Deja Vu

Rex Incognito

[A/N: Zhongli reveals his identity as Morax to Childe and Lumine. Lumine ends up surprising him in more ways then expected.]

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The state Lumine was in when Zhongli saw her walk into the bank broke his heart. She was covered in wounds and bruises from head to toe. Her clothes once white as snow now showed the tell tale signs of the battles she had just waged. But there was a defiance in her honey amber eyes as her eyes went straight for Signora and Childe. It had not escaped his notice the ire she had towards Signora and the hurt and anger she had towards young Tartaglia. He knew without any words that Lumine had bad blood between La Signora and herself. But as for Childe he thought that her and the 11th Harbinger had been starting to become friends so what had happened? He had some theories but only they could confirm them. 

"Hey I see Zhongli and Childe...wait it's you! Signora, you're also one of the Harbingers!?"gasped Paimon.

"Signora what the hell are you doing here!?"she growled. The blonde traveler had a fire in her eyes as she did not allow any sign of her condition be known. 

"Oh so its you two."Signora laughed turning her attention to the blonde traveler that had apparently stood toe to toe with the youngest of the eleven harbingers. What a thorn in her side this annoying pest had become. "I believe we met once in the City of Bards, was it? How flattering that you remember my name. Ah, that's right it must have been so hard for you to watch helplessly as something so precious was snatched away from your dear friend."she mocked.

Zhongli though had gone over to Lumine's side discretely taking Lumine's hand that trembled with her fury. He was not fond of Barbatos but he did not hate the Anemo Archon. Signoras words only confirming what he had learned months ago prior as his stoic expression remained as he gently squeezed his beloved's hand. It seemed to work as she glanced over at him briefly and relaxed, taking a deep breath to calm her temper as she squeezed his hand right back. Paimon though usually very dense and not always the brightest sword in the smithy for once speaking reasonably. 

"Well if it isn't Ojou-chan. This is our first encounter since Liyue almost got wiped off the map. This uh, kinda...awkward, wouldn't you say?"greeted Childe with an embarressed smile. 

Lumine though just right down snapped and actually leaped right at him to land a kick to the face. "That's for caving in the damn floor and tossing a whale at me!!"

"I'm sorry! How was I suppose to know the floor would cave in!?"yelped Childe as the poor boy was dealing with the full force of Lumine's anger while Signora just watched smugly taking some pictures with a kamera she had on her. 

Once Lumine finally calmed down thanks to Zhongli and Paimon and one very bruised Childe later. But she looked very surprised at Zhongli. "Wait, Signora and Zhongli?"Lumine asked.

"So actually I think —"Signora though was fast to cut Childe off.

"Enough with the idle chit chat, Childe. There will be plenty of time for that later once I'm through here."Signora rebuked, her patience running thing. Her steel grey eyes turning to land on Zhongli. "You remember the agreement don't you, Morax? Now if you would be so kind...the gnosis please."

Lumine, Childe, and Paimon gawked at what Signora had just said but none were more shocked then Lumine. He could feel her stunned honey gaze land on him as he pulled out the object in question. It looked similar to Venti's gnosis but this one had parts giving off a faint glow of geo energy. "Gnosis?"Lumine asked. The poor girl looked so confused. But what hurt Zhongli as he looked away from the girls' questions was that he had kept this secret of his identity from Lumine. "I didn't want her to find out this way..."he thought with a sigh avoiding her gaze out of guilt. No he had planned to tell her on the way back but then all the chaos and him being called away to help Hu Tao had prevented this.