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Chapter Text

There’s a large whiteboard calendar hanging on the wall in the living room in Xiao and Zhongli’s shared apartment. It was Zhongli’s idea to purchase the absurdly large calendar (that might’ve cost a lot, but Xiao knew better than to pry in his roommate’s expenses,) after a big responsibility has been left in both their hands. Since then, that calendar had almost become an essential part of their life and it had become second nature to glance at it every morning to see what’s in store for the day. They had adapted a color-coding system for the calendar; things written in red were Important Events/Reminders, things written in black were Zhongli Things, things written in green were Xiao Things and things written in purple were Qiqi Things.

Xiao erases a Xiao Thing, Band Practice w/ Four Winds, on the calendar and sighs. That’s the last Xiao Thing for the week, and he can’t wait to take a nice, long rest for the weekend. He backs away from the calendar to look at the whole thing from afar, seeing what would be in store for the next weeks to come.

There’s a red Important Thing scheduled for the next day. Qiqi’s Doctor’s Appointment. It’s even emphasized by a messy purple underline, a reminder to them that it's not only an Important Thing; it’s a Very Important Qiqi Thing.

“It’s for old Mr. Zhongli to remember,” Qiqi had said earlier that month when they had laid out their initial plans for the whole month. She had just finished putting the messy purple underline under Zhongli’s neat handwriting, dusting off imaginary dust from her hands and hopping off the chair she used to reach the calendar.

Zhongli frowned. “Qiqi, I’m not that old.”

“Yes you are,” Qiqi said bluntly. “You’re old and you need help remembering.”

“My memory is still good.”

“But still, Qiqi thinks you would forget.”

“How can I forget an appointment with your doctor if I’m the one that’s always taking you there?”

Xiao chuckles at the memory. Qiqi really had a knack of teasing, even though unintentional because of her bluntness.

Something else catches Xiao’s eye – a new Thing under the Very Important Qiqi Thing scheduled for tomorrow. Meeting with Hu Tao. It’s in black. A Zhongli Thing.

“Hey, Zhongli?” Xiao calls. His eyes stay on the calendar.

“Yes?” Zhongli answers from the kitchen. He emerges from it not too long after, wiping his hands on his apron.

Xiao’s eyes furrow in confusion at Zhongli. “What time’s your meeting with Hu Tao tomorrow?”

“Ah,” Zhongli says. “I was supposed to ask you during dinner if you would be free tomorrow. It seems that my meeting with Hu Tao is in conflict with Qiqi’s appointment.”

“You can’t cancel the meeting?”

“I’m afraid not, it’s important.”

Xiao nods as he looks back at the calendar. “Alright, I’ll go with Qiqi tomorrow. I don’t really have much to do this weekend.”

“Thank you, Xiao, I owe you one.”

“No problem, Zhongli,” Xiao says. He smirks. “Did you forget about Qiqi’s appointment when Hu Tao scheduled your meeting?”

Zhongli coughs. “N-no.”

Xiao narrows his eyes at him. “You did, didn’t you?”

“I –

“Qiqi was right. You are getting old.”

“I’m just about to turn forty, Xiao.”

“That’s old enough for me,” Xiao says cheekily. “Qiqi’s not going to let you live this down and call you old for the rest of her childhood.”

“Let her think what she wants to, she’s a child anyway.”

“Qiqi knew from the start that old Mr. Zhongli would forget,” Qiqi says over dinner, when Zhongli had announced that Xiao would be the one to take her to the hospital tomorrow.

“Sorry, Qiqi, I just got caught up in work lately,” Zhongli explains. “I promise I wouldn’t forget next month.”

Qiqi nods before taking a bite of her meal. Her eyes sparkle. “At least your soup’s good, Mr. Zhongli.”

“Is it?” he asks, smiling warmly at the compliment. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Good thing you’re the one who cooked, Mr. Zhongli. I’m getting a bit sick of eating too much Grilled Tiger Fish.”

Xiao pauses from eating his meal and shoots a look at Qiqi. “Hey!”

“Ifs frue Big Bwother Xiao,” Qiqi says in between bites. Xiao sighs as he takes a napkin to wipe Qiqi’s face of any stray bits of food that landed on the sides of her mouth. “Don’t talk when your mouth is full, Qiqi.”

“You should learn how to cook Bamboo Shoot Soup, Xiao,” Zhongli points out. “That way you wouldn’t cook Grilled Tiger Fish all the time when I’m not around.”

Qiqi pipes up. “You should cook Come and Get It sometime. Papa had always cooked it for me.”

Xiao and Zhongli exchange looks across the table as Qiqi continues with her meal. It’s the first time in a while she had mentioned her Papa. Something tugs at Xiao’s heart.

A warm hand pats Qiqi’s head. “Alright, I will,” Xiao says. Qiqi’s eyes shine in excitement. “Promise?”

“Promise. Does your Papa have a recipe lying around anywhere?”

Zhongli clears his throat. “I believe I have cooked it before. Dr. Baizhu taught me how.”

“It seems that I have a lot to learn from you, Zhongli,” Xiao notes. In the back of his mind, he sees new Xiao Things that would be scheduled for the next week – Learn to cook Bamboo Shoot Soup, Learn to cook Come and Get It.

“Of course, so you’d stop cooking Grilled Tiger Fish all the time.”

Zhongli chuckles at his own jest and Qiqi nods in agreement, cracking a small smile of her own. A sigh. Looks like he has to forego his expertise in Grilled Tiger Fish and cook more dishes other than that. And try not to burn the apartment down in the process.

Qiqi seems to have memorized the way to the clinic with the way she’s leading Xiao in the winding corridors of the Teyvat General Hospital. She walks with Xiao in tow, gently pulling her big brother through the halls, up some flights of stairs, inside elevators (with Qiqi asking the attendant politely to press the button for the third floor) and passing clinics. She then stops in front of a door with a sign that says, “Room 304, Pediatrics.” Under this label is the doctor’s name. “Dr. Albedo Kreideprinz, MD.”

Xiao knocks on the door before entering. When he does, he’s greeted with beautifully decorated walls with cartoon characters he recognizes from the shows Qiqi had been watching. There’s also a large giraffe tacked on the wall to his left, just next to a weighing scale, with markings that make the large cartoon giraffe serve as a ruler to check little children’s heights. How cute, he thinks. If every pediatrics clinic were like this, no child would ever be scared of the doctor

A mint-haired girl from behind a small desk stands to greet them with a “Good morning!”

Qiqi seems to know her. “Hello, Miss Sucrose.”

The girl, Sucrose, squats to her level and gives her a gentle pat on the head. “Hello there, Qiqi!” Her eyes flit to Xiao’s and her cheeks flush in shyness.

“Old Mr. Zhongli forgot Qiqi had to visit Doctor Albedo today and now he’s not with Qiqi. Big brother Xiao came with Qiqi instead,” Qiqi explains.

“Oh, thanks for telling me, Qiqi,” Sucrose says. She stands and shyly offers a hand for Xiao to shake. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Xiao.” The latter takes her hand and gently shakes it. “Likewise, Miss Sucrose.”

“Now then,” Sucrose says, after the introductions. She takes a clipboard from her desk and leads Qiqi to the large giraffe ruler on the wall. “Stand straight against the wall, Qiqi.”

Qiqi does what she’s told quietly and watches as Sucrose measures her height and notes it on her clipboard. After a while, Sucrose gives her another instruction. “Alright, thank you Qiqi, can you remove your shoes and stand on the scale for me please?”

The little girl nods. Slowly, she takes off her shoes (with a bit of difficulty, which Xiao rushes in to help, but is rejected flatly by Qiqi, saying that she’s a big girl who can take off her shoes already) and steps on the scale. Sucrose takes note of the numbers on the scale on her clipboard. “Alright, Qiqi, you can get off now.”

Qiqi gets off the scale and looks up at Sucrose. Her eyes shine with excitement, she’s too excited to even put her shoes back on. “How’d Qiqi do, Miss Sucrose?”

Xiao furrows his brows in confusion; why is Qiqi asking Sucrose about her physical exam like it’s a test that she needs to pass? But Sucrose seems to get it.

“Well, Qiqi, it looks like you’ve grown quite a bit taller since your last visit,” Sucrose says proudly. Qiqi’s eyes twinkle in delight. “Qiqi’s growing taller now,” she says, dazed like in a dream.

“And you’ve put on a bit of weight since you visited,” Sucrose announces. That seemed to snap the little girl out of her dream-like state. Her face grows serious. “Qiqi’s been eating more lately… Qiqi needs to go on a diet and exercise.”

Xiao’s and Sucrose’s eyes widen. Where’d that come from?

“No, Qiqi,” Sucrose says, placing her hands on the little girl’s shoulders while kneeling to her level.  “Your weight is fine for a little girl like you. You just continue to eat what you usually do.”

Qiqi’s face contorts in confusion. “But Qiqi heard some kids call Qiqi’s classmate ugly because she’s chubby.”

“Being chubby doesn’t mean you’re ugly, Qiqi. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and they’re all beautiful either way,” Sucrose taps Qiqi’s nose playfully. “Just like you.”

Qiqi giggles a bit. “Qiqi understands now. Thank you, Miss Sucrose.”

“You’re welcome.”

Xiao mouths a “Thanks” at Sucrose and the latter replies with a nod and a smile. What a nice lady, he thinks. He wonders if the doctor she’s working for is nice as well.

“Doctor Albedo is still in an appointment with another patient,” Sucrose tells Xiao. “It will be over soon, I think, so for the meantime, you two should take a seat.” She offers the two of them seats on a nearby couch.

“Ah, thank you, Miss Sucrose.”

Xiao settles on the plush couch with Qiqi huddling close beside him. He’s about to take out his phone to pass time, but he almost jumps out of his skin when he hears a loud wail coming from the door to the clinic.

He stiffens. What on earth is that doctor doing in there?

Sucrose mutters to herself, “Ah, another flu shot.”

A flu shot? Isn’t that what Qiqi is here for today?

Qiqi must’ve read the discomfort on his face because she suddenly speaks. “Doctor Albedo is a nice doctor.”

Xiao tries to ignore the wailing on the other side of the door. “Oh yeah?”

The little girl nods. “He’s a very nice doctor. He always gives Qiqi coconut candy after Qiqi visits. The kid that Big Brother is hearing must be scared of flu shots. “

“Well, aren’t you scared of flu shots?”

Qiqi shakes her head and swings her legs under the couch. “Qiqi isn’t scared of anything. Qiqi is a brave girl.”

Right on cue, the wailing subsides. The waiting room is filled with silence again. Xiao sighs. What Qiqi said to him gave him some sort of relief.

He suddenly remembers something that Zhongli had said to him the night before.

“Doctor Albedo is a great doctor,” he’d said as they were washing the dishes. Xiao just hummed in reply. Zhongli took it as his cue to continue. “He’d interned under Doctor Baizhu for a while before he became a licensed pediatrician.”

That seemed to take Xiao’s interest. “Really?”

Zhongli nods. “Doctor Baizhu held him in high regard. That’s why, when he –“

“Qiqi, Mr. Xiao? Doctor Albedo would like to see you now.”

Xiao is suddenly pulled from his thoughts at Sucrose’s sudden announcement. He sees a mother and her child emerge from the clinic. The little boy who’d just left the clinic sucks on a lollipop, smiling despite his cheeks being tear-stained. That’s one way to appease a child scared of flu shots.

Qiqi tugs at his sleeve. “Let’s go, Big Brother Xiao,” she says, leading him through the open door of the clinic.

Xiao didn’t really know what to expect, but the moment he enters the clinic, he just stops.

The clinic is much simpler than the waiting room, with walls painted a pastel yellow. A hospital bed is against the wall to his right and a desk is positioned just near the window at the back of the room. There are two chairs in front of the desk for visitors to sit. Other than a few plants, there’s not much decoration.

But that’s not what made Xiao stop rather comically near the doorway.

Behind the desk sits a young doctor, which Xiao presumes is near his age, who’s quite a sight in his pressed lab coat, plaid button down, black slacks and smart leather shoes. A stethoscope hangs from his neck. His blond hair is tied in a messy braided half-ponytail. Round-framed glasses are perched precariously on the tip of his nose, as teal eyes study the contents of the laptop in front of him. Pink lips close around a pen cap as he hums, perhaps an unconscious action as he concentrates.

Oh, dear archons above.

Qiqi and Zhongli had mentioned that the pediatrician was nice, but they had failed to tell him that he’s absolutely gorgeous.

“Hello, Doctor Albedo,” Qiqi greets. She settles in a seat in front of the desk unprompted and swings her legs under it.

At the sound of Qiqi’s voice, Albedo seems to snap from his daze and he looks at the child sitting in front of his desk with a warm smile (Archons help me, his smile is gorgeous too).

“Hello, Qiqi,” he says, reaching across his desk to pat her head. His eyes turn to Xiao. “Who are you with today?” he asks Qiqi, curious eyes never leaving Xiao. The latter stiffens under his gaze. What the hell am I doing, I look like such an idiot!

“Qiqi is with Big Brother Xiao.”

“Hm, I see,” Albedo hums. He stands from his seat and makes his way to Xiao. He holds out his hand for him to shake. “I’m Doctor Albedo, Qiqi’s pediatrician.”

“… Xiao,” he says when he finally finds his voice. His voice comes out all weird and he blames it on his heart, which seemingly making its way up to his throat at Albedo's warm touch.

It's just a handshake, Xiao, Archons have mercy.

Albedo smiles at him. “Please, have a seat,” he says, offering him the empty seat in front of his desk. Xiao nods and sits there, as if he were in a trance. He’s dazed as he watches Albedo push his glasses further up his nose and squint at his laptop.

“Ah, so you’re here for your flu shot,” he mumbles. He stands from his desk again and taps Xiao’s shoulder to call his attention. “Can you make Qiqi sit on the hospital bed for me, please?”

Xiao is still in his daze. “Yes,” he mumbles before he stands to lift Qiqi up in his arms and place her on the hospital bed near the desk. He ignores the way that the little girl is looking at him; a funny look with equal parts of confusion and amusement on her expression.

The doctor takes his stethoscope from his neck and wears places the eartips in his ears. He presses the round chestpiece to Qiqi’s chest. “Alright, Qiqi, can you inhale and exhale for me?”

Qiqi nods and follows suit, breathing deeply with every inhale and expelling pent-up air with every exhale. Albedo moves the chest piece from her heart to another part of her chest, and then to parts of her back with every breathing interval. He hums before placing his stethoscope back on its place around his neck.

“Breathing and heart rate normal,” he mumbles. He reaches deep into his lab coat pocket for his otoscope which he uses to look at Qiqi’s ears. “Your ears are clean,” he comments.

“Big brother Xiao and Mr. Zhongli clean them for me,” Qiqi explains. Albedo looks at Xiao and smiles. “Good job,” he tells him. The latter can only nod dumbly.

Albedo takes a small flashlight from yet another pocket. “Open your mouth for me, Qiqi,” he instructs. Qiqi opens her mouth wide for Albedo to shine the flashlight in her mouth to examine it.

“How’d Qiqi do?” Qiqi asks the same question from earlier as Albedo finishes the physical check-up. Albedo pats her head and smiles. “You did well. You’re perfectly healthy.”

“Qiqi thought so. Qiqi’s very strong.”

A chuckle. “Yes, you are.”

Xiao thinks he’s going to explode any moment.

Albedo hums and bends down just slightly to meet the little girl's eyes. His smile doesn't leave his lips. "Are you ready for your flu shot, Qiqi?" he asks. Qiqi nods and even lifts up her sleeve, emphasizing how ready she is for the flu shot. Xiao suppresses a laugh at Qiqi’s actions while Albedo chuckles (again, with that laugh, Archons have mercy). “You’re a brave girl, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Qiqi’s very brave,” the girl says proudly.

They watch as the doctor strides to his desk to take a bag from under it. He procures a small box from the bag. It’s the flu shot; Xiao assumes.

He tries not to stare for too long as the doctor rolls up the sleeves of his lab coat and wears latex gloves on. Or when he prepares the vaccine in calculated steps, filling the syringe with a liquid from the vial and flicks the plastic container of the syringe repeatedly to get rid of the air bubbles. Or when he sidles over to Qiqi’s seat on the hospital bed to sanitize a part of her exposed skin on her arm. Or even when he administers the shot to his little sister, who didn’t even flinch or wince.

Oh. Never mind that “try not to stare” part.

Albedo hums, amused. “Usually, when I administer a shot, the kids cry so much,” he comments as he retracts the needle and presses a cotton ball on where he administered the shot. “But Qiqi’s not even moving an inch.”

“She’s like that,” Xiao explains. “Even when she falls and scrapes her knee, she just asks us to clean the wound, place a bandage on it and she’s out and about to play again.”

Albedo chuckles and Xiao’s cheeks warm. Oh, Archons above, he’s so adorable.

The doctor places a purple bandage on Qiqi’s arm and the girl’s eyes widen. “Qiqi’s favorite color,” she says in awe. Albedo smiles warmly. “Not done with surprises yet.”

In a flourish, he procures a small object from his pocket and presses it into the little girl’s palm. Qiqi’s eyes sparkle as she looks at the small gift. “Coconut candy!”

“Yes, coconut candy for you because you’re such a brave girl.”

As Qiqi chews on her coconut candy, Albedo tells Xiao about post-flu shot care, which Xiao couldn’t process at the moment because the bright teal eyes of the doctor seem more important than instructions to place a cold compress on the area where the vaccine was administered when they get home or to make Qiqi take pain relievers when the soreness of the area bothers her.

He’s going to ask Zhongli later what to do when they get home.

Qiqi pipes up all of a sudden. “Doctor Albedo, Qiqi thinks you should check up on big brother.”

Both men turn to her in surprise, especially Xiao. “What?”

“Big Brother Xiao’s face is red.”

Oh no.

Albedo tilts his head as he looks at Xiao, as if to examine him. “You are, Mr. Xiao. Do you mind if I check up on you?”

Xiao clears his throat as he feels his cheeks burn up even more. Him staring at him like that doesn’t even quell the warmness in his face. He averts his gaze from him to hide the obvious flush on his cheeks. “I-I’m not a child.”

“No worries, I can just perform a simple check-up and then I’ll refer you to another doctor afterward if there’s something wrong,” the doctor says curtly, gaze still not leaving his form. An eyebrow raises as if to wait for his answer.  

He looks at him from the corner of his eye and nods. “…Fine.”

Albedo begins to fit the eartips of his stethoscope in his ears. “Okay then, I want you to sit on the hospital bed for me, please.”

Xiao follows, sitting straight – too straight, in fact, that his body is taut and stiff – on the bed. Beside him, Qiqi gives him another one of her funny looks as she chews on her coconut candy, as if giving him an examination of her own. He wonders if the girl can see straight through him and his weird behavior he’s giving as of the moment. If she does, though, he’ll be the new subject of her unintentional teasing.

A warm hand presses against his shoulder. “Relax, Mr. Xiao,” the doctor says, and like magic, Xiao follows, almost wanting to melt in his gentle touch and in the sound of his smooth, rich voice.

The diaphragm of the stethoscope presses against his chest, its coolness seeping through his shirt. “Inhale and exhale for me, please,” Albedo instructs.

He obeys, filling his lungs with air and slowly breathing it out in a steady rhythm. However, his breathing doesn’t do anything to calm the rapid beating of his heart; and right when Albedo’s examining it now. At this point, he thinks Albedo is aware that the fast beating of his heart is not because there’s something medically wrong with it, but it’s from how close he is to him as he presses the stethoscope to his chest and to his back.

Perhaps he does, because he mumbles to himself as he removes the eartips of his stethoscope from his ears and places the instrument back around his neck. “Moderately rapid heart rate, but nothing unusual.”

He pretends he didn’t hear that.

Albedo takes his small flashlight from the pockets of his lab coat. “Open your mouth for me, please.”

Xiao’s face feels hotter than ever before as he follows, opening his mouth awkwardly. The doctor squints as he shines the flashlight in the rather small opening of his mouth. “Can you open it a bit wider?” he requests. “I can’t see.”

Slowly, Xiao opens his mouth wider to oblige. Albedo hums in satisfaction. “That’s it, thank you.”

