Archive of Our Own

The first thing Lumine put aside when she and Venti broke up were the 1975 vinyls he gave her for her 19th birthday. Then she took down the posters and the concert tickets they framed and mounted on her apartment wall together. Then she cleared her wardrobe out of any band t-shirts they’d gotten together to match. 

As far as she was concerned, Venti had already ruined the 1975 for her. 

“I don’t think I like being tied down,” he confessed to her one day in her room, fiddling with one of his braids. “So I think we should break up. We can still be friends, though!”

Lumine didn’t want to stay friends. Why would she? A year of dating and he only says something now? Bullshit. If he wasn’t happy, he should’ve just said so - that way she wouldn’t have wasted a year on a relationship with someone who hadn’t even wanted to be in one.

She couldn’t even mourn properly - her sad playlist was full of 1975 songs and all she could think of whenever she listened to the 1975 was the way he intertwined their hands together at all the concerts he invited her to and the way he couldn’t even meet her eyes when he asked to break up. Like, come on, she at least deserved a proper break up!

Boxing everything up was fine. Venti introduced the band to her, after all, and he was the one who insisted on getting all the matchy couple stuff. She convinced herself that she couldn’t care less and that all she needed to do was to find someone who actually wanted to be in a relationship and they could live happily ever after without listening to the 1975 ever again. It was fine, she told herself, a year isn’t that long. You can find someone else who’ll stay forever!

So she pushed back all the memories and took every song that reminded her of her drunkard ex out of all of her playlists and went on dates with people who were the exact opposite of him: tall, for one. Capable, committed. 

None of them stuck. She just couldn’t find someone she liked enough to keep around. But she would! Eventually. 

Which was why she was getting ready so early in the morning. It was 7 AM and she’d already made herself as pretty as possible in a white sundress and flowers in her hair. She’d attend her 7:30 lecture like this and maybe, just maybe, there’d be someone she could like enough who’d approach her after class and ask her on a proper date. And if that failed, there was a party that weekend where she could dress herself up. If she couldn’t get a date, she could at least get a one night stand.

What Lumine hadn’t remembered, though, was the fact that her ex was very much a part of that 7:30 AM lecture she was dolling herself up for. Who could blame her? He never attended; always too busy nursing his hangovers from partying all night. So when Lumine flounced into the lecture hall looking all pretty and perfect, she never noticed the surprised stare he gave her from the back of the room. No - as soon as she entered, her eyes were locked onto an unfamiliar figure sitting at the front and the way his eyes lit up when she arrived. 

“Is this seat taken?” She asked him, smiling like an angel. The handsome stranger gulped before scooching over and giving her a smile in return.

“It is now,” he grinned and Lumine giggled before sitting down and tucking her skirt underneath her legs. “What's your name?” He extended a hand for her to shake.

“I’m Lumine. Lumine Viatrix,” she introduced herself and shook the proffered hand. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here…”

“Ah, that’s because this is my first day here, pretty girl,” he took her hand and pressed a kiss to it, enjoying the way her cheeks flushed prettily. “You can call me Childe.”

“Okay, Childe, it’s nice to meet you. Let’s get along.”

“The pleasure is all mine, pretty girl.” The scene that played out was almost like one from a manga. The other students stared, mesmerized, whispering about how this could be the start of another beautiful romance.

No one noticed the glare that came from the back of the room.

The day was spent touring the campus with Childe and getting to know more about him. They’d eaten crepes at this really fancy french cafe Lumine herself had never gotten the chance to go into, and Childe explained that he was an exchange student from Snezhnaya who was here only for a week. Lumine’s face fell, but Childe was quick to reassure her that they would have enough time together. 

Lumine swore she felt the pinpricks of an intense stare the whole time she was with Childe, but whenever she looked back, no one was there. Even Childe had noticed. “Hey, girlie...don’t you feel like someone’s been looking at us?”

“You feel it too?” Her eyes widened, scanning the area again for anyone they could pinpoint as their...stalker? “I’ve had the chills all this time.”

“Maybe someone’s mad at me for stealing away the prettiest girl on campus.” Childe poked her cheek as she pouted. “No, truly! When you entered the room, I thought I’d ascended to heaven for a second.”

