He wasn't joking, Y/n thought as you stared at the pond with giant logs sticking out of the water. A waterfall was gurgling in the back.
"You weren't joking, were you?" you mumbled, staring at the drop.
"I see no reason to joke," Xiao huffed as he took off his shoes, gloves, necklace, belt, and that one-sleeve thing. Y/n stared with wide eyes, then quickly looked away. "Strip."
...
You stared in shock, hurrying away, your hands crossing over your body. "Is something the matter?" Xiao asked, tilting his head. "Did I perhaps say it wrong?"
He tapped his chin in thought. He suddenly appeared in front of you, causing you to stumble back.
He grabbed your arms, keeping you steady. "You need to take your clothes off, or you'll get wet," he said.
Your face turned red as you viciously shook your head, too shocked to reply. "You will get sick, mortal. Listen to me," Xiao grumbled as he pulled your coat/jacket down.
"I-I'll do it myself," you stammered. His eyes narrowed, but he pulled away. You turned away and with much-needed confidence. You removed your gloves, shoes, accessories, and any extra clothes.
You stood in your pants and a tight black/white sleeveless shirt, trying not to fidget. Xiao turned around and gave you a look over.
"You look...weird." You crossed your arms with a huff. "Gee, thanks." He gestured for you to come and held out a hand.
You took it, and suddenly your feet were touching one of the logs above the pond.
Your eyes widened, your fingers clenching Xiao's hand as he hovered in the air. Anemo and dark shadows swirling around him.
"X-XIAO!"
He scoffed playfully. "Calm down, mortal, I have you." You tilted back, causing Xiao to grab your other hand. "Focus, and find your balance."
After a few seconds of panicking, you stood steady, and Xiao stood across from you on another log. "This is simple. I want you to use anemo while standing on these," he instructed, his arms crossed. His hair started to rustle as he concentrated. Until, it was whipping around in a tornado of anemo.
"Like so, and with time you can make these reactions with other elements." It touched the water, the teal turning blue from the water.
You stared in awe, admiring his control, but. "I can't keep it under control like that, Xiao," you grumbled. He appeared before you and flicked your forehead. Your hands covered your head as you stumbled. His arm wrapped around your waist.
"Do not say such nonsense," he scolded, keeping you tilted back. "You can do anything you put your mind to and practice," he added, pulling you up.
You wanted to argue, already knowing that anemo was useless to you. But you don't want that anymore. From what you've seen, people only get one vision, so one element. Yet you were given two, and you want to master both.
You clenched your fist as you concentrated. I'm going to tame this, once and for all. The wind whirled around you, bits of anemo appearing in the whirlwind. You willed it to be calm and consistent. No bursts or explosions. Just the whirl of anemo around you.
It was going good until you felt a sudden shift, and the wind started to disorientate. The anemo burst from the current, and you cried out, falling off the log.
Arms wrapped around your back and legs, pulling you away from the water. You gripped Xiao's shoulders even after he landed. He glanced down at your pale and shaking form.
"Shh," he whispered, slowly kneeling down. He rubbed your hand until you released your death grip. He continued, soothingly rubbing circles on the back of your hand. His other hand ran up your back and cupped your head as he brought you closer.
The two of you stayed like that for a while until you had calmed down. Xiao glared at the ground, guilty. "I apologize. We shouldn't train here since—"
"No." You cut him off, but it barely came out in a whisper. "I need to get over this. I need to..." The tremble in your voice caused you to stop. Xiao sighed as he started running his thumb across your cheek.
"You are a very brave human," he mumbled, slightly dejected. You chuckled, "That's an improvement from a mortal." He looked away with a huff, causing you to smile weakly.
He removed himself from you and grabbed the clothes. After putting his on, Xiao placed the accessories in your bag and draped your jacket/cloak over you.
"We should head back. It's getting dark," Xiao said, his hands lingering on the fabric. He pulled away and extended a hand. You took it, letting him pull you up. Before you had fully risen, the scenery changed.
Xiao had teleported to the inn's balcony without warning. You stumbled when a dog barked from behind.
You dead-panned, "Oh, it's just you, Richie." He wagged his tail, giving you another happy bark.
"You can let go now." You flinched, forgetting you were still holding Xiao's hand. "Sorry," you mumbled, moving away.
You decided to dip, having a hectic afternoon. Xiao watched as you scaled the stairs. His expression softened into a smile, which he seemed to do a lot around you. Now that he thought much about it, he was more expressive around you too. "Sweet dreams, Y/n." You paused at your door, wondering if you had heard wrong. You raced to the rail and looked towards the now empty platform.
Your eyes were wide as your h/c locks settled from the sudden movement. You huffed as you turned around, holding your jacket/cloak.
I must have imagined it, Y/n thought. But your was heart beating faster, and the rising heat in your face didn't recede.
A ghost-like figure of Xiao floated in front of you. His hand patted your head as he leaned closer, repeating the words. A shiver went down your spine, even though your face flushed redder.
"Sweet dreams, Y/n."
The figure of Xiao disappeared, leaving behind a flustered Y/n. I have a wild imagination...