Stay Forever
Chapter 3
Xiao was carefully placed on the expensive black granite of the kitchen island. Then the humans brought him a bowl of fresh water and a matching bowl containing the disgusting smelling cat food.
Xiao walked over to the water bowl, taking a long drink. But he refused to let the food bowl anywhere near him, retreating to the far end of the countertop twice.
Teucer giggled from the barstool as his big brother offered him the bowl a third time, much to Xiao's dismay. "Yeah. I think that stuff smells really gross too, Xiao!"
"But it was supposed to be the highest quality food on the market! It was highly recommended on the web. And Dr. Baizhu agreed that it would be very good for him to put on some weight," Zhongli sighed. "I guess that's what I get for feeding him a salmon steak last night when I found him."
Ajax nodded. "Well, maybe he isn't really hungry yet. Let's keep the bowl nearby while we have lunch."
"No, that's not fair to him," Zhongli shook his head. "We can donate this to a shelter and get more salmon. The vet said that a lot of cats really enjoy a raw diet. And I let him try a little of the Chicken Alfredo last night too and it didn't upset his stomach either."
Ajax grinned. "You're spoiling him so much already? Did he get to sleep in the bed with you last night too?"
"Yes. I gave him your pillow," Zhongli nodded proudly, then he shook his head sadly. "No, when I found him he was bleeding and could barely move. I really thought he was going to die. I wanted him to feel safe even if it was just for a little while. So, he spent the entire night on the towel I dried him off with last night. I put it on the corner of the bed by my pillow, and he was still there when I woke up this morning."
"I see," Ajax said, looking down at Xiao wryly. "So, you got to sleep with my boyfriend last night. But just remember Zhongli belongs to me."
Zhongli arched one dark eyebrow indignantly. "Say that again and you'll be sleeping on the sofa tonight."
"Aww," Ajax grinned and nuzzled him playfully. "You wouldn't do that when we haven't seen each other in a whole week, would you?"
"Just shut up and kiss me so I can go to the store for some more salmon."
And damn it. Ajax kissed him alright-
Xiao quickly looked away but Teucer spoke for him when the boy groaned loudly and rolled his eyes at the two of them. "Ugh, you two are being gross already? Come on, let's go watch some TV, okay Xiao?"
Xiao sighed and jumped off of the counter to follow Teucer into the living room. He was getting even more jealous. So he didn't want to see them all over each other either.
"Only if you already have your homework done." Ajax called after him.
Ajax was very different from Zhongli both in looks and personality. But they made a very attractive pair. Xiao was surprisingly drawn to both of them. Although that was probably because he was unmated and going into heat soon.
It was nice that his rescuer had someone who obviously loved him, but Xiao couldn't deny that the redhead was right. He was definitely jealous. And that was ridiculous because he had really only known Zhongli for a few hours- two thirds of which he spent sleeping.
So why was he already acting like Zhongli was his? Because according to Changsheng this man was literally the reincarnation of his beloved lord, Rex Lapis whom Xiao had literally been in love with for thousands of years.
Sometimes being an illuminated beast was annoying, even males had a heat cycle. Although it didn't trigger more than every quarter century or two it was still quite vexing when one was single. Birds in particular get aroused when their backs and their wings are touched.
He sighed already dreading the next two weeks. Maybe he should just disappear for a while. But if he did that how could he keep an eye on his lord? After all, his ribs were still too sore to fly or run let alone fighting.
Honestly, it should sound crazy for him to be here because this world was so different from the place he knew as home. But when Changsheng said that Zhongli was a vessel for Rex Lapis, the holes in his memory had begun to shrink until they were almost gone now. The snake was right. Xiao was from the ancient world and she was also right that Zhongli had somehow subconsciously recognized him as Xiao.
That made him happy. It meant that there was still a bond between them even though so much time had passed since they were able to see each other.
Thinking back on everything else Changsheng was saying, it finally made sense why it felt like home here. It's because he had wandered aimlessly until he found his lord- his purpose all without even knowing it!
Still, when his mind drifted to the heart stones at the museum, he was already worried. There was enough magic left in the world to summon Xiao here hundreds of years after his death? That meant there was enough magic left in them that they could be used to do other things too if they fell into the wrong hands.
And even if their power was somehow still undiscovered they were obviously a rare and valuable treasure to thieves. For one thing, heart stones came in different colors and each crystal was a bit bigger than a golf ball. In the dark they glowed like a candle's flame when in the hands of an adeptus. But even in the hands of a mortal, these large uncut gems sparkle beautifully.
So it was not uncommon for treasure hoarders and other scoundrels to break random statues across Liyue, just hoping to find one of these legendary crystals inside. They didn't know or care that only the funerary statue of a specific adeptus would contain one.
