💌 when it is all finished, you will discover it was never random. [9:12AM] the water at your feet is almost frigid, still

💌 when it is all finished, you will discover it was never random.

[9:12AM] the water at your feet is almost frigid, still held under the stiff change of seasons even against the humid air above. childe, however, walks over it as if it’s nothing more than a decent cold spell, even reaching below its depths to occasionally pull out a starconch or small crab. 

“you’re insane, you know,” you mutter this as you walk behind him, through the same shallow cove, the soles of your feet hardened against the sand. he laughs, turning a playful eye over his shoulder to where you walk begrudgingly.

“maybe if you lightened up, you wouldn’t feel the cold so much.”

you cast a threatening look to the man in front of you, who’s bent down to reach into the water again. 

“what now?” you sigh, stopping as childe crouches down to brush the sand away from an object sitting in the mess. whatever it is, it’s very small, making it incredibly difficult to pry from the sand; even for the harbinger attempting it. 

curious, you look over his shoulder as he pries. he finally seems to make some ground upon more of his bare hand retracts from the bottomless pit. as you finally crack a smile, you think of all this hard work for another shell — identical to the few you already carry in your pocket. 

but the object he finally pulls free is far from that, unrecognisable at first due to the sand packed against it. when childe picks off the remaining debris, you finally see that it’s a small ring, its band thin and the crystal that rests on top of it a beautiful aquamarine tint. 

the wheels inside your mind turn for a moment, and when you finally piece things together, you laugh. childe turns up to meet your gaze from where he crouches with a similar grin, crooked and dorky, and the same smile that you’ll never get tired of seeing. 

through your laughter, you say, “that’s not—” 

childe tries to shush you with a finger to his lips, but not even he can contain his giggle. 

he gestures for your hand, and when you crouch next to him to offer it, he takes it gently. the ring fits perfectly on your finger, only solidifying your prediction. mere days ago, you’d been walking through Liyue around sundown, past food stalls and shops alike that were still set up from the lantern rite. you’d learned to keep any wandering eye to yourself since you’d gotten with childe some time ago, knowing full well how reckless he tended to be when pampering those he cares for. though it seemed this time, you hadn’t been careful enough. 

it was always thoughtful of him, to take a moment so passing and turn it into an appreciative gesture, but you had never been materialistic. you could forgo the gifts, having childe by your side was enough. 

you shake your head, unable to fight the smile on your face. “you idiot.”

throwing your arms around him, childe seems delighted even as you fall back into the shallow water together. his cold hands catch you dotingly by your waist. the air is almost stifling, and the water you lie in is less than comfortable, but watching a warm smile spread across childe’s lips as you lean back, a ring on the hand that cradles his head, you can’t find yourself wishing you were anywhere else.