🌸 • QinXiao • 🌸

🌸 ~ "Beauty Lies in the Eyes of the Beholder" pt. 1

💕 Yexiao wears Qin Yi's 'Blissful Cloud' 💕

• Cloudcrest ~ Qin Yi's Dressing Room •

"I think..." he started, deep in thought, staring at the two outfits laid out in front of him, "Yes, pink suits you better."

Yexiao shook her head, "No, I don't think it would." she spoke simply and softly, with no explanation, absolutely baffling him.

And while Qin Yi was wracking his brain over why that could be, she stepped away and started occupying herself with his seemingly vast collection of earrings.

"Well, I was saying that such a dull shade doesn't match you, and that the softer variant would compliment you more, personality and feature-wise." he explained, letting the words pour out of his mouth.

She made a soft hum in agreement, but still shook her head.

Picking out the earring he designed for the masculine equivalent of 'Blissful Cloud' she made her way back to him and held it up to his ear.

"Well, if I wear pink, what will you wear?"

It was an obvious question with an obvious answer. There was only one color of the male version, dull green, to match with the suit's original coloring.

Qin Yi didn't answer, and she smiled, "If I wear pink and you wear green," she started, pulling the earring back from his face and handing it to him, "we wouldn't match, would we?"

The statement paired with her sweet smile just about made his heart explode.

• Cloudcrest ~ Setting of 'Blissful Cloud's DR •

In the end, he gave in, stuffing the pink dress away dejectedly. He hesitantly handed her the sage green outfit, wincing at the way it already seemed to contrast with the tone of her hands.

She shooed him away before he could snatch it back, and he trudged off while definitely not thinking about how soft her hands were.

Qin Yi got himself ready, obviously having gotten fully dressed while she was still working on it.

He waited outside and stared nervously at the moon, just waiting for it to plummet into him and end his suffering.

Just as he had the thought, he felt a small hand on his shoulder.

Yexiao was done, and she was...

Well, she was Yexiao.

Qin Yi's jaw gaped just a bit, and his cheeks reddened. Of course, she didn't notice in the dreary yellow glow of the lantern above them.

She ran a finger along the embroidery right above his heart, and he hoped she wouldn't notice it's rapid beating.

With his luck, she did. And again, with his luck, she held her hand on his heart, driving him crazy.

"Are you alright?" she asked innocently, "It feels like your heart is...shaking."

Now, Qin Yi may have been one of the best and most composed actors of their time, but he couldn't not stammer his way through his answer when she was just so...Yexiao.

"I-It, so I–I was-no, I am..I'm ju-I um—"

Wincing, he mentally punched himself in the gut after fumbling like that in front of his maybe-more-than-a-friend.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself and his heart rate, "I'm just surprised, is all."

Yexiao cocked her head, removing her hand—thank God—from his chest, "Surprised? Why?"

He swallowed nervously, what could he say? Would he tell her that the mere sight of her in his design made him feel all fluttery?

No, never, he'd never admit it.

So he cleared his throat and simply said, "It suits you, more than I thought."

She was a bit confused, but smiled, "You're only saying that because it's your design."

He laughed, heart about to burst out of his chest, "Maybe."

But it really wasn't him admiring his design, he was admiring his design on Yexiao.

The sage green didn't quite match, as he'd suspected, but it had its own charm, in its own way. And of course, her silvermist hair stuck out like a sore thumb, but that wasn't controllable.

He actually quite liked the look of her bright hair in contrast with the dull retro tone of the suit. Or maybe he just liked her hair in general.

She seemed to be having trouble with the shoal(?) though, constantly having to move it away from her face and spitting out bits of fur every once in a while.

The rest of the outfit, the accessories and whatnot, just helped amplify her beauty.

She clutched the handbag's pearl handle and without thinking, he grabbed her right hand, staring at the small ring on her finger.

Yexiao blushed.

Yexiao.

Blushed.

And at that moment, he finally registered it.

The fact that she and him were wearing matching sets...

On a romantically lit night...

Because she wanted to match with him...

And now he was holding her hand.

He blushed furiously, snatching his hand back like a child and turning away to face the...wall.

Yexiao composed herself quickly, as she usually did, smiling again, "I like it too, it's the smallest pieces that give the most life to a design."

Qin Yi sighed mentally, wondering how she could switch moods so quickly, and if she even felt anything toward him at all.

But of course, she was Yexiao, the most complex being (next to him, of course) in all of Cloud Empire.

And he wouldn't have it any other way.

💕fin💕

A/N: wrote this in one sitting, so I'm sorry if it's weird. yes this will be a series. yes yexiao will also wear Inky Cloud. so look forward to qin yi's mini panic attack at the sight of her bare stomach >:)