Viparyas For You (ScaraLumi)

7

"We're going back to the desert? Again? Uggghhh, but it's so hot!"

It was the next late morning, and the trio was found walking away from the Adventurer's Guild's stall in Treasures Street as they looked into their new set of commissions to go through for the day, gracefully handwritten by Katheryne in Lumine's handbook which she was holding. Paimon, ever the bubbliest and most outgoing little companion, groaned when she found that one of their tasks was to help two children in Aaru Village.

"We're only doing one commission in the desert, Paimon. The rest are easy to do," Lumine responded as she closed her handbook and tucked it back inside her backpack.

"Why are you even complaining? It's not like you're gonna have anything to do anyway," the Wanderer retorted to the floating companion as she stomped her feet in the air, glaring at him.

"Hey! Paimon's helpful too, you know! Tell this guy, Lumi!" she exclaimed, tugging on the Traveler's scarf as she giggled and looked at her other wandering companion.

"Be nice now, Fujin. Paimon's my little emotional support, and she's my best-traveling companion."

Her soft voice erupted into another giggle as the knuckles of her fingers pushed the Wanderer's arm playfully. The brisk contact suddenly made his ear feel warm, and he cleared his throat before rolling his eyes. The floating fairy now stood proud and tall, a smirk plastered across her face.

"Hmph! See? Paimon's not useless!"

"Sure, you're not." The Wanderer responded dismissively. He wasn't interested in dragging their little banter any further. "Where are we off to first?" he added, looking at Lumine as she looked up in thought.

"Hmm, we should start at the nearest commission. There's a group of hilichurls and an Abyss Mage near Vimara Village,"

"Off we go!" Paimon exclaimed, and the three traveled together, leaving Sumeru City.

~•~

"Hyah!"

The last of the eremites were defeated, and the entire group finally surrendered to retreat further away from the trio's line of sight. The Wanderer huffed as he wiped the dirt off the side of his face. "Losers..." he muttered as he dusted more dirt off his sandals. "That's the third commission, done and dusted."

When he heard a soft wince from behind, he quickly turned to find the Traveler holding onto her leg on the ground. In an instant, he rushed to her, bending down to find what was wrong.

"Are you okay?" he asked, a tinge of concern in his voice as his eyes narrowed closely at a small slash just below her knee, slightly bleeding.

"Oh no! Lumi? Are you alright?" the silver-haired companion rushed in as well, holding onto the Traveler's knee.

"I'm...fine, just a little scratch." She winced when she tried to get her hand close to her wound, and the Wanderer took her hand, gently pushing it away from her wound as he thought of something to stop the bleeding.

Furrowing his brows, he then proceeded to tug at his left sleeve, removing it from his arm as he quickly made work of wrapping the cloth around her leg.

"N-No! Wait-- agh!"

"Be gentle with her, will you Wanderer!?"

"How about you shut up, and let me focus?" he hissed, instantly making the fairy seal her lips shut tight as he tied the cloth into a knot, enough to not fall off but not too tight to hurt the Traveler.

He looked at her face for any sign of discomfort. There still was, and he gently rubbed her leg for comfort. "Is this okay?" he asked softly, and she slowly nodded.

"I told you, I was fine. Your sleeve..."

"Shh, it's fine. It was detachable anyway, I'll wash it when we get back to your teapot," he reassured, and a small smile reached her face. The sight almost made him smile himself, relieved to know she wasn't badly hurt. She took down a dragon, a three-headed sea monster, an archon, a harbinger, and a giant artificial divinity anyway, a bunch of puny eremites should be nothing to her.

A giggle erupted from Lumine's mouth, and the Wanderer looked down at her in confusion as she dropped her head to his chest. The gesture caught him off-guard, but he was quick to hold her and make sure she didn't fall off. He felt the shake of her shoulders, and his hand moved to one of them, slightly pulling her so he could see her face looking up at him.

"What the hell is up with you this time?" he asked, and she shook her head, back to leaning on his chest.

"Nothing, you're just being... a little unusually nicer today," she replied, and her answer made his cheeks feel warm as his arms threatened to drop her to the ground. Was he really nicer today? He wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment or if it was just her way of teasing him.

"That's not something to laugh about, is it?" he scoffed, "do you want me to drop you right now?" he added the threat.

"I didn't even ask you to carry me, you did that yourself." she only replied with a sly smile, "you're concerned for me-- ahh!"

"Hey! Wanderer! What was that for!?" the little fairy, whose existence he almost completely forgot about, exclaimed in anger as she rushed to the Traveler's side, holding her head. "He didn't hurt you, did he Lumi? Ugh, Paimon told you to be gentle!" she continued to scold him but he only chuckled and stuck his tongue out.

"Your dear Traveler's fine, stop rambling so much with that big mouth of yours." he only responded, and the Traveler was heard giggling again.

"Relax, Paimon. I'm fine, we're all fine." Lumine reassured Paimon, and the fairy only sighed in defeat, shaking her head.

"Fine," she turned back to the Wanderer and glared, "but you still shouldn't have dropped her like that!"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry," he said uninterestingly, now looking back again at the Traveler. Although his voice sounded of disinterest towards the floating companion, his eyes were genuinely apologetic when he gazed into hers. The Traveler smiled in return as if to let him know it was okay.

He offered his shoulder and grabbed her arm to wrap around him without warning, causing her to yelp in surprise as he helped her stand up.

"Wanderer! I swear--"

"Enough already, I'm just trying to help her walk now. See?" the Wanderer slightly moved for the ever-so-talkative fairy to see, but she only huffed in annoyance.

He turned back again to the Traveler as he lowered his head a little, his voice hushed into a low but gentle tone. "Let's get you to Caravan Ribat first, then take a quick break until you feel better," he said, and she nodded, her head leaning on his shoulder.

"Okay. Thank you, Fujin," she responded, and the trio slowly trekked their way toward the outskirts of the forest.

The sun shone brightly against them, and it was hot. Their floating companion, as usual, complained all the way, but to the Wanderer, the heat didn't matter. The weight on his shoulder, literally, brought his chest to tighten into a flutter of joy and affection, the warmth making him tighten his hold on the Traveler's hand around his shoulder. It wasn't in his usual demeanor to be so admittedly full of emotion, even to himself, but whatever else was a man, or a puppet, to do when a woman he so admired was right in the comfort of his arms, where she was meant to be?