A/N: This is one of those chapters I feel that's kinda...eh. It's not that great, but maybe someone will enjoy it. Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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Izanami was flabbergasted to say the least. A complete stranger knew her name. "How do you know me?"

The boy smiled. "Venti told me about a girl who lives in Liyue who has fox ears and tail. He described you quite well, but I never expected to meet you this far from Liyue Harbor."

"Venti...?" She mumbled to herself. Then, she remembered who that was. It was the name the Anemo Archon called himself. "You know Lord Barbatos?"

"Yeah," he replied, his smile vanishing. "He told me about what happened to you. I can't even imagine what it's like to be threatened by the people that once loved you..."

"I see..." She muttered. She wasn't bothered by Venti telling others about her backstory, but she wanted him to be more careful. If the wrong person heard, her happy life in Liyue would vanish overnight. "What brings you to Liyue, Traveler?"

The boy bashfully rubbed the back of his neck. "We got a little lost on our way to the city."

"We?"

Just then, a small fairy-like girl appeared out of thin air. She wore a brilliant smile as she hovered beside the blonde. "Paimon told you we were lost!"

"I know," he groaned.

"I know Liyue pretty well," Izanami spoke up. "I can take you to Liyue Harbor if you'd like."

Paimon's eyes glistened with joy. "We would love some help!"

The blonde boy nodded in agreement. "It would be nice to know where we're going. I'm Aether, by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you, Izanami."

"It truly is wonderful to meet you, Aether. I've heard of a tale about a traveler with blonde hair who helped Mondstadt. You must be him."

"They didn't mention Paimon?" The fairy asked with a pout.

The shinigami giggled. "They did mention the traveler having a wonderful companion."

Paimon smiled with rosy cheeks. 

"The trek to Liyue Harbor from here is quite treacherous and long. It'll take a couple days by foot," Izanami explained. "But I do know a quicker way to the city that could get us there in a couple of hours."

"Really?" Aether's eyes widen in curiosity.

"That is if you don't mind a bumpy ride."

"We need to make it to the city before the Rite of Descension. The quicker we get to the city, the better. I can handle anything."

Izanami looked away, having forgotten completely about the Rite of Descension. It was a few days away. She heard many people talking about it when she went to Liyue Harbor earlier, but she dismissed it. Knowing Zhongli planned to fake his death during the rite, she didn't particularly care about it. The ex-archon would be "dead" to the people of Liyue in a few days. She didn't agree nor disagree with his plan and decided not to say anything. "Why are you in a rush?"

"I must speak to the Geo Archon before he disappears again. It's really important," Aether replied, clenching his fists tightly.

The shinigami bit her bottom lip. It would be difficult for him to speak to Morax since said archon would be "dead" and she couldn't tell him about Zhongli. Either way, she wanted to help him and didn't pry. "I understand. I will take you to Liyue Harbor." Walking out into the middle of the shallow river, she checked the area around her to ensure there was enough room. When she was in the clear, she transformed into her fox form. Her nine tails flared outward as she stretched them.

"Wow!" Paimon gaped in awe.

Aether, with a bit of hesitation, closed the distance between him and the nine-tailed fox. He kept his eyes locked with hers, not looking away for a second as he approached her. Once directly in front of her, he reached out his hand. When she lowered her head, all hesitation vanished. He placed his hand on her head and stroked her velvety fur. "This is...amazing, Izanami!" With her permission, he climbed onto her back.

Paimon vanished as Izanami ensured Aether was safely on her back. She took off in the direction of Liyue Harbor once receiving confirmation from the blonde he was holding on. She ran as fast as she could, using her pyro vision to create platforms from pure azure flames to traverse the mountainous region.

By the time they reached the outskirts of the city, the sun had set. Izanami dropped Aether off on the dirt trail leading straight towards the city. She remained in her fox form, knowing it would be easier to return to Wangshu Inn once she saw the blonde off.

"Thank you for your help, Izanami," Aether smiled. "I really do appreciate it. I'm not sure how long we would've been lost if we hadn't found you."

The nine-tailed fox nodded her head with a low growl in response. She nudged her wet, frigid nose against Aether's cheek, which was a common way for her to say farewell in her beast form.

Aether understood the kind gesture and stroked the top of her head one last time. "I hope we see you again soon, Izanami."

Izanami returned to Wangshu Inn. When she reached the outskirts of the inn, she reverted to her human form to avoid unwanted attention. She crossed the bridge and headed to the lift. Riding it up, she returned to her room. As she closed the door, she gasped in shock when she found Xiao hiding behind it. She glared feebly at him. "You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days."

"Where were you?" He demanded, arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the wall.

"Konomi, one of my retainers, came to visit. She took me all the way to Nantianmen and we had a chat."

"What could she possibly need to discuss that required leaving the inn?"