Xiao’s positive that he’s redder than he was when Qiqi pointed out his cheeks were red and flushed. He’s probably going to be sent to another doctor, only to find out that he’s not even sick and he’s just had a weird reaction in his heart at the sight of the cute pediatrician in Room 304 and how close he is to him right now as he examines him for any sign of sickness in a perfectly healthy body.

The doctor hums and pockets his flashlight. Xiao purses his lips as he waits for a diagnosis.

“There seems to be nothing wrong with you, Mr. Xiao. You seem to have no signs of a fever or even an allergy.”

Xiao coughs into his hand awkwardly. Excuse, excuse. What should be a good excuse. He speaks the first thing that comes to mind. “Maybe it’s because it’s a bit hot.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly spots the temperature of the air-conditioning unit. 20 degrees Celsius. He swallows thickly as he sees confusion on the doctor’s face.

“Is it?” Albedo asks. “I thought it’s a bit chilly in the clinic.”

Xiao opens his mouth to attempt to explain, but Qiqi lets out a small “Oh.”

Both of them turn to Qiqi and his little sister sudden points at Xiao. All of a sudden, she declares, “Qiqi thinks Big Brother is blushing.”

Silence suddenly hangs in the clinic. Amber eyes widen and flushed cheeks turn a deep shade of scarlet. Teal irises glint in amusement and pink lips slowly form into a shy smile.

In the back of Xiao’s mind, he whispers prayers to two Archons. Morax, if you’re real, please open up the earth for it to swallow me whole. Barbatos, send in a tornado to whisk me out of here.

“P-pay her no mind!” Xiao says, a touch too loud. He attempts to hide the burning flush on his cheeks with another awkward cough in his fist. Archons, why now in all situations that Qiqi had to be too observant and too blunt?

To his surprise, a soft laugh comes from the doctor. Is he laughing at his misfortune? Or at his weird reactions? Or is he just… amused?

“No harm done, Mr. Xiao,” he reassures, smiling warmly to emphasize the point.

He short-circuits right after and doesn’t process anything that followed. It seems like he’s in a daze as he hops off the hospital bed and helps Qiqi down from it. He feels like he’s in a dream he settles back in his seat in front of the doctor’s daze. He’s lost in a trance as he hears Albedo mutter about “precautionary measures” and as he watches him write down a prescription; painkillers for Qiqi if the area where he administered the shot is becoming bothersome and paracetamol for Xiao to drink if he’s feeling feverish. He’s nodding at instructions given to him, but he doesn’t understand anything. (That’s a bad thing, but he’ll have to ask Zhongli later what the prescription means.)  

His ears only pick up one thing in his weird state of mind: “Qiqi’s next appointment would be on the third Saturday next month.”

“Yes,” Xiao says, still in his dazed state. “I’ll – We’ll see you then.”

Again, with that warm smile. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”

When they finally say goodbyes (Xiao said his albeit reluctantly) and leave the clinic, Xiao pulls out his phone to send a text to Zhongli.

Xiao: im gonna take qiqi to the doctor next time

Xiao visualizes their calendar for next month at the back of his mind – the third Saturday of the month marked with with Qiqi’s Doctor’s Appointment in red ink, with a purple and green underline.

Chapter Text

Days before the third Saturday of the month some weeks after that appointment with Qiqi’s pediatrician, Xiao can’t find it in himself to sit still. Heck, he’d been like that the moment the Sunday of that week rolled around as he finds himself glancing at the large calendar hanging in the living room every half hour, even staring at it sometimes as if it would make the days pass faster.

It had been an especially weird experience to the people around him who he asks every once in a while a weird question; “How many days ‘til Saturday?”

“It’s not for another five days,” replied Zhongli, who he asked on a Monday as they were eating breakfast. “Why are you asking? Are you unavailable to take Qiqi to her appointment? If you are then I – “

“N-no!” Xiao said surprisingly loud, almost startling Qiqi at his outburst. He cleared his throat and repeated, softer this time. “No, that’s not it. Sorry for asking such a weird question.”

He asked the same weird question to Venti, who’d just finished vocalizing before their practice on a Wednesday that week. The singer had looked at him funny, but he answered nonetheless. “Three days, Xiao.” By now, his eyes held a familiar glint, one that Xiao didn’t like seeing because everyone knows that glint in his eyes is an omen that Venti would be up to no good.

“Why are you asking, hm?” he asked, cheekily smirking at him. Xiao huffs and averts his gaze from the mischievous look on Venti’s face. “Just because,” came his answer, before he picked up his bass guitar and started tuning it, volume a bit louder than usual.

His bandmates – Xinyan, Barbara, Chongyun, and Venti – had exchanged funny looks back then, but Xiao paid them no mind. Let them think what they want to think.

And now, a day before that day, Xiao finds himself in the same situation as he was in a month ago. A flash of familiarity courses through him as he erases the Band Practice w/ Four Winds from the calendar and sighs. His eyes drift to the next item on the calendar, written in a bold, red marker and underlined with purple and green. Qiqi’s Doctor’s Appointment. Had this been a month ago, he wouldn’t have paid any mind to the Important Thing on the calendar and just went on with his Xiao Thing-free weekend.

But now, Qiqi’s Doctor’s Appointment has become a new Xiao Thing. A Very Important Xiao Thing, in fact.

It’s weird that a doctor’s appointment that he really isn’t involved in has become A Very Important Xiao Thing added to the calendar. Much more important than band practices, it seems. If the Four Winds sees their calendar, he’ll never hear the end of it from them. They’ll ask questions that he couldn’t even answer. Tease him for being “soft.”

Someone pulls at his sleeve. Qiqi. She looks at the calendar and points at the Very Important Xiao and Qiqi Thing marked for tomorrow. “Don’t forget that,” she reminds, eyes steeling.

“I won’t,” Xiao reassures. Never.

“Sleep early,” Qiqi continues reminding. “Qiqi and Big Brother must not be late.”

He chuckles at Qiqi’s almost motherly reminders that make her seem more mature than her young age of five. He ruffles her hair gently. “I will, Qiqi. I promise we won’t be late.”

But now, as his promise to Qiqi to sleep early echoes repeatedly in his mind, Xiao glances at the digital clock on his bedside and sees it blink 23:34. By ten in the evening on gig-less nights, he’s usually fast asleep. Now, a full hour and thirty-four minutes past his usual bedtime, he doesn’t even feel tired as he lies on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

What the hell is wrong with me?

“If you can’t sleep,” he remembers a reminder from Zhongli. “Try to rid yourself of every thought that bothers you. Try to clear your mind. That helps.”

Clear his mind. Slowly, he shuts his eyes and breathes in and out, trying to empty his thoughts with every exhale. Away with the frustrations of band practice. Away with the disappointment with his failed attempt to cook Come and Get It for their dinner that night. Away with the looming fear that he’d subject himself to embarrassment again in front of that cute doctor with shining teal eyes, soft blond hair, perfectly pink lips –

Xiao snaps his eyes open. He buries his face into his pillow and groans.

This is going to be a long night.

They’re running late.

Xiao pins the blame on the traffic on the commute, an unlucky circumstance on a Saturday morning. The cars had seemed to increase in volume, congesting the streets and making the usual traffic slower than it was on regular Saturday mornings. And perhaps, partly it was his fault, because, not only did he wake up late, he also spent a quarter of the morning fretting over which shirt to pair with his pants, which cologne to use and how he would style his hair for the day. He took so long preparing that both Qiqi and Zhongli knocked on his door asking him to hurry up.

He’s still overthinking his clothing choice as he desperately tries to catch up with Qiqi through the hospital hallways, up the stairs and inside elevators (which Qiqi hurriedly tells the attendant to press the button for the third floor) until they finally stop in front of the door to Room 304.

Xiao’s catching his breath as Qiqi opens the door hurriedly, almost slamming it to the wall with the sudden force that she opened it. Sucrose jumps in her seat behind her desk in their rather, ‘abrupt’ arrival.

“Qiqi and Big Brother are here in time,” Qiqi announces. She’s already removing her shoes as she comes in the clinic waiting room and starts for the large giraffe ruler to get ready for Sucrose to measure her height. Sucrose is still in shock, but she stands from her desk anyway (despite her being a bit dazed) and follows after Qiqi to perform the preliminary check-up.

“Sorry we’re late,” Xiao says to Sucrose as the latter is busy checking Qiqi’s height. “Traffic.”

“Ah, traffic is getting worse by the day, isn’t it?” Sucrose asks, barely looking up from her clipboard. She turns to Qiqi as she instructs her to step on the scale before looking over to Xiao. “Doctor Albedo almost barely made it for his first appointment because of it.”

Xiao’s relieved that the traffic excuse he made had been partly realistic. “Really?”

Before the assistant could answer, the door to the clinic suddenly bursts open, making Xiao’s heart leap from his chest. His wide eyes catch a glimpse of a small girl, somewhat around Qiqi’s age, he thinks, bounding excitedly into the room. “Miss Sucrose!” she calls, scarlet eyes shining in delight.

“Oh, Klee,” Sucrose says softly, crouching down to Klee’s height. “Inside voice when you’re in the clinic, right?”

“Oops!” the girl – Klee – lowers her voice to a whisper. “Is this alright, Miss Sucrose?”

The assistant smiles and nods. “Yes, it is, dear.”

Sucrose turns to Xiao and smiles sheepishly. “I forgot to mention that today’s ‘Bring Your Sibling to Work Day’ here in the hospital.” That’s cute, Xiao thinks. “Is she your sibling?” he asks, looking over at Klee, who had peeked from behind Sucrose to strike a conversation with Qiqi with animated enthusiasm

“Oh no, she’s not my sister,” the assistant explains. “Actually, Klee here is Doctor Albedo’s sister.”

Something tugs at Xiao’s heart at the mention of the young doctor’s name. As he observes the little girl, he notices that Klee is a big, bright, ball of sunshine, making everyone’s heart warm at the sight of her. Even Qiqi, who’s shy around new people, now talks to her as though they were old friends. Everyone around her must’ve poured in a lot of love for her to become as joyful and as bubbly as she is.

In a way, Xiao thinks he and the young doctor are similar with how they are big brothers to their little sisters, him with Qiqi, and Doctor Albedo with Klee. Perhaps, that’s why he knows how to take care of Qiqi so well. His heart skips a beat at a thought.

“Klee – oh.”

As if he’s summoned him with his thoughts, Doctor Albedo emerges from the clinic door, only to be stunned to silence. His eyes, instead of searching for Klee, settle on Xiao, who’s just as surprised as he is. The scene is oddly reminiscent of corny romantic comedies – the slow-mo effect, as one would call it – when Main Character suddenly locks eyes with Romantic Interest, and the whole world just seems to slow down for dramatic, over-the-top effect. Cue the heartwarming ballad. The internal monologues. The cringey, weird heartbeat sound effect.

This is what Venti would call a “Moment.” His overly romantic friend had told him lots of experiences of Moments before, shared with lots of people in a fleeting fashion. With the barista in a nearby café. With a cute passenger on public transport. With someone in the crowd in a gig that he never got to ask their name.

Xiao just hopes that, unlike Venti’s Moments, this isn’t fleeting.

“Big brother, big brother!”

Ah, wishes of forever may have to be left in vain.

Klee tugs at Albedo’s lab coat, pulling along Qiqi with her. “Hello, Doctor Albedo,” Qiqi greets with a small wave. “Hello there Qiqi. I see you’ve met Klee,” the doctor replies, crouching in front of the two children.

“Big brother, you know Qiqi?” Klee asks, amazed.

“Yes, I do. In fact, she’s my patient for today.”

Her scarlet irises glow again with a child-like wonder and she perks up. She beams up at her brother, then at Qiqi. “Can we play after your check-up, Qiqi?”

Qiqi looks up at Xiao for approval, with her eyes shining in a similar fashion as Klee’s. His heart warms at the sight. Who is he to say no?

“You can play with Klee after your check-up, Qiqi,” he says, patting the little girl’s head. A small smile forms on Qiqi’s lips and she turns back to Klee, resuming their conversation on Archons-know-what-children-talk-about.  

Doctor Albedo mouths “Is it okay?” to him. He nods as a flush begins to bloom on his cheeks at the moment their eyes met. He clears his throat and looks elsewhere to hide it, lest he become subject to another “false alarm check-up.”

“Alright then, kids, let’s go inside the clinic to get the check-up done so you can both play,” Albedo announces, leading Xiao and the children inside the clinic.

Xiao settles in a seat in front of the desk and sighs. He’s only been here for the second time around, but he feels at home. In peace. It’s weird that an ominous place like a hospital could bring such warmth to him, but it does. It makes him feel safe. Perhaps, it’s the pastel yellow walls of the clinic that’s in stark contrast from the cold, white, hallways of the hospital. Or the vibrant green plants that decorate the corners of the clinic.

Or perhaps, it’s the way that the doctor lifts his little sister up gently to sit on the hospital bed. Qiqi never lets other people other than him, Zhongli, or Ganyu to take her in their arms. But with Doctor Albedo, she smiles and holds some sort of trust in him that’s usually only reserved to people she’s very close with. A trust that they wouldn’t let her fall. A trust that they wouldn’t hurt her.

Klee tugs at Xiao’s arm. She points at Doctor Albedo, who’s doing his routinary check-up with Qiqi. “I’m going to be just like my big brother!”

“Really?” Xiao asks, looking at the bright, red eyes of the young girl. Klee hums. “I’m going to be a doctor like him… what’s it called… a pediati-trician?”

“Pediatrician?” he corrects. Klee nods enthusiastically. “Yeah! A pediatrician! Mama says I should be like her though. She’s a doctor who’s always out on ‘missions,’ that’s why she’s always away. But, I don’t want to be a doctor like Mama and go far away to many places. I want to be like big brother who takes care of little children and cute babies!”

His eyes settle on the sight in front of him. Albedo is instructing Qiqi softly on what to do as he examines her with precision, which his sister follows with no hesitation. And then, when his procedures are done, he digs into his pocket for a piece of coconut candy that he gifts to Qiqi, which the little girl accepts with open palms and bright, smiling eyes. Xiao sighs. Klee has all her reasons to idolize her brother and make him an inspiration for her own dreams.

“You’re going to be a great doctor like him, Klee,” he whispers a reassurance to the little girl. Klee smiles ear to ear at the comment. “Yes, I am!”

 “Mr. Xiao?”

The sound of Albedo’s warm voice calling his name makes him sit up straighter in his seat. “Yes?” he replies, looking up at the doctor as he tries to fight a blooming blush on his cheeks.

“Qiqi’s a perfectly healthy kid,” the doctor comments. He glances at the clipboard he’s holding, then at Xiao. “Just make sure she drinks her vitamins every day and that she come to the clinic in time for her scheduled vaccinations.”

Xiao nods. “Of course, Doctor.” He watches Qiqi hop from the hospital bed and make a beeline for Klee, who’s rocking on her heels in excitement. She clasps Qiqi’s hands and grins at her. “So, can we play now?” Qiqi nods as she chews on the coconut candy that the doctor had given to her earlier.

In a flash, Klee dashes out of the clinic, pulling Qiqi in tow. “We’re going to the playground!” she calls out, small voice slowly trailing away. Xiao suddenly stands from his seat in surprise as he watches the two children disappear, little footsteps echoing in their wake.

Xiao hears Albedo only laugh at the sight. “Shall we go after them?” he asks.

“Oh, don’t you have patients waiting after us?” Xiao answers with another question. “I can be the one that can watch over them if you do, it’s not a problem for me.”

“Qiqi’s the last patient I have for today. And my rounds don’t start until after lunch, so I’m free until then,” the doctor explains. The corners of his lips quirk up into a small smile. “So, shall we?”

“Alright.”

He can only stare when the doctor removes his lab coat slowly and hangs it neatly at the back of his chair. Or when he pushes the stray strands of hair away from his face and tightens the half-ponytail at the back of his head.

Archons above, have mercy on my poor heart.

“Mr. Xiao? Let’s go.”

He doesn’t do anything to rid himself of the blush forming on his cheeks. It’ll be an impossible feat at this point, anyway. “Yes, let’s go.”

Xiao is adept in many things, but never in small talk. Which he now deeply regrets.

The walk to the hospital playground is a long one. Xiao’s already dizzy from walking through the winding hallways and down many staircases (“I hope you don’t mind that we take the stairs,” Albedo had said earlier. “It’s better for our bodies to exercise.”). He wonders how Klee and Qiqi got through this labyrinth-like hospital without getting lost.

As if Albedo had read his mind (or is his confused face really easy to read?), he suddenly pipes up. “Klee knows the hospital like the back of her hand. They’re probably in the playground by now.”

“That so?” Xiao hums. Albedo just nods in reply and they dip back into silence.

That’s how most of their conversations went in their seemingly long journey to the hospital playground. It’s mostly Albedo who starts the conversation, asking about Qiqi, telling some stories about Klee’s misadventures or introducing some of his colleagues they met along the way (he only recalled Doctor Lisa, a dermatologist, who had commented on how nice his skin looked). Xiao always replies with short responses or hums or nods, not because he’s uninterested, but he can’t find the right words to say at all. He desperately wants to fill the silence between them, but the words die down the very moment he catches a glimpse of the Doctor’s teal eyes shining under the hospital lights.

Thus, the cycle of one-sided small talk and awkward silence circles between them, again and again. The only sound between them is the echo of their footsteps through the hallways.

I’ll talk to him, Xiao promises as he steals glances at the doctor walking beside him. I’ll talk to him, somehow.

Somehow doesn’t come early. They finally arrived at the hospital playground and he still hasn’t struck up a nice, long conversation. How do Venti and Zhongli make it so easy to start conversation between acquaintances?

Xiao tests out the word. Acquaintances. Is this too early on to call him and Doctor Albedo acquaintances? Or are they still strangers? He and Albedo know about each other enough to bridge the gap between strangers to budding friends. But, perhaps that’s only because he’s building a professional relationship. What do they even call people in a professional relationship? They can’t even be called colleagues.

“Mr. Xiao?”

Albedo calls at him from his seat on a nearby bench. He pats the space beside him. “Please, take a seat.”

Temporarily, he fits the word ‘acquaintance’ as an answer to his questions as he takes a seat beside Albedo, trying not to invade his personal space by sitting just a bit further away from him on the bench. From the distance, he sees Qiqi and Klee, running around in the playground, playing and laughing to their hearts’ content. A warm smile makes its way to his lips.

“Qiqi has never made a friend this quick before,” he suddenly says. It’s the longest sentence he’d ever said since their awkward attempts to small talk. Something reminiscent of relief fills him. Progress, finally.

“Perhaps, it’s true when people say it’s hard to resist Klee,” Albedo replies. “Whenever Klee comes over to my clinic sometimes, she makes fast friends with my patients. Although, those friendships only last as soon as they’re formed – the moment they walk out of the door, Klee doesn’t have a friend to play anymore.”

Xiao sees the sadness forming in Albedo’s eyes and he sighs. “That’s… sad,” he says. He looks at the children playing in the distance. Even from afar, he sees Qiqi’s smile is unlike anything he’s ever seen before when she’s with other children. Something warm fills his chest at the sight.

“But I see she’s found a lasting friendship with Qiqi,” he reassures Albedo, who perks up at his words. “And I think Qiqi feels the same way.”

Albedo smiles. “I’m glad.”

The silence that follows is unlike the silence that they have encountered in their walk to the playground. It’s comforting somehow. The kind of silence that embraces. The kind of silence that fills the gap between them.

Xiao likes this silence.

“Say,” Albedo begins, his soft voice loud in the silence. “You don’t really have to answer if you are uncomfortable… but I just wanted to ask… how is Qiqi handling Doctor Baizhu’s sudden…” he trails off, uncomfortable to say the next word. Xiao sighs. He knows what he’s about to say.

“Qiqi’s… hard to read,” he answers, looking at Qiqi’s small figure from afar. “You wouldn’t really tell if she’s fine or not.”

By now, he sees Klee pushing Qiqi on the swings. His little sister has a warm smile on her lips, a familiar smile at that. The scene seems to change, and it’s not Klee pushing Qiqi on the swings anymore.

It’s Doctor Baizhu.

Xiao swallows the lump that had formed in his throat as the flash of déjà vu fades as soon as it started. “But, we let her grieve the way that she wants to,” he says to Albedo, who looks at him with such sad eyes. “We just try to make her understand what happened.”

What did happen? He’s pushed the memory back to the recesses of his mind, but faintly, he recalls a phone call from Zhongli that said one thing.

