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It’s been months since they parted.
Two weeks since Childe arrived in Inazuma.
One week since he found Lumine.
One hour since they finally got to spar again.
"What do you call these?" he asked pointing at the small rolls of rice and raw fish lying on a plate before him with barely concealed apprehension.
"It’s 'sushi.' I thought you might like it, it’s quite a high-class food."
The night was still young, so the two battered warriors ended up dragging themselves to the Kiminami Restaurant for some much-needed energy recharge after their friendly battle on the outskirts of Inazuma City. Not that he minded having dinner together, quite the contrary - what’s better than a tasty meal in good company after a long-awaited exercise? The thing was: Lumine’s dish of choice brought upon Childe a problem of a different kind.
He glared at the two slender wooden sticks put next to the plate.
The blonde’s muffled giggling was hard to miss.
"Another country, another pair of chopsticks, huh?"
"You don't pull any punches today, comrade,” the man groaned. And the pained comment sealed the deal. Her gleeful laugh vibrated amidst the night. He missed this, Childe realised. Not only the thrill of her strength, but also the sound of her laughter, the mischievous twinkling in her eyes, the moments when he could just... be. Immersed in these small instances of unexpected joy. Without worrying about anything else.
"You can just eat it with your hands, you know?" And to prove it Lumi picked up one roll and unceremoniously popped it into her mouth.
"That would mean admitting defeat," he huffed, valiantly trying to lift the accursed sushi at least a few centimetres above the plate and failing miserably as it slipped from between the chopsticks and fell down with a loud plop.
It wasn’t the first time the man felt a strong urge to just stab the damn thing with these stupid sticks!
Lumine shook her head still smiling. "It's strangely comforting to know there's actually something you can't do." Then moved a bit closer, skillfully picked up the roll with her own pair of chopsticks and held it towards him. "Here you go."
"Wha..!" Childe almost choked on air, feeling the heat rushing to his face.
.......................this was reality, right? Not some fever dream he would one hundred percent deny of ever having? Lumi feeding him. With a sweet “say ahh~!” (words like that would never leave her mouth, mind you, but Childe’s brain wasn’t in the best condition at the moment). Someone pinch him! Or wait, no! Screw it, if it’s a dream, then maybe it's best not to wake up?
And well, despite provoking the whole situation Lumine didn't look that composed either. Fidgeted in her seat and tried very hard to avoid his eyes. A cat ran from a nearby roof with a disgusted meow, assaulted by the almost deadly dose of second-hand embarrassment.
"Don’t make it more awkward than it already is," the girl mumbled, cheeks suspiciously rosy. "I just don’t want you to starve."
Riiight...
That’s it, his mind officially blanked.
Childe slowly leaned in and ate the offered roll as if on autopilot. Dared to glance up and, luck wanted, so did she. Their eyes met; their gazes lingered. The air surrounding the restaurant almost sparkled amidst the soft glow of the paper lanterns. The atmosphere became weird. Tense. Different than anything they experienced up till now – the two fought so many times: against each other and by each other's side, ate dinner together so many times: in the fancy restaurants and out there in the wild, bantered so many times: teased and argued and laughed. But never like this. Not with this weird pressure in the chest almost making them breathless. The absence unknowingly changed them. Made their hearts grew fonder just as the cliche saying goes. Replaced the easy comradery with... something more.
Something that maybe was there all along, just hidden from the light of day.
The two fell silent, focusing on the meal. Yet if someone were to later ask Ajax how was his first sushi he wouldn’t even know how to answer, because truthfully? He couldn’t taste a thing.
The spars were meant to let them blow off some steam, so how come right now the Harbinger felt even more on edge than before?
Their unspoken weekly ritual suffered lately due to obligations that tied them both in different countries, so the man was looking forward to the rare opportunity to finally cross swords with Lumi again. No one could compare, no one gave him quite the same rush – Childe knew because yes, he tried to find at least a temporary replacement and it ended up with half of the Northland Bank needing immediate medical attention and Ekaterina giving him the most wrathful look he even saw on her face.
Snezhnayan women were truly a force to be reckoned with.
But now everything was supposed to go back to normal – he could see a new land, fight cool samurai, annoy Paimon and keep an eye on Lumi.
Perfect.
The spar itself also ended in the "normal" way - despite the location change, she elegantly won their mock battle yet again.
The nation of eternity made her undergo some sort of metamorphosis and no, he didn’t mean the power of Electro she unlocked during the journey through Raiden Shogun’s land. It sharpened her senses, polished her blade and steeled her resolve. Added a shadow behind her eyes that wasn't there before. In a way, this girl was a different Lumine than the one who left Liyue that sunny day on Beidou’s ship.
How much did I miss? he suddenly thought.
It was stupid to feel jealous over something he had no control over, but when do feelings follow any kind of logic? They were messy. Were meant to be. And Childe came to accept so was his life after meeting this golden hurricane.
"Okay!" Lumi stood up.
The streets around them got quieter and emptier compared to the busy noise of hours past. A lone dog barked from the nearby alley. Was he hungry? Or just greeting an old friend? It wasn’t that late, but the atmosphere transformed into something a lot more private than before.
"It’s bedtime for me," she said and snapped her fingers. A cute teapot materialised out of nowhere.
"Already?" he asked trying very hard not to let the disappointment show in his voice. Lumine was a certified night owl after all.
"Yeah. Thoma invited me to hang out tomorrow, so I need to get up early. I don’t wanna be late."
"Ah. Then you should probably go to sle... wait, what?!" Childe whirled in his seat and frowned at the girl. "Who’s Thoma?"
That was the first he heard that name. While she mentioned him so casually? And he invited her to hang out? Like... a date? Was Lumine, his comrade, going on a date tomorrow with some random guy he didn’t even know existed up till now?!
Wait wait wait!
Did she find a boyfriend?!?!
"He’s a retainer of the Kamisato Clan," Lumi answered, totally oblivious that her small revelation was currently obliterating Ajax's ability to think. Instead, she busied herself with the brown-red teapot, putting it on the restaurant counter. "Miss Kiminami?" called. Waved to the owner when the woman stuck her head out of the back room.
Upon noticing the blonde the chef hurried to the counter.
"I told you to call me Anna!"
"Sorry, I keep forgetting. Everyone in Inazuma is so polite with their speech, I guess it rubbed off on me."
