Mi

“There was a group plotting your assasination, Lady Bunny. Did you expect me to let them live?”

He’s not supposed to call you by that silly moniker he gave you in your youth. If your father ever heard it slip from Lohen’s tongue, you know that he’d immediately cut it out. Lohen was allowed to remain in service to the royal court because of his results, but if it were up to your father, he’d be next to the gallows. You’ve tried as hard as possible to make this evident to Lohen—to tell him how much you fear what may come to pass should the true nature of your relationship be discovered—yet every night, he repeats the same actions.

He presents himself to your quarters, covered in blood or not, and etches every inch of himself into your skin so you’ll never forget him.

“Lohen,” you try to say. When his lips kiss their way up your arm, you again say, “Lohen.”

“Mm?” he answers, voice rumbling against your skin. “Yes, Princess?”

Heat flushes your face when his red eyes flick to yours. Swallowing back your trepidation, you say, “This has gone too far. It’s best if we stop this.”

He stares at you before pressing another warm, wet kiss to your forearm. Your head turns to follow him when he rises to his full height, your heart hammering in your chest. His arm curls around your hips, bringing you right into that blood-stained chestplate of his. With a charming smirk, he says, “That’s one order I’m afraid I can’t obey, Lady Bunny.”

You place your hand to his chest, but you lack the willpower to push him away from you. In the depths of your heart, you know the truth—you’re in love with the Royal Knight of the 5th Regiment, and you’ll never be able to deny it.

His kiss comes gentle, a stark contrast to the blood and violence his appearance entails. You lift your palms to his face, feeling the coarse texture of dried blood, but that doesn’t stop you from pulling him further into you. He tastes like the mint candies he makes for you in his free time, his sole hobby ever since the day you declared them to be your favorite. You melt into that sweet taste and wrap your arms around his neck with a soft moan.

The way his fingers tighten around your hips tells you what he’s thinking. Immediately, you withdraw from his kiss, trying to ward off the impulse you know you both feel. His face is flushed red from one ear to the other, and as he stares at your lips, soft pants fall from his own.

You smile. “You need to bathe.”

Lohen’s eyes flick back to yours. With a grin, he nods.

“You’re bathing with me. Right, milady?”

His playful smile reminds you of how you always played together in your youth, Lohen leading the way as you explored your parents’ royal garden. From that moment on, he swore his fealty to you, and as a lovesick child, you promised him your hand in exchange. You swore to always be there for one another, and were practically inseparable until your royal duties mandated it be so.

You’re nearly of age for marriage. As the sole inheritor of the crown, bachelors from all over the halidom have been scrambling over each other to win your affections. Your father has pushed suitor after suitor onto you, but at the end of every date, they’ve either changed their tune or mysteriously fallen ill. Perhaps your only saving grace in this situation is that your father loathes a weak man, and that Lohen is so adept at handling them.

You know he’s the reason that no suitor has met your father’s expectations yet. But when he holds you in his arms like this, you just don’t care. He’s the only man you see, from your waking moments to when you fall asleep, and you would rather suffer the wrath of the kingdom itself than imagine a life without him.

“I’ll bathe with you,” you say softly. “Will you wash my back for me?”

“If you wash my hair,” he answers. “And I’ll apply all the moisturizer you want afterwards.”

You laugh. “You’ll have to rub it in well this time. And not get distracted when you get to my thighs.”

His eyelids lower slightly, sending a pleasured thrill through your cheeks. In a low, suggestive tone, he says, “I’ll try my hardest, milady…but you’re asking an awfully difficult task of me.”

You giggle, but you take his hand in yours. With you taking the lead this time, you teasingly chirp, “Get distracted, and it’ll be off with your head.”

“Mm, I wouldn’t mind it if you were the one beheading me. Dying at the hands of an angel doesn’t sound too bad.”

You laugh again. Jokes aside, you tell him, “I’m not strong enough to behead you, Lohen.”

“Which is exactly why it would be perfect,” he chirps. “Slow, agonizing, and painful—all at the hands of my fairest lady. What more could your loyal vassal ask for?”

His humor is always so dark and violent, but it never fails to make you laugh. Perhaps that makes you somewhat twisted, but it’s never been something that’s bothered either of you. Of course, the high court would see to it that you spoke nothing of these dark themes when interacting with the other nobles, but with Lohen, you have the freedom to act how you like.

And he loves you for it. Not for your title as Princess, and not for your status in the kingdom. He simply loves you for you.

