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The first time Morax met Alatus, the latter was no more than a puppet strung on the strings his former master cruelly placed upon him. Soulless were the yaksha’s eyes, that yearned for death to cease his own bloodshed — but despite Morax’s reigning count over the burials he made for his defeated foes, he chose not to send Alatus to lay where dead bones were.
Instead, Morax had spared Alatus’s life, and given him the name ‘ Xiao ’ to use for his own protection. Had Morax regarded Alatus as his foes amid the Archon War, Xiao would not have been given a second chance to live a newly liberated life. Though a complete brute the Geo Archon was, he knew to tell foes apart. And that Alatus was a name widely known across Liyue’s region for his merciless bloodspill of innocent blood, the terror he was capable of casting upon various other archons once his mask was donned and ah, of course — his forced servitude to his former master.
Alas, those tales that spread across the lands would remain attached to Alatus’s name, to be feared and conquered. Even while not comprehending the intricacies of humanity, Morax knew it was a life that would lead to another pit of pain and suffering.
Instead, and along with Guizhong, Xiao accompanied Morax in his continual advancement within the Archon war as an ally. True to Alatus’s name, Xiao’s recruitment drastically decreased the death count on their side whilst Morax continued to crush enemies with his bare fists as though they were naught but flies. Now if only their other allies learned not to fear Xiao when he had to reveal the Bane of Evil on his face.
“Is this a wise choice?” Guizhong wondered with her lips, sitting underneath a large willowy tree under the sunlight. “Having Xiao fight for our cause.”
Confused, Morax turned his attention away from the glaze lilies around her and folded his arms across his chest. “That was his choice, was it not ?”
“Yes, of course. But what will it do to his soul? The yaksha had undergone so much suffering, and by throwing himself into another war, he might not know how to look for peace.”
Pursing his lips, Morax attempted to decipher the complexity behind Guizhong’s observation. There were no more tyrants that would hold Xiao’s freedom above his head, no more strings attached to the yaksha. Surely this was peace as much as it was liberation? As far as Morax was concerned, he also never once pushed Xiao to do anything that was against his comfort. He always asked before leading his allies into the fray.
Knowing Morax’s bumbling thoughts, Guizhong merely chuckled softly. Ah, though wisdom and understanding humanity were not Morax’s strongest suit, there was an innate know within the Geo Archon that prompted him to act fairly and justly. It was because of that quality, which compelled Guizhong to place her faith in Morax and lay herself as his ally.
If only she knew what was coming next.
Morax had left her side then, strolling towards the yaksha who was busying himself with his own thoughts. Always, he would plant himself on the tip of a cliff, watching the horizon for hours. At times, Morax wondered what could be so interesting about staring off into nothing that Xiao would rather go at it than to perhaps move himself elsewhere to enjoy new sights.
And then, there was another part of him that wished to find out what would happen if he were to wave a piece of string in front of the yaksha’s blank expression
But that was for another time to satisfy an idle curiosity, of course.
“Xiao,” Morax greeted once he reached the yaksha’s side.
“Morax,” Xiao responded curtly. “Is there anything you wish of me?”
“I simply wished to know, if by fighting at my side, is harming you,” were the following words that spilled from the Geo Archon’s mouth, without beating around the bush.
Furrowing his brows, Xiao deeply wondered what may have prompted this odd discussion. “No. Have I done anything that has given rise to such a notion?”
“Not in particular. I suppose it is not something that can be easily seen,” Morax mumbled the last statement to himself, trying to figure out Guizhong’s puzzling observation. Of all people, Guizhong rarely made mistakes on her own perspectives. “If fighting this war is causing you harm, I wish for you to leave. This is, after all, quite an unhealthy habit.”
“What ?”
Perhaps it was the bluntness of it spoken that caused Xiao to reel back in shock. His golden eyes widened, his throat feeling parched all of a sudden. Words would not leave him, and he could only helplessly stare at Morax’s towering, displeased stature. At this moment, the yaksha was desperately struggling in his own mind over what the hell this conversation was .
Guizhong, whom had overheard the conversation, was already making her way over promptly and smacked Morax over the head with a branch.
“I’m sorry. This was my fault. Please, do not take it seriously,” Guizhong apologized to Xiao, before grabbing Morax by the wrist and dragging him back to the willowy tree.
