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The echo of each step the traveler took through the Golden House sent shivers up her spine. She lightened her steps, but still, they rang out. Something about it was giving her goosebumps... Finally, she reached the floating Exuvia with Paimon at her tail. She let out a deep breath at the sight of it; the thought of Rex Lapis embodying this vessel just a few days ago didn't make sense. The traveler was immediately aware of a lack of something, something in the Exuvia. It’s just a dragon. There’s no power in it. If there was power in it, she would be able to feel it, like she did with Venti.
Paimon spoke first: "This thing is huge. You think Venti has something like this, too?"
"You're funny, Paimon," the traveler replied, not a hint of a smile in her voice.
"Pfft, you're no fun," Paimon grumbled.
The traveler couldn't explain it, not in words, but she felt another presence. She turned around quickly but saw no one. Paimon stared at the traveler like she had three heads. Yet she was right. A familiar voice called, "You've already fulfilled your task as guides, so why do you still linger here? Haven't you already seen enough trouble for today?"
"Huh? Who's there?" inquired Paimon, brows furrowed.
"Childe," the traveler whispered breathlessly. And there he was. He ascended the steps, a mere ten feet away from her. Her eyes widened, then softened, while his were sharp, fierce. Making a scene of it, she summoned her sword from the matter around her, flipped it in one hand to rest it on her side, and positioned her hand on its hilt. Although neither she nor Paimon had any clue what was about to happen, she knew she made the right choice when Childe's expression faltered, just for a second.
He rolled his eyes. "If you were Fatui, I imagine that you would be entitled to a generous reward from the Tsaritsa herself," he mused, taking a step closer. "But now, you're nothing but dross -- and you're in my way."
"Looks like I was just in time, then." Her response was instant, almost as if they’d rehearsed. Childe let out an emotionless laugh, then rambled about finding the Exuvia thanks to the traveler. Paimon gasped, worrying about Rex Lapis's Gnosis... Childe seemed to ignore her.
"As one of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, it's my duty to see the will of the Tsaritsa fulfilled," he stated. He dared the traveler to challenge him. "She will get that which she desires."
And she did. "Not if I have anything to say about it."
The smirk on his face was almost playful, but there was something more. Some sort of tension arose between the traveler and the Harbinger as he began to ramble again, talking about diplomacy and the Tsaritsa and La Signora... The traveler barely paid attention, but Paimon hung onto his every word. Of course, the floating one added her two cents when he stopped talking, but neither the traveler nor Childe took much of what she said seriously. They stared through each other's eyes as he spoke. The traveler was aware of the lack of humanity behind this Harbinger's bright eyes, something missing within. At the same time, Childe saw so much through this window, so much of what is good in the world -- which, in his opinion, there wasn't much of. Regardless, a minute or two of silence that followed his thoughts allowed these opposites to read one another like a book. Paimon looked from her companion to the tall man in front of them and back. For the love of the Archons, what in the world was happening here?
A frantic Paimon, eager to break this odd silence, yelled, "We won't let what happened in Mondstadt ever happen again!"
Snapped out of a daze, both the traveler and the Fatui blinked, shook their heads a little. He cleared his throat, then spoke, voice low: "Oh? So you intend to fight me? Good. I won't kill you, Traveler."
A breath of relief slipped through her lungs. Childe continued, "I'll just play along -- to feel the thrill of battle!"
She gripped her sword's hilt harder, this time jerking it out of its position and pointing it at Childe. The distance between the two was almost completely filled, just by her shining sword. When did he get so close?
"You could never defeat me. Not even in your wildest dreams..." said Childe. Oh, how he secretly wished to delve into her wildest dreams, especially if they were anything like his. "But hey, try to relish the fight anyway. Because if you ask me... without that, what else is there?"
"Oh, I could never defeat you !? You're completely delusional," scoffed the traveler, sword still in the air. Childe laughed.
Witty as ever, he responded, "Fighting talk, I love it! Now let's see you live up to it." Without warning, he seized the traveler by her wrist without a blade and rushed her down the stairs with him. In the center of the room, he summoned his bow. Paimon was out of her mind confused by his decision to literally set the stage for a fight, but the traveler knew he always had a touch for the dramatics. Childe spun the sharp, glowing blue and silver bow in his hand while holding the traveler's gaze, half-smiling at her flush. He caught the weapon in his hand and grinned.
