Work Text:
It was a day like any other.
Buried in commissions and helping out wherever she could, Lumine spent another productive afternoon in Fontaine. The sun had long since set, and Paimon had retreated to her pocket space. All the girl wanted now was to return to her hotel room, soak in a long bath, and drift off to sleep in fresh, clean sheets.
She didn’t expect that plan would be so hard to execute.
"Excuse me, Miss Traveller? Um... Miss Traveller, is that you?"
The blonde looked around, at first unable to pinpoint the source of the voice. Then finally spotted something moving along a path behind her, the reveal, however, didn’t put her in a good mood.
A Fatuus.
Lumine immediately summoned her sword, pointing it at the running stranger.
"What do you want?" demanded coldly, ready to fight.
Turned out, there was no need for a wary attitude at all.
The moment the approaching man finally caught up, he dropped to his knees, clapping his hands together in a frantic plea.
Lumine shivered. It was creepy, to say the least. Normally, these people were the first to draw their weapons upon spotting her in the wild, but this... Where the heck had his dignity gone?!
"Miss Traveller, please, it is you, isn't it? I need your help... no! You must help us!"
"I don't have to do anything," she replied, though a hint of uncertainty crept into her voice. The situation was so bizarre part of her couldn't help but be intrigued. It’s not every day you get begged by the Fatui for assistance.
"I know we’re assholes and you’re probably sick of us, but this is an emergency! Miss!" The guy looked as if he was ready to grab her ankles and hold her in place, just to stop Lumi from walking away. Such desperation was... uncanny.
The blonde sighed and dismissed her sword.
"Okay, okay, just stop"—she gestured at his pathetic form—"whatever that is you're doing and tell me what's the problem. I'm not promising I'll help, though."
And to appear tougher she crossed arms and narrowed her eyes. The Agent hiccupped, the intimidation working its magic perfectly.
"Yes, of course," he answered slowly getting up. "It’s... It’s about Master Childe, Miss Traveller."
"Childe?!" It was one innocent word, yet she felt as if the guy dumped a bucket of cold water over her head. “Tell me!” She was by his side in an instant, grabbing the Agent by the collar. "What happened to Childe?!"
The man defensively raised his palms.
"Miss, I... I think you need to see it for yourself."
*~*~*
Lumine had a headache.
She pressed at her temples, closed her eyes and took a deep breath but when she reopened them, the sight stretching before her remained unchanged.
"Excuse me, but..." She gestured towards the brightly lit clearing full of laughing people. "What is this?"
"A party," the Agent who had led her to the Fatui camp sighed wearily. "One of our comrades recently got married and now returned to the frontlines, so everyone decided to throw him a party."
"And Childe agreed?"
"More than happily."
Well, on second thought, it wasn’t all that surprising. The guy cherished the idea of family, so certainly wasn’t going to make things difficult for someone who just freshly tied the knot.
...or it was just an elaborate excuse to give the soldiers a chance to drink and relax a bit.
"Okay, fine," the girl crossed her arms and eyed the Agent, "but I still don’t understand, what am I doing here? You certainly don’t need saving from partying too hard," she added wryly.
"Sometimes you do, Miss Traveller," the man countered sheepishly, nodding toward the table at the centre of the camp. "Especially if you’ve had one too many."
Ah.
Lumine looked closer, and there he was—her incorrigible Harbinger. Ajax was resting his cheek against the table, lazily toying with another half-full glass of alcohol. The firelight danced on his ginger hair and in his normally dull irises. He seemed unusually melancholic one second and then super animated the next.
His gestures and body language were all too familiar to Lumi. She rolled her eyes.
"He asked you to spar with him, didn’t he?"
"He wants the whole camp to fight him, you have to save us, Miss!" The guy was nearly in tears, and understandably so. Which ordinary foot soldier would be eager to cross swords with someone called a 'walking weapon?' They knew they stood no chance and with Childe being inebriated, it was hard to tell if he would remember to hold back.
"Just avoid making any promises to him and wait it out. You should be fine once he sobers up."
"No, you don't understand. We already did," the Agent miserably confessed. "We promised to bring you here in exchange for him leaving us alone," he finished weakly, cowering under Lumine's fierce glare.
"Now I'm tempted to fight you myself," she threatened in a low voice, but after a few tense seconds of staring him down, she shook her head and turned back to Childe. No matter the circumstances, she couldn't just walk away now—not after noticing the unusually sad expression that sometimes flickered across his face. Very unlike him. And as Lumine decided, it wasn’t a look that suited him.
She waved dismissively at the Agent. "Just go do... whatever it is you normally do in the Fatui. I’ll handle this."
