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Lumine waved goodbye to her visiting friends from Sumeru. Tighnari, Collei, and Cyno had arrived in Mondstadt just in time to enjoy Windblume. Cyno raised a hand in return to Lumine’s wave. Collei double checked the tent she had set up. Sucrose had already left while Albedo stayed behind to complete tomorrow’s plans to study Mondstadt’s fauna with Tighnari. Lumine’s gaze lingered on Albedo. After a moment, he glanced at her and nodded imperceptibly before continuing conversing with Tighnari.
Lumine passed through the side city gate. Carts and haphazard stacks of crates lay around the entrance. In the near distance hung the logistics division bulletin board. At this time of night, only a few knights milled around it. Stairs led up to a higher platform where Angel’s Share stood.
Lumine ducked off the path and to stand by the city wall. Frowning, Paimon materialized. “What are you doing? Shouldn’t we be searching for Venti to ask about the prophecy Collei found? Or meeting Sucrose at the crafting table? Ohhhhh, I know what you’re doing. You’re waiting for Al—” Lumine cleared her throat. Cut a glance at Guy guarding the entrance. “I-I mean You-know-who. Ugh. Okay, call me when you’re done!” Shaking her head, Paimon rolled her eyes before dematerializing.
Waiting, Lumine leaned against the stone wall. She listened to the quiet bustle of the city. Street lamps and candles in the windows glowed. The night air brushed against her skin. For the longest time, home was where Aether was. But now… Exhaling, Lumine rested her cheek against the stone brick. Closed her eyes. She breathed in the scent of flowers from the decorations. Could Mondstadt be…?
After a chorus of “good night’s,” Lumine heard a set of footsteps walk through the city gate and pass her.
“Hey, you,” said Lumine, straightening off the wall.
Brows raised, Albedo turned around. Seeing Lumine, Albedo smiled as warmly as butter melting on toast. “Greetings… Traveler.” He smirked.
Shaking her head, Lumine smiled. Six months prior, Lumine kissed Albedo on Weinlesefest and they had been a couple ever since. However, Albedo asked Lumine to keep their relationship a secret, wanting to avoid “unnecessary complications” and “prying personal questions” from others. Pouting, Lumine agreed, if only to spare the easily flustered Albedo. So while around Sucrose, Tighnari, and the others they acted as if there was nothing special between them.
Gaze softening, Albedo approached Lumine. “It’s so good to see you.”
“We just saw each other in the teapot last week.”
“Yes, but…” Frowning, Albedo crossed his arms and held his chin. “Meeting you outside of the artificial realm is qualitatively different. Seeing you in the flesh in Mondstadt with the fresh night air… I can’t put it into words adequately, but it feels like something is missing when you’re not here. Haha… excuse my ramblings. It just really is good to see you.”
Flushing, Lumine chuckled and ducked her head.
“Can we catch up? You still haven’t finished telling me of your latest exploits in the desert, and we could develop the itinerary for our Sumeru friends more.”
Lumine glanced down the path that led to the crafting table. “I’m sorry, but I promised to help Sucrose with something.”
Albedo’s eyes dimmed for a moment. Exhaling, he nodded. “Just as well. It’s getting late, and I should tuck Klee into bed. Given how excited she gets around the holidays, she’s probably still awake. Undoubtedly, we’ll have other opportunities to be toget—Actually, I could ask Tighnari if you could join us on our expedition tomorrow. Tighnari wanted to study Mondstadt fauna while I’ll be searching for inspiration for a TCG card back design. I doubt Tighnari would mind you joining.”
“Yeah, that would be nice!”
“Then it’s decided. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
And yet, neither Albedo nor Lumine made to leave. They gazed at each other in silence, the background city bustle fading away. Green eyes smoldering, Albedo raised a hand by Lumine’s face. Grazed the back of his fingers against her cheek. Lumine’s face burned at his touch.
Exhaling, Albedo withdrew his hand. “No, I…” After swallowing, Albedo’s voice came out touch deeper than usual. “I was mistaken. I’ll see you tonight in dreams.” Nodding, Albedo turned. He walked down the path, his coat flapping gently in the breeze.
