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"Lumine!" Paimon yelled right into her ear, startling out of her reverie. "This is getting ridiculous! You are ridiculous!"
Lumine wasn't sure whether to apologize or snap back at her. "I was just lost in thought for a moment," she said, mildly put off by her companion's rudeness. She'd been getting worse the last few days, and she couldn't put her finger on why. Nor would her friend talk to her about it. Flipping between worried and aggravated was exhausting.
It wasn't common for Paimon not to be straight up with her emotions. While she was a little shallow, she had never once hid something from Lumine during their months of traveling together. Or at least, if she had, Lumine had never known about it. Which made the situation worse, really.
She was already conflicted enough with her own issues. She certainly didn't need any of this new weirdness from Paimon when she really just needed a friend. The Knights of Favonius were wonderful, as were Venti and the rest of the friends she had made both in Mondstadt and Liyue, but in such a new and unusual situation, Lumine was really, really missing Aether. While Paimon wasn't a replacement by any stretch of the imagination - nobody would ever replace Aether - she was still the closest Lumine had to her in that way.
They were both silent for a long moment, and finally, Lumine gave her a gentle smile. "What's going on, Paimon? You know you can talk to me."
Paimon pouted, crossing her arms. "What were you thinking about, when you were spacing out? Paimon wants to know," she asked instead of answering, looking the grumpiest Lumine had ever seen her.
Instantly, Lumine felt her face heat up. Why in the world did that matter? She asked herself, looking away from her friend. "Nothing of interest," she said, trying for casual and likely failing miserably.
Ocean blue eyes, looking at her like she held the answers to the universe after he realized she would keep his secret for his brother. The way his own cheeks grew red when Teucer had mentioned that he wrote about her, and that he wanted to quit his job and join her on her own adventures. The way he spoke to her, like even after everything, she was something special to him.
No, like because of everything, she was someone special to him.
Those kinds of things had all her mind had been thinking about, lately. Every time she tried to do anything it seemed like her thoughts would always make their way back to him. Childe. Tartaglia.
Ajax.
A man of many names, a man who she most certainly shouldn't be so fascinated by. Well, even Lumine could admit this had long since moved past fascination. Everything reminded her of him. Of his smile, of the way he fought, of…
Ugh. She shook her head, looking back at Paimon sheepishly. Paimon had moved her arms from across her chest to sit angrily at her hips. "U-huh," she said, narrowing her eyes as she floated back in front of her face. "You were thinking about him again, weren't you?"
Lumine blinked. "Who?" She asked, trying and failing once again to sound like she had no idea what Paimon was talking about. "Aether?" She sent a silent apology to her brother, wherever he was, for always being her go-to to get out of everything in Teyvat.
Paimon stomped her feet into the air. "You know who!" With a sigh, her little companion tried to calm herself down a notch. "Paimon doesn't get it," she continued, shaking her head. "He's a meanie! Even if he gives Paimon food and mora sometimes. That doesn't give him a pass! He's a Harbinger, Lumine! Paimon wishes you'd like someone else, someone who was nicer to you. And didn't try to fight you all the time!"
There was only one person who Paimon could be referring to, and Lumine cursed herself for being so obvious. Outwardly, she cringed. "Paimon, keep it down," she told her friend frantically. "We're in the middle of Liyue. He could be around, Paimon!" The idea of Childe finding out that she had any type of feelings past friendship for him was mortifying.
The idea of him even finding out she still considered them friends was honestly mortifying in and of itself. He had dropped a whale on her. He had fought her almost to death, and once he had finished throwing a temper tantrum, had told her it was the best fight of his life and that they should do that weekly. Weekly!
Of course, that never happened, and instead the next time she saw him had been a complete and total accident thanks to her stumbling upon one of his younger siblings. They'd been on awkward terms, then, but something in her heart had softened once more after their adventures with Teucer.
And it was all downhill from there. He started showing up more often, accompanying her on quests and commissions for the Guild. She hadn't found a way into Inazuma yet, but he was actively looking for ways to help with that, too. Every few days, he'd pop up out of nowhere, offering to take her out to dinner or to grab supplies with her as well. And that wasn't even including their weekly sparring match, in which he'd even occasionally use his Delusion, though never with the intent of really hurting her.
