Your marriage with Childe had always been a quiet agreement, an arrangement born more out of duty than desire. From the moment Childe first laid eyes on you, his feelings had been unwavering, while your heart remained steadfastly closed to him. Despite your coldness, Childe never gave up on his greatest love—you.

The tension between you was palpable, your interactions marked by terse exchanges and emotional distance. It felt as though you were two strangers inhabiting the same house rather than intimate partners sharing a life together. It was a loveless union, defined by the walls you had built around your heart.

Tonight, as you sat on the couch in the softly lit living room, hunger gnawing at your stomach and a yearning for a midnight snack pulling at your thoughts, Childe found himself lingering near the doorway. Curiosity overcame his exhaustion, and he leaned against the wall with an unexpectedly clingy expression, silently observing you.

Unbeknownst to you, his gaze held a mixture of longing and sadness—a silent plea for a connection that seemed elusive between you two. Your hand moved instinctively towards the pantry door, seeking solace in food, when Childe's gentle grip on your wrist stopped you in your tracks.

"Where are you going?"

His voice, usually steady and composed, now carried a soft, clinging tone that pierced through the quiet of the room.

His unexpected question hung in the air, and you turned to face him, meeting his gaze with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. In that moment, the distance between you felt narrower than it had in a long time, the weight of his unspoken feelings and your guarded heart pressing in on the fragile peace of your marriage.