ೃ⁀➷ xiao x gender neutral reader (part 1)

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During your stay at Liyue, you've only met the isolated adeptus a few times. Like Aether, you were a passing traveler. Through the blonde, you met Xiao, alone on one of the balconies in the Wangshu Inn. He was definitely intimidating at first, but your fear quickly disappeared once you watched him munch away on a plate of almond tofu. Being your introverted self, conversing with the equally quiet yaksha was difficult. Despite learning to enjoy the lack of words, the long periods of silence didn't feel like it was right. There was something begging for you to speak, to somehow connect with Xiao, but you always dismissed the thought in fear of rejection.

You'd come to the same balcony he would, not minding if he was present or not. As every other night, you leaned on the railing, watching the citizens interact. The scattered ponds of water glistened from the lantern lights. The scenery of Liyue was mesmerizing. The thought of leaving it and moving onto another region was no foreign thought, but remained one of the saddest and most bittersweet to you.

"Why is your face scrunched up like that?" You heard Xiao ask, the familiar warmth appearing beside you. "Hi, Xiao," you smiled, glancing at him for a moment. He nodded and followed your stare. "I'm just thinking."

"Of what?" He inquired. He was definitely curious. "Well, I'm just passing by. I wonder what'll happen when I leave Liyue." you admitted, saddened by the thought. Xiao's gaze softened as he stared at you. "Leave? So soon?" He said. "You sound disappointed." You pointed out in return, watching him look away. He seemed to ignore your observation, so you decided not to bring it up any further. Allowing the sound of merchants, passersby and children playing to drown out the tension in the air, you sighed. You wanted to stay at the harbor a little longer. Noticing the shift in mood, Xiao nervously moved closer to you. He held his arm out, signaling he was open for an embrace. "Are you sure?" You asked, a bit shocked with how warm he was acting towards you. "If it helps in boosting your mood, it wouldn't really bother me."

You leaned into his chest. His heartbeat was rapid, but you didn't dare speak up about it. This side of Xiao was rare. Though he was dubbed a vigilant, guardian yaksha, harsher rumors circled about the masked protector, even going so far as to claiming he is the demon himself. Others would see him as a threat, someone dangerous, but the way he was acting to you and Aether said otherwise. He was misunderstood, which broke your heart. Here he was, embracing you in attempts to comfort you, but has anyone ever comforted him? Returning the embrace was the first thing that came to mind as you slowly wrapped your arms around him. "You-" He began, stopping himself and sighing. "It's alright. Do as you please." You nodded. Watching leaves and blossoms flutter peacefully into a pond below, you grumbled. "I really don't want to leave." You yawn, dusting yourself off while straightening up after a while. Xiao grabbed your hand and lightly tugged. "Then stay." 

You gave an apologetic smile while gently removing his grip. "I need to help Aether find Lumine." You sigh, pained that you couldn't just sit back down, spend the rest of the night with him and wake up to another day in Liyue. "Please."

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ׂׂૢ word count : 587

the next chapter will be a part 2 :))

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