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Lumine couldn’t sleep. For the past few nights, she’d been plagued by nightmares of the day Aether was taken from her by the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles. She would awaken from them in a cold sweat, jaw sore, half-moon imprints on her palms left behind from clenched fists. She was exhausted. And she’d had enough.
She rose from her bed in Wangshu Inn and began making her way to Liyue Harbor. The moon was high in the sky, a gleaming pearl in a cushion of deep, velvety black. It took all she had to put one foot in front of the other: every ounce of energy and will. If she couldn’t sleep on her own, she’d exert herself until she passed out, dreamless and at peace.
Lumine arrived at a certain bank, and barged her way in, too tired to recall the courtesy of knocking. She finally arrived at the familiar door which hid away the Fatui Harbinger’s office. It swung open with a burst of Anemo energy: “Childe.”
An absurdly tall ginger behind his desk sat with his head in his arms, which was littered with contracts and various other documents. At the sound of the traveler’s voice, he shot up in his chair.
“Lu?” He rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times. “What the hell are you..Why are you here?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“It’s two in the morning.”
“I want to spar.”
“Lu…”
“I said I want to spar,” she summoned her sword and pointed it at the poor Fatuu. “I don’t care how early it is.”
The ginger met her gaze, his dead, blue eyes clearly searching for something within her own. For a moment they stayed like this, a showdown of sorts—though to what end, Lumine did not know.
Evidently having found what he was searching for, Childe slowly rose to his feet, his hands in the air in mock surrender. “As much as I enjoy our sparring sessions—and you know I do—even I have my limits.”
He was beginning to test Lumine’s patience. “What happened to ‘crushing the throne of gods beneath your heel’? A little sleep going to keep you from battle? Some warrior you are.”
Childe frowned, yet he came ever closer to Lumine, nearly pressing himself against the tip of her sword. “That was harsh, comrade. What’s got you so worked up?”
Lumine scoffed. “Is it not clear? You’re refusing to spar with me. I came all the way from Wangshu Inn for this.”
“Forgive me if I’m a little skeptical about sparring before the sun’s even up. A good warrior needs rest, comrade, and if my eyes don’t deceive me,” the Harbinger gently pushed Lumine’s sword forward by the tip, until it stood vertically between them as a sort of barrier. “you haven’t been getting much of that recently.”
Now it was Lumine’s turn to frown. “The amount of sleep I receive is none of your concern.”
A gloved hand came to hover over her shoulder for a moment before trailing slowly to her hands, where she held her weapon in an iron grip. “A spar is hardly fulfilling if my partner isn’t at her best. In that sense, it is most certainly my concern.”
His fingers worked their way underneath her own, methodically loosening her grip on the sword until it clattered uselessly to the floor. “However, you’re more than just a sparring partner to me, Lumine. And I to you. You can tell me what’s going on.”
“Childe…”
Childe interlocked his fingers with Lumine’s. “I’m not an idiot, Lu,” he said softly. “Recently, when we spar…you’ve been reckless. You haven’t been as alert.” He sank to his knees before her. “Let me help you .”
How pathetic he looked, kneeled in front of her with that soppy expression on his face. Hardly befitting of a Fatui Harbinger.
And yet.
The softness in his eyes stirred something beneath Lumine’s skin. She felt it crawl over every inch of her, engulfing her body and soul. It was warm, it was fluffy, it was comforting…
…Fuck.
The next thing she knew, she was on the floor as well, her arms around him and his around her. She threaded her digits through his stupid orange hair, reveling in its softness and perfect length.
“It’s Aether,” Lumine said quietly, face buried in Childe’s shoulder. “I see him in my nightmares, being taken.”
“And so you can’t sleep.” Childe said, matching her whisper.
“And so I can’t sleep.”
Childe didn’t press for more details, he simply held her, his hand traveling in circles along the length of her back, deliberate and gentle. How strange, Lumine thought, that such a violent man could have such a tender side to him.
Though perhaps it wasn’t as strange as she made it out to be. She’d seen him with Teucer, she knew about the letters he exchanged with his family. Of course he had a kind side. Lumine supposed what really confused her was that she was being extended the same kindness seemingly reserved for those he loved.
“I’m so tired, Childe.”
“I know.”
“I miss him so much.”
He tightened his arms around her, “I know.”
“Can I stay with you tonight?”
She felt him freeze in her arms, “I—What?”
“I was thinking I’d sleep better. If it was with—near you. If I slept near you.”
Lumine was infinitely glad her face was hidden from him. Although she would give anything to see his.
“Of course. Yeah. If you think it would help. Anything, Lu.”
Lumine let her limbs lose their tension and nuzzled further into Childe’s shoulder. “Thank you.”
She let out a warm breath and felt him shudder. “Of course.”
— — —
Childe pulled out some blankets he kept in his office and spread them over Lumine, who was nearly passed out on the couch. He rarely used the couch, but he always kept one in his office in case a need for it would arise.
He had been planning to stay late at the bank today and wrap up some paperwork—being a Harbinger entailed such an absurd amount of paperwork. He ended up staying later than intended and inevitably fell asleep on his desk. How Lumine knew that he was there was beyond him, though it could’ve simply been that she did not know where else to find him. It wasn’t as if she ever visited him outside of their usual spars, but he certainly wouldn’t be opposed to such an occasion.
He preferred not to ponder his relationship with the traveler. He had pledged unwavering loyalty to his Tsaritsa, and to love the traveler would be a contradiction to that loyalty. But he couldn’t suppress his feelings for long.
You’re more than just a sparring partner to me, Lumine.
He’d really screwed up this time, hadn’t he? What he’d done tonight: the way he held her, touched her, letting her spend the night…that wasn’t something a friend did. That wasn’t what somebody loyal to Lumine’s greatest foe did.
A soft sigh came from the couch, and Childe couldn’t help but smile as he watched her shoulders rise and fall with each breath she took. He hoped her nightmares would not hound her tonight. She already had enough to deal with in the waking world, she didn’t deserve to relive the tragedy that led to all of her turmoil in the first place.
Childe felt the urge to join her underneath the blanket.
It would be awfully irresponsible of him to leave the traveler alone with all these sensitive documents, being a Fatui Harbinger and all. And he had only one couch, one blanket. It was also very cold in his office.
Childe slipped underneath the blanket next to Lumine, close enough so that he could feel her body heat on his skin, but far enough so that they were not touching. If their legs were tangled about and their chests pressed together and arms draped across each other in the morning, that was simply not Childe’s fault. It was an accident. Accidents were not disloyalty, not punishment-worthy. Accidents were harmless. Accidents happen.