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After All That Training

Summary:

Chongyun has secretly harbored feelings for Xingqiu for a long time, but has learned to suppress them. He's always been afraid of letting his stronger emotions show, as he doesn't want to lose control of his yang energy. But when Xingqiu comes back from a trip from Inazuma after being away for almost two months, Chongyun starts to embrace his feelings as he and Xingqiu grow closer, both romantically and physically.

Notes:

Hello, one and all!

So this is my first fic that I've posted on here. I haven't actively written for a while, but I've always enjoyed it, even as a kid. So I hope you enjoy my journey into crafting a story again.

I'm trying to stick to current canon as much as possible, (with a few liberties here and there). but let's assume both Xingqiu and Chongyun are at least 18. The game's been going on for a year and a half, maybe they've aged since then. I don't specifically reference how old they are in the fic, so we'll just leave it at that.

Also, HUGE shoutout to SomethingDreamed, aka the best writer of Xingyun stories/smut on AO3. They inspired me to write for my favorite ship, and they encouraged me in my writing. If you love this ship as much as I do, go check their works out. They deserve ALL the kudos.

Ok! On with the story...I submit for judgement.

Chapter 1: Back From Across the Sea

Chapter Text

The calm summer breeze made its way across the fields of Liyue, carrying with it the scent of thousands of years of history. Hills of green grass stretched across for miles, ruins scattered across the horizons. There were no clouds in the sky, nor monsters to be seen anywhere near Liyue Harbor. It was a perfect summer day.

On one particular hill, though nothing about it stood out in any meaningful way, sat a young man with light blue hair. Ice particles hung in the air around him, a Cryo Vision glowing on his hip. This young man’s name was Chongyun.

And this week, his life was going to change forever.

Chongyun’s eyes were closed, his breathing deep. He often came up to this hill to meditate. He had a special condition that kept him from living in the same way others did. Some would call it a gift; he called it a curse.

Chongyun was born into a family of exorcists, and he had an excess of yang energy. Among his family of exorcists, this was a rarity. It meant he could repel evil spirits with his very presence, and he gave off an extraordinary amount of heat when his emotions were high. Thankfully, due to his constant diligence and training, that wasn’t very often.

What made life difficult was the fact that his excessive yang energy made it impossible for him to enjoy certain things others take for granted. Spicy food, huge crowds, loud music, and the touch of a lover were all forbidden. Not by any authority figure, but by himself. Chongyun had long since figured out what he could handle and what he couldn’t. If his yang energy got too high, he would act out in ways that were unbecoming to an exorcist…and that was only if he was lucky. In more extreme cases, he could end up destroying an entire room, or blacking out entirely with no memory of what had occurred. Fortunately, an incident like that had not happened in quite some time.

So Chongyun sat legs crossed on his favorite hill in Liyue, breathing in and out in a slow steady rhythm. He had gotten in the habit of meditating at least every couple days. He could do it in any area that was quiet, but this was his favorite spot. With a beautiful view of Liyue Harbor and the surrounding hills, close enough to town but far away enough that he could be by himself…it was his own personal paradise.

He felt completely at peace.

“Chongyuuuunnnn!!”

Not anymore.

Chongyun’s eyes fluttered open as a crease of slight annoyance flitted across his eyebrows. That loud, high pitched yell could only be Xiangling, the local chef of Wanmin Restaurant. Not that Xiangling annoyed him. In fact, she was one of his closest friends, and he was rather fond of her. But she could be slightly overbearing at times…and she also knew perfectly well that this was his meditation time. So unless it was some kind of emergency, he would possibly have a few choice words for her.

He looked around, his eyes gazing across the grassy hills around him. Ah, there she was, huffing and puffing up the hill leading up from the harbor. Chongyun couldn’t help but smile. Climbing a hill like this was no trouble for him, but then again, he was constantly training. Someone who spent all day cooking in a kitchen would likely not be used to an uphill climb, even though she was constantly out and about trying to find new ingredients.

“Th…there you are!” Xiangling huffed, coming to a still in front of the exorcist. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere…”

“Hello, Xiangling,” Chongyun greeted her pleasantly. “It’s good to see you…but what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in the restaurant right about now?”

“I got someone to cover for me,” Xiangling sighed, still catching her breath. “It’s a bit of a slow day anyway…Oh, I’m sorry, I know this is your alone time, but I needed to see you!”

“Ok, ok,” Chongyun chuckled. “Just…tell me what’s up.”

“Well…” Xiangling looked up at Chongyun, a huge grin forming on her face. “Xingqiu’s back!”

Oh. Oh.

Chongyun felt his insides twist into knots. He felt a pulse of energy off of his body as his emotions spiraled inside him. “Qiu…Xingqiu’s back?” he asked, trying to hide his overexcitement.

“Yeah! Apparently he just docked this morning…I didn’t hear about it until about an hour ago, apparently the whole crew went right to sleep as soon as they docked…poor things, must’ve been exhausted from the trip. But anyway, yeah, he’s back! He stopped in to see me, we didn’t get to talk long but he sounded really excited!”

“Oh,” Chongyun said, still trying to hold back his rapidly growing yang energy. “Uh…cool!”

Xingqiu…his best friend in the whole world…he was back! After weeks and weeks! It had to have been at least a month and a half, maybe longer…Chongyun had been able to put it out of his mind for the most part. Truth be told, his days had definitely been quieter as of late. No random visits with some new spicy concoction to be forced on him, no trips to a remote area for a tip about evil spirits that somehow always turned out to be nothing, no long winded recitations from books being read to him whether he liked it or not…Yes, it had been much quieter since Xingqiu had left for Inzauma.

But…for some reason…he had kind of missed all that…

“He asked about you, you know,” Xiangling said with a knowing look.

“Oh…h-he did?” Chongyun replied, hoping he sounded only mildly interested. “What *ahem* what did he say?”

“Not much. Like I said, he only stopped in for a couple minutes. But he wanted to know what his ‘dear Chongyun’ had been up to,” Xiangling said with a slight giggle.

Yeah. That sounded like Xingqiu, alright.

“Oh, I see.” Chongyun stood up, brushing off his legs. “Well, um…I guess I should go to see him, huh?”

“You make it sound like a chore,” Xiangling chuckled. “By all means, wait until tomorrow if it isn’t that pressing…”

“I didn’t say that,” Chongyun said quickly, his cheeks flushing. “I just…”

“He’s your best friend, isn’t he?”

“Ye…yes…”

“Well then…best not to keep him waiting,” she said with a wink. She began to walk back down the hill, calling back over her shoulder. “Come and find me later! I’d love to serve the both of you as a reunion present!”

“Ugh, Xiangling!”

But she was already gone.

“Chongyun…I need to tell you something.”

“What’s up, Xingqiu?

The two boys lay together out on the docks on Liyue Harbor, staring up into the early afternoon sky. The smell of the sea filled the air. There was a slight chilly breeze off the water; spring was only just beginning to change to summer. Workers could be heard shouting instructions as they unloaded fish and other such items.

Xingqiu rolled onto his elbow, looking over at the older boy. “I, um…I’m gonna be going away for a while.”

Chongyun stared at him, confused. “Going away? What do you mean?”

“I’m sailing out to Inazuma in a few days.”

“Wha…Inazuma?! Why are you going there??”

“Well…” Xingqiu scooched closer to the exorcist. “Don’t tell anyone…but my book is really taking off over there. There’s going to be a festival, and I’ll be signing books!”

Chongyun squinted. “You…signing books? With your handwriting?”

Xingqiu lightly punched Chongyun’s arm. “Ha, ha. I’ve been working on that. I’m getting better, you’ll see!”

Chongyun was quiet for a moment. “Wait…how long are you going to be gone?”

Xingqiu hesitated. “I’m not sure…it takes a couple weeks to sail over there. I’d say at least a month. Probably longer.”

Chongyun stared. “I…a whole month?!”

“Yeah,” Xingqiu sighed. He looked over at Chongyun, a small smile creeping onto his face. “Why, you gonna miss me?”

Chongyun rolled away from him, trying to hide his blushing face. “Psh…not on your life.”

Xingqiu scoffed, smacking Chongyun on the shoulder. Then, Chongyun felt his fingers slowly creeping down his back. Chongyun tried to get away, but he wasn’t fast enough. He felt the slender fingers reach under his armpit and start tickling him. Chongyun squealed in laughter, and began to roll away…

Right off the side of the dock.

Chongyun yelped as he fell towards the water, his instincts kicking in. Just as he was about to be submerged, he let out a blast of cryo energy, and the water around him froze. He landed on the frozen patch of ice with a sickening crunch.

“Ow.”

Xingqiu’s head popped over the side of the dock, his face full of concern. As soon as he saw what became of his friend, though, he began to laugh, his voice echoing down the docks. Chongyun, fuming, slowly stood up on the ice. Xingqiu, ever a proponent of chivalry, offered his hand.

“Yeah…you’re definitely going to miss me,” the young master said, grinning down at his friend.

And he had. Chongyun had missed Xingqiu a lot.

The young exorcist made his way through the busy streets of Liyue, lost in his own thoughts. He pondered the turmoil of emotions he was feeling. Truth was, he had struggled to control his yang energy in front of Xingqiu for years now. After a month and a half apart from his friend, he thought he had gotten it under control. But if anything, it had just gotten worse.

It wasn’t a mystery to him, though. He knew perfectly well why he acted this way, though he had never admitted it to anyone.

He was in love with Xingqiu.

For the longest time, he had tried to push it away. Not that he thought it was wrong for him to love Xingqiu, but if he could come dangerously close to overheating just from eating something with a little too much spice, Chongyun shuddered to think what would happen if he allowed himself to embrace his feelings for his best friend.

And his feelings were very, very strong.

Late at night, when he was at his weakest, sometimes he would give in to them. He would allow himself to imagine the wonderful, beautiful, horrible things he wanted to do to Xingqiu. Safe in his room, he could pleasure himself and release those feelings where he couldn’t hurt anyone.

That was his biggest fear. He could live down the times where he overheated and acted like, how did his friend Xinyan put it? ‘An adorable little doofus.’ It embarrassed him to no end when things like that happened…but at least no one got hurt.

But he had a lot of darkness inside. Years of repression and control had manifested some truly dark emotions. Sometimes, when coming home after another day of finding nothing, NOTHING, he would imagine destroying something with his claymore. Everyone described him as being one of the most calm, mild-mannered young men they’d ever met, but they didn’t know the anger he kept inside.

Nor did they know the unparalleled lust he held for Xingqiu. The list of depraved acts he would act out in his head when he was alone…it shocked even him. Thankfully, most of the time, his popsicles could keep all these emotions at bay.

But it wasn’t always enough. Sometimes when he was in the company of the young master, and he was doing…the provocative things he would do, it would get too much for him, and he would find an excuse to leave. Sometimes he wondered if Xingqiu knew how he felt…he seemed to revel in any opportunity to tease him or provoke him. Chongyun did his best to hide it, but Xingqiu had a way of bringing his emotions to the surface. If he did know, if he had figured it out, he certainly didn’t feel the same way. If he did, why in Tevat would he continue to torture him in the ways he did?

No, Xingqiu just saw him as a friend. And for now, that was how it would have to stay.

Chongyun came to a stop outside the Feiyun Commerce Guild. For once, Xu wasn’t out there; perhaps he had business to take care of after having returned from Inazuma. Xu was a worker for the Guild, and he held himself personally responsible for everything Xingqiu did. He took his job very seriously.

Chongyun watched the people walking by as the late afternoon sun shone overhead, wondering what he should do. Should he go in and ask about Xingqiu? No, that would be too forward. He should stay out here and wait for him. But wouldn’t that be worse, him loitering out here? What would be so bad about him just going in?

Oh, he was overthinking everything again. He would have to calm down. If he was this worked up when he saw his secret love…

Chongyun closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing, in and out in a steady rhythm. It was a mediation technique his Aunt Shenhe had taught him. She, perhaps, was the only one who truly understood what it felt like to try and keep impulses as strong as his at bay. She at least had enchanted ropes she could tie around herself to help with her particular affliction. He had no such luxuries.

Breathe in…

Breathe out.

Breathe in…

Breathe out.

Breathe in…

“Chongyun! Hey!”

Chongyun’s eyes snapped open. He looked around wildly, looking for the source of the voice.

And there was Xingqiu, standing outside the entrance to the Feiyun Commerce Guild, waving at him.

Chongyun quite forgot about his breathing technique. He forgot about trying to think about his favorite spot on the hill. He forgot about his promise to himself to greet Xingqiu just as he always had.

All that mattered was the warm, fuzzy feeling he was getting from seeing his gorgeous, amazing friend after so long.

Chongyun felt a big dumb grin spreading across his face. He felt his lips calling Xingqiu’s name, but he couldn’t hear himself for some reason, nor anything else around him. He felt himself moving forward, faster and faster, towards his friend. Xingqiu’s eyes widened slightly, but he had a huge smile of his own.

And suddenly he had lifted Xingqiu into the air, and he was spinning him around. The young master was light as a feather, and he felt so good in his arms. Around and around he spun, holding his best friend tight. He didn’t want to let go.

He never wanted to let go.

Faint laughter rang in his ears, and for a moment he wondered where it was coming from. But as the noise of the world began to slowly turn itself back on, he realized it was coming from Xingqiu. His eyes were squeezed shut, and his mouth was open as he giggled and squealed, his arms tucked around him like a child.

“Yun…oh Yun, come on, put me down!” he laughed.

In a flash, Chongyun’s common sense came crashing back. Oh no…he had completely lost control of himself! Well, not completely…he wasn’t trying to tear Xingqiu’s clothes off in the middle of the street…but nonetheless, he was making an absolute fool of himself. Chongyun immediately put his friend down, looking mortified.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

“Sorry?” Xingqiu said, looking like a kid just given a huge present. “What for?? Yun, I loved that! I haven’t seen you that excited in a long time!”

Chongyun felt his cheeks get very hot. “I just…missed you,” he admitted.

Here we go. Xingqiu was going to gloat. He had made a big deal before he left that Chongyun was going to DIE without him…and now here he was, proving him right. He waited for the usual teasing to start.

But Xingqiu wasn’t gloating or teasing. Rather, he was looking at Chongyun with a warm smile. He stretched out a hand, cupping Chongyun’s cheek. His amber eyes stared into his blue ones. If Chongyun didn’t know any better, he’d say they looked a little wet.

“Oh, Yun…I’m touched. I missed you too!”

Xingqiu pulled the older boy into a warm and gentle embrace. After a moment, Chongyun let his arms wrap around the young master. They held each other there, not caring about the people walking around them.

Chongyun immediately began to worry. This was the most physically close he had been to Xingqiu in a long time…occasionally they would share a quick hug, or Xingqiu would insist on holding his hand because he was “scared of evil spirits”…but not like this. He was afraid of the warm feeling he felt in his chest.

And yet…he felt strangely at peace. Almost like he was back on the hill meditating. How strange.

Maybe…this wasn’t so bad after all…

Chongyun let his head rest on his friend’s shoulder, closed his eyes, and smiled.

Chapter 2: Shared Fantasies

Chapter Text

“So, tell me about Inazuma!” Xiangling said, bouncing with excitement in her chair.

“Well, I got there earlier than they were expecting me, because I needed to work on my handwriting. But then the Traveler showed up, and we…”

Chongyun sat with Xingqiu and Xiangling at Wanmin Restaurant. Xiangling had made several dishes for the three of them (with special order food for Chongyun) and they were now chatting away. Well, the other two were chatting. Chongyun sat there silent, content to just listen.

He was still thinking about earlier. After they had finally broken apart from their long hug, Chongyun had told him Xiangling was expecting them. He had not spoken a word since; he had too much on his mind.

Chongyun’s hand fiddled with the friendship tassel on his Vision. He remembered the day Xingqiu had given it to him. He had come home from another unsuccessful spirit hunt, down on himself again. But he had found Xingqiu waiting for him with the tassel in hand.

“Here…I made this for you,” he had said, with an air of rare nervousness. “I know you’ve been really hard on yourself lately. I just wanted you to know how much our friendship means to me, and…I know you’ll be an amazing exorcist one day.”

He had nearly broken into tears. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for him. He almost passed out on the spot, but thankfully he had been able to control himself. “Th-thank you, Xingqiu,” he had managed to get out.

After that, he had gone on a four day hunt for amber to make a tassel of his own for Xingqiu. Amber wasn’t something terribly uncommon if you know where to look for it, but he wanted to make sure he found the best piece possible.

He would never forget Xingqiu’s face when he gave it to him; he clearly had not expected to get one in return. He remembered how he had taken it gently from his hand, his fingers trembling.

“I’ll…I’ll treasure it always,” he had whispered. “Thank you Chongyun…my dearest friend.”

It was the first time he had ever called him that.

He remembered the way his eyes looked into his. He remembered the way Xingqiu’s hand lingered in his own as he took the tassel.

And for one moment, he thought maybe, just maybe…Xingqiu felt the same way he did.

But no. By the next day, Xingqiu was back to his old self with his usual tricks and shenanigans. Surely he wouldn’t act that way if he truly had feelings for him, right?

So he had put that thought to rest.

That had been two years ago. Now, as Chongyun thought about it, the hug they shared was the most intimate moment they’d had since then. Maybe that’s why he made the connection…it was the last time he had entertained the idea of Xingqiu’s love.

He knew it was just a fantasy, that he was reading too much into it.

But it was a nice thought.

“...and there was this whole mystery with Kazuha’s family, and I helped Albedo with a portrait…it was so exciting! And stressful. But the Traveler and Albedo really came through! They both saved me from further embarrassment, not to mention my hand felt like it was about to fall off from all the writing I had to do...”

Xingqiu looked over at Chongyun, cocking his head to one side. “Yun? Are you ok?”

Chongyun realized he had been staring at Xingqiu. “Oh! Um…yeah. I’m sorry you struggled so much with your signature.”

“It’s ok. Like I said, everything worked out in the end. Oh, but it was so exciting to have people come up and talk to me about my book! I never would have dreamed it would be such a success over there after no one paid it any mind here in Liyue…Yun, what are you smiling about?”

Chongyun sat up again. Oh, had he been? He hadn’t noticed.

“Oh, n-nothing, it’s just…” The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them, “...you’re really cute when you get excited.”

Xingqiu’s cheeks turned slightly pink, and Xiangling put her hands up to her mouth, her eyes darting from boy to boy with excitement. Chongyun groaned internally. Ugh, what was wrong with him today?!

Xingqiu quickly recovered, though, and he gave Chongyun a cute little smirk. “Heh heh…I could say the same for you, Yun-Yun.” He winked at him before taking a bite of his tiger fish.

Xiangling giggled softly, still looking between the two. Chongyun wondered if it would be improper manners if he crawled into a ball under the table.

“Well, I think Inazuman culture is fascinating,” Xiangling said, deciding to take pity on Chongyun. “I don’t care much for the food, though…”

“Oh, I love food from Inazuma,” Chongyun interjected, eager to latch on to a new subject. “It works very well with my condition…not that I think it’s better than yours,” he added kindly to Xiangling. “No offense. It’s just…I can eat it without passing out, you know?”

“None taken,” Xiangling said cheerfully. “I’m sure you’d love the taste of my spicier dishes if you were able to eat them. Who knows, maybe someday you will!”

“I hope so,” Chongyun said wistfully. He glanced at Xingqiu, who was suddenly looking suspiciously crafty. “And that is not an open invitation for you to slip me anything spicy, Qiu.”

“Why, Yun! I’d never dream of such a thing!” Xingqiu gasped with a hand over his chest, feigning shock and offense.

“Yeah, sure you wouldn’t,” Chongyun chuckled, and stuck his tongue out at him.

Quick as lightning, Xingqiu had suddenly speared a particularly well seasoned portion of his fish, and leapt forward to try and stick it on Chongyun’s tongue. But the exorcist, having lost none of his reflexes in training, had anticipated it.

Chongyun snapped his arm up, grabbing Xingqiu’s wrist inches from his mouth. Ignoring the whiff of spice he was getting from the fish, he stared intensely into Xingqiu’s eyes, raising an eyebrow.

“Not today,” he said, narrowing his eyes.

Xingqiu stared back at the exorcist with wide eyes, his mouth hanging slightly open. He tried to move his wrist back, but Chongyun’s grip was too strong.

“Promise you won’t do it again, and I’ll let go,” Chongyun said in a low voice, trying to sound intimidating.

Chongyun felt a strange shiver travel down Xingqiu’s arm. The young master had a very peculiar look on his face.

“I…I promise.”

Chongyun never broke eye contact with his friend. He wondered what was going on in his head.

He slowly released his grip. “Ok. But watch yourself.”

Xingqiu began to rub his wrist, shifting in his chair and pressing his legs together. He seemed distracted, staring off to the distance, deep in thought. After a moment, he seemed to remember Chongyun had said something to him. He bowed his head, smiling slightly. “As you command, dear Chongyun.”

Chongyun heard a sound of exasperation from across the table, and he realized it was coming from Xiangling. “Archons…would the two of you just get a room already??”

“Ugh, Xiangling!” the two boys groaned in unison. Xiangling nearly tipped over in her chair, laughing hysterically.

Having left the restaurant, Xiangling waving at them from the entrance, the two boys strolled down the street together, heading back to the Feiyun Commerce Guild. The sun was beginning to set in the distance, casting a warm glow over the town.

“Inazuma was beautiful…but I missed this,” Xingqiu sighed, swinging his arms. “I missed Liyue.”

“It must’ve been cool to spend time in a different land, though,” Chongyun replied. “I’ve always wanted to go there. I’ve heard rumors of spirits that live in the land itself.”

“Well, perhaps I shall have to take you there someday,” Xingqiu smiled.

“Yeah…maybe…”

They continued to walk together, breathing in the breeze that was wafting up from the harbor. Chongyun watched the birds flying through the evening sky as they strolled, feeling content. He glanced back at Xingqiu to find him staring at him. The young master quickly looked away, blushing. Chongyun looked back ahead of them, utterly bemused by Xingqiu’s behavior. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see him continuing to glance over at him periodically.

“Hey, Yun?”

“Yeah?”

“When you, um…when you greeted me earlier…was your yang energy acting up?”

Chongyun looked over at the dark blue haired boy. “I…yeah, kind of. Why?”

“I just…I was wondering why you hold that side of you back. I mean, I don’t want you to pass out of course, but…it’s really cool to see you more open like that.”

“Xingqiu…it’s not just about me getting more extroverted. Remember how I chased Xiangling around with my claymore?”

“Hee hee, yeah!” Xingqiu giggled. “You thought she was an evil spirit!”

“It might be funny now, but what if I had hurt her?”

“But you didn’t! Xiangling even thought the whole thing was hilarious!”

“Even so…I need to be careful,” Chongyun sighed. “If I can’t control what I do, I’m no better than an animal.”

“Well…you’d never hurt me no matter how overheated you got, right?” Xingqiu smiled, batting his eyes.

Chongyun took his hand. “I’m serious, Xingqiu. That’s why I hold myself back. I’d never be able to forgive myself if I did anything to hurt you.”

Xingqiu squeezed his hand back, not a hint of mirth on his face now. “I know you, Chongyun…and I know you would never hurt me.”

He gave the exorcist a small smile. Chongyun couldn’t help but return it. Xingqiu having so much faith in him was…really nice. And his smile was so adorable…

“Hold on,” he said suddenly, holding Xingqiu’s hand up to examine it. “You don’t know that. I hurt your wrist during dinner, and I wasn’t even overheating!”

“Oh?” Xingqiu seemed very amused by this for some reason. “That’s not the same, that doesn’t count.”

“But you were rubbing your wrist…”

“Ah, yes…but I deserved it. You were teaching me a lesson,” Xingqiu grinned up at him.

Chongyun didn’t know what difference that made. Pain was pain, and he had hurt him when he hadn’t intended to. But his mind kept drifting back to the face Xingqiu had when he grabbed him…

“But if you do feel bad about it, you could always give it a kiss and make it feel better,” Xingqiu crooned.

Chongyun immediately let go of Xingqiu’s hand. The younger boy giggled, winking at him. Chongyun looked away, trying to hide his red cheeks. He wished Xingqiu wouldn’t tease him like that so much…it gave him so many unholy feelings…

In what felt like no time at all, they had reached the front door of the Feiyun Commerce Guild.

“Well,” Xingqiu sighed. “As much as I want to continue to stroll with you, I am pretty tired after the trip. I think I’m going to turn in. But,” he smiled up at Chongyun, “Would you like to hang out tomorrow evening?”

Chongyun felt the warm feeling in his chest returning. “I…I’d like that,” he said softly.

“Excellent!” Xingqiu grinned. “See you tomorrow, then!” He turned to leave.

Chongyun felt the sudden urge to say something. “Qiu!” he called out.

Xingqiu looked back over his shoulder. “Yes?”

“I…I’m really glad you’re back.”

After a moment, Xingqiu gave him a huge smile. “So am I.” He opened the door to the guild, and looked back one more time, waving. “Good night, Chongyun!”

Chongyun waved back at him. “Good night, Qiu.” He watched his friend as he walked through the door, and kept his eyes on him until the door had swung shut.

Chongyun stood there for a moment, his head spinning. He had so many thoughts and emotions swimming through his head, he couldn’t keep them all straight. He knew one thing for sure, though.

He had to get home. And fast.

Chongyun burst through his front door, taking a quick look around. “Shenhe? You here?”

No response.

Chongyun checked every room, but he knew he was alone. Shenhe would’ve immediately responded had she been there. He had been living with her for some time now; ever since they learned of their relation to each other, they had been spending more time together training. But Shenhe was often busy herself, and would sometimes be gone for days at a time.

At the moment, this suited Chongyun just fine.

He staggered into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. Just in case. Now finally in the solace of his own space, he tore his clothes off. The heat pulsing off of his body had been getting worse and worse the closer he got to home. Finally, as he slid the rest of his garments off, he collapsed onto the bed, fully naked.

Ah, the cool sheets felt good. Chongyun rolled around, letting the cool temperature soak into his skin. He knew it wouldn’t be enough, though. He hadn’t been in a heat like this in quite some time.

His thoughts turned to Xingqiu. Oh, when today had his thoughts not been about Xingqiu? He was so pretty, so perfect…he had felt so good in his arms. And the way he had looked at him when he told him he missed him…

And that look he had when he had stopped his arm…

Chongyun felt himself get hard, his cock starting to stand straight up from his body. He could feel it pulsing with the energy from the rest of his body, begging for release.

Chongyun, certain as he was of his solitude, began to rub himself.

Oh, to be free with his own sinful thoughts…to not have to worry about prying eyes, and how people would look at him should he lose control…

A fantasy began to take shape in his head. He could see Xingqiu, fully naked, spread out on his bed.

"Oh Yun, you’re so big. I don’t know if it’ll fit inside me…"

Xingqiu’s voice echoed in his head. Chongyun felt himself get harder in his hand as he continued to stroke himself.

"I’ll make it fit."

"Oh, Yuuuuun, please be gentle with me! I…I’ve never done this before."

Chongyun stroked himself faster, moaning as he imagined bending Xingqiu over, fingering him, preparing him.

"You look so good bent over for me, Qiu…"

"Oh, please take me, Yun…I’m all yours…"

Chongyun moaned as his hand flew up and down his shaft. He could see himself pounding Xingqiu into the mattress, his cute little butt sticking up in the air as he used him for his own twisted pleasure.

"Oh, Qiu…you’re such a good boy for me…"

"Oh, I love being a good boy for you, Yun…don’t stop, don’t stop…"

Chongyun’s back arched up as he got hard as steel. He was already so close…oh, he needed it so bad…

"Oh please Yun, give me your cum…I’ve been a good boy, I deserve it…"

“Yes you do,” Chongyun said out loud. “Oh Qiu, I’m so close…”

"Oh Yun, I want it, I need it…shoot it deep inside me!"

His skin was on fire. His body yearned for release. Any moment now…

"Cum for me, Chongyun…"

Chongyun let out a cry as his cock pulsed, ropes of cum shooting out of him and landing all over his nude body. “Oh, Xingqiu!” he moaned, cum raining down on his abs as his fantasy dissipated.

He felt his yang energy slowly beginning to dip, the release of his seed the perfect antidote. He looked down at the drops of cum that littered his body. It always seemed to glow slightly when he was at the height of his heat…he wondered what Xingqiu would think about that.

Chongyun let out a sigh as he squeezed the last drops out of his softening cock. Placated, he lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, a dazed smile on his face. Oh, if only the images in his head could be real...He hoped, he wished, he prayed that one day, he could have Xingqiu all to himself. If only he felt the same way he did…

Little did Chongyun know, at that very same moment, a certain young master was rubbing himself in his chamber. The image of Chongyun grabbing his wrist played in his mind over and over as he softly moaned to himself.

“Oh, Chongyun…”

Chapter 3: A Battle of Words

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Chongyun's eyes fluttered open. The morning sunlight was just beginning to stream in through the window. He stretched, yawning as he flexed his back. He threw back the sheets and stood up, starting his morning stretches.

It was easiest to do his stretches in the morning, while he had no clothing to get in the way. He almost always slept naked in order to keep his body cool, the only exception being when he would sleep over at Xingqiu’s. However, he hadn’t done that for quite some time, so it hadn’t been an issue.

He tried to go over his planned schedule for the day in his head, but he kept finding himself distracted. His mind kept going back to the way Xingqiu had smiled at him when he told him he missed him. It wasn’t like his normal smug little grin he would do when he got his way. It was…genuine. Joyful. He wanted to see it again.

Normally, his goal for the day would be the same as every other day: Do some training, find some time to meditate, explore any leads he had and hopefully find a spirit. But today, it was much simpler. He just wanted to do something to make Xingqiu smile like that again.

He wanted to do something nice for Xingqiu.

As Chongyun continued his stretches, he began to plot out what he wanted to do for him. Take him out for lunch or dinner? No, they did that all the time. Perhaps make him another tassel? No, what good would a second tassel be?

Maybe he could buy him a new book. Now that was a fine idea. Oh, but what if he accidentally got him something he already had? His collection was quite extensive already, it was more than likely.

Chongyun began to reflect. What times could he remember Xingqiu having the most fun, being the most happy? Something he got or something he did where he, without a doubt, fully enjoyed himself. He seemed very happy about the reception for his book. Perhaps something that could test his skills as a wordsmith?

And, as Chongyun reached his final set of stretches, it hit him. A huge grin spread across his face.

He knew exactly what he wanted to do for Xingqiu.

But he wouldn’t be able to do it alone. He would need help, and lots of it.

He started to get dressed, pulling his underwear and pants on. Oh, if he could make this work, this could end up being a really fun night. All he wanted was to see Xingqiu smile…there was nothing wrong with that, right?

Suddenly, he heard his door open. “Chongyun? Ah, good, you’re awake.”

It was Shenhe.

“Shenhe!” Chongyun protested, grabbing his shirt and hiding his bare chest. “Why in Tevat wouldn’t you knock? I was…I wasn’t wearing anything a second ago!”

Shenhe seemed confused. “You need not be ashamed of your form. With all of your training, you’ve stayed in very good shape.”

“I…that’s not the point! Shenhe, you can’t just burst into my room without knocking! There’s a little thing called privacy? I mean, how would you feel if I walked in on you barely dressed?”

Shenhe thought about it. “Perhaps slightly embarrassed, but as we are related, there is no potential for fornication. So I wouldn’t see any reason to fret over it.”

Chongyun slapped his hand against his forehead. Sometimes he forgot how ignorant Shenhe could be over normal customs, having been raised by the adeptus Cloud Retainer.

“Shenhe, it makes it even more embarrassing because you’re my aunt!”

Shenhe frowned. “Is that so? Then…I apologize. If it would make you feel more comfortable, I shall knock from now on.”

“Thank you,” Chongyun sighed. He began to pull his shirt on.

“So,” Shenhe continued, “What are your plans for today?”

“Well, since you’re here, I was hoping we could train this morning.”

Shenhe smiled. “It would be my pleasure.”

“Then this afternoon, I’m going to plan something with my friends. It’s a bit of a surprise for Xingqiu.”

Shenhe’s smile evaporated. “Hmm…I don’t care for that boy.”

“Oh, he’s not that bad,” Chongyun insisted. “I know you’ve seen him tease me, but he doesn’t mean anything by it.”

“If he is your friend, he should not be treating you that way,” Shenhe said darkly, her eyebrows contracting. “If he ever upsets you, come to me. I’ll make sure he learns a lesson he won’t soon forget.”

“Umm…thank you Shenhe, but that won’t be necessary,” Chongyun said quickly.

“If you insist,” Shenhe sighed. “Still, keep an eye out when you’re around him. I sense his intentions to be…less than pure.”

Clearly you haven’t picked up on my thoughts about him, Chongyun thought.

“I will, Auntie,” he said reluctantly.

“Good. Now…let’s start our training regimen for the day.”

Chongyun lightly jogged through the streets of Liyue, a look of determination on his face. It was half past one; training had run late. If he was going to have this organized by tonight, he was going to have to work fast.

He stopped in at Wanmin Restaurant, and thankfully, Xiangling was there. Good. He would need her help.

“Xiangling!” Chongyun called. Xiangling finished talking to a customer, and met Chongyun’s gaze.

“Hey there!” she said cheerfully. “Wow, don’t normally see you here without your boy. What can I do for you?”

“Listen…I’m organizing something for tonight. I need you to tell as many people as possible. You know more people than I do.”

“Oh, ok! What do you have in mind?”

“I’ll tell you all about it, but first, I need to know one thing…where’s Xinyan?”

“Heya, Chongyun!” Xinyan was just as high-spirited as ever. “How’s ma favorite exorcist doin’?”

“Oh, you know, same as usual…”

“Hey, I haven’t seen ya at my concerts lately! I’ll tell ya what, you really threw me for a loop when you jumped up on stage with me and sang yur little heart out…you got some pipes on ya!”

Chongyun didn’t need reminding. It was precisely for that reason that he hadn’t been back. “Ahem, yes, well, moving on from that…I need your help. I’m organizing something for tonight, and I’m going to need your chords.”

“Oh ho!” Xinyan looked delighted. “Chongyun, you lil’ devil! Yuh talkin some kinda special concert?”

“Not exactly…”

“You’ll want to make sure to keep enough space so anyone who doesn’t want to stop can walk through without being blocked,” Yun Jin said in a soft voice. She and Chongyun stood in the middle of Chihu Rock, examining the surrounding area. “And don’t take it personally if that’s the case…concerts aren’t for everyone.”

“It’s not a concert,” Chongyun clarified. “Not really. It’s…well, I’m not sure how to describe it. I just want to make sure it’s well organized.”

“Well, I’m flattered that you came to me for help,” Yun Jin smiled. “Between myself and Xinyan, I think you’ll be in good hands.”

“I think so too,” Chongyun smiled back. He had always appreciated Yun Jin’s calming presence in their friend group…everyone else was so loud and boisterous. “So…how exactly do you think we should block this thing?”

“Oh, hello, Chongyun! What a pleasure to see you again. Tell me, are you feeling well? Any headaches, stomach cramps? Mortal wounds that simply can’t be healed?”

“No, I’m not dying, Hu Tao,” Chongyun said, equal parts annoyed and creeped out. “I wish you’d stop asking me that every time I see you.”

“Ai ya, don’t take it personally! I wish a quick and profitable…er, painless death for everyone!” the funeral director said cheerily. “Not that you’re at the top of my list, mind you…exorcists are far more useful in the land of the living. So! What can I do for you, my icy little friend?”

“Well, I was wondering…are you free tonight?”

Hu Tao gave him a bizarre look. “Hmm…a funeral director and an exorcist…certainly a pairing that makes sense. Still, I thought for sure you swing the other way…”

“I’m not asking you out on a date!” Chongyun exclaimed, his frustration rising. “Just…are you free, or not?”

Hu Tao gave him a toothy grin. “I suppose I’ll have some time to kill.”

“Great. Can you meet me at Chihu Rock around 7 tonight? And it’s not a date.”

“Hee hee…ok, sure. But aren’t you going to tell me what this is about?”

“It’s, uh…it’s a surprise.”

“Oh! Hmmm, alright then, I like surprises. I do hope this surprise is one to DIE fo…”

“Ok, see you later!” Chongyun said loudly over his shoulder, already walking away.

It occurred to him he probably should have started with talking to Hu Tao, since everything would have fallen apart if she hadn’t been available. Well…everything had worked out anyway, he chuckled to himself.

Now for the final piece of the puzzle…

“Master Chongyun! What a pleasure to see you again!”

“Hello, Xu,” Chongyun said pleasantly. He was now standing outside of the Feiyun Commerce Guild. It was a quarter past 6, and night was beginning to fall. It was time to put his plan into action. “Is Xingqiu here?”

“He certainly is,” Xu answered. “He just finished his meetings for the day; I believe he has retired to his room.”

Chongyun knew this already; he knew his friend’s schedule quite well. Still, he didn’t want to come across as knowing more than he should.

“May I come in and see him?” he asked.

“Of course!” Xu replied, opening the door up for him. “You’re always welcome here, Master Chongyun.”

“Thank you very much,” Chongyun said, smiling. He had always liked Xu. They shared an equal amount of affection and irritation for the young master. Well…perhaps their affection wasn’t quite equal…

Chongyun made his way through the building that he knew so well. He had many fond memories of himself and Xingqiu running through the halls as kids, chasing each other. He could practically hear the booming voice of Xingqiu’s father, calling after them to slow down.

“Chongyun! Is that Chongyun I see?”

The exorcist turned around. A very tall important looking man was making his way towards him. He was impeccably dressed, with a well groomed beard and a long flowing cape. Very little about his appearance would give the impression he was related to Xingqiu, except for his amber eyes. Their eyes were practically identical. The man stopped in front of the young man, towering over him.

“By the Archons, look at you! You’ve turned into quite the strong young man!” Xingqiu’s father said jovially, beaming down at him. “Good to see you, Chongyun!”

“And you,” Chongyun said politely, bowing his head. “Good evening, sir.”

“Oh please, you don’t have to be so formal with me. You’re practically an adult! You know you can call me by my name now, right?”

Chongyun shook his head, smiling slightly. Even now, his presence made him slightly intimidated. “My apologies, but you’ll always be “sir” to me.”

Xingqiu’s father laughed, his deep booming voice carrying down the hall. He slapped Chongyun on the shoulder. “Still as polite as ever, I see!” He leaned down, his beard almost scratching Chongyun’s forehead. “My son could stand to learn a thing or two from you,” he winked.

It wasn’t the first time Chongyun had heard that from him.

Many of the rumors about Xingqiu’s father were greatly exaggerated. He was indeed a shrewd businessman, (you had to be in order to survive in Liyue’s business culture) but when it came to everyday life, he was, in Chongyun’s opinion, a very kind and understanding man. However, he had heard enough stories from Xingqiu to know that he was pretty hard on his kids. But he also knew that he loved them, and simply wanted the best for them. Also, and this was pure speculation on Chongyun’s part, but he suspected Xingqiu hadn’t made it easy for him.

“Speaking of which,” Xingqiu’s father continued, “I’m sure you’re here to see him, then?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Chongyun answered. He figured it was best if he didn’t tell him WHY he was here to see him.

“Well, I won’t hold you up, then. Always good to see you, Chongyun!” The older man shook his hand, and began to walk down the hall. “Oh!” He called back. “I hear you’re always helping out with tasks for the Feiyun Commerce Guild with my son…if you’d ever like a job, or a favor of some kind, don’t hesitate to reach out! We could use more men like you!”

Chongyun bowed his head, extremely flattered. “Th-thank you, sir.”

“Not at all, young man, not at all. Well, so long!”

He continued down the hall in the opposite direction. Chongyun headed on, toward Xingqiu’s room. He smiled to himself. Even though he had no intention of working for the Commerce Guild, the offer was very much appreciated. And to have one of the most powerful men in Liyue owe him a favor…that was something you couldn’t buy.

Finally, Chongyun arrived at Xingqiu’s door. It was open a crack already, and Chongyun heard Xingqiu’s voice through the opening. Chongyun slowly swung the door open to find Xingqiu standing in front of a mirror, holding his sword out in front of him.

“Everything’s in place, and they’ve taken the bait,” he said, trying to make his voice sound deeper. “Yes…now to start reeling them in..”

“Xingqiu?” Chongyun said, grinning.

Xingqiu jumped, holding his hand over his heart. “Oh! Chongyun, you scared me!”

“Um…what was that?” Chongyun asked, trying to hold back a chuckle.

“Oh…um…well, if you must know, there’s a man in Inazuma called Ayato. We had a couple of exchanges while I was there. He’s a hydro sword user as well! And, I don’t know, he seemed really cool…I hope I end up like him when I’m older.”

“So you were, what, imitating him?” Chongyun asked, fighting back a smile.

“There’s nothing wrong with that!” Xingqiu said defensively. “Haven’t you ever imagined you were someone else?”

“I don’t know…” Chongyun thought about it. “Not really. Only other cryo claymore user I’ve heard of is some aristocrat from Mondstadt.”

Xingqiu waved his hand dismissively. “Well, whatever.” He collected himself, and gave Chongyun a smile. “So! What shall we do? We could go out to eat, we could go walking somewhere, oh! I might have a new lead for you…”

“Actually,” Chongyun interrupted, “I had something in mind already.”

“Oh?” Xingqiu perked his head up. “Do tell.”

“I’ll tell you when we get there,” Chongyun said, taking Xingqiu’s hand.

“Oh, it’s a secret, then!” Xingqiu giggled, willingly being led out by Chongyun. “Well then…consider my interest piqued!”

Chongyun led Xingqiu through Liyue, his heart pounding in his chest. Xingqiu was dutifully keeping up beside him, occasionally grabbing onto his arm. Normally Chongyun would ask him to stop…but he wouldn’t let anything distract him tonight.

“Yuuuuuun,” Xingqiu whined next to him. “What’s the surpriiiiiise?”

“You’ll see,” Chongyun said with a smirk. Xingqiu had always been like this. Every year around the holidays, Xingqiu would try to get him to tell him what his gifts were. And his methods had gotten worse and worse with every passing year.

“Oh, Chongyun, you’re so mysterious tonight…it’s kind of sexy,” Xingqiu crooned in his ear.

Chongyun shook it off. He knew the young master too well; he was trying to break down his resolve. But not tonight.

Xingqiu raised his eyebrows, clearly impressed with Chongyun’s restraint. He walked his fingers up Chongyun’s arm, thinking of a new remark to toy with him. Then, his eyes sparkling, he leaned all the way over so his lips were right next to his ear while they walked.

“Yun…if you tell me what the surprise is…I’ll suck your dick.”

Chongyun’s stomach clenched up. Oh, Xingqiu was pulling out all the stops this time. He knew he didn’t mean it, of course, he was just trying to get a reaction out of him. But even so, he could feel the heat rising in his chest as he fought back his emotions. No…he would not give in…

“I mean it,” Xingqiu whispered. “I’ll make you feel so good, Chongyun…”

Oh, this boy was awful. Absolutely despicable.

He wanted to fuck the shit out of him.

Chongyun took a deep breath. He was in control…he was in control…

He met Xingqiu’s eyes, smirking down at him. “Who are you kidding? You’d suck my dick no matter what.”

Xingqiu’s mouth hung open as he stared at Chongyun in awe. “Yun!” he laughed. “You’re a tough nut to crack today!”

“And I think it’ll be worth it,” Chongyun smiled as they turned a corner, and found themselves at Chihu Rock.

Xingqiu’s eyes went wide; The two boys were met with a small crowd, mostly kids around their age gathered in the center. Xiangling and Yun Jin were in the front of the crowd, cheering them on. Chongyun could see Mr. Zhongli sitting at Third-Round Knockout sipping a cup of tea, looking utterly bemused. Xinyan was standing in front of the giant tree by the bridge, guitar in hand. A drumset sat next to her, but no drummer was in sight. And there was Hu Tao, standing in the middle of the square, arms crossed and looking amused.

“Wait…what’s…” Xingqiu whipped his head around to Chongyun, his jaw dropped in an open mouthed smile. “No way!”

“Yes way,” Chongyun grinned down at his best friend. “Ready for the rematch of the century?”

Xingqiu bounced up and down on his feet. “Ahh! Oh my goodness…I’m not prepared, though!”

“Neither is she,” Chongyun pointed to Hu Tao. “She had no idea. You’re both on equal ground. So…” Chongyun hugged Xingqiu around the shoulder, “...go kick her ass.”

Xingqiu started to come down from his high, focusing up his face. “Oh, I will,” he said, narrowing his eyes.

“Innnnn THIS corner,” Xinyan yelled out loud enough so everyone could hear, her voice ringing across the square. “The proud owner and director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. The deaaaadliest woman in Tevat (I mean it, she’ll be there for ya when you die) it’s HU TAO!!!”

The crowd cheered as Hu Tao did a little curtsey in their direction, sticking her tongue out.

“Aaaaand in THIS corner,” Xinyan continued, “The pride of the Feiyun Commerce Guild. The savior of the Guhua Clan, and the biggest bookworm the world has EVER seen… it’s XINGQIU!!!”

The crowd cheered once again (Chongyun joined in this time) as Xingqiu unsheathed his sword, and swirled it around. Hu Tao sauntered over to them.

“You could have just told me what was going on, you know,” she said to Chongyun with a cheeky grin.

Chongyun shook his head. “Only works if the two of you were both out of the loop.”

Hu Tao shrugged. “Fair enough.” She looked at Xingqiu, who had slid his sword back into its sheath. “Ready to go crying home to Daddy?”

“Speak for yourself,” Xingqiu hit back, glancing over at Zhongli. “Looks like yours came to watch!”

Hu Tao opened her mouth to retort, but Xinyan bounded over. “Nuh uh uh! Save it for the battle, huh?”

Hu Tao licked her lips. “Ok, ok,” she giggled, and pranced back over to her side.

“Alrighty!” Xinyan called out to the crowd. “For those of ya’ll who don’t know, these two are some of the greatest wordsmiths in all of Liyue. Ain’t nobody can out rhyme these two…except each other! So we’re here tonight to see who TRULY is the best wordsmith! So…ya’ll ready for a verbal SMACKDOWN?!”

The crowd went wild. Xinyan looked over at Chongyun, and beckoned him over. He gave Xingqiu one last squeeze, and headed over.

“Your drumsticks, as you requested,” Xinyan said, holding them out to Chongyun. “Since when did you play the drums, by the way?! You been holdin’ out on me, Mr. Exorcist?”

“Helps get the aggression out,” Chongyun shrugged.

“Oh, I get that, believe you me. Alright, let’s do this! Hu Tao ready!”

Hu Tao nodded.

