alert: you are 150k words into this fanfiction! if you want to stop now and come back later, i have a handy recap waiting for your return :)

the story so far: in light of the monster raid, celestia academy has enforced the sakoku order—an unfortunate, strict curfew. nobody is happy about this, but lumine makes do with what she can and tries to focus on school…and her guys. it's thanks to amber that lumine realizes diluc's feelings for her and her returning feelings for him. it's thanks to lisa that lumine realizes the same for thoma. while she struggles to come to terms with the occupants in her heart, her mind is filled with a new worry—a new geo power. keeping up with school and approaching midterms isn't so easy when lumine is tricked and lured into a trap set by signora, but childe steps in at the last second and redeems himself. diluc also finds his own way of giving signora what she deserves, but a bitter snezhnayan is the least of lumine's problems. now, a key member of the abyss order makes an appearance in her dream. lumine decides to bring the guys together, and they must trust each other to form some kind of plan to stop enjou's agenda.

It would be a lie to say that the week following our confidential meeting was boring. Classes picked up in full force after midterms, and I barely had time to think about what we discussed. Each day, it was more drills and new lessons. Each night, it was a mountain of homework and focusing my mind before bed. Though I was tempted to learn more about Celestia Academy's history with the Abyss Order, I refrained from letting that wonder seep into my dreams. Thinking of how it was important for me to stay grounded in this reality—where there were people I could trust who also placed their trust in me—was enough to yield dreamless nights. Well, mostly dreamless.

I held on to bits of memories when I dreamed that Kaeya and Diluc got along. One time, I dreamt that Childe's head turned into a giant Golden Crab, and that image stuck with me for a whole day. Next to Kaeya's handkerchiefs, scribbled notes of my dreams were on my nightstand. Fighting ocean monsters in Liyue, climbing the snowy mountain in Mondstadt, facing the thunder manifestation of an angry Electro bird in Inazuma—these were all the senseless dreams I've had. They made for great stories at the dining hall table, that's for sure.

"No way," Amber gasped. "An evil twin?"

I shook my head. "Not a twin, an imposter. Then, there was another version of Professor Kreideprinz that was even more corrupt. It turned into a giant Cryo whopperflower."

"What did I do?" Bennett's eyes sparkled. "You said Amber and I were there too, right? Did I help?"

"You did, actually," I recalled. "When the Kreideprinz imposter suddenly attacked, you ran in with your burst ability and made a big red circle that covered the ground."

"Wow," he breathed. "I haven't even perfected my burst yet. I bet Dream Bennett was so cool."

"Okay, that's great and all." Childe swirled his cup of Sparkling Cider. "When do I come in? Do I chop its head off?"

"You weren't in that dream, Childe."

The corners of his lips turned down. "Why not? You put Eula in the dream. You don't even talk to Eula."

"That's true," I sighed. "But I can't control what I dream. Oh, don't look so sad. Remember Crab Childe?"

Thoma chuckled. "The dream where Childe's head turned into a giant—"

"Golden Crab. Yes. I am well aware of that supposed dream," Childe grumbled. "Girlie, how could your subconscious do that to me? I'm more than just a piece of meat, you know."

Everyone at the table laughed.

"I sense high spirits over here." Kaeya approached our table and leaned on one end. "Allow me to add to it. I bring good news."

My head picked up. "Is it about the Sakoku Order?"

"Indeed," he nodded. "Jean made her proposal to the headmaster yesterday. According to her report, it seemed to have gone quite well. Showing up well-prepared with first-hand accounts from the student body was an excellent choice."

Childe set down his Sparkling Cider. "So? When are we free?"

"That is yet to be decided by the higher-ups."

Everyone at the table deflated.

"I just want to stop getting yelled at by the guards." Xiangling pouted. "They treat me like a criminal when they catch me picking Glaze Lilies. I have no choice but to wait for the moon to come out!"

"I didn't know you were growing Glaze Lilies," Amber commented.

Xiangling winked. "That's because I'm not. There's a small patch that grows in the courtyard by the lecture building."

