previous chapter: finals are officially over, and the next step for most students is to begin their winter break. in the day, lumine helps xiangling stay on time, and she makes plans to see diluc in mondstadt. when night falls, she and her guys gather to witness childe destroy the ominous domain on the island. childe's foul legacy comes as a surprise to them all, but lumine is more stricken with how the transformation has affected his health.

With laser focus on the glass filled to the brim with fruit juice, I carefully walked up the steps to Hydro House. There was also a calla lily seafood soup on the tray, but I worried more about the glass toppling over than a few splashes. Luckily, there were only two flights of stairs for me to climb, and I already knew where to find Childe's room after we dropped him off last night.

Since he insisted on not going to the infirmary right before passing out, the only other option was to bring him to his room in hopes that he could sleep through the worst of it. He stayed sleeping—not showing up for breakfast and worrying me because of it. Though I had planned to set off with Amber on the ship that took off this morning, I didn't want to leave Childe alone and in pain.

Once I reached his door, I quickly removed one hand from the tray to twist the doorknob open. It gave away with no resistance—still unlocked from when Kaeya fished out the key from Childe's pocket. I restabilized the tray with both hands and pushed the door open slowly with my back. It creaked slightly, and I paused. If possible, I didn't want to disturb him. Except, when I glanced over at his bed, Childe was nowhere to be found.

Confused, my eyes darted around the room and quickly found him doing push-ups on the floor. Shirtless.

"What are you doing?" I gawked and, in my surprise, nearly lost my balance with the tray.

The glass of juice wobbled dangerously, so I carefully hurried to place it on his desk.

"What does it look like I'm doing? Getting back in working order, of course."

Less than twelve hours ago, Childe had been out cold—occasionally groaning out in pain as he was carried back to his room. I had worried about how weak he had looked—pale face, cold sweat, and sunken eyes. But now…

"Hm? I smell something good." Childe lowered himself from one last push-up before rising fully. "You brought me breakfast?"

With him now standing in front of me, I got a proper look at him. His face was still pale, the sweat on his body had nothing to do with light exercise, and his eyes still looked pained. He hadn't recovered at all.

"Get back in bed," I ordered.

His brows furrowed. "Didn't you want me to eat? I thought I might starve after missing breakfast. I'm so lucky to have you looking out for me, Lumi."

"If you're really so worried about your body giving out, you wouldn't be doing push-ups after destroying yourself last night. Look at you—your arms are shaking." I crossed my arms, upset.

"I'm feeling better."

"Don't lie to my face."

"Alright, seeing you makes me feel better. In here." Childe held a hand above his heart.

My lips twitched with a threatening smile, but I regained composure and pointed to his bed. No amount of charm was going to distract me. There was no reason for him to challenge me in this situation—which is probably why he dutifully obeyed with only the slightest sigh. The most he did was sit down, but I was satisfied with that much.

"Here, drink this." I passed him the juice. "You really shouldn't push yourself so hard. Aren't you looking forward to going back home and seeing your family? If you pass out again and miss all of the departing ships, that won't happen."

He shrugged. "I'm well aware of my limits. It's a rare opportunity that I find a valid reason to transform into Foul Legacy, and fighting off the fatigue that follows is just another chance for me to test my strength."

There was some logic in that response. That didn't mean I was happy about it.

"Here, eat this." I handed him the soup next.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked with a smile, accepting the bowl.

I was quite tired myself, getting very little sleep and waking early with today's schedule and Childe's condition on my mind. So, I sat cross-legged next to him on the bed and sighed.

"No, I'm not mad."

"You were worried," he said with understanding. "When I destroyed the Domain and burst through the cave, you had no warning. Seeing me in that form must have been jarring. I'm sure anyone would assume they'd come face-to-face with a monster."

His Foul Legacy transformation certainly wasn't anything I would have thought of. While I could admit I was scared at first, that was only because I didn't know what to expect. Yet, I knew it was Childe.

"You're not a monster, Childe. What kind of monster would risk his life on a chance? What kind of monster would save one tiny plant just because he remembered I liked how pretty it glowed in that cave?"

"It came out unscathed?" His brows rose. "I don't even remember giving it to you."

I smiled. "It's in my room right now, perfectly fine. Though, I can't say the same for you."

"I'm feeling better," he mumbled again.

I rolled my eyes, deciding it was good enough that he continued to eat and regain some energy. The juice was nearly gone with how quickly he drank, and I couldn't help but watch his throat bob as the liquid went down. My eyes followed the movement until it struck me again that Childe was without a shirt. I'd been too focused on his health to care about his broad, freckled shoulders, but now I was sitting very close to them. His shoulders weren't the only expanse of skin graced by those freckles.

