( xingqiu x pyro!fem!reader >< fluff )
᯼ IN WHICH, xingqiu remembers the night you first met, during the lantern rite— the night he’d found the greatest moment of solitude that he would ever experience.
NOTE: reader is from mondstadt, and a friend of albedo’s for context. enjoy <3
Y/N’S AURA IS AS WARM AS SUMMER. I cannot help but be intrigued by her; I cannot help but awe at the way she looks. She is beautiful, not only because of her delicate face, but because of how tenderly she cares for those around her. Because of the glint in her eyes whenever she has a mischievous, or playful idea. Because when she laughs, it is infectious, and I find myself laughing, too, even if the very thing that caused it wasn’t funny. She is the most beautiful girl I have ever met, the most beautiful girl that I ever got to know.
I learned to understand her customs, her habits, her interests, her world. We were once acquaintances who’d never gotten to meet one another in person, only having the mutual friend of Mr. Kreideprinz. In fact, it was he who encouraged Y/N to write me— she was an avid follower of ‘A Legend of a Sword,’ who Mr. Albedo illustrated. I wrote her letters, thanking her for her sentiment. She wrote back to me, and the words on her page would come to life, and I would feel warm. I’d break into a smile whenever her letters contained a joke. And soon, when she complimented my novel and the way I’d write, my cheeks would heat. It was once, when she told me in a letter — and I remember her exact words — “Xingqiu, I hope I can see you soon. You’re a wonderful person,” when I realized I had a deep adoration for her. Not only because she expressed how she felt for me, but because she came across as so genuine and bright.
We met in person in Liyue Harbor, when she visited for the Lantern Rite. She’d written me, telling me that she would come for the festival and I was so incredibly excited, I could barely speak articulately as I usually would. I only knew her through her letters, and the way she wrote, and the way she carried herself— one would think I wouldn’t be able to spot her in a large crowd, knowing not her physical features. But somehow, the beauty of her words, and the beauty of her soul, all manifested in her gentle, pretty face. It felt like strange magic, or perhaps, intuition, that allowed me to put a face to her words— that allowed me to recognize her. She had a tight grip on her satchel, her ever-glowing pyro vision reflected in the starlight. She was squinting intently at the alchemist’s crafting bench, as the Traveler was teaching her how to craft a Xiao lantern.
Once again, she had made me smile.
I greeted her, I told her who I was. And before I could reach out to kiss her hand— as a refined gentleman as myself would do— she hugged me. It was in that moment, that I, Xingqiu, cool as water, felt the spark of an ever-burning flame in my heart.
It was never my intention to fall for her in such little time. To this day, it still greatly baffles me.
The traveler and Paimon had left us alone, and Y/N was overjoyed to show me her Xiao lantern. And she asked me to accompany her to release it into the night sky. Finally, I got the chance to kiss her hand, and I told her that I would.
We barely spoke to one another, only sharing light conversations, and little touches— now and then we’d share glances or looks, then laugh at ourselves. I took her to the Wanwen Bookhouse, and purchased some novels that interested her. She almost refused, and thanked me profusely when I insisted. In that instant, I wanted to write a poem about how expressive her face and mannerisms were, but I dared not speak of it, of course.
When the moon was high in the sky, I took her hand, carried her books, spending our last moments of the night atop a mountain, where the view of Liyue was clear and bright. She remarked about how beautiful it was, and I had to refrain from saying something incredibly cliché.
“I should release my lantern now, right?” She asked me, tilting her head, and blinking.
“Ah, yes, I think you should,” I replied, standing closer to her, “Allow me to release it with you.”
“Of course!” Her eyes had slipped shut, as I placed my hand below the lantern. She had done the same— our fingers brushed together subtly, and momentarily. I stayed silent, knowing she was making a wish. I made a wish, too, a simple dream.
With our light touches, the lantern floated in the night air, far away, dancing with the breeze. Y/N seemed so happy— her eyes were tranquil pools. I felt quite peaceful, too.
“What was it you wished for, Y/N?”
“I can’t tell you! It won’t come true!” she replied, with a pout. I took her hand once more.
“What a pity, I would’ve told you my wish in return.”
“I’ll tell you when— if my wish comes true. And you tell me if yours does, too!”
“My wish has already come true, Y/N,” I said, taking both her hands, “To share a moment of solitude with the girl as warm as sunshine.”
She flushed, eyes widening— she didn’t break her eye contact with me, not even for a moment. A million thoughts seemed to run through her head. I knew she was contemplating her next words. We shared a brief silence, one that lingered in the air. It felt like milliseconds, it felt like eternity.
“Well, why would you wish for something that’s already happened?!”
I furrowed my brows, finding myself at (shocking, indeed) a loss for words. I even blushed and looked away. “I failed at being poetic this time, haven’t I?”
And in the blink of an eye, she cupped my cheek and kissed it lightly. Involuntarily, I brought my free hand to my face. “No, not at all. I … thought it was… really cool that… you wished for that, Xingqiu,” she trailed off.
Soon, she spoke again. “I wished for… something similar after all… to spend more time with you.”
Warmth, like the sun. Heat rose to my cheeks, calm fires, comforting embers. A smile crept upon my face. She was one of those people that you couldn’t help but love. I was hopeless against her, and I will always be hopeless against her. I will always find comfort in the sunny warmth she radiates. And that night, I came to the conclusion that I would always love her.
“Let us spend all the time we can together, before you return to Mondstadt, my lady,” I said, pressing a kiss to her hand.
“My wish is coming true…,” she mumbled. I smiled once again.
My dear Y/N, you are, indeed, as warm as the sun. I shall tell you as many times as I possibly can.
