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The first thing Xiao saw when he woke in this world was Zhongli. The man had been looking at him with an expression Xiao had never properly been ever able to decipher, even thousands of years later. It was a mixture of things—empathy, confusion, affection... It was strange.
While Xiao adjusted to his body and the world around him, Zhongli's expression softened and he patiently explained their situation. They were nymphs, born for one reason: to protect the land they were tied to. It was important work and Zhongli had already been doing it for four thousand years. He'd probably be doing it for thousands more.
Instantly, Xiao had been fascinated by Zhongli. He couldn't put a word to that fascination yet, but it was there. It made him want to reach out to him, so he did.
Pain coursed through his body long before he'd gotten anywhere close. Xiao had to pull his hand away, looking at the now bloody mess with slight horror.
Zhongli's voice had been laced with pity. “We can't leave our land, Xiao.” And that was how Xiao learned his name.
Two thousand years later, the pain of that wound, both physical and emotional, lingered for Xiao. On days when he was particularly lonely, his hand would throb even though the land had healed his wound long ago.
It was one of those days today.
Zhongli was at his spring, looking over a small crowd of worshipers with fondness written all over his face. Their offerings helped keep Zhongli's land healthy and prosperous, but that wasn't why Zhongli looked at them so softly. No, he just liked mortals, a sentiment Xiao shared, but... Xiao always had a small fire of jealousy burning in his chest when it came to mortals. They so freely visited Zhongli, even though they rarely saw him. For them, there was no barrier locking them into a small section of land. What Xiao wouldn't give to be able to freely walk to Zhongli's side.
Zhongli noticed Xiao's perch up on a tree near the barrier. He gave a slight smile and bow of his head. Xiao immediately flushed from having been caught staring, but he forced himself to nod in return before leaping from the tree to hide his red face.
He distracted himself from his embarrassment by doing a small patrol of his land. While it felt small at times, the truth was that it was a rather grand area. Unlike Zhongli's lush green forest, Xiao's land was rather gray in comparison. It had never been a very prosperous area, a fact that Zhongli early on assured Xiao was not his fault, but Xiao still had put forth an effort to try and help the land however he could. However, the lack of worshipers made things difficult. The most Xiao could do is make sure to keep spiritual monsters at bay with great speed and accuracy. Sometimes that fighting prowess got him praise from Zhongli, praise that left Xiao feeling strangely warm for days.
“Xiao.”
The voice was soft, but Xiao heard it. From miles away he still would've heard it. If he needed to, he would've heard it from worlds away. That's how attuned he was to Zhongli's voice.
Using the wind of his land to speed his steps, Xiao was at the barrier in an instant. There was no need for such theatrics—he hadn't been that far away—but it did get him there one second faster and Xiao would cherish that single second for days.
Zhongli was at the barrier, face kind and welcoming. It was a comfort, but it also stung. Zhongli looked all the more inviting like that, so much more attainable and approachable. But Xiao had to stop inches away. Inches he would never cross.
“I saw you had mortals visit yesterday,” Zhongli said. He swept up the hem of his zhiju a bit so he could sit on the ground comfortably.
Xiao followed his movements, sitting across from him. “Yes,” Xiao said, thinking back to the couple who had visited his shrine, “They intend to try and revive the land again. It seems they have nowhere else to go.”
“Perhaps they like the scenery,” Zhongli said with a smile, although of course, that was not possible.
“Perhaps,” Xiao said, humoring him.
“This time I have a feeling they will succeed.”
Xiao sighed before he could stop himself. “Or perhaps they will not and they will blame me again.” His shrine had been vandalized more than once by mortals who wanted more from the land than it could give. As much as he wanted to have faith that these mortals would not be so unreasonable, he couldn't help but be doubtful.
Thankfully, Zhongli was excellent at distracting him from his pessimism. From seemingly thin air, Zhongli produced a bottle that he turned so the label faced Xiao. “A worshiper brought this wine. It would be a shame not to share it,” Zhongli said.
