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Before, Childe never really thought much about kisses or physical affection. It was something he had to accept being part of the Alexeyev household whenever he decided to visit home, but familial hugs (rib-crushing ones in the case of his mother) or gentle pats on his back didn’t exactly prepare him for the inexplainable behaviours his body started to show recently.
Anyone who knew him would say that Harbinger Tartaglia was a very touchy person. He would randomly high-five his agents, playfully smack the arms of the fellow Fatuus and be the first to reach out his hand in greeting. However, the more perceptive ones could also tell that the intention behind these gestures often lacked sincerity. Simply speaking: it was fake. A facade. A part of the role he decided to play.
Childe found no interest in physical contact with other people unless it involved swords and a fight to the death. That’s how it was and how it should have been.
But then she appeared and everything started to change.
He began to change.
*~*~*
It started innocently.
He would hold Lumine’s hand a second longer than necessary while helping her get to her feet. Impulsively brush the unruly hair off her forehead and tuck it behind her ear while they were talking on an especially windy evening. Playfully hug her after a long separation enjoying the protests that action would cause.
Childe wouldn't even notice it himself if not for the overzealous Fatui recruit who foolishly wanted to get on his right side.
"You are truly amazing, sir!" the young soldier would rave. "Your every gesture feels so genuine, even when dealing with that Traveller we’ve been told to watch out for. If I didn’t know any better, I would totally believe you two were friends! I don’t know if I would be able to get close to an enemy like that, much less touch her." He shuddered. "That girl seems like someone who would rip off my arm if I only tried..."
It was a silly conversation. Insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Yet Childe felt as if that boy, only a few years younger than him, opened his eyes to something unbelievable.
Am I really that touchy with Lumine?
But at this point, he didn’t need to be. They were way past the stage of making a good first impression and building a bond that was needed to carry out his plans – there was no gain in buttering up to her anymore as she already knew everything there was to know about him.
That he fooled her. Used her. Betrayed her.
Teucer helped to bridge the gap these actions caused, but that should have been the end of the story between the Traveller and the Eleventh Harbinger. A relatively peaceful conclusion, all things considered. Normally, Childe would be content with that.
So why would he still seek out the girl despite the common sense advising him otherwise? Long for closeness between them, something he never had a particular craving for?
And that recruit said it looked genuine...
Staring at the bustling Liyue Harbor from one of its red balconies the Harbinger couldn’t help but shake his head.
All he wanted from Lumine was a good fight. An exciting duel of wits and swords.
That’s what he thought.
Childe looked at his open palm and slowly squeezed it into a tight fist.
...but could there be more to it than that?
*~*~*
Sumeru had the biggest number of libraries and bookstores in the world. You could find one almost on every street corner. Big ones, small ones, neat ones and messy ones. Filled with knowledge both ancient and new. Some, like the one the pair found themselves in at the moment, even tried to apply some innovative ideas to the concept and were a mix of a library and a café. Who wouldn’t want to drink a warm cup of delicious tea while reading their favourite novel?
But they should seriously consider shortening the opening hours.
Childe couldn’t believe he wasted most of that day surrounded by books and bookworms, yet still nobody came to kick them out. It was almost midnight for Archons’ sake!
Lumine was doing some urgent research on the desert legends and told him numerous times to just leave if he was bored but the man couldn’t bring himself to do that. Part of it was just stubborn competitiveness ("if she can just diligently read a book, so can I!"), but also... the opportunity to spend a quiet afternoon with Lumi was rare and simply hard to give up on.
And that’s how Childe ended up carrying two new steaming cups of tea to their nook at the end of the hall (he lost count of how many they ordered already). But the sight the Harbinger found when he finally reached the right spot made his lips curl into a soft smile.
Apparently, even the mighty Traveller sometimes lost to fatigue.
Lumi’s head was laying on the open book. Her eyes were closed and her breaths were slow. The girl’s hair, scattered across her face, fluttered slightly with every small puff coming out of her mouth.
