Secrets Among Us
Chapter 1
Liyue was beautiful. The people were thorny at first with its reception to her, but afterwards when things began to clear she found it to be a culture she loved. Lumine sat outside a restaurant, by her side sat the enigmatic consultant of the funeral parlour. They were about to make their way into the wilds to find wild glaze lilies, but first they stopped for some tea as they waited for the sun to set more. Lumine had many questions about this land as they waited…
Even though Mondstadt was free and welcoming basically on day one (thanks to Amber), this country of golden mountains and tall bamboo that reached into misty sunsets sang to Lumine more than anything. Beside the table, the storyteller was able to fill them both in on the current gossip.
"Treasure hoarders have been more active lately too. Last night there was an organised attack on passing traders, it seems like they are gathering resources." The man said behind his home-made painted fan that depicted one of his stories. "If you do plan to gather glaze lilies, please be careful both of you. Especially around the ruins."
"Oh? That sounds interesting!" The chipper voice had Lumine's vein pop in annoyance, the overly friendly Fatui fell into the seat beside her with a hand raised to summon a waiter, "I'll grab something to bite… I will have this, and this… and this for the floaty one."
Paimon held the complaint on her tongue as the young man ordered food for her too and offered to pay for their table with his deep moneybags, Lumine ignored him to focus on Zhongli, "I have had interactions with treasure hoarders. But none of them seemed very organised to me… is it uncommon?"
"Very…" Replied Zhongli in a passive voice while sipping his tea elegantly, his long eyelashes cast shadows onto his cheeks as the sun grew low and the lanterns were lit above them, "They are a group of criminals. For them to organise without in-fighting is strange, the only explanation is that someone else is among them, someone the majority seem to fear."
"You think it's that Reed guy?" Asked Childe as he struggled with chopsticks to pick at the snacks as he waited for his food, "The founder or whatever he is…?"
"No." Cut in the storyteller while rubbing his chin, "I doubt it would be him. What I would believe is either the one called 'Big Sis' or 'The Talon' is here."
"Who are they?" Asked Paimon.
"Known names on the streets. Both vastly differ in position among the treasure hoarders…" The storyteller hummed and glanced at, "Big Sis seems to have vanished while The Talon has been sighted recently on the boarders. Looks like he has been taking up important delves, many relics have been snatched by him."
"He sounds interesting…" Said Childe while leaning on his elbows, "Quite the nickname… Talon? Isn't the Treasure hoarder crest a falcon, he must be high in the ranks then?"
"Why… yes?" The storyteller seemed hesitant, distrust towards Fatui questions seemed universal. "One of the local wives is quite the gossip, she says her son who is an archaeologist was called into a site that was looted to check for damage and figure out what was stolen. It seems he has a background in archaeology, despite a limited time limit the Talon seems to be able to pry treasure out of the stone with minimal damage."
Lumine hummed and stared into her tea, the sunset made the liquid look like gold reminding her of someone who's eyes had the same effect under campfire light. "I don't think we are going near any ruins… from what Zhongli told me. We should be fine."
"Just watch each other's backs, ok?" Said the storyteller with concern, he was fond of the two who both listed aptly to his stories. Their feedback made him happy.
"We will, fear not." Zhongli lowered his empty tea cup and glanced up at the sky, "It is almost time."
"Ah… but food just came…" Paimon's mouth watered as she stared at the table while a waiter laid up food. Childe smiled gleefully as he glanced at Lumine with veiled excitement.
"Why not eat before you go, comrade?"
"Don't…" Lumine signed, she was over telling the Fatui she had no interest in being his buddy. "I am not very hungry and would rather get the glaze lily before it gets too late."
"Agreed." The older man said in a light tone while glancing down at the famished floating girl, "Why don't you dine? We are just collecting one flower after all."
"Really?" Paimon brightened while settling on the table with a massive bowl, Childe looked disappointed that Zhongli and Lumine weren't going to stay but he shrugged it off with a friendly smile.
"I will keep her company until you guys get back." He struggled with the chopsticks for a second, "I am no stranger to babysitting…"
"Paimon's no baby!"
"We will focus on returning before the night grows dark." Said Zhongli while neatly stacking his used utensils. His demeaner screamed noble… but his wallet said otherwise.
Lumine had been worried about leaving Paimon with the Fatui Harbinger, but Zhongli reassured her that it will be fine. The storyteller offered to keep her entertained too and stay with him if they couldn't make it back in time. The two set off after checking their things, by the time they get to the closest location for the flowers it will be dark… with luck they will make it back into town before it got too dark. Either that, or they will need to camp which was an option they wanted to avoid.
"A little further now." Said Zhongli in a smooth voice, the hike didn't seem to bother him and even paused a few times to examine a stone, they managed to make good time to the hill a long walk out of town. Lumine looked back at him and got distracted by the view behind him, he joined her side and looked back too. "The view from here is better when the sun starts to set. I recommend coming here tomorrow about 6pm."
Mentally, Lumine made a reminder to come here tomorrow afternoon if she was lucky to get some downtime between getting everything ready for the funeral of the Geo Archon. Maybe after it's done, she can finally sit and enjoy her time here.
"Sounds good, how much further now?"
"We should start seeing lilies in this area, the petals will be more visible now that they are open."
Eager for this to be over with, Lumine kept her eyes more peeled than usual. Any glimmer or flash of white in the grass was observed. Luck wasn't on their side it seemed, everywhere Zhongli expected a plant, the dirt was already pulled up. It was like someone was 'farming' them.
Something finally caught their attention… a sound or was it a song? It had both her and Zhongli whipping their heads around. Was someone singing? It was a soft, yet deep tone that resonated through them and they both peered around the rocks to find the source. What they saw had Lumine's jaw drop.
Him…! The mysterious, masked man knelt in the grass singing an unfamiliar tune that wasn't from the two areas she has visited so far, in his cupped hands the beautiful crystal-like petals of a glaze lily seemed to ripple gleefully. Behind him a couple more flowers resonated to his music.
His violet eyes seemed more beautiful and fuller of vitality than she remembered, last time she saw him the young man had been drained thanks to the spores of the regisvine. It looked like he has since made a full recovery.
Faintly Lumine saw Zhongli open his mouth and felt the dread in her stomach before he could even make out some words, "Excuse me."
The masked man's head whipped up and his song died in his throat. The flower in his hands twisted in dissent at the disruption and its petals recoiled, "Who the hell…?" He went silent when Zhongli stepped out with Lumine in tow, his eyes landed on her and she averted hers quickly in a guilty manner. She saw his stray glance at her stomach as he raked his eyes down her body… "What do you want?" Rude…
Zhongli didn't even seem offended at the man's aggression towards him, instead he smiled regally in a welcoming manner that visibly eased the other man's shoulders without their knowledge. "We are currently searching for glaze lilies. Would you mind if we have one of these, we have been searching for a while?"
Beneath his mask, leather and new compared to the pathetic slip of fabric he use to wear (his lesson was learnt harshly and he took precautions), the man obviously curled his lips downwards along with his brow in a frown. "Oh, I was going to sell these… You want to take away my own hard earnt findings?" He picked the flower he was cupping and quickly tucked it into his satchel, the inside was sectioned like an alchemist's bag.
