Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

If you asked him, Zhongli would consider himself a fairly decent employee— perhaps not Ganyu’s level of excellent, but that was a hard standard to meet. His boss liked to tell him otherwise, but that was more her personal amusement at seeing his angry response than any actual issue with his performance. Generally speaking, he liked to think he did his job well; he was very fond of tea, after all, and liked seeing all the people who came to the store to get theirs. 

So he was doing what he did every day he came into work, being a good member of the team and wiping down the counter, bored out of his mind due to the lack of patrons (the middle of the day never did well with the college crowd, who tended to come in later) but refusing to admit it, when the chiming noise of the door opening startled him into dropping the rag on the floor. 

Well. There was nothing else to do but remain the image of professionalism, was there? “Hello,” he said, praying his voice wasn’t muffled beyond recognition from where he was crouched on the floor (where did that rag go, honestly, it was literally just in his hand), “Welcome to Boo Tao’s. What can I get for you today?” 

There was a very long pause, and then an uncertain male voice spoke. “Uhh… I don’t… know?” 

Now that wouldn’t do at all. Zhongli emerged from his position, hair beginning to fall out of his ponytail, and promptly felt like falling down all over again. The man across the counter was… very pretty. Zhongli had always had a weakness for pretty things— he was something of a hoarder, if the trinket-covered walls of his apartment were anything to go by— and here was perhaps the prettiest person he had ever seen, standing there and squinting at his phone, the sliver of stomach exposed by the cropped shirt he was wearing causing Zhongli’s heart to beat uncomfortably loud in his chest. 

Never before had he been so grateful for his general stoic demeanor, inwardly thanking the Archons that his expression remained unaffected. Coughing delicately, he addressed the man. “Sorry about that. What are you unfamiliar with? If you need a recommendation, I’d be more than happy to assist you.” There. That was perfectly normal sounding. 

“Thanks, um…” the man’s eyes drifted down to his nametag, “Zhongli? I’m Childe. I don’t really know what I’m doing here— Keqing just told me I owed her a drink and sent me an address— so I think I need help.” Reaching an arm up to ruffle his hair (and exposing more of his stomach; Zhongli was half convinced he was going to die), Childe continued, dismayed, “I don’t even know what she likes!” 

The name was familiar. “I know Keqing,” Zhongli reassured him, already inputting the order into the system with practiced ease, “She orders the same thing every time. Would you like anything else for yourself?” 

Childe blinked. “I’ve never tried boba before,” he admitted, now squinting at the menu. Zhongli found himself working harder than he normally had to to conceal his amusement at the other man’s confusion. Childe beamed. “But it couldn’t hurt to try new things, and besides! You already said you would help me.” 

“Yes, well,” Zhongli began, excited at the thought of teaching someone about the different types of tea they sold at the store. He rarely got someone who did not at least have something of an idea on what they would like to order; tea was a staple of Liyue Harbor, and boba stores like Boo Tao’s were quite easy to find, especially on campus. But Childe was very clearly not from Liyue, and so an opportunity was presenting itself. “There are different types of teas, in both hot and cold, though it is more common to order cold drinks at this kind of tea store, as hot tea is more suited to tea parlors. And, contrary to what the name suggests, tapioca pearls are only one topping out of many we offer… if you look at the menu you will see the others…” 

Even when Zhongli had been listing off the differences of the drinks for the better portion of five minutes, Childe still listened earnestly, elbows propped on the counter and head bent over the menu Zhongli was using as a reference. “You sure know a lot,” he commented, “Have you worked here a long time?” 

He could never stop himself when speaking about a subject that interested him. It was something Hu Tao (his boss) relentlessly teased him for, warning it would chase customers away and ruin her business. Zhongli flushed. “I have… it’s been, ah, let me think, three years now? I started when I first enrolled in university here. This is my fourth year.” 

Brightening, Childe cheerfully exclaimed, “I’m a year younger than you! I transferred here this year from Snezhnaya. Oh— right. The tea… I’ll just get what you would recommend. I like sweet things, if it makes it any easier.” His phone made a chirping noise, and Childe fumbled around to turn the ringer off, glancing apologetically at Zhongli, who didn’t mind at all (there was no one else in the store), and then checking the message. “It’s Keqing,” he rolled his eyes, “I’ll have to be quick.”

Zhongli smiled at him and instantly wondered if he was being too obvious. Had he used too much teeth? “That will be three thousand Mora,” he announced, raising an eyebrow at the sleek credit card Childe procured from the depths of the messy bag strung across his shoulder, and whisked himself off to prepare the drinks before he could have any opportunity to embarrass himself. He was still reeling from having first met the man while sprawled ungracefully across the floor. 

Let’s see. Keqing always got the same drink, a taro milk tea that Zhongli privately thought was more for aesthetic purposes than genuine enjoyment. And for Childe… well, he did say something sweet, no? 

Humming to himself as he worked, the lull of the machine a familiar presence and distracting him from the (very distracting) only other person in the store, he made the two drinks with practiced ease and sealed them quickly (that machine was his favorite, the plastic seal it created always immensely satisfying to watch happen). Childe, still lounging by the counter, was now typing furiously into his phone, thumbs flying at a speed Zhongli envied. He had never been a fast texter. 

“Hey,” he called out, inwardly smiling at the way Childe startled, phone nearly falling out of his hands, “Here’s your drinks. The purple one is Keqing’s.” 

“Thanks,” Childe said, sliding the one meant for him closer to where he was and lifting it, turning the drink around and peering at the ghost label curiously. “What is it?” 

“Thai milk tea,” Zhongli answered. It matches your hair is what he could have said, but he held his tongue. Childe seemed to be confused by the way the lid worked, fingers moving to try and peel the plastic covering off completely. Zhongli instantly snatched the drink back, chastising him. “Not like that,” he said sharply, somewhat aghast, “Here, give me the straw.” 

Not willing to wait three seconds for Childe to hand the straw to him, he plucked it out of his loosely held grip, paying careful attention to make the motion casual and avoid brushing their fingers together. Being completely unaffected by one’s surroundings took a lot more work than most people recognized. “Like this,” he instructed, punching the straw through the lid in one swift, practiced motion, “You can’t hold back on force or you’ll make a mess everywhere. It is extremely unpleasant.” 

“That’s sick! It’s like you get to fight your drink before you drink it.” 

Childe was truly an odd character. “I suppose you can think of it this way,” Zhongli said, not really knowing what to make of it. “You can just put the other drink in your bag; it’s sealed so it won’t spill.” 

Even after Childe had left, Zhongli's mind kept going back to him, wondering if he enjoyed the drink and if he would ever come back to the store to try something else. He was caught up in the pleasant distraction the thoughts offered him when his phone buzzed. 

Hu Tao: DID U FEED BOO TAO 

Hu Tao: zhongliiiiiiiiiii

Hu Tao: u need to feed her pls do it i’ll be there in a little i have a new idea for a promotion

Zhongli sighed. Speaking of Boo Tao, where was the cat? Their mascot generally tended to be somewhere easily visible in the store, enjoying the attention she got from their patrons. 

Zhongli: I have not fed Boo Tao yet. Do not worry. I am going to go feed her now. 

Zhongli: Please refrain from attempting another unsuccessful promotion. The store is performing adequately without your interference. 

Moving from his position behind the counter, he found Boo Tao napping lazily underneath a table, tiny paws stretched outward and languidly taking up as much space as she wished. Zhongli looked at her fondly for a minute, then began to coax her to eat the food he had set out, petting her head as quiet praise when she was done. She was much better suited to his care, he thought, though Hu Tao was a very admirable owner in her own right. Still, he often found himself wishing to simply take the cat back to his apartment with him, where she would be warm and comfortable surrounded by his many possessions, all very interesting to cats (though his roommate was allergic and thus would present an obstacle). 

Returning to the counter and handling the few customers that made their way into the store, he found himself once again growing bored until Hu Tao herself came bursting through the entrance, holding a box overflowing with flyers that was entirely too large for her small stature. “Zhongli,” she cried, setting the box loudly on a table and startling the couple sitting by the window, “Look! I brought the flyers we can hand out for the promotion!” 

Several of the flyers had fluttered down to the floor with the force by which Hu Tao had placed the box down. Zhongli, bending down to pick them up, rolled his eyes even though his face was out of view. She really was troublesome. “We do not need a promotion.”

“You haven’t even heard me out! I think it’s a great idea, personally. So get this: we’re going to have a promotional sale! All slushes will be 30% off. It’ll get people wanting to come to the store, and they’ll probably order something that isn’t discounted when they get here, too, so we can drum up way more business.” 

Zhongli frowned down at the flyer he was holding, fingers absently trying to smooth a wrinkle from the glossy page of it from when it had fallen and noting the ‘ALL SLUSHES 30% OFF’ emblazoned across the top in bright red letters. There was just a small problem. 

“People rarely tend to order slushes at this time of year. Summer has long ended.” 

“It’s fine,” Hu Tao dismissed, waving her manicured hands as though they could erase Zhongli’s statement themselves, “Liyue never gets cold, anyway, and we could actually benefit. Show off the full menu, and all that, instead of just our most popular drinks.” 

“I do not think it wise to—”

“Oh, you’re not fun,” she frowned, “Besides, I’m the one who makes the rules around here; you’re just my assistant. I know my track record isn’t the best, but I think this has great potential.” 

Zhongli could easily recall the last promotion Hu Tao had brought to the store. “Well,” he conceded, shrugging his shoulders, “This seems to be a more standard promotional tactic, one that is typically offered by businesses in Liyue, unlike the last one. I had warned you that ‘buy three drinks and you may pet Boo Tao’ would hardly be considered a deal by anyone’s standards, yes?” 

Hu Tao rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, you were right, I get it. The people of Liyue have no taste.” The couple nearby finished their drinks and rose to leave, seeming grateful for the timing so they wouldn't have to sit in the store and witness the argument. “Thank you for coming!” she beamed at them, “Please do consider paying us a return visit sometime soon!” 

Zhongli gnawed on the inside of his bottom lip, regarding her with mild disapproval. “They will not want to return after being so disturbed,” he sighed out, feeling his forehead crease into a frown. He didn't want wrinkles; he was already teased enough for seeming old as it was. With great effort he smoothed his face back out into his normal, practiced calm. “You are the boss. If you wish to implement the promotion, I cannot stop you.” 

Technically, the store was her father’s, but it had been named for Hu Tao’s cat and she was the person in charge of the day to day management. Why someone so young was given such free reign over a store, Zhongli had no idea, but even he had to admit that, bar the promotional ideas and needless meddling into his personal life, she was a very nice employer. And the store had done well under her, decorated in butterflies and silk flower motifs, famous on campus for their wide array of teas and their feline mascot. Everyone enjoyed a cat cafe, even if the cafe in question had just the one cat. 

“Hey,” Hu Tao called out, legs swinging from where she had hoisted herself on the table next to the overflowing box, “Did anything happen when I was gone?” 

Zhongli blushed. “No,” he denied, fully aware that his failure to conceal his reaction meant that something had, in fact, happened. 

“Something did happen!” she crowed triumphantly, hitting his arm in excitement. “What was it? Did you embarrass yourself? Am I going to have to see a negative review in the Teyvat Times?” 

He was a bit offended. “Nothing of the sort. It was just a customer.” A negative review? Him? Admittedly, there had been that one very busy student with the blond hair and haughty expression who had no patience for his opinions on the appropriateness of darjeeling versus earl grey given the time of day and had left a very angry review in the paper, but she still came back. Hu Tao didn’t mind, either, having then gone and framed the commentary where it still sat, to his knowledge, on her desk. And aside from this, there had seldom been any complaint. 

Hu Tao wiggled her eyebrows. “A customer?” she asked, voice high and teasing. He could already feel the beginnings of a headache. “So how cute were they on a scale of one to ten?”

Zhongli elected to ignore the question. “He was Keqing’s friend.” 

“Wait,” Hu Tao stopped him, looking excited, “Is he the new one? From Snezhnaya? The one that Xiao hates?” 

“If you are referring to Childe,” Zhongli responded primly, “then yes, that is him. I was not aware that Xiao and him were acquaintanced.” Had everyone else known Childe before him? 

“Zhongli,” she said sympathetically, “You would know these things if you got out of the house more. Yeah, Xiao hates him. I couldn’t tell you why though; it’s just that yesterday he wouldn’t shut up about the guy. He seems pretty cool to me.” 

“He is pretty,” Zhongli blurted out absently, only half paying attention to her and then immediately regretting it, eyes widening in shock and turning briskly away to go hide behind the counter. 

“Wait, no, come back! I’ll help you with your crush— Zhongli! I can totally get you two together, I swear—” He was saved by the chiming of the door. 

Turning to smile at the customer and very determinedly avoiding both Hu Tao’s knowing gaze and the acute embarrassment that was bound to set in later, he greeted the new arrival warmly and proceeded to bury himself in work for the remainder of his shift, pausing only to greet Chongyun, the high schooler that they had recently hired who he was very fond of, when he arrived to ease the burden as the store grew more crowded. 

It was only when the last customer had left the premises and Zhongli removed his apron, tugging at the hem of his turtleneck and looking for his long coat, that he thought about what he had admitted to Hu Tao so freely. She was a dangerous person to entrust secrets to… even though she always meant well, sometimes her interference (and there was always interference) led to unfortunate outcomes, especially for Zhongli. He dreaded thinking about how she would act if Childe ever came into the store in front of her, already seeing her teasing Ganyu whenever Keqing (the whole reason this mess had even started, if you think about it) entered— if it was like that for Ganyu, who was much gentler than Zhongli and someone impossible to be mean to, he would surely face worse. 

 “Are you going to go?” He was a little surprised to see Chongyun approach him first. It had only been a few weeks since he had concluded his training and still was skittish, unsure of how to act despite Zhongli’s best attempts at making him feel at ease. 

“Yes,” he smiled at the boy, “Would you like me to help walk you home? It is getting dark.” 

Chongyun looked surprised at the offer but brushed him off, shaking his head and saying that he would be fine to get home on his own (“It’s not far!” he had said, more energetic than Zhongli had seen him). Still, he remained stationary where he stood outside, following the light blue head of hair that was illuminated by the streetlamps that lined all of Liyue’s streets until he could no longer see it. It never hurt to be careful, and all of the staff at Boo Tao’s was younger than him— was it not his role as their senior, then, to be mindful for their safety? 

