Chapter Text
Lumine was surprised to feel so at peace returning to Mondstadt after her long absence for Liyue’s Lantern Rite Festival. She found herself light on her feet as she stepped through the familiar front gates, an unexpected feeling like home welling up in her chest. After a smile and a short nod to the knights on duty, she breathed the fresh air deeply and immediately recognized the subtle sweetness of the nearby flower shop and the distant aromas of a mid-day meal at the Good Hunter.
Now then- where and who to see first? Weapon maintenance and travel supplies could wait until she headed back out to the road. It was early in the day still; as such, all of her friends among the knights were likely to be on duty. Though, knowing some of the more eccentric among their ranks, she may very well run into a familiar face or two in any number of places. For the time being, Lumine listened with a bemused smile as Paimon rattled off a list of local foods she'd set her heart and stomach on. Ultimately, she figured there was no harm in letting their appetites guide them for now.
"Lumiiiiine!"
The voice calling out from the sky would have surprised the traveler on her first visit to Mondstadt. Now, accustomed to the ubiquity of gliders, she instinctively looked upward to see a figure descending gracefully towards the cobblestone. She had a split second to recognize Amber before a full body hug knocked the breath out of her. With a hoarse chuckle, Lumine embraced her friend in turn and said,
"Well geez Amber, it's good to see you too!"
“You should have told me you guys were headed back to Mondstadt!” the Outrider gushed, releasing Lumine from her embrace but still holding onto her hands, “I would have told all the knights- we could have had a welcome-back feast!”
This, naturally, prompted Paimon to chime in,
“Yeah Lumine, you should have sent advance notice!”
The traveler rolled her eyes while her smaller companion sulked, and said,
“There’s really no need for the knights to go through all of that on our account. I’m just excited to be back to see everyone!”
Amber held Lumine by the arm and began leading her up stone stairways and streets lined with lively chatter, an unshakeable bright smile on her face.
“Well, just because we can’t throw a party doesn’t mean I can’t at least treat you two to lunch,” she said, practically skipping along the way, “What are you in the mood for? There must be all kinds of local dishes you’ve been craving, c’mon!”
The three shared an animated meal, Amber prodding Lumine for ever more detail about Liyue's festival, the interesting people she'd met, local culture and so on. All the while, Paimon filled her face with enough food to keep her unusually quiet. By the time they had moved on to tea and lighter chat about the day to day goings-on of Mondstadt, it seemed to Lumine that she could count on a pleasant, comfortable day to wind down from her travels. At least, it seemed that way until a young man in Knight's regalia hurriedly approached their table.
"Honorary Knight- and companion," he added, "and Outrider Amber," he added once more, nodding stiffly to each in turn. He seemed… harried.
"Is everything alright, sir?" Lumine asked, instinctively rising to her feet, posture tensed. She wasn't fond of how her travels had trained her to expect crisis.
"Oh- why, yes," he hastily replied, "it's only that- I was sent here with an urgent message for you from Captain Kaeya."
"From Kaeya..?" She echoed, watching while the soldier produced some small object wrapped in a handkerchief of some exquisite material.
"I'll never get Captain Kaeya," Amber said, coming to stand beside her, "how did he even find out you were back so quickly? Let alone rope someone into playing messenger for him."
Lumine nodded in agreement, her brow furrowed in thought, but reached out for whatever delivery had been wrapped up so elegantly for her. Immediately, she was seized by two sensations. First, that what lied within this handkerchief was freezing cold to the touch. Second, that the fabric carried the fragrance of whatever cologne Kaeya tended to wear. The latter caught her completely off guard; she wouldn't have guessed that she could recognize his scent so easily, and the realization warmed her face considerably.
"Well, what is it?! Unwrap it already!" Paimon prodded, floating at her shoulder as usual. Lumine drew away the fabric to find a delicate, crystalline rose made entirely of ice. She held it carefully by the stem and watched it catch the afternoon light, sending sparks of shining color in every direction. Somehow, even the pounding of her heart and the manic questions racing through her mind couldn't keep her from admiring the impeccable craftsmanship- the waving edges of the petals, the curl of the leaves below the bud.
"Woaaaah…!" Amber leaned in closer to examine the flower more closely, "I never knew Kaeya had such fine control of his Vision! Look at all that detail!"
