Chapter Text
Lumine is in his arms, the hug taking place on their balcony as he spends the night with her before she takes off for Natlan tomorrow, “Stay safe.” his words are barely audible from his lips’ placement in her hair, but he can’t bear creating space just yet. This was the Nation (besides Snezhnaya) that he dreaded her visiting the most. It wasn’t considered the Nation of War for no reason, the constant battles against the Abyss pose a real threat against his star and he is beginning to feel the overwhelming urge to tuck Lumine away in his room and never letting her step foot in that land- but, he knows she would never allow it, so he stands here holding her for as long as she will permit.
Lumine’s grip on his neck tightens, careful to avoid the spikes decorating his left shoulder easily, “I promise I’ll stay as safe as I can, but you know that I can’t promise all that you want me to promise.” She truly cannot promise all that I wish for her to. No matter if it was about her dubious safety- or her heart.
“Just write when you can, I want to know that you’re okay.” arms begin to rub up and down her back, his cheeks scenting her hair out of the urge to do all he can to help, “If you need me, I will come. Just call my name.”
Lumine finally parts from him, far enough to cup his cheeks and flash him a reassuring smile, “Of course I will. I’ve been practicing my anemo control and I believe I can send letters easier with it now, so expect frequent letters. I might have to send them to the front desk of the inn, though, so make sure you ask Verr about any letters when you come back from patrols.” she places their foreheads together, rubbing gently before releasing him entirely to stand facing the marsh, “Now, lets appreciate our time together before I have to head to bed.”
Xiao steps up next to her, leaning his shoulder against her own, “As you wish.” his eyes barely stay facing forwards for the rest of the night.
—
The Adepti who have come to know the Traveler had decided to see Lumine off this time around, sharing advice from their time of the Archon War while they flew (Paimon, Cloud Retainer and Mountain Shaper) or walked (everyone else) together towards the boarder between Liyue and Sumeru. Xiao stays by her side, polearm resting on his shoulder as he payed half an ear to the conversations being had and the rest of his senses either tuned into their surroundings or the woman besides him. His nerves were frayed still from his conversation (read: interrogation) from Yelan the night of Lantern Rite, so he put that energy into keeping watch of their surroundings (not that they were in any danger- only an idiot would attack a group so obviously made of powerful Adepti).
Occasionally, Lumine’s hand would brush against his own and it would leave his arm tingling until it happened again, slowly building a numbing sensation that would probably only leave if he grew the courage to hold her hand. The eyes of every Adepti he knew kept him from doing so, though, because he would rather avoid another lecture on the moralities regarding scenting out of courtship than take that chance.
Lumine, it seemed, didn’t notice that he did not wish to hold hands at that moment, because she arranges their fingers until she has a firm grasp on him; thumb rubbing up and down the side of his hand as she continues to chat with Moon Carver about past battle plans.
Feeling the blush climbing his neck, Xiao tries not to look towards any of his fellow Adepti, but accidentally makes brief eye contact with Cloud Retainer. Hoping she hasn’t noticed, Xiao continues to stare straight ahead as they near the tunnel that will lead Lumine safely to Sumeru.
“Well, I guess this is where we’ll be seeing you off!” Paimon chirps, small hand waving happily before she flies to Lumine’s free side, accidentally drawing more eyes to the current situation between Lumine and him. The blush moves from his neck to his ears and he hastily drops Lumine’s hand to try and lessen the damage.
Lumine walks around and bids farewell to everyone, thanking them for the valuable battle insights and for seeing her off before reaching Xiao and pulling him into a sudden hug. He had barely been able to send his polearm away to his pocket dimension before she could get accidentally stabbed, arms instinctively wrapping around her to return the embrace.
Her scent invades his senses, but he can only faintly smell himself on her from the night before and deems her too unsafe from how lacking it seemed to be, face moving without thought to rub his cheek on her head and his arms up and down her shoulder blades, “Take care of yourself.” her words are quiet; meant only for his ears, and he holds onto her tighter before finally releasing her after she smells completely of him.
He immediately feels many curious or mirthful gazes directed at them both and he tenses up, creating a bit more space between them but keeping their hands together, “I should be telling you that.” is his response when he exits his haze of Lumine Lumine Lumine.