She looked defenceless. Relaxed, for once. Even younger because of that. Like a real Akademiya student exhausted from pulling an all-nighter working on her thesis.
He silently drew closer and careful not to make any noise, put their cups on the table.
I wonder if she would want a life like that.
Where you fight with a pen instead of a sword.
"That would be a shame, to be honest," Childe chuckled to himself. A talent with the sword like hers was one in a million.
Grabbing a blanket from the couch (this café truly was prepared for every scenario, wasn’t it?), he gently covered her back and then something weird happened. As if triggered by the sudden closeness, his body decided to screw him over and act on its own.
Childe leaned down even further, pulled by a non-existing magnet, and placed a soft kiss on Lumine's temple.
A quick, affectionate peck.
The next second he froze.
The mist that momentarily clouded his mind evaporated with a quiet childish mumble leaving Lumine’s lips.
"Just... five more... minutes..."
Childe jumped back as if burned. Hit his head on a low-hanging ceiling lamp but with some miraculous effort managed not to curse out loud. In trepidation watched Lumi twitch a bit but... she eventually settled down, not waking up.
The sigh of relief the Harbinger released was huge. However, his mind was still in turmoil.
What the heck did I just do?!?!
He casually kissed her, that’s what he did. Unconsciously mimicked the very same thing his mother used to do finding him dozing off in the middle of studying when he was a kid.
Thank the Archons Lumine was asleep, because if she wasn’t..!
Childe froze again, but now for an entirely different reason. His heart rate picked up.
Yeah, what if... she wasn’t?
How would she react? What would she say?
Was it bad that he suddenly wanted to know?
*~*~*
How did the two end up going to a ball together? Well, partially because Lumine took some weird commission yet again, and partially because she heard somewhere Childe knew how to dance.
She needed a teacher and a partner and who would be better than the esteemed Eleventh Harbinger? Truthfully, probably anyone and their dog, but beggars can’t be choosers and if going to a party with a (decent? mostly?) Fatuus was the price she had to pay, so be it. The compensation for this job was too good to pass up, and Paimon’s food expenses weren’t getting smaller anytime soon.
"Do you remember all the steps?" Childe teased taking Lumine’s hand and putting it on his arm. They were about to enter the residence of a well-known Fountain’s bigshot apparently involved in some shady dealing and infiltrating this party seemed like the best way of getting solid evidence to take him down.
Usually, the Harbinger would choose a direct approach over all this sneaking around, but somehow the prospect of sneaking around with Lumine in particular immensely excited him. When she was around everything was just so much more fun, wasn’t it?
"B-Be quiet! I’m just not used to all this rich people's business, okay?"
Yeah, he noticed. Her hand, now grabbing onto his elbow a bit too strongly, trembled like an aspen leaf. He covered it with his own and gave her a little squeeze; the contact, even through gloves, made him feel all tingly inside.
Was she feeling it too? Or was it only him?
"Stop worrying so much, comrade, rich people are still people." Childe forcefully dragged his thoughts back into safer territory. "If anything were to happen, I’m pretty confident the two of us could take this whole residence on without breaking a sweat."
"So you wouldn’t be able to do it on your own, huh?"
"Oh, sure I would! But joy is to be shared, isn’t it?" He grinned and Lumi snorted, finally relaxing.
"You’re impossible."
A few moments later the two, at last, entered the ballroom and it was as spectacular as you would expect – everything sparkled, from décor to people, and suddenly Lumine felt a little self-conscious. The girl looked down at her usual white dress, so simple in comparison to the elaborate gowns worn by some of the women present at the party, but it was not like she could afford one in the first place. And she came here on a mission, not to have fun!
Still...
"Chin up." Childe slightly nudged her shoulder. "No one here tonight is prettier than you," the Harbinger said as if reading her mind.
"W-What?!" She jumped, absolutely not ready for the unexpected compliment. Her cheeks burned as the girl quietly mumbled. "You never told me I was pretty before."
"Huh?" His eyes widened a fraction and then something mischievous twinkled inside them. "I didn’t think that was necessary, as you would have to be born without eyes not to notice your beauty, my lady~"
"Now you’re just making fun of me."
