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“I thought I told you to stop doing this yourself.”
Childe tore his gaze away from where he had been picking at his fingers to lock eyes with the man next to him. Diluc was sitting legs pressed to Childes own, one hand in his lap clasped tight and the other carefully dabbing at the harbingers face with a wet cloth, Childe winced slightly at the burn of the alcohol on his wounds. “I know Luc but you know how hard that is for me, these things happen in my line of work.” He sees a flicker of discomfort flit over Dilucs face at his words before their eyes meet. “I understand that, but do you think I can’t tell when you do this on purpose? You always bite off more than you can chew and end up getting hurt.”
“I’m a perfectly capable fighter-”
“I never said you weren’t Ajax. All I’m saying is you need to be more aware of your limits.” Diluc puts the cloth down and gives Childe a quick peck on the forehead before going to grab more medical supplies. He sighed “I’m not weak, Luc I know what I can handle. So maybe this time I got a couple scrapes, nothing that’ll kill me.” Diluc shut the cabinet with a little more force than necessary. “Ajax. I don’t think you're weak, I just want you to think about your own wellbeing for once.” He sits down and softly holds Childes face in his hands, Childe can feel the gentle ridges of old burn scars. “You’re not invincible, you’re just a man. A very handsome man with a gentle heart and a love for fighting. You are also the man I love and I don’t want to see you get hurt. I’m not going to stop you from fighting, Barbatos knows that’s not possible, but I just wish you’d take more care of yourself.” Childe leans his face into Dilucs grasp, letting his eyes slip close. He brings his own hands up to enclose over the other mans, lightly stroking his thumb over the scars. Late at night when they would lay together lit by the moon outside their window, Diluc would trace all of Childes scars with his fingers. He says scars tell a story and Childe swears he can feel the history in the lines of Dilucs hands.
“I’m sorry Firefly” he sighed “It can be hard to control sometimes and I get carried away, you know that.” Childe opened his eyes and let his gaze roam his Lovers face. Dilucs face was a canvas of scars and imperfections that only served to make him more beautiful. On his left cheek was a long burn scar that stretched to his nose, he had acne scars across his cheekbones and light stubble on his chin. There were dark circles under his eyes from running the winery and looking after the assortment of children who have come to be under his care. Ajax’s favourite part of his lovers face was the two moles he has, one under his left eye and one under his lip. Dilucs eyes were downturned and his irises a beautiful deep red, he had long eyelashes and thick brows.
Childe had pierced Dilucs right ear when they were young and not once had he taken out the twin of childes own earring.
The harbinger had been temporarily assigned to Mondstadt to keep an eye on recent disturbances in the leylines near springvale. Diluc and Childe had been taking full advantage of their time together after so long apart. The two had met when Diluc ran away to Snezhnaya on a mission to avenge his fathers death, he hadn’t been prepared for the environment and was taken by Childes family. Ever since those days they had danced around each other in a deathly game of chess, never sure if the other was a friend or foe. Over the course of many years hatred turned to tolerance, tolerance to friendship, and eventually friendship to love. Now they take every chance to spend time together. They’ve shared quick kisses in passing, letters written with urgency passed under the guise of trade negotiation, fingers intertwined under tables, and whispered confessions in the dead of night. A love born from blood, hatred, and fear that has since grown into respect and reverence.
Childe felt more than heard Dilucs sigh as the tension released from his hands. “Alright” he spoke softly “How about we spar more often then, at least then I don’t have to worry about you getting killed.” It was said with a joking tone but they both knew receiving a letter telling of Tartaglia’s passing wasn’t unlikely, and it hung over their heads often. Childe forced out a laugh “Of course Luc, you know I’d never say no to fighting the great darknight hero, bane of Snezhnaya.” He gave a light squeeze to his lovers hands as he stood. “It’s gotten late and I’m thinking it might be time for me to sleep, come with me?” Diluc took his outstretched hand and stood with him, leading Childe to their room in a relaxed silence. Extra clothing is shed and salves are applied to old wounds. They sit on the bed, Dilucs back facing Childe. He gently rakes his hand through the mans hair, not once in all the time they had been familiar had he seen Diluc cut his hair save for the front, it was long and soft and the most ethereal blood red he had ever seen. It stood out against the stark white snowy landscape of his home, staining the freshly fallen snow and leaving a mark on his own heart. Childe had grown up braiding his sisters hair, he had found it relaxing and an excellent way to calm shaking hands, so it had become a routine for him to braid Dilucs hair. As he gently carded through each section he would hum a lullaby he used to sing whenever his siblings could not sleep. To him this melody meant safety, and there was nowhere he felt safer than in his own bed,with his Lover beside him.
He finishes the braid and leaves a chaste kiss on the crown of Dilucs head. The two lay in bed, bodies entangled, simply sitting in the other presence. Here in the dark of their room they were safe, they were not a Harbinger and a Hero, they were simply two souls coming to lie next to one another. They had chosen each other despite their histories and if you asked them? They chose right.