It was like everything she did, Childe would find a way into joining her.
What was she supposed to do? She couldn't have very well told him no. She wouldn't have had the heart. And now, and now…
Lumine looked around nervously as they continued to walk to the bank. Nobody seemed to have heard them, or was paying any mind to them at all. That didn't mean much when it came to a Fatui Harbinger, though. What did he always tell her?
The walls have ears, or something like that.
"Oh, who cares!" Paimon laughed, and even if it was at her expense, Lumine was still glad to hear the sound. She hated fighting with Paimon. "Maybe it's better if he finds out! Then Paimon won't have to watch you space out all the time. Besides, even if he's not the nicest, Childe finding out would make you happy, right?"
"Find out what?" A very, very familiar voice interjected, and Lumine felt her heart stop dead in her chest for a split second.
The blush that had already been forming on her face heated up tenfold, spreading itself all the way to her ears and neck. She had switched back to Anemo recently, missing the feeling of the wind, but now she was regretting not sticking with Geo a little longer. Theoretically, she could use both at the same time, but only if she concentrated a lot harder then she was capable right now. And with a lot more energy then she had to spend.
Which was a shame, because if she could, she'd have the ground swallow her whole right this very second.
She didn't even turn around to look at him, wishing she had even a fraction of her original power back. Without Paimon, she couldn't warp without getting to a Waypoint, and with the devilish way her friend was grinning, there was no way that was happening.
"Oh, you know," Paimon said, snickering as she floated away from Lumine and to, presumably, Childe. "Just who Lumine-"
Quickly, Lumine whipped around to cover Paimon's mouth with her hands. Muffled noises came out from behind them, but Lumine ignored them entirely. "Nothing," she said hurriedly. "She's just talking nonsense. Please don't listen to her."
Looking at him now, she could practically feel the amusement radiating off of him. He leaned forward a bit, and without thinking, she backed up, and his smile turned wicked for a second before it became a full fledged grin.
Normally, she'd liken him to a fox. He might've hated the backhanded methods most of the Fatui preferred, but damned if he weren't good at them. Now, though, with his teeth barred in his smile, he looked more akin to a wolf.
Her heart was beating so loudly she wouldn't have been surprised if he could hear it. It thrummed deep in her ears, as she felt herself grow impossibly warm. She hated herself for the way her memory stored that particular smile away for later. She hated herself even more as she felt her grip on Paimon loosen, completely forgetting about what she was doing in the first place as her eyes got caught in his.
Paimon took that moment to wriggle out of her hands. "Rude!" She huffed, brushing off the imaginary dust on her outfit. Lumine's eyes flickered nervously between a grinning Childe and an exasperated Paimon. "Paimon is only trying to help, you know! I'm leaving!"
For a moment, panic struck Lumine at her words. The last thing she'd ever wanted to do was genuinely upset Paimon. But before Paimon popped out of reality, she gave Lumine a conspiratorial wink.
Ah. Despite her grievances with her… feelings, Paimon was still, as always, only trying to help. Of course, this whole mess was started because she couldn't keep it down and insisted on badgering Lumine about it, but now that they were alone together, she found she forgave Paimon fairly quickly. Even if she was still slightly peeved.
For a moment, everything was very quiet. The hustle and bustle of Liyue Harbor seemed to be far away from them, as they just looked at each other. Lumine wasn't sure how to react, or how to break the silence at all. She was normally a very quiet person anyways. It wasn't a surprise to her that she had no idea how to handle something like this, especially without Aether or Paimon around to help her out.
Childe, on the other hand, looked exactly in his element. He took another step towards her, and on instinct once more took a step back. The pattern continued until he had backed her up into the wall of a closed shop in the harbor. When had it even gotten late enough for things to close? She hadn't even realized it was already pushing dusk when she and Paimon had gotten back for the day.
