Chapter Text
AU: highschool au (Genshin Impact)
"you're staring at him again, Childe.." Lumine whispered, poking Childe from the seat next to him in the library. "We're here to study, let's do that!" she laughs as Childe turned to look at her, a dazed expression on his face. "Huh? Was I, really?" Childe blushed and turned to look at the teacher who completely had his heart.
Mr. Zhongli, the renowned History teacher at Liyue Academy, was someone very attractive indeed, his eyes sparkling a bright golden when he talked about Teyvat and Liyue's rich history. He was currently explaining to curious students about the establishment of the Liyue Qixing, but the girls with him were staring at his face rather than listening to his smooth and deep voice.
• I could drown in that voice...
"Are you thinking about drowning in his voice again?" Lumine giggled as Childe whipped his head towards her in shock, "H-How do you know that?"
She just giggled again, "Confess already. Seeing you so desperate makes me cringe, Childe."
"Confess!" Childe exclaimed, as if it was the most difficult thing to do for him, "No way, I'm scared? I would rather die..."
"Scared? You should be brave, Childe!" Lumine blinked, not knowing why he was hesitating when he tried so hard to be close to the teacher. Lumine lived in the same apartment complex as Zhongli-sensei. It was one of the reasons Childe used to come over to hang out at her place, to meet Zhongli "accidentally", and he tried super hard to do so.
One weird thing about Zhongli-sensei was she never saw him without his gloves. She wondered why he never removed it, even during summer. This was a very random thought but she thought about it when she accidentally looked at Zhongli-sensei's book.
"Bravery is a kinder word for stupidity, Lumine." Childe sighed when Lumine hummed to herself as Childe finally focused on his assignment instead of their super attractive history teacher.
Lumine looked at Childe, also known as 'Tartaglia' with his real name Ajax. Her best friend since she joined Liyue Academy to be separated from her brother Aether. Her parents had decided that the twins who were stuck together since they were born needed to learn to be independent and put them in highschools on the opposite sides of Teyvat. Her brother Aether went to Mondstadt Highschool, and she was put in Liyue Academy.
It was a bit hard for her to adjust without her brother at first, but it had been over two years since she was in Liyue Academy and she wasn't complaining. The friends she had made here were some she would never replace in her life. In a way, she agreed with her parents' decision but she still completely missed her brother every single day.
Childe was someone who she met on her first day of school in Liyue Academy, almost two years ago. A group of thugs/seniors had taken up it on themselves to 'discipline' the new transfer student and had her cornered on the roof during break time.
Lumine smiled as she thought back to that time, when they had tried to attack her without knowing she was good at combat due to her brother and her training with the best in Mondstadt.
• "Hey girlie, hold still."
Her skills couldn't be used because a ginger-haired boy with beautiful eyes the colour of the ocean had kicked and taken down almost all the thugs in under ten seconds. They had been on the ground, grunting with the force of the boy's hits.
"You alright, pretty girl?" the boy had asked, his blue eyes meeting her golden eyes for the first time, his lips curling into a cute smile. Lumine's heart had skipped a tiny beat.
• That was so cool..
One of the thugs had stood up, "Childe, you asshole-" he jumped to kick him but Lumine appeared behind 'Childe' who had been taken aback at the sudden attack. She jumpkicked the thug who passed out.
"Of course I'm alright. Are you, pretty boy?" Lumine had smirked at the boy who was shocked that the petite girl was not someone to protect. He had laughed, his laugh merry and it was something Lumine would never forget.
"I'm Ajax, but call me Childe. I also go by Tartaglia but I prefer Childe." He put his hand out to her and she shook it, smiling, "Lumine. Nice to meet you!"
..
Lumine of the present giggled as Childe dozed off, his book open in front of him. His head was turned towards her, his lashes closing his blue eyes. Lumine stared at him, blinking as she felt a bit flustered by his highly attractive face.
• No, Lumine, he's definitely gay... it's better to stop this feeling before it develops... it'll only be heartbreak for you later..
She had said this multiple times to herself over the past two years, especially after finding out that Childe had a huge crush on Zhongli-sensei, the history teacher who she found good-looking as well.
Unfortunately, her heart never listened to her mind. She continued liking him but she would never reveal her feelings for him.
No one knew about her feelings, not even her own brother. It was only her secret. Only hers.
Lumine stood up before she did something embarrassing as in caressing his soft hair and was about to leave until a firm hand grabbed her frail wrist. "Where are you going, girlie?" Childe's sleepy voice left her heart in a frenzy but she replied, "I need a reference book, I'll be back in five."