Said woman just smiles wide enough for her dimples to flash at him before disappearing into her round cheek once more, “Still, you should consider eating something else other than almond tofu- probably something more nutritious?” she teases him with a wink before releasing him completely, walking backwards with a waving hand to their group as a whole, “See you guys when our trip is over!” with that last farewell, she’s turning and her figure, along with Paimon’s, disappears in the tunnel’s darkness.
“So, Adeptus Xiao, when were you doing to inform this One of your recent courtship with the Traveler?” Cloud Retainer’s feathers ruffle from obvious displeasure, voice bordering on offended that she was left in the dark over such matters, “It is a good match, One much admit. She is of good standing socially and morally, is very strong physically and mentally, and I’m sure you both would create beautiful babies that One could tend to while you are both off attending to your own duties.”
He promptly summons his pole and mask, turning away from the group before him, “I must continue my patrols; there’s been a spike of resentment near Wangshu Inn that I must tend to.” his words are rushed, the urge to run coursing through his veins before teal wisps of smoke accumulate and he’s gone, leaving behind a very angry crane and their group of curious friends. He could almost sense Yanfei’s disappointment and Zhongli’s (arguably) good-natured humor as he makes his retreat.
He avoids Cloud Retainer’s mountain for weeks after the incident. He did not need to have that conversation.
—
In all of Lumine’s- many- years of living, she has never been in such a strange situation. There was a child before her- and that wasn’t the odd part, Lumine is around children a lot during and in between battles- the odd part was, this child was cowering away from her. Lumine had originally approached her after overhearing something about a Pilgrimage and how the girl’s (Kachina, if her ex-teammates were calling her was her name) teammates were leaving their group to join another; Lumine and Paimon seemed to be of the same mind in thinking to see what was up, so they had walked forwards once Kachina was alone again to have a word.
The young girl’s rabbit-like ears had quickly perked up, body tensing and nose twitching before she was crouching as if to avoid a blow. So, now they were here, standing awkwardly over a child who was obviously scared of the Traveler.
Raising a tentative hand, Lumine slowly reached for Kachina’s form, “Excuse me? Are you okay?” her voice and feather-light touch only seemed to make the child jump, now at full height and polearm at the ready. Lumine instinctively summoned her sword, holding it before herself and Paimon in a defensive position, “Woah! I’m not going to harm you- you can put the weapon away!”
Nearby people glanced over- but fights seemed to be a norm here, so they had barely cared about the ruckus the outsiders and hybrid girl were making before returning to their work or conversations. The girl bared her teeth, fangs sharp, and only raised her weapon higher in response.
Paimon fretfully flew around behind Lumine’s back, hands waving erratically, “Woah, woah! We haven’t even been given the chance to introduce ourselves yet! How come this is the welcome we get?” her shrill voice was loud with offense, “Is everyone in Natlan so quick to pick a fight?!”
The hybrid hesitated, eyes scanning the woman and fairy before her with wide, cautious eyes- and she must have seen that they weren’t an immediate threat, because her pole lowered slightly, “You… really need to learn how to reign in your scent, then, unless you want to end up in a lot of unwanted fights.”
Lumine’s mind whirled, the words not making any sense to her as she searched for a reason as to why she would smell scary, until she remembered her conversation with Tighnari a couple years ago, “Oh my Archons.” she sent her sword away so she could cover her face with her hands, “That mother hen!”
Seeing that her opponent was now disarmed, Kachina also sent her weapon away as a show of trust, “Did you not notice? I felt like all my fur was standing on end! There’s no way you couldn’t have smelt yourself.” she used a mitten-covered hand to hide her nose behind it, her voice muffled slightly in response, “Sorry if that’s mean to say…” a pink blush of embarrassment now appears; her mind catching up to the words she’s said and how offensive they could be.
Lumine drops her hands so Kachina could see her smile reassuringly, “Don’t worry about it. I’m glad someone informed me about this before I got myself into more awkward situations.” she turns to Paimon, “Xiao is going to hear from me when we return to Liyue. He’s got some explaining to do.”
Paimon giggled from behind her hand, mind catching up with the same conclusion Lumine has, “I can’t wait to see his face! I wonder if he’ll run away or accept his fate.” she finally turns back to Kachina, straight to business, “Now, what’s this we heard about a Pilgrimage?”