"It's certainly beautiful, but…" Lumine murmured, her questioning frown deepening as she looked back to the Knight who had delivered this gift, "what's this supposed to be about? Did he tell you?"
He cleared his throat and glanced around them, then spoke as though proclaiming some great decree,
"Miss Lumine, I have been tasked with delivering the following message from Captain Kaeya," he paused, perhaps for dramatic effect, "he humbly requests that you join him this evening for as long as your schedule may allow for a private engagement. Should you accept this invitation, he asks that you meet him at the city gates at sundown. Shall I, uh," he stumbled a bit, having run through his script, “Shall I tell the Captain to expect you?”
At that moment, Lumine became aware of every nearby set of eyes on her. Glancing around the square, at least every patron of the Good Hunter, plus the fair share of customers across the way and passersby surrounding the central fountain all stared blatantly in her direction. Among her own thoughts ringing in her head, she could parse some of the noise from the murmuring crowd-
“Did he say Captain Kaeya?”
“How romantic- she’s so lucky!”
“Always figured he was more of a player…”
Her mind raced as her body warmed inside and out. Kaeya had to know that such an overt and excessive gesture would attract attention. The location, the time of day, the announcement, the dazzling light refracting off of the frozen rose- he would have had to hire a minstrel to make the display any more over-the-top. What was his angle? Knowing him, there had to be an angle. And yet, there was no way Lumine could sort out her thoughts and feelings well enough to discover it. Every aspect of this gift seemed custom tailored to put him at the forefront of her thoughts- his scent, his abilities, his unique and mysterious sort of beauty.
“Ah, miss..?”
Lumine blinked her eyes and shook herself back into the present. With all of the composure she could muster she nodded firmly and said,
“Yes, uhm, you can let him know I’ll be there.”
The crowd around her erupted into a newly invigorated wave of gossip and chatter. With a short bow, the young knight turned on his heels and departed, likely to report back to the captain on her response. Lumine was left flustered and bright red in the face, clutching the icy rose to her chest despite the cold.
“So,” Paimon chirped beside her as she struggled to collect herself, “We’re gonna go see Kaeya tonight then?”
Mercifully, Amber cut in,
“It, uh… sounded to me like he really wants to spend time with just Lumine,”
"Ooooh, so it's like THAT then." Paimon teased shrilly, fluttering near to nudge Lumine's shoulder. She was so lost in thought that she hardly reacted- but her two friends seemed to be doing fine entertaining themselves with the topic.
"Paimon, I don't know if I believe you even understand what you're talking about," Amber said with a grin.
"Well… whatever! Go do your weird thing with Kaeya! Paimon will just have to try all the Mondstadt snacks we've missed with someone else! Right, Amber?"
Lumine let their voices sink into the back of her mind as she stared down at the glistening rose in her hands. Within the circling, spinning layers of petals, it wasn't hard to imagine a cunning amethyst eye staring back up at her. Still, she reflected on what his true motivations could be. For the moment, she knew one thing: his trap had snared at least one victim. While his end goal remained impossible to grasp, Kaeya had ensured that she would think of little else but him until they met.
Hours later, having spent the afternoon walking the cobbled streets and catching up with friends, Lumine meandered near the city gates in a state of anxious anticipation. As predicted, the Cavalry Captain had lingered among her thoughts all the while. In truth, she had even kept the handkerchief wrapped around his gift on her person even after storing the rose in her guest room at the Knights' headquarters. Kaeya's scent on the fabric had proven too alluring to part with, although of course she would never willingly admit it.
Now, she struggled to control her restless pacing at the archway into the city. She must look half delirious to the locals- though, from the whispers and remarks she caught as they passed, several of them already knew what she was there for. The gossip had gotten around quick. Stupid Kaeya, making her go through all of that embarrassing pageantry.
"Have you missed me?"
His voice felt like ice water dripping down her spine. After a moment and a breath to keep her thudding heart in check, Lumine turned toward him only to find Kaeya leaning in far closer than she’d expected. With a playful smirk and an elbow resting against the stone wall beside them, the tantalising glimpse of skin behind his parted shirt met her directly at eye level; yet somehow, she managed to force her gaze up to meet his.
“Uh, Kaeya!” she said with a smile that was almost too earnest, “Long time no see!”
“Too long,” he replied, “I was relieved to hear that I caught you before your schedule filled up with happy reunions.”
