A/N: I don't know about you guys, but I was more excited about Thoma than Hu Tao. I managed to pull him and adore him even more. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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"Xiao..." A voice whimpered in pain.

The adeptus' eyes open at the sound of the feeble voice. Eyes scanning around the room, he found himself in a concrete chamber. Torches dimly lit the perimeter of the circular room. No windows allowed him a glimpse of the outside world. Time was an anomaly and there were no indications of day or night. The sensation of cold metal digging into his wrists and ankles startled him. Examining his position closer, his arms were bound by shackles above his head and his legs were chained to the floor.

Across the way, Xiao saw Izanami restrained just like him. His eyes widen in horror at seeing her body littered with cuts and bruises. Blood trickled down her face, legs, and arms as she hung lifelessly like a battered doll. He yanked against his restraints, desperate to reach her. The shackles jingled as he tried to free himself. With gritted teeth, he jerked harder against the rusted chains. The metal links creaked, straining agaisnt his strength. Just as the chain was about to snap, a sharp pain resonated from his chest. As the pain intensified, he screamed in agony. There was only one thing that caused him such pain--his karmic debt.

Xiao's karmic debt maifested into shadowy tendrils. They emanated from his body and wound around the chains, strengthening them. A few of the tendrils snaked around his body, preventing him from moving at all. The pain lessened, but it still emitted fainty from his chest. His body shook with rage and agony, chest rising and falling rapidly. Even through the pain, his eyes never left Izanami. He cursed his karmic debt for holding him back when she needed him.

The yaksha's attention was drawn to a shadowy figure he spotted from the corner of his eye. He watched closely as the black silhouette walked towards the shinigami. He glared threateningly at the person shrouded with shadows. "Don't touch her," he growled.

The person ignored him and kneeled down in front of the unconscious girl. They roughly grabbed her chin and lifted her head, their distorted voice echoing throughout the chamber. "Death for a shinigami would be liberation. I shall utilize your skills to achieve eternity."

Xiao clenched his fists tightly, fingernails digging into his palms through his gloves. He wouldn't let this person enslave Izanami like he once was. It was pure torture to be used as a weapon of destruction and treated like an object. "I won't let you use her!" He hissed.

The figure released Izanami and turned to face the adeptus. "You are powerless because you choose to be. Allowing such corruption to shackle you to an invisble prison is what makes you feeble. Perhaps once your chains shatter will you then see true power and protect what is yours. For now, they shall bind you and inhibit you from aiding those you cherish. All you can do is merely watch."

Xiao fought against his karmic debt and the chains. He could feel the pain and madness beginning to cloud his mind. His attempt to escape was futile with no sign of freedom in sight, but he continued to struggle.

The black silhouette only watched him struggle in vain. They were tired of him and looked at the shinigami. "You will be a weapon to achieve eternity. Be prepared for your suffering shall be for naught."

"Xiao!"

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Xiao's eyes fly open with a gasp. The second his eyes opened, he found himself peering up at a pair of golden pools brimming with concern. Seeing the slit pupils, he exhaled a shaky breath. "Izanami..."

"You looked like you were in pain. Are you okay?" She softly asked, fingers still threaded through his dark, teal locks.

"It was merely a nightmare," he replied. Extending his hand, he stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. "Are you uninjured?"

"I'm fine," she responded. "If you're asking me that, I must've been in your nightmare. Did something happen to me?"

"You were injured and I could do nothing as you bled out. I...was powerless."

Izanami untangled one of her hands from his hair. She took the hand that was stroking her cheek and held it gently against her face. "I'm here. You don't need to worry. I'm safe, Xiao."

"As long as you remain by my side, I will protect you," he declared. "You are capable in battle, but I will be your shield. If anyone wishes to harm you, they must strike me down first."

"It would sadden me if you got hurt because of me. Please protect yourself first and foremost, Xiao."

"Your well-being is more important than mine."

"The same goes for me. Your safety is my top priority."

"Ridiculous," he remarked.

Izanami sighed. This conversation was going to be stuck on repeat if she didn't do something. "When two people are in love, they will do everything in their power to protect each other. Just as you wish to protect me, I want to protect you. We will have each other's backs no matter what comes our way."