It wasn't the first time Zhongli had said something like that, but Xiao's heart still thumped in his chest all the same. He couldn't help but be happy when Zhongli thought of him.
Like the bottle, Zhongli produced the cups from nowhere in particular. He carefully pushed one of them over the barrier, and Xiao picked it up with the same amount of care. They were both aware of where the exact line was after all these years. Although it was invisible, Xiao was able to picture it in his mind's eye with exactness and he knew Zhongli could too.
Xiao put his cup down and away from the barrier, hoping that Zhongli would serve himself first. That didn't happen of course. Zhongli motioned for Xiao to bring his cup closer. It would be rude to refuse, but it always flustered Xiao slightly that Zhongli served him first. He didn't precisely know why. It was only polite after all, but Zhongli putting Xiao above himself… It always made his heart do a flip in his chest.
Xiao lifted his cup, and the neck of the bottle slipped over the barrier as if it didn't exist. Because it didn't for anyone but the two of them. It only existed to keep them separated from now until they became dust. Well, Xiao knew that wasn't the exact reasoning, but it made his stomach hurt all the same.
As liquid poured from the bottle, Xiao subtly moved his fingers to brush along the glass. Xiao didn't expect Zhongli to reciprocate, but Zhongli also adjusted his hold and suddenly they were only centimeters away from each other. Xiao could almost feel the warmth of his skin with how close they were, but they couldn't cross the last of the gap. They would never be able to...
A small amount of wine overflowed from Xiao's cup, causing Zhongli to withdraw abruptly. As Xiao jerked back, the loss of their fleeting connection settled into an ache in his chest. He took a long sip of the wine to force it down.
The taste of it coated his tongue, but it tasted more bitter than it truly was. Xiao sighed as he brought the cup away from his lips. Usually, the wine he had with Zhongli was sweet, but he must be having a particularly bad day if he couldn't even enjoy this...
“I've seen a new man visiting your shrine,” Xiao said to distract from his somewhat odd behavior, “He spirited away a bronze piece from it the last time he was here.”
Zhongli laughed lightly. “Yes, a small-time thief, I suppose. But he has more need for coin than me, so I don't mind.”
“It's the principle of the thing,” Xiao pointed out. He couldn't stand to see people steal from Zhongli's shrine, even though it was hardly the first time in his life it had happened. “How would your more dutiful worshipers feel if their sacrifices went to someone other than who they intended?”
“Oh they would not be happy, I know.” Zhongli takes a sip of his wine. “But it is my land and I can do with my offerings as I please.”
Xiao shook his head, but let the conversation die. He would always be more offended by slights to Zhongli than Zhongli was himself. Having such a thought made Xiao blush. Zhongli hardly needed his protection…
The subject slowly shifted to the health of the river running through the lands, which eventually led to light, meaningless chatter. It was the kind of conversation that made Xiao feel less heavy for a while, and he welcomed these quiet times.
Eventually, however, the bottle of wine was gone and Xiao was feeling fairly tipsy. Why exactly nymphs could get drunk, he'd never understand, but he'd certainly never complain either. It was better than feeling empty sometimes.
Zhongli set the wine bottle partially within Xiao's side of the barrier. It was fairly customary for him to gift Xiao the bottles they finished. Xiao would place them on his shrine, hopeful that it would someday be filled. This time, however, Xiao simply put his hand on the side of the bottle without picking it up. Raising a quizzical brow, Zhongli stared at the hand.
“It's still warm...” Xiao said, tongue loose from the wine, but he instantly blushed that he'd admitted his reasoning out loud.
Zhongli looked surprised for a second, but he didn't laugh at him. Instead, he silently placed his hand on the other side of the bottle.
They didn't say anything, merely watching where their hands almost touched for several long moments. It quickly became unbearable. Xiao stood abruptly, the bottle being knocked over back onto Zhongli's land.
“Xiao—?”