Lumine glared half-heartedly at him, unable to fight the blush that crept up her neck. She took Childe’s arm and yanked down, earning an oof from the ginger. “Stop teasing me,” she mumbled, looking straight into his ocean blue eyes. Childe had never seen eyes so gold before.

A moment passed before a cough shook them out of their reverie. “Ehem, there are people trying to get by, here!” 

Whatever dreamy look Lumine had from their moment had immediately turned into the sourest expression he’d ever seen. She disconnected from him and crossed her arms. “Sorry for being in the way, then.” Childe looked down to see a guy only a bit taller than Lumine, the two front locks of his hair pulled into aqua colored braids. 

“You seem to know each other, girlie,” Childe remarked, noticing the pointed glare Lumine gave the short man. “Someone you know?”

Lumine clicked her tongue, obviously annoyed. “Nope. Not at all.”

“I’m her ex.” The man cut in, narrowing his eyes. “Venti. Nice to meet you!” He gave Childe a strained smile, his eyes betraying whatever he felt about the man in front of him.

Childe hummed. “Ex,” he echoed, looking at Lumine, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. “Is that right?”

“Yes.” Lumine nodded, taking Childe’s arm in hers once more. “We should go.”

“So I was right!” Childe’s eyes widened, finally making the connection. “I told you someone was mad about me stealing away the prettiest girl on campus! Say, Venti, right? You wouldn’t happen to be the person who’s been looking at us all day, would you?”

Childe barely registered the shocked expression the shorter man had on before Lumine huffed and pulled them both away from the scene. Teal eyes watched them leave with barely restrained disdain and followed after them, like he’d done all day.

“Childeee,” Lumine whined. “Please. No more teasing. Especially about him,” she said the word as if it was venom. But it was cute, Childe thought, very cute.

“Why? Bad break up?” He asked, another teasing tone to his voice. He couldn’t help but want to tease the pretty girl he’d only met that morning. All her reactions were so cute. He wanted to see more.

“A year.” Lumine started. “We dated for a year. We broke up a month ago.” Childe motioned for her to continue, and she sighed. “He said he didn’t like being tied down. How stupid does that sound?!” She ranted, putting her hands on her hips. Even angry, Childe mused, she was cute. 

“Stupid,” Childe agreed. “How could anyone possibly dislike being tied down to you ?” He took a lock of her hair, twirling it, before examining the blush that had risen to her cheeks. “May I kiss your cheek?”

“Wha - what?!” She squeaked, her cheeks turning even more deliciously red, which was what Childe wanted, anyway. 

“Well, girlie, if you keep looking just like an apple, of course I’d be tempted to take a bite.” He leaned down, lips hovering over her cheek - and licked. 

She was sweet, like he thought she’d be, but he didn’t even get the chance to savor her before he was pushed down to the concrete floor. Wide-eyed, he looked up to see two figures. One was Lumine, still red, leaning forward with her hand outstretched, and a vaguely familiar figure with his arms crossed.

“What the,” he took Lumine’s hand and stood right back up. “What was that for?” He glared down at...Lumine’s ex? Again?

Venti only looked away, lips pursed. “Don’t you know you’re in the way?!” He bit out, while Childe gave him a perplexed stare. 

“There’s literally no one else here.” Childe squinted his eyes. “Don’t you have anything better to do than stalk your ex?” He swung an arm around Lumine as Venti started sputtering indignantly. “Especially when you were the one who asked to break up. Are you really this much of a stalker?”

Venti looked furious now, face red and splotchy. “You don’t know anything about me.” He spat, shoving this stranger’s arm off his girlfri - ex-girlfriend. “I’m just looking out for her as a friend. You only met today! Who knows what you might do to her?!”

“You’re not friends,” Childe surmised, a smirk playing on his lips. “And you don’t need to look after her. I know you don’t like being tied down.” Venti flinched, whipping his head towards Lumine, who was watching with a conflicted expression. 

“Lumine…” He furrowed his eyebrows, something almost like a plea in his eyes. It was Lumine’s turn to flinch - this was the look he had whenever he really, sincerely wanted something. She sighed.