"Urgh okay.." Childe whispered and released her, his hand going back to cushion his head and he fell asleep in seconds yet again. Lumine laughed slightly, walking away from him.
• Deep breaths, Lumine, deep breaths..
She thought she sounded like Barbara for a second. She did miss her friend from middle school..
Lumine was browsing through books and her eyes landed on a book which was on a shelf two shelves higher than her height. Lumine looked around for a stand but couldn't find one. Sighing, she tried reaching for the book but it was in vain.
• Curse my height...why was Aether blessed while I wasn't?!
Suddenly, someone appeared behind her and the person grabbed the book for her.
"Is this the one you want?" A smooth voice filled her ears as she turned to look at the boy who had given her the book.
Teal eyes, and blonde hair which was stylized very attractively.
Albedo.
"Uh..thank you, Albedo.." Lumine grabbed the book from him, bowing.
"No worries, I saw you struggling and helped you. Where's that tall fatui boy who's always with you?" Albedo smirked slightly as Lumine stammered, "He's..napping. Thank you once again, Albedo!" she turned on her heel and was about to run away, kind of embarassed.
Albedo was in the class next to hers, and she knew him from when they had to do a science project together. He was originally from Mondstadt but had transferred to Liyue Academy through a scholarship.
Childe had done a huge whine fest cause he couldn't be paired up with her and Albedo had witnessed that himself, perhaps that's why he was teasing her now with Childe.
Lumine was stopped by Albedo gripping her wrist, and she looked at him, "Uh.. Albedo?"
Albedo just pulled her closer, releasing her wrist, "I heard you were searching for a chemistry tutor?"
She indeed had been searching for one. She had only let her friends Keqing, Mona, Ganyu and Childe know. How did Albedo know?
Sensing the confusion on her face, he smiled, "I heard from Sucrose who heard from Keqing. Do you need one?"
Sucrose was a shy girl who had transferred with Albedo to Liyue Academy. She had also received a scholarship and greatly seemed to admire Albedo. Lumine had talked to her once or twice.
Lumine nodded, "I do!"
Albedo chuckled, he could almost see her wagging her non-existent tail at him, so eager she was. "I'd be happy to help, if you need it, that is."
Lumine's jaw dropped. The chemistry scholar would help her? Maybe the Gods were really on her side, considering they weren't when she failed chemistry consecutively in the tests.
"Do I need it? Of course I do! Thank you so much, Albedo!" She was so happy she could almost kiss him. She shook his hand happily and Albedo smiled. He tightened his grip on her hand as well, stroking under her thumb with his gently, "my pleasure."
Lumine stopped breathing slightly when her eyes met his, his eyes shining with some emotion she couldn't describe. Before she could think about it though, however, her hand was disconnected from Albedo, and an arm was put around her shoulders, "Girlie, you took so long to come, I had to go looking for you!"
Childe.
She couldn't see his expression but Albedo was staring at her best friend with a blank face, probably displeased at being interrupted.
Lumine pushed Childe's arm off her, glaring at him slightly. Childe looked shocked when he saw her glaring at him.
• What did I do?
"Thank you Albedo. I'll text you soon about the details." He nodded, his blank expression slightly decreasing when he saw her smile at him and he turned and walked away gracefully.
Lumine turned to Childe, her hands on her hips, "Childe. What the hell, that was so rude?!" Lumine whispered, frustrated and Childe sighed, shrugging, "You do know that that guy likes you? It's so obvious, don't be dumb.."
• What? Albedo likes me?
"H-How do you know this?" Lumine stammered slightly, her face flushing that someone had a crush on her. Childe narrowed his eyes, her blush stirring something in him, "All guys are predators. You're so lucky you have me to protect you, Lumine!"
"Whatever. Don't do that again, it's super rude to Albedo!" She tried bonking his head but he caught her hand his grip, "You're meeting him again? The predator?"
"Stop calling him that! He's a nice guy and he offered to help me!" Lumine rolled her eyes, pulling her hand out of his grasp and walking away with the book Albedo had fetched for her in between her arms.
"All guys are wolves, Lumine!" Childe shouted and everyone in the library shushed him. His breath stopped when he saw Lumine turn and stick her tongue out at him.
• This girl...has no sense of her surroundings..
Childe looked towards Mr. Zhongli instinctually, who was currently looking at him for causing a ruckus in the library. He just smiled in a nostalgic way and looked at the book he was holding, pushing his glasses up.
Childe felt his heart stop, glancing away quickly from the history teacher who had his entire heart.