As swiftly as he had arrived, wind on his heels, Xiao left, tears pricking irrationally at the back of his eyes.
—
The little thief was back again.
That in itself wasn't terribly unusual. What was unusual was that it was the middle of the night, and the thief wasn't even at Zhongli's shrine picking at the odds and ends left there.
He hovered near the river, inching ever closer to a wider and calmer spot in the water where Zhongli was bathing, completely unaware of the intruder on the land. Xiao's hand tightened on his spear even though he knew it'd be useless if anything were to happen.
It was a little-known fact that nymphs could be seen at night. Most likely it was some sort of defense mechanism, Zhongli and Xiao theorized. If contact needed to happen with mortals, then it could be done, but otherwise, their ghostly forms at night would scare off people from the area to deter harm to the land.
But this particular mortal didn't seem afraid as he noticed Zhongli bathing in the water. He paused for a moment, then melted back into the trees, giving the area a wide berth as he continued to survey the area. Xiao watched with narrowed eyes, completely unable to tell what exactly the man was up to. He was watching Zhongli somewhat, but he also only investigated the area, making note of things on a scrap of paper. Of course, Xiao was too far away to know what he was writing down, which frustrated him slightly. If only he could cross the barrier...
As it was, he could only helplessly watch as the man continued wandering around. When Zhongli emerged from the water (Xiao averted his eyes with red cheeks, despite the situation), Zhongli finally seemed to realize something was off.
He was too far away to hear, but Zhongli must've said something because the man darted back to the worn path of the shrine, running at full speed toward the village. Normally, Xiao would assume he was spooked by Zhongli's voice, but since he wasn't scared of him in the water, he must've only been scared to be noticed. Xiao still didn't know what to make of it...
He gracefully landed back on the ground, letting the wind rustle nearby leaves to draw Zhongli's attention. It worked as Zhongli approached the barrier.
Xiao's breath caught at the state of undress Zhongli was in. It was hardly inappropriate, exactly, but it was certainly tempting... The robe was tied improperly, revealing much of Zhongli's legs, and he left one sleeve loose and off his shoulder. Not to mention his undone, long hair was making a very pretty picture framing his face...
Face fiery red, Xiao looked away. “Sorry to interrupt.”
Zhongli made some dismissive motion Xiao barely caught from the corner of his eye. "There was someone here?"
“It was the bronze coin thief,” Xiao said, still stubbornly refusing to look at Zhongli directly. Thankfully (or not, depending on how you looked at it), Zhongli seemed to get the hint as he rearranged his robes so that he could put his sleeve on correctly. “I'm not sure what he was up to. He was skulking around in the woods.”
Deeming his attire suitable enough, Zhongli stopped messing with it. Even though it was in much better shape than before, Xiao found it hard to focus as he looked at Zhongli. Seeing him disheveled made his stomach tie in knots. "Ah, it's likely nothing to worry about. He might've been looking for more offerings," Zhongli said.
"He didn't even look at the shrine," Xiao said, trying to decipher what he'd seen out loud, "It looked like he was after something else, but I'm not sure what."
“I'm sure it's nothing to worry about,” Zhongli repeated. He smiled soothingly at Xiao.
For some reason, however, it had the opposite effect. Xiao found himself getting irritated. “I think we should be worried.” He was putting together some dots that he did not like. “He was scouting the area, taking notes.”
To this, Zhongli chuckled. “He was likely drawing the scenery.”
Xiao shook his head, dismissing the notion outright. He'd watched painters and such before and this was certainly not that. “What if he wants something from the land?”
“Then I can protect it,” Zhongli said, confident as ever.
The fact that Xiao knew Zhongli was capable of doing so somehow didn't help his nerves. This whole scenario was putting him on edge in a way unique in his two thousand years alive... It was crawling under his skin.
“Xiao...” Zhongli lifted his hand to the imaginary barrier, stopping inches from it with his fingers. Xiao watched as his fingers twitched, as if unsure if it might be worth the pain to reach through to him. Xiao held his breath.
