Summary: You and Childe begin to bond in a feeling of something you both desire, being wanted.
Scaramouche is having a harder time getting over you than he thought, so someone has to pay the price. How about one of your friends?
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Scaramouche sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
The office of the Northland bank was surprisingly quite, it was weird to be alone and without your presence.
Closing his eyes he tried to remain calm but then he thought of what he had witnessed earlier. It was you.... And Childe. He was sure of it.
Why were you two hanging out of all a sudden? Not that Scaramouche cared of course, why would he? A random stranger hanging with his fellow Harbinger? Good for him he guessed
But the way Childe was holding your hand, the way he dragged you along with no respect... it angered Scaramouche. It was only a moment he spotted you and Childe further into the crowd before you both disappeared and he wondered if you wanted to see him. Scaramouche wouldn't lie, he missed you. He wanted to see you
"What am I doing...?" Scaramouche whispered to himself and opened his bloodshot eyes from the lack of sleep
He shouldn't be feeling this way... he needed to be a normal once more. A proper Harbinger once more
And yet.... His heart raced at the thought of talking to you once more, to see you smile.
"Damn it!" Yelling in frustration the Harbinger swatted the paperwork he had been working on to the side and crumpled up whatever was left. Scaramouche heaved in anger and irritation as he stood above the mess he created. It was difficult to catch his breath as his eyes snapped over the room, he needed to kill something. Anything to appease this feeling he was feeling deep down, he recognized it as jealousy. Scaramouche didn't feel it often as he could really give less of a shit for whatever someone else had. But you.... You were all he wanted.
When he heard some of the lower ranks of the Fatui scramble to check on him down the hall he sneered. If this had been a real emergency they would have been too late. It was a good think that his power was incomparable and superior. He role of Harbinger showed in battle
"One of you get your asses in here and clean this up!"
A strangled weak "Yes sir!" Sounded from behind the door as Scaramouche purposely used his hand to swat more onto the floor and smirked "All of it, I want it spick and span."
Then he had an idea, but he would have to return to his camp to initiate it. He needed a hawk eye to keep a good watch on you two, how wonderful that one of his men was very good at that. So Scaramouche kicked his way passed the poor lower rank Fatui member kneeled scrambling to pick up the papers of the mess He created.
-
Childe closed his eyes and pushed you further onto the couch as he continued to entangle his lips with yours. How weird this felt, yet how soft your lips felt against his. He almost liked it
Humming against your lips the Harbinger tried to pull away but you entangled your fingers into his hair and pulled him closer. With a surprised sound he allowed you and let out a soft groan when you pulled
softly. Childe and Scaramouche really were alike sometimes
With a smirk Childe's hand snuck up your shirt and stopped right above Scaramouche's marking on your hip. He rubbed it softly with his index finger and you shuddered at the contact
Childe pulled his lips away and sighed a husky sigh "That definitely felt different, felt nice."
He brought his bright blue eyes down your body below him on the couch "I thank you comrade for helping me, may we do it again however?"
Like a touch starved idiot you nodded rapidly and Childe threw himself back onto you, instead attacking your neck with his lips. He would occasionally slide his tongue along where he would nip softly and whispered things in another language. You guessed Snezhnayan
When you tried to ask what it meant he would only smirk and tell you "Don't worry, it doesn't even matter."
Wrapping your arms around Childe you let out a soft moan when he began to grind against you with just the right pace, not too fast but rightfully slow.
He chuckled "Careful now comrade, more noises like that and I won't be able to control myself with you." He stopped his kisses and instead placed his lips on your ear and blew gently, it tickled "Or is that what you want?"
Is that what you wanted? You couldn't tell with your mind being a scrambled mess. His hips were moving delightfully slow and just right, in fact your mind was fuzzy. You couldn't tell if this was what you wanted, if you wanted Childe to have his way with you. The way his hands and lips danced all over body made you feel warm and delightful. The idea of being wanted again made you dizzy with your heart fluttering
This was a dangerous game you both were playing, but after some thought you changed your mind
"Childe...?"
He stopped his kisses once more and pulled away to make eye contact "Hmm?"
Your hands tightened their grip on his neck, pulling his face closer to yours "I feel.... I feel like this wrong. It kinda just feels like I'm doing this because I miss Scaramouche."
