try again ; xiao

fifteen.

"even if we have to go back a long way."

•••

after fleeing the scene, xiao and y/n decided to skip school and catch up at their usual place: the convenience store. 

"have you eaten yet?" y/n asked the male. he shook his head, scanning the isle for something to eat. she pursed her lips, and did the same. 

"thanks for saving me before." she smiled, nudging xiao with her shoulder. he glanced at her, reflecting the sweet smile. xiao decided to get spicy ramen with a bottle of water, and y/n got a rice ball with iced tea.

"and is that all for today?" behind the register stood a blonde boy, who looked awfully similar to lumine. y/n scanned the boy. golden locks of fluffy hair adorned his face, a long braid hanging from the back of his head.

"yep, that's all thanks" xiao's smooth voice caught her off guard, bringing her back to reality.

"sorry for asking, but do you know a girl named 'lumine'?" the boy sighed at y/n's question.

"yeah, she's my twin sister. i'm aether, by the way" astonished, y/n proceeded to ask him more questions like 'if you're twins, how come you're working, and she's at school?'. aether explained that he avoids his sister. she was a troublemaker, constantly bringing about danger and harm wherever she went. he had dropped out to work, stating that 'school wasn't his forte' and that he'd prefer to explore the many opportunities that life provided. 

"if you don't mind, we'll be leaving now. thanks, aether" xiao interrupted, grabbing the bag of food with his left hand, clutching y/n's arm with the other. she waved goodbye to aether with her free hand, the boy giving her a slight nod.

—

xiao walked alongside y/n, their hands grazing each other ever so slightly. she noticed his quiet behaviour, and how he acted when she spoke with aether. the way his annoyed face looked when she kept asking him questions, or the way he gripped her wrist with envy. smirking, she asked him,

"xiao, are you jealous?" the adeptus scoffed, eyeing the girl. 

"it was a simple conversation between two individuals, so of course not." xiao turned his head, scowling at the thought of the interaction. he was obviously jealous, though he could never admit it to her face. y/n furrowed her brows, but shrugged it off. she intertwined her hands with xiao's, humming as they walked side-by-side. 

•••

the pair had eventually made their way to xiao's dorm. everything was the same as y/n remembered. the nostalgic and warm ambience of the home felt welcoming, almost as if it missed her. xiao grabbed a pot, filled it with water and added the flavouring packets. as it boiled, he put the dried noodles into the broth, patiently waiting for it to finish cooking. 

y/n, on the other hand, had finished her meal and was sipping on her iced tea. resting her chin on her palm, she watched as xiao mixed the ramen, her eyes trailing up and down his slim figure. damn, he's hot. everything from his dark hair to his golden eyes was perfect. no wonder y/n was head over heels for him.

xiao looked over his shoulder and noticed her soft expression. he chuckled, catching y/n off guard. her face glowed red. she didn't realise how long she was staring at him. 

turning off the stove, xiao transferred the ramen into a bowl, and sat next to y/n. he started eating his food, blowing the fresh steam off before taking a bite. she sat in silence, playing with her fingers and glancing at the boy every few seconds. 

"s-so, um.. xiao" she cleared her throat. he hummed, eyes fixed on his phone screen. she sighed, her heart beating rapidly.

"..do you still like me?" holding her breath, she looked over at the silent male, "i-i mean if you don't then-". xiao grabbed her wrist, this time it was gentle. his pupils dilated as he gazed into y/n's eyes, a look of yearning and affection in his amber irises. 

"of course i still love you." he grinned, leaning over to hug her. y/n felt warm inside, a fuzzy feeling dancing around her heart. 

— 

after y/n finished the dishes, she went to xiao's room, the male laying down on his bed.

"i hope you didn't do anything with lumine" she teased, walking over to him. xiao rolled his eyes at her suggestion. he sat up, but before he could reply, he was pushed down by y/n, who sat in his lap. she looked at him with a smug face. xiao smirked at her flirtatious actions, grabbing her waist and swiftly switching their positions (switchin' the positions for you~). 

he looked down at her, a grin on his pretty face. flustered, y/n pouted before grabbing his face and kissing him. xiao closed his eyes as he melted from her touch. they craved each other's affection. pulling away, they heavily panted, admiring each other. a few seconds passed before xiao lost his balance, flopping beside y/n. thinking back on her comment, he came up with an answer.

"i would never do that. besides, i have you" he finally responded, looking at her. y/n shuffled closer to xiao, resting her head on his chest and cuddling him. 

"i missed you" she closed her eyes. 

"me too."

•••

woohoo another chapter !

hihi, how is everyone ?

pls enjoy, i stayed up to finish this chapter <3

neways, don't forget to take care of yourself and have an awesome day/night 💗