My Unwavering Adoration (Zhongli x Xiao)

To my dearest, Zhongli..

        Dear Zhongli.. please I beg of you do not hold a grudge against me for this absolute mess I am about to unload onto you. I, Xiao think.. although not for certain that I am in love with you.-

       "Ugh!" The short boy grunted as he crumpled up the confession letter he had taken hours just finding enough courage to write. "None of this is going well, maybe I should just give up.."

       "Don't you even think about it, Xiao! I won't have you wasting even more of the Inn's paper. We're on a tight budget here pal." Verr Goldlet, the owner of the Wangshu Inn slapped Xiao on the back as if to warn him. Xiao jumped up in shock.

       "Disgusting, absolutely outrageous! I've let a mortal take me by surprise my, my.. this is a disgrace, not just to me but.." Xiao gasped in shock then continued on," It's a disgrace to Rex Lapis too! Oh no.. whatever shall I do-" Xiao was suddenly stopped by a huge piece of almond tofu being shoved into his mouth. 

      "Don't fret so much, dearie. Zhongli- I mean Rex Lapis couldn't care less about who you've been touched by! Oh my, that sounded quite.. scandalous aha~!" Verr chuckled.

     "Such a dirty minded mortal. If not for Rex Lapis I would've killed you by now. You're lucky I will forever be loyal to him, always." Xiao muttered in resistance then began munching on another piece of almond tofu when the taller woman walked in front of him.

     "Speaking of Rex Lapis, how'd you two even meet?" Verr asked curiously. This question struck quite close to home for Xiao. He reluctantly sighed and began summarizing his first meeting with the man he loved so dearly.

     "Many centuries ago I was being manipulated by another Adeptus. I refuse to even utter their name. They forced me to kill, forced me to steal many women and children's dreams, but what I believe to be the worst of all was that every time they were angry with me they would-.." Xiao paused, his face showed no emotion. Then continued, "they.. did some bad things to me, okay? But one day I was saved. Rex Lapis saved me from that terrible situation and that is why I've sworn to be forever loyal to him." 

    "I-I'm sorry for asking, dearie..- If I had known I wouldn't had brought that up. It won't happen again, Xiao. I promise." Verr was distraught. Xiao looked so young yet acted so emotionless and cold, was his past the reason why? It must've been. Xiao caught on to Verr's distressed expression quickly.

    "Hey. Don't feel bad, that happened centuries ago, and besides I'm saved now. That's all that matters. The past is the past, but the present is now. I'm not going to let the past affect me." Xiao finished his sentence and went to grab another almond tofu when he noticed he had eaten them all. He gestured for a chef to make him more and Verr walked away to tend to a group of customers. He had but a few moments of peace before his only other friend, Aether came bursting in.

    "Xiao! You won't believe what I just heard-" Aether gasped for air, "I-it's Rex Lapis! He's leaving Liyue.. for good." Aether huffed and caught his breath. Xiao's jaw had dropped and for the first time in centuries tears had filled his eyes.

    "W-what? That's absurd. The geo archon leaving Liyue, what a joke! Aether please do not pull pranks like this in the future. You had me scared for a second there." Xiao brushed it off.

    "I'm not joking. Venti told me so! I could tell he was hiding something from me by the look in his eyes but I bribed him into telling me through.. "unspeakable tactics" never mind that. The point is Rex Lapis plans to leave Liyue in your hands! He wants you to be his successor.. while he lives a quiet life amongst the village people in Mondstadt." Aether exclaimed while Xiao nodded in disbelief. Tears rushed down Xiao's cheeks as he struggled to push them away.

   "H-how could this be.. why would he leave m-me all alone..-again!" Xiao was a ball of pure sadness and rage, the one person he thought he could trust was leaving him. Forever.

   "Venti refused to disclose the exact reason why Rex Lapis left and he seemed to really not want you to know why..- but don't worry, Xiao! I'm sure you can catch up with Zhongli before he reaches Mondstadt and changes his appearance. I brought Dvalin with me, if you ride him to Mondstadt you'll be sure to make it there before Zhongli!" Aether encouraged Xiao.

   "It's no use if Zhongli's already on his way.. I'll never make it." Xiao sighed quietly. Aether then pulled Xiao by the arm and got right up in his face.

   "You'll never know if you don't try. Besides Zhongli tasked you with protecting the people of Liyue. They won't be protected if their archon is gone, therefore to save the people of Liyue you must get Rex Lapis back, kay?" Aether chuckled and fist bumped Xiao.

   "Your logic is flawed, mortal. You baffle me however I suppose in some ways you are correct. I will bring back this nation's archon and restore order. I promise myself this." Xiao agreed to chase after Zhongli, where ever he may be. Aether led Xiao to where Dvalin was seated and hoisted him up onto Dvalin's back.

   "You're not coming, blondie?" Xiao peered down at Aether with an intense yet somehow comforting gaze. Aether nodded no.

    "I don't wanna intrude on you and Zhongli's makeout sesh after you two meet again." Aether snickered. Xiao blushed all the way up to his ears and told Aether that him and Zhongli weren't like that, at least not yet. Dvalin then took off into the sky and soon enough Xiao was soaring above the clouds, looking down on the nation he had protected for oh so long. He wept.

  "Why must you leave me alone, Zhongli.." Xiao was hurting. Hurting for the first time in over four thousand years. Why must the person he loved so much be the person to cause him the most pain and suffering he's ever endured. Being abandoned was Xiao's biggest fear. He spaced out and thought back on his past when suddenly a strong wind current pushed him off of Dvalin's back. He was falling. He was going to die, but he just accepted it. He couldn't live without Zhongli. And so he fell down, down, down. Till he lost consciousness.

End Of Chap. 1

Hello lovely reader(s) I hope you enjoyed. Stay tuned for part two! :)