Lumine gazed at his retreating back. Released a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Lumine glanced at Guy guarding the city gate. Yawning, he scratched his underarm. Giggling, Lumine pressed a hand to the cheek Albedo touched. Her cheeks hurt from smiling so broadly. Secret relationships feel like a bolt of electro. Turning away, Lumine headed deeper into the city to find Venti and Sucrose. I just hope it lasts and nothing spoils the magic.
Wanting to get the most of his Mondstadt trip, Tighnari asked Albedo and Lumine if they minded sidetracking to Whispering Woods to collect small lamp grass. The trio trekked through the woods. Rocky outcroppings jutted into the path. While the forest wasn’t especially dense, stumps and felled tree trunks filled the spaces in between. Birds sang. The occasional brush rustled. Albedo and Lumine quickly fell behind Tighnari and Paimon; whenever something caught Albedo’s interest such as slime trails or broken arrowheads, signs of monster activity, he paused to examine it. Other times, he’d randomly stand still and gaze out in the distance at nothing.
The third time Albedo stopped, Lumine set her hands on her hips. “You’re doing it again.”
“Hm?”
“What are you thinking about?”
“Huh? Oh…” Hand behind his head, Albedo looked away. “An alchemical theory I’ve developing. Apologies. Here I had invited you along, and I’m preoccupied contemplating unrelated matters.”
Shaking her head, Lumine walked forward. “It doesn’t bother me. Such is you. It’s just funny, that’s all.”
Albedo fell into step beside her. “Haha… Well, nonetheless, I will endeavor to—Ah!”
A branch got caught in Albedo’s ponytail, undoing it. Freed, his hair fell down, braids unraveling. Albedo tsked. Frowning, Albedo summoned a hair tie, gathered his hair, and started braiding it.
Lumine watched him. She watched Albedo’s fingers card through his hair. Albedo’s silky, blond—no flaxen-colored hair that naturally billowed out in every direction with no rhyme or reason. “You know what my favorite part about you is?” blurted Lumine. “Favorite part of your appearance, I mean.”
Albedo stilled. “Wh-what?”
“Your hair!” Beaming, Lumine dove forward, diving her hands through his hair. “It’s so fluffy and soft and warm! And I always wanted…” Seeing Albedo’s face so close to hers, Lumine froze. She squeaked, “…to scrunch it like this…”
For a long moment, the two stared at each other, wide-eyed. Lumine’s heart pounded. She could feel the heat radiating off her face. Then Albedo smirked. “Oh. That so? Well, if I had to say what I liked best… I’ve always wondered how soft these cheeks are.” Albedo pinched Lumine’s cheek and pulled. “They look like mochi. They’re soft like mochi. But do they taste the same I wonder…?”
“No, don’t!”
Albedo opened his mouth wide and made an exaggerated “ahhh” like a monster about to gobble up a child.
Laughing, Lumine squirmed away. “No, stop! Stop!”
“What in Archons name are you doing?”
Lumine and Albedo jumped like spooked cats. Tighnari and Paimon stood in the distance, staring at them with narrowed eyes.
Holding her cheek, Lumine glanced at Albedo. “We were, um… We, uh…”
“I… I was studying Lumine for a portrait!”
“Yes! Yes. I, uh… I have a scar on my neck. It’s under my scarf, so Albedo came close to see it. For the portrait. So that’s, um, that’s why we… yeah.”
Tighnari glanced between Albedo and Lumine. At Albedo’s unkempt hair and Lumine’s reddened cheek. “Riiiiight. Here I thought you were looking for inspiration from nature for the TCG card, not from the Traveler.” Albedo cringed. Turning, Tighnari raised a hand in dismissal. “Well, whatever. Come on already. You’re supposed to lead, not fall behind doing whatever that was. Let’s go.” Flicking his tail, Tighnari headed down the trail.
Paimon crossed her arms. She deadpanned, “Really guys.” Shaking her head, she flew after Tighnari.
A flock of birds flew overhead. Bugs droned. Lumine looked to Albedo, but he was shielding his furiously red face with a hand. After a moment, he stumbled forward, still not making eye contact.
Lumine held her head. Sighed. She followed after him.