As soon as you cross into the bathroom, you turn to smile at him. He smiles back, and even though he’s covered in the blood of your enemies, your heart swells with adoration.

Just as he loves you for you, you love Lohen for him. No royal mandate will ever change that.

a/n: lohen is so fun to cook AUs up with... might do some more works in this "universe" in the future! anyway, if you liked what you read, please consider leaving a me a heart! (˶>⩊<˶) ♡ reblogs and comments appreciated! icymi! chai's last lohen post: etched into bone and soul, agbsihp ch. 6 (150+ notes) masterlist

Then first turned to second, second turned to third, third turned to.. He's lost count. Because of that, It wasn’t long until Lohen eventually decided to give depth to your name. He won't lie, he did like the sound of it anyways.

What was meant to be Lohen giving surface character to you turned into something more.. confuddling.

From his occasional eavesdropping, you elicited quite diverse opinions throughout the city. A common pattern to the numerous gossip was about the way you carried yourself which set Lohen off from his expectations— The city of Freedom talking about an enigma to the 'norms' set across Tevyat? That made him click his tongue. Since when did they care about that?

Word of mouth from citizens he deemed unreliable that time, so he turned to asking about you from his knights and colleagues next. Their core thoughts regarding you actually provided Lohen with something to paint your character aside from physical descriptions, yet their mouth also began talking about your exterior.

“I mean.. Seriously, have you seen the way they look? It's like they're just asking to be made fun of!”

Oh? Now this was of interest.

Lohen immediately knew this conversation was about you. He swiftly hides himself around a corner of Angel Shares. Once, he's heard treasure hoarders describe you with disgust under their breath but they didn't go on a tangent about it like these drunks seemed about to.

A scoff from the same voice, “ Don't even get me started with the way they behave. Hey, you guys wanna see my impression of them? ” Lohen hears an audience of four, they exchange noisy sounds of being inebriated mixed with incoherent giggling.

He doesn't hear anything from the speaker’s side except a chortle of amusement erupting into laughter from the audience. Lohen assumes that you were being mocked albeit not verbally. His assumption is further enforced when their shared laughter started to sound like the people were desperately clutching their stomach, did you really make that good of a punchline? Lohen bites into the pepper he was eating again.

“Spot on, spot on!”

Lohen raises a brow when a new voice joins in followed by three claps. The group shares his surprise too by making loud noises of appalled and sneering. “Though you need to work on looking less like a hilichurl though, or else you won't be able to pull off your attempts to ridicule me.”

Ah, so this was you.

Admittedly, he was impressed. Your voice alone changed the lively atmosphere to something similar when Lohen would walk into their training grounds, unlike anxiety and terror— You drew out a response comparable to the 'Lawrence Clan' when just mentioned.

That already made him want to leave his hiding spot to see Mondstat's hot topic in real time.

“A hilichurl?!” The former speaker huffed in offense.

“-and what.. what makes you think you're any better? It just sounds like hilichurls have way more class than- than you do!” He stammers faulty from the beverage he's been drinking.

A timid member from the audience backs up the first, “y-yeah! At least we don't go around acting like that. I'd rather be a hilichurl any other day than be you.” The rest parrot this claim by agreeing. Lohen probably should step in before this escalates into a physical fight: As most interaction with drunkards go, but he grounds himself in the same spot.

Your voice carried obvious confidence, and Lohen wanted to put it to the test if you were all bark but no bite.

“Tch and you call yourselves citizens of Mondstat?” Now he wondered if you were speaking from Confidence or Arrogance. He could count how many people he knows that can withstand a fight against five people alone on one hand. If you were one of them.. He grins wider at the thought. Lohen may have won the lottery.

“Some twisted definition of Freedom you have if you're going around mocking others for the way they express themselves.” You continue to jab, he hadn't realized he's almost eaten his pepper entirely. “You imply that you would rather be a hilichurl than even be a little different from everyone's expectations.. Tell me, is there really any freedom in that belief?”

“To build your identity around society's expectations, maybe you should rethink the concept of Freedom,” He hears something slam on a wooden table. Lohen doesn't miss the subtle hurt dripping from your words. “Forget about being a hilichurl, all of you already are halfway to becoming a mindless one playing fraud amongst our people if you continue to live your life being this ignorant!”

The question seemed to have left the opposite party stunned, as silence and a cold atmosphere loomed over your heated argument. Don't end it just like that, Lohen thinks bitterly, until you pierce the silence with your own laughter.

