Xiao hunts Childe for sport

10

Xiao stares up at the blue sky.

He gave Zhongli his blessing to court a human. His friend is mortal now - as mortal as the first Adeptus can be - but did he make the right decision here? Xiao thinks he did.

Maybe. Potentially.

Ugh, whatever. It's Zhongli's problem in the end. Xiao is too tired to think about the consequences. Instead, he should worry about his other problem - actually trying to get along with Childe.

Bah, just the thought alone makes Xiao queasy. Still, if he wants to continue being friends with Morax, he has to play nice with his.... ugh, partner.

Xiao can at least TRY to be nice and not spit in his food when he isn't looking.

With that thought in mind, Xiao decides to enter the house again, only to find it dead silent.

Well. That's concerning. Maybe Childe is planning something? Maybe he's just waiting for Xiao to let his guard down so he can stab him in the back like the Snezhnayan snake he is.

Carefully and silently, Xiao sneaks through the house. Childe is nowhere on the first floor - everything remained just as it was. Nothing has been tampered with.

Cautiously, Xiao ascends to the second floor. More silence, all the doors are closed- ah, no they aren't. The door to the room Zhongli assigned to himself and Childe is wide open.

Xiao shouldn't. He really shouldn't. He hates Childe, he should just count his blessings and get some damn peace.

Except Aether and Zhongli would be disappointed if they knew Xiao didn't even try to interact with him. Ugh. Agh.

Fuck it.

Xiao peaks inside the room.

He immediately wishes he hadn't.

Childe is sitting at the table, staring intently at a piece of paper. There is something written on it but before Xiao can make out what it is, Childe's gaze snaps to him. "Oh, it's just you, Xiao." He relaxes again.

Immediately this raises alarm bells in Xiao's head. Why the fuck is Childe relieved to see him. That's illegal. "Just me?" Xiao questions, leaning against the door frame.

Xiao has never seen Childe so tired before. Usually, there is always an idiotic smile on his face, but now all he can see is exhaustion.

Childe sighs and rubs his face. "I don't think I can deal with seeing Zhongli right now..." Huh? Why would Childe not want to see him?

What if he cheated on Zhongli? That would be the perfect excuse to stab him- calm down Xiao. No murder, you promised it. Think rationally.

The answer comes surprisingly quickly. "How much did you hear?" If this messes up Zhongli's courting plans Xiao will laugh his ass off. Of course, of course! It was just a matter of time before this happened - Childe would overhear them at one point. They live in the same tiny ass house and they literally had the discussion in front of it.

Fuck, maybe being around Childe and Zhongli is taking Xiao's brain cells too.

"The confession." Childe looks up at him. Their eyes meet.

Xiao didn't expect to find the sheer frustration written all over Childe's face. What the hell? "You don't look happy." Does he not like Zhongli back? Oof, that would certainly put a wretch in Zhongli's plans. Xiao should stab him for that.

"It's not that I'm not happy- I-" Childe groans into his hands. "What the fuck is love?"

That sure is a loaded question.