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It’s fucking hot. Sumeru is always fucking hot. Sumeru has been hot as long as the wanderer has been living there with the archon. And walking through the forest, enduring the humidity, his clothes are sticking to his skin and making him itch. It feels like the vines from the trees and cliffs have sewn themselves into the threads of his clothes.
Now, the two of them have been trudging through this forest for hours, himself and.. Ajax. It’s been too long since he’s seen him. After the incident of him losing and then regaining his memories, the first thing he did was seek out Ajax. He needed to make sure that he’d forgotten, needed to make sure that..
Anyway.
However, when he went to Snezhnaya to find him, he was informed that Ajax was away on business. And that was frustrating. Because now he needed to travel again. Then, things went from bad to worse. Because not only was Ajax in Fontaine, but he’d gotten injured in Fontaine! And when he went to look for him, he was gone! What was wrong with that boy? Was he a moron?!
Apparently.
Because just a month later, the wanderer found himself staring into the dull blue eyes of Ajax, healed and well and wandering the streets of Sumeru. It had gone quickly, the reconnection of the two of them. Even with memories out the window, Ajax, or rather, Childe, had recognized him in shorter than an instance. Ajax had said, “I know those eyes like I know my blade.”
And that shot the wanderer in the chest.
He isn’t sure if Ajax had all of the memories that he so carefully took the time to erase. But Ajax had sounded so fucking sure that it made his head hurt. And he’d given him evidence too. Ajax reached into his back pocket and pulled out a tiny doll. The doll that he’d made.
And so, the wanderer joined Ajax on his travels in the forest. Nahida had told him that getting out, spending time in the sun, and having time with his friend would be good for him.
Damn her. And damn Ajax too!
The thing with Ajax, though, is that he used to be his caregiver. The warmth and the safety of his eyes and his voice. It made him shake. Even now, even though Ajax was absolutely ripping through the fungi population of Sumeru, he was paying close attention to the every little motion of the wanderer.
It made his chest ache like nothing else, and he was starting to feel that little inkling of something in the back of his mind. Through the straight face he was putting on, he could see the fungi falling to Ajax’s arrows and blades. The man was getting through them smoother than butter, and soon they were through with, and he returned. Ajax clapped a hand onto his shoulder and rolled it under the pressure. “Man, those things really know how to put up a fight. Those dendro bulbs hurt!”
“They’re called cores,” the wanderer spat back, rolling his eyes. “Let’s go.”
As they walked, he distantly wondered if Ajax could tell what he was feeling. His attention was so damn focused that it was almost scary, those dull eyes piercing through him as if trying to search his empty soul for something of worth. He hated the way it made his legs shake with the urge to collapse. And really, he wasn’t just slipping because Ajax had been his caregiver of the past, but also because the man was insane! He’d barely let them eat, drink, or rest in the entire time they’d been out here, eager for his next battle and seeking out someone to fight him and bleed him dry.
It almost made him sick.
He was really trying to keep it together, but then Ajax tapped his shoulder. “I’ll be right back. There’s some eremites looking for a beating.”
Ajax always said things like that. But for the first time in the last few days, his hand shot out to wrap in Ajax’s coat. “Don’t go..” he whispered, barely loud enough for himself to hear.
But Ajax just didn’t fucking get it. Instead, he turned around and saw the hand grabbing him. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were tired. Don’t worry, you sit here and I’ll go handle them.”
And so he went, and the wanderer was tired of his ass once again.
When Ajax returned, he smiled. “Hey! Think you wanna come back to Liyue with me to see Zhongli? If we take off now, we should be able to be there by nightfall.”
Was Ajax insane? He couldn’t even leave the country right now, much less be able to get to fucking Liyue Harbor by nightfall! The man had to be out of his mind (he knew he was) and the wanderer was absolutely NOT going to go through with this nonsense.
“Buer won’t allow me to leave, moron. Besides, we definitely wouldn’t make it by moon rise. You’re stupid to think you could have even tried,” he spit, watching Ajax’s face fall with horror, sick satisfaction bubbling up in his chest at the sight.
Now, he would have loved to have said that it was because of him, but then Ajax said, “behind you..”
And with a loud sigh, he turned around, and found a large fungus nearly twice his size lurking behind him. “Fuck.”
And that was the last thing he was able to say before the thing’s tail swung around and collided with his hip, sending him plummeting into the river nearby. Water rushed around him, filling his artificial lungs and making him try to cough through the chilly waters. Fuck, he needed to get back up. But any attempt just made his clothes and body feel heavier and heavier, and he couldn’t get to the surface.
Was this really going to be how he went? Drowning? After everything he’d been put through?