Interestingly, the crystals were surprisingly fragile. If a jeweler tried to make something out of it, the stone would crumble to dust while it was being faceted, its magical light lost forever.
"Hello, Xiao," Teucer waved at him from the sofa. He patted the cushion beside him gently. "Can I pet you? Please?"
Xiao realized he hadn't really gotten a chance to look around the apartment yet. But he sighed there wasn't really much to see despite the great room's massive size. The room had excellent lines of sight amid the layout of the many pieces of furniture that were arranged into several smaller gathering areas.
He felt truly safe here and the boy seemed genuinely interested in him. He wasn't sure it was safe for him to get close to anyone- especially a small child. But the karma he had carried for millenia wasn't constantly trying to drown him in pain and guilt. He wasn't sure of what to make of that honestly.
But the kid's curiosity was far more interesting than watching TV. After all, he had no idea why the ugly moving pictures of that Spongebob thing on the screen were supposed to be entertaining. So he decided he might as well say hello.
He hopped up onto the sofa cushion and sniffed at the boy. Like Zhongli had last night, Teucer held very still, allowing Xiao to decide whether he wanted to come closer or not.
Xiao didn't understand how he could have been brought back without the darkness he had been accumulating for thousands of years. But at the same time it was a relief to know that he could protect his human lord without having to wonder when the evil inside him would drive Zhongli insane or kill him.
So Xiao took a few steps toward the child. Teucer was smiling excitedly, but he slowly offered him a hand and Xiao bumped it with his nose and slowly came closer.
His ribs were still more painful than he would like to admit. But the boy was gentle and seemed happy to just pet his head and neck.
Xiao sighed and began to purr. The more rest he got the faster his ribs would heal, so he was happy to doze off there enjoying the attention.
Indarius had once told him that he was probably touch starved because of the literal starvation and torture he had faced while he was very young. And the vile things his evil master made him do only made everything worse. And added to that, the evil karma they were accumulating then in slaying monsters only made it even harder to trust himself around anyone.
He had shrugged it off at the time but apparently she was right. Xiao didn't like to think about it, but he had always wanted to be closer to those who were special to him. But he was just too shy to ask or even try.
Even after thousands of years among the other adepti, he still feared he was unworthy of love or even affection because of the atrocities he had committed under his ancient former master. So to spare himself the disappointment of finding out that he was unwanted, he stubbornly tried to keep his distance from everyone.
Now it seemed as though it was safe for the humans to be close to him. And he did crave more of the affection he was getting from Zhongli and now the boy. Xiao couldn't help basking in the attention, even sprawling out on the cushion beside Teucer and continued purring.
He was honestly shocked that anyone as kind as Zhongli and even the boy might really care for him.
But why in the world had Cloud Retainer picked him to protect their god? It made no sense. There were many among the adepti who would have fit in better with the humans of this era. And yet she had chosen him. Well. He sighed, he was here now. There was no point in puzzling over it.
He should just find out more about his lord's current situation and find a way to protect him from anyone who might want to hurt him.
But for the moment he was content to enjoy the attention Teucer was showering him with. He rolled onto his back and stretched. When Xiao opened his eyes a moment later Teucer giggled. "Xiao, you have such soft, pretty fur."
Ajax was watching them from the kitchen island and grinning. It looked like he was cooking. Xiao couldn't tell what it might be, but it smelled wonderful. Chicken probably but with a blend of savory spices he was unfamiliar with.
He sighed as Teucer very softly touched one of his paws. Xiao snorted unhappily. But the child wasn't hurting him, so he didn't move.
"I am so glad he found you, Xiao." Teucer said softly.
Xiao snorted, feeling embarrassed. But the boy only smiled more brightly and gently kissed him on the top of his head. That was even more embarrassing.
Xiao jumped to his feet when a little rectangle laying on the coffee table buzzed suddenly as it played a few notes of a song on repeat.
"It's okay, Xiao," Teucer said gently. "That's just my brother's phone. It won't hurt you."
Xiao snorted again. He knew it wasn't dangerous. It was just unexpected. The noise was oddly loud for such a small box. But he settled back down as the child continued to pet him.
"Can you see who that is, Teucer?" Ajax asked. He stayed where he was at the kitchen counter.
"Sure!" Teucer hopped off of the sofa and grabbed the device. "Hey! It's the club. You said you were off today! Those jerks always ruin your days off."
"Yep. That's why I keep telling you to stay a kid and never grow up, Kiddo."
"Yeah, I know." Teucer grumbled. "But I hardly got to see you at all this week…"
"I know and I'm sorry. But Mom and Dad are gone. So I have to work. We're lucky that we aren't living in my car right now."
