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The shrill sound of your phone ringing on your bedside table rouses you from your slumber, your eyes slowly cracking open when you’ve grabbed the godforsaken device in your hand. Grumbled curses leave your mouth seeing the name on your screen.
childe is FaceTiming you…
What the hell did he want at seven in the morning?
You grumble some more before your finger slides across the phone screen to accept the call. You’re ready to give the stupid ginger a piece of your mind for waking you up so early on a weekend, curses ready to spill out of your lips and glare set on your visage.
What you aren’t ready for is coming face to face with a child that is one inch too close to the phone camera.
You squint your eyes and blink a couple more times to make sure that what you were seeing was true and not an illusion in your half-asleep state. But you’re brought back to reality when the child on the screen brightens up and flashes you a big grin.
“You’re [Name], right?” he shouts into the phone, blue eyes glimmering with anticipation. You can see the freckles dusting his cheeks and you have to admit that this kid is adorable. … Whoever he is anyways. Is he Childe’s… child? You didn’t think so. At least, you hope not. Childe seems a bit young to be having children, especially considering the both of you are college students.
“Hellooo? Are you even awake?” The child speaks into the phone again, effectively dragging you back to the conversation you are supposed to be having. You give the kid a small smile, shifting in your bed so you aren’t laying down and showing him an unpleasant angle.
“Yeah, yeah I’m awake,” you reply raspily, “I’m [Name], the one and only. And you are?” The kid beams at you and you can’t help but smile back at him.
“I’m Teucer! It’s Big Brother’s birthday, you know!” he shouts animatedly into the phone. “Do you want to come to the aquarium with us today? Pleeeease?”
Ah, there’s your answer to this mystery kid. You didn’t peg Childe to be someone with siblings, at least younger ones. You thought he was the youngest in the family with how he acts around you. Cocky, witty, kind of a brat. Always conveniently outside the door when your classes are over so you guys would have lunch together or at least walk to your next class together.
‘The university campus is big! You never know when you need your strong knight to come and protect you,’ was always his excuse.
Before you can answer the kid, there’s a shout of Teucer’s name and a whine from the kid as the phone is snatched away from him and a familiar face enters the frame. His hair is all over the place - he probably just woke up - and his eyes are wide in shock at seeing you on the other end of the call. A curse leaves his lips as his hands quickly move up to straighten his messy hair, causing you to laugh a little at the scene.
“Ah, shit. I thought he was calling Anya or something. Sorry, [Name],” Childe murmurs into the screen. When he looks back into the camera, his hair is a little better than before, but you can still clearly see he just woke up. Your smile widens and you refrain from laughing again, though you’re not any better considering you have also just woken up.
“It’s fine,” you brush off, “though I guess you can properly apologize for interrupting my weekend sleep with a trip to the aquarium, birthday boy.” Childe perks up at that and sends a look at his younger brother, who is still whining off camera.
“Teucer told you about that huh,” Childe says, facing away from the camera to ruffle the kid’s hair. You aren’t expecting the playful smile to return to Childe’s face when he looks up at you. You don’t like where this is going. You meant to tease the ginger and try to rile him up but it seems he’s always one step ahead of you.
Before you could say you’re joking, Childe beats you to it.
“I guess you kind of have to go now,” his voice teases from the phone in front of you. Your smile drops slightly when he says that and you can’t help but roll your eyes at the sound of his laughter. “I mean, come on [Name]. Teucer wants you to go to the aquarium with us since my sister isn’t able to make it today, don’t you kiddo?”
Teucer’s face returns to the screen and you feel your resolve crumbling at the sight of his puppy dog eyes. They’re working together against you, which isn’t fair at all.
“You wouldn’t want to disappoint little Teucer, do you? He’s only ten and he really wants you to go,” Childe continues. “And besides, it’s my birthday. You don’t want to disappoint the birthday boy too, do you?”
A sigh leaves your lips and you glare at the pouting gingers on the screen.
“Fine. I’ll go, but only if you buy me lunch.” Cheers are heard from the other side of the screen and you can’t help but roll your eyes at the grinning boys. Teucer’s eyes sparkle with delight as he begins telling you about which exhibits he wants to visit and how it’ll be the best trip ever with you and his big brother. It’s only when Teucer begins slipping in how Childe was thinking about asking you to go with them personally and how his siblings have been urging him to just ask you already that Childe snatches the phone away again and says his goodbyes before hanging up.
sorry bout that! see you in a little bit, [name]!
don’t miss me too much ٩(◦`꒳´◦)۶
The aquarium is huge, bigger than you remember at least. To be fair, you haven’t visited this specific aquarium in a while due to its high prices. Your family could only get enough tickets every once in a while, so visiting wasn’t a priority in your family. But it seems Childe and Teucer visit often, seeing as the younger boy runs in front of you two to stand with his arms out underneath the hanging orca.
“Are you sure you’re okay with giving me the free ticket?” you ask Childe as Teucer animatedly hops around while he waits for the two of you to catch up. “These aren’t exactly cheap, you know.” Childe smiles, a gentle one, not the one that’s usually laced with mischief and playfulness, and you feel a fluttery feeling in your chest.
“Of course! It’s my birthday gift from me to you to me, and it would have been a waste if you didn’t accept it.” Childe laughs when Teucer runs to his side to yank on his hand. “Besides, your company is the best gift I could ask for, [Name].” He winks at your stunned expression before being tugged towards the otters. You can only gape at what he said, shaking the burning creeping up your cheeks away. ‘He’s only teasing you,’ you reassure yourself before following after the Snezhnayan boys.
