Animal AU Or Pet AU Or I Dont KnowRei Bat And His Two Cat Brothers. Their Brotherly Relationship Is Fine

Animal AU or Pet AU or I dont know Rei bat and his two cat brothers. Their brotherly relationship is fine dont worry.

when you’re tired.

how they comfort you when you’re too tired to take care of yourself.

feat. kaedehara kazuha ; xiao ; scaramouche. wanderer ; albedo ; venti ; tighnari ; gn! reader.

cw: comfort. them being caring boyfriends. self indulgent. mentions of crying. mild blood and injury in xiao’s + albedo’s. use of the pet-name ‘princess’ in albedo’s. soft scara.

kaedehara kazuha

with droopy eyes, you stare at the piece of paper in front of you. the words written on it no longer make sense to you, feeling more like just swirling ink rather than symbols with meaning.

you rub your eyes for the nth time this evening.

when was the last time you ate or drank something?

you can’t remember.

with a sigh, you try to re-focus again.

all those annotations in your handwriting… did you write them? you must have done so, you guess, but the opaque clouds of your mind don’t let you access that piece of memory.

just as another yawn was leaving your lips, an airy voice pulls you out of your daze.

“someone’s tired.” kazuha chuckles.

“hey, kazuha.” you respond, rather unenthusiastically.

kazuha’s brow furrows at that. you’re usually brimming with excitement and running to him as soon as he gets home.

are you not feeling alright?

the next groan you let out and the way you keep furiously rubbing at your eyes let the samurai know that, you are, in fact, more than tired.

“dove, is everything alright?” kazuha asks. his arms wrap around your middle from behind, chin resting atop your shoulder. his warm eyes are akin to an autumn gale, wisps of worry and concern laced with the dark crimson of maple leaves.

and then, you start shaking.

“no, kazuha.” you sniffle. “nothing is alright.” your lower lip quivers, the tidal wave before the storm of your tears and sobs. “i can’t do this anymore… i’m tired, and work piles up, and i’m useless because i won’t be able to finish on time, and, and…”

a finger to your lips silences you.

“shhh, don’t say those things about yourself, my petal.” your lover’s bandaged hand interlaces with yours, his thumb tracing unspoken verses over the back of it.

it’s warm, you think.

i’ve got you, he means.

tenderly, akin to the flutter of bird wings, kazuha wipes away the tears streaming down your face.

after every gentle touch, his angel kisses follow, flowers blooming in the shape of a welcome warmth where cold rivers marked a path before.

your sobs fall silent, your tormenting rain halting before the bright sun that kaedehara kazuha is.

“close your eyes, my hummingbird.” he whispers, the sound of a comforting autumn breeze reaching your ears. “rest for a while, my love.” he finishes, butterfly kisses landing like cherry blossom petals over your visage.

kazuha’s arms hold you securely against his chest. his voice reciting the first poem he dedicated to you lulls you to sleep.

he looks at you, nuzzled against his torso, and a melancholic smile paints his face in hues of bittersweet.

kazuha wishes you could always smile. but when you cannot, he’ll make sure to shelter you from your inner tempests.

xiao

with a click, the door to yours and xiao’s room at wangshu inn opens.

a sensation of relief washes over the yaksha, restlessly pacing the space when he sees your face in the doorway.

you weren’t here when he arrived and he didn’t hear you call his name either. he is glad you are here now.

his eyes of amber widen when he meets yours, in happiness at first. but alas, as they say, nothing gold can stay. for, as soon as xiao sees the scratches on your hands and cheek, his candlelight gaze becomes almost glassy, a frown marring his pretty face.

“xiao, i’m hom-”

“who did this?” he questions, perhaps harsher than he intended.

you don’t know when he moved, but your adeptus now stands by your side, his gloved hand holding onto your scratched up wrist.

“oh this?” you ask, owlishly blinking at the shallow injuries tainting your skin. “huh, i hadn’t even realized.” you yawn. “must have gotten these during my commissions.”

xiao inhales, breath hitching. you seem more tired lately. he doesn’t like how, even so, you keep giving yourself for the sake of others: completing any mission that needs to be done, helping citizens fulfill their requests, taking any commissions available at the adventurers’ guild… and so on and so forth.

your jessamine-soft touch to his cheek pulls xiao out of his trance.

