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Chapter Text

Her giggles echo quietly around the room, sounding like sonorous bells. Pressing a hand against her mouth, Lumine desperately tries to muffle the sounds before Zhongli manages to find a way to murder her with his gaze alone. 

Said man sighs, moving over to sit beside her, his annoyance clearly visible on his face.

They are currently staying at an inn, taking a short break from their travels. Paimon’s soundly asleep. It’s unfortunate since that just means she is missing out on quite the amusement sight. Calming herself, she dares to sneak a glance at the person sitting near her and bits her lips to stop the upcoming second round of laughter. Ah, how adorable! 

She would never have guessed that Geo Archon would have quite the bed hair. It makes him look softer—even more, tranquil than he already is—but also absurdly adorable which is just… unlike him. Or at least the sides of him that Lumine has discovered so far. She’s quite sure there are many more facets, and she wants to unearth every single one of them. 

“My opinion won’t waver—you understand that sentiment.”

And now, thanks to his leap of faith, she’ll get to experience them all, hopefully. 

“Stop laughing, Lumine,” he mutters, exasperation discernible in his voice. “And don’t deny it—I see the mirth dancing in your eyes, my dear.”

It takes the traveler a bit until she manages to process his words properly, but she drops her hand in shock and blinks, staring dumbfounded at the man beside her. 

My dear? 

Before she can properly reply, Zhongli leans down and leaves a peck on her nose. Then he stares directly into her eyes, smirking slightly. She can’t stop the blush rising to her cheeks. 

“Now, that’s a lovely face you’re making.”

Perhaps it’s because his voice is so smooth or because she just didn’t expect him to react like that. But her face is heating up and she can’t quite face him, so she lifts both of her hands and tries to cover her face—to no avail.

Lumine feels a light touch grace her fingers and the understanding of what Zhongli just did dawns on her immediately. Fully flustered, she peeks at him through her fingers, and well—he starts to chuckle, his eyes sprinkled with immense warmth.

And it breaks her in quite a way nothing else could.

So, in a corner of that dark room, where even the moonlight doesn’t reach them, she laughs softly, lifting her hands once again but this time to caress the face of her beloved.

Zhongli tilts his head in a questioning manner but his eyes, filled with knowledge, betray him. He has already figured her out—and yet he has no intention to stop her. 

She smiles radiantly at him and he returns her gift with a smile of his own, before bending down to meet her in the middle.

Their echoing laughter molds into serene reticence.

Chapter Text

Lumine isn't delicate.

One would believe so due to her fragile and small appearance. Easy breakable , they would mutter to each other, just a young lady. It's easy to believe that too. He knows for certain that Tartaglia still seems to think she's just a skilled but young traveler. A young lady under the legal drinking age. With whom he spars every week.

He doesn't blame the harbinger, having believed the same until one day he got a proper look into her eyes. Her dazed personality is a carefully crafted facade—one to keep the people of Teyvat obvious.

Yet she reveals to him an old soul. Perhaps not as old as his. But older than most would assume. 

Many, many centuries must have passed for her. 

Upon that revelation, the topics they talk about shift into many directions, from mere folktales of various worlds to experiences in combat and life.

"There's a blossom I've seen once during my travels," she tells him.

Zhongli's attention is on her. He loves her stories of the worlds she has visited. They aren't many and he now understands that's it due to her missing memories.

It's incredibly astounding to him that they met. He, unable to forget anything. She, unable to remember much. Yet fate seems to have given them their encounters—and he's more than glad for it.

"It bloomed only under one specific condition. You had to shed tears for it."

He perks up at that, curiosity swirling in his eyes. She slightly smiles at his expression.

(He relishes in it, more than anything nowadays, her smile is a pleasant occurrence.)

"Many tried to cry for it but failed," she continues to talk, "no matter how much the flower wouldn't awaken—until one day a young man approached it."

He lifts his hand to tuck away some strands of her hair. She gazes directly at him with attentive eyes. Grabbing her hand, he interweaves their fingers.

