Chapter Text
They can't get into Inazuma quite yet. There are still some complications with the country being closed off that even the Fatui are having a hard time even entering.
Lumine is now aware that Fatui knew—has known—where her brother is. The whole reason why she joined them in the first place.
She's not going to lie, seeing the Tsaritsa's face again at the Palace made her want to shove a sword in her face for deceiving her. She has to bite her tongue, resisting the urge to lash out and mention the unfair deal that they had.
Zhongli would be furious if he heard of this.
But she kept a calm face, even when disdain bubbles in her seeing literally every other Harbinger around because they knew as well. But could she really be mad at them though? For following orders to the one Archon they swore loyalty to?
She shouldn't. She isn't. At least to the other Harbingers; she could care less about them. They were never close enough to Lumine for her to care about their opinions anyways.
But Childe's confession to holding back information... that hurt her more than she ever wants to admit. And that's why she blew up on him; fought him back at the Golden House. Because she felt hurt, stabbed in the back by someone who persisted to convince her he was her friend.
It would have been better if they were never friends to begin with. Maybe then her heart wouldn't bleed so much when it came to him.
Lumine may have accepted his hand again after the fallout; she may have made him give her his word to help search for her brother, to tell no more lies. But it goes without saying that Lumine can ' t fully trust him again, not like she used to.
It's foolish to trust a Harbinger, anyone in the Fatui really, especially behind pretty lies and faux words. And she doesn't, truly, she shouldn't. But she's been so alone all this time. And Childe was always there; offering his ear and shoulder.
Lumine may favor the winter, but she craves for Childe's warmth that he offers so openly to her and she simply takes. He was warmer in contrast to Snezhnaya's white wonderland. His friendly disposition has her lured in; a siren's call for the lonely.
Lumine will drown in his ocean if she's not careful. Sometimes it feels like she might.
When Childe informed her that Her Majesty granted them the 'ok' and their plan was in motion, Lumine was... she was ecstatic, overjoyed really. Hope bubbled and popped in her chest with the idea that she was closer than ever to finding Aether that she threw her arms around Childe. Feverishly whispering to him many 'Thank you's and hugging him tightly.
And for a second, Childe went still. Shocked and overwhelmed briefly over Lumine's absolute relief and happiness.
It's an emotion he has never seen her display so openly to him.
He wants more.
But he had to be careful now. The Tsaritsa was now informed of his little plan to keep their little songbird still. And Childe's not afraid to do whatever it takes to clip her beautiful wings.
Sometimes, he wonders when he got so greedy. Probably after falling into the Abyss. After that period of being stuck in darkness and continuing to stray further down that path as a Harbinger, a little light is always appreciated.
A little light in the form of the pretty blonde with golden eyes.
He was so selfish, so greedy, so possessive.
Childe simply hugged back with equally as much vigor and excitement, a big grin plastered on his face, infected by her excitement.
"Are you sure I can't come with you?" Childe pouts when Lumine returns from the Adventurer's Guild and reports back to him about the situation.
"You," she pokes his chest. "Have to stay here and do your job. People still believe I'm just a mere traveler—"
"Well, you're now their hero too aren't you?"
"And who's the blame for that?" She quips back.
"You could have just left..." Childe mutters, visibly deflating.
The Golden House's still somewhat of a sore topic for them—
"That's beside the point," Lumine sighs. "We can't be seen together and raise suspicion that I'm part of the Fatui." Still , she leaves out. It was bitter and Lumine can't help but still act bitterly against it, even if she knows being part of the Fatui will benefit her more in her travels.
"But they've seen us together before." Childe points out, frowning.
"Yeah, but no Fatui would ever associate themselves with the Adventurer's Guild." She was arguing with a child. "And I still have the trust of the Qixing. Do you want to ruin that?"
She can see Childe clearly not liking the idea, but he eventually relents with a "Fine,"
"Bring me back a souvenir while you're over there!~" Childe coos as Lumine leaves rolling her eyes and he waves her goodbye.
When the doors close and Childe's left alone, he sits back in his chair and sighs. "Javert," he calmly calls out. "Follow her. Report back to me if anything... peculiar happens. Oh, and do make sure you don't get caught by her sword again."
And a Fatui Agent reveals himself, just from the corner of the room. "Yes Sir," he bows his head, disappearing as fast as he reappeared.
Time ticks, and he waits.
He doesn't hear back for a while, which is odd. Based on what Lumine told him, she was just searching for this Grand Thief right? He knows his girl can do it in a snap.
So why isn't she back yet?
The impatient tapping of his finger against the desk becomes a new ticking. Perhaps he should have gone with her instead. To keep an eye on her, god knows how she throws herself into unnecessary battles.
Then again... He's pretty much the same.
But with each passing minute that goes by where Lumine's not with him admittedly makes him antsy. He needs a distraction, anything to get his mind off of Lumine, Lumine, Lumine, he needs Lumine—
A knock on the door. "Master Childe," a distorted voice calls out. It's not Lumine.
He blinks back to reality, remembering why he sent out his agent in the first place. "What do you have to report?" Cutthroat and straight to the point.