“Xingqiu ready!”

Xingqiu nodded, grinning.

“Ok! Chongyun, give me a beat!”

Chongyun twirled the drumsticks in his hands. This was the first time he had played the drums in public (although Xingqiu had gotten him to play for him before) but he knew the focus wouldn’t be on him. That, at least, made his paranoia better.

Chongyun brought his sticks down…and began to drum out a steady beat.

Xinyan began to bob her head. “Not bad, not bad!” She picked up her guitar, and began strumming along to Chongyun’s beat. Xingqiu and Hu Tao circled each other, both of them mouthing out rhymes as they prepared. Chongyun could see the wheels in Xingqiu’s head turning. Any second now, the verbal confrontation would begin.

“And…” Xinyan waited until the next beat. “Start!” Xingqiu went first:

 

“Xingqiu, coming atcha from the Guhua clan,
Putting fire against water? Not the greatest plan!”

“Hu Tao, hope your lyrics won’t be too dull,
Guess I’ll just start planning out your funeral!”

“Girl, you know you can’t handle my lyrical siege,
So you better take a knee and surrender, my liege!”

“My rhymes so sick they got you sneezing and coughing,
But don’t worry, I already built you a coffin!”

“I’m makin’ it raaaaain with my raincutter swords,
What, you feel like giving up? Well, there’s the door!”

“🎶 Silly-churl, billy-churl,
Thought-at-first-you-were-a-girl!🎶 “

“Yeah, I’m a femboi, means I’m handsome AND pretty!
You better stop now before your day gets shitty!”

“Boy, you’ve met your match, as you’re about to learn,
Better use that hydro so you don’t get burned!”

“I can take the hits, did you forget I heal?
You have to have low health to do the damage I deal!”

“Low health? Not a problem! I can brush with death,
Better step back unless you wanna breathe your last breath!”

“Unless you’ve got a shield, you don’t stand a chance!
So you better start dodging this lyrical dance!”

“WHO’S the five-star again? I’ll put you down in the soil,
Watch yourself before you shuffle off the mortal coil!”

“ANOTHER death joke? Is that the best you’ve got?
I guess your pyro is failing, your lyrics aren’t all that hot!
But I’ll give you a tip:
Cause when I do a flip,
Water gets everywhere so you make sure you don’t slip!
What? You gonna make a quip?
No lyrics from your lips?
Get your tombstone ready: Hu Tao Lies Here: R.I.P!”

 

“OHHHHHHH!!!”

The crowd went nuts as Xingqiu punctuated his last line with a flip, hydro splattering onto the cobblestone. He landed lightly on his feet, a smug grin on his face.

“Well, I think we got a winner!” Xinyan called out as she and Chongyun came to a stop. “Xingqiu is, without a doubt, the greatest wordsmith in Liyue!”

The crowd applauded, Xiangling and Yun Jin loudest of all. “That’s my boy!” Xiangling yelled out. “THAT’S MY BOY!”

Hu Tao, graceful in defeat, bowed her head. “I concede,” she told Xingqiu over the roaring crowd. “For now.”

“I look forward to our next battle,” Xingqiu said graciously, shaking her hand.

“That was quite an interesting display,” a deep soothing voice spoke from behind them. The four of them turned around to see Zhongli, his hand over his chin.

“Spoken poetry over music as opposed to singing…this is not a tradition I am familiar with. It seems the culture of Liyue continues to evolve.”

“Yes, yes it does,” Hu Tao said, smiling. “Well, come on, Mr. Zhongli, we have some paperwork to get done at the funeral parlor.”

“Very well.” Zhongli inclined his head to Xingqiu. “A well earned victory, young man.”

“Thank you, sir,” Xingqiu said respectfully.

Hu Tao and Zhongli made their way out of the square. The crowd was starting to break up, with Xiangling and Yun Jin waiting in the center.

Xingqiu turned back to Chongyun and Xinyan, grinning from ear to ear. “This was amazing!” he exclaimed. “It still would have been a blast even if I hadn’t won…but it certainly doesn’t hurt!” He twirled on the spot, giddy with excitement. “Xinyan…thank you! This was so much fun!”

“H’well, I do appreciate the gratitude,” Xinyan said with a toothy grin, “But the one yuh should be thankin is the Chongus right here. He’s the one who organized all this!”

Xingqiu’s gaze shifted to Chongyun. “He…he did?”

“Aw shucks, I gotta run!” Xinyan said suddenly. “I promised Xiangling I’d take her out to find some ingredients…although why she wants to do it so late in the evening, I don’ know. Catch ya’ll on the flip side!”

Xinyan ran over to Xiangling and Yun Jin, the three of them sharing a group hug. They began to talk excitedly as they walked off. Chongyun turned back to Xingqiu, who hadn’t stopped staring at him.

“You…put all this together…for me?” he said softly.

Chongyun rubbed the back of his head. “Um…yeah.”

Xingqiu stared at him with big amber eyes. “Why?”

Chongyun felt his cheeks get hot. “I just…wanted to do something nice for you. I…I like making you smile.”

Chongyun inwardly cringed. Was that too forward? Did that sound odd? Would Xingqiu get weirded out, or worse, make fun of him?

Apparently not, because before he knew it, Xingqiu had thrown his arms around him and was squeezing him as hard as his small arms would allow.

“Oh, Yun…that’s so sweet! I’m so flattered!” He rested his head on the exorcist’s shoulder. “Oh, you’re so wonderful, Chongyun…thank you!”

Chongyun felt his eyes get wet. Xingqiu…thought he was wonderful?

The young master drew back, smiling up at the light blue haired boy. “My dear, sweet Chongyun…you’re still so full of surprises.” He leaned up, kissing Chongyun on the cheek.

Chongyun’s hand went up to touch the spot where his lips had kissed him, while Xingqiu stared up at him adoringly. He…he had never done that before…

“Q-Qiu…” he stuttered.

Xingqiu let out an adorable giggle. “Aww, Yun, you’re so cute when you’re embarrassed!”

Chongyun’s face grew even redder when Xingqiu stood on his tiptoes to kiss him on the other cheek. Oh, if he only knew how this made him feel…if he only knew the horrible and depraved things he wanted to do to him…

“Ooh, the sun is setting!” Xingqiu said cheerfully. “Let’s go down to the harbor and watch!”

Chongyun stared down at his friend. His beautiful, wonderful, gorgeous friend. “O-ok,” he said shyly. Oh, he’d follow this boy anywhere.

“Yay!” Xingqiu took his hand in his. “Ok, let’s go!”

Chongyun felt himself being dragged down the street by the young master, a huge smile plastered on his face.

Notes:

Oh my god, I had WAY too much fun writing the lyrics for the rap battle, lol. I hope the rhythm of the words came through! If you want a good beat to put them to, Lazy Sunday by The Lonely Island works pretty well.

If you've made it this far, thank you and congratulations! If you're here for the smut, worry not, you'll get your fill very soon ;) I really care about these two as a couple, so I want to have at least a certain amount of build up to it.

Anyway, thank you again for reading, see you back here in a few days!

Chapter 4: The Start of Something New

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Wow,” Chongyun sighed, lying on his back, a satisfied smile on his face. “Now that was amazing.”

“Yeah,” Xingqiu breathed, lying next to Chongyun, brushing his hair out of his face. “The perfect ending to a perfect day…I’m glad I got to experience this with you.”

Chongyun rolled over to meet Xingqiu’s soft, warm gaze. “Me too. Absolutely spectacular…I mean, did you see how red the clouds got?”

“I know!” Xingqiu exclaimed. “It looked like the sky was on fire! But like a warm cozy kind of fire, you know?”

“Yeah,” Chongyun agreed, looking up at the sky that was slowly getting dark. “That was one of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen.”

The two boys lay there on the dock, the water splashing up on the rock wall beneath them. Around them, other couples and families were gathering their belongings and heading home. The docks were a common spot for people to watch the sunset.

And yet…Chongyun liked to think the gorgeous display had been just for the two of them. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this happy.

“I’m kind of sad it’s over now,” Chongyun said softly. “I don’t want the night to end just yet.”

Xingqiu paused for a moment. Then he gently took Chongyun’s hand in his.

“You know, it doesn’t have to end,” Xingqiu said tentatively. “You could stay over and spend the night with me…”

Chongyun looked over at the young master, surprised. “What…like when we were kids?”

“Why not?” Xingqiu smiled. “You can walk me back, and you can sneak in through my bedroom window! Just like old times, right?”

“Why can’t I just come in the front door with you?” Chongyun laughed. “I don’t think anyone would have a problem with me staying over, would they?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Xingqiu giggled. “It’s the adventure of it all! You loved doing that when we were younger, remember?” Xingqiu smirked at the exorcist. “Come on…you know you want to…”

Chongyun stared at those gorgeous eyes, blinking at him imploringly. Oh, he could never resist it when he looked at him like that…

“Uh…ok, let’s do it!”

Xingqiu lit up like the sky during Lantern Rite. “Really?! Oh, Yun, this really is gonna be the best night ever!”

Chongyun couldn’t remember the last time Xingqiu was this excited. He couldn’t help but grin back at him as Xingqiu jumped to his feet, his long legs bouncing with happiness.

“I’ll go up first and distract Xu if he’s still out there. Then you head around back, and I’ll meet you up there! I always leave the window unlocked, so you should be good.” Xingqiu leaned down to whisper in Chongyun’s ear. “I’ll swipe some spirits from my father’s cabinet.”

Chongyun raised his eyebrows, certain he’d misunderstood. “Wait…sp-spirits?”

Xingqiu stopped for a moment, looking confused. Then he let out a laugh so loud, a flock of birds perching on the next dock over took off in flight. “Oh, Chongyun, you’re so dense! I mean alcohol, silly!”

“Uh…oh, right,” Chongyun blushed with embarrassment. Xingqiu was acting so giddy that he seemed like he already had been drinking, although Chongyun knew for certain he hadn’t.

“Ok. Come on, let’s go!” Xingqiu took Chongyun by the hand, and dragged him off the dock. He allowed himself to be led by the younger boy, his soft hand nice and cool in his grasp. Well…some things never changed.

This is insane, Chongyun thought to himself as he climbed the ivy on the back of the Feiyun Commerce Guild. Utterly insane. Why did I agree to this again?

Oh, right…because it was fun.

Oh, Chongyun couldn’t deny it, he was grinning up a storm. Xingqiu’s bubbly energy had for once been infectious; he couldn’t stop smiling. He hadn’t done this since he was a kid. And there had never been a reason for it! Chongyun had always been welcome to stay over. It was just a fun little ritual they had.

Chongyun reached the window, and with a small push, it swung open. Beaming, he hoisted himself in, closing it behind him. He went around, lighting a few candles to light up the darkness. After the room was sufficiently lit, he sat down on the bed, and waited.

In a few minutes, Xingqiu came sauntering in, holding what looked like a wine bottle. “It’s Dandelion Wine,” he giggled, “Imported from Mondstadt. I’ve never had it before, but Venti swore by the stuff, so we’re giving it a try!”

“Venti? Who’s Venti?”

“I told you yesterday, remember?” Xingqiu poured each of them a glass. “He’s this bard from Mondstadt I met in Inazuma. I think you’d like him, he’s really cute!”

“What makes you say I’d like him?” Chongyun asked, taking a tentative sip of the wine. “Just because he’s cute?”

Oh, Chongyun liked this wine…he didn’t have a ton of experience drinking, but anytime he did, according to Xingqiu, it had amusing results. Still, he was feeling a little dangerous tonight…

“Well, I’m cute…and you like me, right?” Xingqiu crooned, batting his eyes at him as he took a sip of his own.

Chongun locked eyes with him, and drained his glass in one gulp. He could already feel the alcohol going to his head. “Well, what about this Ayato? You seem to like him.”

“Uh…yeah,” Xingqiu said with the slightest color in his cheeks. He finished his glass. “He’s pretty handsome, I guess…”

“Well…” Chongyun grabbed the bottle of wine, and took a big swig of it. Xingqiu stared incredulously at the exorcist. “I’m pretty handsome too, aren’t I?”

Xingqiu burst into a giggle fit. “Yuuuun! What’s gotten into you tonight??”

“Some of this wine, evidently,” Chongyun snickered. He poured some more into Xingqiu’s glass. “Keep up.”

“Oh, Yun, I like you like this…”

They continued to pass the bottle back and forth, getting increasingly tipsy. Chongyun felt so free in a way he hadn’t since he was 12, running up and down the hills of Liyue with his best friend. He and Xingqiu began to swap old stories; Different expeditions they went on, places they explored, enemies they took down together…

“And it’s sooo handy having hydro and cryo together,” Xingqiu slurred slightly, downing his third glass of wine. “We just see an enemy we don’t like, and poof! They’re frozen.”

“Yeah, it’s awesome,” Chongyun agreed, putting his glass down. Oh, he knew he’d had enough. “We make such a great team!”

“We do!” Xingqiu exclaimed. “We really do…it’s like we were made for each other!”

Chongyun blushed. “You’re just saying that because you’re tipsy.”

“No, I mean it…I’m always happiest when I’m with you! Especially when you open up like this…” Xingqiu paused. “I just wish you did more often. You’re usually so reserved…”

Chongyun sighed. “I have to be.”

“Do you?” Xingqiu asked imploringly.

“Yes!” Chongyun insisted. “You haven’t seen me at my worst…when I overheat, bad things happen. And a lot of the time it’s because I let my emotions get the better of me…it’s better this way.”

“But not for you,” Xingqiu said sadly. “Chongyun…I just want you to be you. You don’t have to hide yourself. Not from me.”

“I’m not trying to hide myself from you,” Chongyun said, rubbing his forehead. “It’s just…you know, sometimes I wish I could be like you. I mean, I know you have a lot of responsibility, but…you just seem so carefree a lot of the time. And I can’t be like that…not for very long. It’s this thing,” Chongyun pointed at his chest, “inside me. All this energy that keeps me from experiencing more from life.”

“Oh, but Yun,” Xingqiu patted his back, trying to comfort him, “There’s so much you can do! You’re so strong, and talented…there’s things you can do that I can’t, you know!”

“I know…I just feel like there’s so much I haven’t experienced yet,” Chongyun lamented. “It’s not that I don’t want to try spicy foods, or go into a hot spring, or…other things…but I’m so afraid of what will happen if I do.”

Chongyun’s eyes started to tear up while Xingqiu watched him silently. “There’s just so much emotion I have to keep bottled up, ALL the time…and every time I feel like I’m getting better, I have another incident!

“And I…I’m starting to think I’m never going to be able to embrace my passions! I’m shy and awkward most of the time, but I could fly off the handle at any given moment…I mean, who would want to be with someone like that? And I’d be so afraid of giving this condition to my children…but I won’t be able to have them anyway! I mean, if I can’t even eat spicy food, I’ll never be able to…you know…be with someone…”

Chongyun put his face in his hands, trying to hold back a sob. “I…I’ve never even kissed anyone before…”

He felt so embarrassed, so horribly exposed. Xingqiu probably would want him to leave now. He had ruined his night. Everything had been going perfectly, Xingqiu had been so happy. And now it was all for nothing. He really was a failure, wasn’t he?

Chongyun felt a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked up, tears hanging on the edge of his eyelashes. Xingqiu’s face, illuminated by the candlelight, stared at him with those gorgeous eyes. Oh, he could drown in those pools of amber.

“Chongyun…you’re so strong. Stronger than you know. You’ll be able to do anything you want, I promise. You have a family who cares about you. You have a whole group of friends who care about you! And I…I care about you.”

Xingqiu rubbed Chongyun’s back, his lips quivering slightly. He glanced away for a moment. He looked like he was trying to make up his mind about something. Then he met Chongyun’s gaze once more.

“You know…you could kiss me…if you want to.”

Chongyun wiped the tears from his eyes, staring blankly at his friend. He was sure he had misheard him.

“I…you…wh-what?”

“I could be your first kiss,” Xingqiu said, blushing slightly. “That way it would be with someone you know, and…maybe trust?” He giggled, brushing the hair out of his face.

“I…I…”

Chongyun’s mind was a complete mess. Part of him was insisting it was a bad idea. What if he lost control of himself and did something he’d really regret? Or perhaps, Xingqiu was playing a prank on him, and if he said yes he’d actually weird him out?

And the other part of him was screaming at him to say yes, damn any potential consequences. This is something you’ve wanted for years, and you’re going to say NO?!

While Chongyun’s mind battled with itself, Xingqiu began to look down at the floor. “It…it’s ok if you don’t want to, though. If you think it’d be too weird, I understand.”

Say something, you fool! SAY SOMETHING!

Xingqiu now looked incredibly embarrassed. “I’m sorry. Just…forget I said anything.”

Chongyun had always been oblivious to people’s meaning behind words. He was fully aware that he had this problem; he just could never tell what people actually meant when the meaning wasn’t 100% clear. And so it was with this. But in that moment, something clicked in Chongyun’s mind.

Xingqiu wouldn’t go this far with a joke. He would have broken into a grin already. And he certainly wouldn’t be avoiding Chongyun’s gaze with a look that showed he would now rather be anywhere but there. That left only one conclusion.

For whatever reason…Xingqiu genuinely wanted this.

Seized with this revelation, before he could change his mind, Chongyun placed his hands on Xingqiu’s face. The heat inside his chest was unbearable, but he fought it back. He could do this.

“Y-Yun…?”

Xingqiu opened his mouth to say something else, but Chongyun put his finger to his lips, silencing him. Slowly, Chongyun began to lean in. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest. He glanced down at Xingqiu’s lips. He remembered how soft they felt against his cheek. Oh, how he wanted, how he needed to taste those lips…

Xingqiu’s face was so close now. He could feel his labored breath against his face. He could see himself reflected in Xingqiu’s widening eyes. The heat had nearly overtaken him. It took every ounce of concentration he had not to pass out. Chongyun’s lips parted slightly as he closed his eyes…

And their lips met.

The heat inside Chongyun’s chest dissipated as his mind went completely blank. He felt as if he were among the clouds. A cool sensation, almost like a wave of water, covered his entire being. The part of him still connected to reality registered Xingqiu’s arms slowly wrapping around the back of his neck.

He couldn’t believe it. He was kissing Xingqiu. Oh, his lips were so soft…he didn’t know if he was doing it right, or if Xingqiu was enjoying it as much as he was, but in that moment, he didn’t care. All that mattered was the feeling of Xingqiu’s lips against his.

After a few moments, their lips parted. A small gasp escaped Xingqiu’s mouth, his breath hitting against Chongyun’s lips. Their eyes opened as they both breathed heavily, staring deep into each other’s eyes with a nervous passion. Neither of them seemed to know what to say. Finally, Chongyun spoke.

“Was…was that ok?”

Xingqiu nodded, looking a little dazed. “Ye-yeah…you just took me by surprise, that’s all.”

“Um…sorry.”

“No, no, I liked it!” Xingqiu cupped Chongyun’s face in his hands, pressing his forehead against his. “I really, really liked it.”

“I…I did too…”

“Really?” Xingqiu beamed at him. “You mean it?” Chongyun slowly nodded. The young master drew back slightly, his eyes sparkling as he stared up at his best friend. “I’m…I’m so glad.”

Chongyun didn’t know for sure, but he thought this was perhaps the most unguarded he’d ever seen Xingqiu, and he felt like he knew him better than anyone. Maybe…there could be something between them?

A hint of the old mischievous Xingqiu emerged. “Of course…with it being your first kiss…you could use some practice.”

Chongyun narrowed his eyes. “Oh, really?” he replied. “Maybe you're the one who needs practice, not me.”

“Well…” Xingqiu looked at him with wide eyes, pouting out his lips. “Maybe we could both keep practicing together?”

Chongyun wanted to continue the back and forth (he loved it when he could keep up with Xingqiu’s verbal sparring) but he couldn’t bear to drag it out. He wanted it too badly.

“I’d like that.”

Xingqiu’s wide eyed stare gave way to a look of genuine surprise. “You…you would?”

“Y-yeah…if you want to.”

Xingqiu’s cheeks went pink. Oh, he looked so cute when he was embarrassed. It happened so rarely. Slowly, Xingqiu nodded.

His own cheeks getting warm, Chongyun wrapped his arms around his best friend. This time, he waited for Xingqiu to make a move.

The young master glanced down at Chongyun’s lips as he wrapped his arms around his neck. “You look really handsome right now, Yun,” he whispered.

Chongyun’s insides twisted. “You…you look really pretty…’

He wanted to say more, but Xingqiu, who had visibly grown redder with Chongyun’s response, was already leaning in.

Chongyun closed his eyes, and let Xingqiu lead this time. Their lips began to caress each other once again, this time with less tentativeness. Xingqiu’s hands stroked Chongyun’s face while the exorcist buried his hands in the young master’s dark blue hair. Oh, it was so silky, so soft…everything about Xingqiu was soft.

Every worry, every stress, every doubt in Chongyun’s mind seemed to melt away. Nothing could compare to the pure unadulterated bliss he felt in Xingqiu’s arms, feeling his delicate lips against his own. Embracing the hot feeling in his chest, Chongyun lifted Xingqiu up slightly (the younger boy squealed against his mouth) and set him on his lap. Xingqiu wrapped his legs around Chongyun’s waist, his hands moving from his face to his hair. The older boy’s hands roamed up and down the young master’s back, heat radiating off of him.

Inside, his yang energy crashed against a barrier of cool water. The heat and the flames were there, but they could not consume him at the moment; his love (and lust) for Xingqiu fed on the energy instead of feeding it. Good. He didn’t want to stop…

Chongyun let out a surprised moan as he felt something wet and slimy enter his mouth. Was…was that his tongue?? He didn’t know people did that…after all, he had never kissed anyone before. Chongyun instinctively drew back, and Xingqiu gave him an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry…is that ok?”

“I just…wasn’t expecting it,” Chongyun said, breathing hard. “Have…have you done that before?”

“No,” Xingqiu breathed. “But I’ve read about it. Do you…want to try it?”

“Ye-yeah.”

“You sure?”

“Mmhm!”

Xingqiu gave him a wide smile. “Ok…”

Xingqiu pulled Chongyun’s face back towards him, and this time Chongyun welcomed it. He opened his lips and let Xingqiu enter his mouth, his tongue exploring inside. Chongyun’s mind went back and forth between pure dumb happiness, and pure dumb disbelief. Was this…was this really happening? Was Xingqiu really in his arms right now, kissing him so lewdly? Chongyun wanted to thank the Archons, but with Rex Lapis dead, he didn’t know who to thank.

But he decided he didn’t care.

On a whim, Chongyun let his tongue slide against Xingqiu’s and was rewarded with a long moan against his mouth. Their tongues danced around each other as they pulled each other in even closer. Chongyun’s hands roamed down to the small of Xingqiu’s back, desperate to go lower. Oh…Chongyun liked this…he liked this a lot…

Maybe a little too much…

Chongyun’s cheeks went red as he felt himself get hard. It wouldn’t be the first time it had happened in his presence, but this time he was sitting directly on his lap. Xingqiu made a muffled “oh?” sound against his lips, and let out a low chuckle. Oh no…he had noticed…

Chongyun pulled back, his cheeks burning. “I’m…I’m sorry…” he murmured, averting his eyes.

Xingqiu stroked his cheek. “Chongyun, what are you apologizing for?”

“It’s…it’s embarrassing…”

“Oh, but I like it, Yun-Yun. I love knowing how excited you are.” He rubbed his ass against his crotch. “Mmm…you feel big…”

“Qiu…stop teasing me…”

“Oh, but you’re so much fun to tease…oh come on, Yun, it’s nothing to be ashamed of! Besides…” Xingqiu looked down between his legs. “I’m hard too…”

Before he could stop himself, Chongyun glanced down, and to his shock (and delight) he could see the outline of Xingqiu’s erection against his shorts. He let out a loud breath as he stared down, wondering what it might look like…

“See?” Xingqiu giggled. “You’ve got me all excited too.” Chongyun gasped as Xingqiu made it move, stretching his shorts out more.

“You like that? Does it look good, my dear Chongyun?”

“Yeah…oh, it looks so good…”

Chongyun immediately felt embarrassed at his admission. Oh Archons…he just told Xingqiu that his erection looked good…was he going too fast? Oh, he was, wasn’t he?

As Chongyun began to panic, the wall of water keeping his yang energy at bay seemed to fall, and the heat rushed through his every pore.

“Woah!” Xingqiu exclaimed, his hand coming up to feel Chongyun’s forehead. “You just got really warm…”

“I’m overheating,” Chongyun gasped, a bead of sweat coming down the side of his face. “Quick…grab a popsicle from my supplies…”

Xingqiu immediately jumped off the bed, and ran over to Chongyun’s gear. He began to cycle through its contents. Chongyun groaned as he rolled around on the bed. He ripped his shirt off, attempting to cool down.

“Um, Chongyun? I’m not finding any in here…”

“No, they have to be,” Chongyun choked out. “I always keep them in my…”

But suddenly Chongyun realized, with a fresh peak in his energy, that he hadn't packed any popsicles. He was so excited about the rhyme-off that he had completely forgotten about them. How…HOW could he have forgotten?!

“I’m telling you, Chongyun, they’re not here!” Xingqiu now looked alarmed. “Ok, um…what else can we do? There’s got to be another way to cool you down, right?”

“Cold…” Chongyun muttered, starting to lose consciousness. “Cold water…”

“R-right! I’ll prepare a bath!” Xingqiu rushed into his connected bathroom, bringing a candle in with him. Chongyun heard the sound of rushing water. A thought pierced through the hazy cloud of Chongyun’s mind. How was Xingqiu preparing a bath without a pail of water?

Oh, of course…Xingqiu’s Vision…Chongyun immediately felt terrible. The amount of energy Xingqiu must have been expending on his behalf to fill the tub…

“Ok…it’s ready!” Xingqiu called out, breathing heavily.

Chongyun struggled to his feet, quickly ripping the rest of his clothes off. Xingqiu hadn’t seen him naked since they were small children, but it was too late to care about that; he needed to submerge himself before he completely lost control.

Chongyun ran into the bathroom towards the bathtub, now full of water. He got a quick glimpse of Xingqiu’s face (whose eyes glanced down ever so briefly) before he practically dove into the water. The cold immediately seeped into his skin, and he felt his heat dip slightly. But it wasn’t cold enough.

“Qiu…grab my Cryo Vision, please.”

Xingqiu seemed to be fighting the urge to look down at him. “O-ok…I’ll be right back.”

Xingqiu walked quickly out of the room, brushing the hair out of his face. Chongyun closed his eyes, trying to relax. He could feel the water around him starting to get warm as his energy started to heat up the water.

Xingqiu reentered, carrying the vision and another candle in his hands. He placed the second candle on a shelf. He looked up at the ceiling, holding it out the Vision to Chongyun. “H-here.”

Chongyun quickly took it, dipping the Vision in the water. The bath quickly became colder. Chongyun shivered in the ice cold water, but at least it was combating the heat bursting from inside him.

“I haven’t…been this bad…in a long time…” Chongyun said, chattering his teeth.

Xingqiu nodded, still looking up at the ceiling. Chongyun was starting to become annoyed.

“Qiu, I appreciate the effort, but come on, I’m under the water at this point. You don’t have to look away from me.”

Xingqiu cleared his throat, his face getting red. “You just…have a bit of an issue there…”

Chongyun, suddenly uneasy, looked down. Oh. Oh no…

He was somehow still rock hard, the top half of his cock sticking out from the surface of the water.

Chongyun’s stomach felt like it was turning inside out. It was one thing for Xingqiu to see it through his pants, but to actually see it, even briefly…he was utterly mortified.

“Do you, um…need to take care of that?” Xingqiu said, a slight giggle entering his voice.

“I…um, yeah…it actually does help cool me down…” Chongyun muttered.

“Oh, how interesting…” Xingqiu seemed to be recovering from the awkwardness. “Would you like me to wait outside? Or…would you like some help?”

“Uh, wait outside?!” Chongyun exclaimed. At this point, he wasn’t sure if Xingqiu was joking or not.

“Ok, ok,” Xingqiu chuckled. He sauntered to the doorway of the bathroom. Chongyun couldn’t help but watch him, his cute butt swaying from side to side. He looked back over his shoulder to look at Chongyun, giving him a sly wink. He at least had the decency to keep his eyes on his face.

“Do me a favor…call out to me when you’re coming back out, ok? I might need to take care of things for myself, as well…”

Xingqiu spun back around, glancing down between his own legs. Chongyun’s eyes went wide as he realized Xingqiu was still sporting a bulge. Xingqiu wiggled his fingers at him, spun back around, and called over his shoulder as he closed the door behind him.

“Have fun, Yun-Yun!”

Chongyun clenched his hand around his Vision, keeping the cryo energy in the water. He waited a few seconds, listening as Xingqiu’s footsteps led away from the bathroom. Then he got to work.

It wasn’t even a question of what he would think about this time; the image of Xingqiu in his lap, kissing him, holding him…it was all the inspiration he needed. He rubbed himself vigorously, thinking about how much more he wanted to do.

Xingqiu had wanted him to kiss him…

This excited Chongyun more than anything. He suspected he probably just wanted to have fun, but whatever his motivations, Xingqiu had seemed to enjoy it…oh, but if he knew just how long Chongyun had wanted this…and how much MORE he wanted…

At some point, Chongyun thought he could hear a quiet moan from the bedroom. He tried to listen, remembering what Xingqiu had said he might do. Were they…both rubbing themselves at the same time?

Somehow this thought made him even harder than before.

There it was again; quiet, but clearly a moan from his favorite hydro user. Chongyun began to rub himself faster, imagining what Xingqiu looked like out there. Which hand did he use? Or maybe he used both hands? Or maybe he’d rub his cock with one hand while rubbing his balls with the other? Chongyun liked to do that sometimes…

Chongyun let out a low moan of his own as he began to get close, the water swishing back and forth. He lay in his ice bath, pleasuring himself. He wasn’t even thinking about cooling himself down anymore. He just wanted the sensation of orgasming while he listened to Xingqiu.

The moans outside got slightly louder; Chongyun strained to hear. It felt so erotic, knowing that his best friend was pleasuring himself at the same time he was. Chongyun realized he wasn’t paying attention to how loud he was moaning. He wondered if Xingqiu could hear him.

Then Chongyun heard quite possibly the most gorgeous sound he had ever heard.

Xingqiu let out a series of short loud moans in succession. Chongyun’s mouth dropped as he realized what was happening. He knew those sounds, because he had made them himself. Xingqiu was…he was…

The knowledge that Xingqiu was orgasming in the other room, just out of reach, was too much for Chongyun to handle. He immediately began to cum, arching his back up as he shot his load all over his exposed chest and into the water. It happened so quickly that Chongyun didn’t have time to cover his mouth or keep his moans quiet. He just let the sounds of pleasure cry out from his lips as he had one of the best orgasms he’d had in some time.

Well…Xingqiu most definitely had heard that.

As the heat finally started to dissipate along with his orgasm, Chongyun began to shiver as he realized just how cold the water really was. He rinsed off the mess he made on himself, quickly got out, and grabbed a towel to dry off as he let the water run down the drain.

“Um…Qiu?” Chongyun called awkwardly from the bathroom. “I’m, um…done now. Are you decent out there?”

“Yes!” Xingqiu’s voice carried from the bed. “Come on out.”

Chongyun blew out the candles, and came out with the bath towel wrapped around his waist. He certainly wasn’t overheating anymore, but his embarrassment was just as strong.

Xingqiu was lying in bed, reading a book. He must have just picked it up, but he looked completely relaxed without a hint of what he had just been doing. He looked up as Chongyun walked out, and his eyes traveled up and down Chongyun’s body.

“Well, look at you,” he said, his voice smooth as silk. “You’ve gotten so muscular!”

Chongyun blushed. “It’s…it’s nothing special.” He rooted around for his evening clothes he had brought, designed to be lighter and easier to sleep in. He put his Vision on the end table.

“Feel better now?” Xingqiu asked.

“Yes,” Chongyun said with a sigh, “I won’t be forgetting my popsicles again, that’s for sure.”

“Of course,” Xingqiu inclined his head. A sly smile crept across his face. “Sounded like it felt good at the end there…”

Chongyun’s face was the color of a Jueyun Chili. “Oh…so you did hear…”

“Kinda hard not to,” Xingqiu teased.

“Um…did you end up…you know…?” Chongyun asked, acting like he didn’t hear him earlier.

“Mmhmm,” Xingqiu giggled. “You got me pretty worked up, you know…I didn’t get a super good look, but you looked pretty thick…”

“Qiu, stop it,” Chongyun protested, “You’re gonna heat me up again.”

“Oh? Is it that easy?” Xingqiu teased. “Why, Yun, do I really drive you that crazy?”

Yes, Chongyun thought. Yes you do.

“Well…you just know how to embarrass me!”

Xingqiu grinned, turning a page in his book. “Well, either way, I hope you had as much fun as I did.”

“You…you did have fun then?” Chongyun said softly, pulling his shorts on underneath his towel.

“Of course I did!” Xingqiu said, putting his book down. “Couldn’t you tell?”

“I don’t know…sometimes you’re hard to read.”

“Or maybe…” Xingqiu raised an eyebrow, “You’re just not good at reading people.”

Chongyun finished putting his clothes on, and hung up the towel. “I was just worried that…after I overheated…that I might have ruined your night.”

Xingqiu sat all the way up in bed. “You really thought that? Chongyun, this has been one of the greatest nights of my life! I got to spend the whole evening with you! You put together that whole event for me, we watched the sunset, you came back here with me…you know how long I’ve been missing this? I’ve been wanting you to come over for forever! And you think you ruined my night?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Chongyun said, raising his hands. “I just…wanted it to be perfect…”

“And it was,” Xingqiu said smiling. “On top of getting my first kiss, I got to save my best friend’s life! If that’s not a notch on my chivalry belt, I don’t know what is!”

“Well, you didn’t save my life, Xingqiu,” Chongyun chuckled. “Maybe the state of your furniture. You haven’t seen me when I completely…wait. You meant my first kiss, right?”

Xingqiu paused. “Your first…wait, what did I say?”

“You said your…Xingqiu, was that YOUR first kiss too??”

Xingqiu suddenly seemed very interested in the patterns on the wall. “Um…possibly…”

Chongyun walked slowly over to his best friend. “I thought…you and that girl from Sumeru...the exchange girl from four years ago…you didn’t…?”

“Yeah, uh…I might not have been entirely truthful about that…” Xingqiu said awkwardly.

“Why would you lie about something like that to me??” Chongyun asked incredulously.

Xingqiu didn’t answer.

Chongyun sighed. “So…we were…each other’s first kiss?”

A small smile appeared on Xingqiu’s face. “I guess so.”

“But…you were so…it felt so…” Chongyun stuttered.

“What?”

“I mean…” Chongyun looked down at the floor. “You’re a good kisser.”

Xingqiu’s cheeks turned slightly pink, but when he looked up at Chongyun, it was with a smug little smirk. “Oh, is that so? Well, you weren’t so bad yourself, Yunnie-Yun.”

Chongyun grumbled at the nickname, sitting on the edge of the bed. “So that tongue thing…you really just read about it somewhere?”

Xingqiu raised an eyebrow. “Yeah…and you would have heard it too, had you let me read you ‘Young and Hopelessly Smitten’.”

“‘Young and…’ What now?”

Xingqiu sighed. “The romance novel? The one I wanted to read to you, but you called it ‘frivolous’?”

“Oh…did I?”

“Yeah.” Xingqiu rolled his eyes. “I’m actually reading it right now.” He held up the book. “Seemed appropriate.”

Chongyun felt a little guilty. He supposed he had rejected a lot of Xingqiu’s offers to read to him. He always thought he was just trying to have him listen to him talk…but now he was afraid he had been hurting his feelings.

“Well maybe…if you want…you could read it to me now.”

Xingqiu seemed to light up. “You…you want me to read to you?”

“Well…I am pretty tired…” Chongyun yawned, laying down next to Xingqiu. “But I wouldn’t mind if you maybe wanted to read to me until I fall asleep.”

Chongyun felt a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Xingqiu gazing down at him. “I’d love to,” he said with a warm smile.

Chongyun got under the covers. He definitely didn’t feel so warm anymore. He laid his head down on Xingqiu, feeling him breathe against him as the young master began to stroke his hair. He listened as Xingqiu read to him, the words starting to blur together after a while. But until he finally closed his eyes, he never stopped listening to Xingqiu’s voice, the young master’s eyes glancing down at him every once in a while. As he felt himself begin to drift off, he felt Xingqiu’s delicate lips press against his forehead.

“Goodnight, Yun,” he heard him whisper.

“Good…goodnight Qiu…” he murmured back sleepily.

You know, all things considered, Chongyun thought…it turned out to be a pretty amazing night after all.

Notes:

There ya go, got some food for ya! Just an appetizer, you'll have to wait for the main course ;)

Poor Chongyun, his yang energy is a bitch for cockblocking him like that...but I'm a romantic at heart, so I couldn't have them go TOO far the first time. We'll see where it goes from here.

Thank you all for the comments and kudos, I love reading them! Chapter 5 should be up this weekend, so look forward to that. See you all then!

Chapter 5: Relationship Advice

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Chongyun slowly opened his eyes. Light was just beginning to stream in from the window. At first he wasn’t sure where he was. Then, the memories of last night began flooding back in.

At the same time, he realized he was snuggled up to Xingqiu.

Blushing, he stared down at the sleeping boy resting in his arms. He felt a warm feeling across his entire being, but it was different. It wasn’t his yang energy acting up, he felt completely at peace.

No, this warm feeling was overwhelming happiness.

Xingqiu stirred, making a little moaning sound as he began to wake up. Chongyun stroked his hair. He was so, so cute. He wanted him all to himself, forever and always.

Xingqiu’s eyes fluttered open. He blinked a couple of times, and his eyes found Chongyun’s. He gave him a sleepy smile.

“Now there’s something to wake up to,” he mumbled.

“Good morning to you too,” Chongyun chuckled. He continued to stroke Xingqiu’s hair. The younger boy sighed, stretching slightly.

“That feels really nice,” he murmured, still waking up. “I could get used to this.”

“What, me stroking your hair?”

“Waking up next to you.”

Chongyun’s heart fluttered. A glimmer of hope sprung up in him. “I…I like it too,” he said hesitantly. “I’d like to do this again.”

Xingqiu sat partially up, rubbing his eyes. “Which part? Waking up with me, staying over? Or…the other stuff?”

“I don’t know…I’m still kind of processing it, you know?” He wanted to move on, he wanted to avoid talking about it…but he had promised himself he would try and be more open with Xingqiu. “I just don’t know…what it all means. I guess I’m just kind of confused about it all.”

Xingqiu nodded, looking in deep thought. He looked back at his friend. “Kiss me.”

“Wha…what?”

“Just do it. One kiss.”

Chongyun sputtered a little bit. Just like that? But…he supposed they had done that last night…why not do it again? “O-ok,” he said.

He took Xingqiu’s face in his hands, and kissed him right on the mouth. He meant to get it done quickly, but Xingqiu wasn’t pulling away…so he lingered. Let it last.

When their lips parted, Xingqiu looked into his eyes, brushing Chongyun’s hair out of his face.

“How do you feel?”

Chongyun shifted on the bed. “Um…” If he had to be honest… “Happy.”

Xingqiu’s eyes lit up. “So am I,” he said with a big smile. “So…same time tonight?”

“What…just like that?”

“Just like that.”

“But…” Chongyun stuttered. “Shouldn’t we, I don’t know…talk about this first? Like…what THIS is?”

“Why?” Xingqiu shrugged. “If it makes us both happy, we should do it again.”

“What…kiss?”

“And whatever else we want to do,” Xingqiu grinned mischievously.

“Wha…Qiu!” Chongyun protested. “You can’t just…”

“Sorry, gotta run!” Xingqiu said suddenly, swinging out of bed. “Early meetings today.”

Xingqiu began to change out of his night attire. Chongyun, frustrated, looked away to give him privacy.

“Qiu,” he grumbled, “I really think we should talk about this first.”

“What’s there to talk about?” Xingqiu trilled behind him, clothes rustling. “You want to come over tonight, right?”

“I…well, yes, but…”

“Excellent, then it’s settled!” Xingqiu said cheerily, strolling around to the other side of Chongyun, now fully dressed. Wow, he really did get ready quickly. “Sorry to leave so unceremoniously, but duty calls! You can climb out the window if you’re too embarrassed to go out the door.”

“I…Qiu!”

“See you tonight, Yun-Yun!” Xingqiu kissed Chongyun on the cheek, sauntered over to the door, and swung it open. He gave Chongyun a cheery little wave, and closed the door behind him.

Chongyun groaned, falling back onto the bed. He put a pillow over his mouth, and let out a muffled yell in frustration.

All he wanted was to know how Xingqiu felt about it. There had been so much affection in his eyes. He thought…he really thought for a second there…

But maybe Xingqiu had sensed that he wanted to breach the topic of their feelings, and left before they could. And if that was the case…

He really didn’t care about him. At least not in that way.

That had to be it. Xingqiu just wanted someone to mess around with, and he chose him because they were already close. It was the only logical explanation.

Chongyun began to gather his belongings and get dressed. He would have to skip his morning stretches for now; he didn’t want to be found alone half dressed in Xingqiu’s room.

It was just so frustrating. Xingqiu had repeatedly said he thought Chongyun should be more open with him, and yet he refused to talk about everything that had just happened.

Well, if he didn’t want to talk about it…Chongyun wouldn’t bring it up again. It’d be fine, right? He could just enjoy whatever physical affection Xingqiu was willing to give him…right?

He sighed. He needed some help on this one.

 

“Chongyun!” Xiangling waved as the exorcist walked up to the counter at Wanmin Restaurant. Guoba sat on her shoulder, munching on a chili. “Wow, I’m honored you keep coming to see me lately!”

Xinyan stood opposite the chef across the counter, both of them having been chatting up a storm before he walked up.

“Xiangling,” Chongyun began, “I need your advice on something.” He glanced at Xinyan. “I’d…like to speak in private.”

“Well, you just missed the lunch rush, so perfect timing!” Xiangling replied. “I’d love to help if I can.”

“What, can’t get advice from your favorite music partner?” Xinyan grinned. “Come on, Chongy, we was makin’ music together! Surely we know each other well enough that you can trust lil ol me, right?”

Chongyun sighed. “I suppose. But you both need to swear that you won’t tell anyone else. This is…really personal.”

Xiangling and Xinyan looked at each other. “Of course we promise!” Xiangling asserted. “Right, Xinyan?”

“These lips may sing,” Xinyan assured, “but they do not spill secrets. I am a lady of my word, drummer boy!”

Chongyun nodded, still feeling uneasy. “Ok…is there a place where we can talk in private?”

Xiangling nodded. “Back here.” The two young ladies led Chongyun to the back of the restaurant, where they had a nice view of the surrounding hills. The three of them sat down, while Guoba jumped down and curled up by Xiangling’s feet. The two women looked at Chongyun expectantly.

“Ok,” Chongyun started, “I know you both are excitable…”

“What’s that supposed ta mean??” Xinyan said indignantly.

“Ok, you’re proving my point,” Chongyun went on, “But I need you both to just…stay calm, ok?”

“Chongyun, just tell us what this is about,” Xiangling said, patting his hand. “You can trust us!”

Chongyun took a deep breath. “Ok…so, to start with…Xingqiu and I kissed.”

Xiangling clasped her hands over her mouth just in time to muffle a high pitched screech. Xinyan meanwhile leaned back in her seat, putting her hands up. “I knew it! I knew it!”

Chongyun put his head in his hands. “See, this is why I keep everything to myself,” he grumbled.

“Ok, ok, I’m sorry,” Xiangling apologized profusely, her voice still at least two octaves higher than normal. “But oh, Chongyun…that’s wonderful!! I’ve been telling Xinyan for months now, it was only a matter of time…we’ve been rooting for you guys to get together!”

“Wait, wait, hold on baby,” Xinyan drawled, patting Xiangling’s hand, “We don’t know if they actually got together. So how about it, ice boy? You two official, or what?”

Chongyun was beet red. On one hand, he was flattered that they had been wanting the two of them to get together. On the other hand, he was seriously considering rolling off the side of the balcony, he was so embarrassed.

He looked back at the two girls. Xinyan was staring at him eagerly, while Xiangling was strangely blushing for some reason.

“See, that’s the thing…I don’t know what we are right now, and Xingqiu won’t talk about it.”

Xiangling and Xinyan’s expressions fell slightly. “Oh, I see,” Xiangling said. “Well…why don’t you tell us exactly what happened?”

So Chongyun described the evening after the girls had left. He described everything Xingqiu had said and done, although he kept out the part where they had gotten hard and rubbed themselves in opposite rooms. He didn’t care how good of friends they were; he was not ready to share something like that.

“And then this morning, I tried to talk to him about it, but he just made me promise to see him again tonight, and practically ran out of the room!” Chongyun finished. “So I don’t know what he’s thinking now.”

Xiangling wrinkled her brow, thinking hard about everything Chongyun had said. “Well…I can’t pretend to know what’s going on in Xingqiu’s head. But I know he cares about you…I can’t see him doing this just for the sake of it.”

“Oh, girl, I know he has feelings for him,” Xinyan said confidently. “I mean, did ya SEE the way he looked at him when I told him Chongyun organized that smackdown last night??”

“But if he really does like me, why wouldn’t he talk about it with me?” Chongyun pleaded. “I mean, I was gonna try to confess my feelings to him, and he just brushed it off!”

Xiangling gasped. “So you do have feelings for him!”

Chongyun blushed something fierce. “I mean…yeah.”

Xiangling squealed. “I knew it!! Oh Chongyun, you two would be SO CUTE together!!”

“Hell, they already are,” Xinyan chuckled.

Chongyun hid his head in his hands. Oh, he was so embarrassed…he had never talked about his feelings like this.

“Aww, Chongyun, it’s ok,” Xiangling said softly, patting him on the shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you…I’m just excited, that’s all!”

“Ya heatin up there, Mr. Exorcist?” Despite her use of the nickname she made for him, Xinyan’s tone was kind. “Ya need one of your popsicles?”

Chongyun nodded, still not picking his head up. “In my pouch,” he mumbled. Thankfully, he had remembered them today.

Xinyan pulled a popsicle out, rubbing his back. “Here,” she said, picking his head up. “Suck on this.”

Chongyun took it from her, giving her a small smile. “Thank you,” he said gratefully. She nodded back at him with a smile of her own. As he slid it into his mouth, he began to immediately feel better. Ah…much better than an ice bath.

Xinyan suddenly snorted, as if she had just gotten a joke. She leaned over, whispering something in Xiangling’s ear. She gasped, and slapped her across the shoulder.

