Archive of Our Own ^beta

He's had these marks for as long as he could remember. Two gashes down his back, right against his shoulder blades. For someone to be born with the scars of their soulmate wasn’t uncommon, but wounds so severe to leave marks like that… Even as a child, he could tell they belonged to someone who must have suffered greatly. 

He was curious, of course he would be. What type of person were they? What life were they living?

What had happened to them? 

Because he would never find any more marks from them. 

He wasn’t a clumsy kid, but still had a penchant for trouble. Scrapes on his knees and elbows from running around outside, a fishing hook stuck in his hand when his oldest brother thought it’d be funny to cast his fishing line at him, cuts on his fingers from accidents with knives as he helped his mother prepare meals. All those little injuries that came from living. He used to wonder if they were annoyed by all his mishaps. 

But he would never get anything from them, no marks on his skin, no flashes of pain. So he started to wonder if the worst had come to pass. 

He'd heard the whispers of his parents, older siblings. And he wasn’t stupid. It was not unheard of for someone's soulmate to die before they ever met their other half. 

He only thought he'd feel more if that ever happened. 

But his attention would be stolen, by foolish decisions and childish mistakes. No time left to dwell on old marks as he'd find himself with many scars that he knew all too well where they came from. No sign of life came from them and he, well, he was just barely hanging on to his own. So he assumed they were dead and maybe it was for the best. Because who could ever want a guy like him? 

Lumine wakes up alone. She hears the soft rustling of leaves in the wind, sees the trees looming overhead. Feels the grass tickles her skin and the smell of earth fills her nose.

She doesn't know where she is. 

But she remembers how she got there. The cold glare in that woman's eyes as she stripped Lumine of her powers, her wings, her brother, it's burned into her mind.

She feels her back start to ache, mourning the loss of her freedom. Sitting up, she twists her head back as if maybe if she closed her eyes and opened them again, she could catch sight of her wing tips. And she reaches back with her hand, desperate for any sign they existed. Her fingers brush against worn skin, too smooth to the touch. 

They were there, once. 

She lets her hand fall to the ground, starts picking at the grass. Rests her head back against the tree. She needs to move, needs to figure out what to do next. But she’s missing so much, it’s hard to start moving again.

Finally, she forces herself to stand, bracing herself against a tree. She raises a hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight streaming in between the leaves.

That’s when she sees them, thin white lines winding their way up her fingers. She frowns, pulls off her gloves. And she stares at the marks on her skin, whispers of scars she knows aren't hers. The lines spread out across her arms like vines, cut across by thick gashes along her forearms. 

What are they? She traces one with her finger. It's like someone took a paintbrush to her skin when she was asleep, decorating it with ferns. But she can't remove them.

She sighs, and puts her gloves back on. Because she can't think about it for long. There are more important things to find. So, she starts moving. She might have nothing but her life and a million questions but that will be enough to start.

It's a quiet journey, a lonely one, until she stumbles upon a fairy somehow drowning in a lake. The floating creature thanks her profusely for rescuing her and assigns herself as Lumine's guide, adding a much needed companion to the trip.

One night she asks Paimon about the lines on her arms, what could they possibly mean. The fairy flits about excitedly. "You have a soulmate?" 

Soulmate? She had a soulmate? Someone she was bound together with by their injuries and their pain. Someone who was here on Teyvat.

"But this isn't, I'm not from here." How could she be connected to someone from this world? She wouldn't even be here if she wasn't forced to.

Paimon doesn't know the answer. So Lumine leaves it at that. For now.

Childe sits in a meeting, listening to his secretary rattle off the names of various debtors and those sent to deal with them. He is messing with his pen instead of paying her his full attention, twirling it between his fingers and flipping it into the air. 

Lumine sits by a fire, peeling some vegetables as she listens to her floating companion talk about her favorite foods. She nods her head as she listens, maybe paying a bit too much attention. Her hand slips, the blade cuts into her finger. And she just watches the red blood spilling out. The pain is sharp. 

There’s a sting in his finger. He drops the pen, it clatters against the wooden desktop, and yanks off his glove, brings his hand up to his face. A thin line appeared along the side of his finger. Thin white line, he knows it'll be gone sooner rather than later.

She’s bleeding from such a small cut and it’s not closing up. Oh how far she has fallen. But she can’t say she’s not entranced by it. So she raises the blade once more and draws it across the palm of her hand. 

But it's still such a moment and he marvels at it, gently traces it up and down. So whoever it was, whoever his soulmate was, they were still alive. And as he watches, there is another brief sting of pain as a white line appears right across his hand. It brings such a light feeling to his heart.