“Why.. Why you—!”

“Don’t let them get into your— Hey?!”

The harsh screech of wooden furniture scraping against the floor while another sounded like it fell— he hears numerous sounds of chaos, objects and people entering the mix. Lohen couldn't tell who was winning but he also wasn't one to standby for a fight without him.

When Lohen twisted his body to turn around the corner and reveal himself from the dark, he wasn't expecting to see the voice belonging to you to come out as the winner.

You were standing over a man twice your size with your shadow barely just looming over his body entirely. How did Lohen know it was you? For one, he now definitely understood why the heart of people’s opinions were about the way you carried yourself. You were a sight for sore eyes! Lohen silently scolds himself for not taking interest towards you sooner.

Lohen hears the other people talk as they scurry away, but he doesn't care about them. He couldn't tear his gaze away from the most delicious thing about you even if he wanted to. The anger you emitted. Your obvious irritation etched into your face, your posture, anywhere you made it visible, Lohen felt a pull towards you.

You wear such an expression beautifully, something he's never seen before. Would you look at him the same way if he personally evokes it from you?

When you turn your head to face him, he can only say two words laced with fascination

“Wanna fight?”

—

📝 ;; Actually, there was a scene that was meant to imply Lohen gambling what enemy he would fight or what criminal he would hunt down by betting if the conversation he hears was about you or not. That was how influential Reader is throughout the city, and I tried to keep it vague if their appearance was the GNC about them or their mannerisms. From my research, it's not mostly appearance I've learned.

To that, Lohen shoots you a sharp glare before the corner of his mouth shifts just about 5 degrees— that is not a good sign. "For a good reason don't you think?"

You shake your head profusely, silently cursing your good-for-nothing mouth. Why do you always have to run your mouth at the worst possible moment? Now you have two horrifying creatures to worry about in this tiny room with only one door to escape.

Lohen tentatively takes another step closer to the cockroach that is idly clinging to the wall, hand slowly creeping out—Oh no

"It's alright. Fear is nothing you should be ashamed of. What you should be ashamed of is taking no action to quench it." Now his hand is hovering just above that filthy little thing— You think you know what he's onto.

"Hmmm… Have you ever heard of exposure therapy?"

Just as Lohen finishes his sentence, the seemingly mindless, unintelligent bug starts to wiggle its wings and fly away from Lohen's grasp.

Wait. Fly? It's flying…? Towards you???

You let out a high-pitched shriek upon the realization and jump away from your spot at once, charging at your boyfriend who's the furthest away from the cockroach's trajectory.

"Lohennnn!!"

When you come charging at him, Lohen instinctively shields you with his arm as you shuffle to hide behind his back. You don't even get to see where the cockroach has landed as a sharp, frosty sound soon envelops your hearing. When you open your eyes, the cockroach has been frozen in a small icicle.

Lohen's Cryo vision shifts slightly before settling down and he too, in a most nonchalant fashion ever, wipes his shoulder and let out a mocking whistle.

"Woah, did you see that? It straight up skipped me and went for you instead. Didn't know cockroaches have such nice taste in victims, heh."

Your breathing has leveled off a bit but your hands are still tightly stuck to Lohen's shoulders. But the immense trepidation slowly simmers down and leaves you with a hot, boiling sense of anger. Enraged, you push his shoulders away and storm out of the bedroom.

"Lohen you asshole! Keep your damn exposure therapy to yourself!"

You move to the living room and settle for the most comfortable spot to lie in. That fucker can sleep with the damn cockroach for all you care.

Eventually, you come to the realization that the heat of frustration will not keep you through the cold airs of the night nor turn the stiff, rigid couch into your plush, soft bed— But you've made your decision and you're gonna stick to it.

Which is why you're dazedly surprised when you wake up at 1 AM to the tender and warm sensation of your quilt while Lohen has settled for the rough, cold floor— Good, at least he still knows you're mad at him and doesn't attempt to clamber into bed with you.

But you're not so mad that you would withhold the spare pillows and blanket from him.

As you toss them down to the floor, taking care to aim right at his face, Lohen speaks up "Does this mean my bunny has forgiven me?"

"No. And stay where you are until morning!"

✦ Flins

"My dearest light, may I inquire you as to why you are wandering outside so late into the night?"

"Kyryll, you're back!"

You jump up from the cobblestone perrons which you have been sitting on to shuffle into Flins' body, his arms immediately wrap around your waist as you embrace him with a hug.