“Oh, Xinyan, that’s awful!”

“But ya know I’m right!” Xinyan laughed.

Chongyun continued sucking down the special cooling essence of his popsicle. He decided it was better not to ask what Xinyan had whispered.

“So…you really think Xingqiu might like me, Xiangling?” he asked tentatively.

“I don’t know, Chongyun…I don’t want to make assumptions. He obviously likes you enough to kiss you…if you want to know, you should just ask him.”

“I want to…if he’ll even give me the chance to…but I’m afraid if he doesn’t like me, he’ll get weirded out, and not want anything to do with me anymore!”

“Well, you can do whatever ya want,” Xinyan proclaimed, “But if ya want my opinion, you should just tell him how ya feel. Better to know than keep all that emotion locked away inside. Worse thing he can say is no, right? Besides, even if he doesn’t like you that way, you’ll probably flatter him!”

“Ye-yeah, I agree,” Xiangling concurred, giving Xinyan a peculiar look.

Chongyun sighed. “Well, I’ll see him tonight no matter what, so…I’ll think about it.”

“Trust me, you’ll feel better once ya do,” Xinyan grinned, lightly smacking Chongyun on the back. “Keeping your emotions bottled up can make ya sick. I’ll tell ya what, last night? Healthiest I’ve seen you look in a long time! You should let loose more often, Iceman!”

Chongyun nodded. “Thank you,” he said appreciatively. “Thank you both…I do feel a little better.”

“Good,” Xiangling smiled, though she seemed a little distracted. “I’m sure it’ll all work out.” She stood up suddenly. “Well, I’d better get back to work.”

“Oh,” Xinyan said, looking disappointed. “I thought we were gonna have lunch together.”

“No, I shouldn’t keep them waiting,” Xiangling insisted. “But you can have anything that’s in the back.” She gave Xinyan a quick hug. “S-sorry!” She trotted off towards the front of the restaurant. Guoba stayed curled up underneath the table, fast asleep.

“Everything ok?” Chongyun asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” Xinyan replied, though she looked a little concerned. “I just don’t know what got her so…”

She stopped. After a moment, her eyes widened, and a huge grin began to form on her face.

“Chongyun, my man…we may be more alike than you think.” She stood up, sparks flying from her fingertips. “I’ve got some work to do.”

“Wait…” Chongyun stood up as well, utterly confused. “What’s going on, Xinyan?”

“Nothin’…yet. Turns out I should listen to my own advice sometimes.” Xinyan grasped Chongyun’s arm, her grin growing wider by the second. “Best of luck to ya with your water boy!” She went out the back, humming to herself.

Chongyun shook his head to himself. Sometimes his friends could be really weird. He leaned down to give Guoba a pat on the head, and he made his way out, his mind turning to thoughts of what the night would bring.

What would Xingqiu want to do? Would he want to kiss him more? He had said “whatever they wanted to do”…the thought made him quiver. He didn’t know if he was ready for more than kissing, especially if Xingqiu just wanted someone to screw around with.

But he knew, at the end of the day, it didn’t matter what he thought he was ready for. If there’s one thing he knew about Xingqiu, it was that he always got what he wanted in the end.

But maybe, in this case…he wanted it too.

Notes:

Bit of a shorter chapter this time, but some more love might be in the air!

Next chapter will be up Wednesday. It’ll be the longest (and spiciest) yet, so look forward to that. I’ve been so flattered by the comments I’ve been getting, and the response in general. It means the world to me! See you on Wednesday! :)

Chapter 6: Mutual Satisfaction

Notes:

Heads up: This chapter is basically pure smut. Be warned...or be delighted.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Master Chongyun…may I ask you a question?”

“Of course, Xu,” Chongyun replied.

He stood outside the Feiyun Commerce Guild, waiting for Xingqiu to be done with his work for the day. Night had already fallen. His meetings had run long; Xingqiu’s father must have been doing some digging into a new kind of business. Why this had to involve Xingqiu, he had no idea. Nonetheless, he stood outside the building, waiting for Xingqiu to come and collect him for…whatever he had planned.

“Master Chongyun…I’ve known you for quite some time now,” Xu continued, looking a little apprehensive. “You’ve never given me a reason not to trust you…this is why I would like to bring this issue up with you in private.”

“Uh…what issue?” Chongyun asked, confused.

Xu took a deep breath. “I…well to be frank, I was wondering why you were climbing out of Master Xingqiu’s window this morning.”

Chongyun froze up. Oh, Archons…he thought for sure no one had spotted him…

“I haven’t informed my superiors of what I saw,” Xu went on, looking down at the floor. “I thought it more appropriate to try and clear up the matter with you, given your favor with the masters, young and old.”

Chongyun swallowed. “Xu…you have every right to be concerned, but I promise you, it wasn’t anything bad. You can even ask Xingqiu if you want.”

“Really? He…was aware you climbed out of his window?” Xu asked, raising his eyebrows.

“It…” Chongyun hung his head in embarrassment. “It was an old joke of ours. I used to sneak in through his window as a kid to spend the night. We knew I was welcome any time, we just did it to have fun. We were kids, you know? And last night, Xingqiu suggested I do it again for…old time’s sake, I suppose.”

Xu relaxed somewhat. “Well, that’s a relief…I will still need to corroborate your story with Master Xingqiu, but it does seem like the kind of stunt he would pull. However, just to prevent any further confusion, I would ask that you…”

The main door swung open, and out walked Xingqiu, regal as always. He looked around, passing over Xu before his eyes found Chongyun.

“Ah, Chongyun! Good, right where I expected you to be. Well, come on, I require your presence in my chambers immediately!”

Chongyun’s cheeks went scarlet as Xingqiu took his hand and began to drag him toward the open door.

“Oh, Master Xingqiu!” Xu called out. “I need to ask you a question about…”

“Sorry Xu, no time! I’m afraid this matter is quite urgent. Come along, Chongyun!”

Chongyun gave Xu an apologetic look as the door swung shut behind him.

Xingqiu led Chongyun by the hand through the halls of the Commerce Guild, his steps echoing across the walls. He seemed to be walking as fast as possible without breaking into a run. The young master had a look about him that gave Chongyun pause. His face seemed almost angry, but every time he looked at Chongyun, that energy seemed to change to…something else.

Finally, they reached Xingqiu’s chambers. Xingqiu swung the door open, dragged Chongyun through, and slammed it behind him.

“You…” He unhooked his sword and sheath. “Would not believe…” He tossed them on the carpet. “The day I’ve had.”

“Wha-what’s wrong?” Chongyun asked tentatively.

“What’s wrong? I’ll tell you what’s wrong,” Xingqiu huffed, placing his Vision on the bedside table. “Somehow my father found out the real reason I went to Inazuma. He knows everything!”

He stalked about the room, lighting his candles. “So now, not only do I have to deal with him chewing me out for ‘wasting resources’, he’s now opening an investigation into my book! I’ve had to deal with him and others all day talking about how my ‘little stunt’ could jeopardize the image of the Guild!”

He pounded the bed with his fists. “And of course I tried to tell him how ‘A Legend of Sword’ is selling better than Grilled Tiger Fish over there, but noooo, he wouldn’t listen to a word I say! He never does! I am so sick of him trying to run my life!”

Chongyun stood there awkwardly. He of course felt bad for Xingqiu, but he could also see where his father was coming from. Xingqiu had lied to almost everyone about this…although, Chongyun recalled with pride, he hadn’t lied to HIM. He had trusted Chongyun with his secret. Yes, Xingqiu would at least never lie to him, his best friend.

“So,” Xingqiu continued, walking up to Chongyun, “After such a stressful day, you can imagine how much I’ve been looking forward to seeing you.”

“Oh, you…you have?” Chongyun stuttered, turning scarlet.

“Of course,” Xingqiu smiled. “You want to try and make me feel better, don’t you?”

“I…um…” Xingqiu put his hand on Chongyun’s cheek as he tripped over his words. “Ye-yes…”

“Well then,” Xingqiu raised an eyebrow as his thumb made its way down Chongyun’s face to his lips. “Make me feel better, Yun-Yun.”

“Wha…what do you w-want me to do?”

Xingqiu was very close to him now. His amber eyes stared into his blue ones with a quiet intensity. He glanced down at Chongyun’s lips, his own upturned into a confident little smirk.

“Use your imagination,” he whispered…and pressed his lips up against his.

There it was again…that feeling of floating. Xingqiu was kissing him, and Chongyun was kissing him back. It wasn’t a dream, or a fantasy…it was real. For some reason, Xingqiu enjoyed kissing him…and Chongyun was determined to take advantage of every single second.

Instinct taking over, Chongyun reached underneath Xingqiu’s legs and lifted him, picking him up while his lips continued their work. Xingqiu squealed against his mouth as Chongyun’s hands caressed against his soft thighs. Oh, he wanted to touch every part of him…

Xingqiu wiggled against him, moaning and giggling against his lips. Well, he sure seemed to be feeling better…oh, but he was slipping. His movements and the softness of his thighs were causing Chongyun’s grip to fail. He shifted Xingqiu upwards to try and get a better grip. His hands slid upwards on his legs…

Only to inadvertently grab the young master’s ass.

Their lips parted as Xingqiu gasped, his eyes blazing into Chongyun’s. “Oh, Yuuunnn,” he moaned, “You naughty boy…who told you that you could touch me there?”

“I-I’m sorry,” Chongyun mumbled, completely mortified. “It was an accident…”

“It’s ok, Yun-Yun,” Xingqiu giggled, putting his lips against Chongyun’s ear. “I like it.”

“You…you like…?”

But Xingqiu cut him off with another hard kiss, his legs wrapping around Chongyun’s waist. Feeling the heat start to form in his chest, the exorcist carried Xingqiu over to the bed. His hands gripped the young master’s butt, groaning against his lips. As the warm feeling in his chest began to spread through the rest of his body, he casually tossed Xingqiu onto the bed.

Xingqiu stared up at him, breathing heavily. “Oh, Yun…are you going to have your way with me?” he crooned.

Chongyun climbed onto the bed, straddling him. “Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” he hit back. His mind was starting to feel hazy.

Xingqiu giggled, his cheeks pink. “M-maybe,” he breathed.

Chongyun stared down at his best friend hungrily, watching his small chest rise and fall with every breath. “You look so good like this, Qiu,” he moaned, closing the gap between them until their noses were almost touching.

“So do you,” Xingqiu whispered back. “Oh Yun, you look so hot…”

Heat pulsed from Chongyun’s body as he stared down at his prey. His eyes seemed to glow slightly bluer than usual. Xingqiu mumbled something, but it was so low Chongyun couldn’t hear it, even as close as he was.

“What was that?” he asked.

“I, uh…I want you…”

“Oh?” Their lips were almost touching. “You want me to kiss you, Qiu?” he asked playfully.

“Yeah…for a start,” Xingqiu giggled.

“Then come here…”

Chongyun let his weight rest on Xingqiu as he began to kiss him once more. Oh, Xingqiu’s lips tasted so good…he didn’t know if he had some kind of gloss on, or if it was just his brain doped up on yang energy playing tricks on him. Either way, he couldn’t get enough.

Xingqiu’s tongue had already entered his mouth. Chongyun wrapped his lips around it and sucked on it, causing the young master to moan into his mouth. He couldn’t help but imagine it was something else…he imagined he was between his best friend’s legs, pleasuring him with his mouth. He could feel Xingqiu’s hand on the back of his head, hear him telling him what a good boy he was…just before he flipped him around and had him do the same to him. Oh, he wanted it so bad…

Suddenly, he felt a pair of hands grab him. He pulled back with a start. It took him a second to process what was going on before he realized; Xingqiu had just grabbed his ass!

Xingqiu, the little shit, was blinking up at him with big innocent eyes. “What?” he said sweetly. “It’s only fair, right?”

Chongyun tried to glare down at his love, but he couldn’t manage to hold back the grin he had. He could feel himself getting harder. “Now who’s being a naughty boy?” he growled.

Xingqiu lightly slapped his ass, rubbing it in circles. “What are you gonna do about it?”

Oh. It was on now.

Chongyun reached behind, grabbed Xingqiu’s wrists, and pinned them down to the bed near both sides of his head. “Oh, I’ll think of something…”

In the back of Chongyun’s figuratively drug-addled brain, he noticed that the face Xingqiu was giving him was the same one when he had grabbed his wrist at Wanmin Restaurant. Oh, so Xingqiu liked this, did he?

Chongyun eyed the young master’s soft exposed neck. Perhaps he’d like this too…He leaned down, giving his neck a few soft kisses. He dragged his tongue up the side of his neck…and sunk his teeth in.

The sound of surprise emitted by Xingqiu quickly turned into the hottest moan Chongyun had heard yet, his hands desperately trying to break Chongyun’s grip as he tried to grab his light blue hair.

“Oh Yun…oh, right there…”

Chongyun could feel Xingqiu getting hard against him. Oh, it delighted him to no end that he was turning him on…he sucked on the skin, not caring if he left a mark. He was pretty sure Xingqiu didn’t care either.

“Harder,” he moaned. “Oh, harder, Chongyun…”

Well, he asked for it…

Chongyun sucked the skin as far into his mouth as he could, and bit down just hard enough so he wouldn't break the skin. Xingqiu’s cry echoed in his ear, and he could feel him straining with all his might to escape Chongyun’s grip. With a low chuckle, he decided to take pity on him, and relinquished his grasp. Xingqiu’s hands immediately grabbed the back of Chongyun’s head, pulling him further into his neck.

“Oh, Chongyuuuuun…more…more…”

“Master Xingqiu?” Chongyun heard the door open. “I’m sorry to intrude, but I really must discuss with y…oh goodness…”

The two boys whipped their heads over to the door. Xu was standing in the doorway, hand over his mouth as he attempted to look anywhere but at the bed. Chongyun’s mind was nothing but blank shock, but the words that came to his mouth sounded quite indignant.

“By the Archons…does NO ONE know how to knock anymore?!”

Xu looked incredibly ashamed. “I am so sorry, I…”

“Leave,” Xingqiu commanded. “Immediately. You will tell no one of what you saw…especially my father. And you will never enter my room again without my explicit consent. Do you understand?”

“Ye…yes, Master Xingqiu. Again, I am so…”

“I don’t care to hear your pathetic attempt at an apology.” Xingqiu sounded incredibly in control for someone pinned down on the bed. “Just do as I say. Now leave, at once.”

Xu bowed his head, his face purple. He clumsily grabbed at the doorknob, and slammed it shut behind him.

The two boys turned back to look at each other. Xingqiu’s face was flushed, his neck sporting a sizable mark from where Chongyun had been biting him. After a moment’s silence, the two of them began to giggle. The giggle turned into a full on laugh, Xingqiu’s arms reaching up and pulling Chongyun into a hug. They rolled on the bed together, wrestling and tickling each other, and Xingqiu’s gorgeous laughter resonated across the room.

“Well…” Chongyun gasped, holding his side, “I guess he knows why I was crawling out of your window this morning now…”

“Was…was that what he wanted to talk to me about??” Xingqiu forced out, his breath heavy.

“Yeah…he asked me about it before you showed up.”

“Ugh, so nosey…well, if he wants to talk to me so badly, I’ll certainly have a few words for him tomorrow,” Xingqiu said grumpily. “But for now…” He grinned up at the exorcist, “You have me all to yourself, my dear Chongyun.”

Chongyun, free of the fog that had been clouding his mind, was now aware of just how warm he was. “I should…probably have a popsicle…”

“No,” Xingqiu moaned, “Not unless you think you’re going to pass out…I like you like this, Yun.”

“But what if…what if I…”

“You won’t hurt me,” Xingqiu assured him. “Besides…didn’t you say there’s another way to get your heat down?”

Chongyun was confused. “I don’t…I don’t want another ice bath…”

“No, not that!” Xingqiu laughed. “There was…something else?”

Oh. Oh.

“You…you want me to…?”

“You’re still hard, aren’t you?”

Chongyun glanced down. Ah, so he was…“So are you,” he replied, seeing his friend’s erection straining against his shorts.

“Mmhmm…looks like we both have something to take care of,” Xingqiu crooned.

“Yeah…I-I’ll go into the other room,” Chongyun stuttered, starting to stand up.

“No, wait!” Xingqiu called, grabbing his arm. “Why don’t…why don’t you stay out here this time?”

“I…you…”

“Oh, come on, Chongyun, you know perfectly well we both enjoyed listening to each other last night. What do we have to hide from each other?” Xingqiu batted his eyes at him. “Please? Pleeeeease, Yun?”

Chongyun sighed, his face pink. Oh, why did he have to look at him like that?

“Oh…ok,” he relented. “But…can we keep the sheet over each other? I’m not…I’m not ready for you to see me…”

Xingqiu stroked his cheek. “Of course, Yun. Whatever makes you feel more comfortable.”

“Well, what would make me feel most comfortable is a popsicle…”

“Anything but that,” Xingqiu swatted his arm playfully. “Here, I’ll undress first. Turn your back if it embarasses you.”

Xingqiu catapulted off of the bed, facing away from the mattress as he began to remove his clothes. Chongyun quickly turned away, his breathing heavy. He started removing his top. Were they…were they really about to do this??

Chongyun heard the sound of clothes rustling behind him. The exorcist pulled off his undershirt, leaving his top half exposed. He started to turn his head almost unconsciously, but he quickly snapped it back.

“You know, you can watch if you want to,” he heard Xingqiu’s voice ring out.

Chongyun’s head whipped around despite himself, and his eyes nearly bulged out as he saw Xingqiu standing in nothing but a pair of silk underwear, his erection clearly visible.

“I saw you last night, after all,” Xingqiu said sensually, his fingers playing with his waistband. “Seems only fair you get to see me now.” And with that, his eyes never wavering from Chongyun’s, he pulled them down.

Every decent instinct in Chonyun’s body told him he should turn around. But he stayed glued to the spot, a bead of sweat dripping down his face.

Xingqiu stood in front of him, completely naked. His eyes drank in every detail; his petite form, with tiny pecks that heaved with every breath. His long legs, most of which he already knew very well from the shorts he wore. And of course…the part he couldn’t take his eyes off of…

Xingqiu wasn’t quite as thick as Chongyun was. It was slightly more thin and slender, much like his body. But unless he was mistaken, it looked a little longer than his. It extended out from his body, Xingqiu’s arousal completely out in the open for him to see.

“Well?” Xingqiu giggled, doing a little twirl. (Chongyun’s eyes quickly feasted on his butt) “What do you think?”

“I…I…”

Xingqiu licked his lips, grinning. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” He laid down on the bed, pulling the sheets up over him. “Your turn.”

Chongyun turned away, his face a very deep red. He began to undo his pants, feeling Xingqiu’s eyes on the back of his body. Well…he supposed he could see the back half of him…

Chongyun now stood in his underwear, feeling exposed, but also excited. He turned his head to look at Xingqiu, and was blindsided by the image of him clearly rubbing himself underneath the sheet.

“Oh, don’t mind me,” he said sweetly. “By all means, finish unwrapping my present.”

Chongyun felt what must have been all the blood in his body rush to his face. Well…besides what was causing his underwear to stretch out…

Ignoring the heat pulsing off of him, he took a deep breath, and removed the last article of clothing.

He didn’t need to turn around this time; he knew Xingqiu was staring at his ass. He could hear his rubbing get faster against the sheets.

“Oh, wow,” he heard Xingqiu breathe. “If only I had a kamera on me…”

“Sh-shut up,” Chongyun muttered, putting his hand over his engorged parts as best he could. “Don’t-don’t look at me until I’m under the covers, ok?”

He slowly turned around, Xingqiu respectfully looking the other way. Chongyun awkwardly made his way to the bed, lying down on the right side and pulling the sheet over himself. As soon as he had covered himself, Xingqiu looked back at him, his eyes full of lust.

“Oh, Yun…I’m already so hard…”

“S-so am I,” Chongyun breathed as he began to rub himself. This was…this was fine. No big deal. Just two friends…jerking off in the same bed…completely normal, right?

Xingqiu’s eyes were glued to the motion of Chongyun’s hand under the sheet. “Does it feel good?” he asked in a sultry voice.

“Ye…yeah,” Chongyun moaned, feeling himself get harder. Oh, the heat was getting worse…he would need a release soon…

“Feels good for me too,” Xingqiu giggled, letting out a moan of his own.

The two boys continued to pleasure themselves, lying next to each other in bed. For the next couple of minutes, no words were spoken. Just the occasional moan from either of them when they hit a particularly good spot. The two stole glances at each other, but would always look away; even Xingqiu seemed a little embarrassed.

But not enough to stop.

“Y-Yun?”

“Yeah?”

“Um…what hand are you using?”

Chongyun gave Xingqiu a weird look. What a bizarre question. “Um…my right hand??”

“Oh…ok…”

Chongyun went back to rubbing himself, although he had lost a little of his hardness. Why would Xingqiu ask him that? So strange…

Suddenly, he felt cool soft fingers against him. He gave a slight jolt, looking over at Xingqiu. Underneath the sheets, Xingqiu’s right hand had slipped into Chongyun’s left that had been resting on the mattress. Xingqiu’s left hand continued to pump underneath the covers.

“Is…is this ok?” he breathed.

Chongyun stared into the deep pools of amber that were Xingqiu’s eyes. “Yeah…”

It had hardly been the first time the two of them had held hands. But…something about this felt so much more erotic…

Chongyun squeezed Xingqiu’s hand as they both continued masturbating. He could feel Xingqiu’s thumb rubbing against his palm. Why…why was this so hot??

Chongyun felt the heat begin to overtake him. He shut his eyes tight. Oh no…he was losing himself…he needed a popsicle, but he didn’t want to stop…he just wanted to keep rubbing himself, he needed to cum…

He wanted Xingqiu to watch him cum…

Xingqiu let out a gasp, bursting Chongyun out of his thoughts. He looked over at his friend. “What is…?”

Oh. Oh no. Oh no no no.

Somehow, in his yang energy induced stupor, without him even noticing…he had grabbed ahold of Xingqiu under the covers.

HE WAS RUBBING XINGQIU’S COCK.

Xingqiu’s mouth hung open, staring at Chongyun with utter shock. Chongyun was horrified. He was beside himself. He was berating himself in his mind for being such a filthy pervert.

And yet, he continued to stroke Xingqiu.

“I…I’m sorry, I…I lost control of myself, I didn’t know what I was…”

“Shhh, shhh,” Xingqiu shushed him, a small smile on his face. “Chongyun, it’s ok. You…you don’t have to stop…”

“You…you want me to keep…really?”

Xingqiu nodded, biting his lip. Well…if he really liked it…

Chongyun closed his eyes again, feeling both his cock and Xingqiu’s in each hand. Xingqiu’s definitely was longer….but his hand could wrap all the way around its length, which he couldn’t do with his own.

“Um…Yun?”

Chongyun’s eyes snapped open, looking over at his beloved.

“Y-yeah?”

“Could I…do you mind if I…you know…”

Xingqiu’s eyes glanced down between Chongyun’s legs. The exorcist’s eyes widened as he realized what he meant.

“Oh…y-you want to…”

Xingqiu nodded, his face scarlet. “If…if that would be ok…”

Well…Chongyun was already rubbing Xingqiu…it would only be fair, he supposed…

Slowly, Chongyun nodded. “Go ahead,” he whispered.

Xingqiu’s eyes gleamed with delight. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah…”

Xingqiu licked his lips, his hand creeping across Chongyun’s thigh. “Ok…”

Chongyun let go of his erection, letting Xingqiu have free reign. Oh, this was a mistake…he was going too far…why was he doing this? And why was he letting Xingqiu do this? He couldn’t, he had to put a stop to th…

Xingqiu’s small hand wrapped itself around Chongyun’s length under the sheet as he let out a tiny little gasp.

“Oh Chongyun…oh wow, you really are thick…”

Never mind. Xingqiu could do whatever he wanted.

Without realizing it, Chongyun had gotten closer to Xingqiu. He could feel his breath on his lips, the sheets having fallen down to their hips, just barely hiding their intimate activities. Chongyun pressed his forehead against Xingqiu’s as the two boys rubbed each other. This was…this was amazing…

“What are you thinking about?” Xingqiu breathed.

“Um…” Chongyun’s eyes shifted nervously. “Lots of things?”

“What specifically?”

“I…um…” Oh, what did it matter? “Y-you…”

“Oh really?” Xingqiu’s eyes sparkled. “What about me?”

“Um…stuff I want to do with you…”

“Oh? This isn’t enough for you, is it?”

“I…” Chongyun scrunched his eyes up in embarrassment. “I didn’t say that…”

“I’m just teasing,” Xingqiu grinned. “I’d like to do more with you too.”

“But…” Chongyun’s rational mind made a much delayed entrance. “You’re my friend…my best friend…aren’t you afraid it’ll get weird between us?”

“Why should it?” Xingqiu moaned, squeezing Chongyun’s cock and rubbing him faster. “You like this, don’t you?”

“Ye…yes…”

“So do I,” Xingqiu whispered, his hand flying up and down Chongyun’s shaft. “I like it a lot…that’s all that matters.”

With how good he was making him feel, this sounded perfectly reasonable to Chongyun.

As both of their breathing became more labored, and as their hands continued to rub and pleasure each other, the two boys began to kiss. The way his lips delicately caressed against his made Chongyun sigh internally. Xingqiu might not have the feelings he had, but Xiangling was right. He could feel his affection for him in every stroke, in every kiss. Even if he didn’t love him…he did care about him.

And for now, it was enough.

“Yun,” Xingqiu whispered, his lips drifting apart from his. “I’m…I’m getting close…”

Chongyun smiled. “So am I…do you want me to go faster?”

Xingqiu nodded profusely. “Mmhmm…”

Chongyun gripped Xingqiu’s shaft harder, and began to increase his strokes. Xingqiu did the same. It gave Chongyun a twinge of pride that the young master’s fingers couldn’t quite touch around his length.

“Oh Yun…”

“Qiu…”

He could feel the familiar feeling of pleasure rising up from the base of his cock. The feeling that the dams were going to burst. But this time, it wasn’t his own hand making him feel this good. It was his best friend, his secret love.

And that made it feel even better.

“Y-Yun,” Xingqiu gasped, as Chongyun felt him get hard as a rock. “I’m…oh, I’m so close…”

“Me too…”

“Oh Yun, don’t stop, please don’t stop…it…it feels so good…”

Chongyun felt himself get even harder against Xingqiu’s hand. It made him feel so special, knowing he was making his friend feel so good…that he was allowing himself to be so vulnerable around him…

“Yun…Oh, Yun, I’m…I’m gonna…”

Xingqiu’s cheeks were flushed; he looked so embarrassed, so adorably vulnerable.

“It’s ok, Qiu,” Chongyun breathed, stroking his hair with his free hand. “You can cum…it’s just me…”

“I’m…I’m gon…don’t st…I…oh, OH YUN!”

Xingqiu threw his head back with a cry, and Chongyun felt his shaft pulse against his hand. As Xingqiu moaned and squirmed against him, he heard the sound of tiny splats against the sheets, and felt a wet substance dripping down his hand. Oh, Xingqiu was cumming…and it was because of him

The sensory overload was too much for Chongyun to bear. He let out a cry of his own as he came against Xingqiu’s hand, letting all of his love and lust out in one huge orgasm. As the first few ropes of cum shot out of him, he forced his eyes open to find Xingqiu staring daggers into him. Their mouths hung open, their eyes glazed over as they came for one another, their foreheads pressed against each other.

It was, by far, the most erotic moment of Chongyun’s life.

Up until then, at least.

As they both came down from their highs, Xingqiu gasped for breath against Chonggun’s lips, squeezing the last of his cum out. “Oh, Yun…that felt so good…”

He brought both of his hands up to Chongyun’s face, and gave him a hard kiss. Chongyun welcomed it wholeheartedly, but he quickly realized that there was now a wet sensation against his left cheek.

Oh…was that his…

“Oh!” Xingqiu gasped, pulling back with a start. “Oh Yun, I’m sorry…I got a mess on you now.”

Yep. That was definitely his cum on his face now. Chongyun cringed as he felt it dripping down his cheek.

“Oh, wow…it’s glowing a little!” Xingqiu said, sounding fascinated. “Is that because of your yang energy?”

“Uh…yeah…”

“That’s kinda hot, actually…here, let me get that for you.” Xingqiu took his clean hand, drew it across Chongyun’s face, and licked the cum off of his finger.

“Mmm…tastes pretty good,” he giggled.

“Q-Qiu!” Chongyun cried out in embarrassment.

“Sorry, Yun, couldn’t help myself,” Xingqiu snickered.

Oh, why did he always have to try and one-up him, to make him squirm? Well…two could play that game…

Without a word, Chongyun grabbed Xingqiu’s other hand, the one he had been rubbing the exorcist with. He brought it up to his face, examining it. He had cum a lot…his seed completely covered Xingqiu’s hand. He locked eyes with his beloved…

And proceeded to lick his fingers clean.

He didn’t really care for it to be honest…he never felt the need to try it whenever he came on himself…but oh, the look on Xingqiu’s face made it completely worth it.

Based on Xingqiu’s expression, nothing else thus far had shocked him like this. He stared up at Chongyun, completely cowed as he licked up every drop. With the last of it lapped up, Chongyun closed his mouth, swallowed, and gave Xingqiu a wink.

The next thing he knew, he was flat on his back on the bed.

Xingqiu was kissing every part of him he could get his hands on, his eyes burning with lust. Chongyun responded in kind, their lips smashing together with nothing held back. At one point, Chongyun found himself shoving his own cum covered fingers in Xingqiu’s mouth. Without hesitation, Xingqiu began to suck them clean, making lewd slurping sounds as he licked his own cum off of Chongyun’s hand.

Xingqiu slid his tongue inside Chongyun’s mouth, sharing the taste of his seed with him. The sheets had fully fallen off of the pair, leaving them fully exposed to each other. Xingqiu writhed on top of him, Chongyun’s hands sliding down Xingqiu’s smooth back to grip his ass.

“You wanna know what I was thinking about when I came?” Chongyun said in a raspy voice, the heat rising in his chest.

“Oh, yes, please,” Xingqiu moaned, gyrating his hips above him.

“I was thinking about you, bent over for me…” Chongyun slapped Xingqiu’s bare ass with a smirk, “...taking my cock.”

“Oh, Yuuunnn,” Xingqiu drooled, grabbing his face. “Who knew you were such a dirty boy?”

“What were you thinking about?” Chongyun moaned at him.

“I…imagined myself…riding you…”

“Yeah?” Chongyun grinned up at him.

“Yeah…” Xingqiu sat up, fully exposing himself to Chongyun’s gaze. “You were lying there, just like that…and I was…”

Xingqiu grabbed Chongyun’s still hard cock, and moved it behind his legs.

Oh Archons…was he about to…?

Oh no…he wasn’t ready for that yet…

Xingqiu stopped as Chongyun’s face turned beet red, his skin practically on fire. “Oh, Yun, I wasn’t actually going to…ok, now you need a popsicle.”

Chongyun nodded vigorously, gripping the sheets as he tried to hold back the avalanche of energy.

Xingqiu swung his legs off of him, and ran over to Chongyun’s discarded gear. Even in Chongyun’s overheated state, he registered how sexy Xingqiu’s butt looked as he ran…

Xingqiu flew back towards him, popsicle in hand. “Here you go,” he said soothingly, sliding it into Chongyun’s mouth while stroking his hair. “It’s ok, my dear…calm down, it’s alright…”

As the icy cold essence made its way down Chongyun’s throat, his energy slowly dissipated. The slight glow in his eyes slowly faded away, and Chongyun found himself completely relaxed, Xingqiu feeding him the popsicle like a baby.

“Aw, Yun…you look so adorable…”

Chongyun made a sound of indignation against the popsicle.

Finally, after a minute or two, the popsicle was all gone, and so was the heat in Chongyun’s chest.

“Better?” asked Xingqiu, cupping his cheek.

“Yeah,” Chongyun replied, taking a deep breath. “Better.”

“Good…” Xingqiu walked around the room, blowing out the candles. Chongyun watched him with a dazed smile. Seeing Xingqiu walk about completely naked, everything out in the open for him to see, was truly a sight to behold. He wasn’t hard anymore, but he still delighted in watching Xingqiu’s parts bounce as he walked, as well as watching his cute little butt sway from side to side. He didn’t even mind that he was laying on top of the sheets, completely exposed to Xingqiu. After what they’d done, as far as he was concerned, Xingqiu had every right to see him like this.

After all the candles were blown out, save for the one by the bed, Xingqiu pranced back over to the bed, not even trying to hide where his eyes were looking on Chongyun. He threw the top sheet onto the floor (it was covered in both of their cum) and drew a blanket over them instead.

“Qiu?” Chongyun asked as Xingqiu snuggled up next to him.

“Yeah?”

“Do you…do you really want to do…what you were talking about earlier?”

Chongyun felt the young master’s cool fingers against his shoulders. “Do you?”

“I…I don’t know…I’m still so afraid I’ll lose control, and beyond that…I’m afraid it would change things between us.”

Chongyun felt Xingqiu’s breath against the back of his neck.

“Well…we’ll worry about that when we have to,” Xingqiu said with a slight waver in his voice. “For now…let’s just appreciate what we do have.”

“And what’s that?”

Xingqiu gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Even more ways to have fun together,” he giggled.

He supposed he couldn’t argue with that.

“Well…goodnight, Xingqiu,” he yawned, slowly drifting off.

A pause. “Goodnight, my dear Chongyun.”

Xingqiu blew out the last candle.

Notes:

I did promise you some food...

Chapter 7 should be up this weekend, either Saturday or Sunday. I miiiight be switching to once a week from then on, it'll depend on how busy I am. I'm hoping to stick to twice a week, so I'll do my best.

Thank you as always for all the support, over 2k hits now?! Blows my mind. Love you guys, see you this weekend!

Chapter 7: What a Lovely Morning, My Liege

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

For the second morning in a row, Chongyun woke up in a bed that wasn’t his own. And for the second morning in a row, he smiled.

There was Xingqiu, curled up under the blanket, lightly snoring. It warmed Chongyun’s heart to see him like that. He was so damn cute…what had he done to deserve waking up to such an angel?

Well, at least he was an angel while he was asleep…

Chongyun rolled over, wrapping his arms around his best friend. As his body snuggled up against his, he remembered with a start that they were both still naked. He supposed it didn’t matter, not after what they did the previous night.

For a little while, Chongyun lay there, cuddling the sleeping Xingqiu. It just felt so natural to hold him like this. He began to imagine what it would be like to wake up like this every day…he and Xingqiu, living together, sleeping next to each other every night. Oh, if only…

After a few minutes, Chongyun slowly let go of his beloved so he wouldn’t disturb him. He decided to leave him where he was for now. It was still early. Besides, he had to do his morning stretches. After having skipped them the previous day, he didn’t want to miss them again. It helped keep him flexible and toned.

Chongyun rose up from the bed, still naked. He looked over at Xingqiu, still fast asleep. Well, he had already seen him before… It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if he saw him like this.

Chongyun went into a lunge, his legs stretching out as he flexed. His hamstrings felt a little stiff. He supposed that’s what happens when you skip a day. He lifted up his leg as far as it would go, and slowly went down to the floor into a split. He was particularly proud of that feat; he had finally been able to accomplish it a few months ago. Flexibility was everything in training. It allowed him to do more strenuous exercise, and it helped him fight better. It also meant he would be a lot less sore if he ended up having to get into a fight.

He heard a sleepy moan behind him, and heard the blanket rustling as Xingqiu began to stir. Chongyun pushed it out of his mind. Don’t think about him right now…focus on your training. He had been neglecting it as of late, and he couldn’t afford to do that.

The rustling stopped suddenly, and Chongyun heard a small gasp behind him. Just ignore it, he told himself. Just ignore it…

He continued his stretches like he hadn’t heard a thing. Let him watch if he wanted, it didn’t matter. Like Shenhe said, he shouldn’t be ashamed of his form. Although…if Xingqiu wanted a show, he could give him a show…

Chongyun, making sure his back was directly facing the bed, reached all the way down to touch his toes. He thought he heard Xingqiu mutter something under his breath. Chongyun grinned at his audacity. Wasn’t it just last night that he was trying to hide his figure from his friend? Now, he was fully exposing himself to him.

Maybe he just liked the idea that he could drive Xingqiu crazy, just like he did all the time…

After a while, Chongyun finished his last stretch. He slowly turned on the spot, ready for HIM to gloat at Xingqiu for once. But what he saw made his voice fail.

Xingqiu was sprawled on the bed, shamelessly rubbing himself completely out in the open. He was biting his lip, eyes narrowed in concentration as his hand flew up and down.

“Yuuuunnn,” Xingqiu moaned, staring up at Chongyun, amber eyes glazed over with lust. “You can’t…do this to me…”

Chongyun’s eyes were fixed on the lewd display in front of him, watching Xingqiu’s parts move back and forth. He began to get hard himself, his cock slowly lifting up off of his body. Xingqiu licked his lips as he watched Chongyun’s arousal.

“Mgggh…Yun…so…big…”

Delighting in the horny mess that was Xingqiu, Chongyun lifted his leg up to the height of his shoulder, giving Xingqiu a clear view between his legs.

“Oh…fuck, Yun…you’re so…so sexy…”

And without any further preamble, Xingqiu let out a cry of ecstasy as he came all over himself. Chongyun watched as his seed rained down, now fully hardened. This was now the third orgasm he’d witnessessed Xingqiu have in some form. He couldn’t believe his luck.

As Xingqiu caught his breath and started to clean himself up, Chongyun’s cheeks began to flush. What a horribly lewd thing he had just done. It would have been easy to just throw on his night clothes, or at least his underwear…he hoped Xingqiu didn’t think he was some kind of deviant.

Suddenly, Xingqiu was right up in his face, grabbing Chongyun’s erection. “You dirty, naughty boy,” he crooned. “Do you always stretch like that in the morning, or was that all just for me?”

“Um…both?” Chongyun said nervously.

“Well, either way…I think you deserve a reward,” Xingqiu giggled, rubbing Chongyun’s hard-on. “Now…what should I do for you?”

“You…you don’t have to do anything…”

“Oh! I’ve got it.” Xingqiu slowly dropped to his knees in front of the exorcist. “Something only a true friend would do.”

Chongyun’s face bypassed red and went straight to purple as he realized what Xingqiu intended to do. “Qiu!” he exclaimed. “You don’t…you don’t have to…”

“Oh, but I want to,” Xingqiu said sensually, lining his face up between Chongyun’s legs, still rubbing him. “You were right, after all.”

“Right…right about what?”

Xingqiu’s eyes bore into Chongyun’s with a fire unbecoming to a hyrdo user. “I would suck your dick no matter what.”

And he slid Chongyun into his mouth.

!!!!!

Pleasure. Pure, unadulterated pleasure.

It was a wonder Chongyun didn’t pass out then and there. He nearly fell over from pure shock alone. Xingqiu was…oh Archons, he was…

He couldn’t even think it. His mind couldn’t accept it. It was something he’d thought about so many times, in so many ways…he had to still be dreaming. There was no way this was actually happening.

And yet, when he looked down, there was his beautiful Xingqiu, dutifully bobbing his head up and down. Noticing his gaze, Xingqiu locked eyes with him. His eyes stared up at him, wide and innocent, despite the horribly lewd act he was performing. Oh, those eyes…they drove Chongyun crazy.

Xingqiu, never breaking his rhythm, took Chongyun’s hand and placed it on the back of his head. His amber eyes blinked, and he stopped moving his head. Eyes widening in understanding, Chongyun slowly began to guide Xingqiu’s head back and forth. The young master made a noise of approval.

“Q-Qiu…”

“Mmhmm?”

“It…feels really good…”

Xingqiu chuckled against his length. He slowly let it fall out of his mouth. “I take it you don’t want me to stop?”

“N-no…”

“Well, then…” Xingqiu grabbed his ass, pulling his hips closer. “…use me how you want.”

“I…Q-Qiu, I can’t…”

“Yes you can. Just do whatever makes you feel the best.” He winked. “It’s your reward for putting on such a good show for me.”

Chongyun groaned. He knew he couldn’t argue with him. Plus, the sight of his best friend on his knees in front of his fully hard shaft was too perfect to refuse. “Um…ok.”

He slid himself forward into the warm confines of Xingqiu’s mouth, moaning as he felt Xingqiu’s tongue slide against him. Grabbing the dark blue locks of the young master’s hair, Chongyun thrust his hips forwards, feeling the tip of his cock hit the back of the throat. A gagging sound emitted from Xingqiu, and Chongyun immediately drew back.

“No…no…” Xingqiu gasped. “Keep going…”

“You’re…you’re sure?” Chongyun asked, face full of concern.

“Of course,” Xingqiu smiled. “I want to make you feel good.”

Chongyun sighed. Well, if he really didn’t mind…”Just…tap my leg if I go too far, ok?”

Xingqiu kissed the tip of his cock. “Deal,” he said with a wink.

Oh, why the fuck was he so cute…

Chongyun thrust back into Xingqiu’s mouth, moving his hips back and forth. Xingqiu’s hands gripped his ass, pushing him farther. Chongyun braced himself…and slid his length all the way in.

Oh Archons…it felt…so…GOOD…

A gurgling sound escaped Xingqiu’s lips as his hands grabbed Chongyun’s ass tighter. The exorcist threw his head back, groaning up to the ceiling. Feeling the tightness of Xingqiu’s throat around his cock…he had never felt anything this good.

He withdrew, keeping half of his shaft inside his mouth. He thrust back and forth, massaging his cock against Xingqiu’s tongue, watching as his lips puffed out around his length.

“L-look up at me, Qiu,” he moaned.

Xingqiu’s eyes, tears of exertion leaking out, stared up at the exorcist. Those wide pools of amber blinked up at him, so soulful, so earnest…so fucking cute.

“Oh, Qiu…you have no idea how good this feels…”

The young master winked at him, moaning against his girth. He began to bob his head back and forth to meet Chongyun’s thrusts. Every time he got close to the back of his throat, but would pull back each time. He didn’t want to completely choke Xingqiu out.

And yet, the hydro user kept pushing. He would bring his mouth further in each time, as if he was trying to inhale him. He was so eager…Chongyun found himself wondering what else he could get his friend to do for him.

He began to thrust harder, entering Xingqiu’s throat over and over. The young master gagged and gurgled against him, but he never tapped his leg. Chongyun guessed he really did like this. Good, because he liked it too…

That familiar feeling started growing inside him. He knew he was close, and his heat was beginning to overtake him. As his orgasm grew nearer and nearer, so too did the heat spread throughout his body.

“Qiu…I’m…gonna cum soon…do you want me to pull out, or…?”

“Uh-uh,” Xingqiu managed to mumble with his mouth full.

Oh…Xingqiu wanted him to…oh, he was dirty, wasn’t he?

One hand still rubbing Chongyun’s butt, Xingqiu reached between the exorcist’s legs and began to massage his balls. Chongyun moaned, staring down at Xingqiu with wide eyes. He loved the way his soft fingers rubbed against his most vulnerable area. The idea that Xingqiu could cripple him in an instant with just a squeeze…for some reason, it turned him on immensely.

His skin practically burning, Chongyun pounded into Xingqiu’s mouth with abandon, the young master making lewd slurping sounds the whole time. “Oh, fuck Qiu…I’m…I’m gonna cum…Qiu, I…QIU!”

Xingqiu’s eyes widened as Chongyun cried up at the ceiling, filling the young master’s mouth with his seed. He felt like such a pervert, using his friend’s mouth to cum…but it felt so amazing. This had to be the best orgasm he’d ever had; the sensory overload from cumming from something other than a hand was overwhelming.

Xingqiu, for his part, dutifully gulped down all of what Chongyun gave him. Although Chongyun had stopped thrusting forward, the young master continued to bob back and forth, seemingly determined to squeeze out every drop.

Chongyun gasped as the final drops were sucked out of him. He stared down at his best friend as he stroked his hair, his moans beginning to subside. Oh, he was such a good boy…he looked so good on his knees for him. Damn it all, he wanted to do more…so much more…

Chongyun slowly withdrew from Xingqiu’s mouth, breathing heavily. Xingqiu stared up at Chongyun, cum dripping out of his mouth with an adorable grin.

“Wow…that was fun,” Xingqiu giggled. He took a deep breath. “Well, guess we’d better get dressed, huh?”

Xingqiu jumped up and began to gather his clothes. Chongyun stared at him, trying to gather his thoughts. He thought about what Xinyan said. He didn’t know if he was ready to confess his love outright…but he needed some kind of sign from his friend.

“Qiu…hold on. I want to talk to you.”

“Sorry Yun, can’t wait! I’ve got so much going on today, and it’s…”

“Xingqiu,” Chongyun implored, grabbing his hand. “Please, don’t run away from me again…I’m trying to be more open with you. Can’t you do the same for me?”

Xingqiu’s face fell. His eyes looked down at the floor, guilt strewn across his face.

“I…I’m sorry, Chongyun…was it that obvious?”

“I know your schedule. You don’t have anything today until nine.”

Xingqiu sighed. “Ok. I…” he paused. “What do you want to ask?”

“I just want to know what you’re looking for with all this. Like…does it mean anything to you, or is this just for fun?”

“Chongyun, I don’t know what you…”

“Yes you do,” Chongyun said forcefully.

Xingqiu rubbed the back of his neck. For once, he was the one in an awkward position. “It…it doesn’t not mean something,” he said finally.

Chongyun sighed. “That’s it? That’s all you have for me?”

“Well, what do you think about all this?” Xingqiu deflected.

Chongyun had anticipated this. Fortunately, he had a response ready.

“Well…I mean, you’ve been my best friend for almost my whole life, Xingqiu. I care about you…even if it’s hard to see sometimes. You know how much I have to hold myself back. But this…this is all so new to me. It’s confusing, it’s messy. But I also know I like it…and I like doing it with you. Because I trust you, Xingqiu.”

Xingqiu blinked slowly, staring at Chongyun with an expression he couldn’t place. He took Chongyun’s hands in his own. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.

“I feel…I feel the same way. I trust you too…more than anyone. And…it’s not just for fun. I think it does mean something…I’m just not sure what yet. But…if you want…we can just see where this goes…together?”

It was more than Chongyun could have hoped for.

He smiled, taking Xingqiu’s face in his hands. “I’d like that. I…I want to see where this goes too. Your friendship means everything to me, Qiu…I just want to make sure this doesn’t get in the way of that. But that being said, I, uh…I think maybe we’re…more than friends now?”

Chongyun’s face turned a deep red as he finished his declaration, and was slightly relieved to see that Xingqiu was fairly scarlet himself.