"I would never!" Ajax pretended to be offended, yet his eyes were smiling, sparkling with a mesmerising blue under these expensive-looking chandeliers. "But what do you say we show the rest of the guests a bit of your brilliance, hmm?"
Childe made an elaborate bow and winked, but then the amusement somehow evaporated from his features, replaced with firm solemnity. He gently took Lumine’s hand and placed a soft kiss on her fingertips.
It was as if time has stopped. Voices and music drifted away and the lights shone purely on the pair. The Traveller and the Harbinger. The Hero and the Villain. For a short moment, both trivial and profound, they were the only two people in the whole world and nothing else mattered, their affiliations, titles and goals.
The touch of Childe’s lips lingered a second too long. He realised it instantly. And definitely so did Lumine judging by the rosy blush covering her cheeks. But this time she didn’t try to "run" from it.
"Would you do me the honour of this dance, my lady?"
Despite the astonishment and embarrassment her eyes, beautiful like molten gold, were still boldly facing his.
"Yes," she answered simply, not able to recall the proper reply. However, that had no significance at all.
The closeness of their bodies and the tingling of their hearts were the only things they cared about amidst the sparkling lights and laughing pairs twirling around them to a song telling a story of an impossible love.
*~*~*
Lumine liked camping under the stars when travelling through Mondstadt. When it came to, let’s say, Inazuma, she preferred to rent lodging or just go back inside her Serenitea Pot for the night. Even after solving the crisis gnawing at the Nation of Eternity, its roads were still dangerous to traverse, especially after dark.
But Mondstadt was different. Its gentle breeze and wide open plains felt safe and welcoming. Perfect to spend the night outside stretched out on the soft blades of grass.
Camping like that was also a window to unexpected vulnerabilities.
When they travelled together, usually Childe was the first to fall asleep – early to bed, early to raise, that was his way of life. But it didn’t mean he was able to just sleep through the whole night without any interruptions. If Abyss taught him anything it was to remain vigilant at all times, otherwise, morning might never come for you.
Lumine wasn’t exactly aware of it but the Harbinger would wake up once every few minutes or hours, stirred awake by a frog playing in the lake, leaves rustling a bit too loudly, a mouse dashing from one bush to the other or a howl carried over by the wind from far away.
Sometimes Childe would also open his eyes hearing a quiet indiscernible mumbling. Words too hard to distinguish and mixed together with a distressed sob.
He wondered if Lumi even knew she had these nightmares, you could never tell by how smiley she always appeared in the morning. A part of him wished the girl didn’t – she carried enough burdens during the day and didn’t need additional suffering during the night.
But it kept happening, again and again.
That day, too.
It was a weird day to begin with, as Childe found it hard to fall asleep. But the sight of the full moon hanging high in the sky answered all of his questions. For some reason, when the moonlight was especially strong, insomnia tended to keep him up – tossing and turning, closing his eyes only to find his mind wide awake. That... was probably also the result of his trip to the Abyss; nights as bright as these were making you an easy target for everything with sharp teeth and long claws.
"Ae... ther.... …. no..... co... me back..."
It was Lumine again. Curled into a ball, with her arms tightly squeezed around herself. But hugs like that couldn't bring you any comfort – consolation only came from another’s touch. The sense that you are not alone even when you feel that's exactly the case.
In that moment the girl was far from the proud warrior that gained his respect. She was just a sister missing her brother. Someone who lost their safe harbour, a place that made them feel they belonged.
But that’s also you.
Childe scooted a bit closer, careful to be as quiet as possible. Wondered if maybe he should wake her up, however... that could also make things worse. Allow the terror to seep into the waking world and slowly corrode her mind, one distressing thought at a time.
Hesitant about how to proceed, the Harbinger absentmindedly caressed her cheek with the back of his hand - the contrast between the white skin and the black glove was stark. Alluring yet dangerous. He then picked up the longer strand of her golden hair. It looked almost platinum in the moonlight and felt silky to the touch.