"Your enthusiasm warms me greatly, dear. But I must address a pressing concern, one that involves your well-being. As of this time, you should be soundly asleep, for the human body needs sufficient rest to function. I sincerely hope you have not troubled yourself with the wait of me."

There is truth to his statements. Around this time of the day, you would be snugly in bed, reveling in the softest and warmest bed that Flins' abode could offer you, here in the Final Night Cemetery. And due to his nocturnal inclination, Flins' work stretches until the moon no longer claims its throne in the night sky and once he returns to press a chaste kiss on your temple, you would know the sun has begun to bear its light over the horizon.

"I… Actually yes, there's something that's troubling me and I've been waiting for you to return. But you must promise not to laugh, alright?"

"I would never dream of doing so, my dearest. "

So now, you and Flins are standing in the middle of your bedroom, or his bedroom to be exact but that was prior to your relationship. His eyes drill into the creature that you're pointing at with your index finger. It sits in the middle of the room, its eight legs that roamed your leg while you were sleeping earlier are now suddenly frozen— you mentally cringe at the memory, the sensation clings to your brain like a stubborn ghost.

"H-Hey! You promised not to laugh!" You quickly reprimand Flins when you hear the tiniest of chuckles leaves his mouth. He quickly composes himself and swiftly apologizes to you.

"Pardon me, I did not mean to poke fun at your distress. But I believe that this tiny intruder here seems more frightened of you than you are of it. Perhaps this predicament needs no complications and can be solved in peace."

You glance back at the spider. The once haughty, arrogant insect has backed down a bit, retreating further into the room's corner— Weird, it clearly derived enjoyment from scaring you earlier…

"If you say so, then..."

With that, you reach out to the book nearest to your hand and begin to shoo the spider towards the window.

To demonstrate your goodwill in maintaining peace, you crouch down to make yourself smaller and wave the book back and forth. With Flins as the reinforcement, you suddenly feel braver than ever.

Unbeknownst to you, the spider is backing down from a threat far larger than anything it has ever encountered. Behind your back, your lover's form has shifted slightly. The lantern he carries by his side flares violently, cackles of blue and purple burst through the metal frame with fervor. Shadow slowly envelops his silhouette, revealing cuts across the abyss where the blue flame resides.

"Verrry good, a few more steps to the windows okay?" You push on with your ministration as the spider is now at the edge of the window's frame. A little more and no blood will have to be shed.

The poor insect is almost frozen in fear, the kind of primal fear that has withstood decades of evolution and is hardwired into its subconsciousness. Its instincts are screaming to run yet its body cannot, it keeps on locking gaze with the hole of darkness ahead.

With just one glance towards the eyes of that flame, the spider immediately abandons its frozen state and flees.

You quickly shut the windows, making sure no other insects can get in anymore. When you hear the sound of the shuttles, you briefly breathe out a sigh of relief and turn to your lover.

"Phew, you were right. Maybe that spider is actually more scared of me than I am of it." Flins gives you a warm smile. The traces of that flame have all disappeared, leaving behind the form of the man you so adore. He walks over to you and cradles your face with one hand, the other resting idly on your shoulder.

"As it should. You are a ferocious opponent, my dear. In the face of such a perilous threat, flight is the only correct response."

"Oh stop it with your flattering Kyryll. You act like it has just seen an apex predator or something!" You take hold of his hand on your face and intertwine your fingers with his. Once the trepidation has worn off, exhaustion has come to take its place— evidently shown through the yawn you let out.

"The spider must have disturbed your slumber greatly. How about you return to bed for a nap while I prepare breakfast for you? I will make your favorite."

You rub your eyes and mumble through your bleary state. "If that's alright with you."

"Of course. If you will, let me take care of you for our lost time."

Flins gently leads you to bed and carefully tucks the cover over your shoulder. The sun has begun to yearn for its place over the horizon but under your lover's tentative care, the night is yet to be gone.

✦ Wanderer

"Whoever's there, don't you dare attack my partner!"

Wanderer slams the door to your shared abode violently, the sheer force causes it to creak angrily against the wall as it faces the impact with a loud, thunderous thud. Indifferent to the state of your house's fixtures, Wanderer rushes to where you're sitting on the floor, a hand on your shoulder and another shielding you away from whatever he thinks has broken into your shared living place.

