luminate | modern au shenanigans!!

modern au shenanigans!!

[ from here.

zhongli will be happy to know that things are, in fact, hygienic. save perhaps for the dirty dishes. like as not her trash needs to go out, also..

nevertheless! she knows very well that he is teasing, but she falls for the fake guilt trip regardless, quickly taking the few steps between them to throw herself against his back, her arms winding tight around his middle, and as she presses her face into his coat, she smiles. he feels warm and familiar, and already she is so thankful that he agreed to see her tonight, despite his rather considerable workload. ]

Please. Don't think you're getting out of this so easily!

[ how long has it been since last she'd been able to see him, anyway? they keep in contact daily, but they're both so damnably busy that it's difficult to find the time, despite the fact that they live in the same city. the end of semester crunch is quite brutal. lumine laughs, light and musical, and she would hook her chin over his shoulder if not for their substantial difference in height - instead she nudges her nose to his shoulderblade. he agreed to keep her company tonight, there's nothing he could say or do to get himself out of it, now! her voice softens. ]

No matter how cute you are when you pout. Are you upset that I greeted the food before you?

[ she's just so hungry. ]

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[ heaven forfend he have to handle her unmentionables!! he might pass away on the spot. ]

Oh! I was looking for that..

[ like any other respectable person, lumine can't hold on to a tube of chapstick to save her life, and now that it has gone through both the washer and the dryer cycles, well.. like as not, it is doomed. she'll have to buy yet another stick. lifting it from the table, she uncaps the tube to find only a sticky, gummy, cherry scented mess inside. lumine sticks out her lower lip.

but then she laughs. her face is warm from the wine in her belly. ]

It might be for the best that you didn't, but I have a backup bottle in the fridge.

[ it's hardly the quality he would likely desire, certainly not so good as what he has brought - ~~but where are those who share the memory~~ - but it shall certainly get the job done. once you're in your cups, lower quality alcohol tends to go down more easily, and lumine is at least one-and-a-half sheets to the wind at this point. her head feels comfortably fuzzy, she laughs often and easily, and thoughts of her brother are at a minimum; they can't hurt her, not right now, not when she has a healthy buzz and the best company she could ask for.

plucking out a camisole, she begins to fold it, but her hands are definitely a little clumsier than usual. ]

[ he pasta way...

zhongli's smile grows during the chapstick debacle. she's so cute.

she's right about the wine quality. at least zhongli might not mention that it's up to par out of sheer politeness to her. beggars can't be choosers, and zhongli doesn't get drunk often. he would only do so with someone he trusted—and more for the sake of comradery than anything else. she won't be getting drunk alone tonight.

zhongli takes his two long drinks and then carefully, slowly rests his glass back on his coaster. he watches the staggering lumine struggling with the camisole, and with a fond look in his eye, he walks over to her. ]

Here.

[ he leans down and, gently knocking his shoulders to hers, he reaches for her hands. he picks the camisole from her fingertips, palms resting on her knuckles, and he gently draws it away.

there's a gentle warmth where they briefly touched. her hands are soft. ]

I wonder about your alleged victory in this game. You know that I drink wine often.

[ HE PASTA AWAY!! just like me

lumine watches in muted curiosity when zhongli stands and approaches, gently taking the camisole from her hands, and she can only laugh. ]

Hey.. I can do it!

[ she's just a little clumsy, that's all. but her smile is alive with warm fondness when she looks up toward him, and it is a smile that reaches her eyes, lighting them up with appreciation. his presence is more of a comfort than she could possibly give words to, it quiets the deep worry in her heart; he certainly cannot solve her myriad problems - and she would not want him to - but his gentle care helps to heal her wounds nonetheless. ]

-- and like I said! So long as I don't black out, I'll consider it a win, right? Just having you here is a win.

[ reaching upward, lumine snags his wrist to tug him onto the sofa beside her, coiling both of her arms around one of his and leaning her weight into his side. he's warm, and smells good, earthy and clean and familiar. lumine's voice lowers, softens, her head coming to rest against his upper arm. ]

.. really. I'm glad you came.

