— Pairing: Childe/ Tartaglia/ Ajax x Reader
— Tags: fluff, soft, short
— Summary: You enjoyed ice skating with Childe and his little friends in Snezhnaya.
— Word count: 861
— Anonymous request
— Ao3
“Hey, comrade!”
That familiar voice could be heard from inside the crowd. In the bustle, the orange-haired man stood out. You recognized him right away since he was quite tall and easily spotted.
“Ajax!”
You motioned with your hand. He instantly approached you and grabbed your wrist, drawing you away from the raucous crowd enjoying the festivities.
“Y/N! I’ve found you!”
"Sorry. I nearly got lost..." You reacted with a gasp. Ajax had invited you to his hometown of Snezhnaya for the holidays. The location was buzzing just in time for the end-of-year holiday season.
"I should have picked you up earlier. I've been quite busy. Please don't be upset with me."
Your cheeks and nose reddened as you shook your head slightly. How could you blame Ajax when just being here with him made you feel like you were on cloud nine?
"Let's get going. I'll take you to this spot."
Ajax suggested. He extended his hand in front of you, and you timidly took it.
It was not the first time you'd held his hand, but the way everyone on the street glanced at you made you feel self-conscious. Ajax was well-known in Snezhnaya, where he was a Harbinger as well as an attractive young man. This was also the first time you both had openly shared your love to the public.
Ajax saw your reaction and gently squeezed his hand, leading you to look up at him. He was grinning.
Ajax led you to a densely frozen lake. There were a lot of people skating there, but it was not as packed as the street where you were earlier. You were relieved since all you wanted was more time alone with Ajax. It had been a long time since you had been that close to him. Long-distance love caused people to miss each other terribly.
"Do you know how to skate?"
Looking out at the lake, you nodded halfway then shook your head.
"Haha!" Ajax burst up laughing. "Don't worry, I'll lead you."
You reached the lake following Ajax. A skate rental counter was present. When Ajax arrived, the counter owner greeted him and remarked, " When Ajax arrived, the counter owner greeted him and remarked,
"Mr. Tartaglia! Your skates have been prepared at your request."
Ajax cheerfully nodded to the owner before accepting two sets of white skates, one large and one small.
You never gave him your shoe size, yet the ones Ajax had prepared for you fit perfectly. Ajax knelt down to help you put on your skates.
“I-I can do it myself…”
Ajax only grinned at you, as if to urge you to leave it to him. You sat there awkwardly watching Ajax adjust your shoelaces.
"Thank you..." You mumbled shyly.
He put on his skates after assisting you with yours. Then he drove you to the rink. It was dark, but thanks to the multitude of lights set around the lake's surface, you could see things clearly.
"C'mon. Let's go." Ajax leaned out and took your hand in his. He gently drew you both onto the ice. While you were anxious, he reassured you:
"I've got your hands, always. I'm not going to let you fall, alright?"
You cracked a grin. Of course, you had complete faith in him. It was only that you were always wary of your clumsy legs. You stumbled on the ice, holding onto Ajax to prevent yourself from falling. He was extraordinary, like a skillful skater; he held you and glided around the rink, leaving flawless cuts on the ice.
When he saw your clumsiness, Ajax was smug, because you needed him then more than ever. He extended his hand for you to take and added:
“Watch closely and follow me. Like this..."
Ajax showed you exactly how to balance and move properly on the ice. After about a half-hour, you were no longer as miserable as you had been and could slowly move around the lake by yourself.
Ajax allowed you practice on your own, but he kept a close eye on you. He soared over the icy lake as softly as he could, occasionally bending closer to cheer you up or direct you. Then, from afar, a group of kids arrived. They began teasing you.
“Mr. Tartaglia! Your friend doesn’t know how to skate!”
“So clumsy over there.”
Ajax said softly to the children:
"Don’t make fun of my very important person, you understand? Remember when you didn't even know how to skate and wanted me to teach you?"
When they heard this, they laughed and said:
"We apologize. It's now our job to support your important person, okay?"
Ajax nodded in approval. One little girl seized your hand, while the other was held by a boy. The youngsters gathered you and gently drew you away.
"Thank you very much!" You could not disguise your excitement and said. Ajax was extremely popular among children. How warm you felt just thinking about it!
Ajax stood there watching the kids play with you, saying loudly to them, "If you bully my comrade, I'll make sure each and every one of you gets your sentence, got it?"
-The End-
