Fugitive of Inazuma (Genshin Impact)

❀ XIV ❀

Izanami regained consciousness a few hours later. She sat up, pressing a hand against her forehead. Her vision was slightly blurry, but it cleared up once she blinked away the haze. Looking around the room, she spotted Xiao tucked in the corner of the room. His head was reclined against the wall and his eyes were closed. She saw the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

Climbing out from underneath the covers, Izanami quietly crawled over to the sleeping adeptus. She sat in front of him on her knees. She slowly reached out to place her hands on his cheeks but froze when she heard him speak.

"What are you doing?" Xiao asked as his eyes slid open.

Izanami felt the fur on her tail and ears stand up at the sound of his husky, half-asleep voice. "I was just checking on you."

"That does not require you to touch me."

Her ears flattened against the top of her head as she scowled at him. "Someone's moody..." She lowered her hands and slapped them against her thighs. "Come find me once you're in a better mood."

Xiao reacted quickly. He grabbed her hands with his and kept her from leaving. "Stay."

Izanami gazed into his golden eyes at his softer, gentler tone. She knew he sometimes came across as rude because of the tone of voice he used. That would be something she could help him work on. In the meantime, she would continue to help him with emotions and understanding human traditions. "You know, you can go back to sleep. I can even pull out a spare futon for you if you'd like."

"No." Xiao tugged on her hands. He caused her to lose her balance and fall directly on him.

The girl's face collided with his chest. She felt his left arm snake around her waist as his right trailed up her spine to come and rest on her upper back. Goosebumps littered her arms and legs when his right hand left her back and crawled upward to rest on the back of her head. The moment she felt his fingers beginning to massage her scalp, she slumped against him. She nuzzled her nose against his chest as her eyes fluttered shut. A hum of content slipped from her slightly parted lips. Her ears lowered and laid flat against the top of her head while her tail curled around his right ankle. She truly was enjoying the moment.

Xiao leaned forward. He rested his chin on top of her head between her ears. The one ear tucked under his chin brushed against his skin. He was always in awe at how soft her ears were. No wonder why he would often try to touch them. Of course, he was able to restrain himself most of the time. There were only a handful of times he was unable to stop himself before touching her ears.

The adeptus was ripped from his thoughts at the sensation of fingers caressing his side. He tensed and squirmed at the ticklish sensation. He choked on the chuckle that threatened to erupt from his throat. With the hand he had around her waist, he grabbed the hand that was stroking his side. "What are you doing?"

"Touching you," Izanami innocently replied. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No, but it feels...strange."

This piqued Izanami's interest. A theory came to mind and she tested it by trailing her fingers along his side. She felt him squirm and try to move away from her touch. She snorted with laughter as her theory was confirmed. "You're ticklish~!" She used her free hand to tickle his other side with a cackle.

Xiao feebly glared at her as he grabbed her other hand. He now held them tightly in his. "Stop it."

"No way!" She broke free from him and scooted back. Once there was enough space between her and him, she took him by surprise. She grabbed his ankles and yanked him towards her. He fell on his back as he was dragged across the tatami towards her, eyes as wide as saucers. She giggled like a maniac when she released his ankles and straddled his waist. "I'm gonna abuse this newfound secret." Her hands shot to his sides and started tickling him.