It wasn't easy to get close to him. Anyone who knew him knew this fact very well. He was someone who had been alive for thousands of years, after all. The human way had no meaning to him. His mission was what was important to him. He had little to no interest in human emotion. That's how he lived his life.

When y/n started working as a waitress in the Wangshu Inn, she was told all about him by the owner. He was in fact a regular, who only ordered Almond Tofu, and spent most of his time hanging out on the roof of the inn. That is, unless of course, he was out on his mission. Y/n was told not to take it personal that this person was rather cold, and uninterested in being personable to anyone.

It was only after serveral months of short interactions, that went from merely setting down his regular order at his table, while he barely acknowledged your presence, to you actually being able to exchange short plesantries with him. It was mostly you doing the talking, of course, but he didn't outright tell you to leave him alone, which you viewed as a positive.

You lived alone, close to Wangshu Inn, and had only intended to work there for a short while. Your ultimate goal was to explore the world as much as you could, and wanted to save up some funds in order to do that.

The world wasn't exactly a safe place, and if you were going to travel alone, you'd need some sort of way to protect yourself. You owned a bow and some arrows that you told yourself you'd learn to use, but never got around to it. One weekend, where you'd gotten lucky enough not to have to work, you decided this would be the perfect opportunity to learn.

You didn't want to risk hurting anyone that might happen to pass by, so you headed quite a ways out, deep into the forest. You set up a makeshift target on a tree, and begin to practice. Before you knew it, many hours had passed, and you worked up quite a sweat. You wiped the sweat from your brow, and sat down down with a loud sigh on a nearby stump.

"Whew...I'm not an expert by any means, but I am quite proud of myself for the progress I made."

You looked over to the paper target on the tree, riddled with holes, and were especially proud of the few that landed right in the middle.

"Some more practice sessions, and then maybe I'll be ready to start my own adventure."

You put both arms behind you, leaned back and looked up at the sky. You imagined what it would be like out there. Seeing different places, meeting different people, experiencing life beyond what you knew. Eventually, the sun started setting. It was getting dark.

"I should probably head back.."

You gathered up your arrows, and other belongings, and began heading back. However, you realized how different the forest looked at night. It was almost completely dark, and looking around, you felt a sense of uneasiness building up inside of you. You started hearing noises from all around. Bushes rustling, and twigs cracking around you. You started walking faster. You didn't get very far when the bushes close to you started shaking violently. You stopped in your tracks, and gripped your bow close to your chest. You wanted to run, but you were frozen with fear. Before you knew it, three horrifying creatures jumped out, and were now in front of you.

Your knees buckled, and you fell to the ground. You didn't know it, but these were Hilichurls. You lived a sheltered life, you heard stories of monsters, but had never encountered them for yourself. They had weapons, and their movements were erratic, which only fueled your fear even more. As they moved in closer, you let out the loudest scream you could muster.

Y/N: "KYAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

But who were you screaming for? You set out alone, and made sure to go as far away from the town as possible. Tears filled your eyes when you realized you were probably going to be killed. Weapons raised above their heads, you shut your eyes tightly, and waited for the worst to happen. At that moment, you felt a strong gust of wind.

You opened your eyes to see one of the monsters being blown away. The other two set their sights on their new target. You followed their angry gazes, and saw Xiao standing there, with his spear at the ready. You watched as they charged at him. It was hard to follow, as he moved so fast, but he made short work of the hilichurls. When he was finished with them, he turned to you. You were still on the ground, shaking, and still clutching your bow to your chest.

You met his gaze as he walked up to you.

X: "You can get up now. They're dead."

You were still processing what had just happened. You were trying to regain your composure, and stood up slowly. He was still looking at you intently, when he spoke again.

X: "For what reason are you out here with that weapon, if you can't even use it when you need to?"

Y/N: "...I..just...I was...teaching myself. I was learning how to use this.. I wasn't expecting..."

You trailed off, still a bit shaken from the incident.

There was an uncomfortable silence between you two. Eventually, Xiao turned on his heel.

X: "I'm heading back to Wangshu Inn. Follow me."

Once again, there was silence as you followed him through the dark forest. It continued on like this for a while, until you realized you didn't thank him.

Y/N: "Thank you...for saving me, by the way."

Without looking back, he answered indifferently.

X: "There is no need to thank me. I just happened to be there."

Y/N: "Even so, you still saved me... So, thanks."

You were looking down at the ground while you walked. He glanced quickly over his shoulder, but didn't answer you. Without any further conversation, you both made it back to the town.

X: "I'm headed to the inn. You should go home."

Y/N: "I will."

He turned to walk away. You watched for a little while, and then turned to go home. As you turned around to leave you heard a voice.

X: "You should quit trying to learn how to fight."

Surprised at this sudden statement, you quickly turned back around, to see Xiao's serious expression.

Y/N: "What?.."

X: " Did you forget what just happened? You're not cut out for fighting. You'll only get yourself killed out there. It's best if you quit now."

He seemed to have said all he wanted to say, and once again turned and started walking away. Although he was right about that particular situation, the fact that he was underestimating you made you extremely upset. You could've let the situation go at that, but your pride wouldn't let you.

Y/N: "Listen here."

Your voice was stern. He turned his head to meet your gaze.

Y/N: "I appreciate you saving me. And you are right about what happened tonight. But you don't know me. I have my reasons to learn to use this weapon. No one starts out knowing how to do everything, not even you. But we all have the ability to learn and grow. So while I appreciate your advice, next time, keep it to yourself."

Without waiting for a response, you turned and stormed away.

Xiao watched you with an expression that was hard to read. He watched you until you were completely out of sight. After replaying what you just said, a small smirk crept up on his lips. Finally, he left.

You arrived at home. You dropped everything down without a care, and threw yourself face first onto your bed. A groan quickly followed.

Y/N: "Urrrrggghhh"

The sound muffled in your pillow. You turned yourself around, and put your arm over your forehead as you looked up at your ceiling. The events of the day replayed in your mind.

Y/N: " ...next time, keep it you yourself."

You remember that clearly, and cover your face with both hands, embarrassed.

Y/N: "WHY DID I SAY THAAAAAT?"

You wriggled on your bed, wanting to forget what happened, but no matter what, it did in fact happen.

Y/N: "I can't believe I was so rude to him. Even though it made me angry that he made it seem like I was incapable, he did save my life... And maybe his "advice" was just coming from a place of genuine concern, and not meant to insult me...I have to see him at work, eventually... Ugh...I'll have to apologize to him..."

