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Chapter Text

Zhongli sat by the window of his workshop, planning and drafting the painting to be drawn on the next paper umbrella he will be working on. It had been years since he had announced his retirement as the Archon of Geo.

When the age of peace was finally attained, he decided to leave the Liyue that he had lead together with his Adepti and fellow Gods for the past 3700 years or so. After all, people of the nation had prospered enough to govern themselves without further aid of Gods and Adepti alike. The Qixing had proved themselves to be capable in managing the Harbor’s commerce without guidance from Rex Lapis.

He left the Gnosis with Guizhong, who wished to stay with her people. In his half dragon half qilin illuminated beast form, with a crystalized branch with golden leaves in his jaws, he soared high into the sky among the cries and cheers of farewell from his people and friends of many years.

He departed for a journey to travel all around Teyvat, declaring that he was off on a quest to expand his knowledge in cultures of the other nations by paying them each a visit.

About two years ago, the retired Archon travelled across the ocean to the islands of Inazuma. It was four months ago when he finally settled himself in a house of a farming village well known for their yield of high-quality rice, often imported over to Liyue by merchants with their boats. The decently sized house sat at the base of a mountain, next to a forest of bamboo and was rather distant from the village’s main streets.

Zhongli took a liking to the bamboo raised on such fertile soils, consequently deciding to practice the art of wagasa making using the fine raw materials growing in abundance right behind his house as their bones.

Wagasa was the type of oil-paper umbrella used in Inazuma, which shared a similar structure to traditional Liyuan umbrellas due to their same origin. He learned the art from an old master in another village and got hold of it rather quickly thanks to his capable hands, and the fact that he was already proficient with the knowledge of Liyuean umbrella crafting beforehand.

Not only that his works would consist of a sturdy skeleton made from high-quality bamboo, perfectly refined by the hands of the (ex)Geo Archon himself, but the patterns adorned on the umbrella would tell stories of his homeland, of his Liyue. Simply strolling down the village streets with his self-made wagasa in hand as a sun parasol had surprisingly caught the attention of patrons, who had eyes bright enough to recognize the quality of his work.

He began to accept commissions from those patrons to earn his living expenses, for he had decided not to make anymore mora after his retirement as the Geo Archon, or risk messing up the currency system of Teyvat. The only thing that his clients and the villagers knew about him, was how he had hailed from Liyue, and that he held vast knowledge about the traditions of the nation. His true identity was known only to the other Archons and his old friends from Liyue.

Just when Zhongli had just came up with the idea of depicting a certain nine-headed sea serpent as the main character of the story told on his next piece of work, the sound of rain hitting the eaves of his window caught his attention.

Normally, rain wouldn’t be anything extraordinary enough to redirect Zhongli’s attention from his work, but there was something atypical with this particular shower: the sun was still shining bright in the sky as the rain fell, with only a few white, cottony clouds above his head.

‘Ah. A sunshower. This is indeed a rather rare, and astonishing view to enjoy.’ Putting down his charcoal pen, Zhongli leaned onto his windowsill and gazed out of the window, enjoying the sight of raindrops glittering under the mellow afternoon sun, which shone through the thin clouds in such a peculiar weather.

*Knock knock knock*. A few moments later, three rapid knocks came from his front door. The knocks were firm and polite, making sure not to startle the residents inside the house but were loud enough to notify them.

‘Hmm? The client’s next appointment should be in a few days, who would it be to visit at such a timing?’ Usually, Xiao would land at his windowsill to inform him of any unexpected guests — although Zhongli had told him multiple times that he did not have to do that, he had insisted — but since he had convinced the yaksha to accept Barbatos’s invitation to visit him in Mondstadt, the ex-Archon would have to go to the door before finding out who his guest was.

*Knock knock knock*. The visitor knocked again as Zhongli was walking over to the front door.

“A moment, please.” He raised his voice to inform his guest of his presence, and sped up his pace to prevent the person from having to stay out in the rain for too long. He stepped down the step near the entrance to put on his slippers, then reached over to the sliding door to open it for his visitor.

“Greetings, how may I—” His bright golden eyes widened at the person standing at his door, with a cape made of straw over their head to cover themselves from the rain.

He could have expected anyone showing up at his door, let it be an old friend from Liyue paying him a surprise visit; or a passing merchant who came in admiration of his work; maybe a neighbor who decided to visit and offer him their excess food; or even children of the village asking him to tell them stories of Liyue… He could have expected literally anyone, but—

“Greetings, Zhongli Sensei,” Outside the door stood a beautiful young lady in a simple grey kimono with a cardinal red waist band, holding a straw cape above her scruffy auburn hair with a warm smile on her face. Her eyes were a rich deep blue, glittering from the reflection of sunlight in the rain despite being under the shadow of her cape.

“I am sorry for the sudden visit. My name is Tanya, I have arrived to this village after my older sister Anastasia, who married Mr. Watanabe some years ago. I would like to settle in this village too, but it seems that there is still quite a distance to my sister’s house, yet it started pouring from the sky. If you don’t mind, may I seek shelter from the rain in your residence?” Asked the woman with a lovely, beaming smile.

Zhongli couldn’t believe his eyes. Quickly recovering from his astonishment, he stepped aside to make way for Tanya.

“Yes, of course. I do recall Mrs. Watanabe’s hair being the same shade as yours. You and your sister’s hair color are not common around Inazuma, I can trust your words to be true. Please come in, you may leave the mino* at the porch to allow its drying. I will bring you a towel to dry yourself with.”

He invited the lady into his house, and turned back to his bathroom to retrieve a dry towel for her. He returned to see Tanya taking off her sandals and was attempting to brush wet dirt off her socks and legs, probably to prevent dirtying Zhongli’s tatamis* with her feet soiled in the rain.

“Here, Miss.Tanya, please use this towel. You may borrow the shower to further clean yourself with if you wish to.” He offered the auburn-haired lady to clean herself up in his bathroom, which she gratefully accepted. 

“Thank you very much, Zhongli Sensei. I must return your kindness for lending me shelter and your bathroom.” After Tanya had finished tidying herself up, she proposed her idea to Zhongli, who was preparing tea for his unexpected guest in the living room.

“Since the rain doesn’t look like it will stop any time soon, please allow me to repay you by helping you with household chores, and by making you dinner in the meanwhile.” She said with a smile, one that was so familiar and nostalgic to Zhongli.

Although any normal, sane person would know not to accept such a suspicious offer from a literal stranger, Zhongli had to allow this young lady to stay or waste this Celestia-granted chance, for she was…

**********************************************

“I don’t get it, Scaramouche.”

In the woods of a certain mountain beside a farming village of Inazuma, during late spring, lies a red fox and a silver fox. The red fox splayed out on the forest floor with his belly up, his red and white fur bathed in the shifting flickers of sun shining through the leaves above their heads.

He complained to his companion: a smaller silver fox lying beside him with a judging expression on his face, but nevertheless listened to his friend’s laments — about how his human girlfriend had just dumped him.

“I simply offered to cook for her and do all the household chores, why is she unhappy with it? I thought my cooking is good? It is way better than Sister Anya’s and her husband loved them like a crazy man! What made Saki unhappy with me?” The red fox whined, and the silver fox’s face further grimaced at how ridiculous his friend sounded.

“Yeah right. You pretty much did everything around the house, leaving her nothing to contribute to the family with. As far as I know, cooking and household chores are work for the wife, not the husband.” The silver fox, Scaramouche, sneered at the other.

“What makes you think a husband can’t help his wife with housework? I just wanted to pamper her and show her love, so she can just lay back and enjoy life!” The red fox argued back.

“Anyways, she did say that she wanted to do the housework, so I left them for her and spent more time hunting out in the woods. But then, she was upset with the prey that I brought back.” He slapped his white-tipped tail on the fallen leaves, sighing at how he just couldn’t understand her ex.

“No Ajax, you flea brain, do you even understand what Saki wanted from you? She wanted a loving husband, not a sugar daddy! And say, did you come home covered in blood with the carcass of a huge ass boar? So you can ‘impress’ her?” Scaramouche narrowed his eyes and jutted his face nearer to Ajax’s, giving him a glare of judgement.

“How the heck did you know about the boar? And what’s wrong with that?” Oh Archons.

“No wonder why you got dumped. What happened to being considerate? Did you cook it for dinner too? You might as well turn into a women and be a housewife instead!” The silver fox teased, making fun of his stupid friend with the most ridiculous and offending idea ever.

“Hey, isn’t that a bit too harsh?” Hearing his friend’s mockery, the red fox twisted his body to sit up and face the dark pelted fox. “Can’t you be any nicer with your words? Saki just dumped me!” He yelled at the other, almost snarling. The sun that was shining nice and warm just now went hiding behind thin rain clouds, making the sky darken.

“Am I wrong though? Who wants to see their boyfriend with blood on their hands, and probably smiling like a maniac at the same time? You should be happy that Saki put up with you for five whole months! You might as well try even harder to be human!” Scaramouche barked at Ajax, lightning flashed across the grey sky, followed by a low rumble of thunder.

“Kuro*—! Stop fighting your friend!” Just before the arguing foxes could lung towards each other and twist themselves into fight, a familiar voice echoed through the forest. The dark clouds above the forest dispersed, allowing sunlight to shine upon the woods once again.

The pair of foxes immediately halted their snapping jaws. With perked ears, they turned towards the walking path running through the forest. A white-haired young man in a kimono with patterns of maple leaves jogged over to them, followed by an unknown young man in a red kimono with hair tied up into a high, fluffy pony tail.

“Ah-ha, your friend is here, Kuro~” Sitting down on the floor, Ajax teased his dark pelted friend with the nickname the human came up for him.

“Hmmph. I will forgive your stupidity this time for the sake of Kazuha.” Scaramouche snorted. Although he kept a cold look on his face, his tail sold him out by already wagging at the sight of the human that he was fond of.

Kazuha, the ronin who befriended Scaramouche, knelt down beside them and ran a hand over Ajax’s fluffy head and ears to greet him. He then proceeded to pick the silver fox up under his front legs, gently placing him on his back on top of his hakama*.

“Come on Kuro, stop arguing with your friend all the time. You too, Kuro’s friend, be nice to each other, okay? How have you been? I brought a close friend of mine with me this time. I want to introduce him to you, we travel together.” The white-haired youth started chatting one-sidedly to the fox on his lap, introducing his friend and shared interesting stories of his adventures while petting Scaramouche’s black and silver fur.

Ajax simply sat beside them together with Kazuha’s friend, enjoying pets from the two men and listened to the young ronin joyfully speaking to his fox friend, even though he had no idea if the small creature understood his words or not.

“You really like Kazuha, don’t you? How about you just transform and go with him?” Seeing the way that the silver fox relaxed in his human friend’s arms, enjoying the youth’s touches and calming voice while swishing his fluffy tail around happily, Ajax suggested.

The smile on Scaramouche’s silver-framed face was so sincere, it made his normal scowl look like an act. Unfortunately, that face was dropped the moment Ajax finished his sentence.

“No way. What if he found out about us? I’d rather stay like this forever than risk getting found out, or I will have to leave for real and we wouldn’t be able to see each other anymore.” Ears drooping slightly at the depressing thought, the silver fox turned away and his tail stopped wagging, indicating clearly that he didn’t want to discuss the matter any further. Kazuha even thought they were arguing again and tried petting Scaramouche to cheer him up, making the other ronin chuckle.

“Uh alright. Forget it then.”

After bidding farewell to Scaramouche, Kazuha and his friend, Ajax returned deep into the mountain to his home, where he lived with his parents and younger siblings. Crossing the barrier around Kitsune no Sato*, the first thing he saw was his father discussing something with his mother, who threw open the door to their house with a distressed look on her face.

“Ajax!” His mother yelled when she caught sight of his son finally coming home. “Where have you been?! Anthon and Teucer are missing!”

“What????” The red fox cried.

Apparently, the kits were supposed to be taking a nap while their mother was doing the laundry and their father was out hunting for dinner. However, when Mother came back to check on her kits, she found only Tonia laying sound asleep in her fox form on the bed, with both boys missing and an open window in their bedroom.

She yowled for her husband who immediately sped back to her side, and they searched the nearby woods for their missing children. Ajax was probably too far away and busy arguing with Scaramouche to hear her.

He wasted no more time and started tracking his missing siblings. Father showed him how the the kits' track trailed out of their village’s barrier, so they started the search from there. Mother had to stay at home to calm Tonia, who began crying in panic when she realized that her brothers had gone missing.

The trail lead them down the mountain, dangerously close to open paths where the young foxes can potentially be taken by birds of prey, given how they were still too young to transform properly. Even if they could, the sight of a predator would much likely scare them back to their original forms, leaving them vulnerable.

In form of foxes, Father and Ajax dashed through the woods into the bamboo forest at the base of their mountain, yowling and barking the kits’ names, sincerely hoping for any response from them.

Soon, the foxes found themselves near a human’s resident. The humans themselves wouldn’t be the problem, for the people of this farming village are very friendly, even respectful towards them. They believed that foxes were the messengers of the god who blessed their soils, being nice to them would please their god and bring them good harvest.

The problem with human houses were mostly with their dogs, or even worse, eagles that might carry them off once they got spotted in the open areas of human residencies.

The moment the two red foxes exited the bamboo forest to arrive at the house’s back garden, they heard the screams of the missing kits.

The horrifying scene of an eagle taking off with one russet ball of fur in its talons entered Ajax and his father’s sight.

“TEUCER!!! NO!!!!!” The red foxes cried and threw themselves towards the eagle before it could fly any higher. But before they could stride another step, a human flashed across their view in a graceful leap, and swiped the eagle out of the sky with a long pole in his hand.

The man’s long, dark hair flowed smoothly behind him like a piece of silk. With a whoosh of his golden brown sleeves, he disturbed the eagle’s takeoff by hooking the tip of his pole under one of its wings. He then swiped the pole over the bird’s head, flipping it in the air and caused it to loose its lifting force.

With a screech, the eagle twisted its body in the air, wings flapping in attempt to fix its path of flight. To make the foxes’ jaws drop even wider in awe, an even bigger eagle dove down from the sky behind them. It grabbed the assaulting eagle in its talons to force it to let go of the fox kit, and then carried it off to disappear on the other side of the bamboo forest.

The human let out a sigh of relief and lowered his pole. Ajax and Father dashed over to the terrified kits to check them for any injuries. Fortunately, Teucer only suffered a few flesh wounds on his shoulders where the eagle had grabbed him with its sharp talons, and Anthon was simply covered in dirt and trembling in fear.

The two red foxes each carried a crying kit in their jaws and trotted back towards the mountains, thanking the man with a bamboo pole by a few swishes of their tails on the way.

‘Oh my Archons.’ Ajax thought to himself when he managed to take a proper look at the human’s appearance. ‘How is this human so handsome???’

**********************************************

“You see WHY your mother I told you two NOT to wander off by yourselves now? What if we were late? Or if the kind human didn’t bother to save you? You two would have been eaten by an eagle!” Mother scolded the sobbing boys so loudly, Ajax’s ears rang from her thundering voice. Tonia didn’t dare to poke her nose any further out from behind the door frame, even the sky darkened a little at their mother’s fury.

“I am sorry, Mama!” Anthon and Teucer squeaked out their apologies, breaking into tears again at their mother’s angry shouts. Mother sighed, and the sky above them cleared once again.

“Shhh. It’s all over now. Promise me you will never run off again. Don’t scare mama and papa and your siblings like that again, alright?” After calming her sons and wiping their teary faces, Mother turned towards his elder son. “We must thank the kind human. Ajax, go repay the man for saving Anthon and Teucer.” She commanded.

“Leave it to me, mom! I will bring him a fresh pheasant everyday for one….no, two weeks!” He recalled the human’s handsomeness, and decided that he deserved more than just a week worth of pheasants.

“Ajax. The man saved your brothers’ lives.” His mother gave him an unimpressed look on her face.

“I will cook for him for a whole month.” In terms of cooking, Ajax was confident with his culinary skills.

“Now, that’s more like it.” Mother seemed to be satisfied with his answer this time.

“I will marry him, cook for him everyday and do all his chores.” He spouted absentmindedly. His head was still filled with how the man had leaped with elegancy, thinking about his silky dark hair and those stunning golden eyes shining like cor lapis.

“……Huh?” Both of his parents looked towards him in bewilderment.

Chapter Text

“Oh Archons! I’m glad! I’m so glad that Zhongli Sensei saved them in time! I couldn’t imagine what would happen if Teucer really got carried off by the eagle! Thank the Archons! Thank you!” Anya cried tears of relief after hearing his brother’s story.

Ajax’s sister Anastasia had married Mr. Watanabe, a rice farmer of the village, two years ago in early summer. Now, her belly was swollen with their first child, expected to be delivered in a bit over a month.

In order to find a way to repay the beautiful man, which Anya recognized as Mr. Zhongli who had moved here from Liyue a few months ago, Ajax paid his older sister a visit to ask for advices.

They discussed about the matter at the engawa* of the backyard, where Ajax had just finished helping his sister hang out the laundry. Anya came back with tea and a few inari sushi on a tray, of which were the results of her practicing making them.

“Yes Ajax! You must thank Zhongli Sensei for us! You mentioned that you want to….?”

“I think it is love at first sight, sister Anya.” Ajax admitted. “Not only that I want to repay him, but I want to…try court him? Do you think I have a chance?”

“But what about Saki-chan? Are you trying to break up with her for Sensei?” Anya asked with a tilt of her head, concerned. Ajax had forgotten to mention how his girlfriend dumped him not long ago, confusing his sister and made himself sound like a jerk.

“Ah…Erm, its kinda awkward but…Saki dumped me…Haha…” He scratched his fluffy hair in embarrassment. “Scaramouche said something along the lines of ‘I left her nothing to contribute to in the house, I might as well be the housewife next time’ or something like that. Sister, have I done that badly in the relationship?” He then grabbed a sushi from the plate and took a bite to hide his awkwardness.

“Hmm, everyone has their own preferences when it comes to the part they want to play in a family. Saki-chan is a sweet girl, I think she would be the type to prefer being a loving mother and a supporting wife to her husband. Maybe the two of you just weren’t the right one for each other?” Anya paused for a bit to think, before she continued.

“For example, I wouldn’t mind working in the field or hunting dinner for Ryuu-san, but he wants me to just relax and leave all the hard work to him. Of course I can’t! So I make sure he comes home to a warm bath and meals prepared every day!” Anya said cheerfully, the loving smile on her face and warmness in her blue eyes told Ajax just how much she loved her husband.

“Let me tell you a little secret. Come closer Ajax~” Anya suddenly leaned in and started whispering, covering her little grin with a hand as she did. Ajax leaned over and lent her his ear.

“Zhongli Sensei lives on his own and makes beautiful wagasa with Liyuean paintings on them! No one had ever seen him with anyone else when he strolls down the streets!” She murmured.

Ajax swallowed his last mouthful of inari sushi and whispered back. “How is that a secret?” He asked with a confused lift of a brow.

“What I am trying to say is, being the housewife might actually be a good idea, my dear little brother!” Anya flashed his brother a smile of mischief.

“HAAAAH?” The red fox couldn’t help but let out a cry of bewilderment at his sister’s idea. 

“Shhhhhh! Also, Zhongli Sensei likes to enjoy good food. He is very picky, but gives really good advice on how to improve dishes from the restaurants he visited. Although, for some reason, he keeps forgetting about his wallet. You see where I am getting at, my silly little brother? We are foxes, we can be anything we like as long as we are dedicated enough! From what I am seeing, Zhongli Sensei looks like he would do well with a wife! You like him, don’t you? It won’t hurt to try!” Anya’s naughty grin just got even naughtier at the idea. To be honest, that actually made sense to Ajax.

“What you are saying is, I should transform into a woman this time, and make him good food to try convince him to go out with me?” That smile of Anya’s sure was infectious, because there was an exact same grin on Ajax’s face now.

“Hmm hmm~! I can lend you my old clothes in the meanwhile, they don’t really fit me anymore anyways! What color would you like? Grey? Red? Blue?” Anya had just started to get up slowly with that big belly of hers to show Ajax her collection of kimonos, when the sound of the front door opening announced the return of her husband.

“I’m back, Anna!” Mr. Watanabe greeted his wife at the entrance and Anya returned the greet by yelling from inside the house. Ajax followed suit to announce his visit.

“Oh, good evening Ajax-kun. I didn’t know you came over because I didn’t see your shoes at the door! Welcome, my brother, are you staying for dinner? You really should start using the door instead of coming in through the backyard though, hahahahaha!” Anya’s husband came in and sat down behind them in the house, laughing lightheartedly at how his brother-in-law came in through the garden yet again because ‘it is a shortcut’.

“Thank you for the invitation, Ryuuta-san, but I will be going after borrowing some stuffs from Sister Anya. Maybe next time! I will be sure to come in through the main entrance for a proper visit!” Ajax gave his brother-in-law a friendly smile, and picked up the tray of unfinished tea and sushi from the engawa floor, tidying it up for Anya.

“Oh! Anna made that, did she? Would you mind if have it? I was just feeling a bit hungry!” Without actually waiting for Ajax’s reply, Mr. Watanabe already reached out to grab the remaining inari sushi.

“Ah! Wait! Ryuuta-san!”

*Chomp!* Whoops, Ajax was a little bit too late in stopping him.

“Mmmm……Mm? Anna? Did you mix up the salt and sugar again? I mean, a salty inari sushi isn’t bad—”

“Hiiiiii???” Anya squeaked. She dropped the kimono she was holding back into the drawer in shock, and snapped her head around to look at the men behind her.

“How—But— Ajax? Why didn’t you tell me when you ate the first one???” Her face and ears flushed into a tomato red with both embarrassment and anger at her little brother, who averted his gaze and started sneaking away from behind Mr.Watanabe towards the kitchen with the tray in hand. Ajax simply didn’t have the chance to inform her sister of her mistake before her husband came home, and ate the sushi.

“No Anna, it really isn’t that bad! Although it doesn’t taste the same as the usual ones, I can have many more as long as you are the one who made it — Oof!” The farmer tried to reassure his wife, only to be met with a cushion to his face.

“Anata no bakaaaaa*!!!!!”

“Anna! Be careful! Don’t hurt yourself! And our baby!”

Ajax silently did the dishes, chuckling to himself as the couple went on with their silly little argument.

************************************

Ajax ended up borrowing two sets of kimonos and some tabi* socks from his sister. He waved goodbye to the couple and left through the garden again, because his sandals were already there and it would be troublesome if someone saw him disappear into the mountain from the main street if he left through the front gate.

He spent the rest of the evening planning on how he should show up at Zhongli Sensei’s door, without looking like some scammer trying to trick men (though he technically was).

Since Anya had settled in the village quite a while ago, he could include her in his excuse. He wouldn’t be lying, and it shouldn’t be that much of a problem as long as Sensei never found out how he was actually a fox, right? Even if he somehow did, Anya could simply claim that the fox had tricked them, right?

But what excuse should Ajax come up with to actually convince Zhongli Sensei to let him into his house? The red fox walked around his room as he thought, and his eyes landed on his father's mino. That was the moment an idea popped into his mind.

“I can summon rain with my hydro abilities, and knock on Sensei’s door pretending to be a passenger seeking shelter! What a perfect idea, I can even offer to make him dinner in return! Heck, the idea even matches with how he makes umbrellas for a living(?)!”

The next morning, Ajax sneaked to his sister’s house again and informed her of his idea. Not even bothering to transform this time, he told her how he will use the alias of Tanya when approaching the handsome wagasa maker, so she would know how to answer if someone asked. He also mentioned how he would keep visiting Zhongli Sensei if he failed to convince him to let him stay at his residence.

Anya wished him good luck with a wave of her hand, where the red fox trotted back home happily, tail wagging left and right with excitement.

“Don’t worry, mom, dad, Tonia Anthon and Teucer, its not my first time doing this! I promise I will make Zhongli Sensei the best meals he had ever had!” Ajax, now in form of a young women with fluffy auburn hair of medium length, wearing his sister’s kimono and one of his father’s minos, waved goodbye to his family in front of their house.

“Make sure you stay safe! Leave immediately if anything seemed wrong!” Mother yelled among the voices of cheering young kits, where Father slightly shook his head left and right with hands on his hips, but nevertheless a smile on his face at his son’s crazy decision: one that was even more crazy than his older daughter’s.

Ajax, no, Tanya now, travelled down the mountain following the path where her little brothers had sneaked into the village before. She couldn’t help the smile on her face as she rehearsed the words she would introduce herself to the handsome umbrella maker with.

Bringing her mino up to cover her hair and hugging the little package with her sister’s other kimono close to her chest, she summoned hydro.

A sunshower started falling from the bright afternoon sky. She started humming a tune that his mother used to sing to her when their family was still living in Snezhnaya, and approached the familiar house at the base of the mountain, accompanied by the soothing sound of rain dropping on her straw cape.

At the second round of knocking, she heard the rich, deep reply of a man from inside the house. The wooden door gently slid open, and her deep blue eyes met with bright golden ones, wide open in surprise.

“Greetings, Zhongli Sensei, I am sorry for the sudden visit. My name is Tanya—”

*********************************

“Sensei, do you have any preference for dinner?” Tanya asked the Liyuean man after she got his permission for checking out the kitchen. She was surprised to find that the fridge was almost empty except for a few slices of pork and some eggs. Well, at least there were still some root vegetables stored in the cabinet. 

“Ah, please excuse my lack of food storage. I mostly eat out, and happened to have little groceries left, since I was not expecting any guests until a few days later. I am fine with anything that you can make, although preferably not seafood.” Zhongli answered the young lady who was still digging through his kitchen cabinets. As an Adeptus, he did not require food as a sustenance, but he did enjoy delicacies and sometimes cook for himself in leisure, and in attempt to make Xiao try human culinary.

“I see. Let me see what I can make for you then!” Tanya was yet again surprised at Sensei’s dislike towards seafood, given how both Liyue and Inazuma were known for their products from the sea, for they were both nations in close quarters to the ocean.

She dug out a glass bottle of what looked like mix spices at the back of the cabinet. Twisting the lid open, she gave the contents a sniff to recognize it as a bottle of curry spices.

“What about curry, Sensei? I can make some pork curry with the ingredients I found in the kitchen.” The fox suggested with a toothy grin. “Please continue with your work while I prepare dinner, I will make sure you get a taste of the best curry in Inazuma!”

“I will leave it in your hands then, Miss. Tanya. I am looking forward to dinner tonight. Please feel free to have some tea that I had prepared on the living room table if you are thirsty.” Recognizing the familiar confidence in the smile and words of his guest, Zhongli left the young lady in the kitchen with relief, returning to his table at the workshop to continue with his draft.

Although the lady now in his kitchen looked a bit different with the person Zhongli had been expecting, the ex-Archon was sure that she was the one he had been looking for.

Glancing at the blank piece of paper on his desk, he decided to leave the idea of drawing Osial’s serpents for another day, and changed the subject to a great hydro whale with a singular horn on its nose, summoned by a certain Snezhnayan warrior.

On the other hand, the fox in the kitchen had already started dicing the vegetables to go with the curry. She enjoyed the calming beats of rain, now falling from a proper rain cloud because she couldn’t keep summoning hydro from the air, therefore decided to draw a rain cloud over from close quarters instead.

‘This went way smoother than expected.’ Tanya thought to herself, ‘I might as well push to do Zhongli Sensei’s groceries for him tomorrow. He deserves more than just one meal!’

Chapter Text

The jar of mixed spices from the back of Zhongli’s kitchen cabinet turned into a pot of pork curry that smelled way better than Tanya’s expectations.

Once dinner was ready, she didn’t even have to call for her host, as the Liyuean man showed up to the dining room precisely and naturally once she began heaping steaming rice onto their plates straight from the cooker.

Zhongli was about to sit down at the dinner table when he halted with a hand already on the backrest of his chair. “Please give me a moment, I would like to bring you something.”

Before Tanya could say anything, the dark-haired man had already turned and went through the fusuma*, disappearing around the corner.

She could only hear the noises of doors and drawers sliding open and close from a distance, before the man swiftly returned with a long, slender box in his hands.

“Here, please use these for the meal.” Zhongli opened the black container to show his guest a pair of wooden chopsticks, with patterns of dragon and phoenix engraved at their golden ends.

Tanya stared at those chopsticks lying in the box with the rice spatula still in her hand, jaw slightly dropped open and eyes widened at how expensive they looked.

She slowly met her gaze with the man’s and asked. “Sensei…How much are these chopsticks?”

“I recall their price being 128,000 mora when I bought them some years ago. They are meant to be a present for someone I have been expecting. Since you showed up as my guest, they are yours to use.” Zhongli explained with a smile, seemingly amused by the confusion on Tanya’s face. 

“But…Eh? Sensei? We just met? I am simply here to cook and do housework for you to repay your kindness. And…I am actually…very bad at using chopsticks, what if I drop them?” Indeed very confused by the pretty man’s offer, Tanya began stuttering with her words.

“You sound like these chopsticks are prepared for someone important to you… are you sure you are fine with me using them?” Furthermore, she just showed up to his house unannounced, what came to the man for him to bring out something so precious for an unexpected guest who popped out of nowhere?

“About that, there is a very long story to tell, therefore I would prefer doing so after our meal. You do not have to worry about damaging them, for they were crafted from tough wood by the hands of a master carpenter, decorated with an alloy of gold created by a highly experienced goldsmith, who ensured that the engravings do not scratch easily.” Zhongli sat down at the table, and began rambling about the details of how the wood was treated to make sure it was anti-scratch, to the reasons for the choice of the type of wood used, so on so far.

Although she felt bad for doing so, Tanya had to interrupt his monologue, or the food would have gone cold before they could take their first bite.

“Ahem, forgive me, old habits die hard. Itadakimasu.” Tanya chuckled at the unexpected adorableness of this gorgeous looking man.

Not only Sensei was a capable craftsman of bamboo, he was also knowledgable in the use of other materials such as wood or even stone. More importantly, Zhongli’s smooth and deep voice was music to the fox’s ears, she found herself deeply submerged in his speech, making their meal together even more enjoyable.

Oh well, whatever story Zhongli Sensei wanted to tell will have to wait till later, because he somehow started another long talk on the origins of that jar of spices that turned into their pot of curry. He revealed that the spices were actually a gift of a friend from Sumeru, hence its high quality and extraordinary fragrancy.

What Sister Anya told her yesterday really was true. After introducing the curry spices, Zhongli started giving advices on how to improve the dish itself. He suggested a few improvements and expressed his satisfaction with Tanya’s cooking, which gave her ego a good stroke and made her fall even deeper for this wagasa crafter. She was sure her tail would be wagging like crazy if it was still there.

“Speaking about the food, Miss Tanya—”

“Tanya is fine, Sensei~ No need to be so formal with me.” Making Zhongli drop the honorifics would be a great start to close the distance between them, the fox thought to herself.

“Alright, Tanya. I realized that you have been holding your chopsticks incorrectly, hence dropping your food for a couple of times. If I may?” Zhongli gestured at Tanya’s right hand, where the (very expensive) chopsticks crossed over each other in her awkward grip.

‘W..w..w…what are you doing Sensei?? We just met and you are already ‘closing our distance’ so literally???’ Tanya screamed in her mind. Her face flushed a little as the host’s hand landed on hers, correcting her grip hand on hand. The rain outside fell even heavier as a result of her emotions going on a roller coaster ride.

Tanya hid her embarrassment behind a soft chuckle, not only from Zhongli Sensei’s touches, but also from how she found herself actually behaving like a young girl in front of him. She also realized how she felt warmth radiating from the man in dark robes. For some reason, looking into those stunning amber eyes of his made her feel homely, as if this was not the first time they had done this despite having met just a few days ago.

The two finished their long dinner with Tanya practicing the proper way to hold the chopsticks with the last chunk of carrot from her plate. Zhongli laughed quietly at the young lady trying her best, and how the piece of vegetable kept slipping from her utensils, exactly like how it had always been in his memory.

Yet again, the Liyuean man showed up very naturally at the kitchen after the meal. He tied up the sleeves of his black kimono with a white sash of cloth, and started doing the dishes beside Tanya. He insisted on helping to thank her for the wonderful meal, even though the fox had offered to do his housework for him.

Everything seemed so peaceful, but it was too suspiciously peaceful. As Tanya’s mind cleared a bit from the cool of the running tap water, her current situation triggered something in her instincts.

This went way too smoothly. Thinking back, not only that Zhongli Sensei didn’t doubt Tanya’s intentions at all, neither did he treat her as a stranger who showed up all of a sudden, allowing her to go through everything in his kitchen without hesitation.

He even went as far as to let her use that pair of very expensive chopsticks, which he had introduced as something purchased for another individual as a present.

Everything felt so right to Tanya, to a point that something felt wrong. Did the Liyuean man have something on his mind? Some kind of…plan?

“Tanya.” Said Zhongli, catching the fox’s attention.

“As I have mentioned before, I would like to tell you a story. Actually, I have to admit my intentions in regard to you.” He announced out of the blue, still scrubbing curry sauce off a spoon.

“Make sure you come back safely! Leave immediately if anything seemed wrong!” She recalled Mother’s words in her mind.

Hearing them, an alarm ran off in the Tanya's head, her movements froze as a sense of danger rose up inside her.   

Her fox instincts told her to run. Run. RUN! So she did.

She dropped the plate and sponge into the sink and twisted her body around. Kicking off the ground with full force, she leaped over the kitchen counter, knocking over lacquer bowls and utensils on her way, and dashed straight for the nearest shoji* leading to the garden.

She had to leave, Zhongli was planning something after all!

“Wait! Tanya! Listen to my explanation!” Not expecting the young lady to run off like that, Zhongli dropped the utensil in his hands and sped after her, making a detour around the counter in a flash of black.

Of course not?! The fox ignored the man’s attempt to talk her into stopping. She threw the shoji open and pushed off the door frame, launching herself into the garden to flee the house.

To her surprise, the dark-haired man caught up with her at an unbelievable speed, he was right behind him with a blink of an eye.

Zhongli threw his arms around Tanya's waist, effectively preventing her from jumping down the engawa.

Ajax immediately reverted to his fox form to try slip out of the man’s grapple, only to hear Zhongli’s desperate cry beside his ears and feel his hands wrapping around his flank.

“Childe! Please! Let me explain! I do not want to let it happen again! Give me another chance!”

‘What in Celestia are you talking about? I am not even a child!’ The fox twisted in Zhongli’s hands, ready to snap at the man’s face as his grip refused to loosen around him.

“I am not trying to do you any harm! I will tell you everything you need to know so please, don’t leave, give me a chance to talk to you!” Zhongli cried, tightening his grasp around the russet creature, as if letting it go will be the end to everything.

Before Ajax could clamp his jaws onto Zhongli’s nose, his blue eyes met the man's amber ones at a distance closer than ever.

He stilled at what he saw in them.

Those eyes were filled with desperation, frustration, and most importantly, regret.

He couldn’t find a tint of malice in them, but Zhongli’s beautiful face had furrowed up in distress. Seeing that made Ajax feel something.

At such a close distance, Ajax could clearly see those swipes of red under each of Sensei's eyes. A wave of deja vu washed over him.

