part of love notes— an exo ot9 valentine’s day special
⋆˙⟡♡ summary: the cute pianist from your apartment lobby takes you to try a matcha flight.
⋆˙⟡♡ word count: 1.1k words
⋆˙⟡♡ content: yixing x gn!reader | fluff | profanity
Hello!
I wanted to thank you for the other day. Would you be open to going on a date with me?
In all honesty, it’s more than just to thank you for the other day. I’ve noticed that you always stop to watch me play, and I think you’re really pretty. I’d love to get to know you better over a meal, or anything really! Here’s my number in case you’re interested.
Yixing~
You see him as you approach the cafe, leaning against the brick pillar near the front door. The first-date butterflies start to twirl in your stomach, but you will yourself to be brave and approach him. “Yixing?”
The man looks up from his phone and beams, immediately pocketing it as he walks towards you. “Hi,” he says, eyes twinkling. “Did you find the place okay?”
“I did, thanks. Have you been here before?”
“I come here basically every day. But I haven’t tried what we’re about to do.” He opens the door for you and follows closely behind.
The cafe is cozy, dimly lit even though it’s only late morning. It’s also thankfully mostly empty, save for a lone businessman typing away furiously at his laptop. An acoustic cover of a pop song plays softly over the cafe’s speakers.
“Have you had any caffeine today?” Yixing asks, standing behind the counter.
“Not yet, after your warning. Usually I’m already a coffee in by now, which is probably why I don’t seem so lively.”
“You seem perfectly lively to me,” he grins. “I had to warn you because if you go home from this date unable to sleep until four in the morning I’ll feel terrible. Anyways,” he grabs a menu and shows it to you, pointing at the corner where they’ve outlined their special. “This is what I was telling you about. If you don’t wanna do it we can just order our own thing, no big deal. I just thought I’d point it out if you wanted to try something new.”
You look over the matcha flight special and nod. “It sounds interesting! I like matcha but I’ve never had all the fun flavors.”
Yixing orders the flight and the two of you take a seat at a table next to the windows, giving you the perfect view to people-watch all of the passerby going about their days. “So again”, Yixing says, “I just wanted to thank you for the other day.”
You roll your eyes and smile, waving a hand as if to say no problem. “It’s not a big deal. That guy was being an asshole. He’s always been an asshole, it’s about time someone actually said something to him.”
There’s an older man who lives in your building who likes nothing more than to make other people’s days considerably worse. He grumbles at the doorman, scolds the children who excitedly chatter amongst themselves, and gives a sideways glance any time young people comes home from a night out (you had been on the receiving end of this several times). The other day, when Yixing was playing piano like always, this man had decided to step in and tell him to stop playing so obnoxiously.
You had stepped in, getting in the older man’s face. How miserable do you have to be to pick on someone who just wants to play some music, huh? He’s not bothering anybody, and if he’s bothering you then go back to your apartment. Some of us actually like to have some joy every once in a while.
“Still, it was very kind of you.” He looks away toward the window, expression clouding for a second. “Sometimes people make comments at me, saying I’m being a bother or a showoff, but never anything so hostile as that. My place is too small for my own piano, and I missed playing so much that I can’t help it.”
“If it’s any comfort, I really like hearing you play,” you say. “Whenever I get back from a long day, or if I just really don’t feel like going back to my place, it’s comforting.”
“I know this makes me sound full of myself, but I know.” He laughs. “I play for myself but I like having an audience too, you know? And when no one really stops to listen, you tend to remember the ones that do.”
The barista comes by with the tray of matcha samples. “So we have our original matcha, our strawberry matcha, our banana matcha, and ube matcha. Enjoy!”
You admire the drinks as Yixing pulls his phone out, taking a picture of the pretty setup. He points his camera at you next. “Smile!” You pose for him, and when he puts his phone down, you swear you see the beginnings of a blush on his cheeks.
The two of you take turns inspecting each cup with all of the precision of an open heart surgery, deciding which one you want to try first. You end up picking the strawberry to start with, while he goes for the ube.
“Cheers,” you say, clinking the edge of your cup against his.
You both take your sips at the same time, leaving a bit of purple foam on his upper lip. A giggle escapes your lips before you can stop it.
“Do I have something on my face?” he asks.
“Mhm.” You reach out with a napkin and dab at his lip, your laughter catching on with him until his shoulders are shaking.
“You’re very cute,” he murmurs.
Your hand freezes in midair as your face burns. “U-Um. Thank you.” Smooth.
You take turns sipping from the drinks, making comments about the different tastes. “Pick your two favorites to finish,” he says.
“Hmm… I like the strawberry and the ube.”
“What a coincidence, I like the banana and the original.”
You narrow your eyes at him. “You’re lying.”
He sputters. “What? What do you mean?”
“I saw the way your eyes lit up when you sipped the ube. If this is gonna work, Yixing, we can’t lie to each other.” You slide across the ube matcha and take the original in its place.
“So you think this is working?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.
“Isn’t it?”
He watches you closely as you drink the rest of your strawberry matcha. “Yeah,” he says softly. “I think it is.”