Doctor Baizhu has succumbed to his illness.

“I remember that day quite vividly,” Albedo says. He fiddles with his fingers as he lets out a shaky breath. “A colleague of mine called me that day, telling me that he’s passed away due to his illness. On that same day, however…” he trails off. He exhales deeply before he continues. “On that same day, I witnessed one of my patients pass away in front of me.”

Xiao stiffens. “Oh,” is the only thing he manages to say. A heavy silence forms between them. He glances at Albedo and sees his lips form a sad smile. His teal eyes seem to lack their luster, now.

He’s always perceived doctors as fearless, unfazed at the sight of death or the threat of a lost life. But this… this show of vulnerability that he sees from Albedo proves to him that somehow, doctors are humans too. They too, fear. They too, feel sadness.

“Doctor Baizhu was a great mentor to me. He made me the doctor that I am today,” Albedo says wistfully, eyes gazing up at the sky. A sigh. “And I know Doctor Baizhu was such a great father to Qiqi.”

To this, Xiao nods, looking up to the heavens. “Yes, he is.”

Sounds of laughter echo in the distance. It doesn’t do anything to lift the weight that had pressed on Xiao’s chest, though. It’s hard talking about death.

They go back again to that awkward silence that Xiao doesn’t like. He tries to find the words to try and bridge the gap again, but he fails. If only he was like Klee, he thinks to himself as he watches the girl in question talk animatedly to Qiqi as if they were old friends. If only he was like Klee, he would’ve been conversing with Doctor Albedo in no time, with no awkward silences in between. Maybe then, he could truly call themselves acquaintances.

His phone suddenly vibrates in his pocket, making him jump. He pulls it out and glances at the caller ID. It’s Zhongli.

“Excuse me,” he mumbles, before standing from the bench to take the call. “Hello, Zhongli?” he says into the receiver.

“Ah, Xiao. Are you still at the doctor’s? You seem to be taking longer than usual.”

“Oh, yeah, we’re still here,” he replies. He watches as Qiqi and Klee climb up the jungle gym. “Qiqi’s just playing with her new friend.”

“Oh?” Zhongli says in surprise. “That’s nice.”

“Yeah. We’re about to go home anyway, just in time for lunch.”

“Alright then. Tell Qiqi that I want to know more about her new friend when you go home.”

Xiao hums. “Okay. Bye.”

“Bye.”

He ends the call and pockets his phone. He sidles over to Albedo and says hesitantly, “We’re going home.”

Albedo nods. “Ah, is that so?” Xiao forces a smile. “Yeah.”

He spots Qiqi on the playground and waves at her. “Qiqi!” he calls out. “Time to go home.”

Suddenly, the laughter stops. He sees the two children converse with each other for a while, before they take deliberately slow steps toward their big brothers. When the kids come closer to them, he sees Klee clinging onto Qiqi with tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Do you have to go?” Klee asks as Qiqi. Tears form in Qiqi’s eyes as she answers. “Qiqi would play with Klee again, soon,” she reassures. Slowly, she pries herself from Klee’s grip to hold Xiao’s hand.

At that, Klee bawls.

Oh dear.

“How soon is ‘soon’?” she cries, words incomprehensible between sobs. “I want to see you again but what if it takes forever? What if I don’t see you again?”

She engulfs Qiqi into her embrace as she cries on her shoulder. Qiqi sheds a few tears too as she pats her friend’s back to soothe her.

At this point, their big brothers are looking at each other, silently asking each other what to do. Suddenly, something makes Albedo’s eyes shine and he crouches in front of the two children.

“Say, Klee, what do you think of us arranging a playdate with Qiqi sometime next week?”

The two children separate from their embrace and both of them look at Albedo in wonder. “Oh, oh, oh, that would be so fun!” Klee jumps in joy and she looks at Qiqi with happiness in her bright scarlet eyes. “Hear that Qiqi, we’re going to have a playdate!”

Albedo mouths “Do you mind?” to Xiao. The latter shakes his head. Anything for Qiqi.

“Alright then,” Albedo says. Xiao watches as he pulls out his phone from his slacks pocket and hands it over to him. “Can I ask for your number?”

Xiao almost short-circuits. It’s just for easy communication for the playdate arrangements, don’t get the wrong idea.

“Y-yeah, sure,” he says, pulling out his own phone from his pocket and giving it to Albedo to exchange numbers. He tries not to explode in a blush when their fingers brush against each other. Not only once, but twice, when they finish typing in their numbers and returning their phones to each other.

His number, he thinks wistfully as he stares at the new number on his contacts when his phone is returned to him. I have his number.

They say their goodbyes not too long after that. Klee and Qiqi gives their final embrace to each other and waves each other goodbye happily even as they go their separate ways. Xiao, however, lets his “Goodbye” fall from his lips without any hesitance now, and is content with a longing gaze at his retreating form. He clutches at his phone, knowing there’s a little piece of Albedo that he can take with him wherever he can go.

Perhaps, by now, acquaintances would be the right word to describe them.

Chapter Text

If Xiao would be asked to suggest a development in order to forward and advance technologies in modern society, he would launch into a long spiel of an idea to develop a new messaging application that would use Artificial Intelligence to assess speech patterns of the user and then use these patterns to generate automatic messages and replies to the contacts they wish. The proposed application would be able to start natural conversations and keep them going with replies generated by Artificial Intelligence.

Simply, an application that would allow phones to text contacts themselves.

Even more simply, Xiao doesn’t know how to start a conversation, so he wants his phone to start it itself.

Xiao groans as he erases the message that he has been typing for the past few minutes (it’s only a ‘hey it’s xiao,’ message, but he thinks it’s not good enough to send) and places the phone face down onto the coffee table. His stares hard at the phone, as if willing it with his mind to pick itself up and type messages itself.

However, he’s not living in an alternate universe where everything can be willed by telepathy or where technology is advanced to the point of automation. He’s living in a world where people must pick up their phones to type their own messages and start their own conversations.

He shakes his head as he looks at the phone. Maybe he’ll try again tomorrow.

… But, tomorrow comes and he finds himself in the same predicament as he’d experienced. Back again to backspacing normal words he’d message others in a daily basis. Back again to overthinking about sending a simple “Hello.”

How would he not overthink? He’s about to message Doctor Albedo of all people.

He resigns to pocketing his phone and muting his notifications for the rest of the day, thinking to himself that he’d try tomorrow, for sure, this time. 

And now the tomorrow of tomorrow comes, and he’s staring at his phone for quite a while now, unmoving in his position and using his bass as support because he’s been standing for a long time while in his staring contest with his phone screen.

His bandmates have noticed him acting quite strange for some reason when he came that Monday afternoon for practice, all dazed and woozy. For the first time, he didn’t snap a nasty comeback at Venti’s teasing, nor did he get annoyed when Xinyan accidentally hits the wrong note in her excitement during their practice. He was just… weirdly quiet. Commenting when he needs to, fixing his own playing when required. Most of the time while on they’re on break, however, he’s on his phone, staring blankly at the blinking cursor that’s almost mocking him by now because today’s his third time trying to send a harmless message to a certain contact.

Xinyan, Barbara, Chongyun and Venti are sprawled out on the leather couch at the back of the practice room, looking at him from afar. He still hasn’t moved from where he was standing. “What’s he doing?” Xinyan whispers to Venti. “No idea,” the vocalist confesses.

Barbara hums. “He’s been acting a bit strange today. Is he sick?” The usually observant Chongyun just shrugs.

Xiao is on the cusp of giving up on staring at the empty message box and the blinking cursor. He wants to pocket his phone and promise himself tomorrow again (even though he knows that he’ll fall into the same predicament again and again unless the world gives him the Artificial Intelligence messaging that he so desperately needs).

But then his phone vibrates. A green message bubble pops up on the once-empty screen.

He sucks in a breath and his legs almost give out from beneath him. If not for the bass that he had been leaning on for support, he would’ve collapsed on the floor.

Xinyan’s the first to scramble to her feet at the sight of Xiao almost falling. She comes up to Xiao in panic. “Are you alright?”

Xiao blinks. He looks at the phone screen to check if he isn’t seeing things then at Xinyan’s concerned visage. “Y-yeah,” he mumbles. “’M fine.”

Barbara approaches him and her eyebrows immediately furrow at the sight of his unusual expression. “You sure? You look kinda pale.”

“Sure,” Xiao breathes. Another look at his phone with the green message bubble to ensure that it’s real.

Suddenly, someone sneaks from behind him and his phone is snatched out of his hands before he even had the chance to take a good look at it. He gasps and his eyes search for the perpetrator, who had taken refuge in the far corner of the practice room – all wide, curious green eyes and mischievous smirks.

“Let’s see, let’s see,” Venti chants happily as he looks at Xiao’s phone. The two bandmates behind him that had expressed their concern over him disappear from his side, bounding happily toward Venti in a bout of curiosity. Chongyun walks over to them too, eager to see what was it that made Xiao act so strange.

Xiao speaks to the eavesdropping group through gritted teeth. “Give that back.” His face, formerly pale, flushes a bright scarlet. Is it from anger or embarrassment or both?

“Nope!” Venti chirps. The bandmates huddle closer to Venti, as if to protect him. “Now, let’s see…” he hums. “Hello, Mr. Xiao. This is Doctor Albedo. I would want to ask if you’re free this Sunday for Klee and Qiqi’s playdate? It seems that Sunday is the only day when I’m free this week.”

Xiao’s blush deepens even more as he hears Venti read the message out loud. It turns a deeper scarlet even, when Barbara and Xinyan swoon.

“Xiao has a date!” Xinyan coos, looking over at the blushing bassist with shining eyes. “It’s not – “ Xiao begins to say but is interrupted by Barbara.

“You didn’t tell me that you know Doctor Albedo!” she says excitedly. “He’s my sister’s colleague at the hospital. How did you meet him?”

“He’s Qiqi’s doctor,” Xiao musters to say, processing the fact that Barbara knows him. He glares at Venti. “Can I have my phone back now?”

Venti’s not listening. His curious eyes are on Barbara. “Oh, you know the guy Xiao’s texting? Do you have a pic?”

“Way ahead of you,” Chongyun suddenly pipes up before Barbara could even retrieve her phone from her skirt pocket. “Is this him?”

He shows his phone screen to Xiao, which displays a social media profile. He freezes. The shining teal eyes of the man in the profile photo is unmistakable.

“Y-yes.”

At the sound of Xiao’s confirmation, Barbara, Xinyan and Venti scramble to Chongyun, hands grabbing at his phone with a want to peek at the doctor who made their dear bassist lovesick. “Lemme see!” Xinyan demands. “I’m Xiao’s best friend, I should be the first to take a look!” Venti declares. “You’re not even his best friend!” Barbara cries.

Chongyun can only watch in horror as his phone is wrenched away from his hands by his bandmates who are desperate to look at the doctor’s social media profile. They act like children. Xiao sighs at the scene unfolding in front of him.

The chaos finally settles when Chongyun retrieves his phone and sits on the floor in front of the three, who then crowd around him to look at the screen. “He’s quite charming,” Xinyan comments. “Swipe at the next photo, Chongyun – oh wow, he’s handsome.”

“Even much in person,” Barbara swoons. “Nurses and doctors alike at the hospital are always charmed to see him in the halls.”

Xiao sneaks a peek at the photo Xinyan is looking at – Albedo in a candid shot of him reading a book at some café. His hair is sporting a different hairstyle, blond hair pulled into a low messy bun, with tendrils of blond locks framing his face. His teal eyes are framed by his round-framed glasses and his lips are pressed into a thin line in concentration. He’s exchanged his lab coat for a knitted vest over a crisp white shirt. Long fingers are positioned over the pages, camera capturing the exact moment that he’s about to turn them.

“He is,” Xiao breathes out softly, thinking no one will hear him. However, Chongyun flashes a knowing look at him, making his cheeks flush at being discovered.

Venti suddenly takes the phone from Chongyun, much to the latter's annoyance. He doesn’t pay any mind to Chongyun’s glare, however, as he scrolls up to a different part of the doctor’s profile. After a few taps, his eyes shine.

“He’s single!” Venti announces.

Sure enough, the relationship status on the profile displays Single in bold, blue letters. A weight that Xiao didn’t notice was there before, lifts from his chest.

“’Thank the Archons’ am I right?” the vocalist teases, wiggling his eyebrows as he gives Xiao a smirk. “Shut up, Venti,” the latter says, trying to sound indifferent.

“Oh, come on, try sounding more excited! You have a chance!”

“That is, if I don’t embarrass myself in front of him.” He clears his throat. “Why are we even talking about this, anyway? We should just practice.” A glare to Venti. “Give me my phone back.”

Venti pouts and returns the phone back to Xiao. “Fine, but you should reply first before we run through practice again. You wouldn’t want to keep your lover boy waiting.”

“He’s not – He’s just a…” Friend? “An acquaintance.”

“Acquaintance, my ass,” Xinyan huffs.

Barbara giggles at him. “You’re not a good liar, Xiao.”

“Seconded,” Chongyun says.

Xiao sighs at his bandmates. They’re teaming up on him, just as expected. He never should’ve let them know about this – they’d tease him to no end afterward.

He looks at the message on his phone. It’s there, as Venti had read it. And now, to reply.

The cursor blinks at him, urging him to type something, anything. Like Venti had said, it’s rude to keep him waiting. Maybe he took time out of his busy schedule just to inform him about this.

He debates on whether to ask advice from his bandmates. Knowing Venti and Xinyan, they’ll probably tell him nonsense and prank him. Barbara and Chongyun seem serious enough about these kinds of matters and help him. However, as a whole group, they’ll probably fall into chaos and argue amongst themselves which response would be better, leading Xiao not to give an answer on time in the end just to suppress their fighting.

Trust your gut, he remembers Zhongli would say. He sighs. Perhaps, Zhongli’s long sermons and advice could be put to use.

So, he types the first thing that comes to mind and sends it without hesitation

            Xiao: hey yeah qiqi and i are free on sunday

He stares at the sent message. Too bland. He sends a smiley face emoji for good measure.

Venti peeks from behind him. He clicks his tongue rather loudly, making Xiao glare at him for snooping in a private conversation. “And you were reading my messages, because?”

“You should’ve sent the smiling blushy face emoji!” Venti chides. “The one you sent is the one that boring old boomers use. It’s scary.”

Is it? He looks at the smiley face he sent. The more he stares at it, it looks more passive aggressive. His heart drops – he shouldn’t have sent that. As much as Venti is annoying, he’s right. He’s always right.

But sent messages can never be taken back. The only thing he can do is not overthink over a simple emoji oversight and get on with his life until the next message comes.

Which is right now. The phone vibrates in his hand and another green bubble pops up on his screen.

            Dr. Albedo: Alright, we’ll see you then! 😊

Xiao’s breath hitches in his throat as he goes over the message again and again. It has capitalization. Perfect punctuation and grammar. And an emoji. Not just any emoji – the smiling blushy face emoji too.

A smile creeps up to his lips. He’s perfect even as he texts.

“Alrighty, we have a winner over here!” Venti suddenly announces, clapping his hands. “Our cute lover boy finally texted his crush back!”

Xinyan wipes away fake tears dramatically. “Our little boy is all grown up!”

“I’ll put in a good word for you through my sister,” Barbara says with a wink.

Chongyun’s warm hand rubs at his shoulder. “Don’t forget to introduce us.”

Xiao groans at them. “He’s just a friend.”

As if in sync, all of them roll their eyes at him. “Sure, he is.”

Qiqi’s playdate w/ Klee is marked in messy purple handwriting on the week’s Sunday. The one who wrote it – Qiqi – has developed a habit of pointing at the date whenever she sees it on the calendar and declaring to the person nearest to her how many days are left until the much-awaited playdate.

Today, she does so to Xiao, tugging on his sleeve and pointing at the purple mark on the calendar. “Two days left,” she announces.

A smile tugs at Xiao’s lips at the reminder. “Yes, Qiqi,” he says softly, looking into the excited eyes of his sister. “Two days left.”

Qiqi’s never been this excited for Qiqi Things on the calendar to the point of counting down the days to when the Qiqi Thing would happen. It warms Xiao’s heart that she’s finally found a friend in Klee, one that would make her days much more exciting and worth waiting for.

A sigh. Like brother, like sister, perhaps.

His phone suddenly vibrates in his pocket. He furrows his brows as he fumbles for it. It’s probably Ganyu, who’d ask when Qiqi’s school is letting out for dismissal time tomorrow so she’d know when to go there to take her home. Or maybe Venti, who’d tell him about a weird story or tease him about his small crush.

He almost drops his phone when he realizes it’s neither.

“Oh, Archons,” he mumbles under his breath as he feels his heart pick up speed. He swallows thickly as his heartbeat thrums in his ears, muffling Qiqi’s concerned questions or his own phone ringtone.

He blinks repeatedly to register if the caller ID really shows “Doctor Albedo” and he’s not having a fever dream.

Qiqi looks at him in confusion. “Aren’t you going to answer that?”

“Oh, yeah,” Xiao says, dazed. He gives a split second for him to clear his head before he presses the green ‘pick up’ button. His breath hitches in his throat as he lifts the phone up to his ear to hear the smooth, rich voice on the other line greet him a “Hello, Mr. Xiao.”

“Hi,” he manages to squeak out. He clears his throat to try again. “Hi.”

A chuckle. “Hi. Good evening. Am I interrupting your dinner?”

“No, no, not at all.” Xiao peers through the doorway leading to the kitchen where Zhongli’s still cooking. “We haven’t even started.”

“Ah, I see. I hope you and Qiqi don’t skip your meals and eat on time.” How considerate of him. A smile forms on Xiao’s lips. “We won’t, don’t worry” A beat. “Why’d you call? Is there something wrong?”

He waits with bated breath at his answer. The aching feeling of the possibility of Doctor Albedo cancelling on them creeps up on him as he does. He looks over at Qiqi, now thinking of the ways that he could break the news to her if ever the worst-case scenario does happen.

That would hurt.

“No, there’s nothing wrong,” Doctor Albedo reassures and Xiao exhales a shaky breath of relief. “I was just wondering if Qiqi would be interested to go to the Science Museum on Sunday for the playdate.”

“Science Museum?”

“Yeah. I’m currently booking tickets right now.”

“Ah, hold on,” Xiao requests. He places a hand over the receiver and crouches in front of Qiqi. “Doctor Albedo’s asking if you would like to go to the Science Museum for your playdate.”

At the mention of the ‘Science Museum,’ the little girl’s eyes shine. She nods rather vigorously in confirmation and Xiao laughs, patting her head. “Alright, I’ll tell him.”

He speaks into the phone again. “She said yes. She’s very excited, too.”

“Ah, that’s good to hear.” He could practically hear the smile and the brightened eyes in his voice. His heart flutters at the thought. “I’ll see you Sunday, then?”

“Yeah,” Xiao replies. A smile. “It’s a date.”

Oh.

“Uh… it’s a playdate, yeah.” he corrects, stumbling over his words. Laughter from the end of the line brightens the blush on his cheeks.

“It’s a playdate, then,” affirms Albedo, the laughter still in his voice. “I mustn’t keep you long. See you soon, Mr. Xiao.”

Xiao hesitates, the beginnings of small talk to lengthen conversation surfacing on his tongue. But his own voice betrays him and all he musters is a small, “Bye, see you soon.”

The call drops and Xiao sighs. He pockets his phone after a while of turning it over and over in his hand in hopes that he’d call again.

From the corner of his eye, he catches messy purple handwriting marked on the Sunday of that week. Qiqi’s playdate w/ Klee. “Two days left,” he breathes out longingly.

Xiao had run through the ideal sequence of the playdate in his head for the past two days to mentally prepare himself to spare him from becoming a bumbling mess that would embarrass himself in front of Doctor Albedo, but no amount of imagination would actually prepare him for the real thing.

For one, he’d imagined that their meeting that Sunday morning would begin with a warm smile, a handshake and a “Good morning,” all in smooth fashion. But he forgot the first thing that he’d planned to do because he was struck dumb at the doctor’s presence in front of him – all perfect smiles, perfect eyes, perfect clothes, perfect everything. He’d intended to greet him so as not to seem rude and weird in his staring, but his “Good morning,” came out strangled and squeaky (which Doctor Albedo chuckled at – was it because of amusement or of ridicule?).

So much for planning.

