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Childe loves his boyfriend.
There are very few that know Childe and don’t know Albedo is literally the light of his life. The stars in his sky. The single waffle on a plate of pancakes. Give him ten seconds and he’ll make about twenty-seven more comparisons with Albedo and everything he perceives as good.
In conversation, he brings the blonde up constantly. So much so that his co-workers have made a game out of it. “Who can get him to go an entire conversation without bringing up his boyfriend?” type of game, with prizes and everything. No one has won yet, because Childe can literally relate anything to his boy.
In essence, Childe is incredibly whipped.
“Albedo?” The ginger calls out groggily.
“Yes, sweetheart?” His boy responded, voice gentle and oh so fond. A hand brushed through Childe’s curls soothingly.
“I love you,” Childe told him.
“I know,” Albedo replied, a small smile gracing his pretty face.
Childe grinned.
“You know, it makes me so happy when you say that,” He says, opening his eyes to look up at his star boy.
Albedo’s smile widened a fraction.
“Such a pretty boy,” Childe crooned, reaching up to caress the blonde’s cheek, marvelling at the pretty pink it turns under his fingers. “You deserve to know just how much I adore you.”
Outside the rain pounds heavily on the roof, the noise making Childe’s eyes heavy.
“You should go back to sleep,” Albedo tells him after a moment.
“I can’t now,” His boyfriend protests lightly. “I’m awake now, and my lovely boy is playing with my hair as I rest my head in his lap. I need to stay awake so I can fully appreciate this.”
Albedo blinks.
When the ginger only smiles dumbly, the shorter one rolls his eyes and pushes the other off of his lap and onto the floor.
Childe squeaks, flailing uselessly as he tumbles to the ground. Albedo watches in muted amusement.
“What the fuck was that for,” Childe pouted, sitting up.
“You said you couldn't sleep in that position. I helped you.”
There is a stupid little smirk on Albedo's lips that Childe wants so badly to kiss away, but he has to remind himself to stay strong. There is no way he can let Albedo win so easily.
Distantly, he registers that the rain seems to be letting up just a little.
An idea pops into his head and he suppresses a grin so as to not give away his evil monstrous plans to his foe.
“Well, you weren't very helpful at all!” The taller declares, standing and brushing himself off. “In fact, I’m more awake now than I was before.”
“Go back to sleep, idiot,” Albedo chides, frowning. “It’s almost ten and you’ve got to get up early tomorrow.”
Childe grins at his boyfriend, pulling him up to his feet.
“I’ll go to sleep, but first I need you to do something for me,” He says, dragging Albedo out of the living room.
They make their way through the kitchen and into the hallway where their bedroom was. Albedo shoots him a puzzling look, but is promptly ignored by the other as he is dragged past the bedroom towards the end of the hall.
“And what might that be?” Albedo asks when it’s clear the ginger isn’t going to explain without prompting.
“Hold on,” His boyfriend replies distractedly as he comes to a stop right before the front door, leaning down to pick something up.
Albedo watches as the taller turns back to him, brandishing two pairs of rain boots.
“Play in the rain with me.” Childe grins, holding out the smaller pair to his love.
Albedo cringes. “Now? We’ll get all wet and cold.”
Childe rolls his eyes playfully.
“C’mon, killjoy. When we’re all done we can take a warm shower and cuddle in bed, yeah?”
Albedo hums thoughtfully as though considering his options, already knowing what his answer would be. He takes this opportunity to study his boyfriend's face. Freckles speck his cheeks and trail all the way down beneath the collar of his shirt. He remembers it was a night a lot like this when he first learned just how far down they go (All the way. They are everywhere).
Childes lips are stretched into a darling smile, eyes practically sparkling with excitement. How can Albedo say no to that?
“As long as you promise that you’ll sleep when we’re all done,” he sighs.
Childe cheers as Albedo takes his rainboots out of Childe’s hands. Within seconds, his boyfriend is all the way ready and helping Albedo put his rain jacket on.
