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He stirred in his bed, finally settling on staring at his bare ceiling, unable to fall asleep. His head was full of unwanted thoughts, worry digging at his skin as he jumped to conclusions of where Childe could be at this time. The ginger hadn’t answered any of his messages or calls except for the one text bubble stating that he was on his way over to his house.
The message did nothing but cause the boy to worry more, he knew what this meant, but he hoped it wasn’t something as bad as he thought.
There were no other messages left after that, even when Diluc sent multiple messages in a row in hopes of grabbing the other’s attention, hoping for a clue to what was going on. There was no response. He lay restless, his teeth gnawed at his already raw, and red lips, a habit he’d picked up from his anxiousness. Diluc began to taste metal, yet he paid no mind to his bleeding lip, his mind too focused on the time and how slow everything was moving.
Soft taps were heard at Diluc’s window, the sound snapping him out of his thoughts. He scampered to his feet, not wasting a moment to get up. In a second he was at his window, pulling at his dark curtains to reveal a familiar figure standing on his balcony, the light of the moon illuminating the sheepish smile that he admired so much, and yet the more he stared at the ginger’s face the more his thoughts became a reality.
His jaw clenched as he stared at the slouched body in front of him.
Opening his window, his red eyes scanned Childe’s entire body, spotting blood splatters and cuts all over the ginger. His blood boiled at the sight but he decided it would be safer to take care of the boy in front of him as fast as he could. He wasn’t sure how bad his condition was but he wasn’t going to risk anything. In a second he had the other boy sitting at the desk chair, a first aid kit on the ground next to them.
“So no hello, comrade? I expected better from a man of such class.” Childe forced a smile, staring down at Diluc, who was frantically rummaging through the first aid kit. He began to tug at the ginger’s clothes, indicating that he’d need to get changed after they were finished.
Childe complied, but not without commenting ‘ You’re not even gonna take me out on a first date? What a world we live in, huh. ’ No response was obtained from the redhead in front of him, except for the rapid work of bandaging him up.
Both boys sat in silence, the tension in the air too thick to cut with a simple kitchen knife. Childe eyed the boy in front of him, his blue eyes searching his face for something that would tell him everything was fine. He expected Diluc to show the same kept expression on his face that he’d seen every other night when he’d come to visit him after getting into a fight but tonight it felt different.
He seemed more distressed. His lips raw from biting them, his brows furrowed as he focused on cleaning Childe’s wounds. It was different. Something felt wrong.
Diluc continued to wipe a wet cloth on Childe’s skin, cleaning up the traces of dried blood the night had left on him. Childe followed the red head’s every move, watching as the familiar routine hadn’t changed when he began to apply rubbing alcohol to avoid infection. His touch felt rougher though, Childe didn’t mind it due to his high tolerance to pain, but he could feel the slight shift coming from the boy in front of him and it began to worry him.
It was clear that he was upset.
With what? Childe wasn’t sure.
Was he angry at the people who had done this to him? As romantic as it sounds, it doesn’t sound much like something Diluc would even dare to admit. It could be a thought in his mind, but the chances are low.
He could also be angry at Childe for getting in another fight, even after constantly warning him about the dangers of it, which was most likely the fitting reason for why he was upset. After all, this wouldn’t be the first time he’d be lectured about being reckless and impulsive.
Childe couldn’t help it, he lived for the thrill of battle.
Diluc sat up from his spot on the ground, putting everything away before changing his focus towards the dirty clothes Childe had brought in, and headed to the bathroom, careful enough not to make a sound to wake the others in the house.
He came back, grabbing a fresh, new set of clothes for Childe before heading back to the bathroom to scrub at the dirt, hoping it doesn’t stain.
Childe rose slowly from the chair, ignoring the sharp pains he’d get as he limped towards the doorway. Leaning against it he carefully crossed his arms staring at the redhead as he worked silently.
“Isn’t this the point when you lecture me?” He asked, tilting his head as he noticed red eyes flicker towards him, the boy before him stopping his actions.
Diluc’s knuckles turned white, his grip on the clothes growing tighter as he let out a shaky exhale. Moments passed as Diluc attempted to remain calm before he looked up from the sink, glaring at the ginger. His red eyes burned Childe’s skin as if a flame was trapped inside them even through the mirror.
“ You -“ he breathed, dropping the clothes and gripping the counter, “- you are so selfish .” He spits, turning in the direction of the ginger.
Childe let out a short, nervous laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood, yet he stared at the redhead’s face, and his expression never faltered. This wasn’t something he could fix with a joke.
“You just love to do whatever you want don’t you.” Diluc’s eyes stared daggers into Childe’s blue ones. “You run off to start shit and then come crawling back to me and make me fix all your issues.” He breathed out, venom spilling out of his mouth.
“You expect me to clean up your mess every single time you fuck up? Do you always expect me to be here for you when you need me?”
“I’m not your fucking parent and I sure as hell am not your maid,” Diluc wiped his hands on a towel before heading straight in Childe’s direction. His hand pressed against Childe’s chest, pushing the boy back in the direction of his desk and against the chair he was sitting on before.
“You love wasting my time, right? That’s the only fucking explanation I have for you acting like this.”
“Why would I ever want to waste your time?” Childe asked, his voice quiet, careful not to say anything out of place.
