Chapter Text
POV: Aether
It is a beautiful summer night in Liyue. A warm breeze caresses your face as you gaze up at glowing lanterns in awe, Paimon by your side as always. Each lantern is unique, but they are all the same in that they carry hopes, dreams, confessions, wishes. The stars glimmer dully behind the bright sky in a breathtaking contrast, watching over the boundless plains and flowing waters of Liyue. Dozens of fireflies dance around you and a geo crystalfly perches on top of your travel bag... but you still frown as a wave of loneliness washes over you.
Lumine would have adored the view, probably much more than you. If only you had been the twin to be taken, she would have been able to enjoy this...
To banish thoughts of your lost sibling, you glance over at Paimon and find that she has dozed off in a cute little makeshift bed of grass and branches. Who knew she could be so crafty? Smiling softly at your small companion, you lay back in the grass as well.
Liyue Harbor was so much different during the Lantern Rite season. You have been stuck in this world for nearly half a year, but it never ceases to amaze you. The hardworking Liyuens, normally so stiff with their money, were now freely and willingly handing out extravagant gifts. You supposed it was the spirit of the holiday… indeed, it is a wonderful tradition.
Your train of thoughts lead you to remember running into Childe earlier that day at the markets –– the blue-eyed Harbinger had committed to meeting you at sundown, but still hasn’t shown up yet. It is far past the time the two of you had agreed upon. You mentally shrug –– he had probably been held up with an urgent matter within the Fatui. This wouldn't be the first time it has happened, as such "diplomatic" issues were common. As the sole Harbinger stationed in Liyue, it was Childe’s responsibility to deal with any and all hitches in the Tsaritsa’s proceedings there.
Suddenly, you remember a small device Childe had given you a few months ago. Orders from the Tsaritsa had led him on a mission to Fontaine –– the land of trinkets, magical tools, and incredible technology. There, the ginger had picked up a gadget supposedly imbued with ‘voice teleportation’ abilities. His description of the device had been… scuffed, to say the least. Nevertheless, you were extremely curious. You hadn't gotten the opportunity to test it out yet, but now was the perfect time!
The device was in your bag, so you reluctantly heave yourself up off the comfy grass and crawl over to your knapsack. “Sorry, little guy. Gotta grab something,” you murmur to the crystalfly as it departs in a ruffled huff of orangish-yellow. The package Childe handed you all that time ago is at the bottom of your bag and you waste no time tearing it open.
The gadget is a small silver rectangle that fits in the palm of your hand. Childe had apparently written you a note describing how to navigate the strange device. His handwriting is extremely sloppy, but legible. Did he spend all his time in school fighting and itching to get outside rather than studying? Knowing him, probably. After following the instructions to the wire, the device beeps and begins pulsing with a yellow light.
You waited for a moment, staring expectantly at the trinket. Was it broken? Nothing was happening besides the pulsing yellow light. You were just starting to doubt the authenticity of the device when Childe’s voice came through, crisp and clear.
"O-oh, hey ... Aether!" Although he sounded parched and clearly out of breath, you recognize the eleventh Harbinger’s voice almost immediately. "I'm sorry for not... being able to c-come tonight--... I had, well, have… some ur-gent ... business to attend to..."
You stare at the device, a little scandalized and unsure what to say. After getting over your initial shock, it was an effort to not burst into uncontrollable laughter. You had clearly called him at a bad time and you were also pretty sure you knew exactly what was happening on Childe's end... but you were also going to milk this conversation for all it was worth.
"Don’t worry about it. I already know many things are part of your job description." You swear you heard Childe choke a bit at that, but who really knows if it was caused by what you had just said or by someone you were about to mention. "Hello Zhongli, have you been doing well?"
Childe had explained to you upon acquisition that the little device would not transmit quiet noises, and even had some extra spells placed on it to ignore unwanted background sounds. But even with all the extra mora spent, you can still hear Childe's soft, ragged breathing as Zhongli's deep tenor fills the air. "Ah, hello, Traveler. How did you know I was here?" A hint of humor laced his tone.
This time you can’t contain your laughter and drop the trinket while you fall back and howl. This moment is absolutely priceless . You have suspected for a while that Childe and Zhongli have regular intimate dealings with each other, but this confirms it completely.
Childe suddenly lets out a sharp yelp, following up with a desperate mask of high-pitch coughing. This only makes you laugh even harder. "So when are you gonna tell me exactly what sort of urgent business is happening over there, hmm, Childe?" You tease lightly.
