Philophobia | Tartaglia X Reader

014

The sun taunted you through the slip of the curtains, dusting your features in a not so graceful manner. Thank god it was a Saturday. With that thought in mind, you pulled the covers over your head and squeezed your eyes shut for some more sleep.

That was until footsteps could be heard coming into the room, pulling the curtains back briskly. "Y/N, I made breakfast." It was Childe. His voice was soft as he shook your form awake gently, rolling his eyes while you tried to ignore him. "Come on, you have a whole day ahead of you." Yeah for sleeping.

"Plus I kind of promised a friend we'd hang out with them today." That friend is Zhongli. Both males made an agreement to go to the arcade with some of your other work colleagues. Childe thought it'd be a good bonding experience for Zhongli, hopefully this way the man would make friends in a more normal circumstance.

"Hm? alright, one minute." You stretched sleepily, pulling yourself up into a sitting position. You stifled a yawn with your hand, still only half awake while Childe smiled happily. You enjoyed seeing such an expression in the morning, returning his smile with a very sleepy one while your brain tried to take in finally being awake.

You were never much of a morning person however, lately you seemed to be getting up a lot better. Perhaps it was because you were staying over at a friend's but you always seemed to wake up more rejuvenated and ready for the day.

Downstairs, Teucer could be seen happily munching on some jam on toast. His legs kicked from the chair while he enjoyed his breakfast, clearly having a good start to the day.

"Alright, mum and dad should pick you up at ten. We're heading out." Teucer hummed, waving goodbye to the both of you. You were hesitant at first to leave such a small child on their own in such a large house but Childe didn't seem to mind. He reassured you saying Teucer was a lot more sensible than he looked.

You both walked down the street, hands intertwined with one another. The air was chilly today, just barely making your breaths visible within the air.

The arcades lights could be seen flashing vibrantly within the distance. Your work colleagues stood there with another man. He stood quite tall and held the same stance as your father, a stance of a businessman. Except he also held a smile on his lips, conversing with everyone quite happily.

"Y/N this is Zhongli," Childe introduced you to the male who sent you a small wave. You stared at him completely dumbfounded before turning back to Childe, an explanation evidently wanted. Just why in the world would he invite the man you're being made to marry?

"It seems an explanation is needed here." Zhongli hummed, slipping his hands into his coat pocket. "Childe came to visit me and the marriage is off. We came to an agreement that I won't be marrying you miss L/N." You didn't know what to say. The words seemed to be stuck at the tip of your tongue while you stared silently at the two men.

Childe was waiting for you to explode at him for doing such a thing without your knowledge. However you didn't, you did quite the opposite actually.

He stumbled slightly while you wrapped your arms around the males neck, a smile held on your lips. Childe felt a small smile of his own forming while he steadied the both of you, an arm loosely on your waist. If he said he wasn't in love with you he'd honestly be lying.

"God you're amazing." You whispered breathlessly, grinning happily. You were truly grateful to have found such a person within your life. Someone who was willing to do anything for you. "Does that mean your not mad at me?" Childe hummed, pushing an astray strand of hair behind your ear nervously.

"Mad? God I'm so happy I could kiss you." Childe felt himself turn red at your words. However Chongyun let out a curt cough, quickly interrupting the heartfelt moment. "I hate to interrupt your flirting, not really, but can we go inside already?"

Zhongli chuckled, following the group inside. He would admit he was incredibly happy to be outside of his house for once. Doing nothing but business can be incredibly diminishing to your mental health apparently. He was also pleased he didn't go through with marrying you, for it was clear you already had eyes for another. Even if you didn't notice yourself.

It was clear as day to everyone around you that both you and Childe beared feelings for one another.

"Chongyun look, a zombie game!" Hu Tao quickly dragged Chongyun to the shooting game. Chongyun just allowed the girl to drag him along to different games cheerily, already used to her chaotic nature. Zhongli left with Shenhe and Yun Jin to go and try out the claw machines. Everyone seemed extremely content today, as if tension was lifted off everyone's shoulders other than just yours.

You and Childe stood beside one another, the pair of you succumbing to silence. Childe snuck his hand to yours, intertwining it with absolute ease. You smiled at the gesture, looking up/down/towards the male happily.

"So where do you want to check out first?" You cheerily swung his hand within yours, looking around at the different things in your view. The gun shooting games were on the left, where Chongyun and Hu Tao could be seen. Chongyun holding the toy gun in his handles quite awkwardly compared to his energetic friend beside him.

Over in the further right, Zhongli and the girls were taking part in claw machine games. Zhongli held a small smile on his lips, messily attempting to get a plush with the help of Yun Jin.

The whole arcade was striving with people but what caught Childe's eye was the dance machine. He grinned confidently, tugging at your arm gently. "Care to be beat on the dance machine?" He inquired excitedly while a sly grin formed on your face. "Prepared to eat those words?"

And that's where the two of you found each other. It was a machine with arrows on its floor, lighting up whenever you stand on the correct one. You slid some coins into the machine and clicked play, the confidence radiating from your body.

Turns out however both you and Childe were awful at the game. Perhaps it was the fact both of you were over confident in yourselves when beginning but you both missed repeated arrows. Although the challenge between you two was just a joke, after all it practically left your minds from the fun you to were having anyway.

Both of you laughed at your awful scores by the end. Okay so maybe neither of you were the best at dancing but that didn't stop you from playing again.

This time you did slightly better. Your feet hitting almost every arrow, and by every I mean only a few. Still better than Childe though.

"Okay but you only beat me by ten points." He protested, both of you grinning like children as you went to meet the others. Zhongli held a large plush of a golden like dragon within his hands, satisfied with his retrieval at the claw machine. You didn't even want to ask how much he spent on the game, already knowing they're heavily rigged.

Shenhe and Yun Jin sent you a wave to which you returned happily with your free hand. Both females seemed happy, the whole arcade feeling a lot more relaxing than work already. Chongyun and Hu Tao were also there, conversing between each other happily by themselves at the back.

"So did you guys play all the games you wanted?" Childe hummed, while everyone nodded out a small yes. "How about we go and eat?" Zhongli asked, having skipped lunch making him quite hungry.

"To be honest I am quite hungry myself." Hu Tao sighed while Chongyun rolled his eyes. "That's your own fault for not eating breakfast, maybe next time eat your meals." The food court it was you suppose.

©Zenosyne_Aries