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snowfall.
“It snows in Liyue, doesn’t it?” Lumine was leaning against the balcony railing, gazing out at the vast Dihua Marsh. The sunlight blanketed everything in a soft glow—the marsh, the trees…and her golden hair.
Xiao leaned his back against the railing, crossing his arms. A warm breeze blew through the ginkgo leaves above them, carrying the scent of morning dewdrops in the air. “Of course. Liyue experiences all four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter.”
Lumine tucked a strand of hair into her ear and sighed. “It begins in December, right? That’s still months away.”
She stared into the distance, the wind softly ruffling her hair as she continued, “Liyue in snow…The harbor in white…I bet that’s an interesting sight. Though I can already picture myself all huddled up and shivering by the fireplace.”
“It can get bitterly cold in Liyue during the winter,” Xiao said. He turned around and leaned forward with his arms propped on the railing, mimicking her gesture. “The snowstorms are relentless. Knowing you, I can already see you bedridden with fever. I’ll have to watch over you while you shiver beneath layers of blankets.”
“Hey! I am much tougher than I look!” Lumine let out a small laugh. He could’ve sworn her eyes sparkled as their gazes met. “I’ve been to Dragonspine, remember? Though I’ll probably still be traveling in Natlan during Liyue’s winter.”
The disappointment on her face could hardly go unnoticed.
Xiao cocked his head to the side. “Why? Do you wish to experience Liyue in winter?”
“Of course! It’s the only time of the year when I get to throw snowballs at you!”
He scoffed and averted his gaze. “You truly have no respect for the adepti.”
At this point, he was sure Lumine knew that his words held no malice behind them, so she laughed. “I’ll still try to make some time to come. Let’s pray to the gods that Natlan won’t spontaneously combust or something.”
Before she continued her journey to the other nations, she would always come back to Liyue, specifically during the annual lantern rite. Xiao couldn’t comprehend why, however. She was a traveler, surely she had seen the magnificent sights Teyvat had to offer and met all sorts of people who cherished her. Despite all that, she had always come back with new stories, and occasionally new scars to show him. She would spend all night on this balcony, telling him all her new and exciting adventures.
And every time, he would wish he could’ve been there to protect her.
“Why Liyue? I’m sure Fontaine offers more breathtaking landscapes. Especially during winter,” Xiao asked.
Lumine was silent. For a moment, he thought she didn’t hear his question until she said, “I suppose…to me, coming back to Liyue feels like coming back…home.”
He couldn’t help but feel that there was more than she let on. Their eyes met, and he questioned why the gods allowed her golden eyes to be as radiant as the sun.
“Xiao,” Lumine spoke, her voice as gentle as the beams of sunlight peeking through the clouds. “When I return, you’ll come when I call you, right?”
Without missing a beat, he said, “I will always come for you. No matter what, I will be there.”
worry.
Lumine did not know what came over her when she decided to accept extra commissions. She had been running low on mora, all thanks to her weapon and artifact upgrades, no less. She had expected that she would not have the energy to walk back all the way to Liyue Harbor after slaughtering all kinds of hilichurls and treasure hoarders, so she had booked a room at Wangshu Inn in advance.
What she did not expect, however, was the plate of sticky honey roast she found in her room when she came back. A subtle scent of roasted chicken danced in the air, making her stomach growl. It was practically inviting her to devour it whole.
There was a note beside the dish. One look at the handwriting, and she instantly knew who left it, making the corner of her lips turn upwards. She made a mental note to thank the friendly neighborhood yaksha later for ordering her favorite food.
Without wasting any time, she carefully folded the note, slipped it inside her pocket, and started to dig into the sticky honey roast. It might not be the best one in Teyvat, but after going through her whole day with an empty stomach, it felt as if she was having a dish that was made by an award-winning, certified chef.
Before she knew it, her plate was almost spotless, save for the bones. She almost felt bad for not leaving anything for Paimon later. Almost.
Lumine walked out of her room and headed towards the set of stairs. She ought to thank Xiao for the thoughtful gesture. Hopefully, he was still hanging around the balcony during this time. A chuckle escaped her lips, she could almost picture his reaction, he would probably just chalk it up to merely doing his duties as a guardian adeptus.
