Chapter Text
His face looked so peaceful in sleep. The soft-spoken samurai had intrigued her since the moment they met. Quiet and introspective, with a mask that held in the inner turmoil barely banked behind his crimson eyes. Kazuha Kaedehara was an enigma.
They sat together at a table at the Angel’s Share as he drank the beverages that Venti had provided. The mischievous Archon had neglected to tell him he mixed in a few cocktails until Kazuha fell asleep.
“More…please more…” he mumbled.
“Tone-deaf bard!” Paimon scolded. “Now, how are we gonna get him out of here?”
“I’ve got it,” Lumine said, sitting beside him on the bench and moving closer till she slid her arm under his.
“Glaze lilies,” he whispered, nuzzling into her neck and letting out a happy sigh.
Lumine froze as his breath ghosted over her neck, causing her skin to pebble.. Xinyan giggled behind them.
“If you’ve got him, Lumine, I’m gonna ask Paimon to take me to the Inn to see about some rooms. Paimon?” Xinyan motioned to Paimon, and she floated out the door behind her with a wave.
“I’ve got to get going, too.” Venti said, jumping up from his chair and scurrying out of the tavern.
The sleeping samurai shifted until his lips touched the skin of her neck as her heart skipped a beat. It had been a while since a man had made her feel like this, let alone touched her. It was funny how traveling with a floating chatterbox made it difficult for any kind of intimacy.
“So soft,” he murmured, “Lumine is so soft. Smells so good” his lips trailed up her neck and she wished they were anywhere but sitting in the middle of the tavern.
She looked around until she caught the bartender, Charles’ eye. He smiled at her and she pointed upstairs. The tavern had one bedroom to rent that she had used a few times here and there. Charles nodded and tossed her the key. She caught it in one hand and jostled Kazuha.
“C’mon, Kazuha. Let’s get you to bed.” She said gently as she brushed his soft hair away from his forehead.
A swift hand came up and grabbed her wrist as she let out a gasp. Kazuha’s head shot up and he blinked at her blearily.
“Lumine? What happened?”
“Venti neglected to mention the cocktails on the table. I’m afraid you’re quite drunk.”
“Oh,” he said, looking adorably confused.
“There is a bedroom upstairs,” she said, holding the key in front of his face. “I’ll help you up and into bed.”
He obediently got to his feet, swaying slightly as she wrapped her arm around his waist and led him to the staircase. They made it up the stairs, albeit slowly, and Lumine unlocked the door. The room was sparsely furnished, with a bed, a bedside table, and a plush chair sitting in front of the fireplace. Kazuha stumbled his way over to the bed and sat down heavily.
“Thank you, Lumine,” he said quietly, propping his chin up with his hand and swaying slightly.
Lumine laughed softly and kneeled in front of him to take off his shoes and socks. It brought her back to a time when she would tuck Aether into bed after too much wine. Once his feet were bare, she helped him swing his legs onto the bed and he collapsed on the pillow.
“I’ll bring you some water so you’re not too hung-over tomorrow,” she said as she stood, dusting off her knees and turned towards the door.
“Wait,” he said and felt his hand on her wrist. “Will you stay a little while longer?”
The look in his eyes made her heart clench. He looked vulnerable and very lonely. She didn’t know too much about his past, but she knew the solitary life of a wanderer all too well. Many nights she lay alone, missing the touch and comfort of another.
“Okay,” she whispered as he pulled her closer.
She slipped off her boots and crawled over him till she lay beside him on the bed and stared at the ceiling. The bed shifted, and she felt his gaze on her reddening cheeks. He reached over and gently touched her cheek as she turned to face him.
“I’m not sure if this is a dream, but if it is, I don’t want to wake up,” he said as he brushed his fingers through her hair. “I knew it would feel as soft as silk.” He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “Do you know you smell of glaze lilies and starlight? Your scent makes me feel like anything is possible, and that I’m not so alone anymore…” he trailed off and his breath evened out.