"N-nothing... is happ-ening!" He forces out, and you can hear the suppressed heat in his voice. Zhongli then murmurs something you can’t quite decipher, and a noise you raise your eyebrows at follows.
Child apparently realizes what he had done and tries to save himself by continuing with "....-mmmm t-this.. apple- is v-very good, thank y-you.... d-da - ... Z-Zhongli-" Holy shit, what the actual fuck are you hearing right now? You’re caught between feeling deeply disturbed and laughing. Maybe just settle for cringing internally. You make a mental note to tease Childe later for almost calling his lover "daddy" within your earshot.
The lust in Childe's voice is heavily apparent, and you can tell he really just wants to stop talking to you and focus all his attention back to Zhongli. It is painfully obvious what is happening and even Childe knows that you are most likely aware.
Unfortunately for Childe, he had also explained a lot of the inner workings of the device to you. Meaning, you could dangle this over his head for much longer than he probably desired.
"Since you're clearly very busy right now, why did you activate your end of the gadget?" You inquire innocently, but out of pure malice. The longer this conversation extended, the more it would piss off Childe.
"H-he... m-made me--" Childe gasps, or maybe sighs. You honestly have no clue. "C-Can I just end the comm-unication... now? Archons… p-please..." You decide not to dwell on the irony that he’s pleading with the Archons to save him from whatever Zhongli is doing on the other end of the line.
"Farewell, Traveler. May your travels be safe and may rocks carve you a steady path to the future. I do apologize however –– perhaps Childe will be available for your company during the next Lantern Rite, but he seems rather preoccupied at the moment.” Zhongli monologues in a steady voice, leaving you to wonder how he isn’t even a fraction of the mess Childe clearly is. You decide not to dwell on it any longer after the image of Zhongli fingerfucking Childe invades your mind.
The small device beep s once more and briefly flashes red before going completely dark. You recall that this means the voice transmitting has ended. Pushing all images of Childe and Zhongli far away from your conscious brain, you chuckle quietly to yourself and slump back down in the soft grass. You close your eyes to enjoy the soft sounds of nighttime, but soon enough your thoughts drift to taking part in Lantern Rite festivities similar to Childe’s, but instead with a certain adeptus…
Bleh. None of that. A cool breeze glances over you and you lean into it with a small smile. The night is comfortably warm. Pleasant. If only Lumine were here.
Soft footsteps behind you interrupt your private thoughts and you quickly sit up, reaching to grab your weapon –– treasure hoarders are especially active during this time of year thanks to a combination of foolish, rich travelers and the overwhelmed state of the Millelith.
"Greetings, Traveler." A familiar voice reaches your ears and you relax. The husky voice is Xiao’s, and as he approaches you feel a blush creeping across your cheeks involuntarily. You hear a soft rustle as he sits next to you, arm brushing up against yours. "It has been a long time since…” he trails off, unsure of how to finish his sentence. You try your very hardest to keep a steady gaze on the sky and not steal glances at his porcelain profile, but he is just too... perfect. These feelings for Xiao have stirred within you for a while, but fear of rejection from the cold adeptus who has only just begun to trust you has led you not to confess. You don’t even drop the slightest hints, instead doing your best to hide the torrent of emotions that swirl inside you whenever you spot the handsome warrior. You feel fine keeping your feelings bottled up, though. Better to not say anything than suffer heartbreak and lose a precious friend.
“... since I have seen something so beautiful,” he murmurs quietly –– almost shyly.
"Then, I...I’m glad that I get to be here with you for it," You say sincerely, but quickly turn your head to the side to hide your red face after you realize what you’ve just said. Why did you say that? Stupid, stupid, stupid! That was too familiar. Too intimate.
Xiao looks over at you curiously, regarding you for a few seconds. Then you feel him roughly grab your chin and turn your face back towards him, calloused pads scritching against smooth skin. His golden eyes glow with his signature glare as he mutters, "You're really cute, you know." He says it without a hint of hesitation and his tone leaves no room for arguments; as if he simply is stating a fact that should be obvious to everyone.
You gaze into his eyes in shock, the pink dusting on your face deepening into a vivid shade of red. In your embarrassment, you try to hide your face with your hands but he grabs both your wrists and gently pins them to the ground on their respective sides. A pang of something delicious fires through you, deep in your stomach. It all happened so fast. Suddenly he was pinning you down and hovering over you, his lips inches away from yours, his eyes exploring yours. Fuck.
