Chapter Text
Lumine Stellar thinks of high school as totally boring; the same old stereotypes here and there, the jocks and cheerleaders at the tops, nerd like her at the so-called bottom.
Her brother, Aether,though was one such athlete, still doted on her like the big brother he is, though Lumine would often brush off the almost cringy affection from her elder twin brother.
While she thinks her brother has good judgement most of the time, she could say he could work on who he considers his friends; really, only downfall to her brother was the company he keeps, particularly his annoying idiotic best friend, whose real name was unknown to everyone.
She means, it was so obvious — no way was Childe a real name. Lumine made an icky face at the though of her mortal enemy.
Childe had moved here to study at Northland Academy 4 years back; Northland Academy was a prestigious public high school that required high grades, a good extracurricular record amongst other things before you could even think of applying. No surprise that her school was filled with many of the rich and powerful too.
Lumine and Aether both attended Northland Academy as well; Lumine was a fencer and on the mathletes team, Aether was more into rugged sports. Naturally, they have good grades.
Lumine is okay with that; with the stupid hierarchy and all the rich jerks, until her brother brings back a best friend with stupid ginger hair and dead-fish-eyes, always trying to pick a fight with her and her friends. What's more; Childe was screwing Nellie. Head Cheerleader Nellie, who would pick fights with Lumine too; except she was way more vicious and evil than ginger-and-dead-fish-eyes.
Nellie would do insults and call names, spreading gossip that was thankfully, often stopped by Aether. Lumine endured it( or ignored it), because who cares? It was just high school.
This was going to be the last year of high school; Lumine thinks she is well prepared for college; she dreams of attending Teyvat University, becoming a doctor and all that. Thus, she had built up an excellent track record over her 4 years at high school that was sure to get her in to medical school.
There was nothing else that Lumine wants in left.
Well, almost everything anyways — she was by no means materialistic, but there was something she has wanted for quite a while now, or she might even say needed.
A brand new, latest edition, state-of-the-art Wings laptop.
Problem is, it was too expensive for her to buy with her allowance, so she had to find other methods to get the money, not wanting to ask her parents lest they have to work even harder just so she could get what she wanted.
Lumine wasn't spoiled like that, like some people she knows.
The solution? She decided to take up babysitting, which pays decently well and was pretty easy for her to do. It really was a win-win situation for her. She loves children, and was an expert in handling them, so why not earn her keep by doing what she finds enjoyable.
Lumine steadies herself as she walks up the steps to the Telamon Estate, her employers, ringing the doorbell. She smiles as she waits for someone to let her in; the Telamon family was a wealthy family, but they were really nice, down-to-earth people who doesn't throw money at everything they faced. The kid she has been babysitting for about a month or so for now, every friday to sunday, Teucer was an absolute angel; he was well-behaved, kind and such a sweet little boy.
Funnily enough, when she first saw little Teucer, she had a mini-heart attack when she though she saw mini version of ginger-and-dead-fish-eyes. But how could the Telamons ever be related to Childe anyways? He was a crude person who holds crazy parties, the Telamons were a warm, close-knitted family—
And Lumine was not prepared for who opened the door. So, very unprepared, and shockedto her very core when she sees a familiar facr.
On the other side of the door was her brother's idiot of a best friend, ginger-and-dead-fish-eyes, Childe. Why was he in the Telamon's house?!
"Hi, you must be the babysitter—Stellar?!" Childe screeched, looking shock as Lumine gaped at him. The ginger spluttered as he whipped his head around, before turning back to look at her in shock.
What in the world was Childe doing here?
The both of them just stared at each other, when a loud, squeaky voice broke the little comtest had going on.
"Lumi! You are finally here!" Lumine hears Teucer's voice, and sure enough, a little boy had squeezed through the gap between Childe and the door frame, popping out as he hugs Lumine. Lumine pats his head awkwardly, still reeling from the shock she had as she eyes Childe, who was frowning.
"Teucer, who is this man?" Lumine asks, hoping he wasn't who he thought she was; after working for the Telamons for a good month, she learns that they have 6 children in total; she has met every single one of them, saved for the mysterious 3rd son.
"Hehe! That's my big brother!” Teucer looks up at her with sparkling eyes.”
Lumine just gapes.
What…
did Teucer just say?
“He has come to visit, I'm so glad you two finally could meet!" Teucer says happily as he runs back into the house, the blonde and the ginger just gape at each other, but Childe recovers first and gives her a frown.
"Why are you here, Stellar?" Childe asks, looking upset as Lumine glares at him. She doesn't want to start a fight, but he always makes it so hard for her to keep her cool — he was the single most annoying man she has met!
"In case you can't tell, I'm the babysitter," Lumine says in a deadpan tone as she walks in past Childe, who looked displeased as he grabs her shoulder, pulling her back. She glares at him.
