#codexsecretsanta

phase one: gingerbread cookie decorating

agent grinch will approach target and request to decorate gingerbread cookies with them. from there, agent grinch will lead them into warm conversation while slightly hinting at his feelings. agents jingles and snowbell will have the job of ensuring that agent grinch and the target are left alone in the kitchen at all times to ensure the maximum romantic atmosphere.

xiao has never felt more ridiculous:

a frilly, baby blue apron that belonged to ganyu wrapped itself tight around his dress shirt and pressed against his tie. hu tao had wanted to tie a ribbon in his hair to match the look, but resigned after some convincing from yanfei (and a promise of half of tonight's dessert).

"this outfit is ridiculous. i look ridiculous." he scowled, thumbing at the cottony checkered material.

"nawww trust us! people love a man who knows his way around the house...or at least looks like he does," hu tao muttered the last bit under her breath, but xiao's ears were much too keen for them to slip by unnoticed, "besides, if you get your shirt messy that'll ruin the rest of the operation!"

begrudgingly, xiao resigned and let yanfei gently push him towards the kitchen doors.

"remember, you're gonna ask them to decorate cookies. make sure you ask them about their time at college, and then bring the conversation back around to the time you spent together as kids. if you panic, just compliment their eyes and clothes. got it?" xiao opened his mouth to respond, but was never given the chance as yanfei chirped out a "great!" and pushed him through the flapping kitchen doors.

he stumbled in on shaking legs and whipped his head up to see you and his father carrying on a pleasant conversation while preparing the food in the oven. the clatter from the wooden doors broke the comfortable atmosphere and two pairs of eyes trained themselves on xiao in all his blue-frilly-aproned glory.

"xiao?! dearest, are you alright?" zhongli quickly slid off his over mitts and hurried towards the fallen xiao, who scrambled to pick himself up from the pearly white kitchen tiles.

"y-yeah...i'm good. thanks, papa." he muttered and brushed the invisible dust off from ganyu's apron.

"xiao! you're just in time! uncle zhongli said the gingerbread cookies are ready to decorate, i was about to call you!"

xiao hadn't even noticed that you'd hurried to his side and your hand was now comfortably resting on his forearm. the skin beneath it seemed to blossom a striking rose red, visible and glowing beneath the sheer white of his shirt.

"hey, seems you already came prepared! this apron looks so pretty on you...-ah! isn't this ganyu's?" you hummed and eyed the fabric pinched between your forefinger and thumb.

'too close, too close!' the alarms blared firey red in xiao's head and seeped towards his cheeks and span of his neck.

"are you alright? your face is all red..." the cool breeze of your knuckles gently washed against his scorching forehead and ruffled the unruly strands of hair near his face.

he swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded vigorously, dismissing your hand as he rounded the kitchen counter in search of anything to distract himself. you followed suit and—much to his surprise—pulled out a cooled tray of gingerbread cookies, complete with icing bags of various colors and little, ceramic bowls of sweets of all kinds: from chocolate chips, to gummy buttons.

"i know how much you like decorating the cookies, so i asked uncle zhongli in advance to prepare this for us! what do you think?"

xiao's eyes roamed over the array of sweets and decorations you had set up, and all with him in mind no less. hu tao and yanfei's plan was already off to a smooth start, and you had unknowingly made it ten times easier for him.

just as he was about to thank you, the kitchen doors flew open to reveal an overly nonchalant yanfei and hu tao, whose curious and eager eyes didn't fail to notice the closed distance between their brother and you.

"papa! feifei and i were wondering if you could help us put some more decorations up in the living room?" hu tao looked up with what xiao could only describe as her "puppy dog" eyes.

zhongli tsked and used his large palms to smooth out hu tao's frazzled, chocolately locks with one hand, and fixed yanfei's golden necklace with the other.

"have you forgotten we have a guest?" he gently chided, and looked over towards where xiao stood side-by-side with you.

"you little gremlins!" you giggled and opened your arms wide, "how dare you not give me a hug!"

something that xiao loved most about you was your ability to move with the ebb and flow of his family. it was in your willingness to come over and help his father out with dinner when both he and ganyu were away at work or school, or when yanfei and hu tao managed to get themselves into some convoluted shenanigan that you made haste to unravel. his little sisters running into your arms with gleeful smiles and giggles full of mirth was such a familiar sight, but it was one he'd never grow tired of, not even for a second.

"we'd never forget! we were just saving it for later." yanfei beamed in your arms.

"alright, girls. which decorations would you both like to put up?" zhongli resigned to his daughters with a defeated smile and rolled up his sleeves. "excuse us just a moment, (y/n). xiao will keep you company."

hu tao and yanfei gave you one last hug (and one last gleaming glance of encouragement towards xiao) and bolted off to drag their papa with a hand in either of his to disappear out of the kitchen, not before hu tao threw xiao a thumbs up and yanfei mouthed a "good luck" in his direction. rambunctious, was the word xiao would describe them as.

"well, shall we?" you gently nudged his shoulder and placed a blank cookie in front of him.

"wait-" he urged, eyes flickering to the rack of aprons nearby.

his hands tugged down his familiar forest-green apron and with stuttering hands did he carefully loop the fabric around your neck, "your clothes will get dirty if you don't wear an apron."

"ahh so i suppose that's why you opted for ganyu's apron then? blue does look pretty good on you." xiao scoffed and fumbled to tie the apron string into a proper bow behind your back.

"don't start." he grumbled, and turned to face the counter again.

an empty void of a gingerbread person stared back up at him, awaiting the use of what was left of his creativity and composition to craft the finest of gingerbread people. his hands felt uncomfortably empty and so they reached for the nearest item: an icing bag of a horrid shade of red he wasn't quite fond of. looking to his side revealed that you were already getting started on your cookie, tongue poked to the outside of your mouth deep in concentration. it'd always been a habit of yours, but xiao would never point it out on the account that you look unbelievably adorable (and it makes his heart beat ten times faster than it shoulder).

xiao suddenly remembered the advice of his little sisters, and began to sort through the filing cabinets of information in his head while his shaky hands fumbled to pipe a red outline along the cookie.

"make sure you ask them about their time at college, and then bring the conversation back around to the time you spent together as kids. if you panic, just compliment their eyes and clothes."

"so...what's c-campus like-" he managed to stutter out, unconsciously reaching for the bowl of gummy buttons.

suddenly, his fingers brushed against a foreign texture that was definitely not gummy buttons. his eyes flickered upwards where your fingers gently brushed against his in the gummy bowl. electricity shot up his veins and rendered his mind completely useless as you gently bumped his fingers with your own and quietly hummed an "excuse me". you fingers lingered for a moment before you retracted your hand and stuck the buttons onto your gingerbread person. xiao could swear on all the stars above that one day you'd make his heart explode. his eyes, wide and full of an indescribable emotion, whipped up to you whose attention was still enraptured by the slightly dressed gingerbread person beneath you.

"campus, hm? well, it's alright i suppose. i miss uncle zhongli's dinners though. but there's this cool restaurant that has-"

as much as xiao adored hearing all about you, the tingles at the ends of his fingertips defied any and all means of comprehension. his mind was a fuzzy mess, yearning to once more bump his fingers against yours...or even stroke the apples of your cheeks, or run his thumb over the bottom of your lip-

no! no, he was getting too off track!

"if you panic, just compliment their eyes and clothes."

"panic" could definitely describe how he was feeling.

'breathe in, breathe out. remember what yanfei said: compliment their eyes and clothes if you panic.' he chanted like a mantra in his head, and turned his golden eyes towards you who was still rambling on about the amenities of campus.

"i-i like the f-fabric of y-your e-eyes!"

though xiao was aiming to mimic one of the sweet gentlemen he'd seen in one of hu tao and yanfei's romance training classes, his "compliment" came out frazzled and more or less barked out onto the counter. his face bloomed bright, cherry red from the tips of his ears to the span of his neck. he had meant to say "the fabric of your clothes is stunning, as are your eyes," so what the hell did he just say?!

from beyond the kitchen doors came a defeated thump, and he just knows that hu tao and yanfei will never let him live this down.

you had been mid-sentence, confusion now etched onto your face at his choice of words before you broke into a grin and sweet bursts of giggles bubbled up from your chest.

"was that your attempt at a compliment?"

groaning, xiao leaned his arms against the counter and buried his face into the coolness of his shirt to shield his glowing face from view. he jolted when your fingers, clean of frosting and ginger crumbs, gently ran through his soft locks. you'd done it so many times when the two of you were just kids both as a form of comfort and casual touch. your fingers in his hair felt so foreign after having been away from you for so long, yet there were honey-filtered memories of the same sensation that washed over him like a gentle tide.

"hey, it was a good attempt. i like the fabric of my eyes too," you teased and mimicked his position by folding your arms on top of the counter and resting your head on them, "you look pretty great yourself."

xiao revealed his face from his cavern of shame and faced you directly with his head still nestled onto his arms. the tip of your elbow just barely brushed against his and yet it sent tingles of electricity throughout his body and jumpstarted the rockets in his heart. just how was it that all you had to do was exist and he'd be enamored? he'd never be able to solve that puzzle though, that's for sure.

you said nothing more and let him get lost in the crevices of your eyes, half lidded and hazed over with an emotion he couldn't exactly read. silence was comfortable, silence was familiar, but silence shared with you was special and inviting. the soft smile on your face as you gently nudged him with your elbow communicated all the words and emotions he needed to know.

'what are you thinking about?' was the question your eyes seemed to ask, but even xiao couldn't define the cacophony of noise running around through his mind.

just as he was about to open his mouth, the steady, honey-glowing stream of comfort that connected you both was cut short with the raging scream of the fire alarm, followed by the abhorrent smell of burnt smoke. xiao shot his head up from his arms and whipped his head around in search of the noise, cursing the alarm for ruining the moment you were sharing with him.

"no! my casserole!" zhongli's figure burst into the kitchen, eyes frantic and worrying as he hastily put on his oven mitts and scampered towards the oven.

xiao hurried over to the alarm and silenced it, all while zhongli placed his now ruined casserole onto the stovetop and pressed his lips into a fine line.

"is it salvageable, uncle zhongli?" you asked from over his shoulder, grimacing at the bitter charcoal color the one vibrant casserole had taken on.

"i suppose not, my dear," he sighed and pulled out his phone, "shall we order takeout instead?" zhongli received all the confirmation he needed when hu tao and yanfei bounded in and began begging for mcdonalds.

thankfully, the gingerbread cookies had been graced mercy and were spared of the ghastly fumes and burning smell. xiao's cookie was only half-finished—a poor attempt at keeping his hands busy with a shade of icing he wasn't particularly fond of. whereas, his golden eyes locked themselves onto your cookie and found similar pools of golden staring back at him. the cookie had been outlined in a dark green, similar to his shade of hair complete with the matching highlights. there were even little orange lines under the golden dots of icing to mimic his eyeliner, and a squiggle of green icing to recreate the tattoo he had gotten the other summer. even the little gummy buttons were lined down the cookie's stomach from when his fingers had brushed against yours.

"is this...did you make this cookie of me?" he blabbered out, mouth agape and eyes wide with curiosity and anticipation.

you stifled a giggle and held up the cookie to appear side by side by a flabbergasted xiao with a prideful smile on your face.

"i think the resemblance is uncanny, what about you?"

he thought so too, but he should've handed you the red icing bag to mimic the tumultuous blush that began to spread across his face.

PHASE ONE STATUS OF OPERATION MISTLETOE: COMPLETE (?) DUMPSTER FIRE

phase two: holiday dinner

agent snowbell will rearrange the seating system so that agent grinch and the target are seated beside each other. agent jingles will ensure that agent grinch has the ability to show off his maturity and intelligence during discussions.

"okay! so maaaaybe phase one didn't go according to plan: you messed up the conversation bit, and papa's casserole ruined the romantic atmosphere, but it was still semi-successful, right?"

xiao shot his sister an incredulous look, as if she didn't hear him describe your eyes as "fabric".

"hey, chin up soldier! now we move onto phase two: dinner time!" yanfei cheered and clasped her hands in a pleasant manner, "papa made me in charge of seating arrangements at the dinner table this year, so i've arranged for you and (y/n) to sit together!"

"and i'm gonna ask you some super cool questions so that you can show off your intelligence, sound good?"

from a shelf to the side of his head, hu tao produced a stack of flashcards each with a topic or question hastily written down on the sheet white paper in bright red ink.

"give me a break—that last attempt was a disaster." xiao huffed and crossed his arms, embarrassment glazing over the rapid thump in his chest.

