All Because of a Ruin Guard

Chapter 9

Lumine and I appear in an open field that's covered in Hillichurl camps. Lumine turns her head to face me. She gives me a questioning look. I can feel a grin form on my face. This has only happened with... her. "I thought you might want to blow off somepp steam?" I say, breaking the thick silence between us. Lumine smiles, ever so sweetly.
"Then let's get to work!" She glows whenever she speaks, like the sun breaking through the dawn, to start a new day.
Lumine runs toward one Hillichurl camp. When Hillichurls try to shoot her, I kill them. This is fun. Fun... I am having fun. With... Lumine.  "Xiao? Don't just stand there!" She says, waving her hand in the air to call me over.

[~○○●Later●○○~]

Lumine finished the last of the Hillichurls. But she paused. Is something wrong? Is she hurt? I go to her side, only to see her crying. She looked at me. I opened my arms, and she hugged me tightly. "What happened?" I ask softly.
"I *hic* It's just *hic* My brother. *hic* he just didn't get *hic* to know you *hic* first," Lumine said, her voice breaking. "If *hic* he did he *hic* wouldn't have *hic* been angry." I hug her even tighter than before. She berries her head into my chest. I hold the back of her head with my right hand.
"I know. It's not your fault." I don't know what to say, but I want to help. It hurts when she cries. I want her to smile and be happy.
Lumine cried, and I did my best to console her. When she stopped crying, it was evening, so I decided that we should get Paimon tomorrow. We went back to liyue, and I bought Lumine some food at the Wanmin Restaurant.

"Xiao? Why is there only one plate?"
"I'm an Adeptus. I don't need to eat."
"No. You're going to eat with me. Say aah~"
"Hmph. You have no respect for the ways of the Adepti."

Lumine spoon fed me. Ah! It hurts... my pride. But she was so close! Why are you leaving!? 'You lost me. Bye.' There goes my pride. Worth it.

In the morning, Lumine and I went to Mondsatdt and picked up Paimon.

"And then we went to meet Albedo!" Paimon said as she finished listing the people she talked to. Who is Albedo?

"Really? So you had fun?" Lumine grinned.

"Yeah! But Paimon missed you!" Paimon hugged Lumine. Lumine spun Paimon around, and both of them laughed. I want to hug Lumine like that. I want to hug Lumine.

"So, we still need to go back to Fontaine. That way, we might be able to accumulate more mora by doing more commissions."

"What! You haven't been doing commissions when I was away!?"

"No, it's actually a funny story we don't have time for. That I will not tell you. Ever. But Xiao and I are together. So, that's all you need to know."

"Really!? Finally. You two kept acting stupid when it came to each other. Paimon was getting annoyed."

Paimon crossed her arms as they continued down their path.

(Change pov!)
Lumine and Xiao said their sad goodbyes after the three reached Liyue. Afterward, Lumine kept acting like a kid who was grounded from electronics and grounded. Paimon wasn't having that.

"You're that sad to see him go when he's just a name call away!? Were you even a little upset when Paimon was gone!?" She said in a dramatically sad tone. Lumine laughed.

"Paimon, you know I love you." She smiled. "And nothing will... change that..." Lumine's smile faded, and she stopped in her tracks. I said that before...

Lumine smiled, "You know I love you, brother. And nothing will ever change that!" Aether hugged Lumine and spun her around. "I love you too, sister!"

The world blacked out, and Lumine saw her brother leave her through the portal yet again. "We have always had enough time."