“xiao… i’m fine.” you smile, tiredly, the dark circles under your eyes becoming more prominent. you yawn again. “i just need to sleep for a bit now.” you mumble, cheek leaning against the vigilant yaksha’s chest.

xiao’s cheeks heat up at the contact, arms circling you, not knowing where to place them exactly. you’re injured, what if his karma makes it worse? you need to heal up too… he can’t let you go to bed without cleaning your wounds first.

“y-y-you… you need to… those wounds… you need to treat them first.” he stammers.

you chuckle, half amused at his cuteness, half to try to ease him.

“i will…” you reach to peck his cheek. “why don’t you help me, love?” you ask, gaze locking with his crimson lined one.

“ah-… yeah.” he manages.

with trembling hands, the yaksha delicately bandages up your cuts. it’s endearing, you think, how shy and gentle he is, despite claiming to only know how to deal in death and slaughter.

as his fingers ghost over the newly tied bandages, you get lost in him; in the intense molten gold of his sharp irises, in the scarlet that surrounds them; in the dark jade of his silky hair and how it frames his cheekbones and jaw so perfectly; in his porcelain skin and the pretty pink that dots his cheeks… in xiao, in him and all that he is.

setting the remaining gauze atop the bedside table, your yaksha sits in front of you, eyes averted, cheeks abloom in shades of intense spring.

chuckling, you scoot closer to him. you settle in between his legs, the side of your face and your hands over the heart he declared forever yours.

“xiao?”

“y-yes?” his arms awkwardly wrap around your waist, accommodating you comfortably against his torso.

“thank you.” your lids flutter closed.

moments with xiao really do erase every trace of exhaustion off of you.

scaramouche. wanderer

the plate slipping from between your fingers is the last straw. after the week you’ve had, seeing the pieces of china shattering before your eyes is the last thing you needed. it is like seeing your last remaining strength crumble to pieces, one by one.

your vision becomes blurry, big hot tears silently falling down your tired face. your grip on the kitchen counter is tight, knuckles white.

“hey, what’s all this ruckus?” a bothered voice questions.

you chide yourself internally. for being like this, especially in front of him. didn’t he despise human’s fragility?

your lips move but before you can reply, scaramouche beats you to it.

“you’re trembling…” the wanderer moves closer to where you are. why won’t you look at him? are you going to leave and betray him too? “hey, are you okay?”

still, you don’t move. hair hanging in front of your face, you are paralyzed. it seems all the stress and exhaustion from the past weeks has finally taken a toll on you.

the wanderer’s deep hyacinth eyes catch sight of the mess all around you: pieces of broken porcelain cluttering the sink and floor; a grotesque and mocking mirror of your current state.

“kuni…” you sob, not capable of keeping the tremor out of your voice. “i’m sorry… i’m so sorry… it’s all my fault…”

“what are you even apologizing for, dummy?” he cuts your rambling off.

with care, he takes ahold of your wrist, pulling you against his chest.

“i broke it…” you lean limp against your boyfriend. “the plate… it’s… it’s my fault. i’m sorry, i’m sorry i’m so tired.”

scaramouche sighs, exasperation lacing his huff.

“silly, what worries me is your state. have you even realized how utterly exhausted you look?” the lips of the almost god peck your brow, strands of starry midnight, a gentle tickle against your skin. “you need to rest. now.”

teary, you glance at the still uncooked ingredients lining the table.