[mob boss!yixing. arranged marriage au, established relationship, fluff]
a/n: no idea why this idea popped up into my head but i had to write it. i know he'd be such a caring and attentive husband 😩
“i don't care how late it gets. call me.”
that's something yixing's never forgotten to remind you about. whether you're on the other side of the town in a cafe with your friends, whether you need help with groceries, whether you're tired from work and just need a breather—he's always going to be there for you.
but you're not sure if it'll apply to you now—in the aftermath of a fight you already regretted the second it started, the second you heard yixing's exhale of frustration betraying his composure, the sound of the door slamming a little too hard.
you can't even remember why it started. maybe it had something to do with the long hours he seems to be spending at work lately, hunched over his desk, constantly revising plans and forgetting basic functions like eating and sleeping.
all you know is that your feet hurt in the shoes you're wearing, your energy is completely drained, and the edges of a headache are beginning to creep through your skull.
and you still remember yixing's upset face, the way he didn't even give you a kiss goodbye like he always does.
it's a thing between the two of you, and has been for a few months now. after you actually fell in love with each other, the ruse of a marriage for an alliance that slowly became something the two of you treasured. and those kisses reminded you of it every morning, every moment you had to spend away from each other.
but yixing had just left for his study, the slam of the solid oak door somewhat ringing through the large penthouse.
and you were left with an uncomfortable mix of annoyance and guilt.
your thumb hovers over yixing's contact, wondering if you should try calling him, see if he's willing to pick you up. but you hesitate. what if he's sleeping? or worse, still working?
so you quickly shoot a text to his right-hand man, baekhyun.
hey, need a ride home. yixing's probably busy, don't want to disturb him. hope you're not too?
baekhyun's sweet. he's yixing's most trusted man, in charge of handling all his meetings and driving him to places where he meets with his clients and other mob bosses. he's also one of yixing's closest friends, and someone yixing trusts to look after you when he can't.
this counts as one of those moments, right?
the message you sent to baekhyun hasn't been read yet. you sigh. maybe yixing's busy going over tomorrow's schedule with him, which is why he hasn't had the chance to see it yet.
so you suck it up and bid goodbye to your friends, calculating how long the walk home will take. twenty two minutes. not bad. probably thirty, given the dull ache in your feet. but it's not difficult. you have the footpath, the streetlights which are quite bright even for this time of the night, and your phone handy and charged enough in case you need to make a call.
yixing is your emergency contact, after all.
you've just entered your neighbourhood when your phone suddenly rings, startling you. it's a stark contrast to the quiet of the night you're walking in. when you look down, you see an incoming call from none other than yixing. you don't know what to expect.
“hello?” you ask, hesitant. you hate being hesitant. especially with your own husband.
“where are you?” he asks, voice a little unsettled. very uncharacteristic. but he doesn't sound annoyed, at least. you hear the jingle of keys for a moment.
“i'm...on my way home?”
“are you asking me or are you telling me?” the slam of a door.
“telling you.”
“right. but you didn't tell me your party ended?”
“because it hasn't. i just left early because i was tired.”
“hm. and you didn't bother letting me know?”
you scoff. “we fought, yixing. you didn't even have a response to anything i said. sorry if i didn't think you'd care.”
a loud exhale. “where exactly are you right now?”
“almost home? i just turned the corner. it'll take me ten more minutes to reach.”
“can you just wait?”
“what do you mean, wait? i told you, i'm almost home. are you, what, picking me up or something?”
“i am,” he says, voice firm. “no something. just wait at the bus stop. i'm coming.”
“why are you—”
the line cuts before you get to voice your question. shaking your head, you keep walking till you get to the bus stop. it's empty at this hour of the night, but it's well-lit and safe. you wonder if you should sit. you could just walk the remainder of the distance, but yixing had insisted. and you know you can't do anything once he's made up his mind.
you barely have a minute to yourself when you hear someone's footsteps slow down and stop right in front of you.
it's yixing. cap over his head covering his eyes, oversized hoodie hanging off his frame, and running shoes you'd recognize anywhere. a far cry from the polished shoes and crisp suits he always wears during the day.
you just stare at him. he's heaving, taking in deep breaths as if—
“did you run here?” you ask, frowning. no way. “couldn't you have just taken your car?”
“our car. and...i forgot.”
you blink. “to take the car? the great zhang yixing just forgot he had a car?”
“don't be like that,” he sighs. “come on.” he extends a hand out to you. you take it, wincing when you put weight on your feet again.
yixing notices. like he always does.
“fuck, baby, do your feet hurt?”
“it's nothing,” you say, trying to shake it off, heart fluttering a little at the nickname, but he's not having it. he makes you sit down again and then crouches, unclasping your shoes. his hands work steadily, lifting your foot to get the shoe off before repeating the process with the other one.
you feel more comfortable already. but before you can ask him why he's doing all this, he gets up, turns around, and bends a little, gesturing for you to climb his back.
“yixing...” you say hesitantly, feeling a little sober all of a sudden. it's just the two of you on a road not far from home, and yixing wants to...give you a piggyback ride?
“come on,” he says, looking back at you. “can't let you walk back home like that.”
“but—”
“what kind of a husband would i be if i did that, hmm?”
his voice is so sweet, you can't help but lean on him. he hoists you up further and you cling onto him with one arm, shoes dangling from your other hand.
“yixing, i can walk,” you try saying, but he just shakes his head.
you reach home like that, trying your best not to fall asleep on yixing's broad back as he carries you through the lobby of your building. it's a little embarrassing, but yixing doesn't falter one bit as he heads straight for the lift that takes you up to your floor.
he manages to unlock the door to your home while still holding onto you. you don't waste time the moment he sets you down, heading to the bathroom to clean up, taking a quick shower only to find out he's laid your nightclothes on the bed for you. he's even kept out a hoodie for you—his old one, now yours.
you head out to the living room, feeling clean, tired but not yet sleepy. you find yixing watching the news on the television, eyes scanning the news ticker for information on stock prices. he looks at you when you sit down on the couch.
“are you hungry? do your feet still hurt? do you want me to get you anything?” he asks instantly.
you shrink a little under the weight of his gaze, unable to look at him properly. “i'm okay,” you manage to say. “just...tired.”
you see yixing nod from from the corner of your eye.
you draw your knees up to yourself, wrapping your arms around them. you want to say something, but you're not sure what can break the silence comfortably.
yixing clears his throat. “about earlier...”
you sneak a look at him.
