No Matter What

14

Somewhere during Childe and I closing our eyes and catching our breaths on the air mattress, we must have fallen asleep. I assume I drifted off first, because when I awake, the blanket is properly draped over the both of us, and Childe's eyes flutter open to meet mine with a soft grin.

"Morning, beautiful," he says in his sexy sleepy voice.

I smile, blinking away the fog and shifting a bit to stretch. My arm drapes over him when I finish, hand caressing his face. "Good morning, handsome." He leans in to leave a soft kiss on my lips that I return willingly. His hand rubs gently against my back as my own runs through his hair.

He pulls away after, cheeks flushed, smile gentle. "I love you," he says. "But, damn does my head hurt." He shifts to sit up on the mattress with a groan, fingers resting on his temples. He sighs, reaching for the walkie talkie beside him and clicking the talk button.

"Hey kiddo, rise and shine," he says. "I'm thinking of making your favorite this morning, so you better get up if you want flapjacks." He smirks as he takes his finger off the talk button, awaiting a response. I wait too, smiling as I watch Childe's anticipation-face. But no answer follows, so he clicks the button to speak once more. "If you don't answer I'm not making you any." He waits again for a reply that doesn't come.

I chuckle. "You really thought that boy was actually going to use your walkie talkie?" I shake my head, raising the covers over my shoulders and shifting.

Childe sighs again, but can't help laughing. "Hey," he says, "a dad can dream, can't he? Guess I'll see what the gremlin is up to and get started on breakfast then. Want me to grab you a water?"

"Please." I close my eyes, still tired from the late, eventful night we had. My head isn't quite as painful, but a water wouldn't be the worst thing right now. Childe rubs my hip and gets up, slipping into some clothes as I watch in admiration. I love his physique so much. He's beautiful. I fell in love with a criminal, but I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. He always keeps me on my toes. There's never a dull moment with him, and I don't think I'll ever get bored.

Once Childe leaves the tent I allow myself to drift off a bit, eyes remaining closed, taking in the peaceful sounds of birds singing and the warm, morning air whisking through the tent. It almost send me completely under, body melting into the mattress, but just as I nearly give into slumber, my eyes jolt open at the bloodcurdling scream that echos the trees around me.

That's Childe's voice. My body jerks forward and I scramble off the mattress, reaching frantically for the robe resting on my luggage and throwing it over myself. I don't bother with shoes, instead darting from the tent and tip-toeing it over the twigs and stones quickly to Childe, who is knelt down in front of Xiao's tent.

"Childe?" I shout. "Childe, what is it? What's wrong? Is Xiao okay?" I jog until I'm right behind him, placing a hand on his back. "Babe, what's wrong?"

Childe just kneels there, leaning over, blocking my view of the inside of Xiao's tent I desperately try to peek into. Slowly, he raises to his feet, still not looking at me, but I can tell by how red his ears and neck are that he's not okay. He turns to me, still not looking me in the eyes, then places something plastic into my hands.

"He took him," Childe says, barely audible. "He took Xiao."

"W-what? Who?! What??" I look down at the item Childe placed into my hand, confused. It was a bag of Skittles—Xiao's favorite candy. I stare at it, then quickly look back to Childe. "I-I don't understand... What is this? What do you mean he took him? Who?!" I lean down in front of the tent to find it empty. That's when the true panic starts. "Xiao?!" I pop back up, looking all around the campsite. "Xiao! Xiao, where are you?"

I'm running around like a madman, the twigs and stones no longer a concern beneath my feet. Childe doesn't move, he just stands there staring at the same spot I left him as if lost in contemplation, fists balled at his sides.

"Childe!" I shout. "What do you mean, are you sure someone took him? He's not just at the park or something?" He seems so sure that I immediately panicked without thinking rationally first. I approach him again, placing a hand on his arm and finding his eyes. "Baby, please tell me what's going on. How do you know someone took him?"

He finally looks up at me, eyes red and watery, face hot in clear shame. "I know exactly who took him," he says. "It was the guy at the petrol station. He...spoke to Xiao apparently. He... When I went in to pay, a man approached me and told me Xiao... wanted Skittles. There was something off about him. I had a bad feeling as soon as I saw him. He had that look in his eyes... The same look I've seen hundreds of times in my profession."

I stare at him, my own eyes watering. "No..." I barely mutter. I can't hold back the tears now streaming down my cheeks. "S-shit..." I nearly knock him over as I suddenly throw myself back over to our tent. Once inside, shaky hands spazz frantically over everything in sight, breaths quick and audible as I find my phone. I grab it and dart back outside to Childe, fingers already clicking on Xiao's contact. I wait in anticipation, but the call is immediately sent to voicemail. I try again—same result. And again. Nothing.

I can't help the sudden cry of agony I let out when I realize what's happening right now. Childe yanks me into him for dear life, like he'll lose me too if he lets go. I muffle my sobs into his neck, shoulders jumping in his grasp. He rubs my back quickly, but refuses to sob with me. Instead he's quiet, too quiet for the weight of this situation.

"I'm going to find him," he says suddenly by my ear, then pulls away to look into my eyes, hands firm on my arms. His gaze stabs into me, and there's something so sinister yet so trusting behind that stare. "I made a promise to you that I'd protect our family at all costs. I plan to keep that promise so long as I'm alive. I will get him back. No matter what."
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TO BE CONTINUED (Childe's in his Liam Neeson era. Please vote 💛)