A/N: Oharrow ^_^ I know I'm supposed to be writing the other CG story I've got going at the moment but I had two things happen at once, which were a) writers block and b) an idea for a mini-story involving one of my personal favourite characters, Li Xingke. It's cute and fluffy, a little bit paedophilic but that is just the way things are, and I'm sure you've seen worse. Plus it's achingly cute so it makes up for being a bit pervy :)

Please review if you really like it or if you have any constructive criticism. Note; constructive... :D

Thanks for reading.

The Promise

Li Xingke & Tianzi

Careful, steady footsteps sounded along the wooden hallway as Li Xingke walked by, his long raven hair following him like a cloak, a familiar frown settled comfortably on his sharp-featured face as a few stray strands of dark hair fell across his dark gold eyes. He wore his usual clothes – plain white shirt, his gold-buckled blue vest, dark pants and boots. His sword hung from his belt, as always. He never went anywhere without it.

After all the confusion, the rebellion, the war, the redemption, Li Xingke had returned to China. He didn't wish to be anywhere else. He was the leader of the Empress' personal guard now, and he took special pride and care in his duties. He was as loyal as ever to his Empress.

Which was why he was walking towards her rooms now. He didn't know why, but she had asked him to, so he would go to her. He would do anything she asked of him.

Xingke's footsteps slowed as he approached the double doors at the end of the hall, the intricate patterns in the woodwork even more beautiful in the soft darkness of early evening. He raised his long-fingered hand to knock on the wood, hesitating slightly before doing so, gently making his presence known.

A moment passed before a small voice called out from the inside, "Come in."

Xingke opened the door and stepped inside, his golden eyes searching for the Empress. She was standing near the balcony, her beautiful silver hair taken out of its ribbons, falling like a waterfall down her back and shoulders. She was facing away from him, her purple and green gown still slightly long for her tiny figure, material dragging along the floor.

Li waited a moment before taking a few steps forward, and he cleared his voice and said carefully, "Good evening, Empress."

Tianzi turned, her big, shimmering crimson eyes catching his, her beautiful lips smiling a little as she looked at him. "Good evening, Li."

He nodded, and said, "You requested my presence?"

Tianzi's smile faded slightly and she sighed, resting her pretty hands on the rail of the balcony, staring down at the ground below. "I'm s-sorry to have asked you to come here, Li," she began, nervous as ever.

Li frowned in confusion, but he said, "Don't apologise, Empress."

She smiled weakly, but she still didn't look at him. Xingke watched her, and couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. She was always quiet, but usually she was a little more cheerful.

"Is there something wrong, Empress?"

Tianzi's crimson eyes glanced back towards him but she still didn't make eye contact. She brushed a piece of hair away from her face, her pale skin even more so when she stood in front of the dark night sky. She took a small breath, and she locked her hands together, wringing them nervously, and when she spoke her words seemed to tumble, as though she were trying to say too many things at once.

"I-I can't get to sleep, I've been having these nightmares and Kaguya isn't here, she's in Japan, and – and – I d-don't know who else to talk to," she stammered quickly, turning away from Xingke as though she were embarrassed.

Xingke was slightly taken aback, but his curious frown faded and a small smile played on his thin lips. He walked towards Tianzi, and he knelt beside her, taking her hand in his, and he said, "I'm always here for you. If you feel unsafe you should tell me. I'll keep you safe."

Tianzi glanced down at his hand on hers before looking at Xingke, and then a light blush crept beneath her pale cheeks and she looked away, her hair flicking around as she did so. "I – I don't want to annoy you."

Xingke smiled again, and he squeezed her hand gently. "You could never get on my nerves, Tianzi."

Tianzi looked back at him out of the corner of her eyes, and Li looked up at her. She was taller than him now when he knelt down. She'd just had her sixteenth birthday in winter, and she was growing up fast. She'd lost some of the child-like features, her cheeks becoming slimmer and her body a little curvier, but she still looked so young and beautiful.