[ that wide and true smile on her face—not any mask of her true emotions at all, but deep, genuine mirth—is infectious. it almost coaxes free a rare smile, parting his lips to show the glint of teeth. before he can offer that to her, she grasps his arm and pulls him back onto the couch.

his smile falls away from the surprise, the camisole still caught in his hand. he looks over to her at his side, wrapped tightly around his arm with her warm cheek on his shoulder.

her hands are chilled from the wine. he acts on his inclination to raise his free hand and place it over one of hers. his hand is large and warm, showing only a strip of skin on her wrist and her fingertips.

he realizes too late that this might be too tender, but for an indescribable reason, he doesn't pull it away. he only watches her thoughtfully, his mouth drawn into a soft line. ]

I am glad to be here with you.

[ he speaks softly. maybe he shouldn't say this, but his lips have loosened. ]

I did not want for you to be alone tonight.

[ it is not too tender. the moment his hand is over hers, lumine's own hand turns over so they are palm to palm, her fingers weaving through his own and squeezing.

lumine is an affectionate person by nature, though only with those she is closest to. it is not like her to reach to touch those she does not know well, but with zhongli it is easy, she cares for him, she trusts him, though the wine is certainly making her bolder, more open. it does not help that he makes it so easy, with his gentle smiles and calm demeanor, with his tender touch and sweet, quiet words.

something flutters behind her ribs, and lumine smiles against his sleeve. ]

That's very sweet of you.

[ to say that he has been her rock since she arrived in the city would be an understatement. since the moment they met they have gotten along, and she has leaned on him more than she would like to admit. he was the first person to whom she opened up about her brother, the only person she trusts enough to spill her heart to, his presence has been steady in her life, even if they do not often get to spend time together. it doesn't matter. the time they do have is always worthwhile. ]

If I'm honest, I didn't want to be alone, either.

[ the gesture is unexpected, but after a brief moment to register the feeling. zhongli slowly closes his fingers between hers. their touches are growing more tender. lumine has leaned on him and cling to him before, just as he's hugged her and carried her and brushed leaves from her hair. these were all just friendly enough, only skating the surface of something past friendship, never daring to step outside of that boundary but treading dangerously near it.

that same creature flits beneath his ribs, a butterfly leaving glittering golden traces behind it. he watches her smiling, and he quietly regrets how small she is compared to him. he would rest his head on her hair if he could.

his thumb gently glides on the side of her hand, over and over. he lets the camisole go free between them, and it slides from the couch and onto the ground. his smile ebbs away. ]

If you ever need company, [ he says without really thinking deeply about it, not regretting it, because it just feels right— ] I will come to you if you ask for me, no matter the circumstance.

[ the slide of his thumb against her hand is.. intimate in a way that she has no choice but to take note of. it's such a simple thing, the lightest, gentlest touch, but there is more to the way their hands are woven together than simple platonic affection.

but then, that's nothing new, is it? this dance is nothing new, is it?

they have been navigating this strange relationship for a long time, never quite pushing past friendship, flirting with something more yet never taking the plunge. it would be a lie for lumine to say she had never thought about it. how could she not? he's handsome, elegant, and more than that he is patient and kind - there is much to love about him - and lumine has never been particularly shy when it comes to pursuing those she is attracted to.

yet she hesitates, with him. what they have is already so good, she does not want to take the risk that might ruin what they are. she does not want to lose him. ]

Please. I would keep you all to myself if that were true.

[ she would have him over every day, every night, if she could, if only to savor his company. lifting her head from his arm at last, lumine chances a look into his face, her bright eyes searching, a smile curving her mouth. ]

But.. I appreciate it. I hope you know that I would do the same, right?

[ if he were asked—and he has been, by the likes of beidou and baizhu and even chef mao—why he hasn't consummated his feelings for lumine, he would give that same response. however strange their relationship, he did not want to lose it. few people in his life drew out that quiet desperation, daring to fear something he normally gracefully accepted: the possibility of the end of something dear to him.

he's reminded of this when she looks up at him, eyes refracting the light from the window, smile wide and only for him. she's caring and bold, intelligent and kind and even-tempered, the perfect melding of optimism and realism in tense situations. and she's arrestingly beautiful. there was a time when zhongli was convinced that her heart belonged elsewhere; she'd surprisingly, unthinkably turned down the foreigner's advances for unconvincing reasons.

he holds her fingers a little more tightly, staring down silently to those amber eyes. what was worth losing this? how does one survive without the sun?

those two last hits of alcohol finally reach him, leaving him heady and wavering in his resolve. what if that sun isn't eclipsed? what if it burns even brighter for him, and he is the lotus always rising to meet it?

he slips his fingers from between hers, reaching instead to push the hair from her face, his fingertips trailing to her neck. he's still unsmiling, softly focused on her eyes. he murmurs: ]

If I were to keep you to myself, would you allow me that?

