~^ Wait for me ^~ Childe x (Fem)Reader { Short Story }

{ A inevitable Sacrifice }

  When his lips finally departed from yours, it felt truly felt like months have passed. Years even. But at the same time, it also seemed as if time had stopped. You both teleported into a wonderous limbo of love. Time seemed to stop all the time when you two were together. Like you both held the power to change the world and its destiny. Majestic occasions like this happened rarely. So You cherished this moment. Knowing that you wouldn't be able to repeat it ever again.
The warmth of his lips still lingered after he pulled away. Like a Dim fire, desperately trying to survive. Childe's head was lowered, and You could see a wet glaze that threatened to escape from his eyes. His soft whimpers of pure despair and agonizing pain. You could feel the aching of his heart, seeping through his body. Like a dark aura surrounded the two of you, forcing you to eliminate the other. You heart a Plop of something hitting the floorboards.

Tears.

  You were still shocked. Unable to comprehend what had just occurred. You lowered your head to look at the water sword Childe had created. The blade was still visible, but slowly fading away.
You glanced back at him. He began to laugh. Placing his hand on his head and running it through his hair.
"We're both doomed now"
He continued to laugh. This wasn't happy laughter or threatening laughter. This was an agonizing cry of sadness. A cry of help to the Archons. A wail of anguish. Transformed into pitiful laughter.
You knew what had to happen next. You just knew. You knew what you had to do to spare him the heartache, and the pain.

  You leaped onto Childe, wrapping your arms around his neck, and kissed him. His eyes widened at your action.

This was but a delusion.

  The water blade effortlessly cut through your chest as you leaped onto his ever fading sword. Your eyes began to sting with tears of sorrowful love and affection pouring out. The pain seemingly numbed by the guilt you felt. Tears began to fall down your face as you thought about the emotional trauma and pain that would haunt Childe for years to come.
Childe pushed you off when he finally realized what you were doing. Your legs gave way as they bucked, you started collapsing.
Childe swiftly took action and caught you as soon as you collapsed from sorrow, pain, and shock.
"You- Why did you-" he struggled to find the correct words to apply. It was he who was now unable to comprehend what had just happened. His brain desperately trying to find a solution, you could see it in his face. Plastered all over like a painting. He opened this mouth, wanting to say something. Anything. A yell of pain, and wail of agony, a shout of anger. Anything. But his body failed him, as he wasn't able to produce any noise.
You gave him a sad smile.
"I'm repaying my debt... from so long ago..." You choked out, your throat now slowly filling with blood.

_______ A few years ago. _______

"Hey, you alright?"
You slowly opened your eyes to see a ginger-haired male. Around your age. Sitting beside the hospital bed you were lying in.
You weren't much of a talker a few years back, so you just simply nodded.
"That's good." The male simply replied
There was some awkward silence between the two of you, but after a while, you spoke up.
"Who are you?" You asked
His eyes lit up with excitement at the question.
"I'm number eleven of the Fatui Harbingers. Codename Childe, but I also go by Tartaglia. A pleasure to meet you girlie" he said in an enthusiastic tone, giving you a bright smile
"Fatui...? Are you one of the debt collectors?" You questioned
"Why yes, I am! How did you know?" His ears perked up, seemingly intrigued
"You... Saved me. From the one you were collecting debt from I believe. He was going to experiment on me to see if I can become a powerful being and wield multiple visions. Then sell those potions and what-not to pay off his debts... Thank you for saving me... I suppose... I am now in your debt?" You responded. You gave him a nervous laugh, A bit afraid of his response. You knew a lot about the debt collectors and Harbingers back then, you knew that they were brutal. A fact is well known.
You stared outside at the Snezhnaya scenery to avoid any awkward atmosphere.
"Don't worry about it. You not in my debt, it was just the right thing to do. You're lucky you came across a handsome one such as I! Any other Harbinger would have just killed you" he joked, waving his hand in the air to try to lighten the mood a bit.
"Thank you. Really, I-" you began to cough a bit, still recovering from your injuries.
He quickly rushed to pat your back.
"Rest, don't worry about the debt. I'll cut you some slack. Focus on recovering first."
You looked up and met with his deep blue eyes. All you could do at that time...

Was smile.

______Present ______

   Childe stared at you in disbelief. After all this time, you still remembered it. The debt was an inside joke you two had kept, long forgotten years ago. Or so he thought. It was a teasing mechanism he used very rarely. You often remarked never remembering such an event as a way of teasing him back.
He watched as you cough out blood, struggling to breathe. He was only able to watch helplessly as you desperately clung to life. He wasn't a medic, and couldn't bring you to the Fatui. He knew the basics of medicine and first aid, but his blades were far too sharp. And your wounds far too deep. He was only able to stop the blood flow and numb the pain a little. The people of Snezhnaya treated you as an outsider too. They were unwilling to help, a fact he knew.
He felt his eyes sting with sorrow and regret, tears began to form. Not just from the gruesome sight of you, slowly fading away from existence. But also from the mere thought of your suffering through your existence. Everyone who he worked with, and even his Homeland, treated you like an unwanted stranger. And yet. You were able to pull through. Unable to control it any longer, he began crying. Sobbing over your soon-to-be-dead body.

   You mustered up some strength to lift your hand to wipe away his tears.
"A Fatui like yourself shouldn't cry over someone like me." You chuckled
Childe's hand quickly pressed onto yours. Holding your hand against his cheek. Treasuring your last bit of warmth.
   You once again smiled at him. The soft one that he fell for all those years ago. The pain was basically completely gone as energy from your body was being stripped away. Causing you to become more numb. Shutting down and rotting away, like a fruit left out for days.
Unable to deal with the massive wound the blade had caused to your body, The mass of blood loss caused you to drift away into unconsciousness.
A More... Peaceful leave from this world.
"Wait for me... Alright? I'll visit..." Your words barely a whisper at this point.
   He leaned down to kiss you one last time, a silent promise to what you requested before all strength and warmth left your body. Your arm dropped to the floor, as your soul ascended above to the archons.

Childe was only able to helplessly see you off to the next world. He stood up and carried your body. He buried you in the snows of Snezhnaya. Surrounded by the flowers that were now In bloom.

The place where you two had first became comrades. Aquantencses.

  Childe looked at the sky as the winds gently blew. The breeze carrying the scent of the flowers.
His crystal eyes glimmered with sorrow, but still somehow able to reflect the light of the moon.

I'll wait for you.

_____3 years later _____

   Rumors of Mondstadts hero visiting Liyue were widespread. Now and then Childe would hear whispers of the Traveler and her flying companion. He was very curious to find out who they were for himself.
  A perfect opportunity passed as he witnessed the traveler in a pickle. She was being chased by guards due to being a suspect in Rex Lapis's murder. Her blonde hair and similar taste in fashion were well enough to spark a nostalgic memory from the past. He knew who she was from the moment he heard her speak to him.

"Just who are you anyway?" Asked the floating companion.
"Just call me Childe"
"Childe? What, so we're supposed to dote on you?"
"Haha, no it's an alias of sorts"

   After hearing your voice, he knew who you were instant. A reassuring confirmation for the doubt in his mind.
The built-up sorrow and guilt in the past years broke. The sentence he had been longing to say for years, slipped out.

"I've been waiting for you. Ojou-chan"