“i'm sorry for snapping at you before you left,” he says, turning to face you fully. there's no escaping his gaze now. “i know you were just looking out for me. i had no right to behave that way. forgive me?”
you reach out to lay a hand on his arm. “i just wanted you to take better care of yourself, xing.”
“i know. i was just too caught up to see that. i promise i won't react so harshly again. come here?”
you shift closer, leaning into his side as he wraps an arm around you.
“i was trying to wrap things up so i'd be free for a few weeks,” he says, fingers stroking your hair. “we could take that vacation you've been hinting at for a while. or we could just do nothing. either way, i want to spend my time with you.”
you groan. “you're making me feel bad now.”
“mm, don't. someone needs to keep me in check every now and then. i'm glad it's you.”
you smile at that, leaning in to kiss his cheek.
“also,” he says, grip around you tightening, “don't text baekhyun the next time you need something. doesn't make me feel needed when you do that.”
you suddenly remember the text you sent in your desperation to be on yixing's good side, only to have made him pout. “oh. oops?”
“cheeky,” he mutters. “you're lucky i love you.”
you cuddle closer to him, wrapping an arm around his stomach. “i know. i love you, too. i didn't want to disturb you, that's all. thought you might be busy.”
“i'm yours. to lean on, to talk to, to use. don't ever think otherwise.”
“shut up,” you murmur, feeling your cheeks heat up at his words.
“what? it's true. there's no one else i'd give a piggyback ride to at this hour of the night.”
there really isn't anyone, you realize, when yixing starts telling you about the antics his team got up to today, and how he wants the two of you to spend the first day of his break tomorrow, that loves you the way yixing does.
Summary: You are getting ready to start the day and the new year, but your new boyfriend is still asleep, so you try to be as quiet as possible.
Word count: 620
A/N: This is exciting! I’ll be writing little drabbles like this one for this month, celebrating that it is my birthday month. I have it all set with all of the days assigned for the January Prompts from @creativepromptsforwriting but if anyone wants to request a member for any prompt, I’m completely open to it.
ALL JANUARY PROMPTS POSTS
Getting ready fast was almost an art for you, but you were also loud while doing so. This was a challenge now, as Yixing slept soundly on the bed, and the hotel room was dimly lit with the morning light coming through the thin curtains. You looked over at him, chuckling to yourself a bit, tiptoeing your way to the closet to get your clothes.
He had so much fun at the party last night, letting loose and enjoying himself. It was nice seeing him smile so much and dancing around with all of your friends.
Your eyes lingered on his lips, remembering the sweet New Year’s kiss you shared. You had to look all over for him as he got distracted mingling around. The minutes were ticking, and you had to still light up some sparklers and take your traditional New Year picture. It was like a scene from a rom-com movie, both of you finding each other on opposite sides of the room, smiles growing and a walk in slow motion.
The closet door squeaked as you tried closing it slowly, and you cursed under your breath. Looking back at Yixing, you noticed him shifting in his sleep and bit your lip unconsciously as if trying to stop any more sounds. It all seemed okay until you took a step back and stumbled with his bag, making you fall on the floor.
Yixing woke up at the sound and sat on the bed, his lidded eyes barely open, and his cute messy hair making you chuckle a little louder. You had tried to muffle your laugh at your clumsiness, but it was impossible.
“What happened? Who’s there?”
His voice was so raspy and deep even in his alerted state, but his sleepy face betrayed the sexiness it could have had. Your heart still skipped a beat, even though you found the entire situation quite entertaining. No matter how much your relationship changed the night before, he was still the same Yixing.
He spotted you on the floor on the other side of the room, and his eyes widened. “What happened, baby?” Yixing’s face tensed for a moment, as if he had let something slip that he was keeping a secret, but then quickly relaxed as he remembered the softness of your lips and the warmth of having you so close. “Ah, right… you’re now my baby.”
Your heart melted on the spot, witnessing his widening smile at his realization. “I’m okay, just fell on the floor.”
“What?” He moved out of bed in an almost jump and reached just in time to finish helping you get up.
“Just clumsy me…”
“No, no, are you okay? Any scratches? Does it hurt somewhere?” It’s like he didn’t even hear you through his worry. He started searching for any red spots or bruises, but all he found was the marks he left on your shoulder.
You managed to place a kiss on his cheek and made him stop. His head started turning slowly towards you from that little bruise and straight to your lips. Flashbacks to the night before occupied his mind while doing so, his face starting to be adorned with a tender yet hungry smile.
“Happy new year…” He whispered, the words almost a mumble. “I forgot to say that, didn’t I?”
A small chuckle escaped you as you held his gaze with yours. “Yeah, well… you rushed to kiss me at the last second, and then… we’re here, where our night led us.”
“I did tell you I like you, though, right?”
“Yeah, you definitely did!”
“Well,” he started, a smug grin on his lips, “today is the actual start of the new year… Happy New Year, baby.”
imagine yixing resting his head on your shoulder. you could be doing anything: waiting in line at the grocery store, cooking a meal, even when working, and he’d lay his head on your shoulder. he’d tell you that was his favorite spot to rest all the time, resulting in a sheepish grin from you. you’d never admit it, but you found just as much comfort from the action as him. it just showed how much you loved each other.
Pairing: Yixing x Reader
Genre: Fluff
Rating: G
Summary: At the company’s milestone celebration party, Yixing has a surprise for you, his hardest worker.
Word Count: 0.6k
Warnings: None
Inspired by this post.
As always, the office party was a success. Everyone who worked for and with Yixing turned up to celebrate another major milestone. However, this time was a little different.