“Yun, I…if that’s what you want, I…we could try to be…more than friends.”

Xingqiu let out a nervous giggle, and Chongyun’s heart fluttered.

“Ok.”

“Ok.”

They both stared at each other for a moment, too nervous to say anything else.

“So…can I tell everyone you’re my boyfriend now?” Xingqiu said with a wink.

“Qiu!”

“I’m sorry!” Xingqiu laughed, sticking his tongue out. “Just fooling around.”

Chongyun stared into Xingqiu’s eyes. He was standing there with only his shorts on, Chongyun still fully naked. He took a deep breath. “Do you…want to be?”

Xingqiu was silent for a moment, his mouth hanging slightly open. “Do I…what?”

“Do you want to be my boyfriend?” Chongyun asked, his heart pounding in his chest.

Xingqiu was slowly turning crimson. “I…I…well, I…”

Chongyun’s eyes drifted down to the floor. “Oh…so you were just joking then…”

Xingqiu leapt forward, grabbing Chongyun’s hands. “No, wait! I’m sorry, I just…you really want to?

“I-I mean…” Chongyun stuttered. “I’ve never had one before, so…but I feel like…we kind of already are, aren’t we?”

Xingqiu looked up at him, cheeks flushed. “You think so?”

“Well…you did just suck my dick…”

Xingqiu giggled, his hands tightening around Chongyun’s. “Yeah, that’s true…so, um…yes?”

“Yes?”

“Yeah, I’ll…I’ll be your boyfriend.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, if you still want to be…”

“I do!”

“Oh…ok.”

They stared awkwardly at each other, both red in the face.

“So…” Chongyun said, rubbing the back of his head. “What happens now?”

“Well…” Xingqiu said, stepping closer to him. “We could seal the agreement with a kiss.”

Chongyun felt his arms wrap around Xingqiu of their own accord. “Yeah, I…I suppose we could…”

“It’s not like we haven’t kissed before…”

“No…we definitely have…”

Xingqiu was very close to him now. He could count the specks of brown in his amber eyes. “Well…would you like to kiss your boyfriend, my liege?”

Oh, he’d never get tired of staring at his perfect soft lips…

“Yes…”

And for not the first time, but perhaps the best time so far, their lips met.

Notes:

Oops, more smut...at least it had a sweet ending though!

The next 3 chapters or so will mostly be plot (mostly) so I wanted to serve a little more food before that.

Still planning on keeping to my schedule, so Wednesday it is for the next chapter. See you then! ❤️

Chapter 8: Dates and Deadlines

Chapter Text

Clang.

“You seem to be in good spirits this morning,” mused Shenhe, bringing down her spear to clash against Chongyun’s claymore. “I noticed you haven’t come home the past couple nights. Did something happen?”

“Oh no, nothing major,” Chongyun puffed, swinging his claymore in a wide arc. “Just…been spending time with friends.”

Their weapons smashed together, the sound of metal echoing around the field where they trained. It was late morning, the dew on the grass beginning to dissipate. They had been training for a couple hours now.

“Well, as long as it doesn’t distract from your training,” Shenhe replied, stepping back so the two of them could catch their breath. “You do seem happier than I’ve seen you in quite some time. It is…heartwarming to see.”

Indeed, Chongyun felt better than he had in years. Strong, positive emotions flooded through him that didn’t seem to affect his yang energy in the slightest. On the contrary, it seemed to feed off of it.

It was as he had felt when he first kissed Xingqiu…a cool wave of water that covered his entire being, staving off the heat of his yang energy.

“Thank you, Shenhe,” Chongyun smiled at her. “I…I feel good.”

“I’m glad,” Shenhe returned his smile. “Now…it’s getting close to midday. I would invite you to lunch, but…”

“Flowers aren’t really my thing,” Chongyun chuckled. “I do appreciate the offer though! But I have plans already.”

“Then don’t let me keep you,” Shenhe inclined her head. “I’m glad to see you improving. Both in your training, and in your character. Er…not that your character hasn’t always been exceptional. I meant no offense.”

“None taken,” Chongyun reassured her. He was more than used to the way she spoke at this point. “Well, I’ll see you later!”

Chongyun ran off toward Liyue Harbor. Now that he wasn’t facing his aunt, the small smile he had allowed to show grew into a huge grin.

Oh, he was so deliriously happy.

Xingqiu was his boyfriend! Could…could it truly be real?? But it was. He hadn’t gone as far as to declare his full true feelings to Xingqiu, but that could come later on. In the meantime…this was enough.

He raced across the green landscape, desperate to get back as soon as possible. He needed to see him. He needed to know this wasn’t some wonderful dream.

Xingqiu was his BOYFRIEND!

He still didn’t know what Xingqiu thought of him truly. It was still possible Xingqiu didn’t feel the way he did, but…he wouldn’t have agreed to be his boyfriend if he felt nothing, would he? No…it might not be love, but it was something. So Chongyun pushed all of his doubts to the side.

He said yes…focus on that, Chongyun. He said yes.

Chongyun slowed down as he reached the city. He didn’t want to appear too eager. He walked through the busy street, humming to himself. Somehow, even his surroundings seemed brighter.

He had a lunch date with Xingqiu…not a meal between friends, a date! Xingqiu had even called it that, which made Chongyun’s heart do a somersault. It was a date…a date with Xingqiu…oh, he was so excited, so happy…and yet his yang energy stayed subdued.

How very curious.

Before long, Chongyun had arrived in front of the Feiyun Commerce Guild. To his delight, Xingqiu already sat outside, waiting for him. Upon seeing him, the young master leapt up and ran over to him, a sweet smile on his face.

“Helloooo, Yun-Yun,” he said in a sing-song voice.

Chongyun giggled. Oh, his love was the cutest. “H-hi, Xingqiu.”

Xingqiu stood on his tiptoes, kissing Chongyun lightly on the cheek. He did a little twirl, little hydro droplets flying off of him and narrowly missing the exorcist. “So…did you miiiiiss me?”

“Qiu, it’s only been a few hours!” Chongyun laughed.

“Well…” Xingqiu pouted, his eyes staring down at his feet over-dramatically, “I missed you…”

Chongyun blushed, twiddling his fingers nervously. “Ok…yes, I missed you.”

Xingqiu immediately brightened up. “Yay, I knew it! You couldn’t stand to be away from me a single second, could you, Yun-Yun?” He winked at him, doing a little dance in place.

“Qiu!” Chongyun chuckled, turning scarlet. “What’s with you today??”

“I’m happy!” Xingqiu cried joyfully, doing another twirl. “I’m in lo…I’m in a relationship with my best friend! I think that’s something to celebrate, don’t you?”

Chongyun couldn’t help but grin at his friend’s antics. No…his boyfriend’s antics! “Yes…yes, I suppose it is.”

“Excellent! So…lunch at Wanmin Restaurant? My treat!” Xingqiu reached his hand out, giving Chongyun yet another wide adorable smile.

Chongyun took his hand in his, stroking his soft palm with his thumb. “Lead the way!”

Xingqiu led Chongyun down the street, his long legs stretching out as he walked. “I really need this too, after the morning I’ve had,” Xingqiu said, his smile fading.

“Oh? What happened? Is it…is it your dad again?”

“Well, we haven’t spoken yet, but I feel like I haven’t heard the last from him about my book. When I went past my father’s office this morning, there was somebody in there with him, pouring over paperwork. And I definitely heard my name. I don’t care if he punishes me in some way, but…I just hope no one else who helped me gets in trouble. I mean, Xu didn’t know anything, but there were a couple of my hands who did. Oh, I hope they don’t get fired because of me…”

“I’m sure it’ll be ok,” Chongyun reassured him. “Besides, A Legend of Sword is doing really well over there! If anything, your dad should be praising you!”

“Well…he sure doesn’t do that very often,” Xingqiu grumbled. He looked over his shoulder, forcing a smile. “I’m sorry…I’m pretty stressed about this. But I’m happy too! I have you!”

Chongyun’s insides twisted in knots. “Aw, Qiu…I’m glad I make you happy. You…you make me happy too.”

Xingqiu beamed at him.

“Also…thank you for trusting me with your secret,” Chongyun went on. “It really means a lot to me that you trust me like that. I know you had to lie to a lot of people about the trip, but…I’m glad you can be honest with me.”

Xingqiu’s smile seemed to falter a little bit. “Yeah, I…I just knew you wouldn’t tell anyone…”

“Oh!” Chongyun said suddenly. “I completely forgot…a couple nights ago, you said you had a new lead for me! Do you think after lunch we can look into it?”

Xingqiu looked straight ahead as the two of them continued to walk through Liyue. Chongyun couldn’t see his face, but he thought he felt the grip on his hand tighten slightly.

“Oh, um…you know what? I don’t think that lead was very promising. Maybe it’s best we just ignore it.”

Chongyun was confused. “But…aren’t you the one always saying I should check out every lead, just in case? You even come with me half the time…”

“Hey, we’re here!” Xingqiu interrupted as they approached Wanmin Restaurant. “Let’s get our order in with Xiangling!”

Chongyun sighed. “Ok.” He guessed if Xingqiu, of all people, didn’t think it was worth pursuing, then it must be a dud. Oh, well…

They came up to the counter, looking around for Xiangling, but the young chef was nowhere to be found. Only Chef Mao was working at the moment, with Guoba piddling around by the utensils.

“That’s funny,” said Chongyun, “She’s always here around at this time.”

“Yeah…hey, Mao!” Xingqiu called out to the chef. “Do you know where Xiangling is?”

“Oh, she’s on break right now!” Chef Mao replied. “I think she’s in the back if you want to talk to her…do you want me to put in an order for you?”

“Oh, yes…just the usual for both of us. Thanks, Mao!” Xingqiu turned back to Chongyun, smiling. “Maybe we can get Xiangling to whip us up something special later!”

The two boys headed around the side of the building, back to the area where they had eaten previously. They didn’t see anyone back there.

“Huh,” Chongyun said, stroking his chin. “I wonder where she…”

Xingqiu grabbed his wrist suddenly. “Um…” the young master whispered. “I think…I found her…”

Chongyun slowly turned around to where Xingqiu was staring, and had to stifle a gasp.

Xiangling was standing in the corner of the building, back turned to them…furiously kissing Xinyan.

The two boys stared at them, awestruck. The two girls were making out with abandon, Xiangling’s hands gripping Xinyan’s hair buns. The rock star had her hands around the chef’s tiny waist, pulling her in closer to her.

“Archons…” Xingqiu murmured to Chongyun. “Is that what we look like when we’re kissing?”

“I…I don’t know…but we really shouldn’t be watching this…”

Xinyan’s eyes opened, and met Chongyun’s gaze. With a squeal of surprise, she broke apart from Xiangling, who turned about to see the two boys staring at them.

“Oh!’ Xinyan cried out. “Um…h’well hello, boys! Uh…fancy seeing you here!”

“Yeah!” Xiangling squeaked, her face as red as her Jueyun Chilis. “We were, uh…we were just, um…”

Chongyun felt awful for intruding on them. He imagined they must feel similar to how he felt when Xu had walked in on them. He felt like he should break the tension somehow…

Seized with a bold sense of daring (perhaps from his newly found positivity and good mood) he decided there was only one thing he could do to level the playing field.

He took Xingqiu in his arms, dipped him in full view of the two girls, and kissed him full on the mouth.

To Xingqiu’s credit, he didn’t question it in the least. He went limp in Chongyun’s arms, kissing him back whole-heartedly. And still, Chongyun felt no heat in his chest.

As they slowly broke apart, the two boys looked over at their friends, blank shock over both the girls’ faces. A moment of silence.

Then…

“AHHHHHHH!!!”

Xiangling and Xinyan raced over to them, the chef throwing her arms around Xingqiu, and the rock star’s arms around Chongyun.

“Wait, you guys are…”

“Just this morning, we…”

“Since when did YOU…”

“SO FREAKIN CUTE!!!”

The four of them chatted up a storm for the next couple minutes, their voices overlapping over each other. It all started to blur together after a while, but Chongyun kept talking, a casual grin on his face. He didn’t realize how easy it could be. Just talking with friends, being relaxed, being happy…in this moment, it just felt so natural.

Was this…what being normal felt like?

After a while, the four of them finally decided to sit down for lunch. Yun Jin joined them soon after, and Chef Mao served them. The five friends ate and talked, everyone riding on the high of their new relationships. Yun Jin, despite being the single one out, delighted in joining in on their happiness. It wasn’t the private, intimate date Chongyun was hoping for…but he was so happy to be with his friends, he didn’t mind.

“So…” Xinyan grinned, looking between the two boys, “Have ya done it yet?”

“Xinyan!” Xiangling slapped her arm. “What a thing to ask!”

“Aw, come on, we’re all thinkin’ it! Come on, Yun Jin, back me up!”

“It is extremely impolite to ask about such things,” Yun Jin said fairly.

“But you were thinkin’ it too, riiiiiight?”

Yun Jin’s mouth twitched, her eyes giving away her amusement. “Perhaps.”

“See?!” Xinyan cackled to Xiangling, who pouted with her hands on her hips. “So, spill it, ice boy…gimmie the details!”

Xingqiu joined the girls in staring at Chongyun, wearing a smirk of his own as if he couldn’t wait to see what Chongyun would say. Chongyun had turned slightly red.

“Uh…well…we haven’t, you know…done it. But, um…we have done…some things.”

“Details, Chong, details!” Xinyan insisted.

Xiangling plugged her ears. “I don’t want to hear it!”

Chongyun blushed. “I…you know what?” He took Xingqiu’s hand. “I think that’s between me and my boyfriend.”

Xingqiu blew a kiss at him, giggling softly.

Xinyan nodded, giving him a toothy grin. “Good man…I can most surely respect that.” She paused, looking between them. “…But you definitely sucked his dick, right?”

“XINYAN!” Xiangling exclaimed as Yun Jin burst out laughing.

After another full afternoon of training, night had fallen. Chongyun was waiting by Chihu Rock. He let out a sigh. Xingqiu was supposed to meet him here so they could go for a walk together, but he hadn’t showed.

It was quite unlike Xingqiu. No matter how playful he could be, he would always honor his agreements and schedule. Perhaps something had held him up at the guild?

Seeing no other options, Chongyun made his way back towards the Feiyun Commerce Guild. He was sure Xingqiu had a good reason. He would just see what he was up to, and if he was too busy, he could come back tomorrow. It wasn’t a big deal. After all, he recalled with a frown, he had too often in the past rejected Xingqiu’s invitations because he was too busy training.

As Chongyun approached the main door, he could see Xu standing in front with the door cracked open slightly. He appeared to be listening to something going on inside.

Xingqiu was right…Xu was nosey.

“Hello, Xu,” Chongyun said.

Xu jumped with a yelp, quickly straightening up and adjusting his glasses. “Oh…Master Chongyun…this, uh, might not be the best time…”

“Oh, come on, Xu, you don’t have to be afraid of me. Xingqiu wouldn’t actually banish you or anything for what you saw.”

“No, no, I haven’t told anyone, I swear…besides, it’s not about that…”

Chongyun heard a sudden shout from the slightly open door. It was unmistakably Xingqiu.

Chongyun stared at Xu. “What’s going on?”

“Uh…as I said, probably not the best time…”

“Xu,” said Chongyun with an air of authority he didn’t normally possess, “Let me pass.”

Xu attempted to sputter another objection, but Chongyun wouldn’t budge. With a look of resignation, Xu slowly stood to the side.

“Thank you,” Chongyun said shortly. He stepped inside, roughly closing the door behind him.

He strode down the hallway, the shouts getting louder. That was Xingqiu, all right…and the deep booming voice that accompanied it could only be Xingqiu’s father.

Oh Archons, Chongyun thought. What had he done this time?

As he grew closer to the master’s office, the words being shouted began to become more clear.

“…not a discussion, Xingqiu. This will happen with or without your consent. Frankly, I’m surprised you’re not grateful for the opportunity.”

“I don’t understand!” Xingqiu’s voice rang out. “Why can’t I just work on it here?!”

“Xingqiu, we have been over this. You yourself said the resources available to you there are indispensable. Not to mention that’s where the profits will be made.”

Chongyun reached the office, and stood outside the door. He didn’t want to intrude…but he had to know what could possibly have Xingqiu this upset.

“I don’t care!” Xingqiu’s voice cried. “Please, Father, please let me work here instead! I’ll do anything!”

“Lady Guuji has already agreed to host you,” Xingqiu’s father’s voice boomed. “My word is final. Honestly, Xingqiu, I understand not wanting to leave your home, but a reaction this visceral…”

“You don’t understand!” Xingqiu was practically yelling. “I can’t leave, not now that I’m finally…”

“What?”

A pause. “…Never mind. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Then help me understand!” The older master’s voice seemed kinder. “Xingqiu, surely you must know it isn’t my wish to upset you.Truly, I thought you would be excited. Relieved, at least, that you aren’t being punished.”

“I…of course I’m grateful for the opportunity…but Father, I…I just have to stay in Liyue!”

“Why?”

“I…” There was a waver in Xingqiu’s voice. “Oh, what does it matter?? You wouldn’t let me stay anyway!”

The door slammed open; Xingqiu stormed out towards his room, not noticing Chongyun standing there.

The master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild strode to the doorway, sticking his head out and calling after his retreating son. “Xingqiu! Xingqiu!!”

He let out a deep sigh, shaking his head. After a moment, he turned to re-enter his office, and with a slight start, noticed Chongyun.

“Oh…hello Chongyun.” He paused. “Heard all that, did you?”

“I…heard some of it.”

The master nodded, looking off to where Xingqiu had disappeared. “Well…I’m sure you of all people know how difficult my son can be.” He let out another sigh. “Still…he has his mother’s spirit. I only wish she was still around…she was much better at handling him than I am.”

He looked back at Chongyun, an apologetic look on his face. “Ah…you don’t want to hear an old man’s sorrows. No doubt you’re concerned about your friend.”

“I…I am, sir. What did he mean, ‘leave Liyue’? What have you asked of him?”

Xingqiu’s father ran his hand through his beard. “If you wish to know, go ask my son. My apologies…I don’t mean to be dismissive of you, young Chongyun, but I still have a lot of work to get done. And…if I’m being honest…I’d rather not go through it all again.” He made his way back to his desk and sat down, looking tired.

Chongyun bowed his head. “Very well. Thank you, sir.” He turned to leave, but as he stepped through the doorway, he felt compelled to say more.

“Sir…I should be the one apologizing to you. You see, I knew of Xingqiu’s real reason for visiting Inazuma. Perhaps…I should have told you.”

The master looked up at Chongyun, giving him a sad smile. “You have nothing to apologize for, Chongyun. Your loyalty was to your friend, and I do not fault you for it.” He took a deep breath. “Do try to help him see reason, won’t you?”

Chongyun swallowed. “I’ll…do my best.”

Xingqiu’s father nodded. “I suppose that’s all any of us can do. Thank you.”

Chongyun bowed his head once more, and left the room.

He walked down the hallway towards Xingqiu’s room, his head abuzz. What was he asking Xingqiu to do? He had never seen Xingqiu that upset before. Usually he was so calm, so in control of himself…he had to know.

Chongyun reached the oak door that separated himself from his love. He gave it a light knock.

“Go away!” he heard Xingqiu’s voice cry out.

“Xingqiu…it’s me!”

The door immediately opened, and Chongyun was greeted by the gorgeous but tear stained face of his beloved. “Ch-Chongyun! Oh…I’m sorry, I was just…come in.”

Chongyun slowly made his way inside, closing the door behind him. Xingqiu sat down on the bed, his face grief stricken. Chongyun kneeled down on the floor in front of him, taking his hands in his.

“Xingqiu…what’s going on?”

Xingqiu looked down at him, tears streaking down his cheeks. “I don’t want you to see me like this…”

“Qiu, it’s fine. I don’t care if you cry in front of me.”

“But I care! I want…to be pretty for you…”

Chongyun stood up and sat down next to Xingqiu, putting his arm around him. “Qiu…you always look pretty to me.”

Xingqiu shook his head, but he did manage a small smile. “Liar.”

“Qiu…why don’t you tell me what happened?”

“It…” Xingqiu scrunched up his eyes. “It’s not fair! Just after I…I…”

“Qiu, just tell me!”

Xingqiu sniffed, meeting Chongyun’s gaze. “My father has decided that due to A Legend of Sword’s success, I would best serve the guild if I continued my writing.”

Chongyun shook his head in disbelief. “Well that’s…that’s great, right?! He finally sees your true talent!”

“No, you don’t understand…Inazuma is where it’s been popular, and where all my resources are. Apparently Yae Miko has already agreed to sponsor me.”

“Qiu…what are you saying?”

Xingqiu’s hand shook in Chongyun’s grip. “Chongyun…I’m being sent back to Inazuma.”

“…Oh…”

Chongyun couldn’t move. He felt as though he was frozen in place, unable to fully comprehend what Xingqiu had said.

“You’re…you’re leaving again?” he managed to get out. “For how long?”

Xingqiu didn’t answer. A fresh tear fell from his eye.

“Xingqiu…for how long??”

Xingqiu closed his eyes, turning away from him. “For…for at least a year.”

It was as though the world had crumbled underneath the exorcist, and he was falling down into a bottomless pit. Down, down, down into everlasting darkness.

Xingqiu was desperately trying to hold his sorrow back, but he finally broke, throwing his arms around the exorcist. “Oh, Yun!” he cried, sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder.

Chongyun enveloped the young master in his arms, rubbing his back. He tried to console him even as he fought to hold back his own emotions.

“Qiu…it’ll, it’ll be alright. You’ll finally be writing books for a living! It’s what you’ve always wanted!”

“Not…not like this!” Xingqiu sobbed. “I CAN’T leave Liyue! Not now…now that we…we…”

“Shh, shh,” Chongyun shushed him, slowly laying the two of them down on the bed. “It’ll be ok, Qiu…it’ll be ok…”

He didn’t know what else to say. It was all he could do to not burst into tears himself. But Xingqiu needed him to be a rock, to be steady…so he laid there with him, holding him close, comforting him.

“How…how long do we have?” he asked softly, stroking his dark blue hair. “When are you leaving?”

“S-sometime next week,” Xingqiu whispered.

“Well then…I’ll have to spend every waking moment I can with you, won’t I?”

Xingqiu gave Chongyun a watery smile. “Oh, Yun…I-I don’t deserve you.”

“What?” Chongyun chuckled, holding him closer. “Of course you do. If anything, it’s me who doesn’t deserve you.”

“No…you’re so kind and good…I-I haven’t been a good friend.”

“What are you talking about? You’ve always been there for me!”

“I…I’m always trying to give you spicy food…and-and teasing you all the time…”

“Oh, Qiu,” Chongyun breathed, “It’s ok. It’s…part of your charm.”

Xingqiu giggled despite himself, burying his face farther into Chongyun’s chest. “Yun…you really are wonderful.”

“So are you, Qiu,” Chongyun said softly. “So are you.”

Xingqiu continued to lightly sob, holding onto Chongyun as if he were a life preserver. “Yun?”

“Yeah?”

“Um…I’m sorry.”

Chongyun squinted down at him. “Sorry? For what?”

“For…for not meeting you tonight. My father held me up. I…I’m sorry I made a mess of our first night together as your boyfriend.”

Chongyun chuckled, holding him close. “Is that what you’re worried about? It’s fine, Qiu.”

“I just…don’t want you to be mad at me…” Xingqiu said sleepily.

Chongyun kissed the top of his head, and snuggled into him. “Xingqiu…I could never be mad at you.”

Chapter 9: Revelations

Notes:

Otherwise known as: the chapter that earns the Chongyun Angst tag. Yeah, fair warning, there's a lot of emotion in this one. It's also a long one, which is why I'm posting it a little late today. Sorry about that. But anyway...enjoy?

Oh, there's also a slightly obscure Star Wars reference in here. Let me know if you recognize it, lol :)

Chapter Text

“Yun?...Hey, Yun…”

Chongyun groaned as he was awakened from a dreamless sleep. As his eyes fluttered open, he found that an out of focus blue blob was hovering above him. He blinked, and Xingqiu’s face came into focus.

“Mmm…morning, Qiu,” Chongyun mumbled.

“Sorry to wake you,” Xingqiu said softly, “But I have to get out of here early today, and I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.”

As Chongyun’s eyesight continued to adjust, he noticed Xingqiu was already dressed. He frowned, rubbing his eyes.

“Oh, ok. But, um…are you ok? After last night?”

Xingqiu gave him a sad smile. “To tell you the truth…not really. But I suppose I have to make my peace with it. I just…want to spend as much time with you as possible before I leave…if that’s ok.”

Chongyun touched his shoulder. “Of course it’s ok!

Xingqiu blushed. “Oh, ok, good. I don’t know, you just…you used to seem like you didn’t really want to spend much time with me, so…”

Chongyun hung his head. “I-I’m sorry…I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s ok. Really, it is. I’m just glad you want to spend time with me now.” Xingqiu smiled. “Well…I gotta get going…see you later?”

The two boys shared a brief kiss.

“Y-yeah…see you later, Qiu.”

The young master strode over to the door before looking over his shoulder back at Chongyun. “Oh…maybe go out the front door this time?”

Chongyun chuckled. “Probably a good idea.”

Xingqiu winked at him, and closed the door behind him.

Chongyun let out a long sigh, his head falling back and hitting the mattress. He hadn’t been able to process the fact that Xingqiu was leaving on his own…and right after he seemed to finally be making progress with confessing his feelings. They’d only been technically dating for a day…but it still was something he desperately wanted to protect.

But he’d have to figure that part out later. In the meantime, he had an idea that would take his mind off things.

Unbeknownst to Xingqiu, Chongyun had been keeping a list of the ancient texts Xingqiu would find relating to evil spirits and their locations. He’d never been able to see them himself; Xingqiu always seemed to have left them at home, or had to borrow and return them. It didn’t matter too much to him, considering that Xingqiu was much more knowledgeable about books than he was. But if he was leaving…well, he’d better track down the texts himself.

At least then, with Xingqiu gone for so, so long…he’d have something to occupy his time.

“Why, hello Chongyun!” Jifang of Wanwen Bookhouse said cheerfully. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here without Xingqiu…how can I help you, for once?”

“I’d like to see if you have any of these texts in stock,” Chongyun said, holding out his list. “I don’t need every book, mind you…just a couple of them will do for now.”

“Hmm,” Jifang stroked her chin, reading the titles on the list. “I can’t say I’m familiar with any of these…but I’ll take a look all the same.”

“Ok, thank you!”

Jifang turned her back, and began sorting through mounds of papers and files. To pass the time, Chongyun began browsing the bookshelves. Most of the titles he didn’t recognize. But he did see two copies of A Legend of Sword where Xingqiu had snuck them onto the shelf. How funny that no one had paid the book any mind here in Liyue, but it instead had become a smash hit in Inazuma. Xingqiu had a whole future in writing over there…maybe this was for the best, after all.

After about ten minutes, he heard Jifang call his name. He hurried over to the counter.

Chongyun looked at her eagerly. “Well?”

Jifang looked at him apologetically. “I’m…not quite sure how to put this.”

Chongyun hung his head. “You don’t have any of them in?”

“Well, that’s just it…if I don’t have a book in stock, I can either place an order for it if the customer is willing to wait, or I can recommend another store or library nearby that does have it. But in this case…”

She paused.

“Chongyun, I’m not sure where you got this list, but…I’m afraid the books you’re searching for don’t exist.”

Chongyun stared at her blankly. “Don’t…exist? What do you mean?”

“I mean, I checked my archives of old and new releases. Scoured it, really. And not a single one of these titles appeared anywhere in the archives. I’m sorry, but someone has been feeding you bad intel.”

Chongyun’s brow furrowed, his mouth hanging slightly open. “Impossible. Perhaps the archives are incomplete?”

Jifang looked rather offended at that remark. “If an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist,” she said firmly. “Again, I’m sorry, but I can’t find a book that was never written.”

Chongyun stumbled backwards from the counter, mumbling an apology. He slowly made his way down the stairs leading to the street, his brain whirling.

How could none of the texts be found? It was impossible. Maybe a couple of them could be a mistake, but all of them? It didn’t make any sense. These texts had led to countless leads!

Leads that had never panned out…

Chongyun stopped, his hand gripping the railing as he began to put the pieces together.

Jifang had no reason to lie to him. If she could access the books, she would have sold them to him. So it stood to reason she was telling the truth. So none of the books existed. And none of the leads they had produced amounted to anything.

So if the leads were fake, and the texts were fake, that meant…

Xingqiu. All of it came from Xingqiu.

He had lied to him. Not just once, but countless times.

Xingqiu…his closest friend in the whole world…had been lying to him. Constantly. For months.

The wave of water that had been protecting Chongyun from his yang energy for the last day and a half fell, and with it, the heat in his chest returned, hotter than it had possibly ever been.

“He…lied to me…”

And with that revelation, Chongyun found himself overwhelmed with an emotion he hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

Terrible, uncontrollable, unbridled rage.

“Chongyun? Hey, are you ok?”

Chongyun blinked, the world returning to him. Yun Jin and Hu Tao stood in front of him, the former looking worried, the latter curious. He was still standing on the stairs. How long had he been there?

He looked where his hand was still gripping the railing. The wood beneath him had cracked from the pressure. He quickly let go of it, feeling a couple splinters enter his skin.

“I…I’m fine,” he managed.

“Are you sure?” Hu Tao said, raising an eyebrow. She reached out her hand to feel his forehead. “You don’t look fine…”

Chongyun slapped her hand away. “I’m not…DYING, Hu Tao!” he barked at her.

Hu Tao took a step back, looking offended. “I…sorry, I didn’t…”

“He’s burning up,” Yun Jin said worriedly, stepping forward. “Chongyun…when’s the last time you had a popsicle?”

“I…I don’t know…”

“Well, why don’t you take one out? It might help you feel better,” Yun Jin said kindly.

“I…I said I’m fine…”

But Yun Jin’s calming presence did bring him slightly back to his senses. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a popsicle. Unwrapping it quickly, he began to suck on its cold essence.

The popsicle felt cool in his mouth…but, to his ever growing concern, it did nothing to calm his yang energy. It seemed it was refusing to back down.

“How’s that?” Yun Jin asked. “Better?”

“Yeah,” Chongyun lied, trying to mask the rage still bubbling just below the surface. “Thanks, Yun Jin.”

“You still look a little warm, though. What’s going on? Did something happen?”

Hu Tao made a noise of recollection. “Ohhh…I think I know what’s going on. I just heard this morning from some people outside the Feiyun Commerce Guild…Xingqiu is going away to Inazuma again.”

“Oh, is he??” Yun Jin’s eyes widened. “Well, no wonder…oh Chongyun, you must be so upset!”

At the moment, the idea of Xingqiu leaving for a faraway land forever sounded perfectly fine to Chongyun.

“Y-yeah…I just heard last night,” Chongyun replied, gritting his teeth.

“I’m so sorry, Chongyun. The idea of Xingqiu leaving makes ME sad…I can only imagine how you’re feeling.” Yun Jin stroked her chin, deep in thought. “Hmm…I might have an idea.”

“Wh-what?”

“Whenever I’m feeling stressed out or upset, I go out into nature. I find it helps me relax and focus on whatever I need to think about or whatever problem I need to solve. I know you mediate sometimes…maybe it’ll help you too?”

Yun Jin’s kind words soothed the fire inside Chongyun’s chest…but not by much.

“Yeah, I’ll…I’ll give that a try. Th-thanks, Yun Jin.”

“No problem.” Yun Jin put her hand on Chongyun’s shoulder, giving him a small smile. “Feel better, ok?…Come on, Hu Tao, let’s leave him alone now.”

Hu Tao, still watching Chongyun wearily, followed Yun Jin back down the stairs.

Chongyun finished the popsicle. It hadn’t helped in the least. His chest was still on fire…but maybe Yun Jin was right. He usually felt calm when he was meditating in nature.

It was worth a try, he supposed…

Just outside of Liyue, Chongyun stood among the trees, breathing in the scent of the forest. Normally, this would be enough to calm him down, or at least help.

It was having no effect.

Breathing heavily, he took out another popsicle, and shoved it into his mouth. Nothing. It wasn’t working. Why wasn’t it working?!

The anger, the rage, and the betrayal were all still raging inside him. Xingqiu…the lying snake. How…how could he have done this? Why had he done this?!

All those leads, all those expeditions…all for nothing. Chongyun thought he wasn’t finding any spirits because of his condition, or because he was just plain unlucky…but in fact, there had been nothing to find. But WHY?! Why would Xingqiu DO this to him?!

Xingqiu had come with him a lot of the time, and when he couldn’t, he had wanted to know every detail. He’d ply him with food, and listen intently to every detail of the trip. He never understood why Xingqiu insisted on this.

Now it was clear. He was laughing at him. Xingqiu had always delighted in teasing him, and pushing his buttons. So of course, he had taken it farther. He had watched Chongyun run around, trying to find spirits, and was reveling in his misery the whole time. And he had never questioned it, never.

Because who could he possibly trust, if not his fine friend Xingqiu?

Now, it seemed, he couldn’t trust anyone.

Without even thinking about it, Chongyun had drawn his claymore. His hands grasped the hilt with an iron grip as more and more terrible thoughts took over his hazy mind.

Had Xingqiu been fabricating more than even that? He had finally convinced himself that the young master had some semblance of feelings for him; Why else would he have agreed to go out with him? But now, it was clear. He wanted to torture Chongyun even more. He had figured out Chongyun’s true feelings for him, and wanted to exploit them. Wanted to see Chongyun fall even more in love with him, and control everything he did.

He had been such a fool not to see it before. Xingqiu didn't care about him. He never did.

As his rage reached its boiling point, Chongyun took out his final popsicle in a last-ditch effort to stave off the effect of his yang energy. But even as he scarfed it down, giving himself a brain freeze in the process, it still didn’t work.

His eyes glowing a bright blue, he let out a roar of frustration, slapping himself across the face twice in succession. He grappled with himself, his skin white hot. He couldn’t control it. Nothing and no one could help him.

He tried to think of his friends. To think of Xiangling, a friend he knew cared about him. Yun Jin, who just a while ago was trying to help him. Xinyan, who always supported him and complimented him. His friends…

But it just wasn’t enough. Xingqiu’s smug smirking face drowned them all out, speaking words of affection he now knew were all lies.

And with no way out, he gave into his madness.

With a guttural yell that echoed across the forest, Chongyun swung his claymore about, and brought it smashing into the nearest tree. The trunk shattered against his might, leaves falling and wood shattering onto the ground.

Oh, how it felt good to destroy something. He had grown strong over the years.

Again and again his claymore swung, trees smashing to the ground all about him as he screamed his frustration up towards Celestia. At one point a shard of wood flew from a destroyed tree and struck him in the arm, but he hardly noticed. He could feel the splinters in his hand from earlier, digging into his skin as he gripped his hilt harder.

Good. The pain fueled him.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Chongyun came to a stop, catching his breath. Dozens of fallen trees lay around him, the ground littered with wood and greenery.

And even now, his yang energy was not appeased. The rage and betrayal were all still there, feeding off of him, consuming him. It wouldn’t stop, because the hurt he felt wouldn’t stop.

He was alone…all alone, with nothing but his anger and his curse…

“Chongyun!” he heard a voice ring out.

The sound of small feet hitting the ground broke him from his stupor. Chongyun turned around to see Xingqiu, gasping for breath.

“Yun Jin told me you were…feeling out of sorts. I was looking all over for you, and I heard your shout. I came as fast as I could.” He let out a deep breath, looking around him at the fallen trees. “Oh Yun…what happened??”

He didn’t think it could get worse. He didn’t think his skin could feel even hotter to the point where he felt like he was bathing in lava. But somehow, as Chongyun looked upon Xingqiu, it did.

All Chongyun could see was red.

He felt himself moving forward towards the young master, fists clenched. Pure and utter loathing, for both himself and the liar in front of him, filled his entire being.

And as he approached him, as the dark blue haired boy spoke something else that he couldn’t hear…the red suddenly faded into blackness, and he was lost in an abyss of his own making.

He faded from consciousness, and the darkness took him.

“Yuuunn! You better catch me!”

Two young boys, both with different shades of blue hair, chased each other through ancient ruins up on a hill as the city of Liyue shone in the distance. They couldn’t have been more than 11 or 12.

“Yun-Yun! Over here!”

“Oh, I’m gonna get you, Qiu!” the older boy laughed.

Xingqiu darted and dodged through the stone ruins, giggling and squealing. “You can’t catch me, you can’t catch me…”

Chongyun let out a little growl, and leapt forward with all his might. He crashed into his best friend, and two of them rolled down the hill, narrowly missing the rocks. Chongyun instinctively wrapped himself around Xingqiu, trying to shield him from the hard bounces off the ground.

Eventually, they came to a stop at the end of the ruins, the sun setting behind them. Chongyun groaned, feeling aches and bruises all over his body. Xingqiu lay on top of him, both boys breathing hard.

“Are…are you ok, Qiu?” he asked.

Xingqiu wiggled above him, giggling. “Yeah! That was so much fun! Let’s do that again!”

“No, I…I think I’ve had enough…”

“Oh, Yun…you’re covered in bruises!” Xingqiu said, pouting. “But I didn’t get hurt…that’s not fair to you at all! I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine,” Chongyun smiled. “I didn’t want you to get hurt…I’m glad you’re ok.”

Xingqiu smiled back at him, pushing the hair out of his face.

The two of them lay there for the longest time, staring at each other with an easy affection. Oh, Chongyun felt so comfortable with Xingqiu…his best friend. He was so sweet, so kind, so adorable…

Xingqiu let out a little sigh, grinning down at the young exorcist as he ruffled his hair. For some reason, one he couldn’t place at the time, Chongyun blushed.

And for the first time in his life, other than from spicy food or overexertion…Chongyun felt a heat rise in his chest.

Chongyun woke with a start, sitting up in bed. In…bed? He was in his own bed. Wait…could it all have just been some terrible dream?

“Good…you’re awake.”

Chongyun whipped his head to the side. Shenhe sat by his bedside, looking relieved.

“I…what, what happened?” He asked.

“Evidently, you had an episode. That…that boy brought you back here.”

“Xingqiu?” Chongyun struggled to remember. “Did…did he carry me??”

“No, that would indeed have been impressive. He was dragging you along. Your consciousness was gone, but your body still walked where he guided you. He said you had gotten very upset, and blacked out. Something HE did to you, no doubt.”

“Something…he did….”

“Still, I did allow him to heal your wounds, which fortunately were fairly mild. He was adamant I let him do so instead of another healer. Said it was ‘his responsibility’. Clearly, he had a guilty conscience.”

Chongyun couldn’t remember what had happened after Xingqiu had arrived. He remembered the rage he felt…he still felt the hurt…but it was quelled by a worry of what he had done when he wasn’t in control.

“Where is he?” he asked, swinging his legs off the side of the bed.

“Waiting outside,” Shenhe replied. “He wanted to wait by your side, but after he was done healing you, I had him leave. It’s up to you now if you’d like to see him.”

Chongyun paused. Did he want to see him? He still felt so hurt, so betrayed…but he had to know what happened after he blacked out.

“I’ll see him,” he said, slowly getting up.

“Very well…but take it easy. You’ve cooled back down, but I still want to keep an eye on you for the next day to make sure there isn’t a resurgence.”

Chongyun nodded, slowly walking out of his bedroom. As he made his way through the house, he tried to remember what had happened, but it was just a big blank spot in his memory. He was still upset, but if he had hurt Xingqiu…he didn’t know if he could forgive himself.

Stepping outside, he saw his friend, his constant companion, staring off into the distance. Reds and oranges covered the sky as the evening rolled in. Chongyun didn’t know what to think as he approached the young master.

“Xingqiu…”

His head slowly turned. His amber eyes were wet; he looked like he’d been crying.

“Oh, Chongyun…you’re ok.”

“Yeah…I’m better.”

Xingqiu nodded, looking apprehensive. “Listen,” he said after a pause, “Chongyun…about what I…”

“Wait, Xingqiu, before you say anything…did I hurt you?”

Xingqiu blinked. “What?”

“Did I hurt you when I lost control?”

“You…you don’t remember?”

Chongyun shook his head. “Last thing I remember was you coming up to me in the forest.”

“…Oh, I see.”

A look briefly passed over Xingqiu’s face. It was quick, but Chongyun thought Xingqiu looked relieved. It passed in a blink of an eye, though.

“Xingqiu!” Chongyun implored.

The young master, looking incredibly guilty, nodded slowly. He raised his hands up, and pulled back his shirt on the top.

Chongyun gasped as he saw a series of deep bruises on Xingqiu’s shoulders, wrapped around them in a pattern that clearly showed he had grabbed them with great force.

“Oh, Xingqiu,” he cried out. “I did hurt you! Oh, this is what I was trying to avoid this whole time…I’m so sorry!”

“Chongyun,” Xingqiu said in a low voice, “It’s fine. It doesn’t count.”

“D-doesn’t count?!”

“No…I deserved it.”

Xingqiu’s head was low; Chongyun had never seen him this ashamed before. Part of him felt vindictive, and savagely proud of that fact. Good. Let him feel guilty. But the other part of him wanted to give him a hug and insist everything was ok.

“Qiu…I am upset, but…you didn’t deserve to get hurt. Don’t you ever think that.”

Xingqiu shrugged. “It’s true.”

“What did I…what did I say?”

“You, uh…you yelled at me about the ancient texts.”

“And what did you say?”

Xingqiu said nothing.

“Qiu…I’m not mad. Not anymore. I just…want to understand. Why did you do all this??”

Xingqiu hesitated, rubbing the back of his head. “Well…I guess…I felt bad that you couldn’t find any spirits, so…I thought if you had more leads to look into, you’d, I don’t know…be more hopeful?”

Chongyun stared at him. “Xingqiu…I didn’t need false hope! Why would you think that would make me feel better?”

“I don’t know,” Xingqiu said softly. “I did try to find real leads for you too…but there’s just not much out there.” He paused. “Chongyun…I’m so sorry I lied to you. You’re…you’re probably glad I’m leaving now, huh?”

Chongyun touched his shoulder. “No, I…I am upset with you, I won’t deny that. But…I guess I understand why you did what you did. Sort of. I just…I want to be able to trust you, Qiu. And I don’t know if I can right now. I know we don’t have long before you leave, but…I need some time.”

Xingqiu nodded slowly. “I understand. I’ll…I’ll give you some space. If you do want to see me, let me know. Otherwise…I’ll leave you alone for now.”

Xingqiu gave him a sad smile. Then he made his way back down towards the town as Chongyun watched him silently.

The heat was gone…but instead, he felt empty.

“Chongyun…tell me what’s on your mind.”

It was the next morning; Shenhe had stayed with him all night. She was not the most practiced in human interaction, but she was trying, and Chongyun really did appreciate it.

Chongyun sat on the sofa, having been there since he woke up. He didn’t feel like training this morning.

“I just…it’s been so long since I blacked out like that. I hate not remembering…every time this happens, there’s just a huge blank space in my memory. I wish I could fix it.”

Shenhe sat down next to him, putting her hand on his shoulder.

“Well…I don’t know if this would work as well for you as it did for me. But when I was growing up with Cloud Retainer, I had repressed my memories of the day I was found by her…when I was abandoned. For a while, she thought it was better that way…but eventually, she taught me how to enter an advanced form of meditation. She decided it would be better for me to confront my past then to suppress it. What I found…hurt. A lot. But it helped me move on from it.”

“Oh…I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t be. Our memories are very important; it’s how we learn from our mistakes, and retain the best of ourselves. I don’t know what you might find in your mind, but if you think it can help…I will show you what my master taught me.”

“Th-thank you, Shenhe,” Chongyun said gratefully. “I would appreciate that very much. I…you know, even though I’m not used to saying it yet…I’m really happy I can call you my aunt.”

Shenhe’s expression did not change, but he thought he saw her eyes get a little misty. “And I’m glad to call you my nephew,” she said softly. “So…would you like to start?”

Chongyun nodded, bringing his hands together. “Yes, Auntie Shenhe.”

She gave him the smallest of smiles. “Very well. Let’s begin…”

For the first time in almost a week, Chongyun returned to his favorite meditation spot on the hill overlooking Liyue. He realized that the last time he had been up here, Xiangling had run up to him to tell him that Xingqiu was back. That had been five days ago now, but it felt like he had been through a lifetime.

He didn’t think Xingqiu was being dishonest about what happened between them, but at the same time, he felt like he was holding something back. There was something he wasn’t telling him. Chongyun wondered with a sense of dread if he hadn’t hurt Xingqiu worse than he was letting on. Perhaps there were some hidden bruises he hadn’t shown him.

Well, if Shenhe’s meditation technique worked, he’d know for sure soon enough.

Chongyun sat down on the grass. He put his back up against a giant rock, sitting where his spot on the hill was. This was where he always went to meditate and relax. A perfect view of Liyue…and just above some old ruins.

Well…here goes nothing.

Chongyun began his normal deep breathing technique, in and out. He let every one of his inhibitions go, letting his mind go blank. He focused on only the sound of his breathing, until every other sound of the world couldn’t be heard by him.

In his mind, he began to see the portions of his memory that were clouded. He knew he possessed the images he wanted to see, but they were still hidden. Determined, he continued to relax his mind and body. He would not fail.

“Come on Xingqiu,” he whispered. “What are you trying to hide from me?”

He let his mind and body relax, clearing his mind of all aggression. He could see the hazy fog of his clouded memories, though the fog seemed to be dissipating.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out…

“Oh, Yun,” Xingqiu said, brow furrowed in concern. “What happened??”

The thundering in Chongyun’s head was so loud, it blocked out every sense. He stalked forward, his yang energy spiking harder than it had in a long time.

“Yun? Are you oka...”

Chongyun grabbed him by the shoulders, lifting him up none too gently. His hands squeezed his petite figure, causing Xingqiu to cry out in pain.

“Chongyun! Wait, stop, calm down…”

“Don’t you DARE tell me to calm down!” Chongyun snarled, his hands gripping even tighter. “I know what you did, Xingqiu!”

“Wha…I-I don’t understand,” Xingqiu stuttered. “What did I do??”

“It’s…it’s EVERYTHING!” Chongyun’s voice echoed across the forest. “You’re a liar, a con artist…you’re a BAD FRIEND!”

Xingqiu’s eyes were wide, his small body shaking in Chongyun’s arms. “Chongyun, please…just tell me what I did…”

“Oh, what? You’re gonna make me say it?” Chongyun growled, his teeth clenched. “You’re not man enough to just admit it??”

“Admit WHAT??

