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If you were to ask Diluc what was his favorite thing about Zhongli, well, first the information would have to be pried from him using rather extreme techniques since it was a known thing that he kept his emotions close and made sure that they were well-guarded.
But if that information were to get extracted, then his answer would be a rather sweet, but somewhat anti-climactic, single word:
Everything.
Yup, that was it. Diluc was, to put it simply, completely whipped. And he knew it too (so did Kaeya, unfortunately, but in all honesty the teasing on that front had been rather minimal. If anything, Diluc thought that his adoptive brother was…glad that Diluc had someone he loved. So the teasing was excusable, not that the redhead would ever admit such a thing out loud).
But if he thought about the raven-haired funeral parlor consultant, Diluc would find himself thinking of more and more things that he liked about the older man.
Amber eyes that held a seemingly infinite supply of wisdom and knowledge, that could become more piercing than any blade or grow as warm as honey or just sparkle as if they had trapped constellations in their depths.
Soft, silky raven tresses that faded to amber brown that Diluc absolutely loved to run his fingers through.
There were also little habits that the other had that Diluc couldn’t help but find endearing. From his love of literature and performances to him randomly bringing Diluc little gifts that could range from flowers to jewelry. Or when he would bring various tea blends for the redhead, making sure to explain what they were made of and the various uses for the components as well as the final blend itself.
Diluc could go on for an (embarrassingly, in his opinion) long time, he doubted that he would ever run out of things that he liked about the other.
But if there was something that he possibly liked a little bit more than anything else, it would have to be the consultant’s voice and how he would tell stories or explain any and all things.
He could listen to Zhongli tell story after story for hours.
And he was, most definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, whipped.
A fact that was in the forefront of Diluc’s mind as he sat with the holder of his affection atop Starsnatch Cliff, the couple that was usually there for once absent.
They sat in silence, looking over at the horizon and the endless stars within the sky. Or, well, they were quiet until Zhongli’s voice broke through the tranquil atmosphere of the wind and waves.
“Strange, isn’t it, that during the thousands of years I’ve lived, the stars have always been something that people tell countless stories over,” amber eyes scanned the sky, “that the stars have also been something that people look to when they feel lost.”
Diluc’s own gaze turned towards the twinkling lights in the sky, “They do hold a bit of mysticism to them. Something bright shining in the dark, you could say it’s the same as lamp grass.”
“Hmm, such poetic words from the infamously aloof Master Diluc.”
Ears slowly beginning to match his hair, the person in question pointedly kept his gaze on anything but the amber eyed man next to him, “You started it with your deep observations.”
A laugh, “Forgive me, my mind tends to do such things.”
“It’s not a surprise considering you’ve lived for so long.”
“Perhaps not.”
They lapsed into silence until Zhongli, again, broke it.
“In other distant worlds, their stories of the stars are different from ours. The constellations themselves can even be different.”
A, for once gloveless, hand reached over, taking Diluc’s own hand in its grasp. Ruby eyes looked down, the winery owner watching as Zhongli carefully cradled his hand as if it were made of fragile glass.
“Callisto was turned into a bear, and when her own son was about to kill her, she was placed among the stars as a constellation. The hunter Orion was immortalized within the night sky after his death, the Scorpion that brought about his end joining him to continue their great chase.”
A finger came up, carefully drawing what Diluc assumed were the constellations as Zhongli talked. It was a feather light touch, just slightly brushing over Diluc’s palm that had become callused from years of fighting and work.
“To others, there were wolves in the sky, two destined to hunt down the sun and moon. There was Fenrir, a great wolf whose mouth was kept open with a sword. Another was blood-stained Garm, guardian to Hel’s gate. Either way, it was thought that these wolves were seen in the stars in the constellation known as Ulf’s Keptr, the Mouth of the Wolf.”
Diluc watched, completely mesmerized, as Zhongli traced lines onto his palm as he spoke of tales from places that Diluc didn’t know of. He felt as if he could look up and discover that Zhongli had taken him up into the night sky, allowing him to walk among the stars as he spoke.
“Four Symbols sat in the sky, guarding the cardinal directions. The Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermillion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise of the North. All of them have several names and they have other aspects like the seasons and elements, but they remain closely associated with a direction and color. Their origins are from one place, but they have become very important to several other different places in that world.”