Of course, Zhongli's hand fell limply down without crossing the line. Xiao wouldn't have had it any other way—the guilt that Zhongli had gotten hurt because of him would've consumed Xiao—but he couldn't help but feel disappointed at the same time. "Zhongli-daren...” Xiao returned the call of his name, something he rarely did.
This showed on Zhongli's face, eyes widening slightly at the sound. He stepped closer to the barrier, to Xiao's slight alarm as he was already pretty close. “I promise you, I'll be fine,” Zhongli said, his voice quiet.
Xiao stepped as close to him as he dared. His heart was thudding, although not due to their closeness—even if it was the closest they'd ever been in two thousand years—but because of his fear. Something was wrong. Why wouldn't Zhongli worry about himself? "What if you are not?" His voice cracked against his wishes, making him avert his eyes. There was no hiding the depths of his worries, or how revealing they were of his true feelings.
Zhongli was quiet for a moment, and Xiao held his breath, terrified that Zhongli would call him out. “There will be someone new to protect the land. It'll be fine.”
"'Someone new'‽" Xiao echoed, horrified. He stepped back from the barrier in shock. It was almost like he'd been hit, a reaction he didn't wholly understand. "I—I don't want someone new. I want it to be you. Safe."
When he looked up at Zhongli's widened eyes, he knew he'd revealed far too much. Zhongli opened his mouth, but Xiao couldn't take it. Just like before, he fled on the wind.
—
Xiao lingered at his shrine, for once in his very long life. The visitors—worshippers? Was he allowed to call them that yet?—had come after nightfall so he was hidden up in the trees, watching them with a sort of hushed reverence.
They were the new residents on the land, and they had brought with them some small, withered crops that they placed on his shrine. The pair looked cold, and a little worn down, so the land clearly wasn't treating them well. And yet, here they were presenting their meager offerings with genuine prayers and smiles on their faces.
Their prayers were standard, asking for luck in their harvests and marriage, but their mundanity made them all the more precious to Xiao. He started turning over in his head what he could do to help. After all, they were putting far more effort into cultivating the land than Xiao had ever seen and it touched him, whether he'd admit it or not.
Once the couple had left, Xiao went to the offerings, touching them with reverence. He began to consider what to do with them. Perhaps wash them and share them with Zhongli? How strange and lovely it would be to share an offering of his own with Zhongli for once…
Looking at his shrine, Xiao sighed, but it was a happy sort of sigh as he realized he might want to clean the worn shrine up a bit. A part of him worried that the worshippers might still turn their backs on him, but he could almost hear Zhongli admonishing him for such a train of thought.
But after a moment Xiao realized he did hear Zhongli. Xiao was knocked out of his spell and his head turned in the direction of the barrier. Zhongli was saying—no yelling—something. And he sounded distressed.
Adrenaline made Xiao shoot upwards into the air, his eyes instantly landing on a flurry of activity on Zhongli's side of the barrier. Xiao's heart plummeted.
Zhongli stood among the fray of perhaps a dozen mortals, some with bows and others with small knives. At first glance, they were no match for Zhongli and his mastery of the very earth beneath him. However, Xiao was noticing a concerning pattern. Even as Zhongli effectively dodged the attacks, the men didn't seem fazed. More than that, it seemed like the men might be aiming to miss Zhongli on purpose. Xiao could only pray Zhongli had noticed this, because from this vantage point, even so near the border, he was helpless. He couldn't even help fight. The moment his spear crossed the border, he could no longer guide it with his winds. It would fall uselessly to the ground. If he wanted to help, he needed to be closer, but closer was impossible.
The men suddenly moved in a much more organized manner, those with bows creating a circle around Zhongli and drawing back for shots while Zhongli was distracted by two dagger wielders.
“Zhongli!” Xiao found himself yelling, not certain if his shout would reach him.