"X-Xiao?" You whisper quietly, noticing that Xiao's face is slightly pink –– he’s still glaring at you, though. Instead of being intimidating, you are just strangely comforted by it instead. You fantasize slightly about kissing him, his tongue sweeping the insides of your mouth while his hands trail down your sides... A shiver of pleasure runs through your body and you shake yourself back to the present. Oops. Aether, stop fantasizing! comes the mental slap. The moment lasts a while longer, his harsh golden eyes staring deep into your soul.
He seems to come back to reality, releasing your wrists and quickly scrambling off of you in surprise at himself, muttering, "Sorry I… I got slightly carried away, I shouldn't have done that. My deepest apologies, Traveler." He turns his head away from you and glares intently at the lanterns above, a stubborn red tint remaining on his cheeks.
You sit up and realize... ah... you now have a slight... problem. Thanks to Xiao and that… position. Him positioned over you, pinning you. You fold your hands in your lap and try to cover it up, but the tension is unbearable. Pretending to just squirm around while you try to slightly relieve some of the tension, you look up at the lanterns as well. You really don’t want to say anything; the thought of doing so scares you to bits. Further, you don’t want to reveal that you liked the incident a little too much in case he… what if he regrets it? Is that why he pulled away?
Your discomfort is immense and is not going away as the seconds tick by. You involuntarily let out a small sigh of pain, trying to play it off. Xiao looks over at you and you don't know what to do. He recognizes the discomfort in your posture and... his eyes slowly trail down to your hands, which are folded in your lap at an odd angle.
His eyes linger in your lap. "A-are you..." He starts, trailing off. "Did I cause this...?" he wonders, knowing the answer already.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I-I… really have to go to the bathroom, I’ll be right back, don’t worry about me, yeah.. uhh.. Oh! Look at that pretty lantern !" You leap up and try to walk as normally as you can towards the patch of forest about 50 meters away. Jesus. Despite being over five hundred years old, your body still acts like that of a newly-pubescent teen boy. To add onto the issue, it’s been an absurdly long time since you’ve had any alone time to even masturbate thanks to Paimon being nosy and a hecking light sleeper.
You glance behind you as you “walk” and notice he's staring over his shoulder at you strangely. Argh, sorry, Xiao. Can you bank on the hope that he’s absolutely innocent and has no clue what’s going on? Chances are close to zero. You get to the forest and find a small space between two tree roots. Protected enough. Oh, whatever. Fuck it.
Sitting down, you quickly slip your hand underneath the soft fabric and belt separating you and an aching desire. “Fuck,” you breathe quietly, clapping a hand over your mouth. A fatal weakness: you were not good at being quiet during this. It would be quick. About a minute in, you were close. So close. “O-oh. Shit… ah, X-Xiao.”
"Greetings, Traveller. I heard my name," a husky, warm breath hits your ear. Panic shoots through you and you gasp, pulling a guilty hand away, mumbling apologies and how it's not what it sounds like. "Oh~ it's exactly what it sounds like~" He hisses into your ear, tongue tracing your earlobe seductively. You shiver. You drift your hand back down to stroke yourself. This time, unfortunately, only through the fabric. And now that he’s here, like this... your problem has just dramatically increased.
"X-Xiao, I––"
You feel Xiao press up against you from behind, his hands tracing your sides, moving to your stomach and further down. He presses his fingers into your skin and slips his hand effortlessly below your waistline. You let out a small moan as he teases you with two calloused hands, rubbing the inside of your thighs. His other hand had slipped up your shirt, playing with your nipple. Mumbling incoherently, you tilt your head back onto his shoulder. "You like that, hmm?" You nod frantically, spreading your legs a little wider. "Patience, little bunny."
Whatever hardness you lost from the panic of getting caught is back in full force. You are absolutely rock-hard. You quickly slip your pants down to reveal two milky thighs and black underwear. Xiao's breath hitches in your ears.
Xiao removes his hands from you and his presence behind you disappears. You groan in frustration and grind a palm against your clothed length. Five strong fingers curl around your wrist, however, and stop you. “None of that, bunny.” Well, fuck. He kneels down between your spread legs and looks up. “Can I?”
“Fuck. Xiao. Yes. Please.” You reach a hand forward and tangle it into beautiful dark hair. His hands do the same, reaching forward, except… they find the dark article of clothing restraining your dick and pull it down. Your member pops up, angry and weeping, against your stomach.
