Lover's Oaths

~oOo~

"I've kind of been curious for a while," Yanfei began, her voice a little tentative, "since that whole thing down in the chasm with the Incredible Compass. I couldn't help but notice – well, we all did, actually, that you and the Conqueror of Demons are pretty... mmm... close."

Lumine froze.

She hadn't really expected that, but maybe she should have, all things considered. The legal advisor was smart and observant at all times - it was sort of necessary when you had the job that she did.

She and Yanfei had ended up working together on a commission she'd been given. There were some legalities that had played into it, and she didn't want to go breaking any laws if she could at all help it. Yanfei's fees were reasonable and the commission rewards quite high, so it was an expense that she felt was worth it. Besides, she had never minded spending time with those she considered friends... unless they wanted to talk about things like this, anyway.

Then it was more nerve-wracking than fun.

She could only be glad that Paimon was with Chef Mao and Xiangling helping around the restaurant for the day, otherwise all of Teyvat would know of her feelings for the beautiful adeptus.

If they didn't already, that was, she couldn't help but think a bit sourly.

She sighed; carefully pulling her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around herself, her gaze pensive. She couldn't hide this from everyone forever, apparently – but as long as Xiao himself never found out, she supposed she could deal. After all, it wasn't as though she were all that great at hiding her feelings, obviously, or Yanfei wouldn't be questioning her about the matter.

I hope Xiao stays completely oblivious, though, or I'll never see him again. I barely see him now as it is, and if he found out, he'd avoid me like the plague for the rest of eternity.

"Is it really that obvious?" she asked, flushed and almost miserable in the moment. "I don't want to disrespect, and my emotions are my own, he needn't be troubled with them, you know? But I can't seem to help it, I just... just crave his presence... always. It hurts, but... but if he found out about this I would never see him again - which would do so much more than simply hurt." Her voice had degenerated to a near whisper by the end, but it was loud enough.

Yanfei frowned. "Disrespect? Wha-"

"Please, Yanfei," Lumine broke in before she could get anything else out, her voice pleading but insistent. "Please don't say anything to anyone about this. Please."

"I won't, I promise on my pride as a legal advisor, I won't say anything. But, Lumine, I'm pretty certain that you're wrong about how he would react. I didn't ask you if you were in love with him, if you recall. I stated that you both seemed pretty close to each other. The Conqueror of Demons has never allowed anyone this close to him, from what the other adepti have said. In fact, it was Cloud Retainer that originally noted his behavior to Shenhe, who mentioned it to me. And the way she put it was that – and I quote – he has finally gained a person to protect, rather than a contract to honor. Her conclusion was that it was about time."

"Uh... what?" Lumine barely managed to get even that out; there was so much to parse through in what the other girl had said that was all that got past the surprise.

"From what Cloud Retainer said to Shenhe, Xiao has never, in all his years, offered what amounts to an unbreakable contract to protect any one being – except you. The only thing he's ever done is protect Liyue, according to his contract with Rex Lapis. He said that all you have to do is call his name and he'll come to you, no matter what. No one forced him to do that, Lumine. He gave you that power over himself willingly, and of his own accord. If he's never done that before, and he hasn't, then that means you're special to him. Very special. I'd even venture to say... once in a lifetime special."

The traveler's heart panged at the thought, but hope wasn't enough. "Maybe that's true, but it doesn't mean that it's in the same way that he's special to me. And he's so skittish about things like emotions I just can't risk it."

It was silent for a few moments, and Lumine got the feeling that the other girl was trying to choose her next words carefully.

"You've never really said one way or the other, but I've gotten the impression from things you have said that you and your brother are... quite a bit older than you appear. Am I right, or completely off here?"

A light breeze had sprung up by this time, feathering tender fingers through her bangs, and Lumine shifted to sit with her legs crossed and reached up to push the errant locks back.

A sad smile touched her lips at mention of her twin. "Yes... we might even be older than Rex Lapis. I can't remember any of it too clearly yet, but we've been traveling through the stars for literally ages."

"Wow," the other girl breathed, "seriously? That old?"

