"murder", he says | xiaoven x reader

chapter four

"come on xiao, why can't relaxing be part of your oh-so-knightly duties? you know morax begs you to rest." you're bickering with xiao again. cute bickering though- not so much like an old married couple. more like two brainless kids. the ones with slobber down their shirts, the sticky ones that smell vaguely of piss. those ones.

"liyue isn't going to combust into flames and crumble into the abyss as soon as you wiggle your toe over the border. so stop making excuses and come with mondstat to give me!"

"what if I just dont want to?" he crosses his arms and looks away from you. seemed extra moody today.

"then I'd say I think you're lying! tell me why n stop being a brat..." you huff and lay your head on his back.

"I simply see no purpose."

"fine, fine... I'll cancel our plans with barbatos... he's going to be upset you declined their plans they specifically made for you... UGH!!!..." you peek at xiao at the corner of your eye. his face is red from embarrassment and he's bitting his lip frowning.

a smirk pulls at the corners of his lips as he tries to hide it.

"well... I can't refuse a deity..."

"I can't believe you lied."

"I can't believe that you think I won't stoop that low. plus like I said, if I find them ill plan something! I haven't had contact for a good few years. he went to sleep for, like, 200 years"

xiao refused to wear more casual clothes. you didn't understand seeming as a sleeveless shirt didn't seem any better than a short sleeved shirt in regards of protection. honestly, his gloves and boots are the only thing that could be considered armor. you don't know what he's complaining about.

"i know, you don't have to say."

"right, sorry barbatos mega fan."

"I didn't mean it like that!- you know!-"

teasing xiao was fun. stupid little thing kicks rocks and sulks.

"stop sulking, c'mon were super close now." you take his hand and drag him on pass springvale, eventually meeting mondstats bridge. you hesitate for a moment.

"how long since you've been gone?" he asks.

"I departed to you less than a week after the archon war under my lords orders..." you sigh. "its changed so much..."

"...a week? ...but I met you two months after the archon war. what were you doing?" xiao probably thinks you were off with hookers and booze, or something.

"I totally got a bunch of booze and hookers!" you laugh. he sighs.

"come on then." you drag him into the city and he notes how he now wishes he changed his clothing from his intensely traditional liyuean clothing. as proud as he was of his ethnic background, he enjoyed sticking out a lot less.

he soon sighs after he realises that no one infact cares.

"it's a shame we couldn't come for windblume, but maybe another time. but you'll have to back me up on the cecelia being the windblume, okay xiao?" you smile brightly, fingers still intertwined with his. he raises a brow and hesitantly nods.

"come, let's go hunt down my lord." you jog off and look around at the new scenery of the familiar atmosphere. xiao walks after you.

you sigh. "even after doing activities together all day, I haven't sensed him once... where do you think he is xiao?" you look up at xiao sitting across from you.

"I dont know them well enough to think, I suppose... I only know him by the sounds of their flute."  he ponders. so cute. he genuinely wanted to help.

you light up slightly. "now that I think about it, I haven't heard any bards... but where do they usually go?"

"if you're looking for a bard, you'll find them in angels share." a voice pokes in, you look up to the server of the small outdoor restaurant you were both sat at.

"also, about your order... we don't serve 'almond tofu'" she politely smiles.

xiao closes his eyes and crosses his arms. "that's fine." ...is he tearing up?

"that's okay, thank you anyway. xiao come on" you take his hand again and start walking to the tavern you had passed previously. when close, xiao speaks up.

"I can hear his music..."

"that's weird. I don't sense them all too good." you walk in slowly and look around, the patrons were certainly... characters.

the music is stopped a moment before it starts again, and you look for the source. you walk up to a man next to the door with blonde hair playing the lyre.

surely this could not be your Lord... this middle aged man... six fingered jose... surely not...

you glance at xiao and the surrounding dread. this wasn't what he imaged a deity to be like, you guess.

"are you two okay?" barbatos asks, looking utterly confused at the two customers staring at him with tears in ones eyes, the other looking crushed. was his playing that bad?

"you don't recognise me?"

"no-"

"but I do... hic..." you turn.

oh, oh boy

yeah that's him

stupid little femboy in bloomers with stains on his shirt... he also seemed kind of sticky.

"my lord barbatos..."

"idis... its been so long..."

you and venti smile brightly at eachother, he checks around and drags you (and xiao) outside.

"let's stay out here. I can't have people finding out my identity- uhf!!!-"

you've hugged him ever so tightly, smiling and tearing up from joy. xiao stands politely- and undeniably a bit awkwardly- to the side.

"my lord! I underestimated just how much I've missed you!" you're sobbing heavily now, snot dripping out your nose.

"idis... me too!!! I regret sending you away so much! I just wanted you to have a friend whilst I was gone! I'm sorry!" he's sobbing too now, face hot from the alcohol he's ingested and drool pouring out his mouth.

xiao stared at the two hugging eachother tightly and sobbing their snotty, red faces off. he looks around at the people staring.

"you both shoul-" you drag him into a hug with you both.

"b-barbatos! this is xiao HIC- he's my boyfriend and, and I love him so much and I've protected him so good just like you ordered SOB!-" you're trying to talk through your sobs as your snot drops onto his shirt and ventis tears stain your own.

"thats- that's so sweet! I know j-jUst enough you are alatus! HIC thank you for protecting them- SOB"

"l-lord barbatos- y/n- perhaps it isn't appropriate for me to-"

"to hug?! I dont care if you're not an archon, let me hug you alatus!" venti cries. everyone's so emotional today.

"as- as you wish? I um... wanted to thank you for saving me with your music that day... I don't know if you knew you did-"

"I knew- HIC dont worry... SNIFFLE" he wipes his eyes, mouth and nose. "glad- glad it helped..."

"perhaps we should return to the hotel for our conversations privacy...