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this was not your bedroom. you knew that all too well when the first thing you saw upon opening your eyes was a shelf filled with century old tea sets. rex lapis had always had a timeless love for tea and all things related.
climbing out of his bed was no hassle, having done so many times before after embarking on a rambunctious night filled with wine and fire water. he had always taken it upon himself to lead you back to his house and allow the alcohol to waste away within you as you slept. it was an unspoken service of his that he provided for you and you alone. the toll of immortality granted you his favor under such circumstances.
the walk to his kitchen was short and uneventful. it was only once you had entered his kitchen had you stopped short at the sight of reddish-orange hair seated at the table. the man (who you recognized as zhongli’s fatui “friend”) stared at you wide eyed, his bite of rice halting before it could fully reach his mouth. you supposed the sight of another person exiting zhongli’s bedroom in a tight cropped shirt and loose pants left room for more scandalous implications. usually you’d try to dispel such suspicion, but archons knew you simply didn’t have the energy to do so today. so, without a word, you poured yourself a cup of tea, blowing off the rising steam a few times before allowing yourself to indulge in the mellow taste.
“ah, you’re awake,” zhongli states as he enters the kitchen from the same hallway you came out of. knowing him, he was most likely fetching more tea from the cabinet that sat outside of his bedroom. you nodded softly, not trusting yourself to speak without sounding hoarse and sickly. he hummed in response, allowing his fresh tea leaves to steep in the pot you had gotten for him when the harbor had finally opened to the public. you were surprised he’d kept the thing in such good condition, knowing it had been made centuries ago.
“who is this?” the fatui spoke with incredulity. you finally remembered zhongli mentioning his name, childe, to you in a previous conversation. it was oddly fitting, but you knew it had to be some sort of an alias. not that it mattered to you anyways. you rarely paid attention to the boundless wishings of other nations.
“an old friend of mine.” his answer was simple, and not nearly enough for the harbinger to feel fully satisfied. however, he could only watch silently as you finished your tea, bid goodbye to zhongli, and parted without a word.
tartaglia’s fascination for you had mounted to that of a child finding a new toy, its secrets not yet revealed. his desire to learn more about your mysterious presence was childlike, and zhongli could sense as much as he watched tartaglia’s eyes follow you out of zhongli’s place of residence.
“i may be mistaken, but to my knowledge, you have met them while in my presence before this moment,” zhongli offers after a beat of silence. tartaglia whips his head around to stare intently at his friend. seconds pass as the harbinger sweeps his memory before finally recognizing your face as the rowdy being who had single handedly out drank the entirety of the local liyue bar him and zhongli had spent the night at. he remembered now, clear as day, how wide your smile had been as you slammed down your pint after finishing another drink handed to you by the flustered bartender. you had looked so carefree and happy, a staggering difference from your guarded and solemn look only minutes ago.
“but why did they come out of your bedroom? are you two lovers?” at the last word, childe blanches when a faint blush paints the curve of zhongli’s cheeks. he gasps in indignant horror upon the assumption that you and zhongli had laid together, only for him to witness the aftermath of such a night.
“it would be wise for you to simply ask them your bountiful questions. i doubt i could do them much justic,” the funeral parlor worker admits. childe scoffs at this, pushing his chair back as his stands from the table.
“fine then! i will receive my answers, and then we may discuss the raunchy details of your relationship!” the deep laugh that bubbles in zhongli’s throat only further disorients childe as he sweeps out of the house. not a moment later, he dashes back in.
“where could i find them?” zhongli’s amused smile lights up his entire face at the out of breath harbinger.
“she usually spends her mornings after a long night of drinking at the top of mt. tianheng,” zhongli says lightly. childe nods before running back out of his house once again.
•••
you hated climbing. it was boring and hard to do when you were still dealing with the effects of the alcohol from last night. the view was the only thing worth it.
which was why when you had finally reached the top, you almost screamed at the sight of someone else in your usual spot.
“i usually don’t have to fight others for this spot, but this time i suppose i’ll allow you to have it,” you call out, brushing hair out of your face. the man sitting there whips around, shooting you a sheepish grin.
“i’m sorry, i figured you wouldn’t want to sit with me if you had gotten here first,” childe admits. you offer a small smile, walking next to him before lowering yourself onto the rock next to him.
“you’re mostly right. however, i’m too tired to argue with you. don’t expect this to be a regular thing though,” you warn. he chuckles, leaning back onto his hands.
