Xiao hunts Childe for sport

1

Adeptus Xiao has seen a lot of things in his long life. Many of those things were frightening, truly horrifying scenes of his life. He had once seen a man tearing out someone's heart mid-fight, crushing it to dust. He still remembers the splatters of blood on his cheek.

But that image doesn't compare to this.

"Zhongli, excuse me but what in the actual fuck is this."

Zhongli blinks at Xiao, the pure picture of innocence. It would be adorable and Xiao would buy it if he didn't have the eleventh god damn Harbinger in his lap. A god damn Fatui. A fucking spy.

Why the hell is Zhongli patting that sorry excuse of a human like a pet?

"I don't see what you mean, Xiao." Zhongli answers straight-faced as he runs his fingers through the Fatui's short ginger hair. Xiao feels his left eye twitch.

The Fatui is Zhongli's lap is passed out and covered in battle wounds. They've been patched up, but Xiao doubts he should be lying in Rex Lapi's lap on top of Mt. Hulao. Doesn't exactly seem healthy for humans.

Xiao briefly wonders if this is why Mountain Shaper called him. Why is he allowing this in the first place? Xiao shakes his head and dismisses the thought. Even without his Gnosis, Zhongli is still Rex Lapis. The Adepti can't tell him to do shit.

Unless they're Xiao that is. Xiao doesn't have any fucks left to give.

"I mean the unconscious clearly hurt Harbinger on your lap." Xiao hisses, feeling exhausted by this talk already. This is why he hates people. He should go back to isolation. Unfortunately, he still likes Zhongli. "Why is he here and not in a jail cell?"

Zhongli blinks at him, his hand stilling and resting on top of the mop of ginger hair. "...He's a friend." He pauses for a moment, looking down at the slumbering Snezhnayan. His gaze is soft - in a way Xiao has never seen before. "I'm giving him shelter."

"...On top of Mt. Hulao." Xiao states, unimpressed. "I may not be an expert on humans, but I doubt they call the top of one of the highest mountains in Liyue shelter." He sighs, running his hand through his hair. "Why are you giving a Fatui shelter, Rex Lapis?"

Rex Lapis is silent, merely staring down at his so-called friend. Xiao can feel his patience running out, but he holds his tongue. Zhongli has done stupid things in the past before - but Xiao has always been there to bail him out. This time it won't be different. There is nothing Xiao wouldn't do for him.

"...I've grown attached I'm afraid." Zhongli admits after a moment and turns to look at Xiao. His gaze feels almost fragile, it's so soft and so impossibly fond. "He didn't know who I was during my entire plan, nor did he know about it at all. Childe was merely a decoy through all of it. Signora never thought of including him."

That doesn't surprise Xiao. From what he's seen of Childe, he's a warrior, not a strategist. "So? He's still an enemy, is he not?" In the past, Rex Lapis would have thrown his attachments away without a second thought if that meant Liyue would stay safe. He wouldn't have hesitated, for Liyue is his child.

Zhongli sighs. "...I've decided to be selfish, this one time." He gently caresses Childe's cheek, the smallest hint of a smile on his face. "He won't be my enemy anymore, nor will he have to for the Fatui anymore."

Xiao's eyes harden. He can't deny he approves of Zhongli's change of heart. He's glad his friend is finally taking something for himself, finally being selfish for once in his life.

But did it have to be the eleventh Harbinger of the god damn Fatui?

"Zhongli, what did you?"

Zhongli doesn't answer him. Xiao didn't expect him to. He decides to sit down next to his friend instead. "I don't know what you expect me to do, but I won't abandon you just because you picked up a snezhnayan mutt."