I'm gonna tell you right now, I thought Valentines Day was on February 28th. Yeah, I forgot the date. Comes to show how much it doesn't matter to me... That's sad. Welp. Anyways, I wanted to write this yesterday, but I was too caught up in watching generic fantasy anime. I was saving this idea for my other story, but I really didn't know how I would put it in there.
I'm gonna be honest here, this is pretty much brain vomit since I wrote this in a day, but enjoy, if you can.
For this one scene, play 'Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall.' You'll know when it is. I tried to make it like that last scene in Avengers Endgame.
[ Extra No.3 ]
Chapter 7: Valentine's
"Hey, hey!" Hu Tao strolled over, making it seem as if the sun had just appeared. They were hanging out by Third-Round Knockout, unintentionally eavesdropping on depressing conversations on how people didn't get any chocolate. Paimon was, for a change, spending time with Yunjin. Her usually enthusiastic and quite chaotic behaviour was still there. In her hand were three red boxes, small enough for a ring. She pushed it into their hands despite their protests. "Haaaaaaaappy Valentine's! Here. For you three!"
Sitting there beside Chongyun and Xingqiu, dumbfounded, Aether held the small box in his hands.
"Oh! Chonyun, I've made sure to make it really spicy, just how you like it. Okay? Okay." She ran off, heading to god knows where.
A little too forceful, he gripped his present. "That woman...! Wait, no, she doesn't even act like one!"
"N-now, now," Xingqiu put his book down, aiming to calm the exorcist for the moment.
"That's not even chocolate," he sniffed it, "That's just plain chilli powder! Wait– ahh my eyes! My eyes!"
"You want me to use my–?"
"D-do it!"
Xingqiu was currently spraying water at Chongyun's face. A normal day in Liyue.
Valentine's exists here? Aether opened his own, finding a note inside. Well, yeah, there was a small piece of chocolate as well, but that wasn't important right now. Fishing it out, he read the piece of paper, his eyes glued to it. He was always roped into adventures, even when he didn't want to. For example, he just wanted a travel guide and he ended up having to fight a Fatui agent. How does that happen? Anyway, it seems that he's gotten a new one.
It was probably the biggest thing he'd stumbled across.
"Sorry guys, I've gotta go." Walking away, he set to work.
"Keqiiiiiiing! Ganyu! Morning." Hu Tao gave the Yuheng a red box, and just as quick as he had come, she left. "Happy Valentine's."
Before managing to say her thanks, she had already gone away. Ganyu looked just as shocked as she was. They were about to head to Yuehai Pavillion, but they could spare a minute or two opening the presents, no? Keqing urged Ganyu to open hrs first, and although it was indeed rude to the red-faced secretary, the Yuheng burst out laughing.
Ganyu's red box contained Qixin flowers.
However, it seems karma is true. Upon opening her box, which contained a small piece of paper ripped from a notepad, Keqing's face turned redder than Jueyun Chilis. Actually, was the human face even capable of becoming so red? It didn't look fine. To tease her even more, Ganyu brought a hand to her mouth, feigning surprise as her eyes narrowed enticingly, "My, my, lady Yuheng."
"Y-you–! Let's just go!"
However, not a single soul was present. The doors were locked and there was a sign saying that today was a holiday. Of course, it was very odd since Valentine's wasn't worth enough that work would stop, and Valentine's wasn't really that much of a big deal in Liyue. Perhaps the other nations have begun to influence the people. Apparently, many girls fretted over it. Ganyu simply went away, saying that she might as well visit the adepti. She'd been doing that much more often than in the past year.
Things were changing. For the better.
But now wasn't the time to think about that. With small steps, she walked away, wondering what she could do with the crucial information she had gathered. Keqing looked around her. Almost everyone was a couple. There was no evidence for the statement aside from the fact that they were walking closely together, but she wasn't dumb enough to think nothing was happening. There was even a small crowd forming, and just by seeing two distinct hair sticks sticking out from the crowd, she realised who they were.
"Even Beidou and Ningguang are having fun."
Aether had no experience in romance. Actually, everything he'd been doing now he'd gotten from those things he'd read before. Thankfully, they worked just fine, but there was no guarantee that it would work forever. It wasn't as if kissing her would be enough. He didn't know what types of foods she used to eat as a child, what she wanted in the future, how she was when she was younger or if she wanted specific things or if she'd been giving him hints about things this whole time and he just never realised.
He was clueless. He had absolutely no idea about who she really was. Maybe he was overthinking things, but that probably wasn't the case. This was his time to make up for that, he hoped. Aether rushed. The shops were going all out today, so he might be able to get some good things.
He only had 5 hours left.
Keqing barely knew much about him. To be honest, everything that he'd told hher about his past was quite depressing. Never once had he even tried to say what he wanted or what he hated. What if he actually didn't quite like her cooking and just ate it out of kindness? He was extremely kind, after all. To a fault. She didn't like the thought of him not enjoying himself. If he didn't find it fun spending time with her, he should've just said it. If he just delayed the inevitable – that is, him leaving her because he didn't like it – then it would hurt her feelings even more.