• Ah, I really like him... he's so hot..
---
Childe was sitting with Scaramouche and Signora, his friends from his hometown who were in the same school as him for this year due to an exchange program.
They were currently in their hangout spot, a cafe near Northland Bank in Liyue which was exclusively for Snezhnayan people.
"Should I confess?" Childe groaned as he buried his face in his hands.
Scaramouche scoffed, "You're pathetic, Childe." Signora nodded in silent agreement as she sipped on her drink.
"But.. I'm scared!" Childe groaned yet again, facepalming as Scaramouche snickered, "Disgrace to the Fatui..", he spat while twirling his hat in his hand.
Fatui was a Snezhnayan organization for training youth for the military in the future. It was compulsory during highschool but individuals could opt out if they felt they had better job opportunities in the future. All three of them were a part of it.
"What did that tiny girl who's always with you say? To confess?" Signora asked calmly, and Childe glanced at her, "What about Lumine? Why mention her?"
Signora just smiled, as if she knew something he didn't, "It's nothing. She's wiser than you, that's why I asked."
Childe looked at Signora suspiciously, but then Scaramouche whistled slightly, "So...if you're confessing to that old man, does that mean the petite girl can be mine?"
"What?" Childe growled, turning to glare at Scaramouche, "You like Lumine?"
Scaramouche smirked, riling Childe up, "What if I've taken a fancy to her?"
Childe immediately grabbed Scaramouche's collar, he knew his reputation in Teyvat, "Don't you even dare lay a hand on my Lumine." Scaramouche's smirk just grew even wider.
"Your Lumine?" Signora piped in, twirling her blonde hair between her perfectly manicured fingers, "I don't see the problem with Scar going after her if you're going with the teacher."
Childe tightened his grip on Scaramouche's collar, "Not with this guy, never! He'll ruin her.." Childe didn't know why he was getting so antsy at the prospect of seeing Lumine with a guy..
Scaramouche just scoffed and pulled Childe's fingers away from him with some difficulty, "I was just riling you up, you child. I'm more interested in her friend anyway." His eyes glinted as he smiled, a bit crazed look in his dark blue eyes.
Childe moved away from him, sighing, "Well, I think I should confess soon. I'm scared but I have to do it. Lumine also says that I should.."
Signora frowned and then sighed, keeping her hand on his shoulder, "Childe, all I can say is... you need to think about who you really like."
Scaramouche shook his head in disappointment, "Whatever you say won't go through that thick skull of his, Signora..why bother?"
"What did you just say?!" Childe glared at Scaramouche who just grinned at him.
Scaramouche and Signora then stood up, bidding him goodbye as they had better work to do.
• Who I really liked? Obviously ZHONGLI-SENSEI. Did they even have to ask? I have a crush on him from two years! I'm definitely going to confess soon!
Childe's thoughts wandered as he thought about Albedo and Lumine.
• That guy definitely likes Lumine..how to keep him away from her?
---
-a week later-
Lumine invited Albedo over to her house for the studying and was currently on the cleaning part of it. Her house was quite messy so it took a while to clean. She was forever indebted to him for teaching her chemistry. They had been studying in the library for a few days but as today was the weekend, they had to find another study spot and Lumine invited Albedo over to her home for the studying.
She had to admit, he was an amazing teacher and she felt like she would definitely get one of the best marks of her life in the next Chemistry exam she would write.
They were getting along pretty well and Lumine and him shared common interests! They were both from Mondstadt so talking about her hometown with someone was making her extremely comfortable with him. She admitted that Albedo was really attractive and intriguing, and she did like him a bit.
But she still couldn't get her ginger haired hot best friend out of her head. It would be a long time before she could move on from him... hopefully if he dates Zhongli-sensei she could forget about him.
Her door bell rang and she rushed to open it, making one quick check of everything.
Albedo stood there, dressed in casual clothes and not his uniform and she had to admit, he was super handsome and had style. He smiled at her, brushing the hair from his forehead. It was quite windy that day.
"Is it raining?" She inquired, inviting him in and he shook his head, "It will rain in a few though, the sky is cloudy."
Indeed it was.
Lumine shut the door and led Albedo to her room where they would be studying. Albedo paused at the entrance of her room, hesitating to enter and Lumine turned to him, "Come on in, Albedo! No need to be shy.." she giggled and Albedo blushed slightly, "I'm not shy, Lumine, it's just awkward. A guy like me alone with you in your room.."
"Is it? Childe has come over many times and he acts like he owns the place!" Lumine giggled and Albedo paused in his tracks, smiling a pained smile as he set his books down.