"We can buy them from you." Bargained the longhaired consultant making Lumine huff, he meant she would buy it since he didn't have any mora to his name. Her small sound drew the masked one's attention, "…Hm… those were the wrong words, I apologize. It is true that I have not brought my wallet all this time…"
Zhongli's mildly embarrassed expression had her sighing and brought her hand up to her head to push back the rising headache, "How much were you selling them for?" Snapped Lumine while rubbing her forehead, this was becoming a true annoyance. She didn't want to accept anymore of the Fatui's money, she preferred Zhongli to be in debt with her and not him. What would the Harbinger do if Zhongli never paid his debt back? Lumine already witnessed his aggression towards one person who was refusing to pay his loan debt.
"Ha, such a charming attitude." The man purred, his change in tone had Lumine flinching and Zhongli tilted his head in admiration of the other man's quick changes in tone, "For you… let's say… twenty-five thousand mora."
"Ok that's…" Lumine gave Zhongli a glare and he snapped his mouth shut before agreeing to the price and looked away like a kicked puppy, the masked mysterious man chuckled while bending to pick up the second flower to add to his bag, he played with the petals of the third while humming lightly. His purple eyes glint as it began to glimmer and open up its petals again. "Traveller, we are running out of time. It will be too dark and these paths are far too dangerous to traverse at night."
"I know… but that price is way too unreasonable..."
"Unreasonable?" The man gave a faux gasp and raised a hand to his chest in a wounded way even as his voice dripped with sarcasm, "I heard a someone sells them far higher than that…"
"This is true…" Replied Zhongli while pinching his chin between his long index finger and thumb, "Childe mentioned there someone in a village who sold them for fifty thousand mora. But we have no guarantee that they are wild."
"Fifty…?!" Lumine covered her face with her hands, "Maybe there's more flowers nearby…"
"How about this… I will give you a onetime deal, since it looks like you both have searched for a very long time." The sarcastic masked man was smirking as he picked the third flower and twirled it around his finger, "I will point you in the direction of more flowers. But you have to pick them yourself… and I will only charge a finder's fee of… let's say… eight-thousand mora."
That was… better even though it was not ideal. She could afford that, but still it left a bitter taste in her mouth as she said, "Fine."
The man chuckled as he put the flower into his satchel, his deep voice sent shockwaves through her. She remembered the sensation of it vibrating against her ear as he… "Happy doing business with you." He opened his palm in an expecting way and Lumine huffed while pulling out her purse bag.
"You are paying me back one of these days, Zhongli." She said threateningly as she dumped out bundles of coins, wrapped perfectly in paper by the hundreds.
"I understand." Zhongli spoke in a gentle and somewhat remorseful voice as he watched the transaction with rapt attention. The mystery man didn't bother to count the coins Lumine handed him, like he didn't give a damn about the money in the first place making Lumine livid. Chances were he was never going to sell those flowers in the first place.
"Follow the mountain trail down to the water's edge." The man pointed at the road they were originally on, there was a v in the pathway ahead of them that steered downwards, "I saw a several lilies there earlier before the sun went down. It was my next destination but I will reluctantly give the location to you."
"Thank you for the information." Lumine strained out, almost pained. "Let's go… I don't want to leave Paimon in that Fatui's 'care' any longer."
"Tian promised to look after her, place some trust in him." Said Zhongli in a comforting way, it did only little to ease her tense shoulders. "Childe wouldn't hurt her either."
"See you later, my lovelies." The man purred behind then while waving them away, Lumine shot him a backwards glare. Her ear's flushed when she caught him staring at her with hooded eyes, he was looking at her stomach area again… was he curious if their little tumble sowed a seed? Despite saying he didn't care, and having fled the morning before she woke, he seemed very interested. His eyes flashed up to meet her golden ones and she quickly averted them when her heart felt like it stopped. Time was ticking.
He could stay curious.
The walk down the hill was swift, as they pair got closer to the base of the craggy mountain, they both could see several glaze lilies below. They were growing in groups right where sand met grass, just under the tree shadows.
"Finally." Lumine panted as her and Zhongli inspected the flowers after rushing over, as if fearing a certain man would sweep through like a tornado and snatch them away along with her mora. Their petals closed up protectively when they both drew closer.
"These will do. We only need the one, but if you like I can point you towards someone who can help you harvest seeds from the others."
"I don't have anywhere to plant them… but maybe I can make something from them others?" Lumine didn't know if there was a dish or salve that she could make from them. Maybe she could use them to make perfume for herself? She didn't wear any since waking up here, because it was Aether who use to make her some during his experiments. The softer scent's he made were her favourites and it upset her greatly to find her bottles were either broken or long since expired, "But maybe I can find a use for them."
"Are you ready to sing?" Asked Zhongli after a pause.
"Yes…" Lumine took in a breath and began to sing, Zhongli's eyes slid shut as he listened while enjoying the cool breeze that came to carry the Mondstadt tune away. Maybe Venti was listening in? He and Lumine sang a few times in the pub, despite Diluc's initial disagreement, he silenced when the two synced.
The petal's opened and glimmered in interest to her song, it wasn't one they heard often but seemed to enjoy it none-the-less. Lumine wished she had learnt a Liyue song prior to this… maybe after she returned to the inn, she would learn one?
"Something is not right…" Zhongli's eyes snapped down at the ground as Lumine picked the beautiful flower, his geo affinity seemed to alert him to something moving under the ground. "Prepare yourself for battle."
With his warning, Lumine summoned her sword and spread her feet for an ambush. Behind her, Zhongli mirrored her by summoning his spear, it glimmered like molten gold as it materialised. This was the first time she saw his weapon… she had no idea he could fight… even though he had a Vision. Just because he didn't seem like a warrior…
Her thoughts were proven to be so very wrong. He was experienced and graceful, but also strong as he kicked his spear. The group of Wopperflower's that attacked them had no hope of surviving, the pair didn't even need to use their powers to cut them down. When the fight was over, Zhongli leaned on his golden spear and examined the area for more threats while Lumine harvested the other glaze lilies and nectar.
"I believe that was the last of them." His spear vanished in golden particles, Lumine wondered if he knew how that happened. Paimon had questioned her about it once, but the little 'fairy' couldn't explain how or where even she vanished. "Hm…"
"What?"
"We wasted much time." Zhongli was staring at the direction they came from and Lumine hissed in annoyance when she followed his gaze. She couldn't even see the road they took in the darkness, even the lights of Liyue port were blocked by the crags and mountains. There was no way they could make it back up without slipping to their death.
"Damn it, looks like we are camping…" Lumine sighed while looking around for a place, "There is a ruin over there."
"We can scout it out." Agreed Zhongli while starting to walk towards it, "We may face some ruin guards or other enemies. But from what I witnessed; you will have no problems."
"The thought is mutual. I'm surprised you can fight so well, it was a different style with a spear." Lumine laughed. Kicking a spear like a ball… that was something she didn't think she would see, "Not something I would ever expect to work. But you managed to make it look easy."
