Whale and Dragonfly // OC x Childe Genshin Impact fanfiction

Epilogue

They say time flies when you're having fun. When you're in love, it's no different. Once you truly fall for someone, you wish that the moments you share would never end.

Minutes have turned to hours, hours to days, days to months, and months to years... Yet an old, grizzled grandpa could recall every single moment he shared with her despite his old age.

"Do you remember our first date, Lottie? Ah, the good old times of our youth..."

The cold gravestone couldn't respond, but Ajax knew the answer. After all, she swore to never forget either.

~~~

He gently took her hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Her once dark brown hair has now turned completely white like Snezhnaya's never-melting snow. Using his wrinkled left hand, the elderly man reached to brush a strand of hair out of his wife's face.

Upon impact, she opened her eyes. If any of her youth features remained, it was those beautiful, always vigilant and curious eyes, greener and darker than Cuihua tree leaves.

"Ajax?" a hoarse chuckle escaped her lips. "Seems like the time has come..."

The old man didn't answer. He kept staring at her with a soft smile, his thumb gently rubbing her palm.

"I will miss you." he finally spoke.

The old girl's smile became just a bit wider.

"We both have experienced that death is not the end before. I will wait for you up there but don't hurry. I am patient. Enjoy the time you have left to the fullest."

Ajax lacked words to answer her. He was smiling but the tight lump in his throat made his eyes water. A small tear rolled down his cheek, catching the girl's attention.

"Hey... Don't cry you fool, I will tear up too!"

"I'm sorry." The man reached his hand up to wipe the salty water off his face before leaning closer, placing a gentle kiss on his wife's forehead. "I love you, Charlotte."

"I love you too... I will always do..." Charlotte closed her eyes, her entire body muscles relaxing. "Farewell for now..."

"Farewell, моя стрекоза."

~~~

Whenever he could, mostly every 2 weeks, he'd come to her grave, leave pine and spruce trees' branches bouquets that reminded him of their wedding, and talk about the recent events. For an entire hour, he'd go on about his own daily life, how Snezhnaya was doing, news from other regions, how their children were doing, and how was it going for their children's children.

"It's been almost 4 years now, Charlotte... I fulfilled your last wish – I lived my life to its fullest after you left me. But now it starts to feel like... I'm running out of time in this world now too."

He stared at the gravestone with his lover's name on it in silence for a minute. Soon, a small smile splattered across his lips.

"We will reunite soon..."

Finally, speaking a quick prayer, he turned around, leaving the graveyard. At the gates, a tall, muscular man with fluffy ginger hair was waiting for him.

"Grandfather, you shouldn't be out there. Blizzard warnings have been announced. The snow after yesterday's snowfall is still fresh! What if you had slipped?!"

"Oh, Odysseus, you worry too much." Ajax chuckled. "You remind me of your grandmother. Charlotte was just as caring."

"M..." 21-year-old grandson hummed, opening the door to the carriage and helping the old man in. "Let's head home."

~~~

Returning back to the mansion, old grandpa went straight to his room. As usual, he was planning to go back to his daily activity – book reading. Standing in front of his gigantic bookshelf, he observed the thousands of times seen book covers.

One unusual book caught his attention. A thick, dark red book with golden accents on its corners stood out. Carefully pulling it out, Ajax carried it back to his bed.

Getting under the sheets to feel comfier, he opened the first page. A photo of a small, vulnerable baby on his mother's chest greeted him. Already in childhood, he had those beautiful blue eyes, deeper than ocean depths.

Childhood photos never failed to make him smile – it was funny to see the pictures of his first steps, his first-ever birthday, his first-ever drawing, his first-ever best friend...

There weren't too many photos from his teenage. After he fell into the abyss and his father threw him into Fatui, he wouldn't be at home a lot which resulted in only a few birthday photos and a few of him taking care of his little siblings.

Next followed up photos with his early adulthood – he'd come back more often, at least send letters with some photos. Most of the letters were saved and safely stored on his bookshelf. As well, a certain brunette started appearing in the pictures more often.

The rest of the album was filled with his and Charlotte's photos. On their first morning as an official couple (photo of them sleeping in a cuddle sneakily caught by Tatyana), them playing with youngsters, cooking together, sharing a kiss during Charlotte's birthday celebration. Finally, the moments of the proposal, wedding photographs, the first-ever 9 super special months of their lives, the first moments after the new addition to their family has appeared...

Childe felt his eyes watering as he kept looking at the photos. So many memories, so much joy.

The photo album has soon come to an end and Ajax closed it, letting a soft sigh out. He closed his eyes, feeling at peace. His life was going to the end, he had no regrets, no doubts, or no unfinished businesses anymore. It was time.

"I'm coming, моя стрекоза..."

The darkness that he saw through his closed eyes soon started shifting into what looked like a huge, empty space. At the very end of it lit up a small light that would get brighter and brighter. Without a second thought, Ajax went towards it, and finally, the light has completely surrounded him.

He couldn't yet see but he felt his energy regenerating, his bones and muscles strengthening, his skin becoming smooth and unwrinkled as if he has gotten younger once more. All of a sudden, a pair of arms pulled him into a familiar, warm embrace.

And so, he let that girl embrace him just like he used to embrace her too.

~~The End~~