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Lumine had received word of a new commission through the Adventurers’ Guild, reports of an increase in Abyss activity north of Tianqiu Valley. She had taken their commission with the hope that this spike signified that her twin brother Aether was in the region, and that his presence had drawn out the Abyssal creatures in response.
The site of the highest Abyss activity was situated a full day's travel from Liyue Harbour. Lumine set out immediately, filled with determination to locate her brother.
As usual, Lumine’s journey took much longer than the one-day travel time suggested by the Guild.
Typical.
Trouble always seemed to find her on a journey.
The cause of her delay this time was a blocked path. The main route to her destination had been overrun with multiple Fatui squads.
Lumine felt slightly aghast at the Fatui’s nerve being seen in Liyue, especially considering the absolute mess their boss Childe had created with the summoning of Osial.
She quickly shook the thought of Childe away. She’d spent enough time feeling sour about his betrayal of their friendship, and worse still his betrayal of the citizens of Liyue.
Her attention was needed on the task-at-hand and not on some unhinged backstabber who would feed her to the wolves without hesitation.
Something had to be done about the Fatui encampment — Lumine was desperate to search the ruins ahead for traces of Aether. Their last encounter left her with nothing but more questions than before.
She desperately needed them answered.
Paimon, Lumine’s travel companion, popped out of her own special dimension with perfect timing, as if she had inbuilt sensors for danger afoot. Upon witnessing the road ahead crawling with Fatui Skirmishers, Paimon let out a squeaky gasp and darted to hide behind Lumine.
Internally, Lumine counted the number and type of Fatuus that stood in their way. Eight Gunners, three Bracers, and four Vanguards ambled around the camp they’d set up. At least there were no Agents in sight. The sound of yelling and assorted grunts travelled up the hill towards the two girls.
It would take effort, but she could handle it.
“Paimon doesn’t like this. There are way too many dirty Fatui goons around this area. What are they up to?”
“I don’t know, Paimon. But we need to get through,” Lumine summoned her sword and steeled herself in preparation for the battle ahead. “Just be safe, I’ll take care of these guys in no time.”
Before Lumine had reached the first group of Fatui Skirmishers, Paimon had already disappeared back into her own little world. That left Lumine’s attention entirely placed on the battle to clear the road.
When the final Skirmisher had collapsed onto the ground groaning in pain, Lumine wiped the sweat off her brow and sighed in exhaustion.
She’d never hated beating up Fatui agents, but this time around it had felt so cathartic she could almost jump for joy. Adrenaline pumped through her veins and her body pulsed with glee.
“Pai, it’s safe to come out now,” Lumine said.
Paimon reappeared and let out a low whistle at the sight of so many Fatui agents yelling out in pain and writhing on the ground. “Wow, good work! Paimon knew you could do it.”
Lumine turned to her faerie companion and beamed a smile at her. “That was so fun,” she gushed. “Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a fight so much.”
Paimon floated in slow circles around Lumine. “Paimon thinks it’s because of your pent-up anger and resentment towards Mr. Moneybags!” she teased.
Tactless and boorish. That was Paimon in a nutshell.
Lumine swatted at her companion and stomped away without bothering to dignify her comment with a response.
She told herself that it had nothing to do with Tartaglia. He wasn’t even worth resenting, dammit!
The day after arriving back in Liyue Harbour from her disappointing trip to the ruins, Lumine was tasked with delivering a plate of almond tofu to some kids near the Northland bank. Though she bristled at the location of the requested delivery (she’d avoided that part of the harbour for weeks now), Lumine could not say no to kids. They pulled at her heartstrings. She’d always been a secret pushover with them.
Lumine brightened further when she realised that the commission would also give her a chance to check up on the unfolding love affair between the bank security guards. Lumine had become personally invested in them over the few months she’d got to know the two.
The last time she’d chatted with Vlad, they had been so close to actually meeting. Their last conversation had been before Osial, before Childe’s disaster of a temper tantrum. Lumine felt butterflies in her stomach at the idea of Vlad and Nadia finally getting together.
Paimon had accused Lumine of using their love story as a surrogate for the lack of her own romance. Lumine would counter that she just enjoyed seeing people be happy.