With a soft chuckle, Zhongli folded his hands behind his back as they walked. His ember eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight as he scanned every shadow as they grew closer to the ruin, "I sense some vibration's inside. But these ruins appear to be deeper than they appear, the enemies seem to be much lower."
"Anything on the surface?"
"Large footsteps, a ruin guard at the entrance. But if we enter from the left, we should be able to avoid its sight." Zhongli led the way around the crumbled wall's and stepped up onto the tumbled stone with ease thanks to his long legs, Lumine could now feel the heavy steps he originally sensed. Loose rocks bounced as the ground shuddered. The tall man held out his hand and Lumine accepted his help up onto the stone wall that was higher than her waist, "Keep low."
With a nod, Lumine followed Zhongli swiftly to the ruin gate. It was already broken open in sections. Either an adventurer or treasure hoarders already raided this place.
Inside it was dry and cold, but it meant they weren't in the open with the risk of monster's and thugs ambushing them. Dry vines covered the wall's and Lumine hacked up a few to create a fire, "I don't have much to eat. Just a few dried meats and nuts."
"That is better than nothing, starvation is not an enjoyable experience." Zhongli took the wood from her hands and carried it for her in the crook of an elbow, so that she was free to fight if required.
"You speak from experience?" Lumine led the way slowly, it was so dark in here she couldn't see a thing even though there were golden glowing geodes throughout the ruin. Behind her the man chuckled almost sadly.
"I…" He reached out suddenly and tugged her backwards against his chest with a loud thump making her breath stutter, "Hold a moment."
She froze and held her breath as something heavy 'slid' past them and she faintly made out the shadow of a metal snake like figure. The presence of the tall man heated her up from behind and gave her some comfort. They stayed still even as it grew quiet, before finally separating.
"I can sense a path to the left that leads into a smaller room, should be safer in there."
"Sure…" Lumine put her hand on the wall and ran it along the cold stone until she found the corner and took the sharp turn. Her ears were flushed, and she was glad he couldn't see it…
"Careful, the entrance is blocked. You will need to cut away some vines to get in." Zhongli directed her towards the gap in the wall and stood back as she hacked a few roots. "That should be enough." Using one hand he helped rip away the root's, displaying a surprising amount of physical strength.
"Watch your head." Said Lumine as she ducked through the hole, there was a light thump behind her, but that was probably Zhongli hitting the wall with the dried roots. "Nothing should be able to fit in here."
"Do you have a flint?" Asked Zhongli softly as he put the timber down somewhere to her right, Lumine blindly searched her bag for her fire-starting kit. When she finally found it, she held it out in the general direction the man's voice was coming from. His large warm hand closed around hers, "Thank you. Please wait a moment as I get us some light."
"Sure." Lumine withdrew her hand quickly and waited as he lit the sparks, finally the room was lit with a warm golden glow and she winced as her eyes struggled to adjust. When they finally did, she searched the room for danger and the best location to roll out her bedroll. "Ah… do you have a bedroll?"
"No, but I will be fine." Zhongli replied as he made a mote of stone around the fire to keep it from spreading, his little geo 'pebbles' hummed with an ember glow and blended into the flames. "I am a restless sleeper."
"Are you sure?" Lumine glanced at him with concern, even though he looked like he was still full of vitality both the trek and a full night awake would burn a person out.
"Do not worry." Zhongli's voice was reassuring as he summoned a short geo rock to settle onto so that his clothes weren't dirtied. He also summoned a large bed sized slab for her. She thanked him while laying out her bedroll and blanket onto it. The stone hummed with warmth… this was going to be the best camp out.
Lumine shared her dried snacks with Zhongli, he accepted a few strips of jerky and ate them slowly. She only had enough for the one night, which should be alright. She could hunt something in the early morning for breakfast before returning to the safer streets, "It's not much…"
"No need to apologize." He cut her off before she could finish speaking, "As I said, it is better than starvation."
Lumine settled on the bed of stone and wrapped herself in the blanket. She glanced up at Zhongli, but he looked peaceful with his eyes shut in meditation, one arm resting on his raised knee and the other folded over his stomach. It looked uncomfortable to sit like that, but he made it seem like a bed of feathers.
"Good night."
"Sleep like the stone."
"Wake up! Some comes…"
Lumine snapped awake at her companion's sharp words and summoned her sword while leaping to her feet, Zhongli was beside her with his own weapon already in his hand and pointing towards their uninvited guests as they squeezed through the gap. The group of treasure hoarder's smirked, "Good evening." One of the larger one's chuckled.
So the ruins were their target. Lumine cursed, they should have taken the gossip to heart.
"What should we do?" Asked one in a reddish coat, the pattern sewn into it sent a thrill of familiarity through Lumine… couldn't be…? "There wasn't meant to be people here, and we can't leave until boss returns."
Clearly the 'boss' of this group wasn't well-liked with the way the word was spat out. Lumine glanced at Zhongli, he didn't seem to want to fight either since she was beyond exhausted and this room was too tight for them to use their powers without collapsing walls.
"Should we just detain them until he returns? How long does it take to raid a ruin?"
"I heard his record was thirty minutes." Replied another man who was guarding the entrance, "And that was with ruin guards and Milleth in his way."
"Put your weapon's away, or we will bury you in this room." Chuckled the biggest thug, "Behave and we promise to ONLY take your belongings."
Again, Lumine glanced at Zhongli and he shared a look with her too, they both could handle these thugs when out in the open. But for now, they wanted to find out what these treasure hoarders were after… and who did they reluctantly call boss? Maybe they could get something out of catching a big-name criminal?
Like mora…
The pair sent their weapons away.
"I hate how people can do that." Spat one of the men while packing up Lumine's bag, after going through it. "Girl has a few nice things in here. Including those flowers, the ones the boss sent us to find."
"Good, hopefully he won't send us off to find more again. Bastard said we had to sing before picking them, but they all kept withering away." Snarled one of the men as they picked at the few nut's Lumine had left. He crunched them loudly between rotting nubs of teeth.
"That's because you sound like a cat with its ball's twisted." One of the others said, making the other's howl with maniacal laughter.
"Once that boss guy leaves, I'm fucking killing you!" The two got into each other's faces.
"Why wait, try it!"
"Guys! Remember what happened the last time we fought with each other." One of the smallest of the group jumped in nervously, "The boss killed our brothers…"
That mellowed out the tension and Lumine swallowed nervously as the air grew so thick with fear that she could probably chew it. Their boss killed someone… for arguing?
"Come on you two, keep your hands where we can see them." Surrounded by treasure hoarders lighting the way with lanterns, they were taken deeper into the ruin. It grew tenser. Fighting inside wasn't what they wanted to do, but it might end up being the only choice…
Along the way were bodies of ruin guards and other constructs that looked like snakes, "Shit… did he kill all these. That guy is a fucking monster… does he have a vision?"
"Nah… I didn't see one on him. But I heard he is an expert in weapon summoning."
"Seriously, I didn't think people without visions could do that." The man glanced at Lumine and Zhongli, "The dude has a geo-vision… but the kid…"
"Probably hiding it, or the same as the boss?" They all grew quiet as they followed the destruction, it was quiet and Zhongli hadn't reacted to anything he could sense, "Best to find the boss as quickly as possible, I don't wanna see one of these things…"
They all came into a more open room, it looked like a puzzle one that Lumine has experienced before. It was the perfect place to fight… but they still didn't know anything of the situation or who their enemy was.
