Elegy

by Kvrosawa

"You see, I spend much time calling your name already." "... I see," Xiao could do little but respond in a softer tone."And are those times enjoyable?" The words were not entirely innocent. They held a curious undertone, as if seeking a certain answer. As if looking for the man to say yes. And if he did, then Xiao would do everything in his power to reward him.

An amused visage — semblances of claret and cerise framed by pale lashes that flickered against his cheeks more so than usual — an effort to impede his eyes from the consequences of the heat. "Let me tie your hair back, it's getting in your face," Kazuha said simply, pulling dark strands of hair behind the guardian's ears. elastic cord hanging pensile from his wrist, his fingers hooking into it as he delicately preens the other man. He is on his knees, forced to support himself on his haunches as he levels himself with the guardian, who had situated himself under the shade of a tree.

"Leave it..." Xiao replied in a tone of resignation. Kazuha's touch had penetrated the depths of his being never ventured by another human, evoking a keen curiosity within him. He had managed to find a modicum amount of solace in the tenderness of Kazuha's caress, but now that it was absent, an aching void consumed him. The emptiness was a familiar companion, yet its intensity was unprecedented. Was it the tenderness of Kazuha's touch that had allowed him to access the depths of Xiao's soul...? With a practiced skim of his fingers, he had managed to brush away the karmic debt and insecurity that sullied him, as though it were simply a besmirch of dirt or some other minor inconvenience. Was it something more profound, a connection that transcended physical touch and reached into the very quintessence of their very beings, so alike and yet completely different? The Yaksha grunted at this predicament. The ronin had become enamored with finding out the purpose of their interdependence far more than Xiao himself had ever dared to entertain.

"Aren't you warm like this? The weather is not at all ideal today..." Kazuha is frowning, his paper fan fluttering as he attempts to cool himself down with it before directing it towards the guardian, intent on easing his perpetual discomfort as well. "You were just going to sit there and overheat..." he chides, much to Xiao's piqued chagrin.

"I feel no heat nor cold, nor hunger or thirst." That was the downside of living one's life on a cursed blade, he supposed. It stripped the wielder of all human desires. Even feelings of warmth or coolness did not touch him. The world around him was a desolate wasteland of grays, but being with others allowed him to feel something, anything. He could have remained in solitude indefinitely, but the crushing loneliness would have driven him insane. And insanity was not conducive to fulfilling his duty. "Your kindness is appreciated, but unnecessary." His tone left no room for discussion. He just wished that the ronin would take the hint.

Kazuha presses the back of his hand to Xiao's forehead, moving it to the curve of his cheeks after a moment. "Oh, your body seems to be regulating its temperature on its own, you actually are a little cold to the touch..." He sounds surprised and overall pleased. He was pleased that he did not have to worry about his Liyue guardian companion, Xiao tried not to scowl at this. He disliked being doubted over something so inutile, trivial.

"If you would be so kind as to share..." He says suddenly, slipping easily into the Yaksha's lap.

As Kazuha moved closer, his body stiffened in anticipation of their contact. The Yaksha had grown accustomed to keeping his distance, preferring to avoid the sting of rejection. This intimate contact was a new experience for him, and he felt his heart quicken as Kazuha drew nearer. He was accustomed to solitude after hundreds and hundreds of years of it, and in his best effort to remove himself from a society that pretended that he was not a part of it, he had also taken a liking to pretend that he did not require their comforts either. All of that work was undone in a matter of seconds though, his hands moved to accommodate Kazuha's presence, his legs shifting due to the additional weight. When the other man settled into his lap, he felt his body relax for the first time in a great while. The kinship was like a gift and a curse that rivaled his fate as an Adeptus at the same time. A double-edged sword. "Share what? " He sneered out.

"Your body, as payment." The blonde answers simply. "In exchange, I will compose for you the most enkindled of haiku poems. You need only sit still; no special instructions are required. He is already upending his writing utensil after pulling it from the folds of his haori, spinning it between his fingers as he made himself more comfortable. The fan had been discarded by now, and the guardian could not help but imagine what other intricacies were hiding in that ornate clothing that the ronin had a penchant for.

Xiao found himself at a loss for words. The prospect of being touched—being close to Kazuha in such a manner—was enticing. Even just the thought of it was enough to make him sweat (though the feeling of moisture was foreign to him, it did not feel unpleasant). For a moment, he says nothing, the silence between them palpable. "Only a poem, is it?" he finally asked, his voice a husky whisper.

