❝ My birthday is special, because I'm spending it with you. ❞
━ SETTINGS. gender neutral reader. fluff. slightly ooc xiao at the beginning ++ end.
━ SYNOPSIS. in which you and xiao spend his birthday together.
━ NOW PLAYING. put your head on my shoulder ; paul anka
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AUTHOR'S NOTE. hi guys sorry for not updating in a while... tbh i've been losing motivation to write :( i was gonna say something important but i forgot... oh wait yeah i'm gonna go on hiatus after i post this, i just feel like i need a break from wattpad right now after all the drama and toxicity on here <\3
on a happier note, here is the belated birthday special i have written this year for my beloved xiao <333 this is my third birthday letter from him,, i've been in love w him for over 2 years and he's just so amazing and i just aaaaahh <3333 i may or may not post the bday special i wrote last year since i already have the one from 2021 on here, we'll see! for now, please enjoy the food my fellow xiao lovers<3
THIN RAYS OF SUNLIGHT STREAMED through the blue silk curtains as your eyes slowly fluttered open. Sighing softly, you tried to roll over; only to find a pair of arms wrapped around your waist. You tilted your head and saw Xiao laying next to you on the bed, sound asleep.
The first thing that came to your mind was, it's rare to see him in the mornings at all, let alone sleeping happily like this. The thought made you smile. The second was, it's his birthday today! Your smile grew wider.
"Hngh..." A low groan left Xiao's lips as he shifted in bed, his grip around your waist loosening as his eyes opened slowly. You giggled and bopped his nose.
"Good morning, Xiao. Did you sleep okay?"
He nodded. "I slept well. I must admit, that was... the most rest I've gotten in a long time."
You smiled. "That's good to hear. I'm glad you're here with me."
The relationship between you and Xiao was certainly... complicated. Well, not really, but his duty as a yaksha did complicate things. You see, the two of you could be considered "lovers," but Xiao was almost never at home for very long ("home" being the small but comfortable room at Wangshu Inn Verr Goldet had allowed you to permanently reside in), given his duties fighting off monsters, so the two of you were never really seen doing "lover things" in public. Most of the affection you shared together was in private, and even then it was reserved to gentle kisses and the rare but endearing cuddle session. Xiao had never been... in love before, so he had struggled in learning the ways of love, but he always tried his best to show his affection for you, in his own way.
Although Xiao would never admit it, deep inside he had a strong desire to hold you and keep you safe, and wanted to show you just how much he cared. So even if he wasn't able to stay the night with you very often, he would always make sure to stop by your room when he had a quick break in his duties. He'd kiss you very softly on the forehead, and when you woke up in the morning, you'd always find a plate of Almond Tofu and a small present- usually a bouquet of Qingxin Flowers or a origami butterfly- sitting on the nightstand, as well as a note from him written in his small, neat handwriting. You always appreciated the little gifts he left for you, but in your heart you couldn't help but wish that he could stay together with you longer.
So whenever he was able to spend the night at home with you- like now- it never failed to make you happy.
"By the way... happy birthday, Xiao!" You kissed him once suddenly, to which he blushed profusely to.
"Y-you know I h-have no i-interest in those trivial mortal c-celebrations," he stammered. "B-but... I a-appreciate the g-gesture, Y/N." He took a deep breath, and then kissed you on the lips very slowly and gently, as if he was afraid of hurting you. You gladly accepted the kiss, enveloping your hands in his soft turquoise locks as his grip on your waist grew tighter.
Xiao pulled away, a tiny hint of a smile on his lips. "Come on now, get up. The morning has long arrived, and there is much to do today."
You propped yourself up on your elbows as Xiao stepped out of bed, watching him slide his sleeve of beaded white silk onto his left arm. "What are you going to do today? Is there anything I can help you with?"
Xiao paused while he was putting on his boots. "I... was thinking about visiting Moon Carver today. I believe today is the right time to finally follow the advice you gave me. I do hope he is not too alarmed by my sudden appearance at his abode, though..." He turned to look at you as you were getting out of bed. "I suppose... if you have time today, would you like to come with me?"
You grinned. "Of course! It's your birthday, so if you'd like me to be there with you, I will. I'm always happy to accompany you, Xiao." You kissed his cheek, adding, "I love you."
