It hadn't been long since you and he became a couple. But in all honesty, nothing really changed between you two. You now knew that he cared about you, but beyond knowing that, things remained relatively the same. Until...

You finally saved a decent amount of mora while working at the Wangshu Inn, and felt the time was right to start seeing some of the world. You talked to Verr, and asked for an extended leave. She happily obliged, and reassured you you'd always have a job whenever you returned.

At home, you began to plan out your destination. You had a map of Liyue spread across the floor. On your bed, you had a large backpack opened up, with various items sprawled about. Most of the remainder of the day was spent carefully deciding what to pack and what not to.

You took a deep breath, and with your hands on your hips, you looked around at the mess you created, inadvertently.

Y/N: ("I guess I got a little carried away...")

You were lamenting having to clean everything up, when there was a knock at your door. Welcoming the distraction, you hurried to answer it.

Y/N: "Be right there!"

You opened your door, and immediately smiled at who it was.

Y/N: "Xiao! You're back."

He had been away for the past week, and you had missed him very much.

X: "I just got back. I thought I'd come see you first before heading back to the inn."

Y/N: "That's great! Come on in."

You moved slightly, and he walked into your place. As he looked around, you could tell he was slightly taken aback by the mess.

X: "What's all this?"

Y/N: "Oh, right..."

You started picking things up, just to make it slightly more tidy, and told him about what was going on. He sat down and watched you.

Y/N: "Well, you remember I told you I wanted to go out, and see a bit of the world?"

He nods.

Y/N: "So, I asked Verr for time off working at the restaurant. I decided that I'm going to go see the sights around Liyue."

X: "Really?"

Y/N: "Yeah. I don't know, it just kind of seems like the right time. I've saved up a lot of mora, and I think I've gotten so much better at using the bow and arrow..."

X: "When are you leaving?"

You stop what you're doing.

Y/N: "Well, that depends..."

You put down the random items in your hands and go to sit next to him.

Y/N: "I've been wanting to ask you for while now, but...would you like to come with me?"

You gave him a pleading look, while you tried to gauge his reaction. As always, he's impossible to read, so you continue.

Y/N: "I know it's sudden, but I was really hoping it'd be possible. This way...We don't have to be away from each other for too long. I already know your obligations to your mission, but we'd still be in Liyue, so hopefully, it wouldn't inconvenience you too much. And even if there would be times you'd have to leave, instead of going back to the inn, you would just come back to wherever I was."

He answers you after short contemplation.

X: "Well, considering I think you'd be lost on your own, I think me coming with you is logical."

You let the first part of that slide, but you're so happy about his answer.

Y/N: "Really?! You mean it?!"

He nods his head.

Y/N: "YES!"

You jump up from your seat, and then immediately hug him. It's still something he's getting used to, so he always freezes up a bit when it happens, but a slight smile spreads across his face, and he wraps one of his arms around your back. After a short while, you let him go, but you're still elated.

Y/N: "This is so great! Ok, so, I was thinking..."

You go over to where the map is lain out on the floor. You kneel down and start looking it over. You're talking about where you want to go first, and whatnot. He's listening to you, but he's also watching you. He gets up and slowly walks over. His eyes soften a bit, and he can't help the feeling of adoration that comes over him. He joins you, and helps you plan out where to begin. Within the next few days, your preparation is complete, and you set out together. You decided heading to Liyue Harbor made the most sense for sight seeing.

Along the way, you were able to see so many beautiful sights, but were also surprised about the amount of monsters you encountered. There were many times on your journey you couldn't help but think to yourself how grateful you were to have Xiao with you. But of course, it wasn't only because of his fighting ability.

You were making your way across the Guili Planes, when suddenly Xiao spoke up.

X: "There's somewhere I think you'd really like to see."

Y/N: "Really?"

X: "Yes. It's a little ways off our current path, but I think it's a place you'd enjoy."

You were smiling at his unexpected suggestion.

Y/N: "Lead the way!"

He gave you a nod, and started walking. You followed him in anticipation. It was quite the trek, but he helped you along the way. He was very attentive to you, making sure to take breaks when he thought you were getting tired, and holding your hand when the terrain was hard to traverse. You guys made it up a fairly high cliff.

Y/N: "*whew* That...was not easy..."

As you stood there with your hands on your knees, catching your breath; he walked forward to the edge of the cliff, and looked out ahead. He looked back at you.

X: "Come see this."