He then made the short trip back to his apartment, pushing the door open to be immediately met with loud laughter from the living room. “Zhongli,” his roommate cried, reaching over on the sofa to grab the remote and pause what he was watching, “You’re back. There’s food in the fridge if you’re hungry.” 

“Thank you, Venti,” Zhongli replied, Venti flapping his hand around as if to brush it off, “but I ate at work.” It was true. The store sold small snacks on top of their drinks, and in his effort to ignore Hu Tao he had eaten more of them than he would care to admit. “What are you watching?”

Venti lit up. “It’s Xinyan’s new documentary! Man, she’s so cool… I wonder if I’d ever get a chance to meet her. I have a lot of ideas for what she can do in her performances. You remember who Xinyan is, right?” 

He was ashamed to say it had taken him a while to accurately be able to recall the singer, but he had made the effort to do so and now he was fully aware of who she was. “Of course I do. She is your favorite singer, so I have done my best to familiarize myself with her. But you work at a coffee shop and she is a trained professional. What can you teach her?” 

Rolling his eyes, Venti dragged him down to sit with him, kicking his feet over Zhongli’s lap and caring little about the answering noise of protest. “I perform sometimes! And I go to school for music, so it’s not like I don’t know what I’m talking about. I just think that she’s being held back by her management; it’s such a shame.” 

Zhongli thought about his schedule. His Economics major, something people thought was ironic, given his constant lack of Mora, wasn't currently very strenuous. It had always been easier for him to grasp the principles and theories behind Mora than the actual common sense of carrying it on his person— had it not been for his ability to pay for things using his phone (bless Fontaine for its breakthroughs in technology), he would lead a very difficult life in the undoubtedly capitalist Liyue (“Such a shame,” Venti had said mournfully the first time they met all those years ago at orientation, used to Mondstadt’s more free-spirited approach, “Capitalism is against my moral code”— perhaps one of the wisest things he had ever heard from the self-proclaimed bard). 

What was the point of this train of thought, again? Sometimes his inner dialogue derailed even his own thought process. A hindrance, really. The gist of it was easy enough to recollect, though, and, determining that he had time to spend with Venti, Zhongli leaned back over to wrap a hand around the remote and poke at the buttons until he remembered which was the one that would make the video play again, then tucked himself against his friend to watch together. 

Venti could never watch anything quietly, so it was no surprise when, a few minutes in, he began to chatter. And if there was anything to be said about Zhongli, it was that he, too, had a love of speaking when the topic interested him— likely the reason they got along so well. Noticing that Zhongli was not responding the way he normally did, though, he stopped the running commentary to prod at his shoulder. “Hey,” Venti said, poking him repeatedly, “Where’s your head at?”

“Ah, I apologize,” Zhongli said, sheepish at having been caught. He had seen a ginger man on screen, and given his current track record, that had quickly led to wondering about Childe. It had just been a long time since he had last found someone attractive... after Guizhong, his old girlfriend he was all but convinced he would marry, had passed he wondered if he ever would again. It had been long enough though, now, that he could look at others without feeling guilty, knowing she would want him to be happy. Really, though, it had been a while. 

“I…” he continued haltingly, not knowing if he should actually proceed with the truth. But this was Venti, his closest friend, and perhaps he would be able to help. “There was. At the store today, I mean, I saw… a person.” 

“You’re going to have to give me a little more than that, buddy.”

“He was very pretty,” Zhongli admitted, a bit sad at the thought of not seeing him again. “And he listened to my breakdown of the menu the entire time. I fear he will not return.” He then proceeded to list out every minute detail that occurred during their (admittedly very short) interaction, unable to stop himself once carried away. 

“Hmmm,” Venti said when he finally finished, fingers tapping a restless pattern on the couch as he considered this. “They don’t call me a romance expert for nothing, you know. You came to the right person!” 

He could not resist. “Did I?” Zhongli asked in fake wonder, purposefully schooling his face into a polite, guileless expression. “And how is the romance expert doing with the issue of Master Diluc?” 

It was a low blow. Immediately, Venti’s countenance changed, his cheeks blooming pink and body withdrawing from where it had been close to Zhongli (who now missed the contact— Venti was a very good partner for cuddling). “Shut up,” he said, petulant, “he hasn’t come to the Liyue branch of the Angel’s Share in so long, and I haven’t been able to visit home, and— wait. Why are we talking about me? Stop trying to change the subject!” 

“Sorry,” said Zhongli, who wasn't sorry at all. “What would you have me do, then, if you are so well versed in the ways of romance? It has been far too long for me to remember.” 

Venti softened at that. “You know,” he said, reaching out gently, “It’s okay to… I mean, she wouldn’t want you to be alone all your life for her sake.” 

“I know.”

“Good,” clapping, the other man switched back to being exuberantly loud. “So. Since you, old man, have been out of the field too long, I’m going to recommend a simple approach. Just write your number on his cup, or something, and tell him to text you. It’s a little Hallmark for my tastes, but you’re attractive enough that effort doesn’t really matter.”

Zhongli could only understand maybe two words out of that entire statement. “What is Hallmark?” 

Venti groaned. “You’ve seen them! The cheesy romance movies! You like them, too, I can’t believe you don’t pay attention to who makes them. Anyway. Stop distracting me. If you see him next time you gotta write your number on his cup.” 

“We use printed labels.” 

“What?” Venti seemed upset by this. What was so wrong with printed labels? “I can’t believe this— I always knew the Angel’s Share was superior, but really? No markers? Does Hu Tao not respect the traditional arts?” 

Zhongli did not think coffee shops writing names down by hand was by any means a traditional art, but it was pointless to argue with a Venti that had convinced himself something was true. He supposed it wouldn’t be too hard to do what the other was suggesting; after all, it relied on the off chance that Childe would come back, and he had never been a shy person. “I can find a marker to carry out your plan,” he sighed out, slightly apprehensive at taking Venti’s advice. “Is that it?” 

“That should be enough,” Venti declared confidently, “I listened to what you said happened, and honestly he seems pretty into you. All you have to do is show interest, and bam! Hook, line, and sinker. Now,” he added, shifting tones, “I want to see him. What did you say his name was again?”

“What are you doing?” 

“Finding his profile online! I have to make sure he’s good enough for you. Not just anyone will do.” 

Well. Zhongli couldn’t say he wasn’t curious. “His name is Childe,” he informed him, leaning over to get a good look at Venti’s tiny, extremely-outdated phone, “He’s friends with Keqing.” 

Venti cackled, going over to Keqing’s page and scrolling over to search through her following instead. “The one who hates you?” 

“She does not hate me,” Zhongli answered, offended. “We just have different preferences for drinks and she did not take my suggestion kindly. But yes, her.” 

“Found him!” Venti exclaimed triumphantly, rolling his eyes when Zhongli immediately snatched the phone out of his grasp to look at Childe’s page. “No, stop,” he continued, grabbing his phone back (rather childishly, in Zhongli’s opinion, but he was hardly any better), “You’ll accidentally like something ancient like you did the last time around. I don’t trust you; let me do it.” 

There were a lot of pictures. Zhongli was fond of uploading his own pictures, too, but they tended to be of items he found pleasing to look at or ones someone else dragged him into. He had little interest in taking photos of himself, but treasured memories spent with friends were important to keep with him. Childe was similar— though there were plenty of individual shots, most of the profile was dominated by images of him smiling with Aether, who Zhongli recognized as Xiao’s friend, or Keqing herself, the bright purple of her hair clashing almost violently with Childe's orange. Further back, there were snowy images of him standing with a short, angry looking man and an intimidating blonde woman, as well as many, many pictures of what could only be his family, tiny ginger heads surrounding Childe’s taller frame. 

“That is the cutest kid I’ve ever seen,” Venti said, stopping at a picture of Childe and one of his younger brothers, cheeks pressed against each other and flushed in the cold, clearly surrounded by snowflakes and both wearing ear muffs. Zhongli’s heart clenched. “He is cute, too. I definitely approve! He looks rich, which is good for you.” 

“I have money.” 

“Yeah,” Venti rolled his eyes, “How is it that you’re nowhere near as broke as I am but you still manage to make me pay all the time? At least with this guy it won’t be an issue.” 

Unfortunately for him, he did not see Childe for the entire week. Life went on as normal— he went to class and sat where he always did, next to the same blonde woman who had left him his only negative review, and then went to work, where he was making steady progress in befriending Chongyun and attempted, to no success, to evade Hu Tao’s incessant questioning. 

Perhaps Childe was not a fan of bubble tea, he mused, thinking it was well in the realm of possibility. Snezhnayans, from the little he knew about them, were more partial to warm drinks, and if not that, then certainly alcohol. If he had begun to look for a certain red head of hair whenever he went on one of his frequent walks around campus, that was no one else’s business. It couldn’t harm anything. 

He was on one such walk when his phone vibrated in his jacket pocket. Stopping abruptly, he fumbled in his coat’s pockets, which fit a surprisingly large volume of random odds and ends that Zhongli was always surprised by despite himself. Pulling the device out, he squinted at the screen. 

Alatus: morax wtf

Alatus: that kid aether is friends with came to the store today?? he asked for you

Alatus: zhongli why are u talking to him how does he know u 

Alatus: are u being coerced 

Zhongli blinked. Xiao was always too worried on his behalf. 

Zhongli: Aether is friends with over half of this school’s student body. You will need to be more specific.

Zhongli: I assure you, my child, I am not being coerced by anyone. 

Alatus: FOR THE LAST TIME IM NOT YOUR KID 

Alatus: i literally have parents

Alatus: this isn’t the point what was the point 

Alatus: the tartaglia person 

Zhongli: Childe?

Zhongli: He asked for me? 

Alatus: yea i just told him to fuck off and asked for his order and then he didnt know what to get so i just did what hu tao said to do and said i recommended the slushes and i dont like him so i was like get the oreo slush

Alatus: u know the one no one likes bc its gross and tastes like a weird milkshake cosplaying as boba 

Alatus: but he ended up liking it so i think he’s just sick in the head 

Horror was the only thing Zhongli could use to describe his current state of emotions. Though he was loath to admit it, he was something of a tea purist— he was contract-bound, of course, to make whatever drink the person wanted, but it was well within his rights to gently guide them towards the actual tea selections. Childe, impressionable as he was, should not have been introduced to deviant beverages. 

Zhongli: Xiao, this was uncalled for. 

Zhongli: And no, I met Childe the other day. He was very pleasant. I don’t understand why you dislike him so. 

Alatus: i didn't know he would like it wtf it's not my fault

Zhongli: Xiao. 

Alatus: … sorry

Alatus: why are u defending him

Alatus: oh my god u like him dont u … 

Zhongli: Yes. He is very attractive and I enjoyed his company. ^_^

Alatus: this is the worst day of my life

Smiling to himself, Zhongli returned the phone to his pocket, now walking with more excitement. If Childe had come back, and had asked for him, then he would surely return to Boo Tao’s at some point when Zhongli was working, where he could then give him his number and ask if he wanted to go to see the new geology exhibit at Liyue’s natural history museum. 

He did not have to wait long to try and carry out Venti’s plan. Like the last time, Childe came nearly as soon as the store had opened, when there was never anyone present and Zhongli was slowly losing his mind to boredom. He had eventually had no choice but to start testing new drink combinations, pairing toppings with flavors and trying to come up with themed specials in time for the holiday season so Hu Tao wouldn’t nag him to figure it out later. It was, unfortunately, not going too well— he suspected that Ganyu would be able to figure it out, and decided to wait until then. 

He was saved from having to resort to more imaginative methods for curing boredom, or, even worse, seeking out Hu Tao’s company, by Childe’s arrival, the other man beaming in a way that made him seem very endearing. “Hi, Zhongli! Do you remember me?” he asked, too energetic for Zhongli, who had been on the verge of falling asleep. 

“Of course.” How could he not remember Childe? “Will it be the same as last time?” 

“Nah, I think I found something I like more. Xiao helped me.” 

This was a very serious problem. Ordinarily, he knew customers did not take kindly to having their drink choices be criticized, even if the criticism was both done in a gentle manner and was extremely valid. But Zhongli could not let Childe persist on the path Xiao had foolishly led him down. “Are we entirely sure an oreo slush is necessary? Perhaps you would like a fruit tea instead?” 

“Maybe next time,” Childe replied, Zhongli’s traitorous heart missing the pressing issue at hand to flutter at the thought of a next time, “But I really liked the slush! How did you know, anyway?” 

“Xiao is like a son to me,” Zhongli said, completely serious. “We are in regular correspondence. And he said you asked for me, so it only serves that he would let me know.” 

Childe seemed to consider this. “Okay,” he declared eventually, “That makes sense. How much do I owe you?”

Even after paying, Childe made no move to leave from where had propped himself by the counter, looking entirely at home. “You know back home I worked in a cafe for a little,” he said conversationally, watching as Zhongli reluctantly made the slush, “To fill in for my friend— she’s kind of a bitch, so I didn’t want to at first, but it was fun so it worked out. This looks pretty similar even though it's not coffee.”

Pausing from where he was poised by the blender, Zhongli turned to look at the Snezhnayan man lounging across his counter. This was new information. “Really?” he asked, filing it away for later, in a section of his brain he had just now decided to devote to facts about Childe, “If you like coffee, I have a friend who works at the Angel’s Share. It might be more suited to your preferences, and is well known for being popular with couples.” 

“No,” Childe drawled in response, looking at Zhongli with interest that was obvious even to him, “I think my preferences are suited just fine where they are now.” 

So the matter of Childe not being interested had resolved itself rather nicely, Zhongli mused as he set about finishing the drink and finding a straw. The only issue with Venti’s plan, then, was that the grey of the slush made it so that any writing he did with the marker he had available (Hu Tao had seemed confused enough when he asked for the black one she gave him; he could not risk asking for another) would hardly be legible. 

He was nothing if not practical, though, and modern problems required modern solutions. “Excuse me one moment,” he asked Childe as he slid the man’s drink to him, then opened his own phone to a new contact. “If you wouldn’t mind,” he continued, meeting Childe’s eyes as he showed him his phone, “You can add yourself as a contact, and I can help you get accustomed to Liyue. We can go out sometime— perhaps to the coffee shop I mentioned.” 

