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The sun peeks through thick white curtains. Childe rises to attention before he can even register he’s awake. It takes a few moments to remember he’s not in the barracks, or in an opulent (but lonely) mansion, or bleeding out. He’s in Lumi’s teapot, which is quickly becoming a regular occurrence.
After leaving Inazuma, he’d been shuffled around various projects and missions. None were all that interesting, not helped by the fatui’s sudden voids in leadership. He’d spent the last few months juggling double the amount of normal soldiers. He’d practically leapt at the opportunity to go to sumeru; even if it was just recon work, it’d at least be a change of pace.
Lumine was just the most wonderful bonus. They’d been keeping tabs since Inazuma, trying to send letters through the guild. Now, with all his work done, he has a few wonderful, amazing days to slack off. He wasn’t intended to have time off, but he was….motivated, so to speak.
As he stretches his arms over his head, he leans over to watch her. She’s curled up on her side, arms draped over the bed. Golden hair accentuates her round face and sunkissed skin. She also carries the faint scent of lotus flowers and nectar. Dendro looks much, much better on her. Sumeru’s climate also seems to have brought out a mole or two. Her face is one of pure relaxation.
Childe never cared much for beauty. It wasn’t something that had any reason to matter to him. He saw people for their internal qualities and the danger they posed to him. To his work. But he can’t fathom how beautiful she is. He almost feels shame for not recognizing it when they first met. And that only scratches the surface of the depths of love-real, tangible love-he has for her. He’s sure it’s endless. A black hole that will envelop him entirely.
His gaze causes her to stir. She twitches, eyes flying open. But they relax and fill with contentment once she sees who is watching. She gives a small smile. “Yes?” She asks teasingly, voice dry and deep from sleep.
“Nothing at all,” he says, resting his head on clasped hands. “Just taking in the view”
Lumine snorts, rolling your eyes. “Ugh, you’re awful. I’m going back to bed.”
Childe huffs, leaning closer. “Only the truth.” His breath catches on her neck.
“Cheesy truth,” she grumbles.
On her side, Childe can see the curvature of her muscles. The dip in her skin where her tan lines end. The faded twin scars she still won’t talk about. The much newer electro ones, now tinged a pale aquamarine. Squinting, he notices the exposed skin on her neck is twitching a bit. That won’t do. It’s not like he needs a reason to kiss her, anyway.
Calling on his vision, he leans down, pulling down the cuff of her nightshirt to line hydro-infused kisses across scarred skin (he suddenly remembers it’s his nightshirt she’s wearing. Gods, he doesn’t know why that does things to him).
Lumine lets out a pleased sigh, relaxing into his touch. Most of the electro has passed through her body, though the muscle-spasms still remain. She’d apparently had a really bad flare up after fighting |the mech built by those lunatic sages. New scars get raked over by new ones, writing over old stories with new ones of their own. Sometimes they repeat themselves, like the small electro lines on her left leg. Others are entirely new, like the claw wound over her left shoulder. All will be mapped by him, without exception.
Once he’s done, he relaxes into the crook of her neck, laying small pecks across her skin. She rocks into his touch, relaxing into his body against hers. “Thank you”, she says, voice foggy once more. Childe can feel himself nodding off too.
Soon he’ll have to get up and make some breakfast. Soon he’ll have to return to the fatui and attempt to explain his absences. He’ll have to return to his butterly cold homeland and await the Tsaritsa’s plans for fontaine. Lumine, too, will have to continue her journey, wherever that may take her.
But right now they’re in bed, slotted into each other like pieces of a puzzle. The last dregs of incense fill the room. Artificial wind leaves a slight rattle on the windows. It’s all he can ask for and more than he deserves.