Thoma turned a concerned look in her direction. "The guards probably don't want you picking campus flowers meant for decoration. In addition to being out past curfew, it's no wonder they're so harsh."

"Well, then that's a waste of perfectly good ingredients."

"For the sake of our campus greenery," Kaeya smiled ruefully. "Let's hope the Sakoku Order is lifted soon. With a whole forest at your disposal and no curfew holding you back, I'm sure your culinary ventures will be well supported."

"For the sake of our sanity," Childe amended and looked at me. "Amongst other things."

Treasure hunting. Geo powers. Uncovering ancient secrets.

"Yes," I agreed. "The sooner the better."

Another week went by, and I equipped a windglider to prepare for our usual drills in Beginner's Gliding. Venti had been conjuring up a variety of obstacle courses and endurance exercises with slight alterations each class, but he never failed to mention how much he wished we could glide off the cliffs.

"Under normal circumstances, you all would have gotten a chance to glide to the shore," he had grumbled. "There, we would have had a fun beach episode! It's a real shame the weather has gotten too cold for that."

Underneath my windglider was a thick jacket that the Academy gave to all students to prepare for the winter. Kaeya said it got cold on the island, and while snow would be lovely to see, I didn't appreciate how quickly my fingers got numb outside of my pockets. The windglider itself weighed like nothing on my back, unlike the first time I had put one on. After months of practice, it now felt like second nature to activate the equipment and jump into Venti's Anemo currents. Briefly, I wondered if my Anemo would ever get to be as strong as his.

"Lumine!" Amber bounced over, dropping her schoolbag and picking up a windglider. "Did you hear about the Sakoku Order being lifted?"

My mouth fell open. "Really?"

She paused. "Well, not entirely. Only deliveries to and from the island, but that means almonds will finally be back in stock again! Aren't you so glad you can eat Almond Tofu all day, every day?"

"I don't know about that," I laughed. "I've grown out of my Almond Tofu phase, but it would be nice to try it again every once in a while. Only deliveries? That's a start, I guess. I can see how the Academy probably wants to open things up slowly so they can better monitor the situation."

"Jean proposed it a week ago, right?" Amber inspected the tips of her windglider. "Maybe next week they'll open up even more."

"Hopefully."

"You'll have to complain to Kaeya if they don't."

I frowned. "How would that solve anything?"

"Kaeya will listen to you."

"I'm not even a member of the student council."

"Yeah, but," she grinned. "He asked you for help with organizing those responses so long ago, right? I think he thinks you're a good fit for the student council. There's a chance he could try to recruit you."

"Me joining the student council?" I thought about it. "That seems like a lot of work, but I'll admit it does feel rewarding. Knowing that Jean's proposal was only made possible because of the hours we spent on that task—it's nice."

"Childe, too."

I scrunched my nose. "Kaeya would never recruit Childe."

"No, no—Childe might want to recruit you."

"Recruit me? Childe?" I frowned. "For what? He doesn't run any club on campus."

"Maybe 'recruit' isn't the best word," Amber hummed lightly. "It would more fitting to say…he wants you."

Oh no.

"Please, please, please tell me you at least noticed it this time." She suddenly grabbed my arm. "With Diluc, fine. I can see why you didn't catch on. Childe is way, way more obvious."

She would probably be delighted to learn that I was, in fact, aware of this information. While I hadn't confirmed it for myself by asking him outright, the signs were clear to me now. The signs were clear…and I didn't know what to do with them. How was I supposed to approach him about it? Asking Childe outright was one thing, but responding with my own feelings on the matter was something else entirely when I had both Thoma and Diluc to factor in as well.

Amber went on. "He's taking the whole Thoma thing pretty well."

"When did I tell you about Thoma?"

"You didn't."

"Then how did you—"

"Shh," she interrupted. "Don't ask questions you already know the answers to. Did you really think I wouldn't notice the matching omamoris hanging from your bags? I wish you would have told me, but I think it's good I didn't get involved. That way, I know my instincts are real and that I'm not just forcing feelings around."