Childe begins to notice more small marks coming and going. Something most people experienced throughout their whole lives, especially as they grew up, this is new for him. It brings back all the questions he had from when he was younger, still hoping they existed. But he likes it. He's happy about it. He doesn’t mind feeling like this because it reassures him that wherever they are, they are alive.

Childe is clearing out a hilichurl camp, having decided earlier to take a job and go out into the field for the day. It wasn't hard, just a way to kill some time. Goes more quickly than he expected to his disappointment, so on his way back he takes a detour. 

He is taking things casually, as hilichurls, while numerous, were really only annoying at best. It's an easy fight, a way to burn some pent-up energy, take his mind off the questions plaguing his curiosity.

He nocks an arrow, aims at a hilichurl's head, only to stiffen before he can fire as the scars on his back start to ache. Slight cuts begin to sting his arms and his face, as if whoever he is connected to is stuck in a whirlwind of debris. With his attention on hold, he almost misses the rock flying at his face. Though he jerks back, he feels it graze his cheek, the pain brief but all his. Then he gasps, it was as if the wind had been knocked out of him. And he knows it wasn't due to his opponents so something had happened to them . (He can't help but wonder, had his small blunder made them stumble?)

Several days later, he receives news. Signora had taken the Anemo Archon's gnosis and a new presence had made themselves known in Mondstadt. The new Honorary Knight of the Knights of Favonius. Also called the Traveller. 

He doesn’t expect to meet her so soon. One could say it was a story from a fairy tale, if fairy tales were about antagonists rescuing heroes. A damsel in distress (?) falsely accused of the murder of a nation's god, cornered by soldiers with nowhere to run, and it is time for him to make his show-stopping entrance.

Childe jumps down, lands in front of her, lets the hydro form into his familiar blades. The soldiers get a second to gawk at him before he easily knocks them away. 

He looks back, sees her with her sword in hand, staring at him open-mouthed. Their eyes meet and he finds himself mesmerized by their brilliant color.

But he doesn't linger, only flashes her a quick smile before grabbing her hand and pulling her away.

It is always a risk when it comes to messing with the Millileth, political standings and all. But it is one he will take for her, this golden-haired Traveller crashing through Teyvat. He's only heard stories about her but she has his attention now and he isn’t planning on getting distracted anytime soon.

Once out of sight of the Milleleth, they pause to catch their breaths and regain their bearings.

He takes the moment to look her over. She’s a lot shorter than he expected, standing there with her arms crossed and brows furrowed as she stares at him. An intense look yet her eyes are merely curious. He can’t read what else they might hide. As his eyes trail down, he notices the bandages wrapped around her shoulder. Almost unconsciously, he reaches up to touch his own shoulder where a dull ache had been lingering for the past week.

She speaks first, interrupting his thoughts. “Who are you?” 

"A helpful soul passing by?” He jokes. No reaction. “What, something catch your eye?" He tries again, trying to make any kind of conversation.

"No," she replies. Her gaze flicks to his arms before she finally looks away. A little too fast, but that's just his opinion.

“Who are you?” The Traveller’s floating companion asks him again, hands on her hips as if that would make her small form intimidating.

“You can call me Childe.” An answer that only holds part of the story, but it will be enough for them for now.

He finally gets a reaction from her, catching the corners of her mouth quirking up in a small smile. "Childe, eh?"

The fairy makes some snarky comments under her breath. 

"It's a title."

She raises an eyebrow. “Alright then.”

“So," he claps his hands together. "Would you two perhaps be acquainted with a La Signora?” He wasn’t quite sure what he expected as an answer, though a sword at his throat was not at the top. But it isn’t the first time he'd been in this position and is certainly not the last.

"You're a Harbinger!" The fairy points at him accusingly. 

Childe stares down the blade, smiles at the woman holding it. "I'm not here for a fight." 

Not now at least. He is intrigued by the idea though, hopes one day to cross blades with her. Signora had said she was easy to beat, but if the girl went up against Stormterror, surely there was something more to her. (He starts to wonder, if he cuts her, will it hurt him as well?)

He tells her he wants to help her. She clearly doesn't trust him, he doesn't expect her to. But after a lot of convincing, she eventually starts to listen to him, even accompanying him to Northland Bank.

As she starts to march ahead, he thinks he sees something, some large scars peeking out behind her scarf. But he can't quite see them clearly enough to be sure. 

Their duties kept them running around Liyue in separate directions but he always makes sure to shoot her a greeting when he sees her, even invite her out for lunch if they have the time. And while he wouldn't say she has relaxed around him, she has definitely warmed up.

Enough that she’s even willing to let him come along on her various excursions. Which is how he finds himself sitting across from her late one night, the campfire burning bright between them. It’s a trip all the way to Mondstadt to visit Dadaupa Gorge and Childe had decided to tag along because he was curious about this giant pot the hilichurls had. Well, that was one reason at least.

