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Meeting Childe wasn't exactly the most interesting thing you've ever done, especially with your reputation as 'that one traveller who keeps saving nations and doesn't have a vision but can manipulate the elements regardless,' but it'd be incorrect to call the interaction normal. After the whole Rex Lapis thing, the fight with him in the Golden House, and the 'watching Teucer incident,' you became somewhat friends. You were aware that at the end of the day, he's still a harbinger and a part of the fatui, but you had to admit, Childe defeating all of those ruin guards in ten seconds? Hot as fuck, for lack of a better term. And the genuine care the lanky ginger had for his family pulled at your heartstrings, a gentle smile creeping onto your face every time you think about it. You weren't best friends or anything, and both parties are aware you and Childe are technically on opposite sides, but that knowledge is usually pushed aside.
Something you find most amusing about Childe is when his accent slips through. Now, it's not a secret that the 11th harbinger comes from Snezhnaya, but it's quite rare to hear the Snezhnayian accent bleed through his carefully crafted English one. Most fatui don't care all that much about hiding theirs if they even bother to speak at all, but Childe is different in that sense. It's almost like he's playing a character of sorts, and the fact that he won't tell anyone, including you, his actual name supports this comparison. You once asked Zhongli what the ginger's real name was, and all you got was a shrug as an answer, so you're not too upset about not knowing, seeing as no one else does.
Despite Childe's refusal to speak with his accent, he'll occasionally call you words in his mother language. Sometimes you'll hear a word you can recognize is from a specific dialect of Snezhnayian, while other times, it seems to be of the common Snezhnayian tongue. Either way, you never know what he's calling you. Regardless, you wish he did it more. It's nice to hear his voice drop to a lower pitch and sound comfortable for him to speak in. And you won't lie, his normal voice makes you feel somewhat flustered.
"Hey there, comrade!" says an upbeat and familiar voice, breaking you out of your thoughts.
You look up from the water below you to see Childe walking over to where you were seated on the edge of the Liyue docks. He shoots a smile directed at you before sitting on the free space to your left.
"Hope I'm not interrupting you or anything."
You smile back and shake your head, saying, "No, not at all. Just sitting and thinking is all. Needed a break from commissions for a bit."
He hums in response, bringing one leg up to rest his chin and letting the other dangle off the edge of the dock. When you glance over at him, you see that he's closed his eyes.
"You look kinda tired there, mister," you say teasingly, slight concern seeping into your words.
He sighs heavily. "Yeah, work has been busier than usual. A bit exhausting at times, I'll be honest. I...haven't properly slept in a while. Even now, I have so much to do."
"Well, is there anything I can do to help? Sleep is important, ya know."
He chuckles lightly, shifting his head to face you and cracks open his eyes. "I appreciate it, słonecznik, but it's nothing you would agree to do."
There it is, that stupid word again. The one he says with a fondness that makes your face heat up and your heart stutter. It's a word he's used for you a few times, and you wish he'd use it more.
"It can't be that bad, can it? I mean, come on."
Childe laughs at your expression and says with a sleepy smirk, "You'd be surprised. I'm not one to have piles upon piles of paperwork assigned to me. I'm fairly high up within the ranks, my dear. I do more...physical assignments if you catch my drift."
The flush of your cheekbones darkens ever so slightly at his words and the way he's speaking. You come to the conclusion that the more tired Childe gets, the less control he has of his accent.
The man in question yawns, closing his eyes once more. "You know, I'm not s'pposed to be here, 'm s'pposed to be collecting a debt right now. Several, actually. Sun is warm though, and I enjoy your company. Much prefer this over fighting."
You smile fondly at the fatui beside you, bringing your left hand up to rest on his head, playing with his hair. He hums in appreciation, unconsciously moving closer to you. The silence was nice, but there was a question you just had to voice, especially when he keeps rolling his 'r's.
"Hey Childe, can I ask you something?" You ask, voice soft.
"Hm?"
"Why don't you speak normally? As in, why don't you speak with your normal, natural accent? It's-It's really nice to listen to."
The ginger snorts. "Really? You seem to be the only one that thinks so."
You quirk an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean?"
Childe sighs. "Practically everyone hates it. Maybe they just associate all of Snezhnaya with the fatui, maybe they just hate how it sounds. I don't really know, but it's just-it's just easier to speak like everyone else. People treat me normally when they don't know I'm with the fatui."
"Well, I don't want you to speak like that when we're alone like this. I love when you say words in Snezhnayian. You don't-you don't have to hide a part of yourself around me, alright?"
You sneak a glance at Childe's face and see him smiling at you, an unrecognizable yet warm emotion swirling in his sleepy eyes.
He clears his throat and locks eyes with you. "So you want me to talk like this? And you're telling me you like being called things like возлюбленный?"
Hearing his thick accent and the deeper timbers of his voice ring quietly around the two of you causes you to break the eye contact out of embarrassment, the hand in his hair stilling, and your entire face to blossom a deep red. You can feel him laugh next to you.
"Oh? Did I affect you that much, mój mały kwiatek?" You can practically hear his smirk.
You use the hand in his hair to smack the back of his head. "Shut up!"
He just laughs again, scooting closer to you and resting his head on your shoulder.
"Hey, you asked for this. What was it you said? Oh, right! You love when I speak in the tongue of the motherland, yes?"
You bring your hands up to cover your face, mumbling a quick "shut the fuck up." Childe just wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you closer, lifting you above his leg and setting you down directly in front of him. He brings the other arm to wrap around you as well, burying his face in your neck and hair brushing against your collarbone. You swear your heart stops for a moment, butterflies fluttering in your stomach.
He mumbles against your skin, "Can we stay like this for a bit?" You can feel his chest rumble against your back with his words.
"...I suppose we can stay like this. Maybe try taking a little nap, Chi-"
"-Ajax. Call me...Ajax, when we're alone. Like this. It's-It's my name. My uh, my real name."
You feel a smile tug at your lips, a warm feeling in your chest blooming. "Alright, Ajax. Thank you, for trusting me with this. Now try to get some rest in before you go. I'll wake you in an hour or so."
You feel Ajax smile against your neck, whispering a small thank you in return. Before he drifts off, he plants a small and soft kiss on your shoulder. A few minutes later, you feel his arms around you go limp, his body completely lax against yours. You lace your fingers with his and hold them against you.
The warm and salty seaside breeze blows through your hair, and in this moment, you feel at peace. You know that this moment won't last forever, you know you'll probably never feel like this again until you find your sibling, but just for a moment, you smile. Maybe this is love, maybe it isn't, but you couldn't care less. Being here like this with Ajax feels nice, comforting even, so you close your eyes and hum a soft tune to yourself.
For once, you feel at home.