A gentle breeze blew across the land, almost enough to send a shiver down Aether's spine, but he'd gotten used to its bitter string by now.
Slowly but surely, he and Paimon ascended the stairs of the Wangshu Inn, clearly on a mission. It was rare that the floating being was so quiet, but even she knew how serious this situation had gotten.
They needed to get into the Chasm, and they'd heard that (Y/N) was one of the only few who knew her way around the area. Sure, they could adventure blindly like they usually did, but they'd heard the Chasm was much different compared to most of the places they'd explored before, and there was nothing wrong with recruiting extra help.
Shenhe had given them the tip on where to find her, though they assumed the place was odd, and Shenhe hadn't given many details besides some basic physical attributes.
She'd also said, "You'll know her when you see her." Whatever that meant.
As the two reached the roof, they saw one lone figure, standing all alone, with her back to the pair, her elbows rested on the guard rail as she leaned over it, gazing out at the peaceful night sky.
Usually this was Xiao's territory, so Aether was again, surprised when Shenhe said they could probably find (Y/N) hanging around up here.
That certainly meant that Xiao and (Y/N) knew of each other, right? He was sure they'd had to at least have bumped into each other once.
"Excuse me, miss..." Aether politely spoke, hoping he wouldn't startle the woman as he kept his voice low.
A soft exhale could be heard, and the woman slowly straightened her posture and turned to face the pair without a word.
Arms crossed over her chest similarly to how Xiao always did, and this caused both Aether and Paimon to glance at one another silently, both thinking the same thing.
But odd, how Xiao had never spoken of (Y/N) to them, but according to Shenhe, the other woman was also an Adepti, similarly to Xiao as well.
Then again, he was a man of very few words, so that could also explain it.
"You need something?" The voice was alluring yet soft, almost like a lullaby, her voice flowing out across the breeze like silk, yet there was an ominous aura about the woman that almost certainly reeked of danger.
A dark eyebrow raised, her eyes skeptically flicking back and forth between the boy and his floating companion, waiting for a response.
Her eyes were just as sharp as Xiao's too, although much darker in color.
Obviously the woman wasn't a Yaksha, considering Xiao was the last known surviving one, and the two didn't have any similar physical traits at all, so they definitely weren't related, but they did share a few common mannerisms like the sharp and intense gaze and body language.
A more irritated exhale reached Aether's ears, finally yanking his attention back to the Adeptus before him just in time to see her begin to turn away, looking as if she was going to head in the direction of the inn's rooms.
"Wait, I'm sorry- You just reminded me of someone and I got lost in thought." Aether quickly explained, thankful that the woman again stopped her movements to turn and face them again.
The wind rustled the leaves in the trees nearby, the breeze sending a cold chill across Aether's skin as he shivered a bit, noticing the woman didn't even react to the cold in the slightest.
Although, her eyes did dart to the side, over toward the area of the roof, though she didn't turn her head to investigate further.
Her expression soured a tad at this, though Aether didn't understand why.
Adepti certainly were extremely powerful yet confusing beings, that much was for sure.
"Uh- Shenhe sent us. She said you would know your way around the Chasm and we were wondering if you'd accompany us there."
Her only visible reaction was a soft raise of both eyebrows, almost as if she was sizing the boy and his companion up, or waiting for the punchline of a joke.
That place had been closed for a while now, and these humans wanted to go inside? Why? What were they looking for?
"Shenhe, huh?" (Y/N) mused quietly, a hand now raising under her chin as she adverted her gaze, clearly thinking.
If Shenhe actually directed them to her, then surely she thought they were capable of being in the area without instantly being devoured by monsters, and she thought (Y/N) would make a good guide.
This better not be some sick joke, Shenhe.
Normally, she would have declined on the spot, but something about that look in the boy's eyes made her curious, and she so did love knowing things, even if the information was pointless. She was often bored, but this peaked her attention... plus, Shenhe was a dear friend to (Y/N) and she didn't have the heart to reject a friend's request.
"I assume you know what you're getting yourselves into?" (Y/N) questioned with another raise of her eyebrow, wondering if these two truly had what it took to survive in a place like that.
Aether simply gave a confident nod and a smile, noticing how her eyes were now scanning every visible inch of his outfit, probably wondering where his vision was.
After not finding one, her curious gaze returned back to his own, a subtle glint of an unknown emotion sparkling in her dark eyes now.