"Well I certainly couldn't refuse such a… conspicuous invitation."
Kaeya seemed hardly phased by her half-mumbled response. Instead, he stepped beside her and drew her hand to his arm, escorting her to their destination like every bit the gentleman she knew he wasn't. She noticed that he even slowed his longer strides to keep pace with her as they proceeded down streets busy with the transition from work hours to leisure.
They strolled through these streets for some time, making pleasant small talk until the sun sunk behind the city walls. Lamps were lit one by one along their path, casting a romantic evening glow over the pair. Then, at last, they had looped back toward none other than Angel's Share. Lumine truthfully wasn't sure what to make of that. Yet he continued to surprise her, leading her back around the building to an entrance she assumed to be intended for employees and deliveries.
"What are you-?"
"Just steering us away from prying eyes," he answered, evidently expecting this question. His arm slid around her waist with a natural sort of familiarity, and he granted her a sideways glance, "I hope you won't mind if I'm a little selfish with you tonight, Lumine."
Her face warmed and heart fluttered, but before she could reply, Kaeya had turned back to the worn old door. He knocked twice, rather forcefully, and the moment the door cracked open for them, he guided her through like a shadow clinging to the wall. By coincidence- or, so it seemed anyway- a local bard had just begun a new rendition of a fan-favorite tune. As such, Kaeya was easily able to lead her around the backs of clusters of patrons engrossed in the performance. Lumine was quickly overcome by the buzz of conversation and song and boots on floorboards, the cloying sweetness of liquor in the air, the warmth of bodies all around them; yet, as Kaeya took her hand and gave just a glimpse of a smile on their way to the spiral stairs, all of those other sensations seemed small and far away.
And when they reached the second floor, they found it entirely empty.
"I took the liberty of having this area reserved for us tonight. Figured I’d give us some... privacy." Kaeya said, answering her unasked question.
"I- I see."
He led her to a nearby table and gestured for her to sit. Then, rather than sit across from her, he settled at her side and turned to face toward her. Planted between him and the railing overlooking the lower floor, Lumine did her best to keep her heart rate and her line of sight both strictly in check. Kaeya had created an irresistible atmosphere for their date. The location was familiar to them both, yet the circumstances were calculated, arranged exactly in his favor from the start. If only Lumine could focus on his game enough to keep up with him.
“Kaeya, I-”
“You’re as beautiful as ever tonight, Lumine- I hope I haven’t neglected to tell you as much,” he said softly, the signature curl ever-present at the corner of his lips as he leaned towards her to brush a lock of hair behind her ear, “Ah, but look at me, being so forward- let me buy you a drink, first. Whatever your heart desires- I am utterly at your service.”
“ Kaeya .” she repeated more firmly, fixing her eyes on his despite the blush she could feel burning across her face. He finally met her gaze straight on, and before he could distract her any more, Lumine said, “What- what is all of this? The over-the-top invitation, the sweet-talking, the… everything. What’s this really about?”
For a split second, his expression was entirely unreadable, letting nothing in and even less out. Then, a smile that Lumine was so, so tempted to call genuine. His eye softened, his posture relaxed as he watched her with a warmth that was as intoxicating as any of his flattery.
“I missed you,” he said simply.
"Captain, Honorary Knight, excellent to have you again. What can I get for you this evening?” one of the bar’s employees saved Lumine the task of finding an immediate response. Drinks were ordered, the waiter turned briskly away, and for the moment at least, it seemed Lumine was free from Kaeya's spell. When he faced back toward her, his bearing was far more casual, his tone nonchalant and free of the low heat that felt like drowning in dandelion wine.
"Tell me about the Lantern Rite," he said, "I hear it only gets more extravagant every year."
"It was certainly something," Lumine replied, glad to have a conversation topic she felt more sure of. Fortunately, there was plenty to tell, as the event had turned out to be quite a bit more eventful than she'd anticipated. As such, the pair easily filled their evening together with lively conversation; Lumine was even pleasantly surprised to find that Kaeya was an excellent audience when he wasn't sending her heartrate skyward. Their drinks arrived, were thoroughly enjoyed, refilled, and so on as they talked through all that had happened since their last meeting.
