𝙰 𝚆𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝙱𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙻𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚄𝚗𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 - 𝚇𝚒𝚊𝚘 𝚡 𝙵𝚎𝚖!𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

𝚁𝚞𝚎𝚏𝚞𝚕 ~ 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟸𝟻

Your POV

My eyes dart from Childe to the clients and staff around us. His question completely short-circuited my brain. No proper words or sentences are forming on my tongue.

"Please Y/n?"

Damn my head feeling guilty-

I hesitate and consider what I'm about to do. I inhale, drawing my eyes to the ceiling. Then to Childe, before I nod and exhale with an air of uncertainty. He smiles immediately, appearing unaware of the daggers being punctured through him with the eyes of near clients.

"Does tonight at 8 sound fine? At the Wanmin Restaurant?"

Just get it over with, if you keep postponing it, he'll probably just pester you about it even more. Just get it over with...

I nod again with my eyes shut closed and wave him goodbye. The lingering stares of staff along with customers, trail closely behind me as I try to walk with a nonchalant air, back to my Inn room.

I turn the corridor, open my suite's door, and the realization of what I did hits me like an anvil. I'm such an idiot, Goddammit. I didn't even try to work out a different day or time-

Crap. He said 8 pm-

My next breaths come out uneasily when I consider how I'm going to tell Xiao about this. He gave Childe a ridiculously hard time about visiting me; imagine how he'd take our little 'date'. I cringe at both the word and thought. Neither is appealing. The wooden clock in my room makes a 'clunk' sound as it usually does every hour.

It's already 6 pm...

If I hadn't worked the extra 40 minutes down in the patio, Childe wouldn't have found me. I sigh and try to continue with my evening routine. I hastily untie my food-stained apron, hanging it on the top of my bathroom door.

I have two hours left until the- erm- let's call it an overly friendly rendezvous point with dinner. There's no need to inform anyone about the event except for Xiao due to the fact that I'll be missing today's lesson; his lesson. Letting out a puff of breath, I limply fall onto my ivory bed. I begin to mindlessly form designs of spring green with my vision. The petite and thin streaks of colour branch out or inwards to my liking. I lift a hand up and reach for one of the luminescent creations. Taking one hand behind my head and the other in front of my head. The design, an olive branch, I spin thoughtlessly between my index and thumb fingers until my eyelids droop and flutter shut. 

I awake with a start from abrupt knocking on my suite's door. The clock hanging across from my bed ticks away, to and fro, reading 7: 38. I use the backside of my hand and wipe away the last of the previous sleepiness from them. Slipping off the cream sheets, I skip to my rattan wardrobe in search of something to wear. Finally, I select a baby-blue off-shoulder dress. It has poofy sleeves that reach to my elbows and the skirt ends around my knees. I brush my h/c locks hurriedly before twisting and placing the two front sections on either side of my hair, behind my ears, and into a ponytail. Instead of using an elastic, I take a medium-sized lacy bow to keep it together.

I check my appearance one last time in my bathroom mirror and anxiously walk to my suite's balcony. Fidgeting with my hands behind my back, I quietly say "Xiao...?"

As anticipated, a blaze of wind hits me, and when my eyes come into focus once again, I see the familiar Adepti looking at me with slight questioning. "Y/n? I really don't think you should or are in any way able to fight decently in that clothing..."

I clear my throat to explain his unsaid question. "Well, I actually won't be able to do today's training Xiao-"

He furrows his eyebrows, cutting me off, "Pray tell, why is that?"

"I have a... meeting of sorts... rendezvous... with an uh- an acquaintance... sort of..." my words become improper sentences, slowly turning into coy mumblings. We both become silent and I do double-take when I glance at Xiao. 

Xiao's POV

My complexion is either seeping with dread or completely pale as Y/n looks at me, distinctly surprised. Even I am surprised. I don't understand what she's talking about still. Actually, a fraction of myself has an idea of what it is but maybe I just don't want to accept it-

That isn't right. Y/n is not mine and never will be. She can do what she wishes which is also none of my concern. 

As composed as possible, I ask, "Y/n?" 

Her attention is instantaneously concentrated on my every word. My throat feels dry and a pit of coldness begins to envelop me. "Do... do you have...  a date?" The last word comes out bitterly as I speak to her. She stands, silent, until breaking away from my eye contact and responding meekly. 

"Yes,"

My breathing stops, a sense of pure desperation overtakes the concoction of thoughts and emotions circulating through my head. I've never felt this way before, it's as if I'm at the point of pure hopelessness, begging to be pulled out, begging for this to not be a reality.

And yet, it is. This is as real as the sun and moon, day and night, life and death. Just another part of my existence that is bound to occur, though it may be trying to fully accept. 

"Xiao-?" Y/n, begins

Hearing her only aids in the agony I'm trying to hold hidden beneath my laconic facade. "You can postpone our training... I understand... completely-"

The words, lifeless and cold, spill out of me unconsciously. "Have..." I suck in a breath and try to look unaffected as I make eye contact with her. She looks genuinely puzzled and remorseful but I ignore both and continue. "Have a lovely date Y/n."

And take off before she can respond because I know I can't just stand there.

I'm too great of a coward to face her now and after everything that just happened, not ever.

A/N: Please don't murder me for posting so late and breaking Xiao's heart ishqwoQEQWOPhiqwohqwohOHQWODGQ[D

Also, since this note is already here, I would like to put out a question rq about a second book. I think this fic will probably only have about 6 - 8 more chapters (I think-) so any ideas for a second book?

Thank you if you do make a suggestion or write down an idea ^^