"Yeah. But-" Teucer shook his head sadly. "Nevermind. Zhongli is going to be mad at us when he finds out you quit your job at the restaurant."
"That's not true. You know he won't blame you for anything." Ajax said stiffly. "Besides, I didn't quit; I got fired."
"Yeah and now you're back to working with the bastard who killed Mom and Dad! Aren't you?"
"You're too smart for your own good," Ajax sighed. "I'm not going to let him get away with it. And we can't talk about that here, remember?"
"I'm scared he's going to kill you too… I don't want to be alone. So you have to tell Zhongli what's going on before he finds out the hard way."
Ajax nodded sadly. "Yeah. I know."
Xiao was very confused. And yet for some reason he wasn't at all surprised to hear that his lord's lover was involved in something bad. It was annoying not knowing what was going on.
And he felt sad for Teucer. The boy was far more frightened than his brother realized. Xiao crept onto Teucer's lap and continued to purr. The boy responded by leaning down and hugging him as he cried silently.
Ajax came over to the sofa and knelt down beside them. "Hey, it's going to be okay, Teucer. I promise."
"No it won't." Teucer shook his head stubbornly as he brushed his tears away quickly. "Not if you don't tell him! He's nothing like the mean jerks you used to date. He needs to know. I like it here; Zhongli loves you and I feel safe with him."
Xiao noted that Ajax blushed when Teucer mentioned dating… Great, so the redhead was just sleeping with random guys until he met Zhongli. Wonderful. This was very annoying and scandalous news. But he was a cat so he couldn't say anything, much less kick him out of his lord's home.
Xiao felt another headache coming on. He wondered how Zhongli had even met Ajax to begin with. How was he supposed to keep Zhongli safe if Ajax was somehow working with people who killed someone- especially his parents?
Xiao wished that his master would suddenly appear and throw Ajax out or at least demand a very detailed explanation. But he just snorted and rolled his eyes.
"Teucer, I like it here too, and you know I love him. But this stuff isn't that easy to talk about. I didn't want to lose my scholarship, drop out of college or run errands for that bastard Dante. But Dad's gambling debts started this and now it's up to me to end it."
"But you don't have to do it alone- do you? Why don't we just tell the police?"
"Because the chief of police is already on Dante's side. I saw them having dinner together at one of the restaurants Dante owns twice while 'running errands'. I don't know who to trust over there. Because they wouldn't listen to me last year after the fire. Why would they believe me now?"
"I-I know, but I'm scared and I hate it. I am afraid they'll kill you too."
"Teucer, I am a little scared too. And that is okay. But I'm also sure that making these bastards pay for what they did is the right thing to do. I'm gathering evidence. But I still need to prove that Dad didn't kill mom before commiting suicide yet."
"But if you aren't going to the police what is the evidence for?"
"A reporter I met named Charlotte is going to run a story on everything. If everyone in Liyue finds out what happened then the police will have to do something."
Teucer let out a deflated breath and shook his head sadly. "You need to tell Zhongli about Dante before he finds out the hard way. Zhongli is smart and really cool. I think he would try to help us if he knew…"
"I know that's possible. And I never intended to get involved with him. I just can't walk away. It's like I have known him forever but even eternity won't be long enough."
Xiao nodded. He knew what it was like to be in love with someone you can't have. Someone like his beloved lord. Xiao knew with his past, he could never be worthy of Zhongli but he still wanted- no craved him.
Cloud Retainer had always encouraged Xiao to try to reach out to their lord. But he was just too stubborn and shy to try. Perhaps she thought that he might try if he had another chance? Well, it would be just like that old bird, she loved being nosey and playing matchmaker. She would be very old now and she had always been pretty wise. Which was probably why her antics had resulted in the births of both Yanfei and Ganyu, among others long ago.
Was there a chance that he could be with his lord as… more than a pet cat?
A moment later, a rather loud buzz sounded from the front door area and Xiao sat up confused.
"Don't worry, Xiao," Teucer smiled and hugged him gently. "That's the noise the elevator makes when it reaches this floor. Zhongli says it is a security precaution. This place was left to him by his parents when he turned twenty. He owns the whole building. So they must have been really rich, huh?"
"Look, I'll tell him soon alright?" Ajax said quickly in a low voice. "So let's drop it for now, okay?"
Teucer sighed and nodded. "Alright."
Ajax smiled and ruffled the kid's hair. "Okay, I gotta finish lunch, okay?"
Teucer looked at Xiao sadly and whispered. "I promise, my brother's not a bad guy, okay? It's just that we've been through a lot…"
Xiao nodded reluctantly and nuzzled him as he settled back down on the boy's lap. All he could do was trust them for now so he might as well make the best of it.
