Chapter Text
"I am immortal. You think you could seriously beat me?" The confident stance Scaramouche took as he crossed his arms and peered down on the male traveler. Defensively, Aether drew his sword. "It's futile. You're powerless against me." As electricity began to spark, the sounds of energy running from his hands rang throughout the area. Aether instinctively launched himself toward the purple-haired man, Scaramouche not hesitating to strike Aether, sending him flying across the platform.
Aether hit the ground with a thud. Regaining some of his strength, he stared at Scaramouche, thick blood dripping from his forehead. Weakly, he attempted to get off the ground, reaching for the sword he lost grip of after the attack. A scoff came out of the purple-haired man. "You must be a masochist to try to fight back again. Give up." Scaramouche kicked Aether down to the ground, causing the blonde to wince in pain, but little to Scaramouche's knowledge, Aether had him where he wanted him.
The sound of footsteps could be heard approaching, but as Scaramouche jerked his head to the noise, it was too late. "Die, Fatui!" The all too familiar red-haired man swung his sword, hitting Scaramouche like a truck in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. It didn't take much to send him flying off of the platform. "Damnit!" Scaramouche cursed.
The fall would be high, the harbinger had plenty of time to plan an escape route. His eyes moved in every area, rapidly searching and planning, that's when his eyes settled on a cave. This was the Dragonspine area; it would be cold, but not only would the cave hide him, but he could also warm-up and regain his strength.
With a flash, Scaramouche jolted, transforming himself into a ball of lightning before eventually shooting himself across the snowy terrain and into the cave. He practically crashed into the cave, still wheezing from the hit in the stomach. Sliding up his shirt, Scaramouche peered to check his wound. There was a gash where he was hit, blood oozed out, but not tremendously so. The short man searched his mind trying to figure out how this was even possible as he gently grazed his wound with his fingers. The pain was excruciating, causing him to curse under his breath. "It's been a long while since I've been seriously wounded." Scaramouche chuckled weakly, trying to wrack his mind around solutions.
With the state he was in, he couldn't fetch supplies to treat his wound on his own, and after cutting contact with the other harbingers, nobody knew where he was. Whatever weapon that tasteless winery owner had, it had to have been something specifically to injure archons and gods. How annoying.
If Scaramouche wanted to stay alive, he had to think fast. He has nobody and nowhere to go at the moment, what could he do? This is not the point where he's going to die. A pestering thought entered his mind. An old friend of his. Scaramouche scoffed. "No way." His mind went blank as he tried to think of other options. Where there any other options? Biting his lip, Scaramouche scrutinized his mind, searching for any other option. Nothing. That was the only option he could think of. It wasn't even absolute. What would happen if he called out and he didn't show?
Scaramouche groaned in annoyance before yelling out through the walls of the echoing cave. "Xiao!"
A flash of teal light flew by Scaramouche's eyes before the familiar Adeptus showed himself. "What's your inquiry?" Xiao asked robotically, clearly seeing Scaramouche's wounds. "Don't act like I had any other choice. I need a little favor. You can do that much, can't you, Adeptus?" Scaramouche mocked, silence stood between the two like a heavyweight of tension. A sigh left Xiao's mouth before he disappeared again. Not saying a word before he left. "You—" The venom left the purple-haired boy's tongue. "Damn you, Adeptus!" Scaramouche punched the ground beside him. Why did he even try? "You are useless." The injured man croaked.
Another flash flew before his eyes, exposing Xiao once more. This time, he brought herbs and bandages. "You're impatient, balladeer." Formalities between the two felt as if they were strangers again. "You're not the one dying here!" Scaramouche spat.
Kneeling beside the testy harbinger, Xiao gently raised his blood-stained shirt, being as delicate as he could be to treat the wound. The herbs that he brought were to prevent infection. After he applied the herbs, it came to wrap up the wound. "I'd recommend taking a deep breath."
"Who are you to give me orders?"
As if it were out of spite, Xiao snatched the bandages and wrapped them around the injury. Scaramouche groaned, glaring at Xiao. "You asked me to help you, did you not? That's simply what I'm doing. It's up to you to decide if you want my help."
