Flowers apart

12

(A/N: This fic is coming to an end sooner or later, and I'm also wrapped up in another Xiaoven fic that I'm working on, so maybe updates will come much slower TvT. But don't worry, finishing this is a must!!)

They broke away after a few seconds of clinging onto each other, like they were the other's lifelines, even if it was for that 5 short seconds.

"Thanks," Xiao whispered when they stepped back from each other.

"Everyone needs a hug sometimes," Star giggled. "And don't cry!" The boy quickly stepped forward again, raised a hand up, and softly rubbed away at his tears. He then paused, realising that it may be a little rude, considering that they weren't close to each other, then backed away. 

"Oops, I got a little too close, didn't I?" He peeked up apologetically at Xiao's mildly shocked expression. "Sorry."

Xiao surprisingly didn't mind. "What...are you doing in Liyue? This isn't exactly the spot that most visitors would visit," He pointed out, and he saw the boy giggle a little sheepishly.

"Is this still Liyue?"

Xiao just shot a questioning look at Star. "That's Guyun Stone Forest over the cliff there. It's one of Liyue's more prominent spots. This is definitely Liyue, what are you talking about?"

Then I have definitely been walking in the wrong direction. Star groaned internally. So much for walking endlessly throughout the day only to end up in the wrong place.

Xiao was still looking at him with a raised eyebrow, and Star knew that he had to give an answer. "Well, I'm just trying to get back to Mondstadt from Qingce Village."

"Qingce? Why were you at Qingce? And Mondstadt is to the east of Qingce, not south. You don't have a vision either," Xiao said as he eyes darted to his side, where he confirmed that a vision wasn't there. "So that means you can't use a teleport waypoint. Being someone who is traveling around, you should have some knowledge on the map of Teyvat right?"

"Uh..." Star didn't really know how to answer that. Then he finally gave up. Telling the truth wouldn't hurt anyway. "I would tell you the truth, but I don't think you would believe in it."

"Just tell me."

"So, the thing was that I'm from future Teyvat? Or at least, from what I gathered this is old Teyvat. These two people named Lumine and Aether kind of accidently teleported me here without knowing because I got a little too close to them when they were teleporting here? Then I tried to find them, and I did, and I found them with you three months ago. You were talking with them and all, then when they were teleporting back, I was a second too late and they already disappeared, so I collided with you and you teleported with me and somehow I landed in Qingce. Sounds crazy, no?"

Xiao just stared at him and blinked, trying to process all the information that Star had just dumped on him. Star raised and hand up to his head and chuckled. "Yea, it probably sounds crazy."

"Wait, so this means that the universe that Lumine and Aether teleported to was just Teyvat? In the future?" Xiao deduced, and Star shrugged. "I think so."

"Then...what are you going to do now?"

"Go back to Mondstadt and figure things out?" Star giggled - even that sounded stupid to his own ears. 

"Seriously, is that your plan?" Xiao asked, a little dumbfounded. "You don't expect Lumine and Aether to suddenly show up there, do you?"

"What am I supposed to do?" Star shrugged, an easy smile on his face, not seemingly worried at all. "Honestly, I don't mind being stuck here. Life back there is hectic, constantly being ordered and controlled. It's tiring. But here, no one knows me and they don't care. It's so much more...free."