Chapter Text
Childe paced back and forth in front of the delivery room. From one end of the hall to the other. Ten steps, spin on his heel, ten steps the other way and repeat. Faint screaming and cursing of his name came from behind the closed door.
“I don’t know if I can do this.” Childe crossed his arms, tapped his elbows, and scowled. He spun around and faced his audience. His fellow harbingers and Lumine’s friends who waited in the room with him.
“A little late for that now.” Pantalone muttered under his breath.
Childe shot him a death glare. He winced when another curse followed by his name and an insult rose up from the room behind him.
“The way I see it you have two choices. You can man up and face your girl and what you have caused, or you can be a coward and have her brother beat you into the ground. Again.” The words came from Captaino lazily leaning in the corner.
There was a crack of knuckles from Lumine’s brother standing just inside the living room. “I’m game. I love a good beat down.” A smirk stretched across Aether’s face.
“No! No beat downs allowed. Childe, man up and face her. She needs you despite the very creative cursing of your name and lineage she is doing. You,” Xiangling placed her hands on her hips. She spun around to face Aether with a frown. “No fights. Remember what she said? Anything broken is coming out of your pocket.”
“Why me?” Aether scowled. He shot a glare at Childe. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Yet.” Childe added on with a fake charming smile.
“Oh for the love of…” Scaramouche started pushing at Childe’s backside. “Get in there you carrot-top loser. Stop being a coward. That is your child in there.”
“Ah. The baby of us is finally becoming a man. How touching. Can I leave now?” Dottore looked bored as he glanced at his watch. He shoved it back into his pocket after studying it for a minute.
The response unanimously came from several different people. “No!”
Childe turned to face the door. Lumine and his child. He could do this. How hard can it be? He took a deep breath, stepped through the door and immediately ducked the lamp thrown at his head. He held his hands up in defense. "I thought you could use some help "
"Help?! Help?!" Lumine, (his girl, sweaty, red faced, propped up on pillows in their bed) snarled. "It was your 'help' that caused this in the first place!"
Lumine’s face scrunched up and another broken off scream passed through her clenched jaw.
"Lumi?" Childe took a step closer. His face fell when he saw the tears in her eyes.
"It hurts!" She whimpered and tossed her head to the side. "Childe, help. I can't do this."
"Yes you can." Childe reached her side and brushed her hair back from her face. He pressed a kiss to her brow. "Come on, Girlie. Who was the woman who first beat me into the dirt when I almost drowned Liyue Harbor? Where is the woman who kicked Signora's ass and almost got her killed? Where is the woman I fell in love with when she saved an archon from being a prisoner and managed to knock Scaramouche's ego down a few pegs? That girl would not give up."
Lumine took his hand. She squeezed tightly. "I won't be responsible for any injuries you sustain."
"Agreed. Now push."
Lumine screamed as another wave of pain went through her.
Childe couldn't look away as their daughter was born. It was a little gross and had a lot of bodily fluids but his baby girl was here and he couldn’t be more proud. She had a mix of reddish blonde hair and her eyes were blue. He didn’t know if they would change to amber as she got older or they would stay his blue.
Childe watched as they took his daughter away to clean and clothe her and make sure she was okay. While they did that, Childe focused on Lumine. He smiled widely and brushed her sweaty bangs off her forehead. “You did it. She’s here. A beautiful little girl. You did so well, my Lumi. She’s gorgeous.” Childe kissed Lumine’s forehead.
“What does she look like?” Lumine sounded absolutely wrecked. Her voice was cracked and strained and her eyes could barely stay open. She sounded worse than their best spar.
“Perfect. She has…”
A startled gasp rose up from behind them. “What the hell?”
Childe’s narrowed gaze snapped to where his daughter was supposed to be. “I’ll be right back.” Childe swept over to where the doctor and nurses were gathered. “What seems to be the problem?” He peered over their shoulders down at his innocent looking baby girl. She seemed to be okay.
“It’s just…” The nurse stammered. She wrung her hands and stared at the baby with a look of fear. “I could have sworn her eyes changed to black where it should be white with white irises and a star for a pupil. Sorry. My mistake. It’s been a long night.”
Childe nodded and stepped back easily. “It’s okay. It is late at night. It was probably nothing. I will let you finish up.” Childe hurried back to Lumine’s side when she started to get up. “Hey, stay in bed. She’s okay.” Childe took Lumine’s hand and pressed a kiss to it. “Everything is okay. We will talk later.” He muttered in her ear.
Childe absently soothed Lumine. His entire focus was on his daughter a few feet away. His daughter who seemed to have inherited more than his blue eyes and red hair.
Black eyes with white and stars for pupils. His monster has taken an interest in her. It was improbable but there was a slim possibility. His daughter had his abyss abilities. Childe sighed and squeezed Lumine’s hand. Parenting just became a whole lot more complicated.