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He hears Zhongli before he sees him.
“Childe, over here.” The consultant from Wangsheng Funeral Parlour waves him over. The brunette is seated at Wanmin Restaurant, a small smile forming on his face when he caught sight of Childe. The Harbinger feels himself smiling back as he jogs over to their usual table.
“Xiansheng! How was your day? Everything went well, I hope?” Zhongli chuckles and nods. “Nothing too eventful. But that’s enough about me, I believe the star of today is you, Childe.” He blinks.
“Me? Did something happen?” Zhongli stares back.
“I believe the traveller told me that today is your birthday, is it not?” The realisation dawns on Childe’s face a little too late. He rubs the back of his neck, laughing sheepishly.
“I don’t usually celebrate my birthday so I kinda… forgot. So that’s why Ekaterina forced me to take today off.” The last bit is mumbled under his breath but Zhongli hears it anyway.
The brunette sighs, shaking his head. “No matter. Now that you’re here, we can have lunch together to celebrate.”
Xiangling takes that moment to pop her head out of the kitchen and gives Zhongli a thumbs-up. Dishes pile onto their table and Childe gawks at Zhongli. The consultant merely clears his throat and mentions that only a lavish meal would be suitable for a birthday.
Finally, Xiangling places a bowl of noodles in front of the ginger. “Happy birthday, Mr Childe! May you live a long and fulfilling life!” Childe barely remembers his manners, thanking her after a few seconds of pausing. And with that, the energetic chef bounces away into the kitchen to busy herself with other orders.
The Harbinger brings his attention back to the bowl of noodles. It’s a dish he hasn’t seen before. Which is surprising because he had thought that he tried every single item on Wanmin’s menu. Zhongli chuckles at his shock, taking a sip of his tea before launching into an explanation about the new dish.
“This dish is known as ‘Longevity Noodles’. In Liyuen, the character ‘面’ (miàn) literally means ‘noodle’ as well as ‘face’. In the past, people believed that those with long faces generally lived longer. The longer the face, the longer the life, although that might not necessarily be true. The long noodles have since been used as a metaphor for longevity and as a blessing for birthday celebrations. Although the dish is called ‘Longevity Noodles’, Miss Xiangling’s skill in the kitchen has made it such that it is one single noodle that is long enough to fill the entire bowl, giving it the illusion of ‘noodles’. It is also more auspicious not to break it when eating.”
Zhongli takes another sip of his tea while Childe helps himself to the side dishes while listening to his ramblings.
“There are many ways to make ‘Longevity Noodles’, but the most common is to stew them in chicken broth, such as the one that you have. They often come with a fried egg and some green vegetable leaves. The soup is rich and clear, with the white noodles in it. Liyuens who celebrate their birthdays in restaurants will normally get a bowl of longevity noodles for free. It is typically eaten at the end of the meal. A bowl of light noodles after heavy dishes is not only enjoyable for the taste buds, but also a blessing.”
Childe hums, processing the chunk of information. Liyue’s traditions are rather different from what he is used to. Or rather what he can remember from his childhood. He remembers his ears being pulled by his parents and elder siblings and being told to grow up tall and strong. He snorts a little at that, tall and strong indeed he has become. He also remembers his family huddling around a cake with a few dim candles placed on top. He remembers small, innocent Ajax, clasping his hands together and closing his eyes to make a wish. Childe sighs fondly. Those were days long gone now, but he will always hold them close to his heart.
Zhongli looks up from his food upon hearing Childe’s sigh but decides not to mention it upon catching a glimpse of the soft look on his face.
-
“Phew, I’m stuffed! Those noodles at the end were really good though!” Childe stretches his arms above his head, walking to the front of the restaurant to pay the bill. Speaking of the bill… he shudders as he thinks of the full price of the meal he just had, already feeling his wallet become lighter. What he does not expect though, is Chef Mao clapping him on the back and wishing him a happy birthday. But what really makes his eyes widen is what the chef says next, “Tell you what, since you’ve been such a generous patron the past year, I’ll give you a 20% discount for this meal. Think of it as your birthday gift from Wanmin Restaurant.”
When he leaves the restaurant with Zhongli after paying, he turns to the brunette. “Are they usually so generous when it comes to birthdays?”