How could someone be so tough and so vulnerable at the same time?
It was truly a wonder.
Ajax slowly brought her hair to his lips and kissed it. The scent of lemon, she always smelt of citruses, wafted towards his nose making the man smile.
Refusing to dwell on it any longer, Childe lay down by Lumine’s side and carefully snuggled closer. Wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled till her back settled against his chest.
Enveloped by warmth, the girl’s body relaxed a lot quicker than he expected. No more words left her lips and she unclenched her fists. Instead, Lumi’s fingers intertwined with his and for a second he almost thought she was awake.
What would happen if she were?
Would she scream? Throw a punch? Prattle in embarrassment?
Or maybe turn around and hug him back?
But because she was facing away, he couldn’t tell which was the case. And soon enough the comfort of their embrace lulled to sleep even his stubborn mind.
*~*~*
When someone gives you a gift, you thank them. Sometimes with a polite bow, sometimes with a friendly pat on the arm, and other times with an enthusiastic hug.
But Childe’s body decided to betray him. And on his very birthday, no less!
When he got a gift from Lumine, it was a very pretty blue-white bow that instantly reminded him of the feathers she liked to wear in her hair, his ability to make rational decisions simply ceased to exist. Evaporated like morning mist.
And looking at his new weapon in glee, gently tracing its beautiful craftsmanship, the man impulsively bent down and planted a happy smooch on Lumi’s cheek.
"Thank you!" he even managed to say in delight before the reality of what just happened dropkicked the Harbinger straight in the face.
His eyes snapped to hers in burning trepidation.
Oh shit!
Lumine stared at Childe flushed; her lips trembled as if the girl was trying to say something but either didn’t know what or simply couldn’t find the right words. The tips of her fingers drifted towards the place his mouth just left.
It was one thing to make this blunder, to kiss her like that when she was asleep, but quite another when she was awake! Not that he was some kind of creep who only kissed sleeping unsuspecting girls, okay?! But succumbing to his stupid instincts out in the open meant having to finally address the biggest elephant in the room – why these impulses were born in the first place.
"It’s a Snezhnayan custom!" Ajax blurted out not caring how ridiculous was the excuse his brain had just come up with. "When you receive a present, you give a kiss in return."
Lumine seemed reluctant to accept this explanation, but... eventually sighed and let it go. It’s not like Childe was the most rational and put-together person she met on Teyvat, plus he was generally very touchy (at least as far as she was concerned), so maybe randomly kissing people was just something ingrained in him since birth? Maybe... she wasn’t special in any way.
And Lumine was yet to visit Snezhnaya, so who knew what kind of place it truly was?
"You should have said so from the beginning," she pouted, the adorable traces of redness still present on her cheeks.
Well, he would, if such custom existed in the first place.
Mama. Papa. People of Snezhnaya, I’m sorry for throwing our beautiful culture under the carriage.
But thanks to this sacrifice he managed to avoid the worst crisis... And what to do if Lumine starts randomly kissing people after arriving in his homeland was a problem for another day.
*~*~*
The knock at the door of Lumine’s Serenitea Pot mansion came at an unexpected time. It was way past nightfall so usually, no one dared to intrude on her like that unannounced. Not to mention that the knocking itself sounded a bit weird.
On the other hand, only those with a dispatch were able to enter this adepti realm, so no matter who it was, it must have been a friend, right?
And most probably a friend in need.
Sighing, the girl put down her book on a coffee table by the fireplace and got up from the comfortable embrace of the couch.
The knock resounded again, just as weakly as the first time.
"I’m coming!" she called, slightly nervous. Who was her guest, exactly? And why the hurry?
But when the girl opened the door the mystery got solved almost instantly – along with a body that suddenly lost the surface it was leaning against and fell on her like a sack of potatoes.
"Woah!" Lumi squeaked but immediately opened her arms catching the half-conscious man. "Childe?! What the hell happened to you?!"
He looked like shit. Most definitely felt like shit too.
"Hi... comrade. Fancy meeting you... here," he said weakly, trying to smile and jokingly salute.