“Can I have your attention for a minute?” Yixing gently tapped a champagne glass with a fork. A hush fell over the room as all eyes turned to him. When it was reasonably quiet, he continued. “Thank you all for your hard work and dedication. Without your sacrifices, we wouldn’t have gotten this far. Serving a thousand clients is insane, yet we did it!” Applause filled the room.
He scanned the room until he found you near the drink table, watching him with a soft smile that warmed his heart. “While I’d like to take credit for keeping things in order and running smoothly, no one would believe me.” The crowd chuckled knowingly. “So, with the insistence of everyone here at Zhang Advertising, I’d like to present our first annual employee of the year award,” he extended his hand in your direction, “to you, _____. Could you come up here, please?”
You nearly dropped your glass of wine. The way everyone looked at you fondly, obviously in on this. How did he keep it from you? Yixing usually couldn’t do anything without your input or help. Sure, he wasn’t completely helpless, but he had the hardest time keeping secrets from you. Someone took your glass from you and gentle hands guided you to the front of the room where he waited. When you were within reach, he slung an arm around your shoulders and pulled you close.
“Without you, we likely would have gone out of business months ago. You came in, all business and sunshine, and helped turn this ship around. We cannot appreciate you and all that you’ve done enough.”
You shook your head. “It’s what you hired me to do! An assistant does their best to keep things from falling apart.”
“Mm, yeah, but you pulled off six-day work weeks with countless hours of overtime. You made sure every project met our standards and exceeded client expectations. You protected our reputation while keeping the morale up. We all agree that you make this place worth working for. I personally can’t imagine anyone else being able to bring the passion, diligence, and competence you have with you every day you show up.”
You bowed your head, unable to deny the truth in his words. You considered the company and its employees to be family and treated it as such.
“So,” he reached behind you and picked up a gift bag, “we want you to have this.”
You took the bag with a murmured thanks and peeked inside. There were several gift cards for shopping, spas, and food. You easily knew who helped pick out each card based on what conversations you remembered having.
“Also, there’s this.” You looked up to find Yixing handing you a key.
“What’s this for?” You took it and eyed it. It didn’t look familiar and had no telling markings.
“Well, I thought my Vice President should have her own office.”
Your neck snapped when you turned to look at him. “Your what?”
“I think it’s time you got the promotion you deserve. I—no, we—would be honored to have you be the Vice President of Zhang Advertising.” He patted your shoulders. “It’s the least we could do after all you’ve done for us.”
You blinked back tears, overcome with emotion and barely able to speak. Nonetheless, you nodded.
He pulled you into a hug as the room erupted with applause and cheers. “Here’s to another year, yeah?”
Yixing is cuddly with you anyway, but especially so during your pregnancy. There’s an indescribable feeling that makes him happy knowing that he doesn’t just get to cuddle you these days, but also cuddle up to your baby with you too.
B ⇴ BUMP
He always tried to be as close to your bump as he possibly could to try and form a close bond with them before they were born. Yixing would talk to your bump a lot to familiarise your baby with the sound of his voice, and always keep his hands around your bump so that your baby felt nice and cosy and more importantly, protected, by him.
C ⇴ CRAVINGS
At times Yixing definitely thought you’d lost your mind when it came to your cravings, he often couldn’t understand the appeal to many of the foods that you wanted. Still, he always made sure to get you what you wanted, even if sometimes he left you waiting a little too long because he had a late night at work to complete first.
D ⇴ DUE DATE
His schedule was cleared completely as the final few days before your due date came around, in fact, Yixing barely ever left you out of his sight. It was weird for you both to have him home for so long when he usually spent so much of his time away, and with the added stress of knowing your baby was due to arrive any day, it certainly led to a few tense moments between the two of you as you got prepared.
E ⇴ EMOTIONS
Yixing tended to only ever let his emotions get the better of him when he was away from you, preferably alone. He hated being anything other than strong in front of you, and so he’d often smile through the emotional times. Once he was alone, whether it was nerves, excitement, or something in between, he’d finally let his mouth smile or drop, giving himself some time to compose himself before returning to you.
F ⇴ FAMILY
Both of your families were more than happy to work around the two of you when it came to your pregnancy. If you wanted them away, they’d stay away, but the second you asked for help or suggested that they came and visited you both, they’d be there as soon as possible. Your pregnancy highlighted how well you both got on with your own families, as well as bonding closely with each other’s family too.
G ⇴ GENDER
There was no way Yixing would wait until the end of your pregnancy to find out what you were happening. The sonographer didn’t even have time to finish asking the question as to whether you both wanted to find out what you were having before Yixing’s head started nodding, desperate to find out the answer.
H ⇴ HEARTBEAT
Yixing always found a rhythm whenever you listened to the beat of your baby’s heart, whilst to you it just sounded like a pattern of irregular noises, somehow Yixing would always be able to find something. As he listened, his hand would often tap against the side of your bump as he came up with something.
I ⇴ “I LOVE YOU”
He would remind you almost all the time that he loved you, through the good moments and the bad. Yixing had never been afraid of perhaps telling you that he loved you too much, and so when you were having a good day, a bad day, or a bit of a neutral day too, he’d always make sure to remind you how much he loved you.
J ⇴ JEALOUSY
Whilst Yixing didn’t tend to get jealous at all, he had a few moments whenever someone took his place at home because he was busy at work. Even though it was no one’s fault, he couldn’t help but feel bitter that someone else was with you and taking care of you both. His messages would often be snappier, and phone calls a bit blunter with you until he was able to get back home and finally take his rightful spot again.
K ⇴ KICKS
When the kicks stop, Yixing hates it, he loves trying to coerce your baby into kicking some more. He’ll run his hands across your bump to try and get your baby to wriggle a little more, and if he’s particularly desperate, then he’ll poke gently against your sides to try and encourage your baby to give him another little sign.
