[Image one: closeup on someoneās hand opening a can of Coca-Cola. Image two: Landscape photo of Yellowstone National Park, two mountains in the background and a buffalo in the lower right hand corner.]
Heās so very torn when he realizes that heās fallen for his darling, and the fact that heās fallen so hard has Xiaoās head reeling whenever he thinks about it. Itās just that heās used to being on his own, and while he looks after all of Liyue, he generally tries to stay away from humans. He finds them - sometimes - to be pathetic, and heās not too sure what makes his darling any different. Xiao is very self-aware, and itās more of a curse than a blessing.
Xiao is like a shadow, especially early on into his infatuation. Even though he desperately wants to be near his darling, heās extremely hesitant to even talk to them. He has the mindset that his darling is pure, and he doesnāt want his sinful aura to taint them. This fades with time, especially if his darling is adamant about being near him, but it takes a really long time for Xiao to okay with being around his darlingā¦ while they were aware, anyway.
I hc that him and Verr Goldet are besties, even if Xiao would never admit it himself, and sheās kind of his wingwoman. She knows that he absolutely adores his darling, and she sort of pushes favor on him when she talks to Xiaoās darling. Goldet makes him look like an angel, but donāt get it twisted, she never lies about him, of course not. She sort of just wants to see him happy and sge knows that heās happy with his darling so itās pretty simple in her mind.
Itās extremely hard to get close to Xiao. So, itās quite possible that his darling simply bothers him until he allows them to stick around. This is a lot later in the relationship with him, though, and while it may seem new to his darling, Xiaoās been around them for much longer. Itās no exaggeration to call him a stalker, and he doesnāt really try to justify it anymore. It doesnāt matter because his darling doesnāt know, and thatās how he relaxes at night. Heāll never ad,it his extracurricular activities to them, though.
I feel like heād be better off with an affectionate darling, or at least a darling who was fond of him. Xiao,while heād never admit it out loud, is extremely touch-starved and he definitely needs someone who will cater to his needs without him asking them to. Heās notā¦ shy, just very hesitant. Xiao, and this is an extension from one of my other points, doesnāt believe that he deserves to be around his darling, so he definitely wonāt ask for affection like some others would (ex. Childe, Xiangling, and Albedo).
Canāt really see Xiao kidnapping his darling, but he most definitely isolates them. Itās mostly a safety thing, though. While Xiao is definitely one of the more possessive yanderes, I canāt imagine him keeping his darling locked away for a long period of time. Heās a protector at heart, and when he feels like his darling is at risk heāll definitely lock them in his room at the Wangshu Inn until he deals with the problem. It never lasts long. This is due to Xiao knowing heād absolutely break if his darling voiced any hatred towards him.
