Chapter Text
A hot summer afternoon, Lumine was summoned by her father and when she was about to enter his study room, she heard him talking to another man.
"Zhongli, please, take her away."
"But sir, she's your daughter-"
The old man was interrupted by the yell of her father, she shivered by the coldness and anger her father held.
"I don't care! She's a nuisance! Take her away! I don't want to see her again!"
After hearing that, she knew what will happen to her on that day.
"Lumine, starting this day, you're going to live with Mr. Zhongli," the first and last thing that she heard from her father before leaving the house where she grew up.
At the age of 5 years old, Lumine grew up with maids with her, her mother died right after she was born, her father was so focus with work that he doesn't even glance nor even laid a finger at her.
Then the first time her father spoke to her and also the last one, was in fact she was going to leave her own house.
She stared at the small house that was standing in front of her, she doesn’t know what to say, but all she knows is that she must obey father, or else father will abandon her.
"Lumine.." a middle-aged man called her name, she don't know how to respond so she just stared at him with blank stares, she’s trembling inside, she’s not used to talking or being with other people.
The man sighed and another boy showed up from inside the house, the boy was smiling and he has the same eyes as the man she is with. They both have golden eyes, but the old man’s is a little darker.
"Papa!" the boy yelled and approached them.
The man ruffled the boy's hair and they talked.
"Have you finished fixing her room?" the boy nodded in response.
"Come!" the boy held her hand and dragged her inside the house.
She was so shocked that she doesn’t know what to react, she’s shaking but she let herself be dragged by the boy. She analyzed the boy and thought that he might be older than her by 10 years.
The boy brought her to a small room, the room is clean, it also has a bed, the room is decorated with white paint and there's even a small table and chair in the middle.
"Welcome home, Lumine!" the man and the boy said in sync.
The same day, these two boys held a celebration for welcoming Lumine into their home. Lumine being herself, she didn’t talk nor smiled at them. She had her blank stares at them.
"Papa, does she ever speak-ow!" the boy was interrupted by his father's elbow.
"She is still not used to this, after all, she hadn't been treated as a family at her own home..." the old man whispered to his son.
"Oh"
Lumine silently ate her small cake and some food that was prepared. As she was finishing her food, the boy walked near her and touched her face and wiped it with a white napkin. The boy smiled at her and brushed her hair. She was trembling, because it was the first time someone touched her.
"You eat a little messy, sis!" the boy mockingly said.
Her cheeks became red when she heard the word, 'sis' is he a sibling? she thought.
"I'm Aether! and the one who brought you here is-" Lumine cut him off by saying what he was about to say, "Mr. Zhongli... your father right?"
The boy, who is now named Aether, smiled, "Yes, he is Zhongli, my father."
Lumine looked at Aether with sad eyes, when Aether noticed that he hugged her, "Don't worry! we are your new family now."
New family...
The way Aether hugged her, she felt warm, she wants to push him away but he hugged her too tight. The same day, Lumine locked herself in her room, not going outside, she just snuggled in her bed, not wanting people to see her.
Aether walked passed Lumine’s room, when he saw that the door was slightly open, he took a peak and saw that Lumine was staring blankly at the ceiling. He was about to come near her when Zhongli touched his shoulder and told him to not bother her.
Days passed and Lumine was still the same, they can’t talk to her nor come near her, they just give her food in her room and take it after she finishes eating. Zhongli would prepare her bath and she will just go alone and Zhongli would wait for her to finish.
‘She isn’t comfortable yet huh?’ Zhongli thought.
Mr. Zhongli, is a close friend of Lumine's father. After Lumine's mother, died, Lumine was never took care of by her own father. Her father worked and worked non-stop that he almost forget that he has a daughter. At some point, after 5 years, her father announced that she will be living with a stranger.
Because she's only 5 she doesn’t know what is really happening. Is it normal for a parent to give away his own child?
"Mr. Zhongli, can you help me with this?" Lumine ordered the old man, while pointing at the faucet, she was about to brush her teeth.
Zhongli raised his brow when he heard her asked for him, but before the old man can get to her, Aether has helped her instead, "Lumi..." Aether called.
It has been 3 months since she started living with them and Aether has been calling her Lumi since then, saying that it’s her new nickname, since she is now living with them.