"K—Kuni! There's a centipede! Ahh—it's crawling!" You jump up from your spot and duck behind him, even tugging on the flowing decorative fabric on his hat for better measures. Wanderer tips his hat back into balance with a mixture of different emotions on his face. From confusion to realization then embarrassment and to cover all of the above, frustration—topped with some murderous intent— but not at the centipede.

"Seriously? Next time you scream that loud, it better be because the Raiden Shogun manifests out of thin air and demands your head." He slurs through the name like it's a personal insult but still shields you from the front without budging.

"Well?? I'd be praying for the Raiden Shogun to manifest right here, right now and slime that thing out in an instant!" You emphasize your point with a hard tug at the strips of fabric connected to his hat, making it tilt backwards and almost fall from his head. Wanderer lets out an annoyed grunt and mumbles something under his breath.

"No need to pray for something so atrocious when I can do it for you."

"What?"

"I said—" Whatever he is about to repeat is immediately cut off by another piercing scream of yours as you realize that the centipede has crawled a little closer to you while you were distracted.

"Ugh! Get—get off me!"

"Kuni! Kuni! Do something! It's crawling towards me!"

As you attempt to clamber onto his body, Wanderer lifts himself off the ground and struggles to keep you at bay. On another hand, you are still trying to get yourself higher, slinging an arm over his neck and pushing your body onto his shoulder.

"Stay still, or I'm dropping you on that thing!" And that gets you to stop thrashing out real quick.

You take a look down as you're hovering mid-air, the centipede is still there, wiggling its legs as it crawls on the floor. With one strike of his Anemo power, Wanderer spares it from the horrendous sound wave created by your distressed vocal chords.

"You're lucky I'm a puppet. Any other living beings that experience your supersonic shriek would not have made it." Gradually, he returns you to solid land and you choose to thank him instead of addressing that slander.

"Phewww, at least it's dead now… But how did it even get in here?" You look over its dead corpse and dread about cleaning this thing. Meanwhile, Wanderer is adjusting his hat, preparing to go back to whatever it is he was doing prior to this— or in better terms he's not cleaning this mess up.

"Your room stinks, that's how. Clean your room and shower properly."

"What?! You know well I shower every day! Also, this is our shared bedroom."

Even with his back turned to you, you can still picture the annoyed head shake and eye roll of his.

"Back in my days, they used to capture centipedes as long as your legs and stuff them in a jar to make wine."

"Kunikuzushi."

"Live centipedes by the way."

"Quit with it already!"

❥ Venti gasps loudly, dramatically grasping his chest where his heart is in mock pain. He’s quick to take on the role of a wounded lover, acting as though you had just committed the most heinous offense possible. The words leave his lips like a tragic play scene.

“Oh, my beloved! How you wound me with such a cruel response…!”

When a suppressed giggle escapes your lips at his ridiculousness, his face morphs into his familiar cheeky grin. Happy that he was able to amuse you. He playfully leans in, giving your lips a quick tap accompanied by a boyish wink, ready for a repeat.

“Would my love care for another round~?”

❥ Xiao freezes like a statue at the sight of you wiping your lips, worry quickly filling his eyes as his mind swarms with the thought that he might have caused you pain or unease. He feels his gut twist, averting his gaze and crossing his arms to turn away from you before mumbling a question.

“Did I… make you uncomfortable…?”

You feel guilt practically eating you alive for causing such a reaction. You’re quick to explain it as a joke in a hurried panic, worried he’ll disappear the longer you let the misunderstanding simmer. You only calm down once a tired sigh leaves his lips. You vow to yourself never to pull a prank like that again for as long as you live.

“I… see. Do not startle me like that again.”

❥ Kazuha feels his eyes widen in momentary surprise before his lips pull into a soft apologetic smile. The slight hurt he feels is nothing compared to the fact that he made you uncomfortable. He pulls out a clean handkerchief before taking your face in a gentle cradle.

“May I?”

He dabs your lips softly, his tender eyes gauging your reaction for any unease you might feel. His delicate handling of you evokes a flutter of butterflies within your chest. He’s just so effortlessly charming that you almost want to pull him into another kiss! Though, maybe you should apologize to him first…

“My apologies, my love. I hope that makes you feel better.”

❥ Heizou’s lips curl into a mischievous grin — he knows exactly what you’re up to, but two can play this game. He puts on a serious, detective like face, placing a hand on his chin as he observes you the way he would a fresh crime scene.

