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how strange that i don't know you at all

Summary:

Childe likes to believe he knows everything about Lumine. Even when she hasn't spoken to him in years.

Notes:

title from the most tragically underrated red song

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Ajax “Childe” Vaganov knows everything about Lumine Viatrix.

Everything.

His memory is near perfect when it comes to Lumine, and if there is one thing he can confidently say if you put a gun to his head and tell him you’ll only stop if he recites something perfectly, it’s that he knows. Everything. About. Lumine Viatrix.

Here is a list of things he knows about Lumine Viatrix:

1. She likes her hair short because he accidentally stuck watermelon flavored gum in her long blonde hair when they were six. It’s her (very petty) way of reminding him of his mistake.
2. Blueberry cookies are her favorite. He made a point to buy her some from the bakery on Main Street because he likes to see her light up at the sight of them.
3. She hates corn. She thinks it’s gross because they watched a documentary on it together when they were eleven and she still hasn’t gotten over it.

(He knows everything, you see. He knows everything about Lumine Viatrix.)

And this is because he has known her since they were in diapers – since they were in their mothers’ wombs, really – so naturally, that meant that they were the best of friends all throughout their childhood and in middle school.

Keyword being were, of course, because by the time they had become high school freshmen, Lumine Viatrix had all but announced that Ajax “Childe” Vaganov was dead to her.

Nobody aside from the two involved know what exactly happened between them: one day they were best friends, happy and beautiful together, and the next Lumine could barely stand to be in the same room as him.

Ah, but Childe knows. He knows everything about Lumine Viatrix, after all.

(Everything – except for the fact that she was now in a very serious courtship with someone from the all-boys private school across the street.)

 


 

4. She doesn’t like flowers.

There is a bouquet of flowers on her desk.

Windwheel asters and silk flowers. A strange combination, he supposes, but they were inexplicably...perfect for someone like Lumine. They were beautifully arranged and tied together with a single navy blue ribbon. Each flower had obviously been meticulously taken care of.

Still, he snorts. “Who put these here? Don’t you all know Lumine doesn’t like flowers?” He doesn’t wait for an answer before he plucks the bouquet off of her table. A note falls to the floor.

Someone picks it up. “Put the flowers back down, Vaganov.”

Mao? I didn’t know you swung that way.” Childe blinks.

Xiangling rolls her eyes. “No, you weirdo. These are from my friend. He asked me to put them on her desk for her, so you should put them down.” She hisses, attempting to snatch the beautiful bouquet from him.

Unfortunately for her, Childe was as tall as he was annoying, so he held them up higher with a smug face. “I think I’m going to keep these for a little while longer.” He taunted, waving the flowers in the air. Xiangling’s right eye twitches, hand itching to just punch him in the gut and get it over with.

So she does just that, and as he doubles over in pain, she takes the flowers from him. “Take that!” She says with a victorious grin. “Stupid tall people, underestimating us every chance you get.”

“Ah...what’s happened here?” Lumine enters the classroom, a hand on the strap of her backpack.

“Girlie, your friend attacked me – ! ” “Lumi, look what somebody told me to leave on your desk!”

Lumine rushed past Childe, not even sparing him a glance. “Are these...from…?” She looked at Xiangling with steadily pinkening cheeks. Childe got up and narrowed his eyes. From who...? He was so caught up in goading their blue-haired classmate, he’d forgotten that someone had gotten Lumine flowers.

“Yep,” Xiangling giggled. “He wanted me to tell you he grew them himself.” She handed over the bouquet to the blushing blonde.

Childe scoffs internally. The boy who’d brought her flowers was clearly an idiot. Lumine has always disliked flowers. He hadn’t even known that? That was like, basic knowledge for everyone trying to woo Lumine and –

“These are my favorite flowers,” she whispered in awe. “How did he…?”

– those were her favorite flowers? “But – ”

“You’ll just have to find out,” Xiangling winked at her. “I think he’s going to ask you out again today. You should go. And take pictures!”

“But you don’t like flowers.” Childe says quietly, but Lumine was already at her seat, fishing out her phone with a soft smile.

 


 

5. Her favorite season is winter.

The heat is unbearable, Childe thinks.

He’d much rather have some snow around. What he wouldn’t give to go back to his homeland - even just for a few weeks. He could even bring Lumine there! She’s always loved winter...

He rounds a corner, and Lumine is sitting on a bench, staring at a vending machine.

“It’s really super hot here,” Lumine was saying as she fanned herself with her hand. “I think I’m about to melt.”

