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When did he have such low standards as to fall so hard for a statue out of all things? The redhead kept asking himself as he started climbing a small slope to get a closer look on the monument.
… how did he end up like this anyways?
It all started with that letter signed by none other than Lady Ningguang herself. Apparently, she stated that partnering with the most prominent winery in Teyvat would be beneficial for both Liyue and Dawn Winery, and wanted a meeting with the head of the business.
He was quite intimidated, of course. He heard all the rumors regarding Miss Ningguang and her image of a sharp businesswoman keen on all details, and the marketing and communication department was more of Elzer's or Connor's terrain. But alas, he decided to go; perhaps that interaction could indeed be fruitful for both parties.
And so, Diluc Ragvindr set out on a short trip to Liyue. To be completely honest, even if the Geo nation was one of the closest ones to Mondstadt, he hasn't been much during his past years of travelling, so perhaps this could also be an opportunity to know a bit more about the neighbouring nation. He didn't need to worry much about Mondstadt's protection either, as the traveler and their floating mascot were staying over the City of Freedom for a while and… Well, he wasn't the only one lurking in the darkness of the night to vanquish the criminals around the area anyways.
The way from the Winery to the Harbor usually takes no more than two days, but the wine tycoon took a detour to take a better look at the landscape a few miles away from Mount Tianheng. There he found a statue of the Seven, different to the ones in Mondstadt.
"Of course it'd be different", he then thought. "After all, they do worship a different archon." The pyro user got closer to the monument, as he finally saw with more clarity what was sculpted.
The Geo Archon was represented sitting on a throne holding a cube with a hood over his face, similar to how Barbatos held a sphere with both of his hands. The anatomy was really well done and the folds made in his robes were very realistic. Overall, it was objectively a monument of the greatest quality. Though Diluc didn't quite understand why his figure was so exposed, unlike the God of Anemo, whose body was covered by his long cape. But alas, it was undeniably an amazing art piece, and who was he to object on Liyue's depictions of their own god?
One of the most noticeable features the stone statue had was the torso. The artist commissioned to make this surely did have a great understanding of human anatomy, as they were quite nice-looking, even if they were most likely idealized. Perhaps the artistic choice of sculpting their archon this way was the best one, one could see the strength of the god just by looking at the statue.
He spent a while observing the monument.
He watched all the details he could from below him, trying to appreciate all the most... notable features as best as he could and-
… what was he doing? He's supposed to be here just to see the landscape for a while, not to get distracted by that beautiful statue and it's ripped torso. Wait, hold on. He shook his head; it was just a statue, why was he thinking like that? Besides, it was the monument of an archon no less, a being who could probably obliterate him on sight for looking at his image inappropriately.
"You've gotta admit, he's got a nice body if that was their actual appearance." A voice whispered into his head. And while he couldn't really argue with that voice, he tried to deny it: "If they saw a mere human like me looking at them like this I'd be dead by now. besides,they're a literal god."
He went a bit further in the area, looking at the ruins he got through a while ago. They were quite nice to look at but Diluc could not stop thinking about that statue and a specific part of it.
"Why am I like this...?" he thought, placing a hand over his head. He was thinking like a complete degenerate just like the drunkards in the tavern, but even worse since he was completely sober.
He then realized the sun was almost out and he should probably check on his carriage with the testing wines for the Qixing. There was a hotel nearby, but he decided it'd be better if he just continued walking until he got to the Harbor.
… Before that, though, it wouldn't hurt to take one last look at the Geo monument, right?
He couldn't see it quite well from below, so perhaps he could get on a higher place and appreciate the striking beauty the statue had to offer. It wouldn't be that big of a deal… right?
He started hiking through the stone wall behind him. The back of the statue was just his throne, and while it looked nice, he couldn't see the rest of the piece and the magnificent anatomy of it. That wouldn't do. He tried to change his position to a more optimal one, but he then slipped and fell down over the stone floor.
He felt his consciousness fade away as he ached in pain. How pathetic it was for him to fall like that, in many ways.
"Is this… retribution…?" He muttered, his vision becoming blurry by each second. Yet before his vision turned all black, he thought seeing someone else approaching him.
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Diluc opened his eyes, his eyes still a bit hazy. The bed where he was resting was soft as silk, and the ceiling was painted white with a yellow paper lamp decorating it. Perhaps he was found by a local? He sat up swiftly, only to feel a stinging pain on his forehead afterwards.
"Ah, you finally woke up." A deep, ringing voice said as the pyro user brushed his hand over the source of the pain, hissing as it got stronger. He turned his head to where the sound came from, finding a distinguished man sipping some tea just besides him. "If I were you, I wouldn't touch that too much. You have gotten quite the concussion."