Perhaps the next thing he’d planned out will turn out well in his favor – a nice, leisurely walk around the museum with their siblings marching just a few meters ahead of them in their sight. They would occasionally engage in small talk about work or tell each other life anecdotes or share small facts about the things that they’d pass in the museum.

That would be nice.

But now, instead of walking and talking and studying the exhibitions, they’re chasing down their excited little sisters down the hallway, who bound from one display to another, their laughter and chatter echoing through the museum.

“Where are they?” Xiao asks, catching his breath. He squints toward the distance, to where their sisters had disappeared off to.

“Lost track of them,” Albedo replies. He sits down under a giant replica of a plant cell to steady his breathing. “Once Klee gets excited, she’s hard to get ahold of.”

“Qiqi’s like that, too.” A weight settles in his chest. “Do you think they’d get lost?”

The doctor shakes his head and follows Xiao’s gaze. “Doubt it. Klee’s a smart kid – if they get lost, she’ll just stay where a receptionist or a security guard is and wait until we find them.”

Xiao holds on to that thought and the weight that presses against his chest lifts away from him. As if on cue, two sets of little footsteps patter toward them, and their little siblings come up to them in a flurry of lavender and blonde. “There you are!” Klee says, wide-eyed. “I was supposed to ask about the big dinosaurs that Qiqi and I saw, but when I looked back, you weren’t there!”

Qiqi tugs at Xiao’s pant leg. “Qiqi was a bit worried.” Xiao sighs and crouches down to Qiqi’s height.

“You shouldn’t run off like that without us,” he chides, ruffling his sister’s hair. “What if you two get lost?”

“But we didn’t!” Klee tells him proudly. However, her shining eyes dull when she sees her own brother cross his arms in front of his chest in disappointment.

“Mr. Xiao is right, Klee,” Doctor Albedo scolds. “You shouldn’t run off like that. We were both worried about you and we were running around just to see were you’ve gone off to so that you’ll be safe.”

The little girl bows her head and fiddles with her fingers. “We’re sorry, big brother, Mr. Xiao.”

Qiqi follows her friend’s actions. “Qiqi is sorry, too.”

“Ah, it’s alright, kids. Just don’t do it again,” Albedo smiles warmly before patting their heads to reassure them. “Here, Klee, you can hold my hand,” he says as he outstretches his hand toward his little sister for her to take.

Klee obliges, and reaches toward Qiqi with her free hand. The latter takes it in hers, and then she glances up at her big brother, offering another hand for him to hold. Xiao intertwines her little fingers in hers, and together, the little group walks hand in hand through the museum hallways.

He steals a glance at Albedo, who patiently answers Klee’s curious, never-ending questions about the installations that they pass. Qiqi, on the other hand, listens to Albedo’s impromptu lessons with undivided attention.

Qiqi suddenly squeezes Xiao’s hand a bit tighter. “Qiqi thinks that Doctor Albedo’s very smart.”

“He is,” he affirms as he hears his soft voice in the distance explain how cells work to in a way that little children would understand.

Warmth blooms in his chest, and unknowingly, he lets out a longing sigh. He turns to look at him again, but this time they lock eyes. But, instead of shying away like he normally does, he gives him a small smile, which the latter returns.

And Xiao sees a different glint in his bright, teal eyes which he’d never seen before.

There’s something about children that makes you feel so young again. Perhaps, the aura of a child can make you feel wonder again – where large replicas of dinosaurs take your breath away, or where you’re left awestruck at how a plasma ball courses charged particles through your fingertips, making you feel a static electricity that makes your hair stand on end.

In the course of their Science Museum experience filled with play and joy and laughter with the two children, Xiao feels how it is to be a child again.

Playfully, he pushes the giant pendulum on display and is left in awe as the pendulum sways to and fro, the mechanism clicking in a steady rhythm. From afar, he looks at Albedo and the children, pressing their hands against the plasma ball and giggling at their funny appearances as their hair stands up on end.

“You look funny, big brother,” he hears Klee say with a laugh.

“Oh, you should see yourself Klee,” Albedo teases. “Your hair is going everywhere.”

Qiqi nods, her undone hair standing stiff in the air moving along as she does so. Albedo had offered to brush out her braid earlier. “For a greater experience,” he had told her.

Xiao smiles at the exchange from afar. Outside the confines of the clinic, Albedo still has a way with children, charming them with his gentleness, beckoning them in with his warmth. Something about him makes children so welcome around him, a reassurance that they’re safe in his care.

He can’t help but think that he has the same effect on him, because he automatically melts in his presence, softens in his gaze. The sight of him makes him feel warm and fuzzy and light, like the world’s troubles are lifted off his shoulders.

It’s weird. He’s only known him for… what? A few weeks? But he can’t shake off this heavenly feeling when he’s around him.

He’s smitten, that’s for sure.

He’s certain he is, because he doesn’t realize that he’s been staring for so long from afar until Albedo calls his name. “Mr. Xiao?”

Xiao straightens up stiffly and comes back to his senses. The pendulum he’s been playing with had long slowed to a stop. Albedo and the children had gone back to their normal appearances, with their hair now falling into place. Qiqi’s undone hair has been braided neatly again.

“Ah, yes?”

Klee’s answers for her brother, waving Xiao to come over. “We’re going to the planetarium to watch the star show!”  

“Star show,” Qiqi says dreamily. “Hurry up here, big brother.”

Xiao laughs, his steps toward the small group quickening. “Alright, alright.”

The little group clasps their hands together, like last time, and they fall into step with each other as they proceed on their little journey toward the planetarium, the laughter and excitement of the children echoing through the empty halls.

A thought nudges into Xiao’s mind that makes him smile a bit. Somehow, they look so much like a family.

Xiao doesn’t know if he would thank Klee or chide her for putting him in a situation like this.

“I want to sit with Qiqi!” she had said as they entered the planetarium, all bright, excited eyes staring up her chaperones. Qiqi’s eyes had held the same brightness and the beginnings of a smile were creeping up to her lips.

Of course, who were they to say no?

And so, in a fit of giggles, they plop down into seats next to each other, excitedly whispering between themselves about Archons-know-what as they wait for the star show to start.

That leaves the chaperones.

Xiao shifts awkwardly in his seat just beside the children as Albedo takes the empty spot next to him. In the many times that he’s been given the opportunity to be in close proximity with him, this is the one time that he feels most nervous. He’s in this… dim space, with their shoulders just a touch away from brushing against each other. The scent of Albedo’s cologne fills his nostrils at their closeness – a sweet scent, one akin to fresh Cecilias in bloom.

Xiao tries not to dwell much on his… predicament and tries to keep himself comfortable. He places his hand on the armrest, but he retracts it quickly when he feels soft skin on his palm. Instead of relaxing, he sits up straighter, stiffer. His hands press themselves on his lap, as if nothing had happened. He avoids Albedo’s confused gaze by staring straight at the blank screen in front of them and masks his blush with a cough. Good thing the planetarium is dim enough.

“Sorry,” he mumbles. He wonders if he’d hear it.

He did. And, like always, Albedo has laughter in his voice. “It’s alright, Mr. Xiao.”

The beating of his heart, Xiao discovers, is considerably louder than the narration that marked the start of the star show. The smooth, calming voice of the narrator that had opened the show with the story of how stars came to be is muffled by his heartbeat that’s been thrumming in his ears ever since Albedo took his place beside him. He tries to understand what’s happening before him by watching how stars form and burst and die and shine, but at times, his own eyes betray him and drift to look at the stars shining in bright, wonder-filled teal eyes instead.

“Supernova” is the thing that his ears pick up all of a sudden. He wonders if it’s from how the children beside them gasp in amazement, seeing the violent explosion of a star into gases and colors and lights, and to later form into a neutron star or even a black hole. Or maybe, if it’s from how he realizes that he sees his own heart in a supernova, bursting in every good emotion at once and to later suck himself in a void of all good things (especially of him, him, him.)

Or maybe, it’s from the way Albedo turns to him, supernova reflected in his irises, and whispers, “Fascinating, isn’t it?”

Xiao nods. “Yeah.”

“I’ve always liked stars,” the doctor comments, while his eyes take in the artificial stars forming and bursting and shining before him. “They’re the first thing I was curious about, before I became inquisitive about every little thing in the universe.”

He laughs and pools of teal suddenly brighten with tens of thousands of stars. “I remember I was a curious kid back then, just like Klee and Qiqi were. I probably annoyed the adults around me with my questions.”

Xiao turns back at Qiqi and Klee beside him, awestruck at the sights before their little eyes. “I think you didn’t,” he replies after a while, and he doesn’t miss the way Albedo blinks in surprise at the comment. “They probably think you want to know everything that the world has to offer.”

“I hope so.” He looks back again at the screen and Xiao follows his gaze. This is a black hole, the narrator says and the screen shows a growing void that seems to suck in everything near its radius. Xiao shudders. “We’ll probably be torn into pieces when we go through that thing,” he suddenly comments.

Albedo hums. “Perhaps. It has the force to even break the Earth, if it’s large enough.”

“Maybe, if the sun explodes into a supernova.”

“Yes. But it would take quite a while.”

A beat. “For once, I want to think what the end of the world would be like. Would it be like those apocalyptic movies? Or, would it be just an ordinary day where we witness the explosion of the sun, and then we get sucked in by a black hole?”

“My curiosity seemed to have rubbed off on you, Mr. Xiao.” Laughter again. It sounds like a burst of color and light and wonder.

Xiao feels himself suddenly pulled into a void of some sort. A black hole. One that would tear him apart with a force of an exploding sun. But, he doesn’t seem to mind. Not at all. Not when the one reeling him in with this gargantuan force carries the aura of the stars himself.

This is only nature doing their celestial work. There’s no use fighting it.

All he has to do, is to let go, and let him.

It had slipped Xiao’s mind that, sometimes, good things have to end. And in endings, there must be goodbyes. Goodbyes are the hardest, especially when you have two children who have developed a deep friendship with each other. And, especially, when one chaperone pines for another.

Xiao thinks the exchange of farewells will be more tiring than the actual playdate.

“Did you enjoy today, kids?” Albedo asks as they exit the Science Museum, setting the grounds for a proper farewell to close the day.

Klee and Qiqi nod. “We had lots and lots and lots of fun! I hope we can do it again!” Klee says hopefully with a wide grin.

“Qiqi thinks so too,” Qiqi adds.

“I’m glad you did,” the doctor says with a smile. Then, a beat. He presses his lips into a thin line. It’s as if he’s using the silence to test out over and over in his head the next words he’s about to say.  “Now, I think we have to say our goodbyes now, kids,” he says slowly, carefully. “We all have to go home.”

But, unlike what Xiao had expected – a scenario where Klee and Qiqi would be clinging for each other to dear life, crying and asking for ten minutes more with each other – they gave each other a tight embrace, before running back to their brothers and waving goodbye.

“Let’s play again, Qiqi! I’ll ask big brother when you’ll come by again to the clinic so that we can play!” Klee says happily.

Qiqi smiles. “Qiqi likes that very much.”

Perhaps, the promise of meeting each other again has appeased their sadness and made them hopeful for the future. Maybe, goodbyes aren’t really that hard at all, in some occasions.

Albedo seems to pick up from Klee’s example. “Thank you for today, Mr. Xiao. I’ll see you and Qiqi later in her next visit, yes? Or maybe in another playdate?”

A date would be nicer, Xiao wants to say, but he decides against it. He settles for a simple, “Yes, we’ll see you and Klee then.”

Somehow, when he waves and says his goodbyes before they part ways, he doesn’t feel the weight of farewell that much. Promises to meet again must’ve worked to lighten the burden of goodbye.

In the bus ride back home, as Qiqi sleeps soundly on his shoulder, a notification makes Xiao’s phone light up and vibrate in his pocket. Upon reading it, he smiles.

Doctor Albedo: I had a great time today.

Another bubble pops up. And another.

Doctor Albedo: Klee and I had a great time today, haha 😊

Doctor Albedo: Thank you for your company, Mr. Xiao.

The cursor on the message box only blinks twice before Xiao decides to type a reply.

Xiao: we did too

Xiao: lets do it again sometime

The next message comes swiftly and Xiao swears that he swoons upon reading it.

Doctor Albedo: I’d love to.

Chapter Text

Xiao wakes to harsh sunlight filtering through his windows. He winces at the light and groans as a sharp pain courses through his head.

The first thought he has that morning is, what time is it?

Usually, he wakes to the sight of the first rays of the sun, softly illuminating his face and his blankets in a light golden glow. But, the sunlight he wakes to today is too strong, too warm, too bright. It makes his head ache.

The sharp pain in his head turns dull and throbs. The pain is amplified as he pushes himself to sit up on his bed to glance at the digital clock on his bedside. He squints at the bright red LED light of the clock, that tells him it’s almost nine in the morning.

He groans for the second time that morning and massages his throbbing head with his fingers. At the back of his mind, the image of the green ink-filled calendar for the week flashes briefly, as if to remind him of his responsibilities for the day.

And today, he’s running behind schedule.

It takes a bit of effort to get out of bed and he almost stumbles as he walks to the door. Something’s strange, Xiao thinks. This morning, it feels like his body is made of lead and his head is spinning. Perhaps, it’s the lack of sleep – he had slept at three in the morning because of a particularly lengthy gig last night. They weren’t supposed to play at Angel’s Share that night, but a band backed out because of some unknown reasons, so they were asked to fill in for them. Of course, they’d agree – they’ll be compensated anyway. But, the catch was, they were filling in for the last set for the night.

Who were they to complain? They were being paid to do it anyway.

Zhongli’s brows furrow in concern when he sees Xiao sluggishly emerge from his room to eat breakfast. He starts to stand to help him walk, but Xiao dismisses him with a wave. “’M fine,” he tries to reassure. The cough that came after did nothing to quell Zhongli’s worries, and his roommate frowns.

“You’re obviously not,” Zhongli chides. He pulls out a seat from the dining table and helps him in. Xiao mumbles his thanks and reaches for the bowl of food that’s been set aside for him. It’s already gone cold. He takes his chopsticks and eats it without complaint anyway.

Zhongli settles in the seat across from him, his concern still evident on his face. Another chair scrapes across the floor and Qiqi climbs on it, gazing at him with a look similar to Zhongli’s.

It’s unsettling to eat with two sets of eyes staring at you. Xiao stops midchew in his meal and sets his chopsticks down. “What?”

“You look strange, big brother,” Qiqi points out. “You look very red.”

Before Xiao could even reply, Zhongli adds, “You are, Xiao. Do you feel anything strange with your body? You seem more tired than usual.”

“I… do,” Xiao confesses. He ducks his head to avoid their gazes so that he could finish his meal without feeling awkward. “But, I’m fine. I just need to rest, I think.”

“Do you want me to stay home and take care of Qiqi while you rest? I’ll call up Hu Tao and – “

“No!” Xiao suddenly exclaims, making both Zhongli and Qiqi flinch at the sudden change of tone. He blinks and ducks his head again, pushing around his food with his chopsticks.

The last thing that Xiao wants to be is a bother. He knows that Zhongli needs to work to support them in their expenses. He knows that he himself needs to get better right away to get on with matters with their band as soon as possible to contribute to easing their burdens. And… Qiqi. He needs to get better to take care of Qiqi, too.

“No,” he repeats, softer this time. “You go to work, Zhongli. I’ll just sleep this off after I eat. I’ll feel better again after, no need to worry.”

Even with Xiao’s reassurance punctuated by a soft smile, Zhongli’s brows raise at the comment. “Are you sure?”

Xiao gives him a small nod as he continues on with his breakfast, ignoring how his throbbing head gets worse by the minute and how the concern never left both Zhongli and Qiqi’s faces after he had reassured him that he’s going to be fine after he’d rested. For a while, he eats in silence under their watchful gaze, who flinch when they hear him cough or groan in obvious discomfort that he cannot hide from them.

A pang of guilt settles deep in his stomach. He hates seeing them worry, especially over him.

His hand that’s holding his chopsticks suddenly stills when he feels a warm touch upon his skin. Small fingers caress the back of his hand gently, seeking to comfort him through the gesture.

The one responsible for the comforting touch, whispers. “Qiqi hopes you feel better soon.”

Xiao looks up from his meal to see his little sister’s sullen gaze. He feels his heart clench at the sight.

He takes her hand in his and gives it a squeeze. “I will, Qiqi… I…”

Before he could even continue what he was saying, he coughs, which earns him another worried look from Zhongli and Qiqi. He reaches for the glass of water placed near him and downs it to ease his fit. Inhales. Exhales.

“I… I promise that I’ll get better soon, Qiqi,” Xiao finally finishes. The look in Qiqi’s eyes tells him that she’s not convinced, but she nods anyway.

That show of Qiqi’s trust in him does wonders to warm his heart, but it doesn’t quell the blazing heat that he feels upon his skin or even the painful pounding in his head. At the back of his mind, he whispers a prayer to the Archons to make him feel better after he had rested. Or at least, as soon as possible.

Because, what kind of big brother would he be if he didn’t keep his promise?

It’s been three hours since Qiqi had seen her big brother go inside his room in a feverish haze, and he hasn’t come out since.

For once that day, Qiqi feels an immense pang of worry that makes her stomach churn. She had felt the beginnings of it gurgle in her gut when old Mr. Zhongli had left, albeit hesitantly, for work that day. Then, the queasy feeling grew and grew with each passing minute that the door to Xiao’s bedroom remained closed.

Qiqi stands in front of her brother’s door, looking up at the doorknob that she has been wanting to turn for a while now. Part of her wants to reach up and open the door already just to check up on her big brother, but part of her urges not to. Old Mr. Zhongli had told her that going inside other people’s rooms without permission is rude and unbecoming.

But, it’s been three hours. What is happening with her big brother?

Qiqi sighs, before she grits her teeth and squares her little shoulders. “Sorry, Mr. Zhongli,” she whispers to an imagined Mr. Zhongli. “Qiqi needs to see if big brother’s okay.” She reaches for the doorknob and pushes the door open quietly.

A bit of light filters into the dark bedroom and illuminates the figure lying down in bed, whose face is all scrunched up in discomfort. Qiqi’s mouth dries up at the sight, and even more so as she draws close, when she witnesses Xiao shift in his sleep uncomfortably and hears him groan in pain.

Hesitantly, she presses her small hand against her brother’s forehead and suddenly retracts it when she feels a burning sensation against her palm. Her eyes widen at the realization – her brother has a fever, and a high one at that.

At the corner of her eye, she spots her brother’s phone on the nightstand, which she quickly takes and unlocks with the password that only she and her big brother knows. “When you want to play games on my phone,” she remembers her big brother tell her. “The password is my favorite flower.”

But now, she isn’t going to play games on her big brother’s phone. She is in a dire situation, and she needs all the help she can get.

She opens the contacts on Xiao’s phone and searches for “Zhongli,” first. She presses the call button and waits for him to answer, but it only rings and rings until an automated voice says “The number you have dialed is now unattended. Please try again later.”

She repeats the same process when she comes across Ganyu’s contact, but it’s the same scenario as before. A lump lodges in Qiqi’s throat as she hears the automated voice at the end of the line again. What now?

As she scrolls through the contacts to look for someone to call to help her, she comes across a familiar name that gives her a ray of hope somehow.

Doctor Albedo.

Of course, he’d help her big brother right? He’s a doctor!

Immediately, her little hands fumble to press the call button. She waits with bated breath as the the other line rings… and rings… and rings –

“Mr. Xiao?”

Qiqi gasps, louder than intended. Thank the Archons, he answered! “It’s Qiqi, Doctor Albedo,” she answers hurriedly.

“Oh, Qiqi?” The voice from the other line turns from expectant to confused. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you busy, Doctor Albedo?”

She hears the doctor hum in thought through the phone. “No, not really. I have no clinic schedule today and I’m just finishing up with my rounds…” his voice trails to a pause. “Is there something the matter with you?”

“Not with me,” Qiqi says, casting a quick glance to her big brother laying on the bed, shifting and groaning more and more in pain. “Something’s wrong with big brother.”

A beat.

“Oh… what happened, Qiqi?” the doctor asks. Qiqi could nearly hear the worry in his voice.

“Big brother has a fever and Mr. Zhongli has work so he’s not answering his phone. Qiqi is all alone in the house and Qiqi doesn’t know what to do,” she explains. “Can you come over and help Qiqi?”

