Work Text:
As the Cavalry Captain of Mondstadt, the brains of the Knights of Favonius, and the most trusted aide of Acting Grandmaster Jean there is no doubt that Kaeya would have already thought about the different ways to converse and negotiate with a member of the Fatui or even a Harbinger. He’s seen Jean hunched over her desk with a hand rubbing her temples muttering about the Fatui diplomats. Her shoulders tense with the presence of the 8th Fatui Harbinger La Signora looming over the knights. So, of course it is barely a surprise that Kaeya is more or less ready to confront one should he ever come across them.
However, it is a surprise to see one out in the open, alone most especially. With the sunlight bouncing off the red mask the harbinger bears and the foreign uniform, it’s unmistakable. The young man also matches the description of the Traveller, so Kaeya is absolutely sure that it is the 11th Fartui Harbinger Tartaglia ‘Childe’ that appears before him..kneeling?
He’s kneeling on the sand by the Dawn Winery just a little over Stone Gate. With a harbinger so close to these two areas, Kaeya cannot help but be cautious of the man. Despite the man being in a very disadvantageous position, both unaware and alone, it is best not to underestimate a harbinger of all people.
Upon closer inspection it seems that he’s looking for something by the water. Even from afar Kaeya can see the sulky slump of the ginger’s shoulders. Perhaps he’s lost something? Whatever it is, the harbinger looks disappointed which serves the knight a perfect opening.
“My, what’s a harbinger doing here in Mondstadt? Without any company as well? Seems to me that you’re being too lenient, Lord Tartaglia.” He smiles at the harbinger still kneeling on the sand. The harbinger doesn’t seem all too surprised or alarmed by his sudden appearance. Rather, he looks sheepish. He looks up at Kaeya with startlingly dull eyes that clash with his friendly grin.
“Sir Kaeya! We finally meet, the Traveller has mentioned you many times before. An honor to meet you, captain.” He says as he stands up. Now that he’s standing, Kaeya realizes that the harbinger is quite a bit taller than he is. Just tall enough for him to lightly tip his head upwards to maintain eye contact. Freckles dot his face in clusters that adds to his boyish yet roguish face. “Only good things hopefully,” The knight smirks, placing a hand on his hip. Tartaglia laughs at that.
“Of course, comrade! The Traveller holds you in high regard!” Kaeya smiles a little at the rush of fondness in his chest for the Honorary Knight. Always so sweet, that one. He hums and steps closer to the harbinger, smirk widening when he spots him eyeing his front for a brief second.
“Ah,is that so. If I may revisit my earlier question? What are you doing here in Mondstadt?”
He watches in interest when the man perks up and smiles. The harbinger does that a lot– smiling, so different from the aloof and foreboding Fair Lady. The ginger sheepishly scratches the back of his head.
“I was looking for some calla lilies.”
Well. The answer leaves him a tad bit bewildered, Kaeya didn’t expect such an innocuous answer.
It must have shown on his face since the harbinger laughs again, “Don’t look at me like that, captain! I’m no harbinger right now, just a mere traveller looking for some ingredients for his supper!”
“Such a dish needs calla lilies? Well I’m afraid you won’t see much here,” He notices the pitiful lack of said flower in the ginger’s grasp. “How many do you need?”
“Just enough for one– that is, unless, you want to have dinner with me?” Tartaglia asks him. There were no notes of suggestiveness in his tone, just earnestness that has somehow seeped into his cerulean gaze.
It’s surprisingly straightforward and honest. Nothing in his interaction with the harbinger so far has met his initial expectations. The realization leaves him a bit more open and disgruntled than he would like.
Still, sharing a home cooked meal with a harbinger?
“I don’t see why not. I know where you can find more calla lilies. Follow me, Lord Tartaglia.”
“Ah- please! Just Childe is fine,” Tartaglia- Childe crookedly smiles. “Between you and me, I never really liked being called lord or master.” He playfully whispers in his ear all of a sudden. The movement comes out of nowhere, he feels the harbinger’s earring graze his cheek and the sudden feeling of something casts prickles and goosebumps across his skin. Something dark, like an imprint- something like taint.
