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“Are you sure you are capable of eating all that?” Zhongli gestures at a full plate of chicken-mushroom skewers, cream stew and some type of sweet desert type food all set in front of Childe. “Don’t pressure yourself if you don’t necessarily want to, you can put away something for tomorrow, if you can’t finish it”
“Hah, you’re talking as if I can’t finish some basic lunch.” Childe states, yet a hint of doubt is present in his look. But no ordinary person would be able to catch it.
“What did you even get yourself?” Childe asks curiously, trying to change the topic.
“Nothing much compared to your pile of food over there,” he glances again at the enormous amount of food in front of Childe before replying: “just some bamboo shoot soup, I’ve heard it’s delicious, so I wanted t give it a try.”
The difference in the amount of food set in front of the two was obvious, yet something shifted inside Childe and he became determined to actually finish all his food before Zhongli, given that he didn’t eat anything since morning.
They began to eat in peace, Zhongli enjoying every spoonful of his bamboo soup, savouring the delicious taste. While Childe, on the other hand, had been going through each and every of the chicken skewers at an alarming rate. Zhongli, surprisingly, didn’t make a notice of it until one was almost finished with all of them.
Upon finishing all the skewers and the stew, Childe paused to take a short break, noticing that Zhongli had went through a little bit more than half his bamboo soup.
With that in mind, he bent over to get the dessert, only now feeling the uncomfortable strain in his stomach. His belly felt warm and heavy, upon all the food that has been put in it over the course of the last 15 minutes. With all his senses coming back to him, he felt pinned to the chair, as if a massive rock has been sitting inside where his belly is supposed to be.
“You know, you really don’t have to eat all of this dessert if you can’t, it will make you feel nauseous,” Zhongli paused to now properly look at him, a hint of worry lingered in his eyes, “besides, you already seem full, it wouldn’t be a good idea to push yourself by your limits..”
“No I’m fine, this is nothing to me, compared to all the battles I’ve been through.” (u stoopid man) He chuckles lightly rubbing his stomach a little before he goes for round two.
“Childe please don’t-” Childe doesn’t listen to him, he forces himself to eat a whole dessert in one sitting, and Zhongli can do nothing but stare. He feels oddly entertained but at the same time concerned by watching the other stuff himself silly.
After a short break between heavy breathing, burps and a whole glass of milk, Childe manages to go through the whole dessert and complete his meal. It was oddly amusing to think that the whole pile of food that once stood on the table in front of him, managed to fit inside him. It made Zhongli wonder how much was he able to eat before it was truly too much.
As quickly as he finished the the dessert, he realised that it was a bad idea, that he, perhaps, should have listened to Zhongli. All that food inside him that needed to digest made him uncomfortable to sit, but he couldn't think of standing nor walking right now.
He leaned back, and pressed his hands to his stomach, trying to massage it a little bit. It felt warm and hard to the touch, the fabric of his usual clothing a little bit too tight. He shakily exhaled and closed his eyes, trying to soothe the growing pain in his stomach anyhow.
“Childe, you don’t look so good, I told you that was too much food to eat in one sitting.”
Childe didn’t reply, he just looked at him, trying to get comfortable on a chair by leaning his head back and spreading his legs a bit.
“Okay, I will admit it. Maybe that was a little bit too much food to eat in one sitting.” Childe finally says after a minute or two of heavy breathing. His hands now clutching and moving over his bloated belly. “It kinda…hurts a bit.”
“Huh, only a bit?” His not usual sarcastic comment made Childe chuckle, but he quickly discovered that was a bad idea. There was an exceptional pain in his upper belly now, he couldn’t even stand up, his legs giving up. Zhongli was there by his side in an instant. With so many things he was feeling right now, he couldn’t help but close his eyes and hope that the nausea and throbbing pain will go away.
It was only a pair of big warm hands clasping over his own, that startled him.
“Zhongli what are you-” he started, but stopped once the hands started rubbing his belly in a soft, soothing circle motion. Unexpectedly he didn’t feel weirded out by this, given that he would do anything to relieve the pressure he was feeling right now. He didn’t fail to notice how concerned Zhongli was looking massaging his overstuffed stomach before closing his eyes again.
“You really overdid yourself this time, didn’t you?”
“This time? You’re asking like I do this daily, Morax” Childe replied, opening one eye to look at him, smiling.
Zhongli smiled a bit at the use of his real name in this situation, but one look at Childe and his expression became concerned again.
