#ler!childe

Today was a normal day at the Dawn Winery, Diluc could say. That was until the door of the winery opened, and a ginger haired male entered the room, looking like a ball of energy.

"Master Diluc, long time we don't see!" - Tartaglia said, rushing towards the counter of the bar with a big smile on his lips.

"Ah, sure we haven't…" - The red haired man said with a sigh, leaving some clean wine glasses on a shelve.

Tartaglia titled his head and simply pouted - "What?, you didn't miss me all the time I was out? So mean, master Diluc. I thought you will smile even a little..." - The ginger hummed, looking away.

"I can't say I haven't missed you, Tartaglia. I just think that before you came here was really peaceful." - Diluc said, turning around to face the ginger with his arms crossed.

The ginger boredly stared at the other, huffing - "I thought you liked my energy." - "I sure do, sometimes your energy entertains some people, but I'm tired today. I haven't rest in a while."

The ginger perked up a little when he Heard those words. - "I suppose it's by your work." - The ginger said, leaning forward. - "You can't go to your house now? I'm the only person here, from what I see. Your personal is not here either, why are you still working?"

"Hm, I'm not feeling tired. I was advancing some work." - the male said, just using excuses. He didn't wanted to sleep, not because he didn't wanted, it was just because he was stubborn. Before the personal was gone, some of them almost begged him to go rest, but he didn't obey them. - "Is it that, or just because you are really stubborn naturally?"

The red head looked at the other, arching an eyebrow. - "Tsk, what do you mean like that?, I'm not stubborn..." - He muttered, closing his eyes and looking away from the ginger. - "Sure you aren't, master Diluc." - He smiled softly, rounding the counter and entering, to start hugging the other from behind.

"When are you planning to finish your 'advances' on your work?" - "Mh, who knows. Two/three hours, maybe more." - Diluc responded, crossing his arms, looking away. - "That's too late, It's already 12 am- huh? Are you okay?" - Tartaglia got interrupted by a sudden jolt from the red head when he nuzzled his nose behind the other's ear.

The hydro user could see that Diluc's cheeks and ears were slightly red. - "It's nothing..." - Diluc muttered, discreetly trying to separate from the hug. Tartaglia decided to try something, and gently kissed the same spot were he put his nose on, earning a yelp from the other.

"Diluc... Don't tell me that..."

"Shut up."

"I haven't say anything!!" - Tartaglia smiled, putting his fingers on the other's waist, making the red head quickly grab his wrist.- "Tartaglia..." - "Hm?" - "Don't you dare..." - "Too late!"

Tartaglia started kissing the spot behind Diluc's ear, making the other try to hold back his laughter. - "Come on, master Diluc... Laugh a little, will you?" - Tartaglia said, starting to dig his fingers on Diluc's ribs, making the other finally start laughing.

"S-Stohop it in this instant, Tahartaglia!!" - Diluc groaned through his laughter, his ears turning red, almost combining with the color of his hair. - "Look at your ears! They look like they're a part of your hair!" - The ginger grinned, now gently blowing raspberries on Diluc's neck, and tickling his armpits, making the normally serious male start to laugh uncontrollably.

"CH-CHIHIHILDEHEHE!!" - Diluc squirms in the hug, trying to push the other away, but Tartaglia simply trapped him between the counter and himself. - "STOHOHOP, THIHIS IS CHIHILDISH." - Diluc said, his face about to explode from how red it is.

"If you give me a Kiss, I might stop..." - He acted like he was thinking, while still tickling the other's armpits. - F-Fihihine! J-Juhust stohohop!"

With that, the ginger quickly stopped, and let the other catch his breath. When Diluc relaxed, he turned around to face Tartaglia with a frown, while the ginger brightly smiled at him. - "Where's my Kiss?" - The ginger asked innocently, making kissing sounds, while Diluc rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but smile a little. - "You're so annoying, you know?" - "But you love me!!"

Diluc sighed and got his face closer to Tartaglia's, his lips almost touching. Finally, Diluc started gently kissing Tartaglia's lips, the ginger corresponding it.

Suddenly, Tartaglia could feel some hands gently tickling his middle, making him break the Kiss with a giggle. - "W-Whahat? Dihiluc!"

"You think I forgot you were ticklish too, fatui? Now it's my turn." - Diluc said, smirking, as he tickled the ginger's navel, making the ball of energy explode with laughter.

In the bitter environment of Snezhnaya, constantly being bundled up was the norm. However, the Balladeer, though with a hooded coat lying loosely over his shoulders, yet he wore the same outfit exposing most of his arms and legs.

Oh? Speak of the devil.

The Balladeer himself was sitting on a bench in the Fatui library, going over some sort of ancient record.

Childe smirked to himself. it seemed fate was on his side today.

The redhead approached the Balladeer and casually sat next to him, looking at him eagerly.

"What do you want." The puppet muttered, not looking up from his record.

Ah, friendly as ever.

"I've been wondering..." Childe rested his hands behind his head, leaning back. "Do you ever get cold, dressed like that in Snezhnaya?"

Scaramouche lifted his eyes from the record he was reading to look at Childe as if he had just belched loudly. "Excuse me?"

"Don't give me that look." Childe snickered. "You're always in that same outfit, an unbuttoned coat maybe. Don't you get cold?"

The Balladeer scowled. "I'm not like your pathetic excuse of a species. I do not require the same fuss into warming myself as you do." He turned his head back to his papers.

Childe removed his hands from the back of his head to ponder. "It's because you're a puppet? Huh. Do you mind if I..."

The ginger reached his hand out to Scaramouche's exposed leg, grabbing it gently. If he didn't need to regulate his body temperature, would his skin be cold, hot, or in between?

