Stay Forever
Chapter 6
More giggling from the bathroom shower. Xiao rolled his eyes. He hadn't followed the lovers into the bathroom. Because they were obviously trying not to disturb Teucer while they were having sex.
Xiao had already wandered into the living room where he sprawled out on the oversized couch. It was very large and comfortable and better yet, it smelled like his Lord. After all, it was where he had been reading the book earlier before Ajax got home.
Finally the two lovers managed to get out of the shower and collapse into bed down the hall. And at last the house was quiet. Both of them seemed to be asleep almost instantly.
"It seems like he's a person disguised as a cat," Zhongli had said? And even more unbelievable, Ajax had agreed- and thought it was "cool"? That was stupidly unexpected. But they had no idea what they were talking about. Being disguised as a cat wasn't any fun for Xiao. But what choice did he have now?
They were only human. And how could he hope to protect them in this form anyway? He was light and fast. But he was still not at his full strength and he couldn't even remember the face of the person who had nearly killed him!
He wondered where he had been staying to avoid his lord's watchful eyes either. If he could only remember where he had been living he wouldn't have had to let his presence be known at all. And that was how things should be.
Xiao didn't belong in this time or place. He was from the ancient world where magic and monsters were everywhere. And it seemed his magic was still working just like that bastard Pierro's and Dr. Baizhu, but why only them?
These humans were completely oblivious to the presence of magic in the world all around them. Xiao could still feel it all around him. But none of the humans he had seen so far were aware that they were missing it.
This bastard Pierro must be able to feel the ancient ley lines too, which almost certainly meant that the bastard wasn't from this time period either. But where could someone so evil and cold hearted have come from and how did he know about the heart stones in the first place?
Were Pierro's powers slowly failing him? Or was he just after the heart stones because he was greedy?
Xiao's magic didn't feel any different now than they had last night when he had awakened. But that didn't mean anything while he still had amnesia and while he was still healing. Luckily, tonight after getting some good food and a lot more rest than he was used to, his ribs were basically back to normal now.
But it wasn't safe to train and test himself here. He realized that he had seen very little of Zhongli's home so far, but he was still a little tired and there would be plenty of time to explore the place tomorrow night when everyone else was asleep.
After such an unusual day for all of the humans it was very likely that any of them could be roused by even the slightest noise. Particularly Teucer and Ajax, they'd just arrived home and they hadn't seen him injured.
Well, on second thought, he had to go to the bathroom. And he hadn't the slightest idea where to find another bathroom that he thought was far enough away from the three humans that the noise wouldn't bother them. Perhaps this was a good time to look around. This floor of the building was massive and Xiao had been too busy following his lord around to do any exploring.
His lord was safe and happily preoccupied with his lover tonight. And Teucer seemed tired tonight as though he was just returning here from a long trip.
Well, the coast seemed clear now. So, Xiao decided to go slinking down the hall leading to Teucer's bedroom. There were three other doors down there that had remained closed since he arrived. The child had a private bathroom like his master's with a shower and a separate oversized tub.
Teucer had shown him around the large room proudly after he finished his homework. The room even had a private balcony overlooking a small, but carefully manicured rooftop garden with a working fountain.
Teucer had mentioned that the room used to be Zhongli's home office. But it was converted to a bedroom as much to allow the boy some quiet and privacy as much as it was for Zhongli and Ajax.
The penthouse was much larger than Xiao had anticipated. There were two long halls emanating in different directions from the massive living room, kitchen and dining rooms.
Xiao decided to keep wandering down the hall that had Teucer's bedroom in it. He left his feline form just long enough to open each door before stepping inside cautiously, already back in his cat form.
Beyond the first door was a room with a large bar filled with many kinds of liquor. The room was very large and there was even a big open stone fireplace in the center with leather seating and a pair of tables built into it. Xiao walked all the way around it. There was even a set of pokers and grates over the open flame so that the fire could actually be used to grill food. He had never seen anything like it but it was definitely expensive.
At each corner of the room was a large round table with a booth built into the wall.
