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Lumine hasn’t shown up to the Golden House again this week.
Childe stands alone in the middle of the empty space. It feels much too big and quiet without the presence of his usual sparring partner. There is no tension crackling in the room, no aroma of battle in the air that fills him with a sense of purpose. Just the sound of his shoes clicking against the polished floor as he paces back and forth with no outlet to burn through his pent-up energy.
This is the third week in a row.
He knows how the saying goes. Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is a pattern.
He desperately hopes this isn’t a pattern.
Lumine’s disappearance is a disruption to the one thing Childe looks forward to every week. A tradition that started ever since that fateful day he summoned Osial in his quest to obtain the Geo Archon’s Gnosis. And since then, it mattered not if she was camping on the highest peak of Dragonspine or exploring the lands of Inazuma oceans away. Lumine always returned at the same time every Monday to challenge him, sword drawn and eyes ablaze.
So what happened?
Numerous reasons as to why she hasn’t shown up plague his mind.
A dangerous mission gone wrong? No, he would have heard something from a Fatui report.
Paimon preventing her from visiting? While he’s well aware the strange flying critter isn’t exactly fond of him, he knows she rather enjoys watching Lumine destroy him in a fight.
Is it possible she found another sparring partner? Childe inhales sharply and clenches a fist. Yeah, he really doesn’t like the thought of that.
He racks his brain, trying to remember if there was anything suspicious about their last fight that may have signaled her prolonged disappearance. And then he remembers. Lumine had mentioned she was traveling back to Inazuma to visit the Kamisato Estate. Something about a housekeeping class being taught by a close friend of hers.
What was his name again?
Ah, yes. Thoma.
Childe has heard of him, the housekeeper of the Kamisato Clan and the so-called “fixer” of Inazuma known for his superb networking skills and amicable nature. He is well aware that Thoma was one of the instrumental people in helping Lumine first arrive in Inazuma and that he had saved her from the wrath of the Raiden Shogun during one of her Vision Hunt Decree ceremonies.
But he had also saved her. In Liyue Harbor during the Rite of Descension from the hands of the Milileth. She hadn’t forgotten that, right?
And so what if Thoma is considered an esteemed housekeeper? He knows how to cook and clean too, pretty damn well if he says so himself. Surely there’s nothing that man can do that he can’t do better.
Childe swings his bow around in his hand, feeling antsy. Perhaps it’s time for him to pay a visit to Inazuma and find out about the whereabouts of his beloved comrade which may or may not involve talking to a certain Kamisato housekeeper.
He needs to ask Ekaterina when the next ship from Liyue is set to leave.
It isn’t particularly hard to locate Thoma.
Before his arrival in Inazuma, Childe had asked the Fatui agents stationed there to keep track of the housekeeper’s movements as well as stay on the lookout for a certain golden-haired woman who has still been out of commission for quite some time now.
On his first day on Narukami Island, Childe manages to intercept Thoma as he returns to the Kamisato Estate from a negotiation meeting held in Inazuma City. The Harbinger appears alone, bow in one hand as he emerges from his waiting spot in the Byakko Plain area.
By now, he’s used to people looking at him with malice in their eyes once they realize his affiliation. He is a member of the despised Fatui, after all. But Thoma shows no contempt for him despite the fact his bow is on display, an obvious threatening gesture. There is only mild surprise and honest curiosity in his warm green eyes.
For some reason, it puts Childe in an even fouler mood.
Thoma greets him in a friendly manner, clearly recognizing him as the infamous Eleventh Harbinger, and suggests they go to Komore Teahouse. He makes it crystal clear from the start that he won’t engage in any sort of conversation unless it is over tea, so Childe begrudgingly lets his weapon vanish and follows the other man back towards Inazuma City.
They exchange pleasantries as Thoma pours them both a cup of steaming tea in a private room. He politely asks about the journey to Inazuma and offers his recommendations for places to sight-see or restaurants to visit during his trip. But it isn’t long until Childe’s patience begins to wear thin. He came to these islands for one reason and one reason only.
Thoma is in the middle of describing how he named every stray dog and cat in the city when Childe interrupts him without a hint of remorse.
“So, I heard Lumine attended a housekeeping class of yours?”
Thoma’s eyes instantly light up, seemingly unbothered at being cut off. “Ah, yes! Though the class wasn’t much of a success.” He rubs the back of his head with a sheepish smile. “Lumine was my only student.”
Childe narrows his eyes.
A private lesson?
He doesn’t like the idea of the two of them spending any sort of time alone together.
Childe taps his gloved fingers on the table. “It seems that my dear comrade hasn’t been around since taking your housekeeping class.” He cocks his head to the side, a dark look growing in his stormy blue eyes. “Do you happen to know the reason why?”
Thoma nods. “Oh, yes. That’s because she’s kn—” His eyes widen as he slaps a hand over his mouth like he just remembered he wasn’t supposed to say anything. He removes his hand with a grimace and apologizes profusely. “I’m so sorry, but I can’t tell you.”
In an instant, Childe slams a fist onto the table, causing the tea to spill from their cups, sloshing all over the place. He’s rather impressed that Thoma doesn’t flinch, instead observing the Harbinger with a wary look in his eyes as he grabs napkins to clean the mess without a complaint.
“And why is it that you can’t tell me?”
Thoma looks flustered, his cheeks starting to grow pink as his eyes dart around the room nervously. “Well, uh, that’s because uh—”
Childe leans over the table and grabs onto Thoma’s collar in one quick movement. The housekeeper instinctively pulls away but Childe keeps his grip firm, not letting the other man move a single inch.