The red fox couldn’t understand what had gotten to him, but he stopped struggling in Zhongli’s arms. He felt like he had seen this somewhere before, but he hadn’t a clue where.

He decided to listen to the Liyuean man. To be honest though, that face was just too pretty to be ruined by teeth marks.

Feeling the fox relax, Zhongli panted to catch his breath after yelling desperately for the creature. A drop of sweat rolled down his cheek.

Now that the red ball of fur had stopped wriggling in his hands, he slowly lowered onto his knees and loosened his grip, placing the fox that was a young lady a few moments ago down on the wooden floor of the engawa.

Pretty much choking out a sigh of exhaustion and relief, Zhongli sat down in seiza* to begin speaking to the fox, now calmly sat in front of his knees and looking at him with that pair of nostalgic, dark blue eyes.

“I deeply regret for keeping you in the dark about my identity the last time we met. I do not wish for the same to repeat, therefore, I am going to tell you everything. Right here and now.” He began.

“With the title of The God of Contracts, I promise you truth to every single word of my following speech.” Zhongli’s hands curled into fists on his thighs, his eyes locked onto those of Ajax’s.

Clearly overwhelmed by the current situation, Ajax slowly tilted his head and blinked a few times.

“My true name is Morax, the retired Archon of Geo. Although you might not recognize me, we have met before in our previous life.” The revelation made the fox yelp out loud, his blue eyes rounded at the man’s ridiculous claim. Before Ajax could express his doubts on those words, Zhongli went on.

“I understand that this is hard to believe, but please do allow me to explain. Long story short, we were close acquaintances in our previous lives.”

“Unfortunately, fate was not in our favor. The reason behind our initial encounter was not a harmonious one, for we were fated to betray each other since the very beginning.” The dark-haired man said, his eyes filled with sorrow.

“I was well aware of the reason behind our encounter, but you were not. At the end, you were furious with me when the truth was revealed, and left Liyue to return to your home-nation of Snezhnaya without speaking another word to me.”

Snezhnaya, Ajax’s nation of birth. Was that a coincidence?

“I know nothing about you in this life, but in the previous one, you were one of the Harbingers of the Cryo Archon, the Tsaritsa. You were sent to retrieve my Gnosis as the Archon of Geo, for she needed its power to wage war against Celestia.”

War? Against Celestia? Why? Zhongli’s story only raised even more questions in Ajax’s mind. Recognizing the fox's confusion, Zhongli briefly explained it to her.

“It could only be said that Teyvat was not peaceful at that time. We thought we could change it by rebelling against the heavens. Therefore, Tsaritsa took lead and brought war to the whole continent. You, as her loyal soldier, perished in that very battle.” He closed his eyes and stayed silent for a few heartbeats.

The only noise remaining around them was from crickets singing in the garden bushes, still dripping wet with rain that had stopped since no-one-knows how long ago.

“I was late.” Opening his eyes again, Zhongli told Ajax. “You lost your life to the backfiring of an evil power, something that doesn't exist in this Teyvat, yet it made up part of you in the previous one.”

“When I got to your side, you body already laid lifeless on battlefield, on bloodstained snow of your homeland. I was unable to even speak to you for one last time.” Zhongli lowered his head at the last sentence. Ajax could hear his teeth gritting a little as he spoke. 

The red fox was speechless. That was the most ridiculous story he had ever heard in his whole life.

He couldn’t recall anything related from his memories. Nothing at all. Yet, Sensei spoke of it as if it was something that had happened yesterday.

“The outcome of the war was not important. The moment I held your cold body in my arms, I decided that I have had enough. I was tired, so I left in silence.”

.........

“The ending was for the people of Teyvat to decide, not me. The very first contract of Rex Lapis was to defend the people of Liyue, and to lead them far enough till they were able to walk the remaining path on their own. The contract had been fulfilled. Therefore, I left. Amongst the regrets of failing your trust towards me.”

Without breaking eye contact, Zhongli slowly lifted a hand from his thigh and reached out for the fox before him.

Ajax allowed his touch, letting him run his firm, yet gentle fingers through his fur, allowing him to feel his warmth again after who-knows-how-many years if what he told was indeed the truth.

Actually, Sensei’s touch kinda felt good. He found himself leaning into the hand.

Zhongli let out a breathy chuckle, and started to pet the blue-eyed fox with bolder strokes. “Thank you for trusting me. I am afraid I am currently unable to provide physical evidence of my story, but I can assure you that I clearly remembered every single person, every single event that happened in my previous life. Including our time together.” The ex-Archon’s expression softened as the fox enjoyed his touches.

“I might never know the answer, but judging from how I was given a second chance to live through life again, the war probably did not end tragically. When I came back to my consciousness even though I was supposed to be…dead, I found myself back to when I was young again. Before the nations of Teyvat were established.”

“I believe I was given a chance to fix our relationship… or I should say, most beings that I have known were given a second chance to live a more fulfilling life, although none of them carried their old memories with them as I did.” Zhongli retreated his hand after giving Ajax one last pet on his head. The fox tried his best not to whine at the loss of touch.

“Are you willing to continue listening to my story, Tanya?” Leaning forward, he asked the fox before him, who had been sitting there in silence since the yelp when Zhongli revealed his identity.

Miraculously, despite the sheer absurdity of the story, Ajax found it believable.

The calmness in his voice, the level of detail in his words, and the look in his eyes that were almost glowing like cor lapis in the dark of night, everything showed no sign of deception.

The hand that ran through the fur on his head and cheek was tender and loving, it gave him an idea of what exactly their relationship was in their previous lives, even though it was never specified in the tale.

The fox nodded quietly, and his confirmation was returned with an affectionate smile from the ex-Archon.

Zhongli reached out his arms again and slowly tried picking Ajax up from under his front legs, exactly like how Kazuha had picked up Scaramouche a few days ago.

Seeing no resistance from the russet creature, Zhongli shifted himself into a sitting position with his legs crossed. He leaned onto a pillar at the edge of the engawa and placed the fox in his lap.

Ajax made himself comfortable by curling up between Sensei’s legs, who began the story of his second life, petting the fox as he went on.

Chapter Text

“The injury of her right eye has stabilized, and the delusion showed no sign of rejection. What are your thoughts, Lady Havria?” Said Baizhu after inspecting a pale blue orb in place of the right eye of a platinum blond-haired lady.

“Their Qi are in harmony, I do not sense anything of concern. I believe we can say that the transplantation is a great success! The idea of splitting power from your Gnosis and Harbinger Il Dottore’s work sure are impressive, Your Majesty.” Commented Harvia after she felt the energy from said lady. She then helped the lady put her black lace eye mask back on, who in return thanked the goddess for the assistance.

“You have my highest gratitude, doctors of Liyue. Signora, my delusion will protect you as long as I stand. You have my words, my daughter.” The Archon of Cryo, the Tsaritsa, reassured her beloved harbinger who she saw as her child.

“Thank you for everything you have done for me, Your Majesty. Thank you.” La Signora replied to her queen, expression softened with the woman’s reassurance.

“You don't have to force yourself, but I would be delighted if you can try calling me ‘mother’.” The Tsaritsa ran the back of her fingers over her daughter’s cheek, near the eye mask covering the delusion, smiling fondly as she did.

The Cryo Archon’s motherly love brought a smile to the medic’s faces too.

The Archon of Geo took a sip of his wine from a few seats away, pleased by the interaction between the other Archon and her daughter.

They were sat at a round stone table in the middle of a pool with crystal clear water, under the shade of a great maple tree on top of Mt. Aocang.

Beside Rex Lapis sat Guizhong, the God of Dust; and Retuo, the Lord of Vishaps, enjoying the same wine that their Archon was having.

Around them, the Archon of Pyro, Hydro and Anemo were busy arguing with each other about the matter of responsible drinking; the Archon of Electro was petting a tiny fox curled up in sleep on her lap, watching the three as if they were comedians; where the Archon of Dendro was going through a heap of medical archives with Baizhu and Havria. The Adepti were somewhere on top of the Mountain, looking over the Gods and Archons at a distance.

War was long over. The current Archons could gather at Liyue for wine again, just like how the original Seven did. There were no more bloodshed, nor anything to forcefully separate loved ones. Not anymore.

“Ugh! I have had enough of you irresponsible drunkards!” The Archon of Hydro yelled loudly, fed up with the other two trying to make her drink even more alcohol.

“Monsieur Osial, allow me to borrow some of your water. I shall help these two sober up!” She turned around to talk to the water surrounding their table.

The calm waters in the pool began moving at the Archon’s request, swiftly forming into the shape of a serpent with glowing orbs as its eyes and reflections of the sun as its scales.

“Sure thing. Help yourself, God of Justice.” The Overlord of the Vortex chuckled with a nod of his serpent’s head. The Hydro Archon immediately summoned little fishes of water from the pool and hurled them towards her fellow Archons.

Amongst Murata’s laughs and Barbatos’s cries, Rex Lapis silently approved of the God of Justice’s actions.

At the same time, the hydro creations in shape of fishes, together with the lady that the Tsaritsa brought with her to their annual gathering caught his eye.

He decided to take the opportunity to ask about one of her Harbingers.

“Tsaritsa, If I may ask,” He raised his voice. That caught the attention of everyone around the table. “How is your Eleventh Harbinger, Tartaglia?”

Morax remembered every single event and every single person that he had met in his previous life. Up till now, he had experienced and encountered every one of them without fail.

Except that this time, a lot of things turned out better than their counterpart in his memory.

Everyone met a good, or at least, better end than their previous lives. Guizhong and Havria did not lose their lives in the Archon War. The God of Salt was persuaded to united her people with Rex Lapis’s and lived on to see the establishment of Liyue Harbor.

With the knowledge from his previous life, Morax managed to find the yaksha enslaved under the Evil God earlier. Although he couldn’t change Xiao’s fate, rescuing him from his abuser earlier and introducing him to Barbatos did result in the yaksha suffering less from the weight of his karma.

Furthermore, Osial admitted his defeat and signed a contract with Rex Lapis to protect the waters of Liyue. Retuo, with the advice and help of other Gods, resisted erosion; although he had to spend most of his time sleeping underground, only to wake once in a while after the foundation of Liyue Harbor 3700 years ago.

Everything went rather well so far, but one person had been missing on Morax’s second journey: Tartaglia, the eleventh of the Tsaritsa’s Eleven Harbingers.

Tartaglia, more commonly known as Childe to Zhongli, was the harbinger sent by the Archon of Cryo to retrieve Rex Lapis’s Gnosis. He was the young warrior that the mortal Zhongli had became fond of, but was fated to betray for the sake of his contract with the Tsaritsa.

Since there was no longer a contract between him and the Cryo Archon, their encounter should have happened in another form, just like how he still met La Signora as the Tsaritsa’s adopted daughter this time, who was brought to Liyue to seek medical attention for the almost-fatal injury of her right eye.

Judging from the previous timeline, he had anticipation that this should be around time for him to reunite with Childe, so that he could try starting everything all over again with him after 6000 years of waiting, in a form that would not end in tragedy.

However, the young Snezhnayan never showed up, not even on this day where the Seven were to gather in Liyue to share alcohol and stories from their nations.

It was not uncommon for the Archons to show up to the meeting with one or several of their acquaintances. This year for example, quite a few of the Liyuean Gods and Adepti participated in the banquet with the Tsaritsa’s request for their advice on her daughter’s injury.

Morax, no, Zhongli thought he could finally see that auburn-haired warrior with deep blue eyes again, but the Cryo Archon arrived with only La Signora, and informed them of Il Dottore and Pierro's absence due to their obsession with work. Concern welled up in the Geo Archon.

“I beg your pardon, Morax? But there are no Tartaglia amongst my children.” Tsaritsa replied to Zhongli’s question with a worried frown. La Signora turned to blink her good eye a few times in confusion at the mention of a non-existent sibling.

Hearing her answer, Zhongli’s heart dropped to the floor. His wine cup stopped in front of his lips, amber eyes widened at the answer he received.

“I only have nine children, there are no tenth or eleventh harbinger. Was it…how it was in your memories, Morax? There were eleven of my children?” The Cryo Archon added.

The Geo Archon slowly put down his cup and let out a soft sigh. It sounded slightly choked. That caught the attention of his oldest friend Guizhong, even Barbatos stopped fooling around when he recognized the worry in his old friend’s lament.

“Morax, is he the one that you have been waiting for, over all these years?” Asked Guizhong, resting a hand on Zhongli’s shoulder to help him through his unease.

“Yes, indeed. He is someone very important to me. I owe him an apology from the past, but he happened to be the only one who failed to appear to me again.” Said Zhongli, looking down into the reflection of orange maple leaves in his wine.

“Then you should go looking for him!” All of a sudden, Barbatos suggested in his iconic cheerful tone. The amber-eyed Archon turn towards him in surprise as the Archon of Freedom bounced over, steps light as a feather.

“Don’t be a blockhead, Morax~ Think of it this way: if someone decided not to show up to you, then what about you be the one to show up to them instead?” The bard propped his elbow onto Zhongli’s other shoulder, casually leaning the whole of his weight onto the unmovable stone of a Geo Archon before he continued.

“You're sure that this Tartaglia existed like everyone else in your memories, right? Then there is no reason to believe that he will never show up to you, just because he didn’t do so right now~ If he won’t come to you, then go look for him!” He shook Zhongli a few times with his elbow.

“I’m quite sure that after all these years, the Liyueans already know how to take care of themselves. Their old man should stop worrying about them left and right, and do whatever he wants in his retirement life!” Said the Anemo Archon, who decided to let his people govern themselves and became a bard in his own city, all while wriggling an eyebrow suggestively.

“You’ve finished your duties, go ahead and call it a day.” Those words that he had overheard on that drizzly day replayed itself in Zhongli’s mind.

Ah. That was nostalgic. But for him to hear it from Barbatos, that was new.

“Hm hmm~ He is right, Morax. It is all thanks to your leadership that Liyue has grown to become a prosperous nation. You should allow yourself to rest, and seek this important person from your perfect memory. Leave the rest to us, we will continue looking over Liyue and its people during your journey.” Amused by the Anemo Archon, Guizhong chuckled and agreed with him.

War was long over. Morax had worked thousands of years to bring prosperity to Liyue once again. His retirement was well deserved this time.

After all, he was not the only one left to protect Liyue. Not anymore.

“Thank you, Barbatos, Guizhong.” Zhongli said with a light flick to the Anemo Archon’s forehead with his index finger, making the bard in green back off from his shoulder with a lighthearted ‘ouch’.

“However, I have a better idea. Osial?” The Geo Archon called out to the water serpent in the pool.

“What is it, Morax?” The serpent poked its head out of the water and shifted towards the Archon.

“I would like you to put up an act with me, to test the people of Liyue.”

Everyone at the table gasped at the Geo Archon’s idea. Even the Adepti descended from the mountains after hearing their lord’s plan.

“Xiao~~ You finally came down! I was so lonely without you~” Seeing his loved one descend from the top of the mountains, Barbatos threw himself onto Xiao the moment he landed onto a stepping stone in the pool.

Totally ignoring Zhongli and the others, he hugged Xiao’s arm while whining about how the yaksha’s lord just flicked him in the forehead, and offered to play him songs from his lyre just as he always did.

The yaksha could only blush at the bard’s public show of affection. He adverted his gaze from Barbatos and hid his embarrassment by manifesting his mask onto his face, but nevertheless slipped his own hand into the Archon’s behind his back.

Mt. Aocang was filled with exclaims of concern. The discussion amongst Archons, Gods and Adepti went on for the rest of the day.

**********************************

“Rex Lapis, the preparations for the Rite of Parting is complete.” Reported Ganyu.

As Zhongli had expected, Liyue passed Rex Lapis’s test. The Qixing and the people effectively showed that they were capable of facing a challenge from an ancient god, and that they were ready to proceed into an age without further guidance of Gods or Adepti.

Rex Lapis announced his retirement to the whole of Liyue after the incident of Osial’s (staged, but indeed executed with his full power) attack. It was enough for him to determine that Liyue was no longer in need of his guidance or protection. It shall be the age of humans from now on.

Of course, the Gods and Adepti would remain in their home nation, either retreating into Jueyun Karst or live amongst the humans after their Archon's retirement. They will always be ready to provide aid in case of true danger, which Zhongli doubted would ever appear.

The Lord of Geo himself was to depart Liyue on a quest to visit every other nation, expanding his knowledge with various cultures of foreign land — that was what he told his people.

In reality, he was off to travel the whole of Teyvat to find Childe, who apparently was never a harbinger of Her Majesty the Tsaritsa in this life.

To return their lord and friend’s favor for releasing him from previous abuse, and for granting him eyes to see light respectively, the Guardian Yaksha Xiao, and the Lord of Vishaps Retuo demanded to accompany Zhongli on his journey in search for the Snezhnayan warrior in his memories.

The ex-Archon approved of their request, but there was a problem with Retuo. His true form was simply too big to travel without causing, let’s say, a series of issues.

Maintaining his human transformation would cause overactivity, which would increase the speed of his erosion. That was why Zhongli wanted to refuse him at first, but the look in his old friend’s eyes and what happened to the dragon in his previous life quickly changed his mind.

Fortunately, Celestia was kind to them. The two of them quickly figured that if Zhongli simply brought a fragment of Retuo with him, the geo dragon would still be able to see the world given that the Ley Lines at their destination were in good condition.

“May the people of Liyue and their contracts prosper for generations after generations, never ceasing even till the end of time.”

At the Rite of Parting, Rex Lapis bestowed his final blessing on his beloved Liyue.

Almost in tandem, the people who gathered at the platform for the Rite all lowered their heads into a sincere bow, thanking their Archon for everything he had done for them over thousands of years from the bottom of their hearts.

The golden dragon acknowledged his people’s gratitude with a dip of his head, and launched himself off from the middle of Yujing Terrace with a graceful leap.

He ascended into the clear skies elegantly with a crystalized branch broken off from Retuo’s tail, surrounded by the people, Gods and Adepti of Liyue who bid him farewell with endless cheers and applause.

Xiao would join him afterwards, in the form of a great golden eagle soaring freely in the skies beside the beautiful dragon, who returned his freedom to him.

Their first stop was a small fishing village called Morepesok in Snezhnaya, in search for a young man named Ajax, who had eyes the color of deep blue ocean beneath the thick sea ice.

******************************************

“I travelled through every part of Snezhnaya, talked to every resident that I came across on my journey, and listened to all of the stories told by the people that I met. We stayed in the nation for three years, but no matter how many times I have asked, how many stories I have heard, none of them mentioned your name.” Gently rubbing the soft fur on a black ear of the fox curled up in his lap, Zhongli recalled his journey through the snowy nation.

“Retuo was unable to provide much help due to the abundance of snow, covering every single rock throughout the four seasons on most of Snezhnayan land. As time passed, I began to wonder. Is it possible that you were not even in Snezhnaya?”

Ajax could only stare at the man petting him in awe. It simply couldn’t be a coincidence this time for Zhongli to mention the name Morepesok: the fishing village where Ajax was born and grew up in, before their family decided to move to Inazuma when he was twelve.

More over, ‘Ajax’ wasn’t even a common Snezhnayan name. The fact that this Liyuean man somehow recognized him even though he went to him as a women proved that none of those were guesses. Zhongli actually knew him by heart.

This dark-haired and amber-eyed wagasa crafter, or he should say, retired Rex Lapis who took up a hobby of making oil-paper umbrellas, was telling the truth.

“We made a change to our plan.” Zhongli went on with his story. “Since we could not find you amongst the people of the Cryo Nation, we decided to search the continent starting from the very east, skipping Liyue and Mondstadt as Barbatos has been keeping an eye out for anyone with similar features as you, and kept in contact with Xiao about his findings. Over all these years, he had never seen anyone resembling you on his land.”

“Therefore, we arrived at Inazuma and spent around two years in Narukami Island, stationed near the Grand Shrine with the help of Raiden Shogun. When there was no progress either, she suggested that we try this farming village, where merchants pass by often to buy and sell the harvest.” Pausing his speech, Zhongli slipped his hands under Ajax’s forelegs to lift him up, making him stand on his hinds in order to look into deep blue eyes with his bright amber ones at a same level.

“I must thank Baal later, for she hinted me on the presence of your kind. Out of all creatures, I truly did not expect you to be a vixen of the bake-kitsune* in this life. The idea of you not being human at all really took me by surprise.” Zhongli’s eyes softened as he spoke.

Eh…? Wait a second…?

“Tanya, I am pleased to finally be able to see you again. Your kind did really well in concealing your true identities from humans. I assume that it is the wisdom of your ancestors to prevent human exploitation of your abilities to transform, and to wield hydro or electro?”

No, no, no, out of all things, this ex-Archon decided not to doubt that?

“Although you are quite different from what I had previously known about you, I do not mind at all. Tanya, would you—”

Oh come on!

*Poof!*

Before the man holding him could go on, Ajax transformed into his usual human form. The one that was male in terms of biological gender.

He straddled Zhongli’s lap, his sister’s grey kimono hung loose on him since his usual body size was way broader than that of Tanya’s.

The shock on Zhongli’s handsome face was the the most satisfying thing Ajax had seen in forever.

“Ch…Childe—” Ajax placed a finger on the Liyuean’s lips, shushing him before he could say anything else.

“No, Sensei. My name is not ‘Childe’, nor ‘Tartaglia’. I will give you another chance. Call me by my name. My real name.” As the fox that he was, Ajax teased the man that was the former Archon of Liyue with what people would call ‘a shit eating grin’ on his face.

“……..Pffftt! Hahahaha!” After staring wide-eyed at the young man for a few moments, Zhongli broke into laughter against the finger on his lips at the ridiculous situation. The dense air around them dispersed with the rain clouds and Zhongli’s laugh of pure joy.

“Forgive me. You are still the same as I remember, Ajax.” Said the ex-Archon. He slowly reached out for Ajax’s face and held his still grinning cheeks in his palms. He then buried his fingers into familiar auburn hair, finally able to properly feel his long-awaited lover again after millenniums. 

The youth’s eyes were the same color as he remembered them. Except this time, they were never tainted by the Abyss, and instead shone bright as radiant grade noctilucous jade in the dark of the night.

“Hmmph!” Ajax sneered, those deep blue eyes half-lidded with amusement.

“Unfortunately, Zhongli Sensei, although I do believe in your story, I remember absolutely nothing from my ‘past life’. To me, you are nothing more than a pretty stranger who saved my brothers from an eagle.” He said as he slipped both of his hands onto Zhongli’s shoulders, squeezing them lightly to convey to him that those were not words of rejection.

“Hahaha, so what you mean, is that you came to me with the intention of returning the favor for saving your siblings the day before, but with the excuse of thanking me for lending you shelter from the rain? Hahahahaha!” Zhongli bursted out laughing again. Ajax sure was creative when he was hiding secrets.

With fingers trembling from laughter, he began stroking Ajax’s fluffy hair right beside his temples, burying them deeper into the familiar warmth.

“It seems that we are indeed fated to meet each other again. Ah, I am glad that you still find my appearance attractive.” The ex-Archon couldn’t stop himself from snickering at how the Snezhnayan youth really hadn’t changed a bit.

“Hmm Hmm~? So? You got anything else to say?” Leaning closer to the man with bright amber eyes, Ajax teased again.

After all, his original intention was to repay Zhongli and then try courting him. Now that the beautiful man himself showed more than just interest in him, there was absolutely no reason for him to reject what Zhongli had to say next. Despite the absurdity, this was no doubt a win-win situation.

“Of course. Ajax, would you like to indulge in a romantic relationship with me, starting from the very beginning?” Zhongli proposed.

Zhongli wasn’t even human, let alone a whole retired Archon! Surely this wouldn’t count as getting ‘found out’.

Without further hesitation, Ajax answered to the man now emitting growing familiarity.

“Alright, Zhongli Sensei. I will be in your care from now on.” The red fox replied with a satisfied smile, tilting his head to press himself into Zhongli’s caressing hand.

Chapter Text

It was already late night when the two finished cleaning up the mess near the kitchen that Ajax had made during his overly dramatic ‘escape’.

“Ajax, would you like a bedroom to yourself?” Zhongli asked the young fox, who was now wearing one of the ex-Archon’s kimonos since his sister’s wouldn’t fit anymore.

“I am afraid I do not have another bed in this house. You may take my bed if you would like to. I do not mind sleeping in a futon*.” He said, and began navigating to the oshiire*, ready to bring out a set of futon.

Practically speaking, the Ajax here only knew Zhongli for less than a day. It would be way too intimate to ask the youth to stay the night together in his room, let alone inviting him to sleep together in a same bed.

Zhongli therefore offered the fox an empty room, or his own bed incase he didn’t like sleeping on the floor. But it seemed that there was no need for such concern, as Ajax had his own idea.

“No need to complicate the matter, Sensei~ What about we both sleep in futons, so neither of us will have to feel bad for each other?” At the door of Zhongli’s bedroom, Ajax turned his back to the Liyuean and suggested with a finger pointing upwards, a smirk on his face.

With a hand still on the half-opened oshiire, Zhongli brought his other hand under his chin, immersing himself in thought about his lover’s idea.

“That could be arranged.” After a brief moment of consideration, he agreed with a smile.

“Downstairs?” Ajax asked with his smug grin.

“Downstairs.”

It seemed like both of them had the same idea.

The two worked together to set the place up for tonight’s rest. Ajax went downstairs to clear up some space in a washitsu*, moving the tables, seats and other small furniture aside to make room for their futons.

Zhongli brought down the first set of futon and set it down near the shoji, where Ajax’s swiftly climbed up the stairs to retrieve the second set to be placed next to the first.

With a blink of an eye, they had turned the washitsu where the ex-Archon usually enjoy his tea and literature while listening to birds chirping in the garden, into a makeshift bedroom for two.

“Aaaaaah~ Really, the best thing about Inazuman houses is their versatility!” The red fox exclaimed after flopping down onto one set of futon, limbs splayed out to stretch them.

“Indeed.” After turning off the lights, Zhongli slowly laid himself down on the other set of futon next to Ajax.

“The nation of Inazuma consists of multiple islands surrounded by the sea, making land suitable for human residency rather scarce.” Tucking himself under the blanket, Zhongli pulled off his hair tie adored with a piece of cor lapis.

He slowly dragged it along his silky dark ombre hair, allowing them to fall freely onto the bedding in a graceful stream. The action, with elegance that Ajax never thought could be seen from a man, almost made his heart skip a beat . How could his Sensei be this attractive?

Zhongli placed the gem beside his pillow and shuffled into his futon. Laid facing the white ceiling above, the Liyuean began rambling about the culture and history of Inazuma out of habit.

“In order to live in harmony with nature instead of devastating it for their own usage, the residents of Inazuma developed a lifestyle which emphasizes and promotes cherishing their limited space.” The dark-haired man explained with his soothing deep voice, the perfect tone for a bedtime story.

“For this reason, the majority of the furniture are designed to be storable with ease. For example, beds are often replaced with futons, which could be laid directly on the floor, and folded up to be stored when unused. Furniture such as tables and seats are less bulky, often able to be taken apart for storage or put aside without taking up much space.” He gestured towards the short-legged chabudai* and legless zaisu* placed neatly at the corner of the room to demonstrate his point.

“This is why one single washitsu can have multiple purpose depending on the resident’s mood or their current needs. This virtue of avoiding destruction towards nature for the sole sake of human usage, is what created balance between humans and other creatures residing in the nation.”

“Such a virtue was returned with mutual benefits brought by nature itself. Imagine, if the common folk decided to remove or deforest the mountain that is home to your kind to create even ground suitable for housing, the prosperity of these lands would never have been attained.”

“Foxes would most probably have left the island after losing their place to return. At worst, they might even seek revenge; although success is unlikely as your Archon will interfere if such is to occur.” He recalled a similar situation happening to his old friend millenniums ago, of which he had to bring an end to with his own hands.

As Zhongli went on and on, Ajax propped himself up on the futon with an elbow, head resting on his hand. He immersed himself in the trivial knowledge that he was told, all while admiring his amber-eyed lover. 

“Wow. I have been living in Inazuma for over 10 years now, yet I never knew any of these. Is living through life twice the reason why you are so knowledgeable?” The fox asked out of curiosity.

Zhongli shifted onto his side to face his lover, tucking his amber tipped bangs behind his ear as he did.

Before him, Ajax’s auburn hair reflected the soft light casted on the shoji. Those deep blue eyes of his shone under the dim moonlight seeping through the thin paper.

He was as lovely as Zhongli had remembered.

“Experiencing life twice indeed granted me another chance to see more of this world. However, it is not the main reason behind my vast knowledge.” Relaxed in the presence of his long-awaited partner, he mumbled in content. “I simply have a good memory.”

Ajax chuckled softly at the simplicity of the answer. He then tucked his elbow back under the warm blanket and shifted himself closer to the other man. He had a question that had been bugging him for a little while now.

“Hey, Zhongli Sensei, I’ve wanted to ask this since a while ago.”

“Umm?”

“How exactly did you recognize me? I mean, the ‘me’ that you know of is human, and I am a fox. I even came to you as a women, how are you so sure that I really am the ‘me’ that you are looking for?” A tiny bit of Ajax’s heart still couldn’t believe that he was indeed the ‘Childe’ that Sensei sought after. What if it was a mistake all along?

“Ajax.” Said Zhongli in a serious, but gentle tone. “Have you heard of the phrase, ‘the eyes are the windows to the soul’?”

The Liyuean slowly reached his left hand out from under his blanket. Placing it with his palm facing up on the tatami between them, he silently invited the other to hold it.

Understanding the gesture, the fox slipped his own hand into Zhongli’s, who in return held it in a firm, reassuring squeeze.

“Isn’t it just a metaphor?” The youth wondered with a few blinks of his blue eyes.

“To an average person, that is indeed the case. From the eyes, one can see the nature of the other, reveal the truth of the other, and understand the other’s emotion without the use of words. This would often be described as a conversation directly with the person’s soul, hence the metaphor.”

“However, to some, the eyes can be used as a physical recognition, for each pair of eyes are unique to their owners.” Zhongli released his grip, and shifted to lace his fingers with Ajax’s before closing his hand around his again.

“The moment I saw your eyes from under the mino, I immediately recognized you. Even after all this time, your eyes are still the same as I remembered.” He gazed into the blue depths of the youth as he spoke.

“They are the exact same shade of deep ocean blue, and radiated the exact same aura. It is as if I could see your soul through your pupils: the soul unique to you, unchanged even if you no longer resemble how you used to be.”

After a brief pause, Zhongli added. “But, one thing has changed.”

That made Ajax gasp silently, tensing up a little at what he was going to hear next.

“Compared to the former, your eyes are brighter.” The ex-Archon’s expression softened at its implications.

“The previous you was forced to become ‘Childe’ after the light in your eyes were lost to the darkness; but now, they glimmer like noctilucous jade. They guided me back to you, just like how the precious stone served to guide the path in moonless nights.”

“You stayed as Ajax. I am truly grateful for that, for it means darkness will never be unable to devour you again.” He finished, with bright amber eyes emitting a golden ethereal glow unique to himself. Unique to his soul.

The young red fox let out the huff of air that he didn’t know he had been holding in. Squeezing back on the hand in his, his body relaxed after hearing the other’s explanation.

“I don’t really know what ‘darkness’ is supposed to be, but i guess it is good to hear that it won’t be coming for me this time.” Ajax closed his eyes in content.

He could sleep in peace without any more worries. On top of that, he had the comforting presence of Zhongli. Right beside him.

But then, a rustling noise came from the elder. The hand underneath his shifted slightly. 

He opened his eyes again, curious about what Sensei was doing… Only to see his lover’s pale and smooth neck directly in front of his nose.

Before he could process the dark-haired man’s action, a light peck from a pair of soft lips landed above the corner of his eye, eliciting a soft whimper from the surprised fox.

Ajax glanced up to meet golden eyes smiling fondly at him. He was dumbfounded by the unexpected intimacy.

Zhongli retreated back into his own futon, his hand never let go of the Snezhnayan’s throughout the process.

“I can tell you more about it on another day if you wish to know the details. Rest now, little fox. You must be tired after all that had happened today.” Zhongli gave his lover a good night kiss, and began lulling him to sleep.

The fox’s cheeks immediately blushed pink, and buried his face into the pillow to hide his embarrassment. He kinda understood his sister’s reaction the day before now.

Getting kissed all of a sudden would normally have him startled wide awake, but Ajax had to admit that he really was tired after the long day. He felt a wave of sleepiness wash over him, and he was sure Zhongli’s deep voice surely contributed to that.

“Alright…One last question before I sleep?” Ajax murmured with his face still half buried in his pillow.

“Last question it is.” Zhongli replied, pulling the blanket over the younger’s shoulder.

“What do you want for tomorrow’s meal?”

That made the ex-Archon wheeze out a quiet laugh, fingers quivering around his lover’s as the question took him off guard.

“Anything that you are confident in making, Ajax.” He answered, holding back his chuckles.

“Even if it is seafood?” The fox teased further.

Zhongli had to put even more effort in restraining his amusement, so his uncontrollable giggles wouldn’t wake his sleepy fox.

“I am willing to give it another try.”

“Umm…” Satisfied, Ajax pulled the hand laced with his a bit closer, and drifted off to sleep.

He had a lot of work to do tomorrow, just to prepare his best dish for his beautiful lover.

****************************************

“Although the amount of sleep does not affect my physical wellbeing, I am curious about the reason why you have chosen to start the day as early as 4 in the morning.” Zhongli sat at their dining table, filling their bowls with steaming rice as he wondered.

“We surely did not go to bed early last night. I am concerned about you not getting enough sleep, Ajax.” Said the Liyuean, speaking over the kitchen counter to his lover.

In the kitchen, the red fox cut up golden rolls of dashimaki tamago* into bite-sized slices. He then arranged the slices neatly on a white plate with blue patterns resembling waves. 

“We agreed on having my specialty dish for dinner, right?” Placing the last slice of egg on the plate, Ajax said cheerfully.

“Say, Zhongli Sensei~ You do have an idea what that dish is, don’t you?” He said smugly as he handed the plate of dashimaki tamago over the counter for his lover. “The best hour for buying high quality seafood, is early in the morning right after the fishermen have returned from the sea!”

“To be honest though, you could have slept in. Unless you want to come with me to the fish market?” 

“Oh…I presumed that you are to fish our dinner by yourself. I planned to see you off at the harbor if that was indeed your intention.” Zhongli stood to receive the plate of egg rolls, considering the Snezhnayan’s invitation.

“Haha~ We can leave that for another day.” Ajax chuckled as he began adding a final touch of chopped spring onions into their miso soup. This handsome man sure knows him well, huh?

“So? You coming or not?” The red fox teased with a raised brow.

“…….I will…Do my best not to make a shame of myself.” Replied the ex-Archon, pensive.

“Ah-hahahaha! Come on! How bad could it be?” Ajax laughed, scooping soup into their bowls.

Yeah, how bad could it be?

Chapter Text

Okay. Ajax surely did not expect it to be this bad.

After breakfast, the two set out for their local market with a bamboo basket on the fox’s back, a wallet slipped under the sky blue waistband of his kimono; and a wagasa in Zhongli’s hand in case of sudden showers during this rainy season.