Edited 2022-08-18 22:23 (UTC)

[ it's always been bound to reach this point, hasn't it?

something warm tightens around her heart like a fist, her belly roiling with apprehension and anticipation both; that he could possibly return her attraction is not a thought that she has ever entertained. zhongli seems to be everything she is not - patient, steady, wise.. lumine feels like an absolute mess of a human being in comparison with how put together he always seems to be, solid as stone and just as reliable. she'd felt fortunate enough that he wanted even to be her friend.

but she's experienced enough to translate the meaning behind his words, behind his golden eyes, and the touch that glides down her neck. lumine tenses nearly imperceptibly, her eyes flickering as they search his own. briefly, her gaze falls to his mouth, and she leans forward instinctively before meeting his eyes again. ]

You..

[ she starts, then stops, her face flushing hot where it was already warm from drink. her hold on his arm loosens, both hands fluttering to rest upon his chest, her touch soft, but bold, as her fingers slip up to touch his jaw. his skin feels so warm beneath her fingertips. they've been physically close before, and each time had lit a little spark in her breast, but this is.. this is different. her throat is running dry, yet lumine smiles, her eyelids lowering, softening her gaze. ]

You're not going to regret asking me that tomorrow, are you?

[ he's left a silent observer. the moments between her every movement, every dart of her eyes, stretch out infinitesimally, when finally her gaze falls onto his mouth and she leans in. that was the only sign he needed, even if she stops herself midway to home.

she blushes hard, lets him go, but those hands find their way even closer to him. he turns his body to hers, his eyes never leaving her face. those sliding hands leave shivering warmth trailing behind them, tightening his throat, up to where they finally rest on his jaw. she gently coaxes him to stay—never forcing, allowing him to withdraw—but the hope in her eyes anchors him down.

she feels the same as he does. it shouldn't be so unbelievable, knowing how long they've skirted around the other, how all the pieces were slotting into place. he loves that small smile and meets it with his own, his eyes half-lidded. there's a pleasant light-headedness, but he isn't unconscious of what's happening. he's always wanted this, and only now feels safe in taking it.

(is this a good idea while she's so emotionally vulnerable? probably not at all. he should know better.)

his hands hesitantly reach for her: one brushes his fingers at her sides before he rests his palm on the small of her back. the other curls his finger under her chin, holding it upwards to meet him. ]

Never. [ he murmurs again, only half-knowing. he softens his mouth before craning his head and kissing her deeply. ]

[ she feels what is coming before it happens, the anticipation is so thick in the air that you could chew it, and by the time his knuckles tip her chin upward lumine's heart is pounding fast, like a butterfly beating its wings against the inside of the jar in which it is trapped.

but then his mouth finds hers, and it all melts away.

she's thought about this before. about what it might be like to kiss him. all the times he has ever held her, all the times they have been close yet not close enough - and sometimes when she is alone, smiling at a message she received from him. sometimes, too, when she has trouble sleeping and she wonders what he might be doing, if he's burning the midnight oil with his studies, or lying awake just like her. each time she had driven the thought from her mind, save for a few, special times when she would entertain it, nurse it, allow herself the privilege of imagining it.

now, she does not have to imagine it. his mouth is over hers, warm and soft and welcoming, and a soft, plaintive sound moves in her throat before lumine's lips part over his own, her head tilting just so, until their mouths slot together perfectly. her hands rise a little higher so she can clasp to his jaw more securely, holding him to her as if she never wants for him to stop. he tastes good, like warmth and wine. the kiss breaks, but only for the moment, her lips still brushing his as she speaks. ]

You had better mean that.