Lumine pursed her lips.
"You’re at my home, who else did you expect to find here, huh?" the blonde angrily snapped, dragging the man inside. The two almost toppled over as she tried to kick the door shut, but she regained her balance at the last possible second. Lumi released a relieved sigh. It would be a true headache to lift him off the floor.
"Sorry," Childe whispered sheepishly. "My legs feel like jelly."
She could see that, yes. Actually, it was a wonder how he managed to wobble to her house and not drop dead somewhere on the way.
"You’re heavy," Lumine said instead.
"Girlie, are you calling me fat?"
"Your words, not mine."
Childe snorted, but that wasn’t a good idea. It instantly provoked a fit of a nasty cough; Lumine felt as if her own lungs contorted hearing him struggle to catch a breath.
Using every last bit of her strength, a few minutes later she finally managed to drag the Harbinger onto the couch and tiredly sank down right next to him. For a moment they sat like that in silence, breathing heavily, yet for some reason the mood didn’t feel awkward at all.
Even though it should have been.
"Hey..." Childe started, covering his eyes with his arm. It was clear as day he didn't like showing other people this side of him. Being weak. "Thanks."
"Sure," Lumi answered with a small smile but when she glanced down and took in his battered form her face instantly fell. She bit her lip. "It was the Foul Legacy again, wasn’t it?"
"Yeah..."
The girl huffed.
"You really have a death wish, don’t you?"
"I won’t die... so easily. Not until I conquer—"
"—the world. Yes, I’ve heard that already. Now shut up and come here."
She patted her lap and in any other situation Childe would probably relish the thought of a freely given lap pillow but her expression was too scary to ignore. A cold shiver run down his spine, however the man had no choice but to oblige and surrender himself to her whims – after all, he was the intruder in this situation.
Lumine didn’t understand herself either. She wasn’t sure why this whole thing made her so angry, but it did.
Watching the Harbinger wounded and bruised. Weak and vulnerable. It just wasn’t him. Childe was always full of life and full of smiles. She didn’t want to see him like this ever again because it... hurt. As if someone was piercing her heart with needles. Squeezing her throat making it hard to breathe.
"Can you say something, please?" Childe’s voice startled her out of her thoughts. "Because you’re making a really scary face right now, you know?"
He was uncertainly glancing up, obediently laying on her lap. Somehow he looked younger at that moment. Messier and less sure of himself. Just... human.
Lumi shook her head and let herself relax. Worrying about his idiotic choices won’t get her anywhere. He was too much of a free-spirited dummy to consider something as insignificant as his health before throwing himself into a bloodbath. The only thing she could help with was the aftermath.
Her hand gently rested on his forehead and began stroking his hair. It was so impossibly soft, almost like fur.
Childe stiffened at first, but reluctantly relaxed and let the girl do as she pleased.
Like a cat. She chuckled. A big, stubborn, irresponsible cat.
"If you come here again looking as if you’re about to die, I’m gonna kick you."
"Yeah."
"Acting like that, not taking proper care of yourself, you're making a problem for everyone."
"Yeah."
"Say 'yeah' one more time and I will shave you bald when you fall asleep."
“Yea—“ but he caught himself at the last moment and laughed. "Eighty per cent of my good looks come from my hair, you know? Do you really want me to lose that?"
"Maybe some common sense will grow in its place."
It was such a peculiar situation. Who would ever expect to see the infamous Harbinger peacefully snuggled on the lap of the famous Traveller? But here they were. Quiet and content in this precious moment out of anyone's eyes.
Eventually, Childe started dozing off.
"Sleep," Lumi whispered.
"But—"
"Sleep," she repeated firmly, yet her voice quickly softened again as she bent down and left a light kiss on his cold forehead. "Just... rest, Ajax. I’ll be here when you wake up."
*~*~*
Something changed after that day.
He always felt so cold after the Foul Legacy transformation wore off, but that night when he stayed with Lumine Childe was enveloped in nothing but warmth. As if her closeness purified the darkness inside his soul and soothed the pain.