"He cried for a long time. For many, many hours—people called him desperate. And he was. One person of the folk that used to try and make the flower bloom was his lover, who died prior to his appearance."

"His tears were of disbelief and rage. That flower bloomed for his madness."

Zhongli raises an eyebrow.

"What happened after?"

Lumine grins.

"The young man tore it apart."

He chuckles at that—of course, it's unfortunate for the flower but it reassures him.

Lumine isn't a delicate blossom.

"Zhongli?"

He stares into her curious eyes and smiles.

"My dear, your stories are very entertaining."

"Are they now? I prefer yours though…"

He feels warm. She's visited countless worlds, heard countless tales, and yet she always asks him for his anecdotes.

Leaning down, he pecks her forehead gently, before resuming his smile. 

"I'll tell you one of an infamous warrior then."

Her eyes light up like the night sky.

Delicate blossoms might survive the coldest winter but they don't survive a battlefield—so he's glad she isn't fragile.

Because she has many battles to fight yet. 

Chapter Text

Sipping on tea, she relishes the warmth it provides her. Dragonspine's haunting, sheer cold is terrible.  

" To be frank with you," Childe tells her once they finally find a torch after searching for a long, long time, "with those clothes you wear? I'm surprised you're not dead."

She raises an eyebrow at him. "And what about you?"

"I'm from Snezhnaya, pretty girl." He smirks at her.

Two hours later, he's just shaking as badly as she is. There’s something wrong about having a hydro vision and talking shit like that. But she’s nice so she doesn’t mention it to him. Not now at least. 

"Your clothes," she tells him, "are not suited for this either."

He glares at her. 

Her expression remains dull—and he sighs in annoyance.

“Not even a smirk?”

Lumine shrugs her shoulders, not bothering to indulge him with a reply.

They both turn upon hearing Zhongli sigh. He’s smiling in amusement at them. That man may be lacking in the department of keeping himself financially stable but he’s the one wearing a coat and gloves—a precise victory befitting a former archon such as him. 

They aren't in Dragonspine currently and Childe's not even there, stuck somewhere else for some ambiguous Fatui work—a subject she just simply doesn't approach with him. No, instead they are back in Liyue, sitting in the abode which Zhongli possesses, reveling in a warm and delicious breakfast. It's been a while since they had time to enjoy a proper morning like this—Dragonspine has not been very kind to them. Zhongli may have prepared himself well for the situation but he is a dragon at heart—those cold temperatures are an unwanted vexation to him. 

It's quiet but Lumine doesn't mind. She’s used to silence like this, one that is not awkward nor stifling. She's never been one to talk much, favoring to listen instead. That’s why she adores traveling with Zhongli. He has a lot of tales to tell and she can listen without having to utter a single word except reaffirmations. Of course, he’d ask her questions sometimes but he’s keen. He knows when to and when not.

Today though… 

“It seems that the weather will stay this fine until the evening… Would you like to take a walk? I believe you suggested that earlier today.”

Sitting opposite her, Zhongli looks up and nods his head, a small smile gracing his face. 

“I’d be more than glad to. It’s been a while since I had time to walk around and perceive my surroundings without rush,” he tells her before going back to his tea.

It’s odd. She’s sitting here eating breakfast with a deity. Lumine prefers the unique over the mundane though.

“Lumine?”

His eyes settle on her. They shine the color of cor lapis, the gems that decorate Liyue in their scarcity of gleaming elegance.

She smiles at him before reaching into the pocket of her bag. Grabbing his hand, she places a petite box into the palm of it.

“Happy Birthday, Zhongli—your presence in my life has brought me many delights. I hope we can continue to chatter about this world beneath the radiant stars for many more of your birthdays.”

It’s a sincere wish.

(She knows he can tell. It's the way his eyes shine with warmth and his smile seems even more gorgeous than before.) 

She's sharing breakfast with a deity, yet she has no questions to ask, no favors to beg for, and no desires she needs to fulfill.

Lumine's sharing breakfast with someone so precious to her, that she would not lay any more burdens on his shoulders.