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It was sudden. It was spontaneous. It was special.
His lips softly pressed against hers. A gentle hand weaved through her hair before cupping the back of her head to pull her in closer. His amber gaze warmed her heart as he slowly pulled away making her heart flutter and leaving her breathless.
There were no words to describe the feeling she felt. This feeling of being found, of being held in his hands, of being seen and wanted.
It was a normal day that turned into something wonderful.
They were simply enjoying each other’s company. Sitting under an ordinary tree, catching their breath after defeating a few abyss mages. He had come to her aid when she had called his name. His gaze was sharp as he looked between her and their surrounding enemies.
“You could have called me sooner.”
“Are you reprimanding me?” Her tone was teasing and he scowled for a brief moment before he reached out and touched the cut on her cheek.
“You should have called me sooner.”
"Perhaps." She laughed breathlessly and he felt his next words get caught in the back of his throat. “So, what’s the plan? Shall I take the left and you the—”
“Stay put, I’ll take care of the rest.”
“I asked you for your help not—“
He turned his head, his gaze softening before the back of his fingers lightly grazed her cheek. “Let me take care of this, Lumine.”
And it was in that moment that she saw that in his eyes only she reflected back at him. All he saw was her, her injury, as minor as it was—and all he saw was the fact that if he had come sooner, he could have prevented that from occurring. She saw worry, and concern, and she knew that he would be stubborn in wanting to finish the battle by himself.
“Okay.” She said with a nod and watched as his mask manifested and he turned to cut down those that harmed her. She watched as his polearm swung mercilessly and quickly. She watched as he jumped into the skies before crashing down. It was like watching a meteor crashing into the earth, a star that had fallen in order to enact his will, his vengeance, his justice.
Lumine watched quietly as she leaned on her sword, ready to go into battle but soon it was over and he was walking back to her. "Maybe I should have called you sooner.” She laughed shyly before it turned into a soft smile. “I would have finished this commission far earlier if I did…After all, you always do come whenever I call out your name.”
He was glad that she trusted that he would always come whenever she called. He was glad that she believed in him when he told her that she did not have to worry and fight by herself. He was glad that she called his name and asked for his help. The corners of his lips lifted slightly before he turned to leave. “Then—“
But before he could leave, she quickly grabbed his wrist. “I was already planning on seeing you after my commissions…It’s been a while since I last came to Liyue after all… I know you might be busy but I’d really like it if you could stay and just—“
Why did she look nervous? The corners of his lips twitched at the shy expression. From the shy expression to the way her cheeks turned pink, he couldn’t help but feel something warm spread throughout his body. He turned his wrist to hold her hand and began walking towards a nearby tree.
“Xiao?” While she may have been surprised by his actions, he was glad she didn’t pull her hand away. Others would have pulled away but not her, she always welcomed his presence.
“You don’t have to give me a reason—“ He started quietly before turning his head to look at her over his shoulder. “If you want me to stay, simply ask and I’ll stay.”
His voice was warm and soft like a gentle summer breeze. It was calming and soothing and she couldn’t help but remember how much she longed to hear it. How much she missed the sound of his voice on her travels. How she could almost hear it in the wind right before she closed her eyes, reassuring her that she’d have sweet dreams. She watched as the glow of the sun set behind him, and her surprised expression quickly softened and she gave his hand a squeeze.
“Really? All I have to do is ask you to stay and you will. Is that a promise?” The playfulness in her voice was so bright that he couldn’t help but smile back. Did she know the effect she had on him? How she made his world, his everyday life seem more simple, more beautiful, more peaceful? Did she know that with just a smile, she was able to relieve centuries of suffering and pain?
“I suppose it is.”
“Well—“ She spun to be in front of him, now bringing their hands up and wrapping her pinky around his. “The promise is now sealed so there’s no going back on it.”
And with that, it brings them back to where they were. Sitting beside each other, his chin in the palm of his hand as his arm was propped up against his knee. She sat with her legs tucked under her and spoke of her time at the Golden Apple Archipelago. Of the shifting mirages, of the stories she learned of the friends that came on the journey with her.
“I was a little sad that there wasn’t one for me—but I think I was also glad…” The light in her eyes dimmed slightly before she turned to look at him. Her eyes closed as if that would distract him from the melancholic smile that now graced her face.