There was no liquor outside of a set of three, large locked cases behind the bar. It wouldn't have mattered to Xiao. He had never enjoyed the various wines that were so prized by his lord. But Teucer was very young and he was glad to see that the boy couldn't easily get into them out of curiosity.
He was pleased to note that there was also a pair of half bathrooms in the back of this room. Xiao used one before he quietly crept back into the hall.
Across the hall from the bar, he had found a large library and an attached study. All three of these public rooms had a very different feel than the sleek, bright modern styling of the living room and even Zhongli's bedroom.
The library was decorated with lavish, old fashioned built in bookshelves covered in ornate wood carvings. The tables and chairs were large and sturdy. The floor in the bar room was made up of large, rough and uneven tiles carved out of slate. But here the floors were marble.
Beyond these rooms was only one other door. Xiao pushed it open carefully and realized he had found an exercise room. It was sleek and modern, a large, bright white room with a ridiculous number of awkward looking weight training machines. But beyond those was a large area where there were bright white rather springy mats separated from the weight room outlined with a border of short gray carpet.
Beyond these mats was even a small bank of lockers along the back wall complete with a spotlessly clean shower area, another bathroom and even a laundry room tucked into the corner.
Xiao remained in his cat form. But he couldn't resist hopping around on the mats in the center of the room for a moment, wondering what these were used for. These would be really fun to train on. Sparring with his fellow yakshas would have been awesome here.
He was surprised by that thought. And saddened. When was the last time he had thought of the other yakshas as if they were still alive? Probably too long. And now he was even farther from them; there was no going back.
Xiao sighed and left the room hurriedly, he returned to the living room. The large white room felt really boring now that he was alone in it.
Honestly, he was even more awed by the sheer size and luxurious feel of the whole apartment now. After all, there were more rooms down the other hallway that he hadn't even seen yet. So, all in all, somehow this seemed like a very fitting home for his Lord's final incarnation.
Xiao walked around the room again before he noticed that the rooftop was much larger than the balcony where Zhongli and Ajax had been talking earlier.
There was a swimming pool and a modest but elegant glass and stone cottage standing behind the dining room. The pool was hidden from the small garden where they had been sitting earlier. There was a set of large stone planters filled with huge elephant's ear plants and some exotic yellow, orange and red flowers he didn't recognize.
This area too was beautiful, the water was crystal clear. And the floodlights cast interesting patterns on the walkways of the patio. Xiao found himself wandering outside to get a better look at the scene.
The pool itself would have been beautiful even without the waterfall that spilled into it from the far side of the pool. The uneven edges of the man-made pond were stone and the bottom of the pool was paved in elegant little glass tiles that were almost glowing in the floodlights that illuminated the rooftop.
The dancing water cast elegant waves of light along the walls of the poolhouse. But it was the pool house itself that had drawn his attention. He had definitely been here before. And he was right- his scent was here. So this was where he had been observing his lord. Out of his lord's sight but still close enough to sense any intrusion.
A large outdoor lounger was also tucked neatly into the side of the little pool house. It was completely covered with heavy curtains and a whole lot of pillows, and enjoyed a very solid windbreak from the little cottage.
There was nothing in the pool house to suggest that Xiao or anyone else had been in here lately. But he knew that this was his home away from home. He felt safe here as he stepped inside. He must have taken great pains to make sure that no one else would notice he had been here for an entire six months.
What had he been doing for food? There was a small kitchen in the cute little cottage. But there was nothing in its full sized refrigerator except some soda cans and bottled water. And there was nothing at all in the little wastepaper basket by the door.
At the inn in the ancient past Xiao could have all the food he wanted but he often chose to forage for himself out in the wilds while hunting demons.
Xiao sighed. Since he had arrived here, he had probably been eating herbs and flowers from the mountains above the city. The city around him was slowly expanding; climbing up the side of the nearby mountain. But there were still plenty of cliff tops and meadows to provide a rather bland but nutritious diet of wild lemon and violet grass, along with other greens. And if he didn't want a salad he could always spear a fish from the mountain pools and streams.
Xiao hopped up into one of the lounge chairs and settled down to watch the swimming pool. The ripples were beautiful and the pristine water was mesmerizing under the large lights around the pool.