“but i have to-”

“no you absolutely don’t.” your wanderer states, not leaving room for further discussion. his pristine hands cup your wet cheeks, stormy iris eyes lined in the color of roses fixed on yours. “dinner? i’ll take care of it. and it will be delicious.”

and with that, scaramouche guides you to your shared bedroom. tucking you in bed, he squeezes your hand before he leaves.

he hopes you have sweet dreams until dinner time.

albedo

the unforgiving cold of dragonspine definitely didn’t pair well with your drowsy state.

the days leading up to this weekend had been hard on you, worries and important decisions swirling around your mind in a spiral of confusion. fatigue and uncertainty seemed to rule your every thought.

and it is that, and the gelid winds of the mountains that led to your mishap.

despite your exhaustion, today you wanted to help your boyfriend with his research. with no hesitation, you braved the icy mountain’s cold to reach to his camp in dragonspine.

and if it wasn’t for the way albedo’s summer sky eyes visibly sparkled when he caught sight of you, you would have regretted the trip.

and somehow, there is a point when you regret it. when those same eyes look at you wide with concern, the sky beginning to cloud over, before the snow.

“[y/n]… [y/n]. [y/n]!” albedo calls you repeatedly, but you are like in a trance. the liquid you’re pouring into one of his flasks is already overflowing, yet you make no move to stop.

it is only when albedo’s hand snatches yours that you come to.

absentmindedly, you stare at your hand still holding the container with the substance you were pouring: it’s leaked onto the table, twisting swirls of smoke in ominous hues coming off the stain.

and then, when you process what albedo just prevented, you break down.

“did i… did i do that?” you ask, your voice so small albedo is afraid you might shatter, like a crystal figurine that clatters to the floor with just a mild breeze.

his free gloved hand takes the vase you were still holding and settles it on the desk. then, he holds both of your hands in his.

your skin is covered in goosebumps. you are shivering. and did your eyes always look so devoid of light and so tired?

“my princess,” he begins, cradling the back of your head against his chest. “have you not been sleeping lately?” he points out, fingers running through your hair.

tears form in the corners of your eyes. as much as you look pretty like this, your lashes akin to newly bloomed flowers in the morning dew, the alchemist hates to see you sad.

you sigh, palms resting against the chalk prince’s chest.

“to tell you the truth, no, i haven’t.” you close your eyes, icy tears rolling down your pretty face. “i couldn’t… these last few days…” you bring a hand to your temple. “it’s… it’s been complicated.”

albedo shrugs off his coat, draping it over your shoulders.

your eyes widen, warmth returning to your face. what if he gets cold because of you now?

but before you can speak, your lover silences you with his words.

“first, let’s get you all warm.” he tells you, your palm resting atop his. “then,” he leans in, leaving a sweet frosted kiss on the back of your hand. “you can tell me all about it of you wish.” he pulls you closer to his side, his fingers lacing with yours. “does a cup of hot chocolate sound good, my dearest?” albedo tucks a strand of hair behind your ear.

and how can you not smile? when your prince’s lips curve upwards, his golden hair and celeste eyes the picture perfect image of comfort against a background of ice and biting gales?

“that would be lovely, ‘bedo.” you murmur, basking in the warmth his embrace offers.

venti

the windborne bard’s aquamarine eyes lack their usual mischief today. not because he is unwell, but because the song of your heart is erratic. dissonant. a bell sounding, asking for help amidst the cold ocean in which you are drowning.

he’s noticed the way you carry yourself these days. a shadow of who you are, a truth you have built up, with stained glass depicting only the emotions you think others should see.

venti is aware of your exhaustion, of the emptiness that’s eating at you, a fairytale with a ripped out page, its happy ending torn to pieces.

he is a god, after all. the wind he rules over carries feelings and memories. notes and melodies telling the story of his people. and of course, yours too.

that is why, he decided today you will be taking the day off.

—

the sun rises, and with it, your meager rest comes to an end. commissions at the adventurer’s guild and citizens’ requests won’t complete themselves alone, as much as you’d like that.

the heaviness in your step subsides a little after talking to hertha. one of the requests involves a trip to windrise. it says to bring two apples and a bottle of dandelion wine. the requester, anonymous.

a pleased hum escapes you as you make your way to angel’s share to make the purchase.

windrise. that place brings happy memories. it’s yours and venti’s favorite place to go on dates.

vennessa’s tree. under which you and venti had your first kiss.

the thought alone is enough to put a smile on your lips and for your cheeks to rival the heat of the red that tints the apples’ peels.

with a newfound skip on your step, you start the trip to windrise.

but alas, your vitality is short lived. for when the shadow of vennessa’s tree casts a sun-splattered canopy over you, you deflate upon seeing no one around.

then, when you were ready to turn around and leave, a dandelion scented breeze blows by.

