Work Text:
"Rex Lapis has been killed." Those words replay in Xiao's mind as he walks aimlessly through the field. He just can't believe that someone like Rex Lapis has been defeated or that this is the full truth because something about it feels wrong. Xiao doesn't want to believe his Morax has been taken from him so easily.
Xiao comes to a halt in front of the Statue of Seven just outside of Liyue Harbor with tears already in his eyes. He slowly raises his head up to look at the figure sitting at the top because this all must be a hoax! The first few tears slip out just as his bottom lip begins to quiver.
One good thing about his mindless walking is that he has walked around all day so it is the middle of the night when he falls onto his knees in front of the statue. No one is there to watch Xiao crawl towards the statue so he can lay his head on top of his hands that are there to protect his forehead from the rough edge. No ears will get to hear the way Xiao sobs for the loss of the man that he has cherished for centuries.
While the statue may radiate off its own natural warmth, it is nothing compared to Morax. Morax has- had this natural warmth to him that when he gave hugs, Xiao would melt into his arms with a small smile. Others who have received his hugs will agree to the warmth of them but won't forget to mention the risk of a bone crushing hug. Only Xiao got a pass from those hugs because Morax wouldn't do anything to hurt him.
Yet he is the reason why Xiao is in great pain and sobbing his heart out.
As the night goes on, Xiao remains curled up at the base of the statue, unable to doze off without a haunting image of Morax's corpse popping up. Oh how badly he wishes for this all to be a nightmare and that he will wake up in the arms of Morax but this nightmare is reality.
"Are you not cold laying there?" Xiao is caught off by the voice that he has no time to run off so he remains still in hopes the mortal will leave him. However it appears the mortal is waiting for a reply because they're not walking away.
"Take this." The mortal lays a jacket on top of Xiao and the act makes Xiao want to look back to see who this generous person is.
Through tears, Xiao has a blurry image of a man crouching beside him with his hand hovering above Xiao's face. The man lowers his hand on top of Xiao's cheek then begins to caress it to wipe his tears away which surprises Xiao. The surprise attack has Xiao lost in thought until his tears have dried up enough to notice that this mortal's amber eyes look like Morax's and maybe because they are his!
"Ah, you noticed." Xiao is struggling to accept that Morax is dead but now this? It's too much for him to handle or to even hear him out so he leaves before that man can say more.
Zhongli, once Morax, remains by the statue with his hand hovering in the air where Xiao's cheek once was. Eventually he moves his hand to see the tear stains fading from the statue but he doesn't know if they're from Xiao or Rex Lapis' followers.
Zhongli turns on his feet so he can sit down on the stone and to pass time, he folds up his jacket just in case Xiao returns because tonight is chilly. He waits for a while before calling for Adeptus Xiao but he gets no answer.
"Adeptus Xiao?" Xiao hears his call but ignores it, he simply wants to remain curled up in bed with his arms wrapped tight around himself. As tears roll down and fall down onto the bed sheets, Xiao shudders for gasps of air in between his sobs just like back at the statue.
It has been centuries since a call from Morax has gone unanswered but that was usually because Xiao was in the middle of battle or severely injured but now it goes unanswered from his choice to ignore it.