Chapter Text
“Xiansheng!”
Childe yells from the entrance and Zhongli rises from his seat immediately to meet him by the door. Childe hasn’t been visiting the parlor for days due to his work for the Fatui and it would be an understatement if Zhongli says he didn’t miss him.
“Childe.” Zhongli can’t help but smile when Childe comes to hug him. He returns the embrace in no time, hands resting on Childe’s waist and head nuzzled to his neck. He missed Childe’s scent. “You’re back. I missed you.”
“I missed you too, baobei.” Childe giggles, and it travels down to Zhongli’s heart, lit up sparks in it. “I stopped by with a proposal in mind.”
“Oh?” Zhongli asks with a smirk. “What proposal?”
Childe holds his hand up and rolls it to a fist in front of Zhongli. “Let’s arm wrestle.”
“Arm wrestling?” That’s new. It’s surprisingly tame compared to Childe’s past proposals such as fighting until he gets worn out. Arm wrestling just needs to focus strength in the arm, therefore it wouldn’t be necessary to exert much energy, no?
“Yeah.” Childe doesn’t look too bothered by it, even though he was the type to pour his everything in fights, especially his energy... So, if Childe is suggesting such a tame activity, there must be stakes to look forward to.
“What are the stakes?”
Zhongli was right because Childe smiles as soon as he asks it, like an angelic devil. “If I win, we get to fight tomorrow.”
“And if I win?”
“You can do whatever.” Childe shrugs.
“Whatever, hm...” Zhongli raises a brow. He already has a lot of ideas concerning ‘whatever’ Childe’s punishment will be. They’re all fun, although... they might be a bit tiring for Childe. “Are you sure?”
“I know anything from you would count as a prize.” Childe winks, playfully. Mischievous. Just like a little fox.
“Is that so?” Zhongli hums. “Then, how about we start right now?”
“Why, someone’s excited.” Childe laughs and he removes himself from Zhongli and opts to sit on a chair. He puts his elbow on the table with confidence, his arm ready. “Let’s have a go at it.”
Zhongli removes his right glove for a moment before sitting on the chair, opposite Childe, and he grabs Childe’s hand, positioning it. Childe’s hand is warm against his own.
“Ready, xiansheng? You’re no match for me.”
“You’re being cocky.” Though, Zhongli loves this side of Childe. It makes him more interesting.
“It’s my specialty,” Childe says. “Now, on one, two... three!”
The game begins.
Childe’s hands trembled as he tries to take Zhongli down but Zhongli doesn’t budge. He’s plenty confident on his right arm more than anything, after all, this is the same arm chiseled by war, hardened to stone. Zhongli could take Childe down easily, but...
Perhaps, later. He's making a cute expression right now.
“Damn, your hand...” Childe mutters under his breath, while he still attempts on pushing Zhongli’s hand but Zhongli doesn’t move, not even a millimeter.
Zhongli chuckles and says, “I’m going to give you a chance to surrender right now.”
“Heh... Surrender, you say?” The one corner of Childe’s lips curls upward as he stares at Zhongli head-on, a challenge in his eyes. “Then, let me say one thing, xiansheng.”
“What is it?”
Zhongli expected Childe to yield, but all he gets is a smile before, without warning, Childe rises from his chair slightly to kiss Zhongli’s bare hand before he says, looking directly at Zhongli’s eyes, “ I love you, xiansheng. I will always stay with you.”
Zhongli, taken aback by the sudden attack, made him do a double-take, but Childe is fast as lightning. He doesn't spare a second for Zhongli to think and goes straight for his victory. Before Zhongli knows it, Childe takes his hand down in one swing.
What... What just happened? Zhongli looks at his defeated hand, still intertwined with Childe’s own, and he looks at Childe, who now has a triumphant smile.
“Looks like you lost, xiansheng,” Childe says.
“You—” When the words from Childe and what happened finally sank in his mind, Zhongli covers his mouth with his other hand, feeling the heat of his own face rushing. How embarrassing, he had heard that very phrase from Childe many times, yet... he’s still weak to it? “That is cheating, Ajax.”
“I disagree. There were no rules against it!” Childe singsonged. “You only fell for my trick, xiansheng.”
Zhongli laughs. “I did...” He sighs fondly. Archons... He loves this man, dearly. So, so much. “I really am no match for you, Childe.”