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Chapter Text

It began suddenly, nausea waking me from my slumber abruptly. The campfire by me was barely embers now, giving only a soft glow for me to see by and next to nothing against the cold. I stumbled and tripped over myself, dizzy from both the rude awakening as well as the feeling of desperation to empty my tummy. My knees hit the ground and I lost everything I had managed to get for dinner that night. The bitter taste in my mouth clued me in on my mistake: poisoned berries. Just great.

Deck the Halls

By:

Satashi

The sun was harsh but welcomed the morning after. A brushing of wind made the female stir from her restless sleep, shivering from the cold. Blue eyes squinted and a hard groan came mixed with sluggish movements. ‘ Hard to see... ’ The thought was paired with a wave of motionsickess, forcing her to scramble in an attempt to not sully her clothing. 

Gasp after gasp came, her sight swirling with blurred motions. Lumine fell to the side weakly, her body protesting all forms of movement. ‘ Need to... get water... ’ The thought was strong but her limbs began to refuse motion. ‘ Not good... not good... ’ Consciousness began to fade yet again and before the world jumping traveler could fight it, sleep once again claimed her.

When the world began to fade into focus once more, she found herself bobbing up and down ever so slightly. A groan escaped from her parched throat, stopping the motion. Blond hair fell to the side as her body shifted and soon the ground was felt under her once again. “Drink.” the word would have startled her if she had the energy for it. Instead, Lumine found herself weakly swallowing a gentle trickling of water coming from a large hand by her lips. “Good girl...”

Vision still blurry, the girl weakly looked up at the person crouched next to her. Orangish red hair, a flash of caring eyes, and a sparkling of red light from an earring. “Childe.” The name was paired with conflicting emotions. Worry, anger, stress, fear, everything seemed to blur together in a swirl of fever induced panic.

“What happened to you?” The palm came to her lips once more and water trickled into her mouth before she replied.

“Berries.” Choking, she started to feel as if drinking was the wrong choice to make. A small struggle forced the male to release her, allowing her to crawl two paces before coughing out the liquid just ingested.

“...The lady that fell my transformed state, the honorary knight of mondstat, and known hero of Liyue... ate bad berries in the wild?” If not for his worry, his chuckle might have sounded honest. “You silly, silly thing.” 

Despite the offhanded comments, Lumine still felt water move over her. The slime clinging to her lips and throat was cleansed and once more she felt herself being moved. “What...?” Bobbing up and down came once more and after longer than she cared to admit, she realized she was being carried on Childe’s back.

“How do you feel?” He could tell from the heat on his back that the girl wasn’t in the best state but he still needed information. “Tell me everything you can.”

One arm fell from around her savior’s shoulder and hung limply to the side. Her mind tried to focus but the cold air around her mixed with the delirious thoughts in her head made it hard. “Berries... sick... can’t see... can’t think... Hard to... move.”

“Sounds like dart fruit... We use them for tranquilizers, but eating them whole is much worse.” A sigh came from his lips. “When I was told that the traveler was in Snezhnaya, I thought it would be wise to keep an eye on you... Glad I did.”

An annoyed sound. “Following me...?”

“No, I’m much too busy for that. I had someone else follow you.” A chuckle came at the weak attempt to hit his arm with the drooping hand. “When they told me you were close to the city, I came to find you. Imagine my surprise when the pretty lady was laying in her own vomit out on the fields.”

“...I hate you.” Even though she wanted to hit him again, it was taking all of her efforts to just stay awake at the moment.

“Now, now, is that anyway to talk to the one who rescued you? You owe me now, and we Fatui always collect.” Lumine tried to snarl at him but only managed to instead cough and force herself not to throw up. “Hey, take it easy. I’m kidding.” Another chuckle made his passenger bobble up and down. “Close your eyes, pretty girl. We’re not far now.”

Against her better judgment, the idea of sleeping once more was way too good to pass up. A long sigh blew against his back and before long an inky blackness came back over her. The next time consciousness came, she found herself comfortably warm in a bed. Judging by the night sky out the window, she figured she had been out for a while.

“Ngh... Awake?” A figure by the bedside sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Hang on, I’ll go get big brother.”

“Teucer?” Lumine’s question made the smaller child turn around and smile at her. Grunting out, she tried her best to sit up on the bed. The world was still blurry, but nowhere near what it had been. Moments passed and soon Childe was in the room.

“Hey there, Pretty Girl.” The voice was soft and caring, a stark contrast from the usual playful tone that he had. “You’ve been asleep for almost the entire day. The doctor said you’ll be okay, just a little tired for a while.” 

“Doctor?” Lumine almost sounded drunk, her eyes heavy and voice raspy. 

“Of course we called one for you.” A chair next tothe bed was grabbed and turned around to sit on backwards. The harbinger’s usual attitude was back again, the ever present smile once more gracing his face. “You’re lucky I got you to keep drinking while we were out, it helped flush it from your system.”

“Drink...” Golden eyes widened. “Wait, that water...!?”

“Yup!” Childe looked rather pleased with himself. “I made it with my vision. Did I taste good, Little Lady?” 

The way he said the last part brought both a blush as well as a frown upon the girl’s face. “Don’t say it like that, it sounds perverted.” Yet in the back of her mind, she did remember the feel of the water as it quenched her parched throat. “Ugh, spare me.”

Leaning forward, Childe simply rested his chin on the arms that were propped up on the back of the chair. “Good, that fire in you is back. I was worried you might be too drugged still.” The frown on his friend faded and was instead just left with tinted cheeks and averted eyes. “Do you think you can eat?”

“...I might throw it up.” The honest answer got a chuckle. “Where am I anyway?”

“My home.” A quick motion brought him to his feet. “And you, my precious lady, are my guest. Let me feed you. If you get sick, I’ll carry you to the bathroom and hold your hair.” He didn’t wait for an answer, instead scooping her up to cradle against his chest bridal style.

“Wha-wait!” The sudden motion made Lumine groan and cling to him. It was then that she noticed something else. “Hold on... what am I wearing!?” Fear came up in her chest and looked up at him angrily. “Did you change me?”

Again that laughter. “No, no, of course not! My mother and little sister did. Do you honestly think I would take advantage of your state to sneak a peek?”

“Well, no...” Lumine pouted up at him, cheeks burning red. “You didn’t answer me, though. What am I wearing?”

“One of my pajama shirts. Is it to your liking?” Childe didn’t wait for an answer, instead walking out the door and into the bright area of the hallway. A muffled whimper came and his steps slowed, holding the girl closer to himself. “Hey... All joking aside, if you’re going to get sick, just look at me or say something okay? I’ll take care of you.”

A new voice came, one full of excitement. “Is she up? Let me see my daughter-in-law!”

“Mama!” Childe winced at the sudden stiffening in his arms. “She’s still sick, let her rest first.”

Lumine slowly withdrew her face from Childe’s neck so she could look at the woman who had spoken. “Wha...?” 

“Oh my, she’s gorgeous!” The older lady beamed at her. “Childe, you set her down at the table and I’ll get some soup for her! Lumine, you just make yourself at home, you hear me?”

“I... wait...?” As she was carefully sat in a chair, she looked up at Childe for answers. The male simply averted his eyes, a splash of red making the freckles on his cheeks stand out a little. The area she was in seemed to be a large log cabin, more on the upscale size. The living room area was huge, complete with a large fireplace, two full couches, a love seat, and massive fluffy rugs. Where she sat was a connected dining room, at a table large enough to seat ten. Still, everything seemed to be comfortable and homey... welcoming and warm.

“Big sis!” Tuecer’s voice brought her attention to the side, where he was standing with a slightly older girl. “This is my big sister Tonia!”

“A pleasure,” Tonia smiled. She had the prettiest blue eyes and hair braided back. “I’ve heard about you from big brother’s letters, you’re just as pretty as he said.”

“Told you!” Tuecer puffed out his chest with pride. “Big sis is amazing! She even kept her promise to come visit!”

Childe tried his best to keep a smile on his face. “Now, now, take it slow. She ate dart fruit remember? It will take her a moment to process everything, so she may be confused.”

Lumine looked back up at Childe. “Confused is right. They’re acting like we’re dating or something.”

“Hahaha... Lumi, you silly girl, you don’t need to hide it here. My family knows we’re together.” It took the girl several seconds to process the information, her golden eyes slowly growing wider as she did. Before she could deny anything, Childe made a show of overdramatically rotating his shoulder and arm while groaning. “Oh my arms are so tired from carrying you from your deathbed to my house, Lumi! I must have walked for five hours with you on my back to take you here.”

The tone in his voice was clear. Fatui always collected their debts, and even if he said he was joking with her, she didn’t want to be on the wrong side of that. “Oh... Sorry about that... er... Dar...ling?” The pet name brought a beaming smile to the man’s face.

“That’s the spirit, pretty girl.” Childe moved to the side so his mother could place a hot bowl of soup before her. “Mom, let me properly introduce Lumine... my girlfriend. Sweetheart, this is my mother.” His voice suddenly turned soft. “Please, be good friends with her.”

The overly happy mother didn’t hold back, instantly cupping Lumine’s cheeks so she could smile at her directly. “Oh don’t be silly, Ajax! I can tell we’ll get along just swimmingly! Oh to think you’ll bring someone home! Don’t worry your little heart, Lumine, we’ll take right care of you!”

“Th-thanks?” Confusion still running wild, the girl tried her best to smile. “Uhm, sorry, it's just so much to take in. I don’t know how to reply.”

Childe sat down next to her and scooted his chair a little closer. “How about we all let her rest a moment? Enjoy a meal, and see how she feels next.” Reluctance was clear on everyone’s faces at those words, but soon the family left them alone for the moment. “Uhm, thank you for that, my lady. I didn’t think this situation would come up so soon, so I didn’t prepare for it.” Moving his hand over, he took a spoon and scooped some soup up for her.

“I can eat on my own,” she denied him while taking the spoon for herself. With her voice lowered, she replied to him. “What all did you write in those letters, Childe? Tuecer knew me the moment he saw me and your family thinks we’re dating... what gives?” Her tone would have been a little more firm, had she not been in such a predicament to begin with.

“Sorry, I... Make it a point to keep the darker side of my life from my family in my letters. Writing home is sometimes hard because of that, so when I get a topic that I enjoy writing about, I just go overboard. I guess a few letters with you as the main subject made my little brother feel at ease with you... and after what you two went through together, and showing up here, well...”

‘ Enjoyed writing about? ’ Lumine finally took a bite of the soup and eyed it with a newfound appreciation. “Oh, this is good.”

Childe’s voice instantly became sugar coated and sweet. “She likes it, Mama!” A pleased sound came from the other room with promises of seconds, should she desire it. With that taken care of, he became a little more serious. “What brings you here to Snezhnaya? And where is that annoying little fairy that follows you around?”

Lumine frowned around her food. “Paimon is with Xiangling right now; she doesn’t do well with the cold. I came here to follow up on one of the leads I got... I didn’t know you lived nearby. Luckily for me, you had me followed, huh?”

“I have to use my resources well, pretty girl.”

Tonia chose that moment to come by them. “Big brother, are you going to be home now that Lumine is here? You’ve been out the past few days looking for her to arrive, so we haven’t been able to put up the lights.”

Lumine eyed Childe. “Oh? You’ve been out personally? Every day?” 

With a cough, Childe ignored being caught in a lie. “Tonia, I’ll be more than happy to hang the lights with you tomorrow. In fact, we can even go get a tree when the others get here as well.” The words made her sparkle in excitement before running off to share the news. 

“Lights? Tree?” Lumine ate another bite of soup, enjoying giving him a look that told him she was content with his embarrassment. 

“Yeah, for Christmas.” Childe smiled at his mother when she sat to join them.

Thinking a moment, the younger girl tilted her head. “What’s Christmas?” The room suddenly went silent, making her look back and forth between the shocked faces before sinking back. “Uhm... dart fruit... hard to think...” It was a clear lie to Childe, but his mother seemed to eat it up.

“Oh you poor thing, you must be so confused right now! Christmas! You know, family, presents, caroling, santa?” Lumine just chose to nod, filling her mouth with more soup to save herself from having to answer. “The kids are so excited because everyone will be home this year. It's been ages since the whole family was together. Are you okay not being with yours, Lumine?”

Childe came to her aid, placing an arm around the girl’s shoulders when they sagged down. “Lumine is looking for her brother. He went missing a little while ago.”

“Oh... I’m terribly sorry.” The kind older lady reached over to take her hands. “It isn’t much, but anyone that my dear Ajax has chosen to bring home for Christmas is family to me. Once you find your brother, be sure to bring him here next time so we can all celebrate together.”

“Y-yes ma’am.” Honey eyes averted, cheeks tinting pink. It was then that she noticed something. “Ajax?” She watched the woman’s eyes look towards Childe. “Ohhh... Ajax. Aaaay-jax. I like that.”

Childe coughed yet again. “Didn’t you prefer to call me by pet names, pretty girl?”

“No. No, I think I’ll call you Ajax.” Very pleased at this revealation, she leaned towards him. “So, Ajax, tell me more about this Christmas?”

A growl. “You’re going to end up on the naughty list if you don’t cut it out, Sweetheart .” He was trying to keep his temper in check. His name wasn’t something he took lightly, and having it thrown around carelessly like this wasn’t doing her any favors. Despite it all, she was laughing. That pure, sweet laugh that he got to see every now and then. Generally when it was towards someone other than himself, that is. “I’m so glad you find this amusing, my lady...”

“I do!” A weird feeling began to creep up in the base of her spine from all the laughing, making her stop before she really wanted to. “But I’ll stop teasing you. I know how you get sometimes, Chil...uhm... Dear.” Tilting her head, she asked if that was okay with her eyes.

A sigh came mixed with a nod. “Yeah, yeah. Looks like you’re done. Are you feeling better?”

“Perfect,” she lied easilly enough. “Just fine. Let me help with the dishes.” As she stood her body instantly overbalanced and fell to the side. Childe was fast, catching her with an arm around her waist and jerking her back up. The motion made her make a coughing sound and a whine, which he took as a sign. 

“You stupid girl...” Once more he scooped her up to quickly carry her off to the bathroom. Luckily she didn’t seem to have to throw up her dinner, but still leaned against the side of the bathtub with her head cradled in her arms. Sweat clung to her skin, shoulders heaving up and down as she gasped heavily for air. “For fuck’s sake, Lu... Take it easy. I’m not going to hurt you if you act weak in front of me.”

It looked as if the normally bright golden eyes were dulled, half open as she looked over at him. “I didn’t... want to look bad in front of... your family.”

“My fam... Lu!?” His anger turned to a mixture of conflicting emotions. “Those berries must really be messing with your head if that is what you’re worried about...” Blonde hair was gently tucked away from her eyes. “I know your senses are dulled right now, and when you start getting better you will probably hate me again... but for now, just know that I don’t mean you any harm. I...  want you to stay here. With my family... Please, Lu, stay with me for Christmas. Let me apologize with this.”

“...Mmm...” Unable to really move, a small hum was the best answer she could give.

“Lets get you a bath, it’ll make you feel better. I’ll ask Tonia if she can help you.”

Childe’s mother took that moment to enter the bathroom with two towels and some fresh clothes. “Just take care of your girlfriend, Ajax! No one will think ill of you two for bathing together. You wouldn’t even stay in the room as she was changed! How will you give me grand children if you won’t even get close!?”

“Grandchildren?” Lumine’s head lifted slightly, voice soundig slightly drunk from how tired she was. “Are we... having kids?”

The prospect of having children made the blood drain from the man’s face. “Lu, stop talking. Stop talking right now.”

“But...” She looked so confused in that moment. “I wasn’t aware... we were having sex.” Letting her head fall back down, she closed her eyes a moment before slowly opening them half way to look up at Childe through her lashes. “Do you want to... have sex with me?”

“Toniaaa!” Childe screamed out the name while standing, scooting past his mother on his way out. “I need you! Lu is sleep drunk and needs help bathing so you two go in together!”

~**~

Childe looked up at the ceiling listlessly, both hands behind his head. Laying on his bed wasn’t how he would normally spend his time but it felt like the past five hours of his life was the span of an entire day. Lumine was still mostly sleep drunk, going from her usual self to hyper playful to sleep talking all in the span of a few minutes. After she curled up on him on the love seat for a nap, he knew that he had to get away before he started to get carried away with the actions.

The object of his frustrations chose that moment to come into his room, closing the door behind herself gently. “Hey,” she greeted softly as Childe sat up on his bed.

“What are you doing? Tonia’s room is down the hallway.”

“I want to sleep here.” Padding over to the bed, she let her slippers fall to the floor while mounting it. “It feels weird sleeping with people I don’t know.”

“So sleeping with someone who tried to kill you is better? Your priorities are messed up, Lu.”

“You saved me. You took me into your home. You introduced me to your mother and lied about dating me. I’m safest here with you, Childe.”

“...I’m a man.” His words got a head tilt. “Just because I won’t kill you doesn’t mean... you’re safe next to me in my room.”

A slow grin came over the girl’s lips. “Oh? Are yu implying something naughty, Ajax?”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Why”

“Because.”

Lumine crawled over a little closer on the bed. “Because why? Does it do things to you?” The reaction let her know that she hit the nail on the head. “You never answered me.”

“Okay, fine, it does.” Blue eyes averted.

“That’s not what I meant.”

He sighed out. “Then what?”

“Do you want to have sex with me?”

Childe’s breath caught in his throat. Looking at her, he allowed himself to finally take her in. His shirt was baggy over her body and did little to nothing to hide the cleavage she was showing to him by being on all fours. She smelt like he did, freshly washed with his own soap and shampoo. The girl had even met most of his family and was welcomed with open arms. Now they were alone, in the very room he grew up in, on the bed he slept on most of his life.

He swallowed. The answer was clear to him. He wanted nothing more than to take her in that moment, to indulge himself in the fantasies he had of her. More than just a few nights had passed with her in his mind during an extra long hot shower, and now she offered herself to him while wearing his clothes? 

“...No.” The lie was forced, and he knew right away that she didn’t beleive him. “You’re intoxicated. You’re not thinking properly. You’re...” Leaning back, he tried not to inhale her scent. “You need to go.”

“I’m safest here.” The phrase was repeated as she slipped under the covers. Her head eased down onto the pillow, eyes closing slowly. “Sweet dreams, Darling.”

Childe chose to stay sitting up, waiting until he heard the soft, even sounds of her breathing. Once he was certain she was asleep, he slipped from the bed as carefully as he could. The lights were all out in his home, letting him sneak away to the bathroom without interuption. Both hands went to hide his face a moment before threading back through his hair. ‘ Fuck... ’ His mental curse came paired with the image of her in his mind. Several moments passed by him as he debated with himself, torn between washing his face and going back to bed or indulging in his more primal needs. Finally a growl came and the door locked with a soft clicking sound. ‘ Damn it, Lu... ’

Chapter Text

When I awoke I could tell that my mind was already starting to clear up from the berries I had eaten. Although there was still a fog lingering over me, I could piece out what had happened yesterday in my mind. Childe had been looking for me ever since he heard I was in Scheznaya, he found me at my camp and carried me to his home, and I met some of his family. My cheeks suddenly felt a lot warmer, last night replaying back in my head. With my inhibitions completely gone thanks to the berries... I had asked him not once, but twice, if he wanted to sleep with me.

Deck the Halls II

By: Satashi

Lumine looked around the room with sleepy eyes as she sat up in the comfortable bed she had spent the night on. The covers were pulled to her chin in an attempt to keep the cold at bay, a little shiver quivering through her body. “Childe?” The name was soft against the quiet of the morning. “Uhm... Childe?” A small moan came next to her and she looked over the bed to see the harbinger sleeping on the floor. He had a spare blanket wrapped over his body and one of the throw pillows from the couch under his head.

‘ Did he really sleep on the floor? I was so vulnerable last night, and yet he... ’ The thought made her body relax and the awkwardness of waking up in his room slip away. ‘ He said he wanted to apologize with this... ’ As quietly as she could, she slipped from the mattress in favor of crouching down next to him. Despite being so much larger than her, she easily lifted him up without waking the boy and laid him on the bed. The covers moved to lay over him and she tucked her friend in with a quirky little grin.

‘ You’re kind of cute when you’re not throwing whales at me. ’ The thought, although grim, brought a little smile to her lips. On his windowsill sat a medium-sized whale plushie, worn out from years and years of touching. ‘ He has a weak side too, this man. ’ With that, she stood and walked over to the dresser in the room. Although his shirt was comfortable, walking around in just that wasn’t the best for her state of mind.

Routing through the drawers, she finally found what she was looking for. Drawstring lounging pants were stolen and a simple long-sleeved hoodie was nipped as well. The bottom of the pants were rolled up and the hoodie sleeves soon joined it. With that, she tied the lower hem of her top in a knot so it would fit her frame better and not hang to her knees. All in all, not a bad job, she decided while looking in a mirror. Even if she had the ‘morning after’ look going for her, it still felt classy enough given her situation. 

The house was quiet so early in the morning. The only sounds seemed to lead her into the large, open floor plan of the living room and dining room where she spent most of last night. This time she followed her ears around a corner and saw a large kitchen before her. The shelves matched the same dark stained wood that the house had going for it, only laced with marble countertops and decorated with spice racks and small herb pots. 

“Oh Dearie, you’re awake!” The voice belonged to Childe’s mother. Lumine wracked her brain, trying to remember the name. Anastasia? “Are you sure you should be walking around? Do you feel okay?” The sweet words were paired with her placing a hand to the girl’s head to check for a fever. “You feel better than yesterday, but I don’t want you to push yourself, you hear me?”

“Y-yes ma’am.” The sheer amount of kindness being shown to her was still amazing. Just because Childe had brought her, everyone was treating her like a new member of the family already. “Uhm, are you making breakfast?” Honey eyes scanned the area. Cooking for so many people couldn’t be easy. “I can help?”

“I couldn’t ask that, silly girl!”

“Really, I feel much better now! I want to help.” Lumine smiled at her. “Believe it or not, I’m a really good cook. Just tell me what we’re doing and I can follow along.” It was true; jumping worlds had strengthened her ability to cook firmly. Every planet had its own quirks and spices, to the point where she gained the ability to make meals by just sniffing things.

“Well, in that case... I won’t deny making breakfast with my daughter-in-law has always been something of a dream of mine.” Anastasia missed the nervous look on the girl’s face. “Well then, we’re making pancakes, are you familiar?”

“Absolutely!” Lumine beamed at her. “Just leave it to me!”

~**~

Childe awoke to the sounds of laughter and talking. Although usually he would be annoyed at such a rude awakening, the fact that he was in his bed was enough to make him push himself up into a sitting position. A quick check next to him let him know the spot to the side was cold, meaning Lumine had been long since gone. ‘ Did she sneak away? No, why would she put me in bed if she was trying to get away from here? Is she... with my family? ’ 

The thought alone was enough to make him quickly get to his feet. The dresser was rooted through clumsily, paying no heed to keep the neatly folded clothing in proper order. ‘ Where is my hoodie? ’ He was forced to give up, instead grabbing a maroon sweatshirt to go with his lounging pants. 

The Diningroom table was already alive when he arrived. Teucer and Tonia were talking excitedly about getting a tree and decorating while they ate. At some point in the morning, his father had made it home with his older brothers and sister, all of which were happily chatting it up over coffee and breakfast. Lumine seemed to be the main topic and he quickly found out why once they all took notice of him.

“Little bro!” Andrei beamed at him. The tall redhead was all smiles, a teasing look in his eyes. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing your girlfriend home for Christmas! She’s a cutie!”

Amelia giggled at the stunned look of her little brother. “You have such a good eye! She’s a total darling!” Her hair was a blazing red waterfall of embers, eyes sparkling green like gemstones. “I’m proud of you for finding her!”

“And she makes amazing coffee,” his father added in, keeping his praise simple.

Childe couldn’t find a retort in time. His blue eyes found the object of conversation walking into the room from the kitchen cheerfully. Her hair was a little messy, a small smear of flour was on her cheek, and most importantly, she was wearing his favorite hoodie. The attire was topped with an apron and she held a plate of pancakes with a sparkle in her eye that he knew to be of the mischievous kind. “Good morning, Sweetheart,” she sang to him, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Eat, before it gets cold.”

Sitting down in stunned silence, he looked at the plate before him. Heart-shaped pancakes, over-easy eggs, bacon, and a cup of coffee ready for his consumption. “You... made this?”

Teucer took that moment to join in the conversation. “She made mine star-shaped!”

“And mine cat-shaped!” Tonia added in.

Their mother leaned against the doorframe leading into the kitchen. Her face was gentle, the wrinkles of age showing nothing but fond smiles. “Ajax, you couldn’t have picked a better woman to bring to us. I’m so proud of you.”

“Mama, it’s embarrassing.” The words didn’t come from the son, but rather the blushing guest. Lumine was looking down at her feet, the red tint streaking not only to her cheeks but down her neck and across to her ears as well. “I just helped with breakfast, that’s all.”

Childe dropped his fork, a motion not unnoticed by those around him. Soft coos came from his sister while his brother slapped him on the back. He could only manage a weak, nervous laugh. “Uhm... So you’re feeling better, pretty girl?”

Lumine nodded and began to take the finished plates from the children before the mother had a chance to do so. “I kind of space out sometimes, but in all I think I’m okay.”