[ even if he doesn't..

even if he doesn't, she thinks it will still have been worth it to kiss him, to feel this close to him, if only for one night. she was a fool to think that anything could come between them - even were he to think differently in the morning, she's sure that their friendship would persevere. nudging forward, she finds his mouth again. ]

[ how long had he wanted this? in the few moments where their lips passed over the same shared cup or straw, the way she smiled for him behind a roman candle and under a spread of fireworks, when she would happily take his hand in his as if it was a friendly gesture and nothing more. he thought about kissing her so many times. she was always in his thoughts, a quiet candle in the dark. no matter where he might be in his studies, there was always time for her, even when there shouldn't be.

that small hum on her lips is a tether, shuddering through his body, drawing him towards her. his skin is warm under her hands, and her lips are impossibly soft as they close and open and drag against his. he leans forward to meet them preemptively, kissing softly and quickly like he couldn't resist, because he can't. there's the tang of wine, the sweetness of their dessert, the clean taste of water, all of them hers.

she murmurs, and they kiss again, and it sends a flurry of feeling under his ribs. the hand beneath her chin slides over her cheek, fingertips sieved into her hair, thumb following the curve of her face. he draws the kiss out, savoring her taste and the feeling of her lips. when it finally, inevitably breaks, he resists the urge to to start it all over again. he pulls back to look at her, his eyes half-lidded, darkened, full of affection. ]

Perhaps... [ he swallows, searching her eyes. he can't help but be half-conscious of this. the pad of his thumb touches the edge of her lip. ] Perhaps I should have waited for a better time.

[ they're good kisses, warm and wanting, deep enough to make her stomach tighten in excited anticipation, slow enough to keep her wanting more. it isn't long before she's moving through thick haze, her head full of warm cotton, the world narrowing to this single point in space where they sit on her sofa beside her laundry, fulfilling this secret little desire that they have both been coaxing from a candle's flame into a roaring fire.

when he breaks the kiss and pulls away lumine's chin tips instinctively forward as if to follow him, searching for more, and when her golden eyes flutter open again her pupils are blown wide and dark. her lips tingle with the remaining sensations, remembering the touch of his mouth. ]

A better time?

[ lumine's brows lift higher, and she peers back into his face with mild surprise.

is it because they've been drinking? because she'd been feeling sad? perhaps both of these things? she can't help but wonder if perhaps he thinks he is taking advantage of the timing; it's just like zhongli to care so deeply. it's one of the things she loves most about him. gently, lumine brushes the dark hair from his striking eyes, her thumb coasting over the fine rise of his cheekbone before her arms both lift to slip over his shoulders, a smile curving her mouth as she shakes her head. ]

I hope you're not having regrets.

[ and it's just like her to take the situation completely in stride, whether or not she'd imbibed half a bottle of wine. her eyes are enticing enough, a disc of shining yellow around a plate of infinite black, deep enough to fall into.

yet the touch of her hand is gentle and sweet, pushing the hair from his eyes (though it will inevitably fall in front of them again, with how he leans down to meet her) and smoothing over his cheek. her arms come around his shoulders again and lock him in place, a reassuring weight. she smiles up at him, and despite the heaviness of the conversation, he can't help the thin smile on his lips. she's so cute. ]

My only regret is that I acted on my feelings while drinking, and while you're in a volatile state. You deserve more than a drunken confession.

[ ah, it's as she suspected.

part of her can't entirely blame him. neither of them are entirely sober, and perhaps lumine may be feeling a little extra needy tonight, what with the unfortunate news surrounding her brother, but it's not as if her feelings are anything new. she's nurtured them for some time now, and perhaps the drink has made her more bold, but this is not some thoughtless fling cooked up in the heat of the moment and brought on by wine. she suspects the same for him, especially given his choice of words. ]

I'd argue that you deserve better too, you know.

[ it's not as if she's any more sober than he is, after all, but lumine is not so drunk as to not know what she's doing, and with whom she is doing it. she's comfortably tipsy, yes, feeling warm and giddy, but she's in full possession of her faculties. ]

For what it's worth, and if it makes you feel any better, I'm glad you did it.