Of course, as she realized what position Childe had put them in, all thoughts of anything else went right out the window. The feral grin was still wide on his face, and her eyes spun trying to land on anything that wasn't him.
"Pretty girl," he said, and she could feel her throat go dry as she realized just how close he was. It had never mattered to her before, when they were fighting alongside together, but this was completely different. Maybe it was a battle, but of a different beast. "What is it that you and Paimon were talking about, exactly?"
Though his voice was lower, it was most definitely still amused. Which wasn't a surprise, even if it made Lumine want to scowl. Through the last few months of getting to know him - really get to know him, after the Golden House and after meeting Teucer - had shown her much of his true nature, which unfortunately included how he found nearly everything about her amusing to him.
"None of your business," she mumbled, still refusing to look him in the eye. She knew as soon as she did, she'd be beaten, and Lumine hated losing.
Not quite as much as her current opponent, however. She nearly yelped when a gloved hand tilted her chin up to force her to look at him. In all honesty, she was glad to be pushed against the shop wall at the moment. She wasn't convinced her legs could support her properly right now. Trying her best to look defiant, she narrowed her eyes a little, but Lumine was positive the effect was ruined by the flush in her face and the way her knees shook a little at his touch.
It was so stupid. Over the last while, they had touched countless times. During combat, when they sparred together, over dinner when handing each other plates or condiments… It wasn't as if Childe was a foreign entity to her. But right now, with the way his hand held her chin, she was having trouble reminding herself of that.
Paimon had been right. She was being ridiculous. With a huff, Lumine's eyebrows furrowed and she did her best not to get lost in his ocean eyes. Name any battle she'd had before and it would've been more difficult than this. She could handle some feelings for someone.
Even if that someone was stupidly attractive. Even if that someone was pressed close to her, boxing her into the wall with his free arm while his other hand still remained on her chin, close enough she could feel his breath fan out over her face. Even if that someone was someone she absolutely should not be falling in love with, but she'd dove in head first anyways.
"What are you doing?" She asked, trying to make herself sound more put together than she felt. "Childe?"
For a moment, he blinked at her, curious about the sudden change. Then his grin only grew, and now he looked more the way he did during their sparring sessions - as if he recognized that this was now a challenge and he no longer had full control over the situation. "Oh, you know," he said, moving from holding her chin to tuck some hair behind her ears. "Just trying to figure out why my name was coming up in conversation. I'm curious, you know."
Lumine snorted. Bantering like this with him was normal, at least. Even if their positions weren't, and her heartbeat pounding in her chest certainly wasn't. "I'll make you a deal," she told him, crossing her arms over her chest in a poor attempt to put a little more distance between them. "If you tell me exactly what you wrote to your younger siblings about me, I'll tell you what Paimon and I were talking about. How's that sound?" She wasn't sure where she'd pulled that from, but she was happy to roll with it.
Since she'd found out from Teucer that she was a hot topic in his letters to home, it'd been on her mind. If he'd written enough about her for Teucer to recognize her, that had to mean something, right? Lumine couldn't deny how badly she wanted it to mean something. Anything, really.
Childe looked at her for a long moment, his eyes searching her face for something before he pulled back a little and laughed. It was rare to here genuine laughter from him, even now that she had really gotten to know him. The world slowed down around her as she listened to him; watching his smile with wide eyes. The last time she'd heard him laugh like that must've been during the Cocogoat incident, she realized.
He was so beautiful when he smiled. His eyes sparkled, the mask he always wore slipping off for just a moment. For a few seconds, it wasn't Childe conversing with Lumine - it was Ajax, and she treasured that.
"You really know how to get me going, pretty girl," he said after his laughs had tapered off, his smile now a little crooked. She blushed at his words, always unsure with him whether he meant the innuendo or not. Knowing him, however, he most certainly did. "Hard bargain. How about you accompany me for dinner, too. Then we'll exchange information. Deal?"