Tianzi saw Xingke staring at her and she blushed again, and Li looked down at their hands. What was he thinking? It was far too inappropriate.

He stood, and he said, "Was there anything you wanted me to do, Empress?" As he said this, he let go her hand, and he thought he saw a small glimmer of sadness in her blood red eyes, but he might have been mistaken.

She pressed her hands together again, and she bit her bottom lip, before she said, "Would you please just stay with me?"

Xingke frowned slightly. "Did you want me to wait by the door?"

Tianzi went to speak but she hesitated, and then shook her head. "N-no, I mean, I – I was going to watch a movie. Would you please just – just sit with me for a while?" She looked away, embarrassed again. "I don't want to be alone."

Xingke felt like holding her in his arms and keeping her safe, holding her tightly, keeping her warm and protected. He swallowed, his mouth suddenly quite dry, and he replied, "Of course."

Li watched as Tianzi's face lit up slightly, and she smiled. "Thank you, Xingke."

Xingke followed her to the couch, resting his sword against the nearby armchair, waiting for Tianzi to sit before he did. She sat at one end, and he sat at the other. She smiled nervously, and turned on the television, putting on a black and white movie that she'd watched too many times to count. Xingke hadn't seen it, but he was more concentrated on Tianzi and making sure she was alright.

They sat in silence for a while, watching the beautiful people dance and talk and kiss on the screen. Xingke sat upright, as he always did, and it was only a short while before Tianzi drew her legs up onto the couch and hugged her knees to her chest, watching with her pretty, big eyes.

Xingke watched her from the corner of his eye, and he saw her gaze shift to look at him, before she realised he was doing the same and she glanced away quickly, blushing again. Xingke smiled. She was far too shy and sweet.

It began to grow late as they watched, only swapping a few words between scenes, and Tianzi began to grow tired. There was only one couch, but it was big enough for two, and Xingke placed a pillow down in between them and Tianzi smiled gently before she lay her head down on the pillow, watching the movie lying down, her legs curled up close to her, her silver hair falling on the pillow and the couch.

There came a point in the movie when Tianzi became scared. She buried her face in the pillow and she made a few cute crying sounds, and Xingke laughed gently, before he reached out and gently stroked her hair, reassuring her.

As he did so, he saw Tianzi's breath catch, and he heard the slight hiss of air from her lips. He saw another blush creep along her skin, and he then gently placed his arm on her shoulder and left it there, a gentle reminder that he was there.

Tianzi soon relaxed again, and she almost forgot that his arm was there. Xingke found himself staring at her, not even watching the movie, and he clenched his teeth as he realised what he was doing.

She's still a girl, he thought angrily. You can't think like that. She's like a sister…

He knew this wasn't true. But honest to God, he tried to believe it.

Xingke gently moved his fingertips across her skin as he rested his hand on her shoulder, noticing how thin the material of her beautiful gown was. It was then that he felt her shiver, and he asked gently, "Are you cold, Tianzi?"

She glanced up at him, his dark hair falling onto the pillow, and she replied in a tiny voice, "A little, but I'm okay."

Li carefully removed his arm and then he stood, walking to the fireplace and lighting a fire, before he closed the doors to the balcony to stop the wind coming in. He returned to the couch, where Tianzi was now sitting up, leaning on one arm, waiting for him to sit down again.

He smiled a little at her before he sat down, and noticed that she had crept closer. Was she really feeling that afraid? He sat, and he gently touched her arm, lying her back down, and when she did she rested her head on the edge of his lap, lying on her side, the pillow resting behind her back. Xingke hesitated, wondering whether he should move her, but she sighed in a sort of tired, happy way, so he didn't bother. He also quite liked the feel of her against him, even if it was only a small part of her. He rested his arm on her again, but this time on her side, his hand touching her stomach, and he could feel her breathing beneath his hand. He felt it catch again as he touched her, and he began to fight with his emotions again. Wasn't this all wrong? He should be disgusted with himself. Tianzi should be disgusted. But she wasn't.