It was hard for you to fall asleep that night, but eventually, your mind stopped racing enough to finally drift off to sleep.

The next day, even though it was your day off, you decided to go to the inn. You wanted to get the apology over with so it wouldn't be awkward when you did return to work. You checked around the inn to see if he was there, first in the restaurant, then on the balcony. You didn't see him, so you figured there was only one other place he would be; on the roof.

It was quite a bother to get up there, but when you finally made it, Xiao was sitting there looking out at the view. He seemed deep in thought, and you didn't really want to disturb him.

Y/N: *clears throat*

Expression unchanging, he looked over to you.

X: "..."

He didn't say anything, so you just decided to start talking.

Y/N: "Hey, so...about yesterday..."

You walked up a little closer to him.

Y/N: "I just wanted to apologize to you. What I said, and how I said it...It was rude. So, I'm really sorry about that. And I know I said it already, but thanks again for saving me."

A short silence followed, and Xiao once again turned his gaze back to the view.

X: "I wasn't offended by what you said, so there is no reason to apologize. I've learned over time that humans are emotional creatures. After thousands of years of being alive, there really isn't anything that bothers me anymore."

Although you knew somewhat about him from the owners, it was easy to forget that Xiao wasn't human, and had been around for so long. His youthful appearance didn't really help with that either.

Y/N: "Yeah, I guess, that makes sense.."

You sat down next to him, and looked out at the landscape.

Y/N: "I've never been up here before. It's really beautiful."

He didn't say anything. You both sat there for a while, but this time, the silence between you wasn't uncomfortable. You thought maybe you might've been invading his personal time, but when you glanced over at his face, he didn't really have any discernible expression, so you assumed it was ok to be there. After some more time had passed, you decided to speak up.

Y/N: " So, why were you in the forest last night?"

X: "I was coming back from a mission."

Y/N: "Oh..."

You put your arms around your knees.

Y/N: "You didn't even flinch at those monsters last night..."

X: "Those were nothing. There are monsters that exist in this world, far more terrible and horrible than you can imagine. And not just beasts. There are humans akin to demons and monsters alike. This world is...a dark place. You have no idea what evil lurks out there."

You watched him, and noticed a slight change in his expression.

Not knowing what else to say, you put your chin on your knees and thought about what he said. You understood now that what he was saying to you last night was not so much for your safety, but from his own experiences. He had seen things you wouldn't ever see. Experienced life in a way that you could never possibly comprehend. You two led completely different lives. Even knowing this, you weren't deterred in your goal, though, and felt the need to make something clear.

Y/N: "Not that you asked, and I'm sure you don't really care, but I wasn't practicing to become a fighter or anything like that. At some point in the future, I'd like to see the world. Travel to different places. Learning to use the bow, is just a way to protect myself if I need to. I'm sure what happened last night might make it seem like I wouldn't be able to, but I don't intend to give up. I'll learn what I can beforehand, and hopefully, when the time comes, I'll be ready."

He watched you silently, but once again, looked back out at the view, without saying anything. A little more time had passed, and you decided to leave.

Y/N: "Well, sorry for bothering you."

You stood up, and lightly brushed off the back of your clothes. You looked down at Xiao with a smile.

Y/N: "See you around. Enjoy the rest of your day."

You gave a small wave, and left. He watched you go. Although he had made contact with countless humans in all the time he was alive, there was something intriguing about you to him. He didn't quite understand why, and quickly brushed those thoughts aside.

As you leisurely walked through the town, you reflected back on your encounter with Xiao.

Y/N: ("Although I still have difficulty relating to him, I think I understand him just a little bit more.")

In the months that followed, your relationship with Xiao changed. You continued to practice your archery, although in a place closer to where you lived so you wouldn't find yourself in the same dangerous situation. Your skills were improving. When you were waitressing at the inn, and you would bring Xiao his regular, you would constantly tell him of your progress. He wasn't enthusiastic about anything you would tell him, but, he would listen to you. You seemed so proud of yourself, and the way your eyes lit up, and your smile got wider as you would talk was something he was constantly taking notice of. And for some reason, you couldn't help wanting to tell him all about it.

One day, on your day off, while you were practicing, he showed up. He watched you silently for a short time, and witnessed you hit your target right in the middle back to back. Taking note of your progress, he offered to help you.

X: "You're not too bad."

Surprised, you turned around quickly, wiping the sweat from your forehead with your sleeve.

Y/N: "Oh, Xiao...What are you doing here?"

He walked up to you.

X: "I just got back from a mission, and I was passing by. Practicing on a stationary target will only get you so far."

Y/N: "You're right, but I'm not quite sure where to go from here..."

X: "That's why I'm here."

You looked at him, slightly confused.

Y/N: "What do you mean?"

X: "I'm going to take you to fight some real targets. We're going to fight some Hilichurls."

Your eyes got wide.

X: "Do you object?"

Y/N: "N-no!...I was just surprised. Um, sure, let's go."

X: "All right, then. Follow me."

He started walking. You quickly gathered up everything, and rushed to catch up to him.

Y/N: "Why...are you helping me all of a sudden?"

It seemed so out of character, you couldn't help but wonder.

X: "There is no reason. I just decided I wanted to."

Y/N: "O-oh..ok.."

That was the best response you were going to get. You kind of understood that about him, and giggled a bit to yourself. You were happy. You were finally taking another step toward your goal. You were smiling to yourself, and didn't realize that Xiao was watching you. He turned back around, and continued walking.

X: "Pay attention. You never know what's around you, so be vigilant."

At his words, you snapped out of it.

Y/N: "You're absolutely right. Game face: ON!"

He saw you lightly slap your cheeks, and watched as your expression went from smiling to serious in a matter of a few seconds.

X: ("How strange.")

After walking for some time, you came across some hilichurls. They were gathered around a fire. There were five in total. Some were sleeping, and some looked to be cooking. This was only your second time seeing them. You became nervous while you guys watch them from afar. Xiao takes notice almost immediately.

X: "If you don't think you're ready, we don't have to do this."

You took a deep breath. You steeled your nerves, and looked right at him.

Y/N: "Let's do this!"

A small smirk played across his lips.

X: "Good. You're an archer. Distance will be the key to your success. Your goal today is to take out two of them. I'm going to go in without using any of my anemo, I want you to cover my back. Can you do this?"