“Subject shows mild signs of feigned displeasure, elevated heart rate, and flushed cheeks… I’m going to need to inspect the evidence closer.”

He places a hand gently on your cheek, his eyes intensely locked onto your lips in a way that makes your heart skip a beat. He whispers that he has finally deduced the answer, telling you to lean in closer to hear it. Only to seal your lips with his once more, a triumphant smile playing against your mouth.

“Turns out the suspect just wanted to tamper with the evidence, but I cracked the case first~”

❥ Cyno cocks an eyebrow, watching you silently as you use your hand to wipe your lips. His expression is serious and stern, completely betraying the reaction you had hoped to pull from him. His gaze is sharp when he suddenly takes hold of your wrist, pulling your hand away from your face.

“I hope you understand that what you’ve done is a serious offense.”

You tense in surprise, wondering how wiping your mouth could possibly be a crime. As he begins to elaborate with utter deadpan seriousness on the exact legal extent of your "infraction,". The more you listen, the more you realize how ridiculous it sounds and that he’s turning the tables on you.

“I’ll let you off with a warning this time. Do it again, and I’ll have you arrested.”

❥ Wanderer’s expression hardens as he watches you wipe your lips. His usual scowl grows harsher, and he crosses his arms in displeasure — trying to hide the sting he felt from your action. He’s quick to mask his true emotions with mocking sarcasm.

“If you’re so disgusted, maybe I should scrub your lips until they fall off.”

He’s also fiercely petty, so as soon as your hand leaves your mouth, he grabs you by the collar of your shirt and pulls you into a sudden rougher kiss that leaves you gasping in surprise. It’s wet and sloppy, intentional just to make even more of a mess than what you originally planned to wipe off. Something he usually refrains from doing but right now, he’s feeling spiteful.

“Tsk, do that again. I dare you.”

❥ Lyney’s jaw goes slack, as if he’s entirely unable to believe what you just did. His reaction goes from zero to one hundred as he flamboyantly portrays his heartbreak. A hand resting dramatically on his forehead before he grins, having immediately thought of a counter ploy.

“I see you’re in need of some professional assistance. Let me pull a magic item right out for you…!”

He reaches behind you as if pulling off a sleight of hand, and a handkerchief magically appears in his fingers. Right as you reach out to take it, he playfully swoops in to steal a kiss instead, offering a charming wink and a smile as he pulls back. He doesn’t even bother to hand you the handkerchief.

“How’s that for a magic trick~?”

❥ Kinich blinks, his eyes locking onto you as he wonders why you’re suddenly wiping your lips. Instead of feeling embarrassed or dejected, he fishes a handkerchief from his pocket and hands it to you, briefly wondering if his lips were somehow stained with ash or dirt from his latest hunt.

“Here, use this. It’s better than using your hand.”

As you take the handkerchief from him, it doesn’t take long for the sound of voluminous booming laughter to ring out from a certain floating dragon lord. Whom Kinich promptly swats away like an annoying fly.

“Ha! They’re trying to scrub off your gross mortal germs, Kinich!”

❥ Illuga watches you with eyes filled with concern. His first instinct isn’t to take your action as offensive or hurtful, but to worry. He briefly wonders if his lips had turned cold or rough from the frigid temperature and all the traveling he’s been doing lately.

“Sorry... did I make you cold?”

He gently pulls your hand away from your lips, encasing it warm between both of his own. Bringing your fingers close, he softly blows warm air over them. Hoping to chase away the chill. When your cheeks turn red ー not from the warmth, but from sheer fluster — he presses a tender kiss to your knuckles, offering a gentle smile. How could you possibly reveal it as a joke now when this is his reaction?!

“Feel better? Do you want me to lend you my coat?”

❥ Lohen’s eyes widen for just a fraction of a second before his lips curl into a smirk. He’s by no means offended. In fact, he’s taking it in with sheer delight. He’s quick to lean in again, just to watch you jolt in surprise, his thumb playfully swiping against your bottom lip.

“Wasn’t to your liking? Well, let me try again…”

Before you can even protest, his lips seal onto yours. The thumb that was previously on your lip now holds your chin in a tight grip, pulling it so that your mouth opens wider, his tongue entering to tangle with yours. Maybe you shouldn’t have provoked a tiger when it’s still hungry…

“Try wiping that away~”

You remember nodding to yourself like it was yesterday, 'He just needs a push in the right direction.' Then, the winds kissed you with their cold breeze you assume was in agreement of that fact.