Xiao's golden eyes reflected with a glint of understanding. "I see..." He sat up, removing his head from her lap. "You truly are strange."

She pouted like a child. "There's nothing strange about what I said. It's normal to want to protect the person you love."

"I do not require protection."

"I know, but that's not going to stop me. I know you're powerful, but you're not indestructible."

Xiao couldn't deny the truth her words carried. He was immortal, but he wasn't invincible. Having her protecting his back would be beneficial. With a closed-eye sigh, he spoke up. "It seems I was wrong. Your presence at my side shall prove to be beneficial."

Izanami blinked owlishly. "Oh, wow. I-I didn't expect you to give in so easily." She cleared her throat and decided to change the subject. "A-Anyway, we've finished our meal. We should head back."

"No," Xiao replied. "There is no need for us to hurry. I wish to spend more time with you, Nami."

The shinigami glanced up at the sky. From the position of the sun, she knew it was only a little past noon. She didn't have anything else planned today and didn't see why they couldn't spend some more time together alone. She smiled at the yaksha. "All right."

Adjusting their positions, the two leaned agaisnt the thick trunk of the tree. They watched the clouds above sail by in silence, hands intertwined like ribbons. Izanami leaned her head against Xiao's shoulder. Gradually, her eyes slipped closed. She wasn't tired, but the idea of a nap was too tempting to deny. With a smile etched across her lips, she fell into a peaceful slumber.

Xiao, once Izanami was fast asleep, leaned his head agaist hers. His ear brushed against hers, the soft fur tickling his skin. Because of the nightmare, he avoided falling asleep a second time. He allowed the shinigami to sleep on him since she was his pillow earlier. His golden eyes drifted down to their conjoined hands. Trailing his thumb across her knuckles, he realized just how much smaller her hand was from his own. It fit perfectly within his, making him believe she was made for him.

Cheek pressed against her head, Xiao inhaled the gentle, calming scent of berry and mint. In the past two years he's spent with Izanami, this scent had become his favorite. It was the aroma of the special shampoo Verr makes for the shinigami.

The adeptus' body suddenly tensed when he detected a threatening presence. He gripped Izanami's hand tighter at the sensation of someone watching them. With narrowed eyes, he looked around in search of who was observing them. He couldn't find anyone and the malevolent presence vanished just as quickly as it appeared. Even though they were gone, he remained on guard.

Xiao's attention was drawn to a book Izanami had smuggled into the picnic basket. Not recognizing the cover, he picked it up and flipped through the pages and realized it was a romance novel. He knew the shinigami would read them here and there, but her favorite genre was historical nonfiction. On the other hand, he wasn't as big a fan of literature like her. Regardless, he was curious and read bits of the novel. The only parts he read were the interactions between the couple. Although it was a fictional story, he learned a few things he could try with her. Only the ones he didn't find too strange.

Finished with the book, Xiao placed it back in the picnic basket. As he did, that's when he felt Izanami's presence vanish. His head snapped to the side and saw she was gone. "Nami?" His heart began to thunder within his chest the moment he leapt to his feet. Because of the darkness within her carried the same wavelength as his karmic debt, he could sense she was nearby. Following the sensation, he traveled the winds and found her not too far from the cliff.

Xiao stood on the bank of the river, eyes focused on the shinigami who stood on a flaming platform in the middle of the lake. He wondered what she was doing until the water around her slowly turned black.

From the tainted water arose a tar-covered silhouette as the black liquid solidified. It's lanky, tall stature towered over Izanami, who was calm and collected. The crimson eyes of the malevolent spirit focused on the girl before hissing threateningly. One of its claw-like hands shot forward. The slender digits wound around her neck, but they didn't squeeze.

From where Xiao stood, it appeared the malevolent spirit was strangling Izanami. He summond his jade spear, ready to attack the threat. The only problem he came across was how would he reach the middle of the lake.

As he was trying to formulate a plan, Izanami summoned twin fans and easily disposed of the malevolent spirit that had tracked her down. Its body dissipated into a cloud of ash and the water tainted by its tar body purified. She dispelled her fans before turning towards the sandy bank where Xiao waited with his weapon at the ready. With each step she took forward, a new blazing platform appeared under her feet.