"In you go, looks like the boss already opened the barriers… that was quick…"
"He is a professional, Reed wouldn't put so much trust into him if he wasn't…" They passed the archway that had hints of power. There was once a powerful barrier here. "Got to admit it as much as I hate to… he knows what he is doing."
They continued to walk through a tunnel… to a dead end.
"Where the hell is he?" Asked one of the mystified men while looking around, "Did we miss something?"
"He told us to meet him here…" Another answered nervously while looking at the large gashes on the wall. Something huge came through here but they couldn't tell if it was recently. "We just need to confirm that he got the artifact, and carry supplies."
The thug that spoke shifted the large bags on his back, that must be the stolen goods from the last night raid.
"That's fine, just take everything from these two… and bind them."
Instantly, with the threat of a fight Zhongli and Lumine resummoned their weapons. Their backs were facing the dead end, so the thugs couldn't trap them from behind. Their fighting stance had the treasure hoarders all grinning arrogantly.
"Wanna fight us? I guess you rather die then, let's kill them!"
A soft chuckle sounded from above followed shortly by a light tap behind them then suddenly an arm snaked around Lumine's waist. Another curled around Zhongli's jaw so that long finger's cupped against his cheek and temple causing the pair to tense, "Now don't be so rude to my friends." The familiar voice drawled out precariously making a chill run down Lumine's neck. The mysterious masked man leaned forward so his jaw brushed against the crown of her head, while his eyes stared at the others with arrogant airs.
"Your… friends?" Asked one of the thugs in confusion, the other's all looked at each other while scratching their heads. Not the most intelligent bunch…
"Yes, why so surprised that I have friends." The man purred while pulling them closer to his chest, one of his knee's settled between Zhongli's legs making the taller man jump slightly. His eyes flashed down defensively but he continued to look relaxed despite the position, "Third time we have met my dear, must be fate joining us together."
"Gross…" Lumine instantly replied even though she felt a heat in her cheeks, the man laughed while stroking her stomach with a finger. He looked satisfied as he held them and even leaned against Zhongli, his purple eyes lit up as he felt the other man give no resistance. And proceeded to put a large chunk of his weight onto Zhongli as if challenging the boundaries of the other man's patience.
"You wound me. Such a cruel girlie, to use me and throw me away like a wet rag." He didn't seem upset in the slightest as he stared down the other thugs, "Well boys… you all look very empty handed. Am I the only one doing all the work here?"
"What do you expect us to do? There is nothing left in the area, only what's behind the barrier. It's been picked clean already." Snapped one of the treasure hoarders, "And what do you mean by all the work. You look empty handed too."
"Oh?" The man's tone turned dangerous and Lumine felt her ear's flush and the hair on her neck rippled, he used that same tone on her too. "Do you think I would carry a 'priceless' artifact in a bag? You think I am down on your level, how pathetic?"
The other thugs all bristled, they looked like they wanted to murder the man but their earlier fear kept them in line. "Then you got what Reed wanted?" One said hopefully.
"Of course, I did." The man behind them smirked, "I think I hit a record. Twenty-five minutes?"
"Then are you leaving yet?"
"So eager to be rid of me, well I guess I could give you some form of a treat for gathering so many lilies for me. Even though they were not in the best of health."
"We are not your…!" One of the thugs began to shout causing his voice to bounce off the walls, but silenced when the man hushed them, "Did you just shush me!?"
"Yes, idiot. Were you all shouting the whole time making your way here?" The man's voice was on the verge of criticism and urgency making everyone else tense… Why was someone like him worried about some raised voices?
There was a loud noise at the end of the hall before the many lights in the previous room were blotted out by a large frame. Behind them the man's breath came to a rapid halt and his pulse against their skin began to race, and Lumine felt hers pick up to match his pace.
"Fuck, get down!" The man pulled Lumine and Zhongli to the side, pressing them both against the wall with a firm hand while switching their position's so that he stood in front of them to guard them against the oncoming attack. Missiles hit behind the treasure hoarders causing an explosion and the mystery man hissed as he was scrapped by shrapnel, "Climb!"
At his order, Lumine and Zhongli quickly scaled the wall the man shoved them towards. Beneath them was fire and screaming as the large 'creature' that blocked the exit destroyed the treasure hoarders ruthlessly. There was a rumble that had the man below them shooting out orders and directions in urgency. Lumine swung through the archway in the stone first and Zhongli crouched at the ledge to lean down and lend their 'guide' a hand. The man accepted it without a word.
"Alright… we need to move further in." The man panted lightly as he landed on the ground in a perfect kneel, almost mirroring Zhongli as the pair both jumped to join Lumine, "Either we find another way out, or wait for that ruin grader to leave." There was a bang on the wall behind them making all three of them jump…
Lumine preferred the first option… she has faced one ruin grader previously, but she was unable to finish it off. It was far stronger than a ruin guard, and larger. Her and Amber barely managed to get away unscathed. "Would there be another exit back here?"
"Chances there are." He replied while pulling something out of his bag, he gave the jar a shake and a milky white light illuminated the room. This had Zhongli cocking his head in interest, and the treasure hoarder handed it to him to examine and hold as their only source of light, "Old ruin's always have hidden exits that lead to the same place. Since most of them are underground, they needed the extra exits in case of attack or fires. You can't just smash a window and jump out when you are hundreds of meters below the surface."
That was true. The hoarder grabbed Zhongli's elbow and forced him to walk side by side with him so that the light could hit in front of them, the taller man didn't seem to mind and simply held the light out. His warm amber eyes turned back to the tight-lipped traveller behind him, "What he says is correct. All ruins have a secondary passage, sometime more depending on the vastness and population, however these secondary exits are often trapped. Knowledge of theses traps and how to turn them off would have died with the original occupants."
"Yes, so it will not be safe no matter what we do." The treasure hoarder glanced into the small room's they passed, "I recommend we all get some sleep before taking these traps on… you look like you're about to fall over."
The two men looked down at her and Lumine flushed slightly. It was true that she was tired after the long day and rude awakening, but she didn't want a criminal calling her out on it.
"You did not get enough sleep, and the night still has long to go." Zhongli stared at the several archways down the hall. This hallway wasn't as long as the one they left behind; it was like the wall had been built afterwards to block a section of the long hallway. "Will any of these room's suit."
"Some of these room's might be blocked or guarded. There is a passage up ahead on the left, the room at the end of the hall is the treasury. We can stay in there, it has the best security… if I can get the barrier's started again."
The man adjusted his grip so that his hand was pressed against Zhongli's lower back to make the consultant walk more ahead of them. "Barrier's will not be a problem for me." Zhongli halted the other man's thoughts, "I will handle our security… it will be easier to remove and more reliable. Ruin barriers tend to allow constructs passage."
He can create barriers? Geo vision seemed so versatile, Noelle could use a barrier and shielding too. Maybe she should consider trying the Geo power's out from the Archon statue. A shield would save her life one of these days.
