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Childe slashes again at the tall grass around him, frustration making him let out a growl as he does.
It wasn’t hard to tell that he was pissed.
He hacks away with his sword, cutting through the long strands of grass and causing the greenery to fall to the ground with every swipe.
“Are you done yet?”
Childe inhales sharply, eyes shifting over to Alhaitham’s figure- the man standing, arms crossed and expression judgmental.
He hated him.
Childe exhales,
No, he didn’t actually hate him. Not with how he…
The harbinger runs a hand over his face, wiping away the sweat that gathered on his forehead and cheeks.
“At least your method of coping isn’t to hold it in, I suppose.” Alhaitham sighs out, looking away back towards where he came from. “How long have you been out here, exactly?”
Childe rolls his eyes, sheathing his sword and turning fully towards the other. “Whenever I was kicked out by Tighnari.” He grumbles.
“So five hours ago.” Alhaitham brings his hand up to this chin, “I’m surprised you haven’t tried checking on him yet after getting kicked out.”
“Yes, well.” Childe takes out a bottle of water, taking a sip from it with a hum. “I don’t expect for him to be up any time soon. Aether tends to… Sleep, for quite a long time after getting an injury like that.” He says after lowering his bottle, “I knew I had time. And it’s better this than me doing something stupid.”
“Ah, yes. Destroying Sumeru’s greenery is certainly better than killing someone.” Alhaitham nods, “At least you’re smart in that area, I suppose.”
“I’m refraining from doing something stupid to you, if only because Aether is fond of you.” Childe huffs, though then visibly falters when he meets Alhaitham’s gaze. “...Any changes, at least?”
“You already know he’s still asleep.” Alhaitham states, “But Tighnari says that he’s healing, and he certainly isn’t as pale as he had been.”
“Good… That’s- That’s good.” Childe gets out, then can’t help but tense up at the silence that proceeds to follow over them both. It only takes a minute for him to crack, “And you’re here… Why exactly?”
“Oh? So you are done then.” Alhaitham’s feigned surprise makes Childe want to break something. “Well then, I was told to come and get you. Someone wants to speak with you.”
“Who.” Childe demands, why was this man so fucking….
Ugh.
“Aether’s friend, he doesn’t have a name.” Alhaitham pauses, face actually grimacing and making Childe raise an eyebrow. “Not one that he wants anyone to call him, anyways.”
“...What does that mean.” Childe frowns deeply.
“It means,” Alhaitham raises his hands in a sort of shrug, “That he doesn’t want to make friends.”
“You just said he was Aether’s friend.” Childe’s eyebrows furrow.
“Yes. I did.” Alhaitham lowers his hands. “You’re surely smart enough to connect the dots yourself.”
Childe deadpans, “Right. Okay.” He exasperates, “Where is he?”
“By Aether’s side, at the moment. He arrived about an hour ago.” Alhaitham turns away from Childe, “I’m going back home, I’ll be checking on Aether tomorrow. He has my spare earphones if he needs them.”
And that- is exactly why Childe can’t do a thing to this man.
He understands Aether in a way Childe is still learning to understand, with the way the blonde goes mute and the way crowds overwhelm him.
Childe strives to understand Aether like he does, even if Aether always tells him he’s doing more than enough.
“Right…” Childe mumbles as he watches Alhaitham go, expression slowly soothing into something stone-faced.
Now what could this friend of Aether’s possibly want to talk with him about?
…
When Childe gets back to Aether, entering Tighnari’s home- his stoney expression almost immediately softens when he sees the blonde laying with a fluffy looking blanket atop of him. He certainly did look much better, breathing just fine and… Well, it just looked like he was sleeping rather than how he did hours ago- it had been like he was on death’s doorstep with how pale he was.
One small problem, however. The other presence in the room.
The figure in the corner staring him down makes his gaze harden, and he gives the short man leaning against the wall a scrutinizing look.
“As much as I want to say that you haven’t changed at all, that would be a lie.” The other states, his head tilting in his direction. “...And you don’t remember me, do you?”
Childe gets a better look at him, and… No, nothing clicks. Not a thing. Not even some sense of familiarity.
This man was a complete stranger to him, on all accounts.
“Am I supposed to remember you?” Childe questions genuinely.
“No.” He responds with one shake of his head. “...You’re not.”
“And you wanted to speak with me.. Why, exactly?” Childe slowly steps over to be by Aether’s side, never taking his eyes off of the other man in the room as he takes Aether’s hand in his own just to hold.
Aether doesn’t wake up, but Childe does feel his hand try to weakly squeeze his own.
It helps him keep calm.
“You saw what happened to him, correct?” The short man questions, and Childe for some reason feels like this man should have a very large hat on him- but he doesn’t.
…He is supposed to know who this person is, isn’t he?
Why doesn’t he?
“He was stabbed.” Childe answers bluntly, grip tightening on Aether’s hand.
“By a Fatui member.” The other adds on with a glare, “But by the way you stand protectively over him, you had nothing to do with it.”
“I didn’t.” Childe agrees, eyes dulling. “But you want to interrogate me to know who did it, don’t you?”
“If you haven’t already killed them yourself, yes.” He leans forward, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “I do.”
“The man has already been taken care of.” Childe states in a deadpan.
“So he’s still alive.” The man hisses, “What is his name?”
“I don’t see why I should tell you th-” Childe’s eyebrows raise when his hand suddenly gets tugged on, and this tears his gaze straight down to Aether.
Aether is smiling up at him sleepily, though he looks a little fondly exasperated.
“Aether….” Childe whispers, running a thumb over his hand.