“THE TEXTS!” Chongyun shouted, shaking the young master. “The so-called ‘ancient texts’! I went to Wanwen Bookhouse today to try and find some, since you were leaving…and NONE of them exist! Not ONE! You LIED to me, Xingqiu…over and over again, you LIED TO ME!!!”

All the color drained from Xingqiu’s face.

“Yun…”

“Don’t call me that!”

“Chongyun…I can explain…”

Chongyun let out a mirthless laugh. “Oh, I can’t WAIT to hear this!”

Xingqiu swallowed, his eyes slightly wet as he tried to avoid Chongyun’s merciless gaze. “I just saw how often you would come back empty handed, and you’d always be so upset. So I thought…maybe if I came along and tried to help…”

“Don’t make me laugh!” Chongyun barked at him. “How would making up a bunch of fake leads HELP me??”

“I did do research to try and find leads! Really, I did! I wanted to help you, but there just wasn’t enough information out there on spirits. So I thought…”

“You’d make some up,” Chongyun finished, his face contorting. “So what? You thought you’d just give me false hope??”

“Well, I…”

“If you had just said you tried to find something but you couldn’t, that would have meant the world to me!” Chongyun cried. “I would’ve been disappointed, but I’d have been happy you tried…and your solution was to lie to me, over and over, and waste my time?!”

“Chongyun,” Xingqiu whimpered, his eyes filling with tears.

“Not only MY time, but yours as well! Hell, you came along with me half the time! Why?! Were you THAT eager to see me fail over and over??”

“Chongyun, PLEASE…”

“IS THAT ALL I AM TO YOU?!” Chongyun was practically screaming in fury. “JUST A BIG JOKE?! DID YOU EVER ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT ME AT ALL?!?!”

“I DO care about you!” Xingqiu sobbed, tears now falling down his cheeks. “I care about you more than ANYTHING! I just….I just wanted to spend time with you!!”

Chongyun stopped, the fury temporarily fading from his face. “Wh…what?” He slowly put Xingqiu down onto the ground.

“You…you’re just always so busy,” Xingqiu said in a small voice, wiping the tears from his face with his sleeve. “Anytime I’d try to hang out with you, you would be training, or trying to find spirits…and I’m SO sorry, I shouldn’t have done it, I see that now. But…we’ve been having fun, right? Think of all the places we’ve explored together…”

Chongyun tried to wrap his head around Xingqiu’s admission, even as yang energy continued to pulse off of his body. “So you went through all of that…all that deception…just to spend more time with me??”

“I mean…yeah…”

Chongyun gave Xingqiu an incredulous look. “Why??”

Xingqiu looked down at the ground. “It…it doesn’t matter…”

Chongyun grabbed Xingqiu by the chin, forcing his face back up. “Yes, it DOES! My best friend, the one person in the world I thought I could trust, has been lying to my face for months…and you say it doesn’t MATTER?? I want to know WHY!”

“Because I LOVE YOU, you idiot!” Xingqiu shouted.

Chongyun’s grip on Xingqiu’s jaw slacked. His arm fell weakly to his side, a look of blank shock plastered on his face.

“You…you what?”

“Archons, Chongyun, you are so DENSE!” Xingqiu cried in frustration. “It’s not like I’ve been trying to hide it…but you never picked up on it, no matter how hard I tried!”

Xingqiu ran a hand through his hair, talking a mile a minute as Chongyun continued to stare blankly at him.

“You’re incredible, Chongyun, and you can’t even see it! You’re strong, and brave, and you never give up no matter what! You’re kind, you’re generous, you’re handsome…how could I NOT love you?! I’ve loved you ever since we were kids! And I know I shouldn’t have done it, but I’d do anything just to spend another moment with you, to see you smile! And maybe you don’t feel the same way I do, and that’s ok, but if this is what it takes for you to understand, so be it! I just don’t want to lose you, Chongyun!”

Why was the world spinning? Chongyun couldn’t see straight. He couldn’t comprehend what he was hearing. Slowly, he began to sway on the spot.

“You…you love…me…?”

Chongyun fell to the ground.

As the excess of yang energy finally began to take its tole on him, Chongyun felt his consciousness slipping away. The last thing he saw was Xingqiu’s worried face above him, blurred and shimmery. Oh, he looked so beautiful…

“Chongyun?” His voice echoed. “Chongyun!!!”

Chongyun’s eyes snapped open.

Chapter 10: Confessions

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The world of Tevat was an ever changing place. The death of a god, the revolution against a repressive regime…the world was not the same as it was. And yet, up in the hills of Liyue, where the land simply existed, unaltered by the squabbling of gods and men, it remained unchanged.

The resident exorcist of Liyue had often been like those unchanging landscapes. He had kept to a rigorous schedule of training, an ironclad belief that he would conquer the evil spirits of the world, and that he would have to take on all of his trials and tribulations alone. He knew, at the core of his being, that he could not have the same kind of life as everyone else. He couldn’t embrace his passions, his wants, his fears…and certainly not his love. So he stuck to his routines and his never changing resolve, and that was how his life stayed.

All of that shattered as he opened his eyes.

Xingqiu…Xinggiu was in love with him.

There was no room for misinterpretation, no misunderstanding. He had said it straight out, in no uncertain terms. As soon as he knew Chongyun hadn’t remembered it, he had pretended he hadn’t said it at all. But Chongyun remembered now.

Xingqiu was in love with him.

It simply wasn’t possible, though. How could the beautiful, incredible, flawless Xingqiu love someone like him? Xingqiu was elegant, gorgeous, and fierce. He was pasty, out of control, and socially awkward. But…he had said it. Could it really be true? Could the world, which had always seemed to be against him, have given him this one, perfect gift?

Xingqiu was in love with him!

He thought about all the years he had spent with his best friend. All the meals they shared together, all the adventures they went on, all the nights they stayed up, laughing and joking…

But it had all changed at a point, hadn’t it? That day, when the two of them rolled down to the bottom of the hill, just down where Chongyun was standing right now…and Xingqiu had been healing his wounds, and smiling down at him. And he had felt the heat rise in his chest.

It was the moment that he realized he was in love with Xingqiu.

From that day on, things changed between the two of them. Chongyun wanted nothing more to tell his best friend how he felt, but he knew he couldn’t. Now that he knew his feelings were a danger, and could lead to overheating and exposing his more violent side, he knew he couldn’t do it. So he repressed himself. He started saying no to hanging out with Xingqiu for get-togethers that were more intimate. He acted more reserved, not letting Xingqiu’s teasings and comments rile him up.

But the more he repressed himself, the more Xingqiu pushed back.

The pranks and teasings got worse and worse over the years. Xingqiu was constantly trying to get him to eat spicy food, to go into hot springs, to go on quests with him and read romance novels. And Xingqiu was very, very persistent.

“Chongyun, why haven’t you stayed over in so long? I miss staying up with you.”

“Chongyun, can’t you skip training for just one night, and come chase fireflies with me?”

“Yuuunnn, come on, Xinyan’s concerts are so fun! Just stay for a couple songs, please?”

“Uh, hey, Yun! I-I found a house that I think might be haunted! Would you…want to go check it out with me?”

Oh…oh

Tears filled Chongyun’s eyes. Oh, it all made sense now. After years and years of Chongyun blowing Xingqiu off in an effort to protect him from his yang energy…of course Xingqiu started coming up with fake leads about evil spirits.

He had been so desperate to connect with him, to spend time with him…he thought it was the only way.

And Chongyun had the audacity to tell Xingqiu that he’d been a bad friend…

Chongyun sat there, alone on his spot on the hill, crying. This whole time, Xingqiu had felt the same way he did…if he had just been able to tell him…

But Xingqiu had never told him either. And no wonder! He must have thought he hated him, with how much he rejected him!

But he remembered what started all this…what had made the tides change.

Xingqiu had come back, five days ago, and Chongyun had finally let his true feelings show, just for a moment. He still could see the pure joy on Xingqiu’s face, the realization that his friend didn’t hate him, and that he wasn’t happier and more relaxed with him gone.

Maybe that’s all it took for the two of them to finally begin to let down their facades.

And now…Chongyun was finally done pretending.

He wiped the tears from his eyes, and stood up. Xingqiu loved him. And he loved Xingqiu. He was tired of trying to hide it, to bury it. No more. He was ready. It was time.

Tonight…he would finally tell Xingqiu how he felt.

How many times had Chongyun approached the Feiyun Commerce Guild with the intent to see Xingqiu in the past week? He couldn’t remember. But he shook his head in amusement as he once again approached Xu, ever present in his post.

“Master Chongyun!” Xu said, smiling slightly awkwardly down at the exorcist. “I don’t normally see you here this early.” His smile faltered as he saw the look on Chongyun’s face. “Is something the matter?”

“I need to speak with Xingqiu,” Chongyun said, skipping the pleasantries.

“I’m terribly sorry, but the young master is in a meeting right now. He will be preoccupied for some time.”

Chongyun sighed. “I figured. Just…can you give him a message for me?”

“Certainly.”

Chongyun held up a letter. “Tell him to meet me at this spot tonight just before sunset. I have all the directions in here.”

Xu took the letter, placing it in his pocket. “I shall deliver it to him the first chance I see him. You have my word.”

“Thank you, Xu,” Chongyun said gratefully, and turned to leave.

“Master Chongyun!” Xu called out to him. Chongyun turned around expectantly. “I…perhaps this is not my place, but...you should know, Master Xingqiu cares about you. Very much.”

“I know,” Chongyun replied. “I…care about him, too.”

“He missed you a great deal when we were in Inazuma,” Xu continued. “He kept saying how he wished he could share the experience with you…and I think he is very upset about leaving here again.”

Chongyun nodded. He knew all this already.

“The reason I say this is…I am aware there’s a special connection between you two.” He lowered his voice, and Chongyun leaned in to hear the rest. “Even before…I saw you two together…I suspected you might have feelings for each other. And I regret if I may have disrupted that at all.”

“You didn’t, Xu,” Chongyun reassured him. In fact, Xu’s untimely arrival in the midst of their fiery exchange had been the least of their problems, now that he thought about it.

“Even so…I have felt guilty about it the past couple days. So, in order to atone…that is to say, if this meeting you have planned is what I believe it is…I would like to help, if I may.”

Chongyun looked confused. “Help? What do you mean?”

“I’ve watched Master Xingqiu, and you, grow up from boys to men. I care a great deal for his happiness. If there is anything I could fetch for you, for instance… I would be more than happy to have helped in any manner I can, especially if there is to be a…declaration of sorts.”

Chongyun stared. Perhaps it was even more shocking given his own proclivity for not picking up on social messages, but Xu was far more perceptive than he had given him credit for. “You don’t miss a beat, do you Xu?” he asked.

Xu gave him a small smile. “That is my job,” he said simply.

Chongyun thought for a moment. “Actually, I think there is something you could do…”

That evening, Chongyun slowly walked back up the hill, towards his meditation spot. In his hand he held about a dozen silk flowers, freshly picked. The sky was only just beginning to show hints of orange as the sun began its descent.

As he reached the top, he fiddled with the flower petals as he waited for Xingqiu. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. He knew now that Xingqiu loved him; there was no worry of rejection. So why did he still feel like his heart was going to pop right out of his chest?

But he could do this. He was the one who had initiated their first kiss, after all. Even if Xingqiu was technically the one to say those three words first…he was proud that he was about to take this leap.

“Chongyun.” He turned around, and there he was; Beautiful, glorious Xingqiu, illuminated by the sun that was just beginning to set. Chongyun’s stomach twisted itself in knots. How could he have ever convinced himself he didn’t love him?

“Hi,” Chongyun said rather lamely.

“Hi,” Xingqiu replied, shifting back and forth with a small smile. “Well, I’m here…I’m happy that you wanted to see me. So… what did you want to talk about?”

“I…uh…” Oh, why did he have to stutter? This was his time to put himself on the line, and he was screwing it up!

He took a deep breath, and held out the flowers.

“I…gathered these. For you.” He held them out in front of him.

Xingqiu blinked, staring at the flowers with a peculiar expression. He made his way over to Chongyun, looking between him and the flowers, as if trying to decode some secret message. Slowly, the sweetest most adorable grin grew across his face.

“Ch…Chongyun…” Now it was his turn to stutter. He ran his hand over his mouth. Chongyun stared. Rare was it that Xingqiu lost his composure like this. “You…you got these…for me?”

“Ye…yeah. Do you…like them?”

Xingqiu took the flowers from him. “Like them? I…I love them!” He threw his arms around the exorcist, taking him slightly off guard. “Oh Chongyun, thank you…you’re so sweet!”

He held the flowers to his nose, inhaling with a blissful expression. “Silk flowers…but how did you…?”

“You told me,” Chongyun said, averting his eyes, “A long time ago when we were playing in a meadow. I found you rolling around in a bed of them…and you said they were your favorite.”

“You remembered,” Xingqiu whispered, his cheeks turning pink. “Chongyun, I…I don’t know what to say!”

“Well…I’m glad you like them.”

Xingqiu stroked the petals as he stared up at Chongyun, giggling slightly. “Is this why you had me come all the way out here? To give me flowers? I’m not complaining, mind you, but…”

“No…I mean, it’s not the only reason. I, um…thought we could have a picnic, and…watch the sunset together?”

Xingqiu’s mouth hung open slightly, his cheeks growing even redder. Chongyun couldn’t help but smile to himself; how often had Xingqiu embarrassed him? It felt good for him to be making Xingqiu blush for once.

“I…oh Chongyun, I’d love to! But…where is this all coming from? You never plan stuff like this! And especially after…I thought you’d still be upset with me…”

“I…” Chongyun hesitated. “I just wanted to spend time with you. Before you leave.”

Xingqiu gazed at Chongyun with total adoration. He stepped forward, placing his hand on Chongyun’s shoulder. “Well, my dear Chongyun…it would be my honor to share this sunset with you.”

There was the Xingqiu he was familiar with.

“Although,” Xingqiu continued, looking around, “I don’t see a basket with you…what were you planning on having a picnic with?”

“Ah, that would be my doing, my lord,” a voice rang out from behind them. The two young men looked around to find Xu walking up the hill, basket in hand. “My apologies for the delay, Master Chongyun…but Xiangling was pretty backed up tonight. Nevertheless, I was able to obtain all the items you requested.” Xu laid the basket down near their feet. “I hope you enjoy.”

“Thank you, Xu,” Chongyun said, bowing his head. “I hope the trip wasn’t too strenuous.” He pulled out a handful of mora. “Here, for your trouble.”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” Xu said modestly, “It was my pleasure.”

“Please, you came all this way,” Chongyun replied, putting the money in his hand. “I insist.”

Am I starting to sound like Xingqiu? he thought.

“Very well,” Xu said, bowing his head graciously. “Enjoy your evening, Masters Xingqiu and Chongyun.” Xu made his way back down the hill, pocketing the mora.

“Oh, Yun…” Chongyun turned to see Xingqiu staring at him, his face flushed. “You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble…”

“I wanted to,” the exorcist replied, smiling at his love. “Well…shall we dig in, my liege?”

Xingqiu turned an even deeper red. “Chongyun!” he laughed. Oh, he had such an adorable laugh. “What’s up with you? You’re so…smooth tonight!”

“So?”

“So it’s a good look for you!”

“Well…” Chongyun took Xingqiu’s hand, leading him to the steaming basket waiting for them, “I learned from the best.”

Chongyun slurped on his cold noodles as Xingqiu eagerly munched away at his steaming hot dish. “Mmm…now this is a delicious meal!” Xingqiu said, rubbing his stomach. “Xiangling has outdone herself.”

Chongyun stared over at the remains of Xingqiu’s dinner, deep in thought. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea. But he was feeling particularly adventurous tonight…

“I mean, the combination of flavors, with just the right amount of spice…I can’t say I care for all of her strange concoctions, but she sure does know what she’s doing. Remind me to thank her when we see her next, Chongyun!”

Chongyun made up his mind.

“Xingqiu…could I have a bite?”

Xingqiu’s head shot up, amber eyes wide. He quickly swallowed his last bite. “Wait…what?”

“Could I try your dish?”

Xingqiu blinked several times. “You…want to try this? But…won’t it make you overheat?”

“Since when has that stopped you from trying to force Jueyun Chillies down my throat?”

“Yun, I…I just like teasing you, that’s all. I don’t actually want you to pass out! I just…like getting your attention.” He blushed. “Anyway, you shouldn’t subject yourself to food you can’t handle just to…I don’t know, impress me?”

“Xingqiu, I’m not doing this for you,” Chongyun said determinedly, grabbing a portion of the dish. “I’m doing it for me.”

And with that, he took a generous bite.

The heat was searing. Every pour of his body screamed out in protest, and he immediately felt his yang energy spike exponentially. Chongyun held back a cry of extreme discomfort as he attempted to finish the bite. It was almost too much to bear…

But then he looked over at Xingqiu staring back at him, amber eyes wide with concern. Even more than the heat emanating from his body, he could feel Xingqiu’s affection for him in the way he looked at him. He was his friend, his best friend, there for him just like he always had been. He stared back into Xingqiu’s gorgeous eyes, and he felt a rush of pure love for the young lord.

A familiar wave of cool water passed through his body to quell the flames. And finally, Chongyun thought he understood what it meant.

Thinking of Xingqiu…thinking of his love for him…seemed to fight the heat.

And suddenly, with the flames dying down, Chongyun was for the first time able to focus on the flavors of the dish. The complexities, how the ingredients mixed together, and even the spices; almost everything Chongyun ever ate was cold and bland. This was…well…

“Delicious,” Chongyun finished his thought out loud, helping himself to another bite.

Xingqiu gaped at him. “Yun…how…how are you doing this?! You can finally control it!”

“Yeah…and you were right. Xiangling did outdo herself. I mean, I think she did…can’t say I’ve tried as many of her dishes. Obviously.”

“But how?? Even the smell of spice has been enough to overheat you…what changed?”

“Well…I just focused on something that I knew would calm me down.”

“What?”

Chongyun took his hand, smiling. “You.”

Xingqiu stared at him in awe. “M-me? But…I’ve basically been responsible for half of your meltdowns!”

“But you always calm me down. You always make sure I don’t get hurt. I just…needed to realize that.”

“Yun…” Xingqiu’s lip quivered. “That’s so sweet…I’m so proud of you!”

“That being said…” Chongyun put Xingqiu’s dish down, “I think I’d better stick with my dish for now, just to be safe.”

Xingqiu giggled. “Maybe that would be best,” he agreed.

They continued to eat in comfortable silence. Xingqiu would occasionally glance over at him with an adoring smile, but every time Chongyun would meet his gaze, he’d quickly look away. Chongyun was amazed at how dense he had been. How had he not noticed every time Xingqiu had doted on him? Or held on to him a little too long? How many months, years even, had he wasted because he couldn’t see what was right in front of him?

But no longer. He could see now.

The basket now empty, and the food enjoyed by both, the two young men sat together, enjoying the sunset. Xingqiu was chatting away about something or another, but Chongyun couldn’t focus on what was being said. He was still buzzed with happiness. He had eaten spicy food…and he had enjoyed it! What else could he do now that he had a way to calm himself down? What other things that he had deprived himself of were now possible? The future seemed bright in a way it hadn’t in a long time…except for one thing.

Xingqiu was going away.

Indeed, that fact was the one thing dampening Chongyun’s spirits. He knew this wasn’t forever; in a week, Xingqiu would be gone for at least a year. A year! Just as he had finally come to terms with how he felt about him…he would be gone.

“…and I did talk to my father, finally. I told him I made my peace with it, and I won’t fight him on it. He says that if the next book sells as well as this one, we could have a permanent base in Inazuma for the printings! I won’t have to stay there forever, but he says it’s important to establish a good connection with the locals, and get the business end going. I wonder what I should write about next!”

Xingqiu looked over at Chongyun, his smile fading slightly.

“Yun? Are you ok?”

“Yeah. I just…”

Chongyun met Xingqiu’s concerned gaze. “…I wish you didn’t have to go.”

Xingqiu nodded, his face becoming solemn. “I know. I mean, I’m really excited, this could really make things take off for me as a writer…but I’ll miss Liyue. I’ll miss spending time down by the harbor, and reading in the meadow…and…I’ll miss you most of all.”

Chongyun sighed, trying to hold back his emotions. “It’s just not fair. Two months of you gone felt like an eternity. This…I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“Oh, Yun, you’ll be ok,” Xingqiu said encouragingly, tilting Chongyun’s chin up. “Besides, you’ll be able to get a lot of training done without me around bothering you.”

“You don’t bother me!” Chongyun exclaimed. Xingqiu raised an eyebrow, looking at him disbelievingly. “Well, maybe occasionally…”

“See? I knew it,” Xingqiu chuckled. “Just think, a whole year of no teasing, no food being forced on you…”

“But I don’t mind all that!” Chongyun insisted. “It might be irritating sometimes, but it’s, I don’t know…endearing at the same time? You said it yourself, you do all that just to get my attention…like a brother would, you know?”

Xingqiu looked back at the sunset, his face falling slightly. “Yeah…like a brother…”

Chongyun, now more attuned to reading his best friend, realized the impact of what he had said.

Stupid, stupid, STUPID! Why did he word it like that, WHY?!

While Chongyun nonverbally berated himself, Xingqiu looked deep in thought, his hand resting on his chin, his amber eyes narrowing as he pondered. Slowly, he looked back up at the exorcist, a hopeful yet apprehensive look on his face.

“What if…?” He paused. “…Never mind. It doesn’t matter.”

“What?”

“It’s not…you wouldn’t…nothing, forget about it.”

“Xingqiu, what? Just say it!”

Xingqiu’s eyes wavered slightly. Was he…nervous?

“What if…you came with me?”

Chongyun stared at him. “Came…with you? To Inazuma?”

“Ye-yeah. I’ve been thinking about it…maybe if I talked to my father, and told him…well, we’ll have some extra lodging where we’re staying, and it’s not like we don’t have the money…and, you know, you’re such a hard worker, you help us out all the time already, maybe we could find a position for you over there!”

Xingqiu was talking very fast, as if to get all his thoughts out as quickly as possible.

“You don’t read as much as I do, but you are well read, and you have a lot of stories…maybe you could help me with my writing! And you’re really strong, you could help with the stocking and all that…it could work, I know it could! And we wouldn’t be working all the time! We could explore the islands together, sail around and see all the shrines, and maybe we’ll get to see the Shogun! We could try all their foods and drinks, meet people…and there’s SO much to explore! I know I’ll feel a lot safer with you around, because we always protect each other!”

Xingqiu finally stopped to take a breath. Chongyun hadn’t moved. He was frozen in place, his mind a whirl as he struggled to process everything his friend had said.

“Do you…do you think your father would agree?” Chongyun asked, not allowing himself to believe it.

“I…I think he would,” Xingqiu said tentatively. “He did seem to feel bad about the whole situation…and I know he asks about you, he likes you. If you agreed to help out, I think he’d say yes, I really do!”

Xingqiu paused for a moment and looked away from Chongyun, sighing.

“But…it’s a lot to ask, I know. You’d be away from your home, from your aunt, for a really long time. I’d understand if you didn’t…didn’t want to.”

Xingqiu sounded so dejected. His head hung low, his eyes tinged with sadness, as if Chongyun had already rejected the idea.

Had he really been that dismissive of Xingqiu’s suggestions in the past? Really blown him off that much that he’d believe Chongyun didn’t want his company?

It broke Chongyun’s heart.

“Xingqiu…” Chongyun put his hand over Xingqiu’s. The young master continued to look down, his eyes slightly wet.

“I’d love to go with you.”

Xingqiu sighed. “I understand. I’ll try and send as many letters as I ca…wait, what?”

Xingqiu’s eyes darted back up to meet Chongyun’s, daring to hope.

“If it’s ok with your father…I want to go with you.”

Xingqiu let out the smallest of gasps. “Re…really? You really want to go?? But…it’s for such a long time…are you sure you’ll be happy there?”

Chongyun intertwined his fingers with Xingqiu’s, smiling warmly. “I know I’ll be happy…I’ll be with you.”

Xingqiu began to tear up. “You’re….you’re sure??”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

Xingqiu’s grip on his hand tightened. “I…I…oh, Yun!”

He threw his arms around the exorcist, giving him quite possibly the tightest hug he had ever received. Chongyun immediately responded in kind, holding the young master as he cried into his shoulder. “Qiu…why are you crying??” he asked incredulously.

“I’m just…I’m so happy!” Xingqiu sobbed, his tears dampening Chongyun’s sleeve.

Chongyun chuckled despite himself, and held him tighter. “It’s ok, Qiu, it’s ok…we’ll be together, I promise.”

“Oh, Yun…that’s all I’ve ever wanted…”

They held each other like that for a while as Xingqiu continued to cry silently into his shoulder. Chongyun rubbed his hand in circles on his back, enjoying being close to him. His body temperature spiked slightly, but he felt calm…completely at peace. He would be with Xingqiu after all…no more being apart. It was more than he could ever have hoped for. There was only one thing left to make this a perfect night…but would it be better to wait now? What if it spoiled the mood somehow?

The sun began to disappear behind the mountains, and the soft light of the sunset seemed to glow around Xingqiu’s hair. Chongyun slowly pulled back, and looked down at the gorgeous boy in front of him. Xingqiu stared back up at him, a look of pure happiness and adoration drawn across his face.

No. It was time.

“Chongyun…just look at the sunset,” Xingqiu sighed, looking past him to the horizon. “Oh, it’s so beautiful.”

Chongyun took his hand once again, watching the red and orange colors illuminating the sky. “Yeah…it really is.”

He softly tilted Xingqiu’s head back towards him. “But I can think of something even more beautiful.”

Xingqiu looked at him quizzically. “Really? Wha…?”

His cheeks turned red.

“Yuuunn…don’t tease me like that.”

“I’m not teasing.” Chongyun took his other hand in his. “I think you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever met.”

Xingqiu’s face grew even redder. “Yuuuuunn, stop it,” he giggled nervously.

Oh, it delighted Chongyun to no end to see Xingqiu like this. Is this how he felt every time he had made him embarrassed?

He took Xingqiu’s face in his hands, feeling him quivering slightly. He stared deeply into his eyes, stroking his cheek with his thumb.

“I have to tell you something,” Chongyun said softly. “Something I should have told you a long, long time ago.”

“Oh…what is it, Yun?”

“I…” His voice shook slightly, and his eyes went to dart away from Xingqiu’s inquisitive stare.

No. He could do this.

His light blue eyes met Xingqiu’s gaze, and he took a deep breath.

“I…I like you.”

Xingqiu chuckled slightly, squinting his eyes. “I, uh…like you too?”

“N-no, that’s not what I…what I mean is…!”

Chongyun composed himself. Oh, he wasn’t good at this…but right now, he had to be. Staring down into the young master’s amber eyes, he tried to convey every ounce of emotion he had towards him. He summoned every bit of courage he had.

“I...like you.”

Xingqiu’s eyes widened slightly, a look of dawning comprehension on his face.

“Wait…you mean…”

His face had gotten closer. Or had Chongyun gotten closer to him? He couldn’t tell. The heat inside his chest was rising up again…but he could control it. He must.

Chongyun felt his arms enveloping Xingqiu’s body, seemingly of their own accord. Their noses were practically touching. Xingqiu’s lips were slightly parted, his breathing heavy.

“I really like you, Xingqiu...”

Just let him say it…let him be brave this one time…

“I...I love you.”

Chongyun could feel Xingqiu trembling in his arms as a small gasp escaped his lips.

“You…you love me??”

Chongyun stroked his hair. “Yeah…I have for a long time.”

Xingqiu’s eyes filled with tears. “Do you…do you really mean it?” he whispered.

Chongyun nodded, giving him a wet smile. Xingqiu meanwhile looked like he was on the brink of uncontrollable sobbing.

“I…” His voice shook. “I love you too…Oh Chongyun, I love you so much…”

And then they were kissing as though it were the first time. So much fire, so much passion, so much love went into their kiss. Chongyun felt like his chest was on fire, but the soft familiar wave of cool water came crashing down to meet it. He was one with the heat. It couldn’t touch him.

At some point they ended up down on the ground, Chongyun on top of the young master. As they continued to attack each other’s lips, Chongyun felt the drops of Xingqiu’s tears against his cheeks. Not long ago, Chongyun would have been deathly afraid that he was making Xingqiu cry, but he knew what the tears meant. He knew, because he was shedding tears of his own.

After what felt like ages, they broke apart. Xingqiu stared up at Chongyun with a look of pure, completely unfiltered love and adoration. How freeing it felt, to finally be completely open with him about his feelings…

“Oh, Yun,” Xingqiu breathed. “Please tell me I’m not dreaming…”

Chongyun stroked his cheek, a fresh tear falling from his light blue eye. “If this is a dream…I don’t want to wake up.”

Xingqiu laughed, his puffy eyes screwed up as he tried to control his overflow of emotion. “I just…I can’t believe this is real…I’ve wanted this for so long…”

Chongyun met his gaze. “It’s real Xingqiu…I’m real. I’m right here.”

Xingqiu clung to the exorcist like he was a life raft. In this moment, maybe he was. “Can you…can you say it to me again?” he whispered.

Chongyun grinned down at him. “I love you, Xingqiu…I’ve loved you for a long, long time.”

Xingqiu made an adorable squeal, wiggling around underneath him. He grinned up at Chongyun, eyes full of happiness.

“I take it…this means…you still want to be my boyfriend?” he asked.

Chongyun chuckled, moving Xingqiu’s bangs out of his eyes. “Yes…of course I still want to be your boyfriend!”

Xingqiu giggled. “Just checking…”

They resumed their kiss, embracing each other. Chongyun took Xingqiu’s face in his hands, kissing his forehead, his nose, both his cheeks, and his lips once more. After a minute or so, their lips parted, and Chongyun rested his forehead against Xingqiu’s.

“How long have you…have you known you loved me?” Chongyun asked.

“All my life,” Xingqiu whispered. “I think I always had a crush on you, even when we were little kids…but I know the moment when I knew for sure. I think we were about 11 or 12, and you were chasing me down a hill…come to think of it, I think it was…”

“This hill,” Chongyun finished, pointing down from where they were sitting. “I know. I tackled you, and we rolled the rest of the way down. And when we got to the bottom, you ended up on top of me, and…”

“We just stayed like that for the longest time,” Xingqiu breathed.

“I remember you couldn’t stop smiling,” Chongyun said fondly. “And you started to stroke my hair, humming to yourself…that’s when I knew.”

“Me too!” Xingqiu said excitedly. “Oh, it was the same for me…I thought you forgot all about that!”

“I never forgot,” Chongyun shook his head. “In fact…that’s why I always meditate up here. Being here, thinking about it…puts me at peace. I think it’s my favorite memory.”

“Oh, Yun..that’s so sweet…you’re so amazing!”

“No, you're amazing.”

Xingqiu giggled, playing with Chongyun’s hair. “Well…you’re incredibly handsome.”

Chongyun grinned. “And you’re gorgeous.”

Xingqiu’s eyes sparkled as he grinned up at the exorcist. “You know, I wish we had more privacy out here…because I’d like to...”

Xingqiu whispered something extremely unsavory into Chongyun’s ear.

Chongyun rolled his eyes. “Qiu…that was a nice moment, and you ruined it.”

“Yeah?” Xingqiu smiled mischievously. “What are you gonna do about it?”

“Oh, just you wait…”

Chongyun began to tickle Xingqiu underneath his armpits. Xingqiu squealed with laughter, trying to get away from him, but Chongyun pinned him down. He tickled the young master all over the top of his body as he squirmed and cried out.

“Ch-Chongyun…please stop,” he gasped.

“You gonna apologize?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll apologize…”

Chongyun stopped the onslaught, but continued pinning Xingqiu down, waiting for his apology.

“Ok…ok…” Xingqiu caught his breath. “I’m sorry…”

He leaned forward, putting his lips right next to Chongyun’s ear. “…that I can’t wait for you to fuck me.”

Chongyun’s mouth hung open. “Oh, YOU…”

Before he could begin tickling him again, Xingqiu wiggled free of his grasp, jumped to his feet, and began running down the hill. “Gonna have to catch me!” he called back.

Chongyun lifted himself up, grinning despite himself. “You get back here, you menace!” he shouted.

They chased each other up and down the hill, panting and laughing like they hadn’t since they were young children. Xingqiu had a head start, but Chongyun had been training for years, and his legs were stronger and faster. Eventually, he caught up to him, and tackled him to the ground. They rolled down the hill, bouncing off the soft grass, whooping and hollering the whole way down. Finally, they came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, Xingqiu landing on top of the exorcist. They both panted hard, trying to catch their breath as Xingqiu stared down at him.

“Hmm…this seems familiar,” Xingqiu said playfully.

Chongyun grinned. “Yeah…why don’t we do what we wanted to do back then?”

Xingqiu licked his lips. “Fine by me…”

He attacked his lips with enthusiasm, grabbing his face as he pressed his lips against his. Chongyun rubbed his hands up and down his back, moaning against Xingqiu’s mouth. Oh, if he only he had been brave enough then…how many years of fun could they have had together?

Eventually they broke apart, still not having gotten their oxygen back yet. They sat up, breathing hard. They looked out past the trees. The sun had almost disappeared.

“Oh, Yun…why didn’t you tell me you liked me sooner?”

“Why didn’t you?

“I did! Loads of times! Didn’t you notice how much more attention I gave you after that? I did everything I could! I asked you out to dinner all the time, hung on your arm when we walked, tried to get you to read love stories with me…but you never really responded to any of it. Eventually, I just assumed you didn’t like me that way, so I stopped hoping you would. It was easier to just keep doing it and…pretend we were together.”

Chongyun reflected on all of it, his cheeks turning red. Of course that had been romantic…

“I…I guess I just thought you were teasing me. You know, trying to get a reaction out of me? And I didn’t want to tell you how I felt, because I thought if I did, you’d laugh at me or something…and even if you didn’t, I thought acting on my feelings would cause me to lose control over them, and I’d do something bad…”

“Chongyun…you really thought I would’ve laughed at you?” Xingqiu said softly.

“I don’t know…I just tried to bury it all down. I thought it would make things better, allow me to control my yang energy better if I didn’t acknowledge my emotions…but I think it just made everything worse.”

“Oh, Yun…I’m so sorry you felt that way,” Xingqiu said, gently rubbing his shoulder. “But…how do you feel now?”

Chongyun looked down at his best friend. His constant companion. The love of his life.

“I feel like I want to kiss you again.”

Xingqiu blushed, letting out the cutest laugh Chongyun had ever heard. He stared up into the exorcist’s light blue eyes.

“…Go ahead,” he whispered.

Chongyun took Xingqiu back into his arms, and as the sun disappeared behind the mountain line, their lips met once again.

Notes:

Hope this made the sad chapters worth it!

Fun fact, some of the material in this chapter was the first I wrote for this story. I knew my boys would end up together in the end!

There's still at least 5 chapters left, so I have more planned for these two. But hmm, they just declared their love for each other, it's evening now...what could possibly be happening next? I guess we'll have to find out this weekend ;) See you then!

Chapter 11: Consummation

Notes:

If it wasn't obvious from the chapter title...this one is pure smut.
Definitely a bit of a pain kink for Xingqiu. Nothing horrible, but figured I should warn.

And here we go...what we've all been waiting for...

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Xingqiu…I’m not quite sure what you’re asking me here.”

“Father, it’s quite simple…I would like my dear friend Chongyun to accompany me to Inazuma.”

Chongyun stood in the back of the master’s study, watching silently as Xingqiu and his father exchanged words.

“Xingqiu…I know this has been hard for you. I’m sure you’ll miss your friends. But this isn’t a vacation. You think when your brother did that exchange trip to Sumeru he was allowed to bring a friend? No, it was for his own betterment. And so it must be with you.”

“But Father…Chongyun is able-bodied,” Xingqiu insisted. “Surely there is a position he can fill so he may work as well? He already helps me out with several jobs for the guild!”

“I am well aware of that,” Xingqiu’s father sighed. “But I have already assigned everyone who will be accompanying you.”

“Well…what’s one more person?” Xingqiu reasoned. “You can’t tell me we don’t have the money!”

“Money is not the issue, Xingqiu. We have secured lodging for yourself, Xu and the others. There isn’t any more room, not on the ship to Inazuma, nor where you’ll be staying. You wouldn't expect Chongyun to sleep on the street, would you?”

The master looked over at the exorcist. “I am sorry, Chongyun. I know it mustn't seem fair…but I don’t see a way of adding you at this time. And, as I’ve already stated, this isn’t a vacation.”

Chongyun’s first instinct, as ever, was to fold and accept the situation. But he was not about to give up when what he wanted, what he needed was so close.

“Sir…with all due respect…you know how capable I am. You know I can do many different kinds of work. I can lift heavy equipment, I can follow along with most business ventures thanks to your son…and I can assist him with his writing. You don’t even have to pay me; I’d be happy to do it for free.”

“As I’ve said,” Xingqiu’s father said with an air of impatience, “It’s not about the money…”

“Then if it’s an issue with the lodging, as you mentioned,” Xingqiu interjected, “I have a simple solution: The two of us can simply share a room.”

Chongyun nodded. “It wouldn’t be the first time. We did it all the time as kids, as I’m sure you remember.”

The master looked between the two boys, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“I will do whatever work is required of me to earn my keep,” Chongyun said, stepping forward. “But sir…to be completely honest with you…I cannot spend a whole year away from Xingqiu. I just can’t. He’s…very important to me.”

Chongyun took Xingqiu’s hand in his, the young master looking up at him with surprise. Xingqiu’s father looked at their intertwined hands, and back at Chongyun’s unbroken gaze.

“And, in any case…didn’t you tell me if I ever wanted a job at the Feiyun Commerce Guild, all I had to do was say the word? Well…here I am. And I would like this job, sir.”

A palpable silence rang through the room. The master’s eyes went from one boy to the other, appearing to be deep in thought.

“Xingqiu…would you also say Chongyun is…important to you?”

Xingqiu stared right back at his father, never breaking eye contact. “He is…very much so.”

The master nodded slowly, and looked back at Chongyun, now with a small smile. “I…did say I owed you a favor, didn’t I?”

Chongyun nodded.

“Then who am I to keep such good…friends apart? If the two of you can manage to put your work first, and…don’t mind a lack of privacy in your quarters…I see no reason left to refuse you.”

Xingqiu stood up, his hand squeezing Chongyun’s. “Oh, Father…truly?”

“Truly.” Xingqiu’s father stood up as well, patting Xingqiu’s shoulder. “And I never want to hear from you again that I am unreasonable.”

“N-no…never again, I promise!”

The master chuckled. “Very well…you may go.” The two boys turned to leave, Xingqiu opening the door. “Oh, Chongyun…wait a moment, would you?”

Xingqiu looked at Chongyun with barely contained excitement. “Meet you back at my room?” he murmured.

“Yeah…I’ll be right behind you,” Chongyun replied, smiling down at him.

Xingqiu gave his hand one last squeeze, and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Xingqiu’s father made his way over to Chongyun, a small smirk on his face that reminded him of Xingqiu. “Guess I got you on the payroll after all, huh?”

Chongyun chuckled. “I guess so.”

The older man grasped Chongyun’s shoulders. “You’re a good man, Chongyun…and so is my son. Although he can be reckless at times…heh. Reminds me of his mother. Make sure you take care of him.”

Chongyun nodded. “I will.”

“And…” The older master hesitated. His amber eyes, so similar to Xingqiu’s, conveyed unspoken emotions that Chongyun wasn’t quite able to read. “...I’m glad you make my son happy.”

“He…he makes me happy too. He always has.”

“Good. Very good.” He let out a great sigh, though not an unpleasant one. “The two of you have grown up, haven’t you?...Well, don’t let me keep you. I’m sure you two have much to celebrate.”

Chongyun blushed slightly. “Thank you, sir.” And with one final look back at Xingqiu’s father, he left the study.

His steps echoing down the hall of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, Chongyun made his way towards Xingqiu’s bedroom, moonlight streaming in through the windows. He was positively giddy. Now it was a certainty; he would be going to Inazuma with Xingqiu!

To be fair, Xingqiu had told him no matter what his father said, he’d find a way to get Chongyun on that ship. But it was much better this way. He didn’t want to have to sneak around, or deal with any consequences for lying.

Oh, he was so happy! As soon as he saw Xingqiu, he was going to give him a big hug. Maybe they could have some dandelion wine to celebrate!

He finally reached his lover’s bedroom door. Smiling to himself, he opened it, ready to greet his beloved.

What greeted him made the words stop in his throat.

Xingqiu was lying on the bed, candles lit all around the room. The soft light illuminated the small body of the young master, and Chongyun realized he was completely naked.

“I’ve been waiting for you, my love,” Xingqiu said softly.

“I…uh, wha…I…” Chongyun stuttered.

Xingqiu giggled. “Oh, Yun, my little cutie.” He sat up, beckoning to him. “Come to me.”

As if entranced by some spell, Chongyun felt his legs move of their own accord, Xingqiu’s gorgeous body coming closer and closer. Xingqiu licked his lips, staring up at Chongyun with a hungry expression.

“No, no, this won’t do,” he crooned. “I can’t have you join me on the bed like that…remove your clothes immediately.”

“I…Q-Qiu…”

“Do as I say.”

Chongyun whined a little in the back of his throat, but he obeyed. He slowly began to remove his clothing, Xingqiu watching him intently. His face was as cool as ice, not betraying any embarrassment. But Chongyun noticed his friend’s arousal as he undressed for him.

Finally, he was down to his underwear, his own erection straining against the fabric.

“Come closer,” Xingqiu ordered. “I’ll remove those for you.”

Chongyun complied, closing the gap between them until Xingqiu’s face was inches away from his hardening cock.

“Now…let me unwrap my present.”

Xingqiu’s fingers wrapped around Chongyun’s waistband. He gave him one last smirk…and slowly pulled them down.

Chongyun groaned as his hard-on was exposed, leaving him completely naked in front of his boyfriend. Xingqiu exhaled, his breath hitting Chongyun’s cock.

“Look at that,” he whispered. “Oh, Yun, is that all for me?”

“Y-yeah,” Chongyun stuttered. “I…I’m all yours.”

Are you now? Xingqiu grinned. “So you would do whatever I asked of you?”

“I….m-maybe…”

Xingqiu gave an evil chuckle. “Indeed…what are you willing to do for me, my dear Chongyun?”

Chongyun stared down at Xingqiu’s cock, now so hard it was sticking straight up off his body.

“I…” Chongyun swallowed. “I want to…” Chongyun mumbled the rest so low, Xingqiu couldn’t hear it.

“Speak up, my dear.”

Chongyun blushed something fierce. “I…want to suck your cock,” he whispered.

Xingqiu’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh, do you?” he said delightedly. “How wonderfully lewd of you, Yun-Yun.”

“I just…you did it for me, so…I-I want to do it for you…”

Xingqiu reached up to stroke Chongyun’s cheek. “Aww, Yun…you’re so sweet and considerate,” he crooned. “You are more than welcome to pleasure me, my love.”

Wrapping his arms around Chongyun’s neck, Xingqiu pulled him down towards him into a passionate kiss.

Moaning against his lips, Chongyun moved onto the bed, laying Xingqiu down on the mattress. The two boys kissed each other again and again, like their lips were a drug that they couldn’t get enough of. Chongyun’s hands roamed up and down Xingqiu’s nude form, feeling his smooth, soft skin.

Chongyun pulled his head back to catch his breath, and the candlelight illuminated the top half of Xingqiu. As Chongyun eagerly let his eyes drink in every detail, he let out a small gasp.

The bruises he had left on Xingqiu’s shoulders, although less prominent, were still very much visible.

“Yun?” Xingqiu said with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“I…I just…” Chongyun gestured at the bruises. “I’m so sorry.”

Xingqiu glanced down at his shoulders, making a noise of recognition. “Oh, Chongyun…don’t be. It’s ok…they don’t hurt that much anymore.”

“Not just for that though…” Chongyun said, trembling. Oh, he didn’t want to bring the mood down, but he couldn’t help it. “For all of it. Everything I said…I was just so angry. And I…you’re not a bad friend, Xingqiu. You’re the best friend I could ask for.”

“It’s ok!” Xingqiu insisted. “Really, it is. Everything worked out in the end, didn’t it? What’s past is pa…wait.”

Xingqiu stopped, staring up at Chongyun with incredulity. “You…you remember? But…I thought you said you blacked out!”

“I did!” Chongyun said quickly. “I did, I wasn’t lying…but I wanted to know what happened. So Shenhe taught me how to do a deeper form of meditation…and I saw it.”

“Oh…I see. So…” Xingqiu’s eyes widened slightly. “You remember what I said?”

Chongyun slowly nodded. “That…that’s why I had to see you. I finally understood why you did what you did. And I…I knew that if I told you how I felt…you wouldn’t reject me. I…I’m just sorry I didn’t say it sooner. A lot sooner.”

Xingqiu stroked Chongyun’s hair, giving him a sad smile. “It’s my fault too…I should have said it years ago. But…we know now, right?”

“Yeah…” Chongyun smiled. “We know now.”

Xingqiu sighed, looking up at Chongyun adoringly. Chongyun leaned down, and kissed his forehead.

“I love you, Xingqiu.”

“I…I love you too, Chongyun.”

Chongyun kissed Xingqiu’s delicate lips, smiling against his mouth. He kissed his nose, his cheek, his neck…he kissed every blemish and bruise on his shoulders. He kissed his collarbone, his chest, his stomach. All the while, Xingqiu made the most adorable cooing sounds, stroking Chongyun’s hair. By the time Chongyun made it down between Xingqiu’s legs, his friend was fully hard for him.

Chongyun took it in his hand, examining it up close for the first time. He gave it a few tentative strokes, and kissed the tip.

“Yuuuunnn…” Xingqiu whined. “Don’t tease me…”

“Why?” Chongyun grinned up at the young master. “You tease me all the time.”

“But I…I want it…”

Chongyun, spurred on by a spike in his yang energy, kissed down the length of Xingqiu’s cock, and slowly dragged his tongue up his shaft. He locked eyes with his beloved as he did so, watching with supreme smugness as his mouth hung open, staring down at Chongyun with unrestrained lust and fascination.

“You want me to suck it, Qiu?” he whispered.

“Mmhmm, mmhmm…”

Oh, Chongyun adored having this much control over him.

“Are you suuuure?”

“Yuuuun, please…”

Chongyun winked at him. “‘Please’ always helps.” And he slowly wrapped his lips around his cock.

A string of high pitched moans spewed from Xingqiu’s mouth as Chongyun began to bob his head up and down. Any worry he might have had about his inexperience went away quickly as he realized Xingqiu was perfectly content. Smiling, he used his lips and tongue to massage Xingqiu’s shaft, delighting in the angelic sounds Xingqiu was making.

