12 | christmas.

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[ very long chapter ahead !! ]

play music while reading for better experience :)

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after a week of exams, it was finally christmas. it's currently the 24th, and school was ending today. you happily went home early, skipping along the road. you were looking forward to your christmas celebration with xiao only.

or, so you thought.

you saw your aunt waving to you by the porch, and she was with your cute little cousin that you absolutely adored.

"(y/n)!" your aunt called, smiling at you.

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"so, are you okay with celebrating christmas there?" you crouched down to your tiny cousin's level, holding her by the shoulders.

"i don't know. but i don't mind wherever."

you just finished dressing up. you were wearing a skirt and a long sleeved sweater, along with black chunky boots.

"are you sure?" you confirmed, firmly gripping your cousin's shoulder.

"i don't know, but yes. qiqi is sure." qiqi enunciated, nodding her head at you. you gave her a reassuring smile, grabbing her small hand and walking with her to xiao's house. you also bought a bag of presents too, which contained a gift for xiao, and qiqi. you left ganyu's and hu tao's at home to open when they get home from their own christmas celebrations.

basically, you were stuck with your cousin since your aunt practically begged you to babysit her, because she had took on extra work to do this christmas. you agreed mostly because you liked qiqi, and she was paying you money. you hoped xiao wouldn't mind, and thankfully, you assume that qiqi won't cause too much trouble.

now as you trudged through the streets, numerous people were outside having fun, including the people inside their homes. it sure was cold, but the atmosphere was very cheery.

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"xiao?" you knocked on his door, and it's been 5 minutes. qiqi has been patiently waiting beside you for 5 minutes, staring blankly around her surroundings.

the door suddenly opened, and there was xiao frowning. he was wearing black pants with a few chains and a big jacket with a graphic tee underneath. you were about to ask why he was frowning so bad, but then a kid wearing a red christmas hat clinging on his leg suddenly appeared.

"oh...?" you muttered, crossing your arms. it was odd that a child was at xiao's house, and she seemed energetic too.

"ooh ooh, mr. xiao, is this your girlfriend? waaah, she's so pretty! hello, i'm klee! merry christmas!" the blonde girl said in a rush, running to you and looking at you with sparkling eyes.

"a-ah thank you... hi klee...!" you said nervously, taken aback by the energy of the girl.

qiqi hid behind you, surprised that there was another kid at xiao's house. klee saw her and approached her cheerfully, too cheerfully actually. qiqi was gripping at the hem of your skirt because klee was scaring her. you couldn't stop her though, because the child seemed really persistent.

"ah! hi, im klee! what's your name?wanna play water bombs? let's!" klee took qiqi by the hand and led her inside the place excitedly, leaving you and xiao by the door. you both went inside and closed the door, sighing.

"who's that kid...?" he asked, observing a startled qiqi and a klee showing her collection of water bombs on a basin.

you leaned on the door beside him, crossing your arms. "qiqi. who's klee...?"

"i was asked to babysit by this lady who lives next door. she's good friends with my mom," he looked so stressed, and probably because klee was basically like a ball of compressed energy. the total opposite of him.

"oh. i was asked to babysit by my aunt, she's my cousin. also, she's quiet and well-behaved, don't worry." he listened attentively, observing qiqi who was sitting beside klee. "i'll take care of this," you patted his shoulder, before approaching the two kids.

poor qiqi looked absolutely terrified when klee poked a water balloon open, and laughing wholeheartedly when it burst. this child sure has terrifying humor, but you'll manage.

somehow.

"klee, qiqi, do you want to eat something?" you put an arm around their shoulders, catching their attention.

"ah, i like fish!" klee beamed at you, her eyes sparkling.

"...okay! i'll try to cook that for you." you smiled at the child nervously, wondering where on earth will you get fish. maybe it was time to go ahead and buy groceries, seeing as it wasn't still that dark outside.

xiao was standing behind you, watching you talk to klee. he was genuinely amazed that you can communicate with kids normally without getting annoyed or impatient, unlike him. you noticed him and you shot him a stern glance, signalling that he should do the same for qiqi. he took a deep breath, before giving you a look that says 'do i have to?'

you nodded sternly, as he crouched down and tapped qiqi's shoulder nervously.