“missed me, my windblume?” a familiar voice asks.

there, perched atop one of the huge tree’s branches, is none other than your lover.

“venti!” you exclaim, a smile gracing your features.

“ehe” with agility, he soars down his perch, hovering upside down just inches from you.

“if i had known it was you, i would have dressed up more…” you trail off, averting your gaze to the side.

“ehh? but you always look gorgeous to me, my warrior.” venti tells you, turquoise-marine eyes earnest.

you fluster, wide eyes looking up at his cute face.

then, he’s kissing you. and you’re cupping his face. and kissing him back. and the basket with the apples and wine clatters to the ground. and neither of you care.

because what could be more important than each other?

when you pull away for air, venti lands in front of you. picking up the basket, he says:

“hm, but my request doesn’t end here, windblume.” he takes your hand in his free one, tugging you along towards the big tree.

“now you must join me and relax for the rest of the day, ‘mkay?” the anemo archon requests, kissing your heated cheek.

and how could you ever say no to your cute boyfriend?

you can’t. that is your weakness.

and your saving grace today.

tighnari

the clock is about to strike midnight. silence only broken by the stars’ static and the chirping of nocturnal insects has settled over avidya forest.

one by one, the lights on each cabin have been going out, leaving way to the moonlight to reign over the vast expanse of green.

there is one house, however, that remains alight. the person inside seems to be busy, relentlessly tackling multiple tasks and papers.

this image would go unnoticed my most passersby. a busy student, some would think. a night owl, others would judge.

there is someone, nevertheless, who knows the truth happening right now behind those windows. nothing escapes the head forest ranger’s sharp hearing, after all.

with serious eyes, tighnari heads towards the source of the light. when he reaches your house, he doesn’t even have to knock: it’s open.

not that knocking would have done any good, anyway: you’re fast asleep.

hastily scattered around the table lie several notebooks and papers. some of them are finished, others have just a few scribbles on them.

and on top of all of this mess is you. sleeping soundly, pen still in your hand.

it’s good that at least you are getting some rest, tighnari thinks. but he can’t leave you like this. in this posture, you’re definitely going to be sore the next morning.

as carefully as he can, your boyfriend hoists you up. you stir a little in his arms, but not enough to wake up.

tenderly, he lays you on your bed, tucking the covers snug around you.

but still, he feels bad leaving you by yourself. it hasn’t escaped him how tired you look lately.

so he stays.

tighnari places a chair by your bed, and just as he was going to sit on it, something catches on his tail.

“‘nari…” you mumble, bleary eyes staring up at him, one of your hands buried in the soft dark green fur of his tail. “what are you doing here?… wait… oh no!” you sit up, lifting the covers off of you, standing up so quickly you feel dizzy. you stumble, and if it weren’t for tighnari’s arms looping around your middle, you would have hit the floor. “i fell asleep! tighnari, why didn’t you wake me up? i have to go back to work now!…”

“no. absolutely not.” his tone, commanding.

“but…” you look up into his teal-hazel eyes. he levels you with a warning gaze. there is nothing to bargain for here, he seems to say.

“no. none of it.” the forest ranger holds you by the shoulders. “you are going to sleep now. and i’m going to stay with you. no buts.”

there is no use arguing with him on this one, is there? your work will have to wait.

releasing the tension you had been holding in with a long sigh, you get in bed, while your boyfriend takes the chair.

“what are you doing?” you ask him. “if you’re going to stay the night i’m not letting you sleep in a chair.”

the pink of zaytun peaches dyes tighnari’s skin prettily.

“no buts. no arguing.” you chuckle, tugging him by the hand. “now, come here.” you tell him, sweetly.

and the fennec fox obliges. for how could he not? when your touch and warmth are so addicting?

besides, you look so cute and comfortable, cuddled against his side like this.

