Xingyun Oneshots

51 - Pretty

The first part takes place when they're younger btw

Summer days in Liyue could be especially brutal for a certain budding exorcist, so when his friend Xingqiu came over to ask if he wanted to play outside with him, he politely declined.

"Aww, that's too bad." Xingqiu pouts, looking at his shoes while standing on Chongyun's front doorstep. "Do you wanna colour with me instead? I have a bunch of spare paper at my house plus a lot of coloring supplies!"

"I don't know how to draw Xingqiu." Chongyun says while warily eyeing the blistering sun from the safety of his house.

"You don't have to cause I don't know how to either. C'mon, it'll be fun!" Xingqiu grabs his hand, deciding to bring him along regardless of his artistic abilities.

"Wait wait! I need to grab my parasol first!"

Chongyun pulls away from him before ducking inside and grabbing a parasol. Upon stepping outside, he opens it and offers Xingqiu his hand again, since more often than not, Xingqiu just ended up dragging him off somewhere while he followed. He didn't really mind, that was just how Xingqiu was sometimes; always eager to hold his hand and pull him every which way.

This time, Xingqiu carried him off to his own residence, and the two sat on the floor in Xingqiu's room with the fan blasting on high and a number of coloured pencils, pens, and other art supplies scattered around them while they doodled away.

Chongyun was hard at work on a drawing of him outside in the sun with his parasol-though the quality was questionable, he was proud of it-while Xingqiu seemed to be distracted.

After he finishes coloring the sky with a light blue coloured pencil, Chongyun sits up to look for the yellow one to colour the sun, and notices that Xingqiu's barely touched his paper.

"What's wrong Xingqiu?" Chongyun asks him, sorting through a pile of coloured pencils before finding a bright yellow he likes.

"Nothing, you just look really pretty right now." He giggles.

"I look...what?" Chongyun tips his head to the side in confusion.

"You look really pretty right now!" He repeats with more zeal.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chongyun mumbles while he colours the sun in with a blush on his cheeks.

"I think you're pretty. How many more times do I need to repeat it?"

"Not anymore. I just don't get what you mean." He blushes more.

"I mean that you're really nice to look at! Your eyes and your hair are just really pretty."

Xingqiu seems to have a eureka moment after speaking of the other boy, and quickly grabs different shades of blue from around him. "Y'know what, I'm gonna draw you!"

"Why me?"

"Because-" He looks at Chongyun knowingly.

"You think I'm pretty." Chongyun finishes his train of thought with a sigh.

Xingqiu nods happily and goes to town drawing his best friend while the best friend in question keeps his eyes down at his paper and tries to shake away the prickly hot feeling in his stomach and on his cheeks.

Before long, they'd both finished their drawings of him, and decided to exchange them for fun. They proceeded to colour for a couple more hours before Chongyun had to go home, and Xingqiu led him the whole way back.

"Y'know what, I think I'm gonna start calling you pretty every day from now on!" Xingqiu declares, smiling big at his friend.

"Why's that?" Chongyun asks.

"Because it's true, and it's fun to say. Plus, you get all embarrassed every time I say it." He laughs.

Despite being further embarrassed at his comment, Chongyun has no objections, and as a result got called 'pretty' Xingqiu as often as he remembered, even going as far as when they were teens.

-

"Greetings, my liege."Xingqiu greets him at his door, kissing the back of his hand. "You look exceptionally pretty today."

Chongyun remembers when Xingqiu first started saying that, and as Xingqiu leads him away for another day of adventure, he suddenly has a thought.

"...Do you still mean that?"

"But of course I do. You're the prettiest boy in Liyue, maybe even Teyvat as far as I'm concerned." Xingqiu turns to smiles at him.

"I know, but...is it just something you say now? Like, just out of habit?"

"You mean, just something I say everyday and don't think about?" Xingqiu asks.

Chongyun just nods his head.

"My liege, I wouldn't say it everyday if I didn't mean it. In fact, I always think of different ways I could say it to you every night, so don't think for a second that I love you any less." Xingqiu honestly tells him before kissing him. "Does that put your worries at ease?"

Chongyun squeezes his hand as a response and Xingqiu continues to lead the way, as per usual.

"Good."

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Good luck to everyone pulling on Alhaitham and Xiao's banners! I hope you win your 50/50's :]

Written: January 22, 2023

Finished/Published: January 24, 2023

(Word Count: 846)