Xingke raised his other hand, and he frowned as he wondered whether what he was doing was right, but then he figured it was just a small experiment.

And so his long fingered hand reached down and he very gently ran his fingers through a small part of her hair, his fingertips touching her skin. He watched as her eyes went a little wide, and heard a small sharp intake of breath. He wasn't even watching the movie anymore, and he highly doubted she was either.

Xingke did it again, and he gently continued running his fingers through her hair in a reassuring sort of way, and he watched as she closed her eyes and sighed contentedly, and then she squirmed a little closer to him, lying her head on his lap, resting one hand on his leg, and Li smiled as he watched her gently fall into slumber, her long dark eyelashes tangled and beautiful, her heavy eyelids moving slower and slower, until she fell asleep against him.

Li continued stroking her hair as she slept, and she sighed happily as he did. Even when she was asleep it felt nice, and she pressed her head into his hand, as though she were asking for more. Xingke knew she was totally asleep because she wouldn't have done that if she'd been awake. She was far too shy for that sort of behaviour.

Xingke smiled down at Tianzi as she pressed against him, and he continued touching her hair, and then he accidentally brushed his fingertips against the outside of her ear. To his surprise, she squirmed slightly, and a small sound came from her lips. Xingke paused, wondering if he had woken her, but she was still sleeping, eyes still closed, lips parted slightly.

Li wondered if it had been a coincidence, so he tried it again. He gently touched his fingertips to her ear and ran them along the outside of her ear, and she moved again, shifting her head slightly and breathing in a little heavier.

So it would appear her ears were particularly sensitive, then. Xingke smiled and then he brushed his fingers through her hair again, before he touched his fingertips to the rim of her ear, and then he gently ticked the inside of her ear, and to his delight she squirmed and then let out a small mewling sound from the back of her throat.

Xingke smiled and he did it a few more times, just to watch her squirm and press her head against his hand as he stroked her hair. He'd never seen anything cuter. She wouldn't do this if she was awake and she'd be mortified if she knew she had done this.

He hadn't noticed that he'd begun to draw circles on her stomach with his other hand, and he noticed that the material was so thin it felt like it wasn't there at all. Li gently traced patterns along her stomach and her side, getting more reactions from her than he would have expected. She was so sensitive to his touch.

The hand that he had been using to stroke her hair moved down to her neck, where he touched her gently beneath her ear and along her soft, smooth skin, the gown having fallen away slightly, so he traced lines along her collarbone, listening to the little mewing sounds she made as he touched her.

He felt like such a creep. The sensible side of him told him to cut it out, she was his Empress. She was Tianzi. This was so wrong, but it just felt so right. Xingke wanted to make Tianzi feel this way, to keep her safe, to take her mind off the nightmares she had been having. He traced a line along her waist and then he scraped his fingertips across her thigh and she shifted her body again, not used to being touched in such places.

Xingke stroked her ear again and watched her writhe slightly, and then he daringly began to touch the inside of her thigh, and he heard another keening sound from her lips as he did so. He smiled, and continued tracing patterns on the skin on the inside of her thigh, and he heard Tianzi's breathing begin to become heavier than it was before, and her flushed complexion showed just how this was affecting her.

Xingke watched her beautiful face, wishing he could kiss those parted lips. He had almost completely banished the sensible voice in his mind, and he knew he wanted this. He just didn't know if Tianzi did. What would she do if she woke up? What would she think?

This made Xingke pause. Perhaps she only thought of him as a brother, as a close friend. Maybe she only blushed because she was shy, not because he was making her blush. He frowned, wishing he could know what to do. He just wanted to keep her safe and he loved seeing her like this, flushed and panting, so pretty, so perfect.

He closed his eyes and he stopped his hand movements, moving his hand away from her thigh, and withdrawing the hand that had been stroking her hair and ears. He couldn't do this. Xingke sighed in a sort of frustrated way, and then he froze when he heard something else.

"Don't stop."