"Well, as long as you don’t forget the next time," the woman in a red robe playfully huffed and put her hands on her hips. "So? What do you need?" Glanced at Childe and back at Lumi. "Get you something else to eat or drink?"
"No no," Lumine quickly denied and pointed at the teapot. "Just the usual."
"Ah, the usual, huh? No problem."
"Aww you’re the best, Anna!" Lumine beamed and the brown-haired woman chuckled.
"You bet I am!"
"Wait," Childe suddenly interrupted the mysterious exchange, finally regaining some semblance of brainpower. "What does the usual mean?"
"Whenever I’m in the city, I always leave the teapot to Anna when I go back to my realm," the blonde explained.
After that one stroll with Ayaka and then bothering the restaurant owner with various commissions, even asking for something as crazy as cooking a meal for a talking cat, the two formed a casual, easy friendship. Something that, in all honesty, Lumine really valued – a simple relationship that doesn’t in any way lead to dramatic betrayals or saving the world. Instead, given the occasion, they discussed the cuisine of different nations, traded cooking tips and gossiped about mundane, trivial matters. It was... fun.
"Yup~! I have a space saved for it on the shelf, right next to the jar of the lavender melon paste and the bowl of sakura blooms."
"That’s oddly specific." Lumi lifted an eyebrow. "Anyway, she keeps it safe for me for the night."
The words 'I can do that for you' were on the tip of his tongue, but Childe refrained from voicing them. After all, he kinda preferred to be inside the Serenitea Pot with Lumine, rather than staying outside alone. Not that he had a lot of opportunities to visit, lately.
It would be nice to see what she did with the place while they were apart...
...but wait! That wasn’t the problem here! The problem was that damn Thoma-boy suddenly inviting Lumi on a damn date!
"Okay, enough chitchat." But there wasn't time to ask about any further details. "I really have to go. I need to check if Paimon didn’t burn down the whole house while I was gone," the girl joked and tapped the teapot.
The wind suddenly picked up.
"Good night, Anna! And Childe..." she turned to him, bit her lip. “Thanks for today. I-"
Poof! The air sparkled, and the blonde Traveller was gone. Together with the words that apparently weren’t meant to be said.
At least not yet.
*~*~*
Childe didn’t leave the restaurant even after Lumine’s disappearance. Instead, stared at the small cup of tea, gently turning it in his hand. The liquid lazily swirled.
Thoma, huh?
The idea of, let’s emphasize again, his comrade spending the whole day tomorrow having fun with a random Inazuman hunk being the no. 1 on some secret "best husband material" list (as he found out thanks to an enthusiastic input of Miss Kiminami) didn’t sit right with him in the slightest. But what could Childe do? No matter how tempting the idea of crashing Lumi’s date was, any blatant interference would only end up having the opposite result.
Girlie would be pissed.
That much he knew.
But Ajax didn’t intend to just simply throw in the towel and leave it be. He wasn’t that nice.
"Vitaliy!" he called snapping his fingers and as if materialising from the shadows a Fatui agent appeared behind his back.
"Master Tartaglia!" he saluted.
Childe instantly shushed the man. "Quiet, we don’t need to draw any unwanted attention."
"Yes, sir!" the agent’s voice immediately dropped to a conspiratorial whisper.
Good. So he was a competent one.
"I need you to do something for me, Vitaliy."
"Whatever you require, sir."
The Harbinger took a big sip.
"Gather all the information you can get on Thoma, the retainer of the Kamisato Clan. I expect a full report in the morning."
The man faltered.
"But, sir. Checking all the connections and leads on a figure as prominent as a retainer of one of the main Inazuman clans... I’m not sure if one night will be enough." He clearly didn’t want to appear inept but also valued honesty. An interesting trait for a spy, all things considered.
But Childe only dismissively flicked his wrist.
"I don’t care about that. Just check what kind of a guy he is – tall? Handsome? Rich? Can he cook? And fight? Does he like children? Do women favour him?"
"Sir...?"
But Ajax didn’t seem to hear him and slammed his hand on the counter.
"I’m obviousssly a better husband material" ...he slurred, didn’t he? "than sssome provincial bumpkin thinking he can invite my Lumi for a date out of blllue!"
...it wasn’t tea in Childe’s cup, was it?
Vitaliy’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets while listening to his boss’s nonsense. Was this seriously the same Harbinger other Fatui called "the unhinged menace?" The fabled bloodthirsty warrior evoking fear in his enemies with presence alone? ...this clearly jealous man drowning his sorrows in a cup of sake?
What has this world come down to?
Vitaliy initially didn’t believe the agents that transferred from Liyue but it seemed they were telling the truth.
The Eleventh Harbinger was in love.
Maybe even remained oblivious to the fact himself, but apparently, the whole Northland Bank was involved in a complex system of betting concerning the relationship between Tartaglia and his blonde Traveller. And contrary to common sense, everybody was cheering them on.
As a fellow citizen under the rule of the Archon of Love, the agent immediately straightened his back and saluted with double the zeal.
"Yes, sir!"
Who was he to deny help such a hopelessly smitten man trying to win the heart of his lyubimaya?
*~*~*
It was around eight o’clock when Childe found himself pacing in front of the Kamisato estate. Lumine could arrive at any moment now and there was still a lot he had to deal with before that. No to mention the hangover making his head weigh three times more than usual.
Vitaliy fulfilled his mission splendidly and with the crack of dawn, there was a report waiting for the Harbinger on his desk in the Fatui’s new temporary safe house (location classified). Despite the time constraints, the profile was quite detailed. Even had a photo.
To Childe’s chagrin, the Thoma guy turned out to be indeed quite handsome. And not only that.
- A mother from Mondstadt, father from Inazuma
- Tall and fit
- Skilled in polearm and pyro vision usage
- Known as "the fixer" that can solve all your problems, from silly arguments to national crises
- Holds quite a bit of authority thanks to his position as the retainer to the Kamisato siblings
- Will get you the best deal in town
- Kind
- Willingly voluntaries to babysit children and carries grocery bags for the elderly (both groups are big fans)
- Animal lover (cats and dogs are also big fans)
- Might have a secret fan club
- Humble – will laugh at the suggestion he might have a secret fan club
- Hard worker
- Skilled at housework
- Good cook (but beware when he gets into a more "experimental" mood)
- An all-around nice guy
And last but not least:
- No. 1 on the official "best husband material" list published in the magazine run by the underground Inazuman Housewives Association
It was ridiculous.