Having considered the pros, and the fact that they clearly outweighed the cons, she’d accepted the commission. A look of horror had flashed across Paimon’s face upon Lumine’s confirmation to Kathryne that they would take the job. Paimon had refused to go anywhere near the Northland bank and had instead abandoned Lumine in favour of spending the day with Xingqiu and Chongyun.
Having delivered the plate of almond tofu to the adorable brother and sister duo, Lumine began the long journey up to the Northland bank. Arriving at the top, Lumine perked up at the sight of Vlad outside the bank’s front door. The man offered a wave in greeting, which she returned with a smile.
“Traveller! It’s been a while. How have you been?” Vlad asked with a bright smile.
“Vlad, hello. I’ve been well, thank you. And yourself? Have you managed to meet Nadia yet?”
Vlad grimaced and cleared his throat. “Ah, we haven’t managed to meet yet with our busy schedules. I did promise her a banquet at Liuli Pavillion once Master Childe eases up on our work hours, though.”
At the news of their meeting being delayed again, Lumine felt slightly crestfallen. She was genuinely interested in the outcome of Vlad and Nadia’s penpal affair, and cared for them both. They were both sweet and friendly people, despite their affiliation with the religious militia that relentlessly terrorised Teyvat.
Of course, there was also the fact that she appreciated their ease in sharing the knowledge they were privy to regarding the Fatui’s movements in Liyue.
“I’m rooting for you both to meet, it will be so romantic,” she sympathised. “But why is Childe holding you both hostage?”
Vlad looked visibly uncomfortable at her informal way of referring to his boss, but he quickly shook it off. “He has been absolutely terrible to deal with all week so I’ve not been brave enough to ask for time off. Something about paperwork after a mishap with some Skirmisher squads earlier in the week.”
Lumine felt a little thrill at the idea of Childe being in a bad mood because of the mayhem she’d caused with his Skirmisher squads the other day.
She was not above being petty. She may be an outlander, but her emotions were still very human, and very prone to immaturity. Of the two, Aether was the twin that had developed a higher emotional intelligence and a more mature outlook on things.
Lumine offered a sympathetic smile to the man. “That’s awful, Vlad. He’s been ropeable because of paperwork?”
“Yes, Ekaterina said that every time there’s an agent injured, the Tsaritsa requires paperwork documenting the scenario. The Tsaritsa and her Harbingers all take workplace health and safety incredibly seriously,” he sighed dreamily. “She’s a wonderful leader.”
Lumine rolled her eyes internally at his cult-like praise of the Archon. “That’s, uh, wonderful. Well, I hope Tartaglia calms down quickly. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you and Nadia get to meet soon, Vlad. I best take my leave, commissions await,” she quickly turned on her heel and walked away from the security guard.
As Lumine walked to her next commission of the day, the glee she felt about Childe’s horrible week continued to grow. The big, scary Harbinger had been kept in his office with paperwork because of her. The best part was that he was absolutely furious about it!
She relished the thought of Childe slowly going mad from cabin fever.
The mirth that Lumine felt quickly planted an idea into her mind. A very fun, very petty idea. With the added bonus of protecting Liyue at the same time, of course.
She could practically feel the devil horns pop out of the top of her head.
Lumine would absolutely bury Childe in paperwork. She would demolish every Fatui squad she came across in her travels, and he would be forced to write reports for every single fight she instigated. The Fatui operation in Liyue would be hamstrung by its loss of agents, and its Harbinger would be swamped with paperwork.
Lumine laughed to herself, allowing a proud swagger to enter her stride as she walked.
She was a genius.
Lumine was adamant about how aware she was of the dangers inherent in annoying a Fatui Harbinger.
Paimon was convinced that she actually had no clue of the trouble she had been intent on stirring up.
She knew.
She just didn’t care.
In the darkest part of her mind, there was a small voice that was certain that Childe wouldn't hurt her. At least not fatally. He was a walking contradiction who constantly teetered on the brink of insanity but there was enough good within him that it kept him tethered to his humanity.
With this knowledge, Lumine felt confident in her ability to implement her plan and remain unscathed by the time she finished with it.
Most days for Lumine now involved terrorising at least one camp of Fatui agents. She really couldn’t help herself, and it was always a good exercise to de-stress after another long day of no leads on the Abyss or on Aether. It was cathartic, almost.
This day had been no different for Lumine and Paimon.