After the Hexenzirkel tea party, Timaeus started complaining that he was getting windglider sick. Albedo set Timaeus on the ground and the rest of their party followed suit and started the walk to Mondstadt. Bulbous clouds meandered across the sky. The rolling plains were dotted with trees and mint. In the distance Albedo spied hilichurl camps. He breathed in the aroma of grass and sweet flowers.
Albedo hung back in the pack, watching the others. Collei offered Timaeus stomach easing herbs. Mona looked deep in thought after learning more about her master. Lumine, Paimon, and Sucrose discussed the prophecy near the front of the group.
Klee hummed beside Albedo. “I’m so excited for Windblume tomorrow, big brother Albedo! There’ll be dancing and music and the Windblume offering and gift giving! I got a present for you, but not for Miss Honorary Knight. Klee didn’t know she was coming. Hmmm, what should give her? I could give her my sparkly rock? No, Klee likes it too much!”
Albedo chuckled. “Need my assistance?”
“No! There’s no helping with Windblume presents!”
Mona looked over her shoulder. “Thinking up a present for the Traveler, now, are you?”
“Uh huh! She means a lot to me and Albedo. Especially Albedo. Albedo really, really likes Lumine.”
Everyone gave Albedo strange looks. Clearing his throat, Albedo said, “Now, Klee—”
“Albedo asked Lumine to come to our house for Weinlesefest. So we all had dinner together. After I went to bed, Albedo and Lumine stayed up late and had some wine—I heard them from my room—and now Lumine is my big sister, yay!”
Albedo’s heart stopped. “K-Klee, we didn’t have—!” Wait, what am I saying?!
Paimon held her head. “Hoo boy.”
Sucrose nervously pushed up her glasses and looked away, her face red.
Blushing, Collei covered her mouth with a hand. “It’s okay, I didn’t hear anything! Ahaha…”
Lumine clapped her hands, getting everyone’s attention. Wide-eyed, Lumine plastered on a wide smile. “Klee, you were the one to invite me over for Weinlesefest. Remember?”
“Yeah, that was me! Klee and big brother were walking down the street talking about how Bennett should be one of Mommy’s kids because he doesn’t have any parents. But then we saw you and asked if you could come over and we had fish for dinner. It was really good…”
As Klee rambled on, the others nodded along before resuming their own conversations.
Exhaling, Albedo pressed a hand over his pounding heart. Lumine’s a genius.
“Hmm,” went Klee. “I shoulda told Mommy about Albedo and Lumine. Next time for sure!”
Albedo groaned.
Albedo's eyes went wide at the pictures Lumine gave him. “You… you created all the machinery I designed in the teapot?”
Lumine put a hand on the back of her head. “Giving you pictures instead of showing you is weird, but if we went to the teapot, it would have spoiled the surprise.”
On Windblume morning, Lumine and Albedo met in the alchemy lab in Favonius HQ. Floor to ceiling bookcases covered the far wall. Four rectangle tables were arranged in a square and covered with instruments, vials, and papers. Crates were thrown haphazardly in a corner. Outside the two large windows, people emerged on the streets to celebrate the festival.
Albedo ran a thumb over the photos. “I’m not quite as adept with machinery as with alchemy, nor would I have had the time to fashion these myself. I can’t possibly thank you enough, Lumine.”
“You don’t need to. Windblume gifts are a sign of gratitude, so this is my thanks to you.”
Looking away, Albedo set the photographs on the table. A shadow fell over Albedo’s face. “Gratitude, yes…” After a moment, Albedo pushed aside a few books and papers to unearth a leather sack. From it, Albedo pulled out two spherical devices the size of apples. “And this is my gift to you.”
Lumine leaned in closer. Gasped. They were a pair of Dodocommunication devices only rather than Klee’s Jumpy Dumpty pattern, were models of Lumine’s and Albedo’s heads.
“I enhanced the communication range of Aunt Alice’s device. And, of course, took creative liberty with the design. Which would you like?”
“They’re both so cute! Hmmm, the Albedo one!” Giggling, Lumine cradled it in her hands. She poked its blushing cheek.
