It had been about three months since the incident with the Treasure Hoarders. You hadn't seen or been in contact with Xiao in all that time. A short time after you returned home, you resumed working at the Wangshu Inn. Your days were filled with the same monotony as before. You tried to keep yourself busy, and would constantly seek out extra work. Anything at all to keep your mind distracted long enough, because when you were alone with your thoughts, there was always the same person at the forefront of them.

As much as you wanted to, there was no way for you to find Xiao. You thought continuing to work at the inn was your best bet to come in contact with him again. His room remained vacant in his absence, but each day you were there, you would hope he would maybe suddenly emerge from it. You'd work in the restaurant, and wish that he would be sitting at his usual table, waiting for his favorite dish. You would even periodically check the roof on the off chance he would be there.

But it was all for naught. It was almost like he disappeared. You asked Verr if she knew anything at all about his whereabouts, but she couldn't provide you with any information. You hadn't seen Zhongli since the day he brought you back, so there was no way to ask him. You couldn't make the trip to Liyue Harbor by yourself after experiencing how dangerous it was to travel. You really were left with no other options but to continue to wait. Even though it was hard, you kept hope in your heart. You wanted to believe that you two would be together again.

Elsewhere, Xiao had once again emerged from the domain of demons. He was worn out after having been fighting for almost a week without rest. He sat down where he was, and was catching his breath. It had been like this since he left you. After a short while, he got up, and returned to Liyue Harbor.

Zhongli had offered him an unused room to use as he pleased at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. He took him up on that offer, and would go there to rest before ultimately heading out to fight again. They normally didn't cross paths very often. Zhongli was extremely busy with his business. He would sometimes have to travel for work, and was away for long periods of time. When he was around, he was usually tied up with clients. He wanted to have a real talk with Xiao, but the timing just wouldn't work out.

On this night, while returning from a late dinner with clients, Zhongli spotted Xiao sitting on top of the roof. He decided the time was right to talk with him. He headed up there. Xiao was sitting on the edge, looking out at the city.

Z: "Anything on your mind tonight?"

Without turning around, Xiao answered him.

X: "Nothing in particular."

Zhongli walked up, and stood next to him. He put his hand on the ledge, and looked out at the city as well.

Z: "It's a nice evening."

Xiao didn't say anything.

Z: "I guess it'd be better to skip the small talk, and get right to the point. When are you returning to Wangshu Inn?"

After a moment, Xiao sighed a little before answering.

X: "I don't see a reason to. I can take care of things here, the same I would there. I'm in correspondence with them regularly, as well, so there is no need to."

Xiao didn't turn his head, at all. He just kept staring ahead. After a moment Zhongli spoke again.

Z: "I think you know what I'm alluding to, Xiao."

X: "..."

He didn't respond.

Z: "Is it really ok to just leave things the way they are...with Y/N?"

Xiao's gaze dropped momentarily. But he offered no response to Zhongli's question.

Z: "Far be it from me to tell you how to live your life, but right now, what you're doing isn't fair to her. I personally think you're being unnecessarily hard on yourself. What happened that night was... most unfortunate. It's a terrible thing to watch someone you care about be hurt, but, you're hurting her even more by leaving her to worry on her own. Even if you think it's in her best interest to just...disappear, the right thing to do would be to tell her straight. At least give her the closure she deserves."

With that, he turned to leave. Left there alone with his thoughts, his brows furrowed a bit as he thought about what Zhongli said. He knew he was right. He had been trying to avoid it, but he knew deep down what he had to do.

You were finishing up your night shift. It was an exceptionally busy evening, and you were worn out. After cleaning the last table, you said good night to the chef, and other staff members. At some point without you realizing, it began to rain. You weren't prepared for it, and looked around for Verr to see if there was an extra umbrella you could borrow. Unfortunately, you couldn't find her. As you stood at the exit, you were mentally preparing yourself to run home.

Y/N: ("Guess I don't really have a choice.")

You took a deep breath. You held your bag over your head, and made a run for it. Luckily, you didn't live too far from the inn. You couldn't help but find the situation a bit amusing. You had a smile on your face while you ran through the rain. As you came upon your place, you came to a halt. Your smile quickly disappeared, and you dropped your bag. You blinked a few times to make sure you were actually seeing what you did. Standing in front of you was Xiao.

You stood there mouth agape, eyes full of disbelief. You both just stared at each other for a few moments. Nothing but the sound of rain around you. You shook your head a bit, and then spoke.

Y/N: "Xiao...Is that...really you?"

He gave you a slight nod.

You brought your hands up over your mouth, and tears started to make their way to your eyes. You were about to run to him, and throw your arms around him, but before you could, he spoke.

X: "Can we talk inside?"

You regained your composure.

Y/N: "S-sure...Of course."

You picked up your bag from the ground. You walked past him, and opened the door. He followed you in.

Y/N: "Have a seat. I'll grab a towel."