"but this time will go better! i made sure all my questions are about web design, i even googled interview questions!"

showing off wasn't something he was fond of, or partook in. even after voicing that thought to his sisters, they remained adamant as ever. there really was no helping a defeated older brother, and so he reigned himself in and nodded to silence their pleas. yanfei and hu tao shared an eager look with gleeful grins on their faces.

xiao couldn't help but once again feel that sense of dread, but perhaps it was the choked air of the cramped cleaning closet that hu tao had ushered yanfei and him into to avoid prying eyes and ears. it wasn't until he reached for the knob to open the door that it flew open from the other side and out came a tumble of adepti siblings with xiao flat on the bottom on his stomach, followed by a pile-on of hu tao and yanfei.

"wha-! what are you all doing?" xiao groaned and willed away the sharp pain from his back to peer up into his elder sister's plum-colored eyes.

"nothing, yuyu! don't worry about it, we were just- uh-" hu tao's eyes scrambled for an excuse when yanfei intervened with a pointed smile,

"we were just looking for air freshener! papa did burn his casserole after all."

ganyu's confused exterior melted away into understanding as she pulled up her siblings one by one and brushed their clothes free of dust. "don't worry about that, i'll go help papa out. why don't you all go sit down and get ready to eat?"

despite having sat beside you on more than on occasion, tonight felt different. perhaps it was because he sat beside you with a clear purpose and firm intentions. or, perhaps it was the devilish smile that yanfei had on her face as she discreetly switched your name card with ganyu's so that you now sat beside xiao. he felt hu tao's leg gently tap him from under the table, and looked up to see her thumbs raised, matched with her cheeky smile. xiao has never felt such an opposite emotion in his entire life; he'd describe it as being rocket-launched out to sea with nothing but his parachute to survive on as a raft. it didn't help that when you finally took your seat beside him (after cooing at the handmade name placements yanfei had made), your arm brushed ever so slightly against his and once again made the dormant butterflies in his stomach erupt feverishly. he couldn't help but let his gaze traverse a little bit and linger on your profile as you discussed something or the other with hu tao who sat across from you. his golden eyes drank in every line, curve, dip, dent, and fullness of your face and body. not to mention, it was as if cupid himself had been hovering over his shoulder like a cheeky cherub and shot his heart with one of his love-lathered arrows any time you laughed or smiled that beautiful smile of yours.

it was as if his eyes had taken you on as their muse and filled up the void within his cornea, retina, and irises with your beautiful image. truthfully, he wouldn't have it any other way: you were a true vision, stunning even in the most mundane moments.

"all right, dinner is ready! and, delightfully, not burned." zhongli chuckled, effectively breaking xiao from his spell of allure.

he turned his gaze away from you, internally chiding himself for acting so creepy as he focused his attention on his father who placed various bowls of takeout food onto the table.

"oooh is this from wanmin?" yanfei gawked, eyeing the scrumptious looking plate of jade parcels that zhongli placed in front of her.

hu tao practically drooled over the pot of adeptus' temptation that was placed near her, eagerly awaiting a spoonful with a silver fork in her hand, "wherever the heck it's from, it looks amazinggggg!"

zhongli smiled as he sat down at the head of the table, three daughters on one side, and you and xiao on the other. "please, let us celebrate and eat. may good fortune be bestowed upon all of you," he rose a goblet of wine in toast, to which xiao prayed that his glass of iced tea wouldn't slip from his clammy hands. he watched with a slight smile as hu tao eagerly dug into her jade parcels, while yanfei urged her not to down the whole thing in one go.

"xiao?" his attention was diverted from his sisters towards you, who held up a small plate of almond tofu with small candies decorated around the edge of the plate, "you like dessert first, right?"

as childish as it was, he did prefer his dessert first and nodded sheepishly as he took the plate from you, "please don't add this onto the list of embarrassing moments you're tallying for me."

you hummed for a moment as if in consideration, cheeky smile on your face, before replying, "hmm maybe, i'll keep this one on a spare file in my brain in case of any emergencies." you giggled, and picked up your own fork.

before he could brew up a comeback of his own, your hand gently overlapped his and brought the plate of almond tofu closer to you. your fork dug into the soft, bouncy texture and placed the delicacy into your mouth, humming pleasantly with every bite. meanwhile, xiao fought to regain his composure and did his best to will the blush away from his cheeks, hand still burning and pulsing from where you had so gently touched him.

"mmm! still tastes so good. remember when we'd walk to wanmin after school and get plates of almond tofu? chef mao would always give us discounts..." you trailed off, eyes finding his own with a nostalgic film over your eyes.

xiao did remember, every detail in fact. he remembered guiding your little hand in his own and standing up on tippy toes with fingers clutching wanmin restaurant's front counter. he remembered chef mao sliding them a large plate of almond tofu and urging that they take it on the house (he also remembered chef mao's constant teasing of xiao taking you on an "after school date", but he chooses to try and repress that part).

"yeah," he hummed, faint smile resting pleasantly on his lips as he found somewhere within the depth of his body: the courage to peer into your eyes from the side, "i could never forget."

his heart felt much lighter as you piled all his favorites onto his plate and handed it to him with little to no hesitation. somehow you always knew just what to pick (and what to avoid as well): pile on savory greens and tasty desserts and avoid fatty meats.

just as he went to bite into a juicy looking jade parcel, hu tao cleared her throat and began banging her fork against her flute glass full of cherry cola.

"any harder and it'll break, dum dum." yanfei snickered beneath her fist, propped up by her elbow on the table.

hu tao rolled her eyes and focused her attention onto xiao, where the sense of dread began to once again rise up in his stomach.

"(y/n), you know xiao's studying web design at college right now, don't you?" she chirped, bright eyes knowing and eager.

"yup! you should see the pictures of his projects he sends me, it looks like hell." you chuckled before stuffing a spoonful of black-back perch stew into your mouth.

"weeeeellll," hu tao paused to glance down at the cards in her lap (xiao presumes),

"did you know that the first prime minister of liyue was miss gui- wait...WAIT A MINUTE-!"

hu tao's cheeky disposition quickly collapsed into panic as she flitted through her flashcards, quietly mumbling little "no"s under her breath.

"agent jingles!" yanfei muttered through gritted teeth masked as a smile, "did you bring your history flashcards instead of the ones with web design questions on them?!" yanfei hissed, stretching her neck over to grab the untouched pile of flashcards in hu tao's lap.

"agent wha? what's that?" hu tao scratched the top of her head in confusion, before she was reminded by a glare and kick from under the table by yanfei, "OH OH RIGHT! my bad, snowbell." she giggled.

"gods you are hopeless," yanfei muttered and pinched the bridge of her nose.

xiao wanted the ground to swallow him whole and never have him return.

"aghh aiyah i SWEAR i thought i had the right ones! these were from my history exam." hu tao pouted and gently bumped her forehead against the table.

"what's going on with you two?" zhongli, firm yet gentle, eyed his daughters with a curious look.

"nothing, papa! nothing, we just wanted to fill in (y/n) about the cool stuff xiao does, isn' that right xiao?" yanfei quickly threw the fastball of conversation towards him, to which he could do nothing but agree with a tentative and hesitant forced smile on his face.

"are you a history buff now?" you gently elbowed him from the side with a coy smile dancing on your lips, "there's a great place near campus with tons of historical books, lemme know when you're free and we can go together."

he wasn't much of a history buff but now, he'd probably be asking hu tao for her flash cards later on.

PHASE TWO STATUS OF OPERATION MISTLETOE: SOMEWHAT SALVAGEABLE!

phase three: nostalgic photo reminiscing

agent snowbell will procure photo albums of agent grinch and the target from their youth and coax them into the living room to sift through the photos and reminisce. agent jingles and snowbell will be in charge of keeping ganyu and papa occupied as to not interfere.

baby pictures: the bane of his existence.

xiao has known no rest since his little sisters had somehow managed to get ahold of his baby pictures. there was no escape from their relentless teasing or the comments of "you used to be so cute! so what the heck happened?!" he's heard it all at this point.

so upon hearing yanfei explain the third phase, he's quick to shoot it down. "absolutely not."

"aw c'mon! xiaooooo they don't even have to be your baby photos, i'm sure there's tons of photos of you and (y/n) as kids. wouldn't it be great to reminisce?" yanfei pleaded, and xiao swore that she had absorbed the puppy dog eye tactic from hu tao.

"...papa or ganyu might know where the albums are, but what does this have to do with-"

"it has everything to do with (y/n)!" hu tao interjected, bowl of strawberry ice cream in one hand and miniature spoon in the other. if xiao inspected closely, it might've been a spoon that belonged to his father's collectibles but he didn't want to even imagine the scolding hu tao would be in for if she really was using one of his collectible spoons to shovel bits of strawberry ice cream into her gullet.

"think about it: you're reminiscing over your childhood, they see how your bond evolved, and how much you've grown and realize that they've fallen for you, and BOOM! they fall in love and you both get married and get a bunch of puppies and cats and feifei and i are always invited over to babysit them, the end!"

somehow xiao didn't think hu tao was being quite realistic. yanfei was always the more grounded one of the duo, but even she had her nonsensical moments. xiao would most likely count this moment as one of them, as she eagerly trotted into the living room with an armful of books.

"got 'em! hu, you go get (y/n)." yanfei ordered as she set the books down onto the living room coffee table.

xiao hadn't expected there were so many, then again his dad was quite doting and xiao wouldn't put it past him to take multitudes of photos.

"alright, here's the situation: papa and yuyu and washing dishes and cleaning, so hu and i will help them out and keep them distracted and away from the living room as long as we can. use the time to try and get them all warm and nostalgic, got it? this is super important for phase four, so try not to mess up!" despite the encouraging thumbs up and signature "yanfei-branded" smile, xiao couldn't help but deadpan a little at his sister's choice of words.

"hey! hu tao said you wanna show me something?" your familiar head popped itself into view, which yanfei took as her cue to leave (but not before mouthing "good luck" behind your back and flashing a thumbs up).

you shot a quizzical glance to the teenager and faced xiao once more with an incredulous smile on your face, "those two are acting kinda weird tonight, i wonder if they plan on pranking us." you chuckled and walked over to the couch.

xiao scooted over to make room for you, but you instead opted to send him into cardiac arrest and plop down right next to him so that your shoulders stuck together side-by-side.

"so, what's up? are these photo albums i see? are we doing some holiday reminiscing?" you giggled and eagerly traced your fingers along the spine of the albums.

he figured he may as well try and go along with yanfei and hu tao's plan, even if it hadn't been super successful previously. "yeah...i thought it'd nice to look back." he mumbled, hand fidgeting to rub the back of his neck.

his leg bounced, nerves flocking to the pulsating thunder of his heart as he watched you take the first book from the pile and turn open the page.

"aww look! it's a picture of us fighting over rexy!" you squealed and eagerly slid the book closer between the two of you.

asides from the ever-growing nervousness deep in his stomach from just your touch alone, xiao found himself recalling the faded, yellow memory with a faint smile as if it had just happened yesterday. the dragon doll, "rexy", was his favorite stuffed animal as a kid. but it just so happened that you loved rexy just as much, and most of your playdates usually resulted in the two of you chasing each other on stubby little two year old legs for the stuffed dragon's affection.

"rexy totally liked me better, by the way." you giggled and lightly slapped his bicep with the back of your hand.

"tch, no way. it's a stuffed animal..." he trailed off with a pensive look, only for it to dissolve into the slight upwards twitch of his lips and a sly glance from the side, "but i treated him the best."

your hand flew to your chest in mock hurt, yet there was no denying the playlist glint of mirth in your eyes, "i'm gravely offended by the implication that i didn't treat rexy right."

"i'm just saying it as it is." he huffed and crossed his arms.

"moving on from rexy, my beloved," he snickered at the honorific you used, which earned him a nudge from your elbow, "look it's our first day of grade school!"

xiao didn't quite remember that day, since the rain tended to beat out all other thoughts, but he did remember when you bounded up to him with a little froggy hat on your head, and handed him a matching one. the photo had captured when you had slung your little five year old arms around xiao's neck and held him close to show off your matching froggy rainhats. he also vividly remembered walking home hand-in-hand with you, jumping in puddles, and watching as snails and worms made their way across sidewalk pavements in complete awe.

"we should get matching hats again, frogs are all the rave now aren't they? you'd looks so cute with a wittle fwoggy hat on your head." you cooed and pinched the chub of his cheek gently between your forefinger and thumb.

the physical contact sent a jolt of lightning throughout his body and he felt the heat rush to his face faster than you could say "froggy" again.