Y/N: "I won't let you down!"

You both nod to each other and begin. You position yourself a good distance away. As Xiao fights, you start shooting your arrows. You missed a few shots, but by the end, the mission was a success.

You run up to him, and can't hide your excitement.

Y/N: "I DID IT! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"

You're practically jumping up and down. Xiao keeps a cool expression.

X: "You missed some of those shots."

Your excitement quickly dies downs.

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

X: "There's a lot of room for improvement. Don't get ahead of yourself."

Y/N: "Ok..."

X: "Let's head back."

As you're walking back, you're looking down thinking about how you still have so much to learn. But, you're still happy that you were able to complete your goal, and you smile to yourself. You couldn't tell, but Xiao was also impressed at your progress. This type of training continues for a while. He continues to help you improve your skills, and before you know it, you guys are spending even more time together.

One late night, you're sitting outside on your porch, looking up at the beautiful starry sky. Xiao's been away on one of his missions for almost two weeks. As usual, you find yourself thinking about him. You know he's really strong and can handle himself, but you can't help but worry about him. You still don't know too much about what goes on during his missions, but you do know they involve fighting demons, and there's always a chance he could get hurt. You shake your head, trying to quickly get rid of those negative thoughts. What replaces them, are different thoughts of Xiao.

Y/N: ("He's just always on my mind, isn't he?")

You already knew why. You were very much in love with him. Something you came to realize a while back. You recall certain moments shared with him. You can picture his face in your mind, clear as day. You begin to blush at these thoughts, and can't help but to smile.

Before you can get more lost in your daydreaming, you hear something alarming. It sounds like someone groaning. You get up , and run to where the noise is coming from. You gasp at what you see.

It's Xiao. He's hunched over and holding his side, as if he was in pain, and there seems to be a dark mist surrounding him.

Y/N: "XIAO!"

You worriedly run up to him. Before you can get close, he yells at you.

X: "STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

You stop in your tracks, recoiling in fear at the intensity of his usually composed voice.

Y/N: "B-but...Xiao...you're hurt.. Let me hel-"

X: "NO! I DONT' NEED YOUR HELP! I DON'T NEED ANYONE'S HELP! I DON'T NEED ANYONE!"

Tears well up in your eyes. The black mist surrounding him seems to be getting thicker. He falls to his knees. He coughs, and you can see blood. He fully falls over, and seems to have lost consciousness.

Y/N: "XIAOOOOO!"

It was a struggle, but you manage to get him inside your place, and onto your bed. You can see even more clearly he is very hurt. He has cuts and bruises all over his body, and this weird mist isn't going away.

Y/N: "What happened to you?"

You're crying, but know you need to keep it together and start to patch him up. You grab what you have, and start to treat his wounds as best you could. You clean him up, and he seems to be a little more stable, but the mist won't dissipate. You don't know anything about what it is. The only people that might know are Verr Goldet and her husband. It was late at night, but you knew you needed to help Xiao however you could. You placed your hand over his forehead.

Y/N: "Don't worry. I'll help you."

You ran as fast as you could to Wangshu Inn. Lucky for you, Verr was still working the front desk. She sees you, and can immediately tell that something was wrong. With a concerned expression she asks.

V: "What's the matter?"

Y/N: "Please, tell me about Xiao! Have you ever seen him covered in black mist before? Why would that happen to him? How can I stop it?"

You were firing off question after question.

V: "Please, slow down."

Y/N: "I can't! Please! Just tell me what you know! And if you don't know, can you tell me of someone who might know? Please! There is no time!"

She can see the desperation in your face.

V: "Ok, I understand. This is what I know."

She tells you as much as she possibly can about Xiao and his background, but it isn't much.

V: "That's really all I know. Xiao is a very mysterious being. He prefers to be alone. We do not pry into his life. The details of his life are scarce, because that is how he wants it to be. I wish there was more I can tell you, but I'm afraid that's all I know. As far as someone else that might be able to help, I'm afraid, there is no one I can recommend."

You realize there isn't anything more she can tell you, and although you are disappointed, you manage a smile for her.

Y/N: "Thank you...I appreciate it."

Without knowing what else to do, you decide going back home is really your only option. However, as you're leaving the inn, you are stopped by a man you've never seen before.

?: "Excuse me, miss?"

You turn towards him.

Y/N: "Yes, can I help you?"

?: "Actually, I think I'm the one who can help you."

You take a seat on a nearby bench. The man introduces himself. His name is Zhongli.

Z: "I'm in town for business, and I frequent the Wangshu Inn. I just got finished with a meeting that turned into drinks, but I guess the timing really couldn't have been better. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Verr. You were inquiring about Xiao, were you not?"

Y/N: "Yes! Yes, I was. Do you know him?"

Z: "I do...Very well, actually."

Desperation once again filled your voice. You quickly told him what happened.

Z: "I see..."

A concerned look took over Zhongli's face.

Y/N: " I don't know what to do...I'm so worried.. I don't know how to help him..."

Tears once again started welling up in your eyes.

Z: "Do not worry. I think I know how to help."

You whipped your head around so fast at his words, and looked right into his eyes.

Y/N: "YOU DO?!"

Z: "Yes, I do. You see, this happened to him once before. Many many years ago, Xiao was once overcome by negative karma that accumulates over time by the never ending fighting he subjects himself to. It threatened to overtake him. Had it succeeded, Xiao would've succumbed to the darkness, and been lost forever."

Y/N: "How was it stopped?"

Z: "He heard someone playing a flute in the distance, and the tune was able to lead his consciousness back to the light."

Y/N: "But...I can't play the flute...and what was the tune that was playing? What was the melody?...Where...where can I find someone to play the flute?..."

You started looking around.

Z: "Please, calm down, miss."

You focus your attention back to Zhongli.

Z: "I don't think it was the tune that brought him back. I believe it was the feeling behind what he heard that truly helped him return. You seem to care a great deal about him. I truly believe you will be able to help him in your own way. Here is also this special medicine that I believe will relieve some of his pain."

Y/N: "But, Xiao is not human. I don't think medicine will work for him..."

You were a bit perplexed as you held the small bottle he had just given you.

Z: "I know. Remember, I told you I know him quite well."

You look intently at Zhongli.

Y/N: "I need to get back to him right now. Thank you so much for your help. I'll do whatever I can to help him."

You start running immediately after saying that, so you didn't hear him tell you good luck.