Arriving at the bank of the river, Izanami stepped off her fiery patform. Her heels sunk in the sand with each step she took. Stopping in front of Xiao, she offered him an apologetic smile. "Sorry for running off." Looking down, she nervousy tapped the tip of her right heel into the sand. "I...haven't been completely truthful with you, Xiao."

"What do you mean?" he inquired.

"When I spoke with Konomi, she told me I had a month at the very least before Inazuma is swamped in malevolent spirits. I...I must return to Inzauma before the month is up. I want to apologize for not telling you earlier. I was hoping to keep it a secret a little longer, but this malevolent spirit has hindered my plan." Izanami still couldn't bring herself to meet Xiao's gaze. "I will need to head back to Liyue Harbor and search for a ship that may be able to take me back to Inazuma."

"This...is too soon," Xiao hissed.

"I know," she mumbled sorrowfully. "I wish I didn't have to go back, but it is inevitable. But with the time I have left in Liyue, know that I will remain by your side."

Xiao wasn't sure how to cope with such heartbreaking information. Various emotions tugged his heart in different dirctions. He didn't want her to leave yet he knew her duty as a shinigami came before him. It was a job that couldn't be pushed aside. Riddng himself of his spear, he closed the disance between him and Izanami. "That is all I ask, Nami." Enacting what he read in the book, he grabbed her chin and pressed his lips against hers.

It was a passion-filled kiss, one that scrambled Izanami's brain. When she felt his tongue slide between her slightly parted lips and into her mouth, she tensed up. Shocked by the sudden intrusion, she pulled her chin out of Xiao's grasp and took a few steps back. Cheeks ignited a deep crimson, she covered her mouth with both of her hands. Her wide-eyed stare bore into the adeptus, who wore a calm expression. Dropping her hands after somewhat being able to compose herself, she jabbed a finger towards the boy. "Wh-Where did you learn that?!"

Xiao crossed his arms with a scoff. "You were the one who decided to bring a romance novel."

She retracted her hand. "Romance novel?"

"Were you truly unaware of the genre of book you brought along?"

"Wait, are you talking about the book Verr gave me before we left?" She gasped. "It's a romance novel?!"

"Shouting is unnecessary," he grumbled.

Izanami lowered her voice. "And you read it?"

"Only certain parts where the couple interacted with each other. To say I have learned a few things would be somewhat of an understatement."

The shinigami's eye twitched. She returned to the cliff with Xiao's help and immediately flipped through the pages of the romance novel. She read the intimate parts, which were rather detailed. When she got to the part where the couple couldn't keep their hands off each other, she slammed the book shut. She frantically packed up everything and demanded Xiao take them back to Wangshu Inn. He wasn't sure why she was flustered, but he didn't argue.

Arriving bak at the inn, Izanami stomped over to Verr with the book in her hand. She slammed it down on the fromt desk with a huff. Her cheeks were still red from Xiao's intimate kiss and what she read in the novel. "What is the meaning of this, Verr? You know I'm not a big fan of romance novels!"

"I know, but I thought you'd enjoy this one. It came out just last week," Verr replied. She saw the shinigami's red cheeks and tilted her head. "Did something happen om your date, Nami?"

Izanami rolled her bottom lip between her teeth before sighing. "Xiao got ahold of the book and read some of it..." She flipped through the pages until she came across the steamy makeout session the fictitious couple was engaged in. The scene was truly lacking no details. If someone asked the shinigami, she would say there's too much detail. "Don't you think this book is a little too explicit?"

"Oh, come now, Nami!" Verr giggled. "You're a big girl! You're actually much older than me by a couple millennia. Don't tell me you can't handle a steamy romance novel."

"Trust me, I can handle any romance novel you throw my way. But when my significant other starts acting out the intimate scenes, it can throw me off!"

The woman gaped in surpise at the news. "Xiao tried to reenact one of the scenes from the book with you?"

"Yes!" Izanami groaned. "I am not mentally ready for somthing so intimate. I may be nearly three thousand years old, but that doesn't mean I'm ready for the intimate parts of a relationship. I-I'm still trying to navigate my own emotions. This is the first time I've ever been in love."

