[if you give a mouse a cookie? if you grant a harbinger one (1) kiss. childe certainly is a greedy little thing, always eager to see just how far he can push the boundaries, just how much he can get away—and kaeya can't help but to be genuinely amused by it. it's always fun when someone is willing to play their (ridiculous) part. even as kaeya remains aware of the ever-present danger lurking beneath that playful façade, he finds himself leaning forward once more, not even bothering to hide his amused exhale as he closes the gap between them.]
How generous. I do hate to disappoint—
[and surely childe expects kaeya to stop just shy of kissing distance? surely childe expects kaeya's smile to shift from smug to perfectly Pleasant, because childe set this up so well; it would be a shame for kaeya to ignore the opportunity.]
—so I'll be sure to prepare myself for the next time we meet.
[no, kaeya isn't swayed in the slightest by the sight of those empty hands. c'mon.]
[ to childe's credit, he remains still as kaeya draws near. perhaps he's finally starting to understand the rules of engagement with kaeya; more likely, he wants to prove a point.
nonetheless, when kaeya puts on his Customer Service face again, childe can't help the flicker of disappointment. it's not about the absence of a kiss - or, that is, it isn't only about the absence of a kiss.
childe's spent so much time sharpening his edges that he's forgotten, in fragment after fragment, how fulfilling the warmth of another body feels. not writhing in pain or fury. simply existing in the same space, trading words instead of blades. of course he has ulterior motives. but they're his own, with no bearing upon the gods and heroes of a foreign land.
he nudges the sword of wyvern bone in kaeya's direction. ]
Of course.
[ of course, he says, like he hadn't been staring at kaeya's mouth a second earlier. ]
Know that I'll hold you to that - perhaps at swordpoint, if you'd enjoy that.
[ and, just like that back, he's returned to his preternatural cheer. ]
[to childe's credit, he handles disappointment well; kaeya is mildly impressed, especially as he watches childe fall back on an act that is obviously as well-practiced as his own. two fakers, sitting face-to-face... it's as fun as it is worrisome, but—]
I might, [kaeya says, slowly, as his smile turns somewhat more genuine.] You would.
[holding kaeya at swordpoint? being held at swordpoint? why not both? childe seems like that type of person—which, as kaeya allows his eye to slide down to childe's lips, kaeya must admit that he enjoys. it's boring to always come out on top, uncontested; it's far more fun to make plans and still remain unsure of their outcomes. a rare risk, these days.]
A spar, then. Next time. [his eye crawls back up to childe's, all as he presses his fingers to the flat of his new blade.] If I'm not mistaken, that's two gifts for you.
[ two fakers, sitting face-to-face; but this one has no qualms with wearing his heart on his sleeve. it beats like a heart, steady and true, but perhaps its weightier than any other. childe wouldn't mind if kaeya reached out and took it in hand.
it's how these things work — you swallow mouthfuls of gold, until you're coated in it. he'll kiss kaeya again, and perhaps press a blade to his throat, and each time he'll leave prints of his body for kaeya to keep. limned in gold, like a precious thing.
childe likes the smile kaeya wears now: it lacks in mirth but teems with something like honesty. he'd like to feel the shape of it against his own mouth. craning forward, deliberately does not demand another kiss. letting kaeya dictate the terms, this time. ]
Alright. Just us, the next time, without the incense interfering. I'll show you what the Abyss gave to me.
[ another flicker of a smile, childe reaching out to cover kaeya's hand with his own. his voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper, though their foreign setting makes it unnecessary. ]
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no subject
How generous. I do hate to disappoint—
[and surely childe expects kaeya to stop just shy of kissing distance? surely childe expects kaeya's smile to shift from smug to perfectly Pleasant, because childe set this up so well; it would be a shame for kaeya to ignore the opportunity.]
—so I'll be sure to prepare myself for the next time we meet.
[no, kaeya isn't swayed in the slightest by the sight of those empty hands. c'mon.]
A gift to look forward to, wouldn't you agree?
no subject
nonetheless, when kaeya puts on his Customer Service face again, childe can't help the flicker of disappointment. it's not about the absence of a kiss - or, that is, it isn't only about the absence of a kiss.
childe's spent so much time sharpening his edges that he's forgotten, in fragment after fragment, how fulfilling the warmth of another body feels. not writhing in pain or fury. simply existing in the same space, trading words instead of blades. of course he has ulterior motives. but they're his own, with no bearing upon the gods and heroes of a foreign land.
he nudges the sword of wyvern bone in kaeya's direction. ]
Of course.
[ of course, he says, like he hadn't been staring at kaeya's mouth a second earlier. ]
Know that I'll hold you to that - perhaps at swordpoint, if you'd enjoy that.
[ and, just like that back, he's returned to his preternatural cheer. ]
no subject
I might, [kaeya says, slowly, as his smile turns somewhat more genuine.] You would.
[holding kaeya at swordpoint? being held at swordpoint? why not both? childe seems like that type of person—which, as kaeya allows his eye to slide down to childe's lips, kaeya must admit that he enjoys. it's boring to always come out on top, uncontested; it's far more fun to make plans and still remain unsure of their outcomes. a rare risk, these days.]
A spar, then. Next time. [his eye crawls back up to childe's, all as he presses his fingers to the flat of his new blade.] If I'm not mistaken, that's two gifts for you.
[leaving empty-handed, kaeya's ass.]
no subject
it's how these things work — you swallow mouthfuls of gold, until you're coated in it. he'll kiss kaeya again, and perhaps press a blade to his throat, and each time he'll leave prints of his body for kaeya to keep. limned in gold, like a precious thing.
childe likes the smile kaeya wears now: it lacks in mirth but teems with something like honesty. he'd like to feel the shape of it against his own mouth. craning forward, deliberately does not demand another kiss. letting kaeya dictate the terms, this time. ]
Alright. Just us, the next time, without the incense interfering. I'll show you what the Abyss gave to me.
[ another flicker of a smile, childe reaching out to cover kaeya's hand with his own. his voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper, though their foreign setting makes it unnecessary. ]
Other than you, of course.