“Lumi, Dearie, let me handle that! You go eat!” Anastasia tried to take over for the girl but was denied with a happy smile. 

“No, I’ll do the dishes, it's okay.” Despite her words, she was soon forced from the kitchen and sat down next to her alleged boyfriend. The two awkwardly locked eyes for a moment before each turned ever so slightly. “H-how is it?”

“Delicious.” Taking note of the small chip in her armor, he put his arm over her shoulder. “I could wake up to this every day for the rest of my life, Babygirl.” 

The words made Lumine stiffen ever so slightly, turning to look at him with a ‘you really want to do this?’ look on her face. “Oh? Good thing, my Darling, because I’m not going anywhere.”

“Who said I’d let you?” Childe leaned forward to touch their noses, daring her to up her game. 

Lumine’s lips twitched up to a grin. “Let me? Should I remind you who won our last... sparring... session?”

“I let you go.”

“You ran.”

Childe smirked. “You want to see my full power?”

“I saw that last night.” Although intending to be a jab at him sleeping on the floor, her words made everyone around them instantly cough or sputter out a laugh. Childe’s face immediately drew back, his face red and eyes wide. “Wh....what?” She looked around. “I was just referring to how we slept together?”

“Lu!” Childe shouted her name. “Phrasing!” 

It took the girl several seconds before the gravity of her words began to sink in. “I... I meant... that...” The sisters at the table were grinning at her while the brothers were shooting Childe pleasing looks. “I’m... just going to crawl into a hole now...” 

An hour later the two found themselves once again in Childe’s room. Back to back, they began to change for the day’s activities. Lumine luckily fit into his older sister’s clothing, giving her something warm and comfortable to wear. Childe was both thankful and annoyed at this. Thankful because seeing her wearing his clothing was doing more to him than he would ever admit, and annoyed because she would no longer be wearing said clothing that did those things to him. It was complicated.

“You’re not looking, are you?” Lumine asked as she hopped in place to get the thermal leggings right.

“I’m not a pervert,” Childe protested with a roll of his eyes. “If I wanted a look, I would have taken one of the many chances I had of getting one.”

“So you don’t want to look?” She feigned sounding hurt, as she heard from him so many times. “And I was going to let you as well.”

“No you weren’t, you brat.” A snort came with the reply. “You may have my mother wrapped around your finger, but I know your games.”

“Says the one who told everyone we’re dating.”

Pulling on his coat, Childe shoved his hands through the sleeves. “I did no such thing. I merely implied it. They’re the ones who misunderstood.”

“And you went with it.”

“Well, you are a prime catch, pretty girl. Who would be dumb enough to let that pass by?”

Lumine sang out the next part. “So you admit you want to date me? Bold. What would the other Harbingers say to that?”

Childe’s voice snapped at her, cutting off all teasing. “Don’t mention them here!” Silence came over them, tension suddenly thick in the air. After several seconds the man finally sighed and let his shoulders sag. “Sorry, Lu... I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

“No, I overstepped...” The meaning behind their real relationship was still up in the air. The two had gone on a few dates, shared more than a few nights of fun around Liyue’s cultural festivals, fought alongside each other... and against each other. “Childe...?”

“Yeah?”

“...What are we?”

“A mess.” The answer, although not what either of them wanted to hear, was the best one. “I’m your enemy... I’m a bad guy. I kill and fight... no, I live to fight. The thrill of it, the rush of seeing our plans through. I’ve fought gods and even summoned them to do my will. I can destroy cities with my power...” His words died off when he felt Lumine’s forehead resting against his back. “... And I’m powerless against you.”

“In combat or as a person?”

“... I’ve become stronger. You’ve seen it.” A roundabout answer. A half-truth. Just enough to give someone an idea but not enough to make a commitment. 

“Are you going to keep running from me?” Lumine gripped the back of his shirt in her fists. “Why not just... help me find my brother? Teucer told me you wanted to come along on my travels... And we work well together.”

“I’m a bad guy.” Childe shook his head. “All it will take is one command and I’ll be at your throat again. Lu, this is dangerous. We should keep pretending...”

“...Then why did you bring me here?” She felt him tense up. “Why did your mother ask me to call her ‘mama’ then? Why am I wearing your sister’s clothes? Childe... what the hell are we?”

“...Lu, I...” 

A knock on the door came paired with Tonia’s teasing voice. “Hurry up you two! You can make out later, we need to get a tree!”

Childe called back without missing a beat. “Don’t tell me what to do, little girl! I can make out if I want to.”

Lumine let go of him. “Che, fine. Have it your way, Childe.” Not letting him get another word in, she left the room and closed the door behind herself.

“...That’s who I am.” Looking down at his hand, he tried his best to form a blade of water to remind him of his true nature. Instead, only his imagination of last night came to his memory. His hands hadn’t held blades to her throat then but instead caressed her body as they made love together. 

Rage flashed through him and before he could stop himself he threw the pillow on his bed across the room with a growl. “Damn it!” Slow, heavy pants came as he tried to calm down. “What is wrong with me... I never asked her out... This isn’t real... it's not...” Swallowing hard, he recalled the angelic look of her sleeping face laying by him. “Lu... The hell are you doing to me, pretty girl?”

~**~

Watching Lumine’s face light up as he told her more about Christmas was endearing in its own way. Part of him was confused at how she didn’t know of the holiday but in the back of his mind he was aware of the rumors that this girl wasn’t of this planet. His spies had given him that information a few times now, that she had been discussing traveling different worlds. Despite sounding impossible, he had himself done impossible things as well.

“Childe?” The name snapped him from his thoughts. “What are you thinking about?”

“Just stuff. It's odd how you don’t know about all this.”

“Well, I’ve never had Santa visit me before, so I wasn’t aware he existed.” Lumine giggled at the thought. “Bringing presents to good kids? Sounds amazing. I really like that.”

The man stopped walking, taking a moment to observe her. They were together in a forest along with the rest of his family. Finding the perfect tree was always something they did together, calling out to everyone when a suitable subject was spotted. Now that they were a bit away from the others, he could ask what was on his mind. “Hey, Lu?”

“Yes, Dear?” She answered simply while leaning over to inspect a chipmunk-type animal running around the base of a tree. 

“Is it true that you aren’t from Teyvat?”

“Hm? Yeah, why?” Lumine smiled at him. “I got stuck here when my brother and I got separated.” The way he was looking at her made her grin cheerfully. “What’s with that expression? I never hid it.” Laughing, she clasped her hands behind her back while strolling along the path. “Are you curious?”

“Yeah.” Childe jogged after her, now more focused on her than the greenery around them. 

“My brother and I jump worlds for fun. We’ve been to so many that I can’t even keep track of them. Some were completely frozen over, others were like a desert. Most were like here, though. A thriving ecosystem with its own rules and laws. We end up staying on those for a while before moving on to the next. This isn’t the longest I’ve been on a planet, but I feel like this might be my permanent home now...”

“Why?” He was surprised with himself when he realized that he didn’t even second guess such a story. 

“I lost my powers when... When I lost a fight.” Lumine stopped walking again, eyes going up to the sky. “We were beaten and thrown down to Teyvat... My wings were stripped and my powers stolen from me.”

“...Wings?” Lumine looked over her shoulder at him, snowflakes dotting her hair and sticking to the long lashes around her eyes. In that moment he could imagine her with feathered wings out behind her and a halo over her head. 

“I used to be able to fly,” She revealed fondly. “Through the skies, among the stars... I never appreciated it until I was grounded like this.” Shaking her head, she tried to laugh it off. “Are you worried? That an alien like me is with you now?”

“Why would I be worried?” An honest smile came to him when his words made her blush. “I’ll teach you everything you need to know, Angel.” Before he could stop himself, he caught up with her and took her hand. “Christmas will be the first holiday we spend together.”

“Oh... O-Okay!” Her fingers interlaced with his, their thick gloves making it more than a little awkward. Fortunately for them, a shout by Amelia drew their attention. “Come on, let’s look!” She ran forward first, tugging on his hand to pull him along with a smile. “Let’s go, Sweetheart!”

~**~

Breaths of fog came steadily from Childe’s lips as he watched his pretend girlfriend climbing a hill once again with his younger brother. Teucer had insisted on showing Lumine the joys of snow sledding and judging by the laughter ringing out around them, it was a fine idea indeed. The male was currently sitting on a picnic table next to Tonia while the older siblings went about setting up the tree in the house so it could be decorated. 

“She is really nice, just like you said.” Tonia smiled at her big brother. “You really care for her, don’t you?”

“What makes you say that?” Leaning back, he braced himself on his hands behind himself. 

“You haven’t taken your eyes off her all day.” The young teen giggled at him. “And you have this stupid little smile on your face when she laughs.” A squeal came when he flung snow on her back. “See!? You’re not even denying it! No wonder you write about her so much!”

“I do not!”

“Your last three letters were nothing but your dates together!” She leaned up against him to get an arm over her shoulders for warmth. “After meeting her, I can’t agree more. When are you two getting married?”

“Married!? Tonia, I’m nineteen!”

“Mom got married at seventeen.”

Childe groaned. The logic of a teenage girl was nothing to be trifled with. “Tell you what, you ask her to marry me and I’ll consider it.” He knew her ideas of marriage very well. She wanted a prince to propose to her in a flower garden, kneeling on a bed of roses while asking for her hand in marriage with a giant rock of a diamond. The idea of him not asking directly would be sheer idiocy to her.

“Lumiiiii!” Tonia cupped her hands over her mouth to help her voice travel. As Lumine looked over at them, Childe’s body went rigid. “Ajax said he wants to marry you!” She felt his large hand over her mouth just a bit too late. Squeals of laughter came thick, the girl squirming as he tickled her relentlessly.

“Ignore her!” Childe called over the sounds of brotherly torture. Still, Lumine felt her cheeks burning red, and not just from the cold. 

Teucer was smiling ear to ear though. “You’re getting married!?” Before an answer could be given he was already running to the house ahead of everyone else. “Mama! Mama! Big brother and sister are getting married!”

The screams of joy at those words were heard even outside, where Childe was gawking down at Tonia in disbelief. The younger sister took the moment to flee, laughing her way to the house so she could hide from the chaos she had sewn. Finally, Lumine stood before him, stunned into silence for what seemed like minutes before speaking. “So how do we play this off?”

The only way he could save face was to put up his shield again. “What, you don’t want to marry me?”

“Come off it, we’re not even dating.” A frown mixed with a pout came with crossed arms. “You’re the one who apparently told Tonia you wanted to wed me.”

“Don’t believe everything you hear.”

“So Tonia is a liar?”

Childe stood. “My little sister would never lie!” The smirk he got told him that he fell right into her trap. “Ugh, fine, I might have said something along those lines.” His own arms crossed, body turning away from hers. “You know how kids are.”

“I know.” A laugh made the tension break. “Hey, what is marriage like on this planet?” 

The question was innocent enough. As they walked towards the house with a snow sled in tow, he began to explain. “Well, usually one will propose with a ring. There is a rare material called a diamond that is traditional. It is a clear gem that sparkles. If they agree then you’re engaged. You plan your wedding out how you like, everyone seems to want it a little different. Some like giant buildings like cathedrals, others like small and homey.”

Lumine hummed, pleased as Childe held the door open for her. “I think I would like a smaller wedding with just my close friends.”

“Agreed.”

Teucer’s voice came up next. “Told you!”

The pair froze, caught in the spotlight of the entire family looking at them in awe. “W-wait,” he began. “We’re just talking about weddings-”

“My baby!” Anastasia hugged him close, pulling Lumine into the embrace as well. “No wonder you brought her for Christmas!”

Defeated, Childe just let his body go limp. “Mama, I don’t even have a ring yet.”

“Yet?” Lumine peeked up, her voice a whisper. Brown eyes met blue, a sparkling of teasing mixed between them. “So that means I’m getting one?”

The mother answered first. “Of course he will get you one! Come now, Ajax, what are you thinking, proposing without a ring!?”

“Yeah, Dear ?” Lumine beamed up at him, a smile on her face. “What gives?”

Nervous laughter came slowly. “Ha... ha... haha... Oh you... you kidder you...” With his entire family staring at him and the small, cute girl who stole their hearts grinning from ear to ear at his predicament, he caved. “I was... thinking of picking one out together with her tomorrow.” Again the whole group collapsed into congratulations and hugs, each one taking time to ruffle his hair or talk excitedly with Lumine.

It took the pair almost half an hour to escape back to the privacy of their room. Once the door closed Lumine let her back fall against it in a helpless fit of laughter. “Oh my goodness! Your face! Like a kid getting caught stealing candy!”

“I’m so glad you find his amusing, little lady.” Childe’s tone was harsh, instantly cutting off the giggles. He faced her with a glare, eyes narrowed down. “You get to simply walk away from this when it's over... Go back to traveling, wandering around freely. Meanwhile, I’m going to be the one who has to break it to everyone that we’re not getting married. At that point, I might as well tell them the truth, that we’re not even dating.” He closed the distance between them and jabbed a finger to her chest. “I trusted you with my family, and now you milked it to the point where I have to break my mother’s heart... Thanks for that, Lu.”

Lumine looked up with wide eyes, his scoff hurting her more than it had any right to. The man walked to the bed and sat upon it, hunched over and staring at the floor without another word. “Childe... I didn’t mean for... I mean, to be like this... I thought...” Her excuse wouldn’t form, the back of her mind knowing what she did wasn’t right. She had wanted to tease him, to rile him up and get even for the times he made her blush that day. In the end, though, she had not only hurt him but the people who had accepted her so readily. “... I’m sorry.”

“Sorry won’t cut it.” He still wouldn’t look at her, even as she sat down beside him. “The hell am I going to do?”

“...I’ll have to explain everything to them. This is my fault. If they hate me then I deserve it... I didn’t want to hurt you or them... But I need to own up to what I did to you, Childe.” A hand went to stop her from standing and she eased back down to listen.

“...It's my fault too. I shoved this on you, forced you to pretend to date me in return for carrying you here... If I hadn’t threatened you, then... If I hadn’t lied in the first place... Fuck.” His fingers went into his hair. “I’m a worthless son... All I’m good for is lies and deceit... Teucer... Tonia... My mama, my dad... All I do is feed them lies. The looks on their faces when they thought I finally found someone... when I would settle down and live my life...”

“Childe...” Carefully she moved to lean against him, resting her head against his shoulder. “I... Don’t know what to say...”

“Make it up to me.” Lifting his head, he slowly turned to gaze at her. For the first time, he looked worn, like the weight of his life had finally caught up to and crushed him. “For just ten... even five minutes... Let me be Ajax.”

“...Okay.” The bed shifted, his arms going around her as he moved. Together they fell onto the bed, her face cradled against his chest. Slender arms moved around his toned figure, their legs crossing each other’s as they embraced in a full-body hug. “I have you, Ajax.” The words made his fist tighten their grip on her sweater. At first, it seemed as if nothing would happen. Then she heard the faintest sound of a sniff and felt warm dampness seeping into her hair. “Just let it out, Darling... I’m here... I’m here for you, I promise. We’re going to get through this together.”

The hold tightened and a small nod was the only answer he could give.

Chapter Text

When Childe finally pulled back from me, I tilted my head upwards to look at him. The pillow his cheek was laying on was slightly skewed so I could rest comfortably on it as well. Our eyes met and his gaze softened almost at once. His normally aloof eyes were puffy, red lined and bloodshot from the small amount of crying he had allowed himself. A quiet moment of weakness that he shared with me. It made me smile at him and I found his palm rest on my cheek, thumb brushing some hair from my face. The feeling was… shockingly welcome.

Deck the Halls III

By: Satashi

Lumine tilted her head slightly, a little quirk that Childe had begun to notice that she did when confused or curious. The motion brought a smile to his lips and soon the ones before him mimicked it. “Lu…” The bed dipped down as his weight moved over it, body adjusting so he was on top of the girl. His weight balanced mostly on his right knee that was next to her hip, the rest on his other leg that was pressed in between hers. Childe’s upper body was braced by his forearms next to Lumine’s head, keeping it so their faces were still close.

Uncertainty was thick between them. Her hands moved on their own, shifting to rest on his sides. The moment they shared was the first time they had opened themselves up completely and the aftermath of such was confusing to say the least. “Ajax,” she spoke his name in a breath of a whisper, unsure what else to say in the situation. His usual reply didn’t come. He didn’t frown, didn’t tell her not to call him by that name. Instead she saw him suck in a breath, felt his body tense at the word before releasing it in a shiver that ran down his spine. He liked it.

Childe’s face leaned down, nose tilting ever so slightly to slip next to hers. Their lips didn’t touch, but any motion would seem to complete the action. Breath mixed and suddenly the clothing in Lumine’s hands were gripped tightly in anticipation. ‘Should I?´ Blue eyes searched amber orbs for the answer.

‘Are we going to kiss?’ The thought was both nerve-wracking and pleasing; scary and exciting. ‘This is a bad idea… a really, really bad idea.’ Still, her small tongue flecked over her lips to moisten them, breath hitching in her throat when his body lowered a bit to touch hers more.

‘We should stop…’ Childe moved one hand to caress the silken hair on her head, thumb and forefinger massaging the rim of one of her ears. ‘We should stop right now…’

‘Don’t stop…’

‘I don’t want to stop…’

Lumine tugged on the clothing, making their bodies fully come into contact with each other’s. Arms slipped around his back, fingertips pushing him down. ‘He’s so warm… I can feel him…’ A blush splashed over her cheeks, something that he noticed at once.

“Pretty girl,” the phrase was standard for him. “My pretty Lumine…” This phrase was not. He felt a gasp breeze by his lips, shivered as a palm slid up to his neck to cradle him, and closed his eyes as their mouths opened. He could taste hot chocolate on her breath, tinted by sugary marshmallows and brown sugar chapstick. Her body arched up against his so his arms could slide under her and for the first time ever, their lips touched.

At that exact moment, before anything else could register, a hard pounding on the door made each one startle on the spot. Childe instantly jerked back, more from pain than anything else. Lumine’s eyes went wide, fear and shock clear in them as Teucer’s voice demanding for them to hurry up was mostly ignored. “Ajax! Are you okay!?”

“I’m fine!” Despite his words, the male held a hand to his mouth to cover it. The suddenness of the excited little brother had caused Lumine to bite him, ending their first kiss ever with a bloodied lip.

“Let me see,” her words fell on deaf ears as he turned from her. Childe’s cheeks were doing his hair proud, a red tint splayed over them even as he tried to deny that anything happened. “Come on, don’t be such a child!” That got him to face her, a small bit of betrayal in his eyes thanks to the laughter in her voice. “There we go, come on now, let’s see…”

Gentle hands carefully embraced his much larger one to slowly lower it. Childe’s lip was swollen on the left-hand side, a small trace of blood dotting the surface. “Told you it was nothing,” he insisted.

“Baby, you have a weird idea of nothing.” Again, her voice was sparkling with laughter. Childe was now sitting up on the bed, Lumine on her hands and knees before him. “Looks like I bit you pretty hard… I’m sorry.”

Childe seemed to have a mix of a pout and indignant look on his face. “Its fine… Just a slip, right?”

A small smile came over her as she heard the words. “I didn’t do it on purpose, if that’s what you’re asking.” She enjoyed watching the fear leave his eyes, a small amount of pride welling up in her chest. “Did I make you worry? Aww, how cute.”

“Worry? Me? Ha!” The shields were coming back up once more. “Pretty girl, you flatter yourself.”

“Ajax.” With that one word she was able to break through them and once again find the man who had hugged her. “Close your eyes.” Her hand rested on his knee, body leaning forward. This time her nose slid next to his, lips parting ever so slightly as she pressed them to his.

Childe relaxed. A slow inhale came through his nose as he raised one hand to cup her cheek once more. Several seconds passed in silence as the kiss lingered, both their eyes opening when it finally broke. Again they shared their breath, inhaling air around each other’s mouths. “Lu…”

“Dating Childe would be a really, really bad idea,” her words came as a gentle whisper against him. “But… you know, I’m told Ajax isn’t that bad of a guy.”

“Are you asking me to be your boyfriend, Lu?”

Slowly her body moved to be closer to his, arms going around his neck. Her legs straddled his, allowing her to be a head’s length above him for once. Lumine brought one hand over, fingertip hooking under his chin to force him to look up at her. “You’d like that wouldn’t you, Ajax?”

For the briefest of seconds, a submissive gaze of longing flashed over his features. “Yes, my Lumine.” Then, as fast as it came, it was shattered by another knocking on the door.

“Hurry uuuup!” This time it was Anthon who was complaining to them. “They won’t let us start without Lumine!”

Both adults groaned, bodies sagging in disappointment. “Okay, we’re coming!” Childe called back in a sweet voice. “Be good and wait just a minute more, okay?” With that he turned back to the lady above him. “Rain check?”

“Eager, aren’t we?” There was a light, teasing tone in her voice. “You may have missed your chance. Who knows if the mood will be right later?”

“I’ll mood you, pretty girl.” His hands went to tickle her sides as he threw her off of him. Ignoring the squeals of joy, he hopped from the bed in favor of grabbing their indoor clothing. “Here; my hoodie. You’ll sweat to death if you wear your snow clothing indoors.”

“I have your sister’s clothes now,” she reminded him pointedly.

“My hoodie.” He pushed it towards her insistently.

Rolling her eyes, she accepted. “Fine, fine, I’ll wear your hoodie again. Who would have thought you would be the clingy type?”

Again, he looked indignant at her. “I’m not clingy! I just want you to wear my hoodie!” His words got a pleased giggle and a twirling motion with one of her fingers. Taking the hint, he turned around with pink tinted cheeks. “There’s nothing clingy about that… It’s… manly. And hot. Dominating.” A nod came, as if confirming it to himself.

“Pfffthahaha!” Tugging off the several layers of clothing she had word outside, she shook her hair to get it from her face. “Dominating? Spare me, Kitten. I saw that look.”

“Oh?” His tone turned pleased. “Then should we have a sparring session, my lady?” He was about to turn to her, but her words made him stop.

“You look over here while I’m changing and I’ll smash your face with a geo meteor while you’re sleeping.” The warning worked and Childe faced the other way once more, muttering something about how he was the top in the relationship. “So what are the kids so excited about?”

“Christmas tree. Its where Santa Claus puts the gifts at, remember? We’re going to decorate it with lights and ornaments, things like that. Every year we tend to add something new to it, so it kind of grows and grows.”

“That’s a nice tradition.” Lumine looked for the pajama pants that Amelia had given to her earlier that day. “…Ajax, dear, where are my pajamas?” She playfully gave him a cute name to see if he would blush.

“You left them on the bed, Snookums.” His pet name was fired back without hesitation, voice light and playful.

“Those are the ones I wore this morning, I meant Amelia’s.” Realization began to sink in. “… Wait, seriously?”

“It’s hot!”

“Men are so weird!” Lumine rolled her eyes and grabbed the sweats, rolling them up once more so she wouldn’t trip over how baggy they were. “Aether would have your head if he knew you were ogling me in your clothes.”

The male turned around to face her. “Your brother? When you find him, I’ll be glad to spar with him over it. I trust he’s as strong as you?”

“I don’t know. Depends if he lost his powers as well.” Hopping from the bed, she put a hand on her hip. “If he didn’t, he could wipe the floor with you.”

“Pft. Hardly.” When his friend didn’t flinch at the words, he got serious. “How strong were you two before you lost your powers?”

“Strong enough.” Moving by him, she tried to save his ego by not answering. His hand grabbed her wrist along the way, making her turn to questioning eyes. “You really want me to answer that?”

“You are one of the only people to ever stand toe to toe with me… The very idea of it sends shivers of excitement down my spine… to know you can get stronger…” A grin came over his lips. “It’s a turn on, to say the least.”

All thoughts of saving his dignity were gone with those words. Smirking up at him, she cooed the words out honestly. “I’m maybe thirty percent of my full strength.”

“Come on, be serious.” Pulling her back to him, he slipped an arm around her waist. “Tell me.” When nothing else came to him, his smile dropped. “Pretty girl, for real, tell me.” This time she looked back and up at him, a cocky grin on her face. “…You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“I am.” Stepping from his flirting embrace, she turned and took a step backwards. “But it doesn’t matter now. I lost my strength, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get it back. I’m still growing, but-” Sounds from the living room came once again, the children running around impatiently. “But right now, the most important thing is making those little kiddos smile, right?”

“… Heh, right. Come on then.” Taking her hand, he walked her to the door. “…Hey, were you really going to kiss me again before we were interrupted?” A playfully rough elbow to his ribs made him grunt out just as the door opened.

“Sorry for the wait!” Lumine cheerfully greeted them!

Ruefully rubbing his side, Childe agreed. “Yeah, sorry, she takes forever to get dressed.” The look she shot him was well worth the bruise on his side.

Amelia leaned back on the couch to look at her. “Did my clothes not fit?”

“It’s not that; the immature boy next to me just wouldn’t let me wear them. Something about this looking hot.” Lumine held out her arms and shrugged helplessly, making most of the family laugh at the now embarrassed man next to her.

“Little brother!” Andrei leaned over by him to look at his face. “What happened to your lip?”

“…Lumine kissed me.” Blue eyes averted.

“With what, her fist?” Andrei grinned over at the short girl. “You know, I was worried if he would be making the moves too fast on you but looks like you have a mean right hook!” This time even Lumine joined in on the laughing at Childe’s expense.