"n-next page!" he quickly muttered, flipping the laminated photo over so that a different array of photos peered back up at him.

"awww i remember this photo, you were so nervous about going into the sea." you hummed, affectionately thumbing the sheathed photograph of you and xiao, hand-in-hand and ankle-deep in a crystal blue sea. zhongli had captured the moment just perfectly, with your head tilted backwards in laughter, gaps in your teeth perfectly on display, whereas xiao's fright was evident on his face as he desperately clung to your hands; if the embarrassment of the little blue floaties with miniature yellow ducklings on his two arms wasn't enough, xiao was pretty sure that he cried a ton moments after that photo was taken and demanded they go to shore to collect sea shells instead.

"why did papa only save the embarrassing ones..." xiao grumbled under his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose.

you merely tilted your head back and released the sweet cacophony of your laughs from deep within your chest. xiao knew no sweeter sound nor melody that could ever compare with the snorts between your fits of laughter, or the choked coughing sessions you'd usually end up in after, like right now. his hand tentatively hovered above your back for a minute before it made contact with the fabric of your clothes and gently rubbed up and down to soothe your coughs.

"see, this is what happens when you laugh too much." he chided, attempting to mask the mirth and affection in his voice as best he could.

"oh hush, you worrywart." you waved him off and focused your attention back to the album in your hands.

xiao's hand still hovered near your back, and as if possessed by the cupid that had been hovering around his shoulders, he allowed his arm to carefully drape over your shoulders and pull you closer to him. the muffled squeals of joy from beyond the kitchen doors indicated that hu tao and yanfei had seen his act of bravery as well. his heart pounded wildly in his chest as he looked at your face, drenched in shock with a hint of intrigue. the small "o" on your lips quickly dissolved into a gentle smile as you placed your head into the crook of his shoulder and leaned back against the couch with the photo album shared between your laps. the muffled shrieks of joy indicated that hu tao and yanfei must have also seen that.

no matter how hard he tried, his heartbeat wouldn't cease its rampant thundering nor would his face calm its rouge fury. how many nights had he dreamed about a moment like this, where you'd be close by his side and your heartbeats would finally sync together in harmony?

'far too many,' he thinks.

you're silent as a mouse now, quietly flipping through the photo album with a nostalgic smile etched onto your lips. he can't help but be entranced with every detail that decorated your appearance, and every slight particular facial gesture or habit that made it much easier to read your moods. take right now, as an example: the scrunch of your nose as you looked at a photo of you and him in your matching, third grade halloween costumes of peanut butter and jam meant that you were trying to suppress a smile or a bubble of laughter. his arm has never felt such warmth.

now was as good a time as any, right?

"l-listen, (y/n), there's s-something that i...need to tell you," he started, face turning inwards and choosing to brave his storms and face you eye-to-eye.

but before he could continue, a clutter of noise rang from the kitchen followed by muffled curses and exclamations. you shot up from your relaxed position on his shoulder and shot your head towards the door.

"what was that?!" you mumbled, turning back to him with a worried look on your face as you pushed yourself up from his embrace and waited for xiao to follow suit.

still in a rosy haze and drunk on your embrace, it took a minute for his brain to finally get up to speed. you grabbed his forearm and hurried past the kitchen doors. xiao expected that perhaps something had fell or broken (or in the worst case scenario, a break-in). of course, in this family anything was everything but typical.

in all its grand glory, a pigeon of all things sat comfortably on the counter, pecking away at the oreos hu tao had taken out for a snack. xiao looked to the corner of the kitchen to see his three sisters huddled behind their father, who gallantly held a broom and a determined look on his face.

"both of you, come this way!" he ordered.

"oh nonsense, uncle zhongli. it's just a pigeon. here," with a nearby towel, you gently wafted the fabric in the direction of the pigeon. the pigeon, who seemed to mystically obey you, hopped down from the counter and sauntered over to the open sliding glass door as guided by your towel wafting. with one final flick of the fabric, the pigeon disappeared beyond the glass and flew off into the night sky.

"there! not so frightening now is it?" you beamed and shut the glass door.

"(y/n) you should've seen it! feifei cracked the sliding door to throw out some dust and BOOM!" hu tao's arms spread wide open and mimicked a plane flying in for landing, "in came the pigeon! i wanted to adopt it but papa said no." she pouted, crossing her arms and side-eyeing the older man.

with the threat of the pigeon now gone, the rest of his family began to tentatively move back throughout the kitchen. yanfei and hu tao shot him a double thumbs up and left him to stand beside you in front of the glass doors.

"so, what was it you wanted to tell me before we were so rudely interrupted by a pigeon?" you asked.

the "nevermind" that tumbled out of his mouth is quick and hasty, and it's little more than an excuse to excuse himself from the bewildering situation where he nearly poured his heart out to you, only to be interrupted by a pigeon.

PHASE THREE STATUS OF OPERATION MISTLETOE: A SUCCESS (???)

phase four: the big confession!

agents snowbell and jingles will decorate the back patio with fairy lights and candles. agent grinch will lead the target out to the back patio to watch the stars, where he will share his feelings with the target and live happily ever after!

"hey, that actually went pretty well!"

xiao did his best to blot out whatever other exclamation yanfei had made, too busy wrapped up in his own thoughts: was he too forward by wrapping an arm around your shoulders? but you leaned into him, so surely it wasn't the wrong choice, was it?

"hey hey, stop zoning out! we're in the home stretch here!" hu tao wagged her palm in front of his face and broke him from his daze.

"the pigeon fiasco ruined the moment, but you had a good run there! keep up that attitude, definitely." yanfei (who had somehow produced a clipboard) carefully wrote down something on a piece of paper.

what exactly she was writing, xiao could only guess.

"next up: the biiiig confession! now's your time to shine, lover boy!"

"confession?!" he jumped up from the living room couch with a start, eyes frazzled and worried and heartbeat more erratic than ever. "absolutely not, no way."

"xiaooooo you can't chicken out now! this is what the entire night's been leading to after all. feifei and i already decked out the patio earlier! all that's left to do is take them outside and profess your love like a disney prince mweheheheheeeee~" hu tao cackled, slumped over the arm rest of the plush couch with her legs dangling over the edge.

"i said no, i can't do this." his fingers found their way raking through his thick locks, other hand scrunching up the fabric of his white shirt within his fist as if he held in his hand his actual thumping heart. he had hardly heard when the kitchen doors opened and the familiar scent of ganyu's perfume wafted into the living room.

"have any of you seen (y/n)? a blizzard picked up outside and papa doesn't want them driving in the snow." ganyu's familiar mop of periwinkle locks popped into the living room. she glanced around in search of what xiao assumed was your familiar figure.

xiao looked towards hu tao and yanfei, who in turn looked at each other expectantly.

hu tao nervously glanced towards yanfei with an undoubted sheen of worry in her eyes, "feifei...you didn't already tell them to go outside on the patio and wait...did you?"

all color within yanfei's face drained as she whipped her head to xiao, confirming his suspicions with only the slight nod of her head. faster than he could even comprehend, his hands reached for a nearby blanket on the couch and his feet hurried towards the back door. all he could picture in his mind was your frigid skin and frosted fingertips, devoid of warmth and comfort as he whipped open the door and hurried outside in nothing but his father's outdoor slippers.

there you stood: with your back to him and clothes doused in a layer of frothy white snow, you stood against a backdrop of beautiful chaos and whirling snow. the fairy lights and candles hu tao and yanfei had set up earlier were blown off from where they hung and devoid of any sort of light. the biting snow burned against his cheek and exposed, bare skin as he walked towards you with the thick blanket grasped tightly in his hands.

"you're an idiot for waiting out here for so long." despite the harsh denotation of the words he muttered, there was a tentative gentleness to it that seemed to be reserved only for you. once close enough to your shivering body, he draped the blanket over your figure and held the material shut tight himself across your chest so that your back pressed against his chest.

"hey now, i can't disobey a direct order from miss yanfei herself. she said she had another surprise for me, but i suppose the surprise is no more?" your head cocked itself to the side to peer directly into his eyes.

"the only surprise you'll get from her is frostbite," he scoffed as he rubbed his hands up and down the sides of your arms over top of the blanket, "come inside now, you'll freeze out here."

"...maybe," you began, eyes still transfixed on the raging swirls of stormy snow that engulfed you; xiao turned his attention towards you with intrigue,

"maybe next time, i can actually experience the surprise she had for me." you mumbled, and leaned further back into his warm body.

deep down, xiao wished he had the guts to fulfil your desires.

PHASE FOUR STATUS OF OPERATION MISTLETOE: COMPLETE AND UTTER FAILURE

"(y/n) i apologize greatly. i've given these two a good scolding for sending you outside in nothing but your evening wear." zhongli gestured to a sheepish hu tao and yanfei, who ran straight into your arms as you entered the house again.

"t-that's fine u-uncle zhongli! b-but for n-now i'd j-just like to g-get a little w-warmed up? i'm r-really s-starting to feel the c-cold now haha." you sputtered between chattering teeth, latching on tightly to the fleece blanket xiao had draped across your shoulders as you used your other hand to stroke the heads of hu tao and yanfei.

"yes, of course. ganyu will bring you some warm tea once i've brewed it," zhongli smiled kindly and turned towards the kitchen before seemingly remembering something and turning back to face you and xiao, "and my dear, you should spend the night here. i'd detest if you were to drive back home in all that snow, it simply isn't safe. i believe we have a spare sleeping bag that you can use."

"y-yeah! that's f-fine with m-me if it's okay with x-xiao?"

before he could even reply (and provide an answer he wasn't even sure of yet), yanfei and hu tao interjected:

"of course he's cool with it! isn't that right, hu tao?" yanfei popped up by your side, accompanied by a nodding hu tao.

"yep yep yep! xiao's got the warmest room in the house!"

one day, xiao swore one day he'd get his two little gremlin sisters back for their transgressions.

"i believe xiao still has a spare set of your pajamas from the last time you slept over, why don't hu tao and yanfei take you to go get settled in his room while you wait for your tea?" zhongli suggested, eyeing his youngest daughters expectantly and silently pleading for them to not cause any more trouble once more before disappearing beyond the doors to the kitchen.

"are you sure you're fine?" he spun you around to face him and let his eyes roam over your body in search of anything worrying.

"oh please, a little snow won't be the end of me. i'll be just fine. but you might wanna fix your tie." you giggled and reached for the silky black tie that the winter winds had strewn over his shoulder, and fixed it back into place. your fingers lingered for just a moment longer than they should've, and managed to steal the breath from his lungs as they caught in the nets in his throat. as soon as they had came into contact with his chest, your fingers disappeared and your warmth trailed off behind his two sisters.

xiao's eyes wandered to your waddling figure, draped in the thick blanket as hu tao and yanfei guided you upstairs. his gaze lingered on you for a moment before he tore himself away and defeatedly groaned into the palms of his hands. weary legs carried him to the seat of the living room couch, where he all but collapsed and dug his elbows into his thighs while cradling his head. the sigh he'd been holding in all night finally slipped past his lips as his entire body sagged in complete and utter exhaustion.

he truly was at a loss for what to do now: if he really was that romantically incompetent on his own, and his little sister's plan hadn't been a success, then what was he left to do? perhaps giving up was in order, but the mere thought of never holding you close in his arms and never addressing you as all the cheesy pet names he's ever thought of before made his heart pang in an indescribable manner. not to mention, there was the fine line to be crossed between best of friends, and sweetest of lovers. would there ever be any return tickets if he ever made it beyond the threshold should you not like him in return? what of the friendship that lasted for nearly two decades up to this point?

if only he hadn't tripped and stumbled down the rose covered path of love towards your inviting arms; perhaps then he wouldn't be psychologically tormenting himself with his own inadequacies. just as he was about to slip below the cusp of his thoughts, a gentle hand placed itself on his shoulder and the scent of mint once again engulfed his nostrils.

"what's bothering you, xiao?" ganyu hummed, perched on the arm rest of the couch as she rubbed soothing circles into his shoulder.

"nothing, everything is absolutely fine." he spat, despite knowing that ganyu deserved least of all to be the brunt of his frustration.

