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The last months had all built up to this moment. It was inevitable, two converging rivers finally meeting, joining and combining their essences, becoming something new, something greater.
It has been the result of several things, both those of gentle nature, and the showcase of their most raw and true selves.
The culmination of gentle caresses of comfort, of sleepless nights taking care of the other, of small and insignificant acts like cooking what the other preferred, of small and delicate touches, tucking a stray strand of hair behind the ear when it became bothersome, of his hand placed in a reassuring matter at the low of her back. Her hands braiding and playing with his hair.
But it was also the inevitable confrontations, when their moralities and viewpoints diverged and the result was an explosive clash. Heated arguments, that concluded with no agreement, days where silence would take hold of the realm and they would pretend as if the other didn’t exist.
But all of that, in the end, was completely necessary to reach their conclusion. For only in that way did they truly begin to see each other for who they really were.
See beyond the persona that others and the world had made them see. See beyond the mask of a so-called mad scientist, and find the part of him that was hesitant to do but still ached for a place to belong. See that behind the facade of a noble and valiant hero she also possessed an all devouring darkness, see that her hands were also dirty with the blood of many.
Soon early mornings spent in the silence and the welcomed presence of the other became routine. If their schedules allowed early afternoons would be used to cook their meals together, the kitchen filled with the sounds of their placid conversations. Any and all topics being discussed.
And placid nights where they would find themselves observing together the fabricated Teapot Realm sky, and finally with no hidden agendas behind nor with flowery metaphors, fighting through hesitance and a reluctance born of fear of rejection, they would dare to open their hearts in a manner they had never before. Fears and secrets that they had accumulated over the centuries, of the dark and painful parts of their past that they would rather keep buried.
And so, through that and many more small actions here they were.
***
Today is one of those rare days where the acclaimed Traveler and Hero of Nations finds herself with a completely empty schedule. Those rare days are usually used to do absolutely nothing or dedicated to fixing and changing things around the Teapot. Today she chose the latter.
Through the window of his room the former Harbinger gets a direct view to where Lumine is currently fixing things around in the garden. Not that far from her the little Pixie entertains herself playing with some of the many animals that call the realm their home.
Dottore had never expected things to end up here.
When months ago she had managed to rack him down the only thing that reassured him she had not come to kill him was her floating companion's presence. With the obvious care that the Traveler had towards the Pixie it was obvious she would not take her to witness such a gruesome scene.
Still, his fate at that moment was unknown to even him.
Would she force him to face justice? Through his lived centuries he had become an enemy to many all through several nations. Would she drag him to any of them and let them judge him for his perceived crimes?
But none of that came, instead what she offered was the same thing she had rejected several times from him.
A partnership, an offer to work together. His own proposal previously rejected, now thrown back at him.
It should have been insulting, a mockery of his desires.
But he didn’t perceive it like that, and instead it proved what he knew all along. That the illustrious and so noble Traveler was just like him.
He accepted, not out of desperation, or because he was left with no other option, weak and wounded he may have been at the moment, but none of that factored in his final decision.
No, he accepted before just like he always knew she had come along, and finally had come to accept what he always did, that they were meant to be at each other's side, working together and doing all in their power to change the world itself.
He knew of course that it would not be easy. Far too many transgressions and slights had been committed between them. But he was willing to be gracious and patient, and do whatever it was required to obtain her trust.
Of course the first matter to attend was where she would have him, amongst their conditions it was stated that he wasn’t allowed to roam freely through the world. To what dark dungeon would she throw him, he wondered? Or maybe she would imprison him inside a domain locked to anyone but her.
But while still a cage, in the end it wasn't the dark and forgotten place he had envisioned.
Instead the Teapot realm was a place clearly inspired by the forests of Sumeru , carefully tended gardens decorated the exterior, benches and a gazebo located in different zones offered where to rest and be able to observe the beautiful scenario.
And elevated on a platform a mansion of wood awaited.
Once again his expectations had been proved wrong when the place that was left for him was a decently sized room, with more than decent accommodations. And aside from the comfortable room, he was allowed to make use of the rest of the realm with no limitations.
A rather comfortable cage, he admitted to himself.
Later he would come to learn that this place was no other than Lumine's private realm, where only until now, had only seen the presence of the owner and her loyal white haired companion.
If it was some kind of power move to show who currently herald more power in the budding partnership they had, or if it was a simple decision born of naivety he still wasn't sure. But at this point he cared not for it.
Outside the fabricated sun was starting to make its descent. It wouldn’t be long before Lumine stopped her work.
In front of him and long since forgotten his desk was full of dismantled mechanisms and circuits that supposedly he was going to put back together again. But instead of doing that hours before his eyes had found her working in the gardens and they had simply refused to stop looking.
There was no point in remaining here in his room, he had made no progress all the day, and he knew that he wasn’t about to begin doing it. But also, it would soon be time for dinner.
He stood up and made way towards the door. From the corner of his vision he saw his mask laying over the nightstand but he decided against wearing it.
In a slow pace he made his way downstairs, before heading to the gardens he made a short stop to allow himself a look at the kitchen pantry and once he decided what he would make for dinner he headed out.
Lumine was still there, kneeling on the grass and dirt, hands busy tending to one of the flower beds. Not that far Paimon laid exhausted on the ground, the long day full of playing with the animals finally reached her.
“They have bloomed rather beautifully, haven’t they?”
This particular flower bed was full of plants native to Nod Krai; they shouldn’t have been able to thrive in this place that did not hold the conditions required for them. But either thanks to the Adeptal Energy, or Lumine’s own powers they had managed to do so against all expectations.
“Yes.” Lumine answers without looking at him. Her clothes and skin are full of dirt and leaves and yet she still manages to possess an otherworldly grace.
He finally reaches her side and stops. He bends his torso forwards and stops a little above his waist level, to take a closer look at the flowers. If at this position his face is at the same level than that of Lumine’s, then that is an unplanned coincidence.
“How does mora meat feel for dinner?” He asks, at the same time Lumine finishes what she was doing and finally turns to look at him.
“I’m not against it.” She answers, to some degree of disappointment only until now does he realize that today Lumine had put her hair up in a bun, there are no strands that fall on her face that he can tuck behind her ear.
“Good.” He simply says, but while no annoying strands adorns her face, what he can see is a speck of dirt over her right cheek.
In automatic his hand moves to clean her of it, but even after removing the dirt his hand stays in her face, cradling it with care, Lumine simply leans more into his touch.
It's not the first time he sees her in the light of the setting sun, the way that she shines in the golden light has become a familiar sight to him.
But today of all days there is an extra on it, maybe it’s the stardust gleaming in her eyes, or her small but so full of emotions smile, or maybe it’s simply the culmination of what has been building amongst them for months.
Both of them move slightly to close the distance between them. And finally their lips meet.
There is no feeling of fireworks exploding around, no rush of sudden emotions, and the world doesn’t stop to exist around them.
On the contrary, their kiss is grounding, and he’s still very aware of the breeze around him, of the dirt under his feet. It is simply a short thing, no longer than 2 seconds.
It’s a natural thing, the inevitable conclusion to what had been brewing in between them.
“Good.” He repeats, “it shall be ready soon.”
With a last caress he removes his hand from her face and makes his way back inside.
Their first kiss is a quiet simple thing, the culmination of a lot of simple and more quiet moments shared between them.
Behind him he can hear Paimon making mocking gagging sounds. Lumine softly laughs.
Their first kiss is nothing grand nor spectacular, instead it is a quiet beginning to something just as silent but so strong and firm that no power on Teyvat or any other world will be able to break apart.
An inevitability finally realized.