You run as fast as you can, and burst through the door. Xiao is still unconscious, and the black mist still surrounds his body. Although out of breath, you speak his name as you walk over to the bed where he lays.

Y/N: "Xiao..."

You put your hand over his forehead, and then over his cheek as you look at his pained face. While you were running home, you thought about what Zhongli said. It wasn't the melody that brought him back, but the feeling the tune gave him. If that was the case, then that meant, on some level, Xiao could hear you. So you decided to speak to him, directly from your heart. Your voice cracked a bit, but, you started speaking.

Y/N: "Hey, Xiao... You can hear me, right? Right now...I'm really scared. I'm terrified, actually... You're in pain, and I want to help, but I don't know if I can."

You can't stop yourself from getting emotional, and you can feel the tears filling up your eyes, about to spill over.

Y/N: "There's so much I don't know about you... There's so much you've gone through in this life, that I can't even begin to imagine it... How it must feel to live thousands of years... How hard it must must be to have to fight over and over again...How much have you lost over all this time..."

The mist seems to get even thicker. You throw yourself across his chest, and hug him.

Y/N: " But Xiao, it can't be all bad...Right? This world...is also filled with light. For all the bad, there's good, too. There are people that care and take care of each other. There are those in this world that make it worth living. I know it can't be all that bad...because you're in it."

You tighten your arms around him.

Y/N: "The truth is, I look forward to seeing you everyday. And when you're away, I miss you so much, I can't stand it. You're cold, and standoffish, but in your own way, you're caring and kind. I want to know so much more. Please...please, come back. Don't fall into the darkness...don't leave me here when I only just found you..."

In his mind, there is darkness closing in all around him. There are enemies in every direction. He fights as best as he can, but then, even his weapon seems to abandon him .As the chaos threatens to completely swallow him, he resigns himself to this fate. He no longer wants to struggle. He sits down, closes his eyes, and waits for the inevitable.

X: "Was there anything left to even fight for?..."

He suddenly hears a voice.

Y/N: "Xiao..."

His eyes fly open. He looks around.

X: "Who?..."

Y/N: "Xiao...please don't go..."

X:" Someone is... calling me..."

Y/N: "Please come back..."

X:" Crying?..."

Y/N: "Xiao..."

X: "For me?..."

Y/N: "Xiao..."

And suddenly, like a jolt of lightning, he remembers who is calling his name. Memories of your time together flash through his mind. Visions of your many expressions, the little moments with you that he didn't realize carved themselves into his memory.

X: ("your name..")

As you're crying into his chest, you suddenly feel a hand lightly touching your arm. You look at your arm, and then look up at Xiao's face. His eyes are slightly open, and you notice the black mist around him has finally disappeared.

Y/N: "XIAO!"

Once again, you throw yourself over him, and hug him. After a short while, you sit up, next to him.

Y/N: " Are you ok, now?"

His voice is low, but he manages to speak.

X: "I am. I just need to rest a bit."

Y/N: "Can I get you anything? Do you want water, or tea? I might have ingredients for almond tofu around here. If not, there might be somewhere open I get them."

You get up, and start looking through your cabinets. He glances out your window and can see the sun is rising in the sky. It's morning.

X: ("She was up all night...")

Y/N: "I don't have it here, but just give me a little while, I'll run into town and see if I can find something.."

X: "Stop."

Before you can leave, you're stopped by his voice. You look over to him on the bed.

X: "I'm fine, really. You don't need to go anywhere. Just have a seat, and relax."

Y/N: "Really?"

He nods.

Y/N: "Ok, then."

You awkwardly sit down. It's silent. You look over to Xiao. He's looking up vacantly at your ceiling. You want to ask what happened to him, but you just can't bring yourself to. At the same time, you just can't seem to sit still.

Y/N: "I'm going to make some tea."

You get up and head over to the kitchen. The only sounds in the house are you moving about. It's not long before the water is boiling.

Y/N: "You sure you don't want any?"

You look over, but he just slightly shakes his head. You finish up, grab your cup, and once again, sit down. You touch over your pocket and feel a small bottle. You had completely forgotten about the medicine Zhongli had given you. You quickly pull it out.

Y/N: "THAT'S RIGHT!"

Your loud exclamation makes him look your way.

Y/N: " I was given this medicine to give to you! If you're still in any kind of pain, it will help you!"

You get up, and walk over to him.

X: "Mortal medicine won't work for me."

Y/N: "I know, but the man that gave it to me said it would work for you."

X: "What man?"

Y/N: "His name was Zhongli."

He was surprised when he heard that name.

X: "When did you come into contact with him?"

Y/N: "I didn't know how to help you, so I ran into town...I went to the inn, and he and I just happened to cross paths..."

As you studied the small bottle in your hand, you didn't notice Xiao staring at you.

X:("She ran into town to try to help me...")

You turned to look at him, and he quickly averted his gaze back to the ceiling.

Y/N: "Did you want to try it?"

He looked skeptically at the bottle. He thought back to a time where Zhongli had offered him medicine, but he refused it then. He assumed it was the same stuff.

X: "No, I'll be fine without it."

Y/N: "Oh,...ok. I'll just leave it here if you change your mind."

You set the bottle on the night stand. Right after, a yawn escapes your mouth. Xiao looks over to you, and then sits up.

Y/N: "What are you doing?! You should lie back down."

You're worried about him, but he insists he's fine.

X: "I just needed a bit of rest. I'm fine now. You're the one who needs to lie down. You've been up all night, have you not?"

Y/N: "Yes, but -"

X: "And you have work today, right?"

You suddenly remembered he was right, and couldn't really say anything to protest.

He made his way towards the door. He stopped after putting his hand on the doorknob. Without looking back, he started to speak.

X: "...Thank you."

His voice was low.

Y/N: "Huh?"

X: "You did a lot for me. Thank you."

This time you heard him clearly. You were a little taken aback by his gratitude, but you managed to shake your head a bit.

Y/N: "It was nothing. I'm just really happy you're ok now."

He opened the door and left. You sat down on your bed, and let out a sigh.

Y/N: "What a night."

You looked down at the bed, as you ran your hand across the sheets.

Y/N: ("I'm so glad he's ok.")

You lied down on the bed. You were exhausted. Before you knew it, you were fast asleep.

Meanwhile, Xiao was making his way back to the inn. He couldn't help but go over the events of last night. He thought about Y/N. He rememberd all the different expressions she made. Fear, worry, relief, happiness. All for his sake. He stopped, and put a hand to his chest.