“Ajax.” Aether rasps out, eyes then darting over to the short man who looks frozen. “...Boe.” Aether sighs.
Boe looks away, looking extremely scolded despite not even being scolded yet.
It’s like he knew what was coming.
“So your name is Boe then?” Childe inquires, the scolded look suddenly turning feisty as the other growls under his breath. “What was that?” Childe questions, almost smugly.
“Only Aether can call me Boe.” He hisses out, “It’s wrong coming from your mouth.”
That just makes Aether giggle, and Boe’s face immediately redden. “Be nice, Boe.” He says, clearing his throat right after and in turn making Childe hand him a glass of water from his bedside table. Aether gratefully accepts it, happy to soothe his throat and drink.
“I’ll be nice once he tells me the name of that man…” Boe mutters.
“He won’t tell you if you don’t even tell him your own name, besides…” Aether sits up, wincing slightly at a sharp pain in his abdomen as he does so. “I’m okay,” He whispers when both Boe and Childe reach a hand towards him, “You both already know I don’t want you to hurt him.” He eyes them both seriously, “Or kill him.”
Boe and Childe both pout, those same pouts disappearing as soon as they make eye contact with each other.
“Call me Scara.” Scaramouche grumbles out, “That’s all I’ll allow.”
“Hm.” Childe sits down on the bed next to Aether, the blonde immediately leaning his head onto the man’s shoulder with a pleased hum. Childe runs a hand through his hair, Aether happy to push into the touch. “Right. Well, Scara,” Childe half shrugs with his free hand, “Like I said. I have no reason to tell you, and I’m certainly not allowed to do so.”
Scaramouche’s nose flares, and Childe thinks he can see a hint of jealousy in his eyes directed at him- ah. But that was a common thing when it came to Aether, wasn’t it? At least some form of it.
Boe’s jealousy is quickly snuffed out however, by Aether’s ever so soft smile he sends his way.
Oh he looks absolutely flustered. Childe thinks, I can’t help but wonder.. What did Aether do for you to win your heart like this?
“Ah, but… It is common knowledge at the moment that the man is being processed by both Fatui and the Sumeru’s personal prison system…” Childe pipes up, “He should be there right now. And they may even be accepting visitors soon. And oh- I would visit him myself. But what can I do, really? It’s out of my hands now.” He sighs dramatically, ignoring Aether’s suspicious glance up to him.
“...I see.” Scara looks just as suspicious, but when he meets Aether’s eyes again- his expression turns into something akin to understanding. The short man approaches the bed, leaning in as to whisper into Aether’s ear.
Childe cannot hear what’s being said, but he does watch Aether’s expression go from irritated, to defeated, then right back to fondly exasperated.
“Be on your way then.” Aether huffs out, flicking Scara on the forehead and making him snicker. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“What, like get stabbed?” Scara questions pettily, making Aether pout at him.
“I’m serious.” Aether deadpans, and Scara rolls his eyes.
“I know.” Scara waves his hand at Aether, “I’ll return to you in one piece.”
“That’s all I ask, aside from the not killing part.” Aether sighs, watching Scaramouche leave quickly out the door and leaning further into Childe.
Childe sends him an odd look down, and Aether is about to ask what that look was for- when a smug smile comes across his face.
Oh no.
“You certainly have a thing for… Hm, what’s the word? Ah yes, emos.” Childe snorts when Aether smacks him on the back of the head.
“Shush.” Aether puffs out his cheeks, “Teasing me while I’m recovering… You’re an awful big brother.”
Childe gasps in offense, “How dare you! I’m here, giving you head pats and back rubs and you say that?? Well, why don’t I leave then? I’ve obviously overstayed my welcome.” Childe crosses his arms, immediately stealing the warmth he was providing away from Aether-
And Aether just stares up at him with wide eyes and a betrayed look that you’d get from a puppy after stealing its food.
…Childe’s mouth gapes open. “You’re cruel.”
Aether tugs at his shirt.
Childe promptly puts his arms back around Aether and grumbles, giving a brotherly kiss to the top of his head. “Awful. Cruel. Manipulative.” He grumbles.
“I didn’t say a word.” Aether chirps, snuggling into Childe’s side.
“Awful.” Childe repeats himself, ruffling his blonde hair.
When Aether suddenly winces however when he stretches his middle a bit too much, Childe immediately relents his ‘insults’ and has him lay down completely. “Rest. I’ll stay, you gremlin.” He covers Aether up completely with the fluffy blanket that had dropped to his lap before, “At least until Tighnari comes back. Then I will need to make sure your friend didn’t do anything he wasn’t supposed to.”
Aether smiles sleepily up at him, “..But you’ll be back?” He questions softly.
Childe brushes away a strand of hair on Aether’s forehead, “Yes, bub. I’ll be back.”
That’s all Aether needed to hear before he shut his eyes, soaking in Childe’s warmth provided to him as to fall into a restful sleep.
And Childe- as soon as Aether is out, glances towards the door with sharpened eyes.
Damn.
‘Scara’ would get to the man who stabbed Aether first.
This sucked.
..Well. Taking care of Aether didn’t suck.
But for someone in the fatui to try and kill him while Childe, a fatui harbinger who cared for Aether- was present in Sumeru around the same time...
Childe looks away from the door, an arm coming to lay over Aether in a protective way.
There weren’t many people as good as Aether was. Wholeheartedly good.
So. Hm.
If ‘Scara’ doesn’t kill that man first, he’ll get to him himself.
Ah… Childe looks down to Aether, no killing. Right. Well.
He’ll just have some fun then.