*+.~ xiao x reader
cw: kinda fluff??? pre-established friendship, no "traditional" romantic antics, kinda character study
You knew he was suffering, his labored breaths well visible behind the curtain, a hand over his forehead as the other was balled in a fist at his side— a telltale sign of his constant pain.
He had only left your side for a moment to excuse himself, even as you knew full well he left to suffer in silence, believing that it was the only way to keep you safe.
"Xiao..." you spoke, hesitant. You expected he would deny, push you away, tell you to go back to what you were doing.
Instead, he said nothing; yet while his brows still furrowed, he untensed his shoulders.
A silent invitation, you realized, as you parted the curtains of the balcony to accompany him.
The moonlight was strong tonight, so much so you had to use your hand to shield the light to adjust from your dark room.
It was not surprising to find him still in the same position, a dark energy faintly eminating from his tattoos. He grits his teeth, bringing his hand down from his face to lock eyes with you.
"You... you came..." he remarks.
"I did, yeah," you reiterate, smiling at him.
"...why, I could harm you, you know."
"I know that. I don't mind that fact."
He sighs, slumping to lean on the wooden railing, still seething from pain.
"You're foolish," he interjects, turning his attention to the streets beloe Wangshuu Inn. "Humans are foolish anyways."
"I know." you reply, agreeing. He has quite a point, and yet, you know he doesn't really mean it.
He's served humanity for years, as a weapon, a tool; and he's been mistaken, given as misinformation, and feared by humanity, despite all that he had done for them.
Truly, you could understand.
Xiao loved humanity, and yet, he could not afford to.
"And yet, you don't mean that, do you, Xiao?"
"Hm?" He whips his head around to face you, his hands gripping the wooden railing tight.
"You've served humanity for years, despite how they've treated you."
"It is my duty to do so," he says.
"Yes, I'm aware."
"And?"
"And, despite all that, why do you think I'm here?"
Xiao goes silent.
"I understand your struggles, and all that you provide for Liyue. And yet, I don't want you to shoulder this alone, even if it is your duty."
"But—"
"I know there isn't an option to truly take away all of your pain and karma," you continue, "But I at least want to be here for you, Xiao."
Xiao looks back at you again, a change in his expression, however faint it was, it was there; and the fact he could express it made you smile.
"...I thank you, for your understanding." he finally reacts, his eyes softened— a more tender look decorating his features, yet still pained.
Being able to directly hold eye contact with him; not as a monster, as a human— as someone who understood him, shook Xiao to his core.
How could I be appreciated like this? I don't deserve it, right?
Soon enough, the darker swirls stopped appearing around him, and Xiao was finally able to untense his limbs.
"The pain is... less intense now," Xiao remarks, "it will come back soon, though."
You nod.
"However." He swallows. "I thank you, again, for staying with me."
"You don't even have to ask. I'll always be here for you."
"Then... I wouldn't mind staying with you a little longer."
His cheeks had a slight red tint to them, which did not go unnoticed. You giggled a little.
"That's cute..." You mused.
He blushed even harder.
"I-I-... I am not 'cute'..." He stutters, looking away from you.
"Oh, you heard that... right, you're not human."
"...I am an adepti. I assume my senses may be slightly more attuned than a mortal's."
"Hm. Well, since we're out here, do you want to do something?" You asked.
Xiao sits down on the ground, his back on the railing as looks towards you.
"Come, sit here."
You gingerly tread next to him, sitting down at his side.
"The stars," he muses, almost dreamily if you squinted, "they're... peaceful."
"Yeah, I agree."
"They are far away, yet so close to us. During the day, they are hidden; but when night arrives, the glow of the stars reminds me that time still stays still sometimes."
You recall the ages of the adepti, remembering that Xiao had lived for many centuries, and many months and years. The only solace for the passing of time so rapid could only be something so concrete, like the stars.
"For the 500 years you've been around, you mean?"
"Yes."
The two of you sit in silence, only the occasional whoosh of the wind or the shuffling of clothes as you fidgeted in your seat interrupted it.
Before you even realized, you had awoken, in your bed with the covers tucked under your chin.
Turning on your side, a small slip of paper had appeared on your nightstand whereas a lack of one from before.
"I hope you rested well. I have gone for other duties, but I will return at nightfall. I hope you will accompany me once more. - Xiao"
A small smile graced your face, knowing you were able to bring him peace, even just for a little while.
I haven’t drawn them in a while so I made a new banner 💋
Doodle
i put a spell on you... 🔮
So much universe, and so little time.
