Work Text:
Xiao had always been prepared to meet his end in every moment, it was in his nature as a Yaksha and a reality he had come to terms with millennia ago. Death was common in his line of work, Liyue's safety was his number one priority and he had always been prepared to die to fulfil that duty, and yet he'd brushed arms with the reaper only a few times in the past.
Although his most recent brush was certainly the most unnerving of all.
The Chasm was a dangerous place, he knew that much when he decided to search for the Nameless Yaksha, whom he now knew was Bosacius in his final moments, yet he'd never expected to become trapped in that cavern with the Traveller and their company, getting out was no small feat and it was in that feat he had his most recent near-death experience.
He vividly remembered the moment as he fell into the gaping darkness, at the time content with making his sacrifice for the well-being of everyone else, and finding peace in the fact he would share Bosacius's resting place. At the same time he remembered the warmth as that golden light wrapped around him, pulling him to the surface despite that, the power of Rex Lapis himself bidding he live still.
As he stood upon the deck of Wangshu Inn, staring at the backturned figure of a certain Alchemist gazing into the night sky, his heart sank thinking back at the ordeal.
It was then that the Alchemist, Albedo, turned to face him, those turquoise eyes a beautiful balm after all the trials he'd faced in that godsforsaken pit of despair. He smiled tenderly, yet there was something in that smile that betrayed it. "You're here." He said, voice barely more than a whisper through the all-too-still-air.
"Albedo." Xiao approached gingerly. "I didn't expect to meet you here."
"I happened to be in the area, so I stopped by." Albedo turned his gaze back to the sky as Xiao reached him, an oddly distant gesture from the alchemist. "You weren't here when I arrived, but Miss Goldett allowed me to stay and wait for you."
Xiao felt a brief pang of guilt surge through him. "I see... I'm sorry to have kept you." There was an uncomfortable silence, the Yaksha was afraid to ask the burning question, but forced himself to anyway. "How long?"
Albedo glanced at him. "Hmm?"
"How long were you waiting?"
"At this point... A couple hours."
Xiao felt as though he'd been stabbed through the chest, to think that mere hours ago he'd made peace with his potential death... And his love had been waiting for him to return here.
"Is something wrong, Dove?" He must've been grimacing unknowingly as Albedo's expression had turned to one of concern when he next looked.
"Nothing. I just..." Xiao trailed off into silence, unsure of what to say. "I'm just sorry for making you wait."
"It's fine." The Alchemist smiled, the joyous expression failing to reach his eyes. "I'm just happy to see you now."
"Likewise."
The two stared out at the starry sky, the atmosphere far too heavy between them for Xiao's liking, there was a strange feeling that there were still things to be said, things left to do. It was a strange feeling for Xiao, to be so affected by the realisation of his mortality, for a brush with death to leave him so shaken.
That same pang of guilt cut through him as he glanced at Albedo, realising just how close he'd come to losing everything, how close he'd come to never seeing his love again. He felt as though he needed to say something, to show how much he appreciated having the alchemist in his life.
Xiao turned to his lover, unsure of what to say. "Albedo, I-"
"I called for you." Albedo suddenly turned to meet his gaze, expression wrought with concern, hurt almost.
Xiao was stunned into silence, having been totally blindsided by the sudden statement. "...What?"
"I called for you..." Xiao noticed how the alchemist's grip tightened upon the barrier, his eyes glistening as though he might cry. "And you didn't come..."
"You... Called for me?" Xiao couldn't describe what he felt at such a statement if he tried, he must have been down in the Chasm when Albedo called for him, in that strange space that seemed cut off from the rest of Teyvat, that was the only explanation for how he couldn't have heard him.
"I was confused at first and kept calling, but you never showed up, I feared the worst..." Albedo reached over and took Xiao's hand, his grip tight. "I thought you'd died, or worse..."
"Albedo..." The Yaksha held tightly to the alchemist's hand, trying to find the right words. "I'm sorry... I didn't hear you."
"What do you mean?" Albedo had a stark look of confusion on his face, yet it turned back to concern as he noticed the haunted look in his Dove's eyes. "What happened Xiao?"
"It's a long story, and a confusing one to boot."
Albedo stepped closer, putting a hand on the Yaksha's shoulder. "I have time... Talk to me."
Xiao stared at him for a moment, searching for the words. "Can we sit down for this?"
Albedo nodded and they both sat themselves on the deck with their backs against the barrier, Albedo held tightly to Xiao's hand in mutual reassurance as he recounted the surreal and traumatic events of what transpired in the Chasm, all the way up to the point where they retrieved the fantastic compass and began their escape.
