Chapter Text
Today was the day. She had made all the arrangements and was finally ready to join the Crux fleet and travel to Inazuma. Despite all she had conquered so far in her journey through Teyvat, including fighting a fatui Harbinger and vanquishing a giant sea dragon, Inazuma was going to be her most dangerous quest yet. At least according to everyone she mentioned it to.
The islands were just barely visible from Liyue harbor, surrounded in a dense haze that made her a little nervous for Beidou’s navigation skills. Kazuha had assured her numerous times that Captain Beidou and the Cruz was the safest and most reliable way to get to the land of electro. But the cracks of purple lightning spiderwebbing through the clouds didn’t ease her mind. Instead, giving her an ominous feeling.
“Well.. hehe. I guess this is it then.” Paimon stated from where she was hovering just to Lumine’s side. She was wringing her hands nervously. “What if Paimon gets seasick??”
Lumine chuckled at that, breaking some of the tension that hovered in the air on the busy loading dock. “How could you possibly get seasick when you’re constantly in the air?”
“I don’t know, but I know Paimon will!!” She cried, grabbing on to Lumine’s arm to let her know she was serious. But something grabbed her attention a second later. “Hey Lumi, did you see that?”
“See what?” She asked, turning to look in the same direction but seeing nothing out of the ordinary.
“Maybe Paimon is seeing things. Paimon is just so on edge! Let’s get this over with!” At that, Paimon flew ahead in the direction of the loading ramp where the Crux crew was hauling provisions onto the ship. Beidou and Kazuha were waiting at the bottom of the ramp, no doubt chatting about the plans they had come up with to get Lumine into the high security territory they were heading to. This was basically a smuggling job, nothing they hadn’t handled before. The wind had picked up a little, blowing free strands of her blond hair that she reached up to move out of her eyes. She then started towards the ship, ready to get this expedition rolling.
A small updraft of wind and energy, followed by the sounds of dock boards creaking under his weight was the only indicator someone had appeared behind Lumine’s small gathering. He landed with a small thud a few strides behind them on the Crux’s loading dock. Effectively alarming any nearby crew members with his sudden appearance, causing them to scatter away from the adepti.
“You’re… leaving?..” his yellow eyes widening before narrowing on Lumine in concern “…Now?”.
She turned at his voice, her smile faltering just a bit as she caught his gaze. He was tense, she could tell, and she could see evidence of a recent battle. Faint blood splatter on his clothes, and a bit swiped across his face. His breathing ragged. He looked as if he had been in the middle of clearing out some hilichurl camp before rushing over here to confront her.
Lumine turned to her awaiting party, Captain Beidou and Kazuha were looking at her with confusion written all over their faces. It wasn’t every day that an Adepti stopped by to say hello, not to mention the conqueror of demons himself. He never bothered venturing into the city, instead lurking by the outskirts or up on the cliffs to keep watch. Many people knew of him, but steered clear due to his karmic aura and cold demeanor. It was a known fact that the adepti didn’t involve themselves in mortal affairs, unless it was absolutely necessary. The yaksha especially.
Beidou was the first to speak on his arrival. “Well lookie here. What an unexpected surprise!” Propping her hands on her hips.
“Uh oh..” Paimon chimed in from where she was floating off to Lumine’s side. “You should probably go talk to him before he gets angry. Paimon told you that you should have warned him!”
Lumine wrung her hands sheepishly and let out a nervous chuckle. “Maybe I should have, I’ll be just a minute.” Beidou nodded and mumbled something about the Adeptus and his seriousness under her breath. Kazuha only smiled politely and said “take your time” before they turned to resume their conversation. Paimon shooed Lumine away, claiming she had no part in this and something else about avoiding his wrath.
She approached him carefully. Feeling more and more anxious the closer she got to the adeptus. He always had an unapproachable aura to him, and even though they had grown closer during her time in Liyue, she was still nervous around him. Especially when he looked at her like that.
They had spent the last few weeks after the battle of Osial working together on commissions, or occasionally having a meal together at the Wangshu Inn. Something had changed between them during that time, and she couldn’t quite figure out how to approach the topic with him. Recently, she would catch his gaze lingering on her a little longer than normal, or his presence a little closer to hers during a battle. She used to have to call out to him when they were meeting up for a commission or dinner, but now he was often waiting for her when she visited Wangshu Inn. She knew they needed to talk about it, and the fact that she was leaving for the foreseeable future, but she never found the time to bring it up.
“Xiao, I-“
“You should have told me.” He growled, crossing his arms. He turned his head to look away from her, a deep scowl forming. She couldn’t help but notice the way his muscles rippled and flexed with tension, but it was the way he spoke to her that really caught her off guard.
"You’re leaving? You should have told me.", The words rattled around in her mind, his tone laced with concern.
“I.. I know. Everything happened so fast. I had an opportunity and I needed to act on it. You know that I’m searching for my brother, and there are rumors that another traveller like me has been spotted in Inazuma” the words came tumbling out, like she was scrambling for purchase on a cliff. Xiao was always hard to read, but with this she knew he was fuming.
He still wasn’t looking at her, instead looking out at the sea. No doubt assessing the path they would take.