"uh, qiqi, right? what do you want to eat?" he asked with uncertainty, his voice wavering. you almost burst into laughter since he looked so uneasy, just because he was talking to a child.

"um, i like cocogoat milk."

xiao furrowed his eyebrows, confused by the answer. "cocogoat... milk?"

"she means coconut milk, xiao." you bit your lip as an attempt to stop laughing. he just ignored you, sighing before standing up and walking away.

"wait," you also stood up, following xiao. the kids resumed playing with the water balloons, keeping all the spilled water inside a red basin.

"xiao, i'll buy the ingredients. go take care of them."

"ha? i'm not supposed to be a babysitter, you go take care of them and i'll buy." he argued, his voice wavering. you shot him a dark glare, which injected much more uncertainty in him.

"are you okay with leaving two kids alone? no, i'll do the shopping and you take care of them." you firmly stated, staring directly into his eyes.

"but-"

"no buts. i won't take long," you wore your coat and brought your bag, leaving an agitated xiao standing by the doorstep. he couldn't argue, but he was really against the idea.

"(y/n), where are you going?" qiqi suddenly appeared, grabbing your leg.

"i'll buy your cocogoat milk, qiqi. and klee's fish too. we're gonna have a christmas feast!"

qiqi beamed at you, nodding vigorously.

"okay, then. take care, (y/n)." she patted your thigh, before letting go and standing beside xiao.

"in the meantime, xiao will take care of you. don't cause him too much trouble, and don't worry, he's a nice guy." you put on your shoes properly, before patting qiqi's head.

"bye, xiao. don't let them get too chaotic!"

"take care, (y/n)." he watched you go down the stairs before closing the door, and glancing at the two kids.

qiqi was standing in the hallway, staring at the amber eyed male, while klee was still playing with water bombs inside her red basin in the living room.

the poor boy was clueless on what to do while you were gone. he was thinking of a way that'll make them have fun, while keeping things neat and orderly. his thoughts were interrupted with a loud pop, the sound coming from the living room.

he rushed to the living room quickly, qiqi following him. they were greeted by a sopping wet klee.

"klee, what did you do?" he asked calmly, approaching the child who was near tears. klee was almost crying because she thought that xiao was mad at her. he brought a towel and dried klee's sopping wet hair, including her face.

"...are you mad? k-klee's sorry... i popped the biggest balloon and made a mess..."

"...i'm not mad. go change, i'll clean this up." xiao sighed. he couldn't get mad at the girl, because if she ends up crying, things will only get worse.

"i'll help you change, klee." qiqi offered, holding klee's clothes. klee smiled at her, before engulfing her in a hug.

"wait, don't-"

klee broke the hug and looked at xiao confusedly. qiqi was looking at her own clothes, which were also wet now.

xiao took a deep breath, trying to compose his patience. he both handed them their extra clothes quietly, and a towel to dry themselves. while they were changing, he cleaned up the mess and tried to find a way to keep them calm and quiet while having fun.

he was about to open the television for cartoons because he assumed that kids like cartoons, right?

so he put on chip and dale, turning on the television. while clearing up the couch, there was a familiar purse under the throw pillow.

it was yours, with the usual melody keychain on the side. and when he checked, it did have all your money inside. you may have forgot it because you were in a hurry.

he tried calling you, but your phone was turned off. while pacing around the room, the room door opened, a dry klee and qiqi entering the room.

"mr. xiao, what are you doin'?" klee jumped on the couch, qiqi sitting beside her.

"hm... i think we have to go outside, klee. qiqi, is that okay? (y/n) forgot her money." he spoke, sighing. klee was always up to go outside, so he asked if the purple haired girl was okay with it. this was out of the plan, but it couldn't be helped.

