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It had just turned midnight, a full moon radiantly sitting in the centre of the inky sky. The young Adeptus Prince was making his way through the empty palace halls, the tips of his wings delicately brushing along the cool marble floor. He usually found himself wandering the halls late at night since it was peaceful. The only disturbance to the current tranquillity being the shuffling of servants packing up their stuff for the night. Though, perhaps it was too quiet. Xiao stopped infront of a broad window, the golden accents decorating the spines of his feathers were now illuminated under the moons silvery glow shining through the glass. The Prince's beauty was well known throughout Teyvat, yet so was his coldness. This being said, it was out of character for his eyes to widen in shock upon noticing torches alight with a flickering blaze. A numerous amount of flames in fact, all chasing after one small figure.
It couldn't be, it simply couldn't.
Xiao's and Kazuha's relationship was nothing short but one sided. After their childhood friend was mercilessly slaughtered before their eyes from a vampire stricken with a maddened rage of hunger, Xiao had always despised vampires. He pushed anyone with vampire roots away, including his dear friend; Kazuha. Although, the blonde Inazuman persisted, trying day and night to heal their broken friendship. Not once did the Adeptus budge. His impenetrable heart; cold as stone.
And yet at the idea of the possibility that Kazuha was being hunted, the young Prince briskly whipped around and sprinted into his sleeping chambers. The chance was slim that it truly was him, yet in a letter from this morning he was alerted that Kazuha had arrived in Liyue recently. Bursting through the doors, the Adeptus swiftly made his way onto the balcony. His enormous wings outstretching to catch the harsh wind current which seemed to be trying to sweep him from his feet. Before it could do so, Xiao dived from the ledge and beat his wings. Mentally he cursed himself, since when did he care so much about what happened to Kazuha? He'd tried again and again to cut ties, yet here he was acting off of some hunch to save a vampire.
It was very out of character of him to even care for the vampire. And still he found his adrenaline pumping and worry churn in his gut at the thought of him being injured. He battled through the wind, faster and faster, he couldn't waste a second.
In a matter of two minutes Xiao gracefully landed upon the rooftop of a house, the street bustling with a hoard of angered Liyuen citizens. Vampire hunting's were a regular occurrence in Liyue, the mortal folk acting in spouts of fear to get rid of every last one in the nation. His amber gaze flitted throughout the crowd, eventually landing upon a blonde haired boy- cornered whilst clutching his supposedly injured hand.
It was Kazuha.
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Whenever he visited Liyue, the Vampire Prince always tried to lay low. He was far too aware of the disdain the folk here held against his kind, yet this time he had made a major mistake. Accidentally revealing his fangs when laughing amongst a group of citizens, all discussing their favourite poetry between one another. One of the citizens noticed his elongated canine and cried out in fear, eventually alerting the entire Harbour. That is all it took for the entire harbour to turn against him.
Now his current predicament, cornered at a dead end with a blindingly endless blaze surrounding him. The people all shouting for his execution, slowly closing in on Kazuha's vulnerable form. He did not fight back, rather he curled in on himself. The Inazuman Prince had tried, over and over to fit in and act like he was not a vampire. Be it going outside in the scorching hot sun, despite how it clawed at his sensitive skin. Or how he would starve himself of blood, even though it was a necessity for his survival.
Kazuha had tried. And yet clearly, it was not enough.
The hatred and fear on the crowd before him was proof enough. He clutched his burned hand to his chest, the skin raw, charred and mutilated. By now the smoke was becoming intoxicating, keeping him in a frightening chokehold, his mind occasionally slipping in and out of consciousness. His attempt at escape also seemed to have proved futile. So this is it, how it all ends for him? Unable to tell those he cares about the truth of how hard he has tried all these years. Just as he was about to give up, the deafening sound of wings seemed to clear his foggy mind. Scarlet gaze slowly shifting upwards. Too slow, it would seem. Kazuha had not even realised that a pair of powerful arms had fastened around his chest and under his arms. Lifting him up into the air and carrying him far away from the scene.
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The Adeptus darted through the dark sky, vision blurred as the wind whipped past his features. Within 30 seconds he landed onto the balcony leading to his sleeping chambers, carrying the weak vampire in his toned arms inside the comfort of the palace, gently placing him onto his bed. Kazuha was weak, far too weak for comfort. "Kazuha?" Xiao whispered his name and gave him a nudge, thankful to realise he was still breathing. He left his side momentarily, returning with a wooden box covered in intricate patterns. Inside contained herbs used for healing and covering wounds. He had already noticed Kazuha's scorched hand, the skin flaring a painful red. No matter what he did, it was not something which would ever properly heal.
With gentle and skilled hands, Xiao applied cryo slime condensate on top of the burn since it would need to be cooled first before he could do anything more. He felt the other stir under his touch, a pained groan leaving the vampire as his scarlet eyes fluttered open, instantly falling upon the Adeptus. "Xiao...?" Kazuha croaked, his body unmoving as he stared down at the other.
"Good. You're awake." Xiao hummed, maintaining his focus on the injury as he began applying medicinal herbs to it. "I saved you from an angry mob of vampire hunters. I have no idea what you did to get yourself in that mess, nor do I ask of you to explain yourself. But you ought to be more careful, this burn will likely scar and serve as a reminder of this day for the rest of your life." His face remained stoic as usual, yet his eyes softened in sympathy each time he looked up at Kazuha's face. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"
Kazuha shook his head, his lips tilting upwards into a subtle smile. "You saved me..." He murmured in a hoarse voice.