Wasting absolutely not a second, he leans forward and swallows your tip into the warm folds of his mouth. “Oh, fuck. Fuck. Yes.” You mumble as he pushes his head down, swirling his tongue playfully. Your hands tighten in his hair. “Faster, please.” He obliges, picking up the pace. Wet sounds soon start to echo around the tiny clearing. You hope you’re far enough away from Paimon…
The Yaksha down on the ground in front of you is a master of suctioning at just the right moments, fluttering his tongue against just the right spots, and keeping a consistent pace. Shit. "Ah… y-you're so g-good... at this... f-feels amaz-ing ..." You feel your eyes turning heavy-lidded and despite the hand you’ve thrown up to cover your mouth, you moan loudly. "X-Xiao~! Like that, oh, Archons… Mmhhh––"
He takes you fully into his mouth, swirling and sucking, not saying a word, moaning softly. Fuck. Your cock is the one making the Yaksha, immortal protector of Liyue, moan. A wave of desperation leads you to thrust your hips up; he roughly grabs you and pushes you back down without missing a beat, another loud squelch sounding through the forest. His mouth is so soft, so warm, and his tongue is so skilled. Shit. Tensing up causes you to tug on the strands on his head –– but you realize every time you do that, he moans a little louder. Hah.
Xiao shifts slightly and takes a moment with one of his hands to loosen his own pants. You feel bad. “Xiao,” you whisper between involuntary noises. “Can I… oh… do the same for you?”
“Hmmm.” The vibrations spark through your cock, sending another wave of pleasure through you. You’re so close. “After. Want your cock.” Oh. Archons. The resulting wave of pleasure pushes you to the very brink.
“Xiao,” you moan. “Fuck. Close. So close.”
In response, the Yaksha speeds up, sucking harder, swirling around and bobbing his head. The sight of him on your dick you pushes you over and a wave of pleasure blinds you. Then another. Then another. You’re not sure what sort of noises you make while shooting white strings to the back of his throat, but they sure aren’t quiet. “Ah. Shit,” you whisper hoarsely. “Damn.” You feel like the life has been sucked out of you. Literally. Your spent dick lies on your stomach, twitching valiantly.
The Yaksha sits up, breathing hard, and a dribble of white finds its way out the corner of his mouth. “Mission successful. You know, it’s been a while. I’m surprised I could take you all the way.”
“You did it like a pro.” A few tears crease the corners of his eyes and spit runs down his chin.
He huffs a little, rolling two sparkling eyes. “Being immortal gives you lots of time to practice.” The adeptus shifts his posture and you suddenly remember his own erection. Some quick rustling of clothing have you tucked away. Then, agile as a cat, you leap up and push him down so you’re sitting on top of him.
“Hm. I like this position.” He murmurs, running his gaze and two hands over your bare waist. “That damn crop top drives me crazy. You have such a… grabbable waist.” A pink blush forms over your nose and cheeks; you’re thankful for the darkness that surrounds the two of you. His eyes sparkle with hunger as they meet yours.
“You’re one to talk, Adeptus Xiao,” you whisper back as you lean down to press your lips to his neck, light and fluttering like a bird. One caress of your tongue against that warm skin has him tensing, taught as a wire. “That shirt is so tight it looks like it’s painted onto you.” Corded muscle flexes every time you move against him. Languidly you begin to roll your hips back against him and you hear a heavy breath in response. Worn leather only grips your waist tighter. You hope it bruises in the shape of his hands. You really do hope. “And those pants aren’t stopping me from feeling your little, ah, problem down there.” Your laugh is muted thanks to a piece of skin you’re currently running through your teeth.
“Maybe my problem would be better solved if a pretty little bunny sucked on it.” If Xiao’s voice was pollen, you were a bee. And you were determined to produce that honey with him. Wasting absolutely no time, in a flat matter of seconds your face was pressed up against his clothed length. Warmth radiated through the fabric, only sending more heat to your face. “Fuck.” Hands graceful as a swan reach down and card through your hair, sending tingles to your scalp. You sigh in pleasure. His eyes devour you within an inch of your life. “Want you on my dick. Please.”
So, like the dutiful and kind friend you are, you pull down the two layers of cloth separating you from his dick. Finally. Wrapping a hand around the skin reveals its velvet feel. The warmth and solidity of it is clear. Along with the…
“Archons, Xiao, I don’t think I can…”
“Guess you’ll just have to try.” He watches, amused, as you stare exasperatedly at the cock in front of you.