And so the battle began. Childe taunted the traveler between dodges of her almost perfect swordsmanship: "Show me all you've got. I promise I'll be gentle." At one point, he caught her wrist and pulled her close. Under any other circumstance, with any other person, it'd be too close. His lips grazed her ear, then stopped when she shivered.
"Come now, amuse me..." he whispered, deep and challenging, "and don't you dare disappoint."
"Have I ever?" she whispered back. Two could play at that game.
Childe pulled back, revealing a smile on his lips, one that made the corners of his eyes crinkle, unlike his polite and practiced smiles for the public. Then he swung the traveler around a couple of times like he was spinning her in a dance.
Paimon, confused as ever, asked, "Aren't you supposed to be fighting? Weren't you just babbling about a battle? You gave Paimon a headache and now you guys are, like, dancing, or something!"
Childe let go of the traveler's wrist and grazed his fingers behind, all hesitant and slow. Then, a few feet away from her, he pulled his bow back out and pointed it at Paimon, an action so devoid of hesitation in comparison. "I'll make you a deal. Both of you."
The traveler disintegrated her sword, silently moving to stand alongside her opponent. If the traveler reached out, she could touch his shoulder... She almost did it, until Paimon ruined the fleeting moment.
"Paimon doesn't make deals with Fatui and neither does she! You tell him, traveler!" exclaimed Paimon. She was obviously terrified of that sharp arrow and the archer behind it, yet she held her ground nonetheless. The traveler was almost proud of her.
She was silent, watching Childe's deadly gaze on Paimon. She was invested now -- what could possibly happen next? Childe's lips curled and he said, "There's that answer. Now, let me offer this, and don't you dare interrupt me again."
He was clearly about to start talking once more, but he didn't remove his aim at Paimon's head. Paimon's face fell as the traveler put her hand over Childe's and pushed it down, bringing the bow and his other hand down with it. She sucked in a breath and shut her eyes. The traveler and Paimon both expected the man to snap her neck, choke her, literally anything, in one swift movement. A hero's journey with a fool's ending. It was fitting, she thought, that she'd die at the hands of a Harbinger. A Harbinger she was stupidly infatuated with, no less. Yet an eternal minute passed without gloved fingers around her neck, no Paimon corpse. The traveler finally opened her eyes. Childe was fixed on the traveler's hand still gently on his. Paimon’s ever-lazy float was shaky. But the traveler was suddenly calm despite Childe's ever-threatening aura.
He cleared his throat, looked up. He said, "So, my deal. I'll, ah, leave you both unharmed -- or, well, I won't hurt you further, I suppose... if you," he gestured to Paimon, "go anywhere else. Anywhere but this room. Not for long. I won't hurt her. That's a promise. But if you do stay, for even an extra moment, I'll kill you both."
Paimon gained confidence out of nowhere, asking, "How can we trust you?"
"I swear on the Tsaritsa. That might not mean much to you, but... you'll just have to take my word for it," he declared, right hand suddenly up as if for a vow.
"Traveler, are you okay with this? Paimon isn't so sure," worried Paimon.
The traveler nodded. "What do we have to lose? He didn't kill us a second ago, what's a few more?"
Paimon seemed to agree, but she still wasn't buying it. She asked, "What's in it for you, Childe? How are you gonna get out of this without the Gnosis?"
"A lot is in it for me. And I never said I wouldn't take the Gnosis. Is it so hard to believe that I'd like some time alone with our comrade here, without a floating chaperone?"
The traveler's heart skipped a beat. She loved Paimon dearly, but Childe did have a point. "I think I'll be okay, Paimon. Just wait in the hall, I'll scream if he tries anything."
Paimon bit her tongue, her face twisted in a mix of anxiety and confusion. She nodded, then did as her friend asked. As her starry trail left the room, the traveler and the Harbinger stood in silence. Once he was sure Paimon was gone, Childe sent away his bow. The traveler went to sit on the steps before the Exuvia. Childe watched her every move. Traveler swore she felt something in his stare... longing? Or was that wishful thinking?
"How have you nothing to say? How did you -- no, why did you trust me?" Childe seemed to burst with these questions, though his volume remained quiet for fear of Paimon barging in again. "Aren't you scared? You haven't even glanced at your weapon since you sheathed it."
The traveler let out a sigh. She ignored most of his questions. "I've -- Childe, I've wanted nothing more than to just talk to you. Or be near you, I don't know. It's hard with Paimon around, I get it, but it's clear to me that under this terrifying Harbinger character you're hiding something. And some mindless little part of me is begging to find out what it is, to find out who you are. All from the moment I met you."
