Chapter Text
Lumine took it as a good sign when Diluc asked every last patron to leave Angel’s Share but her. It was two in the morning, and the tavern was closing. Moreover, it was also only a few hours after she succeeded in helping him with hiding his identity as Mondstadt’s mystifying “Darknight Hero”. She should have left when she was no longer needed, but she decided to order a glass of cold apple cider vinegar and sit at the round table near the stairs to the second floor.
We never spent the night at a tavern like this. Let’s stay here for a little bit longer, she told Paimon, who happily approved. They sang alongside the six-fingered bard who claimed to be composing a masterpiece about the ethereal traveler who rescued Dvalin from the Abyss Order’s influence, but most of the time, Lumine found herself staring at Diluc. Since he was the only bartender available for the busy night, the only exchange she had with him was whenever she went to the bar and asked for a refill.
“Sir, what about her?”
“She’s with me.”
Diluc’s conversation with his two workers was short before they excused themselves and left through the back door. The tables were scrubbed, the dried dishes were put to their places, and the second floor’s wall lanterns were turned off. Lumine, Diluc, and Paimon, who had been sleeping for the past thirty minutes, were the only people left inside. Lumine couldn’t even remember the moment Paimon succumbed to fatigue. Another glance, and Paimon had already laid her head on the table.
“So why are you still here? I can’t serve you more drink,” Diluc said as he walked down the stairs. He spoke louder than before, presumably because he was sure that if Paimon could sleep through the commotion inside the tavern, then she wouldn’t get woken up by his voice.
“I’m moving to Liyue soon,” Lumine blurted out an answer, surprising herself and Diluc, who stopped in his track. Their eyes met. There was a confusion on his face, and she swore she would die of shame if his response was none other than “what about it” or the likes of it.
“What for?” Thankfully, his question was nicer than her anticipation. He continued heading toward the empty bar. Her heart told her to leave at this instance so as not to displease the man who had gone through a long night, but she stood up only to follow his footsteps.
“I didn’t find any leads about my older brother here, so Venti advised me to visit Liyue.” She hopped on the stool in front of the bar. “If there won’t be any lead there, then I’ll scout another region. I can’t stop until we’re reunited.”
“Liyue has beautiful scenic areas. I used to live there for a few months,” he said.
“Really? Why?”
“Just… traveling around.” His gaze strayed away. She understood if he didn’t want to reveal a private matter, especially one happening far in the past.
“Oh. I see. I can’t wait then,” she said before registering this as their first time having a casual talk without involving somebody else. Since the beginning of their so-called partnership, they only met regarding the state of Mondstadt. Other people came along if necessary, but Paimon never left her side. Without Paimon’s endearing habit of thinking aloud, Lumine didn’t have the confidence to entertain an aloof man such as Diluc.
“When are you going to leave?” Diluc asked, just when Lumine thought of ending the day by saying goodbye.
“I need to be there before the Rite of Descension to learn more about the Geo Archon. I heard it would be in a few days, so I must leave tomorrow,” she said. A part of her felt delighted with his advancing curiosity, but she didn’t want to be too self-assured by assuming that there could be more meaning behind it.
“That early?” he grunted.
“Why?”
“I thought I could arrange a farewell party for you.”
Her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly expressed the uncalled feeling through a breathy laugh. “Why?”
“Why do you keep asking ‘why’? You have saved Mondstadt despite only being here for about a month. I’m sure the rest will agree to the idea of celebrating your next trip.”
“Thank you for your kind offer, but I don’t need anything so grandiose. I would rather leave in peace.” Her decision came fast.
He sighed. “So much for running out of time.”
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s getting too late. You should leave now.” For a second, he looked hesitant, but she saw it more as an expression of relief. He must be tired and dream of going home as soon as possible. Out of politeness of the time she spent helping him, he didn’t want to throw her out because deep down, he had a heart of gold. She at least knew that about him.
“Uh, sure.” Slowly, she got off the stool. “It’s time to wake Paimon—”
“I won’t come to Angel’s Share tonight,” Diluc said, not forgetting the fact that they had entered a new day, so ‘tomorrow’ would be incorrect. “Will you meet me at the Dawn Winery before you leave?”
Lumine hoped that her fluttering heart was the result of consuming too much acid from the apple cider vinegar, or more likely, her exhaustion. Either way, she managed to face him with another smile. “Of course,” she said. “I’m planning to meet everyone before leaving, even the people in Springvale who have given me their produce for free.”
“All right,” he shortly replied.
“Okay. I’m going to wake Paimon up. Please wait.”
