sʜᴏʀᴛ sᴛᴏʀɪᴇs [eng]

» street light [chiluc]

[GENSHIN MODERN AU(?)]
[ CW: uh, violence?? gay??]
[ CHILDE X DILUC ]

It was dark and there were no stars visible when the redhead looked up into the sky. The clouds covering the moon made everything appear lost and lonely.

Diluc sighed, grabbing the lighter in his pocket tighter than ever.

The redhead stopped in his tracks when he heard footsteps ahead of him. All he could see was a dark silhouette that was approaching the street light he stopped at.

The person in front of him also stopped when they noticed.

When the redhead took a closer look, he noticed the ginger hair and freckles covering half of the other man's beaten up face.

He looked horrible. Almost pitiful. Like an abandoned puppy, that was simply used as a punching bag by others.

But deciding it was none of his business, he leaned against the wall the streetlight was attached to, expecting the stranger to pass by.

The other young man however did the same as he leaned against the wall, too.

"...Got a lighter?"

Diluc turned his gaze away from the cloudy sky, stopping his hand from moving the heavy metal piece in his pocket.

He chuckled lightly.

"You're gonna smoke before taking care of those wounds?"

The ginger laughed as he sat down and leaned his back against the wall, looking down upon the road.

And Diluc swore to god that the laugh he heard coming from the stranger that night was so cheerful, yet so awfully, bitterly sweet that it left a melancholic feeling in his chest he'd never forget.

And the stranger swore to god that the chuckle that he heard that night was so majestic and magical, that it'd become something that he'd never forget, as if it's been recorded by his heart, being able to replay it whenever he felt down; it gave him a hopeful, and somehow warm feeling.

Diluc got closer to the stranger and sat down next to him. The pavement was small, barely letting him not sit halfway on the street.

The stone they sat down on was oh so cold that the redhead knew he'd always remember this exact situation.

They just sat in silence for a while until Diluc decided to hand his lighter to the other.

He carefully observed the others movements, seeing that his hands were shaking. Blood was splattered across them, small cuts on his knuckles showed that he punched his opponent with all his might, not stopping.

The blood that was running down the pretty face Diluc stared at was only dried at some spots.

"Why do you look like that?"

The stranger turned his head slightly, blowing the smoke of his cigarette right into the redhead's face, who didn't show any reaction to it.

"I got into a small drunken fight with my friend."

"A friend, huh."

Diluc tilted his head before the took the cigarette out of the other's hand, smoking it himself.

"Why are you here, at a time like this?"

Diluc paused for a second before answering.

"I was searching for someone."

"Is that so? A friend of yours?"

"Maybe i was searching for an attractive man like you, covered in blood?"

The ginger grinned, tilting his head to look at the redhead.

"You trying to flirt with me?"

Diluc chuckled once again, putting the cigarette back between the stranger's lips.

"Weren't you trying to flirt with me? Using the most boring pick-up line known to mankind?"

They both chuckled once again, looking into the sky above them that displayed nothing but a grey sea of cotton like clouds that covered all the stars above their heads.

"You seem like a kind person, redhead."

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'll beat you up."

"Would you?"

Diluc smiled as he got up and extended his hand to the stranger.

"If you asked me to."

As the ginger was pulled onto his feet when he decided to take the other's hand, he smiled, brightly enough to resemble the shining stars that the redhead normally observed from his window.

A smile so beautiful, placed on to such a beaten up face; a smile anyone could fall in love with. But those empty, yet so deep blue eyes that could resemble the wide, dark ocean, Diluc loved how ut contradicted that beautiful smile.

As for the stranger, looking at that face, which was framed by that beautiful, wavy, red hair which lost the bright, deep color with length, resembling fire flickering in the fireplace in the darkest, coldest night of winters in Snezhnaya; those sad, yet so softly observing red eyes that seemed like they reflected one's very own soul - the ginger loved every little detail of it.

He took the cigarette out of his mouth, letting it fall out of his hand when Diluc put his hand on the other's cheek.

"You look so beautiful in this street light, firefly."

Was all he whispered lovingly, leaning into the warm hand of the redhead.

"You look just as pretty, you know."

The ginger giggled and softly pulled the other closer by the waist, resting his hands right there.

"I love you."

"You're an idiot, Ajax."

"I know. Sorry."

The redhead then rested his arms on Ajax's shoulders and leaned in, softly kissing him as he got pulled closer.

"I love you too though."

"Hehe. I know you do, firefly."

They both smiled, standing there - covered in each other's blood.