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“I choose you.”
The dragon faced towards a blue eyed boy, the crowd surrounding them slowly stepping back to allow the beast to quietly walk forward.
Geo energy was then released, the boy letting out a gasp as his neck suddenly felt tight. A collar was placed around him. A sign of ownership.
“You will serve me till the day you die.”
The dragon uttered, and to his surprise the boy did not seem to be fearful of the new task that has been bestowed upon him. Rather he seemed.. delighted?
“What is your name, child?” And with a small giggle leaving the mischievous creature the boy answered, “Tartaglia.”
The dragon was pleased at the attitude.
Zhongli was a patient man, always kept and proper while making sure to keep both his words and actions gentle.
Tartaglia knew this well as he served another cup of tea to the quiet male. ‘Quiet and well, very pretty.’ he’d think.
Growing up with the other, Tartaglia was bound to keep him pleased as he promised the day he was chosen. He always heard of rumors of the dragon that’d come by picking up any human he deemed worthy, only to torture and make them suffer.
Oh were his peers very wrong.
Zhongli was anything but! A part of him a bit angry as there are people out there who see his master as a heartless, killing beast. Zhongli was always soft. Always so caring with him, as if he was scared he’d hurt him.
But yet, it was a shame that Tartaglia has fallen hopelessly in love with the brunette even though their contract explicitly stated that love was out of the question.
He wondered why is that. Wondered why he isn’t able to keep the other for himself.
What he didn’t know was that Zhongli was terrified of relationships. Although, yes he does go out and choose someone to be his slave, it isn’t really him wanting someone to serve him always. Rather, he was just lonely, wanting to fill that empty void in his endless life.
Typically, the humans he chose would be terrified of him, scared, shouting out ungodly acts he would never find himself doing.
‘Those humans never lived long anyways.’ He would tell himself. Always outliving one after the other.
It was till he met Tartaglia, did things begin to feel odd. He was fond of the boy, yes. But something in him kept beating, as if he was yearning for the male to stay by his side and comfort him.
Never had he felt attached to his ‘slaves’, even though he never treated them as such, this feeling never leaving him every time Tartaglia was with him or even when he thought of him.
“Love, what a distasteful feeling.” Zhongli muttered as he watched the other leave the room. His chest aching when he was left alone again.
He knew he could never form such a relationship with the male, as an immortal being, he would soon outlive the other and suffer the loss of a loved one yet again.
It may have been thousands of years ago, but the pain still lingers within him.
At some point, Tartaglia begins making more clear advances, unable to stop his want for Zhongli any further.
“I am your slave, and you are my master, yet these titles mean nothing between us.” He muttered, Zhongli letting out a surprised gasp as his hand never stopped.
“I want to hold you, mark you.. love you.”
Zhongli kept quiet at those words, but truly he felt happy to hear them.
But, he had to keep his own word.
“You are naught but a mortal being. What will you do once the throes of death places itself upon you?”
And to his surprise, Tartaglia didn’t stay silent.
“One day I may die, but I will never stop loving you every second I have left living.”
And the contract was then broken.
The collar around Tartaglia’s neck slowly falling apart into tiny particles of geo.
Tears left Zhongli’s eyes as he falls back letting the other have their way with him.
Everything feeling heavenly from the gentle touches and hushed whispers Tartaglia gave him, something in the thousands of years he lived that he missed so much.
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‘Love, what a distasteful, yet.. beautiful feeling.’ he thought, a small smile forming on his face.