Ajax noticed how the elder was nervous to the point of exaggeration. His once bright amber eyes seemed empty, his grip tight around the handle of his umbrella, expression grim.

Just what happened to him in the past, for him to dislike…to be disturbed by the idea of seafood? Zhongli Sensei was an archon, on top of that the oldest archon of the whole of Teyvat, and seafood were simply creatures of the sea captured for food.

Was he almost eaten by a huge ass shark or something, for him to be traumatized by ocean-dwelling creatures?

Worried about his partner, Ajax stopped walking, pulling Zhongli to a halt by his arm as he did.

“Sensei, are you sure about having seafood for dinner? You really aren’t looking well, and we ain’t even anywhere close to the market yet.” The fox asked in concern. “Don’t force yourself. You don’t have to do this if you are that uncomfortable with the idea, we can try again some other time.”

“No…A contract is a contract. I promised to have your best dish, and I shall make sure the promise stands even if the heavens are to fall.” The ex-Archon insisted, eyebrows visibly twitching as he spoke.

“Now that is a bit of an over exaggeration, isn’t it? What exactly happened for seafood to be bothering you so much?” He needed to know the details before he could do anything to help his lover.

“Ah, I suppose the current you are unaware of the reason behind so. We can speak as we move forward.” Zhongli stubbornly resumed the walk towards the market.

***

“HAAAAAAH??? You were traumatized by little tentacled pests, yet you agreed even though you knew I am going to make you octopus soup?” After hearing the whole story, Ajax dragged Zhongli to a stop again by a firm tug on his arm.

He yelled softly (to not startle their neighbors so in the early morning) at the ex-Archon, who averted his gaze from him.

“Zhongli! Why?! You don’t have to do this to yourself!” The fox turned the dark-haired man around, grabbing him by the sleeves of his golden-brown kimono to look him in the eyes.

“Ah…!” With his lover calling his name without any honorifics for the first time in this life, Zhongli finally looked towards the young Snezhnayan, golden eyes widened in surprise.

“I…” He stuttered. The ex-Archon of Geo stuttered.

“I simply…Missed you.” He mumbled under his breath.

“I missed you, a lot. I sometimes recall the taste of your seafood soup on my tongue. While the visual presentation of the soup was not the most pleasing, its flavor, on the other hand, was unmatched.” He admitted.

“I longed to taste it again, even if it meant having to face the slimy and foul smelling creatures. I thought I could do it, with you back by my side.” Zhongli’s face darkened again as he recalled the the feeling of secretions trailing on his hands, carved deep in his flawless memory.

Ajax’s jaws dropped agape at the confession, deep blue eyes met with gold. He felt a gentle heat gradually rising up his cheeks.

“Ahhhhh———!” He let out a long, quiet scream.

Realizing that he was blushing again, the fox slowly released his grip on Zhongli’s kimono and hid his face in his palms.

“Sensei…Are you trying to kill me?” He whispered, voice muffled behind his hands.

Back then, the ex-Archon would have taken those words literally. It was Childe who taught him the hidden meaning behind the phrase, and now Ajax who once again reminded him of it.

The idiom brought a tint of pink to the tips of Zhongli’s ears. The Liyuean covered his mouth with a hand before the pink would flush onto his face, looking away in embarrassment.

They stood there in silence, until…

Drops of rain began falling from the morning sky, barely lit up by the dawning sun.

“Ah shoot. Sorry, my bad. Let me—”

“No. This is fine.”

With the swing in his emotions, Ajax unconsciously caused a drizzle. He was about to stop the rainfall, only to be held back by the other.

Zhongli lifted his umbrella, pushing it open to reveal the patterns adorned on the canopy. The Snezhnayan fox’s eyes immediately rounded in awe.

Ajax was instantly captivated by the magnificent piece of art. His gaze followed as Zhongli moved the wagasa above their heads, shielding them from raindrops falling from the dawning sky.

The wagasa featured tiny golden flowers blooming in multiple clusters, gathered on golden branches shaded with sepia, standing out from dark leaves behind the blossoming mass.

The design consisted of two main branches. They stretched around the canopy, with single blossoms resembling falling flakes of gold glittering on the empty spaces in between.

Against the dim light rising above the horizon, Ajax noticed a faint, misty pattern resembling rolling clouds in the background of the painting. The addition of these hidden motifs brought the exquisiteness of the wagasa to a whole new level.

“Oh archons. Zhongli Sensei, this… is beautiful…” The red fox was lost at words. His deep blue eyes almost shining like the little flowers adorned on the wagasa.

With the awkwardness between them gone without a trace, the two stood shoulder to shoulder beneath the umbrella, wide enough for both.

Droplets of rain began hitting heavier on the canopy as Ajax had given up any further attempts to restrain the sunshower.

“Thank you. I am glad this piece of work is to your liking.” Zhongli replied with a tender smile, bright amber eyes looking affectionately at his lover.

“Umm…Alright! Moving on!” Collecting himself, Ajax redirected the conversation back to the issue of having octopus for dinner.

“If it is just the slime and the smell, I know just the right thing to do! Let’s go! Think of having octopus for dinner as a revenge on the tentacles!” Gently grabbing Zhongli’s sleeve on the arm holding the wagasa, Ajax announced as he strode forward, face still blushing a pale pink.

“Mmmph. That sounds like a feasible idea. I will be counting on you.” The Liyuean chuckled softly, walking alongside his fox.

He was delighted with the younger’s show of appreciation on his work, at the same time amused by such an adorable proposal to help him overcome his distaste for cephalopods. 

“By the way, Sensei?”

“Yes?”

“What flowers are those on your wagasa?”

“Ah. These flowers are called osmanthus. It is a shrub with tiny, four-petaled flowers growing in clusters along its branches. The blossom’s coloration ranges from white to a yellowish orange, but most commonly pale yellow. The flowers themselves often go unnoticed without careful observation due to their small size, yet they are well known for their pleasant fragrance—”

Zhongli rambled trivial facts about osmanthus for the rest of their journey, allowing him to temporarily forget his anxiety in facing tentacled creatures.

It was the first time in Ajax’s life that he wanted the market to be further away, just so he could enjoy their walk under the rain for a little bit longer.

******************************************

“Plop!” Manually adding a playful sound effect with his voice, Ajax plopped out an average sized octopus from the net it was carried in, dropping it into a wooden wash tub placed in the kitchen sink.

He had deliberately chosen a smaller one since Zhongli was extremely uncomfortable with anything larger, but made sure to get the most lively one out of the day’s catch.

His choice was proven correct, as the reddish brown creature who got dumped upside down into the basin immediately started wriggling around the tub.

It flipped itself back onto its legs and prodded its tentacles around the container, still very alive and kicking after being out of the water for almost half an hour.

“Sensei! Look how fresh and lively this little guy is!” The Snezhnayan youth turned around excitedly, calling out to the dark-haired man who was peeking from behind the corner of their kitchen counter, the furtherest that he could be from the octopus while staying in the kitchen.

Zhongli grimaced even harder at what the tentacled creature was doing behind Ajax’s back.

With immense self-restraint, he prevented himself from summoning a full-powered jade shield indoors in response to the horrendous sight.

“Ajax! It is escaping!” He cried, pitch rising an octave, brows further furrowed with discomfort as the octopus began crawling out of the tub and over the edge of the sink.

“Huh? Hey! Where you going?” Ajax turned back to see the creature already half its way out of the sink. Its long tentacles reached towards the cupboards beneath the wash basin to pull itself out, attempting to escape its fate of becoming seafood soup.

The fox immediately grabbed the octopus by its head and attempted to remove it from the edge of the sink.

As expected from the liveliest octopus from the fish market, the creature continued moving downwards despite Ajax’s interference. It attached itself firmly on the cupboard doors with its suckers, refusing to let go.

“Aren’t you a bit too full of energy?” The fox began a one-sided conversation with the cephalopod, and gave the critter a particularly hard tug by its head.

With the squelching noises of suckers being ripped off a lacquered surface, followed by a loud smack of the cupboard’s doors slapping closed after they were dragged open by a fox tugging at an octopus stuck to it, the tentacled creature was finally taken off from the wash basin.

“Ah-ha! Gotcha! Now take this!” Pressing the octopus into the wooden cutting board, the Snezhnayan conjured a small, crystal clear blade of hydro into his right hand.

Swiftly and with deadly precision, Ajax stabbed the pointed tip of the knife into the area right between the wriggling creatures’s eyes.

Almost instantly, the octopus’s movements slowed. Its reddish brown body gradually lost coloration and turned white as the hydro blade pierced through its brain, killing it with one clean blow.

Both men(?) relaxed with a sigh as the overactive octopus finally stopped struggling, its tentacles slightly twitching due to reflex activity.

The fox allowed his hydro blade to dissipate into thin air and turned towards the ex-Archon behind the kitchen counter, who in return looked back at him with his amber eyes, still wide in shock.

“Pfft…Hahahahaha——!” They couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the outrageous event.

Surely this was too much nuisance just to make dinner, but something like this once in a while wasn’t too bad after all.

***

“The secret, is a lot of salt.” Ajax explained as he cleaned the octopus, removing the guts from its head that was flipped inside out.

“The reason why most seafood has a distinct smell to them is either because of the secretions they produced, or the smell from rotting blood and guts because they were not cleaned and bled out properly, or simply because they were inappropriately stored.” He began telling Zhongli everything he knew about processing seafood, proud of himself to finally be the one lecturing his all-knowing Liyuean lover.

“You see how much slime this little thing here has, hmm?” He demonstrated by dragging a hand over one of the octopus’s tentacles, scraping off a handful of slime from it.

“…Yes…I can see it very clearly…” Standing one step behind the fox, Zhongli looked over Ajax’s shoulders into his slime-covered hand. Discomfort showed on the ex-Archon's face again, but that didn't make him any less handsome than usual.

“This is where the salt comes in. By massaging the octopus in coarse salt, we can get rid of the slime, and with it, the fishy smell. However,” Ajax briefly washed his hands to get rid of the slimy substance, and dried them off with his hydro abilities.

Instead of reaching for the salt, he ran through his groceries to dig out a box of thin plastic bags, made specifically for food storage. Pulling one out of the container, he opened the bag and dumped the whole octopus inside, pushing out the air and proficiently sealing it by tying a knot at the opening.

Zhongli watched his lover in fascination. He was indeed not very knowledgable in the details of seafood processing, especially that of cephalopods such as octopus and squid due to their unappealing appearance.

“It would take a whole lot of salt to throughly clean a freshly killed octopus, and it is way too early for dinner anyways. That's why we will add one more step to the process. Let’s freeze it into a block of ice!” The Snezhnayan said, with the bag of octopus dangling in his hand.

“I learned this trick from the Inazumans. Ice crystals will break the octopus’s cells, making its flesh more tender than usual. On top of that, its slime can be washed off way more easily after a round of freeze and thaw.”

“Ahh!” In a moment of mischief, Ajax dangled the bag of octopus in front of Zhongli’s face, successfully making the ex-Archon jump a step back and let out a little scream at the closing creature.

“Bwahahahahaha!” He bursted out laughing again at the expression on Zhongli’s face.

A light slap landed on his shoulder. Ajax turned to see his lover snickering at him behind the hand covering his mouth, amber eyes half-lidded in amusement.

Best. Day. Ever. The fox decided with a wide grin on his face, and proceeded to place the octopus into Zhongli's freezer.

***********************************

*Knock knock knock* A round of knocking came from the front door of the Watanabe household, in the afternoon soon after the couple finished their lunch.

“Let me get the door. I will be back real soon.” Mr.Watanabe wiped his hands on a towel and headed towards the door, allowing Anastasia to continue doing the dishes so she didn’t have to move around, as she was heavy with child.

Reaching the genkan*, he opened the door to greet his guests. “Good afternoon. Oh! Ajax-kun! Finally coming in through the front door, I see?” The Inazuman teased with a chuckle.

“Good afternoon, Ryuuta-san.” Ajax returned the greeting. “I came to return the stuff that I had borrowed from Sister Anya the day before. Here, we brought some dango* for you guys!”

The red fox flashed his brother-in-law a delighted smile, showing him the two packages that he held in his hands.

“Thank you, Anna and I love those! Come right in.” Then, he spotted the other guest in a golden brown kimono.

“Oh? You’ve brought a friend with you this time… Eh?…Zhongli Sensei?!”

Anya’s sharp ears picked up the name from their conversation. Delightfully surprised, she grabbed the towel that her husband had dried his hands with, drying her own hands with it while trotting carefully towards the corridor.

“Anna! Ajax-kun is here for you! He came with Zhongli Sensei!” Mr.Watanabe turned around and cried all the way from the genkan as Anya peeked her head out of the kitchen.

Behind her husband, Ajax winked suggestively at her, while Zhongli made a ‘shh’ sign with a finger against his own lips, smiling softly at the vixen.

The towel in Anya’s hands dropped onto the wooden floor with a light plop. With fingers held up to her face, she squealed at what his younger brother and Sensei conveyed silently. 

Chapter Text

“Al--right. I’ve made some plain rice in that tiny cauldron incase you don’t like the takomeshi*. Don’t worry about wasting food, I can have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.”

“Thank you. It is very kind of you.”

Ajax said as he opened the lid to the rice cooker to present Zhongli with their dinner.

The aroma from the food immediately filled the Liyuean’s nostrils. Zhongli could pick up the fragrance of soy sauce and sake* together with a hint of ginger from the rice, masking the unique smell of seafood to a point where it was acceptable even to him.

The base of the pot was covered in a nice, even layer of rich golden-brown rice topped with pieces of octopus, sliced and diced neatly so that it no longer resembled the original creature.

“The rice looks and smells delicious, its aroma is pleasant even with the addition of seafood. Marvelous, Ajax. I am more than willing to have some.” Pleased, He praised with a smile.

“Glad to hear it! Scallions?”

“Yes, please.”

Delighted by his lover’s positive reaction to the food, the fox hummed happily while mixing the rice in the cooker, and generously heaped them into their bowls.

He then grabbed a pinch of greens from the bowl of finely diced scallions on the side, sprinkling them onto the rice as a final touch to his dish.

“And finally, my signature soup: A Prize Catch! They’re all yours, Sensei~!” Cheerfully, he lifted the lid to the small pot placed in the middle of the table, revealing the soup which Zhongli was both concerned about and looked forward to.

Fortunately, The contents in the pot pleasantly exceeded the Liyuean's expectations.

The soup gave out the nostalgic aroma, smelling almost exactly the same as how he had remembered it; most importantly, he was delightfully relieved by the arrangement of the ingredients.

Instead of looking like ‘a trapped beast floundering in an ocean of blood’, as the Traveller had chosen to describe it at the dinner table millenniums ago, the octopus’s tentacles were thinly sliced and simply placed beside the shell of a crab cut in half, which sat calmly in the middle of the pot of tomato based soup with two leaves of herbs on top of it.

Zhongli let out a sigh of relief at the presentation.

The red fox caught sight of the elder visibly relaxing after seeing his soup. He couldn’t help but compare his response to those of his little brothers’ and sister’s.

“I sliced them up 'cause you don’t like the look of tentacles. Haa~ My younger siblings love munching on the whole leg whenever I make this soup. Every single time, they would argue who’s got the biggest tentacle, even thought all of them really are the same size. Haha~ Cute little kids.”

Ajax recalled the times when the kits chewed on octopus tentacles in their fox forms, making him and his parents laugh uncontrollably while cleaning after the mess they made on the table and their own fur.

“Your siblings sound adorable. I would love to meet them some time soon.” Zhongli said, helping himself with some of the delicious smelling seafood soup with the fragrance of tomatoes and calla lilies.

“Sure! By the way, have you met them before? Like, in your past life?” Ajax sat down and began fumbling with the pair of dragon and phoenix chopsticks, attempting to arrange them into the correct position between his fingers.

Taking a sip of the soup after mumbling words of gratitude, Zhongli gave himself a moment to enjoy the lovely and familiar taste before answering.

“Unfortunately not. All I knew about your family are mostly from the stories that you have told me during our shared meals. However, the Traveller, an old friend of mine, had once told me about how your youngest brother Teucer had smuggling himself on a boat from Snezhnaya in search of you.”

“Teucer did WHAT?” Hearing what his little brother had done in another timeline was like getting struck by lightning. Those expensive chopsticks fell from Ajax’s unstable grip and rolled onto the table with a few clinks.

“Did he get hurt during the journey? What did he do in Liyue? Did he manage to go home safely after that?”

“Worry not.” Zhongli chuckled at how worried the boy’s older brother became.

“The Traveller told me that the two of you took good care of him during his stay in Liyue. He was safely escorted back home by the Fatui at the end of the day.” He decided that the details of their dubious adventures could be left for another time.

“Ah———” That reminded the Snezhnayan of himself when he was younger. It’s just that his little brother somehow managed to run even further away from home than he had done back then.

Ajax picked up his chopsticks and started rearranging them on his hand. “Dear Archons. To be honest, that did sound like something Teucer would do, especially after he had sneaked down the mountains with Anthon not long ago.”

Finally managing a better grip on his chopsticks, Ajax lifted his bowl of takomeshi and pushed some of the rice into his mouth with the utensil. The diced octopus were more chewy compared to the rice, but soft enough to add texture to the mouthful without making itself too outstanding from the rest. The freezing and salt massage sure got the job done beautifully.

“Hmm, you have to tell him his own story when you come over for a visit then! He loved those adventure stories told by our dad, I’m sure he will want to hear yours too.” He said, shoving in another mouthful of rice.

With eyes of glamorous gold, Zhongli looked fondly at his lover as he spoke of his family.

The Snezhnayan’s cheeks were stuffed full with the delicious takomeshi, somewhat resembling a hamster filling itself with seeds. His auburn hair was as fluffy and soft as before. Even that particular lighter colored streak of hair had remained on the bangs above his right eye.

Zhongli slowly put down his warm bowl of soup, and reached his freed hand towards Ajax. With a gentle swipe of his finger, he brushed those bangs aside, allowing light from their ceiling lamp to shine into his beautiful eye deep as the blue sea.

It glimmered under the light, just like the afternoon when he had come before his doorstep as Tanya.

At the touch, the red fox glanced towards him, dazed. He blinked his ocean blue eyes with chopsticks still between his lips, glistening with the oil from their meal.

“Umm?” With his mouth full, Ajax tilted his head, nudging himself against Zhongli’s hand to silently question the gesture. He was confused by the other's sudden action, but gratefully took the chance to lean into their soft caress.

As for Zhongli, he was simply glad to be sharing meals with Ajax again. On top of that, meals prepared by Ajax himself. 

“Not only the story of little Teucer’s own adventures in Liyue. I will also tell him about the tales of when you were a brave and loyal warrior to the Tsaritsa, and of the times we spent together in Liyue Harbor.”

Sliding his fingers into his lover’s scruffy hair, Zhongli promised as he pet the fox with all the gentleness in the world, slowly running the tips of his fingers along the base of his hair behind an ear, cupping it in his palm. Ajax briefly considered turning back into a fox and let Zhongli pet him all over his fur some day, but before that...

“Hmph hmph?” Muffling out a sneer, Ajax swallowed his mouthful and pressed further into the touch, as if posing a challenge towards the ex-Archon's strength. “How rude of you, Sensei~”

Ah. Zhongli knew where that was going.

“ 'Were'? It's true that I don't work for the Tsaritsa, but what makes you think I’m any less of a brave warrior?” He said confidently, waving his poorly held chopsticks in front of himself. “Fight me, and I’ll show you what I’m capable of.”

“Ha-- hahahahaha!” Zhongli wheezed out a laugh and ruffled the Snezhnayan rascal’s hair into a mess, eliciting a long wail of joy from the redhead and made him squint his blue eyes shut at the pleasant surprise.

As expected, he was still the Childe that Zhongli had become fond of.

“Of course, Ajax. We can spar when both of us have plentiful of time to spare. I assume mere couple of hours will not satisfy you?”

Oh? Was that an invitation to a full-day fight tomorrow? It wasn’t like Ajax had anything better than that to do!

“Unfortunately, I am afraid that would have to wait for a while.”

Oh darn it.

“My client is visiting tomorrow morning to discuss about their commission. I believe they would like order-made wagasa to be displayed at the upcoming summer festival. I might have to focus on work for the upcoming weeks, or even months.”

“Ughh. And I thought I got to fight Liyue’s legendary Rex Lapis tomorrow.” Right. He almost forgot about the retired Archon’s current… Job? Hobby? Ah whatever.

“You need not be upset. As long as you are willing, I am sure we will have numerous chances to spar during the remaining years we spend together.” Zhongli reassured as he smoothed the auburn hair that he had made a mess of, enjoying himself as he pet Ajax on his head.

The fox stilled, choking a little on air. His eyes of noctilucous jade widened, and his face gradually flushed red at those words.

“……Sensei…That sounds like a marriage proposal.”

“Is that so? I do not oppose to the idea, but it might be slightly too early for you to make such an important decision.”

Zhongli gave the young fox one last pet as he spoke. He then moved his hands to correct his lover’s grip on his chopsticks again.

“Also, waving your chopsticks around is considered impolite. Please refrain from doing so again.”

Ajax made a humming noise as Zhongli instructed him to relax his fingers around the utensils. His face blushed as red as his soup with embarrassment by both the elder’s proposal, and at his own disgraceful use of those very expensive chopsticks.

Once the Liyuean was satisfied with Ajax's grip, he retreated his hands, returning them to his bowl of seafood soup to lift it for another sip.

“Now, allow me to savor these delicacies you have prepared for me. I look forward to meet the current you in a spar. Enlighten me with your strength and bravery, little fox.”

That immediately hyped the youth up again. “Ha! This little fox might as well bring your whole house down with you if they are to use their true powers in a battle!” 

“It would be troublesome if you did that. When the chance comes, I shall introduce you to a venue where you can unleash your full power without having to worry about unnecessary casualties.” Zhongli finished, and brought a piece of thinly sliced octopus to his mouth with a proficient move of his chopsticks, a great contrast to Ajax’s sloppy ones.

“Amaze me then, Rex Lapis.” The fox teased and went back to stuffing himself with takomeshi, smiling as if he had won already.

“Of course.”

Well, Ajax couldn’t exactly be blamed for not knowing about those overly convenient powers of the Adepti, and how ridiculously powerful the Prime of the Adepti was.

************************************

The draft for the design on Zhongli’s new wagasa was finally complete. He could start painting it onto the canopy tomorrow.

As Zhongli checked through his design for any possible areas for improvement, a familiar breeze blew through the open window beside his workshop table, rustling through his dark and amber hair. 

‘Ah.’ He recognized the blow of wind. ‘He is back’.

The arrivers landed atop his roof in a flutter of wings accompanied by an overly familiar giggle, followed by the sound of faint footsteps across the roof tiles.

Placing down his charcoal pen, Zhongli turned towards the window to meet the form of the Guardian Yaksha agilely flipping down to his windowsill.

As soon as the rustle of clothing and accessories silenced, Xiao greeted his lord, kneeling down on one knee above the platform that the ex-Archon had built outside his window for the sole purpose of accommodating the yaksha’s preference to land there.

“My Lord, I have returned.” The golden-eyed yaksha greeted with a slight bow of his head.

“Yahoo~ Long time no see Morax~ Missed me?” Another familiar figure landed beside Xiao with a soft swirl of feathers and wind. Zhongli swiftly placed a hand above his draft to prevent it from getting blown off the table by the mischievous bard.

“It has been some time, Barbatos. I must admit you have arrived at just the right timing in this particular instance, or I would have to write you a letter to inform you of the news.” Zhongli replaced his hand on the draft with a stone paperweight as he spoke.

“Ehe~ No need for that. Wind had already brought the great news, so I figured it would be the perfect timing to pay my old friend a visit. And I got to travel with Xiao on my way here!”

The Anemo Archon chirped and threw his arms around his lover, pressing his face into the yaksha’s to shamelessly nudge him with his cheeks.

Xiao was absolutely not expecting that. His mouth dropped opened in a silent scream, face immediately flushed scarlet, but Barbatos showed no sign of stopping any time soon.

“V…Venti…Please not…Not in front of Zhongli-daren.” The yaksha pushed weakly at the bard with arms trembling in embarrassment, pretty much doing absolutely nothing to stop the overly affectionate Archon.

“Haa…” Zhongli sighed with an awkward smile. Despite the overwhelming awkwardness, he was happy for Xiao to have someone who could support him by his side during hard times; one that could calm his soul that was burdened by his own karma.

Standing up, Zhongli gestured the two towards the genkan. “We can continue the talk inside. Please come in through the front door. I would like to introduce him to you, vice versa.”

“Why the effort? We can hop right in from here~” The bard in green proceeded to jump into Zhongli’s workshop through the window, only to be pulled back by Xiao by his upper arms and stopped by the ex-Geo Archon with a firm hand against his chest at the same time.

“Shoes are not allowed in the house.” The amber eyed Liyuean warned, standing in front of the window with arms crossed.

“Aww— So many rules.” Barbatos whined.

“Venti, this is a basic etiquette in both Liyue and Inazuma. Let’s enter properly through the door.” Xiao explained, pulling the bard by his arms.

“Sensei? Is there some— Huuhhhh?”

“Ah.” The three turned their attention towards the door.

At the door stood Ajax, staring at them wide eyed with mouth dropped open.

He probably decided to take a peek after hearing unfamiliar voices when he was heading towards the shower, only to find two strangers standing right outside the window in Zhongli's workshop.

“Yohoo~~” The Anemo Archon waved at the fox through the window, yelling across the room like it was the most natural thing to do at the moment. “Nice to meet you! I came over to visit the old man Zhongli. You can call me Venti!”

“Uhhh…Sure? You want some tea?” He figured that the young (looking) men outside the window probably were Zhongli’s friends, to be allowed to perch there instead of getting thrown off the windowsill for trying to break into his house.

“No thanks! I’ve brought dandelion wine from Mondstadt, we can have these instead!” He pulled out two bottles of wine from under his cape and waved them above his head.

Zhongli brought a hand up to his face and chucked helplessly at the totally expected move from the drunkard bard.

“Oh wow! Thanks Venti! Those are one of the best wine in the whole of Teyvat! I’m Ajax by the way.” Delighted by being offered the famous wine of Mondstadt, Ajax happily accepted the invitation without hesitating.

“And who might the other one be?” He looked over to Xiao this time.

“Greetings, it’s a plea—” Xiao began to introduce himself, but was halted by a gentle wave of Zhongli’s hand.

“Allow me. Ajax, this is Xiao. You have met him before when he showed himself in another form. He is the golden eagle who contributed to the rescue of your siblings when they were attacked by the eagle three days ago.” Zhongli gestured towards the Guardian Yaksha, who dipped his head at the one his lord has been searching for. Venti patted him on his back, giggling as he did.

“The golden eagle… AH!” That huge eagle who carried the bird off was Zhongli’s Adepti friend all along?!

Ajax dropped his change of clothes onto the floor and sped towards Xiao.

Brushing past a smiling Zhongli, he leaned out of the window to grab Xiao’s hands, holding them between his in a firm squeeze.

“Thank you for saving my brothers! Let me cook you something to repay you! What do you want for dinner tomorrow?” The fox offered, his ocean blue eyes practically shining at the sight of his younger siblings' other savior.

“????” Xiao was stupefied by the whole situation. He gingerly glanced towards Zhongli, who gave him an affirming nod.

Relaxing at the reassurance and Venti’s hand on his back, he collected himself and answered the youth who had been gazing at him in anticipation.

“……I have no desire for mortal food, but I can manage some almond tofu.” He replied, and was wordlessly praised by his lover with a little chuckle and soothing strokes down his back.

“Oh, in that case, hmm…” Hearing the confession, Ajax considered for a brief moment.

“Dessert it is then! I guess I now have another picky eater to take care of. Hahahahaha!” He let go of Xiao’s hands and bursted out laughing. To the yaksha’s surprise, Venti followed suit and shifted to be the one dragging him by his arm towards the door, with the bottles of dandelion wine held in his other hand.

The ex-Archon cleared his throat awkwardly at that. His bright amber eyes glancing fondly at the laughing Snezhnayan who took the chance to joke about his pickiness towards seafood.

“Alright, I’ll take a shower real quick, then we can start the drinking party!” Ajax said as he went back to pick up the clothes that he had dropped at the door. He then waved a temporary goodbye towards the newcomers and continued with his trip towards the bathroom.

“Take your time, Ajax, the night is still young.” Zhongli called after his lover, hoping the other wouldn’t hurry through his shower.

“Venti, give me a second.” Xiao whispered towards the bard who couldn’t wait to barge into his friend’s new house, making him whine out a little complain.

“Zhongli-daren, if I may.”

“Yes?”

“Pardon my rudeness, my lord, but that is a kitsune.” After the man(?) in question disappeared through the corridor, the Guardian Yaksha finally got the chance to raise his concerns. “You have always described the person in your memories as a mortal human. Are you sure you have not been deceived by the yokai?”

“Ah.” The ex-Archon’s ambers eyes softened as he began explaining to his yaksha.

“Thank you for your concern, Xiao. I was also surprised when a bake-kitsune turned up on my doorstep, but the moment I saw his eyes, it was evident that he no doubt is Ajax.” Zhongli leaned onto his work table, arms folded comfortably in front of his chest as he retold what happened just a day ago.

“Xiao, I saw his soul. I will never forget such a beautiful shade of blue. He might be born as a fox instead of human, but it is unmistakeable that he is the one that I have…we have been searching for. Furthermore, actually speaking to him confirmed the speculation. Worry not, I have not been deceived, nor is Ajax trying to deceive me.” Smiling softly, the Liyuean spoke with confidence.

The amount of love Xiao saw in his lord’s golden eyes was more than convincing. A faint smile appeared on the yaksha’s previously expressionless face.

“Told you~~ Can we go now? Can we go now?” Venti cooed, tugging at his lover’s arm, urging the other to go with him.

“I understand. Zhongli-daren, congratulations on finding the one from your memories.” Said Xiao, before jumping off the platform outside the window with the overly excited bard, the smile remaining on his lips.

Zhongli closed the window and turned around to leave his workshop, moving towards the genkan to officially welcome the yaksha home, and to make sure Barbatos wouldn’t forget to take his shoes off before stepping into the house.

Ah yes, Zhongli would also have to make sure that they won’t make a mess of the house and themselves during the drinking party. The client from the Kamisato Clan will be visiting in the morning, after all. 

On the work table, there laid the draft of an illustration of a single-horned whale swimming amongst a swirling school of fish, belly up, just like a certain hydro narwhal breaching into the milky way in a sea of stars.

Chapter Text

It was late afternoon. The sun hung low above the sea horizon, casting a warm, golden light upon the wooden footbridge he was on.

The soft sunlight reflected off countless yellow leaves falling from the trees around him, turning them into flecks of gold flickering amongst those green-roofed buildings on the street that was very familiar to him.

Walking on the railing of the footbridge with agile and perfectly balanced steps, he extended an arm above his head, palm up, allowing one falling leaf to land onto his gloved hand.

He then effortlessly jumped over a round knob protruding from the railing, the metal trinkets that he wore on himself clinked softly against each other with the motion. It was an enjoyable sound, just like wind chimes in summer. He felt proud to be wearing them.

After having steadied himself on the railing, he brought the golden fan-shaped leaf about half the size of his palm before his eyes, examining the thin vines radiating out from the leafstalk to spread across the blade like rays of the setting sun. He recognized it as a ginkgo leaf, which were not found in Inazuma. It was something rare to him, so he decided to keep it.

As he admired the pretty shade of gold from both the leaf and the evening sky, he caught sight of a man from behind the blade of the leaf held between his fingers.

That man had been strolling just slightly in front of him on the walkway of the bridge. Unhurried, the man walked alongside him at his own pace. His back was straightened with arms folded comfortably behind his back, somewhat reminding him of an old man talking a leisure walk to bask in the sun.

Although he couldn’t see the man’s face, he knew, without doubt, that he was his companion on their walk down these streets.

His very familiar companion had soft, silky dark hair tied into his iconic low ponytail with a piece of diamond shaped gem that was the same golden color as the ginkgo leaves. The amber tip of his long ponytail almost gleamed like cor lapis as it flowed behind him underneath the late evening sun.

He was dressed in his usual brown tailcoat suit, tailored to fit him perfectly. On the back of the suit was an eye-catching symbol made up with four small squares overlapped by a big square in the middle.

He knew he had seen the symbol somewhere before, but couldn’t really remember where at the moment. However, there was one thing that he was a hundred percent sure of, which was that the symbol suited his beautiful companion so perfectly well, that it might as well belong to him, symbolize him.

After seeing all these, he felt an urge. The urge to catch up to the man fitted in a tailcoat, to make him turn around so he could see his face, the ridiculously handsome face that he knew would be as lovely as this warm, golden evening that he had been enjoying since……

How long had it been since they started their stroll?

Also, this place was definitely not in Snezhnaya, nor was it Inazuma despite the similarities. Where were they?

Well, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he had his beloved companion beside him.

He tucked his hands together with the ginkgo leaf into the pockets of his grey trousers, skipping over another knob on the railing to catch up to the man he loved.

Amongst the soft clinks of metal accessories, he caught up to his lover and leaned forward, trying to take a peak at his face… Only to find it hidden behind his amber tipped bangs.

Pouting a little, he raised his voice to try get his attention, to make him turn around.

“Hey~” He said softly.

There was no response from the man. Could he not hear him?

“Heeeey~” He repeated himself, louder this time.

As if realizing something, the handsome man in a brown suit lifted his head ever so slightly. With a sway of the white tasseled earring adorned on his ear, he slowly, gradually, turned towards him.

Finally, he saw his face again.

Just as they had always been, those gorgeous, gleaming eyes resembling cor lapis met his dark blue ones. He was more than familiar with those eyes, for he had seen it countless times before, and adored them with the whole of his heart.

The expression on his lover’s face was a surprised one. Those golden orbs that almost melted into the setting sun behind him were wide open, as if getting called out by him was the last thing he had been expecting.

The sky around them darkened. With just a blink of an eye, the two of them were left in the dark of the night.

Despite the absence of the sun, the temperature around them never dropped. It only made the warmth radiating from his amber-eyed lover feel even warmer to him.

Pleased, he chuckled lightheartedly at his partner who blinked those glowing amber eyes at him. As he continued giggling, the dark-haired man tilted his head, the same surprised look still on his face.

For whatever reason, his lover’s name seemed to be stuck at the back of his head. Fortunately, he knew exactly what he should call him instead.

As if his mouth had acted on its own, the title of his loved one rolled off his tongue.

The title that he had always called him by. 

“Xiansheng.”

***

The drinking party somehow ended up as a drinking competition between Ajax and Venti, where the two of them each downed almost a whole bottle of the dandelion wine all by themselves.

Fortunately, none of them got very drunk simply because they only had two bottles of wine in possession. Zhongli didn’t even mention his own collection of wine because, well, you get it.

The bard and the fox decided on a rematch at a future date, where then they will be fully prepared with plentiful of Mondstadtian dandelion wine and Snezhnayan fire water.