And unknowingly taking responsibility for dealing with the inebriated troublemaker, much like any Snezhnayan wife would handling a tipsy husband, she strode towards the centre of the camp.
The best proof that there was currently a lot of alcohol running through Ajax’s veins was the fact that he didn’t notice her at all, even though the girl had stopped right behind him, looming like a storm cloud over his shoulder.
This, and the number of empty bottles rolling on the table.
"Ekhm!" She cleared her throat loudly, making the man nearly jump out of his skin.
It was admittedly an amusing sight. Childe either appeared super well put together (emotionally—Lumi refused to comment on his inability to properly button his shirt and jacket), or at the very bottom of a health pit, exhausted and drained from the constant fighting.
This, however, was something new. A version of Ajax that was still undeniably deadly, but also struggled to grab a glass that almost toppled over because he got startled by the unexpected appearance of a certain blonde girl.
"C-c-comrade?!" he finally stammered, trying to stand but tripped over his own feet and plopped back on the bench. Lumine quickly placed a hand on his shoulder to prevent any more attempts at sudden movements—it didn’t seem like the best idea given his current state. Tried not to think too hard about how his muscles instantly relaxed under her touch.
For a second there, it appeared like he had trouble focusing his eyesight, but after finally getting a clear look at Lumi, the guy broke into a wide grin, all doom and gloom gone from his expression as if her mere presence cured his distraught heart and mind. "My Agents actually found you, cheers to them, zdrówko chłopaki!"
But before he could take another swig, Lumine snatched the glass from his hand and set it out of his reach, despite the Harbinger's clumsy protests.
"What was that for?"
"Trust me, you’ll thank me tomorrow."
Lumine wearily took a seat, bracing herself for yet another round of protests. Instead, Childe’s face lit up once again and he eagerly scooted closer to her on the bench. Their thighs were now pressed together, and she felt a strange tingling sensation on her skin. Could only hope he was too tipsy to notice the sudden hitch in her breath.
"So, does that mean we’ll see each other tomorrow too?"
The expectant look in his eyes momentarily took her aback. His expression was so open and easy to read it was honestly terrifying. It’s one thing to ignore subtle hints, but quite another to pretend not to see the blatant adoration and happiness written on his face at the prospect of spending more time together.
Before she could regain her composure to respond, Childe shocked her again by reaching out and gently brushing his fingers against her cheek. She could distinctly feel the roughness of his calloused fingers (only now did she realize he had lost his gloves), but the touch was tender and soothing—as if he was handling something incredibly precious.
The girl felt blood rushing to her face.
She had come here expecting a crisis, and in a way, found one, but of a totally different nature. She didn’t know how to handle this Childe: a very forward and honest young man who gazed at her longingly. Who admired her as if she had hung the stars in the sky with her own hands.
Lumi averted her eyes, and his hand fell back to his side.
Unfortunately, the unpredictable drunkard didn’t give her much time to steady her racing heart. Suddenly, he stood up, managing to do so without stumbling this time, and grabbed her wrist, pulling the girl along with him.
"Come on, comrade, no more moping around! You’re finally here, so let’s fight!"
"What?!"
They were just having a moment! ...or was she stupid to assume that dealing with this crazy battle-hungry weirdo?
"A fight. A spar. A brawl? Maybe a tussle? Trochę ruchu na poprawę humoru nie zaszkodzi~!" he suddenly broke into random Snezhnayan and she had no clue what he said but somehow sensed the intent: he was excited. And an excited drunk Harbinger seemed like the worst idea under the sun.
"No no no," with little effort she switched their grip so that now their palms were properly linked and pulled him in the opposite direction instead—away from the training ground currently turned into a dance? floor? full of bizarrely prancing people and towards the tent on the darker, less crowded side of the camp. "You can use up your excess energy on the pillow because you’re going straight to bed."
They had privacy earlier because the Agent that brought her to the camp clearly instructed others to keep their distance if they wanted to live, but here it felt more natural. Away from the prying eyes and fearful glances the two hid in the tent marked with the Harbinger insignia (or more like Lumi pushed the reluctant Childe inside). Only then did the blonde finally allow herself to breathe a sigh of relief.
And savour the brief respite for the whole three seconds.
"Where are we? Noooooo, this isn’t where I wanted to go!" saying that, Ajax glomped the girl and, again, started whining in Snezhnayan.
She was at a loss: at their close proximity and the absurdity of the whole situation. Now he was seriously acting like a "child(e)." And maybe, just maybe, it was a bit cute, you didn't hear it from her, though. She tried to disentangle herself, but Childe's grip was unexpectedly strong, and she didn’t want to hurt the man. His size didn’t help either—Lumine practically drowned in his eager embrace, her face buried in his chest, enveloped in a pleasant warmth and inhaling the fresh ocean scent. To think he could still smell like that even after drinking throughout the whole evening.