Two gentle, whispered words he thought he had imagined. He glanced down at Tianzi, and he saw her looking up at him from the corner of her half-lidded eyes, her blush growing again as she looked at him. Xingke couldn't think of a thing to say for a few moments, before he said in a strained voice, "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," she whispered back, her small pink tongue darting out to wet her dry lips.

"Tianzi, I'm so sorry –" Xingke began, but to his surprise, the Empress cut him off.

She turned her face towards him, rolling on her back, and she said in her quiet voice, "Don't apologise. I don't mind."

Xingke wasn't sure what to say. He stared down at Tianzi, unable to form words, but then she sat up, and she twisted to face him, her hair falling like a curtain down her shoulders, her gown slipping from one shoulder slightly. Xingke stared at her for a moment, before he lifted his steady hand and touched her cheek, and she blushed but she didn't move away.

"I'm not making you uncomfortable?" he asked quietly, touching her beautiful hair.

Tianzi shook her head, and she whispered, "I feel safe with you."

"Tianzi –"

"Li," she said, looking down at his chest, "Please call me Jiang."

Xingke blinked in surprise. "Are – are you sure?"

Tianzi nodded. "Yes."

Xingke brushed her hair aside and he gently tilted her face up to look at him again, and as he gently held her face in the palm of his hand, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.

He heard her small gasp, and he felt the blood rush into her warm cheeks as he moved his lips against hers, tilting his head to the side and pressing closer to her. She had never kissed anyone before – this much Xingke knew. She was so innocent.

His other hand moved to her middle, and he gently pulled her onto his lap. She was feather-light so it wasn't hard for Xingke. She gasped and blushed again at this movement, and Xingke wrapped that arm around her middle and pulled her closer.

Xingke pulled back, giving her another small kiss in the corner of her mouth, and he watched her eyes for any sign of distress. Her bottom lip was trembling but she didn't look too scared. He whispered, his lips brushing against hers, "Are you okay, Jiang?"

She took another small breath as he spoke her name, and she nodded. "Yes."

Xingke smiled and he kissed her again, tracing circles on her lower back with one hand while the other held her chin, helping to show her how to move. Xingke had kissed other girls before, so he knew how it worked. He had, however, never kissed a girl who he loved with all his heart. This was much better than all the other kisses.

Xingke pulled back again, smiling down at Tianzi as he placed soft kisses on her lips, her face, her neck, her hair. He then smiled as he kissed her ear, his warm breath rushing over her skin, and she squirmed in his arms, saying, "Hey, that tickles!"

Xingke chuckled and did it again, gently kissing her sensitive spot. She giggled and writhed, blushing madly, and said, "Li, it tickles…"

Xingke hesitated and then he whispered in her ear, "You should call me Xingke." His hot breath raised goosebumps on her skin again and she shivered delightfully.

She sighed and buried her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his musky scent, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Xingke," she sighed, breathing his name against his skin, her lips brushing his pulse.

Xingke closed his eyes and he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms tightly around her, before he murmured into her silver hair, "You're beautiful, Jiang."

Tianzi giggled as he said this, and she reached up and whispered in his ear, "So are you… Xingke."

And then Li rocked her back and forth, kissing her hair and tickling her gently, stroking her hair again until she fell asleep in his arms. And as he stared down at her pretty face, her closed eyes, tangled eyelashes, he felt a great pain in the depths of his stomach. He bit his lip and tried to mute a strained groan that came from his chest, but then he coughed and a small trail of blood found its way down his jaw and his neck.

The pain soon subsided, and Li sighed, clearing the blood away with the back of his hand. He would love Jiang as long as he lived, he promised himself that. Even if he didn't live much longer he would love her and protect her. He would give her his life if she didn't already have it. She could have his heart, but she already held it in the palm of her hand.

He wished he could promise her that he would share the world with her. But it wasn't a promise that was his to make.

He sighed into her hair, kissing her forehead again and he whispered, "I promise... I'll love you forever. If nothing else..."