"Yeah," Lumine chuckled, though the sound was still sad – almost bittersweet. "Time is something we've never had to concern ourselves with – it was extraneous, a force that bound everyone else, but wasn't able to touch us. It still can't. Why?"

"Well, I was just wondering, because it seems strange that with as long as you've lived, you don't seem to be too familiar with things like this. Haven't you ever been in love before?"

She shook her head. "No. Aether and I, we've always traveled, for almost as long as I can remember. We've been through so many worlds, and we always kept a certain distance between ourselves and those we encountered in our travels because we knew that we wouldn't be staying. It would have been messy and horrible to get involved in that way with anyone in those circumstances. So we never allowed anything more than mild fondness and friendship to develop for anyone else – not to mention the fact that as immortal as we appear to be, allowing someone else too close would only have led to even more heartbreak in the end, when time finally caught up with them."

The other girl nodded, her expression understanding, though a bit sad, too. "I see. That makes sense, I suppose. So... what changed, then?"

"Everything," Lumine laughed sadly. "We've never stayed anywhere nearly this long before; Teyvat has become more of a home than any world we've been through – the closest thing I've had since my own was destroyed so long ago. And my travels here, all the friends I've made – I don't want to lose them. I... even if I find my brother, I don't think I want to leave, at least not permanently."

"What about your brother? What do you think his response will be?"

She snorted at that. "Considering that as it stands right now, Aether seems to think we're native to Teyvat, anyway? I'm pretty sure that – once I can purge whatever darkness has infiltrated his mind – I can convince him to stay here. After all, our original reason for traveling was to find somewhere we could make a new home for ourselves. It's just that after so long, we kind of forgot our purpose in traveling all those worlds, and suddenly, we were doing it out of habit and nothing else – like we didn't know how to stop."

"Well, speaking at least for those of us in Liyue, we'd be more than happy to have you make your home here. There's a lot of people that really care about you, Lumine – and that includes Xiao, whether you believe it or not. In fact, that might be one of his main concerns – that you would be leaving once you found your brother. He wouldn't want to stifle you, to try to coerce you to stay if you didn't want to, but at that point letting you in would - as you pointed out yourself in reference to your own travels - just end in heartbreak for him."

That... made some sense, actually. While she couldn't bring herself to truly believe that Xiao might return her feelings, at least not yet, it did give her something to think about.

But...

"Why are you telling me all of this, Yanfei? Why did you bring this up?" she asked quietly. She wanted to know, needed to understand as much as possible before she could even consider apprising the adeptus of her feelings.

The other girl's pretty, gentle green eyes softened, and she reached over from her own spot sitting against a small rock to take Lumine's hand and squeeze it. "Because I'm one of those that care about you, and I want to see you happy. And Xiao... well, I want to see him happy, too – even though I don't know him as well as you do, I know enough. As one of Liyue's citizens, the ones he's been protecting at such a high cost for so long, I owe him more than enough to want that happiness for him, as well."

The blonde's gaze went a little watery at that sweet declaration, and her own expression lightened at the affection in Yanfei's eyes – affection not just for her, but Xiao, too.

She was very lucky to have friends like her, and so many, too, and she knew it. She squeezed her hand in return and then released it, but she did it with a smile - and this time it was a true smile, not sad in any way.

"Thank you, Yanfei. I care about you, too. And... I can't promise anything, but I'll definitely think about what you've said, okay?"

"That's all I can ask," the other girl grinned, then stood up, dusting off her skirt as she did. "Well, shall we get a move on, then? It's still a bit of a walk back to the city, after all."

Lumine hopped lithely to her feet, feeling better than she had for a while after their talk. "Sure, although... unless you're really intent on walking, I can get us there much faster, you know," she offered, a playful note in her voice.

"Really? How?"

"I've noticed that people here in Teyvat don't seem to know about the waypoints and what they're used for, but I can show you, if you'd like."

"The... waypoints? What are those?"