“Oh, Lumine!” A familiar voice rang out. Smiley Yanxiao, the inn’s chef, appeared on the staircase landing. There were stains splattered on his apron.
“Yanxiao!” Lumine greeted back, waving her hand.
“Are you looking for him?”
It was funny how Yanxiao didn’t need to elaborate on who he was talking about. “Yeah. Is he upstairs?”
“You just missed him. He took off right after he finished his almond tofu.”
Lumine's smile fell, unable to mask the disappointment on her face. “I see. I’ll catch him another time, then.”
“Hey, if you want to see him that badly, just call out his name,” Yanxiao said matter-of-factly. “You have that privilege, don’t you?”
Lumine rubbed the back of her neck and looked away, the bonsai pot on the corner of the staircase landing was suddenly very interesting. Xiao had said it time and time again, to call him if she needed to see him, he was always reminding her of that promise. “It’s fine, I shouldn’t bother him too often for trivial matters like this.”
“Lumine,” Yanxiao said, his tone serious, “He never sees you as a bother.”
“What makes you say that?”
He laughed softly. “I think anyone can see how much he cares about you.”
Unable to form words, heat crept up Lumine’s neck.
“Don’t believe me?” Yanxiao lifted his brow and tilted his head after a beat of silence. “I had to spend the whole afternoon trying to teach him how to make sticky honey roast. Wasn’t easy, mind you.”
Her eyes widened. She remembered Xiao had mentioned how tedious cooking was to him. “You mean the one I had in my room…he made it himself?”
He nodded, then proceeded to explain. “Yeah. I’m not sure why it’s specifically a sticky honey roast, though. He was quite adamant about that.”
She knew why. It was her favorite.
Yanxiao walked down the stairs and gave her a pat on her shoulder as he passed her by. “Just call out to him. I’m sure he’ll come to you.”
Lumine stood there alone for a moment, trying to process the information Yanxiao had just dumped on her. She slipped her hand inside her pocket and took out the note she had carefully folded. Butterflies fluttered in the pit of her stomach as she read it again.
The announcement board was devoid of any commission postings. No doubt it was your doing.
Eat. I believe it’s your favorite. You may be busy, but do remember to take care of yourself.
Don’t make others worry about your well-being.
-Xiao.
P.S. Should you crave sticky honey roast in the future, come to me. I don’t mind satisfying your cravings.
selfish.
Xiao brought his finger to the front of his face to examine the geo crystalfly that had somehow landed on him after a round of his patrol. Its golden wings reflected the light of the sun, giving it a soft, delicate glow. He brought his free hand up to gently touch its wings, careful not to scare it away. It flinched a little when his finger grazed its body.
A certain traveler came to his mind as the crystalfly quietly flapped its wings, fluttering away from him.
He went back to Wangshu Inn and asked for an empty jar. Ignoring the strange look Verr Goldet gave him, he took the jar and left the inn as quickly as he came.
A geo crystalfly…it would surely complement her eyes.
He didn’t know how long he had spent trying to catch those crystalflies. It was only when the sun was no longer blanketing the sky that he realized he had more crystalflies in the jar than he had originally intended.
***
It had been a few days since Xiao had mailed his letter along with the jar of crystalflies. He was standing on the balcony at Wangshu Inn, his arms crossed as he stared into the distance. That was when he sensed it.
Footsteps.
The subtle scent of mint and flowers that had been etched into his mind.
The door burst open, and he immediately turned around.
“Happy birthday, Xiao!” Lumine exclaimed, her smile beaming. Her golden hair fell around her face perfectly, the wind lightly blowing her white dress as she approached him.
Both of her hands were behind her, she made sure to keep her back out of his sight. “Look what I brought you!”
Then she pulled out a plate of a dish that was all too familiar to him by now.
“Almond tofu.” Xiao took a step towards her, examining the plate. “But it’s…different.”