[ she has him there. he should take into account how easily she reacted to his initial question. there had been so resistance, no question but the one that asked if he would regret all of this. it was a paper-thin barrier between their friendship and something more, whittled down by time and subtle, unanswered advances.

here she is now, smiling, holding him, telling him she's glad. his head is light from the wine and his heart full and heavy in his chest, beating incessantly towards her. he doesn't regret this—not in this moment, not for the blissful, affectionate look like the one she offers to him. it's a look he's always wanted. ]

You are more than I deserve.

[ he says it quietly, tucking her hair behind her ear. in his tipsiness, he has half a mind to pull her up onto his lap, relieve the ache in his back, and kiss her breathless. it sounds as if she might let him. ]

It's my hope as well that you won't awaken and regret this tomorrow. ...And if you don't, then I will have to accept how I wasted so much time withholding my feelings for you. I'm not certain which would be worse to endure.

That's hardly true at all.

[ if anything, she hardly deserves him. zhongli is an incredible man, smart and strong and wise beyond his years, with a great, gentle heart full of kindness. lumine is only a girl, silly and reckless, with a messy life and a chaotic streak. she's unbelievably fortunate that he would return her feelings. it still feels dizzying, like a dream.

he hardly has to make the choice to kiss her breathless, for lumine is boldly leaning forward again to seek his mouth with hers, her arms around his shoulders tightening so she can pull nearer to him. she speaks only between long kisses. ]

Silly man.. you talk like this is the worst thing that could happen to you.

[ a light laugh bubbles up against his lips, and lumine slips one hand into zhongli's dark hair, drawing her fingernails against his scalp as she shifts to face him more fully. her free hand moves to his shoulder, leveraging her weight to press him back and down into the comfortable sofa, if he'll allow it. ]

I won't regret it. You don't know how long I've wanted this.

[ longer than she wants to admit, for how foolish she feels for having held back at all. ]

[ that silly, reckless, messy, chaotic personality is part of the draw. she was vibrant and colorful, alive and exhilarating, a lush and pastel-colored landscape where zhongli was all earth tones and golden sunsets. he needed the sky, the sun, the grassy greens and white porcelain. she filled his life with all of these, pulling him out into the world when he had been content among his books and teas.

despite his spoken reservations, zhongli doesn't resist her heavy kisses. he breathes in sharply the moment she presses their mouths together, the sweetness shuddering through him. he tilts his head and, unable to pull away, he answers every kiss, brows knitted in his effort. her laugh is a clear bell in his ears, buzzing against his lips, and he can't help smiling.

the drag of her fingers in his hair nearly reads as wanting. she pushes him down slowly and his body obliges, sliding his legs onto the couch as he turns to lie down. his gaze flickers to hers, half-lidded and darkened as desire pulses in his body. he knows what happens when someone's lowered against a couch. he hadn't imagined this happening so soon, but does he mind? she wanted this for so long, she says. he feels heady with affection and wine. she could do anything to him.

his hands rest on her thighs before he can think to move them elsewhere. his bright, amber eyes search her face, curtained by her pale, yellow hair. ]

Then I will regret all of that time wasted while I wanted you just as much. I can only hope to make up for it.

[ one of his hands slides up to her side, fingertips dipping beneath her shirt to smooth over her skin. soft and lithe, as he had expected. ]

You are so beautiful. [ he murmurs, suggesting that he thought this exact phrase thousands of times before. and he did. he cranes his head forward to kiss her again, closing her lips between his. ]

[ it all feels a little.. surreal.

when you think about something for so long, that thing begins to feel both close and distant at once, like an old memory it can dance out of your grip like flowing grains of sand. it becomes a strange, idealized thing that can feel unattainable, a dream that will turn to smoke once you grab for it.

but this is real. he is real, and here, beneath her hands. the taste of his mouth is still on her lips. it isn't a dream or a silly fantasy - he feels for her the same things she has felt for him for so very long; it's enough to make her heart tighten painfully behind her ribs. he says such sweet, impossible words that lumine cannot help but laugh, the sound like a breath between their mouths. they might be half-drunk, silly with wine, but that does not make this any less real or valid. her feelings for him will not burn away with the alcohol.

