Tags and trigger warnings: emetophilia, vomit, fluff, Hurt/comfort

Summary: In which Xiao learns of one of the many issues that can occur when choosing to take a human form.

Posted to Ao3: July 27th 2021

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Xiao was pretty sure that he was finally dying. All he could do was lay curled up in his room Verr Goldet had given him, his arms wrapped around his stomach as he writhed on the bed panting.

Xiao had rarely ever used the room in the past because as an Adeptus he never needed sleep, so the room was used more as a place to hide away from the world as a whole and collect his thoughts.

Although considering Barbatos, or rather Venti as he went by now, frequently came to visit him the room had been getting more use.

Xiao groans as a sharp pain stabs at his stomach like a knife and he curls further in on himself, gritting his teeth as he tried his hardest to breathe around the intense overwhelming pain in his stomach.

It feels as if his stomach is in knots practically writhing as it churned violently beneath his fingertips, an almost unbearable pressure building there. His body jolts as a loud burp leaves his lips and Xiao grimaces whimpering, drool leaking from the corner of his mouth.

There's something else in addition to the pain that's bothering Xiao, a cold almost slimy feeling swirling in the pit of his stomach that leaves him trembling, a cold sweat prickling at his pale skin.

The pain stabbed at his stomach again and Xiao gasped, squeezing his eyes shut, unable to breathe for a moment or two.

Another loud burp leaves his mouth, the near river of saliva building up in his mouth trickling onto the blankets tasting faintly sour.

Xiao dying is the only possible answer he can think of for his current condition. He wasn't wounded, injuries were the first thing he checked for when the pain first began to get worse.

A hiccup leaves his mouth as his stomach practically flips inside of him and Xiao groans as that cold slimy feeling only grows mixing with the unbearable pain in his gut.

He squeezes his eyes shut as another sharp pain hits him, tears welling up in his eyes as he pants.

Xiao is admittedly terrified, he doesn't know what is exactly wrong with him but considering the way he feels it is anything but good. And yet Xiao has no clue how to help himself, bandaging and cleaning wounds was a straightforward process this was not. A cold visceral fear gripping him as he shakily raises his head, opening his eyes slightly.

Help, Xiao desperately needed help. And so, terrified and in agonizing pain, he uses what little strength he does have at the moment to teleport to Wangsheng funeral parlor, located in Liyue harbor looking for the one man that may be able to help him right now.

The moment Xiao arrives at his destination he crouches down whimpering, his arms wrapped around his churning, aching stomach as a sharp cramp twists at it.

He's trembling and panting from the pain, drool leaking from his lips and onto the hardwood floor.

If Xiao wasn't in as much pain as he was right now he might've felt absolutely humiliated, especially when a loud gurgling burp leaves his mouth.

He swallows thickly, a pained whimper leaving him as his body suddenly lurches forward, his stomach spasming as pain streaks across it.

Something hot, bitter, and sour fills Xiao's mouth as his stomach hitches and he swallows it back. It's not blood, at least it doesn't taste like it, it tastes utterly vile in fact.

A shudder of disgust rolls over him as he curls further in on himself. His stomach makes a low growling noise and Xiao whimpers as his body lurches forward again.

He doesn't know what in the world is happening to him but Xiao hates it. It hurts so, so bad, and he just wants it to stop.

It is Hu Tao who finds Xiao in the foyer of the funeral parlor, crouched down on the floor with his arms around his stomach as he whimpers and dry heaves over the floor. Drool dripping from his lips and tears in his eyes.

This is not what she expected to find in the least, she'd heard an odd noise and came to see what it was.

She jumps slightly startled when Xiao gives a loud retch, his face pinching in pain as his body lurches forward.

"Hey! No, no, no, not on the floor," she exclaims rushing over to him. She grabs him by his shoulders practically dragging him over a nearby trash can, Xiao struggles slightly in her grip, her touch aggravating his already frayed nerves.

