Link:
AO3
Rating: General Audiences
Category: M/M
Fandom: 原神 | Genshin Impact
Relationship: Chongyun/Razor
Language: English
Additional Tags: Friendship , Developing Relationship , Canon Universe , Character Study , literally a character is studying another character
Part 1 of 2 in a series — Separated by a Day (and everything else in between) — of loosely connected fics (but they can both be read as a stand alone)
Originally posted at 2021-09-07 Words:1173 Chapters:1/1
Summary:
Razor loves when Chongyun speaks.
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Razor loves when Chongyun speaks.
His voice is a breathy whisper in mellow silence during the early hours of the morning. A cool breeze of words washing away Razor’s worries whenever he speaks in his usual calm. It fascinates Razor— how long Chongyun can get carried away with his occasional tangents of incidental matters, like an endless stream of words spilling forth an ocean in Razor’s lungs and heart making it impossible to breathe. He is enraptured by the natural flow Chongyun holds when he seamlessly connects his heart and soul into the very fabric of the words flowing out his mouth. Unlike Razor — where every thought and feeling is very difficult to put into concrete words, no matter the improvement his purple mentor insists he’s having — Chongyun’s voice is a cool river stream that washes away all the other noises in Razor’s ears.
This wasn’t always the norm. When they both first met, Chongyun was a frigid body of conditions and tight-lipped secrets, unbending even in front of the flickering fire during the nights when they stayed up late. Wordlessly, they watched the stars like a sacred promise between them, far-away symbols of destiny charting their paths to constantly intersect and overlap.
Chongyun remained in constant meditated quiet and Razor let him be. He was no stranger to silence so he welcomed his aloof companion the way he knows how, with curt nods and tranquil gestures.
Time goes by and Razor, ever-vigilant, takes notice of the fractures behind Chongyun’s sharp feline eyes. He gets glimpses of a heart who beats for a passion so strong that it threatens to shake its whole icy foundation down to the core. And yet, Razor knows as sure as day that even the most freezing ice eventually cracks in the rumble of relentless thunder.
So Razor persists. Does not push hard enough to break and forever risk burying the light in the frozen depths below. But still, he persists. In comfortable silence and eager actions, he persists.
Then, after a tiring day of hunting and foraging for meat and berries, he feels it. There, where they lay side by side in a dimly lit cave somewhere in Wolvendom, Razor feels a homely warmth radiating beside him accompanied by a smile so faint that he barely catches it.
There, he succeeds.
And the ice melts, bit by bit.
_____
Razor wonders if Chongyun is ever bored of him.
Chongyun and speaking go hand in hand, he eventually notices. After spending more and more time with him, Razor finds instances when Chongyun’s guard is down — whenever he isn’t focusing too hard on maintaining his oft-mentioned constitution — a different aura emanates off of him and the fire slumbering deep in his icy frame resurfaces in bursts of winding laughter and colorful words and it leaves sparks of wonder crawling on Razor’s skin every time. In this state, the usually composed exorcist becomes an open stream of words and energy, his mouth pouring out an endless current, droning on and on. Everything he does, this alternate Chongyun does with extreme fervor and enthusiastic displays of affection.
Razor remembers a specific instance, after a particular mishap when they were hunting for Crystalfies, Chongyun was muttering about not having enough Mist Flower-Qingxin popsicles to last the day and it was only a matter of time before he would succumb to his yang energy— to which he eventually did. The rest of the day was spent in a sky-blue blur of vivacity pulling Razor towards these swarms of flighty creatures, Chongyun occasionally giving out a battle cry as they tried to collect Crystal Cores in the fading light of the sunset.
Before heading back to Liyue, Chongyun pulled the wolven boy towards him and amongst the dim glow of the Crystalflies, in the faint glow of the vanishing dawn, Razor got one of the warmest hugs he has ever received.
Still, Razor never really knows how to approach this Chongyun. The one with all the gestures and actions of unleashed secrets and the affection of a thousand suns. He can’t match well the endless amount of energy, so Razor does what he does best when facing new things and sensations he can never fully understand — He takes a slight pause and quietly watches. He pays utmost attention and nods instinctively along. He feels the most content when Chongyun is doing most of the talking for the both of them, anyways. And if the dazzling smile Chongyun throws at him every time is anything to go by, then Razor thinks he’s doing something right.
Even though Razor prefers the comforting silence they naturally fall back to, there’s something wonderful about a chatterbox Chongyun where he lets the fire in his blood flow into every nook and cranny of his flesh and muscles, rippling with strong gestures and animated tones, presenting his heart to the vast world waiting in bated breath every time.
The world being composed of only the two of them and the tiny space between as they travel close together with less than an arm’s length away. Razor feels a sliver of possessiveness trill at such an honor of being able to witness Chongyun’s transformation all by himself in those precious moments. Razor aches for all this and more— because this is Chongyun. This is Chongyun, blaring out his very being, letting it flow free without any restraint in front of him. And Razor wants to see it all. He wants Chongyun.
Chongyun is both tempered ice and unbending fervor, whispered words and outspoken silence. A dear friend and cherished Lupical. And all these are more than enough.
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Razor values the time he spends with Chongyun.
Both of them have their own distinct paths, Razor with protecting his home and fellow wolf Lupicals and Chongyun with roaming wherever his exorcism pursuits decide to take him. There is always a troubled creature to save or a vengeful spirit to placate, so finding moments where they are solely at the grace of the calming breeze and unyielding earth are few and far in between. Everything flashes by in an instant under the perpetual flowing sands of time so Razor grasps for anything he can have whenever their paths cross.
All the time they spent together, Razor treasures, even the ones where they don't say or do anything at all. Because with these rare and idle days, Chongyun learns to be more open towards Razor on his own volition even without being under the influence of his bursts of yang energy and it sends Razor over the moon.
And like any tranquil day between them, Chongyun is simply meditating, comfortably situated beneath the cool shelter of a secluded cave they’ve found for themselves while Razor always watches nearby. They are close enough for Razor to feel the ever-present warmth radiating from his companion and that tells him everything is alright with the world.
Just like that, simply basking in the presence of one another, Razor hears Chongyun. Hears him loud and clear and Razor —
Razor understands.
_____
Additional Tags: Razor being captivated by Chongyun, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHONGYUN!
Notes:
razor/chongyun lovers rise up! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THEM THEY DESERVE THE WORLD isnt it cute that they almost share the same birthdays? :')
this fic is just basically self-indulgent headcanons mhy i would like for them to actually meet and immediately be good friends.