Temporarily letting it fall out of his mouth, he smirked up at his love. “Just like a popsicle,” he teased.

Xingqiu turned crimson. “Yuuuuuun,” he giggled like a child. “You’re so naughty!”

Chongyun raised an eyebrow, a low chuckle escaping his lips. “I learned it from you,” he retorted. And he went right back to work.

Xingqiu’s hand intertwined in Chongyun’s light blue hair, guiding him up and down as Chongyun dutifully pleasured his boyfriend. “Oh, Yun…Yun, Yun, Yun, Yun…”

Remembering how much he enjoyed it when Xingqiu did it, Chongyun reached between his legs and began to gently massage his balls. Xingqiu gasped as Chongyun squeezed them lightly, his hand gripping his hair tighter.

“Mmmmggghh…harder…”

Chuckling against Xingqiu’s length, Chongyun complied, tightening his grasp.

Harder…” Xingqiu moaned.

Chongyun was reluctant, but he did ask for it…he opened his palm to fully cup Xingqiu’s balls, grasped them as tight as he felt comfortable doing…and squeezed.

“MMMMMM…oh fuck, just like that!” Xingqiu cried. He felt as stiff as a pole in Chongyun’s mouth. Keeping his firm grip on the young master, he bobbed faster on his dick.

“Oh…Chong…YUUUNN,” Xingqiu sobbed. “Feels…so good…don’t…stop…”

The younger boy’s pathetic moans continued to get louder and louder, Chongyun sucked as hard and fast as he could, desperate to please his dearest friend.

“Yun,” Xingqiu gasped. “Oh fuck…Yun, I’m gonna…I’m gonna cu…”

But before the young master could finish, Chongyun braced his head back, and forced Xingqiu’s cock down his throat, giving his balls the tightest squeeze yet.

“Oh, fuck, Yun!!!”

Cum exploded down Chongyun’s throat and into his mouth, Xingqiu’s cock pulsing against his tongue. Chongyun let out a groan of satisfaction as he gulped down every drop. His hips thrust upwards against Chongyun’s face, his ass rising up off of the bed. Every whine and sob Xingqiu made gave Chongyun a rush of joy.

Oh, he loved making his beautiful Xingqiu feel good.

After every drop of Xingqiu’s seed had been squeezed out of him, Chongyun let his softening cock slide out of his mouth. He gave a warm smile to his beloved, whose face was still flushed.

“Did I do a good job?” Chongyun asked, blushing.

“Chongyun…that felt…so good…”

Chongyun crawled up to meet his boyfriend’s lips, kissing him soundly. “Good…I love making you feel good, Qiu.”

Xingqiu giggled, holding onto the exorcist. “You did…you really did…”

The two of them lay there for a moment, both catching their breath. Xingqiu’s fingers began to creep up Chongyun’s leg, until they wrapped themselves around Chongyun’s shaft.

“Mmm, so hard for me,” Xingqiu crooned. “We should take care of this.”

“Well,” Chongyun grinned, “I wouldn’t say no to you sucking me now.”

“Actually…um…I had something else in mind.”

“Oh?”

Xingqiu wrapped his arms around Chongyun’s neck, his amber eyes gazing into the exorcist’s blue ones.

“Would you…?”

Chongyun couldn’t hear the rest. “Qiu, uh, I didn’t catch that.”

Xingqiu’s face was bright red. “Oh…sorry, um…I was wondering if you maybe…would like to…”

He took a deep breath, and stared into Chongyun’s eyes.

“Would you like to make love to me?” he whispered.

For a moment, Chongyun forgot to breathe. His body seized up as Xingqiu’s words echoed in his head.

Xingqiu wanted him to…to…

“I want you, Chongyun,” Xingqiu breathed, his small chest heaving. “I’ve wanted you for so long…”

“I…but…what about my yang energy?” Chongyun stammered. “What if I…what if I hurt you?”

“We can go slow. Besides,” Xingqiu said, averting his eyes, “I want our first time to be special...more romantic. Please, Chongyun…don’t you want this too?”

Xingqiu stared imploringly at Chongyun, his wide eyes pleading with the exorcist. The older boy let his eyes run up and down Xingqiu’s small naked body, gorgeously illuminated by the candles. He took in every inch of him, every detail.

“...I want to,” he whispered.

Xingqiu’s eyes sparkled. “You do?”

“Yeah, I…oh Qiu, of course I want to. I’ve dreamed about it for years…I just want to make sure I don’t hurt you, that’s all.”

“Then be gentle with me,” Xingqiu smiled. “This time, anyway.”

Chongyun turned scarlet. “O-ok…I’ll make love to you, Qiu. But…I don’t really know what I’m doing…”

Xingqiu giggled. “That’s ok…I don’t either! But…we can figure it out together, right?”

A warm, tingly feeling spread over Chongyun’s body that had nothing to do with his yang energy. He gave the young master an adoring smile. “Yeah…together.”

He leaned down, kissing his beloved gently on the lips.

“So…do I just…put it in?”

Xingqiu laughed. “Hooh boy, no. That would hurt too much, even for me.” He blushed hard. “I, uh…I have some massage oil in my end table. I think we should use that.”

“Oh…ok!”

Chongyun jumped off the bed, and began rummaging through the drawers. As he sifted through the various items, he felt Xingqiu’s hand grab his ass.

“Qiu!”

“Sorry…it just looks nice,” Xingqiu giggled.

Eventually, Chongyun found a little bottle. “Is this it?” he asked.

Xingqiu nodded, shifting backwards on the bed until his head rested on the pillows. Chongun crawled back onto the mattress, positioning himself above the young master.

“So…what do you want me to do with it?”

Xingqiu locked eyes with Chongyun, licking his lips. He slowly lifted his legs up, spreading them open.

Chongyun couldn’t help but let out a gasp. Oh, he could see everything…and for the first time, he could clearly see…where he would be going.

“Get me ready for you,” Xingqiu crooned, giving Chongyun a sultry look.

Never taking his eyes off of Xingqiu’s entrance, Chongyun wordlessly opened the bottle, and poured the sticky substances onto his fingers. He moved closer, tentatively reaching his hand forward towards his beloved.

“M-may I?” he stuttered.

Xingqiu slowly nodded. “You may, my dear Chongyun.”

Warmth spreading through every part of him, Chongyun let his fingers brush against Xingqiu’s hole. He gulped, feeling his heart pounding. He spread Xingqiu’s legs apart a little farther, and after a moment’s hesitation, slipped his middle finger in.

“Huhhhhh…oh, wow…”

“I-is that ok, Qiu?”

“Yeah…ooh, I like this,” XIngqiu giggled. “Get me nice and ready for you, ok? We wanna make sure you fit.”

Chongyun turned scarlet. “I…I’m not that big…”

“Oh, yes you are,” Xingqiu smirked, grabbing Chongyun’s cock and pumping it. “Big boy.”

“Qiuuuu…stop it,” Chongyun whined.

“Not a chance. Mmm…try putting in another finger for me, won’t you, Yun?”

“Uh…o-ok…”

Chongyun began to finger his love with two fingers, the two boys exchanging stares and the occasional kiss. Xingqiu’s dick, although still recovering from his last orgasm, began to rise slightly off of his tiny body. Chongyun, for his part, didn’t focus on how hard he was. He wanted to get Xingqiu as open for him as possible.

“Chongyun?”

“Yeah?”

“I…I think I’m ready.”

“Y-yeah?”

Xingqiu nodded, his cheeks flushed.

Chongyun slowly withdrew his fingers from Xingqiu, leaving him empty and gaping. Chongyun looked down, and with a groan, realized he had lost some of his hardness.

“I…uh…”

Xingqiu saw what Chongyun was looking at, and gave a small chuckle. “Aw Yun, it’s ok.”

“I’m just…really nervous…”

“It’s ok!” Xinqiu insisted, smiling at him. “Why don’t you let me rub some oil on you?”

“O-ok…”

Xingqiu took the bottle, squirted the oil onto his fingers, and wrapped them around Chongyun’s semi-hard dick. He slowly began to stroke it, the oil from his hand getting massaged into the exorcist’s member.

“Yun…don’t look at it. Look at me.”

Chongyun met Xingqiu’s gaze, and blushed as those gorgeous pools of amber stared back at him.

“What do you want to do with me, Chongyun?” he breathed.

Chongyun swallowed, moaning as Xingqiu rubbed him back and forth. “I…I want to make love to you…”

“Oh, really? Well, in order to do that, I need my dearest friend to get niiiice and hard.” Xingqiu licked his lips as he massaged his best friend. “Can you do that for me, Yun-Yun?”

“Y…yeah…”

“You wanna be inside me?”

“Oh…fuck yeah…”

“You wanna make me moan? Make me beg for more?”

“YES…”

With a noise that was both a moan and a sigh of relief, Chongyun felt himself get rock hard in Xingqiu’s hand.

“Mmmm…there you go, big boy,” Xingqiu teased, slapping Chongyun’s ass.

It was sticking straight up now, dripping with oil. Chongyun was ready.

Taking a deep breath, Chongyun moved into position, lining himself up. Xingqiu’s smirk had faded, leaving a look of nervous excitement and apprehension.

“Y-Yun?”

“Yeah?”

“You…you really are big…take it easy on me at first, ok?”

Now it was Chongyun’s turn to smirk. “I will,” he chuckled. “I promise.”

He lined up his head against Xingqiu’s hole. His heart was pounding in his chest. He could see Xingqiu’s small stomach rising and falling faster and faster.

“You ready?” he asked.

Xingqiu nodded, biting his lip. “Y-yeah…I’m ready, Chongyun.”

Chongyun breathed slowly, trying to calm himself. His skin was very warm…but as long as he took it slow, he should be ok. He guided himself with one hand as he felt Xingqiu’s hand envelop his other. The two boys looked at each other. Finally…after years and years of pining for each other…it was finally happening.

He took a deep breath…

And slid himself inside Xingqiu.

“Uhhh…UHHHH…”

Xingqiu’s moan had to be the sound of an angel. His mouth hung open, his eyes wider than Chongyun had ever seen. His hands flew to grasp Chongyun’s back, his nails digging into his skin.

Chongyun groaned as he felt Xingqiu’s ass squeeze him. He hadn’t even got halfway in…but oh, it felt so good.

“Yun…Yun…”

“Y-yeah?”

Xingqiu’s eyes were glazed over with a mix of lust and wonder. “You’re…you’re inside me…”

“I…I know…you’re so tight…”

Xingqiu let out a nervous laugh. “I-I’m sorry.”

“No! It’s…it’s good, it…feels really good! Um…how does it feel for you?”

Xingqiu was beet red. “It’s…really stretching me…but in a good way! I…I like it…”

Chongyun sighed with relief. “Do you…want me to keep going?”

“YES!” Xingqiu exclaimed, then let out a nervous giggle. “I mean…yeah. I want it, Chongyun…I really want it. Just…just go slow, g-go really slow, ok?”

Chongyun gave his beloved a warm smile. “Of course, Qiu…”

Very slowly, as he stared into the eyes of his first and only love, Chongyun began to move his hips back and forth.

“H-how’s that?” he asked.

“Perfect,” Xingqiu exhaled. “Oh, just like that. Make love to me, Yun…”

A lone bead of sweat dripped down Chongyun’s face. He brushed it aside, daring to move a little faster. His hands began to stroke Xingqiu’s thighs, feeling their soft smooth skin as he moved himself in and out of his best friend. He watched with fascination as his cock disappeared into Xingqiu’s ass, and reappeared as he moved out. What a lovely sight.

“Hey, Qiu…”

“Yeah?”

“You know what I just realized?”

“Wh-what?”

Chongyun grinned down at the young master. “We’re…we’re not virgins anymore…”

Xingqiu’s face split into a wide grin of his own. “Yeah…I guess we’re not…”

“Oh, Qiu…I’m really glad my first time is with you…”

“Me too, Chongyun…I don’t want anyone else…just you…for the rest of my life.”

Chongyun began to tear up. “R-really?” he stammered.

“Really,” Xingqiu said softly. “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted…my dearest friend.”

It took every ounce of willpower Chongyun had not to cry. “Oh, Xingqiu…I love you so much.”

“I love you too…”

Their lips met in a soft embrace, their bodies beginning to intertwine. Xingqiu’s arms wrapped around Chongyun’s back as the exorcist placed his hands around his shoulders.

For the next couple minutes, it continued like that. The two inexperienced but eager boys made love to each other, whispering how good it felt, and how much they loved each other. Every slow thrust, every kiss they shared, further cemented how much they cared for one another. It felt like their own personal paradise.

“Yun…you can…go a little faster now…if you want…”

“You sure?”

“Yeah…”

Chongyun began to thrust a little harder, now giving Xingqiu almost all of his cock. He was going in and out easier now…the oil seemed to have done the trick.

He still couldn’t believe it. He was having sex with Xingqiu…and it wasn’t a daydream, it wasn’t a fantasy. It was real! He was really thrusting into his beloved, his love…he didn’t know what he had done to deserve this. But he didn’t care.

Chongyun lowered his head to Xingqiu’s neck, and began to kiss the exposed skin. The young master moaned as his lover kissed his sensitive areas, his hands grabbing his light blue hair to pull him in closer.

“Yun…” Xingqiu whispered in his ear. “You’re so wonderful…this is…so amazing…”

Chongyun moaned in response, his mouth full of Xingqiu’s neck. His lips and tongue caressed every inch he could reach, his hands gripping his friend’s shoulders.

“O-ow.”

Chongyun immediately stopped, shifting upwards. “Qiu, are you ok? Do you need me to stop?”

“No, no! Yun, it’s ok…you just grabbed my shoulders, and…the bruises…”

Chongyun hung his head. “Oh…”

Xingqiu lightly smacked Chongyun’s chin. “None of that now. I said it’s fine. Plus…I might not mind a little pain…”

Chongyun did remember Xingqiu’s reaction when he had grabbed his wrist. Not to mention how he had grabbed his balls earlier. Maybe…it turned him on?

“You sure?”

“Yeah…I’ll tell you if it’s too much, ok?”

Chongyun sighed. “O…okay…”

Staying up on his knees, he reached down, grabbed Xingqiu by his shoulders, and began to fuck his boyfriend. It was the first time Chongyun thought the word “fuck”...but that’s how it seemed now. Xingqiu’s long slender legs stretched up and draped themselves over his shoulders. The heat rising in his chest, Chongyun drew back…

And finally thrust himself all the way in.

“Ohhhhh YUUUNNN…”

Chongyun had lost a little of his hardness when he had been concerned about Xingqiu. Now, buried deep in his ass, he was rock hard.

“Oh, Yun, yes…y-you can go harder now,” Xingqiu gasped.

The heat beginning to overtake him, Chongyun complied without question.

He pounded into his boyfriend, eyes fixed on his cock sliding in and out of Xingqiu’s ass. He gripped the young master’s shoulders harder, eliciting a squeal from the dark blue haired boy.

“Yun…fuck…just like that…oh don’t stop, Yun…harder!”

Giving himself over to his lust, Chongyun fucked the cute boy lying in front of him. Oh, it was just like he imagined…the flushed cheeks, the constant moans, the amber eyes that stared daggers into him…oh, and his tight, wonderful ass that grabbed onto his cock.

Eventually, holding onto Xingqiu’s shoulders just wasn’t viable to fuck him the way he wanted to. He relinquished his grasp, and moved his hands to Xingqiu’s legs. He rolled Xingqiu upwards, exposing him further to him. He pulled out with a plop, allowing himself to feast his eyes on Xingqiu’s gaping hole.

“Yuuunn…” Xingqiu whined. “Why did you…oh, FUCK…”

Chongyun buried his tongue in the young master’s ass, heat pouring off of him. He hadn’t quite lost control…there was still a wave of water that kept it at bay. But his overwhelming lust for his adorable boy fueled him, wanting him to push farther, as far as he could.

“Oh, Yuuuuunnnn…you dirty boy…”

Chongyun hummed with happiness as he tongued Xingqiu’s hole. Oh, to be praised by his beloved…it filled him with joy. He wanted to stay in this bed with him, forever and ever…

Chongyun lifted his head up. “Qiu,” he gasped, “Please tell me you’re having as much fun as I am…”

“Oh, I ammmm,” Xingqiu giggled, his legs kicking the air. “Oh, Yun, I’m having so much fun…I want moooore!”

Chongyun grinned up at his cute little boyfriend. “You want more, huh?”

“Mmhmm…I…I want your cock…I want your cum…I want you…”

Chongyun practically drooled at the lewd words coming out of Xingqiu’s mouth. “I want you too, Qiu…”

“Yun, please…I want…I want you to cum inside me…please, Yun…I need it…”

Chongyun had never seen Xingqiu this desperate. It delighted him to see his boyfriend squirm and carry on. He wanted to tease him, make him want it more, make him beg for it…

But he wanted it too. He wanted it bad.

So, without another word, he climbed on top of Xingqiu, pinned his wrists down, and slid back inside him with ease.

“Oh, Yun, YES…”

Chongyun pounded into his best friend, lifting his ass up and thrusting it down with more and more force. His adorable boyfriend babbled nonsense as he fucked his brains out. He closed his eyes, feeling Xingqiu’s ass tighten around him. It felt so fucking good

Oh, but the heat was unbearable…he…he was going to pass out…

“Yun…” Xingqiu’s voice echoed. “Yun, stay with me…”

Chongyun forced his eyes open, and was greeted by the smiling face of his favorite person in the whole world.

“Don’t overheat on me, Chongyun…hee hee, maybe next time…but I want you to remember this.”

Chongyun’s grip on Xingqiu’s wrists slackened, and he felt soft hands cup his face.

“You’re so handsome, Chongyun…so wonderful…”

His loving words filled Chongyun’s being with cool water. He felt his heat dip ever so slightly.

“There you go…” Xingqiu moaned.

With the heat in his chest held at bay, Chongyun let nothing else hold him back.

He went at Xingqiu with all of his might, pounding into the young master’s ass. He watched with a lustful fascination as Xingqiu’s balls bounced against his thrusts. His cock was now fully hard, waving back and forth like a pendulum.

“Qiu…rub yourself for me,” Chongyun groaned.

“Ooh…ok,” Xingqiu giggled. He reached down, and began to masturbate in front of the exorcist, his mouth hanging open lewdly. His other hand slid down the length of Chongyun’s back to grab his toned ass, pushing him farther into him.

“I…I like you watching me…” the young master moaned.

Chongyun chuckled, feeling himself get completely and fully hard inside Xingqiu. “I want you to cum all over yourself,” he breathed, “While I finish inside you.”

“Oh, Yun, so naughty,” Xingqiu said delightedly. “Well, you better hurry up, then…I don’t think I’ll last long…”

Chongyun slammed his hips down, eliciting a loud cry from his love. “Well…guess I’d better not hold back, then.”

“Oh, yes…take me, Yun…”

The next couple minutes were a blur; Chongyun mindlessly fucking Xingqiu while he vigrously rubbed himself, both boys moaning and swearing and exchanging praises.

“So big…”

“So pretty…”

“Feels…so good…”

“You’re so perfect…”

“HARDER, Chongyun…”

Xingqiu’s hand flew up and down on his shaft, his hair completely disheveled. His long slender legs rested on Chongyun’s shoulders, his face was flushed, and he was completely exposed in a way he had never been before. Likewise, Chongyun had never allowed himself to be this aggressive or open with someone before. Even if he still had to hold back his innermost demons…it felt so freeing.

“Yun, Yun, Yun, Yun, Yun, Yun…”

Xingqiu looked completely gone, his hand now a blur on his cock. Chongyun fucked his boy toy as hard as his yang energy would allow him to get away with. Both boys were desperate to cum.

Chongyun wiped away the sweat dripping down his face. “Qiu…I’m so close…”

“M-me too…I want…I want your cum…I-I wish…”

“What?”

Xingqiu’s eyes snapped open, more vulnerable than he’d ever seen him.

“I wish you could give me a baby…”

Chongyun gasped.

He didn’t know what it was. If it was the shock of something so unexpected, the fact that Xingqiu was being so incredibly open and vulnerable with him…or if it was something he had secretly thought about himself.

Whichever it was…it officially pushed him over the edge.

“OH, QIU…I LOVE YOU!”

With one final thrust forward, Chongyun cried up to the ceiling as he came inside Xingqiu. His cock pulsed inside Xingqiu’s ass as he filled him to the brim with his seed. He had never, EVER felt anything this good before. It was pure bliss.

A few seconds later, Xingqiu let out a loud cry of his own as he shot his load all over his tiny chest. “Yuuuuunnnn…” he moaned, cumming a surprisingly large amount for his second time of the night. “I…mgggghhh…love you…too…”

As the last drops were squeezed from Chongyun’s softening cock, his head flew down to kiss Xingqiu hungrily. The two boys, having consummated their love, kissed each other over and over again, only stopping to continuously declare their love for each other.

“I love you…I love you…”

They didn’t care, as Chongyun pulled out of him, that Xingqiu was leaking cum onto the sheets.

They didn’t care, as they rolled around together, that Xingqiu’s seed on his chest was getting all over Chongyun.

They didn’t care that they had moaned so loud, someone might have heard them.

All they cared about was that their dreams, their fantasies, and their most secret desires had all come true.

And they knew, as they stared into each other’s eyes, that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, no matter where that would take them.

And even if they couldn’t have kids together…it didn’t matter.

All they needed was each other.

Notes:

Well...I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it ;)

We're not done yet! Still at least four more chapters to go. Chapter 12 will be plot, 13 a mix of plot and smut, 14 starts out with a little plot and then becomes the smuttiest of smut, and 15 will be an extended epilogue of sorts. Some of this might take me longer, there's some Genshin lore I need to research for a couple aspects of upcoming chapters. But 12 should be up on Wednesday, so look forward to that.

Also, just to clarify, my version of Xingqiu isn't trans, although I love that take people have for him! Just has a bit of a breeding kink, and maybe wishes he could give Chongyun a child. Don't we all? Maybe it's just me...

Love you all, thank you for your continued readership! ❤️

Chapter 12: Family and Friendship

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It felt like waking up on the softest, warmest cloud.

As Chongyun’s eyes fluttered open, he realized he was still snuggled up to Xingqiu, their naked bodies wrapped up in each other. He listened as his boyfriend lightly snored, his soft body rising and falling with his breathing.

He was so happy.

For the first time in his life, he knew where he was going, and whom he would be with. His beautiful, wonderful, gorgeous Xingqiu. So soft, so gentle, so precious…and he was all his.

As he let his hands roam up and down Xingqiu’s body, he felt the remnants of something sticky near Xingqiu’s bottom half. Oh, that was right…they’d had quite the night, hadn’t they?

Chongyun had heard different tales of what it was like to lose your virginity. Some said it was a transcendent experience. Others said it was disappointing and underwhelming, and they felt no different afterwards.

For Chongyun, it wasn’t the fact that he was no longer a virgin that made him feel different. It was having experienced it with his closest friend in the world…and it had been the first time for both of them.

And it made his love for him even stronger.

He kissed the top of Xingqiu’s head, and snuggled in closer to him. He began to contemplate how he would want to spend his last week (at least for a while) in Liyue. He definitely wanted to spend time with their friends…that would be the hardest thing about leaving. He wanted to visit his favorite spots in Liyue. And Shenhe…

Oh. He would have to talk to Shenhe about all of this.

Truth be told, Shenhe wasn’t really his guardian in the traditional sense. Sure, she gave him a place to live and trained with him, but that was about it. She pretty much let him be as independent as he needed to be, which, being that he had always been self-regulating of himself, suited him just fine. Even so, he didn’t want to just up and go. He needed to talk to her about it.

Having made up his mind, he lightly shook Xingqiu’s shoulder. “Qiu? Hey…wake up, Qiu.”

Xingqiu stirred, groaning as he rubbed his eyes. But as he looked over at the exorcist, his tired pout turned into an adoring smile.

“Mgggh…good morning, my dear Chongyun,” he mumbled sleepily.

“Good morning,” Chongyun smiled down at him.

“I didn’t…I didn’t dream what happened last night, did I?” Xingqiu asked, staring at Chongyun imploringly.

“No, you didn’t dream it…it was real.” Chongyun kissed Xingqiu lightly on his lips. “It was very real.”

“Oh, heh heh…good,” Xingqiu said, looking relieved. He gave a big stretch as he began to wake up more. “I was only half-joking.”

Chongyun chuckled. “So hey, listen…I have to talk to Shenhe about everything that’s going on. I would, uh…I’d appreciate it if you came with me.”

“Didn’t I already do that last night?” Xingqiu winked.

“What? What are you…” Chongyun stopped, glaring at Xingqiu, who was giving him a mischievous grin. “Qiu, this is serious.”

“I know, I know…but, your aunt doesn’t seem to like me much…”

“Even so, I’d like you to be there. She needs to see that we’re together on this.”

Xingqiu sighed reluctantly. “Ok.”

Chongyun kissed him on the forehead. “Thank you, Qiu. And…I’ll tell you what. As your reward, you can watch me do my morning stretches.”

“Oh, really?” Xingqiu said eagerly, a wide grin spreading across his face. “You should have started with that.”

Chongyun shook his head, scoffing. He threw back the sheets, walked naked to the middle of the room, and went into a lunge. Xingqiu watched from the bed, his eyes following Chongyun’s every movement as his hand began to move back and forth underneath the covers.

“Shenhe?” Chongyun and Xingqiu walked into the main living room of his aunt’s home. “Shenhe, you here?”

Xingqiu shrugged at Chongyun. “Maybe she’s not home?”

“Wait here,” Chongyun said, pointing at the couch.

Xingqiu dutifully sat down, hands folding in his lap. Chongyun smiled to himself. His boyfriend could be respectful…when he wanted to be.

Chongyun walked down the hallway, looking in each room. “Shenhe?” he called. Normally if she was home, she would respond immediately. But perhaps she was in an advanced form of meditation, like she showed him.

He came to her bedroom, where the door was slightly ajar. He tentatively swung it open…and immediately regretted it.

Shenhe was standing with her back turned toward him, naked from the waist up. She appeared to be tending to a wound of some sort on her abdomen. She turned toward him, her arm swinging up to cover her chest.

“Oh, goodness!” she exclaimed with a look of surprise.

“Gah!” Chongyun shut his eyes tight and turned his head.

“Chongyun! Are you alright?” he heard Xingqiu call from the living room.

“Yes, I’m fine!” Chongyun cried back, still covering his eyes. “Just…don’t come back here!”

He heard some rustling, and a slight grunt of pain. After a moment, Shenhe’s voice rang out. “Ok, Chongyun…you can open your eyes now.”

Chongyun slowly turned his head back. Shenhe was now wearing a top that kept her midriff exposed (where she was still dressing her wound) but covered everything else. She had a slight color to her cheeks, which was very unusual.

“Well…I suppose I understand what you were saying now. That was…quite embarrassing.”

Chongyun stared at her for a moment, and began to chuckle. Even Shenhe let out a “hmph” with a slight smile.

“Now you know why I keep the door closed,” Chongyun asserted. “But Shenhe…what happened to you?”

“Oh, this?” Shenhe gestured at the wound, bleeding slightly through the bandage. “This is nothing. Just ran into some trouble up in the mountains…nothing I haven’t dealt with before. But you…you look like you have something you want to tell me. And who was that I just heard out there?”

Chongyun stepped forward and finished fanstening the bandage on Shenhe’s stomach. “I…why don’t you just follow me out here?”

Shenhe paused. “Very well.”

Chongyun led her out to the main area, where Xingqiu still sat on the couch, looking apprehensive. Shenhe’s eyes narrowed.

“What is he doing here?” she asked with barely disguised bile.

Chongyun gulped. Shenhe’s distaste of Xingqiu only seemed to have grown since he had brought Chongyun back. He took a deep breath. “Just…hear me out.”

Chongyun explained what they had planned, and that they had already gotten the go-ahead from Xingqiu’s father. He explained their arrangement for lodging and employment, and that he’d continue to train and hunt for spirits in Inazuma in his free time. And he clarified that, although he didn’t know how long he would be gone, that it wasn’t permanent. All the while, Shenhe sat there, listening silently. Finally he finished, and waited for her response.

Shenhe’s face was like stone. She looked between the two boys. “I…do not wish you to do this,” she said finally.

Chongyun stared. He thought Shenhe would understand. Had he not conveyed how desperately he wanted this? ”Shenhe,” he started, “This is something I…”

“Do not misunderstand me,” Shenhe interrupted. “You are a man in my eyes. I do not presume to order you to do or not do anything. It is your choice, not mine. But if it is my blessing that you seek…I’m afraid I cannot give it.”

Chongyun was relieved to hear she wasn’t ordering him to stay here. Still, he didn’t want to leave things off this way. Chongyun opened his mouth to try and convince her, but Xingqiu put his hand on his arm.

“Chongyun,” he said softly. The exorcist fell silent. Xingqiu continued forward, standing directly in front of Shenhe, who avoided his gaze.

“Lady Shenhe,” he began. “I’ve long wondered why you seem to hold such disdain for me. Our first meeting during the rebuilding of the Jade Chamber was pleasant enough, and yet, the next time I met you, you had decided I wasn’t worth your time.”

Chongyun stared down at the floor. He didn’t think this would end well.

“I kept wondering, did I upset her somehow? Or perhaps…someone close to her? But then one day, Chongyun mentioned off-handedly that you were his aunt…and I began to understand.

“You see, as long as I’ve known your nephew, I’ve enjoyed playing pranks on him. He’s always been easily flustered, and I’ll admit it made me chuckle to see him lose his composure because of something I did. But the truth is, mostly the reason I did those things…was just to get his attention.”

Shenhe looked like she was about to retort, but Xingqiu barreled on.

“What you need to understand is…I love Chongyun. I’ve been in love with him for as long as I can remember. He’s always been my closest friend, and I care for him. He’s kind, he’s talented, he’s strong…he has many traits I admire, traits I wish I had.”

Chongyun held a hand over his mouth as he listened to Xingqiu’s impassioned speech.

“You strike me as a fiercely loyal person,” Xingqiu continued. “You simply want what is best for Chongyun. I don’t seek to change your mind, simply for you to understand. You have every right to think I am bad company for your nephew. However, although I can’t promise I’ll never pull a prank on him again, I can promise you this. If Chongyun is hurt, I will be there to heal him. If Chongyun is sad, I will be there to comfort him. And if there comes a moment where it is either him or me to make it out alive…I would lay down my life for him.”

Xingqiu’s eyes had grown wet. Chongyun’s own vision had become blurred as he fought to hold back tears. Shenhe’s expression had not changed, but her body seemed to be less tense.

“I’m not asking you to like me. But I am asking you to understand that I would never in a million years deliberately hurt Chongyun’s feelings. My failure was to understand that some of my behavior was hurting his feelings, when all I was thinking of was getting his attention. Now…I must continue to improve myself, and I will. But my affection for him is never in question. And I plan to spend the rest of my life trying to be worthy of his affections.”

Xingqiu sighed. He had finally said his piece. Chongyun put his hand on his shoulder. Had they been alone, he would have taken him into his arms. But for the moment, he waited to see what Shenhe would say.

Shenhe remained silent, holding the bandage against her wound. Her eyes met Chongyun’s, and the exorcist gave her a small smile. She stared back at him, blinking slowly. Then, after a few moments, she nodded, her mouth twitching upwards.

Chongyun breathed a sigh of relief. It was good enough for him. He turned to put his arm around Xingqiu, but the young master surprisingly was making his way over to Shenhe, who immediately tensed up.

“Would…would you like me to heal your wound?” he asked tentatively. “It’ll only take a minute.”

Shenhe looked Xingqiu up and down, her eyes narrowed. She slowly lowered her hand, and allowed Xingqiu to unwrap the bandage. As he began to work his hydro against the wound, he turned to look over at Chongyun, giving him an encouraging smile.

More than anything Chongyun had witnessed in the past week, this was perhaps the most surprising. His Auntie Shenhe and Xingqiu, even reluctantly getting along…it was nothing short of a miracle.

 

FIVE DAYS LATER

 

It was another beautiful evening in Liyue…and the last evening he would spend there for the next year. Chongyun watched the sun going down, sitting in his favorite spot on the hill. Almost two weeks ago, Xiangling had run up this hill to tell him Xingqiu was back, and it had changed everything. Now…now his whole life was about to change.

He let out a sigh of contentment.

That sigh quickly turned into a loud moan as he thrust his hips upwards. He came quickly and violently, his nude body shaking in the grass. He thrust up a few more times, and fell back against the large rock he was leaning on, breathing heavily.

Xingqiu, equally naked, let Chongyun’s softening shaft fall out of his mouth. “Took you long enough,” he teased.

“I told you, it takes me longer when I’m nervous,” Chongyun said shakily, stroking Xingqiu’s hair. “What if someone saw us?”

“Oh, Yun, always so embarrassed,” Xingqiu giggled, scooching up to lean against him, looking out towards the sunset. “No one else comes up here. And besides…all the people of Tevat should see how gorgeous your body is.”

Chongyun turned crimson, squeezing Xingqiu tightly. “But Qiu, I…I only want YOU to see it.”

Xingqiu gave him a wide smile. “Now that's a good answer.” The two boys kissed, basking in the glow of the sunset and their love.

Once the sun was barely visible in the sky, Chongyun let out a big sigh. “Well…I guess we’d better head back down. Xiangling was adamant that she cook us something big for our last meal here.”

Xingqiu nodded. “So she did…besides, I’d hate to see what kind of bug bites we’d get in the dark up here with no clothes on.”

“Good point,” Chongyun agreed, grabbing his clothes.

As Chongyun bent over to pick up his clothing, Xingqiu ran over, giving him a hard smack on his butt. Chongyun yelped and fell over, and Xingqiu danced about, grabbing his own clothes and giggling like a schoolboy. “Last one dressed has to taste Xiangling’s Mushroom Slime Stew!”

“Grilled Tiger Fish! Get it while it’s hot!”

“Made another handsome sum today?”

“Listen…let me tell you how it is…”

“Try your luck betting on jade?”

All the familiar voices of the city of Liyue rang out as the two boys made their way towards Wanmin Restaurant, hand in hand. They were voices Chongyun heard every day, and yet, he felt melancholy hearing them this time. He knew it would be the last time he heard them, at least for a long time. He sighed, letting his head hang slightly.

“Chongyun…are you sure you’re going to be ok leaving Liyue?” Xingqiu asked softly.

“O-of course!” Chongyun replied incredulously. “Why did you even need to ask that?”

“I just…I want to make sure, because…the last thing I’d want is for you to give up your home and your dreams…just for me.”

Chongyun squeezed Xingqiu’s hand, looking over at his beloved. “Xingqiu…I’m not giving up on my dreams. I’ll still be able to train, and there are spirits in Inazuma too. And yeah, Liyue has always been my home, but we’ll be back. And in any case…”

Chongyun took Xingqiu aside off the path, staring into his eyes. “My home is wherever you are.”

“I…” Xingqiu stared up at Chongyun with misty eyes. “Y-Yun…”

Chongyun was just about to pull Xingqiu into a hug when he heard a voice cry out:

“There they are!”

The two boys looked over towards the source of the voice, coming from the direction of Wanmin Restaurant. Their hands tightened around each other as they each let out a gasp.

Over the restaurant, a big banner hung, flowing in the breeze. In big bold letters, the words, “GOOD LUCK, XINGYUN!” flashed across the street. And there, standing in front of the restaurant with vast quantities of food, were Xiangling, Xinyan, Yun Jin and Hu Tao.

The two boys looked at each other, and back at the display in disbelief. “Wha…what is all this??” Chongyun asked.

“Your going-away present!” Xiangling exclaimed. “You didn’t think we were going to let you go without a feast and a party, did you?”

“We all pitched in,” Yun Jin said, smiling. “We’re going to miss you both so much, so we figured, might as well go all out!”

“D’ya like the banner?” Xinyan grinned. “Came up with that muhself! ‘Xingyun’, cool, right?! The perfect name for you two! Plus, it sounds like my name!” she added with a chuckle.

“Well, as for me, I liked the name ‘ChongQiu’ better,” Hu Tao said haughtily, “But it was overruled. These girls have no ear for poetry.”

“In any case,” Xiangling said, raising her eyebrows at Hu Tao, “We just wanted to give you the send off you both deserve. So come on, dig in!”

Chongyun and Xingqiu looked at each other, both beaming. Xingqiu bounded forward to give Xiangling a hug, and began chatting away and trying some of the various dishes. Chongyun just stood there, smiling. He really did love his friends. Well…most of them…

“Hey, so listen, Chongyun,” Hu Tao said, sauntering up to him with a sheepish grin on her face. “I’m sorry I upset you the other day. I really wasn’t…”

“Hu Tao,” Chongyun interrupted, putting his hand on her shoulder. “It’s ok. I was overheating, it wasn’t your fault.”

“Oh, ok, good!” Hu Tao said cheerfully. “See, I knew I was a good friend!”

Chongyun rolled his eyes. That sure didn’t take long.

“But in all seriousness though…you know I don’t actually want you to die, right?”

Chongyun raised an eyebrow. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell with you, to be honest.”

Hu Tao chuckled, flashing him a toothy grin. “Fair enough. Just as long as you know.” She gave him a slightly awkward pat on the back.

Chongyun smiled despite himself. “Thanks, Hu Tao. I…don’t want you to die either.”

“I know! I mean, that’s my biggest regret in life…or death. The fact that I won’t be able to witness my own funeral!…or will I? Oooooooohhh!!!” She wiggled her fingers at the exorcist.

Chongyun shook his head. That was enough Hu Tao for tonight.

“Chongyun!” Xiangling ran up with a dish of cold noodles. “Here…I made these special for you!”

“Thanks, Xiangling!” CHongyun said gratefully. “But, actually…I wanna try something with a little more, how do you say it? Boom-shaka-laka?”

“Oh yeah!” Xingqiu exclaimed. “Chongyun can eat some spicier stuff now! Here, Yun, try this!”

The young master tossed something his way, and Chongyun caught it with ease. Without looking, wanting to impress his friends, he took a huge bite.

“Chongyun, wait!” Xiangling cried. “That’s a Jueyun Chilli!”

Chongyun lurched as the spice hit him like a Geo pillar. Evidently, he was not ready for something quite that spicy…

“I AM THE ARCHON OF DESTRUCTION!” a very yang-intoxicated Chongyun shouted, brandishing his claymore as he stood upon a table. “DEMONS AND SPIRITS ALIKE TREMBLE BEFORE MY MIGHT! BUT FEAR NOT, MORTALS! FOR I, CHONGYUN, SHALL BE THE GREATEST EXORCIST WHO EVER LIVED! ALL SHALL LOVE ME AND DESPAIR!”

Below him, Xingqiu, Xinyan and Hu Tao were roaring with laughter, while Xiangling and Yun Jin were shaking their heads, although still amused. Chongyun jumped down, grabbed his boyfriend, and twirled him around as he giggled and squealed. He dipped the young master, giving him a deep kiss. The girls cheered, Xinyan in particular being very vocal.

“Wooh, get it!” she yelled.

Chongyun looked over at her with an evil grin on his face. “Oh, I did.”

Xinyan’s face lit up. “YEAH!” she yelled. “Go Iceman! That’s my boy right there!” She gave Chongyun a particularly hard high five. “Guess that makes two of us!”

“Wha…Xinyan!!” Xiangling whined, her face turning scarlet.

Xinyan scooped her up in her arms, kissing her full on the mouth. “Oh, you know you love me,” she grinned.

Chongyun held Xingqiu in his arms as the two of them laughed, swinging each other around. Oh, Chongyun couldn’t remember the last time he felt this free. He knew he was overheating, and yet, he didn’t let it bother him. He was in good company, the best company: his friends. And he knew he would miss them (even Hu Tao) dearly.

But he also knew that his future was with Xingqiu. And no matter where he went, he would follow.

Notes:

Three more chapters to go! 😃

I know this was a day late, sorry about that. Writer's block is a bitch, lol.

I most likely will be switching to uploading once a week for the last three chapters. Particularly for the last chapter. I have a specific way I want to end it, and I'll want to take my time with it to make sure I get it right. So as of right now, expect Chapter 13 around next Wednesday. As always, thank you all so much for all the support, and I adore reading your comments. I hope as the story begins to wrap up, you like where it goes. Thank you again! ❤️❤️

Chapter 13: Come Sail Away With Me

Notes:

First half plot, second half smut. Enjoy at your leisure!

This took me longer than I thought it would...I'm pretty sure this is the longest chapter yet. Combination of writer's block and real-world stress, but it's finally here!

Two more chapters left after this! I'll do my best to get Chapter 14 out next weekend. Love you all, thank you as always for reading :)

Chapter Text

The morning sun in the city of Liyue was always a wondrous sight. The way the red and orange hues of the sun would reflect off the water, giving the city a wondrous glow…there was nothing like it.

Today, the sight was bittersweet for the two boys.

Xingqiu and Chongyun stood together in Liyue Harbor, watching as the ship that would bear them to Inazuma approached. Standing with them were Xiangling (Guoba at her feet as always), Xinyan, Yun Jin, and Hu Tao. Xingqiu’s retainers, including Xu, stood there as well, prepared to make the journey with them. And finally, in the back, stood Xingqiu’s father and Shenhe.

Seeing them all there, silently waiting with them, made Chongyun’s heart soar.

As the ship grew closer, Chongyun felt Xingqiu’s hand slip into his, squeezing his palm. He looked over at his love, who gave him an encouraging smile. After a moment, he smiled back.

He looked so pretty in the morning light.

The water splashed against the docks with the smell of the sea wafting across the harbor. Chongyun always loved walking down on the docks with his best friend, listening to him talk on and on about some book or another. It really didn’t matter what they were talking about; he was just so happy to be with his friend in such a beautiful place.

And now, he would always be with him.

The ship pulled into the harbor, and as a crew member dropped the anchor and others prepared the ropes, Chongyun could see a familiar face standing at the front of the ship. He hadn’t spoken to her personally, but everyone knew her.

Captain Beidou would be sailing them across the sea.

As the ship came to a stop and was tied down to the dock, Xu and the other retainers gathered up all the travel bags and began to bring them on board. Xingqiu squeezed Chongyun’s hand.

“Well…guess it’s time to say goodbye, huh?”

Chongyun nodded. They turned back to their friends, but before they could do or say anything, they were almost knocked over into the sea by the girls. The two boys were enveloped into a giant group hug, Xiangling being the closest to them.

“We’re all going to miss you so much!”

“Make sure you write, ok?”

“Show those Inazumans how Liyuens like to party!”

“Whatever you do, don’t die at sea! There’s no profit to be made from that!”

Even Hu Tao’s last quip didn’t bother Chongyun this time. He held on tighter, closing his eyes with a contented smile. He really did love his friends.

“Never forget how awesome you are,” he heard Xiangling whisper in his ear. “No matter what, just be yourself! That’s why we love you.”

Guoba jumped up on Chongyun’s head. “Greh!” he agreed.

The exorcist chuckled, patting Guoba on the head. He picked him up and lightly sat him down on Xiangling’s shoulder. “I’ll miss you all,” he said softly. “You’ve all been so supportive of me, and…it means the world to me.”

“We’ll try and come visit sometime!” Xiangling promised. “There’s no WAY I’m spending a whole year without seeing you two!”

“Yeah! Inazuma won’t be able to handle all of us together!” Xinyan crowed.

“Well, let us know if you can,” Xingqiu replied. “In the meantime, we’ll write you as much as we’re able. Well…maybe Chongyun will do the writing…my penmanship still needs work.”

The girls all chuckled at that, but moved back as Xingqiu’s father and Shenhe walked forward. The older master, tall as he was, leaned down to grasp Xingqiu’s shoulders and pulled him into a gruff hug. He was speaking in a low voice into his ear; Chongyun couldn’t hear what he was saying.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see Shenhe standing above him. “Good luck on your journey, Chongyun,” she said. “I hope your voyage is a smooth one…”

But she was cut off as Chongyun threw his arms around her, holding her tightly. After a moment’s hesitation, he felt her arms slowly envelop him.

“I’m gonna miss you, Aunt Shenhe.”

He wasn’t sure, but he thought Shenhe held onto him a little tighter.

“I…will miss you too.”

The two of them drew apart, and Chongyun looked up at Shenhe with a smile. “I promise I’ll keep up with my training. When I come back, maybe I’ll be able to beat you in battle!”

The statement elicited just the slightest chuckle from Shenhe. “We…shall see.”

After a pause, she turned to Xingqiu, whose father had finished speaking to him. “If anything happens to Chongyun, I will hold you personally responsible.”

Xingqiu’s eyes darted from side to side. “I…certainly, I understand. On my honor as a member of the Guhua Clan, nothing will befall Chongyun whilst I am by his side. I give you my word.”

Shenhe nodded curtly. “Very well.” She leaned down to speak in a lower voice. “I can’t pretend to know why Chongyun has fallen for you. But you do seem to make him happy. Bearing that in mind…I wish you both happiness in your time in Inazuma.”

Xingqiu’s cheeks turned slightly pink. “I…thank you, Lady Shenhe. And I will prove myself to be worthy of Chongyun.”

Shenhe raised an eyebrow, but did not refute him.

“Everything’s on board!” a crew member yelled out. “All set to sail whenever you’re ready!”

The two boys gazed upon their friends and family, looks of encouragement reflected back at them. Xingqiu took Chongyun’s hand.

“Well…you ready?” he asked softly.

Chongyun looked back at his friends. Xiangling gave him a thumbs up, while Shenhe nodded with just the hint of a smile. He turned back to his beloved.

“Yeah…I’m ready.”

Hand in hand, the two boys stepped onto the boat.

“Careful, don’t lose your balance!” Xu called out from the deck, holding out his hand.

“I’m perfectly fine, thank you,” Xingqiu said rather cooly. His hand closed slightly tighter around Chongyun’s. “I have Chongyun here to help me should I need it.”

Xu bowed his head, looking slightly hurt. “Sorry, my lord.”

“Well, look who it is!” a familiar voice rang out. The two looked towards the bow to find Captain Beidou striding toward them. “Long time, no see! How ya doin, kid?”

Xingqiu cringed as Beidou ruffled his hair, shying away from her reach. “Ahem...I am doing well, thank you Lady Beidou.”

“And you must be Chongyun,” Beidou grinned, holding out her hand. “Pleasure to meet you, officially.”

Chongyun took her hand as she gave him a surprisingly strong handshake. “The pleasure is all mine, Captain.”

