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Childe realizes, at some point, that Bennett reminds him of his brothers.
Not any one specific brother, though he sees a little of them in the things Bennett does on the odd occasion—Teucer’s childishness and his older brothers protectiveness. He’s like a brother, with his wide-eyed enthusiasm and sleeve tugging and near constant need to be sheltered from harm. That’s the only reason Childe took on as Bennett’s temporary companion—he’s too cute to be all alone when he can barely walk a hundred feet without tripping.
But Childe supposes that’s one thing he knows about Bennett for sure—the kid’s too cute, usually without trying.
“Childe!” Bennett shouts, rounding the bend of a hill, sporting about three new bruises and uncharacteristically windswept hair. “Look what I found!”
He’s holding some kind of trinket—the origin unimportant, especially considering Bennett didn’t make it himself, so Childe can’t bring himself to care. But he presents it with a heaving, excited chest, and starts to explain the mechanisms to Childe’s slight bewilderment and yet immediate fondness.
He leans close while Bennett is talking, resting his chin on top of his temporary companion’s head, smiling as Bennett talks with his hands, laughs his way through a few enthusiastic stutters.
“—and it almost exploded but—Childe?”
“Hm?” Childe asks, leaning away from Bennett’s fluffy little locks, watching as Bennett tips his head back with a pout, eyes catching the fading afternoon light. Archons, the sun looks pretty in his eyes. “What’s wrong, firefly?”
Bennett pouts, the hands supporting his little device falling gently. “You’re not listening,” he mumbles, and Childe can’t help it, laughing quietly and pressing closer, just to wind his arms around Bennett’s trim little waist. “I’m listening,” he assures, and noses gently at Bennett’s hair. “I am a little distracted, though.” Bennett squirms like Childe is tickling him, wiggling in the arms secured around his waist. “Have I ever told you how much you remind me of my brothers?”
“Oh!” Bennett says brightly, swayed and appeased just like that. He’s got a little pink flush crawling across his nose that Childe thinks about chasing with his fingers. “That’s a compliment, right? They must be good people, just like you!”
They’re better people than him for sure, though Bennett has created this notion that Childe hung the stars in the sky. It’s refreshing, especially considering the way his fellow Harbingers treat him.
“Sure,” Childe says anyway, giving Bennett a squeeze he hopes calms his mind. He’s easier to please than a sunflower, squeaking adorably when Childe lifts him off of his feet for a moment, relaxing back against Childe’s chest the second his feet are back on the ground. “I love my brothers,” he says, and presses close. “We take care of each other.”
“That’s so cool,” Bennett coos, clutching his little ball of bronze and wires against his chest. “Just like you take care of me.”
“Just like I take care of you,” Childe says with a smile, pausing for the moment before he presses a sweet little kiss to the crown of Bennett’s hair. He smells like dying embers and fresh grass, and Childe buries his nose in his hair for the moment before he steps away, fingers lingering on Bennett’s shoulders. “Come on,” he urges, and pushes Bennett a few steps back the way he came. “Show me where you found that little toy.”
--
Childe fucking hates camping. Knows how to, sure, understands that it’s necessary, sure, but those things never equated to an actual fondness for sleeping under the stars.
Not until Bennett, at least. Bennett, who gets so excited when Childe says they should probably turn in that his vision flares, Bennett who rambles and raves about how good he is at starting campfire, “Really, Childe, it’s so helpful! If anyone has ever complained about me as a companion it’s never been my fire-starting skills—”
Bennett is absolutely going to be the death of him. Childe is pitching a fucking tent.
Childe hunts them dinner—he’d let Bennett do it, but trial and error has clearly shown he can hunt about as well as he can do most luck reliant things—so they eat a very fresh dinner in front of a vision-fueled campfire, and Childe smiles and laughs as Bennett talks, urging him to keep going when Bennett blushes, says he’s been rambling too much.
“You know,” he starts at one point, when the fire is beginning to wane, and Childe’s eyelids are feeling heavy. Bennett is still as wild as ever, leaned back on his hands at Childe’s side, left leg bouncing, cheeks softened by their campfire. “I never… um… had any siblings.”