Somewhere in Dihua Marsh, a Guardian Yaksha sneezes and a sense of doom enters his mind.
—
It was a few months into the Traveler’s absence when he gets the letter. Along with her usual updates about her and Paimon’s well being, she had asked him a question that he’s been dreading since Yanfei threatened confronted him after all the Chasm drama settled down.
“Why is it that a hybrid child cowered away from me the second I was nearby?” Xiao knew better than to assume he could lie- even if he would rather cut his own tongue out than outright lie to his closest companion- he knew: Lumine would not ask him outright about this specific thing if she didn’t already assume he had something to do with it.
He wondered why the women in his life loved to make him sweat with nerves. Surely, they could show him some mercy every now and again. His response was honest, but lacked the emotional aspect of it all (in fear that Lumine wouldn’t take it well), “I left my scent on you to ward off abyssal creatures before you departed. It might have sent warnings to other beings with sensitive noses, as well. My apologies for this oversight.” in his heart he wondered if it truly was an oversight. There were many threats, and hybrid creatures could easily be some of them. Though, he should have considered the ones who are not. He hopes he didn’t upset his star too much with his worrying.
After he sent off his letter, he covered his face with gloved hands and groaned in embarrassment. He believed to be horrible at this scenting thing, if he’s been causing Lumine grief even after trying to control his emotions while scenting her, then he should probably stop. He didn’t want to make trouble for her.
—
His resolve only lasted until he saw her again. The war in Natlan was obviously perilous for her; still-healing scars, yellowing bruises, and a few burn marks marred her arms and back. Her face was troubled and Xiao felt his own tension settle when she spotted him on their balcony and that troubled look on her face eased into a more tired one; relief painting her expression as he enveloped her in a tender hug at the sight of her. They hugged for a few minutes before Xiao parted enough to see her face, a small cut was nearly healed on her cheekbone and he cupped it to run a delicate thumb over the wound, Adeptal energy surging gently to heal it. He couldn’t help the way his hand moved; wrist tenderly gliding from her ear to the side of her face and neck, to her shoulder and then down her arm until he was able to take hold of her hand.
He looked back up at his companion once done and felt his grip on her tighten when he caught sight of her tired- yet loving- gaze focused solely on him. His chest ached faintly and he resisted the urge to rub over the feeling with the hand still wrapped around her waist. Her own free hand rested on his unarmored shoulder, thumb tracing his clothed collarbone as she studied him, “Are you well?” Xiao’s voice was rougher than he expected it to be and he cleared his throat as heat rose to his neck.
Lumine smiled softly, “I have some more stories to tell you and a… interesting update on my brother… but I’d like to talk about that another time.” the moonlight castes her face in silver glow, eyes imploring for his patience at this time. All he could do was nod; he didn’t trust his voice at the moment and he was sure she would hold up her promise of telling him when she was ready.
Xiao laced their fingers together before turning and pulling her towards the railing, “Very well.” their hours together that followed were spent stargazing and talking about lighter subjects until she turned to him to bid goodnight, “Hold for a moment.” he doesn’t know where his confidence came from as he neared her retreating figure, hands pulling her in by cupping her round cheeks.
He could have sworn he felt Lumine’s breathing stop as he leaned closer, only hearing the air leave her lungs once his cheek rested against her own. He slowly rubbed them together before doing the same on her other side, stopping with his forehead on her own and he could feel her short breaths tickling his skin from the close proximity. After a few seconds of contact he finally let her go, taking a step backwards to give her some space, “Goodnight, Traveler.” his brain seems to have caught up with his actions and he feels his cheek turning a bright red color, so he turns away to avoid her witnessing it, “Rest well.”
Lumine’s call for him goes unanswered after he teleports away, leaving her smelling of almonds and Qingxin petals, “That sneaky little…” after he doesn’t answer her calls, she turns and retreats for her bed for the night. She’s getting answers tomorrow- either from Xiao, or someone she’s sure will answer her questions. She’s getting tired of other people leaving her questions unanswered. Xiao being one of the top few who especially aren’t allowed to leave her hanging. Maybe it’s time for us both to make up our minds… her cheeks heat up at the thought, causing her to cover her face with a nearby pillow.
