To Collapse ⌜Chilumi⌟

CHAPTER 12 - Our Last Goodbye

 "Stand up straight!"

   "The lady is demanding."

   "I'll leave you to it then."

   "Oh Lum..."

   "Childe! You don't understand!" Lumine caught her breath she was losing her temper again this was not good, really not. "All this, all this shit we're in. I dragged you with me. And then, Aether, the Tsarista and then-"

   "Stop." Childe cupped both hands to hold the blonde's face as she flailed in front of him. "It's going to be okay. We'll make it." He rested his forehead on the young woman's calming her almost instantly.

   Since when did he have such a powerful effect on her? Since when could this contact calm her?

   "Childe?"

   He did not let go of her they were both as if stuck in the same position, it was almost ridiculous but at least they were ridiculous together.

   "Hm?"

   "How long have we been like this?"

   Childe was the one to break contact before he wrapped his arms around her and laid Lumine's head against his bandaged chest. He didn't find himself particularly attractive in this state, but he didn't care, and Lumine was there.

   That was all that mattered.

   "I should have killed you in the jade chamber." Lumine pouted looking at the totally surprised look of the redhead who didn't expect her to be able to joke at such a moment. "Oh but don't make that face!"

   Raising an eyebrow of astonishment at Childe who still did not react, Lumine sent him a pillow in the head which finally made him react. Oh the war was on. It was their way of being happy one last time before they had to face something that terrified them.

   Was it a real goodbye? Not really.

   They both knew they would stand by each other in some way. Their fates had decided to intertwine their threads, to sew a future together. They had to accept this new truth.

   This, they hated it.

   Childe hated the fact that he loved Lumine.

   Lumine hated the fact that she loved Childe.

   But in that hatred, they loved each other like warriors ready to fight a war that was too difficult and perilous, but much easier together.

    "Lumine? The worthy traveler, the warrior, the one who defeated Dvalin and Osial, the one who faced the Shogun, is attacking me with a pillow?"