Anyways, the slightly drowsy Ajax fell asleep almost immediately after Zhongli set him down onto the futon. Venti and Xiao were instructed to clean up the mess (mostly Venti’s mess, Xiao was just helping) in the dining room, and then decided to spend the rest of their night by just the two of them, on top of Zhongli’s roof.

Later that night, Zhongli, tucked comfortably inside his set of futon with Ajax beside him, woke up from his slumbers to his lover seemingly asking for his attention.

At first, he thought Ajax was simply talking in his sleep, given how he was drunk, but was surprised to find a pair of deep blue eyes glancing into his golden amber ones.

But what actually shocked him the most, was the words that rolled off Ajax’s tongue after a sleepy chuckle.

“Xiansheng.”

Zhongli was startled wide awake by what Ajax had mumbled while being half asleep.

That… caught him completely off guard.

The ex-Archon could only stare wide-eyed at the silly smiling fox, who subconsciously began nuzzling towards him despite still being in his dreams. But soon enough, probably having lost his fight against sleep, Ajax’s blue eyes fell shut again before he could shift a significant distance towards the other. He drifted back into sleep, snoring quietly and peacefully as if nothing had just happened.

“......Hmmph-” Recovering from his shock, the Liyuean’s expression softened as he breathed out a quiet chuckle.

Zhongli shifted himself towards the sleeping fox and reached out to pull him into his arms. The redhead hummed without opening his eyes, and began nuzzling into Zhongli’s chest in content while the elder adjusted the blankets covering them.

Once the ex-Archon was done tucking them in, he ran his fingers through the soft auburn hair half buried under their blankets, and pressed his nose into them.

Breathing in the smell of his lover, sound asleep between his arms, he mumbled into the top of Ajax’s head.

“I am here, Childe. My dear Ajax.”

***************************

Ajax woke up from sweet dreams to a familiar and comforting smell; pleasurable rubs on his ears and warmth all around his body.

“Mmmph~” He couldn’t help but let out a satisfied moan against the surface that he was resting on. It felt both soft and sturdy at the same time, so he rubbed his cheeks against it and gave an ear a few flicks of pleasure. His tail began wagging under the fabrics at just how comfortable he was.

His…Tail?

The fox immediately stilled at the realization. His blue eyes snapped open, only to be greeted by a well built chest covered in a grey kimono. Slowly, he lifted his head.

What entered his sight was a man with a pair of bright amber eyes, surrounded by dark hair tipped in the same shade as those pupils, more beautiful than any gem he had ever seen in his life.

Zhongli smiled, eyes half-lidded with amusement. Those hands that have been petting Ajax’s ear and stroking down his back never stopped their actions as the fox stared unbelievably at their owner.

The Snezhnayan’s face flushed red as it hit him.

Ajax was extremely disappointed in himself at how his ears and tail popped out after just one bottle of wine, and at the fact that he somehow ended up sleeping on top of Zhongli after getting drunk; even worse, he nudged and rubbed himself against his chest.

His head hurt, but only for a little. It was just one bottle of wine after all, he could down a couple more bottles of stronger alcohol without getting a hangover. He had done that before.

Anyhow, those black-tipped ears pulled back shamefully, but the amber-eyed Liyuean showed no sign of wanting to let go of them. The ‘surface’ beneath Ajax began trembling as Zhongli started snickering at his lover’s reaction, with no attempts to get the fox off himself at all.

‘He is definitely enjoying this.’ Ajax thought to himself, shooting a glare that was more of cute than threatening at the elder.

Well, it wasn’t like he wanted to get off either way. Not with his lover’s hand hugging snug behind his back and the other giving his ears such good rubs.

Actually, to be honest. He wouldn’t dare to move in his position.

Ajax could feel his lower half pressed onto Zhongli’s thigh, and Zhongli’s on his waist. Their legs were tangled underneath the sheets with the fox’s tail joining them below his light blue kimono. Moving now would certainly lead to…some awkward interactions.

“Aaaah. It’s been years since I’ve last lost control of my form…How did this happen?” After a long period of what seemed like a staring contest, Ajax finally spoke up, breaking eye contact and groaned into Zhongli’s chest with face covered in both palms.

“I do not mind at all, you are adorable in this form. Good morning, Ajax. Did you have a good dream?” Zhongli’s deep voice came from above, tingling the fox’s ears and made them do a few more flicks between the fingers touching them.

“Uhhh, morning. Lucky that it’s you who see me like this.” Imagine some random Inazuman seeing his part-fox form. He might never be able to walk openly in this village as a human anymore.

As for his dream.

“My dream, you say? Umm…” He faintly recalled himself walking on the railing of a bridge, in the middle of a golden city that felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. He was with someone, someone that looked exactly like…

“I think I saw you in my dream, Zhongli Sensei.” Removing the hands from his face to rest them on Zhongli’s chest, Ajax admitted.

“I don’t really know where were we. All I know is that it felt good to have you around. Oh yeah, and you looked really, really handsome in a suit.”

Zhongli replied with an approving hum. The hand that was on Ajax’s back slowly slid up, over his shoulder blade and onto the other black-tipped ear. Zhongli held the other fox ear between his fingers, and without a word, he started giving both of them heavenly strokes.

That feeling made the fox’s ocean blue eyes narrow comfortably. He instinctively began purring softly at his throat, relaxing into the touch.

“I see. So you do remember what you dreamt of.” Said Zhongli. He couldn’t stop giving those soft and fluffy ears even more rubs, especially when Ajax obviously enjoyed his touch. You could say he was kind of addicted to them.

“How about what you said to me? Do you remember that?”

“Mmmm, lemme think…Wait, how did you know I talked to you in my dream- Aah…” He was about to question Zhongli, only to find the Liyuean’s hands slipping down onto both sides of his head to gently pull him forward.

The red fox had to shift his arms to prop himself up. Their bodies slid over each other’s under their thin kimonos, and Ajax was lead up to face Zhongli closer than ever before, hovering above the other.

His heart thumped crazily inside his chest with the almost non-existent distance between his and Zhongli’s face. He could even feel the elder’s warm breath against his lips.

They were so close, Ajax could clearly see the bright diamond-shaped pupils in the ex-Archon’s golden amber eyes, proving the fact that he was definitely not human. Those streaks of red eyeliners around the corner of Zhongli’s eyes weren’t smeared at all, even though they had just woken up from sleep.

Thinking back, he had never seen Zhongli putting them on, nor had he seen him taking them off. They might as well have never been makeup since the very beginning.

By his warm, unwavering hold, Zhongli guided his lover towards himself. Very, very slowly.

He made sure Ajax had the chance to break away if that was not what he wanted, which the fox never did.

Slightly tilting their heads, eyes narrowed, their lips met for the first time in their second lives.

Soft lips pressed against each other, pecking carefully at their partner. Their first kiss was a brief, feather light one, testing; the second was bolder, lips nibbling at lips, making sure; and the third one confident, fitting against each other in a perfect embrace.

One after another and then another, the lovers kissed numerous times over with their bodies pressed flush against each other. Legs entangled inside their futon, quiet moans began to mix into the exchange of touches, and hips started twisting subtly against one other to satisfy the tingle rising from their lower halves.

Despite the growing heat, their kisses were kept chaste, but nonetheless overflowed with their yearn for each other. The two submerged themselves into the share of affection, especially for Ajax who had just went on a date with Zhongli in his dreams, further reminding him just how much he loved this man before him.

Ah.

So that was what it was.

That handsome man in a suit who Ajax met in his dream, was Zhongli from his past life.

Soon after the realization, Zhongli was the one to back out from their kiss. Cheeks flushed and slightly out of breath, he began with a hint of concern in his voice.

“You are distracted.” He said as he swiped a finger over the fox’s lips that had turned pink from kissing. “Have I pushed it too far?”

Oh shoot. Was he that distracted?

“No! No, it’s not that.” Ajax scrambled to clear the misunderstanding.

“It’s just…” He hesitated for a while, thinking how he should put those feelings into words…And realized that he couldn’t find a better way to express them. Unable to come up with a better choice of words at the moment, the fox gave a few embarrassed taps of his tail against the leg tangled between his, and decided to just say it even thought it was straight up lame.

“I was just thinking about… I think… I like you way more than I thought.” He confessed, averting his glance and quickly covered the lower half of his face before his cheeks could turn any redder than they were now.

“…Ah, I see. That is good to hear.” After a brief moment of surprise, Zhongli's troubles were thrown out of the window. He pulled his beloved back onto his chest, drawing out an astounded whimper from the flushing red fox.

“Oh come on…!” Ajax complained weakly, words muffled on Zhongli’s chest.

As they returned to their previous position, gradually coming down from the heat of their kiss, the young Snezhnayan recalled the question that his lover asked him before initiating the intimidation.

What did he say to the Zhongli in his dreams again?

He searched everywhere inside his head for the answer. He tried going over what happened in the dream from the very beginning, only to find that what was left of the dream were fragments scattered all over the place. He even waited to see if there would be any random terms popping into his mind that could remind him of it, but to no avail. He couldn’t remember anything no matter how hard he tried.

“Sensei, about what you asked me before, about my dream?”

“Oh? You remember?”

“No. I don’t remember what I said to you. At all. How did you know I talked to you anyway?”

“Haha.” Zhongli let out a light chuckle and began stroking Ajax’s fox ears again.

“You were talking in your sleep.”

“Mmmmngh?” Ajax’s groan of pleasure raised an octave at the very end, turning it into an expression of bewilderment. The pair of pointed ears on top of his head pricked up with interest at Zhongli’s reveal.

“What did I say?”

Zhongli rose a little from his laying position to press a soft kiss between Ajax’s brows, and quickly laid back down after doing so.

“It is no longer important.” He answered with another rub to the youth’s ear, making it flick in protest.

“Just tell me.” The red fox complained, unhappy with the answer he received.

“It is unimportant.” Zhongli insisted with a teasing grin, petting down Ajax’s back with his other hand to soothe him.

“Zhongli Sensei—!”

***

A few minutes ago, on top of the roof, Venti was trying his best to hold his laughter while pointing down towards the room where Zhongli and Ajax laid in their futon.

“Fuu— Huhuhu— Did you hear- Huhu— that? Xiao? Hehehe! Little fox couldn’t maintain his form! Hehehe! It was just one bottle of wi- Oww!” He whispered to the yaksha beside him, only to earn himself a knifehand strike on his head, putting a dent onto his hat.

“It is indecent to laugh at another’s misery.” Xiao chastised his mischievous lover, the fingers on his right hand closed together, formed like the shape of a blade.

“Owie~ Come on, it’s just between the two of us, it won’t hurt as long as neither of them finds out!” He rebutted, taking off his green beret to puff it back up.

“Haaa…Venti, I am confident that Zhongli-daren knew exactly what you are doing right now. He simply chose not to pay you any attention.” Although Xiao knew his words wouldn’t do anything to stop Venti, he still reminded him with a sigh.

“Ehe~! Ah!” Of course the bard would immediately dive back into eavesdropping.

“Shhh, things are about to spice up a little down there!” Before Xiao could say anything else, the Anemo Archon gestured for him to stay quiet and listen to the voices brought by the Wind.

“…….! S…Stop this! We must not pry!” The Guardian Yaksha’s cheeks flushed as he picked up a few words from the Wind, immediately understanding what the other meant by ‘spice up a little’.

“Its fine~~! They aren’t gonna go that far, just stay discrete and…Eh?” He was cut off by a drop of rain hitting the back of his hand.

Without any warning, a drizzle started falling from the sky. The sound of rainwater hitting the tiles of the roof covered up all of the voices from the Wind.

“Aww, this rain sure chose the worst timing to fall. Shoo, shoo, come back later— Ehhhh?” As Venti was about to summon Anemo in order to blow the rain clouds away, he realized the problem with this drizzle.

“The sky is clear! Where is the rain even from?!” The bard pouted, hands formed into fists against his waist.

“Look, even Celestia is displeased by your behavior. Let’s go seek shelter from the rain.” Said Xiao, grabbing Venti’s cape and started dragging him off the roof without turning back.

“Heeeh~ You’re laughing at me, aren’t you? Adeptus Xiao?” Teased the bard, walking backwards with his partner leading him by his cape.

“…I am not.” He replied, refusing to look at Venti as he continued his way off the roof, a tint of pink at the tip of his ears.

“Sure you aren’t~!”

The morning sky of Inazuma was clear without a cloud. The sun was gradually rising from above the horizon, where a light drizzle of rain scattered its golden light into a rainbow arc, decorating the once-empty sky.

A certain blue-eyed fox never realized how he had summoned a sunshower so early in the morning, again.

Chapter Text

On the sight of a man walking down the path towards Zhongli’s house from afar, Xiao gave his partner a notifying wave and hopped off the roof, his steps light as a bird's.

The yaksha landed into the back garden of the house which faced the bamboo forest, and slipped off his shoes in front of the engawa before stepping onto the wooden flooring. He slowly knelt down before the shoji to report the news to the person across the latticed door.

“My lord, you have a visitor. A tall blond man in red, wielder of a Pyro Vision.”

An acknowledging ‘ah’ was returned from across the shoji, followed by rustles of clothings and the soft noises of approaching footsteps. A faint shadow appeared from behind the shoji, which lowered itself to draw the wooden door open, revealing an ex-Archon kneeling on the tatami with a small plate of dark-colored blocks in his hand.

Before Xiao could cry out in bewilderment at the sight of his lord kneeling to his level while opening the door for him, Zhongli had handed the plate over to his yaksha before the other could say anything, explaining himself as he did.

“Thank you, Xiao. It was around time for the appointment with my client. I have been expecting his arrival.” As usual, he thanked the adeptus for the notification. He then offered him the plated blocks with two bamboo fork picks placed on the side.

“These are yokan*. They are similar to almond tofu, but red bean paste is used instead of almond milk. I thought they might be to your liking, so please do give them a try and share them with Barbatos.” He introduced the sweets to Xiao, who slowly took the plate from Zhongli.

“…Thank you, Zhongli-daren. I shall gladly accept them.” Said the golden-eyed yaksha, whose eyes seemed to be shining even brighter than usual at the yokan. He then looked behind his lord to see the auburn-haired youth waving at him, munching on a piece of the same dessert.

“Tell me if you like it! I can try making it myself next time if you want more!” Ajax raised his voice from the table sat in the middle of the washitsu after swallowing his mouthful. Although Xiao only replied with a nod, deep inside, he was delighted by the sweets.

“I should attend to the client.” Zhongli said and stood up from his knees, gesturing for the yaksha to follow suit. He then pushed both shojis open, allowing sunlight and the breeze into the washitsu.

Understanding his lord’s intentions, Xiao dipped his head at the ex-Archon and backed off from the engawa. He stepped down from the flooring to put his shoes back on, and with a graceful, almost weightless leap, he jumped back onto the rooftop with the plate of red bean yokan held close to himself, stirring up a cloud of dust and some fallen leaves from the ground from where he took off.

“Then I’ll get the tea~” Ajax stood from the chabutai to collect the used plates and gave the surface a few wipes with a tablecloth. Humming a little tune, he bounced towards the kitchen to get tea for their arriving guest.

Zhongli chuckled at his fox’s great mood. Almost right after that, he heard knocking from the genkan, informing him of the client’s arrival. The Liyuean gave the legless chairs one last push to adjust their positions, before moving towards the front door to greet the client from the Kamisato Clan.

***

“Good morning Zhongli Sensei. I am the Chief Retainer of the Kamisato Clan, my name is Thoma. We have heard a lot about the spectacular wagasa created by your hands, it is a pleasure to finally meet you in person.” The blond man in red introduced himself to Zhongli in a friendly and cheerful tone.

“You have been exaggerating, Mister Thoma. My handiwork are still far from proficient compared to those of professional craftsmen. Please come in, we can continue our conversation inside. We have prepared tea and some snacks for you.” Zhongli greeted and lead his client inside.

The young retainer from the Kamisato Clan sure reminded him of Ajax when he met him just a few days ago. Both of them showed up at his doorstep and gave off the same lighthearted, approachable aura. Even their pale features resembled each other in some ways. The pleasant memory brought a smile onto the Liyuean’s lips, a good start to their meeting.

Once Thoma settled himself down at the chabudai, Ajax entered with a tray containing three cups of tea and a plate of yokan for their guest.

“Welcome, Sir. Please have some tea and sweets to go with it.” The red fox greeted as he set one of the tea cups and the plate of wagashi* down before Thoma. He then sat himself down on the same side of the table as Zhongli, settling down in seiza beside his lover and placed the two other cups before themselves.

The presence of an auburn-haired young man at Zhongli Sensei’s residence was news to the Pyro wielder. Thoma was slightly surprised when Ajax showed up to the washitsu with tea. Fortunately, he was quick to regain his composure thanks to having plentiful of experience in social intercourse.

“Thank you.” The blond man picked up the teacup and took a sip of the clear golden tea within. “Oh, the fragrance of this tea is remarkable, nothing like what I had come across in Inazuma before. What might it be?” He marveled.

“Xiang Pian. A type of Liyuean green tea scented with the fragrance of jasmine flowers. This tea is created by allowing roast dried green tea leaves to absorb the fragrance of jasmine flower buds.” Zhongli began to introduce the Liyuean jasmine tea to his guest.

“The jasmine buds used in the making of Xiang Pian are to be picked in the afternoon during summer seasons, where the high temperature and abundance of sunlight give rise to plump buds, packed full with fragrance suitable for the scenting of tea. The flower buds are then-” His speech was interrupted by a light bump on his upper arm. The Liyuean turned towards his right to find that Ajax had elbowed him in the arm, smiling at the client as if nothing had happened.

Ah. He started rambling again. 

“Ahem. My apologies, Mister Thoma. It seems that I have started rambling out of old habits again.” Zhongli picked up his own cup of tea, taking a sip to mask his embarrassment.

“Oh no! That was actually quite interesting! So the rumors are true, Zhongli Sensei. You really know a lot when it comes to knowledge about your home nation.” Thoma said, picking up another piece of yokan from his plate.

“And Sensei’s taste in food is truly remarkable. These are yokan from Sweets House Tsuruya, aren’t they? The master and young lady of our Clan are also fond of their wagashi. A great choice, I must say!”

The blond youth popped the piece of yokan into his mouth and let out a hum of satisfaction. Zhongli was pleasantly surprised that his client actually recognized the yokan that they had bought earlier in the morning, exactly from a sweets shop named Tsuruya with desserts of a quality way beyond expectation from such a small store.

No wonder this young man was chosen as the chief retainer of the Kamisato Clan at such a young age. He really was talented. The blond youth reminded Zhongli of Ajax back when he was Childe, who managed to climb up to the rank of Harbinger in the Fatui when he was still barely in his twenties.

But deep in his heart, Zhongli was glad that his lover didn’t have to go through all of it again.

“Hmmm! Thanks for the treat! The tea and sweets are delicious, I must share them with my lady some another time. Now, shall we start talking about business?” Thoma suggested with a delightful tone after finishing his last piece of yokan.

“It is our pleasure to see you enjoy them. Let us begin discussing about your commission. I understand that the Yashiro Commission would like order-made wagasa to be presented in the upcoming summer festival, would you mind elaborating on the details of your order?” Zhongli offered. He needed to know his client’s preferences and the purpose of the wagasa in order to craft them a perfect piece of work.

“Of course. Allow me to begin with the explanation of our whole plan.” Thoma began.

“For the summer festival to be held in two and a half months, we have organized an event to display about 40 wagasa along the lighted paths leading towards the Grand Narukami Shrine, and beside the road towards the peak of Amakane Island. Oh no! Please don’t get me wrong!” The Chief Retainer immediately addressed the misunderstanding once he noticed the look on Zhongli and Ajax’s faces when he mentioned the number of umbrellas required.

“Of course we are not ordering 40 wagasa from Sensei alone on such short notice! Hahaha!” He laughed, waving a hand in front of his face with a fanning motion.

“The goal of our scheme is to promote and advertise the works of wagasa craftsmen all around Inazuma, which is why the Yashiro Commission and the Grand Narukami Shrine decided to co-host an event for the summer festival. Our aim is to introduce the best hand-crafted works from participating craftsmen to attending locals and tourists. Is this part clear to you, Zhongli Sensei?”

Once Zhongli expressed his understanding, Thoma went on with the introduction of their plan.

“Perfect! Although it is best if we can manage a total of 40 wagasa so that we have enough works to decorate the whole path with, we understand that forcing craftsmen to finish a specified number of products within a time limit is not always the greatest idea. You know, the phrase ‘the finest creations are always born from slow work’ holds quite some truth to it. Which is why, we would like to let Sensei decide how many pieces of work you would like to provide for the event.”

“We understand that you work alone without a lot of others to your assistance, so please don’t overwork yourself for the event. We look forward to see the best wagasa from Sensei, even if it means only one piece of work could be finished before the deadline. We would like to receive the final product within two months, allowing enough time for preparation works, such as protective measurements to be completed before arranging them for display.”

“That’s about it. Are there anything Sensei would wish for me to go over again?” The blond youth rounded up his explanations with an affirming nod. He then took a sip of his tea, soothing his slightly dried throat as the Liyuean replied.

“Thank you, the explanation is clear. I shall put forth all my efforts to present you with wagasa of the finest quality achievable within my ability. You have my word.” The ex-Archon promised in an unfaltering voice, fitting as the God of Contracts.

Although the meeting was, unsurprisingly, very boring for Ajax, he managed to sit (kneel) still throughout the whole conversation, watching Zhongli silently as the other spoke with Thoma.

Still, he felt proud hearing the confidence within Zhongli’s calm and deep voice, for he knew his lover was indeed capable in creating the most exquisite works of art he had seen in his life.

“With two months time allowed, I am able to craft four wagasa with detailed Liyuean paintings on their canopies. Would that suffice, Mister Thoma?” Zhongli offered.

“Of course! That is even more than what we have expected!” He applauded, overjoyed by the craftsman’s offer. “Now, about the payment for your works. To start off with, our offer is 200,000 mora for each wagasa you are able to provide us with.”

Ajax almost choked on air at the amount offered. One wagasa was worth that much? He looked back and forth between the client and his partner, as if making sure he hadn’t misheard the price.

Noticing the fox’s confusion, Zhongli reached a hand towards his fluffy auburn hair. He petted Ajax and explained it for him.

“Hand crafting a piece of ware takes a lot more effort and skill than you think, Ajax. Take Liyue’s finest ornate sculptures and pottery for example, although they might be crafted out of simple materials such as stone or clay, insightful patrons would offer a hefty price to buy them solely for the amount of effort that the artists have put in to create them. Me myself own quite a few of such artifacts, I shall introduce them to you when I have the chance to do so. I hope that can provide you with a understanding to their true worth.”

“Umm, sure.” Ajax glanced sideways, cheeks slightly flushed by being patted on the head in front of the client. On the other side of the table, said client looked at them in amusement, his smile even brighter than before.

“What Zhongli Sensei said just now is absolutely correct. That’s why 200,000 mora is simply the initial payment.” Ajax might as well have choked to death this time.

“After the display period, all wagasa will be openly sold in form of an auction for anyone to participate. The amount that each piece of work is sold at will be split in a 6:4 ratio between their respective craftsman and the event’s host. So unless nobody is interested in Sensei’s works, which I doubt that’s possible at all, his crafts will be worth way more than just 200,000 mora.” Thoma added, using the chance to introduce the other half of the event.

“How does the deal sound to you?” He then turned back towards Zhongli to ask for his final confirmation.

“More than satisfactory. I will gladly accept the commission. Four wagasa with detailed Liyuean painting in two months, is that correct?”

“Absolutely. We are looking forward to see the final products. If you may, please sign these two copies of the contract as a proof of our trade. Let me just write these down…”

The Chief Retainer took out two pieces of paper and some stationary from his belongings. He uncapped his pen and began scribbling down the terms that they had agreed on onto both pieces of paper, then pulled out a stamp from a fine container to press it onto the bottom left corners of the contracts, leaving a red print of the Kamisato Clan’s camellia symbol on them.

“Please check the details as stated and sign on the bottom right corner.” Thoma slid the two pieces of paper across the chabudai for Zhongli, who quietly read through them in detail before giving the youth an affirming nod.

“The terms and conditions are accurate. Please allow me a moment, I shall retrieve my stamp.” Zhongli stood from the table and turned towards a dresser sat at a corner of the room. He pulled out a drawer near the bottom and reached in unhesitatingly, laying his hand precisely on the target as if he had memorized a map which marked the location for every single piece of his belongings.

Oh wait. Never mind, that’s exactly the case.

Zhongli swiftly returned to the table with his stamp. He picked up Thoma’s pen to print his signature in perfect Liyuean handwriting on both copies of the contract.

Ajax stared in fascination as Zhongli signed the contracts, impressed by how the two signatures were almost indistinguishable from each other. If he hadn’t watched his lover write them down by hand, he would have thought they were printed by one of those Fontainian machines, for they were almost identical in both size and the angles of each stroke.

‘Oh Celestia.’ The fox thought to himself. ‘Zhongli is perfect.’

Zhongli pressed his stamp into a red ink pad and stamped it beside his signature, leaving a geometrical pattern formed by overlapping squares. More specifically, four slightly smaller squares overlapped by the corners of the biggest square in the middle-

“Ah!” Ajax yelled out loud, slightly startling Zhongli and Thoma with his cry. Fortunately, Zhongli’s stamp wasn’t anywhere near the next contract yet, or he might as well have ruined those perfect copies with a misplaced print.

“Is something the matter? Have you spotted a mistake in the contract?” The God of Contracts really was about to reread both sheets of paper from the very start if Ajax hadn’t stopped him from doing so.

“No no no no, nothing is wrong with the contract. It’s just that I suddenly remembered about something. I’ll talk about it later, just finish stamping it. Hahaha~~~” The fox sputtered, followed by an awkward laugh.

***

Finally, the papers were all sorted out and Thoma could take his leave.

“Thank you Zhongli Sensei, it is nice to be working with you. I’ll bring you a copy together with the initial payments once I got these signed by the Shrine. Have a nice day!” Zhongli saw his client’s way out while Ajax was taking care of the used teaware in the kitchen.

“Oh yes, before I go.” The young man turned back after taking a few steps. “Congratulations for finding a partner, Sensei. We’ve heard that you have been living alone, so it is a really nice surprise to see you with a significant other.” He smiled warmly and congratulated with a nod of his head.

“Haha, were we being that obvious?” Zhongli let out a little chuckle, his heart warmed up by being recognized as pair with Ajax.

“Yup! Actually, way more than obvious! Ah-haha~! Alright, that’s it for now, I will pay you another visit in a few days. Please enjoy your time together with Mr. Ajax, and I would love to hear the rest about Xiang Pian by then!” Thoma waved him goodbye with a bright smile, of which Zhongli returned with a polite raise of his hand.

“This young man sure is observant. The master of the Kamisato Clan had chosen well in appointing him as the chief retainer.” The ex-Archon mumbled to himself as he slid the door close. He went back into his house to return to Ajax, his beloved Ajax.

Little did he know, his fox had heard everything all the way from the kitchen while cleaning the teaware. Their conversation did more to convince him to stay beside Zhongli.

He would do everything to support him while he worked hard for his commissions.

“Welcome back Sensei~ I’ve made up my mind.” He announced.

“Hmm?”

“I’m making a trip home.”

However, the meaning behind Ajax’s declaration ended up sounding quite different to Zhongli’s ears.

“Ah, is that so.” So it was about time for the fox to return to his family, he thought. “The time we have spent together in the past two days are truly enjoyable. Please feel free to visit at any time, you are always welcome here.”

Unlike their previous lives, Ajax’s family lived close, just up in the mountains instead of being all the way in Snezhnaya. Zhongli hoped that they could at least see each other once in a few days. Maybe he could even bring his family along on his next visit.

“Huh? What?” It took the fox a few moments to process their conversation. He turned back and saw the look in his lover’s amber eyes. There was a tint of sadness within them.

“Ah.” Then he understood. “Come on Sensei~ Don’t give me that look, I’m not leaving. Actually, I’m doing quite the opposite!”

Zhongli blinked at those words, confused. He did not expect that reply from Ajax. He watched as the fox lift a hand from the sink with a single finger pointing upwards, the same gesture as the night before. Water trickled down his wrist and along the pale skin of his arm.

“I’m grabbing my stuff from home, so I can move in with you. Unless you don’t want me here?” Ajax declared, flashing Zhongli a decisive grin over his shoulder.

The next moment, pure warmth pressed against Ajax’s back, with strong arms wrapped around his chest and waist.

Zhongli had embraced Ajax from behind.

The ex-Archon pulled his beloved into his arms and rested his forehead onto the fox’s shoulder, nuzzling at his neck.

At that exact moment, a soft tune from a lyre flowed into their ears, so quiet that it would have been inaudible if the two of them were merely human. The gentle music caressed their souls, it swept away everything except for their fondness for each other.

The sound of lyre was soon joined by that of a flute’s, the latter complementing the former in a perfect harmony. Together, they performed in duo from above the couple.

Although both Zhongli and Ajax had a solid guess on who were behind the scenes, neither of them addressed the melody. They simply enjoyed it, submerged in each other’s presence.

“Stay…I want you here.” After a long period of silence, Zhongli mumbled against Ajax. The youth could clearly feel the rumble of his lover’s baritone against him, and he adored it.

“Haha~” The fox chuckled softly at the confession. He dried his hands with his ability, guiding the water off on his forearms in a gentle stream, silently landing them into the wash basin in glittering drops. Ajax raised an arm over his shoulder, reaching behind Zhongli’s head to card his fingers through the smooth dark hair.

“Have you always been that clingy when you were with me? That’s cute.” Ajax leaned into his partner, speaking softly beside Zhongli’s ear while petting the elder with gentle strokes. His free hand laid over the arm on his waist, giving it light, reassuring squeezes.

“No. I did not have a lot of chances to touch you in this manner. I knew very clearly back then…” The arms hugging the Snezhnayan tightened around him, not leaving even the tiniest gap between the two.

“That you could never be mine.”

“Um-hmm? How so? Tell me.” The redhead cooed, encouraging his lover to go on by further pressing Zhongli into the crook of his neck. 

“You were the Tsaritsa’s Harbinger. You were loyal to her, and no one else.”

“I don’t know her anymore. I left Snezhnaya when I was 12.”

“You love your family. You put you parents and siblings before anything else besides your Queen’s orders. You have told me many times over that you missed home, and how you longed to return to them.”

“I do love them. I’m pretty sure I will still miss home if I got sent so far away for work by my boss. And what do Harbingers do again? Fight for the Tsaritsa till they die in battlefield? It’s only normal for anyone to be like that if they are risking their lives on their jobs.”

Zhongli took in a sharp breath at how straightforward Ajax had put it in words. Although the position of Harbinger now simply referred to the group of elites leading in various fields in support to the Cryo Archon’s governance, they once were, precisely, loyal soldiers at her command.

They would do anything to serve their Queen, even if it meant giving up their lives to fulfill her wishes.

Just like how Childe had given up his on the snowy fields of his home-nation.

“Hey, look, it’s all fine now.” With the further tightening of arms around his torso, Ajax gave his lover a few comforting pets, muttering soft words to bring him back from what must have been terrible memories of the past.

“I’m here, alive and kicking. I’m no Harbinger, no soldier. I’m just a fox who happened to like the thrill of fighting, and you, Zhongli Sensei. I’m not leaving. I don’t have to, and I don’t want to, especially not after I’ve realized just how much I liked you.” Said the fox, pushing his nose into the dark brown and amber hair resting on his shoulder.

“Are you sure you do not wish to stay with your family instead? Will you not miss them?”

“Ah-haha~ Come on Sensei, why would I miss them when my house is just a 15 minute walk from here? I can literally go home at any time. You should be more worried about my cheeky siblings sneaking down once in a few days to look for me, and bother you during your work!”

The faint duo of flute and lyre in the background contributed a lot in soothing the ex-Archon’s anxiety. Zhongli did feel better with both the calming melody and Ajax’s words, but it would need way more to untie the knot deep in his heart.

Face still hidden in Ajax’s neck and arms slightly trembling, Zhongli finally made up his mind to address the matter that had bothered him for long enough. For millenniums.

“Ajax, you do not have the complete memory from your previous life. What if you regret this? Am I truly forgiven for what-”

“Zhongli. Hey, Zhongli, look at me.” The fox twisted in Zhongli’s arms, cutting him off with gentle coos of his name. Both of his hands found their way to lift the Liyuean’s face from the groove of his neck, guiding Zhongli to look him in the eyes.

There was pain in those golden amber orbs. Zhongli still hadn’t forgiven himself for what he had to do thousands of years ago.

Ajax cupped his lover’s face in his palms, followed by a chaste kiss on those thin, beautiful lips before him. “Listen to me, alright?” Very softly, he whispered against Zhongli’s lips with his forehead pressed onto the elder’s.

Zhongli answered with a silent nod, and Ajax began.

“You are right. I barely remember anything from before. I don’t remember how I, as ‘Childe’, felt when you told me about the truth; I don’t know what I was thinking when I went back to Snezhnaya without ever trying to talk to you again either, but,”

The blue-eyed fox slightly pulled away to look at Zhongli’s glamorous amber eyes. Gazing into the ex-Archon’s diamond pupils, Ajax spoke with his heart.

“I don’t think I hated you till the very last moment. Maybe I was angry at you back then, but that was all in the past. I don’t feel anymore of it. Not even a tiny bit.” He told Zhongli everything he felt at the moment, a tender smile crossing his lips. 

Those hands on the small of Ajax’s back trembled ever so slightly. The red fox didn’t miss that.

“Still not convinced, hmm? Then think of it this way.” He picked up a lock of amber-tipped hair on Zhongli’s pony tail, twirling it between his fingers. “If ‘Childe’ never forgave you, then why would I dream of walking beside you so happily, instead of beating you up right on the spot? I’m sure I would have done that to someone I’m holding a grudge on!” Ajax teased while playing with the elder’s hair.

“……” Zhongli was at lost for words. Ajax did say he dreamed of him in a suit last night, a suit that he didn’t own anymore.

It was solid prove that those were indeed memories from when he was Childe. Somewhere deep inside his soul, Ajax had recognized him.

Between love and hatred, Childe had chosen love. The young warrior from Snezhnaya had long forgiven him, and Ajax had proven it right before him. 

“Thank you…” Finally, Zhongli gave in. “Thank you, and I am sorry for keeping you in the dark, Childe.” The Liyuean allowed himself to lean into his lover’s hands. He slumped against the youth, resting his forehead on the other’s shoulder once more, earning a lighthearted chuckle from Ajax.

“Haha, what’s gotten to you today, Sensei? And I though I was the one who’s insecure about our relationship. Are we taking turns now?” The fox teased again and gave the Liyuean more pats on his back.

“Pardon me for my behavior. I still find it difficult to believe that you are willing to stay after leaving without turning back before. Ajax, what if you regret your decision later?” What if he decided to leave again?

“Zhongli Sensei. Let’s make a deal, a contract, if you will. Your favorite, right?” Ajax pushed Zhongli up from his shoulder, allowing deep blue to meet bright amber once again.

The fox could see the ex-Archon immediately getting more serious at the mention of the word ‘contract’. That’s really cute.

