coming back after a long journey
would never let himself show outright how much he missed you, even if he had truly been longing for your presence in the past few days counting down to the date of your return—that's his pride, as childish as that sounded.
so he did what he does best—taunt you.
childe chuckled when he spotted you dashing to his direction, uncaring of the attention you were beginning to attract due to your strange behavior. he found that a little cute, admittedly.
“aww, did you miss me that much, [name]? you look excited to see m- oof-”
his cooing came to a halt when you leapt into his arms, paying no heed to his teasing. his arms instinctively wrapped around your waist to carry your weight, blue eyes widened in (pleasant surprise), and he surely wasn't mistaken when he heard you sigh in satisfaction.
“i'm home,” you muttered into his ear, blissfully oblivious to the red hue coloring his cheeks since you buried your face into his neck, and he was terribly grateful for it.
the small remark sparked something in him, a wonderful mix of relief and joy, and he relented, peeling off his mask of composure.
“welcome back,” he replied, tone light and loving as he tightened his embrace—sure to not let go anytime soon, even if you had pleaded him for it.
diluc paced back and forth right in the middle of mondstadt's entrance, restless for your much awaited arrival. you came later than he expected, and despite his insistence to not think about it too deeply, the endless possibilities flooded through his brain regardless.
were you interrupted with something? the job was harder so you took more time to finish it? or were you perhaps...
he cut off that line of thought; he knew better than anyone you were stronger than you looked.
still, that didn't dull the sharp prick of worry seeping into his gut. strong as you were, by any chance your opponent was stronger, then-
his head shot up in alarm, hurriedly searching for the source of your voice—and there you were, with a large smile on your face, waving at him excitedly.
you were undeniably disheveled, dirt marring your skin and clothes torn at the edges.
yet you were just as beautiful as he remembered.
without wasting time to think, he sped towards you, earning curious glances of nearby townspeople. you giggled at his fast reaction, meaning to open your mouth to say your greetings, but he had pulled you into his chest and sealed your lips with his before then.
the gasp that followed wasn't only yours; the onlookers were visibly shocked by the brave display of affection coming from your lover. diluc was a private person who kept his personal affairs to himself, and this might had been the first time they've seen him act so... vulnerable.
“d-diluc?” you called out when you parted lips, immediately crushed to a tight hug right after.
“sorry,” he murmured, relishing in your warmth. “just a little longer. please.”
it was the first time you had ventured so far beyond liyue, so you expected xiao to be a little worried about you, if not very anxious—he should be at least slightly distressed from your short leave, right?
but that didn't seem to be the case, you realized once you stepped back into your hometown.
“you're back,” xiao stated matter-of-factly, lacking any traces of relief in both his expression and his voice. the indifference made your heart clench painfully, but you dared not to let it show and instead displayed an innocent smile.
even he could tell something was wrong with your lackluster response. he opened his mouth, hesitant, but then he heard loud footfalls quickly rushing near you, and he was forced to vanish in a instant, in fear of being seen.
“welcome back, [name]!” the townspeople greeted warmly, much unlike your boyfriend, and you felt hurt all over again.
still, you put up a cheerful front. “i'm back!”
thus, you received an invitation to have lunch with everyone. you couldn't find a reasonable excuse to refuse, so you complied, thinking it would be a harmless offer.
oh, how wrong you were. you kept being pulled back in whenever you tried to leave, because they all wanted to talk to you regarding your recent travels.
you were getting more nervous with each passing second. was it really alright to ignore your lover for this long? though you did enjoy spending time with everyone else, you wanted to see him again.
“hey, it's getting late. could i... leave early? i'm really exhausted,” you said, smiling apologetically at your neighbors while you fumbled with your fingers.
“of course, of course! it's only natural to be tired after a journey. sorry for holding you up.”
“come to my home when you're well-rested, okay? i want to hear about everything you did!”
“see you later!” you waved at them farewell before hurriedly rushing to your home, where you assumed xiao would be.
“hm? he's not here... maybe he'll visit later?” you mumbled, looking around the empty house. “might as well clean this place before then.”
you took off your shoes, starting to take off your garments to change into new clothes, when a sudden force knocked you into your bed.
you landed softly with a small groan, cracking an eye open to assess your surroundings. you were met with the sight of xiao himself, sharp amber eyes gleaming under the dim lighting of your room.
“you're late,” he remarked, in the same tone he's always used, but now it had some bite to it. he had his elbows propped up on either side of your head to keep himself upright, hovering above your body with an air of authority, and making you rather... nervous under his gaze.
you blinked, unsure of where to put your hands. “oh... yes, that's because... they really didn't want me to leave...” you brokenly replied, flustered at the close proximity between your faces. “um... sorry?”
that didn't seem to be the answer he wanted to hear.
his eye twitched, narrowing in distaste, and his lips were pressed firmly into a deep frown. it was notably more expressive than the face he makes on default, and you wondered if he was genuinely upset.
why would he be? he seemed perfectly fine earlier that afternoon.
“uh... i brought some food with me from the place i came from?” you suggested, thinking it could improve his souring mood. you gently placed a hand on his chest to push him away so you could sit up. “let me just go get it-”
he pushed you back down, inching even closer than last time. releasing an embarrassing squeak, you attempted to shuffle away, but his steely glare stopped you from doing so. you were a hair's breadth away from each other, and the thought made you flush to a deep red hue.
“you returned later than you said you would,” he practically growled, grabbing the hand you laid on his chest.
indeed, you took three more days than your expected arrival. “o-oh... i'm really sorry about that...?”
his glare hardened even more. “and you took so long outside.”
“...that is...” you avoided his eyes, goosebumps littering your flesh. somehow, you felt the need to cover up despite being fully clothed. “true...”
“so, then...” he ran his hand through your hair, tilting your head to make you stare at him directly. “do you plan on making me wait longer?”
“w-wait longer- that's-” you stammered, feeling a sense of foreboding. “w-what does that mean...?”
“it means,” he huffed exasperatedly, “because you made me wait, you're not getting away until i'm satisfied.”
he swallowed your gasp with a kiss, leaving you breathless under his mercy.
and such was the start of his onslaught of kisses, greedy and insatiable, and safe to say he wouldn't let you go soon.
...at least now you knew you were sorely missed?
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