Archive of Our Own ^beta

Sunlight filtered through the open window of a shared bedroom. Two bodies occupied the space, sharing warmth under the thick covers. The first to poke his head out had a mess of ginger hair. Slowly, his freckled face followed, mouth opened in a yawn. He gazed down at his companion; Diluc, owner of Mondstadt’s Dawn Winery. 

Childe could think of many women envious of his position, and perhaps some more deserving. The head of Mondstadt’s wine industry was a charming bachelor with a pretty face, yet somehow a Fatui Harbinger had caught his eye. Despite whatever grudges Diluc may have held against the Fatui, he still managed to grow a soft spot for the ginger haired man. It perplexed Childe.

What did Childe have that the others didn't? He was skilled in combat, obviously, but still not the best- many Harbingers outranked him, despite his reluctance to admit it. Still, Diluc saw past this self-doubt and loved Childe all the same.

His boyfriend was still sleeping softly next to him, bathed in his own fiery red hair. Carefully Childe lowered his head and softly kissed Diluc’s, his lips meeting bright hair, slightly ruffled by sleep.  

Diluc hummed in his sleep and shifted his body ever so closer to Childe’s still form. His pale skin was starkly contrasted by his red hair, framed beautifully by the glow of the morning light. He burned so brightly at all times, a foreboding presence; comfort for some, a warning for others. 

Except, right now Diluc was merely a simmer, a sleeping body clinging to Childe, as though he was still that boy full of innocence before he saw the darkness of this world. 

Childe couldn’t tear his eyes away. Oh how he wished they were both stripped clean of the abyssal taint that corrupted their adolescence. Perhaps Diluc would still be smiles and sunshine, and Childe would still be known as Ajax, a fisherman in Snezhnaya. But that was merely wishful thinking. 

Chatter floated through the window and it broke Childe from his stupor. He shook his head and kissed his Diluc one last time, slowly sliding out from under the covers. He tiptoed his way out of the bedroom and made his way downstairs into the main hall of Dawn Winery. 

The usual bustle of workers flowed through the winery, a cacophony of instructions being passed back and forth as they hurried about their chores. They ignored him, of course, as his presence wasn’t new during these early mornings. Childe spent his evenings with Diluc after running his ‘errands’ for Northland Bank- most of which involved someone, in many cases Childe, needing bandages.

This has resulted in the Harbinger passing out from exhaustion on one of Diluc’s many couches, yet somehow he always awoke in the man’s bed. Diluc has managed to remain a mystery to many Mondstadters, and yet Childe has had the privilege to see into the man's heart. Under his stony gaze was a well of kindness that others failed to see- a faint, warm glow under his normally burning exterior. Childe smiled at the thought, an image of his beloved boyfriend appearing in his mind. He turned to the kitchen, carefully weaving his way through the normal morning rush, with an occasional apology to a stray worker or two. Adelinde had appeared behind him, but he shooed her away good-naturedly. Breakfast in bed it was, and Childe could only settle for the best for his boyfriend. 

Cooking wasn’t always the ginger’s strong suit but he did know the basics. He gathered all his ingredients and some box mix because Childe was not nearly as experienced as some of the others in this winery. Not wanting to ask for help, he quickly assembled his batter, careful not to spill anything, but he wasn’t known for his gentle hands.

In fact, his hands were so deeply scarred from years of countless battles that small tasks were made exponentially harder. They trembled when needed for delicate movements and couldn’t even hold a pair of chopsticks. Nevertheless, despite his best efforts, the kitchen still wound up a ‘disaster’ by Diluc’s (unsurprisingly) high standards.

Still, he persevered, managing to flip three pancakes before one turned rogue and attacked a defenseless Childe. It fell depressingly to the ground and the ginger stared at it with pity. The pancake dared to fight against its creator and still it was squashed down by a higher power, dousing the flames of revolution. Childe wiped away a mock tear. Never would he forget this pancake warrior. 

After his theatrics were over Childe topped his finished dish with freshly cut strawberries and mint leaves- living in a posh winery had its perks, after all. He assembled a tray with a cup of lavender melon and silk flower infused tea, Diluc’s favorite. He smiled fondly at the clash of flavors in front of him. Childe was sure his boyfriend would love it, whether it tasted horrible or not. 

Carefully he picked the tray up and made his way across a familiar route, trudging his way upstairs. Maybe if he was quiet enough Diluc would finally get the rest he deserved. He carried so much on his broad shoulders, and rarely did he sleep this late.

Softly Childe opened the door and he found Diluc with his reading glasses on. The redhead was still in bed with his fussed up hair, but in his hand was a letter. 

“Good morning Firefly!” Childe said in a singsong voice, “How did my birdie sleep?” Diluc looked up from his documents and his face softened from the hard look he always wore when reading. 

“You snore. And you take up the whole bed.” Diluc tried to glare but Childe knew better than to believe it when his eyes were filled with mirth. Still, Childe was always the actor. He jutted out his bottom lip and pouted. Diluc merely rolled his eyes affectionately. 

“What have you got there?” He asked after noticing what was held in Childe’s freckled hands. 

“Oh, it’s nothing. I only toiled all morning for a breakfast you probably won’t even appreciate,” Childe pouted, “I can go give it to Adelinde.” Diluc might give himself a headache for the amount of times he’s playfully rolled his eyes. 

“Come over here you big baby.” Although Childe was a great performer, he was an even greater boyfriend. He sauntered over and presented his breakfast like it was a meal fit for a king. Diluc chuckled and looked up at his lover. 

“Thank you, Ajax.”

And with that, all pretenses melted away in Childe’s mind. He gazed in adoration at the one man who could ever elicit these feelings from him. Diluc must have been sent from Celestia itself as a gift specially made for him. 

And that was when it clicked.

Childe could wish all he wanted that he was never thrown into the Abyss, that Diluc was spared from an early lesson in grief. But without these things would he have ever gotten to experience this? Would he know what Diluc looks like when he is slowly awakened in the morning? Would he spend these days in bed with a lover who will undoubtedly love him till the day he inevitably dies? Maybe so, but Childe knows for a fact that he doesn’t want this love in any other way.

He loves Diluc and his fiery red hair, the way he squints when reading without his glasses. He loves Diluc and how he cares unabashedly for those around him without ever asking for it in return, he loves his cold exterior, and equally the warm heart it guarded. He loves Diluc. 

“I love you, Diluc.”

“I love you too, Ajax.”