You walked up, and as you looked out at the view, you were momentarily speechless. It was one of the most breathtaking views you'd ever seen. Your eyes were lit up as you looked out, and you brought your hands up to your mouth. You were in awe. Xiao was watching you carefully, taking note of how you reacted. It was the exact reaction he was hoping for from you. After seeing it, he smiled a bit to himself.

Y/N: "Xiao...this is...amazing. What is this place?"

He looked back out as he spoke.

X: "This is Luhua Pool. It's an ancient garden. Not many people know its exact location, so it remains, for the most part, undisturbed."

He looks back over to you, still admiring the view.

X: "Did you want to take a closer look?"

You looked at him surprised.

Y/N: "Can we?"

You looked down, and saw that it was probably going to be pretty hard to climb down there.

Y/N: "Getting down there might be really tricky..."

X: "Actually, getting down there will be easy. It's getting back up that will be the hard part."

Y/N: "What do you me-"

Before you can finish asking, he lifts you up into his arms. You automatically wrap your arms around his neck.

Y/N: "Hey, what are you doing?!"

He doesn't answer you. Instead he jumps off the side of the cliff. Terrified, you let out a little yelp before you close your eyes, and bury your head in his neck.

X: "Open your eyes."

Although afraid at first, you trust him, and slowly open your eyes. You guys are gently gliding down.

Y/N: "How..?"

You look back at him, and then notice the beautiful wings. He meets your gaze momentarily. Although there wasn't a smile on his face exactly, he seemed to be pretty happy. You make it down safely, and he gently sets you down. After getting a closer look, you're even more wonderstruck with your surroundings.

Y/N: "This is...really something. "

You spend a good amount of time walking around, admiring the beauty and tranquility of this hidden gem. You squat down at the edge of the shoreline, and run your hand through the water.

Y/N: "This is the clearest water I've ever seen. It's spectacular."

You stand up, and look out once more, trying to take in as many details of this place that you can. You turn to Xiao who has his arms folded, and is looking around nonchalantly.

Y/N: "Xiao...For as long as I live, I'll never forget this. Thank you so much for taking me here."

He unfolds his arms, and was a bit caught off guard at your sudden sincerity. He felt his heart skip a beat. He doesn't say anything. You give him a big smile, and turn your attention back to the view. He brings a hand up to his chest, and lightly grips at it. He looks back at your side profile.

X: ("I think this is something I'll also never forget.")

After a little more time there, you finally leave and head to Liyue Harbor. It takes you a couple of days, to get there, but you eventually arrive. There are people everywhere. It's so much to take in, you kind of just stare for a few moments. A smile plays across your lips, as you're thinking to yourself where you should begin. Before anything can happen though, Xiao speaks up from behind you.

X: "I have to leave."

You turn to him immediately.

Y/N: "What? Right now?"

He nodded. Although you knew this would happen at some point, you couldn't help feeling a bit disheartened. You didn't want to burden him with these selfish thoughts though, so you mustered up a smile for him.

Y/N: "Ok. Well, I'll be staying at the Baiju Guesthouse. I'll be here until you get back. Please be careful. I'll be waiting for you."

X: "Don't get yourself into any trouble while I'm gone."

Y/N: "I won't."

He stares at you for a few more moments, and then turns to leave. You watch him until he's completely out of sight, and then make your way into town.

Y/N: ("I was hoping to experience this with him, but knowing him, he probably wouldn't have liked to be in such a crowded place.)

As you're walking around, you take notice of how big this place is. It could be overwhelming for anyone, but probably even more so for someone like Xiao who doesn't seem to care for being around many people to begin with. Just then, you had an idea.

Y/N: ("I know what to do! I'll see as much as I possibly can, and if there are any places in particular I want him to see, I'll know exactly where they are. Plus, I'll check some of the restaurants around here, and see if they make Almond Tofu. And if they don't, maybe I can get one of the chefs to make it for me if I get the ingredients...Oh, yeah, and the inn I'll be staying at...I'll see if they'd be able to make it, too...)

As usual, he was all you could think about. Over the next few days, you did exactly what you played out in your head. You explored the town, and went to most of the main tourist attractions. Although you were missing Xiao, you made sure you were having a good time for yourself.

One night, you had a stroke of extremely good luck. As you were inquiring about possibly dining at one of the most famous restaurants in all of Liyue Harbor, Xinyue Kiosk, someone cancelled at the last minute. You were able to be seated outside, and enjoyed a delicious meal. While seated, you also ordered some drinks to accompany your food. You were taking your time, and really enjoying yourself. Before you knew it, you were actually getting pretty tipsy.