Up until now, the camps had only ever been inhabited by Skirmishers, but this time she’d managed to come across a small camp of two Pyro Agents. They huddled over a table, their backs to Lumine and Paimon, none the wiser that she was stalking them.
Normally, Pyro Agents would be no sweat for Lumine to take down. But after clearing out a camp further down the road, she had already exerted a lot of stamina. Paimon had begged her to stop to rest and eat, but she’d refused.
The first Pyro Agent was a quick and easy takedown. He’d practically tripped onto her blade. When her lack of stamina resulted in her being too slow to dodge the knife of the last remaining Pyro Agent she’d thought that maybe the bottomless pit had a point, after all.
The Agent’s knife sliced through Lumine’s thigh like it was butter on a warm spring day.
Pain instantly flared out from the hot, bloody wound across her thigh. The burn of the ripped flesh merged with her frustration and caused her to scream. Before the Pyro Agent could make another move, she quickly summoned a Geo structure to fall on top of him which succeeded in knocking him out cold.
Paimon was immediately at her side - so full of panic that it overflowed out of her tiny form and made the air around her practically vibrate with anxious energy.
“Lumine, are you okay?!” she shrilled.
Lumine swallowed the bile that had crept its way up her throat. Paimon’s intensity did nothing to alleviate the panic that currently churned her stomach. She caught herself before she snapped at her companion and bit back her snark instead.
Lumine carefully lifted her dress to check the wound - it was an absolute mess. The wound was so deep and bleeding so heavily that it would quickly become a problem if she didn’t seek help fast enough.
Paimon didn’t need to know that, though. She’d probably explode from the worry.
“I think I’m okay,” Lumine furrowed her brows and trailed off.
Paimon zipped back and forth around Lumine, uncertain as to what she was supposed to do with a celestial traveller that had been stabbed.
Lumine softly touched the wound on her thigh and recoiled at the pain that flared in response to her gentle prod. She let out a loud hiss and scrunched her eyes closed. “It hurts a little bit.”
Paimon’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Paimon thinks we should go see Baizhu, that wound looks real bad,” she fretted.
Lumine considered her willingness to seek help: distance was an issue, the severity of the wound, her companion’s inability to meaningfully help and the embarrassing fact that this was entirely something she’d brought upon herself.
Her thoughts swirled into one incoherent mess of words and feelings - she realised she was quickly getting woozy and light-headed from the blood loss. She bit down hard on the inside of her mouth in order to clear her head for the journey ahead.
Herbs — she needed herbs too, to help with staving off any type of gangrenous infections. Who knew what disgusting germs the Fatui had on their weapons.
This was an entire mess. The pain in her thigh had dulled to a fiery throb, and mostly she just felt sad and sorry for herself. She felt like an immature fool.
“Y-you’re right, Pai. Let’s go to the pharmacy,” Lumine stammered out.
Paimon nodded with a grave look on her face. “Paimon will go check if the road ahead is clear,” she offered.
Before Lumine could respond, Paimon had zipped ahead and left her in her pixie dust.
Lumine’s injury made it so the following days had Lumine and Paimon stuck in Liyue Harbour.
Baizhu’s medicine worked a treat at easing the pain and stopping any infection, but Lumine still had a nasty limp from the accident. Baizhu said it would ease off over the coming days, and he stressed that she was absolutely not allowed to run, fight or walk for longer than 10 minutes at a time.
The two girls had decided to use the downtime to share time and meals with the friends they had made during their stay in Liyue. It was a refreshing change of pace to slow down and bask in the warmth of memories she’d shared with her friends along her travels, and to also learn new things about them. Their shared stories filled in the empty spaces around them in Lumine’s mind - strengthening her affection for them.
Lunch the previous day had been with Chongyun and Xingqiu, which had involved her and Paimon stepping in to referee a disagreement between the two best friends. Chongyun had worked himself up so much from Xingqiu’s teasing that Lumine and Paimon had to beg Xiangling to drop everything and make a batch of his popsicles. The worry and tenderness that Xingqiu had shown to Chongyun afterwards made Lumine’s heart clench - Teyvat was chaotic and often harsh, but its people loved so fiercely it felt like a punch to her gut when she was exposed to it.
It made her miss Aether.
Tonight’s dinner was scheduled to be with Zhongli at Third Round Knockout. She’d sent a silent prayer to the other Archons that tonight would be a peaceful gathering. Despite his calm exterior, Zhongli had a habit of bringing just as much chaos to her days as the more rambunctious citizens she had befriended on her travels.