She looked at Aether and started brushing her teeth, "Stop calling my old man, Mr. Zhongli, you're now living with us, why not call him Papa or Uncle?" Aether whispered to her.
Papa..
She shrugged and after brushing her teeth, she went inside her room. Aether sighed and went to the couch.
"That kid is so hard to handle, Pa." Aether said while looking at Lumine's room.
"Don't worry, she's still not used to being with us." his father said while smiling.
Another month had passed and Aether started going to school again so she was being left with Mr. Zhongli at home. She was silently watching television when she saw Mr. Zhongli went out of the bathroom, hair a bit wet and now on his shirt and shorts.
"Lumine, go take a bath, it's my day off anyway, we're going out."
When she heard that she stood up and turned off the television, she was about to go to the bathroom when Mr. Zhongli motioned her to go near him.
She walked towards him in her room and saw that he was preparing some clothes for her, "What do you want to wear? Dress? White? or how about this?" the old man was thinking through of what the young lady would wear.
"I'm not good at picking clothes for girls..." the old man mumbled.
She stared at him and saw that he is very focused on picking a dress for her, her eyes watered at the sight she is seeing. The old man started talking and suddenly faced her.
"Lumine, I'm so-- why are you crying?!" the old man carried her in a hurry and hushed her.
The old man panicked, he who only took care of his son, and doesn't have any experience in raising a girl. He hushed Lumine and he felt the girl hugged him tightly.
"Any-thing... you would like... papa..." Lumine mumbled.
The old man froze at what he just heard. He held Lumine tighter and kissed her head while mumbling, "Of course, daughter."
He wants to cry, he never thought Lumine would call him that. He knows that he is just a guardian... that someday, Lumine's real father will take her away. He always wanted a daughter, since his wife died right after giving birth to Aether, he never really considered getting remarried, he's happy with him and Aether. And now an angel came home.
Lumine wore the cute white dress chosen by the old man--or should I say her father. The way she tightens the hold of his hand made the old man smile. The both of them went to Aether's school to fetch him.
As they were waiting outside, there are some people who stopped by to talk to the old man.
"Zhongli! you going somewhere with little Aether?"
Lumine hid behind the old man when a man approached her so-called-father to have a chitchat. When the man was near them, he looked at her and smiled.
"You remarried? didn't know you have a daughter!"
Zhongli scratched the back of his head and talked with a small voice. The two-man talked while Lumine is wandering her eyes to look for Aether. She can see people coming out from a building, this is her first time going out with Zhongli and going to Aether's school.
When her golden orbs found a familiar blonde, she suddenly went running towards the said blonde, "Lumine!" yelled by the old man.
Aether heard the familiar voice and when he saw a very cute Lumine running towards him, he walked slowly to approach her, she isn't smiling but he can see a sparkle in her eyes. Before reaching him, his eyes suddenly went wide when Lumine tripped.
"Lumiii!" he hurriedly went to get Lumine up.
She was about to cry but she was holding it up because she feels like it will not turn good.
"Are you hurt?" Aether asked, then carried her.
Lumine hugged Aether and sniffed, "No.." Aether smiled at her reply.
"Oh! Wow, Lumi is a very strong girl! I want to give her some ice cream just now…"
Aether blurted those words even though he saw some scratches on Lumine's knee and arm. When Lumine heard the word ice cream, she faced Aether.
"I-ce cre..am?" Aether nod at her and they started walking towards their father.
As they were approaching their father, a friend of Aether came close to them to give him a good smack at the back.
Lumine startled at the sound that it made to Aether's back, "Woah, I didn't know you have a sister!"
Aether gave the guy a smirk, "Of course, I do, she's pretty right?" Aether said proudly.
The guy looked at Lumine and was about to touch her hair when Lumine bit his hand, "No! don't touch! You hurt Aether!" Lumine yelled.
The guy laughed, "And she's very protective too!" Aether laughed with his friend and after that they said their goodbyes.
"Papa.."
As he heard the call, he faced his two children and smiled by the view he is seeing. Lumine clutching on Aether's neck and both very close.
The family went to go shopping for Lumine's clothes, went to the arcade and had dinner at the mall. When they got home, Lumine was already snoring, Zhongli, put her down on her bed. He softly caressed her head and kissed her forehead.
