You'll Refuse to Understand (Xiao x reader)

No.2 Yaksha Duties

You awoke from your trance as a small butterfly flew around a Glaze Lily, it's shadow creating fluttering dark streams in the golden sunlight flooding onto the cobblestone. You said nothing as your cheek rested comfortably in your palm, your finger gently tapping against your skin repetitively.

You gave a sigh before standing up from your seat and walking away from the storyteller, making your way back home to Jueyun Karst. Xiao had been avoiding you lately, but You didn't know why he would do such a thing to you: the same person who'd known him since your darkest times.

You'd been having the same nightmares for the past few nights; flashbacks of all of the lives you'd stolen back during the war two thousand years ago. You shivered lightly, rubbing your arms despite knowing that this wasn't a shiver caused by the outside temperature.

'Xiao, I know you can hear me... please, don't leave me alone, not again...' You mentally voiced before sighing to yourself.

After the Archon war had ended and Guili Plains had been destroyed, Morax led the adepti and his people south of Mt. Tianheng, where he established Liyue Harbor. There, the adepti signed a contract with Morax to protect Liyue.

However, there were five that were tasked with subduing the remnants of the previous gods that had been triumphed by Morax.

These five were known as the Yakshas, which Xiao was a part of. Despite their efforts, four of these Yakshas fell to despair of their karmic debts, turning to betrayal and fear as their sanity ceased.

Bosacius...

Indarias...

Bonanus...

Menogias...

Xiao said he'd take your place among the rank of the Yakshas, since he didn't want you to live through such agony as years passed on. How you wished he didn't, since these Yaksha duties turned him cold and less approachable.

It felt as though you didn't even know him anymore, even though the only reason you agreed to become a part of Morax's forces was for the guarantee of a war-less life spent together.

However, you were still tasked with protecting Liyue as the contract you signed gave you the title of 'Adeptus Y/n'.

You wished you could see Xiao since you missed him so desperately, but the last thing you would want is to be a nuisance to someone who was plagued by karmic debts as severe as his... the same debts that were meant to be yours.

"You need only speak my name, and I will be here." The familiar voice spoke, and you gasped. You turned around quickly to see Xiao's rarest of rare smiles, his amber eyes softening as they landed on you.

There wasn't a second of hesitation before you threw your arms around him and held his body closely against yours. One of his hands remained holding his spear, the other cradling the back of your head.

His gloved fingers gently wove through your hair, brushing through the minor tangles and resting at the base of your neck.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again, Alatus!" You scolded, calling him by his true name. His eyes fell as he gave a deep sigh, and you tightened your grip around his torso.

"Do you realize just how worried I was??" You asked while moving his face around, checking for any injuries.

"Forgive me, Y/n. I had duties to attend to in Guili Plains for a few days." He replied, and you heaved a sigh of disapproval before wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling his face closely to yours. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he closed them, staying still as your lips locked.