Work Text:
p>Teucer hates coming for check-ups. It’s the worst thing ever! But sometimes he can’t breathe, no matter how hard he breathes it never was enough.
So he knows that check ups are to keep him safe and he loves his big brother very much. That’s why Teucer will never make a fuss when he has to go for check ups. They last only a little while too!
But what Teucer doesn’t like is the fact that now he has to wait in the hospital everyday after school. It’s so very boring. He has already read all the storybooks and candy only lasts for a while.
Teucer misses the time when his brother didn’t have a job in the hospital and he didn’t have to wait after school for him to finish. His kindergarten teacher always laughs when he says he doesn’t want to be walked to the hospital. He would rather play in the morning playground!
“You shouldn’t trouble your big brother little one. He will find it easier to pick you up if you are waiting there,” miss lumine laughs softly. Teucer thinks that she is right.
_____
Zhongli was humming as he was sorting out some paperwork. Today was a peaceful day, with the sunlight streaming in through the window and a calming silence filling the air.
Suddenly there was a soft knock on the door and a little kid walked in tiptoeing to open the door. Zhongli was very surprised. And also a little moved as the kid softly closed the door.
“Wow mister doctor. You are so pretty!,” the little kid exclaimed before running to the table Zhongli was sitting at. Zhongli’s heart screams at the cuteness of the kid peering at him from in front of the table. He could barely see the kid’s face. How adorable.
Teucer feels so excited because the doctors he always sees are all super old and dull and this one looks just like the princes in his story books.
“Thank you ….. little one,”
Zhongli finally replies, just a bit awkward at the end due to the fact that he doesn’t know how to address the kid.
The kid takes his answer as acceptance and goes around to where the doctor is sitting, before climbing onto the doctor’s lap, just like how he does with his teachers and older brother. He looks up at Zhongli with big innocent eyes before asking what he was doing.
And who’s Zhongli to upset the kid by scolding him. He is in fact known for being and odd oblivious man, and also quite patient.
“I’m writing a report”
“What’s a report?,” the kid replies and Zhongli realises that he should try to be more understanding of kids. The boy is very young after all.
“A report is something you write to tell someone the details of stuff.,” the kid gives Zhongli a bored stare and he feels himself panic.
Oh no. What if the kid doesn’t like him? He’s never had to deal with them before and the thought of disappointing this little angel made Zhongli fill with guilt. He awkwardly reaches for the apple on his desk, and starts peeling it with the knife he had kept.
Usually he only has time to eat simple things for lunch.
He hands the apple slices to the kid, who beams at him excitedly. He giggles as he starts talking.
“It’s a bunny apple! Wow mister how did the apple become bunnies?,” and Zhongli thinks his heart takes a critical hit. So cute!
“You can learn to do this magic. It’s for grownups however,” the kid let’s put an ‘awwww’ at that before asking Zhongli for his name.
“You can address me as Mr Zhongli. May I ask what’s your name little one?,”
“It teucer. Thanks for letting me stay mister zhonli!,”
And that’s how Zhongli had spent the rest of the afternoon telling the kid stories and cutting him more apples. Apparently the kid has to wait for his older brother here on some days of the week. Zhongli doesn’t ask more about that, thinking it could be a sensitive topic.
“And so the brave warrior and the dragon travelled to a distant sunny harbour from the kingdom of snow and ice. The warrior twirled the dragon he was carrying in his arms, so happy at winning the snow queen. He kissed the dragon.,” Zhongli paused at that, wanting to hear the kid’s excitement.
“And then!,” Teucer asked excitedly, very enthralled at the story being told to him. It’s so different from the ones his brother tells him.
Zhongli laughs softly. Joy fills his heart as it has been so long since something had spoken to him with such enthusiasm.
“The dragon glows golden before turning into a handsome man. The soldier was shocked at the man who was in his arms before realising it’s the dragon. “Thank you for liftling my curse. I’ll grant you a wish as thanks”. Falling in love with the man at first sight, the warrior asks the dragon to marry him and they lived happily ever after. The end!,”
Teucer waved his hands at the ending, delightful by the prospect of the two forever adventuring together. Just as he was about to tell Zhongli how much he loved the story, someone barges into the room.
“Mr Zhongli, have you seen a little ginger haired boy?!”
Ganyu looks at Zhongli and the boy and sighs in relief. She was supposed to be looking after the boy but had fallen asleep. If Childe knew he would kill her for sure. He is too overprotective of his little brother.
“Auntie Ganyu!,” Teucer ran to Ganyu, before waving to Zhongli.
“Bye mister! You are my favourite new friend!,” with that Ganyu hurriedly carried Teucer out. She handed him to an impatient Childe explaining how the kid was just with another faculty staff.