“I’m sorry, I know I should have told you. Or at least sent a note to explain. I just… I have to find him.” Her voice tapering off at the end. He knew what her mission was, she didn’t need to explain herself on that front. She wasn’t sure what else to say. How else to explain herself. The flex of his jaw told her that she wasn’t getting anywhere with her excuse. To be honest she hadn’t told him because she was scared of how he would react. She was afraid of, well, this.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can, I prom-“
“No” he snaps. Fully facing her and pinning her with a glare.
That caught her off guard. “No?”
He released his grip on his crossed arms. Dropping them to his sides and sending small anemo particles into the space around him. “You don’t understand” he growled out. In a low voice meant for only her to hear. “I can’t… forget it.” He scoffs, looking away from her again.
She takes a step closer to hear him better. “You can’t what?” Her skin tingles with his anemo energy in the air. It makes her shiver. But then again, it always does.
His jaw flexed again. Something is eating at him. But this time he softens, exhaling as his shoulders slouch. He turns to face her again, and takes a step towards her. They’re close now, close enough she could easily reach out and wipe the blood smear off his face if she wanted. He looks so tired now that she can really see him. He was likely up all night slaying demons or hilichurls or whatever else posed a threat to Liyue.
“I can’t…” he reaches out, slowly, and gently takes her hand. Cradling it in his palm and running his thumb over her knuckles for just a moment before continuing. “I can’t protect you there.” His eyes locked on their joined hands.
He’s never been this.. soft with her before. It makes her heart flutter in her chest. His voice low, just for her. The way he gently brushed his thumb over the back of her fingers. His grip firm and steady. The way her body responds to it all, making her want to melt into him.
“Xiao…” Lumine breathes, reaching up to cup his cheek. “I can take care of myself, you know that right? I’ll be okay.” her voice a whisper compared to the noise around them. She moves to wipe the splatter off his cheek when he shoots up and grabs her wrist, pulling her hand away from his face. Firmly holding it between them when he locks eyes with her. His face inches from hers.
“You don’t understand. The Raiden Shogun is lethal.” he hisses. “Her country just as deadly. She could strike you down at any minute once you step foot on her land” all softness from before gone. “Letting you go to Inazuma is a death sentence.” He growls, noses almost touching.
“Is everything alright?” Kazuha’s voice cuts through the tension like a knife. They hadn’t noticed him make his way over.
With one hand still holding her wrist firmly in the air, Xiao moves his other to grab hold of her shoulder, pulling her even more toward him. Almost as if to shield her. “Back off.” He spats at Kazuha. His voice almost a growl, his tone possessive. Something about it makes her heart leap.
“Uh.. got it. Just wanted to tell Lumine that we’re almost ready to set sail, sorry.” Kazuha manages out before retreating back to the ship. Away from whatever is going on between the two of them.
“What has gotten into you?” Lumine tries to wiggle free, but fails. “I’ve never seen you like this..” he’s so close she can see the gold flecks in his eyes, the dark circles just underneath them. He gazes back at her, unreadable.
He let out a shaky breath, loosening his grip on her and letting their hands fall between them. But he doesn’t let her go. He holds both her hands this time, and presses his forehead to hers. Closing his eyes and taking in another long breath that tickles her face and makes her shiver.
“Xiao… tell me. Please.”
“If you call for me I won’t be able to get to you” he whispered. He pulls back just far enough to look her in the eye before continuing, “I’ve been able to keep you safe so far, but now I have to let you go where I can’t follow.”
Lumine tries to speak, but she can’t find the words. He’s so earnest. So sincere that she can’t believe it. He’s all but confirming what she’s been curious about for weeks. She thought she was imagining things when he saved her at the battle of Osial. Imagining the way he held her waist just so, how he readjusted to hold her closer on that platform. The way he answers her every call. He cares for her, and she feels as if her heart could burst for the second time.
The first was when they were out on a commission just last week.
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They were clearing out a hilichurl camp together, way up in the Liyue mountains where travelers rarely ventured. Lumine had just finished batting a mitachurl who had rushed her from across the camp. He had hit a few pillars in the process, making the nearby watchtower unstable. Just as she eased out of her fighting stance to wipe her brow, the support beams of the watchtower crumpled, sending the structure tumbling down in her direction. Before she could even react, Xiao was there. Using his wind cycling ability to rush them out of the way of the falling tower and onto the ground.
They landed on top of one another, Lumine on the ground with Xiao just above her. One hand braced against the ground just by her head, the other still gripping his jade winged spear off to the side. He had landed on a knee, positioned dangerously close between her thighs while his other leg had planted beside her, allowing him to stand up if he wanted. Their faces were so close their ragged breaths tangled between them. “Are you alright?” He had breathed, his eyes fixed on hers for a moment before flicking down to her lips and back again just as fast. She managed a stuttered “yes” before clearing her throat and responding more firmly, albeit breathy. Her heart roared so loud in her chest she wondered if he could hear it. He was so close, his heavy breaths fanned her face, causing a flush to creek up her neck and onto her face. She hoped he hadn’t noticed, but his golden eyes had glazed over, almost as if he was in a trance. He lingered for just a moment longer before the realization dawned on him that they were in a very compromising position.
