When He Calls My Name

52

Two hours pass as I calmly row my beloved down a soft streaming river. It's peaceful, and the branches surrounding us start to grow over the sun and engulf our path, providing both shade and a beautiful tunnel. The water turns mossy as my ore pushes pass lily pads and nilotpala lotus. The tune of insects singing in the distance adds to the soothing sound of the river.

"Where are we?" Xiao finally says, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. "Where exactly are you taking me?"

I give him a mysterious grin. "Relax," I say. "We're just about there."

I park my canoe against a plot of rocks, then carefully pull myself onto the dry-ish land, reaching a hand to help my fiancé to shore. He brushes himself off and once again studies the scenery around him.

"It's green here," he says. "Very green."

"Isn't it beautiful?" I wrap an around around his shoulder and kiss his cheek. "I found a spot while I was traveling through Sumeru before, and I said to myself: I'm gonna come back here one day with someone I love. So, here we are. Well, we're not quite there yet, it's just down this hill and across this wooden bridge. Are you ready?"

Xiao nods, face slightly flushed as he reaches for my hand. "Lead the way."

——

"What's in the bag?" Xiao eyes the satchel I have draped across my shoulder after about fifteen minutes into our walk.

"Oh, this?" I shrug at it, offering a smirk. "Well, it's for me to know and you to find out later." He rolls his eyes and I laugh. "Chill babe, we're literally here."

I pull Xiao around the corner and push away at some of the dangling vines that block our view, before revealing an opening down in a pit of luscious, green grass. The area is the size of a small arena, and in the middle is an elegant, iridescent glowing tree, sorrounded by perfectly blue and pink water that seems to glisten in the light. The atomosphere seems to sparkle, and the opening from above hits the tree just right to give it that something-straight-out-of-a-fairytale flare.

My smile spreads from ear to ear as I watch the awe consume Xiao's face, his eyes scanning left and right.

"Oh my gosh," he whispers, and it echos through the circular space.

"Gorgeous, isn't it?" I say, voice also carrying. "Apparently, not many people know about this place, which makes taking you here even more special."

"This is..." Xiao pauses, still taking in every drop of the view. He turns to me, taking my face, before pressing his lips softly against mine. "Thank you."

"No," I say, "thank you, for being all mine and for making the struggles of life seem...less hard. Thank you for being my person, the one I can lean on during tough times... the one I can call whenever I need a shoulder to cry on."

Xiao searches my eyes this time, and my heart melts at the smile that illuminates his face.

———

"Remember when we were with Itto," I say, before being interrupted by my own laughter, "and you were like, super drunk. And you like danced in the middle of the dance floor of that festival thing we went to in Inazuma?" I laugh out again, laying back on the blanket beneath us and holding my stomach as Xiao sits beside me, throwing side eye and sipping aggressively on the bottle of wine.

"No," he says, "I don't. I still think you guys made it up."

"Ohhh trust me," I say, "you wish we did." My face is red by how much I'm laughing. I have to stop myself by rolling over and grabbing Xiao around the waist, face pressed into his hip. "It's okay baby, I loved ever second of it. You've got the moves." I snort, but hold in any more chuckles that knock at my lips.