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The sun rarely broke through the clouds in Snezhnaya.
Even in the warmer months, where the temperature hovered right at freezing and the snows oftentimes thinned enough for sparse crops to grow, the sun remained an ever illusive celestial body, nigh constantly obscured by a dark array of clouds. That particular summer, the sun never seemed to quite manage to break its way through the sky's icy canopy, leaving Snezhnaya in a perpetual state of twilight. Childe frowned as he counted out his earnings once more, a hefty sum of money for a job well done in Fontaine, and more than adequate to provide for his family back in Morepesok, but not quite enough to provide for the entire region in light of the recent famine. What rations the Tsaritsa had sent to the region had ultimately been deemed inadequate for the population, but Childe knew better than to continue to beg the Cryo Archon for further aide, remembering well her deadpan stare as she once more reminded him that there was an entire army that relied on what supplies they still yet held.
Not for the first time since the embargo on trade with Snezhnaya had begun, Childe cursed Rex Lapis' name and hurled myriad curses towards the former Archon through a mock act of prayer, unaware of whether or not his words ever reached his former beloved. Childe knew naught what had transpired between the Archons, nor what further contingencies the Tsaritsa had planned in order to solve the looming crisis, but ultimately he had faith in her ability to guide them. Still, a part of himself ached at the realization that Zhongli, who knew much about the suffering of humanity in spite of not being a part of it, purposely and knowingly made the decision to cut contact and trade with Snezhnaya in spite of the immense suffering it would bring upon the nation's population.
Another part of himself, one more familiar with the true nature of Archons, wondered why it surprised him at all. For if Zhongli could profess his love for Childe one moment, betray him in the next, seem perplexed as to why Childe angrily refused his company, and then proceed to refuse any semblance of acknowledgment or apology on the basis of not understanding the nuances of human emotion, than Morax's decision to cease providing Snezhnaya with aid seemed in line with the former Geo Archon's motives. Childe was not born to Liyue, after all, and neither were those who suffered from Zhongli's decisions. Of course to the former Archon, such matters would, in fact, matter very little.
As Childe finished the last of his paperwork and recused himself from his quarters, he delivered the envelope meant for his family to the postman and hurriedly made for the training yard. The seldom few passerby Fatuus who he encountered all bowed their heads in respect as he passed, a familiar sight that still settled strangely over Childe, as he exited the confines of the palace and stepped out into the brisk Snezhnayan air. Unlike the other years, frost clung to the soles of his boots as he traversed over the stone pathways, his destination only a short trek away. With every step, his anger seemingly amplified. Anger at his former lover for his callousness, delusion, and selfishness, and anger at himself for ever allowing the former Archon to lay a hand on him. Childe hated him, hated how much sway he possessed in spite of his lack of title, but still he felt some semblance of satisfaction in knowing that the people of Liyue knew his true identity now. It was the only matter of revenge that Childe could commit, and it didn't alleviate his people's suffering, but it made the bitterness a hair easier to swallow.
Childe's eyes searched the training yard as the sound of heavy footfall echoed throughout the area's expanse, followed in short order by the sound of a sword whistling through the air. Power thrummed throughout the atmosphere, enough to make the hair on Childe's neck stand on end as curiosity chipped away at the rage that coursed through his veins. A few more steps forward, just around one of the yard's stone pillars, Il Capitano's frigid blade sliced through conjurations of ice, non-living beings that the First Harbinger conjured and subsequently cut down. Childe's breath hitched in his throat as chills racked his lithe frame, his eyes trained firmly on his superior as Capitano ripped his cloak off of himself and allowed it to catch on another conjured being, effectively reducing it into little more than a coat hanger. Fixated, Childe held his breath as Capitano effortlessly slammed his boot through one of the more menacing illusory beasts before rending another with the immensely sharp point of sword.
The slightest of movements, Childe's foot crunched slightly over snow, and Il Capitano whipped his helmet clad head towards him, the weight of his gaze felt if not seen. Childe scrambled for air, the chills that nipped at his skin intensifying, as the hair that stood on end on his body rose with a ferocity that it had not before. The First extended his sword arm and blade outward, the breeze causing his illustrious black tresses to billow in the wind, as snow kissed the pitch blackness of his armor. Illusory creatures fell around him, leaving naught but ice crystals in their wake, as the howling wind absconded with what remained of the beings and whisked them away in the breeze. Childe swallowed harshly, aware that he was staring and yet too frozen to utter out a singular word, before he forced his feet forward and tentatively reached outward to lift the First's hefty cloak from the frozen soil. When he arose once more, Capitano merely continued to observe him, unmoving, as Childe hesitantly walked around the other Harbinger and draped the cloak on a nearby half wall composed of frost kissed stone.
"Tartaglia," Capitano called, the bass notes of his voice causing Childe to shudder as he turned to face the First once more. "What brings you here?"
"I was going to do some training," Childe managed to get out, the atmosphere around them heavy with something inexplicable, charged with peculiar energy that Childe knew naught how to name nor rationalize. "I didn't mean to disturb you, sir."
"Raise your blades then," Capitano demanded, his words further stealing the air from Childe's lungs, as his gaze searched the void within the other's helm for some semblance of explanation, not that he expected to find any. Childe's heart skipped a beat. "Do not do yourself the disservice of summoning forth a bow. I do not intend to end this more quickly than what is absolutely necessary."
"Ouch," Childe laughed, fighting off another violent shudder, as he hastily stepped away from the half wall and did as he was instructed, summoning forth two blades of pulsating Hydro energy that cracked the slightest bit with the pulsations of Electro. Capitano let out a low hum, a nigh droning noise that sent Childe's oddly frayed instincts on edge, whilst the First used his blade to swipe at the air around them before pointing the end at Childe. "I've been waiting for this day for years, you know?"
"Is that so?" Capitano inquired, his stance shifting, whilst Childe hurriedly raised his blades. "Then do not disappoint me, Eleventh."
Childe smiled so wildly that his lips, chapped by the bitter frost, bled at the ends.
Capitano was on him in an instant, moving at inhuman speeds with enough strength that Childe's arms ached from the very moment that their blades crossed. Adrenaline coursed through Childe's veins instantaneously, a familiar feeling that fed the call of the Abyss that echoed within him, but Childe had nary an instant to dwell on the euphoric sensation as Capitano continued his relentless assault. Childe blocked what blows that he could, Capitano's sword a mere extension of himself that he wielded with deadly accuracy and enough strength that the very ground beneath their feet quaked. Childe cursed as his head hastily flopped to the side, barely avoiding the sharpened point of Capitano's blade as it pierced through the air with a deafening scream. Childe had never heard a weapon make such a sound but found himself unable to contemplate it as he attempted to avoid another flurry of blows only for the Captain's boot to collide painfully with his stomach.