He shot up with wide eyes, clearing his throat before mumbling a short “sorry” and rubbing the back of his neck. A nervous habit Lumine had learned about him. She sat up and shook the dust out of her hair when he reached a hand out to help her up. He effortlessly pulled her to her feet, quickly dropping her hand and taking a step back from her. His cheeks were pink, but Lumine chalked it up to the heat of the day and the battle they had just finished. There’s no way he could feel the same way I’m feeling she thought to herself. He was thousands of years old, there was no chance some close proximity could fluster him. Especially when he had held her even closer so calmly after scooping her from her free fall just a few weeks prior during the Osial battle.
“I uh.. think that’s enough for today” was all he said before he vanished, leaving Lumine standing alone in the Minlin mountains. Flustered and confused.
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His words hung between them, Lumine was right to ask. What had come over him? Since when did he care about mortal affairs. Since when did he have the time to care about anyone? But there was something about her that he couldn’t stay away from. The way her eyes reflected the color of his own. The way her hair seemed to glow almost golden in the sunlight. How her fighting style perfectly complimented his own, almost a dance. How she was a perfect fit against him when he saved her from her free fall. The feelings that she stirred in him while he hovered just inches above her on that battlefield. The aura about her that said she was not meant for this world. That she too, like himself, was an outlier. Someone that didn’t fit into this world’s standards. If he was the dark, she was the light. Even his karma dissolved when she was near.
“I’ll be okay, I promise. There are people there who are going to help me.” She does her best to reassure him. Giving his hands a squeeze to show she means it.
“Last call! All aboard to set sail!” Captain Beidou bellows out. Crew members start to scurry up the ramp, but neither of them move.
His gaze flicks behind her to the ship, then back to her and he releases a shaky breath. “I’ve heard they are hunting vision bearers there. You don’t have one.” He looks down at their joined hands, brushing over her knuckles again. “If someone sees you using your elemental skills, you will be a target. They will hunt you.”
“Kazuha warned me, we have a plan.” She replies, giving his hands another squeeze. “As long as we stick to it, I’ll be just fine.”
“Promise me…” Xiao whispers, leaning into her as he speaks. “Promise you’ll come back to me”. His words cause their noses to brush again, his lips ghost the corner of her mouth. Her world stops, zeroing in on this one moment. She can feel a heat burning in her, creeping all the way up her neck and warming her face. He’s so close, but he’s not pulling away.
“I promise,” she breathes into him. “I’ll come back to you.”
Then his lips are on hers, soft and tentative at first. He brings a hand up to cup the side of her jaw, tilting her head back as his other hand finds her waist to pull her flush to him. Lumine reaches up to grab at his shoulders, catching fistfuls of his shirt. He takes this as confirmation to deepen the kiss, moving his hand from her jaw into the hair at the back of her neck, earning a hum of approval from Lumine.
Her response fuels him, and his kiss becomes hungry, consuming, like he can’t get enough of her. He can’t stop himself, something primal in the back of his mind urging him to take control. To make her his. She reaches a hand up to tangle in his hair at the nape of his neck, pulling gently and eliciting a low growl from him. He wants to whisk her away to his room at Wangshu Inn, steal her away from the looming danger of her journey ahead. He wants to get her in his bed, strip her bare and kiss every inch of her-
The loading dock bell snaps them out of the moment. It was the final call before the ramp to the ship gets lifted, meaning she really had to leave.
Xiao jumps back as if she’s on fire. Shocked at what he’s done, and in public no less. An adepti making a fool of himself in front of the city he tries so hard to stay out of. For a second he’s worried he has made a mistake, but the flush on her cheeks and the way she reaches up to touch her swollen lips show that she’s just as shocked as he is.
“I-I have to go.” she stutters out, glancing at the ship then back to him. Her voice breathy.
“I know.” he replies. Eyes never leaving her.
“I’ll see you when I get back.” she says as she takes a step backward in the direction of the loading ramp.
“I know.” Xiao responds. Then he vanishes in a mix of Anemo and karmic energy.
Lumine stands in shock for just a second longer before turning and rushing up the boat ramp. Paimon is waiting for her as soon as she makes it on the deck ready to barrage her with questions about what just happened out on the dock. She does her best to answer all of her questions, but Lumine is just as confused as she is.
The ship finally pulls away and starts to make its way out of the harbor. Lumine turns to take one last look at Liyue, memorizing all the small details of the city she’s spent so much time in these last few months. She knows the next part of her journey will not be easy, and she may be walking into a death sentence. But she has to try. The thought hangs heavy on her mind. She’s not even really gone yet and she already wants to go back. There’s so much unsaid now. So much to figure out.
A flash of color catches her eye on the cliff overlooking the city, and she can just make out the figure of Xiao standing there. Watching her leave. He’s barely visible, growing smaller with each passing minute the ship sails out to sea. But she doesn’t take her eyes off him. Not until the city disappears into the haze, too thick to see through.
“I’ll be back soon..” she whispers. Making a silent promise to make it back to Liyue no matter what it takes.