of the loved and the unloved

difference

it is now quickly running towards night-time. now being 1900 hours, he is walking side by side with childe towards wangshu inn. he hasn't visited the place in so long, considering he hasn't left mondstadt since he returned. liyue in itself (besides the roaming fatui and grief) has always been a good memory, and he's honestly excited to see the unique culture of liyue again.

"so... diluc.." childe broaches.

"what is it?"

"are you having fun?"

diluc takes a moment to think about his answer to this question. this day hasn't been as bad as he thought it would be, childe has made it a tiny bit pleasant. yet, his pride is shaking within his core to completely deny it. at the same time, diluc isn't stupid, praise should be given where it is due.

"it hasn't been terrible."

he momentarily regrets it when he realises what a brat he sounds like, until childe laughs sweetly. ugh, his laugh is starting to sound 'sweet'. it's horrible, and yet, he's starting to lose against tartaglia's allure. the man is just so unique. he wants to know why, and he feels a bit impulsive today, so he tries.

"childe."

"woah, you actually started a con—," he groans and coughs once elbowed to the stomach, the perpetrator sighing in disappointment. childe grips at his stomach, bent over as they continue walking. he grits out, "a-as you were saying."

"i'm pretty sure you realise how similar you are to kaeya, no?"

"hmmm..to most-- yes— i say we are pretty different, though."

diluc agrees. yet, he doesn't know why.

"i feel the same way. i just— i don't know why."

"hmm. then, let me explain." childe smiles as he looks up to the the sky, cheesily wondering if teucer was looking at the sky just like he currently was.

diluc listens with care, because it seems childe is confident with his hypothesis.

"when you look at your brother—,"

"he's not my brother."

oh.

diluc realises how rude that must've been, he quickly tries to recover; "i— i apologise. please continue."

childe bites at his lip, deciding to ask about what diluc just said later.

"when you look at kaeya, and he's smiling, do you think it's genuine?"

"no—most of the time. anyways."

childe snaps his fingers, as if he's made a revelation and points at him. "exactly."

he still doesn't get it; what does smiling have to do with this?  "i...don't understand."

"you see, my dear diluc. i've heard many describe me with the idiom—" he raises his hands for dramatic effect, spreading them apart like a rainbow, "wears his heart on his sleeve—,"

diluc's eyes widen in realization. the other sees this and smiles, the moment he gets it the floor is no longer of stone but of wood and they reach a clearing. the view astounds him, but not as much as the realisation as to why childe and kaeya are so phenomenally different.

childe is straightforward, open and sincere, albeit evil in his own ways. the knight, on the other hand wears a grin on the daily, similar to childe but he's mysterious, cunning.. someone that is hard to trust. you can never tell what kaeya is thinking, and childe tells you what he thinks. what he wants, what he needs, it's all out in the open for the world to see. he slams the scepter of his determination on the floor and let's his goals be revealed freely to the world, uncaring of society's opinions or judgments. he remembers childe saying, "it's not like everyone else is doing much better than me, you know?"

he hates that reticence is what seperate the two of them.

childe sees his downcast gaze and wraps an arm around diluc's shoulder, snapping him out of it. he blushes, this is the closest they've ever been, and he can't handle it.

"childe— let go—,"

the harbinger nods towards the view again, towards the beautiful night lamps and bridges and the gigantic tree-inn that stands in the middle of it all. it's beautiful, simply beautiful. "isn't it pretty? look, we can see wangshu inn from here."

the lanterns are beautiful, glowing yellow and sunset in the dark. before he can respond, a hand catches his and pulls him towards a tea parlor. the tea sommelier seems to brighten at the sight of childe, "pops zhou!! good evening!!"

"ah.. if it's isn't that troublemaker tartaglia, and it seems you've brought a friend this time, have you? welcome, welcome. have some tea. come, take a seat."