Childe brightened at this. “Sure!” he chirped, inputting his information in with a speed Zhongli envied and handing the phone back, the contact name ajax!!!!! blinking up from the screen and confusing him. Childe rushed to explain. “Since we’re friends now, that’s my actual name. You can still call me Childe though, everyone does, so I don’t really care.” 

Well. It seemed as though Zhongli had not been as clear in communication as he thought he had been. It occurred to him that perhaps this was Childe’s way of rejecting his advances politely, but then he remembered the admission of clear interest from earlier and realized that it was a simple lack of getting the message across. Opening his mouth to correct the assumption ( I meant as a date. Romantically.) , he was then interrupted by Childe, who gasped as though seeing the time. “Shit. I’ve gotta go; I didn’t realize how late it’s gotten. I’m gonna miss my meeting— bye, Zhongli! See you!” And he was gone. 

Hu Tao emerged from where she had secretly been watching the whole scene. “Wow,” she let out in between her wheezing, “That really sucks for you, huh? I mean how dense can a person even be?” 

Zhongli hadn’t even noticed she was there, too caught up in talking to Childe. “Don’t you start,” he replied, too tired to hear it, then proceeded to ignore her for the rest of his shift. 

Watching Venti cackle at him across their breakfast table when he told him of how the plan had gone, Zhongli was beginning to come to the conclusion that he had made mistakes in his choices of friends. 

“Oh man,” Venti said, tears in his eyes, “Let me get this straight. So you like him, and he thinks you’re hot, but when you tried to ask him out, he just ignored it?” 

“That is correct,” Zhongli replied, a bit put out from the day’s events. He had done his best.

“This is going to take more work than I thought. Never fear, Venti is here! We can fix this.” 

If anything else, this was the least bored he had been in ages. It couldn’t hurt to hear Venti out. “Alright,” he agreed, still uncertain if he should really be taking his roommate’s advice, “What do you suggest?” 

Chapter Text

Out of all of Zhongli’s friends, it was only Venti who remained from his childhood. When he was young, perhaps nine or ten years old, his Teyvat Studies class had decided to incorporate a trip to Mondstadt’s famous Favonius Cathedral as part of their curriculum. It wasn't as exciting as the trip to Fontaine the year before, but Mond was closer and they could spend longer there. 

His visit, however, was cut abruptly short by a small boy, who snatched him from his group and the nun describing the painstaking creation of the stained glass windows to shove him behind a pillar, grinning up at him mischievously. “Hi!” he exclaimed, “My name is Venti. I need your help.” 

“Help?” asked young Zhongli, very confused and wanting to return to his class, far away from strange Mondstadian children and their willingness to talk to strangers. 

“Yup,” said Venti, nodding solemnly. “We have matching hair, see? Mine is two colors like yours! So I knew you’d be trustworthy.” 

Zhongli considered this. It made sense, he thought, looking at his ponytail and then Venti’s braids. “Okay,” he said, “I’m Zhongli. What are we doing?” He was realizing this was as good of an offer to help as anything, but it was already too late. 

“Wait, really?” asked Venti, surprised it had worked. Zhongli nodded. “Wow, that was easier than I thought. So, my friend,” he said, dropping his voice to the kind of conspiratory whisper only a child was capable of, “We’re going to pull the best prank ever. Do you know about the Holy Lyre de Himmel?” 

Not liking where this was going, Zhongli nodded a second time, more hesitant. “I’m going to take it from where they keep it in their super secret vault and put it somewhere else. That way everyone’s going to be searching for it and they can’t make me do work.” 

“How are you going to steal a lyre?” 

“You mean how are we going to steal a lyre?” Venti said, sounding extremely proud of himself, “Also, it’s not like we’re stealing it. The nuns here practically raised me, I couldn’t steal it for good. We’re just… going to cause a little chaos. It’ll be super fun!” 

He really did not want to steal borrow an extremely priceless artifact, one that he had read about in the Teyvat Travel Guide before coming to Mondstadt. But he had already, sort of, given his word that he would help, and to Zhongli that was as good as a contract. “I accept your terms,” he agreed, “What do I do?” 

Venti, pitching his voice exaggeratedly low, mimicked him: “ ‘I accept your terms’ seriously, how old are you? Anyway, do you see that guard over there?” Zhongli could see the guard, who seemed barely alert and didn’t stand out, fading into the background in a way that made him the exact opposite of what a guard at a very important national monument should be. “I need you to distract him while I sneak in the entrance. The Knights of Favonius are really understaffed, so there shouldn’t be anyone else. And if someone does catch me in the room, it’s not like I’m not always around here, so I won’t get in trouble. They just can’t see me taking the Lyre, and I gotta do it now before it gets put back on display, so you have to be convincing, got it?” 

Zhongli could be a distraction. Walking up to the guard, he pretended to have just come out from the giant mass of Liyuen children, confident that the sleepy man at post wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between any of them. “Hello,” he said, blinking up at him and deliberately making his tone lighter, “Sister Grace is telling us about the Knights in Mondstadt. Did you know that in Liyue we don’t have knights? What do you do?” 

“Uh,” said the knight, clearly not having paid attention to any of what Zhongli just said. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of green move swiftly behind him through the open door, Venti pausing with only his head visible to flash a grin and mouth thank you at Zhongli, then disappearing from view.
Zhongli resumed his chatter. “Actually, now that I think about it the Knights are sort of like the Millelith in Liyue? Have you ever seen the Millelith? They have different uniforms though. And they do not make up the government— I know in Mondstadt there isn’t a government, but don’t the Knights carry out most of what a government would anyway? It’s not like that in Liyue. In Liyue we have the Qixing. Have you ever been to Liyue?” 

“No,” was the reply he received, the guard clearly at a loss for words. 

“I have many recommendations. You should make an effort to go; it isn’t far! Let’s see… for starters, we have…” and he proceeded to illustrate all of the most popular Liyuen tourist attractions, watching Venti come back out the door, a suspicious lump under the green of his clothing, and creep to another area. When at last the other boy finally emerged, no lyre anywhere to be seen on his person, Zhongli stopped telling his story. “Oh,” he finished, the guard now clearly agitated, “I have to get back to my group now. Please do consider Liyue for your next trip!” 

Venti high-fived him when he made his way back to the same pillar they had started from. “Good job,” he praised, “I hid the Lyre. I might have lied a little back there, about this being the best prank, but now the sisters won’t force me to clean the pews!” 

“Is there really no security? Aren’t there Kameras?” 

“There are,” Venti answered, “But we don’t have the budget to keep them running all the time, so we just move the Lyre around constantly and have a password for it. I know the password, though, since I basically live here, and there’s only one guard, which I already told you. Easier than going to sleep!” 

Even after Zhongli returned to his tour group and left the Church, he met up with Venti for the next three days of his trip whenever there was free time, and the tiny boy quickly became his friend, solidifying a spot in Zhongli’s life with ease that was honestly somewhat terrifying. Sitting with him in the middle of Mondstadt’s town square, slightly far from his classmates but still close enough that the teacher didn’t come over to yell, Venti told him all about the ensuing chaos at the Cathedral after the Lyre went missing. “I got in trouble,” he sighed, “but it was still worth it. And now we’re friends, so it all worked out. Are you going back to Liyue soon?” 

“Yes,” said Zhongli, a bit regretful. “We are leaving in two hours.” 

“That’s okay! Give me your email. We can talk online! Do you play any games? I can teach you.” Zhongli gave it to him and, when he got back to Liyue Harbor, the first thing he did was rush to his computer, where one new message from [email protected] was waiting for him. 

Years later, when Venti came to Liyue for school, it was only natural that Zhongli would come to live with him. But now, standing across from Venti in their cramped kitchen, Zhongli was beginning to regret having ever agreed to help him. 

“You have to text him,” Venti was insisting, hands trying to grab the phone to do it himself, Zhongli responding by simply raising his arms over his head so his phone was out of reach. “That’s not fair!” 

“I thought I was meant to be texting him?” Zhongli asked, one brow arched and phone still firmly held up high, “Why are you trying to do it?” 

Venti, jumping to try and get the phone, nearly knocked over the framed picture of them as children, then managed to jolt it out of Zhongli’s hand and caught it before it hit the ground. “Success at last,” he crowed, holding it close to his chest, “Here, I’ll just draft a message for you, and you can let me know what you think.” He typed something into Zhongli’s phone, tongue stuck out slightly in concentration, then sighed and deleted it all rapidly. 

“I can’t get your personality right,” he said petulantly, surrendering the phone to its rightful owner. “And you have autocaps on. It’s giving me a headache.” 

“Why is everyone against punctuation?” Zhongli wondered, fully aware it was an attempt at distracting Venti away from the point and hoping it would work (Venti was very passionate when it came to laughing at him for not knowing something that should be common knowledge), “The modern common tongue of Teyvat has implemented grammatical rules pertaining to punctuation that have been around for centuries, yet despite this it has been deemed old fashioned to use these rules in day to day text communication. I do not mind if others don't follow them, but there should be no issue with me simply maintaining the structure of grammar the way I was taught to.” 

“Yeah, that’s not going to work on me,” said Venti, more deadpan than most people would think him capable of. It took a special brand of playing dumb to get under Venti’s skin— Zhongli had mastered the art a long time ago. 

Hiding a grin at the knowledge that the other man was getting a little sick of him, Zhongli acquiesced. “Very well,” was the answer Venti received, then: “So what would you like for breakfast?” 

“Stop avoiding the topic! You always do this, it’s so annoying, I swear people think I’m the one who bothers you but really you’re the annoying one, constantly asking for my help and then avoiding it when I try to help you… here I am, little old me, sitting here instead of going to class and trying to solve your love life and you’re being ungrateful…”

“You wouldn’t have gone to class anyway,” Zhongli pointed out.

Venti sniffed. “That’s unrelated. You have to make sure he doesn’t think you’re ghosting him! Text him! Please? Please, please?” 

Zhongli couldn’t say he didn’t want to talk to Childe again. So, when faced with the very effective pouting Venti was currently doing, he gave in. 

Zhongli: Hello. This is Zhongli.

Zhongli: From Boo Tao’s. 

“Oooh, what’d he say?” cried Venti, butting his head in to try and catch the screen. 

“It’s only been a second,” chided Zhongli, “He may be doing something—” The phone buzzed. 

ajax!!!!!: hi omg lol u don’t have to say where you’re from ik who u are 

ajax!!!!!: what’s up zhongli :)

Zhongli: I was wondering how much of Liyue you have gotten to see so far?

ajax!!!!!: oh man idk… i’ve been so busy w school that i haven't been around much tbh

Zhongli: Then, if you’re free, we can visit the place I mentioned to you. I would be happy to show you around the city

Zhongli: ヽ(o＾▽＾o)ノ

Venti tsked. “You have to be more obvious than that. He didn’t even get you were asking him out the first time; I think this guy needs it to be spelled out for him.” Zhongli considered this. He was right, but it would be awkward to backtrack now. Telling Venti as much, the other man nodded thoughtfully. “That’s okay. I still have a trick or two up my sleeve. Sometimes we do couple’s specials for attention, and unlike Hu Tao’s promotions ours are actually super successful! So all we have to do is wait for him to tell us when he’ll be free, then I’ll make sure to announce a special for that day, and you can come in with him and say you’ll take that. It’d be impossible not to pick up on that kind of hint, right?” 

“Right,” said Zhongli, who could see no scenario in which someone could still not understand romantic intentions from such a gesture. Even he, who Guizhong had always made fun of for being as dense as stone, would be able to follow along with such easily laid out clues. 

When it became clear that Childe wouldn't be replying soon (something Zhongli thought was perfectly reasonable, as not everyone could constantly be attached to their phone, and that Venti thought was the end of the world), he instead decided to work on the essay he had just been assigned (“You and Ganyu are so weird,” he could hear Hu Tao saying, “Why don’t you wait till the night before like the rest of us?”). He had always been like this; if there was time, wasn’t it better to do the work now, to honor the unsaid understanding of what being in a class entailed?

Retreating to the peace of his room, surrounded by all of the small possessions he had accumulated over the years, he tied his hair up and out of his face, put on his glasses, and procured his laptop from the depths of his bag. It was a fairly productive session, though this was nothing unusual. He had the tendency to mindlessly bury himself in work, not stopping until it was complete at the expense of self-care, a habit he had picked up on after… well, after Guizhong had died, there had seemed little point in self preservation, and the habit stuck. 

Everyone had different methods to deal with work. Venti, in an effort to avoid the smallest, most mundane obligations, would simply do everything else but the task at hand (Zhongli could no longer count the times he returned home only to find their living room completely rearranged with a beaming Venti sitting in the center of it). Hu Tao, instead of completing anything in a timely manner, would wait until there was barely any time left, then would sit in the back room of Boo Tao’s with a gallon of tea and finish it all in one go. So Zhongli’s unhealthy coping mechanisms didn’t bother him too much. 

It was manageable, at least— living with someone helped. At least this way they could look out for each other. As if reading his mind, Venti knocked on his door, then opened it immediately before waiting for Zhongli to respond. He was wearing his work uniform, evidently having just gotten off his shift, and handed an Angel’s Share branded cup to Zhongli, who took a sip without checking to see what it was. 

The drink was quite nice. Making a pleased humming sound, he drank more of it, watching as Venti sat cross-legged next to him on his bed and closed his laptop. “It’s literally evening,” he said, braids flopping as he shook his head in disapproval, “Have you eaten anything?” 

“No,” Zhongli admitted, “But the essay is done.” 

“That’s not what I asked,” Venti sighed, “Honestly, what would you do without me? You stay here, I’ll make us food.” 

“You don’t have to—” 

“Nah, don’t worry,” Venti reassured him, already making to get back up, “You just owe me a drink, okay? Someone has to watch over you.” Zhongli could hear him grumbling in the hallway on the way back to the kitchen (“Couldn’t even sit for five minutes,” was the complaint echoing, “I’ve been working all day”), but knew he didn’t really mind. He was grateful, as currently he didn’t think he could move, let alone get up and cook food. 

