Savior (Childe x Medic Reader)

Chapter 9

The trip back from Guili Plains was a blur and you honestly don't remember much of it. Tartaglia kept glancing at you as if making sure you were still there, even though he had a firm grip on your hand. When you two had finally let go of each other and made the decision to return to Liyue Harbor Tartaglia had offered his hand to help you up and couldn't bring himself to let go. Your scream kept replaying in his mind like a broken record. Along with all of the thoughts of what could have happened to you that plagued his mind.

He could have actually lost you.

That thought struck real fear into the heart of the battle hungry trained warrior. Fear was something Tartaglia hadn't felt in a long time. The feeling only served to reinforce the inkling that he had grown fond of you and attached to you. In the back of his mind, Tartaglia knew how he felt. La Signora had scoffed at him and told him to let it go. Scaramouche had laughed at his efforts to find you. But Tartaglia knew the moment he woke up in Mondstadt.

He was absolutely in love with you.

There were so many things he wanted to experience with you. He couldn't lose you now or ever. He hadn't had the chance to take you to dinner, just the two of you; or walk along the harbor at night and look at the stars. He hadn't had the chance to show you all of the fun places he'd found in Liyue. He hadn't taken you to Snezhnaya!

You still needed to experience a Snezhnayan winter and meet his family. Tartaglia could picture it perfectly. The two of you, sitting drinking warm sbiten after a snowball fight with his siblings. His siblings would adore you. Teucer would be so excited to meet you and play in the snow. Tonia and Мамочка (Mamachka) would fawn over you, excited to welcome another daughter and sister into the family. They would be especially excited to teach you how to cook traditional Snezhnayan dishes. Tartaglia would also get the chance to cook dinner for you. He wanted to show you that he could be a good partner. He wanted you to know that he would take care of you, provide for you, and love you with everything he was worth.

Your voice broke Tartaglia out of his daydream. "Thank you for saving me... I guess this means we're even huh." You kicked a rock along the path and watched it bounce in front of you.

Tartaglia smiled slightly. "It was never about that." As his soft words reached your ears you lifted your head giving him a clear view of the confusion on your face.

"Everything I've done wasn't an effort to repay you... It's because I want to be with you."

Tartaglia clarified. He was laying bare his inner thoughts for you to understand.

He watched your face morph into utter shock as you mumbled his statement back at him

"You... want to be with me...." Your voice trailed off as the realisation really began to set in. The true meaning behind his actions washed over you as he spoke his next words.

"You don't have to give an answer right now. But I plan to court you until you tell me to stop."

...

You were in absolute shock as Tartaglia let you in on his innermost thoughts. He had been courting you the whole time and that reality was only just now sinking in.

"I want to be with you."

"I plan to court you..."

He was in love with you. You felt a warm feeling wash over you at his confession. A smile was pulling at your cheeks and you couldn't stop it if you tried. How could a few words make your entire body feel so tingly? Was this what people meant when they talked about butterflies in their stomachs? It must have been. What shocked you almost more than his words was how delighted they made you feel. Maybe Anya was right.