That gentle touch, slowly stoking his hair till he fell asleep... It was on Ajax’s mind often lately. Distracting him from doing paperwork, pulling away from conversations he would normally find interesting, even making him zone out in the middle of the battlefield. And as he whirled around cutting down monsters many times bigger than himself amidst falling snow, bathed in their blood and watched as the crimson colour slowly mixed with the water of his hydro blades, the Harbinger still dreamed of the soft lips that pecked his forehead as lightly as feathers.
Finishing the job he released a long breath and combed his hair with his fingers. The action left sticky read smudges on his orange strands.
"Ahhh I’m going crazy."
And the reason for it wasn’t having an existential crisis in the middle of a carnage – though admittedly that wasn't normal either; hacking enemies to pieces isn't exactly a great way of pondering your life choices – but the vulgar thoughts he would never suspect himself of having.
Lumine would probably kill me if she knew half of it...
Yet somewhere along the way kissing her became his addiction. Woke up a craving that could no longer be satiated with a simple peck on the cheek. He was able to finally admit it.
Now whenever they met his eyes were drawn to her lips as if pulled by a irresistible force. And that wasn’t all he wondered about.
How would it feel to press a kiss between her shoulder blades? To kiss her neck or the inside of her thigh? To draw lines all across her body, find all the other spots that would make her squirm and moan and have them all to himself—
"Mr H-Harbinger, sir?!" the Fatui agent exclaimed as a huge chunk of snow dropped on Childe’s head from a nearby tree.
A Snezhnayan equivalent of a cold shower.
The ginger laughed and shook his hair like a wet dog trying to get the white powder out of its fur.
"Ahahaha, much better~!"
Yep, that certainly cleared his mind – and it was much appreciated as Ajax finally realised why he never cared for physical contact before when now he was hyperaware of every slight touch.
The answer was so simple Childe almost wanted to laugh again.
All these other people.
They just weren’t Lumine.
*~*~*
Over time the friendship between Lumine and Childe blossomed. It was something neither of them expected when they met for the first time in Liyue all this time ago, but now they would find it hard to let each other go. Not that any of them would admit it out loud, no no! But the sentiment was certainly there.
Stronger with each passing day and month.
It was like slowly discovering that something you hated was actually good for you.
Like carrots. Or broccoli.
You were prejudiced the first time you tried them, but not only did you recognise their amazing nutritious values somewhere along the way, the taste also grew on you.
From enemies, Lumine and Childe turned into reluctant allies. From that they became friends. And next...
There were many roads these two could take, yet that particular day they decided to go back to their roots and take a stroll amidst the hills of Liyue.
"Fighting by your side is always a pleasure, comrade!" the Harbinger complimented dispersing his water blades and looking around. That’s one less Treasure Hoarder’s camp to worry about.
The campfire, the tents, the boxes – it was one big mess. But if someone starts a conversation with you by throwing an explosive cocktail at your face then neither Childe nor Lumine thought such a person was worthy of any respect.
There’s a time and place for everything! The guy could have at least greeted them before yeeting that damn bottle.
"Thanks for coming with me on this commission."
"I couldn’t let you have all the fun for yourself, could I?"
"Sure," Lumi chuckled curiously flipping through a journal she fished out of one of the abandoned backpacks.
But that’s when Childe noticed it: a black sooty smudge running across her face, and grinned smugly.
"Though I have to say, I didn’t think the great Traveller would let such a small fry get her. Is a certain someone losing her touch, hmm?"
"Wha—"
"Your left cheek." The Harbinger pointed at the dirty spot laughing. And of course, when Lumi started rubbing it, she only made a bigger mess.
Ajax shook his head and came closer. To think she could be so dangerous one second, and so hopelessly adorable the next.
"Just hold still for a moment."
"Don’t laugh," the blonde pouted but complied, letting Childe wipe her cheek with his jacket’s grey sleeve. She was always surprised by how uselessly soft the fabric of his Fatui uniform was. It felt... nice.