They’d already eaten dinner, the fairy had fallen asleep, and Zhongli had gone off, somewhere, he didn’t know. 

She's leaning over, toeing the embers at the edge of the fire. He catches her looking at him again, a puzzled expression on her face. Childe smiles at her, but she quickly turns her head. Her fingers brush against her gloves and he wonders what she is thinking right now. 

After a few more minutes of silence, Lumine stands up. "I think I'm going to go to sleep now,” she announces. 

"Have a good rest.'' He doesn’t question the abruptness or the odd tone, they had spent all day travelling after all.

As Lumine starts to walk to their tents, she reaches back, trying to grab the clasp on her scarf. After watching her fail to undo it for several attempts, he asks, “Do you need some help?”

“Yes. Please,” she replies and he realizes just how much trust she is placing in him, turning her back to him like this. He can’t help but smile to himself as he unfastens the clasp. 

He has never been this close to her before. She really is quite small. Almost inadvertently he feels his eyes start to trail down her back. But there he sees them clearly, finally. The ragged, discolored skin, standing out so much against her skin. It’s a shape that he knows, one he is all too familiar with

“Is everything alright?” She asks him, looking at him over her shoulder.

Childe wants to say something. But he doesn’t know how to bring it up to her. Hey, I know we just met a few weeks ago and you don't like me but I think you and I have been tied together by this funny little thing called fate. No, he can’t exactly say that. 

He clamps his mouth shut. "Everything is fine. Sleep well." He gives her a tight-lipped smile, awkwardly pats her shoulder. It isn’t reassuring and she gives him that look again, that one he can't figure out, but then she shrugs and disappears into her tent.

He’s left by himself, mulling over all the thoughts in his head, but they all come back to one question. 

How does he tell her? 

Lumine is curious. Curious about the Harbinger. His goals, his plans, the dastardly deeds he might be up to. The light attitude he treats her with, the smile hiding so much that she wants to know. The times he shows up just to accompany her on some mundane errand to the times he laughs at her making a fool of herself.

Just what is going on in that head of his, she is getting desperate to find out. 

And then there are the scars she catches glimpses of sometimes, the ones tracing up and down his arms. Marks that look like the ones covering her own skin. She doesn't know how to feel about what that might imply. But she can never get a clear look at them to be sure. He moves too much. 

Maybe that’s for the best.

She’s asked a few more people about the idea of soulmates, wanting to learn more about what they meant in this world.

Venti giggled, patted her on the head. He told her she was overthinking it, that the answers will reveal themselves when they’re ready. 

Mona said they’re a gift from the gods. But also that nothing comes for free. 

Zhongli asked her if she knows who her soulmate is. Lumine looked off to the side, saw the Harbinger playing with some of the kids down by the docks. And she shrugged. 

She doesn’t know who they are.

And she doesn’t know who Childe is.

Childe is insane, that’s what she learns about him as she raises her sword, deflecting his attack. Droplets of water splash her face as his blade crashes into hers, she can see the rippling blue surface edging ever so close to her face. She is being pushed back as he strikes again, attacks fast, heavy. Lumine needs to find an opening. She ducks to the side, dodging another slash, and thrusts her hand out, the wind blade catching him right in the side. He lets out a gasp and for a second she feels like she has just been hit but she can’t let that stop her, she takes the moment and slashes up. He’s quick but not enough and the tip slices into his cheek, across his face. And as she watches the blood start to trickle down his face she feels a sting on her own. She raises a hand, wipes her cheek, but there is no red smeared on her fingers.

No, it can’t be-

He’s looking down at her, a wide grin on his face. It’s a smile that is all teeth. And there’s a look in his eye, one she has never seen before. It’s dark, hungry, one that could almost scare her.

His hand reaches for his mask and then she’s flying back away from him. 

She hits the ground hard and it’s all she can do to roll out of the way as an electro polearm buries itself into the ground right where her head had been. 

Lumine springs to her feet despite how her body wants to protest and she blocks his next stab. But it sends a shock of electricity running through her and she flinches. And she sees him falter for just a moment as well.

There is a thought forming at the back of her head that she doesn’t want to think about. 

Luckily for her, he doesn't give her the chance. 

He attacks with a slash, she parries his blow, tries to ignore the constant tingling of her skin as she swings her sword at him.  Again and again and again they go back and forth.

She grits her teeth as a plan forms in her mind. And as he charges once again, she forces herself to wait. Wait as he approaches, he’s so quick, almost teleporting back and forth across the room so she has no time for error. Twisting to the side at the last second, she raises her sword, stabbing it into his shoulder. 

And she lets out a cry, not from the deep cut across her side stinging with electro, but from the pain in her shoulder, causing her to lose her grip on her blade. She looks down and sees it, the white line on her skin mirroring the wound she had just given to him. 