"Does the revered guardian have a list of prerequisite demands in exchange for rendering services?" Kazuha asks him idly, cheekily. He seems unwilling to depart from the Yaksha, content with his reprieve from the sweltering temperatures outside of their little embrace underneath this tree. "Go back to sleep if you would like," Kazuha's voice heralds a lilt in it, much of his attention on his pen, parchment, and the adulated haiku poem he was meant to regale the guardian with.

At the suggestion that he go back to sleep, Xiao openly stared. How could he possibly sleep after this? No, it was better to stay awake. To embrace what he was feeling. And more than anyone, Kazuha deserved to have the honor of hearing Xiao's answer. "Kiss," He answered shortly and immediately. And for the first time in centuries, the guardian entertained the very concept that maybe he could also partake in the aforementioned pleasures and comforts of humanity as well. If just for this instance. Either that or perhaps he was truly beginning to feel the ailing of the preliminary stages of heatstroke.

It was likely the latter that was happening.

The sound of pen on paper barely faltered at this, the samurai only raising his eyebrows at the uncharacteristic request. "Very well, and then I have questions to further pester you with." His cadence was pleasant, arrantly grateful for the respite. "Oh, I believe I've thought of the last line just now, are you quite ready to hear what I've come up with...?"

"I am ready." Xiao's tone was steady, even confident. Perhaps it was his innate strength that granted him the fortitude to be assertive and unashamed during this interaction. Regardless of the reason, Xiao's hand stretched out to clasp Kazuha's, their fingers interlacing, the guardian's thumb rubbing in circles against Kazuha's knuckle. The sensation of skin on skin made him shiver, and for a moment he almost conceded his request. Almost. "I'm listening for now."

Heat waves all around,

yet in your arms, I find cool,

Cuddling in the sun.

"Do you like it...? I quite like it... Even if I continue to lie here and manage to get sunkissed, at least I was burned during such a luxurious conquest..." Kazuha sighs out wistfully, holding the parchment to himself closely.

"I do, indeed." He took a moment to consider the short prose. "I like it very much." The warmth radiating through Kazuha's body was so vastly different from this cruel, cold world. For a moment, he wondered if the feeling was even real. He thought he could spend eternity right there. Xiao leaned in closer. "You have done well," With that, he pressed his lips to Kazuha's. His brows furrow a little in consideration, wondering how even on a sweltering day like this where they had to compromise and cling to each other so as not to overheat with the assistance of his Yaksha abilities and body, the ronin still managed to be a snowflake in the midst of it. He had meant for the kiss to be chaste, yet it somehow became more. So much more in such a short amount of time.

Much to Xiao's disappointment, he does not immediately return the affection, seemingly lost in the sensation before his reverie is displaced, and then he pulls away sharply, bandaged fingers raising to his own lips. Kazuha seemed thoughtful as he drew them back to observe them, the tips wet with their mingled saliva. "There has been a question that has plagued my mind for some time now," the ronin muses slowly. "From how far away can you hear your name being called...?"

Xiao had to take a moment, the world spinning around him. The kiss had stirred an inferno in his heart that threatened to burn him up entirely. He was in no state to provide such an answer. In no state to do anything other than think of Kazuha's gentle lips and the feeling the kiss had left on his own. "How far away?" he said breathlessly, as if a simple question such as this was difficult for him to formulate all at once. "From anywhere... as long as I am not asleep."

"Has it ever woken you up?" Kazuha tilts his head curiously.

Xiao frowned, the motion odd on his usually expressionless features. "Yes," There had been many times that his name had interrupted his sleep. Many, many times. The most he had slept uninterrupted was three days, and during that time the world had descended into utter chaos. "Why do you ask?" He added, his tone suspicious.

Kazuha was still for a moment. seeming to hesitate, before relaxing again, and he is shaking his head slightly, dismissively at the question. "That is remarkably interesting to learn... I am also incredibly grateful that you have not been called away during our time together today," He presses his lips to the corner of Xiao's mouth, an ornament gesture that served as a pittance of sorts. "It's nice spending uninterrupted time with the esteemed guardian of Liyue."

Xiao closed his eyes at the soft kiss. To him, it was both intimate and yet so tender that it was difficult to believe it came from a mortal, let alone that it was intended for him. He took a deep breath, savoring the feeling of Kazuha's lips against him. It is where they belonged after all. There was so much more he wanted to do, but the mere thought of taking things further in their current setting crossed his mind only to be pushed away just as quickly. For now, he would settle. "Kazuha... " He said slowly, as if trying the name on his tongue for the first time.