Lumine looked at him for a long moment, trying to figure what she had just gotten herself into. She had brought this on herself, she supposed. It was Paimon's fault she was in this mess, but she'd just made it ten times worse for herself. The end of the day would most assuredly end up with her confessing to Childe how she felt about him, seeing as she knew she wouldn't be able to get away with lying to him. He was too good at getting the truth out of her, anyways.
With a sigh, she nodded her head. "Okay," she agreed, her heart sinking down to the bottom of her stomach. Part of her was terrified. This might be the end of the delicate friendship they'd cultivated since their fight at the Golden House. The idea of letting go of that, after tonight, was painful. "But I get to choose where we're eating."
And, well. Lumine had forced herself to get very, very good at wishful thinking since losing her brother. Tonight was just as good as any to see just how well she could lie to herself.
For a moment, he looked at her with a gentle expression; sort of similar to the way he had looked at Teucer when they were together. "Your wish is my command," he said, with a small, joking bow.
They ended up, of course, at the most expensive place in Liyue Harbor. Childe hadn't even batted an eye at her suggestion, and Lumine still didn't understand how he could throw so much mora at absolutely nothing all the time. If the Fatui weren't kind of awful, she had no doubt in her mind Paimon would join for the salary alone.
Some of the tension had left her as they dined together. It was a common occurrence for the two of them to eat meals together, and to laugh and talk about ordinary things. This was familiar territory, and Lumine was glad for it.
And honestly, a good meal always went a long way to clear her head. She kept a small plate going for Paimon once this was all… dealt with, as both an apology and a thank you to her friend. Truly, she didn't know what she'd do without her companion sometimes.
Even if she liked to get Lumine into all sorts of trouble. Almost always because she couldn't keep quiet.
As they began to near the end of the meal, and Childe ordered a drink for himself, Lumine felt the atmosphere switch. There was a tension in the air that wasn't there while they were chatting; one that had been very noticeable on the walk over that had dissipated as they got comfortable. It felt almost like the air around them had been charged with Electro energy. Or maybe it was more like someone had sucked all the air from Lumine's lungs, and now she was struggling to catch up.
Maybe both. She couldn't really tell.
"So," Childe said, interrupting her thoughts. She shifted in her seat across from him. "Why don't you start? Since I just treated you, and all." His eyes twinkled as he spoke, letting her know exactly how much he was enjoying seeing her squirm.
She couldn't exactly say she was surprised. Since the Golden House, sometimes it felt like they were constantly trying to one up each other when they did anything together. Part of her lived for it, for the challenge he gave her. Part of her was really regretting egging him on in this situation.
Frowning slightly, she looked away from him and down at her empty glass instead. "That wasn't part of the deal," she replied, miraculously being able to speak without her voice wavering. Though she'd had the whole night to prepare for this confession, she still wasn't at all sure how to go about it.
Lumine wondered if she should've been preoccupied thinking of a lie to conceivably tell him instead of enjoying his company.
"It wasn't," he agreed easily, thanking the waiter when he gave him his glass. "But I think it's fair. After all, I did just pay for your choice of dinner, and extras for Paimon." He nodded over to the small takeout box they'd kindly handed to her earlier, and Lumine couldn't help but blush.
It would be the polite thing to do. But telling him without having at least a little bit of an understanding of what he felt for her was a daunting task.
As daunting as fighting a dragon? Or as facing off against that Unknown God? She asked herself sourly, before taking a deep breath. Might as well get this over with. "Paimon was just discussing my poor choices," Lumine finally settled on, making sure to keep eye contact with him. If she were going to do this, she might as well do it properly. At his raised eyebrow, she continued. "She thinks I should've fallen for someone who doesn't fight me once a week for fun."
Her face was burning red at her words, but she kept up a straight face best she could. Sitting across from him rather than him in her space against a building made it marginally easier, at least. Plus, even if this went badly, at least she could tell Paimon that she had managed everything without stuttering once. That was certainly something her friend would be impressed by.
Childe, however, didn't laugh, or immediately reject her. In fact, he was completely silent. Well, almost. He dropped the wine glass he'd been holding. It shattered loudly as soon as it hit the table, the red liquid slowly staining the tablecloth underneath. Lumine blinked at him for a moment, trying to process what was going on inside his head as he stared at her, face as red as hers most definitely was.
