Chapter Text
Lumine stands outside the dubious-looking storeroom, contemplating hiding inside when she hears Qiqi’s footsteps coming quickly down the hall.
Shit! She was going to lose!
Without missing a beat, the door suddenly opens, and Xiao drags her in before shutting it.
It seems that in the game of hide and seek, they had both found the same spot to hide from seeker Qiqi - in the tiny janitor’s closet within the mansion.
Fate had such an interesting plan for the two.
Her warm body was now flush against his, and the stuffiness begins to build. It definitely didn’t help that she was in her work suit, the thick blazer adding on to the increasing heat. Xiao, on the other hand, wasn’t any better, dressed similar, minus the blazer. His tie was crooked, her attention caught by every small thing besides his killer looks. That, however, was the least of her problems for now. The temperature rises steadily in the closet, doing little to calm the atmosphere.
If close isn’t close enough, it was about to cross the line.
Xiao had his arms around her petite waist, his knee conveniently slotted between her slim legs and his face, just inches away from hers. His quiet, steady breaths tease her lips as they both try to keep silent. Everything made it near impossible to keep sane when being in the close proximity of the person she’s crazy for.
Of course, Xiao shouldn’t know anything - Lumine was trained to hide all expressions since she was young. Always emotionless, maybe an occasional smile at the young Qiqi. All that truly mattered was her master’s life. It was forbidden to fall in love with him, regardless of the reason. She can only hope he finds a worthy person to love; a heart-breaking way to kill off her feelings.
Imagining him with someone else, having to watch them be in love daily and to protect his future wife. The only way out for her was a painful heartbreak – no matter how unwilling she was to let him go.
Their worlds wouldn’t have clashed if it weren’t for her duties.
She was nobody. She had no say.
He was somebody. He had the final say.
Despite their difference in status, Xiao seemed to be cooler than an ice cube, maybe even enjoying it. She can’t tell through his stony expression.
“Y-Young Master, we can’t stay here.” Lumine protests, trying her best to keep calm and shift to give back his personal space. All she managed was to rub her sensitive parts against him and may Barsibatos bless her soul; it takes everything to not let a sound escape her glossy lips. Her face was covered in a pretty shade of scarlet, and she can only hope he couldn’t hear how fast her heart was beating.
A little scandalous – the young master and his bodyguard.
Xiao internally smirks. He had conjured this plan up the moment he saw her feet outside through the grilles.
He’ll get what he wants.
Whatever the cost.
And so, Xiao hushes her and she shuts up. Even in such a scenario, the bodyguard with a will of steel will not disobey the rules set for her.
His golden eyes seem to glow like a predator’s in the dim light, capturing her honey ones and holding them prisoner. Their eyes barely meet during duties; Lumine’s were always locked onto the floor or the surroundings. She has never once noticed how he’s always had his honey-filled gaze on her. Now, there is barely anywhere else to look besides him.
Shit.
She swallows hard.
It’s going to be fighting a losing battle from here on out; the poor girl was completely enamoured by him.
“Lumine.”
An irrepressible shiver tingles down her spine when his calls her name. The rich timbre in his voice that often gave her a sense of security was now laced thickly with danger and lust.
“Stop me –” He runs his thumb over her perfectly glossed lips before licking it off, “– if you don’t want this.”
Xiao leans in, painfully slow, eyes dilating to pure black as he closes in on the inches that kept them apart. She feels his arms tighten slightly around her waist.
Stop him?
How could she ever push him away?
Does he know what he’s started?
Deep within the pits of her heart, she wants him.
So.
Fucking.
Badly.
To be his; it would be such a dream, a fantasy. But in the cold, hard reality, Lumine knew where she stood. She’s worthless, easily replaceable – she has done nothing to deserve her master’s affections. Her job was to protect him, that was the bare minimum. It doesn’t make sense in her mind why he would pay attention to her. Still, honey eyes stay glued to his plump and soft lips that called out for hers to meet them.