"We leave tomorrow morning then." Unable to contain an amused smile any longer, the mysterious woman turned away, only to have her movements halted when a gust of wind rustled the leaves again, and booted footsteps could be heard landing on the wooden floor behind her.
She knew without even having to turn, but she waited patiently instead, her smile having long faded by now though.
"I'm going too."
Her muscles tightened a bit at the sound, knowing that voice all too well.
"Xiao? I didn't think you were here." Aether was surprised to see his old friend, but there was still a smile in his voice regardless.
The boy knows Xiao too? Curious, indeed.
"You want to come to the Chasm with us?" Aether added on, noticing that (Y/N) had yet to turn back around to face them, her back still to everyone.
They definitely knew each other, Aether was certain.
"There's something I'd like to see while we're there." Xiao was as vague as ever, and (Y/N) could practically feel his golden eyes burning holes into her back.
Theatrically, (Y/N) finally spun around, her clothes swaying in the wind with the sudden movement as she clasped her hands together, her expression now much happier and more cheery than before.
"Oh, Xiao- surely you aren't joining us just to accompany me?" Her voice took a tone that Aether didn't think it could. One that sounded much lighter and teasing, only amplified by her actions.
Xiao scoffed at that, adverting his gaze as his arms crossed over his chest.
"Don't flatter yourself, (Y/N)." Xiao spoke lowly, the noise clearly irritated.
"I didn't even think you still hung out here anymore, it's been so long since I last saw you!" Oh yeah, obviously she was teasing him.
Aether's confused look was obvious, and it actually evoked a giggle from the female Adeptus, to which Xiao simply scoffed again, louder this time.
"I hang out here just to make him mad." (Y/N) leaned in toward Aether to fakely whisper as if she was trying to keep that statement a secret from Xiao, even with a hand attempting to cover her mouth, though she still spoke it much louder than someone who was actually trying to conseal the truth.
"We go waaaaaaaaay back~" Her voice still raised higher, still toying with the quieter Adeptus.
This confused Aether. She was almost polar opposite to what she is now just a few moments ago, her demeanor more similar to Shenhe's, but now, it's almost as if she flipped a switch and now was all sunshine and rainbows.
"And we know each other very intimately-"
Aether's mouth fell agape at that, confusion obvious on his face, not expecting the woman to say such a random yet bold piece of personal information.
"You aren't funny, (Y/N)." Xiao growled out, his frown only deepening with her teasing, which is why Aether assumed she kept doing it.
The girl began to giggle, though she was the only one really amused by any of it. Aether was so caught off guard that he didn't know how to react, and Xiao obviously was often a victim of her games, so he continued to just brood silently.
"Oh, lighten up, Alatus. You don't have to live your entire life being boring, you know." (Y/N) waved her hand back and forth in a dismissive manner, playfully rolling her eyes.
If she'd spoken his true name in front of anyone other than Aether, he may have honestly drawn his spear on her. But since it was him, and Xiao actually trusted and respected the blonde headed boy, he decided to let it slide.
"We leave tomorrow morning." Xiao chose to ignore (Y/N), an intense glare on his face as he watched the girl turn away again, heading back toward the inside of the inn to probably go to her room to sleep.
The two boys watched as she disappeared into the building before Aether finally turned to face Xiao, his expression still confused.
He had plenty of questions but wasn't sure if Xiao would even answer them.
"I didn't really take her for the joking type at first." Aether awkwardly laughed, scratching the back of his head.
"She's not. She's a psychopath." Xiao spoke that with such hate in his voice.
Were they playing around, or did they really hate each other? Aether couldn't tell, and he was honestly too afraid to ask.
"Be careful around that one." Xiao warned lowly as he turned his back to Aether, clearly finished with the conversation judging by how irritated he sounded.
Hm. Maybe it's best we leave him alone until the morning.
Aether and Paimon shared another concerned look before Aether turned to leave, heading toward the inside of in inn to get some sleep.
—————————————————————-
"Is Xiao still coming with us?" Aether and Paimon had again returned to the roof the following morning, worried that the man had changed his mind about joining them when they only saw (Y/N) on the roof this time.
"He was being grumpy again and said he'd meet us downstairs. You know, my intuition says he's trying to avoid me." (Y/N) gave the two a wink and a smile, displaying her obvious joke as she turned to greet them.
At least she seemed more chipper than when they'd first met the previous night. Her disposition was almost the polar opposite now.