Diluc imagined walking among galaxies, seeing the shapes of various animals take form as he looked in their appropriate directions. He imagined watching them remain steadfast in the sky, protecting any and all from a danger that might come from their assigned direction. And he imagined walking through those glittering lights with Zhongli, a warm hand holding his as he listened to the former Archon recount story after story.
“A streak of stars that cuts across the sky separated two lovers, a Weaver Girl who was divine and a simple Cowherd. They remain separated for the whole year, that starry rift, the Heavenly River, keeping them apart. But once a year, they were able meet each other. A flock of magpies would form a bridge for the lovers to cross, allowing them to be together for that single day on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month.”
Zhongli stopped; his finger having paused after tracing the shape of what Diluc assumed was a magpie. A hum rumbled in the back of the consultant’s throat, making Diluc think of distant thunder (which was strange. After all, wasn’t Zhongli’s element that of Geo?).
“There are other stories not involving the shapes you may find in the sky. From an archer shooting down multiple suns in the sky to a wolf devouring the moon to a small rabbit learning to make medicine and taking up residence on the moon with their companion being a lonely goddess. The night sky has always managed to capture the attention of those down below.”
Long, slim fingers wrapped around the hand they were gently cradling, the calluses on Zhongli’s own hand gently brushing over Diluc’s knuckles. A thumb came to run over the scars that ran through the pale skin. The scars had stories behind them, ranging from mundane to shattering. But that was for another time.
“The heavens in general tend to draw the attention of everyone,” Diluc replied, “and many seek to reach such heights.”
“Hm, you say that as if you’re not one of them.”
Ruby eyes looked up, meeting gaze of a being who had, to say the least, a rather unique standpoint to view those who held seats in that floating island within the heavens, “I obtained my Vision at age 10 and had everything I know fall apart by 18. I think my views are a bit muddied.”
“Blessed early by an Archon only to seemingly be tossed aside later,” the words were spoken softly, just barely over a whisper, “You’ve been through quite a bit in your relatively brief existence.”
A snort, “While my Vision is something I don’t take for granted, I tend to not think of the Archons and other divine beings as something to lean on. Doing that will only make me crash even harder if I one day need support and do not find it.”
The thumb stopped, “Well, you can rest assured knowing that I am not going to let you fall by yourself. Even if I cannot stop it, I will do my very best to catch you.”
A huff, but a fond expression found its way to Diluc’s face at the other’s words, “I know you will.”
Looking towards Celestia, that floating island that so many wished to rise up to, Diluc felt another question slip from his lips before he could really think about it, “You’ve been there, haven’t you?”
Immediately feeling amber eyes set their piercing gaze onto the side of his skull, the redhead backpedaled slightly, “You don’t need to tell me anything if you don’t want to. I understand if the topic is a more…personal one.”
He thought back to the Traveler, a brief conversation they had had where he had been asking the winery owner what he knew about the world and the divine. They had gotten to the topic of the ones that sit above everyone else, and Aether had mentioned how it seemed like no one knew anything about it. And that the only person he knew (at that time) who could possibly know more, Venti, had completely dodged anything concerning that floating island. Had even outright avoided it.
And it was strange, to think that the bard who was always so bright and friendly would become hesitant towards a place where he, as an Archon, should logically have a place…right?
But if Diluc thought about other factors concerning Celestia, it became apparent that anything regarding the realm of the divine was more complicated than on would initially think. From Venti’s complete avoidance of the topic to the Skyfrost Nail and current state of Dragonspine to the Archon War to the Tsaritsa’s mission to collect the Archons’ Gnoses to rebel against the divine, Celestia seemed to have more than a few secrets to hide.
With all those parts considered, Diluc didn’t really expect an answer from Zhongli. If anything, he expected to be scolded for asking such a question. And within the other’s right too, Diluc knew that Celestia’s relationship with the Archons was a strained one at best.
So, imagine his surprise when the older man began to speak.
“There are some things I should not, can not, tell you in regards to that place. But there are a few things I think that I can share.”
