Chapter Text
Valentine's Day rolls around and Aether has been dreading this day since his twin sister came home with a bag full of ingredients and busied herself in the kitchen all day. Then when the holiday actually appears, Lumine has chocolates. Chocolates that she made and plans to give out to some lucky guy. The question is who though?
That's what the guys are trying to figure out. Not even Aether knows! And he's her brother!
Aether gathers every guy he knows that is close with Lumine and throws them all in one tiny cramped room. "Just to let you guys know," Aether starts with everyone else in a circle like it's the knights of the roundtable. "If it's one of you guys I will cut off any and everyone's balls if you accept her chocolates."
"Won't you do that anyway if we reject her?" Diluc asks.
"It goes to show how much I don't approve of you guys being with my sister," Aether scowls. "Except for you Xiao. You're alright, kinda."
"...thanks?" Xiao didn't know if it was an honor or privilege because he saved her from falling once.
"That's not fair!" Childe cries out.
"Shouldn't it be her choice who she wants to go out with? With or without your approval?" Zhongli asks and Aether snaps his neck at him.
"None of you guys deserve her," he hisses.
"How about we let your sister decide?" Kaeya coyly smiles. "Who knows? One of us might be your future brother-in-law~"
"I will personally kill you all before that happens." Aether deadpans. It's a promise. But that's literally not going to stop them from trying to court her and he's so painfully aware of it. "Besides, you guys get chocolates from your fangirls all the time!" Aether states, crossing his arms.
"Yeah but they're not Lumi's chocolates though~" Childe pouts, ducking when Aether throws a book at him for using HIS nickname for her.
Bastard learned it and never let go.
"If she has to fight against other people for some guy's attention that they already get so much then it's not worth hers!" Aether grits out, fully aware of each boy's own little fan club at school.
Even though Lumine has her own little club of admirers, these guys were a threat,
"I believe it'd be best to have the day play out to really conclude who has Lumine's interest at heart." Albedo states. The rest nod with the one brain cell hoping it'll be them.
"Sooo girlie," Childe chimes, arm wrapped around her shoulders. "Heard you got chocolates?" Her ear tips go red and she sputters. It's so cute Childe wants to coo and tease her more but before he could something wrapped in plastic hits him in the face.
A bag of chocolate. With a little tag with Lumine's name on it.
"D-Don't misunderstand it!" She stutters. "It's just a thank you gift for all the times you've paid for my meals, that's all." Lumine shyly mutters and Ah. Childe feels like melting into goo. She's just so cute, it pains him.
"Oh? Nothing more? You sure you aren't trying to convey your love for me pretty girl?~" he teases.
Lumine turns a bright red and shoves his face away. "A-As if! I'm not like those other girls who fall so easily for your pretty face." she huffs.
Childe blinks, only rendering one part of her sentence. "You think my face is pretty?" He's on cloud nine right now.
"How is that the only thing you got out of it?!" She kicks him.
"Why do I feel like you always know where I am?" Xiao sighs. Lumine grins.
"I don't, I just always know you come up to the rooftop during first lunch~"
"So what is it that you want from me? Spit it out," he may have said it a bit harshly but Lumine's not deterred.
"Here!" She hands him a little bag with little chocolates decorated with his colors. He's trying very hard to fight off the growing blush on his face. "I know you probably already got some from others already, but I wanted to show you a token of my appreciation."
"You don't have to give me anything," Failing to keep his face neutral. "But I'll consider your gift since you've already gone through all this trouble." He ignores her knowing giggle. Xiao doesn’t open the bag until Lumine leaves, closely inspecting each individual piece and popping one of the chocolates in his mouth.
The chocolate is too sweet for his liking if he has to be honest, but it melts quickly in his mouth. “Not bad,” he mutters, chewing another one immediately after.
"Lumine," Zhongli warmly greets, seeing the blonde girl approach his table in the library.