X: ("What is this?")

A strange surge of emotions swept through him. He couldn't quite understand what he was feeling. Thoughts of Y/N were at the forefront of his mind.

X: ("This isn't good.")

He made sure to never get too involved with humans throughout all his years alive, but now, he found himself making a connection with Y/N.

X: ("Now what?")

His hand dropped back to his side, and he continued on his way to the inn.

Sometime later, you made your way into work. You didn't sleep much, but you still made it on time. More than anything, you really wanted to make sure Xiao was alright. You spotted Verr walking back to the lobby, going over some papers in her hands.

Y/N: "*yawn* Hey, Verr, have you seen Xiao?"

V: "Oh, Y/N! Is everything ok from last night?"

You quickly remembered your panicked conversation with Verr last night. You felt slight embarrassment.

Y/N: "O-oh, yeah...Um, things worked themselves out. Sorry for worrying you."

She let out a small sigh of relief.

V: "That's good. Um, yes, I saw him a few hours ago, but he went straight to his room."

Y/N: ("Hopefully he's getting some rest.") Ok, thanks for letting me know. Well, I better get to work. See you later."

You worked your shift, hoping to see him, but he never did make an appearance that day. You thought about going and knocking on his door, but ultimately decided against it.

Y/N: ("It's probably better to leave him alone for now.")

You took one last look at the inn before heading home for the day. Meanwhile, Xiao spent the whole day holed up in his room. He couldn't stop thinking about what happened. The words he heard you speak to him while he was unconscious replayed over and over again in his mind.

The following day, you didn't have to work. You decided to take a walk around the town. You couldn't stop thinking about Xiao, and without even realizing, made your way to the inn. You were a bit nervous, but you wanted to see him, and went inside. You checked the usual places, but he wasn't in any of them. You gathered up your courage, and knocked on his door, but there was no answer. You wanted to see if Verr knew where he was, but she seemed swamped with work, so you thought it best not to bother her. Without any other options, and a sense of disappointment, you left.

You spent the rest of the afternoon walking around, taking in the sights, and enjoying the nice weather. You grabbed a snack from one of your favorite stalls, and took a seat on a bench overlooking the water. As you nibbled on your food, once again, you found yourself thinking about Xiao.

Y/N: ("He's not avoiding me, is he?...Not that he has an obligation to tell me he's feeling better or anything, but...still...")

You let out a sigh.

Y/N: ("Maybe I'm overthinking it...? I mean, he is an adeptus. He probably doesn't heal the way a normal human would... He's probably just fine by now.")

You finished up your snack, and crumpled up the wrapper.

Y/N: ("He's been taking care of himself for years. I'm sure he's ok now. No use stressing myself out about it.")

You get up, and throw your garbage away in a nearby bin. You decided to head home. Having nothing you need to hurry home for, you walk at a leisurely pace. Eventually, you make it home. There is something so beautiful about the evening sky, you admire it whilst making your way to your door. When you look ahead, something else captures your attention, causing you to stop altogether.

Xiao is sitting on your porch. His beautiful amber eyes fix themselves on you. For a second you're completely captivated by him, but quickly snap yourself out of it.

Y/N: "Xiao...what...what are you doing here?"

X: "I was waiting for you."

He makes no move to get up. So you walk up to him.

Y/N: "Did you want to come inside?"

X: "No. Right here is fine."

Y/N: "Ok."

You sit down next to him. You glance over at him, but he's looking ahead, at nothing in particular. After some time you speak up.

Y/N: "Are feeling better?"

X: "Yes. I'm fine."

Y/N: "That's good."

Another bout of silence took over. It's not like you minded his company, in fact it made you incredibly happy to be sitting next to him right now. But, you were curious. He said he was waiting for you, but it didn't seem like he had anything he wanted to say.

Y/N: "Um...Xiao?.. Is everything ok?"

After a moment, he stood up, and took a few steps forward. He turned to face you.

X: "Tell me. Why were crying for me the other night?"

Completely caught off guard, you had a sudden flashback of yourself crying over his chest, and hugging him tightly. Your face flushed red faster than it ever had before in your entire life. You became flustered.

Y/N: "WHA- What do- What are you even talking about?! I-I didn't-I mean-I-No way.."

You laughed nervously, and waved your hands out in front of you. He watched you flounder around a bit, but pressed on.

X: "I distinctively heard your voice."

The seriousness in his voice made you look at him. You listened to him intently.

X: "I heard it."

He clenched his fist, lifted it up slightly, and stared at it as he continued.

X: "I was about to be swallowed up. Everywhere I looked...there was nothing but darkness. Truthfully, there was a part of me that almost seemed to welcome it."

He dropped his arm back down, and then looked you directly in your eyes.

X: "But then, I heard your voice. It was calling me. You were calling my name. You told me to come back. You told me to come back to you."

Gazes locked, you both stared at each other.

X: "Why?"

He genuinely wanted to know. You could tell this was very important to him. You couldn't look away from his earnest eyes. Your heart was pounding in your chest. You knew the reason, and even though this wasn't the way you expected to tell him your true feelings, you felt that Xiao deserved to know the truth. You took a deep breath. You stood up, and walked up to him. You looked up, into his eyes. You were so nervous, you were actually shaking. But you decided you were going to tell him straight.

Y/N: "Because... I love you, Xiao."

His eyes widened and his hand slightly twitched.

Y/N: "I don't know when exactly I fell in love with you, but I did. I know it sounds crazy. I mean, what do I really know about you, right? I tried to tell myself we were so different, that falling in love with you wouldn't make sense. What could possibly come from this? But even after all of that...It didn't matter. Just being around you made me happy. I love seeing you sitting up on the roof of the inn, gazing out, lost in your own thoughts. I love seeing you sitting in the restaurant, eating your favorite dish. I love that even though you don't get too involved with humans, you dedicate your entire being to fighting the evil that threatens us.

The more time we spent together, the more in love with you I fell. I want to know more about you. I want to be there for you and with you. It's true, I don't know much about you. But the you that I do know...I fell in love with him. So, that's why I was crying for you. Because I love you."

That was it. Everything you had been holding inside your heart, you spoke freely to the person you loved. Your hands were clasped tightly in front of you. You held his gaze for as long as you could, but after you felt your face burning up from embarrassment, you looked away. You turned around, and went to sit back on your porch. As you sat down once again, you looked at Xiao. As usual, you weren't able to tell what he was thinking from his expression, so you just waited for him to say something. It felt like an eternity, but eventually, he spoke.

