⋆｡‧˚𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀˚‧｡⋆

୨ৎ𝑪𝑯𝑰𝑳𝑫𝑬

❤︎gn!reader❤︎

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The cold Snezhnayan wind whipped through the trees, shaking snow from their branches and sending it swirling through the air like tiny shards of glass. The ground was blanketed in white, muffling the sounds of the world and creating an almost eerie silence. But for you, walking through this familiar winter landscape with your childhood friend, the chill only brought warmth to your heart.

"You haven't changed at all, you know," Childe said, his breath forming puffs of mist in the frosty air. His voice was deeper now, more mature, but there was still a boyish charm to it that you remembered well.

You smiled, glancing over your shoulder at him. "Neither have you, Ajax."

Childe winced slightly at the sound of his real name, a reminder of the days before he became the Eleventh Harbinger of the Fatui. It was a name only a few people still used, a remnant of a past life that seemed so distant now.

"It's been a long time," he said, his eyes softening as he looked at you. "Too long."

You nodded, your thoughts drifting back to those carefree days of childhood, before his abyss incident, before the Fatui. You had been inseparable then, partners in crime and the best of friends. And maybe, just maybe, there had been something more. But then he had changed, drawn into a world of darkness and power, and you had been left behind.

Now, walking side by side in the snow, it felt like you were trying to bridge the gap that had grown between you. But words were hard to find, buried under layers of time and unspoken feelings.

Lost in thought, you didn't notice when Childe slowed his pace, falling behind. You were a few steps ahead of him when you felt something cold and wet explode against the back of your head. You gasped, spinning around to see him grinning mischievously, another snowball already in hand.

"Ajax!" you exclaimed, wiping the snow from your hair. "What was that for?"

He laughed, a sound both familiar and comforting. "You were lost in your own world. I had to bring you back somehow!"

You narrowed your eyes playfully, scooping up a handful of snow and packing it into a ball. "Oh, you're going to regret that-!"

The snowball fight that ensued was fierce and relentless, filled with laughter and playful taunts. It was like stepping back in time, to a simpler world where the only battles were fought with snowballs and the only stakes were who would get the most drenched.

At one point, Childe managed to tackle you into a snowdrift, both of you collapsing in a heap of laughter. You lay there for a moment, catching your breath and looking up at the cloudy evening sky, the snowflakes falling gently around you.

"I missed this," he said quietly, his voice suddenly serious. "I missed us."

You turned your head to look at him, your faces mere inches apart. His blue eyes were intense, filled with emotions that mirrored your own. "I missed us too," you admitted.

For a moment, neither of you spoke, the air between you filled with the unspoken feelings that had lingered for so long. It was as if the snow had wrapped you in a cocoon, isolating you from the rest of the world and allowing you to finally see each other clearly.

"You know," Childe said, breaking the silence, "I've thought about you....a lot. Even when I was...away."

"I've thought about you too," you said, your voice barely above a whisper. "I was worried about you."

He reached out, brushing a stray snowflake from your cheek. "You don't have to anymore. I'll be here now."

You nodded, feeling a warmth spread through you that had nothing to do with the physical closeness. "I'm glad."

As the snow continued to fall around you, the two of you lay there, wrapped in the comfort of each other's presence. There were no outright confessions, no grand declarations of love. But in that moment, it didn't matter. You both knew that the feelings were there, lingering in the frosty air, waiting for the right time to be fully acknowledged.

The sky was beginning to darken, the first hints of evening turning the snow a soft blue. Reluctantly, you both stood, brushing off the snow. The walk back to the village was filled with more laughter, more stories of the past. It felt as if no time had passed at all, and yet everything was different.

As you reached the edge of the village, you paused, looking at Childe. "Ajax, I..."

He smiled, a rare, genuine smile that reached his eyes. "I know. Me too."

You didn't need to say anything more. The understanding passed between you, clear as the icy air. There was a future to be considered, but for now, the past was enough to bring you both together.

"Let's do this again," he said, his voice hopeful. "Soon."

You nodded, feeling a warmth that melted the cold around you. "Soon."

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