Whatever Lumine had been expecting, it wasn't that. Leave it to Childe to defy her expectations.
The waiter came by, snapping Childe out of whatever spell that had been placed on him. He laughed awkwardly, apologized for his own strength and asked for another glass, telling the man he'd handle the costs and also not to mind the mess for the moment.
Lumine didn't say anything, watching the scene unfold in front of her. When he'd finally gotten another wine glass, he summoned a little bit of water with his Vision to wipe up the mess he'd created, laughing to himself as he did so.
She still didn't say anything as he stared at her, unabashedly, face still warm. "Can you say that one more time?" He finally broke the silence, voice sounding a little strained. "I don't think I heard you right." He looked totally serious, and Lumine couldn't help but scowl.
"You're mean." She huffed, looking away from him. Embarrassment was definitely catching up with her. "I said that I'm in love with you, Childe." Her words came out a lot more confident then she felt. She was glad for it.
Childe, for his part, still looked like he didn't quite believe the words he was hearing. Luckily this time, he wasn't holding his new glass. He did, however, quickly drain the whole thing in one go. "That's what I thought you might have said," he said, nodding to himself.
Lumine blinked. "An answer would be nice."
When Lumine had thought of how this might go - before and after Paimon had decided to interfere - it generally ended with Childe letting her down. Sometimes gently, sometimes cruelly, depending on the mood she was in when she was thinking about it. In her thoughts, it never ended like… this. Whatever this was.
With him looking at her like all the thoughts in his head had totally and completely vanished. With him not being able to even respond, seemingly out of breath and his face heated. With her sitting there, scowling slightly with narrowed eyes, unexpectedly calm as she waited for him to tell her no.
The wait and silence were slowly killing her, Lumine was sure. In any of the times she'd thought about this, it had never taken him quite this long. Most of the time, his rejection was immediate. This was a new kind of torture she wasn't sure she liked.
"You… I…" He paused, stumbling over himself in a way that would've been endearing if she wasn't freaking out internally. "I'm a Harbinger?" Though it came out as more of a question, so Lumine nodded at him. "You… have feelings for me."
"Yes," she affirmed, getting a little better at this the third time around. It wasn't easy, by any means, but at least she'd already gone through it twice this conversation. "I have feelings for you." She wished he would just get his rejection over with, though.
Childe laughed again, loudly. "Lumine, I've been in love with you for months. I can't believe I didn't notice." He shook his head, still taking in what was going on.
That was not what she thought he would say. Now it was her turn to gape at him stupidly. "W-what?" She coughed on the word, looking at him in disbelief. "You… what?"
They were both very, very bad at this. She was so grateful Paimon had decided to let them deal with this on their own. She was even more grateful that Childe had gotten them the secluded room again despite the mora. She didn't know what she'd do if she had to find out that the entirety of Liyue Harbor was talking about this come the next morning.
"Before Golden House," he said, confirming what he'd told her. "That's why Teucer recognized you. I've been writing to my family about you since we met." Every word was said nonchalantly, as if his earlier clumsiness had never happened. Now that he had pulled himself together, he seemed lighter than Lumine had ever seen him.
This was Ajax she was speaking to right now. Not Childe, not Tartaglia, but Ajax, out in public. He smiled at her widely, looking like he didn't have a care in the world. It was a little boyish, a little less suave then the look he usually wore. Lumine found she rather liked it.
Holy shit. "You're in love with me," she repeated dumbly.
A few times, she'd imagined it. What it would be like to be able to love this person freely. Sometimes she'd imagine it while they were still themselves - Outlander Traveler and Fatui Harbinger. Other times, she'd imagined them as completely different people, able to be together without all of the complications that came with their titles. She'd imagined meeting the rest of his family in Snezhnaya, going on real, actual dates with him, and being able to wake up to him every morning. He'd accompany her on her travels for most of the time, when he wasn't called away for his own work, and even if she didn't like it, they'd make it work somehow. Instead of the tension that often sat between them, she would know what his lips felt like on hers, and how she felt in his arms.