Amber did have a good eye for these sorts of things, but her guidance would have been helpful. Though, there was some satisfaction in figuring it out by myself with a minor push from Professor Minci. Okay, a big push. Now that Amber brought the topic up…

"What do I do?" I pleaded. "There's three of them, now."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"I—no," I whispered. "Not when I think of them individually. Thoma and Diluc are both so understanding, Amber. I'm super lucky to have them by my side and willing to cooperate with other people I care about, willing to take things slow…but then there's Childe."

"What about Childe?"

"You know," I sighed. "For starters, he's a bit…"

"Possessive? Jealous?"

"In addition to being competitive and unknowingly aggressive, I don't know what to do with him sometimes."

"Are there things you want to do with him?"

"What do you mean? Like spar?"

"No, dummy," she chuckled. "We're not talking about Childe as a peer or partner. What would you want to do with Childe as a partner partner? You like him too, right?"

I blushed. "It's not the same as Thoma and Diluc. With them, I feel calm and cared for. Diluc is always looking out for me, even when he can't see me every day. Thoma is so thoughtful all the time, and he passes me the cutest notes in Vision Studies. Childe is different. His personality is so wild. When we spar, even though we're not serious about it, I feel exhilarated. I like how quickly he's motivated to do something, how easily his interests are sparked, and how he always matches my energy. Don't get me wrong, it does get annoying when he starts fights, but if I'm being honest, it's kind of cute sometimes. Besides, Childe has been through a lot, and I know he means well—most of the time. He's a handful for sure, but I…I like Childe just the way he is."

Amber silently wiped at the corners of her eyes without saying anything.

"What?" My blush deepened.

"You were smiling from ear-to-ear this whole time, Lumine," she said. "Sometimes you look like you want to punch Childe in the face, so I wasn't expecting this much from you."

"Maybe not in the face."

"Really, Lumine," she grabbed my shoulders. "My inner romantic is bursting with joy right now. There's something special going on with you and three other people. I can sleep well knowing my friend is not so oblivious after all, that her mind is sound. Seeing your face light up when talking about Childe of all people—my heart is full." Her grip tightened. "And that is why, if for any reason, one of those guys messes up—if they ever dare to play with your emotions, to break your heart—I will make them regret it. Do you hear me?"

"Thanks for having my back."

I wasn't sure what Amber could do against any of them, but I also doubted Thoma, Diluc, or Childe would ever turn against me. She had nothing to worry about, but the fierceness in her eyes brought a smile to my face. Amber released me, scanning the clearing where most everyone had already equipped their windgliders. Venti was nowhere in sight, so we were all engaged in our own separate conversations.

"Good. I think Venti might be coming in late with another hangover," she grinned.

I frowned. "Why is this a good thing?"

"Because now we have more time to talk about how you plan to confess to Childe."

Diluc only had time to meet once this weekend. One week after the Sakoku Order was lifted to permit deliveries, that leniency was extended to the teleport waypoints. The only catch was that all teleportation activity would be heavily monitored, and only students with granted approval got the chance to teleport to the town. For most of us, our hopes to spend time by the ocean or take a look at the local shops were shut down. For Diluc, that meant he was finally able to attend to official tavern business that had been piling up. He'd left me a note promising that he could play chess the next day, and true to his word, I found him setting up the chessboard in the library tonight.

"Good evening, Diluc," I smiled at him.

"Lumine, you look as lovely as always." He returned my smile. "How was dinner?"

"It was hot pot night, but I'm sure it doesn't compare to the restaurant in town," I blushed. He'd called me lovely. "Speaking of the town, how was it? Did you get everything taken care of?"

"The town is still there. Same buildings. Same faces. The air is chiller since they're closer to the water, but not by much. As for the tavern—same drunkards. There is still much to be done. I only went down yesterday to get an overview of my objectives so I can properly organize my agenda."

"Oh," I quieted. "If there's still work you need to do, we don't have to play tonight."

"Why would I rob myself of being in your presence not once, but twice?" He shook his head. "Come on now, I have something special planned for this particular match."