Childe coughed as he was sent flying backward, his back slamming into the half wall behind them as the air was ripped from his lungs, but he forced himself upright as Capitano surged forward like a predator following its intended prey. With a sound of pure frustration at not seeing a single opening, Childe rolled to the side, dissolving his weapons as he summoned forth a familiar bow only for the Captain's claw-like gauntlet to seize his wrist, inhumanly fast.
"I expressly told you not to attempt that," Capitano growled, and something inside of Childe that he'd rather not dwell on preened at the sound.
"Sorry, Lord Captain." Childe croaked out, his cheeks dusted a vibrant hue of vermilion, not from exertion, as Capitano released his wrist and motioned for Childe to ready himself once more. Childe wasted no time, in spite of his embarrassment, as he summoned forth his blades once more and held them out defensively just in time for Capitano's sword to collide painfully with them.
Yet, it was within that singular moment that Childe saw an opportunity and seized it. Using the Captain's momentum and greater weight against him, Childe pivoted, dodging the falling blade as he surged forward, his blade poised for the taller man's neck, only for Capitano to reach upward and summon forth a pillar of blackened ice that blocked his blow. Childe blinked, awestruck, before his raised hairs prickled and Capitano loomed over him, behind him, whilst the First whispered into his ear.
"Better."
Childe shivered, a smile on his lips, formed from unabashed pride, as the Captain bestowed upon him his first ever compliment.
"I'm just getting started," Childe promised him, feeling the call of the Abyss respond to the adrenaline in his veins, whilst the beginnings of his Foul Legacy transformation began to formulate. Then abruptly, it halted. A heavy gauntlet clad hand rested firmly on the back of his neck and time around them seemingly froze. Childe blinked at the snow around them, dangling in the air, unmoving.
"Well done, Tartaglia. That is quite enough." Capitano breathed out, and it was only then that Childe noticed the absolute and total silence that had enveloped them. "We will continue this another time."
"Lord Captain, I-" Childe started the moment that the snow began to fall once more, his head hurriedly turning to the side as the weight at his nape disappeared, only to find himself alone amidst the training yard. With widened eyes he searched his surroundings only to find them empty with no footprints other than his own in the snow. The Captain's cloak, too, was gone.
Childe let out a shuddered breath, wincing at the pain in his back, before he tucked his smile into the warm fabric of his carmine colored scarf and let his weapons fizzle away into nothingness underneath the Snezhnayan snow.
-
That night, Childe dreamed of being hunted.
His feet hurriedly carried him throughout a not so foreign land, one where stars hung ever present in the night sky and every sound could alert a predator. Never in the months of inhabiting the Abyss, in spite of all the horrors that he encountered and witnessed, did such unabashed terror grip him. Childe tried in vain to wake himself from the nightmare, repeating phrases in his head, lucid and aware of his state of unconsciousness, but ultimately unable to do anything about it.
A yelp escaped him as something coiled around his ankle and yanked him downward, something strong enough to seize him whilst he donned his Foul Legacy, and effortlessly sent him careening towards the shallow, still waters underneath him. Childe flinched as darkened smoke enveloped him, writhing and undulating in ways that alluded to the unnerving fact that it was, in fact, alive. Without warning, his hold on the Foul Legacy shattered and the strength that he possessed left him at the same time that his breath did. Childe desperately repeated wake up to himself internally as he weakly struggled against the smoke that rose and formed on his chest, bearing down on him as it formed a vaguely humanoid shape and loomed over him. Childe winced as it leaned downward, let out an entirely inhuman trill, and enveloped him completely.
With panicked eyes and panting heavily, Childe awakened, sitting upright in his sweat soaked bed as ragged breaths left his painfully chapped lips. He panted as he ran a hand through his dampened hair, attempting to shake off the last remnants of the horrible dream, as his eyes frantically searched the darkness of his bedroom. He froze as his eyes landed on a darkened form, looming in the corner of his bedroom and far darker than the other shadows that were still yet cast in the darkness. With a shaking hand, Childe reached outward, flicked on the lantern beside his bed, and stared in disbelief at the empty corner before he laid back down and pulled the blankets over his head in search once more of peaceful sleep.
When a weight once more bared down on his nape, the phantom of another's touch, Childe refused to open his eyes.
-
"Is something troubling you?" Pulcinella inquired as he glanced upward from a file that he held within his hands, his gaze searching from behind the rim of his glasses, as Childe huffed out a sigh and propped his head up on his palm.
"I didn't sleep well," Childe admitted with a slight yawn, frowning in a way that Pulcinella often scolded him for, saying it made him look well and truly like a petulant child.
"Perhaps you might eat something then retire for the day," Pulcinella suggested as he sat the file aside and offered him a kind smile. "I know that matters in Morepesok have weighed heavily on your mind, but your family remains hale and hearty, Childe. Be grateful that you are in a position to provide for them."
"I am grateful," Childe scoffed with an annoyed roll of his eyes, halfhearted as it was. Pulcinella merely continued to smile. "It's complicated, gramps. You should know that by now."
"I believe that I do," Pulcinella concurred with an inclination of his head before the sound of thick, iron doors swinging open sounded throughout the room and Pulcinella slightly bowed his head. "Lord Captain, how is your day fairing?"
Childe quickly removed his head from his hands and he, too, dipped it into a low bow of respect and greeting.
"Rather well, all things considered. The Tsaritsa has informed me that there are plans in motion for seizing the final Gnosis from the Pyro Archon, but these matters will take some time to be resolved." Capitano explained as he pulled out a chair, one directly beside Childe, and with more grace than a man of his stature and power should possess, gracefully took a seat. "In the interim, I deemed it wise to familiarize myself more with the personal goals and motivations of our fellow Harbingers. After all, in the pursuit of the Tsaritsa's goal, so might we too find our own reasons and desires for existing."
"After the Tsaritsa is victorious, I intend to assist in establishing a new order of things before taking my leave. At this age, retirement sounds all the more appealing." Pulcinella chuckled as he laced his hands together, his gold gilded rings dazzling in the firelight. Childe huffed out a breath of air, noticing that ice particles danced in the atmosphere in spite of the roaring flames in the hearth, but whether Pulcinella noticed that, or the terseness that now existed in the room, Childe could not say for certain. "Perhaps I might retire to where our dear Tartaglia hails from, Morepesok. His darling family are close friends of mine, and his younger siblings are very much the grandchildren that I never imagined for myself. As is he, in spite of his whinging."
