𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒆 𝑿 𝒁𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊 𝑶𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒔!

𝐄𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫

Hii if you read this before 12/28/21 then reread it because i added almost 1000 words and changed the ending so yep! im actually happy with this ending :)

———

It was years ago. Childe was only nine at the time. He was living in his small home with his parents and siblings. It was a humble abode, warm and somewhat secluded by the woods. It was always snowy in Snezhnaya and the woods were almost completely white. It was perfect weather to go play hide and seek in the woods with his siblings.

"I'll count!" Teucer; Childe's little brother said walking over to a tree. As Teucer started to count; Childe, Tonia, and Anthon all ran through the pristine snow to find their hiding spots. As he ran, the smoke from their house's fireplace slowly disappeared and all he could see was white with spots of green from the tree's leaves. The ginger walked further from home not knowing which direction he was going. He drew farther and farther and he couldn't see anything but white. He was lost.

Many minutes passed and he could not find anything but snow and the brown of tree trunks. He was exhausted. The snow crunched under his feet as he found one of the biggest trees and sat right next to it. He was getting light-headed due to the cold, upset he was lost from his siblings, and he missed the warmth of his home. His eyes fluttered shut from exhaustion and it went black.

——

The cold white snow turned into a dark warmth. Childe was no longer left alone in the snow. He was no longer lost. It was a cave. It was quite large but dimly lit by fire. The orange hues reflected off the dark stone and the cave was quite warm. Childe layed on the ground with his head resting on somebody's lap. His eyes finally opened to reveal that he was no longer out in the cold. His hands were freezing and he could barely feel his face. The boy looked around then looked up and his eyes shot open. His blue oceanic eyes were met with gold ones.

The man was slim and tall. He had brown hair that was covered by a white hood and his arms were almost the color of stone with gold lines running through them. "You're finally awake." the man spoke. His voice was deep but rather soothing. "W-who are you?" The child said with a shaky voice. He didn't know where he was. "That matters not. What is a child like you doing out in the cold? I found you lying under a tree in the snow so I brought you here." He smiled a warm smile and let Childe sit up on his own. "I was playing hide and seek with my siblings but I got lost." Tears welled in his eyes and he brought both of his hands to his face.

"What is your name?" The man said removing one of Childe's hands from his face. "I usually go by Childe or Tartaglia but my real name is Ajax." The boy said wiping his tears from his eyes. "Mmm, I see. Ajax, have you ever heard of Liyue?" The brunette said.

It was almost two hours of talking between Childe and the man. He would tell stories and Childe would listen. They were fascinating stories of Rex Lapis, Morax, The god of contracts. Childe would tell stories of his family and what he would want to do when he grows up. "I want to be strong and protect the people I care about!" He announced putting a hand on his chest. The brunette smiled and stared into those beautiful blue eyes. It wasn't the only day they did this. Once the brunette took Childe back home he realized that one interaction wouldn't be enough.

Months after months the brunette and Childe would sit in the warm cave and share stories and Childe would bring little pastries that his mom would make. The time they spent together was peaceful and comforting. It was a place where Childe could get away from home when he got older. He would just spill his thoughts onto the brunette which in fact didn't mind one bit.

——

"Who knew arguing with your parents would be so exhausting-" Childe lead on letting out a yawn. "Well if you would like to sleep you can use my lap as a pillow." Childe laughed a little bit and layed his head on the brunette's lap. His eyes slowly closed and he drifted into a peaceful sleep. "I wish you could stay here forever." He moved a lock of orange hair from the boy's face and ran his fingers through Childe's hair.