Deja Vu

Nightmares

[A/N: Zhongli witnesses and learns Lumine suffers severe nightmares. Now if you go through the Traveler Twins history you know the sibling you pick is sealed away, alone in a 500 year slumber by the unknown god. Lumine's got her fair share of trauma due to this which Zhongli is slowly starting to learn.]

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It had been rather late by the time Zhongli had returned from finishing overlooking the progress of the Rite of Parting. His home dark with the lingering shadows of night as he took off his coat, gloves, and boots at the door before setting them aside for the night. As promised Lumine had been helping him get a better understanding of mora while also helping around his home. It was slow progress but she had even helped him form and plan out a budget he had to abide by for daily living and setting some aside for unexpected expenses. Today she probably had been off taking care of requests from the adventurers' guild.

So he had not been expecting to hear a frightened scream coming from her room down the hall. Worry set in and made him react as he hurried down the hall. As he arrived at her door he could hear sobbing as he raised his hand to tap at her door. "Lumine are you alright?"he asked.

Lumine gave no reply from where she lay hidden under her blankets like some frightened little rabbit. Or rather her trembling body raked with her sobs and hyperventilating was preventing her from doing so. Which made Zhongli only the more concerned as she heard his deep, velvety voice, "Lumine pardon my intrusion but I'm coming in."

Zhongli slowly opened the door to see the mound under the blanket and walked over to sit down beside her. Peaking inside the covers to find her sorry state. She was white as a sheet, almost as if his darn employer, Hu Tao had pulled one of her juvenile pranks again. Her eyes wild like a frightened hare as tears flowed heavily with each panicked breath and sob. It was a sight he knew well having seen it often enough during the Archon War and when they lost Makoto and the previous Dendro Archon half a millennia ago.

So with slow and careful movements he moved so he was now crouching in front of her and gently took her hands away from their death grip on the blanket. "Lumine you need to breath, can you do that?"

Lumine was just shaking like a leaf, horribly so and it broke his heart to see. But slowly she nodded and slowly took deep steady breaths. To his surprise she had then in her tears tackled and clung desperately to him. "H-he just left! He just left me behind!"she suddenly sobbed. He was startled as his face blushed fifty shades of red. Still he slowly wrapped his arms around her, cradling her close with hushed and soothing whispers. 

"Who left you behind, Lumine?"he whispered.

"M-My b-b-brother...he j-just..."she made a sound that was like a mix between a hiccup and a sob as she buried her face in his chest. 

Zhongli's face softened into sympathy and understanding at the words she had choked out. "Did she have a nightmare about her sibling?"he thought stroking her back of her head with tender caresses. Had she wasn't in such distress Lumine would have noticed a very faint golden tattoos glowing faintly as his mind ran the possibilities of what might have happened. But none would do him any good, not in her state. What's more he could not bring himself to leave her alone in this room either as she slowly began to calm down. Gently he took her cheek and used his thumb to wipe away the tears. For her his gentleness was a welcomed and soothing comfort.

 "Have you calmed down now Lumine?"he whispered.

Slowly Lumine nodded, "Y-Yes...a little."

"You should go back to bed and get some rest."he advised but to his shock Lumine had grabbed his arm just as he was getting up. The look on her face one still of fright. "Lumine?"

"I-I don't....can you p-please stay with me tonight?"Lumine asked suddenly growing flustered.

Zhongli was once again surprised by her request but something in made his heart ache at her clear distress. So slowly he got up and sat on the bed and motioned for her to join him. "Come here."

Lumine's eyes lit up with what seemed to be gratitude and relief as she hurried over and climbed back into bed. Zhongli's arms she found out quickly were actually rather strong and finally toned muscles of a lance user. Which also didn't surprise her now that she thought it over as he held close. Lumine more then happy to use his chest as a pillow noticing now just how much she actually like his scent that made her feel so safe as he stroked her hair. He smelled strongly of earthy undertones with the subtle scent of glaze lilies.

"I'll stay here beside you until you wake, so rest Lumine."he soothed in hushed whispers into her ear. The gentle caresses he noticed eased her into relaxing finally in his arms. Before long a soft drawn out sigh escaped her as she nuzzled into him as her eyes began to droop close. 

"I've been having the same nightmare for months now."she suddenly mumbled sleepily. "Every time my brother is always out of my reach...telling me...I'm...too...late..." Lumine's voice drifted away as slumber finally claimed her as once again a stray tear fell. 

Zhongli could only stare in astonishment at such a dream. It made him recall that bitter day amongst the field of glaze lilies. That fateful day he had not been fast enough to reach out for her. The day his world had been shattered and regrets and grief and fury had taken root instead. Regret because he had been too late to realize...just how precious...she was until the dust had been lost to the wind. And it was something he had not once been able to forget. Nor was he able to forgive himself.

Not even even now.

To Be Continued...