"Pulcinella," Childe hissed as warmth flooded his cheeks, his eyes narrowed as they were trained on the Fifth's amused expression.
"Morepesok?" Capitano repeated, seemingly unphased by Childe's outcry, although the latter sensed the heavy gaze that lingered on his periphery. "I cannot say that I have had the pleasure of visiting that region. Perhaps in this downtime, whilst the others continue to make their preparations, we might pay it a visit."
"Oh?" Pulcinella asked with a perfectly raised brow, light glinting off of his glasses, as Childe froze entirely, suffocating on the heavy atmosphere. "What do you say, Childe? It has been quite some time since you last visited your former home."
Fuck.
"It would be my honor to show you around, Lord Captain." Childe answered truthfully in spite of the lack of oxygen in his lungs. He swallowed uncomfortably as he turned his tired gaze towards the First, his eyes raking over the void that existed within the confines of his helm, before a violent shudder rippled throughout his being. Childe inwardly cursed, curling in closer to the heavy fabric of his cloak, whilst Pulcinella merely bellowed out a laugh.
"Very well then, shall we request leave?" Pulcinella proposed with a perfectly raised silver brow.
"No need, I shall see to the matter myself." Capitano announced before abruptly standing, causing both other Harbingers to once more bow their heads in respect. Time seemingly came to a halt once more, the flames in the hearth frozen, as Childe watched with wild eyes as Capitano's shadow danced and morphed from humanoid into something monstrous, writhing. Childe gasped as dark smoke fluttered up from the First's shadow, wrapping itself around his ankle, pulling. Then, without warning, the crackling of the fire returned and the Captain's shadow was once more his own, with the only sound in the room the filing of papers as Pulcinella undoubtedly returned to his work.
Childe listened for the First's footfall as the Captain made for the door, pausing momentarily, before speaking once more.
"Have a pleasant evening, Pulcinella." A pause, one in which Childe tried desperately to still his rabbit fast heart rate. "And sleep well tonight, Childe."
When the thick iron doors closed once more, Childe breathed in a stuttered breath and slowly raised his gaze, only to find Pulcinella's amused expression as the man smirked at him before letting out a chuckle.
"Don't," Childe warned him, although his voice lacked any malice and rather bordered on exhaustion as he rested his head in his hands. "Just don't."
Pulcinella laughed once more.
-
"Lord Captain," Childe greeted with a bow before rising, staring upward at the dark expanse in Capitano's helm as several Fatui prepared for their departure. "Have you seen Pulcinella this morning? He was supposed to be here at dawn."
"Pulcinella will not be joining us," Capitano announced, his words met with a tilt of Childe's head. "The Tsaritsa has requested his presence for finalization of several bills and negotiation tactics in order to reestablish trade connections with Liyue. The matter is rather urgent, as you must surely know. Pulcinella does ask that you relay his well wishes to your kin."
"I see," Childe mused as he pursed his lips, his throat suddenly dry as Capitano observed him for a few beats of silence before the First motioned for the men around them to hasten their preparations. Childe chewed on his bottom lip as he approached his white steed, a horse gifted to the Tsaritsa herself by a foreign diplomat from Mondstadt prior to the inaction of her carefully laid plans. Childe mounted the steed effortlessly, his crimson scarf tucked securely around his neck, as Capitano gracefully mounted the solid black horse that towered over Childe's own mount. The Fatui who had packed their rations and belongings on the back of the horses quickly bowed as they backed away, leaving nothing in the way of their departure as Capitano dug his heels into the side of his steed and motioned for Childe to follow after him. Childe did so a moment later, sparing one last glance at the magnificent palace behind them, before the white horse hurriedly carried him to where Capitano awaited him past the thick iron gates.
"It's been sometime since I have last ridden a horse," Capitano admittedly, his deep voice thundering over the sound of hooves as the horses crunched over the permafrost laden trail. Whilst Childe took note of the wild look in the black steed's eyes, the fear, he did his best to push it out of his mind, blaming it on the bizarre twilight that hung in the air.
"Be careful, Lord Captain." Childe laughed instead, a smile tugging on his lips as his cheeks warmed in spite of the chilly air that nipped at his pale skin as they rode onwards. "Don't bite your tongue."
"That is a non-issue for me, Tartaglia." Capitano assured him with what sounded suspiciously close to a laugh of his own, a sound that warmed Childe's cheeks further, as he smiled wider and ushered his steed to follow after the dark horse that carried the First Harbinger away from the grand seat of the Tsaritsa and out further into the frozen wild.
-
"Here's as good a place as any," Childe said as they slowed their pace in time with the rapidly setting sun. Frost clung to his hair and lashes, his horse's and his own breaths coming out in hot tufts against the cold air, as they approached a small inn and tavern on the outskirts of a small village deep within Snezhnaya's pine forests. "Before we enter, should we change clothes into something less conspicuous? It might be unwise for us to be out in the open with public outcry over the embargo at an all time high."
"There is no need for that," Capitano informed him as he adjusted himself in the saddle, slowing his horse's pace to match Childe's own. "Should any issues arise, I shall handle the matter personally."
"There is no need for that, Lord Captain." Childe replied quickly, embarrassment staining his cheeks red, as the Captain let out a deep bellowed laugh. Childe's face flushed darker at the sound.
"Come, let us settle down for the evening." Capitano instructed him, veering off the trail and towards the stable outside the inn. Childe followed after him silently, leading his horse into the opposing stall from the First's own steed, before he quickly fell into step beside the first before they both entered the tavern.
In spite of its remote location, the inn was bustling with patronage. Men and women eager, and perhaps relieved, to find food at long last lined the tables, bar, and halls as quiet conversations melded together to create a cacophony of voices, drowning out the sound of the door as they entered. Although, Childe realized a moment later, the sound of their entry and their attire was not the only thing that would give away their identity and position. Something heavy saturated the air the very moment that they crossed the threshold, silencing the entire building as Capitano took a decisive step forward, looming far above the check in counter and the trembling middle aged woman who worked it, and politely requested a room for the night.