The man had a red eyeliner framing his beautiful amber eyes, who were looking at him calmly yet sharp, as if checking on his current state. He kind of reminded him of the statue that caused the unfortunate accident. His jawline and even his haircut somehow resembled to the ones depicted in the monument. Hell, that man was screaming "geo" all over; those golden eyes that looked like Cor Lapis, his hair slowly turning on a shade of yellow… could he perhaps be… no, that'd be such a bold claim, and for what? But it would make sense, he was so handsome it'd be almost impossible he was an actual human. Hold up. He just met him, why was he thinking of him like that? Just what was happening to him today?
"Come on, you're not even imagining anything inappropriate or any of that." that voice in his mind said once again. "You're just acknowledging how pretty and dreamy he is. Although...~ It wouldn't be so bad if he-" Diluc silenced those intrusive thoughts as best as he could; he reminded himself that he just met what could probably be a god for what, three minutes?
The brunette looked at him kind of worried, and left his cup over the night table.
"Sir…? Are you feeling unwell?" He asked as he got closer to Diluc, who responded by covering his face a bit.
"Yes." He bluntly confessed, which just made the man more worried.
"Do you want me to make some tea? If this has to do with the packaging which was beside you, do not worry, it is in a safe spot at home…" He started rambling as if to comfort him, and the redhead just shook his head in denial.
"N-no, it's fine really…" the Pyro user muttered under his breath, avoiding direct eye contact with those sharp golden orbs. "I just… I… uhh… I'm… tired…?" He tried to poorly excuse himself and his honestly embarassing attitude.
"It's fine, just make sure to rest for the time being." He said in that silky voice that was embriagating Diluc like that firewater he once tried. "Why were you trying to climb that cliff to then fall down, if I may ask?" He asked in a curious tone, which made the redhead even more embarrassed.
"Well, uh…" It started stuttering "There's this one statue of the Geo Archon and… uh… I just wanted to… take a better look and admire it appropriately…?" He started mumbling as he started fidgeting his fingers and looked down to the sheets that covered him. "Funnily enough, it kind of looks like you…" He heard a gulp coming from that man, he seemed uneasy. He then started laughing nervously.
"What a coincidence, right...?" He said as he grabbed that cup of tea again. The redhead looked at him a bit suspiciously.
"I know this will sound stupid but… are you… uh… Rex Lapis by any chance?" The redhead's voice turned lower and lower as he asked that. By Barbatos, this sounded so dumb, what were the chances of finding a-
"H-how did you notice?" He simply asked as he looked down at his half-filled cup. The god then chuckled nervously. "You're quite the sharp man, have they ever told you that?"
"Wait, what?" They both stood in silence for a bit. "You're actually them?" Morax hummed at him.
"Although I am retired, I indeed was what you once could call the Geo Archon." He looked away. "But I'd rather use the name 'Zhongli' nowadays." The redhead nodded, trying his best to process everything he was hearing.
He could not believe it. He was talking to a god. Again. And it wasn't like Venti, the drunkard that always stayed at the bar and sang serenades instead of paying his bills (although the bard did have good intentions). It was an actual god who could crush him if desired, not that he'd complain though. Wait.
"It is a pleasure… uh… mister Zhongli." The wine tycoon said as formally as he could. "My name's Diluc Ragnvindr… it is nice to meet you sir." Zhongli then smiled at him.
"The pleasure is mine." He sipped once again from his tea. "You still hadn't answered my previous question yet… would you mind telling me your ways? If that's not a bother" oh no, oh fuck-
"Well, uh… let's say the statues of the seven are… quite accurate."
"Are you sure about that?" The god looked at him curiously. "I think some features represented there are quite exaggerated."
"You mean the torso?" He remembered the detailed abdomen of the monument, how firm it looked and how big- "It does look quite... uh, unreal, yeah." He got a bit nervous and took a fast glance over the archon's chest before looking back to the bed sheets just as his face gradually gained the same tonality as his vibrant crimson hair. Zhongli just chuckled seeing him.
"I see it has given you quite the impression, mister Ragnvindr." He smiled in a kindly manner. It was a smile that made the pyro user melt with fondness, one that could charm anyone who saw it. He then got up and brought another warm cup of green tea for his guest, and of course Diluc couldn't deny it. "Well, your injury will still take some more time to completely heal. For the moment I'd recommend taking some rest, as you really need it." He smiled at him. "I can let you stay in this room for the time being." The redhead nodded, still incredulous as he took a sip of his cup.
Diluc then suddenly remembered his meeting with Ningguang and started worrying about what would the Tianquan think of the Mondstadt Wine Industry if he didn't come on time.
"H-hey, would it be okay if I asked you one last favor?" He muttered unsure if he really should. The brunette nodded, letting the injured man explain his situation. Then he chuckled.