"Think nothing of it, I did what I had to do."
"Hardly, you've never done anything that would be of benefit for me before. At least, not since the day our friend perished..." Kazuha's voice grew distant at the mention of their deceased friend before he erupted into a coughing fit. Clearly the smoke from earlier was still having affects on his lungs. He lifted a small vial to his lips which the Adeptus passed him. After swallowing the contents of the mixture Xiao had composed, his throat seemed to clear up. "Ahem, as I was saying Xiao. Truly, from the bottom of my heart I thank you. I will be sure to act more carefully from now on."
"Hmph. Very well, Kaedehara Kazuha." The Adeptus huffed, now wrapping a bandage around his hand. Keeping a mental note to have a trained healer tend to his wounds in the morning. Of course, he knew a few things here and there, but he was not quite as talented as the healer's living within the palace. But, it would do for now. A silence fell upon the pair, tension sparking between them as the air hung heavy, full of words yet to be spoken. The Inazuman was the first to speak, clearing his throat beforehand once more. "So then, Xiao... how exactly did you come to realise that I was being hunted? You seem to have rescued me just in time." Kazuha asked, curiosity sparkling in his cherry irises.
"Oh, that. You sent me a letter this morning of you arrival in Liyue and this is the first Vampire hunt this month. So I thought it would be best to check it out, that was all." The Adeptus murmured, revealing nothing more as he pulled himself up onto the bed beside the Vampire.
A small chuckle left the blonde, "ah I see. So you were worried about me?" Kazuha mused in a teasing tone. The Adeptus merely made a quiet "hmph" and said no more of the matter, shooting the vampire an unamused glare. Once more, the room descended into a deafening silence.
Although this time, it was Xiao who spoke first. "Have you eaten recently? Speak the truth with me, I have no time for games." He asked, his amber eyes falling upon Kazuha who shook his head.
"No, I haven't in quite a while. It is probably why I was so clumsy today..." He muttered, gazing off out the window at the midnight sky. As soon as the Liyuen Prince heard his confession, he shifted his robe to expose his neck, specifically where his carotid artery was. "Though, do not worry about me. I will be fine."
When Kazuha finally glanced back in the Adeptus' direction, his eyes widened in shock. "Wait- what are you-"
"You can't starve yourself, Kaedehara Kazuha. Do not defy your natural instincts to drink blood."
"I can't- stop that Xiao, I'm not hungry."
"You're lying to yourself, your mouth is watering at the sight of my exposed neck." He muttered nonchalantly upon noticing a sliver of drool hanging from the Vampire's parted lips. "Must I force you to drink?" Xiao hissed in annoyance, grabbing Kazuha's shoulders and lifting him into a sitting position with ease.
"Are you sure...?" He asked cautiously, moving closer to the Adeptus' exposed skin, glancing up at his face and then down at his neck. He wanted nothing more than to sink his fangs into his soft skin and replenish his energy. He found himself imagining the taste of the other's blood, perhaps it would be sweet? It had been far too long since his last meal, yet Kazuha persistently tried to deny his heritage and instincts to drink blood.
Xiao nodded, pulling his white robe off from his shoulder. "Yes, have your fill. Just do not overdo it and do not think I will allow you to do this often."
Almost as soon as Kazuha heard his spoken consent, his two fangs sunk into his neck with ease earning a quiet pained hiss from the other. Kazuha's guess was proven correct, his blood was sweet. Addictively sweet. Xiao eventually slumped down onto the pillow beneath him, the venom being pumped into his blood stream from the Vampire's fangs rendering his body semi-paralysed and weak. All he could do was raise a trembling hand to hold the back of the vampire's head. Meanwhile the other climbed on top of the now laying down Adeptus. It did not hurt as much as he had expected it to, rather it made him feel somewhat light headed. At least it was bearable.
Ravenously, Kazuha gulped mouthfuls of blood, drinking his fill. He pulled away from his neck, gasping and wiping away some blood that had trickled down his chin. "Do you feel better?" Xiao asked almost breathlessly, staring up at the other as his limbs began to finally regain strength.
"Yes... much better... thank you again, Xiao." The vampire climbed off of him and watched him for what he might say next.
Xiao managed to sit himself up and got off from the bed, moving towards the door. "Very well. You may rest here for the night." He hummed quietly, pulling his robe comfortably back over his shoulder, "I will have a healer tend to you in the morning. Get some sleep." Without another word, the Adeptus did not wait for the possibility of objection, swiftly slipping out of the room and into the darkness of the palace halls.
The Vampire blinked at the spot where the other Prince had once stood. Today had been... far more than just eventful. He simply could not comprehend it all just yet, he decided he would dwell on it in the morning. He pulled the quilt over him and snuggled into the warm bed. His limbs felt heavy and sore, though they instantly relaxed once he laid down and he found himself being lulled to sleep from the calmingly sweet scent of Xiao which was most potent on his pillow. Shutting his eyes as the exhausted Kazuha gradually fell into a deep slumber.