"h-hey, don't get upset...just trying to help," she sighed and placed her hands back into her lap covered by the silky blue dress she wore, "you can always tell me anything that's bothering you. i'll listen."

xiao was reluctant—far too reluctant to inform his older sister that he was head over heels in love with his best friend and that he'd been dragged into a plot devised by their younger sisters to finally get him to fess up his feelings. there was the stubborn part of him that feared bearing his truth and admitting that he was scared: of rejection, of messing up, of so many things. but reluctance aside, ganyu's familiar sunset eyes peered back at him with such care and attention, it was almost as though the words he'd been so violently repressed had become unclogged in his throat with just those few words of reassurance she uttered.

maybe he'll try his luck once more.

the details of "operation mistletoe" came out in jumbled nonsense at first, until ganyu urged him to take him time and he slowly found momentum. from phase one to phase four, and all the moments in between, as well as his burning feelings for you, all his words came out in quiet globs of emotional admission.

"i put my faith in hu tao and yanfei because i thought it would help me confess to (y/n)...but everything kept going wrong a-and on my own...i'm not enough to make them feel things for me...and i'm terrified that if i mess things up that they'll never want to be friends with me again, and i don't think i could bear that."

his head hung low in shame, fists clenched together in front of him. frustration flooded his veins at his own incompetence and shameful admission to the thoughts that had been plaguing him for years.

"xiao..." ganyu mumbled and slid down the arm rest to sit beside him. "i think you're trying too hard to be something you're not. yanfei and hu tao mean well, but in reality romance is nothing like it's depicted in anime or dramas. n-not that i have any experience!" she quickly clarified, waving her hand in dismissal.

"but on my own," xiao paused and looked at his trembling hands, "(y/n) would never love someone like me."

ganyu frowned and overlapped his hand within two of her own. "xiao, i've looked after you and (y/n) since you two were in diapers. even if they can't see you romantically, there's no doubt in my mind that they'll never stop caring and loving for you, even if it's platonic. most importantly, (y/n) would love you for who you are even if it means they deal with your communicative problems and standoffish behavior. n-not that t-there's anything wrong with that o-of course!"

xiao felt a small smile creep its way onto his face as he stewed in ganyu's words. in truth: ganyu was right. you weren't so flimsy that you'd toss him aside should you reject his feelings, and you were well aware that it was impossible to reproduce the suave character of a handsome drama lead in someone like him. you've stuck by his side for all these years, not an ideal version of him, just him as he is: wholly human and bound to trip and fall yet get back up again.

"take a chance, xiao. it's alright if it doesn't work out; i know they'd never leave you." ganyu hummed and rubbed a comforting hand up and down his spine.

"i should've gone to you for help instead of letting yanfei and hu tao drag me around all night." he laughed breathlessly to conceal the film of tears hanging from his golden eyes and hid his face in his hands.

"ah so you three were scheming in the cleaning closet instead of looking for air freshener, that makes a lot more sense now." ganyu giggled and nudged his shoulder. "you're much of a better person than you give yourself credit for, xiao. don't sell yourself short."

with a shaky inhale, xiao managed to shyly squeak out: "i really, really like them, ganyu."

"i know, you'd have to be a fool not to notice after all." she smiled and smoothed over the top of his frazzled locks, "tell them how you feel when you're ready."

the thing is, he wondered: how do you know if you're ready?

"heya! soooo we couldn't find the sleeping bag, ehe~"

his fingers went to press the bridge of his nose almost immediately as if to soothe the oncoming migraine that his sisters would inevitably give him. the sleeping bag was probably hidden away, stuffed under either of their beds, but he didn't have the energy to fight them on it.

"hey, it's no biggie. xiao and i have shared a bed plenty of times together, right?" you chirped as you nudged his side expectantly.

you had indeed shared a bed before, but you left out the crucial fact that you hadn't slept in the same bed as xiao since you were kids. there was absolutely no way his heart could take this, but seeing how you bounced up and down on the balls of your heels, eager eyes peeking through the doorway of his room, it looked like there was no saying "no" to you either way.

"y-yeah, s'fine." he mumbled and shoved his hands into his pockets.

you'd already changed into your pajamas and warmed up from the mishap of phase four. the tea ganyu had brought to warm you up had been half drunk and now you settled comfortably on the side of xiao's large bed with your phone in hand. xiao would think the scene quite domestic and sweet if not for the jeering presence of his sisters behind him.

"there's only..."

"...one bed! it's straight out of fanfiction!"

their whisper-squeals did little to calm his racing heartbeat and no sooner than they had spoken did xiao usher them off with hisses under his breath.

"okay, you two have had your fun. now shoo," xiao turned them around and gently pushed their backs out of the door to his room, but not discreetly leaning down towards them and whispering a hushed "thank you."

"hey, no need! (y/n) would be super lucky to date you." hu tao cheered quietly and shoved an encouraging thumbs up for him.

"exactly, we're just glad to help. aaaand this kept hu tao from pulling any disastrous pranks this year." yanfei side eyed her sister, who innocently peered back with starlit eyes.

even after wishing them goodnight and shutting his door, the nervous pitter-patter of his heart had yet to cease. the dress shirt he'd been wearing all night stuck to his skin and itched at his sides and he wanted nothing more for it to be gone.

"xiao? you gonna get changed or do you plan on going to bed looking like a butler?" you snickered from your seat on his bed, knees tucked tight against your chest from beneath his white comforter.

he merely rolled his eyes and shuffled towards his drawers to pull out a soft, white t shirt and dark blue checkered pajama bottoms. you turned on your side to allow him privacy, but even with your eyes fixated on the phantom blue screen of your phone, xiao couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed. too many times did his fingers fumble with the buttons of his shirt and too many times did he misstep while trying to put on his pajama pants.

"you okay?" you called, face still turned the other way.

"y-yeah! just...lost my balance." he mumbled out an excuse and slid the t shirt over his head.

with every step he took towards his light switch, his heart's pulse threatened to burst out of his chest. he could practically feel the slight thump in his throat right beside his bobbing adam's apple.

"tell them when you're ready." but when will he be ready?

with a flick of his finger, his room shrouded itself in darkness with only the gentle trickle of pearly moonlight to illuminate the large, obsidian floor rug that blanketed his bedroom. you looked towards him and shut your phone off, scooching over in his bed to make room for his body. as much as his limbs trembled, he managed to slip underneath his sheets and turned on his side so that his back faced you and his body hung off the side of the bed in order to give you as much space as you needed.

"what are you doing? you know the bed is big enough for the both of us, right?" you giggled, and his stomach jolted in his body as your arms slid around his waist and pulled him into the bed, closer to your body.

"i just w-wanted to respect your space..." he mumbled into his pillow, and with the heat that reverberated off of the fabric he was sure that his face was nothing but a blushing mess right now. you'd said something of comfort to him, but it was blotted out by the thumping in his ears.

your arms still loosely draped themselves around his waist, and the heat of your body gently brushed against his back and sent tingles up his spine. there was absolutely no way he'd be able to sleep with how hard his heart was pounding in his ears.

your name flew out of his lips before he decided to let his mind overwork him to the bone and interfere once more: "(y/n)?"

"hm?"

"i..." his lips went dry and all the words he'd been practicing over and over again in his head flitted off into the air. your hand gently pressed against his tense shoulder blade, silently encouraging to take his time. but all he could feel was the warmth of your hand against his back; even just your presence was enough to send his heart into hysterics.

you were it for him, he was sure no one else could ever make him feel as safe and warm as you did.

he wasn't sure when he had inched closer to the edge again, perhaps it was when he felt the ticklish fan of your breath against the nape of his neck or when you shifted closer so that your leg brushed against his. xiao simply thought his mind had finally chosen to descend into the realm of sleep when his view of his bedroom ceiling began to turn and the familiar yet unfamiliar sensation of falling engulfed him.

it wasn't until his back made a muted impact against the carpet did he realize that yes, he, as a twenty one year old man, had just fallen out of his own bed.

"xiao?! are you alright?" you scrambled to the edge of the bed and peered down at him with worry glossed over in your eyes.

he sighed and draped an arm over his eyes, a warbled smile stretching itself onto his lips. "yeah, all good." he mumbled.

just as he was about to suggest that you sleep in ganyu's room, a pillow hit his stomach, followed by the weight of his comforter. you tossed a pillow beside him onto the soft carpet and scooted off of the bed to lay on the other side of him on the carpet.

"what are you doing?"

you turned to him with a cheeky smile and fluffed out the ends of the comforter, "sleeping on the floor with you, duh," you snorted and fixed the pillow on the rug, "when we were kids we used to do this all the time during sleepovers when you couldn't sleep, remember? we pretended it was camping."

of course xiao remembered, he could never forget his sleepless nights only remedied by the comfort of his floor rug, and how much you complained about your aching back in the morning yet never blamed him for an inch of your pain. "yeah, but i never fell off my own bed first." he choked out a laugh and shoved the pillow under his head before burying the heels of his palms into his eyes.

"times change, so do methods." you joked and laid flat on your back so that both you and xiao stared up at his ceiling, where the glow in the dark stars you both had stuck up nearly a decade ago still clung to the chipped, white paint.

"do you think that we'll ever change?"

the question came out choked and barely uttered under his breath but somehow you managed to hear him even through all the thick barrier and fog he had produced.

"of course we will," you hummed as xiao turned his head to the side to avoid your knowing gaze. his eyes snapped open when your fingers hesitantly brushed against his own before intertwining with his fingers, "but we'll change together."

of all the love advice and training sessions hu tao and yanfei had put him through, never did it occur to him that you wouldn't leave him behind in the dust even if he struggled to convey his feelings. he had always felt the pressure to keep up and measure up to his best friend's amazing qualities, yet preserve the years of history behind them. and yet you so boldly claimed that despite change, you'd be right by his side.

how do you know if you're ready? maybe he is.

"i think i'm in love with you."

too nervous to face you, xiao could only zero in on the glowing stars on his ceiling and squeezed your intertwined hand to quell the nervous tide washing up in his stomach.

"i know," you giggled and raised your intertwined hands to press against your heart, which thundered just as much if not more than his.

xiao's heart stuttered before jackhammering against the thin roof of his ribcage as he shot up and whipped his head to look back down at you, still laying on your back and looking up at the glow-in-the-dark stars with your hand still intertwined with his—as if nothing had happened.

"you....you knew?" he mumbled breathlessly.

you shifted so that you sat up and faced him, body impossibly close to his as you used your free hand to play with the tips of his intertwined fingers.

"welllll," you started with a cheeky smile, "you did propose to me when we were six."

xiao groaned into the skin of the palm he rubbed over his face. he, unfortunately, remembered every detail of proposing to you with a ring made of a daisy and taking you "wedding clothes shopping" in his sister's and papa's closets.

"for the record, i think i do too."

dreaming, he was surely dreaming, because there was no way that you reciprocated his feelings.

"y-you...me? love??" his pointer finger jutted against his chest.

"i wouldn't put it like a caveman, but yeah," you laughed and caressed your thumb over the back of his knuckles, "i do, i love you lots."

"oh," was all he could manage to say amidst the tides of emotions that washed over him: his heart was practically still with how fast it was beating, and he thanked the darkness for granting him the mercy of concealing the raging blush that had overtaken his face.

how many nights had he spent dreaming of the moment where his hand would engulf yours and trail imaginary lines over the bumps of your knuckles? so many, that as he reached his free, trembling hand up to stroke the apple of your cheek, he thought himself still asleep and dreaming of your love.

your warm nose gently brushed against his, and though the lips he's dreamt of since he was a kid were so, so close to him, he found himself planting his forehead in the crook of your shoulder and gripping your hand with a nervous fervor through stuttered breaths. your laugh hummed against his skin as you ran a hand through his locks and pressed a gentle kiss to the tender area of his temple.

he was no casanova or romeo, nor was he particularly the best at romance and love. but no doubt in his mind: if you could embrace him with honey lined hugs and kisses that made his insides melt just as he is, there's no other place he'd rather be and no other way he would've had the evening play out.

there was always an unspoken language whispered in the comfortable silence between you two, and somehow you always managed to understand the jumbled desires and conversations in his heart that never met the threshold of his voicebox. sleep wasn't calling, but the desire to hold you within his arms was.

and as he tugged you down with him, pulled the covers over your bodies, and held you close against his chest to peer up at the glow-in-the-dark stars above, xiao felt all the worries of his night melt away and fizzle off like glitter into the air around him.

in your arms and with the lull of your heartbeat did he finally find paradise: a lover's secret garden where he'd love to walk hand-in-hand with you for as long as time would allow him.

"shhh! not so loud, you'll wake them up!"

ganyu—as the eldest—always made it her priority to keep her siblings in order. but just this once perhaps a little indulgence was allowed, as she leaned against the doorframe and watched with a fond smile as yanfei eagerly took round upon round of pictures on her phone of you comfortably nestled deep in xiao's embrace under the covers.

