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"Can I have a bite?"
Lumine glances at Xiao only to find him already staring right back at her. Or rather the sweet treat in her hands.
Actually, it's quite surprising. If Lumine recalls correctly, it's the first time ever he's curious about how something she eats tastes like. While Xiao usually enjoys every food she brings him - she still has to insist that she wants him to try it, though - it's a well-known fact that almond tofu is his favourite dish.
Back in the time - when she tried to bribe him to talk to her, wanting to become closer to him in a very sneaky way - she was preparing the dessert for him every single day. Then, with a plate of almond tofu in her hand, she waited on the balcony of Wangshu Inn, hoping he would show up.
He always did. Thankfully.
If he didn't and Lumine had to make yet another dish for the next day, she would probably end up losing her mind or starting to murder every enemy on her way.
Now that she thinks about it, she should probably give herself a reward. She has put so much time and effort into getting closer to him and the results were even better than she had expected.
Xiao not only started to meet her without any particular reason but also their relationship turned into something more.
"I didn't know you were so interested in mortal food."
She raises an eyebrow at him, her eyes locked on his face.
"You were so persistent in making new dishes for me to try that there was no option for me but to become a little curious."
Lumine lets out a breathy giggle. It's rare to see Xiao like this - so light-hearted and open, with a soft smile on his face. For a moment, he looks like a simple boy she's in love with and not the Conqueror of Demons who's feared by many and is way stronger than he looks.
"Well, it's a good thing that I'm stubborn and annoying, then." interest sharpens his gaze as he hears her statement. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be so lucky to see Adeptus Xiao himself asking me to give him a bite of my chocolate pocky."
She takes a snack into her mouth to hide the smile that's threatening to show on her face.
Xiao remains silent. Was it the title she said that made him like this? His reaction - or perhaps lack thereof - doesn't give any hint of what might he think about.
It's surprisingly difficult for Lumine to read him right now.
Suddenly, Xiao glances at her mouth and she wonders if he will lean in and latch on to the other end of the stick.
A part of her wants him to do it. She wants him to give in, to slowly erase the space in between them with every bite he would take.
He would do it gradually as if he'd want to prolong every second to tease her even more. He would show no hesitation. Only pure passion would shine in his eyes.
Her breathing would get heavier and she would feel her hands shaking in anticipation; but she would stay still, nevertheless, watching his face approaching hers. Once the pocky would be so small that Xiao would have to tilt his head to take another bite, Lumine would feel his lips against hers. And then, he would kiss her–
"I see."
The suddenness of Xiao's words makes her flinch, bringing her back from her thoughts.
"You don't change at all. Do you really need me to teach you how to have respect for adepti?"
Lumine pauses, suddenly confronted with the question.
Indeed - what does she want to get out of teasing him? Is she seeking a challenge, trying to test what it takes for Xiao's self control to shatter on the floor? Is that what she truly wants?
Honestly… Lumine has half-expected him to be slightly more rough with her.
While people in Teyvat are kind, they are mostly focusing on their own goals, too. They're chasing their own pleasure without focusing on anything else. Sometimes, she wonders if they aren't blinded by desires so much that they lose themselves in them.
Xiao, in Lumine's eyes, is different.
He's gentle, sweet even.
His hand always cups her cheeks every time he looks into her eyes right before kissing her. He secretly watches over her to make sure she's safe while doing her commissions. No matter what happens, he's always there if only she calls out his name.
Sometimes - when Lumine falls asleep in his bed, with his arms wrapped around her body - she can feel his lips against her forehead, fingers ghosting her skin in a soothing motion over and over again.
Of course, Xiao is dominant, too.
It's way too easy for her to recall all the nights she has spent with her hair running through his hair as he would kiss her senseless. She remembers all of the greedy touches and tight grips, the way he moved inside her restlessly, not giving her much time to recover after the previous orgasm.
Lumine could die for these moments of heaven they share. When he touches her, it feels like she's the only person he can see. Like she's his whole world and more.
It's too good to be true.
Nevertheless, all of it makes her wonder sometimes.
How would it be if Xiao lost a little bit of control? What would he be like once he wouldn't hold back from doing whatever he wants? What are his deepest desires? Is it possible for him to be more greedy when it comes to her?
And she needs him to do it - take anything he desires, take her and claim as his own. Until her mind is nothing but a mess, every thought spelling out his name. Until she can't feel anything but him.
Lumine wants his lips on her throat and his hips pressed against hers as she moans, begging him for more and more–
A shiver runs down her spine.
The thought about his fingers slipping beneath the straps of her dress and gliding over her bare skin seems way too tempting all of the sudden.
"Perhaps." she murmurs in response, blood rushing to her cheeks.
He could teach her many ways of respect... No, she can't daydream about it. Not right now.
"I think you would be a very good teacher, Xiao. As far as I remember you did a good job back when you were training Ganyu."
Lumine expects him to reject the idea immediately. The memories of him pushing away her attempts to spar with her or watch the fireworks during Lantern Rite with her are still fresh in her mind.
Much to her surprise, he doesn't do that. Instead, a silence falls between them as Xiao thinks about her offer.
"Well..." he starts slowly, his eyes finding hers. "I can teach you if you insist."
"Oh?"
She shifts closer to him, her thighs brushing against his in the process. His eyes flicker down and for a moment, Lumine can swear that she sees his gaze wandering over her exposed skin. It must be simply a trick of the light and her wild thoughts.
"Really? You're not joking, Xiao?" almost right away, she watches him shake his head in response. "Wow, that's amazing! I always knew you're not as hard to approach as you paint yourself out to be–"
"I want a bite first."
The expression on Xiao's face is unreadable, a faint ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Perhaps, she should expect that he won't step outside his comfort zone just like that. Although he's an adeptus, he's more human than he would like to admit.
