Ajax can't hide from his younger siblings for very long, not when they're beginning to grow up.
He comes home to visit the younger ones on his very few days off where he can actually see them for longer than a few hours. But something's off.
His movements are a little slow, Tonia notices he's using his left hand more than his dominant right, Anton notices that he didn't pick up Teucer immediately like he usually would.
It was only after Teucer pouted about it did Ajax pick him up and his sleeves fall back a little, his right arm bandaged with specks of blood.
Tonia's alarmed and turned to Anton in a panic only to see that he's also a bit scared. But they brush it off because they know their older brother always gets into fights.
But it keeps happening every time he visits. A patch on his neck, a bruise on his hips, a limp in his steps. They try to brush it off because that's just how their older brother is but it's starting to get difficult.
It's starting to get difficult to ignore Ajax standing outside staring at nothing in the middle of the snowy night, only to smile at them and chat like nothing is wrong when he senses them walk in.
Difficult to brush off the heaviness in his eyes whenever he misses another holiday, even harder to ignore the ache Ajax exudes whenever their parents stare at him for a little longer than they normally should.
Tonia and Anton notice, and they're getting scared. Ajax is a toy salesman, right? Then why do their parents look at him with apprehension whenever they brings it up? Why do their older siblings grieve each time they stare at Teucer?
Tonia signs her letters to Ajax off with a "stay safe" rather than a visit soon.
Anton makes sure that the medkit (that mysteriously loses a few supplies whenever Ajax visits) is constantly stocked.
Whenever they see Ajax slugging a little more than usual despite the cheery smile on his face, they'll take Teucer away and leave Ajax to rest and recover.
But Childe never sees it this way. To him, it's like he failed. Failed to keep his siblings' innocence, failed to be that reliable older brother.
He just sees his older family again. The ones that know what he does. He sees that same fear whenever they look at him and the blood in his hands.
He doesn't see help nor does he see the gesture his younger siblings try to do to help him. All he sees is the last remaining normalcy he has slipping away with the same fear in his eyes, shielding Teucer after finally seeing what Childe truly was.
But that's not true. He's right about the fear, yes. He does catch the fear in their eyes when they look at him but it's never at him rather for him.
They just want their older brother to be okay.
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