“i’ve got to ask, are you and zhongli sleeping together? it’s not everyday a beautiful person such as yourself simply waltzes out of his room in the morning!” his boyish grin only adds to the ludicracy of the question itself. you can’t help the breathy laugh that falls out of your mouth as you turn back to the sight of the harbor beneath you two.
“zhongli and i have never truly advanced our relationship beyond the platonic stage. he simply allows me to spend the night at his house when he knows i’ve had a little too much to drink,” you explain. the smile falls off childe’s face instantly, and the scarlet that paints his cheeks is utterly hilarious.
“well uh, why were you so drunk last night?” you can tell he’s trying to steer the conversation away from his own embarrassment, so you indulge him.
“an old friend of mine passed away that morning, and i couldn’t bear to be sober any longer,” you breathe out. childe’s face is no longer red as he stares at you.
“i’m sorry to hear that. did you know them long?” he sounds genuinely interested in what you have to say, which is oddly comforting in a way.
“i’ve known her since the day she was born. i watched her grow from a young child to a successful adult to a frail old lady. she was one of my closest friends, and on her deathbed she still remembered our time together. i wonder if her passing would have been easier if she had simply forgotten about me as she grew older.” the fading light of the day shines across you and childe, only illuminating the bittersweet smile on your face. childe’s stomach twists at the implication behind your words.
“you’re immortal?” he tilts his head at the question, flushing when you turn to meet his gaze.
“as an adepti, it sort of comes with the position.” you giggle between words, finding humor in your own jokes. “zhongli contracted me to help him keep peace within the harbor roughly 2500 years ago. before that i had helped him fight in the archon war. you could say i’ve lived my fair share of lives before this one,” you reminisce. childe’s eyes never leave yours as you speak.
“you seem upset at the fact that you’re immortal,” he muses. your bitter laughs ring out over the mountain at this.
“immortality is a double edged sword. i get to watch the rise and fall of civilizations, which is an indescribable feeling. at the same time, i have to watch as anyone i’ve ever loved dies in front of me, with no way to save them. that’s no way to live now is it?” the idea of having to outlive his family, especially teucer, is one that sends chills up his spine.
“well why don’t you find someone immortal to love and spend your time with? like zhongli! hey, he’s immortal! you two are like peas in a pod!” childe looks proud of his idea in such a childlike way that you can’t help the smile on your face. his hands wave about as he details the dates you two could go on, the adventures you could experience, and even the design of your wedding. you feel bad for cutting him off.
“falling in love with someone because you truly love them and forcing yourself to love someone because they are a convenient choice are two different things. if i could have chosen to love zhongli romantically, i would have a long time ago. yet, life simply isn’t that kind,” you finish with a sigh. you let your eyes wander back to the setting sun, fingers dancing across the soft blades of grass beneath you. you almost jump when you feel nimble fingers interlace with your own. you turn to see childe’s hand locked with yours, thumb grazing over the back of your hand.
“you looked like you could use some comfort,” he admits with a grin. it should be illegal how infectious his grin is. you can’t deny his obvious attractiveness, with his wild orange locks and icy blue eyes. you hate the way your heart clenches at his wide smile.
“i could. thank you,” you mumble. you wish you weren’t so affected by this man. he was a blip in the timeline of your life, but archons help you, you couldn’t help the almost schoolgirl smile on your face.
“you know, next time you feel like going for a drink, you could always swing by the northland bank and ask for me. i’d be glad to either join you or simply help take your mind off of things,” he offers. you feel your face heat up at his words, and you choose to ignore the screaming protests of your brain as your stomach flutters wildly.
“i’ll have to take you up on that offer sometime,” you whisper. childe’s hand around yours squeezes you tightly before standing up and pulling you up with him. you stumble slightly, bumping into childe’s body. the arm around your waist startles you as he catches you before you send the both of you toppling off the side of the mountain.
“woah there! can’t have ya falling for me yet! i haven’t even taken you on a proper date yet,” he exclaims. you sputter indignantly, all of your earlier cool draining from you helplessly. childe doesn’t give you a chance to answer, only hold your hand and waist tighter.
“don’t worry, i’ll be around for a while.” his smile melts your heart, and you nod dumbly. you let him lead you down the mountain, allowing yourself to simply indulge in the intimacy of romance. after spending centuries without any kind of partner you could truly love, it’s nice to have someone who makes your heart stutter in your chest, and makes your head spin out of control.
maybe it was okay to let yourself enjoy companionship. love was timeless after all.