Chuckling, Zhongli nods. “Shop owners tend to give discounts to their loyal customers on special occasions to earn their trust and continued patronage. Though some may also do so just because they are kind.” He looks back and smiles warmly at the retreating building they just left.
“I see…” Childe lets a smile slide onto his face. The pair make their way to Feiyun Slope where merchants can be heard promoting their wares in the heat of the midday sun. Childe braces himself when Zhongli wanders off to look at the wares, already expecting the brunette to wave him over soon to purchase whatever item catches his attention. To his surprise, that doesn’t happen. Once Zhongli is done looking at the wares of one stall, he wanders over to another stall to do the same thing.
‘Huh. That’s new.’ Childe approaches the ex-archon, curiosity written all over his face. Zhongli perks up when the ginger moves to stand beside him. He shifts a little to give Childe some space to observe the item. Childe blinks when he looks down to find a rather plain-looking teapot.
“This is a Yíxīng (宜兴) clay teapot. Although it may look quite ordinary, this one is handmade. As you can see, there are tiny black and white spots that---” Childe nods every once in a while to indicate that he was listening… but he secretly wonders if Zhongli is going to bring up the price of the teapot. To his shock, it never comes. Once he’s done appraising the teapot, he sets it down gently and thanks the owner for their time. One of Zhongli’s gloved hands slips into Childe’s and he tugs the ginger towards another stall.
Childe tries not to think about it. (But the way his heartbeat accelerates tells him otherwise.)
They continue this for a while until Zhongli guides him out of the streets and heads towards Liyue’s entrance. Childe clears his throat and takes this moment to speak up.
“So, you actually do have some semblance of self-control.”
At least the brunette looks sheepish. “It would be impolite to spend your money on your birthday… but I should still tone down on the purchases. My apologies, Childe.”
“I was just teasing! It’s fine, xiansheng.” Childe laughs, genuine and bright. “Oh, where are we going?” The pair has stepped outside of Liyue Harbour and Zhongli is leading them down the dirt path.
The consultant chuckles. “You’ll see in a moment.”
He leads them up the path and Childe looks out towards the vast sea. The sun is just beginning to set and a cool sea breeze brushes past his face. Unknowingly, he slows his steps to take in the view. Zhongli, who is ahead, turns back when he doesn’t feel Childe’s presence behind him.
“Childe! Come, we can admire the view later when we arrive at our destination.” The ex-archon smiles at him, waving him over. Childe snaps out of his daze, a blush colouring his cheeks as he jogs over to Zhongli. The brunette offers a hand for him to take and he clasps it immediately, squeezing gently as an apology.
They walk in comfortable silence, simply enjoying their surroundings and each other’s presence. Childe lets a smile form on his face. Even if they are just friends, he will be content with this. He shakes his head fondly. The all-knowing Zhongli xiansheng can be really oblivious when it comes to love. The ginger had been trying to hit on him for the longest time but Zhongli had been so innocent that all of his advances flew over his head.
Soon, they arrive at a cliff that overlooks the Harbour and the sea. The sight is stunning. The sun has dipped over the horizon, bathing everything in sight a warm, orange glow. Childe turns around, about to compliment the view but the words die before they can make it out of his throat.
Zhongli is gorgeous.
The man is glowing beautifully in the light of the setting sun. The metal of his earring and his coat shimmer with every movement and the ends of his coat flutter gently in the breeze. Zhongli’s hands are folded neatly behind his back and a small smile spreads on his face as he moves to stand beside Childe. Those amber eyes hold so much love and adoration as he gazes towards Liyue Harbour. Childe feels his breath stutter.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Zhongli turns to look at him. The ginger swears that his heart is beating loud enough for the man in front of him to hear.
“Y-Yeah. It really is.” You’re beautiful.
Zhongli chuckles. Childe blushes.
“Childe, I brought you here so we could watch the sunset together. Unfortunately, I do not have much mora to do anything more interesting with you to celebrate your birthday.”
Childe shakes his head aggressively at this, “This is more than enough! I’m already happy that I get to spend time with you.” He freezes. Crap, was that too forward?
Zhongli simply shakes his head with a small smile. “You have been very generous to me, so I wish to give you something in return. I’ve learned that humans give gifts to celebrate a birthday, so I have prepared this for you.” He pulls out a small black box as big as his palm and presents it to Childe.
