Winter Moon | Xiao x Fem Reader

Vehement touch

It'd be so easy to go for the throat. Wrap unmarred hands around it and just squeeze. You'd fight for air that would never come and your hands would flail, nails scratching against unbreakable skin.

No blood would flow except yours.

You stirred awake when you sensed hurried steps towards your direction. Peeling open an eye you saw a hand stretching towards you. Unknowingly, you flinched, mind muddled with sleep thinking the hand was going to hurt you. Instead, it settled on your head, gently stroking the hair out of your face.

You opened your eyes to see Xiao's worried ones fretting over your form. "Are you okay?" His gentle voice carried in the silent night.

You were about to answer when you paused, remembering the events prior to this. You were fighting the masked man, found Yin who was sleeping beside you, and Xiao...

"You idiot!" You whisper-yelled, careful not to wake Yin who probably needed the sleep desperately. You got up abruptly, facing Xiao with your eyebrows drawn together. "How dare you conspire with Zhongli against me?"

"It was to protect you," Xiao replied as a matter of fact, as if he hadn't put his life on the line for you out of all people.

"You- You-" You were genuinely furious at him. It wasn't so much about the fact he'd gone against your plan and conspired behind your back to change as much as it was that he willingly put himself in such grave danger.

Even as a Celestial God, what the masked man had made you go through still instilled such traumatic fear in you. You were beyond surprised how the yaksha could stand against him and fight him so fearlessly for none other than you.

You felt inexplicable anger yet, to Xiao, you looked like an annoyed kitty, pouting with your eyebrows drawn together. He'd rather you be angry at him than get hurt, for him anything would be better than that. He almost laughed, lips almost turned upwards before they opened in surprise when he felt a gentle flicker on his forehead.

"Did you just-"

"I did," you pouted and crossed your arms across your chest. His features softened and his shoulders dropped. He didn't regret his decision even though he knew you wouldn't like it.

Xiao had long ago acknowledged your incredible power, knew you could protect yourself from all danger; but he also knew you'd prioritise everyone else before yourself. As long as he was breathing, he'd gladly take on that role. He'd promised himself eons ago he'd protect you no matter what it took.

"I apologise," he whispered and took a step closer to you, his breath fanning your cheek. Your head was turned away from him, lips curved in a soft frown. His warm hands curved around your waist, daring in his post-adrenaline rush and pulled you to him.

The action drew an almost inaudible gasp form you as your hands fell from their crossed position and flew to his shoulders to keep yourself steady.

"X-Xiao?" You breathed out, your body heating up from head to toe from the proximity. Instead of replying, his large palm settled itself at the back of your head and pulled to his chest, right where his heart was. Like every other time he'd done this, the constant beat of it calmed your own nerves down and you exhaled all the anxiety built up in your lungs.

"I apologise, but I also wouldn't do anything differently," his voice was hoarse and exhaustion was laced in it. "I would never let that vile man touch you if I can do something about it."

"I don't want him hurting you either," you said and fisted your hands into his white shirt. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

You'd lose your mind. Perhaps you'd finally go mad like the lower gods on Celestia once believed you'd do. Maybe you would bring on Celestia and the mortal realm's demise in your state of sorrow. Maybe.