The blonde reacted to his own name, his brows raising. "Yes...?" and then he looked a bit sheepish, curves of his cheeks flourishing in hues of carmine. "Ah, right. Thank you for indulging me like this. I was just reminded of what an important person you are, and you're here entertaining me."

"Do you think my presence is such an indulgence?" That was a curious way to put things. Xiao had never thought of himself as particularly interesting. He was just... Xiao. He was nothing special. And so, the Yaksha was interested in hearing how others viewed him. How they perceived him outside of his duty. "Are there other pleasures you seek?" His voice was like silk, tempting the ronin as he swathed him in it. He made mental notes pertaining to how if he lowered his tenor just the right way, the Kaedehara descendant repositioned just slightly. "I would be happy to entertain you some more." There is an uptick in his tone.

"None that truly comes to mind.", Kazuha replies. And then he clears his throat a little, shifting in the guardian's lap to seek a more comfortable purchase, their hips slide together before he stops fidgeting, and the Yaksha grunted at this, his eyes narrowing as he listened to the blonde redirect their conversation back to his own curiosities. "Back to my mild interrogation... How about outside of Liyue? Do you stop hearing it outside of the perimeter?"

Xiao's body was still at the sensation. His gaze locked with Kazuha; his lips pulled into an amused upturn. There was more to such an interrogative technique than the surface would let him believe. "Your interrogation, is it?" Xiao asked as if he did not know the answer. "Very well, Kazuha of Inazuma," he teased as he leaned his head to the side. It was clear that Xiao had lost all objectivity to think straight with his senses under such intense scrutiny. "Outside of Liyue, I hear nothing."

"Mm.." Kazuha visibly seemed less tense. "That is convenient for you." It is all he says more about the information relayed to him, though after the tensity in his shoulders dissipates, he adds on as an afterthought. "It pleases me that you're not so overworked as to have to tend to whoever speaks your name."

"I am glad to know that gives you joy," Xiao snorts, shifting forward, pressing down against Kazuha's lap to give him more support. The Yaksha placed a single hand at the small of his back to steady the man. As he did, the other hand raised to brush against Kazuha's chin. "... do you have any other curiosities?" His voice was low. Quiet. Like a soft whisper meant only for the man's ears. "Just this once, I'll humor it."

Kazuha feels his body warm up — and he has a feeling that it is not quite due to the summer heat. He presses himself a bit closer in an effort to satiate it. "That's kind of you, though I would have to say that..." The proud swordsman tightens his legs around the guardian, knees digging a bit harder into his waist. Xiao is on high alert at this change in behavior.

"...I'm afraid I already knew the answer to my question before I had asked it of you," He simpers, only slightly embarrassed of the words slipping past his lips. If anything, he seems even more encouraged by the confused expression flitting across the guardian's features. "You see, I spend much time calling your name already."

"... I see," Xiao could do little but respond in a softer tone. The hand placed upon Kazuha's chin moved to entangle in his hair, the cut of his nails gently brushing against his scalp. It was a semblance of desire, a gesture of affection. "And are those times enjoyable?" The words were not entirely innocent. They held a curious undertone, as if seeking a certain answer. As if looking for the man to say yes. And if he did, then Xiao would do everything in his power to reward him.

"...Quite," Kazuha replies after a moment, tilting his head into the gloved fingers wreathed through his hair. "Very enjoyable," He seems contemplative, as though for the first time in the duration of this interaction. " Perhaps you'd like to hear it? "

"I would, yes." The words were not an invitation. They were an order. He was giving Kazuha no chance to say no or withdraw. He was giving the man full rein. He would allow the samurai to do whatever it was that he wanted, and the guardian would simply allow it. Xiao pressed his lips against the man's neck. He could smell the skin there, and it was a scent he did not want to ever forget. He could feel the pulse of Kazuha's blood, and its rhythm was addictive, tempting. This was the closest thing he had come to tasting dreams again since submitting to his new lifestyle as assigned to him by the Geo Archon, and it took everything in him not to sink his teeth in and devour the mortal.

"Say it," He hissed. "Kazuha."

The samurai shivers at the judicial tone taken on by the Yaksha, a reflexive and involuntary reaction that he keens to obey. The sensation on his collarbone has him arching, writhing. " Xiao... " he breathes out studiously — barely touched at all, he seems to have thought about this quite often, the deliverance as the blonde took liberations into his own hands well-rehearsed and breathy.