“Go on.”
“Oh, I must say that I had so much fun with you.” Once again, just like how she had a strange eagerness not to leave this place, her mouth moved by itself. “I’m not sure if I’m allowed to call you a companion, but I’m going to miss seeing you swing your heavy claymore and defeat those monsters in a flash. Throughout my upcoming journey, I’ll remember the time we shared together. Tonight is no different. I’ll cherish it forever.”
His widened eyes said it all; he was taken aback by her speech. Her face heated up once she realized the usage of mawkish words such as “miss” and “cherish” were too presumptuous for individuals who were mere strangers under two weeks ago. She inwardly cursed herself and was about to apologize, but he took a step forward and placed his right hand on her cheek, caressing her a little. All thoughts slipped her mind when he leaned in to give her a peck on her lips.
“Ah.” He pulled back after a few seconds, showing her a look full of dread. “I—I’m sorry.”
She couldn’t process what just happened between them, but it wasn’t entirely because the world went pitch black when she felt the warmth of his breath against her own. She stood in silence, observing the man who was known for his apathetic demeanor yet kept murmuring his regret. It was unlike him to become flustered, but she believed it wasn’t him either to make advances to a lady without prior consent. Until now, he had always acted nonchalant to anything unrelated to the battleground.
“What…” she tried to speak after recollecting most of her thoughts. “…what was that?”
He opened his mouth before closing it again. Then, like a half-witted man that she had never met before, he averted his head and stared at the wall beside them. “I don’t know. I’m really sorry,” he said.
His lack of clarification turned her bewilderment into anger. Her prolonged stay could make the situation worse, so she ran to Paimon and shake her shoulders until she woke up. Just like how fast the kiss was—or whatever it should be called—she grabbed Paimon’s wrist and left Angel’s Share, slamming the door behind without looking back once. Mondstadt was cold after midnight, but her inside was burning with inexplicable emotions.
“Lumine, what’s the rush? I didn’t even say goodbye to Master Diluc…” Paimon moaned while rubbing both of her eyes. Her continuous yawns were proof that she could pass out if they were outside any longer.
“Don’t worry. We can do it later… probably,” Lumine whispered her last word. Paimon might not be able to perceive it, but that wasn’t the issue. With every step closer to the inn they had been staying at since day one in this city, her heart only grew heavier.
Right after getting into their room on the third floor, Paimon threw herself onto the bed closest to the door and fell asleep. Lumine did the same after changing into pajamas and turning off the lights, but her eyes snapped open when Diluc’s face appeared in her mind. She proceeded to watch the ceiling for a few minutes, hoping it would calm her down slightly, but he kept haunting her even when she was wide awake. Changing positions and covering her entire head with a blanket didn’t do much either.
She clicked her tongue, leaving the bed and sitting by the only window in the room with the serene view of Mondstadt’s town square. Since it was the area that connected many essential spots in the city, she often saw Diluc walking alone or with a few of his workers, probably on their way to Angel’s Share or someplace else. Once in a while, Kaeya would laugh alongside him. Every time the well-favored young man was on the street, quite a lot of townsfolk would greet him.
In all fairness, Diluc was handsome and tall, which were two default traits that would make most people give him a second look. They would need a third one if they heard of his actual wealth, power, and brilliance. Lumine wasn’t an exception. While she had never aspired to be his special person, she would agree when people regarded him as the epitome of the perfect gentleman. Every noble maiden’s father in Teyvat must have requested a meeting with him.
Why would such an excellence kiss an outlander he just met? They didn’t know each other’s surname and age. She was sure he was a few years older, but she had no idea about the exact number, nor had she ever considered asking because their entire relationship was work-based. All the tiny information she had about him was always freely given by somebody else, and the same thing should be happening on his side. Her brain felt like it would explode because she couldn’t comprehend his motive for kissing her.
“What are you doing there?” Paimon’s sudden question made Lumine jump from her seat. She was positive that she hadn’t done something to disturb Paimon, but she also felt sorry for the little girl who had gotten her sleep ruined for the second time within twenty minutes or so.
“I can’t sleep,” Lumine said.
“You bet I can see that!” Paimon left the bed and flew to Lumine’s side. “What makes you so restless? Did something happen between you and Master Diluc?”
Lumine flinched upon hearing Paimon’s question, but it was because she knew she couldn’t lie. They were inseparable for three months, which should make them the best of friends. The only reason why they hadn’t shared every little secret was that their days were filled with exploring Mondstadt, helping people in exchange for money, and getting too tired for anything else when the sun set. Eventually, just like now, they would sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk. Lumine couldn’t escape even if she wanted to.