He’s a damn walking perfection. The Harbinger crumpled the paper in his hand and stuffed it back into the inside pocket of his jacket. After reading it so many times, he practically knew the contents by heart.
A sigh escaped his lips.
No wonder Lumi liked him. The guy was someone you would wish to introduce to your parents and they would be kissing the ground he walks on and begging him to stay. Contrary to Childe. After seeing him most families would probably make an immediate appointment with a therapist for their kid.
Fine.
He had a few loose screws but who cares, Ajax wasn’t about to give up without a fight – being at a disadvantage only made it more interesting. Especially since there was one detail in the report that caught his attention – something that could maybe turn this whole disaster around.
A cold wind suddenly assaulted the nape of his neck. The man shivered. Because of the temperature drop? Or because of excitement? Hard to tell.
She’s here.
"No sudden movements or I will draw my blade."
Lifting his hands, the Harbinger abided by the request and turned very slowly.
The girl standing before him was about Lumine’s height, had white-blue hair tied in a high ponytail and wore something akin to an elegant kimono combined with a breastplate and a few other armour elements. A princess and yet a warrior, too – a mix that bode quite well for this conversation. At least in theory.
She had her hand on the katana, ready to draw it at any moment. Kinda looked as if that’s exactly what she wanted to do, and only great willpower allowed her to restrain these impulses.
Then an envelope appeared between her fingers.
"We share a common goal. Let’s meet at eight o’clock in front of your estate. Come alone. Signed: C," she quoted. "I don’t share anything with the likes of you," the girl spat.
"And yet I beg to differ," Childe smiled. She was unexpectedly spunky for the graceful Shirasagi Himegimi adored by the masses.
"I don't know what you're insinuating, but know that the Kamisato clan would never collude with the Fatui-"
"That’s where you’re wrong, Miss," he impudently cut in. "I’ve never said anything about the Fatui. I’m here strictly on a personal business."
That threw her for a loop. Ayaka was still frowning, but at least moved the hand away from the blade while considering his words. Progress, then.
"A Harbinger? Came to me? On a personal business?" Okay, it did seem a bit... unorthodox.
"Yup~!" Using the opportunity, he lowered his hands. "I’m sure you’re someone who understands that the mask you wear at work isn’t always the same as the face underneath it. Or am I wrong?"
The crinkle between Ayaka’s brow deepened.
"I am to believe that there are actual human beings with conscience under all this plotting and scheming you Fatui love so much?"
Childe sensed the hidden mockery, yet still scratched his chin and honestly pondered the question. "More or less, I guess?" Finally decided. "If I were you, I wouldn’t trust most of the Harbingers, though. Good job at getting rid of Signiora, by the way, she was a certified bitch."
"Aren’t you one of the Harbingers?"
"Sure am. But I’m not a big fan of my colleagues, you see. The plotting and scheming you oh so despise? Not my style, either. I prefer a more, let’s say, direct approach."
Like now.
Not what the daughter of the Kamisato Clan expected, huh? Good. That was his chance.
"What do you want, then?" she asked not bothering to hide the curiosity.
"The same thing you do, as I already told you."
"And that is?"
"For your precious retainer to stop hitting on Lumine."
"Ww-wha..!" Ayaka spluttered, her composure crumbling like a geo construct hit by a very heavy claymore. Her cheeks flared and she instantly hid them in her hands. Aww, such a girly response. Reminded him of Tonia a bit.
"You know they agreed to go on a date today, right? I don’t like it, so I thought about tailing them, but then again, Inazuma isn’t really my turf, so I could use a guide."
"Wait," the girl overcame the embarrassment and now was just staring at him in disbelief. "A Fatui Harbinger comes to my door and wants me to go with him spy on a date?"
Weeeeeell, when she put it that way, it did sound absurd.
"Not just any date. On a date you don’t want to be successful as much as I do."
"T-that’s not true..."
"Come on, you like the guy, right? Work with me and we'll kill two birds with one stone."
“Arrghhhhh!” She clamped her hands over her ears, as if not hearing the words will somehow make them go away. So that was the true personality behind the Shirasagi Himegimi, huh? Not an icy flower lonely floating on an undisturbed surface of a lake but just a cute and overly self-conscious devochka.
Funny girl, he wanted to laugh.
"What do you get from this, anyway?" She suddenly came on the offensive despite the flushed cheeks.
"I have my reasons."
"And these are?"
That was the question, wasn't it? He shouldn't care about Lumi's love life. Hell! He should encourage her to pursue it, as it would be so easy to exploit such weakness in the future, but... That would mean watching whatever bloomed between them wither and die. And the selfish part of him, part Ajax often pushed to the side in favour of the "greater cause," didn't want to let that happen. For once there was something he wished to nurture and not wipe out.
The signal came before he could answer. A whistle almost sounding like a bird’s call. It meant Vitaliy spotted Lumine and she would be here any moment now.
Without thinking, Childe covered Ayaka's mouth and pulled her behind the fence’s corner. The girl frantically struggled, trying to free herself. He grabbed her right hand just before she managed to draw the sword.
"Shhh! Be quiet and stop fighting!" Ajax hissed. "Lumine is close and if this plan is to work, you don’t want her to see us."
Ayaka instantly stiffened. Nodded after a moment, so he cautiously let her go.
She didn’t immediately scream murder, so it was at least something.
"You’re serious," whispered. "You really want to spy on them."
"Yes! I really do." This was quickly getting old. "So? Time to make a decision, princess: are you coming with me or not?"
A pregnant silence stretched between them and seemed to last forever.
Not that Childe blamed the Kamisato girl - he was evil in her eyes and you don't go making deals with evil people. Got used to being perceived like that, maybe even relished in it sometimes. To have that fear and respect... being a weapon wasn't so bad. But it also hammered home how only one person was willing to look past that facade.
The muffled voices reached their ears.
"I keep thinking, since I’m the host here, we ought to do something you’ll enjoy. Hmmmm... what do you usually prefer? Indoor or outdoor activities?"