“Oh, please, just call me Beidou,” she replied. “You’re a guest, not a crew member. Lookin’ forward to having you both on board.”

Beidou looked over her shoulder. “Ok! We’re all set!” she called out. “Set the sails, we’ve got a schedule to keep!”

As various crew members ran about untying the ship and setting the sails up, Xingqiu led Chongyun to the back of the ship. “Quick, come on! We’ll be able to see everyone as we sail away!”

As the winds picked up and the boat began to leave the dock, the two boys reached the stern. Everyone was still gathered at the dock. Xingqiu’s father raised a hand in farewell, whilst the girls waved frantically.

“Give ‘em hell in Inazuma!” Xinyan yelled.

“Good luck to you both!” Yun Jin called.

“WE LOVE YOU!!!” Xiangling bellowed.

Xingqiu grinned at Chongyun. “I miss them already,” he chuckled.

Chongyun smiled, but his heart was heavy. He did indeed miss them already. He’d never had a group of friends before them, at least not as close as they were…but he would be with Xingqiu. That was the most important thing.

He put his arm around Xingqiu, and watched as their friends and guardians grew farther and farther away. the rising sun glowing off the water. The city of Liyue sparkled in the morning glow, the sounds of the bustling marketplace fading as they sailed away.

“I’m really gonna miss them,” Chongyun sighed, wiping a tear from his eyes.

Xingqiu’s hand squeezed his, and Chongyun turned to face him.

“Chongyun…” Xingqiu said softly, “You know, there’s…there’s still time to turn back if you wanted to stay…”

Chongyun shook his head, taking Xingqiu’s face in his hands. “No…I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t want to, Qiu.” He leaned down to kiss his boyfriend on the forehead. “I love you, Xingqiu…I’m right where I want to be.”

Xingqiu’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. He seemed to be struggling to say something. “I…Yun, I…”

But eventually he gave up, and elected to just rest his head on Chongyun’s shoulder. The two of them turned around, watching the crew run about the deck. They looked out across the water towards the horizon.

Their future lay before them.

“Aw, look at you lovebirds,” Beidou’s voice rang out. The two boys jumped as the captain walked up the wooden steps towards them. “This a recent thing?”

“Uh…sort of, yeah,” Chongyun said, cheeks pink.

“Ah, nothing like the honeymoon phase,” Beidou said wistfully. “Reminds me of myself and Ni…well, it’s not important. In any case, I might be able to help you two out.”

“What do you mean?” asked Xingqiu.

“Well, normally I sleep in the Captain’s Quarters, but I keep it reserved for special passengers. It’s in its own separate part of the ship, away from the other cabins. And I think in this case…you two could maybe use the privacy, am I right?”

Chongyun’s cheeks were now a deep red. “Um…uh…”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Beidou winked. “Trust me, being stuck on the same ship for over two weeks can get a bit monotonous for some. This way, it’ll be easier for you both to, uh…entertain yourselves.”

Chongyun tried to stammer out a response, but Xingqiu thankfully talked over him. “Th-thank you, Lady Beidou. Your…*ahem* your generosity is much appreciated.”

“Hey, don’t mention it, kid,” Beidou replied with a grin. “We’ve all been there. Now, let me show you around…”

“All right!” Beidou shouted. “We’ve had a successful first day in our voyage, my brave and loyal crew…let’s get some drinks going!”

The crew let out a rowdy cry of approval, clinking their mugs together.

Night had fallen on the sea, the moon shining across the black waters. Xingqiu and Chongyun had successfully settled in, their cabin filled with their belongings. Xingqiu had practically tackled him as soon as the door was closed, but Chongyun had gently picked him off him. “Not until later, Qiu!”

“Ok, ok…”

Now, the two of them watched with amusement as the ale flowed, the crew members drinking themselves silly. Two members, one at the helm and one in the crow’s nest, stayed sober and alert. The others were…quite the opposite.

“You two are of drinking age, right?” Beidou said, coming up to them with two mugs full of ale.

Chongyun paused for a moment. He genuinely wasn’t sure, having not paid attention to such things. “I…well…”

“Ah, doesn’t matter. My ship, my rules. As long as you promise not to throw up on the deck!”

The two boys each took a mug, and clinked them together. Chongyun drank tentatively (he wasn’t used to the slightly bitter taste) while Xingqiu drained almost the whole thing. Not to be outdone, Chongyun chugged down the rest.

“That’s the spirit!” Beidou cheered, already a little tipsy herself. “Good man!”

“A toast!” cried a particularly drunk crew member, “To Captain Bediou! The fiercest most *burp* excellent captain the Crux has ever had!”

“Hear, hear!” the others shouted, raising their mugs as they began to chant. “Beidou! Beidou! Beidou!”

“Uh oh,” Beidou chuckled under her breath to the two boys. “Last time they got like this, they started to…”

SLAM. SLAM. SLAM. SLAM.

The crew members began stomping on the deck, and pounding their mugs against the railings and barrels about them.

“...sing,” Beidou finished weakly.

🎶 Therrrrrreeee…

was a Captain of the Crux,
as mighty as the sea!
She roamed the lands in search of gold
as far the eye could see.
And if you disrespect her crew
she’ll just give you a laugh,
but then she’ll swing her blade about,
and THEN you’ll feel her wrath!

Ohhh,

Cap-tain Bediou,
she who sails far and wide!
So come aboard and sail with us,
We’ll take you for a ride!🎶

HEY!

The crew continued to stomp their feet and mugs in rhythm, Beidou’s cheeks growing slightly pink. She swayed drunkenly to the song, grinning despite herself. Chongyun laughed as he watched everyone around him, and finished his mug. Suddenly, he felt a tugging on his sleeve.

“Come on, Yun!” Xingqiu giggled. “Dance with me!”

“I…” Chongyun stared down at the floor. “I don’t know how…”

“Just come on!” Xingqiu insisted, dragging Chongyun out into the middle of the ship.

🎶 One day the fierce young pirate lord
was sailing with her mates,
but then sailed right into a storm,
as though to test her fate!
And from the ocean’s murky depths,
a monster did appear,
both like a dragon and a fish,
but Beidou had no fear!

Ohhh,

Cap-tain Beidou,
her war cry all will hear!
Defender of the down-trodden!
*It makes you shed a tear*🎶

HEY!

Xingqiu twirled in place, and started doing a little jig. Chongyun, blushing hard, awkwardly bounced up and down, swinging his arms back and forth. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Xu and the rest of Xingqiu’s retainers watching them, laughing amongst themselves as they saw their young lord unrestrained.

“Come on, Chongyun!” Beidou called out. “Show us what you can do!”

🎶 Haishan, the fearsome monster’s name,
gave Beidou quite a fight!
She and her crew fought to the death,
for four long days and nights!
We fought with harpoons, cannon fire,
arrows and the like!
It withstood everything, but Beidou
needed just one strike!

Ohhh,

Cap-tain Beidou,
a greatsword in her hand!
Wherever Captain Beidou goes,
all evil will be banned!🎶

HEY!

Chongyun felt the heat overtake him, and this time he welcomed it. He leapt forward, grabbing Xingqiu by the hands, and began to swing him around. The young master squealed with delight as the two spun round and round, connected only by their hands grasping each other.

“WOOH!” Beidou crowed, “Look at them go!”

🎶 And in the dim light of the dawn,
she raised her greatsword high,
and as she swung it toward her foe,
lightning struck from the sky!
She severed the head from the beast,
the ocean split in two,
and in her hands, what did appear?
A Vision, bright and new!

Ohhh,

Cap-tain Beidou,
with lightning in her hands!
And now wherever she will sail,
she’s feared across the land!

Ohhh,

Cap-tain Bediou,
she who sails far and wide!
So come aboard and sail with us,
We’ll take you for a ride!🎶

HEYYYY!!

As the song came to an end, Chongyun dipped Xingqiu down, and gave him one of his most passionate kisses yet. Xingqiu sighed into his mouth, wrapping his arms around his neck.

The crew whooped and hollered, banging their mugs. “Yeeeaaaah!” one of them yelled. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about!”

“They’re so adorable!” a particularly burly man sobbed. “They deserve all the happiness!!!”

“Everybody!” Beidou called out. The crew immediately went silent. “Let’s raise a glass to the young master and the exorcist. Rare is it that we get cargo as precious as these two. So let’s drink to their health and prosperity in Inazuma. To Chongyun and Xingqiu!”

The crew followed suit. “To Chongyun and Xingqiu!”

Chongyun looked like he was about to pass out.

After a couple more drinking songs (and multiple mugs of ale) the crew finally began to disperse. Chongyun was decently buzzed, as was Xingqiu. The two of them staggered slightly as they walked back to their cabin together, Xingqiu whispering lewd things in Chongyun’s ear. As they reached the door, Chongyun grasped for the doorknob as Xingqiu played with his tassel. Face red, the exorcist opened the door, and Xingqiu pushed him inside, closing it behind them.

Xingqiu turned around, an adorable grin on his face. “Alone at last.” He put his hands on the exorcist’s shoulders, and pushed him against the closed door.

Chongyun stared at Xingqiu with wide eyes, breathing heavily. “Q-Qiu…”

“Yes, my dear?” Xingqiu’s hands were moving up and down Chongyun’s body, loosening his clothes wherever he could. The young master appraised him with a hungry expression, like you would a piece of meat.

“I…I like it when you look at me like that…”

“Yeah?” Xingqiu smirked, his hands grabbing Chongyun’s ass. “You wanna know what I’m thinking about, Yun-Yun?”

“Y-yes,” Chongyun gasped as one of Xingqiu’s hands trailed to the front of his body to grab his cock through his clothes.

“I’m thinking….I want you to bend me over this time. I want you to just….take me.”

“Oh…” Chongyun couldn’t help but droop his head slightly.

“What?” Xingqiu said, cocking his head to one side. “You…you don’t want that?”

“I just…” Chongyun’s cheeks were beet red. “Would you…”

“Come on, Yun,” Xingqiu said playfully, lifting his chin up. “You can talk to me. I’m your dearest friend, after all.

“I…I was wondering if…if you wanted to…” Chongyun blushed, looking down at his feet. “If you wanted to…be inside me…this time?”

Blank shock shone on Xingqiu’s face, but for only a moment. Then an expression of utmost glee spread from his eyes to his wide smile, and Chongyun noticed his boyfriend’s arousal strain harder against his shorts.

“Why, Yun…what a wonderful idea,” he said in a soft but oh-so dangerous voice. “I figured you only wanted to top me.”

“Well, I…I wanna know…what it’s like,” Chongyun whispered.

The way Xingqiu was looking at him almost scared him a little; he had never seen his love like this before. The young master dragged his tongue across his teeth, his eyes moving up and down Chongyun’s body.

“Take off your clothes, my dear Chongyun,” he breathed.

The two boys began to strip, their eyes locked onto each other. Chongyun was breathing heavily, his yang energy beginning to spike. Oh, what would Xingqiu do to him? He couldn’t wait to find out.

Xingqiu pulled his shorts down, fully undressing himself. He began to rub himself as he watched Chongyun remove the rest of his clothing, and was now down to his underwear. He stopped for a moment, staring at Xingqiu with wide eyes as he watched him masturbate.

“Yun…show me.”

Chongyun gulped, and slowly pulled his underwear down, fully exposing himself to his beautiful boyfriend. Xingqiu smirked as his eyes feasted upon Chongyun’s hardening member.

“Turn around…”

Shaking with anticipation, Chongyun turned on the spot. He stood with his back turned, his face a deep red. He could hear Xingqiu’s footsteps as he made his way towards him. He was fully aroused, his cock standing straight out from his body.

He jumped slightly as he felt Xingqiu’s soft cold hands on his back.

“Oh, my darling Yun…are you nervous?”

“Y-yes…”

His hands dragged down the length of his back,, and Chongyun gasped as he felt lips caressing the back of his shoulder.

“Oh, you’re so cute…don’t be scared, Yun-Yun. You wanted this, right?”

Chongyun nodded vigorously. “Yeah, I just…you’ll be gentle, right?”

He felt Xingqiu’s breath against his ear. “Of course, my love,” he whispered. A shiver went down Chongyun’s spine. “Now…get on the bed. On all fours.”

A small whine escaped Chongyun’s lips, but he obeyed. He crawled onto the bed, feeling Xingqiu’s eyes on him. And, with his whole body emitting overwhelming heat, he got on all fours, his ass sticking up in the air.

He felt so exposed, so vulnerable, in a way he never had before. No one had ever seen him like this…and yet, it was so exciting. He had always pictured himself taking Xingqiu like this…and he certainly still wanted to…but the feeling he had now was one of delighted submission.

He heard a low moan from behind him. He could see Xingqiu’s shadow growing larger as he approached him from behind.

“Oh, Yuuuuun…I wish you could see what I see. You look…so…GOOD…”

Chongyun flinched as he felt soft hands on his ass, fingernails dragging down his skin.

“You have such a nice ass, Chongyun…so round, so toned…oh Yun, you’re so sexy…”

Chongyun yelped as Xingqiu lightly slapped his ass. He felt the young master grasp both of his cheeks, and spread them open.

“Q-Qiu…why are you…”

“I just want to see every part of you,” Xingqiu whispered. He spread Chongyun open farther as the exorcist moaned. “It looks so good…and no one else gets to have you. No one but me...right?”

Chongyun whined, nodding vigorously. “Y-yeah…I only belong to you, Xingqiu…”

He could feel his breath against his hole.

“Good…”

Chongyun felt a warm wet sensation against him, and a bolt of electricity shot through him as he realized:

Xingqiu was…licking him…

Oh, if only he could see it…the sheer audacity of his boyfriend was so exciting. True, he had done it himself to Xingqiu, but to have it done to him…

“Qiuuuu,” he moaned, arching his back up.

He heard a low chuckle. “You like that, my dirty boy?”

Yes…”

“You want more?”

“YES…”

Chongyun’s face was floored to the pillow as he felt Xingqiu’s tongue invade him once again, this time deeper. He shut his eyes tight, willing himself to feel every sensation, every lick. He felt one of Xingqiu’s hands leave his ass, and he let out another squeal as Xingqiu began to stroke him between his legs.

“Oh…Qiu…yes…yes…more…”

A delighted chuckle reverberated in his ears. Chongyun had become a blubbering mess, but oh, he didn’t care…it felt so good…oh, Xingqiu was so good to him…

He felt Xingqiu’s tongue leave him, and he began to feel empty. He was just about to whine at Xingqiu and ask for more, but with a cry that he muffled into his pillow, he felt something new invade him.

Xingqiu had begun to finger him.

It was sensory overload; one hand rubbing his cock vigorously, the other with fingers pumping in and out of his ass. Xingqiu hadn’t even put it in yet, and Chongyun already felt like he had ascended to Celestia. His mouth hung open, moaning and whining and crying constantly.

“Mgggghhh…Qiu-Qiu…”

He heard Xingqiu giggle behind him. “Qiu-Qiu?? Heh heh…you’ve never called me that before…you really are submissive for me right now, aren’t you?”

“Mmhmm…I-I love you, Qiu-Qiu…”

“Aww, so cute…I love you too, Yun-Yun…”

Xingqiu relinquished his grip on Chongyin’s cock, and slowly slid his fingers out of his ass. Chongyun waited with baited breath as he heard Xingqiu rummaging around. He heard a faint pop, and the sound of liquid being squeezed out. A shiver of anticipation traveled down Chongyun’s spine as he heard what could only be the sound of Xingqiu rubbing the oil on himself.

“Mmm…Yun…I love the way your balls look between your legs…”

Chongyun buried his face in the pillow. “Qiuuuu…”

“What?” the young master chuckled. “I do…it looks so good, Yun-Yun…I hope you get to see me like that soon…”

Chongyun groaned with embarrassment into the pillow.

After a minute or so, the rubbing sound stopped. Chongyun tensed up as he felt Xingqiu get on the bed behind him. His heart was pounding as Xingqiu’s hands grabbed him, spreading open his cheeks.

“You ready for me, Yun?” Xingqiu breathed.

“I…uh…”

The hydro user chuckled. “Still nervous?”

“Y-yeah…”

“Relax, Yun…it’ll be harder for me if you’re tense.” His oh-so soft hands stroked up and down Chongyun’s back. “Relax…”

Chongyun moaned, arching up his back. “Oh, Qiu…please go slow at first…”

“Of course, my dear,” Xingqiu crooned. “I want it to feel good for you too.”

Chongyun took a deep breath, raising his head up to look over his shoulder at his love. “O-ok…I think I’m ready.”

He was greeted with an adoring smile. “I know you are.”

And with a slight grunt, he slid the tip inside.

Chongyun cried out at the invasion, his hand gripping the sheets. “Q-Qiu,” he gasped. “I…woah…”

“I’m not even halfway in yet, Yun,” Xingqiu chuckled. “But you’re really helping my ego, so thank you.”

Chongyun whined as he felt a little more of Xingqiu’s length enter him. “Does it…does it look good?” he asked.

“Oh, it looks wonderful…don’t worry, Yun-Yun, I’ll go nice and slow.”

Xingqiu began to move in and out of him, the exorcist moaning loudly. “Careful, Yun,” Xingqiu chided him. “Just because we have more privacy here doesn’t mean you can be too loud.”

“S-sorry,” Chongyun gasped. “It’s just…so intense…”

He felt Xingqiu’s hands stroking his ass, could feel him slowly working his way further inside him. He let out a yelp as Xingqiu spanked him, and he arched his back up, trying to look as good as possible for his love.

“Oh, Yun,” Xingqiu moaned, “You look so good…who knew you could be such a good bottom?”

“Qiuuuu,” Chongyun whined, “Don’t make fun of me…”

“I’m not!” Xingqiu laughed. “I’m complimenting you. I love what a little cutie you are!”

The next few minutes were a blur. Was it a few minutes, or an hour, or longer than that? Chongyun couldn’t tell. Time no longer had any meaning for him. Lust, overwhelming insane levels of lust, clouded his brain.

Xingqiu’s hands felt good on him. He seemed to want to touch every part of the exorcist he could reach. For a while, they remained on his hips, keeping him steady as he got used to him. But they began to explore, stroking Chongyun’s back, grabbing his shoulders, and eventually settling on the best possible outcome.

One hand vigorously rubbed his cock between his legs, and the other rubbed circles on his ass, grabbing and squeezing it to his heart’s content. Chongyun could feel Xingqiu’s eyes on him, staring as his ass bounced against him.

He could hear Xingqiu moaning, could feel his balls slapping against his taint. Tears of exertion ran down his face as a dull ache spread inside him. And it burned. It burned slightly as Xingqiu thrust himself in his ass over and over, testing his limits. It was all he could do to keep himself from asking the young master to slow down.

But he didn’t want him to slow down.

He didn’t want him to stop.

Chongyun knew he would. He knew that if he just said the word, Xingqiu would immediately stop and make sure he was ok.

But he looked over his shoulder, and the way Xingqiu looked down at him…the way he was moaning…Chongyun just couldn’t have it end. Not until his boyfriend gave him all he had. He wanted his cum. He needed it. And he would do anything he had to so he could get it.

“Qiu,” Chongyun moaned, “Could I…could I turn around?”

“Aw, but Yun, you look so good!” Xingqiu whined.

“I know, but…I just…I want to see your face…”

Slowly, Xingqiu came to a stop, and silently slid out of him. Chongyun fell onto his stomach (his knees were getting quite sore) and rolled around onto his back.

He watched as Xingqiu crawled on top of him, his hard cock dripping with oil. The young master was looking down at him with a peculiar expression.

“You…wanted to see my face?” Xingqiu asked softly.

“Y-yeah…why, do you not like that?”

Xingqiu shook his head with a small smile, his cheeks growing slightly pink. “No, it’s…really sweet actually…I like seeing you like this too…”

Chongyun averted his eyes, getting rather embarrassed. “So you…you like topping me?”

Xingqiu bit his lip as he reinserted himself inside Chongyun. “Oh, I love it…you’re so adorable, Chongyun…but I stand by what I said earlier. I want you to really take me.”

“O-ok,” Chongyun stammered. “But I still need to be careful. My yang energy…”

“I know, I know,” Xingqiu chuckled. “Perhaps we should wait until we’re off the ship before we try anything…too extreme. For now…I just want you to rub yourself while I fuck you.”

Chongyun nodded. For whatever reason, acting more submissive seemed to keep his yang energy more at bay. Perhaps it was because he’d always imagined being on top? In any case, he did as Xingqiu commanded.

The young master thrust into the exorcist with renewed vigor while Chongyun masturbated below him. The older boy watched Xingqiu’s slender hips moving back and forth, straining to watch his cock disappear inside him.

“Oh, Yun,” Xingqiu gasped. “Keep rubbing yourself…you look so…so good…”

Struck by a rare sense of daring, Chongyun began sucking on one of his fingers while still rubbing himself with his other hand.

“Heh heh, Yun, what are you…?”

Sliding the moistened finger out of his mouth, Chongyun reached around Xingqiu’s thrusting hips, and slid his finger inside his ass. Xingqiu’s eyes widened, and Chongyun felt his cock inside him twitch.

“Oh, YUUNN…so naughty…”

With a sheepish grin, Chongyun began to finger his love, matching Xingqiu’s motions inside him. His ass tightened around his finger as he moved it faster and faster, the young master beginning to lose his composure.

“Chong…yun…don’t…stop…”

And suddenly Xingqiu threw his head back, and Chongyun gasped as he felt something thick and wet filling his insides. Oh, wow…Xingqiu was cumming…and it was all for him

With the most adorable moans spewing from his mouth, Xingqiu fell forward as he thrust forward, slower but harder, giving Chongyun everything he had. He buried his face in Chongyun’s neck, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see that the young master’s cheeks had turned bright red.

“S-sorry…I wanted to last longer for you…”

“Xingqiu, don’t apologize!” Chongyun said incredulously. “Don’t ever apologize for feeling good.”

A weak chuckle emitted from the younger boy, his softening cock falling out of Chongyun’s ass. “Mgggh…I’m still horny, though…”

Suddenly, Xingqiu grabbed the bottle of oil from the side of the bed, and began to rub it vigorously on Chongyun. Before Chongyun could question him, Xingqiu swung his legs over the exorcist, straddling him. Eyes burning with lust, he positioned himself over him…

And sat right down on his cock.

The two boys cried out in a mixture of pleasure and shock, Chongyun’s hands automatically grabbing Xingqiu’s ass. He stared up at the young master, eyes wide as dinner plates, as Xingqiu began to ride him.

“I just…needed you…inside me…” Xingqiu moaned.

Chongyun was practically drooling as he watched his boyfriend posting up and down on him, his now flaccid cock bouncing back and forth. Oh Archons…he was so cute…so pretty…

Unsatisfied with staying still on his back, Chongyun sat up, wrapping his legs around the younger boy while staying inside him. Running his hands up and down his smooth flawless back until they rested again on his ass, Chongyun started moving him up and down. Xingqiu’s mouth hung open, his own hands cupping Chongyun’s face.

“Y-Yun,” he gasped. “I…I love this…”

“I love you,” Chongyun chuckled, bouncing him faster as their faces grew closer. He rested his forehead against Xingqiu’s, feeling his cum leaking out of his ass.

“I…I love you too…I…I’ve been wanting to do this for a while…”

“What, ride me?”

“Yeah…Oh, Yun, I want your cum so bad…I want you to…”

Xingqiu suddenly stopped, his face beet red.

“What?” Chongyun asked.

“N-nothing…”

A sly grin grew on Chongyun’s face as he remembered how their first encounter ended. He leaned up to whisper in Xingqiu’s ear.

“Do you want me to give you a baby?”

Xingqiu’s fingernails dug into Chongyun’s skin. “I…um, uh…”

Chongyun let out a dark chuckle as heat spread across his body. “You do, don’t you?”

“May…maybe…”

“Yeah?” Chongyun bounced Xingqiu up and down, practically masturbating himself with his body. “Say it.”

“Y-Yun…” Xingqiu whined. Oh, how wonderful it was to embarrass him, this smug boy who always got his way…

Chongyun slapped his ass harshly, his yang energy boiling just below the surface. “Say it,” he commanded.

“I…I want you to give me a baby…” Xingqiu whimpered.

“Well…I guess we’ll just have to keep trying then, won’t we?” Chongyun crooned in a voice that was barely his own.

Xingqiu’s eyes sparkled with joy. “Y-yeah…” Oh, he was such a cutie…even knowing it wasn’t possible, it filled him with such a perverse pleasure.

Chongyun thrust up into his beautiful boyfriend, clutching his face in his hands. He kissed him over and over, desperate to give him what he asked for. Xingqiu looked more aroused than he’d ever seen him, his mouth hanging open as his eyes stared into Chongyun’s soul.

“Oh, Qiu…I’m so close…”

“Oh, good…please Yun, give it to me…”

“Would you want…a boy or a girl?” Chongyun groaned. Any minute now…

“A girl,” Xingqiu gasped, pressing his forehead against Chongyun’s. “I’ve always wanted a girl…and I…I think you’d be a wonderful father for a girl…”

Something about how earnestly Xingqiu stared into Chongyun’s eyes, and how pure his sentiment was, made Chongyun so incredibly happy. He could see it in his head…the two of them, visibly older, walking along a beach with a little girl holding both their hands.

Chongyun tightened his arms around Xingqiu’s small body. “Oh, QIU…” And with one final thrust upwards, Chongyun came inside him.

“Oh, Yun, YES,” Xingqiu cried, kissing him all over his face as Chongyun orgasmed. “Give it all to me…”

As Chongyun shot rope after rope of cum inside his best friend, he began to feel light headed. The ale and the yang energy was taking its toll.

“Qiu…” he murmured, Xingqiu’s gorgeous face beginning to blur in front of him. “I l-love you…and you…you would be a good father too…”

He stroked Xingqiu’s cheek, giving him a dazed but loving smile.

And he fell back against the sheets, sound asleep.

Chapter 14: Fantasy Fulfilment

Notes:

Aaaand we have more smut, my friends...and the breeding kink/pain kink make return appearances. Everything is 100% consensual, and both of our boys are having a great time, so I hope you do too!

The plan is for one more chapter after this, but I have a lot of story I want to tell and wrap up in Inazuma, so if it starts running too long, I might split it into two chapters. Hard to say, but as of right now, I'm planning for just one more plot related chapter.

Thank you as always for reading, kudos and comments are always appreciated...enjoy the food! :)

Chapter Text

“Hey, wake up, you two!” A loud knocking against the closed door of their cabin caused Xingqiu to shoot his head up in surprise.

“We’ll be docking in a couple hours,” Beidou’s voice called from behind the door. “Get your stuff together!”

“O-ok!” Xingqiu responded, slightly out of breath. “Keep going…we’ll meet you up on the deck!”

“Good deal. And…make sure you bring your sheets out to be washed, ok?”

“Um…mmgghh…su-sure thing, Lady Beidou,” Xingqiu stuttered.

With a chuckle, Beidou’s steps grew fainter as the captain made her way back up to the top.

Xingqiu let out a satisfied sigh. “Good boy…now, where were we?”

“Qiu,” Chongyun breathed, letting Xingqiu’s cock fall out of his mouth. “We should really gather our stuff together…”

“I already packed almost everything up last night,” Xingqiu replied. “We’ve got plenty of time. Now…there’s something I’ve been wanting to try with you. Kindly lie flat on your back.”

Chongyun groaned, but he knew better than to fight back. Obediently, he scooched up to the head of the bed, laying his head down.

“I read about this in one of my romance novels,” Xingqiu giggled. “It sounded really fun…”

The young master turned his back, straddling the exorcist up near his head, and leaned down. Chongyun gasped as he was suddenly greeted with Xingqiu’s adorable ass and fully hard erection just in front of his mouth.

“I…um…what are you…?”

“We both pleasure each other at the same time, silly,” Xingqiu chuckled. “How’s the view from back there?”

Xingqiu couldn’t see, but Chongyun’s face was the color of a Jueyun Chilli. “Um…really good…”

“Excellent,” Xingqiu smiled. “Now get to it, dearest Chongyun. We mustn't keep Lady Beidou waiting.”

Chongyun stifled a loud moan as Xingqiu took him into his mouth. His hand gripped the young master’s ass, his mouth watering as the gloriously hard dick in front of him waved back and forth.

He smiled despite himself. He really did love how much of a sexual appetite his boyfriend had developed, even if it did push the control he had over his yang energy to the limits. Oh well…he might as well…

He opened his mouth, and began to dutifully pleasure his boyfriend.

“Anchors away!”

There was a big splash as the Alcor dropped anchor. Water splashed up onto the deck, but all the water happened to miss the two boys as Xingqiu held up his hand, lazily deflecting the water droplets.

“Now that would be handy, having a hydro user on board all the time,” Beidou observed. “But you get used to getting wet on a ship. Anyway…welcome, boys, to Inazuma.”

Chongyun gaped as he stared at the surrounding landscape. There were trees with…purple leaves?! He’d heard about them of course, but seeing them in person was something else entirely. The surroundings didn’t seem quite as warm and bright as they did in Liyue, but even so, it still felt inviting.

What looked like soldiers in purple uniforms walked to and fro on the docks and the town before them. All around them, Chongyun could see long stretches of water with various other islands in the distance. Xingqiu had been right; they would have a lot to explore.

A lone man strode towards them from the dock, with long white hair and bright red eyes. An Anemo Vision shone on his shoulder, and a red sword hung from his sheath.

“Kazhua!” Beidou called out. “Good timing! You wouldn’t want to help us unload all this, would you?”

“Perhaps,” Kazuha replied, his voice very soft. “Actually, I was hoping to catch a ride back to Liyue with you. I…fear I may have overstayed my welcome. People are beginning to talk about the incident with the Shogun, and I’d rather be somewhere people won’t seek me out.”

“Ha!” Beidou laughed. “You’re always welcome on the Alcor, you know that! Plus, your anemo would be useful for the sails! And you know what…I actually was going to throw a party when we got back. I could introduce you to Xinyan, oh, you’d like her!”

Beidou looked back at the two boys. “Sorry, you two, where are my manners? This is Kazuha, a frequent crew member and wandering samurai!”

“We’ve met,” Xingqiu said, smiling pleasantly at the white haired man. “How have you been, Kazuha?”

“Well enough, thank you,” Kazuha inclined his head. “And who is this?”

“This is my boyfriend, Chongyun,” Xingqiu gestured at the exorcist.

Chongyun blushed as he extended his hand for Kazuha to shake. Being introduced as Xingqiu’s boyfriend filled him with exhilaration.

“Well met, Chongyun,” Kazuha smiled.

“A-and you,” Chongyun nodded.

“Well, we’d better get all of this off the ship,” Beidou sighed. “We don’t want to keep Lady Guuji waiting.” She turned her head to call back to her crew. “Come on, everyone, chop chop!”

“Oh!” Chongyun exclaimed. “I-I can help too…”

“Don’t be silly, you’re our guest,” Beidou chuckled. “We can handle this.”

As the crew and Xingqiu’s retainers began to carry bags and boxes off the ship (Xu in particular was overloaded with bags) Xingqiu grabbed Chongyun’s hand. “Come on, Yun! Let me show you around!”

But they were barely off the dock when they were greeted by a tall woman with long flowing pink hair. She had a permanent sly grin on her face, with a glint in her eye that made Chongyun uneasy.

“My, my, if it isn’t the famous author of ‘A Legend of Sword’. What an honor to have you writing for me,” the tall woman said in a voice like honey.

“Lady Guuji,” Xingqiu bowed his head, “Thank you very much for this opportunity.”

“Oh please, we’ll be working together,” the tall woman laughed. “Just call me Yae Miko.” Her eyes rested on Chongyun. “And who is this little cutie?”

“Um…” Chongyun blushed. “My-my name is Chongyun.”

“Aww, no need to be so shy! I don’t bite.” Xingqiu let out a grumble as she lifted Chongyun’s chin up, examining him. “Oh, you are a fascinating one, aren’t you? I’ve never seen such a high amount of yang energy in one person before.”

“H-how could you tell?” Chongyun asked curiously.

“Part of my job as the head shrine maiden involves performing exorcisms. I know how to spot the signs. For instance…” She stared intently into Chongyun’s eyes. “You have a faint glow in your eyes. Yes…a very fascinating young man, indeed.”

“Um…” Chongyun’s face had turned a deep red. He didn’t know how to respond to such an invasive presence. Fortunately Xingqiu, ever the protective boyfriend, stepped in.

“Lady Guuji, if I may, your actions are clearly making Chongyun feel uncomfortable.”

“Oh, are they?” Yae Miko said, feigning surprise. “My deepest apologies.” She let go of Chongyun’s chin as Xingqiu wrapped his arm around him protectively. “Goodness, look at you two…you make such a cute couple.”

Xingqiu’s arm around Chongyun tightened. “Yes…I think so too.”

Yae Miko raised her eyebrows. “Ah…so you are a couple, then? Well, that explains why the two of you will be sharing a room. I did wonder…not that it’s any of my business.”

Something told Chongyun that Yae Miko was the type of person who made everything her business.

“Well, no sense in dawdling out here,” she continued. “Let me show you where you’ll be staying. You two!” She snapped her fingers at two crewmen. “Bring these boys’ personal effects and follow us.”

“Here we are,” the head shrine maiden said, opening the door. “Welcome to your new home.”

Chongyun couldn’t help but gasp; the room was massive. As the two members of the crew struggled to bring the bags in, Chongyun walked around, examining his surroundings. It was essentially a small ranch style home with one large room. There was a substantial living area with a large kotasu in the center, connected to a kitchen with an icebox. Several drapings of scenic art covered the walls. There was a long sliding wooden door on the far end, opening up to a view overlooking the sea. And in the far corner, there was a large bed fit for an Archon, which looked incredibly comfortable.

“Yes, plenty of space,” Yae Miko chuckled, reading Chongyun’s mind. “I was planning on having a second bed set up in here, but it has become apparent that it won’t be necessary. A shrine maiden will come around at the end of each week to collect your laundry and provide you with funds for sustenance. I would have them tend to the icebox as well, but as you yourself possess a Cryo Vision, I trust you’ll be self-sufficient on that end.”

She turned away from the blushing exorcist to Xingqiu, adopting a more business-like tone. “We weren’t expecting you until later this afternoon, so your first meeting with your publishing team won’t be until this evening. Until then, you’re free to explore the surrounding area.” She looked back and forth between the two boys with a knowing grin. “Or, perhaps you’ll find another way to spend that time?”

Having set the last of the bags down, the two crewmen laid against the wall, panting slightly. “Would you like us to help you unpack?” one of them asked.

“That won’t be necessary, you’ve done enough,” Xingqiu said graciously. “Thank you both.” He reached into his pocket, and put a handful of Mora into each of their hands.

“Thank you, kind sir!” the other man said, grinning at Xingqiu. The two of them left, lightly jogging back down to the ship.

“If you require anything during your stay here, my shrine maidens will be more than happy to assist you,” Yae Miko said. “In addition, there is a small private bathhouse near here that is yours to use as you wish. Now then,” she strode towards the door, “If you’ll excuse me, the life of the head shrine maiden is excruciatingly busy. I’ll see the both of you later! I do hope the bed is…comfortable enough.”

With a whip of her pink hair and a wink, Yae Miko shut the door behind her.

Chongyun let out an exasperated groan, falling back onto the bed. “What is it with people? First Beidou, now Lady Guji? Is everyone just determined to make what we have a…”

But he was cut off as Xingqiu tackled him on the bed, laughing gleefully. “Oh, Yun, we’re here! And look at this place! We have it all to ourselves!” He played with Chongyun’s hair. “And we have the whole afternoon to spend together… what ever shall we do?”

“Um…go exploring?”

Xingqiu pretended to think. “Perhaps…but there’ll be plenty of time for that. For now…” Xingqiu grabbed Chongyun’s crotch. “I think we should break in the bed.”

“Qiuuuuu,” Chongyun whined, pushing him off. “We spent every other night on the ship having fun…now that we’re on land, you still only want sex?”

Xingqiu gave him a sheepish grin. “It’s not my fault you’re so good at it.”

Chongyun blushed, but quickly forced down his smile. “No. There’s much more we can do now. I need a break.”

“Oh, but Yun, don’t you see it’s different now? We don’t have to worry about being quiet, or attendants coming in to bother us. This is our place!” He cupped Chongyun’s face, giving him a loving smile. “Trust me, Chongyun, I want to explore around with you. And we will, I promise. But first…I really need something from you.”

Chongyun sighed. “What?”

Xingqiu stroked his hand down Chongyun’s chest. “Now that we have complete and utter privacy…I want you to let it all go.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“I know you’ve been holding back. Every time you get close to overheating, you slow down, or you change up what we’re doing…but I want to see it. I want to see YOU…all of you.”

Chongyun seized up. Oh no…he had been afraid of this. But he thought Xingqiu would understand why he couldn’t…why he could never…

He flinched as Xingqiu ran his hand down Chongyun’s back. He felt himself harden from his touch. “Come on, Yun-Yun…”

“Xingqiu,” he said, struggling. “I…I can’t.”

“Of course you can,” Xingqiu said in a sultry voice. “You can’t hide it from me, Yun…I know you want this.”

“I didn’t say I…don’t want it…but I can’t.”

“Yuuunnn,” Xingqiu whined, “I want you. I need you!” He reached forward, grabbing the exorcist by the crotch. “Just feel how hard you are for me, Yun-Yun! Just…give in to it…”

“I CAN’T!” Chongyun cried, wrenching himself away from Xingqiu, who now looked alarmed. “You don’t understand…you could never understand! I have so much…heat inside me. And I’ve gotten a lot better at controlling it, but this is too much…”

Chongyun paced about, dragging his hand through his hair. Xingqiu stared at him with a hand over his mouth. “Xingqiu, you’ve never seen me lose control before! I mean completely lose control! Everything, and I mean everything, comes out! Every dark impulse, every despicable thought, all those things you keep in the back of your mind that you don’t talk about…it opens the floodgates. It’s not me getting more confident or extroverted at that point. It’s…it’s like I become a different person. Or maybe…” His eyes welled up. “Maybe it’s who I really am…inside…”

Chongyun sank to the floor, pulling his legs up to his chest. “I’ll hurt you,” he choked. “I know I will. I’ll do and say things I won’t mean to. You don’t want to see the real me…the monster.”

Xingqiu slowly made his way over to the young man he loved. He lowered himself to his knees, his amber eyes wavering slightly. He picked up Chongyun’s chin, tilting his face up to meet his gaze.

“Chongyun,” he said softly, “I love you. I love every part of you. You think you’re some kind of monster? You’re the most amazing person I know. You could never scare me away.”

“Yes, I could,” Chongyun whispered. “You don’t know what goes on in my head.”

“So show me,” Xingqiu implored, clutching Chongyun’s cheeks. “Show me. You don’t have to hide anything from me, Chongyun.” Xingqiu’s hands trailed down between Chongyun’s legs, wrapping his hand around his length. “Especially not this…oh, you’re still hard.”

“Please…” Chongyun stared up at Xingqiu with pleading eyes. “Please don’t…”

“Nuh uh uh,” Xingqiu crooned at him, squeezing his cock. “That’s my line.”

“Qiu, please, this isn’t a joke…I could hurt you!”

“Oh, a little pain never stopped anyone from having fun,” Xingqiu teased, rubbing Chongyun’s length up and down. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll splash you with water if you go too far.”

“Qiu,” Chongyun’s voice was growing deeper, his breath labored. He squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m warning you…”

“Oh, what?” Xingqiu licked his lips. “You gonna punish me? Make me crawl on all fours? Pound me into the mattress until I beg you to stop?”

Heat emanated from every pore of Chongyun’s body. “No,” he breathed, his chest heaving.

Xingqiu raised an eyebrow. “No? You wouldn’t do any of that, huh?”

Chongyun’s eyes snapped open. His light blue eyes seemed to be glowing brighter than normal. He grabbed the young master by the chin, his skin white hot against Xingqiu’s face.

“No…I’ll keep going no matter HOW much you beg,” he growled.

Xingqiu’s eyes were as wide as gemstones. He quivered underneath Chongyun’s grip, whether from fear or excitement, he did not know. “Y-Yun,” he whispered.

Chongyun pushed him roughly down onto the bed, grabbing him by the wrists. Yang energy pulsing from his skin, he pinned Xingqiu down with an iron grip.

“Remember,” he said in a low dark voice, “You wanted this…” And with that, he grabbed Xingqiu’s top, ripping it open to expose his small petite chest.

“Yuunn,” Xingqiu whined, “That was expensive!”

“Do I look like I care?” Chongyun snarled, discarding the ruined clothes. “Poor little rich boy…you can buy another one.” He lowered his face down to Xingqiu’s panting stomach, and ran his tongue up to the young man’s chest.

Xingqiu giggled, his legs kicking out as he squirmed. “Oh, Yun…oh, OW!!”

Chongyun had sunk his teeth into Xingqiu’s peck. He sucked in hard, leaving a bright red mark around his nipple.

“That hurts!” Xingqiu complained.

“And you love it,’ Chongyun growled, moving up to his lover’s neck. His tongue dragged up and down the soft skin, leaving bite marks and kisses wherever he pleased.

“N-no I don’t,” Xingqiu whimpered.

“Oh no?” Chongyun grabbed Xingqiu by the crotch. “Then why are you rock hard for me right now?”

Xingqiu averted his eyes with a fake little pout. Oh, he knew just how to play the part…

“I don’t…I don’t know…”

“Well, I do,” the young exorcist spat. “It’s because you’re a dirty slutty little boy…” He grabbed Xingqiu roughly, throwing him onto his stomach with a yelp, “…who needs to learn their place.”

He yanked Xingqiu’s shorts down none too gently, leaving the young master completely naked. Despite the overwhelming heat consuming him, he took a moment to appreciate the view. Xingqiu’s ass lay completely exposed, the white porcelain skin so smooth, completely unblemished. It was so cute…he couldn’t wait to completely destroy it.

“Y-Yun?” Xingqiu’s quavering voice called out from behind his shoulder, looking back at him. “You don’t have to stop…I’m ok, really, I am.”

That hadn’t been the reason for the pause in activity, but hearing Xingqiu’s words gave Chongyun a brief moment of lucidity. “You…you sure?” he forced out.

“Yeah…oh Yun, this is really hot…you can do whatever you want to me.”

A wide grin spread across Chongyun’s face, the heat taking back over. He grabbed Xingqiu’s ass roughly with one hand, raising the other above his head. “Like I needed your permission,” he growled, and brought his hand crashing down.

Xingqiu cried out as Chongyun spanked him, his hand leaving red imprints with every slap. Back and forth he went, slapping each cheek with increasing force each time. Oh, it was so soft…Chongyun delighted in watching Xingqiu’s cute little butt jiggle with each smack. He loved watching the smooth white skin slowly become red and inflamed as he punished the young master.

“You’ve been a very *smack* naughty *smack* boy!”

“I know,” Xingqiu whimpered, “But I’ll be better, I promise!”

“Yeah? *smack* You gonna be a good boy?”

Xingqiu nodded vigorously. “Yes…I wanna be a good boy for you…please, just no more, it hurts…”

Chongyun delivered his hardest slap yet, causing Xingqiu to yelp in pain. “Good boys take their punishment,” he snarled. “Oh, but you’ve been very very bad, haven’t you? All those lies you told me, all that spicy food you’ve forced on me…you deserve this, Xingqiu. You deserve every *smack* single *smack* hit!”

“I know!” Xingqiu cried, “But please…PLEASE, my dearest Chongyun…”

Chongyun pretended to think about it. “Well…if you want to end your punishment early…you’ll have to prove you can be a good boy. You’ll have to do whatever I say, and please me in whatever way I see fit.”

“I will,” Xingqiu whispered. “I’ll do whatever you ask…”

Chongyun grabbed Xingqiu by the hair, forcing his head up. He gave him a swift slap across the face, causing Xingqiu to gasp. “I’m not asking,” Chongyun spat.

Xingqiu stared deep into Chongyun’s glowing eyes, rubbing his cheek where the exorcist had slapped him. Despite the whirlwind of heat and fire inside Chongyun’s body that consumed almost every rational thought, a small part of him inwardly cringed. Had he just gone too far? Spanking was one thing, but slapping his beloved in the face?

But there was nothing in Xingqiu’s eyes but pure unadulterated lust. His mouth hung open as he breathed heavily, and Chongyun could see the shadow of a huge grin the young master was barely holding back.

Wow…Xingqiu really DID like it rough…

“I’m sorry,” Xingqiu whimpered, looking downward in an attempt to hide how turned on he was. “I meant…I’ll do whatever you say. I…I am yours to command, my liege.”

Chongyun lifted Xingqiu up by the chin. “Of course you are,” he crooned. “It’s what you’ve always wanted, isn’t it?” He leaned down to kiss him, giving him a brief reprieve from the onslaught of punishment and debauchery.

“Oh, Chongyun, yes…I want it, I want it…”

Xingqiu’s hands intertwined with Chongyun’s hair as they continued to mash their lips together. Chongyun moaned into his mouth as his tongue invaded, swirling around Xingqiu’s. His hands moved down the back of the younger man, gripping his freshly spanked ass.

Pulling back, Chongyun released his hair, letting Xingqiu’s head fall to the mattress. “Sit up,” he commanded, “I want you to see this.”

Xingqiu dutifully sat up on the bed, crossing his legs. Even in the throes of passion, he was still so elegant. Chongyun backed up slightly, his hard cock straining for release against his pants. Part of him wanted to stay clothed for a while longer. It felt so domineering to be fully clothed while Xingqiu was completely naked…but the prospect of having Xingqiu pleasure him was too good to pass up.

Chongyun, despite wanting to tear his clothes off and jump him then and there, knew it would infuriate Xingqiu more to take his time. So, he slowly began to remove his clothes. First his top, which Xingqiu has already begun to unlace earlier. Xingqiu watched him with flushed cheeks as he began to uncover his upper half. Slowly but surely, his bare chest and abs were exposed.

“Oh Yun,” Xingqiu moaned, staring at him like you would a delicious steak. “You’re so handsome…so toned…”

Xingqiu’s cock, already semi-hard, slowly rose until it was standing straight up. Chongyun felt a rush of pride, knowing it was him making it happen.

“I know what you really want to see,” Chongyun teased, glancing down at the tent forming near his crotch.

Xingqiu licked his lips. “I want it,” he whispered.

“I know you do, you naughty boy.” Chongyun made his way over to the horny young man. “Why don’t you be a good boy and let it out for me?”

Xingqiu leapt forward eagerly, and quickly began to unlace Chongyun’s pants. The exorcist slapped his hand away, wagging his finger.

“No. Slowly.”