Shortly after, you hurried towards your servants to task them to read through literature ranging from romantic to erotic in hopes of eliciting inspiration for your plan.

Based on the look of horror on their faces when they came to approach you of their readings, you conclude you made the right choice not to delve into the books with your own hands and eyes at the time.

You followed their words intently with short pauses here and there while tailoring a plan of yours to grant your desired outcome. Sure, it may sound befitting a fairytale book instead: Did it matter to you? No. You were confident that fate would turn the impossible possible just for you.

You recount your procedures once again to know where you went wrong.

First step: Bring him into the comforts of your home. Ensure that everything expensive can and will be flaunted to entice his lust for greed. As the common saying went about, 'A hungry man thinks of bread.'

Second step: Seat you and your knight on your plush couch, specifically the one you had your servants purchase and move all the way from Fontaine to Mondstat due to its high quality.

Third step—

Did.. did the third step include you getting massaged on your legs?

“Would Their Excellency allow me to see them fully in this state?” Lohen's voice pulls you away from your train of thoughts. You blink your eyes even if your elbow was covering it. For Lohen's infamous reputation- He manages to adjust his presence according to your preferences, which makes you at ease despite his nature.

“I refuse!” Your heart says the contrary when you feel it weigh heavily in your chest. “Touching me like this is already a privilege, do not push your luck Vice Captain of the Fifth Company.” The title slides out of your tongue with much distaste. Not for Lohen, but for his inferior position that cursed him to be labeled unequal to someone of your status.

His gloved fingers work their magic meticulously on your skin because your brain stops working. They do long soothing gentle strokes, slowly inching towards your thighs from your calves. You hold back before your body goes fully loose under his touch.

As if the way Lohen caressed your lower limbs with skill that would put your previous suitors to shame wasn't enough, his glove's fabric and texture contributed further in aiding your muscles below release tension.

Seriously, how was he- a man not born in high status as far as you're made aware, fulfilling the fantasies you've ever had as a child? Your legs feeling themselves at home on Lohen's lap backs up your underlying satisfaction for his gesture. It also makes it known to you that the ache from all that walking earlier at most is subsided.

You were above experiencing minor troubles. Just not this particular day, you suppose. But if it meant Lohen would come to pamper you like this? You definitely did not make the mental note to keep yourself prone to such issues more often.

When you think you've finally calmed down from the shackles of humiliation, you lower your elbow a little to peek at Lohen. Your eyes are pleased to be greeted with a sight similar to the fairytales you diligently read as a child.

The light above you two shone down on him solely: From the countless luxurious items and furniture surrounding you both, millions of mora worth and above an average Mondstat citizen's work pay-

Yet Your Lohen still manages to outshine every single one. The bright lights bounce off of each jewelry's reflection and coincidence- you think not- shines on his unfair handsome figure.

Lohen turns his head towards you and you drop your elbow to your side. His eyes were beyond beautiful too, you swear you could lose yourself in them if he kept holding your gaze for long. “Finally back with me, Your Excellency?”

You scoff at that, you don't miss the way Lohen's eyes narrow as he increases the pressure suddenly in a ticklish area around your thighs.

You squirm out of surprise, Lohen doesn't even bother to hide his faux ‘apology’ look! “Woops.” To retaliate, you make the mistake of shoving him lightly on his side.

But when your hands meet his side- You deflate. You feel his unmoving lean muscles beneath.

In an attempt to retain any semblance of dignity you still have, you immediately pull your arms back and cough into a fist. Damn your knight for making you believe he wasn't that built under! ..You hear Lohen chuckle in the background.

When you sit upright against the couch's arm, you notice Lohen's coat serving as a comfortable 'bedsheet' for you to lay on. You feel your face heat up at the gesture, and if Lohen noticed you pulling it closer to yourself- He didn't see anything.

You snatch the plate with your favourite slice of cake, Lohen may have put you at a disadvantage, that did not mean all hope was lost.

“Despite the obvious intentional 'slip up' you committed earlier,” Your fork cuts your cake in the middle without a hitch, you couldn't help but notice it colored to a similar sick green you've seen. “I will not let such a noble gesture go unnoticed. As a token of my gratitude, I'll allow you to eat off of my fork” You try not to make yourself look eager by slowly offering it to him.

Lohen cooes at your words. “Why, it would be an honor to be fed by their Excellency themselves.” He grants you a wolfish grin, which you've come to read as his frequent reaction when caught red handed.