Her years of training, self-discipline and morals crumble away into nothingness within seconds.
Just this once.
Then she’ll act like nothing ever conspired between them; this egregious rendezvous locked within the four walls of the janitor’s closet.
“Just this once.”
Lumine’s hands come to cup his face, her eyelids drop as her thumbs gently caress the apples of his warm cheeks. She sees a flash of his pronounced canines when he smirks; she’s fallen so far and can’t help but wonder how they’d feel against her skin.
Pain?
Pleasure?
A masochistic mix of both?
Xiao’s alert eyes fill with nothing but a wanton desire for her, increasing ten-fold when their lips meet in a rather mutually loving lip-lock. He firmly pushes her up against the wall, tongue licking and prodding at her mouth, trying to taste more of his attractive bodyguard. Lumine doesn’t fight him, her lips parting to show that her tongue was just as eager to meet his – he’s so good at taking her innate inhibitions and shattering them all.
Wet kissing sounds fill the tiny space, an occasional horny moan and whine filling any gaps. Their tongues compete for dominance, saliva dripping from their passionately sloppy kisses – it’s as though they’ve been starved from each other’s touch for way too long. Xiao hates to lose; he shifts his knee up between her legs – an underhanded way to get her submit. Lumine doesn’t mind though, more than willing to give herself up to him. Her hands subconsciously tangle in his messy, silky jade hair, lightly tugging.
Xiao’s a good kisser, maybe even the perfect one. He makes her feel loved and appreciated with a string of deep French kisses that steal her breath away.
Maybe it’s the way he groans her name when her knee rubs against his erection.
Maybe it’s the way he held on to her, tight, as if she might run away.
Or maybe it’s the way he whispers sweet nothings into her ears, as if he meant every word.
Did he?
Even if he didn’t, she’d willingly believe his every lie.
Lumine pulls away, gasping for air.
“Fuck…” He mutters under his breath. “You taste so fucking good.”
“Then –” Lumine looks up at him through her long lashes, giving him a peck to his lower lip, “– kiss me more.”
She’s more daring than she’d ever been, drunk and high on his scent of qingxin and cologne. It was this one time that the man she loves was offering himself on a plate to her – so she’ll take everything she can get. It would be painful to separate from him after this, but for now, nothing else matters besides her master’s wishes.
If it’s her he wants, she’ll gladly give herself to him.
Xiao grins and delves in for more; he’s a sucker for the saccharine taste of Lumine with subtle notes of windwheel asters and cecilias. He’s held back for so long; always getting interrupted before he could make a move. And now, a perfect opportunity had presented itself to finally let loose a small fraction of his wild desires that blossomed for the girl.
He had loved the firefly from their first meeting when they were kids. He was a fragile cry-baby, and she was his strong knight; always there to save the day. She’s stoic, but those expressive warm, honey eyes filled with childlike innocence… It gives her away. Especially when strawberry shortcake was involved.
Xiao remembers the day when her stoicism fell through, Lumine’s eyes were teary from crying after she fell down the hill behind the house. She was scolded for being careless and handed a first aid kit to treat herself. His heart ached, and that’s when he knew he had to be strong for her.
Lumine winces at the sting from the antiseptic wipe.
“Sorry! I’ll be done soon.” Xiao apologises, retreating immediately to get the bandages.
She bites her lip, shaking her head. It’s humiliating to have her young master taking care of her wounds resulting from her own stupidity. Lumine should’ve known better than to take the dangerous shortcut back to the main house.
“Done!” Xiao finishes his bandaging. He’s proud of his handiwork - maybe reading the first aid books in his spare time wasn’t a bad idea. Always seeing his bodyguard with scratches and wounds had sowed the need to help her.
Lumine can barely muster a whisper. “Thank you.”
“When I grow up, I’ll protect you!” Xiao points at her, his face full of determination.