Morax, utterly kept in the dark of Guizhong’s thoughts, had his brows pinched forward, as mild irritation grew from his supposed failure to rectify the situation. “I fail to understand. I thought you wished to settle Xiao’s predicament?”
“Not like that. This is a very delicate subject and … you cannot just blurt it out that way. You may end up trampling over his feelings,” Guizhong explained gently.
“That way? Trampling? What are you talking about?”
She felt as though she might be teaching Morax a second language, which she did not mind, of course, but these things do take time. First of all, she had to undo the damage that Morax might have done to the confused, and possibly hurt yaksha. Rubbing Morax’s arm, she dropped her tone into a soothing timbre.
“I will explain it to you later, after I talk to Xiao, alright? Meanwhile, can you gather some noctilucous jade for me? And pick carefully, I will know,” Guizhong warned.
Before Morax could ask any further, she had long turned her back to him and lifted her dress to trek upon the slope to get back to where Xiao remained standing. As Morax lingered, he caught the haunted look in Xiao’s eyes and felt that perhaps, he had been acting very unfairly.
The heart was a difficult puzzle, wasn't it?
It was since then when Morax began to understand the hidden darkness in Xiao’s heart. Even when one was physically freed from his master, there would always be a part of him that was still held hostage by the deceased tyrant. Such wounds could be exacerbated by careless words, and by Guizhong’s words, it could hurt more than a physical beatdown — which Morax was more inclined to disagree with but, to each her own.
Naturally, Morax also apologized for his actions, which Xiao did accept after the longest three minutes of pause. Perhaps, out of respect for his liberator than anything else. It was then when Morax sought to understand the yaksha better, so as to avoid wounding him with any further ignorance. Alas, Xiao's heart was not easy to penetrate, not even for Morax but considerably easier than for anyone else.
Over time, the Archon war descended to its peak. The outcomes of different wars spread across the Teyvat were unveiling themselves. Minor victories would soon cascade to an overwhelming victory, securing lands for the triumphant. As a result, the number of archons were also dwindling, and even the powerful ones sought for allies to replace their lost comrades and bolster their forces against a common enemy.
Much to Morax’s chagrin, he was the target of such proposed alliances, most more fearful of him than some. He much preferred to have allies that he could trust, even if they were weaker than average, but negotiations were to be had in the absence of exchanged blows.
“I will not demand you to defend us, but if you could lend one of your strongest allies, we can defeat the Archon of Mountains,” Osial, the Archon of Vortex, hinted. “I hear you have the Alatus among your midst.”
The implication, somehow, was putting Morax in a bad mood. What a blunt way to convey his intention to use the yaksha. His brow twitched only once, but he soon returned composure to his stature. “He is not my possession. He will accompany you if he agrees to,” Morax simply said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Then another reminder struck him. “But you will not extend your invitation under any deception, trickery or illusions of the sort,” Morax demanded.
Osial paused. “And should he choose to remain by my side during the remainder of this war and beyond?”
Morax stopped, considering his choices. For an unfathomable reason, the notion alone struck a chord in him, and caused a sizable constrict in his own chest. Surely Xiao would never … forget it. Nevertheless, he did not falter on his original promise. “If it is by his own choice.”
“Very well.”
Months passed ever since Xiao departed Morax’s side to assist the Archon of Vortex in his own wars and even then, Xiao had not returned. Morax kept himself to date of tidings around the region, spotting for any outcomes that might have spelled the yaksha’s demise.
However, the lack of possibility of such a thing happening only just occurred to him. Xiao always performed formidably in his own missions, felling enemies one after another, beyond striking considerable terror into their souls and willpower alike. Xiao was a fiend in all the body count he amassed, impressing even Morax himself. That the thought of Xiao losing never occurred to him, just as Morax never entertained the possibility of himself losing a fight.
It was deeply concerning, that it could happen at any time beyond his predictions and beliefs.
When news of Osial’s victories travelled across the lands, it was that Morax knew that something was amiss. The pressing weight upon his chest ever since his last negotiation with the archon, the sudden halt of letters that Guizhong had Xiao write to them so as to ascertain his well being. Suddenly, Morax felt like a true fool .