“Glad you noticed! Don’t worry, it still tastes the same. I just added a few decorations here and there for extra flair.” Lumine pointed at a spot on the plate. “Look! This looks like your necklace.”
Sure enough, there were sugar beads around the dish which resembled his necklace’s colours and arrangement.
As he took the plate, his fingers briefly brushed hers, leaving tingles across his skin. “Thank you.”
The evening air was crisp as they chatted under the stars. They sat close, but not quite touching. Xiao was taking slow, deliberate bites of the almond tofu. It was sweet, far sweeter than the dreams he had consumed. The effort she had put into the dish made the flavors linger on his tongue in a way he found himself wanting to memorize. He listened to her talking about her commissions today. They were mundane activities, but he realized that he never found it boring when she talked about her day.
“The crystalflies. Do you like them?” Xiao asked, setting the now-empty plate aside.
“Oh, I adore them. Thank you for those.” She nodded, enthusiasm visible on her face when she smiled at him. “Actually, I have one in my hair right now. Just like you suggested in your letter.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned slightly forward, giving him a clearer view of the side of her head. A golden crystalfly sparkled between the strands of her hair. He caught a whiff of her scent, it reminded him of flowers atop the mountain peaks.
“I noticed.” He felt his heart skip a beat.
Lumine leaned back, resuming her position. “Does it suit me?”
What doesn’t?
Xiao averted his eyes before he answered, “It does.”
And with that, a blanket of silence fell over them. It was the kind of stillness that didn't demand to be filled. Xiao watched a single leaf spiral down from the ginkgo tree above, its golden hue matching the soft light from the inn. The quiet chatterings of the inn’s guests below, the gentle blowing of the wind, her quiet humming of a tune that soothed him; it all blended into the background of the night.
“I have a question.” Lumine broke the silence.
He hummed, signaling her to continue.
“It’s your birthday, but why am I getting gifts too? Shouldn’t you be treating yourself instead?” Lumine lightly bumped his shoulder with hers, causing him to feel that strange tingling feeling once more. “You have the privilege to be selfish on this day, you know.”
Xiao leaned back and gazed at the sky, his arms supporting his weight behind him. “I already am being selfish.”
“How so?”
He thought of the crystalflies he had caught for her, and how the stars seemed to shine brighter tonight, as if the gods themselves decorated the dark blue sky just for the girl next to him. “I’m sure you know why I sent you that letter. I wanted to see you, to spend time with you.”
A beat. Then she replied, “And…you think that’s selfish?”
Xiao looked down. He couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze. “I shouldn’t have troubled you with all this–”
“Don’t say that. I wanted to see you too.” Lumine interrupted.
He stole a glance at her. Her eyes were on the ground as well, and her neck was slightly flushed under the light of the balcony. He wondered if it was because of the cold or if it was something else.
“Anyway, what I meant is something you do exclusively for yourself,” she managed to say, changing the subject. “Like, buying yourself a cake, for example.”
Xiao sighed. “You know I have no desire to celebrate my own birthday like mortals do. Having you with me is enough.”
“Really? You’re happy with just…this?” She gestured at the space between them with her index finger. He caught the hint of hesitation lacing her voice.
Finally, his eyes met hers. And he realized he was a fool to be enchanted by the sky above when she was right there in front of him. Even the stars would envy how captivatingly radiant she was. He could stare into her golden eyes all night and still be as mesmerized as the first time he had laid his eyes on her.
“Yes. Very much so.”
remember.
“I hope you realize that your actions were incredibly reckless,” Xiao said, eyes trained on the road ahead.
He had an arm around Lumine’s back and another under her legs, her feet dangling above the ground. Her arms were linked around his neck, tightly holding onto him. She was as light as a feather.
“I just…I thought I could handle them.” Lumine said. The looming trees above them cast shadows across her face as he walked. The moonlight bathed her skin in an ethereal glow.
“You thought you could handle a camp full of treasure hoarders with a sprained ankle?” he scoffed, his voice betraying the worry he was trying to mask. “How absurd.”
Thanks to her encounter with the treasure hoarders, she now had bruises as well. And at least a few cuts.