He let himself sag against the sturdy headboard of his bed, surrounded by the mismatched pillows he had acquired over time, and finally checked his phone, blinking at the bright light and immediately going to the settings to set it as dim as possible. Only then did he recognize that Childe had messaged him back three hours ago. 

ajax!!!!!: that sounds fun yeah lemme check 

ajax!!!!!: i’m free all of wednesday and then saturday as long as its before seven 

ajax!!!!!: if that doesn’t work i can look at what i have next week and we can figure it out :) 

Wednesday and Saturday? Zhongli, who had zero ability to remember his schedule and was extremely reliant on the ‘Calendar’ function Steambird (the source of Internet for all of Teyvat— it was a little frightening to think about just how much personal information of his they likely had on file, but convenience always had to come at a cost) offered, something Ganyu had painstakingly spent an hour teaching him how to use while Hu Tao lobbed tiny tapioca pearls at their heads, faking anger over their inattention to work. 

Let’s see. There was the mandatory bonding time every second Saturday for him and Xiao, so he wasn’t free then. Briefly, he considered the possibility of inviting Childe to tag along, at some point, but that would probably end in tragedy and was best to be avoided, at least for now. But Wednesday was free, after his Liyuen History lecture at eleven in the morning, the one he only signed up for to see how accurate the professor was (not very, was the answer he happened across, but it was entertaining to see just how much a supposed professional could get wrong, so he kept it in his schedule). 

Zhongli: I can meet on Wednesday! Would 12:30 work? 

The reply was instant. 

ajax!!!!!: yup that sounds great! i’m looking forward to it

ajax!!!!!: what’s the place called again? 

Zhongli: It is the Angel’s Share. There are three locations in Teyvat, two in Mondstadt, and one in Liyue. The Liyue branch is currently being managed by my friend, who, while not responsible enough to warrant such a position, has done an admirable job at creating a name. 

Zhongli: It is very hard for outside businesses to succeed in Liyue. Boo Tao’s, for example, is part of a very storied history involving Liyue’s famous tea parlors, the likes of which have been around since a time of gods and monsters. 

Zhongli: So rest assured, it is a quality place o(≧▽≦)o

ajax!!!!!: woah i wasn’t expecting all of that 

Zhongli frowned. He knew he had a tendency to be a little overbearing when there was something he was interested in— was Childe annoyed? It wouldn’t do to have the man sick of him before they had even gone on a single date. 

Zhongli: Ah, sorry. I just find it an interesting topic. 

ajax!!!!!: noooo i didn’t mean it that way! it was just cool to hear 

ajax!!!!!: never apologize for talking about what you like talking about 

ajax!!!!!: i’m a good listener ! 

Well. In that case, Zhongli had plenty to talk about. Besides, Childe had hung onto his every word at Boo Tao’s, something few people did, so it was irrational to jump to conclusions. He supposed it was an indication of how much he liked him already, to be so affected, and was suddenly struck with fear over Venti’s plan not working, or Childe, who seemed so sociable and full of life, getting bored of him eventually. 

His phone buzzing multiple times in rapid succession put a quick end to his worrying; while he had been stuck in his own thoughts, Childe had sent multiple pictures of animals and was demanding to know which one Zhongli liked best. 

ajax!!!!!: this is like

ajax!!!!!: make or break for me 

ajax!!!!!: our entire friendship rests on what u pick 

Zhongli: I quite like the dragon, though they are extinct. I often wonder what it would be like if they still roamed the land today. 

ajax!!!!!: hm… ok 

ajax!!!!!: what are ur thoughts on the fox 

Zhongli: I suppose it is quite cute (≧◡≦) ♡

ajax!!!!!: u know people say i look like a fox 

ajax!!!!!: so that means u just called me cute 

Zhongli: I see. Well that is also true. 

ajax!!!!!: u weren’t supposed to agree omg 

Warm. He felt warm talking to Childe, like the past day spent in a hazy fog of work never happened and it had always been just him here, furiously defending his hatred of whales and all things that came from the sea to a horrified Childe, who was telling him about his time on the swim team at his old university and how the first thing he had done when getting to Liyue was collect starconches along the famous beaches. He fell asleep like that, phone loosely curled in his grip and glasses still on his face. 

Venti, who came in to call him for dinner, noticed him sleeping and scoffed fondly, before putting his glasses on the side table and plugging his phone into the charger, knowing Zhongli panicked whenever it went below 50%, messages from Childe waiting for when he woke up. 

ajax!!!!!: did you fall asleep? 

ajax!!!!!: i think you did 

ajax!!!!!: sleep well Zhongli ♡

Wednesday could not come fast enough. Childe texted him frequently, to the point where for the first time in his life Zhongli could not find it in himself to pay attention to class, too busy listening to the other man’s stories about his day and complaints about Keqing and Aether, his two closest friends in Liyue. Yet somehow this did nothing to reassure his nerves. 

For three days Zhongli was a bundle of nervous energy, long fingers tapping nonsensical patterns on the counters at work and drumming alongside the machines as he operated them. It was getting to a point where Hu Tao herself had even stopped with the teasing, and instead directed him towards finally finishing the holiday specials he had been developing earlier. 

“Here,” she huffed, “Let me do it. This is the worst drink you’ve ever made. Please tell me who is going to want to order lemon flavored tea with egg pudding in it? That’s disgusting.  What’s going on in that head of yours?” 

He hadn’t even realized what he was creating, just blindly putting ingredients in a cup so that he wouldn’t be yelled at for not working. “Oh,” he said, regarding his creation and wrinkling his nose at its appearance, the murky surface of the tea looking supremely unappealing, “My apologies. I suppose I am a little distracted today.” 

“Yeah, no kidding.” With a loud thud, his abomination of a drink was shoved in the trash. “You came up with a third of the menu, and then today you give me… this? Something’s definitely going on.” 

Should he tell her? It could go either way— either she would give him reassurance, or he would be terribly embarrassed. His mouth moved on its own accord, making the decision for him. “I am meeting Childe at a cafe tomorrow. I have not seen him in a while.” 

“Zhongli has a date?” she wondered aloud, “I never thought I’d see the day. Wait— what cafe? What cafe? That’s technically our competition, you know. You can’t do that!” 

Unknowingly or not, she was being helpful, diverting his attention away from meeting Childe. He was content to let her yell at him some more, ranging from an attempt to get them to meet at Boo Tao’s instead (absolutely not, he spent enough time in the store as it was), to demanding to finally be let into his apartment so she could do his makeup before he left. 

“I know you technically started this whole red eyeliner thing,” she was saying, pouting effectively at him, “But I mastered it! You should let me do yours, come on!” Zhongli refused. He was a grown man who was perfectly capable of getting ready on his own. 

Venti disagreed, staring disapprovingly as Zhongli ran around the apartment, having just come back from class. “Okay,” he said slowly, watching as Zhongli frantically put his laptop and notes away, then looked for his subway card. “I’m just… going to go, and hopefully you get this sorted out in time. I gotta make sure Xingqiu hasn’t tried to pull a practical joke on a customer again. You let me know if you need anything, got it?” 

“Yes,” came Zhongli’s muffled voice from within his room. Venti, taking that as an invitation to leave, quickly made his way out of the apartment. When at last Zhongli had sufficiently arranged his belongings, he let out a sigh of relief at the time, delighted that he wasn’t late after all. It would hardly do to make such an impression. 

The Angel’s Share was located in a trendier, fashionable section of Liyue, not on campus like Boo Tao’s, and took around fifteen minutes to get to as long as the trains cooperated. How a nation so wealthy couldn’t invest in improving the subway infrastructure, Zhongli didn’t know, but as it were most trips were subject to the whim of the system and entirely out of his hands. 

It was very hot underground. Zhongli, under his many layers, was silently suffering, one hand used to brace himself lightly against the pole of the train car for support and the other rummaging through his pockets making sure he had remembered to bring everything. There were his keys, and he could feel his phone… the chapstick, too, was there, next to his… where was his wallet? 

Inwardly he groaned. It was fine— either Venti could cover for him, and he would pay him back later, or, in the other, more humiliating scenario, he would just apologize and ask Childe if he wouldn’t mind covering it for the time being, and Zhongli would appropriately reimburse him when the time came. Though this did put a damper in the plan Venti had crafted for him, the tiny man insisting that offering to pay for Childe would solidify the knowledge that the two of them were on a date and not just a friendly outing. 

Casting a silent apology to his friend in his head, Zhongli emerged from the subway stop close to the cafe and briskly walked until he arrived at his destination, stopping only momentarily to observe the sign for the couple’s special right outside the door done in very crude, almost childlike writing. What did it even say? It took a bit of squinting, but he was very good at deciphering poor handwriting, and managed to realize that it was 40% off two drinks for couples, perfectly suited to his plans for the day. 

Entering the cafe felt like stepping into a different space altogether, the loud chaos of one of Liyue’s busiest roads, with stalls and traffic and dozens of people milling about melting into a cozy atmosphere reminiscent of Mondstadt, with walls of books (it doubled as a very nice bookstore) and a very bored looking Xingqiu manning the register. Why the second son of the Feiyun Commerce Guild was working for the Angel's Share, Zhongli didn't know, but because of this he had the opportunity to speak with him outside of the near oppressive environment of Liyue's elite parties, so they were at least acquainted. 

Childe wasn’t here, but that was expected, as in Zhongli’s haste to not be late he ended up being earlier than anticipated. So instead he simply picked a table close to where he could see the street outside, draped his coat over the other chair, and settled to wait, idly flipping through the booklet of desserts that was splayed across the table.

 It didn’t take long. Five minutes after the time they were scheduled to meet, he watched through the wide glass window as Childe nearly sprinted to the store, his tall stature and bright hair sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the surprised Liyuens he was cutting through. 

His entrance was no less dramatic, a loud throwing open of the door announcing his arrival to everyone present. Zhongli looked on amusedly as Childe scanned the people seated, then lit up when he saw who he was looking for. “Zhongli!” he greeted, pausing to let Zhongli remove his coat from the seat he was saving then sliding haphazardly in, “Have you been waiting long?” 

“No,” Zhongli replied, nervousness fading when confronted directly with Childe, who had the ability to put people at ease with just his presence, “Did you run here?” 

Childe flushed. “I didn’t run,” he said, fidgeting under Zhongli’s gaze. They both knew Zhongli had watched him run to the store. “Okay, yeah I did run, but exercise is good for you! And it was only because I didn’t want to be late. Did you order already?” 

Here it was. “I wouldn’t even if I could, because I don’t want to order on your behalf without giving you the opportunity to see what the menu has to offer, but I I may have left my wallet at home,” Zhongli admitted. “I apologize for the inconvenience, but I will have to ask if you can—” 

“Oh, that’s not an issue!” Childe exclaimed, almost hasty in his effort to reassure him and nearly knocking the dessert booklet off the table with his elbow. “I can pay for us both, it’s really not a problem. You don’t have to worry about paying me back, either,” he added, as though anticipating Zhongli’s next words. Childe grabbed his shoulder and steered him to the counter. “Let’s order! You have to help me though.” 

That didn’t make any sense. Zhongli could easily understand why Childe needed assistance with the extensive menu at Boo Tao’s, seeing as how Snezhnaya likely didn’t have a single boba shop within its borders at all, but coffee was universal across Teyvat. “Surely you have coffee in Snezhnaya?” he asked, just to make sure. It was entirely possible that he had been mistaken, given that the frozen country was pretty isolated. 

Childe blinked, then giggled in a way that sent Zhongli’s stomach into knots. “Of course we do?” he said, though his tone was questioning around the laughter, as though wondering why Zhongli would ever even ask such a thing. “Why wouldn’t we have coffee?” 

“Well,” replied Zhongli, now embarrassed and shifting to not look Childe in the eyes, worried that looking at the blue of them directly would cause him more of that painful feeling in his stomach, “I just thought, since you were asking for help…” 

More of that laughter. “You're so…” Childe trailed off, leaving Zhongli to wonder curiously at the rest of the sentence. “Anyway. I just meant since I’ve never been here before and you have, that you could just tell me what’s good.” 

“In all honesty, the menu is fairly simple,” Zhongli explained. “If you’re used to coffee you like, then I would just get that. Although, since you like sweet things— am I remembering right?”
“Yeah,” Childe breathed out, clearly touched that Zhongli had remembered, “You are.” 

“Then they have a lot of flavored lattes and the like. You may enjoy some of them.” 

“Have you guys decided?” Xingqiu cut in, looking amused at the conversation he was listening to. “While I could listen to you all day, I do think we have other paying customers, so for all our sakes, Zhongli, let’s see what you’re getting. Are you here for the couple’s special?” 

“Yes,” said Zhongli, the sound of his voice overlapping with Childe’s, who said “No,” at the exact same time. Grateful that his hair covered the tips of his ears, which always grew red when he was embarrassed, he cleared his throat and leaned slightly passed Childe, who looked confused. “Yes,” he said again, watching as Xingqiu looked between them, “We are. I’ll just have my usual. Childe?” 

Childe was not paying attention. Zhongli shook him slightly. “What? Oh… I want a latte! A flavored one. Yeah… um… vanilla? That.” 

“Okay.” Xingqiu was very clearly holding himself back from saying something, and instead chose to wordlessly swipe the card Childe offered when prompted and tell them to go sit back down. 

Back at their table, Childe leveled Zhongli with a deadpan stare. “Why did you tell him that?” 

Venti had taught him what to say here. “I was just being honest,” was the truthful reply. “That is what we’re here for.” 

Childe looked like he was at a loss, staring down at his hands and absently scratching tiny marks in the wood of the table. Eventually, he looked back up, as though realizing something. “Zhongli,” he said, his bright mood from earlier returning, “You didn’t have to lie to the poor dude just to save some money. I said it was fine.” 

Zhongli gave a start. “What?” he asked, not sure if Childe was really as oblivious as he seemed, or if this was all just a very polite, roundabout way of rejecting him that spared his feelings. “No. I think you misunderstand—”

He was interrupted again. “It’s fine,” Childe said, voice sounding like laughter, “You know, my sister Tonia once did something like that with her friends, but it was one of those ‘if you dress up you get a discount’’ type things.” 

Zhongli supposed he could try and explicitly state that he had orchestrated the whole thing with romantic intentions, but on the off chance that this really was a rejection, he didn’t want to make the atmosphere uncomfortable. And a Childe talking about his family was a very lovely Childe, face all lit up and animated— Zhongli would not trade that for the potential of ruining things. No, he was sure it would come up eventually. 

