Work Text:
“Ah Zhongli, you got chocolate on your arm.” Lumine sets aside the bowl she’s cradling in one hand and reaches for a napkin.
At her remark, the consultant throws a glance at the brown blob on his forearm, the mark of his ineptitude. He has taken off his coat and rolled the sleeves of his shirt in the anticipation of exactly this kind of situation. Thankfully the fresh cream in the ganache prevents it from solidifying at room temperature, so a quick wipe will solve it. He is admittedly not the best cook around. The former Geo Archon's long years of living have distorted his sense of timing, which works in his favor when making soups and stews but not so much for other food types. And yet he has insisted in assisting Lumine with this task.
Zhongli might never have experienced this Monstadtian event personally, but he has heard quite a lot about it. It is a celebration of love in which people trade chocolates and flowers with their beloveds. So when he heard from Lumine about this task she had received from the adventurer’s guild, Zhongli was perturbed. A single man from Springvale has requested a serving of chocolate-based food. Neglecting a commission she has already accepted will hurt her reputation, so the least he can do is to make sure the chocolate is not fully made by Lumine alone. He will make sure that she is not alone when she delivers the dish as well.
The feeling of Lumine’s gentle hold on his arm drags him back to the current situation. She brings the kitchen towel in her right hand close to the chocolate spill but then stops to stare at it instead. Zhongli raises an eyebrow.
Putting the cloth on a nearby countertop, the traveler then dips her index finger in the glob and traces it all over his forearm, drawing intricate lines. The ticklish sensation that results spreads all the way to his chest.
“Was this how it looked like, your archon mark?” she asks.
A corner of his lips quirks upward. “Yeah, aside from its color, you have replicated the bottom part. However, I can’t say that playing with food is a commendable habit.”
Lumine humphed and the next thing he knows she has her tongue following the path her finger took mere moments ago.
“Wha-”
She straightens herself immediately after, giving him a grin with mischief twinkling in her honey eyes. “I have erased the evidence, Sir.”
“I see,” Zhongli mutters. He reaches for the bowl of ganache Lumine has set aside earlier and covered the tip of his thumb with chocolate before smearing it along her bottom lip. His mouth soon follows, licking and biting the area. Zhongli’s arm snakes behind Lumine’s waist, pulling her flush against him. She whimpers at the contact.
When he finally releases her, Lumine is gasping. Her cheeks burn and her lips are swollen. However, before her breathing even has the chance to return to normal, a yelp is torn from her as she feels warm ganache runs between her clavicles, pooling on the valley of her breasts.
“Y-you just said not to play with food!”
“Playing? Nonsense…” he denies, looking at Lumine with golden eyes that are a shade darker than usual. Zhongli licks the leftover chocolate on his thumb before whispering in her ear in a tone so low Lumine feels her knees go weak. “I am merely plating my food.”
After all, he might not be the best cook around... but he is confident in his ability to arrange things so they are pleasant to the eyes.