"Just wait here, I'll go get him," she told Xiao as she released him. She knew why he was here, there was only one reason Xiao would come to the Funeral parlor especially in this state.

Thankfully Zhongli is in his office instead of off taking one of his many walks around Liyue Harbor, which is good because while Hu Tao knows many things, caring for a sick Adeptus definitely isn't one of them.

Xiao glances up at her sniffling as he hiccups, drooling into the trash can in front of him. Why had the girl even put this in front of him anyway and where was she going? Xiao has no clue to either of these questions and he doesn't really care at the moment truthfully.

He gasps as a cramp twists his stomach, gritting his teeth as more of the hot bitter liquid splashes into his mouth. Swallowing thickly, Xiao shakes his head, a hand clutching at his stomach as it continues to churn violently beneath his fingertips.

Hu Tao sighs as she enters Zhongli's office, the man looking up from his paperwork at her, a scowl on his face.

"Come with me, I think your Adeptus has a stomach ache or something," she said, crossing her arms. She grimaces when she faintly hears Xiao's whimpering coming from the foyer.

"Xiao? A stomach ache?" Zhongli said, blinking slowly, he set the paperwork aside, still scowling as Hu Tao nodded.

"Yeah, that's what I said. How many other Adepti do you have," she said with a soft snort. It wasn't that she didn't feel sorry for Xiao but in her line of work you either learned to find humor in certain things or you wound up depressed. "He's confused and on the verge of throwing up too. Did you not tell him what a stomach ache was?"

Zhongli stands up with a sigh. "Xiao is not aware of the complications that come with having a human form. Where is he?"

"The foyer, he almost threw up on the floor so I gave him a trash can," Hu Tao said pointing over her shoulder.

Nodding Zhongli leaves his office to go help Xiao. And Xiao is in the exact condition Hu Tao said he'd be.

He's on the floor, crouched with the trash can in front of him. His body trembling and practically curled up into a ball, his hands clawing at his stomach. Zhongli winces when he lurches forward with a loud strangled retch, his face pinching in pain.

He draws back panting and shakily lifts his head when he realizes Zhongli is standing there looking at him. "H-help me," Xiao whimpered, his amber eyes glassy with tears.

Zhongli walks over to him, a scowl on his face as he kneels down beside him. "Hu Tao informed me that your stomach is bothering you," he said.

Xiao nodded slowly, merely giving a soft groan in response, his eyes squeezed shut. He feels as if he can barely breathe, that cold slimy feeling melding with the pain, leaving him sickeningly dizzy as his stomach churns.

"May I," Zhongli asked softly as he reached out toward Xiao's stomach. Xiao tended to be very sensitive to touch so Zhongli didn't want to make his condition even worse by aggravating that sensitivity.

Xiao nodded slowly his hands falling away from his stomach as Zhongli's take their place. A soft hiss leaves Zhongli's mouth, Xiao's stomach is bloated and taut beneath his fingertips the organ writhing like a ball of snakes as it churned violently beneath his fingers.

Xiao's stomach hitches suddenly and he gives an audible swallow as more of that disgusting liquid splashes into his mouth. He curls in on himself as a sharp pain stabs at his gut, his cheeks bloating out as his stomach hitches again forcing more of that horrible tasting liquid into his mouth. Squeezing his eyes shut he takes panicked breaths in through his nose, his body trembling and tears in his eyes Xiao forces himself to swallow.

"I-I think I'm dying," Xiao whimpered in between his panting.

Surprisingly though Zhongli shakes his head, one hand still gently rubbing Xiao's stomach. "This is something that can happen while using a human form," he told him.

"I want it to stop, it hurts," he manages to whimper, his body lurches forward again, pain streaking across his abdomen as he emptily retches over the trash can in front of him, threads of drool dripping from his mouth.

"Here, allow me," Zhongli said. He waits until Xiao stops retching to take his face in one hand, his other coming up to Xiao's mouth.