L ⇴ LABOUR
Cool, calm and collected perfectly described Yixing throughout the entirety of your labour. He was used to intense and pressuring situations, so he knew exactly what to do to support you and encourage you. Whilst he definitely felt the emotion of the situation too, as with everything throughout your pregnancy, he didn’t let any of that get to him until your baby had safely arrived and you were able to relax.
M ⇴ MORNING SICKNESS
Yixing always made sure to support you every morning throughout your time with morning sickness, even if that meant pushing work back some mornings. It didn’t phase him at all whenever you were sick, his only focus was on reassuring you and reminding you that things would get easier with a bit more time.
N ⇴ NURSERY
The nursery the two of you created was incredibly homely for your little arrival, the two of you wanted somewhere cosy, nothing too fancy or too much of a statement made, subtle was perfect for the room.
O ⇴ OBSESSION
He was obsessed with your smile, although he knew you had plenty of times when you were down too, nothing made Yixing happier than knowing you were having a good day and feeling confident within yourself.
P ⇴ POST BIRTH
After your labour, Yixing was incredibly protective of you both for a while, he barely let you lift a finger unless it was to give your baby a cuddle. He had the time to be at home, and so Yixing was determined to do everything possible to make recovery easier for you whilst also helping your baby settle in too.
Q ⇴ QUESTIONS
He could read you like a book, and so when you were busy, Yixing would always ask if you needed to rest or a helping hand. When your head shook, he knew you better, so the next time, he’d tell you to rest rather than being polite and asking you.
R ⇴ RANDOM FACTS
Yixing would often come home after a day out with bags of baby items that he’d found on his adventures. Even sometimes when he was working abroad, half of his suitcase would end up being filled with baby items which he found far too adorable to ever be able to say no when he saw them in the shops.
S ⇴ SCANS
He would always carry a scan photo with him after you were able to receive your first scan. His wallet was full of backtracked scans that kept getting updated, so whenever he opened it up, he could take a good look at the scan, and pick himself up if he was having a bit of a tough or long day away from you.
T ⇴ TEST
Yixing was on the road when you found out you were pregnant, for too long to wait until he was home, and so you sent him a picture of your positive pregnancy test, unsurprised when your phone rang a few moments later.
U ⇴ ULTRASOUND
He always tried his hardest to be at all your appointments, but if he missed one, then he would definitely make it up to you.
V ⇴ VISITS
The two of you stayed in your own little bubble of three for a few days before inviting anyone round. Your families both understood that the two of you wanted to adjust, but as soon as you sent the text, they were round in a flash.
W ⇴ WAITING
Whenever you got excited, Yixing got excited, he enjoyed basking in the moments of impatience with you rather than all alone.
X ⇴ XXXX
If he came home to see you fast asleep, Yixing would often sit beside your bump for a while and press light kisses against it, encouraging your baby to settle so that you could get as much sleep in you as you possibly could.
Y ⇴ YOU
You were his team-mate, the two of you were in the whole adventure together, side by side.
Z ⇴ ZZZ
Yixing knew that sleep was one of the most important parts of pregnancy, and so he always made sure to try and do whatever he could to help you sleep at night, even some nights that came at the expense of his own sleep.
Genre(s): Fluff, Fantasy
Pairing: Yixing x Reader
Word Count: 4.1k
This is my gift for @chicken-fifi for the @exolssecretsanta event! I hope you enjoy this take on dad!Xing. Happy Holidays!
When Mae stampedes back into the house, a whole host of critters follow her in. A young fox kit bolts between your legs, a hawk chasing after it. You shoo away a curious chipmunk, intent on investigating the roasted chestnuts you've set out to cool. Bingo, the white hare that has followed your daughter since she celebrated her first birthday, runs in next with a little leap of joy. And rounding out the procession is Yixing, who walks into the room with a sheepish expression.
Melting ice and snow puddle along the floor like little cookie crumbs trails that lead to what is apparently a whole forest's worth of animals in your house, your daughter included. You and your husband exchange a familiar look, one of equal parts fondness and exasperation.
You beat him to placing a finger on your nose.
“Not it!” you crow victoriously.
Yixing laughs and hangs up his scarf, resigned to animal round-up duty.
You smile and hand the chipmunk, who has returned for a second attempt at pilfering, a chestnut. You watch with amusement as he promptly stuffs it in his mouth. This is the enchanted life you've become used to ever since your daughter was born.
**
After a dinner of rich stew and homemade bread, Mae totes her father off to play, leaving you to clean the dishes. She had not been happy with him after he had herded the last woodland creature out the door, so you're glad that she seems to either have forgiven him or forgotten.
Your mind drifts as you begin washing up. The window over the sink affords you a view of the backyard and the forest that abuts it. It had snowed long and hard the past two days, but tonight the sky is clear. The evergreens appear like frosty giants in the evening with their wintry snow coats aglow.
Winter is your favorite time of year. Your family bundles up inside together against the cold, a cozy intimacy that no other season can seem to replicate. Dinners are warm affairs, full of good food, laughter, and Mae's cheerful chatter. It feels, for a time at least, that you exist outside of the rest of the world. The only sounds are of birds, the crack of branches and the snow falling from them, then crunching beneath your feet. You never want it to end.
Such thoughts and reminiscing help pass the time, and soon enough you are drying the last dish and setting it back in the cupboard. The quiet strikes you then and pulls you into the living room in its wake.
Already Mae has fallen asleep, the gentle glow of Christmas lights dancing blue, orange, white upon her eyelashes. Yixing cradles your daughter in his arms, bending his head low to sweep his lips against her cheek. The fire he had kindled hours ago crackles dimly in the background. Bingo, ever watchful, has curled up beneath the Christmas tree to keep an eye on his sleeping charge.