Childe barely got to register the temperature of the Balladeer's skin before his leg jerked away, along with an audible gasp from the puppet.

"What the hell!" Scaramouche hissed, rubbing his leg where Childe touched him.

Childe blinked. "Hey now, I just wanted to-"

"How about..." The Balladeer cut him off, teeth gritted. "You find something better to do than bother me."

Despite the venom in his voice, a pink flush crept up Scaramouche's neck. Childe did not fall to notice this detail. Interesting...

Childe gently spidered over the puppet's knee. A soft, delicate touch.

But oh the reaction.

Scaramouche let out a higher pitched, breathy giggle before grabbing Childe's wrist with lightning speed.

"Don't."

If looks could kill...

But a grin had already crept onto Childe's face. This means...

"Tartaglia," hissed Scaramouche, "get your hands off me or I will cut your- AH- AHAHAhaaha youhu!"

What Childe had merely done was grab onto the space above the puppet's knee and began squeezing with vigor.

"Oh, I never would have guessed you could be ticklish! This is priceless!" Tartaglia, who now moved partially up Scaramouche's spacious shorts to squeeze up and down his thigh, used his other hand to pull the puppet's hand out of the way.

The Balladeer threw his head back and let out a string of shrieky cackles, which Childe did not think were possible sounds he could produce.

Unfortunately, the struggling, the fierce kicking, the momentum, and the desperate attempts to escape Tartaglia's clutches caused The Balladeer to topple backwards off the bench, falling onto his back with an "umph!"

"Pffahahaha!" Childe suddenly stopped tickling the boy to clutch his own sides in laughter at Scaramouche's . "Ohoh my- pfft!-"

Meanwhile, Scaramouche's face burned with humiliation. His legs laid on the bench as his back pressed to the floor. His eyes met Childe's with a burning... Something. Hate? Embarrassment? Childe couldn't tell.

"How's the weather down there, comrade?" Childe chuckled.

Tartaglia gave the back of Scaramouche's knee a light scribble, making the puppet giggle involuntarily and pull his legs to his chest.

"Don't." The Balladeer glared as he quickly stood up and dusted off his outfit, grinding his synthetic teeth. "I'm giving you three seconds to run."

Childe blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"Two..."

It was at this moment Childe knew: He messed up.

“How is it juvenile? I heard from that bard from Mondstadt that you’re ticklish and I’m curious to know if such a statement is true!”

Zhongli glanced up to the curious redhead, a stern look upon his face giving away no indications if the statement was true or not, much to Childe’s frustration. Of course Venti was involved, that little imp was always causing grievances, even when he was no where to be seen.

“You would choose to believe the words of a young, drunken bard?” Zhongli asked, there was a small tug at the corner his mouth, a smirk showing his amusement.

“If they hold merit, then yeah, why not?” Childe matched the smirk, taking it as a challenge, something the Harbinger loved above all else.

Zhongli sighed, his gaze wandering out to the streets of Liyue Harbor below their tearoom. Perhaps if he tried to ignore the persistence long enough, Childe would give up. But then again, this was Childe he was talking about, this man never gives up.

“So, which is it?” Childe’s voice spoke very close to Zhongli’s ear, startling the former Archon out of his daze. “Are you going to tell me? Or do I need to find out for myself?”

His words sparked something within Zhongli, certainly not fear but a certain nervousness in which he almost loses his composure. He clears his throat, closing his eyes in a display of confidence.

“There really is no need. If it will truly satisfy you to know, then I will confirm that just like everyone else, there are places on my body that you would deem ticklish. Nothing more than the average person, however. I don’t know why this information is of importance to you but I’m sure now that you know you will stop-”

A pinch at his side caused Zhongli to interrupt his sentence with a startled yelp. A yelp of all sounds, how humiliating. The colour red flushed to his cheeks almost immediately and his eyes narrowed in Childe’s direction, face to face with that shit eating grin he knows so well.

“I think I hit the jackpot!” He cheered, bringing his both hands Zhongli’s sides and tickling him. “Come on, xiansheng, lets hear that pretty laughs of yours!”

Zhongli had barely any time to process what was happening, the sudden tickles sent him into immediate chuckles, and he found himself trying to squirm away from Childe’s merciless fingers.

Zhongli couldn’t even remember the last time he was tickled, he had almost forgotten the sensations it would bring, how easily one’s composure would crumble at just simple ministrations.

He didn’t hate it, strangely. Not only was Childe’s expression softened into a warm and cheerful smile at this new discovery, but he also too felt himself at a place of joy and serenity. It was something so simple but genuinely enjoyable.

He lets himself laugh as he felt those fingers travel higher to his ribs, his eyes closing as his laughter rang out. Childe almost had to stop tickling to take in the beautiful sight, a small blush tinting across his face at the man’s beauty.

After a few more moments, the tickling had finally come to stop.

Zhongli leaned against Childe, having lost balance from his squirming and was thankful that the tickling had now come to an end, for now at least, he was sure Childe would take advantage of this new knowledge again.

“Are you… satisfied… now?” Zhongli questioned, trying to regain his breath from the laughing that had not been heard in such volume for years.

“For now? Yeah,” Childe giggled, allowing the former Archon to use his body to lean on. “Though as for later, we will see.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” Zhongli smiled before sitting back up to pour them both a new cup of tea. “I shall have to pay that bard a visit after this, however.”

Childe laughed. “I would have most likely have found out sooner or later anyways.”

“True as that may be, it was him that put the idea in your head to begin with, was it not?” Zhongli looked out as the breeze started to pick up. This emitted a chuckle from Zhongli, he knew that said bard was listening and was now nervous to feel the wrath. “But for now, it’s my turn to ask.”

“Hm?”