Childe let out a breath he had been unaware that he was holding in as the sound of quiet murmurs returned in full swing before the intensity of the conversations began once more in earnest. When Capitano returned with a singular key in hand, Childe bit down the fresh surge of panic that plagued him and pocketed it, following after the First as he easily traversed the bar, patrons eager to get out of his way as he walked towards an open spot at the bar counter.
"Go ahead," Capitano said as he pulled out the only remaining bar stool and stepped to the side, offering it to Childe, who furiously shook his head.
"Oh, I couldn't, sir. I insist that you take it, Lord Captain. It would be improper for me to-" Childe cut himself off, noting the strange way Capitano's stance changed and his shadow flickered against the lacquered wooden floor before he nodded once and hesitantly perched himself on the offered seat. Not even a second later, Capitano moved to stand behind him, effectively shielding him from the crowded bar as he flagged down the barkeep and ordered a round of drinks. Childe remained silent, his ears trained on the conversations that happened around him, all of which paled in comparison to the near deafening beating of his heart as it rang in his ears.
"What's on your mind?" Capitano's low timber brought him out of his stupor. Blinking, Childe stared downward at the dark red glass of wine that was laid out before him before he lifted it to his lips, took a measured sip from the glass, and turned to face the First.
"To be completely honest," Childe started before he chewed on his bottom lip, contemplating how to put his woes into words, before he ultimately sighed and bowed his head. "I'm not sure what's wrong with me. Recently, I've been having strange dreams, and I keep...zoning out, for lack of a better word. I think that I'm just tired. Now that the business in Fontaine is behind us, I should theoretically be resting, but with everything that happened with the Tsaritsa and Morax when I was away...I...."
"Revealing his identity to his people and upending his ploy was a spectacular move," Capitano interjected, his words causing Childe's eyes to widen in awe as he glanced upward at the darkness that obscured the other man's visage. "Well played, in fact. Since you have forced his hand, and by extension, laid bare the ruin he has caused all for the sake of sating his own desires, his people are uneasy. This matter is compounded by the embargo that he issued and his own egotistical ideals that led us to this situation, but it would appear as if your actions have also forced him to return to the bargaining table. His people have been critical of his actions, especially in the wake of you revealing his involvement with La Signora and Her Majesty."
"I'm surprised that the people in Liyue care about what happens here in Snezhnaya," Childe muttered out before he frowned at his own words. "No, wait a second. That's not true. The people of Liyue were surprisingly kind to me, even when I was walking the streets not attempting to hide my identity in the slightest. It makes sense that they'd be concerned about the well being of the common folk because...well, because that's just how they are there. Even if I left a bad taste in their mouths, they'd still want to help the people in Snezhnaya if it meant preventing unnecessary suffering."
"A conclusion will be reached in short order, of that much I can assure you. Her Majesty seems hopeful for the outcome," Capitano answered with a nod as he reached around Childe, his frigid armor and equally cool leather sleeves brushing past Childe's own, somehow imbibing them with an even more bone chilling sensation, before he raised his mug and examined it.
"Are you...going to drink that?" Childe asked before he sipped his own wine, using the rim of the glass to obscure the furious blush on his cheeks and his own rising curiosity at the prospect of seeing the First do something as simple as drink.
"I was planning on it," Capitano replied, raising the glass to his helm, before the liquid slowly and steadily vanished. Childe looked away abruptly, a chill wracking his body as he contemplated how the Captain had been able to perform such a task without bearing some aspect of his face. When the mug was returned to the countertop with a quiet thud, Childe used the momentary silence to polish off his own drink before he slid his glass beside the Captain's own. "Are you hungry?"
"I ate earlier," Childe hummed as he rolled his shoulders slightly, attempting to dislodge the uneasy tension that was built into them as he felt Capitano's gaze linger once more on the back of his neck, causing his hair to stand on end. "Are you?"
"No," Capitano responded simply, his voice a tad gruffer than usual, before he abruptly stalked across the room. Childe whipped his head around fast enough for it to hurt, shooting pain working its way down his spine, as the patrons of the bar seemingly came to a standstill and Capitano came to a halt behind a pudgy looking man with a disgusted snarl on his face. Childe blinked in confusion, watching on silently as Capitano gripped the man by the shoulders, lifted him from his seat, and devoured his being with a set of elongated jaws that protruded around the outlining of his helm.
Childe gasped, sliding off the stool and knocking over the beer of the man next to him, as he lost his footing and collapsed into something solid and unyielding. Arms circled him, lifting him effortlessly back to his feet, as Capitano peered downward at him with his head cocked to the side as if he was attempting to access Childe's state of being. With frantic eyes, Childe searched the crowded room, ignoring the scowling man next to him whose beer he spilled, as his eyes searched for any trace of the stout man whom he had seen just a moment prior. In the man's place sat a woman well into her years, laughing over something that another woman said to her as she laid down a handful of cards before raising her glass in cheers. Childe swallowed hard.
"You must be exhausted," Capitano's deep voice reverberated in his ears, earning his attention as the hands around his waist, large enough to meet on either end of his torso, tightened reassuringly. Childe shivered from the contact, his cheeks stained a vibrant shade of pinkish red, as he desperately blinked away the horrid images that flooded him and instead focused on the man whom he had idolized from the very moment that he had arrived at the Tsaritsa's seat of divine rule. "We've a long journey ahead of us tomorrow, and you are due for some rest."
"What about you?" Childe asked, unsure and suddenly terrified at the prospect of being left alone in a foreign place when his mind had begun to play tricks on him. As if sensing his distress, the hands around him tightened once more.
"I will keep watch," Capitano informed him, angling his head downward to give Childe a better view at the sheer darkness that hung between the metalwork of his helm. Nothing, Childe realized, inside his helm was pure nothing. "It is unlikely that anyone would take action against us, but as promised, I will personally see to the matter if such a situation arises."
"I..." Childe started only to bite his tongue, realizing his own foolishness before he allowed himself to embarrass himself any further. Fear had no place in the life of a Fatui Harbinger, and to express something so vulnerable in front of his idol was paramount to social and hierarchical suicide. Childe had entered the Abyss at fourteen and lived to tell the tale, a simple hallucination and an uncomfortable nightmare would not undo all of his efforts. "I understand, Lord Captain. You have my thanks for the drink, and I look forward to continuing our leave. I hope that my homeland is to your liking."
"I am certain that I will enjoy myself," Capitano responded with a nod before he slowly released Childe's waist, leaving behind a coldness that seemed to sink further into Childe's skin in spite of the warmth that radiated in the inn from a mix of fires, ovens, and the body heat of its patrons. "Good night, Childe. May you rest well."