"It’s you," She says, her voice shaky, her breaths heavy. She looks up at him, wanting to see the expression on his face, but she can’t even see his eyes hidden behind that mask. 

"So you finally figured it out," he drawls, seemingly unbothered by, everything.

Her eyes widened. That meant… "How long have you known?"

He tilts his head slowly as he raises his hand, wrapping his fingers around her blade. "I've had my suspicions ever since we met."

"And you didn't tell me?" Lumine hates how her voice sounded, the waver in her tone, the feeling of betrayal hanging in her gut. Because she knew who he was, didn't she? A Harbinger, he never even denied being a bad guy. 

So why did this hurt so much?

Childe laughs, the sharp sound piercing her ears. "How does one even begin to say that?” He yanks her sword out of his shoulder and tosses it to the ground. She can't even think of picking it back up as he takes a step forward and Lumine finds herself stepping back. “Would you have even believed me?"

Would she? She didn’t know. Honestly, she’d still been half convinced that they were just a part of some meaningless prank by someone, anyone until now. 

And clearly, this hadn’t meant that much to him, at least, it wasn’t important enough to stop him from doing, all of this. 

He attacks again and all she can do is channel a burst of anemo to keep him from skewering her. Yet still, she feels herself slipping. She bares her teeth, calls upon geo, drawing crystals up from the floor in an attack from the side. The two are sent flying apart in an explosion but by the time she’s regained her bearings, he has already teleported away, landing on top of the Exuvia. 

“Well, thanks for everything,” he tells her, his voice that familiar lighthearted one he’d used so often. “Now I’ll be taking this-” He plunged his hand into the corpse.

Lumine can feel the change in the air as he comes out empty-handed. She can taste the electricity as he leaves the corpse, approaching her. 

“You took it,” he growls. But how could she have? That doesn’t matter though as a storm of blue and purple begins to swirl around him. She grabs her sword, readies herself.

And then it hits her, this feeling tearing through her body like a hurricane. She opens her mouth to gasp, but no sound comes out and she’s stuck frozen in place, only able to watch him transform. Then just as quickly as it arrived, it leaves, all that remains is a low burning in her chest and she’s facing off against some thing . 

She isn’t given long to stare as he breaks the floor, sending her falling down.

Their battle continues and Lumine was already tired before. Now fighting against Childe when he was like this? This was just unfair, wasn’t it? But if she’s hurting this much, she wonders how he must be feeling. His pain that she is feeling, she knows it’s worse for him. How can he bear it? But she finally brings him down, sees his face once more at the end of her sword.

They are both exhausted and sore and yet he still isn’t done, running off to summon a god to drown Liyue.

She stares at the ceiling after he has disappeared, trying not to cry, failing to not laugh. And it hurts but she can’t stop it, the ridiculousness of it all, she can’t even wrap her head around it.  

Now what? What does she do next? Her body aches, from her fresh wounds and his phantom pain. All those marks on her body, scars that weren't hers. Because they were his. Because some higher power tied them together for whatever reason and now she was feeling more lost than ever before.

She doesn't have the time to dwell on that thought.

As sore as she is, she pushes herself to move. "I have to go after him." 

Childe watches the battle in the sky from afar, wishing he could join in. Not only for the chance to fight against the famed adepti of Liyue, but because he needs something, anything to distract himself from all the thoughts in his head. Her expression lingers in his mind, as much as he tries to forget it. The shock. And the hurt.

He supposes he deserves it. But what else is he to do? No matter what the gods or fate or whatever other powers that be try to say, his loyalty is to the Tsaritsa first. 

Even if that means going against the woman he is tied to.

He hopes she knows he doesn’t hate her. Quite the opposite in fact, he really does like her, has ever since they met. And it isn’t because they are connected, at least, he doesn’t think it’s just that. She’s a subject of interest, someone he wants to figure out. What is it that drives her, makes her tick? (What makes her smile?)

They'd only known each other for a few weeks but he couldn’t help enjoying his time with her. 

He wants to get to know her more. 

She’s quite charming in a way he adores. He loves how quickly she can go from snapping at him to accepting whatever request someone else might have for her, no matter how small it might be. And, he gets a sense of desperation from how much she throws herself into trying to solve everyone else’s problems. He wants to know what that could stem from.

Their fight in the Golden House has only left him that much more enamored with her.

He still wants to see her. But does she want to see him?

Childe closes his eyes, feeling the sharp stings of her new wounds. In comparison to the harsh aching from Foul Legacy, they are only light touches. 

She won’t die here, he is confident of that.