—
Lumine stomps into the nearly empty Funeral Parlor alone- fairy companion left with Xiangling to play taste tester for the time being- and her eyes zero in on the only person she’s sure would know everything she wishes to learn, “Zhongli.”
Seeing her determined expression, said man silently led her to a tea room usually used for private consultations and sets to making some jasmine tea while she situates herself on the chair across from him. He’s already sure he knows what this is all about, so it was best if he waited for her to be ready to speak instead of him starting the conversation himself.
“What does it mean when an Adeptus- or anyone, for that matter- scents another person?” might as well just ask. Her patience is wearing thin and the way certain animal-featured friends avoid her like she’s contagious or give her curious looks filled with questions they avoid asking is starting to get on her nerves. Lynette hissed at her! It’s getting ridiculous. That’s not even mentioning the disastrous first impression she gave Kachina! The poor girl wouldn’t go around Lumine the first day they agreed to train as a team until she was able to wash all of Xiao’s scent off of her.
Zhongli slides a full tea cup towards her and takes a sip from his own before responding, “Well… it can mean many things. An Adeptus can scent someone for protection, comfort, a sign of trust, or because it’s how they choose to show that they care.” he takes another sip from his cup while Lumine processes this information, “You didn’t already know this?” he raises an eyebrow, full of skepticism. The Traveler was known to read many educational texts about the people around her, so Zhongli doubts she hasn’t ran into these facts during these many years she’s known about Adepti.
Lumine throws her hands up, “I only knew something was wrong because any friend of mine who carried animal traits or had superior senses has either alluded to my scent being ‘unique’ or asking if I started wearing perfume! I don’t wear perfume! Adventuring is expensive enough without the added expense of vanity.” she takes a large sip from her cup after her small rant- talking so passionately reminded her of her drying throat and she did not care to show any restraint at the moment.
Zhongli is silent for a moment while he nurses his own cup, “Well, do you wish for him to stop? If so, I’m sure I can speak with him about it- if you wish me to, of course. He would stop if you asked, I’m sure.” he studies her reaction, finger tapping rhythmically on the ceramic.
Lumine shifts in her seat, “No… I don’t necessarily mind it- as long as he can make it to where it doesn’t push my friends away, then I don’t mind it…” she picks at the handle of her cup, cheeks steadily turning pink, “I just wish he warned me about it. He said it was the ward away any lower level malevolent creatures, but it nearly sent a young girl running when she smelt his threat.” she frowns, gulping down the rest of her warm tea before standing, “thank you, Mr.Zhongli. I’ll make sure to repay you somehow for your assistance.”
Zhongli waves her off, “No need. I’m always happy to be of service. Now, go speak with Xiao and hopefully this matter can be resolved with your words this time.” he sends her a teasing smile, eyes full of mirth, “By the way; you should ask him to control the potency. I don’t think any of this will air out by my next client meeting.” he leisurely sips from his tea as the woman before him blushes violently, turning on her heels and hightailing it out of there to begin the trek back to Wangshu Inn.
—
Lumine has always had a certain fondness for the Conquer of Demons; he was endearing in the way he spoke, interacted with others, and showed he cared for her. He’s quiet, but that’s just because he does not usually feel the need to fill the space with small talk. He’s kind, but he’s also harsh in the way he phrases things. He’s terrible at communication, but he’s been trying to change that. She’s always cared for Xiao- yes, even when he was kind of rude during their first meeting- he’s just always had this air to him that Lumine was able to identify with. They were both stubborn, strong, and spoke their minds whenever necessary. They’re so alike, and yet so different in the way they confront issues between each other. While Lumine would have allowed them to stay in this limbo between friends and something more until Xiao himself made a move or her journey came to it’s natural conclusion- recent events have made Lumine realize that this needed to be faced now.
So, here she is, standing on Wangshu Inn’s highest balcony and staring out at the sun setting as she waits for Xiao to finish his patrols and come for his dinner. Said dinner is already in her hands- a peace offering of sorts- and she just hopes he arrives soon.
A chilly gust of wind ruffles the back of her hair and causes her to shiver from the way it grazes her nape, “Hello, Xiao.” she turns, a small smile set on her lips in hopes of seeming non-threatening. Xiao can leave as fast as he can arrive, so she needs to ensure he doesn’t feel the need to.