"Lovely…" The man purred while speeding up the pace, he almost pushed the stumbling Zhongli along before the consultant could speed up his longer legs up. Lumine hissed in annoyance, "What? Your boyfriend isn't complaining…"
"His not my boyfriend." Lumine was shocked he even suggested such a thing, but the man in question laughed gently behind his forefinger. He was finding their short arguments as amusing.
"I don't believe I have been called a boyfriend before…" He gave a warm chuckle.
"Cutie like you?" The treasure hoarder made a faux surprised expression making Lumine glare.
"Do you ever stop talking?" Ok, Lumine was finding the look that the two were sharing as uncomfortable, and she felt her neck flush as a pair of sunset eyes turned to her with veiled heat. He looked like he wanted to devour them…
"Wow, such an attitude." The man sent her a hidden smirk, "Did I do something wrong?"
Her glare was his only response.
They walked through the small arch way and Zhongli handed the glowing glass to her, he raised his hands and two dark brown pillars with auburn glowing marks to match his eyes appeared from the ground either side of the entry. A golden barrier covered the entire entry between them, it glimmered with beautiful geometric shapes that looked like runes.
For a second, the treasure hoarder examined it with a smile. "Wow… Geo Vision is something else." He didn't even sound jealous, most non-vision users were. "Got some solid uses, darling. You willing to join me, make some neat gold?"
"I don't require…"
"Mora?" The treasure hoarder sent Zhongli a grin that had the taller man halt with a mildly meek cough, "Sound's like you forget your wallet often, either you are a noble that doesn't do a thing on their own or got nothing to begin with."
"Unfortunately, it is true that I am short of mora." Zhongli rubbed his chin and averted his eyes as Lumine busied herself with making camp in a dry corner. He quickly summoned a few slabs for them all to settle on and Lumine started a fire with what she could find, she jumped to her feet and stomped up behind the man as he continued to attempt to pull Zhongli into his business.
"Stop trying to recruit him, his not a criminal like you!" Lumine pulled the treasure hoarder back by a firm grip in his slightly greying hair, under the gaze of the pair of temporary travel companions, they watched the young man's shoulder's tense and his eyes flicker with a hungry emotion. Followed shortly with a low groan. This reaction had the three of them standing in silence, staring at each other as they didn't know what to say to break it, that was unexpected.
"Did you… seriously enjoy me grabbing your hair?" Finally, Lumine broke the awkward silence.
"What? Can I not enjoy myself when my lovely companion gets firm?" His purr should not have affected her as it did, and Zhongli glanced at her as if he could smell the silky heat that suddenly pooled at her core. His pupils seemed to slit a little as he scrutinised the man's entire form in a judgmental way, "Such pretty companions I find myself with, how can I not have fun with the situation?"
Suddenly he spun, causing his hair to twist tighter in her hands. It looked like it was painful but he carried on as if the pain only riled him up further, grabbing her by the waist in warm hands and pulling her flush against his body. She felt the press against her stomach proving to her exactly HOW much he enjoyed what was happening. He hooked a finger over his mask to tug it down while leaning down towards her face…
Was he going to kiss her?
A gloved hand grabbed him from behind around his throat and held tight enough that the skin creased under the pressure, and the treasure hoarder's pupils enlarged for a second before flashing over his shoulder. Zhongli held him still, his golden eyes seemed mildly dangerous which sent a shock through the two. This was the first time they saw anything other than calmness in those pools of knowledge.
"Are you trying to force yourself on her?" He growled deeply and the treasure hoarder barely bit back a groan in response.
"Force myself?" The man purred while licking his revealed lips causing Zhongli's eyes to follow, "I wouldn't dare… take such unsavoury thoughts from your mind."
"I hardly find it consensual, for someone unfamiliar…"
"Oh, but I am not unfamiliar." Lumine flushed as the two men continued to stare each other down, "Like I said earlier, fate seems to be causing us to drift together. Must be the universe saying it needs to happen… Archon intervention?"
Zhongli chuckled and the harshness in his eyes softened slightly even though his grip did not once slacken, "I did sense a familiarity between the two of you earlier. I did not realise it was of that nature…"
"That nature!?" Lumine flinched when the two men seemed to remember her presence and looked down at her. "T-That wasn't… it's not like…"
"Not like that?" The treasure hoarder's handsome face seemed hurt even though his voice was suggestive, "How could it not? The first time we met was so romantic…"
"That's not… it was only because of the regisvine!"
When Lumine went pink down to her chest, Zhongli seemed to piece together what happened way too quickly from the minimal information, "Ah, a regisvine… you were affected by its repopulating spores, by my guess you took the intercourse way to recover."
"Hm… was there another way to recover?" The man frowned slightly while his voice seemed to take a more serious tone. The sudden drop in attitude fired up Lumine's warning signals.
"Yes… by chewing on the leaves of a Qingxin you can shorten the effects by several hours. Mixing this together with Jueyun Chili and sweet flower roots in boiled water almost instantly causes the spores to lose majority of its strength."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" The treasure hoarder's sudden raised voice caused both Lumine and Zhongli to flinch in surprise at how quickly he snapped, "That is all I had to do. I was in pain for so many fucking goddamn hours!"
He pressed the heel of his hands into his eyes and gave a strangled groan of annoyance. Lumine did recall how terrible he had been, "You were really in pain… could barely move until…"
"I had that mush you cooked with my Qingxin flowers…" Lumine bristled when he mentioned her food being mush and her hand tightened in his hair making the man hiss, "Ok sorry sorry, don't rip my hair out."
He returned his hands to her hips and pulled them forward to grind against his, he moaned lightly while grinning as he watched her facial reaction.
"Well, that is in the past. Let's us make something new." He twisted his body and reached up to yank Zhongli forward by his tie, the longhaired man's eyes fluttered wider only barely before hooding as his nose brushed the smug shorter man's. Their lips barely touched as the both continued their staring contest, with extra spice that had Lumine's grip on his hair loosening. She gaped in surprise. Did the treasure hoarder really just do that?
From what she saw in this world, same sex intercourse was common enough that it wasn't something 'impossible' to consider, but it still turned many heads forcing the couple to be very reserved about such relationships. But the idea of a threesome with even a hint of same-sex seemed extremely rare. Yet, here this treasure hoarder was trying to start something with abrupt confidence that screamed that he had no thoughts that either of the others would say no.
Another strange thing that Lumine found in this situation was that Zhongli didn't seem averse to it. The man always seemed honest, and distanced from the deeper emotions or desires that plagued majority of people. And almost seemed innocent and pure in mentality, despite being highly educated in vast topics.
Not once had she seen his eyes stray, focused only on those addressing him and the endgame of their current task.
She felt like she was drifting as a hand guided her closer while the treasure hoarder turned around to face the consultant completely, forcing her between them. Her back was pressed firmly against Zhongli and she was reminded once again how warm the man was.
Like a fire was in his chest.
Another pair of hand's gently rested on her hips, half covering the ones already there and slowly guided her to rock her hips against both the men's groins. One was hard and poking into her stomach, the other seemed to twitch and swell as her back created friction. A soft moan escaped one of the men, but with the buzzing in her ears Lumine couldn't tell which of them it came from…
Through the white noise, her ears perked up to a wet sound and she craned her neck backwards so she could witness what was happening with flabbergasted wide eyes. She had no idea who was the first to break the small space between them, but now the two men were deeply intwining their tongues as if they were in their own world and she flushed all over as she watched. She never saw two men lose themselves together like this.