"see! i knew hiding the sleeping bag was a good call." hu tao giggled and quietly tip toed to yanfei's side to observe the angles at which she took photos

the morning light had made a great highlight of the slight trail of drool from your lips, and the tousled mess that was their brother's hair.

"alright, you two, i think that's enough. let's go help papa start breakfast." ganyu gently chided with a whisper and ushered the two girls to her side.

"awww, these photos are gonna look so good in the album." yanfei cooed as she swiped through the pictures and obeyed her sister's orders to tiptoe quietly to the doorway of xiao's room.

just as hu tao was about to follow, the rustle of sheets behind her and a raspy "hu tao?" made her stop dead in her tracks.

"xiao! uhhh-" she nervously whipped her head to yanfei and ganyu, who pretended to not notice her silent plea for help, "we were just- uh- you know?" she sheepishly smiled and raised her hands in surrender.

he really didn't know what she was talking about, nor why all three of his sisters had decided to congregate in his room. but the slight shift of your body in his arms reminded him of all the events that had transpired yesterday, and suddenly the annoyance and fatigue melted away into honeyed bliss.

"so," yanfei started, a mischievous smile dancing on her lips, "was our operation successful?"

his head shifted on his pillow to peer down at you with what he felt were metaphorical hearts in his eyes. a gentle brush of his fingers against your temple gave hu tao and yanfei all the confirmation they needed as they dashed out of his room with bubbling, giddy grins on their faces. ganyu chuckled and let him know of breakfast's brewing before quietly shutting the door and leaving him to bask in the warm, morning silence and your warmth within his arms.

xiao prayed that you wouldn't wake from his gentle touches, but against all odds your eyes fluttered open to reveal the beautiful shade of (e/c) that he loved so much. your lips stretched into a hazy smile as your raspy voice mumbled a "good morning"...

...followed by a quick, chaste kiss to his lips.

it'd be so nonchalant, xiao would've dismissed it as if you'd sent him a teasing remark like usual if not for the realization that you had just kissed him as if it were already part of your routine.

"oh! i'm sorry...i just- i did that instinctively..." your hands flew to your mouth, apologetic eyes flickering to gauge his reaction.

xiao didn't care for firsts, just that the first person to kiss his lips was you: his best friend, and the person he loved more than anything in this world. his hand, warm from the heat of your bodies, moved to cup your cheek and thumbed just below your eye.

the minute his lips connected with yours once again, he didn't feel fireworks or electric sparks like hu tao and yanfei's romantic animes and dramas and articles described. rather, his heart felt as though it had been dipped into a sweet pool of warm honey, and if he concentrated hard enough he'd feel the gentle flap of butterfly wings deep in the pits of his stomach, and the faint, fragrant scent of dewy carnations and roses in the height of spring.

sooner or later, he'd have to get up and pull you up from the ground and listen to you complain about the cricks and soreness in your back. his father and ganyu would embarrass him with stories of his youth during breakfast while you stuffed your cheeks with fluffy waffles bathed in sweet syrup. and there was no doubt in his mind that hu tao and yanfei would fill you in on operation mistletoe.

but even within all its chaos and domesticity, xiao would never change a single bit of it: not his family, not you, and not the stupid four-phase operation that got him here in the first place.

OPERATION MISTLETOE STATUS: A SUPER DUPER WONDERFUL SUCCESS!

“wow, thoma, i didn't know you worked here. do you run this place by yourself?” you smiled back at him, and he swears the room suddenly got brighter, you can't do this to him- he'll go blind!

so that's why ayaka gasped and suddenly dipped into the backroom, she must've spotted you from outside the window... she's never going to let this one go, thoma.

“i'm the only one out here right now. usually there's other people too.”

he replies, face heating up as you lean forward to get a better look at the menu. when you draw back you watch him fumble with those really gorgeous eyes he could get lost in... focus!

“anyways, i can, uh,” he stammers, attempting to find something to do with his hands. is it too awkward to pick up the mug again? or should i just keep it like this? am i gripping this too hard?

“can i get your coffee? i mean do you want drink? want cup? i-... thirsty?”

you laugh, and he hears wedding bells & angel choirs (even if you are laughing at his expense).

“calm down, thoma, i'm not going to eat you.”

you puff out your cheeks as your eyes scan the menu again, and his heart almost jumps out of his chest, and he's pretty sure you can hear the comical BA-DUMP, BA-DUMP of his heart wailing & screaming and doing cartwheels.

“how about that one?” you point at the far right display board, and he can already see the curly script of ayaka's handwriting in his mind.

how does our barista see you? get them to choose a drink based on how much they like you (or not)!

“the one where i have to choose something?”

you laugh at his horrified expression, “yes, thoma, the one where you have to choose something.”

you lean on the table, hand steepled as you place your chin neatly upon them, eyes fluttering in pretend innocence as you stare up at him.

“how do you see me?”

THINK CAREFULLY, DUMBASS. THIS CAN RUIN YOUR RELATIONSHIP FOREVER.

“maybe... the chocolate mocha latte?”

ARE YOU STUPID?

he sees your eyes flicker over the board, no doubt trying to figure out what a chocolate mocha latte means. he watches as your face stretches from confusion into a cat-got-the-canary grin.

“maybe?”

“uh, no, you are.”

he flashes you his signature smile- the one grandma coos over and everyone in a five mile radius swoons over. might as well die on this hill.

CHOCOLATE MOCHA LATTE - I WANT YOUR SMILE TO LAST FOREVER.

“well, thoma,” you muse, seemingly unperturbed by his basically-a-love-confession answer, “i'll give you... a caramel expresso.”

a caramel expresso? but that's... he whips his head around to make sure he's not imagining it. but as he suspected, in pristine white chalk looped across the board accompanied with a crude drawing of a coffee cup-

“i love you?” he splutters, surely, you must mean something else-

“i love you too, thoma.”

you laugh as he turns as red his apron, eyes widen as he gapes at you, “how did you know?”

“about your pretty obvious crush? ayaka had enough, so she told me. but i guess i hid my end pretty well,” you cheekily smile at him, and lean forward to press your lips against his cheek, and he splutters, the normally all-competent & head-screwed-on-straight thoma reduced to a simple tomato, and even more adorable, it seems.

“so?” you question, but all you get in return as a series of frantic incoherent noises.

ah, you might've broke him.

It’s finally the holiday season, the most wonderful time of the year. When you’re working at a daycare center during then, parents leave gifts on the counter to thank you for caring for their children while they’re tending to their jobs. You’re touched by their kindness, but the one who deserves it the most is your boss, the owner.

Your boss, whom you affectionately call her Granny, is a very kind old woman who offered you this job when you were at your lowest. While she has no biological family of her own, she treats you like a grandchild aside from her adoptive grandson. Speaking of him, you don’t have a lot of positive words to say regarding his character. It seems like he doesn’t have anything nice to say about you, either.

Arataki Itto is his name, your friendly neighborhood troublemaker. He and his so-called gang are infamous for giving headaches to the police and stealing wins from children. The issue between the two of you is that you never see eye to eye with each other due to being complete opposites.

For the sake of Granny, however, animosity is kept to a minimum. That means no snarky comments of any sorts, although insulting him is quite tempting.

“Granny, I’m here!” His boisterous voice resonates in the building. You swear he could cause an earthquake, due to several objects on the counter rattling. “Whoa, so many presents! Need any help?”

“Yes, my sweet boy.” Just as soon as you return from carrying your presents to the car, she tasks the two of you to take hers to his car. He may be a sweet person toward Granny, but in situations where the two of you are alone, he’s unbearable.

“The silence is killing me here,” he groans. You try your best not to pay attention to him. “You know, you remind me of this rookie in the police force who always refuses to accept my challenges. Heard of Kujou Sara? Ha! What a chicken. Guess I should call her Kujou Chicken from now on. She’s no fun, and so are you.”

You chuckle humorlessly. “Why don’t you introduce me to her next time? We can be funless together.” You set down the last present of the batch inside the trunk. “See what I did there? I made a joke, to prove that I can be fun.”

“Haha, very funny,” Itto says amusingly. “If you say you’re fun, why don’t you indulge in this special challenge of mine?”

“Special challenge, you say?” Doesn’t sound bad to entertain your archnemesis at least once, right? “Since it’s Christmas, perhaps I could make an exception.”

“Alright, I like your style. Guess you’re not so bad after all.” That’s one nice thing he said about you all these years you’ve known each other. But if he makes another comment like that, you’ll definitely throw up. “Give me a second. Now where did I put it? Oh, here you go!”

Dread flushes into your face when you see the object he pulled out from the interior pocket of his coat. “A mistletoe? That’s the special challenge?”

“The classic Christmas tradition. But before making assumptions, it’s consensual; I promise.” You raise your eyebrow, casting your doubts about his behavior. “If you say no, I won’t force you. Who am I, crazy?”

“What a gentleman,” you say sarcastically, staring at the mistletoe.  You’re not sure what his deal is with this particular challenge, but losing against someone like him isn’t an option. “I bet you kiss like a loser.”

“Excuse me? I kiss like a champ!” he retorts, inserting the mistletoe into the space between the both of you. “Ho ho, is that a ‘Challenge Accepted’ I hear?”

“Yeah,” you confirm strongly. “Kiss me like the champ you claim to be. Or perhaps you’re just too chicken about it?”

Stumbling upon the edge of the trunk from his touch on your cheek, he captures your lips gently, in contrast to his personality. It’s jarring, not because his kisses are different from what you’ve expected, but because he’s one hell of a kisser.

He didn’t lie; he does kiss like a champ.

“What? Too stunned to speak?” Your jaw drops in disbelief. Did that happen, or was it just a figment of your imagination? “Am I right? Or am I… right?”

“Shut up. You’re absolutely wrong,” you murmur against your hand that you bring to cover your mouth. You don’t like him at all, but how can you when he makes your heart race and be considerate of your comfortability before accepting this special challenge of his?

“Is that so?” Tucking the mistletoe away, he presses a kiss on the knuckles of your hand still covering your mouth, as if he’s giving you another on the lips. “Heh, aren’t you cute? Do you want me to kiss you again for real this time to change your mind?”

✧ 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬. if your url is in bold, it means i can’t tag you!

“sorry...i should’ve told you that i wanted to come over.” you sheepishly step in and take off your shoes as he holds the door open.

“it’s whatever.” scaramouche clears his throat. “what happened at work this time?”

you settle on the couch and stroke his pet cat kuni on the head. “nothing HAPPENED per say. just the usual stuff y’know. the senior executives getting on our backs about ‘rookie mistakes’ and giving us the whole pep talk about holiday burnout and stuff.” you ramble on, suddenly feeling unsure about the plan you initially wanted to address.

“aren’t you sick of working a 9 to 5? i told you you should’ve just gone into software engineering like i did so you wouldn’t have to deal with people and could sit at the computer all day like you usually do.”

“hey, i’ve gotten better at limiting my screen time since we moved out of our old apartment! plus i do sit at the computer all day for this job, just in a way that makes me feel like the main character.” you wink.

“okay? you seem very on edge, you might as well just tell me what’s going on if i’ve figured out that much.”

“well, we’re having a christmas party...”

“and?”

“and my coworkers want me to bring a plus-one..”

“oh hell no.” scaramouche rises from his seated position, but you push him back down. “can’t you ask someone else?”

“but you’re the best actor i know.” you plead.

“at least i’m not painfully sweet to retail customers who don’t deserve it.” you flick his forehead, immediately making him change the subject to avoid discussing the day you met at your old part-time job, when he handled an overbearing lady in a polite tone so uncharacteristic of him that you had to be there to believe it.

“it’s just one evening!”

“what are you gonna do when they continue to ask about me? or for the next party? say we broke up? they’re either gonna pity you or become suspicious. besides, why do you wanna bend over for your coworkers out of all people? you’re not gonna get fired just for not having a date to a stupid party.”

you bite your lip. “true. i guess i just feel really isolated from all of them because of the age gap. i’m the youngest person there and the feelings of being behind compared to them have really caught up to me if i’m being honest..”

scaramouche stays quiet, waiting until he’s sure you’re done talking in case you have more to add, observing the way you play with your watch with your eyes averted to the carpet. 

he finally breaks the silence with a sigh. “fine. god, you’re just as stubborn as ever. i’m only saying yes because you came all the way to my house instead of just calling me and i knew you’d stay here all night if i didn’t agree.”

“plot twist, i came for your cat. but thanks, honey!” you pat scaramouche’s shoulder and he grimaces in response.

“ew.”

“just practicing.” you shrug.