Lumine finds a boy, alone in the ruins. He says he traveled here from Snezhnaya, in search of his brother, a toy seller. Lumine doesn't know any Snezhnayan toy sellers in Liyue, she doesn't know any at all, so she decides to take him to the next best place. Northland Bank.  As much as she wishes to avoid it, she's not sure if she wants to risk seeing Childe again so soon, she must prioritize the kid's safety instead. 

She opens the door to the bank and finds herself waiting in the doorway. Because standing there at the front desk is none other than the one person she hoped to not see. She wonders if it's too late to leave when he looks up, meeting her eye. 

Lumine takes a step back. But Teucer runs past her inside. Seeing Childe had been enough of a distraction for her to briefly forget about the boy. “Hey, don,t-“

"Brother!" Teucer yells, throwing himself at Childe. 

And Lumine wants to smack her head into the door because how did she not realize earlier? Because just how many blue-eyed ginger Snezhnayans were there?

She tries to leave, quietly slip out the door. But Childe calls her in and Teucer waves for her to come over.

She lingers for a second more. A few weeks have passed since then yet her thoughts are still in disarray. But as she sees him smiling at Teucer, ruffling the boy's hair, she realizes. This is also Childe. Lumine almost can’t believe how this doting older brother is the same man who shocked the hell out of her the last time they interacted. Turns out she has a lot left to learn about him. That thought gives her a bit of excitement. 

And he trusts her enough to leave Teucer, his family, his little brother, in her care.

Maybe that’s why she agrees to watch his brother for him. Maybe that’s why she agrees to go with them to an abandoned ruin guard factory, against all her better judgment. Maybe that’s why she finds herself standing back to back with a Harbinger as they fend off a wave of Ruin Guards, all while trying to keep Teucer distracted.

Lumine knew it was a stupid idea but she’s here now regardless. And she had to admit, it’s fun fighting alongside him. They work surprisingly well together and the robots come crashing down without too much trouble. She can hear Teucer counting down in the background as she cuts the leg off the last Ruin Guard, allowing Childe to shatter the core in its head. 

"That it?" She asks him, giving him a hopeful look. He glances at her and then Teucer, who’s almost reached 0.

But those mechanical lines keep moving, bringing five more of those damned machines in.

Lumine grits her teeth. The first few had already been annoying enough even fighting alongside someone like Childe. And then there was Teucer, oh Teucer, she had to get him out of here. They were lucky none of the first few had targeted the boy, but now she was scared of the luck running out. 

She backs up, watching as the machines slowly start to move. She needs to make sure they don't-

Childe pushes her back towards Teucer before calling to his brother. "Hey, Teucer. Can you give me ten more seconds? I haven't found a good spot yet."

"That's cheating!"

"Please? Do your brother a favor, it'll be no fun if you find me right away."

"Ugh, fine." The boy reluctantly complies. Lumine had to admire the trust he had in his older brother. It's a feeling she misses.

She positions herself between Teucer and the room full of monsters. Shares a look with Childe, wondering what he could possibly do in ten seconds.

He just smiles at her. 

Then the pain hits her like a flash. It's like lightning arcing through her body. Like she's being pulled apart bit by bit. Like something is trying to tear its way out.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts so much worse than before. And then it's over, at least the worst of it is gone. It still feels like hell but it’s one she can tolerate.

Lumine sees him through watery eyes. Or rather, she sees his movements, a bolt of black lightning as he tears into the machines, throwing them about like a kid would their dolls. 

"8. 7. 6…"

Teucer counts on. One ruin guard is down. Then two, then three.

"3.”

Fourth one down.

“ 2. 1.”

And there goes the fifth. 

“Ready or not here I come,"

That bastard really did it. 

Teucer cheers in delight at what he sees, running up close to the lifeless machines. Meanwhile, Lumine searches for Childe, finding him hunched over in the corner. A sharp contrast to the mere seconds before.

He offers her a weak smile. "Guess I really overdid it, huh?"

She can tell. There's an ache right beneath her skin. She crouches down next to him, props her chin up with her hand. “Guess you really did.”

He sighs, closing his eyes and resting his head back against the wall. So at ease around her…

"Aren't you afraid I might kill you now?"

All he does is shrug. "As long as it is not in front of Teucer."

Lumine knows it would be better to do it now, while he's down. That to leave him standing would just cause more problems for her future. And for a moment she wonders what it would feel like if she gave her soulmate his killing blow.

Lumine also knows she couldn't do it. 

"So even guys like you have a soft spot," She muses. She’s learning so many new things about him.

"It's family. I'd do anything for Teucer. For all of them.” He looks at her through half-opened eyes. “I feel like you understand."

Her breath hitches, words caught in her throat. So she just nods. 

"Besides, it was an excellent fight. You know me, I'm always looking for opportunities to push myself." He says with a smile. 

"Even if they might kill you?"

“The higher the stakes, the more thrilling the battle.”

