trouvaille | xiao ✔︎

trouvaille | 43

{for the best experience
play the song above once the symbol • appears}

•

For so many years, they had found each other.

For so many years, they had loved each other.

For so many, many years, they always hoped for a happy ending.

And after all of those years, the curse was finally broken. But in the end, fate was not kind to them.

Always destined to find each other in every single lifetime, but fated to leave after that.

The home that they had found within each other-- was going to be gone.

And this time, never to be found again.

He was like a koala that day, hugging her so tightly but at the same time so gently as if he was afraid she would be gone if he let her go, as if he was afraid he would hurt her.

"It'll be okay." She had said to him.

"It'll be okay, Xiao."

He had cried like a baby that day, and for the first time in this lifetime, he was so, so afraid.

He had wondered, would it be better if he had never met her?

But the only answer that came to his mind was no.

Despite how heavy his heart was right now, Xiao knew that he would go through it all once again if it meant he'll get the chance to be with her.

He'll walk through fire, pass through the heavens and earth, and burn in hell if it meant that he'll be able to keep her.

Though he was confused, if the curse was broken, then why was she dying? But he remained quiet, silently crying as his arms were tightly wrapped around her waist with his face buried in her neck.

"I'm not dying, Xiao."

And that was the truth.

"Everything will be okay."

But he only shook his head.

At that moment, he was vulnerable. A type of vulnerability that he didn't like.

"You promised." He croaks out, his voice breaking. He lets out a shaky breath, as he repeats what he had said, "You promised me."

She smiles, "And I'll keep my promise."

"Did I do something wrong? Did I break the curse in a wrong way?" He asked, as more tears started to stream down his face.

She shakes her head, slightly pulling away from the hug. "No, no. You didn't do anything wrong."

He breaks even more.

"Then, why?" He asked, his heart clenching even more. "I don't want to play hide and seek again."

She remains quiet.

"Why? Why are you not saying that we won't play hide and seek anymore?" He says, "Come on. Don't do this to me. I know that I've hurt you in the past, but come on, don't do this to me again. Don't leave me again."

"Xiao..."

"What about our dreams? Exploring Teyvat? Having 5 children? Why are you-" His voice cracks, "Why are you doing this to me? You say that it'll be okay, and that sounds like you're leaving me."

She cradles his face, wiping his tears away. He holds her hands, bringing it to his lips. "You're joking, right? This time, it's all just a prank, right? Kaeya gave you this idea, right? You're... not really leaving me, right?" He says, desperately trying to convince himself that this was nothing more but just a nightmare.

Then, he bitterly laughs. "All this time, I've been calling you an idiot. When in fact, I'm the one whose stupid."

He wipes his tears away. "Of course. This is just a joke, you're just pranking me. You're not really leaving me, we're not gonna play hide and seek again. This is all just a joke, and I shouldn't be crying about it."

She smiles at him, pulling him in another hug and he swore he almost broke down once again.

He doesn't want to believe that this was really happening.

He doesn't want to believe that a few days or weeks from now, she'll be gone.

No, he doesn't want to believe that his home will disappear once again.

"It'll be okay."

Right.

Nothing bad will happen.

They'll be okay.

He laughs in his mind, who was he kidding?

Nothing will be okay.

He'll be alone once again.

"AND THEN, THEY FOUND EACH OTHER."

A/N: 2 more chapters left