“Why?” She looks at his finger with a dazed look of confusion.
“Because you’re my favourite person!” He replies without hesitation, nuzzling against her flushed cheek.
For the first time, the young master sees her lips curve into a gleaming smile and his heart thumps.
She’s beautiful.
Such a precious angel.
He knows he must protect her.
“Promise?” She holds out her pinky.
“Promise!” He locks his pinky with hers.
She’s never been this feral, always quiet and demure when she’s by his side. The childlike innocence in her eyes had faded a long time ago. All he sees nowadays is frigid winter in warm honey and the winter flurries when Xiao was threatened or if she senses the slightest danger. In this enclosed space, the winter dies down, overcome by her feral side manifesting as a large sexual appetite.
Xiao cups her breast with his free hand, squeezing, until Lumine lets out a whimper into his mouth. It was tough to pleasure her through the layers she has on. If he can’t pleasure her top, he’ll make do with her bottom. Tightening his hold around her, he rocks her hips back and forth gently against his knee. The friction she gets is relieving, satiating the pool of molten heat that had gathered at her sex.
Her hips grind down promiscuously for more, the swell of her chest pressing up against his lean one. She’s trying to get closer, melting into his warm embrace. Xiao smiles to himself, pleased at how he’s turned her into a moaning, wet mess.
Lumine realises the trap she was falling into, quickly covering her face in shame.
“Young master… We –”
“I want you to come first.” Her eyes widen at the declaration.
His fingers wander to the heated junction between her legs. This won’t take long.
“Haah… Young master, please…” Her hips grind faster against his leg, his fingers gently massaging her clit over the black dress pants. Lumine grits her teeth, she’s embarrassed; tears form at the corners of her eyes. She’s trying so hard to keep the nearly non-existent remnants of her composure; never succumb to anything - not even her master.
Her pride.
That’s all she has.
The temerity of the firefly to keep defiant eye contact with him ignites an undomesticated need to have her all to himself. Archons, Xiao so desperately wants to make rough love to her, to unleash his deepest desires and feel her coming undone around him.
He’ll give her a taste first, because she will come back for more.
“Come for me, Lumine.” He whispers lowly into her sensitive ears before nibbling them, “Show me how much you want me.”
Xiao’s painfully hard but that’s for him to take care of later. For now, all that matters was Lumine. His beautiful bodyguard, fully clothed, yet shuddering and whining with pleasure that he’s lavishing her with - the scene memorized and locked in his mind. It’ll be easy to get off to such a vivid memory of this.
“Xiao…! Xiao…” Lumine feels the crests of her release wash over her, waves of pleasure spreading through her system. Her honey eyes dilate, heart racing while her breaths becoming quicker and shallower with each orgasmic wave. His name spills out like a holy prayer; she never calls him by his given name in front of him, and Xiao feels himself get impossibly harder when she does.
They could hear the lewd squelching as arousal coats her panties. It would’ve felt a hundred times better if she had him inside her. She would love to be the one to satisfy his desires, even if it was just a physical thing. To be wanted. To be lusted after by Xiao. How greedy of her.
The firefly doesn’t hesitate and kisses Xiao hard, letting her yearning whimpers dissipate into him. She tightens her arms that were looped around his neck, holding him close as if to let him know how much she truly wants him. This was feeling more and more like a fever dream; hot, sensual, and nearly unbelievable.
Xiao sighs contently against her lips. He gets her message, and he’d be more than willing to be with her. Nearly two decades spent waiting on Lumine has him impatient – there’s no questioning the wild chemistry they have. His relief though, was cut short; something in her kisses and touches said an emotional goodbye.
Lumine knows she fucked up big time. Things would never be the same. She was wrong for someone of her status to look at him like this. Making the job of erasing her feelings hard enough, it was now going to be near impossible. She’ll try harder to forget it; kill her emotions.
Having feelings for her master was prohibited.