For a moment, there’s silence on the other end of the line. In that seemingly long silence, Qiqi frets that Doctor Albedo wouldn’t oblige to her request, leaving her alone, hopeless and helpless with her sick brother. But, she pushes the thought away. She knows that Doctor Albedo is kind and caring, especially to her and to her big brother. He’d never leave her and her big brother alone.

Her fears are quelled when she hears the doctor finally reply. “Can you give me your address, Qiqi? I’m going to come over.”

With a renewed hope, she tells him the address. When she hangs up the call, Qiqi looks over to her big brother and caresses his forehead gently, as if to say, help is on the way.

As a doctor, Albedo isn’t really a stranger to home calls, but right now it feels like it’s his first time doing it.

Is he nervous? He doesn’t think so. He had ignored Sucrose’s earlier comment that he was “on his toes” when he had announced to her that he had a home call. He racks his brains for an explanation – a medical explanation at that – as to what the churning in his stomach and the quick beating of his heart meant. Those are alarming symptoms too, if ever it were, since the uncomfortable feeling had been sustained throughout the drive from the hospital to the address that Qiqi had given him.

He’s not nervous, right?

He convinces himself he’s not as he knocks on the door to the apartment address that Qiqi had given him. Perhaps, the churning in his stomach (that’s getting worse by the minute as the door to the apartment remains closed after his third knock) is caused by a stomach bug. He would have to drink medicine for that, later.

The door he’s been knocking on opens all of a sudden, making his heart leap out of his chest. Qiqi greets him with wide eyes set upon a disheveled expression, breathing in relief as she wipes the sweat off her brow with her tiny hand. “You’re here!”

Albedo crouches down to Qiqi’s level and pats her head gently. “Hello, Qiqi.” From here, he could notice her panting, as if she had been running around this whole time. “You alright?”

Qiqi nods as she pulls on his sleeve to usher him in the apartment. He barely had time to xlose the door behind him and remove his shoes in the entryway at the pace that Qiqi’s going. “Qiqi’s been preparing a lot of things while waiting for you,” she explains. “Qiqi thinks it would help big brother become better for a bit while you’re still on the way.”

Preliminary measures, Albedo thinks. Qiqi takes a lot after her father, somehow.

Finally, they stop in front of another door. Qiqi looks up to him and puts a finger to her lips. Albedo nods and mirrors the action.

The churning in his stomach is on its worst level when Qiqi opens the door. It practically engulfs his whole being as he steps into the dark room, to drawn curtains and shut lights. To echoes of labored breaths and pained groans.

Xiao is quite a sight. His hair is unkempt, sticking out in different places. His face is all feverish and scrunched up. The covers are up to his chin. A lopsided towel is on his forehead that’s almost falling from its place.

Albedo lifts a hand to brush against Xiao’s forehead gently. He flinches when he shifts under his touch, but eventually returns his hand to his forehead to feel for his temperature when he realizes that he’s not stirring awake any time soon. He hums in thought. Xiao’s skin is too warm under his fingertips.He

He pushes the falling towel back to its position and looks over at Qiqi with a raised eyebrow. “Did you put the towel here, Qiqi?”

The little girl nods. “When Qiqi gets sick, big brother places a cold wet towel on Qiqi’s forehead, so I figured that Qiqi should do the same.” She points at the array of objects that are arranged on the bedside table – a small stainless-steel basin and a smaller glass filled with water, a digital thermometer, and some pills. “Qiqi also brought these out. These are what Qiqi sees Mr. Zhongli put out when Qiqi is sick.”

Albedo is nothing but impressed. Qiqi is very observant and practical for her age, and, at this rate, she would have no problems becoming independent when she grows older. It reminds him of Klee, somehow.

Klee and Qiqi are somewhat similar folk. Perhaps, it’s the lack of a mother figure. Or how their biological parents had been absent in their growth and now, in turn, they try to be independent in their own young age. That’s a bit… sad to think of.

Still, even if they show signs of becoming more and more independent, they need the guidance of an adult. And, speaking of an adult…

“Qiqi?” Albedo calls out. “Have you called Mr. Zhongli, yet?”

Qiqi nods, her lips forming into a frown. “Qiqi did, but Mr. Zhongli didn’t answer.”

The sudden sound of a ringtone makes both of them jump. Qiqi’s eyes widen in realization as she scrambles to the source of the sound, almost tripping over her feet in her haste. “Big brother’s phone!” She finally retrieves the device that had been ringing at the foot of the bed and reads the caller ID. “It’s Mr. Zhongli!”

He listens to Qiqi’s voice tell Zhongli on the other line that she had called earlier because her big brother is burning up a fever. “But, don’t worry!” she tells him enthusiastically. “I called Doctor Albedo and he’s here with me now. He will take good care of big brother.”

A pause. A long one. Albedo swallows and tugs his lip between his teeth. Maybe, he should’ve asked permission from Zhongli first, before answering the house call.

Qiqi suddenly tugs at his sleeve and gives the phone to him. “Mr. Zhongli wants to talk to you.”

“Ah,” he manages to let out. He clasps the phone between shaky fingers and lifts it up gingerly to his ear. “Hello, Mr. Zhongli?”

“Oh, Doctor Albedo,” Zhongli’s calm voice greets from the other line. “I hope you weren’t busy today. I’m surprised that Qiqi called you.”

“No, I wasn’t, Mr. Zhongli, don’t worry about it,” Albedo replies. “If anything, I’m sorry I haven’t asked permission from you first to answer the house call. Qiqi had seemed distressed when she called me, so I immediately acted and went to the address that she had given me.”

“Ah, no need to apologize, Doctor Albedo. I mean, Doctor Baizhu trusts you, so I put my trust on you too. And, I trust that Xiao is in good hands.”

Albedo sighs in relief. His shaky hold on the phone, stills. “Thank you for your trust, Mr. Zhongli.”

“Please tell Qiqi that I’ll be coming home soon, so she doesn’t worry too much.”

“I will. Thank you again, Mr. Zhongli.”

A chuckle at the end of the line. “No, thank you, Doctor Albedo, for taking care of Xiao.”

For the third time that day, Albedo tells Qiqi, “It’s alright, I can handle it.”

The usually obedient Qiqi shakes her head for the third time that day and keeps on with washing the rice for the congee that they’re going to cook for their patient. “Mr. Zhongli taught Qiqi how to cook congee one time, so Qiqi’s fine with doing this,” she tells him. “Qiqi can handle it.”

Albedo frowns. “You sure you don’t want help?” Qiqi nods. “You can continue checking up on big brother. Qiqi will be fine.”

Leaving a child to her own devices in a kitchen is never a good idea, so Albedo lingers there and assists Qiqi whenever he can. He offers to cut up the ginger, scallions, onions and garlic for the congee. He helps gather the cooking utensils to wash in the sink.

Qiqi hums happily as she carries the tray of steaming congee into Xiao’s room after half an hour. “Big brother would be better in no time,” she muses. “I’m sure he will,” Albedo replies with a small smile as he follows in her wake. “Especially if he finds out that you made it for him.”

Qiqi stops in her tracks and frowns. “Not only Qiqi,” she mumbles. “Qiqi and Doctor Albedo made it together. It’d be better than any medicine.”

Albedo is not one to be easily flustered, but his cheeks warm at the comment. “You think so?”

“Mhm! Qiqi will wake him up so we’ll see.”

True to her word, Qiqi sets down the tray on his bedside and nudges Xiao awake gently. It takes a while for him to stir and rouse from his sleep, but when he does, his eyelids flutter open slowly…

And he jolts awake all of a sudden that he hits his head on the headboard at the sudden action.

“Ngh, ouch,” Xiao winces as his hand rubs the spot on his head that he hit. The towel on his forehead falls unceremoniously from its position.

Albedo never knew he could move so quickly until he realizes he’s suddenly by Xiao’s bedside, replacing Xiao’s hand with his to massage the small lump on his head that had formed. “Mr. Xiao, you shouldn’t sit up so suddenly,” he chides. “You’ll get dizzy and look… you even hit your head.”

“Sorry,” he hears him whisper. “Just a bit surprised when I saw you.”

“I called for Doctor Albedo, big brother!” Qiqi announces proudly.

Xiao’s flushed cheeks deepen in color, but Albedo knows that it’s not from his fever. He knows, because he’s positive that his face is sporting the same hue. “Oh, really?” Xiao asks. He turns to him sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Aren’t you busy?”

“Not really, no,” he answers. “Besides, Qiqi had sounded distressed when she called me, so I got a bit worried and came here as soon as I can.”

Xiao’s lips pull into a frown. “You didn’t have to.”

“Why not?”

A beat. “I… I don’t want to become a bother.”

There’s an aching, awkward silence that fills the air between them. Every fiber in Albedo’s body pushes him to just say the words that had been wanting to be said on the tip of his tongue. To tell him that no, he’s not a bother and will never be one.

There goes the churning in his stomach, again. What is wrong with him today?

Qiqi rescues him just in time when he’s about to spiral into his own thoughts. “We made this congee for you, big brother!” she chirps happily, pushing the tray of food onto Xiao’s lap.

Shock and disbelief glint in Xiao’s dulled amber eyes, but he eats the congee anyway after mumbling his thanks to both Qiqi and Albedo. And again, silence fills the room.

Albedo hates these uncomfortable silences, so he clears his throat as a preliminary to start conversation again. “How are you feeling?” he asks his patient. On cue, Xiao coughs and winces. His free hand presses against his temple and massages it in small circles. “Not too good.”

The doctor presses the back of his hand to the Xiao’s forehead. He hums in thought as warmness seeps through his own skin. “Your fever hasn’t gone down yet. Finish your food and I’ll give you your medicine.”

Neither of them do anything to break the silence that follows again. They just allow the silence to press into their ears until the congee bowl had been emptied, the medicine had been drunk, and the patient had been tucked under the covers again, with a fresh cold towel placed gently on his forehead. A lot of words had built up on Albedo’s tongue during this seemingly long period of silence, but he decides against saying them. The only thing he manages to say, after sifting through all the words that had been aching to be said, is “Are you comfortable?”

Xiao nods. He turns his head in his pillow. “Thanks,” he mumbles.

Qiqi’s small hand pats Xiao’s head gently. “You’ll get better, Qiqi knows it. Doctor Albedo is here to take very good care of you.”

The words that had built up on Albedo’s tongue must have been too much, because he suddenly blurts out “Yes, I will.”

Oh, dear.

A flush brightens Xiao’s already feverish cheeks and Albedo ignores the fact that his face is probably of the same state. But, he’s probably not the best at blissful ignorance, because he suddenly takes Qiqi’s hand and starts to usher her out the door. “Your big brother needs rest, Qiqi,” he tells her. The beginnings of a plea to stay longer start to escape Qiqi’s mouth, but they’re out the door before it could even be said.

Qiqi had left Albedo to go to her own room to rest after they had ate the leftovers of the congee that they had cooked as a late lunch meal. The kid must be exhausted, Albedo thinks. She had been running around to help take care of her brother since that morning and the worry she had felt must’ve also contributed to her exhaustion.

Albedo spends a few minutes to walk around the apartment. It’s not too big of a space, but not too small either. Just right for two adults and a child. He’s in awe at how organized the apartment looks – the books are arranged properly in the bookshelf, the plates and bowls are stacked and stored with care in the cupboard, and the decorations are strategically and artfully placed in position. Everything seems to have its place and everything seems to be in order. The space is clean, too.

What catches his eye in his wandering in the apartment, is the large whiteboard calendar in the living room, that’s hanging above the couch. The first two weeks of the month are blank, but the third and fourth week is filled to the brim with colorful whiteboard marker ink. What’s most prominent is the green color in the third week – this week – which had an array of tasks written in green ink, such as Band Practice w/ Four Winds, Help Qiqi w/ Homework, Arrange Jackie and Wilson for the band and et cetera. 

Albedo feels bad for the poor fellow that had to do all that work. That’s when his eyes square in on the legend on the bottom right corner of the calendar. Red for Important Things, Black for Zhongli Things, Purple for Qiqi Things and…

Green for Xiao Things.

“Oh, dear, is that why – “

Before Albedo could even finish his thoughts out loud, the door to Xiao’s room suddenly opens and the patient shuffles out of the room with a broom and dustpan, coughing and sputtering as he does. He stops in his tracks. Gapes comically. All while the doctor gives him a stern look.

“You’re supposed to be in bed, resting, I recall?” Albedo scolds, crossing his arms and tapping his foot.

Xiao stands up a bit straighter. He rubs the back of his head sheepishly and ducks his head. “I just wanted to clean a bit around the house… ‘m fine,” he mumbles. The cough that follows after only makes Albedo’s brows furrow. “Mr. Xiao, I can see you’re clearly not.”

“But – “

“Doctor’s orders, Mr. Xiao.”

There’s no more room for Xiao to protest when Albedo strides over to him and takes the broom and dustpan out of his hands. Or even when he the doctor pushes him in his bedroom to make him lie down to rest. The only time he speaks is when he’s tucked under the covers, maybe thinking that his words are muffled by the duvet, but Albedo hears it anyway. “You didn’t really have to worry about me.”

“But, I do worry about you.” Albedo suddenly blurts out. For a while, they exchange wide-eyed gazes at the outburst, mirroring each other’s parted lips and flushed cheeks. A weird feeling settles deep in Albedo’s stomach. A single thought comes clear from all the other thoughts that had flooded in his mind – Was the statement too much?

He busies himself with soaking a towel in cool water as he ponders on the thought. “I’m your doctor and you’re my patient,” he mumbles, It sounds more of a reassurance to himself than an explanation to Xiao. “You’re supposed to get better under my care,” Albedo tells him, as he places the freshly cooled towel on his forehead.

Then, a whisper. “You’re never a bother to me.”

His patient must’ve heard the whisper because Xiao turns his head on his pillow to avoid eye contact and mumbles a small “Sorry.”

“Don’t… don’t apologize.”

A moment passes without another exchange of words – only the shuffling of various objects for Xiao’s treatment can be heard. A fluffing of pillows. A beep of a thermometer. A pouring of water into a glass.

“Uh…” Albedo begins. There’s nothing left to do after he’s done everything necessary for treatment. “Do you… do you need anything else?”

Somehow, Albedo wants Xiao to say something particular. Something that he would oblige to do. Only if he would ask.

If only you would ask me to –

“Stay.”

It all sounds more plea than request, but a plea that Albedo is more than willing to fulfill, anyway. Still, both of them are caught off-guard by the simple word – the one who had uttered it had attempted to hide his blush in his pillows, and the one whose plea was directed to finds himself rendered speechless.

“I- I mean…!” Xiao trips over his own words, probably attempting to make the situation less awkward for the both of them. “It’s…uh… more convenient if you… stay. Everything you need is here… and you can… uh… watch over me… as your… uh… patient.” His voice lowers to a whisper. “But, it’s okay if you don’t want to… it’s just a suggestion.”

“I… I’m not really opposed to it,” Albedo manages to say above the loud beating of his heart.  “If it makes you rest easier, I will stay. I understand it gets rather lonely in isolation.”

Again, it sounds like what he’d added is to reassure himself. Like, he’s giving an explanation to himself as to what bizarre feeling is churning in his chest. Like, he’s making excuses to mask what he really wants in his heart. That, he wants to stay. No matter what.

But, that does nothing to quell the loud beating of his heart, almost as if it’s shouting out his genuine feelings. He hopes, in the quiet of the room, Xiao wouldn’t hear it.

(He’s oblivious to the fact that Xiao’s heart is beating just as loud.)

Albedo pulls a chair next to Xiao’s bedside and settles there. His lips quirk up to form a comforting smile. “Please rest now, Mr. Xiao.”

And Xiao does, nodding off to sleep in a matter of minutes. A peaceful smile forms on his face, almost like he knows that Albedo would be there for the whole time until he wakes, like he knows that he will be the first person he will see when he opens his eyes.

That’s what Albedo promises. At least, not verbally. But he does so when he reaches for Xiao’s hand, at first with hesitance, that is slowly replaced with certainty once his hand is clutched gently in his. He strokes the back of it with his thumb and gives it a light squeeze, before he drifts off to sleep as well.

He had a good dream that afternoon. He wonders if Xiao did too.

Xiao wakes to a different warmth. One that’s not feverish, but one that comforts. Embraces.

Certainly, he feels better than he did that morning. No more of that weird, heavy feeling in his chest, or of that dizziness in his head. For once, that day, he feels as though he hadn’t been sick in the first place.

The next thought upon waking up is: what time is it?

Before he could even peer at the bedside table to look at his digital clock, the sight that comes before him makes his breath hitch.

There, in a chair next to his bed, was Albedo, slumped over and fast asleep. It was only then that he also realizes that his hand is clutched tightly in the doctor’s, who shows no signs of letting go.

A thought makes him blush – had he held his hand while he was asleep? He shakes it off once he’d thought of it, though, and instead turns his focus on Albedo’s odd sleeping position. “You’ll wake up with a stiff neck,” Xiao mumbles a scolding that the doctor wouldn’t even hear.

He feels like he’s in a trance in the next moments. It starts when his free hand suddenly reaches up to touch the doctor’s face, fingers skimming over his cheeks with feather-light touches, careful not to wake him. For a while, he stays in that position, with his palm pressed against Albedo’s cheek just slightly and his eyes observing the doctor’s sleeping face. He mirrors the rhythm of his breaths, synchronizing the inhale. The exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Even asleep, he’s beautiful, he thinks. And proximity does have a hand in enhancing what’s already beautiful. It’s the first time he’s been this close to Albedo – close, as in, he can almost count his eyelashes or feel his breath on his own skin with every exhale.

Close, as in, he can almost –

The door slamming open comes so suddenly that he almost falls from his bed in surprise. When he steadies himself, he sees Zhongli, standing in the doorway to his bedroom with Qiqi in tow.

“Big brother is awake,” Qiqi says happily, bounding over to Xiao’s bedside.

Zhongli follows in Qiqi’s wake. He reaches over to touch Xiao’s forehead and hums in thought. “Your temperature seems to be okay. Are you feeling better, now?”

“I am,” Xiao reassures. He gives him a smile for good measure.  

His roommate chuckles. “You must’ve been a stubborn patient to tire the doctor out.” 

“Poor Doctor Albedo…” Qiqi muses, looking at the doctor’s slumped figure over the bed.

Xiao’s cheeks warm. “I… wasn’t. “ He spares a glance at the doctor by his bedside, who’s now stirring in his sleep. He holds in a breath as he sees Albedo’s eyes slowly open from behind his eyeglasses, that then fully snap wide open at the sight of Zhongli, Qiqi and Xiao staring at him.

“Oh, my apologies,” the doctor says. He adjusts his eyeglasses that went askew. The hand clutching Xiao’s loosens around the appendage and hesitantly returns to his side. When it does, Xiao feels that the warmth that he had felt when he first woke up fades away.

Ah, so that’s where it came from.

“It’s alright,” Zhongli says with a smile. “I think your patient is feeling better.”

Albedo’s eyes light up. “Really?” He leans over to press the back of his hand to Xiao’s forehead, and Xiao could feel himself go warm under his touch so much that he may mistake it for his fever coming back. But Albedo smiles at him.

“Ah, you are getting better, Mr. Xiao. Just rest and drink your medicine after dinner, and you will be alright by tomorrow.”

“Y-yeah,” Xiao replies sheepishly. “Thanks.”

“Thank you, too, Doctor Albedo,” Zhongli says. Qiqi also gives her thanks with a bright smile. She then goes wide-eyed, like a lightbulb had gone off in her head, and she perks up. “Would you like to stay for dinner?”

Xiao goes as wide-eyed as his sister. “Qiqi – “

“As much as I’d like to,” Albedo begins. A dusting of pink forms on his cheeks before he continues. “I… I have an early shift in the hospital tomorrow. And Klee’s probably expecting me to go home by now.”

Qiqi’s face visibly falls. “Oh. I understand.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Zhongli says, taking the words out of Xiao’s mouth. “But, duties come first, right?”

“Yes, without a doubt,” Albedo replies. He pats Qiqi’s head gently and gives her a smile to lift her spirits. “I’ll join you for dinner when I’m free, don’t worry about it.”

At that, Qiqi perks up and nods excitedly. “Qiqi will be looking forward to it!”

Albedo laughs. Xiao thinks it’s better than any medicine that he had taken.

