chrysanthemums - xingyun

red ink

Knock, Knock

Chongyun slammed his fist onto the front door of Xingqiu's house, desperately hoping for a response. Today, he decided, was the day he would finally get a response. It has been days since the last time he heard from Xingqiu, and his concern for his health only grew as more time went by. The last time he heard from Xingqiu was at the Lantern Rite where his brother found out the truth. Since then, he hasn't seen Xingqiu at any of their usual spots such as Wangmin Restaurant or Wangshen Funeral Parlor.

Light footsteps could be heard from the inside which got louder as they approached Chongyun. The front door was opened rapidly, revealing the annoyed expression of Xingqiu's brother. "You've been knocking for days now, what on earth do you want?!" he snapped. Chongyun stared at him, trying to remain calm. "I want to see Xingqiu. May I come inside?" Xingqiu's brother looked around nervously while fidgeting with his sleeve. "My apologies, but I cannot. Father is home right now." However, Chongyun refused to take no for an answer. "As long as he doesn't notice me, I'll be fine... I think." Xingqiu's brother's gaze seemed to soften. "Fine. But if you get caught, don't say I didn't warn you." He opened the door wider to let Chongyun through.

Chongyun walked quietly through the hallways and stairwells, being careful not to be seen by any of the maids. His heart skipped a beat every time the floorboards creaked below him. Come to think of it, he's barely ever been in Xingqiu's home before. Chongyun spotted Xingqiu's room and knocked quietly yet firmly. No answer. He knocked once more and was answered by silence. Chongyun muttered a quick apology before slowly pushing open the door.

Xingqiu's room was cleaner than Chongyun expected. However, there were a bunch of documents thrown across the floor which he almost slipped on. There was also the faint smell of something he didn't recognize. Sitting on the desk was Xingqiu. His head was down making it look like he was asleep. A small smile formed on Chongyun's face seeing Xingqiu look so peaceful. He picked up the scattered documents for Xingqiu and placed them on the desk. Upon getting closer to Xingqiu, Chongyun noticed a red liquid pooling underneath his wrists. He gently moved his hands to not startle the boy.

The sight of blood made Chongyun feel a sense of uneasiness and a tinge of nausea. Xingqiu's wrists were littered in small cuts. Chongyun cautiously removed a balisong Xingqiu still grasped in his right palm.

After putting the balisong where Xingqiu would never find it, Chongyun began searching the cabinets for bandages. The noise of rummaging through drawers caused Xingqiu to stir awake. Seeing Chongyun in his room caused him to panic and try to hide the cuts under his already blood-stained sleeve. When he tried to hide his knife, he was surprised to see it wasn't there. The slow realization that Chongyun took his balisong and he already knew everything dawned on him. That thought just made Xingqiu panic more and he began to tug harshly on his hair. Chongyun would be mad. Chongyun would break up with him. Chongyun would call him an insane freak. Chongyun would-

"Xingqiu." Chongyun had noticed his consciousness. He squeezed his eyes shut and mentally prepared himself for how much he was about to get yelled at.

"...Are you alright, Qiu?" Xingqiu opened his eyes. Chongyun was staring at him with sincere concern and...guilt? Chongyun walked towards him. He was going to slap him, Xingqiu thought to himself. He leaned back into his chair, slowly caving in on himself. You can imagine his surprise when instead of being hit, Xingqiu was hugged tightly. "I'm sorry I let you suffer alone for so long. I can promise you now though, I'll always be here for you. I love you, Xingqiu. So please tell me the next time your feeling like this, okay?"

"Y-you're not mad at me?" Xingqiu asked hesitantly. "Why would I be? It's not easy to control feelings like this." Xingqiu sniffled while leaning into Chongyuns shoulder. "...I'll try my best, my Liege." He tried to prevent his shaking so Chongyun could wrap the bandages around him. "Again, I'm really sorry you had to see me like this." Xingqiu finally broke the awkward tension between them while looking down at the floor. Chongyun grabbed Xingqiu's shoulders, forcing him to face him. "You have nothing to apologize for. In fact, this is my fault. I should have been there for you more." Xingqiu shook his head. "No, it's not your fault. It was neither of our faults. So, can we just move on from this? I'll try telling you next time I'm feeling like this." Chongyun smiled. "Yeah, sure. And I'll always be here to listen to your worries."

Chongyun and Xingqiu heard screaming in the hallway. "Father, I swear I had nothing to do with this-Eep!" There was a crash that made them both shiver. "Don't talk back to me you little shit!"

"I-I think my father shoved my brother... I should probably go help him." Xingqiu rushed to the window and fiddled with the lock."You should probably go too...Before I get thrown down the stairs." Another scream from down the hall made Chongyun's breath hitch. "A-are you sure you're gonna be alright?" Xingqiu threw a rope down. " I'll be fine, my liege. You should be more worried about yourself actually. Father does not take kindly to exorcists ."

"Alright, Alright I'll go." Chongyun had begun to lower himself. "Take care of yourself, alright? And remember what we talked about earlier."

As soon as Xingqiu locked his window his bedroom door was slammed open. "Xingqiu, what are you doing?" His father had a bit of blood on his arm. Xingqiu took a deep breath. "Nothing, just getting some fresh air. Do you need anything?" His father did not seem convinced, but dropped the topic. "Oh...well, we have a meeting in an hour. So start getting ready." "Of course, Father."