My heart is warm like Snezhnaya (ChiLumi ff)

Five

Admittedly, It is way colder than Dragonspine. Lumine feels her eyelashes freeze and her nose senses funny. She makes the carriage stop now and then and looks around her things to add more layers to her outfit, first her new sweater, then gloves, and ear warmers. Childe sees her shaking and laughs.

"You- insensitive butt-hole, I bet you- you are just fine already used to this godforsaken -50 degrees"

"You are right, I am quite used to it, I played in the snow quite a lot when I was a kid"

She imagines little Tartaglia, being a hyperactive kid causing small mayhem for his parents.
He interrupts the short daydream, "Here, you'll need it more than I"
He unravels his red scarf off himself and wraps it around Lumine's neck and shoulders. She puts her hand on the new fabric protecting her from the cold and cannot help to give him a surprised look. Her cheeks get slightly redder. "No, It's fine this is yours, I couldn't possibly-"

"Just keep it on, If you catch a cold I do not want to deal with it, besides it already has your smell all over it I bet".

"Gee thanks, I guess? I am sorry but you'll have to deal with my odor for some time It seems"

Childe sighs but doesn't reply right away, keeping to himself the fact that he didn't mean it in a bad way, after all, he was mistaken, this trip is not an easy task for him either, his feelings were not merely something fleeting he could dismiss, he now found himself cutting the distance between their bodies, first rationalizing it's his instinct to keep her warm, now it's itching closer to her face when she gets talking or staring only to catch himself and feel awkward.

Lumine ended their quarrel after seeing he did not answer back, which felt odd. Soon she began to think if she should disclose that her friend is probably following their tracks to keep an eye on him and the rest of his kind (fatui).

Their silence came to be an uncomfortable one, more than just a couple of minutes passed by and she suggested a game, "Childe, have you ever played 10 questions?".

"I am familiar, what of it?"

"Oh, well do you... Want to play?"

"Alright, how do you start again?", he asked hesitantly. "Easy, think of anything, or anyone in Teyvat and I'll have to guess in 10 or fewer questions"

"hmm.. I think I got something, okay I am ready!"

"Is It human?", "nope", "Is it something you can touch?", "Yeah, maybe, I am not sure", "Is it a concept then?", "Sure"

She puts her hand to her chin thinking of her next question, "Is it an activity?",
"mhm exactly".
"Would common folk find it enjoyable?"
"Mhm"
"Can you perform it indoors?"
"Nope"
"Does it require more than one person?"
"Not necessarily but everything is more enjoyable with the right people around, don't you agree?"
"Haha right, hmm is it water-bound?"
"ho, seems you are very close, yes it is"

"Okay, I am ready to take my guess", She says with pride. "shoot"
"Is it fishing?"
Childe's eyes widen, "Yes! Well, more specifically Ice fishing but I am giving it to you, bravo"

"Booo pity point, hehe I'll take it anyways, your turn, see If you can get it under 8"

"getting competitive, are we? I am ready when you are", his eyes lit a fire at the smallest of challenges. "I was born ready".

"Is it pretty?", Childe asks
"Um yes I think it is"
"Do you see it often?"
"Lately, I've been since I came to Liyue again"
"Do you like it?"
"Yes very much"
"Lumine, are you by chance thinking of me?"
"Yeah",
"O-oh",
"that's  because you are sitting next to me my brain constantly registers my surroundings, you wasted a question"
"Oh, right haha" The ginger sighs and slaps his face gently. "I surrender, what is it?"
"Are you okay Tartaglia? We can stop for a bit and I can make us a warm drink".
"That would be nice, thank you".

They pull up by the road and get a little fire going and she begins brewing tea and Childe sits across it resting his head on his palm with a blank expression that conceals frustrations.
"Ah, by the way, I was thinking of Mora meat!",
"Of course you were".