“You.. Did you sneak poison into this again?!”

"Poison? Was that what that liquid was called?"

"Don't play dumb with me Vice Captain of the 5th Company!"

—

📝;; I actually spent an entire day writing this in a HC format, but then realized it was getting a little too lengthy. I still have the first draft and it actually fleshes out the reader more in that! This scene was mostly just taken out of it because I couldn't afford to write fics that were too time consuming especially since I have a lot of reqs to do which means more research either. If you're interested in seeing it, do let me know

He meets your intense stare with a mild smile and raised brow. One hand is tucked beneath his head, the other coming up to rest on your waist. He keeps his touch light in anticipation. 

In three, two, one… and there it is. Lohen lifts his arm with a breathless laugh as you give up on holding your body above him and drop next to him in the sheets with a thump. 

You’re so cute, Lohen thinks calling you bunny was very fitting after all. He watches fondly as you roll over to face him on your side, hands flitting out to reach for the one that now rests on his stomach.

He lets you take his hand and lace your fingers together, his palm cold against yours courtesy of his cryo vision. His gloves have long since been discarded on the side table. He tries to remember to take them off when you’re alone at either of your places. 

The alternative is you weaseling your fingers under the leather to take them off of him yourself. While the clinginess is cute, he doesn’t want them stretched out. You also have a habit of putting them in a different spot every time you take them off.  

You squeeze his hand tightly, relishing in the feeling of his bare skin against you. 

“You’re happy,” Lohen comments as you squeeze his hand again. You give his hand a slight shake. 

“Yes,” you tell him. “I’m always happy with you.”

He wishes you would stop saying things like that so casually. Lohen doesn’t know how to react. He smiles. 

“Yeah? I’m glad,” he squeezes your hand back. “I’m happy too.” The reciprocity is apparently all that was needed to reignite your usual excitement.

You lean into his space, burying your nose against his collar and nuzzling along. He tilts his head to give you better access. Lohen is quiet as you rub along his jaw, giving him what he calls bunny kisses. 

It’s sweet, too sweet. 

Part of him wants to push you off of him for getting this painfully close, it leaves him too exposed, but he can’t bring himself to do it. Lohen is trying rather hard not to screw this up, after all. He isn’t sure what the success rate has been. Considering that you’re clinging, it must be fine, right? Right. 

You squeeze his hand again, moving so that you can rest your head on his chest and listen to his heart. Lohen obliges you, keeping your fingers interlaced with his. You’re warm against him, and he doesn’t need to look down at you to know that you’re smiling faintly. 

For someone claiming to be ready for bed, you’re certainly touchy. He’s not complaining, it’s cute! Super cute. Lohen loves how much you want to touch him. As much as it startled him at first, it’s growing on him by a lot. 

Lohen doesn’t move while you settle against him, his grip on you loose until you’ve decided the optimal position for your head to lay against his chest and press the rest of you against his side. Only then does he tighten his hold on you, curling his fingers firmly over yours. 

He brings his other hand down to splay against your back. Sue him, he’s feeling possessive and willing to indulge in it as long as this lasts. Hopefully this lasts forever. You make him dizzy in the best of ways. 

It takes a few more minutes for you to settle down properly. You curl up against him and breathe him in quietly.

Lohen glances down at you, drinking you in turn. His gaze traces the curve of your jaw and the slant of your relaxed brow. You’ve closed your eyes now, but he shamelessly stares whether you’re looking back at him or not. Your eyelashes rest against your cheeks, making you look even softer. 

You open your eyes upon feeling the weight of his stare. You blink once at him, fingers twitching against his hand with the urge to shake him again. “Hi,” you murmur. 

“Hi, bunny,” Lohen says. “Aren’t you sleeping?” 

“I am,” you press closer to him. “You aren’t.” 

There it is again, your fixation with making sure he’s sleeping. He doesn’t know what to do with it, not exactly. “I’m getting there,” he says as he rubs your back slowly. Every point of contact makes him warmer. 

You give him an unconvinced stare but aren’t up to arguing about it. You huff and thunk your forehead against his collar. Your hair brushes his chin and neck. “Go to sleep,” you tell him. As if you weren’t a flurry of affection a few minutes prior. 

“Okay, okay, I hear you,” Lohen laughs faintly. He tilts his head down to press closer to you, holding your gaze. Satisfied, you close your eyes again and squeeze his hand, your other hand tucked under your chin. 

Lohen exhales fondly. Unbelievable.