Chapter Text
“If you keep glaring like that, your face will be stuck permanently like that.” Lumine teases, poking between Aether’s knitted brows. Aether swats her finger away, making a noise of slight frustration.
“Well, maybe if I didn’t have to see these guys more often than I already do with our store.” He grumbles, crossing his arms, glaring daggers at the TV screen.
"Will you stop pouting over there?" Lumine says, placing her hands on her hips. Instead, Aether just sulks even harder, why? Because his sister was watching one of their videos. The music video had Kaeya, Diluc, Zhongli, and Childe, dancing and singing on the screen from one of their collabs. Aether remembers this video coming out and it causing an uproar worldwide.
He’s already sick of seeing them all over his social media, yeah their music and singing are nice and all but—all these men, he, unfortunately, has become familiar with becoming regulars at his and Lumine's little flower shop at the edge of the city. Far away from the city.
And more appear.
Ugh. They're lucky these guys are nice and actually decent people. Kaeya and Childe still walk a fine line though, they're not subtle in their flirting. Aether doesn’t even want to think about the other two men in their little band of four; more tolerable? Yes. Does he like the idea that they’re literally only coming in to see his sister? No.
Seriously… this always happens when he’s out of the store and leaves Lumine to her own devices.
"But don't you see these guys enough?" Aether grumbles like the child he is.
"Well it's not like I can ask them to sing for me or something," she laughs lightly like it's a joke. Aether grimaces because he knows they would right in front of him in their store. Sure, Aether can be a tad overprotective of his sister but how could he not? She's his younger sister, his twin, the only family he has left after they lost their mother.
And she's always trying to carry all their burdens, yet still maintaining that gentle smile of hers.
He's fine with people wanting to be friends with her, he'd be personally offended if someone didn't. But he's always keeping a tab on their reputation because while Lumine believes there's a little good in everyone. Aether does not. Highschool has proven that. Then again, highschoolers are particular a nasty bunch.
He remembers so vividly the day Lumine came up to him, so distant and dull, revealing to him that the boy she liked confessed to her as a joke and he knew she liked him.
She's a strong girl, she didn't give them the reaction they wanted.
But she was still a girl with a fragile heart.
Lumine finally cried when Aether pulled her in for a hug, whispering comforting words in her ear. Brokedown in his arms and cried her little heart out to a boy she loved with all her heart and soul.
Aether made sure that bastard and his cronies never came near her again.
Something similar happened in college. Her first relationship ended when she caught her ex making out with her roommate.
Everyone on campus soon learned to never get on Lumine's bad side. Her wrath knows no bounds. Neither does Aether’s. If he wants to talk about reputation, he can proudly say that their protectiveness over each other was a strong one that no one wants to mess with.
She still ran to Aether, tears in her eyes and her heart bleeding. Lumine just holds so much love for everyone she holds dear, but her heart can only take so much hurt before someone shatters it again. And as her older brother, he will protect her.
It's not like he's trying to ruin every chance of his sister's love life. He'd still like to see Lumine happy with someone that she can love forever. But these sudden regular visits from these (poorly) disguised idols make the sirens in Aether's head go crazy. Aether even made sure to make their shop as far away from the main city as much as possible because who would go out their way to visit a tiny flower shop for anything that wasn't for Lumine?
While it’s potentially good for their business, it's more risk than reward if their fans caught wind of their regular visits and started harassing Lumine for their information.
That's the kind of stress Aether doesn't want on either of them. He already knows how fond she is of these idols past their fame and good looks. But he knew how society works, trying to dig their nasty claws into every bit of information on their celebrities and tried to drag them to the ground.
And if one of the idols dragged Lumine in their mess?
People are scary, but Aether's scarier.
Xiao's already walking a fine line, but Aether gives him the benefit of him being the idol cryptic of the industry as well as due to the fact that they know the other boy from their childhood. Aether doesn't want to think about Albedo... he knows Lumine's just as fond of him because they were in the same ballet class years ago.
These other fuckers? Thin line. Almost invisible.
Aether has to roll up an imaginary sleeve holding a very sharp shovel to get his point across. No amount of money or publicity will sway Aether into giving up his sister to a workspace where there are vultures waiting to sink their talons into anything.
They can try to convince Aether that no harm will befall his sister, but Aether will forever have his doubts on some of them if not all of them. Even if they do keep their word—and Aether has to be honest, they most likely will. Even if he doesn’t want to admit it—he’s not going to make it easier for them to woo Lumine!
"Mmm, still..." Aether just growls and Lumine huffs in amusement at her twin's attitude. She wraps her arms around his head, bringing him in for a hug.
"Don't worry Aether, no matter what, you're still the only idol I look up to!"
Aether blinks.
And he cries.
"LUMIII!" He dramatically sobs, clinging onto her. "YOU'RE TOO GOOD FOR ME ALL THESE MEN DON'T DESERVE YOU!" He continues to cry. Lumine just entertains him by patting him on the back, very used to her brother's melodramas.
He's going to rub this in
all
those idol boys' faces.