But life was about to get even more unfair.
The Harbinger suddenly staggered on his feet, the alcohol in his veins finally catching up with his body and collapsed to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Lumine, of course, went down with him. By some miracle, they didn't knock over the lamp and thank the Archons—the last thing they needed right now was to set the entire camp on fire.
The pair tumbled onto the sleeping bag cushioning the impact, but Lumi didn't mind an extra bruise or two—her emotional state was at far greater risk here.
She held her breath, finding herself on top of the idiot Harbinger. Their lips mere millimetres apart. The two pairs of eyes gazed at each other in awe, unable to look away. The blue of his ocean irises seemed darker than usual. Filled with all-consuming want and pulling her in...
She should have immediately gotten up. Ran away as far as she could, because this was dangerous. So much depended on her quest—the future of her family, their journey through space, and even the fate of this very world. There was no room in her life for forming bonds that crossed certain boundaries, making her yearn for a different kind of existence where the people she met along the way weren’t temporary.
Where friends would be forever, and reaching towards this boy wouldn't end in heartbreak.
But before her racing mind could reach any conclusion, warm lips met hers, and all the wonderings, doubts and hesitations suddenly became irrelevant. Disappeared in the semi-darkness of this ordinary tent.
The choice was made for her and for once… Lumine didn’t mind.
She leaned into the kiss, closing her eyes as their lips moved in perfect harmony. She could feel his body beneath her own, a slight shiver running down her spine when his hand tangled in her hair. He tugged gently, making her moan softly into his mouth. The sound encouraged him, and Lumi didn't mind. At all. Lost herself in the sensation, in what she stubbornly denied herself for so long.
Maybe surrendering to love didn't mean betrayal and giving up.
Maybe it could be her drive to move forward. Another goal to fight for.
Their tongues entwined in a dance full of affection: slow, unsure, but with each next heartbeat more feverish and bolder. When they finally pulled apart, Childe gazed at her in a daze, his eyes glazed with alcohol and tender adoration. Whispered, "What a nice dream."
"Huh?" she blinked, her head still spinning from the passionate kiss.
"Dreams. They always end too soon. But I like this one," he murmured dreamily, gently brushing her hair he had just messed up. Then, something came over the man. After clumsily fumbling with his own ear, he moved onto hers, and seconds later she found herself suddenly wearing his red earring, while her feather one rested in his palm. "Beautiful…" His quiet voice was barely audible over the distant laughter mixed with lively music.
Next Ajax's eyes gently shut, his breathing immediately evening out. Leaving the girl staring at him in disbelief.
"Wha... what just happened?" she muttered, looking at the now-sleeping Harbinger with growing annoyance.
Had he really kissed her, all the while thinking it was just a dream, and then passed out?!
You must be joking.
Feeling the need for revenge, she pinched his nose. When he didn't react, she tugged at his cheeks, and ears, and hair but the guy priding himself on having great fighting and survival instincts also apparently slept like a dead man when drunk.
With a sigh, Lumine rolled to the side and propped herself up on an elbow to watch his profile. The slow rise and fall of his chest—a comforting sight given his occupation and nature.
She was fed up with worrying about him but couldn't stop. Was simply unable to. Realised not without inwardly cringing that despite everything she would always come running to the side of this reckless man, just as she had today. Would do anything to save him and be saved in return. That's just how things were between them.
Lumi hid her face in her hands. "I'm so down bad."
Childe was hellishly unpredictable. Appearing out of nowhere, disappearing before you knew it. Making her heart race, bulldozing through all the walls she had built, only to take no responsibility for it.
She softly brushed his fringe away from his closed eyes.
He was so handsome, so thrilling, so caring.
Equal parts unhinged and lovable.
"It's so unfair," Lumi quietly snorted, tugging at the unfamiliar earring dangling by her cheek.
It glittered in the lamplight, and suddenly, an impulsive idea sprouted in her mind.
The girl carefully pulled the feather earring out of his grip, mischief sparkling in her golden eyes.
*~*~*
When Childe woke up, he felt two things: a splitting headache and something tickling his cheek.
The headache was easy to explain—though at some point during the evening, his brain stopped recording what was happening, and his memory was hazy at best, he clearly recalled throwing a party for Vitaliy involving a lot of alcohol, so today’s misery was self-explanatory.
What about the tickling though?
With great effort, Ajax rolled onto his back and found a... feather? He tugged at it and winced as it pulled on his ear.
Wait, ear?