The Last Hero by Terry Pratchett
How would you draw shadow showing affection?
Ohh I didn't expect that one, but I think that Shadow deep down likes affection and praise but he's not that used to it and would hate to admit it, so he would try to show affection in his own way, like helping or actions showing how he cares or maybe through letters.
This way:
Shadow x sonic x tall!fox!reader who wished that they were shorter to kiss their boyfriends easier
“Tall People Problems”
Pairing(s): Shadow the Hedgehog x Tall Mobian Fox Reader x Sonic the Hedgehog
Requested: Yes (by @fernstarsblog ).
Description: Being tall was great! You could reach the top shelf, you- …well, that was about it. You always disliked being so tall; you could never properly kiss your partners. It sucked.
Notes: Even more poly stuff, heck yeah! I hope you enjoy!
(Reader will be gender-neutral.)
(Not proof-read/beta-read.)
– – – – – – – – – – – –
It was a pretty average day, with the sun shining outside and the birds chirping.
You creak open your eyes, blinking a few times as you adjust to the light.
The first thing you notice is the two warm, heavy bodies on top of you.
The second thing you notice is one of them snoring, that one being your partner, Sonic.
The other body, that being your other partner, Shadow, who seems to be purring, though it sounds more like clicking, which you’ve loved since the first time you heard it.
This was…nice.
You start scratching Sonic and Shadow behind their ears, causing Sonic to start purring with Shadow leaning into your touch.
You could get used to this.
…Unfortunately the peace doesn’t last long, with Sonic’s communicator blasting its ringtone at full volume, causing all of you to all but leap out of the bed, all of you on edge as Sonic answers his communicator.
“Yello?” Sonic says.
“Hi Sonic! Sorry for the early call,” the voice of Tails says. “I just wanted to make sure you remembered our morning hangout!”
“Oh yeah! Don’t worry bro, I’ll be there in a minute,” Sonic says. “Just let me say bye to my partners and such.”
“Okay, no rush! I’ll see you soon, Sonic!” Tails says.
“See ya soon, bro,” Sonic states before hanging up, letting off a huge yawn while stretching. Shadow, too, yawns, rubbing his eyes a bit with his ungloved hands. “Welp, guess I gotta juice. Love you both!”
Sonic gives you both a kiss on the lips, which causes Shadow to get flustered as it usually does, before zooming out the door.
“Typical Sonic,” you say, shaking your head. “Guess that leaves us to breakfast, eh?”
“I suppose it does,” Shadow states. “What are you thinking?”
“Probably just eggs and bacon, maybe with some sausage and coffee,” you say.
“Sounds good to me,” Shadow says.
The two of you head off to the kitchen, and you quickly remember that the counters are sort of small compared to you.
I mean, you’re only about a foot taller than your partners, but it still doesn’t help much with the fact that you’re, well, tall.
Regardless, you lean down, grabbing a pan and turning on the stove, placing the pan over the heat, grabbing the butter and eggs, spreading butter on the pan before cracking two eggs, cooking them to over-easy perfection, taking them off of the pan and onto a plate with your spatula.
Buttering up the pan again, you crack two more eggs, this time opting to scramble them for yourself. After they’re cooked to perfection, you use the spatula again to put them on another plate just as Shadow finishes cooking the sausage and bacon.
He places them on a plate and you give Shadow a kiss on the head, where his red streak ends, and he grumbles, a bit flustered.
The two of you eat your breakfast, chatting about whatever, with Sonic eventually coming back around noon, the three of you opting to go out on an afternoon hike before coming home once it’s dark, getting ready for bed.
While watching a before-bed movie (with it being some cheesy romance movie), you start to wonder what it would be like to be the same height as your partners. Being tall is great and all (hey, that rhymed), but you wish you were shorter so you could properly kiss your partners.
Sonic notices you sulking and he tilts his head to the side, confused.
“Everything alright, [Nickname]?” Sonic asks.
“Do you guys ever wish I was shorter?” you ask.
“Where is this coming from all of a sudden?” Sonic asks.
Shadow looks over at you as well, a bit of concern on his face.
“I just- Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind being tall, but…I wish I was able to properly kiss you both,” you state.
“Aw, but [Name], we love your tall kisses,” Sonic says. “And if you were shorter, we’d lose our huge cuddle buddy!”
“What the faker is trying to say is that we love you for you,” Shadow states. “Be it tall, short, or whatever. We love you regardless.”
