Chapter Text
If Kaeya didn’t mention this place during their last interaction on Wednesday, Ajax would never notice it.
“Have you heard of Angel’s Share?”
Childe shook his head, “No, never. Is it a strip club or something?”
Kaeya burst out laughing, gently patting the ginger on the back, “If my step-brother heard this, he’d freak out,” he paused and took a deep breath to stop the giggle attack he was having. “It’s just a pub. We should go there sometime,” it seemed Kaeya knew how to make Childe agree to anything by just lightly touching his hand and locking eyes with him, and Childe would never say no.
It was Friday now — the end of the tedious week for most and the start of high alcohol intake for university students.
The weather was truly miserable tonight — awfully windy and uncomfortably cold. Kaeya said autumn is his most hated season out of all, mostly because of wind. Childe chuckled and then bragged about how brutal Z. is in comparison to M, even during the fall period, while they were walking down the main city street. The bluenette playfully bumped into him and made fun of Childe’s grades, “No surprise your grades suck. It's so cold there that you got a brain freeze, forever!” He jokingly stuck his tongue out and picked up the pace when Childe was about to pinch him in response.
Kaeya guided them away from the main street through one small alley to another for about five more minutes, and they finally arrived at the oldest part of the downtown. The pub was not particularly appealing looking, and it would seem that there was no intention in its appearance to stand out. It was discreetly placed among other old buildings, all shabby and melancholically beige. People running this place probably don’t want any strangers to know about it, Childe thought to himself.
The visitors weren’t met with any flashy screaming neon signs at the entrance. Instead, there were only a couple of shy boards trembling in the wind — one with the list of special drinks and the other one with the band name. The floating notes on the sign exquisitely drawn with chalk led to Childe assume it was—
“A jazz pub?” He was honestly surprised that Kaeya liked this place. Wasn’t it too quiet for a people person like him?
Kaeya mhms in response. “The best one in the city, too,” his smile is wide and makes Childe hide his blushing cheeks behind the red scarf wrapped around his neck. “Come on, let’s go. You’ll love it,” the bluenette grabs Childe by the hand, eagerly and tightly, as he drags him through the door.
When Kaeya invited Childe to join him in a pub located somewhere in the middle of the city, the latter didn’t expect this establishment to be this… moody. It was moody in the best way possible.
As soon as Childe entered the pub, he fell in love with it. The viscous and soft sound of jazz music warmed his ears, and it only got nicer and louder as he was moved through the crowd to find a good spot to enjoy the melodies. The dim lights were enchanting; it wasn’t dark enough to see people’s faces far away but bright enough to see Kaeya’s pupil dilate from excitement as he graciously got them closer to the stage. The customers' chatter wasn’t that distracting or annoying and it only added to the magic of this place. The servants were graciously flying from table to table without distracting anyone, allowing everyone to enjoy the songs.
Although, Kaeya confidently leading the way as if he knows this place like the back of his hand made Childe a bit sad and possessive . Envy and jealousy lazily scratch at his heart — does Kaeya visit this place frequently? If so, has he brought somebody else here before?
“My step-brother is the owner here, you know,” he said proudly, “I help him out on weekends sometimes,” Kaeya speaks again as if he can read Childe’s mind, and they sit down at the bar. They took seats next to the stage, so Kaeya leans in closer, his hot breath brushing against Childe’s ear — and here is this peppermint scent again. “He will foot the bill, so don't be afraid to order expensive stuff,” he sits back in the chair and winks. Childe can only nod in reply, fighting the sudden urge to smile like an idiot. He’s so beautiful.
They just sit at the bar now, enjoying the flow of mellow sounds, and talk about random everyday stuff: how are the classes going? What about exams? Did you hear the gossip about professor Zhongli and Venti?
Usually, these conversations kill Childe’s mood. Talking about something so ordinary, so routine and so boring tends to drive him up the wall. To begin with, he was never a good listener but he wasn’t ‘ignorant’ on purpose. Childe was the type of guy to joke around quite a bit, mostly to make the other party smile and, possibly, redirect the conversation into something fun. It was difficult for him to sit through the small talk without slipping a joke or two. Even if it was slightly inappropriate, he’d risk it all and mess around, to spice up the conversation, as he likes to say. The longer the tittle-tattle went on with others, the less attention Childe would pay and the more his responses would be… well, thoughtless. In the majority of those situations, he would end up being a creepy guy and receive an annoyed look from the person.
Despite his bizarre tendencies, as others put it, none of this was the case when he talked to Kaeya.
Childe loves listening to Kaeya talk. He loves how his eye gazes far ahead, how he pauses to make sure he has Childe’s attention, how his lips part in a faint smile when the ginger is caught, looking at Kaeya in awe and shies away. He loves it all.
In fact, he loves to have conversations with Kaeya so much , he’d initiate the chatter. At first, it was a shock to the bluenette because Childe was clearly not cut for this type of social interaction, and he didn’t think that in a demeaning manner. Kaeya appreciated Childe’s attempts pretty early on and, as their connection started to grow, he started to give up the social control he always has, just a bit, to see what Ajax will do. The latter was very awkward at first but got better, sooner or later. Thanks to those small talks they shared, Childe got a glimpse of what’s hiding behind Kaeya’s mysterious facade, and that side of him was indescribably adorable.
They’ve been hanging out with other people frequently too, but Kaeya never scoffed around them the way he did when it was only Childe and him. At no time he got to see the bluenette’s cheeks redden when another person complimented his hair unless it was Childe. Under no circumstances could anyone see how flustered Kaeya gets when Childe lays his head on the bluenette’s shoulder.