Well, apparently not, because a hand clasped around his and absolutely yanked him to breach the surface of the water. “Hey!” he heard a voice. “Come on, cough it out.” He followed instructions blindly, coughing up nearly every drop of water trapped inside of his fragile body. And when it was gone and he could breathe again, he heard a loud, and maniacal laugh from nearby.
Ajax. He must have killed the bitch.
So who pulled him out? Well, blearily opening his eyes, he found the giant ears of that fox scholar. He couldn’t remember his name off the top of his head, but this was him for sure, and he knew because of the pitch dark fur. “Are you alright?” he heard him ask. “I’m Tighnari, I’m a doctor. Sit still so I can look at you please.”
He was stunned into silence. God, this man radiated the same energy Ajax did. Caregiver. Caretaker. His thumb started inching towards his mouth, even though Tighnari told him to sit still. It finds it, and he fits his thumb between his teeth to suckle on, a sad and pathetic sound coming from his chest. He saw the change in Tighnari’s eyes instantly.
Tighnari turned to Ajax then. “Hey! Moron! Get over here!” When Ajax jogged over, Tighnari leveled a glare at him. “For one, stop fighting the mushrooms. They just live here. And for two, you left a child to drown while you got the fight? Idiot! What if I hadn’t come along?”
“A child?” Ajax asked, clearly confused and lost. “Wha-”
And then he saw the lightbulb go off, and the wanderer’s chest filled with warmth and cotton as Ajax knelt down and took his hand out of his mouth. “Hey bud, bet that was real scary, huh? Can you let the nice doctor look at you? Then we can go home, okay?”
He wanted to cry. That tone of voice. He couldn’t stop it. He dropped in a fucking instant, falling all the way down and bursting into wet sobs. He was still a little stuffed up from the water in his sinuses, but he couldn’t help it. He just kept crying while the fox checked him out and Daddy held his hands.
It was all too much. He was so tired and so weak and he was hungry and thirsty, even if he was a doll! Why had Daddy been so mean! It wasn’t fair! He was tired!
He could hear Tighnari speaking to Daddy past the sobbing coming from his chest. It was short, clearly, because Daddy turned to him in time and offered him a hand up. “Let’s go home, kiddo. We’ll get you new clothes and a snack, okay?”
That sounded perfect. Because right now, he felt like a wet cat. They waved goodbye to Tighnari and began to head back for Sumeru city. It was close, thankfully, and Daddy was careful not to hold his hand where people could see them. Instead, he used his hat to cover his face, trying to not be embarrassed about feeling so small in public like this.
Through the winding streets of Sumeru city, he walked quickly, trying to get back to where he was staying with a relatively clear mind. But it was getting harder and harder to even walk, much less find where he was going. And it all came to a halt when they mistakenly stepped into the Grand Bazaar. “Hey, kiddo. Why don’t we ask someone for a little help?”
His legs finally gave out, sending him crashing to the ground and trying to hide his face while he began to cry. People knew him now. And Daddy could sense the distress, quickly scooping him up and running back outside. Distantly, in the wanderer’s mind, he prayed he would run into someone he knew, someone to help him. He was lost, and Daddy didn’t know where he was going either.
“Hat Guy?”
Oh that voice. Oh that sweet, blessed voice. Miss Nilou.
He watched her jog up and cooed. “Oh hi sweetie! Look, you have a friend!”
“Hello Miss!” Daddy greeted her. “I’m afraid we’re a bit lost. Do you know my friend here?”
Nilou giggled and nodded. “Yeah! We look after him sometimes, myself and Cyno.”
“Cyno? The General Mahamatra?”
His sobs had quieted significantly, but now Nilou and Daddy were ignoring him. He huffed unhappily, his tummy rumbling a second later. Daddy’s eyes flicked back to him with a grin. “Hey, kiddo, I know. Miss Nilou, could you please direct me to the Archon? I think that’s where he’s staying and something tells me he’s a little too small to get there himself.”
The accusation made him huff again, but Nilou was happy to comply and lead them up all of the ramps and platforms to the top of the massive tree to the Sanctuary of Suresthana. Finally, they arrived, and Nilou bowed to them. When Daddy thanked her, she giggled. “Oh, don’t worry about it! Come visit us sometime, baby boy!” She tickled under his chin for a moment before skipping off.
They were standing still for a moment before Daddy started walking again, laughing. “Oh, kiddo, you’ve gotta introduce me to her again sometime. Okay?”
The wanderer said nothing in response, just tucking his face into Daddy’s neck as they stepped up to the door of the Sanctuary. The guards posted there seemed suspicious of the ginger stranger immediately, crossing their spears in front of him. “Halt! Put down the Archon’s guest and state your name and purpose!”
