Put the pieces back: Sequel (Xiao x fem!reader)

Slaughters

Y/n pov:

"You knew we were waiting for you?" Xiao asked Aether.

"It was obvious." Aether answered him. Aether and Xiao smiled at eachother. Am I third wheeling or something?

"Follow me, I have somewhere I want to show you." Xiao told Aether.
Am I third wheeling if I come along as well??

"Where are we going?" Paimon asked.

"A place that has to do with the Yakshas." Xiao answered.

-

We got to the place and Xiao stood above the temple, in front of Aether and me.

"This temple was build to remember Pervases. Maybe I came here because I had a realization." Xiao explained.

"It's hard to put into words, seeing Bosacius gave me the false impression that I'd traveled back into the past." He said.

I raised one of my eyebrows at him, wondering what he meant.

"You could dress up the yaksha's life and call us valiant warriors, veterans of war, but... the truth is, we are slaughters, and nothing more." Xiao said while crossing his arms.

I crossed my arms as well, I had heard him say this about himself before. Many times. That he's not more than a slaughter.

"For Bosacius, perhaps dying in the heat of battle was no tragedy." He said.

He then turned and looked at me, "And perhaps the same is true for me, after living for so long, to die in the act of saving others, would not have been a terrible thing." He said.

"I think you know that isn't true." I said.

Xiao nodded, "So maybe... these thought are my own form of insanity." He said.

"Hey... don't say that." Paimon said.

"Xiao, we've got something to tell you." Aether said.
I turned to face Aether, now I'm curious.
Xiao looked up at him as well.

Paimon then spoke and said, "Ushi said he has the power to exorcise demons, so people use him to fend them off. But after he met Itto, he's never left his side. He also said that he doesen't have any grand philosophies, he just thinks we should spend our lives around the people who make us the happiest." Paimon told him.

After Paimon said the last line, I saw Xiao looking at me.
I looked at him back.
He smiled a tiny smile, "The people who make us the happiest huh?" He said.

"Maybe there aren't so many rules about how we should or shouldn't live our lives in this world after all. So just because the power of the yaksha may be harmful, doesen't mean you shouldn't hang out with other people." Paimon said.

Damn Paimon, finally said something inspiring.

Aether looked at me, "There will always be someone willing to be by your side. Y/n is one example." He said.

"And people with visions! They have more resistance against your power!" Paimon gave another example.

Xiao hummed, "You sound a lot like Bosacius and the others, they used to talk like that." He said.