"...you spoke my name for this?"
you smile at xiao's familiar tone. not laced with annoyance-- far from it, really. you recognize the faint traces of a sharpness turned dull, almost filled with something akin to fondness. how long has it been, you wonder, since you began noticing such differences? that lingering distance turned into something of close proximity, that flicker of warmth in amber hues.
"we were in the same vicinity." you remind him softly. "i spoke your name when you were a few feet away, not when we were lands apart. besides, you do not have to stay."
you say this, genuine, but both of you know he is right where he wishes to be. you both stand side by side on the balconies of wangshu inn, looking out to the peace that resides in liyue tonight.
"...i have nowhere else to be." he responds, words quiet, almost reassuring as his shoulder brushes against yours. you feel that tension in his worn muscles, wonder how you can relieve that ache that resides in a yaksha. but as time passes and the silence continues, you feel it lessen, see his shoulders relax just the slightest bit.
"i'm relieved." you finally speak, eyes surveying the land before you, not daring to meet his. there is something tender in this moment, something sacred, and you almost feel as if you could not dare bring yourself to look at him. "that means things are peaceful right now." a quiet observation. a reluctance he picks up on, a harsh swallow, and just the subtle waver of your voice. "i hope it will stay that way for as long as it's able."
he doesn't answer, not initially. you perhaps wonder if you've said too much, if you've expressed your fondness too strongly ; the comfort of the silence twists into something different, something heavier, and that frightens you so. your lips part, but before you can speak, you feel the weight of him.
it's light and it's delicate and it's sanctuary, the way he leans against you. it's something more than a brush of the hand, something more than shoulder against shoulder. but neither of you speak of it, and your heart answers with actions rather than words as you gingerly lean into him, too. this time, there is no tension in his body. you smile at such realizations.
"i'm glad i spoke your name, xiao."
a brief moment of the quiet, then a low, soft hum of acknowledgment.
"i will always be here when you call."
for the loveliest @dreaminghours ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ i appreciate you forever and always
