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When Xiao and Yanfei’s presence was gone from the air Ganyu felt a wave of fear.
At first she had jumped from her desk as her colleagues muttered in shock and questioning. Ignoring the questions directed at her Ganyu hurried out of the room. The papers she had been filling out diligently were left scattered and half done but Ganyu didn’t care. Running through the halls Ganyu was muttering to herself in panic.
When she burst through the doors to Ningguang’s office hair frazzled with a worried look on her face the tianqian immediately halted and sent the men she had been talking to away.
Ningguang’s brows were creased and she seemed to be thinking of a question to ask. However before ningguang could say anything Ganyu cut her off,
“Where are Xiao and Yanfei?” Surprised by the anxious yet worried filled tone ningguang could only stare at Ganyu in shock.
“I’m afraid I do not know the location of the conqueror of demons” ningguang started to say “however yanfei is investigating a case in the chasm from what I know.” Folding her arms in front of her ningguang couldn’t help but wonder why Ganyu was so frazzled.
Nodding to the tianqian Ganyu hurried out of the room, now heading towards the chasm. Qilin’s were creatures who could run swiftly through a field without even disturbing a blade of grass. Ganyu had been training her qilin side and as such she was much swifter.
Ganyu lept onto one of the roofs and began her way out of liyue harbor, the humans would only slow her down. When Ganyu had gotten out of the city she ran.
Spending no time on the hilichurls and other monsters all Ganyu could do was run.
When she finally got to the chasm her knees buckled under her. Cursing herself Tears ran down her face
Soon she was simply a heap on the ground, shoulders shaking from the weight of her sobs.
Ganyu had already lost lady guizhong, rex lapis and many others why now must the others crumble. Yanfei, the sweet girl she had watched grow up.
She had not only lost yanfei but xiao as well. The xiao who she fought with in the archon war, the one she most depended on. Xiao was always the strongest. If he had fallen did liyue have any hope, did she?
Ganyu sobbed for what felt like hours, knees pressed against the ground and shoulders hunched. It’s said, that qilin’s can run across a feild of grass without even disturbing one blade of the plant. However there was Ganyu sobbing in a field of dry grass, and the blades crunching under her. Ganyu sobbed untill her tears rolled onto the ground her woefulness freezing the tears.
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Watching the half qilin surrounded by frozen grass, his eyes flashed amber. Whatever could she be crying over? As he pondered a rushed prayer brushed across his mind, xiao. Morax grasped the prayer and solidified it in his mind, he could hear xiao’s hushed voice.
‘Morax, rex lapis’ the voice whispered ‘I found bosacius. It was a time bending realm and I’m afraid I may lose myself in it just as bosacius did. I have secured their success and life, yanfei, travler, the human yelan, and the two from inazuma. I will be lost, so goodbye. There is no longer any remaining yaksha’
All the time the prayer was being relayed to him rex lapis tracked down xiao with his mind.
Without his gnosis this would be a feat, hard but not impossible. Zhongli moved the rock in the chasm, the pit the yaksha was falling into.
Some say rocks change slowly through time, but earth could move quickly, it often did. So the rocks made way for xiao forcing him towards the surface.
Latching onto the dark karma covered ropes the lord of contracts finally got xiao all the way up to the surface.
He could handle it from here, amber eyes ceased to glow and he walked away. Let the qilin and yaksha fight alongside each other once again.
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The yakshas eyes snapped open, it had been a while since he had felt rex lapis’s presance. Looking up at the cliff where the presance was strongest. He sighed, nothing. He wasn’t there..
Xiao just stayed on the ground, dazed, so when the traveler approached him he was still quite dazed. Xiao looked at the travler, they were one of the reasons he found bosacius and even left the chasm. Xiao thanked the traveler, voice scratchy from all of the recent events.
“ thank you travler” he looked at them “I can finally feel at peace, I know what happened to bosacius. He and the others will stay golden and ingraved into my memories.” Xiao had felt unrest for many years now. The other yaksha, his family were dead.
After the rest of the pleasantries xiao bid all of them goodbye. The yaksha’s presence was no more, rex lapis’s presance was still here, the adepti were up in the mountains and Ganyu…
Where was Ganyu, he focused onto the image of her in his mind. Strong arms, kind eyes, her smile, xiao created a mental image of her, of the Ganyu he remembered. Ganyu wasn’t in the city where she normally would be. Ganyu wasn’t at work, no, she was somewhere else. She was nearby, he felt for her, the welcoming yet chilly air she usually held.