X: "You were correct when you said you don't know me. What I've experienced, the constant pain and suffering I feel is far beyond what you could ever understand. My life is one that will forever be filled with fighting. My priority has been, and will always be, my mission. I don't know what to say in regards to what you just told me. Human emotions are trivial to me. Not a concept I'd care to understand nor do I want to."

Y/N: ("I already knew that.")

X: "I cannot say I feel the same way for you."

Y/N: ("I..already knew that, too.")

X: "I believe it would be best for you to forget these feelings you have."

He turned his back to you, and started to walk away. You stood up.

Y/N: "Xiao! Before you leave, there is something else I wanted to say."

He stopped walking, and turned back to face you.

Y/N: "I didn't tell you how I felt because I was expecting my feelings to be reciprocated. I told you because I just wanted you to know, no matter what happens, you'll always have someone that cares for you."

You gave him a smile, and then turned around and went inside. He saw the door close, and once again, started to leave. But he soon stopped and brought his hand to his chest.

X: ("This feeling again.")

He glanced once more over his shoulder and then left.

You shut the door, and leaned up against it.

Y/N: ("Did that really just happen?")

She thought back to your confession. You immediately covered your face with both hands.

Y/N: "Oh my gosh!"

You ran to your bed, and dramatically threw yourself down. You replayed your conversation with Xiao in your mind.

X: "I cannot say I feel the same way for you."

Although you didn't expect anything, you realized in a sense, you were actually just rejected. You kept a smile on your face, but tears found their way to your eyes anyway. You did your best to try to cheer yourself up.

Y/N: ("It's ok to feel this way. You did a courageous thing telling him how you felt. That's something to be proud of, you know. Cry it out now, and face him with a smile next time you see him.")

And with that, you cried for a while, and then went to sleep.

A few days had passed since that night. You hadn't seen Xiao around the inn, and figured he was away on one of his missions. You were a bit relieved. You didn't want things to be awkward between you two, and would use this opportunity to really sort out your feelings. One day when you arrived for your afternoon shift, there was a commotion at the entrance.

As you walked up, the crowd was gathered around a very distraught looking Verr and Huai'an. You start to overhear some of the customers.

C: "What are we going to do, she's been missing since early this morning?!"

C2: "I don't know, but it's terrible!"

C3: "They say there have been a lot more monsters in that area lately, too!"

Verr spots you through the crowd, and her face immediately lights up.

V: " Y/N!"

She makes her way through the crowd and comes up to you.

Y/N: "Verr, what's going on?"

V: "Oh, it's horrible. One of our guests children were playing outside, and she traveled too far away from the inn, into to the forest. But there have been increased monster sightings in the area lately, so it's not safe for anyone to go there to search for her. We've contacted some soldiers, but they are still out on a mission, and we're waiting for them to return. We don't know when they'll be back, so the parents and others guests are starting to panic."

You look back at the crowd of people. You spot one couple in particular. The woman is crying, while the man is holding her, trying to comfort her. You figured they're probably her parents. You look back at Verr.

Y/N: "I'll go take a look."

Verr, and everyone else look at you with surprise.

V: "What?...But what if you run into monsters?!"

Y/N: "Don't worry."

You assure her loud enough so everyone else can hear you.

Y/N: "I won't put myself in unnecessary danger. I'm just going to look around a bit. You guys wait here for the soldiers to come back. Verr, do you have a bow and some arrows I can borrow?"

She nods yes.

Y/N: "Perfect. I'll need those. And I'll need you to show me which way she went."

She gives you what you ask for, and shows you the direction the girl was last seen heading.

Y/N: "Ok, you go back and wait with the others. I'll be back as soon as possible."

V: "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

She looks at you, worry in her expression.

Y/N: "Hey, I'm stronger than I look."

You give her a little wink and smile.

Y/N: "Really, don't worry about me. I won't stick my neck out too much."

She gives you a nod, and watches you head out.

You grip the bow, and head straight into the forest. The deeper in you head, the less the path is visible. You start to move more cautiously, paying careful attention to your surroundings. You look around intently for any sign of the girl. You're walking for quite some time. It's eerily quiet. You ready an arrow in your bow in case you need to shoot in a hurry. You're slightly crouched while you move forward, when you suddenly spot something up ahead.

You see two hilichurls ahead. You get down a bit lower as you continue to watch them. You'd prefer to not engage if you truly don't have to, so you just observe them from afar for now. You notice they seem to be hovering around a particular set of rocks at the bottom of a cliff for some reason.

Y/N: ("Why do they keep looking inside the rocks? Is something there?")

The more you look at the rocks, you can see there is a small opening at the bottom of them. Just then, you see something move inside the rocks. The hilichurls are all riled up, and they keep jumping around. You see a little stuffed bear at the bottom of the rocks. You know the little girl is hiding in there.

Y/N: ("She must've squeezed herself in there after running away from them.")

You're resolved to get her out of there, and get her back to her parents safely. You come up with a plan. If you can lure them away from the rocks, and take them out safely from a distance, you should be able to save her. You gather some small rocks from around you, and move slowly further away from them. When you get a good distance away, you start throwing rocks at them. You hit each of them a couple of times, and they get mad enough and head in your direction. You ready your bow and start firing off arrow after arrow. You're a much better marksman now, and are able to take them down. When you're sure they are no longer alive, you run over to where the little girl is hiding. She is crying and rubbing her eyes. You speak to her in a calm, comforting tone.

Y/N: "Hey, there."

She's surprised, and looks up at you. She starts crying even harder.

Y/N: "Hey, hey...No need to cry anymore. I'm here to help you, ok?"

Between her sobs, she tries to talk.

g: "But...*sniff*...but...*sniff sniff* there are scary monsters out there!"

You do your best to reassure her.

Y/N: "No, not anymore. Guess what? I got rid of those scary monsters for you. See?"

You move a bit so she can look out of the narrow opening in the rocks to see there aren't any monsters there anymore.

g: "*sniff* Really?..."

She looks around.

Y/N: "Really! I wouldn't be here right now if there were still monsters. I'm afraid of them, too!"

The little girl seems to stop crying. You reach your hand out.

Y/N: "Your mommy and daddy are really worried about you right now. Let's hurry up and get back to them as soon as possible."

