couples therapy: a chilumi fanfiction

chapter one: who wants to go to couple's therapy with me?

"I'm sorry Miss Viatrix, but Dr. Reisenhart doesn't have any more spaces available for solo therapy this semester."

Lumine tapped her foot anxiously on the floor. The secretary had to be kidding, right? She had been on this stupid waiting list for months. When she was finally called in to do an assessment, they had made her wait for hours to see the psychiatrist. And after all that, they didn't have space for her?

"Are you sure there's no one else who can see me?" She asked.

The secretary gave her a sad smile. "Not for individual psychotherapy. If you were looking into couples therapy, however, Dr. Salchow has a spot left!"

Fucking. Couples. Therapy.

"There's a dedicated couples therapist?"

"You would be surprised, Miss Viatrix. Now, if you don't have any further questions, you're free to leave if you wish."

Angrily, she walked off back through the hallway into the waiting room. It wasn't that she had some sort of vendetta against couples. She had dated a few times in high school, before That had happened. But the fact that there was a psychiatrist that could have taken her, but instead only chose to take on couples? That pissed her off.

As she walked into the waiting room, she said something she thought no one would be able to hear:

"Anyone want to go to couples therapy with me?"

"Sure, girlie."

---

Ajax Ivanov didn't know why he was even going through with this.

Well, that's not entirely true. He knew why he was trying to get therapy. Because his Mama had asked him to, and he could never say no to his Mama. Because if he successfully completed therapy, maybe he would be allowed to live at home again full time.

Oh, and because the Tsaritsa suggested it might be a good idea for him to work for his boat load of trauma. "As long as it doesn't change how you fight," she said when he was talking about it with her.

So, after letting his roommates know that he would be gone for the day, he headed out to Teyvat Central University's centre for mental health. He could probably afford therapy elsewhere, but he was lazy, and the school's centre was convenient.

He was directed to a waiting room, where he had been waiting for the last three hours. Archons, it was so fucking boring. He just wanted to go home, grab his stuff and go to the ring.

Just as he was about to get up, call it a day, and leave, a girl walked into the room. She was stomping her little boots ever so slightly, and Ajax found it adorable. She was fairly short, around 5'1", and had big amber eyes and short blonde hair. And evidently, she was angry. Mama had always taught him never to mess with an angry woman.

"Does anyone want to go to couples therapy?" She barked out to no one in particular.

He smirked.

"Sure, girlie."

She looked up from her phone, her face bright pink from embarrasment. It was adorable.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Ajax leaned back in his chair. "I said, I'll go to couples therapy with you, girlie."

She put her phone down, and then glared at him before speaking. "First of all, I'm not your girlie. Second of all, you weren't meant to hear that. And third of all, who even are you?"

"My name's Ajax, but most people call me Childe."

She took a seat across from him, her eyes flashing with light for a split second.

"You're kidding me, right? Your name is Child? " She said incredulously.

He nodded. "Childe with an E."

"I'm not calling you that."

"You don't have to girlie"

" Stop calling me that."

Ajax leaned forward and looked her in the eyes. "What do you want me to call you then?"

"Lumine." Lumine. That was a pretty name, it suited her well. It sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't put his mind on where he had heard it before. It had been a long time ago, anyways.

"Alright, I'll call you Lumi then." He smirked.

"I give up." She threw her hands in the air in exasperation, and started to stand up. Ajax put his hand out to stop her.

"Woah Lumi, where are you going? You still haven't told me why you wanted someone to go to couples therapy with you. Boyfriend troubles? Or girlfriend troubles, I won't judge."

She reluctantly sat back down. "Nope, I'm single as can be." She sighed, and rested her head on her hand, her hair shifting slightly. "I've been trying to get therapy from this archons-forsaken therapy office since I started school here, and now that they finally get me in for a consult, they tell me the only therapist with a spot open is only doing couples therapy."

"I see. It seems like we're in... a similar situation." She looked up at him, amber meeting blue. "I also was told there wasn't a spot."

"I'm sorry," she smiled sadly.

"Now.... if only there was a way for both of us to get therapy with only one spot available." He grinned.

"You know I said that as a joke right? I'm not going to couples therapy with a stranger."

"Why not?" He quipped.

"....Because I don't even know you?"

"And? Look, girli-"

" Don't call me that." Those large amber eyes weren't so cute when they were glaring at him.

"Fine. Look, we both want therapy, ok? And currently, neither of us can get it. But... if we were to go to couples therapy together, we could both get the therapy we want without having to wait. Plus," his eyes danced mischievously, his voice rising. "It might be fun."

She froze in thought, considering her options. Ajax took the time to really, truly, take her in. She was wearing a grey, oversized sweatshirt with a white tennis skirt, and had pearl earrings in. Her short hair really did suit her face, framing it nicely.

"Fine. I'll do it."

He grinned like a young child. "That sounds great! I'll give you my number, and I'll take you out on a date."

Her eyes narrowed. "You do know we aren't actually dating, right?"

"Of course I do. Who says a potential friend can't treat another friend to some coffee? Plus, if this is going to work, we need to get our backstories straight."

Lumine nodded, and the two of them exchanged numbers before heading their separate ways. Around 10 minutes later, Ajax checked his phone to see a message from her:

Lumi [4:05 pm]

I hope you don't make me regret this Ajax

Ajax [4:07 pm]

You won't, I promise ;)