Whether it did or not, Zhongli noticed the archers on time, bringing up a great shield of pure rock up all around him as the archers loosed their arrows. There were a few moments of silence. Xiao was able to see that Zhongli was catching his breath while in his protective shield.
Unfortunately, the shield was completely opaque. Only Xiao could see one of the men pulling out a strange device to throw into the shielded area. Split seconds later, before Zhongli could even register its arrival, it let out a puff of smoke so thick that Zhongli completely disappeared from view. Xiao's throat ran dry.
Zhongli hurried to break down the rock he'd just created, but it was too late. Whatever smoke the men had used was affecting him deeply. It wasn't long before he was swaying on his feet.
“Aim for a leg!” one of the men yelled. Xiao's own legs went numb as anger flared up in his chest. Surely with that thick fog there was no way they could hit him.
However, Xiao heard Zhongli yell as one arrow hit home. There was a disturbance in the smoke as Zhongli fell to the ground. Xiao's chest was so tight he couldn't breathe as he watched one of the men approach Zhongli's barely moving form.
The man poked him with his shoe as if Zhongli was nothing more than a dead animal on the road. “He's out!”
Xiao felt a scream die in his throat. Zhongli had promised him he'd be fine, but all Xiao could do was stand by and watch as that promise was broken‽ Was there truly nothing he could do but watch as the men readied a net to carry Zhongli in?
Xiao landed on the ground, staring at the invisible line he couldn't cross. Was it true that he couldn't cross it, or that he merely wouldn't? He dug through his hazy memories back to when he'd first woken up. Back then, his hand had gone through the barrier but was also injured. So… that meant he could cross it. The question was, would he be able to cross back to his lands?
Looking back at the men, swarming over Zhongli like vermin, Xiao realized it didn't matter. He needed to try.
Not allowing himself another moment to wonder, Xiao plunged into the barrier. It was a feeling unlike anything Xiao had ever experienced. All at once, his body felt like it'd been pulled in on itself, like he was suddenly so small as to be nothing but a leaf. He tried to gasp, but there was no air to breathe at all for several seconds.
And then he emerged on the other side and all he could see was red, all he felt was fire across his skin. Xiao reached up to wipe the blood from his eyes even as his body screamed in protest at every slight movement. Once he could see, he realized his entire body was covered in gashes so thick and deep he could shove three full fingers into the fingernail. They were bleeding profusely. His body was probably falling apart, he thought dimly. After all, he'd left the land that was his life source. He didn't have much time.
The wind here didn't answer Xiao as it did on his own land, so he had to rely on his legs to carry him to where the thieves were holding Zhongli. He was certain he was being half driven by adrenaline otherwise, he would've collapsed long ago based on the trail of blood he was leaving behind him.
The moment Zhongli and the intruders were in sight, a scream split the air. "A demon!" one of the men yelled.
Xiao probably looked the part, covered head to toe in blood and angry as a wild boar, but he didn't care about that. His eyes went straight to Zhongli, who was blinking blearily as he began to wake, but the effects of the smoke still lingered. Xiao could see him struggling to move.
Xiao was forced to look away from Zhongli as the ringleader of the kidnappers let out a yell. “Get back here, you cowards! You're really gonna abandon the money this thing could make?”
Given the circumstances, Xiao had no real way to quickly deal with this problem other than slit this man's throat. So he did. When Xiao pulled the spear out of the ringleader, a steady stream of blood instantly made the life leave the man's eyes. The other men who had lagged behind needed no more persuasion, bolting off into the trees, and leaving Xiao and Zhongli alone in the clearing. Preferably, Xiao wouldn't have killed anyone, but he'd needed to move quickly.
"Xiao?" Zhongli's voice was frayed and questioning as if he couldn't recognize Xiao at first. Was he really in such a bad state?
Before Xiao could respond, the adrenaline he'd been clinging to gave out. He tried to collapse onto his spear, but it didn't lodge itself into the ground far enough. Instead of a graceful fall he'd wanted, he fell hard on his side.
