Fugitive of Inazuma (Genshin Impact)

❀ I ❀

A/n: Picture above is of Izanami's attire. All credit goes to the beautiful artist! Hope you all enjoy this chapter! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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It had been two years since that fateful day. The nine-tailed fox, in her human form, stood on the top balcony of Wangshu Inn. Her ears laid flat against the top of her head as her tail hung limply. She was waiting for Xiao to return after he left to go slay demons.

During the first year after escaping Inazuma, Izanami became friends with Xiao. It was difficult to break down his walls, but she managed to wiggle her way into his heart. He tried to keep her a safe distance away from him because of his karmic debt, but she convinced him her darkness prevented her from being affected by his own. Because of the human souls attached to her being, the karmic debt couldn't touch her. She was the only person Xiao didn't have to worry about corrupting. Of course, it took him a few months to get used to her presence. Now, they were close friends.

Izanami became bored and huffed out a sigh. She decided to leave the balcony and wandered towards the kitchen. Smiley Yanxiao was cutting up some carrots and radishes. Her ears and tail perked up at the familiar scent of her favorite dish. "Is that crispy potato shrimp I smell?"

Yanxiao looked up with a smile. "You know it. I saw you standing on the balcony and thought you'd be hungry. So, I decided to make your favorite."

She wandered over to the oven with stars in her eyes. "It smells great as usual, Yanxiao! I can't believe such an amazing cook works here. You should be working in a five-star restaurant."

The cook chuckled. "You're too kind, Nami."

"I only speak the truth."

Once the crispy potato shrimp was done, Yanxiao served Izanami. She sat down at the table located in the back of the kitchen, her tail swishing back and forth as she ate the delicious food. She scarfed down her meal, mentally thanking Yanxiao over and over again.

Just as she was about to eat the last piece of potato shrimp, it was snatched off the plate. She gasped in horror, eyes darting to the suspect. "Hey!" She grabbed Xiao's wrist before he could eat her last potato shrimp. "That's my food you're about to eat."

Xiao eyed her with no emotion on his face. Instead of eating the potato shrimp, he placed it against her lips. "Here. I don't like this dish anyway."

Izanami ate the potato shrimp with a smile. "So good...!" Her tail flicked back and forth while her ears sprung to life. "I don't know what you don't like about potato shrimp, but they're amazing!"

Xiao was distracted by her ears. He outstretched his hands and gently grabbed her ears. He trailed his thumbs up and down the sides of her ears. Although he had his gloves on, he knew how soft her fur was. What he enjoyed more than touching her fur was watching the various expressions on her face. Even after two years, he was astonished by how expressive she was. She didn't let the darkness within her rule her life unlike him. She wasn't afraid of corrupting others, but he was. He was trying to learn from her how he could do the same.

The shinigami's cheeks turned bright red when Xiao started stroking her ears. Like her tail, they were sensitive. "H-Hey, stop that!"

The yaksha's hands froze. "Am I hurting you?"

"No, but... I-I'm ticklish..."

"My apologies." He removed his hands.

Izanami missed his touch. Her disappointment showed when her ears flattened against the top of her head. She wanted him to keep touching her, but she couldn't say that out loud.