"They're fast-travel mechanisms," she replied as she turned to lead the other girl towards the nearest one. "I can travel instantly between any that I've activated, anywhere in Teyvat. Want to see Mondstadt, or even Inazuma? I can take you those places as fast as I can to the Harbor. With the waypoints, distance doesn't matter at all."

Yanfei's excited questions faded as the two disappeared around an ancient rockface, neither noticing the sharp but brief burst of anemo that stirred above it, then whirled away into the distance, shedding deep, smoky teal motes as it vanished.

~oOo~

Early evening at Wangshu Inn was usually a busy time. Guests were coming in and wanting rooms for the night, dinner was being prepared and served, and the noise usually drove Liyue's last yahksha to disappear into the wilds of Jueyun Karst until later, when things had settled down somewhat again.

But on this day, Xiao couldn't even be bothered to notice the hustle and bustle. Not after what he'd just overheard.

He hadn't intended on eavesdropping on any private confidences, but whether Lumine realized it or not, he was almost always nearby when she was in Liyue. He had told her more than once to call on him if she needed help, but she almost never did, so he'd taken it upon himself to simply follow her around – though usually at a bit of a distance. Granted, what he'd just learned about her kind of explained why she didn't call on him more, but even an immortal being could die, and he simply wasn't going to allow it. To protect her... it had become a driving need, one he had no intention of fighting.

And... while the fact that they were becoming a topic of conversation amongst the other adepti was admittedly embarrassing, he supposed it was inevitable, considering that Cloud Retainer was basically right. He had always honored his contract to protect Liyue, but that had been because of his loyalty to the Geo Lord that had freed him from centuries of imprisonment, torture, and abuse.

Protecting Lumine was entirely his own choice – for no other reason than that he wanted to.

With Rex Lapis' retirement from ruling Liyue, his contract was now fulfilled, as he had already been informed.

"You are free now, to protect what – or whom – you choose." That was what he'd said, Zhongli... though Xiao was having a hard time remembering to call him by the new moniker.

Realization dawned on him, then – he knew... Morax knew how the yahksha felt for the golden traveler that Liyue owed so much to! A slight blush tinted his cheekbones with the knowledge, but he also smiled, just a little, because Rex Lapis – Zhongli – knew how he felt, and didn't disapprove. If he had, he would have said so in no uncertain terms.

Of course, that wasn't really a surprise, as the former archon had himself said, he was quite fond of Lumine. Streetward Rambler, too – even Cloud Retainer, as snippety as she could be, had some affection for the woman that seemed so young, but wasn't. Moon Carver... well, he was a little more difficult to read, but at the very least he trusted her. How could he not? She'd done everything she could to protect and defend Liyue, taken on a fight that wasn't even hers, helped not only the people, but Rex Lapis and the adepti, too.

He stretched a little and chuckled, leaning back against the very top of the central stone pillar that Wangshu was built around as he stared unseeingly at a view most would have killed for.

She was most definitely a strange girl. He'd told her that himself, several times even. She was caring and strange, lovely and so breathtakingly strong. Was it really all that surprising that he had fallen for her?

Not to anyone else but she herself, apparently. He had to admit, it had been odd to hear her being so uncertain and hesitant when talking to Yanfei, because he'd never known her to be anything but confident in everything she did. He would quite literally never have guessed that she harbored such doubts about herself, about how her feelings would be received.

He, at the least, could never turn her away – he was strong, but not that strong, and he didn't really want to be... not when it came to her, anyway.

It was merely truth that many considered love a weakness; he had, too, once upon a time... when he'd thought about the subject at all. He was who he was, a beast with so much blood on his hands that he could have drowned all of Teyvat in gore by now – how could he even begin to justify thinking for one second that he had any right to be the recipient of such feelings? For centuries, millenia, he'd known he would never be allowed those things, and not even craved them – but then Lumine had crashed into his life with all the force of an earthquake, and suddenly, he'd found himself wanting.

Yearning.

Dreaming.

