✧.* 𝒀𝒐𝒌𝒂𝒊 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒀𝒂𝒌𝒔𝒉𝒂 ᵍᵉⁿˢʰⁱⁿ

vi. conversational

This chapter is structured a bit weirdly. Rather than a regular telling of chronological events, this chapter is phrased as a series of conversations that can be read in any order.

༺♡༻

Xiao stayed in your room after he had bandaged your injuries. He surprised you with this. You'd assumed he would go back to whatever he was doing before you got back. Instead, he had seated himself on a chair next to your bed. Silent.

"… Xiao?" Your voice came out higher than you intended it to. "Are you alright?"

His arms were crossed over his chest, and he had slouched down some. An unreadable look had been plastered on his face. He didn't answer your question.

"Call for me next time."

You sat upright from your previous position. "What?"

"When you're in trouble next time. Call my name, I'll be there."

Your shocked expression faded into one of fondness. Though he'd be far from admitting it, Xiao tolerated you. Enough, at least, to promise you this. And somehow, as nice as it was, it made you frown. You shook your head.

"There'll be no need for that. I doubt I'll be in a situation I can't handle."

Xiao scoffed, perhaps at your arrogance. He stood, walking towards the door. But he turned back to you first. "I wasn't asking you," was all he said before he closed the door behind him.

༺♡༻

You sat out on the balcony the next evening. That day, Nailah had questioned your injuries; or rather, she questioned why you didn't heal yourself. You explained to her that while you weren't immune to your own healing, its minute effects on you weren't worth the energy you'd spend. She pulled a notepad—from where, you didn't ask—and took note of what you said. You weren't sure why she found it so curious.

Xiao hadn't spoken to you that day. It had not been unusual for him to be so silent, but the silence was not the same as it used to be. Rather than his awkward way of ignoring you—who went out of your way to talk to him—he seemed to now take some semblance of solace in your quiet company. On evenings where Liyue became blanketed in peace, the two of you sat together on the balcony. Neither said anything. You simply relished the company.

"Hey, have I told you thank you?"

You spoke, your tiny voice only slightly breaking the silence. Xiao cast you a glance. His brows furrowed, perplexity in his gaze. He gestured for you to elaborate.

"For bringing me here. It's clear you don't like people very much... and we didn't exactly have the best first impression."

Xiao scoffed. "I did nothing worth thanking. You *asked* me to help you."

"I asked you to make up for trying to kill me, and even then, I was more surprised that you actually did it."

"Were you?"

"I thought you'd leave as quickly as you came."

Xiao looked at you with a blank stare. You furrowed your brows. He looked at you like you said something strange.

"Is... there a problem?"

"I wouldn't do that."

You laughed, though you could tell that Xiao didn't find anything funny. "I know that now, silly! But when I didn't, I had to assume."

"Most people are better than to abandon someone in need."

Your face dropped ever so slightly. You hadn't realized the implications of your words. You didn't consider yourself so untrusting. But was it so, that you'd hardly ask for help because you knew that you'd be turned away from? When did that happen? This light conversation made you want to question yourself, but you quickly picked up your face with its usual smile.

"Haha, I guess in this case, you're more optimistic than I am!"

༺♡༻

"Have you ever tried other forms of tofu?"

You asked, watching as Xiao ate away at his plate of almond tofu. There was a hint of serenity on his otherwise blank expression. His gaze turned upwards to you as he took another bite of his food. He shook his head.

"I'll make one for you when the chef gets off," you determined, ignoring the way his eyebrows creased, the slight shift in his gaze.

Night fell, Smiley Yanxiao retreating to his home for the day. When this happened, you snuck into the kitchen. It was dark, the lights above having already been ceased. You didn't want to disturb any of the sleeping workers, so you fumbled your way through the dark. It became easier once you lit the stove, of course.

You brought your finished product up to the balcony, placing it on the table before stepping away as if you were luring out a cat. Within moments, Xiao appeared. He looked down at the plate of food, his head tilting to the side and his brows scrunching up.

"You made this?" He asked as he pulled out a seat and sat in it. You nodded eagerly, and his eyes seemed to soften as he looked down at the plate again.

"It's alright if you don't like it. I just wanted to try."

He cast you another glance before picking up the pair of chopsticks you graciously provided for him. You fiddled with your fingers, awaiting his critique like a chef watching a judge. Agonizingly slowly, Xiao picked up a piece of your dish and ate it.

"It's… not terrible."

"Wait, really?!"

༺♡༻

Once again, the two of you sat on the balcony in silence. It has grown into a sort of staple part of your day. As the sun descended into the horizon and the moon rose to take its place, you'd sit in serenity until you inevitably broke the silence. Today, unexpectedly, it was Xiao who spoke first.

"You are awfully insistent on trying to befriend me."

You hummed in question as you continued your embroidery. "Is that an issue?"

"Why?"

You paused, gently setting your work down. He watched your hands with great focus as they moved to hold your face. "You are fascinating, Xiao."

"Pardon?"

You snickered to yourself, finding humor in his voice in a way only you knew how. He let out a gentle sigh. To be able to understand him so incompletely, the thought made him squirm-ish. When you didn't elaborate, he scoffed, turning away from you.

"Your presence is not… comfortable. But neither is it unwelcome."