She tugged at Childe’s arm again and whispered in his ear. “I’m gonna talk to him for a sec. Do you mind?” He gave her a soft smile. She really was very cute. 

“You know you don’t need my permission, pretty girl,” he took his arm off of her and pat her hair. “After all, we only met today!” Lumine giggled before waving him off. He walked away, but not without looking back one last time, shaking his head, and finding a place to wait until their conversation was over.

It was just Venti and Lumine now. Lumine stared at him as he kept his eyes on the floor. “Well? Is there something wrong?” She didn’t want to be so civil, but they were friends before they dated, and they did date for a rather long time. Venti was a soft spot for Lumine, even if she didn’t want to admit it. 

When Venti didn’t reply, Lumine took his hand and laced their fingers together like she used to do whenever he was uneasy. Venti’s eyes widened, and raised his gaze to Lumine’s golden eyes staring right back at him. “Ah, there, you’re finally looking at me.” Lumine let go immediately, much to his disappointment. “So...why’re you following me and Childe around?”

Heat rushed up to Venti’s cheeks. “I wasn’t. You really were in the way!” He held his ground, unwilling to admit to her what he’d been doing. Lumine gave him an unimpressed look. “It’s true!”

“Hmm,” Lumine was suddenly overcome with the urge to tease him, like he used to do when they were together. “Are you jealous?”

“Wha - no!” Venti denied almost too quickly. “I’m just worried, Lumine! Don’t you know who he is ? He’s dangerous, Lumine, I don’t want you to be tangled up with him.” 

Lumine tilted her head. “He’s Childe,” she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “What else is there to know?”

“He’s a fatui. A harbinger.” The fatui was an organization well known for their...questionable methods. And a harbinger? Their leaders. Childe was a harbinger. “He’s dangerous, Lumi.”

Lumine’s lips had settled into a thin line. “I appreciate you...telling me, Venti, but I’ll be fine. He’s a nice person, and he’s super fun to be with. Don’t worry about it.” She stepped away from him, about to walk away. A hand grabbed her wrist.

“What is it?” Lumine asked expectantly. 

“Lumi…” 

“Don’t call me that.” She pinched her nose bridge. “Venti, please. That’s enough.” Lumine gently shook off his hand and walked away. She looked back one last time. “Please don’t follow us around anymore. It’s uncomfortable.”

Venti could only watch as she walked away.

To Venti’s credit, he did stop following them around at every turn. But that didn’t stop him from stalking them on every social media app there was. Of course, after the break up, Lumine had blocked him on both her main and private accounts, so he had to employ the help of his roommate to see what she and Childe were up to on her Twitter account. 

“Can I have my phone back now?” Xiao’s right eye twitched as Venti shushed him for the seventeenth time that evening. “Don’t you have anything better to do than stalk your ex?”

Venti gasped. “You sound just like that Childe guy!” He groaned, holding his head in his hands. Xiao made a gagging face and snatched his phone away from his whining friend.

“Never say that again.”

“But you doooo! That’s exactly what he said!” Venti fell to his bed face first. “What’s so good about him, anyway?” He said, or at least that’s what Xiao thought he said, into a pillow. 

“You have no one to blame but yourself.” Xiao huffed, putting his phone back into his pocket. “You’re the one who asked to break up. Stop moping around before I tell Aether you’re stalking his sister.”

Venti let out a loud whine, burying his face further into the pillow. A ding! suddenly resounded from his pocket, and Xiao fished out his phone with a sigh. “Oh, Lumine posted something on Twitter.”

Xiao swore that if Venti was in a different room, he would’ve broken through the wall to steal his phone. “Gimme!” He grabbed Xiao’s phone from his hand and quickly pressed on the Twitter notification.

Venti frowned. They already had each other's numbers? Wasn’t that super fast? He had to wait months to even be alone with Lumine when they dated because of her overprotective brother. Months! How’d that fatui bastard get Lumi’s number in three days? “Does Aether approve of the harbinger?”

Xiao rolled his eyes. “Obviously not. He’s a fatui. And when has Aether ever approved of anyone who’s shown interest in Lumine?” He remembered having to help him throw away the piles of Valentine's gifts left on his sister’s desk in highschool before she could spot them. 