That was yet another thing he'd never allowed himself - as a devourer of dreams, someone that had stolen such an intimate thing as another being's innermost hopes and fears, he was entirely unworthy to be allowed to dream, himself. It would be sheer hypocrisy to imagine anything else. Though... nightmares were a different thing, and he'd often had those. That had been acceptable, however, for it was righteous punishment for his crimes, wasn't it?

It was still difficult for him to really believe what Lumine had always said to him – that he wasn't at fault for the things he'd done under his former master - especially when he could still hear the whispers of his karma telling him otherwise. But it was getting easier, those voices fading more and more as they were exposed to her light. That had been an unexpected side effect of all his hovering around her, and at first, he'd not known what to make of the voices and his pain growing dimmer. Everything he'd known up until that point had shown that it would only grow worse, until one day he'd lose his sanity, and then his life.

That had been what happened to the others, after all.

And while the fact that for him, things would be different was a welcome easing of that terror, it also made him feel guilty – why was he to be so lucky, when the others were not?

But... that also was not his fault or doing, it was simply fate, and there was nothing he could do about it but accept, in the end. Besides, to throw away the gift for the guilt would only be to dishonor their sacrifices, and he refused to do that.

It had been Zhongli that had explained the reason behind the lightening of his burden – that Lumine was able to purify such things, that darkness wasn't able to maintain itself when exposed to her light. That knowledge had alleviated his one remaining fear in being near her – that his darkness would taint her. After that, there was little reason for him to avoid her presence... other than his own doubts about himself. Would she be able to care for him as he did her, or was he still completely unworthy?

Of course I am. I will always be unworthy.

His thoughts on the matter weren't hers, though, and he was well aware that she would be quick to challenge such beliefs were she privy to them. She had already, many times.

If she wants me, then who am I to deny her anything her heart desires – even if what she wants is so far beneath her? To deny her would only hurt her, damage that glowing soul of hers... It would be sacrilege, to harm something so precious, and even I, with all my darkness, could never do it.

I don't think I could have harmed her, even before. If I had been ordered to kill her, I would have fallen on my own spear, instead.

He'd thought it more than once, that she deserved someone who would live for her happiness. Then, one day in the not-too-distant past, he'd realized... maybe that could be him, because he would do anything, give anything, even just to see her smile. That was when he'd finally realized that he was devoted to her... and he'd never looked back.

Now that he knew she did want him in return, there was nothing left but to face her and admit his need of her.

As the first stars began to twinkle in the firmament above him, the only yahksha left under the dome of the heavens stared at the night sky and tried to decide how he should go about confronting the woman who'd descended from those same skies – the woman who'd changed his entire life forever.

~oOo~

As luck would have it, once Xiao had finally decided on what he wanted his fate to be, other things decided to interfere. It had been several days since his decision to seek a shared life with Lumine, but he hadn't been able to find any real time to speak with her about such personal matters. The morning after he'd accidentally overheard she and Yanfei's discussion had dawned with her being called to Mondstadt on an emergency commission from their Acting Grand Master. And though she had arrived back in Liyue two days ago, he had been dealing with a sharp outbreak of restless demons prowling the countryside in the time since.

He scowled, disgruntled. It seemed that the surge wasn't over yet, either, and that he'd be just as busy tonight, as well. It was frustrating in the extreme; now that he'd finally chosen a life for himself, he wanted to get on with it already.

It had only taken a few moments thought to decide not to tell Lumine that he'd overheard she and Yanfei's discussion. There was no reason to embarrass her that way; he would never take what he'd accidentally overheard and use it against her, in any case. And since it would be he that would be initiating the topic by informing her of his feelings for her, there was no need to bring it up – she wouldn't have to worry about being the one to unburden her heart to him. It was only fair, after all, since he had technically been eavesdropping, even if that had not been his intention.

When he'd realized what the two were speaking of he should have left, but he'd been so stunned and then so hopeful as he'd realized what she was saying, that he couldn't have moved away if his life had depended on it. He couldn't find it in himself to really regret it, either, because if he hadn't heard her, he wouldn't have known how she felt. There was no telling if she would have found the words to bring it up herself, and... that would have been a terrible loss...

For both of them.