The doctor had left a few hours ago (with instructions to Zhongli to check his temperature every few hours and to make Xiao drink his medicine on time), but Xiao feels the need to call for him again. Maybe, he could feign a cough. Or a stomachache. Maybe, he could fake-vomit on the phone so that he’d come back.

But, that’s stupid. And selfish of him.

He should’ve walked him to the door when he got up to leave, just to relish in a few more seconds in his presence. But Doctor Albedo had told him to rest when he starts to stand up from bed to walk him to the door. Zhongli had told him that, too.

And so, he spent the rest of the evening in bed. Zhongli had came and went with his dinner, and Qiqi had offered him company as he ate. Now, she had retired to her room for bed and he’s left all alone. In the silence.

The room feels… empty somehow.

He closes his eyes and tries to remember to ease the emptiness. How Albedo had pressed the back of his hand to his forehead gently. How his eyes had lit up when he was told that his patient was doing alright. How his soft voice had soothed him. How he told him he’s not a bother.

How he held his hand in his, like it was the most precious thing that he had ever held.  

Xiao could feel himself slip into sleep to his thoughts of the young doctor, when his phone rings, making him sit up abruptly from his bed.

Who is it at this hour?

He found his answer when he sees the caller ID. He presses the green accept button without a second thought.

“Doctor Albedo?”

“Oh, good evening, Mr. Xiao.” Albedo’s voice is soft at the other line. “Did I wake you?”

 “No, no, you didn’t.”

“That’s good.” He could almost hear him smile. “I was wondering if you are doing alright. Do you still feel feverish? Dizzy? Does your head still hurt?”

Xiao mumbles a soft “No,” as he toys with the edge of his blanket. “I’m alright now, thanks to you.”

A laugh in the other line makes him blush. “That’s a relief.”

A beat. Two. Three. This is the part where they’re supposed to say their ‘Good nights’ and ‘Goodbyes.’

“So…”

“Um…”

They fall silent once they realized that they spoke in sync. The silence suddenly fills with laughter, one that makes tears form at the corner of Xiao’s eyes.

“That was awkward,” Xiao notes, the laughter still in his voice.

“Agreed.” Another chuckle before Albedo speaks again. “Well, you should rest. Have a good night.”

Xiao’s grip on the phone tightens. The goodbye that comes is too soon, but he says it back anyway.

“Alright, doc. Good night to you too.”

“Sweet dreams.”

“Yeah. You too.”

Xiao does have sweet dreams that night when he finally rests for the day. He’d never had good dreams before, until now.

He wakes the next morning with a different warmth that lingers. A warmth that makes his heart swell. He remembers the dreams that he had that night, and smiles.

Today is going to be a good day.

Chapter Text

Xiao hates the second and fourth Mondays of the month because that means he’s the one that would do the coffee run for the band during their practice break. The café that they frequent is two blocks away and the lines there on Monday afternoons are unnecessarily long. Plus, there’s Venti’s long order that he still has on his notes app because he can’t remember what comes next after “Mocha frappuccino with one pump of vanilla.”

And so, on that afternoon of the second Monday of the month, Xiao walks sluggishly to the café to complete his tedious task. He’s been grumbling complaints under his breath ever since he left the practice room, but what can he do? Everyone in the band has a turn to do the coffee run; it’d be unfair otherwise.

By some miracle, the lines in the café aren’t that long today, so he only waits for a few minutes to be served. The barista that Venti had once called “cute” (and partly the reason why the band frequents this café in the first place, much to Xiao’s dismay) is the one manning the counter today. He greets him with his customer service smile. “Hello, Mr. Xiao. The usual?”

“Yes,” Xiao confirms. The barista hums in thought as he punches in his order with ease. “Just to make sure, that’s three almond lattes, an acai refresher and a mocha frapuccino with one pump of vanilla, two pumps of chocolate syrup, extra chocolate chips and whipped cream to-go?”

Xiao doesn’t even bother to check his notes app to see if Venti’s order (the ridiculously long drink order that sounds more like a potion recipe than coffee drink) is complete. He just nods and hands over the money. “That’s about right.”

The barista’s customer service smile widens. “Alright, that would be 970 Mora. Your drinks would be ready in a while, I’ll just call out your name.”

“Thanks.”

Xiao starts for his usual seat in a little quiet corner in the café. It’s positioned just next to the window with a lovely view of the city. However, to his surprise, it’s taken. And no, not by a stranger. Xiao could swear his heart skipped a few beats upon seeing who’s already settled in his spot.

“Doctor Albedo?”

Doctor Albedo – who seemed to have been sketching something the moment Xiao had seen him – looks up from his work and jumps slightly from his seat in surprise. He gives him a small smile as a greeting. “What a pleasant surprise to see you here, Mr. Xiao.”

A pleasant surprise. “Likewise,” Xiao replies. He motions to the empty seat in front of the doctor. “Do you mind?”

“Not at all.”

As Xiao settles in his seat, he shakes off the thought that from an outsider’s point of view, they look like they’re on a café date.

(Not that he would mind an outsider’s thoughts anyway.)

“So,” Xiao starts awkwardly. “Don’t you have a clinic schedule today? Rounds?”

The doctor shakes his head and his smile widens. “I’m actually on an off-duty day today. It’s been a while since I went to a café just because, so I came here since this one’s the nearest to my apartment.” He tilts his head at Xiao, curious eyes shining. “How about you, Mr. Xiao? What brings you here?”

“I’m actually on a coffee run,” he explains. “Our band is on a practice break, so I’m buying coffee for all of us.”

“A band, huh?” Albedo repeats absent-mindedly. “What do you play?”

“Bass.” A bit of pride makes Xiao’s chest swell.

Albedo hums with interest as he brings his coffee mug up to his lips. “I’d like to hear you play sometime.”

Xiao feels a blush creep up to his cheeks. He feigns a cough to hide it and shyly rubs the back of his neck. “Uh, yeah…” he mumbles. “Look forward to it sometime.” At the back of his mind, he wonders when ‘sometime’ would come. They have gigs every Wednesday night, but, knowing doctors, they’re too busy, and their schedule is one that is unpredictable.

Something in him bugs him to just ask, but he dismisses the thought. Not now, he thinks. There ought to be a better time.

Instead, he attempts to start small talk, just to keep the conversation going. “So, uh, what do you do on your off-duty days?”

The doctor hums, pressing the tip of the pencil he’s holding to his lips. “I usually don’t think of work that much, even though I fail at that aspect.” He chuckles at his own jab to himself. “I do spend time with Klee sometimes. But, I usually kill time by sketching the whole day.”

What can’t you do? Xiao thinks. He’s smart, good-looking, kind… and apparently now he’s also creative.

“Well, for starters, I can’t do the laundry properly,” the doctor says in amusement. Xiao raises his eyebrows at his odd response. It takes time for him to connect two and two together, and when he does, the flush on his cheeks brightens.

He thought out loud.

Xiao scrambles for an apology to prevent further embarrassment. “Oh, dear Archons, I’m sorry,” he says, quicker than he had intended. “Didn’t mean to be weird or anything, you can just forget what I said.”

Albedo laughs, and oh, there he goes again with his laughter. “No harm done, Mr. Xiao.”

Xiao tries to find his voice to speak again and quell the awkward silence that had lingered between them after that embarrassing scene, but suddenly, a familiar face enters the café. His mouth dries up at the sight, and he attempts to hide himself from the newcomer in the café by lowering his head, as if that would do anything to make him unrecognizable.

Out of sight, out of mind, he thinks. The thought dissipates, however, when he feels a hand curl itself around the back of Xiao’s chair.

“I was wondering why you were taking so long."

Xiao stiffens and looks up to see Venti’s smirking face. "Practice was supposed to start fifteen minutes ago, ‘ya know?"

He reddens in embarrassment. "Uh, sorry. I got carried away by...” He shoots a look to Albedo, then to Venti, who had followed his gaze. “...conversation."

"I see.” Venti holds up a bag full of drinks, flashing him a cheeky smile. “That’s why you forgot to take our order from the counter.”

Xiao’s eyes widen and his cheeks flush more. “That’s – “

“Ah, ah, ah! No more excuses!” He waves at Albedo as he pulls Xiao out of his seat. “Sorry, mister, it seems that I have to borrow our bassist here."

"Ah, it's alright,” Albedo reassures. Xiao thinks he sees disappointment flash in the doctor’s eyes briefly when he turns to look at him, but he doesn’t think much of it. “Good luck with band practice, Mr. Xiao."

Part of him wants to shove Venti aside and tell Albedo that there’s been a mistake – Venti’s just a prankster and there’s no band practice today so he can stay for as long as they both like.

And yet, Venti’s as annoying as he is insistent. “Come on!” he urges, pulling at Xiao’s sleeve to herd him away. He swats Venti’s hand away and shoves both of his hands into his pockets, grumbling to himself as he follows Venti out of the café. 

However, he stops midway and turns back to where the doctor was. Without thinking, he walks back, pretending not to hear Venti’s protests.

Albedo looks up from his drink and quirks an eyebrow at him. “Did you forget something?”

At the same time when he fumbles with his words, his fingers go from playing with the hem of his shirt to running through his hair “I… uh… no..” he reassures. Though, it really never did much reassuring in the first place.

“Hm? Then why’d you come back, Mr. Xiao. Anything you need?”

The first answer that comes to his head is ‘You,’ although he mentally chides himself for watching too much dramas with Zhongli to even think of an answer as cheesy (and as cringeworthy) as that. His mind tries to form another answer, and yet his thoughts turn fuzzy under the doctor’s bright, wide-eyed, curious gaze.

“Mr. Xiao?”

“Dinner!” Xiao blurts out from his stupor, all so suddenly. He reddens soon after that, and all he wants is for Morax to open up the ground beneath him and swallow him whole then and there.

Albedo doesn’t seem to catch on as he quirks an eyebrow at him, confused. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t quite catch on to what you meant.”

He avoids the doctor’s gaze, twiddling with his fingers. He’s sure that, by now, Venti’s snickering behind him at his poor attempt to communicate. “What I meant was…” he trails off, hesitant. ‘You’ve gotten so far, and you hesitate now?’ he chastises himself. And so, he musters the rest of his remaining courage left and just goes for it.

“What I meant was,” Xiao repeats, louder ansd firmer this time. “I… I’d like to invite you to dinner sometime. You know… as thanks for… taking care of me when I was… sick.”

There’s this silence that follows, then a small ‘oh.’ Xiao half-expects flat-out rejection (he’s a doctor, after all, he has no time for idle dinner invites) and yet when he looks at Albedo, there’s a warm smile upon his lips. “I told you time and again that you don’t have to repay me… I was just doing my job.” A soft sigh comes (and It doesn’t sound exasperated, for the record) and his reply is said next. “But, dinner sounds nice. I’ll text you when I’m free, yeah?”

Xiao can only nod dumbly, poor man has already short-circuited on the spot. It’s Venti that replies for him (“Yes, he’ll be waiting for your text!”) and the next thing Xiao knows, is that he’s already tugged out of the café and into the route back to their practice room. He only manages to wave at the window where Albedo’s sitting at when he comes to, who then gives him another of his warm smiles (that he just can’t seem to run out of) and a small wave goodbye.

Beside him, Venti giggles. Xiao furrows his brows at him. “What now?”

"He's really handsome in person, huh?” Venti comments, as he hums a tune while they walk back to the practice room. He wiggles his eyebrows at him. “I can see why you'd abandon your bandmates over that cute doctor."

Xiao blushes. "Shut up, Venti."

Xiao has gone to a fair share of dates in his lifetime, but none of them are planned by him. Usually, they’re blind dates that Venti drags him to (“Because you need love in your life, that’s why!”) or they’re with some random stranger he’d met at the bar after their set who probably had too much to drink when they invited him out on a date. Either way, his dates would usually end at an awkward note, since Xiao is always uninterested with the people he went out with. He’s particularly nitpicky with people – he doesn’t like someone too loud, too arrogant, too bold… anything that’s too far out from his scale of expectations is an obvious ‘No, sorry, I’m not interested in keeping this connection and so the moment I end this date I’ll forget about you then and there.’

But, now it’s different. Of course, the date is with Doctor Albedo. Of course, it’s different.

Realization sinks in. He just called it a date.

“It’s not a date,” he mumbles to himself, red-faced as he stares into his phone, reading the same text over and over again until he has the words “Hello, Mr. Xiao, I’m free next Sunday night for dinner 😊” memorized.

“Not a date,” he assures, finally replying to the message he’s been reading for the past thirty minutes with a “sure looking forward to it !” and a “😊” emoji which he added three minutes after when he realizes that his message looks too dry and sounds like he’s uninterested.

“It’s not a date, Xiao,” he reminds himself, when he writes with his green marker on the whiteboard calendar “dinner date with doc” when it’s clearly not a date as he had repeated to himself throughout the day.

He goes to erase the word with his thumb when a voice makes him stop midway. “Not a date, Xiao?”

Xiao’s cheeks warm and he suddenly erases his new entry on the whiteboard entirely. The whiteboard swings from side to side with his aggression. “Archons, no, it’s not,” he tells Zhongli. The latter only huffs. “Sure, keep denying. You’re a bad liar – to me, and to yourself.”

“I’m not lying.”

“Qiqi can tell you are,” a little girl suddenly interjects. It’s only then that Xiao notices that his little sister had been behind Zhongli the whole time, overseeing the exchange. Xiao sighs and purses his lips – he can’t win to Qiqi, he knows that.

It’s really not, Xiao wants to shout out, which is more reassurance to himself than explanation to Zhongli and Qiqi or even anyone who tries to convince him that he just asked out Doctor Albedo on a date. It’s just… dinner. Dinner as gratitude for the doctor taking care of him and his sister. Dinner as repayment of a debt.

And, it doesn’t really sound that he asked him out… right?

“See?” Zhongli points out. “Qiqi said so. You’re really bad at lying.”

“It’s not…” Xiao trails off as he tries to write on the whiteboard again. The marker hovers over the space after writing ‘dinner,’ as if hesitant, somehow.

“Go on.” Behind him, he almost hears Zhongli snicker in mockery.

“Archons, I will if you stop it.”

His roommate finally sighs and raises his arms in surrender when Xiao gives him a bone-chilling glare. “Fine, I won’t bother you any longer.” Zhongli takes Qiqi’s hand and tugs her away to her room. “Come along Qiqi, let’s not disturb your big brother now.”

Qiqi resigns to Zhongli’s orders, but not until she says, “Good luck with your date, big brother.”

“It’s not – “

Too late, both Zhongli and Qiqi had retired to their own rooms, leaving Xiao in front of the whiteboard with an unfinished Sunday entry. The word “dinner” in green ink is awkward in the large white space that it’s been written on, like it’s missing something. Dinner where? Dinner with whom? Dinner with what purpose?

In what seems to be eternity in the minutes that Xiao stands in front of the whiteboard calendar with intense contemplation, he finally decides on “Dinner with doc,” with the purpose left blank. Just to fill the awkward space. Just to write something to look forward to at the end of the week.

For another time that day, he reassures himself to calm his heart that “It’s not a date.”

Not a date… yet.

If accompanying Qiqi to her doctor’s appointment with Albedo once every month reduces Xiao to a bundle of nerves that he couldn’t sleep for days on end just thinking about it, dinner makes him malfunction.

For days prior said dinner with Doctor Albedo, Xiao’s dazed and distracted. Both Xiao himself and the people around him notice that he’s like floating in air, eyes glazed over with a mixture of sleepiness, dreaminess and drowsiness. As if his mind’s clouded over, he moves as if everything is in a haze in both his physical and mental state. The only thing clear, however, is the dozens upon dozens of scenarios and outcomes of said dinner with Doc happening in a few days, all of which racing in his mind a mile a minute. Xiao can attest that only a fourth of those scenarios would be in his favor – he’s positive (according to all known scenarios that he has thought of in his dream-like state for the past few days) that everything would go wrong and he wouldn’t be able to show his face again to the doctor for the third Saturday next month.

So much for impressions.

And so, he fumbles with his bass absentmindedly during his practice sessions with the Four Winds during breaks, when the loudness of the practice room suddenly dies down and the noise is replaced by his own thoughts that have been constantly echoing in his mind for the past few days. He stumbles through practice, hitting a wrong note or two in the times when his thoughts shout louder than the music. In gigs, he seems less charismatic than usual and goes home right after the set, not even bothering to stop for a drink or two. At home, he’s paces in front of the calendar, eyes fixed on the green-inked agenda for the week’s Sunday. He seems dazed and “floaty” (as Qiqi had commented) when he goes to help Qiqi with her homework, and even more so when he helps with the chores around the house. Zhongli even asked if he’s sick one time when he almost cut himself while slicing some vegetables for their dinner, to which Xiao denies.

For the last practice of the week, Venti couldn’t handle seeing Xiao in such a strange state and blurts out, “Alright, what’s going on with you, Xiao?” The song that they’re practicing dies down and the whole band looks over at Xiao with perplexed looks.

Xiao feigns ignorance. He picks at the strings of his bass, obviously avoiding his bandmates’ gazes. “What do you mean?”

This time, it’s Barbara, true to her kindhearted nature, who speaks. “You’ve been acting a bit strange lately. Something on your mind?”

Partly, Xiao wants to get on with it and be honest to his bandmates. He knows his overthinking about some dinner is affecting his performance in the band, and yet, at the same time, the reason seems so petty and laughable that he would rather keep it for himself to fix than tell it to his bandmates.

He chooses the latter. “Nothing,” he mumbles. “Can we go back to practicing now, please?”

It’s been established that he’s a bad liar, and Venti sees right through him then and there. “Nope. I know you more than Zhongli ever does and I can tell that there is something on your mind.”

“You are painfully obvious,” Xinyan notes. “Your head has been in the clouds since Monday.”

Before Xiao could even defend himself, Chongyun pipes up. “Don’t think we didn’t notice how you were acting in practice for the past few days.”

“I wasn’t – “

“You were slipping up with your solos.”

“No, that’s because – “

“You didn’t say a word when I messed up the riff you arranged for me,” Xinyan adds.

“That was – “

“You didn’t even touch the coffee I bought for you last practice,” Barbara says quietly.

“Sorry, I – “

“Not to mention you leaving early when the set’s over!” Venti huffs. “You usually stay for drink.” He pouts, emphasizing disappointment.

At that, everyone murmurs their own theories and expresses their thoughts on Xiao’s strange behavior for the past few days. The murmuring becomes too much to handle, so Xiao pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out an exasperated sigh. “Archons, if you’d just let me finish.”

The whole room falls silent. Everyone looks at him, waiting with bated breath for what he has to say next.

Xiao finally decides to tell the truth. “I’ve been… kinda nervous, lately.”

Barbara raises an eyebrow at him. “Nervous? At what?”

Xiao opens his mouth to answer, but Venti puts two and two together and answers for him. “is it because of your date with that cute doctor?”

That did it. The silent room escalates to an uproar, quite literally putting Xiao in the corner, as his bandmates surround him and bombard him with questions of when, where, why and how he got a date.

“It isn’t a date,” he corrects to his bandmates (and possibly, to himself, too.) “It’s just dinner… as thanks, I guess, for taking care of me when I was sick.”

That seemed to prompt more questions than answers. “He took care of you when he was sick?!” “How? Did he go to your apartment?” “When was this? You didn’t mention you were sick?”

“Archons, I’ll tell that to you for another time. Now, can we please go back to practice? We’ve already wasted too much time,” he chides. At the back of his mind, however, he knows that they were never going to listen to him until all their questions have been answered. One thing his bandmates all have in common, is that they put gossip first over everything else. Especially Venti.

“If it’s just dinner,” Xinyan starts, raising an eyebrow at him. “Why the hell are you being so nervous for?”

“Bennett and I go out for dinner sometimes, but I don’t lose sleep over it,” Chongyun points out.

“You’re dating Bennett. You’re not pining for him from afar like our dear friend Xiao is,” Venti explains, shooting a teasing look at Xiao when he mentions his name.

“Oh, right.”

Barbara gives him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “I think it’s perfectly fine for you to be nervous. I mean, you’ll be having dinner with Doctor Albedo of all people. Of course, you’ll be thinking about it for days on end because you wouldn’t know how to act and you’ll be afraid you’ll mess up in front of him, right?”

It’s amazing how Barbara can put his feelings into words. He only gives her a nod.