He was content to let Childe ramble about his family, mentioning all three of his younger siblings with equal attention and speaking affectionately about his mother. “My older siblings,” he was saying when Xingqiu came and put their drinks on the table next to them, then winked at Zhongli and left, the tassel hanging off his apron making his departure seem more dramatic than it was, “are the worst. Well, they aren’t that bad, but they don’t like me much, so we don’t really talk. They’re all a lot older than me, so it’s not like I saw much of them.” 

“Why don’t they like you?” Zhongli asked, then admitted, “I can’t imagine anyone not liking you.” 

Childe, who had just then taken the opportunity to try his drink, sputtered slightly and then winced in pain. “Ouch,” he said, words muffled, “I think I burnt my tongue a little. That’s the worst, ugh. Don’t just say things like that.”

“It is the truth,” Zhongli said earnestly, leaning forward in his seat to make sure Childe was okay, then fanned the mug lightly in a gesture that was likely not doing anything but was met with a smile regardless.  

“Anyway,” Childe said after taking another sip of his drink, this time making sure that the temperature wasn’t scalding, “I had… something like a violent phase when I was younger. I got into a lot of fights, and my older siblings didn’t really like it. I can’t blame them, I guess. It wasn’t a good influence on the kids. But my mom signed me up for a lot of sports and classes and things, and it helped calm me down.” 

Zhongli carefully filed the information in the section of his brain that was being reserved for Childe Facts. “Is this why you swam competitively?” 

“Yeah, swimming is the only thing I’ve stuck with up until now. How about you? Do you do any sports?” 

“I used to fence,” Zhongli said, “That’s how I met Xiao.” Childe, as expected, immediately demanded he teach him how to fence sometime, and wouldn’t listen to Zhongli telling him how out of practice he was.

Not for the first time, he was struck by how easy it was to talk to Childe. They spent an hour or so sitting there by the window, Childe making up stories about the people who passed by and complaining about the code he was working on with Keqing, Zhongli in turn rambling about the new crystalfly documentary he was interested in watching. 

Soon they finished their drinks. “Did you enjoy yourself?” Zhongli asked, walking back to campus next to Childe, arms loosely linked together (Childe, to his mock dismay, was very clingy). 

“Yeah I did,” answered Childe, turning to look at him closely, “The company was good. But my latte had nothing on that oreo slush from Boo Tao’s.” 

Zhongli made a noise of distress, then moved to separate their arms. “We will work on correcting your order,” he assured Childe, who only grinned in response, “But for now my home is this way. I will continue to show you places in Liyue when you are free.” 

“Okay,” Childe agreed immediately, then waved at him until Zhongli had left his field of vision. 

Strolling leisurely back to his apartment and unlocking the door, he considered the events of the day. Overall, while not as successful as he may have hoped, time spent with Childe was pleasant. It was enough for him. After taking off his shoes and hanging his coat on the rack next to Venti’s bright green one, he checked his phone to see a string of messages from his aforementioned roommate. 

Barbatos: ok yeah he’s really cute in person 

Barbatos: im not going to bother you but im listening from the back 

Barbatos: oh 

Barbatos: you and your boyfriend are idiots

Zhongli:  Childe is not my boyfriend. 

Barbatos: yeah 

Barbatos: and that’s why you’re both idiots 

Chapter Text

Zhongli, as a man of his word, continued to show Childe around Liyue. It was a little difficult, he had to admit— despite his best efforts, Childe was nothing if not oblivious. The same nagging sensation from the cafe lingered, a curious sort of wondering if he had misread their early interactions entirely and was being held at a distance intentionally. 

Venti would hear none of it. “You’re kidding,” his best friend stated, glaring at him in disbelief. “You’re actually joking; there’s no way you’re being serious. The first time you talked about him you were completely sure he likes you, too, and now, weeks later, you tell me you think you may have read the situation wrong?” 

Zhongli blinked innocently back at him. “Well, yes,” he conceded, shrugging his shoulders, “But you were the one who said I was… what was it? ‘A dense blockhead’, if I remember correctly. It is entirely possible that I may have simply projected my own desires onto him and mistakenly concluded he feels the same affection I do.” 

“That’s… not possible. You and I both know it’s not. He’s going to need you to spell it out for him. Tell him.” Venti pitched his voice lower in the same exaggerated imitation he had been trying (and failing) to perfect since the day they had met. “‘I, Zhongli, self-proclaimed hoarder and lover of obscure trivia, am asking you on a date because I like you. Romantically.’”

He was going to do no such thing. The past few weeks had been enough for him; at the end of the day, while dating Childe would be nice, simply being around him and getting to spend time in his company was like a breath of fresh air. And Zhongli had to admit that the current state of things, though trying at times, was also pleasant. He had plenty of time to make his intentions more clear. 

At this point, Zhongli had all but decided that, instead of listening to Venti’s plans, which were evidently incompatible with Childe’s overall outlook on, well, everything, he would simply go at his own pace. 

Speaking of going somewhere, he had plans (with Childe, obviously— much to Xiao’s dismay, he found that much of his time was spent with Childe nowadays). They were finally going to that exhibit Zhongli had wanted to ask him to go to when he had first seen the other man, and he had no time for his roommate and his criticism. 

Bidding a swift goodbye to Venti, who called out, “We’re not done! This discussion is not over,” after him, he spent the fifteen minute train ride idly scrolling through the museum’s website, looking at what else it had to offer so that they could spend a full day there. 

Upon arriving, Childe was instantly visible, his shock of orange hair a stark contrast to the landscape around him. He was sitting on a half wall in the green space in front of the entrance, legs swinging in a way that was more endearing than it should have been. When he saw Zhongli, he perked up and propelled himself off from where he was sat, nearly colliding with a woman walking nearby and hastily apologizing. 

“Hi,” Childe greeted, finally making his way over, “Man, I really need to watch where I’m going.” It was slightly odd for Childe, who had never exhibited clumsy tendencies and normally moved in a way that was almost fluid, to be tripping over himself the way he was, but Zhongli chose to say nothing. “How is your code going?” he asked instead, knowing that Childe had been complaining about his assignment for the better portion of the week. 

“Absolutely miserable, thanks,” Childe sighed, “It’s so much nicer working on projects on my own… anyway. I don’t want to think about it right now when we’re here to have fun. What’s on the agenda?” 

“Thank you again for agreeing to come,” Zhongli said, ignoring the question for the time being to properly express his gratitude. “I know it may not be the most interesting, but—” 

He was interrupted by Childe vigorously shaking his head, as if to combat the statement, orange locks flopping every which way until his hair was more disheveled than it normally was. “No, no, no!” Childe exclaimed, “I like seeing you do things you like. And the museum seems cool, too. Did you buy the tickets?” 

Zhongli had not. “Unfortunately,” he began, a little sheepish at having to admit it out loud, “I have not had the time to reserve them in advance. We can go now and purchase them.” Childe made a happy sort of humming noise to show his assent at that, and together the two of them entered the museum. 

“You stay here,” Childe instructed, by now familiar with Zhongli’s relationship with money, “Let me talk to the employee over there and buy what we need.” 

Zhongli assented, and wandered slightly off to look at a poster on the wall. He had no idea that the museum offered so many events… perhaps they would have to make a return visit if Childe enjoyed himself this time around. He didn’t know when his brain had started automatically marking Childe’s company a requirement to go to places, but now that it was an established thing, he had to ensure that the other man would not be opposed to the idea. 

In his distraction, he didn’t notice the time that had passed since his companion had left to go secure their tickets. Turning back, he noticed Childe talking to the employee, face flushed and hesitant looking. Making eye contact, Childe mouthed just a sec at him, then wrapped up the conversation and hurried back, placing one of the tickets in Zhongli’s hand without looking at him properly. 

“Did everything go alright?” Zhongli asked, concerned at the skittish behavior Childe was exhibiting, so unlike his normally boisterous personality. The ticket in his hand still felt warm from being clutched so tightly in the other man’s grip, one of Zhongli’s thumbs absently brushing over the gold embossed lettering as he waited for an answer. Liyue had really spared no expense on any of its cultural attractions, it would seem. 

Childe’s gaze was still fixed steadily away from him, as though deep in thought. “Childe?” he prompted again, one hand reaching out to brush against his shoulder, hoping it would get him to look at Zhongli. 

“Oh, yes,” Childe said, blinking and coming out of his reverie, “Yeah, it was… uh. It was fine! She said…” 

Zhongli, ever the patient person, offered Childe a moment to collect his thoughts and finish the statement. After a moment, though, when it was clear Childe himself had no intention of continuing, he cleared his throat to encourage him. 

“What did she say?” he asked, somewhat confused at how this was relevant.

“It was kind of funny, actually,” was the response he got, Childe regaining confidence as he steered Zhongli to the museum entrance, the two of them cutting through the crowd and going through security, where an intimidating woman in an eyepatch examined them critically before lazily waving them through. “She told me that she thought I was sweet for buying my boyfriend tickets. Ha, as if, right?” 

As wonderful as Childe could be, sometimes it took all of Zhongli’s years of carefully-honed self restraint to not scream out loud when interacting with him. A better man would have caved in weeks ago, but he was a member of polite society, and did nothing as unrefined as screaming in public, especially not in a museum hall that would echo the sound to the hundreds of Liyuens who were spending the day in the same place. 

But as it were, Zhongli was dignified. He would simply be honest. Passing into the main hall of the museum, he allowed Childe to drag him by the large map of the building on display and then cleared his throat. “I would not be opposed to such a concept,” he said, “and you are sweet, for buying them.” He fervently hoped that his sincerity was apparent in his voice and expression. 

It was not. Childe nervously laughed, pale blush creeping up his face, and tightened his grip on Zhongli’s arm. “Stop joking around like that! You don’t have to say that because I paid for the tickets; I don’t mind at all. Honestly… oh!” he exclaimed, blue eyes lighting up at the big fossil that took up most of the space in the museum’s main hall. “What’s that?” 

Briefly, Zhongli considered pressing the subject further to finally drive it into Childe’s skull that he was completely interested in dating him, thank you very much, and would never think to joke about such a thing, but, well… Childe was too cute when excited, lighting up in an almost childlike way at seeing the large fossil, and perhaps it could be left for another time.

He had rarely put off anything in his entire life, but, looking over at Childe, he allowed it just this once. “This is the fossil of a primo geovishap,” he explained, delighted at the chance to share what he knew, “They were once found among the ruins in Tianqiu Valley, an area west of Liyue Harbor. The one you see here is the only remaining fossil of such a creature left in Teyvat today.” 

“That’s so cool,” Childe enthused, leaning over to crane his neck up at the towering figure, “So that must have been back when visions and stuff were a thing, right? Since it’s a monster? Man, it would’ve been so cool to be around back then, with so many things to fight.” 

If there was anyone who would have enjoyed being alive in ancient Teyvat, when gods and monsters roamed freely and humans were constrained to only a small handful of cities, it would be Childe, Zhongli thought fondly. “You would likely be close to death by now, Childe,” Zhongli informed him (though his name was saved as Ajax in his phone, the name felt like something that should be saved for an important time, and so he continued to use the nickname he was given upon their first meeting), “the life expectancy was very low in those days, especially for one as inclined to fight as yourself.” 

Childe made a humming noise, as though considering it. “Yeah, probably,” he admitted, “but it’s a real shame the elements aren’t around as much anymore. Like, for us to actually use day to day, anyway. Say, if you had a Vision what do you think it would be?” 

Zhongli knew the answer to this question. “Venti sent me a quiz about this once,” he informed Childe. “I had to design a wedding and then received my results. I am not too sure what my skills as a wedding planner have to do with a Vision,” it was honestly a very confusing correlation, “but I was told I would have a Geo one.” 

“How fitting,” remarked Childe, nodding in approval, “You do know everything about Liyue. Anything else would be wrong. I think I’d be Hydro— wouldn’t that be funny? Everyone thinks ‘oh, a healer’ and then boom! Water blade to the face.” 

Childe really did seem fascinated by the fossil, so Zhongli let him stay there while he wandered to the edges of the room and read the panels on the history of ancient Liyuen life forms. So much had changed since then… 

“Hey,” Childe found him around ten minutes later, after Zhongli had circled the perimeter and skimmed over most of the placards, “This is super fun, but we came here for something, right?” 

Zhongli’s eyes lit up. “Yes. There is a new geology exhibit on all seventeen variants of cor lapis that can be found in Liyue, some of which are extremely rare. I have only seen twelve kinds in person thus far, so when I heard of the opportunity to see the remainder, I immediately wished to come.” 

Sighing affectionately, Childe rolled his eyes. “Well, I can’t say that cor lapis will be more interesting than the fossils of ancient monsters, but since you came here to see some rocks, we’re going to go look at the rocks. Lead the way!”

They left the museum a few hours later, Zhongli still rambling on about the rare cor lapis on display and Childe pretending to know what he was referring to, cradling a stuffed Hydro slime plushie that Zhongli had purchased for him (his lack of a wallet presented a slight obstacle, but the gift shop accepted mobile payment). “Isn’t it so cute?” Childe asked, holding it up delightedly in the sun. “It’s so soft! I would send it back to my siblings at home but it’s so cute I need to keep it forever.” 

It was very cute. “Indeed,” Zhongli nodded his head sagely, “I am glad you enjoyed the gift shop.” They spent the rest of the day that way, wandering around the most touristy district of Liyue, Childe ducking around a corner when he saw a group of Snezhnayans. 

“Do you know them?” Zhongli asked, brow furrowed as he watched Childe slowly curve his body around the stone pillar he had hidden behind, peering out briefly and then slumping back.

“I thought I recognized them. I don’t know any of them, thankfully. I hate running into people I only sort of know and can barely tolerate in public— it’s always so awkward…” Xiao often talked of a similar feeling. Zhongli had a hard time relating, as there wasn’t anyone he particularly disliked, and as for tolerating… the only people who managed to consistently get on his nerves were Venti and Hu Tao, so naturally he chose to live with one and work for the other. 

Childe turned to face him again, now that the group had passed and his nerves had calmed, and gestured for Zhongli to come closer, then tugged his phone out of his jeans. It wasn’t like Zhongli kept track of these things, really, but it was hard not to notice how tight they were, and how whenever Childe moved his shirt exposed the skin of his stomach, always causing him to lose track of his train of thought. The other man was unfairly distracting. 