She did that quite often and it was an expression that he knew quite well. While he masked his feelings with cold indifference, she put forth a smile. As if that would change the loneliness that she must feel. As if that would trick others into believing that she could be left alone. As if that would change everything.
“Is it like how it was in the chasm?”
“No…cause in the chasm…I saw emptiness and dread and darkness—and nothing. A void that is always hungry, always demanding more, always taking everything away from me. To be just out of reach—everything just slipping out of my fingers and—.”She clenched the grass under them tightly before shaking her head. “But on the islands, it just felt like I wasn’t there. Like I was simply an audience member watching a play unfold in front of me. Reading stories about my friends, but not really being a part of it. As a traveler—I am used to it. I’m used to not being a cast member—to simply observe and only interact when needed. After all, I don’t really belong here.”
His lips pursed slightly as he caught her sad expression. His hand inched closer to hers until his pinky brushed against hers.
“Xiao?” Her soft voice called out and he exhaled softly. He had begun pulling her fingers away from the tight grip she had before he placed his hand on top of hers.
“Don’t say that.” He whispered as she looked down at their hands. “I don’t like it when you say you don’t belong here. It makes it sound like there would be no one asking you to stay. That you couldn’t make a home here. It makes it sound like you wouldn’t leave a mark, as if your absence wasn’t…”
Xiao was never good with words. His first memories were of blood and war not of flowers and poetry. He could fight better than most. He could protect an entire city and stay vigilant without any complaint. He was sharpened to be a weapon. His heart hardened to shield him from the pain of losing his comrades. He could sacrifice everything he had and more without any regret.
For his ties with this world were always bound by his duty and his obligation to Liyue. He was a Yaksha who was contracted to protect the mortal world from sins and demons at the expense of his own life. He would give up his sanity to keep the impure away even when he knew that it would be painful and eventually make him forget his own name. He was the last of his kind, burdened and tainted—and he would be alone without even a way to get back home. He would sink into the darkness with only the hope that death would bring him some peace.
He knew this was the path that he led. That his future was bleak and dark. He knew that the pain and ache he felt would never go away, not even when he slept. He knew that his life was not one that could ever lead to a happy ending. That anyone that came too close to him would put themselves in danger.
It was a life that he led for centuries. It was a life that he knew the outcome of. It was a life that he was not afraid of because it had become his norm.
At least that was before he met her.
Xiao wondered if he ever stood a chance or if he was merely following the steps of a story that had already been written. Had he lived all his life simply waiting for her, staring up at the stars, knowing she was among them? Had he plucked her out among the millions of glowing lights because her warmth called out to him?
Because he wouldn’t even know where to begin when describing her. Was she the traveler from the stars that did not have a vision and yet could manipulate the elements with ease? Or the hero that slayed dragons and old gods? Or the girl who on their first meeting simply smiled at him and changed everything?
The memory of that day was still vivid in his mind. He had watched her as she walked on the balcony of the inn, and caught a whiff of the floral scent that he soon realized always surrounded her. But the most surprising thing wasn’t that she had the courage to speak to him, but the fact that she smiled at him. Everyone else would be wary and on edge around him due to the karmic sins and yet she smiled easily.
She was not afraid of him. She did not pity him. She simply saw him and smiled. How long had it been since someone simply saw him? How long had it been since he forgot who he was? Her warm gaze and small smile in that brief moment made him forget about the heavy weight he had always carried. In that brief moment, he felt less alone.
So, to hear that she felt like she did not belong here, it made him feel like she could leave this world without a second thought. That she would not leave an impression. That there would be no one would miss her.
“If I went with you to those islands…I think my mirage would have been far darker than the other's. It would not be a place I would want anyone else to see, after all, my life was not easy.” He wondered if it would look like tundra where the only color would be from the blood he had to spill. He wondered if the others would be too scared to take another step. Would they look at him differently? Would their eyes be full of pity or fear?
Lumine quickly squeezed his hand and he couldn’t help but look up at her with a soft gaze. And being the strange girl that she was, she worried over him. The way she looked at him as if she was promising that even if that was the case, she’d continue onwards to find him. She would look for him and hold his hand like she was doing right now.
