The Worst Day of the Year

Have Confidence

As Yasuo treads to Yi's home he can't help but stop to look at himself in any water reflection, afraid that a lock of hair came unloose from his ponytail. 'Why are you worrying about your looks all of a sudden? Yi doesn't care about looks. You know that...' Yasuo thinks as he continues down the path. He sees Yi's home up ahead and he begins sweating again. 'I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do. Maybe I'm not his type. I should forget this whole love thing before I ruin something. What if I just ask him to have some sake down at the inn? You know... as friends' Yasuo wonders as he gets closer to Yi's home. He shakes off the thoughts and keeps moving forward. 'Be honest with yourself. Yi does everything for you. What do you do in return? Get completely drunk and ruin his night, be a nuisance and be an obstacle' Yasuo thinks to himself, he's so close to the door now he can't turn back. 'You're just a burden, why would he want this?' Yasuo shakes as he raises his arm to knock. 'Why does he help me then? If I'm just dead weight he could of killed me or handed me into the council. Instead, he believed me and opened my eyes to a better life. So stop doubting yourself. The worst that could happen is that he says no but even then Yi will tell me why'. He knocks on the door. Yasuo takes a deep breath and smiles warmly.
'I have nothing to lose unless I never ask'. He hears footsteps from behind the door and suddenly a snicker of laughter. Yi opens the door, laughing.
"Coming back to tell me I was right, Wukong? She said no didn't she-" Yi cuts his laughter off as he notices that it is Yasuo at the door. He clears his throat in embarrassment. Yasuo has his arms behind his back, hiding the flowers. He stares at him. Yi is wearing his goggles, hiding his hair and eyes. Yasuo has never seen what Yi looks like under the goggles but he wishes he did. His eyes move from the large seven lenses to Yi's face. He notices how smooth it looks, how perfect Yi's lips look as they are not dry, cracked or cut unlike his own. Yasuo drifts off, imagining himself kissing them. Just as their lips are about to collide Yasuo crashes into the goggles. This snaps him back to reality.
"Yasuo, what brings you here?" He smiles but it fades away as he looks at Yasuo's facial expression. He looks stressed. Yasuo wants to say something but no words are coming out. Yi raises an eyebrow, "are you feeling alright, Yasuo?" Yi steps outside the door to put a hand on Yasuo's shoulder. The feeling of the hand only makes him panic, he lets out a deep breath and looks at Yi.
"I-I'm fine, how are you?" Yasuo puts on a fake smile. Yi does not buy it for a second. He sighs.
"Tell me the truth" Yi says in a deep yet soft voice. Yasuo tries to relax himself. Yi takes his hand off Yasuo's shoulder and puts it on his own hip. Yasuo sighs with relief, now he can think better. However, he gives in to the butterflies in his stomach and comes forward.
"Yi I-" he reveals the flowers. Soft pink roses bundled together, wrapped in white silk and tied with a dark pink ribbon. A light red fills Yasuo's cheeks. He feels like an idiot. Yi's mouth opens slightly although, he's speechless. Yasuo closes his eyes tightly and shakes his head, "I just thought that maybe... just take the flowers. Keep them. Throw them away. I don't care" Yasuo pushes the bundle of pink roses to Yi and as he holds them Yasuo turns his back to leave. Yi stands in front of his door not saying a word. He looks down at the pink roses and back at Yasuo. Yasuo grits his teeth, "You're still not going to say anything?" He says, his temper rising. Yi looks back down at the pink roses and for once in a long time he feels a slight warmth in his heart. He walks to Yasuo and looks up to meet his eyes, "go on say it, Yi. Tell me to piss off and that you never want to see m-" Yi raises a finger to Yasuo lips, silencing him. Yasuo takes a shakey deep breath. Yi moves his hand to his goggles, the other hand still holding the flowers. There was a sudden clicking noise and the goggles slide off his face revealing beautiful light green eyes. He puts the goggles in his robes. Yasuo's mouth drops in awe. He can't help but stare into his eyes. It isn't until Yi closes them did Yasuo notice his short dark brown hair. He has a fringe pushed to the right but not covering his eyes. Yasuo must have been staring for too long because a smile crosses Yi's face, his cheeks turn a little red and he laughs softly.
"Finished?" Yasuo glows red again as he quickly nods his head, he has stopped sweating but his heart is still racing. Yi's smile grows, "I appreciate your beautiful gift. Good choice" Yi pulls a petal off a pink rose and releases it. It flows out with the wind.
"I can see what you were going for" Yi smirks and raises an eyebrow. Yasuo smiles back, embarrassed.
"You're right, of course you guessed the reason" Yasuo laughs softly.
"You know me, I'm always right" Yi says confidently as he flicks his fringe. They both laugh. "Ok. ok. Yasuo..." Yi looks up at him and clears his throat.
"Yi... I'm not forcing this on you just-" Yasuo begins to say but Yi stops him.
"Yasuo, please. I know you're not. I understand that this is coming from your heart"
"Yi I don't want to ruin this"
"Ruin what? Our banter? Don't worry that will always be there" Yi smirks, he wants Yasuo to calm down.
"I don't want to ruin what we already have" Yasuo sighs.
"Yasuo! You're so unlike yourself. Where's that drunk swordsman who hates my Wuju puns?" Yi pokes his tongue out and clicks his fingers in front of Yasuo's face. Yasuo moves his head to the side and avoids his eyes. Yi frowns.
"Yi, be honest with me. Stop messing around. You don't want this" Yasuo sighs deeply, still looking in another direction. Instead of responding Yi raises his hand and gently places it on Yasuo's face. He moves Yasuo's head to face him. Yi locks eye contact with him. He makes sure he doesn't turn away by leaving his hand on Yasuo's cheek.
"Yasuo. I want this. I really do. I just need you to be yourself, stop putting yourself down. I know you are..." Yi says quietly, he begins to stroke Yasuo's cheek. Yasuo starts to calm down. He lifts his own hand up to hold Yi's, resting against his face.
"I thought you hated Valentine's Day" Yasuo states as Yi lowers his hand from Yasuo's cheek.
"I still do" Yi replies as he turns his back and begins to walk inside. Yasuo stands outside the door, confused.
"Where are you going?" Yasuo asks as Yi walks out of his sight.
"Give me a minute" he yells from a different room. While waiting for Yi, Yasuo begins wondering about what just happened. 'He wants this. He actually wants this...'. Yi comes back without the flowers.
"The flowers are in water now, they'll be fine" Yi says as he closes the front door. He pulls out a brown pouch full of coins, "Let's get a drink?". Yasuo smiles and nods his head.
"Or drinks... or... drunk?" Yasuo suggests with a big smile on his face, he doesn't feel uncomfortable anymore. It feels like their normal relationship. Yi winks at Yasuo as he walks past him. "Drunk it is then" Yasuo says as he catches up to Yi.
"Oh that wasn't a wink, I got something caught in my eye" Yi jokes as raises a hand to his eye. "I also don't have that much money". Yasuo laughs.
"You're so... funny" Yasuo lightly punches Yi's arm.
"I wasn't joking about that last part".