"Oh?" I couldn't hide my interest. "Special how?"

"An incentive," he smirked and pulled an unmarked box from under the table. It was half the length of his arm and neatly tied with a red ribbon. "If you win, I shall gift it to you."

Did he buy something for me when he went into town? The exterior of the box gave no clue of its inner contents, but the packaging alone looked expensive. It took everything in me to not grab it from him, and my heart skipped several beats knowing that he thought of me even when doing business.

"That's quite the bargain, Diluc."

"Do you not intend to win?" He patted the box. "That won't do. There is no one else I can imagine who would enjoy this as much as you would."

"Can I get a hint?"

He folded his arms and shook his head.

"Can I hold the box?" Maybe I could shake it up a little to get a sense of what's inside.

"No."

"Please?" I blinked at him once. Twice.

Diluc's jaw twitched, and he looked away. "That won't work on me." He cleared his throat. "If you're so eager to know what's inside, we should start now."

"Fine," I mumbled. "Game on."

So close.

My hands clenched into tight fists as my king fell right before my eyes. Somehow, it was in slow motion. Was that Diluc's doing, or was it because of my extreme sorrow? The box. The box with the ribbon. I stared at it longingly while Diluc snatched my king away.

"I have an objection," I declared.

Diluc chuckled. "To what, losing? What is there to object against a fact?"

"No, I object to your underhanded tactics."

"I'm listening."

Diluc was a gentleman from a wealthy background, so I focused all my brainpower to conjure as much sophistication as I could. Hopefully, this would sway his final decision.

"Over the past few weeks, there have been no major distractions to my education," I sniffed. "This means that my mind—my intelligence—had the opportunity to be greatly enhanced, you see. I felt, nay, I knew that tonight would be the night I finally win a game. However," I held out a finger. "You knew this and decided to thwart my progress with something as alluring as a gift. I couldn't focus on the match. My thoughts were on that box."

"And that's my fault? I assumed you were in control of your thoughts, Lumine."

I crossed my arms. "My thoughts, yes, but not my heart."

"Your…heart?"

I nodded with a growing blush. "You are courting me, are you not?"

"I—" he raised a gloved hand to cover his own reddening cheeks. "That is correct."

"Right then. Well, I'll have you know that the prospect of this gift had greatly influenced my affections for you. Something so spontaneous, so mysterious, I couldn't help but be swept up by the romance of it all." Pause for dramatic effect. "Now, for you to so cruelly dangle this gift in front of me only to pluck it away when I was just about to beat you—ah—when my strategy was slightly foiled…I cannot bear it."

"I am sorry to hear that."

"My heart cannot go on." I turned away. "The pain is too great."

"Oh my," he sighed rather dramatically—playing the role perfectly. "Is there any way I could ever make it up to you? This cannot be the end for us. I won't allow it."

Fighting to stay in character, I forced down the smile that wanted to pop up on my face. Instead, I slowly turned to look back at Diluc and peeked at the box. Lightly gesturing to it with my hand, I let my gaze linger.

"I just want to see what's inside."

"Even though you lost?"

"Once I know what the gift is, I'll be even more motivated to win next time," I asserted. "I'll strategize in class if I have to."

"That won't be necessary." Diluc smiled and moved the chessboard aside so he could slide the box forward. "Here. It's yours."

"Just like that?" I gasped.

He smirked. "I never said it was the chess match you had to win."

"Then…" I trailed off, trying to think of what else I could have won. If he was giving it to me now, that means I must have won it already.

"My heart," Diluc placed his hand on the left side of his chest. "This gift was yours the moment I chose it with you in mind."

"Oh."

He laughed. "Go on. I want you to have it."

An addicting mixture of shock, excitement, and affection swirled in my chest as I reached forward to grab the box. The ribbon was tied into a bow so perfect, I almost felt bad for tugging away at one end and letting it unravel. Before Diluc could change his mind and decide that I actually had to overcome his chess prowess, I swiftly pulled off the lid and looked inside.

There, nestled between swathes of velvety cloth that resembled a ripple of wine, was a bottle. Not just any bottle.

