Stay With Me~ |Xiaother|

What happened? (4)

At the same time in Liyue.

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(Back to the begining of Xiao's and Zhongli's talk)

Zhongli was sitting and drinking his tea when Xiao appeared.

"I'm here, what did you wanted to talk about?" Adeptus asked as he sat next to Morax. "It's about Childe" He replied while taking sip of his drink. A grimace appeared on Xiao's face. You could easily tell that he wasn't happy about he topic of their conversation. "What about this fucker?" He said as he growled angrily.

"Alatus we already talked about the way you should and shouldn't talk about people. Especially Childe." Zhongli answered unpleasant because of the words he heard from the young boy."It's not my fault. It wouldn't be that way if he wasn't so annoying and stupid." Yaksha tried to defend himself. Rex Lapis sighted. He knew that Xiao and Tartaglia weren't really fond of each other. It didn't change the fact he tried his best to make their relationship at least little better.

"How long to I have to keep it up?" Conqueror of Demons tried to end this unpleasant conversation. After what he heard he was sure the topic faster or later gonna go in this direction so he decided go get it over with as soon as he could."What do you mean?" Geo lord asked unsure of what Xiao was talking about.

"The act. It's so stupid, why do I have to do it in the first place?" Xiao said irritated."We need his help. Just put up with it for a little more, okay?" Morax replied as he started to understand what the boy meant."Need him? He's useless, what do you need him for?" He said without hesitation. "Useless or not it's for me to decide. Just follow the plan. It's almost done, just get a little closer to the traveler as we planned and the rest will go smoothly" Rex Lapis chuckled as he said it. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

Alatus started blankly at Zhongli for a while not knowing what to say. As the old man looked at him he continued "Let me remind you that it was you who asked for help in the first place."

"I asked for help from you, not from him..." Adeptus replied as he looked away. Knowing really well he was defeated."It's not about liking him or not." Morax said as he put his cup down on the table. "So far he helped really much, don't you think? I mean look how close are you to Traveler. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"But-" Xiao tried to said something as he was cut by Geo lord. "Remember that if it wasn't for him you probably would see Aether once in 3 months at best" Said Morax as he looked the boy straight in the eyes. "He helped you so you should at lest show him some respect. Don't you agree?"

"I guess you're right..." Said Yaksha clearly not happy. Zhongli smiled as he finally persuaded Xiao to cooperate with Childe. "Now then say how have thing going so far with your beloved?" Rex Lapis laughed when he saw Alatus face turning as red as tomato. "It's oka-" Boy was about to reply

-BANG-

Some loud noise interrupted him leaving Xiao and Zhongli surprised and confused. The sound was similar to the one that you hear when someone drops a plate.

Alatus shook his head and immediately rushed to see what happened. He looked around but saw nothing. As he was about to go back he's attention was cought by a ruined box lying on the floor. The smell that was around it was oddly familiar. He knelled down to see exactly what it was then he saw it. Almond tofu? Adeptus thought to himself, he could tell as he smelled it from closer distance. But what was it doing here? He questioned himself. He opened the box and saw a mess of Almond tofu and crushed plate mixed together. And a spoon... It was well know to the boy but he didn't know why. After some thinking he realized why it looked so familiar. Every time Aether made him this meal he would bring that spoon as well.

 Xiao found out who made it but he didn't understand why was it there lying on the floor ruined instead of being given to him by the blond boy as usual. Did something bad happened? He questioned himself when somebody laid hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Zhongli with mixed face.

"What's going on? And what is all this mess?" He asked surprised."I don't know..." Conqueror of Demons replied as he looked Morax in the eyes. He had felling that he misses something but he didn't know what. Then that thought crossed his mind. Aether must have been here not too long ago but why didn't he come and greeted them as usual?

Seeing this uneasy and confused look on Xiao's face made Morax wonder what he was thinking."Do I need to know about something?" He asked with hope that he could help."I-...Aether was there...but..I don't understand why...he...thrown it instead of giving it to me as usual..." You could tell by the expression made by Xiao that he was truly worried of what must have happened for Traveler to act that way.

No matter how both of them thought of it there was no way they could figure out what happened. Zhongli gave Adeptus this look that told him they needed help. Rex Lalpiz got up and go downstairs as the dark haired boy followed them. They stopped if front of the desk where Verr Goldet stranded. When she saw them her expression frowned. She didn't look happy to see them at all. Both of the boys could tell that she wasn't happy about them being here but they didn't understand why.

"Excuse me, did you perhaps saw small blond boy around there?" Zhongli asked. At first she didn't answered. She just keep doing what she was before they got here. After a while she looked at them with unpleasant expression and sighed heavily."Why do you ask?" She replied with question. It was clear she knew something but didn't want to say it.

"We are afraid that something bad might have happened to him." Xiao said with annoyed voice as he was getting more and more nervous."Hmp! So now you care?" She glared at dark haired boy." What do you mean?" Morax asked confused."What I mean? Why don't you ask Conqueror of Demons as to why did Aether ran out of there as he wiped his tears out of his face!?" She yelled the last part as she got closer to Alatus with furious look on her face.

"What are you talking about? This Yaksha was all the time with me as we heard some strange noise and figured out that it was made by Traveler. We wanted to know what has happened to him." Geo lord said with straight face. At that moment both Verr and the Adeptus looked shocked as they didn't know what was happening right now."But he was going to meet Xiao. I saw it with my own eyes as he went upstairs with smile from ear to ear." Verr said not believing what has she just heard. "If it wasn't you who made him cry then who was it?"

"We also would like to know answer for that question." Said Xiao as he got more suspicious of what might have happened."Wait..." Said suddenly Zhongli as his eyebrows flinched taking everyone's attention."He went toward balcony to where we were?" He asked as the look on his face got more serious.

"Yeah" The girl replied not knowing what the man was thinking about."Is there chance for him to hear our conversation?" Zhongli asked. Now he was looking Verr straight in her eyes."I guess he could" She answered.

That's not good. Morax though to himself."Do you perhaps know with way did he run off to?" Rex Lapis hoped this would get both of them closer to the blondie."No sorry" Girl said as she looked back at Xiao. He was standing here not saying anything. It was as if he was statue. His expression didn't change ever for one moment after he heard of Aether running away from here while crying.

"×!@°"

"XIAO!" This time Morax yelled."Oh...sorry I didn't hear you." Yaksha said as he looked on Zhongli's face."Come on, we don't have time. The faster we find him the better." Geo lord said as he headed towards exit.Not long after him the Adeptus went out of that place as well.

"Any idea where he could go?" Morax asked boy with dark hair."The only place that comes to my mind is his room" Alatus said.

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- 1435 words