Izanami didn't want to tell him about what they spoke of. She didn't want to tell him she'd have to leave before the month was over. Deciding to keep the truth somewhat under wraps, she said, "Konomi was telling me about her and the other retainers. She mentioned how they were handling the lost souls in my stead. As to why she had to talk to me away from the inn, well...I'm not sure. Maybe she feared of being overheard and threatening my being to be discovered."

"If that were the truth, she wouldn't need to lure you as far as Nantianmen," he scoffed.

"That...is true." Izanami wondered why Konomi took her so far away from the Wangshu Inn. Could it be she wanted her to meet Aether? And if so, why? "Regardless, I'm fine. Konomi wouldn't take me somewhere dangerous."

Xiao pushed himself off the wall. He unfolded his arms, closing the distance between him and the shinigami. Grabbing her wrist, he tugged her towards the bed. Reaching the mattress, he pushed her down and crawled on top of her to prevent her from escaping, knees located on either sides of her thighs and hands splayed on both sides of her head. Through half-lidded eyes, he gazed down at her. Bending his arms, he lowered himself. His face was now mere inches from hers.

"What's gotten into you...?" Izanami questioned just above a whisper.

Xiao didn't reply. Instead, he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

The girl gasped at the sensation of feeling his breath graze against the side of her neck. She felt her heart skip a beat at his actions. Her mouth opened slightly as if she was going to say something, but silence continued to linger between them. Her hands twitched as she lifted them off the mattress. One of her hands traveled to his dark, teal locks. Her fingers entangled within his soft hair, stroking it gently. Her other hand rested on his upper arm. She trailed her fingers up and down his tattooed arm. The moment her fingers that were threaded through his hair drifted to the back of his neck, a chill crept down his spine.

After another minute of silence, Izanami decided to speak up. She wanted to know why he was acting clingy all of a sudden. "Did something happen while I was gone?"

"While waiting for your return, I spoke with Verr in regards to the recent emotion I experience only in your presence. She unnecessarily laughed before explaining what I have been feeling."

Izanami tensed. Did Verr really tell him the truth? "R-Really? What did she say?"

"She was rather direct and taught me more about this "love" you mentioned before. Not the friendship or family kind, but romantic. What I have been experiencing..." He nuzzled his nose against her neck, eyes slowly closing. "Is this deep infatuation I have been questioning. You are the reason why I feel in such an odd manner.  Not once have I yearned for someone else until you came along. I am unsure of what makes you different. I have lived a long life and no one but you has made me feel this way. Perhaps this infatuation stems from my selfish interest in your own corrupted soul. Unlike others, I do not need to fear my karmic debt ruining you."

Izanami was the first person in Xiao's life he could keep by his side without fear. He didn't need to distance himself from her to keep her safe. She was safest by his side and nowhere else. He changed because of her, but those changes were only visible if one knew him on a close, personal level. Even then, Izanami was the only person he cozied up to. Although her soul was tainted by darkness, she was the bright sun of his world. She had lessened the strain of his karmic debt when no one else could.

Xiao kept his eyes closed while enjoying her ministrations. He wanted to be even closer to her, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. For now, he would be satisfied with their current closeness.

Silence hung between them.

Izanami, even though she knew of Xiao's affection, was still bewildered. She never expected him to go to Verr for an answer. Now that his question was answered, she mentally slapped herself for chickening out earlier. She should've been the one to tell him. Exhaling, she ceased stroking his hair and wrapped both of her arms around his neck. Her upper body lifted off the bed as she hugged him.

Xiao, who braced himself when he felt her arms snake around his neck to prevent from squishing her underneath him, gasped as his eyes flew open. This wasn't the first time she's hugged him, but this embrace contained much more emotion. He could feel the love from the way she held him. "Nami..."

"You really are getting better at expressing yourself, Xiao," she giggled. "But Verr is right. What you're feeling is love."

"Do you feel the same as I?"

The question caught her by surprise, but she knew the answer and didn't dare lie. "I do. I may be new to love, but I know that is what I feel. This is the first time I've fallen in love."

"This will be a new journey for both of us, then."

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As the sun rose the next morning, Izanami woke up. Though she didn't need sleep, she enjoyed it from time to time. With a faint hum, she tried to exit the bed but couldn't when she felt two arms secured around her waist and her back pressed against a toned chest. Once the sleep fog cleared from her mind, she realized Xiao was the one holding her. Just like her, he didn't require sleep.

Izanami carefully turned her body so she could face Xiao. She gazed at his sleeping face with a gentle smile. In the two years they've been together, this was the first time she's seen him sleep. Lifting a hand, she combed the few strands of hair that shrouded his face. As she tucked the locks behind his ear, a hand grabbed her wrist. She was startled the moment his golden eyes crept open. A calm expression was painted on his face as he stared into her eyes.