Xingqiu groaned, a genuine pout forming on his lips. Chongyun grinned down at him. “That’s right. Slowly, or not at all.”

How often had Xingqiu teased him? How often had that petulant child kept something he wanted away from him, or forced something on him? Practically their entire lives. Now, Chongyun thought, it was their turn to see what that felt like.

Xingqiu, his hands trembling, slowly undid Chongyun’s trousers. The exorcist ran his hand through Xingqiu’s dark blue hair. Oh, he was so cute…he couldn’t wait to claim the young master for his own.

Xingqiu slowly pulled Chongyun’s hard cock out of his pants, and gave it a few tentative pumps. “Please…let me suck it for you, dearest Chongyun,” he whined.

Chongyun chuckled darkly. “Open your mouth…”

Xingqiu obeyed, letting his mouth hang open as he looked up at Chongyun expectedly. Before he could react, Chongyun grabbed the back of Xingqiu’s hair, and forced his head all the way down on his member.

“Chong…Yugggggh…!”

Moaning in delight, Chongyun threw his head back as he thrust his way down his boyfriend’s throat. Gurgling noises emitted from the young master as he dutifully took his cock, sucking it as best he could. Tears of exertion leaked out of the sides of those bright amber eyes as they stared up at his gorgeous exorcist, desperate to please.

Chongyun felt Xingqiu’s hands resting on his hips. Smirking, he grabbed Xingqiu’s wrists, and forced his hands around to grab onto his ass. His soft hands gripped Chongyun’s toned cheeks, and the young master groaned on his cock as he pushed Chongyun further in.

Oh Archons, it felt so good…Xingqiu’s throat was so tight, so warm and inviting…and he was taking it so well. Xingqiu really could be a good little boy…he just needed a big strong exorcist to show him the way. Chongyun licked his lips as he stroked his dark blue hair, never slowing down his thrusting. Sweet little Xingqiu…right where he belonged, on his knees, taking his dick down his throat. And the way his eyes stared up adoringly at him, never breaking eye contact, as his cheeks were stuffed with Chongyun’s thick erection…what a perfect, wonderful boy.

Desperate muffled moans poured out of the side of Xingqiu’s puffed out lips, bobbing his head back and forth with vigor trying to match Chongyun’s thrusts. Oh…he wanted him to cum for him, didn’t he? Well, he couldn’t have that, not just yet…

Chongyun gave him one final deep thrust down his throat (Xingqiu gave an appreciative gurgle) before he slid himself out of the warm wet orifice. Xingqiu gasped for air, hanging his head as he continued to grip Chongyun’s ass.

“Yun…why’d you stop?” Xingqiu gasped. “I want…I want your cum…”

“What, in your mouth?” Chongyun chuckled, holding Xingqiu’s chin up as heat radiated from his hand and body. “Seems like an awful waste, doesn’t it?”

“Wha…what do you mean?”

“Well, my darling little Qiu-Qiu,” Chongyun crooned, “I need to get every last drop inside you.” He leaned down, pressing his lips up against Xingqiu’s ear as he nibbled on his earlobe. “You want to give me a baby, don’t you?”

Xingqiu’s fingers tightened around Chongyun as he heard him gasp, a tremor traveling down his body. Chongyun withdrew to stare hungrily down at his prey. The young master was breathing heavily, practically shaking.

“Y-Yun…Yun…”

“You’re going to give me a baby,” Chongyun breathed. “And I’m not going to stop until you do. I’ll fuck you as long…and as hard…as it takes.”

Xingqiu looked like he was about to explode. His face was so red it was practically purple; his entire body seemed to be vibrating. His cock was fully hard, proudly showing just how aroused he was by Chongyun’s words.

Chongyun towered over his love. He had never felt so powerful, so in control. “Get on your hands and knees,” he commanded, grabbing Xingqiu by the jaw. “Do it now…before I decide to stop being nice.”

Xingqiu’s tiny chest was rising and falling at a record pace, his amber eyes wider than Chongyun had ever seen. His mouth hanging open, he nodded vigorously.

Wordlessly, Chongyun walked over to one of Xingqiu’s discarded bags, where he knew he had put the oil. Pulling it out, he squirted it onto himself as he watched Xingqiu get into position. Walking back behind him, he let out a sound of approval as he stared down at his boyfriend’s cute little butt sticking up in the air, waiting for him.

Smirking, he let his hand crash down on his ass, even harder than before. Xingqiu let out a cry of pain, burying his face in the pillows. “Yuuuunnn…”

“What?” Chongyun chuckled, dragging his tongue all the way up from Xingqiu’s balls and across his taint, ending at his ass. “You want me, don’t you?”

He squirted oil on his fingers, and plunged two of them deep into his ass.

“Yeeesssss,” Xingqiu whined, thrusting his hips up to meet Chongyun’s fingers. “I want you…I want you…”

Every second another pulse of energy radiated from Chongyun’s white hot skin. He couldn’t hold it back. He was a slave to it, a willing servant to his inner most demons, his animalistic urges he had buried his whole life…and just as he now served the urges, so too would Xingqiu serve him.

Withdrawing his fingers, he yanked Xingqiu’s hips closer to him, lined himself up, and pushed himself inside the tight opening.

“YUUUUNNNN!!!” Xingqiu sobbed into the pillow, his cries of both pain and pleasure muffled by the feathered material.

Oh, but Chongyun longed to hear his sweet little Qiu’s cries. No one would hear him scream and beg for more…none except him.

He grabbed a fistful of Xingqiu’s hair, and pulled his head up, arching his back so his butt stuck up more. Grunting his approval, he began to pound his hips against his fragile lover.

“You’re all mine now,” he growled, leaning down to pepper Xingqiu’s neck with love bites as he pistoned himself in and out of the young master’s ass. “When I’m done with you, you won’t be able to move, let alone walk.”

Xingqiu squealed as Chongyun began to suck on the skin. “Chongyun, wait…please, don’t leave a mark on my neck…they’ll see, and I, I want to give a good first impression…”

Chongyun’s first instinct was to bite down even harder, an evil grin on his face as he entertained the thought. But as the thought came and went, he experienced another moment of lucidity, free from the overwhelming heat inside him.

“I…of course, I didn’t think…I’m sorry, Qiu,” he stammered, every word difficult to speak. “Is…everything else…ok?”

“Yes,” Xingqiu nodded profusely. “Oh, Chongyun, I promise I am loving this!” He smiled over his shoulder at his love. “But it’s good to know my sweet, loving Yun is still in there.”

Sweat poured down Chongyun’s face as he fought back his yang energy for just another moment. “I…love…you…”

Xingqiu’s smile widened, his eyes sparkling. “I love you too, Chongyun…I love you so much. Now…” He wiggled his ass at the exorcist, whose cock was still firmly lodged inside. “Kindly fuck the shit out of me until I can’t remember my own name.”

Letting himself go once more, Chongyun slid his hands down Xingqiu’s smooth back, grinning to himself. “Gladly…”

With each passing minute, mindlessly slamming himself against his best friend, Chongyun became more and more drunk on the heat inside him. Time seemed to simultaneously slow down and speed up. Xingqiu’s body blurred in his vision, and like when he was meditating, everything else around him seemed to fade away. Soon, all he was aware of was the massive heat pulsing from his body, and the never ending pleasure he felt as Xingqiu’s ass massaged his cock. He had only one goal, one purpose in life: to cum inside Xingqiu.

Xingqiu, for his part, seemed to have fulfilled his wish; his lustful comments he usually would make had deteriorated into nonsensical babbling. Occasionally, a sound resembling their language would slip out. “Y…un…har…der…mo…re…”

And with every beg he received he would comply, pounding himself harder and faster inside Xingqiu’s tight wonderful ass. With a seemingly never ending supply of stamina, he gave the young master everything he had. But he wasn’t just satisfied with fucking him.

He slapped his ass until it shone beet red. He dragged his nails up and down the length of his back, leaving scratch marks in his wake. He bit down on his shoulders, leaving bright red marks wherever his teeth decided. He pulled on his hair, yanking his head up to whisper in his ear whatever depraved thing came to mind at the time.

He pulled himself out just to spit into Xingqiu’s gaping hole, and slid himself back in again. He grabbed his balls and squeezed them as hard as he begged him to. He reached underneath and twisted his nipples, making them hard and swollen. And all the while he continued to fuck him, to breed him, to claim him for his own, while Xingqiu just kept crying and shouting and begging for more, more, more

Chongyun suddenly felt a rush of overwhelming pleasure, crying out as he felt his cock buck inside Xingqiu. He shut his eyes for a moment, basking in the pure carnal feeling as he…

His eyes snapped open. He was fucking Xingqiu against the wall, the young master suspended only by his grip underneath his thighs, and by his cock.

Xingqiu’s cheeks were flushed, his breathing erratic. His arms wrapped around Chongyun’s neck as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

“Want…more…cum…”

Chongyun was suddenly aware of something dripping down from Xingqiu’s ass onto his balls. Had he…had he already cum??

Clearly it hadn’t been enough to appease either of them.

Grinning, he slid his hands upwards to cup Xingqiu’s ass. “You want more, huh?” he chuckled.

“Mmhmmmm,” Xingqiu whined. “Want more…Yun…need you…to breed me…”

Groaning with delight, Chongyun slammed his hips upwards against his best friend, mashing his lips against his own. Xingqiu moaned into his mouth as their tongues slid across each other, the exorcist slamming him harder against the wall…

Now he was on his back, pounding upwards into Xingqiu as the young master writhed and squirmed above him, his hand flying up and down on his own cock. Bite marks were littered across his pale white skin, seemingly everywhere on his body below his neck. Chongyun didn’t remember doing that.

“Yuuuunnnn,” Xingqiu wailed, bouncing up and down on his dick. “Don’t stop…so good…gonna…cum…”

“Go ahead,’ Chongyun gasped, slapping his ass with a grin. “You’ve been such a good boy, you deserve it…”

Xingqiu bit his lip in concentration, still bouncing up and down as he rubbed himself vigorously. Chongyun watched his balls bounce as Xingqiu pleasured himself.

“Go on,” the exorcist crooned. “Cum for me, Xingqiu…”

“I…I…oh YUUUNNN…”

Xingqiu cried out as cum exploded from his tip, raining down on Chongyun’s abs and chest. His cheeks flushed, the young master moaned and squirmed as he released all of his seed.

“Oh, good boy,” Chongyun complimented him. “You’re such a good boy, Qiu-Qiu…”

Chongyun grabbed him by the hips, and pushed him off onto his back. He leapt up with an evil grin, quickly reinserting himself as Xingqiu’s cum dripped off of his body onto the pale skin of the young boy below him. “Mggghh…now I…need to cum…” he growled.

Xingqiu giggled with delight. “You’ve already cum twice, Yun!”

Had he? It was all starting to blur together…

“Once more…want to…give you more…”

Xingqiu stared up at him with eager amber eyes. “Oh, Yun…”

Chongyun brought his hips crashing down against Xingqiu’s small battered body over and over, fucking him with complete abandon. The young master’s now soft and impotent cock bounced back and forth against Chongyun’s thrusts. The moans and cries of the two boys filled their home, their private space. The exorcist slid in and out of his boyfriend’s ass with ease, the insides properly lubricated with two loads of his cum. Oh, but he must give him more…

“Qiu…feels so good…so close…”

“Yun,” Xingqiu pleaded, his hands grabbing the exorcist wherever they could. “Please cum for me…I want it so bad…”

Chongyun leaned down, covering his best friend in kisses as he pounded into him. “I love you, Xingqiu,” he gasped, losing his breath as he felt his final orgasm build inside him. “I love you, I love you, I love you…”

“Oh, Chongyun, I love you too!” Xingqiu cried, his fingernails digging into Chongyun’s back. “I love you so, so much…”

“I’m…almost there…”

“Oh, good…please, Yun, give it to me…I want every drop inside me…”

With one final thrust, putting himself as deep inside his love as he could, Chongyun threw his head back. His cock, buried in Xingqiu’s ass to the hilt, pulsed inside him. And with a cry to the heavens, Chongyun came for the final time.

He cried with pleasure and relief as he filled Xingqiu’s ass with rope after rope of cum. There was so much of it, even after having cum twice…there was no way in Tevat it was going to all fit inside him. Even with his cock still inside, Chongyun felt it begin to drip down, overflowing out of Xingqiu.

“Yes!” Xingqiu babbled, “Give me more…I want more…”

Finally, after what seemed like two straight hours, Chongyun’s moans finally quieted down, and he felt the last of his cum leave his body and enter his love’s. His cock softening, he let out a great sigh, and slowly pulled it out.

His yang energy finally subsiding, Chongyun stared down at his handiwork, breathing heavily. Xingqiu’s soft little body was littered with bruises and love bites, and what looked like a gallon of cum was pouring out of him. He heard a sound of pleasure from Xingqiu as he stared up at him, his face red.

“How’s it look?” Xingqiu moaned at him.

“Really…really good,” Chongyun gasped, out of breath. “I came…so much…”

Chongyun collapsed against Xingqiu as the dark blue haired boy stroked his hair. “Oh, Yun…you’re so good to me…thank you…”

“Mgghh…so sleepy…”

“That’s ok, we’ve got plenty of time before the meeting. We can just lie here together.”

Despite the overwhelming drowsiness overcoming him, that made Chongyun smile. Utterly spent, and with his yang energy dying down, he snuggled up against Xingqiu, satisfied that he had successfully bred his love.

“Qiu…I didn’t…hurt you too badly, did I?”

A light chuckle. “No, Yun, not at all. It was…oh, it was exactly what I wanted…”

“Re-really?”

“Yes…do you know how long I’ve been wanting this? How long I’ve fantasized about you using me? Oh, Chongyun, it was wonderful!”

Chongyun squeezed his boyfriend, sighing with content. He had made Xingqiu happy…nothing else could fill him with such joy.

“Qiu, I…I’m really glad you asked me to kiss you that night.”

Xingqiu let out a soft trill. “And I’m glad you did. I remember I was so worried…I thought you were going to leave or something. That you…didn’t like me that way.”

Chongyun nuzzled his face into Xingqiu’s shoulder as he began to drift off. “Qiu…I’ve always liked you that way.”

There was a moment of silence as Xingqiu lay there, snuggled in Chongyun’s arms. “Yun…” he said softly, “I…thank you for coming here with me.”

Chongyun let his head rest against the pillows as his eyes began to close. “I’ll go anywhere with you, Xingqiu.”

Chapter 15: Conquering Demons

Notes:

Hello there...it's been a minute!

Sorry for the delay in the final chapter. There's been a lot of life stuff going on...a death in the family, trying to find a new home and a job...but I was also just burned out a little bit. I wrote so much of this in such a short span of time that I needed a bit of a break. But I'm back! So thank you so much for your patience.

So this final chapter takes inspiration from a story quest in the game. I didn't follow it exactly, but the parallels with what Chongyun is going through just made too much sense to me, so I hope you enjoy it.

Ok...at last, here's the final chapter in After All That Training!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Life was good.

The last six months seemed to have gone by in a blur for Chongyun. Too many incredible places to see, too many interesting people to meet, and most importantly, he was with Xingqiu. Always with Xingqiu.

His love. His dearest friend. The object of his undying lust.

Xingqiu did actually have enough restraint to focus on his work; in the last six months, he had written three short stories, and was about three quarters of the way done with his follow-up to ‘A Legend of Sword’. Chongyun would throw in suggestions whenever he felt he could, and of course the publishing team Yae Miko had strung together was always contributing their ideas.

But ultimately, they were Xingqiu’s stories, and Chongyun could tell how happy it made him to be writing full time. Chongyun often would catch him sitting alone, humming and smiling to himself. It warmed Chongyun’s heart every time he saw it, and anytime he would approach his love in such a state, he always got a kiss.

Oh, how he loved getting kisses from Xingqiu.

Chongyun kept himself busy; he helped unload the ships whenever new stock came in, he wrote down ideas for Xingqiu’s stories and attended the brainstorming sessions, and (his favorite) he was Xingqiu’s personal guard whenever he wanted to go out sailing and exploring the vast islands.

Often, these explorations would end up with Xingqiu flat on his back, with Chongyun eagerly kissing every part of him he could reach. Indeed, their appetite for each other had only grown in the months they’d been living together, and Xingqiu seemed determined to seduce Chongyun any time they got time alone. It had gotten so bad that Chongyun always kept a bottle of massage oil on him, just in case. And he frequently had gotten use out of it.

On one particularly daring night, the two boys had snuck up under cover of darkness to the Grand Narukami Shrine. Only one shrine maiden was there that late, and they had snuck past her and climbed to the top of the Sacred Sakura. They had been delighted to find that there was enough space on top of the tree to lie down. The things they had done up there still lingered in his thoughts in the moments when he was alone.

Or the time when they had taken a small boat out to explore the islands, and Xingqiu had stopped it in the middle of the sea just before sunset. The two of them had made love as they watched the sun disappear into the horizon.

But every once in a while, Xingqiu would push just the right buttons with Chongyun to get him to overheat. He’d prod and prod at him, groping his crotch and whispering the filthiest things in his ear, until he’d let his yang energy go. And of course once that happened, Xingqiu would immediately go limp and play completely submissive to his carnal urges.

Xingqiu really was a little shit.

But it wasn’t just the sex that made their time there so memorable. The two of them had explored every island in the area except for Tsurumi Island, which Chongyun had heard was covered in a thick fog, and was potentially haunted by spirits of the past. Chongyun was desperate to explore it, but the island was the farthest away of any Inazuman island. Xingqiu did promise him they would go there as soon as he could get some extended time off.

They had met all sorts of people in their time exploring. Xingqiu had introduced him to Ayato (who was just as handsome as he had described), they had met a strange dog-like young man named Gorou (who always seemed to disappear whenever Yae Miko came around) and, when Lady Yae had taken them to Watasumi Island on an errand, they had met Kokomi, the high priestess. Watasumi Island was Xingqiu’s favorite island, and Chongyun had to admit it was quite beautiful.

But perhaps the strangest encounter he’d had was a couple months in. Chongyun had decided he still needed a mentor to help with his training. Gorou helped him whenever he had time, but given Chongyun’s close proximity to Lady Yae, he always seemed to be busy. Therefore, Chongyun had found a strange kinship with General Kujou Sara. According to many townsfolk, she was very dedicated to her work, but not very personable. But, perhaps surprisingly, Sara seemed to enjoy his company. Whether it was because he had the same dedication to physical training that she did, or because he was quiet and unassuming, she had agreed to help him train for an hour every other day. And it was during one of those training sessions outside of the Tenryou Commission that it happened.

A bizarre looking man (he later found out he was an oni) with horns on his head showed up, demanding that Sara engage him in a duel. Sara rolled her eyes and attempted to dissuade him, (“He always does this,” she told Chongyun) but he wasn’t backing down. Then he laid his eyes upon Chongyun, and gave him a giant grin.

“Ha HA, well lookie here! Fresh blood! And a claymore user to boot! Maybe YOU will give me the epic duel I’m searching for!”

“Chongyun,” Sara murmured to him, “I would advise against getting involved with the likes of him. Arataki Itto is…formidable. I beat him in our last confrontation, but he gave me quite a fight.”

Indeed, the oni was massive, with rippling muscles and abs that displayed how powerful he was. Still…

“This could be a good opportunity, though,” Chongyun replied. “What better way to test out my skills?”

“ALL RIGGGGHHHT!” Itto roared, flexing his arms. “A worthy opponent! Our battle will be legendary!!!”

After relocating outside of the city (Sara insisted) the two claymore wielders went at each other. Chongyun had been surprised at the sheer ferocity of Itto’s blows. Still, he was able to hold his own. After a few minutes of sparring, Itto held up his hand, and Chongyun stood still.

“You ok there, bro?” Itto asked. “Your face is all red…”

“Oh, um…” Chongyun gasped, breathing hard. “I have this constitution…my yang energy…”

“No wayyyy,” Itto exclaimed, staring at him. “I thought I felt something different…I’m an oni, so I can feel these things…but come on, don’t hold back! I need you at your STRONGEST!”

“But I…”

“Chongyun, wasn’t it?”

“Y-yeah…”

“Chongyun, Chongus, my bro my guy my dude, this is a duel to end all duels! You need to bring your A-game! Come oooooon, show me what you got!”

Chongyun grimaced, feeling the heat rising. He turned to Sara, who looked apprehensive.

“Here,” he said, placing a popsicle in her hand. “If I look like I’m getting out of control, give this to me. It should help.”

Sara nodded curtly. “Very well. Just…be careful, won’t you?”

Chongyun took a deep breath, and let the energy flow. He flew toward Itto, greatsword in hand…

Chongyun woke up with a start. The light of the moon shone through the sliding door at the back of the cottage. Heat pulsed off of his body as he gasped for air. Xingqiu immediately sat up with him in bed, his cool hands massaging his shoulders.

“Hey, hey, Chongyun, it’s ok…shh shh shh, calm down. It’s ok, I’m here…”

Chongyun rolled to the side of the bed, pulling a popsicle from the icebox he had moved next to the end table. He shoved it in his mouth, taking deep breaths as he felt the cold essence seep down his throat.

“Bad dreams?” Xingqiu asked, squeezing his shoulder.

“No, just…it was about the duel I had with Itto.”

“Oh, that?” Xingqiu chuckled. “But you were so cool!”

“But I…I lost control. Again.”

“Oh, come on, Yun, no one got hurt! I mean, you knocked over a few trees, but…”

“I mean it, Qiu…I have more control over it than before, but it still affects me…every time I think I’ve mastered it, I do something stupid…”

“Yun,” Xingqiu cupped his face between his hands. “Please don’t let it get to you. You’re so strong, so talented…”

“I’m just sick of having to live with it,” Chongyun huffed, hugging his knees to his chest. “Why can’t I just be…normal?”

“If you were normal,” Xingqiu replied, playing with the exorcist’s hair, “You wouldn’t be you. Now come on…lie down, let’s get back to sleep.”

Chongyun set the popsicle stick on top of the ice box, and let Xingqiu guide him back down flat on the bed. He smiled despite himself as he felt Xingqiu’s soft lips caress his cheek.

“Let’s take a nice relaxing walk around the city tomorrow afternoon,” Xingqiu whispered in his ear. “What do you say?”

Finally cooling down, Chongyun smiled as he snuggled up to his love.

“Sounds good.”

The purple leaves were falling off the trees throughout Inazuma City as Xingqiu and Chongyun strolled together. The exorcist looked around him, utterly content. In many ways, it was similar to Liyue; there were blacksmiths, chefs, tailors, and food vendors that reminded Chongyun of home. Even the lady at the desk of the Adventurer's Guild reminded him of the one at home. In fact, if he didn’t know any better, he would have said they were the same person.

It had taken a few months, and he would always prefer Liyue Harbor…but this place was starting to feel like home. Then again, he thought as he looked over at his beautiful boyfriend, anywhere they could be together was home.

“Feeling better today, my love?” Xingqiu asked, squeezing Chongyun’s hand.

Chongyun breathed in the crisp air, giving his beloved a smile. “Yeah…I do.” He squeezed his hand back. “But I always feel better when I’m with you.”

Xingqiu giggled softly. “Oh, Yun…you always know what to say.” He kissed him on the cheek. “My big strong exorcist…everything worked out in the end, didn’t it?”

“Yeah…I suppose it did…”

Suddenly, a young woman from the Yae Publishing House ran up to them, out of breath. “There you two are!” she wheezed. “Come on, Yae Miko’s called an emergency meeting!”

“What?” Xingqiu raised an eyebrow in concern. “What’s going on?”

“No time…she’ll explain everything when we get there!” She ran off in the opposite direction. After a moment, wherein the two boys shared an incredulous look, they followed.

“It seems that there is a novel out on the shelves that is a direct rival to Yae Publishing House,” Yae Miko said in a low voice, her staff huddled around her. She sounded just as calm as ever, but there was a certain coldness in her eyes that made Chongyun shiver.

“What is the novel of which you speak?” Xingqiu asked.

“It is called ‘A Firsthand Guide to Summoning Spirits,’” Lady Yae answered. “And people seem to believe that the conjurings within will grant their wishes.”

Chongyun stared in disbelief. A Guide…to Summoning Spirits?? Why in Tevat would people actively TRY to summon spirits?? Perhaps it was simply a book meant to con people.

“In fact,” Yae Miko continued, “I believe one of our own writers had fallen prey to its petty scheme…Junkichi, I believe his name was. He is…no longer with us.”

Yae Miko caught the wide eyed stare of Chongyun, and let out a chuckle. “Oh, pardon me…I meant that he is no longer with the Yae Publishing House. He is certainly still alive…for now.”

She pressed on. “In any case, we need to come up with a novel that can fight against this new challenger. I already have the main body of the text ready to go…but we need to act quickly. I need a cover for the book, I need illustrations for each chapter, and most importantly, I need it printed and in the reader's hands by the end of tomorrow.”

“The…the end of tomorrow?” Shigeru, the editor, exclaimed. “But that’s…so little time…”

“And I have the utmost faith that you can all deliver,” Yae Miko said firmly. “Now go…get it done.” The team began to disperse, but before Xingqiu and Chongyun could turn to go and help out, she beckoned to them. “Except for you two…I have a task I must entrust to you in private.”

The three of them waited until the room was empty, and once they were certain of their solitude, the pink haired woman turned to them, speaking in a purely business tone.

“Firstly…I would like you both to promise to me that this conversation will stay between us.”

The two boys looked at each other, and back at the tall fox-like woman. “Of course,” Xingqiu agreed. “I am a man of my word.”

“As am I,” Chongyun concurred.

Yae Miko nodded, still with that ever knowing smile she always had. “Good… now, Chongyun. I’d like you to take a look at the text in the rival novel.”

She handed the book to Chongyun, who proceeded to flip through the pages. A lot of it was fictional nonsense, nothing to be taken seriously…but on a particular page, he gasped as he read an incantation. This…this was…

“I take it that you know what the words from the novel mean?” Yae said shrewdly, stepping closer to him.

“Y-yes,” Chongyun stuttered. “It’s an incantation…one that summons a spirit! So it is real!”

“Indeed,” Lady Yae inclined her head. “And it could even lead to possession, as I believe it might have already. I need to investigate further. The Traveler will be assisting me in that regard, they happen to be in the area. But Chongyun, there is something that you must do for me. It is no small thing that I ask, but it is necessary.”

“What is it?”

Yae Miko’s gaze bore into his pale blue eyes. “I need you to conquer your yang energy.”

“I…” Chongyu stared. “Wh-what?”

“Your constitution is among the strongest I’ve seen in my lifetime…and I’ve lived longer than you think. My plan isn’t just about combating the novel (although that’s certainly part of it), it’s also about making sure the spirits in question can be freed and sent home. This incantation that ‘A Guide to Summoning Spirits’ has is summoning them forth. But my own incantation that I have included in our book will allow them to be released from their spiritual constraints that tether them here. The readers will believe the incantation will bring them good luck, but in fact they will be setting the spirits free.

“My team is handling the marketing and distribution. I will make sure the spirits have been contacted and know what is to come. But you…you must make sure you can tame your yang energy. If you remain as you are now, the spirits will not be able to come forth and be freed. The amount of spiritual energy this will require will come from the entire island and its populace, and if your yang energy interferes, the entire plan will be all for naught.”

“But…” Chongyun was beside himself. “I don’t know HOW to stop it! If I did, I would have done it by now…can’t I just leave the island until the incantation is done?”

“You could,” Lady Yae agreed, “But my darling boy…where’s the fun in that? I think you want to be free of this curse, and I stand to gain something from it, so I will help you. Surely you have mastered the art of mediation already?”

“Y-yes…it helps me calm myself. In fact, I’ve been able to reclaim lost memories doing so.”

“Wonderful.” Yae Miko gave him a wide smile. “So you already have the basics down. This form of mediation will be even more advanced…it will require you to be under for at least 24 hours.”

“24 hours?!” Xingqiu cried out. “How can that be possible? He’ll have to eat, drink, and…you know…”

“Food and drink, yes,” Yae inclined her head. “And that is where you come in. You must be on hand to feed him and give him water. He will chew and swallow of his own accord while he is under, but he will need you to provide it to him, and lots of it. Meditation of this magnitude requires a lot of energy. And because of the amount of energy he will be expending…there will be no need to relieve himself.”

“Huh,” Xingqiu stroked his chin. “Fascinating.”

“Yes, this is all very interesting,” Chongyun scoffed, freely expressing distaste over his body’s behaviors being discussed so openly. “But how is it done?”

“Ah, yes.” Lady Yae took Chongyun’s hands in hers. “Here is what you must do…”

Upon a lone stone shrine, as the evening sun began to set, the Liyuen boys prepared the meditation circle. According to Lady Yae, Chongyun must sit in meditation within a stone circle for a full 24 hours. The technique was similar to the one Shenhe had taught him, but this one was much more complicated.

“You are used to the type of meditation that will allow you to enter and clear your mind,” Yae Miko had said, “But with this, you must instead focus on your heart. Your spirit, your soul…however you’d like to refer to it. It is not in your mind, but here,” She pointed at Chongyun’s chest, “where the anomaly lies. And the complexities of the soul are even more intricate than that of the mind. You must be careful, my young exorcist.”

With the stones placed, and the candles lit, the circle was at last ready. Xingqiu had a pile of food and water ready, as well as a couple of books to pass the time. Chongyun had prepared a pile of grass and leaves for him to sit on. Even if he would be in a state of meditation, he wanted to make sure he would be comfortable. He had never meditated for this long.

“Ok…it’s ready.” Chongyun said, breathing deeply. He slowly sat down in the middle of the circle, crossing his legs. Xingqiu leaned against the shrine, looking apprehensive.

“Everything’s going to be fine,” Chongyun smiled at Xingqiu, saying it more for himself than his boyfriend. “It’ll work…I know it will.”

Xingqiu nodded. “I know…just…don’t push yourself too hard, ok?”

“Yeah, I…I’ll be careful.”

Xingqiu slowly sat down at the foot of the shrine, and after giving Chongyun one last encouraging look, began to read.

Chongyun brushed the hair out of his face, closed his eyes…and began to concentrate.

He could feel cool water flowing down his throat. He could feel the tips of Xingqiu’s fingers against his lips, his hydro keeping him from thirst. He didn’t dare open his eyes, out of fear of breaking his concentration…but he appreciated that his love was there for him.

“I don’t know if you can hear me, Yun,” he heard Xingqiu whisper, “But it’s after midnight. I’m going to get some sleep…I love you.”

Chongyun didn’t speak, nor did he open his eyes, but he allowed himself to smile so Xingqiu knew he could hear him.

The next time he was aware of himself, he felt cold noodles in his mouth, and the warmth of the sun upon his skin. Subconsciously, he allowed himself to be fed, feeling Xingqiu’s breath against his face.

“It’s midday,” he heard him say softly. “You’re over halfway there…you’re doing so well, Chongyun.”

Deep as he was into his own being, Chongyun didn’t let any emotions show, but he found the statement amusing. How would Xingqiu know how it was going? He didn’t even feel any different…

A cool breeze blew across Chongyun’s face, and he could feel his hair shifting against the wind. The warmth he had felt was gone. Ah…so it was evening again.

He didn’t dare open his eyes. He must be close now…but nothing had happened. Chongyun kept his breathing steady and his eyes closed as he attempted to look inwards. Not into his mind, but into his heart…but it didn’t seem to be working. If anything, his chest felt warmer than normal. Perhaps he was doing something wrong? If he could just…

A powerful, raging heat burst inside Chongyun’s chest, unlike any he had felt before. Chongyun’s eyes shot open as he cried out in pain, clutching his chest. Xingqiu rushed to his side.

“Chongyun! What’s happening, are you ok?”

“It…it burns…”

“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. If you need to stop…”

“No!” Chongyun exclaimed. “I have to do this…it isn’t just about me anymore. They’ll be trapped here if I don’t…I have to!”

“Ok, ok,” Xingqiu nodded, his eyes welling up. “What…what can I do? How can I help?”

“Just…stay back…” Chongyun groaned, trying to suppress the rising heat.

“O-ok…”

Chongyun shut his eyes tight, struggling with the white hot flames roasting his insides. It was excruciating, almost as if it was fighting back against his efforts to suppress it.

Another dose of pain hit him; Chongyun yelled up to the heavens as he fought to maintain his composure. Keeping his eyes shut tight, he felt a pair of cool arms envelope him, and a voice as soft as silk whisper in his ear.

“Yun…it’s ok. I’m here…just hold on. You can do it…I believe in you…”

Falling deeper into his meditation, with Xingqiu’s soft body and his loving words sustaining him, he found himself plunging deeper into his subconscious, down, down, down…

Chongyun’s eyes flutter open. He looks around; Xingqiu is nowhere to be seen, nor the surrounding mountains and land of Inazuma. He is surrounded by a wall of flame, emitting different colored embers in a circle around him. Beyond the wall of fire he can see nothing, nothing but a shimmering blinding white light. He takes a step forward, his footsteps echoing across the space on some kind of white marble below him.

“Where am I?” he murmurs, looking around. He looks down at his attire; it appears to be the same clothes he had been wearing. And he still has his claymore. How very peculiar.

He struggles to remember what he’s doing here, and where exactly “here” is.

Chongyun’s eyes widen slightly as he sees a part of the flames shift. A figure is emerging from the wall of fire, a shadowy silhouette with no form that he can discern. As the shadow steps out from the embers, the figure ignites, blue flames coursing down its dark form.

“Who are you?” Chongyun calls to the figure, his voice echoing throughout the dreamscape.

A face slowly takes shape on the figure’s head, with blue flames for eyes and a dark opening for a mouth. An evil chuckle emits from the shadow.

“Have you not guessed?”

How strange…the voice seems familiar…

A claymore materializes in the shadow’s hands, and Chongyun instinctively raises his own as the shadow moves with frightening speed. Their blades clash, the sound of metal reverberating throughout the strange space they inhabit.

Now with its face inches from his own, Chongyun gasps as he begins to see similarities…the shape of its shadowy face, the stance, the voice…

“You’re…you’re…”

The shadow grins. “That’s right…say it.”

Chongyun stares into its eyes. There are no pupils, just an empty blue flame for an eye. But it is unmistakable.

“You’re me,” Chongyun whispers.

The shadow disappears, and Chongyun swings about widely as it rematerializes behind him, bringing his claymore up just in time to block another blow.

“No…I don’t know what you are. You might take my form, but I’m not anything like you!” Chongyun cries.

The blue flames seem to grow brighter around the shadow as it laughs, a horrible sound that pierces Chongyun’s ears. Its form grows more substantial; now Chongyun can see a nose, fingers, the shape of his own attire forming on its body.

“Oh, but you are,” it hisses, swinging its blade at Chongyun’s head, missing him by inches. “You could say…I’m the REAL you.”

Chongyun blocks another blow, gritting his teeth. He swings his blade about, and attempts to rain down an avalanche of icicles (for what little good they’d do against fire) but the ice won’t come.

Another horrible laugh echoes out of the shadow, a flaming tongue flicking from its mouth. Chongyun is forced to roll to avoid the next attack, retreating to the far corner of the fiery arena.

“No Vision, I’m afraid,” the shadow chuckles.

Chongyun growls in frustration. “What do you want??” he shouts at the creature.

“What do I want?” The shadow’s flaming eyes narrow. “You’re the one who came here.”

Chongyun struggles to remember, his memories all a jumble. Where is he right now? And why, if he thinks hard enough, can he feel a cool hand within his? He looks down, but he sees no such hand.

“You think he can save you?” the shadow leers, brandishing its weapon. “I know who it is you think of…I feel what you feel. Your romance is doomed to fail, I’m afraid. The young master will only know pain by your hand.”

Xingqiu…he’s talking about Xingqiu…

“I won’t let you touch him!” Chongyun yells, clashing blades with the flaming figure once more.

“Oh, but I already have,” it sneers, its fiery blade scraping down Chongyun’s to the hilt. “Every dark and despicable act you’ve done to him…that was me.”

And finally, Chongyun understands. He knows what terrible figure stands before him. The flames that dance upon its dark form are the same flames he has felt in his chest for years and years.

“No,” Chongyun breathes, walking backwards as the shadow pursues. “You’re not real…none of this is real! Y-you’re just a figment of my imagination!”

“It matters not what I am, what you believe. You seek to vanquish the yang energy within you…well, here I am. And I, for one, am sick of existing in the back of your heart.”

The shadow bursts forward, grabbing Chongyun by the throat and lifting him off the ground. The flames coursing down its arm burn Chongyun’s neck.

“I make you stronger,” it hisses. “I make you bolder…without me, you’re just a pathetic worthless child. I, on the other hand…I can vanquish demons. I can rain down hell upon any opponent, even that infantile oni! And as for your little boyfriend…I’ve delighted in causing him pain. But even now, you’ve been holding back.”

“No…”

“YOU CAN’T LIE TO ME!” the shadow roars, its grip tightening on Chongyun’s throat. “I know what you really want…why you love to inflict pain upon him…he betrayed you. He doesn’t love you.”

“Liar,” Chongyun chokes out.

“He played you for a fool. He wasted your time for months and months with pointless false leads. But even before that, you resented him. He had the wealth and the power you could only dream of. He could eat whatever he wanted, do whatever he wanted, all the things you wouldn’t allow yourself to do out of fear of me…and all the while, he flaunted it. Mocked you. Tortured you with lies and deceit.”

The shadow seems to grow, enveloping Chongyun with blue flames as its essence seeps into his body. Chongyun falls to the ground as his vision is blurred by the growing entity. Its body begins to lose the human form, but the face remains, floating among the shadow and flames, taunting him.

“So go ahead…let me out. Let me take charge. You’ve kept me locked up for so long…give in to me. That petulant child is right next to you…let me punish him. It’s only a matter of time before he leaves you…before he recognizes the true darkness within you. We can end it on our terms.”

Chongyun feels himself growing smaller as the shadow grows bigger, the flames licking every part of his skin. “You’re weak…you’ve always been weak. I am so much stronger than you…and I can achieve our dream. Release me, and I can vanquish every demon, every spirit, every dark foul thing that walks this earth. It’s what you’ve always wanted…what WE’VE always wanted…”

There’s no way out. No way to fight. Chongyun feels his will slipping away. Who is he against this force, somehow channeling both everlasting darkness and piercing horrible light? Who is he, against the power and energy only seen once every ten lifetimes? Who is he to deny his birthright, his abilities? It would be so easy…

“Chongyun!”

A voice echoes from outside the flames. Chongyun tries to look past the shadow, now covering almost all of his vision, but he can see nothing.

“Chongyun, can you hear me? Come on…don’t give up! I’m here, I’m right here!”

Chongyun can only see the dreamscape and the fire around him, but as he closes his eyes, he can feel the stone below him, can feel the cool hand in his own, and feel the sweat dripping down his brow.

“Xingqiu…”

He can feel his lips moving. Did he actually speak? Did the word get through?

“Yes, Chongyun, I’m here! Oh, you’re burning up…come on, don’t stop now, you can do this! I know you can, I believe in you…I love you, Chongyun!”

Chongyun can feel Xingqiu’s fingers intertwined with his, can feel his cool skin against his own…

But most importantly, he can feel his undying love for him.

Chongyun’s eyes snap open, fearlessly gazing into the flames and shadows surrounding him.

“Empty words,” the shadow hisses. “You’ll always be alone; he will see you for what you truly are. I am your true self…you have ALWAYS been me!”

Chongyun stands up tall, glaring at the beast before him. “You…you are part of me. I know that.” He raises his blade up high. “But you do not define me. And I am stronger than you.”

As Chongyun feels his real hand tighten around Xingqiu’s, waves of water pour in over the wall of flames, splashing against the shadow. As the monster hisses and curses at the contact, Chongyun feels a cold burst in his hands. His Cryo Vision, pulsing in his hand, is his once again.

Chongyun swings his blade toward the creature, sending an avalanche of icicles down on it. They pierce through the shadow, freezing with the water engulfing it. The shadow screams with pain, and as the water and ice assault its form, the flames amongst the darkness flicker and die. Chongyun sends burst after burst of cryo energy at the monstrosity, the shadow growing smaller as he grows bigger. The water filling the arena is now up to his ankles, the white marble underneath him sparkling.

As the shadow continues to recede, leaving only the face with a small child’s form cowering in the center, the wall of fire falls to the water still flowing in to reveal a beautiful shimmering sea, the sun glowing across the horizon. The light from the sun warms Chongyun’s skin, but not in the same way the dark blue flames did. This is a warmth he relishes, one that exists in tandem with the cool waters of Xingqiu’s love.

He slowly walks over to the now pathetic form of the creature, shivering in the water. Its eyes stare up at him with hate and malice, still glowing with the last of the blue flames that had once controlled Chongyun.

“You…will never be free of me,” it gasps, coughing and wheezing as Chongyun stands over it, claymore in hand.

“No,” Chongyun agrees. “No, I won’t. But you will never control me again. Now…” He raises his greatsword one last time. “I control you.”

And with a loud cry, he brings his blade crashing down.

“Chongyun! Wake up!”

Chongyun’s eyes shot open; he was back in the stone circle. He was stiff and sore, but otherwise he seemed normal. He looked about wildly for Xingqiu, and found him standing over him, concern reflected in his deep amber eyes.

“Are you ok? Did it work?”

Chongyun felt his chest. There was no heat emanating from it…but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. “I don’t know…”

“Here.” Xingqiu tossed him a Jueyun Chili from the pile of food. “Try this.”

“Wha…how do you even have these here?!”

“Xiangling left some with me when they visited last month,” Xingqiu giggled. “I figured I’d save them for a special occasion…but come on, try it! If your energy acts up, we’ll just have to get you off the island, we might still have time…”

Chongyun grimaced at the fruit in his hand. If ever there was a substance that would instantly set him off, it was this. He sighed. Oh well, no better way to find out if it had worked…

He took a generous bite.

By the Archons, it was spicy! His tongue felt hot as he chewed the Liyuen specialty. And yet…his chest didn’t feel hot at all…

“Yun,” Xingqiu said softly, “Are you ok?”

“I…yeah.” Chongyun was trembling slightly, but not from his yang energy. “I…I don’t feel anything…”

Xingqiu’s face broke out into a wide grin. “Oh, Yun!” he squealed, jumping up and down. “You did it! You did it, you did it!!!”

“It’s not gone,” Chongyun clarified. “Not completely. I can still feel it inside me, a little bit…but it’s not affecting me the way it did before. I can use it if I need to, I think…but it shouldn’t cause me to black out or anything.”

Xingqiu took his face in his hands, smiling warmly at him. “I’m so proud of you, Yun…you’ve come so far.” He sighed, staring up at him with a look of pure adoration. “My beautiful, wonderful exorcist…”

“Oh, look!” Chongyun interrupted, pointing at the sky. “It’s starting!”

The sun had just finished setting, and now the world above opened up. A giant circular cloud formed in the middle of the sky, and lights began to float up from the island around them. Some came from the city, some came from the trees, and still others from the mountains. Chongyun could see the Grand Narukami Shrine up on the highest mountain, and he gasped as a beam of light shot from the center of the shrine.

“Yun, look!’ Xingqiu exclaimed. “That must be Yae Miko…she’s sending the spirits home!”

He rested his head on Chongyun’s shoulder, and the exorcist put his arm around him as the two of them watched the spirits from all over the island rise into the sky.

“It’s…beautiful,” Chongyun breathed. He squeezed Xingqiu closer to him.

They could hear the combined words of the people from Inazuma City, even all the way out here, reciting the incantation that Lady Yae no doubt had placed in the novel now circulating around the city. As the spirits congregated in the sky, Chongyun felt a tear fall from his eye. He had spent his whole life trying to find demons and evil spirits, and being ashamed of his constitution. It never occurred to him to think of the spirits that did no wrong, that might have been affected by his yang energy. But now, he could use his gift…yes, he felt he could call it a gift now…for good. He could summon his yang energy to purge an evil spirit, but without worrying about hurting innocent spirits like these.

He had conquered his own inner demons.

As the lights in the sky began to fade, Chongyun reflected on what he had seen in his vision. His meditation had tamed his yang energy, of that there was no doubt. But had his vision been real? Did his yang energy really have a form, a personality of its own? Did it really live like that inside him, perhaps screaming from a prison he made for it, unable to control him any longer? Or was it simply his mind giving his spiritual battle a physical manifestation?

Ultimately, he decided it didn’t matter. Whichever it was…he had won.

He was his own man now. His flaws, his dark desires were still there…but they did not own him. Not anymore.

The sky having returned to normal, and the stars showing themselves once more, the two boys turned to each other. Chongyun was surprised to see Xingqiu wiping a tear of his own from his eye.

“Xingqiu? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Xingqiu gave him a watery smile. “Nothing at all. I’m just…happy. And I’m so proud of you, Chongyun.”

The young master leaned up, pressing his soft lips against Chongyun’s. The two boys shared a kiss under the dark Inazuman sky, wrapping their arms around each other. More than ever before, it felt like they had their whole lives ahead of them.

They were happy.

“Hey, so…Yun-Yun,” Xingqiu blinked up at him with big amber eyes. “I know you can control your yang energy now…but does that mean you won’t…take me the same way anymore?”

Chongyun gazed down at his beloved. He hadn’t thought about that. It was true; he wouldn’t run rampant and overheat anymore…but that wasn’t to say he couldn’t let some of it show. And as he let his eyes run up and down his boyfriend’s adorable petite body, he found that the wonderfully lewd things he loved doing to him still felt…incredibly desirable.

“Well…”

Chongyun grabbed Xingqiu, pinning him down onto the bed of grass and leaves he had made for himself. Xingqiu let out an adorable squeal as Chongyun bore his gaze down upon him. His eyes weren’t glowing…but they still gave off that same look of pure lust.

“I guess we’ll have to find out, won’t we?”

Notes:

And there we have it!

I actually had a lot more ideas for adventures (and sexcapades) that Xingqiu and Chongyun could go on in Inazuma. I alluded to many of them in this chapter. I'm considering making a spin-off series, or a Part 2 that could focus on these ideas and more. But the main story I wanted to tell has been told, so I'm wrapping it up here for now. It'll be a while before I consider getting it down on paper, but...be on the lookout! I also have a Bennett/Reader story I've been casually working on for a while that I might publish someday. That one will definitely be more focused on fluff, Bennett is too pure for smut.

Thank you all so much for reading this, and coming back for each chapter. Your comments have meant the world to me (I know there's some I haven't responded to yet, I'll get to them, I promise!) and the amount of support you all have given me is staggering. For my first fan fiction I've ever published, it turned out way better than I could have expected. It's reinvigorated my love for writing, and although it might be a little bit before I publish more, I don't plan on being done here.

Thank you again...and happy reading!