However, despite his desire to find and confront Lumine, he could never ignore the demons just waiting for night to fall to sink their claws into innocent civilians, and so, when a black flare of hate, lust, and sick glee rose up from the horizon, Xiao vanished from the inn's rooftop in a sweeping rush of air, anemo energy almost crackling with tension.

The demons would learn fear this night without fail, if they hadn't all the others that he'd spent shredding their souls and dark desires.

Several hours later found the adeptus taking a momentary break atop a tall stone spire deep in Minlin. Jade spear in hand, he surveyed the lands spread out before him with a flat expression that gave away nothing of his thoughts. The air was sullen, heavy with the knowledge that something was about to happen; even the normal nocturnal wildlife was nowhere to be found.

Something's coming.

Twirling his polearm absently but with a casual grace that gave away his mastery of the weapon and himself, Xiao continued slowly scanning the horizon – more violence was about to erupt, he could feel it. These last nights had been bad enough that his karma had regained a little of its hold on him in the absence of his light, and right at the moment it was snaking thorny tentacles through his entire body. It was a miserable sensation he had not missed in the weeks he'd spent so near his salvation. To feel it now was enraging, to say the least.

Beginning to feel the tug his soul gave when darkness was about to launch an assault, the amber-eyed yahksha slipped his mask on and gathered his energy to transport himself to its location. Just as he began to fade out, however, a sudden bright, jarring golden light erupted from the place he was heading, and his heart clenched with fear – and rage.

Lumine!

Xiao came out of his whirlwind already in motion, eyes blazing and bleeding amber light into the darkness, infuriated by the fact that these demons had the audacity to attack her. His spear dipped and weaved and thrust, and so naturally that he barely even noticed, he gravitated through the battle towards the woman that he'd chosen to protect. Lunge, thrust, parry, dodge, back and forth; soon it was like a dance that he and she were performing for the night sky, always covering for each other's blind spots and openings just as though they always had.

Her normal bladework was complementary, he realized in a moment of understanding, not meant to be used by a lone fighter, but rather one of a pair - though she had switched to a more typical style with her twin's loss to compensate for that, which was why he'd never seen her fight quite like this before.

Her brother. They fought together as one, and she has missed that. She was never meant to be alone, never was until he was taken from her, and it is painful for her – a wound that has not healed.

It was more than clear from the way her eyes were shining as she spun and lunged across the field of battle, ethereal and fierce and nigh untouchable; they were the eyes of a warrior who has been separated from a part of herself for far too long. He nearly faltered then, caught by the beauty of her as she destroyed one roiling demon soul after another with a blade seemingly made of light, and his breathing hitched. Oh, yes... it was far too late for him... and he was glad of it, because it offered him more hope than he'd ever known.

A connection, a bond had formed between them, and it was strong, too strong to fight. Unbreakable, by any estimation.

How he ever made it through that battle with his sanity intact he would never know. He, who had learned patience through grueling centuries of torture, suddenly could not stand the slow scraping of the mere minutes that they spent fighting together in that moon-drenched clearing. But finally, the last hissing spirit fell to Lumine's blade, and they both paused, straightening as they allowed their minds and bodies a moment to come back down from the high of battle.

A slow exhale and twirl of her weapon, and Lumine dismissed it, sending it back into sleep in whatever space she kept it.

"Xiao," she acknowledged softly. "I didn't expect to see you here, but I probably should have." She shrugged ruefully with a wan smile in his direction. "Are you alright?"

If she were asking if his karma was paining him, then the answer was no – once again her mere presence had subdued it, and whatever whispers he'd been hearing had fallen still.

"I'm fine. But what are you doing out here like this? You know it's dangerous."

She shook her head and her smile brightened, finally reaching her eyes. "No, it's not. At least, not for me. For them, definitely."

"You think yourself infallible?" he frowned.

"No, I think you infallible," she returned instantly, as though she couldn't quite contain her words. A pretty flush tinted her cheeks at her admission, which only deepened as his eyes widened. "You promised to come for me when I need you, swore me your protection. So how could I be in any danger?"

