Drunk in an Alley

They left and passed by the large hospital, a part of them all wanted to ask out the h/c-haired beauty. They were all snapped out once they saw a large number of nurses flood out and new ones come in. They didn't see her, so Childe grabbed a hold of a nurse.

"Where is F/N?" he asked.

"Miss. L/N?" she asked, "she's with her patient."

"Her shift should be over though," Scaramouche said.

"Well- yes," she said, "but her patient is noble, so she was hired to take care of him during the night as well. Don't worry, if you all need her, she is still very capable of helping."

"Alright- sorry for bothering you," Dottore waved off.

She nodded and waved off and they went to the bar. They drank heavily and went home, Scaramouche swaying and left to right and stumbling on the walls. He felt his vision blur and he collapsed. F/N was the only one on the streets and she was sighing as she was exhausted from her long day of work. She noticed the groan of a man. She wanted to ignore it, but it seemed so very familiar to her. She leaned into the alley and saw the large hat rolled to the side and she softened her eyes and leaned down to pick up the hat and lift Scaramouche onto her shoulder. She struggled but was able to bring him into her home once more. She placed him on her couch and wrapped him in a wool blanket and placed a cup of water beside him and a few pills. She changed and placed a wet towel on his forehead and fell asleep on the other couch. She knew she needed sleep, but she wouldn't leave her friend out in an alley. Scaramouche once more felt the surroundings confuse him, but his hands brushed against a familiar woolen blanket. He picked himself up, the wet towel dragging down his face and he saw a cup of water and a few pills and he took it. He looked around and saw the h/c-haired woman was curled in a blanket, and lying on the arm of the couch, her legs hanging off the edge, a slipper on her foot while the other was on the floor. He stood up, and the movement woke up F/N. She stirred and fell off the couch. He crouched to her and she looked up at him, their faces mere centimetres away and she blushed and looked down. He backed away and she stood up. The red on his cheeks was no longer from the alcohol.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked and he nodded.

"Yeah, thank you," he said.

She nodded, "That's good. Lay down until your head stops throbbing."

He then noticed the painful ache in his head and he laid down, she brought him a quick breakfast and he took it. She sat on a small stool beside him and placed a new wet towel on his forehead. Rubbing it and pushing his hair out of the way. Although he hated being weak or vulnerable, an aura around her told him it was okay and safe. She looked at him with a smile.

"You know," she whispered, "I was thinking if you intentionally got drunk enough to pass out."

"If you had my coworkers, you would have put yourself in a coma," he hissed.

She chuckled and wiped his cheeks and neck, "did you even pay the bar?"

"Like they would try to ask a Fatui Harbingers for money, are they stupid?" he asked and she smiled.

"I suppose you have a point," she took the wet towel and placed it in a bucket of water, and looked at him.

"I need to change," she said, "I'll be back."

She left and he stood up, gripping his head and hissing. She came down in her uniform and he looked at her.

"Who is that guy you're caring for?" he asked and she looked at him and sighed.

"I can't tell you," she shook her head, "it's part of a contract I signed when I became a nurse, all my work is confidential and all of my patients are confidential."

She looked at him, "Even you."

He looked up at her and narrowed his eyes and winced. She grabbed a few more pills and gave them to him. He closed his eyes and let out a pained groan. She sat beside him and he looked at her.

"Why are you so nice?" he asked.

"Because," she looked into her lap, "you need my help, and I want to help you. Plus, we're friends, no?"

"Friends?" he looked at her.

"Aren't we?" she asked, "I think saving you from potential pneumonia twice and you indulging me in dinner twice makes us friends."

He chuckled and nodded, "Yeah, we're friends."

"Yay," she smiled.

"Since we're friends," he said, rubbing his fingers together, "call me Scaramouche, Balladeer is a little too formal for friends."

She smiled and laughed, "I like that-"

He stood up but started swaying, she jumped up and held onto him.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

He clasped a hand over his mouth and she rushed him to her bathroom and pushed him to his knees. She knew how to deal with alcohol victims, it was her first case when she became a nurse. She held some of his hair back and he kept throwing up. She reassured him.

"It's alright Scara," she shortened, "let it all out."

He continued and she saw his body heaving and his arms shaking. He leaned his head on his arm and she looked at him.

"Please forgive me," she said and he looked at her quickly, but she stuck her fingers deep into his throat and he felt another wave come to him.

With her help, he felt his entire stomach empty out and she flushed the toilet and washed her hands, and helped Scaramouche back to the couch. He was shaking, not having thrown up like that in years. She wiped his mouth and he looked up at her.

"I should have killed you for doing that," he said and she laughed.

"Well- you would have thrown that last part up sooner or later," she smiled, "I'd rather you throw it up in my house than throw it up in your office or in the throne room."

He looked down and nodded, "True."

She crouched to him and he looked her in the eyes.

"I suggest you rest easy," she said.

He laid down, "I need to get to the Palace."

"Not like this," she reassured and pushed his indigo locks back, and placed the wet towel on his forehead.

He closed his eyes and she started making coffee and filled up multiple glasses of water. She placed the tray beside him and she woke up him. He was startled but she placed a glass to his lips.

"You need to drink a lot of water," she said, and he nodded.

They spent the next hour pumping Scaramouche full of water and he groaned as he felt the throbbing headache subside. He placed a hand on his head and turned to the large grandfather clock.