The agent appears in front of his desk, kneeling. "She had entered a strange domain. Forgive me, I could not follow her inside."
Childe holds back the growl in his throat. "Why is that?"
"There was something preventing me from entering. A power of some sort." He explains.
"Fine," Childe sits back and lets out an angry huff. "So did you wait for her?"
"As you instructed," the agent nods. "She was not alone."
"Oh?" That strikes his curiosity. Lumine's not friendly enough with anyone to make any solid connections of companionship.
That's what he was there after all.
"Yes," he continues. "A strange man with half a mask and dark attire appeared in front of the domain. It looked like he was arriving at the destination with a different motive."
Huh, strange indeed...
"Sounds like they were going to have a lovely conversation," Childe muses. He's going to have to find out more about this man. "Tell me, what else happened?"
"Sir I—That is all I'm able to report, please forgive me."
A beat.
" ...what? " He slowly rises from his chair.
The agent lowers his head further. "The man wouldn't allow me to get any closer," Javert nervously speaks out. "He knew of my presence, and he—" a slight gulp. "He has a power like no other."
A power like no other? How exciting.
But the question remains—
"What of Lumine?" He asks. "What happened to her?"
"She—" The Fatui agent hesitates briefly, Childe can see it in his posture almost like he's trying to carefully phrase his words. After all, Tartaglia has made it well known among his soldiers how fond he is of her.
He had once 'accidentally' marked her with riptide before. Just to say something. And it was loud and clear.
Lumine, the girl with many titles; the Tsaritsa’s songbird, the Fatui’s ace. But she is and always will be known as Tartaglia’s precious asset, his star.
"She's traveling with the man currently." The agent finishes. Childe hears a slight ring in his ears.
As much as Childe would like to jump out the window and track down where his little star was; he knew it would only break whatever lingering remains of trust she has in him.
He can't lose that again. Not now, not ever.
So he waits. Filled out the paperwork in his office, though it was hard to even focus on any word when his mind was preoccupied with what Lumine could be doing. If the mission was to find the Grand Thief, then why hasn't she come back?
Unless that man is detouring her towards something else.
Childe hates not knowing. The irony of it all considering their previous circumstance.
It's been a few hours, the ticking of the clock can't even compare to Childe's leg thumping against the floor in boredom and impatience.
Maybe he should go after her. She shouldn't be taking this long, no, not his star.
Or did she already fly away from him?
A dreaded thought.
He's only brought out of it with the turn of the doorknob. Relief washes over him because he only knows one person who dares to enter his office without knocking.
The door creak opens and enters a small figure dressed in her white dress.
Lumine.
"There you are," Childe smiles very briefly before taking note of her downcast expression. "Girlie?" He gently calls out to her. She doesn't move, simply stands there, almost numbly at the office entrance.
Then she finally speaks up in a quiet tone. "We... we don't have to look for my brother anymore." She sounds like she's on the verge of breaking down. And maybe she was. But her words confused him, isn't her brother the sole reason why she's traveling in the first place?
"Why?" Why are you trembling? He wants to ask, but refrains, allowing her to continue if she chooses to. He slowly approaches her, waves of concern wash over him. She was too quiet, too quiet for someone as bright as her.
"I—" Lumine takes a deep breath in and lets it out shakily. "I saw him,"
"I saw Aether."
Oh.
A million thoughts race through his head over this. What will happen now? Will she leave the Fatui? Leave him? Because what was the point of them anymore if she's already found what she's looking for?
In the end, they're nothing but each other's disposable tools.
Childe may be the Tsaritsa's weapon. Someone who can easily be replaced once his duty has been served or some victorious battle to the death. But he wants to be so much more to Lumine. Someone irreplaceable.
"Childe," her soft voice breaks him out of his thoughts. "Did..." Hesitation. He knows exactly what she's about to ask too.
And he's not ready.
"Did... they know Aether was leading the Abyss Order?" Did you know?
Childe stays silent for a second, carefully thinking about his words. "Do you want the truth?" He reaches out, tilting her face up. "Even if you already know it?"
Lumine's lips press into a thin line. "I want to hear it." She says in a stern tone. "I want—need to hear it with my own two ears." Then more quietly, almost begging, "I deserve to hear the truth, Childe."
Childe sighs slightly. His own plan was crumbling apart. "We did," Childe finally confesses, hating how he hears the sharp inhale of breath Lumine takes in. "So what will you do now Girlie?" He stares right into her. "Are you going to chase after your brother now that you know where he is and leave us for good?"
Dispose of her if she finds out.
The Tsaritsa's order echoes through his head and he can feel his element swirl and fester in the palm of his hand. A water blade discreetly taking shape.
He has to follow orders. His loyalty is with her Majesty. But...
He doesn't want to do this.
"No,"
Hydro stops forming in his hand altogether as he stares at her with slightly wide eyes. Childe blinks at her, taken aback. "You're not?"
"There's something I need to do. Something he wants me to do." Then she looks up at him, a familiar gold fire in her eyes that he so longingly missed seeing in her. "We're going to travel to all the other nations. We're going to uncover the secrets this world has and I—" A sharp inhale, her voice wobbles. "I get to go home with my brother."