It was quiet for a moment and Childe picked himself up and off your chest, his eyes lowered themselves to the floor and he hummed in agreement. Your hand began to fiddle with the fabric of your shirt
The Harbinger above you licked his lips and nodded "It is wrong, I'm just doing it because I have never felt this with someone before. I shouldn't use you like this. Not when you're still hurting."
For a moment you could have sworn you saw pity in his eyes, they almost had a glimmer of something lifelike. His sharp blue eyes landed on your hand fiddling and he reached out to hold it still "Hey calm down, it's alright. This is my fault, I shouldn't have pushed you like this. I-" he cut himself short and adjusted awkwardly "Im sorry."
The Harbinger above you lifted himself completely and sighed while throwing himself lazily onto the couch. His orange hair fell messily all over his face and eyes were now pinched shut in what you guessed was frustration. You however had to shake off the shock of a Harbinger apologizing so easily and genuinely to you. Scaramouche could never
"Thank you Childe."
One eye opened to gaze at you questioningly "Hmm? What for?"
Shrugging your shoulders you awkwardly crawled to the other side of the couch and leaned your head on his chest "For helping me take my mind off him, even if it was in a weird way."
Childe smiled barely "Yeah I guess I could have done that in a much better way huh? But no problem I guess."
Then it was silent again, the tension hung in the air from the situation that took place only a few moments ago. Both of you just sat there in that silence and you could hear Childe's heartbeat in it. His heart was very calm and much different compared to Scaramouche's.
Shaking your head softly you tried to remove your thoughts from that man, you shouldn't be thinking about him. He caused you nothing but pain, but that was hard to remember sometimes.
Childe allowed one his arms to move and lazily dangle over your shoulder as he pulled you closer to him. His legs were man spreading and everything about his usually professional up tight posture was out the window. He was very relaxed and lazy right now, comfortable with you
Although it was silent it wasn't awkward in any way, you finger ran smooth circles over his hydro vision in curiosity. It was so beautiful now that you could see it up close, so peaceful looking despite what it was always used for.
"Interested in my vision huh?" Childe finally broke the silence and you nodded "Is there anything you wanna know about it?"
Vision holders always did kind of interest you, it was bizarre to receive a gift from a god.
"It's hydro...." You whispered and Childe huffed sarcastically "Wow, Good observation comrade. Also that was a obvious statement not a question."
Playfully smacking his thigh you laughed shortly "I know! But did you want hydro? Did the Tsarista give it to you? Oh wait do I have to pay for these questions? Nevermind I don't want to know anyw-"
When you tried to pick yourself up off his body Childe laughed and wrapped his arms around you to easily bring you back to him. "Easy there! These questions do not require payment, in fact I'm glad you asked."
"You are?" You questioned with a confused face and Childe smiled at your expression "Why not? I don't often get the pleasure of company that isn't another Fatui. So let start with your first question comrade and perhaps I can make us some pancakes."
"For dinner?" You asked and Childe frowned
"Oh shush, now hydro....."
-
Scaramouche had enough of whatever feeling was keeping him back. It had caused him to kill one of his own men already within the camp, his anger a lot more evident.
Two Anemoboxer vanguards carried away the corpse of the poor pyroslinger who had met the wrath of Scaramouche's mood. Failure was not tolerated and lord forbid it was as simple as something that was assigned.
Scaramouche rolled his eyes and flicked his hand forward "Make sure to bring his weapon back you two, the man may have been a failure but his weapon can still be put to good use. Now go."
Nodding the two hesitantly but pulled his body further away from the Harbingers camp. The angered Harbinger headed back into the flaps of his tent before taking what final look back at the once trio who now was just a duo become smaller and smaller until gone. The trio would be once more when a new pyroslinger would arrive but that isn't what peaked Scaramouche's interest. His interest lied in where he knew the trio from..... it was them wasn't it? The ones you had befriended, the ones he saw you talking to that one night at the campfire.
Oh well, you weren't here now. Didn't matter and Scaramouche didn't care. Why would he?