A deep-seated happiness burns within you. You promise yourself to commit this moment to memory.
You come up behind your husband and touch his shoulder. When he looks up, tears sparkle in the corners of his eyes.
“Yixing?”
“She's getting so big,” he whispers. “I remember when she was just a baby. Her whole hand could only wrap around one finger. And now she already knows how to talk.”
You wrap yourself around him and feel the reciprocating bittersweet ache of your child growing up. “Oh, Yixing,” you whisper back. “We're parents for the rest of our lives,” you murmur as you rest your head on his shoulder. “She'll always be our baby.”
**
Eventually, Yixing puts Mae to bed. She stirs from her sleep, brow scrunching. Bingo hops onto the bed and slips into her arms. You sweep her fringe away and lay a kiss as gentle as snowfall on her forehead. Only then does she relax and slip back into sleep.
Arms slips around your waist and spin you. Yixing holds you loosely in the circle of his arms. He catches your gaze, eyes sleepy and affectionate. Mae's nightlight projects snow drifting down the walls around you.
“Love you,” he says.
No matter how many times you hear it, you always have to fight down the sudden spike in your pulse, the warming of your cheeks.
“You're just jealous I haven't given you your kiss yet.”
He's smiling, the shadow of his dimple a deep dark. “How'd you know?”
You smile knowingly. “Love you, too,” you whisper back before finally giving him the kiss he's been waiting for.
**
You dream that night. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that you remember.
One spring day, when the first buds appeared on the trees, Mae was taken. You had been sleeping, and then you weren't. A great clattering came from down the stairs. Mae's crib was gone. You scrabbled out of bed, crying out “Mae!” Yixing jerked awake behind you, but you couldn't linger. There was no time to explain.
You sprinted downstairs to see two white-tailed deer dragging the crib out of the house. Vines had sprouted from the crib's wooden legs and attached themselves to the halters of the 12-point bucks. The backdoor was open and they were making a dash for the woods.
“No!” you shouted, leaping after them. You managed to grab onto one of the rails. Bingo peered at you over the edge. They were going so fast, they were dragging you through the remaining snow, which that night measured a scant inch. Snow and slush slid into your shirt. I can't hold on, you realized with creeping horror. And just as you thought it, you jolted as the deer dragged you over the jagged end of a rock. Your fingers slipped and you came a halt, curling around the bruise blooming on your ribs.
A breeze whisked by you and you glanced up through tears to see Yixing racing into the forest after your baby.
Minutes, hours went by, and then a blinding flash, brighter than lightning, blazed through the woods. The howl of soul in despair rang out after like thunder.
You were already crying by the time Yixing came back, carrying something. He looked up at you, devastated.
In his hands hovered the most perfect snowflake you had ever seen.
**
Mae sits at the table drawing with Yixing. Crayons scatter across the table in a mess of color. Some have rolled off the edge. Yixing holds one captive, rolling it back and forth on the ground with a socked foot.
“What are you drawing?” you ask Mae.
“This is you!” she says, pointing to a vaguely human-like shape. There is a concerning red blotch by the head. A smaller blob she declares to be herself, and Bingo a small circle that you had thought was a foot at first.
“And where am I?” asks Yixing.
Mae points to her father's drawing.
“I'm a sheep?” he asked, confused.
“No! A bunny,” she says back.
You stifle a laugh as Yixing looks even more confused.
Mae traces the sheep's horns. “These are its ears.” Yixing nods thoughtfully, then scrawls over the paper to make the sheep more bunny-like
He's such a good father, you think. He is patient, and kind. He listens to her and responds sincerely. You are profoundly in love with them, with your family and its small place in the world.
The two drawings hang from the refrigerator later that evening. You can hear Yixing playing with Mae in the living room, bouncing her up and down on his lap as she giggles and shrieks “Horsey!” Mae has labeled each figure in indecipherable symbols, but underneath one, in handwriting too elegant to be a child's hand, reads Daddy. It is undeniable a bunny.
**
You had long been suspicious of Bingo. He was no ordinary hare. But you had never been more suspicious of him than when your daughter came home this year.
It was the first snow of the year, and you and Yixing had been standing outside for hours already in the cold so that you didn't miss it. And there! To your left, a bright light had flashed in the forest. You were the first to find Mae and you fell on your knees before her.
“Oh, baby,” you said, cradling her cheeks in your hands, checking her over for any injuries. She was dressed in a similar foreign garment as last time, this one made of a pale pink shimmering gossamer.
“Where have you been?” you cried. She was old enough now, if she could just tell you where she went, then maybe....
And that was the first time you noticed it. The way your daughter fell silent and stared at the white hare.
She looked you full in the eyes a moment later and said, “Bingbing says I can't tell you yet.”
Yixing came at that moment and swept her into his arms.
“Don't leave us again,” he said, voice muffled against her. “Promise me that you won't go.”
“Daddy!” Mae complained, squirming in his hold. She looked at you plaintively over his shoulder and pouted. “I'm hungry.”
**
The first time it happened, you thought you'd lost your daughter forever. You had grieved with the force of a death. And then you woke up on the first day of snowfall to see a white hare on your chest.
“Mae...” came Yixing's hoarse voice besides you. You turned and saw your daughter in her crib beside the bed. Two seasons had come and gone, and she had clearly kept growing the months you'd been apart. But she watched you with those same keen eyes like she knew exactly who you.
“Did you...bring her back?” you asked, turning back to the white hare. Bingo merely twitched his nose a few times. He seemed to be staring right at you.
“Thank you,” you whispered. You rested a tentative hand on the hare, who close its eyes in acceptance. After another moment, it jumped away.
Yixing watched you with wide eyes, Mae already cradled in his arms. You wrapped your arms around the both of them. “I love you so much,” you whispered in a voice choked with tears. “I am so lucky to have you both.”