They were painful reminders that–just like mortals–she could get hurt. Like mortals, she could leave this world forever without much of a warning, and he shuddered when the thought crossed his mind. Here in his arms, clinging to him, she had never felt so fragile before, as if she would shatter into pieces if he held her too tightly. As he walked under the moonlight’s gaze, he tried to ignore the tightening knot in his stomach.
“But you came just in time. I’m fine now.” She said, trying to comfort him. He could feel her gaze burning into the side of his face.
“And what if I hadn’t? What then?” He stopped in his tracks and brought himself to look at her. Despite her wounds, her golden eyes that held his gaze were filled with nothing but tenderness. Her blonde hair was sticking out in all directions. Up close, he could see a cut above her upper lip and dirt that had smeared across her cheek. It was the first time he properly took a good look at her face since he had saved her.
Lumine was pale. Unusually pale. Her body was warm in his arms.
“Okay…I guess I should've called for you,” she spoke, her voice as gentle as the soft breeze. “I’m sorry for making you worry.”
He didn’t know what came over him when he leaned forward to touch his forehead against hers.
I just need to check if she has a fever, he thought. Though he knew deep down it was just an excuse.
Xiao didn’t miss the way her eyes widened as their gazes locked, her breath tickling his skin, her forehead warm against his. Looking into her eyes, he could see flecks of gold surrounding her irises. It reminded him of the sun casting golden hues on the sky as it set in the distance.
“And now you’re burning up. How troublesome.” He tore himself away from her, tightening his hold on her body as he looked away and continued to walk. He might have imagined it, but he could’ve sworn he saw the colour pink dusting her cheeks.
“Hm?” Lumine brought a hand up, pressing her palm against her cheek. “Oh, you’re right. No wonder I felt weaker than usual.”
Perplexed, her hand moved to the spot where his forehead had touched. “I can’t recall the last time I had a fever like this—”
“Last year, right after the Rite of Parting. You were shivering in your tent when I found you.”
She frowned for a moment, then slowly nodded. He could almost see the gears turning in her head. “Yeah…I tried so hard to convince you I was fine, didn’t I?”
The memory was still fresh in his mind, how Lumine stubbornly refused Xiao's help while curling into a ball inside her tent. They hadn’t been as close as they were now, but he remembered how infuriatingly stubborn she had been that time. And most of all, how his worriness had been eating him up inside, just like now. “Yes. Which was useless, anyway. It was painfully obvious you were unwell. I had to drag you to Wangshu Inn by myself just so you could get a proper rest.”
Lumine let out a laugh. Archons help him. Her laugh was like music, a gentle melody that soothed his soul. It was starting to worry him how a simple laugh could spread an unfamiliar, but comfortable warmth in his chest.
“I didn’t think you’d remember that,” she said.
“I remember everything about you.”
The words had slipped out of his mouth before Xiao could stop them. The sound of leaves crunching beneath his boots filled the air as the wind blew a gentle breeze once again. He didn’t dare look down to see what kind of expression she was wearing.
“Then…will you remember this?” Lumine asked.
There was no time to react before Xiao felt the soft press of her lips against his cheek, sending his mind into a jumbled mess. His heart was pounding against his ribcage, threatening to burst out of his chest.
When she leaned back, he let go of his breath. His voice was barely audible when he spoke, “What was that for?”
Lumine tightened her arms around his neck, the gesture sent a small flutter into his stomach. The spot where she had kissed started to tingle. “A thank-you, for taking care of me.”
“There is no need to thank me.” Xiao’s eyes softened as he held her gaze, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. His voice was barely above a whisper, as if his words were a secret vow, heard only by the wind, and the moon his witness. “Whenever you need me, I will always take care of you. That is my promise.”
choices.
A cool breeze entered Lumine’s room, there was a faint scent of qingxin flowers in the air. She stirred in her bed, the bedsheets rustling softly around her. When her eyes fluttered open, there was a familiar figure standing in front of her bed.
“Sorry, did I wake you?” Xiao said, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. The dim lighting of her room highlighted his features, his amber eyes bored into hers.