"Lumi?"

"Hm?" My response was delayed.

"You're staring."

With a flash of heat on my neck, I blinked out of my stupor. "I was just…checking for injuries."

"Sure, you were." Childe's grin only lasted for a moment before he rubbed his neck. "You won't find anything serious. The damage is internal."

"Internal?" I echoed incredulously. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the infirmary?"

"They would ask too many questions. A large cut or heavy bruising wouldn't raise any suspicions since that kind of stuff is normal around here, but it wouldn't be easy to come up with a lie about my current condition. I'd rather wait it out."

"And how long will that take?"

"Hard to say. My body might bounce back faster after getting used to the effects, or it could take longer to recover because of overexertion. As long as I don't do anything serious in these next few weeks, you'll find me in top form for second semester."

I pressed my lips together, having to hold myself back from telling Childe that he shouldn't have done so much. What's done was done, and as a whole, I was glad Childe made that decision. His pain may be temporary, but the results weren't.

Childe sighed heavily. "It's too bad."

"What is?"

"If my muscles weren't screaming at me every time I barely lifted a finger, I would have made the most of this situation and gotten very serious."

Even though Childe had just finished the soup, his eyes suddenly looked very hungry. They were also looking at me, and a blush bloomed over my cheeks.

"Now you're the one who's staring," I managed to say.

"Am I not allowed to?"

His head tilted slightly with the question, and a bit of his hair flopped cutely to one side. Much of his hair was more tousled than usual, and I had the urge to muss it up even more. Alas, there was barely-contained restraint in his eyes in addition to the hunger. Knowing he was still in pain kept me from making any moves.

For a change in atmosphere, I thought of one other activity we could enjoy together. I got up and placed the empty bowl and glass back on the tray.

"Instead of torturing yourself with push-ups, why don't you train in a more relaxing way? Boarding a ship isn't the only activity that the docks have to offer."

"You've got a point." Childe reached into his nightstand drawer and pulled out a brown pouch. "And I've got the Mora."

I should have known that the town would be busier now that students were freed from exams. The docks were no exception, and I glared angrily at the fish that lingered just out of range from my line. Childe sat on the bench next to me, not at all bothered by the lack of activity from the water. Just as I had hoped, a serene expression smoothed out his features—no longer pained and weak. Seeing him relaxed like this reminded me not to take the fishing so seriously.

"I've been wondering something," Childe said with a quizzical look. "How did I get back to my room?"

"Last night? You were carried."

His curiosity quickly morphed into dread. "I don't suppose it was you who carried me?"

"Nope." I shook my head, a teasing grin on my lips. "Diluc."

"Ah." He drew a hand down his face. "Diluc."

I giggled quietly, remembering how that had transpired. "Do you want to know the details?"

"Thanks, but—"

"After you de-transformed and passed out, Thoma did a full-body search for any bleeding."

Childe winced. "How kind of him."

"Then, we had to figure out a way to get you back to the teleport and to your room without causing any discomfort. Out of the four of us, Diluc was built the best for that role. He carried you in his arms, and Thoma threw a blanket over your body so no one would ask questions."

"At least no one saw…" His face had gone pale again.

"Once we made it to your room, there was no way of getting inside without a key. Of course, there was always the option of tampering with the lock, but Kaeya thought of searching your pockets."

"I keep it in the front pocket of my pants," he mumbled.

I nodded. "That's where he found it. It took a while, too. I'm jealous of how deep your pockets are. I might have to order a pair of my own from the academy."

"You'd be just as stunning in pants as you are in a skirt." Childe brushed a hand over my knee. "I would miss seeing your legs, though. So, which one of them tucked me in bed and sang a lullaby? Do I even want to know?"

I laughed softly and shook my head. "That part was me."

"Thank the Tsaritsa for small favors."

"Minus the lullaby. If you want to hear singing, you should go to Barbara. Maybe her songs can even heal you. It'd be worth a try if I wasn't certain that she's already gone back to Mondstadt. I also saw a lot of the faculty leaving this morning."

"Many of them do." Childe nodded. "Baizhu has his pharmacy in Liyue Harbor, Kriedeprinz goes to his research lab in Dragonspine, and even our esteemed physical combat instructor has somewhere to be."

"Really? Where does Xiao go?"

"Beats me. He's from Liyue, so that's where I assume."