Albedo had realised after a few times of tutoring Lumine that the girl absolutely liked Childe and would speak about him non-stop if she ever got a chance. The Fatui boy would come up in all their conversations somehow and Albedo couldn't help but listen to her, even when she was speaking about another friend. But it turned out that the Fatui boy was gay according to Lumine but... Albedo had a feeling that Childe found his best friend attractive.
The look Childe had flashed him in the library was nothing short of jealousy. Albedo was wise, wiser than anyone his age and he could understand that Childe definitely did possess some sort of feelings for Lumine but he wasn't aware of it.
Not that Albedo was complaining. Albedo was sly too, after all.
• I really need to make it clear to her that I like her today..
Albedo didn't have any particular reason for liking Lumine...he just did. He found her intriguing when he first met her and having heard about her from his friends Aether and Sucrose, he spent more time with her, his curiosity evolving into romantic feelings for her. It just happened, he had no control over it.
He looked at her concentrating hard, her glasses almost falling off her nose and he chuckled slightly. She was cute.
"Do you want some tea?" Lumine asked after an hour or so, groaning from the studying.
"I'd like that.." Albedo answered, smiling at her tired expression. They stood up, Lumine going to boil a pot of tea and Albedo looking around Lumine's room. It was a pretty light blue, a vase adorned with blue and white lilies sitting on a window sill. Her bed was a light blue colour as well. She really liked the colour blue according to him.
She also had a bunch of pictures from Mondstadt and Liyue hanging on her walls and she was very pretty in all of them.
His eyes narrowed when he saw a picture of her and Childe, Childe was ruffling her hair and laughing and she was grinning, trying to get his hand off her hair. Were they really just friends?
Albedo looked away and then he smiled, he couldn't stop smiling when he saw a picture Lumine as a child holding onto her equally younger brother's neck, hiding behind him. How cute can she get?
He picked up the photo and was admiring it when Lumine burst into the room and he hid the photo behind his back.
"I'm back, here's the tea!" Lumine exclaimed, keeping the pot of tea on the table she was studying on. She stood up and found Albedo hiding something behind his back.
"What's that you've got behind your back?" Lumine inquired, tilting her head as Albedo flashed her a sly smile, showing her childhood picture to him. She yelped, her cheeks a flaming pink and ran at him, "Give it back, Albedo, it's not nice to snoop around!" She was flustered as Albedo put the picture out of her reach, "I want this as a reward for tutoring you, can I have it?" She jumped on him so he stepped back and she glowered before continuing her mission in vain.
"What- why this, I'll treat you to a meal-" Lumine huffed, grabbing at his hands again but he stepped back even further.
"it's cute, I want it. A cute little pocket Lumine for my personal use." Albedo grinned as Lumine blushed harder, "N-No!" She couldn't figure out why he was acting this way.
Albedo tripped on an edge and grabbed Lumine's waist as he fell on Lumine's bed, with her on top of him.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I'll get up right away-" Lumine started, trying to get up but Albedo tightened his grip on her waist, holding her to him. "Albedo..?" Lumine whispered and Albedo heard his heartbeat increasing along with hers.
"I like you, Lumine. Would you like to go on a date with me?" Albedo bluntly asked as his heart was hammering and Lumine was in shock.
• HE ACTUALLY LIKES ME?! I THOUGHT CHILDE WAS JOKING-
"Uh.." Lumine started, blushing profusely but just then, the door opened and someone burst in, "Lumine, I'm going to confess to Zhongli-sensei-"
It was Childe!
Childe abruptly stopped talking as he saw the position Albedo and Lumine were in. He closed his mouth, his ocean blue eyes burning and Lumine realised what was happening, pushing herself off Albedo and blushing.
• Why did I give Childe a spare key to my house again?!
"Am I interrupting something?" Childe questioned, his face going dark, unnoticed by Lumine but Albedo saw it.
"No-" Lumine started but Albedo interrupted her, "Yes. You are."
Lumine's jaw dropped slightly open at Albedo's bluntness. Well, Childe did interrupt his confession to her..
Childe glanced at Albedo who sat up on Lumine's bed, his hair slightly disheveled and shirt slightly undone and then at Lumine, her shirt was slightly up, revealing the smooth soft skin of her stomach...
Childe saw red. He didn't even know why. He just knew he had to leave immediately or he would end up punching Albedo or worse.
"Sorry for interrupting..." Childe turned on his heel and ran out. Lumine palmed her face, "This is not going to end well."