His eyes take her in; the plate of food, her subtly tense shoulders, and the nervous smile gracing her lips. He sighs, “Hello, Lumine.” he accepts his fate and the plate of his favorite food, enjoying the silky texture as Lumine prepares to start their conversation.
“I just wanted to tell you that I don’t have an issue with the scenting.” Xiao’s head lifts quickly, eyes widening from her (almost shameless) words and his cheeks visibly heat, “I just wish you would have warned me of the way it might affect the people around me… I’ve had a few awkward situations occur because of it…” her own cheeks begin to redden, “So, I’m okay with it- as long as you can make it to where I’m not scaring off actual people next time.” she points at Xiao, punctuating her point by poking his forehead- right on the purple gem sitting between his brows- before giving him his space back.
Plate quickly set aside on the small table Verr had set up not too long ago, Xiao’s eyes find Lumine’s and she’s surprised to see that the slits of his pupils have dilated slightly, “Next time?” he makes short work of closing the distance between them, “Lumine… do you know what it means to be scented the way I scent you?”
Lumine just smiles, “Yes, Xiao. It means that you wish to protect me, keep others away from me- and you might even love me?” her confidence fades as her words escape, voice lowering towards the end and words sounding more like a question than fact. She’s sure her face has turned the shade of a ripened tomato; the rush of blood to her cheeks making her brain fuzzy for a second before she can compose herself.
Xiao leans closely, face so near she could feel his puffs of air leaving his nose, “And you’re okay with that?” her smell was more potent from so close- his lungs instinctively fill themselves with it and makes him zero in on everything about the woman before him; the way she’s leaning in his direction, the red painting her cheeks, her own breaths of air passing over his cheeks and lips, her own pink lips so close to touching his that he fights the urge to close the space between them before she can respond to his question.
Lumine slowly wraps her arms around his neck, giving him enough time to back away if he wished to and feeling pleased when he only leans into her touch, “I’m more than okay with it.”
“If you agree to this… you’ll be known as mine to those around you who can tell the difference.” their noses brush gently as he inches closer to secure his arms around her waist, “It would mean that you’ll be tied to me.” his arms tighten their grip as if to demonstrate his point.
“Xiao. I’ve always been yours.” is all she can breathe out before she feels the air leaving her lungs, as his lips finally meet her own with enough passion to leave her breathless. She replies by kissing him just as desperately; years of yearning and love being sent back and forth between them like an echo chamber that neither cared to silence.
Lumine finds her back bumping into the Inn’s wall before Xiao’s creating enough space for them to breathe, his pupils nearly hiding his amber irises. He wastes no time in burying his nose in her neck, more puffs of air warming her skin as he takes her in at the source.
“Lumine…” his voice is deep and aching- nearly turning into a whine that he would for sure be embarrassed about if he wasn’t already so worked up, “Please…”
She’s not sure what he’s pleading for, but she’s pretty sure she would let him dig her heart out of her own chest if he asked, so she is quick to respond with, “Yes yes yes-” and instinctively tightens her hold around his neck when he ends up digging his sharp teeth into the junction between her neck and shoulder, sending a pleasant jolt up and down her spine, “Ah!”
He’s quick to lap at the area with his tongue and Lumine feels the wound slowly heal; Adeptal energy cooling the heated skin as it works on knitting her skin back together into a bite-shaped scar. He blows on it, causing her skin to tingle and her fingers to dig into his hair.
Xiao lightly kisses the mark he left behind and pulls back to see her face, “Now I won’t need to make sure my scent sticks.” he has a small amount of her golden blood smudging a corner of his lips and his eyes are dark with need, her own eyes darkening in response and she no longer cares to ask what that whole thing was about before diving in for another heated kiss.
—
Later, when they’re both cleaned up after their activities and Lumine is curled up against Xiao’s side, she finally asks about it, “So, what was that bite mark for?” she can feel Xiao tense and she props herself on her elbow to read his expression: eyes concerned, a small frown growing on his lips and brows furrowing.
“You… didn’t know?” when she shakes her head in response, he blushes a pretty crimson and covers his eyes with the hand not wrapped around Lumine’s waist, “Lumine… that mark means that we’re bound together and that anyone who knows what it is knows immediately that you’re taken.” he removes his hand so that he can look into her eyes, “Is that okay? If not, I know a spell that can undo it if you wish.” even the words seemed to pain him to say, but his eyes are honest and unwavering. Even if it hurts his heart to do so, he would remove the mark if she wanted him to.