The feeling is faint but invasive on his being like dirt that clings to his skin, it immediately clicks into place.
The taint of the Abyss.
Something to take note of and revisit later. For now, he tilts his head just so as to whisper into his ear as well.
“A little too close now, aren’t we,Tartaglia?”
“Oh- my apologies.” The harbinger mutters as he steps away. Kaeya smiles to himself when he sees red blooming at the tip of his ears and at the apples of his cheeks. There seems to be blush that stretches down from just below his collarbone. The knight chuckles at the sight (The harbinger only glows redder, to the Cavalry Captain’s delight.) before lightly bumping his hip against the other. “To the calla lilies?”
He saw the hint of recognition in the harbinger’s blue eyes. He felt pinprick and underlying current of abyss that intermingled between the two of them too. Yet he doesn’t mention it, opting to give him an easy smile and a vigorous nod.
From there the two set off towards the direction of Springvale. They exchange pleasant words back and forth, until Kaeya asks him something that’s been in the back of his mind for a while.
“You mentioned this dish was taught to you by your mother as a child, right? Calla lilies only grow in Mondstadt. Snezhnaya is far too cold for any possible growth and Mondstadt is too far away. How were you able to eat such a meal?”
He observes the easy gait of the young man. It once again strikes him how different he is compared to any of the Harbingers he’s read about. This is the Tsaritsa’s vanguard? The bloodthirsty and battle hungry Tartaglia? If he didn’t know any better he’d think that the man who’s kicking pebbles down the dirt path was being mistaken. Childe smiles softly as his eyes seem to grow fonder too. His eyes seem to look so detached that it intrigues Kaeya all the more to see emotion in them.
“Well,” He meets Kaeya’s eyes and his smile grows wider “I’m the middle child of my family. The eldest being my brother followed by my two older sisters then me. I have three younger siblings as well, we’re a large family.” He shakes his head fondly.
“My older brother is a travelling merchant. He usually only frequents Fontaine, Liyue and Mondstadt. Sumeru when he can. Whenever he prepares to leave Mother asks for calla lilies. He'd bring a clay pot to fill them with, although no matter what he does they’re not fresh by the time he comes home. So I haven’t tried it in its full glory.”
The knight hums thoughtfully. He’s never tasted the soup although Sara occasionally puts it up on the menu in Good Hunter. It’s also said that the taste is bitter, but that could be due to the frail tastebuds of Mondstadtians.
“Say Captain? Have you tasted calla lily seafood soup before?”
“Can’t say I have. Aren’t calla lilies bitter when cooked?” He hears the harbinger chuckle at his question.
“Only when they’re not cooked properly. They’re sweet but a little bitter, the petals are chunky but it’s fine, the soft crab meat will balance it out. Speaking of, where can we find some crabs?” The ginger shoots him a toothy grin, clearly with the intent for him to be chaperoned longer. Kaeya huffs playfully, “You can find them at Falcon Coast. I assume I’ll still be leading you there?”
Kaeya couldn’t help but chuckle along to Childe’s boisterous laugh. “Alright, alright. I suppose as captain, it’d be rude of me to leave a lost traveller unattended.” His companion lets out another bout of laughter before looking up and gasping. The knight looks up to see the waterfall and abundance of calla lilies surrounding the small lake. He turns to see the man with his mouth open and eyes glimmering in awe. Like this, the harbinger looks his age. Youthful and innocent despite the mask on his head and the Delusion in his possession.
“Ah, so we’ve arrived.”
“Woah.. Sir Kaeya, I don’t think I’ve seen so many calla lilies at once!” He shouts out as he quickly rushes to pick the flowers. Kaeya only laughs in response, opting to sit on the small bit of land in the middle and picking one up along the way. He watches the ginger quickly but gently pluck the lilies by the stems before taking out a clay pot, he fills it with water and places the flowers inside. The harbinger then makes his way next to him and sits down.
