Work Text:
Oneshot
“No.”
A familiar voice cuts through my dream. Out of place in the odd room I’m in, reminiscent of my childhood ‘home’.
“I swear-“
Xiao.
“-you’ll pay!”
I jolt awake, suddenly realizing what was happening. Convincing Xiao to sleep was hard, but this was always harder.
“Useless!”
Convincing him to go back to sleep after his inevitable nightmares.
“Xiao?” I call out quietly in the dark room, and beckon for Lucie, my pet seelie, to move closer. The light is on the other side of the bed, and I need to wake Xiao up as peacefully as possible before I turn it on.
I shuffle under the blankets a bit, movement restricted by Xiao’s weight on top of them. He insists that sleeping leaves him vulnerable enough and that the blankets will only make it worse. I insist they make it more comfortable and that we’re quite safe at the inn. One step at a time, I suppose.
“Don’t you dare, you-!” His karma is spreading throughout the room, I can feel the energy trying to coerce me. I shake it off a bit before focusing again.
“Xiao, sweetheart, wake up.” He twists a bit more, clearly uncomfortable with his helplessness. A few more enraged half-threats and exclamations escape him as I slowly become more and more insistent in my effort to wake him.
“I said don’t-“
“Xiao!” I almost shout his name, one arm shaking his shoulder lightly. His eyes flash open and he quickly sits up, disoriented.
“Wha- I- When-“
“Xiao, it’s fine. You’re fine.” I slide my hand down his arm to his wrist, where I gently take hold of it.
“Karma… is everyone fine?” He doesn’t meet my eyes, he never does, but I can still see the worry on his face. I take a moment to evaluate the energies in the inn and find nothing outside the room out of place.
“They are. It’s just us who have to deal with it.”
“Me.”
“Us.” I offer that with a smile, as I always do. His eyes flick to mine and I see the appreciation in them before he looks away again.
“I’m not going back to sleep.”
“You are.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Xiao, you need sleep. Maybe not as much as a human, but as much as me at least. Just a couple hours a night.”
“I don’t need-“
“You agreed.” He stops, looking at me with a small amount of shock before his expression goes sour.
“I’ve already gotten a few hours, I’m awake.” I glance at the clock on the wall, it’s been barely an hour since we went to sleep. His eyes follow mine, and I see him reach the same conclusion. He opens his mouth to speak, no doubt to claim he doesn’t need sleep, but closes it when he looks at me again. He looks at the sheets, irritated. I focus again on getting him to relax.
“Why don’t you stay a little closer to me? Having a sleeping companion helps with peace of mind.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“It does. Don’t give me that look, it does!” I laugh a bit, he’s strangely childish in moments like these. Angry and confused, but still sweet. “My nightmares have all but vanished since we’ve started sleeping together. You’re a comfort to me.” His cheeks flush just a bit before he looks away, halfheartedly grumbling about my trusting nature. I just sigh and tug the blanket out from under him, holding his side of the bedding open.
“What are you doing?”
“Join me.”
“Under those? Absolutely not. They’re a hinderance.”
“They’re a comfort, Xiao. Join me.”
“What if we’re attacked?”
“We won’t be, and if we are then I can buy us more than enough time for you to get to your spear.” I glance at the weapon leaning against the nightstand. “It’s right there.”
“You don’t fight.”
“I won’t have to, now join me. Please?” I offer another soft smile at that, hoping he’ll cave.
And he does, sourly muttering something about a yaksha’s dignity and our disadvantage in an assault. I ignore it, instead deciding to tuck the blankets nicely around him before settling in and wrapping my arms around his torso.
“What are you doing?” His tone is bitter but without bite, as it often is in moments like these.
“Holding you, of course.”
“Why?” He sounds angry, but in the same way he always does. Halfheartedly and with a fearful curiosity bubbling beneath the surface.
“It should help you feel safer when you sleep. More, uh well, protected. I don’t know about yakshas, but I know humans prefer this when they need comfort.” He resumes his passive annoyance, shuffling and adjusting until he’s comfortable, still obviously dissatisfied by the circumstances. A few moments pass before he speaks again.
"I'm supposed to be protecting you." I glance down at him, grumpy and avoiding looking at me. I can’t help but crack a small smile.
"Even the greatest scholars need teaching, Xiao. Sometimes, even a yaksha will need protecting."
"I'm not supposed to need protecting." I feel his own grip around me tighten a bit, but whatever emotion he’s feeling is unclear to me. Uncertainty? Fear? Shame?
"It doesn't matter what you're supposed to need, it matters what you do need. And right now, you need someone to hold you. And tell you that's alright."
"I doubt that."
"But you feel better now?" His grip loosens again, and I feel tension leave his body as he properly relaxes.
". . . Yes."