𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞 - 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐢

11

A/N: Hey people! Thank you for reading this far in my fanfic! Sorry that my updates are so slow. My motivation has been running really low. Thank y'all for sticking around if you have though! I also slightly changed something about Childe's canon design because I thought it might be cute to add the origins for the stomach window...

Childe had a plan. It was a crazy plan, reckless. But wasn't Childe? This was just crazy and reckless in a different way--a way that Childe never thought he would risk. He needed his answers--for his queen and archon, but also maybe for himself.

Lumine found herself weaving in and out of consciousness, sometimes seeing Xinyan and Shiki Taishou or even Childe staring nervously down at her. She finally awoke when the sun was dipping beneath the horizon on the beach where the domain's entrance was. Feeling a nagging sort of itch on her arms, she turned her head to see the mighty harbinger whose name was feared and had survived the abyss at a young age... tending to her wounds? The burns that ran down her arms, although minor, had Childe intently focused on. In his hands, cold pools of water formed which he carefully dipped a piece of ragged fabric in. Half-consciously, Lumine watched the man gingerly dab at the nicked parts on her skin and the burns that ran down them in a gentle manner that she thought he was never capable of.

Lumine's hands drifted to her face where she felt her temple and lips, both wet from Childe's care. His eyes shot up to hers, noticing her movement, and lightened considerably.

"Good to see you... er, alive, comrade," he said joyfully, lowering the rag in his hands, "if not particularly well!" Lumine didn't share his mood. After scanning her surroundings, which were right outside the domain, she felt a jolt of panic race through her. "Where is she?" asked Lumine, golden eyes widening in fear. "Oh, you mean the spiky red girl--Xinyan? She left to get you proper treatment back in the city a few hours ago."

Lumine sighed. Of course--it was in Xinyan's nature to assist, even if she probably barely knew her way around the foreign nation. She hoped that she at least made it there and wasn't being ambushed by Nobushi or hilichurls. Heck, she was worried that she might even be struck by lightning.

Childe's head cocked and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You didn't forget about Paimon, did you?"

Oops.

"Well, even if you did, Paimon is acting as Xinyan's guide."

That was a relief. Even if Xinyan did get lost, she wouldn't starve for a while.

A gloved hand reached out to offer the soaked piece of fabric that the harbinger used to tend to Lumine to her. The gray fabric Lumine quickly realized must have come from Childe's suit, which, surely enough, was ripped at the shirt's hem, revealing a small amount of skin on his stomach. "Thought you might want to take it from here, then," smirked Childe, lightless eyes on hers as if he could track her gaze, his hand still extended. Her golden eyes averted quickly and a pink dust settled over her cheeks. "Unless, of course, you don't want to."

An accented voice sounded from beside the two, startling them both. "Hey, Red, Lumine! Glad to see you both!"

Lumine almost wanted to hug Xinyan. The rock n' roll musician held a pouch of what she would assume to be medicine or soothing cream of some sort. She was also carrying bandages and what appeared to be... food?

Thank the archons. Or, maybe thank Xinyan.

"And me! Thank me, too! Xinyan wouldn't have made it anywhere without me," Paimon insisted while stuffing her face with tri-flavored skewers and butter crab.

"I can eat you instead, Paimon," said Lumine holding dango in her right hand.

Paimon glared at her, but she just continued eating.

When they were all finished, the group thanked Xinyan, who smiled shyly and scratched her head. "Trust me, I wouldn't have been able to get this stuff if it hadn't been for Paimon or Red!"

Why was Childe coming into this?

"Funding is nothing. I did quite a lot of it while in Liyue."

Oh.

"By the way, if we're all finished, we can head in." Shiki Taishou said sagely. Xinyan wiped off her mouth and nodded eagerly.

"You guys go ahead. The Traveler and I will be right in," spoke the harbinger.

Uh oh. This was Lumine's chance to get her answer. This was Childe's chance to get his answers. When the others hesitantly disappeared into the magical-looking door that led to the equally as mysterious domain, the two stood in an uncomfortable silence.

Childe made the first move: he approached Lumine slowly as if cornering an animal, brushed her cheek and lips with his gloved fingers. "Childe, what--" Lumine drew in a quick shaky breath before he leaned, drawing her in with him, and let their lips meet. It lasted no longer than a few seconds, but she nearly didn't process it at all. Her cheeks burned, body feeling unbearably hot. This time there was no one to soothe the remnants of fire on her skin.

A/N again: I don't know if y'all saw but Zhongli's rerererun (also the first fourth banner of a singular five star character) is coming out in 3.0 and no one seems upset... but they ridiculed my boy Childe for having the first rererun in 2.2. Just seems like selective bullying for Tartag. Don't get me wrong, I love Zhong Dong as much as the next person, it just seems unfair. Especially when some characters haven't even had their rerun, or second banner, ever. Hoyoverse could have replaced Zhongli with Shenhe, since it's the same patch (2.4) when they had their banners to even things out a little. To be fair, I am biased because I really want Shenhe and already have Zhongli and, if you couldn't tell, I'm down bad for Snezhnaya's greatest love machine. Now I realize I ranted for way too long, sorry.

P.S. I JUST SPENT LIKE FOUR MORE HOURS FIXING THIS STORY BECAUSE I JUST REREAD IT AND REALIZED EVERY PART OF IT IS KINDA ASS SO... I DON'T KNOW, IF ARE AN OG READER THEN YOU MIGHT FIND QUITE A FEW DIFFERENCES... OOPS? ALSO THIS IS MY FIRST FANFICTION SO SORRY IF ALL OF MY WRITING IS ASS ANYWAY HAHA BYE

P.P.S. Hi, I'm back already... I just wanted to say, if you didn't notice before, I changed the story's cover. Thoughts? I did design it myself.