"Good night, sir." Childe returned as he bowed his head before he clumsily retreated towards his temporary chambers.
When all was said and done, and he was buried beneath the covers, Childe did something he seldom did before he closed his eyes to sleep.
He prayed.
-
"Lord Captain," Childe started as he pushed his horse to keep up with the others, biting back his exhaustion as the cold wind lapped at his raw, reddened cheeks. "Before we arrive, I need to ask something of you."
"Yes?" Capitano answered, turning his head slightly to the side to indicate that he was listening as Childe took in a deep breath.
"I am going to change attire because...my younger siblings don't know what I actually do for a living. They think that I'm a toy salesman," Childe explained with a small shrug of his shoulders, averting his gaze to avoid the shame that burned at his cheeks. "They're kids, ya know? They don't need to know about the true nature of this world, and I think it's important that someone tries to preserve the innocence that they have for as long as they have it."
"I understand," Capitano answered with a curt nod, his tone oddly thoughtful, fond. "How might you explain my presence then?"
"About that..." Childe laughed awkwardly, raising a hand from the reins to scratch at the back of his auburn colored locks. "If they ask, I'll say that I was donating gifts to the children in the capital and you were ordered to investigate the situation in Morepesok. We met by chance and I offered to be your tour guide. A mere toy's salesman would pose no threat to the First Harbinger, Il Capitano, after all."
"That is hardly believable, but perhaps to a child...it is enough." Capitano mused, amusement barely concealed in his voice, which only caused Childe's cheeks to flush further. "Fret not, Childe. I will uphold my end of this arrangement."
"Thank you, sir." Childe whispered, his voice nearly drowned out by the wind, as something warm settled in his chest and ebbed away at the unease and the cold.
-
"Big brother!"
Childe's smile widened as he hopped off his horse and threw open his arms, kneeling down to swiftly embrace his younger siblings as they all but flung themselves into his embrace. Childe laughed as they nearly knocked him over, Tonia, Teucer, and Anthon all giggling as they gripped onto him, giggling excitedly.
"Where's mom and dad?" Childe asked in spite of the aching in his chest as he peered into the hearth lit house that had, at a time, been his home.
"They're in the kitchen," Tonia answered as he slowly released them. Childe nodded, breathing a sigh of relief, as he noticed that, in spite of everything that had transpired, they had not grown the slightest bit thinner since he had last seen them.
Behind where he was knelt, the sound of heavy boots hitting the frozen grass echoed slightly around them as Capitano undoubtedly dismounted from his mount. Abruptly, Tonia yelped, pushing Anthon and Teucer, who had fallen oddly silent, into the house before she crashed into Childe's chest.
"Big b-brother," Tonia muttered out, all the while clinging desperately to Childe's cloak and trembling within his sturdy grasp. Childe frowned at the sensation, his brow furrowed, as his younger sister looked upward at him with widened and panicked eyes. "W-Why is there a....m-monster following you?"
"Monster?" Childe repeated, his brow furrowed further, as he turned his head to the side to observe his companion where he stood some odd feet behind him. "Oh, that's not a monster, Tonia. That's my...colleague, Capitano. Be nice."
"I've heard much about you during our travels," Capitano called out to Tonia, who merely continued to cower in Childe's arms in spite of his vain attempts at consoling her.
"Please," Tonia cried, shaking violently in his arms. "Tell him to leave."
"Tonia," Childe hissed, pulling his sister backward so that he could observe the tears that formed in her eyes and slid down her puffy cheeks. "It's armor, he's a Lord Harbinger sent by the Tsaritsa herself to make sure that everyone is getting enough to eat in spite of the bad harvest. I promise you, he's not going to hurt you or anyone else. Would I ever lie to you?"
Yes.
"What is all of this commotion?" Came a gruff call, one that churned Childe's stomach, as he wiped Tonia's tears away and hurriedly raised to his feet in time to see his father as he entered the front door's frame. His father, an aged man with greying hair and wrinkles set into his skin, frowned as their eyes locked onto one another. "I was not aware that you'd be...visiting."
Childe breathed in through gritted teeth as dread pooled in his stomach.
"Is...now not a good time?" Childe asked, and for a moment, he was Ajax once more. The same Ajax who his father looked at with disdain, who called him a liar after he returned from the Abyss, who sent him away.
"No," his father answered with a stern expression, crossing his arms as he looked downward to Tonia and nodded for her to enter the house once more.
"It's...all right, Tonia." Childe bit out, forcing an uneasy smile onto his lips, as his sister looked to him, their father, and then hurriedly entered the house, shutting the door behind her as their father stepped onto the porch. "Has...the money been helpful?"
"It puts food on the table," his father answered with a curt nod, his hardened gaze making Childe, Ajax, feel horribly small. "A real shame that it cannot give your mother back her son."
Childe winced at his words, his hands subconsciously forming into fists, but as he forced his mouth to move in an attempt to form words, a gauntlet clad hand landed firmly on his shoulders, silencing him.
"If the issue is our late, unannounced, arrival, and you and your wife need adequate time to prepare, then might I propose a solution?" Capitano spoke, and once more, time seemed to screech to a halt around them. Childe studied his father's expression as it slowly, too slowly turned from irate anger into genuine, unbridled horror. Childe shivered, the hand on his shoulder tightening, as Capitano came to a halt directly behind him, looming over him as even the wind halted. "You permit the children to leave with your son for the neighboring inn in the village, and I will personally see to it that no harm befalls them. We will have them returned to your doorstep by dusk tomorrow evening. Seeing as there are no classes scheduled for them in the morning, I believe this to be the most...amenable solution."
The wind howled and Childe flinched, watching as his father sputtered for a moment, horror in his eyes, before he faintly whispered.
"Sundown tomorrow," his father spoke, swallowing harshly as his eyes rapidly darted between Childe and Capitano. "No later than that, and you..." his father locked eyes with Childe, a panicked plea written into his grim expression, "don't let them out of your sight."
"You know that I'd never let anything happen to them," Childe mumbled in response as his father quickly darted back inside the house and promptly slammed the door. Childe blinked away the remaining unease as he turned his head to glance over his shoulder, his eyes falling on Capitano, who stood unmoving behind him, his hand still firmly rooted in place. "Thank you...Capitano."
"Think nothing of it," the First responded, his hand momentarily tightening on Childe's shoulder, before he released him and retreated down the stairs, leaving Childe alone on the porch to await his siblings' emergence.