"I can choose? Then let’s head out. I don’t like how these two guards badmouthed you, so let’s not give them more opportunities to be assholes."
Ayaka froze at that comment. "What?" whispered to herself. She had no idea what Thoma and Lumine were talking about but the implications were self-explanatory. And the girl didn't like it one bit. To think Kamisato’s employees would stoop so low as to badmouth their own colleague... how come that’s the first she heard about it? The temperature around her instantly dropped a few degrees.
"I’m flattered but I told you, don’t worry about it. And a stroll, huh? Do you like cats and dogs? If so I have a great place in mind we can visit!"
Childe could almost imagine Lumine beaming at the man with the most radiant of smiles. Clenched his fist, feeling a growing irritation.
"If I can pet them, I’m game!"
"You just can’t help but be in a good mood when you’re surrounded by cute animals, right?"
And so the two left. Ajax peeked out from around the corner and sure enough, they were heading in the direction of Inazuma City. Well, tailing the pair immersed deep in conversation shouldn’t be that hard.
"I’m coming with you," Ayaka suddenly declared breaking him out of his thoughts. "But only because I can’t let a Fatui Harbinger run around Inazuma unsupervised."
"Sure, whatever lets you sleep at night."
He honestly didn’t care about her reasoning, the most important thing was: ally secured! Phase one of the plan, completed. But now the hard part was about to start – how to disturb the lovebirds without getting caught with their hands in the jar?
Hopefully, they’ll figure something out before reaching their first destination.
*~*~*
Date spot no.1: the outskirts of Inazuma City.
Childe stuck his head out of the bushes currently occupied by the two wannabe spies and glared in the direction of a big tree standing in the middle of a small square. It was a sakura tree blooming in beautiful pink.
"What is this?"
Ayaka sighed. Probably for the twentieth time within the last fifteen minutes.
"They’re playing with the animals."
"I can see that," the Harbinger hissed. "But aren’t they a bit too happy?"
Lumine looked so carefree. Unburdened. It was a side she rarely allowed herself to show. And yet Thoma could have it all to himself.
Stopping next to the man she reached out holding some sort of a dog treat. The orange Shiba seemed hungry but hesitant to put its guard down and approach her. It wasn't a problem for Thoma - or rather, it was another problem he could easily fix. The man said something, then cradling Lumi's palm (dared to touch her so boldly!) prompted the girl to repeat the gesture. Was it the magic of a familiar scent or did the primal instinct finally win? Either way, the dog decided to come closer, sniffed Lumi’s finger and then snatched the offered food munching on it with great fervour.
Childe didn’t care at the moment. The only thing he could see was how damn touchy this half Mondstadter was!
But he was soon forced to care.
The Shiba seemed to do a faster than light one-eighty, and as Lumine keeled down, shamelessly nuzzled into her chest! Two cats joined him and curiously approached from both directions, cuddling up to the blonde’s thighs.
Thoma laughed, then a small device appeared in his hand. A kamera, Childe realised. He took out the kamera. Pressed a button.
Snap!
A small, white square piece of paper got printed out by the contraption. Thoma grabbed it between his fingers, waved around speeding the drying and passed to Lumi. She beamed.
The bloody bastard had the bloody audacity to take a bloody photo. Of his comrade!
Childe’s nerves were taut, ready to snap at any moment. And the poor Shiba chose this exact moment to make the greatest mistake of his life.
It leaned up and eagerly licked Lumine’s cheek (to the girl’s gleeful giggle, let’s add).
The wave of bloodlust that exploded from the bushes came at the animals not taking any prisoners. And the Shiba felt that – the presence of a predator far greater than anything he faced before. With one terrified whine, the dog tucked his tail and ran away leaving behind only dust.
A hand grabbed Childe’s stupid ginger head and slammed it to the ground!
"Ow," the man groaned. So that's what it meant to 'eat the floor.' The dirt wasn't tasty, though. Not to mention the grass was tickling Ajax's nose, making him want to sneeze.
"Be quiet!" Ayaka hissed in panic. "And stop it! You’re scaring everyone."
Enough said, all the animals within a two-kilometre radius disappeared without a trace. And humans were rubbing their arms shuddering, almost as if assaulted by a gust of ice-cold wind – not a normal occurrence in the middle of summer which prompted at least a few raised eyebrows.
The two stilled and held their breaths as Ajax tried to calm the raging instincts. Considering their position, flat, with their noses to the ground, they couldn’t know Lumine’s head snapped in the direction of the suspicious bush the moment a shiver run down her spine. A body reaction triggered by a somehow familiar presence...
Her eyes turned to slits, but minutes ticked away and brought about a boring nothing – as if the whole scene never happened in the first place.
"Come on," Thoma put a hand on her shoulder. It became so quiet all around them, this time the spy team could hear the conversation perfectly. "Since the animals run away, there’s nothing here for us anymore."
"And they were so cute, too," Lumi whined in a tone Childe recognised.
She tried to play it cool, turn it into a joke, but in truth, the girl was genuinely disappointed.
And it’s my fault.
The realisation stung.
"Don’t take it to heart. It happens with the animals," the man reasoned. "They must have sensed a strong presence nearby, maybe a leader of another pack, and run for it."
"A pack leader, huh?" Did she snort saying that? Weird... "So, where to next?"
Thoma scratched his chin.
"How about Ritou?" he proposed and Lumi immediately perked up.
"That’s a good idea! I was curious how the city is doing after all that happened."
"Hehe back to where we first met, then. I haven’t been there in a long time actually."
Only when the sounds of the retreating footsteps almost disappeared do Ayaka decide to let Childe go.
His neck hurt like hell.
"Couldn’t you be more gentle?" The man tilted his head to the right and the left. Heard the bone crack.
This girl was no princess. With a grip like that, she could give many martial arts masters a run for their money.
"Are you really telling me that? After the stunt you just pulled?" She jumped to her feet and clenched her fists. "This is Inazuma, not some Fatui playground! If we’re not careful, we’ll have the whole Tenryou Commission on our backs in a heartbeat!"
He only smirked. "So it’s a 'we' now?"
"D-don’t push it." Ayaka crossed her arms.
But the idiot, as much as she hated to admit it, was right. First, she just impulsively tagged along, but now, after seeing Thoma and Lumine have so much fun together, she couldn’t help but feel... jealous.
