What a strange night it was.
You were sitting in your room, at who knows what time. It was dark outside and it was completely silent.
The faint sound of tapping caught your attention and therefore you stood up and began to step towards your window. You pulled the silky curtains out of the way, before pressing your elbows against the windowsill and peering out into the dark and cloudy sky.
Your gaze averted from the stars to the pathway down below, and a shadowy figure made your heart drop for a full second.
...It was extremely late. Why were they just stood there like that? Several questions ran through your mind; you blinked hard and to your dismay, the figure still stood there.
Except this time, it was closer than before.
You rubbed your eyes nervously.
Still there, but yet again even closer.
At that point you were scared. It was creepy, of course, but for some reason you didn't feel like hiding or locking your doors. Why? You had no idea.
"This is so weird..." You subconsciously mumbled to yourself, preparing to leave the room and make sure nobody could get in to your home.
You shut the windows fully, so that not even the cold breeze could get in.
You looked at the pathway to see if it had gotten any closer, and it hadn't.
It was gone.
Your heart pounded quicker than before and you were too scared to even turn around.
"It's just your imagination. Someone was just... on a walk..." You anxiously affirmed to yourself.
You remembered that you had previously met the Conqueror of Demons, and he told you to call his name if you ever needed help. Perhaps he'd be able to see if that person was dangerous?
"Xiao?" You started, looking around your room for any sign of him. "You there?"
And before you could process it, somebody was in your bedroom.
And it certainly wasn't the Yaksha... it was the figure from before, and it quickly ran at you.
-
You woke up in a start. Your room was boiling hot yet you were too worried to go and open the window, especially after having such a vivid nightmare.
"Nightmare?"
A sudden voice made you squeal in fear, but you calmed down once they came out of the shadows.
There stood Xiao. The real one.
"X-Xiao?" You swallowed, placing your palm on your chest. "What are you doing here?"
"You called my name in your sleep. You were tossing and turning - what was your nightmare about?" He replied, letting his mask disappear before sitting on the edge of your bed.
"Basically... there was a strange figure outside, and it disappeared. So I called your name and you didn't appear, and instead it was in my room and tried to attack me."
Xiao sighed deeply and shook his head.
"I can assure you that won't happen. I am no stranger to nightmares, as it is why I tend to avoid sleep. It is very early in the morning, you should try go back to sleep."
"Sorry. Just... give me a minute to calm down." You added, wiping your face and huffing. Xiao shuffled closer to you, before placing his palm on your cheek.
"Your face is warm." He stated. "I will open the window - and do not fear, nothing will hurt you while I am here." He stood up and opened the window, noticing your nervous gaze.
You thanked him, and for a split second you thought you saw him crack a smile.
"It's not a problem. Lie back."
You did as he said and he gently pulled your blankets up, tucking you in. You quickly got comfortable and your eyelids fluttered closed.
Xiao sat down beside you again and, upon noticing your sleepiness, put his hand on your head and stroked your hair. It didn't wake you up at all, and instead you fell asleep almost instantly.
He sighed - not in annoyance, but more adoration.
"Goodnight, Y/N." He whispered, taking a moment to kiss your forehead. "Sweet dreams."
