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The door barely made it shut behind them before they were stumbling across the room.
Lumine was still panting from running about to avoid getting killed. Those phantoms in the cavern had really taken a toll on them.
“Not bad, comrade,” Childe remarked between short breaths. “Looks like you’ve gotten stronger.”
“We are not sparring.” She resisted the urge to punch him. “Not today.”
She didn’t need another surprise, not after what had happened in Nod Krai. It was supposed to be a relaxing catch-up session, until Childe accidentally slipped on a stone tablet mechanism. Lumine had grabbed him, but both of them still ended up tumbling into the deep cavern below.
They practically flopped onto the worn sofa by the window, legs giving in beneath them. The ghost of danger was still replaying in their minds: the rush of water in the cavern, the stone that slid beneath their feet, the split second where either of them could have vanished into the dark.
Yet by some miracle, they were alive.
Lumine lifted her head from the rough fabric of the sofa back. Stray strands of hair clung to her flushed cheeks. She had wanted to show him the dress she wore when she and her brother still traversed the stars. But now, she was sure she looked unpresentable. Still, she stole a glance at Childe.
He was already looking at her. There was something soft in his eyes—relief, concern, or even awe? Maybe he was still thinking about the exhilaration of cutting through the phantoms.
“You’re beautiful.”
He said at last, and she suddenly didn’t know where to look. Despite the blush creeping up her cheeks, she held his gaze. Childe leaned in, and Lumine strangely chose not to turn away.
Their lips met, softly and hesitantly, almost like he was asking for permission. Lumine froze in her place on the sofa, an unfamiliar sensation stirring within her.
Yet deep down, she knew she had been thinking about his bouncy orange hair, jokes about fighting her, and cheerful smile a little too much. She looked forward to every one of their meetings. And she wanted to hear all his stories.
Maybe it was adrenaline, maybe it was relief.
Maybe…it was time to give in.
She reached out to wrap her arms around him. Her fingers found the back of his neck, and his arms slid around her waist, pulling her closer. Her heart soared in her chest, and her mind raced along. It was every reckless battle they fought side by side, every near miss, every glance that lingered just a little too long.
His hands shifted ever so slightly on her waist, sending a shiver down her bare back. Lumine had forgotten how backless her old dress was. A spark arose within her, and she could not tell if it was the thrill of narrowly escaping death or the touch of his gloved fingers.
They pulled apart to breathe, and her forehead rested against his.
“So…” she started, voice small and breathless. Amber met ocean blue.
He laughed softly, and she too, almost simultaneously. She caught the blush rising on his face, disbelief and giddiness reflected in his features. She shifted closer until her side pressed fully against his, and his arm came down around her shoulders easily.
Under the dim lamplight, the cosy room was a refuge from all the dangers outside. He was her refuge. In that moment, all she wanted was to be in his embrace.
So why not?
She tilted her head towards him again, already giving up on resisting. As if on cue, he cupped her face.
This time, there was no uncertainty—but rather, a newfound confidence in the way he held her. Her arms slipped around his neck once more, cherishing every bit of his warmth. She felt a shift in pressure as he returned the kiss. It was as if something had snapped loose, like the sudden yet inevitable pull of gravity, drawing them close.
For a long while, they stayed there, leaning into each other’s embrace. Their surroundings seemed to fade. She let the steady rhythm of his heartbeat calm her senses.
If she were the moon, then he was the tide that responded to its gravity.
Even if dawn would bring dangers again. Even if their refuge was just for one night.