His mind was still groggy but managed to add two and two together: it must have been an earring. A feather earring instead of his red gem one.
How did that happen exactly? Precious stones didn't usually turn into random animal body parts.
Did he lose it in a bet of some kind yesterday? Traded it, or gave it away in a drunken stupor?
"Great," the man groaned squeezing the bridge of his nose. "Mama's going to kill me."
Not that he ever planned to use it for its intended purpose, but the earring was actually a gift from his mother. It was a cheap trinket but had immense sentimental value.
"Your father gave me this single earring years ago in place of an engagement ring because he was too poor to afford one at the time," she had said on the day he was about to leave to join the Fatui. "Now that I have a real ring, I’m passing this earring on to you. I hope that one day, you'll find someone who can lead you out of this darkness, mój kochany syneczku. When you do, give them this earring and never let them go."
He shook his head at the memory and instantly regretted that decision, as pain surged prompted by the sudden movement.
Well, there goes the family heirloom, I suppose.
But where did the feather come from?
*~*~*
Half an hour later, Childe managed to get out of the bedroll and out of the tent. The light still stung his eyes, but it was bearable.
What was less manageable, however, was the snickering of the Agents who happened to notice the feather dangling from his ear. He tried to take it off but couldn’t, okay?! The clasp seemed to be damaged, and he didn’t want to destroy it…
Taking a deep breath, it was still early so the air was cold and crisp, the man looked around.
He half-expected the camp to be a picture of misery and despair after an all-night party but was pleasantly surprised that wasn’t the case. Most of the Fatui, though looking as worse for wear as he did, were either diligently tidying up the mess or resting after having already tackled the designated clean-up.
To think they showed such initiative... Maybe I really trained them well.
"They just needed a little motivation," came an unexpected voice from behind him, answering his thoughts.
The man jumped, a vague memory of something similar happening the previous day surfacing—a surprising visitor appearing out of nowhere...
"Comrade!" He smiled as he saw Lumine standing there with her sword drawn, casually resting its blade on her shoulder while glaring at the Agents bustling around busy with their tasks.
Ah.
That immediately explained where the sudden enthusiasm of his men towards household chores came from.
"Why are you here?" Childe asked.
"Are you really asking me that?" She raised an eyebrow. "So you don’t remember anything from yesterday?"
"I remember throwing a party for Vitaliy, but after that, things get kind of blurry." He sheepishly scratched his neck, wondering if he had imagined it, or if she looked slightly... disappointed at his admission.
"Blurry, huh?" the girl mumbled looking away.
"What? What did I do?" Childe asked immediately, full of dread. Lumine’s reaction was fueling his fears with the worst possible scenarios.
Did he vomit all over her boots?
Did he dance on the table? ...naked?
Did he fight anyone?
Did he lose???
Ajax had a sinking suspicion he was forgetting something very very important.
"Nothing, apparently. If you don’t remember, it didn’t happen." Lumine spun on her heel, preparing to walk away, but Childe quickly jogged after the blonde, grabbing her wrist to stop her.
"Wait. Come on, comrade, don’t be like that. Just tell me what happened."
Lumine turned back to him but remained silent, her expression complicated as if she were weighing whether or not to reveal the truth.
Then, he noticed it—the red glimmer right next to her cheek.
As if in a trance, he gently pushed her hair aside and reached for the familiar earring dangling from her ear.
"Why do you have this?" Ajax whispered in shock, but she swatted his hand away and defensively retreated a step.
"I’m not giving it back," the girl answered defiantly and flicked his forehead when he tried to approach again.
"Ouch!"
Childe didn’t know that where Lumine came from returning gifts was considered bad luck. Nor did he know that her fierce protectiveness was driven by a complex mix of other emotions, too. And all of them were his fault.
It wasn't just a present. It was a present from him. And that meant a lot more than Lumine was willing to admit out loud.
"If you wanna know more make sure to remember it yourself."
This time, he didn’t try to stop her and let the girl walk out of the camp undisturbed. Ajax touched the feather earring, watching her retreating figure.
Now it was clear where the trinket came from.
His heart began to race.
She has my earring and I have hers.
He had no clue why or how or when they swapped, but they did. Also was pretty sure she wasn’t aware of the implications of his gift, yet it still sent his emotions into overdrive.
"Don’t let them go," his mother had said.
He tried to deny it, but his heart chose long ago: for him, it was Lumine or no one at all. His drunk self apparently did something his sober self was unable to achieve, set dangerous things in motion—and now the rest was up to owning it up and following through.
Ajax covered his mouth as he grinned, not wanting to give his soldiers more reasons for gossip. The future looked interesting indeed.
But still:
"What the heck happened yesterday?!"