"outside?! really? we're gonna have an adventure! let's find your pretty girlfriend!" she excitedly jumped on the couch, qiqi losing her balance beside her.

"it's okay." qiqi answered quietly, trying to get off the unstable couch where klee was jumping on enthusiastically, only to fail. so she held out her little arms to xiao, asking to be carried. xiao sighed, but he obliged, taking the girl into his arms firmly as qiqi wrapped her arms around on xiao's neck.

"klee, calm down. she's not my girlfriend. now let's go, i'll help you both put your shoes on first."

xiao trudged along the hallway, carrying qiqi while klee followed from behind.

"she's not your girlfriend...? anyway, can you carry me too?" klee asked, tugging on xiao's sleeve.

"no, i physically can't." xiao answered setting down qiqi by the door and helping her wear her purple shoes.

klee was about to sulk in the corner but xiao added, "you can walk alone. you're a big girl, klee."

"ah, yes! but can i hold your hand?"

"...do as you please. don't stay away too much."

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the three set off, qiqi in xiao's arms, and klee holding his hand. they were on the way to the grocery store, to return your wallet. while on the way, lots of bright dazzling christmas lights were in display, and a lot of people were chattering by the surroundings happily.

meanwhile, you were in the supermarket, finding ingredients for almond tofu, to create a special one for xiao. you also bought a present for klee on the way, calculating the expenses in your head. you were still clueless upon the fact that you literally had no money on you.

"is she here? (y/n) isn't lost, is she?" qiqi stated, looking around the mall.

"no, she's not lost. i think she'll be in the supermarket." xiao reassured her, his voice firm. qiqi believed in him, so she just buried her face on his shoulder for comfort.

they all made their way to the supermarket, klee getting distracted by a few toy and food stalls along the way. xiao tried his best to restrain her, keeping a firm grip on her small hand.

they finally arrived at the supermarket, klee gawking at the sweets displayed at the entrance. qiqi was almost falling asleep, her head buried on xiao's shoulder.

xiao tried to spot you amongst the crowd, pulling klee close to him. "don't stray away, klee. you'll get lost."

"o-okay." klee kept quiet, afraid of losing xiao. they all tried to find you, scanning most of the aisles and long lines for the cashier.

after a few minutes of searching, they finally spotted you who was the next in line.

"(y/n)!" qiqi called, catching your attention. you turned your head, seeing xiao carrying qiqi, and klee grasping his hand.

"what- aren't you supposed to be at home? why did you- oh."

you stopped talking when xiao approached you and held out your wallet. "stupid. you forgot this."

you smiled sheepishly at him, taking qiqi in your arms. "hehe, thanks."

you paid for all the things that you have bought, xiao helping you carry some of the bags. you exited the supermarket carrying qiqi, and klee standing in between the you and xiao, holding both of your hands. she suddenly let go, running away.

"klee, where are you going?!"

you saw her approach the guard wearing a santa costume by the entrance.

"merry christmas, mr. santa guard!" klee greeted the security guard by the entrance of the supermarket, grinning at him. the guard smiled at klee, patting her head.

"merry christmas to you too, kiddo. go ahead, your parents are waiting."

you internally exploded from the term. parents? surely, you were too young to be one. klee gave the guard one last wave and ran to you, grabbing your hand.

"that's a nice kid you have there, sir." the guard nodded at xiao, who was blushing profusely.

"ah, t-thanks?"

you all hurriedly went outside, klee innocently skipping between the two of you. qiqi shot you a questioning look, confused.

"is he your boyfriend, (y/n)?"

"no, qiqi. he's not." you told qiqi softly, smiling at her wistfully. you kinda wish he was- wait, no.

you all went home, klee cheerfully greeting a lot of strangers while smiling. it was a fun night. christmas lights were shining everywhere, along with children celebrating christmas with their families. the atmosphere was very bright and cheery.