She loved Lumi, she really did. She was Ayaka’s first true female friend and the girl would give her anything, the blonde just had to ask. Anything... but this. Because no matter how selfish it made her, she didn’t want to hand over Thoma. To anyone. The very thought was filling her with so many emotions she didn't know where to even start processing them. One thing was clear, though. This whole date-breaking business?
She was finally in.
*~*~*
Date spot no.2: Ritou, Chuyu Trading Company.
"You’ve got to be kidding me!"
It’s not normal. You don’t go buying jewellery on your first date! ...right? Childe obviously had no experience in the matter, who would care about stuff like that when there were battles to fight and challenges to conquer, but it seemed excessive if you asked him. And not only that.
"Green doesn’t fit Lumine at all!" he quietly raged glancing from around the corner of the nearby house, one foot buried in the colourful flowerbed. "The precious stone should be blue, to only slightly contrast with her golden hair and compliment the accents on her dress."
Ayaka blinked. Twice. Was this guy just some bizarre exception or is the course on style a compulsory subject every potential war machine must pass in Snezhnaya?
The old man sitting on the porch with a cup of tea, the owner of the house no doubt, nodded solemnly. "You know what you’re talking about, young man. Buy woman the wrong jewellery and she will remember it for life. But not buy at all? That’s even worse."
And what about when a man buys it for someone else? The girl couldn’t help but think. It stung, even though she hated to admit it.
Thoma never gave me anything... It’s not that she was a big fan of trinkets like that, plus receiving gifts from the family’s retainer might negatively affect her standing, but secretly wearing some small token of affection from your beloved just seemed so... romantic. Couldn’t her maiden heart be allowed to dream?
And the stones on that bracelet reminded her of Thoma’s eyes.
Ayaka felt a traitorous blush creeping up her face. If thoughts like that were making her red then what chance did she have to ever confront him about her feelings?
And then be brave enough to stand by that choice even when faced with opposition? Because Shirasagi Himegimi was a symbol – and symbols don’t always get to do what their heart desire. Don’t get to simply be happy.
"Come on, they’re moving," Childe called her, and then turned to the old man. "See ya around, Grandpa! Sorry for the trouble."
"No such thing," he unexpectedly grinned. "An old man's life is boring anyway. Just next time you decide to trample all over my lawn, bring your girl with you."
That old fox! Ajax laughed sheepishly and waved the spunky grandpa goodbye.
The two hurried after Thoma and Lumine as the pair made their way towards:
Date spot no.3: Ritou, Sailing Breeze.
"It’s the place that sells Mondstadt’s wine, isn’t it?" Ayaka asked trying to stay out of sight, pretending to busy herself with the plaques hanging around the huge maple tree towering over the main square in Ritou.
Childe glanced at her and lifted his eyebrow.
"You’re asking me? Isn’t this your country?"
She looked away, abashed. It was her country and she was always proud of that fact. Of that heritage. But there were so many things she didn’t know about. So many things she didn’t experience, even though she wanted to.
"I’ve only been to Ritou a few times and always on official business. Someone of my standing doesn’t get to just roam the street as they please."
Childe mulled this over and shrugged. "Maybe you should."
“W-what?” she stammered in surprise.
"It won’t hurt to get some hands-on experience, right?" he shifted his gaze back to Lumine. "If your ambitions are strong, if you really want to get something, you must stop at nothing to obtain it. Everything can be a weapon, everything can give you an advantage. Aren’t a few rules broken here and there a small price to pay for fulfiling your desires?"
It certainly sounded like something a Fatui agent would say. But was he wrong? The importance of tradition was instilled in Ayaka's mind from childhood. As part of the Yashiro Commission, her mission was to guard and cultivate the culture of Inazuma, however, she also had moments of doubt. Times when the idea of blindly clinging to the past reminded her a lot of Raiden Shogun's pursuit of eternity - where the respect for the days gone by ends and an impediment to progress begins?
And wasn't this whole excursion today like a big rebellion against the outdated rules?
In the meantime, the clerk of the Sailing Breeze took a pricey looking bottle off the shelf and put it on the counter. Then another. And another.
An alarm immediately went off in Childe’s head.
A bottle.
Wine.
Alcohol.
Shit!
"Quick!" He grabbed Ayaka by the shoulders and pushed her forward. "Do something so they don't buy it!"
"Are you out of your mind?!" the girl hissed, digging her heels into the pavement. "How am I supposed to do that?"
"I don't know," Childe wasn't giving up. "Freeze it or something!"
Freeze? Something as small as a bottle? Standing a dozen or so meters away?
"Let me go," she slapped his hands away and frowned. Looked carefully at the store. The idea seemed crazy, but... maybe not impossible? And the challenge suddenly made her unusually excited.
Still hiding behind the maple tree, Ayaka summoned her fan and pointed with it towards the store. Focused. Visualised the cryo energy embracing the wine bottles in a cold mist.
Steady...
The temperature started slowly dropping.
Yes, just like that...
Lumine shuddered.
Just a little bit more...
Thoma took off his red jacket and covered the blonde's shoulders.
Boom!
The cryo energy exploded to the surprised squeals of the passersby. The entire Sailing Breeze was covered with a layer of frost - the merchandise of course included. The terrified clerk stared at the icy bottles with a puzzled expression.
Ayaka almost fainted, while Childe, well... Childe was Childe. And he almost fell to the ground from laughter.
"Hahaha not exactly what I had in mind, princess," the man wheezed trying to catch a breath, "but I guess it will do."
Ayaka suddenly wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow her whole.
But hilarity aside, the two clumsy saboteurs of the wine industry got what they wanted, so the makeshift ploy could have been considered a success.
In the end, the pair didn’t buy anything and simply moved on. Good for you, Thommy-boi. There were things Ajax could turn a blind eye to, but not this. Drinking with Lumine was strictly forbidden. That’s where he drew a line – after all, he saw her non-existent tolerance to alcohol first-hand and didn’t intend to share. Period. End of the story.
The memory of that one night at Angel’s Share and Lumine clinging to him with flushed cheeks and possessive affection while the red-headed tavern owner stared daggers at his back was something he had been thinking about a lot lately. It was shortly before the girl left for Inazuma. Before they parted ways pretending it’s absolutely fine to say goodbye.
But it wasn’t.