“Gods no...” Zhongli's voice was so broken that it tugged at Xiao's heart even in his current state. He didn't want to cause Zhongli pain. Xiao tried to make himself smaller, moving closer to the shrubbery as if he could hide himself from Zhongli's view.
Then, he felt it.
Warmth enveloped his cheek, the soft brush overtaking even the sensation of the hundreds of gashes. Xiao froze. It took him far too long to realize what was happening. Zhongli was touching him. After two thousand years, he could feel Zhongli's warmth against his skin for the first time. Any sane person might not have thought much about the moment—Xiao should be much more concerned about the fact he was currently dying—but instead his eyes were filled with tears of joy. He leaned into the touch, a quiet whine leaving his lips. Zhongli touching him was even better than he ever dreamed, softer than the breeze and kinder than anything Xiao had ever known. He reached up to lightly touch Zhongli's hand in return, ignoring the cuts on his fingers that it agitated.
"You're so warm," was all Xiao thought to say, a smile gracing his lips.
His expression was not mirrored on Zhongli's horrified face. “What have you done?” Zhongli asked, trying to move his hand, but Xiao held it stubbornly in place, wincing as it rubbed at his injuries. Panic grew more and more apparent in Zhongli's voice every time he spoke. “I need to get you back over the barrier.”
Zhongli had to know as well as Xiao did that that wouldn't do anything. The land was their life force, yes, but that didn't prevent them from dying. They were still humble, simple creatures. To heal himself, he'd need to have the strength to use the land for such a purpose. That was strength he did not have left. He couldn't even stand.
Zhongli met his eyes, and Xiao tried to convey how content he was with this outcome. Then a wave of vertigo hit him hard. His eyes squinted shut as he was briefly overtaken by the pain his entire body was in.
“I'm sorry,” Zhongli whispered, as he moved his hand and wrapped his arms around Xiao. Every touch made a new part of Xiao scream in pain, but the warmth of it brought him a joy hard to express. It was the strangest mix of emotions. “I'm so sorry.”
He brought Xiao close to his chest and lifted him from the ground. Xiao accidentally let out a groan, becoming more and more aware of his injuries by the second. Despite that, he found himself huddling as close to Zhongli as he could. Zhongli started his walk to the barrier.
“Just a little further.” Zhongli was limping, slowing his movement considerably, but Xiao found he could no longer get his tongue to work to tell Zhongli that he shouldn't bother. Now that he thought about it, much of his body didn't seem to be responding. Instead of fear filling him, Xiao could feel acceptance creeping into his heart. Zhongli didn't feel the same way. “Please stop shivering.” There was a crack in Zhongli's voice. “Please... You can't...”
If only he could get his tongue to move, he could comfort Zhongli. Even though his thoughts were sluggish, Xiao still wanted to tell him that he couldn't imagine a better way to die. Breathing his last at Zhongli's side, while he was assured that for at least a while longer Zhongli would be totally safe… Well, he would've preferred to live, but he would be content with this.
Zhongli dropped to his knees abruptly. Xiao couldn't help the noise of protest that left his mouth and it earned him another choked "sorry". Once again, Xiao was unable to comfort Zhongli as he'd like.
Xiao felt himself being moved and then a soft hum entered his body. He realized with delayed dismay that he was being carefully placed on the other side of the border, away from Zhongli. Worse, Zhongli's hands were crossing to the other side as well. Xiao couldn't see his hands, but he knew they must've been splitting open as Xiao's had. He wanted to push those hands away, but it was useless to try. If Xiao couldn't get his tongue to work, his arms wouldn't obey him either.
And then Zhongli removed his hands and Xiao wanted more than anything to cry. It had been bearable before when he'd been with him, but now they were separated again. This time it would be forever. Did Xiao not deserve just a few more moments?
He blinked to force his eyes to focus on Zhongli who was kneeling on the ground with his bloody hands balled up in his lap. "Xiao, please. You can't do this."