“He approves of you , though?” Venti sulked as Xiao flushed a light pink. Xiao wouldn’t deny having feelings for Lumine, but he had mostly given up when she and Venti started dating. He was also very angry that Venti broke up with Lumine for such a terrible reason, but he stepped back to let Aether rip into him. He also knew just how many people were into the blonde girl, and just how many people wanted to kill Venti for hurting Lumine like that.

He scoffed. “Better me than you. I still haven’t forgiven you.”  

Venti winced, handing Xiao’s phone back to him with a sigh. He already knows just how much he’s messed up, so why does he still keep trying to cling to Lumine? 

It took him only a week after the break up to realize he couldn’t live without the light of his life. A week without her playful comments, a week without listening to her humming to the songs he introduced her to. A week without Lumine by his side. 

It was terrible.

He buried himself in his songwriting, instead, in hopes of getting his mind off of the girl he loved. He even went to all his classes except the 7 AM lecture he had every Monday. But just when he decided to try and attend that one, Lumine flounced into the room looking pretty and perfect and Venti’s feelings hit him back with full force. It was the first time he’d seen Lumine since the break up, and it was overwhelming.

He wanted to call out to her, but she hadn’t even glanced in his direction before sitting next to a tall ginger at the front. Wait...that was…a harbinger!

Venti watched as the harbinger kissed his ex-girlfriend’s hand and he saw red. How dare he?! He was about to walk up to them when the professor arrived, crushing his idea of confronting him. That was fine. He could wait.

He watched as they left the room together and followed after them, making sure to be careful whenever they looked back. He hid behind bushes, walls, and because of his rather small height, even people. But he couldn’t help but separate them when they finally got too close. 

It was the first time he’d seen Lumine up close in a month. He hadn’t remembered just how gold her eyes were. He remembered being young and meeting her and being obsessed with her eyes and her for the longest time. And memories couldn’t compare to the real deal.

When Lumine walked away from him, he almost wanted to cry. This was what he gave up on for the sake of... freedom…? But he hadn’t felt free. No. Freedom was being silly and happy with Lumine as they danced to the 1975. Freedom wasn’t the heavy feeling in his heart from having to watch her walk away to go back to another man.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and his eyes met with blue ones. “Kaeya,” he greeted weakly. “You were following after them, too?” 

Kaeya nodded, patting his shoulder. “You hid behind me a while ago and I saw who you were watching so I decided to join in.”

“What have I done…?” Venti whispered, eyes tearing up, missing the feel of her hand in his. Missing his Lumine. Missing everything about when they were together.

“What have you done, indeed.”

Lumine smiled as she assessed her appearance in her full-body mirror. She was wearing an aqua dress that was sure to wow, and she’d traded the flowers in her hair for a jewelled hairpin her brother had given her. 

“Lumi, have you seen my - wow !” Aether stepped into the room, mouth wide. “My Lumi really is the prettiest in the world!” He walked towards her and wrapped her in his arms before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“Eww, Ae, stop!” Lumine laughed and swatted him away. 

“Is that the hairpin I gave you? You look amazing!” He took his phone out, ready to gush to his group chat about how pretty his little sister was, before stopping. Nobody deserved to see his little sister...except maybe Xiao.

“Yup,” Lumine said, picking up a tiny clutch. “‘M ready to go, Ae, are you?” She looked at her twin brother, who was laughing at his phone, with a questioning glance.

“Uh...yes. Oh! I forgot,” Aether finally put his phone back into his pocket. “I was gonna ask you if you’d seen my earring, but you were so pretty I forgot all about it.”

Lumine rolled her eyes, giving her brother a kiss on the cheek. “Cute, but you’re already wearing it.”

“Are you okay?” Xiao asked the man with his head face down on the table top. 

“No.” Venti hiccuped. “She’s danced with everyone here but me. She’s even danced with you !” As soon as Lumine entered the bar, she was dragged into a dance with Kaeya, and then with Diluc, and then Xiao, Albedo...Okay, well, not everyone, only people Lumine actually knew, but she’d still danced with too many people!

