LEMON WARNING! 18+ fic, I must warn!
Yo-kay, so the reason behind this fic is literally "I got Xiao in my first 10-pull on the new banner, time to celebrate by making him fuck". Bad reason? Don't care! (Plus I need more motivation to write fics, so if it works, so be it.)
Also Ganyu's cute and I wanted her to have something, too.
Slow start, followed by some cute fluff between our Adepti, capped off with that sweet lemony goodness. Do hope you enjoy!
(I will also be updating this story once Ganyu and Xiao are characters I can list this story under. The website hasn't quite caught up to that yet).
(Aaaaaaaand the website has caught up. Ganyu and Xiao tags are now in place!)
~0~0~
The Lantern Rite was a time of great joy for many, and one of great stress to many more. Long weekends for the children, longer shifts for their parents, even longer still the time since one particular young-looking man had last laid eyes upon the Lantern Rite's festivities. Not by choice, mind you. The ever-present cheers and jeers of young children running up and down the boardwalk, the smells of the ever-growing number of food stalls competing to sell their over-priced "limited edition" snacks, and even the sky filled with kites of ever-original shapes and sizes, all permeating Liyue Harbor's celebrations night after night was one of the few times where Xiao ever actually allowed himself to smile.
Having lived way longer than any one person should deem necessary yet with no intention to allow himself such an escape as death, the Lantern Rite happened to be one of the moments in Xiao's life where for but a fleeting moment, nothing mattered. If for even a few scant seconds, Xiao could allow himself that small moment to forget everything, from his past to his very self, and simply be.
And be calm. Peaceful. Possibly even happy.
The death of his mentor and long-standing friend, Rex Lapis, had been a hard pill to swallow. Followed by Osial's attack on the Harbor and Xiao, alongside the other Adeptus, simply hadn't been able to allow himself a moment of thought. At the time, there could be only action.
But as the dust settled, and his people made peace with the Liyue Qixing, an agreement the age of Adeptus were over, it wouldn't take long before an overwhelming sense of emptiness overcame the Vigilant Yaksha. It wasn't a feeling he was unused to, per se, but it was far from a welcome one. The last Xiao had ever felt like this had been so many lifetimes ago, a fate broken when he had by chance stumbled upon the Anemo Archon, Barbatos, absorbed entirely in his playing of the flute.
And what beautiful playing it was.
One could count on a single hand the amount of things the Yaksha would ever refer to as beautiful, with the music of Barbatos taking up two of his fingers. Should any other Adepti make such a claim would surely be for laughs, but from the mouth of the Conqueror of Demons the weight it carried spoke volumes of his respect and appreciation towards the god that unknowingly saved his soul so long ago. For those songs to then be played each passing of the Lantern Rite, reaching his ears even upon his usual mountain lookout, it never failed to remind him of that same calm that had managed to keep him going.
Following these moments would be the days that truly changed his life; his fateful meeting with Rex Lapis. Having forged that contract with the Archon, to protect Liyue and its citizens long after the Archon War had ended, Xiao's life came to have meaning again.
He could never be as he was before the War, nor could he handle such simple human contact again, but with beings such as the Archons still around, it was all he needed.
And then Rex Lapis fell.
With the parting of one party, the contract that had granted Xiao's existence meaning again had been broken, shattered into countless pieces that were quickly lost to the wind. Once more his life had been plunged into a void of mere existence, and nothing more. And it hurt. It hurt in ways Xiao himself could never describe, nor bear to. He knew all sorts of pain, from that of the countless gashes, scorch marks and general bruising that would litter his body regularly, to that of losing those close to him. But beyond even those, that mental pain, that knowledge he lived for merely nothing, it cut deeper than any wound he had ever inflicted.
Slowly, surely, despite his immense denial at such a possibility, Xiao found himself craving contact. With real people!
The moment it had truly embedded itself in his mind how... reliant he seemed to be becoming on others, the greater and greater the void seemed to grow. Long since had he forgone contact with anyone outside of the occasional visit to Wangshu Inn for their almond tofu, and at no point had he ever given much thought or care to the inherent loneliness of his plight. It didn't bother him. He was alone, even amongst his fellow Adepti, a fact he had come to accept so very long ago.
And yet... that traveler, Aether...
He changed something.
With little else to do outside of patrolling the lands of Liyue, Xiao unwittingly found himself observing Aether from long distances away. Even after a battle that cemented the loss of a great leader, one that was only won after a participant had to give up something so dear to them, Aether kept walking forward, one foot in front of the other.
