Chapter Text
Xiao woke up when the first rays of the sun touched his face. The air was cool, but not cold. Waves were crashing on the rocks beneath with a steady rhythm. The constant pain he felt for millennia was slightly more bearable. A soft ball in his arms and a light pressure on his head were comforting. He savored the feeling for a second before a sudden realization made him open his teary eyes. He doesn’t sleep. He avoids sleeping because of nightmares, but this time, he didn’t have them. Maybe he didn’t have any good dreams, but not having nightmares was already a progress.
A movement in his hair made him realize one more thing. He quickly lifted up from Lumine’s laps and set the slime plushie aside. How did it come to this?
‘Mn…’ Lumine stretched, waking up slowly. ‘You’re awake. Ugh, those stones weren’t a good bed,’ she added massaging her neck and shoulders.
‘You…’ He thought about the reason he ended up in this situation. There was a reason why he failed in avoiding Lumine and he saw it clearly only now, after spending a whole day with her, although he needed some time to process it. ‘You could just go back to the Harbor then.’
‘But you were just too cute asleep.’ Lumine smiled when she saw Xiao’s cheeks getting pink. ‘And don’t worry, I’m used to camping outside. I don’t have my place in the Harbor anyway.’
Xiao watched Lumine looking at the horizon. He saw a certain sadness in her eyes. Maybe she was thinking about her home somewhere beyond this world. A traveler always on the way, without a place to come back after a hard day. He knew how encouraging it is when you have a place always ready for your return. He stood up.
‘I have to go. I neglected my duty for too long.’
‘Okay.’
‘Stay safe.’ He took a step to go, but hesitated. ‘The time spent with you, I will remember it,’ he added before disappearing in the wind.
Lumine fell flat on the grass. Wide smile on her face. He liked her too. She closed her eyes, listening to the wind and the sea. She didn’t sleep well. Almost all night she was watching Xiao’s face lit by the moonlight, afraid that the slightest move could wake him up. Eventually she gave up to that warm feeling in her chest and relaxed, but she slept only a little, in a weird position. It would be a good idea to find a proper bed for tonight.