Centimeters [Childe/Tartaglia x reader]

Patience, Now (one-shot)

Word Count: 2394
Uses she/her pronouns

Winter was a beautiful thing; the snow everywhere, the cold colors complimenting one another, and, of course, Christmas time. Everyone in Liyue was starting to put up decorations and signs in their shops and homes, everyone except you and Childe. You weren't originally from Teyvat, but instead from another world entirely, and Childe... well, he didn't feel like he was in the Christmas spirit since he was apart from his beloved family.

You and the fatui harbinger were probably the only people in all of Teyvat that weren't in the Christmas spirit... aside from a handful of people. And since you two didn't have any special holiday plans, you two decided to just hang out and train to keep warm... er, more like YOU were the one struggling to keep warm. And where might you guys be training? On top of a hill, covered in snow-covered hillichurl masks and sunsettias, that sees over Liyue of course.

"C'mon, Ojou-chan...! I know you can fight better than this!" yelled Childe in a sort of encouraging tone. He cupped his hands around his lips to make sure his voice traveled to the other side of the hilltop.

"Ergh... I'm trying, Tart... I just-" the ginger had cut you off before you could breathe out another excuse.

"Excuses, comrade! Just- hah... hold on!" said Childe as he ran up to you. "Are you freezing up, girlie? Is that why you can't properly fight me?"

You looked up at him with a pout and an unamused glare.

"Sorry I'm not from Snezhblah blah blah like you are, Childe..." you grunted out, rubbing your arms together quickly to try and get some friction going to warm you up.

"It's Snezhnaya... and why didn't you pack a warm sweater or something if you knew we were coming up here?"

"I *didn't* know we were coming up here and I don't *have* any other clothes, mister..."

"Oh? Well then, here..." said Childe, taking off his fatui jacket.

"Ah-AHH WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" you exclaimed, backing away from Childe while you guarded your eyes.

"Relax, I'm wearing a second shirt under this. You didn't think I *just* wear a jacket, did you?" chuckled Childe as he attached his insignia and scarf onto his wine red shirt. He then put his usual gray jacket across your smaller frame. "There we go... that should warm you up a bit."

His jacket *did* warm you up more than your normal clothes... and they still had the lingering scent of the harbinger too...

"Hey, do you wanna-" you got cut off again, but this time it was by your growling stomach.

"... go get dinner? Was that what you were gonna ask me? Haha." chuckled Childe, albeit sounding a bit forced out, he meant what he said.

"Uh... I didn't even realize I was starving..." you mumbled out sheepishly, internally cursing yourself out for doing something so embarrassing in front of someone like Childe.

"It's alright. I'm starting to get kinda hungry too, after all, we were up here all afternoon. C'mon, let's go to Wanmin Restaurant. My treat." smiled Childe as he started to climb back down the hill.

-

After arriving at the restaurant, you and Childe were stopped by Xinagling before you could step up to Chef Mao.

"Oh! Are you two a couple?" she asked, smiling innocently at the two of you.

"C-couple...?" repeated Childe, a bit taken back by the young girl's question.

"Uh..." you mumbled out, hands starting to get clammy.

"What's being a couple have to do with eating here?" asked Childe, hand on hip.