The streets of Liyue bustled with throngs of people that wanted to seek relaxation and respite from their long days of hard work. Smells intermingled into a general scent of spice and heat -- made to linger by the heavy humidity that hung in the warm night air.
Zhongli had greeted Lumine and Paimon with a table full of entrees ready to be eaten — Lumine grinned in anticipation at how good everything smelled.
The two girls quickly dived into catching Zhongli up on what they had been doing since they’d seen him last. He smiled warmly and mostly just listened, interjecting occasionally when he needed clarification on the details.
The trio had just started to have their main dishes brought out to the table when a flash of red hair appeared in Lumine’s peripheral vision. Before Lumine had even registered who the hair belonged to, their visitor had reached their table.
“Sensei! Comrades! Having a meal without me?”
At the sound of his voice, Lumine’s stomach dropped and anger rose up from within her.
Lumine shifted her gaze towards the intruder at their table. “Childe,” she greeted coolly. “Fancy seeing you here.”
Before he could return the greeting, Lumine quickly turned her attention back to the plate of Tianshu meat in front of her - making quick work of tasting the delicacy. She refused to give him any more of her attention than necessary.
Zhongli chuckled warmly across the table. “Childe,” he gestured to the empty seat next to Lumine. “Please join us. We have more than enough food! The more the merrier, right Traveller?”
Lumine froze mid-bite of her piece of Tianshu meat and raised her eyebrows. Butterflies torpedoed around her stomach and made her feel a touch delirious. “Sure, sit, eat with us,” she nodded.
Childe joined them at their table and immediately began loading up their plates with food.
The man was a literal murderer that had almost destroyed a city, but he would still insist on following proper etiquette. He refused to eat before everyone else at the table had food on their plate. Before Osial (and before the divisions between them became too harsh to ignore) they would go for dinner and he would take it upon himself to ensure she always ate enough.
Before long, the table found its own sense of ease with food and conversation being shared between the four of them.
Childe had just wrapped up a retelling of his encounter with the Primo Geovishap’s nest - he had been all red-faced, arms gesturing wildly and voice loud and boisterous. Lumine had caught herself thinking about how beautiful he was when he got all worked up with excitement.
She shook her head and frowned. Lumine considered the possibility of her wound being secretly infected and impacting on her brain - it would be the only way she’d ever have those thoughts about Childe.
She decided to return her focus to the food in front of her — it was much less treacherous to think about than the duality of traitorous Harbingers.
Lumine was startled from her thoughts by Childe sliding a glass of clear liquid in front of her. She raised her head to look at him and he nodded towards the beverage in encouragement.
“Mmmffwhatshiz?” she attempted to ask around the food in her mouth.
Childe clicked his tongue and shook his head in reproach. “Did nobody ever teach you not to talk with your mouth full, comrade?”
Lumine glared silently at him and carefully swallowed her food.
Childe cocked an eyebrow in invitation for her to try again.
She peered at the glass in front of her with a look of apprehension on her face. “What is this?”
“Fire-Water, drink it in one go and it will warm you right up,” he chuckled.
Lumine forced herself to ignore her trepidation and lifted the clear liquid to her lips.
It burned, but in a good way. Her tongue immediately felt looser, and she felt her cheeks warm.
Childe grinned at her, his dead eyes almost holding a sparkle of mischief in them.
“It’s drinkable, I guess,” she teased.
Childe threw his head back and laughed loudly. “Ahhhh, I missed this. It’s so good to get outside. I’ve been stuck inside with endless paperwork,” he sighed. “Keeps me from having fun with you lot.”
Lumine failed to stop the loud snort that escaped her, which she promptly tried to cover up with a cough. Paimon, being Paimon, held far less tact and had promptly begun to giggle and kick her legs in mid-air at his statement. Lumine bit her lip and looked away from her tiny friend in fear of laughter taking control of her body.
“Mora for your thoughts, comrades?” he probed.
Lumine swung her head back and forth and smirked at Childe. “Oh no, we just remembered something funny Zhongli shared before,” she lied.
Childe had a look of disbelief on his face but he pushed it no further.
Zhongli placed his empty teacup onto the table and cleared his throat. “Well, I must leave you three to your own devices. Hu Tao wants me to join her on a trip to Wuwang Hill tomorrow, and we’re leaving at first light,” he said.