Xiao's cheeks flushed bright red, and he looked away. "I-I... You and me both. Now come on and get yourself cleaned up. We have to leave soon." He turned away, continuing to get dressed.
You sighed, not helping but to be a little annoyed at his lack of affection. Whenever you told him you loved him, he would always respond with something like "I feel the same" or "Your feelings are reciprocated" or a bunch of other fancy adeptus phrases, and never the words I love you. Why couldn't he just come out and say it directly? As much as you adored the yaksha, deep in your heart you wished he would just say those three words. Just once.
Padding off into the bathroom, you cleaned yourself up and came out a few minutes later to see Xiao polishing his spear. "Xiao... I don't think you'll need that today. Considering we're visiting a friend of yours, there shouldn't be any danger in the area, right?"
"Yes, but you can never be too careful. Come on, let's go." he replied. He hid his spear away and swiftly stepped out of the room, though you noticed he left his mask on the nightstand.
"Wait for me!" You called out, quickly closing the door behind you as you ran after him.
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Soon enough the two of you arrived at Moon Carver's abode. Although it was spring, red and golden leaves still hung from the trees surrounding the area. A small clump of baby-blue flowers growing nearby added a simple pop of color to the autumn-like atmosphere.
You smiled as you noticed the flowers. "Those weren't there the last time I visited this place. It seems Moon Carver has done some gardening."
As soon as you stepped onto the stone pathway, a voice boomed out from the wind. "Who dares to enter the residence of the adeptus Moon Carver?"
Xiao stepped forward and called out calmly, "It is the Conqueror of Demons, as well as the Traveler, Y/N."
There was a sudden flash of golden sparks, and areindeer-like lifeform appeared in front on you. It was Moon Carver. The adeptus stood tall and regal as always, except today there seemed to be an alarmed expression on his face.
"It is not likely for the Conqueror of Demons to show up unexpectedly like this," Moon Carver announced. "Has something important happened?"
Xiao seemed surprised for a fraction of a second, and then returned to his cold, calm demeanor. "No, nothing of the sort. You need not to worry, Moon Carver. Y/N and I are simply here for a visit."
Moon Carver still looked skeptical, so you quickly added, "Xiao is right! We're just here to say hello, since we haven't seen you in a while."
The adeptus seemed to relax as you said that. "Ah. If that is the case, then I humbly welcome you to my abode. By the way... since you're here, why don't we ask Cloud Retainer to host a little get-together?"
You and Xiao looked at each other for a fraction of a second. Xiao looked like he wanted to refuse, but eventually he sighed and said, "Ugh, fine. You can stop staring at me, Y/N, I know how much you want to. Besides, it's rude to refuse."
Moon Carver smiled. "The Conqueror of Demons is finally coming out of his shell, hm? It appears to me that Y/N has quite the positive affect on him."
Xiao blushed and looked away. "N-no, that's not it! ...Well, maybe. Don't tell Cloud Retainer, alright?"
"Tell one what?" A sudden voice said from behind you. You turned around to find the light blue-winged crane adeptus standing tall in the grass.
"Ah! Hello, Cloud Retainer. It was nothing important," you said quickly, waving your hands in front of your face. "We were just talking about, uh... how we'd like you to join us for lunch. Isn't that right, Xiao? Moon Carver?"
The latter seemed to be trying not to laugh. "Yes, yes. Come, Cloud Retainer. Let us prepare food for our guests."
"Why does one have to cook? One is a guest as well, is one not?" Cloud Retainer huffed, but she followed Moon Carver anyway.
You giggled and turned to Xiao, holding his hand. "Come on, we can take a walk while they make lunch."
Xiao cocked his head to the side. "Why? We can just wait here."
"Because I want to spend some time with you, silly! Please, Xiao...?"
"I... fine."
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Hand in hand, the two of you took a leisurely stroll around Moon Carver's residence, admiring the scenery. Soon enough you arrived at a small clearing. Red and gold trees surrounded the area, and there was a pond in the middle; pink lotus flowers topped the water, tiny goldfish dancing on the blue-green surface. You gasped at the beauty and immediately dragged Xiao over to sit down by the side of the pond. You took off your shoes and dipped your toes in the water; the goldfish swam up to you in curiosity, and you giggled as their fins tickled your toes.