When he went out of her room, his son, was waiting for him in the living room, "She looks like she had fun earlier, it's the first time that I saw her smiled huh?" His father smiled and sat beside him.
"I want you to be a good brother to her, okay?" his father reminded him.
He snorted, "Pa, you didn't have to tell me that! Of course, I'll take care of her. She's a blessing..."
"But... what if her father... wants to get her back?" Aether suddenly asked.
Zhongli sighed at the thought, "I don't know son... let's not talk about this now,"
As the night went deeper, Lumine had a dream. She woke up having a heavy heart, sweating bullets and looked around her. She's in her room... She got up from her bed and walked towards the door, she opened it and darkness filled her eyes.
She is hugging her pillow while taking a step out of her room, she glanced at every place she sees, she walks and look for another door. When she found another door, she opened it and went inside, there she saw, Zhongli and Aether sleeping together in the bed. She walked towards the two man and she tried climbing up the bed, she put her pillow first then started grabbing the blanket.
As she was struggling to get to the bed, Aether felt like someone was pulling his blanket and saw that the door of their room was open and then Lumine was struggling to get on the bed. He got up and carried Lumine to the bed.
"Lumi... what are you doing?"
Lumine hugged her pillow, "Want to sleep... together..." she said.
Aether smiled then told her to stay and he will just close the door. After closing the door, Lumine was waiting for him patiently and when Aether reached the bed, Lumine positioned herself in the middle of the two men.
"Goodnight, Lumi..." Aether whispered, as he felt Celestine hugged him.
Lumine grew fond of the two man who she is with. As months past by, her attachment to them became unbreakable. With the help of those two, she forgets the things that happened at her father's house.
"I'm home!" yelled by Aether.
When Lumine heard the familiar voice, she went out of her room and run towards the blonde and hugged his legs. Aether caress Lumine's hair then carried her. "Where's Aunt Ning?" asked by Aether.
Lumine didn't speak instead she just hugged Aether and buried her head on his neck. She's been staying at home for a while now, because Aether has school and Zhongli has work to do. Ningguang, a good friend of Zhongli, is the one who takes care of her while the two boys are not at home. It took months before Lumine stopped crying whenever Ningguang appears in their doorstep.
Aether walked through the living room and sat at the sofa, Lumine still clinging unto him, "You sure are a very clingy sister, eh?" Aether teased. He stroked Lumine's back and she felt sleepy just by his touch. Zhongli sighed heavily, he's worried about Lumine's well being, Ningguang told him that the kid doesn't eat much unless one of them is there with her. He always comes home at night because of overtime. He bought some sweets for Lumine to eat at home. When he arrived home, he loosen his tie and removed his shoes. He was about to say, 'I'm Home' when he saw two figures lying on the sofa. He saw his children having a deep slumber.
"Thanks for looking after her." Zhongli said. "I know its tough, she's still not used to the outside." He added, while sipping on the tea that Ningguang made. "It's fine, she's a very lovely girl." Both of them are now at the balcony outside the living room, talking.
"She's turning 7 next month and Aether's gonna graduate high school, what're you going to do now? Can you afford her school fees in the future?" Ningguang interrogated him.
Zhongli has thought about it a few times. Lumine's father did wanted to give him some money for her expenses but he refused. Now that Lumine's papers are now being processed, so he can be her fully guardian. Hoping that this will come out good, he now loves the girl just like his own daughter. Maybe her real father doesn't really want her to go back there. As he was in deep thought, Ningguang suddenly spoke.
"You know.. Beidou's nephew is the same age as her, why not enroll her there too?"
"I'll give it a thought. Thanks."
After speaking to Ningguang, they heard a loud yell from the inside and saw Lumine was looking at the both of them. Lumine is sitting on Aether's stomach and she was yawning, when Zhongli walked to get her, she smiled and went to hug him.
"Papa! Welcome Home!"
"I'm Home," Zhongli replied.
Lumine talked about what she did that day. She showed Zhongli the drawing she made with Ningguang. "This is me," while pointing on the girl she drew, "This is Papa and Aether!" she happily spoke about what is the meaning of the drawing, "I want Papa and Aether to be happy. Hoping, they're happy that Lumine is with them." Zhongli smiled at what he just heard and kissed her forehead.
"Of course, Papa and Aether is happy that you're here with us."