“Really?” Childe asks on a yawn. “While it’s certainly got it’s perks, I don’t know that I’d recommend it.”
Bennett’s cheeks flare a deep red in the dying light, his hand reaching up to scratch awkwardly at the bandage slicing down his chin. “Well, just, um, because of what you said before! About me reminding you of your brothers. A-and taking care of them.” He shrugs, turns his face away from Childe’s always prying eyes. “I dunno. I t-thought it be cool if—I mean—If I had siblings… like that…”
“Oh,” Childe says, and leans back on his hands. He tips his head to the side, grinning suddenly as Bennett curls a little tighter in on himself. “Sweet Benny,” Childe coos, and Bennett jolts like a startled kitten. “Do you want me to be your big brother?”
“T-that’s not what I said!” Bennett protests, his face an embarrassed red, his arms squeezing around his knees. “I just—I mean—I liked it when y-you said that, but you already have brothers—”
“Brothers who are very far away, and not nearly as cute as my favorite misfortunate little fire starter.” Childe thinks, glances up. “Maybe don’t tell Teucer I said that if you ever meet him. But I mean it,” he says, and leans closer, a hand falling to Bennett’s side, the other cupping Bennett’s burning cheek. “Do you want to call me big brother, Bennett?”
“M-maybe!” Bennett squeaks, his eyes winching shut.
“Go ahead,” Childe says, tilting Bennett’s face this way and that just to see him jump with every tiny movement. “I don’t mind.”
Bennett squirms in place, huffing when Childe squishes his cheeks and thinks privately about licking the freckles dusted across his nose, deeper after a day in the sun. “This is embarrassing,” Bennett says, eyes still squeezed closed.
“Here, try this,” Childe says, and tips Bennett’s chin down. “Open your eyes,” he says, and Bennett flutters his eyes slowly, green like sour apples, green like fresh grass. “Good. If I do it first, will that make you feel better?”
Bennett shivers a little, and then presses his lips together, thinking, before he nods. “Yes, please.”
“You’ve certainly better manners than my brothers,” Childe laughs, and then leans forward, kisses Bennett on the blushing tip of his nose. “Little brother.”
“Ah,” Bennett gasps, breathy and beautiful. “C-Childe—”
Childe shushes him gently, leans closer, nudges his nose against Bennett’s. When he used to do this with his siblings, they were so young it barely carried any meaning, but now Childe can feel Bennett’s breath puffing against his lips, the hesitation with which Bennett nuzzles back with the sweetest little whimper. “Big brother,” Childe instructs gently.
“B-big—” Bennett says breathily. “Big brother.”
“Good boy, Benny,” Childe says, and ignores the way Bennett’s arms squeeze around his knees. Well, maybe not ignores. Files away for future reference. “It’s my job to take care of you now, alright? You’ll be nice and safe with me.”
“O-okay,” Bennett says, clearly too nervous to ask for a kiss. A kiss Childe would give easily, if Bennett weren’t so fun to tease.
“Come now, little brother,” Childe purrs, and stands, leaving Bennett wide eyed and confused. “Time to get to bed.”
“Fine,” Bennett grumbles, scampering to his feet, tripping for a moment and careening into Childe’s waiting arms.
“Careful,” he admonishes gently, and watches Bennett’s eyes widen, and then soften with affection, clearly unexpecting to be caught. “I’ve got you, right?”
“Right,” Bennett says, and squeezes his arms. And then Bennett’s face breaks into a gorgeous, cloud parting smile, brighter than the sun and sweeter than candy. “Thank you, big brother.”
--
And of course, of course Bennett gets hurt.
They get hurt all the time, slipping down too sharp cliffs, missing steps in fights. Childe has never really struggled with common enemies before Bennett, but as much as he loves Bennett, he can be as much of a liability as he is an asset.
But Childe watches Bennett go down hard against a few treasure hoarders, breathing a little too hard, wincing when he tries to stand. And Childe feels bad, sure, but he sees a little blip of opprotunity too. Something to get Bennett to trust him a little deeper rely on him a little more.