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upon reaching xiao's place, you immediately started cooking. you wore a green apron, tackling a lot of dishes while xiao kept the kids entertained.

they were watching disney movies, and right now they were watching cinderella. qiqi was having fun in watching klee imitate the fairy godmother, singing along.

after a almost two hours of cooking their desired dishes and chopping veggies, everything was finally set.

you set down a hot pot on the middle of the dining table, along with many other vegetables boiling inside. you prepared a japanese hot pot for christmas, but you also made the food they like. you hoped that they'll like this, seeing as you exerted a lot of effort into this.

"food's ready!" you called from the dining room, fixing your hair and smiling proudly at your masterpiece.

"oh wow, a hot pot!" klee commented, plopping herself onto a chair. qiqi also sat beside klee, looking at the food curiously.

"you didn't have to go through this much trouble." xiao stated, sitting beside you. he was honestly amazed that you managed to pull this off, but a tiny part of him felt guilty for letting you do all the hard work just so you could all have fun.

"don't worry about it! let's eat this all up. after all, christmas only comes once a year, right klee?" you grinned at klee, passing her a pair of chopsticks.

she gladly took the chopsticks, grinning brightly at you. "right!"

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"where's the cocogoat milk...?"

"here, qiqi." you handed her the milk, sitting down on your chair. you were all sitting on the dining table, utterly full. it was two hours before christmas strikes, and the two kids wanted to stay up till that time. you let it slide, since their parents also allowed them to do so when you and xiao asked for their permission.

right now, klee was eating a serving of pudding with you while qiqi drank coconut milk, happily consuming her favorite drink. meanwhile, xiao was chomping on the almond tofu that you prepared, almost eating three servings in one sitting.

"that was delicious, thank you!" klee stated, getting off her chair and giving you a warm hug.

"you're welcome, klee." you hugged her back, patting her back.

"can we watch movies?" qiqi drank the last of the coconut milk, an empty glass in her hand.

"of course! let's watch the mickey mouse christmas movie after we finish eating, is that okay?" they both nodded as xiao led the two enthusiastic kids to the couch, xiao setting up the television while you cleared up all the plates on the table.

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after a while of watching and cleaning up, klee was huddled beside you, a tiny stuffed toy named dodoco on her hands. qiqi was sitting on xiao's lap quietly, watching minnie mouse and daisy have a skating competition.

qiqi and xiao got along well, since they were both quiet and reserved, unlike you and klee. you and klee got along well since she was energetic and lively, like you sometimes.

the movie ended at exactly five minutes before christmas. so you stood up and brought out all your christmas presents for them, setting them down on the living room floor.

"ah! presents!" klee clapped her hands excitedly, examining each wrapper.

"don't open them up yet, wait till it's exactly 12AM."

xiao also stood up, and returned with a bag. he also had two presents, one small one, and one medium sized one.

"oho, you bought presents?" you commented, staring at him smugly.

"i don't have one for qiqi though, since i didn't know she was coming."

"it's okay." qiqi replied, sitting beside xiao.

klee counted impatiently, waiting for the clock to tick it's way to 12AM.

"3, 2, 1," she counted carefully, squinting her eyes.

"merry christmas!" she jumped on top of xiao, attacking him with a hug.

"ow, get off!"

klee giggled wholeheartedly, clinging on xiao. you laughed along as you handed qiqi her present, giving her a warm hug.

"merry christmas, qiqi!" you greeted, waiting for her to open the present. as she ripped of the wrapper, she curiously pulled out a transparent tumbler in which in the middle, says 'cocogoat milk'.

"thank you, (y/n). qiqi is happy." she patted your shoulder, hugging the tumbler near her chest.

"now, klee! merry christmas!" you handed her a small gift, as she tore the wrapper excitedly. she was sitting on xiao's back, holding him down.

"get off, i can't breathe-" xiao wheezed, tapping klee's back. you lifted klee off, setting her down in front of you.

"oh wow! a dodoco number 2!" she excitedly grabbed dodoco and compared them.

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