Now that I thought about it, there wasn't much that I knew about Instructor Xiao. I could imagine Venti going back to Mondstadt and indulging in an endless amount of fine wine at Angel's Share—he'd rambled on about it more than once. Professor Minci's love for reading was no secret, nor were her plans to visit the library at the Knights of Favonius' headquarters. Even though Professor Morax had been vague about his plans, he would get sidetracked in lectures and talk about the many shops in Liyue Harbor he liked to observe.

I doubted Xiao would have given an answer if any of us asked. It really wasn't any of our business, but I let my mind wander anyway. Conqueror of Demons…did he actively hunt monsters in his free time?

"Hey, look." Childe pointed to the ocean where a large ship was pulling in. "That's our ride. We should have another hour before boarding begins."

"I don't think any of these fish are going to bite," I complained.

"Then we won't force them. Fishing requires patience, and when there's no time, we can move on to bigger and better things. I, for one, need to start packing my bags."

Before Childe rushed off to get his things in order, we returned our supplies to the Fishing Association shop. Unlike last time, Childe didn't have to sweet talk the seller into getting free gear. Much like last time, the young woman working there didn't seem to like me very much, and now it was obvious why. It was hard keeping a straight face with her, but I stayed polite.

Okay, maybe I was a little smug about her reaction to Childe's hand in mine.

After returning to campus, all I had to do was grab the suitcase that was already packed and waiting by my door. I'd long since returned to where the ship was now docked and receiving passengers. With my luggage stowed away, I lingered at the back of the ship and kept an eye out for Childe's ginger hair.

"Last call for boarding passengers to the mainland!" a man in a suit called from the ship's deck.

Right then, I spotted him.

"You're no better than Xiangling." I sighed, watching from the railing as Childe showed up at the last minute with two cases of luggage. They looked rather heavy, and I worried it might be too much too soon, but his smile was bright enough to convince me otherwise. "We almost left without you."

Childe's luggage was taken by one of the porters waiting on standby.

"I'm here, aren't I?" He leaned onto the railing next to me, and we both watched the ramp that connected our ship to the dock slowly be lifted. "Me, you, and…I don't see anyone else we know. They must have left earlier."

I nodded. "We're the last ones. Diluc boarded the morning ship so he could get back to Dawn Winery as soon as possible. Thoma was on that one, too. There's another ship in Liyue Harbor that'll bring him to Inazuma. I can't imagine sailing for so long. I hope he doesn't get seasick."

"He'll be fine." Childe dismissed. "Knowing Thoma, he's probably got all kinds of remedies prepared."

I smiled. He probably did.

"And Kaeya?" Childe asked.

"I didn't see him at breakfast, so he must have also left early."

"Are you sure? Some students choose to stay on campus during breaks if they don't want to travel or have nowhere to go."

I pulled back from the railing, surprised. "Really? Kaeya never said anything about staying behind."

"I can probably guess why," Childe said, his eyes staring at the open water. "It would only make you worry."

I opened my mouth to deny that. It made no sense for Kaeya to hold back on my account. Then again, there wasn't much to do on campus when school wasn't in session, and there was only so much the town had to offer. Wouldn't he get lonely? Knowing what I knew about Kaeya's past, I could see why he would stay behind. There was no home for him in Mondstadt—not anymore.

Childe nudged me out of my thoughts. "See? You're worrying."

"I would have stayed longer if I could," I mumbled. "He should have said something."

"Maybe, but I'm glad he didn't. Now I get to have you all for myself."

Just then, the ship swayed on the water, and I teetered along with it. Before I could stumble, Childe caught my shoulders with a smug grin.

"Did you do that?" I accused.

"Do what?"

"Make the ship move."

Childe laughed at that. "I'm flattered that you think I'm capable of such a thing. No, girlie. That was just nature proving my point."

"Uh-huh," I rolled my eyes with a smile. "You're lucky you're comfy."

"Is that so?"

"Mhm, I could fall asleep right here. Standing up."

My eyes really did feel heavy then. The ship continued to sway, though only slightly. It was enough to draw out the tiredness from my lack of sleep. Childe's hands came down from my shoulders, and his arms wrapped around mine. I sighed in content and watched the calm waves with him at my back.

"Or, we can find your cabin," he suggested. "As much as sleeping while standing could be excellent training, it's winter break. Get some rest. You deserve it."

I turned around halfway to look up at him. The hypocrite. "You took those words right out of my mouth."

His chest rumbled with a chuckle, blue eyes landing on mine before dropping a bit further. Childe lowered his head then, and I let my eyes fall shut just as he took something else.

the 3.2 livestream...i have no words and many words...! nahida, me and my primos are here for you. scaramouche, i ask that you nicely drop that boss music into my playlist please and thank you