Expecting

Surprise

The aroma of food wafted through

A particular scent of chicken, sizzling on the stove deeper within the home that made its way to the front door

To which Lemon was standing, putting aside their shoes and coat on the rack near the door way

The door quietly shutting on its own

Childe must have not heard his lover come in, because his usual greeting went un-said

That's when lemon felt a mischievous idea grow in their head

Carefully making their way further towards the kitchen, passing portraits that told a story

A story of their love

A family that they could call their own

A happy ending for them, at least that's what they had always intended it to be

Soon lemon crept into the room behind chide, making food like the male wife he is

Childe's berry scented shampoo was all lemon could think of

The same kind they used, that put a smile on their face

Their hands swiftly grab his waist, catching the other off guard

"A- Lemon!! Hey now, put me down" childe's chuckle echoing

"The chickens gonna burn, c'mon Love" lemon begrudgingly puts him down

Setting aside the pan. They leaned against one another, childe's back against the counter

Cupping lemons face

"Don't look at me like that, after all, you came home and I'm here, isn't that all u need?"

Lemon couldn't argue with that

They sat down to eat, Childe started talking to his love about his day and lemon did as well

All was the same old news, signora being bitch and lemon working at the dilf factory, they had a new shipment of dilfs disappear, when lemon asked their co-worker, Grey, seemed like it just a mystery

Childe grabbed a pair of chopsticks, piercing his chicken like a fork

"Honey, u don't have to-"

"No no, I got this" Childe said back, reassuring his girl boss

He promptly dropped the chicken on the floor

They laughed at everything, even the mildest talk seemed like the moments shared the most

"I love you, my girl boss"

"And I love you, my male wife"

There was a ring on the door bell

Childe looked at lemon, they hadn't been expecting a guest

lemon got up to see who was disturbing their time

Childe's eyes following them

Once at the door, lemon opened to face an older man with dark hair with a mature demeanor, a dilf one would say

"Oh- by any chance is-"

"Zhongli-?!"

Childe had his hands on the table, pushing his chair back to set his gaze on the man

Tears forming, lemon wondered in what could have gotten their kitten so upset

"What are you doing here- I thought you died in the war?"

The war.

When lemon met Childe he was handicapped

Recovering from an injury during it, seeing him like that, made lemon want to protect him

Protect him so he wouldn't ever get hurt like that

What lemon didn't know, was those dark eyes Childe had long ago wasn't because he lost his spirit in the war, he lost the one he loved in the war

Someone who wasn't them

Childe was always secretive, he never talked much of his work, his past, his family seemed to be the only side he wasn't scared to share

At what point would that stop being enough for lemon

Childe now faced his past lover, presumed to have passed away. And his girl boss daddy. Heart aching in relief and grief

For there wasn't a home for zhongli to come home to, this wasn't his home anymore

Not for a long time

A ghost of once was remained, buried over a scar that lemon healed

But like any scar, it throbbed at the sight of its inflicter

The scar zhongli left

"Childe-? Who is he"

"Who am I? I'm his lover"

The room went silent,

What could he say, what was left to be said?

The silence irked lemon

"Childe."

"Just- give me a moment" Childe rushed towards zhongli, pushing him back outside

Lemon stood there. Wondering what they could do

They felt their heart thump, they were still alive but a part of them died seeing how tenderly Childe touched zhongli

Even if it had no meaning, it was meaningful in their head

A type of longing touch that they could never understand

Childe rushed back inside

"Let me explain-"

"So when we're u gonna tell me-"

Lemon muttered, they couldn't figure out if they had the right to be mad

This was his wifes ex lover after all

An ex lover that wasn't a break up

It was a reunion

We're sparks still there?

"I didn't think it mattered"

"Mattered? Ofc it did!-"

Stepping a back, Childe felt a rise in tears as lemon pushed away from his embrace

"I'm,, Sorry,,, i think I'm the one who needs time,, let's stay besties for now kitten, I need to sort this out"

"Lemon."

"Please"

Lemon walked out, the rain pouring

Cold, a nice feeling in their red teary eyes

Childe sat at the kitchen table, looking to the side where the chopsticks sat

He hasn't even noticed, those were the ones zhongli gave all those years ago

He really was the worst wasn't he

"I'm sorry sweetie, girlie isn't coming home today"

Rubbing his stomach

He hadn't gotten to tell Lemon the surprise