Freefalling was something only the fearless did. Or, more accurately, it was something only those with endless amounts of trust did.
You supposed it was a bit of both.
To plummet through the sky, with nothing but your partner to catch you before you died - it was exhilarating.
Is this what falling in love feels like? You can’t help but wonder.
When you first jump off of the edge of mountain, your glider is outstretched and carries you, peaceful and oblivious. The warm updrafts of air lift you higher and higher, before you snap your glider shut and begin to fall. The wind turns cold and plays with your body, twisting and turning you like a ragdoll. Your heart races, sending blood rushing into your ears and fear through your veins before you think ’I chose this’ and you start to forget.
The second part of falling is when your mind starts to wander. You’re so high off the ground, above the wispy clouds even, that you forget where you are, who you are, even, and you lose all sense of direction. It’s not until you slowly start to drift through Liyue’s clouds, that you remember everything and reunite with your humanity, even if you are upside down. The third part of falling is when everything gets faster. Mountain sides rush past you, and you tumble your body so that you can see start to see the ground. You stretch your arms and legs out wide, a flimsy imitation of your glider, and huff a breath of air out through your mouth, trying to suck more in, but the battering wind makes it difficult, and you feel breathless before you can turn your head to the side and suck in a lungful of air.
The last part of falling is what scares people the most. People think they have a fear of heights, when most of the time the fear is in the landing itself. Your mother’s words ring in your head ’It’s not the fall that will kill you, but the landing.’ You wince and try to shake her wise, if concerning, words away. You can see the trees and rocks more clearly now, and you have a decision to make.
You can wait, to see if you get caught before your body gets dashed against sharp rocks, or you can be nice and give him a warning. You decide that for once, being scolded is worth the risk. You want to see, to know - to satisfy and satiate the curiosity fluttering in that space between your heart and stomach. The place that normally holds fear.
It’s only when you start to get nervous, to realize that, hey, those rocks down there are getting awfully close aren’t they? that you see a flash of electric green and feel strong arms catch you, none-too-gently.
“Ouch,” you whine, smiling at the growl that rumbles from his chest. Your back and shoulders sting, and when Xiao drops you, all you can do is laugh, rubbing your now-sore tailbone. “You caught me!"
"No thanks to you,” Xiao snarls, crossing his arms and turning away from you. “You could’ve died. Why didn’t you call for me?"
You grin sheepishly and all that slips out of your mouth is a not-very-sorry-at-all, "Sorry?"
Xiao ‘hmphs,’ his arms still crossed and glaring at a spot on the ground. You stand, starting to feel the beginnings of guilt curl around your heart. "I trust you, Xiao,” You say softly, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I knew you’d catch me."
He’s silent for a few minutes more, and you sigh. "I really am sorry, Xiaooomph!"
You’re cut off by Xiao quickly turning to you, burying his head in the crook of your neck and squeezing you to him tightly, so much that you almost couldn’t breathe.
"Don’t make me imagine a life without you again,” is all he mumbles, and you return the hug quickly.
That was something you hadn’t thought of. You can feel Xiao relax against you, feel his heartbeat slow to something less erratic, but he doesn’t loosen his grip, and it’s then that you realize the answer to your question.
It’s not the weightless, terrifying feeling of being suspended midair, but the post-adrenaline infused and safe feeling of being grounded was what love felt like.
Falling in love feels like coming home, you think. And I think we both came home a while ago.
~*~
if you can like this, you can reblog it. do so.
so which one of you lucky fucks got xiao