“Oh, maybe because every fucking time I tell you to not pull this shit you don’t listen, and you go out late at night, and you never answer my texts or my calls, you just disappear off the face of the fucking earth for a night and then appear at my window with blood all over you!”
If it weren’t for how late it was, Childe was sure his voice would be echoing throughout the halls, and although Diluc spoke with a low tone, his voice sounded as though he was shouting in the ginger’s head. The words seeped through his skin, burning at his pale flesh.
“Do you expect me to be fine when you come to be all bloody and bruised up?” Diluc inhaled sharply, an attempt at calming himself once he realized his voice was getting louder than expected before he did something he’d regret.
Childe opened his mouth as if to say something before being interrupted. “And don’t even try to tell me shit right now,” Diluc faced the ginger again, his breathing calmer now, his face holding an expression that Childe couldn’t put his finger on. “Once I finish washing your clothes, just get the fuck out. I don’t want to be involved with you anymore.”
Childe’s nails dug into the palm of his skin
A shatter could practically be heard coming from Childe’s chest. His breath hitched at those words, his body stiffened. “Are you serious?” He asked, already regretting his question.
He wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear what Diluc had to say.
“Yeah,” Diluc’s gaze flickered to one of sadness, his red eyes staring at his feet, “I’m serious.”
“You.. want me to leave?” he repeated, staring intently into Diluc’s eyes, although the other boy didn’t return the gaze.
Diluc only nodded, his eyes set on the space behind Childe instead of the boy behind him.
Childe’s gaze shifted uncomfortably, thinking of what to say, “Diluc,” his eyes focused back on the redhead’s face, “I can’t leave.”
Red eyes suddenly stared back at him. “Why not?”
“You know I can’t,” he paused, “at least not when I look like this.”
A sound of realization came from the boy before him, his anger seemingly gone at the moment, which caused a small smile to grow on Childe’s face.
Why was he smiling? He wasn’t sure himself.
Diluc stepped back, “Just,” he nodded towards his bed, “sleep there for tonight, I’ll find somewhere else.”
Childe decided against trying to speak up, instead of listening to Diluc and doing as he was told. He lifted himself carefully, shuffling over to Diluc’s bed before laying down. The familiar scent, already engulfing his body as he tucked himself in, turning to his side to face Diluc.
Diluc sighed, taking steps away from Childe, “I’m going to put the clothes in the laundry.”
The ginger lay there, staring at the other boy’s back as he walked out of the room. He shifted onto his back, staring at the ceiling, his nails digging at the palm of his skin, the pressure almost drawing blood. His chest felt tight, a suffocating feeling came upon him.
He tried to keep calm.
His head was spinning, he wanted to punch something, break something, tear it apart, and yet he couldn’t get himself to do it. He was frustrated and if it were anyone else, they would’ve been bleeding, on the ground, crying, and in pain.
But Childe would never do that to Diluc.
Diluc was someone he cared deeply for. He couldn’t give him up, he doesn’t think he ever will. They may not be soulmates but Childe would do anything to fix their fate.
No matter how many arguments or fights they would get in, he just needed to stay calm. He could fix this.
For Diluc.
He laid there for what seemed like forever, relishing in the warmth of the sheets and the sweet smell that filled his nostrils. His eyes stayed stuck at the same spot on the ceiling, lost in thought as he waited for Diluc to return.
Clothes were placed on the desk beside him. Feeling that Diluc hadn’t moved from his spot, Childe opened his eyes and took the chance to look into familiar red eyes.
“You haven’t fallen asleep yet,” Diluc commented, his eyes moving to look at something else, having been caught staring at the boy in his bed.
“I couldn’t.”
“How come?”
“I thought you were mad at me.”
“I still am.”
“Then why do you still care?”
There was a pause.
“I’ve always cared.”
Childe turned to his side, placing an arm under the pillow. “Is that why you’re angry?”
Diluc nodded, shifting in his position. They stayed in silence, Childe staring at the redhead while Diluc continued to avoid eye contact.
“Well, I’ll go sleep somewhere else then.” The boy finally spoke up, meeting Childe’s gaze.
He made his move to turn around and walk out of the room before he heard the bed creak beside him, he turned to face Childe, seeing as the ginger had sat up from his position on the bed.
“Can you stay for tonight?”
He stayed silent.
“After tonight you’ll never have to see me again.” Childe almost begged, “I promise.”
Diluc shifted slightly before giving in to his urge and taking the spot next to Childe in his bed, he turned onto his side, his back facing the boy behind him. Both boys shifted uncomfortably in bed before settling down, silence overcoming them.
An arm wrapped around his waist from behind, pulling him closer. He could feel the other boy’s breathing against the crook of his neck, although his body stiffened at the sudden contact, heat spread throughout his body.
“I’m sorry.”
The words came out as a whisper, Diluc could feel the boy’s lips move against his shoulder as he spoke them.
It made him feel weak.
“You’re always sorry.”
Childe squeezed him tightly, “I always mean it.”
The tension was long gone.
Diluc sighed, his body relaxing against the boy behind him. “I don’t forgive you.”
They spoke with small pauses in between their words, lying comfortably against each other. Almost as if they were made to fit each other.
“That’s fine.”
“After this, we’re never seeing each other again.” He stated, turning to face Childe, staring back into blue eyes.
“Okay.” The word came out lower than a whisper, his breath fanning against Diluc’s face as he stared down at the redhead.
“Okay.”
They both knew it was an empty promise.