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A delighted sigh falls from Childe’s lips, and with a content purr, he buries his face further into Neuvillette’s chest. The soft fabric of the Iudex’s elegant clothing brushes pleasantly against his skin, which makes the Harbinger even more unwilling to part from his mate. There is nowhere else he’d rather be than right here, sitting across his husband’s lap and shivering in bliss while expert fingers run through his ginger hair and caress his twitching fox ears.
Usually, Childe struggles to stay in place, influenced by the abyssal taint in his blood that constantly begs him to hunt, to kill. However, Neuvillette’s presence alone is enough to quiet down those urges and to leave him feeling soothed and relaxed. A gentle warmth is spreading through his whole body, inviting the fox hybrid to close his eyes and enjoy some well-earned rest.
Still, even though the Iudex’s embrace rivals with the comfiest of nests, Childe makes an effort to stay awake, all because of the delicious scents his hypersensitive nose is currently picking up. Just a few rooms over, Zhongli is busy preparing one of his favorite Liyuean meals, all to help him feel better after a rough day of work, and Childe refuses to let his efforts go to waste, no matter how tempting a nap feels right now.
It never fails to amaze him, how willing his husbands are to take care of him whenever he comes back home a bloody and trembling mess. During the first months of their relationship, he anxiously kept waiting for the time when they would get tired of picking up the pieces of someone broken like him, when they would eventually realize he was nothing but a hindrance, or even worse, a monster unworthy of any love, like so many people claimed.
Of course, that moment never came. It took a while, but ultimately, Childe understood that his dragon husbands had no intentions of abandoning him. That, if they had their wish, they would spend the entirety of their immortal lives by his side. That they would always be there to comfort and distract him from whatever dark thoughts the Abyss might be stirring up within his mind.
Today has been no different. Neuvillette and Zhongli have kept true to their unspoken promises by tending to him as soon as he showed up on the doorstep of their shared home in a somewhat sorry state. It wasn’t as bad as it had once been, back when he would return to them on the brink of unconsciousness more often than not, but even so, they still rushed to him with obvious worry in their eyes and covered him in reassuring words before guiding him to the bathroom so they could help him clean his wounds and wash the scent of blood away.
Now, the pitiful shape he came back in is nothing more than a bad, rapidly fading memory. His injuries have all been carefully dressed and he is wearing the comfiest set of pajamas he owns. Every time Neuvillette pets the top of his head in a gentle motion, Childe’s fluffy tail waggles lazily, a clear sign of how happy and safe he feels while in his mate’s arms.
Whenever he shows any signs of distress, his husbands always pay extra attention to his fox ears and get him into a relaxed state by slowly massaging their base. That is because the best way to soothe a dragon is by stroking their horns, as Zhongli once explained to Childe, and since the fox hybrid doesn’t have any, his mates instinctively direct their care to what appears the most similar to it.
Not that Childe minds in the slightest, with how effective their method has proven to be. Nothing makes him feel quite as loved as their tender ministrations, and the knowledge that these two incredibly powerful men treat him like they would another dragon, like an equal, always has his heart missing a beat. With how many times he has been looked down upon and called a freak in the past, even by members of his own family, being held in such high esteem by his wonderful mates shakes him to his very core.
With each passing second, he melts a bit more into Neuvillette’s embrace, but his ears perk up with interest the second he recognizes the familiar sound of Zhongli’s footsteps. When the consultant walks into the room and finds his mates cuddled up so snuggly, a fond smile lights up his face.
“Are you feeling better, baobei?”
Childe answers him with a little nod and a positive hum, still not completely out of his daze and unsure with his voice.
“That is good to hear. Dinner is almost ready, so I thought it best to come warn you. The dish I prepared will bring you greater comfort if savored warm.”
Oh, Childe is sure he will love it, the mouth-watering smell that sticks to Zhongli tells him that much. It also let him know that the consultant has cooked seafood for him, in spite of his personal distaste for it. This, along with the gentleness his mates haven’t stopped showing him since he came home, brings tears to his eyes. Spurred on by that discovery, he grabs Zhongli by the wrist and pulls him close so he can join in their hug.
“Thank you. Both of you. I… I love you so much…”
“Like we love you,” Zhongli gently murmurs.
“Yes. We will always be there for you, of that, you can be certain,” Neuvillette reaffirms.
Even though Childe has heard such words from them hundreds of times already, they never fail to hit home, because he knows his mates mean them with all their heart. And when Zhongli slips a hand through his hair and starts stroking his ears as well, a new, louder purr arises from Childe’s throat. He presses into his touch, absolutely thrilled with this turn of events.
Hopefully, the food won’t be ready just yet, because he sure could do with a few extra cuddles.