Oh, archons, did she even have any idea what she had just done to him? His heart clenched at her answer, because it was quite clear that she was only saying something that she really believed.

She trusts me that much. I.. I really don't deserve her...

He snapped his wrist and absently dismissed his own weapon, knowing he'd have no further need of it this night. The earlier ominous feeling to the air had shattered with Lumine's arrival and the defeat of the demons, and he could feel a cleansing breeze beginning to flicker playful fingers through his bangs and against his cheeks.

It felt... good. Free, as though he could finally breathe again. Or maybe he was just breathing for the first time in his life. That was probably the answer, actually. He had never really taken a breath until now.

"You..." he exhaled deeply as the tension of battle faded from his body and a strange peace settled in, instead, "are a miracle."

She blinked. Then blinked again.

"Are... you sure you're alright?" She shook her head, a confused frown drawing her brows together. "Or maybe I'm the one that's not alright. Am I even awake?"

"Lumine," he growled impatiently.

Her eyes widened; there was something in his tone that held a demand – listen to me - and she stared at him, his beauty so real, so raw in that moment that it was almost heartbreaking.

Whatever this was, it was important to him, and that meant it was important to her.

"Say whatever you need to say," she answered his demand, eyes solemn now as she watched him quietly, waiting for him to gather his thoughts with a patience that told him she would wait as long as he needed. "You should know you can tell me anything, and I won't judge you for it."

He did know, and he appreciated it more than she would ever know.

"I told you, many times, to keep your distance," he began, holding her gaze determinedly, "that you should only view me as a weapon and nothing more. But you... you never listened. And then I warned you that we had formed a connection, but that you should still keep your distance, because I would only bring you harm."

He paused then, and took a step towards her. She was beginning to frown again, a look of worry (or was that fear?) in her gaze that he couldn't bear to see.

"You still didn't listen. You continued to seek me out... and now, the connection between us is too strong; even if you wanted to, it's too late to sever it. I can never leave you behind – you are a part of me," he finished, lifting a hand to rest against his heart. "My... home."

"I never thought to sever it," she breathed, eyes wide and defenseless, tearing up as she took her own faltering step towards him. "I never would. Xiao," her voice broke on his name, and she choked on a quiet sob.

He held up a hand to stop her, needing her to fully understand what he was saying before they touched, because once they did, he would not be capable of coherence and words – at least, not for some time.

"I need you to understand, Lumine. Where you go, I will go. Forever. If you choose to stay here in Teyvat, then I will be beside you. If you find your brother and decide to leave this world, I will go with you." He closed his eyes, then, unable to bear the intensity in hers as he breathed his confession, pouring his heart's deepest truth out to her. "I love you."

Three words, three ultimately tiny words, and they were the hardest ones he'd ever spoken; even knowing she returned his feelings didn't change how vulnerable and scared this moment made him feel.

And exhilarated. It was odd how a being was able to feel such opposite things all in the same moment, though he was trembling with the force of those opposing elements. He supposed that was to be expected; emotions weren't things he was very used to allowing himself to feel.

He drew in a breath to steady himself, and then finished, "Do you accept me?"

It was silent for so long that he finally forced himself to open his eyes and look at her. When his gaze landed on her, he swallowed, hard.

He had never seen her so open, none of her walls up to hide her true feelings behind her dazzling smile, as she so often did. Tears were slipping down her cheeks, but she didn't seem to be aware of them as she stared at him, her jaw working as though she wanted to speak, but simply couldn't.

That was the case, actually; his words had stripped hers away and left her completely unable to find them. And how could words even begin to express what she wanted – no, needed them to, anyway?

But she had to try – after that, how could she do any less?

"You-" her voice broke, and she inhaled, drawing air in deeply and gathering herself, she lifted a hand to her heart, using its staccato beat to steady her mind.

An aching, tender smile drew golden light across her features, and Xiao, already captivated, could only stare, enraptured by her even in her surprise and disarray.

"I accept you," she said simply.