“It’s fine. Why are you here? You look like you just saw a ghost.” Lumine sat up, her bedsheets pooling around her waist. She couldn’t hold back the yawn from escaping her mouth. What time was it?
“Just…needed to make sure you were alright.”
She cocked her head to the side, squinting her eyes. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Xiao averted his gaze and crossed his arms. She could’ve sworn she saw fear flash on his face, but it was gone as quickly as it came. “It’s just that…I had a nightmare. You were in it.”
For a moment, she didn’t say anything in response. The Xiao she knew wouldn’t flinch or show any hint of doubt even in the face of danger. She wondered what kind of horrific nightmare he had had. A dream so terrifying that it made him pop up in her room in the middle of the night, seemingly worried and anxious. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Xiao shook his head, his hands hanging on his sides. “I see no point in doing so. You’re here, unharmed. And that’s enough for me.” Xiao turned around his back, ready to leave. “Goodnight.”
“Wait!” Lumine said, which made him face her again, slightly surprised. “Would you like to stay?”
He frowned. “Stay?”
“Knowing you, you probably fell asleep on a random patch of grass or something.” She patted on the empty spot next to her. “Maybe you’ll sleep better here. Free from nightmares.”
Xiao gave her a puzzled look. “Wouldn’t it be…inappropriate?”
She shrugged. Inside, she wanted to slap herself for suggesting this in the first place. What was she thinking? “I trust you, so I don’t mind sharing the bed with you. But only if you want to, of course.”
He stared at the empty spot, contemplating for a few seconds before he finally spoke, “Alright.”
It was Lumine’s turn to be puzzled, she wasn’t sure why he agreed. She didn't think he would even entertain the idea.
As he crawled into the bed, she secretly thanked the archons that the bed was big enough for them without pressing against each other. The bedsheets rustled as he settled next to her under the covers, the mattress dipping under his weight. She lay down as well and pulled the covers, enveloping them in their own bubble, tucked away from the rest of Teyvat.
“Now, how about I tell you a bedtime story?” Lumine asked, ignoring the warmth that blossomed inside her chest as they lay there side by side, eyes trained on the ceiling. His scent was slowly clouding her mind. A hint of qingxin flowers and fresh air. “It might even make you forget whatever dream you had.”
Xiao let out a soft huff. She could tell he was tense by the way he was lying on the bed unmoving, perhaps he was being careful not to touch her accidentally. “Do as you please.”
A smile bloomed on her face. It was all she needed to hear. “Okay, then. Once upon a time…”
As Lumine told the story, she couldn’t help but steal glances at him every now and then, as if she was afraid he would suddenly change his mind and slip away. He was staring at the ceiling the whole time, his hands resting on his stomach. As she went on, tension seemed to melt away from his shoulders slowly. He would close his eyes for a few moments. Then, just as she thought he had fallen asleep, he would open his eyes again. It was as if he were imagining himself in her story.
“...And the dragon, though fierce, found peace in a quiet place by the lake. It was there that it realized...all its struggles had led it to something better. The end.” Lumine finished off the story and glanced at him, curious about his thoughts.
Xiao was quiet for a moment. His eyes were still fixed on the ceiling as he spoke, “I suppose…I’m similar to that dragon.”
Lumine shifted so that she was lying on her side, facing him. “How so?”
“I have fought countless battles, slaughtered beings that have fallen prey to the darkness, and the things I’ve done in the past…” Xiao turned to face her as well, mirroring her position. It was then that she realized just how close he was. She could see her reflection in his amber eyes, “I will always carry that burden with me.”
Lumine’s voice was soft when she asked, “Have you ever regretted any of it? Being a yaksha and everything that comes after?”
“Of course.” Xiao nodded. “There were times when I thought…perhaps I should’ve made different choices, taken another path. I used to think that to live was only to suffer the consequences of my actions.”
“Used to? What changed your perspective?”
There was no hesitation in his voice when he answered, “You.”
Her breath hitched in her throat, suddenly finding it harder to breathe.
“If I were thrown back into the past, I would still make the same choices—both the good and the bad,” he added, his eyes never leaving hers, his voice laced with conviction, “because they’ve led me here. To you.”