There was a couple seated not far from where you were. They were extremely affectionate with each other throughout the evening, with a lot of hand holding, feeding each other, and the like. As you watched them, you were happy for them, but there was a small pang of jealousy that crept up inside you. You wanted to have those kind of experiences with Xiao. You already knew though, Xiao was not like that. Xiao was different, for a variety of reasons. Even though your logical side understood this, and truly did accept and love him for who he was, your drunk side was not so understanding.

After one more drink, that on some level you knew you shouldn't have had, you paid your bill, and headed back to the inn. As you walked back, the nighttime breeze felt like heaven on your flushed cheeks. You were staggering a bit, but you yourself did not realize this. You were too busy looking up at the starry sky, thinking about Xiao. As you wandered about, you took a turn down a dark path. It was a dead end, and you were confused.

Y/N: "Wait a second...where am I?"

You put a hand to your head, and laughed a little. You went to turn around to go back the way you came, but it was then you noticed you weren't alone.

?: "Hey there, missy. Whatcha doing over there?"

There were three men standing there, blocking your way. You were a bit out of it, but still recognized this was a pretty dangerous situation.

Y/N: "..."

You didn't say anything to them.

M1: "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

M2: "Yeah, you looked like you were having a great time just a second ago."

You put a hand over your chest, trying not to panic.

Y/N: "N-nothing is the matter. I just...got a little lost, is all. I was just leaving."

They were blocking the only path out, but you attempted to walk past them. Just before you could, one of the men grabbed your arm.

M3: "Hey, now. What's the rush? Let's chat a little. You said you're lost. Why don't you stay with us, I'm sure we can help you get to where you need to be."

They all started laughing. With all your might, you shook yourself free from the man's grip, but you weren't able to pass them, so you were still stuck there.

Y/N: "I - I don't need any help. I just want to leave. Please, get out of my way."

They started walking towards you, and you had no choice but to back up.

M1: "Leave? But the night is young."

M2: "Yeah, plus you looked like you were really enjoying yourself tonight. About how many would you say you knocked back at that restaurant?"

M3: "I think we counted at least four or five, right guys?"

You backed up until there was literally nowhere else to go.

M1: "I'd say that was the perfect amount to have some fun with us tonight, right?"

You felt sick. You didn't know what to do. You were terrified. You started shaking. You were cowering against the wall, when one of the men walked up to you. He reached his hand out, about to touch your cheek. You closed your eyes. It was then you heard a voice.

?: "Don't you dare touch her."

Your eyes flew open. Everyone looked in the direction the voice came from.

You saw his silhouette, but you already knew from his voice who it was. With tears in your eyes, you spoke his name.

Y/N: "Xiao..."

One of the men looked at you, and then back at Xiao.

M2: "You know that runt?"

You didn't say anything. You were too focused on Xiao. They were mad at being interrupted.

M1: "Hey, asshole. Get lost before you get hurt."

M3: "Yeah. Everything is fine here. Move along."

Xiao started walking towards you.

X: "I'm afraid I can't do that until you move out of the way, and let her pass."

The three men start walking towards Xiao. They all come face to face. The men are looking down at him, intimidatingly.

M2: "We told you to mind your business, runt. The girl is with us tonight."

X: "That woman is my business. Get out of my way. Now."

He looked at them with his piercing gaze. They were momentarily deterred, but because of Xiao's unassuming appearance, they thought they would easily have the upperhand.

M1: "You asked for it, you little -"

They attacked him, but were no match for him at all. It was over before they even knew what happened. After looking down at them on the ground, he turned his attention towards you.

X: "Are you hurt?"

You were so happy to see him, you ran up to him, and threw your arms around his neck.

Y/N: "I'm so glad you're here."

You tightened your grip around him. He was a little surprised, but returned your embrace.

X: "Seems like I can't leave you alone for too long before you get yourself into trouble."

You were still crying, and answered him in between sobs.

Y/N: "I'm..*sniff*.. sorry."

He let out a little sigh. He let you go, and then looked in your eyes.

X: "I'm just glad I made it in time."

Y/N: "..*sniff*..*sniff*.."

X: "Let's go."

You both took a big step over the unconscious men, and headed back. He walked a few steps in front of you, and you watched his back.

Y/N: ("He might not be the overly affectionate type, but he's always there for me when I need him, and thinks about me in his own way.")

You think back on your trip here. All the little moments you shared with him flash in your mind.