Grabbing his spear, Morax launched himself off the cliff in the Guili Plains, creating stone pedestals under his feet as he dashed across the skies. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, urging him to hasten towards the Archon of Vortex’s lair. And once Morax finally stood upon the division between land and sea, he bore witness to a singular vortex thrusted towards the skies. Within it, there was Xiao, trapped within its mighty, constricting hold while attempting to save himself from drowning within the swirling cage.
Rage built rapidly in his soul, but there was also fear that Morax had never experienced ever since his early years as a fledgling archon. How dare that damned — ! Instantly, he hurled himself towards the vortex and cracked the earth to impale the vortex above and underneath Xiao’s body with giant debris. Morax caught Xiao’s body before it hit the rock beneath and he searched the area to find the Archon of Vortex, sitting upon his newly made water thrones.
“What is the meaning of this?” Morax demanded.
“I gave him a choice. Join my side permanently, or embrace death,” Osial simply said.
No deception, no illusions. But what a true fool Morax had been. The damned archon dared evade a contract that was meant to protect Xiao, and it was by Morax’s own naivety that almost sent the yaksha to his death sentence. If Osial would have it, he might even have trapped Xiao in his underwater lair where while Xiao would still be kept alive, his life would be no better than the one he was liberated from.
Morax held Xiao’s smaller body closer to him tightly, so as to prevent the latter from falling, but also to keep him safe and far away from Osial. Never again, would that near murder scene be repeated. At the same time, Morax’s amber eyes glowed in a lethal desire to rob that wretched soul from Osial’s body to avenge the yaksha in his arms. Overwhelming rage, the violent talents from his warring years burst in full in the form of the crackling ground behind him. Rest assured that Morax will drag Osial’s fumbling, clawing body into the depths of hell.
As the land and sea clashed, the region trembled in tens of earthquakes for days. There was no room for a truce, the Archon of Vortex had crossed the line, and Osial will pay the price dearly.
When Xiao woke up, he found himself in the climax of the battle, and in Morax’s arms. For some reason, the Geo Archon had not thought to put Xiao down somewhere — or was it from a prediction that Osial might aim his efforts towards the unconscious yaksha while Morax was busied with at least two of its head.
Nevertheless, Xiao had pressed his hand against Morax’s chest, swiftly conveying his intention to join the battle regardless of his previous predicament. This was a war that Morax could not afford to split his attention between Osial and the yaksha in his arms. Osial might have been the weaker archon before, but after usurping a much wider area of lands under his control, he had amassed himself a formidable strength that surpassed his old. Together, the two of them brought down Osial after three days, putting an end to his reign over the lands he had taken.
Once the waves subsided, Morax landed on Mountain Tianheng with Xiao. Weariness was more present in Xiao's weakened body, but Morax himself had yet to spend a pant.
“Xiao,” Morax quickly addressed the yaksha once he turned to face him. He lifted his arm, touching Xiao’s damp cheek, relieved to find warmth in lieu of coldness. “I owe you an apology. My carelessness caused your predicament.”
Xiao held up a hand to dismiss him. “It wasn’t your fault. I chose to follow him, knowing of his possible treachery, to attempt finding out his plans for you. When he approached me, he showed signs of distrust.”
“That is a reckless decision,” Morax said, narrowing his eyes, not comprehending how Xiao weighed his priorities. “If I hadn’t come, you would have joined the ranks of death.”
“A miscalculation on my part. I apologize,” Xiao agreed. “But I had to know.”
“For my sake?”
Xiao paused, staring at Morax with the same canvas of blankness that rendered his expression painfully unreadable. “I simply do not wish to see you fall.”
Morax frowned, folding his arms across his chest, and perhaps sticking his chest out in pride. “That is quite a statement. Have I not proven my prowess through my victories? I would like to think that I barely require such concern.”
“Your victories are not earned alone. The allies that joined you during my absences were also Osial’s targets, even though they had always been neutral,” Xiao explained. “I managed to reach them ahead of Osial, and urged them to leave for the Guilli Plains.”
