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Lumine was stubborn everyone who ever met her knew that. Once she got her mind set on something there’s no stopping her, it was both admirable and annoying. If Lumine thought it was important enough she would put her life on the line for other people even if they try to tell her not to.
“You are reckless” Xiao told her one day after coming it to help her fight yet another battle, “You need to stop putting you life on the line” He grabbed her arm looking right into her eyes he was trying to appear angry but he was worried, if she died he wouldn’t know what to do. Xiao was hoping she would take his words to heart and not continue to be so reckless but he was wrong.
Lumine tugged her arm out of his grasp pulling back looking deep into his eyes with a rage he had never seen from her before, “Oh and what do you do, hmm?” She tilted her head to the side, “You put you life on the line every day people who don’t give to shits about you” Her words were filled with anger and hurt that Xiao wasn’t fully sure were at him or the situation.
“I do it because it’s my duty” Xiao bit back, “It is not yours you could be free let me handle the abyss mages and the hundreds of hilichurl's” He saw as tears started fall.
“You have no right to tell me what my duty is” She was no longer shouting instead her words were cold, “The abyss mages are my mess to help clean up considering its my brother who has caused it” Xiao felt his heart drop at her words any words he was going to say got caught in his throat before he could have the chance to say them. He watched Lumine walk past him and out the door, it was the last time he would see her for months.
Xiao tried to seek her out and apologise tell her he only meant well but no luck. He tried to feel her presence but it was as if she was blocking him out, it got to the point he even started asking the other adepti who hadn’t heard from her either.
After a whole he finally spoke to Verr Goldet about it who had got word from the Qixing that Lumine had managed to get on a boat to Inazuma just after their argument. She had told him theirs a good chance she wouldn’t come back for a while. Verr Goldet had given him a sympathetic look after she told him which he had just done his usual eye roll at.
Xiao did not need sympathy after all his this was his own doing. He had pushed her away with his odd need to protect her, he knew fully well she could handle her self yet he still told her she was reckless. But part of Xiao still agreed with what he said.
Lumine did have an overwhelming need to help people she doesn't have to. A weird duty to herself not to leave people in trouble struggling. He did admire it even if he did worry. Xiao had a worried feeling over the fact she had gone to Inazuma. Everyone across Teyvat knows how Inazuma currently is. The civil war is no joke if Lumine gets caught up in that who knows what might happen.
Xiao pushed the wandering thoughts out of his head though choosing to go back to burying his feelings deep down. He started fighting the monsters more frequently, he felt as his karma was building up at an alarming pace but chose to ignore it. In a weird sort of way it was good he was feeling it again, after all it was his duty. Lumine had given him a short break of it but like all good things in his life he had ruined it by getting to close.
Xiao had lost track of how long it had been since he last saw Lumine. The feelings of sadness and anger had mellowed out now, his long life had been returned back to being nothing more than fighting and watching time go by in Liyue.
“Xiao” He heard the voice he hadn’t heard for so long call out his name it was barely a whisper but he heard it. Xiao felt Lumine’s presence finally after all this time he didn’t realize how much he had begun to miss it.
It didn’t take him more than a split second to be by her side, once he arrived he didn’t even look at her surroundings or what was going on he just took her arm wrapping it around his shoulder and took them back to his room at the Wangshu inn.
Lumine was babbling apology after apology she was completely hysterical, “Xiao I’m sorry so so so sorry I didn’t want to push you away but everything happened to fast and-” She was speaking at what felt like a hundred miles an hour as her leg was gushing blood all the way down turning her usually pristine white boots a deep shade of red. Her face was flushed with tears forming a waterfall down her cheeks. Xiao dropped her down on a chair before moving to grab arms again to stop her constant flow of words.
“Lumine” He looked right into her eyes with a worried expression covering his face, “You can tell me all that later but right now we need to take care of you” He spoke calmly as he watched her slowly nod looking down at the big gash across her thigh.
Xiao pulled away walking to cabinet where he kept his emergency first aid kit, he knew of Lumine's rather quick heeling but it was better to be on the safe side. As he fixed her up it was completely silent apart from the small winces from Lumine as Xiao sewed her up.
After he was finished he came to sit on the chair opposite, Lumine was staring of into space her eyes still had the slight red tint to them. For once Xiao was the one to break the silence, “I was worried about you” He whispered trying to tread lightly.
“I thought you might be” She whispered, “Once I had calmed down I wanted to come find you but…” She sighed dragging her hands down her face, “I guess at the time I thought you would despise me”
Xiao looked at her with pity, did she really think after all they had been through it would take one argument to make him hate her, “I mean it took you forever to even begin to trust me a little and I thought I messed it all up”
Xiao got up out of his chair and came to kneel in front of her, he brought his hand up to wipe away her tears that had started falling again, “Lumine” He spoke her name as if it was the most sacred of gods, “I made a promise to you that if you call my name I will help you, I have never done that for anyone”
“I love you more than anything I will never leave you” Those words were the ones finally to break Lumine’s blues, she wiped away her tears before he saw that mischievous smile he had missed so dearly.
“Even more than Liyue?” She laughed, Xiao shook his head at the question leaning up slightly giving her a small kiss.
“Don’t push it my dear” He joked back as if they had never been away from each other. They obviously had more to talk through but right now they just wished to enjoy each others company.