“I shall heed your terms.” The God of Contracts responded. Despite his serious tone, the arms wrapped around Ajax were gentle as always, pulling the fox into his embrace while he waited for the youth to speak. 

“Alright, the deal is: as long as I don’t remember anything about the incident from our previous lives, you are not to apologize for it again, nor will you be worried about me leaving you for that reason. As for me…Hmm…” After considering for a brief moment, an idea popped into Ajax’s head. “If the memory came back to me, and I’m still angry at you for it,”

Unblinking, Zhongli gazed into his lover’s deep blue, yet bright like noctilucous jade eyes, waiting patiently for his terms for the contract.

“Then I don’t care what time is it, or what you are doing at the moment.” With an abrupt motion, Ajax’s own arms squeezed around Zhongli’s torso, leaving the elder’s widened eyes blinking in confusion. “You will fight me, Sensei. Until I am totally satisfied. How does that sound to you, Rex Lapis, the God of Contracts?” Said the Snezhnayan, eyes squeezed closed in a wide (suggestive) smile as he demanded.

Said God stared wide-eyed at Ajax’s smile. The familiar smile.

“That…”

The arms around Zhongli further tightened. It seemed that the fox wouldn’t be accepting any objections at all.

“Is expected of you, Childe.”

“So? Do we have a deal?” Ajax cooed.

“Hmmpf. I will accept the terms of our contract.” Zhongli relaxed himself with a soft sigh. He leaned forward to brush his temple against his lover’s, returning the fox’s tight embrace.

Ajax shifted himself in their hug. Zhongli though his lover was going to nudge back into him, but instead, what he got was a sharp pain on his ear.

“Ahh!” He cried. The fox had bitten him on the shell of his ear.

“Don’t even think about running away, Sensei~” Ajax whispered against Zhongli’s ear and gave it a compensating lick. He started giggling in amusement as the ear gradually began to turn red from the surprising nibble.

“Why have you done that?” Zhongli accused with a slight frown of his brows.

“No reason in particular, just felt like doing it. Anyways, are you convinced now?” Feeling triumphant with the Liyuean’s reaction, the fox’s mischievous smile grew even wider.

“I am. Thank you, Ajax.” Defeated, Zhongli smiled back.

“Great! Then I should get ready-” But instead of letting go of the elder, Ajax froze on the spot as he saw something outside the kitchen door with the corner of his eye.

“Ajax? Did you remember someth-”

The youth gave his partner a few pats on the back to redirect his attention, and pointed towards the corridor.

Zhongli turned around to follow the direction of Ajax’s finger, only to see two pairs of eyes peeping out from behind the doorframe. The pair of green eyes were round and bright, glittering with anticipation, while the pair of golden pupils looked back and forth between his partner and his lord, flustered.

The duo of flute and lyre had stopped since quite a while ago. Zhongli and Ajax were too immersed in their conversation to notice it, until the performers themselves entered through the garden to return the sweets plate (and for taking a peek at them).

“How did it go? How did it go?” Venti couldn’t wait to hear the outcome from his old friend and their partner. Xiao was obviously embarrassed with how his hands with the now-empty plate in it shook uncontrollably, mouth opened agape with no sound coming out.

The yaksha looked like he had seen way too much for one day despite it still being morning, and would have fled the house out of embarrassment if not for Venti having hooked an arm around his.

“BWAHAHAHAHA!” Ajax bursted out laughing against Zhongli’s shoulder all while smacking the Liyuean on his back, flashing the bard a thumbs up as he did.

Slowly, Zhongli raised a palm to his face, his reddened ears now a burning scarlet. Nevertheless, the ex-Archon began trembling in laughter at the sheer absurdity of the situation. He allowed himself to give in to the lighthearted atmosphere with the knot in his heart finally untied.

Later, they invited Venti to stay for dinner as the ‘payment’ for his musical performance with Xiao. If not for their soul-calming music, Zhongli might have never been able to gather up enough mental courage to confess everything to his lover.

Before the two set off for Ajax’s home in Kitsune no Sato, the youth made sure he hadn’t forgotten to presoak a bowl of sweet apricot kernels on the kitchen counter for the dessert that he had promised the Guardian Yaksha.

*********************************

*Extra*

Xiao: "Zhongli-daren's client has left. I should go return the dish."

Venti: *Knows what's happening down there* "Nah~ That can wait. By the way, I suddenly want to hear you playing the flute! It has been ages since I've last heard it, can you play it for me? Can you? Can you? *Windblume Festival cutscene pleading*"

Xiao: *Blushes* "A-alright. It is still no where as good as yours, but I will do my best." *Summons flute*

Venti: "Hehe, don't be shy~ What about we play the Inazuman song that you told me you liked before? Here, I will accompany you with my lyre, so just go all out!"

Then they played the Ayaka theme in duo, the version where the main melody is played by the flute (like Inazuma 53 in the Youtube playlist, if you are interested). And you know the rest, Xiao almost died of embarrassment when he realized that Venti had made him play the flute for Zhongli and Ajax.

Chapter Text

Songbirds twittered from above, and the jade green leaves of bamboo rustled in the soft blowing wind, casting flickering shadows onto two pedestrians strolling along the footpath, making their way up the lush mountain.

Among the light crackling of fallen leaves under their feet, the two men leisurely discussed between themselves about how they were supposed to explain their circumstances to the people they were on their way to meet.

“I know it might be a li~ttle bit too late to be thinking about this right now, but how am I supposed introduce you to my parents?" The auburn-haired youth wondered. "I can’t just tell them that the local wagasa crafter who saved my brothers is actually the retired Rex Lapis himself, can I? And we can’t really straight up admit that we…speedrun? the step of getting to know each other because you kept the memories from your past life, right?”

Ajax kicked the browned bamboo leaves on the forest path as he walked. He looked up towards the late autumn sun, shining behind thickets of the tall and slender plants’ leaves. With fingers of his hands laced together behind his head, he allowed the seeping sunlight to hit his pale skin and glitter in his deep ocean eyes as he thought: what excuses should he come up with to introduce Zhongli to his family?

“You may simply introduce me as an Adeptus from Liyue. I have no reason to conceal my identity as non-human before your family, who have also been doing exactly the same before the commoners of Inazuma. Additionally, it would serve as an explanation to why you have returned in your original form instead of as a woman.” Zhongli answered effortlessly, walking beside Ajax with arms folded comfortably behind his back, just like how he used to do back then.

“Ah—. Right. I almost forgot about that part. But how does being an Adeptus explain why I don’t have to pretend to be a woman anymore?” The fox asked with a tilt of his head, redirecting his sight towards the dark-haired Liyuean.

“We have the ability to see through disguise. Informing your parents of so would explain why you do not have to put up an act before me anymore without the need to tell any lies. I believe you would be reluctant to do so, am I correct?” Turning slightly towards his lover, Zhongli smiled softly and knowingly with his last sentence.

“Heh~~ Really? Did you really ‘see through’ my disguise?” Ajax leaned towards the elder, blue eyes squinting suggestively. “I thought you said something along the lines of ‘I do not mind that you are a vixen of the bake-kitsune’, right in front of my face?” He said, purposely mocking Zhongli’s tone as he recalled the phrase.

“Umm…Ahem.” Zhongli’s amber eyes rounded for a fraction of a second. He then quickly turned his gaze back to the path before himself, looking towards the front to avoid eye contact as the mischievous red fox leaned in even closer with a wide grin on his face.

With a faint blush on his cheeks, the ex-Archon justified himself. “The Adepti indeed possess an ability to see through disguise, but the potency of such skill might be affected by the mental and physical state of the Adeptus. Seeing you again caused a disturbance to my mental stability, therefore greatly affected my judgement.”

Clearing his throat yet again, Zhongli added. “More precisely, I decided not to doubt your gender, for the fact that you are a fox instead of human in this life was already shocking enough. To me, any other details apart from the fox being you are of minor importance at that moment.”

Ajax's smile turned as bright as the flickering sunlight at his lover’s confession. He threw his arms around Zhongli and placed most of his weight onto the elder’s shoulders. He nuzzled his auburn hair all over Zhongli’s neck, laughing delightfully as he rubbed around on the smooth, warm skin of his beloved.

“Seeing me again shook you that much? Zhongli Sensei, you really do like me a lot, don’t you!”

Tilting his head to press his cheek into the fluffy hair, Zhongli carded his fingers though his fox and mumbled. “Have I not proved so for enough times in the past few days, my dear Ajax?”

“Ah-hahaha! I seriously can’t wait to introduce you to my family! Not even for another second!” Wholly pleased by the answer, Ajax grabbed the petting hand in his hair and sped up his pace with a lighthearted chortle, dragging Zhongli with him which drew out a slight exclaim of surprised from the elder.

“Come on Sensei, let’s run for it!”

“Whoa!”

Hand in hand, the two raced up the mountain with Ajax pulling Zhongli by his wrist. Slim bamboo leaves beneath their feet were gradually replaced by ovate ones, a few snowy white, and occasionally pink petals were mixed among the fallen leaves as the couple cleared the bamboo forest, going deeper into the mountains and closer to the land of the foxes.

“Hahaha! And I thought sakura season was long over! Seems like a few of them decided to wait for your visit after all!” The blue-eyed fox chattered on the sight of those white and pink petals stirred up by them dashing through the footpath.   

“Pfft.” Zhongli breathed out a chuckle at the statement. “Then we shall take this opportunity to pay ‘them’ a visit.”

Yes, sakura season had ended a few weeks ago, but the flowers from an old friend of Zhongli’s could always bloom as he pleases. He must be overjoyed for so many petals from his tree to be reaching here from quite the distance away, from where he currently settled at.

Just as the ex-Archon was about to speak of his old friend to the Snezhnayan, a thundering cry from a creature sliced through the blissfulness between the pair and the tranquility of the forest.

“The HELL do you think you are doing??” A dark creature bolted towards them at a speed comparable to a flash of lightning across the rainy sky, only visible to the eyes of a human as a shadow jumping from the roots of one tree to another.

But in the eyes of a fox and an Adeptus, the creature could be distinctively recognized as a silver fox, a fellow kitsune of the mountains.

The dark pelted creature jumped out from the shadows of the last tree and landed in their way, its black and silver fur bristled in anger, with arcs of electro surrounding its frame. In the tongue of the foxes, the dark pelted creature barked.

“Why in the name of the Shogun did you bring the hu…” A pause.

“That is NOT even human! What the hell are you trying to bring into Kitsune no Sato? Have you gone insane Ajax? I thought you were crazy enough to try court a human that you have seen only for once, but you are actually crazy enough to be bringing that back with you?”

Although only partially, Zhongli hadn’t met a being who was capable of recognizing his identity as non-human in years. He was curious in the lineage of this particular resident of the Sato, but the most important thing at the moment was to clear up the misunderstanding before this kitsune began showing further hostility towards them.

The ex-Archon did not mind the silver fox’s lack of respect, for their skepticism was perfectly reasonable considering the foxes’ circumstances. Instead, he lowered his voice to explain himself to the angry creature.

“Pardon me for trespassing, I am not-”    

“Scaramouche!”

But it seemed that the red fox beside him had other thoughts. Before Zhongli could even finish his first sentence, Ajax raised an arm protectively, signaling for the Liyuean to back away as he stood between the two, yelling back at the darker fox.

“For Celestia’s sake, how come nothing good ever comes out of that snout of yours when you speak?! Don’t you dare calling Zhongli ‘that’ again, or I will shred you!”

Ah. ‘Scaramouche’. That provided an answer to Zhongli’s question from a few moments ago.

“And let you bring a foreign being to our village? Ridiculous! Do you even remember why Lady Saiguu set up the barrier for us in the first place? Come one step closer with that and don’t blame me for ‘reminding’ you of our rules!” Snarled the silver fox. Sparks of electro crackled around its fur, making them stand up on their ends and turned the rather small fox a few sizes bigger than his usual self.

“Mr. Kitsune, please allow me-” 

“You really wanna fight huh? Then we’ll see who’s teaching who a lesson! You insolent rabid dog!”

“Ajax! Stop!”

Zhongli was once again interrupted by the red fox, who was fully angered by the other’s disrespect towards his lover.

In a whirling vortex of hydro that Ajax had summoned around himself, the Snezhnayan shifted into his canine form as he growled, springing towards the offending kitsune with fur bristled and jaws wide opened.

The electro-framed silver fox kicked off the ground to meet his hydro opponent, letting out a thundering yowl as he pounced.

But before the two foxes could meet in a clash of claws and teeth, a strong gust of wind brought fallen leaves and petals into the air, obscuring the creatures’ sights in a swirl of brown and white.

The red fox found himself held back mid-air by a pair of firm, calloused hands on his sides, just under his front legs; the silver fox’s electro were mostly dispersed by the whooshing wind, followed by an arm around his belly and an open palm across his chest, drawing the critter into the newcomer’s embrace.

Realizing what had happened in the blink of an eye, Scaramouche snapped out of his fury and yelped pathetically at the young man holding him against his maple-patterned kimono. The kitsune ceased his electro immediately as he tensed up in the person’s hold, turning his head backwards to look at the man with wide eyes and jaws dropping agape.

“Kuro.” It was Kazuha.

Did he find out?

“We talked about this. Why are you fighting your friend almost every time I come to meet you?” The white-haired ronin scolded as he practically squeezed the silver fox in his arms, staring right into the creature’s indigo eyes from atop with his maple red ones, upset by the fox’s behavior.

“It's different with the other times! I-”

“I don’t want to hear any excuses from you, especially not when this is the worst quarrel I have seen you getting in with your friend. You have been friends with the red fox for so long, I don’t understand the reason for your refusal to settle disagreements with him in with words rather than with action.” Despite not being able to understand the tongue of the foxes, Kazuha knew that Scaramouche was talking back at him from the canine’s body language.

With no words to rebut the youth, the silver fox yielded and slumped into Kazuha, his black ears drawn back just a little bit. Oh well. At least the youth chose not to mention about the electro that was surrounding him, nor did he seem to be hurt by them.

While the other party was speaking, Zhongli had shifted an arm under Ajax’s rear, with the other hand against the white fur of the fox’s chest to support his weight. The two watched the others’ interaction in silence, with the red fox sitting comfortably on the ex-Archon’s arm, tail still swishing around in displeasure at his friend’s insult towards his lover.

Once the silver fox had given up the fight, Kazuha immediately turned to the dark-haired man and the red fox in his arms, lowering his head into an apologizing bow.

“I apologize for Kuro’s behavior on his behalf, and for involving you into their dispute. Thank you for stopping these two, they have been like this ever since I knew them.”

Flustered, both Scaramouche and Ajax began whining in their companion’s arms, chattering something along the lines of ‘you don’t have to apologize for me’ and ‘none of this is your fault’.

Giving his red fox a few reassuring rubs on the chest, Zhongli returned Kazuha’s apology with a slight bow, politely introducing himself to the Inazuman as he did. “I should be the one to express my gratitude, for I am most probably the reason behind their argument. I might not have been able to break their quarrel as easily without your aid. My name is Zhongli, a wagasa crafter who had recently moved into the village at the base of this mountain. May I know yours?”

“Nice to meet you, Zhongli Sensei. I am Kaedehara Kazuha, a former samurai of the Kaedehara Clan. I am now but a wanderer after the fall of my Clan, roaming in the forests and mountains of Inazuma together with my traveling companion and friend. Speaking of him, Tomo should be catching up anytime now. Ah-ha, there he is.”

True to his words, the quiet cracking of fallen leaves announced the arrival of a ronin dressed in a red kimono. The man walked towards them at a slow and steady pace, arms crossed in front of his partially bared chest as if cradling something precious within.

The taller youth, Tomo, waved a hand at them while keeping the other close to himself. His blue and white scarf flowed behind him as a gentle breeze passed through the mountains, ruffing his pale hair that was tied into a high pony tail and made the piece of bristlegrass held between his teeth sway in the wind.

Walking up beside Kazuha, Tomo exchanged a nod with Zhongli as a greeting, and turned towards the dark-pelted fox held in his friend’s arms. Taking out the stem of bristlegrass between his lips, he began speaking to Scaramouche.

“Yo, Kuro, picking up a fight again, aren't you? Kazuha dashed straight for you once he heard your cries.” He cooed softly, lilac eyes narrowed. “Do me a favor, little guy. Don’t make him worried about you every time we pass through these mountains. You can do that, can’t you?” The tall Inazuman coaxed with a warm smile, swishing the piece of grass in an up and down motion a few inches away from his chest.

Scaramouche conceded with a barely audible whine, making Kazuha sigh out a chuckle of defeat at the unwilling response.

As if sensing the eased atmosphere, something began wriggling inside Tomo’s kimono, trying to get out from the clothings wrapped around it. With a few more adorable struggles, the critter poked its tiny fluffy head resembling a cloud in the summer sky out of the red fabric, and immediately reached both little paws towards the bristlegrass that Tomo had been waving around.

At the sight of the petite creature popping out of the ronin’s clothes, Scaramouche’s head jerked backwards in surprise. With his ears pricked above his head, he stared at the white fluff ball with round eyes.

A white kitten, with beautiful eyes the color of the clear blue sky. So that was what Tomo had been cradling so carefully in his arms.

The silver fox’s attention was brought back by a few bounces of Kazuha’s arms. He turned towards the young ronin, who introduced the kitten to him merrily.

“Kuro, this is Shiratama*, we found her in Seirai Island a few days ago. She liked Tomo’s kimono so much that she wouldn’t get out of it after she managed to jump in for the first time. Hahaha~”

“We couldn’t find her mother anywhere, so we decided to bring her along with us. And now we are here ‘cause Kazuha insisted that he want you to meet her. He even named her Shiratama to match with your name.” Tomo explained, his other hand reaching into his kimono to scoop the white kitten out of it.

From a few meters or so away, Ajax snickered silently at the trivia. His white-tipped tail wagged at how docile Scaramouche had become in front of Kazuha as compared to his former ferocious self a few moments ago.

The taller Inazuman put the bristlegrass back between his teeth to hold the kitten with both of his hands, making the little ball of fur protest in squeals as her toy was taken away.

But as the kitten that she was, her pout didn’t last long, for her attention was quickly drawn to the unfamiliar creature in the arms of her other human companion, closing in as Tomo slowly held her out for the dark-pelted fox with rounded indigo eyes to see.

“Come on Kuro, say hi to Shiratama.” Kazuha encouraged, bouncing the fox in his arms again like how someone would to coax their pet dog.

This time, Ajax tried so hard in holding back his laughter that his body began trembling in Zhongli’s arms. His tail even started smacking against Zhongli’s thighs in amusement, but the Liyuean remained totally unbothered.

Scaramouche decided to ignore his silly friend and focused on the kitten, now curiously poking her head towards him with pure white whiskers pointing forward. It probably wouldn’t hurt to let the cat sniff him for a bit, right? So the fox reached his nose out, closing the distance between himself and little Shiratama.

Delighted by the kitsune’s willingness to interact with the kitten, Kazuha slowly shifted himself closer towards Tomo, further closing the gap between the two creatures. The young ronin exchanged a look with his friend, who got his signal and held the kitten out even further for the silver fox.

Finally, black and white were close enough to touch each other.

Shiratama twitched her nose and whiskers to inspect the larger animal in front of herself. Soon enough, she let out a tiny meow of delight, expressing her satisfaction with the other creature’s scent and bumped her forehead onto Scaramouche’s muzzle. The kitten rubbed him affectionately at where his whiskers are, her light blue eyes squinted in content.

“Haha! She likes you.” Kazuha rejoiced. Scaramouche could only look at the white kitten at his nose with crossed eyes, stilling himself until the tiny critter was done nuzzling his lips with her soft, snowy fur.

“Um-hmm.” While the two creatures greeted each other, Zhongli cleared his throat quietly, getting Kazuha and Tomo’s attention without disturbing the animals’ bonding.

“We shall be on our way. Mister Kazuha and Mister Tomo, please enjoy your day. The same to ‘Kuro’.” Now that everything was settled, they could continue their journey towards Ajax’s home. (To be honest, he found it quite awkward for them to just stand there while the other party enjoyed themselves, and Ajax was this close to straight up burst out laughing at the darker fox.)

“Ah, of course. See you, and once again thank you for your intervention. Let us meet again if fate allows so.” Greeted Kazuha.

“Bye~” Tomo’s voice followed, smiling at them with a twitch of the bristlegrass between his teeth.

“Ha! See ya Scara! You better come up with something productive before the kitty takes over your pl— Ummm—!” The warm palm buried in the white fur of Ajax's chest slid upwards, brushing over his throat to wrap loosely around his muzzle, effectively silencing him lest he start another argument with the silver fox.

“We will be going, Ajax. Pray tell, which way shall we proceed?” Emphasizing himself, Zhongli asked the red fox for directions symbolically.

Still snickering to himself, said fox pointed the direction with his nose, unbothered by the hand gently wrapped around it. With the laughters of young men and the meows of a tiny kitten from behind, the ex-Archon and his fox resumed their journey towards the Village of Foxes.

***

“Phew! That took way longer than I've expected, thanks to…Pffttt!” A huff of amusement leaked out of Ajax’s nose when the look of his dark-pelted friend’s the moment he got caught by Kazuha popped into his head again. He had shifted back to his human form once they made sure they were out of sight from any other travelers on the mountain.

Zhongli could only sigh with his arms crossed, amber eyes softened at the smile on his lover’s face.

“Anyways! We’re here, Sensei.” He said as he held out a hand towards the elder. There seemed to be nothing more than the ordinary trees and vegetation one would find in a mountain around them. “Hold my hand, I’ll take you across the barrier.”

“Of course.” Zhongli placed his hand into the open palm before him, which closed around his fingers in a firm grip. They were warm, bringing a relieved smile to the Liyuean’s lips.

Ajax pulled Zhongli slightly towards himself. He then turned his head around, bringing his other hand forward as if reaching for an unseen wall— which rippled like the calm surface of a clear pool when a droplet of water fell into it, distorting the scenery once the tip of Ajax’s fingers came in contact with the barrier.

Very slowly, the Snezhnayan’s hand sank through the barrier, disappearing into the concealed area. Ajax turned back, his deep blue eyes half lidded with joy, gazing into Zhongli’s bright amber ones.

“Ready?” Further tightening his grip on his lover, the young fox asked again.

“Any time.” Replied the ex-Archon, his heart singing with excitement not exactly fit for his age.

Ajax took a step forward. The rest of his hand, followed by his arm, then half of his face, so on and so far, disappeared into the rippling surface, but his hand never let go of Zhongli’s.

Soon enough, their joined hands passed through the barrier, and then it was Zhongli’s forearm, then shoulder— Finally, his face came in contact with the water-like surface, so the ex-Archon closed his eyes…

And opened them to see his Ajax again, a bright smile on his face, standing in front of a village in the forest inhabited solely by the bake-kitsune.

Chapter Text

“Mom! Dad! Kits! I’m home!” Ajax yelled right after sliding open the door to his house.

Almost immediately, there were clatters of objects being dropped onto the floor, followed by the excited screaming of children and rapid thumping of feet against the wooden flooring.

The laughter grew louder and closer, until two redheaded kids less than 10 years of age threw open the door at the far end of the corridor on their left and dashed out while screaming their brother’s name in excitement.

“Brother Ajax!!!”

“Anthon! Missed me?”

"Yessssss!"

The little boy running in front jumped forth, practically flying onto his older brother with spread arms. Ajax lowered himself and caught the laughing kid with an arm, then reached out the other to brace for his next jumpy sibling.

“Brother!” A young girl with braided hair was the next to pounce. She, too, flung herself into his brother’s embrace, wrapping her arms around the elder’s neck like her other brother, letting out high pitched screams mixed in her bell-like laughter.

“Nice jump Tonia! Theres still space for one more! Careful, Teucer!” Ajax held one twin in each of his arms as he further steadied himself by lowering the center his gravity, crouching down, fully prepared for his last sibling as the children in his arms went on with their joyful chatter.

Although the injuries on the youngest should be pretty much healed up by now, Ajax still reminded his little brother to be careful with his wounds from a few days ago.

Instead of a third child, a fox kit was swishing his bushy white-tipped tail left and right with body pressed low to the ground in front of Ajax, seemingly preparing himself to pounce at the youth.

“Come on Teucer! You can do it! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!” The kit’s siblings began chanting in sync while sitting on their older brother’s arms, hands waving around to cheer for the youngest.

That boosted the little fox’s confidence. With a few more flicks of his tail, he launched himself off the floor, aiming straight for the empty space between his brother and sister.

Unfortunately, the jump was…Let’s say, not very far off the ground, even less so for the kit in his tiny fox form.

“Whoop!” As if he knew that was going to happen, Ajax swiftly adjusted his posture to catch his youngest brother. He straightened up his back and lifted his right leg, scooping up the kit with his shin before Teucer could fall flat on his stomach.

With a little yelp, the little fox landed on Ajax’s leg and immediately wrapped his black paws around the supporting limb, hugging it like a koala to its tree.

“Awwww! Almost there!” Anthon whined loudly.

“Hahahaha! Well done Teucer, not bad at all!” Ajax laughed as he complimented the kit hanging on his leg. He was now balancing himself on one foot while holding three children, and he didn’t even break a sweat.

“Hmmph! Next time I will reach Brother’s knee! Ah…Ah———” Teucer began yelping as he tightened all fours around Ajax, but that failed to stop him from slipping down anyway.

“I got you!” The kit wailed as he continued sliding down his big brother’s leg until his bottom hit Ajax’s foot, hooked upwards just to catch him before he could slip all the way off.

“Ah! Thank you, Brother Ajax! And welcome back!” Sitting comfortably on Ajax’s foot, Teucer wagged his little tail happily and chattered greetings to his brother. His elder brothers continued laughing merrily at the amusing event.

“Thanks, Teucer! Hahahaha~! Hmm? Tonia? What’s wrong?” As the boys laughed, Ajax noticed how the only girl had been quiet for quite a while. He turned to his younger sister to find the kit’s jaw dropped open in awe, bright blue eyes wide opened like marbles reflecting the colors of the sea as she looked over her elder brother’s shoulder.

Her gaze was fixed to the person who had been standing behind them all this time, unable to take them off as the little vixen was absolutely dazed by the most beautiful person she had ever seen in her whole life. She wouldn’t even blink, as if closing her eyes even for a fraction of a second would a waste.

Zhongli chucked, smiling back at the little girl resembling his lover with a dazzling smile. That made the girl’s face and ears blush red in an instant.

“Brother…” Flustered, Tonia finally broke eye contact with the ex-Archon. She asked as she squeezed the collar of Ajax’s kimono shyly, whispering against his ear. “Who is this beautiful Onii-san?”

“Take a guess, Princess. Take a wild guess.” Her brother replied with the brightest smile she had seen in years.

“What? Where? Whoaaa!” Anthon finally looked behind Ajax when his sister mentioned so. He jumped a little when he realized there was another person standing behind his brother all this time.

“Good morning, children. Hope you do not mind me bothering you for a while.” When Zhongli finally got the chance to speak, the simple greeting in his deep baritone sent Tonia’s heart pouncing around in her chest. It made a little squeal leak out from her lips, and poof! The little vixen’s ears are now fluffy and pointed, sitting on top of her head with black tips trembling in agitation.

“Hahahahaha! To-Tonia…Haha! Hahahahaha! Your ears!” The eldest fox couldn’t hold himself back anymore. He bursted out laughing, creating a little earthquake for the kits clinging on him as his body trembled in laughter.

“What? Who is there? I can’t see! Brother! I can’t see!” Teucer yelped in protest when he still couldn’t get a glimpse of the person behind his big brother. He wriggled left and right while clinging on his brother’s leg, even though Ajax had already placed his foot back onto the floor with the intention of letting his little brother down.

As the youngsters continued making a fuss over their handsome visitor with Ajax laughing uncontrollably, a ginger-haired lady in an apron emerged from the room on the opposite side of the corridor.

“What’s all the noise about? Ajax, you are back already? By the looks of it, everything went well with the kind human, huh? Need anything, my dear?”

“Ah-hahaha! Mom, I’m- hahahaha- back! Look whose here!” Ajax turned to stand against the wall, moving himself out of the way so the lady could see her visitor, at the same time allowing his little sister to hide her face from their mother (plus from the overly handsome man who made her like that) and finally letting the fox kit hugging his leg get a glimpse of his savior.

“Zhongli Sensei came for a visit!” The red fox announced proudly, the tears collected at the corners of his eyes glittered with joy.

His mother stilled for a few moments, processing where she had heard that name before.

And then it hit her.

Gasping loudly, Mother almost jolted a step back. With wide blue eyes, she covered her mouth with both hands and pretty much screamed.

“Oh my Archons! Ajax! What have you done?!”

***

“Goodness me Ajax! Yes, we are very grateful to the kind human and would do anything to repay him, but how can you bring him back to the Sato with you just like that?!”

After Ajax placed his siblings back onto the floor, safely and steadily, his mother pretty much dragged him into the nearest room (which happened to be the dining room) before she started yelling at him in a hushed voice.

“Ah-haha~ No worries mom, Zhongli Sensei is not just ‘a kind human’! Trust me, he will tell you and dad everything if you will just let him in! He even promised to tell the kits stories from Liyue!” The redhead attempted to calm his mother with gestures of his open palms, who had been grasping tight around his upper arms and was close to be shaking him by them.

“Dear, you are taking this way too lightly! This is not just about us, Kitsune Saiguu-sama established this haven to protect the weaker foxes, and you brought in a…stranger that you have met less than a week ago! Dear Archons, Ajax, how did you even manage to slip pass the Guardians? Our neighbors will surely be upset!” Alright, she started shaking her son for real.

“Come on mom, I swear by the name of Raiden Shogun that Sensei will do us absolutely no harm…Mom! Stop shaking me! I’m serious! He is a nice person! Actually, the best person ever!”

“Oh Gods, what am I going to do with you.” Mother finally stopped shaking Ajax, calming down with her son’s insistence. “Alright Ajax, let’s hear what Mr.Zhongli has to say. He saved Anthon and Teucer, after all.”

The elder vixen let go of her son’s shoulders. She straightened her back, clenched and unclenched her fists to collect herself. With a ‘phew’, she strode towards the fusuma confidently and drew it open. 

Mother looked towards the genkan to find Zhongli still standing at the doorstep. His hands were tucked into their opposite sleeves, crossed in front of his chest comfortably as he looked at the children with soft and fond eyes of bright amber.

Said children were gathered into a close circle right in front of Zhongli, of which Teucer was already back into his human form, and Tonia’s ears are humane again. Their attentions were fully drawn to whatever was being passed around as they chattered excitingly among themselves.

“Um-hmm. Pardon my rudeness, Mr. Zhongli.” Mother cleared her throat and began speaking to the Liyuean with Ajax standing behind her, looking with a slightly worried grin. “It is a pleasure to meet you in person. Thank you for saving my sons from the eagle some days ago, I apologize for their intrusion into your garden. I am their mother, please just call me Obasan*. Let us continue speaking after taking a seat in the dining room. Would you like some tea?” She invited the dark-haired man in with polite words.

Zhongli returned the greeting with a dip of his head. “Thank you, Obasan. I would certainly love tea.”

“Mama! Look!” Teucer held up the item they have been playing with for his mom to see. “Jongli Sensei gave this to us!”

“Teucer, it is ‘Zhong’li, not ‘Jong’li.” Ajax corrected.

“Haha. It is alright, Ajax. Liyuean pronunciation might be slightly too difficult for non-native children of his age.” Zhongli reassured in a gentle voice as he slipped out of his sandals at the step.

“Mm, alright, as long as you’re fine with it.”

“Goodness me.” Mother walked up to her children to inspect the geometrical object shown to her. She had never seen such object before. It resembled toy building blocks of umber intersecting with cor lapis ones to create an irregular, yet overall cuboidal structure. “Kits, what is this?” She asked.

“It is called the Lock of Gui… Erm…” Yup, Liyuean was a bit too challenging for Teucer right now.

“Guichong!” Shouted Anthon, his blue eyes round with confidence. Ajax slapped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud; Zhongli turned away and controlled his amusement into barely noticeable giggles behind curled fingers. He knew for sure the God of Dust will laugh till she was rolling on the floor if she heard a child mispronouncing her name in such an adorable way.

“No it is not! It is Guizhong! The same word as Zhongli Sensei’s name!” With puffed cheeks, Tonia argued.

“Correct, Miss Tonia. Although they are not the same written character, their pronunciation are indeed identical.” The ex-Archon approved, praising the little girl which placed a blushed smile on her freckled cheeks.

“This is a simplified replica of the Lock of Guizhong, a traditional Liyuean puzzle of which I have constructed with Geo.” Mother immediately scanned the man for a vision, of which she found none. Nevertheless, she did not question Zhongli and allowed him to continue speaking.

Catching the silent approval, Zhongli began explaining himself to Mother. “I apologize for the unnotified visit, Obasan. I hope you do not mind me taking the liberty of gifting this simple toy to the children. I will make sure to bring a proper gift on my next visit. Once again, thank you for allowing my entry into your residence. I understand that you do not fully trust me at the moment, I am willing to confess as much as I am allowed to tell. Please let the children sit with us, they have the right to know about me.”

Thoughtfully, Mother looked at her children, who had stopped fidgeting with their new toy to look back at her in anticipation.

“Hmm…Very well!” She announced with hands on her hips. “All three of you, sit properly at the table, and promise me you will behave yourselves for Mr. Zhongli. Oh, one more thing, questions will be saved until the adults are done talking. Can you do that for me?”

“Yaaay! Thanks mom!” The kits cheered and sprinted pass Mother and Ajax in a flash of auburn, running straight for the dining table.

The elder Vixen sighed at her energetic children, then turned back to her guest. “Please take a seat. My husband will only be back in an hour, I’m afraid we cannot wait for him. I will check the fire and come back to you in a minute. Ajax, my dear, make us some tea.”

“Leave it to me, mom! Sensei, how does Sencha* sound to you?” The fox asked while leading Zhongli towards the table.

“Anything would be fine.” Zhongli replied fondly. He took a seat across Ajax’s siblings who were still trying very hard to take the lock apart. The kitchen and dining room were filled with a very nice aroma of vegetable soup, making it apparent that Mother had been preparing lunch before their visit.

“Brother! Can I have some barley tea?” Anthon shouted from the table, leaning forward on his seat when the toy wouldn’t budge no matter how many times they tried.

“Me too!” Then Teucer, standing up so he would look taller than his older siblings.

“Then me too!” Tonia followed her brothers, raising a clenched fist above her head.

“Sure, but only if the boys sit properly.” Ajax bargained with a raised eyebrow. The two of them immediately sat straight in their chairs.

“Well done! The barley tea is all yours!” The fox complimented as he threw the bag of Sencha leaves into the teapot. But just as he was about to reach for the kettle, a rather impatient round of knocking came from their front gate.

Oh, Ajax could recognize that knock.

“I’ll get the door. Sorry kits, tea will have to wait.”

“Awwwww. Hurry, Brother— Wahh!” Teucer whined and leaned back on his chair, but was immediately pushed upright by his older sister and got told off for his bad posture.

“Oh well, we will have to see.”

Ajax made a beeline towards the door to slide it open, revealing the stinky face of exactly who he thought it was.