“No, no! don’t worry!” Lumine beamed at the older brother. “He knows who would win in a fight between us.” Although meant to be playful, the older siblings and father hesitated ever so slightly before laughing along with everyone else, something the girl didn’t miss.

Gold eyes met blue and soon she found herself hugged from behind, mouth leaning down to whisper into her ear. “Later… I promise, Lu.” His head pulled back and although his body was going to as well, he found hands holding his, preventing him from backing away. Lumine was keeping him in his spot, leaning back ever so slightly on him and looking up with a bashful expression on her face.

“Is this okay?” She mouthed up at him while everyone else started getting ready to prep the tree.

‘She is being really nice…’ Childe’s arms embraced her fully once more, stepping closer to feel the soft girl’s body against his. ‘Is she trying to make up for the marriage thing?’ The feeling of a thumb rubbing over the back of his hand made him feel oddly at ease. ‘But in the room… The kiss, her saying that Childe was out of the question, but Ajax… Why are girls so damn confusing!?’

The pair watched the younger family members decorate the tree with the help of their mother and older siblings. Lumine took in the atmosphere eagerly, enjoying the feeling of joy that everyone seemed to be giving off. The heat from the fireplace was radiating with the sounds of crackling wood and the scent of burning cedar. Her body was comfortably embraced by the man who had somehow made her feel at ease, adding to how easy going everything was.

Anastasia beamed over at the newest couple in the family. “Lumine, it is tradition to add something new to the tree every year. Is there anything from your hometown or something that you would like to put on?”

“Me?” Her body stiffened, suddenly aware of everyone looking at her.

“Go ahead,” Childe whispered to her playfully, nudging her forward.

“Well…” As she walked forward her hand went up to the hair clip holding the flower design above her ear. “I’ve worn this for several years now… If it is okay with everyone…” Her hands reached up, instantly moving to a smaller version of the mask that Childe wore in his hair that was clipped on the tree. After a little fuss, she attached her flower pin next to it, making it look like a set item. “There.”

To her surprise, she was actually pulled into a hug by the older mother. “Oh my sweet little thing… To think that my little Ajax would find someone like you… Makes this old woman’s heart happy.”

“Ah… hehe.” Not knowing what to say, she looked over at Childe for help.

“Mama, don’t embarrass her.” Large arms reached out to claim the woman once again for himself. Against his wishes, attention turned to him now. The youngest of the family began to giggle at him, teasing about how overprotective he was. Tonia seemed pleased, giving Lumine a look that actually brought color to the traveler’s cheeks. Before the topic of marriage could once again come up, Childe made his next move. “How about we get dinner ready? I’ll help cook!”

~**~

By the time everyone had a full meal and gathered in the living room, Lumine was already feeling the after effects of the berries. The sun had set, but it was still early in the night. Everyone was talking energetically, sharing stories of their lives out in the world, catching up on past events, and enjoying being with each other once more.

Childe and Lumine were sharing a love seat, just big enough for two people. Although she was small, she still found herself pressed to his side instead of claiming the room she had for herself. A casual arm was draped over her shoulders, her head lightly resting against the crook of his neck. His scent lingered in her nose, smelling like the apple cider that he made. Warm, inviting, comforting…

“Pretty girl?” The voice was soft but teasing. Lumine found herself blinking several times before looking up at him with blurry vision. “Hey there, you awake?”

“Huh?” Even her voice seemed to betray her. “Of… of course I am?” Despite her words, somehow she realized that she had tucked her legs up on the couch as well, all but laying on her friend who was leaning on the armrest to give her the most comfortable spot against him. “Wha… huh?”

Andrei chuckled while watching. “She’s a cutie when she’s sleepy.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, she’s mine.” Childe glared at him. “I think the dart fruit she ate is still effecting her. Normally she can stay up for a day or two before she gets sleepy.”

Anastasia chuckled at the pair. “Take that poor thing to bed, Ajax.”

Lumine tried to think through her sleep clouded mind. “No, no… I’m good… I want to… talk with everyone…” Despite her words, she still looked more asleep than awake. “I... want to spend time together… Before I can’t.”

“Lu, shush now.” Childe tried to soothe her while adjusting their bodies so he could pick her up bridal style. “Don’t talk about that. Let’s get you in bed, shall we?” As he walked to his bedroom, he smiled at his family. “We’ll be off for the night then. Busy day tomorrow and all that.”

With the pleasantries taken care of, Childe entered the room and carried the girl over to the bed. “You’re a handful, my lady.”

“Mmn, sorry.” She looked up with half glazed eyes, a little grin on her face.

“No, you’re not.” He sat next to her, hand moving over to brush hair from her eyes. “You get some rest; I’m going to read a few letters I received from my station here and then crash on the floor.”

Golden eyes closed a moment in thought. “You don’t have to sleep on the floor.” Opening them again, she took in the startled look on his face. “Sleep with me.”

“…You let your guard down too much when you’re sleepy,” he scolded her. “Last night you asked me that, and now you’re inviting me to share a bed? I’ll take advantage of you, little lady.”

“No, you won’t.” Reaching down, she pulled the covers up and over herself before starting to squirm. After a bit, the sweatpants she had on were tossed to the floor. “Come on, get in.”

“Lu… Are you testing me here? Because I’m going to fail.” His eyes were now burning a hole in the covers where the shape of her hips were.

“Just get in with me, Ajax.” The tone was soft, pleading almost. Sleepy eyes met his and he gave a light, defeated sigh.

“Fine. Give me a moment.” The lamp in the room was snuffed out, casting them in the moonlight. His own clothing was stripped, donning a simple pair of shorts before taking off his shirt and looking over his shoulder towards the honey stained eyes of his pretend girlfriend. “How come you can watch me change, but I can’t see you when you do it?”

“Girl logic,” she answered with a playful, flirty tone. “Hurry up, I’m cold.”

“What am I, your personal heater?” Childe made it a point to flap the covers when he lifted them up to ensure the cold air flew under.

“Kya! You jerk, stop it!” More awake, she tugged him onto the bed.

“Gah, your hands are like ice!” He felt frozen from the popsicle digits clinging onto the bare skin of his back. A snort answered and a secondary attack of frozen toes buried against his legs. “Ah, what are you, a cryo user!?”

“Serves you right for teasing me when I was trying to be nice to you.” Her body clung to his, head burying under his neck. The arm on top laid over his side, the one on the bed placing her palm on his chest. One of her knees slid up between his legs, rubbing up and down slowly for warmth.

‘Her legs are so smooth…’ Childe’s breath caught, his arm unsure if it should lay on her side or not. ‘She is really soft…and she smells like me.’ The thoughts clouded his mind and made him lock up for a moment.

“Scared?” The sleepy overtone was in her voice still but it was laced with a type of smugness that didn’t go un-noticed. “Seems I was right about you.”

“What do you mean?” With his ego on the line, he let his arm lay over her, careful not to rest his hand somewhere that might upset her.

Lumine tilted her head ever so slightly to look up at him. “You’re a warrior outside… Someone who doesn’t put up with anything… Someone who is cold and heartless when he needs to be. But on the inside, in this room where no one else but me can see… You’re different.”

“I am not.”

“You are.” A hand slid up to thread fingers into his hair. She felt him tense against her, his eyes widening. “Childe may be a Fatui Harbinger… But Ajax… is submissive.”

“Watch your mouth, pretty girl.”

“Don’t back talk me.” The words were gentle, a smile on her face as she softly stroked the back of his head. “I’m not going to abuse this… I’m going to cherish it.”

“I’m not submissive,” he denied her yet again. “The berries you ate are still in your system, even if you’re getting better. You know as well as I do that you’re not in top form. It isn’t even eight at night and you’ve already passed out on the couch.”

“Being sleepy doesn’t mean I can’t notice things, Ajax.”

“Don’t…” Despite starting the sentence, he didn’t want to finish it. Hearing his name come from her lips was something like a drug for him now. “Lumine, we’re walking a dangerous path…”

“I know. That’s why I want to be sure before we go any farther.” Moving her hand to his cheek, she stroked it softly. “Ajax… I want you to kiss me.”

“Lu, we shouldn’t…”

“Don’t backtalk me.” She smiled at the startled reaction the words received. His cheeks darkened and his eyes averted. A single finger drew his chin back so their eyes could lock once more. “Ajax… answer me properly.”

“… Yes, my lady.”

“Good boy…” Leaning back, she allowed him to roll over on top of her. Hands slid along her sides, hers going to loop around his neck. Hot, moist air was breathed out between them as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Slowly she ran her leg over his side, the smooth skin gliding along his and making him shiver.

Childe pressed on her a little more, enjoying how her body accepted his. She felt so small under him, almost fragile in the way he dwarfed her in size and muscle. Even his hands could completely encircle her wrists, gripping them in a way where his fingers touched when holding them. Still, the power she held over him was so great that it was frightening. Just her name being mentioned would catch his attention, the chance of meeting her again going before his important missions. He would skirt duties for her, spend his money to make her smile, and invite her into his home so his family could meet the one that did it to him.

Now, in his bed, even as sleepy and helplessly cute as she looked, Lumine still had him wrapped around her little finger. What was worse, now she knew it. Despite the fears of where this could lead him, where he found himself was in her arms. A gentle look, a moment of peace and trust between them. She had him exactly where any number of people would kill to have him, and her demand? A kiss.

Childe’s body leaned forward, pushing against her as his lips claimed what they had longed for so badly. At first it was a little awkward. The kiss was misaligned and messy, almost a complete miss on his part. The second was a lot more focused, touching properly and earning a pleased moan from the woman under him. The hands on his neck began to play with his hair, body squirming under him as she tried to decide what was the best way to cuddle with him was.

Intoxication was a good way to describe the feelings running through his body. Such a simple act held him in a way that made his mind go numb to the world around him. His stomach felt tight, body weak despite the power he knew it held within. Just a few kisses and he was putty in her hands, able to be molded into anything she desired. With just a couple whispered words and a flex of the fingers, he would obey any command she desired.

Yet she didn’t abuse it. Lumine clearly knew what was happening, even if she was struggling to breathe properly underneath him. She had even voiced her findings aloud to him. Still, she didn’t demand information from him, didn’t press for things she knew would make her life easier… instead, she asked for pleasure. Gentle moans encouraged him, fingertips pressed harder on his skin when he did something she liked.

“Ajax…” Lumine panted the name of the man above her when his mouth began to trail down beside her cheek and along her neck. “Oh gods…” Arms looped under her waist, one of which embraced bare skin as the hoodie rolled up. Kiss after kiss came down her neck towards her shoulder. Small nips mixed with hard suction and bites rough enough to be felt but not harsh enough to break skin. “M-more…”

Throwing her head back, she arched her body for him. A hot tongue ran along her collarbone towards the other side of her body, where he once again began to leave traces of his desire for her. One more bite, one more mark upon the milky white skin, one more claim that she was his. “Lumi…” His breath danced over damp flesh, the oversized hoodie revealing enough to be erotic.

‘I feel him…pressing against my tummy.’ The thought coursed through her mind like the lightning through her nerve endings wherever his mouth touched. ‘He wants me…’ Almost on instinct she shifted both legs to clench around his hips, her thighs tightly pressed against his sides. Childe groaned his appreciation for the motion against her, his body shaking from the unexpected action. Kiss after kiss, gasp after gasp, the two clutched at each other desperately. “Ajax… its okay.”

His blue eyes were always deep. Just looking into them made Lumine feel as if she could get lost in the complexity behind them sometimes. Now, however, she saw desire, longing, lust, passion, and something else that she was scared to admit overpowering them all. They were already sweating, such a stark contrast to how everything had started. Hard breaths panted out, their noses touching, saliva strands connecting their lips from the passion induced kissing they shared. “Lu… I- I don’t have…” Panic and embarrassment washed over his face. “I, uhm, don’t have any condoms…”

It took a moment for the sentence to sink in. Her cheeks turned a deep red, eyes widening when the full implications of the words hit her. “O-oh! Okay… Uhm… Y-yeah, its okay… uhm…” Awkwardness hung thick over them, their position not helping in the slightest.

Childe was the first to break the tension, sighing out and falling onto her in a hug. “Man… I must look so lame right now… I’m sorry, pretty girl. I totally ruined it.”

“Hey, don’t say that.” Lumine’s arms wrapped around him as well to give him a tight squeeze. “This happened really fast, so maybe it is best that we have to step back and wait… If we still want this tomorrow, then… we have our answer, don’t we?”

“…I guess you’re right.” Chuckling, he rested his forehead onto hers. “Pretty girl, you’re too much sometimes.”

“Don’t forget it.” Rubbing her cheek against his, she smiled. “What say we get some sleep before we get into trouble?”

“Good idea…” He let Lumine roll over and snuggle her back against his front. It took a few moments of shifting but soon they found themselves comfortably laying together with his chin resting atop her head and their legs intertwined below. ‘… There’s no way I’m going to sleep tonight.’

‘I can feel his heartbeat through my back… I’m going to sleep so well tonight…’

Chapter Text

Waking up the next morning came with something I wasn’t really used to. My body was comfortably warm, snuggled deep in covers like a cocooned caterpillar. My head rested against a soft pillow that smelt strongly of the man I had spent the night with. This person was in my line of sight as well. Standing in only his shorts next to the bed, facing away from me. A large stretch came and I got to enjoy the flexing of the muscles on his back to the fullest. I must have squeaked out my approval because Childe flinched and looked over his shoulder with that damned lovable smile on his face. “Enjoying the show, pretty girl?”

Deck the Halls IV

By: Satashi

Lumine sunk back into the covers bashfully, trying to hide as much of her blushing face as she could. “Good morning, Ajax. Did you sleep okay?” The obvious attempt at changing the topic did not go unnoticed by the harbinger.

“Oh, I didn’t sleep a wink thanks to a certain someone. But you didn’t answer me.” Turning around fully, he crossed his arms over his bare chest and grinned down at her. “I asked if you were enjoying the show?”

“Don’t get cocky with me or I’ll have to remind you who the top is in our little game.” The threat came with a little pout, the girl still refusing to move from the covers. Her eyes were glaring at his exposed skin, if just to prove a point now. “I have every right to look at you. Now, hand me my sweat pants so I can get out of bed.”

“Oh?” Kneeling by the bed, Childe propped his elbow to the sheets and cheek up onto his palm to give her a snarky grin. “And what would you do if I said ‘no’, little lady?”

The reply made her do a double take, shock taking her voice for several moments before she stuttered out a reply. “Y-You can’t say no! I’m only in my underwear and hoodie under here, so give me my pants!”

“I do think they’re my pants, so that reasoning isn’t valid.” To play into his teasing even more, he actually picked up the discarded sweats to act like he was inspecting them. “Hmmm, these look a bit big to belong to you anyway.”

Now frazzled, Lumine darted her hand out in an attempt to snatch them. When she only met air, Childe took her hand in his, interlacing their fingers. “Childe! I’m serious!”

“My alias? You wound me.”

“Ajax!”

“No, no, you already upset me. I’ll just go eat breakfast by myself then.”

“Give me my pants!” Lumine jumped from the bed, tackling him while taking the covers with her. The two fell onto the floor with a soft thud, Lumine on top. Her hand reached out, only to have her prize yanked away from her and held over Childe’s head. His hand looped her waist, pinning her to him so she struggled with an outstretched arm. Despite her best efforts, and several grunting noises to his amusement, she was still at least a foot and a half away from reaching her goal. “Ugh, Ajax, you’re such a jerk!”

“I told you I was a bad guy.” Once again he was laughing his words, that chuckle of his hanging on every word. “Come on, spunky girl, try harder!” The words spurred her on more, legs straddling his waist as she tried her best to escape his one handed death grip on her. “Ooh, I could get used to this!”

“Perv!” Despite the blushing cheeks, she still tried to get what she wanted. “Why did I ever think you would be a gentleman?”

The two rolled over and the sweats were thrown across the room in favor of struggling in a small mock battle under the messed up covers. “Beats me, I told you I was a man!”

“Pfft, more like a boy! H-hey, watch your hands!”

Childe snorted. “Oh? Me touching these dainty little hips got you flustered? Sorry, girlie, you need some thighs if you want to be a woman.”

“Didn’t think that last night , pervert.” Lumine struggled with him more, the pair rolling over each other several times while struggling to gain dominance. “I felt you against my stomach, you can’t hide it!”

“Oh? And that wet spot against my shorts?” Lumine gasped, cheeks heating up. “What’s the matter? Can dish it out, but can’t take it?”

“Says the sub!”

“In your dreams!” Childe chuckled huskily, pinning the girl down with a lucky slip of her wrists. “Now what? I have you.” The two stared into each other’s eyes, panting heavily under the tangled mess of sheets and blankets.

Lumine swallowed, her breath catching in her throat. “L-let go of me...”

“Make me.” Leaning down, he touched their noses. “It’s my win...” The air was hot, stifled by both the blankets and their repeated breathing in the confined area. “So I can claim my prize, right?”

“...Don’t you dare start something we can’t finish.” The words were firm but the effect was ruined by her stained cheeks and heavy panting.

Childe gave her a smug looking smile. “So you’re saying if we could finish...?” He took delight in teasing her; always had. Seeing her under him, in such a compromising position, while being put on the spot... it was a sight that he would never get enough of. “Maybe you’re the pervert, Lu?”

A low growl came deep in her throat. Before he could resist, legs locked around his hips, ankles crossing at his back. A sharp heave lurched them over and flung the covers away. Now straddling him again, she shoved his hands down roughly. “You, Ajax,” she panted out. “Are not to backtalk me.” She watched him gulp, actually looking shocked at the sudden sharp tone. “And when I want something, you give it. Am I clear?”

“Y... Yes ma’am.”

“Good. Now give it to me, Ajax! ” Her hand was about to point to the discarded sweats, but a startled gasp caught her attention. Both her and Childe slowly looked towards the sound, seeing both Amelia and Andrei  looking at them in shock. 

“Uh... Sorry!” Ameila gasped out quickly. “Breakfast! Breakfast is ready!”

“Little bro, you’re a bottom!?” His laughter was cut off as his sister quickly pulled him away so she could close the door.

Lumine’s world froze, her eyes wide. Slowly her mouth opened, then closed again. Just when she almost gathered herself enough, Amelia’s excited voice came up again from the other room. “Mama! We’re going to have little kids running around soon!”

Childe put both hands on his face and let out a low groan. “Really, my lady? In front of my family?”

“Don’t give me that!”

“You’re the one who said it!”

 “I’m not going to argue with you.” A sigh came along with pushing the hoodie down between her legs when she noticed him trying to get a glimpse of her panties. “Perv.” This time she only got an honest laugh as he let his head fall back.

“Busted.”

Somehow he always seemed to be able to do that. No matter how much they fought, yelled at each other, or exchanged blows, he would laugh. It was the reason she was still there, even though she knew she should have left the moment she woke up the first time. Looking down at him, she felt a smile tug at her lips as well. Childe was, underneath the bloodthirsty warmonger, a good man. Come to think of it, if she had woken up in Scheznaya and was found by the Fatui, whose side would she be on right now? War was about fighting for your beliefs, no matter what it took.

“Lu? You okay?” A large hand caressed her cheek, bringing her thoughts back to the present. 

“Ah, sorry... Lost in thought.” Reaching up, she took his hand. Curiosity made her place her palm against his, wondering just how much bigger it actually was compared to hers.

“Your hands are cute.” Fingers shifted to interlace together. “So small... It's scary how much strength they hold behind them.”

“Enough to keep you in check.” It was a flirt, she realized. Not a taunt or a jab, but an honest flirt. “Someone has to pull on your leash.”

“... Lu?”

“Hm?” She tilted her head and watched his eyes sparkle at the action.

Slowly he sat up as well, hugging her close so he could whisper into her ear. “Let’s keep that part of me to the bedroom, shall we?” A smirk came over his lips as she tensed up, followed by a pleased sound when she nodded against him. “Thank you.”

“Yeah...” A bit of hair was brushed behind her ear. “Uhm, breakfast, right?” Moving from his embrace, she stood up while keeping her oversized hoodie pushed between her legs. “Let’s get dressed.”

Childe didn’t press the action. Instead, he simply allowed her to get the clothes Amelia gave to her while he went for his own. “Dress warm, we’ll head out after we eat.”

“Right.” Her golden eyes glanced at him. “What’s that?”

“What?”

Pointing, she took a step closer to him. “On your hip, above your waistband.” 

“Oh, this?” A thumb hooked under the elastic band so he could pull it down enough to show off the lines of his hip leading to his inner thigh. A long scar ran along his skin there, more pronounced than the other nicks along his body. “Pissed off one of the harbingers... Was a really good fight. I learned a lot that day.” Although he tried to sound nonchalant about it, his tone betrayed him. When he noticed her look, he continued honestly. “Pain is the best teacher, after all. I didn’t lose the second time we fought.”

“Are any of these from me?” The question was asked without thinking, honest curiosity overtaking her filter. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” The playful flirting was back full force. “Show yours and I’ll show mine.”

Cooing out a reply with a smile, she adjusted her clothing to settle properly along her body. “You act like you landed a blow on me in that battle.”

“You were covered in blood!”

“You threw a whale on me!”

“You looked really hot.”

“Don’t get turned on from me bleeding.”

“Don’t kink shame me!” Childe snorted a laugh. “You knew I was messed up before we got together.”

Lumine crossed her arms. “You never even asked me if I wanted to be your girlfriend.”

“I didn’t think I needed to after you demanded me to give it to you so fiercely this morning. My family thinks we’re having sex right now, you know.”

Rolling her eyes, she put one hand on her hip. “Like I’d do that with you.” The two shared a look and each averted their eyes after only a few seconds. “I mean... You don’t even have condoms, so it's clear you don’t even expect to ever get laid.”

“Because you weren’t here,” Childe protested. “If I kept them around, you might think I was screwing around with other women.”

“That sounds like I’m your woman, you know?”

“Aren’t you?”

“Am I?” The pair looked at each other again. “... This is so messed up. We’re going to end up fighting each other again one day, you know that, right?”

“... But it's not today.” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Guy logic.”

It was enough to make her laugh. Golden eyes closed as she let out the stress of their relationship in giggles, a smile on her face. “You know what? Fine. It's official: we’re dating.”

Childe came up to her and placed his hands onto her hips. “Does this mean I get to watch you change now?”

“... I’m already regretting everything.”

  ~**~

One thing that Lumine didn’t expect to be doing on the trip to Scheznaya was to be ring shopping. The whole family had gone out to the nearby town; a busy shopping district filled to the brim with people looking to buy things. Christmas decorations were everywhere, much to her enjoyment and Childe’s amusement. He got to watch her face light up at everything, see the reflection of the lights in her eyes, and enjoy a child-like wonder that most people her age didn’t get to have. 

He was seriously dreading the moment she found out Santa wasn’t real.

Now they found themselves split off from the group and in a fancy store away from the central shopping area. The walls were high, everything was brightly lit, and the paint was a bright honey brown to give the impression of a fancy atmosphere. Childe was recognized instantly and made no small show of announcing that he was there to look for a ring for his fiancee. 

At least this time, she didn’t quite mind it. They could take their time now that they were actually together. Girlfriend or fiancee, it was all the same to her. She didn’t need a ring to show their relationship, that was a Teyvat tradition. Even so, the diamonds she was shown didn’t really catch her interest. Clear stones that sparkled seemed a bit underwhelming to her. Instead, she nudged Childe over to another section that had different color gems inlaid in bands. 

White gold, amber and sapphire gems, intricate designs. These made her fawn despite the sales representatives urging her back to the engagement ring section. Childe just sighed and shook his head, waving a hand to show that he was okay in the non-traditional theme she was leaning.

In the end, she decided on a golden band with a simple wave of gemstones along it. Deep blue sapphires crossed over onto amber, mixing in the middle where he convinced her to custom place a single diamond gem. Both decided to forgo a cheesy declaration of love engraved on the inside, and within the hour, she had a ring on her finger.

“It's really pretty.” The words were spoken softly as she held her hand up to the sky, letting the sun catch along the gems. “Thank you again... Sorry it was so expensive.”

“It's fine, I had money set aside.” Childe shrugged it off like it was nothing but made a mental note to take it easy for a bit to recover from such an investment. The ring alone wasn’t cheap and the customization he insisted on almost doubled the price. “Now that this is taken care of, I’m afraid I’ll have to do some personal business.” 

“Oh?” An eyebrow arched up. “Who are we killing today?” 

Childe only smiled wider. “Regretfully, no one. I just need to report in and get briefed on what has been going on the last few days since I requested leave. Though if you want, I could take a mission for the afternoon? Maybe hassle down some low lives that owe money? Get into a street brawl?” 

To anyone else, it might have sounded like a joke. For Lumine, she saw the joy in his eyes and the hopefulness in his voice. He was looking for a fight. Childe had been shockingly calm the past few days, minus their little spats. For someone who lived for battle, this was probably a record for him. “I’ll pass on that. I don’t want to scuff my new ring.”

A sigh came, his excitement dieing down. “Fine. That’s a good reason, I suppose.”

“Don’t sound so disappointed, you’re making me feel bad here.” Although she didn’t mean it, it still brought a light grin to his face. “So just a quick in and out? I can meet up with your family while you do it then.” 

“You can come along.”

“Into the heart of a Fatui headquarters? Didn’t I just say I didn’t want to commit mass murder today?”

