So maybe I'm a little late on this one. I did fully intend to post this list around the holidays like usual, but around the end of last year I hit a major reading slump around the time that my interest in xv as my main otp began to wane. Despite that, I still really wanted to get one final list done, since 3 is a nice number! It just took me like 6 and a half extra months to get done no big deal lol
As with any rec list, mind any tags and warnings, and if anything isn't for you, that's okay! Now without further ado, here are 10 fics that I read in 2025/26 that I think other xvx fans would enjoy!
Past Years: 2023, 2024
~
my only friend through teenage nights, by mtskou (@mtskou)
[Teen, 18.3k, One-Shot]
“You used to play your original songs a lot,” Xiao says softly, tracing the knuckles of his left hand. “Why don’t you do that anymore?”
Barbatos takes a moment to answer. “I guess I wasn’t sure anyone wanted to hear them.”
“I did,” Xiao says, surprising himself with how immediate his response is. “I liked them all.”
“Oh,” says Barbatos.
After eight years of silently listening to the radio show that saved his life as a teenager, Xiao finally calls in after the host, Barbatos, disappears for a week. He expects that to be the only time he calls, but Barbatos seems to have other plans. One thing leads to another, and Xiao ends up calling the station each week – until a disastrous realisation at Barbatos’s first live performance.
in other words: xiaoven radio au 😋
Last year I went on a spree of reading road trip aus, because they have this Vibe to them that I’m kind of obsessed with, and while not entirely the same, I think radio aus fall into a very similar area for me. Which is to say that I loved the quiet, slow-tech mundanity that shaped Xiao’s nightly routine listening to Venti’s witching hour broadcast, even after said routine was sent veering off track. Even in the midst of a major reading slump, this fic managed to pull me in with not only its premise, but characterization that felt very classic xvx to me, which I absolutely adored. Also, shoutout to the author’s aroace xv propaganda, I see you and I love you (platonically).
“I am not a ‘kid’,” the boy spits, drawing himself up to his full height of whatever feet and nothing inches. “The name given to me is Xiao, though some mortals know me better as the Conqueror of Demons—” he throws his head back defiantly, which is adorable, “—I am a yaksha in the eternal service of the people of Liyue, favoured by Rex Lapis, not some glorified troubadour.”
Verr blinks.
“Wow you’re... you’re an insane person, aren’t you?” She says.
✧
Verr Goldet has run the Wangshu Inn alongside her husband for almost a decade. Their oldest patron insists he was there first.
Or, the building of a sanctuary. Told in olive branches refused, taken, and freely given.
While not a xvx fic on pretty much any technicality, this is a must-read for any Xiao lover (which how could any of us not be!) Xiao was released under the banner titled “Invitation to Mundane Life,” and this fic perfectly embodies the journey that he was promised to take. As Xiao is gradually pulled out of his hermitage and unwittingly grows closer to Verr Goldet and the newest generation of Wangshu Inn staff, he learns to navigate change and loss in a more human way than before, and comes to realize that there are people who pray for his safe return from every battle he fights. The couple of xv crumbs that the author has sprinkled in are just an extra bonus.
~
never dreamed of nobody like you, by merthurlin (Bluesky: @/merthurlin.bsky.social)
[Teen, 32.4k, One-Shot]
“Freedom, huh?” Cecili murmurs. “Is this what this is? Not having my memories—is that freedom?” He’s worrying the grass between his fingers, tearing out some of it in absentmindedness.
“For some, it might be,” Xiao says, echoing his earlier thoughts. “Do you think that’s what freedom means for you, Cecili?”
The bard lets out a small, wry laugh. “What do I know of freedom,” he says, and watches as the grass blades drift away in the wind.
A stray amnesiac bard makes a home for himself in Qingce Village. Despite himself, Xiao visits, again and again.