Albedo looked down at the Lumine communication device in his hand. “I know it’s not much, and it’s a very practical gift as opposed to something nicer that you’d fancy, but… I asked myself what gift could help us grow closer together as a couple and…” Albedo looked up. Gazed evenly at Lumine. “Just being with you is enough. It’s more than enough. Because Mondstadt, our home, isn’t complete with you.”
Lumine blinked. Dipping her head, Lumine’s bangs shielded her eyes. Mondstadt is home, huh? Lumine smiled. Yes. Yes, it is.
Setting aside the communication device, Lumine wrapped Albedo in a hug. She soaked in his warmth. Albedo pressed his face into the crook of her neck. Breathed her in. Lumine closed her eyes. Smelled the soap from his hair.
Lumine and Albedo withdrew just enough to see each other’s faces. They gazed at each other. Lumine could make out every blue fleck in his green eyes. Pink dusted across his nose and cheeks. One of his forelocks was askew. Their breaths mingled.
They pressed their lips together. Albedo’s kisses were as light as a butterfly’s feet. Lumine sighed against his lips. She weaved her fingers through his hair, undoing his ponytail and braid. Like a flipped switch, Albedo gripped Lumine’s waist tight, pulling her against him. For the first time, Albedo’s tongue touched Lumine’s lips. She gasped, lips parting.
The door burst open. Sucrose called, “Hey, Albedo, Lumine, are you he—? O-oh!”
Tighnari’s head popped in, his ear flicking. “Are they going at it? Okay, yeah, just as I thought. Happy for you!” Raising a hand, Tighnari left.
The same crowd that visited the Hexenzirkel tea party plus Cyno crowded into the lab. They ogled Lumine and Albedo like kids at a zoo animal exhibit.
Whooping, Paimon punched the air with her fists. “Yes! Paimon didn’t spill the beans; you did! Now you owe Paimon Sweet Madams for a whole month!”
Brow raised, Cyno crossed his arm. “It seems that Albedoing Lu—”
Klee jumped up and down. “See, I told you. I toooold you!”
Flinching back, Albedo held his hands up in front of him. “No, that’s not…! Ugh.”
“I wondered if something was going on between you two!” beamed Collei. “You were always standing or sitting next to each other, but refusing to make eye contact. And of all the candidates for the prophecy, the Traveler didn’t hesitate to choose Albedo and his sister.”
Sniffing, Timaeus wiped a tear from his eye. “I’m so proud of you, Albedo. I never thought this day could come. Given my experience with Ying’er, I could even give you tips!”
“Th-that won’t be necessary.”
“If you’re seeing each other then… A-actually, wait!” Sucrose fumbled for her test tube from her belt. She shoved the test tube in Albedo’s face. “Breathe into my tube!”
“Wha—? Sucrose, please!”
“Just one breath!”
Lumine watched Albedo duck and weave Sucrose holding out the test tube. Hand over her mouth, Lumine suppressed her laughter. This could not get any worse. Who would have thought!
Mona leaned against the doorway, her arms crossed. She straightened, then waved her hand in a “come on” gesture. “Well, let’s get going, lovebirds. The Windblume ceremony is about to start, and they can’t begin without all the Captains or the Honorary Knight. Then there’s music, drinks, and dancing!” Mona turned to leave, but looked over her shoulder. “We’ll leave you in peace, but you better not tarry. Save anything more for later, understand? Good.”
At Mona’s insistence, one by one the others left. The echo of the door sounded in the room long after they left. Vials bubbled. Machinery hummed.
Hands on her hips, Lumine glanced sidelong at Albedo. He had buried his face in his hands. Lumine smirked. “I guess the cat’s out of the bag now.”
Albedo half-groaned, half-whined.
Chuckling, Lumine stood in front of Albedo. Looking up at him, Lumine tilted her head to the side. “Now we can make it official and dance together at the festival.”
Albedo paused, hands still on his face. Grunting, he turned away.
“Don’t be like that.” Shaking her head, Lumine grabbed his wrist and tugged him to the door. “Come on, everyone’s waiting for us!”
Albedo let himself be pulled. After a moment, he slid his hand down. Gripped her hand. As they headed towards the plaza to join the others, Lumine held it tight.
It’s so good to be home in Mondstadt.