"I see you're hiding away in the library again~" she teases, taking the vacant seat next to him and giving him a slight shove with her shoulder.
"It is rather hard to focus on my readings with so many... distractions," He just wants to read his books in peace no matter how many chocolates he has been offered. With chocolates in mind, he does glance over at the other girl, almost expectantly.
"Oh? Am I a distraction for you too?"
"Never," he says immediately. Lumine lets out a relieved smile and laughs a little.
"That's good because I got something for you. Here," she gifts him a plastic bag with little diamond-shaped chocolates. These had to be custom-made, no other chocolates he knows out there was this shape or with this kind of design.
“Would it be ok for me to try it now?” Zhongli asks.
“Hm? Y-Yeah of course! Go ahead!” He pops a piece of chocolate in his mouth and he hums. Lumine nervously looks at him, fidgeting. "I-Is it ok? It's my first time making dark chocolate so..."
"It's perfect," Zhongli gives her a reassuring smile. "Thank you for the gift Lumine. I suppose I'll have to return the gesture a month from now," He chuckles with mirth when Lumine squeaks, assuring him he didn't have to. Too late, he's already planning out the gifts right now.
"Ah, I see you're handing out chocolates," Albedo remarks, staring at the bags in Lumine's hands, a little disappointed it wasn't exclusive.
"Haha, yeah. I care about you guys a lot and didn't want to leave anyone out, even if you guys have all the chocolate to spare." Lumine sheepishly says. So she was doing this with a platonic mindset, Albedo tries not to deflate slightly at the thought. "Here, one for you and one for Klee as well. The one with the red ribbon is hers and the one with the blue is yours," she says, handling the bags. Albedo inspects them both, seeing how his chocolates were different from the plain milk chocolate ones in his little sister's bag.
"Looks like mine is more personalized," he observes, seeing how his chocolates were shaped like flowers from a mold, white too, like his favorite flowers. Given how Lumine's cheeks turn pink, he might have been wrong with his initial thought that these were platonic.
“T-That’s because I just—I wanted to test out these flower molds I got!” Lumine tries to defend herself, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear, a trait Albedo knows all too well is a habitat she does when she’s lying.
It makes him glad that Lumine potentially sees him as something more.
"Lumine may I ask you to help me out with something?" He abruptly asks.
"What is it?" she tilts her head, caught off-guard when Albedo cups her cheek.
"I'm curious to find out which will taste sweeter: your chocolates or you." He smirks, seeing her face turn beet red.
Diluc was going to pull his hair out if Donna kept giving him chocolates every year despite showing clear signs he wasn't interested. It's not the first time he's rejected her or any other girl in school.
Kaeya laughs at him. "I see the renown heartbreaker is at it again,"
Diluc growls at his brother. "I would rather not give anyone false hope of feelings I don't return,"
"So cold," Kaeya tuts. "How would poor little Lumine react to you saying such words?"
"Don't bring Lumine in this," Diluc snarls.
"Don't bring me in what?" They both jump. Lumine looks at them with big innocent eyes, completely unaware of the conversation prior. Kaeya wraps an arm around her shoulders, bringing her in closer. Diluc visibly bristles at the interaction.
"My my, do you usually pop up whenever we call you?" Lumine rolls her eyes.
"Sure, I'm at your whim and call whenever you need me," she giggles, shoving Kaeya off of her. "So I'm assuming the same thing this year? Girl troubles?"
"You don't have to make it sound like that," Diluc grumbles.
"Don't mind him. He's just upset he didn't get any from his favorite junior~" If looks could kill, Kaeya would be dead on the spot.
"Diluc has a favorite?"
"I don't," he quickly interjects.
"Don't be so shy Diluc, after all our favorite junior's right here right now~" Kaeya smugly grins, gesturing towards Lumine making her fully aware of just who their favorite junior is.
Oh, Diluc's so fucking close to brawling with him right there.