“Yes, Paimon said she would help Xiangling finish the night’s leftovers so Paimon will be going too,” she floated over to join Zhongli who had already begun to leave the table they’d all shared.
Lumine swung her head back and forth between the two, her eyes wide in shock.
Traitors, the both of them!
The betrayal from Paimon and Zhongli stung just a little bit. Lumine baulked at being left alone with Childe. They’d barely spoken since the mess with Osial, outside a few spars here and there.
And a few extremely loaded, very meaningful looks shared between them in the streets of Liyue. Nothing so intimate as late-night drinks and dinner.
Before she could protest, Zhongli and Paimon had already made their respective escapes into the night, leaving Childe and Lumine at the table.
The voices from the people at the tables around them filled in for the awkward silence that had quickly settled in between them.
Lumine huffed out an exasperated breath and folded her arms across her chest. She had always been a fantastic sulker, Aether would tease her for it relentlessly. She wordlessly poured herself, and Childe, another glass of fire-water and promptly slammed the shot down her throat.
Childe did not appear to be worried about being alone with Lumine at all. He had busied himself with preparing another round of plates for the both of them. He wordlessly returned her plate to its spot in front of her, freshly loaded up with more dumplings.
Lumine would never refuse a plate of dumplings. Even if it came from a traitorous Harbinger with impeccable table manners.
Childe downed the glass of fire-water she had poured for him and grinned at her. “How is your leg, Lumi?”
“On the mend, still limping,” she trailed off, panic rising in her chest at the implication of his question. “Wait, how do you know about that?”
“The walls have ears, remember?” he smiled.
Lumine furrowed her brow and chewed on her lip. “Thanks for checking,” she said softly.
Childe frowned slightly and leaned closer to her, his eyes holding hers in an intense gaze. His close proximity made her feel hot and tingly - he smelled of fire-water and spiced meat. His lips glistened from the fire-water, unbidden the thought of licking it off of his lips burst into Lumine’s mind.
She felt her cheeks warm at the thought.
She’d definitely had too much to drink.
“Can I have a look?” he murmured.
Lumine stared at him unblinking, mouth agape and unsure what to say. She forced herself to focus on what had been asked of her and swung her legs out from underneath the table. Gingerly, she lifted her dress to uncover the bandaged wound - despite the herbal compresses she’d been doing twice a day it still looked red and angry.
Childe pulled his gloves off and reached out with his hands to gently touch the wound. His touch was light, barely there even, but was enough to make her recoil from the intensity of it.
“Sorry,” he grimaced and withdrew his hands. “It looks sore, are you sure the medicine is working?”
“N-no, it’s fine,” she shrugged. “It’s healing. Baizhu said it might be a slow process.” She pushed her dress back down over her thigh and quickly twisted her legs back underneath the table. Her face felt warm and she couldn’t bring herself to look Childe in the eyes.
Childe poured two more glasses for them both and slid one back towards Lumine. He lifted his glass to her in a cheer and again finished it in one shot.
“You know, I would feel more sympathy if I didn’t know how you ended up with that injury,” he smirked. “I know you’ve been the cause of the piles of paperwork I’ve been stuck doing.”
Lumine averted her eyes from Childe and focused on an interesting spot on the table in front of her.
Childe chuckled and rapped his knuckles on the table to get her attention. “Well?”
“I don’t know what you mean by that, Childe. I just let a treasure hunter get the best of me, nothing else,” she protested. “I don’t know anything about Fatui paperwork. I have enough on my plate, as if I’d be going around and deliberately beating up your men.”
Childe hummed and waved his hand to dismiss the topic. “Let me tell you the story about the time I accidentally gave the Pyro Regisvine an attack boosting potion,” he started.
Lumine groaned. “You’ve told me that one before, you know,” she teased lightly. “Got anything new to share?”
He grinned in response, as if her distaste at the repeated story had filled him with affection. Glee danced around his pupils at the challenge she had put to him.
“Oh, you’re a hard audience to please, Traveller. Very well, let me tell you of the time I was almost bested by a Ruin Grader in Dragonspine!”
The night passed in a blur of conversation, fire-water and laughter. The energy bounced between them with the stories they each traded. The outside world quickly faded into background din as their table became a bubble for the two of them alone. Each stripped of the baggage of their titles, affiliations and shared history.
