Chapter Text
Soft, barely perceptible footsteps tapping against the floor.
"Boo!"
Without as much as a flinch, Xiao looked back onto the unsurprising intruder, a young girl barely reaching his shoulders.
"Aww, no reaction." Hu Tao sighed, mouth curving into a pout. She was very cute kid, but Xiao kept his usual silence around mortals.
"The silent treatment, huh?" the young girl chirped again, inching closer. He noticed the smell of plum blossoms, mixed with the delicate fragrance of the silk flowers she was holding. Xiao looked away too quickly.
"What's wrong, Mr. Adeptus? You shy or something?"
A strong gust of wind suddenly blew and he disappeared just as quickly as it rose. Hu Tao barely had the time to hold her hat down before realizing what happened.
-_-_-_-
For the fifth time this month, Xiao was watching a certain young girl sleep. He developed a strange curiosity towards her particularities. Her name was Hu Tao, she inherited the responsibilities of director at the Wangsheng funeral parlor at a very young age, yet the burden of such rarely showing on her carefree face. She ate alone most of the time, would entertain herself with games for hours yet laughed the loudest of anyone in Liyue. When inflicted with boredom, Hu Tao would go harass either the undying child of Bubu Pharmacy or Rex Lapis' current form, a human by the name of Zhongli working as a consultant at the funeral parlor.
Despite the upmost respect Xiao had for the Geo archon, he found mildly amusing how the prime adeptus himself had trouble handling the human child, even after millennia of dealing with issues other adepti and even archons would be wary to tackle.
It eventually became a habit, for him to trail Hu Tao in his free time. He would try to catch glimpses of her dashing through Wangshu Inn to collect her beloved silk flowers or singing a hilichurl song she wrote near Wuwang Hill. Xiao was in constant pain due to the crushing weight of his karmic binds, yet he felt some sort of relief when watching her carefree self go on about her day. Maybe it had to do with that staff or hers that was used in the ancient times to purify evil miasma when wielded by a pyro vision holder of the Hu bloodline, information that Zhongli shared with him with a knowing look. Or maybe a part of him simply grew fond of the free-spirited nature of the young girl, sight very unlike most in Liyue who were bound by endless contracts, including himself.
Hu Tao noticed her mute stalker's presence soon enough. Despite many of her attempts to talk to him, he would disappear quicker than she had the chance to finish her sentence. Zhongli had the faintest smile when she brought it up, assured her Xiao was the last person who would ever bring her into harm’s way. She eventually grew accustomed to this situation, even leaving some extra food out for him at times. Most of the plates went untouched, except for one plate of Almond Tofu Xiangling made.
So, the Adeptus has a sweet tooth, the young girl pondered to herself amusedly.
One night, as Hu Tao's breathing steadied, Xiao quietly descended into her room. He observed the staff of Homa sitting next to a heavy desk that dampened his pain in her wake. The air was nice and quiet in the room. Xiao perused her shelves full of thick, heavy books. She was quite the literary genius, even though she spent most of her time pulling childish pranks. Caught up in his thoughts, Xiao didn't notice the young girl watching him, peaking through one eye, and taking into view his unfamiliar sight despite his continued presence around her for the past months.
She never quite got a good look at him, only glimpses and shadows from time to time if she was lucky. This night, Hu Tao got to see him just as clearly as when they first met. Beautiful was an understatement, there was something so otherworldly about him that paralyzed her, unable to look away. He looked just a bit older than she was, with cat like eyes but his too calm, precise movements that betrayed his youthful appearance. Xiao eventually noticed her gaze and headed quietly towards the balcony he entered from.
"Wait! "
He looked back ever so slightly. Her form was hidden under the comforter with only her head peeking out. Hu Tao sat up right when he stopped in his tracks, shivering in the cold of the night with her too thin nightdress exposing her arms and part of her chest.
"Go back to sleep." Xiao ordered, looking away and crossing his arms.
"How could I after you interrupted my beauty rest, Mr. Adeptus." She pouted, despite never been asleep in the first place.
He had no business finding that as endearing as he did.
"I heard that you eat people's dreams, is that true? I didn't prepare an offering this time so please don't eat my dreams!"
He contemplated her shivering form.
"It’s Xiao. And I don't do that anymore." He said, quietly closing the balcony door to stop the cold wind from blowing in.
His thoughts drifted to the numerous times he witnessed the young girl cry bitter tears in her sleep, contrasting heavily with the cheerful and carefree self he was used to seeing in her wake.
" Though I seldom still devour the bad ones." Xiao added, glancing back. She stopped shivering at least, content with observing him quietly. Her long hair pooled in dark puddles on the bed, undone from her signature twin tails.
Cute. He pushed that thought away quickly.
"Then help me get a good night's rest Xiao, that's the least you could do after disturbing a young maiden's beauty sleep." Hu Tao chirped, tapping at a wooden chair near the head of her bed.
For a mortal she sure had no reservations asking for things.
Xiao considered his options for a moment and eventually sat next to her. Her small form disappeared under the comforter again, only her bright eyes peeking out with curiosity.
"My grandpa used to tell me bedtime stories. Tell me a story about you!"
"That wouldn't be fitting for a human child."
Hu Tao blinked passively, observing him with her curious flower shaped irises.
"Then hold my hand until I fall asleep."
The nerve of this mortal. Xiao considered leaving, only to be stopped by his conscience reminding him that it hasn't even been a year since the young girl became orphaned.
The loss of loved ones was something he was familiar to, and being left to handle everything alone through the grief was something he could understand.
Closing his eyes, he offered his hand quietly. Her smaller hand was soft and plump and he could feel her warmth through the fabric of his gloved hand, dry and calloused underneath. She simply turned and smiled cheekily at him. It warmed his heart.
A peaceful silence settled in; two lonely souls finding solace in each other’s company. Hu Tao tried to stay awake for as long as possible but sleep gradually overcame her small frame.
He was gone like a fleeting dream the next morning, yet the chair next to her bed was still warm to the touch.