"What now?" Lumine places her hands on her hips as she gives him a withering look. Was he going to kick her out? Surely not — he wasn’t her employer, his mother and father is. Childe looked confused as he asked."...Why are you working as a babysitter anyways? Your family isn't even that in need of money."
Lumine rolls her eyes at the question. What’s wrong with being a babysitter? She has free time, she loves kids, and she wants money to buy things — specifically, that latest model of the Wings laptop.
"It's called earning your keep, ginger. Besides, your little brother is an absolute angel, unlike you. I have fun babysitting him," Lumine says nonchalantly with a shrug, Childe looking unimpressed as he sighs, hanging his head for a while before he looks back up at her. He gives her a reluctant glare as he slowly talks.
"My real name is Ajax Telamon; I'm telling you this so you won't call me Childe if I ever run into you here again. You also cannot tell anyone at school my real name, got it?" Childe says with emphasis, Lumine sighs as she rolls her eyes and walk further into the house.
"Relax, I'm no tattletale. Oh, keep this from Aether too. I don't want my brother to know I'm babysitting someone," Lumine says back, not really caring about Childe anymore. If he stays out of her way, she'll stay out of his; so she'll just ignore him.
Too bad he was so nosy.
"Why?" Lumine hears Childe ask. She turns around to give him a glare.
"None of your business, Childe."
"Ajax," Childe corrects with a scowl, Lumine giving him an unimpressed look as he holds up his hands in mock surrender.
"Look, I don't want to fight you."
"Good. You stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours. Meaning you ignore me, I'll ignore you," Lumine says flatly, Childe shaking his head as he opens his mouth to probably retort, when she hears a cheerful, motherly voice.
"Oh, Lumine! I see you met Ajax," Alyona says kindly and Lumine finds herself looking away. Childe look tender as he kisses his mother on the cheek, and Lumine thinks she is dreaming when he looks that gentle.
Alyona Telamon was a kind and hearty woman who treated Lumine very kindly, almost motherly for Lumine, whose mother and father were rarely home, being on business trips all the time and all.
And it hits her; this same kind lady was mother to Childe, a person who would pick fights with her all the time and hook up with the school's entire supply of cheerleaders!
How was it possible? Alyona laughs heartily as she pinches both of their cheeks, looking rather pleased as she explains.
"Lumine, today Ajax has finally decided to stop by, so he'll help you babysit Teucer. Did you know? Both of you go to the same school!" Alyona says in a cheerful tone as Lumine can't bear to burst the older woman's bubble. If only she knew what a menace Childe really was. Lumine watches as Alyona leave the house, waving merrily at them, Lumine returning the gesture weakly as she is left alone with Childe, who looks like he didn't care any more as he walks up the stairs, probably to Teucer's playroom.
Lumine sighs and follows him; well, she shouldn't just quit before she didn't like Childe; and that was basically admitting defeat to him! No, she will not quit, even if it means she has to tolerate Childe-Ajax-Telamon-whatever-is-his-name.
Besides, Teucer was an absolute angel — total opposite of his devilish elder brother.
She braces herself as she walks up after him.
Yeah, she can do this.
—
When his mother told him they hired someone to watch Teucer on fridays to sundays of every week, Childe was curious to who that person was; his little brother liked his babysitter a lot, and so did his family; his mother even wanted to introduce the babysitter to him, which he declined, of course.
Living faraway from home; in reality is was about 30 mins drive means he can go crazy on weekends with parties at the little house his family owns near his school.
Ajax telamon didn't do commitment. He does has his favourites, but he never stays with one girl for too long; it was easier just like that — he was the life of the party, and so on. He wonders if he’ll ever find someone, like his mother and father, someday — he doubts it, but till then, he’ll just take things easy.
Today was the day he drops by to see his family; Tonia and Anton were off to boarding school, his elder siblings out into the working world, leaving only one sibling at the nest; little Teucer, who Ajax absolutely dotes on.
He was also rather curious to see who the babysitter is.
He was totally appalled to see Lumine Stellar on the opposite end of the door when he opens it, thinking it was the babysitter; correction, he did not expect the babysitter was Lumine Stellar. He was so glad he rejected his mother’s blind date suggestion; Lumine Steller hated his guts; to be fair, he kind of annoyed her to that point, but still.
Why would she even need a job anyways? She was by no means ultra-rich like his family, but her and Aether's family were by no means poor. Was she trying to expose him at school? Did she find his family and was here to collect information on him?
Childe wouldn't know; Lumine Stellarr was a person who...most of the times minds her own business, never once retaliating against him, so maybe this was a total coincidence. But still, he's not letting his guard down.
He hid his real name, Ajax Telamon for a very good reason, after all. Having people know he was a child of one of the richest families in the world was sure to be a big pain. So he used an alias, Childe; people at school knew he was rich, but not that filthy rich, which was fine by Childe, as long as no one tried to leeched off him or so.