HOT THINGS SEBEK ZIGVOLT DOES

SEBEK ZIGVOLT and verbal appreciation. it’s a whole thing. there’s not a single day that will go by that this man doesn’t let you know how much he appreciates every little thing you do for him. sometimes it’s loud and booming, making the other students and staff in the library flinch because of the sheer volume of his voice, but other times it’s silent and soft-spoken, the ghost of a kiss against your skin in the late hours of the night. he doesn’t think it’s that big of a deal, but it means so much to you that he’s so open about how truly grateful he is for you.

SEBEK ZIGVOLT is tall, so it’s more than likely that he’ll be towering over you most of the time. he’s big and strong, and there’s something attractive about that combined with the fact that he’s practically dedicated himself to being your guard alongside his official duties to malleus. it’s not uncommon to have him lingering behind you, ready to step forward the moment you need his help. the position also makes for very good back hugs, should you request them at the right place and time.

SEBEK ZIGVOLT has a tendency to touch up on your appearance without you asking. he’s used to looking after silver, making sure he looks nothing less than perfect (even though silver has that unfair advantage of always looking princely even if he fell asleep in a ditch), and that habit extends to you over time. he soundlessly reaches out to you to adjust the collar of your uniformm of the fringe your hair as if you have no personal space, leaning in close enough for his lips to accidentally brush against your skin. it’s a wonder that he doesn’t notice the way your breath hitches (or does he…?)

SEBEK ZIGVOLT takes a while to learn how to whisper, but when he does, you can’t help but feel like he’s using it against you in some way. he gets closer than necessary when he’s whispering in your ear, to the point that his lips are brushing against your skin every time he moves. you don’t want him to tell him to move away, especially since you’re not exactly uncomfortable by the sudden close proximity, so you’re just left to pray to whatever deities exist in the world of twisted wonderland that he doesn’t notice the way your ears are suddenly burning hot and you’ve somehow forgotten how to breathe.

SEBEK ZIGVOLT remembers the most trivial things about you, from the expression you make when you’re eating something you’re not particularly fond of to your body language when it’s too cold but you don’t want anyone to know that you’re freezing your ass off, even the way your gaze shifts around a crowded room when your social battery is depleting. one could say that he knows you better than you know yourself. he applies his knowledge very discreetly, so subtle that barely anyone notices. you do, of course, because you’re quite proud to say that you know sebek almost as well as he knows you. but you’re much too hesitant to point it out, afraid that if you were to do so, he’d stop. (a silly fear; sebek wouldn’t be able to stop caring for you even if he tried)

❦ 𝚃𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚂𝚘𝚊𝚛 ❦

❧ Pairings: Xiao x Reader (GN)

❧ Summary: While looking for him, you stumble upon Xiao in his bird form. You help him with his feathers as you find out something he was keeping to himself

❧ Contents: Hurt/comfort, bird!Xiao, fluff, wing grooming, a kiss at the end

❧ Word count: 2.9k

❧ Author’s Note: Xiao in his bird form is an obsession :)

Xiao wasn’t at Wangshu Inn when you got there.

The fireworks were long over, the night was still and quiet in the Marsh. You’d bidden your goodbyes to your friends, vague in your explanation of where you were going and giddy in your trek towards the inn. You weren’t naive to Xiao’s duty—you knew this night was one of the most violent ones in terms of demonic activity, which meant that it was the busiest night of his thankless task.

You knew, so when Xiao told you that he might not be able to spend time with you, you understood perfectly; getting your hopes up was inevitable, though, especially since you had come from hours of laughter and celebration in the Harbor.

Truly, the only thing you wanted was a moment of respite with Xiao. Reminding him of how thankful you were for his efforts was something you tried to do often, whether through words or gentle caresses he wasn’t used to yet.

Those hopes were dashed like a candle flame against a storm. Your shoulders fell when you took in the empty balcony, the plate of Almond Tofu suddenly feeling heavy in your hands. Leaving it on the railing, perfectly balanced out of habit, you stared out into Liyue’s scenery in hope of spotting flashes of green and black; knowing he was up and fighting would bring you some sort of comfort.