Childe carried her on his back to the teapot mansion that day while Lumine kept bubbling something into his ear in drunk gibberish. With arms tightly clinging to his neck. With his hands on her thighs. A lot of stars twinkled in the night sky keeping them company, yet it was the first time it hit him that in his eyes she always shined the brightest. Even when tired and drunk. With messy hair and a crooked scarf. None of that mattered, she was beautiful despite that. Or maybe because of it?
But in the end, Ajax never voiced any of that. Laid her body, already sound asleep, on a bed and left, quietly closing the door behind him. Closed it... on a lot of thoughts and foreign feelings and chose ignorance. At least till Lumine left and he started to see her absence in everything, no matter where he turned.
The next two stops on the pair’s sightseeing tour were a souvenir's shop where they bought a small fox figurine (Teucer would love it!) and a food stall selling sweet snacks (Ayaka’s favourite indulgence: taiyaki!). Munching on a fish-shaped pastry and laughing about something the great spies couldn’t hear, their feet lead them up, towards an overlook where you could admire both: the city panorama and the sea stretching behind it. As nighttime was quickly approaching and the lamps started to light up, the view was truly mindblowing. And the atmosphere turned romantic.
Dangerously so.
Ayaka not so gently tugged at Childe's sleeve.
"Can you make it rain?"
Ah. Not a bad idea, all things considered. His brilliance was certainly rubbing off on the Shirasagi Himegimi, however, there was one small problem with bringing this plan to life.
"Can you make it snow?" Ajax sighed. "I can have a Hydro Vision, but sadly I'm no magician."
And therefore he was utterly useless. Go figure.
The realisation hit Childe and Ayaka right then and there: their plot of destroying this date absolutely sucked. Besides two small victories, quite insignificant in the grand scheme of things, they didn’t manage to get in the way of the two lovebirds at all! Which should have been obvious from the start – it’s not like they could steal Thoma’s moneybag to prevent him from buying Lumine presents or sneak behind the food stall and add so much salt into the girl’s pastry she would instantly hate it.
...actually, it wasn't such a stupid idea, why haven't they thought about it earlier? (It most definitely was, the two just had a moment of shared idiocy preventing them from noticing it) Why the biggest breakthroughs must always come too late?!
Then the air shimmered around Lumi and a bouquet materialised in her hands.
And Thoma’s face transformed in an instant. Gone was the easygoing, friendly demeanour, replaced by something almost... sad.
It was unmistakable. That wistfulness - Childe recognised it all too well.
"What are they?" Ayaka asked eyeing the flowers.
"Windwheel Asters. A flower native to Mondstadt."
A flower Lumine loved.
The way the blond man looked at them – Ajax himself wore that expression every time he gazed at the snow.
It was loneliness, longing, melancholy. The feeling of being reminded of something you lost. Maybe temporarily, maybe forever. Something you wished you could go back to.
Thoma was a good guy. After this whole day, there was no other conclusion to make. He was like a better version of Childe. Kinder, sweeter, definitely more truthful. Refreshingly noncriminal like. A comforting presence, but a capable one. And without all the baggage weighing the Harbinger down. Without the Abyss, the battle lust, the thirst for blood and the hunger for violence.
Without the damage. Or maybe he just learnt to handle it better.
"Come on, princess." Ajax turned on his heel, tapping the girl on her shoulder. "I will walk you home."
Ayaka frowned at him. "That’s it? After all you’ve said and done, we’re just gonna go back?"
"There’s not much left to do." Besides killing the guy, yet somehow it didn’t seem like a solution anyone here would agree upon.
She crossed her arms. "Coward."
Maybe he was. Because for the first time in Childe’s life he thought:
Maybe some battles just can’t be won.
*~*~*
The Harbinger kept his word and did walk Ayaka back to the Kamisato estate. Disappeared shortly after.
The whole way back the two kept silent, thoughts and feelings whirling and swirling in their heads like a maelstrom. Causing unrest and preventing from enjoying the stroll through the beautiful summer evening of Inazuma. With cicadas playing their music amidst the trees and fireflies hovering over long blades of grass gently swaying in the warm wind.
Not able to focus on anything, Ayaka did the only thing that always helped her regain inner balance – took up a sword.
The courtyard of the estate was quiet and empty, perfect for practising swings. So she did. Drew the katana from the elegant scabbard and cut the air in one swift motion.
From the left. From above. A spin. A series of slashes, lightning-fast, deadly precise. And a thurst.
Repeated it over and over again. Added a slice here, changed the footwork there. The body went over the motions as in a trace while her racing thoughts finally began to settle. Succumbing to the rhythm of the familiar routine.
Focused on the training, the girl didn’t notice the approaching footsteps. A clap resounded in the air, breaking her concentration.
"Ah, Milady! Your form is as flawless as ever," Thoma complimented with a smile. "Although, maybe try a softer touch... So no one gets injured?"
"Oh!?" Ayaka’s eyes snapped open and her cheeks flushed. "Was I hitting too hard?"
Thoma scratched his chin. "I wouldn’t say ‘hard’ per se. More like as if there was something on your mind."
You, a traitorous part of her wanted to answer.
"How was your day with Lumine? Did you have fun?"
"Did we?" Suddenly the man smiled slyly. "And how was your day with the Harbinger, Milady?"
Her eyes flew wide open, but Ayaka quickly collected herself and sighed. She shouldn't have been surprised.
“So you knew?”
"That you’re following us?" He even dared to laugh! "Sure did. What kind of a retainer I would be not watching out for my Milady's wellbeing? So? What's your impression of the famed Tartaglia? Was he as scary as the rumours say?"
Yet for all that talk about wellbeing, he didn’t seem concerned in the slightest about her safety. Ayaka suddenly felt like smiling.
He believed in her enough not to interfere. And it made her stupidly proud.
As for Childe...
This unhinged maniac one second appears all smiles and charm, the next decides to scare the dogs away, the next makes small talk with an elderly grandpa, the next pushes her to pull the biggest prank of her life while giving a surprisingly good pep talk and the next dares to look dejected or even... lonely.
"He’s a weird man," she honestly admitted squeezing the bridge of her nose. "It pains me to say it, but... he doesn’t seem like the rest of the Fatui."
Thoma hmmed. "That’s good, then."
"Good?"