Again, just three small words, yet they held his everything in them. And then she added three more, and they killed him, gave him life, gave him joy. It was the first time he'd felt such an emotion, though he knew the word. It was so much larger than its few letters gave away; he almost couldn't contain it, felt as though he were going to fly apart in the surge. Emotions were difficult, they always had been, but he was finding now that difficult could also be easy – and addictive.

"I love you, Xiao. I love you with all that I am. But... I also have a request – something I need from you."

"Ask," he rasped, overwhelmed by it all, by everything he'd never felt before, never thought he'd be allowed to feel. "Anything... I will answer anything, give you anything you wish of me. Always."

"Then... let me heal you. Let me take away what hurts. Don't hide yourself from me, even in your darkest hours, please. I can't bear it when you do, yet I can see that you're suffering." Her gaze burned into him like the light of the new-born morning sun as she laid out her terms, searing away the darkness he'd always existed in. "If we're going to spend our lives together, then we will share everything, even the pain. If we accept this connection, this bond, then it has to be completely. I can't settle for anything less, I'm warning you now."

He inclined his head slowly, not breaking her gaze as he did it. "I...understand. It won't be easy," he admitted. "My desire is to protect you from all harm, which was why I tried so hard to keep that line between us, but... I know you're right, and truthfully, I want to share everything with you."

And suddenly, he had an armful of warmth and light as she threw herself into him, wrapping her arms around his back and pressing her face into his chest like she would never let him go.

Or maybe... maybe neither of them would ever let go. He was good with that, actually, and wrapped his own arms around her in return.

After a few moments spent shaking together in reaction to all that was happening, Lumine pulled back to look up at him, reflected starlight glowing in her gaze. She studied him for several seconds, and unable to help himself, Xiao flushed under her regard. But he couldn't look away, never wanted to, and before he even realized what was happening, his lips touched hers for the first time, shattering his mind.

Lumine's instant response did not help his ability to think; she scrabbled to get even closer to him than she was already and moaned his name into his mouth on a sigh that almost dropped him to his knees.

He growled in response, deep in his throat as her lips parted under his... and suddenly he was drowning.

She pulled back a few seconds later, eyes heated and sultry and yearning.

"We need to go somewhere else."

He blinked, a little surprised to realize they were still in that battle-worn clearing. So much had happened in such a short time that it seemed as though it had been ages that they'd been there, facing each other across silvered moonbeams and motes of the light she just seemed to shed, especially in certain moments.

She was right, they did need to leave, but he was a little confused at her abrupt-seeming statement – granted, his mental state wasn't all that clear... for obvious reasons.

"Why?"

"Because what comes next shouldn't be done in a place like this."

He got lost in her liquid gold eyes; for the first time since he'd met her they were clear, no hint anywhere of the pain she'd always hidden, but he'd been able to see anyway. All that was in that gaze was love... and something else that had his pulse speeding up even more. He'd never been the recipient of such a look before, but on some instinctive level he recognized it, and his arms tightened in reaction, pulling her warmth closer to his suddenly far-too needy skin.

"Where?" he rasped, unable to get anything more out of a throat tight with flaring desire. Another thing he had no experience with, but welcomed with everything he was.

"My realm," she didn't hesitate. "We'll have all the privacy we want – no one is visiting right now, so we'll be completely alone."

Perfect.

"We can go to my room at the Wangshu Inn, and place your teapot there," he agreed, pulling her tightly against him and calling his winds to whisk them away.

His millenia of loneliness and suffering finally over, Xiao raced through the air towards the inn, tenderly cradling his very salvation as though she were the most fragile of things – though she clung to him with a strength that matched his own, he would always handle her just that way.

She was too precious – to him, to everyone – to ever do otherwise.

~oOo~

A/N: I may be posting a lemon-flavored version of this fic over on my Ao3 account sometime in the next few days, though no guarantees... quite a lot of problems with RL right now - like my car, that only has 36,004 miles on it going permanently kaput, leaving me having to buy another one - and I may not have the time to write it. But we'll see, because I would like to give my 1 of 2 fav pairings in this fandom a good time, lol.