Gold eyes widened,ge sensed sorrow, grief, what was wrong? Who had hurt her. At this point xiao heard her whisper his name in a shuddering breath. He focused on that voice and pulled himself through the air to her. There were no enemies, just Ganyu crying in a circle of ice covered grass. He rushed to her, Ganyu wasn’t supposed to cry. She was kind sweet and emotional. The last time she had cried like this was when lady guizhong died.
Those eyes suddenly looked at him full of tears and wavering. Looking at xiao in disbelief she spoke voice filled with grief “Xiao? Where were you? You disappeared.”
Xiao lowered himself so he was sitting next to Ganyu. He simply said quietly
“I found Bosacius. He’s gone to madness, sorry for worrying you.” After a moment Ganyu hugged xiao.
“I’m so sorry.” He said again rubbing her back as she clutched onto him. Xiao was about to say more when she interrupted him
“I was worried xiao, your presence disappeared, I thought you died. I thought I was the only one left of us. However I understand. The thoughts of where Bosacius could be have been tormenting you for so long. What happened to him?”
Ganyu pulled away from the hug simply holding his hand and looking at him, ready to listen.
As he told the tale of how bosacius was lost he could see her reactions, Ganyu showed what she felt. He adored her for that. After he finished she just looked at him in understanding and they reached a comfortable silence.
Eventually they began to walk together, hand in hand, across liyue to the Temple of Pervases. There were fond memories and little stories of the yaksha shared between the two of them. When the green hill to the temple appeared they just looked at one another and made their way up. The temple was broken, yes but still a place full of memories, they leaned against Pervases’s statue, the smell of grilled tiger fish in the air.
“Hmm” Xiao mused “The traveler must have been here…”
Ganyu simply nodded and leaned against him. If it were anyone else leaning against him he would have growled and threatened them, but this was Ganyu. Xiao traced circles against Ganyu’s hand thinking fondly. Looking at her soft face with dried tear streaks he took off his glove and moved to rub the lines away.
Ganyu looked at him in surprise as he traced and rubbed out the traces of her sorrow. Archons xiao was most possibly the most important person in her life. She leaned into his touch feeling tears build up again. Xiao looked at her with a question apparent in his eyes she let out a sad laugh
“I’m not sad” Xiao furrowed his brow and just looked at her waiting for a more in depth explanation “I just really appreciate you. I don’t know what I would have done if you actually died. You mean so much to me.” Xiao just nodded gathering words to explain his thoughts
“ You mean a lot too me too, I-” he cleared his throat and looked at the ground “sorry words are harder for me to think of and I’m not sure how to explain my feelings. I do know I care for you so much. In fact you were one of the first ones I searched for after rex lapis helped me out of the chasm. I feel at peace. I suppose that even if yaksha’s are creatures of war I would give anything to have peace with you.”
Ganyu was smiling, a soft smile “ Thanks xiao, Don’t worry I’m pretty sure I got what you meant.”
Xiao’s eyes looked up at ganyu’s eyes, much like magnets being attracted to one another. They moved closer to one another, noses touching soft expressions on both of their faces. They stayed like that for a few seconds before xiao asked
“Ganyu? Could I kiss you?” A soft nod from the latter was all it took for their lips to interlock.
Their connection was sealed as they smiled and kissed moving back for air every now and then. Cheeks flushed with a satisfied expression on her face and kiss bruised and bitten lips Ganyu looked like a goddess. Xiao just moved towards her ear whispering
“You look divine Ganyu”
Ganyu’s cheeks now red, burned. As xiao came into her view yet again she initiated a kiss this time, with her arms linked around his neck their kiss deepened. Xiao wrapped one of his arms around her waist as they became even closer. The breaks for air were even shorter now. Ganyu wanted to stay like this forever so when xiao broke the kiss she looked at him with a longing expression. Arms still linked around his neck Ganyu just looked at those beautiful gold-green eyes. The eyes were looking at something or someone behind her. Turning to look behind her, her ears became red in embarrassment.
It was the traveler, Ganyu and xiao were just staring at the travler, embarrassment over being seen making out. This staring contest lasted for quite some time before Paimon’s voice pierced through the air
“Whhhhaaaaaaaatttt! Xiao, you and Ganyu?! How long have you been hiding this from paimon!”
Paimon stomped their feet in the air as the travler just looked at the floating pixie with exasperation on their face. Turning to xiao and Ganyu they began to sign
‘ignore flying bug’
Ganyu guessed that flying bug was referring to Paimon.
‘We were just going to drop off some supplies for the temples rebuilding’ the travler communicated.
Ganyu nodded and moved to stand up, xiao following quickly after.