His head slunched against the chair and his eyes closed, he didn’t dare to open them let alone look at the consequences of his overeating. He felt too nauseous to do anything besides breathe heavily.
“Childe look at me.” Zhongli stated, his voice stern.
Once opening his eyes, Childe felt pinned by his gaze.
“Can you walk, or do you want to carry me to your room?” His voice once again loosing its sternness.
”Please, Zhongli I don’t think I can even look at you properly, let alone do anything, besides-”
Without warning Zhongli picked him up. A pair of strong arms carefully holding Childe’s legs and back. Childe’s brain went from questioning how he picked him so easily to stopping the urge to throw up.
“Oh yeah, you’re a God, I forgot…” Childe accidentally mumbled to himself, half smiling, drowsiness clouding his vision.
“What?” With that Zhongli carefully placed Childe onto the bed.
He tried to take as much space as needed to allow his belly to breathe again. His arms and legs sprawled out, his head supported by a pillow. He put his hands protectively over his upper belly without even knowing so. Zhongli sat beside him on the bed,
“I believe there hurts the most?” He asked placing his hands over Childe’s trying to move them away so he can help.
While doing so Childe couldn’t help but notice the worry in others eyes, he truly was precious. He started again rubbing in circle motion, only this time a little bit more careful. He felt the others skin a bit warmer than usual and his belly seemed tighter too. Finally, after some time observing the way Childe’s expression would scrunch at the touch of different parts of his belly, he found a pattern that seemed the least painful to the ginger.
As if on cue, the throbbing pain slowly started to go away, and Childe finally passed out, his soft snores the only audible thing in the room. (Besides one of his belly trying so hard to digest that comical amount of food)
“You really had to do this to yourself, didn’t you?” Zhongli asked, more to himself than to the other since Childe was fast asleep, his face having a peaceful expression, for once.
Zhongli started to unbutton Childe’s robe, allowing Childe to sleep more comfortably
He found it oddly calming to massage the others belly, his hands running over various cuts displayed on the others skin. Perhaps he found it calming because there was no usual energetic voice constantly coming from the now sleeping ginger.
Lost in his thoughts, he carefully got up not to wake the red head up and went back to the table to clean up.
Upon placing the dishes in the sink, he heard a faint shuffle coming from the room.
Not thinking much of it, he continued to wash the dishes before he felt something warm cling onto him.
Childe, half asleep, placed his hands onto Zhongli’s and hugged him from behind, placing his head on the others shoulder and exhaling softly. They stayed like that for awhile, an obvious blush now tinting Zhongli’s cheeks.
“Morax can you…” Childe started, but got too flustered to finish the sentence, now completely burying his face in the others shoulder.
“Can I what?” Zhongli asked softly and turned to embrace the other completely in a hug. His hands trailing to the others back and massaging it in a soft circle motion. He has never seen him this calm and affectionate, compared to his usual loud and energetic self, but he didn’t mid him like this. In fact it was easier to control and understand him.
“Does your stomach still hurt?”
”Yeah I wanted to ask you to do it again…”
“Do what? Massage?”
Only a nod in response was needed and Zhongli, again, picked half asleep Childe in his arms, which resulted in a surprised yelp coming from him. As he was carrying Childe, he couldn’t help but notice how the ginger moved his head to fit in the crook of his neck, and how his arm lightly clutched the fabric if his shirt. It made Zhongli feel warm inside.
“But this time stay here with me, please. Don’t go away.” Childe mumbled as he still clinged onto Zhongli even though the other was placing him onto the bed.
Deciding to fulfil the others wish, Zhongli stayed with Childe this time. Moving so he can lay beside him, he placed an arm around Childe and cuddled him, lightly caressing his belly in the process.
“Is it okay like this?” Zhongli asked just to be sure the other was feeling better, but he didn’t get a response.
Zhongli moved to look at Childe but the other was already fast asleep. His legs were drawn almost to his chest, and his arms sprawled in front of him. His back pressed fully to Zhongli’s chest, while Zhongli used one of his arms as a support and the other he moved so now he was playing with Childe’s soft hair. He couldn't help but think how he truly looked like a child just peacefully sleeping next to him.
He could feel the warmth radiating from the other, it made him a bit drowsy and he too could feel sleep catching up to him. With eyes half closed he moved to kiss the top of Childe’s head before nuzzling his head in it. Together they both fell asleep, only the sound of soft breathing could be heard in the room.