"Fuck! It's one!" he said, "I really need to get to the Palace."

She nodded and placed her jacket on and he put his hat on. She locked her door and he looked at her, before descending farther on the steps.

"F/N," he said and she looked down at him.

"Scara?"

He looked away then at her, "Thank you- even though you didn't need to, and helping me out of my hangover."

"It's what friends do," she smiled.

They walked and they saw the younger Harbingers walking toward them.

"Oh for the love of archons," Scaramouche hissed.

"It's okay," she looked at him, "just play along, hm?"

He raised a brow but nodded.

"Good morning F/N!" they all waved.

"Good morning," she said sweetly.

"Morning hat fuck," Dottore said and Scaramouche snapped in a bark.

"Where have you been, slacker?" Childe asked.

"You're one to talk," Scaramouche hissed.

"Ah- sorry," F/N clasped her hands, "I needed some help with a few new medications and the boxes were too heavy and were being flagged as illegal imports. Scaramouche helped me out, excuse him please."

They saw her sweet smile and being blinded by her smile and the unknowing self they nodded.

"Didn't know he had to be 'nice' in him," Capitano hummed.

She chuckled, and Scaramouche frowned and rolled his eyes.

"Excuse me, I have to get to the hospital," she smiled, "sick people won't heal themselves."

"Okay- bye-bye," they all waved and Scaramouche scoffed.

She walked up the stairs of the hospital and they all looked at Scaramouche.

"You fucking lucky ass," they all sighed.

"Maybe you all have to get there before me, but it's hard to beat me," he crossed his arms, "when you all are obviously nowhere near my level."

He pushed past them and they sneered. Lyn looked through the window and watched him. She looked at him sadly, her hand drifting down the window. She turned to her patient, the noble.

"Watching your boyfriend leave you? Did he drop you off?" he chuckled.

Despite him being in the hospital, he was young, her age, and he just came in due to an issue with his internal body workings. She grabbed a syringe and pressed it into his veins.

"He's not my boyfriend, he's my friend," she smiled, "a good friend of mine."

"Not with the way you're looking at him," he chuckled and she giggled.

"He's a Harbinger," she smiled, "he barely has enough time as it is."

He nodded, "I hope he's good to you as a friend."

"He is," she smiled, "he's really nice."

She folded a blanket and placed it to the side and placed a wet towel to his forehead and another nurse brought in a tray of food and helped her patient eat.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded, "very tired, but I'm feeling much better."

She nodded and washed her hands and grabbed a syringe.

"So," she looked at him, "Felix, how are you liking your stay so far?"

"It's amazing, having a pretty girl like you taking care of me," he smiled.

She blushed and placed the syringe on his lips.

"It's a painkiller," she smiled.

He took it and laid back. She wrote things down on a clipboard and looked over at him, his eyes were shut and she smiled. She went to the general admissions and helped out with the little injuries and she went on her break. A two-hour break from the injuries and sicknesses. Madeline joined her and they went to the market, in their clothes and their flats. They were looking at the beautiful apples and the sweet berries and the sunsettias. Her arms were filled with bags of fruits. Maddie carried some too. The Harbingers were on the rounds, going to the market, looking for some trouble. Dottore gasped and pulled Childe and Capitano's sleeves and pointed.

"Look- it's the cutie!" they hissed.

Scaramouche looked at them and then at the short h/c-haired woman. She was holding a few bags and searching through the mint bundles. Maddie looked over her and saw the Harbingers and she pointed with her thumb and F/N looked up and hastily paid and went to them.

"Hello," she waved, "it's been a bit."

"Did you go to work at all yet?" Dottore asked with a wink.

"Um- yes, I'm on my break," she nodded, "I wanted to get a few more apples and sunsettias for the kids back in the hospital, some of the older patients love them too."

"Seriously?" Maddie asked, "I thought you bought them for yourself."

F/N shook her head, "Nope."

"How are you, F/N?" Capitano asked.

"Um- I'm rather well," she said and looked at the market.

She watched a few kids run past them and she tilted her head.

"What are you all doing here anyway?" she asked.

"Rounds, debt collection," Childe nodded.

"I see," she smiled and heard the crying of one of the children.

She looked to the side and saw the kid and her eyes widened. She threw her bags to Maddie, who caught them in haste and F/N ran to the kid and immediately got to her knees.

"Are you alright?" she asked, lifting the kid and resting their back on her arm.

"Yeah- I fell, and scraped my knee," he pointed.

She saw the large gash and nodded. She picked up some of the fresh snow and wiped it across the dirty gash and then dug into her purse and grabbed a large roll of gauze and rolled it around his knee. His crying subsided and she tied the gauze into a knot. She got up and helped the boy up and held his hand.

"Are you better my dear?" she asked.

"Yeah- thanks to you nice lady!" he nodded.

"Of course," she said, "now- don't go running in the streets again, who knows, I might not be right there."

"Alright, sorry nice lady," he said and his friend went to him and helped him.

Maddie looked at her and F/N went back and grabbed her bag.

"Poor kid," she placed a hand on her cheek.

"It's just a gash," Maddie said, "you know it was just a superficial injury."

"Yeah," she said, "but-"

"You are just a big ol' softie," she shook F/N's shoulder, "who can't stop helping people."