Her heart pounded as she stared at the soft angles of his face. How had he rendered her speechless with one sentence? The more she learned about him, the more intriguing he became. He came from a noble family in Inazuma, but lived his life as a wanderer. He was immensely powerful, but as soft-spoken as a whispering wind. He weaved words with the practice of a poet and cut down enemies in the blink of an eye. Traveling with him was something she never wanted to stop. It was more than brotherly affection; it was something deeper. More raw. Infinite. He saw her for who and what she was, and never faltered in his loyalty. Most days, she thought of herself as a monster. What kind of person had a twin who could turn to the side of evil? When she was caught in her dark thoughts, Kazuha would say something so simple and profound that she would snap right out of it. She turned to him more and more for comfort and advice.
After she had left Inazuma, he had stayed for a while and they were separated for a few months. Those months had been harder than she let on. Paimon did her best to cheer her up, but she just felt lost. Seeing Kazuha sitting at the tavern with Xinyan made her happier than she had been in months. Thinking back on the mass exit of her friends, she thought maybe Xinyan had an idea about how she felt about him. She was a sly one.
Kazuha shifted closer until his head rested on her pillow and he slung an arm around her waist, snuggling in even closer. He smelled of sunlight and the forest. Her body relaxed against him. She felt safe and comforted in his arms and her eyelids grew heavy. I’ll just rest my eyes, she thought as sleep pulled her under.
*****
Warm.
Safe.
Soft.
Sunlight filtered in through the curtains as he slowly blinked his eyes and looked down at what was sure to be a dream. Her soft, wheat coloured hair sparkled in the early morning light and her face looked so innocent in sleep. Her head was pillowed on his chest and she had an arm wrapped around his waist and a leg between his. They were closer than he ever dared dream about and he couldn’t bring himself to move. He had one arm around her waist and his hand rested on her plump bottom. His body stirred to life and her thigh was dangerously close to the part of him that was very much awake. She shifted, brushing her thigh against his cock, and he let out a groan. He was normally adept at controlling his body, but when it came to her, all bets were off. He wanted her desperately. Under him. On top of him. In front of him. He let out another groan and willed himself to think of anything else.
She let out a soft moan and shifted even closer, pressing her breasts against his chest until she was almost lying on top of him.
“Gods,” he whispered, trying not to think about how he wanted to push her on to her back, rip off her lace bloomers and feast on her till she screamed his name. The symphony of her voice crying out in ecstasy as he took her higher and higher until finally sheathing himself in her wet heat.
He knew the moment she was awake, her breathing shifted, and she froze. She pushed up off his chest and stared at him with crimson cheeks. Her thigh still pressed against his groin and she could undoubtedly feel his insistent erection. He wished the sweet torture would never end, but he wanted to ease her embarrassment. The last thing he wanted was to make her feel uncomfortable.
“Good morning,” she squeaked in a high-pitched voice as she scrambled to sit up. “S-sorry, I didn’t mean to, uh…” she gestured to his body, and he chuckled.
“No harm. That was just about the best sleep I have ever had,” he said with a wink, and sat up beside her. The sweet scent of her arousal perfumed the air, making it difficult to will his erection away. He tipped up her chin to face him. “I’m assuming that you put me to bed last night?” She nodded. “I guess the drinks just snuck up on me.” She gave him a soft smile, and he ached to feel the softness of her lips.
“It was kind of funny. I have never seen you like that, Kazuha.”
He loved the way she said his name. He could hear it a thousand times from her sweet lips and never tire of it. He remembered little about the night before, but he was glad she was the one to take care of him. He was sure Xinyan could do a pretty good job, but she didn’t make his heart race with just one look. He was glad to have a friend in Xinyan and she had an uncanny way of getting him to talk about the way Lumine made him feel. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and cupped her cheek. Her bright amber eyes snapped to his as he lowered his head and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Her sharp intake of breath was music to his ears as he pulled back to give her a smile.
“Thank you for taking such good care of me,” he whispered as her entire face turned a becoming shade of pink.
“Y-yeah. Of course. No problem,” she stammered as she bolted from the bed and grabbed her boots. “I’m sure Paimon is looking for me. Why don’t you meet us at Good Hunter for some breakfast before we take off?” She didn’t wait for his answer and she rushed out the door.
He chuckled and flopped back down onto the bed. Her scent was on the sheets and all over his body. The taste of her lips on his and the vision of her pink cheeks in his mind. This was going to be a glorious trip.