She’d forgotten how easy it had been to spend time with Childe.
Their humour aligned perfectly. There had always been shared respect and a deep, unspoken understanding of who the other truly was on the inside. The awkwardness of the events that had occurred between them hadn’t seemed to change that.
The remaining plates of food had long turned cold and hard and the many empty bottles of fire-water rattled every time Childe whacked the table in his enthusiastic manner of speaking.
The call for last drinks from the staff had taken them by complete surprise. The early morning hour had arrived so quickly, sneaking in to catch them off guard as they’d been immersed in each other.
All good things must come to an end, after all.
“Shall we call it a night then? I can walk you back to your inn,” Childe offered.
Lumine shook her head and waved her hands in dismissal. “No no, I shouldn’t keep you any longer. I can make the trip back safely! I am the saviour of Mondstadt and Liyue, after all. I even took down one of those fearsome Harbingers,” she winked and poked her tongue out at him.
Laughter travelled its way up from Childe’s stomach and fell out of his smiling mouth. “That you did, girlie. I always knew you had it in you. But I’ll still walk with you, you’re injured and Liyue people get so drunk they stumble everywhere and knock into everything.”
In all of Lumine’s travels, she’d learnt that every nation thought they held their liquor better than others. Liyue citizens weren’t unique in their capacity for being sloppy drunks. The number of times she’d been bowled over by drunken men stumbling home all across Teyvat was too numerous to count.
“You have a point,” she acquiesced. “It’s not far anyway. Follow me.”
The two walked in amiable silence. Despite the late hour, there were still crowds that roamed the street, with most of the people inebriated from their night of drinking and stumbling across the streets. Lumine loved the liveliness of Liyue, but tonight it had quickly overwhelmed her.
Childe visibly tensed each time one of them got too close. He shielded her as best as he could from the stumbling drunks that were oblivious to people outside of their own little world, but that meant they both moved at a snail's pace through the streets.
“You know,” he chuckled. “We wouldn’t have to do this so slowly if you weren’t hellbent on sending every one of my agents to hospital.”
Lumine loudly snorted. “Don’t sound so casual about it, people might think you enjoy me making trouble for you.”
Childe simply hummed in response. She looked up at him, the angles of his side profile accentuated by the dim light of the lanterns that lined the streets. His jaw clenched in an effort to keep the unspoken words locked up tight within him.
Lumine ached to know what exactly played across his mind in that moment; What his secrets were, what his true desires were outside of the role assigned to him by his Archon.
Too quickly, the pair reached the inn that Lumine had made her residence for the time she had been stuck in Liyue Harbour.
“Well, this is where I am at the moment, thanks for tonight,” she smiled up at Childe. “I had fun. It was good to do this again.”
“It was. I missed our meals, comrade! Your stories make me feel like I’m right there with you, adventuring alongside you and Paimon,” he smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes.
Lumine felt awkwardness bubble up from within her and quickly dampen the mirth that had swirled around inside her for the better part of the night. She felt unsure as to what to do or say.
Childe cleared his throat and patted her gently on the shoulder. “Head on into your room, Lumine. Have a good night, no more paperwork please?”
“I still don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lumine protested.
Childe’s laughter reached her even as she made her way up the stairs to her room in the inn.
Having finally reached her room, Lumine awkwardly limped in through the doorway and turned on a lamp.
She gasped at what greeted her in the room.
The double bed in the centre of the room had been covered in multiple baskets of healing flowers, herbs and ointments from Baizhu’s pharmacy.
In the centre of the largest basket sat a note addressed to Lumine. She quickly stepped towards the bed and snatched the note up to open and read. The message inside was direct but still imbued with kindness - reading it made Lumine feel as if the oxygen had left the room.
“Recover quickly, so you can keep growing stronger!
Yours,
C.”
Childe.
He always wanted her to be the best she could be.
Sometimes she could almost convince herself that he would rather rest his loyalties at her feet, instead of the ruler of the Cryo kingdom.
It was hard not to when the man constantly told her how excited he was for her to defeat the other Harbingers with him.
The fire-water had worked its way through her body and she now felt heavy with fatigue from the drink. Lumine yawned and considered waiting up for Paimon’s return. Dismissing the thought, Lumine made quick work of shifting the baskets onto the floor and climbed into bed for the night.
