Chapter Text
Concentrating, Lumine piped an icing border to a cake, her tongue sticking out. “Is this right?”
Albedo glanced up from the other side of the cake. After an idyllic day spent enjoying each other’s company as Albedo sketched Lumine and her teapot realm, the two headed inside to bake desserts. A mess of ingredients, whisks, and bowls were spread across counters. On one of the cabinets, Paimon had hung a paper of food requests. Outside the open window, they could hear Klee and Paimon laughing as they did somersaults.
Albedo set aside his own project—he’d been piping a windwheel aster—and rounded the island to study her work. Lumine had been creating a rosette border to the pink tinged valberry cake. “This is a good start. I’m not surprised you’ve caught on so quickly. Have you noticed their shape is a bit uneven?” She nodded. “Instead of piping from the outside and swirling inwards, if you start in the center and work outwards, it resembles more of a rose. Watch.” Albedo swirled out a rose with a practiced, effortless twist of his wrist. “You try.”
Lumine attempted another rose next to his, but it wasn’t quite as tight as Albedo’s was. She scowled.
Chuckling, Albedo drew close and covered her hands with his. “Here, let me show you.” With deliberate slowness, Albedo guided Lumine into whipping one up. Gasping, Lumine beheld the tight rose they created. It looked so realistic it was as if watching a flower blossom before their eyes. They created another, then another.
Lumine beamed. “I’m getting it! I—” She glanced up to see her smile mirrored on Albedo’s face—Albedo’s face which was super close to hers. She stilled, her face heating up. After a beat, Albedo also stiffened. With an unconscious twitch of muscle, Albedo held her hands tighter. They gazed at each other, holding their breaths.
Klee burst into the room, hat askew from running around. “I’m hung—Oh, hey, you’re flirting!”
Jolting, Albedo jumped away from Lumine. He spluttered, “Wh-what? No, we’re not—Klee, where did you learn such a thing?”
Klee shrugged. “Kaeya told me that if you hold hands with a boy, it means you’re married." She spoke in such a matter-a-fact tone as if talking about the weather.
Lumine stifled a laugh. Face flushing, Albedo scoffed. “No, it doesn’t—Not that you should hold—We’ll call you once the cake is done, all right? Go on and play.”
Brow raised, Klee shot Albedo a look that screamed a disbelieving, “Uh huh,” before turning and heading back outside. She called out, “Hey, Paimon, big brother Albedo and Miss Honorary Knight are getting married!” Through the window they could hear Paimon’s shriek.
Sighing, Albedo turned back to Lumine. She leaned back against the counter, a grin worming its way across her face. “Pay Klee no mind, Albedo. Kaeya had good intentions.”
“That’s dubious at best.”
Lumine laughed. Smiles still on their face, they finished the last few roses before beginning to clean up the mess. As Lumine wiped down the counters of flour dust, she soaked in the sun’s warmth, breathing in the crisp air. She listened to the girls’ squeals.
“What kind of wedding cake would you like?”
Lumine blinked. She looked up to see Albedo picking up dirtied utensils with easy movements, his back to her. She hadn’t heard a nervous tremble in his voice, or saw tightness in his shoulders. Is he genuinely curious? wondered Lumine.
“I… I never thought of it. Something big enough for my sword to cut, I guess.”
Albedo laughed. “Sounds like you. Something silly but also large enough to accommodate the many friends you’ve made traveling across Teyvat.”
Pushing the rag aside, Lumine set her hand on her hip. “Why do you want to know?”
“For research purposes.” After wiping a spatula clean, he set it down before facing her. Nodding, Albedo pressed a hand to his chest. “I would be more than delighted to bake yours. Would you like this rosette bordering or something else? Oh, and I know you’ve said you prefer both valberry cake and chocolate, so which would you—”
Brows raised, Lumine crossed her arms. “I don’t know; I’m not getting married, Albedo.”
“I… yes, I know. It was all hypothetical. It wouldn’t really… My apologies.” Countenance falling, Albedo turned his back to her and resumed wiping utensils.
Silence ensued a few long moments before Lumine shrugged. She called for Klee and Paimon. Shortly afterwards they ate cake at the dining room table, sharing the time Paimon stuffed herself so much she couldn’t float. Once everyone had a piece, Klee and Paimon washed dishes in the kitchen. Such was the understood agreement whenever Lumine or Albedo cooked; those who didn’t make the meal had to do the dishes.
As Albedo watched them scamper into the kitchen, Lumine studied him. Not so long ago, Albedo confessed to being interested in her. He needed to conduct experiments to discover why. Perhaps him asking her about wedding cakes was one such test. Humming, Lumine tapped her lips as she gazed off into the distance. Experiments, huh…? A ghost of a smile hovered over her lips.
“Lumine, I, um…” Albedo cleared his throat. “I made you uncomfortable earlier with my questions. I hope I didn’t cross a line.”
Lumine raised her brows. “Can I cross a line?”
“Uh… sure?”
Closing her eyes, Lumine drew close and kissed him. As she withdrew, she watched Albedo’s face. He stood still. As if waking from a spell, Albedo blinked a few times. Smirked. He cleared throat. “So as I was inquiring earlier, what kind of wedding cake would you like—?”
Laughing, Lumine dove in for another kiss. Holding her close, Albedo returned it.
Klee peered in from the kitchen doorway, giggling. “See, you are flirting.”