Bittersweet Candy

Reuniting

       Xue Yang opened his eyes and saw a face he never would've expected to see again. Xiao Xingchen. "YOU-!" He stopped as he noticed his voice sounded different and he felt pain on his stomach. That man really had to stab me didn't he?  he thought. He looked up and noticed that Xingchen had a piece of cloth covering his eyes. Did he...go blind?
        Xingchen turned to him and smiled, "Do not worry, I won't hurt you I am only tending to you wounds."
        "Who are you?" Xue Yang asked, acting dumb.
        A young girl who had been standing beside Xingchen glared at him and snapped, "Can you not see with your eyes? A wandering cultivator of course, he carried you here, treated you, and fed you elixirs." She continued, "How can you be so hostile?"
         "Blind?" Xue Yang asked, knowing very well she wasn't.
         "What?" The girl said, "Do you have a problem with the blind? You were saved by the blind. If it weren't for us you'd be rotting in the wild right now." She huffs, "You didn't even thank us when you woke up"
        "It's alright A-Qing, he is not well at the moment and we are strangers so he has a right to be cautious." He turns to Xue Yang and smiles, "But do not worry we will not harm you."
   Xingchen continues to tend to Xue Yang's wounds and Xue Yang can't help but want to laugh. Weren't you the one who was trying to kill me all those times? Ha now look at you
     Xue Yang looks up and Xingchen and asks, "Why aren't you asking who I am? And how I was wounded like this?"
           "If you don't say it yourself then I don't have to ask" he smiles kindly, "we met by chance. I am just lending a hand. It's no trouble for me, once you recover, we shall depart" He wraps Xue Yang's leg, "If it were me, there are some things I wouldn't want to be asked either."
           Xingchen finished wrapping his wounds, "There it's done, try not to move too much or you'll open the wounds again."
          "Thank you for saving my life" Xue Yang says, Maybe he isn't so bad after all  he thought as he drifted off into sleep.

   Xue Yang walked into Coffin Town behind Xingchen as he heard A-Qing and Xingchen talking. "Do you need a favor?" He called out, Xingchen and A-Qing turned around. "I mean the rooftop," he explained.
         Xingchen smiled at him, "There is no need to help us."
        "You really can do it, my friend?" Xue Yang asked.
        "Shamefully, I don't have any experience with it." Xingchen softly said.
        "Then let me do it, I've been doing this since I was little." Xue Yang took the wood and hay from Xingchen and put them under his arms.
         "You haven't healed completely yet, will you be ok?" Xingchen asked concerned. He didn't want the man overworking himself.
       "Only one of my legs are injured, besides I'm used to it I used to get beat a lot as a kid." Xue Yang immediately regretted saying that the moment the words left his mouth.
       He started doing his work when Xingchen approached him so he took the opportunity to ask, "Will you take me out with you tomorrow?"
     "Absolutely not, you're still recovering. Besides, I want to laugh every time you talk. And I can't hold my sword steadily when I'm laughing." Xingchen chuckled.
       "Then I'll stay quiet" Xue Yang said desperately, "I'll carry your sword for you and assist you, don't leave me please." he couldn't believe the words were coming out of his mouth. Was he...growing fond of Xingchen? No I'm here to kill him not become his friend
      Xingchen laughed softly, "Alright then." He started climbing up the ladder and Xue Yang quickly went and held on to his waist.
        "Come on, slowly," he said as he guided Xingchen up the ladder. Xingchen was climbing the ladder well for someone who was blind, or that's what Xue Yang thought until Xingchen lost his balance and started falling from the top of the ladder. As Xingchen fell Xue Yang swiftly dropped the supplies he was holding and caught Xingchen right before he touched the ground.
        "Are you alright? Are you hurt? How did you fall?" Xue Yang started shooting him with questions and started looking around at him to see if he had any injuries. He then noticed that he accidentally let his real voice slip. Shit he thought I should be more careful around him
          Xingchen rose and shook his head, "I am alright there is no need to worry about me," he tried to stand up but fell into Xue Yang's arms again. "Ok maybe I'm not," he winced as he looked at his ankle. "I think I hurt my ankle but it's fine."
        "No it's not, come on where are your medical things? I'll carry you there," Xue Yang said as blood went up to his cheeks and ears. Why did I say that? He's my enemy not my friend
          Xingchen shook his head and said, "No it's alright I can get there myself I don't want to bother you. You are injured as well." He tried to get up again and with Xue Yang's help he managed to stand up. It wasn't long before he felt himself being lifted off the ground though.
         "Hold on a bit," Xue Yang said as he picked Xingchen up bridal style. "Where are your medical things?"
         Xingchen, surprised, held on to Xue Yang's neck and pointed with his free hand, "It's over there," he quickly out his hand back and hid his head in Xue Yang's chest. He smells like...something sweet, Xingchen thought.
         Xue Yang took him to little building and gently set him down before looking for the supplies. He wrapped his foot and looked up at him. "My friend, you must be careful from now on, I won't always be there to save you," he smirked when he saw Xingchen's cheeks turn red. Xue Yang helped him up and they walked out of the small store.
          "Thank you...," Xingchen said, "I'm sorry but is there a name I could call you by? I feel awkward just calling you friend"
          Xue Yang smiled, "You may call me Haoxuan," he said walking alongside him.
          "Haoxuan it is then," Xingchen said with a graceful smile on his lips. The name rolled off his tongue so easily and beautifully that Xue Yang or Haoxuan had to smile. A genuine smile for the first time in his life.
         He felt something in his chest flutter and thought, what's wrong with me?