Thread by @Daine_93

#ZhongChi #鍾タル
CW: miscarriage, stillborn
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"Tartaglia! Do you think your sister like this one?"

Yoimiya approached her new friend with skipping steps and a pink furisode in her hand that later stopped when she followed his gazed at the display.

A white baby sized kimono.

Her cheerful face turned into worry as she sensed that her ginger friend's warmth has vanished. His gleeful chant has no longer streamed in the air and he's just stand there, facing the display like mannequin.

She then walked to his side calmly. Her golden eyes observed his face

closely and found nothing but sorrow in his eyes. Making her worry added more weighted on her heart.

"Tartaglia?"

The ginger man flenched his body when she called his title again. "O-oh, sorry! Did you say anything?"

"I was.. Asking about the clothes." The blonde girl said

as she gave him the furisode from earlier. "Are you okay?"

"Me? I'm fine, the clothes just so small that reminded me of my Teucer!" Childe said awkwardly before let out a crunchy laughter loudly.

But when he looked at her eyes, he knew she has already see all of his cards.

"Fine. I lied, it just.. The clothes reminded me of my far cousin."

"Oh yeah?" Yoimiya tagged along with Childe's lie as she followed his gaze to observed the display.

"I.. Am very close with my aunt. She was kind to me and spoiled me and my siblings with everything we wanted.

My mom said that she did that because she couldn't have a baby, so when she got one on the way, we celebrate it with a feast."

Yoimiya sharpened her ears as she hugged the furisode Childe has returned to her. "Up until she was on the way to 4 months, she was bleeding non stop.

It was painful and devastating, and so she lost another."

Childe gripped his other hands while try his hard to keep smiling. "Her.. Husband, was very kind to her. He stays with her and cheers for her until she got better."

"Mister husband indeed a keeper."

"Hahaha! He is."

Childe gripped his hand tightly. "He.. Um, they then got another and I was little at that time, so I was feeling like about to have another baby--cousin. I was thrilled by it, and.."

The man started to fidgeting his toes. "When.. she's in labor, I was waiting outside her room.

She was screaming, crying, and begging for this time her child is safe and healthy. But.. Um.."

Yoimiya lowered her head as a tear rolled down his eye. "She.. The baby was not crying."

"I see."

"I.. She.. watches her husband trying everything he can to make their son cry.

But he just keep sleeping. And not crying."

Childe took a deep breath and hurriedly turned his body to backing her. "Damn, my eyelashes stucked in my eyes, hahaha."

"... Thank you, Tartaglia." the girl tenderly rubbed Childe's shoulder. "And I'm so sorry."

"Nah, that's fine."

And both of them stay quite.

Their eyes were staring at the tiny robe with mixed emotions inside them. It was an empty silence, yet it did torn both of their hearts as the story coming back to their mind.

Yoimiya gazed at her friend again as the man still staring at the robe,

as if imagining someone wearing the beautiful cloth in his mind. She knew Tartaglia was lying to her, but still, she understand with that.

So, she decided to lighted up the mood by changing their topic.

"Oh, look! We'll got 50% off if we buy 3 more sets. How about we look for Teucer and Anthon's?"

Childe looked hesitated.

"Erm.. I don't think I have enough mora for that."

"That's okay! I'll pay for that."

"Who--what? No!" Yoimiya sticked her tongue out and race with Childe to the cashier to hand her wallet to the cashier. "Missy, you don't have to do that!"

"This might be our last meeting!"

"But you need that mora!"

"I'm using it now!"

Childe grunted as he stretched his hand to reach Yoimiya's wallet on her hand while the girl pushing his chin to limit his movement in taking her wallet. "Just... Noo!"

"Let me go!"

"Never!"

And with Yoimiya's luck, she then tackled the tall man and locked him into a headlock before put her wallet on the cashier happily. "The best deal set, please. Whatever he chose, on me."

Leaving the embarrassed Snezhnayan harbinger growl in annoyance.

They then walked home together in the city with matching steps and awkward atmosphere. Childe felt that he has opened up too fast while the girl's still worry about her friend.

Then, when they stood in front of Kimura's Shop, Yoimiya dashed from the scene.

"Yo, missy! Your--"

Yoimiya quickly returned to the shop to purchased the white robe they saw earlier and moved to a nearby toy shop. She looked around the doll section and try to match several animal dolls inside the garment, before finally she found the one squeezy fox plushie that fitted

with the robe. With a relief smile on her face, she hugged the doll again before payed for it and came back to her friend.

"You left something?" Childe asked her. She just respond his question with a smile and handed the doll to the ginger man. "Here. For your aunty."

Childe looked at the doll with a perfect blend of surprise and confusion. "What's for?"

"My Mama lost five of her children after having me, so I understand what your aunty might feel."

Childe widened his eyes when the blonde girl said that bluntly. "I-I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm not Mama by the way, but I can understand her grieve." Yoimiya said as she let Childe took over the doll from her hold. She looked at him closely as the man brushed the doll's ears and head carefully, before embracing the baby sized doll close to his heart.

"It's squeezy, isn't it?" she said happily. "I saw my Mama doing this, so I thought this might help you as well."

Childe hanged his words on the edge of his tongue when he realized what the girl really meant, but later he smiled at her and hugged the doll tighter than before.

"Don't give up, Tartaglia. The right time will come to you soon." A nod from Childe made Yoimiya patted his shoulder again. "Just remember to not spoil them like crazy."

A loud laugh from the Snezhnayan made several pedestrians looked at

them in confusion. But that didn't reduce a tiny bit of their moment as the Inazuman girl has brought her tall ginger friend into a big hug.

"Thank you, Miya." Childe said as he let the girl patted his back.

"You made me wanna name my daughter your name if I have one."

"Eh! Why with the past tense?!"

"I will be homeless if I do that."

And thus, they resume their walk with a friendly argumen in their way, souvenire bags in their hands and a fox plushie in Childe's arm.

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Fin
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