--

the two of you arrive early to ensure that you have time to introduce scaramouche and help set up at the same time. there’s no elaborate plan; this is only a one time thing. you’ve agreed to only give vague answers to any further attempts to pry about your relationship after the party, no matter how specific they get.

you would cross that bridge when you got there. right now, you’re astonished at how sincere scaramouche’s smile seemed when he greeted your elderly coworkers, even calling your boss “ma’am”. he handled every single conversation with them smoothly and graciously, as if he totally stole the show. 

after putting the finishing touches on the dessert table, you go up to scaramouche and take his arm. “we should get ourselves a table while we’re at it.” you suggest once the conversation with your boss subsides.

“you’re just in time! i was having a lovely chat with your boyfriend here. you are very lucky to have scored such a charming and handsome young fella.” you nod with a soft laugh, unsure of what to make of her statement. sure, your boss had always been a sociable person, but scaramouche had to have made a truly lasting impression for her to give that degree of praise, which she rarely did to anyone.

you take your seats and instinctively rest your head on his shoulder. the butterflies in your tummy tell you that your sudden display of affection may be a part of a hidden desire to touch the boy who was once only known as your college roommate. did he always smell this nice? and since when did his jawline get so sharp-

you fail to snap yourself out of your thoughts when scaramouche turns and plants a small kiss on your forehead. nobody seems to be watching, but every little thing to make this fake dating scheme of yours seem authentic counts right?

--

it’s not until the end of the evening when you step into the banquet hall for fresh air that you come to terms with what you had been feeling,,,

you liked him. you were a fool, in love with scaramouche even after all of these years of keeping it as friends. he may be a bit of an asshole, okay he was totally an asshole, and yet you could only see the good parts of him. the part of him that still looked out for you and cared about your feelings underneath all of those layers. and it didn’t help that he was good-looking along with that, he had dozens of secret admirers vying for his attention all throughout the time you’ve known him.

but it would be selfish to ask him to stay this close for much longer. he already hated getting close to others, despite having let you in a long time ago. you sigh, ready to wallow for as long as it took for him to come look for you.

“hey,” the voice calling out to you immediately makes you turn. you feel at ease but also tense at the sight of scaramouche strutting over to you.

“hey. sorry for running off.”

“stop apologizing for everything. it’s getting old.” he snaps, though there’s a joking tone hidden within his response that only you would be able to detect. 

“anyways, yeah i was looking for you. and i also wanted to talk.”

you raise an eyebrow at him. “talk about what?” 

scaramouche clears his throat. “well, you know how you told me that you wanted me to pretend to be your boyfriend because i’m a ‘good actor’?” you nod, heart racing as he alludes to your previous thoughts.

“what if i told you that....i didn’t want this to be an act and i wished it was real?” with his sudden confession, he facepalms and turns away.

“sorry. forget i said anything. that sounded so stupid, i knew i shouldn’t have listened to tartaglia...”

you snort, to which the thickness in the air dissolves. “now who’s the one apologizing....?”

“shut up.” he grumbles.

“ok but that was actually a great attempt to be smooth, for you at least.”

scaramouche sighs, then gently leans towards you and cups your cheek, thumb brushing your hair out of your eye. “look, i fucked up just now. but believe me when i say that i meant it. i want to go on a real date sometime after this, just you and me, away from these weirdos who care too much about your love life for their own well-being and make you feel bad just for being younger than them.”

shocked at his words, you gape at him, trying to formulate a response even though you already know how you feel. but, he’s made it clear that he’s not going anywhere, he never backs away from his words and goes through with everything he puts his heart and mind to. so you take a deep breath and give him a warm smile.

“i’d love that, actually. i’ve liked you for a while but i only just realized it. my subconscious really did its job, telling me to take you here.”

scaramouche beams at you, a rare sight, and pulls your ear to his lips.

“maybe we can just ditch the party and go get ice cream right now.” he whispers and you smirk, taking his hand and exiting the hall.

SCARAMOUCHE:

You weren't sure when the distance between you two grew so much. Was it when the both of you decided to pursue different paths? Or was it when the letters stopped? You still found yourself often thinking of him. How was he doing? Was he fairing well? Even fond memories of your childhood together. . .

-----------

"Kuni! Lookie~ I made you a flower crown, " You giggle softly at the young boy who was leaning back against a tree. He was immersed with a book, so he didn't pay you much mind. Placing it atop his disheveled hair you beam brightly at how cute he looked before he met your own gaze with his lavender eyes.

Putting his book down beside him he sighed, "You know I don't like things like this, y/n," the boy explained, his flushed ears telling a different story. He folded his arms around his chest and pouted slightly.

"I think you look pretty, though," you say brightly, grasping at the sides of his cheeks gently, causing him to make eye contact with you once more, his face growing more and more flushed.

"N-no I don't! I can't possibly look pretty! I-i'm cool looking," Kunikuzushi protested, pulling away from you, "N-now come on or we're going to be late for dinner. . ."

---------------

You remember this memory of your childhood friend fondly as it was one of your favorites. You never forgot about Kunikuzushi, but you were sure he had forgotten about you. That's why you were shocked to learn he had come back to your hometown of Inazuma City. You were almost angry that after all these years of no contact he finally decides to show himself again. . .

The urge to find him and ask him why he left festered in you, but you didn't. If he really wanted to see you again he would seek you out himself, "Whatever. . ." You say to yourself, slowly taking a sip of your dango milk, head in your hand as you slouch over the food stands counter.

"Looks like you still like Dango milk, figures," A familiar voice spoke out to you, but it was deeper than you remember. It couldn't be. . .? You thought to yourself, snapping your head to the sound of the voice, realizing the voice came from beside you.

"K-Kuni??! How long have you been standing there?" It was obvious you were in shock as your eyes were wide and you almost choked on your dango milk.

The man before you smirked, "Not even a hello or greeting, Y/N, it's been ages," He said, his lavender eyes you remember so fondly catching your gaze, but instead of greeting him you glared.

It was an icy glare, like white hot daggers. You were angry. Scoffing you finally manage to say, "It's been years, Kunikuzushi. . I've never ONCE forgot about you. I wrote to you every single week and after a while you stopped replying. Do you have ANY idea how that made me feel?! I-I was so worried about you. All this time I was under the impression you forgot about me and in my idiocy thought about you all the time!" By this time tears were forming at the edge of your eyes, threatening to fall at any second.

Kunikuzushi frowned and stepped closer to you, reaching up to wipe your tears away, "That's where you're wrong, Y/N. . ." Kuni said in almost a whisper, grasping your chin softly, "I never once forgot about you. . . Ever"

You searched his eyes, "Then why, Kuni? Why did you disappear on me? I-I loved you so deeply. . ." the truth was that you still harbored deep feelings for him, but you weren't sure if he ever felt the same.

The tears finally started to fall and his gentle fingers wiped each one away, "I wanted to protect you. . .I've always wanted to protect you. I've finally gotten strong enough to be. . .worthy of you," His gaze wavered as you noticed his familiar flushed ears.

"Kunikuzushi. . .you were always worthy of me," You reach out to grasp his cheeks gently as you did many times years ago, "You didn't have to leave to prove yourself to me," you explained, but Kuni pulled you into a hug, harboring secrets he could never dare tell you, but he knew one thing for sure, he loved you, and while alive he would never let any harm come to you. That was his vow.

taking the presents on the other seat, you shut the car door. the streetlights were on, dimly glowing against the flurries of snow fluttering down. you shivered in the cold, walking up the pathway to his brownstone. as you stood on your friend’s porch, you looked at his gift. it was the largest of the collection, wrapped up in red ribbon and white wrapping paper. you really hoped he liked it.

ringing the doorbell, you looked behind to make sure that you had locked your car. as you turned back around, there was a figure at the door and your mouth went slack slightly. even though he was dressed up in a cheesy apron and knitted red sweater, he still looked handsome as ever. his blond hair was tucked into a low bun and his black hair tie had been replaced with a gold ribbon. “you’re finally here, y/n!” he exclaimed. “oh, come in, come in! you’ll catch a cold if you stand out there any longer.”

“hi, thoma,” you greeted, shuffling in with all your presents. he took your coat off for you and brushed the snow out of your hair, fussing over you the way a mother would to a child. his hands were warm and comforting, and you felt like you could stay like that forever. “sure is chilly out there. i don’t think the city has seen a storm this bad in years.”

“i’m just glad you made it here safe,” he smiled. “here, i’ll take those off your hands. how about you go greet everyone else?”

stepping past the entryway, you entered into the well-decorated living room. ayaka stood up from the couch, immediately embracing you. “y/n! oh, i’m so glad you could make it. it’s snowing so hard out there,” she greeted with an amiable smile. “‘come with me. you must need some soup to warm up.”

in the kitchen, it was bustling with energy. yoimiya sat on the counter, a mug of hot cocoa in hand. kokomi and gorou sat at the breakfast bar, both eagerly discussing news at their university. in the living room, kazuha sat sipping on tea by the couch, simply enjoying the fireplace’s hearth. even ayato was relaxing, taking a rare day off from work to spend time with your friends. the tv hummed a holiday special in the background and classic holiday music was sung from a record player.

“hey, it’s great to see you!” yoimiya exclaimed first, waving eagerly. “traffic was awful out there. everyone’s trying to get home for christmas eve, but this weather isn’t making it easy!”

“you’re right, there were so many road closings downtown,” you laughed as you approached the pot of soup. the aroma of carrots, pepper, and tofu was enticing as she handed you a bowl. “i just hope that everyone made it home safe. anyways, how was your week? it must’ve been hectic at the fireworks shop, seeing as it’ll be closed through next week.”

“definitely was,” she laughed before setting her cup down. “people love their fireworks for new years’.”

you smiled. “i’m glad i got my order in, then.”

ayato came up beside you, elbowing you playfully. “hey, save some for the rest of us, y/n,” he teased. “or are you that eager to eat thoma’s soup?”

“you’re on thin ice, kamisato,” you nearly hissed under your breath, ducking your head away. looking to the side, you watched as thoma ate another dango, happily talking with kokomi and gorou. “don’t say things like that while he’s near. it’s not the right time yet.”

“your crush on him is so obvious,” he singsonged, making you smack him on the shoulder. “hehe, just teasing.”

“you might say that it’s not the right time yet, but i disagree,” yoimiya piped up. “the mood is perfect. getting a warm and cozy next to him, cuddling next to each other when a cheesy hallmark movie comes on…come on, y/n! this has been going on for, like, a year and a half now! plus, we hung mistletoe on every doorway for your sakes.”

“i think i’m just fine with how things are right now,” you shrugged back, staring at your reflection in the soup. “what if he doesn’t like me back? that’s almost 10 years of friendship down the drain, so i’d rather play it safe.”

“so boring,” ayato rolled his eyes, nudging you towards the fireplace. “ever consider spicing things up?”

you were then seated next to kazuha, who looked up from his cup of tea. he perked up at your presence. “ah, y/n. long time no see. how have you been?”

“i’ve been well. things are finally settling down at work,” you smile, taking a sip of your soup. “and what about you, mr. worldwide? how’s traveling abroad been for you?”

“it’s been pleasant,” he replied, hiding his smile behind his mug. “i couldn’t miss winter in the city. it’s the best time of the year here. though, i suppose traveling abroad much makes for a good shopping trip for presents. everyone’s gift is from a foreign nation.”

“how thoughtful,” you hummed. “i can’t say that my gifts are as extravagant as yours, but i still hope you like it.”

“you know, i do think that there is one person that i know will like your present,” he said thoughtfully, pressing a hand to his chin before giving you a smirk. “thoma. really, you two are like two ships passing in the night. don’t tell me things haven’t changed since before i left.”

“and that’s my cue to leave. i’m going to put my bowl away,” you diverted, standing up quickly. “always nice seeing you!”

as you hurriedly walked away, a hand caught your wrist. “let me take that bowl off of you,” thoma interrupted. his eyes twinkled brightly, leaning so close to your face that you could count the faint freckles dotting his cheeks. “you’re my guest, after all. dishes are no big deal.”

winking, he brushed past you, fingertips lingering on your hands for a moment. lowly whistling, gorou and kokomi looked at you with widened eyes. “ayaka was correct,” kokomi said, hands folding on top of her white pants. “you and thoma are very in love. additionally, both of you are oblivious and obvious all at once…how curious.”

“kokomi is right,” gorou nodded as you began to become more embarrassed. “how many times have you two done something like that since you’ve arrived? at least three?”

“guys,” you started to reprimand, only to silently steam as thoma poked you from behind. “gah! you scared me!”