Flowers bloomed inside her chest in an instant. She silently prayed that the dim lighting of the room was enough to hide her reddened cheeks. If he saw them, he did not make any comments.
“You always say the sweetest things when I least expect it.” Lumine let out a soft chuckle. She looked away and shifted to lie on her back again to hide her flushed face from him.
“Sweet? I’m simply stating the truth.”
Her stomach fluttered as if hundreds of butterflies threatened to break free. She could hear the bedsheets rustle again as Xiao lay on his back as well, and he added, “Now, do you have other stories to tell?”
heartbeat.
Xiao definitely wasn’t kidding when he had said that winter in Liyue was not merciful in the slightest bit.
The cold bit at Lumine’s cheeks as she stood by the edge of Wangshu Inn’s balcony. It had been months since she had left Liyue. The moonlit Dihua Marsh looked exactly like the day she had last seen it, except for the glows emitted from the few campfires that were scattered around the Marsh.
Adventurers, she guessed.
Lumine leaned forward, resting her arms on top of the cool wooden railing. It hadn’t started snowing, yet her fingers were already stiff from the chilly air. She had definitely underestimated how cold Liyue could be. That, or maybe she had gotten a little too comfortable with Natlan’s warmer climate. Had she taken Xiao’s warnings a little more seriously, she wouldn’t be freezing in her thin clothing right now.
They still exchanged letters every week during her stay in Natlan. She had never thought that Xiao would be someone whom she shared stories with. He, too, would tell her the things he had been doing. Like how Zhongli and the adepti made him attend get-togethers, or how Verr Goldet brought him new dishes she thought he would like, or how he couldn’t hear anything from the starconches that were rumored to carry secret messages.
The wrath of evil spirits, omens of calamity, and your voice. That’s all I need to hear.
That was what he had written.
Lumine kept every one of his letters. All of which were deeply treasured. In each one, he never forgot to remind her to take care of herself.
Don’t forget to rest.
Until your injury is healed, don’t even think about taking another commission.
Never underestimate the Abyss. Should you need it, I’m always ready to lend you my aid.
At this rate, you will be left with nothing but skin and bones. Do not skip your meals any more than you need to.
“You.”
There it was. The voice she had longed to hear the most, that familiar calm tone that always made her chest tighten.
A wide grin painted her face when she turned and saw Xiao standing on the entrance of the balcony, his gaze fixed on her. “I'm back. Archons, you have no idea how happy I am to see you.”
Warmth. That was the first thing she felt when she saw him again.
A hint of a smile appeared on Xiao’s face as he approached her, the wind blowing his scarf. “Have you been well?”
“Of course! Did you miss me?”
A chuckle broke through his calm demeanor. Lumine wanted nothing more than to hear it every day.
Xiao leaned against the railing, resting his arms on top of it as he looked into the distance. “More importantly, are you sure Natlan won’t… ‘spontaneously combust’ without you?”
Lumine laughed, recalling what she had said that time on this balcony. She didn’t expect him to remember it. But then again, he had said that he remembered everything about her.
Warmth spread in her chest as she leaned against the railing as well. “Pretty sure it’s safe now. The people there are more than capable of protecting their nation.”
He looked at her. Maybe it was her imagination, she thought she saw fondness flicker in his eyes. “I have plenty of time. Do you want to tell me about your new adventures?”
Lumine resisted the urge to smile widely. He had gotten so used to her habits. “Now? Am I not interrupting your patrol?”
Xiao shook his head, giving her an incredulous look. “Interrupting? I came here because I sensed your presence. You’re not interrupting anything.”
She couldn’t contain her smile anymore. “Alright then. Although, I think I’ve told you some of it in my letter.”
Just like that, Lumine started talking, telling him about her journey through Natlan—the war, the chaos, the people. Xiao listened in silence as he always did, his expression unreadable yet attentive. He would smile when she said something funny. He would frown when she explained how she got hurt. She didn’t know how long they stood on that balcony as she ratted off about her adventures.
Then a sneeze escaped her.