“Zhongli?” Childe prompted, leading Zhongli to abruptly snap his gaze back upwards to meet his eyes. “Let’s take a picture, come on, come on!” Without waiting for a reply, Childe flung an arm around his shoulders and pressed their faces together, leaning upwards slightly and instructing Zhongli to smile. 

He was content to take small bites out of the pastry he had picked up along the way while Childe fiddled with his phone, eventually putting it down and looking incredibly proud of himself. At the same time, Zhongli’s own phone buzzed, leading to a momentary struggle as he attempted to juggle his pastry and the shopping bag he was holding the slime plushie in as well as obtaining his phone from his coat. Childe, making no effort to assist in the process, simply laughed at him. 

Eventually managing it, Zhongli opened his phone to see that he had been tagged in a photo, one where his eyes were curved into smiling crescents and Childe beamed next to him, right next to the picture of Childe, Keqing, and Aether wearing ridiculous sunglasses that Zhongli had rambled to Venti about for two hours during their bi-weekly wine night. “Oh,” said Zhongli, looking at Childe, “should I post a picture of us as well?” 

“The next time we both look good it can be your turn,” said Childe, “Which shouldn’t be too long from now. I always look good. You’re alright, too.”

Zhongli raised an eyebrow. Perhaps it was a little vain, but he was aware Childe found him nice to look at. “Just alright?” 

Childe snorted in reply. “Don’t be full of yourself.” 

He went the next few days without seeing Childe, stuck ferrying himself between work and lectures, having just been assigned a semester project and a partner (the blond woman who had left him his only negative review all those months ago, as it turned out, was named Ningguang) who didn’t like him in the slightest. 

It was only the next Saturday, as he was petting Boo Tao and Hu Tao was sat on the countertop in a display that was the complete opposite of professionalism, trying to convince him that they could use new uniforms, that Childe came in, his face twisted in a snarl Zhongli had never seen before and barking into his phone. 

“Scaramouche,” he was saying, the words so angry that Zhongli could barely recongize his voice, “If you don’t stop fucking interfering in my life I’m going to get back on the next boat home and gut you like a fish… No, you short asshole, you’re not going to like it, what the fuck is wrong with you?” 

Even Hu Tao had stopped her attempts at implementing a new uniform policy (Zhongli personally didn’t mind the idea of cat ears, but he suspected Xiao would resign on the spot and he did not wish to see that happen) to turn and stare at Childe in disbelief. 

Hanging up the phone, Childe’s face immediately transformed, embarrassment coloring his features. “Ah, sorry about that, guys,” he offered, leaning over to put his things down on a table. He was very lucky to have come in the morning when there was no one around to listen to him. 

“Wow, who was that?” asked Hu Tao, pretty eyes wide with curiosity. She giggled, adding, “Anyone who gets you to sound like that must be someone, alright.” 

“That was my… friend… I guess he’s my friend… Scaramouche. Honestly, everyone I hang out with in Snezhnaya is a giant dick, with the way they act, other than my family... The problem is they all know my family.” Childe looked very upset, now that the anger had faded. Zhongli supposed that for once he could make an exception to his customary protest and make him the oreo slush he was bound to order (this wasn't to be taken the wrong way, though— he still firmly disapproved). 

He let Hu Tao, who, in the time that Childe had started coming to the store, had become very good friends with the man, ask the questions while he gathered what he needed to make the drink. “What happened?” she asked, leaning forward slightly, the teasing note now gone from her voice as she, like Zhongli, picked up on the fact that Childe was genuinely upset. 

“Uh…” said Childe, thrown off by the sound the machine Zhongli had just turned on, “Basically, I do a lot of freelance work coding for projects in my spare time, or hacking things if that comes up, though its way less common... which is how I get money and stuff, but my mom doesn’t really understand a lot of technology, since we’re from a tiny sea town and rural Snezhnaya is pretty isolated. So she was really worried about how I would pay for things in Liyue and told me I had to get a job, but I’m doing fine without a physical one.” 

“Right,” said Hu Tao, nodding slowly. “So what does Scar… Scarecrow… blouche or whatever have to do with it?” 

“Scaramouche,” Childe corrected, “He basically got angry that I wouldn’t hack into his professor’s computer and fix his grades… I would if he had been decent about it, but the dude doesn’t understand how to ask for favors. So he— ugh, he’s really the worst— told my mom I didn’t have ‘a real job’, and now she’s upset, and I hate making her upset, so I promised to get one, but I don’t even know where to look for a job in Liyue.” 

Wordlessly, Zhongli slid the oreo slush over the counter to Childe, who grabbed it and downed half of it in one go in a way that would normally be reserved for alcohol. Hu Tao snorted. “Well, that’s easy, silly goose!” she cried, reaching over to tap Childe’s arm (she couldn’t reach his head), “You practically live in here, anyway, you can just work for me.” 

Childe stared. “You can’t just hire me on the spot.” 

“I just did? So yeah, actually I can! You’re hired— welcome to the team.” 

“Don’t I at least need an interview?” 

Hu Tao shook her head. “Nope! I’m the boss, so I make all the rules, and the rules say that you’re hired!” 

Zhongli watched all of this happen very tiredly, far too used to Hu Tao’s antics to be surprised (and inwardly grateful she was helping, as it was upsetting to see Childe so distressed). Actually, he had been hired in a similar fashion, having only stumbled upon the store by chance, when it had first opened and a man named Meng was the only real employee the store had (well, he supposed there was also the Ferrylady, who Zhongli was very fond of and was still employed by Hu Tao’s family, but she dealt with the finances and seldom ever made tea). 

He had found the quiet environment of the store in the day to be an ideal study space, and spent enough time there that eventually he began recommending drinks to his fellow patrons. Hu Tao had simply plopped down in a seat next to Zhongli one day and asked him if he wanted to work at the store, since Meng had quit when he left the Harbor, fleeing back to his home in the Liyuen countryside after what Zhongli personally suspected was a Hu Tao-induced nervous breakdown. 

“You already basically do half of what an employee would do, anyway,” she had said to him, chin in her hand and staring him down intensely, “So, can you make tea?” Zhongli, of course, was no stranger to tea, and the rest was history. He had been there when Hu Tao had hired Ganyu, the only member of the Boo Tao’s staff to have undergone any sort of formal interview process, and it had been under his recommendation that Xiao was hired. How Chongyun had come to work at the store, Zhongli had no idea, but he apparently had known Hu Tao since the two of them were children. 

Childe, apparently the newest addition to the small family, was still gaping at them in shock. “Can she do that?” he asked Zhongli, ignoring her sounds of protest in the background (“I can’t believe you’re not taking my word for it,” she was saying, “this is literally my store”). 

Zhongli shrugged. “It is how I was hired as well.” 

“Now that this has all been settled,” Hu Tao cut in, looking very smug, “Childe, come behind the counter. Look at this. That’s the sealing machine. Over there are the blenders— the one Zhongli just used is his favorite and he refuses to use any other machine, but you can use any of the ones you want, because it doesn’t matter and he’s just strange.” 

This was misinformation. “It does matter,” Zhongli corrected. “This is the newest blender, and its blades are the most efficient, yielding the peak consistency for blended beverages. If it is not busy, Childe, I recommend using it, as it will provide the best drinks. When it is very busy, you can use another, but the results will be sub-optimal, so if there is the option…” 

“Ignore him,” said Hu Tao, “He’s the only one who cares. I don’t. Uh… what else. We have a pretty big menu, but I don’t know how long you’ll be working here, so you don’t have to feel pressured to memorize everything. If it’s busy, we’ll have two or more people working, and you can just take the orders up front until you’re comfortable. There’s a book with all the recipes, too, but that’s pretty simple, you just have to be decent with the math and follow the steps.” 

Childe nodded slowly, processing everything. “I mean, I guess I’ve been here a lot. I think I can figure it out.” 

“Mhm!” Hu Tao cried, then glanced at the time and cursed under her breath. “Shit, I was supposed to call my dad five mintues ago. Zhongli, can you show him the rest of the things and ask him about his schedule?” Zhongli nodded. “Okay, great! Have fun boys! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” 

She sprinted off towards her office, which used to be a private room in the old tea parlor Boo Tao’s operated in, leaving Zhongli to direct Childe around the area in the back of the store where most of the drinks were assembled. As he was explaining the different syrups, Childe interrupted. “That was really nice of her to do.” 

Zhongli smiled at him. “It was what we all would do. It was unfair of your friend to put you in that position.” Something in his chest fluttered fleetingly when Childe smiled back. “Perhaps now you will expand your tastes outside of the childish drink you normally order.” 

“Absolutely not.” It was worth a try. “Oh!” Childe said, blue eyes lighting up as a thought came to him, “Maybe this could actually be really good! I can tell everyone else to get it— wake up the citizens of Liyue Harbor. I have credibility now.” 

“I will get you fired,” Zhongli sniped grumpily at him, though the words had no real bite (he wasn’t very good at denying Childe of anything). 

Childe, of course, saw through him and simply rolled his eyes, allowing Zhongli to spend the better portion of the next two hours showing him every aspect of assembling drinks and watching over him as he attempted to make one of his own. Taking a sip, he remembered that Childe had mentioned working in a cafe back at Snezhnaya, the drink in hand reflecting the prior experience. “It is very good,” he complimented, “Much better than Xiao’s earliest attempts.” 

The other man snickered. “You should tell him that. Knock him down a few pegs.” 

“No.” Zhongli still was unsure why Xiao disliked Childe so much, but asking Xiao led to an angry tirade that was only stopped if Aether managed to intervene (this was rare, as he seldom came to the store— his tiny mouse companion, Paimon, was scared of Boo Tao), and asking Childe led to a shrug and a mention of being willing to have a fight and sort it out. 

Zhongli shooed Childe out when Ganyu came in, knowing that the busy atmosphere of the crowds that tended to congregate in the store later in the day would be a poor way to introduce him to the business. He always loved working with Ganyu— her efficiency was unmatched, and she got along very well with Boo Tao the cat. 

At the end of the day, after forcing Ganyu to leave while Zhongli and Hu Tao closed up, because if she was allowed to stay she would spend an extra hour double checking everything and overworking herself, Hu Tao turned to look at Zhongli. 

“So,” she said, one hand on her hip as she watched him sanitize all the machines methodologically, “You’re welcome.”

He was confused. “What?” he asked, tired after the stress constant exposure to Childe put on his mental state and not wanting to speak to Hu Tao. Was getting to close the store up to Xinyan songs in peace too much to ask for?

“I’m getting you a boyfriend,” she said, tone deadpan like the reason was obvious, “It’s not every day such a good opportunity falls into your lap like this. You should feel really lucky! I win, because he’s pretty and will attract customers, and you win, because he’s pretty and attracted you. It’s a win-win for everyone! Wait until I tell Venti.” 

Venti and Hu Tao being friends was the single biggest cause of Zhongli’s premature gray hairs, though no one ever took him seriously when he said so. It was true; he had looked in the mirror one day and found a few nestled among the usual brown and gold, much to his horror— the root cause was immediately apparent. 

He wasn’t going to deny the obvious, in any case. Instead of telling her that he didn’t want to date Childe (lies), he simply shook his head, the aforementioned hair slipping out of his ponytail with the motion. “I have plenty of time,” he said, wrinkling his nose at the unamused look he received in return, “And no need for your interference.” 

Hu Tao was having none of it. “At the rate you’re going, he’s going to be on a boat back to the frozen north before you two get anywhere. I’m just giving you the needed push! Never let it be said that I don’t look out for my subordinates.” 

It was more like meddling, but Zhongli held his tongue and let her continue talking until they were ready to leave. Bidding her goodbye, he made his way back home, the lantern filled streets of Liyue Harbor at night brightening his mood as he walked. 

Perhaps his way of going about things was a little slow, but he had confidence that things would work out in the end, as they so often tended to do. Of this much Zhongli was certain, so though while he was grateful for his friends and their interference, there was no need to rush anything. It would all settle in due time.

Chapter Text

For whatever reason, everyone Hu Tao picked to work at the store always fit in seamlessly (she would say it was because of her “businesswomen skills”, but Zhongli was less sure about that). Childe was no exception. He was good for business, though much to Zhongli’s horror, “being good for business” meant Hu Tao stuck him in the front to look pretty and attract people into the store, where he then proceeded to flirt his way into sales. 

“Is that strictly necessary?” Zhongli asked him, the curve of his mouth set into a slightly downward slant, the only outward sign of his disapproval, watching as Childe blew a kiss to the three girls who had just left, casting back side glances over their shoulders as they did so. 

Childe grinned. “Ah, I’m just being friendly! Besides, they took my recommendation on what to order, so it’s the least I could do.” 

Zhongli shrugged at that, conceding the point but inwardly still unamused, then turned on his heel and swept off in a flourish, ducking around to the other side of the counter to clean off his favorite blender. Were he a lesser man the motion may have been viewed as his own version of pouting, but Zhongli, a refined individual, would never do any such thing. His blender simply needed attention. 

Childe looked like he was going to call out to Zhongli for a second, but the cheerful bells Hu Tao had placed at the entrance sign interrupted him, signalling the entrance of the beginning rush of teenagers that made up the majority of their Friday night crowd. Beside Zhongli, standing next to the other blender, Chongyun let out a groan. 

“Not this again,” he sighed out, turning around to busy himself with sealing the drink he was currently holding and ignoring the daunting task ahead of them. 

Zhongli privately agreed with the sentiment, especially when Childe immediately began recommending the same oreo slush that he always did, winking conspiratorially and saying, “it’s on sale!” to get people to fall into buying it. Hu Tao was already talking about making him Employee of the Month.

“I don’t even know how to make this drink,” Chongyun said, staring flatly at the sticker on the cup Childe had just passed them from the register and looking up imploringly at Zhongli for help. 

“That’s because no one ever ordered it until recently,” he said back, reaching a hand up to pinch the space between his brows in mild frustration before motioning for Chongyun to hand him the cup. “Still, since we will likely have to make it more frequently going forward, it can’t hurt to teach you how. You know how to make other slushes, yes?”

“Yeah, I do! Normally it’s just like… matcha or something though… I don’t know what to do with cookies.” 