"Yeah. Since I had my doubts, but if even you say that, Milady, I think I can believ-"
"Ayaka," she suddenly interrupted.
The man stared, taken aback. "...Milady?"
She gathered her courage and looked him in the eyes. Barely. Wanted to run, but stubbornly dug her heels into the ground. It was time to break some rules. To finally start moving forward. To step up. Just like he said.
"Ayaka. When it’s just the two of us, please, call me Ayaka."
The blond man hesitated.
They both knew what that request truly meant.
Thoma took a step forward. Then another. Instead of outright answering reached for the girl’s hand, fished something out of his pocket and put on it.
"Only if you agree to accept this," his voice was barely above a whisper and lacked the usual self-confidence. She looked at her open palm and there it was – a delicate silver bracelet with small green precious stones. The same one she spied him buying.
"B-but," she stuttered, "wasn’t it for Lumine?"
"She helped me choose," he smiled sheepishly. "Said you’re gonna like this one because green is your favourite colour. I never knew that..."
Ayaka cradled the piece of jewellery to her chest. Suddenly felt like hugging the blonde girl.
Thank you, Lumi!
It was true, green was her favourite colour. Just like Thoma’s mesmerizing emerald eyes.
She slipped the bracelet on and for the first time that day felt happy from the bottom of her heart. As if something that for so long was barely allowed to sprout, just bloomed inside her chest.
"Thoma, spar with me!" beamed.
He blinked at first, but then chuckled and summoned his polearm. And despite the drawn weapons, the tension between them morphed into something incredibly warm.
"As you wish, Mi...!" he paused, catching himself at the right moment. Tried again. "As you wish, Ayaka."
It will take some time, but they will figure things out.
Because the most difficult first step was finally behind them.
*~*~*
It was late. Stars twinkled in the sky and the voices coming from the nearby teahouse (allegedly run by a dog – Childe absolutely had to see it one day) indicated some kind of a party was in full blast.
At least someone was having fun that night.
The Harbinger was sitting on the wooden landing overlooking the scenery of Inazuma with a solitary lantern keeping him company. Someone must have left it there and forgotten all about it.
The view was beautiful. There was a slowly spinning waterwheel, the big cherry tree in full bloom, a river and mountains and the sea and everything that laid beyond it.
His legs dangled over the chasm. It was a long fall down.
Ajax recognised the familiar footsteps long before he heard her voice. It was impossible to mistake them – she always walked with this finality to her steps, the sureness, the conviction.
Lumine always walked knowing what she wanted and where she wanted to end up.
"You've found a nice spot," she said instead of a greeting and unceremoniously seated herself next to him. As if keeping the Harbinger company was the most natural thing in the world.
But maybe not for much longer.
"Did you have fun today?" he asked, even though a cowardly part of him didn't want to hear the answer.
Apparently, she didn't intend to give it to him anyway.
Lumi lifted an eyebrow.
"How about you tell me, hmm?"
Ah.
He sheepishly scratched his neck. “So you noticed.”
"Of course I noticed," the girl snorted. "Your bloodlust is hard to mistake. I was at its receiving end once, remember?"
Not a chance he would ever forget. The Golden House. The turning point of many plots, and the moment that should have been the end of their relationship.
Should. And yet wasn’t.
"So? How was your date?" a petty part of him didn’t want to let it go.
"It wasn’t a date," and so did hers opting for the denials.
"You played with animals together."
"Animal therapy is a thing."
"He bought you jewellery."
"It wasn’t for me."
"Stroll around the city?"
"Everyone needs some exercise."
"And a dinner?"
"Food from a stall by the road, you mean?"
He shook his head, almost impressed... if not for the growing irritation.
"You have an answer for everything, don’t you?" The ugly jealousy reared its head, making him snappy. "You gave him flowers, Lumine."
This time she didn’t answer right away.
The sakura petals were slowly falling around them carried by the gentle breeze, the pleasant smell filling the night air. One landed in Lumi's hair and Childe had to use all the willpower he possessed not to reach for it.
"Yeah, I did," Lumi whispered, unusually solemn. "And I would give him a thousand more if I could."
Well, that stung. Like hell. At least until he heard the rest. That brought him pain of a different kind.
"Thoma saved my life."
And for a precious second, the time seemed to stop because-
"What?!"
"I fought with Raiden Shogun and I lost, Ajax," she admitted bitterly. "I was so sure of myself and I lost. Couldn’t move and there was a blade above my heart ready to strike. I... I thought that’s it, but Thoma saved me. There are not enough Windwheel Asters in this world to repay this debt."
Now it was all clear, so much stuff suddenly made sense. This inexplicable change in her – that’s what a close call with death does to you. Childe knew that all too well.
"Why didn’t you tell me?" He could have lost her. On some foreign land, fighting unknown enemies, and the worst thing was: he wouldn’t even know. Maybe one day a report would reach him about the death of the mysterious traveller, how she was stricken down by the God of Eternity, how the Electro Archon did Fatui a favour and that would be it. That would be all he would have left of her – a piece of paper saying she’s dead.
"Because I didn’t want you to go all crazy like you’re doing right now."
And sure enough, tiny sparks of electricity were flying around him, the Delusion waking up from its slumber demanding blood. Demanding revenge.
Shit! He cursed trying to calm down. A show like this in the middle of Inazuma City might indeed not be the best idea.
"So, will you please give Thoma a break?" Lumine sneakily changed the topic. To distract him, no doubt, but it was working.
"Honestly? Now I kinda want to send him flowers myself. Do you think he will like Cecilias?"
"What?" She stared and then started laughing. "I want to see his face when he receives a bouquet sent by a Harbinger."
"Fine. No flowers. Then how about a bottle of the original Dandelion Wine?"
"Ohh!" Lumi perked up. "That’s not such a bad idea!"
Then again, to send a present to your rival you might have plotted to kill at some point during the last twenty-four hours... Wasn’t something inherently weird with this situation?
But before Childe could dwell on it, Lumine apparently decided that topic was finally over and it was time to move on onto something else. Or more like: to outright drop a bomb on his head.
"You know," she fiddled with her fingers, suddenly bent on avoiding his eyes. "I’ve exchanged a few letters with Teucer lately-"
"You did what?!" The heck was this little rascal up to?!
"-and" she continued undeterred, "he told me you had a birthday not that long ago. And I missed it."