-
"Ajax," Teucer said as he Childe tucked his younger siblings into the large bed at the center of their bedroom at a local inn. Tonia fussed with her hair whilst Anthon quickly dove underneath the covers, giggling about something that Childe hadn't quite picked up on, his attention focused on the other.
"What is it?" Childe asked, beaming downward at his younger brother as he smoothed over the thick blankets, ensuring that Teucer was snug and secure within the soft fabric.
"That man...the Lord Harbinger, is he a monster?" Teucer asked, his voice trembling, as Childe blinked slowly in confusion before letting out a quiet laugh.
"No, Teucer. He isn't, he's actually really nice," Childe half lied, a smile working its way onto his lips as Tonia sat on the edge of the bed and eyeballed her brothers with skepticism. "He's always treated me with the utmost kindness and respect, actually. I know that it's important to be wary of strangers, and I know that he can be rather intimidating, but he's not a monster. I promise."
"You really don't see it, do you?" Tonia asked, her brow furrowed, as Childe looked upwards at his sister and the smile slowly slid off of his lips, giving way to a frown.
"See what?" He asked, studying her expression for any sort of explanation, but Tonia seemed reluctantly to offer him any. She merely slid underneath the covers, turned down the lamp, and flipped on her side as if she was already ready for a long night's rest. "Tonia...."
"Good night, everyone." Tonia replied, silencing any further conversation, as Childe frowned, kissed his sibling's foreheads, and quietly left the room.
His mind raced as he entered the hallway where Capitano stood, an unmoving sentinel, one whose frame dwarfed even the door frame, one not designed for someone of his stature in mind. Capitano offered him a curt nod by the way of greeting as Childe walked forward, placed his back on the opposing wall, and looked upward at the man whom had seemingly frightened every other living soul that they had encountered throughout their journey. Childe studied him for a moment, the piercing darkness that shrouded his features, the rise and fall of his chest, the poise and confidence that radiated off of him in tandem with the overwhelming sense of sheer power that oozed from every ounce of his being. Childe understood the intimidation factor of it all, for he himself had been equal parts amazed and terrified of his superior when he had first encountered him, all those years ago. Yet, now, when Childe truly looked at him, he saw the man whom he respected and idolized, who had accompanied him on the long voyage to Morepesok, and who had offered him protection and coaxed his stubborn father into allowing Childe to abscond with his siblings, if even for a singular night.
Il Capitano was no monster, Childe knew, but why no one else could perceive that, he found himself unable to say.
Perhaps because you, too, are a monster, unmade by the Abyss.
Childe shook his head at the thought.
"Is everything all right, Childe? You have been staring at me for the past three minutes without so much as saying a single word." Capitano's deep bass filled voice cut through the silence with ease, a hot knife that split open the atmosphere, somehow cutting the tension between them but also leaving something else in its wake, a void that Childe didn't even know where to begin to fill.
"Can I...ask you something, sir?" Childe questioned before he chewed on his bottom lip, nervousness washing over him the longer that Capitano remained silent, but when the First nodded in confirmation, Childe swallowed his discomfort and forced the words past his chapped lips. "Why did you decide to accompany me on this journey?"
"There are things that are difficult for me to put into words, if even there are any." Capitano admitted, his voice gruff in a way that sounded beyond tired, teetering on the cusp of exhaustion. Childe wondered when the last time he rested properly was and found himself unable to recall ever seeing the man so much as lie down. His heart sank woefully at the realization as the silence once more stretched on for a beat too long before the First cleared his throat. "For me, and I am aware that what I am about to say is incredibly self centered, but I suppose that I realized how unfairly that I have acted towards you, Tartaglia."
"Unfair?" Childe asked, his brow furrowed, as Capitano once more sighed and tilted his head upwards towards the candlelit lanterns that hung overhead.
"When people often look at me, it is with unspoken respect and fear in their eyes, seldom times, if ever, has anyone dared to defy that observation. Yet, from the very first time that you arrived at the capital, you have always looked at me with something else entirely, adoration. It unnerved me to some degree, to think that someone would ever dare to look at me with anything beyond that which I expected to receive, and perhaps due to this, I found myself distancing myself from you at every opportunity. The notion that one day our blades might cross and you would, undoubtedly, look at me with fear was a reality that I found myself unprepared to face." Capitano explained, his voice distant, as Childe's eyes widened and a small smile upturned the corners of his lips.
"But...that's not what happened," Childe reiterated, his smile growing when Capitano let out a huff of a laugh.
"No, it didn't." Capitano concurred as he lowered his head, meeting Childe's gaze, unseen but felt. "I think that you said it best yourself prior to our arrival in Morepesok. In spite of all that you have been deprived of in your short life, I bore witness to a small spark of life in your eyes and I simply wished to preserve that. It was a desire born of my own selfishness and not out of concern for your well being, but I...merely wanted to continue to see that light in your eyes when you looked at me. You have my utmost apology for my selfishness."
"I'm the one who should be apologizing," Childe said through his smile as he took a tentative step forward. "Maybe it's not my fault, but I...find it rather sad that someone as incredible as you, Captain, believes that you are unworthy of adoration and praise, that you should know only other people's respect and their fear. You don't have to explain anything else, I know that our circumstances are vastly different, but I, too, understand what it's like to undergo a massive shift due to things beyond your control. The Abyss...it has a way of doing that to people, taking things away from them, and giving them things that they never asked for nor deserved. I'm only sorry that you...have never been told that properly before. You didn't deserve what happened to you, no more than I did."
Time once more screeched to a halt, the candlelight that illuminated the hallway of the inn freezing in place, as Childe watched on with a small smile as Capitano's shadow twisted, morphed, and writhed. This time, when the tendrils coiled around his ankles, Childe brushed away the unease that he felt and offered the other man the most genuine and heartfelt of smiles.
"You need some rest, Capitano. There's a couch big enough for you to lie down on," Childe said as he made for the door to their rented room, surprised when Capitano silently and obediently followed after him. His siblings laid asleep in the bed, snoring softly, their silhouettes illuminated by the lantern light and the fire from the hearth, as Childe led Capitano to the couch and motioned for it with a sweeping of his arm. "Go ahead, I'm going to wait up for a while."
"Your...kindness is lost on me, Childe." Capitano admitted at last, his voice a deep hushed whisper so as to not disturb the others. "I...cannot sleep due to my...affliction."
"Oh," Childe mumbled out, his smile dissolving, as he turned to face the First and felt his own shoulders sag. "Well, maybe you could...lie down anyway? You must be exhausted, sir."