“You don’t have to kill everyone.”

“Aja-... Childe! I’m on their Kill on Sight list! If I walk anywhere near there, it’ll be a bloodbath! The only reason I’m okay right now is because I’m covered head to toe in furs!” To her surprise he reached up to his hair to unclip the mask he normally wore there. Instead of putting it over his face, he turned to look at her, stopping their walk and adjusting it so it fit over the only skin showing on her body. 

“There... you’re now Fatui.”

“... I feel sick.”

“Harsh.” A little bit of honest anger seeped into his voice. 

“Sorry, I... I just...” The pair started walking again. Unbidden, the thought from before came back yet again. “If I found you when I first woke up here...” Blue eyes glanced sideways at her. “Where would my allegiance lay?” Her small hand went to touch the mask covering her face. “Would I have made an enemy of the Tsaritsa? Or joined them for a while? Would I be an honorary Fatui instead of a Knight of Mondstat? Would I control cryo instead of Anemo? Would we... Be on the same side?”

“... It's not too late.” Childe whispered the words softly. “Join me, Lumine... I’ll introduce you to the Tsaritsa. I’ll show you the cruelty that we enact is all for the greater good. I may be a bad guy on the outside, but I fight for peace... for unity.”

“So you’ll kill an entire city full of innocents for it?”

“Yes!” The word came out strongly. “What’s one city for an entire world? We thin the boar population so foxes don’t go extinct. Spiders kill insects and bugs that harm humans, yet we look at them with fear and disgust. Without them, plagues and diseases would spread more readily, but does anyone thank them? No.”

“So that’s what you are?” Gold eyes sought out blue from behind the mask of the Fatui. “A spider?”

“Yes.” Childe stood firm on his words. “I kill the unsightly. I trim the unneeded. I hide in the shadows and do what needs to be done so others can live in peace. If I’m shunned by humanity, then so be it. My family will have a better life for it, and that is what matters to me. I’ll go down in history as a Harbinger. A war monger. A warrior bathed in blood... but the students who read about me will be warm and have full bellies. That, Lumine, is Fatui.”

Walking in silence, the two made their way to a large centralized building in the city. It looked well maintained, even with the snow covering most horizontal surfaces. Before they trekked up the stairs, Lumine took Childe’s hand to make him stop walking once more. “My brother and I made an oath,” she began softly. “That anything that could make a conscious thought would be considered a life form. If it can think and make a decision, then it's alive. ” Looking down, she stared into the snow for a moment. 

“Aether and I said we would never take a life unless we needed to. It didn’t matter if it was a small animal, or a civilized culture. A reason was needed to end its life.” She could tell that he was curious as to where this was going, so she tried to cut to her point. “What I’m trying to say is, I understand what it means to fight for something. To kill for something... you know my hands aren’t free from blood. I mean, I’ve killed more people who wear this kind of mask than I have any right admitting to.” A humorless chuckle came at that. “So... I don’t see you that way. A war monger, I mean. I like fighting as well. The adrenaline. The thrill. It is something that makes life interesting. So... Don’t think of yourself like that. Even spiders can be beautiful.”

“...Damn it.” A hand went to his mouth, blue eyes going wide. “How... how can you be this perfect?”

“Wh-what!? I’m being serious here, Childe!” Lumine took a step back in shock from the loving gaze she was being given. “Stop, it’s creeping me out!” Despite her words, she was swept up in a bone crushing hug. “Childe! People are looking!”

“Let them look!” His laugh was back, a smile on his face. “They’re just jealous I have you and they don’t!”

Lumine tried to hide against him, glad that a mask was covering her burning red cheeks. “...I should have just bit my tongue...” Thankfully the public display of affection only lasted a few moments before the harbinger pulled her along towards the building. The hot air inside was a welcome relief from the cold, despite the fact that she was in an enemy building. “So this is where you work, huh?”

“Home base, yeah.” Childe led her along while mostly ignoring the people who saluted him along his way. “I mainly get sent away to other locations. The harbingers and I don’t play nice, so they want as little to do with me as possible. The Tsaritsa keeps us separated when she can.”

“Oh?” Lumine mulled this over. “To avoid conflict?”

“Because she doesn’t like to see us fight each other.”

“Sounds nice.”

“She is.” Childe’s eyes glazed for a brief moment as he reflected on the archon. “Too nice...” 

This caught her a little off guard, keeping her thoughts swirling while Childe conversed with someone behind a desk. Once they were on their way again, she spoke once more. “Do you... know her well?”

“As well as you know Venti or we know Zhong Li. In our line of work, speaking with gods is nothing from the ordinary, no?”

Shrugging, Lumine simply kept pace with him. “If it can think and make a decision, it's a life form.”

Childe huffed at that. “You don’t make a distinction between a human or a god?”

“Or an animal,” she reminded him. “It comes with visiting multiple planets. A god in this world would be an insect on another. I’ve been on worlds where the children learning to walk could sling me through walls while playing with me like a toy.”

“...Now I really want to travel with you.” Childe shook his head in defeat. “Man, a god powered toddler. What am I missing by being here with all these weaklings?”

A happy, chipper answer came at once. “I could kick your ass again, if you want?”

Turning on his heel, he raised his voice. “Pretty girl, I let you get away!”

“You ran, not me!” She always loved getting under his skin, and seeing the red cheeks when he got angry was so adorable. “What’s the official record on this? Can you show me? I’m sure the missions are logged, right?” Just as she thought, his face instantly paled. That cute blush of his vanished, replaced by embarrassment. “Ohhhh, that means you know you lost?”

“You wanna go!?”

“Here? Baby, you know I can’t.” With a cute little tutting sound she wagged a finger at him. “One, you know why, and two, we’d destroy the building.”

“There is a sparring room. It's reinforced so it won’t break. The onlooking area is way  above, so no one will be able to see you. There are clothes you can change into.”

“...I’m keeping the mask.” Lumine felt a small jolt of excitement from the look she was getting. Although she knew it was a stupid idea, his insulted tone had turned into pleading somewhere along the way. 

It was like this adorable boy was asking her out on a date.

“Yes!” His fist clenched, eyes alive with fire. Without wasting a moment he led her by the arm down the hallway. People moved out of his path quickly, a few of them whispering amongst themselves. When they made it to a specially marked door, the whispers turned to excitement.

The room Lumine found herself in was a sort of prep/changing room. She was given some clothes by her boyfriend, a female version of the attire she usually saw fatui wear out on the town. “Fatui mask and now uniform...” A teasing laugh came with a smile. “You sure this just isn’t a kink of yours?”

“Oh it totally is.” Childe answered easily. “If I can get you in Fatui colored lingerie with red gems and golden chains? Mmmnn.”

“No. Now turn around.” Her hands went to unzip her coat and work on the several layers of clothing she wore while making sure his eyes didn’t stray over to her body. “So, rules of the fight?”

“First one to submit or get a vital area hit loses. All powers are game.”

“No transformation, I’d rather you not be dead for Christmas, thank you. I still don’t know everything about it yet.”

“Of course. That is out of the question. Delusion allowed.”

“Fine, fine, won’t save you anyway.” Laughter came as a glove was flung at her head. 

“You have geo powers too, so it's even. However you do that is beyond me”

Rolling her eyes, Lumine chose to let that roll from her shoulders. “Mmhmm. I can do a lot you don’t know about, Sweetheart.”

“Let’s test that, pretty girl.” Once both dressed and the mask now covering Lumine’s face again, he led her to the doors going into the arena. A dramatic entrance was made as he kicked them open, causing all eyes to instantly turn to look at the loud noise. “Everyone out!” The command was loud and fierce. “Right now! Move it!”

Lumine observed the area while the scattered contents scrambled to the doors. It was a stone floor, split into large tiles that could be replaced if they suffered enough damage. Several pillars and obstacles were around to hide behind or use as cover, as well as a small pond and a handful of fire pits. Mostly anything a vision user would want to take advantage of in a battle.

“Master Tartaglia!” A Cicin mage ran to him, worry clear in her voice. “Sir! I don’t think you were informed about today, but-”

“Don’t care!” The sheer amount of cockyness that the man let off was almost absurd. “Whatever training you were doing can wait till later. Right now, this is my time.”

“B-But sir! With all due respect, I-”

Lumine rolled her eyes when Childe literally threw the mage out the doors. “You’re so impatient! We could have waited!”

“Battle waits for no man!” The words signaled the start of the battle. He didn’t even waste time with his bow, going straight forward with his daggers drawn and ready to slice through her. A clash against steel made him grin, blue eyes staring up at the honey orbs behind the mask.

“Watch my ring, Babe.” Lumine demanded cheekily before shifting her weight to make him lurch to the side. A light spin let her clock him on the back of the head with the hilt of her sword with only a few cuts in her clothing as compensation. “You trying to undress me or fight me!?”

“Both sounds good!” Another rush attack, strike after strike pushing the smaller girl back against a rock wall. “Got you cornered!” Quick attacks began to leave the faintest of nicks on her skin, just enough to draw blood. His payback came in the form of a giggle and a sudden shaft of hard rock smashing him in the face.

Lumine watched Childe stumble back in a daze, the geo shaft next to her fading back into the wall. “I’ve had enough battles to know how to use geo now,” she told him in a matter of fact tone.” Last time I had only just gotten the powers.” To prove her point, she let him charge her once again. Only this time, she made the ground raise up a few inches in small rectangles every so often along his path. The trick worked as his toe tripped over one and his balance faltered.

Childe crashed before his girlfriend, grunting in pain and shock before looking up to see her crouching before him. She said something cute and snarky to him, but his attention was somewhere else entirely. “Oh wow, blue lace?” His words instantly made Lumine shove a hand between her legs and down the skirt she wore to block his view. “My favorite color? You flatter me, pretty girl!” A fast tackle ended in a small fist fight and Lumine being kicked off of him and onto her back.

Neither was sure how long the fight lasted, but by the time it was drawing to a close they both felt weak and winded. Childe was favoring his left side and lurching with a hard limp every step that he took. Blood ran down over one of his eyes from a gash across his forehead and also from a busted lip. Lumine looked no better, nose bleeding and right eye swollen shut. Her left arm hung uselessly at her side, dislocated at the shoulder and dripping blood from her fingertips.

Water and electricity sparked all around Childe, both his Vision and Delusion active at once. Although true to his word, no transformation took place. However, the combination had numbed Lumine’s body to the point where the pain wasn't even being felt anymore. Not a good sign when you didn’t know when your libs were about to give out on you.

A final rush at each other, another exchange of flurries, and once more Lumine hit the ground. A burst of anemo energy slowed Childe down just enough in his lunge so she could wrap her neck in a ring of stone as well as create several jagged rock spikes coming up from around her. Just as expected, Childe landed on her, hydro daggers to her throat in a crossing pattern. The spikes touched his neck, threatening to pierce him through, while his blades rested on the defensive shield around her throat. 

“... Fuck !” The curse came with a dismissal of the daggers. Falling to the side, he sat down next to her while panting. “I thought I had you! Oh man, I thought I had you!” He sounded rather pleased despite the fact he lost. “Come on, that was close, wasn’t it?” A bloody grin came to his lips as he held his side. 

“Too close,” Lumine gasped out. She couldn’t help but smile as well. The sparring session had somehow felt... refreshing. Like it aired out a lot of tension that had been building between the lines in their relationship. Although she was about to compliment his attacks, a small clapping sound made her stop. “Huh?” Her eyes trailed upwards to look at a small group of people gathered at the edge of the area, about thirty feet from the floor. “Who’s applauding us?”

Childe’s breath caught for a brief moment before forcing himself to his knees so he could kneel. “That’s the Tsaritsa!” He tried not to cough blood in his angry whisper to her. “Kneel and bow your head!”

“Why?” Lumine instead forced herself to stand, her arm still limp. “I owe no allegiance here.”

“For fuck’s sake, Lumi, please .”

Although a dozen things to say came to her mind, the fact that he said please snuffed them all out. At once she bent her knee and kneeled down, bowing her head. “Forgive my improper salute,” she spoke loudly so she could be heard. “I cannot move my left arm.”

Childe visibly relaxed. ‘ So that’s what that woman was trying to tell me... The archon was visiting today. ’

A feminine voice came from higher up. “Tartaglia, who is this fierce woman that bested you in battle?”

Lumine chose to answer instead, a testament to her independence and self worth. “My name is Lu.”

Eyes now turned to the one speaking. “And your relationship to my harbinger?”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Lumine answered the question airily. “Fiancee.”

“Girlie,” Childe whispered sharply. “Your tone.” The soft chuckle he got in return did nothing to ease his nerves.

The Tsaritsa only hummed at this information. “I see. I commend you on a spectacular battle. Tartaglia, I expect good things from your future bride. You may assign her as you wish. Dismissed.”

A tilt of the head. “Assign?”

“Not now,” Childe took her good hand and quickly pulled her away.

“Hey, I wasn’t done talking.”

“Ssh!” Childe managed to get her back into the changing room where a servant was waiting for them. Before anything could be said, Lumine was given a full harbinger outfit that was a mirror image of Childe’s except with a skirt, her own mask inlaid with gemstones, and a small jewelry box.

“You may pick one,” the servant spoke softly. “A gift from the Tsaritsa herself.” Opening the case, she revealed a delusion of each element. Small spheres of varying colors sparkled on expensive velvet, each one housing the power greater than visions.

“Uh, thanks but no thanks,” Lumine carefully closed the box. “I don’t need one. Send my humble regards please.” To say the shock on the woman’s face was obvious would be a vast understatement. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to change and get healed now please.”

Luckily a dedicated Fatui healer was there to treat their wounds. Lumine’s arm was relocated with a sickening pop and Childe’s ribs were mended without too much trouble. In the end, they walked out in matching outfits... Although one of them was still covered head to toe in thick furs and a mask covering her face.

“So... Official Fatui, huh?” Childe put both hands behind his head as they walked. “And directly under me at that.”

“Oh shove it, Tartaglia. ” she replied with a snort.

“That’s master Tartaglia to you, little miss!”

Lumine turned to him and did her best impression of a wide-eyed innocent girl. “Master Tartagliaaaa!”

“... Wow, that was kind of really hot.” Sniffing, he looked away with a splash of red along his nose. “Don’t do that right now, it's dangerous.”

“Is it?” Her eyes turned up to him, a curious look on her face.

Childe brought a hand to cover his mouth and try to hide a bit of his embarrassment. “You announced you were my fiancee right after our battle... and now you're wearing those clothes... A lot of my wishes are coming true today, you know?” His free hand reached for hers, thumb intentionally moving to go over the ring on her finger. 

“Don’t... get your hopes up.”

“How can I not?” The question was open ended, dropping off as they met with the cheerful cries of his family and gushing females over the insane ring she now wore. Childe’s father and the oldest siblings took notice of the girl removing a Fatui mask and eyed the male... who couldn’t look more proud at that moment.

~**~

Of everything that had happened to them that day, the pair were now facing the most challenging thing to date. Upon reaching the house that night, Anastasia noticed the bruises along Childe and Lumine’s bodies after they changed clothes. A few demands later and they reluctantly admitted to everyone that they had a small sparring session at his workplace.

Luckily, they were used to him getting into fights. Everyone but the youngest knew he served the Tsaritsa, even if the darker side of the harbinger was kept secret from them. But hearing that he fought the super sweet, cute, giggly daughter-in-law almost got him exiled from the family... until they found out he lost. Now she was being treated as a queen, one who could keep him in check. She didn’t mind at the moment, but now they were looking at each other with red faces and burning ears.

His mother demanded that he take his fiance to the shower and give her a luxury night for dragging her into a fight like that. Although scented candles and soft soap scrubs did seem like a welcome blessing, the thought of being naked and wet with him made the situation all too real, way too fast.

“So... uhm...” Childe’s expression was mixed. It was clear that he wanted this but at the same time he was hyper aware that Lumine was more than a little self conscious about her body being seen. “Should I just stay in the bedroom until you’re done?” His room luckily had a bathroom attached to it, as he often needed it after hunting or fighting on an almost daily basis. The other siblings didn’t do well with constant bloodstains. 

It took a moment, but Lumine gave a small shake of her head. “No, I... don’t mind us being together as much... just... could you face away from me?”

The red head reached out a hand to her, which she slowly took. “Is there a reason you don’t want me to see you?” Golden eyes looked away but she still stepped closer to lean against his chest. “It’s okay, whatever it is.” He felt her nod. “Do you have a penis or something? Because that doesn’t bother me.”

“What? No! Where did that come from!?”

Laughing, Childe shook his head. “Just saying! I dated a girl like that when I was younger. Really nice, too. Didn’t dig on the whole murder thing though so it didn’t work out.” 

His grin made her nervousness drop in favor or wanting to smack him upside the head. “Just strip and get in the shower already!” 

“Yes, my lady!” An amused laugh came along with him easily pulling his shirt over and off his head. Before Lumine could even flush over it, both thumbs hooked on his boxers and sweats to remove them in one quick go.

“Kya!” The girl covered her eyes with both hands, the tips of her ears warming up instantly. “What are you doing!?”

“What you commanded of me, my lady.” Childe’s voice came directly into her ear, giving him a pleasant sight of her whole body shivering. “Are you sure you don’t require assistance?”

“Shower!” Her face peeked up from her hands, their noses almost touching. She could tell she was frazzled and felt the warmth creeping down her chest as well. Instead of the playful look she expected, she instead got a fond smile that did nothing to help calm her nerves.

“By your leave, my lady.” Childe pulled back and watched the amber eyes dip for the faintest of seconds to his lower regions before shooting back up all at once. A chuckle came at her expense and he stepped behind the curtain in favor of turning on the shower and setting the temperature.

‘ Breathe, Lumine, ’ the girl held a hand to her chest. A deep inhale helped calm her nerves, even if the sounds of splashing water did its best to undo whatever assistance that offered. ‘ You’ve showered with Aether your entire life, it will be the same thing... Get in, wash your body, take turns under the water, do your hair, and get out. No fuss, no mess. ’

Her sweatpants came off first, followed by the blue lace that Childe discovered earlier. Finally her new hoodie - that Childe didn’t know he wasn’t getting back yet - was removed and folded. “A-are you facing the wall?”

“Yeah.”

“Then...” The curtain was pulled back and blissful steam washed over her. The hot air did wonders for her chilled body, making the small goosebumps along her skin fade at once. Then she saw his back. Childe was washing his hair, both arms lifted to his head. It made his muscles flex, his body moving with every motion. 

Lumine felt her mouth go dry despite the wet environment. ‘ Guys are so large... ’ Her eyes took him in shyly, watching the water run streaks along his skin. He was littered with scars, which only seemed to make her appreciate his power that much more. His figure backed up the battle wounds, showing almost no fat and all toned muscle that made her wonder where she should be looking to enjoy it. ‘ Oh gods, he has such a nice ass... ’

“Pretty girl? I need to turn around to rinse my hair.

“D-don’t open your eyes!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Childe shifted and went about washing the soap from his orangish-red locks. “May I ask why you won’t let me see you?”

“B-because...” Lumine held both hands to her chest, eyes downcast as water and shampoo splashed around her.  “You wouldn’t... like what you see, anyway.”

“Why is that?” Childe moved his arms to find her, touching her shoulders and urging her back to the wall so he could stand before her. One of his hands slid along her shoulder and neck to her chin, lifting it so she would have to look at his closed eyes and the water dripping down his face. “Lu... Do you seriously take me for a man that shallow?”

“I’m...” Looking to the side, she was forced to admit that he wasn’t. “I’m sorry, it's just...”

“If you don’t want me to, I won’t force you, little lady.” Using his hand, he felt his way up along her cheek so he could place a kiss upon her damp forehead. “But our relationship is real now... and I want all of you. Please give it to me, as I give myself to you.”

The words made her open her mouth to deny him once again, yet the sounds died upon her lips. Ever so slowly she lowered her head again and took several breaths to try and steel herself for what was to come. “You... can open your eyes.”

Childe didn’t wait, his blue eyes fluttering open. Droplets of water fell from his lashes as he blinked his vision into focus. Lumine was before him, cheeks red and looking to the side. One arm was gently placed over her breasts while the other was lower so her hand could cover the small patch of honey brown fluff below. 

It took him several moments of awed silence to take her in fully. Toned muscles, milky white skin, and perky breasts with just enough weight to them for his liking. Her stomach was taut, hips lined with her womanly figure, and the smallest of thigh gaps that did more for him than it had any right to. 

He was going to ask what she was so shy about before he finally noticed them. Several scars littered her body; faint but there. One ran along the side of her right breast, a few more small pecks along her stomach. Along her calves and thighs were more, most too faint to really be seen unless you were looking for them.

“See?” The soft, feminine voice was almost quivering. “I’m scarred all over... I don’t have smooth skin like guys want... I’m not flawless, I don’t radiate beauty... I... just look like a warrior, not a cute girl...”

“...You have no idea how much I like that, do you, Lu?” Childe’s voice had become gentle, his whole body relaxed. “Each one of these...” His fingers began to trace the more noticeable ones when Lumine’s arms fell away to reveal herself completely. “Is a battle that you won... Just like mine. Proof you’re strong... proof you’re a warrior.” He had to urge her to look at him again with his hand on her cheek. “Lu, I don’t want a cute, innocent girl... I want someone who can keep making me stronger... who can encourage me to go on. I need a girl that can best me... to keep me in check. I need a woman like you, Lumine.”

“... Ajax...” Somehow the time between saying his name and their first real kiss didn’t register between them. One moment they were looking at each other while talking and the next she was on her tiptoes with her arms around his neck and lips on his.

Their bodies pressed together, his hands wrapping around her smaller frame. Hot water splashed around them, making breathing difficult for the most part. Slowly they drifted apart, looking into each other's eyes as she lowered herself back to ground level.

Not knowing what to say in the moment, Childe offered her a lopsided smile. She accepted it with a bashful sound that was somewhat of a mix between a laugh and a gasp for air. With that, he gently helped her shift around him to get into the spray, her golden hair taking on a slightly darker shade once it was matted to her head.

------ not very detailed sex scene follows. If you wish to avoid, please skip to next chapter <3 ------

A soft sponge was taken and once it was lathered up, Childe began to take his time cleaning her. He started at her shoulder, asking with his eyes if it was okay as he went. With gentle pressure and small circular motions, he explored her body. Every curve was touched, even going so far as to kneel down before her. 

The look of shock and embarrassment on her face brought much joy to him. His lips grazed over her stomach, kissing down and over to her hip line before washing away his saliva with a streak of suds. By now his fiancee was holding onto his wet hair with both hands, her legs visibly shaking.

Lumine knew what was going to happen. He gave several hints, every chance for her to tell him to stop or to pull away. Each and every time she almost wanted to but the way he looked up at her with those submissive eyes and loving look on his face ignited the burning in her chest ever brighter. The eleventh fatui harbinger, her fiance , was pleading before her on his knees... and the rush of emotions that brought along with it was too intoxicating to ignore.

Strong hands planted on her hips, holding her steadily in place. She took the hint and braced herself as best she could, gripping a small railing meant to hold washcloths to help her balance. A kiss came to her thigh, then another a little higher up. Her leg was shifted up and over his shoulder and then she became intimately acquainted with his tongue in all the right ways. 

Gripping onto his hair with her free hand, she could only lean back against the wall in bliss as he pleasured her. It felt as if her world faded from around her, narrowing down to only the beating of hot water against her chest and his back, the firm pressing against her sides that offered security and safety, and the pounding of her heart in her chest that signalled how much she loved what was happening.

“Ajax... Oh gods, Ajax...” The name was on repeat in her mind and on her lips. His actions brought a burning in her lower region, a desire growing with every stroke of his tongue. “I... I think...?” The experience was brand new to her, something like a coil being wound tighter and tighter in the pit of her tummy. “A-ajax...? I feel... F-feel...” It was getting harder to think of anything other than the smoothness of his tongue, the twitching of her body, and the feeling of support he was giving her. 

Looking down into his eyes was the last straw for her. Blue orbs gazing up as if she was the most precious thing in the world, like she was something he would die for. Spots flashed before her eyes, that unknown coil snapping under the tension it was under. Strength left her body and she felt herself going limp and not even caring. It felt too good to care. The rush of release, the almost shocking pleasure of every jolt she felt between her legs was more than enough to engulf her entirely.

Then she began to sink down the wall, aided by the very man who had given her what she now understood to be her first ever orgasm. Her vision was swimming, the heat from the shower so calming that she almost wanted to fall asleep. Had it been a day ago, she just might have. Luckily the berries she ate were out of her system, and her mind was her own again. 

“Are you okay, Lumine?” Childe’s voice was soft and sweet but still held a little bit of pride in it that was hard to miss. Of course he would be thrilled that he could bring her to her knees like this.

“I’m... okay. I think.” Weakly looking up at him, she smiled dreamily. “Wow... If I knew it felt that good, I would have given in earlier...” Her words earned an honestly amused chuckle. “Oh wow... Ajax, that was...”

“You’re welcome?” Strong arms helped her back to her feet. 

“Again?” She asked it innocently enough, but the desire was still there. A hand was placed onto his chest and her large, doe-like eyes full of honey met his once more. 

Childe chuckled against her lips, whispering as he claimed them in a kiss. “By your command, my lady.” His palm slid over her side, along her hips, and dipped under her love to cup the special spot that had just given her so much pleasure. The gasp of shock came all at once, the sensitivity being more than she bargained for. 