However, both of them swiftly moved their spears out of the way as the child glared at them both. “Let us through,” the first full words he’d said since before they saw Tighnari earlier. The guards stepped to the side in an instant, allowing Daddy to pull open the doors and let them in.
The Sanctuary was always bathed in green, the dim lights and warm smell in the air never failing to make him feel at ease. Even now, as they stepped in and found the Archon hovering in the center sphere, his chest relaxed and his shoulders slouched with the distinct feeling of home. At the door opening, Nahida looked up, then furrowed her brow, just as the guards had.
“Hat Guy. Who is this man?”
The wanderer could only whine, wiggling in his Daddy’s hold. The taller man put him down instantly, clearly worried that if he didn’t, Buer would strike him down. “Hey, sorry to intrude. Uh, I’m Tartaglia, I’m a Fatui Harbinger. This little guy and I go way back, and I was just bringing him home and making sure he got to bed alright. He took quite the tumble today with a fungus, so I just wanted to ensure he was okay.”
Nahida’s gaze softened instantly, and she lowered herself to the floor before strolling over to the child practically folding over on the ground. She took the wanderer’s cheeks into her hands and cooed. “Oh, poor little one. You must have been scared. Is this your Daddy you’ve told me about?” The child nodded wordlessly, and Daddy grinned sweetly.
“I swear ,Lady Archon. I’m just here to get him to bed. Then I’ll leave.”
Nahida just tutted, pushing a tiny finger to Daddy’s lips. “Don’t worry about that. You’re trusted in his memories, so please stay as long as you’d please. I’ll have the servants prepare a meal for the two of you. Does that sound good, baby?” she asked, turning her attention to the child still on the ground. He nodded again, then turned back to his Daddy and reached up at him.
Daddy was quick to scoop him up again. “I’m afraid his mind isn’t quite straight right now. Would you mind directing me to his room and a bathroom with a tub?”
The Archon said nothing, just motioned for Daddy to kneel down. He did so, very carefully considering his baby in his arms, and allowed Nahida to press her little hands to his forehead. They glowed valiantly with verdian for a moment, Daddy’s eyes glowing the same color. When she pulled away, all she asked was, “okay?”
This was something the wanderer had seen her do before. It worked sort of like the Akaasha had before the system had shut down. With a touch (or even without for the citizens of Sumeru) she could push information into someone’s brain. It was used sparingly; she insisted that she’d like folk to do their research in the House of Daena, but she needed to remain in this room and watch over her people, so she couldn’t have exactly led Daddy around to the various rooms in the Sanctuary.
Thankfully, Daddy seemed to understand what was going on, and nodded before standing back up straight and starting to amble through the halls to find the rooms that Nahida had apparently directed him to. The first stop was the bathroom. “I gotta put you down, bud. Gotta start the water, okay?” Though unhappy about that decision, the child allowed himself to be placed down onto his feet, even if he immediately crumpled to the ground in a limp pile, and watched Daddy step over to the tub to start running the hot water.
The tub was fancy by itself. Attached to the wall and standing on golden feet, with the water coming from a faucet in the center and the knobs beside it coming from the wall. It was the nicest tub he’d ever bathed in, anyway. But Daddy was able to figure it out quickly and allowed the hot water to run for a moment before he plugged the drain. He then turned to the wanderer and grinned, all wolfish and warm in his gut. “Can you get out of your wet clothes while I’m gone? I’m gonna get you fresh ones.”
That sounded reasonable, and he could probably do that, so he gave an affirmative little mewl. Daddy left the bathroom a second later, leaving the child alone to slowly peel off the soaked clothing. They’d barely dried a bit in the time it took for them to walk all the way back to the city and get lost along the way. Once he was naked, he realized just how badly his joints ached, and how lovely it would feel to soak them in the hot water. The thought alone excited him.
But he waited for Daddy to come back. He’d always been a rather clumsy little thing while regressed like this, so waiting for Daddy to do most things had become his normal. Thankfully, the other man was back just a few seconds after that thought, putting the child at ease. “Hey, buddy. I’m back. Ready for your bath?”
He absolutely was, reaching up for his Daddy. Daddy only laughed, picking him up briefly before setting him in the warm water. He let it run a while longer until it got to a good height below the rim, then reached to turn off the faucet.
The wanderer had been right; the hot water was doing wonders for the discomfort in his synthetic joints. They had been stiff earlier, leading to him crumbling whenever he was put down. But now, the ball joints moved with smooth fluidity since they’d become warm.