"I am...quite exhausted," Capitano replied slowly, his admittance causing Childe's frown to deepen as his eyes drifted to where their shadows intermingled across the wooden floor. "Might I...ask something of you?"
"Anything, yeah." Childe confirmed as he raised his gaze, oceanic tides melding into the inky blackness that he had come to find comfort in in recent times.
"I am asking this not as your superior officer," Capitano clarified, his words surprising Childe, who merely nodded for him to continue with anticipation thrumming in his chest. "But would you mind...sitting with me while I rested?"
Childe let out a shuddered breath before he himself felt it, a spark of light returning to his eyes, as he resolutely nodded his head before approaching the couch. Without waiting, he removed his plain traveling cloak, devoid of the Fatui imagery, and draped it over the coffee table before he sat on the edge of the sofa. Capitano watched him silently, as if he was suddenly unsure with what to do with himself, a notion that made a smile once more grow on Childe's lips.
"I am not requesting this as...well, a Harbinger," Childe clarified, his voice a hushed whisper in case his siblings heard him, before he patted the empty space beside him. "But you could...rest your head in my lap, if you'd like?"
A lengthy pause fell over the room, the crackling from the fire ceased and the sound of snoring halted, before Capitano took a decisive step forward and slowly lowered himself onto the couch. Childe let out a small exhale as Capitano lowered himself downward, his head pausing for a moment, before it settled over Childe's thighs.
"Are you...certain that this is all right?" Capitano asked, his words met with another small smile from the Eleventh, as Childe hummed and tentatively reached outward to smooth over the impossibly soft dark tresses of hair that cascaded around his legs.
"Try not to think about anything, just...focus on this," Childe suggested as he continued to tangle his fingers in the other man's lengthy hair, his smile growing when an entirely inhuman hum tore through Capitano's being and forced a shiver out of the First. Childe felt his cheeks dust pink as he continued the ministrations, humming a soft lullaby that his mother used to sing to him, one that he himself had quietly hummed aloud in the deepest recesses of the Abyss in spite of Skirk's myriad warnings about how sound attracted predators. Here, it made no difference, not when Childe's most precious people slept so soundly in their beds, and not when Capitano laid against him, leaning into his every touch as the crackling of the fire returned in time with the crescendo of his song.
-
"Capitano?" Childe whispered out softly as the firelight dwindled, long after the peculiar and inhuman sounds that the Captain occasionally emitted had ceased.
When Childe received no response, he smiled and allowed his own eyes to close, drifting off into dreamless sleep.
-
When dawn broke, Childe was awakened by the feeling of something heavy being draped over him, something familiar in its texture, but something that did not smell of his own expensive cologne. Childe creaked open a bleary eye, a small smile working its way on his lips, as Capitano finished draping his cloak over him, leaned downward and whispered into his ear with frigid breath, colder than the Snezhnayan winter winds.
"You have my profound gratitude, Childe."
Childe shivered in spite of himself, his cheeks rapidly warming, as Capitano slowly leaned away from him, but not before gently placing a hand on Childe's mess of auburn hair.
"Rest, and I will return in short order with food for you and your kin."
Without hesitation, Childe buried his face in the soft fur of Capitano's cloak and allowed the smell of nightshade to lure him back to sleep.
-
"So," Childe started as he and Tonia separated slightly from the others, walking the streets of the coastal town that he had frequented in his youth. "Do you want to explain what you meant last night?"
"I don't know how else to say this, but Ajax..." Tonia paused, chewing on her bottom lip for a moment, before she turned to look upward at him. "When you aren't looking...it's like...there's a mass of smoke that looks like a monster coming out from behind him. It...goes away every time that you turn around, or if he's in your field of vision, but I've...never seen anything like it before."
"Tonia," Childe sighed softly as he lead her past the bakery where Capitano, Teucer, and Anthon had stopped, the two children pointing eagerly at the baked goods in the display window as Capitano muttered something about price gouging in spite of the issued state of emergency pertaining to food costs in relation to the embargo.
"He...seems to care about you a lot," Tonia mused as she offered her brother a wry smile. "Are you...sure that you just met?"
"It's...complicated," Childe settled on saying, guilt weighing down on him as his sister took one final look at him, hummed, and continued to walk ahead. "When you're older, I'll explain everything, all right? Just...know that everything that I'm doing now is to make sure that you and the others are safe and taken care of. You guys are the reason that I...."
"I know that," Tonia answered with a small, more genuine smile, cast over her shoulder as Capitano begrudgingly ushered the boys into the shop behind them. "Just...whatever it is that you're doing, and whoever or whatever that man truly is, just promise me something, all right?"
Childe nodded as she turned around once more, her eyes sparkling with life and light, something that caused Childe's own eyes to sting in the corners. Childe's heart hammered in his chest, beating painfully as a part of himself mourned what he had lost, whilst another, more responsible part of himself, beamed with pride knowing that his sacrifices contributed some small part in allowing her to remain so innocent and carefree in her youth.
"You'll keep yourself safe and visit us more often?" Tonia proposed, earning a genuine laugh for her efforts as Childe sniffled and opened his arms, which she eagerly stepped into as she tossed her arms around him and returned his hug.
"Yeah, I can do that. It's a promise."
-
"You have my utmost thanks for allowing us to spend time with the children during our stay," Capitano said with a polite nod directed towards Childe's parents, the First's voice far too measured and kind to be anything but a false display of gratitude, all the while Childe bid his siblings farewell. "Do send word to your neighbors and extended kin that relief efforts will be increased to this region until the matter of the embargo is resolved. I will also personally see to it that inspectors visit the shops in the region and ensure that they are acting in compliance with the laws and mandates ordered by Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa."
"Thank you, Lord Harbinger." Childe's mother droned, as if possessed by something, a notion which forced a shiver down Childe's spine as he kissed the top of his younger siblings heads and promised to send them the latest toys as soon as he procured them. In spite of Tonia sparing him an accusatory glance for his words, she said nothing more of it, for which Childe was grateful.
"Take care of each other," Childe said towards his parents, a familiar sting settling in his chest as his mother avoided looking at him and his father only offered him a curt nod in acknowledgement. Yet, there was little time to dwell on the sadness that he felt as Capitano swiftly returned with their horses after freeing them from their hitching post. It was not even a moment later that they had mounted their steads and disappeared over the horizon. As Childe pulled free his Harbinger cloak and draped it over his shoulders in place of the plain one he had donned in front of his siblings, Capitano slowed his horse to ride in sync with his own.