Amnesia, when done well, is such a good vessel to explore who characters are at their core, and when it’s done really well, it can reveal things about the characters around the amnesiac too. Xiao’s “ill-advised summer fling”, as the author puts it in their tags, has romantic tension in spades, but just as many moments of quiet introspection. Qingce Village is brought to life by this intimate story that takes place there, and such a down-to-earth setting helps to ground both of the immortal leads as well as they realize the joy to be found in letting others in and hearing their stories, and how that can save you when the world feels like it’s falling apart. This is by far my favorite xv fic that I’ve ever read, and if you read nothing else on any of my lists, let it be this. Maybe I’m biased, but I would call this XVX Essential Reading.
~
the ones who [fly] away from o_____, by Celestialstar3 (Twitter: @/Celestialstar3_)
[Teen, 10.7k, One-Shot]
“...if the wretched one were not there sniveling in the dark, the other one, the flute-player, could make no joyful music...”
— “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas”, Ursula K. Le Guin
Venti learns the truth about his hometown, the suffering of one boy preceding the joy and happiness of his tiny town. He sets out to witness it himself, only to realise that simply walking away from it was not enough.
(Can be read as queerplatonic.)
Prior to reading this fic, I was not familiar with the original Omelas story, but upon looking into it I was immediately intrigued by the premise. Much of the biting satire that Ursula K. Le Guin is known for is set aside for this story, but it compensates for that with its own merits. The ideals of Anemo that xv grapple with feel fresh in this fic, as they are approached with minds much younger and more naive than our old men are usually written to be. Yet, even as they yearn for freedom and challenge authority as they always have, there is a certain sadness that comes with reading this fic when childhood is still not far behind me, as the forces that push back against the young protagonists feel much more real than the gods and demons they typically face, and their small hands are only capable of so much.
~
For the river's carving path, by kavvueh (@kavvueh)
[Teen, 7k, One-Shot]
Venti turned to him.
"May I say something?" he asked.
"Are you often inclined to ask such a thing?"
Venti laughed. He bumped his wings against Xiao's.
"Your eyes are the color of sweetflowers." He winked. "And your lips taste just as sweet."
For VenXiao Winter Exchange 2025.
‘Utterly romantic’ is the first description that comes to mind for this fic. The regency-inspired setting really allows the yearning associated with courtship to shine through, and though it falls outside of their usual genre kavvueh never fails to hit the mark with the yearning. This work is also for the wingfic lovers, and has all the associated tenderness that one would hope for. An absolute treat from start to finish.
~
Maybe no one will notice if I disappear, by thatmifi (@mifeeey)
[Teen, 13.8k, One-Shot]
Author's Original Promo Post!
The young Yaksha at Rex Lapis’ side draws the attention of the Anemo Archon. Or perhaps it’s the Yaksha who can’t help but look skyward first.
OR
Exploring 2000+ years of Teyvat history from the point of view of the Yaksha Xiao and the Anemo Archon Barbatos.
Title from "Seasons" by Wave to Earth
One of my favorite aspects of writing for xv in 2021/2022 was the room for interpretation left in the gaps between canon events that we’ve been given, but these days many of those gaps have been shored up. That’s why it’s always a delight to see authors play around with Teyvat’s history rather than strictly sticking to the source material, and this one gets extra points for the author incorporating my favorite headcanon about Venti’s long slumbers. The slow burn development of xv’s relationship over the centuries also invokes older characterization that I enjoy as Xiao is almost begrudgingly won over by Venti’s antics, and in a way that can be read as either platonic or romantic, which I always love.
~
last letter, first memory, by caramel_exe (Twitter: @/caramel_exee)
[Not Rated, 19.2k, One-Shot]
"You returned to me," Venti said, voice soft as wind through leaves. "My Yaksha."
Xiao didn’t hesitate. “I never stopped waiting.”
The breeze circled around them like a promise, brushing against Xiao’s wrist where the letter had once burned cold.