_____
As he was walking home with his brother, Teucer gets asked where he had gone to. His big brother sounds upset Teucer thinks.
“I went to a doctor room. He is my new friend!,” Teucer sounds excited telling his brother about the new friend he made today. Childe’s brows furrowed at hearing this. At his brother’s silence Teucer continued talking.
“Teucer loves the pretty doctor! He gived teucer an bunny apple and reads him the bestest stories!”
Childe feels a bit skeptical, because he’s not so sure he likes the idea of some unfamiliar person interacting with his brother. That could be very dangerous.
He tells Teucer exactly that. The boy need to learn to be safe. Even if the hospital is very safe, there could still be very unsavoury people working there. The thought sends a shiver down Childe’s back.
“Teucer listen up okay. Never go to strangers rooms, it’s not safe. Next time please stay with auntie Ganyu,”
The little boy whines at that, stomping his foot.
“But he is teucer’s favourite friend!,”
Childe saw his brother’s pout and simply couldn’t say no. Then it’s fixed, the next time Childe will accompany Teucer and see for himself if the man is all so great.
“Okay alright. But you will have to introduce me mext alright,” he gets a nod at that before he changes the topic.
_____
Childe was prepared for anything as he walked into the doctor’s office. But what he wasn’t expecting was for the doctor to be an actual angel. Holy fuck, he thinks , Teucer really wasn’t kidding when he called the doctor pretty.
In fact pretty was an understatement. The man was drop dead gorgeous.
“Hello little Teucer. It’s good to see you again, however may I ask who you have brought with you?,”
Childe almost combusted at the man’s voice. So smooth so deep. Before he could fall deeper into his thoughts, Teucer pulls him towards the doctor.
“Mister zonli!! This is my big brother Ajax. He said that you could be a scary man so I came to show you to him,”
His brother really threw him under the bus so happily and innocently. Childe felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment at the man (zonli??) laughs at that.
“Oh is that so,” he exclaims mischievously as he comes super close to Childe, peering at him through his dark lashes. Childe feels his heart start to race at the proximity and the playful expression on the man’s face.
The universe must be testing him as the doctor takes that as cue to continue his teasing.
“Am I a scary scary man Mr Ajax,”
Boom! Yep that was the sound of Childe’s heart bursting. This can’t be . He has never been this damn lucky.
He clears out his thoughts. He can’t go down like this, Childe knows that he is a natural born charmer. Two can play a game.
He looks down at the pretty doctor, flashing his best smile. He immediately notices the brunette’s ears slightly pinken. Bingo!
“Oh you sure are pretty alright! Enough to scare even the most stunning~ However it really is unfortunate that I still haven’t gotten the name of such a beauty,”
Childe made sure his voice is as bright as possible. This is a golden opportunity! And besides if Teucer also has taken a liking to the man, then isn’t he just too perfect.
“You can call me Mr Zhongli.”
Zhongli, shyly gazes downwards and it’s so different from how he was just two minutes ago that Childe had whiplash. They are brought out of their moment by Teucer tugging at Zhongli.
“Mister zonli let’s go get the ice cream now!,” he holds Zhongli’s hand and grabs for Childe’s hand with his other one.
When did his younger brother get so bold Childe wonders.
“I promised you that didn’t I. Well let’s get going then.”
The walk to the park was eventful, and teucer runs of to the ice cream truck as soon as he sees it. The two follow after laughing together at the little boy’s antics.
Zhongli had offered to pay for the ice cream, and he reaches into his jacket before his eyes widen.
“Ah it seems it’s not there,”
All of them stare at Zhongli stunned before the ice cream man decides to take his chance. He leans towards Zhongli, smiling at the brunette. Childe’s bristles at that.
“On the house beautiful~ You can pay me by giving me your number, say doesn’t that sound like a good deal.
Childe slams a pouch of mora onto the counter before dragging Zhongli and Teucer with him.
“Who does he think he is? Nobody enjoys strangers asking them for their numbers!,”
He hears Zhongli laughing and turns to look at him in confusion. The man once again closes the distance between them, before mischievously claiming, “I wouldn’t mind if you asked me for it,”
Childe combusts. This was the limit he thinks as he gives his phone to Zhongli, so the brunette can type in his number. He feels giddy and lightheaded.
Just when thinks Zhongli is going to kiss his cheeks, he hears Teucer whining towards them. He can count on his brother to interrupt when it most matters he thinks begrudgingly.
But he had to thank the little munchkin for bringing him to Zhongli. Give credit where it’s due!
“I wanna play. Mr Zonli can you push the swing?,”
They all laugh as they head towards the playground. Well this went way better than Childe could have anticipated.
“Well Ajax, then tonight?,”
Childe is one lucky bastard, maybe the universe is finally acknowledging his hard work.