𝒮𝑒𝓇𝑒𝓃𝒾𝓉𝑒𝒶

❥𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚁𝚃𝚈-𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙴𝙴

"So, we're finally alone, Xiao."

——————𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧——————

All (Y/N) could feel in their dreary and hazy state was the unidentified source of warmth that shrouded the cold they were previously feeling completely. Their hair stuck to the side of their face and their clothes clung tightly to their body-- the combination of the disastrous mess they were in making it all feel like a bad dream.

Their cheek rested sloppily against the soft cloth of Xiao's shirt and they could feel every labored breath he took along with the rapid beating of his heart that began to steady over time. (Y/N) felt his toned arms gently clutch onto them and wrap around their side securely, his other arm stiffly under their legs to support them since he had caught them midair after slaying the odd beast that invaded the tea pot.

Xiao kneeled to the ground with (Y/N) resting against his chest, a hazy mist encasing the area as an aftermath of the battle so it only felt as if the two of them were there alone. It was as if merely a few dozen meters away there wasn't a handful of their acquaintances anxiously awaiting the outcome of the battle to see if they were okay.

Significantly letting his guard down, Xiao did the first thing that came to mind, and that was to check for a pulse. The arm that was supporting (Y/N)'s legs slid out from underneath them while he let his other arm remain to clutch onto their arm and press them against his body so they wouldn't fall over. He moved his free arm towards their limp wrist that rested on their lap, his fingers moving rapidly to find the spot above their thumb that would indicate a beating heart.

Anxiety overwhelmed him upon not feeling it at first, though when he applied pressure, he then felt the rhythmic heart beat thumping at a normal and healthy pace, signifying they were only unconscious and not dead.

Unintentionally, a breath of relief that he was holding fell past his lips as he retracted his fingers off from their wrist knowing that they were indeed still alive.

Xiao's eyes then immediately moved to look at (Y/N)'s face, analyzing the features to see there was no wince of pain in the slightest meaning the order that Paimon had gave him was successfully seen through. Yup, there was no denying that the gently closed eyes as if they were completely trusting in his embrace as well as their eyebrows relaxed as if their worries were ceased were clear signs they were no longer in danger.

Mesmerized by the reckless adventurer, his hand had unknowingly moved to wipe away the smeared ink on their face to make the view even clearer. That action however had triggered some sort of response as (Y/N)'s eyes began to flutter open, his hand immediately retracting and moving back towards himself as if it were never near them in the first place.

(Y/N)'s eyebrows immediately creased as they stared up at the face that peered from above them, his own face replicating that complicated expression.

The fog had cleared and there was a thin misty haze left, but it was see through enough that Venti was able to see them as he called out for (Y/N) while rushing over.

(Y/N) glanced over at Venti with slight panic, never really having a moment alone with Xiao until now and they would have liked this to be an opportunity to get some words off of their chest.

"Xiao—"

"—Be quiet."

Xiao quickly cut them off from saying anything as he only intended to get his words across to them and not listen to them talk for now. He leaned downwards, never taking his eyes off from the person below him, and leveled his face so that it was close to the side of their own face. In a hushed whisper, his exhausted breath hit their ear and sent a sensation throughout their whole body, in which they had to resist from shivering at, as he spoke his message so only they could hear.