And somewhere, in the hush between heartbeats, the song they’d shared lifetimes ago stirred again, quiet, steady, and whole.
Centuries ago, the wind carried away a letter sealed with an Anemo sigil, meant for a soul that had long since forgotten.
Now, Xiao is an archaeologist with dreams that don't belong to him and a letter written in a language no one else remembers.
He never believed in fate.
But the wind is persistent.
And somewhere out there, someone has been waiting.
The prose is what really stands out about this fic, giving a lonely, yet atmospheric backdrop to Xiao’s journey of self-rediscovery. Archaeology AUs always make a fun way for xv to stay connected across the ages even when their time as we are most familiar with them has come to an end, especially as more of the anemo element’s association with time has been revealed. It’s a quiet read, but definitely a worthwhile one.
~
the jaded & the lustrous, by unchartedandunknown (@unchartedandunkown)
[Archive-Locked, Teen, 35.4k, One-Shot]
Bound to Whimsy, a town affected by the magic of the fae, Xiao’s clients are the fair folk. Contract-bound, he paints to please, capturing their immortality on canvas, and tells the difference between the days of eternal winter by each client he receives.
His next client is one who brings the fresh scent of spring flowers with him and a flock of songbirds on his trail. Venti is like any other fair folk of his kind - mysterious and too-charming, removed from the worries a mortal life brings. And yet, his odd portrait request, one never asked for by Xiao before, manages to intrigue him.
But there is no time to wonder about Venti’s portrait. Not when someone close to Xiao goes missing, and he’s forced to face his past once more.
While I am unfamiliar with An Enchantment of Ravens, the novel that this fic takes its worldbuilding inspiration from, I’m obsessed with how the author manages to blend that lore in with that of Teyvat. I dearly miss the ensemble cast stories that we saw more of when Genshin’s cast was smaller, and so seeing other characters like Qiqi, Baizhu, Klee, and Albedo serving a meaningful role in Xiao and Venti’s story is so refreshing in this current era where cameos in xv fics are relegated to the same small selection of characters. With freedom serving as the core of xv’s characters, putting them in a fae world where rules are so easily binding leaves so much room to do fun things with them that the author fully capitalizes on.
~
take it or leave it, by orphan_account
[Archive-Locked, Teen, 11.4k, One-Shot]
“How about this,” Venti says. “One day. You don’t even have to leave Liyue. I want you to take a break for twenty-four hours."
“I can’t,” Xiao says. But he wants to, he wants to so badly. It’ll hurt more later, he tells himself firmly, but what if? What if he truly doesn’t need to fight anymore? If he doesn’t take that chance now he’ll never find out.
“Show me Liyue,” Venti pleads. “I’ve traveled so much, but I’ve barely seen any of Liyue. Please, Xiao.”
It's all Xiao needs to cave.
Yet another fic from my backlog, the characterization in this feels vintage but in a way that I still love. There’s a friction between Xiao and Venti that feels natural based on their contrasting personalities, but still leaves room for the fondness that they carry for each other. Both their banter and their softer moments hit a spot that makes me remember how I fell in love with this ship to begin with, all culminating in a confession that has continued to stick with me in the years since I first read it.
~
quiet birds in circled flight, by windsgrandode
[Complete, Teen, 26.5k, 7/7 chapters]
“They’re bitter,” he offers. “Ganyu eats them.”
Barbatos’s eyes go round. “Raw?” he says, astonished. “My word.” He pauses, studying the qingxin in deep contemplation. Then he pops a petal into his mouth and immediately gags.
Xiao concludes then and there that the Anemo Archon is an idiot. “I warned you,” he says, utterly unsympathetic.
“That’s true!” Barbatos laughs. He runs a thumb over the bloom, but (thankfully) doesn’t try to eat any more. “I think it’ll grow on me,” he muses, then smiles, as if he’s said something clever.
A selection of memories. Venti and Xiao, from the beginning to the end—and after.