He takes it gently, afraid to break whatever is inside. Carefully, he lifts the lid. Inside sits an amulet necklace, the gem glittering in the sunset. It seems to be made of cor lapis, shaped into a water droplet and polished to perfection. He removes his gloves to take the gem into his hands, turning it around to watch as the light gets reflected within it.
“Wow…” He places it back into the box, as if handling a fragile object.
Zhongli smiles. “It has been reinforced several times, it will not break easily.”
“Oh…” Childe blushes again. “It’s still something I treasure, so I’ll keep it safe no matter what. It’s xiansheng’s special gift for me, after all!”
Light pink hues spread across the consultant’s cheeks. “I am glad you like it.”
“Oh, I have a question though. How did you get this? I’m sure it’s really expensive and looking at that craftsmanship…”
Zhongli tilts his head. “I made it myself.”
Childe sputters. “You what?! Really?! A handmade gift made to such perfection… xiansheng would go to such lengths for me?” He teases, trying not to let his surprise make the other man uncomfortable.
“I… yes. I have imbued the gem with some of my powers as well, to give it the ability to ward off spells or attacks of malicious intent. Truthfully, I made this because I wished to keep you safe. I am not sure why I feel this way but the thought of you getting hurt in battle unsettles me. At the same time, I know that there is no way you will stop battling because of my silly wish so I came up with this. I simply… want you to return safely to me…” Zhongli trails off towards the end, his voice no louder than a whisper. He brings a hand to his chest, his brows furrowing.
“I understand that this is very selfish of me, but I-” The brunette gets cut off when a pair of lips meet his. Zhongli’s eyes widen when he feels Childe wrap his arms around his waist to pull him closer. The kiss is gentle, giving Zhongli the choice to pull away if he wants to. But he doesn’t. Instead, the ex-archon finds himself relaxing in Childe’s hold, shutting his eyes at the pleasant sensations. He even tries to press forward against Childe’s lips.
They pull apart moments later to catch their breaths and the Harbinger laughs at Zhongli’s dazed look.
“Xiansheng can be really dense when it comes to feelings, haha. Could you tell me what you felt when I kissed you?” He caresses Zhongli’s cheek with a thumb. The brunette goes into his thinking pose. He folds his arms across his chest and hums.
“My heart was beating very quickly and my chest felt constricted. But the… kiss was very pleasant. Am I sick?” Zhongli’s face morphs into a frown as he looks at Childe.
The ginger chuckles. “Xiansheng, that means that you like me!”
The poor man only gets more confused. “Of course I like you, Childe. I enjoy your company as a friend.”
“Friends don’t just kiss each other on the lips any day and enjoy it, y’know.”
“I-I see. If I recall correctly, the act of kissing on the lips is an intimate act that is shared between lovers. Are you implying that we are now lovers?” A blush spreads across Zhongli’s cheeks.
“Only if you want to.” Childe gives him a comforting smile but the way his hands fidget with the gift box betrays his nervousness.
“Okay.” Childe’s body visibly relaxes at Zhongli’s answer and pulls the brunette in for a tight hug. Zhongli returns the hug hesitantly, putting his arms on Childe's back gently. When they part, the gentle and loving smile on Childe’s face is unbefitting of any Harbinger, but he can’t care less. Especially not when Zhongli is right here in front of him, with every bit of elegance as he tucks a stray lock of hair behind his ear.
Childe sighs happily, taking out the amulet again. He gently puts it on, watching as it sparkles. There’s a subtle warmth coming from it and it glows slightly before fading the next moment. He makes a noise of confusion, to which Zhongli chuckles.
“It has recognised you as its owner. Happy birthday, Childe.” There is a fondness in his voice and Childe’s heart jumps in his chest when he looks up.
His smile is stunning. The sunset makes the ex-archon shine like gold. And Childe is oh so smitten.
Childe is too busy staring at the consultant to realise that Zhongli is also staring at him. The ginger’s look of pure adoration makes Zhongli breathless and there are butterflies in his stomach.
So this is what it’s like to be in love. I wonder what Guizhong would say if she could see me now.
This moment shall shine like gold in my memories.