"Pinkity Drinkity?" I gasped quietly.

Two instinctual reactions warred in my body with this revelation. The first was pure delight as the memory of how absolutely divine this drink tasted came rushing back. The best juice in Teyvat. That's what I had thought when I downed multiple bottles the first time I tried it. The other rection was immediate revulsion with the memory of how wrecked I felt the morning after. The Pinkity Drinky hangover was no joke.

"The non-alcoholic version," Diluc said.

My jaw fell open, and I quickly shut it. "Non-alcoholic?"

"This time, it really is just juice," he smiled. "You can have as much as you desire without any repercussions."

I picked up the bottle, admiring how the blush pink liquid inside sparkled in the library's ambient glow. With this new information, the pure delight was back in full force, and my face split into a grin.

"Thank you, Diluc." I carefully set the bottle back into the box. "This is the best gift ever."

"I disagree. The best gift is being able to spend time with you here like this."

My chest fluttered.

"If I could see that same burst of happiness on your face for a mere second of the year, that would be enough for me."

I stood abruptly, almost bumping the box off the table.

"Lumine?"

Stepping around the table and standing right at his side, I leaned down to place a quick kiss on Diluc's cheek.

I didn't know what I was thinking. I wasn't sure if I had any thoughts at all. At that moment, all I knew were my feelings, and I wanted him to know, too. Upon pulling away, I saw his face slowly blend into the same shade as his hair. Diluc lifted a hand, barely grazing the skin where my lips once were, and a heartfelt smile took over his features.

My heart pounded wildly in my chest. I'd never kissed anyone before. No one has ever kissed me before. This wasn't even a proper kiss—just one on the cheek, so why was it that it felt like I could burst into fireworks at any moment? To calm down and prevent myself from acting any further, I turned away to go back to my seat.

Diluc's hand caught my wrist, causing me to pause, and I dared to face him once more.

He let go of my wrist just enough to capture my hand in his. With his attention focused entirely on my hand, I was saved from him noticing just how flustered one little kiss on the cheek made me. Somehow, his tender expression and the way he brought my hand to his own lips gripped me even more.

Diluc lightly kissed my knuckles, and his eyes flicked up to meet mine.

"If we play another game," his voice came out hoarse. "I can guarantee you will win. Not because I let you, but because I won't be able to think of anything but you."

"That doesn't sound very fair." My throat was dry.

"Believe me," he still held my hand. "No amount of defeats can ever wither this moment away."

"I don't think I can focus on chess right now."

The corners of his eyes crinkled. "Shall we call it a night, then?"

I nodded.

With visible reluctance, Diluc released my hand and put the chess set away. Dazedly, I collected the box in my arms and properly set the lid back on. No words were exchanged as we left the library together, as the guards at their posts watched us cross the campus, or as we entered the dorm building—no words were necessary. It was just me and Diluc quietly existing.

"Goodnight, Lumine," he said once we reached my door.

"Sweet dreams," I replied automatically. 'Sweet dreams' had become somewhat of a mental mantra of mine once I began putting in the effort to purify them.

"There is no dream sweeter than this one."

That night, I laid in bed for longer than I wanted to admit replaying the moments where lips met skin over and over. Before sleep pulled me under, I wondered if there was a way I could stretch this sweet dream well into the night.

150k words in and 60 chapters later...when i said slow burn i really meant slow burn

i started writing this chapter at 2am, thinking i would get just a few paragraphs in before bed, but that never turns out to be the case. i always always end up writing the entire thing and feel only a little regret at 7 in the morning or whenever i start hearing the birds chirp. this one took especially long bc i had to recompose myself every 2 sentences because diluc. AAAAAA DILUC 3

oh! and i've gotten a questions asking about other platforms i'm on. i'm more of a lurker than anything when it comes to genshin on social media, but i do have a twitter mxxnlea where i make offhanded tweets and drool over fanart. if you want to chat, my discord is Ree#5810 and if you want to beat up azhdada together, my UID on the NA server is 613482458 :)