"You're an idiot." Lumine scowls at him. "I think your brother would be sad if he knew how you treated yourself."

Childe closes his eyes once again. "That's why he doesn't know."

Lumine sees him around a lot more after that, even more than before when they were still preparing for Rex Lapis’ funeral. Everything has settled down since then, she has nothing to do. And maybe there’s a part of her that is seeking him out.

She doesn't mind seeing him more. In fact, she looks forward to it. Maybe it was the soulmate thing, maybe it was seeing the other sides to him. But before she knew it, he had become someone she could talk to so easily. 

She’s sitting on the couch in his office one night, keeping him company as he does his paperwork. And he asks her, what was it like when she arrived here. (What it was like, seeing the scars of a stranger decorating her body.) So she tells him. Soft words in the silent night. A story just for him. 

She speaks of an arrival centuries ago, when the world was a very different place. Of two blonde-haired twins who flew too close to the sun. A god with cold eyes and a terrible red surrounding her. Of the confusion and curiosity that followed when she finally woke up once again. Wondering what had happened to him to leave such marks in the first place. (He’ll tell her eventually.)

He listens intently, eyes never leaving her face as she talks.

“What did you think of me?” He asks once she’s finished, not able to hide the curiosity in his eyes.

So that’s what he wants to know. 

She gives a small grin, deciding to take the chance to mess with him, just a bit. “Mmm, a lot of things,” she answers vaguely.

“Should I be concerned by that?”

“Maybe.” She gets up, walks over to his desk. “At first, I thought you were weird.” She runs a hand along the surface, tapping the little ornaments sitting on top. “And annoying. And then I thought you were crazy.”

“You’re too kind.” He can’t deny those descriptors though. 

“I still stand by those statements.” She twirls a strand of her hair with her finger. “But, I also know, you can be nice when you want to be. A bit of a sweetheart who’s good with kids. Somehow clumsy when it comes to the oddest tasks. 

“And I thought you might be someone I could like.” 

“And what do you think now?” He whispers. She’s so close to him now, standing right next to him. Fidgeting with her dress, eyes fixed on the ground, swaying slightly from side to side.

She takes a deep breath in, slowly lets it out. Looks up from the ground to focus on his face.

“I think, I might want to kiss you.”

Childe believes in gods. After all, it’s hard not to when one’s seen them in person. But to him, they’re not just someone to follow, to serve. They’re ones to chase after, a goal for him to reach and overcome. And some are ones for him to love.

He pulls her down onto his lap. She rests her arms on his shoulders. He can feel her breath warm on his face. He just wants to take in all of her, make her his for tonight. But her movements are a bit slow, a little hesitant.  So he follows her pace. 

He often wondered what they were thinking, putting him with her. Some matches are made in heaven, he thought his was made in hell. Because he used to think they couldn’t be more different. Her a savior, a champion of the people. A divine being who stood on the very pedestals he wanted to tear down, just to see if he could. 

She leans forwards, closes her eyes, gently presses her lips to his. It’s soft, sweet, and over oh so quickly as she pulls back after just a second. She’s smiling though as she meets his gaze, her eyes bright, excited. He moves in next, slowly at first. 

“Can I?” he asks, their faces only a few centimeters apart. 

“Yes,” she breathes out.

But he would learn just how wrong he was. No one’s perfect, not gods, not her. She’s full of flaws and has laid them bare for him to see. Too much blood on her hands as she pursued her goals. Too many facades to wear just to talk to others. Too much love for family because nothing could be more important, right? It turns out a Harbinger and a Traveller actually have a lot in common. And it might be his heart talking, but, he thinks her flaws make her better.

She’s asleep now, head resting against his chest. Her hair tickles his skin. He’s content, happy just lying there, watching her breathe as he idly traces a finger along her back, following the raised skin of old scars, the pattern he memorized so long ago. His head is full of the soft giggles as he carried her down the streets of Liyue to get to his room, the quiet whispers as she murmured secrets to his skin. The way she felt against him then, the way she’s sleeping next to him now. He wants to hold her close for as long as he can.

Lumine is hurting and Childe doesn't know where she is. 

He’s been stuck in Snezhnaya for a while, waiting for whatever new mission the Tsaritsa might have for him. He wants to go off to find her, to remedy whatever is causing this ache in his chest. But, duty comes first. (He feels like a terrible soulmate.)

Lingering in one of the halls after a meeting, Childe sees Arlecchino walking towards him. He makes a face, starts to head the other direction but she calls out to him.

"Tartaglia," she draws his name out. He hates how it sounds. "I've got news for you, so don't run away."

"Sure you do," he rolls his eyes and doesn’t stop. He’d be hard-pressed to trust anything that comes out of that woman's mouth.

"It's regarding the Traveller."