Confused and desperate for any form of relief Xiao opens his mouth, he doesn't know what Zhongli is about to do or how he's going to help him but he trusts the man's judgment wholeheartedly.

Zhongli's gloved fingers enter Xiao's mouth, two of them carefully crawling across Xiao's tongue as he reaches to the very back of his throat. The moment his fingers brush the back of his throat Xiao tenses a choked gasping noise leaving his mouth as he gags, his throat clenching around Zhongli's fingers trying to push them out.

Zhongli scowls, shifting his fingers slightly as he carefully strokes the back of Xiao's throat with his fingers. That does it, Xiao's body jolting with a loud gurgling burp as a surge of thick, slightly watery pale vomit shoots from his mouth, it coats Zhongli's hand, splattering across his suit as he draws his hand free.

Panting and wide-eyed Xiao merely sits there looking absolutely shocked and mortified, his eyes quickly glancing away from Zhongli.

"I-I'm sorry, sir-" he manages to stammer out although he's cut off a second later as he retches another surge of pale vomit falling from his lips splattering the floor as it forms a sickening puddle at their feet.

Zhongli merely shakes his head as he grabs the trash can, bringing it up to Xiao's mouth to catch the next wave he chokes up. Xiao groans, his hands going to his stomach once more.

It is still killing him, yes, but he can't help but feel as though the unbearable ache and pressure in his stomach is slowly beginning to ease up though. He has no idea how or why this is helping him, especially when it feels as though the liquid is burning his throat, coming up so violently it's practically choking him but Xiao isn't going to complain in the slightest.

With his clean hand, Zhongli reaches out brushing Xiao's hair out of his face as he gives a wet hiccup sending more vomit cascading into the trash can.

Xiao gives a small choked whimper as he coughs, gasping desperately for air as he begins dry heaving over the trashcan threads of drool hanging from his lips.

"There we are," Zhongli murmurs as Xiao continues to hiccup. "I believe you may have gotten up what was bothering you."

Xiao merely groans blinking slowly, seemingly dazed as he wipes his mouth with one trembling hand. He doesn't understand what just happened and it was absolutely terrifying, in fact since the Archon war ended he never thought he'd experience a type of fear like this ever again.

Admittedly though, despite the soreness in his stomach and the raw burning in his throat Xiao does feel a lot better. Although now he's tired, exhaustion weighing down his body as an almost euphoric wave of relief takes hold of him.

"Do you feel better?" Zhongli asked as he set the trash can off to the side.

Xiao nodded slowly as he looked at Zhongli, only to glance away his face flushing with embarrassment and shame when he sees the mess coating the front of his jacket and on the floor. "I'm very sorry sir," he whispered.

Zhongli shook his head as he stood up removing his gloves and coat, he folded the soiled clothes up to wash them later before turning back to Xiao. Xiao is still sitting on the floor, looking as if he's trying not to doze off.

Smiling slightly, Zhongli holds out one hand to him. "Come with me, you may rest in my office."

Xiao nodded again as he took the hand allowing Zhongli to carefully help him to his feet. He's still trembling slightly and his eyes are still glassy with unshed tears but this time Zhongli is sure it is merely from the exertion than anything else.

Once back in Zhongli's office, Xiao sits down on the sofa in the corner frequently reserved for clients as Zhongli returns to his desk to continue filling out the paperwork making a brief note to help Hu Tao clean the foyer.

It isn't long before Zhongli hears soft snoring coming from Xiao's spot on the sofa. Looking up he smiles when he sees Xiao curled up there, sleeping peacefully having dozed off listening to the soft rustling of papers as Zhongli worked.

He gets up going over to the small cabinet in the corner of the room grabbing the blanket Hu Tao had placed there one of the nights she and Zhongli were working late. He goes to Xiao's side, spreading the blanket over him, his smile only growing when Xiao practically snuggles the cloth, nuzzling it.

Returning to his desk Zhongli continues his work doing his best not to disturb Xiao's peaceful slumber.