Xinyan slings her arm around Xiao’s shoulders and ruffles his hair. “You’ll do great, I bet! Tell us all about it after, alright?”

He huffs as he loosens himself from Xinyan’s grip and pats his hair down into place. Still, he mumbles a small ‘thank you’ to her. He looks up and Chongyun gives him a thumbs up and a small smile.

He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but the weight pressing down on his chest had lightened a bit and the haze in his mind had cleared just a little at the sound of their reassurance.

“I’ll help you pick out your outfit this Sunday!” Venti offers. Xiao furrows his eyebrows at him. “I’m perfectly capable of choosing my own clothes.”

“Sure, you do.”

Of course, with how much Xiao had been overthinking over clothing choices, he wasn’t capable of choosing his own clothes to wear that Sunday.

Half of the clothes in his closet are strewn everywhere – on the floor, on the bed, on his desk and chair – and he still hasn’t found anything to wear. He’s tried every outfit combination he could think of and he still isn’t satisfied. 

Someone knocks on his door and he hears Zhongli’s voice from outside his room. “Xiao, aren’t you leaving yet? Your dinner with Doctor Albedo is in an hour.”

Xiao’s a bad liar, but he lies anyway. “I’m almost done! I’m leaving in ten minutes!”

“Alright, hurry up. You wouldn’t want to be late.”

Of course, he wouldn’t. Being late for dinner is scenario 120 of the dozens of outcomes he’d thought about days prior. Plus, scenario 120 would lead to other unfavorable outcomes that he wouldn’t ant to go detail about, lest he distract himself and actually make it into reality.

He takes one look at himself in the mirror and decides that the jacket he’s put on looks tacky and too colorful and doesn’t match well with his black shirt. His pants look wrinkled too… and his shoes. What the hell are those shoes?

For once, he lowers his pride and reaches for his phone to dial a number. ”Hey, Venti?”

A teasing voice floats from the other line. “Took you long enough. Told you that you need my help.”

“Yeah, yeah, just get on with it already. I have an hour left before dinner.”

“Put me on video call.”

Xiao obeys, propping his phone up against his mirror to show his tenth outfit that he tried on that evening to Venti. The latter frowns. “When you’re nervous, your sense of fashion becomes basically non-existent.”

“And you need my help. Obviously.” Venti squints at the screen, taking a clearer look at Xiao’s outfit. “Did you mention to me where you were going?”

“Liuli Pavilion. Doctor Albedo said he wanted to try out Liyuen cuisine, so I recommended that we go there.”

Venti’s eyes go wide. “Shut the fuck up, and you’re wearing that outfit there?”

“I wasn’t planning to!” Xiao shrugs off his jacket and drops it to the floor to further emphasize his point. “Jacket looks tacky anyway, I don’t even know why I bought it in the first place.”

“Throw that in the garbage, jeez, I know you have something better. And have you even bothered to iron your shirt and pants?”

“I would have if I wasn’t panicking so much, archons help me.”

“Alright, calm down. Breathe, you got this, okay?” Venti guides Xiao to inhale and exhale, which the latter promptly follows. When he’s sure that his friend has already calmed down, he finally gives his fashion advice.

“Okay, you have to lose the shirt and put on a turtleneck.” Xiao raises an eyebrow at him. “I don’t think I have a turtleneck.”

“You do, silly! I borrowed it some time ago and gave it back.”

“I didn’t know you borrowed it.”

Venti flashes him a cheeky smirk. “Now you know.”

Xiao looks at him in horror. “You’ve been stealing my clothes?”

“I do return it when i come over to your apartment… oh, archons, I’ll explain later, now go get that turtleneck! While you’re at it, get some slacks too and make sure they’re ironed!”

Xiao grumbles under this breath about Venti stealing his clothes and thinks about when and how he does it without him knowing. Then again, he doesn’t really have much variety in his clothing choices that he sometimes misses it if anything goes missing. He looks through his closet, and sure enough he finds a black turtleneck shirt. Beside it, there’s a pair of gray slacks that’s miraculously free from wrinkles.

He shows the new outfit to Venti after a while, who gives him a thumbs up and a few comments. “I think you need loafers and a short coat.”

“I think I have some loafers lying around. As for the coat…”

“Oh, you pick the brown coat! It’ll tie everything together.”

Xiao furrows his brows at his phone. “How’d you know I have a brown coat?”

“Hehe,” is Venti’s sheepish response, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. Xiao could only sigh. “At least you give it back.”

“Of course! What kind of best friend would I be if I steal your clothes and don’t give it back?”

“A thief?”

“Mean!”

Xiao stifles a laugh before he walks out of the camera frame to rummage through his shoeboxes for his loafers. He spots said brown coat on his bed (thank the archons it isn’t wrinkled even though it’s haphazardly thrown across his sheets) and shrugs it on before slipping on his shoes. He stands in front of his phone camera to reveal his final look to Venti, whose eyes brighten with glee. “That’s it!”

The reassurance calms Xiao’s nerves a bit, but he starts pulling on the sleeves of his coat. “Really? What if I’m too overdressed or something? Don’t I look ridiculous?”

“No you don’t!” Venti shouts, chiding Xiao through the screen. “I’ll bet five hundred mora that he’ll kiss you by the end of the night.”

Xiao reddens. “Venti!”

“Don’t you want that?”

“It’s not even a date. It’s dinner. Dinner.”

“Who knows? What if he’ll call it a date when the night ends? What will you do then?”

Truth be told, Xiao hasn’t thought about it, just because he thinks that there’s a low probability of that happening tonight. It’s a rogue scenario to say the least. The question leaves him thinking… and flustered just by imagining it.

Venti snaps him back to reality. “Hey! You’re going to be late!”

Xiao blinks, once, twice and he suddenly realizes the time and oh, Archons, he has forty-five minutes until his dinner. He fumbles with his phone, gives Venti a hurried “Thanks!” before ending the call and pocketing his phone and his wallet before heading out the door.

Zhongli hears Xiao emerge from his room and he stops him briefly before he leaves. “Do you want me to drive you there, Xiao? Traffic’s pretty bad for a commute. I can always ask Madame Ping next door to look after Qiqi while we’re out.”

“No, I’m fine. It’s probably not that bad.” Xiao does a once-over of their whole common space to find Qiqi missing from her usual spot at the dining table where she usually is doing homework at that time. “Hey, where’s Qiqi?”

“She said she’s tired so she’ll take a nap in her room before dinner,” Zhongli explains. A beat. “You sure you don’t want me to drive you there?”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me  Don’t bother waiting up for me, I have a spare key.” He waves at Zhongli before starting for the door.

“Good luck on your dinner!” Zhongli calls after Xiao’s retreating figure. If Xiao had closed the door and left just a second later, he’d probably hear his roommate sigh out, “Ah, young love.”

In the middle of a traffic jam, Xiao realizes that he probably should’ve taken up Zhongli’s offer.

“’It isn’t that bad,' my foot,” Xiao grumbles to himself, looking out the window at the bustling cars and buses on the street that seem to pack into each other like strangely fitting puzzle pieces. The red LED lights of the clock in front of the bus tell him that, at this rate, he’s going to be late for half an hour, or for fifteen minutes of he’s lucky enough.

He clicks his phone open and almost gasps to find a newly delivered message from Doctor Albedo.

Doctor Albedo: I’m almost at the restaurant.

Doctor Albedo: Where are you right now?

At this point, Xiao has already lied so many times to himself and to his friends. He isn’t going to add another lie to the list.

Xiao: currently stuck in traffic rn @ harbor ave

Xiao: srry i think im gonna be late for a bit

He sighs after sending the texts. So much for first impressions. Now, scenario 120 is going to take place and everything would go down the drain.

His phone vibrates and he fumbles with it to look at the new message.

Doctor Albedo: It’s fine, Mr. Xiao. Traffic in Harbor Avenue is really bad, huh? 😅

Doctor Albedo: Anyway, I hope you get here safely.

As Xiao’s heart flutters madly jn his chest, he prays to the Seven Archons for some miracle that would release him from the traffic jam as soon as possible, because Archons high above does he want to see him so bad at this point.

Xiao arrives at Liuli Pavilion ten minutes past his agreed time with Doctor Albedo. He’s still tardy, but at least not for half an hour as he’d originally hypothesized. Maybe he should visit one of the Statues of the Seven sometime to give gratitude to the Archons.

He spots the doctor sitting next to the window in the quiet corner of the restaurant. Just like in those dramas he watches with Zhongli sometimes, everything slows to a stop when he sees the doctor – his hair pulled into a high ponytail different from his usual braid, his doctor’s coat exchanged for a smart pinstriped gray blazer over a black high-collared shirt tucked into black slacks. For a while, Xiao busies himself with straightening his own coat, which had been slightly wrinkled from the commute, patting down his hair and checking his teeth with his phone camera, before walking towards their table.

Ideally, if he weren’t late, he’ll be able to reenact scenario 1 and greet the doctor with a “Good evening, how are you doing today?” while helping said doctor settle into his seat and proceeding to do small talk for a while before he calls for the waiter.

Scenario 120, however, would require him to walk up to the Doctor, say his apologies and wait for either of the two hypothesized outcomes to happen.

1. Doctor Albedo shrugs off the apology as soon as he receives it, chides him with something about arriving on time so as not to waste other’s precious time, gives him some mora for his dinner, and leaves the restaurant promptly.
2. The doctor says nothing and just nods, yet the aura around them turns frosty and they are unable to initiate any meaningful conversations, making the whole evening awkward.

He almost stops in his tracks at the thought. But, there’s no more time to turn on his heel and run – that’d be rude. Instead, he steels himself as he walks to their table with a steadier gait, He holds on to the sliver of a chance that none of those hypothesized outcomes when he mumbles a small, “Hi,” to catch the doctor’s attention, who had been busying himself with sketching on a napkin to pass time. Doctor Albedo looks up from his work and suddenly stands up to greet him. “Oh, good evening Mr. Xiao.”

“I’m really sorry I was late,” Xiao says sheepishly, pulling at the hem of his coat. “I thought the traffic wasn’t that bad, and I didn’t mind the time, and – “

“I told you, it’s alright. What matters is that you’ve arrived safe,” the doctor reassures, giving him a closed-eye smile. Before Xiao could even react, Doctor Albedo moves from his place to pull his chair for him. “Please, sit. You must’ve been tired from your commute.”

“Thanks,” Xiao mumbles in his flustered haze. He takes his seat and waits for the doctor to settle in the chair across from him before he speaks again. “Have you waited long, Doctor Albedo?”

“Not really. I know how bad traffic is at Harbor Avenue, and to be honest I was surprised that you arrived here earlier than I had expected.” A beat. “Oh, and please call me Albedo for tonight. We’re outside of the hospital, anyway, and we’re here to enjoy ourselves.”

Xiao’s eyes widen. “Alright… Albedo,” he says, testing the name on his tongue.  

 The doctor nods in approval. “You wouldn’t mind me calling you ‘Xiao,’ tonight?”

“Oh!” the latter exclaims taken aback by how Albedo just said his name so casually, without his usual honorifics. “Well… I don’t mind. Like you said, we’re outside of the hospital.” He mumbles the next part. “Plus, the ‘Mr.’ makes me feel like I’m Zhongli’s age…”

Albedo hears that and laughs. “Alright, Xiao. As you wish.”

There’s something about the way he says his name, but Xiao doesn’t really dwell on it, lest he distract himself for the rest of the evening. For now, he treats it as a step in the right direction. From simple acquaintances to… friends.

It’s Albedo who motions for the waiter, who gives them their menus and leaves them for a while to choose their orders. The doctor opens his own menu with a kind of excitement, giddy as he flips through the pages. “It’s my first time trying Liyuen cuisine, to be honest with you. What can you recommend for me to try?”

Xiao hums, looking through his menu. “They say the Golden Shrimp Balls here are good appetizers… and… oh, the Bamboo Shoot Soup is good, too, you should try it. It’s Zhongli’s favorite dish.”

“What about your favorite dish, Xiao? I’m curious.”

“M-me?” Xiao stammers out. He feels his cheeks warm. “Um…” He busies himself with looking for it in his menu, and when he does, he shows it to the curious doctor. “That’s my favorite. Almond Tofu.”

Amusement shows in Albedo’s shining eyes. “I didn’t take you for someone who has a sweet tooth.”

“Well… there you have it.”

“I never knew we had so much in common. I have a liking for sweets too.”

Xiao perks up. “You do?”

The doctor nods and suddenly smiles as if he’d remembered something. “Alice sometimes scolds me because I eat too much of it. ‘You’ll get cavities and diabetes at twenty-eight!’ she says. Klee does, too, like a stand-in for her own mother, although I catch her eating chocolate late at night.”

They laugh together at the memory. “Like brother, like sister.” Xiao comments.

The waiter comes and takes their orders after a few minutes, and when the waiter leaves, they’re thrust into some sort of awkward silence, in a back-and-forth of holding each other’s gazes, then looking away, then looking back again. Anticipation grows in each exchange, yet both of them never dare to satisfy it. They just wait… and wait… and wait.

Finally, the doctor speaks. “How’s Qiqi?”

“She’s doing fine. Just like her normal self,” Xiao replies. “She does admit to missing Klee, though.”

“Ah,” Doctor Albedo chuckles. “Tell her Klee misses her, too, and if ever, she’d like to go on another playdate with her.”

“She’d be overjoyed once she finds that out.”

A beat. Then silence. Then, the back-and-forth. Xiao doesn’t really know what to do next to fill in the silence, especially since it’s been so long since he’s been on a date… let alone a date he’s genuinely interested in.

Wait, this isn’t a date, right, Xiao?

 “So…um…” Xiao attempts to start, trying not to trip over his words. “How are you lately?”

What a lame question, he chides himself. If Venti were here, he would’ve smacked you upside the head.

“Well, I’m doing fine.” Albedo replies with a smile. “Work is stressful per usual but I manage. I had something to look forward to at the end of the week anyway, so that’s what spurred me on.”

“Oh? And that is?”

“This dinner, to be honest.”

Xiao almost chokes on air. “Pardon?”

“This dinner,” Albedo repeats, again with his smile that Xiao has a hard time tearing his eyes away from. “It’s a chance to relax and forget work for a while… and perhaps it’s a chance to get to know you more without work in the way.”

For a moment, Xiao forgets how to breathe. He short-circuits, hands fumbling with the napkins and eyes darting from Albedo’s to the tablecloth to the hem of his coat and back at Albedo again, who’s looking at him as if he holds in his hands the most interesting in the entire world. “Um,” Xiao manages to say in his daze. “I don’t really know if there’s anything interesting to share about myself."

"I’m sure there is.” The shining in Albedo’s eyes doesn’t go away and he even leans closer across the table to listen to Xiao more. “You said you were a bassist? I’d like to know more about that.”

“Yeah.” Xiao’s tense shoulders relax, reassured with the fact that there’s nothing to worry about. “I play for the Four Winds.”

They ease into conversation from there, moving smoothly from one topic to the next – from Xiao’s experiences in his band, to Albedo’s surprising interest in Indie and Alternative music (“You strike me as a classical music type of guy.” “Well, I’d rather listen to Hozier than Bach.”), to Xiao’s attempts in composing music.

“You compose?” Albedo asks, wide-eyed. “That’s amazing.”

“Well, more like… tried to compose,” Xiao confesses sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

“That’s amazing, either way. I couldn’t sing to save my life, let alone compose.”

They slip into the topic of cooking when their food arrives (to which Albedo comments, “Liyuen cuisine really is what Teyvat lauds it to be, huh.”), conversation filling the gaps of silence between chewing morsels of food.

“Qiqi always tells me I cook too much Grilled Tiger Fish when Zhongli’s not home to cook our dinner,” Xiao sighs as he takes another piece of shrimp from the platter on the table. “I’m sorry if it’s the only thing I know how to cook!”

The doctor chuckles. “Maybe if you have the time, I could teach you how to cook Sunshine Sprat. Klee likes the way I cook it, and I think Qiqi would enjoy it too.”

There’s a warmth that spreads within Xiao at the thought of him having another opportunity to be with Albedo again like this. Just like… another date.

Wait, this isn’t a date, right? Why is he jumping to conclusions again? Does he think this is a date? What would he say if he assumed it is? Would he want it to be one? Does he really want to get to know him more or is he just doing so for the sake of formality because he’s the brother of his patient who just so happens to be his sister’s newfound best friend?

Xiao feels like he’s spinning. He grips his chopsticks tighter in his hand to ground himself.

He hears his name being called in the middle of his thoughts just as he’s about to spiral down. “Xiao?”

The latter perks up to see Albedo’s teal eyes fixed on him, with a hint of concern that makes his heart flutter. He smiles to reassure him and asks him “How’s the food?”

For once, Xiao forgoes any sort of overthinking starting from that moment. No more of thinking of the thousands of outcomes that had flooded his head for days leading up to this very evening. No more overanalyzing of what Albedo would think, would feel, would see, would say. No more second-guessing of what he himself would think, feel, see or say. For once, he lets himself breathe, lets himself take it easy and eases into a natural rhythm. Time and again this evening, Albedo had proven to him that there’s nothing to worry about, and so he takes his unspoken reassurance and cuts himself some slack. He eats his meal with Albedo and slips into natural conversation with him without the clenching in his gut and the spinning in his head, this time. Just as he would talk to any friend that he has. Yes, that’s it. Slow and steady. Exchange experiences and laugh at stupid things done long ago, like that one time Xiao hopped on stage after a gig to sing drunk or when Albedo made a reckless decision to tattoo a star on his neck at fifteen. Tell the doctor that he’d like to see his drawings sometime when he learns he sketches as a hobby and invite him to watch his gigs sometime to listen him play bass. Offer advice on rest and take advice about it, too.

Yes, that’s it. Slow and steady.

Of course, it would be time to leave. Of course, this wouldn’t really stay forever. As much as Xiao would want to stay with Albedo for longer this evening, both of them have their own responsibilities to do for the next day. That’s just how it is.

For now, they stand awkwardly outside the restaurant after their dinner, again with their back-and-forth. They swore they stopped it when they broke the ice earlier that evening, and yet there they go again, back and forth with their glances to each other, then to their feet, then to something else, then back again. No words exchanged. But no attempts to start conversation either.

Xiao manages to muster the courage to speak, his words coming out in fragments of sentences. “Thanks for tonight. Accepting my invitation… dinner… all that. I enjoyed it.”

“I did too, Xiao. Thank you,” Albedo replies. Silence follows. Neither are willing to say their good nights and goodbyes. Xiao remembers the time at the museum, their little sisters practically clinging to each other, afraid to say their goodbyes. Theirs is a grown-up version of that, with their longing stares and awkward silences and firmly planted feet on the ground beneath them. They’re going to be statues outside the Liuli Pavilion anytime soon if they don’t move any minute now.

Xiao takes a peek at his watch and he takes it upon himself to say the first ‘good night.’ “Have a good night, Albedo. I’ll see you for Qiqi’s next appointment.”

“Good night,” Albedo returns with a smile, before he starts for his car. Xiao waves at his retreating form and steps onto the edge of the sidewalk outside of the restaurant, eyes trained at the road before them to spot for an incoming bus to ride home. He puts his hands deep into his coat pockets and sighs. Now, that’s the end of it. He looks down at his feet forlornly. Something akin to emptiness eats at him and makes him long for something to fill it. Like, a miracle to stop and rewind time just to have dinner with him over and over again. Or something to make the night last for an hour or two.

“Are you going to take the bus home, Xiao?”

His head snaps up to see Albedo beside him, who he swore he’d seen last in front of his car, ready to leave. He holds up his car keys to his eyes with a smile. “I can drive you home.”

“That’s… you don’t have to.” Is this the miracle I’ve been looking for?

“I insist. Come on.”

Of course, Xiao couldn’t resist the shining in those bright teal eyes, and so he finds himself in the passenger seat of Albedo’s car on the way to his apartment. They settle in some sort of a comfortable silence this time – in the background is the steady thrum of the car engine and the soft music from the car radio. Neither of them speak, but they take it into themselves to enjoy each other’s company in the silence, in the few more minutes that the universe gives to them to lengthen the night. Xiao feels his cheeks hurt in the middle of the car ride – had he been smiling all this time? Through his periphery, he steals a glance from Albedo, who’s humming to the song on the radio and tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. And he… he’s smiling too.

