Genshin Impact One-Shots

Xiao | Warm Sensations

"Um... are you sure about this, (Y/N)...? Paimon doesn't think he'll come..."

"Of course he'll come! Remember what he said last night? He told us to stop waiting for him at the roof every time, and if we ever need him, we can just call his name."

"Paimon know he's an adeptus and all, but..."

"Xiaooo, hellooo...!" you shout out in the air, eagerly looking up at the sky, searching for signs of the dark teal-haired male. The only things you see are floating clouds and twinkling stars, much to your disappointment.

Why isn't he here?

"See? Paimon knew he—"

"Are you finished searching in the sky mindlessly?" a calm voice interrupts your floating friend's comment.

Turning around, you're met with the male you've been wanting to see, and instantly, a warm smile graces your face.

"You mortals have such peculiar thoughts about adepti. I'll simply appear before you. Nothing complex," Xiao continues, crossing his arms.

"Xiao, Xiao! Guess what?!" You jump up and down, and without waiting for his reply, you present to him a wrapped bag.

"This is...?" He raises a brow, carefully taking the bag.

Because the bag is completely colored black, he's unsure on what exactly is inside. Based on the weight, he's assuming it is something like a porcelain bowl.

"Open it!" you exclaim.

As he opens up the bag, he recognizes the familiar scent of the mortal food he always favors: almond tofu.

He takes out the porcelain bowl that's filled with the steaming, delicious food, feeling the warmth of the bowl. Aside from the evidently warm food, your twinkling eyes, paired with your kind smile, is also making him feel warm.

Xiao flickers his golden gaze to you again. "Thank you... it smells and looks delicious."

You continue to wordlessly stare at him with the same smile gracing your face. Muddled, he stares back, waiting for you to say something, but nothing ever comes. Is there supposed to be something else in this bag? He checks the bag once more, even crushing it in his hands.

Empty.

"If there's nothing else, I'll leave," the male says, looking up at the sky as if he's getting ready to depart.

"Huh? No, wait a minute!"

"What is it?" He turns back to look at you from over his shoulder. The sudden pout on your face confuses him further as he furrows his brows. "Well?"

"Aren't you gonna try it? I spent the past month trying to perfect it to make the almond tofu taste exactly like the ones you usually eat."

"I see..." he murmurs, nodding his head after some time. Although he doesn't fully understand why you want to see him eat the almond tofu right here, right now, seeing the clear happiness written across your face must mean you really want him to immediately try out the food.

"Fine... if that is what you wish for." Xiao sighs and nods once more, taking a generous bite. He chews a few times, his head slightly tilted.

The almond tofu is warm, silky, and perfectly cooked. There's a slight difference in taste compared to the one he usually eats, but it isn't a big deal to him.

"Hmm... good. Very good."

"Really?!" Your eyes sparkle as you move your face closer to your adeptus friend.

Startled, he drops the spoon he's holding, his face flushing pink. He moves back and frowns as his grip on the almond tofu-filled bowl tightens.

"Stay away. Why are you so close?" His eyes narrow slightly at whatever you did that's now causing his heart to beat rapidly and his face to get warm.

"Sorry, sorry! You just looked really cute when you were eating the almond tofu; you had this barely noticeable smile earlier, so I wanted to get a closer look," you admit while rubbing the back of your neck, giving him a sheepish smile.

Now that you mention it, he suddenly recalls the time Cloud Retainer and Ganyu has mentioned something similar in regard to his unconscious smiles whenever you're around. Initially, he refused to believe their observations, but if even you're noticing it, then it must be true...

"Xiao?" your voice interrupts his thoughts.

Said male blinks a few times, processing where he's at, what he's doing, and why his field of vision is so close to yours.

Wait a minute.

Your face is close to his. Really close. Too close. He needs to move away—away from your lovely face. But he can't. The way you're staring at him with such a soft expression is making him feel immense warmth all over again.

"What—"

Xiao halts his sentence due to some light pressure on his arm. Lowering his gaze, he takes note of your fingers that are gently holding onto him.

He clears his throat and suddenly steps back, turning away from you. "Call me when you need me."

Although he feels awful for leaving you so abruptly, he desperately needs to escape. You're so suffocating (in the most positive way), but he prefers to conceal his flustered feelings. With one final glance back at you, he teleports back to the secluded place he always resorts to.

-♡-

The scene where Xiao shows up immediately when Traveler calls his name is still one of my favorite scenes to this day. He's so precious.