“hehe, sorry, sorry, y/n. you’re just too much fun to tease,” he smiled, wrapping his arms around your shoulders. your shoulders tensed at the touch, before relaxing. “well, what were you three talking about?”

“just about work things,” you easily lied, smiling at him.

“ah, nice,” he grinned, standing up tall once more. “it’s starting to get late into the evening. we should start that movie before it gets too dark out.”

walking by thoma, you stood by him as everyone else settled onto the couch. ayaka and kazuha sat next to yoimiya at one end of the couch, while gorou, kokomi, and ayato sat on the other. the space next to ayato was taken up by his long legs, winking to emphasize that he wanted you and thoma to be seated together.

that left only the middle section of the couch to be occupied by the two of you both. you awkwardly settled near him, staring at your lap with your back straight. he didn’t seem to mind, leaning back into the leather cushion. he pressed a few buttons on the remote and a classic christmas rom-com started up.

reluctantly, you leaned back against the couch. thoma’s arm rested on the back of the couch, dangerously close to your shoulder. your back was still pin-straight and your hands quivering in your lap. leaning over, your friend whispered worriedly. “are you still cold?” he asked. “i can grab a blanket, or turn up the thermostat–”

“thoma, really, i’m fine,” you mumbled, ducking your head to focus once more

placing a hand on your shoulder, he pulled you close and flush against his body. you could feel his heart thump steadily under the palm of your hand, and you prayed that he couldn’t feel your own.“there. all better,” he smiled, green eyes crinkling encouragingly.

you stayed like that for the rest of the movie, heart thumping throughout. you felt guilty that you couldn’t watch something that had left the rest of your friends in tears. even the ever polite ayaka had a couple tears in her eyes. instead, you focused on everything else. thoma’s tree was nicely decorated with silver tinsel, red and gold ornaments, and a shining star topper. his fireplace was comforting to listen to and be by, almost like you could fall asleep in his arms. and as you glanced at your friends, you knew that they saw you two cozied next to one another.

as the credits rolled, yoimiya was the first to groan. “it’s not fair! why did the best friend not get with her?! the love interest is so boring!” she huffed, stretching and rolling her shoulders. “thoma, i’m picking the movie at our new years’ eve party.”

“i still thought it was good! they moved out of the city and had a little winery in the countryside. i loved it!” he exclaimed, securely gripping his hand onto your shoulder for emphasis. “y/n, did you like it?”

snapping up straight and putting your hands in your lap, you looked at him. “oh–yeah, of course, i did. i love any movie you pick,” you replied, immediately turning away from him to hide your flustered expression.

“i have to say, y/n was distracted by something else throughout the movie, so their opinion isn’t reliable,” gorou shrugged.

“aww, you guys are so serious. hallmark movies are the best type of sappy, romance films to watch in winter! doesn’t make you feel warm and fuzzy inside?”

kokomi smiled a little at him. “while cliche and overdone, it felt nice to watch something like this. sometimes, you need a good rom-com like this to set the mood.”

“see, she gets it!” he pouted before shaking his head. looking out the window, the snow was beginning to reach dangerously high levels. “uh-oh. seems like this snowstorm is turning into more of a blizzard than anything. let’s sort out presents, and then you can all be on your way.”

your friends divvied up the presents, each forming a sizeable pile. you laughed at each of the adorable packages, each box and bag’s decorations telling you exactly who gave it. as the last cups of cocoa were finished off, you watched from afar as your friends got up to get their coats. “hey,” thoma said behind you, making the presents in your hands jumble. “you’ve been really quiet today. are you sure everything is okay?”

“yeah, no, everything’s just fine,” you replied, scratching the back of your neck. “just still a little cold, i guess.”

he rubbed your forearm encouragingly. “i’ll be sure to make you something before you head out. how does hot chocolate sound?”

as everyone slipped into their jackets, you placed your gifts down on the stairs in the foyer to grab your own. thoma handed everyone their gloves and scarves, lecturing them on how they’re going to catch a cold. as you finally began to bundle up, ayato spoke up. “hey, we better head out,” he said, eyeing you to the side and stuffing his hands into his gray coat. “you know, i think y/n may need some help getting their presents into their car.”

making a face, you wanted to elbow him. “what? no, i’m fine, ayato–” you interrupted but thoma perked up.

“oh, you’re so right,” the blond nodded in agreement. ayaka hid her smile behind her blue gloved hand, and yoimiya nearly doubled over. “ah…but i should make you that hot chocolate first, right?”

“while you do that, i will assist everyone else in getting their presents into their vehicles. you two should hurry up on that drink before things start to get worse out here,” kazuha smiled with a mischievous grin, and your jaw dropped. never would you think that your quiet friend would egg you on! kokomi let out a small giggle at the motion and gorou tried to hide his smile under his patterned scarf. “well, as you were.”

“don’t worry! i’ll just wrap things up here, but i’ll see you guys out,” he nodded vigorously as you looked at everyone else exasperatedly. as all of your friends began to head out, you and thoma stood at the doorway waving. “bye! drive slowly and be safe! call me if you need anything!” he chirped, completely oblivious to the situation at hand.

“bye, guys! see you next week!” you cheered with gritted teeth. the eldest kamisato let out a short laugh at your expression, before hopping into his car.

shutting the door, you shivered once more, to which thoma started to be very concerned. “really, you seem to be cold all the time, y/n. are you sure you don’t have a fever? or are capable of driving out there?”

“i already told you, i’m just fine,” you reassured. “geez, that’s the third time you’ve asked.”

“i worry for you,” he replied earnestly as he walked back into the kitchen. “and i know if i were in the same situation, you would be doing the same as i am. it’s what friends are for, right?”

“friends…” you echoed softly. “right.”

you sat on thoma’s counter, watching as he grabbed a package of cocoa mix and marshmallows. the kitchen hood’s lights were the only ones on in the room, casting everything in a golden light. “it was so nice seeing everyone again,” he grinned. “it’s hard to get us all together at once. even then, most of the time, it’s just you and me.”

“yeah. especially kazuha; he’s always out and about. the last time i asked if he was coming home, he was in fontaine! crazy, right?”

“haha, can’t deny that,” he laughed as he stirred up your drink and poured it into a tumbler. he decorated it with marshmallows, making a smiley face, before capping it. “there you are. hopefully, you won’t be so cold on your way home now.”

you hopped off the counter, fingertips brushing his own as you retrieved the cup. “thanks, thoma,” you grinned, looking into his harlequin eyes. he chuckled sheepishly, cheeks dusting red.

he escorted you to the door. like a gentleman, he carried all of your presents for you in his arms while you placed a hand on the doorknob. “hey, thanks again, thoma,” you said as you clicked the lock open. “i really app–”

as soon as you opened the door, a strong gust of snowflakes entered, knocking off one of the ribbons on your presents. peeking over the stack, thoma frowned. “archons, you can’t see a thing out there. you can’t drive in those conditions, y/n. there might be some ice out there.”

blinking in surprise, you were firm on your ground. “n-no, i’ll be alright,” you reassured. “i’ll be extra slow on the road and text you when i get home.”

“hmm, and the fact that you’re feeling really cold today,” he hummed thoughtfully. suddenly, he perked up and shut the door close with his foot. “i don’t want to send you out in weather like this. so, how about you stay with me for the night?”

eyes widening, you nearly dropped your tumbler. so this is what your friends had been planning. “what?”

“it’s genius, right?” he said, taking your presents with him into the kitchen. he then strode into the living room. his eyebrows were raised encouragingly. “you stay here and then i won’t have to worry if you’re stranded in hypothermic weather. the others made it out there early and all live only a couple of blocks away so i don’t worry for them. but you live on the other side of the city, and i’m right here, so why not?”

“thoma, i really can’t burden you like this,” you began, but he was already placing your gifts under the tree.

standing up straight and placing his hands on your shoulders, he looked you in the eye. “you’re never a burden,” he affirmed. “and besides, are you that reluctant to spend the night with me?”

“what, no, of course not!” you shook your head. more often than not, after hanging out for the day, thoma was the one to drop you off at your apartment and head back home. the thought of being alone with him on a night like this was very flustering. clearing your thought, you fiddled with your fingers. “it’s just that it’s christmas eve, and you’re probably busy tomorrow, and–”

“y/n, i live alone. and the rest of my family is in mondstadt right now. do you really think i have anything to do tomorrow other than watch reruns of more hallmark movies?” he countered with an eyebrow. reluctantly, you conceded. “then it’s settled. you’re staying for the night!”

“fine,” you said. “but at least let me help clean up.” he whooped in response.

the two of you cleaned the kitchen without a word between you, listening to the vinyl spin a classic song. as he rolled up his sleeves to put away some mugs, you placed the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on. when all was said and done, you watched as thoma whistled along. he stopped when he noticed you stared at him, flushing. “sorry,” he apologized with bashful cheeks, but you were quick to wave a hand.

“n-no worries,” you coughed out.

an awkward silence filled the space between you, both embarrassed from your conversation. thankfully, thoma was the one to break the ice. “since we’re both here, and we both gave one another gifts, how do you feel about opening them?”

“sounds good to me,” you nodded.

you walked to the living room, where you sat down by the christmas tree. even though the christmas lights and fireplace were the only sources of light, they created a comforting ambiance. thoma settled beside you, crossing his legs. you pulled his gift out of your stack first, which was wrapped in red paper and gold ribbon. yours was decorated in white paper with a red bow. “you first,” he insisted, nudging your foot.

grinning, you held it in your hands. taking off the bow, you unraveled the present. underneath the paper were a polaroid camera and a small album. “you had always been talking about getting one,” he said behind his tucked knees. “i went ahead and added something special to it in the album. do you like it?”

you flipped open the white photo album to the first page, where a picture of thoma in front of the christmas tree was. he was grinning, eyes and nose crinkled in an expression you loved dearly. letting out a little laugh, you smiled at him. “oh, thoma, i love it! thank you so much!” you beamed and embraced him. he chuckled, returning the touch with equal fervor. when you pulled away, you were quick to look at the present in his lap. “you next!” you encouraged.

“alright, alright, so pushy,” he snickered. he shook the box slightly, testing its weight. “did you get me dumbbells? this thing is so heavy…”

his hands tore open the wrapping paper to reveal a brand new baking set tied up in a red bow. gasping, he admired the metal pans and tools. “no way!” he grinned, staring at the set. “how did you know?! i’ve been needing a new set since forever!”

“do you like it?” you asked bashfully.

“like it?! i love it!” he said, putting the gift aside and wrapping you in his arms. you hugged him back, hands holding tight to his sweater. he squeezed you so tightly that you ended up beneath him, back still encased his hands. you didn’t notice at first, too overwhelmed by his hug. when his eyes opened, he hovered above you and blinked. “oh! sorry!” he said, helping up back up. you couldn’t even look at him, too flustered by the situation.

to put aside your embarrassment, you piped up, “it’s getting pretty late. i’ll clean up here, and you can head to bed.”

he almost looked like he would agree before making a face. “hey, no can do, y/n. first of all, i’m doing clean-up and second of all, you’re taking my bed. and before you argue, no, you aren’t a burden for taking my bed. really, it’s no big deal.”

“and you, sleeping on the couch? absolutely not,” you countered, crossing your arms. “you are way too nice.”

“well then, i guess it’s time for a compromise. since you don’t seem like you’re going to budge either, we’re sharing the bed,” he huffed out with a grin. before you could even respond, his hands were already full with the scraps of wrapping paper and ribbon. “head upstairs, and my room is the first door on the left. i was going to give you a knitted sweater, but i decided to give you a polaroid camera instead, so that’s by my closet. and the door by the closet is the bathroom.”

“you’re impossible,” you teased, elbowing him on your way out.

“i could say the same!” he hollered as you headed for the stairs.

upstairs, you navigated yourself to his bedroom. it felt wrong to enter without him beside you. despite being close friends, you had never been in his room, preferring to be downstairs. you pushed the door open, revealing a fairly neat bedroom. at one end of the bedroom was another fireplace, accompanied by a coffee table and pair of chairs. to the north were the windows, where wreaths hung and the string of lights provided luminescence. at the other end of the bedroom was his actual bed and closet. the scent of vanilla and gingerbread was in the air, just like him.

reluctantly, you approached his closet and opened it. in typical thoma fashion, it was organized and clean. sure enough, like he said, there was a knitted sweater in the very middle of the closet. it was a red sweater with small white letters on the front, but it was too dark to read. the texture was soft and comforting; you would need to ask him where he got the yarn from.

after you freshened yourself up in the bathroom, you yawned as you looked out the window. the snow still hadn’t let up, sticking against the window. the streetlights could barely be seen, flickering on and off like a candle in the dark. the wind howled outside, sending the whole house groaning.

after a moment, the door creaked open. thoma arrived through the door, stretching slightly before pausing. he stopped for a moment and even the faint lights of the room couldn’t hide his reddened ears. “oh, wow,” he whispered.

blinking, you tilted your head. “is something on my face?” you asked.