She timidly takes your hand, and squeezes herself out from the rocks. You hand her over her stuffed bear, and she hugs it to her chest.

Y/N: "Let's go."

You smile down at her, and start on your way back to the inn, while holding her hand.

Back at the inn, the crowd is still gathered outside, waiting. Verr notices Xiao approaching.

V: "XIAO! Xiao!"

She runs over to him.

V: "I wish I was able to greet you under better circumstances, but we're dealing with a situation here right now."

Before she can tell him what's going on, he overhears some of the guests talking.

C: "I wonder if that girl with the bow and arrow was able to find her?"

C2: "She was crazy to volunteer in the first place."

C3: "I hope she didn't also get caught up with those monsters.."

One person comes to mind when he hears that. He looks at Verr.

X: "Tell me what's going on right now."

Meanwhile, in the forest.

Y/N: "We're a little bit far from the inn, but, we'll be there before you know it."

The little girl doesn't say anything.

Y/N: "You must've been really scared of those monsters. But you did a great job finding such a great hiding spot."

g: "Those monsters were scary, but that's not the monster I was afraid of.."

Y/N: "What?"

g: "Those two were really scary, and they wouldn't leave me alone, but that wasn't the monster I was scared of..."

You felt fear start to creep over you.

g: "There was a big big monster...I saw him, and he was so scary...I started to run away.."

Suddenly, you were filled with an incredible sense of dread. You picked up your pace, and started nervously looking around. And then it happened. A roar, unlike anything you ever heard in your entire life. It shook you to your absolute core. You both covered your ears, but you could feel the vibrations throughout your whole body. Footsteps that shook the ground below you were getting closer. The little girl let out a scream.

g: "WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

You looked at the direction the footsteps where coming from. You picked the little girl up, and started running as fast as you could. But no matter how fast you tried to run, it seemed like the beast was getting closer. The little girl was still crying. You stopped and hid behind a tree. You set the girl down, and quickly put your hand over her mouth. You whispered as quietly as you could.

Y/N: "Please, don't cry. I know how scared you are, but if you cry, he will find us."

Although you tried your best, she wouldn't stop crying. What could you do? You looked around for a spot to hide, but you didn't see any. You then realized how close you were to the path leading to the inn. By that time, the beast was too close. You wouldn't be able to grab her and run without being spotted. You had to distract it long enough for her to get away on her own. You leaned in and whispered in her ear, your hand still covering her mouth.

Y/N: "Listen to me, ok. I'm going to run that way, and lead the big scary monster away from you. When I do that, I want you to run as fast as you can down that path."

You point to the path. She looks over, and starts to shake her head.

Y/N: "Listen to me.. I know you're scared. I'm really scared too, but, if you want to see your mommy and daddy again, you have to do this. You're a big girl, right? I know you can be brave. Please trust me. You run as fast as you can, and I promise you, you'll be able to see your parents again."

She stopped crying, and gives you a nod.

Y/N: "Good girl."

You put your finger up to your lips.

Y/N: "Shhh"

You take your hand away from her mouth, and she keeps quiet. You give her a thumbs up and a smile as encouragement. You lean in, and whisper in her ear.

Y/N: "Ok, watch carefully. I'm going to run out that way. I'm going to yell, and make lots of noise so the monster will definitely chase me. As soon as he starts chasing me, you run as fast as you can that way, and keep running, don't look back. You'll see the inn where you came from in no time ok. Be brave, you'll be just fine."

She nods. You can tell she's terrified, but you know she'll be ok.

Y/N: "Good girl. Ok, here I go."

You take a deep breath. In the next moment, you run out from behind the tree. You see a massive monster holding an axe. It's a mitachurl. Your knees almost give out at the mere sight of this monster, but you steel your nerves, and begin yelling, and screaming.

Y/N: "LOOK AT ME! LOOK HERE YOU BASTARD! YOU WANT ME, RIGHT! YOU WANNA KILL ME RIGHT, THEN COME AND GET ME, UGLY! COME AND GET ME!"

He lets out a rumbling roar, and then starts chasing you, just as you planned. You glance once more over at the little girl, and then focus your attention to running away. Just as she was told to do, she runs as fast as she can down the path. She runs with all of her might. She eventually makes it out of the woods. She slows to a walk, once she sees the inn, and the people around the the path. She starts crying when she spots her parents. They run up and all embrace in a teary reunion. Xiao was just about to enter the forest when the little girl ran out, he looks down at the little girl being hugged by her parents, then looks back at the path leading into the forest.

X: "Hey. How did you get back here?"

The little girl wipes her tears and looks up at Xiao.

g: "*sniff*...Big sis helped me."

X: "Where is she now?"

She points to the forest.

He looks over again, but there isn't any movement. There is no sign of anyone else coming out of there.

X: "Why isn't she with you?"

g: "The monster...*sniff*...the big monster...*sniff sniff*...he chased and chased us...But, big sis...*sniff*...She made the monster chase her instead so I could run away..."

As fast as he was able to move, he went straight into the forest.

Deep inside, you were running for your life. The beast was almost right behind you. Up ahead, you recognized the location you found the little girl earlier. If you were to continue running straight, you would find yourself at a dead end. You had to make a spit second decision. You made a sharp right turn, and had planned to hide behind some of the thick bushes, but something most unfortunate happened. You stepped right on an oddly protruding rock, and twisted your ankle.

Y/N: "AHH!"

You fell to the ground, hard. You felt a sharp pain run throughout your leg. You didn't have the time to focus on the pain. You heard the monster closing in on you. You could no longer stand, so you crawled as fast as you could, and hid behind a tree. The monster was right there, practically on the other side. He stopped, and surveyed the area. He knew you were there somewhere. He was filled with rage. He let out another blood curdling roar. You covered you ears. You were petrified. Then he began to do something completely unexpected. He starting wildly swinging his giant axe around. He was knocking trees down around him, as if they were nothing.

You covered your head to protect yourself from the debris that was flying everywhere. But, you couldn't stay where you were any longer. It was only a matter of time before he would hit the tree you were hiding behind. While he was rampaging around, you crawled as fast as you could. His back was to you, as he smashed everything indiscriminately. As much as it hurt, you stood up, and tried to run away. You were once again headed to the bottom of the cliff you saved the girl from before. You made your way over to the base of the cliff, and had hoped you would've been able to hide where she was earlier. But when you arrived there, it was too small for you to fit into. You collapsed on the ground. The pain in your leg was just too much bear.

