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You’ve always had a soft spot for Zhongli.
You couldn’t even bother denying it. It was a known fact, by everyone who literally has any connection between you and the funeral parlor consultant. Zhongli always had this natural ability to pull people to his whims without him knowing. The entire of Liyue Harbor knows this. Even people dotted around Mondstadt knows this. Almost everyone had heard of how this man, though airheaded he may act around others, somehow bought a 3M Mora item without actually spending a Mora from his name. To hear that you, a Traveler, hero of Mondstadt, Honorary Knight of Favonius, have met this man and slowly became his friend—
Well, were any of your friends even surprised? You’ve always had a knack for finding the most peculiar people.
In a way, you saw just how much he affected you more so than he has done with anyone else. He was ethereal to watch and wise to share conversations with when the situation requires a level of seriousness. His collected, proud hold of himself somehow garnered your attention and through his soft smiles, his wicker amber eyes, and the way his voice slowly wraps you in a blanket of comfort, garnered your undiluted affections.
It was just too bad that the owner of your heart has an emotional perceptivity of a Geo Hypostasis. With how dense he was to your sad attempts to flirt, the way you linger to his mouth more times than you’d like to admit, you could almost hear your lost sibling’s nonchalant reaction and the way they’d probably say “Here lies the dead body of my dear sibling’s love life. May it forever rest in peace.”
Damn them and their irrevocable presence even if they aren’t physically there! If they’re ever watching over you, somehow, in some way, they’d probably find this a hilarious comedy act.
“We’re here” Zhongli tells you, his hand brushing your stray hair to let the sunlight wake you up. You groggily open your eyes.
Right. You were on a rickshaw. With Zhongli. Heading to his home, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's upper floor apartments. Even now, the thought was incredulous as that itself, but that’s the situation at the moment. With a quiet sigh, you turn to look at him and smile softly.
“I just wanted to thank you for waking me up, and also for allowing me to have a roof to sleep under for the night.”
Yes, dear readers. You’ve read that right. It has seemed that the apartment you bought using, er, Childe’s backing, is now under reconstruction, the reason being a young Pyro user still learning the ropes, and accidentally burning half the building while learning. The family of the young Vision holder apologized profusely, as expected, but since they didn’t have any money to help with the rebuilding, all they could do is extend their apologies. With the way the other neighbors were eyeing them angrily, you couldn’t help but sympathize a bit with their new problem, and through goodwill, silently forgave them for the ordeal they placed you.
Even if it meant you probably sleeping your days away on a sycamore tree until your old home was fixed, your heart less heavy than it would have been, if you hadn’t tried to forgive the family truthfully.
It was to your surprise when you saw Zhongli step off a rickshaw in front of your old apartment, took one look at the state it was in, and said to you, in a clear voice.
“Has anyone extended any offer of housing you?”
So now here you are, in a rickshaw with your bag loosely on your shoulder, the consultant helping with your heavier luggage. Beckoning you with his head, you step off and begin to walk alongside him, steps almost synchronous as your eyes wander somewhere other than him, an attempt to hide just how much you wanted to stare at him right now.
You say it’s due to your want for answers to a question in your head.
Really, it’s probably just because looking at Zhongli was a nice thing you can do on your eyes.
Stuck within your train of thought, you almost couldn’t hear Zhongli’s voice call your name, his hand lightly on your shoulder.
“Traveler?” There are those eyes again, so clear, so easy to get lost in. Gritting your teeth to kill the thought, you look up and hummed at the man in response. Chuckling a bit at your lackluster reply, he continues.
“You don’t have to feel the need to thank me,” He was motioning to the parlor, so you’re guessing he was probably talking about his offer, “You’re my friend. It’s only natural I do such.”
Your bright smile hid the fact that the way he said ‘friend’ made you painfully realize just how much his feelings toward you are platonic in contrast to your very non-platonic feelings.
Archons, to say that hurt like a bitch was an understatement.
Childe was known for a lot of things. Murderer. Harbinger. A powerful entity within the Fatui who's bowed to by thousands. But out of all his pinned titles, there was one he was most proud of.
Being a meddler in all things related to his new potential intelligence— Friends. He meant friends.
So when he visited Zhongli that day, he didn't even hide the fact that he was elated to see you and the consultant, living under one roof, share breakfast like an old couple.
The shit-eating grin he wore made you feel exasperated to your very core.
"Stop that," You hissed at him the moment Zhongli stepped out of the dining room. He side-eyes you, thinking for a moment before shrugging haplessly. Grin remaining, you couldn't help but want to kick him out right then and there, anything really, just to not face the fact that even Childe, a man you've only met a few months back, could see through your shaky fumbling feelings.
"Hm?" He hums, finding amusement in your displeasure, "I don't know what you're talking about, Traveler. Is this something you're pertaining to something I should know?"
Oh Archons, the things this man does to your thin line of patience.
"Now see here, Childe-" You could feel your Vision magnifying around you as you speak. You never did have a good grasp of your newfound capabilities, especially when your emotions were involved. Amazingly, the Fatui's eleventh harbinger had somehow poked you in all the wrong places today, and now you're just about ready to hand him your vexed emotions in the form of harsh pain.
As Childe backs up a step in mock peace, Zhongli decided that then was the right time to check in on you two. Your control over your element faded almost immediately as you hear his voice, you turning around the same time Childe looks up.
"Is something the matter?" He asks rather calmly, eyes staring at how both of you were in a seemingly hushed conversation. You nervously shake off his question, the anger in your voice dissipating.
"It's nothing! Nothing at all, Zhongli!" Your answer was a bit too quick, and a bit too high-pitched, but Zhongli takes the answer all the same. With a nod, he heads back to the room he was in, and you sigh in relief before remembering that the source of your current annoyance was still very much present.