"Good morning," she smiled. "I never knew you could sleep."

"Adepti do not require sleep," Xiao remarked.

"Nor do shinigami, but I enjoy it from time to time."

The adeptus relinquished her wrist. He moved his arm back around her waist to join the other. Gripping her tightly, he pulled her body flush against his. He tucked her head under his chin, wary of her ears to avoid crushing them. With his chin between her fluffy ears, he huffed out a sigh. His breath tickled her ears, earning a choked gasp from her. He heard the minuscule noise, oblivious to the fact he was the cause. "What is the matter?"

"N-Nothing," she muttered in response. Then, she tried to think of a way to change the topic. "Since we're both new to all this, how about we try some things couples usually do?"

"We...are a couple?" He asked with a hint of confusion.

"Yeah. Unless you don't want to."

"No," he quickly responded. "I wish to be with you."

Izanami was more than happy with his response. She  wound her arms around his waist, placing her hands on his back. "I know what we can do. How open-minded are you feeling today?"

Xiao was curious what she had in mind. She was the expert when it came to human customs. He trusted her judgement and usually found her suggestions to be enjoyable.

Now, the yaksha found himself in the kitchen with Izanami. He stood by the table, watching her prepare a few dishes as time ticked by. She neatly stored them in a basket once she was finished cooking. Spinning around, she held out the basket towards him with a bright smile. "I bet you've never been on a picnic before. Many couples go out on what they call a "picnic date"."

The adeptus' brows knitted together as he reiterated the word he'd only heard her say a couple times. "Date?"

"Dates are romantic engagements couples go on occasionally to spend some alone time together," she explained. "Do you still want to do this or have you changed your mind?"

Xiao was silent for a few seconds before replying with, "No, I want to do this."

"Great! Then we're off to Luhua Pool. I know a pretty good spot we could have our picnic." She grabbed a small blanket that was embroided with blue and gold flowers. She placed it in the basket before returning to the yaksha.

Xiao held out his hand towards Izanami. When she placed her hand in his, he teleported them to Luhua Pool. Hand in hand, the two trekked to the spot the shinigami mentioned.

Within a few minutes, they arrived at a hill with a lone tree that overlooked Luhua Pool. Izanami let go of Xiao's hand to spread out the blanket underneath the tree. After that was done, she and the boy sat down. Laying out the food, she unveiled all that she cooked--sakura tempura, almond tofu, and sweet shrimp sushi. It was only a few minutes past eleven, but they were both ready to munch down on the food.

Because Xiao only ate almond tofu, Izanami made two servings while she made herself sakura tempura and sweet shrimp sushi. They ate in silence yet it wasn't awkward. They were enjoying the food until every bite was gone.

Izanami hadn't realized her tail was wagging the entire time. Xiao had been watching her tail intently and said, "Food truly does make you happy."

The shinigami wondered what he was looking at. Peering over her shoulder, she saw her tail swishing exuberantly. Turning back, she grinned with a blush. "Food is my second love. You're my first."

Xiao froze with a spoonful of almond tofu stopping right before his slightly opened mouth, eyes as wide as saucers. Slowly, his cheeks began to turn red.

The shinigami watched in awe as she witnessed him blush for the first time. Never in her life did she think she would be able to make him blush. She started to laugh at his adorable expression, which made his cheeks darken further.

The adeptus put the spoon down and turned away from her. He didn't want her to see his face. With pursed lips, he glared down at the ground. He was surprised at how she said that with such ease, and it made him happy. In his mind, he couldn't help but play her words on repeat. This only resulted in his cheeks to turn redder. He was now as red as a tomato. His shoulders scrunched up as he lowered his head, the image and words of Izanami etched in his mind.

Suddenly, Xiao came face to face with Izanami. She had crawled around to sit directly in front of him on her knees. Her hands found their way to his cheeks, where she lifted his head so their eyes could meet. He saw the gentle, endearing smile that was present on her face and admired it. Cheeks still red, he gazed lovingly into her golden eyes. He gradually got over his embarrassment and leant into her tender touch.

Izanami leant forward, placing her lips against his forehead. After the brief peck, she rested her forehead against his. Her eyes never left his. "I didn't mean to embarass you, but I really do love you, Xiao."

A faint, rare smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "I
love you as well, Nami."

After finishing their meal, Xiao found himself resting  his head on Izanami's lap. He closed his eyes while enjoying the sensation of her fingers combing through his locks. A sigh of content fell from his lips. The pain from his karmic debt seemed to vanish around her, and he could experience peace. He never wanted this to end. He wanted to remain with her forever, but there was a part of him who knew there would be a time where they would have to part. Pushing the disheartening feeling into the deepest corner of his mind, he only allowed himself to enjoy this moment with her.