Albedo can’t help but laugh at the ginger’s insistent enthusiasm relishing in the fuzzy feeling he gets when Childe gives him the most adoring look he’d ever seen.
“C’mon! Let’s go!” Childe tugs his hand gently and leads them both out the door and into the rain.
The sky was cloudy, stars hidden behind the gray. Albedo takes a second to mourn the loss, but soon finds it incredibly easy to get over when he looks back to his boyfriend.
Childe is jumping in a puddle and giggling, having left Albedo in front of the stairs to their door. Somehow in the minute that they had been outside, Childe managed to get completely soaked, rain jacket falling off of his shoulders and completely defeating the purpose of getting ready.
Albedo takes two steps toward his boyfriend, grinning when Childe pays him no mind. He kicks at the puddle, splashing at Childe’s jeans, turning and quickly taking off.
“Hey! Albie,” Childe yells after the blonde, tuning to chase after him and promptly falling right on his ass in the puddle.
The blonde breaks into a fit of giggles. “You dumbass,” He snickers, crossing his arms as he watches from just a few steps away.
Childe sputters momentarily, and lets out an offended gasp.
“Albie,” He whines. “You’re so mean to me.” His bottom lip sticks out in a pout.
After just a second of reveling in the incredible victory he has secured, Albedo steps towards back into Childe’s space. “C’mon,” He says, holding a hand out to his boy. “Get out of the puddle.”
Childe looks up at his boyfriend, seemingly pondering something.
Suddenly Albedo feels a wave of regret shoot through him as he spots a look in his sweetheart's eyes that screams danger, but before Albedo can get away, Childe has taken the hand offered to him and tugged harshly, pulling the pretty blonde down into the puddle with him.
Albedo falls forward and before he can even blink, he finds himself sitting next to Childe in the cold muddy water.
He turns to Childe, who is smirking victoriously.
“I think we’re even now,” The ginger tells him.
Albedo blinks. “You fell on your own..”
“Maybe, but the couch incident was entirely your fault,” The taller argues.
“What couch incident?” the blonde questions, feigning ignorance.
Childe rolled his eyes. “Whatever. It’s all said and done now. It’s not time for that anyway,” he tells Albedo.
“Then what is it time for?”
“Dance with me,” Childe said.
Albedo cocked his head curiously, watching as Childe pushed himself off the ground.
Curls fell into Childe’s eyes as he leaned over to help Albedo up. Gently, Albedo brushed the curls out of the way before grabbing his lover’s hand to pull himself up. His hand is warm where it wraps around the shorter’s wrist.
“C’mon, lovely boy.” Childe pulls Albedo close, adjusting his grip on the others hand and lacing their fingers together. The ginger brings his free hand to Albedo’s waist, the pretty alchemist following his lead and bringing his hand to rest on Childe’s shoulder.
Finally situated, they begin to sway together. For a brief moment, Childe is reminded of a middle school dance he went to. He had danced with a boy in a similar position and he remembers so vividly how dreadful it was. About half way through the song, he had gotten so bored that he had resolved to step on his dancing partner's foot just so things could be a bit more interesting. The best part of it was that it had all happened before he transitioned so the boy just sort of let it happen because he didn’t want to argue with a girl. Suffice to say Childe never cared to learn how to slow dance, hence the swaying.
That didn’t seem to matter to either boy, though, as they simply basked in the padding of the rain and the warmth of their partner. They didn’t need to know any of that to have fun and be close like this, so it was ultimately irrelevant.
Childe smiles as he feels Albedo’s head rest on his shoulder.
“The rain is pretty,” Albedo murmurs against his neck. “I’m glad you asked to come out here together. This is nice.”
“You’re pretty,” Childe tells him. “I feel so lucky.”
Albedo pulls away just enough to give him a look of annoyance (see; poorly hidden embarrassment).
Childe laughs and leans forward to rest his forehead against Albedo’s.
