Chapter Text
Zhongli’s memories go back to thousands of years ago. He could still remember the feeling of the air dancing around them when he watched over Guyun Stone Forest with Xiao for the first time. HE still remembers the faint sobs of his enemies begging for his mercy- to be spared and forgiven. He remembers what he feels everyday whenever he wakes up.
Emptiness and longing.
Because for thousands of years, Zhongli felt alone.
Even with the adeptis and his comrades by his side, he felt a strong void in his heart no one can fill nor go near as to even dare try. Guizhong, his closest friend only came close as to being someone he appreciates seeing daily, but he knew she was far from the thing- or someone that can fill the gap in his heart.
That is until, she came.
“Allow me to introduce, Mr. Zhongli, consultant to an organization known as Wangsheng… and a trusted associate of the Fatui,” Childe with his brimming smile gestured towards him. The girl he came in with sparing him a calculating glance which he returned for a spare second. It is rude to stare at strangers you haven’t met yet.
Blonde hair, golden honey eyes, and pale skin that seems to have good complexion judging from the natural light blush on her cheeks and pink tinted lips.
Natural, was the first word he thought of her.
“It’s an honor to meet you. I have heard tell of you from Mondstadt”, their eyes meet, both staring deep in each other’s golden eyes. She hasn’t spoken to him, only pursed questions to words that were vague to her like his line of work. Instead, her companion talked.
They left the place with the agreement that she’ll help him with the ritual, and he left with the impression that he wasn’t going to be associated with the girl any further after their task. She was just another traveler- or more, but he didn’t care. It has been a thousand of years since he did so.
But then the unexpected happened.
During their short journey to places like Dadupa Gorge, the market in Liyue, and right at his stature, he felt something new.
“So, Morax once had the body of a woman?”, she inquired, voice soft and low as if she’s just speaking to herself. Zhongli hummed, nodding as he proceeded to answer as they walked towards the inn. “For a short period of time. And on a dare, I suppose.” That caught the traveler’s interest as she immediately stopped her tracks and looked at him with wide curious eyes. “A dare? An archon did it for a dare?”, she covered her mouth as she gasped, looking down to mumble to herself.
It was interesting how she’s finally opening her true self to him. She’s always been rather quiet, timid, and only talked when she decided the situation is fit for her to put her hands on her hips and shake her head.
“I mean based on Venti’s story I guess they never really had an original form… but why would they do that?”, he heard her mutter to herself. Venti? She knows of Barbatos?
He cleared his throat, garnering her reaction which offered a half-surprised/half-annoyed Lumine to look up at him with a slight pout. For a split second, he felt his chest tightened- but it’s a fraction too fast that he proceeded to ignore it and ask away. “Venti? You know B- the bard”, he corrected himself so smoothly she didn’t notice the slight mistake at all.
She all but nodded. “He helped with the Mondstadt incident. Carried my back there too”, she grinned at him, yet he only returned scrunched brows and a very confused look. Because if Zhongli isn’t mistaken, this woman in front of him knows the Anemo Archon’s identity.
‘Why would Barbatos be calm about that?’
‘Ah but of course… he’s Barbatos’
He heaved a sigh and shook his head, clearing the thoughts away. Lumine stared up at him with a curious gaze and tilted her head as she asked, “Do you know him?”
“I’ve heard of him.”
“The best bard of Mondstadt?”, she smiled at him cheekily, waiting for his response.
“Perhaps a drunken bard?”, It wasn’t much of a joke, Zhongli knew. His humor was always off and not funny and he wasn’t expecting anything from her. It was a fact that the bard was a drunkard. But when she made that awful good noise when she laughed, Zhongli felt a vary unfamiliar feeling wash over him.
Warmth.
It was past in the dark and the only light around them were that of the moon, the stars, and a lamp a few feet away from them. But in Zhongli’s sight, the girl in front of him glows of a shiny color that makes him feels things he never thought he was able to feel.
Closeness and familiarity.
Was the joke really that good?
“Yep, I get that a lot about him whenever I encounter someone who knows his name”, she smiled. Zhongli only blinked as he suppressed the feeling of reaching his right hand to his chest to feel it. It was thumping regularly but it felt different.
“But he’s nice. He’s actually the one to tell me to go here for the rite but… oh well”, she shrugged, still smiling at him and staring with those big gold doe eyes.
“I see.”
She nodded, still smiling at him. He didn’t know what was going on but he was sure it was her effect on him.
“Oiii! What’s taking you so long! Paimon is hungry!”, they turned to the direction where their floating companion awaits them with a big frown on her small face. “Ah, we should go. Paimon is a terrible sleeping companion when she’s hungry”, she gave him one last smile before she ran before him and left to her friend.
As she was inching away from him, Zhongli felt another feeling. A familiar feeling crawling back.
Emptiness.
Huh.
“How odd”, he said to himself before following the lady and their companion to the inn. Perhaps he was surprised by her is all.
Oh, how he was mistaken.
After he made a contract with the Fatui, he knew it was time to step over. To do nothing and start fresh. However, when his curiosity brought him to watch the fight with Osial up close, he almost died- and possibly killed himself as he watched the scene unfold.
He was on the shore where the waves were wild and the scene mid-air was visible from where he stood. The traveler is fighting for him. For Liyue. They all are.
He contemplated on doing something but if he did so, it would break the contract he forged. He would be going against himself, the being of his power. He will face the wrath of the rock. His own rock.
So instead, he watched her face against the fatuis, gaining blessings from the Adeptis as she went on.
‘Good’
At least in a way, she’s getting help.
It was some time soon when he figured that the battle is going to end soon- with high chances of having no causalities. That is until the ground they were standing on collapse after receiving a hit from the Osial. Numbers of soldiers stated falling only to be saved by an adepti or a qixing, but it was when a familiar flock of blonde that was falling in the sky that got him to summon his spear and ready his powers- but he stopped when he saw a familiar adepti dashing through the air, catching her in his arms.
Xiao.
Xiao saved her.
It was only when he saw them land and finished the fight when he finally released the breath, he didn’t know he was holding. Lumine almost died. For him. Because of him.
He let’s go of his spear, allowing it to materialize to dust as it hits the ground before he glared at the now calm see in thought.
Start fresh. Start new.
The last contract of Liyue has been made.
And he agreed to it.
Needless to say, when she finally found out that he was the Geo Archon all along, he expected more reaction from her.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand”, she frowned as her companion continued to interrogate him instead. He didn’t look at her, afraid to make a mistake or say something wrong. But he eventually did so, when he started his monologue on why he did it.
So, when he told her to try Inazuma to pursue her search for her brother, he was curious why that struck a chord in him. He didn’t like saying it, and he didn’t like that the traveler was looking at him with doubt in her eyes.
But he tried to play it off as he said god bye. “Well then. I suppose you’ll have to find a way to get inside this closed nation. Have patience… I suspect that some serendipity must first come into play…”, as he said these words, Lumine started to smile, hitting him with a sharp feeling. It was good, he concluded, but it made it hard for him to turn around and leave the sight of the beautiful blonde smiling.
“See you around, Zhongli”
Dear Archons, he was a god, but he prayed to see that smile again, and at least be the reason for it some time.
Because warmth may be produced by anything, and he found it in her smile.
But to fill the void in his heart may take time.
Yet their adventure only starts at that.