Paimon would understand if she fell asleep.
It had been weeks since Lumine started her plan of revenge against Childe, and a week since their dinner together. While she still continued her rampage, her sympathy at how distressed he had been at the volume of paperwork had led her to ease off a tiny bit.
She justified it to herself by considering it as an investment in her future entertainment - if he was stuck inside forever, then there’d never be new tales for him to share with her over food and drinks. Paimon had scoffed in disbelief when she’d told her.
The direct attack method had quickly become tiresome for Lumine, and so she had kept it fresh by turning it into a game of stealth. If she could beat up a whole squad of Skirmishers without being seen, she would treat Paimon and herself to a plate of Zhongyuan chop suey.
The past few days had kept the duo outside of Liyue Harbour on commissions. Mora had gotten scarce, and the animals for hunting were thin on the ground. Lumine couldn’t remember the last time they’d had a proper meal, and hunger had been a constant companion for the past day.
Desperation dug its claws firmly into Lumine’s chest when she considered her options.
It was not often that luck had been on her side during her travels in Teyvat, but today would be an exception. She’d managed to stumble across a camp of two Fatui Gunners who were cooking over an open fire and chatting between themselves.
Her desperation quickly shifted into excitement that bubbled up and formed into a quiet giggle.
She had managed to sneak right up behind them without so much as a sound.
Seconds away from constructing a Geo construct to fall on top of them - her summoning was interrupted by the Gunners mention of Childe. She instantly froze with her hands in the air mid summon, keening her ears to pick up on the details in their discussion.
She told herself it was okay — it was smart of her even; It’s always a good strategy to learn the movements of the enemy. Juicy gossip would just be a pleasant side effect.
“He was laughing! I was so shocked, our Lord Harbinger giggling about my buddy’s unit getting their asses kicked by the Traveller,” the Pyro Gunner scoffed.
The Geo Gunner clicked his tongue and shook his head in disbelief. “Sometimes I feel like the Harbingers are just using us for fodder, you know,” he murmured conspiratorially.
Lumine rolled her eyes at their obliviousness.The propaganda had really done a number on these guys. Of course they were nothing but grist in the mill for the Tsaritsa’s grand vision.
She promptly finished her summoning of a Geo construct in a bid to knock them out for a few hours.
Lumine and Paimon would get some food, her revenge plan would continue its success story and the Gunners would… well, they would get a good rest at least.
Maybe she could knock some sense into them at the same time.
Later that night, Lumine sat with Paimon while they finished up the food that she had stolen from the Gunners camp.
Her brain refused to let go of the information about Childe enjoying her exploits. The more she considered the idea of Childe cheering her on in her quest for revenge, the more she soured on the idea of continuing the plan.
Revenge was no fun if the target-of-revenge was actually enjoying it.
Lumine figured she was to blame, if there was anyone that would enjoy being relentlessly bullied and messed with it would be Childe. Tartaglia. Ajax. Whoever he was. She should have known.
She threw down her stripped chicken bone in disgust and huffed in annoyance.
Even when he was on her side, he still drove her completely mad.
Lumine sat alone on the hillside just outside of Liyue Harbour, fatigued and frustrated with the way her revenge plot had fizzled out into nothing.
Her sulking was accompanied by the sunset as it slowly tracked across the bay. The clouds that had hung over the harbour for most of the day had finally dispersed, leaving a sky splashed with orange and neon pink. The first fireflies of the night were just beginning to emerge and the air held its usual thick humidity due to the warm air from the ocean.
The beauty of it all did nothing to brighten her mood - her frustration bubbling up further when the orange sky reminded her of the colour of Childe’s hair.
Lumine tensed upon hearing the crunch of footsteps behind her, but relaxed when she recognised the gait.
“Childe,” she greeted coolly.
He chuckled at her frosty greeting and sat next to her on the hillside with the grace of a newborn deer, immediately shifting closer towards her. His thigh rested against hers, causing a warmth to spread through her at the contact. She made no move to shift away from him.
He began to pick out blades of grass from the ground, shredding each blade and throwing it back onto the ground. “Lumi, fancy seeing you here.”
“What do you want, Childe?”
His hand stilled and he placed it on his knee. “Ah, I wanted to know why you stopped beating up my guys. I’d only just figured out a better system that made the paperwork quicker!”