Oh! Then, what do you think about going to my – ”

“You have a pool? That sounds lovely, but I wouldn’t want to intrude,” she laughs, and Childe notices the phone pressed to her ear. Oh...she was talking to someone on the phone. He holds his breath. Was it the boy who sent her flowers?

Lumine is still turned away from him, cheeks stained a pretty pink. “Really? I’ll have to wear a nice swimsuit then,” she teases the person on the phone. “I have the sun to thank for you inviting me. I guess this is why summer is my favorite season?”

Childe leans back on a wall and runs a hand through his already messy hair. But your favorite season is winter…

 


 

6. She prefers the sunrise over the sunset.

He is jogging in the light of the early morning sun when he sees her talking to a boy in navy blue.

They seem close, he notices, hands brushing as they walk together in the glow of the sun, all soft smiles and lingering touches. They look like lovers testing the waters; probing how far they could take a morning walk together before one of them cracks and does something decidedly more intimate…

He doesn’t like it.

They used to walk together in the morning like this too, laughing as they ran to the cliff they watched the sun rise on. She used to look at him like this too, gentle golden eyes on him and only him.

She...used to look only at him.

“Lumine,” the boy in navy blue starts, “you seem to like the sunrise. Is there a reason?” They sit down on the ground, and Lumine only smiles at him before laying her head on his shoulder. Childe’s jaw tightens, ready to approach them.

“I do,” she hums. “They’re really pretty, but I’ve never liked waking up so early to watch them. I used to watch the sunrise all the time…” She puts a hand above his, intertwining their fingers easily. “This is the first sunrise I’ve watched in a while. I don’t think I’d mind waking up early to watch the sunrise now if it’s with you.”

“We can watch the sunset instead,” the boy says, “or we can watch both. I’d love to watch both with you. I’ll wake up early for the sunrise and for you, too.”

Lumine laughs like she used to with him, and Childe’s heart burns

“Of course, Xingqiu. I’ve always loved the sunset more.”

You’ve always preferred the sunrise...

 


 

7. She thinks the library is lame.

“Zhongli,” Childe takes a deep breath. “Who is Xingqiu?”

Immediately, the brown haired man sighs. “So you’ve heard,” he closes the book on his lap. “Xingqiu is someone...very dear to Lumine. In fact, I was here when they first met in this library.”

“In this library? But he doesn’t go here.” His eyes narrow. “Does he?”

“He doesn’t,” Zhongli confirms, “our library is bigger than his school’s, and he wandered over to borrow a book. Lumine happened to be reading here.”

Childe purses his lips. “But Lumine thinks the library is lame…”

“What do you mean?” Zhongli’s eyebrows furrow. “Lumine has always been a regular at the library. She has spent virtually all of her free time here. You’ve never known? I thought you would have. You are the self-proclaimed Lumine-know-it-all.”

He didn’t know.

How come he’s never known? He knows – he knows everything about Lumine Viatrix. This had to be some kind of mistake. He would never make a mistake about Lumine. He knows everything...

 


 

8. She loves carrots.

“Are you not going to eat those, Lumine?” A girl wearing a big red bow – Amber, Childe recognizes, another one of Lumine’s childhood friends – asks the blonde, who was pushing all of her carrots to the side of her plate. Childe halts his footsteps, earning weird looks from other tables.

“Yup, you know I’ve never liked carrots,” she responds, “do you want them? I don’t want to waste food…”

“You should eat your vegetables, Lumine,” Zhongli tuts from beside her. “Carrots are very healthy. They improve your eyesight, and they boost your immune system. They strengthen your bones, and they help your heart too.”

“Oh god. That was an info dump.” Amber laughs. Lumine joins her, and even Zhongli chuckles a bit. “But yeah, Lumi, you should eat your carrots. Don’t you need good eyesight to read with Xing – ”

“Stop!” She squawks. “You’re right. You’re right. I should eat my carrots, no matter how much I hate them!”

Childe casts his gaze downwards. But you love carrots...you’ve always loved carrots...

“Lumi likes him so much. Us singles are going to die lonely and she’s going to get married to the love of her life – ”

“Please stop,” Lumine whines, already working on shovelling carrots into her mouth hesitantly.

Childe walks away before his throat tightens any more.

 


 

9. She isn’t very interested in romantic stuff.

He goes home to clear his mind, and she is sitting on his front porch, smiling at her phone. Why is she…? She looks up, and his world is suddenly filled with gold.

“Oh, hey, Childe,” she greets him, as if she hasn’t been ignoring him for years, and he suddenly can’t breathe. “Is your sister home?”