Was Zhongli crying? Xiao couldn't lift his head enough to see his eyes, but he thought he could hear it in his voice. Perhaps his brain was playing tricks on him. All the same, it made Xiao want to reach out and comfort him once more…
“I—I never told you did I?” It was the most uncertain and scared Zhongli had ever sounded to Xiao. “I should have... There are so many things I should have done, but I didn't expect this. I wanted to…”
Instead of finishing his sentence, Zhongli reached out across the border again. While he wanted to be horrified, Xiao's consciousness was so far gone that he could only feel the joy as Zhongli's fingers brushed his cheek once more.
"I wanted you to stay by my side."
If those were going to be the last words he ever heard, Xiao would die happily. He let his eyes finally close. The rest of his body had long gone numb, so he prepared to let the last of himself go…
A sensation much like being punched hit him right in the chest, making Xiao's eyes fly open. Bright light flooded his vision for a brief moment. After it disappeared, he gagged as air filled his lungs. Once he was aware of the world again, he realized Zhongli's touch was gone. Xiao let out a noise of protest, propping himself up on his elbow to chase Zhongli's hand. Instead, he ran into Zhongli's knee.
“Xiao‽” Zhongli's hand went to Xiao's shoulder, gripping him a little tighter than strictly necessary. Xiao still marveled at the feeling of his warmth.
He looked up to meet Zhongli's eyes, and it almost made Xiao regret everything. True to his earlier suspicions, Zhongli's eyes were red and still wet with tears. He'd put him through a lot of pain. Much more pain than he'd ever imagined his desire to protect him would.
There wasn't much chance for him to linger on that guilt though as Zhongli brought him into a tight embrace. Both the feeling and strength of it made Xiao gasp. He wasn't able to return the hug at all. He was reeling. The emotion of everything made it hard for him to string together coherent thoughts, not to mention all the questions he had.
What had just happened, exactly? He was apparently still alive. It seemed the barrier was gone entirely, and he was noticing belatedly that all of his cuts seemed to have healed. In fact, it seemed everything was healed.
"If one had known one was causing the two of you so much pain, one would've done something like this sooner."
The voice wasn't Zhongli's. Xiao and Zhongli regrettably had to separate to look at the source of the voice. Standing there was a deer. A completely normal deer except for its eyes, which were sharp and human-like, watching the two of them with interest. Xiao subconsciously leaned closer to Zhongli, although he didn't know if he was looking to protect him or be protected.
Zhongli didn't seem as confused as Xiao. "Are you the God of this place?"
The deer bobbed its head in a bow, the movement smooth and slow. "Indeed. One created every forest and tree to be seen, and you as well. Regrettably, one also created the borders upon these lands. One could not have imagined that two creatures such as yourselves would feel emotions like loneliness. One has no need for these emotions."
Xiao's mouth wanted to burst open with all the questions he had, but that's precisely why he didn't know where to begin. Zhongli on the other hand merely inclined his head in reverence. "Thank you."
All the questions Xiao was considering asking were whisked away as Zhongli placed his hand on his, slotting their fingers together. This distracted Xiao very effectively.
"The border between these two lands has been dispelled. One hopes this will please you. Forests of this size are difficult to sustain for creatures such as yourselves, so one wishes you well."
Without waiting for an answer, the mysterious God bounded off into the woods, looking for all the world like a completely normal deer. Xiao watched it go for a moment.
His attention was rightly brought back to Zhongli as he lifted Xiao's hand to his lips. He kissed his knuckles. The feathery feeling of the kisses made Xiao lightheaded and left him speechless.
"Never do that again," Zhongli said, voice muffled by Xiao's skin.
Xiao wasn't sure how to respond. His emotions were firing off erratically, making it hard for him to think. So much had happened in the last 10 minutes that his brain was having quite a bit of trouble keeping up. Not to mention, the sensation of touch was still so new and marvelous to him that he could hardly bear to think of anything else. For so long, Xiao had longed for this exact moment. Judging by how hesitant Zhongli was to let go of Xiao's hand, he had been longing for this too.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Xiao relaxed, squeezing Zhongli's hand back. The affection was harder for him to accept than he had anticipated. As much as he loved this, and had longed for it, he also couldn't help but feel like he was doing something forbidden.
It was impossible to tell how long they spent like this, but eventually, Zhongli moved. He gently guided Xiao onto his lap, his back tucked up against Zhongli's torso. Zhongli buried his face into Xiao's neck. Xiao was supremely embarrassed, and all this didn't help his growing blush. He didn't want to move, though.
"You could've died," Zhongli said.
His voice was so near his ear, so soft and intimate, that Xiao was dizzy for the hundredth time that night. It took him a while to respond because of that. "You could've too," he finally managed.
“Do you think I would've been fine with living only because you died for me?” Zhongli asked.
Zhongli's goal was probably to make Xiao doubt his decision, but Xiao never would. If he was presented with the same situation all over again and was told by the God that this time he wouldn't survive, he still would've done it. “I wouldn't be able to live knowing I could've done something and didn't.”
"You looked awful." Zhongli sounded strained. His arms wrapped around Xiao's, waist bringing him closer. "I saw you and I felt the earth beneath me crumble."
"You're being dramatic," Xiao said, half in defense of his dignity. Things were moving so quickly.
“Xiao.” Ah, and there was a voice that Xiao found it hard to argue with. His mouth was sealed shut for a few moments. “I never want to imagine life without you again.”
Xiao was only fleetingly aware of marriage proposals from the stray bits and pieces he'd heard from books and rare occurrences at Zhongli's shrines, but this sounded alarmingly similar to one he had heard before. His heartbeat was suddenly ringing in his ears even louder than before. "Zhongli-daren… What are you saying?"
There was a slight pause, and Zhongli readjusted them so Xiao was turned around and forced to look him in the eyes. Under his gaze, Xiao was speechless. Zhongli used the back of his fingers to brush Xiao's cheek, pushing back a bit of his hair. Then, Zhongli leaned in for a kiss to convey his answer, instead of using words.
As their lips met, as softly as the breeze, Xiao's chest exploded with emotions, light and filled with butterflies. Those feelings only multiplied as Zhongli's hand moved to cradle his cheek.
It took a few moments for Xiao to kiss back, shock having frozen his body stiff. When he finally returned it, his enthusiasm must've surprised Zhongli. He had to part their lips for a moment to gasp, but he quickly returned to kissing Xiao, more eager than ever.
However, they both did have to breathe. After some time, Zhongli pulled away in an attempt to catch his breath. Xiao, still not over the sensation, kissed Zhongli on the cheek.
"I love you," Zhongli said.
Xiao sucked in a breath, not loud enough to be a gasp, as his heart stopped dead in his chest. Of course, he understood what a kiss had meant, but hearing it out loud was a whole different matter entirely.
“I hope that comes as no surprise to you, but I was terrified when I thought I wouldn't ever be able to tell you in words.”
'No surprise'? Xiao was breathless. All this time, he'd assumed that Zhongli was too old and wise to consider such a useless emotion, especially for someone so beneath him as Xiao. Never once in his wildest daydreams did he consider Zhongli might return Xiao's hopeless affection.
"My love?"
Oh. That name made Xiao feel weak in more ways than one.
"Are you crying?" Zhongli asked, concerned. "Are you still hurt?"
Xiao hurried to rub his eyes with the back of his hand. He hadn't meant to start crying, nor had he even noticed until Zhongli pointed it out. He was terribly embarrassed. "I—" He fell short of actually coming up with an excuse, so instead he let the word hang in the air while he tried to recover. He heaved out another joyful sob. It wasn't much use, the more he tried not to cry, the more he did.
After a moment, Zhongli finally realized what was going on. He pulled Xiao's head towards his chest, letting Xiao bury his face into his zhiju and cry. "Oh, my love. I should've told you much sooner."