As you went to do that, he looked around your place. Nothing had changed. He sat down, and waited for you to return. You came back with a towel around your neck. You handed him a dry one. He didn't say anything. You sat down across from him. He was looking at the towel in his hand. You had so much you wanted to say to him, you didn't know where to even begin.

Y/N: "Have you been...alright?"

He looked at you, and nodded a few times.

Y/N: "That's...good."

Even though he was sitting right there, it felt like he was so far away. There was silence between you. All you could hear was the rain falling. You were fidgeting with your hands, and then you decided to ask what it was you really wanted to know.

Y/N: "Xiao...Where were you?"

He set the towel down next to him. With indifference in his voice, he answered you.

X: "I was on my mission."

He seemed almost cold. With a concerned look on your face, you continued.

Y/N: "But, you've been away for almost three months...How come you didn't contact me or return to the inn at all?"

He looked you right in your eyes.

X: "I didn't want to."

That hurt you. You were so surprised, you didn't know what to say. As you sat there trying to steady your thoughts, he stood up.

X: "I only came back here to tell you to forget about me."

You were shocked.

Y/N: "W-what?"

X: "I realized getting involved with you was a mistake. I will no longer be returning to the Wangshu Inn in the future. Do not wait for me anymore."

As you sat there, tears began to well up in your eyes. He looked at you, but then abruptly made his way to the door to leave. He stopped right before grabbing the doorknob.

X: "I'm sorry."

His voice much gentler than before. He opened the door, and left. You didn't have the time to wallow in your emotions. You knew if you didn't act now, you really would never see him again. You ran after him as fast as you could. He didn't get far when you cried out.

Y/N: "XIAO!"

He stopped. He kept his back to you.

Y/N: "How could you...? How could you walk away from me so easily? Didn't you tell me our lives were intertwined? Didn't you say you'd be with me for the rest of my life?"

You were crying your eyes out.

Y/N: "I know why you're doing this... Believe it or not, I know you better than you think I do! You think what happened three months ago was your fault!"

He clenches his fists.

Y/N: "But it wasn't! I promise you, it wasn't your fault!... And I don't blame you for any of it! I know you think you failed to protect me, but that's not true at all! Yes, it was a bad situation, but is that all you can remember from our time together?! What about all of the good memories we made?! Didn't they mean anything to you?! You were afraid of me getting hurt...but what hurts more than anything is not being able to be with you..

Please...please don't do this..."

You dropped down to your knees. He couldn't take it anymore. Hearing you cry like that was tearing him apart inside, and the wall he was trying so hard to keep up, came right down at your words. He went to you immediately, knelt down, and wrapped you in his arms.

X: "I'm so sorry."

You held him back, and cried into his chest.

X: "I was doubting myself. How could I let the person I care about the most get hurt? Thinking I didn't do enough to protect you...I thought it would be better if you were to just forget about me. While I was away from you, it was so easy to convince myself I was doing the right thing. I thought we would be able to just go back to our lives the way they were before.

But as soon as I saw you tonight, I realized how empty my life was without you in it. I still wanted to believe you'd be better without me, and tried to end things quickly, but I made you suffer with own selfish actions. I'm sorry for making you cry. Please...forgive me. For everything."

As the rain poured down on you both, you tightened your embrace on each other. You were finally reunited.

After a short while, you unexpectedly sneezed. He let you go slightly, and looked down at you.

X: "You should get out of the rain. Let's head back inside."

You both stood up. He took your hand in his, and walked back into your place. He grabbed the towel you gave him before, and handed it to you. You smiled at him. You took the towel, and dried your face and hair a bit.

X: "You should probably change out of those wet clothes before you get sick. You go ahead. I'll wait here for you."

You nodded slightly. You were on your way to your bedroom when you suddenly stopped. You couldn't exactly explain it, but in that moment, you just knew that you wanted to be as close to him as you possibly could. There were emotions you needed to convey to him and words alone wouldn't suffice. The towel dropped out of your hand. You turned back around, and walked back up to Xiao. He was a bit confused.

X: "Are you ok?"

Without answering, you kissed him. His eyes went wide in surprise. It was a truly passionate kiss. You stopped, and pulled back for a moment. As you looked him in his eyes, his expression relaxed. As if you understood each other without speaking, your lips drew together once more. His arms wrapped around your back, as your hands wrapped around his head, running your fingers through his hair. As your lips parted, once again, you met each others gazes. As if acting on instinct, he lifted you up, and took you to the bedroom. With love as your guide, you both conveyed your deepest feelings for each other that night.

As you lie there in his arms, with the rain still falling outside, you felt unbelievably content. He placed a kiss on your forehead, and you closed your eyes. You truly loved each other, and both silently vowed to always fight for this love.

Life returned to the way it was. Xiao found his way back to the Wangshu Inn. You continued working there, with hopes of seeing the world again with him at your side. Although apprehensive about it, he promised when the time came, he would protect you with everything he had. There were many ups and downs, but you both never forgot the vow you made to each other.

- The End

*Thanks for reading! ^_^