Xiao leaned over and cupped her cheek with his other hand. Touching her carefully, like he was confirming that she was here in front of him and this was not a dream or illusion. “But…I think when you reach the end of that mirage, at the conclusion of that story, it would end with you. Maybe it’ll be when we first met and you smiled so brightly. Maybe it would be then because that was the first moment in centuries where the world was quiet and peaceful. Or maybe, it’ll be like this. Sitting under a tree after fighting by your side, enjoying the moment because I’m with you. And what could possibly be better than this?”
“You’d make a place for me…on your mirage?” Lumine never thought she’d have a place in anyone’s journey. Even more so, Xiao’s. Because when he told her she’d be in his mirage she knew that what he meant was more than some illusion crafted to tell his story. He was saying that she had a place not only in his present but in his past and in his future. He was saying that there was a place here on Teyvat for her. A place by his side, a place that she could call her own.
“Is it strange?”
“Yes.” Her response was breathy, barely over a whisper. “It’s strange and perfect.”
It was then she felt his lips against hers. It took her by surprise not because it was their first kiss but because it was the first time he initiated one without asking her. She could recall the many times she caught him off guard with a quick peck. She could remember how many times he had leaned over wanting to kiss her cheek before they said goodbye only for her to turn her head to kiss his lips instead.
Lumine loved that she could surprise him. She loved that she could catch him off guard. She loved that he allowed her to take the lead and he followed. But this felt different. As he pulled her in closer, weaving his hand through her hair, she could feel a shift in their relationship.
She had teased him that she wanted him to kiss her first and every time since then, he had asked her. As if there was any possible answer besides yes. He was always so careful with her, as if she’d vanish under his touch. And yet here he was, kissing her not to reassure himself that she was there but—
It tasted like a promise.
He pulled away and she felt a pout form on her lips. His nose brushed against hers as he pressed his forehead against hers. She could feel his breath against her lips and leaned in so she could kiss him again.
“You once asked me if I could join you on your travels. And I cowardly told you I couldn’t leave Liyue.” He breathed and she opened her eyes to see his and they were dazzling and full of light as they looked at her. “You once asked me to come with you…”
“I did.”
“Would you mind asking me again?”
She felt her next breath catch at the back of her throat before she pulled her face away to look at him properly. His amber eyes softly crinkled in the corners as his lips were pulled into a gentle smile.
“Lumine?” he called out her name as he brushed the tears from her cheek with the pad of his thumb.
“Are you going to reject me again?” She stuttered breathlessly like she couldn’t believe what she just heard. “Say how you have a duty to Liyue and it’s people. How…You’ll..You’ll really join me? You’ll stay by side? You’ll..You’ll really come if I ask you?”
“You’ll have to teach me quite a bit…I’m not as well-versed in traveling as you are. It’s been quite a while since I stepped out of Liyue.”
“You can’t be picky with your food…And I can’t promise you that I’ll be able to make you almond tofu every day.”
“I’ll enjoy anything that you make.”
“We may have to share sleep accommodations. It may not always be as comfortable as the bed at the Inn.”
“Adepti don’t need sleep.”
“Liar.” Her lips curved into a smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed him onto the ground. He quickly wrapped an arm around her waist as she fell on top of him, smiling as she looked down at him. “You’ll really come? You’ll really leave Liyue with me?”
“Every time you come back with your stories…With your adventures...I was always a bit sad that I wasn’t with you. When I think about the countless times you’ve put yourself in harm’s way and not called my name—I felt ill. I don’t think I want to do that anymore. Missing you has been the most humbling thing I’ve experienced…It’s a feeling that I’ve never experienced before…and somehow it’s both wonderful and terrible. The longing, the waiting—I worry and I hope that you’ll be okay but I also want nothing more than for you to come back. Then I realized that wanting to be by your side is a problem that I can solve easily. I must simply join you on your travels.”
Lumine’s eyes were so bright as they looked down at him. Her smile grew before she kissed his lips again. “Then will you join me, Xiao?” She asked between her kisses. “Will you stay by side?”
“All you have to do is ask and I’ll stay.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Yes.” He whispered as he cupped her face and leaned up to capture her lips again. “It’s a promise.”