Xiao furrowed his brow. “You’re cold.”
“How am I not?” Lumine asked, rubbing her nose with a small laugh.
He sighed and began undoing his scarf. “Come here.”
She complied with his request. When she stood close enough, Xiao wrapped his scarf around her neck, his fingers slightly brushing against her skin. Lumine took the opportunity to silently marvel at his features, his amber eyes that somehow possessed the power to make her knees weak, his soft teal hair that framed his face perfectly. She wondered how it would feel to run her hand through those locks.
“Better?” Xiao asked, his breath a puff in the cold air. His hands lingered on her neck for a moment, before letting them hang on his sides.
“Better.” Lumine smiled.
And that was when something small and white fell on his head. She instinctively looked up at the sky.
“It’s snowing.” She held her hand out, palm facing up as if to catch the snowflakes.
He followed her gaze, mirroring her gesture. “So it seems.”
“Quick, quick! Make a wish!” Lumine folded her hands and shut her eyes, flakes landing on her lashes.
Xiao watched her with a frown on his face. “To whom? You know fully well the adepti don’t grant wishes.”
“I know. But my wish is different.” When she opened her eyes, his dark hair was already dusted with snow, making the guardian adeptus look softer, ethereal. She wanted nothing more than to remember every detail of this moment. “You can grant mine…if you want to.”
Xiao tilted his head. “Is that so? What makes yours special?”
Lumine took a small step forward, her fingers reaching for his hand. Then, with a steady breath, she guided it to rest against her chest.
“Can you feel this?”
Thump, thump, thump.
Her heart was beating so fast under his palm it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest.
“Yes,” he answered.
“Do you know why?”
There was a pause. Xiao glanced at his palm then back to her eyes. “Are you unwell?”
She shook her head. “No, I…”
Her voice faltered. She took a deep breath, then spoke, “It’s because of you. You’re in all of my prayers and wishes even when I’m nations away. What I’m trying to say is…” Lumine looked straight into his eyes with unwavering determination, “I’ve wanted to kiss you for the longest time.”
Lumine’s words hung heavy between them, fragile as glass. The soft creaking of the inn's wooden boards filled the silence. She wondered if Teyvat was holding its breath, watching the traveler from the stars stupidly laying her heart bare for the guardian adeptus.
And she desperately wanted him to take it.
Xiao gently brought her hand and placed her palm on his chest. The movement was careful, as if he was afraid she would crack under his touch.
Thump, thump, thump.
“Can you feel this?” he asked, his voice low.
Lumine stared at her hand in his as snow fell around them. The beat in his chest mirrored the rapid pounding of her heart. It was real. It was a silent answer.
“It’s always like this whenever I’m with you.” Xiao muttered. His thumb brushed her knuckles in a gentle motion that made her stomach do cartwheels. She had to remind herself to breathe.
“You’re right, Lumine. I can grant your wish.” His amber eyes bored into hers. She didn’t look away. “I will gladly grant it right now if you allow me.”
Another beat of silence.
Instead of responding with words, Lumine found herself closing the distance between them.
And then her lips found his.
The kiss was tender. Delicate. His hand moved to cradle her cheek, gently holding her like she was made of paper. It felt like everything had melted away, replaced by the warmth that wrapped around them, melting the chill from her frozen fingers and toes. The whisper of the winds, the creaking of the wooden boards, the thumping of her own heart, every sound faded until all that existed was him.
When they pulled away, she couldn't find the words to speak. Her face was warm even though she was standing underneath the falling snow.
Lumine had slaughtered hundreds of abyssal monsters, even gods had fallen under her blade, yet an innocent kiss was capable of turning her brain into mush. How stupid. When had she fallen so deep?
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Lumine. Perhaps Celestia is playing tricks on me.” Xiao said, his finger stroking her cheek. The way he was looking at her made her melt on the spot.
Lumine smiled as some of her tension faded. She cleared her throat. “No one is tricking you. And certainly not the gods above.”
He smiled as well, placing back his palm against her cheek. “Then know this, as long as I’m alive, I will stay by your side. And I will make you happy.”