He freezes, slowly turns around.

"Thought that'd get your attention.” She smirks at him. “Well, your dear Traveller, want to guess where she is now?"

Childe narrows his eyes, he doesn’t like hearing her talk about Lumine. "Tell me." 

"No need for violence." She walks up next to him, too close for comfort. As she drags a finger down his cheek, he forces himself to not flinch away. “So concerned about a girl. How unlike you.”

“Just tell me already.”

She cocks her head, taps her cheek a few times as if considering it. 

“Arlecchino-”

"The Doctor has her. In fact, he's been keeping her here in one of the rooms.

"I might even be persuaded to tell you where-" but he had already run off. 

After checking a few dozen rooms and some thorough interrogations, he finally finds the one he wants. The door is locked but he just kicks it down, storming into the room.

And there she is, lying fast asleep in the bed. So small amongst the pile of blankets. 

He kneels down beside the bed, brushes a strand of hair out of her face. Her skin is dry, hair is dull. There are dark circles under her eyes and, are those needle marks on her skin?

Lumine stirs slightly, slowly opening her eyes. She blinks a few times before focusing on his face. "Childe? You’re here?”

“Yes, I’m here.”

Her eyes widen as the fog of sleep dissipates and she struggles to sit up. “What, what are you doing here? Why? It’s not, it’s not safe." 

He hangs his head, sighing. This crazy girl who has put so much of the world before her own self. Even now she is worrying about him. "This is where I am supposed to be.” This was his home court. It wasn’t safe because of the people like him. He belonged here. But she did not.

“The more important question is, why are you here?”

She immediately averts her gaze. "I- I'm helping Dottore with some of his work."

"Dottore?" He can't keep the incredulity out of his voice. "Why would you ever agree to do that? You know how he is."

She wraps the blankets tighter around herself. “He said he’d help me find that Unknown God.” And in a smaller voice she adds, “And if I didn’t help him he’d just find someone else.”

Childe abruptly stands, walks a few steps away. Stands there with his fists clenched, trying to hold back the impulse to start a fight with someone, anyone. 

"I'm sorry-"

"You silly girl."

"What?"

"You silly girl," He tells her again. He turns, faces her. His expression is cold, dark, too close to the bottom of the ocean. "Always trying to save everyone just like the hero you're so desperately trying to be. But tell me, what are you going to do when that ends up killing you?"

Lumine clenches her teeth, raises her chin. "I don't die easily. This is nothing.”

“Look at yourself!" He gestures at her. "I can feel it, you know that. You’re hurting, don’t try to pretend with me.”

“I’ll be fine," she shouts back. "I’ve survived much worse.” She's faced world-ending entities, borne the weight of the sky, faced off against monsters that a mortal like him couldn't even dream of and made it out alive. It didn't matter if her limbs felt like lead right now, if she took so much effort to breathe, if her body was sluggish and her mind just wanted to sleep. Because, because-

"You know, I think your brother would be sad if he knew how you treated yourself," He echoes her words from so much earlier.

"Well that's for him to deal with," she snaps. "If he cared that much he wouldn’t be there, he’d be here, with me. But he isn't here, is he?"

"Dammit, Lumine." He runs a hand through his hair, knocking his mask to the ground. He really has to spell it out for her, doesn’t he? “ I’m worried about you. I don't want to see you like this. I hate seeing you throw yourself at every problem because you think you deserve to suffer.

"You're so stupid sometimes and I hate it. You're hurting me. "

She's staring at him, speechless. His words, it’s like they‘ve shattered something in her heart. She starts to tear up, feels words rushing to surface alongside the tears. "I, I didn't think it'd be that bad. It was just a few needles, some blood draws. I just felt a little tired. I didn't think, I didn’t think…" She's rambling now, trying to not get choked up. Because he's right, she didn't think about him, she didn't think about her soulmate and now she feels awful about it. 

Childe knows Dottore had to have been lying to Lumine because she shouldn't have ended up in this poor a condition. But he supposes she was just so desperate that she was grabbing at whatever straws she could find. 

He lets out another sigh, sits down on the bed next to her, and pulls the crying girl into his arms. 

"I'm sorry," she sobs into his shoulder. "I just, I just don't know anymore."

"I'm sorry too." It wasn't fair of him to act like that. 

Neither are sure of what to do next, where to go from there. So they don't bother with it, instead taking the time to just sit there and hold onto each other.

Lumine thinks the gods are laughing at her. Because here she is, fighting him once again. It’s not the friendly spars they have to test each other. It’s not even like their first battle at the Golden House.

They’re both fighting like they have nothing to lose. At this point, they really don’t. She needs the Tsaritsa to help to finish her journey and Childe always has been loyalty first, Lumine second. 