"Alright, sounds good. Are you ready to go or do you need some more time?" Aether questioned politely, noticing how Paimon was actually a lot more silent than usual.
The floating fairy had made a comment the previous night about how the woman kind of intimidated her, so maybe that explained her silence today.
"Ready when you are." (Y/N) agreed, although her smile faded a bit, oddly enough.
Aether decided against questioning it, not wanting to push any boundaries or potentially upset the girl.
The girl led the way from the Wangshu Inn down toward the entrance to the Chasm, refusing to speak a word the entire time.
Xiao remained just as silent, leaving only Aether and Paimon to carry on conversations, clearly uncomfortable by the awkward silence for hours on end.
"The guards said the miners have a camp near the entrance, we can rest and find something to eat there." (Y/N) came back after speaking to the guards posted at the entry point into the Chasm, saying she'd like to speak to them alone to discuss something privately while the others waited away.
At this, Xiao's eyes finally rested on (Y/N), the glance not going unnoticed by Aether.
He couldn't help his curiosity, but he had a good hunch the two knew a lot more about each other than they may have let on, and that was incredibly intriguing considering how much Xiao enjoyed his solidarity.
Aether couldn't quite place the look in Xiao's eyes now, watching as the male Adeptus turned his gaze before (Y/N) could catch him looking.
If Aether knew any better, he would have assumed that was a gaze filled with... concern.
Paimon piped up about being starving, probably happy that one of the two mysterious Adepti finally decided to speak up after a long day of silent travel, to which (Y/N) gave a very subtle yet almost gentle smile at the fairy.
It also seemed sad, somehow. Maybe Aether was just misinterpreting everything or reading all the wrong signals, but the two of them were enigmas, that much was sure.
The air in the Chasm definitely felt different, almost as if it was heavier than the usual light breeze that flew across the mountainous lands of Liyue. Here, it felt harsh, dark, more ominous.
"I'm not hungry, you guys eat and rest up. I'm going to take a walk." (Y/N) spoke up again once they'd found a rest area to cook a quick meal and relax their legs.
Aether had to hold back the urge to recommend her to stay, thinking it wasn't safe, until he remembered she was also an Adeptus. Sure, he didn't know the details of her powers, how long she'd been around or her combat prowess, but he assumed with a title like that, that she was more than capable of handling herself, so he chose to just give a simple nod instead.
Aether and Paimon ate quietly, assuming Xiao wouldn't like to eat either since they'd had the conversation about food multiple times. The man simply stayed seated nearby, his arms crossed on his chest, his gaze cast out to the wind, looking out on the Chasm below.
(Y/N) had gone further down the nearby path until she eventually faded from sight behind trees and down the nearby hill.
Aether swore he could see Xiao's eyes flick over for just a moment before her figure disappeared from their view.
Eventually, Paimon decided to ask random questions about the Chasm to Aether, unable to stand the odd silence any longer.
Without so much as a word, Xiao simply stood to his feet, heading down toward the same path that (Y/N) had shortly before.
Paimon and Aether exchanged a look, both curious, but deciding not to question anything for fear that Xiao might overhear.
——————————————————————-
"Why did you decide to come back here?"
(Y/N) had been aware of Xiao's prescience long before he decided to speak.
For a while, she remained silent, her mind obviously preoccupied.
She'd been seated on a nearby rock, elbows rested on her legs as she leaned forward, her chin rested in her hands while she looked out at the Chasm below.
That was a good question, honestly. Why did she? A place filled with such horrible memories for her, even if they had been so long ago. The very air here made her stomach churn with negative emotions and anxiety, almost as if what occurred wasn't 500 years ago. It was obvious in her expression that she hadn't quite learned how to cope with it all, although Xiao had already known that. He never once assumed (Y/N) would agree to be Aether's guide here. Imagine his surprise when she agreed so easily. None of it made sense to Xiao.
"Why did you?" Came her short response, not even bothering to turn to meet his gaze, already knowing he was definitely stood with his arms across his chest, his expression no doubt sharp and intense as always.
Of course she would dodge his question with another of her own, just as she'd always done. It's not like they were on the best of terms either, so she didn't even owe him a logical response anyway.
"Careful Xiao, I almost mistook that question as you caring about me." Her voice hitched up again ever so slightly, obviously trying to mask her true emotions behind mocking him, although he wouldn't be so easily fooled this time.
