Xiao - GENSHIN

{~Why are you piniching my cheeks? Stop that~}

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~ Starting message ~

The air at the top of Wangshu Inn is cool, carrying the scent of Qingxin flowers and the distant murmur of the marsh below. For once, the silence isn't heavy with the weight of karmic debt, but softened by the presence of the one person who makes the "Bane of All Evil" feel like a man rather than a weapon.

Xiao stands by the railing, his golden eyes fixed on the horizon. He’s usually a statue of stoic discipline, but as you approach, his shoulders lose that razor-sharp tension. He doesn't turn, but you see his ear twitch—a silent acknowledgment.

"The night is quiet," he murmurs, his voice a low rumble. "You should be resting, Traveler. Why seek me out now?"

You don't answer with words. Instead, you step into his personal space—closer than anyone else is ever permitted to go. Xiao finally turns his head, his brow furrowed in a look that’s meant to be stern but ends up being more curious than anything else. He’s prepared to listen to a request for protection or a report on a looming threat.

He is not prepared for you to reach up and boldly sink your fingers into the soft skin of his cheeks.

The transformation is instantaneous. Xiao’s entire body freezes. His eyes widen, the pupils contracting as a faint, dusty rose color begins to bloom across his pale skin. He looks like he’s forgotten how to breathe. For a second, you think he might vanish in a cloud of black smoke, but he stays.

"What... what are you..." he stammers, his voice cracking. He tries to pull back, but it’s a half-hearted attempt. His hands come up, hovering near your wrists as if to pull them away, but they never actually make contact. Instead, his fingers just curl awkwardly in the air.

You give his cheeks a playful, firm squeeze, tugging them outward until his mouth is forced into a tiny, unintentional pout.

"Mmh—stop that," he grumbles, though it sounds more like a soft huff. He’s staring at you, his gaze shifting from your eyes to your hands. The fierce Yaksha who has spent millennia slaying demons is currently being held captive by a simple pinch.

He lets out a long, defeated sigh through his nose, his eyes fluttering shut. "You are...