Starry Night
In which you watch the night sky; Xiao doesn't see the point.
❥ Xiao x gn!reader ₊˚⊹ — additional info: drabble (that's it lol)
A/N: Never wrote for Xiao before so hopefully he's not too OOC. Wasn't really expecting this to take the direction it did. Not sure if I like it but oh well
"You're going to fall."
You giggled. "No, I'm not! Even if I did, you'd catch me."
You were perched on the balcony railing, unconcerned with the perilous drop just below your feet.
Xiao sighed, crossing his arms. "I would, yes."
"See? Nothing to worry about!" You chirped.
Nights at Wangshu Inn with Xiao were always pleasant. He would complain about your presence, but he never once chased you away. Rather, he would stay by your side until late into the night. At that point, however, is when he'd urge you to go to sleep. While you'd love to stay up the whole night with Xiao, you were only human. You could evade sleep for only so long.
Swinging your legs, you hummed a nameless tune as you admired the stars.
"Do you like stargazing, Xiao?" You suddenly asked.
"What?"
"Do you like stargazing?" You repeated.
"No, I heard you. I just find your question absurd," Xiao clarified.
"That doesn't answer my question," you huffed.
"I find it a meaningless activity. What's so special about something you can see every night?" Xiao muttered.
"Not every night! Sometimes clouds cover the sky," you pointed out.
"You understand what I meant," Xiao grumbled.
You sighed, shaking your head. "You're so negative sometimes, Xiao."
He didn't say anything back. For a second, you're worried that you've angered him. That's the last thing you would like to happen. You've grown to treasure his companionship so much that you're not sure what you would do if you lost him.
Okay, that's probably not healthy. But it's why you would come see him every night. Truth is, you were lonely. You had no one else. Everyone eventually left you for one reason or another. You think there must be something wrong with you.
When you first encountered Xiao, you were immediately drawn to him. You sensed that he, too, was a lonely soul. The only difference being that he chose isolation; you did not. You craved to be loved, but you're not sure how he felt on the matter. That part of you hoped that he at least saw you as a friend, not a nuisance to tolerate. With someone like Xiao, however, you couldn't be sure. You would have broached the topic, but you feared his answer.
"Then why do you keep coming back?"
You jumped at the sudden question, nearly toppling over. But Xiao wrapped an arm around your waist swiftly, preventing what would've been a ridiculously humiliating demise.
"That would have gone horribly wrong had I not been here." He sounded almost angry.
Afraid to turn your head to look at Xiao, you trembled in silence. Your heart beat furiously but not only at the scare you had just been through. The close proximity to Xiao had you embarrassingly flustered.
You just nearly died. Is that really what you're focused on?
Xiao prompted you. "Speak."
"Thanks for catching me," you murmured, avoiding his gaze.
"I don't need your thanks. I was referring to my question," Xiao said gruffly.
What were you supposed to say?
You swallowed nervously. "I don't know what you mean."
"Is negativity not an undesirable trait? Why do you keep coming back if that is what you think of me? That is what I mean," Xiao explained.
Oh, you knew what he meant. There really was no need for him to elaborate. It wouldn't have changed the answer you refused to give. Unfortunately for you, it seemed Xiao wasn't going to let this go.
"Well?"
You hesitated, contemplating your next words. Xiao simply waited. You didn't need to turn your head; you could feel his eyes boring into you.
"I just... don't want to be alone," you admitted quietly.
Xiao didn't say anything for a long time. He must find you pathetic. That would explain his silence.
Before you could spiral into a pit of your thoughts, you felt a shoulder brush against yours. You turn to see Xiao settling himself down next to you. He didn't look at you, but that was fine. The fact that he was still here with you caused some of your anxiety to dissipate.
"There is meaning to watching the stars if I'm doing it with you."
You looked away, hoping your blush wasn't visible in the dark. Instead, you glanced up at the night sky. You didn't trust yourself to speak at the moment.
After a while, you took a deep breath. "Aren't the stars beautiful?"
"I suppose."
You turned your head to look at Xiao. He was staring at you; his eyes quickly darted away upon getting caught.
A small smile made its way to your face.
"Were you really looking at the stars?" You teased.
Xiao refused to look at you. "I was."
Were his ears red? You must be getting really tired if you were having hallucinations. You decided not to question his actions.
A comfortable silence stretched between the two of you after that.
You're not sure how long you had been sitting for when you felt your eyelids droop. Next to follow was your head. You hit something solid but didn't think much of it in your drowsy state. You think you heard a sigh, but you couldn't be sure. The next thing you felt was the sensation of being lifted up. Now, that made you a little more alert.
Your eyes popped open, vision bleary.
Xiao spoke softly. "Go back to sleep."
It was strange hearing someone like him speaking in such a tone.
That was your last thought before your eyes closed fully.
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