"O-Oh... I-I'm your guys’ favorite?" Lumine shuffles, a cute blush adorning her cheeks. “For some reason that makes me a little happy, so I guess I’m glad to be your favorite!” She smiles brightly at them.
If looks could kill, they both would be dead right now. Diluc may have coughed up blood and Kaeya may have ascended for a second.
"Oh, that reminds me! Here," Completely unaware of the effect she has on the two boys, Lumine places chocolate bags in each other's hands, assigned with their colors. Their cards even had little doodles of their favorite birds; owl and peacock. Poorly drawn, but an adorable gesture. "Just—consider them as gifts from me like usual,"
"Are you sure?" Kaeya speaks up, a coy smile on his face. "Today is a special day after all for newly made couples. I don't normally share, especially with Diluc here, but I can make an exception for you~" he purrs before he's thrown off of Lumine by the other boy.
"Ignore him and his empty flirts," Diluc scoffs before turning his attention to her, gaze softening considerably. "But thank you for the sweets. I'm sure these will be worth all the effort you put into them."
"It better," Lumine huffs slightly.
"Are these jelly-filled?" Kaeya asks a little surprised when he takes a bite. Diluc follows suit, pleasantly surprised with the raspberry filling.
"Oh? These are good,"
Lumine has a little proud smile on her face, happy to get these brothers agreeing on something .
"LUMINEEE!" A cheery voice calls out, crashing into the small girl like the had wind blown him over. Lumine almost would have toppled over had she not anticipated it. Then again, Venti was ridiculously strong for his physique.
"V-Venti! You almost made me drop my stuff!"
"Ehe!~ My bad!~" Venti childishly sticks his tongue out, hugging Lumine from behind. "So the word in the wind tells that a certain someone has been giving out chocolates~" he playfully chimes. "So, so? Does your beloved senior get one as well?" Venti edges closer and closer to Lumine’s personal space.
Lumine flicks his forehead in retaliation.
"Ow!" Venti lets out a little yelp, rubbing the spot on his forehead and pouting at her. "So mean, this is senior abuse y'know?" he pouts at her.
Lumine snorts, playfully rolling her eyes. "Alright, you old man. But since I know you won't stop bothering me here," She presents him his bag of chocolates, apple-themed after his favorite fruit. It makes the smile on his face grow even wider. His junior was just so cute!
"Ah, I shall treasure this moment with all my heart," he dramatically sighs before a little mischievous smile appears. "But on the receiving end, I too should do my part~" he rhymes, leaning in placing a chaste kiss at the corner of her lips. Lumine's face turns red and steam pours out of her ears.
His light-hearted laughter fills the air as he swiftly makes his escape with the girl after him.
"DAINNNNNNN!" Aether cries, throwing himself at the taller boy. "Dain you gotta help me there are flies around Lumi I can't take this anymore!"
Dainsleif stares at the other boy and sighs, patting his head. "I'm not sure what you would want me to do about it,"
"Can't you just marry her already—" Dainsleif places a hand over Aether's mouth, face slightly flushed.
"Please stop bringing up our youth again, it embarrasses me." Because yes, baby Dainsleif proposed to baby Lumine a long time ago as kids, and Aether never forgot.
"Only when you marry her to get these parasites off her back," Aether deadpans, completely serious. Luckily he was already used to the older twin being melodramatic.
"How will you feel knowing a month from now the other boys will be returning the favor?" Dainsleif doesn’t register what he just said until after it left his mouth. “No wait—”
"FUCK," Aether exclaims, shaking Dainsleif's shoulders. "DAIN IF YOU DON'T GET DOWN ON ONE KNEE RIGHT NOW AND PROPOSE—"
"This was a mistake," he mourns, praying for Lumine in the future of having to deal with her brother’s overprotectiveness. It’s been a while since he’d last seen her, maybe he should get her favorite flowers. He always did love how happy she looked receiving them.