Because oreos don’t belong in our drinks, was what Zhongli thought privately, but there was no need to take it out on poor Chongyun when the real source of the problem was leaning over the register to smile convincingly at patrons. “Here,” he said instead, “It’s quite simple. I prefer to crush the cookies first, to achieve an optimal texture, as it’s easier to see when you do it separately, but for time’s sake it is fine to…” He spent the next few minutes supervising Chongyun, who, as expected, managed to make the drink flawlessly, then handed it shyly to the person who ordered it. 

“Does Childe actually like the drink?” the boy asked Zhongli, who paused from where he was assembling the next drink to listen, “I had it once, when I was learning the menu… I don’t think it’s very good.” He wrinkled his nose thinking of the memory. 

Actually, when Xiao had first recommended it to Childe, the drink in question had been, simply put, horrible. It was one of Hu Tao’s initial recipes, back when the store had nearly first opened and was still testing its menu, and had only stuck around because of the children that would sometimes order it by name alone. But since Childe had, for some reason, enjoyed it, Zhongli had been secretly devoting time into improving the recipe and its proportions. 

He wasn’t sure if Childe himself had noticed or not because the other man had yet to bring it up, but Zhongli was now fairly confident that the Boo Tao’s oreo slush was fit to be served to paying customers, and his only real issue with it was solely based on principles. Who came to a tea shop and didn’t order tea?

He told Chongyun as much, too engrossed in explaining the changes to notice Childe abandoning his job at the register. “Oh?” Childe asked, arms snaking around to cage Zhongli where he stood, tucking his chin over his shoulder and grinning at a very shocked looking Chongyun, “So the ever-indifferent Zhongli actually cares about little old me and my shitty drink preferences?” 

There were seldom three staff members working at once at Boo Tao’s, so Chongyun’s shock was understandable, never falling victim to being in the same room as the two of them before. Childe’s clinginess, while hopelessly endearing (and very appreciated, as Zhongli was a very closet fan of physical touch and was secretly clingy himself), was also very frustrating. 

Zhongli wasn’t stupid— perhaps a bit dense at times, but he could tell when someone was interested in him. Childe, with his clinginess that was nearly targeted towards him, was about as obvious as they came, yet somehow still managed to consistently evade Zhongli’s even more blatant messages of reciprocation, so convinced it was out of the question. Childe, unlike Zhongli, was in fact incredibly stupid. 

Huffing good-naturedly, Zhongli twisted around to frown in mock-anger. “Of course I care,” he said, mildly affronted. Then, stopping to think for a moment, he amended, “Well, about you. The drink is another story, but I suspect we have all grown tired on my take on it.” 

He tried in vain to extricate himself from Childe’s grip, but the other man simply tightened his arms and dug his chin into his shoulder further, causing Zhongli to wince slightly in pain (Childe’s chin was very pointy). “Don’t go,” Childe said, tucking his face against Zhongli’s neck, the soft fluff of his hair brushing against his collarbones and making up for the pain he had caused, his voice slightly muffled from where his mouth was pressed near Zhongli’s pulse. 

“Get off him!” screeched Hu Tao, emerging from the back room to shove Childe back towards the register— for such a tiny person, she sure was very strong— “I don’t pay you too to scar poor Chongyun! He has enough to deal with.” 

The mad rush of a Friday evening at Boo Tao’s was always an adrenaline spike, Zhongli mused as he once again went through his closing shift cleaning rituals. Childe, having no respect for proper custom, didn’t see the point in the strict order of cleaning Zhongli enforced, but followed along anyway, making it go a lot faster than it had weeks ago, before he had been there with him. 

When they finished with everything, Childe wandered off to find Boo Tao the cat. She had already developed an unhealthy obsession with him back when he was a normal regular, something that only worsened when he joined the staff, as she had spent the entirety of his first week following him around religiously. 

He brought her back over to Zhongli, and the two of them watched as she ate the food Hu Tao left out for her before she had shoved herself back in her office, stressed about her upcoming essay due. “She’s really cute,” Childe sighed out, blue eyes brightening as they followed her movements, “Have you guys ever thought about making this place a full cat cafe?” 

Zhongli considered the question. “It was brought up once, I believe— Hu Tao frequently goes through creative phases, and it was one of her ideas, but as Boo Tao is her own personal cat and she did not want to take care of more than she could manage, we shelved it. Still, Boo Tao is quite cute… I often wish I owned her instead.” 

“Do you want a cat?” was the immediate offer he received. “We can go get you a cat, if you’d like to have one.” 

While he was flattered by the proposal, it wouldn’t be realistic. “My roommate is allergic,” Zhongli admitted reluctantly. The one time he had brought Boo Tao over, Venti nearly died, sneezing so hard and with so much force it almost felt like their whole apartment was shaking. “It’s not so bad; I do have a rock, Azhdaha, and he is fairly decent company.” 

Childe frowned. “Venti is? Man, that sucks… it’s okay though! Maybe I’ll get one then, so you have to come over and hang out with me to see it.” Had Zhongli ever even been to where Childe lived? Childe had been over to his own apartment a few times, once to binge watch the war movies he was so fond of and once to sleep after dinner with the Boo Tao’s staff, since it was nearby and the trains weren’t running for him to go back to his place. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen your apartment,” he informed Childe, who looked very confused to hear it, “so I wouldn’t mind.” 

“What?” Childe was squinting at him to make sure he wasn’t lying. “No, that can’t be right… I could’ve sworn…” he trailed off to look at Boo Tao, who had finished her food and was now seemingly asleep, a tiny speck of dark fur in the corner of the store. “That’s okay,” he ultimately decided on, “I’ll just invite you over sometime soon, then, to make up for it!” 

Zhongli smiled at him. “Alright, Ajax,” he replied, secretly delighted at the surprised noise Childe let out at the sound of his name (he couldn’t remember when he had gotten over his awkward refusal to use the name Ajax, though after seeing the way Childe always flushed prettily in response to it meant that he certainly regretted not starting it much earlier). 

Apparently, “sometime soon” actually meant “the very next day”, because as soon as Zhongli blinked his eyes open to the sound of the Glaze Lily soundtrack alarm Guizhong had installed for him four years ago, he was met with a row of notifications from Childe. 

ajax!!!!!: zhongliiiiiiiiiiiii

ajax!!!!!: do u like pancakes

ajax!!!!!: or any other breakfast food

ajax!!!!!: i woke up super early this morning idk why since it’s saturday and i wanted to sleep but i did 

ajax!!!!!: and so i went to the store and bought a lot of food and now i need something to do with it 

ajax!!!!!: so i thought if u wanted u can come over and i can cook for u! i’m a good cook i promise

The messages were only a few minutes old; Zhongli checked the time to see if it would still be appropriate to eat breakfast, and, after deciding that it would be fine, immediately replied. 

Zhongli: That would be wonderful, thank you. 

Zhongli: I do enjoy pancakes. When should I arrive, and what is your address? 

ajax!!!!!: u can come over whenever, rn if u want im not busy 

ajax!!!!!: here’s the place [address] 

Zhongli: Okay, I will be there soon ＼(＾▽＾)／

Grumbling fondly, he rolled back over and covered his face with his hands, unwilling to get up despite himself. Zhongli tended to be easy to get out of bed and to start the day, though, so the lethargy didn’t last long— it was only that he had just now decided that yes, today would be the day that he finally stopped waiting around and properly explained his intentions towards Childe, and he was a little nervous. 

It also didn’t take long to get ready, though trying to tame his hair was quite a challenging struggle, as it had gotten all mussed from sleep and was exceedingly unruly. This was compounded by the fact that he couldn’t find any of his own elastic ties, and had to try and sneak into Venti’s room to steal some of his. His roommate, a very light sleeper, woke up almost instantly, and immediately began interrogating him. 

“What are you doing?” Venti demanded, only half awake and still too energetic for Zhongli, his hair a similar mess and barely even in braids, “Why are you taking my things?” 

“I apologize,” replied Zhongli, who felt no guilt whatsoever and did not mean the apology in any way. “I have to step out for the morning and could not find anything to keep my hair tied up of my own, so I had to borrow one of yours. I hope it is alright with you.” He also did not care in the slightest whether or not it was alright with Venti; he had plans today and no one, bard or otherwise, was going to get in his way. 

“Where in Celestia’s name are you going at—” Venti checked his phone, blinking blearily at the bright light that shone through the almost pitch black of his room, “eight in the morning? It’s Saturday. You never have plans on Saturday morning unless you’re doing one of your weird hikes with Xiao. I know because in the evenings I’m the one who has to drag you out.”

While Venti was speaking, Zhongli busied himself with trying to use the light to find what he had originally come into the room for. “I have to go to Childe’s,” he informed Venti over his shoulder, “He is making pancakes for us. It has been a very long time since I ate a pancake.” 

Venti groaned as soon as Zhongli mentioned Childe, but sighed reluctantly in acceptance nonetheless. “Fine, fine, go have fun with him… leave poor Venti here all alone, to talk to the walls since there’s no one to keep me company… I’ll be fine though… you don’t have to worry about little old me…” 

“Hush,” said Zhongli, rolling his eyes slightly and then sweeping as gracefully as one could in the dark out of Venti’s room. “There’s congee in the fridge if you’re hungry,” he added over his shoulder where he was poised by the frame of the door, “So don’t complain about not having food. It’s there; I checked.” 

Getting only a half hearted mumble of agreement in response, he decided to shut the door gently behind him as he left, feeling a little guilty for waking Venti up. Still, glancing at his phone to double check the address he was sent, Zhongli couldn’t find it in him to feel too bad. After all, he had lost count of the number of times Venti rudely barged into his room to wake him up, screaming about something or the other and ruining his sleep. 

Childe’s apartment wasn’t too far away, perhaps only a ten minute walk, so Zhongli decided to forgo the train and take in the crisp, wintery weather (as wintery as Liyue, a nation famous for its general mild seasons, could get, though in comparison to the eternal springtime of Mondstadt, well… at least there was a winter). As he walked, he put in his headphones to listen to the Xinyan playlist Venti had recommended to him, the one he was steadily making his way through. Even though the rock music was a little louder than what he generally listened to, preferring softer orchestral pieces, he did enjoy it as a change of pace, and so the walk went by fast. 

The building Childe lived in was one of Liyue’s fancier new ones, the kind that had popped up in recent years as the Harbor’s population had boomed and was sleeker than the older sections of the city, though still in the traditional red and gold shades that were required of all construction within the city limits. 

Pushing the frankly unnecessarily heavy door open, Zhongli made his way inside, only to be met with a very ornate lobby with a mask-wearing receptionist standing at the counter. He was no stranger to money, having been raised in one of Liyue’s founding families, but for the past few years he had been living on his own and was at once struck by the difference (in contrast, the building he lived in with Venti was very old and the idea of a receptionist being present there was laughable). 

“Hello,” he greeted her, glancing down at the gold namecard that said Ekaterina , a very foreign sounding name, “My name is Zhongli. I’m here for… Childe… or perhaps it’s Ajax, I don’t know… It is apartment 11C.”

Ekaterina, for some reason, sounded quite thrilled to see him. “Oh, you’re here for Mr. Tartaglia? I’ll let him know you’re here.” Dropping her voice, she added, “Just between you and me, I’m very glad he has someone to come visit him. He rarely gets any visitors. You can go on ahead, if you’d like. The elevators are to your left. Feel free to come back down if you need any assistance.” 

The whole interior of the building was in shades of golds and browns, giving the trip in the elevator a very elegant feel to it. Zhongli, drawing up to the door and double-checking the number to be sure he had stopped at the right one, knocked twice and then let his arm fall back to the ground, uncharacteristically anxious. 

He wasn’t even given time to be anxious in peace, as the door swung open nearly instantly, almost as though Childe had been waiting by it for him. The thought of that replaced the nervousness with a flush of warmth, instead, thinking of how cute the other man could be. Childe was wearing a striped apron and had his normally fluffy hair tied up in multiple tiny puffs, a little smudge of flour under his bottom lip that Zhongli couldn’t help but brush off with his thumb, giggling a little at the look of surprise that flashed across Childe’s face. 

“What are you doing?” Childe squeaked, ignoring Zhongli laughing at him to drag him inside his entryway and shove the door closed. “Don’t do that!” 

“You had flour on your face,” Zhongli said back earnestly. “It was an easy enough fix.” 

Looking around, it was hard to tell that the apartment even had an owner, no signs of Childe present anywhere in view, the entire place looking sterile and almost bare, with only sparsely allocated furniture and no personal belongings whatsoever. Catching Zhongli’s gaze as it roamed around, Childe sheepishly cleared his throat. “Ah… sorry. I guess I still haven’t had much time to decorate it yet, since I’ve been mostly out of the house to do other things. That’s why I don’t really invite people over; I’d much rather go to yours and Venti’s.” 

“And we’re happy to have you,” Zhongli said, not wanting the message to be conveyed incorrectly. He tucked himself carefully on the stool by the kitchen island, noting that the kitchen, at least, looked well lived in, if only due to the ingredients strewn across every free surface. “But I do think that to truly feel at home in Liyue, it would do you good to decorate a little. It is my opinion that—”

He was interrupted by Childe putting a perfect plate of pancakes down. “Is it good?” the ginger man asked, grabbing a plate of his own and nervously glancing over at Zhongli, who was now cutting elegantly into his food to try it. “I got the recipe from Venti, who apparently got it from some girl in Mondstadt… her version has roses in it, but I couldn’t figure out how that worked.” 

Finally swallowing, Zhongli paused for a moment. They really were rather good, if a bit sweeter than the breakfast he normally ate was. Liyuen breakfasts in general didn't tend to be sweet. “The whale you drew with the syrup is more than good enough decoration,” he reassured Childe, who was now also eating, “and you truly are a good chef. However, I really must emphasize that you ought to live more properly. It will help you take care of yourself and feel better adjusted.” 

Childe, cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk, held up a finger to ask Zhongli to wait a second while he finished chewing. “We can’t all be like you,” he said, though there was no bite to the words, “I don’t think it’s too bad, personally.” 

Zhongli felt his own cheeks flush. “While I do admit that maybe I have a slight attachment problem when it comes to holding onto mementos and small trinkets, I’m not asking you to meet my extreme. I just don’t want you to feel lonely or bored in this apartment while on your own, and if we are truly getting a cat, well it would only do for it to have a proper home as well.” 