The aquarium trip was rather… fun. Though that was pretty obvious considering Childe was your partner for today. The otters were fun, with Teucer squealing happily before being lifted onto Childe’s shoulders to get a better view of the marine mammals twisting and turning in the pool behind the thick aquarium glass. You couldn’t help but giggle as well when an otter stopped in front of the pair and pressed its tiny little paw on the glass, causing Teucer to gasp in surprise and place his own against the glass.
The three of you saw so many different fish and marine animals while visiting the aquarium, including small hermit crabs that made Teucer go on a tangent about them and a moray eel that you compared to Childe. You had expected him to compare you to a different vicious looking creature, but to your surprise he compared you to the penguins when you visited them. Though, it was immediately overruled when he saw the Atlantic wolffish and told you that was what you looked like.
After a while of walking around and viewing the beautiful displays of the aquarium, the three of you had decided to stop for a while in the seated area of the open ocean exhibit.
You smile as you scroll through the photos you took with Teucer and Childe throughout the aquarium, laughing softly at one of Childe holding Teucer while sitting in a clam shell. There’s a hum from beside you and a soft weight on your shoulder. You scroll to the next photo, a photo of Childe and Teucer squishing their cheeks against yours in front of the penguins. Your smile grows wider remembering how Teucer convinced you to get a photo like that, telling you that penguins cuddled together for warmth and that the three of you should too in a photo.
“You know, we’re very cute,” Childe’s voice comes from your shoulder and you roll your eyes in response, though you suppose it’s hard to see in the dim lighting of the exhibit.
There’s a comfortable silence between the two of you, the only noise coming from the crowd of other guests below you viewing the marine animals swimming in the large tank in front of you. Your eyes spot Teucer in the crowd, smushing his face against the glass so he can get a better view of the hammerhead shark roaming the tank. You smile hearing his excited whispers to the kid beside him who then begins to excitedly whisper back.
Your name slips from Childe’s lips, so soft you would have missed it if his head wasn’t currently resting on your shoulder. You hum in response to acknowledge him and he shifts his position, his head no longer resting on your shoulder and instead facing you. Your heart flutters at his stare; the deep ocean staring right back at you, staring as if you’re the only person in this room with him.
“Can I ask you something?” he asks. His voice is gentle, as if scared to startle you or ruin the atmosphere if he speaks too loudly. He takes a breath when you nod your head, his eyes glancing down at your lips before meeting your eyes once again.
“Can I… Can I kiss you?” His question shocks you, your eyes widening and your brows furrowing in confusion. Childe wanted to kiss you? Somehow, you find that hard to believe; you find it hard that Childe viewed you as anyone other than his friend. You’re just you after all.
You think he’s joking, that at any moment he’s about to pull away from you and laugh at your reaction to him wanting to kiss you. Or that he would headbutt you and tease you about letting your guard down in front of him. But his eyes are dark and serious under the dim glow of the aquarium exhibit. Jokes and mischief are void from his eyes as he stares you down, patiently waiting for your answer.
Maybe it was the intimate atmosphere between the two of you or the dim lighting that ensured no one would be able to see you, but regardless you nod your head. You barely whisper out a soft ‘yes’ before Childe leans in to connect the two of you in a soft kiss.
The kiss is gentle, scared even, as you assume Childe is a bit afraid of scaring you away from his declaration. But when you begin to kiss him back, his rough hand cups your jaw to hold you so he can kiss you even more. This time, fear is thrown out of the window as Childe tries to memorize the way your lips feel against his as quickly as he can. You pull away enough to whisper his name, but it’s quickly muffled when he chases after you and closes the space once again.
Kissing him is like the soft lull of the ocean lapping against the shores of a beach. A simple, yet comforting push and pull rhythm against his lips, and you can’t deny that you want more of him. You want to pull him against you, to feel his embrace as he showers you in love the way the waves wash over the rocks on the shore.
But as much as you want more of him, Childe pulls away from the kiss, his sapphire eyes gleaming in the dim exhibit room. You don’t miss the smile that quirks on his lips when you chase after him and a pout forms on your lips. Before you can complain about him pulling away so quickly, there’s a sharp gasp and a gag from behind you.
“Eww, Big Brother. I know you like [Name] a lot, but that doesn’t mean you have to kiss them right in front of me.” Teucer grimaces, frowning even more when Childe presses a kiss on your cheek. You roll your eyes and shove the taller male away from you, though your efforts are futile against him. Childe chuckles, his chest rumbling from beside you, as he pulls away.
“Alright alright, I’m done,” Childe says, getting up. He turns to you and offers you a hand. You gently place your hands in his and your heart beats against your chest when he squeezes it before hoisting you up and out of your seat. You expect him to let go of your hand so Teucer can lead the three of you to the next exhibit he wants to see, but Childe is always full of surprises. His hand never leaves yours, even when Teucer drags the both of you towards where the touch pools are located in the aquarium.
Childe’s hand, larger and rougher than yours, feels completely perfect slotted in yours. Like the missing puzzle piece finally coming to bring the entire puzzle together. And you can’t help but let your heart soar when his thumb rubs small circles on your hand and when he turns to admire you rather than the exhibits around you.
---
“What’s this?” You raise an eyebrow when Childe hands you a cerulean, sparkling shell hanging on a silver chain. Mermaid pendant, $500. Your mouth drops seeing the price tag and you glare at the Snezhnayan, who simply shrugs and gives you a playful smile.
“A gift from me to you,” he replies cheerfully, as if he didn’t just hand you an expensive necklace. You deadpan at him and begin to whack him with your arm. Though it’s short lived as he easily catches your wrist in his hand and pulls you closer to him. You curse internally when his smile grows seeing you get flustered at the close proximity.
“Besides, I think it’ll be useful for the near future. You’d look stunning in it, [Name].”