The Will to Live - Xiao x Reader

3 Days - Y/N

"I'm going to take a shower." You state, "Your shirt will be dry in about 10 minutes so I'll get that after. Please don't run off while I'm gone. I can and will track you," You say with a smile.

A/N: If you get weirded out my n*dity skip to the next ***. Tw: Mention of blood.

You walk into the bathroom and close the door, I hope he doesn't run off. Catching him would be easy but it would be such a bother to close his wound again. You strip your clothes and let them drop to the floor, revealing your bandaged upper body. The bandages were just there to hide the curse, they also prevented you from passing out from blood loss but only to an extent. Carefully, you untie the bandages, exposing the dark curse that curled around your body and cut into your arms.

You turn on the shower and adjust it to your preferred temperature. The water flowed down your bare body; catching any blood that it passes. The smell of bloody water was horrific and intoxicating. You softly spread some soap over your body - carefully avoiding the curse - with your hand. It's clear Xiao doesn't trust me but... He blushes every time I get close to him. I can't help but wonder what I did to trigger such a reaction from a cold-hearted yaksha, you wonder.

You turn off the shower and grab your towel.

"Y/N?" Xiao calls.

"Do you need something?" You ask.

"I... uh, never mind."

You dry yourself and neatly hang the towel back up. You wrap some new badges over your arms and chest before getting back into your clothing.

***

"Are you sure you didn't need anything?" You walk up to Xiao.

"No, it's nothing." He blushed.

"Keep turning red like that and I'll have to take your temperature." You joke, "I'll be back in a bit, okay?"

"Right, and I'll be here." Xiao's voice cracked, "It's not like I can go anywhere."

You leave and walk downstairs, 3 days with the Adeptus. I wonder if I can make his life that little bit better...

***

You walk back to the room Xiao was in and open the door, "I'm back... Oh, hello Aether." You fold Xiao's shirt and place it next to him.

"Hello!" His eyes beamed when he turned to you, "I just came to check on your patient. I never knew you were so exemplary at healing."

His comment and the way he address Xiao were off... Is he... Jealous?

"Uhm... Thanks?" You respond.

"Paimon wants to know how you did it." She demands, "He was passed out from blood loss when we left him."

"Herbalism..." You wander off, that wasn't exactly a lie; you'd used medicines infused with your blood to heal him and then removed your blood once it had done its job... But it was obvious to anyone with experience in healing that Xiao wouldn't be this well from just a mixture of herbs and other ingredients...

"Herbalism?? Paimon's never heard of that before." Paimon demands answers once more, "Explain it!"

"Well... I used healing properties from certain herbs and flowers to make a medicine specialised for Xiao's injury..."

"Could you teach me?" Aether broke his silence, "No pressure though."

"Sorry but..." You start, "I don't feel like having an apprentice right now... I don't do well with teaching others."

"Y/N..." Xiao sits up. That dumbass doesn't know what pain is! "Can you get me something to eat?"

"They're not a maid/male wife!" Aether yells before you could even say yes, "At least use some manners or something."

"Aether it's fine." That was the nicest he's ever asked, "Almond Tofu?"

Xiao nods and lays back down. You notice the traveller clench his fists.

Aether scoffs, "Why do you let him boss you around?"

"He's not." You look Aether in the eyes, "I am simply taking care of him, as I said I would."

You turn and leave. Walking to the kitchen anger suddenly appears in your thoughts, What was Aether thinking calling me Xiao's maid?! And what gave him the right to be so mad at Xiao for asking nicely? I don't understand.

***

You walk back to your room and find Aether leaving, you pass him and he tenses. Did I do something to anger him? 

"Y/N?" He stops you from entering the room, "Can we talk..? Alone?"

"Sure I guess." Something's not right, Aether is... different... "I'll meet you upstairs in 5 minutes."

You go and spoon feed the Almond Tofu to Xaio, he was cute when he blushed. You knew he hated it but you couldn't help but enjoy feeding him.

Before you leave to go and meet Aether, you make sure Xiao is comfortable and tell him to call you if he needs anything.

***

"So, what's up?" You ask, even though you could've just read his mind, it was... More polite to ask.

"I-" He starts, "Xiao he... You know he doesn't like you? I hate to see him treating you like a servent."

A moment of silence passed, Aether cared. He really cared.

"Xiao doesn't hate me as much as he says he does." You respond, "As for how he's treating me... I offered to take care of him. I can tell he's not used to relying on others and... He doesn't usually speak to people from what Verr has told me. I'm taking care of him because he stopped an attack directed at me; with his chest."

"I see," He looks away, "I'm sorry. I got caught up in my own world and I... I was a little jealous if I'm being honest."

So he was jealous. "I should get going..." He says abruptly, "Paimon's waiting for me."

Aether leaves while you stare at the sunset for a while, watching the colours change from blue to orange and then to red. Liyue was beautiful.

"Y/N" Xiao called. You snap out of your trance and walk over to tend to the Adeptus. Upon entering your room, you find Xiao lying up in your bed. He was red again.

"You called?"

"Can you..." He turns away, "Help me put my shirt on..?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Sh*t is gonna get real good and then very depressing. I'm torturing myself with these cliffhangers too (ehe). Anyway, once again thanks for the support and,

Take care!