“C-Childe—!” Bennett cries, clutching his bad side, the smarting rip against his thigh. “Big brother—help, h-help—”
And Childe grins, takes a few steps forward, and knows he’s got nothing to worry about.
--
You know, for once, Childe would consider Bennett lucky. Lucky he’s with Childe, lucky he has enough money on him to pay for a room at the Wangshu Inn, because his precious, perfect little Benny is hurt, and Childe has to take care of him, doesn’t he?
“There’s only one bed!” Bennett announces, squirming as Childe treats his more pressing wounds, turning to bandaging tiny scrapes on his legs afterwards, pinching Bennett’s cheeks when he starts to get restless.
“I’m not made of money, firefly,” Childe lies, standing up from his position on the floor to press the back of his hand to Bennett’s forehead. “Are you still feeling alright? That was a nasty fall.”
“I’m fine!” Bennett insists, though he’s turning an adorable pink. He squirms again, and Childe presses a knee beside Bennett’s hip, boxing him in. “You’re fussing,” he grumbles, and bats at Childe’s hands when they reach for his shoulders ready to soothe and grope in equal parts—what Bennett doesn’t know won’t kill him.
“Is it so bad for me to be worried about my precious little brother?”
And Bennett’s eyes brighten and his whole face lights up. If the poor boy had a tail, Childe knows it would be wagging. “You still don’t have to—”
“Benny, Benny,” Childe admonished, and reaches over, hauls and flips Bennett squirming and yelping into his lap. “It’s my job to take care of you, isn’t it?”
“W-well, yeah—" Bennett murmurs, twiddling his thumbs at his stomach. “B-big brother Childe.”
“That’s a good boy,” Childe says, and leans forward, kisses Bennett on the cheek, laughing when Bennett’s soft face squishes against his lips. “I’m gonna take care of you, okay? Leave it all to your big brother.”
Bennett flinches, and then nods, sitting quiet and still as Childe carefully inspects the rest of his face for any injuries. Every section that’s clear gets a kiss, from his forehead to the tip of his nose, to Bennett’s blushing ears and the corner of his mouth. Bennett relaxes with each one, though the closer Childe gets to his mouth, the louder his breath comes, his hands squeezing and relaxing on Childe’s shoulders in bursts.
“Okay?” Childe asks gently, soothing his palms over Bennett’s thighs.
“Mhm,” Bennett says gently, nodding. He swallows, and then tips his head down, not quite meeting Childe’s eye. “Can I have another kiss, please?”
“Oh, firefly,” Childe purrs, tracing his fingers up Bennett’s neck to tilt his chin up, meet that bright gaze head on. “It’s not good for your big brother to kiss you, don’t you know?”
“B-but we’re not—” Bennett starts, before curling his fingers into the front of Childes shirt. “Please, b-big brother? It’s okay if it’s you, right?”
Bennett is cute enough to eat, blushing bright and too scared to meet Childe’s eye again, shivering gently when Childe swipes his thumb over the boy’s bottom lip. As much as he wants to—he’s wanted to eat Bennett whole from day one—he’s just too fun to tease.
“Only if you promise,” Childe whispers, leaning close and nudging his nose against Bennett’s again, light and sweet. “Promise you’ll listen to what your big brother has to say? I’ve got to take care of you, right?”
“Yes, big brother,” Bennett breathes, eyes fluttering closed. “Please take care of me.”
Bennett is such a sweet little thing, Childe feels wolfish just looking at him, licking his lips as Bennett parts his lips for his so sweetly begged kiss. And who is he to say no to his adorable, precious little brother?
Bennett’s lips are soft and thin, his poor little frame trembling as Childe kisses him gently, once, twice, taking hold of Bennett’s waist before he leans in again, bites just barely at Bennett’s bottom lip. And Bennett gasps quietly, squirming in Childe’s lap, making his stomach flip and drop when his thighs squeeze closed.
“Hold still, Benny,” Childe says softly, and pulls Bennett closer, until he’s right up against Childe’s painfully quick heartbeat. “Just a little kiss, right?”