Xiao smiled softly, watching you. "Hey, Y/N?"
You looked up. "What is it?"
He hesitated for a moment, looking down at his hands. "Do you ever... feel lonely? Whenever I'm not around...?"
You fidgeted with the hem of your shirt, thinking for a little bit before replying quietly, "Well... sometimes. I know it's your duty to protect Liyue, so I understand you can't be with me all the time, but... I still wish that we could be together forever, you know? That we'll never be apart.
"So... whenever you leave me gifts in the morning, it makes me happy, because it lets me know that you're thinking of me. And when you're able to stay the night together, it makes me even more happy. And, well, it's your birthday today, and I want to be able to spend as much time with you today..." You paused to take a breath, and Xiao looked up at you. You could see just a tiny hint of uncertainty in his eyes before he started speaking.
"Y/N, I'm sorry I'm not able to spend as much time with you as I would like. If I could, I would be by your side all day, every day. So when I can, I'll try my best to be with you more, okay? And one more thing... I know you've explained this to me before, the year we first met, but... I still don't quite understand the meaning behind 'birthdays.' Today is nothing special, at least to me; it's just another past year of fighting and suffering going by. So why... why does this day mean so much to you? Why do you insist on spending so much time with me today? I- I mean, n-not that I don't a-appreciate it, b-but still..." His voice trailed off as he turned away, embarrassed, one gloved hand covering his mouth.
You sighed and moved closer to him, taking his hand in both of yours. "Xiao... I know you think of birthdays as a 'trivial mortal matter,' but your birthday matters because you matter, Xiao. And I know you don't believe it, so I will always keep telling you that. I want to be with you on the day of your birth because I care about you very much... I love you, Xiao. Isn't that reason enough?"
Xiao was quiet for a long time. Then he slid off his gloves, reached down into the pond, and pulled out one of the pink lotuses from the water. He gently wove the stem into your hair, so that the flower was just above your right ear. He smiled, and this rare smile was genuine and pure. "Y/N. I know I'm... not the best at showing my feelings, but from now on I'll try my best to, because I care about you just the same way you care about me. I... I love you, Y/N."
You couldn't help but gasp a little at his words. He finally said it. He finally said those three words, the ones you've been waiting for. He finally said I love you.
"You... have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to finally say that," you admitted, leaning your head on his shoulder. "That... makes me so, so happy. If you ever want to show your feelings to me, just saying those words will always do the trick."
"And do kisses make you happy as well, hm?" he asked with a hint of teasingness in his voice. "If so, can I kiss you?"
"Yes, but you have to say the magic words first," you joked. "Hint: there are three of them."
"I'll give you four," he smiled and cupped your cheek. "I love you, sweetheart."
Archons, it felt like your heart was about to burst out of your chest. You grinned, saying, "you absolutely can kiss me."
Xiao laughed and held you closer, pulling you in for a sweet kiss. The two of you stayed like that for a while, kissing and holding each other close. It felt like heaven; just you and Xiao, two lovers together in paradise.
After a while, Xiao spoke up quietly. "You know, Y/N, I think I understand now."
"What do you mean?"
He smiled softly, kissing your forehead. "I mean, I understand why my birthday is special now."
❝ My birthday is special, because I'm spending it with you. ❞
You paused at his words, then smiled and nodded your head into his chest. "I'm glad you think so. I hope we can spend all of your birthdays in the future together!"
"That's what I hope as well," his voice was barely a whisper, but you could hear it. You leaned your head up toward him, and he kissed your lips gently. "I love you."
"I love you more, Xiao."
AUTHOR'S NOTE. and there it is, i hope you all enjoyed it <3 i always get carried away when i write xiao, i just love him so much. happy belated birthday, my beloved !! you make me so happy every day, i'm glad i met you in genshin and my life would be so different without you... i love you, xiao. <3
ahaha okay enough with the sappy stuff i will be taking a break now,, not sure when i'll be back but i expect around mid-may? definitely not until i finish my final exams and state testing, and honestly i just need some time to get my life together </3 i feel like i haven't been spending as much time with my family and irl friends as i should,, so i'm gonna use this time to reconnect and hopefully find some new hobbies other than scrolling through wattpad. i will come back soon dw, but in the meantime i wish everybody well<3
THANK YOU FOR VISITING STARS OF TEYVAT !