It’s only when the car engine shuts off that Xiao realizes that he’s already in front of his apartment. Of course, time and opportunity given by the universe doesn’t last that long. Of course, there would be the inevitable ‘goodbye’ again.

Silently, they step out of the car, and even without him asking, Albedo walks Xiao to his apartment until they stand outside the door.

“Thank you for driving me home,” Xiao says after a beat. The doctor nods, giving him another smile for the evening. “It’s no problem. I just wanted to make sure you got home safe.”

“You’re realty thoughtful, aren’t you?”

Albedo chuckles. “And you’re too kind. Thank you again for dinner, it was really something worth looking forward to.”

“You’re welcome,” Xiao could barely hear himself speak at how loud his heart is beating in his chest. “Good night, Albedo. Drive home safely.”

“Good night, Xiao. I’ll text you when I get home.”

That’s it. That’s their cue to part ways, to go inside the apartment, to start toward the car. But they stay, as if glued to the ground, neither willing to move.

But Xiao does, after a while. It’s a step forward, like a leap of faith. His breath catches in his throat as he goes into autopilot, taking small steps closer and closer… until…

The door opens all of a sudden and autopilot shuts off, then sudden realization rushes all at once. Before Xiao could even say his apologies, he’s greeted by a sight before him that drains all the color in his face.

“Zhongli? And… Qiqi?”

.

.

.

.

“Xiao, Doctor Albedo, thank the Seven you’re both here. We have to go to the hospital right now.”

Chapter Text

Hospital, hospital, hospital. The word repeats in Xiao’s mind like a broken record, like something that wants its presence felt, like something real and unavoidable. It makes Xiao’s mouth dry and his hands shake as he reaches out to Zhongli, who holds in his arms his unconscious little sister.

He feels as if he were trapped in a viscous liquid of some sort. His movements slow, the sounds of his surroundings turn to static white noise, and he finds it hard to breathe.  Albedo and Zhongli seem to be speaking – what are they saying? He could only make out the words, ‘fell ill,’ ‘no appetite,’ ‘threw up,’ ‘unconscious,’ ‘high fever,’ and, ‘Xiao,’ ‘Xiao,’ ‘Xiao…’

“Xiao?”

There’s something that grounds him, brings him back before he could start spiraling down. He blinks, once, twice, hazy eyes adjusting to everything before him. For a second, Xiao had hoped he’s seeing things – that his little sister is fine, that they don’t have to go to the hospital anymore – and yet, Zhongli’s right in front of him, still holding Qiqi close to his chest. He gazes upon Xiao and Qiqi with such panic and fear that makes Xiao’s stomach churn.

“Hospital…” Xiao absent-mindedly says, starting to spiral down again. He turns to Albedo, the doctor, and gently puts his hands on his shoulders. His words rush from his lips, expelling themselves along with his hurried breaths. “We have to go to the hospital, Albedo… Qiqi… Qiqi is…” A lump forms in his throat and he feels his chest tighten. There are a myriad of thoughts racing through his head a mile a minute, making his head spin. He stops talking, because at that point he can’t.

“Xiao,” there it was again, the grounding, just before he breaks down completely. He’s anchored down by the sight of soft, teal irises that look at him so gently. At this point, he remembers to breathe, and when he does, the reassurance comes. “Everything is going to be alright.”

And he trusts him. Xiao puts every bit of trust in him, not only because he’s a doctor, but also because he’s Albedo. Albedo who loves the children he takes care of with all his heart. Albedo who never breaks his promise.

The doctor acts quick right after, proving that he’s worthy of Xiao’s trust at that moment. “Mr. Zhongli, do you drive?”

“Yes,” Zhongli replies.

At that, all of them move automatically, all unprompted, as if they already know what to do. Albedo fishes his car keys from his pocket and gives them to him. Xiao takes Qiqi from Zhongli’s arms and cradles her close to his chest. Their little party swiftly goes down to the parking lot of the apartment complex, all filing into Albedo’s car to rush as fast as they can to the hospital.

It’s fifteen minutes to Teyvat General Hospital at this hour without all the traffic, and yet Xiao feels like it’s taking them an hour to get there. He sits in the backseat with his little sister held against his chest, with the little hope that his own heartbeat would bring Qiqi back to consciousness. Meanwhile, Albedo gathers all the information he can on Qiqi – her heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, temperature – anything that could help predetermine a diagnosis so that they can be better assisted by the hospital staff when they arrive.

Xiao doesn’t miss the pensive look on his face when he finishes. “What is it?” he asks him. “What did you find?”

A beat. Hesitance. “I’m just speculating at this point,” Albedo confesses. The pensiveness from his expression doesn’t subside. “I have to be sure before I tell you.”

Something in Xiao wants to press him on, and yet he remembers that he has to trust him. For now, he just pulls Qiqi flush against his chest and strokes her hair gently. “You’re going to be okay, big brother’s here.”

No matter what your purpose is when entering the emergency room, there will always be a sort of panic that settles deep within you, one way or another. For Xiao, it’s one of the most horrifying rooms in the hospital, as if the hospital itself wasn’t terrifying enough. Just hearing the name makes him sick to his stomach, even more so as he brings his little sister in that room because she needs emergency assistance.

All sorts of horrific memories flash inside his head just seeing the emergency room. He recalls the time Barbara was sent here because she had fainted from exhaustion some practices ago. Or the time Zhongli had been rushed to the emergency room because he had been involved in a car accident that had inflicted an arm injury on him. Or when Nurse Gui had phoned them with the news that Doctor Baizhu had suddenly collapsed in his condominium unit and had been sent to Teyvat General Hospital’s emergency room, along with instructions to take care of his only daughter Qiqi while he’s being treated.

Unfortunately, he didn’t come out of the hospital a few days later. He never came out of the hospital. And the instructions to take care of his only daughter had only extended to possibly… forever.

Xiao feels a pang of worry bloom in his chest, even more so as he watches the nurses take Qiqi from his arms and laid in an empty hospital bed. He’s dizzy. He slumps in a seat near Qiqi’s bed and watches.

That’s the only thing he can do, really. Watch. He’s here, sulking in a chair, just watching as Zhongli makes necessary phone calls to everyone they know to report about Qiqi’s situation at the moment and as Albedo instructs nurses for orders and makes his own examinations.

He’s stuck. His mind draws in a blank. He’s starting to spiral down again with nothing to ground him, further and further, down, down, down –

"She’s going to be okay, Xiao," he hears Zhongli reassure. It’s somehow muffled, he can barely hear any sound other than the loud beating of his heart and his own intrusive thoughts. He must be numb to the point that he couldn’t feel the warmth of Zhongli’s comforting touch on his shoulder. "She has to be," Xiao mumbles absentmindedly. "We promised... We promised Doctor Baizhu."

“I’m going to take care of her, Doctor. I promise.”

“I know you will. My Qiqi will be in great hands, Xiao. She will have the best big brother in the world.”

He swallows the lump forming in his throat at the memory. I’m sorry, Doc.

Chaos subsides after what seemed like hours, and Xiao finds himself looking wistfully at Qiqi's unconscious form, her tiny body hooked up to medical devices and apparatus that Xiao finds hard to look at. If her father were still alive, he wouldn’t even bear seeing his child like this. Even though he’s a doctor himself, it’s painful for a father to see his precious little daughter suffering. Xiao can feel his heart clench at the thought. He offers another apology to Doctor Baizhu.

"Xiao? Mr. Zhongli?"

Xiao gets up from his seat at the sound of his name, quicker than he wanted to. "Albedo..." he starts. The way he calls his name is warbled. Somehow, he sees Albedo’s eyes soften as he meets them.

"Qiqi's now stable. We just have to do some more tests to find out what's wrong." A pause. "But I have an initial diagnosis."

Xiao's breath hitches in his throat. Zhongli asks for him. "What is it, doctor?"

Another pause. Was it from uncertainty? Or was it from hesitance? "I think… I think Qiqi has contracted the dengue fever."

"Dengue fever?" Xiao suddenly interjects, dumbfounded. "Isn’t that... Deadly?"

He’s heard of it some instances ago – from public service announcements to prevent the infestation of mosquitos that may possibly carry the disease to information programs on how to detect dengue fever early on. With the sense of urgency, every announcement and program seem to warn the same thing.

Dengue is deadly.

"Deadly, if not intervened with.” Albedo explains. “But she's going to be fine if ever it’s the case, since we brought her into the hospital early on. She just has to stay here for a few days to receive treatment and she can be discharged if her condition improves."

Zhongli nods. “I see. Thank you, Doctor Albedo.”  

"No problem. Qiqi will be transferred to a pediatrics ward soon."

"Yes, we'll take note of that."

Xiao doesn’t miss the way Albedo glances back at him when he leaves. It comforts him, nonetheless, even though all he wants for him is to stay by his side.

For the whole time that night, Xiao is by Qiqi’s side, holding her tiny hand and caressing it gently with his thumb. He finds it hard to look at her right now, not when an IV line is hooked up to her arm, not when he can hear her labored breathing.

Albedo had been right. The labs confirmed the doctor’s initial diagnosis, and Qiqi has found to have dengue fever, approaching its severe stages.

Dengue fever. Even though the diagnosis had been early before it had turned severe, it’s still a bit too late that it had confined Qiqi to the hospital. If it were detected earlier, home care should’ve been enough to alleviate symptoms.

Dengue fever. The diagnosis repeats in his head, along with questions. Why hadn’t he seen the signs days prior? Why did Qiqi not say anything at all if she had been feeling off for the past few days? Is it his fault that he had been so distracted lately, that he hadn’t put much attention to what Qiqi had been feeling?

The ward is silent, uncomfortably so, and Xiao’s thoughts echo so much in his head that it almost consumes him whole. Zhongli had gone back to the apartment to take some necessary items for Qiqi’s confinement and to talk to some people regarding her hospitalization. He had offered to take Xiao’s place so he can rest for the night, but Xiao refused it adamantly, saying that staying by Qiqi’s side is the only thing he can do now. He holds Qiqi’s hand a little bit tighter, like an anchor to ground him. Its warmth as he held it in his hand is the only thing keeping him company in the cold ward. Hot tears threaten to spill from his eyes, but he tries to hold them back.

Not now. Not when Qiqi needs someone to be strong for her.

The door to the ward opens, and Xiao suddenly rubs at his eyes. He keeps his head low as he feels people enter the room.

“Xiao?”

He lifts his head at the sound of his name, to see Albedo and Miss Sucrose take their place at Qiqi’s side. Miss Sucrose waves and smiles at him, as if she sensed how his faced tensed up when he saw both of them enter the room with medical apparatus in hand. “We’re just checking up on Qiqi.”

Xiao nods, and he watches them do their examinations and exchange quiet mutterings whilst doing so. Xiao could swear he sees Albedo glance at him from time to time, as if he were part of their examinations, because he looks at him like he was analyzing him as well. And yet, that gaze was too fleeting, and it was gone before he could even acknowledge it.

Finally, finally, Albedo looks at him and he doesn’t let his eyes leave him. “You can go on ahead, Sucrose. I’ll need to speak to Mr. Xiao for a moment.”

Miss Sucrose follows suit, bowing her head to Albedo, then to Xiao, before scurrying out of the ward. The door clicks behind her, the sound echoing through the silence of the room.

Xiao speaks, for the first time in a while since keeping watch over Qiqi. “How’s she, Albedo?”

“Receptive to initial treatment,” Albedo smiles at him, then at Qiqi’s resting form. “That’s a very good sign.”

A relieved sigh escapes Xiao’s lips. “That’s good to hear.” His hand reaches to stroke his sister’s hair gently, and, for the first time that night, he manages to smile. “What’s next after the initial treatment?”

“More rounds of medication. I think I would administer some shots, too. That’s all depending on how her condition turns out after a few hours, or even some days.”

Xiao nods. “Please do everything you can.”

“Of course.”

A beat. Xiao notices that, by now, Albedo’s smile is slowly fading away. It’s replaced by a soft look of concern in his eyes, that same look that he gave him a few hours prior, when Qiqi was being whisked away from him in the chaos of the emergency room.

Somehow, the way he looks at him makes him think that there’s something heavy on his tongue that he needs to say.

“How are you, though, Xiao?”

There it is.

Xiao lets his gaze fall to his lap, where he had been absentmindedly fiddling with the hem of his shirt. “Honestly… I’m still kinda scared. And worried.” A sigh. “I promised Doctor Baizhu that I would take care of his daughter, and now… she’s…” He looks toward Qiqi’s unconscious form wistfully. Tears well up in his eyes at the sight.

“Y’know, you remind me so much of myself.”

Xiao suddenly turns toward Albedo and blinks, “What?”

“I worry like that, too, whenever Klee is sick. Sometimes, I don’t know what to do… and I’m the doctor.” He laughs softly at his own jab. “Look, I see how you take care of Qiqi and I can tell that she’s in very good hands.”

The smile returns to his face. “You’re a great brother, Xiao. Doctor Baizhu would be proud that his daughter is taken care of by someone like you.”

There it is. The reassurance. By now, the tears in his eyes are ready to fall, but he blinks them away. Somehow, Albedo’s affinity for healing had also permeated him. He knows exactly what to say, exactly what to do. And now, with what he just said, had lifted off the heavy load in his chest that he had been carrying all night. No, he’s not a bad brother. No, he’s not doing a shitty job at taking care of his little sister. Yes, Qiqi’s getting better. Yes, he’s doing alright. Yes, he’s on the right track.

Yes, Doctor Baizhu would be proud of him.

That seemed to hit him the most. Because, it’s been a while since anybody has ever said that they’re proud of him.

“Thanks…” Xiao says through the lump forming in his throat. “That means a lot.”

A warm hand pats his shoulder. Another smile thrown his way. “I have to go for now, Xiao. I still have to do more rounds.”

Xiao wants nothing more than for him to stay, but he says, “Alright. Thanks again.”

“No problem. Call if you need me.”

I need you now, though. “I will.”

At the moment Albedo leaves, the door clicks shut again, echoing through the room. That’s when Xiao’s tears fall.

Zhongli came and went (rather hesitantly, for that matter, since the extra cot was just enough for one, and he has important work to do for the next day) with a change of clothes for both Xiao and Qiqi and some other essentials. Xiao tells him of Albedo’s initial findings and what the next steps were.

“It’s good to hear that she’s receptive to treatment.” Zhongli says. He looks over at Qiqi, still unconscious. “Has she woken up yet?”

Xiao shakes his head. “I wish she would, already.”

Zhongli sighs. “I wish so, too. But we would have to wait.”

Wait. Xiao thinks he’s been waiting for far too long already for some semblance of hope. For Qiqi to stir. For Qiqi to wake and call for him again, just like when she’s bubbling with life and happiness and youth.

However, Zhongli’s right. That’s the only thing they can do, really. Wait.

When Zhongli leaves, he returns to his seat next to Qiqi’s bed and holds her hand again. Strokes it gently in his. Listens to her breathing.

“Sing Qiqi to sleep, big brother,” Qiqi requests to him one night, while Xiao tucks her in bed.

It had been an odd request the first time, and Xiao stares at her for a while, unmoving from his place. “What?” he asks.

“Sing Qiqi to sleep,” she repeats, with eyes wide in anticipation and void of any sign of sleepiness. “Qiqi’s not sleepy yet, and when Qiqi’s not sleepy, Papa sings her to sleep.”

Papa. Qiqi only ever mentions her Papa in choice occasions, perhaps to convince them to do things to relive her memories with her father. But Xiao doesn’t really need convincing. He knows what to do.

And so, that night, he pulls up a chair next to her bed, and sings her a song to sleep.

And tonight, he sings her that same song. To her still-unconscious form. To her illness-afflicted body.

“Leaves will soon grow from the bareness of trees, and all will be alright in time.” A shaky breath. “From waves overgrown come the calmest of seas…” A crack in his voice. “And all will be alright in time.” Tears fall onto the bedsheets – the second time Xiao has let them fall that night. Perhaps, emptiness of the hospital room and the events of hours prior has stripped him bare, made him more vulnerable than he wanted himself to be.

Once in a while, it’s alright to cry, he remembers Zhongli tell him, once. And when those tears subside, while it couldn’t be sure it would be better instantly, know that everything will be alright in time.

“All will be alright in time,” he sings against her forehead, then presses his lips gently to it. Like sealing a promise.

A little past midnight is an unusual time for Albedo to do his rounds, and yet he still finds himself in the hospital at such a late hour. Jean expressed her surprise in his change of routine when he called her that night to ask her to look after Klee for longer because of an emergency in the hospital.

“Why are you at the hospital so late?” she asks. He hears Klee in the background asking Jean the same question. “Did something happen to your date?”

At this, Albedo hears Klee gasp and say, “I knew it was a date!”

“No… uh… I told you it’s just dinner with Xiao. And… nothing happened to him.” He feels his face warm as Klee’s triumphant chants of “It was a date, it was a date!” echo in the background. Jean shushes her and tells her to prepare for bed, before returning to the call. “Then? What was the emergency?”

“Xiao’s little sister was rushed to the ER. Qiqi. I’m sure she’s familiar to you.”

A tense silence follows. It has probably clicked in Jean’s head. “Doctor Baizhu’s daughter.”

“Yes. She has been found to have dengue fever. Good thing she was brought here before her symptoms worsened. Thankfully, she’s stable now and receptive to treatment.”

Jean sighs. “That’s good to hear.” A beat. “Should I tell Klee?”

“Yeah,” Albedo mumbles. His collar suddenly feels a little bit too tight, and a hand reaches up to fiddle with it. “I think she should know.”

“Alright, I will. Will you be staying the night at the hospital?”

“I think so.”

“Okay. Take care, Albedo.”

“You too. Tell Klee I’m sorry I couldn’t come home tonight.”

Klee’s probably asleep by now, a few hours after the call. He wonders how she may have reacted when she heard the news that her best friend is sick – had she cried? Had she insisted Jean that they go to the hospital to see her? Had she thrown a tantrum because Jean couldn’t fulfill her wishes at the moment? Had she looked for him?

Albedo sighs at his own thoughts as he walks through the hospital halls, footfall echoing through the emptiness. The hospital at this time and hour is eerily quiet – one of the reasons why he doesn’t really stay long in the hospital in such hours. He hates these kinds of silences the most, the ones that he feels most exposed and vulnerable. Like one of those characters in cliché horror movies. Like, some decapitated ghost or some creepy white-clad lady would reveal itself from the shadows and curse him to hell.

He decides to give the pediatrics wards a final check, before clocking out for the night. Through the small windows of the wards, he sees little Sayu, a patient who had been rushed to the ER for an asthma attack, fast asleep. Timmie, who broke his arm whilst trying to climb a tree to look at the birds, is resting too. And, of course, stubborn Teucer who had been complaining of a stomachache, is still awake at this hour, and even waved to Albedo through the window.

Please rest, Teucer, he mouths to him. Teucer just gives him a thumbs up and buries himself under the covers. His guardian, who Albedo had learned was Teucer’s brother, is undisturbed as he sleeps in a chair next to his bed.

The ward at the end of the hall is the last of the pediatrics wards. He takes a peek through the small window fixed on the door. A comforting sight greets him.

Xiao and Qiqi both at rest, with the former laying his head onto Qiqi’s bed all the while holding her hand. It looks Xiao had been asleep for a while.

He sighs at the sight.

Something within Albedo pushes him to enter the ward, and he does, as if he’s on autopilot. He pushes the door open without hesitation. Steps closer to Xiao. Observes the way he holds his sister’s hand as he rests, like an unrelenting, ever-faithful guardian. Counts his breaths. Notices him shiver in the coldness of the ward.

Still without any ounce of hesitance, Albedo shrugs his white coat off and places it over Xiao’s shoulders. They tense, which Albedo suddenly flinches at, but they relax after a while. His shivering also stops then and there.

A smile tugs at his lips. “Sweet dreams, Xiao.”

No hesitation. He bows his head just enough so his lips barely brush against the top of Xiao’s head.

Xiao suddenly shifts in his sleep. Albedo’s autopilot trance breaks, and upon realizing what he had just done, he retreats, slowly. Steps out of the ward. Closes the door gently behind him. Briskly walks through the halls towards the doctors’ quarters where he’ll stay for the night, never once looking back.

He finds it hard to breathe. The scent of Qingxin and Violetgrass that had clung to his clothing did nothing to quell the loud beating of his heart.