"My, my, so the Hero of Mondstadt lends her strength to another city in need," Kaeya commented over the rim of his glass as Lumine finished her recounting. After a pause for a sip of his drink, he added, "it's almost bittersweet, isn't it?"
Lumine's brow furrowed, her head tilted curiously.
"I mean, from my perspective, the whole thing was more frantic than heroic," she said, lowering her gaze to the honey-golden liquor in her glass. Kaeya shifted toward her on his chair, the new position placing a strange emphasis on the difference in height between them.
"Still," he murmured, though his trademark smirk remained in place "I hope I don't have to worry about you forgetting all about us poor Mondstadters on your grand adventures."
Her eyes fluttered up from her drink to meet his gaze. She wasn't sure what prompted the thought- perhaps a moment of madness or mere wishful thinking- but Lumine could swear that there was something unusually sincere in his words. Whether her gut was right or wrong, she let her expression relax into an open smile, and said,
"Come on Kaeya, you know I couldn't forget you."
He gave an abrupt, short laugh, which he quickly smothered in several deep gulps of liquor. While his posture was every bit as comfortable as ever, Lumine noticed that his eye darted to the side. Was he… flustered? Was a mere moment of sincerity truly enough to triumph over Mondstadt's most accomplished flirt? If he blushed at all, it was impossible to tell in the amber candlelight of the tavern. Still, for a moment, Lumine almost felt proud of her accomplishment.
Another round of drinks came and went, and by now, the two had both begun to feel the vague buzzing warmth of the alcohol setting in. Gradually, insidiously, their chairs had each slid closer together over the course of the evening. Close enough that Lumine could savor a hint of the same cologne that she'd recognized with his earlier gift. Close enough that the occasional brief, entirely innocent spark of physical contact was only to be expected. It could be excused if her knee rested ever so slightly against Kaeya's, or if his fingertips grazed her arm on the way to his drink.
"And then , after all of that," Lumine said with a dramatic flourish of her hands, "I get back to town and the first commission they send me on is in Dragonspine- and they know I can't stand that stupid mountain!" She added over Kaeya's laughter. Lips set into a smirk, he quipped back,
"Don't much like the cold then, I take it? What a shame."
"Well I, uh, guess it wouldn't bother you much, would it?" Lumine deflected. She hadn't drunk nearly enough yet to feel confident attempting to flirt with a master of the craft.
"Oh, I wouldn't say so entirely," Kaeya replied, setting down his drink, "my Vision doesn't much affect my body temperature, afterall. Here, see?" He took Lumine's hand in both of his and leaned forward, then brought her palm to rest on his chest. True enough, his skin was warm and smooth over toned muscle, but Lumine felt a much more conspicuous heat rising through her center up to her face. Her voice stilted and awkward, she muttered,
"Stop teasing-"
"Lumine." Kaeya spoke her name abruptly, and she glanced up to meet his eye. Her brows rose. His expression was startlingly different from just a moment prior- serious, focused. He shifted forward and placed a finger over her lips, and she found herself unable to speak if she wanted to. He moved closer, and Lumine leaned towards him in turn without a thought. Her pulse pounded, roaring in her head even as everything but Kaeya began to fade from her mind. Gods, the scent of liquor and cologne was close to dizzying- more intoxicating by far than anything she'd actually drunk that evening. She felt his breath across her cheek, the warmth of his body. Then, a voice from the stairwell,
"Captain, your entree is ready."
Lumine jolted upright, her expression twisted in confusion. Kaeya's gaze was fixed not on her, but over her shoulder and the banister behind her, down to the floor below.
"Excellent, thank you," he replied without a glance to the waiter, who quickly bowed and departed.
"Hold on, Angel's Share doesn't sell any-"
Before Lumine could get the words out, Kaeya made his move. With tightly controlled and yet effortlessly fluid maneuvers that she recognized from his fighting style, he shot to his feet, slid around her side, and leapt over the railing and down to the first floor.
Lumine's head still spun, her face still burned, but she forced herself to stand. Gripping the polished wood of the railing tight in both hands, she watched from her vantage point on the upper level as the Cavalry Captain descended into the cramped bar floor like a hawk over prey. Gasps and yelps of surprise swept through the onlooking crowd in a wave. One man, a burly fellow with a drink in one hand and a coin purse in the other, made to push through the masses toward the door. But, Lumine quickly realized, this man had the immense misfortune of being Kaeya's target.