Frowning a little, Childe conceded the point. The tiny wrinkle in his forehead as he agreed was really quite adorable, Zhongli thought to himself, then found himself struck with the sudden desire to hold the other man, perhaps overwhelmed by the domesticity of the whole situation, spending the early morning eating breakfast together and bickering affectionately. They had migrated to the sink, where Childe was humming some Snezhnayan drinking song (he was always humming one of those; it was now something Zhongli firmly associated with Childe despite the two of them only having gone for drinks once or twice). His silhouette as he worked was lit up by the sun streaming in from the window, one of the perks of living so high up (at least, as high as one could get in Liyue) being the unobstructed access to sunlight, giving him an almost glow. 

While normally content to take his time with things, secure in his philosophy of letting pass by him naturally, Zhongli, for whatever reason, all at once felt like if he didn’t act now on the casual flirtation and interest he and Childe had been building up for the past few months, it would never be done.

And so, making up his mind on the spot, he slid a little closer to Childe, then tapped him on the shoulder and, without giving him the opportunity to speak, kissed him firmly on the mouth. Sighing into the kiss, Childe let Zhongli run his fingers through the hair on the back of his head, tilting his face up to slot their mouths together better and undoing the little ties that had looked so cute before, then abruptly pulled away. 

“What was that?” Childe demanded, the flush of his face and the gleam in his eye that was so rarely present both making him look more animated than Zhongli had ever seen him before. 

“I have been dropping hints for months at this point, very unsubtly. If you don’t know what this was by now, I don’t know what to tell you.” 

“Oh my god…” Childe covered his mouth with his hand. “So you mean all this time you were being serious?” That was a little offensive. Zhongli didn’t think anything he had done so far warranted the impression that he would toy with the other’s feelings; when he told Childe as much, the man hastily attempted to reassure him. “No, no I didn’t mean it like that. I guess my friends back home were right when they said I was a little stupid, huh…” 

Zhongli snorted. “A little?” 

“That’s not fair!” Childe cried, but moved back nearer to where Zhongli was standing regardless. “Your first day dating me, and you’re already being mean. Isn’t there supposed to be some sort of honeymoon period where you’re so obsessed with me I can do no wrong?” 

Zhongli was very vividly reminded of their first meeting, when Childe had walked into Boo Tao’s and he had fallen on the floor in shock. “We already had that,” he informed Childe. “It was the first time I saw you. Remember? I even fell down.” 

“That was because of me?” 

“Unfortunately so,” Zhongli sighed. “I have since learned better than to fall victim to your charms, of course.”

“Of course.” Childe nodded along, ginger hair catching the light again with the motion. “That’s why you kissed me, obviously. Because you’re immune to my charms.” 

Zhongli leaned over to kiss him again, half to shut Childe up and half because the fact that this was now a thing he could do at will was thrilling to him. Once Childe had been kissed into compliance, he then brought up another thing he had been thinking about. “About your furniture, Ajax,” he said, purposefully including Childe’s name to get him to agree with what he was about to suggest, “are you busy for the rest of the day? If not, might I suggest going to purchase some?”

Childe rolled his eyes. “I’m not busy, I guess.” There was a beat of silence before he added, as though suddenly realizing: “I can’t believe you’re taking me to get furniture on our first date. Isn’t that skipping a couple steps?” 

Now it was Zhongli’s turn to roll his eyes. “Shush. We have spent the past few months going on all manner of dates, even if you did not know it at the time. Now first let us look through your room and compile a list of items we will need to purchase; if we move fast we can leave with plenty of time to get everything. Where is your bedroom? We can start there.” 

“I never thought I’d say this,” Childe began, pouting a little, “But I don’t think I like that question coming from you.” 

The two of them soon found themselves in front of a bright blue building, Childe hurrying inside due to how he wasn't dressed appropriately for the weather. Zhongli paused from where he was grabbing a shopping cart with similarly colored blue handles and a shockingly yellow bag to chastise him. “Do you own any shirts that don’t show your stomach?” 

Childe only laughed at him. “I’m from Snezhnaya, remember? Even if it’s a little chilly outside, it’s nothing compared to back home.” He changed the subject then, aware that if he didn’t Zhongli would revert into lecturing him again. “So… what are we here to buy?”  

“Let me check the list.” There were a lot of things that needed to be purchased, considering the emptiness of nearly every room in Childe’s house, so Zhongli had put them all in the Notes app on his phone the way Ganyu had taught him. Grasping the cart handle, he started to push it further inside, beckoning for Childe to follow him into the main showrooms that had all of the assembled furniture on display. 

Childe, predictably, attempted to beeline towards the kitchen section, waiting until Zhongli’s back was turned and then cutting through the displays instead of following the marked paths. Zhongli, who was noting the number of the coffee table he had decided on down on the notepads that were made available, finished writing and then looked up to see no Childe in sight. 

The next twenty minutes or so were spent wandering around aimlessly, unsure on whether to proceed without Childe or not and then deciding to anyway. Zhongli did find a good desk and chair for him in the office section though, able to concentrate without Childe hovering over his shoulder and asking a million questions, and also, unable to resist, put a desk lamp in the cart for himself as well. Yes, he already had a lamp, but there was no harm in having another— it would be a waste of craftsmanship to leave it alone, too, its ergonomic design too well-done to pass up. There were also magnets, ones that were round and brightly colored and would look excellent on the fridge Venti had dragged into their home two years ago. He couldn’t decide about which colors to choose from, so he simply shoved one of each into the cart as well. Hopefully Childe wouldn’t mind bearing the cost of the additional items alongside all of his own things. 

As he was moving away from the desk lamps, unwilling to remain there out of fear of suddenly wanting even more than the one he had already suspected, Childe emerged from behind a row of desks, looking altogether more disheveled than he had been when Zhongli had seen him last. 

“This place is a maze,” he complained, shoving his body on the cart and causing it to almost start rolling away, only saved by Zhongli’s quick reflexes. Zhongli grabbed both the cart and Childe, one hand at the small of his back, to keep them both from moving any further. “I wanted to go see if there were new stools for my counter, because even though the ones I have now work fine they’re a little too low, and I found good ones but by the time I finished I couldn’t figure out how to get back.” 

Childe wasn’t wrong about the stools being too low, Zhongli conceded, because he had had to stoop uncomfortably to sit down. “It is rather confusing,” Zhongli frowned at him, “If you don’t keep to the path. If you had, I would think it fairly straightforward, as everything is marked clearly.” 

He received a dismissive wave. “That’s boring,” Childe said, then peered into the cart and raised an eyebrow at the seven packets of magnets. “Are those for me?” 

“No, unless you would like some as well, to hang up the letters your siblings have written you on the fridge. They’re just over here.” 

Brightening at the idea, Childe nodded and went to pick out some of his own, though he was much more fiscally responsible than Zhongli and exercised enough restraint to only get two sets, both blue. “I actually got home yesterday after work and saw one from Tonia. She drew you, too, since I’ve mentioned you so much; remind me when we get back and I’ll show you.” 

Zhongli, despite never having met Childe’s younger siblings, had come to hear a lot about them over the course of getting to know their older brother, and was thus already quite fond of the three. The fact that Tonia not only knew who he was but saw him important enough to draw made him feel more pleased than it should have, ducking his head awkwardly and mumbling out agreement. Childe only giggled and grabbed his arm to steer him through the store, bypassing the kitchen (since he had already been through the area) to get to the dining section. They didn’t spend very long there, since Childe already had a workable breakfast table, and they managed to bypass the majority of the bedding as well, even as Zhongli grabbed random small items and placed them in their basket, so they eventually found themselves standing in the children’s section. 

“I don’t think we need to get anything here,” Zhongli began, only to be interrupted by Childe immediately running towards the plushies, turning with a whale one in hand and making pleading eyes at him. Drawing closer, Zhongli took a moment to observe it, deciding that it was in all actuality quite cute and matched with Childe well. “Do you want this?” 

“Yes!” exclaimed Childe, who immediately stopped with the expression and beamed happily instead. “I didn’t know if it was okay, but it’s so cute…” 

“Of course it’s okay. We are shopping for things you would enjoy, after all, so if you wish to own the whale then we can purchase one for you.” Initially, he had actually quite disliked whales, as everything relating to the ocean brought back unpleasant seaside memories of his youth, but Childe’s enthusiasm for them had rubbed off on him slightly, enough that he inwardly agreed that the stuffed whale was extremely cute to look at.

Childe leaned up to peck him on the mouth, then turned back to the giant piles of stuffed animals on display with newfound determination. “I’m going to see if there’s anything else I want, or if it’s just the whale. You wait here, pumpkin.” 

Zhongli blinked at the name but said nothing, content to let Childe flutter in between the different types and observe each one, occasionally raising a plushie to his chest and squeezing it, as if testing how soft it was. Growing bored, he was struck with the sudden want to have Childe’s attention back on him, and he made his way nearer and bit the other man’s shoulder, as one obviously does when wanting attention. 

“Ow, what the fuck?” Childe swore, turning to look at Zhongli. “Why would you do that? What are you doing?” 

“Making you look at me,” Zhongli informed him primly, then promptly bit him again, sliding his arms around to bracket Childe and feeling immensely pleased with himself when he felt the ginger man shiver slightly in his hold. The woman who had been near them, similarly observing the plushies, stared at the two of them for a moment judgementally before quickly turning away. 

“Sorry,” Childe offered an apology to her, hands now attempting at prying Zhongli off of him, “He’s teething.” Zhongli, privately thinking this was amusing, shook silently with laughter against where he had now buried his head on Childe’s back, then raised his gaze to watch her leave, evidently deciding that it wasn’t worth it to remain near the two of them. “What’s gotten into you?” Childe asked him, turning his attention away from her, “I’m normally the touchy one.” 

“I’m not sure,” Zhongli replied, earnest, and reluctantly withdrew away, “but I want to be near you.” 

He noted affectionately that Childe’s ears were turning red in embarrassment. “Is that a cafe?” Childe said instead, attempting to change the subject. It was amusing how he was normally so tactile and bold, yet faltered at the first sign of real affection. 

Humoring him, Zhongli nodded. “Yes, let’s go. We have been here longer than I thought, actually; you must be hungry.” They made their way through the snaking line, Zhongli immediately finding himself unable to decide between which boxed juice to get and Childe shaking his head before placing one of each on the tray for him, and eventually walked with their food through the seating areas. 

The place was quite full, all of Liyue having apparently decided to do their shopping on the same day and break for lunch at the same time, so they found themselves by the only available table in the area meant for children. The ensuing struggle of two fully grown, very tall men trying to force their limbs into the tiny, brightly colored chairs was long, but they did manage it after a while. 

“It’s no fair that you’re good with a fork when I can’t use chopsticks,” Childe grumbled, stabbing a meatball on the end of his own fork and raising it up to the light to examine it. He proceeded to eat it all in one go, chewing quickly and swallowing it faster than food should ever be eaten. “This is pretty good, though. I wasn’t expecting that from a furniture store.” 

Zhongli did not get the meatballs, opting instead to try all of the juice and a slice of almond cake (he, unlike Childe, had had many pancakes and was still fairly full), but let Childe feed him one of his, nearly bumping into the tiny table and knocking everything over as he did so. “They are actually known for their food as well,” he mentioned to his boyfriend after finishing the bite, “so I am not surprised that it tastes nice. I do wish there had been a different place to sit at instead, though.” 

“Also,” he added, only belatedly realizing what Childe had said earlier, “Of course I am good with a fork. You’re the one who lacks the necessary coordination to master chopsticks.” 

Childe frowned. “I have plenty of coordination. I’m proficient in seven different types of weaponry.” 

“And yet chopsticks evade you,” Zhongli mocked, watching with satisfaction as Childe frowned at him, then abruptly realizing that maybe Venti and Hu Tao had rubbed off on him more than he would care to admit and promptly feeling great distress. “Are you finished with your food?” he asked after a fifteen minute break, where they had discussed the remainder of what needed to be bought and Childe agreed with zero hesitation to pay for all of Zhongli’s additional items. 

“Yeah I am,” Childe replied, then visibly melted as Zhongli picked up his tray for him and intertwined the fingers of his other hand with Childe’s. “Where are we off to next?”

“The marketplace.” Zhongli had only been to the store once in his life before coming with Childe, but from that trip he could remember enjoying the marketplace tremendously, with its rows upon rows of helpful household items. Xiao had had to pry him away from the cup section by force, as he had spent the better portion of an hour trying to decide between which ones to bring back home with him. 

Unlike Xiao, Childe was far more willing to indulge him, though most of what he picked up was meant for Childe’s apartment and not his own personal use. After finishing the bulk of their shopping, they went to the warehouse, where they spent a half hour trying to arrange all of their boxes before ultimately deciding to just pay to have the furniture delivered to the Northland Apartment Complex that Childe lived in (they had not planned ahead enough to bring a car, so this would’ve been necessary regardless). 

They did keep their smaller items, shoved haphazardly in an eco-friendly blue bag that cost around a thousand mora and was simultaneously supremely ugly and also fun to look at. Zhongli was holding it, swinging it as he walked hand in hand with Childe outside the building to pause outside the brightly colored storefront. 

“Let’s take a picture.” After their first date (it was a date) to the museum, Childe often insisted on taking photos together to remember their days, today being no exception. Zhongli, unwilling to do anything but agree, found his phone in the depths of the blue bag and turned the camera on them, clicking the Kamera button and instantly being surprised as Childe, instead of smiling, moved to kiss him on the cheek instead. 

“We’re so cute,” Childe cooed, “You especially. What are you doing?” 

“Sending it to Venti.” Pocketing his phone, Zhongli held out an arm for Childe to take. “He should be pleased to receive it. Other than myself, he was perhaps the biggest advocate for our relationship. Shall we head back?” 

“Sure,” agreed Childe, grinning back at him, “Let’s go. Maybe now the place will be fit for a cat.” The trip back was pleasant, interrupted only by a very angry string of texts from Venti. 

Barbatos: zhongli u absolute bitch 

Barbatos: no bc what is the meaning of this? 

Barbatos: just dropping this on me and leaving when i get my hands on u 

Barbatos: after all the work i did for u… to betray me like this now… 

Barbatos: i hope the first day of ur relationship was worth it bc it’s going to also be ur last

Barbatos: that’ll teach u to never cross venti