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

Ch. 26

1 week.

1 arduous, sickeningly long week went by while Chongyun had himself locked up in his house, refusing to leave.

No doubt had everyone in Liyue already heard about the curse finally taking place - Chongyun's parents had consoled him when they got home knowing he was good friends with Xingqiu.

He didn't want to show his face and risk Xingqiu's parents finding him again, so he decided to stay trapped indoors until he could figure something out - it was cooler indoors, anyways.

Throughout the week, he would go to let his parents inside, and only them. It didn't matter how many times Xiangling pounded on his door knowing he was home - he never opened the door for her.

After the week had passed though, Chongyun got a knock on his door when his parents weren't home.

He assumed it was his father or mother asking him to let them in, so he easily opened it before slamming it shut immediately.

"Wait! I desperately need your help!" The stranger at the door calls.

Chongyun recognizes him as Xingqiu's older brother, and he wasn't going to hear him out.

"Please? Let me explain!" He yells outside the house. "I know that you didn't put Xingqiu to sleep! I know it wasn't your fault."

Chongyun slowly creaks the door open a smidge, eyeing him dangerously from inside the house.

"You're Xingqiu's boyfriend, right?" He lowers his voice. "I haven't told anyone, don't worry. But you have to come wake him up. You're the only one that can!"

"I'm not his boyfriend." Chongyun looks at him suspiciously.

"You're not? But he came home in your clothes one night, and by the way he was acting, it was pretty obvious he likes you!"

"He likes me?" Chongyun fully opens the door. "Not like a friend, but like a crush?"

"More like love." He says quietly.

"I knew it. I knew that he liked me like that! Why didn't I say anything when I had the chance? Why didn't I just-!"

"Hold on hold on hold on! You like him too, correct?"

Chongyun nods. "Absolutely."

"That's all I care about then. Look, our parents are out of the house for the next ten minutes. In that time I need you to get to Xingqiu, okay?" He says seriously.

"Okay. But what if-"

"There's no time for questions right now! We have to go." Xingqiu's brother cuts him off.

He grabs him by the arm and takes off around the city, heading to their house as fast as possible to beat his parents.

-

By the time they make it, Xingqiu's older brother shuts the door behind them and he shoos Chongyun away.

"They'll be here any second, so you need to go! He's in the guest room right at the end of the upstairs hall!" He says just as there's a knocking at the door.

Chongyun takes off up the stairs and opens the door, taking a look at the room with the sight almost brings him to tears.

The guest room is wonderfully decorated in white and gold, with elegant drapes hanging down over the windows, and of course, the second son asleep on the bed.

He closes the door behind him and goes over to the side of the bed to see Xingqiu resting peacefully, as if he were just taking a short nap and nothing more.

"Xingqiu..." Chongyun lowers his voice and makes his face close to him, his hands pressed against Xingqiu's chest as he looks at him with wet eyes.

"I'm not mad. I'm not upset. I don't even care that you didn't tell me because you thought I didn't like you back...even though that's ridiculous..." he laughs bitterly.

"I just want you to wake up. That's all I want. Even if..." he closes his eyes and the gap between them. "Even if that means going back to what we were."

He kisses him sweetly and softly, just the way Xingqiu had always described it in his romance novels.

His lips are just as perfect and soft as he always thought they were, and when he draws away he can still feel the tingling sensation of his lips on his when he rests his head against his chest.

"Xingqiu - Qiu -" he breathes, struggling not to cry again.

"I love you."

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Written: June 16th, 2023

Finished/Published: August 3rd, 2023

(Word Count: 732)