“I swear to Her Royal Highness the Tsaritsa that if you did anything to hurt Lumine or purposely keep her away from me, the Kamisato Clan will have a vacancy for a new housekeeper by nightfall.”
Thoma raises his hands in front of him as a sign of surrender. “Whoa, whoa! I haven’t done anything to Lumine, promise! She’s just…busy with something.”
Childe tightens his hold. “Doing what?” he demands, not satisfied with the vagueness of his answer.
“I can’t tell you.” The apologetic look on Thoma’s face looks genuine, and there’s a slight plea in his voice as if begging for Childe to believe him, but the Harbinger is too engulfed by rage to even notice.
“Then where is she?”
Thoma bites his lips and looks to the side. “The Kamisato Estate.”
Childe’s reaction is instant. He releases his grip on the housekeeper and shoves him away before storming out of the teahouse in the direction of the Estate. Thoma scrambles after him, calling his name loudly.
“Wait! You can’t go there now!”
Childe pauses outside the teahouse and raises an eyebrow. “Oh? And who’s going to stop me? You?”
Thoma noticeably gulps but stands firm. “Just trust me on this. Lumine doesn’t want to be disturbed right now, especially by you.”
Childe’s vision turns red.
“How dare you keep Lumine away from me,” he growls, electricity sparking around him as his delusion starts to activate on its own. “I won’t let anyone take her away from me, especially someone like you who—”
“She’s knitting you a sweater.”
The crackling of electricity stops. “What?”
Thoma sighs and rubs the back of his head, a defeated look crossing his face. “I taught her how to knit during my housekeeping class, and now she’s been obsessed with trying to make a sweater for you,” he explains reluctantly. “That’s why she hasn’t left the Kamisato Estate in three weeks.”
“Oh.” Childe blinks dumbly at the housekeeper, not at all expecting this answer. “I see.”
Thoma visibly deflates, hanging his head in shame. “It was supposed to be a surprise for you,” he whines with a pout.
For once, Childe feels quite ashamed of himself. His ears redden in embarrassment as he fidgets with the gloves on his hands. “Uh, sorry. I lost my temper with you. Not cool.”
“It’s alright,” Thoma says with a sigh. “Just do me a favor, okay? Act surprised when she gifts you the sweater. And uh, don’t keep your expectations high.”
Childe furrows his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“Ah, nevermind. Forget I said that.”
The two men part ways with a handshake, Thoma not quite looking Childe in the eyes and Childe feeling guilty for both ruining Lumine’s surprise and threatening the innocent housekeeper. He departs back to Liyue the next day and when the Fatui agents ask if he managed to locate the Traveler, he tells them to shut up and orders them not to mention another word about her unless they want to sleep with the fishes that night.
No one brings up Lumine for the remainder of the voyage home.
Two more weeks pass until Lumine steps foot into the Golden House again.
Childe can scarcely believe his eyes when she finally appears in the doorway, looking radiant as always. He stands frozen in the middle of the room, stunned by her presence as she makes her way toward him, clearly hiding something behind her back.
He pretends not to notice and summons his bow in one hand, shifting into his usual fighting stance. “This opportunity is quite hard to come by.” The words sound a bit foreign on his tongue after such a long break, but it feels good to say them once again. “Well then, amuse me. Surrender is a valid option, I promise I’ll be ge—”
“Childe.”
Lumine interrupts him with a soft call of his name. He pauses his movements and watches with bated breath as she approaches him with a gentle sway of her hips, a small blush dusting her cheeks.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been here in a while. I was, um, busy with something,” she explains with a sheepish smile. “But I wanted to make it up to you with a gift!” Her eyes sparkle bright with excitement. “It’s, uh, homemade so it’s not perfect quality, but I tried my best.” With shaky hands, she reveals the item hidden behind her back.
It’s a sweater, exactly as Thoma had said. But while he did warn Childe to keep his expectations low, he didn't specify just how low he should have kept them.
And yeah, the sweater doesn’t look like it will fit him properly, to say the least.
First of all, the head hole is much too small. Childe knows he won’t be able to squeeze through it no matter how hard he tries, and it’s not like he has a particularly large head either. Second of all, both sleeves are lopsided with each having a wildly different width and length. One side looks like a short sleeve that would barely fit a child, while the other is a long sleeve that could easily fit the width of five adult arms. Lastly, there is an off-center amorphous blob stitched on the front of the sweater. It’s a light blue shade, contrasting against the rest of the sweater’s darker blue color. He has no idea what the shape is supposed to resemble.
“I knitted you this sweater,” Lumine explains with an embarrassed blush. “Thoma taught me how during his housekeeping class several weeks ago. I tried to stitch a whale in the center, but I don’t think it came out that well.” She lowers her gaze. “Sorry.”
Childe’s heart lurches at the apology. He doesn’t want her to feel sorry about something she created with her own hands, something that she clearly poured hours of time and energy into. It matters not to him that the sweater is practically unwearable. He doesn’t need to be able to wear it to appreciate the fact that Lumine made it just for him.
The sweater is unique. One of a kind. Only for him, not anyone else. Could there be any greater present in the world?
“Ojou-chan,” he says softly. “Don’t apologize.” He gently takes the sweater from her hands and pulls her into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around her body as he rests his chin on her head. “It’s absolutely perfect. I love it. Thank you.”
Lumine buries her face in his chest with a happy hum, and suddenly everything in the world seems right again. Childe wonders how he survived this long without her feel, her touch, her bright smile shining greater than any star in the night sky. He doesn’t want to leave this spot, doesn’t want Lumine to leave his arms ever again.
“I missed you,” she whispers, tightening her arms around his waist.
“Yeah, I missed you too.”