A short youth with short dark hair and indigo eyes stood before the door. He was wearing a navy blue Jinbei* with vertical stripes of white and light purple. Eyes narrowed with one hand on his hip, he gave Ajax a silent look of disapproval.

The red fox narrowed his own eyes and stared back at the shorter man.

“Really Scara? You’re still at it?” Ajax groaned.

“Sorry! Okay?” Scaramouche muttered as he lifted his other arm, shoving a fresh carcass of a violet ibis into Ajax’s face.

That was a surprise for the red fox. Something good actually came out of Scaramouche's snout for once. He took the prey from the other fox and realized that the bird was missing one leg. It was killed by a clean slit on its throat and was already bled clean. The huge bird was way more than enough for his whole family.

“……..Fine. You’re forgiven. What do you want?”

“Although I let you and…” Scaramouche paused to look past Ajax. Just as he had expected, he found Zhongli standing in front of the dining room with his arms crossed, inspecting their conversation with a neutral expression.

“…Your acquaintance in, you still owe me an explanation on what you are even thinking, bringing a stranger into Kitsune no Sato just like that. As a Guardian appointed by Lady Saiguu herself, I have the right to decide if that ‘man’ can stay.” With now freed hands, the shorter fox declared with open arms, shrugging. “Now tell me, Ajax. Who and what is that man?”

“Yeah, yeah. We were just gonna talk about it with my mom, and guess who interrupted us by slamming at my door?” Ajax sneered.

“Huh. Hello! Obasan!” Ignoring Ajax, Scaramouche looked past him again to greet Mother with an innocent smile. “Good morning, can I come in?”

Mother stormed towards them from the dining room, no longer wearing her apron. She trotted past Zhongli and went straight towards Ajax, and without saying another word, she smacked his son on the head with an open palm.

“Oww! Mom! Why?” Ajax yowled.

“Foolish boy! You did slip pass the Guardians!” She scolded before grabbing the bird from his son’s hand and turned towards Scaramouche. “Of course you can come in, dear. You are welcomed to visit us any time you like. I’m sorry about the trouble Ajax had caused you, and thank you for the bird, it is lovely. Come on in, we must speak with Mr. Zhongli.” Smiling lovingly, she welcomed the silver fox before bringing the prey back to the kitchen, trotting pass Zhongli once again.

“Hmph!” Scaramouche huffed at Ajax and pushed past him to make his way towards the dining room. When he walked up to Zhongli, he gestured for the Liyuean to enter before him.

“After you.” Said the silver fox.

“Very well.” Zhongli replied with a stoic expression, returning to the table where the children were waving and shouting welcomes to their brother’s friend, still holding onto the puzzle of Geo even with their arms raised in the air.

Although Scaramouche indeed was Ajax’s old friend, actually, his first real friend after moving to Inazuma, the Snezhnayan was inevitably irritated by his continuous horrible attitude towards Zhongli, even more so knowing how those terrible attitudes were justifiable this time.

Scaramouche sat himself at the shorter side of the table, with Mother’s seat and the kits on his left and Zhongli on his right.

Once Ajax got the tea for everyone(even for Scaramouche), he seated himself down next to his lover, and they were finally settled down to speak properly.

“So. Judging from what happened in the forest just now, I’ll trust you to be a man of no evil.” The smaller youth began, leaning back on his chair while examining Zhongli.

“Of course? You really thought Sensei is here to kidnap kits or something?” Ajax joked sarcastically as he leaned forward, propping up his chin on the table lazily .

“If you would stop interrupting me with those stu…U-hmm, silly jokes of yours, it’d be great.” Scaramouche squinted at the Snezhnayan, looking at him like he was judging an idiot.

“Anyways,” He continued before Ajax had a chance to say anything else. “Although I can see how you’re not a threat to the Sato, something else caught my attention.”

And the corner of the silver fox’s lips raised into a smile.

“It is quite boring, you know? Patrolling the same forest everyday, when nothing really happens around here. But then! Out of the blue! He brought you back!” Scaramouche eyed Ajax, his tone raised an octave in an irritating way to the red fox’s ears.

“Ajax is crazy, I know that way too well. But for him to be bringing you back hand in hand, after disappearing for just three days? That, is more than crazy. Tell me, stranger. Who, are you, and what have you done?”

Fed up with Scaramouche’s clearly provocative and accusatory words, the red fox almost growled out loud, only to be held back by a firm hand pressing on his thigh and the looks of confusion on his younger siblings before him.

“Mister Scaramouche,” Zhongli replied calmly. “I understand your concern for Ajax. You do have keen eyes.”

“Hah??” Really? The first thing you’re saying to someone who had been rude as fuck to you are praises? Was what Ajax would have shouted out loud if not for Zhongli to be soothing with gentle pets over his thigh.

“It is as you have guessed, I am indeed not human.”

This time, it was the red foxes sitting on the other side of the table who let out sounds of exclaim.

“Please allow me to explain myself.” The amber-eyed man paused, slowly retreating the hand laid on his lover after making sure he wouldn't spring right back up to start yelling at Scaramouche. He reached to pick up his cup of sencha. With a light blow over the steaming tea, he tilted the cup to take a small sip from it, moistening his tongue and throat before beginning his story.

“Due to a contract of which I am bound to, I must not reveal everything about myself to the utmost detail. I hope what could be disclosed provides a satisfactory answer to your suspicions.” Placing the cup back onto the table, he began with five pairs of eyes looking at him.

“As you have known, some years ago, Rex Lapis, the Geo Lord of Liyue, has abdicated from the seat of the Seven Archons. After setting up a trial to test his people, he decided that it was time to pass the leadership of the nation back to the hands of the Liyueans. He then announced his will to set off for a journey all around Teyvat in order to expand his knowledge on the customs and traditions of other nations.”

“Following Rex Lapis’s departure on the Rite of Parting, the Contract he had forged with his fellow Gods and Adepti was officially fulfilled. They have protected and lead the Liyueans over thousands of years, the people are now strong enough to walk on the path of time all by themselves.”

“Aww, what an interesting history lesson of Liyue.” The silver fox interrupted Zhongli with a raised brow, unimpressed by the overly detailed prologue to his answer. “If you may, please cut to the point?”

Ajax clicked his tongue in annoyance (and got a warning glare from his mother), but Zhongli simply replied with an amused chuckle.

“Patience, young kitsune. You might be able to see a lot more from the most mundane aspects around you if you are willing to spare slightly more time on them. If you allow a storyteller a few more moments, those seemingly boring elements of the tale might turn out as fascinating hints towards the finale. Now, would you give this storyteller just a little bit more time?” The ex-Archon asked, unoffended by the Inazuman’s impatience.

“Hmmph.” Scaramouche huffed. He looked around the table to see how everyone was waiting for Zhongli to continue, especially the children who were pouting at him for interrupting their story.

“Yeah yeah. Alright then, go on.” He leaned onto the table on his elbow, flicking the wrist of his other hand bonelessly.

“Thank you. Hmm, where did I left off? Ah, yes I remember. Since the Gods and Adepti are no longer bound to the lands of Liyue as stated by the terms of their Contract, they are now free to live their own lives with duties of a few thousand years off their shoulders. Some retired into the deepest of the mountains; some decided to enter a long slumber; some chose to live amongst the common folk, becoming one with them; and some decided to follow the path of Rex Lapis, leaving Liyue to see more of the world with their own eyes.”

Zhongli adjusted his posture, sitting with his back straight against the backrest of the chair, ready to get to the most important point.

“It is as you might have guessed, Guardian of the Sato. I am an Adeptus from Liyue. Following the retirement of Rex Lapis, I left Liyue with two of my close acquaintances in search of a person.” He directed those words towards both the silver fox and Mother.

“For years, we searched nation after nation, until an old friend from Inazuma suggested that we try gathering information from merchants passing through this farming village blessed by the foxes. It was not long after, that I was paid a surprise visit at my residence following an incident involving a couple of young red foxes in my backyard. When I opened the door, I was overjoyed, for the one I have been searching for had chosen to come to me once again.”

He spoke with a soft smile and slowly turned towards the man on his right, to lock his gaze with those familiar ocean like eyes, ever more beautiful as the light within was never tainted by darkness. Zhongli’s gaze itself was enough to make all the trouble in Ajax’s mind fly out of the window, finally calming the red fox from his irritations.

“Huh.” Scaramouche huffed again with hooded eyes, sitting sideways with legs crossed and his head propped up on an elbow. “An Adeptus from Liyue, you say?”

“Scara, will you allow me to confirm one thing with Mr.Zhongli?” Mother cut in with a very serious look on her face. The smaller fox gestured for her to go on with a wave of his hand.

“Yes, Obasan?”

“Mr. Zhongli, are you implying that you have met my son before?”

“I have, but I must admit, the story behind our initial encounter is…very complicated, to a point where even Ajax himself could not recall the details of our past after I have told him everything he had the right to know of.”

“But how is that possible? We have never set foot in Liyue, yet you have met him before despite leaving the nation just a few years ago? Even having spent years dedicated to looking for him? This doesn’t make sense.”

Seeing just how worried his mother was, Ajax decided to jump in.

“Mom, Zhongli Sensei is telling the truth. Yeah, I don’t really remember what exactly happened between us back then, but something at the back of my head, no, my heart is telling me that none of his words are lies. During the days I spent with him, I remembered something, not much, but I’m very sure about it. I love Zhongli, and he loves me back. I don’t remember why, but I just don’t want to leave him anymore.”

The children let out oo-s and aa-s, while their mother blinked in confusion at what could only be seen as madness.

“You are serious.” Sitting upright, Scaramouche said as he leaned forward to the direction where the red fox was seated. 

“I’ve never been more serious.” Ajax replied confidently.

“Sss…” The Inazuman sucked in a breath between his teeth, and with an abrupt motion, he pushed himself up from the table, making the tea cups on the table jump a little and surprising everyone sat around it. “Come here you flea brain! Let me smack you in the head and see if the rusty parts inside will click back together!”

“Chill Scara! You are scaring the children! Nothing is wrong with me so quit it!” He checked on his younger siblings with the corner of his eye, only to find them not only not frightened at all, but were either looking at him and Scaramouche while drinking barley tea like they were watching a stage show, or busy figuring out how to disassemble the brown and golden toy. He ended up sighing in defeat at the sight.

“Two of you, please calm down. We are in front of a guest, so mind your manners!” Even Mother rose her voice as she couldn’t stand the youngsters starting yet another argument over the dinner table, but even that failed to stop them.

Then, all was silenced when a pulse of geo rumbled through the house. The gentle wave of energy passed through every person in the room, then resonated with the construct held in Teucer’s hands to create another ripple, once again pulsating the calming element through the residents.

Every kitsune turned their attention towards the ex-Archon, who slowly opened his eyes to reveal brightly glowing pupils of molten gold. Gradually, the glow in Zhongli’s eyes subdued, and they returned to that of a warm amber.

“Wow…” Teucer couldn’t help but let out a quiet exclaim of astonishment. “Cool!” He mumbled to himself, looking back and forth between the very handsome man and the toy gifted by him.

“Mister Scaramouch, Your concern for Ajax’s sanity is perfectly understandable. My close acquaintance reacted in a similar manner when they first met. He thought I was tricked by a kitsune when I told him Ajax is the very person we have been searching for.” Zhongli resumed his explanation, his tone calm as ever.

“I am afraid I cannot provide any physical prove since the tale is long lost to those other than myself and possibly Ajax, but I can assure you my love for Ajax is unshakeable as mountain. I have already lost him once, and I will not lose him again. Please believe us, I mean neither Ajax nor your kind any harm. I simply want to stay beside him.”

“Oh? Long lost tale, you said?” The ex-Archon’s words caused something to click in Scaramouche’s mind instead. It reminded him of something. Something at the back of his head that he had almost forgotten since he was sent here by Raiden Shogun and Kitsune Saiguu.

He decided to take the chance to ask something out of the Adeptus. “Fine. I’ll take your word for it. I assume you won’t mind me asking you a few more questions in private, won’t you?”

“I do not mind questions, but how much I am allowed to answer will greatly depend on your enquiry.”

“Deal. Then we will be excusing ourselves, Obasan. It probably won’t take long since Mr. Zhongli here seems to be quite cooperative. Thanks for the tea.” Scaramouche stood from his chair and picked up his cup, downing all the tea in a few gulps after addressing Mother.

“Take your time, dear.” And the two headed out towards the corridor, closing the fusuma behind them.

“Phew. Why can’t he be just a li—ttle more polite towards other people?” Ajax slumped against his chair with his head hanging over the backrest, muttering to himself.

“Why can’t you stop getting into fights or arguments with Scara?” His mother replied sarcastically as she began tidying up the table, taking the cups handed over to her by her children.

“Oh come on——— Ah you can leave Sensei's cup, he probably still wants more tea.”

“Mama, can I ask Brother questions now?” Having kept her promise with Mother, Tonia left her questions until after the adults have finished talking.

“Of course, Sweetie. Well done on keeping your promise, you can ask as many questions as you like now.”

“Okay!” Getting her mother’s permission, she asked Ajax. “Brother, you said you love Mr. Zhongli just now, and Mr. Zhongli loves you back. Does that mean you and Mr. Zhongli like each other in the same way as how Sister Anya likes Ryuuta-san?”

“What? Mr. Johnlee is Brother Ajax’s Ryuuta-san?” Anthon yelled out loud without thinking twice about what he was trying to say.

“It is Zhongli!” Tonia yelled back.

“Thats great! Brother! Oh, will you be moving out like Sister Anya? Can we still visit you? We don’t have to hide ourselves because Mr. Jongli…Sensei knows we are foxes already!” Teucer corrected himself when he found his sister glaring at him.

Ajax blinked a few times while staring up at the ceiling. In slow motion, he brought his head back up from the backrest and slid a palm across his face.

“……Mm.” He nodded, a flush gradually made its way across his cheeks and ears at the thought of actually moving in with Zhongli.

While washing the teacups at the sink, Mother let out a sigh of relief at her children’s conversation. She saw the way Zhongli looked at his son a few moments ago. It was exactly the same as how her own husband looked at her time to time; the exact same gaze her son-in-law had when he was with Anastasia.

She decided not to oppose her son’s decision. It wasn’t like it was the first time her children made crazy life decisions anyway.

Further more, she felt safe leaving his son in the hands of an Adeptus from Liyue. Surely the kind man with warm amber eyes could protect Ajax from the aftermath of his recklessness, and from the ‘thing’ that had been in her gut feelings since her son was young—the reason behind their decision to emigrate from Snezhnaya.

“Mama! Brother! I opened the lock!”

“Really? What's inside? Whats inside?”

“Ho! Good job, kiddo!”

Mother turned back when she heard Teucer's happy yells. There were noises of what sound like many toy blocks being dropped onto the table, and she found the geometrical item being taken apart into multiple notched blocks of different shades, and a single brilliant blue marble rolling in between.

Chapter Text

“Hmm, I think I’ll bring an apron with me.” Standing in front of the kitchen wall where their family’s aprons were hung up on a row of hooks, Ajax looked thoughtfully with his mother and siblings by his side.

“Take the Mr. Narwhal one! Mr. Narwhal one!” Not tall enough to bring the pale grey apron off its hook, Teucer grabbed the hem of the garment and began shaking it back and forth instead.

“Mr. Narwhal apron is too old, Teucer. The strings are already frayed and the fabric at the collar is so worn out, you can already see through it! Here, take a look.” Mother took the apron with a printed pattern of a blue chubby whale that had a single spiral horn on its forehead off the wall. One could tell how old it was by the number of cracks running through the cartoon narwhal.

She straightened the fabric at the collar where the shoulder strap was attached and lowered herself to show it to her youngest son. Tonia and Anthon also squeezed in to take a peek, shoving their heads onto their brother’s as they did.

True enough, the cloth of that area was worn down to a point where one could make out the individual crisscrossing threads, and Teucer could almost see his mother’s face clearly through the material.

“Oh…But brother is still using it, which means it should still be okay, right? So why not?”

“Because Ajax is bringing it to Mr. Zhongli’s home! Of course you want to wear your newest, prettiest clothes to visit your boyfriend or girlfriend, wouldn’t you? Mr. Narwhal apron is still usable, but it is no longer pretty enough to be shown to your brother’s new boyfriend. Here Ajax, take mine instead. I can use the Mr. Narwhal one at home.” She reached for the beige apron on the neighboring hook as she explained.

“To be honest, I actually quite like Mr. Narwhal…” Ajax mumbled with a hand over his face, embarrassed by how straight forward his mother put it.

“You will not be bringing it to Mr. Zhongli’s house! It is rude to show him a dirty old apron when we have a way nicer looking one! What if it makes him think we are poor?” Mother exclaimed in a lowered voice, making sure the Adeptus wouldn’t overhear them from the corridor.

“Don’t say it like that mom! Sensei isn’t that kind of person! And trust me, we ARE poor compared to him.” He couldn’t hold back a chuckle with his last sentence.

“Don’t talk back to your mother, you will absolutely not bring Mr. Narwhal apron to Mr. Zhongli’s home! Take this one!” The beige apron was shoved into his hands.

“But Brother Ajax looks better in Mr. Narwhal apron~~ Brother, Sister, say something!” Teucer grabbed the grey apron in his mother’s arm and started yanking it, his other hand prodding at his siblings to hasten their reply. 

“Mama is right! If it is me, I will show my boyfriend the prettiest kimono that I have! But… I also like Brother Ajax in Mr. Narwhal apron, it is more…him! Anthon? What about you?” Looking back and forth between the two aprons, Tonia threw the question to her brother with an indecisive frown.

“Me? Erm, mmmh… Ummm!” The second youngest boy scratched his scruffy auburn hair and thought really hard. A few more scratches later, he had his answer.

“We can cut out Mr. Narwhal and stick it on Mama’s apron!” Anthon cried.

“NOOOOOOO!”

“BWAHAHAHAHA———! Then Mr. Narwhal apron- Hahahaha-! Would have a really big hole in it! Hahahaha——!”

The two other kits screamed as their eldest brother bursted out laughing, haunched over with one hand clutching the kitchen counter for support and the other holding the beige apron against his stomach.

Defeated, Mother sighed softly. “Alright alright, you kits just want Mr. Narwhal on Ajax’s apron, right?”

The young kits all began nodding crazily, wide blue eyes sparkling expectantly with Mother’s conclusion to their little debate.

“That would- haha! Be great!” The eldest son wiped tears off the corners of his eyes, almost tumbling over with laughter.

“I should have a whale patch somewhere in my sewing kit. I can sew it on the newer apron later in the afternoon, and Ajax will bring that with him instead of the old grey one. Are we all happy?”

“Yaaaaaay! Mama is the best!” Teucer jumped and threw his arms around Mother’s waist to give her a big hug, who in return patted him on his head, a loving smile spread across her lips.

“Thanks, mom. Hey~ Why are you even happier than me?” Ajax reached out to ruffle his brother’s hair, drawing out more giggles from the youngest.

A few polite knocks on the door announced their guests’ return. The shoji was gently slid open, followed by the Liyuean leaning through the doorframe.

“Are we interrupting?” Asked Zhongli with a smile.

“Nope~ Absolutely not. Great timing actually, we just finished choosing some stuff to take with me.” Ajax reassured with a wave of his hand.

Then, a shorter male pushed the sliding door fully open beside Zhongli and poked his upper body into the living room. “Thanks for the tea, Obasan. I will be going.”

“You’re welcome. Your present is lovely, Scara. Would you like to join us for dinner tonight? I’m sure the fowl will taste even better when shared— Teucer! Don’t climb on the kitchen counter! How many times do I have to scold you?” Interrupted by her son, she immediately picked the child up from the stone surface, who proceeded to cling onto his mother while twisting himself backwards to yell cheerfully at his brother’s friend.

“Yessss! Scara Nii-san! Come have dinner with us! Brother? Brother will stay too, right? And Jongli Sensei?” Wriggling left and right, Teucer shouted expectantly, and was subsequently hushed by Mother for being too loud.

“Shh, kiddo, we can hear you loud and clear even without the shouting. Big brother wanna stay for dinner too, but I've already promised some new friends dinner. We don’t break promises, remember? Can we have dinner together next time instead?”

Ajax cooed and patted his brother on the head. Teucer replied with a long, but more quiet whine.

“Aww~ So sweet.” Across the room, Scaramouche sneered sarcastically. Zhongli chuckled at the comment, before raising his voice towards the Snezhnayans.

“If you do not mind indulging two more guests, I do have a suggestion.”

***

“Alright now, out of my kitchen. I still have to finish making lunch so your Pa can come home to a nice and hot meal. Don’t forget your gift from Mr.Zhongli!” Mother dismissed the children around her feet, telling them to go play somewhere else so she can continue cooking.

“Yay! Dinner with new friends tonight!” One of the kits cheered as the three of them bounced out of the living room with pieces of the Lock replica in their hands, disappearing back into the very room on the other side of the corridor of which they came rushing out to jump onto their big brother. The last child didn’t forget to shut the door behind them, leaving muffled laughter that remained slightly audible even from the hallway.

At the genkan, the silver fox took his time putting his sandals on with his friend leaning against the wall behind him with arms folded.

“See ya later, sucker!” Scaramouche turned his head back lazily before stepping out of the door, bidding Ajax a temporary farewell with a wave of his hand.

“Come back at 7 for dinner, midget!” The red fox returned the gesture with a few lazy flicks of his own wrist. He spotted a few more members of the Guardians waiting outside his home for Scaramouche, all with a serious look on their faces. 

“Leave him, he's an ally.” The smaller fox announced, waving his colleagues off. The Guardians visibly relaxed with Scaramouche's reassurance. They even waved goodbye to Ajax before leaving. 

Satisfied, Ajax waved back to his fellow residents of the Sato, then proceeded to slide the door close with a click.

“Phew! Let’s get on with packing stuff, shall we?” He turned back into the house, only to meet eye to eye with Zhongli who emerged from the kitchen with a small tray, carrying an Inazuman styled teapot and two teacups— the first one his personal mug, and the other the exact cup Zhongli had been using throughout the talk.

Softly, the ex-Archon smiled at him. “Your mother was nice enough to offer me more tea, even as far as to lend me this delicate teapot so we may bring some with us.”

“Oh! Thanks mom!” Ajax trotted over to lover and yelled into the kitchen. Mother replied with a few words before her son closed the door behind himself.

“Alright! Now,” A grin spread across Ajax face. The Snezhnayan's deep blue gaze met with those beautiful golden eyes of his lover’s. Without a word, he wrapped a hand above Zhongli’s elbow to lead him through the corridor until they reached a set of staircase further in the house. Zhongli simply followed, more than pleased to let the red fox bring him anywhere he desired.

Ajax let go of his hand once they stopped. He moved in front of Zhongli and slowly shifted his left arm behind himself, pressing it against the small of his back. At a steady pace, he began lowering his torso, all while sliding a foot smoothly behind the other as he bowed.

He extended his right arm, gesturing towards the staircase leading up towards the second floor with an open palm. “Would you like to visit my personal quarters, Zhongli Sensei?” His gaze remained interlocked with Zhongli’s throughout the invitation.

Zhongli’s eyes widened ever so slightly, those diamond pupils in within constricted at the sight. His heart squeezed noticeably harder with that particular beat at how the youth executed his invitation. Ajax’s tone was perfectly courteous, yet Zhongli could make out the slightest hint of mischief hidden in within; the way he carried himself overlapped with the form carved deep inside Zhongli’s memories— it was almost exactly the same as when the young man still referred to himself as Childe.

The ex-Archon couldn’t help but chuckle in relief from the nostalgia, and of course, at the fox’s out of place and humorously exaggerated formality just to invite someone already inside the house into his room.

Fascinating indeed. Zhongli thought to himself.

“Awww Sensei? Don’t you think it is a bit rude to laugh?” Ajax’s expression softened, his posture slightly slacked with the harmless mockery from the man he was trying to impress.

“Ah, my apologies.” Zhongli said with another chuckle. “I did not mean to ridicule you. It simply… has been a while since I have last seen you doing that. It brings back memories— Fond memories.”

The red fox silently choked on air, but quickly recovered from it with a few fake coughs before any further embarrassment could catch up to him.

He straightened himself from the bow. “So? Your response?”

“Haha, then please pardon my intrusion. Ah, before that.”

“Umm?”

The moment Ajax set his foot on the first stair, he lover called out to him again.

He turned towards Zhongli, only to be surprised by how close the elder had gotten to him in a split second.

This time, it was the youth’s ocean-like eyes that widened, his lips slightly parted in bewilderment at the feeling of soft brown hair grazing across his cheek, with warmth radiating from both the graceful man himself and the small pot of steaming tea held in his firm hands.

Zhongli had leaned right in, so close that his lips could almost touch the shell of the Ajax's gradually reddening ear, and whispered into it with his rich, molten gold-like baritone.

“Your bow is immensely captivating. How can I ever reject you when you present your invitation in such an appealing manner?”

It almost made the red fox squeak like his sisters. That wasn’t the plan? It should have been the other way round!

“…..A…..Th…….That is……Cheating……” Ajax’s cheeks turned bright red, lips quivering against his will as he spoke, so the fox quickly covered them with the back of his hand. Anymore of that, his legs might as well start turning into jelly.

Zhongli pulled back in amusement. “Is that so? I am simply expressing my true thoughts. I must admit, I would love to see you do it again.”

“Wha- What happened to you Sensei? You were alright just a while ago! Oh Archons, this is way more embarrassing than I thought…” The overwhelming fondness that Zhongli poured onto Ajax had left the latter in sheer confusion.

“Hmmph, you must be overthinking. Now, shall we carry on before this nice pot of tea cools?” Another rumbling chuckle from the ex-Archon.

Ajax turned his back on the Liyuean to avert his gaze, but silently reached backwards to pick up a corner of his lover’s sleeve. Without looking back, he mumbled.

“Just…get upstairs already!”

***

Zhongli sat at the desk in the middle of Ajax’s bedroom, taking sips of steaming hot tea in silence. He inspected the youth’s room while its owner was busy digging through the closet and drawers, choosing stuff to take with him.

The bedroom was rather small, but no doubt cozy. The dark wooden flooring and walls created a warm contrast with the clean blanket covering a larger-than-average single bed. The sheets were slightly dented with wrinkles, but definitely not left in a mess. Ajax had commented on the state of his bed with an amused sigh when they entered, saying that his siblings must have been jumping on it during his stay at Zhongli’s house.

The window next to the bed was opened with the wooden shutters left ajar, allowing late morning sun to seep into the room while keeping out the heat of late spring.

Numerous photographs and children’s painting sticking all over the walls and hanging above the headboard added onto the coziness of Ajax’s bedroom. Quite a portion of the photos were taken on snow-covered grounds, most probably the former home to the family of red foxes in Snezhnaya. Ajax really do love his family, and so do his family to him.

“Oh wow, I haven’t seen this scarf in ages.” Zhongli’s attention was brought to his lover when Ajax commented on one of his findings.

Ajax folded said scarf on his lap and casually placed it aside before returning to the drawer in search of the next piece of clothing.

The scarf, was red in color.

With soft rustles, the ex-Archon settled on Ajax's right. Sat comfortably with legs tucked under himself, Zhongli picked up and unfolded the scarf, allowing it to spread across his thighs with both ends held in his hands, just like how one would examine a roll of textile at the fabric store.

“I haven’t worn it since we moved here. The winters of Inazuma aren’t cold enough to need a scarf. What caught your insightful eyes, Sensei?” Ajax asked his lover purely out of curiosity. With the question, Zhongli’s once stoic expression whilst gazing at the red piece of garment gradually softened into a smile.

He thumbed over the stripe of darker-colored wool on the fabric, then turned towards Ajax to lay one end of the scarf over the youth's shoulder.

The Snezhnayan watched in confusion as the ex-Archon twisted the scarf right in the middle, where it was hanging across his chest. Curious blue eyes followed those slim fingers as they gently slid along the cream-colored waves adorning the long piece of fabric until they reached the other end, of which Zhongli leaned even closer to gently toss it over his opposite shoulder.

“Ah-haha, who wears a scarf like that?” Ajax placed a hand over Zhongli’s, laughing softly as he closed his fingers around it. He wondered how one could keep their neck warm in the cold of winter while wearing their scarf this loosely.

The elder let out a pleased sigh. “You had a scarf similar to this one. And worry not, the winters of Liyue are not very cold, either.”

It took a while for the redhead to get it. His face gradually scrunched up into an embarrassed frown as he slowly flopped sideways onto the dark wooden floor, bringing the hand (and the owner of the hand) down with him with a soft thud.

That successfully earned another light-hearted chuckle from his beautiful lover, who was now looming over him with arms on either side of the fox’s laying form.

“Please, spare me. It is still morning.” Curled up on his side, Ajax whispered in a muffled voice, his flushed cheeks hidden behind both hands. He had successfully lost every battle(?) in the show of affection towards his lover today. It had to be a miracle that it still hadn't started drizzling outside.

“Hmmf. Adorable.” Instead of simply ‘sparing’ him, Zhongli lowered himself onto the fox. He pressed his lips against soft auburn hair lightly— right above the temple, eliciting a little yelp of surprise from the youth.

“Alright, please take your time, Ajax. I will be waiting.” Zhongli murmured against reddened ears, again.

He picked up the end of the red scarf that had slid off Ajax’s shoulder when he slumped onto the floor. As the Liyuean pushed himself up, he allowed the scarf to slide through his palm, dropping it gently back over Ajax’s shoulder and petted him once on his head before getting up from the ground.

The fox made a long groaning noise of (pleasant) complaint before speaking. “And you will tell me what turned you into a complete flirt all of a sudden.”

Not that I don’t like it. He added silently in his mind.

Ajax took his time getting up from the floor with Zhongli back at the table, gracefully pouring himself another cup of tea from the pot in amusement as if nothing had just happened.

The young fox sat himself up, waving off the rest of the heat from his cheeks by casually throwing the other end of his scarf over his shoulder, then reached into the drawer for the next piece of clothing.

After a quick round of rummaging, he pulled out a black hakama from pretty much the bottom of the drawer. He gave it a few brief shakes on the side to straighten the wrinkles, then straightened it out at eye level.

With a cross of his arms, Ajax turned the hakama over to look at its back side, and as expected, he found what he was looking for.

Yup, this will do. He thought to himself, a smirk at the corner of his mouth. Just watch, Sensei~

Chapter Text

A large backpack fully stuffed with clothings was left leaning against the drawers at the base of Ajax’s closet. Its owner sat with legs crossed at the low table set right in the middle of his bedroom, red scarf still hanging over his shoulders with one end pooling onto the ground. A mug of steaming hot tea was placed in front of the youth, with his guest sitting directly across, drinking the same tea from his own teacup.

The redhead picked up the mug by its handle, pulling it up to his lips to take a sip, only to flinch backwards almost immediately after getting burnt on the tongue by the hot beverage.

“Ow- Sheesh! Archons, how is the tea still so hot after all this time?” Ajax fanned himself with a hand, muttering complaints with the tip of his burnt tongue sticking out in attempt to let the cool air sooth it.

Zhongli chuckled behind his cup. “Slowly, Ajax. We are by no means in a hurry.” He said with a soft smile, before blowing gently at his tea and took a small sip from it as if doing so in demonstration.

The steam blown from his cup brought even more of the fragrance from sencha across the table. With a deep breath, the red fox breathed in the pleasant scent, then placed down his mug as he exhaled with a sigh. He will leave his tea to cool for a while before attempting to taking another sip from it.

“So!” Ajax placed an elbow onto the table and rested his cheek on his palm. “You seem to be in an awfully good mood since a while ago. Care to share, Sensei~?” He said with a grin, tapping his index finger against the table attentively.

“Ah, am I being that obvious?” 

“Oh come on, are you trying to tell me that you did all those without being conscious about it? I’m not that dense!” 

Further amused, the ex-Archon hummed. “Very well then, I am inclined to share it with you. But before that, do allow me to make an inquiry.” 

“Uh-huh?” Ajax lifted his head from his palm, wide eyes blinking with interest.

Zhongli placed his cup of tea back onto the table with a light thud and asked. 

“Are you aware of who Scaramouche is?”

***

“Do you know who I am?” 

In the corridor, some distance away from the dining room, those were the first words that the young man with dark hair and violet eyes directed towards Zhongli. 

Despite the youth’s attitude during their previous conversations, Zhongli could tell that Scaramouche had not spoken those words out of arrogance, but meant it to be a genuine question for the ex-Archon.

“What brought you to ask me such a question, Mister Scaramouche?” Arms crossed, Zhongli returned the question with his own.

“If I heard him correctly, Ajax said he remembered you, who is supposed to be a complete stranger— from the back of his head; with his heart. And you, Adeptus of Liyue, straight up know him well enough to be looking all over Teyvat exactly for him. It’s hard not to imagine that you know something none of us knew— something that none of us remember.” 

Zhongli raised a brow in silence, his expression remained stoic. 

Understanding that he was being tested, Scaramouche frowned with a sharp hiss and buried his face into a hand as if pained by a headache. This was the closest thing that would even resemble a clue to the question that had been troubling him for decades. Yes, spilling everything to someone who he barely even knew was a very risky decision, but if the Adeptus knew anything, it would be a risk worth taking.

So, the silver fox began. 

“When I first came to, I don’t know- I don’t remember who I am, nor what I am. It felt like my mind was completely shrouded behind a heavy dark fog, one that wouldn’t disperse no matter what I tried.” He muttered behind his palm, words painful as he recalled his past.

“It was then that I realized, I am the fog.”

The revelation made Zhongli’s amber eyes widen ever so slightly. That was something unexpected even for the ex-Archon.

“I don’t know who I am, where I am, or what I am. I remember nothing, except… The face of that woman who left like that.” 

He sighed and lowered his palm. Keeping his gaze down, he allowing himself a few moments of rest before resuming.

“For some reason, I suddenly knew where I should go. I knew the path that would bring me to that woman so that I could take back what was supposed to be mine. At that very moment, I wanted to take everything away from her, so she could have a taste of what it feels like to have—”

“You sought revenge from Raiden Shogun.” Zhongli finished for him, just in time before the young fox could begin losing emotional control from recalling what’s left of his far memories. 

Slowly, Scaramouche raised his head, moving his glance up to look Zhongli directly in the eyes. 

“You do know.” 

“……Yes.” 

“Then tell me. Who am I? Why did I want to hurt her when she is so kind to me? Me, a… thing that wanted to attack her and those who are the closest to her? What happened…back then?” 

A hand landed on the kitsune’s shoulder, giving it a firm, assuring squeeze.

“Sometimes, it is better not to linger in the past. Say, Mister Scaramouche. Why do you think are you able to stand here despite your display of malice towards Raiden Shogun? Knowing her, she or one of the Guji would have cleansed you for threatening them, and possibly even be a threat to the nation of Inazuma.” Said Zhongli with a comforting smile on his lips. 

“I…Ei Shogun…” The silver fox muttered. “She stopped Lady Saiguu from doing exactly that… She said she was sorry, sorry that I turned out like this. She even went as far as to create a new vessel for me so I no longer have to wander around as a stray wisp of fog. When I asked her why, she said she doesn’t know.” 