It’s fucking massive compared to what you’ve experienced in the past. Your mouth waters. Archons. Even though you were just thoroughly sucked dry, you feel your own cock twitching again. Rising.
An experimental pump with your hand has him throwing his head back. Faster, grip a little firmer… “You tease.” He growls, applying a bit of soft force to the back of your head. Message received. You lick a slow stripe up the side, suckling a little on the tip before pulling back. Xiao’s breathing is severely uneven. “Traveler…”
“Yes?” Tone innocent.
“Use your mouth. Please.”
“Hmm.” You lean down again and pop his whole tip into your mouth. Two hands keep his hips from bucking up as you slowly lower your head as far as you can go. You only make it two thirds of the way down. Holy shit. The tip presses uncomfortably against the back of your throat, but when it does, Xiao lets out a soft moan. It’s all the reward and encouragement you need to pull up and press back down again. And again. And again.
Sucking and swirling, suctioning as hard as you can. He tugs on your hair and you moan. “Fuck. So good for me. Keep going.” Soon, it’s not your pace. It’s him pushing your head down and up. He can barely restrain himself, tensing and holding back from thrusting upwards to abuse your throat. “Bunny. Can I fuck your mouth?”
“Please,” you gasp, drawing a desperate gasp of air. “Fuck me.”
And so he pulls you off his cock to stand up. “On your knees.” You oblige and soon he pushes his tip to your lips once again. You open and soon it’s his hips thrusting with abandon into your ready mouth. Fuck. You imagine him using you for his own pleasure, only managing sloppy thrusts to satisfy himself because you’re so good for him . “Ahh. Shit.”
His hands hold your head steady and you curl your two hands around his thighs. Archons. You focus and try your best to suck and play with it while it slams through your mouth and smacks the back of your throat, but that just makes the noises louder. Oh, shit. Yeah, you’re rock-hard again.
Every thrust ripples his centuries-honed muscles, putting them on display for your hungry eyes. Spit drips down your chin and tears track down your cheeks. You love being nothing more than a cocksleeve for him. He goes faster, harder; moans louder. The symphony of your breaths, moans, and sloppy sounds make you cringe.
“I’m gonna fill you up. Fuck. That pretty little mouth stretched around me,” Xiao mutters frantically, strokes becoming sloppier and sloppier. Finally, he pushes as far as you can take him and you choke on the liquid that is shot down your throat. A few final thrusts produce more cum. Unfortunately, it’s all too much. It begins to drip down your chin and pool on the ground below.
“So good. You took it all.” The adeptus murmurs, stroking your head softly. The sounds of the night return to you and a cool breeze blows across your heated face. As you pant, his cock still in your mouth, you taste his release on your tongue. He pulls out and slowly wraps a hand around himself, pumping one last time before moaning loud and letting his softening member drop. “Ah, fuck. You’re so beautiful down there on your knees, filthy from my cock.”
Despite the exhaustion, you smirk and open your mouth once more, sticking your tongue out. He can’t resist. Two fingers slide inside and press down on your tongue. You suck them. “Gah. Enough of this, unless we want to do a second round.”
“Hmm… maybe I’m down for that.” You look up with sultry eyes, meeting his own keen ones. “I still haven’t had you really inside of me.”
“Bunny…”
“I wonder if it’d fit. Can’t know until we try, hmm?”
“Yes. But another time, my sweet candy.” His voice is firm, taking your chin roughly in his hands. You breathe a moan out in agreement. He neatly tucks himself away and pulls you up to your feet. “For now…”
One light push has your back against the tree. And one second later, he’s pressed against you, leaving bite after mark on your neck and jaw. You don’t care where he puts them. You knew after the first one that they’d be impossible to hide, but that’s a problem for Future You.
“Mine.” He whispers forcefully as he swirls his tongue around a new mark. “All mine.” You gasp in pain and pleasure as he bites harder in one particular spot on your neck.
The moon is getting ready to sleep by the time the two of you stumble back to where you left Paimon sleeping in the grass. Exhausted but extremely satisfied, the both of you each sport your fair share of hickeys on display for the entire world to see. You lay down in the grass with Xiao and he pulls you in to cuddle. His embrace is like a warm blanket around you, woven with protection, safety, and love. You soon doze off…