"Ah, it'll be a pleasure to help with your business, mister Ragnvindr." He said in that vibrant, deep voice. "I happen to be well acquainted with lady Ningguang, and I really wouldn't mind acting as a mediator between you two." He left his now empty cup and got up, going to a desk in a room and looking for something. The geo lord sat besides the pyro user once again, placing a paper sheet and a pen over his mattress. "I think it'd be a good idea to start crafting a letter informing about your current state." The redhead picked the pen a bit insecure. "Of course, you do not need to specify the events that caused it." He tried to comfort him once again with that smile that would melt even the coldest of hearts.
Both men spent the following hours writing that letter together, Zhongli giving some recommendations as to how to deal with the Tianquan. After they finished, they talked for a while, or rather Diluc spent his time listening to the god as he recovered himself. Listening to the man's soothing voice as he told the many tales the Archon had to offer, sometimes sharing some trivial information like the origins and meanings of certain flowers... It was certainly endearing. How long has it been since he's felt so at ease…?
After a few days staying with the brunette and a few letter exchanges with the businesswoman, Diluc finally went to the Liuli Pavillon, where they agreed to meet the first time. A few hours later, they finally decided to keep meeting each other from time to time, always exchanging the local wines each region had to offer. Once the deal was sealed, he could finally go back to Mondstadt and keep committing his own duties.
Before though, he needed to thank everything that beautiful man did for him.
He searched for the brunette for almost all day, and by the time he finally found him the sun was already hiding, near a waterfall that let a nice view of the entire harbor. Oh lord, Zhongli looked even more ethereal, the rays of the sunset framing him on a golden aura, surrounded by growing glaze lilies. Amber met fire, and the god invited the man to stand besides him.
"So, this is your last day in Liyue, isn't it?" He asked, and so the redhead nodded. The brunette then sighed. "What a shame, this region has so much to offer, and you had to spend half of your stay inside a room."
"It's okay, really." He stood by his side for a while, gazing upon the busy city and all the citizens that lived there. The pyro user then looked at the deity into those eyes made of the finest Cor Lapis. "I… I came here to tell you… thank you." He then averted his gaze once more. "... For everything." The god smiled again at him, a smile he would be willing to watch all day if he could. But it wasn't the moment, nor the time, nor even the lifetime.
"... Hey, will you come back here eventually?" Zhongli suddenly asked, taking the redhead by surprise. Yet the latter just nodded. "If you come… It'll be a pleasure for me to be your guide." Diluc stood there, still in shock by the preposition, but after an instant that felt like an eternity, he gave a sincere smile to the deity.
"The pleasure will be mine." Silence. "... If… if you ever go to Mondstadt… the Angel's Share will always welcome you with open arms." He muttered, looking into those eyes of gold. He thought seeing Zhongli's cheeks turning a soft pink, as he watched him with a tender expression.
"I'd love to visit the place."
They stood there in silence, watching the scenery before them. But then Diluc remembered he had to go back home.
"I-I need to get going." He said nervously, and Zhongli looked at him with a hint of melancholy.
"It's fine, I will pray for your safety." He said as he placed his hand between the two. "Until we meet again, Diluc." The man stood there quietly for a few seconds. Up until now, the god has never called him by his first name. It was certainly a surprise, but not a bad one. He held his hand and looked at the god one last time.
"See you soon, Morax."
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Diluc was finally back in Mondstadt. He took upon his duty of protecting the city as the Darknight Hero once the Traveler got back on their journey, as well as his job in the winery.
But there was something… or rather someone that wouldn't leave his mind.
After another patrol and battling some treasure hoarders in the area, he got back to the manor with some bruises and wounds. He captured and knocked off some Treasure Hoarders near the city, yet he was a bit more distracted than usual to the point he didn't see some of the attacks coming.
He reached the door of his room and opened it. It was as messy as always, full of valuable information on the wanted criminals in the area, some trinquets it stole from the abyss order and his past investigations of the fatui delusions. It opened a shelf full of bandages and other products to treat its injuries.
He couldn't avoid being distracted, thinking about the man... no, that god he met in Liyue, even as he was tending to his few wounds. It was kind of funny that just a mere statue led him to meet such an amazing being. His earth-brown hair with golden tips, his sharp and gentle gaze, that sweet smile he wouldn't be tired of seeing, the kindness and wisdom that god held… It was almost embarrassing how many good things he could list off him with the few days he got to stay there.
Once he finished with the bandages, he kept them and laid in bed. He grabbed a pillow and buried his face in it as he felt his cheeks become warmer with his memories of Zhongli. It's been a while since he felt so good with someone… and the way he said his name, and how his hand felt when intertwined with his own…
He chuckled, trying to ignore his own embarrassment.
"I... I can't actually believe it." he muttered, it's already low voice muffled by the pillow over his head.
"I've actually got a crush on Rex Lapis."