Childe was slow in his movement, but he sat next to the traveler, a safe and short distance between them. He gestured for her to continue. His eyes pierced hers, waiting for her next words.
"Every time we've been together, even for a moment, my heart... I don't even know the words for it in this land's language. It's like you put a spell on me. Even in front of Zhongli! And something tells me he noticed the blush I had every time you were around. Oh, that's so embarrassing..." She put her head in her hands, hiding her eyes from his.
He responded slowly, taking more than enough time to think about his words, "Then why didn't you say anything? You didn't give me any signs until right now. And in front of your companion, too."
"I find it odd that someone as observant as you couldn't notice my staring or blushing whenever you looked at me. But I never thought we'd be in a situation where I could say anything, you know? You're a Harbinger. Surely you know how hard that makes things. The heroic dragon-slayer of Mondstadt, the whatever-I-am-in-Liyue falling for Tartaglia, a deadly Fatui Harbinger... it's laughable. I thought you'd kill me, right then and there, so I didn't think it mattered anymore," she said, trembling. "I should be dead right now. Every part of every adventure should mean nothing right now."
Childe laughed, shocking the traveler. "You're absolutely right."
"Then why are we here? So you can get off to killing me?"
"Oh, Archons no!" He picked himself up and closed the gap between them. They both tried to ignore the electricity surging through them as their thighs touched.
"Then what is it, Childe?" she pleaded. She finally took her hands from her face, staring up at him.
Though his words were direct, the traveler sensed uncertainty in them: "Can I kiss you?"
She nodded right away. The Harbinger placed a hand on the small of her back and another on her cheek as he leaned in and kissed her. His touch and his kiss were nothing like his outer shell, powerful and cruel. It was soft, it was sweet. The traveler wanted nothing more than to stay in that moment forever. Without the distractions of all the chaos in Liyue, even if the man she was kissing was the cause of most of it. Without scouring nation after nation to find her brother...
The traveler pulled away, reluctant but serious. "You kissed me."
"... This is true."
"What are we supposed to do about it?"
Childe thought for a moment. He decided to say, "Do it again. And again, and again, and again."
Between each repetition, he placed a kiss on the traveler’s face, until he finally reached her lips once more. Enticed, she kissed him back more passionately, parting her lips just so; sometime later, she drew away.
"We have roles to fulfill. If I could spend the rest of my days in that moment we just had, I would. But we both know that's impossible."
"So let's make some memories to keep us going for the rest of our days," he said slyly. He shook his head and rolled his eyes when hers traveled down. "I don't mean that, we haven't got the time, not tonight. Besides, this won't be our final meeting, traveler, you know that. Don't you?"
She nodded once more. Some minuscule part of her heart was hoping for exactly that. Only when she was about to open her mouth again did she realize her hand was in his hair, softly playing with it. She smiled, then kissed him once more. She barely withdrew to say, "What kind of memories?"
He lifted her hand away from his head and pulled it with him as he stood. Childe kissed her hand, gazing up at her as he did. Then he led her to the middle of the room, almost exactly how they entered as they fought. The very memory sent the traveler searching his every inch for injury. Neither party seemed to have any fresh cuts, she realized. She did notice some barely-faded scars trickling down the visible part of his hand and his arm, like electroshocks. Without thinking, she began to trace them... They stood across from each other, her fingers tracing along his left arm. He sighed, closed his eyes. A minute passed until he rested his chin on her head and she leaned into his chest. He wriggled his arm out of her grasp and hugged her tight. The hug was plain uncharacteristic for both of them, so they relished in it.
Childe whispered, hoping she wouldn't hear, "I never want to let you go."
The rumble of his chest didn't quite drown it out. "So don't."
"We have to."
"I'll make this easy for you: the Gnosis presumably isn't in the Exuvia and I can tell you truthfully that I don't have it. Now, will you stay with me for another few minutes? Paimon can wait. The Tsaritsa can wait."
She bit her lip and waited for that to make him snap. It didn't. Childe laughed, though there was a bittersweet hint in it. She could live in the way his laugh shook his chest. "Well, I admit I'd be a lot more pissed off if anyone but you told me that. I’ll deal with it later. That thing doesn’t look right anyway…”
The traveler kissed his cheek -- or, well, his jaw. He let out a content sigh as she decided to kiss his neck, a little rougher than Childe believed possible for her. "We're going, ah, how far with this?"
She leaned aside to say, "Not that far. I just... want to remember what we did when I inevitably see you after this."