Verr smiled kindly. "I understand. Maybe Xiao reenacted the scene from the book because he's not sure how to deal with his own emotions either. It wasn't until you came along did he start to understand human customs and emotions. Love is a concept that is new to both of you. If he does something to make you uncomfortable, tell him. This is Xiao we're talking about. I doubt he'd do anything that you don't want him to, Nami."

"I-I mean, I didn't hate the kiss! It was just so sudden and...I was not expecting that..."

Verr's smile morphed into a mischievous grin. "What did Xiao do to you, hmm?"

The shinigami's cheeks darkened. "I-It's none of your business!" Snatching up the book, she escaped to her room. Placing the novel on the table located opposite of her bed, she sat down and buried her face into her arms that laid splayed out across the wooden surface. Her ears flattened against the top of her head while her tail hung limply. She tried not to think of the kiss, but it was the only thing on her mind.

Lifting her head, Izanami traced a finger across her lips. She was turning ten shades of red just from remembering the sensation of Xiao's tongue. She grabbed her ears and tugged on them. "Stop thinking about it...!" She yelled to herself.

From out of the blue, her hands were pried off her ears by someone. She felt the person pressed against her back, recognizing the warmth and presence. Reclining her head back against their abdomen, she tilted her head up and saw the only person who would ever enter her room without making a single noise. "Xiao, I-I thought you had wandered off."

"There were a few demons not far from the inn when we returned, but I have disposed of them," he said, releasing her hand. "Why were you pulling at your ears?"

She immediately looked away. "No reason..."

"You are lying," he promptly pointed out. "Was it because of my impulsive behavior earlier? Did I make you uncomfortable? If so, I will never--"

"No!" Izanami flew to her feet, startling the yaksha. "It didn't make me uncomfortable. It was just...unexpected."

"Then...did you enjoy it?"

She blushed for what seemed to be the hundreth time today. Gripping the hem of her kimono dress, she tugged at the black fabric. "I, u-um..." She was a mess. Inhaling deeply, she calmed her racing heart. "I-I did...enjoy it. I just can't believe you actually did what was in the book."

"As you know, I am not familiar with the interactions of couples. After reading a few pages from the novel, I was convinced I could do those things with you. Is it selfish of me to want to try romantic gestures with you?"

Her blush slowly dissipated. A smile was left behind. "Not at all. Maybe we could try that kiss again. After all, it was my fault it was ruined."

Xiao glanced at her lips, remembering how soft they were. Without wasting a second, he closed the distance between them. Snaking one hand behind her neck, he pushed her closer and slammed his lips against hers.

Because of the force behind the kiss, Izanami's body was pushed back. The back of her thighs collided with the table. She almost fell backwards onto the table, but Xiao wrapped his other arm around her waist to steady her and pull her flush against him. She grabbed his upper arms the moment the kiss deepened and she felt the sensation of his tongue tangling with hers. She was putty in his hands, allowing him to kiss her as passionately as he could.

Once the kiss ended, Izanami inhaled deeply. Eyes glazed over with endearment, she stared into Xiao's golden pools. "Celestia above..." She sighed. "Are you sure you haven't done this before?"

"Yes," he replied seriously, not realizing she was being sarcastic.

She giggled at his response. "Who knew you were such a good kisser. Then again, I've never kissed another person."

Xiao released the back of her neck. His arm joined the other that was secured around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder. "This...is all very strange. I know how much I yearn and care for you, but I do not understand where these emotions came from."

"Love is unexpected. It's a complicated emotion and many people don't realize when they've fallen in love," she said. "People fall in love for different reasons."

Xiao had thought he fell in love with Izanami because of the darkness they shared, but he knew there was more. He adored the way her ears and tail would give away her emotions, how caring she was, and her skills in battle. She was a unique person who sparked his interest the moment he sensed her presence two years ago. Not only that, she was immortal just like him. He didn't have to worry about time taking her away from him.

The adeptus turned his head, nudging his nose against the side of her neck. "I truly do adore you, Nami. Never have I imagined myself professing emotions of fondness to another during my entire existence."

She smiled warmly. "As humans say, "First time for everything.""

His eyes narrowed. "Humans have too many sayings."

"That, I agree with."