She would know what it felt like to be looked at the way that he was looking at her now. As if she held all the stars inside her eyes and how he was just waiting for the right moment to melt into them. As if, regardless of what their titles meant or what the future had in store for them both, he was ready to declare war on the world if it meant that he was allowed to be around her.
And maybe more importantly, as if there was nothing he would rather be doing than existing beside her. Despite his need for travels, despite his need for chaos - and to be the cause of it if there was none nearby - despite all of that, he would rather do it all with her.
Maybe she'd had the same thought, too, once or twice.
How despite her restlessness, despite her desperation to find Aether, despite her longing for her wings and flight and the ability to just be again, she would rather be longing next to him. Rather be searching with him by her side.
"Yes, Lumine," he spoke a little quieter, now, breaking her out of her thoughts. "I guess I'm a bit more dense then I thought. I was hopeful, sure, but for it to be true is another story. Plus, the whole," he trailed off a bit, gesturing to himself and the mask he wore clipped to the side of his head. "You know."
She did know. She was well, well aware. But what could she say to that? Oh, it's fine that you're on the side of the Archon who likely wants me dead for trying to interfere with her plans. Oh, it's fine that we'll likely have to fight each other to death again at some point in the future. Totally normal, average relationship problems. She'd never gotten this far in her imagination before, so now that she was faced with the distinct possibility that something might actually come of this, she wasn't really sure what to do.
Could they really do this? The way his eyes seemed to sparkle told Lumine that he most definitely wanted to. "I can't slow down for you," she finally settled on telling him, as honest as she could make herself be. "I can't stop looking for my brother, and I won't stop trying to look for the other Archons." Everything came out a little slowly, as if she was trying to process them herself.
Childe, however, gave her a grin. "I'd be offended if you said otherwise," he said, and there were no lies in his voice. "Where's the fun if there's no challenge?" He shrugged, laughing a little at her dubious expression. "What, did you think I'd want you to become all doe-eyed and bushy tailed? The fact that I know I have to work to best you is exhilarating. Even more so because I know you feel it, too. I don't want you to slow down for anyone - especially me. I want to fight to keep up with you."
Lumine wasn't sure why she was even the slightest bit surprised at his words. It was Childe she was speaking with, here. The very person who had once told her that his greatest desire was to find his way back into the Abyss, with her by his side, and to destroy the same monster that had once bested him years prior. This was also the person who asked for a rematch every single week, and would laugh from the ground when he lost. Of course he wanted nothing less than her usual self; traveler and warrior and all.
When she smiled at him, she felt as light as he looked. They wouldn't have it all figured out anytime soon - perhaps not ever.
Something told Lumine that everything would turn out alright, though. When he reached for her hand across the table, and she found herself meeting him halfway, she was inclined to believe it.
Back out on the streets of Liyue, her hand still firmly in Childe's own, Lumine tried to keep her thoughts grounded and not let them get away from her. One thing, however, refused to leave her mind.
Would he travel with her, now? Lumine wasn't ignorant. She wasn't expecting him to betray his Archon and give up his Harbinger duties just like that. Especially not just for her. Thinking like that would only bring her heartache; more so now then ever before, now that she'd already gotten used to the way his hand felt on hers.
It was funny, really, how quickly things like that happened. When she'd first fished Paimon out of the water, Lumine had been sure that she wouldn't ever get used to her chatter. It hadn't even taken the full day for her to adapt back then. And the same was true now, with Childe's hand holding hers tightly, their fingers laced together.
In the back of her mind, she wondered if because the only presence she had been used to before Teyvat was Aether's. Which looped her back to her original thought.
As they walked leisurely towards the inn she'd been staying in, still no Paimon in sight, Lumine decided there was no time like the present. Looking up at him, she asked point blank: "Will you be joining me, then?"