-
"He didn't deserve this," The first Anemoboxer vanguard spoke within the silence. "It wasn't a failure-"
"I know, lord Scaramouche considered it one however. The worst Harbinger to be assigned to," the second vanguard looked down at his ally's- no friend's corpse. The smell of electro bled into the air from the pyroslinger's body despite being dragged quite a distance on the dirt. It also made him gag "And the worst Harbinger to meet your end to."
The first vanguard nodded and silence filled the air again. Only the sound of the body begging dragged and the heavy footsteps of the now duo sounded out into the air. Although they were all assigned to one another Fatui Skirmishers stuck together, they were the only sane and emotional strengths they had left within the Fatui ranks. They only had each other
"I think this is far enough, we should give him a proper burial, he was a good man."
The other vanguard nodded "That he was. Never missed his shots, covered us, and always ensured the job was done. Damn lord Scaramouche, he did what he was assigned."
The second vanguard nodded now in agreement "Lord Scaramouche just didn't like the answer he clearly asked for, why do we have to middle of Harbinger's business?!"
"I don't know."
Quickly they dug a grave that would just be big enough for the corpse, they would have to hurry back to camp or Scaramouche would ensure their corpses would join their once ally. Lowering in the body gently both vanguards said what few words time would allow them for their friend. The pyroslinger deserved to be buried with his weapon, he was gifted with it. However Lord Scaramouche had made his point clear, they would have to take it back for another pyroslinger who would be arriving in days time to replace him.
Filling the grave with dirt the duo began to walk back in the direction of the camp. A short funeral but hopefully it was enough for the pyroslinger to pass in what peace he had left. The rifle in one's hand.
"I don't blame her for his death." One spoke within the silence as they paced back with speed. After all it was much easier without having to drag a corpse behind you.
The second vanguard stayed silent so the first continued "Y/N had the choice to move on, it's lord Scaramouche's fault, his fault that he couldn't move on."
"But she was foolish enough to fraternize with Lord Childe in public! And Lord Scaramouche SAW!" The second finally spoke "Tell me that's not idiotic?! Lord Scaramouche and Childe are already at each other's necks enough! If they can't kill each other out of anger this will keep happening!" He gestured back in the direction of where the pyroslinger was now buried "They'll start killing their men more and more to saturate that blood lust! Now don't get me wrong, I don't hate Y/N for his death. She gave us mercy when she could have got us killed, we could have lost our friend and our lives much earlier."
The first vanguard sighed, he would have to agree, this wasn't the best situation to be in. Any lower ranked Fatui under lord Scaramouche and Childe were going to have their lives on the line if they both took a liking to you, mostly Scaramouche's men. Lucky for them right?
Once the two were back in the camp Scaramouche was surprisingly waiting for them. However he was only interested in the one holding the rifle, so he dismissed the other. Hesitantly the Anemoboxer Vanguard walked up to his higher up alone and held the rifle for him to take.
Scaramouche picked it up gently from his hands and held it delicately, running his fingers across the barrel. The vanguard sweated while holding his posture of at attention within the presence of his Harbinger, it was silent.
"Was there any trouble with the body?" Scaramouche asked without taking his attention off the rifle
"No sir, none."
"Good." Scaramouche replied curtly and finally brought his eyes to the Vanguard. "A shame for your.... Friends failure. He was a good shot."
The vanguard hated how mocking the tone of "friend" was off the Harbinger's tongue
"That he was sir."
Scaramouche hummed and brought the rifle's barrel to rest on his shoulder, the weight wasn't too bad but it definitely was evident.
"All he had to do was give me a report of Y/N and Childe, how hard is that? He had a rifle for Archon's sake!" Scaramouche hissed and the vanguard held his tongue while shifting uncomfortably. Was that a rhetorical question? was his lord truly asking him that? It was hard to tell
"My lord he could not step further into Liyue or he would be visible. Something you ordered him not to be, he brought a report back. You received what you asked for-" The vanguard attempted
"No excuses! I deemed it a failure and so it is. And it costed the fool's life. Are you trying to tell a Harbinger what is right and wrong?!" Scaramouche's eye twitched in annoyance, was this sack of shit really talking back to him? How brave, yet foolish.
Today was not the day to anger him, and Scaramouche smirked. It seemed he would have to request for a new Anemoboxer Vanguard as well as a new pyroslinger in his report. Oh how sad how the trio of your friends fell