You saw nothing, though, and you couldn’t help but worry. Was he doing alright? What if his karma was giving him more trouble than usual? What if the monsters were too much for him and–

No.

You shook your head, shoving that thought aside immediately. Xiao was strong, he had to be alright… right?

The temptation to call for him was like an itch, a twitch of your fingers. Only once should be enough and when he came, your mind would be at ease. You’d explain to him that you were simply fretting a little and then you would wish him good luck.

“Xiao?”

A second passed, then two, then three, then ten. There was no push of Anemo behind you, no voice to confirm that he’d heeded your call—there was only the breeze and the rustling of the leaves filling the silence, with your increasing heartbeat soon joining in.

He didn’t answer, and if you weren’t worried before, you were definitely worried now. There was no way in Teyvat you’d stay there and do nothing, not when there was a chance that Xiao was hurt or in need of help.

Making sure you had everything you needed, you headed out.

————— ୨୧ —————

Searching for Xiao was harder than you expected.

Constantly calling his name coupled with questions of his whereabouts was not only fruitless, but it attracted monsters to your location. One horde was all you could manage before you decided to look for him in silence and prayed to the Archons that you’d somehow find him.

The peaks of Liyue were tall and intimidating to look at from below, and thinking about scaling them made you wish that you were able to teleport like Xiao. Fortunately, Jueyun Karst was eerily quiet, so you told yourself that you would only climb if you heard movement from above.

After minutes of checking caves, nearby enemy camps and trying to find elemental traces, you stopped dead on your tracks when you heard… something, right above you. You couldn’t pinpoint what the noise was, and it was extremely soft, akin to leaves in the wind but not quite. There was no certainty that it was Xiao; it could very well be an enemy, but a possibility was better than nothing.

You were silent and careful both as you climbed, making sure you wouldn’t alert whatever was up there, if it even was something alive. The added effort of controlling your breathing tired you when you were nearly at the top, and you didn’t dare look down.

The strange noises of movement were still audible, which meant your efforts had paid off. The second you were close enough, you peeked over the edge of the stone; it took all of your willpower not to gasp at the sight that greeted you.

Right in front of you, under the moonlight and perched atop of a rock, was the most beautiful bird you’d ever seen. Its back was to you, but it was preening its feathers and that gave you a wonderful view of them—they were a dark green, with hints of turquoise underneath and fading to gold at the tips. While some of them were mangled and bent at awkward angles, the wings were still majestic and a part of you felt as if you weren’t supposed to be looking at this.

It was too breathtaking, too gorgeous and bewitching, and your first thought was that it had to be an adeptus. There was no other explanation for its beauty and size.

Gathering yourself, you pulled your body up as carefully as you could, using the fact that the bird wasn’t looking at you and was busy to your advantage. Apparently, though, the Archons had had enough of giving you a streak of luck, because as soon as your second foot touched solid ground, pebbles were pushed behind you and down into the ground below, which was enough noise to startle the bird into looking at you.

Gaze locked on its torso out of respect, you didn’t move, not even when you saw how its demeanor changed the second it laid its eyes on you. The previously relaxed feathers were now pulled close to its body and you could tell it was preparing to move its wings, either to fly away or scare you off. You took a step closer, slow and steady, not because you wanted to make things worse but because being so close to the edge made you more nervous.

The bird—adeptus?—didn’t take kindly to this, immediately spreading out its wings and letting out a low hiss. Even through your panic, you couldn’t help but think that it was still beautiful. Looking up in order to look at it directly in the eyes, an apology and words of reassurance brewing on your tongue, your heart just stopped.

Its eyes were pools of pure amber with a single black pupil in the center, as piercing and sharp as the spear he used. Your own eyes narrowed in recognition, unspoken threat all but forgotten, and if the eyes weren’t enough, there was a purple diamond in between that confirmed it for you.

“Xiao?” you asked softly, even if you were completely sure.

The name garnered another reaction from him; he immediately looked away, even more tense than before, and began flapping his wings to take off.

“Wait, no!” you called, trotting up to him before he left. “Don’t go, please.”

