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“Guy who hangs out on the roof terrace, you know? Good looking fella, not too tall.”
Rosy lips curved upwards into a soft smile as she leaned against the railing of the roof terrace, golden orbs gazing at the dark velvet sky above.
It had been a while since she had last been to Liyue and yet Lumine found that nothing had changed- the warmth that settled in her chest the second the nation embraced her welcomingly one she would always find comfort in.
Liyue felt warm, welcoming, and no matter how far she might travel from it, there would always be one thing that would eternally keep her bound to it.
“Xiao.”
His name passed her lips in a soft whisper, the sound carrying through the cool night breeze and not even a second later she felt the air behind her shift ever so slightly.
Lumine’s lips lifted into a soft smile, fingers gently resting on the wooden railing as she continued to gaze at the land stretching before her.
“You have returned.”
The blonde hummed softly as she continued to gaze ahead, the sound of soft footsteps closing in making the smile on her lips widen.
“I did.” Lumine confirmed, lips twitching ever so slightly."But you already knew that, didn’t you?”
The curt huff she received in return confirmed her thoughts, and it was only then that Lumine allowed herself to sneak a glance at the adeptus by her side.
He was standing next to her with his arms crossed above his chest, golden eyes fixed on the lands ahead of them and although his expression seemed as blank as ever, Lumine caught the way they shone with a light slightly softer than usual.
"I take you enjoyed the food I prepared for you, then?” Lumine asked, the hopeful spark her voice held not missed by the dark-haired adeptus who thinned his lips ever so slightly.
“It was a welcome surprise, though one I can't recall asking for." Xiao cooly returned, making Lumine roll her eyes despite the way her lips twitched upward.
Some things would never change, and yet when it came to Xiao, that thought was oddly comforting.
“I'm glad you enjoyed it.”
It was then that golden orbs finally moved to settle on the small form next to him, her soft voice warming the cool night air and the second his gaze settled on her, his eyes narrowed.
The bright rays of the Moon hanging majestically in the sky bathed her form in an ethereal hue, golden orbs sparkling in the soft light and yet, Xiao couldn't help but notice the dark shadows beneath her bright orbs.
The light her eyes held seemed to have dulled, the warmth of her smile holding a hint of exhaustion and though he had seen her tired before, this time it seemed to be deeper something different.
It seemed like whatever had happened in the nation of eternity had impacted her greater than he had anticipated, and although it was to be expected, Xiao couldn’t help but dislike the way the light she carried dimmed.
“Something is troubling you.”
His observation made Lumine tense, bright orbs flashing briefly in mild surprise and when they found his, the blonde felt her chest flutter at the frown on his face.
The blonde remained silent for a moment, the usual assurance that she was fine already on the tip of her tongue but before they could pass her lips, she stopped herself.
Xiao’s frown deepened at her hesitance, the way her gaze dimmed telling him all he needed to know and before he had realized it himself, he had already spoken.
“You should have called for me.”
Lumine’s eyes snapped up to his as his voice reached her ears, golden orbs widening at his sudden words and when she caught the graveness his expression held, she felt her chest flutter.
The soft silence stretched between them as they gazed at one another, the cool night breeze gently ghosting over their skin in a fleeting caress and the moment her shock wore off, Lumine felt something in her crack.
All of the exhaustion from the past weeks suddenly crashed into her with a force that robbed all air from her lungs, chest burning as it clenched painfully.
She wanted to tell him how many times his name lingered on the tip of her tongue, the burden she carried little compared to his yet heavy enough to make her think of him and his promise that echoed softly in her ears before sleep would claim her, but she decided against it.
He would have come had she called, she knew, but she didn’t find it in herself to summon him despite how much she yearned for a flicker of familiarity in the foreign nation that had taken a part of her she hadn’t been willing to sacrifice.
Yet, as she stood there with the adeptus in arms reach, Lumine felt something in her stirr-a flicker of comfort that rapidly grew the longer she gazed into his bright eyes that looked at her with nothing but understanding.
He himself carried a burden no other could relieve him from, just as she did, and although hers couldn’t be compared to the one he held, the knowledge that there was someone else who understood brought her more comfort than any words ever could.
The air shifted then, clouding his senses with the comforting scent of sweet raspberries and before he had realized it, a warmth settled against him.
Xiao tensed when gold filled his vision, the warmth of her body pressed against his making him still and when he felt her hot breath fan against the crook of his neck, he didn’t dare breathe.
The great Traveler felt small in his arms, the way her slender arms locked around his waist stirring a flicker of warmth in his chest and after a few moments of silence passed, he felt himself relax under her touch.
Lumine gently rested her forehead against his shoulder, the familiar warmth he radiated calming her almost instantly and when she felt him relax under her touch, she heaved a soft sigh.
She had missed him.
The realization made her stomach twist as her eyes fluttered close, fingers gently buried in the fabric of his shirt as she listened to the soft thudding of his heart.
No words needed to be said in order for him to understand, all the burdens and troubles weighing her down painfully familiar to him and although not one to crave the warmth of a mortal’s touch, Xiao felt his fingers twitch from where his hands were loosely hanging by his side.
The second Lumine felt the ghost of a touch brush against the curve of her hips golden eyes fluttered open in surprise, heart skipping a beat when she felt a soft warmth settle on the dip of her waist.
It took Lumine all but a heartbeat to realize that the adeptus was returning the gesture of comfort, the way his gloved hands rested on her waist filling her body with warmth and before she had realized it, her body already relaxed under his touch.
“Thank you.”
Xiao silently continued to hold her,the way she felt against him filling him with a soothing warmth and as they stood in the light of the moon, he felt at ease, the darkness surrounding him broken by the spark of light that was her once more.