Me and Childe were best friends when we were younger.
That was until he left one day, and didn't return.
I was convinced he was safe, but my family felt bad for me and tried to hint that he wasn't alive. But for years, I didn't listen to them.
"Honey..." My mother started. "Ajax isn't coming back. You should go and make some new friends, you'll feel better."
I didn't believe her.
"I don't want new friends! He will be back soon, I just know it."
Years passed.
I was about to lose hope.
It'd been so long, and there was no sign of him anywhere.
I hadn't made any other friends, and I was outside nearly every day just to sit and wait for him.
That was until I saw him.
I was walking through the thick snow in Snezhnaya. It was freezing cold and the snowflakes almost blurred my vision.
I lifted my head up, expecting to see nothing but white all around me.
But I saw a tall man with ginger hair walking further in front of me.
'No... that can't be him...' I tried to tell myself that I was just seeing things, but something in my head was telling me that it was real.
There were a few other people around him. They seemed... bad.
To my surprise, one of them spotted me in the corner of his eye and turned around.
"Tartaglia, sir, this strange woman seems to be following us." He said, before tapping Childe on the shoulder.
'Tartaglia? That isn't his name, right?' I thought. My heart dropped.
"Hmm?"
His voice sounded so familiar. I knew it was him after hearing it. I had been waiting for this moment for ages.
Then... why did I feel so nervous?
My hands were shaking. I didn't know whether it was because of the cold or not.
Childe slowly turned around, and we made eye contact.
He let out a quiet gasp.
"Go, I'll deal with the matter myself..."
He ordered, not breaking eye contact.
Without a second thought, they all walked away.
...
"Ajax...?"
I felt my eyes fill up with tears.
He didn't move or say anything, but I could tell that he was stunned to see me.
"Y/N..."
I ran towards him as fast as I could and pulled him into a hug.
---
Ever since then, we didn't leave each other's side.
He told me everything that had gone on since he left.
I also found out that he was the 11th fatui harbinger - and everything clicked.
It had been one year since we found each other back in Snezhnaya.
Childe convinced me to come with him to Liyue a few months afterwards, on one condition - I couldn't call him Ajax in public.
---
"Wait, so who was it that you fought in the Golden House?" I asked, intrigued. We were just sat on his bed, it was the late afternoon so there wasn't a lot to do.
"A traveler from Mondstadt. It's a long story, but we're alright now!" Childe replied, laying next to me.
"And he had a floating companion thingy?"
"Yeah, that's Paimon. She's young but quite smart, honestly."
I started laughing. Childe seemed confused but laughed as well.
"Right, and who won the fight between you and the traveler?"
I already knew the answer to that question.
He jokingly glared at me.
"Ahahaha! Are you sure it wasn't Paimon who beat you?" I sarcastically added.
"Y/N, I am a fatui harbinger, I could kill you like that!" Childe smirked at me, clicking his fingers.
"Oh no!" I pouted, before laughing again. We both knew he wouldn't hurt me.
He pushed me off his bed with his foot and I hit the floor. It didn't hurt at all and was pretty funny, but I decided to pretend it did.
"Ahhh..." I groaned, holding my arm.
Childe sat up and glanced at me.
"Hah, did that hurt? I proved my point."
Holding in my laughter, I didn't respond.
He tapped me on my head.
"I was joking! Are you alright...?" Since he genuinely sounded worried, I gave the acting up.
"Got ya!" I got back on to his bed and chuckled. "You're very gullible."
"Gullible? Pft... oh, there's something on your cheek."
I rolled my eyes.
"No, there's not." I wiped my cheek and nothing came off. He was just trying to make me seem gullible.
"Yeah, there actually is. Look. There."
I wiped my cheek again. Still nothing.
"Where???"
"Ugh, just let me get it...!"
Childe moved his thumb to my face, but then quickly moved it. Before I could ask him anything, he leaned in and pressed his lips on my cheek, then instantly ran out of the room.
"Ajax!" I yelled. Luckily, we were in private, so I could call him by his real name. "I'm gonna get you back, I swear!"