“That was when I asked her. ‘What is my purpose’. She said she doesn’t know, either. Adepti of Liyue, if you know anything, please, tell me—”

Zhongli shook his head before Scaramouche could finish. “Seek not yourself from the past, but the path you should take in the present and the future. There is a reason why neither you or Ei could remember who you were, of which I believe is the same reason as to why Ajax barely remembered anything from our past. This is a chance for you to start from the beginning, to live a new life without the weight of past regrets. Make good use of the opportunity to become what you want to be, for the choice is now solely yours to make.” 

“Haha…” The shorter male grabbed the hand resting on his shoulder by the wrist, peeling it off lightly as he spoke. “You speak like Lady Saiguu.” 

“Is that so? Then it seems like both of us have the same piece of advice for you. Will you take it this time, young kitsune?” 

“I guess… Yeah. Thank you.” Scaramouche looked away and let go of the hand.

“Very well. Ah, one more thing, if you may.” The ex-Archon added.

“Yeah?” 

“Your current attitude is, unfortunately, a foul habit that had remained from the past. You might want to… Hmm, work on some improvements in regards to it.” 

The silver fox stilled. His hand began trembling as it returned to his face in an attempt to hide the grimace behind it. Zhongli caught sight of the smaller fox’s brow twitching in awkwardness before he could cover it up.

“Yeah yeah, I am… trying, yeah.” He blabbered.

The elder let out a chuckle. “Please take your time. Fortunately, it does seem that your friends are not overly bothered by it.” 

***

“Huh? That is a very random question you got there, Sensei.” Ajax further tilted his head in confusion. “All I know is that the Shogun herself sent him here before my family even moved in. I think they said something along the lines of ‘he will be in charge of the Sato’s safety under the command of Lady Kitsune Saiguu’? And he worked as one of the Guardians since then. Poor him though, that job is boring as hell. At least for most of the time. Guess that’s what made him grumpier than an old fox.” He finished with a shrug.

“Ah, is that so.” Zhongli smiled in content. 

“And what did that grumpy black fox have to do with your ridiculously good mood?”

The ex-Archon took a slow sip of tea before replying with a warm smile. “I am glad he has been doing well in his new life. Your family and the other residents of the Sato's contribution in it are no doubt supportive. Raiden Shogun and Kitsune Saiguu had indeed, made a correct decision in sending him here.”

Deep blue eyes blinked in confusion at first, but then his jaws fell open in realization soon after. He sat upright in an abrupt motion and exclaimed. “Holy shit, what the hell happened to Scaramouche back then?”  

“Worry not, Ajax. It is no longer important.” 

“Again? Are you sure?” 

“Indeed, I am very sure.” 

“Oh Archons… Well, if you say so then… I guess? At least I think he is doing quite okay now. Holy shit, though.” Out of relief, auburn hair planted itself onto the table with a thud, fortunately not spilling any beverages from the mug sitting right next to his head. 

Without thinking, Zhongli reached a hand over to the fluffiness as he chuckled. Fingers gently buried themselves into his lover’s soft locks, petting the youth who made a tiny noise of surprise at the touch.

Ajax shifted to rest his chin on the table. Slightly pouting with a faint blush on his cheeks, he looked up at the owner of the hand ruffling through his hair to question him in silence.

“Adorable.” Zhongli rumbled as he caressed the fox with the tip of his fingers, right where those black-tipped ears would be if the youth had let them out. He retreated his hand before Ajax could further melt onto the table and pushed himself up, leaning across the furniture to slowly press his face over scruffy hair.

Ajax watched as the elder closed in, the muscles behind his human ears pulled back by instinct as lips finally touched down, granting him with another soft kiss on top of his head.

“I am overjoyed, Ajax. Overjoyed by how well both of you are doing.” The ex-Archon rumbled directly from above. “Is my answer satisfactory?”

That’s it. The Snezhnayan couldn't hold it in anymore. 

With a needy whine, the fox too, pushed himself up from the table and headbutted Zhongli in the groove between his neck and chin, nuzzling every inch of skin he could find with his soft auburn hair. 

Zhongli couldn’t help chortling at just how lovely and sweet the once battle thirsty Harbinger had become— Or how the young man named Ajax could have been if not for the Abyss to have tainted him way too early. 

He tipped his head up, further baring his neck to welcome the show of affection as his hand found its way back into the fox’s hair, coaxing more pleased hums from the younger.

“Your answer, my lovely fox?” Zhongli said as he grazed his fingertips downwards and behind Ajax’s ear, giving him teasing scritches while demanding an answer from the younger.

“Mmmph, do you really… Need me to say it? Like, now?” Ajax complained. Deep blue eyes half-lidded in pleasure, he slightly leaned into the hand that was staying way to still to his liking instead of giving him those heavenly ear rubs. 

Finding himself in a mood to further tease the youth, Zhongli curled up his fingers with a grin, not granting Ajax the chance to satisfy himself just yet. 

“Say it. It is basic etiquette to answer a question in clear words.” He purred into fox’s other ear. It burned a bright red, almost twitching with the ex-Archon’s rumbling deep voice.

With a whimper of protest, Ajax grabbed the offending limb, desperately pressing it onto his ear and wailed.

“Yes! Yes it is! Just pet me already!” 

Amber eyes softened at those words. Zhongli let out a satisfied breath and gave Ajax what he wanted. 

He closed his slim fingers around the redhead’s flushed ear, passing his thumb across the warm skin wrapped around cartilage, gently scratching the back of the shell to finally coax out a held-back moan from his lover.

From time to time, he would graze his smooth nails gently over the area behind Ajax’s ear, combing through his hair to stimulate him with the ticklish yet comforting sound of fingers running through hair, massaging his scalp where it was the most sensitive to touches.  

Head leaning into the touch, eyelids drooping in pleasure with lips parted and relaxed, panting in bliss, there was no doubt how much Ajax enjoyed his touch— Loved it, even, exactly like how he melted on top of Zhongli just the night before. Fox form or human form, Ajax loved having his ears stroked, Zhongli was now certain about it.

With a few more strokes, glazed blue eyes rolled up. They looked passionately into Zhongli’s bright amber ones, almost glowing like a pair of fine noctilucous jade in the darkest of night. 

Oh. The dark-haired Liyuean knew that look, knew what his lover desired with that look.

And just as he had expected, Ajax’s fingers closed around the collar of his brown kimono, tenaciously pulling the ex-Archon towards himself as he tilted his chin upwards.

Warm breath from parted lips hit Zhongli’s. A plush tongue slightly lolled out between soft pink flesh, wantonly pleading and waiting for the elder’s respond. 

Of course, Zhongli would do nothing other than to gladly respond to his fox’s demand. 

Zhongli’s hand shifted so his palm fully cupped Ajax’s smooth, flushed cheek, long and firm fingers tangled naturally between auburn locks with the bright red ear gripped between thumb and index; Ajax tightened his grip on Zhongli’s collar, propping himself up on his elbow, and their lips met across the low table.

Unlike the previous soft and chaste ones, these kisses were deep and passionate. Zhongli parted his lips to press onto the offered tongue with his own, and initiated a dance of tender flesh shared between soft, glistening lips.

Zhongli slid his fingers downwards, very gently leading Ajax into further tilting his chin up by bushing his nails over his neck and throat. 

With a bob of his Adam’s apple, Ajax swallowed around his lover’s mouth and craned his neck backwards, inevitably letting out a tiny moan into the kiss as he did. 

He was rewarded by his beloved’s tongue entering him even deeper for complying. 

Zhongli licked the insides of the fox’s mouth: the roof of his jaw, the base of his teeth, the underside of his tongue, so on and so forth, all while kneading the fleshy lobe of the fox’s burning ear in sync with every swipe of the appendage.

“This feels… so good!” Ajax thought to himself as he let out another pleasurable moan into Zhongli, the muscles behind his ear would twitch uncontrollably with each sensual rub of the fingers. 

A trickle of drool rolled down from the corner of his mouth, collecting into a droplet at his jawline of which he couldn’t be bothered to wipe off— Not when he desperately needed to savor every single moment between him and his perfect lover.

When he felt Zhongli’s tongue attempting withdrawal, he instinctively pushed himself forward to chase to the pleasure with a yelp of complaint, only to be immediately granted it back with the Liyuean shoving his lips back against his at a brand new angle.

With that, Ajax had never felt more satisfied. His sight was blurred by tears of pleasure, and the arm supporting himself trembled under pure bliss. He had no other choice but to let go of Zhongli’s kimono so he could stabilize himself over the table, or risk collapsing on it in an unsightly mess.

So the red fox released his strengthless grip on the elder’s collar, opting to support his trembling self as their tongues went on with the euphoric dance, sharing every single breath and drinking in each other’s lust…

Only for his elbow to betray him and slip on his own sleeve, knocking itself into the mug that had been neglected since it burnt its owner’s tongue with its contents. 

“Mmm-ahh!” Ajax jerked away in a panicked yelp, from both his loss of balance and the fear of his cup falling off and smashing itself on the floor. 

But in a blink of an eye, a quick hand had already caught the falling container at the edge of the table, saving it from its disastrous fate while spilling only a few drops of tea onto the wooden floor.

Snapping his head back towards Zhongli, he found the elder focusing wide-eyed on the mug that he had caught just in time, which relaxed once its safety was confirmed. 

Steadily pushing the cup back to its original position, the Liyuean too, slowly turned towards Ajax. His soft, loving smile returned when he saw the look on his partner’s face, and both of them began giggling at the same time.

“Phew, that was close.” Ajax mumbled, bringing the back of a hand up to wipe his chin as he did.

“Indeed, it was. It would be a shame if such a beautiful ware was to be rendered into fragments.” Zhongli agreed.

“Nah~ it’s just an old mug, nothing worthy. I’ll get something to clean that up.” The red fox gave his lover a final nudge on the forehead before getting up to retrieve some tissue paper.

“Ajax.” The Liyuean called out to him in a calm voice. “Would you like to move to a steadier surface, and resume our inaction with greater intimacy?” 

Ajax froze. With wide eyes, his jaws slowly dropped to those words. He closed them, only for them to fall open again plus failing to produce any legible words on the attempt. His hand found its way to his lips, covering them and turning away in embarrassment.

And he thought he was the one going too far.

He gaped a few more times behind his palm before finally speaking something coherent.

“I…I mean…I do want to, but… My family is… Literally down stairs, and it is… Almost time for lunch…” 

More like stuttering. 

“……Ah.” After a few heartbeats, Zhongli made a noise of realization. “My apologies. I seem to have forgotten to take that into consideration.”

“Mmm, yeah…” The fox crouched down to wipe droplets of spilt tea from the floor. “Tonight…Maybe?” He mumbled under his breath. 

“Do not feel obliged, we can wait for another decent occasion. There are plenty of time ahead of us, after all.” 

Although the Liyuean said he didn’t mind, Ajax could pick up the slight hint of disappointment from the look in his eyes. He tossed the tea-soaked ball of tissue paper into the bin and quickly got back to the table.

“Hey, look here.”

He grabbed his mug, and with a flick of his finger, the red fox used his hydro abilities to create a miniature narwhal with tea. He then made the translucent little creature swim through the air between him and Zhongli in a beautiful twisting motion, as if the whale breached the surface of the sea that was the tea in Ajax’s cup, and then elegantly dove back down into an imaginary ocean. 

Ajax had always used this trick to entertain his siblings, creating different animals from various liquids he got his hands on, and never for once were the kits not absolutely captivated by them. 

But this time, he performed the trick with another idea in mind. 

The little narwhal was sent across the table until it hovered in front of Zhongli, successfully getting the ex-Archon’s attention. Ajax flicked his finger, making the creature of tea swim around his lover in a smooth circle, before returning to float in front of Zhongli’s face.

Amused, Zhongli chuckled at his lover’s creation, and to his pleasant surprise:

The tiny narwhal closed in and pecked a warm kiss on his lips.

That made the Liyuean jump a little. Bright eyes of cor lapis blinked in astonishment, then melted into a smile so lovely, it sent a ripple of warmth right through Ajax’s chest.

Overjoyed by his triumph, the fox retrieved the tea narwhal back into his cup in a tiny splash, then proceeded to take a big gulp of the cooled drink in satisfaction. 

With a thud, Ajax placed the cup back down before leaning forward again, this time holding his mug steady so it wouldn’t even have a chance to be knocked over. 

He averted his gaze, and whispered. “Bear with it for now. I’ll make sure to make it up to you later, alright?” There was a faint blush across his cheeks as he mumbled. 

Zhongli couldn’t manage anything other than a breathy chuckle. With a wide grin, he lifted the beautifully flushed fox by his chin, pressing another kiss on the bridge of his nose as a wordless display of gratitude.

Chapter Text

“I’m back—!” The loud and clear voice of a man rang through the corridor following the sound of their front door sliding open and then closing with a light thud. 

The familiar voice of excited children once again filled the house. Almost at the same time, the door to the room of which the younger foxes sped out to greet their elder brother was flung open once again, this time running to greet the tall man with scruffy locks of ginger hair and a neat beard on his face. 

“Welcome back, Dear.” Hearing the return of her husband, Mother called out her greetings all the way from the kitchen. Their children however, stopped their little feet in front of their father and began whispering (quite loudly) among themselves…

“Three… two… one! Papa Smelly! Hahahahaha!” The kits chortled loudly, almost in a perfect sync, either pinching or fanning their little noses to mock their father every time he returned from a morning hunt. 

“Oh! You hurt papa’s feelings!” Father played along and returned his children’s mockery. “Worry not, my little pups! Papa Smelly will turn into Papa Smells Good in 15… No, 10 minutes! Ah-hahahaha!” The man announced proudly with arms on his hips as he stepped into the house, ready to take a quick shower before lunch.

"I will help Mama then!" Tonia dropped her words and trotted towards the dining room, leaving her brothers and Father at the genkan.

“Papa! Papa! Wait!” Teucer tugged at the hem of his father’s kimono to gain his attention. “Mr.Jongli came to our house with Big Brother! Come meet him!” 

“Mr.Jongli… Mr.Zhongli? What?! And with Ajax? They are here?” Father’s pale blue eyes widened at his son’s claim. “But how is that possible? Didn’t Ajax go return the favor as a girl? What do you mean he…” 

Then he saw said son, as his usual self, waving at him behind the corner of the corridor with an awkward smile on his face. And indeed, beside Ajax stood no one other than the dark haired Liyuean himself, the one who had saved the life of his youngest son from the talons of a swooping eagle.

Father’s jaws dropped open in disbelief for a split second, and in the next, he was already speeding towards the handsome young(?) man to grab his hand with sincere gratitude. 

“Welcome! Zhongli Sensei! We more than pleased to have you visiting our humble abode! I cannot express how thankful I am to you for saving my silly sons! We might not have much to offer, but please at least allow us to serve you a meal in return for your kindness! Oh forgive my appearance, I must be sweaty and dirty all over! I will go make myself more presentable right away!” 

The bearded man went on and on with his expression of gratitude, of which Zhongli smiled in content at the similar liveliness between Ajax and his father. Thinking back, Ajax did something similar to Xiao on the day they met, didn’t he?

“You have exaggerated, Mister. It was simply a coincidence that your children got into danger in my backyard while I was present. I am sure anyone else would have lent a hand if the incident was to happen before their eyes. Ah, do not be overly aware of your appearance. Sweat and dirt are the result of hard working, which is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.” Zhongli squeezed the other’s hand in reassurance, demonstrating his point. 

“Your family had already invited me to lunch and dinner today, of which I have gladly accepted. I will be looking forward to Obasan and Ajax’s cooking.” The Liyuean added.

“Yes Papa!” The younger boys bounced up and down behind them. “Brother Scara gave us a big bird just now! Can we have Karaage tonight, Brother? Can we?” 

“And I bet Mom is gonna say, ‘What? Fried food again?’ Hahahaha!” Ajax butted in with his signature bright laughter. 

“This is marvelous! I will clean myself real quick, I can’t wait to have a chat with you during lunch! Zhongli Sensei!” Father firmly shook the ex-Archon’s hand before finally letting go and headed for the dining room. 

He poked his head inside and asked his wife. “Honey? How long would it take for lunch to be ready?” Mother answered with the familiar mockery, stating that lunch will be served once ‘Papa Smelly’ is out of the shower. It seemed like Mother wasn’t too pleased with her sweaty husband dirtying the kitchen! 

“Oh oh oh— That hurts, Honey. Well, I’d better be quick then! Boys, come help your mother and sister lay out the bowls! Zhongli Sensei, please make yourself comfortable, lunch will be served soon.” Father turned around with a friendly smile, and proceeded towards the bathroom while waving at his children and their guest.

“Okay~~~!” Teucer and Anthon obediently trotted into the kitchen to help their parent and sibling.

“Gladly.” Zhongli dipped his head politely in response. 

Once Father disappeared around the corner, Zhongli turned to his lover. “You do resemble your father, Ajax. You have a warm and loving family, I believe I understand the reason as to why you love them to such extend.” 

“Heh~ Knew you would like them! Phew, though! At least we don’t have to go through ‘the talk’ again with my dad. He doesn’t think as much as my mom do, which I guess is a good thing? For most of the time it is. Now, Sensei~ Let’s get seated, shall we? I can’t wait to have some of my mom’s shchi! No other soup beats my mom’s homemade shchi! Oh and do tell me if you like it, I can make some at your home if you want!” 

Ajax took Zhongli’s hand once again, pulling him towards the dining room. They were welcomed by the lovely voices of the Snezhnayan family and delicious smell of beef cabbage soup served with loafs of rye bread.

Ah, as for Father, he managed to get out of the shower within 10 minutes and presented himself to his wife, who gave him a quick sniff followed by an approving smile, making the elder fox hum in content and had his children snickering at their interaction.

***

“Mom, do we perhaps have some almonds? And dried umireishi*?” Ajax asked while helping with the dishes after lunch. 

“What an interesting combination of ingredients. We don’t have dried umireishi, do you want gelatin powder instead?” 

“Nah, it has to be dried umireishi, or else the texture and taste will be weird. Never mind then, what about almonds?”

“I think we do have some leftovers. Is this enough?” Mother briefly removed the water from a hand with her hydro ability and reached for the cabinet, pulling out about one fourth of a jar of brown oval almonds.

“No no no, not that type of almond. The smaller, rounder and flatter ones that are all white.” The red fox shook his head. 

“Smaller, rounder and flatter? Are you talking about skinless apricot kernels, Ajax? Those are a completely different type of ingredient. And no, we never bought any of them.” Mother explained as she put away the left over almond snacks. 

“Hmm—I thought so. I don’t suppose we have a suribachi* either?” He asked again with a tilt of his head.

“Well, have you ever seen one in the kitchen?” 

“Nope.”

“Then you have the answer.” 

“Aw—, guess I’ll have to borrow Sensei’s. Sensei~~” Ajax leaned over the kitchen counter and called out to his lover.

“Especially the smetana- Yes Ajax?” Zhongli was casually chatting with Father and the children about Mother’s soup when the red fox asked for his attention.

“Can I borrow your suribachi and bring it over here? To grind up the almonds for Xiao’s almond tofu!” He asked cheerfully. 

“Of course you may. Although I must say, I am fairly surprised that you know I own one.” The ex-Archon chuckled.

“Well, you are the one who let me to use anything I can find in your kitchen, aren’t you? You said that on the very first day I came to your house.” Ajax chattered merrily with his chin resting on his elbow. His smile was so bright, Zhongli knew he must be proudly wagging his tail if he had it out at the moment.

“Ajax? You rummaged through Mr.Zhongli’s kitchen on the your first day of visit?” Upon hearing the conversation, Mother turned around to glare at his son with narrowed eyes. She then reached out to (playfully) pinch Ajax’s ear, with a pretended disappointment in her tone. 

“Ow ow ouch! Mom! What now?” 

“I told you to be polite and not to cause Mr. Zhongli any trouble, yet you went through his kitchen on the very first day?! Where are your manners! Did you even remember to say thank you?” She whispered next to the pinched ear.

“Errrrmmm I don’t remember?” Ajax answered with his head tilting to the side he was being pulled towards, a blue eye squinting in pain while trying to pry his mother’s fingers off his poor ear, and trying his best (but apparently failing) not to look too pathetic in front of Zhongli.

His siblings and father began laughing really loudly at his predicament, even Zhongli began to audibly chuckle at the sight. 

“Mom, mom! I’m sorry okay? Stop pulling my ear!” Ajax’s ears were turning red with both the ‘punishment’ and embarrassment. He glanced towards his lover in seek of any form of help, pretty sure that his mother was doing so on purpose to make fun of him in front of his lover.

The Liyuean chuckled again. “Please spare Ajax, Obasan. I am indeed the one who gave him permission to use my kitchen as he pleases. Although not verbally, he did thank me by cooking an enjoyable dinner of curry pork, so please do not be too harsh on him.” 

“Humph.” Mother hummed, giving Ajax’s poor ear one final twist before finally letting go. “Very well, you are forgiven this time, my silly kit.” She then returned to doing the dishes after exchanging a nod of approval with Zhongli.

Rubbing his own ear, Ajax laughed awkwardly, of which his lover smiled back in return. 

“Hehehe! Brother naughty!” One of the kits joked, making the elder fox’s face redden even further.

“Shall we pick up from where we left off? About Obasan’s homemade smetana.” Zhongli suggested.

“Yeah!” Cried Teucer. “Mama makes the best smetana in the whole world!” 

“But the only smetana you have tried is Mama’s!” Tonia rebutted. 

“I have tried other smetana during my stay in Snezhnaya. I can assure you, Miss Tonia, that your mother’s sour cream will not lose to even the best restaurants of the Nation.” The Liyuean reassured the young vixen. 

“Ah-ha! Zhongli Sensei you sure have a fine taste! One day kits, one day, when you are all old enough, I will take you back to our motherland. We will have a taste of the authentic local cuisine, and try out the ice fishing that your brother keeps telling you about!” Father declared. He too, missed his homeland after moving to Inazuma with his family since over a decade ago. 

And that was how Zhongli successfully redirected the conversation from embarrassing Ajax to a discussion about traditional Snezhnayan customs and cuisine with curious little red foxes and their father.

**********************

“Alright mom! Dad! Tonia Anthon and Teucer! See you later!” Ajax gave his huge backpack a bounce on his shoulders, waving towards his family before heading for the genkan, where Zhongli was already sliding into his sandals at the door step. 

Before the red fox could turn towards the door, his father wrapped an arm around his son’s shoulders, pulling him close to mutter something next to his ear.

“Don’t mess it up this time, son.” Father gave Ajax a few encouraging pats on his shoulder as he whispered.

“Oh don’t you worry dad, it is different this time. Very different.” Ajax replied with a bright, confident smile.

“Alright then, off you go!” The bearded man pushed his son towards the front door and waved him goodbye. “I’ll be waiting to meet your new friends tonight!” 

“Bye bye Brother! Karaage tonight!” 

“Karaage! Karaage!” Teucer jumped up and down next to Mother, the other kits soon followed suit, cheering for their favorite dish.

Ajax kept waving to his family until their front door was fully closed. 

“So, Sensei, how do you find my family?” The red fox turned to his lover.

“I believe I have already answered this question a while ago.” Zhongli smiled.

“Have you?” Ajax thought for a moment. “Oh right, you did, before lunch. I didn’t even have to ask! Hehe! ‘Kay, let’s head back to your house now, imma drop down my stuff and tidy them up, then we can start making Xiao’s almond tofu!” 

“Before that, Ajax.” The ex-Archon suggested. “Would you like to head somewhere with me before returning home? You introduced me to your family, and I would like you to meet someone who is dear to me in return.” 

“Sure, but with all these stuff with me?” 

“Well, our destination indeed requires quite a distance of traveling. But I trust you to have the stamina to keep up even with your heavy luggage?” 

“Oh? Sensei~ Are you proposing a challenge?” The fox showed the elder a toothy grin. 

“If you see it that way, little fox.” Zhongli glanced sideways at said fox, lifting the corner of his lips into a tiny smile.

“Ha! The challenge is on! What’s your friend’s name again? Hmmm… Rey-something?” Ajax tapped his finger on his cheek, tilting his head as he thought hard.

“Retuo.” The ex-Archon answered for him.

“Yup! That’s the name. Where are we meeting up with him anyways?”

As they headed down the mountain by a different route than the one they came up from, more and more pink and white petals swirled by their feet with the gentle blow of wind.

“I will give you a hint. You may find him at where these sakura petals originate.” Petals from cherry blossom trees, of which the flowering season should have ended weeks ago.

The two took a path that the foxes, or even the Sato’s hunting parties rarely take: a path in the mountains that Ajax realized he had no memories of. The further they went, the deeper they entered the woods, where more and more pale petals adorned the floor like new fallen snow at the beginning of winter. 

Upon a closer look, the flower petals actually came in two distinct colors: most of them are pure white, where the pale pink ones had a color that gradually darkened towards the base of the petal.

All these made no sense to Ajax, because when they finally arrive to their destination, what entered the fox’s ocean blue eyes was the image of a massive cherry blossom tree standing all by itself in the center of a grassy meadow. 

Not as big as the Sacred Sakura tree on top of the Grand Narukami Shrine of course, but still, the tree was way too big and blooming way too spectacularly to go unnoticed by anyone from the Sato, or any normal Inazuman in general. And since when had there been such a place so deep in this mountain?

“Sensei, please don’t tell me… This…? Is the branch from your friend’s tail?” Stupefied by the impressiveness of the great tree, the red fox almost couldn’t believe his own eyes. “Are you sure you brought a single branch instead of a whole ass tree?”

“Pfft.” Zhongli amused. “Come, Ajax, let us get closer. You shall see for yourself.” He encouraged his lover with a light chuckle, reaching out a hand with his palm up, just like how Ajax offered him his when he brought him into Kitsune no Sato.

“A…Alright.” Still amazed by how stunning Retuo’s sakura tree was, Ajax took off his backpack and slowly dropped it onto the grass next to his feet, then placed his hand into Zhongli’s without taking his eyes off the sky-piercing tree. 

Side by side, the two men walked up to the sakura tree. It seemed to bloom ever more striking as they closed their distance.

Finally, when they were standing right beside its roots, Ajax noticed the unique aspects to this great tree. He made out the slow, continuous mellow blue light pulsing barely noticeably between the fine cracks of its bark; it’s flowers, unlike any normal cherry blossoms, all of Retuo’s flowers were made up of exactly four pure white petals and one single distinctively pink one.

“Retuo, we have come.” Zhongli’s soothing baritone brought the fox’s attention back from astonishment. Not long after the elder raised his voice, the petals laying between the two men and the trunk of the great tree began to gather into a sizable swirl. 

The breeze caused by the movement of petals ruffled through their hair and sleeves, and when the flakes of pink and white scattered to slowly fall back onto the ground, a man appeared in their place.

A hulking man, in sophisticated brown and golden robes, with untied locks of long dark and amber hair much like Zhongli’s. Absolutely nothing you would expect to be popping out of a sakura tree out of all things. 

He had a pair of forward curling horns resembling the rough bark of an ancient tree above his temples, with a pair of glasses with black frames sitting over rusty brown eyes. 

The man stepped forward.

“Morax.” He greeted with a voice even deeper than Zhongli’s. With his hands behind his back, the gigantic man with height well over two meters stood before Zhongli and Ajax. He raised his voice again after acknowledging the ex-Archon.

“I see this is him. May I?” Retuo directed the request towards his old friend. 

“Of course.” His friend answered. 

The ancient dragon adjusted his glasses with a push of his index and middle fingers, then gradually leaned forward to inspect the young kitsune with his slit pupils, glowing in a bright golden hue. 

Ajax flinched. He almost took a step backwards by reflex with such a gigantic man towering over him, deep blue eyes rounded in both nervousness and confusion. 

Just almost, because Zhongli closed in at the same moment and wrapped a reassuring arm around his waist, silently encouraging him, convincing him that this was absolutely nothing to be feared of— So he feared not.

“Hmm.” After a few breathtaking moments, Retuo adjusted his black-framed glasses once again and let out a rumbling hum. He straightened his back before speaking. 

“So it is you. This is indeed fate’s trickery, for he really was not human, but a kitsune out of all that could be. My apologies for failing to take that into consideration, Morax.” He said with a hint of sorriness in his tone.

“Do not apologize, Retuo, you must not blame yourself. I am the one who insisted that we are looking for a young Snezhnayan man. It is also beyond my expectations for him to not be born as a human at all, and on top of that, is no longer dwelling on the soils of Snezhnaya. We are very lucky to be able to find him on the second nation we visited.” 

It was true. Zhongli had never thought that Childe would be reborn as a fox yokai, plus having moved away from his home nation at such a young age.

“I have seen this young kitsune before. His appearance does resemble your description, yet I did not take him into consideration since he hails from the lineage of foxes. If I have informed you of him despite the differences, you would have been able to find him earlier.” Retuo was still not happy with his mistake.  

“He is now here, that is all I ever wanted. The journey itself is not unpleasant, and I am sure it will become ever more enjoyable with Ajax in company. Furthermore, I have come to introduce you to him, not for your condemnation.” Zhongli gave his lover a gentle push behind his waist, urging him to greet one of his oldest friends.

“Well, hi there, Sir Retuo! I am Ajax, just a red fox from Snezhnaya. I can’t remember everything between us like Zhongli Sensei, but I trust him enough to believe him. And since you are one of Sensei’s dearest friend, I’ll trust you too! One question though, if you don’t mind?” The young fox began chattering with the otherwise intimidating man.

“Anything, Ajax, the one Morax seeks.” Retuo slightly relaxed with Ajax’s casual tone, a tiny smile appeared at the corner of his lips. 

“Okay, so, are you sure you are not Rex Lapis instead of Sensei? I mean, look at how big you are!”

That sent Zhongli into an uncontrollable chortle, and Retuo’s glasses slipped down the bridge of his nose a little as he was left dumbfounded by the overly daring little fox. Although, he could see why Morax had chosen him.

For he had not seen the ex-Archon laugh in such a manner since many, many centuries ago.  

***

“How exactly have you ‘seen’ me before? I don’t even remember wandering into this part of the mountains before! And even if I had, how come I’ve never seen your overgrown sakura tree of a tail?” Ever more curious about Zhongli’s friend, Ajax began shamelessly bombarding Retuo with questions. 

Neither of the elders mind the youngling’s curiosity. Instead, they were quite eager to answer him and take the chance to further bond with this kitsune.

“About that, have you heard from Morax about my ability of seeing through stones?” The ancient dragon replied. They were now sitting among the patch of golden flowers beneath Retuo’s tree, simply enjoying their time with idle chats and basking themselves under the shower of sakura petals.

“Now you remind me, I think he did. Unless the stones are covered up by something, like snow in Snezhnaya, right?” 

“Ah, how shameful. I was unable to provide much aid in the nation of ice and snow due to that exact reason. If the body of geo is of a suitable size, for example a rather large rock, or even better, a boulder, I am able to have a glance at their memories as if they are my own eyes. Unfortunately, there is nothing that I can do if they themselves cannot see.” Retuo explained. 

“It is rather, hmm, convenient? That most households of Inazuma tend to keep a few large rocks proximal to their residence for a variety of reasons. Morax, do you mind explaining? I would love to hear you speak of your knowledge.” 

“Of course.” Zhongli took over the conversation.

“The rocks Retuo is referring to most probably are part of the garden’s karesansui*. It is a popular form of backyard landscaping designed to resemble the nature without the usage of actual water or live plants. The practice would be to place chosen pieces of boulders in a garden covered with a layer of fine gravel, where circles would then be drawn on the gravel around them with rakes, representing ripples of water around a rock submerged in lakes and rivers or a mountain surrounded by a body of water. I believe the purpose of such a practice was to imitate the essence of nature.” 

Zhongli paused for a few moments to take a breath, then resumed. 

“Inazuma is the nation of Eternity. Rocks and boulders move little over time. Without disturb, they would remain as they are to what mortals consider as an eternity. A garden made not from the ever changing waters and plants, but immobile stones and pebbles would be the perfect representation of Eternity, hence bring calmness to the hearts of Inazumans. This would be the story behind the rise of the gardening art, karesansui— dry landscaping. Unchanging Eternity was once what Raiden Shogun sought. She had enclosed herself in a realm with a ground of the never changing karesansui, and meditated for centuries. The practice was therefore, left behind as a custom of her nation.” 

That was the past Ei Shogun. Without having to go through the tragedy of Khaenri’ah, and never having to lose her dearest sister or even the one who could be considered as her ‘son’, karesansui was now nothing more but a form of gardening art. Zhongli decided to leave that part of it out of his lecture, as such a past wasn’t something the current Teyvat needed to know about.

Ajax never knew those boring looking pebble gardens one would find in the yards of the Tri-Comission had such a deep meaning to them. He just thought that they look rather dull, and must be a headache to keep since they pretty much have to be renovated every time it rains. 

“Those pebble gardens, huh. Then maybe it isn’t that eternal at all.” The red fox thought out loud.

“Pardon me?” Of course, the Liyueans heard him.

“Uhh? Oh! Don’t mind me, I’m just talking to myself!” Ajax scratched his hair in awkwardness.

“You might be correct, Ajax. Karesansui might not be that eternal after all. One day, even the toughest bedrock will be eroded. Nothing is eternal, but their spirit can be passed down from generations to generations, thus achieving true eternity if the people wish to.” The ex-Archon added. 

“If you say so, Morax. The open-mindedness of the younger generation always fascinates.” Retuo agreed. 

“Well, The whole karesansui thing sounds about right, but,” Ajax butted in again. “I don’t think I’ve been anywhere near one of those gardens in ages. The furthest I have gone these days is down the village where my sister and Sensei lives, and I don’t think they have karesansui there. What type of rock have you exactly seen me through, Sir Retuo?” 

“Is that so? Interesting. Although I do recall looking through the memories of boulders from gardens in larger residences, I am fairly confident that I spotted Ajax with his kind through smaller rocks, without anything resembling a pebble garden in its surroundings. So those might not be a part of a garden art after all.” Retuo then asked Ajax. 

“Do you know of any particular large pieces of stones in proximity of where you dwell? I recall the position of these rocks changing slightly from time to time, but never too far from where they belong. Do you perhaps have any idea what are their purposes?” 

“Hmmm… Ah! My family doesn’t have one of those in our own house ‘cause my mom doesn’t make pickles, but our neighbors do have a few for pressing down their takuan*. Maybe you saw me through that when I go over to my neighbor’s house?” Pointing up with his index finger, Ajax suggested, but he couldn't understand how that sent Zhongli into another round of laughter, and why Retuo began pinching the bridge of his nose over his glasses. 

Seeing the confused tilt of Ajax’s head and the awkward grin across his lips, the ancient dragon suggested changing the topic to ease his own embarrassment. (That would be the norm, since he unknowingly had been looking through a picklestone, out of all things!)

“Ahem, you must be curious as to how no one seem to know about this tree that is a branch from my tail, are you not?” He redirected the conversation to his sakura tree.

“Yeah! That!” Ajax cried, gesturing towards the tree above their heads. He would finally get to know what’s up with those belated petals that they saw on their way up the mountain. 