Y/N: (" I really do love Xiao exactly how he is.")

You're overcome with affection for him, and you reach out and take his hand. He's not expecting this sudden gesture, and stops walking. He looks down at your hand, and then back up at you. He's quite shocked, and doesn't quite understand what's happening.

X: "What... are you doing?"

Y/N: "I- I just really wanted to hold your hand right now..."

X: "Why?"

You're a little embarrassed at having to explain yourself, but you try to give him an answer.

Y/N: "I...was just thinking how happy I am to know you, and I just felt the urge to want to be closer to you..."

He still has a confused look on his face. Your grip on his hand loosens. You start to lose confidence in your spontaneous decision, and think it'd be better to just let it go.

Y/N: "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to...make you uncomfortable."

You let his hand go.

Y/N: "It was just something stupid...Just forget about it."

You force a smile, and start walking again. He watches you, and then follows. You can't help but feeling both mortified and saddened at the same time.

Y/N: ("What was I thinking?! I wish I could crawl under a rock right now...Ugh...I got swept up in my own silly emotions...How embarrassing...")

As you're beating yourself up inside your head, something totally unexpected happens. You feel your hand being enveloped. Xiao has taken your hand in his. You stop in your tracks. You're astonished. You look down at your hand, and then look at him.

Y/N: "Xiao?..."

X: "This is...what you wanted, isn't it?"

He looks away, and uses his free hand to scratch the back of his head.

X: "I don't really get it, but, this makes you happy, right?"

You feel tears welling up in your eyes, and nod enthusiastically. He looks back at you and can tell how happy you are.

X: ("I'd forgotten how humans show their affections for one another through such acts. Such a trivial thing can bring this much joy to one person? How strange.")

Although he found the whole thing to be rather peculiar, there was a part of him that liked seeing you content. He begins to lead you away. You guys walk all the way back to the inn holding hands. You get back to your room and collapse on the bed. The room has two beds and a desk. You know he doesn't sleep, but you made sure to ask for two beds, just in case. Xiao heads over, and sits by the desk facing you.

Y/N: "What a night..."

You put your arm over your forehead, and close your eyes. There's silence in the room. After some time, you speak up.

Y/N: "Hey, Xiao..."

He doesn't answer, but you know he's listening.

Y/N: "Thanks for saving me...Again."

X: "..."

Y/N: "I've never considered myself someone who gets themselves into these unpleasant situations, but life has been really unpredictable lately."

You give a little laugh.

Y/N: "But each time I do find myself in over my head...It seems like you're always there to help pull me out... I don't know if it's just by extraordinary coincidence, or if I'm just blessed with incredible luck. Either way...thank you.. for being there for me...I wish I ...*yawn* could do something...for you..."

You trail off. Your exhaustion coupled with the alcohol you consumed earlier put you right to sleep. The sounds of your rhythmic breathing fill the otherwise silent room. He gets up, walks over to the bed and looks down at you for a moment. He leans over you slightly, and gently moves your arm off of your forehead, and places it at your side. He sits down on the bed, and watches you. He reaches out, and brings his hand up to your face, but stops right before he touches you. After a brief hesitation, he continues to reach for you. He gently moves some of your hair out of your face. When he finishes, he lightly brushes the back of his fingers down your cheek, before pulling away.

X: ("I wonder what it is about you that makes me feel all of these emotions I thought died inside of me long ago? No matter how I look at it, you're just another human... But at the same time, you're not. You make me feel like there is more to my life than just endlessly fighting.")

He continues to watch you. He thinks back to when you took his hand. He gently slips his fingers under yours, and softly glides his thumb over the top of your fingers.

X: ("I think I understand why something like this made you so happy earlier.")

He removes his hand, and gets up. He turns to leave the room, but before he does, something on the desk catches his eye. He walks over, and picks up a piece of paper. He reads the title to himself.

X: ( 'Places that Xiao might like' )

It's a list of all the places you went to see while he was away, that you thought might interest him when he returned. Some were crossed out, some had question marks next them. There were little scribbles on the sides. One thing that was made abundantly clear, though, was that you were thinking about him. He was honestly touched.

He put the paper back on the desk. He went over to you again. This time he knelt down. He picked up your hand once more, and placed a kiss on the back of it.

X: ("This is another human gesture that conveys one's affection for another. My devotion...to you.")