Xiao finished patching up the wound on Scaramouche's stomach, standing up from off the dirt-covered ground. "I suppose you could take me to that inn you tend to lounge-" Scaramouche got cut off by Xiao picking him up, gently embracing the small, purple-haired boy in his arms. Within a blink, Scaramouche was at the Wangshu Inn.
Xiao placed Scaramouche on the bed, being sure to be gentle to not hurt the already injured boy. "You're like a loyal puppy, even after all this time, you do anything I say." Teasing Xiao, Scaramouche smirked at the Adeptus. Xiao's golden eyes flashed a glare at the Balladeer before he closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Would you prefer that I disobey you instead?"
"Perhaps, it would be more fun forcing you to do what I order rather than you doing so willingly. You're so eager to help, it bores me."
Xiao looked confused and disgusted at the harbinger. "Aw, c'mon. What's that face for, Adeptus? I jest. For the most part"
Xiao shook his head, moving one of his hands to pinch the bridge of his nose from his previously crossed arms. "If you don't require my assistance, then I am going to leave." The Adeptus turned to the door to leave, but Scaramouche reached out, grabbing Xiao's wrist. "We haven't seen each other for a while and you're so quick to flee? Little me all bedridden by myself? How cold." Scaramouche pouted, lightly tugging on Xiao's arm.
"Fine." Giving up, Xiao started to question why he even subjected himself to Scaramouche's tactics. Sitting on the edge of the bed next to Scaramouche, Xiao peered down on the boy who rested in the bed. His purple hair was slightly messy against the pillows, his purple eyes peered back into Xiao's golden ones. The edges of Scaramouche's eyes had a red lining to them, drawing out his color further. Scaramouche had a button nose and a soft, yet pointed jawline. He had a youthful look to him. The Liyue sunset contrast with Scaramouche's colors naturally, bringing out hue's on his face and hair that were plenty pleasing to look at.
"Someone's staring. Do you have a problem with my face, Adeptus?"
Snapping out of his wandering mind, Xiao jerked his head to turn away from Scaramouche, refusing eye contact. "I don't know what you'd want to talk about." Xiao avoided the question.
"I gave you a topic of conversation and you dodged the question. It's your fault we can't hold a conversation." Insult after insult. Scaramouche always found a way to instigate. Xiao ignored the injured boy. "Come on, Adeptus." Scaramouche pried.
Snapping his head back to Scaramouche, Xiao leaned slightly in. "The sun shines on your face in a pleasantly satisfying way." Xiao retorted. The harbinger seemed content with that answer, going as far as to smirk at Xiao's response. "How cute." He said, degradingly. "Once a dog, always a dog. You still have feelings for me, don't you? After all these years? What a loyal puppy." Xiao growled under his teeth. "Don't get ahead of yourself." The Adeptus grumbled, trying to calm himself down. Scaramouche was starting to rile him up. However, it was too late. The harbinger didn't hesitate to attack any kind of weakness he saw. Xiao's reaction only made him want to egg him on more.
"Bark for me, Adeptus. C'mon. I can practically see you wagging your tail already. What a good boy." In response to Scaramouche's ridicule, Xiao slammed his hand next to Scaramouche's head, trapping him underneath him on the bed. "Quiet, harbinger. You're starting to get on my nerves." Xiao warned, his golden glaring eyes glistening with anger as he stared into Scaramouche's violet eyes. "Woof! Woof! C'mon, it's not that hard. Maybe I'll reward you if you bark. Speak, boy. Your master is waiting." Xiao had just enough of Scaramouche's pestering.
Grabbing the purple-haired male's jaw, Xiao smashed his lips into Scaramouche, their lips colliding aggressively. His attempt to shut the teasing boy succeeded as their tongues intertwined. Scaramouche's hand reached up to Xiao's cheek, gently holding his face during their prolonged kiss. Small breaths between the two as they pulled apart only to return to each other like magnets. Between subtle sounds of the two making out and their hushed groans, Xiao cuffed both of Scaramouche's cheeks in an attempt to get him closer, to explore further in his mouth, but it was Scaramouche who took advantage of their closeness first. The Balladeer shoved his tongue down Xiao's throat, causing him to choke and instinctively pull back.
The two lied there for a second, both trying to catch their breath. Scaramouche was the first to break their silence. "Someone was hungry. Did your sexual frustrations finally get settled, puppy?" Xiao turned his head. "You're one to speak."