ʜᴇʟᴘʟᴇꜱꜱʟʏ | ᴢʜᴏɴɢᴄʜɪ

𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙠.

oh my god look who finally updated guys
casino au as promised hehe
ignore mistakes as per usual
tw; mentions of childhood abuse, use of strong language

//

It was a normal day at the Northland Casino, the waiters and waitresses, gamblers, and the loud sons of bitches who can never seem to stop bragging about their unnecessary little feats. Childe arrived to work there as usual, just a few minutes late due to his annoying roommate Scaramouche who refused to get up so early in the morning to attend their shared job here at the Northland Casino. They eventually made it with the help of Kaeya, their nice neighbor next door to them at the condo.

"Scaramouche.. get up you lazy fuck! We have to get to work!"

The shorter groaned in frustration, throwing a pillow towards the taller who dodged it effortlessly and even catching it.

"Ugh, in the Tsaritsa's name can't you be absent for one day at work or some shit...? This isn't grade school, perfect attendance doesn't matter— HEY! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU DIALING?!"

Childe avoided another pillow thrown at him as the person he dialed answered the line;

"What's up buttercup? Need something?"

Childe sighed.

"Kaeya, I'm gonna need your help. Scaramouche is being a big fucking baby and I'm not about to wake up Signora next door for this shit. He's refusing to get up for work as if this actually grade school or something. Signora's out like a light nextdoor. So?"

"I gotcha, I gotcha.. 'm coming, one sec."

Snapped out of his thoughts from the mess hours earlier, Childe reverted his attention to his current situation.

"Hey. You dragged me here for being a lazy ass, yet look at you daydreaming and not even making a single drink. Disappointing much?"

Scoffing, Childe turned behind him to the shelf standing proudly as he gathered the necessary ingredients for a classic Margarita some regular ordered. It consisted of lime, tequila and Cointreau. Each ingredient was shaken thoroughly in the metal shaker, and eventually the drink was finished as he topped the rim of the glass with Margarita Salt; setting it in front of Scaramouche who watched his taller friend complete the drink in hidden awe.

"You're one to talk midget. Why don't you head to Diluc's bar station across the Casino and work in his area instead if all you do is whine and complain? You're both damn good at that anyways."

Scaramouche laughed.

"Hah! As if I'd stay with a grouchy ass like him. Your gay little alcoholic drinks are better."

Childe took out a glass and poured a drink in there that Scaramouche knew too damn well.

"I appreciate the compliment. Now, why don't you drink your daily glass of milk so you can get taller! You need it for someone as oompa loompa-sized as you who's still growing."
Offended, Scaramouche huffed and placed the Margarita on his silver tray and declined the damned glass of milk.

"Eat a dick beanstalk."

"Beanstalk? That's a new one."

To Childe's surprise, Scaramouche finally used a new insult to the taller's height, usually calling him "a fucking tall dumb ass himbo" or a "shaquille o'neal lookin' ass."

He laughed. The Shaquille O'neal joke always was so funny.

Either way, Scaramouche stormed off like a baby and left the other alone to make his drinks.
Now, what was on his schedule today.. Right, today was Friday, meaning the whole casino would be filled towards night time. People playing Poker, 21, Black jack, and a shit load of gambling.. Not only that, both bars, his and Dilucs', will be buzzing with an overwhelming amount of regulars, so he might as well begin the preparations for later, not like he's getting a single minute of breaktime soon.

Before leaving his station, a familiar figure decides to seat themselves in front of the bartender. Smirking, Childe laughs and grabs a bottle of Tequila and the usual drink shakers.

"Kaeya, Kaeya, Kaeya. You couldn't have appeared at a better time."

Kaeya chuckled, resting his chin on his hand as he watched the other prepare his drink.

"What buttercup, am I too early to have my usual Bloody Maria? Come on, d'you really think you aren't in debt to me after this morning?"

Childe loved Kaeya. Platonically of course, he loved Kaeya because of how funny that son of a bitch was.

Kaeya was also there for him during the rough time in Childe's life when Childe's dad was abusive to his family, threatening to send Childe out of the house once when he was a kid, due to his misbehaviors. Kaeya back then would always come visit Childe at night while everyone was asleep and drag the Snezhnayan out to walk together in parks to calm his mind. It always worked, Kaeya would even bring him gifts and sometimes Diluc was there. The three of them were good friends, he remembers, until suddenly Diluc stopped joining Kaeya and the blue-haired refused to talk about his brother anymore.

Childe never once questioned what happened between the brothers when they were young, but he assumed something traumatizing must have occurred, after hearing their dad died from a car accident. Childe assumes they just got distant, but maybe there was more to that. During their highschool years together, the three of them actually attended the same school, but each of Diluc and Kaeya's classes were completely separated. Diluc was still friends with Childe, but completely distant towards his own brother. Nowadays, Diluc tends to ignore Kaeya. Childe's glad he's still acquainted with both of them, a good friend to Diluc, and a close friend to Kaeya.

Out of his thoughts, Childe finished making Kaeya's usual order, a Bloody Maria After Hours version.

"Well, Kaeya. Having your After Hours Bloody Maria during work hours completely defeats the purpose of the "After Hours" in the cocktails' drink, does it not?"

Kaeya chuckled as he was served his drink, thanking the bartender.

"You have a point Ajax. Anyways, what's got you working on a day like this? Don't you ever just.. slack off?"

The bartender hummed, returning the bottle of vodka to it's place on the shelf.

"Kaeya, Saturdays aren't the best of days to be slacking off. And yet you're over here, a police officer, lazing around and not doing his job. I thought you worked with Jean today?"

Kaeya scoffed and just laughed.

"Oh, you know how Jean is. She's always overworking herself and taking all the jobs to herself. Shit, she even let me have a break today. Be glad I even thought of you."

Childe curtsied.

"I'm honored, oh mighty Sir Kaeya."

They both laughed as Childe looked up to see Scaramouche running straight towards the bar.

"Ajax. You are so fucked."

"Huh?"

Two bodyguards entered the casino from where Childe can see, and he peeked only to see who they were guarding.

"Morax would like to see someone here named.. Childe?"