“Uh-huh,” Bennett says gently. He drops his chin, squeezes gently a Childe’s shoulders. “More, please.”
“More, pretty boy?”
Bennett looks like he can’t decide whether to be embarrassed or delighted at the little pet name. His hands slide down Childe’s chest, and Childe can’t resist, squeezing him back, grinning up at the little Firestarter in his lap. “Yes, please.”
“So polite,” Childe says, and leans in again, kisses Bennett slowly this time, just to feel the boy struggle to kiss back. He clearly doesn’t know what he’s doing, clumsy and awkward, but he makes the sweetest little sounds when Childe holds him closer, with each slick parting of their lips.
And oh his reaction to the slow swipe of Childe’s tongue makes Childe’s whole body light up with heat, the way Bennett’s mouth drops open on a quiet moan, his squirming starting up again.
“That felt—good,” Bennett pants, whimpering when Childe licks into his mouth gently. “Please—mhp!”
“It all feels good,” Childe says gently into Bennett’s mouth, working his hands up the sides of Bennett’s poor excuse for a shirt. “Do you want your big brother to show you more?”
Bennett nods quickly, and then holds Childe tight when he kisses him for real, tongue meeting Bennett’s and filling his mouth, breaking his shirt away from more of the pale skin on his belly.
Childe knew it was only a short time until Bennett was back to squirming, but now he’s grinding right against Childe’s hardening cock, and fuck if he doesn’t make Childe feel like a dirty old man, kissing some teenager in some rented room, letting that perfect waist fill his fingers.
“Childe—” Bennett moans, caught in between kisses, and Childe has to show him more, more, give his Benny exactly what he needs. That’s his job, right? That’s just what Bennett asked for him to do.
Childe clutches Bennett close and groans when he feels Bennett’s cock press against his stomach, hard through his shorts, affected so fast by a few dirty kisses. Childe pulls back much to Bennett’s chagrin, a pout replacing Childe’s place on Bennett’s plumping lips.
“Has anyone ever touched you here?” he asks, and crawls his hands down Bennett’s back, squeezes a handful of his ass. Bennett is thin and trim everywhere, which just means Childe delights in working hard to get his backside to fill his fingers, biting down on his lip as Bennett squirms in his arms.
“Just you,” he says prettily, eyes shining and hands shaking, so unsure.
Childe tips his head to the side with a grin. “Are you nervous, Benny?”
Bennett’s eyes widen, but he shakes his head, firm. “N-no it just—it feels so good—I didn’t know just k-kissing could feel so good—”
“You have to kiss the right person,” Childe explains, sitting back on his hands. He’s trying partially to give Bennett some space, and partially to see Bennett’s cock through his pants, straining gently and the perfect size to fit in Childe’s hand. “What do you do when you usually feel like this?”
Bennett flushes so deeply Childe would be a little concerned if it wasn’t adorable. “I touch, um—”
“Here?” Childe asks, and presses his fingers against Bennett’s chest, over the ties on his shirt, down to his stomach. “Here?”
Bennett bites his lip. “Lower.”
“Naughty,” Childe says, and just barely skims his fingers over Bennett’s no doubt aching cock. “I didn’t know I had such a perverted little brother. What do you think about when you touch yourself?”
Bennett glances away, flustered. “That’s secret.”
“Secret?” Childe gasps. “Even from your big brother?” He squeezes Bennett’s cock and Bennett whimpers, curling in on himself slightly. “If I tell you what I think about first, will that make you feel better?”
That gets Bennett’s attention, his head snapping up and eyes blowing wide, like he thought Childe above touching himself. “Y-you’d do that?”
“I want you to be comfortable,” Childe says, and shifts so he can hook a finger in the waist of Bennett’s shorts. “I used to think about the girls back home,” he says, and watches fascination war with disappointment on Bennett’s face. Childe feels giddy enough that it bubbles up his throat, his hand shifting on the blankets to keep himself upright. “I thought about their soft legs and pretty lips—they were always so small.” He shifts his legs a little, and Bennett shifts with him, staring down at Childe’s chest instead of his face, his poor feelings hurt. “But you know,” Childe says, and leans back up, nosing against Bennett’s jaw. “That’s not what I think about anymore.”