I’m not usually one for bittersweet endings. In fact, that’s why I put this fic off for years despite hearing it praised on multiple occasions, but I’m so glad that I finally gave it a chance. Grief is such a strong theme in Genshin as a whole, but condenses especially in its immortal characters, Xiao and Venti included. The best works I’ve read about them manage to strike a perfect balance between the grief and the joy that a life across millennia will bring, and this work manages that with a quiet warmth that never fully fades even in its darkest moments. This is a fic about holding the things you love close, but also about knowing when it’s time to let go, and I feel as though it’s the perfect way to end this short tradition of mine. Definitely a piece of XVX Essential Reading.
~
Once again, I thank anyone who's bothered to read any of these lists, especially when my reviews have only gotten more verbose over time. XV will always hold a special place in my heart, as they're my only otp that I've held for this long and also didn't have some associated experience sour them for me. I dearly hope that even though these characters are ancient history as far as Genshin goes, that people will keep enjoying them and creating for them. Thank you for reading, and much love <3
Chapters: 3/3
Fandom: Persona 5
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren
Characters: Akechi Goro, Kurusu Akira (Persona Series), Sakamoto Ryuji, Kitagawa Yusuke, Niijima Sae, Takamaki Ann, Sakura Futaba (Persona Series)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Idols, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega!Akechi, alpha!Akira, intersex omega, Eventual Smut, Getting Together, we don’t have time for angst we have an idol group to run, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Suicide Attempt
Summary:
Nearing the end of their idol training and entering their debut period, Goro doesn’t have many complaints. His fellow idol trainees could be worse, and their entertainment company could afford to be a little more transparent with their plans, but they’ll nonetheless be providing him the resources he needs to reenter the entertainment industry and revive his acting career, and that's all that matters.
His two-year long plan goes to shit when he accidentally catches wind of a fellow idol trainee being abused by a different manager in the company.
Chapters: 2/3
Fandom: Persona 5
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren
Characters: Akechi Goro, Kurusu Akira (Persona Series), Sakamoto Ryuji, Kitagawa Yusuke, Niijima Sae, Takamaki Ann, Sakura Futaba (Persona Series)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Idols, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega!Akechi, alpha!Akira, intersex omega, Eventual Smut, Getting Together, we don’t have time for angst we have an idol group to run, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Suicide Attempt
Summary:
Nearing the end of their idol training and entering their debut period, Goro doesn’t have many complaints. His fellow idol trainees could be worse, and their entertainment company could afford to be a little more transparent with their plans, but they’ll nonetheless be providing him the resources he needs to reenter the entertainment industry and revive his acting career, and that's all that matters.
His two-year long plan goes to shit when he accidentally catches wind of a fellow idol trainee being abused by a different manager in the company.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/3
Fandom: Persona 5
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren
Characters: Akechi Goro, Kurusu Akira (Persona Series), Sakamoto Ryuji, Kitagawa Yusuke, Niijima Sae, Takamaki Ann, Sakura Futaba (Persona Series)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Idols, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega!Akechi, alpha!Akira, rivals to fwb to lovers, intersex omega, Eventual Smut, Getting Together, we don’t have time for angst we have an idol group to run, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Social Media
Summary:
Nearing the end of their idol training and entering their debut period, Goro doesn’t have many complaints. His fellow idol trainees could be worse, and their entertainment company could afford to be a little more transparent with their plans, but they’ll nonetheless be providing him the resources he needs to reenter the entertainment industry and revive his acting career, and that's all that matters.