He was regularly running back and forth across Liyue, that simple, carefree smile constantly etched onto his face as he leapt from great mountain ranges, dispatching all manner of monsters, plundering the very lands of Liyue for its secrets, all before finding his way back to the many settlements where he would without hesitation lend a helping hand to even the simplest of requests.
And it wasn't just Aether.
While many of the other Adepti had long-since receded to their abodes, tucked away from the prying eyes of the human world, that one remaining Qilin hadn't been so quick to exit.
She had chosen to stay, claiming so much work had to be done. Before the sun had begun to set she had already assisted heavily in the clearance of any debris caused by the battle, and long after the moon had risen high she was seated once again behind a desk, pen a blur in her hand as it filled out so many sheets of paper with so many different words and phrases it made Xiao's head hurt.
How? How could they keep moving forward, despite this world's insistence on taking everything from them? How?
...
In truth, there was no answer. Xiao knew.
~0~0~
Months had passed since that fated battle with Osial, and since then much has changed.
Liyue managed to recover very quickly, even for the minimal damage it had ultimately taken. Though his actions felt empty without the guiding contract, there was little else Xiao could do but roam the plains of Liyue once again, keeping an eye out for the many travelers that more than likely would get themselves in over their heads against a wild geovishap and need some level of assistance.
The traveler continued to make his rounds across the country, more than once catching Xiao during one of his stays at Wangshu Inn, opting to sit in silence as they wound up sharing a fresh bowl of almond tofu. Not that he'd ever admit it, but the Yaksha greatly appreciated those moments where he could simply be, sat quietly with another being happy to share in the silence. Not to mention, Aether really knew how to cook. Damn.
Ganyu had been the one to surprise Xiao the most, however. Due to a dumb misunderstanding, one he had made very sure she knew just how dumb it was after he had found out the cause, had come to him one day asking for training.
It wasn't a request he was quick to fulfill, but as it stood it would at the absolute minimum alleviate some of the immense boredom Xiao managed to build up, another new type of pain he really didn't like having around.
She had managed to be late on what happened to be both her first and last day of training, accompanied by Aether who was rather insistent on joining her despite his decidedly more human body.
Xiao would be lying if he dared to say both hadn't manage to exceed his expectations, but even he could see something held the Qilin girl back. Her excellent combat results despite this definitely peaked his interest, however.
~0~0~
A few more days had passed since then that Xiao found himself throughout the shadows of Liyue Harbor, of his own accord no less. It was a surprise to be sure, but to the one he had come to visit, not an unwelcome one.
Ganyu had returned to her position in the Qixing and with barely a second of hesitation had taken up the mantle of countless hours of work to be done within just one. At least now, however, she started taking regular breaks throughout the day, working with those around her to delegate her workload as was necessary.
It seemed that just one day was all it took to change her outlook. Twice, even. And with thoughts now back on track and little to hold her back, now it was Xiao who had asked her if she wished to train. For his sake, not hers.
Ganyu was undoubtedly shocked at the suggestion, the Conqueror of Demons himself asking to spend time with her when he barely spoke at all, yet as seconds passed on and the boy only appeared more and more awkward, she found no reason to object.
~0~0~
It had taken more than either had expected before Ganyu surrendered to round one of her spar with Xiao. Though he far outclassed her in raw strength, speed and agility, her quick-thinking and impeccable aim with her bow caused no small amount of trouble for the Yaksha.
Many times had he thought to slip in past her defenses, ready to catch her off-guard with a well placed strike not intent on harm, but on victory none-the-less, only for the Qilin beauty to slip past in barely a second before the ground erupted in a flurry of ice, trapping Xiao for only the few seconds it would take for Ganyu to pick off a few shots. Though Xiao had won in the end, it was a victory well-earned.
Round two hadn't been quite so evenly matched, unfortunately. Despite Ganyu's constantly-growing confidence as she traded blows and dodges with her fellow Adeptus, her bag of tricks was quicker to run out as Xiao caught on to her small tells, the balance tipping heavily in his favour as his much more vast experience bared its fangs.
Though, the way round two ended wasn't quite what either had expected.
As Xiao dived forward amidst a rush of wind, intent on catching his opponent off-guard, Ganyu had thrown out another of her patented ice bombs. The ground below him quickly lost friction as his momentum carried him forward faster than intended, slipping straight past Ganyu's guard and knocking her down not with the spear held in the man's hands, but his own weight.
And he followed suit.
Taking a moment while down to get his bearings back, he wasted no time in mentally chiding himself on such a rookie mistake. For one known as the Vigilant Yaksha, there was a distinct lack of vigilance in those few seconds. Looking back, not even he could explain how he had fallen so quickly, but as the Qilin pinned directly below him tapped him twice on the chest, face turned away as a distinct shade of red creeped its way up her neck, he'd shockingly claim zero regrets.