Zhongli's golden eyes were half lidded, staring down at the treasure hoarder who was looking up with a challenging smirk creasing his eyes. His teeth latched onto Zhongli's bottom lip, he sucked it into his mouth as he separated. A pearl string of drool kept the two men joined as they panted heatedly.
A sense of foreboding filled Lumine as the treasure hoarders' eyes rolled down to stare at her, he gave a small grin before bringing his head down to latch his mouth on her throat. A warm hand rose to hold her by her flushed cheek with long fingers gently curved below her chin, and tilt her head backwards to give the man more access and also allow Zhongli to twist her into a kiss.
The taste of the two men on her tongue had Lumine moaning and her body grew lax, the men both held her upright as her legs shook. Teeth scraped her throat and collarbone hungrily, while a hand gripped the corset ties at the back of her dress, finding the ends to tug her dress loose with harsh pulls that stole her breath. Before she knew it her dress was pooling to the ground and three hands pathed a way across her revealed skin and worked off the rest of her undergarments until only her thigh high boots were in place.
Two fingers pinched her nipple making Lumine gasp and arch, the treasure hoarder moaned against her shoulder and slowly kissed his way down to her unattended breast, he sucked the mound until Lumine was sure to bruise then he kissed the other, "Don't forget to touch her here." It felt like the man guided Zhongli's unresisting hand down across her stomach leaving a path of fiery heat, before two thick gloved fingers pressed against her core. Lumine gave a long hum and wrapped her legs around the waist in front of her.
"You are already drenched, friend." Zhongli softly stated this fact into her ear as he rested his chin on her shoulder and stared down her body to observe everything that was going on. The wet squelch of his fingers as they teased her, flicking in and out, had her legs twitching impatiently. Her juices were pooling into Zhongli's palm and soaking his gloves, "Do you wish for us both to satisfy you?"
"Good question." Purred the other man as he rocked his hips forward so that Zhongli's knuckles brushed against the base of his covered shaft, his bulge pushed the other man's long fingers further in with each thrust, "What do you think? Wanna be satisfied by our two cocks?"
The combination of Zhongli's gentle softness, and the crude sharpness of the thuggish man had Lumine feeling like she was in heat. The temperature that rose up her neck had her moaned and arching, "Yes!" The agreement escaped her before she could bite her tongue. She was so dizzy. The room was swirling together like mixing paint, completely fogging her vision for a brief moment.
A laugh cracked from the man and he looked down at her with a dark grin that had her toes curl, "Oh? Such a naughty, greedy girl. Did you hear that…?"
"…" Zhongli didn't say a word but whatever expression he was making after Lumine's 'mistake' had the treasure hoarders grin waver slightly and his pupils almost enlarge to the point that only a sliver of sunset violet could be seen.
"Mmhm… such a pretty expression you have there. You want to fuck her, then you better get those fingers moving." At his words, Zhongli seemed to pick up the pace. He inserted another finger into her body and started to bury his fingers to the last knuckle with earnest, "Good boy."
The treasure hoarder smirked as he praised Zhongli, before he reached down to fumble with his pants. His belts unclicked with ease and the three of them moaned as his warm rod bounced against Lumine's dripping core. She tightened her hips in silent request for him to hurry up, but the man simply tutted her and gripped her ass tightly to keep her from forcing him inside. His thumbs pressed deeply into the tender curve where hip met thighs, surely leaving a bruise for her to find tomorrow.
"Easy there, have a little patience." The man was grinning and his eyes sparkled when she sent him a dirty glare through pale lashes, "No need to give me dirty looks." Her eyes widened when he suddenly lurched forward causing Zhongli to stumble backwards slightly, his lips hungrily engulfed hers and his tongue filled her mouth.
His taste… how could he smell like a fresh pine forest after a gentle shower, yet taste like a crackling campfire that was on the verge of becoming something untamed, consuming everything in its path. The flavour had her chasing his lips for more when he separated, he chuckled when he noticed and littered her with light peppery kisses while staying just out of her reach. He knew what he was doing and it was pure torture for her. He kissed his way along her cheek before reaching Zhongli, where he brought the man into another heated kiss.
The three fingers inside her twitched and came to a sudden halt, a hellish growl came from deep in Zhongli's chest that almost sounded like a beast and she wondered what happened to make the calm man make such a sound… the scent of blood hit her nose and she opened her hazy eyes to watch as the treasure hoarder leaned back, licking his bloodied lips with a satisfied expression, "That is a nice expression there, Mr. Consultant. I should warn you that I relish biting."
"Noted…" Zhongli's heavy voice sounded so unlike him that it made the other two shiver, "But refrain from biting my tongue, or I will return the favour."
"Don't tempt me." Hissed the other man while sticking out his tongue in an alluring way, "You might make me cum before we even get anywhere." It was an empty promise, but the thought of it seemed to rile Zhongli up. The man pressed forward this time forcing Lumine to squish further between them with a gasp as the air was pushed from her lungs, a loud moan vibrated against her chest and seemed to fill her entire being. Blood…
Zhongli latched his teeth to the treasure hoarder's neck, drawing beads of crimson that dribbled down his collarbone beneath his coat. Fingers tightened into Lumine's hips and the man thrusted forward out of reflex making her cry out with a moan as thick, throbbing flesh pierced into her body. The treasure hoarder shivered as his manhood was swallowed by her body.
"Fuck!"
"A-Ah…!?"
"My apologies…"
After the three of them spoke seconds after the other. Zhongli leaned back with a lick of his lips to examine his work; he wasn't sorry at all. His fingers slowly pulled out of Lumine's full core, brushing against her clit and the other man's sensitive shaft at an agonizingly slow pace before finally leaving her body with a faint pop. The joined pair moaned in synch at the sensation.
"P-Please…" Lumine began to beg with a faint sob, she wrapped her arms around the man and he examined her expression as she rolled her hips desperately.
"Shit, you both look fucking amazing." He began to move at a strong pace, making sure her ass grind back against the hot lump in Zhongli's pants, it rubbed in the fold of her round cheeks making her feel each thump of his veins through his tightening trousers. The consultant was panting against her neck making the skin feel clammy and his fingers twitched as he ran his hands up her stomach, drawing patterns along her skin leaving a trail of goosebumps.
He continued to draw patterns, while the treasure hoarder thrust into her welcoming body. The two men gave each other the occasional kiss and nips as they both worked on driving Lumine crazy.
The pair of hot hands finally stopped running along her body, they cupped her breasts while a warm tongue slowly ran up her nape enticing a shiver out of her, Zhongli's fingers were so long that they caged her breasts and overlapped. She gave a loud moan and tightened around the man inside her (making him grunt) when sharp teeth gently scraped her shoulder, "That's it, cry out for us… you want more don't you." The treasure hoarder hummed deeply from his gut.