“I was wondering how come we are still seeing so many sakura petals around when I am very sure that the cherry blossom season is well over in this mountain! So, this isn’t a real sakura tree after all? And I remember Zhongli Sensei saying that the leaves on your branch are golden in color! How did it turn into sakura?” He asked with excitement. 

“Haha, young fox, all you do is embarrass me.” Another shower of petals rained over them, as if they were the reflection of the old dragon’s own emotions.

“Thank you for appreciating it. The reason for so is related to the Ley Lines of these lands which I have been feeding on. With my relationship with the Ley Lines, I am capable of slightly altering this area with them, so little people can find their way here. It acts similarly to a loose barrier, making the paths look different to most passersby every time they visit, where none of those paths will directly lead to me.” Retuo explained. 

“I was born from the purest of Geo energy from the Ley Lines of Liyue, hence my original form is of a Geo dragon, and my tail resembles a tree to reflect the its conditions. Before I came above ground, I was originally blind. It was Morax who gave me these eyes to see the world with, I will ever be thankful to him. Ah, that is off our topic, is it not?” 

Ajax chuckled softly and waved his hand in front of his nose, conveying how he didn’t mind it at all. “Don’t worry about that~ You speak just like Sensei, and I like it. Will you tell me more about your tail?” 

Retuo smiles in relieve. From their conversation, he further understood what Morax saw in this young Snezhnayan. 

“After having consumed energy from the Ley Lines for millenniums, my tail gradually changed to become the reflection of so.” He continued. 

“These branches reflect the condition of the Ley Lines that I feed on, in other words, their appearance change accordingly depending on where I stay. While I was in Liyue, my ‘leaves’ took form of ginkgo. Morax was not wrong, they were indeed golden in color when we set out on the journey.” 

“I remember during the years we stayed in Snezhnaya.” Zhongli added. “The coloration and patterning of the bark changed to resemble the silver birch. It blended in beautifully with the snowy plains of your home nation. However, it never grew to such extent you are seeing right now. The tree was at most average in size when we decided to leave.” 

Both the fox and the ex-Archon turned to Retuo, expecting an explanation. 

The ancient dragon in return, to their surprise, made a rather funny look one would expect from a being of his age. He averted his gaze and scratched his cheek, like he was feeling sorry for something that he had done, like a misbehaved child. 

“This might be slightly embarrassing, but the Ley Lines in this particular area of Inazuma is spectacular in condition. This branch of my tail had grown to such a size before I realized it. Of course, I have been participating in the cycle of energy to return the favor to these lands…” Retuo admitted in a low, hushed voice.

“Ah.” Immediately, Zhongli understood what his friend meant. 

“So you have become… Fat.” 

“Morax! In my defense, I am currently receiving from three different Ley Lines!” Retuo argued. Another shower of sakura petals rained on top of them, accompanied by a loud noise of rustling leaves.

“GAH! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Sensei! Don’t do that to him! Hahahaha!” Ajax’s eyes were practically squeezed shut from laughing so hard. He wiped tears off the corner of his eyes with one hand while using the other to brush the flower petals off his hair as he kept on laughing and laughing. 

Who would have thought someone as intimating looking as Retuo could turn out to be such a funny person? The red fox thought to himself as he tried very hard not to squish the patch of golden flowers beneath them by rolling over in laughter. He was overjoyed by how friendly Sensei’s old friend turned out to be. 

“My apologies, old friend. Nevertheless, I am pleased to find you well.” Thinking back, the previous Retuo also got fat later in his life, but the story behind so was not a pleasant one. Zhongli was relieved to find the current reason for so a way better— a delightful one.

“Ajax, will you lend me a hand?” Zhongli asked his lover, who was still laughing at the joke. 

“Uh? Hehe, ye-yeah?” The fox wiped another tear off his eyes, his words trembling in laughter. 

“Please create anything to your liking with hydro. I would like to offer Retuo a present in remembrance of this day.” 

“Sure!” Ajax immediately summoned a stream of hydro and started shaping it with his still-shaky hands.

“Oh Morax, I have nothing of worth to offer in return.” The taller Liyuean’s tone returned to a calm one upon hearing Zhongli’s offer.

“A few leaves of ginkgo will do. I am going to work on a project, it would be delightful if you can be a part of it.” Zhongli suggested.

“Would it be that you want to include pressed leaves in your future work?” Guessed Retuo. 

“Your guess is close. To specify, I want to try using leaf printing to form the patterns on a wagasa. If you will, I want to use your leaves.” The ex-Archon revealed.  

“And who am I to reject such an honor?” With the reply, Retuo lifted a hand.

“Sensei, its done! Oh wow, what are those?” Holding a little hydro sculpture of a fox in his hands, Ajax’s attention was drawn towards the golden speckles that he caught sight of with the corner of his eyes. He looked up to find a flickering flake of gold slowly falling down from the tree, with a few more following right behind.

Twisting and tumbling in the air, the glittering flakes finally landed onto Retuo’s open palm, revealing them as leaves of ginkgo glowing with a warm golden light.

Ajax couldn’t take his eyes off those brightly colored, fan-shaped leaves. He felt like he had seen them somewhere before, but where? 

The Snezhnayan’s attention was finally drawn back from the leaves when he felt a hand slipping under his. He turned around to find his hands held in Zhongli’s, with the elder’s other hand hovering above his hydro creation. 

The ex-Archon’s hand began to glow in the same hue of gold as those ginkgo leaves, and Ajax could only stare in awe. His hand gave out a pulse of light in the shape of a diamond, and from that moment on, Ajax noticed the amount of effort he needed to control the hydro construct in their hands gradually lessen. 

When the light finally faded and Zhongli’s hand returned to its original flesh color, the little fox sculpture was able to maintain its shape all on its own.

Zhongli had crystalized the hydro sculpture into a solid with his geo.

“Wow.” Ajax blinked as he marveled. He moved his eyes to Zhongli’s to find them already gazing into his with an affectionate, yet smug look. Ajax’s hand was then brought forward by the other’s, offering their sculpture to the other Liyuean. 

“Thank you.” Retuo observed the tiny gift with great fondness. He reached out for it, offering the geo ginkgo leaves laying in his open palm in return.

“You seem to like these, young fox. Feel free to take one for yourself.” The old dragon saw how Ajax looked at the leaves mere moments ago, so he made sure the young kitsune would have one for himself.

Just like that, they exchanged their gifts for each other. Zhongli ran his fingers over the veins on one of those golden leaves, feeling its texture. Ajax held his upright by the stem to raise it against the quivering sunlight leaking through the clusters of cherry blossom, searching through his memories for anything related to the plant.

“Sandbearer.” A term…No, a name that he never knew he had known rolled off his tongue.

Zhongli snapped his head towards his lover upon hearing the word. His amber eyes shone bright in astonishment, and the swaying tip of his long hair almost glowed with joy. 

“I am surprised you know the Liyuean name for—” Instead of finishing his sentence, Retuo’s words turned into a soft sigh. 

Slowly shaking his head side to side, the tall man resorted to petting his little crystal fox with a smile of defeat as he watched Zhongli pull Ajax into a kiss on the lips, taking the Snezhnayan by surprise. 

The sudden display of affection right in front of someone who the red fox barely knew turned his face bright red, yet all he managed to do was to paw uselessly at the unmovable ex-Archon like a flustered puppy.

A drop of water hit the back of Retuo’s hand. The old Liyuean looked up, watching rays of sunlight seeping through the flowers and branches of his tail to find raindrops falling in between. 

Looking back to the couple before him, he found Zhongli with a smile bright as the sun above as he gazed so fondly into the noctilucous jade-like eyes of his lover, of whom he cupped those flushed cheeks in his palm. 

With no where else to hide, Ajax could only turn away from the old dragon and bury his face into his lover’s hands, earning a soft chuckle and gentle fingers carding through his auburn hair as an apology from the elder.

Zhongli closed in once again to murmur whispers against the blushing fox’s ear. That made Ajax blush even harder and the sunshower rained heavier from the clear skies above. 

“Me too, Sensei…But…I beg of you, stop doing this in front of people…” Ajax smacked weakly against Zhongli’s arm to emphasize his point, face still hidden from the other. 

“Haha, alright, I will keep that in mind. By the way, I did not bring an umbrella with me this time, and your belongings are still sitting in the rain. You might want to tend to them.” The Liyuean reminded. 

“Oh shit! Sir Retuo! Sorry for the mess!” The red fox practically jumped up from Zhongli’s hands after being reminded. Still blushing, he addressed the tall Liyuean and gestured apologetically while turning around to rush towards his backpack, tucking the ginkgo leaf into his waistband as he ran.

“Retuo, we should go. I will make sure to bring you a more suitable gift on our next visit.” Said Zhongli with a soft smile lingering on his lips. His dark hair and kimono were slightly damp from the rain with a few white petals sitting on his shoulders, yet neither of them seemed to bother him at all.

“Of course, my old friend. Until next time. I will be looking forward to see you again.” The old dragon’s rusty brown eyes were fixed on his friend as the other walked out from the shades of his tree, returning to his kitsune who was busy brushing water droplets off his backpack. 

The two parties waved at each other until the couple finally disappeared into the forest path behind the trees, taking the sunshower with them as they took their leave.

Retuo slowly lowered his hand, once again caressing the crystal fox sitting in his palm as he began speaking. 

“Guizhong, he found him.” Pink and white petals danced around the old dragon’s feet, stirred up by a power invisible to the eyes. 

More and more petals rose from the ground, creating a swirl to surround Retuo, encircling the man in within until his form was completely veiled by the flowers. 

And when the snowy petals finally scattered, the man in golden and brown robes was no where to be found. 

To the west of Inazuma, all the way across the sea in the lands of Liyue, under a great tree with golden leaves and crystalized branches emitting pulses of blue, a young lady with pale hair and light flowing robes of silk sat amongst a patch of flowers— some of them an ethereal golden, some of them an elegant blue. 

Yellow leaves fallen from the tree gathered into a gentle swirl, and from the swirl, the familiar tall man with curling horns above his temples and a pair of black-framed glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose stepped forth. 

“Is that so?” The young lady spoke, her voice soft as the breeze of spring. 

Retuo sat down beside Guizhong. From his hands, he conjured geo to react with the rich hydro from soil dampened by the brooks flowing through Nantianmen, briefly reconstructing a replica of the gift he had just received from his old friend and the young kitsune. 

“They gifted me with this. Wonderful, is it not?” He said, showing the replicated fox sculpture to the Lord of Dust. 

Guizhong inspected the crystallization with interest, then as if something popped into her mind, she began looking around herself. Soon enough, she found what she sought: a small, neat looking ginkgo leaf that had fallen from Retuo’s tail. 

She placed the leaf onto the little fox’s head, giggling softly in satisfaction with her own handiwork as she gave the sculpture's nose a light poke with her fingertip. 

“This is truly wonderful.” The young lady answered, appreciating the mixture of blue and golden reflections dancing within the clear sculpture.

“All is well, Morax. I am glad you found him.” And the little crystalized fox dissipated into fine dust, returning itself to the earth once its purpose was fulfilled, leaving one single golden leaf where it once stood. 

***

A calming tune reminding Zhongli of the waters back in Dihua Marsh flowed through the footpath leading towards his home. 

When the couple emerged from the bamboo forest, they found two forms in green and white sitting on top of the roof. One of them was playing the tune with a tasseled flute for the other, who listened with his eyes closed in peace, relaxed.

The bard was the first to notice their return. He wrapped up the tune he was playing, waking his partner from his rest and began waving the flute wildly above his head to grab the attention of the men below.

Ajax waved back at him with the same wildness. Xiao swiftly jumped down from the roof to greet his lord, making Venti whine sadly as his lover’s attention once again returned to Zhongli, but nevertheless hopped down after the yaksha to begin bugging the ex-Archon as usual.

On the other hand, a chubby bird returned to its nest on a tall sakura tree, only to be freaked out of its feathers by a translucent object resembling a fox sitting right next to its den: an object that the bird was very sure wasn’t present before it left to find itself some lunch. 

Chapter Text

Ajax hummed a little tune to himself as he maneuvered a long pestle with both of his hands, crushing and grinding the well-soaked, skinned, and softened apricot kernels in the suribachi he had borrowed from Zhongli.

He listened to the deep voice of the Liyuean, who was sat at the kitchen table with his siblings, the gradually smoothening sounds from the grinding of apricot kernels acted as a background noise to the story told by the dark-haired man. 

Mother was sitting comfortably in the sofa by their currently unused fireplace, performing needlework on a gray apron as she had promised her kits, while also listening to the ancient tale told by the man his son had brought home for the first time just this morning. Father had already gone out to return to work after lunch break, which was to treat the game caught this morning and prepare them to be sold at the market.

“Meh, my arms hurt. This is no fun. Sensei~~ Can you tell us a story from Liyue instead?” Not long ago, one of the boys had whined, then demanded so after losing interest in the lengthiest and most boring process to the making of tonight’s dessert.

Exactly as Ajax had expected. 

The boy’s elder brother laughed as he held the pestle for the young fox, moving back so the boy can jump off the little step stool placed between himself and the kitchen counter, joining his siblings.

“Good idea! Go listen to one of Sensei’s stories, your big brother I will finish the almond tofu for you. Sensei, I trust that I can count on you to entertain the kits?” Ajax said with a wide grin, nudging the stool back to the corner of the kitchen with the side of his foot.

“Of course, Ajax. As the Nation with the longest history, our stories will definitely not disappoint. Tell me, children. What kind of story would you like to hear?”

And here they were, with Ajax preparing the ingredients for dessert in the kitchen, Mother sewing the whale patch onto the apron her son will be bringing with him, and Zhongli at the dinner table, telling the three little kitsunes a ‘fairytale’ involving a prince. 

It is just that the ‘Prince’ searches not for a princess, but a ‘Heart’. It went like this: 

“Long long time ago, there were two neighboring kingdoms. The first kingdom was a land of ice and snow, where Her Majesty, The Queen of Eternal Frost reigned over the kingdom…” Zhongli began, only to be interrupted by Teucer after mere sentences.

“Like Snezhnaya? Is the kingdom like Snezhnaya? Papa told me Snezhnaya is covered by ice and snow all year— Mmmph!” 

“Shhh! It is rude to interrupt!” The youngest was immediately scolded by his sister. 

The elders chuckled to themselves, where Zhongli cleared his throat and carried on with the tale. 

“Indeed, Teucer. The first kingdom was much like Snezhnaya. As for the neighboring kingdom, of which the lands were covered with tall mountains and countless rocks, was ruled by their one and only Lord of all times: the Emperor of Monoliths.”

“Erm…” With the voice quiet as a mosquito, Anthon slowly raised his hand.

“Yes Anthon?”

“What are monoleaves?” Learning from the mistake of his younger brother, he asked his question only with permission. 

“Ah.” The elder shuffled in his seat, bringing a hand to his chin and considered for a while before answering Anthon. 

“A monolith is one single very large rock. I suppose you might not have come across such a complicated term at your age. Hmm. Very well, I shall tell the story in simpler words.” Zhongli decided. With the nods of confirmation from his audience, he resumed. 

“On one unfortunate day, disaster fell upon the whole land. Every nation, including the Kingdom of Ice and the Kingdom of Rocks, were deeply hurt by it. After the Great Disaster, the Queen of Eternal Frost came up with a noble cause: a plan that she deeply believed will do good not only to her kingdom that she loved with all her heart, but for all beings of the lands. And to make the plan successful, the Heart of the Emperor from her neighboring kingdom was required.” 

The children gasped, and Ajax’s ears pricked up at the mention of a ‘Heart’. 

“The ‘Heart’,” Zhongli places a hand over his chest, “was not the same thing as the one beating inside of us. It shared the name of the organ due to its importance to the ruler of a kingdom. It was the symbol, and also the vessel of power for the being in reign. Without the Heart, the ruler will have a large portion of their power and authority stripped from them, therefore might no longer fit to be king or queen.” 

“Does the Queen not have one for herself?” 

“Anthon.” This time it was Mother from afar. The young fox quickly slapped his hands over his mouth.

Zhongli chuckled. “Yes, she did have one, but one wasn’t enough to carry our her noble cause, so she needed another.” 

“Therefore, the Queen of Eternal Frost summoned her eleven children: the princes and princesses of the Kingdom, and selected one of them to carry out the mission of retrieving the Heart from the Emperor of Monoliths. Finally, the youngest of them all, the Queen’s eleventh child, a prince with hair bright as the dawning sun and eyes dark as the polar sky was chosen.” 

Ajax’s hand halted mid-air, still holding the bowl of water to be added into the white paste. He blinked. Was Zhongli’s story about…?

“Thus, the chosen prince set sail towards the mountainous lands of the Rocky Kingdom in the next morning. The Prince, although youngest, was one of the most loyal towards his mother among his siblings; mischievous due to his youth, yet noble in his acts, he decided to win the Emperor’s Heart through a challenge of strength and wisdom. But first, he will have to seek audience with the Emperor himself.” 

The tale went on. Zhongli spoke of how the Prince met a gentleman who helped him settle down in a kingdom so different with his own, of how the knowledgable gentleman taught him the ways of those rocky lands, from the style of their daily lives to the history of their festivals, and finally, about an annual rite of which the Emperor would show himself every year to address all of his people— The key to how the Prince can meet the Sovereign Lord face to face.

“With an ear-deafening crash!” The Liyuean slapped his palm firmly onto the table, creating a noise shocking enough to make the kits squeak and jump in surprise, a fluffy ear or two popped out on top of their heads. The table was fine, Zhongli had protected it with geo.  

“A great wingless dragon with a sleek brown form the color of the earth, its flowing mane and sharp talons bright as the golden sun, fell directly onto the offering altar, crushing the ground and breaking the stone beneath it. This fallen beast, was none other than the Emperor of Monoliths in the form he had chosen to appear before his people.” 

“The ruler of the Kingdom of Rocks, the owner of the Heart that the Queen desired, and the man that the Prince sought to challenge, had been killed in the annual rite right before his own eyes.”

The kit’s jaws dropped open, even Mother stopped what she was doing in her hands to listen to the story. And with that very scene, Ajax was certain his lover was retelling the story of their past selves, but in greater detail compared to the one he was told on the first night they met.

“That was the moment the youngest prince knew, he could no longer challenge the strength and wisdom of the Emperor of Monoliths. He was sad and disappointed, but he knew he must carry on with the mission his mother the Queen of Eternal Frost had bestowed on him. He must find the Heart, and to find the Heart, he must search for it from the fallen body of the Emperor.”

“From… From the dead Emperor?” Teucer said shakily, hands on his head in attempt to hide his showing fox ears. 

Zhongli simply raised a single finger to his own lips, smiling gently to remind the kit of the manners expected from a listener. The kit quickly nodded in acknowledgment and pursed his lips. 

“Just as the world has seven elements, seven Archons, and seven stars in the constellation of the Big Dipper, the Emperor has seven Officials, who were mere human, who would look over the people of his Kingdom for him when he would be absent. Those very Officials were the ones who would not allow anyone near his remains before they figured out who assassinated their Lord. So after the incident, the late Emperor’s body was quickly taken away from the altar and hidden from the eyes of the world.”

“Left without any other choice, the Prince once again returned to the gentleman that he met not long after setting his feet on the Kingdom of Rocks, asking for his help. The Gentleman told him: ‘Even the eldest and greatest of them all would require a proper burial. Help me prepare our late Emperor’s funeral, and I will allow you to be within one of those who may pay their respects to his remaining form before he departs the world forever.’ Meaning that participating in the Emperor’s funeral as a member of staff was the only way he could have access to the body, hence to look for his Heart.” 

The tale went on, so did the preparation of the almond tofu. As Ajax strained the grounded apricot kernel’s essence with a fine cloth, Zhongli spoke of the five important items required as a tradition to the Kingdom’s funerals. 

When the milky essence was finally brought to a boil in a pot, the Prince and the Gentleman had successfully obtained two out of the five.

When the youth was measuring the right amount of sugar to sweeten their dessert, his hand almost slipped as he bursted out laughing at the hilarious misunderstanding between the pharmacy’s young assistant and the two men attempting to purchase one of the items from her. 

Finally, when the cooked mixture was ready to be poured into a mold, the last required item: a specimen of a kind of flower that was thought to be extinct in the wild after the Great Disaster, was found. 

The Prince and the Gentleman’s quest to collect the five items was such a lighthearted and heartwarming one, that Ajax almost forgot the fact that the ending to the story was tragical.

“Finally, the fateful day of the Emperor of Monolith’s funeral had arrived. They offered the five items of tradition to the Seven Officials, and was therefore allowed to pass. Before entering the golden building of which the rite would be held, the Prince slipped his hand into the Gentleman’s, holding him with their fingers laced. The young prince had not used his voice, but he swore silently to the Gentleman that after he had retrieved the Heart as demanded by his Queen Mother, he will ask the Gentleman to return to the Kingdom of Ice together with him, where they may live the rest of their lives side by side.” 

Over the kitchen counter, Ajax could see how Tonia’s blue eyes were practically shining at the scene. After all, the story up to this point had pretty much been like one of those happy-ever-after fairytales that the little girl just adored. 

“As the Prince’s wish, he was allowed to attend the late Emperor’s funeral. None of the officials tried to stop him even as he got very close to the remains of the Great Dragon. And so, the youngest prince from the Kingdom of Ice and Snow reached out to the lying remains, and sank his hand between shining scales of the sleek body.” 

Zhongli closed his eyes, simply sitting there in silence. The kits gulp nervously with rounded eyes fixated on the dark-haired man, where Mother held her sewing needle in the air, also anticipating for the outcome. 

After a few breathtaking moments, Zhongli opened his bright amber eyes, and revealed. “The prince found nothing.” 

Many pairs of blue eyes blinked in surprise and confusion.

“There was nothing in the Emperor’s remains. The fallen dragon was nothing but an empty vessel. It was fake.” Another round of gasps. 

“The Emperor of Monoliths had not died, it had all been nothing but a lie. The Prince quickly realized so, and was engulfed by anger, frustration, embarrassment, and many more ugly emotions. He had been tricked, and he knew the Heart lies within the true Emperor that was not the body before him.”

One of the kits squealed. It was Tonia, with her little hands covering her mouth and black-tipped ears pulled back in shock. The fairytale didn’t go the way she wanted it to. 

“The prince must now find the real Emperor of Monoliths, but the anger in his heart must have affected his judgement. During his journey with the Gentleman, he had come across the story of an evil sea monster thousands of years ago. The monster was very strong, and was only defeated after the Emperor sealed it away with the help of his Generals in a horrible battle. The Prince decided to break that exact sea monster’s seal, so that the Emperor of Monoliths will have no choice but to come out of hiding and seal the monster once more, or risk his beloved lands flooded by the raging sea.”

And so the story went on with how the Prince broke the sea monster’s seal, releasing it to bring terror upon the Kingdom of Mountains and Rocks. Fortunately, the people of the Kingdom lead by the Seven Officials managed to reseal the monster themselves even without the help of their Lord, and the Emperor of Monoliths failed to appear even with the disaster brought upon his lands by the hands of the Prince. 

By the time the story was coming to an end, the mixture of almond tofu had cooled enough to be placed into the fridge. 

“Seeing the failure of his plan, the Prince returned to the dock of which he stepped off the boat from his homeland into this Kingdom, ready to return home in order to inform his mother the Queen of the situation. However, two person that he would never expect to see together stood before his boat. One of them was a woman very familiar to him: his sister, an elder princess of the Kingdom of Ice and Snow. The other, a man that he couldn’t be anymore familiar with: the Gentleman that he had sworn a silent oath for.”

‘Here it comes.’ Ajax thought, shutting the fridge’s door behind himself.

“‘We have fulfilled our end of the contract. Now, please hand me the Heart of the Emperor.’ Said the Princess, and the Prince’s heart sank when he saw the shine of the object laying in the palm of the Gentleman. It was none other than the Heart of the Emperor.” 

“‘The contract has been fulfilled. You may take what you were promised.’ Said the Gentleman…No, the Emperor of Monoliths, with eyes glowing the same gold as the flowing mane and sharp talons of the Great Dragon as he handed the Heart to the Princess.”

“The young prince could only watch the two. He stared wide-eyed at his own sister and his loved one as if they were no one but complete strangers to him. His heart broke, twice in a row, and his dark eyes further darkened, from the darkness of the polar sky to a hue not unlike the eternal night, never to find light again. He felt betrayed, but there was nothing that could be done, for the deal was part of her Queen Mother’s plan all along.” 

“But… The Gentleman…The… Emperor? Didn’t he like the Prince back? Then why…?” Tonia whispered, her voice choking in the verge of tears. 

“Yes.” A simple and firm answer. “Yes, he did. Yet he had not realized the grave mistake until he finally turned to meet the Prince’s now lightless gaze. The Prince had not blamed him, neither did he challenge him for the unfairness, nor had he voiced his resent with a most basic cry. He simply walked past them, boarded his boat back to the Kingdom of Ice without even looking back, and never returned. The Emperor of Monoliths had failed to understand the heart of the Prince, therefore lost both his own Heart and the heart of his loved one, all at once.” 

“You mean… The Emperor… Didn’t know that… The Prince liked him?” The little vixen sobbed again. Her brothers began soothing her with strokes down her back and pats on her shoulders.

“…He did, little Tonia. He did.” Zhongli replied, speaking for himself. “But he had misjudged how much he and the Queen’s plan had hurt the Prince, and so it was all futile.”

“Sensei, I don’t get it. Didn’t the Queen choose the Prince to take the Emperor’s Heart? Then why is the Princess there? That doesn’t make sense!” Teucer yelled, his sister didn’t, couldn’t stop him this time.

“Do you remember what the Heart does? It is a symbol, and at the same time, a vessel— a container with a part of the Emperor’s powers. Without the Heart, he is not fit enough to rule. The Queen of Eternal Frost wants it so she could have more power to make her plan work, so she talked to the ruler of her neighboring kingdom— the Emperor of Monoliths about it, and he agreed to give him his Heart under one condition.” 

The ex-Archon raised a single finger for the kit. “The Queen must help him challenge the people of his kingdom, so to prove to the Emperor that his people no longer require his rule, and will do well without his rule. If they truly no longer require the Emperor’s reign, then the Heart may be given to the Queen without causing any trouble. That very challenge, was the sea monster unsealed by her youngest child.” 

“Since the people of the Rocky Kingdom had passed their challenge, the Princess was therefore sent to retrieve the Emperor’s  promised Heart. The Prince, on the other hand, was the ‘weapon’ provided by the Queen to carry out the challenge— He was part of the deal. The Prince had fulfilled his purpose, so he could have returned home to the Kingdom of Ice and Snow in triumph. However…” 

“Neither the Prince nor the Emperor had foreseen the feelings they had developed for each other.” 

Zhongli said those words with a clear hint of bitterness in his tone. Tonia’s hiccups had gotten louder, and finally bursted into tears when she was embraced in her mother’s arms, who had chosen to abandon her needlework on the sofa in favor of comforting her sad daughter. 

Ajax, who had been listening over the kitchen counter with his head propped up on an arm, got up from the position. He swiveled around the counter to join his family, wiping tears from his weeping sister’s eyes, pressing a kiss on her forehead and whispered calming words into her auburn hair. 

After a few more soft murmurs, the Snezhnayan left his younger sister in the arms of their mother and turned towards his lover. He brought himself behind Zhongli, wrapping his arms around the ex-Archon from behind and mumbled gently, quietly into his ear. 

“Tell me what happened to the Emperor of Monoliths after the Prince left?” Ajax tightened his embrace around Zhongli and rested his chin on the Liyuean’s shoulder, encouraging and supporting him. 

Zhongli took the young fox’s hand in his own. With the family of Snezhnayans looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to tell the ending to the tale, he spoke. 

“The Emperor regretted his own actions. He regretted their plan of using the youngest prince as the weapon he was sent to be; he regretted not telling him of the his contract with the Queen of Eternal Frost—even if he was not allowed to directly tell him about it, he could have at least hinted him in some way that would have… might have saved the feelings they had for each other… He regretted betraying the Prince.” 

“So as soon as he was allowed, the Emperor of Monoliths boarded his own boat and sailed towards the Kingdom of Ice and Snow. He wished to find the prince, confront him and admit his mistake, to see him again and apologize for deceiving him, but it was all too late.”

“With his own Heart, a great war against Fate itself had already broken out. When he finally reached the Prince’s side, the Prince had already returned to the embrace of the eternal frost— had already sacrificed himself for the success of his Mother the Queen’s noble cause. What was left on the endless field of once pure white snow was the Prince’s lifeless body, cold as rock and stiff as stone.” 

“The Emperor held the remains of the Prince in his arms. That was the moment his own heart shattered, and he himself turned into the very last monolith of the world. Never to speak, nor to leave his loved one ever again.” 

With his last line, Zhongli squeezed Ajax’s hand and leaned against him, feeling and confirming the presence of warmth radiating from his lover, quite unlike the past him that was Childe, the Eleventh Harbinger of the Tsaritsa. 

Tonia bursted into tears again. Even his brothers started sobbing or was trying their best to hold back their tears in their mother’s arms. Amongst the sobs of crying kits, Zhongli turned his head and whispered against Ajax’s ear with a voice only audible to his lover: 

“I am sorry, Ajax. I am sorry.” 

Ajax nudges back at the ex-Archon and replied. 

“I forgive you, Zhongli. Thank you, for coming back to me.” He pressed a soft kiss into dark-brown hair, offering his warmth to the other. 

***

Mother returned to the living room after putting her kits to bed, tired out from all the crying, to find his son and his lover sitting shoulder by shoulder at the dining table. She did not have to check to know how the two must have their fingers laced in each other’s, offering comfort to their partner with those long-lost memories coming back to them. 

Yes, she knows now, due to Zhongli, the ex-Archon of Liyue, who had just told her about it in a confession disguised as a fairytale for children. 

Mother brought herself to the table, unhurried, joining the two men by sitting herself on the opposite side of the wooden furniture.

“Rex Lapis. May I have a word?” Said the Vixen.

“Of course, Obasan. However please, refer to me as Zhongli. As you see, I am no longer the Archon of Liyue. I would very much prefer to be treated as an equal to those whom I now live with, and hope to continue living with.” He pleaded.

“I understand. Mr. Zhongli, I take that the story you have told us is a truthful retell of what happened between the past you, and my past son?” 

“Although slightly altered and simplified to better fit as a children’s fairytale, regrettably, yes.” Zhongli admitted.

“And Ajax, you remember none of it.” Mother turned towards his son. 

“The worst parts, no. I knew about those only after Zhongli Sensei talked to me about it that night. But for some of better parts, I think…I feel kind of familiar with it. Especially the part that I…” The young fox’s eyebrow twitched as he tried to put it in words.

“The feeling that I get when I am with Sensei. That part I think I do remember. It is a nice feeling.”

Mother nodded, before moving on. “Mr. Zhongli, please enlighten me. How did my son end up with the Tsaritsa? He is no where talented enough to attract her Majesty’s gaze upon himself.” Ajax wanted to complain on that comment of his mother’s, but decided wisely that this wasn’t the appropriate timing to do so. 

“Pray tell, does it have anything to do with this ominous feeling that I have been having since Ajax was a child? Since so many years ago when we still lived in Snezhnaya? What is…was in that forest behind our home?” It was Mother who pleaded this time, for an answer that no one other than the Liyuean may ever know.

“As mentioned before, Obasan, I must not disclose all that I know due to a Contract I am bound to, but to answer your question, yes.” Seriousness returned to Zhongli’s bright amber eyes.

“There was indeed, something in the forest behind your old home in Snezhnaya, and it was not something that exists there and only there. Ajax was unfortunate to have fallen to it at a young age, and as a consequence, was sent to the Tsaritsa due to the outcomes of the contact. I cannot say the same for now, but Ajax, either under the influence of the thing from the forest, or it has always been hidden in his nature, excelled in the tests placed before him by the Archon of Cryo.” 

As if reminded of something funny, Zhongli’s eyes softened and his lips curled into a smile. “Obasan, you might have slightly belittled your son. He is, in fact, a highly capable young man when I first met him. It was also one of the reasons why I was drawn to him in the first place, and is why I still choose him after so much has happened.” 

Mother hummed, seemingly flattered by how his silly son was praised by an Archon— an ex-Archon, it is. Not to mention how Ajax had buried his face into Zhongli’s shoulder with his head turned away from the table, hiding the flush on his cheeks from his mother.

“Rest assured, Obasan, you need not worry about the cause of your insecurity towards your homeland. What once bothered you and Ajax no longer exist, and will hence pose no threat to anybody. Snezhnaya has never been dangerous, therefore you do not have to hesitate if you wish to bring your family back home.” Zhongli reassured, raising a hand to pet the hair of the flustered fox nudging at his shoulder, a soft curl on his lips.

Mother hummed again, this time with greater force that turned the resulting noise into more of a ‘hmmph’. 

“Very well. I will leave my silly son in your care. Please, take care of him for me. Archon or Adepti or not, I will personally beat some sense into you if you dare disappoint him. Do not underestimate the anger of a mother fox. Now, I shall finish working with the apron as to not disappoint Scaramouche and your acquaintances with belated dinner.” She stood up from the dining table, but added before returning to the sofa with her needlework. 

“On second thoughts, I don’t think I will want to leave Inazuma in favor of returning to our home-nation any time soon. My daughter is expecting, my children are growing up happily and warmly, my husband is enjoying himself with his job and colleagues, and I am rather fond of life on these lands myself. Maybe we will go back to Snezhnaya on a vacation to visit my older sons and relatives, but, apologies to her Majesty the Tsaritsa, I don’t think we will be moving back.” Mother flashes both men with a soft smile of her own, and returned to her work of embroidering a single horn on the nose of the whale patch sewed on the gray apron.

“Thank you, Obasan.” Zhongli dipped his head at the red-haired lady.

With Mother finally lifting her glance from the embarrassment of her son, Ajax turned his head back from the overly turned and hence rather uncomfortable position. Face still slightly pink, he asked Zhongli. 

“Hey, Sensei?” 

“Hmm?” A baritone rumbled through the shoulder Ajax was leaning against.

“If ‘I’ was the eleventh ‘son’ of the Tsaritsa, and there is only…How many again? Nine of the Tsaritsa’s Harbingers?” Zhongli confirms with a slight nod of his head.

“Then who was the other one?” Ajax shifted and looked up towards the ex-Archon’s jawline from his position, wondering. 

A rumble of silent laughter vibrated through the shoulder this time. Zhongli tilted his head to meet his lover’s deep blue eyes, before saying: 

“I am positive that you will shout loud enough to wake your napping siblings if I tell you the truth without any forewarning.” 

“Okay okay, I am warned now. So, who is the tenth?” 

“The sixth, to be precise. Scaramouche.” With a whisper, a simple and straightforward answer. 

“………” Widened blue eyes blink like pieces of noctilucous jade behind a shutter fondled opened and closed by a mischievous child. Thin lips parted as jaws slowly dropped open with what the fox heard with those sharp ears of his.

“Haaa—” A hand moved over his mouth before the stupefied kitsune managed to wake all three of his siblings with his cry of disbelief.  

Chuckling, Zhongli adjusted his palm to muffle Ajax’s scream behind it. “What did I just say about shouting, my little fox?”