But hopefully, that wasn't the case. If he had something to tell her, then she'd have something to say to him as well. Keqing wanted to know him better. If he was there for her, then it went without saying that she'd be there for him, right? If she only took and never gave back, that would make her look bad.
Giving him chocolates should be fine, but it wouldn't be enough.
It was 7:40 pm. They were, as told in the paper in the box, supposed to meet at 8, but they were too nervous. It was better to come earlier. However...
"Oh."
They stood still, unable to respond. The tension was too much. It was a bit cold on the rooftop, but nothing they couldn't handle. Keqing sat at the only bench on the rooftop. As for why there was even a bench there, it didn't matter. Aether sat next to her, having some space in between them.
"...So what did you want to talk about?" Aether decided to start a conversation.
"What? Wasn't there something you wanted to talk to me about?"
They both took out the pieces of paper from the red boxes. Taking a close look at them, they both were the same type of paper, ripped from the same note pad. On Aether's, it wrote: Keqing will be waiting for you at the rooftop of the condominium. Be there by 8. On Keqing's, it wrote: Aether will be waiting for you at the rooftop of the condominium. Be there by 8.
"Wow. She got us good."
"She did."
Wow. It's still awkward.
"What did you think about it?" Keqing didn't bother looking at him, but she could at least talk.
"I thought, um..." In the quietest and quickest voice, Aether ran through his sentence as if he was running for his life, "I thought you were sad that I wasn't doing much and I felt stupid cause I didn't know much about if you liked this type of thing or not and it was valentine's today and maybe you thought I was ignoring you... I guess?"
"Pfft...pfha ha aha haaaa!"
"H-hey!"
"Well, I thought the same thing." Keqing put her hand on top of his, squeezing it tight as she smiled at him. She did it more often. Keqing also talked more casual, was less reserved, and could even crack a joke or two. The Yuheng wasn't the ice-cold person locals made her out to be. In fact, she seemed much more similar to Barbara than to Xiao's behaviour.
"Since we're here already," Aether gave her a box of chocolates, "Here. Happy Valentine's."
"I got the same one."
"...Are we bad at this?"
"I hope not."
She leaned into his shoulder, "But, I really don't know much about you, Aether. You don't tell me anything."
"Do you want me to?"
"Of course I do. We're together, aren't we?"
"I mean, yeah, but–"
"Don't hold yourself back because of me, Aether. That just makes me feel bad," Keqing opened the box of chocolates, "Say 'ahh.'"
"Then I want you to do the same."
"Mm." Music began to play, and soon after, a soothing voice began to sing. Every once in a while, Yunjin would perform in Chihu Rock free of charge. It might've been a miracle that they could still hear, even if they could see her. Thinking that this was the most romantic albeit cheesiest thing he could do at the moment, Aether stood up, offering his hand to Keqing. As if mocking the people who did it for real, the blond bowed, one arm outstretched toward her as he said in a deep voice that didn't suit him, "May I have this dance, my lady?"
"It would be my pleasure."
She took his hand and was firmly yet gently pulled up. Keqing was brought to her feet, feeling his quivering hand rest on her waist. He was just as nervous. Needless to say, neither had any experience in something like this, but they moved, swaying from side to side, from left to right. White moonlight shone above them like pearls glimmering on the ocean floor. And all the while as they danced under the moon, she gazed deeply at him, absorbing his features. She could be lost in his eyes more than she could in the wide expanse of the skies. It felt like a dream.
"I've wanted to do this for a while."
He kissed her hair, instantly melting Keqing. She buried herself in his chest, arms wrapping around him, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks as she listened to his heart. It sped like a nimble stallion. He faintly smelled of musk, spurring her to be closer. Her feet went on top of his boots as they awkwardly danced, laughing the night away. Gradually, his grip on her became more confident. His head lightly bopped up and down to the music, going from side to side as he held her close.
"I don't know much about you, too," he said, "I don't know what you want in the future, I don't know what you like or what you hate. Everything's wonky right now."
She thought of the future. It was a faraway dream that she could only think about. At the very least, she wanted him beside her. And maybe, just maybe, children of her own would be next to them. Perhaps a simple life down the line could satisfy her, or perhaps she could continue living the extravagant life she was now. If Aether was there, then Keqing would be fine. She hoped it was the same as the other way.
"You're not going to leave me, are you?"
He hugged her tighter, "I don't want to. I won't."
At that moment, there was only the two of them. At that moment, nothing else except them mattered. At that moment, nothing else existed. He made her face him, bringing their foreheads together as he closed his eyes. He whispered three beautiful words into her ears. Words that she had longed to hear from him.
"I love you."
Her heart fluttered, she felt her stomach feel somewhat queasy. Was this what they called butterflies in your stomach. It wasn't unwelcome. She smiled, tears on the edge of her eyes from sheer joy. She could finally see why people loved hearing it from their lovers. It couldn't compare to a kiss. To hear him say that over and over again would make her feel satisfied beyond what was humanly possible. Just the thought of it was making her face grow pink. And the best part of all was that she could say it back.
"I love you too."
They danced, spending their time with each other.
And they danced, and danced, and danced again.