"Wait, we?" She's not leaving them. She's not leaving him. Not yet anyway, but Childe will take what he can get right now.
"We're still under the illusion that you're helping me find my brother," Or at least that's what she believes they're under. The Tsaritsa already knows. But the Tsaritsa doesn't know about this new development.
Childe hates resorting to another plan.
"Using the Fatui for your own gain huh?" He smirks at her when she glares at him. "I see you're finally learning that we actually benefit you more than anyone else."
"I didn't learn anything, I've known." she spats, huffing at the stupid proud look on his face. "W-Wha! What are you doing?!" She screeches when Childe abruptly picks her up and takes a seat back in his chair, settling her in his lap.
"Getting my daily dose of my favorite comrade of course," he whistles innocently, holding onto her tighter when she pushes at his chest. "Come on~ You had me quite worried all day today! Here I thought you were just searching for some treasure hoarder..."
"You weren't the only one who thought that..." Lumine mutters, giving up on struggling knowing that when Childe got like this, it was impossible to escape.
Childe beams when Lumine shifts slightly to make herself comfortable, leaning her head against his shoulder. "You're awfully needy and affectionate, you know?" Lumine makes a jab at him when he nuzzles in closer to her. Like a dog.
How is this man a feared Harbinger?
"Only with you Girlie," He teases, smiling before it slips from his face, something bothering him. "Are you mad?" He softly asks, brushing a lock of hair out of her face when she makes herself more comfortable. "That we didn't tell you about him leading the Abyss?"
Lumine stays silent for a couple of seconds then, "I... don't really care anymore. I think..." It's her honest answer because why should she care now that the Fatui were holding more information about Aether from here?
She should care. She should be mad. But she doesn't think this information would have compared to the fact that they kept his discovery a secret.
And besides... Aether, he...
"You don't care?" Childe raises an eyebrow.
"We've always had enough time."
She reached for him, towards his back and he just—
"Aether," she closes her eyes. "Doesn't want me to join him." She just wants to go home with Aether by her side. Him walking away from her through that dark portal was so cruel, so hurtful.
She didn't care about this world, so why couldn't he let her join him...?
"So what does it matter to me now if the Fatui were holding back?" Lumine didn't even realize she was crying until Childe gently wiped a stray tear from her face.
"He hurt you," he states.
"He has his reasons," she weakly defends her brother. Because while she can't deny Aether turning away didn't sting, she's confident that Aether has his reasons. That's why he wants her to continue her journey right?
It's just... They've been apart for so long...
It hurts. She misses him.
"That doesn't make it ok," Childe lightly growls before his eyes soften. "You've been searching for him all this time to be reunited only for him to prioritize something else over his own sister?"
"Don't make him sound like he doesn't care!" Lumine snaps. A very quick flash of anger lit up in her before dying just as quickly at the memory of Aether still fresh in her mind. She's mentally and emotionally exhausted. Lumine rests her head back on the Harbinger's shoulder. "...I don't want to talk about this anymore," she quietly says. "It's been a long day..." A pleading tone at the end of her sentence.
Childe understands. He doesn't like it, but he understands.
He'll let this go, for now. "It's been a long day," He sighs, agreeing. Shifting slightly to comfortably hold Lumine's body close to him but not letting her fall either. "Rest up starlight. I still have work to do."
"Wouldn't it be embarrassing for you if someone walks in with me sleeping in your lap?" She questions yet not really doing anything either. Her body relaxes and her eyelids begin to droop. "The 11th Harbinger as the Tsaritsa's ace's body pillow..."
Childe lowly chuckles, seeing Lumine start to drift off. "Then I'll wear it with pride."
"No shame whatsoever..." She huffs before finally closing her eyes, eventually, Childe can hear her breathing evening out, a telltale sign she has now dozed off.
"Poor girl," he coos. "Seeing him must have taken a toll on you. Don't worry," Childe carefully leans in towards his desk, one hand supporting Lumine and the other reaching for a pen and a blank paper.
"I'll make sure that he is dealt with."
And he starts writing:
To your Majesty, the Tsaritsa,
There's a slight hiccup in our plans.
Please allow me to make some modifications involving our star's brother.
He finishes the letter, folds it up, and wax seals it. He hides it in one of the drawers, saved for later when Lumine leaves later and for him to give it to Ekaterina later on.
Childe leans back in his seat, satisfied, and melts into it with Lumine still sleeping soundly.
Maybe he's a little too careless in his letter, the Tsaritsa probably won't even approve of his request; it'd be more of a loss to her cause if anything. After all, asking to kill the Abyss Prince is a pretty big deal. Something not meant to be taken lightly.
Ah, but he has always been a little ambitious and greedy, especially when it came to the sleeping woman in his arms. And if her brother starts becoming an obstacle for her well-being, another reason to remove him right?
The Tsaritsa won't even approve, and Lumine would hate his guts if he even thought about harming her brother.
But Childe won't ever forget how broken and lost Lumine looked once she stepped in through those doors.
And it’s all because of him.
Aether should have allowed her to join while he still had the chance because now there's no way Childe was ever going to let Lumine go.
He made that mistake once, and he's never going to do that again.