But for some reason, the man didn’t move his hand away even after he was done. Instead of the sleeve, his calloused fingers gently caressed her skin. The breath caught in the girl's throat. Lumine uncertainly raised her head and their eyes met - it was as if someone cast on them a magic spell. One that erased everything and everyone around, the blue and golden pairs of irises being the only things left behind. That, and the sense of touch.
The tiny electro zaps born at his fingertips. But they weren’t the product of Childe's Delusion this time, no. Lumi was certain only she could see and feel them, yet that didn’t make the sensations any less real.
The girl didn’t know when she lifted her hand and rested it on his chest, but she did. As weird as it sounded, thanks to it she could hear his racing heart.
Childe's thumb slowly stroked her cheek.
Slowly leaned down.
Lumi could feel his hot breath on her skin. Was given a chance to push the man away.
But she didn’t.
She couldn’t.
Not when her heart and body longed for him to finally close the distance between their lips once and for all.
Nothing marked this day as any better for it to happen. There was no special mood, no special place, no special circumstances.
A mundane moment like any other.
But was there really a need for any of that? What mattered, in the end, was the resonance of souls. The clash of beautiful feelings and selfish desires.
Their lips collided but after all this yearning it wasn’t enough.
Childe’s hand moved to the nape of her neck and pulled Lumi closer. Kissed her deeper.
Their tongues entwined again and again, warmth spread from the place where their mouths touched until all that was left were sparks, and heat, and pleasure. Her hands gripped his shoulders, held him there.
"Archons, I’ve been waiting for this." His voice sounded raspier than usual and his eyes... they were almost black. She swallowed loudly before he dove in for another kiss; could only press her body tightly into his in response. Every fibre of her being was thrumming with excitement at being near this man.
Someone she shouldn’t befriend. Shouldn’t desire. Shouldn’t... love.
But it was exactly that whimsical feeling that decided to turn their lives upside down.
Childe broke away for a split second before claiming Lumi’s lips again. Her back hit a tree and a good thing it did, as the dizziness started to cloud her thoughts. Ajax wasn’t any better, though. Lost is sensations so mind-shattering and new, so enticing, he didn’t know how to stop.
The man wanted to steal her every breath, possess her every touch, own every centimetre of her skin.
Have this brilliant star shine her light and share her warmth only with him.
It drove Ajax mad, yet it was madness he would surrender himself to with nothing but pleasure.
After what felt like a second and forever, Childe moved away a bit, breathing hard. Rested his forehead against hers searching her eyes.
A softness he never knew existed took hold of him as the man looked at Lumi’s glittering golden irises, messy hair and adorably flushed cheeks. It made him smile. He kissed her once more, yet this time playfully, on the tip of her nose. Her lips twitched in response. She was happy. Stupidly so.
"What now?" the girl whispered, combing her fingers through his dishevelled ginger strands. The sensation was so nice he almost wanted to purr but forced himself to focus.
"Admittedly, I didn’t think that far."
"Did you think it over at all?"
"Weellll..."
They both snorted and, miraculously, Lumine didn’t seem angry. Instead, she put her arms around his neck, stood on her tiptoes and, imitating Childe’s action, pecked him on the nose.
"Then I guess we’ll have to figure it out."
"We can do that, yeah," he nodded wrapping his arms around her waist. "Together."
They didn’t have all the time in the world to do that. Sadly, the reality was different from fairy tales and in their case, kisses were a journey, not the goal. Not the mark of a happy end like in all those stories about princes and princesses but a path leading towards it.
A kiss on the temple. A kiss on the hand.
One laid on a strand of golden hair and another on a flushed cheek.
A warm touch on a cold forehead.
A collision of lips when all the dams and inhibitions finally broke.
So much more was waiting for this unlikely pair: mysteries, gods, maybe even wars. Things beyond imagination, both good and bad. Death lurking in the shadows, waiting for them at every turn, yet—
"Together," Lumine repeated, closing her eyes.
If anything, now they had each other. A place to go back to. A dream to strive for. An embrace that would accept every craziness as long as it was a madness that could be shared between them two.
Just like a kiss.