“W-wait! I... I think I need a moment...” Her blush was furiously spreading down even over her shoulders. “Let me...” Even though the sentence started strong, she had to gulp down her nervousness and try again, this one much weaker. “Let me... do you this time, until I’m ready.”

Childe’s breath caught in his throat the moment he felt that hand touch him. “M-my lady?”

“D-don’t say anything!” Lumine scolded him quickly before using her free hand to pull his neck down so he could kiss her. Their lips met again, wet and warm from the water around them, slippery from their actions, and frantic experimenting on how to get it just right.

When she began to move her hand he almost groaned out into her mouth. Or maybe he did, he couldn’t tell in the moment. His whole body shook, caving in at the willpower of her one palm controlling him. Childe braced himself against the wall with one arm over her head, his other hand caressing his lover’s cheek to help keep his lips focused on where to be.

Lumine knew she was smiling in their kisses. Childe was more sensitive than she thought he would be. Her palm was pressed against his love, fingers wrapped around it in a way that smoothly slid along with each motion she made. Such a small motion and yet it made him quiver in delight, pushing against her in a hungry need.

Then his fingers grazed her as well. Long, slender, strong... They parted her, teased her, and lit that fire as if gasoline had been dumped on the embers of her orgasm. “My lady...”

The request was embedded in his words, unspoken but known through the connection they shared in the moment. “W-we can’t...” Her breath began to pant, dilated eyes looking up into his as her hips figured out that they could move to the beat of his hand. “Condom...?”

“I...” His eyes closed, face contorting in pleasure as he pulsed in her hand.

“Ajax...” Her breath caught, feeling fingertips start to penetrate her. “Y-your brother? He may have one?” They were starting to figure this out now. Moving together, they could increase how they felt while sharing their heartbeat at the same time. “Ask... ask him?”

“Why would my brother have... mmnnn.... a condom to visit his family?” By now they were panting against each other, him bucking into her hand while she ground against his.

“We can’t...”

“I know...”

Gasping, her head fell to the side. “Oh gods... oh gods... we can’t.”

“Mmmn... Hah... Lu.... Lu....”

Another sloppy kiss, frantic whines coming from them both as they tried to hold back their desire to become one. Tears came to the corners of her eyes, the longing for him starting to outweigh the sensible thoughts left in her head. “J...Just once...?”

“One time... won’t hurt?” He knew he should say no for both their sakes. He should keep his head, make sure they didn’t do anything reckless. Yet when she looked up at him like that, with those moist eyes and longing gaze... 

“Bed.” The single word caused her to be scooped up and cradled against him, the water barely being turned off as an afterthought.

“By your command, my lady.

Chapter Text

Usually I awoke before Lumine, if not just a few minutes before she stirred. We were both early risers, which was good for my sanity. I couldn’t deal with someone who wasted precious daylight. Today, however, I felt more dead than alive when I awoke. Lumine was still asleep next to me, her bare shoulders gently rising and falling with each breath that she took. I wanted to gaze at her, enjoy watching her sleep, but my eyes were heavy and my body ached. Upon placing my hand around her slim body and pulling her close, I was out once again.

Deck the Halls V

By: Satashi

Childe gave a small groan when he awoke the second time. The sun was brightly shining into his room and there was no small amount of hustle and bustle coming from the family. To his surprise, Lumine was gone. The spot next to him was the same temperature as the rest of the bed, letting him know that she had been out and about for at least a little while now.

Without warning, a low groan came as he sat up. His body was sore all over, several streaks of varying degrees of pain shooting through him as his muscles moved. Although his sparring session the other day had been fierce, he had been healed afterwards. What was mostly causing him discomfort right now were the bruises along his chest and neck where his fiance got a little... over eager with her kisses.

A stretch came with a wince, several red streaks criss crossing down his back reminding him of a moment in their love making that his partner had particularly enjoyed. Honestly, he’d had bouts with the other harbingers that had left him less bruised than the first night with his lover.

The thought made him really proud of her for some reason.

Forcing himself to get out of bed, he stumbled over to grab some clothes to put on. A glance at the clock told him that he had slept in until a little past noon, something that he had only done a few times in his entire life. A yawn wracked his body as he walked into the hallway outside of his room and his family all greeted him with teasing looks and greetings of a good afternoon. 

What caught his eye the most, however, was Lumine. The girl was resting on the loveseat with Teucer and Anthon on either side of her. In her lap was a large picture book about a christmas story that she was reading aloud to them. Her hair was still messy from being slept on wet, despite what looked like an honest attempt to tame it. Her skin, at least to him, looked almost glossy as if it was sparkling in the light shining in from the windows higher up on the wall. What was more, she was wearing the pajamas he had on yesterday before they took their shower - even though she had her own now. 

“Ah,” Lumine looked up from the book when she noticed him. At once her cheeks colored and she glanced away briefly while tucking some of her hair behind her ear before daring to look back. “G-good morning... Sweetheart.”

“Good... morning... Darling.” They had thrown pet names at each other constantly since she had arrived at his home, but something about the morning after made it all that much more real to them. This was happening. Last night happened. They were together.

Amelia’s playful voice came up, singing out teasingly. “Awkwaaaaaard.”

Andrei chuckled. “Keep it in your own space, lovebirds.”

Childe cleared his throat and looked away, very intently ignoring his mother’s happy look at him. Lumine went back to her story, pleasantly content to leave him hanging out to dry in front of his family. The man grumbled and went to the kitchen to get a drink despite not being thirsty. Anything to get away from the looks he was getting.

A few minutes passed and Lumine was left alone when the story ended. Childe sat next to her and looked pleasantly surprised when she tucked her legs up under herself so she could lean up against him. “What you have to drink, Babe?”

“Wassail.” Offering the cup of hot, reddish pink liquid, he smiled. “It is kind of like a fruit drink with a tinge of christmas cinnamon in the background. Careful, it's hot.” His eyes followed the cup to her hands. For some reason he noticed how soft they were, despite her palms being so callused on the underside. “Small...”

“Mmn?” Large, doe-like eyes looked over the mug as she sipped, a smile tugging at her lips. Her lover glanced away, leaving her with a pleasant feeling at the action. “It's good.”

“What?”

“The wassail.” The mug was offered back and taken. ‘ He’s so cute when he’s flustered. It's like he is shy around me now... ’ To test her theory she snuck herself up under his arm, resting her head against his shoulder and neck. Just as she thought, his body tightened up all at once. “Oh my, Ajax... are you nervous?” The usual habit of teasing took over and she leaned up to his ear. “One night with me and you’re putty in my hands.”

“I hate to break this to you, pretty girl...” This time he shifted to hotly whisper into her ear instead. “But I was putty in your hands long before we had sex.” The look he got made him blush, their eyes staying locked as they cuddled together. 

Anastasia’s motherly voice broke their trance. “Oh, my little boy is so in love!”

“Mama!” Childe may be a warrior, but being called out by his own mother would always bring him down a notch or two. “Give me at least a little dignity here.”

Lumine interjected. “It’s okay, Mama , say it all you want!” She was thrilled at the thought of having people to gang up on him with. Of course, Anastasia was all too pleased at being called mother by the ‘sweet little girl’ that had won her son’s heart.

“Don’t worry, you precious little thing, you’ll always have us on your side while under this roof.”

Childe groaned, removing himself from his laughing girlfriend’s embrace while his younger siblings took the moment to declare loyalty to her. On the way to his room, Tonia took his arm and smiled up at him. “Yes, my princess?”

 “I’m on your side, my knight.” The words soon came paired with a squeak of joy as she was hoisted into the air to be spun around. “Ah haha! Ajax, set me dooooown!”

“I have a better idea! What say we team up and show Lumine what a real snowball fight is like in Sheznaya?” The declaration earned him cheers and loud noises as the kids began to run around to get ready. “You in, Lumine? Or you scared that Tonia and I will bury you in the snow?”

“Oh I’m in.” Standing, she crossed her arms. “I do believe our record stands at two to nothing, my wins. Why not add a third to that?”

Tonia was finally sat down and she hugged her big brother around the waist. “I warn you, Lumine, my knight is amazing at snowball fights!”

Teucer’s voice came from the other side of the house. “No visions!”

“Yeah, no visions!” Anthon agreed readily. 

Childe held up his hands in defeat. “I got it, no visions.” He caught Lumine’s questioning look and he smirked. “I was ganged up on by their friends once so I turned all the snow into slushy water when I threw it.”

“You...!” Lumine gasped at him. “Against kids!? ”

Childe laughed, even as she swatted at him. “Oh come on! They needed a bad guy to fight against! They still talk about it to this day! I mean, I let them win in the end!”

Lumine pouted at Tonia. “You need to punish your knight; he’s mean.”

Tonia seemed pleased at the interaction she was watching. “Seems you have him under a nice leash. I’ll leave it up to you.” With a giggle, she ran off to her room to change.

Alone, the two looked at each other. “A leash, huh?” A bit of fire sparked in the amber eyes looking up at her boyfriend, who suddenly felt it best to look away.

“Let’s... get changed.”

~**~

Lumine knew that she wouldn’t be as skilled as the locals when it came to a snowball fight. What she didn’t expect was just how much she would be outclassed. Teucer and Anthon, despite being a fraction of her size, could scoop, pack, and throw two snowballs to her clumsily made one. Tonia was just a little faster than that, and Childe...

Yet another snowball knocked off the thick woolen cap that covered her hair. Childe was laughing hard at this point, not even attempting to hold back anymore. “Girlie!” His speech was broken by the chuckles. “Come on! At least try!”

Lumine growled, darting up from her shelter behind a hastily piled up snow fort. Her body turned sideways to minimize the amount of space she could be hit and her eyes narrowed darkly at the man laughing at her. A flick of the wrist sent her snowball hurling with all her strength right towards his groin.

The next moment happened so quickly she almost missed it. Childe’s body twirled, snowball flinging from his hand with an upward arch. Not only did it blast her own projectile into powder along the way, but it continued along its path to smash right against her chest. 

“Girlie! I asked you to try !” Childe laughed at her.

‘ Oh that’s it! ’ Lumine growled. Running forward, she bit her right glove to pull it off with her teeth.

“H-hey!” Childe’s eyes went wide. “We said no visions!”

Smirking, Lumine held out her hand. “Don’t have one!” With those words, a vortex of snow and chilled wind ripped around him, coating him in powder and making sure to get it all under his clothes.

When the wind finally died down, Childe stood there looking none too impressed. “Girlie...”

“Yes, Darling?” she cooed at him.

Hands moving together, a giant ball of water formed between them. “You did it now!”

“No visions!” She cried back quickly.

“I’ll ‘no visions’ you, you little-”

“Lumine!” The new voice made both halt in their tracks. Everyone’s eyes turned upwards towards a small flying fairy that quickly tackled the girl in question. “Paimon found you!”

“Paimon!?” Lumine hugged her friend close, half in shock and half in relief to see that she was alright. “What are you doing here? I told you I would be gone for a week, I still have a few days left! Are you cold? Did you get hurt?” By now the younger siblings were coming over to inspect the new arrival.

“Paimon is just fine! Paimon got fluffy clothes before coming!” She looked around. “Who are your friends?”

“Um, ah...” Lumine looked around, seeing the children and Tonia but not the harbinger himself. “You know Teucer. This is Anthon, his little brother. This lovely lady is Tonia, his older sister.”

“Nice to meet you!” Paimon greeted cheerfully. “Paimon knew it was a good idea to ask the guards for Teucer’s house to find you!”

A bad feeling instantly made the hairs on Lumine’s neck stand up. “What... did you ask the guards exactly?”

Paimon flew around Anthon playfully while answering. “Paimon asked where the Traveler was, but didn’t get any reply. So Paimon said the Traveler was with Teucer, so she was shown how to get here!”

‘ Shit! ’ Lumine quickly looked around, her elemental sigh casting her world into shades of grey. Traces of hydro led off to the side and down a hill, where there were geo, pyro, cryo, and eletro all waiting. “Uhm, so, Tonia, why don’t you take the little ones inside the house and warm them up for me? I’ll catch up with Paimon and grab your big brother for you.”

Tonia blinked in confusion. “But we’re just getting started?”

“Now, now, be a good girl, okay?” Smiling brightly, Lumine ruffled the girl’s hair. The words seemed to register with her, as if she had been told the same thing a few times before by her older brother. With a nod, she took control of the situation and encouraged the little ones inside.

“Lumine?” Paimon looked at her worriedly.

“With me, Paimon.” Lumine ran along the snow as she pulled her sword from the pocket dimension where it slumbered. At the crest of the hill she saw Childe speaking with a small task force of elite soldiers down in the valley below. 

“Childe!” Paimon squeaked out in a whisper. “Lumine, he has a team with him, we need to run!”

“Shhh...” Laying down in the snow, she brought a finger to her lips. Her energy was focused to her ear, trying her best to catch the words dancing across the snow plains. 

Childe’s angry tone came first. “And who are you to act on orders not given by a superior?”

“But, master Tartaglia, we got word the Traveler was here and she is on our Kill on Sight list... It is our duty to-”

“To report before making your own task force to get yourself killed!” Childe snapped back. “Or should I remind you of the last group that found her in the mountains? What happened to them?”

The handful of soldiers looked at each other nervously. “They... they were found dead sir.”

Childe crossed his arms. “So you want to march in there and-”

“But lord Tartaglia is with us!”

“Did you just interrupt me, soldier!?” Childe stormed over to the geomancer. His fist snapped forward, hoisting the man up off the ground to hold up in the air. “I have the situation under control .”

Paimon tugged on Lumine’s coat. “Lumine, look, there are more coming... They have back up.”

Golden eyes darted to the side to inspect how bad the situation was. As mentioned, a whole squadron of troops were starting to march towards Childe and the rest. “He won’t be able to talk them down from this if they have orders... Not without revealing something. I’ll have to step in.”

“Lumine!” Paimon shook her head quickly. “What are you thinking? That many soldiers will land you in the hospital!”

A little sparkle came to the girl’s eyes as she stood. “Who said I was going to fight?” Her hand moved over her face and a gemmed Fatui mask materialized in a mist of purple smoke. The haze fell over her body, replacing her warm clothing with her harbinger outfit, complete with a dangling golden earring with a red crystal hanging from her right ear. “What do you think? Not bad right?”

“You stole a Fatui outfit!?”

“No! I... kind of... Met the Tsaritsa. And, you know, one thing led to another and I became-the-right-hand-of-Tartaglia!” The last part was spoken quickly, as if she didn’t want to deal with explaining it right then. “Anyway, let’s go!” Dashing Through the Snow, she skidded down the hill and slid to a stop next to her boyfriend. “Master Tartaglia!”

“Girlie...” A hand moved to his forehead, sigh coming from his lips. “Alright, we’ll do it your way.” Looking at the group he addressed them again. “Alright, listen up! This wasn’t meant to be announced yet, but this here is Lu.” He motioned to the girl. “She is my right hand, assigned to me by the Tsaritsa herself.”

The group looked confused, even more so when the backup joined them. Finally Lumine stepped forward, a large grin on her face behind her mask. “He just said my rank, appointed by the Tsaritsa! Where is my salute, soldiers!?” At once, the troops fell into formation and gave a hard salute to her. 

“Lu.” Childe gave her a chastising look.

Not missing a beat, Lumine kept talking. “I know we have had some complications in the past, but for the time being, I have joined the Fatui and serve the Tsaritsa just as you!” Paimon’s screech of utter disbelief was ignored. “I look forward to working with you all. Dismissed!”

It was clear the soldiers were uneasy about the situation, each one of them turning their eyes to Childe nervously. “What are you looking at me for,” he demanded sharply. “The lady said dismissed! Go tell the others Lu is part of our forces and is under my direct command! I won’t have her being hassled in the field!”

To say it was awkward would be a vast understatement. The whole platoon was muttering to each other as they marched back to town, some even glancing over their shoulders back to the two standing side by side. In the end, it was Paimon who spoke first. “Lumine! Are you crazy!? This is Childe!”

“Paimon, calm down.” Lumine moved the mask from her face and affixed it to her hair much like Childe did. “I need to fill you in on a few things.”

“But... but he could try to kill you!”

“He’s not going to try and kill me!”

“He threw a whale on you!”

Childe groaned. “Why does everyone bring up the whale thing? In my defense, she stabbed me in the kidney .”

Paimon flew to his face, shouting at him. “You deserved it! You... you lying, deceitful, evil... bad.... lying...”

“Said that one already,” Childe smirked cockily at her.

Lumine got between them and tried her best to seperate the two. “Look, guys, please. Let’s just get warm and talk about this. Paimon, everything is fine, I swear.”

She still looked angry at the grin she was getting from him. “Paimon thinks he’s tricking you! You’re being too relaxed, Lumine! He said you already had to fight a group of agents here as well. Did he shove dart fruit down your throat or something!?”

The term caught her attention like an arrow being fired at her. “Dart fruit?” She felt hands being laid gently onto her shoulders and a soft tug making her lean back into the warmth of her boyfriend. “Ajax, what did she mean by dart fruit? And what did you mean earlier when you said the people sent to watch over me were found dead?”

“Girlie, let’s go inside and get some hot chocolate.”

Pulling from him, she turned to look up into his eyes. “No, tell me. You said that you were the one who found me.”

Childe frowned at her. “I said I had others tracking you and I went to meet you when I was informed you were close to the city.”

“So what happened to those watching me?”

“... Angel, its cold, the others are probably wondering where we are and-”

“Childe.” The name instantly caused a tense air to blow between them. “Answer me. The platoon that you sent to watch me. What happened between you finding out where I was and me eating the dart fruit?”

Paimon flew back between them. “You did eat it! Paimon knew it! Dart fruit leaves you in a passive daze for several days!”

Childe snapped at once. “Shut it, Paimon!”

“Answer me, Childe!”

Blue eyes turned to brown ones. “I killed them, okay!?” The crackle of hydro and electro energy sparked around him. “Lu was unconscious when I got there and...!” His words cut, face averting with a clenched jaw.

“And what?” Lumine stood firm.

“...There’s no reason to go into why I had to deal with my troops like that.”

The female looked down and took a steading breath. “Then the dart fruit. You told me it was used as a tranquilizer.”

“It is”

Paimon crossed her arms. “And it leaves whatever it was hit with in a passive state for several days! You’ve been using it to take advantage of her, haven’t you!?”

Childe had to force himself not to physically lash out at the fairy. “You act like I shoved them down her throat! I found her after she ate the damn berries! I took her into my home! I introduced her to my family! Don’t come here acting like you know what’s going on!”

“Don’t yell at her!” Lumine shot back at him. “She’s just looking out for me!”

“So you’re taking her side!? You know better than all of us what happened!”

“What? No! I just...!” Throwing her hands up, Lumine paced while trying to gather her words. “I’m just worried if the dart fruit is still affecting me!”

Childe froze. “Wait... wait, that’s what you’re worried about?” His head shook, a hand going to his hair while the other was held up as if asking her to wait a moment. “Hold on... hold on... You’re not thinking that the thing between us is because of those stupid berries, are you?”

“Childe, what if the berries I ate are-”

“No!” Stepping to her, he jabbed a finger to her chest. “You are a warrior! You flushed that from your system within two days! Do you have so little faith in this that you’ll take the first out you get!? I took you to the Tsaritsa! My family! My troops! My home ! You don’t see me doubting this because of some fucking berry!”

“You’re not the one who ate it!”

“Are you listening to yourself!?” A rough shove from her made him take several steps backwards when he got too close. “Your little floating fairy comes back and within five minutes, suddenly you’re second guessing everything? I mean so little to you, girlie?”

“I just want time to think!”

“You shouldn’t have to think!”

“If you’re so confident, then what’s the harm in letting me!?”

“Because the fact that you think you need to is proof enough you don’t even have confidence in us!” Somehow they had got nose to nose again, yelling at each other and breathing out puffs of fog that obscured their vision with each word. 

Paimon’s worried voice came next to them. “Lumine, be careful, he may try to kill you again!”

Childe growled harshly. “I’m not going to kill her!”

“You killed your own troops!” A frustrated scream roared out as the man backed off to let loose his fury in the yell. “See!? Lumine, he’s dangerous! We need to leave!”

Lumine tried to soften her tone for him. “I just need some time to process this, Childe-”

“Don’t call me that!” Turning to her, he glared with a mix of anger and frustration. “Stop calling me that! You’re my fiance, call me by my name!”

This time it was Paimon who yelled. “Fiance!? You can’t marry him!”

“She can marry whoever she wants!”

“Yeah!?” Paimon flew to him. “And what makes you so sure she wants to!?”

“Because I’ve never wanted anything this badly before I met her!” Childe’s frustrated declaration stopped the argument cold, both travelers looking at him in shock. His words were forceful, eyes narrowed and angry. “I finally have something I want besides fighting or killing! Something I can honestly show my family, that I don’t have to lie about! Then you come in and just... Just... Ugh!” Storming over to Lumine, he grabbed her scarf. “At least learn to tie this properly, you idiot.” Quickly, he adjusted the fabric, tying it into a small bow so it covered her neck. “Don’t stay out late, you’ll get sick.”

Watching him storm off, Lumine slowly brought a hand to her scarf, touching it so she could bring it down just a little. ‘ Was he... crying? ’ Amber eyes watched the man walking away from her. In the back of her mind she could tell Paimon was talking to her but it wasn’t until she flew in front of her face did she realize she should respond. “Huh? What did you say?”

“You need to clear your head! You obviously can’t even think straight, Lumine. Paimon thinks you should go to a doctor in town and stay there for the night.”

“I... I can’t, tomorrow is Christmas.” Glancing back, she only saw footprints in the snow leading back over the hill where she had come from. “I promised Chi... Ajax that I would stay with him.”

“Ajax? Who is Ajax?”

“Childe’s name. It’s Ajax.”

Paimon hovered for a few moments while thinking. “He gave you his real name?”

“Well, his mother gave it to me. At first he... that doesn’t matter, he wants me to call him that.” A sigh heaved out as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. “He got mad when I called him Childe... He said he really wanted to marry me.”

“But you’re not even dating!”

“We are!” The retort was the first time she had ever raised her voice defensively towards her travel companion. After the shock of it, she immediately lowered her tone back down in apology, rubbing her hands together. “He’s my boyfriend, Paimon. We’re engaged.”

“I’m sure he just so happens to have a ring?”

“No, we picked it out together!”

“I’m sure he used the dart fruit as leverage to get you to agree!”

“No, I-!” Memories came back, images of Childe’s hurt face flashing before her eyes. The despair of realizing how it would hurt his family to reveal the truth, the pain in his voice when he was played like that in front of everyone. “I just... tried to tease him, but it ended up...The choice after that... was mine. He... Ajax, he even told me that the berries I ate may be affecting me so the first night he slept on the floor, and it wasn’t until he thought I was okay that he... that we...”

‘ And I doubted it. ’ Guilt sank down on her shoulders. ‘ He wasn’t mad because of the accusations, that I pranced in front of his troops, that Paimon stepped over his ego... He was mad because I doubted us so easily... ’

“Lumi?”

“Paimon...” A small, unsure smile graced her lips. “I’m staying here tonight... I want to spend it with Ajax. With my boyfriend... If he’ll have me after this.”

“Lumine!”

“It’s fine.” Reaching up, she held her hand open for Paimon to brace on. “Paimon, thank you for protecting me, but I’m good. Berries or no, I love that idiot. They may have helped me see the truth, but my heart made the decision on its own.”

“...That he’s an idiot?”

“...That too.” She giggled. “Come on, let me introduce you to his family.” She saw the reluctance but got a nod anyway. A true friend, standing beside her decision despite not agreeing with it. 

“Just... Paimon will be watching him. If he hurts you, Paimon will bash him good!”

“I know, Paimon, I know.” A few more moments passed. “Oh, and don’t mention the whale thing okay?”

Upon reaching the cabin and making introductions, Paimon was quickly whisked away by Anthon and Teucer to play. Anastasia smiled at Lumine’s harbinger uniform and rubbed her arms proudly. Childe’s father just patted her on the back and nodded to the back door. “He’s out there, by the old sparring tree. Go straight, you won’t miss it.”

“Thank you.” Lumine smiled at them both, knowing they could tell there was an argument. “I’ll bring him back.”

“Oh I know you will,” Anastasia beamed at her. “I already have water going for some tea.”

The thought made her smile in appreciation. “Thank you.” With a deep breath she walked to the door and looked out through the frosted glass adorning it. She could make out Childe not too far off. His furs were gone, now adorned in his usual harbinger outfit. A large tree was in front of him, base as big around as her arms when stretched out. The Fatui agent was lashing out at it, small splinters of wood chipping away with each strike from his hands or feet. The damage done over the years was noticeable, a divot recessed into the wood from the abuse.

Steadying herself for the conversation she was about to have, Lumine opened the door and stepped into the cold to face her boyfriend. 

Chapter Text

I’ve seen my boyfriend fight more than just a few times. I, myself, have been at both ends of his battles. Next to his side or at the end of his daggers, each time it was a sight to behold. Seeing him practice his hand-to-hand combat was somewhat refreshing, even if it was against a stationary object. His body was fast, made to look even more so by the gentle falling of snow fluttering around him. If he wasn’t currently peeved at me and our relationship on rocky ground, I might have just stood there and watched him in awe for quite a while...