"So..." The man facing your back prolongs just a bit after waiting for some time, "Did you tell him?"
The question seemingly shifting your mood from annoyed to suddenly tired, you reply, realizing quietly that Childe wasn't going to give up on the topic.
"No."
His reply?
"Yikes."
"Where to?" The rickshaw driver asks as both you and Zhongli are seated. Zhongli looks at you expectedly and you somehow muster up the name of the cafe you two were heading to under the quiet expectance from the man.
After some sneaky collaboration with Childe (he never did let go of the topic, and you soon lost your exasperation in favor of hearing his plans to help you), you both decided that a date in a cafe would be the best choice. Quiet, tea supplied, and a pleasant atmosphere, confessing your feelings would honestly work to your favor there. And even if you did get rejected (Childe was adamant that was never going to happen, but what does he know?), at least you have the comfort of cake and privacy.
The ride was short and peaceful, small talk with Zhongli about Liyue's tidbits of history hidden in the everyday shops and roads you pass by the filler between the comfortable silence. As you talk some more, you didn't even notice that you've already arrived at your destination and it was only due to Zhongli pointing it out that made you suddenly become more aware of your surroundings.
"Oh," You made an o sound before quickly regaining your bearings, "Er, let's head in then?"
Zhongli makes an amused sound, shaking his head slightly as if he found something amusing, before stepping off along with you. Paying the rickshaw driver, you turn around to see Zhongli already opening the door for you. The smile on his face as he looks at you fondly-
You swore your heart skipped too many beats.
So Attempt One was a definite bust.
You didn't even mean to do so, it just happened. The two of you talked for hours and you found yourself lost in the conversation with the young man to even think of inserting your confession. By the time the sun was setting and both of you were saying thanks to the owner, you've realized just when you entered back into the Parlor that you've failed to do the one little thing that prompted you to ask him to an outing.
Childe was not amused.
"What do you mean you forgot?" Childe rose an eyebrow, his expression not really helping along with the fact that he was half the height of a Ruin Guard. Tall, in disbelief, and in front of the front door, you could only grunt in response as feel your neck starting to ache from looking up so much. Sighing, he allows himself to enter and he starts talking to you, planning while also finding time to tease you in between.
You would never admit it out loud but Childe was kind of growing onto you, as a person, and as a friend.
"You could always just strip yourself in front of him. That may work too. Straightforward and to the point"
Or maybe not. It's hard to tell with yourself when Childe says these kinds of things so easily.
Attempt Two was a book date. You didn't even have to leave the premise this time, just needing to get the courage to take a book you've been meaning to read to Zhongli's library and join him for some nightly reading. It was an anxious time in-between, knocking on the wood of the paper door before hearing a quiet "come in" as a response. Inside, you find yourself surrounded by plants, books, and the smell of fresh mountain wind, Zhongli on a table reading before he promptly looks up. A smile flickers on his face, the sight of you somehow now more enjoyable to see, before carefully motioning an empty seat, perhaps sighting the book in your hands as enough reason.
Quietly, you take the seat and beam at him a smile before comfortably opening your book.
Maybe it was the way you smiled at him, or how you became focused on your book that you even forgot that Zhongli was still there, but you somehow didn't notice the slightly shocked look he wore after you smiled, nor the way another smile came to his face, something more fond, something budding in his chest.
You didn't notice at all, only waking up when the sunlight entered an open window and you find yourself snuggled underneath Zhongli's coat.
It was no shock that Attempts Three to Ten all went up happily before crashing and burning, unfortunately. You almost always got swept into the moment, the time you shared with the consultant growing more and more precious to you with each try. All Childe could do was continuously chide you as well as tease you, the conversation almost one-sided with how you couldn't find it in your heart to retort anything back, more love-stricken than you were before.
Shaking his head, he just gives you his cool drink as he laughs, telling you to clear your head for the next session of "Planning Failing Plans with Traveler".
The exasperated sighs, the long hours spent, it was no wonder Zhongli began to notice Childe's little visits, always assessing how close you two were becoming with each look he gives as he passes by.
He was so obvious that even you caught him staring a few times, though genuinely confused as to why he rushed away after you call out to him.
Childe could only smile secretively.
Just a little more, he thinks. A little more and maybe, just maybe, Zhongli-
He lets out a sigh, seeing you return your attention to him.
Only a bit more time.
There was knocking on your door that night.
It was a surprise to you, really. You weren't expecting any nightly visits, and you weren't sure who the person behind your paper door might be. Carefully standing from your desk chair, you walk slowly to the front of the door, before opening it. To your surprise, Zhongli was there, standing. He looked a bit confused, a bit unable to comprehend something. When he sees you, he visibly relaxes.
"So you're still here..." He breathes out, almost unbelieving of his own words. You look on, now your turn to be confused, and suddenly, it seems to dawn onto Zhongli just how confusing his presence was, this late at night. He stands, now a bit awkward, before you shake off your confusion.
"Zhongli? What do you mean 'still here'? Were you afraid I'd leave?" You only meant it as a sort of jest, but at your last word, his eyes jolt up, relaxing only when he takes a good look at you.
"I-" One breath in, one breath out. Calling your name twice, once unsure, the second more assured, he continues, "Yes. Truthfully? I was afraid."
Before you could answer, he cuts you off, "I was afraid, that you'd leave with Childe. That you'd find yourself more comfortable with him. That you'd wish to be happier with him. I never wish to gate you, but the thought of you with someone else, the idea that you'd give that smile of yours to another, I just-"
You stare at him owlishly as he realizes his slip. Gently placing his gloved hand onto his mouth, he steals a glance of you before looking away, ears turning red.
"Excuse me," With that, he leaves you in front of your bedroom door, cheeks dusting pink as you watch him hastily walk away.