“You are pretty. You make me so incredibly happy and I really don’t know what I’d do without you, my dear.”
“Or Maybe you're just gay,” Albedo mutters.
“Just for you,” Childe tells him sweetly.
He presses what was meant to be a short sweet kiss against Albedo’s lips, but when he goes to pull away, he feels the hand on his shoulder move to pull him back. Childe complies easily, savoring the feeling of his star boy's lips pressed against his own.
They stay like that for just a little while. When they finally part both are flushed a lovely pink, and Childe is grinning really stupidly.
“I love you so much,” The ginger says, and his voice sounds like honey, sweet and gooey.
“I love you too sweetheart,” Albedo replies, matching his boyfriend’s absolutely clearly entirely whipped grin without thought.
Suddenly, Childe tugs on their conjoined hands, bringing them up above their heads.
Curiously, the alchemist follows his lead. He lets out a suprised giggle when Childe spins him, and he lets himself relax in his boyfriend’s arms as he’s pulled back into the taller’s personal space.
There is something about the way that the rain patters so softly behind the gentle humming from Childe of a song he doesn’t recognize and the warmth that blooms wherever their bodies happen to collide and the firm but comforting press of a hand against the small of his back that makes everything seem so magical.
His boyfriend seemed to glow in the rain, in his arms and he couldn’t help but admire how beautiful it all was.
For a moment, Albedo finds himself uncertain. It’s not often he feels lost like this. Usually, there are clues that lead to a conclusion, solid unwavering facts that he can use to conduct an experiment and thus gain a clearer understanding, but he is fairly certain the scientific method won’t explain his feelings.
Regardless, he can’t help but wonder if he would choose to stay here like this forever when given the choice.
Albedo shakes his head dispelling the thoughts. None of that was important now. However fleeting, this moment will be one he will cherish, he is sure. There is no way he‘ll let himself wonder about such things when he can instead focus on the pretty boy pressed against him.
The pair clumsily dance across their front lawn, laughing and talking to each other about pointless stuff, like Childe’s ballet phase in elementary and their favorite Bill Nye episodes.
As the night carries on, exhaustion begins to set in their bones. It’s not long before they both decide to head inside and warm up.
Childe lets Albedo shower first so he has time to make himself hot cocoa and brew a cup of coffee for his boyfriend.
In just a few minutes, said boyfriend stumbles out of the bathroom, lightly hitting Childe on the way to the couch.
“Hurry and shower so we can cuddle,” He grumbles. “And don’t take thirty minutes in there or I’ll castrate you. I want my boyfriend as soon as possible.”
“I’ll try my best,” Childe replies, walking over to the living room and gently setting Albedo’s coffee on the side table.
“You better do more than just try,” Albedo threatens, taking the cup and blowing at the steam rising from the mug. “You promised we’d get cozy and warm as soon as we were done, so don’t make me wait.”
“Of course, dear,” the ginger agrees easily. He leans down to press a light kiss to his boyfriend’s forehead.
In the end, Childe stays true to his word and only takes about seven minutes. Deciding to skip his skincare routine for the night, he returns to his hot chocolate and boyfriend as soon as he gets his pants on.
Albedo blinks up at him groggily as he sets his mug down to sit.
“Ajax,” Albedo murmurs, reaching out to him. “Come cuddle.”
Childe hums, grabbing his favorite blanket off the arm of the sofa and finally cuddling up to his pretty boy.
“We shouldn’t sleep here,” Albedo says quietly after the shuffling stops and they’ve both gotten comfy.
“Probably not,” Childe agrees.
Despite both boys vocally acknowledging the fact, neither move. Instead, Childe pulls the blonde closer, and Albedo lets his slip shut.
It’s not long before the sound of the rain and the warmth they share lulls them both to sleep.
And the next morning, when they both wake up with a crick in their neck, neither one can bring themself to regret it because they know that regardless of what happens next, they will always have that moment with each other and that’s enough.