No one said a word, Childe contentedly observing the rush of the waterfall and Kaeya lightly stroking the calla lily’s petals. The captain feels the gaze of the cerulean eyes, the faint underlying taint of the abyss swirl between them once more, as if he sensed it as well, Childe asks in a whisper.
"My turn to ask, captain. How do you know the best place to find calla lilies? Seems too different from the intel you gather."
“..They’re my favorite flowers.” Kaeya eventually says, twirling the stem. “I’m not quite learned about the meanings of flowers but I feel rather connected to this one,” He raises the flower between them so that the sun catches on it’s orange petals. “It has a thick outer layer, I’ve always thought of it as its own way of protecting itself the first time I’ve seen it.”
He doesn’t understand why he’s letting out some thoughts that should have stayed in their dark corner of his head. He doesn’t know why the urge to trust arises in the face of a Harbinger of all people, not when it’s always been him inside his own protective outer layer of flamboyance and bald faced lies.
Yet, when he meets Childe’s eyes, focuses on the fact that they’ve been both tainted by the abyss- both been made sinners , perhaps it makes sense.
Childe says nothing but takes the flower out of his hand and tucks it behind his ear, making sure it's nestled well within his navy blue hair.
“Sounds like you’re telling me more than I should know, Captain.” He says with a grin. His eyes never once strayed from his face.
Kaeya huffs, amused “How would you know, Harbinger? You don’t know me at all.” He says as he leans into the other’s space, a silent dare to meet him in the middle. Tartaglia, the cheeky bastard, does just that. Leans closer until Kaeya could count the freckles that are spread across his cheeks.
“I would love to know more. I feel like we could get along just fine, don’t you think so Sir Kaeya?” His grin grows wider when the captain leans back with another huff. The knight levels him with a sly smirk.
“We’ll see.”
With that the Cavalry Captain moves to stand up with the Harbinger following suit. Their brief silence was filled by the pleasant sound of water rushing and the distant sound of the ducks swimming.
If Childe notices that Kaeya has kept the calla lily tucked into his hair, he doesn’t mention it. Just smiles victoriously like the cat who got the cream. The knight turns to him with his hand and tilts his head just so, a small smile tugging on his lips.
“I believe our next stop is Falcon Coast?”
Childe laughs and nods. “We need about eight crabs! I hope you aid me well in the challenge we’re about to face, comrade.”
Kaeya once again finds himself chuckling along.
“Well then come on, let’s get moving.”
...
By the time they arrive in Falcon Coast, the sun is shining over the sand making it pleasant to go barefoot in. The water seems to sparkle as well.
Childe whistles appreciatively at the view and looks around eagerly. “You ready to capture some crabs, Cavalry Captain?!” He shouts over his shoulder, already running to where the sea meets the sand. By the time Kaeya catches up to where the harbinger is, he is greeted by the sight of Childe undoing the clasps of his jacket. He peels the jacket off to reveal a red form fitting long sleeved shirt, a few buttons not in their place. Sleeves hazardously rolled up at the elbows to expose strong and freckled forearms.
The ginger looks up at him grinning boyishly, “No time to dally,Captain! The crabs are waiting." He whoops excitedly again before rolling the cuffs of his pants.
"I've always wondered if the stomach exposure was necessary." Kaeya teases, but Childe only laughs again before replying. "You have no room to talk, captain! Besides, I can't fight properly with all these buttons constricting me-"
The ginger looks up to see Kaeya carefully taking off his outer layers as well, leaving the captain in just his flowy shirt tucked into tight pants. His words die a quick death when Childe takes a moment to appreciate the curved thighs of the knight and the cinched waist on full display without all the outer garments. He also takes a few seconds to look at the exposed chest before he hears an amused chuckle from the aforementioned beauty. Thankfully, the captain turns away to remove the calla lily from his hair and placed it gently atop his folded clothes.
The harbinger quickly rubs his burning face. "Ah, anyway! Let's look for some crabs. We need eight of them." He pointedly says as he observes the waves for a few moments before spotting a pair of ocean crabs scuttling away from the water.