"...And then, using the fantastic compass as an amplifier for our energy, we combined our energy and shot through the darkness, getting accosted by shadows on our way up, if there hadn't been so many of us, I can't imagine we would've fared as well."
Albedo pondered the story for a moment, nodding as if in understanding of what happened. "I see, I would've never imagined such a place could exist beneath the Chasm." He fell silent, slowly turning to Xiao who was hesitant to meet his gaze. "I feel like there's something you're not telling me, a detail you might've missed out."
Xiao loosed a heavy breath. "I... I don't know, it's become somewhat blurry now that all the adrenaline's gone."
"Xiao." Albedo squeezed his hand. "Please..."
The Yaksha glanced at his lover, eyes lingering on his pools of vibrant turquoise, then sighed. "There was... An issue, when we made our escape."
Albedo leaned closer, brow furrowing. "An issue?"
Xiao gathered his courage, the courage to admit the next part not only to his lover, but also to himself. "While I was maintaining the flow of energy, just as we could see the light of the surface... I could no longer sustain the compass."
Albedo almost appeared winded as he sucked in a breath in reaction. "...And then?"
"I had such little energy left," Xiao continued. "But as those shadow encroached on us, the surface so close yet so far..." He turned and looked into Albedo's eyes, silence lingering between them for longer than was comfortable. "In a last ditch effort, I used the rest of my energy to send everyone else home... And surrendered myself to the Darkness."
Albedo practically gasped, his grip on Xiao's hand faltering for just a second before resuming stronger. "You... And yet you're here... How did you...?"
Xiao shook his head. "I can scarcely believe it myself, but... It's only through the grace of Rex Lapis that I came out unscathed." Xiao looked up at the stars which appeared more beautiful than ever before in that moment. "If not for my lord... I would have joined Bosacius's spirit down in that pit."
"Don't say that so nonchalantly...!" Albedo practically snapped, quivering with what seemed like rage or sadness. "You unbelievable fool!"
"Sorry..." The Yaksha chuckled drily, a hint of nerves in the sound. "I'm used to regularly brushing death."
"I just can't understand what brought you to that conclusion." Albedo averted his gaze as if trying to hide his eyes. "To try and sacrifice yourself that way... What were you thinking?!"
"I did what I had to."
"You put yourself in danger!"
All of a sudden Albedo threw himself at Xiao, pinning the Yaksha to the floor and leaving him befuddled, silence stretched between them forever as Xiao noticed the tears in the alchemist's eyes, but not before feeling them drip onto his cheeks.
Albedo's mouth moved as he tried to speak, but only incoherent mumblings came out the first few tries. He took a breath, sniffling back his tears. "Xiao, you..." Some more mouthing as his words failed him. "You could have died... I could have lost you..."
Xiao was unsure what to say, he understood why Albedo felt so strongly, it was the same reason that he himself had been shaken by the experience too, realising that he no longer had nothing to lose, that he would miss and be missed in kind. He reached up and cupped Albedo's cheek, stroking tears away with his thumb. "I know... I'm sorry."
"Sorry...?" Albedo huffed a dry, shaky laugh. "I don't want sorry, I just..." He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.
"Death is a Yaksha's business, Albedo, we deal it and will eventually receive it in kind... It doesn't-" Xiao stopped himself mid-sentence as he met Albedo's teary eyes once more, it was in those pools of turquoise that he found a contrary statement to the claim he almost made. "Well... It used to not scare me, but... Now I have something to lose."
Albedo nuzzled the Yaksha's shoulder. "I don't want to lose you..." He gripped the Yaksha's top, bunching it tightly within his fists. "Don't leave me... Please..."
Xiao's heart lurched at the plead and instinctively embraced the Alchemist tightly. "I won't." His voice was shaky as he held back tears. "I'm not going anywhere."
Albedo sucked in a shaky breath. "I couldn't bear losing you... You mean everything to me."
Xiao reassuringly stroked the back of Albedo's head. "And you mean as much to me."
"In all my years, I've never felt so connected with anyone the way I do with you."
Xiao tilted his head. "Never?"
"No." Albedo responded firmly.
"Why not?"
Albedo looked deep into Xiao's eyes and mustered a teary smile. "Because none of them were you."
Xiao could swear his heart skipped a beat at such a smooth retort, as he fumbled to think of something to say back, Albedo leaned in and pecked him on the lips, stopping him in his tracks.
"There's only one Xiao, only one Conqueror of Demons." He laid his head upon Xiao's chest with an ear against his heart. "And I intend to hold onto him for as long as I possibly can."
Xiao chuckled at the statement and gazed up at the stars once more, in that moment he thought he could see, perhaps even feel Bosacius smiling back. "And I you."