You give the both of them a kiss, as if saying “Thank you.”
You loved these hedgies to death.
im finally finished,, i can now rest, my hands are done but my brain will forever be deep into the twst xianxia brainrot,, i have so many ideas for how this dynamic will turn out !!!!!! i hope i did their characters justice with how i portrayed them here,,, i had the most fun doing grim(he's such a gremlin lol)
Yandere!Sonic Boom!Shadow with a reader who’s already in a relationship? 🫡
A/n: this is short, sorry!!
You always thought dating someone would be a blessing, having someone love you and you live them back? Perfect. And for the most part, it was. Your partner was kind, steady and caring. And you loved every bit of them.
But you had a problem.
Two problems, actually.
One was Sonic the Hedgehog.
The other was Shadow the Hedgehog.
Neither of them seemed to understand that you were in a relationship. Or maybe they just didn't care.
Sonic was always around, always showing up at the most inconvenient times, acting like your partner didn't even exist. Shadow, on the other hand, didn't show up as often, but when he did, he certainly made his presence known. His eyes would bore into yours like he could see past every flimsy excuse you made to keep him at a distance.
And the worst part? The two of them absolutely hated each other.
Sonic:
Sonic had always been friendly with you, but things had shifted ever since you got into a relationship. At first, you thought it was just him being his usual, overly confident self. But then the little things started happening.
Like how he'd coincidentally run into you and your partner whenever you went on dates.
"Oh, hey, fancy seeing you here!" he'd say, flashing that cocky grin as he skidded to a stop beside you. "Didn't think I'd uh... run into you again! What are the odds, huh?"
(They weren't. You knew he was following you.)
Or how he always managed to pull you away from your partner, leaving them baffled as Sonic whisked you off on some 'quick adventure' that lasted hours.
"C’mon Y/N, just one run around town! Just to how you how fast i am."
It didn't matter if you protested, he'd already be grabbing your wrist, his grip just a little too tight, air rushing past your skin as he yanked you away.
And the worst part? He made it seem normal.
Sonic played the "best friend" role so well that your partner never quite caught on to what was really happening. And when you finally tried to set boundaries, he just laughed.
"Aw, don't be like that! You know you love hanging out with me."
And the way he said it, it wasn't a question. It was a statement, one he expected you to accept.
Shadow:
If Sonic was the charming nightmare, Shadow was the storm waiting to strike.
Unlike Sonic, Shadow didn't show up constantly, but when he did, he made sure you knew it.
Your first mistake was assuming he didn't care.
Your second mistake was letting him get close enough to notice your relationship.
At first, he didn't say anything. He just watched.
You'd feel it, the weight of his stare, lingering like an unspoken threat. You'd be walking with your partner, and for a moment, something in the air would shift. The hairs on your neck would rise. And then, you'd see him.
Standing just far enough away to not seem suspicious.
But he was watching.
Always watching.
And when he finally approached you? His tone was sharp and cold.
"What are you doing, Y/N?"
"...I'm spending time with my partner?" you'd say cautiously, trying not to let his intense gaze get to you.
He just narrowed his eyes.
"Hmph. Wasting your time, then."
The first time he said that, you thought it was just Shadow being Shadow, dismissing things that didn't interest him. But then he started getting bolder.
"You don’t actually love them," he muttered one day, voice low and sure. "You're just settling."
You had scoffed at the time, brushing him off. But then your partner started having problems.
Shattered belongings. Disruptions at work. "Accidents" that left them too injured to take you out.
You never saw Shadow do anything, but… the timing was too perfect.
And then came the direct approach.
"You're not theirs" he said one evening when he cornered you outside your own home. The streetlights flickered, casting long shadows around you both. "You never were."
"Shadow, stop. I-"
"No, you stop, you're lying to yourself." His voice was low, almost soothing. "You belong with me."
WHUMPTOBER 2022 - ALT PROMPT 7 - PROTECTIVE
Did I draw Jack too big here? Probably. Do I care? Not really. Let him be a big terrifying woof woof who can dwarf his Dorm leader. As a treat. Leona has many thoughts going through his head, several he will absolutely bottle up and never talk about. But one of them is probably equivalent to D:< ASDFSDFSDFSDFASFSDFSDFSDFSDFSDF
(Jack is being a good Freshman leave him alone) -NO ROMANCE INCLUDED-
MY BABY........
mostly do fanart ⟢ multi fandom ⟢ rarely post oc 𓂃 𓈒𓏸I also post on TikTok go check out @tanutannuki
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