Deck the Halls VI

By: Satashi

“What you doing?” The question was simple and the reply obvious. Although ‘ beating up a tree ’ was an answer that she wanted to hear come from his lips, if not for her own amusement.

“I’m going to break this tree in half.” Childe breathed out the words in a mix of annoyance and white breath, the cold doing little to help his mood. Punch after punch, kick after kick, he worked the wooden fibers of the tree before him.

Lumine clasped her hands behind her back and watched in silence for what seemed like several minutes. “It feels like this will take a long time.” Despite her words, almost a quarter of the tree had indeed been beaten out over the years.

“It will fall before I conquer the world.” The way he said it made it sound like his own personal goal.

“How long have you been working on it?”

“Thirteen years.” Another series of harsh blows, strong kicks, and grunts of pain from his bleeding knuckles. “No vision, no delusion, no abyssal powers... Just me and the tree.”

Her eyes watched him move, dodging imaginary punches thrown at him before lunging back in to deliver counterattacks of his own. The bark was beaten off the tree since ages past, the wood showing stained black streaks along it mixed with fresh crimson red. “Dedication...”

“Wouldn’t know about that would you, girlie?” The harshness in his voice somehow felt like it hurt him more than the damage to his knuckles.

“...I deserve that.” Even so, the words stung her deeply. Half because he said something intentionally to hurt her and half because she knew she literally just did it to him as well. “Can we talk for a bit, Ajax?”

Another few dodges, a hard right hook, and a lower power hit that made a sickening crunching sound of bone. His breath was labored, eyes dilated. “Not in the best place right now, pretty girl.”

“Would a fight help?”

The punching stopped, his eyes finally turning to her. “Take my anger out on the one who caused it? That’s a dangerous road, girlie.” He shook his head and turned his back to her in favor of swinging his arms by his side. “No, I don’t want to fight you. Not like that. Spar? Sure. Crossing paths and battling it out until one of us is almost dead? Sounds fun.” Looking at her, he narrowed his eyes. “Arguing about our relationship and hitting you? No. Not me. I’m better than that.”

“...You know, there’s a lot about you I don’t know. I’d really like to learn more about my fiancé.”

“So, you’re still willing to call me that? Not the berries talking?” Childe turned to face her. The hurt look he received made him growl and scoff, averting his eyes. “Che, I want to be pissed at you, but every time I try, I just want to hug you and tell you it will be okay... When did I become such a wuss?”

“That’s not being a wuss...” She made the first move, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his waist in a hug. “It's called caring... something I didn’t do enough of a moment ago. Ajax, I got confused when all of that happened. I really wish you gave me five minutes to catch my breath and get a hold of myself, but I understand why you were so hurt about it... I doubted you, and that was wrong of me. You treated me better than I had any right to be treated... Thank you.”

“No, Sweetheart, it's... I mean... I should have... Ugh.” Giving up, he hugged her back. “Relationships are hard.”

A small laugh came, mixed with a relieved cough. “Don’t ever change.”

“I won’t, don’t worry.” A soft kiss came to her temple. “...I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was my-”

“Lu. I’m sorry.”

“...Me too.”  A long moment passed as they hugged each other in the snow. “...Ajax?” A soft hum answered her. “I’m cold.”

“We can go in and get some tea.”

“...I don’t think tea alone will be enough right now.” Pulling back just a little, she gripped his harbinger uniform in both of her hands, looking up with watering eyes. “I need you to warm me...”

“...By your command.” Leaning down he kissed her soft lips gently, arms embracing her to carry bridal style back to the house. Snow gently fell upon them as they walked back to the door leading into the warmth of the cabin. Upon entering the home, however, the storm that was his family hit them full force without delay.

“Oh good, you made up!” Anastasia beamed at them proudly. “Good, good. Ajax, put that cold thing on the love seat and get a blanket. I’ll get you some spiced tea right away.”

Childe faltered. “Er, Mama, I think we’re-”

“Big brother!” Teucer and Anthon each ran to him and hugged a leg of his each in turn. “Can big sister read us another Christmas story!?”

“You see, we-”

Tonia rounded a corner and smiled at them. “Oh look, the couple is being really cute again!”

Sighing, Childe gave up and started making his way to the living room - one little brother clinging to each leg for the trip. “Yes, yes, the couple will be happy to entertain you.” Despite it all, Lumine was stifling giggles with a hand over her mouth, eyes shining a bright gold as they laughed at him silently.

~**~

“So, Santa really comes down the chimney?” Lumine asked as she sat on the small loveseat that had basically become her cushion of choice since she joined the family. It was late, dinner sitting full in her belly, the younger children trying their best to stay awake as long as possible, and the family gathered around the fireplace to spend time together. 

Although she got a few amused looks, Childe was quick to answer the girl sharing a blanket with him. “He does! Kind of like how I can travel with water; he just turns into magic dust and swoops right on down with his bag of presents. He leaves some for the good boys and girls, eats any snack left for him, and right back up he goes.”

“Hmmm...” The girl stretched out and allowed Childe to drape an arm over her shoulders, much to Paimon’s utter horror. “How does he have time to make it all over Teyvat in a single night...?”

The magical fairy eyed Lumine skeptically. “You’re really sounding like you believe in-”

“Shh!” Childe shushed quickly, nodding over to the barely conscious kids. “Not another word, or I’ll leave you out for Santa.”

“Paimon’s not food!” She contested him in a harsh whisper so she wouldn’t wake the children. “And get your arm off of Lumine, she is too innocent for that!”

Snorting, Childe was about to retort but found a not so gentle elbow against his ribcage. “Don’t mind him, Paimon,” Lumine tried to soothe her. “He keeps his hands to himself, don’t worry.”

Andrei joked around his mug of wassail. “Yeah. From what I saw, Lumine is the one who instigates things.”

Amelia nudged him. “Shush, you. Don’t embarrass her; some girls just like being on top. It's normal.”

The blanket around the couple was shifted so Lumine could hide under it. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

The mother chuckled at the group talking. “As long as I have grandchildren soon, I don’t mind at all.”

“Mama!” The name was spoken not only by Childe but by Lumine as well. The male felt warmth rush to his face when his girlfriend hid herself once more, leaving him to deal with it. “It’s not like we’re... I mean we’re not... trying... for kids... right now.” Scratching his cheek, he tried to figure out how to best word it. “We have other goals and responsibilities so... don’t get your hopes up for several years.”

Amber eyes peeked up from the blanket. “You want to be with me for several years?” Her flirt worked and Childe instantly averted his eyes and coughed. “You’re such a cute little sap of a boyfriend.”

“Oh, blow me,” he whispered softly, trying not to show his embarrassment.

“Maybe later,” Lumine’s quiet whisper barely made it to his ears. “You need a Christmas present after all...”

“We’re going to bed!” Childe swept his girl up into his arms, blanket and all. “Paimon, you’re with Tonia. Good night everyone; merry Christmas!” 

“Ajax!” Lumine’s eyes were wide. “I want to stay up and try and see Santa!”

“If the kiddos can’t, you can’t.” Childe grinned at her. “We’re going to bed and I’m keeping an eye on you.”

“But... But!?”

As the door closed behind the couple, Amelia let out a small giggle. “Lumine sure is a cutie. It’s almost as if she... you know.”

Andrei waved it off. “She’s adorable, but she’d have to be from another planet to think that at her age.” Nodding over at the sleeping young ones, he smiled. “She’s putting on a wonderful show for them, bless her heart.”

Inside the bedroom, Childe sat Lumine down with a pleased look. “It’s after midnight, so it's officially Christmas. Merry Christmas, Lumine.” Walking to the dresser, he opened a drawer to fish out a small box decorated with festive wrapping. “It isn’t much, but I got this for you.”

“H-how!?” Standing, she walked over to her boyfriend in awe. “I was with you all the time!”

“When I did my paperwork at the headquarters, I put in a request for this along with the money. I had them deliver it to my father in town before we met back up with everyone.” His hands held it out for her to take. “Come on, don’t make me wait. Open it, pretty girl.”

“Ajax, you’re really something.” Lumine accepted the package with a smile. The pretty wrapping, that she was sure was done by anyone other than him, was undone carefully to reveal a velvet box. “Did you seriously buy me more jewelry?” Her answer was a little shrug and a nod at the container. Taking the hint, she slowly opened it. “Oh… oh wow.”

Inside was a hair ornament, much like the flowers that she loved so much. The petals were a silken white, one being different from the rest. “I know you like the design,” Childe began to explain his choice. “So I wanted to give you something special… The petal that is a different color will react to whatever element you last used… green for anemo and orange for geo, for example… The gem in the middle will show the symbol as well. Maybe it will call less attention to you as you travel.”

“A kind of substitute vision,” she realized. “Like the archons wear so as to not draw attention to themselves. Venti showed me one…But this is?”

“A lot better.” Childe looked rather proud of himself. “I had them attach an elemental detecting sigal to the flower, and then paint the petal with the fluid from it. Truth be told, I had no clue if it would work, but since they gave it to me, I’m sure it does.”

“If it doesn’t?” She pondered the question while affixing it in her hair.

“I’ll kill them.”

“You will not. They’re probably desk job people or lab workers. You wouldn’t waste your time on someone who can’t fight back.” At once, the flower petal took on a green hue and the gem turned into an anemo crystal. “Oh look!”

“And Geo?” Childe hugged her from behind. Lumine held out her hand, forming rock crystals in her palm. Her new gift faded to orange, now proudly displaying the new element. “And electro?”

A spark flashed over the girl’s palm, tinting the accessory purple seconds before she pulled away from him. “H-how did you know I could do that? I was saving it for a surprise!”

Childe crossed his arms. “I see you in Mondstat and you use anemo. You come to Liyue and use geo. You pass through the electro archon’s territory next and I’m supposed to think nothing happened? Come on, girlie, you know me better than that.”

Pouting, she sulked up at him. “I was going to use it next time you got the upper hand in a sparring session… should have known I’d never get the chance before you found out.”

Opening his mouth, Childe was about to agree with her before stopping cold. “H-hey, what’s that supposed to mean!?” Another thought crossed his mind. “Wait! Does that mean when we were sparring the other day, you weren’t going all out!?”

“Thank you.” Lumine hugged him quickly to pull his thoughts away from her playful little jab at him. “I love it.” Arms went around her and she felt securely pulled against him. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you anything. Been a weird few days.”

“I know.” The two separated slowly, smiling at each other. “Don’t worry about it. Come on, then... let's get to bed.”

“But Santa…”

“Come on, pretty girl.” A soft chuckle came as he gently picked her up and tossed her onto his bed. “Let’s snuggle.”

“Mmmn.” The covers shifted, bodies moved, and soon they were cuddled up once more. “I’m going to miss this.”

“Ssh. Don’t talk about that right now.” Childe smiled down at her softly. “It's Christmas. Magical things happen tonight, right? So... Let’s make magic.” A hand slid up along the curve of Lumine’s hip.

“On Christmas?” She looked terrified. “But we’re supposed to be good, right? I mean, what if Santa comes while we’re making love? That would be bad... We better not. Besides, did you even get condoms?” She looked at his stunned face. “I bet not... We better just sleep tonight, Ajax.”

To his amusement and horror both, she hugged herself up against his chest and nuzzled under his chin. ‘ I... can’t really deny her that. ’ The thought made him snort out a small chuckle. “Girlie, you’re too cute sometimes.”

It took a few hours of holding her before the excitement finally died down enough for his plans to take place. Ever so carefully he slid from her grasp, easing himself from their bed. ‘ Carefully... carefully... ’ A pillow replaced his body and a grin came across his lips as she held it to her chest to replace the one who just left her. ‘ This girl... ’

Free from his girlfriend’s death grip, he snuck out into the living room on his tiptoes. Already he could tell that his parents had been there, as gifts were littered around the floor next to the chimney. He made his way over to a dresser and opened the bottom drawer, pulling out a box and a stocking that his younger siblings had made. Lumine’s name was written on the top in glitter, small slimes of different elements decorating the length of it. Each was crafted out of stationary and held in place by glue. A fine sight in his eyes, if not a little jealousy-inducing. They hadn’t made him anything like that lately...

Stealthily he walked to the fireplace to hang it, chuckling at the obvious spot left for it by Anthon and Teucer. Lumine hadn’t noticed, but the rest of the family sure did. The looks he would get tomorrow would be worth it, though. To finish the gift, he filled the stocking with candy and chocolates, leaving just enough room to slide in the slender box. Now satisfied, he slipped back to his bedroom and carefully closed the door.

“Mmmn?” Lumine opened her eyes and looked over the bed at him. “Ajax?”

“Ssshh..” Moving to her, he slid under the covers to substitute for the pillow again. “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you. I had to make sure the kids weren’t sneaking around in the living room.”

“Oh?” She looked a little more lucid now. “Maybe I should-”

“I don’t think so.” Childe held her closer. “Then I would have to make sure you weren’t sneaking around the living room, and that would defeat the purpose.”

“...Did it look like he came already though?”

The retorts he could make right then flashed through his mind quickly but the mature side of being her boyfriend won out in the end. “Not yet, Girlie. Just sleep. Let the magic happen.” A tired sound came and he allowed himself to relax this time.

It only felt like a few hours passed before an energetic Teucer landed belly first across him and Lumine both. “Big brother! Big sis! Santa came! He came again this year!”

“Of course he did,” Childe groaned out, wheezing for the air that was just punched out from his lungs. 

“Come on, come on! He even brought things for Lumine!” Teucer slid from the bed with the grace of a newborn deere, fumbling from the room and back into the main area. 

Lumine crawled over Childe excitedly, throwing the covers across the bed. “I wanna see!”

Childe groaned loudly, slapping his girl on the rear and making her tumble from the bed. “Put pants on, girlie.” Lumine fell the rest of the way over but didn’t complain. His pants were stolen, much to his pleasure, and she was out the door before he could even sit up and stretch.

“There really is one with my name!?” Lumine’s shocked voice made Childe scramble from the room, one hand dipping to grab whatever sweatpants Lumine left for him on his way out.

“Don’t look without me there,” he scolded quickly.

Tonia hid her face in her hands. “My knight, put your pants on!”

Childe almost fell over while hopping into the sweats. “Sorry, my Princess.” The blush on his face made her giggle at him. “Lumine, you got a stocking?” He tried to play it off as smoothly as he could, but the snickering from his family came anyway.

“How in the world did he know I was on this planet, let alone here!?” Lumine looked up at him with sparkling eyes. “And why was I on his good list!? I joined the Fatui!”

“Hey!” Childe feigned being hurt.

Lumine held her hand to her chin. “Maybe it is because I’m only helping them out and didn’t actually join? So that’s a good deed?”

“...Hey.” Childe put a hand on his hip this time. “We’re not all bad.”

“You literally introduce yourself as a bad guy,” Lumine reminded him pointedly. “But it's okay, I still love you.” A quick lean up on her tiptoes allowed her to kiss his cheek. The action brought several coos from Tonia and Anastasia while Anthon and Teucer just groaned while sticking out their tongues.

Childe chose to rather hug his fiance from behind. “Enough stalling, what did you get?”

Taking her sweet time, Lumine savored every moment of opening her first ever Christmas present. The ribbon over the box was slowly pulled off, being saved by setting it onto a small table next to them. The wrapping paper was taken just as carefully, the tape being peeled as to not rip the packaging. Childe’s patience was being tested, his hold on her getting tighter as the literal minute of her carefully working the box dragged on. “This is fun,” she commented as the wrapping was finally removed. 

The boy holding her was so tempted to grab the wrapping in his fist, wad it up, and throw it across the room. Anything to speed up the process. Instead, he just rested his chin on her head and took a steadying breath. He was sure a lesser man would have snapped by now, but he liked to think he was above that. “And inside the box?”

Lumine opened it carefully, revealing two feathers attached to a hair clip. “What...?” Slowly she took them from the box, inhaling as they turned a soft purple color. “They... reacted to me?”

Childe tried his best to take in her surprise without giving himself away. “Looks like the man in red knew what to get you after all. Now you will match.”

“But how...?” She looked over and back up at him, awe in her eyes. “This is too magical!” The chuckles from the family did little to help ease the curiosity and awe going over the girl, but at the moment she didn’t mind. Teyvat was full of mysteries, and this was just one she would have to get used to.

The rest of the morning was spent sitting on Childe’s lap sideways, leaning against him with her legs over the loveseat and chattering with the family. Childe’s attention was focused on gently rubbing his lover’s side while catching up more with his father and older brother. Lunch came and went, another snowball fight was had, and soon enough Lumine was once again telling Paimon goodnight before joining Childe back in his room.

“Hey,” she greeted softly.

“Hey,” Childe looked back from his place standing at the desk in the room. “You got a letter earlier. It was addressed to Lumine of the adventurer’s guild... The Fatui forwarded it to the twelfth harbinger.”

“More like eleven-point-five,” she complained. “I never joined, I’m just helping.” Accepting the letter, she opened it slowly.

“What’s it say?” Hugging her from behind, he nuzzled up against her.

“...Jean requests my assistance back in Mondstadt for a bit. I’m not sure how, but it looks like Hillichurls and Treasure Hoarders have made an uneasy truce... The knights want to crush them before it can solidify into an alliance.”

Childe’s grip got a little tighter. “Are you going?”

“...You know the answer to that, Ajax.” Her head leaned back against his chest softly, a sigh escaping her lips. “I don’t want to... but I can’t turn my back on them.”

“Yeah, I know.” Hands were placed over his and their fingers intertwined. “But hey, Snezhnaya is my next place to search for my brother... I’ll be back after this is over.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” Turning in his arms, she reached up to pull him down into a kiss. “Now let’s stop worrying about tomorrow and focus on tonight.”

“Oh?” Lips turned into a grin as he was forced to fumble backwards to the bed while being smooched. “And what’s on the agenda for tonight?”

Childe fell back first, bringing Lumine with him onto the mattress. “Weeelll... I was thinking of something special.” One hand slid down to the baggy pants she wore and soon came back up with a small square packet that had a protruding ring on it. “I might have asked your brother for it...”

“You... you little minx.” Lumine rested her forehead on his, both of them sharing an embarrassed laugh together. “Damn, I’m going to miss you...”

“Sssh... Love me now, miss me later.” Her lips found his in a sweet kiss, body slowly laying along with his form. Soft sounds of their lips touching filled the room and soon the torn open package fell to the floor, empty.

Chapter Text

The sight of Mondstadt was a very welcome one after spending a week traveling in a carriage. Snezhnaya was so cold that even the winter in the water-surrounded castle city felt warm by comparison. Snow littered the ground in patches, mostly dethawed in puddles on the ground. I smiled as I inhaled the air, exhaling softly with closed eyes. I loved the house back with Childe, but there was something about this place that felt like home on this planet.

Deck the Halls VII

By: Satashi

Lumine felt the carriage come to a halt. She immediately went to the window to look, seeing that the bridge leading into the town was being blockaded by what appeared to be Jean and Diluc both. In front of them stood several Fatui agents, some looking calmer than others. "Oh boy," she sighed out. "Let's get this over with." With a wave of her hand, she called forth her mask to match her Harbinger uniform. "Thanks for the ride, mister!"

"A pleasure, Lumine!" The man called back cheerfully. "Stay out of trouble, you hear?"

"Oh, never! Call for me at the Adventurers' Guild if you need help on your farm again." With a small wave, she picked up the square carton box that was set next to her and hopped from the carriage, walking up to the shouting match happening not far off.

"--And I told you," Diluc's calm but firm voice was saying, "That we don't need, nor want help from the Fatui."

The officer before him seemed to be well-versed with the intricate diplomatic situation between Mondstadt and the Fatui. Even so, he was not taking any heed to the insistent denial. "But you see, Master Diluc, your opinion on the issue matters not, for the acting grandmaster has still to make up her mind."

Jean crossed her arms. "As I said, I have called for aid, and she will be here soon."

"Yes, you have been saying that for a week now, but where is your hero? You need a small army now, and we are offering our services."

Lumine cleared her throat as she got close, getting attention drawn over to her. The agents' faces paled at the sight of her while the knight's contorted with anger. "Great," Diluc growled. "A harbinger. Just what we needed."

Lumine smiled behind her gemmed mask as she turned to the officer. "Gather your troops. I will discuss the matter with the acting grandmaster and relay your future orders soon. Be prepared to fight." She was saluted at once.

Jean sputtered out. "N-now, see here!"

One of the guards turned to the other. "As expected of the twelfth! She even beat Master Tartaglia in front of The Tsaritsa. She was hand-picked and even turned down a delusion because she thought it would decrease her power."

"I heard she even overpowered a huge swarm of troops on a training mission!"

Lumine felt her cheeks color. "Just go!" The shout made the men redouble their steps, jogging away from the camp. "Ugh, seriously."

Jean glared at the girl. "What makes you think we would talk to you, let alone welcome you within our walls, harbinger?"

Turning to face the two, Lumine held the medium-sized box before herself. "Because I have a bartering chip that you can't refuse, acting grandmaster. Something that will make you cave and accept my help, no matter what." She watched Diluc's gloved hand slowly move towards and rest on the end of his sword's handle. As she lifted the top of the box, the swordsman gripped the leather, ready to brandish the blade. "Ta-daaah!" Lumine cheered. "Mushroom pizza from the food stall in the town over!"

Jean's eyes widened; confusion clear on her face. "Wh...what!?"

"Pfffttt hahahaha!" Paimon's laughter rang out as she appeared behind Lumine. "You should see your faces!"

With a pout, Lumine looked up at her friend. "Aww, Paimon, you ruined it."

"Paimon's sorry, but Paimon couldn't hold it! Haha!"

Lumine used one hand to slide over the front of her mask, making it disappear in a fog of purple mist. "Surprise!"

"Lumine!?" The name was almost shouted by both of the people in front of her. "You joined the Fatui!?" Jean continued in shock.

"Of course not." The girl closed the pizza box and began to walk the path along the bridge, letting them follow behind. "That's a story for later. Let's focus on the situation at hand..."

~**~

"So," Diluc leaned over the bar at Angel's Share. "Little Miss Fatui Harbinger... I think you owe us an explanation."

Lumine laughed nervously. She had managed to put off the explanation for a few hours, using the excuse of handling the Fatui and hilichurls before having to deal with it. Now, at the end of the day, she found herself sitting at the bar in front of her friends-- eagerly awaiting her story. "Uhm... you see..."

Before she could start, the door burst open, revealing a bubbly brunette. "I heard Lu came back!"

"Amber!" Lumine jumped up at once, opening her arms.

"Lu!" The overly energetic woman hopped the tables and tackled her into a hug. "You really are back! How long are you staying!?"

"I don't know, a while." Lumine giggled cheerfully. "Hey, why don't we drink to celebrate? Diluc! Let's get some drinks going! Oh, some dandelion wine! For everyone!" She felt a gloved hand on her shoulder.

Kaeya tried his best to keep his voice steady. "Now, now, I think you were telling us about your uniform?"

Amber blinked and took in her friend's attire for the first time. "Oh, did you mug a fatui agent to sneak in somewhere!? I want to hear about it!"

Jean sat down her glass of wine with a loud clink. "Our honorary knight..." Her tone got everyone's attention, "commands the Fatui agents to the point of making them not only attack our enemies but doing it outside of a contract or treaty. She is a Harbinger."

"Am not!" Lumine denied once more.

"Explain." Diluc's voice was not pleased.

"Okay, wine, wine..." Lumine tried to reach for the bottle to pour everyone a drink. Before she could do so, the redhead snatched it away from her and set her in a glare. "Oh... okay... I'll just talk then... hehe..."

Lumine took a deep breath. "Well, you see, I was in Snezhnaya... and I ran into Childe." She ignored the sound of a snapping wine glass from Kaeya's direction. "And, so, we... had a fight in front of the Tsaritsa. I kicked his butt, of course!" She looked really proud, but only Amber clapped for her. The rest were eyeing her while waiting for the rest of the story.

"So... After I beat him, the Tsaritsa revealed she was watching and talked to us... She asked Aja...Childe who I was. He couldn't exactly say I was the outlander or I would be killed on the spot, right? So he, funny story here, was put on the spot and, ha ha so funny, said-I-was-his-fiancée."

Diluc slammed his hands on the bar and stood up. "He what!?"

Lumine sank back meekly. She was about to try and explain herself but Paimon spoke up first, talking around a mouthful of food. "She is going to marry Childe!"

When no denial came from the woman, all eyes stayed on her. "You... you see, I stayed with his family for Christmas, and we talked, and..."

Kaeya threw his hands up in the air and walked away for a moment. Diluc was looking at Jean, who seemed to be trying to understand and failing. "Lumine," the dandelion knight spoke softly. "Are we talking about... the same one who tried to kill you? And most of Liyue?"

"When you put it like that, of course it sounds bad!"

"How else would it sound!?" Kaeya's voice yelled from across the room. "Didn't he throw a whale on you!?"

"Well, in his defense, I stabbed him in his kidney." Lumine offered shyly

Amber grabbed Lumine's shoulders and shook her. "Lu! Are you crazy!? He's a psycho! Nuts! Crazy!" Despite her words, her eyes were sparkling. "Is he a good kisser!?"

Lumine nodded excitedly. "Yes! Oh gosh yes!"

"Lumine!" Jean's hard voice made both girls jump in their seats. "You're dating the enemy!?"