His two-year long plan goes to shit when he accidentally catches wind of a fellow idol trainee being abused by a different manager in the company.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Zenless Zone Zero (Video Game)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Hugo/Von Lycaon (Zenless Zone Zero)
Characters: Von Lycaon (Zenless Zone Zero), Hugo (Zenless Zone Zero)
Additional Tags: Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot
Summary:
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 重返未来：1999 | Reverse: 1999 (Video Game)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Medicine Pocket/X (Reverse: 1999)
Characters: Medicine Pocket (Reverse: 1999), X (Reverse: 1999)
Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Sick Fic, not for the faint of heart (aka ppl who don’t like butterflies (I’m serious)), sorry for medpoc’s dog tendencies and X’s....existence
Summary:
Medicine Pocket unwillingly has a patient foisted onto them.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 重返未来：1999 | Reverse: 1999 (Video Game)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Medicine Pocket/X (Reverse: 1999)
Characters: X (Reverse: 1999), Medicine Pocket (Reverse: 1999), Ms. Z (Reverse: 1999)
Additional Tags: 5+1 Things, Discrimination, Getting Together, Sharing a Bed
Summary:
X has long learned how to deal with any hurdles life presents to him — better yet, he knows how to use them to his advantage. It’s an old saying: two birds, one stone.
Five times X runs into Medicine Pocket outside, and the one time he invites them over.
A set of riddles strung about a city, a pair of handcuffs, and a certain encounter with the inquisitive Eleventh Fatui Harbinger leads to an unexpected confrontation and the admittance of emotions Wanderer never wanted to deal with.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Venti/Xiao | Alatus (Genshin Impact)
Characters: Xiao | Alatus (Genshin Impact), Venti (Genshin Impact), Qiqi (Genshin Impact), Baizhu (Genshin Impact), Klee (Genshin Impact), Albedo (Genshin Impact)
Additional Tags: Fae & Fairies, Inspired by An Enchantment of Ravens, painter!xiao, fae!Venti, Mentions of Suicide and Depression, Implied/Referenced Torture, 2.1 Update Spoilers (Genshin Impact), how do you do fellow readers are you ready to get murdered again?
Summary:
Bound to Whimsy, a town affected by the magic of the fae, Xiao’s clients are the fair folk. Contract-bound, he paints to please, capturing their immortality on canvas, and tells the difference between the days of eternal winter by each client he receives.
His next client is one who brings the fresh scent of spring flowers with him and a flock of songbirds on his trail. Venti is like any other fair folk of his kind - mysterious and too-charming, removed from the worries a mortal life brings. And yet, his odd portrait request, one never asked for by Xiao before, manages to intrigue him.
But there is no time to wonder about Venti’s portrait. Not when someone close to Xiao goes missing, and he’s forced to face his past once more.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Venti/Xiao (Genshin Impact)
Characters: Xiao (Genshin Impact), Zhongli (Genshin Impact), Venti (Genshin Impact)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, corrupted!Venti, Angst with a Happy Ending, what are immortals but beings who pine for thousands of years
Summary:
They say a cold wind reigns tyrant in Mondstadt, that the being who controls this storm is neither human nor beast, singing an unearthly, haunting song that causes unbearable pain and sorrow to anyone who hears.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/2
Fandom: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc
Characters: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert, Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, vague mentions of religion/death/trauma, Smoking, Ashe goes pspspspspsps in a demon tunnel and fails to mind his own business
Summary:
There’s a demon said to be haunting the tunnel in the broken-off road, and Ashe is seeking to make a bargain.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc
Characters: Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc, Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert
Additional Tags: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, this is MY sandbox I get to write whatever tf I want, Mutual Pining
Summary:
As Yuri has learned throughout his life from Ashe, understanding something may just mean looking at it a second time.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/7
Fandom: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Characters: Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc, Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert, Dorothea Arnault
Additional Tags: Full Cast - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Established Relationship, Non-Linear Narrative, ashen wolves spoilers, this is just my byhardt hp fic but two steps back and to the left, this fic has a body count of two and in both circumstances it is Sylvain, I’m apologizing in advance to the theatre kids
Summary:
How do two students on different Quidditch teams pretending they’re not in a relationship get pulled into performing leading roles in their school’s musical while still trying to keep their relationship under wraps?