It’s been three years, and that’s the first thing you ask me? He wants to say, but he nods dumbly instead, opening his front door for her. “Thank you,” she says, smiling at him. That wasn’t...the smile he was used to. She used to smile at him so brilliantly…so...lovingly...

Childe shakes his head. He follows her inside.

He watches as she knocks on his sister’s door. “Lumine?” His older sister walks out, eyes widening in surprise. “It’s been so long! What are you doing here?”

Lumine fidgets with her skirt, and Childe’s eyes follow her movement. “You said...I could always talk to you when it comes to boy troubles…?”

His sister’s eyes dart to him, and Childe slowly shakes his head. His sister glares at him.

“Of course, Lumine, anything for you. What’s his name?”

“His name is Xingqiu,” is all he hears before his sister’s door is closed carefully. He walks into his own room.

He takes a deep breath, and tries to quell the tears starting to stream down his face. “You aren’t interested in romantic stuff, dummy...” he says through the tears, but she would never hear him.

 


 

10. She’d be friends with Ajax “Childe” Vaganov no matter what happened.

“You’re going to accept him now?!” Amber squeals, throwing her arms around her best friend’s shoulders. “This is…! Your first boyfriend! I’m so excited for you!” Lumine giggles, happy and beautiful, but Childe’s heart sinks into his stomach and everything hurts – everything burns

“Are you alright, Childe?” He looks up, and Lumine is looking at him with eyes of gold and a furrow in her eyebrows. “Are you sick?”

“You’re in love with him,” he says quickly, before he could regret it. His lips tremble. “Con...congrats.”

Lumine smiles melancholically at him. “I am. Thank you...Ajax.” She pats him on the shoulders, and he wants to cry. “Thank you.”

“You’re in love with me…” He whispers, but she is already rushing out the school gates.

 


 

Ajax "Childe" Vaganov knows nothing everything about Lumine Viatrix.

Nothing. Everything.

Here is a list of things he doesn't know knows about Lumine Viatrix:

"Oh, are you keeping your hair short? It looks nice!"
"Ah...thank you, Ajax...."

1. She keeps her hair short because she wants to remind him of his mistake.

“These blueberry cookies are so good! You bake them so well, girlie!”
“Of course they’re good! They’re your – my favorite!”

2. Blueberry cookies are her favorite.

“Wow, corn is so gross! What did you think, Lumi?”
“Ye - yeah! It’s the worst! I hate corn!”

3. She hates corn.

“Papa gave mama flowers today. It was so cheesy! Flowers are super lame, aren’t they, Lumine?”
“Oh...yeah, they are!”

4. She doesn't like flowers.

“Winter is the best season! I love playing in the snow!”
“Haha, it - it is! I’m...I’m just going to get my scarf real quick, okay?”
"
Oh, is it too cold for you? I didn’t know you were so – ”
“No! I love winter! I...I just…!”

5. Her favorite season is winter.

“The sunrise is sooo much prettier than the sunset, don’t you think, girlie? I’m glad I can watch it with you!”
“...Yeah, the sunrise is really pretty. It’s...the prettiest.”

6. She prefers the sunrise over the sunset.

“You’re going to the library? That’s lame! Just come over to my house!”
“You’re right...you’re right...The library is the lamest. Why would I go there anyway? Haha..."

7. She thinks the library is lame.

“The carrots look like the color of my hair! Isn’t it awesome, Lumi? Don’t you love them?”
“Haha, yeah! I love carrots..."

8. She loves carrots.

“The guy who tried to confess to you was so lame. You know what, romantic stuff is so lame! Not interesting at all! I’d rather go play in the snow. What do you think, Lumi?”
“It’s so lame...I’m not...interested at all...”

9. She isn’t interested in romantic stuff.

“What’s this all about?”
“Oh...Ajax, I’m – I’m in love with you...!”
“Haha, is this a joke? It better be! That would be so weird!”
“...”
“Girlie?”

10. She’d be friends with Ajax “Childe” Vaganov no matter what happened.

 


 

Childe knows everything about Lumine Viatrix.

(Everything – except for the fact that he's never known her at all.)

Notes:

i hate childe rn so this is what he gets >:D

also im too tired to check for grammatical errors rn its 4 am (y do i only post things at 4 am, you ask? i ask myself too) i'll check when i wake up

one more thing: ....how do betas work...? do we just...ask someone...? do i even need a beta...? actually no dont answer that last question its gonna hurt my feelings

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