No Matter What

28

I can't help but feel like something isn't right after Childe hangs up the phone. So when I hear a knock on the door, I waste no time shuffling over to it. I'm confused when I look through the peek hole and see him standing there with not only Lyney, but a smaller boy with him as well.

I open the door, brows furrowed as I study the three. "Childe, what's going on?" I say. "Who's this?" The smaller blonde boy and I stare at each other cautiously. He looks as though he's been crying. Now that I think about it, they all do.

Childe doesn't say anything. He stands there, body trembling slightly and squeezes his eyes shut, taking in a deep, wavering breath. He walks past me, and both Xiao and Aether have stopped what they're doing to stare as well. Childe places the smaller boy on the sofa with his foot propped onto a pillow as Lyney quickly takes a seat beside him, holding his hand as a tear trickles down his cheek.

"Childe," I say, a demand in my voice.

"Kitchen," he answers, then walks past me and enters the one oddly soundproof area of the house. I watch him for a moment, as does Xiao and Aether—the three of us sharing a look—then I follow him in. Once inside, I bore into him, arms folded yet body quivering with nerves.

"Babe, what's going on?"

Childe finally looks at me, but he looks different. That confident, stern look he usually adorned, now replaced with something much softer, more vulnerable.

"They're...all dead..." Childe says.

I lower my arms. "What..?"

He can't hold back anymore. Childe's hands press firm against his face as his shoulders shiver, and he lets out a series of painful sobs he desperately tries to keep quiet. My lips part, and I immediately go to hold him close, rubbing his back quickly.

"Baby..." I say. "What do you mean..?"

He doesn't answer right away, instead staining my shirt in his tears. I can't listen to Childe cry without feeling a sharp pain in my chest. I don't know what's going on, but I too shed a tear for his pain.

"They're a-all dead, babe," he says again, sniffling and clinging to me. "All of my comrades... Arlecchino included."

I pull away on reflex, still holding him as my eyes widen in his. "Oh my god..." I whisper, then reel him in tighter. "I'm so sorry... Do you know who did it?" It wasn't a question of whether or not this was an accident. Knowing what I know, this was intentional.

"No," he says. "They shot up the place. Everyone was laying there dead. The only survivor was that little boy. He's Lyney's brother, Freminet. He was with their sister, Lynette, but the sister didn't make it... she got caught in the crossfire."

"Jesus..." I shake my head, another tear trickling down my cheek as I rub deeply against my husband's back. "That's awful."

Childe pulls away and tries his best to recompose himself, taking a deep breath and wiping his face with the backs of his hands. "Where's the security people?" he says, voice now monotone.

"They're upstairs right now."

Childe nods, sighing again and shaking off the pain. "I love you," he says, taking my hands.

"I love you."

"I want to give you what you want," he says, "but... babe, I'm so scared."

I frown. Childe is never scared of anything, and if he is, he'd never admit to it. He's the strong one who would put his life at any risk for his family. He feels like he's losing control over this situation and it's scaring him. It breaks my heart to witness him feel so small.