Morax stopped, and blinked. Pursing his lips tightly, he deeply contemplated on Xiao’s choice of action, and the true reasoning behind it. It was true that those new allies of his would have died if Osial reached them with an intent to kill, but it was highly unlikely that even then, Morax would be sorely defeated. After all, Morax and Xiao did double handedly defeat the reigning archon.
“You were saving them,” Morax concluded, lifting his hand to his own chin, as a tint of amusement found its way into his tone.
Xiao pressed his lips for a second, frowning, then shook his head. “You are overthinking this.”
Morax hummed, not believing Xiao for a second. “Sure I am.” Resting his arms by his side, Morax then narrowed his eyes at Xiao, sternly. “But, I do not wish for you to land yourself in such a predicament again. Next time, I would like to be consulted first.”
Upon that request, a brow raised on Xiao’s features, more intrigued than offended. “So … I have to receive your permission from now on?”
Morax opened his mouth to respond, but then took a pause upon realization of such implications. Would that not mean that he would be taking Xiao under his employ? Certainly, it was not his intention, he merely wished to … look out for an ally. That was it. He then coughed into his hand, to clear away muddled thoughts.
“Consultation is not an order. You are free to do as you wish, regardless of my words,” Morax reassured.
A flicker of uncertainty was apparent in Xiao’s amber eyes, and for a split second, the yaksha opened his mouth to speak — but closed his mouth instead as he debated with himself internally. It was by those observations that made Morax inclined his head to the side, wondering if there were any more pressing concerns that should have been spoken. After all, as terrifying as the Geo was known to be, Morax never felt as though Xiao feared him and Morax never treated Xiao in a way that demanded the yaksha’s subordination.
As Xiao’s gaze lingered upon the grass beneath their feet, he finally lifted his head after a few seconds and decided to abandon his thoughts from his lips. Saying nothing ... would be best for now.
“Understood,” Xiao said.
When they had gotten back, they were met with Guizhong’s questions and concerns. Their numbers increased following Xiao’s actions — but Morax still intended to bring along comrades that fought by his side into the frontlines of wars. Should the new allies choose to remain in their domains for their own safety, Morax would simply leave them be.
However, having Xiao back allowed the previous mental torment to leave Morax’s mind. The emptiness in his chest was also satiated by the yaksha’s presence, and also in knowing that his friend was safe. For a few times, Morax even joined Xiao in his own activity of simply staring at the endless sky. Reasons unknown to even himself, having Xiao near him brought a tranquility within him — and he guessed it might have been because of Xiao’s quiet nature.
“The last fight was rougher than before,” Xiao noted, settling down beside Morax after the Geo Archon received healing from his wounds.
“It was. Were you harmed?” Morax asked.
“No, I was not within the line of fire.”
There was relief in Morax’s chest. Perhaps he had been looking out for Xiao during the fight, but once that damned archon cut him off from the rest, he was unable to get a glimpse of the yaksha until he tore through the barrier. Fortunately, by the time their enemy was defeated, he found Xiao standing among corpses of monsters that were employed against them. It served to remind Morax of Xiao’s true strength, which brought him back to the question of why had he even bothered to fret before.
Perhaps he had gone slightly mad.
“Are you happy?” Morax found himself asking instead, choosing to shake himself away from these endless questions that popped into his head whenever Xiao was concerned. At least this one would be answered one way or another.
“I am not displeased,” was the best that Xiao could offer.
That was good enough, Morax supposed.
Letting out a small grunt, the Geo Archon reached over and pulled his tattered cloak over the both of them, startling Xiao for a short moment. The night was becoming chilly and he doubted Xiao’s bare arms would provide much comfort — even if the yaksha was known to have survived harsher conditions, it didn’t mean that he had to suffer it now.
“Sleep,” Morax mumbled, keeping his arm wrapped around Xiao’s frame in case the smaller immortal had any ideas about walking off to a cliff to stand himself to exhaustion again. “For a while. That is all I ask.”
Xiao seemed to mull over this request, before attempting to make himself as comfortable as he could against Morax’s much larger frame. “Hmph. Very well.”
Not before long, Guizhong came back to witness the two exhausted immortals having fallen asleep, side by side, with Xiao’s head relying on Morax’s taut arm for support. Though Morax had not realized it, Guizhong could tell that the thread between them was becoming shorter. From absences come a realization that each other’s presence were much preferred — and it was from there, the buds began to bloom under the innocence of such desires.
