Erison

Labour

Lynette. That was her name. He heard it when she quietly said his room didn't smell nice, and Lyney very loudly called her out for it.

She went to the bathroom shortly after, but that was just a lie to get away.

Lyeny smiled at Xiao gently, Xiao often forgot what it was like to be smiled at. Nowadays he didn't know how to respond, he wondered if he ever did.

Xiao didn't know how to smile back, so he just avoided looking at Lyney. He didn't need to worry about being socially awkward around Freminet however, as they seemed to be about equal when it came to who could avoid the other's gaze the best.

"I like your room, Xiao. It's huge."

"Uh, yeah, thanks."

As much as Lyney tried to be polite, he still couldn't hide the frown that danced across his face because of Xiao's lacklustre response. Freminet watched the interaction quietly, eyes moving back and forth, and it only made Xiao feel more uncomfortable.

There was silence. Not the good kind that Xiao enjoyed atop Wangshu Inn at dusk. The awkward kind when you prayed someone would claw their nails against a chalkboard just to break it. It was deafening.

Lyney gently sat down, he grimaced as he did so. Xiao knew his bed was hard and uncomfortable, but compared to the floor it was luxurious. Lyney did not share his opinion. "You sleep on this?" He frowned.

"Sometimes, I suppose,"

Sleep wasn't exactly the word. Childe only let Xiao sleep on the bed in two situations. 1 he finished all his research and writing, and if that was the case it usually meant he ended up passing out onto the bed as opposed to genuinely sleeping, or 2 Chidle had a guest of importance coming over, and he needed Xiao to look like he hadn't just crawled out a grave.

Again, silence plagued the room like a leaking tap that just combusted and sprayed water everywhere, making everything wet and uncomfortable.

"So, what do you usually do for fun in Second Liyue?"

Fun? Archons, how was Xiao supposed to answer this? Childe didn't allow fun, the most fun he had all week was not having his hair half-ripped off. Sometimes he read, but that wasn't for pleasure, that was because was the future emperor, no, Archon of Liyue and he needed to learn these things.

"I suppose, I like sitting in the imperial garden and resting," Xiao answered, but his tone sounded like he was asking a question. Lyney paused.

"What, do you not have friends?" It was teasing, it was supposed to be at least, but it was true. Xiao didn't have friends, the last friends he had were long gone and forgotten. Lyney was quick to realize the error of his ways. his once sweet smile rotted away in turn for a closed mouth, locking his tongue away behind his teeth and lips like an extra secure prison chamber. "Plenty of people don't have friends, and it's totally okay!" He said hastily "LIke Freminet!"

Freminet blinked and his face grew a pout; as if it somehow already wasn't constantly melancholy already. Lyney playfully shoved him. "Yes, well, it's sort of true, Fremi."

Freminet's pout flourished to a true frown. "Aha- Xiao, do you have anything you wanna do? Any good places in the city?"

Xiao froze up. He hadn't been in the city since Childe made him eat that thing . "Ah, I don't really get out much." He admitted, luring a sharp groan from Lyney.

"I know you're the prince and all," crown prince Xiao corrected in his mind, Childe hit Xiao whenever he said just prince. "But even lady Furina knows where good entertainment is."