And especially tonight, nobody but Childe is lucky enough to see how gorgeous Kaeya is under the soft candlelight. How elegant and refined his figure is under that long coat of his, how his long eyelashes flatter when he laughs at another Childe’s joke, how enigmatic he really is.
As the amount of alcohol grows in Ajax’s blood, he gets braver and allows himself to briefly touch the bluenette’s earring shaped like a long exotic feather.
“It flatters your eye colour,” Childe’s look travelled lower, catching a quick glimpse of the deep cut in the Kaeya’s shirt, “and skin too,” he smiles, allusively, and Kaeya is caught off guard, blushing yet again but barely enough to notice. However, Childe does.
“Yours does too,” Kaeya tilts his torso so he can lean on Childe. “It adds to your charm, you know,” his lips are almost touching the ginger’s earlobe as he speaks, and that alone is enough for Childe to turn his head.
They are so close that they can feel each other’s breath on their lips. Everything froze, disappeared and vanished as they looked at one another, tenderly, affectionately, as if they both were waiting for another person to—
“Here is your— Oh my, pardon me—”
Childe turned away and Kaeya gasped.
“Y-yeah, thanks, Aether,” Kaeya mutters as the servant places their drinks next to them.
“My pleasure,” and the person left as abruptly as he showed up.
The pair now sits in awkward silence, both blaming themselves for not being straightforward or bold enough to make a move.
As Childe opens his mouth to say something dumb again, he promptly closes it, interrupted.
“I want to thank you for joining me tonight,” the bluenette is moving the glass with liquor in a circular motion before chugging it down in one go.
“You don’t have to. I always enjoy your company, you know that.”
Kaeya pursed lips for a second, as if he was trying to suppress a smile, then brings his eyes back to Childe, “I know I don’t. But I want to show you my appreciation.”
Childe doesn’t say anything. Even if he did, Kaeya wouldn’t listen to him or hear him, to begin with, — the bluenette got up and left without waiting for Ajax’s retaliation.
Sitting alone at the bar made Childe spiral deep into shame, and regret dig its sharp nails into his heart. It was such a perfect opportunity but hesitation took over his drunk head at the worst moment possible. Childe sighed, taking a sip of the drink Kaeya ordered him; he said he’ll love it, and the bluenette was right yet again.
His weeping session didn’t last long as he got distracted by the music — it suddenly stopped. He turned around in curiosity and saw Kaeya chat with the pianist. Childe bit his bottom lip in jealousy once Kaeya put his hand on the blonde’s shoulder. This dull emotion disappeared as soon as the pianist shrugged Kaeya’s hand, annoyed, and the laugh left the bluenette’s chest. Probably just a friend, huh, Childe calmed himself down.
He was swallowing another sip of the tasty drink as his eyes followed Kaeya walking through the stage. Oh. Oh.
Before the piano started playing an unknown to Childe melody, Kaeya took a silent deep breath and looked back at Ajax, smiling in his own mysterious way.
“The evening breeze caressed the trees tenderly," Kaeya sang.
Childe lost all his composure. His mouth slightly opened — he was shocked, he couldn’t believe his ears.
Kaeya’s smoky quiet voice now sounds powerful and clear, although still a bit raspy. He’s moving his hips, slowly and lightly, to the beat of the sweet sounds. The dim light of the pub was doing him justice, alright, — it reflected off of his half-lidded blue-lilac eye and made it shine with the enigma.
“The trembling trees embraced the breeze tenderly," Kaeya leisurely wrapped his thin fingers around the base of the microphone, putting it closer to his mouth, “Then you and I came wandering by and lost in a sigh were we.”
Nothing seems real to Childe anymore.
They haven’t broken eye contact since Kaeya started singing, and the whole world disappeared. Childe didn’t hear people’s chatter, he didn’t see anyone in the corner of his eyes anymore — Kaeya had his full attention.
“The shore was kissed by sea and mist tenderly. I can't forget how two hearts met breathlessly.”
The song progressed, Childe was still just sitting in the chair, amazed, worshipfully exploring Kaeya’s body with his greedy gaze as the bluenette averted his, shy and blushful. It was a shock to Childe to see Kaeya be embarrassed, especially to this extent.
“Your arms opened wide and closed me inside,” the sounds leaving his faintly dry throat were deep and airy as Kaeya was prolonging the notes.
The music slowed down, just like Childe’s heart when he noticed Kaeya’s stopped moving his hips and took more of a confident pose.
“You took my lips,” he sang, quietly, looking back at Childe,“you took my love so tenderly, ” he stretched the high-pitch tone, leaving Childe speechless, stunned and painfully more in love.
Once the last piano note was played, the pub burst into clapping, but they didn’t hear the applause. Kaeya was too busy trying to mask his blushing cheeks, and Childe was desperately attempting to hide his trembling breath.
Kaeya left the stage in a hurry, and Childe was about to go after him but paused once he saw the bluenette walking fast towards their spot.
“T-this is it. This was my thank-you,” he was breathing as heavily and shakily as Childe was.
The ginger gulped, “You… you are amazing at singing. T-thanks,” he smiled.
Before they could say anything else instead of stiffly smiling at each other, Kaeya flinched once he heard a male voice coming from another side of the stage.
“...Kaeya! How many fucking times did I tell you not to storm onto the stage!?”
The bluenette deeply sighed, visibly irritated now, and grabbed Childe under his arm, “That’s my step-brother. We have to get out of here before he asks for double tips.”
“But you said he will foot the bill!” Childe panicked and Kaeya laughed so loud that the other customers turned their heads.
“Come on, let’s go!”
Childe left a couple bills of mora on the table in a hurry, and they rushed outside, both giggling and beaming with delight.