And without Morax’s knowing, he was also coming to learn about the intricacies of emotion that he once thought was beyond his learning, for the sake of keeping the vulnerable yaksha away from harm. With time, she guessed, Xiao would also come to begin letting himself heal from his scars as well.
News once more circulated around Teyvat of Osial’s demise. Without the Archon of Vortex and the previous warring archons which the former had claimed their lives, they were beginning to enter an era of a war’s conclusion. Battles were harder — as only victors remained standing upon the final trial, and subsequently, more allies and neutral parties were lost amid these gruelling times.
Guizhong was one of those lost to the hands of war, one of Morax’s longest and closest allies. He might even throw the towel and refer to themselves as friends . The pain was staggering, tenfold of the fresh scars he received upon his hard, powerful body. This was a wound that refused to heal, that would stay for more millennia to come unless his life could be forfeit before the world was to self-destruct. What use was an era of peace when Guizhong had still lived on during the height of the war?
He remembered her teachings clearly, her wisdom that soothed the battle-hardened heart of his into accepting humans under his protection. For a long time, his protectiveness only extended to his inner circle, finding that the weak should have gotten stronger if they did not wish to be eaten. But the vulnerable like Guizhong and Xiao had no such choice, not when a higher power existed that could rob away their freedom and lives without their permission.
It was during these times of grief when Morax found his own temper becoming short. Even his allies’ words were brief and concise, not willing to drag out a conversation that would touch upon sore spots. Xiao, on the other hand, was as listless as usual in his demeanor, only seeking to stand upon another high spot to look at another canvas of the endless horizon. Sometimes, Morax wondered if Xiao felt the same pain as he did.
“Alatus, was his name, was it not?” the Archon of Iron, another one seeking truce, snapped Morax out of his thoughts.
“What about it?” Morax asked boredly, though there was a hint of annoyance in his voice. The last time an archon asked about Xiao, he nearly sent his friend to a cruel fate.
“No, I just find him … beautiful.”
Morax raised a brow, then looked over to where Xiao stood. The smaller immortal always looked the same as he did when they first met, which had also given Morax ample time to judge and admire the yaksha's features. Certainly, Xiao was a beauty in his own right. His muscles were the results of his persistence in refusing death, his amber eyes held a piercing quality that would not simply kneel to anyone, despite what the yaksha had been through. Sometimes, Morax would even find those features softening before an ill-stricken child, before it was quickly replaced by a usual look of nonchalance. Though Xiao liked to act as though he cared naught of anyone who spoke to him, at times, Morax sensed a kindness within Xiao that he had not been able to grasp even after two millennia learning from Guizhong. The same spirit of generosity that Guizhong possessed, except perhaps diluted by the blood he shed and the darkness consuming his soul (even Morax, hated that he did not know how to save Xiao from that.)
Most of all, it was Xiao’s own firm, no-nonsense posture that boasted a breathtaking look of pride and confidence. The quietness of the yaksha could easily bring about serenity, yet once in battle, it morphed into an elegant, violent stream of endless assaults that could render a foe equally still. But if Morax had to name one quality he liked most out of the many, he would say that Xiao’s scorching temper was a sight to behold.
Then again, Morax was also curious as to how Xiao would look if he were to smile...
“They say beauty can be found in the void,” the other archon said, prompting Morax to blink in confusion. “I had not stumbled upon an immortal’s eyes that were so emptied of life. If he were to be motionless, I would have mistook him for a doll. But with dolls, there was a beauty found in perfection, even if empty inside, aching to be filled.”
There was a sick churn in Morax’s stomach with the way the archon talked. That was not … it was not Xiao at all, and to even suggest his intention to use Xiao's body for his own filthy delights, Morax was convinced that the Archon of Iron must have gotten tire of living. Growling, he whipped his head around and glowered. Nearly, he would splitter the stone table in half with his arm alone, just by the mere thought of Xiao, underneath this uncouth bonehead whom certainly did not deserve to even peek at Xiao's bare ankles on a windy day.
“I pray you do not intend to finish your crude observations. Stare elsewhere, if you are so bored,” Morax said in a low, threatening tone.
