What's In It For Me? | Xiao x Reader

Just Us. And Food.

｡o°✥✤✣ Your POV✣✤✥°o｡

"Oh yeah, get it I guess!" I yell as Xiao kills us (me) food. I made him do it instead of me. I feel bad, so I always say sorry to the bird before cooking it.

It's been a few days since that night on the hill. I remember falling asleep but I woke up in my tent. I assumed Xiao carried me there. What a gentlemen. We walked around, exploring and finding treasure. I'd like to say we've bonded, in some way shape or form. Now, three days later, we are close to Liyue Harbor, not quite there yet, but near. I'm sick of Almond Tofu, so I'm going to have chicken.

"Mortal," He still hasn't stopped calling me that. Aren't we friends? "Your...slop."

"Thank you, sir conqueror." I grin, taking the raw fowl and placing it in a pot.

"Ah, no. That won't do." Xiao says, lingering over my shoulder.

I look up at him and tilt my head. "What do you mean? I won't call you sir, nor conqueror anymore. Sorry."

He shakes his head and crouches down next to me. He's so handsome- ah, anyways.

"Turn the heat up. More fire." He says, grabbing my hands from behind me and helping me give it more sparks. Holy sh*t.

Am I blushing?

I try to hide my face by looking away but he notices. Darn it.

"...Sorry if I am too close. Um," He lets go, but I quickly grab his hands.

"No, show me. I want to learn. I started this journey to learn new things, after all." I smile widely.

He blinks and nods. Thank god I didn't stutter.

"Like this," He helps me as the fire grows. "There."

I grin. "Thank you." He stands up and steps a few steps back.

After I cook the chicken, I place it on a plate for me. Then I pull out the almond tofu ingredients and start making that.

I look over my shoulder. "Xiao?"

He hums. "What?"

"...Want to help me make your food?" I hesitate asking.

He ponders for a minute before slowly walking over. I wonder what he was thinking about.

☆.｡.:*Xiao's POV.｡.:*☆ 

Y/n.

Wants me to help cook? I usually make people do it for me...

I was hesitate, but the look in their eyes. It screamed something like...

'AYOOO COME AND HELP OUT YOU'LL LEARN SOMETHING!'

...sounds like something they'd say.

So, I walked on over. It can't be that hard.

"So, first, we get the tofu," Y/n shows me.

"I know what tofu is." I say sarcastically.

Y/n rolls their eyes and continues to show me the ingredients and puts them in the pot.

"Here, like this." Y/n said, helping me stir. (a/n: y'all idek how they'd make this food so bare with me lol)

"I can do it myself, mortal. I know how to stir."

"No, no, no. You must do it a certain way!" They grab the spoon and demonstrate.

I sigh, slightly irritated. "You know, I learn quickly, unlike you. Remember when you saw a slime? You freaked out. You said you'd never fought one before, yet you won't learn their attack patterns quickly."

"Oi!!!" They whine. Oh lord save me.

"I got this. I know now." I say, grabbing the spoon.

"Xiao what's your opinion on me?"

That caught me off-guard. Wait- nothing catches me off-guard. It just was all of the sudden. I look at Y/n and raise an eyebrow.

"I don't know what you mean, human." I'm being honest, surprisingly.

"I'll share my opinion on you. The nice version." They giggle.

"The nice version? Really." I scoff.

"Mhm! Soo, after getting to know you a bit, I think you're a great person. Yes you're an adepti and all that jazz, but that's not your whole personality. You helped me, ah, before you say 'because I had to', you didn't HAVE to. I didn't summon you, but instead, you saw me from afar and came to save me. OH, I know what you'll say next, you'll say 'well, I'm not going to just stand there and watch this person get beaten up'. But here's the thing, you watched me fight them for a bit, then helped me when I couldn't get up. So, in conclusion, under that meanie face of yours, you have a good heart."

My heart does a weird thing. Like??

But...that's their opinion?

I scoff, brushing off whatever I'm really feeling. "I don't need your praise, mortal."

"Its true! I'm glad we're...friends." They squint their eyes, assuming I'll lash out at them for calling me a friend. To be honest...

It's great to have a friend. I've been feeling very lonely lately. Like, badly. I haven't had a connection to a human in so many years.

I don't respond, but keep stirring until they take the spoon back and finish making the food.

We eat, enjoying our own foods.

Okay, the tofu is one reason that made me tag along. It is really good. Better than most peoples I had before.

"Mortal, want to know my opinion on you then?" I ask, chomping down on the delicious food.

They nod. "Mhm!"

I sigh. "You are annoying. Sometimes," I mumble the 'sometimes'. "But you make good almond tofu, so. Yeah."

Their eyes sparkle.

"Um, are you okay...?" I slowly ask. Y/n nods quickly.

"You're so sweet! I am flattered." They gush.

"Ah, um, no. Enough, weird mortal."