Without thinking, he grabs the edge of Kaeya's sleeve and runs to the crabs. "Over there, Kaeya! Hurry, before they get away!" Childe full on vaults before letting go of Kaeya and diving towards the crabs.
"Childe! Won't you use a net?" Kaeya shouts as he runs to where the other man went. The harbinger only laughs victoriously, holding up the two crabs with his hands. "This is nothing to me, captain! Though a net would be good right about now, they're getting cranky."
The cavalry captain shakes his head as he chuckles. "You're.. A bit reckless, aren't you?" He asks holding out a net for Childe to dump them in. The harbinger beams in response, "But of course! Nothing is better than diving head first into battle!"
Did this man just compare catching crabs to going into battle? Kaeya doesn't bother hiding his snort at the comparison. The next thirty minutes the two men ran around trying to capture some crabs. So far they've only caught one, much to the annoyance of Childe. Celestia must have grown tired of watching their struggle since another crab finally comes to view.
"There's one!" Childe triumphantly shouts out before swiftly grabbing the crab. He places it in the net and holds it high. "Is that enough?" Kaeya asks from behind, taking the net from his companion's hands.
The harbinger sighs, "No. We need four more..that's only enough for one." He frowns at the lacking contents of the net.
Quite amazing how one of the most feared men in the battlefield stands before him looking like a kicked puppy. Kaeya feels himself smile, just a tad bit fond. He makes sure the net is secured before setting it down by a few rocks.
"Why not take a break? There's a gorgeous sea right in front of us, it'd be a shame not to indulge in it. Wouldn't you say so?" He asks in an innocuous tone.
Childe hums and looks behind him. The sun has already begun to set behind them, orange and pink hues bathe them. The colors were reflected on the water, the sea breeze blowing pleasantly around them.
"I guess you're right. The sights here in Mondstadt truly do look like a fairy tale. Tonia has told me as much. She's never been here but she's always heard of how magical it is here thanks to my brother." His tone held so much fondness and ache. Being so far from home definitely takes a toll on the harbinger.
Kaeya couldn't fully sympathize with what it's like to miss family. Has never heard anyone talk about him with such fondness for a long time. Just like him, the concept of family is foreign.
The cavalry captain pushes the dark thoughts from his head, instead he focuses on the other man's back. The tips of his autumn hair dipped in amber thanks to the last few rays of sun. It's only been a day and yet..
Kaeya smiles slyly and pushes Childe into the water. He laughs loudly at the high yelp the harbinger made as he hit the cold water.
He'll have to thank him later.
Little did he know a pair of hands had snuck their way to his hips, with a sharp yank he'd been brought down to the water as well.
Kaeya re-emerges from the water to see Childe howling with glee. "Y-You should have seen yourself, Kaeya!" He gasped between his laughter. The knight scoffs and splashes the harbinger with water square on the face, failing to keep his own laughter at bay.
He hasn’t laughed this freely in so long.
Childe stands stock still, the water dripping from his face makes a comical picture, "Are you asking for a fight, captain?"
Kaeya chuckles deviously, choosing to splash him with water again instead of replying.
The harbinger breaks out into a grin,"I'm a Hydro user, y'know! This would be an unfair fight!" He says tauntingly. Kaeya only laughs, "And I'm a Cryo user, who's at a disadvantage now?"
The smile on Childe's face twists into something a bit more feral. "Still you."
With that he tackles Kaeya and they both fall onto the sand, the water still crashing into their bodies. Before Kaeya could make a move the harbinger uses his vision to dump water onto his face. He got ready to retaliate but was distracted by the faint noise of giggling.
Turns out Childe heard the same thing, looking around while still above him. He's only registered their position, him being caged inside the harbinger's arms and his thighs on either side of his hips.
“Look Kaeya,” He whispers. “There’s children watching us.” Childe looks down and realizes their position as well. Kaeya studies the other’s face as his eyes roam over his body, red quickly surfacing onto his cheeks and the tips of his ears. He must have been quite the sight.