So it comes down to this. They always knew it would happen, an inevitability looming in the background.

She wonders briefly if this is the price she has to pay for getting a soulmate. Being bound to someone she cannot be with. But as the blood trickles down her face, she shakes her head, she cannot afford any distractions now.

His familiar attacks, that style of fighting she's gotten so used to, it feels so different now when used against her like this. There is no letting up, he's going all out. 

They've both learned so much in the time between now and the Golden House. His pursuit for strength is never ending and having her full power back is right within her reach. 

This fight is a finale, she might as well put on a show.

Even though it hurts so much.

The cuts she leaves on him sting her for longer than ever before. In a cruel way she supposes it makes sense, she's fighting her other half so why shouldn't it hurt her in as many ways as possible?

Every hit, every blow is reflected back at them.

Her left eye she's closed because of the cut across his eye. He's keeping his weight off his right leg because of a stab wound in hers. 

To attack the enemy means to hurt oneself yet neither of them stops. Neither of them can stop. 

She has him pinned to the ground, sword poised at his throat. It took so long, too long. They're both gasping for breath, he's even coughing up blood. Her dress is stained with red, the red she's grown so used to seeing. She isn't sure if it's more his blood or hers.

"Yield," she demands, her voice ragged. She hopes he cannot notice the shaking in her hand.

He laughs, a breathy sound that takes too much out of him. "Not done yet," he spits out, the words laced with blood. She sees his eye flicker purple and she braces herself.

But the attack never comes as he goes limp, his head dropping to the ground with a soft thud. Lumine shrieks in the moment, dropping her sword to the side, placing a hand over his heart. But it still beats, he's only asleep.

She lets out a sigh of relief. Almost cries. But stops herself upon hearing footsteps behind her. She turns, seeing the Tsaritsa slowly approaching. 

Was the god here to kill her? Lumine slowly picks up her sword once more, her grip tight even though she isn’t sure if she can continue fighting.

But the Cryo Archon only dips her head at Lumine, tells her to come, follow her.

She sets her sword down. Takes a last second to admire his sleeping face, as bruised and bloody as it may be. She wipes the blood off his cheek, presses a kiss to his forehead. "I'll see you later." She whispers to him before standing, turning to face the Tsaritsa.

He's had these marks for as long as he could remember. Two gashes down his back, right against his shoulder blades. 

And now they're fading away. 

Her scars were a sign of the time she spent on Teyvat. But for a timeless being, a divine traveller, he supposes such marks, such time, is insignificant in the end. 

He doesn't like seeing them leave his skin. He hates the idea of disappearing without a trace left. Hates the idea of fading away into nothingness. Hates the idea of losing things to remember her by. 

But it's not something he can stop.

He remembers holding her hand once, bringing it up to his face. Looking over the white lines wrapped around her fingers and asking, "Will these marks fade away once I die?"

She looked off into the distance, pulled her hand away. Said she didn’t know. 

Childe hopes they won't. Prays they won’t. That instead they'll decorate her skin for ages to come. A way for him to leave a permanent mark on her, saying I was here, I loved her.  And she loved me. 

He wants the world to know this. He needs it to. And not just Teyvat, but every other place she might visit.

Because she can't stay. 

And he can't keep her here.

They might be soulmates, but they can't twist the universe to their will as much as they might try. She has to go, follow the person most important to her. And he must stay because he's bound to this world, not only by his own family and god, but because of his mortality. 

He tells her he won't stop until he's conquered the world, until the divinity he's been chasing for so long is within reach. That maybe one day if she comes back, they'll be equals once more.

She tells him she won't forget about him, that she'll always treasure the moments they had together. That one day if someone like her was ever allowed to settle down, she'd want to come back to his side.

They might be soulmates drawn together by a power neither understands. But they're also so much more than that. Best friends, something neither ever expected to find. Rivals, always there to push the other to keep getting better and better. Enemies because there were some goals one simply could not compromise on. 

He stands there, watching her go. Memorizing the moment, burning it into his head.

"I'll see you again," he calls out. "I'll find you. No matter how many years, no matter how many lives it takes."

She pauses, turns back. Gives him one last smile. "I'll be waiting." 

He's had these marks as long as he could remember. Two gashes down his back, right against his shoulder blades. 

He's waiting for the one who bears a matching scar. Because he knows that they're out there somewhere. And he has to find them. 

Dancing with a random girl at a club, she's wearing a spaghetti strap tank top, showing off the scars on her back.

Passing a blonde on the beach and catching a glimpse of a familiar pattern. 

Running in from a sudden rainstorm with a classmate and her shirt sticks to her back, showing the skin beneath.

He finds her again and again and again. As many times as it will take. Because they are soulmates. Lovers, rivals. Enemies and best friends.

He won’t let that happy ending get away from him again.