“If your hands get cold, you can put them in my pockets.” -------- let's go with YOUR fave chara/s 👁️👁️
When I received your request, this plot immediately popped up in my head. But I didn’t have the chance to finish it sooner. Sorry it took awhile for me to post this because of work sjakdsja
The pair I chose for this fic is of course, ChiLumi. I swear I do want to write other couples too but this plot is just perfect for them uwu
The story is a bit longer than I wanted it to be. I just couldn’t stop xD Please bear with it.
Ice fishing
It’s always cold in Snezhnaya, yet so strange that in winter, the atmosphere gets a little warmer thanks to the Ice Festival in honor of the Archon Tsaritsa. People organize parties all over the street, participate in all contests involving ice or snow; such as ice skating, or ice sculpting,... For those who first set foot in Snezhnaya like Lumine and Paimon, everything here was interesting. It was different from their imagination of a cold, dark land whenever they had heard of Snezhnaya before.
Lumine was drawn to the festival too, especially the ice fishing contest. She had never tried it, and the excitement on Childe's face every time he talked about it only made her more determined to sign up. So she, Childe and Paimon formed a team, under the fervent cheers of his brother and sister, Teucer and Tonia.
The contest does not require professional skills, and there are no ambiguous rules. Anyone can participate regardless of age. Each team may have up to three people, and the team that catches the heaviest bucket of fish in allotted time will be the winner. The reward is, of course, the amount of fish they have caught, and some mora, with the title Snezhnaya's Best Ice Fisherman, for at least a year until they find a new champion for next year's competition.
Lumine's team departed very early. They went to the glacial lake while there were few people. The glacial lake was wider than any other lake Lumine had seen in Mondstadt and Liyue. The ice was very thick, but transparent like a sheet of glass that she could see the world below. The water was as blue as Childe's eyes. Occasionally, a school of fish was spotted swimming over beneath. And every time the sky burst aurora, the world below also became more sparkling than ever. Childe never told Lumine that his hometown was so beautiful. Perhaps it was because her expression of surprise and delight when arriving here for the first time was so lovely.
Childe told Lumine and Paimon basic things about ice fishing while they were walking. They tried their best not to miss a word, but Paimon was always distracted by everything along the way! And the surface of the lake was quite slippery for Lumine, causing her to constantly cling onto Childe's steady arm. He flashed a mischievous smile every time she almost lost her balance and tumbled toward him.
When the sun made its way to the sky, the contest officially began. Lumine had always known Childe would not give up easily on the battlefield, but when the fishing battle broke out across the lake, his hunger for winning became clear to her. Without saying a word, Childe cut three small holes in the ice using his tools. The other teams were quite a distance away, but Lumine could be confident that no one was making holes as fast as Childe.
"What a professional!" commented Paimon.
Childe laughed, then his face turned serious again. It was completely different from his usual playfulness.
“Alright, ojou-chan, Paimon! Let’s fish! You guys still remember what I told you?"
“About the dishes we would make after the contest?” asked Paimon, unable to hide her watery mouth.
“About concentration,” Childe reminded them, “The fish here are strong, and they’re little devils. Just one second of being neglected and your fishing rod will be gone. Down the hole."
Paimon looked at Lumine as if she wanted to say "That’s not gonna happen!" But Lumine just smiled and took out her fishing rod. She didn't care much about winning, as going ice fishing with Childe was a wish that came true.
Childe was extremely focused on the hole under his feet. Lumine occasionally turned to look at him and chuckled to herself. Meanwhile, Paimon was bored after only five minutes! She kept flying up and down around her teammates. After a while, she decided to go spying on other teams.
Because Paimon flew away and left her fishing rod unattended, what happened next was as Childe had warned. The rod vibrated violently and immediately plunged straight down into the hole. Lumine rushed out to grab it, but it was too late. As a result, cold water splashed on her face and her hands were submerged in the water under the hole.
“Ojou-chan!”
Childe frantically pulled her back into the chair. Lumine's hands trembled as they had touched the freezing cold water. Although equipped with wool gloves, she could not stop the water from seeping into her skin.
Childe knelt down on one knee on the ice, opposite to Lumine. He grabbed her hands and removed both of her wet gloves. The bitter wind touched her revealing skin and made her shiver. But immediately, she felt warm again. Childe took off his gloves and wore them on her hands while she was trembling.
“Thank you... Childe...” Lumine felt the heat on her cheeks.
“Why are you so careless, ojou-chan?”
“I saw your determination to win this competition so... I don’t want to let any fish get away.”
Lumine laughed softly. Childe stared at her for a moment. His hands were still holding hers.
“Ojou-chan! I could catch all the fish in this lake for you! But I never want to see you getting so cold because of me!”
When Lumine sat there speechlessly with a red face, Paimon had returned. She said:
“Erm... I don’t want to interrupt you guys, but... Looks like we’ve lost two more fishing rods...”
It was only then that they noticed Childe and Lumine's fishing rods had also gone down the lake. Fortunately, Childe did bring a spare one. This time, they agreed that each person should take on a different task. Childe was in charge of fishing, while Lumine would remove the fish from the hook and estimate its weight. Meanwhile, Paimon quickly tasked herself with scouting other teams and making a menu for the fish they caught.
Lumine took notice of Childe's trembling bare hands. As a hydro user, cold weather always makes him feel like he's about to freeze. Every time a fish was caught, Childe's hands got wet, and a thin layer of ice covered them. Lumine was concerned. She repeatedly asked Childe to take his gloves back, but he refused.
By the time the contest was over, Lumine could not bear it anymore. She suddenly grabbed Childe's hands and pressed them together, holding them inside her warm gloved hands.
“If your hands get cold, you can put them in my pockets.”
Lumine's breath was so warm and tickling Childe's fingertips, then her warmth enveloped both his hands. Childe smiled, pulled Lumine close to him, and slipped his hands into the pockets of her winter coat.
“You mean, like this?”
Taken by surprise, Lumine looked up at Childe's face so close to hers. Mischief twinkled in his eyes. She thought it was a wrong move to give him that suggestion. It was too late though. His hands were in her pockets and she couldn't get out of his grip.
“Stay still, ojou-chan. You know I’m very, very cold, right?”
Childe whispered as he placed his chin on Lumine's head, making her unable to struggle anymore. Lumine tried to push him away with both hands, but she honestly admitted that she didn't want to push him at all. So she just stood there like that for a long while.
That day, they didn’t get any prize, but they had a bucket full of fish. As for Childe, he had already won the jackpot that anyone could wish for!
-The end-