“Why would you think that?” Lumine was still too embarrassed to let out the truth, but it wouldn’t hurt to know the source of Paimon’s precise guesswork.
“You basically ran away from Angel’s Share, and I swear I saw him looking baffled. In case you forgot, Master Diluc never showed that kind of face.” Paimon crossed her arms. “Be honest. Did he say something hurtful to you? Did you learn something shocking about him? Or… did he reveal a huge secret that has something to do with your brother?”
“No…” Lumine said, looking back out of the window. “Definitely not that…”
Paimon brought her face closer to Lumine’s, shooting the bigger person a glare that always ended up being adorable instead of menacing. “Geez, no need to be so dramatic about it! You tell me everything, so why does this one have to be an exception?”
“He kissed me.”
Paimon instantly pulled herself back, mouth dropping open. “What?!”
“…yes,” Lumine affirmed her statement.
“On the lips?!”
Lumine nodded.
“Master Diluc kissed your lips?! The ever so stoic Master Diluc?! But why?! What did you two talk about before?!” Paimon couldn’t stop throwing questions as she flew all over the place, either from excitement or disbelief. Too bad, she needed things that Lumine, too, struggled to interpret.
“I was about to wake you up, but I told him that I had so much fun with him. I said I’ll miss his fighting, and that I’ll always remember and cherish the time we spent together,” Lumine said.
“Oh?” Paimon’s bemused face changed into a euphoric one as if she had found the right answer. “Did he take your words as a sign that you’re interested in him?”
“Why would he kiss me if that were the case?”
“Because he likes you, dumb Lumine!”
“What? We barely know each other,” Lumine said calmly, although her heart was racing like how it was at Angel’s Share. “Okay, even if he does, it only means that he’s an easy person; easy to like someone and easy to kiss them. Maybe he’s done it with half of the girls in this city alone.”
“Eh…? I don’t think Master Diluc is that kind of person.”
“Who knows what’s happening behind closed doors? He might appear hard to approach, but he’s charming. Everyone adores him. I won’t be surprised if he has a few women around.”
Paimon frowned. “There’s just no way.”
“How can you be so sure? We don’t know him.”
“That is exactly why you can’t be too sure that he’s done it with many girls!” Paimon raised her voice too high until it came out more like a squeak. “You should calm down. You’re just dazed because no one has ever kissed you before.”
Lumine glared at Paimon, mouth agape with disbelief. She tried to think of words to defend her dignity, but Paimon laughed and ruined her track of thought. Paimon wasn’t wrong. The only male name that had ever come out of her mouth was her brother’s. She and her brother had never thought of settling down because seeing the beauty of many worlds was their ultimate goal. Without telling it explicitly, Paimon would have already guessed that being romantically involved with someone was an alien concept for the siblings.
“So? What happened afterward? Did you just ignore each other?” Paimon continued after her laughter subsided. It was only for a minute, but the restlessness in Lumine’s chest made it feel like ten.
“No. I asked what the kiss was about, and he said that he didn’t know. He kept apologizing. Nothing more,” Lumine said.
“He must have been surprised by his own act—hey, where are you going?!” Paimon shouted when Lumine stood up and went to her bed. “Come on, we haven’t finished speaking! What will you do next? Are you going to keep it unresolved like this?” Paimon asked, hovering directly behind Lumine, who had snuck herself under the blanket.
“I don’t know. He asked me to meet him at the Dawn Winery before leaving for Liyue.”
“Before or after kissing you?”
Lumine huffed. “Why does it matter?”
“Right after doing that, every little thing he does matter!”
It took everything in Lumine not to shout at Paimon. They had never fought even over the silliest thing, and she didn’t want Diluc to be the reason for their first quarrel. After a quick moment of silence, she let out a deep breath and answered, “Before.”
“Wow… I think he really likes you,” Paimon said.
“Sleep well, Paimon.”
“Wait, no!” Paimon flew to be right in front of Lumine. Her shadow distracted the latter from closing her eyes. “Are you going to do as he says? Meeting him at the Dawn Winery, I mean.”
“I don’t know. Maybe I can think clearer after I wake up.” Lumine squinted, slightly taking a jab at Paimon who didn’t want to call it a night and move on.
“Okay, but I won’t let you bail on him. You have to meet him. I’m sure he’s as restless as you are right now.” Finally, Paimon left Lumine for good, although she still slept earlier than the girl who couldn’t keep Diluc’s face away from her thoughts.