zhongli is so tall he takes up nearly all of the sofa, but lumine is thankfully smaller - there is more than enough room for her to settle herself comfortably in his lap. her knees press to either sides of his hips as she leans down and into him, her arms coiling around his shoulders, her head tilting to once more capture that perfect angle to slot their mouths together.

there are a hundred things she wants to say, all of the things she has held behind her teeth for so long - but rather than speak them she says them instead with the roll of her body, and her slim fingers slipping into his dark hair. she says them with her teeth sinking gently into the tender flesh of his lower lip. she says them in the way she breathes, low and rough between warm, deep kisses. he's flooding her senses, until all she can feel and smell and taste is him. ]

[ again she laughs, and for once he can't parse it. he meant every word he'd said. he can only guess that it's bashfulness or nerves. thinking too much about this would be even more dizzying. his focus is fixed on her, her shifting legs, her weight on his body and hungry lips on his mouth.

his head is pillowed by her arms, and her seeking hands are slowly undoing the tight ponytail against his head. he makes no move to correct it, opting instead the cant his head into her kiss, reciprocal and obliging and parched. he squeezes her thigh, the other hand sliding up her back, gathering her shirt beneath her arms. his fingertips skate the clasps of her bra.

when she bites into his lip, his mouth comes apart from hers in a shaky, shuddering breath. she bears down on him, her chest dragging against his, and immediately his body reacts. he feels that growing warmth between her legs and his hands itch to touch her, his mouth seeking more than kisses. he groans again softly, curling his hips upward to meet her movements.

he runs his nails up her thigh and then both hands reach to deftly open the back of her bra. with that undone and hanging from her shoulders, he gathers the back of her hair in his fist and raises her chin. he tips his head to one side, pressing an open-mouthed kisses down her throat, tasting salt. his other hand is at her waist, sliding down until he's able to grip her ass through her fleece pajama pants. ]

[ they've only just begun, and already she's beginning to realize that zhongli is an excellent lover.

this should come as no surprise to her, really, when she thinks about it. he's the most attentive person she knows, perceptive and vigilant - he reads her body like a book, reacting so easily to everything she does. it's so very easy to become lost in him, in the scent of his skin and the feel of his strong hands, in the heat of his mouth.. she's dizzy, far more drunk on him than she could be on any wine.

his hips rock gently up and into hers, and lumine feels her body tighten with hot anticipation, a little bolt of pleasure needling between her thighs. they're moving quickly, but she hardly minds; this is an itch that has long since needed to be sated, something they have both ached for in passive silence for far too long. zhongli's hands feel hot against her bare skin, and she chances a soft whine when his mouth finds her neck, tipping her chin further back to offer him the tender column of her throat, while her hands work quickly at the buttons of his shirt. one by one they open, until she is able to slip both hands inside and smooth them over his abdomen, palms hot and searching. ]

We should..

[ she starts, then gasps, her hips rolling more firmly down into his lap, feeling the shape of him through her flimsy pants. ]

Come to bed with me.

[ that soft whine nonetheless rings in his ears, pressing to his lips as he closes his mouth over her bare throat. in his haze, he thinks of gently nipping and sinking his teeth into skin, sucking softly, but he resists the temptation for now. she didn't need any obvious marks. there would be other inconspicuous places for such things, if they keep on down this path.

she finally touches his bare chest, pleasure burning beneath her searching hands. the anticipation is palpable, gathering hot between their moving bodies, heating their breath. lumine gasps for him and moves her hips, and it's the most arresting sound in the world. it's all he can do to register what she's saying. ]

You don't know how much you're asking of me. [ he mutters to her ear, cheek pressed to her jaw. his hips roll upward, pressing himself directly in the cleft between her legs, squeezing her ass and bearing her down. it's so hot. but he has to consider her, what she wants. (maybe this couch isn't worth ruining.)

his hands finally slide away from her and he slowly lowers his hips back to the couch. he begrudgingly turns his head away from hers, resisting temptation as he focuses on moving to her bedroom. ]

All right.

