The Flame That Burns Eternal (xiao x female yaksha reader)

~CHAPTER 5- Liar."~

I'm still sitting on the window sill, my head in my hands, when I hear the door knob rattle. I had it locked, but I heave myself up off of the windowsill to leave. Just then, I notice my daggers laying on my bed. I teleport over to the bed, land in crouch, grab them and clip them on my hips, and unlock the door. I see it begin to open as I fade away. I land on hard tile, and dig my fingernails into the clay. I've teleported to the roof of Wangshu, somewhere I hope I won't be disturbed. Every bone in my body hurts, and I feel my karmic binds threatening to drag me down to ground. I can feel that my strength is almost sapped. I haul myself up the tree trunk, and I know I'm exhausted when I collapse the second  I reach a thick bough; onto my back.

I droop my legs and arms off the branch, letting them dangle is I stare up at the leaves and stars. I'm angry at myself for being exhausted, but I think it's mostly emotional. I fear what will happen if I were to continue. So for now, I lay down and listen to the hustle and bustle of the Inn below. I find myself wishing Xiao were here. I can imagine it would do both of us some good to talk. However I don't want to pressure him to talk if he's not ready. I hear feet clicking along the tile below, and Verr's voice saying, "I have no clue where she is, only that she met with Zhongli early this morning. I'm about to shut the Inn down for the night."
Then I drift off, to the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves above.

When I wake, it's still very dark,  and I'm still very tired. I hope nothing is wrong, because Yakshas don't really sleep. I'm still on my back, staring up at the stars, absent mindedly swirling a bit of flame in my hand, when the light reflects off of something. Specifically, eyes.
More specifically, eyes I would know anywhere.

"Xiao." I hiss, closing my fist around the flame in my hand, so I can see him, perched on a higher branch, basked in the moonlight.
"Are you watching me rest?"
"You mean sleep?"
"Impossible, yakshas don't sleep." I whisper harshly. Only as our eyes meet, do I notice a dark liquid, washed of color in the light of the moon, dripping down his arm. I jolt up, pushing myself so I'm straddling the bough, now craning my neck to look up at him.

"Are you bleeding?"

He stops meeting my eyes and looks away.

"No."

"Liar."

I clamber up the branches, silently thrilled he doesn't teleport away as I stand on the base of his branch.

"Cmere."

"Absolutely not." He remains seated, his chin propped on his knee with the other leg dangling over the edge.

He looks paler than normal, but I can't tell whether it's just the moonlight, seeing me, or
blood loss. Or maybe a combination. I sigh, and teleport to the medic station, which is closed, so I don't have to worry about being seen. I grab bandages and some herbs from the basket, and leave a stack of mora in the empty space. Flashing back to Xiao, I fade into vision to the left of him, on his injured arm's side.

He flinches away.
"I said absolutely not."
I scoot closer, and gently grab ahold of his arm. He whips his head to glare at me, and I hold up the roll of bandages.
"I don't want you bleeding out all over the Inn. Bad for business you know."
He rolls his eyes, but stops trying to pull his arm away. I rip the bandages with my teeth while I examine the wound on his arm. We don't speak, even though I would like too. It feels like there's so much to tell him, but, I stay quiet as I dab at the wound.
As I wind the bandage around his arm, I can feel his eyes on me, however, I don't look up. I don't know why. I wonder if he remembers before Morax saved us. I'm sure he does. Maybe that's why he hates me. (oooh shared traumatic backstory trope?!?!)

I eye the scars on his back, identical to my own, and know with certainty that he remembers.

"Indarias." He says, his voice low and soft.
My head shoots up, jolted out of my thoughts.
"I can't feel my arm."
I glance down at what I was doing and choke out a laugh. Lost in my thoughts, I wrapped like 50 layers of the bandages around his arm. No wonder it was going numb.
"Tourniquet?" I joke, beginning to unwind some of the layers, my hair occasionally brushing his hair as I do so. When I'm done, I rip off the edge with my teeth and tie it. Xiao was gazing at the sky, but he looks down at his arm before meeting my eyes.
"Ind-"
"Well, you're welcome, I should probably go-" I stand up abruptly, cutting him off. I turn, not sure how much more of this I can take. I could cut the tension in the air with a dagger.
I take a step, and feel a light pressure on my arm. I glance back, and see Xiao is on his feet, his hand on my arm and I shiver.
"You don't have to go." He says simply.
I hesitate, if I'm being honest, my thoughts are completely jumbled.
But I say, "Okay."
And he tugs me to sit beside him, before letting go. As I settle myself on the bough, making sure I won't fall off, he's watching the sky.
I'm not quite sure how I ended up here, but I tilt my head and do the same.