"

"Rule one, don't lose y/n," is what yanfei had told everyone earlier when you guys first arrived at the mall. Somehow you always managed to wander off somewhere and lose the others.

keyword is earlier you are now standing there absolutely lost. it's not your fault you were taken to a completely unknown huge mall you didn't even know existed.

you just walked around hoping to run into them eventually but that never happened. you sighed and continued to walk before looking up and seeing a similar hair color in front of you.

your eyes lit up assuming it was xiao and called out his name but he didn't turn around. a girl had her arm around his and your eyes widen.

does he have a girlfriend?

you really were beginning to like him a lot but you had no idea he had a girlfriend. maybe that's why he wasn't interested in anyone was because he had a girlfriend he's been hiding from everyone.

you began to feel jealous but not wanting to be a homewrecker you just turned the other way in an even worse mood you already were.

"y/n?" his voice called out but in another direction? "xiao? what are you doing here?" you looked up and saw his standing figure with his hand on his neck.

he was wearing something completely different from earlier...? you were super confused.

"I'm here with the others but childe started hitting on random girls and held us up so I got away," he answered.

"huh? what about the girl that was with you..."

"what girl?"

"oh," you felt embarrassed at how you were so sad just now. you had just mistaken another guy with his girlfriend as xiao and got jealous.

yikes.

"what about you? are you lost?" he tilted his head. you cupped your other arm with your hand awkwardly nodding, "yeah... mind accompanying me for a while?"

"sure I have nothing better to do anyway," he shrugged and began to walk with you. it was a weird coincidence on how the two groups decided to go to the same mall.

"is this another setup?" you questioned. xiao shook his head, "no venti was actually trying to spend time with us too bad I 'lost' them."

you hummed agreeing that it was definitely like venti. you were looking around at all the shops when you saw a random shop called 'MATCHING'

"matching? ever heard of it?" you stopped in your place curious on what it was. xiao too stopped to take a good look but shook his head not knowing what that is.

"can we go check it out?"

"okay"

when you guys walked in it was exactly what it was. it was matching, MATCHING EVERYTHING. there were matching bracelets, rings, clothes, hats, and hoodies.

you already walked in and the stuff looked pretty cute. having a matching item with xiao would be a good move but you were just too scared for rejection.

would matching rings be too weird? it's not like you guys are together or married... just as friends?

It's been a few weeks already and you felt close to him. the almond tofu date was canceled though and you wanted to pick something to make up for it.

you were debating on so many things and it all showed so easily on your face as you looked at every single thing. xiao soon caught on to what you were doing and gently smiled.

"these are nice," he helped out by picking up a ring and sliding it down his finger. your eyes lit up taking the other ring and sliding it down your finger as well.

"wanna get it?" you smiled extending your hand and placing it beside his. "mhm," he hummed liking it a lot more than he expected.

you guys left the store and went to the food court to get some food. after that you two continued to walk around until the speakers turned on.

"a boy with dark blue and greenish tint with highlights and another person with (h/c) are missing, if you are these people please come to the first floor and if you spot these people please help and guide them."

"bro ... did they just report us as missing?"

"they did."

and soon the people around you gave you stares whispering, "one looks like a child..." one whispered which xiao heard getting an angry mark.

you began to laugh at his reaction and the comment. you two reached the area and was jumped.

hu tao and lumine jumped and hugged you while yanfei had both her hands on each side of her hips sighing glad you were safe while the guys just jumped xiao crashing tk the floor.

"rule one was broken," hutao cried out wiping her "tears" with a tissue. lumine was inspecting you making sure you weren't hurt or anything until she spotted a ring on your finger she didn't see before.

"a ring? are you married y/n?" lumine's eyes widen pointing it out. "no?? i'm a highschooler why would I be married," you denied having no idea what she was talking about.

the guys also overheard that and it clicked in their head as they also spotted a ring on xiao's hand.

"hey... y/n and xiao do you guys have matching rings?" childe blinked mutliple times. hutao gasped happy to know he was out of the denial stage.

"yeah? as friends, friends exist you guys," you rolled your eyes trying to cut off all the teasing looks they were giving you.

"rightt as friends so we can get one with you guys as well?" venti teased raising a brow.

"no."

"xiao's being possessive!"

"shut it."

xiao didn't want you to have matching rings with anyone else but him. sure you can have other rings but not this one. this one could be all the way at the bottom of your finger making sure to show off how it was there first.

he wanted to keep this to himself at least just this for now. as he was getting shaken and teased by the others for how he was acting jealous.

he just stared at his hand and the ring shining in the bright light. he was really happy to have this.

and so were you.