**
It snows again the next day. You're not sure who's more excited about it, you or your daughter. Yixing struggles to get Mae kitted out for the weather, and you practically trip over yourself to shove your boots and hat on at the same time.
You had spent your free time this fall building a sled. You had cobbled all the pieces together yourself: the polished wood, the metal runners, the string that worked the rudder like reins on a horse. The winters have only grown longer since Mae was born, and you want to enjoy it while you can.
You start to wax up the candles with a broken candle when Mae huffs and puffs her way over to you, stretching up to try and reach your hand.
“No, mommy! I want to do it.”
You laugh and hand her the piece of candle. You wrap your fingers around hers, two-times clumsy with her gloves on, and help her slide the wax on the metal, lifting your daughter up when she can no longer reach.
“Perfect!” you declare when you finish with the second runner. “Thank you for your help, my little elfling.” You pinch her nose lightly and she giggles and runs to her dad.
All of you, Bingo included, pile out into the snow. You and Mae get the honors of the inaugural sled ride. Yixing bursts into a run first, yelling “race you down the hill!”
“Get him, mommy!” Mae yells, trying to scoot the sled forward. You kick off, and soon the two of you are zooming. You catch up with Yixing easily and then you are past, far past, trees blurring by.
The sled finally comes to a rest and Mae is still laughing. She has already hopped off the sled and is tugging on you, wanting to do it all over again. You roll off the sled, feeling about as dexterous as a marshmallow. Then you stand and survey how very long you have to climb back up.
“Come on, Mommy,” Mae says, slipping her hand into yours. The two of you walk forward in silence for a minute before you ask, “Where's your daddy, Mae?”
She runs forward, Bingo dashing after her, and you call after them not to go too far by themselves. Your warning is half-hearted, though. The woods welcome Mae like a friend. Even now, cardinals flock to the branches around her, bright splashes of red against the snow like trail marks pointing straight to her. There is an undeniable magic to your child. You have a feeling that nothing could hurt her, and the only thing that could take her is a force that you have no way of stopping.
The sled glides easily back up the hill—you do your best to keep it in the tracks you left on the way down. You eye the branches of the trees along the climb. Not one of the deciduous trees you spy has a single hint of a bud upon its branches. You heave a sigh in relief.
You're the one who stumbles across Yixing first. He has fallen backwards into the snow, his phone lying on his chest, staring up at the sky. You can't resist—you pick his phone up and take a few pictures of him, rosy cheeked, haloed in snow.
You pocket his phone and stretch a hand out for him. Mae comes barreling towards the two of you, yelling “Daddy!”
Yixing takes your hand with a smile.
“I guess you guys won.”
**
Later that night, Yixing shows you a video on his phone. He was filming the entire sled race. You watch second hand as you tuck Mae between your legs and wrap an arm around her. Suddenly, the camera is jerking forward, Yixing's muffled challenge to a race humming through the speaker. You hear his huffed laughter, the crunch of snow and the way his jacket sleeves rub against his sides as he runs. All of a sudden, you and Mae streak by, Mae squealing, and then the world topples. From white to black to white again, you hear Yixing trip, the sound of his breath knocked out of him in a single oof. Miraculously, he manages to keep a grip on his phone.
He lays there, camera facing the sky. All you hear is him breathing. A couple of snowflakes drift by and just miss landing on the lens. You feel oddly self-conscious when you show up onscreen. Is that what you looked like? A wide grin split your face, your hair windblown. You look down at Yixing with what is unmistakably love.
The video ends when you grab the phone to take pictures of Yixing (which you have already bullied him into sending you).
“I love watching you with Mae,” he confesses as the two of you lay in bed. Your bodies have curved inward, seeking the presence of the other. His fingers wrap around yours.
“Your smile, how tender you are...” Yixing turns and presses his face against your neck. “I love you both so much,” he says.
**
Mae becomes increasingly more cuddly as winter wears on. It's difficult to put her to bed. She'll cry long into the night, begging to sleep with you and Yixing. More and more, one of the two of you would cave in. She would crawl into your bed and rest in the warm hollow between your two bodies. Soon, neither of you bothered with carrying her to her bed.
How could either of you resist when you already had so little time with her? You want to hold her close just as much as she wants to be held. Everyday, you find her napping with Yixing, laid out along his chest and stomach. Your phone album is full of pictures of the two of them together.
Yixing said she took after you. But you see all the ways in which Mae takes after her father. The shape of her eyes. Her brilliant dimples. Her wavy hair. You had taken far too many pictures of them waking from a nap together, sporting matching cases of wild bedhead. It is the most adorable sight you have ever seen.
**
It happens earlier this year than it ever has before. On Christmas Day, Mae disappears. You race outside, going tree to tree, looking for the sight of even a hint of a bud. But there is nothing.
Hours pass in the woods, but they feel barren. You hunt for even a hint that Mae has been there, but find not even footprints. The forest is quiet and empty. For the first time, you feel the loneliness of winter.
You trudge into the house, numb from cold and disbelief. Yixing looks equally as hollow. “Bingo's still here,” he says hoarsely. And the two of you collapse towards each other with the gravity of your anguish. Why is this happening, you wonder.
Later that night, you wander in Mae's room. Lying atop her pillow is a single brilliant snowflake and a white hare.
**
Spring marches in with a a triumph. The flowers are riotously beautiful—bashful pinks, velvety reds, radiant yellows, and inky purples. All the life that winter has lacked bursts forth with a vengeance. And still, Mae is gone.
Bingo spends most of his time outdoors now. The sight of him upsets Yixing, which in turn upsets you. But outside of your husband's sights, you take some comfort in the hare's presence. He joins you on walks through the forest, thin tethers to a time before. You while away most of your days there now.
