Ballet and Band Mafia AU Chilumi and Xiaether

Chapter 8

Aethers POV:

"Aether what's wrong?" I heard dad come into the kitchen.
"She's still ignoring me. Even after Childe left." I sighed.
"She said he hurt her but now they are seeing each other?! I don't know what her deal is.." I said frustrated and confused.
"Ah yes, she told me they started dating a few days ago." He nodded.
"Why is she ignoring me.. I didn't mean to drop her. I've dropped her before in the past.." I asked.
"Well you were trying back then. She can tell your mind is else where and you're not trying as hard as she is. It's not fair to her that she's the one dropped when she's still working hard." He said.
"I-I'm trying though!" I argued.
"Are you? Your mind is else where during practice and you've gotten sloppy. It's clear you haven't been practicing on your own." He looked back at me as he poured himself a glass of wine.
I looked down. He's right...
"Do you not want to do ballet anymore?" He asked me.
"I do. I want to! I love ballet.. I just for once have someone I can talk to and be with who isn't her!" I sighed.
"Which is great. But there is a balance. If you can't balance you'll have to choose one or else I'm going to have to stop you from doing practices with her." He said.
I looked down. Finding a balance.. I can do that!
———
I stretched out. Today was another practice. I had practiced again by myself again. Xiao even watched me and hung with me when I did. Lumine has been ignoring me for a week.
"Lumine would you like to go first?" Dad asked her.
"Yes." She nodded.
Every practice in the beginning we go the dance solo so he can see if we've been practicing. She got into position. The bruises on her legs barely visible from fading and her pink colored tights. The music began and so did her dance. But I noticed she was doing things completely differently. But dad didn't stop her. She kept going. When it got to her lift normally she just put her hands where they should be but stays in place. But this time she wasn't in the right place and she instead gracefully spun into a sitting position where she did something else before continuing the routine. After she finished I looked to dad assuming he'd say something.
"Okay aether your turn." He said.
I performed like I was supposed to. Doing everything perfectly. Nothing changed.
"Good job." Dad nodded to me.
"Did we change the dance?" I asked.
"No." He shook his head.
I looked to Lumine who wasn't even paying any attention to me. Only messing with her nails. She can be so petty! She's seriously getting on my nerves now!
"Alright from the top."
Practice began and I put my hands on her waist to pick her up. She flinched and she wasn't sturdy. I couldn't get her up due to it.
"Again." Father spoke.
And again we tried.
"Again."
This time definitely.
"Again."
Okay I got this!
"Again!"
Come one lumi stiffen up.
"Again."
"Just straighten up!" I finally yelled as I panted.
"I can't! I don't want to be dropped!" She yelled.
"I'm not gonna drop you!" I argued.
"The last 20 times last practice say other wise!" She yelled back.
"Stop being petty! It was one practice!" I yelled.
"How would you feel if you fell from almost 6 feet in the air!" She yelled at me.
"Go ahead stiffen your body and fall flat on the ground and onto your knees! Then into your back! And onto your stomach! And you butt! Do it!" She yelled.
"Stop it!" We heard.
We both turned to dad.
"Both of you need to stop this. It's getting tiring. Your job here is to do ballet. This all started when you two started dating. I'm sure you two know why that's affecting this." He spoke.
"I don't place my partner over ballet though!" Lumine argued.
"Your partners are not the problem. Figure it out yourself. Keep practice." He said before leaving.
Lumine looked worked up. She punched the wall. Before cursing under her breath.
I began to pick up my things to leave.
"Go ahead. Run off." She glared at me.
"Lumine what is your problem!" I yelled.
"My problem?! It's that your running off all the time and prioritizing some boy over ballet!" She yelled.
"I-it's not some boy! He's important to me!" I yelled.
"More important then ballet and not dropping me?!" I yelled.
"I'm not comparing the two. You two aren't the same." I said.
She looked at me shocked and hurt.
"You're gonna say you'd prefer to do ballet with me then go on a date with childe?!" I argued.
"Yes." She said looking straight up at me, I was shocked.
"Not anymore." She said as she grabbed her stuff.
"Lumine!" I yelled after her.
The door to the practice room closed. I quickly ran after her. I didn't know this would be so hard. We've always been together. That's what dad meant! We aren't use to being away from each other. Spending free time with others that aren't each other. She wasn't ready for that. That's why she holds ballet over Childe. I was ready but she wasn't!
By the time I got to her room it was locked. Dammit!
"Lumi let me! I'm sorry! Please talk to me! I-I get it! You weren't ready to be apart yet! Please lumi open the door.." I sighed.
No answer.
"I'll give you space.. just please come out and talk to me later.." I said.
I didn't mean to hurt her. She's my little sister. I should always put her feelings first. I just need to wait for her to calm down. I'll explain it to her! I of course want to be with Xiao! I just cant be with her all the time. We are older now...
———
I was cooking in the kitchen. Lumine's favorite, rice noodles. I think she could smell it because I heard the door quietly click open. Small foot steps and I placed two bowls filled with noodles down. Right where we both sit. Yes I did it on purpose. Lumine loves food and she likes my cooking. You really can get her to do anything if you offer her food, I hope Childe never figured that out.
"You can have some you know..." I said as I looked to the entrance of the kitchen.
And out she came. Her mascara was smeared and so was her lip stick, slightly smudged. She sat down and started to slowly eat the noodles as she sniffled.
"Lumi... You don't have to talk back but listen to me okay? I don't want to stop dancing with you. I promise I won't let what happened before happen again. I won't drop you and I'll focus. I just. Want you to understand my side. I.. I love Xiao. He talks to me like human. Not just your brother, like I'm just Aether. At some point we won't be living together. Lumine, what do you want to do in the future?" I asked.
She looked down at her bowl.
"I.. I don't know.. go wherever you go. Do whatever you do.."
"I want to get married. I want a family and I want to publish my poems." I said.
She looked up at me shocked but then just ate some more.
"What do you truly want to do?" I asked her.
"I don't know.." she spoke.
"That's okay! We both have time! We aren't done with college yet! Not any time soon! But, I'm still
Gonna move towards my goal. Which is xiao." I said.
She looked up at me and sighed. She nodded before getting up and hugging me. I hugged her back tightly.