He was also just beginning to calm down in general. His humiliation from seeing Nilou and Tighnari had flown out the window, and right now, he just wanted to get out, curl up on his Daddy’s chest with his pacifier, and take the nap to end all naps.
Still though, he allowed himself to relax in the tub, just barely keeping his nose above the waterline to breathe. While he bathed, Daddy off to the side was working on changing clothes as well, apparently having found something to fit the lankiness of his body. The shirt was small and the pants rode a little high when he was done, but it was Inazuman style, so the child at least knew his caregiver would be comfortable.
He pulled up a small stool used for reaching things on the top shelf of the bathroom cabinet to the edge of the tub and sat on it, smiling at his baby. The wanderer just cocked his head.
“Damn. Still just as cute as always, you know that?”
The child hated that compliment, and almost moved to splash him before remembering that Daddy had just changed clothes. So, he sufficed to just pouting about it and crossing his arms.
“Aw, come on. It’s been so long since I’ve gotten to care for you. Don’t pout, baby boy.”
The baby only pouted harder, but amusement pulled his lips into a thin smile.
Daddy said nothing else after that, just sort of busying himself around in the bathroom as the child soaked. Eventually, though, the water began to run cold, so he whined for his Daddy’s attention. He got it instantly, and was lifted carefully from the tub and sat on the edge before Daddy reached in and pulled the plug to watch the water drain away.
Now out of the water, the child shivered, but Daddy was quick to drape a towel over his shoulders. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna let you freeze, kiddo. Let’s dry you off. Miss Nahida said there would be food soon.”
His empty belly rumbled as if to remind him that it was, infact, empty. So, he allowed himself to be dried and then clothed in one of the many onesies in his collection, this one a pale blue with little stars on it. Once dried and dressed, Daddy picked him up again, basically tossing the child over his shoulder before leaving the bathroom.
Daddy carried him through the halls, all warm and comfortable against the wanderer’s body. He was starting to feel sleepier, yearning for his bed and his toy fox. But the idea of food was much more enticing. So when they arrived in the dining room to two bowls of Sabz Meat Stew, one significantly smaller than the other, all thoughts of sleep left his mind. He was hungry.
He fussed against Daddy’s shoulder for a minute, wiggling and whining. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. Hold on.” With his foot, Daddy pulled out one of the chairs and lowered the child down into it before pushing him back in. He then took a seat in the other chair. “Can you feed yourself?”
He could, so he and Daddy sat in silence as they filled their bellies. It made him feel much better to have something warm in his stomach, and by the time his stew was gone, his exhaustion had doubled and was starting to pull his eyes shut.
Daddy noticed quickly like he always did; curse his sharp senses. He quickly stood and pulled the baby from the chair. “Ready for nap time, little one?”
Boy, was he.
He allowed himself to be carried once more through the halls until they arrived at his room. It was rather simple; white curtains and bedsheets. But it was filled to bursting with various items from his travels. Sand sculptures from Sethos. Flower crowns from Nilou. Even some funny little gifted rocks and mushrooms from the Aranara lurking around Lokapala Jungle. Just seeing these items when he came into his room on a normal day made him feel all fuzzy and.. comforted.
Right now though, as they entered the room, the child wiggled. “What is it?” his Daddy asked, and the wanderer fought his body tooth and nail to be able to raise his hand to point at the little wooden box sitting on his nightstand. His Daddy pried it open carefully with his free hand, and inside sat a single adult sized pacifier, bedazzled with the finest gems that he’d acquired himself while out and about. In children’s beads, on the handle, were the words, “little monster”.
Daddy picked up the item and turned it in his fingers for a few seconds. “Is this whatcha want, kiddo?”
It very much was, and he snatched it from Daddy’s hand before popping it into his mouth and suckling on it quickly.
Any tension left lingering in his body melted away from the plastic on his tongue.
Sensing the pliance of his child, Daddy stepped over to the bed, pulled the large, hand-knitted blanket back with his free hand again, and set the baby down on the mattress. He urged him onto his side, to lay down, and then tucked him beneath the blanket. Then, his Daddy’s eyes caught onto the fox sitting by his pillow, so he quickly picked it up. “Is this your friend? You wanna sleep with him?”
The baby made a soft noise, letting a single, weak hand reach for his toy. Daddy lifted the blanket again for just a moment to tuck the toy under the child’s arm before tucking it back against his body tightly.
The wanderer was normally such a fussy child to get down for a nap, but he didn’t have it in him right now. Every ounce of his body was pulling him down into rest, and he couldn’t help the tiny little sound that slipped from his throat as his eyes fell shut. The last thing he remembered was Daddy mumbling, “goodnight, little prince,” pressing a kiss to his cheek, and leaving the room.