Diluc found himself with his hand open once again, Zhongli’s finger back to tracing patterns across its palm.
“Dragons each have their own story to them, their own origins. Dvalin descended from Gaotian to the mortal world. Durin rose up from the ocean to cast Mondstadt into shadow.”
A six-winged azure dragon battling a great serpentine dragon sprang to Diluc’s mind, their battle fierce as Dvalin finally bested his opponent, but at the cost of ingesting that corrupted, poisonous blood.
“Chi, an enemy of mine from long ago, resided in what is now Qingce Village before I defeated him. A large tree grows in Nantianmen, a dragon sealed below whose identity could be Azhdaha.”
Unfamiliar figures were drawn onto Diluc’s palm, but he could somewhat bring about a mental image of what they may have looked like long ago, back before they had been defeated.
“Morax was yet another dragon, and he too had his own story.”
The finger slowed, not quite drawing anything but also not devolving into random patterns.
“That floating place in the sky was Morax’s birthplace and thus should have been his home. But it did not feel like that.”
More pressure was placed, the shape of a curled-up figure slowly becoming apparent.
“His family is but a distant memory, for they had been taken from him long ago during a time where the body parts of dragons were highly sought after. He escaped, but only through the sacrifice of his family who gave him a chance to flee. And he was able to stay alive due to his small size making it easy for him to slip away, hiding in the shadows.”
The finger stopped, and Diluc looked towards his companion, but Zhongli’s amber eyes were locked onto their hands. The silence continued between them, and Diluc was about to tell Zhongli that he didn’t have to continue. But he didn’t get any chance to speak as Zhongli began to talk again, his voice low.
“Thus, the dragon, then barely a child, was left alone in a world where he knew he would be hunted. But no matter how much he wanted to leave, to be somewhere else, he couldn't escape. For he didn’t know of any possible way to leave. So he had no other choice except to continue that game of running from anyone and everyone. His life for many, many years was spent in the shadows, constantly living in fear of being discovered.”
Diluc frowned, hating the mental image of the person beside him cowering in the dark, scared for his life and with no one there to help him.
“Luckily, dragons age differently than humans and gods and Adepti, so the dragon could stay hidden for a long time with his small size. But eventually, he knew that he would need to think of something else or his time would be up.”
Amber eyes finally looked up, and Diluc felt like someone had gripped his heart with an icy hand and squeezed.
Those eyes were cold, devoid of any emotion. They were so unlike what the redhead was used to. And he hated it. He hated that look so much. He would do anything if it meant that that look never appeared in Zhongli’s eyes ever again.
“But unfortunately for the dragon, his luck had run out.”
The finger stilled, and Diluc felt his own fingers curl back up into a fist, Zhongli’s larger hand now tightly holding on.
“They cornered him one day, the so-called divine beings. They wanted him, they wanted his golden horns and amber eyes more than anything else. And in a moment of desperation, with a wish to be stronger so he could be free from that life of fear and shadows, the dragon rose up and fought.”
Amber eyes remained emotionless, and the former Archon’s expression was as rigid as stone.
“The dragon had never fought before, but there is a special sort of power in those who are desperate. He slew a few of them, and when he saw the chance, he fled. There were a few in his way, but the dragon also struck them down. And when he reached the edge of that floating island, a place that most people would call paradise…he jumped.”
Finally, those amber eyes had a spark of emotion in them, Diluc wasn’t sure what, but he felt like it was akin to wistfulness.
“I didn’t know how to fly. I had never learned and had only briefly seen my family soar. But as I fell, the wind rushing by me and ruffling my mane, I just instinctively knew what to do. And what a thrill it was, to break through that freefall and take control, to have the power to choose where I went. To no longer be trapped by that life of fear, and to be free to go where I wished. I haven’t felt like that in millennia, but it is a feeling I don’t think I’ll ever forget. To be free for the first time…”
As he spoke, Diluc distantly thought about the taller man’s relationship with Venti. The two of them obviously had history, the way they razzed each other but also the obvious friendship they shared saying that much. And while he didn’t have a lot of details (and he wasn’t going to press for them, he of all people knew what it was like to not want to reveal everything about oneself), Diluc knew from hints that Zhongli and Venti were the only ones who remembered when the first Seven Archons took their divine seats.