"That's hot."
She snorted, then just leaned her head into his shoulder, only to be met with a soft kiss on her head.
"I don't want to leave your arms," the traveler admitted.
"Don't, but... I'd like to do the same to youl," he murmured.
And Archons be damned if he didn't follow up on that. Her neck was littered with soft pink bites, most of which produced a sweet sound from her lips that kept Childe going. She could play the marks off, probably.
"Now that that's done," he said, tilting her chin up and grazing his lips along her neck once more, to kiss her lips.
Their hands traced each other, every inch, much more gentle than their kisses. They kissed forever as if there wasn't a way for their bodies to be closer. That is until Childe dragged away again. He removed her arms from around him, then ran up to the stairs again. He took a breath, as if an actor getting into character, then strode up to the traveler. Is there something wrong?
"May I have this dance, milady?" he asked, taking a bow and lifting his arm for her to take. She did, bewildered by how out of place his act was compared to his disheveled look.
"There's, uh, there's no music," she commented.
Childe stood tall again, positioning himself and the traveler for a ballroom dance. "Yet I somehow doubt we'll be seen at the same parties again, dear traveler."
"Not with Zhongli on my side," she agreed.
"Don't talk about him," he whined. "Let me have my moment!"
"You're dramatic, everyone in Teyvat is aware..."
"Okay, and? You clearly like it!"
The traveler nodded and rolled her eyes. Childe beamed, happy to have won. He then led the hero in a slow waltz. They spun around every few minutes, causing the shimmering lights in the Golden House to spin with them, like a dream. The dance felt choreographed, prewritten. Maybe it was. Maybe it was meant to happen. Fate often tricked the traveler.
Childe hummed a tune, something lovely. The moment transformed into something so much more magical when he began to murmur some lyrics. Whatever language he was singing in, the traveler was at home in his voice. She assumed it was heavy Snezhnayan, but she found she liked its tough tone contrasting with the sweet rhythm. She leaned into him once more, and they repositioned their waltz into a slow sway. Both pairs of eyes were closed, though one pair hid tears. It was only as Childe's hand cupped her head and held her close that the traveler realized she was crying.
There'd no doubt be a wet spot on his red scarf when they broke off. She just let it happen. They stayed in their sway, their protective embrace, for a long time.
-
So long, in fact, that Paimon got worried. She floated over to the entrance of the Golden House, and though she was only a few feet away from it, there was so much dread in her heart. Did the traveler die quietly? Earlier, her ears perked up at a clanging noise, but it didn't sound like a sword. She heard only hushed whispers, some laughter... what in Teyvat was happening? So there she floated.
Paimon took a deep breath, smoothed out her outfit, and peeked through the door. What she saw was probably the furthest away from her expectations.
There was no blood, no dead body on the floor or on a pile of Mora, no destruction at all. Was the traveler turning to the Fatui?
She watched Childe stroke her friend's hair, rest his other hand on her back. They swayed like the trees at the Archipelago, Paimon noted. His face was in her hair, no doubt whispering to her. Paimon's jaw dropped, but she remained silent for once. The traveler was visibly shaking every few seconds like she was crying... should Paimon rescue her? Well, what could she really do about it anyway? Maybe the traveler was okay like Paimon hoped.
Then, something so much weirder happened. The traveler broke free of Childe's grasp and wiped her eyes. Childe spoke, though Paimon couldn't hear, obviously. Jeez, they were good at the quiet game. Neither of them seemed angry, Paimon decided. Then, Childe leaned down once more and pressed their lips together. Paimon was as confused as ever but returned to her position away from the entrance. She had a feeling her friend would be alright. Maybe not now, but eventually.
-
Childe wiped the traveler's tears. They just wouldn't stop coming.
"I don't want this to end," she whimpered. "I don't want to spend my life searching for something only to be missing something else forever."
"What are you searching for?" he whispered.
The traveler held her breath. After all this, she might as well trust him. What could he do, tell a goddess in a nation she had yet to visit? The girl pulled him to the floor with her, where they laid together, innocent and tangled and safe. She told him her story, about her search for her brother. A tear or two (more like twenty) fell from Childe's deep ocean eyes. She wiped his tears, too. His arms protected her while he told her about himself. If the traveler stopped crying, she would gladly admit to starting again. They rambled together about nothing and everything. What was merely a couple of hours felt like days.
"You can say it, I can tell you're just dying to," Childe sighed. He braced himself.