All wet with water droplets hanging onto his eyelashes and his white shirt practically hiding nothing as it clings to his skin. When the harbinger’s eyes meet his own again, he fights the urge to shiver under the scrutiny. The water lapping at their bodies doesn't help their predicament when the air around them is suddenly so warm. Kaeya smirks at the bright red of Childe’s face, chuckles when he turns into a deeper shade of red. Childe audibly gulps.
“I-”
“Will! I think they’re broken! They haven’t moved an inch!!” A tiny shrill voice squeaks.
And just like that whatever bubble they found themselves in popped. They turn to the pair of kids not far from where they were, a boy and a girl looking at them with concern.
“Oh no! Jill, they heard you!” The boy gasps. He tugs on her sleeve ready to bolt but she stays put. She grabs his arm and walks to them. They shout in surprise when they see who it was under the ginger.
“Captain Kaeya?!”
“Captain Kaeya! Did he hurt you?!”
The children shrieked worriedly. They look at Childe wearily, seeing a mean person who’s trapped their beloved captain. Kaeya laughs at Childe’s mildly offended look. He turns back to the children, “Don’t worry, children. We were just playing around.”
The little boy fixes the glasses atop his head as his brows furrowed. “Why is he trapping you like that then?”
Kaeya smiles, “Ah. You see, he was about to give me a hug. He was being too mean to me just now, so it was to say sorry.” He lies smoothly to them. Childe stands up then lifts him up too, without warning he hugs him from behind. They both shiver at the cold contact, “I’m sorry, kids. I didn’t mean to hurt your dear captain! Hopefully he’s forgiven me,” Childe says, makes a show of nestling his chin on top of his shoulder.
“Chasing crabs got tiring, so we decided to play.” Kaeya continues. He pats the ginger's head, "Don't worry, Childe. I forgive you." He smiles cheekily at the ginger’s deadpan face.
The little girl perks up at the mention of crabs. “Captain, did you say crabs?!” She looks up at them with excited eyes. He hears Childe snicker in amusement at the little girl’s enthusiasm in his ear. The harbinger detaches himself and squats at her height, “That’s right,missy! Do you like crabs?”
“She does! Jill keeps chasing them around too, fish are so much easier to catch.” The little boy speaks up, a little pout on his face feeling unincluded. Childe turns to him with a smile,”Fish you say? I love fishing! Back where I came from, I used to ice fish a lot, it was my hobby!”
“ICE FISHING?!”
The harbinger’s laugh echoed across the coast. Once again Kaeya finds himself smiling fondly at the other man. He’s chatting animatedly with the children and making huge gestures. Whatever story he’s telling has the children’s attention in a tight grip, their gasps of awe sounding larger than life. From what the harbinger has revealed to him, it isn’t much a surprise that he’d be good with children.
He indulges himself in the rare sight, his eyes crinkling when the harbinger opens his arms to be hugged by the two kids. They each give him some gifts and waves goodbye to him then Kaeya.
“Bye captain!” They shout before running to a woman who seemed to be Dr.Edith.
He waves them goodbye and turns to the ginger,”I have to admit, that was the cutest sight I’ve seen this week.”
Childe snickers, scratching the back of his head shyly. “Heh, ah- they gave me four crabs and four fishes.”
“Oh? They didn’t have to.”
“They insisted! They held my hands and everything, I couldn’t say no!” The harbinger pouted.
Kaeya chuckles,”Well at least we have enough crabs now. Just in time for dinner time,no?”
...
The sun has fully set, making way for the moon and the stars. The stars cover the coast like a blanket and the moon a bright enough light for them to walk around with no worry. Soon they set up a campfire, Childe preparing his ingredients while waiting for the water to boil.
Out of nowhere, Childe takes out an octopus and begins doing some knife work with it that Kaeya doesn’t bother to try to understand.
“Did you have an octopus with you the whole time?”
Childe looks up from what his octopus to send him a smug wink. “I caught it when you weren’t looking, heh.”