The following day, you spent the entire time with Xiao. You took him to the places you really wanted to show him. You, of course, did majority of the talking, but he was present, and listened to you the entire time. He stood out a bit, and you couldn't help but notice the attention he was getting, particularly from the women. Luckily, he was unfazed and you were happy he seemed to be fairing well with the large crowds and extended involvement in human activity.

The sun is starting to set. After walking around, you stretched your legs out as you both sat down on a nearby bench.

Y/N: "I had so much fun today."

You looked over to Xiao.

Y/N: "When I was thinking about all the places I wanted to show you, it occurred to me that not only have you probably been here plenty of times before, but also, this kind of thing might not be interesting to you. So, I just wanted to say thanks for indulging me today."

You gave him a smile.

X: "Liyue Harbor has been a popular location for humans to frequent for as long as I can remember. I've never experienced it from the human perspective before, so I suppose this wasn't completely inconsequential."

Y/N: ("That's just so like him.")

You giggle to yourself a bit. He gets up, and then turns to you. You look up at him.

X: "Would you like to see Liyue Harbor from a different perspective? I'll warn you though, it won't be an easy feat."

You smile to him.

Y/N: "I'm up for a little adventure."

He wasn't exaggerating. After a painstaking journey which included some monster fights, plenty of walking, and climbing, you eventually made it to the top of a cliff. Nighttime had fallen completely. You were panting, and trying your best to catch your breath.

Y/N: "*heavy breathing*...You think...I'd.. be used to this...by now..."

X: "Are you ok?"

After one last big breath, you stood upright.

Y/N: "I'm fine, now."

X: "Good. Come with me."

He held out his hand. After his reaction the first time you held hands, you didn't think it would be something he would ever initiate. And more over, it looked like it came so natural to him. You were pleasantly surprised, and couldn't help the smile that came to your face. You blushed, and took his hand.

He walked you over to the edge of the cliff. You let out an admiring sigh when the view came into your sight. The city was lit up. The lights coming from the various windows, and lanterns adorning the buildings, and streets. The boats, and water. The moon and stars in the sky. Everything just came together so perfectly to create the picturesque scene if front of you.

Y/N: "Xiao...this is...wonderful. Truly...just...amazing."

He sat down and looked out over the city. You were still admiring the view, and then sat next to him a few moments later.

Y/N: "So, this is the city from your perspective?"

He nods his head slightly.

You sat in a comfortable silence for a while.

X: "There's a reason I prefer it up here."

You turned to him.

X: "I think you're already aware, but, human life is but a blink of an eye for me. There have been countless humans that have lived and died in the span of my life so far. Their way of living down there, is just one of many I have witnessed throughout the years. Ever changing, but essentially the same. It's intriguing to witness, but the reality is, there is no place for me among them.

My life is wrought with endless fighting and the suffering that comes with that. It's not something any human will ever be able to truly understand. It's something I have resigned myself to."

Y/N: ("How lonely...")

You look at him, empathetically. You want to say something to comfort him, but you can't quite find the words. You move your hand over his. He looks over, and you meet his eyes with yours.

X: "Don't feel sorry for me. This is my life. It's just how it is."

You don't want to, but you just can't help it. The more you think about him in pain, the more your heart hurts. You try to hold it in, but tears fill up your eyes. You quickly try to wipe them away, but it's too late. You sit there trying to stifle your sobs, but it's no use.

X: "How troublesome."

Y/N: "I'm sorry...I just..."

You can't finish your sentence. He let's out a sigh. He reaches out, and cups your cheek. He uses his thumb to wipe away your tears.

X: "I'll tell you something you probably didn't know."

He keeps his hand on your cheek, as he looks you in your eyes.

X: "Lately, it hasn't been all that bad. I've been spending a lot of time with one human in particular who I find pretty interesting."

You smile a little, even though you're still crying.

X: "Her expressions are always changing. She talks a lot, and she cries a lot, too. She also gets herself into some questionable situations. But, she's also very thoughtful and caring. What I like the best about her though, is her kindness."

You bring your hand up, and put it over his.

X: "I constantly question why she wants to be around me, but... I'm really happy that she does."

Y/N: "Xiao..."

X: "I can't really make much sense of human emotions, but what I feel for you... It would be love. I love you."

You start to cry even more.

Y/N: "..I love you."

X: ("That other gesture that humans do to show their affections...")

He's extremely awkward about it, and even a little shy, but he leans in, and you share your very first kiss together.

X: "My life is now intertwined with yours. For as long as you live, I will be with you. And for as long as I live, you will be the one who has my heart."

It was truly a beautiful night.