“No! It’s fine; I was just curious, is all. I kind of assumed that was what it was when I had the clarity to really think about it.” she lays back down and wraps her arms around his waist, “I’m okay with the bond.” she rubs her cheek on his chest, nose tickling a bit and causing her to twitch it to try and rid herself of the feeling without having to move from her comfortable position.
Xiao relaxes again, fingers tracing her arm as he returns to admiring her, “Good… I’m glad.” she can hear the smile in his voice and it make her smile in response- even if he can’t see her doing so.
“Now… what else should I expect from this bond? I’m sure it’s not just a bite mark.” her research into Adepti and hybrid creatures from the books she hordes in her bag and Teapot have never talked about any type of bite mark that changes one’s scent, so she’s a bit curious to find out more about it.
“Well…”
—
It’s the next day, during an evening stroll through the harbor when it starts to hit Lumine for the first time how this might affect her journey, “What is that?!” she quickly covers her nose with both hands; the scent of algae, seaweed, fish, and brine assault her senses- creating a disgusting mixture of odors and making her hold back a gag.
Her companion chuckles lightly at her antics, his eyes fond as he watches her cover her nose with both hands like it will help her escape the offending scents, “That’s what Liyue smells like to people with a heightened sense of smell.” Xiao pulls her closer with his arm around her waist, enhancing his own scent to try and lessen the affects of the nearby ocean.
“It’s horrible!” she is seriously regretting the bond mark if this is how she’s meant to live for the rest of her life, “How do you live like this? It’s going to seriously take some getting used to.” she slowly lowers her hands, turning her face towards Xiao to try and muffle the nearby scent of fish being sold at the market.
Xiao’s eyes soften in sympathy, “I promise, you learn to ignore it. It’s just this bad because it’s new to you.” he squeezes her hip reassuringly, “At least you understand part of why I hate visiting the harbor, now.” Lumine nods, slowly begins to calm down once knowing that she’ll surely grow used to it with time and experience.
“What a pleasant surprise.” the scent of wet stone after rain envelopes her senses and she feels steady enough to take a deeper inhale though her nose without risking her sanity, “I see that your conversion went well.” Zhongli inspects the bond mark from his place a few feet before them with warm, approving eyes.
Xiao turns his head to face the former Lord of Geo, “Mor- Mr.Zhongli. It’s a pleasure to see you again.” he nods deeply towards the man before him; displaying deep respect while also trying to avoid drawing (more) attention to themselves.
“The pleasure is all mine. I sensed your presence and decided to pay you two a visit while I was still on my lunch break.” he glances at the mark once more before creating eye contact with Xiao, “I hope all is well and you both are happy with how everything turned out.”
Xiao allows himself to smile softly in response, the back of his neck heating from the feelings building in his chest, “More than.”
Lumine nods in agreement, “We spoke like you recommended and all turned out well in the end. Thank you again for your knowledgeable insight, Zhongli.” she smiles gratefully, her own happy emotions building in her chest.
“Of course.” he gestures to the general direction of the Third Round Knockout, “How about some tea while we catch up? I’ll but us some jasmine like yesterday.” Xiao’s face blooms red and Lumine readily agrees before he has the chance to suggest a different blend, “I would appreciate if you poured for us this time, Traveler. It’s a tradition that I should have had you perform yesterday- but it must have slipped my mind.”
The Yaksha’s face could not be redder, his grip on Lumine’s waist is vice-like and she is none-the-wiser about the significance of what she is agreeing to do, “Okay!” her voice is cheerful as they take their seats around the table.
When their order arrives, Lumine happily pours tea for Zhongli, Xiao and then herself. The corners of Zhongli’s eyes crinkled with his teasing smile as he swiftly took a sip from his cup. Xiao takes a sip from his own at the same time Lumine does and accepts his fate of being made the butt of Zhongli’s joke for the time being, content with simply being near the people he cares for and finally having what he’s been longing for since his star first presented him with that Sigil of Permission so many years ago.
Enjoying the smell of stars, flowers, and almonds as his companions conversed, he allowed his small smile to grow behind his tea cup. He couldn’t help but think, "She did smell best with a hint of almond."