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Your fingers cascade across his arms, his skin is soft and fair, you breathe in the morning ocean breeze coming from the window he left cracked last night. It hits you then, this is the first night you've spent with someone outside of fellow harbingers and agents.
You're not alone anymore, you remember repeating to yourself last night, trying to fall asleep in his warmth. It's so unfamiliar, but it's something you're willing to get used to. You'd do anything for the pretty boy sleeping next to you. Hell, you'd even quit your job for him if that's what he wanted. But he doesn't, he doesn't need you to do anything for him, except to maybe be more careful. You can't remember the last time someone wanted so little from you. Not even any of your girlfriends you had in your teen years wanted less from you than he does.
His laugh melts your entire soul, and you can't describe how beautiful he is. Even though he's "sick and frail", you remember him telling you last night, deliriously, he's still beautiful. You learned so much about him last night, and you want to know even more.
You've been talking off and on for a while, you kept getting hurt on your trip to Liyue, which led to many visits to his pharmacy, you became well acquainted with all of those trips, through small talk, to conversations, to small flirting, if you can call it that. He lectures you every time you come in, you just listen to his voice.
During a particular battle with the traveler, you got hurt extremely badly. After you nearly flooded the entire city, you still came to him. He helped you, despite officials telling him not to because you were a criminal. You still don't understand why he decided to. He kept you hospitalised in his pharmacy for the whole day, until you absolutely had to leave to get back to Signora. You almost got on the boat back home, but out of a last minute impulsive decision, you didn't. You stayed here, feeling like you had unfinished business.
You came back to his pharmacy, and right then and there, in front of all the people in the waiting room, you asked him on a date for that night. You don't know why, it was so stupid, but he still accepted it.
You took him to Xinyue Kiosk, paying them a few million mora to give you a last minute reservation. He laughed when you told him that. You remember him telling you, in a previous conversation on the exam table, that he had never been there because of how busy he was all the time. You made sure to let him order whatever he wanted, and whenever he argued that he would pay for his portion, you wouldn't let him.
You had a few drinks, he smoked. You vaguely remember stumbling out of there, probably a few hours after getting there, going back to his house. You can't remember what happened after that, a blank in your memory, and then you barely remember a small portion of the conversation you had after that blank, sat up on his pillows in his bed, and then you fell asleep. And that's how you ended up here.
Your head is pounding. You probably had more than just "a few" drinks last night.
You feel him sit up, and you immediately latch onto him.
"Childe, dear, I have work today." The words roll off his tongue, he looks down at you with those eyes and it makes you flush. But you want him to stay. You need him to stay with you, just for a bit longer, before you have to sail back to Snezhnaya the next morning, and go back to your boring life, and pretend none of this ever happened.
"Can't you just take off work, just for today? Please?" You beg, the words are so selfish, but you need him here, maybe just to convince you that maybe, his feelings are mutual, and it wasn't just a drunken hookup you two had.
He brings his hand to your hair, playing with a few messy strands. He looks down at you and smiles gently, then breathes out.
"I suppose, I can."
You tell him thank you, he says it's no big deal. He gets up, and starts making tea for the both of you. He even starts a batch of cookies for you, at your request. You just watch him. Him and his beauty, swaying around the kitchen. You finally get motivation to get out of bed as the tea is done. You come behind him and wrap your arms around him, digging your face into his neck.
"My head hurts." You barely mutter.
"Well, you had quite a few drinks last night." He laughs, "Once you eat something, I'll give you some medicine."
"You remember last night?" You ask him, unwrapping your arms from around him to grab your tea.
"Bits and pieces. Not all of it." He says, looking at you.
"Sorry if I was being an idiot. I get like that when I'm drunk."
"You weren't," his hand grabs your’s, forcing you to look at him. "You were beautiful, in fact."
His hand barely ghosts over your cheek. His eyes meet your's, and your breath hitches.
"Can I?" He asks. You immediately nod in response.
He puts his hand on your cheek and kisses you, it's so tender and quick, but he kisses you.
"Are you — are you high? Did you smoke or something this morning?" You ask, you still feel like you can't believe that for once, somebody actually likes you. Wants you. Just as much as you want them.
"Dear, I only smoke on occasion or when I'm ill. All of me is here right now," he smiles warmly. "Was that okay?"
You breathe a sigh of relief, you nod. "Kiss me again, then." You plead.
"Well, as you wish." He guides you so your back against the counter, just so you're more comfortable. You giggle when his hair gets in the way, and move it out of his face.
After a few tender kisses, he immediately laughs. "Our tea is going to get cold."
"One more kiss." You say it so casually, like you've known him forever, not just a few weeks.
"Of course." He smiles, gently connecting you two for a moment. After, you walk around the counter. You sit on one of his chairs, he follows, after sliding your cup across.
You two talk, you joke, you tell each other stories. He tells you about how he started the pharmacy, how he met that sweet, little coconut milk obsessed girl.
You stay in conversation long after you finish your tea, the small oven makes a ding sound, and he gets up and opens it, grabbing the plate and giving them all to you. You offer him to have some, but he refuses, he tells you he doesn't like sweets. You take note of that.
His cookies are the best you've ever had, almost beating grandmama's cookies. You tell him about your family and he just smiles, watching you stuff cookies into your mouth while talking about your little siblings. He has this aura to him that just makes you happy, makes you want to tell him everything.
Later in the evening, after a day full of conversations, you two are sitting on the balcony of Bubu Pharmacy, looking out at the water.
"I forgot to mention, I have to leave tomorrow morning." You say.
"Thats okay," He says, and it almost sounds a little painful, maybe, just maybe, he doesn't want you to leave as much as you don't want to leave. "We can stay in contact, can't we?"
"Yeah," you breathe in. "Just send letters to Zapolarny Palace. Address them to me, I’ll get them."
"Okay, good." He smiles fondly. "I really want to stay in contact with you. I really like you, Childe. I think we have something between us that works."
Your face flushes and you can't help but laugh as you look away, flustered like you're back in middle school and your crush just told you they liked you. "Thanks. I really like you too, Baizhu." You smile.
"Hey." He says, you look at him, and he immediately cups your cheek, you lean into it. He kisses you. It feels like you've known this for so long, but not at all at the same time. It's a feeling that's indescribable. You like it, though.
You two break apart, and immediately look at the sunset in front of you. He grabs your hand and you watch it together, and as the sun goes down, you repeat to yourself in your head, you're not alone anymore, for the first time in your life, you have something that you might be able to keep.