It was a small miracle that the Fatui Harbinger wasn’t anywhere to be seen yet. Had he finally left?

“Just go ask her, then.” Xiao shrugged, heat going to his cheeks as he remembered how Lumine felt in his arms. “Wait, actually, don’t. Aether would kill you. Ah, actually, wait, do it. I want to see it happen.”

Venti groaned. 

An all too familiar tune started to play in the room and Venti nearly broke his neck as he looked up. His eyes landed on Lumine’s figure, uncertain and by herself.

She said hello, she was letting me know
We shared friends in Soho

This was their song.

She is a pain in the nose
And I'm a pain in women's clothes
And you're a walking overdose in a great coat

People were well aware that this was their song, so maybe that was why they were keeping a polite distance as the song blared from the speakers. They all stared at him or at Lumine, wondering if he'd come up to ask her to dance, like they’d always done before.

And so she wrote a plan for it on the back of a fag packet
She had to leave because she couldn't hack it
Not a lot of noise and too much racket
I think I've spent all my money and your friends, oh

Xiao looked expectantly at him. “What are you waiting for, then?”

But how I'd love to go to Paris again (again, again, again and again)
Oh, how I'd love to go to Paris again (again, again, again and again)

Venti finally gathered up the courage to go up to Lumine and ask her to dance when a tall figure blocked his way and offered his hand to Lumine. Venti’s blood ran cold. The harbinger.

“May I have this dance?” Childe grinned down at Lumine, who looked uncertain. “Girlie?”

Lumine was snapped from her trance as she stared, wide-eyed, at the man offering his hand. Her eyes wandered over to where she knew her ex was by habit. He was looking over at them.

“Of course, Childe,” Lumine took his hand and small gasps were heard around the area, but Childe was already pulling her to the dance floor before she could see who’d made them.

Mr. Serotonin Man, lend me a gram
You call yourself a friend?
I got two left feet and I'm starting to cheat
On my girlfriend again

Childe gently swayed her, his hands on her waist. “What’s with the people staring at us, girlie? Are we really just that devastatingly beautiful together?” 

Lumine sighed. “This was...our song.”

“Our…?” Childe questioned, twirling her around. “Ah, your...ex boyfriend. Right?”

At Lumine’s nod, he hummed. “Well, don’t look now, but he’s coming over right this second.”

True to his word, Venti was stalking over quickly to where they were dancing together. “Lumine, we have to talk.” He was looking at her the same way he’d looked at her last time, pleading and sincere.

Lumine looked over at Childe who only smiled gently at her before letting go. “Go ahead, pretty girl. Save me a dance for later.”

“Venti.” 

“Lumine…” Venti had taken her outside, the night air cold, especially when she was in a short dress. Venti took off his cardigan and put it over her shoulders, like he’d done many times before.

“I want to say sorry,” He said, taking her hands in his. “I’ve regretted the break up since it happened. It was shitty of me to do it, too. Lumine...I can’t live without you.”

Lumine gasped. “What…?”

“Please. Even if you won’t forgive me...won’t you let me be in your life again? Even as friends?” Venti pleaded, squeezing her hands tight. “I can’t spend another day like this. I can’t spend another day seeing you in another man’s arms - ”

“Fine.”

“And I can’t spend another day without us listening to the 1975 together and did you just say fine?”

“Yes,” Lumine smiled at him. “We can be friends again.” 

“And maybe something more again…?” Venti prodded, tilting his head. 

“And maybe something more again. But no 1975.”

“But why?!” 

“You’ve already ruined it.” Lumine huffed. “Do you know how hard it was to mourn when all the sad songs I had in my playlist were by the 1975?!”

Venti blinked. And blinked. And exploded into laughter. Ah, he missed this. Lumine joined him, giggling at his laugh. 

When they came back, hand in hand, the people around them erupted into a round of applause and cheers. Aether scowled, though, and Diluc muttered a not again .

Even Childe had given them a small smile at the sight of Lumine smiling, even if it wasn’t for him. Oh well, he could steal her away next time he visited. But for now, Venti could have Lumine for as long as he wanted.