Xiao stopped and gave you a glance. You pleaded silently, a chaos of emotions swirling inside you; surprise, shock, relief, happiness, amazement. Finally and with a huff, he tucked his wings away, breaking eye contact but staying in place; he appeared smaller, almost bashful, and nothing like the intimidating display he’d given you earlier.

Without a word, you tested the waters by approaching and sitting down on the rock, which was big enough for the two of you. He didn’t escape, much to your relief, but he seemed uncomfortable, what with how he shifted in place and accommodated his wings.

“Are you okay?” you inquired and it was difficult to understand his silence like this, with his face turned away. The air was easily breathable, the wind was refreshing, so his karma wasn’t acting up, which was a good thing and the one that had worried you the most. Xiao didn’t appear to be injured either, now that you could take a better look at him; ignoring the unkept feathers, everything else looked perfectly fine and healthy.

So, if he was alright, one question remained: why?

Why didn’t he answer your calls? Why was he in bird form? Why was he so aggressive when he first saw you? Why was he ignoring you now? Why, why, why?

You wished you could have all of those answers, but Xiao was clearly not in a talking mood at the moment, if he could even talk in this form. He shifted again and after what seemed to be an inner battle, he finally reached under one of his wings and plucked out a feather, dropping it to the ground; some tension left him once he was done.

Right. You’d interrupted his preening when you found him. Was that the reason—or one of them—for him being uncomfortable?

“Xiao, I can help you, if you’d like me to. May I?”

He turned to you and stared; you smiled. With the bird equivalent of a sigh, he nodded and turned around so his back was to you. His long, feathered tail ended up on your lap. Then, almost shyly, he spread his wings for you.

“I’m going to touch you now, okay?” you announced. It was something you always did, for his sake, to prevent him from jumping and flinching and stressing out. In the dead of night, when the world was asleep and the two of you were huddled close on a bed, you always murmured what you’d do at first, until he relaxed in your arms. Let it be caressing his hair or placing gentle kisses on his lips and his cheeks, you made sure he was okay with everything you did and you had never taken it too far.

The most you’d done was have a heated make-out session and you wouldn’t ask more of him.

Taking his silence as an answer, you ran your fingers down one of his wings, almost gasping at how soft it was. It reminded you of his hair, equally soft and somehow well-kept. You used your other hand to caress his neck, down to his back, but you stopped when his entire body shuddered.

“Sorry, is that a no?”

Xiao chirped. 

He chirped, and you almost lost yourself right then and there in a second of pure bliss. Such a melodious sound, and you had to resist the urge to aww at him, lest he pecked you.

You took his noise as a negative, just in case, and kept one hand on his neck instead, thumbing the feathers there, while your other hand took care of straightening up feathers and plucking out unsalvageable ones. Xiao barely flinched at the pain, but he’d tremble and ruffle his feathers whenever you decided to scratch at his neck.

He would let out a low thrum, but wouldn’t really object, so you continued either way.

Minutes into helping him, taking care of the other feathers while he worked on his underwing, his wings looked ten times better; they almost shone under the moonlight, reflecting that beautiful tone of green and gold. 

There were a few left for you to take care of, but before you could continue, a gale kicked up.

It was strong, too much so, forcing you to cover your face. Fortunately, it stopped soon enough, and the scent of Qingxin lingered in the air, mellow and comforting—familiar. When you opened your eyes, you found yourself looking at Xiao’s back, his human back, though his wings were still there as was his tail.

The opening of his shirt was perfect to house the origin on his wingbones while his tail came from somewhere on his lower back, ever so slightly lifting the white material. You saw how his gloves fell to the ground before he looked behind him for a second, moving his wings a little as he sighed.

“I don’t have enough energy to transform fully. The use of power tonight forced me to revert back to a beast to recuperate,” he explained, his breathing ragged, like he was agitated. Perhaps the transformation was draining and left him panting.

“You could’ve stayed as a bird, I wouldn’t have minded,” you said, placing your hand back on him, on his nape. Xiao said nothing, but you managed to hear him huff; ah, that was a sound you recognized better.

