Important in Another World- A Genshin Impact Xiao x Lumine fanfic

Chapter 11- Making Amends

Xiao POV

Once again, the moment the Traveler saw him, she disappeared from sight before he had the chance to say a single word. He groaned internally.

These past two days, he had been trying to apologize to Lumine for his rudeness. At first, he'd been kinda relieved to see that she looked pretty normal. But when he started to approach her, she caught his eye once, then told her floating friend, "How about we go for a round of Xiangling's food? I heard there is a new discount for us, as our reputation has increased." Of course, at this, the little ogre in the air had stars in her eyes. "Oooo then what are we waiting for?! LETS GOOO!!!" Lumine giggled, and they teleported away.

*****

Over the course of the next few days, similar things happened. Commissions, quests, and the like. He had figured out that she was purposefully avoiding him. But to be honest, could he blame her? All she had tried to do was help him out, which he had dismissed churlishly. But he promised himself that he would find a way to apologize. He would.

In the back of his mind though, a small, sneaky voice whispered, 'Why do you care so much if she forgives you or not?' He shooed that voice away without further ado.

Lumine POV

While Lumine was usually very kind and accommodating, she was also quite excellent at holding grudges, even though it was not her main fatal flaw. Unfortunate for Xiao.

Three days post that incident found her chatting with Verr Goldet at night, who was glad that she had found another companion beside Huai'an to listen to her nighttime ramblings. Who would have thought that the calm, collected, boss's wife of Wangshu Inn, would actually have been an utterly mischievous kid in the past, who loved running off to hide in the most unlikely locations, troubling her parents to no end? They both were laughing heartily.

That is, until the sacred moment was interrupted by a man in green and white walking in. She was about to immediately excuse herself with a quest, but Xiao beat her to it. "Traveler, can I talk to you for a moment?" Since she was in no mood to talk to him, she decided to play dumb. "Huh? Did someone just say something?" Verr looked confused and said, "Xiao? Is something the matter? You don't usually come down here." "I wish to speak to the Traveler." At this, Verr raised an eyebrow at Lumine. "Is someone here? I don't see a soul." Lumine asked looking around, but not towards Xiao. 

Verr looked even more flummoxed at this. Oh, sometimes she could be so naive... "Um, Xiao is here...?" Since she couldn't keep up the act now, she said to Goldet, "Oh, that man. Does he need something from me?" "He wants to talk to you." At this, she grumbled, "Well, tell him that I don't want to talk to him." Goldet finally seemed to realise that something must have happened, that made her angry with Xiao. So, she got up from behind the counter, and pushed Lumine in Xiao's direction. "Go, talk to him face to face. I won't be your middle person." Under her breath, she muttered, 'And I won't be saving you a second time, Xiao.' Xiao grabbed her hand before she could go away, and teleported them away to the balcony.

Xiao POV

Alright, he owed Goldet . Big time. He had seen Lumine chatting merrily with Verr, and had decided to confront her there, in front of Verr, so she couldn't run off again. He remembered how melodious her laugh had sounded.

Once he had teleported them to the balcony, Lumine immediately turned away, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. Without looking at him, she said in a monotone, none- too pleased voice, "Well? Is there something you need from me?" Lowering his head, he quietly got straight to the point. "I want to apologize to you." "For what? There are a bunch of things you should apologize for." He sighed. True enough. She certainly wasn't going to make this easy for an immortal being, who had hardly apologized for anything in the two millenia of his lifetime. That sneaky voice in his mind nagged, 'So why now?' He pushed it away again.

"My rudeness and behaviour last time. I now understand, that you only wanted to try to help me... It's just that..." "Just what?" she asked, looking right into his eyes, as though she was reading their deepest secrets. "No one has ever tried to help me before." he said in a small voice. "So, over the centuries, I learnt to cope on my own." 

Lumine leant back against the wall, closed her eyes and sighed. "Look Xiao, I have spent enough time around you recently to know that you are a good person, who means the best for Liyue. But, you aren't the only one. There are others too, who want to see Liyue safe, and prosperous. You don't have to do it alone." Once again, she made eye contact with him, and he could see the sincerity in her piercing golden gaze as she said, "I care for you, so let me help in your burdens."

'Wait, what? She... cared for him?' Lowly he said, "I have remorselessly killed hundreds. I don't deserve to be cared for." Grabbing his shoulders, she firmly said, in a voice that left no room for argument, "That's not true and you know it. I don't pretend to know your past, but I know that you are not the monster, the weapon you claim to be. So now, I ask you one last time. Will you let me help you?" Closing his eyes, he made his decision. "Yes."

Relief was visible in her eyes, as she clapped her hands and exclaimed, "Well, that's decided then! Unless I am not busy, I'll help you out every night in clearing out the monsters. Tomorrow, I will talk to Albedo to see if he can help you." "Albedo?" "Oh, he is the alchemist friend I had mentioned earlier. He is quite well-versed in alchemy, and is on completely another level. He is the chief alchemist of the Knights of Favonius of Mondstadt." Her voice made it clear that she really respected him. Which made him feel... Jealous?

Why was he feeling these mortal emotions these days, since Lumine had waltzed her way in his life? What did this mean?

"Xiao? Anyone home?" A hand obscured his vision momentarily. He belatedly realized that he had phased out for a moment there. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." "Are you sure? Is your karma acting up again?" She seemed genuinely worried. "No, everything's cool." And he meant it. She nodded slowly. "Alrighty, so now I am tired, see ya tomorrow!" She waved cheerfully to him. He shyly returned it.

And so, he was on his way to a new life.

(1179 words, I actually have another chapter planned out too, but sorry, I cant upload it today. Stay tuned, and Toodles!)