Clearing her throat she looked at the travler, “I assume you two are the ones who left the food for Pervases?” Paimon nodded looking very pleased by themselves.
“Ganyu.” Xiao began “it’s time for us to go” clearly trying to relay some sort of message Ganyu just nodded “yes, I suppose so..” The adeptal pair walked down the hill Ganyu looking back at the travler waving and calling out
“Goodbye travler, thanks for watching over xiao and pervases! Good luck on your travels!”
Ganyu and xiao walked towards the inn where xiao spent most of his time. When the inn was in sight the pair stopped, a familiar presence. Eyes locked in understanding as xiao put his arm around Ganyu. In the blink of an eye they were standing on the terrace. Xiao slumped a bit on Ganyu as she helped support his weight. They stared at the figure, Ganyu whispered in confusion and surprise
“Rex lapis?”
The figure turned a calm look upon his face as he took in the two before him “greetings.” His voice rumbled “ I see you two are getting along, good. I had hoped for peace between humans and mortals. Ganyu of course is both however xiao being open to new ideas. That’s something new.” He seemed to chuckled to himself, eyes creasing in amusement.
The two just stared as their lord, whom they had thought was dead. Smiled and turned to walk away. Just before he turned the corner xiao called out
“My lord” Xiao moved to support his own weight “ If I may be so bold, what do I and Ganyu’s relationship do with mortals getting along with the adepti? Each person is their own being. Me and Ganyu cannot change that by just simply getting along with one another.” Zhongli simply turned around and smiled.
“That, is for the two of you to figure out” with a smirk he turned back around and made his way down the stairs.
The two stared in silence, after a while Ganyu turned her head to xiao who had his eyebrows scrunched up in the way they always did when trying to understand something.
“Xiao” she called out. When he didn’t respond she continued on “can you hear me? Xiao? Xiao, yaksha, conquer of demons? Xiao?” Xiao turned to looked at Ganyu.
“What?” He asked, annoyed.
Flinching back at the harsh tone she mumbled “Nothing” I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”
With a nod of his head xiao looked at Ganyu and righted his posture. Holding out his hand for her to hold she grasped it the familiar green and black surrounded them revealing a plain room.
Ganyu looked at xiao in confusion “this is the room verr godlet gifted to me. I don’t require sleep and I know that you do, so maybe resting could help rejuvenate you and so we can both think clearly without the allure of sleep.”
Ganyu yawned just now feeling the exhaustion she had built up from crying. Nodding to xiao she walked over to his bed, taking away the throw pillows and pulling back covers. Walking back to xiao she took his hand a guided him to the bed.
“Your tired too, even if you don’t need sleep you should rest.” When xiao opened his mouth to protest Ganyu just shushed him and dragged him onto the bed.
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Xiao had flushed at ganyu’s insistence he rested. He couldn’t rest, what if she got hurt and he couldn’t do anything as he was about to voice his thoughts he found himself being pulled onto the bed by Ganyu. Looking down at the girl that had pulled him onto the bed he felt his ears becoming red. Her hair lied out under her, stubborn yet caring expression all he could do was stare. Archons she was beautiful, why had it taken him almost dying to be able to kiss, hug and simply just look at her like this.
His eyes met hers, blown wide with shock and curiousity. Rex lapis almighty, her eyes. Her eyes were gorgeous, everything about her was the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen. Leaning in closer to see her eyes better all he could say was “beautiful” in a hushed awe stricken voice.
Her cheeks heating up even more to the point of burning all she could do was stare at the one above her. His ears pink, golden eyes staring at her as if she was the only thing that mattered. His hair framed his face perfectly. Ganyu turned her head to the pillow hoping her hair covered her bright red face. Closed eyes she could feel xiao moving on the bed.
Peeking open one eye a bit and being met with xiao beside her she opened the other one and whispered “hi”embarrassed.
“Hi Ganyu, you really are beautiful so get your sleep. Rest those pretty eyes, I’m sure your tired so please sleep I’ll be here when you wake up.” Nodding her head and pulling up the blanket she felt her head sink into the pillow and eyes fall closed. Reaching out to grasp xiao’s hand she fell asleep. He was safe, yanfei was safe. She wouldn’t let him get hurt.
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Xiao held ganyu’s hand softly running his thumb on the back of her hand. Listening to her soft inhales and exhales of sleep, little snores appearing every now and then xiao felt his eyes closing. Yaksha’s didn’t need sleep but it was possible. With narrowly escaping death and possibly overusing his powers xiao had no chance to escape sleep.
So there in a small room of wangshu inn a creature of peace and a creature of war slept softly. Basking in each other’s presence.