He'd learned long ago that she had a habit of hiding her feelings behind jokes or teasing another, seeing as how that easily took the attention away from herself and distracted others, then she wouldn't have to explain her true distain.
"Knock it off, (Y/N)." It was odd to hear him actually speak her name. The two had been dodging each other for years, and despite the random occasion of them running into each other, they usually avoided directly speaking each other's names. It almost felt too... intimate.
Xiao, as rough around the edges as ever, didn't know how to nicely approach a situation like this, and her constant teasing and mocking just to deflect her emotions irritated him to no end.
"Give me an answer to my question and I'll answer yours." (Y/N) finally turned her head to meet his gaze, her playful expression hiding her true feelings as it always did, but he saw right through her. She could fool Aether and Paimon any day of the week, but Xiao wouldn't fall prey to the same tricks.
"Ladies first and all, you know." She theatrically waved a hand, an amused smirk tugging at her lips, knowing he would rather succumb to his karmic debt than actually answer her question. She knew she was safe. She'd never have to actually answer his question because he would never willingly answer her's.
"You can't hide your emotions behind a smile forever." Xiao warned, obviously fed up with how long she'd been trying to keep that façade going.
"That's hilariously ironic coming from you." The girl giggled, cocking an eyebrow judgingly at her fellow Adeptus.
As if he didn't do the exact same thing, always hiding whatever he was feeling or thinking behind an intensely cold exterior.
"Mister cold, intense eyes. You distance yourself from everyone because you're afraid... Don't be a hypocrite, Alatus."
Xiao exhaled deeply, the noise practically oozing irritation at the casual use of his real name.
She knew it pissed him off, and that's why she always did it. Xiao insisted on pushing her, so she pushed back.
This woman tested his patience, that's for sure.
"Bosacius wouldn't have wanted this."
The girl's demeanor instantly changed, her obnoxious smile immediately falling, her eyebrows narrowing into a glare.
In a sudden movement, she was now on her feet, taking angry strides toward the other Adeptus, every muscle in her body now ridged with anger.
"Watch your mouth, Alatus." (Y/N) warned, practically growling through clenched teeth, her hands balled into fits down at her sides.
Xiao's eyebrows simply raised at this, actually amused at how easily that was able to flip her emotions. It was obvious she still hadn't learned how to control her feelings, and Bosacius was still a very sore subject for her.
"And he wouldn't have wanted what, Xiao? Me to come back here looking for him? Trying to find answers on if he was still alive? To keep holding on for years praying he was still out there somewhere?" She spoke through her teeth, her nails digging crescent shaped indents into the palms of her hands.
Xiao remained quite for a few moments, silently gazing into her eyes, his expression ever so slightly softening once she finally angrily met his eyes again as he contemplated his next words.
"He wouldn't want you to keep hiding your emotions behind a mask and isolating yourself because of his loss."
The words confused the girl, not expecting such a raw and genuine answer, her body and expression visibly relaxing as her eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise.
It had always been a habit of their's to just be rude to each other, both irritating and distancing themselves from each other over the past 500 years, and this was the first time the girl could recall him saying anything so kind to her. Usually all they did was bicker and piss each other off. Neither had dealt with the war and any of the losses that came from it well.
Xiao actually felt bad for even mentioning the former Yaksha's name as he watched (Y/N)'s eyes slowly begin to gloss over. She pressed her lips together tightly, trying to blink away the tears that were beginning to prick at the corners of her eyes.
"You don't know anything, Xiao." Her voice quivered, but she obviously tried her best to sound angry as a single tear slid down her face.
Directly after, she spun around on her heels, storming off further down the path.
Xiao opened his mouth to speak, only for no words to come to his mind as he watched her walk away.
That was the last reaction he'd expected from her, and it hadn't exactly been his intention to make her cry. If he had to be honest, he didn't know how to approach the situation at all.
In a way, she was right. He was a hypocrite. After the war and steadily losing the few friends he considered close to either karmic debt or the darkness, he grew to isolate himself as well. He kept everyone at arms length and refused any lengthy time with humans, or really anyone for that matter. Xiao had tried to convince himself that it would be easier that way. If he never got close to anyone again, then he would never be burdened by the pain of their loss, right?
—————————————————————-
Xiao had the unfortunate task of having to awkwardly explain that (Y/N) wouldn't be rejoining them, at least for a little while. He knew she could take care of herself, but he also knew after even that tiniest display of her real feelings, she'd be in hiding for a while, so now it was up to him to guide Aether and his floating friend down into the mines of the Chasm.