Maybe it was the light playing tricks on him, but Childe could have sworn her cheeks were in a delicate shade of pink. His heart skipped a beat like an idiot.
"I didn't know what to give you. When I asked you last time what you wanted, you laughed and said that it would be nice if we could see each other more so...!" She thrust his way a small piece of paper, determined not to meet his gaze. "H-Happy birthday!"
Childe took it curiously, flipped over and-
His eyes widened. A beaming Lumine was staring back at him from the photograph. Hair gently caressed by the wind, golden eyes sparkling with mischief, surrounded by cute animals. As if joy itself took form and granted him the privilege to gaze at its captivating image.
Something warm spread inside his chest.
"So you got me a photo? Of yourself?" The words could barely leave his throat.
The girl shrunk as if wanting to sink through the floor.
"Argh, don't say any more! I'm not good at this, okay?" explained in a strained, flustered voice. "And when you put it that way it sounds even more embarrassing than it did in my head."
Childe looked at the photo again. It's not exactly what he had in mind when he said he wanted to see her more, but...
His lips involuntarily stretched into a stupid smile. For some reason, he was so absurdly... happy? Had to cover his mouth not to outright giggle.
"Thank you, I will cherish it."
"Cheri..!" Her head snapped to his, lips half parted, ready to argue. She thought he was mocking her, wasn't she? Prepared to fight, but... The look on his face was so soft. Full of nothing but fondness and affection.
Of unrestrained adoration.
Yes, this was the proper word. He adored her more than he ever adored anyone in this world. More than he should, more than it was proper, more than it was allowed for a Harbinger and a warrior princess standing against everything he was supposed to fight for.
Lumine stared.
"What were you trying to say?" Childe whispered. "Yesterday, at the restaurant."
"I..." She gulped, throat dry. Her eyes darted to the side, the word hanging in the air between them.
The silence stretched. So did the tension, taut and ready to snap. Left at the breaking point, needing less than a tiny push to finally come apart.
It did when the golden eyes met the ocean blue.
Slender fingers grabber Childe by the jacket's collar. Pulled down. And the next second his brain stopped working altogether. Disintegrated. Melted. Turned into a fluffy ball of cotton wool.
She was kissing him. Or more like put their lips together. They were just as soft as he would never admit to imagining. Then moved away, uncertain.
"I wanted to say that I missed you, dummy," muttered bashfully.
And that was it.
That was his limit.
He dived in, capturing her lips fully. Grabbed her waist, drew closer. It still wasn’t enough. Not for the days, weeks, months, they spent apart. When he was trying to convince himself the thirst he felt was only for the battle excitement she always delivered. Not for Lumine herself. And he did. Thirst for her. Like a man dying in the middle of a desert thirst for water – with a desperation that would push him to do the unthinkable. His fingers caressed her throat, felt the racing pulse underneath his touch. The sound she made almost pushed him over the edge. He tilted her head so he could deepen the kiss. Lumine didn’t seem to mind, buried hands in his hair, her nails scraping his skin, sending shivers down his spine with even the smallest scratch. The Harbinger's mask loosened and fell off. Right into the oblivion below their feet.
"Your... mask," she managed to breathe into his lips.
"Leave it..." Childe gasped, not caring, focused on capturing her mouth again and again and again. Feeling her, tasting her, hearing her moan with every brush of his fingertips along her exposed skin. Imprinting this kiss on her so she will never forget it.
He surely won’t.
His whole body was on fire but for once it was a flame that won’t leave ashes in its wake – it was a fire of life, burning stronger than ever before.
With desires and wishes. The selfish want to never let her go again.
They finally broke apart, but only slightly. Panted, out of breath. He nuzzled her with his nose.
Lumine moved away a bit. Touched the stray strand of white in his hair. "Someone told me lately that I rush so much searching for Aether that I might later come to regret the time I lost. The precious moments to be had along the way. And... maybe she was right. I saw so much death in Inazuma... I want to slow down and appreciate life more." The girl leaned forward, their foreheads touching. "Cherish what's important."
By The Seven, she was so absurdly precious.
Childe used the opportunity to attack with a quick peck on the lips.
"So I’m important?"
Lumi adorably scrunched up her nose.
"You’re impossible at most."
Ajax laughed. How could he not fall in love with her? With this strong, snarky, embarrassed, cute, beautiful girl? His fate was sealed in stone the moment she set foot in this world and... it was hard to imagine having it any other way.
"Zvezda moya, I can be anything you want."
Now it was her turn to peck him.
"Come on," Lumine got up and he followed. "Let's get something to eat. They sell taiyaki nearby, it's a snack," she winked. "And you can eat it with your hands."
This time he just couldn't take offence and let out a heartfelt laugh. She was the best. The best that ever happened to him. Despite the differences, despite the betrayals. A ray of light in the dark. A star guiding his way.
Their fingers laced as they slowly started walking towards the more busy part of the city.
"After dinner," Lumi swung their hands like a kid, slightly abashed, "maybe you could come visit?" The next words started leaving her mouth faster and faster. "My Serenitea Pot, I mean. I changed a few things, you know? I have a pond now!"
"Yeah?"
"Mhm~ There are even a few fishes in it. And and there's a field outside the mansion, so I can grow my own vegetables."
"That's healthy."
"And..." She hesitated. "I put a couch in front of the fireplace. You said it would be nice to have one there..."
"You did, huh?"
"Yeah, I did. Maybe we could sit there for a bit..."
And they did.
Ate a delicious sweet treat, strolled around her magical domain. Sometimes laughed at something silly. Sometimes just held hands. And then finally ended up on the promised couch. It was comfortable – with the flames crackling inside the fireplace, a blanket draped around their shoulders and kisses stolen in between.
That’s where they fell asleep. Cuddled together, lulled to the land of dreams by each other's steady heartbeats.
Finally at peace.
*~*~*
The next day a small package arrived at the Kamisato estate addressed to Thoma.
It was a bottle of the best vintage of the Dandelion Wine from the Dawn Winery itself along with a small card. The man curiously opened it.
Thank you for being there when I couldn’t. Make sure you’re there for your own princess, too.
-C
Thoma smiled and shook his head.
The girls were right, this Harbinger truly was a weird man.
But who knows, maybe they could go and grab a drink someday?