Wordlessly, you went back to your duty of feather care, occasionally scratching his skin and applying pressure; a lazy massage, but one you hoped would bring him comfort. There was something bothering him still, and now he could talk—you could wait as long as he needed.

Even if your view of him wasn’t the best one, Xiao in his human skin with wings was a majestic one nonetheless. You knew he was somehow related to avian creatures, given what he told you about his tattoo, but he had never told you more. He never told you he could turn into a bird, or that he was a bird, for that matter.

Perhaps it was something you should’ve assumed, taking into consideration what you knew about Cloud Retainer and Mountain Shaper, but jumping to conclusions regarding the adepti was never good, so you never even speculated.

“Were you– Are you… afraid? Of me?” he spoke, breaking the silence, which you were thankful for. His question, however, caught you off-guard completely. Afraid? Of him? Where did he get that idea? The thought of him thinking you feared him made your heart ache and throb in sympathy.

“I’m not. I was a little shocked when I saw you, but once I figured out it was you, I was completely fine.”

Xiao moved a little, his wings moving with him, stretching for a moment before coming back.

“You should be,” he said then, his stern tone betrayed by his still-agitated voice. You were about to protest when he continued, “Now you know what I truly look like.”

You frowned, confused. You wanted to say something, anything, but you were at a loss of words and not because you agreed with him. If anything, getting to know this side of him, the one hidden underneath his human guise, his true self, only made you appreciate him more.

How couldn’t you when the soul you’d fallen for was the same, no matter what he looked like?

“I never wanted you to see my true form,” he added as a whisper, his voice full of regret, even sadness and shame.

Your hands trembled at the honesty of his words, at the unfiltered intent behind them. Xiao had gone through so much in his millenia of being alive, from losing his family to carrying a burden as heavy as the entire world on his shoulders, all alone. You’d managed to open a hole in his defenses, giving him love and affection and comfort to the best of your abilities and he accepted them hesitantly.

Yet, the breach of mortality had never been taken care of—tales of the yaksha being beastly creatures were everywhere and, perhaps, they’d gotten to him. He didn’t wish to scare you away, he didn’t want you to find him unsightly.

He was far from that.

Standing up from your place behind him, you went to kneel in front of him. His face was flushed, but you focused on his eyes and his hands. He’d taken his gloves off earlier, and at the time you didn’t know the reason, but now you did; his hands were dark green, the same tone of his hair and his wings, and it faded into his skin color near his forearm. Moreover, where nails should be there were claws, sharp and dangerous if you didn’t know who you were dealing with.

Carefully, as if approaching a scared finch, you cradled his face in your hands. Xiao relaxed in your hold, becoming pliant and leaned into the touch. Keeping one hand there, you reached down to take a gentle hold of one his hands—he tried to pull away but you tightened your hold, firm but not painful.

“Xiao, listen to me,” you began, thumbing his skin and smiling at him. “That form of yours, no matter how beastly it might be in your eyes, is still a part of you, and I love you. Nothing will ever change that.”

He was silent, but he was listening and you didn’t need more. The only thing you wanted was for him to understand that your feelings for him transcended outer appearances and the line between mortals and adepti. He could be caked in blood, emerging from debris as he screeched at an enemy to return to the shadows, and you would still love him unabashedly, wholeheartedly and unconditionally.

“I love how selfless you are, how caring and thoughtful, even if you don’t know how to express it. I love how honest you are, I love our days and nights together. I love your heart and your soul, whether you have hands and feet, or wings and talons.”

You rose, leaning in closer to him as you thumbed his lower lip. Xiao remained speechless, but his eyes, avian and hypnotizing, called out to you in a silent plea. You nudged your nose with his as a request—he brought his free hand up to grab your wrist tenderly.

With his permission, you closed the distance between your lips and caught him in a searing kiss. It turned your blood into magma, like Pyro blazing through a field. Xiao kissed you back with urgency, uncharacteristic of him but you welcomed it nonetheless.

You’d told him how much you loved him, and now you would show him.

Savanaclaw Masterlist

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