Childe was surprised, however, by how well nerdy female stellar handled his little brother; Teucer was a good kid, but stubborn at times, but so far, Lumine has handled his adorable little brother fairly well. He could also tell that Teucer adores Lumine — he feels a little jealous now. His brother seems to now prefer Lumine over him; and that was not okay with Childe.
Why did his little brother like nerdy-stellar anyways? She was the single most boring person ever — he was a fun person, unlike her. Childe sits there sourly as Teucer shows the picture he just drew. He feels ignored — probably was being ignored as well
"Lumi! Look, I drew this!" Teucer says happily as he shows Lumine a drawing of a robot. Lumine looked surprised as she takes the drawing, before breaking out into a wide smile.
“Oh? This is a great drawing, Teucer. What does the robot do?”
“Mr cyclops protects humans from other evil robots! And he’s really cuddly — like a big teddy bear!”
“Aw, that’s so cute! And cool!” Lumine says affectionately, patting Teucer on the head as the boy giggles. The boy looks up at Lumine with starry eyes as Lumine pats his head, as Childe sulks.
Why did his brother like Lumine so much anyways? He clung onto Lumine throughout the evening — barely paid Childe any attention at that.
“…Teucer, time to sleep, it’s bedtime,” Lumine says gently as she carries him. The boy just be shakes his head.
“Why don’t I read a story to you, Teucer? Or a lullaby?” Childe suggests, but his brother just shakes his head.
“No, big brother can’t sing!” Teucer exclaimed, pouting as Lumine raises a brow, looking amused. Childe grimaces; great, another thjng he doesn’t want Stellar to know.
“Oh?”
“Yes! He gets so off-key; I wanna hear…Lumi…lullaby…” Teucer says tiredly, before dozing off into slumber as Lumine carefully tucks him into bed.
Childe just stares at her, Lumine staring back when a soft voice breaks the silence.
“Oh, good. Teucer’s asleep,” Childe turns to see his smiling mother and father at the doorway. Childe gives them the faintest of smiles as Lumine smiles awkwardly.
“I’ll take my leave now, Mr and Mrs Telamon. Good night,” Lumine says, as she steps away, when his father stops her.
“Ajax, why don’t you send her home?”
His father suggests, while Ajax shifted his foot awkwardly. This was a bad suggestion — they would totally rip each other apart in the car. But his mother and father looked at him expectantly, as if challenging him to disagree.
“Oh, It’s fine. I can take the bus…” Lumine denies politely, but his mother just waves her hand. She looks at Lumine, then at Childe with sparkling eyes.
“Oh, pish-posh. Son, send Lumine home. It’s the gentlemanly thing to do.”
.
.
.
“…”
The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife — Childe thinks this was worse then fighting with Stellar — the girl refuses to talk, opting to sit silently as Childe struggles to say something — he disliked silence.
“So…uh…Teucer’s a sweet kid, right?”
Childe asks casually, as Lumine raises a brow at his question. She says nothing as she looks out onto the road ahead.
The silence is killing Childe — why could she be her usual snarky self? Mostly in an attempt to just get a reaction out of Lumine, he blurts out,
“Look, I don’t really hate you.”
“Uh…”Lumine looked confused as Childe flushes in embarrassment. Why did he say that?
“Ahem, I mean…though we have our fair share of disagreement, female-nerdy-stellar, I do not hate you. I just have different views from you.”
“…Okay? Seriously? What kind of a nickname is female-nerdy stellar?” Lumine asked with an amused look, as Childe roll his eyes, but secretly felt happy she was talking; it makes things less awkward this way.
“Your nickname isn’t any better; ginger-and-dead-fish-eyes isn’t really creative, you know?”
“Oh, you heard that?” Lumine looked genuinely surprised as Childe snorted.
“I’m not deaf. Of course I did. We sit beside each other in chemistry. I can hear whatever you and Gold are talking about.”
“Eavesdrop much?”
“You two aren’t exactly quiet, ya know?”
“You and Scaramouche are total opposites of me and Al, I suppose.”
Lumine says quietly, as Childe shrugs. Scaramouche was broody, and really moody; they were friends, but he and Scaramouche weren’t particularly close.
“Scara just isn’t talkative in class. He actually pays attention.”
“Really? Never took you people to be…study enthusiasts.”
“Hey! Northland High requires good extracurricular and good grades! I have good grades…” Childe says defensively, as Lumine chuckles. Did he hear right? Stellar was laughing? she never laughs around him.
“Oh, well, I suppose you did have to have decent grades to enter…”
“Hmph. I’ll have you know, I’m excelling at my studies…” everything except chemistry, that is. He totally just flunks that; chemistry was a total brain crusher…he would never get it, unfortunately.
Not that he would ever let straight-A, genius Stellar know.