[ the couch is absolutely worth ruining, but it's also a little cramped, and she wants this to be.. special. perfect. maybe she's being a little too silly and sentimental about it, but there will always be more opportunities to christen the couch in the future. at least, she certainly hopes there will be.

it's not so easy for her to move away either, especially not after that exquisite roll of his hips that has her body on fire, but the bedroom isn't far.

shifting out of his lap at last, lumine slips her hands into his and tugs, leading him up to the loft above the kitchen area. her bedroom isn't much different from the rest of her home, looking thoroughly lived in, but she'd had the decency to pick up her laundry before he arrived, and make the bed. a small, brown dragon plush sits atop one of her pillows - a gift from him.

lumine's hands slip out of his own as she backs up toward the bed, and her fingers snag the hem of her tank top, peeling it away from her body and over her head along with her bra, in one fluid movement. cool air rushes against her too-hot skin, coaxing goosebumps to rise, but her eyes remain firmly fixed on his face while she takes his hands again and pulls them to her body, guiding them up the plane of her belly and over her firm breasts. ]

I've thought about this for so long..

[ zhongli follows behind her up the stairs and to the loft, shrugging his shirt back over his shoulders. her bedroom is the one corner of her home that he'd never seen before, in accordance with the polite, unspoken boundaries of their friendship. entering it now feels intensely intimate. he's surrounded in its homeliness, the clean and natural scent he knew her for, the way it's unmistakably hers. despite those heady feelings of arousal and affection still beating through his blood, his eye catches on that dragon plush—the one he'd won for her at a fair a few months ago, when he played for only a single round, just for her. the edges of his mouth curl in a brief smile.

then her hands slip from his, and he watches as she backs up towards the bed, coming into full view. his eyes are fixed on every inch of exposed skin, trailing upward, savoring the soft curves up to her neck. he swallows. he feels like he has a lifetime's worth of hunger and worship in him.

his eyes raise to hers as she takes his hands and guides them upwards. he fingers splay outward, closing over her impossibly soft chest, nipples pushing to his fingers. his eyes come half lidded, and a shudder rolls through his body as she mutters between them. the moment the last words leave her lips, zhongli cants his head and closes his mouth over hers, deep and wanting. he lets go of her breasts, and instead he wraps his arm around the middle of her back, the other hooking around her thighs, just beneath her bottom.

he lifts her up to him, her mouth lifted higher than his as they kiss. he walks them towards the bed and lays them down on top of it carefully, bare chests melded together. he murmurs as he guides his hips between her legs, a little breathless. ]

You are already so much more than I imagined. And I've imagined you this way many times before.

[ he kisses her again briefly. ]

Tell me what you've thought of us doing together. I will do anything for you.

[ it does feel a little odd to have him here in her room; he's always been far too polite to ever request to see it, and until now, there had been no real reason for him to enter it. yet she trusts him fully, entirely, and while there is certainly nothing sensitive lying around, it's still an intimate experience when he lifts her so surely and presses her back into the powder blue comforter, the bed creaking beneath their combined weight. his hips bear down on hers again and lumine whines breathlessly, her thighs falling further open, the twinge of heat between her legs reigniting. making the move up here might have interrupted them, but it was worth it.

it is dim up here, lit only by the ambient light from downstairs, and the moonlight that drifts in through gauzy curtains, laying a dusty silver light across the room. it's enough to see him by.

and he looks good. moonlight clings to his broad shoulders, laying in his hair, half-loosened from its ponytail, lighting the edges of his handsome face.. how could she have been so fortunate? zhongli could have anyone he wanted, anyone in the world, no one could resist those striking eyes, or his smooth, oaky voice, or his patient heart. he has so much to give, and he wants to give it to her. he asks her what she wants, and lumine's face flushes hot. she was not lying when she said she'd thought of this before - more times than she wants to admit, if she's honest, and a hundred different ideas flicker into her thoughts. lumine isn't demure by nature, but this is zhongli, one of her closest, dearest friends; she can't help but feel a little shy. ]

I..

[ she starts, then hesitates - but what is she afraid of? he wants her just as much as she wants him. she must be herself. she must be bold. ]

I've thought of your hands all over me.. and your mouth, kissing down my body.

modern au shenanigans!!

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looks at all my typos in my last tag and spits blood

LMAO NO gently wipes ur mouth.. fwiw i didn't even notice them!!

😭 i'm glad

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