Aether had eyed his Adeptus friend with a gentle curiosity, but obviously decided against asking any further questions and simply agreed instead.
Xiao chose to make small talk this time, briefly explaining to them about how five hundred years ago, an Adeptus named Bosacius fought here against the abyss, but then disappeared shortly after. Xiao had long assumed he'd succumbed to the darkness somewhere out there, but it seemed like (Y/N) had still been holding onto hope after all these years.
She'd been right by his side, fighting with him that day, yet between all of the commotion, she still never knew what actually happened to him aside from a few treasures he'd left behind after the dust had settled.
Xiao had wished that (Y/N) would accept that regardless of what happened, Bosacius simply didn't want to be found, even if he still was alive. Maybe it had all been too much for him, and he needed to disappear.
Mid conversation with Aether, every muscle in Xiao's body stiffened, causing the blonde haired boy to pause his sentence abruptly.
"Xiao, you okay?" He spoke softly, watching as Xiao's head turned away, as if he could see something that wasn't there.
"I.... Need to check on something. I assume you can take it from here?" Xiao asked strictly out of curtsey, assuming that since they'd found the miners inside and made it to the camp deeper below the Chasm that they could finish whatever mission they'd been so determined to complete.
"Of course. Thank you for your help." Aether gave the man a smile, Paimon joining in and thanking him as well.
Xiao simply hummed in response, turning quick on his heels and beginning to walk away.
"And tell (Y/N) thanks as well, please." Aether called after the man.
——————————————————————
The thick metallic smell of blood was heavy in the air, despite the gentle sprinkle of rain that had just began.
Xiao could sense the negative energy close by, although it was all too familiar.
As he closed in, the almost manic laughter reached his ears, deepening that sense of dread that had been hovering in his stomach.
"Y/N!"
If the girl had heard him, she either didn't care, or chose to ignore him, continuing on like nothing had happened and what she was doing was just... completely normal.
She'd been stood over a body, repeatedly stabbing the corpse despite the previous owner being very obviously dead.
Xiao's hand raised to rest on his forehead, rubbing gently at the headache that had been forming for some time now, knowing it was only going to get worse from here.
Slowly, he approached her, but the caution wasn't out of fear. Xiao feared nothing, but he didn't want to startle the girl considering she'd fallen into one of her... moods.
This had happened pretty often since that battle five hundred years ago. Xiao's theory was maybe that all the bloodshed had been too much for her and she'd just snapped. Ever since, she often slipped off the deep end, falling into these random fits of an almost blind psychotic rage, leaving nothing but chaos and calamity in her wake until she finally snapped out of it.
Xiao usually being one of the only things able to bring her back.
Quietly, he'd walked up behind her as she continued decimating the corpse, just to easily slide her own weapon from her hands, holding it far above his head, now finally yanking her gaze.
Her expression quickly went from a wide and toothy grin to furrowed brows and a scowl, clearly displeased at her fellow Adeptus for ruining her fun.
"Give that back!" (Y/N) snapped, standing to her feet now in an attempt to reach up and reclaim her weapon from him.
"No." Xiao simply exhaled, knowing exactly what he was getting himself into, but accepting he was the only one who could calm her down.
"They deserve it! Why are you protecting them?" Theatrically, her hands went to her hips, a sassy yet annoyed look spreading across her features.
"You aren't wrong, but what you're doing still isn't right." Xiao chastised the girl, now hiding her blade behind his back as she tried to jump for the weapon again.
"Why do you care? They're just Hilichurls." (Y/N) huffed again, still attempting to wiggle around him and grab her weapon, but he was very good at this game by now, it being one they often played when her personalities switched like this.
"They were people once, Y/N." Xiao's demeanor was relaxed, his voice low and calm, hoping his emotions would maybe run off on her and help bring her down from this psychotic and murderous high.
"Don't talk down to me!" The girl shouted, tossing a shard of frozen ice at the man, which he easily side-stepped, now raising a judge mental eyebrow up at her with half-lidded and unamused eyes.
"I know you're still angry at them for what happened five hundred years ago, but taking it out on them now won't change anything... it won't bring him back." Xiao exhaled deeply, knowing that statement would possibly have him on very thin ice with her, now fully expecting her to attack him for it, yet her face just simply fell, the sadness clearly creeping in as her muscles relaxed.
