When Rose's Thorns Attack my Sides (But my Eyes Stay Trained on You) (Xingyun)

Ch. 9

Night fell after many hours and the two set up camp outside, preparing to spend the night under the stars.

Chongyun laid out with a pillow under his head while Xingqiu lay under a blanket, both of them a good distance from each other.

There was only one problem.

"Yun?" Xingqiu whispers in the dark.

"Yeah?" Chongyun groans, turning over to face him tiredly.

"I'm freezing." He whines.

"Is your blanket not enough?"

"No."

Chongyun shifts a bit to fully look at Xingqiu, outstretching an arm to him. "You can come closer to me then. My body is really warm because of my congenital positivity."

Xingqiu hesitated before inching his way over so their knees are bumping.

"You can get closer if you want. I don't mind." Chongyun hums, closing his eyes again.

Again, Xingqiu slowly crawls a bit closer until he's tucked himself against him, pleasantly surprised by his hot temperature.

He rests his head under Chongyun's and cuddles against his chest, hugging his blanket over him. "Thanks Yun."

Chongyun nods and tries to adjust to Xingqiu against him, but his heart beats so fast he can't think clearly. Never had Xingqiu ever been this close to him.

...so was it bad that he enjoyed it?

"N-no problem. By the way..."

Chongyun covers his mouth as he yawns and opens his eyes a bit, now a darker shade of blue in the dark. "Has the trip been working to keep your mind off of it?"

Xingqiu just barely tenses at his question, burying his head against him further so his voice comes out a muffled sigh. "It has, but I'm still kind of worried about it."

He hugs his blanket against him tighter, and listens to the rise and fall of Chongyun's breathing and his heart beating fast while he unpacks what has been on his mind lately.

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to find my 'true love' in time, not to mention that I've never liked anyone before, and currently I don't either. And if I did like someone, what if they don't like me back? Then would they still be considered my true love? And then there's the fact that I think I'm-"

He coughs and blushes at the big secret he was about to expose, readjusting the conversation. "A-anyways, it's just a mess at this point."

Chongyun listens to him intently, frowning at his troubles. He hates seeing Xingqiu sad or upset, and especially so when there isn't anything he can do about it. Anytime he was unhappy, Chongyun felt unhappy, and that was that.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with all of this. Whoever cursed you must be the worst kind of person to put you in this position." Chongyun huffs, resting his head finally on Xingqiu's, making the other tense even more. "I wish I could just be the one to wake you up. That way you don't have to stress about it."

"Y-you want to be the one to wake me up?" Xingqiu pulls back a bit and looks at him in alarm with reddening cheeks. "That means you'd have to kiss me."

"Well yeah, I guess so, but I don't really care. It would wake you up, and it's just a kiss. I don't think it would be a big deal."

"You don't think that would be...awkward or weird or anything?" Xingqiu asks in genuine shock.

Chongyun was just... okay with all of this?! How?

"No. Why would it be?"

"Because you and I are friends?"

"So?"

"And we're also both boys?"

Chongyun blinks at him, still confused in that dumb but adorable way Xingqiu thinks he always does. "I don't understand why that's a problem if we're the same gender."

Xingqiu's mouth tightens and he blushes like mad, no longer being able to look him in the eye. "The vast majority of society doesn't approve of it. That's why."

"..."

Chongyun's face slowly contorts to vague realization as he frowns at this piece of news. "Oh. Well I'd still do it anyways because it would save you, and I don't really care if both of us are boys. I mean, if it was the only way to wake you up, why would people complain about it? Wouldn't they want me to kiss you then?"

"I...I don't know to be honest."

Xingqiu feels tired from their long conversation and stops talking, and Chongyun takes the hint and wishes him Goodnight.

"Sorry if I just made it worse. I'm just trying to figure out how I can help...too bad it isn't so easy as with a kiss." Chongyun sighs into his hair.

Xingqiu nods as he shifts back to being closer to him, and he swears he's warmer than before.

"Mmhmm..."

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Written: May 29th, 2023

Finished/Published: July 17th, 2023

(Word Count: 810)