The traveler smiled, genuine and sweet. "Ajax. Ajax, the fearsome Harbinger with a soft spot for ice fishing and starconches."
"You're a good listener, huh?" He whispered her name back to her. "I imagine you're rarely referred to by your name in these lands."
"Correct. Smart as ever, Ajax."
"You know, I almost want your name written on me," he mused. "I never want to leave this, either."
Then he checked his pocket watch. He sat up abruptly and moved the traveler to the pillow that was his lap, continuing to play with her hair. He traced both of their names into her head.
"Do we have to go yet?" she whispered, eyes closed. She sounded sleepy, almost at peace in a way Childe never expected to see.
"No, but we're definitely running low on time..." he said. "But hey, can I tell you something?"
"Sure."
"You didn't disappoint. And you, uh," he motioned downwards, "definitely amused me. Y'know."
She hit his chest playfully, a blush dusting her cheeks. "Deal with that later."
They were comfortably silent for a little while until the Harbinger asked, "Can we dance one more time? Please?"
They both stood, and Childe led her in a flourishing dance. It was like what Childe read about in storybooks when he was a kid, just before the happy ending. A grand finale, if you will, with the dip kiss and everything.
But they weren't getting a happy ending.
-
When it was closer to the time they needed to go, the pair separated, connected only by their intertwined hands. They stared right through each other again. This time, they were open books, filled with details they knew like the back of their hands.
"I love you," she said, just above a whisper.
"I know. And I love you. Truly," he replied.
Childe kissed her. Their lips lingered for a second, then they parted one last time.
Their hands fell. Childe held his behind his back. The traveler fidgeted with her fingers. Neither of them remembered how to function without a hand to hold, even if they'd only held it for a short while.
"What's the plan to convince an audience that we fought?" the traveler asked.
"We did fight, remember? Besides, I have, ah, something in mind to make it look a little messy in here. You can go. Actually, you should go. I don't want you to see..." answered Childe. How did one person, one night, bring out the softest parts of him?
The traveler's face twisted in worry, but she knew she had to go. "Don't be a fool. Please."
"I won't promise you anything," he stated.
"Well, I'll just have to make sure we meet again. After whatever damage control we have to do."
"Oh, we will, and that's a promise I can keep."
"Stay safe so I can see you in my dreams. Until our paths cross again, Ajax."
"As you wish."
The traveler took one more gaze at Childe to memorize each piece of him. Then, she turned and walked into the corridor, slow and somber.
Childe whispered her name before he began to destroy the Golden House and destroy himself in the process.
-
Little did the pair know, Paimon was watching the time better than Childe was. They were fine as dandelion wine, despite Paimon's suspicions. When the traveler joined her companion once again, she broke down crying.
"You're not hurt, right?" Paimon gasped. She wasn't about to admit that she saw them dancing, kissing… or comment on those weird marks on her neck.
"I'm fine, Paimon. Fine. Or, ah, I will be," she sniffed. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting so long."
"Don't worry about it, pal. Let's go," Paimon encouraged. She patted her friend's back.
As they started to walk away from the Golden House, the traveler felt static and heard electric shocks in the air behind her. Lightning bolts, almost. A pit grew in the traveler's stomach. So that was his plan. She shut her eyes, thinking about Childe's scars and lightless eyes.
"Ajax..."
"Huh?" asked Paimon.
"Nothing. Nothing," the traveler muttered, trying to ignore the pained sounds Childe let out as they got further from the Golden House.
"Paimon thinks we should go somewhere quiet."
The traveler couldn't agree more.
She turned her head to look at the Golden House but kept walking forward. Reflections of purple light and water that was the exact shade of Childe's eyes sent shivers down her spine.
They eventually reached the peak of a mountain overlooking Liyue Harbor. Paimon disappeared, leaving the traveler to sit atop the hill and gaze at the hustle and bustle of the city below her. She found a flower in her pocket. Childe's favorite. When did he have the chance to slip this in?
She cried again, loud enough to drown out the city. Heavy sobs escaped her throat. It took everything in her not to think about how much pain Childe must have been in with all that electricity.
The traveler searched through her belongings until she found a shining starconch. She lowered the yellow flower onto the starconch and held both objects close.
At least she’d never forget their final dance.
-
After one of the toughest battles of her life, and yet another city saved from destruction, the traveler wanted nothing more than to meet with Zhongli for tea and forget everything. But nothing ever goes as planned, does it?