This time, he used his teeth to scrape the side of his throat. His tongue found the pulse of skin and touched it, the soft, tender tip of his tongue tracing over the sensitive spot. "...Do you like that, Kazuha? " Xiao's voice had grown from a purr to a low rumble. It was a voice that sent electricity through him. It sent sensations throughout his body that made him want more. For everything, more. The feeling was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Yet he liked it, he demanded more of it. His nature was latent, dormant as he usually took it upon himself to project a calm and composed cadence. Though in this instance, he was greedy, that subtle stir to feel the same affection that other humans felt daily, turned into something vicious, a desire to subjugate and keep those feelings all to himself, to keep Kazuha all to himself.

The grip was still delicate—just a feather's touch, really. Yet Xiao could still feel the heat of Kazuha's breath against his skin, hot and wet as it fanned his throat— the ronin curled into him obediently, his own perception slipping. He is canting his hips heedlessly against the Yaksha's clothed thigh, his movements aberrant and jerky as he seemed to solely focus on the heat and friction elicited by the endeavor he was putting himself through. Truly, Xiao did not find himself having to lift a finger in order to assist the other man. Though he pressed their lips together again because he himself was voracious for similar attention.

Xiao was breathing heavily when he pulled away. He felt his chest, his heart beating erratically as if trying to escape itself. The sensation of such desire was entirely new to him, both eliciting it and receiving it. Yet he loved it. More than anything. More than the assurance of solicitude. More than the taste of blood. He... wanted to feel it again. More than ever, he wanted to feel it again. " More. " It was not a question. It was an order, and his voice made it clear that he expected to be obeyed.

There is an infux of rubescent tinge upon the curves of Kazuha's cheeks at this. And for the first time, the eloquent poet finds himself at a loss for words— at this moment, he wishes that he could express himself more so than a few pleading murmurs and quieted apologies, the grind of his hips growing clumsier and even less dignified. " Xiao... " Kazuha pleads anyway, his voice semi-more confident than prior. "Oh, Xiao... " His tone is so shudderingly soft.

"Mhm.." Xiao's voice was just as fleecy, the iteration punctuated with a quiet growl. He moved his hands to the blonde's shoulders, and he pushed him, not forcefully, but with a gentle push of the hands that let Kazuha know that it was a request that the Yaksha wanted to be fulfilled. He wanted more, so his body instinctively urged him to ask for it. To just take it if he needed to.

"More." He pressed the word out again, his lips brushing against Kazuha's as he did, they were mere inches apart, and they could taste each other's breath in their mouth. Xiao's body shivered. He did not want to admit it, but this person... this man was riveting to him. He was intriguing. When he was with Kazuha alone, as they were now, he was not the Yaksha. He was... he was...

He was Xiao.

"Kazuha... do you want more? " He said, his voice breaking.

When the samurai tilted his head to the side to give him more access, he was given all the confirmation he needed. He pulled Kazuha closer with his waist. He pressed his body against Kazuha's own, as if he wanted to meld their souls together. If he had to be separated from this mortal someday, so be it. But even in his imminent death, they would find evidence that once he had been Xiao's. He had belonged to someone, and he would make it seep through his skin and engrave into the curvatures of his very joints and bones if the samurai just said one simple yes to him. His lips found Kazuha's at that moment, and he made sure not to overwhelm him this time before he asked his question again. "Is this what you desire?" He questioned. "Is this what you want? " Kazuha whined into his mouth and he swallowed it eagerly, the hold he had on the samurai's hips tightening. "Tell me what you want, Kazuha. I will give it to you." He listened hyper-fixated as Kazuha said his name like a chant, the pleasured sound melodic, deft fingers digging into the Yaksha's shoulders.

His composure unrequited— halations of carmine widen at the contact, and he is awestruck— seeing stars at the sensation the Yaksha enables him to succumb to with such unchallenging facile. "I— want you, " he whines again low in his throat. " Xiao, I'm calling your name, aren't I..." His arms slip around the guardian's neck. Kazuha's own unoccupied hands slip between the two of them, and he could not help the delectation he felt when the guardian's eyes flutter suddenly, a short growl slipping past his lips.