"I mean... He's... It's... complicated..." Her eyes looked down to her lap. "I know it sounds crazy, and it is... but he isn't a bad guy... well, he is, but... He's... Oh Archons, how do I even describe it?" Her mind flashed back to the days she spent with him. The honest smiles, the laughter with his family, the passion in his eyes when they made love... "Aj... Childe has a soft side too... I know none of you have seen it, but it's there. Look, we all have our own viewpoints in this world. My goal here is to find my brother and help anyone I can along the way. Until Snezhnaya turns on me, I want to give them the same chance I gave everyone here... please understand. I'm not of this world, I have to treat everyone equally."

Silence came over the group for several seconds before Amber embraced her in a hug. "I'm here for you, Lu. I'll shoot him with an arrow if he's mean to you, but I'll support you until then."

"Thank you, Amber." A small smile came to her lips. "I knew I could count on you."

Diluc put his face onto his palm and groaned. "This is a mistake... but it is your mistake to make. Just... Just know we'll be here to catch you when he stabs you in the back."

"Thank you... I think." Amber eyes turned to Jean, who sighed and dismissively waved her hand. "Kaeya?"

"Nope. I'll kill him." The man was still away from the group, arms crossed and leaning against a pillar while facing opposite of them. "First chance."

Surprising no one, nobody stepped up to scold him for his words. "Well... It's a start?"

~**~

"Luuuuu!" Amber's cheerful voice called across the little house that the two shared together. "Come on roomie, get up! I brought breakfast! Fisherman's Toast!"

"Nnnhhh..." Lumine rolled over in her bed, groaning deeply. "I don't feel good."

"Again?" Her happy voice trailed off to curiosity as Amber leaned over to inspect the girl. "You've been really off lately. Maybe you should go see a doctor?"

"Don't wanna..." Sitting up, she blinked a few times. "I've been here for over two months already; I need to finish up quickly so I can get back..."

"You're working yourself sick." kneeling onto the bed, she tried to ease the girl back down. "Jean does this a lot... Just take your time, a few days won't make or break it, you know? But it will set you back if you can't get out of bed."

"Mmmn..." Lumine rubbed her eyes and accepted the breakfast. "Thank you... So, what's the plan this morning?"

Amber hummed while scarfing down her own food. "Well, the whole hilichurl thing is pretty much taken care of since the Fatui helped out so much... The bandit problem is being wrapped up as well... Currently, we need to take care of a surge of slimes near a leyline... I'll check with Jean before we head out for details!"

Normally, Lumine would be right there with her, but this time she was slowing down even more than usual. "I... feel..."

"Lu...?"

Scrambling fast, Lumine fumbled from the sheets and ran to the bathroom, barely making it in time before losing the few bites she managed to get down. Hard pants came with whimpering, coughs wrecking her throat. Callused hands gently pulled her hair back and soon she found it in a bunny-ear style clip. A glass of water was sat by her and gentle rubbing came on her back.

"Lu, you're really sick..."

"N-no... I just... need a moment..." The blondie panted, gasping hard before swishing her mouth out with the water. "I feel better now... Just... didn't sit well with me, I guess."

"But..."

"Really..." Trying her best to smile, she put her hand on Amber's. "If it isn't better by noon, I'll go, okay?"

"...Okay..."

~**~

Jean looked up when knocking came at her door. "Come in." When Amber trotted inside, she gave a little lopsided smile. The outrider was always a handful but was dear to her heart. "What can I do for you, Amber?"

"Well, it's actually about Lumine. Ever since she got here, she's been working herself to death so she can get back to her fiance." Just mentioning Childe made Jean grimace. "She came down with a cold or something and hasn't been feeling that well for... seems like weeks now. She doesn't get enough sleep and she started being really lazy in the mornings. Normally she just hops right out of bed."

"Has she seen a doctor?"

"She refuses to go. I was hoping, maybe, we could pull her from the front lines for just a little bit, give her a while to rest and recover? See if that will help things?"

"Of course. I don't want anyone working themselves sick." Jean got a firm stare from her friend at that. "...What?"

"...Nothing. Thank you, Jean." A smile now adorned her face and she hopped from the room.

Even though the intentions were good, when Lumine found out the news at lunch, she was a little more than upset. "Desk duty!?" She gawked at the new assignment she held in her hands. The poor delivery person was shaking in their boots before her. "Jean put me on desk duty!? What the heck? I'm not even employed here!"

Lisa sipped some of her tea, having been informed of this change beforehand. "Come now, cutie, your connections are needed to help cultivate the growing trust between Mondstadt and Snezhnaya. Without your support, all of our efforts will go to waste."

"But... But..." Standing up from her chair quickly, she sent the messenger scampering off. "I'm a Fatui harbinger! I'm an honorary knight! The savior of Liyue! I slay dragons and Archons!"

Kaeya crossed his arms, glaring daggers at her. "Oh, so you're a harbinger now that it's convenient for you?"

"Kaeya, don't hound me right now!" Slamming her hand down, she glared back just as hard. "I'm the right hand of Tartaglia, and you'll have to get used to it!" To prove her point, she manifested her mask over her face before storming away from the group.

"...wow," Amber whispered softly, eyes wide. "I've never seen her that mad before..."

"That bastard is corrupting her," Kaeya growled under his breath, his eye following the girl walking away. "Didn't Paimon say she was drugged while there?"

Lisa gave him a look. "Dart Fruit, Kaeya dear, and it is hardly a drug. She would be loopy for a few days at most."

"But what if he slipped her something? Something that she isn't getting anymore and it's making her sick? She wants to go back to get more of it."

With a roll of the eyes, Amber propped up her chin with one hand and shoveled some food into her mouth with the other. "It's called love, you should try it sometime, playboy." The words made Lisa cover her mouth lightly with one hand to stifle a giggle.

~**~

"Luuuuu!" Amber peeked her head into the tent set up outside the castle town. Lumine had taken up working out of the city for a while now, negotiating with travelers from other nations, settling disputes with Fatui, and generally being a large help to the city as a whole. "Hey, almost ready?"

"You bet!" Lumine's eyes were shining bright. She handed over some papers to her assistant and grinned at her best friend. "After a few weeks of pattering around town, I'm finally going back on active duty! I got a lot of people reaching out to help find my brother now, too, thanks to this, but I'm glad to finally be doing it myself."

"We need to celebrate!" Draping an arm over her bestie, Amber started dragging her along. "Sticky honey roast, Diluc's best wine, some sweet madam, oh and those amazing jade thingies you taught him how to make!"

"Yes, yes!" Lumine laughed cheerfully.

"I'm so glad you got better! I was worried, you know?"

"Stop it, I'm fine!" Lumine nudged her. "I just got used to sleeping in."

"Whatever. Just admit it, even world-traveling, Archon slaying, amazing swordswomen like yourself get sick sometimes."

"Fine," Lumine snorted. "Even I get sick sometimes. But that's why I have you, right?"

"Well that, and alcohol! We're getting smashed tonight!" Pumping her fist up in the air, she cheered.

"Woohoo!" Lumine did the same. "Food and wine! Bring it on!" The two laughing girls burst into the Angel's Share as a pair. "We're here-!?" Suddenly bending over, Lumine grabbed her nose. "Wha....what?"

"Lu?" Amber tilted her head. "What's wrong?"

"I..."Gagging, she turned and ran from the bar, quickly making it around the corner before throwing up her lunch. She had a few moments of privacy before she found a large coat being placed over her shoulders and a glass of water being handed to her. "Th...thank you."

Dilic simply rubbed her back, letting her swish. "Feel better?"

"N-no... The smell... Somehow... just..." Coughing again, she fanned her nose. "It's weird, I was so hungry, now it feels like if I eat I would throw it up all at once..."

Diluc's hand gripped her shoulder a little tighter. "Lumine, you have been sick for a while, yes?"

Lumine denied him. "No, just some morning hot flashes. I got over it, you can ask anyone. Working at the desk really cleared me up. I have a few headaches sometimes, but I'm good. It was just the sudden smell of all the food and..." Just talking about it made her almost throw up again. "I was so hungry..."

"Lumine, tomorrow we are taking you to see Jean's little sister."

"B-barbara!? Why!? She hates me!" Lumine shook her head. "I destroyed the Holy Lyre! She'll tear me a new one if I-" The glare she got made her sink back. Diluc had always been protective of her in his own way and never asked for anything in return. To deny him now... "Fine... I'll go... But who's we?"

"Jean will go with us. Please inform her to meet me here tomorrow morning."

"But I... I promised Amber I'd..."

"No. Go home. I'm not serving you alcohol."

"But-!?"

Diluc turned her around so they were facing each other. "Either you walk home, or I carry you home. Which is it?"

"... I'll walk."

~**~

Barbara looked at Lumine with a mix of curiosity and amusement. The thief who stole the holy lyre, broke it, fixed it only for it to fall apart minutes later, and be named an honorary knight, was now before her looking sheepish and a bit annoyed. "So," Barbara began, voice cheery as usual. "I'm told you're not feeling the best?"

"I mean, I'm good?" Lumine shrugged helplessly. "I had some stomach bug a while ago and felt a little nauseated yesterday. Don't know why everyone is freaking out."

The younger sibling of the acting grandmaster nodded to herself while hopping onto a chair before her. "Okay! Well, I'm great with healing magic and pretty good with standard medical examinations, so I should be able to at least get you figured out. From there, I can recommend you to someone who can really help." She got a small nod. "Standard questions first, how old are you?"

"No idea," Lumine shrugged helplessly.

"Guess," Barbara simply smiled, having dealt with orphans most of her life who didn't know their birthdates.

"No, really... I... have no idea. Time is lost on me. I go by whatever planet I'm on, so... The rotation of your sun around Teyvat means nothing to my homeworld or how we measure our life spans. I've been away from there so long, I don't even remember how long a day there is... so I don't know."

Barbara slowly nodded. "Oh... alright... Uhm... Well..." She used her pencil to scratch her head. "I guess we can skip that one? Hehe... Uhm... kay! Are you... um, you know... sexually active?"

A snort. "Not really, no."

"Not really?"

"Having sex twice in my life doesn't really count as active, does it?"

Barbara's cheeks colored a little. "Well, it means, like... recently?"

"No, I've been away from my fiance for a little over three months now."

"Okay then. Is your cycle regular?"

Lumine thought about it. "It never really has been, but it feels like I've missed it for a bit."

"Oh? How long would you say?" Barbara scribbled on her notes.

"Maybe three months?" The sound of Jean dropping a clipboard came from behind them, and Lumine turned to look curiously. "You okay back there?"

"F-fine!" Jean stammered out, eyes wide. Diluc reached down to gather her papers, pretty sure she wouldn't be trying to do any more work while there now. "Keep going!"

The idol's face was darkening by the minute. "Uhm... Lumine, have you been having, say, morning sickness?"

A nod. "For a bit, but it's gone now."

"Increased appetite?" A nod. "Maybe... headaches?" Another nod. "Have some foods you love suddenly make you sick to your stomach while smelling them?"

Brown eyes lit up. "Yes! That happened last night! Do you know what's wrong with me!?"

Jean turned and thunked her forehead against Diluc's chest. The man only sighed harshly and leaned against the wall behind him before awkwardly patting the woman's back. "If I kill him, will you pardon me?"

"Yes," Jean answered at once.

Barbara was still frantically trying to go over more questions. "Uhm... do you... itch anywhere? Like, around...." A hand moved around her chest area.

"Sometimes?" Looking back and forth between everyone, Lumine looked rather confused. "Amber uses some fabric softener that doesn't agree with my bras... why is everyone acting so weird, what's going on?"

"Jean..." Barbara looked at her older sister helplessly.

Silence passed as the dandelion knight took a deep, steadying breath. Then, turning to her friend, she smiled as best she could before kneeling down to her. "Lumine, answer me honestly, okay" Again, a curious nod and head tilt. "Did you and your... fiance have sex?"

Instantly brown eyes looked down, cheeks staining red. "Y-yes... Twice."

"And, did you use protection?"

Lumine nodded lightly. "The second time we did... The first time was a little... unexpected, so we didn't have one... but it's okay, he... he... Uhm..." Voice dropping down to a scant whisper, she finished the sentence so only her close friend could hear. "He... pulled out... before... you know..."

The way Jean's shoulders sagged told everyone in the room just what they needed to know. "I'll kill him," Diluc growled again.

"Lumine," Jean tried to smile again. "we think you're pregnant."

"Pre..." Eyes lighting up, the traveler laughed. "Haha, no! No way, I can't be... Stop it! I'm not... I mean... you're not... serious..." When no one laughed along with her, she suddenly got a little scared. "You're serious, aren't you? You think I'm... He.... a baby...? Inside...?" A little nod answered her. "Forget it Diluc, I'll kill him!" Standing up quickly, she made her chair clatter behind her. "That jerk!"

Despite his best attempts to stop her, Diluc was pushed aside rather violently with the help of an anemo burst. Lumine stormed down the hallway, seething with anger and raging winds flashing around her feet. "That... that no good... freaking.... stupid... childish..." Each step came paired with less fury, her body starting to waver. "... dumb... caring... family wanting... loving..."

Lumine fell to her knees, staring blankly in front of herself for several moments. Jean was next to her shortly after, crouching down and smiling softly. "Hey..."

"...Hi." The word was an automatic response, her mind still trying to process everything.

"... You going to be okay?"

Slowly Lumine turned her head to reveal moist eyes. "Why... wasn't he here with me when I found out?"

Jean opened her mouth to reply but closed it shortly after. Several moments passed before she tried once again. "Because I had you come here to help your friends... But it's okay, you should go back to him now. You can be with him when he finds out."

"... My brother..." A tear fell down her cheek. "He... He needs to know. I have to tell him too... He's... He's going to be an uncle."

"Oh Lumine..." Arms went around her shoulders, pulling the girl into a hug, foreheads resting together. "We'll make sure he knows... don't worry, he'll be told, I swear. We'll find him, and he'll know..."

Chapter Text

Mood swings were putting it lightly. Now that I knew, it was pretty easy to pinpoint exactly when my attitude was starting to shift.  It was mainly the knowing eyes of those around me that tipped me off; The little grin on Amber’s face or the exasperated sigh of Lisa as I probed her for information for the hundredth time. Either way, I was loaded up with books on how to handle this and ready to make the trek back to Snezhnaya to inform my stupid fiance of what he did to me.

Deck the Halls VIII

By: Satashi

Lumine tried to keep her lunch down as she leaned against the carriage window. Three blankets were over her body, a thick woolen hat over her head, and her attire was fully Snezhnayan. Her travel this time came in the form of an expensive deluxe transportation balloon guided by trained professionals and protected by guards. It was three carriages long, one of which held her, and two transporting cargo. It wasn’t the most pleasant ride, and she discovered quickly that she didn’t like it.

Still, as the unfamiliar but homey town came over the horizon, she felt relief wash over her. Four days instead of seven but she was so done with traveling right now. She wanted wassail, Childe’s pajamas, to beat him up, and then to snuggle into his bed to bask in the warmth of the heater in his room.

“Is this good, Miss Lumine?” One of the guards asked her as they stopped at an inspection point near the city gates. 

“Very,” Lumine smiled and hopped down from her cart, followed quickly by Paimon. “Thank you again!” A cheerful smile came and soon she formed her Fatui mask into her hair, much like the way Childe wore his, before heading into the city. “Let’s see... his home base was...over here?”

It only took asking two people, who seemed confused that an agent didn’t know where the base was, to find the large building once more. She looked up at it and rubbed her arms, feeling slightly insecure all of a sudden. ‘ I totally used the Fatui name all over Mondstadt... and did several things in their name... I wonder if they’re mad at me? ’

The doors opened easily, her breath no longer crystalizing before her as the warmth of the building washed over her frame. A receptionist greeted her with a smile and looked at her expectantly. “Uhm,” Lumine faltered. “I’m looking for Tartaglia.”

“Name and rank?”

Briefly, she wondered if she should have worn her harbinger uniform instead of civilian clothes. “Lu, Right hand of Tartaglia.”

The lady blinked and instantly went rigid. “The twelfth!”

An exasperated groan. “I’m not the twelfth...” 

“I’ll have Master Tartaglia contacted right away! Would you like to stay in his study?”

“No, tell him to meet me here.” Lumine rubbed her temples. “I need to leave immediately. Please inform him to be prepared to go for the day.” She got a nod in return and soon she set about pacing the floor. Her arms crossed and uncrossed, hat came off and back on. ‘ Why am I so freaking nervous!? ’

“My Lady!” The call came from upstairs, a cheerful and playful Childe leaping over the railing to land on the lower floor without a care in the world. “You came back to me!”

“Of course I came back!” Lumine protested the very thought of not. “Do you have any idea what I’ve been through without you!?” The pleased and... smug look on his face at hearing that lit a fire inside of her. “Oh no, don’t you smile at me, pretty boy!” Stepping forward, she jabbed a finger onto his chest when he opened his arms for a hug. “I’ve gone through too much for you to just smile and give me a hug! I need more right now!”

The whole centralized lobby had frozen at that point, all eyes on the couple in the middle of the floor having it out. Childe took notice and held up his hands in defeat. “Uhm, my lady, I think we should talk-”

“I am talking!” Lumine almost screamed at him. “And you! Where is my hug!?”

“You-you just said-”

“I know what I just said, now hug me!” Brown eyes began to water, her voice going soft and almost unheard. “Don’t you want to hug me, Ajax?”

Childe physically flinched at the words before pulling her in close and cradling her against his frame. “Lu, are you alright?” His eyes shot death glares to those around him, demanding they go back to work.

“Yes... no... Oh hell, Ajax...” Lumine pulled at his clothing forcefully. “Get me out of here... take me home...”

“By your command...”

~**~

Lumine felt all sorts of emotions running through her when she finally arrived at the large house she spent a week in a few months ago. Even though other parts of Teyvat had started to show signs of spring breaking, Snezhnaya was still covered firmly in snow. It was like the memory of her first visit would forever be engraved in the scenery. 

“Everyone is going to be so surprised when they see you again,” Childe mused while reaching up to offer his hand to her. Lumine accepted and let him assist her down from the carriage they took, landing with a crunch in the white powder. “How long can you stay? A few days? Weeks?”

“I... I don’t know.” Nervousness was starting to creep up inside of her again. When she dropped this bomb, what would his reaction be? She knew he wanted a family, but he was still in his prime... He wanted to fight, to kill, to push himself to new limits... Childe even said before that he wanted to wait several years before even entertaining the idea.

“Works for me!” He shrugged off the non-committal answer easily, humming while he so casually placed an arm over her shoulder to guide her to the front door. “What would you like for dinner? Soup? Maybe something thick and hearty?”

Instantly Lumine covered her mouth. “Don’t... don’t mention food right now...”

Childe actually snorted in his laugh. “Don’t tell me you ate dart fruit again!?” The door opened and he stepped inside. “Hey, guess who’s here!?” The call made curious glances come up, followed by cheerful screams from Anthon and Teucer.

“Big sis!” Each one grabbed a hold of a leg to hug. “You came to visit!”

“I did...” Lumine smiled at them both, the image of her own little one running towards her flashing in her mind. “I... came to say hi.”

“Andrei and Amellia are back at their own houses,” Childe explained while hanging up their jackets. “Tonia should be in school, Dad is probably out with his friends, and mom...”

“Is right here,” Anastasia smiled upon entering the room. “Lumine, dear, you came to visit, how thoughtful.”

“Y-yeah...” Seeing the mother of so many children before her, Lumine couldn’t help the tears starting to come to her eyes. “Mama... I... don’t know what I’m supposed to do...” Without any more prompt, arms opened and Lumine carefully slipped from the children to jog over into the warm embrace. “I’m scared...”

“Sssh, child...” A fond smile came over her as she hugged her son’s future bride. “Does anyone know yet?”

A shake of the head. “Not here...” She didn’t even need to ask how the mother knew. Raising that many children had to imprint some kind of motherly instincts on her. “How...” Words dropped into a whisper. “How do I tell him?”

“With a smile,” Anastasia replied simply with a pat on her back. “Tonight, when we are all together, how’s that sound?”

“....Mmnn.”

Childe scratched his head. “What is going on here?” Looking at them both, he put a hand on his hip. “Do I need to know something?”

“Later, dear, later,” his mother beamed at him. She moved to the boy and hugged him tightly before kissing his forehead, much to his embarrassment. “You go put your frozen fiancee in a blanket and make her something nice to drink. I’ll get a fire going.”

Despite being confused about the whole ordeal, Lumine did look cold. That was enough for him to get her moving. His room was raided and he felt his cheeks heating up when she instantly went to his dresser to fetch some sweatpants for herself. Her suitcase was rummaged through next and his stolen hoodie was taken from it to put on, completing the drowning-in-boyfriend’s-clothing look.

“I really missed that...” Childe admitted softly. His hands snaked around her from behind and rested on her stomach. “I wish I could pull them off of you right now, but I know you’re probably freezing.”

“I am,” a meek nod came in reply. “B-besides, uhm...”

“Don’t worry,” Childe whispered into her ear. “I bought a whole box... just in case...” When Lumine stiffened up in his arms he couldn’t help but chuckle throatily. “Right now, let's get you something warm to drink, shall we?”

“Wassail?”

“Hehe, wassail it is, pretty girl.”

~**~

It wasn’t until way later in the night that everyone was home. Childe’s older siblings had been invited over for dinner under the guise of welcoming Lumine back for a little bit. Lumine’s fiance looked rather proud, seeing his whole family gather together over his relationship. It was a shred of normalcy in his life that he normally didn’t get to have. A sign of peace in his otherwise crazy and bloodshed-filled life.

When the group slowly transferred to the living room to catch up with each other, Anastasia caught Lumine’s eyes and got a very timid and scared nod in return. “Okay everyone,” her motherly voice somehow cut through the chatter to get everyone’s attention. “Our little Lumine has something she needs to tell us. The reason she came to visit today.”

Childe looked at the girl next to him as she slowly scooted away from under his arm so she could face him more directly. “Uhm... Everyone... Ajax...” Her bottom lip quivered, getting her hands instantly taken by the man before her. “You see...” A deep breath. “Okay... just all out at once... I’m pregnant.”

The sudden cheers from the family registered in Childe’s mind, along with the sudden hugging from everyone as they were congratulated. Somehow, even the teasing from his older brother was recognized about how shocked he appeared to be. But inside his head was a whirlwind of thoughts that were tearing through him like a hurricane.

‘ A baby... I’m going to be a father... Me? A father? I’m a murderer, a Harbinger, a machine of war... What happens when I’m called to duty? Who will watch over Lumine? Our child? Will the Tsaritsa even send me out if I have a family? Will she keep someone who has a wife and baby as a Harbinger...? Will I... no longer be able to fight? To kill? ’

“...Ajax?” Lumine’s terrified voice made him snap from his thoughts, a weak smile coming to his lips. “Please... say something?”

“Ah... I... I’m just... in shock, is all.” His hands pulled on her arms, tugging her in for a hug. “I’m... speechless... Lu... Ah ha ha... A baby.” He knew he could fool his family, but the one laying against him sagged into his arms. 

“You’re... not happy at all, are you?” The words were so soft that he barely heard them.

“I am,” he insisted. “I’m... just confused. My life, hell, our lives, just turned upside down. For once, I don’t know what to do... I can’t kill my way out of this one...” The realization hit him hard, his arms embracing her close as his eyes widened. “I’m... I’m... scared !?”

Lumine shifted so she could look at him, watching his gorgeous blue eyes almost shaking in fear. It was almost unnoticeable but his body was quivering ever so lightly, his breathing hitched just enough for her to pick out. Her Harbinger wasn’t unhappy, he was terrified. “We’ll get through this,” she whispered against him, placing a soft kiss on his lips. “One day at a time, we’ll work this out.”

“...Yeah.” Childe’s body seemed to relax at that. The commotion all around them somehow faded back into reality, the excited talking making more sense to him now. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.” A hand went to the back of Lumine’s head, pulling her down to kiss her forehead. “Let’s talk tonight. For now, enjoy your moment.”

“Our moment,” Lumine corrected him gently. “This is our moment, Ajax.”

“... Our moment...” His lips twitched, that smile that she longed for finally coming back to him. 

~**~

“A mora for your thoughts?” Tonia’s words made Childe look over his shoulder. He was on the back porch of the house, leaning against the railing while looking up at the sky.

“My princess, you shouldn’t be out in the cold in your pajamas.” Childe immediately unzipped his jacket and draped it over her. “...When did this stop going past your knees?”

A giggle. “I’m fourteen, my knight, it's time for me to grow.” She accepted the coat nonetheless and snuggled into it. “So... a daddy, huh?”

“...Yeah.” Leaning back onto the frozen railing, he sighed out. 

Tonia stood next to him, leaning partly against him and partly against the wood as well. “I thought you’d be happier.”

“I am, I’m just concerned. Adult stuff.” He got a laugh. “Hey, I’m an adult!”

“Sure, whatever.” Tonia rolled her eyes. “You’re big and scary on the battlefield, but you’re a kitten at home. Just admit it: You have no idea what you should do and it scares you.”

Childe groaned, letting his body lean forward a little. “I already did. Right now I’m trying to think what to say to Lu when I go into the bedroom... What to tell the Tsaritsa when I see her tomorrow... What to tell my squad when they report to me... What I’m... going to do when I wake up a week from now?” Blue eyes sought out green. “Tonia, I’ve served the military all my life... How do I... raise a family?”

