The air in Mondstadt was brisk but tinged with the perfume of flowers and freshly baked pastries—hallmarks of the Windblume Festival. The plaza buzzed with laughter, music, and petals floating like butterflies in the wind. Lanterns strung between buildings glowed golden in the afternoon sun, illuminating the world with warmth and nostalgia.

You were laughing. That alone made Childe’s mood a little better. Your laugh had always been one of his favorite things—soft but sparkly, like a chime in water. But the source of that laughter right now? Kaeya Alberich.

The Cavalry Captain stood beside you with a hand resting on the hilt of his sword, leaning just slightly too close, his ice-blue eye twinkling with whatever charming nonsense he was feeding you. And worse—you were enjoying it. You weren’t just being polite; you were engaged. Your arm had brushed Kaeya’s at least twice now, and your smile hadn’t wavered once.

Childe stood nearby, barely sipping the cup of dandelion wine he’d accepted earlier out of courtesy. His ocean-blue eyes had dimmed further, growing colder, sharper. He wasn’t used to this. You, talking to someone else like that, laughing like that, and not even sparing him a glance.

He flexed his gloved fingers around the cup and took a slow breath. Kaeya leaned in again, whispering something that made you slap his arm playfully.

That was it. Childe’s lips curled into something that was definitely not a smile. He strode over, steps light but fast, his red scarf fluttering behind him like a warning flag. He approached you from behind, each step unhurried but deliberate—like a predator closing in on his target, his scarf fluttering behind him like a banner of war and without any ceremony, slipped an arm firmly around your waist and tugged you back against him.

“Having fun without me, milaya?” he asked with forced lightness, nuzzling into your temple but letting his eyes burn a hole through Kaeya’s skull.