A not-brief-enough silence settled as the two lay in a tangle of limbs, neither daring to speak lest the words to exit their mouths would be something to regret.
Yet, as Xiao eventually made to untangle himself from the beautiful girl below him, muttering apologies at his carelessness, a soft but strong hand kept him lowered in place.
The Yaksha's eyes widened considerably as he took notice of the hand grasped at his tank top, a considerable amount of fabric held between those soft fingers. The blush he had been fighting hard to keep down broke away, the pink tinting his cheeks only growing brighter to match the face of his companion, whose eyes had just turned back up to look Xiao in the face.
Those eyes...
It was safe to say that, as their lips slowly came into contact with one another, Cloud Retainer just up above was finding immense amusement in the awkwardness of the two. How even such strong warriors would so easily fall to such basic desires.
~0~0~
Consider this the final lemon warning. A bit more cuteness first, but this is the climax, if you catch my drift ;)
~0~0~
It was safe to say that, had the Qilin not made mention that day, Xiao would not be situated back at his once-familiar lookout over Liyue Harbor, eagerly awaiting the moments the Lantern Rite's final night would officially commence, capping off the celebrations he'd somehow managed to miss with the final lighting of the lanterns, and the celebrations to follow.
But for the first time since, well, ever, Xiao found himself eagerly awaiting more than just the Rite. After all, this was the first time he'd ever had to prepare two lanterns.
When Ganyu brought up the Lantern Rite, Xiao had first expected it to be a formality. Why she'd bring up a formality after such a... passionate moment, he wouldn't know. But as she then brought up the news that even she would have the night off, it clicked in his head just what she was suggesting.
He failed to consider himself ready to actively participate in celebrations somewhere so... public, but to the ever-caring Qilin that was of little concern. So when she herself was invited to share with him the space none ever could, she gladly accepted. And now, as she made her way carefully up the mountain, doing everything in her power to maintain a steady pace and to quell the nervous shaking of her legs, she felt nothing but happiness that she would get to share such a moment with the one that had unknowingly caught her eye so long ago.
Arriving at the summit, Ganyu was greeted to a setup that caught her off guard. A small staircase made of wood led sharply down to an equally small platform, built of overlapping wooden planks and sturdily planted into the rock face, just under the cliff's natural overhang providing a large amount of privacy. Had she not expected Xiao had something set up prior, she would very easily have missed the little lookout.
With a few cushions and a small rug likely secondhand from the Adeptus' favourite inn, the young-looking man appeared more peaceful than the Qixing secretary had ever dared to imagine possible.
Taking a seat beside him, the two exchanged small greetings before settling comfortably in for the moment that the lanterns before them would be lit. It was evident the lookout had not initially been built for sharing, and despite Ganyu's best efforts, she could not for the life of her find a comfortable position to sit in. At least, no until Xiao shuffled over, slightly away from her, before his arm reached out to pull her in close.
Her hand linking with his as his arm wrapped around her back, resting against her hip, Ganyu didn't need to be told twice to snuggle in to the warrior's side. For a man who lived way too long without any semblance of personal contact, Xiao didn't seem particularly afraid of showing affection for the Qilin, not even hesitating to pull her in even closer for comfort as her head rested on his shoulder. Few words needed to be spoken. With her, he knew he was accepted.
It made him happy.
~0~0~
The two had sat cuddled in silence for a time neither cared to count, perfectly comfortable just being with one another. Unfortunately for both, however, lights would start to dot the long-since darkened sky, forcing them to break from their embrace in order to join in.
Lighting their respective lanterns in unison, the two Adepti gave each other one last fleeting glance, Xiao in particular giving a quick nod before the two released their lanterns to mingle with the others, two new lights becoming one with the crowd that continued to grow, threatening to eventually fill the entirety of the sky above. Not that they'd ever get quite that numerous.
Settling back into a similar position from before, there was one burning question on each of their minds'.
"What did you wish for?"
A question asked in unison, and thus answered similarly.
"To be with you."
For such identical wishes to exist, either party would be loathe to avoid fulfilling them. What had started with Xiao running his hands up and down his beautiful Qilin's bare arms escalated quickly, Ganyu's fingers dexterously grazing the Yaksha's side as lips met in heated passion.
It didn't take Xiao long to grow more impatient, however. With a sharp tug at her waist, Ganyu was pulled into a straddle position, her legs either side of Xiao's hips as she pulled herself flush against his body. With the two having chosen to wear their usual outfits, there was little in terms of fabric to keep each other from feeling every soft curve and hard muscle that paved their bodies. Despite his generally small build, the tight muscle that made up Xiao's arms and stomach brought no small amount of joy to the Qilin, who in turn allowed her own body free-reign to the boy's appreciated.