"B-but..." Slowly, her crazed expression had disappeared, now replaced with just... sadness. Grief, disbelief, pain.
"But, he was my brother. I just..." Her voice broke, cut off by a breathy sigh as she clearly began to fight off tears, her eyes glossy as she flinched away from Xiao's gaze.
"I just want to see him again." (Y/N) struggled to choke out the end of her sentence, tears spilling from her eyes and rolling down her cheeks as that cold and psychotic exterior finally broke down.
Xiao's eyes closed, exhaling deeply again as he shoved the tip of her blade down into the dirt behind him, slowly coming up to stand in front of her as she sobbed.
Her hands were covering her eyes, hoping if he couldn't fully see her crying, then it wouldn't make those emotions real.
"I know." Xiao softly spoke, his voice bitter and low, although it wasn't directed at her.
It was directed at this world- at how cruel and unfair it was. How people like (Y/N) had to lose their loved ones in such horrific ways. It just wasn't fair.
Gently, his arms reluctantly wrapped around her, slowly pulling her close, willing to pull away the moment he felt her resist or become uncomfortable, but she didn't.
Strangely enough, she clung to him, her hands clutching at the back of his shirt as she sobbed even harder, burying her face into his chest in an attempt to hide away from the world.
"You never truly let yourself grieve for him, did you?"
Judging by how she was crying as if it had happened yesterday, he assumed he was right. She'd been denying it all this time, telling herself that because they never found his body, then he wasn't dead. That he was still out there somewhere, waiting for her to find him, whereas Xiao had grieved his loss a long time ago.
Sure, it still hurt, but it didn't effect him nearly as badly as it effected her.
A gloved hand reached up to pet her hair, hoping to give her some type of comfort in the situation as he simply stood, letting her get every last bit of it out of her system.
Despite how their relationship together had ended long ago, Xiao couldn't ignore how his heart squeezed in his chest when he saw that first tear fall from her eyes. After what happened, she'd isolated herself from everyone, and that included Xiao. The two fell apart, and didn't see each other much at all since, only occasionally when business as usual was needed or the two accidentally ran into each other. He couldn't help but get bitter over the years, feeling as if she just gave up on everything once her brother had disappeared.
"You don't have to be alone... if you don't want to be." Xiao found himself speaking the words before he'd really thought them through, his heart instantly picking up its pace once he'd realized what he said.
How embarrassing...
"You don't have to grieve alone." Xiao swallowed hard, feeling as if he was going to choke on his own tongue, but he couldn't ignore the urge he had to be there for her, even despite everything.
Instinctively, his arms squeezed around her, pulling her even closer against his chest now, attempting to hide his face in her hair, almost afraid of how she would react.
"I'm sorry-" (Y/N) choked out, her voice raspy and broken from sobbing so hard, though she refused to look up, clearly ashamed of all she'd done since her brother's likely passing.
"I'm so sorry..."
Xiao's hand rubbed at her back, trying to comfort her cries as the rain started to fall a little heavier.
"Shhhh... it's okay." He cooed softly, letting her get it all out of her system.
"It's not! It's not-" She continued to cry, only to cut herself off as Xiao pulled back, a hand gently reaching under her chin to tenderly pull her to look up at him.
It was obvious she wanted to shy away, to hide her face from him again, but she fought the urge, knowing that emotions were okay, and that she needed to learn to show them and allow herself to feel.
"I abandoned you." (Y/N) was clearly still mad at herself, clearly conflicted for what she'd done and how she'd reacted to it all.
"You've been through so much... you have to give yourself a break." Xiao cracked a smile, his hand now curling around the side of her face, watching as her glossy eyes widened up at him.
Slowly, he leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, taking note of how her cries had softened, now simply just sniffles and little hiccups.
"Let me take you home?" The Adeptus questioned gently, his voice so calm and alluring it almost could talk the girl to sleep as she gave a heavy nod.
"To the inn..?"
Xiao gave a light chuckle, his heart fluttering at her question. She still considered the inn her home, despite their time apart, and clearly she wanted to try and make things work this time instead of running away from anything that made her feel emotions.
"Of course." The man wasted no time, his hands gliding under her thighs as he pulled her up into his arms, unable to contain his smile as she wrapped her own around his neck tightly.
(Y/N) exhaled softly, the noise sounding so content and happy as she snuggled against him, closing her eyes once he began to walk.
"I love you, Xiao..."