Where you have turned to the forest, Yixing haunts the threshold to Mae's room. He doesn't go in. He simply stares, watching the snowflake that never melts. You suspect that he's waiting for the moment it disappears so he'll know exactly when Mae has returned.
Neither of you have been sleeping much, nor well. The house is quiet, as if it's waiting with the two of you. It feels like the first time she disappeared all over again. A part of you, one you can never confess having to Yixing, thinks that she will never come back. Not this time.
**
One morning, you awake and find Yixing gone. You frown and throw the bedsheets off. Yixing never gets up before me. You slip downstairs and find yourself standing in front of Mae's room. The snowflake is gone.
“Yixing?” you call out, with real concern now.
It is quiet still. A pot of coffee rests on the counter. A half-empty mug sits abandoned on the dining room table, the chair still pulled out.
The backdoor is open.
“No,” you gasp, and stagger outside.
Yixing is nowhere in sight, but you know he must be in the forest. What is he doing. You hesitate at the edge of the woods. You've spent hours amounting to days in this forest, and yet it suddenly appears to you a maze. He could be anywhere.
And then you hear it. A chorus of whistles. And like magic, a path marked by the red of cardinals appears before you. You hurtle along it, crashing through bracken and bramble, until you see the sight of a very familiar back.
Yixing whirls around. In his hands is the snowflake.
“Look here,” he says, pointing to the snowflake. “The gates are open.” You gaze at the snowflake. It is like ice, or glass—clear enough to see through to Yixing's palm on the other side. All six points of the snowflake are perfectly formed like castle spires or a knight's sword, and at its hub is a beautiful ice castle with open gates.
You look up at Yixing. “The gates weren't open before,” he says. “There's a path,” he continues, body already half-turning, “the hare....There!”
He takes off, and you see the flash of a hare disappearing in the distance.
The two of you race after Bingo. The world flashes by in colors and noise, simultaneously real and insubstantial. You feel the burn of your lungs, the jolt that goes up your legs with each stride. All you have to do is follow Yixing. He is a few feet in front of you until.
He isn't.
You try to stop, but your momentum carries you forward. You break through the edge of the trees and slide right over the edge of a blind ravine. You try reaching for the scraggliest tree you have ever seen jutting from the cliff face, but it uproots and you, and it, plummet
down
down
down
onto warmth. Thick white blankets your lap. Yixing sits ahead of you, looking just as shell-shocked as you feel.
“It's about time,” rumbles forth a voice from beneath. You realize all of a sudden that you are sitting astride the most gigantic white hare you have ever seen.
The hare comes to a halt, lowering itself. With a gentle shake, both you and Yixing are deposited on the ground.
You gape at your surroundings. It is starless night, yet everything is awash in a glow of blue. Frost blankets the world as far as your eye can see. Without the warmth of the hare, the cold bites deep into you, undeterred by the thin pajamas you had rushed out in.
A sudden wind blows, and you shield your eyes against it. A man, or something like it, lands before you. Wings arch away from his back and a small fount of feathers sprout from his red hair, whereas his eyebrows and beard are a trim black.
“Welcome, Starbearer. Welcome, Woodweaver.” His voice is musical.
You and Yixing stare perplexed at the winged man. He approaches Yixing first.
“Thank you for returning the First Star. We humbly accept this gift.”
For the snowflake in Yixing's palms had turned into a blazing light. Warmth radiates from it, reaching you even from where you stand. The man bows his head, cupping his hands beneath Yixing's and then pushes them both up. You watch as the star ascends from its cradle in Yixing's palms until it streaks into the night sky. It settles into place, and soon, begins to color night into day.
The man approaches you next.
“Thank you for returning the First Tree. We humbly accept this gift.”
This time, the man places his hands over yours and pushes down. The scraggly tree, which you had been holding onto all this time, immediately roots itself into the ground and begins to flower and leaf. Soft showers of iridescent petals drift around you.
Morning dawns over the land and sweeps the ice away. Grass has sprouted beneath your feet, and little flowers like fireworks burst into bloom. You gasp. In the distance, you catch sight of a familiar castle, with spires that spear the sky. It glimmers golden in the sunshine.
“I apologize. We have been looking for you for a long time, however your daughter was an unforeseen element that confounded our agents.” He gestures with a wing to two white-tailed deer and a white hare. “All this time, we expected it to be one person when we needed two.” He shakes his head, feathers ruffling.
“But I digress. You have brought with you the first new season. Starvale thanks you.”
The winged man observes you both for a moment, then gives a brisk nod, the plume at his front rising.
“Daddy!”
Like a reflex, Yixing drops and gathers Mae into his arms. You find yourself in the mix a moment later. You shake with sobs, pressed cheek to cheek with your daughter. Yixing pours kisses all over both of you, much to Mae's chagrin. She is wearing the same kind of garment as before, this one with real twigs and berries stitched into it. Some berries get crushed, staining the fabric around it in halos of red.
“Will you stay?” she asks. Her eyes are wide and watery, her little hands clutching fistfuls of Yixing's sweater.
“You have my heart,” Yixing answers, helplessly in love. “For the two loves of my life, I would capture every star in the sky if I had to.”
**
And so, the family stayed on in Starvale.
The Starbearer walked the lands to bring morning and night. The Woodweaver felled trees and scattered seeds to make the forests grow. And their Herald of Joy showed the world what great love is capable of.
**
A/N: Thank you for reading! I’m grateful for this event, which has brought forth such wonderful content and connected creators across the fandom. This was my first crack at a kid fic, which was a great challenge. Thanks to chicken-fifi for being such a good sport, and sorry that I couldn’t send you more asks! Still, I hope you enjoyed. I look forward to more of your own writing!