The Archon of Iron raised his hands in defense and quickly sought to amend his mistake. Who knew the all-powerful Morax and former puppet were this close? “I apologize, Morax. I meant no offense in my remarks.”
It was a fortunate thing the Archon of Iron would not continue his train of thought, otherwise Morax would have tossed his filthy mind, along with his body, into a furnace or boiling lava sitting behind a volcano.
Unfortunately, that was not the last time an archon would come seeking to him about Xiao. Though Morax himself had his own pursuers for a very mortal indulgence, those were easier for him to refuse unless they proved to be worthy and had stumbled on his lucky night.
Otherwise, six out of ten powerful archons were constantly attempting to speak with the yaksha through Morax. After knowing that Morax literally snapped the Archon of Vortex in half for attempting to drown Xiao, perhaps they wished to seek a reassurance that Morax would be more lenient over mere casual night stands. About half of them had the pure audacity to evade a discussion with Morax and went straight to Xiao, in which Morax would intervene before they disturbed his friend any further.
Morax would be damned if he would simply let Xiao fall into the sordid hands of archons that were akin to some shit quality noctilucous jade. On the other hand, Guizhong would have been proud that Morax learned how to pick out a precious quality among the damned weed growing around it.
“About Alatus —” another fool dared ask.
“Be quiet!” Morax snapped before any further words could form that question he knew all too well by the back of his mind. If they wanted to lay with Xiao, they had better come up with a better opening than a conversation, and actually possessed enough aptitude to keep themselves alive whilst Morax whipped out his spear and began creating meat skewers out of their meat. Or at least, for the love of the Archon war, own a degree of admirable quality and decency for Morax to even consider these halfwits worthy to befriend Xiao without a hidden agenda. Everyone of them simply found Xiao alluring for the most shallow and crude reasons and then, by Morax's predictions, would dump the yaksha once they were through with him. Did they think Xiao a tool for their worthless needs?
"Hey Morax, is that Alatus?"
By the Celestia, could they not leave an archon to grief in peace?!
One out of ten mighty archons would challenge Morax to a duel over a night with Xiao. Though Morax also suspected that it was their laughably brittle ego, unable to take a reality check, that led them to rushing into their own demise. Some simply had not learned how to take no for an answer, even if it was from Xiao himself.
After defeating the last archon in the region, Morax took a glance at the setting sun and sighed to himself. At this moment, only seven Archons remained at the aftermath of the war, and none of them were inclined to continue it with each other. As far as he knew, Barbatos, archon of the neighbouring region, were more interested in making friends.
That didn’t exclude Xiao, of course, but Morax learned to let Barbatos hang around — after an intense grilling session that convinced Morax that the Archon of Freedom was leaps above the despicable ones and only truly wished to become friends.
When did he become such a hardass anyway?
“Xiao, are you alright?” Morax asked as he landed before his loyal companion.
With a blank stare, Xiao nodded. “The last fight was tedious but I suspect we will have more to worry about in other matters.”
Looking over at the landscape, the Geo Archon was able to calculate roughly the collateral damage done to the lands. Not to mention that archons were truly immortal, and hence they may always arise in the form of other malicious forms, even if their consciousness and bodies had been destroyed. Should they be left to fester, the mortals inhabiting the lands would surely suffer and render the region unlivable.
“I suppose this is a new war for us,” Morax murmured, surprised at finding himself becoming weary of it. With time, he supposed, he would rise again to his former spirit for battles.
That topic was left for tomorrow to decide, considering there were more arrangements Morax had to make. Namely, more allies to bring upon these lands to ensure their durability against a new endless fight.
“Morax, may I ask you one matter that had existed in my mind?” Xiao asked.
“Of course.”
“This had not occurred to me until my … last conversations with several archons but…” Xiao lightly placed his finger under his chin, deep in thoughts. “Some made an expression that you desire to lay with me, underneath mortal sheets.”
If Morax was inhaling any substance, there was a certainty he would have spat it out, along with some rather unfortunate fumbling on his part. Nevertheless, his eyes widened at the crude suggestion and … he could not deny that there were — instances that with Xiao, he wished to partake in the same activities that involved an intimate touch of the flesh, which he had certainly made with other archons on a whim.