"That's..." Xiao said, his voice filled with a hard tone, his words tinged with a warning. He kissed him again, the touch as soft as a feather. "...I see how it is," The words were spoken quieter than before, as if the Yaksha were intending it for the ronin's ears exclusively. He gave Kazuha's hips another light squeeze, the action suggestive and assertive. "I see you as you are," He gave a light nip to Kazuha's lip, just gentle enough to be almost imperceptible. It was just enough, though, that it made him tremble.

"I'm not usually so deceptive, am I?" The blonde asks him simply, wincing under the sharp ministrations. "Your ferocity and arousal... are quite beautiful, more so than anticipated. Perhaps we should take a break," His eyes flicker up to stare into Xiao's. "I will even write you something..."

"Do you think you deserve a break?" Xiao asked, pressing their lips together once more. His hand remained on the expanse of Kazuha's thigh, holding him in place while the Yaksha's free hand roamed, explorative. His touch was firm, and his gaze was as if it were a dare. A dare for him to move a single muscle.

"...Would it be more romantic to recite it...like this...?" His query was meant as a form of reasoning, a little taken aback that he would be denied something so basic in the throes of intimacy. "That would be unideal, truly. I can barely think straight around you..."

"Kazuha..." Xiao said, amusement piqued by the question. Romance, eh? He had been so excited by the sentiment, the very ideation, that he could barely breathe when his lips met Kazuha's, the touch sending a jolt through him. "That would be... very romantic." The Yaksha conceded to the rhetorical question. He liked it. He liked the idea of it. "What kind of poem will you write for me?" Xiao breathed out; his tone heralding a cadence half playful.

"A commemorative one," He mumbles, barely able to pry himself from the heat of the Yaksha's mouth. "I already have the first two lines on the tip of my tongue, maybe you could put the third one in my head?"

This close, he could hear the man's heartbeat. Feel the soft, gentle rise and fall of his chest as Kazuha breathed in and out, spent from his prior activities. As he exhaled, Xiao could inhale the scent of Kazuha. It was a scent that he found himself privy to, a smell that he desired. The guardian was eager to claim him entirely. "What are the first two lines?" he asked.

"The first two... lines of the haiku are inspired by you... " He watches the guardian carefully, studying him—the clench of his jaw, amber eyes watching him back just as closely, if not more so— the samurai swallowed thickly. He really liked this person.

Breath upon my neck,

Softly tracing fingertips,

"Softly tracing fingertips..." Xiao repeated the words back. His gaze was focused upon Kazuha, whom he was so enamored with at that moment. He pressed a soft kiss to Kazuha's neck, right above his pulse again. "You really are talented." He whispered into the blonde's neck, his breath tickling his skin.

"Fill in the last line," He coaxed quietly. Kazuha keened at the praise, arrantly addicted to the concept of it. The sentiment of the silent Yaksha petting him, touching him, telling him he was good— talented, he could thrive off of it. "I want you to finish for me..."

The Yaksha breathed in deeply. He thought of what Kazuha should write for the next line— and produce something just for him that made it feel like he just might be deserving. It had a certain amount of mischief to it. Xiao had never been good with words as far as he could tell, but at this moment, he really wanted to be useful in this sense.

"I think the best description would be..." Xiao paused, he could see the other man worrying his lower lip with his teeth. Was this particularly important to Kazuha as well? Interesting. "You have my heart... is that a fitting line?" Xiao pressed his lips against Kazuha's neck once more. Over and over again in the same place, he was an addict.

Breath upon my neck,

Softly tracing fingertips,

You have my heart,

Kazuma seems absolutely elated, burying his face in Xiao's chest in turn. "You did... really well... so good..." Kazuha's voice is muffled against the Yaksha's collarbone. "I'm so proud of you, you shall rival me in terms of constructing poems."

Xiao keened at Kazuha's voice against him; how could the mere sound, the implication of such praise elicited by the ronin be enough to turn him into slime? To cause him to fall to pieces at his feet, paltry effervescent remains of slime condescension. It was as if all his defenses and barriers were slowly dissolving down into the ground floor underneath them. He liked Kazuha; the admission was an unpleasant fact at this point. To deny it would be like denying the sky was blue.

"In order to claim I rivaled you in poems..." He raised his hand, his finger lightly tracing Kazuha's cheek, "...perhaps you would like to teach me how to construct them properly," the Yaksha said, his voice laced with what could only be delineated as possible affection.

"If they are all composed in the midst of these sorts of activities, I may just yield to you as my mentor," Kazuha does not come out from where he is, humming in consideration against Xiao's collarbone.