But that aside, as Diluc watched the oldest of the Seven talk about his first taste of freedom, he thought that perhaps the God of Contracts understood the God of Freedom more than what could initially be assumed.
“I am, of course, glossing over many details and there remain many things I can’t speak of. But needless to say, those in Celestia were surprised to see the dragon that escaped rise up to take a seat among the Seven. And they were even more surprised to see that dragon return and eliminate the practice of hunting dragons with more than a little bit of ferocity.”
Those amber eyes met Diluc’s ruby ones, and within them burned a fierce fire.
“It was a risky game I chose to play, and many opposed me. But if it meant that no more hatchlings would lose their families or have fear constantly looming over them or have a chance to live stolen from them, then I would do it again and again.”
A thought came to Diluc, and his eyes slightly widened, “Is he perhaps the reason that Dvalin was free to meet Venti? To be able to learn and live?”
The timeline was vague to say the least, and Diluc knew there were still many things missing. But he had a feeling that his thoughts were, to some degree, correct.
Shards of cor lapis softened into warm liquid amber, and Zhongli let a somewhat sheepish smile take place on his lips.
“My apologies, this was a rather lengthy way to answer your original question.”
Diluc shook his head, “It’s fine, I…I like hearing you speak and recount trivia and stories.”
Zhongli tilted his head to the side, blinking as if he had just been presented with a particularly difficult puzzle. But he soon smiled softly, his gaze turning back towards the stars that continued to shimmer overhead.
“My views of the heavens are rather mixed, to say the least. A place that was my home was a place that had forced me to constantly look over my shoulder. A place that took my family from me. A place where I was able to create some change in the world, but at the same time a place that cruelly punished anyone opposed it. Really, it was only by some miracle that I achieved what I did.”
Diluc looked up to, mind slowly processing what he had just been told. It seemed that the so-called “paradise” that many saw Celestia as was not as wonderful as they thought it to be.
“I cannot, however, deny that there are parts of it that are beautiful. The architecture, the streets to walk through, certain flora, there is beauty there. And the view of the land below and the stars above, there is indeed a type of grandness there that can become very intoxicating.”
“But there is beauty here too, undoubtedly so. I may not understand humans all that well and there are many things I admit to being rather ignorant about, but I think I’m making progress. There is much that the mortal realm and its residents have to offer.”
Diluc felt a hand slowly brush through his hair, startling him as he turned to look at Zhongli. He was ready to ask what he was doing, but the words died before they could leave his lips as he saw the expression Zhongli had.
Tender, soft, and filled with nothing but pure love and adoration.
“But I think that the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my long life, more breathtaking than anything that the heavenly world or mortal domain could ever offer, is the one beside me.”
And Diluc immediately froze. He sat stock still as Zhongli slowly but skillfully braided a cecilia among his wild crimson locks.
“And he looks very stunning in this starlight, more fit for the title of being a god than I.”
That line was what snapped Diluc back into motion, and he felt heat immediately rise to his cheeks. Flustered, he turned away, ignoring how he could easily feel the other smiling broadly at him.
“You’re speaking nonsense.”
A chuckle, “Hmmm, no, I don’t think I am.”
Strong arms wrapped around Diluc’s waist, and he felt himself being pulled into the other’s embrace.
“Don’t think a hug’s going to just completely absolve you of everything.”
Another chuckle, and Diluc huffed while crossing his arms. Despite his grumbling, both him and Zhongli knew that there was no heat behind any of it.
Diluc was, again, completely and totally whipped.
“Would perhaps another story absolve me just a bit?”
“…perhaps.”
Yup, see? Totally whipped.
But while Zhongli began another story, with his solid, warm arms making Diluc feel immensely safe, the sound of the waves of the ocean in the background, the stars shining above, and Zhongli painting grand images with nothing more than words, Diluc couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be.
That even if he were offered a throne made of stardust, he would still choose to be exactly where he was. With the person who traced stars on his palm and who Diluc had given his entire heart to.
Some may think such a choice to be foolish. Others may see it as incredibly simple. And some might find it to be completely confusing. But that was fine.
Because to Diluc, it was more than enough.