Bennett shudders at the close proximity again. “What about now?” he says, the hope in his voice so bright, so fragile. He’s such a beautiful instrument to play, pluck, and hold.
“Well, I still think about soft legs and pretty lips, but I’ve started to realize I like them banged up and bandaged,” he says, and traces the little wrappings on Bennett’s legs, up his slightly rounded hips, near that trim waist. “Oh, and a waist that can fill my fingers is so nice, isn’t it nice?” he says, and squeezes Bennett’s middle, listens to Bennett’s soft breaths in his hair. “But I wonder…” Childe purrs. “What my little brother thinks about?”
“I l-like,” Bennett starts, shakily winding his arms around Bennett’s neck. “Boys that are bigger than me,” he starts, and Childe nods, hums, nips at Bennett’s ear. “A-ah. And, um, I like being taken c-care of.”
“Is that right? Well, that’s awful specific.”
“It’s not,” Bennett protests weakly. “M-maybe you’re just…self centered?”
“That’s not nice, Benny,” Childe purrs, nipping at the side of Bennett’s neck. He hikes Bennett’s shirt up and asks, “Why don’t you show me?”
“S-show you?”
“Show me,” Childe repeats, catching Bennett’s hand, guiding it down towards his own cock. “How you touch yourself. When you think about those big boys that take care of you.”
“Oh,” Bennett breathes, his eyes glassing over. “Um, oh—”
“Here, I’ll even help you,” Childe says, and gives a tiny tug, just enough for Bennett’s sharp hipbones to slice past his pants, down his thighs a little lower and—oh, even the trail of hair down to his cock is cute, the same snow color as his hair. And Childe just keeps working his shorts lower, lower, down creamy thighs and more freckles and—oh, he’s perfect everywhere. His cock is rosy and hard, a little on the small side but Childe doesn’t mind, not when it’s shiny at the tip with precum. Childe wants to put him in his mouth but—another time. Fuck, he can’t get enough.
“Childe,” Bennett whimpers, hands hovering uncertainly near his cock. “I shouldn’t—”
“You show me what you like—and I’ll show you something new,” Childe explains, wrapping his arm around Bennett’s waist, getting him to arch his back, presenting his ass prettily.
“Okay,” Bennett breathes.
And he wraps his hand around his cock, blushing furiously, eyes fluttering closed. It’s perfect for Childe to lick a filthy path up his own fingers, getting his skin wet and ready as Bennett fists his cock gently, tiny jerks of his wrist concentrated on one spot that must feel good. There’s no finesse or real pleasure—it’s cute, because Childe can’t tell if Bennett is embarrassed or just that bad at making himself feel good.
“Bennett,” Childe says into the side of his neck. “Can you go slower for me, sweet boy?”
Bennett makes a wordless, confused kind of sound, but Childe feels his hand stutter slower, stroking himself a little longer, starting to wiggle above Childe’s lap. He gasps, though, when Childe reaches behind him, slips his fingers between the perky globes of his ass.
“W-wait—”
“Haven’t you thought about this?” Childe asks, biting gently at Bennett’s neck. “You said you liked big boys—you know they’d want to put their fingers here?”
“I—did,” Bennett hiccups, hips hitching back as Childe presses against his hole gently. ”B-but—”
“It’s my job to show you, because you’re my little brother,” Childe says hotly, pressing a hand flat to Bennett’s lower back, getting him to arch out further. “Keep stroking yourself like that for me, Benny.”
“Okay,” Bennett breathes, voice shaking hard. Childe gropes and presses and teases, leaning up to breathe right into Bennett’s ear, “You’re doing so good for me, baby brother—look at you, so pretty so good for your big brother—”
Bennett’s deliciously reactive, voice hitching and hips squirming as Childe presses against his ass in teasing little strokes, never pressing further than just the tip of his fingers. “Childe,” Bennett gasps. “I’m—close. Please—”
“Oh, that’s good, firefly,” Childe murmurs, his cock twitching in his pants at the bright open arousal in his voice. He wants Bennett so badly he hurts, rubbing slick fingers over his hole. “Can you cum for your big brother? Bennett,” he leans back, meets Bennett’s hands with his own. The poor boy is shaking like a leaf, his eyes swimming with unshed tears. “Bennett, cum for me, baby.”
