Work Text:
The snow fell slowly, covering the cold ground. Sitting in the treehouse your father had built when you were both children, you waited for Ajax to arrive. Eventually, you spotted him. He was wearing a big coat, the hood covering his ginger locks. He looked up at the treehouse and his eyes caught yours, a smile spreading across his face.
Once Ajax had climbed up the ladder, you both sat next to each other. It was quiet for a moment, then you spoke up. “So…” You hesitated. You hadn't seen each other in three months. You didn't know what to ask him. He was a Harbinger, a murderer and yet you still hung out with him because you hoped that deep down he was still that pure little boy that wanted nothing more than to make you happy. He smiled all the time, but you knew that's not how he really felt. He just never let you in, never let you know what he really felt like.
“I missed you. Did you?” Ajax beat you to it. “I thought you'd throw yourself at me,” he confessed, seemingly a little hurt.
You turned to face him, a little taken aback. “I-I did miss you, it's just…” You trailed off, looking down at the wooden floor of the treehouse.
“It's just what?” Ajax questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. “You keep looking away. It's like you're scared of me or something.”
The accusations did nothing to ease your anxiety. The cold wasn't the only thing making you shiver. You kept imagining him covered in blood after taking someone's life. He was right, you were scared of him.
“What did I do?” Ajax's almost pitiful whine reminded you that he wasn't a murderer right now. He was just your best friend, your same best friend that would never even think of laying a hand on you.
Finally, you turned and met his gaze. His deep blue eyes were still as dark as ever. He had lost the sparkles years ago. “It's just…” you whimpered. “...that I heard about…”
Ajax’s eyes widened. “Oh.” He seemed to understand immediately. “You know he was a bad guy, right?” he started, his voice soft but with a hint of his signature confidence. “I would NEVER kill an innocent person.”
You held your head in your hands. “Yeah, I-I know…” you croaked out, nervously chewing on your lower lip. “It's just scary… knowing someone so close to me has… taken lives.”
Ajax didn't know how to react. Usually, the people that were scared of him were his enemies. They were the ones begging to spare their lives even though they killed his men. They were not people he had known his whole life. They were not his best friends. They were not you.
“Would you… Would you kill for me?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.
“Of course I would.” His answer was immediate as if he didn't have to think about it. “I'd do anything for you. I'd kill, I'd kidnap, I'd torture. If you ever were in danger, I'd do anything to make sure you're safe.”
You slowly looked up again. “Really?” You gulped.
Ajax's nod was immediate as well. He was dead set on making sure you didn't fear him. “I love you, okay?” He poked your head. “Get that in your head.”
A soft chuckle left your lips and he smiled. “Okay,” you agreed, nodding.
“What? You're not gonna say ‘I love you’ back?” Ajax questioned, clutching his chest in mock hurt. “You're hurting me, sweetie.”
Your heart warmed at his words. He was back to his normal self, though you weren't sure which version of him was his normal self now - your childhood friend who never failed to make you laugh or the cold-blooded murderer, the 11th Harbinger of the Fatui, Tartaglia. For your own good, you decided the first option was his normal self.
“I love you too, Ajax,” you reassured him, scooting closer and pulling his hand away from his chest. “I promise.”
The cheeky grin he gave you almost made you forget about everything that had happened ever since he fell into the abyss and came out a completely different person. Deep down, you knew your childhood friend was still in there somewhere. He had to be.