ᴄʟᴀꜱʜ ᴏꜰ ʙᴀɴᴅꜱ ~ xɪᴀᴏˏˋ°•*⁀➷

A date?

The two of you walked there, since Archon cafe wasn't far off from the studio.  Xiao was walking quietly as usual, as you talked about random stuff. He patiently listened, occasionally responding or posing a question at you. Eventually, you made it to the cafe.

Xiao walked ahead and held open the door. He was oblivious that he was treating you like a princess, so you smiled and thanked him. The both of you walked to the counter to order take-out. Knowing Xiao didn't like crowded places, you suggested that you eat in the nearby park so that you could enjoy the quiet outdoors.

You ordered c/f (chopsticks food. Choose a food that uses chopsticks for the sake of the plot. 🙏). Xiao ordered his usual almond tofu, with a side of a medium Adeptus temptation after much convincing. After you received your orders, Xiao picked them up and paid, then led you back outside. As the two of you walked to the park, you glanced over to him. The gentle breeze tossed his hair, sunlight glinting off of it. The light gave you a full view of his perfectly-framed face, up to his glittering eyes. His eyes looked so rich and shiny, that it was brighter than the very sun. He used his free hand to tuck a strand of his bangs behind his ear, revealing the ear piercings he was wearing. Your gaze traveled to his hand, before a feeling of boldness struck you.

Carefully, you reached your own hand out, gently grasping Xiao's with it. He flinched, but didn't pull away. His face turned red as he faced away from you. 

"Did you need something?" he muttered.

"N-no. nothing at all." you said, looking away in slight emmbaresment.

The hold on your hand tightened as Xiao carefully laced his fingers through yours, tightening the grip. You blushed madly as your heart was running at 100 miles per hour. You held back the urge to squeal in delight, and decided to just walk along quietly. But unbeknownst to you, the boy beside you was observing your features, smiling softly when he saw the light blush coating your face.

It felt comforting to hold his hand. It was warm, and fit perfectly with your own, almost as if it were a puzzle piece. It was odd, holding hands with a boy you weren't even dating. You considered pulling away, but the death grip Xiao held wouldn't loosen anytime soon.

You reached the park after some time. It was significantly less crowded than the cafe, giving the two of you proper privacy if you chose to eat somewhere on the grass.

"Let's eat in that tree!" you declared with shining eyes, pointing towards a large tree. Xiao looked at you as if you had just sprouted antlers, and immediately turned down the suggestion.

"So my almond tofu falls down and goes to waste? I'll pass," he said firmly. "The grass is perfectly fine. Don't waste time thinking."

"Excuse me? It's not my fault you lack imagination. And just sitting here in the middle of the field is stupid. Let's find a spot in the shade."

"Why are you so obsessed with trees?"

"Why are you so terrified of them?"

"I don't have time to waste on arguing. Follow me, idiot."

Xiao pulled you along roughly, almost causing you to faceplant into the grass. He walked past a few bushes and trees, and climbed up a hill. At the top, you saw a sakura tree with fresh grass beneath, and a view of the bright sky.

"Wow! When did you discover this place?!" you asked with joy, surveying the area.

"When Ganyu and I were younger.." Xiao responded shyly.

You settled down on the soft grass, tugging your bound hands so Xiao sat next to you. He carefully took the food out of the bag, laying it out for you. You thanked him, and picked up your c/f, opening the chopsticks packet to use them.