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Childe just cannot take his eyes off of Neuvillette. The Iudex looks absolutely radiant, even more so than usual. The sweetest of smiles adorns his lips and his expression only grows fonder every time a Melusine walks up to them so they can wish their dragon father a happy birthday. However, it’s not only them who rejoice for the Chief Justice, but all the people of Fontaine. Whenever the Iudex goes, cheers and applause accompany him, to the point where it even makes him a bit bashful.
It warms the Harbinger’s heart, to see his mate receiving all the affection and credit he rightfully deserves, especially since Childe knows the nation of Hydro hasn’t always been this accepting of him and his daughters. He can barely imagine how Neuvillette must be feeling, to see Fontaine finally united, around the Hydro Sovereign himself no less.
However, that also means that since the beginning of the day, the Iudex has been receiving countless thoughtful gifts, and it fills the Snezhnayan with dread. What if his own present doesn’t hold up? He already struggled to come up with something meaningful that the almighty Chief Justice didn’t possess already nor could buy with his personal funds. And so, by the time they finally find themselves alone, Childe’s heart is beating like crazy in his chest from anticipation.
“So…” He awkwardly starts out, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. “I got something for you too. Here.”
With trembling fingers, he places his gift inside Neuvillette’s hand, then holds his breath as his mate examines it. Apprehension seizes him when the Iudex’s eyes widen with disbelief.
“Is this…”
“My delusion, yes,” Childe confirms, his throat tight. “I know Zhongli and you don’t like the side effects it has on me, so I thought it would be my gift to you. The promise to never use it again. I… I hope it makes for a good enough present. I mean, if not, I can always try to come up with something better…”
He falls silent when Neuvillette places a tender hand over his cheek, nipping his rant in the bud.
“What present could possibly be better than the assurance of spending more years with my wonderful mate? With this perfect offering, you spare me the pain of seeing your body slowly wither away, of experiencing utter helplessness, so trust me, nothing could bring me greater joy.”
Neuvillette leans in and puts a loving kiss on Childe’s lips, showing with acts in addition to words just how much the gesture means to him. Once they part, the Snezhnayan releases a sigh, relieved to have that pressure lifted off his shoulders, and rests his chin over his mate’s shoulder. His lover gently wraps his arms around him and they stay like this for a little while, comfortably pressed against one another, until Childe calms down enough to speak again.
“We should go meet with Zhongli, now. He has put a lot of effort into his gift too, so we shouldn’t keep him waiting.”
Gifts, plural, would be more accurate, but Childe doesn’t want to spoil the surprise for Neuvillette. Ever since Zhongli learned of their mate’s birthday date, he started gathering every single trinket he thought the Hydro Sovereign would like – all paid off with Childe’s savings, of course. He is certain Zhongli must have become a prized customer of all of Fontaine’s merchants, with all the presents he has accumulated. The final product makes for a true dragon hoard, so he knows for a fact that Neuvillette is going to love it.
However, that only makes up for half of Zhongli’s gift, and Childe cannot wait to see Neuvillette’s reaction once he sees the second part. After all, you can hardly come up with a more unconventional present than a whole family of blue otters.
Childe came across the little critters a few days ago, while on a mission for the Fatui. He easily defeated the poachers who were keeping them caged and took the otters back to Fontaine, where they belonged. And since Zhongli and him knew of Neuvillette’s love for the cute animals, they figured that he would enjoy being there for their release into the wild, but also that he could provide helpful advice on how to do it.
Still, despite his involvement in this, Childe considers that one gift to be Zhongli’s rather than his, because it is the consultant who has been taking care of the otters ever since he came back with them. From what the Harbinger has gathered, this proved to be quite exhausting, as the otters are energetic and hard to contain, now that they have ample space to move around. And that’s without mentioning how Zhongli had no choice but to fight his aversion to seafood each time they begged for a meal. But he stepped in regardless, knowing that Childe’s current Harbinger duties left him too busy to deal with it himself. He sure is thankful to have such an understanding partner.
“Alright, let’s go meet with him,” Neuvillette agrees. “I cannot wait to see what he has prepared.
“You won’t be disappointed, trust me!” Childe replies with a grin, unable to hide how impatient he is himself.
After all, his mate isn’t the only one getting gifts today, because seeing his eyes light up with happiness is the greatest present Childe could ever dream of.
Only one thing can and will make this even better: to share this joy with Zhongli.
Oh, he is certain they will have the most delightful time watching Neuvillette become more and more amazed with each gift.
And if at one point, they make Neuvillette so utterly happy that it starts raining upon Fontaine, just like on the day all three of them got together… Well, that will count as one of Childe’s grandest victories.