanFic)

Chapter 6

Xingqiu's POV

I must have dozed off again. Chongyun was stroking my hair when I woke up. I really did need to cry like that. I never really took the time to. I just kept everything bottled up. "Xingqiu... do you want to talk to your father? Or do you want me to?" Chongyun asked. I sighed quietly. "I would rather not speak to him at the current moment, my liege. But thank you for the thought." I murmured. "Okay. If you're not ready, then we'll give it some time." Chongyun replied. I got out of his bed, just realizing that I was sleeping with him. "Ah... sorry, my liege. I wasn't thinking properly when I asked to sleep with you." I said. Chongyun shook his head. "I.. actually enjoyed it. Your sleeptalking helped me fall back asleep when I woke up. It's... kind of comforting." he said sheepishly. He looked me in the eye. "We can... do it again sometime... later. If you want, only if you want to." he waved his hands in front of his face. I smiled at him. "Sure." I picked up a book, sat down at my desk, and began to read. It drew me in instantly.

I'd calmed myself down after last night. I'd managed to empty the vial yesterday. Now it's sealed up again. Chongyun was right. I should talk to my father eventually. I felt Chongyun sit next to me. "If it's okay, I've made up my mind. We could go get some tea and boiled fish at Xinyue Kiosk If it works for you." he said. I nodded. "Yes. Tonight works, thank you." I said, not looking up from my book. Chongyun shifted and stayed next to me. "Mhmm." "Are you tired, my liege?" He shook his head. "No. Not really. Just have a headache." "Oh. Do you need medicine?" "I'm okay." "Are you sure, my liege?" "Yeah. Thanks, but I'm okay." I think he was tired, because I kept reading silently to myself, and he started snoring quietly, his head on my shoulder. I smiled and grabbed a blanket off of my bed, draping it over him before I continued reading. When he started to stir, I began rubbing his arm gently and brushed the hair out of his face. "I guess you should continue your rest, my liege. Sleep deeply."

Reading ignites a small spark in me that nothing else does. I can easily relate to anything in a book no matter what gender, what object, what time. There is always something. Whether it's comforting or confrontational, there is always something. So I guess that is always why I am rarely present without a book in my hand or a smaller one in my pocket. Yes, it is judged frequently, like my father, for instance. Judgemental things are things I tend to avoid. But as I once told Chongyun, nothing can be avoided forever.

Chongyun's POV

I woke myself up on accident just as I fell asleep on accident. I glanced at Xingqiu, who had been rubbing my arm. He was still focused on his book, almost trace-like, zoning out into it. I lifted my head off of his shoulder and slowly pulled my arm away. It would be rude to disrupt his reading. But he noticed anyway. "My liege, you're awake." he commented, his voice light and distant, though he never looked away from his book. "Ah... sorry I fell asleep, it just kinda happened." I said. "It's alright. I have done it before." I realized that he was referring to the time that he'd fallen asleep reading at his desk. I remembered that so clearly; like it was yesterday. I stood up and laid the blanket Xingqiu had given me back onto his bed. The clock read 1:25. "You wanna head down to Wanmin restaurant?" I asked. Xingqiu absentmindedly nodded. "Give me a minute." he mumbled. "Are you okay?" "Yes. Just thinking... and reading..." "O-Okay."

Xingqiu emerged from the room about ten minutes later, slipping a tiny book into his pocket. His eyes looked distant and he looked distracted. I noticed about two minutes after leaving that he didn't have shoes on, and he didn't even notice. We sat down at our table at Xinyue Kiosk and waited for someone to come. Xingqiu had his elbow on the table and his head in his hand, spacing out and staring straight forward. I waved my hand in front of his face. "Xingqiu, are you alright?" I asked. He didn't reply. I touched his arm lightly. "Xingqiu?" "Huh~... sorry, my liege. Were you saying something?" "Not really. You just seem distracted." "Ah. I see. Apologies." He shook his head and let his hand fall into his lap. "Are you okay?" I asked again. "Yes. Thank you, I'm alright." "Do you-" "Hello. I'll be your waitress for tonight. What can I get you?" Xingqiu absentmindedly ordered the Fullmoon Egg and I ordered the Stir-Fried FIsh Noodles (though I knew I'd eat it later when it was colder). The waitress walked away and Xingqiu started to space out again. I decided I needed to start a conversation so he wouldn't go inattentive again. "So, Xingqiu, uh, what's your favorite book you've read recently?" I asked. He blinked several times as if to snap himself out of his trance. "I... ah... I don't know. Maybe a book from the Legend of The Shattered Halberd series? I don't know. Why the sudden question, my liege?" "Oh. I don't know. Just curious."

We ate our food in silence, and I saw several times Xingqiu fork up nothing, and once put his fork on the table. He never once looked at his food. He just stared forward silently. I was tempted to ask if he was okay again, but decided that there was no point to it. I caught him shivering several times too. Then I realized his spaciness might be some sort of aftermath of the Cryo Whopperflower attack. I know I read somewhere that symptoms in the aftermath were dizziness, lack of focus, tiredness, (obviously) chilliness, and spaciness. That was probably what Xingqiu was doing. It seemed pretty obvious now that I think of it. I should've realized it earlier and just given him some space.