But why is he acting in such a strange way today all of the sudden? Was he always this enigmatic or is she too distracted by her emotions to think straight? It's hard to tell.
Another minute that feels like eternity passes. Xiao doesn't add anything more.
Somehow, Lumine can't help but feel that there's a deeper meaning in his words she doesn't catch. It's hard to place a finger on what exactly it might be, though. His tone - so firm that it feels almost cold - reveals nothing as well.
She looks for the tiniest faint hint of anything in his eyes. But she finds none.
His stare is as intense as always, burning her skin down; and yet, it reminds her of ice, somehow. It's strong and unbreakable but it's almost impossible to see right through it no matter how hard she tries.
Lumine wonders what would it take for him to melt down.
"Why?" she shifts her hands away from him, cradling the sweet treat protectively in her arms. "Do you like my pocky so much? Or are you that hungry all of the sudden?"
Xiao hums, his body moving closer to hers.
"Mortals have a saying that nothing in this world is free. Isn't that right?" he muses, the tone of his voice exposing nothing. His head is slightly tilted back as he takes a deep breath before continuing. "Also, we're in Liyue - a nation that's famous because of contracts and mora. All the rules about fair trades need to be respected here."
Lumine can't help but chuckle at his words.
Who would have thought that Xiao is going to take teaching her how to respect adepti and traditions of liyue so seriously? It was just a little joke between them - she's sure it still is. It should be, at least.
Right now, however, she can't be sure of anything.
A heavy sigh escapes Xiao's lips. "You know, Lumine… The more I think about it, the more unfair it is."
She blinks slowly as she stares at him, dumbfounded.
"What?"
"A pocky won't do." Xiao answers almost right away, his eyes narrowing as he focuses on her. The weight of his intense stare is enough to make her tremble. "It's not enough."
Her heartbeat speeds up at his words. It's rare to see Xiao want something so badly and somehow, she doesn't know how to feel about it. She blames it on the fact that he's sitting right next to her and her brain short-circuits, dimmed by want.
"What do you want then, Xiao?" Lumine asks, a faint glimpse of mischief gleaming somewhere in her eyes. "More of my pitiful mortal food? Or maybe do you want me to give you a kiss?"
Something impish flickers behind his eyes. She knows it means absolutely nothing good for her.
But before Lumine can do anything, she feels Xiao move, his body pressing against hers.
"...A kiss?"
He leans in even more, caging her between his arms. Her attempts to create a distance between them are nothing but pathetic; and when her back hits the headboard, Lumine knows there's no way out of this situation.
She could tease him like she always does, try to play it cool and act as if none of Xiao's actions affects her. But she can feel the warmth radiating off his body and his scent - the Qingxin flowers, she thinks, cold yet fragrant - she knows he won't believe any of her little white lies.
Her grip on the box of pocky slowly gets loose, and so does her desire.
"A kiss and a bite?"
She wants to say 'no' just to tease him, to earn another reaction from him. It would be nice to find out what Xiao would do if she acted like this. Perhaps, she should become insufferable to get to see the other - more rough and wild - side of him. But then, he moves again–
He's impossibly close. He's so close that his lips are almost on top of hers.
Suddenly, her throat feels dry.
"Oh. Um. Yeah..." Lumine whispers, secretly hoping Xiao doesn't hear the faint quiver in her voice. She's more than sure he does. He always hears her, after all. "I guess it's fair."
She doesn't know what exactly she expected Xiao to do. But she didn't expect him to kiss her.
It's as sudden as it is smoldering, and Lumine gasps when she feels his lips pressing against hers. His hand is somewhere on her waist, fingers slowly ghosting her sides through the thin material of her dress.
Lumine feels Xiao's other hand reaching under her chin, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. It becomes even more messy and passionate, and somehow, she finds herself losing in the battle between rationality and desire.
He touches her exactly how she likes it, the way he moves his fingers against her skin is calm and steady. And yet, when combined with his kisses, it's able to awaken yearning so overwhelming that she aches, her head spinning.
It's more instinct than a conscious decision when she pulls him closer, her arms reaching to loop around his neck. Xiao takes it as a sign to continue to go even further.
He pushes her onto the bed, sliding between her slightly spread legs. Their kisses don't stop, not even for a second. Everything is so intense, an overwhelming wave of desire sways through her body. She feels his teeth grazing against her lips, threatening to bite and–
"Xiao." Lumine draws in a breath, his name on her lips like a prayer. Suddenly, it's too hard to think, to breathe. "Weren't you supposed to teach me now?"
He pauses at her words, his eyes barely opening to face her. None of them makes a move to create the distance between them once again.
Instead, Lumine feels his hand sliding from her cheek to grip her chin. Xiao tilts her face, his moves slow yet firm, and his hot breath flutters over her mouth.
"Hm..."
She raises a brow, her lips parting. She wants to say that this isn't an answer but before she can do that, his nose brushes against her as he slowly chases her lips again. In the corner of her vision she catches his hand pushing the box of pocky she dropped before aside.
Her mind is blank.
"A-and weren't you hungry? I mean, you wanted my pocky so badly just a few moments ago, right?"
Her protests are weak and Lumine knows all too well that she simply tries to hold onto the last resort of her willpower. If only she was more lucid and less needy, she could start to wonder what exactly changed Xiao's mind about the situation so suddenly.
Right now, however, the only thing she can do is ask a simple question, her hand clutching on his shirt as if her body tries to pull him even closer on its own.
"Mhm."
Xiao's face is mere inches away from hers, the mere proximity making her cheeks burn. He tilts her head with the tip of his finger.
Lumine can almost feel him smirking against her lips as he whispers again, "I'm starving now."