Bystanders scrambled out of the path of the impending danger that anyone half sober could feel in the air. With planned precision, Kaeya's blade spun and caught the handle of a nearby beer mug on the bar. Then, a flick of his wrist, and his sword flung the drink at his foe, launching it such that it collided squarely with the back of his head. Now drenched and facing what may be the onset of a minor concussion, he was left dazed for the moment the Captain needed to send a volley of ice his way. Soaked clothing froze solid around the man in an instant, holding him in place like a sculpture mid-stride.
"You there," Kaeya barked at a nearby patron, "go get Huffman, will you? I'll need someone to take this fine gentleman in for a little chat."
Oblivious to the excited chatter of the crowd below, Lumine clenched a hand to her chest, as though she could hold and sooth her painfully thudding heart. The adrenaline of the moment was short lived- she knew well what Kaeya was capable of, and that one drunken criminal was hardly a threat. No, it was a sudden rush of understanding that had her blood boiling in her veins.
One by one, the pieces of her evening created an all too clear picture. By some intel, he must have known that his target frequented Angel's Share and just needed to be lured out with a false sense of security. That gaudy, public invitation was fully intended to spur gossip, so that word would travel that the Cavalry Captain was occupied that night. Their pleasant walk around town ensured that the two could be seen together. Then, a private vantage point, a key word from an employee in the know, and a surprise attack.
Kaeya had used her as an alibi.
Kaeya couldn’t have hoped for smoother execution. From start to finish, his evening had gone exactly as planned. He leaned back against the bar, humming lightly to himself as Huffman ran through the usual write-ups and protocols for the arrest, and his mind began to wander before his quarry was even properly handcuffed. All but the highest ranked Treasure Hoarders were droll business- hierarchical to a fault, straightforward in a fight and simple minded when pursued. Now that his trap had been carried out flawlessly, the knights could easily manage one stray rat lured out from its hole. The rest would all be business as usual.
Except, of course, for what really occupied Kaeya's mind. With work finally well and done, he could spend his evening on more pleasurable matters. For instance, chatting with the lovely Honorary Knight. He wore a subdued, private smile as he reflected on how thoroughly he'd been enjoying his time with her thus far. As he waved away Huffman and the knights escorting their new friend from the premises, Kaeya's mind was, in truth, obsessively circling images of Lumine. The sight of her adorably flushed cheeks, her lips set into a pout, the way she let herself lean towards him, closer and closer to his arms.
Light on his feet and with a confident sway to his stride, he made his way through the crowd of tavern patrons already returning to their drinks and merriment. A few thanked or congratulated him as he passed, one or two shared a laugh and offered to buy him a round. He certainly planned to take them up on it, but for the time being, he passed them by and headed for the spiraling stairway up to his private table with Lumine.
"So sorry for the interrupt-"
He began as he practically bounced up the last two stairs, only to find their table empty on his return. Kaeya's stomach tightened, his eye darted around the area, to no avail. The only sign of her was the mora left on the table for their server. He knew she wasn’t stupid, and fully expected her to piece things together after all was said and done. But why would she have left in such a hurry? What had he miscalculated?
Damnit .
If she'd taken the front door, he would have intercepted her, so Kaeya hurried around the back end of the bar to the employee entrance they'd come through earlier that night. Through the door and into the crisp night air, and still no sign of her in the alleyway.
"She left the second you made the arrest,"
Kaeya whipped around and nearly collided with Vile. With an irritable groan, he righted himself, though still scanned his surroundings for any sign of Lumine. His informant looked him up and down with an odd expression- one with just a touch of disbelief, "wow, you're really messed up about it huh. Never thought I'd see the day..."
"Look, just-" he ran a hand down his face, exhaling a frustrated sigh, "where was she headed? I need to talk to her." Vile let slip a hint of a smirk and crossed her arms.
"I'll say. You must have really screwed up, Prince Charming."
"Thanks, but that's not exactly the kind of intel I pay you for,” he replied with a hand on his slanted hip. She gave a short snort of laughter, then said,
"Oh, consider that one a freebie. The Traveller is staying in one of the guest suites at the knights headquarters, actually," she added, "though, you may wanna get moving before she decides to change her arrangements."
Without a glance or another word, Kaeya tossed a small pouch of mora to her and was on his way.