"Yes, I do. Please!" Lumine almost cried, she already wanted to cum as the man fucked her against the solid body of her travel companion, her head fell back onto one of Zhongli's broad shoulders and the long-haired man looked down at her through his thick lashes as he nipped gently at her skin drawing out a squeak, "Zhongli!"
Zhongli sucked in a sharp breath at his name and his pupils slit, his eyes were almost like a venomous snake as he twisted their necks so that he could kiss her hungrily. "You heard her." It sounded like the younger man fumbled eagerly against Zhongli's belt, "Whew… impressive weapon there." A moan broke against her mouth, it seemed like the treasure hoarder had grabbed Zhongli around his manhood and started to stroke it as he fucked Lumine. A talented multi-tasker.
The wet sounds between her legs had Lumine blush as the treasure hoarder slapped Zhongli tip against her and used the dripping mess as lubricant to stroke the other man, her eyes grew misty as she felt her release quickly gaining on her. "Are you going to cum, Lumine?" Asked Zhongli against her ear in a deep, growling voice during a break to refill their lungs. His breath was broken as the treasure hoarder stroked him in pace with his hips.
"You're going to cum just for me?" The other man chuckled at Zhongli's question before suddenly stopping making Lumine fall back to the present with a moan of dismay and her hips tried to move to swallow him back inside as he pulled out to the tip, "I am honoured, by we can't have that. Did we not say BOTH of us were going to satisfy you, that's what you asked for?"
A chill ran down her spine and Lumine blinked her eyes as she realised what he meant by those words, "I-I can't take both of you…!" A sensation of fear ran down her body, as if she was splashed in freezing water. Zhongli was moments away from comforting her, and telling the hoarder to not press it. But the young man gave a sharp laugh.
"If I can do it, you can too." He purred in a nonchalant way even though he just admitted to being on the receiving side… behind her Zhongli sucked in an intrigued breath and all other thoughts left her mind as she suddenly had several scenarios and images flash through her mind, "You may be tiny in comparison to us, but your body can handle a lot more than either of us could." The man continued, if he knew what was going through their minds, he did well to make it look like he was not embarrassed. Maybe he wasn't… he seemed open to many things.
"Relax for us." Zhongli said while shifting his knees so that his own tip pressed against her entry too, he caressed her stomach affectionately causing a butterfly sensation to flutter. How could this man be so gentle and considerate? She leaned her body back against him and closed her eyes to focus on keeping her body relaxed and welcoming. Two mouths kissed against her throat and gave soft, encouraging sounds. How the two men were able to mirror each other so effectively despite never having met before now was beyond…
"Ah… oh my god!" She moaned and arched as the pair slowly entered her as if they were one, spreading her walls further than she ever had before that she feared she would tear in half. They made sure to ease her onto them until they both were fully buried inside. Her stomach felt strange as the two men pressed so deep and stretched her wide.
"See, you swallowed us both so easily…" The treasure hoarder leaved back to examined her expression, he softly kissed her tears away before giving her a short, heated kiss that stole all her breath for himself, "Ready to move, love?"
"Mmhmm." Zhongli hummed softly while accepting the sudden nickname was for him without more prompting, he was the first to pull backwards and Lumine arched as she felt every vein along his throbbing shaft rub against her, the sensation seemed to have a similar effect on the man in front of her. His eyes fogged over and struggled to stay open, when Zhongli pushed back inside with a wet slap, the second man pulled out and copied the pace. They started to torture her slowly as they found a rhythm that worked for all three of them.
Soon the two men were able to finesse the right pace, they fucked her with relentless abandon. The peak of pleasure that had been taken from Lumine roared louder than an erupting volcano as she cried out as she came. The two men moaned into her ears as she sucked and tightened around them.
Her dripping walls shuddered as the pair barely slowed their pace, her body was screaming from the sensitivity and she thrashed her body as the two continued, they weren't going to give her a moment of rest. Their hands held her firmly, she could feel the callouses on the treasure hoarder's hands thanks to his fingerless gloves and they felt rough as he kneaded his fingers into her thighs. The sensation did so much to her core. Slowly his hands found their way to the soft meat of her ass and he held on firmly as he shifted her higher.
The heat that bounced between them had sweat dripping down her body, Lumine cracked open an eye to look at the handsome man in front of her. His own brow (twisted in a focused frown) was wet with dew, the campfire lit up the sweat and his eyes in a familiar way that Lumine could not forget. His eyes were far more beautiful and vibrant now than when they first met, and she would be the first to admit that she found them mesmerising.
Zhongli's own hand's twitched around her breasts with each thrust, and his breath felt like fire against her shoulder as he panted. Sounded like he was falling apart and it seemed to excite the treasure hoarder, who watched him like a hawk through drooping lashes. His tongue ran languidly over his teeth (focusing on the dull point of a canine) as he gave a breathless chuckle.
Lumine gave a small sob as she came again, her mouth dropped and body arched as she saw stars. A hand gently cupped her face and brushed back her hair drawing her back down from the foggy haze the two men were driving her into.
"Good girl." Hummed the treasure hoarder as he examined her face. His eyes occasionally travelled over her shoulder to check Zhongli's expression and she felt a little jealous whenever she saw his eyes widen in interest each time, "You want to see his face too, don't you…? He looks so hot and bothered…"
"You have been staring..." Zhongli's voice was rather collected despite his heavy breathing and growling hums; he must have sent the man a look because the expression the treasure hoarder suddenly made had Lumine's walls clench causing the pair to stutter their thrusts. She wanted to see!
"How can I not?" The man licked his lips, "I would love to see what other expressions you can make."
Zhongli chuckled while resting his chin on Lumine's shoulder after the treasure hoarder returned his hand to Lumine's ass, his skin was damp and she felt the sweat through their clothes. Only she was the one bare… she wished they both took the time to undress so that she could feel their skin on hers. The heat was unbearable even to her, "Ah! Please… oh Archons please…!"
"Cumming again?" Asked Zhongli, he kissed her neck gently. His voice was soothing to her ears.
"Looks like it. I rather enjoy seeing both your faces, I wanna cum so badly." The man couldn't decide whose face to look at causing his eyes to flicker rapidly, "Better remember to pull out…"
"You can…" Lumine gasped and her voice broke as the pair continued to hit her insides.
"Hm… we can what…?" The look in the man's eyes sharpened and he raised a brow as he stared down at her. He seriously needed to stop being so handsome and sexy, oh so flawlessly.
"Cum… in me…" She moaned while clenching her fists into the front of the hoarder's coat to tug him closer, his eyes seemed to tremble and widen as she eagerly gave the pair permission to cum into her body. Against her shoulder Zhongli sucked in a sharp breath and looked at the other man through his eyebrows.
"What…? You think because you didn't become pregnant once, you can risk it again? You really want my seed that badly?" He seemed to hesitate and his eyes grew concerned, "Unless you are pregnant… then…"
"I'm not… it's fine, just cum in me. I won't get pregnant…" Her words seemed to have different, yet also similar effects on the men as they both moaned at her demand and fucked into her more eagerly. One man seemed extremely relieved, and the other sounded slightly disappointed. The later received a look from the other man.
