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“Ow! Fuck!”
“Shit, girlie, you okay?”
Lumine groans. Because really - how did this happen? Is it even physically possible for two highly trained warriors such as themselves to knock their mouths directly into each other while sparring?
Obviously, the answer to that question is yes, Lumine thinks, clutching a hand to her mouth. Her teeth throb rhythmically, and she can already feel the onset of a headache. There’s no blood, though, at least not any she can taste.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I think. How about you?”
“Never been better! Just kissed the girl of my dreams, after all.” Childe winks and gives her one of those damn smirks that never fail to send the butterflies in her stomach into a frenzy.
This time, though, the butterflies turn to bees. Metaphorically, of course.
Logically, she knows he doesn’t have to take her feelings seriously. He doesn’t even know they exist, so how would he understand the pain in her chest that spikes every time he jokes around like that?
Still, she can’t help but feel a surge of annoyance at his remark.
Lumine rolls her eyes and looks away with a huff.
“C’mon, pretty girl, why are you so disgusted with the idea of us kissing?” His words sound nonchalant, but the calculating look on his face belies the true intention of the question.
“That wasn’t a disgust eyeroll. It was a - an exasperation eyeroll.”
“And whysoever would Lumine be exasperated with me, I wonder?” He brings his hand to his chin in false pensiveness.
“Well, I just think if you thought that was a proper kiss, you’re kind of pathetic.”
He laughs, and suddenly Lumine is struck by the sheer happiness in his smile. She doesn’t think she’s ever seen Childe this content before, and he’s so beauti-
No. She can’t go there. Childe just openly mocked the feelings she harbored for him, an unforgivable offense.
Eager to leave before she embarrasses herself further, she says, “Whatever. Let’s call it a draw.”
As she turns to leave, he calls out to her. “Where are you going?”
“Away from you!”
“Why? What did I do?”
Lumine pauses. He sounds genuinely hurt, genuinely confused.
Before she loses her nerve, she pivots around to face him once more.
“In my opinion, if we were going to hypothetically have a first kiss, I’d want it to be a whole hell of a lot better than whatever that was!”
She’s got her hand on the door of the Golden House, blushing like mad, when she feels a gloved hand on her wrist.
Damn him and his long legs.
He pulls her back to him, and before she knows what’s happening she’s much too close, nose almost crushed against his chest.
Her face is on fire, but she pretends it isn’t.
“What do you want.”
He smirks. “You’ve thought about us kissing before?”
“Hypothetically.”
“Hypothetically,” he concedes. “So hypothetically, if I were to kiss you right now, what would you do?”
She clears her throat, averting her eyes. “Hypothetically, I might let you do it. Maybe.”
Gently, he takes hold of her chin, bringing her attention back to his deep blue eyes.
“Okay, pretty girl, I’m going to kiss you now. If you’ll let me.”
Hypothetically, she thinks, but she doesn’t have the heart to say it out loud.
Instead, she just nods.
He leans in, nuzzling her nose, her eyes flutter shut -
And when his lips meet hers, all her thoughts of hypotheticals dissipate into nothing.