But it was not what he wanted. To simply lay with the yaksha and dismiss him the other day over an impulse. This was a desire that required further thought. As in, how Xiao might feel about it, boundaries and if there were any intentions to repeat …
Coughing into his hand, Morax waved a hand in a dismissal gesture. “Pay no mind to it. I do not wish to use you in the same way that they do.”
“How do you know that they had the same intention?”
“They may have approached me, sharing their intent,” Morax finally revealed, staring at Xiao’s narrowed eyes. Lowering his voice to a more gentle timbre, he sought to alleviate his friend’s anger. “I should have consulted you about this earlier. This was an error on my part.”
“You — nevermind.” Xiao exhaled a deep breath, shaking his head. “You had undergone much suffering as well. It would be unfair to demand a perfect response to your actions and ... I too had neglected to make an effort to approach you on your well-being.”
Bemusement fell on Morax’s features, as his jaws lightly slackened at Xiao’s words. Not once would he expect for Xiao to trouble himself over the Geo Archon, as Morax repeatedly reassured the yaksha before. Both of them were not as skilled as communicating as Guizhong was, and certainly not in a place to be licking each other’s wounds in the wake of their beloved friend’s death when they had their own.
“But if you wish to lay with me under the sheets,” Xiao continued, glancing at Morax from the corners of his eyes.
Morax’s expression turned troubled, defeated even by the mess those damned archons had left in the wake of their senseless babblings. “Over something you regret? Did I not make it clear that I have no intention of using you that way?”
“Ah, I see…”
Somehow, the perplexed and frustrated look on Xiao’s face spurred his mouth to act, to shed some truths before more misunderstandings bred. Morax reached his arm out, and grasped Xiao’s wrist. “Neither did I convey that I do not wish that. It would simply be wrong if I were to use you in that manner, specifically.”
Xiao canted his head to the side, his sharp eyes attempting to look for any further details on Morax’s face that could aid in resolving this issue he brought up. Perhaps Xiao should not even have begun this discussion? From the looks of it, Morax hadn’t given him a definite response and now that Xiao thought about it, it did seem … rather discourteous and strange to make such an offer out of the blue.
Morax was his saviour, after all, and Xiao wished not for Morax to assume he was simply making this offer out of obligation. Far from it — after being with Morax, Xiao learned the freedom to make one’s own choice and he had chosen to stay by Morax’s side till the end. The offer he made was also by his own decision after careful thought.
Everything up until now, it was his liberation that granted him to speak freely as he did, act freely as he did — and Morax was never a factor in his decision unless it involved anyone intending harm upon the Geo Archon.
“Before all that, I would court you properly,” Morax said decisively, causing Xiao's eyes to widen.
“ Court ?”
“If I have your permission.”
The surprised look on Xiao’s face slowly mellowed into a contemplative look. His lips were pursed, his gaze downcast. Even after all these times together, it would take time for him to fully comprehend the hidden meanings behind Morax’s words. He didn’t know whether to be amused or horrified by Morax’s sudden leap on the subject. It was true that Morax had several lovers at one time before, but Xiao had no such experience.
And Xiao never thought that he deserved to be on the receiving end of such a gesture.
“That seemed to be an act that promises a longer commitment,” Xiao said slowly.
“If I have anyone else in mind, it would be none other than yourself,” Morax promised, awkwardly turning their hands so that Xiao’s would lay on top of his. “I wish for you to be by my side, always.”
Xiao glanced up at Morax, feeling his own chest lighten at the words. “I would have remained, regardless of whether I have your heart,” he breathed out.
“Then allow me to offer you mine, not by a mere whim or your presence, but a simple wish for you to accept it if you are willing.”
Morax laid his hand against the back of Xiao’s head, carefully, ready to retract if Xiao ever showed signs of discomfort. When there was none, he reached his lips forward, and placed them upon the purple diamond mark on the yaksha’s forehead — with a tenderness that he never knew that he himself possessed. Closing his eyes, Xiao found the courage to rest his hands upon Morax’s arms, the same ones that protected him so many times even when Xiao had sworn silently, to himself, to become the archon’s guardian.
In time, Morax surmised, the both of them would stumble out from their own awkward messes and meet in a place where they could continue to be together.
That was all Morax wanted, at this moment.