It wasn’t long before she met Childe again. The traveler and Paimon strode up to the Northland Bank to look for Zhongli -- Fatui territory only means one thing -- where they saw him standing with none other than La Signora and Childe.
After Paimon exchanged some heated words with Signora, Childe acknowledged the traveler’s presence.
He looked her up and down and let out a small breath, then shook his head to get back into character. Luckily, Signora and Zhongli didn’t seem to notice.
“Well, if it isn’t the traveler. This is our first time seeing each other since Liyue was nearly wiped off the map,” he said, taking a moment to admire the flower in her hair. She swore she saw the corners of his lips quirk up. “This is certainly a bit… awkward, wouldn’t you say?”
Paimon peeked out the corner of her eye. It was hard to miss the heart eyes the traveler was giving the Harbinger. Paimon covered for her, “Hmph! Paimon knew we should never have trusted a Fatui Harbinger.”
Childe put a hand over his heart, feigning hurt. “Aw, now don’t say that. Sure, I may have misled you, but I never had anything against you personally… Besides, I thought we were getting along quite well together, didn’t you? Did you already forget that performance we had at the end?”
His words were like a code that only the traveler could break. She bit her lip to hide a smile.
He continued, “Nothing personal, we just have different views, that’s all. Of course, you may very well hold it against me, but that’s up to you… The real deceivers here are Signora and Zhongli… curse them for leading me on.”
Confusion passed between the traveler and Paimon. Zhongli remained solemn, the same went for Signora. Childe attempted to explain himself but was interrupted by Signora. After some discussion, Zhongli revealed himself to be Rex Lapis. It took everything out of the traveler to feign shock instead of continuing to gaze at Childe and glare at the fresh electric shocks on his arms.
While Signora and Zhongli talked, along with some interjections by Paimon, the traveler and Childe snuck glances at each other. Blah blah blah, Zhongli was Rex Lapis, something something contract. Zhongli gave Signora the Gnosis, something something Tsaritsa. That’s all the traveler heard. Despite her concern, she felt like she’d heard it all before. Either that or she just couldn’t bring herself to care at this moment.
Childe fiddled with his hands in his pockets, flashing a yellow flower the same as the one in the traveler's hair. He made sure she caught a glimpse of it. And boy, did she. Her heart swelled. Then Signora made a snarky comment about her fellow Harbinger.
“Huh? Just whose side are you on, mocking me like that? Are you itching for a fight?” Childe threatened.
All Signora did was roll her eyes in response, but the traveler said, unable to hide the grin across her face, “You’ve really embarrassed yourself this time.”
An offended Childe gasped, “Hey! Haven't you learned the Liyue saying? 'Don't always call it as you see it!'”
But the traveler saw the playful glint in his eyes when he met hers.
“Well then, with the Gnosis in my possession, I have no use for such idle chatter. We should return to Zapolyarny Palace and seek an audience with Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa. Come, Childe,” beckoned Signora, growing tired of the traveler’s presence.
“Ugh, fine... I'll meet you there later. I'm not sharing a boat with the likes of you,” Childe refused.
As Signora left, making some other comment, Childe turned to look at the traveler. Zhongli and Paimon, subtle as ever, moved a few feet away and made frivolous small talk, though not without peeking out of the corners of their eyes to watch the Harbinger’s moves.
“Wow, Zhongli! Would you look at that… uh… that tree that Paimon has definitely never seen before!”
The traveler stepped closer to Childe. Sure that Signora was gone, she kissed him one final time. “Don’t let her get under your skin, Ajax.”
“Gods, don’t worry about me. Or her,” he muttered. He began to ramble: “Keep that flower with you, okay? It’s Snezhnayan, they don’t die for years. My mother used to say they were lovers’ flowers... I’ll never see another one without thinking of you.”
“Same to you.”
They stood in silence for a moment.
“I’ll see you again, we’ve been over this,” chuckled Childe.
“I know. I just wish it could be sooner,” she sighed. Childe nodded in agreement.
“The sooner we part, the sooner we can meet again. In dreams or otherwise. I have a boat to catch, and for once I'm in no mood to fight, so I do need to go,” he said.
“And I have an ex-Archon to talk to,” she replied. The traveler hugged him suddenly, knocking him back a foot. They were so lucky no one was watching. (Other than Paimon and Zhongli, of course. Their wistful sighs weren't hidden very well.)
They both teared up. Saying farewell was the worst part.
“Until we dance again, dear traveler,” the Harbinger promised. He fixed the flower in her hair, then bent to kiss her hand.
“Until we dance again.”