Lumine huffed and eyed him in disbelief. She should have known that he’d get a kick out of her plan.
“I heard you were cheering for me,” she taunted. “Whose side are you on, anyway?”
Childe grinned and ran a hand through his messy hair. “I’ve always said that I would travel with you if I could, and I make no attempts to hide my desire to see you get stronger.”
“Travel with me? It’s a bit too late for that,” she spat.
“Is it? I think we’re too caught in each other’s orbits for minor things like you-know-what to get in the way,” he stated simply.
As if it was that simple. As if they weren’t on opposing sides of a developing war.
He rested against her shoulder. “Archons know I’ve tried to fight it every step of the way, but you seem intent on making a mess of my plans. I think you want me to be on your side.”
Lumine scoffed.
Childe grabbed her hand, kissing each knuckle and placed their joined hands in his lap.
“You tried to destroy a city full of people. That’s not anywhere near my side,” she murmured, hot tears pricking at her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Lumine. I acted recklessly and did a dangerous thing,” he started. “But you know that my personal morals have no place in my job. Regardless, there was always going to be somebody that stepped in.”
Despite how gentle he was with her, the Childe she knew was undoubtedly the Tartaglia that had thrown her through the floor of the golden house. She knew what he was and who he was before she got involved with him. What right did she have to cast judgement upon him for it now?
She swallowed her frustration with the situation and tried to see it from his perspective. Lumine hated that he was right. She knew that it would never have come to innocents losing their lives, even if she hadn’t been there. Someone would have stepped in to stop him.
“What’s this? The big, scary Harbinger begging the Traveller to forgive him?” she teased.
Childe shot her a fiery look that held a warning before he dissolved into laughter.
The sight of his head thrown back in laughter and joy stole the breath out of her lungs. She was taken aback by how beautiful he looked when he genuinely laughed like this. Lumine felt her own mouth curl into a grin that quickly shifted into a smile that spread across her face.
Childe looked at her, his eyes full of adoration. Of devotion. “I’m so glad that I’m the only one that gets to see that smile,” he whispered.
“Okay, I forgive you,” she huffed. “But you still need to make it up to me. You paying for dinner tonight can be a start.”
They sat in comfortable silence, hand in hand until the sun had finally disappeared over the horizon. The lights from the harbour below slowly blinked to life and the smell of the restaurants kicking into gear slowly wafted up to their spot.
“Hey, think you can beat up a Skirmisher squad that have been pissing me off?” he asked.
Lumine laughed and hit his shoulder. “Childe, no!”
He leaned into her, so close that she could make out every freckle on his pale face. He moved to speak directly into her ear, his hot breath tickling the side of her face as he breathed in and out. She could feel the flutter of his eyelashes against the shell of her ear when he blinked. Lumine didn’t dare make a sound as anticipation set her on pins and needles.
“I have a confession, I want to be on your side, too,” he whispered.
A shiver ran down her spine and she trembled involuntarily. Her heart pumped relentlessly against her chest, as tingles that warmed her skin travelled up and down her limbs.
He pulled back slightly to look into her eyes and then quickly closed the gap between them with a tentative kiss. Lumine’s eyes fluttered closed and she sighed into his mouth. His lips were slightly cracked and hard but soon enough the slow movement of his lips against hers softened them as they found an easy routine together.
A fire had erupted within her with the press of his lips to hers. She was desperate for the feel of him — of knowing every possible way their lips could fit together. Lumine eagerly returned the kiss with clumsy passion - their teeth knocking together in their shared enthusiasm.
Her need for oxygen was what forced her to eventually break away and she watched him through half-lidded eyes as she attempted to suck in enough oxygen to not pass out.
Childe rested his forehead against hers and they grinned like idiots at each other. “You know, that was my first kiss, ever,” he laughed.
She breathed out, and he breathed her in. He breathed out, she breathed him in. Every one of her senses had been completely filled with the presence of Childe.
Lumine swallowed and pressed her lips together in an effort to taste the remnants of him that clung to her lips. “Me too,” she laughed. “You’re okay at it, I guess.”
Childe’s laughter rang out across the hillside. “Well, I’ll just have to practise until I’m as good at kissing as I am at fighting.”
He leaned in and captured her lips again in a deep kiss that spoke of affection and tenderness as well as the promise of desire.
Oh.
She could get used to this.