"Oh, did you want to breed her? Such a naughty boy…" The treasure hoarder's expression returned to a smirk. Over her shoulder, Zhongli shot the man a swift glare. "Hey, I am not about to kink shame you! Let us fill her up as the little princess demands."
That was a promise he seemed determined to keep, his fingers moved to dig into Zhongli's sides as he sped up. The consultant also matched his pace as their manhood's swelled, they were both so close…
"I'm going to cum!" Lumine sobbed lightly as she clung to the men with arms and legs. Even if he still wanted to pull out, there was no way she was going to allow it… and this knowledge seemed to drive him so close to the end…
"No way am I cumming yet…" He shuddered.
"Oh? Is that a challenge?" Asked Zhongli coyly and the shorter man's cheeks flushed at his tone. His eyes slit in suspicion as Zhongli's hand fisted into the back of his head, "I hope you know what to do in this situation, Lumine."
"What are you…?" The man gave a startled groan as Zhongli yanked his head backwards, instantly Lumine latched her teeth into his skin and Zhongli did the same on the other side of his neck… "Fucking… shit!"
Warmth filled her body and the treasure hoarders' hips shuddered. He painted her insides white with his cum.
"That was a dirty move."
His eyes were dangerous as he glared at the two while they released his throat with satisfaction decorated on their faces, their teeth marks shone brightly. They were going to take time to heal over, especially Zhongli's. His teeth must be sharp since they left deep bleeding holes like fangs… The man pulled slowly out of Lumine, his cum dribbled thickly down her thighs as he forced her legs wide apart and almost knelt to examine where the taller man was still buried inside her twitching body. Lumine flushed with embarrassment when she caught him staring and covered her face with the back of her hand.
The man brought his face closer and nipped her clit causing her to twitch. Zhongli moaned and gave the other man a heated stare as they slowly returned to their feet while leaving a warm trail up her body with the tip of his tongue. Zhongli tilted his head as the man chuckled, "Why not let her see your face as you cum?"
Zhongli gave a moan of agreement and pulled out of Lumine as well, she sighed at the emptiness while her dripping womanhood pulsed around air and felt like she was weightlessly floating in the ocean as Zhongli spun her around in his arms as if she weighed nothing. Using the treasure hoarder's chest to keep her elevated, Zhongli thrust back into her causing their groins to slam forcefully together, making her toes to curl and she cried out. Sinfully her voice bounced back and even the distanced grind of mechanics wouldn't deter them.
"That's it…" The treasure hoarder kissed along her shoulder; the pair both stared at Zhongli with such raw focus it had the geo wielder flushing slightly (at least they though he was). Despite everything, his eyes were focused as he kept his pace even, as if he feared hurting Lumine. His face twisted slightly as he pounded into her, the relief he had put off for a moment was crawling right under his skin.
Lumine could see why the treasure hoarder was so enamoured with his face… watching Zhongli try to stay focused, but losing the ability every time her body twitched was powerful. It was little things, like the mild crease in his fine brow or the twitch of his eyelid, and the way his tongue occasionally swiped along his panting lips. His tongue… it flicked out to taste her lips. It was long, thick, and ended in a sharper point than hers and it filled her mouth with the taste of tea and honey.
"That's it… fall apart." The treasure hoarder whispered against their ears like a devil on their shoulder making both Zhongli and Lumine moan in reply, he was seriously toying with them. His fingers and mouth were touching them both in all the right places with unmatched experience and dexterity to drive them crazy and it was only a few moments before Zhongli's own hips shook and thick cum filled her, his hips jerked into her with each burst and the treasure hoarder hummed gleefully as he spread Lumine's cheeks to watch the cum bubble down her legs, "Such a mess! How are we going to clean this up…?"
After he questioned it, the man fumbled through his bag and pulled out a couple of flasks and a cloth. Zhongli carried Lumine closer to their camp and laid her down on a raised platform he summoned. Lumine sighed in exhaustion as her heated skin touched the cooler stone, she felt the power hum beneath her fingertips as Zhongli and the treasure hoarder took time to wash her body.
They both shared attentive aftercare… "AH!" Lumine arched and felt her leg muscles jolt, she looked down and grabbed the offending head between her thighs. Zhongli seemed frozen in place with damp cloth pressed against her rib as he watched the treasure hoarder devour her cavern, his tongue cleaned her sensitive walls, and his warm fingers rubbed her clit. "Stop… I am going to…"
Lumine broke into a shattered scream as she came then felt her body grow limp, and the treasure hoarder parted from her with a lick of his lips after swallowing every drop she gave him. "Good girl…" He hummed praise as he kissed her up the valley of her stomach, he gave her battered breasts a kiss before coming to a halt at her neck where he gave her soft brushes of his lips. "Oh, and good boy."
After giving praise to Lumine and Zhongli, he brushed the man's head in a lazy pet. For a moment the taller man seemed mystified and uncertain on how to take it since it was so unfamiliar to him, but after hushed hesitation he accepted it with admirable adaptability, "Thank you, allow me to examine your neck." He said in a lowered voice.
"Try not to put a blade to it so soon." The treasure hoarder smirked, but his eyes flashed, and his tone was filled with warning. Has that happened to him before? After a hesitant moment he finally tilted his head so that Zhongli could run his eyes over the bite wounds he left. The funeral consultant held the man's jaw and nape in his palms, and the gentle touch seemed to appease the man. The treasure hoarders' eyes drooped contently, and his shoulders sagged with pent up exhaustion.
"I must apologize, I forgot myself." Zhongli's calming voice was full of regret as he bent down to kiss and run his tongue across the injury until the bleeding stopped, "When you said you enjoy biting… I don't believe it was as far as I went, I often forget my own strength."
"Ha! You kidding?" The treasure hoarder grinned while roughly pulled Zhongli's head backwards with his ponytail so that he could stare up at the man with a conceited expression, "I don't think I have cum that fast before. I got no hard feelings."
"I see." Zhongli nodded, as if that was a normal 'kink' to have. His golden eyes only left the other man's when he noticed Lumine shivering, "Let us move closer to the fire."
He spoke wisdom while removing his coat, he wrapped Lumine in it and then removed his fitted vest to roll it up as a meagre pillow while pretending not to notice the treasure hoarder looking him up and down. His tan, tailor-made shirt clung to the fine layer of sweat that coated his skin making his abs visible. And through the sleeves one could see a darker shadow… did his gloves go all the way up to his shoulders, were they tattoos? He was curious.
The treasure hoarder carried Lumine to the slab nearest to the fire and lay her down on her bedroll, he threw the blanket over her with a proud grin after tucking Zhongli's vest under her head, he recognised it. "Go to sleep." He brushed her hair out of her face with startling gentleness before he walked over to when Zhongli leaned against the taller slab, he put both hand's either side of the taller man's hips caging him in his arms. Lumine watched through tired lids as the treasure hoarder leaned close to Zhongli and whispered something she couldn't make out.
A small glint of interest flickered through Zhongli's eyes and his pupil's slit slightly, his face was relaxed even though his hands grabbed the treasure hoarder at the hips and dug in with contained emotions. What did the other man say?
Slowly Lumine fell asleep, in the warm glow of the fire the two men let their tongues dance together.
I am considering making this a two-chapter story. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed.