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He still remembers that day.
How could anyone forget? The day the Overlord of the Vortex rose up from his watery grave of Guyun Stone Forest and threatened the safety of Liyue Harbor as a whole. The day his world, the purpose of his duty almost fell to ruin.
The moment Osial had released the culmination of his renewed divine power over the Jade Chamber, Xiao felt his tainted heart still.
Against the current of soldiers running away from the shower of hydro raining from the overcast sky, he stood still, watching as the mimicry of meteorites fell from the clouds as if reenacting a scene from the Archon War. A war that he’d hoped he never had to experience the magnitude of again.
He saw the blonde traveler and her silvery-haired companion stand against the crowd, the traveler’s face set with a stormy expression while the fairy’s eyes widened impossibly, too afraid to even float properly. Time seemed to stand still.
Then the platform shattered, the enhanced Guizhong Ballistas broke, and the heavens opened with rain and mortals alike.
Knowing the other adepti would take care of the nameless mortals, Xiao sharpened his senses, looking for the celestial traveler hurtling through the air. She fell among the debris of the destruction Osial had inflicted upon the Guizhong Ballistas, nearly cutting her arm on one of the jagged pieces.
It took him five jumps to make it to her.
Xiao didn’t process his actions, only did, as he picked up Lumine with careful hands as they floated down in the air.
The moment their arms made contact, a long sealed feeling rose up in his chest, unfamiliar for thousands of years, slowly hidden away beneath the folds of his carefully concealed heart, hidden from the rest of the world over centuries as he slowly withdrew himself from society as a whole. The last time he’d touched someone was… almost millennia ago. The sensation of feeling flesh upon flesh after so long sent a shock straight through his skin to his brain, short-circuiting his thoughts for but a brief moment. It was all he needed to pull her closer to him, relish that warmth of another being so close to him.
Adepti were able to keep themselves warm easily, but the sensation of someone else against his body was vastly different to that of his own. He clenched his hands tighter, unwilling to let go of the feeling of having someone else’s body in his arms, someone that was, for once, alive. It was a far cry from the icy sensation of a cold, stone-hard corpse that had long since stopped radiating warmth from within. The action only let the feeling of skin on bare skin increase, and he gripped her only tighter, careful not to restrict her blood flow as he pursued the sensation of her living, breathing body radiating warmth even in the cold night.
He felt her heart throb furiously, though whether it was from the shock of the blast that rained destruction all around them or the fact that he’d carried her, he did not know. Her breath hitched, tears coming to her eyes like a glaze lily opening up its petals underneath the moonlight, shimmering beautifully in the wake of the hellfire that must surely be raining on the people of Liyue Harbor.
Despite the knowledge that Liyue may have already fallen to ruin, he couldn’t tear himself away from her warmth, unable to stop chasing after the heat that permeated his hands, melting through his gloves and into his fingers like the sun warming a frozen lake.
How long has it been since he’s felt that sort of warmth that came from a being that was alive?
Even as they descended towards the seas of the harbor, Xiao warped away to stable ground, keeping her safely in his grasp the whole time. Ignoring the other beings surrounding him, he lowered her to the ground until she was able to stand, unable to let go of her hand even after she regained her footing, still seeking that heat one could only receive from a living person.
“Be careful now.”
She gave him a smile, sweeter than the most beautiful qingxin, and he reluctantly let go, immediately feeling the loss of warmth, immediately seeking it out yet again-
He reigned himself in, unable to hide the small blush as he turned himself away from the crowd to hide the sudden shade of pink dusting lightly over his face as he tuned back into the conversation.
“...But the Jade Chamber is our last line of defense! We cannot give another inch… no matter what…” Vaguely he recognized the voice of Ganyu, Cloud Retainer’s adeptus who walked among mortals.
“I have… another idea.” The sharp intonation of Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, attracted the attention of everyone. Xiao’s eyes darted towards her, curious of her meaning.
Ganyu opened her mouth again. “What do you mean, Lady Ningguang?”
“...I’ll sacrifice the Jade Chamber.”
Even as she spoke, the platform began to move, floating over to just above Osial’s heads. Cloud Retainer then interrupted.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Piecing together Ningguang’s words, Ganyu’s shocked face, and the situation around them, Xiao reached the answer to the adeptus’s question.
“...I understand,” he said, waving his hand over his face, feeling the familiar black materialize over his face and the unwelcome shrieks of the spirits fade in.
Even through his mask, he saw the traveler draw her sword, plunging it into the center of the Jade Chamber’s intricate floor pattern with a yell and the glow of the adepti’s power surrounding her.
The ground they stood on began to tremble, before the sensation of falling set in yet again.
Just like before, he grabbed onto the traveler’s arms, hugging her close before they warped away yet again to solid ground.