The next few minutes are spent with Kaeya watching Childe work. The way he effortlessly chops the herbs and handles the crabs. He’s humming a tune while doing all of these, as if he’s at home in the kitchen. “Do you usually cook for anyone?” Kaeya asks after Childe puts on the lid, letting the soup simmer.
“Hmm.. usually for my family. I sometimes cook for the Fatui agents when we have expeditions as well. Ah, I wanted to cook for a friend of mine in Liyue but.. Turns out he hates seafood. Ironic, living by the harbor and despising seafood.”
The story brings out a chuckle out of Kaeya. It reminds him of another certain redhead.
“It’s like being in the winery business and detesting the taste of wine.”
Childe tilts his head back and laughs out loud,”Exactly!”
They talk for the next ten minutes as the soup simmers, the smell wafting around them makes Kaeya realize just how hungry he is. Luckily, when Childe checks on the soup he informs him that the soup was ready. The ginger ladles the soup into two bowls and hands him one. He’s greeted by steam warming his cheeks and the appetizing aroma tingling his nose. Childe hands him a spoon and sits across him on the sand.
The captain looks closely at the soup a bit longer before looking up at Childe. “It looks like a beast in its own blood bath.”
The harbinger beams at the comment. “It’s probably the octopus, I’ve never bothered with plate presentation. I threw in some Snezhnayan herbs as well.”
“Hmm.. Moment of truth,” The knight mutters to himself. He hears the other snort before scooping up some soup, making sure to have the petals and seafood in one spoonful. Kaeya knows the harbinger is not so subtly waiting for his reaction, so he makes a show of slowly bringing the spoon into his mouth. At an indignant “Kaeya!” He finally tastes the soup.
Childe preens at the noise of surprise the captain makes. He giggles watching Kaeya take in a couple more spoonfuls. “So, Captain, what’s the verdict? Worth the journey?” He grins at the slow nod of the captain.
“It tastes foreign, but at the same time..”
It feels like home
“At the same time?”
“It also feels familiar. It’s really interesting how you can make something foreign out of local ingredients,” He spoons some more soup into his mouth. Childe melts a little at the content look on Kaeya’s face as he eats. He looks up at Childe, “Thank you for the meal. It’s delicious.” He says softly.
“Were the calla lilies bitter?” He asks teasingly.
“Not at all.” The captain laughs.
Kaeya lifts the rim of the bowl to sip the last of the soup. Oblivious to the besotted grin on his companion’s face. Who knew all it took was one day to feel a barrage of butterflies dance in your stomach? Certainly not Childe, and certainly not because of a certain beautiful and witty Cavalry Captain.
When Kaeya puts the bowl down he meets the harbinger’s eyes for a second before the ginger looks away. Warmth creeps its way onto his cheeks and a small smile forms on his lips.
How precious is this? Suddenly we’re acting like a pair of teens on their first night alone.
A soft chuckle escaped his lips, making the other man look up. “Are you done with your meal?” He asks Childe. The harbinger gives him a smile before finishing off his soup with a couple of chugs. “I am now!” Brightly smiling and wiping the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, Childe tilts his head in question. “Why?”
“I want to stargaze. Care to join me?”
He’s met with a dazzling smile, “Only if you race me there!”
Another laugh comes out of him before he runs after the harbinger yet again.
How romantic.
Soon enough he catches up to the ginger and tackles him from behind. The harbinger’s laugh rings in his ears as they tumble onto the sand with Kaeya ending up on top of him. Grains of sand find their way into his hair, there’s probably sand in his own hair as well. Yet Kaeya couldn’t bring himself to care about keeping up appearances given that they, a pair of high ranking officials from two opposing nations, are tangled atop of the sand. With the moon and stars as their only witness.
The only ones who have witnessed the way Kaeya’s defenses have finally crumbled to dust at the bright and laughing face of the man beneath him, fondness relentless in the way it warms Kaeya inside out despite it being only one day.
When Childe’s laughter subsides, he looks up at him, his cheeks rosy and eyes crinkled. “Why hello there, Captain.”