He heard the door open and felt a familiar presence in the pool yard.
"Ah ha," Zhongli said. "There you are. How did you get out here? Oh well. The garden and the weather are nice, aren't they?"
Xiao had considered hiding among the elephant's ear plants, but he didn't want to worry his rescuer. He remained on the chair in his cat form.
"Your expression is so… Lonely," Zhongli said softly.
He put his hand next to him and Xiao couldn't resist nuzzling it gently.
His lord still smelled so good. And it wasn't just Xiao's heat cycle influencing his hormones.
He truly, honestly loved Zhongli in his previous life as the god Rex Lapis. Xiao could admit it now. But back in the past he felt unworthy of his lord's attention, much less his affection. He definitely appreciated his lord making medicine for him in the past and all of his visits to the inn that were usually absurdly far out of his Lord's way.
But Xiao didn't dare to hope that Zhongli did these things because he cared for him as more than just another one of his adepti. So he kept that silly thought buried in his heart and kept it safely to himself.
This was especially true after Cloud Retainer and the other ancient ones had retired to their abodes while Xiao could not. He had never asked for special treatment among the yakshas! He couldn't! He wouldn't because his lord had done so much for him already! Just saving him from his former master's cruelty was a kindness that Xiao dared not even hope for during his enslavement.
Xiao sighed. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt only more sad and more lonely looking at his master's reincarnation now. Xiao was so close to him here but he couldn't tell anyone who he was or why he was here. Xiao was supposed to be dead.
And he could not do anything that would stir Zhongli's memories of being the Prime of the Adepti! As Chansheng said, it was better to let that power and those memories be forgotten.
Even now, sitting peacefully beside him as a human, Xiao could still feel the ancient power sleeping within his rescuer. It was said that a person's will and inner strength allowed those born with an affinity for magic to use it. And he was sure that his ancient lord was still by far the strongest person he would ever know.
It was unfortunate for Xiao that his true nature and his powers had to remain hidden in order to do what he was brought here for. But he was more than capable of silently doing his duty.
After all, it would be much easier to look after the humans if he was not one of them. If he remained objective with these three humans like he had with the staff and guests of the Wangshu Inn, he could be more on guard.
"Are you okay, Xiao?"
Xiao was mortified when he nearly blurted out a yes verbally. He managed to nod instead and yawned.
Zhongli patted his lap to call him over, but Xiao didn't move. He kept his paws folded under his chest and shook his head.
"Don't you want to come back inside with me?" Zhongli seemed so surprised that Xiao immediately felt guilty.
Xiao scowled.
Zhongli sighed as he stood up slowly. "Are you really mad at me?"
Xiao watched stubbornly as the love of his life took a few steps away.
"Alright," Zhongli was clearly confused but he finally shrugged. "I guess you can stay out here tonight. It is a beautiful night. Just don't do anything crazy and I'll come and check on you first thing tomorrow, okay?"
Xiao finally nodded and then laid his head down and tried to go to sleep. But all he wanted to do was jump into his arms and sleep on the corner of the bed. He had never felt so safe in his life as he had last night.
But this was really for his own safety. Xiao was going to be in full heat in a few days! It would not be good for him to watch the man he had loved for over 2,000 years have sex with someone else! Even if Ajax was interesting and very attractive, Xiao knew he had no right to tear them apart. Or worse, try to join them.
A shiver of arousal burned straight through him but that was ridiculous! He couldn't keep thinking like that.
He sighed, finally relaxing as the human closed the door to the balcony behind him. He took a deep breath and wondered again why Cloudretainer had chosen him.
Xiao picked his head up wonderingly when he heard the door open again and Zhongli hurried out. His rescuer was holding a brown blanket. And he laid it over Xiao's back and carefully arranged it into a small nest for him.
Xiao was startled by this act of kindness as well. The weather was fine; bringing the blanket was completely ridiculous. But Xiao couldn't help but snuggle into the large, velvet plush blanket anyway.
And, just like Zhongli's habit of making medicine for him and visiting him at the inn long ago, Xiao blushed. He was still feeling stupidly happy as he fell asleep.