Work Text:
(11:23 AM)Signora: hey can we meet up over at Bard's Cafe?
(11:25 AM) y? u usually never ask me for anything.
(11:28 AM) Signora: it's nothing important just come.
(11:28 AM) Signora: if you don't come i'll tell Tsaritsa you purposely skipped the mondstadt interview
(11:29 AM) ...So wat time?
(11:30 AM) Signora: just come after you're done with work.
(2:35 PM) Signora: where are you??
(2:36 PM) sorry, I have more gigs piling up, I can come by during evening
(2:37 PM) Signora: ok
Tartaglia, out of breath, searches around the cafe for the platinum blonde. He notices her sitting at a table nearby the window, he quickly heads over and takes the seat in front of her.
She glared at him once she noticed the seat became occupied, "What a nice evening huh? It would’ve been nicer to spend such a meeting like this in the afternoon , I could be at home relaxing by now but a certain model had to extend plans.”
He calms down his breathing and rolls his eyes. "Listen, I had a long day and a certain stuck-up wanted something out of me." He says before he realizes, "you're not going to get a drink?"
He sighs before getting up, walking towards the cashier. Once he got his drink, he headed back to Signora who was scrolling through her phone.
They talked a bit about Tartaglia's modeling career. He's been working non-stop for the past week and he truly needs a break, ‘working under the Fatui is going to add more stress than needed.’ He shakes his head as he realizes he was lost in thought.
“My sister is becoming a huge fan of yours, she literally can’t shut up about you.” Signora sips on her cold mocha, bored, as she eyes down the orange fluff ball of hair in front of her.
“Not my fault that I’m quite popular, and hot.” Tartaglia let out a chuckle, sighing right after and swirls his coffee trying to keep his mind occupied, coming back from a long day of work and meeting up with Signora is adding too much fuel to the fire.
He hears an exasperated sigh and a mumble which he couldn’t quite hear but shrug it off. Signora goes back on her phone, “I texted you to come here because I need to prove to her that I'm working with you, she doesn’t believe me no matter how much I tell her. So we made a bet and I want money, since you’re my goodest friend and co-worker, give me your signature.”
Tartaglia rolled his eyes, grabbed a napkin off the table, grabbed the pen that Signora magically had out for him, and wrote his signature ‘Childe’ on it. She grabs the napkin, nods in approval and gets up, “thanks to you, I will get the money I deserve then. I’ll throw you in a good pitch with Tsaritsa.”
He watched as she left with her drink in hand and sighs, he takes a sip of his drink before getting up and throwing it away. He opens his phone to see multiple texts from his manager, he quickly discards them, ‘it’s been a long day, can’t I just have a break for one second?’ he sighs again.
He walks over to his car, getting in as his phone starts buzzing again. Ignoring them, he rides back home.
Once he arrives, he unlocks his door and enters, the fresh aroma of chive tea leaves fills his nostrils. He walked to see his roommate preparing tea, a smile itches onto his face as he creeps up behind the brunette.
"Zhongli!" Tartaglia hugs the other behind, he hears a hum and cuddles up against his neck.
The only thing that makes Tartaglia’s day any better would be coming home to a brunette with shiny golden eyes that shimmer with love and warmth. His alluring scent of vanilla sandalwood and hints of chai tea that are faint, everything about Zhongli, screams home to him. He’s the only one to truly make Tartaglia happy no matter the circumstances.
"Welcome back home Tartaglia. I made some tea, care for some?" Zhongli chuckles as he turns around to face the ginger, they lock eyes and Tartaglia just melts under his gaze.
"How was work? You look so tired, toy selling must be really stressing you out huh?" The ginger sweats as Zhongli grabs his cheeks and squishes them together, he slumps against the other. The brunette lets go of his face and turns back to the tea, Tartaglia pouts. He buried his face against his back, "I sold lots of toys.." Zhongli hums in response.
Tea was finished as they both sat together close on the couch, tv is blaring whatever show is on. They were wrapped around a blanket, Zhongli reading a book, head leaning against Tartaglia's shoulder as the ginger gets absorbed into the show. Tartaglia’s phone buzzes on the counter, he begrudgingly grabs his phone, disturbing Zhongli’s reading. He noticed immediately that it was text messages from his manager.
Zhongli watches as Tartaglia harshly puts his phone back, turns sideways, pulls Zhongli into his lap and cuddles up into his neck. The brunette doesn’t say anything but gets comfortable while he’s at it, he’s quite used to Tartaglia being clingy and touchy with him. “Have you seen the model Childe, Tarty? He looks like you.” He freezes upon the mention of both his names.
“Haha really? What do you think about him?” He mentally slaps himself to shut up before Zhongli’s brain finally connects the pieces, not that he could immediately. He hides the fact he's a model to all his friends and desperately tries to hide it with Zhongli the most, if there’s one thing he’s afraid of, it’s losing his only one he calls home.
His shoulders tense as Zhongli doesn’t respond, his heartbeat starts quickening as his anxiety is killing him more and more as the silence between them grows. It was killing him and he wants nothing more to crawl up into a hole and die.
“Hmm… He may look like you but from interviews and such things, he seems like a prick.” Tartaglia snorts out into a big laughter, Zhongli looks behind at him in confusion.
He calms down laughing and hugs Zhongli close to him tight. The brunette notices his odd behavior, he clasps his hand around one of his arms that holds onto his waist and draws smoothing circles in hopes that calms down the other’s anxiety attack. It does have an effect as Tartaglia grip was looser, his shoulders became relaxed as he slumps against the other.
“Ah.. Zhongli, you’re the best, I love you.” The response he got was a roll of the eyes as he goes back into his book.
“You have to say those things to your lover, not your roommate.” The tone sounded a bit sadder than usual, the ginger sighs as he kisses the crown of his hair and cuddles back into his neck. “Soon to be my lover Zhongli.” He hears a chuckle out of the man below him, he glances up to see the softest smile plastered on his face.
“Oh what a dream would that be.” Was his last response as the two sit together, as the show on the tv, continues on.