Demons in Teyvat?!

🌸 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟜 🌊

When he woke up, a light breeze blew into the house behind him. He could faintly hear Mitsuha giggling from somewhere within the cottage, and Taki's characteristic fast, rapid footsteps as he ran down the hallways. So they were both already awake? Looking down, he noticed that Y/N had draped a thick quilt over him, and he pulled it tighter around him as he stood up. Looking ahead, he noticed that overnight, it had snowed a good few inches, covering the ground in a blanket of white. It wasn't cold, though. This was nothing for him, compared to Snezhnaya.  "Ajax! Come have breakfast!" He grinned, turning around and heading into the kitchen.

"Look whose finally up," Y/N said brightly from where she sat, kneeling at the chabudai in the center of the room. Taki and Mitsuha sat at the other sides of the square table, their eyes shining as they waited for him patiently. His heart warmed. They really were kind hearted. He took a seat at the remaining side of the table. "Had a good sleep?" Y/N asked. He nodded. "Thanks," He said quietly, as he picked up the chopsticks in front of him and stabbed them into the rice bowl- a marinated soy fish Y/N had fried up that morning sat on the top, covered with fresh spring onion from the garden. It was nothing like the extravagant meals he was usually served, or the dishes he dined on at liyue pavilion- but right now, there was nothing else he wanted than this. A simple meal, surrounded by kind people, in a comfortable home with no worries at all. A normal life- something he realized he craved more than anything. He just wanted this. "If you want anymore, feel free to ask! I made extra today." Y/N gave him a closed eye smile.

Would she still look at him with such kind eyes, though? If she knew what he really was? A monster, that's what he was. A monster with a lust for blood and war, who feasted on the suffering of his enemies. Who was tainted by the abyss. A harbinger. The title was enough to send fear into the hearts of the bravest solders. Y/N stared at him worriedly. "Is something wrong? Is it the food? Oh- I thought I used too much salt in the fish! That must be it!" She clasped her head with both hands, saddening visibly. Widening his eyes, Childe shook his head rapidly. "No! No, that's not it, the food is amazing, Y/N, really." Y/N stopped, lowering her hands. "Ah... I bet you're just worried about your travels, aren't you?" She said softly. "You are leaving today, after all."

Mitsuha sat up, her chopsticks clattering on the table in front of her. She stood with her hands in fists, her hair- still messy from having just woken up- covering her face as she stared at the ground. Childe reached towards her hesitantly. "...Mitsuha? You okay?" Mitsuha trembled, sniffling softly. Before she started full on sobbing, throwing herself onto him as she continued to hiccup. Shoot. She's crying. What- what do I do?  Slowly, he raised a palm and rested it on the girls back, petting her on the head softly with his other hand. "I don't want you to go!" She wailed. "Why can't you stay?" On his other side, Taki had begun to quiver himself. Meanwhile, Y/N had made her way across the table, kneeling beside him. She placed her hand on his shoulder, gently brushing away stray tears from her brother's face.

"Hey, don't be like that, you two. We should be happy for Ajax. After all, he feels good as new- stronger than ever. It's about time he goes home. That was our deal, remember?" Taki sulked. "But..." Childe sighed. He reached forward, pausing before pulling Taki into his embrace. "Don't cry, Taki. It would make me sad too," He said with a crooked smile. "Listen, you're the little man of the family. Didn't you say you wanted to protect your sisters? You gotta be strong for me, okay? Keep them safe. Alright? Pinkie promise?" He held out his hand, extending his pinkie towards the boy. He sniffled once, before extending his own and intwining their fingers together. "Okay," He said quietly. "I'll do that." Y/N leaned on Childe's shoulder. "Ah, but you know I don't need protecting, right?" Y/N giggled. "Your big sister's a lot stronger than you think!" She tackled her siblings, and soon the room dissolved into laughter, any tension from before disappearing as if it had never existed in the first place. "I'll make sure to pack an extra big lunch for you, Ajax. You'll need it for your travels," She nodded to herself. "Now. Time for your final dose of medicine! Aren't you excited?" Well. Excited wasn't the word he would use, he thought as he accepted the cup from her with a grimace.