“With the same feelings that you give to all of us, my knight.” Bright eyes looked up at him encouragingly. “Teucer may not know you like I do, and I may not know everything just yet... but I know enough. Under that mask you wear... Under that name you claim as your own... You’re still my big brother, and I think any baby lucky enough to call you their dad will be well taken care of.”

Childe blinked back a tear before it could form. Snezhnaya didn’t believe in tears, and he wasn’t about to break that now, not in front of her. “My Princess, you are the most wonderful lady in all the lands.”

“Don’t let Lumi hear you say that.”

A chuckle. “Trust me, she gets enough praise, I’ll let you have this one.” He leaned over and kissed her hair. “I’m going back to the second-best in the lands, my princess. Don’t stay out too long and catch a cold, hear me?”

“Yes, my knight.” Tonia gave a small wave from under the heavy coat.

The bedroom was still lit up when he opened the door. Lumine had his small wood-burning heater going already, lamps alight to illuminate the area by his dresser mirror. She was standing sideways before it, arms lifted, trying to inspect her stomach. “Do you have a baby bump?” He asked her curiously, taking a small bit of pride in watching her jump in surprise.

“Don’t do that,” she complained. “I’m on edge and moody. I might just stab you.” Still, she rubbed up and down her stomach to her pelvis. “I don’t really... see much, but I think I can feel the start of something? Maybe? I don’t know, maybe I’m just looking for it?” To her surprise, Childe walked up behind her and placed his hands on her hips. “Ah, cold!”

A soft chuckle graced the woman’s ears. “Sorry, sorry... Let me feel.” Blue eyes fluttered close, fingertips slowly trailing up along the front of his fiance. “A baby... our baby... inside you...” Soft trails, repeating back and forth motions along the toned stomach. “Right... here?” Both palms cupped the small area under Lumine’s navel.

Her giggle was right there with his. “Maybe a bit lower right now, but yes, around there somewhere.”

“What? No way, I feel it, right here, you’re sticking out a little.”

“Huh? Am not!” Lumine put her hands where his were. “I’m flat as...” Her breath sucked in, eyes widening. “I... am kind of... a little more...”

“Told you,” Childe smugly cooed at her. “Like I wouldn’t know where to find my own ba-” His words cut off when he saw Lumine’s shocked look in the mirror in front of them. “...My own baby...” The sentence was finished slowly. 

Lumine turned around in his arms so she could look up at him, her lips curling up into a grin. “Our baby...”

“Heh... Ha ha...” For the first time since hearing the news, a light seemed to sparkle behind his deep blue eyes. “Hahaha!”  Without warning, Childe slid his hands up and under her arms, lifting her into the air to twirl her around. “We’re going to have a kid, Lu!”

Talking through a laugh, she gripped onto his arms for support. “You just now figured this out!?” The third turn around slowly brought her back down to her feet. He was blushing a deep red, chuckling like a teenager in front of his crush. “You look really cute when you’re not killing people,” Lumine teased him playfully.

“Same to you.” Another small laugh came before they simply looked at each other. “Oh Archons, Lu...” Childe slowly slumped to his knees, hands moving around Lumine’s waist so he could rest his forehead against her stomach. “What... What are we going to name them? I mean, it has to be a strong name right? He’s going to conquer the world one day.”

Lumine simply threaded her fingers into his hair and closed her eyes, hugging him. “It’s going to be a girl, Ajax, and I don’t know if she will be a fighter or not.”

“We can hope?” Childe asked hopefully.

“We can hope,” Lumine agreed. A small silence passed as he simply knelt there, kissing her navel. “... We’re hoping she will be a fighter right?”

“No, that it will be a boy.”

“...It’s a girl, Ajax.”

Blue eyes looked up at her pleadingly. “Please be a boy...”

“Why?” Soothing stroked down his hair.

“Because if it’s a girl, I’ll have to kill everyone who looks at her, and I’m scared she might be mad at me for it... I don’t know what I’ll do if my little girl is  mad at me...”

A slow smile came over her as she bent over to hug his head, giggling happily against his back. “When did you become such a daddy!?”

~**~

Meeting the Tsaritsa was always nerve-wracking. Be it for a promotion, reward, scolding, or even just a meeting. Anything involving an Archon was intimidating. At least Childe thought so. Maybe it was because she was his queen or because he served under her, but he always wanted to please her, be on her good side. Anything he could do to make her life easier, he would accomplish. 

So when Lumine casually walked up to her to start a conversation when he took a knee, he almost screamed at her to bow down. 

“My, you live up to your reputation, my little Harbingerling.” The Queen stood, actually stood from her throne to walk towards Lumine in greeting. “Beautiful and brave both, even before an Archon.”

“I’ve met a few Archons in my life,” Lumine answered simply. Still, she curtsies before her to show respect. “But I must say, none held the grace that her majesty does.”

“My, quite the flatterer.” The Tsaritsa glanced over at Childe. “Stand, Tartaglia, and tell me... Why bring the starborn to my throne? Have I not given you enough by letting her live until now?”

Lumine crossed her arms. “Hey, I’ve been doing my best defending your name out there, you know! My friends in Mondstadt wanted nothing to do with you or your nation until I started showing them that you were just working differently than them!”

“And using my money and materials to do so!” The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. 

Childe quickly put his hands on Lumine’s shoulders and pulled her a half step back so he could partway stand in front of her. “Forgive me, my queen, I let her go without instructing her on when and where to use the power given to her.”

Lumine growled lightly. “Childe, I worked my butt off for her! For you!”

“Lu!”

A powerful voice cut them both off. “Let the girl speak, Tartaglia!”

Lumine tried to move forward but found her fiance still blocking her path. She was about to chew him out, but the fierceness in his eyes made her rethink her choice. He wasn’t doing it to make sure she didn’t mess up before his queen, he was doing it to protect her should something happen.

A calming breath was taken. “My queen,” she tried again. “it is true that I have been against you from the start... that I have actively worked to oppose your plans... but that was before I met Childe... Before he made me look at things from your side. I realize now that you want peace, but are going about it in a way that others don’t agree with. I feel you could work it out if you had a branch to extend to other nations... a form of peace that was a shared trust.”

“And that shared trust is...?”

Lumine smiled at her. “Someone who can conquer the four winds of Mondstadt... Who can lay to rest ancient gods summoned by nations when they try to use methods that are a bit too extreme... Someone who is strong enough to turn the tide of war only by standing on the side they think is just.”

The Tsaritsa felt her lips turning up. “You intend to place yourself as a bartering chip.”

“I believe I have proven myself quite the harbingerling, have I not?” Lumine placed her hand on Childe’s to squeeze it before stepping around him. “I have given Mondstadt, one of your least trusted neighbors, a reason to open trade with you. Imagine what I can do for other nations when I visit them as well, with your name on my side.”

“And you intend to do that now? While expecting?”

Golden eyes widened lightly. “How... did you know!?” Once more she felt Childe’s arm around her stomach and the warmth of his chest at her back. It wasn’t a defensive or threatening motion, but one of love... of pride.

“I know,” was the answer that came. “I feel the pulsing of life within you, of Tartaglia and yourself... To think I’d lose two harbingers in one day.” Lumine bit her lip, not denying her role. “Very well... I’ll give you a trial period. Should you disappoint me, I shall simply remove you. For now... I hereby put you on leave until a time where I see fit you return to battle. My eleventh harbinger, Tartaglia, and my twelfth harbinger, Starborne.”

Childe bowed his head slowly and held Lumine close against him. “Thank you, my queen. I will always answer your call, should you need me.”

Lumine tried to repress the hormonal tears threatening to take her over by her lover’s words and the situation turning out as they had hoped. “And when I am able... My sword will be yours as well, so long as our goals and ideas align, my queen.”

~**~

A small creature floated up to the throne sitting in the middle of a large room. Its head was bowed, the utmost respect being shown. “Master, we have an update regarding the girl you asked us to keep an eye on.”

“Oh?” The person sitting on the throne smiled, light flickering in his golden eyes. Blonde hair kept in a braid fell over her shoulder as he leaned forward, greatly interested. “Tell me... what is my lovely sister up to?”

Chapter Text

“I hate you!” The words left my mouth easily as I glared at the man beside me. “This is all your fault! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!” Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard Anastasia, along with a midwife that I didn’t know, tell me to push again. Once more I screamed, ignoring the sweat burning my eyes, and gripped Childe’s hand for dear life. Seconds ticked like hours, the world going numb to everything but pain, then I heard the simple command to breathe. Taking the breath I so desperately needed, I used it for the most important thing in my mind at the moment. “I’m never having sex with you again! You no good, lousy, pathetic, mean, don’t you dare smile at me! I’ll kill you! I’ll murder you! You put me here! This is your fault!” The word push came again and I gripped his hand once more for support, screaming out yet again.

Deck the Halls IX

By: Satashi

Lumine panted, too weak to move at the moment. She heard people fussing all about her, felt Childe’s lips against her temple, but all she could do was force herself to breathe. “Is... is she okay?” The words sounded as if they were behind a wall, dull to even her own ears.

Childe nodded against her softly, the sweat drenched hair of his lover matter to both their heads where they touched. “She’s healthy and beautiful. You can hold her in just a moment, okay? They’re getting her ready.”

A soft smile seemed to make its way to her lips. “I told you... it was a girl.” She felt a chuckle brush over the mess of damp hair on her head. Cool in the moment but humid in the aftermath. 

“That you did, pretty girl, that you did.”  Childe shifted so his mother could carefully hand Lumine their baby. “Look, Lumine... It's our little girl.”

The woman couldn’t reply, eyes watering as she took in the sight before her. “Our little girl... My baby... I’m a mother... Childe, I’m a mother .” Her eyes widened as if realizing something. “You’re a father... What have we done?” The little curl of her lips made him lightly touch his head to hers once more and breathe out a laugh mixed with emotions that he couldn’t even place.

“What’s her name?” Anastasia asked quietly, trying her best not to gush at the sight of her granddaughter.

“Ilya,” Lumine replied at once. “Childe and I talked about it for a while... It's a mix between Snezhnayian and my language.”

“She opened her eyes!” Childe beamed down at the little bundle. “She has blue eyes! She has my eyes!” 

Lumine couldn’t find it in herself to tell him that nearly all babies had blue eyes at birth. Or maybe she was secretly hoping they would turn gold like hers. Either way, she was sure their little girl looked more like her. It was obvious. 

“Should we let the others in?” The question came from the midwife as she cleaned up the supplies. “They can stay for a few minutes, but after that, Lumine needs rest.”

The two newly found parents looked at each other before nodding. “Yeah,” Childe finally answered. “Tell everyone to come on in.”

~**~

It had been almost a month since the event that changed her life yet again. Lumine still felt tired, sleep becoming something that she talked about like a distant memory. Childe seemed to be worse off, usually being the first one up whenever little Ilya made so much as a peep. It isn’t his first time, Anastasia had assured her. 

At first she had been nervous. A Fatui Harbinger, a messenger of death, a man who had killed more than anyone could even keep track of... taking care of a small little baby. Yet the moment she first saw him hold Ilya, while her mother-in-law held her in place by the shoulders, she knew it would be okay. 

In fact, he was actually better at this than she was. 

Childe currently had Ilya in one arm while his other busily moved around random diapers and bottles so he had a space to change her. All in all Lumine barely had to do much at all thanks to his dedication. Not that she minded, just feeding the hungry little baby every time she cried was enough to make her groggy as it was.

Yet another wail came from the bedroom and Lumine sighed when her name was called. “I thought you were changing her!?” She shouted back.

“This is her hungry cry!” Childe countered her. “It's more drawn out!”

Lumine looked at Anastasia with a flabbergasted expression. “He’s right,” she tried to encourage her. “You’ll get used to it. He wouldn’t leave Tonia's side when she was born. I didn’t do anything but nurse her.”

“She’s my baby too, I should know this.” The grumbling came with a little pout, upset that everyone around her seemed to have so much more experience than she did. Still she walked across the house that seemed so much like a home to her, towards the room that Childe and her shared for the past month of their lives.

A knocking at the front door made Anastasia call out for help so she could continue folding the never ending pile of laundry before her. “Tonia-dear, could you get that for me? Probably the mailman.”

“Yes mom!” The teenager hopped up and ran across the living room with a smile to open the door. “Hi, thank you-oh!”

“Hi there.” The man at the door smiled brightly down at Tonia. “Sorry to come unannounced, but I’m here to see my niece.”

“Niece?” Tonia tilted her head to the side. “I think... you have the wrong house, mister.”

“Oh no,” he answered gently. “I’m pretty sure she is here.” The words came with the sound of a startled gasp from across the house. Lumine stood frozen in her tracks, arms quivering while holding her baby daughter in them. Twin gold eyes locked from across the room as the sounds of chanting abyss mages started to come into hearing. “Hello... Sister.”

“Aether...” The gibberish grew louder, filling her ears until it was all she could focus on. Then, without so much as a warning, she blinked and everything had changed. Her twin was holding her little girl in a bubble levitating over his open palm, still in the same position as she was when cradled in her arms. Abyss mages were dancing around the room, chanting and making both Anastasia and Tonia cling to each other in fear. 

It wasn’t until an arrow whizzed through the air did all hell break loose. The mages scattered, teleporting away with a blip of water and ice. Aether flew backwards, wings of gold erupting from his back as he turned to dash off into the snow. “Stay here!” Childe’s words were stern, demanding. “Protect our family!”

He didn’t often use his hydro magic to travel but Aether left him no choice. The man was already in the sky, flying into the forest while skimming the treeline. Childe felt his body burst into waves, swirling up and lashing into the air after him. He trailed the older twin, reaching with watery tentacles at his ankles to stop him as they twirled and dipped down into branches and trunks of the forest itself. 

Soon they came to a stop, Aether twirling to land on his feet while facing him and making the baby hover up above him. Childe’s form lashed into being in front of the man, two hydro daggers already formed. The two clashed, electricity flowing through the water before fire started to vaporize what was left of it. Before Childe could even react, a hard blow came to his stomach, enforced by anemo.

Blood splattered across Childe’s lips as he reeled back from the attack, staggering back several steps before bringing up a hand to wipe his mouth. Hard, ragged breaths shook his body, blue eyes blinking several times to try and get a grip on what just happened.

Aether stood before him, just as firm as before. One hand was raised, palm up, with his niece floating above. Encased in the warm glow of golden light, she still looked peaceful, as if nothing had even happened. “Don’t worry,” he spoke soothingly to her before looking back at Childe. “She’s wrapped in a time bubble, not a second has passed for her. Warm, safe, secure... The question is... How many more times are we going to do this?”

Spitting blood, Childe took a moment to wipe his mouth. “I’m not going to admit defeat after a lucky hit.” Another dash forward and once again the small bubble was raised in the air. His daggers were vaporized upon creation, vines lashing up from the earth to wrap around his wrist to stop them in their tracks. Icy needles shot across his skin, ripping into his clothes and pulling a scream from his lungs. 

His delusion activated without question, ripping him free with the new power he possessed. Aether simply blocked the new polearm attack with his pulsing purple sword, casually moving the small bubble away from Childe’s grasp in the process. “You’re open.” A small flick of his blade sent a blast of wind crashing into him, sending him sprawling.

Gasping out, Childe pushed himself back up. “That all... you got?”

Aether simply sighed. “I’m still disappointed in you. To think my sister chose someone so...”

“I’m not weak !” The voice coming from him distorted as his body grew. Claws spread from his fingers, mask covering his face. “I’ll take back my daughter even if I have to kill you for it!”

The blonde only lifted his head slightly to look up at the abyss tainted harbinger before him. “You’ll kill yourself at this rate, Tartaglia.”

The single gemmed eye of the red mask glew brightly as power focused. “I’ll gladly die for them!” A slash from his polearm cleaved a large trench in the ground where Aether just stood. “My life would be nothing without them!” Another horizontal swing cleaved down an arc of trees before him. “Now give me back my daughter !”

Aether’s form blurred, appeared before him one second and then around him in multiple places all at once. The strike was fast and precise, cutting through the abyss armor and pulling forth purplish black blood from the man and forcing him to one knee in the single move. “Too slow.”

Childe inhaled sharply, his breath catching. “If I can’t beat you... I’ll make sure she at least gets her daughter back.”

Golden eyes narrowed at him. “Don’t act recklessly, Childe.”

The glowing orb in the mask focused on the man before him, Childe’s voice weak and broken. “Lumine... is strong enough... to raise her... on her own.”

“I’m warning you.”

“Sorry Ilya...” Childe breathed out slowly, preparing himself to put his all into the next blow. “But Mommy will do enough for both of us, I swear...” 

“Childe!” Aether lifted up his niece, eyes narrowing into a dark glow. Childe’s abyss form sparked, vanishing before appearing before him in a grasping hold.

“I’ll die before I allow them to be hurt!”

“Wrong answer!” Aether’s fist shattered the armor on Childe’s gut, light flashing around them brightly as he sent the man sprawling back several steps.

Aether stood before him, just as firm as before. One hand was raised, palm up, with his niece floating above it. Encased in the warm glow of golden light, she still looked peaceful, as if nothing had even happened. “Don’t worry,” he spoke soothingly to her before looking back at Childe. “She’s wrapped in a time bubble, not a second has passed for her. Warm, safe, secure... The question is... How many more times are we going to do this?”

Childe spat blood and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, eyes blinking rapidly to try and process what had just happened. Something felt... off. “You think I’ll give up after you land a lucky hit?”

~**~

Lumine tried her best to stay calm. Pacing back and forth in the living room of the warm cabin, she couldn’t help but puff out angry words at everything that had happened. “Oh all the... immature... selfish... egotistical...”

Anastasia held onto Tonia tightly, her eyes following Lumine as she walked. “Lumine, dear... please sit down and rest... you’re still in no condition to be moving so much.” She was still shaken, having just got the rest of the family that was in the house together to make sure no one else was abducted. “We need to... contact the Fatui, get guards sent over...”

“Won’t be needed,” Lumine finally fell onto the couch and crossed her arms angrily. “Aether won’t hurt anyone.”

Tonia was almost in tears. “He took Ilya though!”

Lumine tried her best to smile for the younger girl. “He did, but this isn’t about Ilya... This is about Ajax.” Looking back up at the ceiling, she frowned slightly. Aether wasn’t really an over protective brother. The two had lived long enough to have mutual respect for each other. That meant he had a reason for going after Ilya and getting Childe away from her. Her twin would never betray her, nor hurt her family... so whatever was going on was for something else. Something he knew and wanted to be sure of in his own stupid way.

She would kick his ass after.

~**~

“I’m growing tired of this, Childe!” Aether’s voice was angry, eyes narrowed and glowing a dull, brushed gold. “How many more times!?”

Wiping blood from his mouth, Childe glared at the man before him. “One hit doesn’t decide a battle, Aether! Give me back my daughter and we won’t have to exchange blows!”

“It will just be the same!” Aether let his niece hover in the air, still protected by the warm, safe bubble she was in. He, on the other hand, was already before his opponent one more time. Hit after angry hit, he pummeled his sister’s lover back against a tree. “Why must you be so selfish !?”

Childe finally managed to catch a fist and brought his other hand up to it to slice down along the skin there to send Aether reeling back in pain. “Selfish!? Me!? I’d die for them!”

“I know !” A fast raise of his hand brought a dull spike of earth up to crash against his stomach to make him double over. “I know you will! Without hesitation!” The blonde fell for the act of being hurt and was swiftly knocked to the snowy ground when Childe gripped the stone pillar and spin kicked off it.

“What is this about, Aether!?” His body moved to leap onto him, only to be caught up in thorny vines half way down. “Talk to me! Why!?” Several slashes of hydro energy cut the ties and soon the two were rolling in the snow. 

“Because you’re immature!” The blonde erupted into flame, forcing Childe to roll off of him to put out the fire burning his clothes. “You’re a mere infant compared to us! You don’t even know how to live !”

“I live every day!” Childe shot several arrows, each one being snapped out of the air by an electrical arc before they got close. “It's you who don’t understand what it is like!” Delusion activated, his body quickly increased in pace. Snow scattered in his footsteps, polearm crashing against sword in a flurry of blows. Electric energy crackled around them, the harbinger’s eyes turning a deep purple.

Aether grunted as he was pushed back but still managed to send a shockwave through himself and into his opponent. Ice and fire both crawled over his skin, crumbling him down to fall against a tree. “You’re out of chances, Childe... I’m done with you!”

‘ Not like this... ’ A grunt of repressed pain came from between gritted teeth as a sword sank into his shoulder and impaled the tree behind him. ‘ Not like this... not like this... ’ Swallowing down a dark copper tang, a shot of water came from his hand to force Aether back from him. His palm gripped the sword handle and jerked it free, body instantly falling to the side. ‘ Too much to do... too much to see... ’

“Is it time again?”Aether panted out, brushing the back of his hand over his lips to see that he had been caused to bleed from that blow. “What are you going to do, huh? What is it this time? Tartaglia? Delusion? Self sacrifice by destroying your vision?”

Childe coughed again, pushing himself up with the help of Aether’s sword. “Lumine could take care of her...” His eyes hazed as he stumbled, the tip of the blade dragging in the snow as he walked towards Aether. Somewhere in the back of his mind he felt the familiarity of his actions. The sacrifice, the dread, the sick feeling in his stomach. 

Missing it. Missing everything his daughter would grow up to do. Seeing her first steps, hearing her first words... Being there with Lumine, staying by her side as they did it together, learning, making mistakes, being parents and raising their daughter together. 

“No...” His eyes focused again, the harsh blue clearing up as a hydro dagger formed in his other hand. “I’m not dying... not now... not to you ! There’s too much to do! I’ll save her! I’ll live with her! Even if I have to kill you to do it!”

Aether finally smiled, a look of peace on his face. Falling back to his rear, he relaxed before the man sanding before him. “Finally... you figured it out.” A small flick of his wrist sent the small glowing bubble over to him and instantly he dropped his weapons to grab it, quickly swaddling his daughter up in his scarf to help fight the cold. “I knew you would die for my sister, Childe. That was never a question... What I wanted from you... was to live for her.”

When Childe looked back up, Aether was gone.

~**~

Lumine looked up from the couch when a soft knock came on the door. Everyone in the room quickly turned their eyes to it, but the girl simply huffed out a sigh and stood. “I’ll be back.” Despite the words of warning and requests to stay, she still walked towards the door and smiled. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”

Stepping out into the cold, she trudged over to the small wooden fence that surrounded the property. Aether was sitting on a rung of it, eyes looking out to the forest, his long hair swaying out behind him as the wind blew. “So,” Lumine’s voice made his shoulders stiffen. “He passed your little test, brother?”

Aether slowly relaxed again, only to be shoved off the fence face first into the snow. “Bwah!” A fast push up came with a glare at his sister, who was hopping to sit as well, facing the house. “You didn’t have to push me!”

“And you didn’t have to hide from me for fuck knows how long and test the person I fell for!” Lumine yelled back at him but still allowed him to get back on the fence. “...What the hell, Aether? Why didn’t you come for me... Why didn’t you... Ugh.” She was so close to shoving him again.

“I’m sorry. I wanted to, I really did, but... you need to get your powers back. Need to see this world for what it is... Only then can you understand what I’m trying to do.”

“And Childe?” She glared at him angrily. “Did you hurt him?”

“A fair bit, yes. He’s quite strong, good pick!” The praise made his sister smirk, even if just a little. “I’ve had my eye on him for a while, actually. He’s... infused with abyssal power. Something I’m familiar with.”

“...Yeah, we’re going to have to talk about that.”

“It's not time yet, Lumine.” Aether stared off into the distance, the small chanting of abyss mages starting to come to them. “I promise, in due time, you’ll understand. For now... Enjoy the time you have with him. A few years is nothing to us, so make sure you treasure it. Once you move on and continue your path, I’ll be ready for you.”

“...Just like that, you’re going to leave again?” She kept her eyes on the house in front of her, daring not to look at her twin again at the moment, lest she lost the tears she fought so hard to keep in. “Break into my life, fight my love, abduct my daughter, and tell me to enjoy my time with him until he grows old and dies?”

“It’s why we don’t interfere on planets, Lumine.” They both knew that. “But you made your choice... and now that I know he will live for you, I will respect it. We’ve always had enough time on our hands... I’ll wait for you.”

“...Don’t miss out on your Niece’s life.”

“I’ll be around.” Aether slipped from the fence to the sounds of snow crunching under his boot. “Who else is going to spoil her rotten?” He gave a small smile. 

An eletro abyss mage teleported before him. “My prince, the harbinger grows close. We should head back.”

“Prince? Pffthahaha!” Lumine laughed happily. “My brother!? A prince?” Finally she turned to look at him again, a smile on her face. “Then that makes me a princess, no? As such, I demand some guards of yours here, so we can send letters or other forms of communication.”

The mage looked at Aether, who shrugged. “You heard the princess. Post guards! Anything she demands, she gets! Now let us be off, we have a few years to plan before our next phase.” A few steps were taken before he glanced back as well. “Till then, sis. I love you.”

“I love you too, big brother. See you soon.” The two formed a hazy purple portal before themselves so they could walk through the void and back into the abyss. “Well then...” Slowly she turned so she could face the forest, smiling at the outline of a limping Childe holding their baby against his chest. “Looks like things are going to be a bit more interesting from now on...”