The Thief and the Harbingers Childe x reader x Scaramouche

Better Than Nothing

"Miss me?"

My eyes bulged out of their sockets at the sight in front of me, my heart dropping to my feet in fear.

No fucking way.

There was no fucking way that I was seeing things correctly.

The familiar ginger hair. The familiar ocean eyes.

Childe, the 11th fatui harbinger, stood tall right before my very eyes.

His expression showed joy, but I could almost feel the sinister undertones piling up beneath the surface of his pearly smile. Just waiting to poor through and let me have it.

He was dressed differently than I remembered, more casual rather than being decked out in his usual work attire. A black t-shirt hugged his body tight, showing off the muscles he worked hard to gain over the last few years, accompanied by a pair of dark jeans and dark shoes that brought out the brilliance of his eyes.

I swallowed harshly. "How did you find me?" My voice cracked as I began to take a few steps backward.

Childe gave off a sinister half smile, "you know nothing could keep me away from you," matching my backward pace with a forward one. "So, how's it been all this time? Good? Bad?"

My back hit the wall.

Childe planted his hands to the wall on either side of me. "Better without me?" His tone was playful, but full of bitterness. "Well," he laughed to himself, "it's definitely just as dangerous from what I can tell." He nodded over to the open area where the samurai had nearly caught me just a few minutes ago.

"I'm surprised your still alive," he spoke softly, looking me up and down with lidded eyes.

"Childe, please- I'm sorry-"

"Why don't you and I make a deal pretty girl?" He cut me off swiftly.

I remained silent, watching him with wide eyes and pursed lips.

"You let me stick around at your place, and I'll keep you safe from the shoguns lackeys, how 'bout it?" His tone was playful, making it hard for me to decide whether he was being serious or not with this bold request.

I stared at him with an expression of puzzlement, silence gluing my mouth shut.

Why? What did he gain by asking this of me? Was this some sort of trap to get me to stay in one place? No- to monitor me, to keep a watchful eye on me until the tsaritsa can get her hands on me.

This was most definitely a trap.

"I don't need your protection." I stated softly, keeping my eyes trained to the ground.

"You clearly do. You've grown much weaker since that day in the golden house." He spoke mischievously.

"No, Childe. I'll be just fine without your help." I stated sternly, turning my body and ducking under his arm to leave.

The warm hand of Childe gripped my forearm gently, preventing me from progressing forward.

"Why did you leave that day?" His voice sounded soft, gentle, a complete 180 from his previous tone.

Why did I leave that day?

He must've been talking about when I had escaped Scaramouche and headed for the docks out of that place.

I turned to face him, sympathy eating away at my heart from the vulnerable look on his features.

How could someone look so soft and friendly yet be capable of so much bad.