While thrashing about, you were spotted by the monster. He menacingly made his way over to you. When he was close enough, he swung his axe down at you, and you barely managed to dodge. The axe smashed the ground. The impact knocked you back quite a bit. You were caught up in the debris caused by the axe hitting and splitting the ground. You lied there, helpless, unable to move. Your body was in pain, and your consciousness was starting to fade.

Y/N: ("So this it it, huh...")

Although you were having trouble keeping your eyes opened, you could feel yourself starting to cry. Significant moments of your life started flashing before your eyes.

Y/N: ("I don't want to die here...I don't want to die without seeing him one last time...")

Xiao's face popped into your mind.

The monster beat his chest. He lifted his axe high above his head, and was about to deliver the finishing blow.

Y/N: ("But I guess it doesn't really matter, does it..")...Xiao..."

His name escaped your lips right before you passed out.

Just then, a violent wind filled the area. Before the monster could bring his axe down on you, Xiao appeared, and skillfully blocked it. He looked down to see you badly hurt, and unbridled rage took over him. He fixed his gaze on the monster, and unleashed a barrage of attacks on it. In no time at all, the beast was easily defeated.

He quickly went back over to you, and gently touched you. He could see that your were indeed badly injured. He clenched his fists, cursing himself for not getting there sooner. He gently lifted you into his arms. He looked at your face, and saw the tear stains on your cheeks.

X: "I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you."

He held you a bit closer to his chest and brought you back to the inn. He took you to his room, and a worried Verr helped tend to your injuries. Whatever she needed, Xiao was quick to get it. She would never say it out loud, but she couldn't help but to notice how worried he was for you. His usually unreadable expression was temporarily replaced with furrowed brows, and a look genuine concern for you.

V: "*phew* Ok, she should be ok now. Luckily, none of her injuries were life threatening. She'll probably wake up soon, so you should stay with her until she does. Call me if anything happens. I'll be right downstairs."

He nods, and watches her leave the room. After the door closes behind her, he takes a seat, and looks over at you resting on his bed. He keeps his eyes fixated on you. Some time you later you finally wake up. Your eyes slowly open to the unfamiliar ceiling. You slowly bring your hand up to your head.

Y/N: "Where..am I?"

You hear a voice speak up, and recognize it immediately.

X: "You're back at the inn."

Y/N: "Xiao..."

You sit up slowly, your body still a bit sore. He immediately comes over to you to help you.

Y/N: "What happened?"

He's standing next to the bed, and watches you as you try to recall the events from earlier. And then suddenly, you exclaim, as you just remembered something important.

Y/N: "THE GIRL!"

You look over to him, slightly panicked.

Y/N: "Is she alright? Did she make it back to her parents?"

He looks down at you, his expression still serious, and responds.

X: "She made it back. She's fine."

You breathe a sigh of relief, and relax a bit.

Y/N: "Thank goodness."

He goes back and sits where he was before. You remembered everything that happened right before you passed out.

Y/N: "It seems like you saved me again, didn't you?"

He doesn't say anything. There seems to be a bit of tension, so you do your best to try to lighten the mood a bit.

Y/N: "I thought I was a goner for sure. Guess I got in a bit over my head."

You give a little self deprecating laugh. At this sight, he clenches his fists, and stands up abruptly, so fast it knocks the chair down behind him.

X: "Do you think what happened was funny?"

Y/N: "Xiao...?"

X: "You were almost killed! You think that's something to be laughing about?!"

There was fire behind his eyes. You had never seen this side of him before.

Y/N: "Why are you angry?.."

X: "BECAUSE!"

He stopped almost immediately. He seemed to be internally struggling with his own feelings. You were so confused, but you wanted to know why he was suddenly acting like that.

Y/N: "Because what?"

He turned his back to you.

Y/N: "Xiao, answer me..."

But he wouldn't. He kept his back to you, fists clenched tightly at his sides. You moved yourself to get off the bed. You wanted to see his face. As you stood up, you forgot about your sprained ankle, and immediately winced in pain as you put your weight on it.

Y/N: "Ahh!"

You fell forward, but he caught you before you could fall completely to the floor.

X: "What are you doing?! You're still hurt!"

As you sat there in his arms, you looked up at him.

Y/N: "You wouldn't look at me...I wanted to see your face."

You placed a hand on his cheek. His eyes widened in surprise.

Y/N: "You were worried about me, weren't you?"

Reluctantly, he answered you.

X: "I was."

You smiled. He helped you up, and sat you down on the bed.

X: "When I heard you went to rescue that girl, I started to get really worried. When she returned, and you weren't with her, I panicked. I thought...I was never going to see you again, and for the first time in I don't know how long, I was afraid."

You listened intently. You didn't want to miss even a single word.

X: "The night you helped me, I almost lost myself. Even through all the confusion and chaos, I somehow made my way to you. It was like I knew instinctively to seek you out. The truth is, I've cared about you for a while, but I couldn't understand my own feelings. And when I finally did, I told myself it would be better if I just buried them. The fact is, how can I ever make you happy when my own life is filled with nothing of the sort?"

You put your hand over his.

Y/N: "Xiao...You don't need to do anything to make me happy. Just being next to you makes me happy."

X: "Being with you does bring me a level of comfort I've never experienced before with any other person. But the fact is, I don't know the first thing about being in a relationship. I won't be able to do for you what a normal man could. I won't be able to understand your feelings the way you might want me to. And there will be instances that no matter how you might want to, you will not be able to understand what I am going through. Even knowing all of this, do you still want to be with someone like me?"

There was no doubt in your mind.

Y/N: "There is no such thing as a perfect relationship in this world. And while it's true, you and I would face challenges a "normal" couple wouldn't, it would be up to us to try our best to be understanding with each other, and move forward together. I know that I love you for who you are. And like I told you before, I will be here for you when you need someone. We don't have to have the answers for everything right now. We can take our time."

He looks you in your eyes, and nods. You are so happy, you can't help yourself from hugging him. He's a bit frozen for a moment, not at all used to or expecting the sudden physical contact, but his hands slowly find themselves wrapping around your back and returning your embrace.

It was the beginning of your relationship together. You were able to see more of the world as you always had dreamed, with your love by your side. Over time, you would come to share many beautiful and many challenging moments together. But throughout it all, you made sure to always be there for each other.