"Thank you for showing me your homeland," Capitano said, his voice cutting through the brisk evening air as the dark gray clouds overhead, in a rare display for that year, broke at last and gave way to a spectacular view of the setting sun.
"No, thank you," Childe returned as he breathed in the brisk air of his home, dug his heels into the side of his horse in order to increase its pace, and tilted his head towards the warmth of the sun. "For everything."
-
The remainder of their journey to the capital passed by in an uninteresting blur, the only moments that Childe found himself treasuring were the ones where they finally laid down their wary heads for the night, Childe's against a pillows, with Capitano's resting against his torso as if he wished to capture the sound of his rabbit fast heartbeat and commit it to memory forevermore.
Childe would hum him a lullaby, thread his lithe fingers through his dark hair, and join him in oftentimes dreamless sleep.
On the sole occasion that he found himself the prey in the Abyss once more, Childe closed his eyes, outstretched his arms, and embraced the mass of shadow as it slowly pulled him to the sodden earth and embraced him as if it were afraid to let him go.
-
"Well, if it isn't my darling Childe. Oh, and hello to you as well, Lord Captain. What an honor it is," Pulcinella mused as Childe and the Captain entered the common room shared amongst the highest ranking of the Fatui. Childe smiled as he approached the elder man, excitedly plopping down onto the sofa beside him as he recounted the tales of their visit in Morepesok and the state that his family was in. Pulcinella listened intently whilst the First gracefully lowered himself to an armchair across the small stone coffee table, his black attire backlit by the light from the roaring hearth.
"How did the bill finalization and the negotiations go?" Childe asked when he was finished, watching on with confusion as Pulcinella's brow furrowed and he cocked his head to the side.
"I did not partake in any negotiations during your absence," Pulcinella answered, his gaze flitting from Childe to the First, before something else flicked on Pulcinella's face, something that Childe was now all too keenly aware of. Fear.
Childe sighed as he rose from his seat, crossing his arms as he stalked around the small coffee table, before he peered downward at Capitano, who merely looked up at him silently but intently.
"Stop doing that," Childe told him, an ounce of amusement in his voice as Capitano, too, slowly turned his head to the side as if he was unsure what Childe was referring to. "Pulcinella, did this guy lie and order you to stay behind to work on paperwork?"
"Tartaglia," Pulcinella hissed, using his title in a way that he never did, as sheer panic seeped into his voice. "To speak ill of the Lord Captain is paramount to disrespecting the Tsaritsa herself. You know better than this. I have taught you better than this!"
"It's quite alright," Capitano chuckled, his deep bass filled voice pleasantly echoing throughout the room as Pulcinella rapidly stilled and turned his head further to observe them both. "Yes, I admit that I asked Pulcinella to stay behind in order to spend time accessing you and your motivations. You have my most sincere apology, Tartaglia."
"It's...fine," Childe sighed softly, before a small smile once more played on his lips, before morphing into a full blown grin. Pulcinella merely offered him a raised brow over the rim of his reading glasses whilst Capitano radiated an air of smugness that was perceivable in spite of his lack of expression. "Thank you, both of you."
With a spring in his step, Childe exited the common room in search of his own chambers, all too keenly aware of the way that Capitano's shadows danced in his absence and silenced whatever words Pulcinella had tried to say prior to his departure.
-
"It occurred to me earlier this evening that you never answered my query, the one that I posed prior to our departure for Morepesok." Capitano spoke, his deep voice rumbling pleasantly against Childe's chest, as the latter carded his fingers through the now familiar dark tresses that the other man possessed. "When all is said and done, and our collective goals are realized, what will you do?"
"I haven't given it much thought, honestly." Childe admitted as he ceased his humming, turning his head to the side in time to witness Capitano's arm rise to snake around his torso, holding him tightly in the same manner that the predator in the Abyss did, cradling him as if he was something precious, something worth holding on to. Childe felt his heartbeat quicken further, and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Capitano heard it, too. "I want to continue to fight and to provide for my family. The Tsaritsa put a lot of faith in me, even when I didn't believe that I was someone worthy of her praise, so I wish to repay that debt tenfold. There's also the matter of the Abyss and finding out the truth behind everything. Also, I....suppose that I would like to...spend more nights...like this."
"Is that so?" Capitano asked, a hint of amusement in his voice, intermingled with nothing short of fondness. Childe smiled downward at him before hesitantly reaching out to drape his arm over the larger man's, relishing in the way that the Captain's defined arms squeezed him tighter in response.
"What about you?" Childe questioned, his hand stilling in the Captain's hair, as the First sighed and further buried his face in Childe's chest. Yet, when he spoke, his voice remained clear as day, not all muffled by the fabric that he pressed himself against.
"I, too, would like to spend more nights like this. As for everything else, there is something that I must do first, something that I cannot specify. I...ask now for your blessing and for your forgiveness, but know that I...I will return with the Pyro Archon's Gnosis. It may take time, and you may find yourself hearing conflicting reports, but I vow to you that we will see one another again and when we do...perhaps then I can allow myself to be more forthcoming with my answer." Capitano explained, his words causing a pang of momentary fear to pulsate throughout Childe, before it was swiftly replaced with shock as Capitano abruptly loomed over him, his helm mere centimeters away from Childe's face.
"Then...go with my blessing, for what it is worth." Childe answered, breathless, as he stared into the void that he knew stared back at him, exuding such profound warmth in spite of the frigidness of its existence. "You promise that you'll come back?"
"I do, you have my word." Capitano confirmed, lowering his head further until the cool metalwork of his helmet pressed against the warm skin of Childe's forehead. "Would that I could feel your lips against my own...."
"It's all right," Childe consoled him, his heart skipping several beats, as he raised his arms and dragged the Captain's body flush against his own. Capitano braced himself to alleviate some of his weight whilst Childe guided the First's head to the crook of his neck, tangled his hands further into his hair, and pressed his lips against the cold metal of Capitano's helm. Capitano shuddered against him, an inhuman purr coursing through him, as Childe continued to place kiss after kiss on the frigid gold that framed the devoid face of the man whom he not only idolized, but was also beginning to well and truly love. "Whenever you return...I'll be here."
Childe smiled then as darkened shadows arose, nestled around their joined bodies, and soothed even the weariest parts of his soul. For Capitano's heartfelt answer, for the mere chance at a glimpse through the window of his soul, Childe would wait patiently, even if it took a lifetime.