Say My Name and I'll Be There

Chapter 7

"If you wake up to a knife at your throat, if monsters dig their claws into you, if death comes knocking at your door...call out my name.  Adeptus Xiao.  I will be here when you call."

"Ehe! Peek-ah-booooo," your chubby fingers separated those of your savior so that you could peek at him through the gaps.  His lips tugged into a barely-noticeable smile.  Your sudden coughing fit brought an end to the rare sight as he watched blood spill from the corner of your mouth.

"Do not forget what I've said."  The man bit the tip of his thumb, drawing blood in the process, and closed the gap over your eyes.  He touched the tip of his thumb to your lips and a warm light enveloped you.

"XIAOOO!" You gasped for air and shot up from the ground.  Cold sweat clung to your clothes, and your hair was sticking up in unruly ways.  

You were greeted with shocked faces, with most mouths agape and about to welcome spoonfuls of breakfast.  "And here I thought you'd sleep all day again," Childe let out an awkward laugh.  "How're you feeling, Sleeping Beauty? You drool like my kid brother," he pointed to a corner of his mouth.

"S-shut it," you hurriedly wiped at your mouth, and found that he was bluffing.  He choked back a laugh.  Your breathing finally returned to normal...had he joked around to calm you?

"Your fever must have broke last night.  The color finally returned to your face."  Zhongli continued to eat as if everything were normal.

"Yeah!  At this rate, we might be able to leave by tomorrow!" Paimon spun around happily.  

"Let me get you some food," Aether reached for a bowl and utensils.  "You haven't eaten anything in a while.  You must be starving."

You stayed silent, but stole a glance at Xiao.  He continued to eat without looking in your direction.  What was I dreaming about just now?  Your gaze fell to your lap.  Why did I call Xiao's name?

"Hey, are you still feeling sick?" Aether prodded you after you didn't answer him.  "Maybe we should go back to--"

"I'm fine.  I just had a really weird dream."  You caught Xiao glancing at you from the corner of your vision.

"If you say so.  Don't hesitate to tell us if something's wrong."

"Thanks."  You finally took the bowl from his hands and ate in silence.

Xiao scouted the area around the path they were to take the following day.  He leapt from tree to tree to identify any potential threats they may need to eradicate along the way.  His mind was unusually cluttered with thoughts pertaining to things outside of his duty.  Like you.  

It appears as though she's beginning to regain her memories of that day.

"'If you wake up to a knife...'"  You absent-mindedly touched your throat as you recalled your dream.  "Why does it sound so familiar?" You ran your hands through your hair, gripping the strands as you repeated the action over and over again.  It felt as though the answers were sitting on the tip of your tongue--so close yet so far away.

"You should really stop wondering off on your own.  Especially after last time."  Childe nodded toward your injured leg before kneeling beside you.  "And even more so considering this is the same spot you got injured."

"It's fine.  Xiao already cleared this area.  I guess the lawachurl was just a loner."

"That won't always be the case.  You need to keep your guard up at all times.  You never know when an enemy could strike you down."

"You mean enemies like you?"  You scooped up water from the stream before dowsing your face.  

"Well, you're not wrong," he laughed.  His face fell as he watched you dry your face.  "What were you dreaming about this time?"

"'This time?'"

"You tend to talk in your sleep or jolt awake." He paused.  "You've been calling Xiao's name a lot lately."

"So I've heard," you muttered and stood.  "I don't know what to tell you.  I barely remember my dreams."

"You know, lying isn't your strong suit."  Childe matched your pace as you limped back to camp.

"Maybe when I know what to make of my dreams, I'll share.  But I promise you won't get any useful information out of them for your precious Tsaritsa."  This earned you an unreadable grin from the Harbinger.

"Is everyone ready?"  Aether's gaze swept across everyone's faces and landed on you.

"Yep!" You grinned widely.  "I can walk fine for the most part."

"Cool!  Let us know if you need a break."

Your team set off to Huaguang Stone Forest.  It wasn't too far of a journey from your current location, but your still-healing injury proved to be a bit of an issue not long after you guys left the campsite.  You were already several feet behind the rest of the group, sweating profusely in the mid-morning sun.  Xiao slowed down and walked alongside you.

"If you need to rest, speak up."

"I'm fine," you insisted despite being out of breath.  "I can keep up."

Xiao narrowed his eyes as if he were thinking of pointing out that you were in fact losing ground.  After a few minutes of watching you recklessly hobbling about the trail, he let out an exasperated sigh.  "Here."  He knelt at your feet with his back facing you.

He wants to give me a piggy-back ride?!  You were mortified at the possibility of being teased by the group if you went through with this.  Your cheeks burned a bright red.

"Don't reduce me to waiting on you.  Hurry up," he ordered.

"O-okay."  You didn't want to test the patience of the yaksha and did as you were told.  He rose to his feet with you on his back, bright red with embarrassment.  "Childe is going to criticize me for being so weak--"

"So?"

"Oh, I--" You hadn't realized you said it aloud.

"If you're that eager for strength, we can do endurance training."

"You'd do that?"

"On one condition."  You picked your head up off his shoulder to look at him.  "You do it for your own protection, not for approval."

"Right," you nodded, realizing how childish your statement was.  "What I said....I had only meant that Childe's teasing is annoying.  I want to grow strong of my own accord."

Xiao nodded without saying anything.  You adjusted your grip around his shoulders before awkwardly resting your chin on him.  I really hope he can't feel how hard my heart is beating....or how hot my face is.  Wait, why do I even feel this way in the first place?  You failed to realize that the tips of Xiao's ears were dusted pink.

Childe bit the inside of his lip after he glanced behind him to find that Xiao was carrying you.  The all-too-familiar pang of jealousy yanked inside his chest.