Work Text:
consider this…
you, xiao, and the vast landscapes of the adeptal realm. you and xiao don’t get much down time as adeptus, considering how many foolish mortals try to do shit they really shouldn’t do.
however, whenever you get these quiet moments, you both enjoy it to the most. you and xiao have known each other for hundreds, maybe even a thousand years. however, it wasn’t until a certain traveler discovered how you both had “accidentally” fell for each other but didn’t know how to address it.
xiao had never really opened up to you, and it was mostly the same with you. you were basically considered partners under rex lapis’s contract, however, you never hung out outside of fighting monsters or demons with each other. it was also the fact that xiao didn’t like to do much except fight and sight see. he didn’t like going into liyue harbor nor any of the surrounding villages. so planning “get togethers” was off the table.
you were a lot faster to realizing your feelings, xiao on the other hand, well… it took a lot of convincing and a long ass story quest for the traveler had to traverse through for him to admit he might like you more than most. it was a start at least. (demiromantic/demisexual xiao cannon)
it wasn’t until the lantern rite that xiao finally admitted to himself that he liked you. watching as your face glowed with the golden hue from thousands of xiao lanterns made a scene that was permanently burned into his memory. like a picture stored in the deepest part of his brain that would never- and i repeat never be lost. and while he didn’t like how the lanterns would end up in the water below, he would ignore that for this moment so that he could appreciate your beauty.
the first couple months were… awkward to say the least. it took almost two months for you two to even kiss. mostly because you both were so inexperienced that you both didn’t know how to do anything… i mean adeptus don’t have much time for this type of thing, and xiao doesn’t really involve himself in the mortal dating pool. you hadn’t really ever thought about a relationship with anyone in the mortal realm since you knew that they would grow old and you would stay the same. so options were far and few.
but that magical moment when you kissed was another memory permanently burned into his mind. while it wasn’t the most… how do i put it… romantic… you gotta take what you got? there was a bumping of noses, a little too much teeth, and god… what does he even do with his tongue much less yours?? he really shouldn’t have read the novel that the wangshu inn gave him on romance. it made it seem too easy… and it wasn’t!!
romantic interactions are really hard for xiao. he’s not experienced, he doesn’t know how to express his emotions, and he doesn’t know how to even communicate that he wants you to be safe without it sounding like “don’t die out there.” he was just trying to tell you he cares about you. this poor boy :(
in the end, xiao caves and asks his fellow adeptus for advice. ganyu and yanfei end up being the most helpful, since because they are half-human, they have access to a lot more resources than him.
the next couple weeks consisted of cheesy romantic tactics that xiao tried to pull off to try and “woo” you. really pulling his bird instincts into use here. it honestly made you chuckle and tell him he didn’t need to do such things. that you enjoyed how you both developed your relationship to mold to who you both were.
your relationship is very unique. you may not meet everyday, you don’t express pda, and xiao’s gifts consist of flowers and small crystals he finds that-and i quote- “reminds him of you.” and it’s a… heart? he tried to carve it to look like a heart. but his spear doesn’t allow him to be very precise. but no matter how different it is to a “traditional” relationship, you’ll always cherish the little moments that no one else will see from him.
ah i’m getting off topic here… oops…
anyways.
one of the things you both love to do is to watch the sunset atop of the mount aozang. it’s a great way to end your days and as your head in his lap as he gently runs his hands through your hair, you forget about all the troubles of the day. the reason you two are atop a mountain and not wangshu inn is because xiao does not want anyone to see how soft he gets for you. he’s an adeptus and in mortals eyes: someone who is a ruthless weapon with no emotion. so it would “dampen” his reputation. in actuality, xiao just doesn’t want to be interrupted, plus this mount has a much better view.
as xiao’s ungloved hands run through your hair, you hum an old adeptus tune. one he hasn’t heard in a long time. he smiles softly as you continue to hum it. tapping the beat gently on your tummy as he chuckles softly.
“you remember this song?” you ask as you open your eyes to look at him. he nods softly.
“it was the one that moon carver taught us. he said it was a protection spell that wards off evil. although you loved it so much that you would sing it almost everyday. moon carver made a joke that you wouldn’t be able to do your job since all the monsters would run away before you take care of them,” he gently says as you laugh. your laugh is as beautiful as it was the day you two met. it hasn’t changed in all this time and he was thankful he could spend so many good memories with you here in this world full of darkness and karmic debt.
“oh yeah… he always lectured me on it. what a stickler,” you both chuckle lightly as his hand moves from your hair to your cheek. his face is hovering over you as he strokes your cheek. if anyone were to notice this moment, they’d think xiao was replaced with an imposter due to the soft look on his face. it was so out of character that if that person were try to tell anyone about it: no one would believe them.
you are xiao’s one soft spot. well actually one of two, you and almond tofu—but he sees you as his whole world. ever since he was able to be with you, together, his karmic debt had been reduced significantly. you finally convinced him to let you help him with his burden, and with time, it slowly became less painful for him.
to be grateful for you would be an understatement for xiao. he owed so much to you, and yet you never asked for anything in return. just that he stuck by your side and loved you the way he knows/learns how to. he promised to keep his end of the deal until the day death parted you two. a… contract if you will?
while thoughts swirled in his head and his hand continued to stroke your cheek, you couldn’t help but study his face. from the small scars that littered his face, to the small purple diamond that sat between his eyebrows, bro was gorgeous.
your hand comes up to cradle his cheek, and he leans into it. sighing as he breaks his trance and looks towards the sunset.
“i’m glad we could have this moment. after everything that has happened in liyue, i feel like we could use a moment of peace,” you say as he nods in agreement.
“now if mortals could stop getting into trouble every moment, maybe we’d have more nights like this,” he sighs as you laugh at his comment. he wasn’t wrong, but it was the chaotic moments that made the peaceful ones so beautiful and memorable.
“i don’t think they ever will my prince, but as long as we have each other, we’ll always protect each other along with this land,” he sighs and smiles at your words. nodding as he gently lifts your head so he can lay next to you. you both face each other as he pulls you closer. he lays slightly above you so he can almost cradle you. but you tip his chin down so you can leave a sweet but short kiss to his lips.
“i love you,” you say as a warm hue appears across his cheeks. xiao is not a romantic, but will always be a bit flustered by your words. while xiao had never said it back, and it would still be a bit till he would find the strength to say it, he always said it with his actions. which to him, was just as good. and he hoped you knew it as well.
he pulled you closer and you both snuggled into each other. while adeptus didn’t need sleep, it was hard not to doze off while in the arms of your beloved. his arms sneak around you and pull you flush against him as you sign into his neck and wrap your arms around him.
you both sat like that for the night. not knowing that moon carver, mountain shaper, and cloud retainer were asked by rex lapis to give you both the night off. he saw everything in liyue, and wanted to treat the both of you as you worked so hard for liyue, so he just wanted to give back to the both of you. even if it was just a night of rest and peace.
you both would use very moment to enjoy each other’s presence.