Kaeya smirks down at him and pats his chest, “We’re not really stargazing now are we, Harbinger?” He says as he leans closer. The captain was fully aware that it was his doing that prevented them from stargazing but the harbinger takes the bait nonetheless.
Childe gives him a smirk and creeps his palms on top of his thighs. The warmth seems to spread, making its way to the center of his chest. Especially with the way the man was looking at him.
“That’s exactly what I’m doing.” Childe whispers, looking straight into his eye. The ginger’s eyes never wavered from his even as Kaeya’s thumb strokes across the spray of freckles on his cheek. “I see stars here as well. I could form constellations,”
He grazes the tip of his fingernail lightly across the skin, connecting various freckles as he focuses on the other man’s deep breaths.
“What constellation was that?” Childe rasps, his breath tickling his own cheek with how close they've become. He meets Childe’s eyes once more and finds himself submerging into the bottomless cerulean, like a falling star crashing into unforgiving waters.
“Pavo Ocellus.”
They stay like that. Looking into each other's eyes, the air buzzing in between them. Little by little the distance between them disappears. Constantly gravitating towards each other. “You hear that too, right?” Childe eventually asks. “The voices of the abyss?”
Rather than hearing the abyss, he feels it instead. The disgusting feeling that threatens to turn him inside out, seems to be reaching elsewhere, towards the man beneath him.
“No, but I feel it.”
The harbinger nods and rubs his palms over his thighs in a placating manner. He hasn’t even noticed the way his voice trembled or the way his thumb stays in its place, his hand cupping Childe's jaw tightly.
“I hear the voices of the abyss, sometimes through the voice of my old master or just whispers I wish to not understand. I hear their voices as if I held a starconch to my ear, hear their pleas and their longing .”
It’s simply concerning, looking into Childe’s eyes. What once was bottomless like the sea suddenly becomes bottomless like a hole with no escape. Eyes are the windows to the soul after all, his chest constricts with the knowledge. The urge to reach out and answer his pleas rise within him.
Kaeya dips his head lower, until their foreheads touch, their lips only an inch apart.
“Childe..” The captain calls out to him in a whisper.
“Kaeya,” The harbinger pleads as their eyes meet once more.
Blue.
Deep, bottomless blue.
“Childe,” Kaeya answers, finally sinking into the other man.
The taste of calla lily bursts into his mouth.
Their kiss starts off hungry and desperate. Strong enough to bruise while their teeth clash against each other’s. It remains like that, wolfish and ravenous until he feels one hand slide onto the back of his neck bringing him closer and another encircling his waist, the man below him tilts his head and pulls him even closer until it simmers into sweetness, they’ve found their rhythm. Their lips now move languidly together in a manner that makes Kaeya feel lightheaded, like he’s floating instead of sinking.
He nips and then pulls at the other’s bottom lip and smiles at the groan he receives. “ Kaeya,” The harbinger whines. “You menace .”
Kaeya laughs into their kiss then shudders when the harbinger parts from him to press kisses onto the expanse of his jaw down to his neck. They flutter almost reverently against his skin as his hands sink into the sand to ground himself. What were a few minutes felt like hours, every kiss felt like a new revelation, like stars bursting into supernovae.
They kiss once more. Deep and unhurriedly, as if time was theirs to bend. They don't kiss like strangers who've spent only a day together.
They kiss like sinners who have found their salvation.
By the time they part lips Kaeya finds himself laying on the sand facing the harbinger. His lips swollen and flush sits high atop his cheeks, moonlight making his eyes glow. Fingers comb through his lovelock and he resists closing his eyes at the sensation.
Childe smiles at him with mirth. "There's sand in your hair."
"Your breath tasted like seafood."
"Wha– So did yours!"
They burst into laughter, uncaring of their noise. He lets himself revel in the warmth that has thawed his outer layer of ice, because when Childe looks at him.. may Barbatos help him, he feels like he's soaring.
When Childe leans closer once again he moves to meet him halfway. Movement as natural as calla lilies swaying by the waters.
Ah, Kaeya thinks as Childe's warm lips press against his own, turns out they will get along just fine.