eternal flame | tartaglia x reader

Chapter Three

When Ajax shook you awake the next morning, it's still dark outside.

"What the hell?" you asked, sitting up from your make-shift bed on the floor.

"Come on lazy, we're gonna miss it if we don't leave now!" Ajax greeted you with a grin.

You spot some dried blood on his lip and the memories of last night come flooding in. A flash of panic washed over you and you quickly stood up to inspect Ajax's condition.

"I'm fine," Ajax affirmed before you could even ask. "I can handle a couple bruises. Come on! Get dressed! We've gotta go!"

You throw on your warmest sweater and socks, before turning to help Ajax tie the laces on his boots.

"It's about time that you learn to do this on your own," you teased.

Ajax let out a whine and pouted, "I know how, you just tie so much better!"

You shrugged and slid your window open, "Where are we even going?" This wasn't the first time that Ajax has spent the night, and definitely not the first time that you've snuck out your window together, but it's definitely the earliest you've ever gone on an escapade together.

The answer becomes obvious quickly when Ajax jumped his fence and returned with an ice pick and two fishing rods.

The walk to the frozen lake isn't a long one, but you can't help but worry whenever Ajax does- well, whenever Ajax does anything. After getting a look at the multitude of bruises and injuries he's sustained, it's just about the only thing you can see when you close your eyes. Once Ajax has dug a hole through the ice you're both settled on make-shift chairs with bait on the end of your fishing rods, it's almost as if the atmosphere shifts.

"Papa takes me ice fishing sometimes," Ajax whispered.

"Does he? I didn't know that," you replied. Ajax was always quiet about this relationship with his father. Though Ajax's father is always kind when you've seen him, you rarely interact with the man for more than two minutes at a time, so it's hard to be a good judge of character.

"Yeah," Ajax exhaled. "We never come this early in the morning though. He's usually too busy sleeping off all the firewater."

You stayed silent. First you learn that Ajax is getting beaten up by all of your classmates, then you learn that his father is a drunk? Just how much has sweet, quiet, Ajax been hiding from you?

"He was an adventurer," Ajax continued. "Before I was born. Once they realized that my mother was pregnant with me, he got a job fishing here in Morepesok. I guess there weren't enough commissions for him to support four kids."

"Did he travel far?" you asked.

Though Ajax's glance was focused on the ice, you saw his eyes light up. His beautiful blue eyes, always shining with so much life. "He traveled all over Teyvat."
"That's really cool," you said, yawning and leaning over to rest your head on Ajax's shoulder.

"I'm going to become an adventurer like him," Ajax declared, and you had never heard so much resolve in his voice. It warmed the deepest parts of your heart to hear.

"You'll be the best adventurer in all of Teyvat, 'Jax," you squinted as the sunrise began to peak over the horizon on the frozen lake. You glanced up and noticed a pink dusting over Ajax's cheeks but chose not to comment on it, it was probably just the sun anyway.

The weekend comes to an end all too fast, as it always seems to. Especially after learning what your classmates have been doing, you've decided to stick to Ajax like a tongue stuck to metal in the coldest Schneznyan winters.