Calloused, battle-hardened hands rubbed lightly across the bare skin of her arms, her shoulders, occasionally slipped down between their chests to take a handful of the soft, squishy mounds that so proudly marked her a woman.
Each squeeze from Xiao's hands brought soft gasps and content sighs forth from the woman's lips, gasps that were quickly eaten up as Xiao chose to claim those lips with his own.
With each grasp at the Qilin's body, Xiao's lips only increased in their fervency to claim every noise that dare escape the beautiful woman's mouth as explicitly his, and as his ears fell needy to hear the moans slip needily from her he'd dip his own lips down to her neck, his teeth finding purchase on a small spot on her smooth, flawless skin.
So deep in the throws of pleasure as she was, the female Adeptus failed to take note of wandering hands trailing even further down her body, taking choice handfuls of her outfit with them before the whole thing suddenly fell loose.
The light fabric that made up Ganyu's clothing quickly pooled in the laps of the Adepti, before the strength of one had the poor secretary lifted up for the last of her outfit to be discarded to the side, her body now revealed to the cold night air, and more importantly, to Xiao.
Finding no small amount of embarrassment in being the only one undressed, Ganyu made to tug at the waistband of Xiao's pants and the hem of his tank top, hoping to garner some help from the man in question.
Giving but a low chuckle to the fruitless efforts from the Qilin, the Yaksha chose to assist her in her endeavours, quickly slipping his top off before adjusting himself just enough to slide his pants down from underneath.
What sprang forth from the release of tension was quickly suppressed once again as Ganyu pulled herself closer again to her Yaksha, her lower lips spread slightly sliding back and forth along the seam of Xiao's length, making how ready she happened to be increasingly obvious with each slick that could be heard each pass.
Choosing not the wait a moment longer, the two adjusted their positions as necessary until the tip of Xiao's length pressed tightly against Ganyu's eagerly waiting lips, before she lowered herself downwards.
With each inch taken slowly inside, both Adepti left out soft moans as pleasure quickly took place amidst just how tight the fit ended up being. It had certainly been a long time since either Adepti had thought of such actions, let alone taken them, after all. And both were similarly needy from all their pent-up feelings towards each other and the direct matter at hand.
Mere seconds had passed after Ganyu's hips had planted firmly against Xiao's, his full length finally sheathed inside her, that she started moving again. Xiao did what he could to assist, fervently rocking his hips under the Qilin's weight to maximise the pleasure for both as she continued to ride herself up and down continuously on the appendage constantly pushing deep inside her, but it was obvious who had the most control in the scenario. Unfortunately for one particular Adeptus, Xiao wasn't one to relinquish control easily.
Shifting his weight back against his particular cushion, the Yaksha quickly slid one arm around the Qilin's waist, his lips instantly locked onto one of her swaying breasts, teeth clamping down on the small bud at the center in an action that had immediately moaning louder, her legs suddenly giving out on her as he took control of the situation.
Sharp thrusts from underneath as Xiao expertly held Ganyu's weight up with one hand, his other free hand groping needily at her chest as his lips and teeth laid claim to her throat with full intent on leaving marks, had the member of the Qixing squealing in a manner she wouldn't dare repeat in any other situation aside from being alone with her Yaksha. His single-minded drive to bring every ounce of pleasure to both himself and her set her more primal instincts alight in a way that would put the many lanterns still littering the sky to shame. Though it wasn't hard to believe a nice soft bed to do such acts in would be very welcome, the fact she was able to indulge herself, and be indulged in, so far away from anyone prying ears had her immensely grateful. There was no doubt that if even one of her colleagues could hear her now, that poor Ganyu could never return to the office. She simply could not look anyone in the eye after something like that.
Guttural moans escaped from the lips of both male and female Adepti as they neared closer and closer to their end goals, the thrusts Xiao planted into Ganyu from below growing increasingly stronger but erratic with each separate one. It was only a matter of time for either of them, and as such with one final cry, Ganyu's walls clamped down tight on Xiao's length, he himself groaning hard as he finished himself inside.
And even as the two lay in a seemingly exhausted heap, neither could stop themselves from twitching as they came down from their respective highs, their senses returning to them as the world seemed to expand, no longer just them in their own little bubble, the expansive view of Liyue Harbor once again appearing before them.
And with one final glance shared between the two Adepti, not even Xiao could hide his smile. He was happy.
They were happy.
~0w0~