His walking came grinding to a halt. Childe blinked at her, once, twice, three times, his eyes wide and lips parted. He recovered quickly, however, expression turning into a sly grin. "You don't waste any time, do you?" He laughed a little, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
Oh. Lumine scowled, realizing how what she'd meant had been horribly misconstrued. "I meant," she started, eyes narrowing. His laughter may have stopped, but there was still mirth in his eyes and on his easy smile. "If this meant that you would be traveling with me, from now on."
Oddly enough, she was almost more embarrassed about asking him than about asking him to stay the night with her. It wasn't all that different from what they'd been doing as of late. With him joining her for commissions for the Guild, and helping her with her quest to get to Inazuma, it was almost like he'd been gearing up to follow her, anyways.
Looking at him now, with the way his eyes had softened, she had a feeling she'd hit the nail on the head.
"Do you want me to?" Childe asked, turning to face her fully. "It's entirely up to you, Lumine." Despite what had happened at the Golden House, this was something that he had always been consistent with. No matter which persona he was putting forth, be it Childe, Tartaglia, or Ajax, he always treated her as an equal.
In some ways, doubly so after she had won against him for real.
When she didn't reply fast enough, Childe continued. "I know I'm still a Harbinger, but if it makes you feel any better, I currently don't have any assignments. And when I do, well, it's not like you can't accompany me. Who knows?" He smiled, a little more honest then he usually was. "My work might end up helping both of us, you know."
She didn't have to think for very long about her answer. "Yes," she said simply, smiling up at him. "I'd love if you came with me to Inazuma, so long as it won't complicate things for you, Ajax."
Lumine wasn't entirely sure what possessed her to call him by his true name there, but at the smile he gave her in return, she knew it was the right choice. Slowly, he pulled her closer into him until she was against his chest. One gloved hand brushed some of her hair out of her face, tucking it gently behind her ear.
Really, she had no idea what she was doing. Almost like with fighting, her body seemed to be moving on its own. Her own free hand touched his upper arm and she pushed herself up onto her tip toes to get a little closer to him. Likewise, Childe leaned down to meet her halfway. Her eyes fluttered shut and before she really knew what was happening, his lips pressed softly into her own.
Truthfully, Lumine had never really thought about kissing someone before she'd met him. Back when she and Aether had been traveling together, it was a rarity for them to stay long enough to get to know the locals. Even more so for them to go anywhere without the other.
Since meeting Childe, though, she'd thought about it before. More than she'd willingly admit to anyone, anyways. She'd wondered what his lips would taste like, what they would feel like against her own.
They were softer than she'd been expecting. Soft, and with the faint taste of the wine he'd been drinking back during dinner. Lumine let go of his hand to wrap her arms around his neck, and he let her, letting his own find places at her hips.
Right when she was just thinking she was getting the hang of it, Lumine heard the familiar pop near her. She broke away from Childe quickly, nearly tripping over herself as she turned to glare at Paimon.
Paimon, however, wore an incredibly smug expression. Lumine glanced back over at Childe to see his ears turning the same shade of red as his scarf, an awkward smile on his face as he looked at the fairy.
"Paimon doesn't get a welcome back?" She asked, crossing her arms in a fake pout. It was hard to look upset when one was grinning in such a self-satisfied manner. Lumine couldn't tell whether she wanted to thank her for all her help that day, or strangle her.
Shaking her head, she grabbed Childe's hand once more, tugging him a little. "Let's go back to the inn," she said, already beginning to walk. "If you're coming with us from now on, you should get some rest, too."
Her blush from earlier had made quite the comeback, especially with the way Paimon was cackling at her. Childe, however, fell into step with her easily, laughing along with her companion.
"Guess I better get used to this, huh?" Childe grinned, and Lumine couldn't help but grin back.
Getting used to anything in an ever changing world was dangerous. Lumine knew that better then anyone. Whatever world she went to, back when she traveled with Aether, she knew she would not sit and be able to watch it develop. Or watch herself become a part of it.
But here, in Teyvat, things were different. One day, she would find her brother. One day, things might change again. But for now, as she gripped onto Childe's hand like it was some sort of lifeline, she would allow herself to bask in the feeling.
She didn't think it was going anywhere, anytime soon.