TURBULENT / XIAOVEN

eleven

authors note: AYO??? EARLY UPDATE LETS GOOO!!!

anyways some very #slay news: i got a job so hopefully ill be able to still update as much as i want to but also yay!! money!!

also one of my friends said they missed my "artsy writing" style which ive never written for genshin in, it's like a writing style that i write idv solely in (it's all on ao3 btw if ur curious teehee self promo) anyway this fic is me trying it out for this fic <3 its not that different from my usual its just very much more obvious with the tones of this fic LOL so enjoy everyones sentences literally just being like "DESPITE EVERYTHING IT'S ABOUT LOVE!!!! EVERYTHING!!!"

ALSO THIS CHAPTER IS SHORTER THAN USUAL BUT ITS ALSO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SO.... pay attention >:)

cws: cigarettes, implied sibling abuse, talk of m/rder and uh blood! enjoy!

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looking inside the inn, it felt like a dream. it was so empty and even though none of them had many possessions, it felt so odd to see the inn so lifeless. it felt as if a stranger was looking into their home, which zhongli practically was. he had only been there for a few days at most but even then, this empty inn felt like a dream. 

zhongli sat on the edge of the staircase outside of the inn, overlooking the lovely view. the moon shone against the dark night and the dark waters across the inn. 

he sighed as footsteps came from behind him and came to a stop beside him. zhongli looked up to see xiao standing in sweatpants and a muscle shirt. zhongli wouldn't say this aloud but this moment is possibly the most calm he's seen xiao in, well, years. 

xiao sits down slowly beside the older man as he pulls something out from his pocket. zhongli looks to his side and xiao pulls out a cigarette. 

"xiao, come on." zhongli groans. 

xiao frowns, furrowing his eyebrows, "what? it's the last day here, i think i can smoke here comfortably, for once."

"think about what mom would say," zhongli says as he lays back on his forearms, glancing over at xiao who's lit the cigar. 

xiao laughs, "she'd probably say something like, oh there you go again, jinpeng. ruining your body like always."

zhongli frowns at the usage of his deadname, "she still uses that name?" 

xiao inhales before exhaling the smoke, "of course she does." 

"i would kill her for you. you know, if you let me."

xiao rolls his eyes and zhongli speaks again, "i'm being serious! she really does not like you." 

xiao shrugs as he takes the cigar out from his mouth and holds it between his fingers, "she hasn't liked me since dad died, you know that?  didn't wanna help me since i was the one who found him… like that." 

zhongli scoffs, "you're fucking with me. you were just a kid, she cannot be serious." 

xiao shrugs as he takes another drag from his cigarette. it's quiet between the two because they know for a fact that yes, he is serious. their mom is the same and nothing has changed since zhongli left.