Freedom

Part 65

He was the whole reason you had even bothered asking. You had wanted to give him a little reprieve from the stress-induced headaches he's been sporting as of late. It doesn't have the desired effect. In fact, Xiao looks more put off by the statement than anything else.

"That's a strange way to phrase it." He says, voice hedging on suspicion.

"I thought the same..." you grumbled, bringing your fingers up to rub at your temples.

How silly that your attempt to sooth Xiao's headaches had birthed your own. How irritating.

"What did you have to pay to get that type of information?"

Xiao seems generally worried, given the price he's had to pay for some of the information you've learnt together the hard way.

"My sanity." You grumbled, rubbing at your temples. "Riddles and imploring that I'm special but can't receive any more information than I have or something bad will happen." You added before Xiao could pop an ulcer.

"Must you test mine?" He muttered, sinking back into the bed.

"I'm not gonna suffer alone." You huffed before flopping down beside him.

"My heart can't handle any more of these surprises..." your adeptus muttered.

"I'm reaching my breaking point as well, you sap." You mused, pushing your face into his arm. "I can't tell you what any of it means. I just know that... technically I've learned all weapon types... so the problem has got to be prevalent now."

Xiao turns to face you, brushing a strand of hair out of your face. He tucked it behind your ear, moon like gaze gentle as he took the features of your face in.

"I'm kinda scared..." You admitted, admission making you feel a bit better.

"You're not alone in whatever this is. I will stand at your side. I'm willing to bet Aether and Kuni will as well." Your adeptus murmurs.

You smile before pushing into his bubble, taking in his scent. His arms welcome you readily, the tension in your muscles waning as time passes. This is your safe space. The place you will run to willingly when the going gets tough. The place where you can shut down the whirring in your brain and just exist peacefully for a moment. You can't express how happy you are, in words, that that place is in Xiao's arms.

~

The boat ride home is noneventful. Kuni and Kazuha openly flirt. You and Beidou poke fun at them, earning pink cheeks from the ex-fatui member and an easy smile form Kazuha. He doesn't seem to fluster easily. A shame, you think that Kuni would enjoy the red splashed across the samurai's cheeks if your obsession with making your adeptus blush was any indicator. Aether tells you stories of his travels. Some awful commissions, some retelling of the stories you've seen firsthand while playing Genshin. You like listening to his time in Sumeru. Sometimes Kuni even joins in, though he veers away from his role in the whole fiasco. You can read guilt when you see it, so you don't push. You guys have a running theme of being assholes to each other, but even then, there's a line. Instead, he tells you about a woman named Nahida. You discover that it's the Sumeran archon's name. You also discover that Kuni has a soft spot for the young goddess reborn. It brings a smile to your face. Xiao spends more time in the sun. You can appreciate the view with him, the sea breeze ruffling your hair. Even he seems more open to the idea of sharing stories of passed commissions. You hope that this is something you'll never lose. Kuni and Kazuha happy, Aether and Paimon jumping in with silly stories to add... and most importantly, you and your adeptus. You hope that the two of you will continue to get to know each other. Continue to make each other smile and blush.