And Bennett shivers, a quiet whine hiccupping past his throat, and Childe feels his cock kick in his fingers, spilling cum into Childe’s palm, long jerking twitches spasming through Bennett’s body, his little stomach clenching and long eyelashes fluttering.
“Good boy,” Childe praises, stroking Bennett through the aftershocks. “Good boy for me, Benny, such a sweet thing—”
“I want,” Bennett pants, pressing down, putting his hands on Childe’s shoulders. “I want—to feel you too—please, b-big brother—”
“Archons,” Childe groans, flopping onto his back. “How could I say no to you?”
Bennett grins, and then blushes, rocking back gently against Childe’s cock in his pants, and he’s so soft even through the material—so plush and round and sweet—
“Is this what you want?” Childe asks, and extends his palm towards Bennett’s face, pressing cum sticky fingers to Bennett’s lips. “You want to watch your big brother cum in his pants?”
Bennett looks unsure, nervous, but nods anyway, opening his mouth for the fingers Childe tries to slip past his lips. His mouth is hot and wet, his tongue so smooth licking up his own spend from Childe’s fingers. “Big brother,” Bennett pants, slurred around his fingers. His cock is rising again, filling out, but Childe is focused on the slow circles Bennett is grinding against his cock. “Please—I need you to—you too—”
“Here—a better idea,” Chile breathes, and slides a hand down to get his pants off enough to free his cock, watching Bennett’s eyelashes flutter as he rubs his cock against Bennett’s ass, grinding against his heated skin gently. Oh, he’s divine, precious, shifting until Childe can slide his cock between Bennett’s ass cheeks. And Bennett shakes, trembles so hard Childe can barely contain his own excitement, feeling his precum wet Bennett’s twitching hole. “Does that feel good, little firefly? Are you thinking about what it would feel like if I was inside of you?”
“Yes,” Bennett breathes. “Please—cum on me, Childe—”
Fuck, Bennett is sinful, sweet, too good for him. He feels like he’s rubbing his cock against a little flower, corrupting some innocent little angel as Bennett licks his fingers, moans brokenly and grinds against Childe’s cock.
“Big brother,” Bennett says against his fingers, and Childe tips his head back with a groan. “Does that feel good? D-do I—do I make you—”
“Oh, my baby, fuck—Bennett—”
Bennett leans back, his eyes dewy and sweet, and Childe’s gut clenches, his balls drawing up tight. “Please,” he whispers, splays a hand low on his stomach, and Childe grips him hard by the hip as he cums with a groan, painting Bennett’s ass with cum, watching Bennett’s face fill with relief, beautiful and open.
“So good,” Childe murmurs, leaning forward to capture Bennett’s lips again, panting hard. “So fucking good, Benny, my sweet little brother, oh you take me so well—”
Bennett laughs into their kiss, presses close and has Childe’s brain feeling like cotton, even as he rolls them over and presses Bennett down into their bed, squealing when Childe presses him flat.
Their kisses slow, lose intensity, until Bennett is just rocking against him gently, licking into Childe’s mouth with ease. Oh, he’s going to be such a quick study—and they didn’t even set anything on fire either.
“Childe,” Bennett says sweetly, gasping when Childe’s hips meet his again in another slow roll. “Big brother, you feel so good—”
“Shh,” Childe coos, pushing himself far enough away to see the relaxed way Bennett is sat back, his face relaxed and hair mussed. “You still need me, don’t you, pretty boy?”
Bennett nods as Childe’s finger traces down his chest, back to his cock, starting to rise again. “I want you—please—” Bennett says, and Childe sucks on his teeth, thanks the seven for the beautiful boy in his bed.
“Don’t worry,” Childe says, and slides like water to his knees. “Your big brother is going to take good care of you.”