She turned to Albedo, "Albedo, I'm so sorry but I'll reply to you later. You can leave now..."
Lumine ran to her cupboard and picked up a jacket, wearing it and running behind Childe. Albedo was left all alone in the apartment and he sighed.
• It was a losing game after all...
--
"Childe... CHILDE! STOP!" Lumine shouted at Childe who kept walking away at a fast pace. Luckily, the roads were empty so he didn't get hit by a passing vehicle.
"AJAX TARTAGLIA CHILDE, you better stop or I'll never talk to you ever again!" Lumine screamed at the top of her voice and Childe then paused, his eyes slightly red. Why was he feeling this way? Like a monster was tearing him from the inside, ready to devour anything and everything in his path?!
"Lumine.." he whispered hoarsely when the blonde tiny girl caught up with him, grabbing his forearm and turning him to face her.
"You're misunderstanding, Childe, there's nothing between Albedo and I." Lumine calmly explained but Childe couldn't get them out of his head. Lumine on Albedo, looking like they were almost about to kiss... Lumine blushing hard at Albedo who was serious...
"I told you all men are wolves. Why did you not listen to me?!" Childe turned angrily to her and Lumine sighed, palming her forehead, "Albedo is not like that...he is respectful of me and he asked me out-"
She had no idea why Childe was acting like this. It was way different from an overprotective friend, it was more like a possessive boyfriend...and she knew he had no feelings of that sort for her, he liked Zhongli-sensei way too much..
"He did what?" Childe questioned, his voice going cold, "Are you going to go out with him?"
Lumine glared at him, "What if I do? How does that change anything?"
Childe placed a palm on Lumine's cheek, pulling her closer, "Don't date Albedo, Lumine, he isn't good for you...nobody is.."
"Do you want me to be alone all my life?" Lumine asked, her voice cracking and Childe shook his head, his hands trembling as he felt a flood of emotions overflow him at the prospect of losing Lumine to a guy.. any guy..
"Then what should I do? Who should I date?" Lumine finally exclaimed, exasperated as she grabbed Childe's palm which was on her cheek.
"Not Albedo...not him." Childe breathed out, moving closer to Lumine and leaning in towards her. His body had completely taken over.
Lumine glared at Childe, how dare he play with her like this?
"What about Zhongli-sensei? Why are you here with me? Weren't you going to confess to him?" Lumine interrupted and Childe snapped back to his senses.
• That's right... Zhongli.. I was about to confess to him..why did I get so angry seeing Albedo with Lumine?
Lumine pulled his hand off her face and let him go, "You get to confess and be with others while I can't? What nonsense are you spouting, Childe? I'm really disappointed in you."
Childe's expression darkened. "No, Lumine, you can't date Albedo and that's final. I'm going to tell your brother if you do."
Lumine glared at Childe. It wasn't that she was angry that he wouldn't allow her to date Albedo, she herself wasn't sure if she liked him or not. But she was angry because Childe thought he could exert control over her love life and have his own when she never told him anything about her own feelings towards him.
"Tell him, I'm sure he'll be fine with whatever decision I take." Lumine huffed, turning and she was about to leave when it started raining.
• This is such a clichè. What a dramatic showdown.
"Lumine, if you walk away right now and go back to Albedo, our friendship is over." Childe shouted at her, his mouth reacting before his mind could. What was he telling?!
Lumine turned to glare at Childe, "Really, Childe? That's a new low for you. How petty."
And she walked away from him, just like that. Her eyes were welling with tears but she didn't dare let them drop, she has cried enough over him. She quickly ran away from him, away from the source of her heartbreak.
Childe, meanwhile, was shocked that she actually left him. For the first time in his life, he was abandoned.
Abandoned.
Childe was abandoned by his best friend, Lumine.
Childe felt his eyes grow hot but he refused to cry, standing in the pouring rain, freezing as he let that thought sink in.
He brushed his hair back with his fingers, staring down at his phone to see if Lumine called him.
No calls, nothing.
He couldn't even confess to Zhongli-sensei. Lumine was all that was running through his mind.
It was as if she didn't care about him. Maybe she didn't.
Childe felt his chest well up and he coughed, coughed hard. He had to cover his mouth with both his palms to cough. It was a dry cough, but something was stuck in his throat. It was quite painful, nothing like he had ever felt before.
Did he catch the flu?
No one cares for him anyway, he was even abandoned by his best friend..
Childe's coughs increased in frequency now, each cough feeling like his life was leaving him, but then, something landed in his palms.
A single blue petal.
The petal of a blue lily, with some blood on his palm.
"Huh..?"