“n-no! it’s just that, um, you look really nice!” he stuttered, face completely flushed. his eyes diverted from you immediately, awkwardness settled on his face.

he was quick to grab something out of the closet and slipped into the bathroom. you sat and covered your face, composure thrown completely out the window. even though you knew he only meant it as a platonic compliment, it still made your heartbeat incredibly fast.

thoma was in and out in a flash, coming out with his hair down and bundled up in fleece pajamas. as he yawned, he settled down on one side of the bed and motioned towards you. “c’mere,” he whispered and you sat up straight. reluctantly, you stood at the other side of the bed, staring him down with nervous eyes. comfortingly, he tilted his head. “if you don’t feel okay with this, the couch is always an option for me–”

“as if!” you exclaimed before diving beside him. as you hid under the covers, you heard him chime out with laughter. slowly, you peeked your eyes above the bedsheets, where thoma looked at you from above with an amused expression. his eyes crinkled before laying beside you, “good night,” he said aloud, and you can barely muster a reply out.

the two of you lay rigidly next to one another, taking in shaky breaths. two hours ago, you would have never imagined that you were going to be sleeping beside your best friend and crush for almost a year. the thought sent your head in overdrive, and you wanted to stuff your head into a pillow and scream.

after a few minutes, you begin to relax. the exhaustion of the day had finally set in, and the bed was too soft and relaxing to not fall asleep in. before you can, thoma piped up. “y/n, are you still awake?” he whispered, breaking the silence. you weren’t sure if you had heard him correctly in your sleepy haze, so you didn’t bother to answer him. “ah, good.”

“even if it was on accident, i’m really happy that you’re beside me,” he began to ramble. “you know…when you were shivering and silent all throughout the party, i got really worried. i’m happy that it just ended up being about the cold. i’m also glad you didn’t convince me to drive out in that weather; when i think of what might have happened, i get worried.”

he paused for a moment, and you’re fully awake now, heart thumping rapidly.“to be honest, i love just being by you. your energy is captivating, and i strive to be more and more like you every day. and, not to forget, you’re probably the most beautiful person i’ve ever met, inside and out. no, not probably. definitely.”

you felt like you were reading thoma’s secret diary at this point, and your hands became clammy with guilt. “i wish i could confess to you right now. eventually, i’ll have to, but for now, i’m just happy being your friend. to be friends with the most amazing person is enough for me. but…i love you.”

he let out a pitiful laugh. “i’ll say that when you’re awake one day. good night, y/n,” there was another pause, and then he shifted onto his side.

your body was frozen, and it was not because of the weather or temperature of the bedroom. you tried to process his words, piecing them together to get the fact that thoma said “i love you” to you.

you really wanted to stuff your head into a pillow and scream now.

as thoma began to softly snore, your mind was busy weighing the options. thoma had affirmed his love for you, but was it because you were dreaming? or was he the one dreaming and sleeping? no matter what option you picked, you wouldn’t be able to sleep unresolved.

rolling on your side, you looked at thoma’s back. with as much fortitude as you could muster, you put a hand on his shoulder. lazily, he turned to you, face half-covered by his pillow. “mhm?” he asked, yawning. “did you need something?”

“thoma, i…” you started before trailing off. taking a sharp breath in, he looked at you with genuine concern. “i love you too.”

his harlequin eyes widened in shock, before proceeding to hide behind his pillow. “you heard all of that?!” he whined. “i thought you were asleep!”

“i thought i was dreaming, too,” you replied bashfully, also ducking behind your pillow. “did you really mean it? that you loved me?”

pursing his lips, he sighed. “i did. i just didn’t expect it to go like this,” he muttered, placing his chin on the cushion and flattening it. “i was supposed to tell you at a fancy dinner date.”

“you’re so cheesy. dinner date? really? you’ve been watching too many rom-coms,” you teased before shoving his shoulder.

he only wrapped an arm around your waist and slotted his head into your neck. thoma pouted, “you’re no fun. but i guess that you’re mine, so does it really matter?”

you covered your face with your hands, even more flustered than before. “thoma! when did you become so smooth?!” you exclaimed. he only laughed, pressing a kiss to your cheek.

the blizzard finally stopped, letting moonlight bask onto his face. he looked ethereal in this light, and you couldn’t believe he was all yours. sighing happily, you pressed a hand to his cheek. even though your apartment was on the other side of the city, you felt at home nestled beside him.

before you could close your eyes and relax in your newfound lover’s arms, you sat up in realization. he looked at you with a raised eyebrow. “what is it?” he asked gently, arms still wrapped around your waist. making a face, you looked at him.

“do you maybe think that our friends left us together knowing that this would happen?”

“Hello,” You say, plastering a smile onto your face, “What can I get you?”

The man thinks for a moment and looks over the handwritten menu behind you, “Could I get an earl grey tea, please?”

He’s so polite, you think. “For here or to go?”

“For here.”

You nod, “It comes to 300 mora.”

The man reaches into his pocket before his eyebrow furrows and he glances up at you with a solemn look on his face, “I seem to have forgotten my wallet at home. I apologize for wasting your time.”

Just as he’s about to turn away, you say, “It’s your first time here, right?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Then you’re in luck! Because we have a special this month where your first drink with us is free.”

You’re lying, of course. But there’s something about this man that is telling you to keep him around as long as you can. He tries to protest but you’ve already started the drink.

As you wipe clean a teacup, you try to think of something nice to say to him. Should you ask him if he lives around here? No, that was stupid, who would travel far to come to a local tea house? Maybe you could ask if he was single? But wouldn’t that be too abrupt and weird?

Before you have a chance to come up with someone, the kettle chimes and you pour hot water into the teacup. You sift the tea leaves quickly before handing the teacup to the man, watching as he takes it to an empty seat.

“Mr. Zhongli came by?” Your boss says, startling you.

“You know him?” You ask a little too enthusiastically.

“My family worked with him and the young lady who owns the funeral parlor when my grandmother passed away.”

Your eyes light up, “What else do you know about him?”

Your boss chuckles to herself, “I didn’t take you to be someone who develops crushes on customers. But since you insist…” She tells you everything she knows about him and you make a mental note of it all. “He’s not with anybody, from what I know.”

“He is?” Your heart beats against your chest quickly.

Your boss smiles at the way your eyes glimmer, “You can go talk to him.”

You hold up a hand, “I don’t want to bother him.”

“Suit yourself,” She shrugs, “If you aren’t going to talk to him, then you better get cleaning.”

Your eyes flicker between the rag hanging over the counter edge and the man, Zhongli, and ultimately, you decide to take a risk. If Zhongli isn’t interested, you’ll just make up an excuse and go hide behind the counter. Your boss watches as you snake around the corner with shaky legs, slowly approaching Zhongli. He’s staring out the window and you clear your throat to catch his attention.

“Oh, hello there,” He says simply.

“Uh…hi,” You stammer out, “What…uh…what are you looking at?”

Zhongli’s eyes are kind, you realize, and a smile ghosts across his lips. “I like to people-watch,” He tells you, “The people of Liyue are so resourceful this time of the year.”

You nod, blanking on what to say next. “Do you want a refill?” You blurt out instead of anything better (i.e.: ‘would you like to go out sometime?’). Then you add, “On me! Don’t worry about the mora!”

“I would love that.”

You collect his nearly-empty teacup and grip the saucer tightly. Seriously? You had so much opportunity to say something that could spark a relationship and instead you, once again, dug into your own wallet.

What if Zhongli never came back to the tea house after today? And you lost your chance forever to talk to him?

The questions dug into you and you wracked your brain trying to find the answers to them. After making the second drink, you decided you just needed to grow a pair and properly get to know Zhongli.

“I hate to bother you,” You started, trying to think carefully about your word choice, “But do you mind if I sit here with you on my break?”

Zhongli gestures to the open seat across from him, “Please do.”

Technically, you aren’t on break but the tea house is empty and if your boss really needs your help, you’ll jump back in.

“I’m Y/N.”

You hold your hand and Zhongli laughs before shaking it, “I’m Zhongli. It’s nice to meet you.” A conversation (finally) starts up and you find it’s easy to talk to him. He’s wise and every story he shares catches your interest. When what seems like hours passes, Zhongli looks down at his watch and frowns. “I have a meeting to get to - but I’ll be back.”

And like promised, he comes back.

And like last time, he has no mora.

Zhongli falls into a routine of coming to the tea house whenever he has a chance, seemingly forgetting his wallet, having you pay for his drink, and starting up a conversation with you. Everytime someone rings the bell on the counter, your heart skips a beat. And everytime it isn’t Zhongli, you swallow your disappointment.

At this point, the prospect of seeing Zhongli helps you get through your shift. You don’t feel like a puddle of nerves anymore when it comes to him.

“You’ve gained a regular,” Your boss chides one day after Zhongli leaves for the day.

You shake your head and continue to wipe down the table, “He must really like tea.”

“He must really like you.”

You don’t think so but your boss is convinced, egging you on to add foam hearts on top of his lattes. If Zhongli did like you, would you go on dates and hang out outside of work? Spending time outside of the tea house didn’t sound so bad.

It’s been weeks since Zhongli has been coming into the tea house and today, you decide, is the day that you’re going to ask him out.

But when Zhongli comes in that day, he’s followed by a redheaded man who links his arm through the consultant’s. Zhongli looks indifferent but the worst part happens after they order their drinks - he pulls out a wallet and pays.

“This is my temporary partner, Childe,” Zhongli introduces you to the man next to him and you try to push down the pang of jealousy you’re feeling.

Temporary partner? “Oh, hi,” You murmur.

Childe grins at you, “How much?”

“700 mora.”

“Pricy,” Childe teases, nudging Zhongli in the side before handing you the money. He pulls on Zhongli’s outstretched elbow, “Come on, let’s go sit over here.”

Your mood falls as you prepare their drinks - a chai latte for Zhongli and a black coffee for Childe - but you try not to think about it too much. Was Zhongli really dating this man? Why didn’t he tell you?

You don’t make a heart on top of his latte this time.

The next time Zhongli comes in, he’s alone. But you still haven’t reeled your usual self back in yet and Zhongli notices.

“What has you down today?” He questions.

You force a smile onto your face, “I’m just tired - no need to worry. Did your…boyfriend…like his coffee last time?” The word rolls off your tongue weirdly.

Zhongli lets out a hearty laugh. “Did we come off like that? No, no, Childe is a work partner.”

Oh.

Your face grows hot and your lips part slightly but no sound comes out. How embarrassing - all you had to do was ask. What was your problem with asking questions lately?

“Y/N?”

Your hands fiddle with the rag you’re holding, “What did you want today?”

Zhongli peers at you curiously, “Another latte, thank you.”

There’s a short moment where neither of you move. You stare at each other for far too long and you’re the one to break eye contact, “I’ll bring that to you soon.”

You wonder how much longer you can keep this up. Zhongli would find someone else one day and stop coming to the tea house or you would leave and find a different job. The more you kept up the charade, the more your heart screamed at you to just do something.

So, you did.

When you placed Zhongli’s teacup down in front of him, you stood with your head down and carefully picked the right words out of the scrambled mess of your mind.

“Would you…um…like to go out sometime? Like…outside of here?”

Your voice is timid but Zhongli hears you fine.

“That would be splendid.”

You glance up and Zhongli is smiling at you with a smile that reaches his eyes. It’s warm and radiant and, somehow, ceases any nerves you had lying around.

“Wait…really?”

Zhongli urges you to sit down and reaches across the small table and touches his fingers against yours, “Forgive me, I’m new at this, but you’ve drawn me in and I can’t seem to pull myself away from you.”

You’re flustered again but this time out of adoration and not embarrassment. Your chest feels hot and heavy and your cheeks are tingling with the sudden rush of blood.

“What time does your shift end?” He continues.

“Five,” You say quietly.

He laces your hands together and it’s better than anything you could have imagined, “Then I’ll come back then and treat you to dinner.”

“With what mora?” You tease.

Zhongli thinks for a moment, “Don’t worry about that. I’ll have it.”

You couldn’t care less where Zhongli got the mora from - you were just glad that your endless pining was finally over with.

“Oh, and Y/N?”

You hum in response, “Yeah?”