"Oil and water will never mix". Lumine, The Traveller of Worlds and Tartaglia, the 11th Fatui Harbinger learned that the hard way. They will always be enemies despite their blossoming friendship. Do they actually have friendship or is it something m...
No one else is in the Tavern except for the Archons, the knights and Master Diluc. Everyone is silent but sniffles can be heard from Paimon.
Paimon hasn't been well. She barely talks or eat. Lumine's death was too sudden. She can't accept that she didn't get to do anything to protect her. She feels weak.
Silence in the tavern is suffocating. The thick air of pain and stress enters their lungs. "Where did the acting Grandmaster go?" Master Diluc broke the silence as he poured Dandelion Wine in a glass halfway.
"She still has some work to do." Kaeya answered his brother. That only made the air even thicker. Though they have improved their relationship a bit, doesn't mean they won't get awkward and feel tense with each other.
The silence took over once more. No one can say a word out of their mouth. The thick atmosphere is preventing their voice to come out.
Paimon is all alone in a corner, staring into nowhere. Amber noticed it and she cleared her throat and walked up to her. "Paimon? Are you feeling alright?" She said in her non-usual arrogant tone. Instead, she asked in a soft and gentle way.
Paimon rubbed her eyes and looked at her. "Paimon is fine, really. It still stings a little though..."
Amber wants to cheer her up a bit. But she doesn't know what else to say. She sat beside her and rested her arms on the table.
Come on, Amber. Think! Amber thought to herself. "Y-you and the Traveler sure are close. I wonder what your adventures with her are like."
Paimon looked at her and reminisced the times that she spent with Lumine. "Paimon always accompanies Lumine when she does her commisions or when she clears the Hilichurl camps." She remembers the dangers they have went through together and the Traveler protecting her.
"Paimon remembers the day Paimon first met Lumine. She fished Paimon out of the water and saved Paimon from drowning." She smiled at that thought.
Amber smiled a little. "I remembered that time that I first met you two in the forest. She introduced you as her Emergency Food." She chuckled weakly.
Paimon frowned at her. Amber then tried to change the subject. "So how was your first visit to Liyue Harbor?"
"It was a disaster! Paimon and Lumine got suspected as the murderers of Rex Lapis." Zhongli almost choked at the Dandelion Wine that Master Diluc served to him. He looked at their direction. "Paimon was just talking about what happened to Paimon and Lumine when we first went to Liyue Harbor."
Zhongli settled down back at his seat and glanced at the drunk Anemo Archon beside him. "Traveler.. why?!" Venti sobbed as Zhongli patted his back gently trying to comfort him awkwardly.
"We were chased by the guards and we had to sneak around. But Lumine made a noise and we almost got caught. Luckily, Mr. Money Bags showed up and saved us." Paimon continued with a slightly cheerful tone.
"Mr... Money Bags?" Amber looked at her confusely. "Oh, it's just how Paimon calls Childe or Tartaglia. Boy, he sure has a lot of names..." Paimon imagined the tangerine man saving them from the guards.
"You mean THE 11th Fatui Harbinger?" Amber lost words. A Fatui saving a Knight? "Well, Childe isn't really that bad. He only has a habit of getting stronger." She remembers the weekly sparring that Childe challenges Lumine into.
"Now that you mentioned that Fatui Harbinger, why did he turn against them and sided with the Traveler." Amber wondered and looked around as if looking for the answer.
Paimon recalled something when Lumine invited Childe over her Serenitea Pot.
"Paimon thinks she knows why..."
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A month ago at the Traveler's Serenitea Pot...
"Paimon! Where did Lumine go? I was about to tell her that I just finished cleaning the hallway." The man with tangerine hair asked her. "You shouldn't have bothered to do so! She just went out to get some ingredients for lunch. She said you should join us."
"Really? Finally, I'll get to taste Lumine's cooking once more!" Childe smiled ear to ear and he already can taste her cooking just by imagining it.
"As my payment for the lunch later, I'll clean the living room, too!" He smiled enthusiastically. He was about to leave the porch but Paimon stopped him.
"Childe... let's talk. Paimon has a lot of questions to ask you." She looked serious. Childe seemed confused but he leaned against the sliding door that leads to the living room.
"Why do you do stuff like this for Lumine? You two sure are close. When you get invited in here, you clean or cook for her. You're being so nice." Paimon observed him head to toe.
"Despite you being a Fatui Harbinger, you and Lumine sure have a good relationship. Is it because she helped you with Teucer? Or... are you feeling guilty for what you have done back at the Golden House?"
Childe lost his words. All that is running in his mind is Lumine and it's making him confused. Her smiles distracts him. Her comfort makes him feel calm and loved. He got jealous when he found out about Thoma saving Lumine. He gets angry when Lumine talks about him. He gets excited when he knows he helps her a little bit by cleaning or cooking for her.
Childe flushed and covered his mouth. Paimon looked at him confused. "I-I... don't even know." They sat at the front porch where the sun is shining brightly.
He kept playing with his fingers and he keeps looking around, blushing. "I can't even understand myself... Me and Lumine are good friends. But... there's something always in the way. I don't know when it all started. Every time I'm with her, I feel very happy. When she smiles at me, I feel my heart dropping and my face getting hot."
He played with his gloves and he didn't wear them. "When I tease her and she teases me back, I feel my heart bursting out of my throat. When she fights me, I get all excited and I want to beat her so bad but I always end up losing because I don't want to scar her fair skin."
Paimon didn't know Childe can look so stupid. Paimon patted his back and looked at him. "Do you perhaps..." Paimon took a few seconds to process everything.
"COULD IT BE YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH LUMI-?!?!?!" Childe immediately covered Paimon's mouth. "Shhh!!! She's here." Childe stopped her from completing her sentence.
Lumine waved at them and approached them. "I'm back with the ingredients! Boy, those boars sure are a handful." She then saw Ajax covering Paimon's mouth.
"Uhm.. what's going on?" Lumine tilted her head a bit, causing Ajax to let go of Paimon. "Oh, it was nothing. Paimon won't stop talking and a fly almost entered her mouth." Childe giggled at his excuse but Paimon looked unamused and about to disagree but she surprisingly brushed it off.
"Okay, if you say so. Come on, let's get inside. It's getting hot out here." Lumine brushed the awkwardness off and went inside first.
Paimon knew what his answer was. Childe looked at her flustered. "Please don't tell her about this." He plead. Paimon nodded as a response and followed him inside.
![[DISCONTINUED?] Are We Star-crossed Lovers? (Childe X Lumine)](https://img.wattpad.com/cover/310580164-64-k509905.jpg)