Xiao hunts Childe for sport

7

Somehow, they managed to make breakfast without killing each other. Xiao's kind of impressed with Childe's skill in the kitchen - he did not expect a killer to make such fluffy pancakes. Xiao even managed to make one too - it's a bit misshapen but it's eatable. They made more things too, but Xiao had very little hand in that.

He hates that he had fun, Xiao is supposed to hate Childe's guts.

EXCEPT HE'S REX LAPIS' WIFE.

He's still digesting that one.

Can you even be married if the other party doesn't know? Is that scamming? Xiao has so many questions.

At least he managed to burn that offending pink piece of cloth. He might have accidentally blown it to the fire while Childe was standing near him. Childe might have screamed. Just maybe.

No one knows! They shared a silent agreement to not talk about it.

"Funny how we didn't go with bacon in the end." Childe comments as they set the table. Xiao doesn't humor him with a reply. "I guess pancakes are better? Haha."

"I don't care for human food." Xiao can sustain himself just fine with snow if it's thick enough. Technically, he doesn't need almond tofu either, but we all need our guilty pleasures now and then. "This lesson was wasted on me."

"Why did you even try to make breakfast?" Childe has the guts to ask him.

"None of your business. Now leave me be." Xiao takes a plate of pancakes and leaves the room. Childe doesn't try to stop him. Good. Xiao has some things to think about - and he might as well taste if the awful misshapen things he produced taste well. He wouldn't want Aether to-

Xiao stops that thought forcefully and jumps up on the roof. The pancakes are good enough, he supposes. He sets the plate down and sighs. "Fucking chopsticks." He curses. It's still early, the day barely started and he's already feeling 30 different emotions at once.

They can't be married. No way. Nope. Xiao refuses to believe Zhongli would trick someone into a contract like that. No, the chopsticks HAVE to mean something different, but what? All of this symbolism is wasted on that Fatui dog.

Unfortunately, said dog seems to be oblivious to all of it. Therefore, he wouldn't have tricked Zhongli into gaining romantic feelings or something stupid like that. Xiao's disgusted. Why did no one tell him Zhongli has bad taste?

Ugh, he supposes he will have to live with it. Xiao growls and digs into the pancakes again. Might as well drown his sorrows in something that's not revolting.

Tartaglia is feeling incredibly confused on this fine morning. First, the whole conversation with Xiao was wild. After the whole fiasco with the chopsticks and the slightly burned apron, Xiao got eerily quiet. It was creepy as hell - Child figured Xiao was planning an assassination attempt or something, but nothing happened. That in itself is worrying.

Oh well, if he gets attacked at least they get to fight again!

But still, why did Xiao act like that? For some old Adeptus grandpa, he sure acts like a teenager in their emo goth phase.

Welp, whatever. Xiao hates his guts. Childe is aware of that - trust him, it's hard to miss with the way the Yaksha keeps glaring at him. He isn't quite sure what he did to earn such a level of contempt, but Childe has never been an individual with many admirers. Many in the Fatui hated him - Tartaglia is quite used to it.

At least with Xiao, it's kind of fun.

Childe takes off the apron and gets his chopsticks from the kitchen. Why did Xiao react so weirdly to them? Is there something he's missing? There is nothing he can think of. Oh well, if it's important Childe will figure it out sooner or later.