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“Thank you for the Qingxins, traveler,” Zhongli hummed as he carefully accepted the bunch of pale flowers handed to him. He turned to place them in a vase on his desk, arranging the stems so the petals wouldn’t crush up against each other.
“Don’t thank me,” Aether replied as he closed the clasp on his bag. “I didn’t have time to pick any, so I asked Xiao to get them for me.” He smiled just a little as he spoke, fondly remembering the displeased look that had been on the adpetus’s face as the blonde explained what he’d been called for.
He’d raised a questioning eyebrow at the request, a soft frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. The man didn’t seem convinced that such a simple errand was worth his time; that was, at least until Aether mentioned that they were for Zhongli, then promised to make him a bowl of almond tofu for his trouble. The traveler had remembered the ex-archon implying that he’d disclosed his state of retirement to the adepti of Liyue, and though he said he’d never told them any identifying information, Aether had a feeling that Xiao might recognize the name.
His hunch was proven correct by the yaksha’s immediate change in demeanor. Without needing any further convincing, Xiao turned and disappeared in a cloud of jade-tinged mist, presumably to do as he was asked.
The adeptus reappeared before him in another similarly-colored puff of smoke twenty minutes later, a bouquet of freshly picked Qingxin in his hands.
Zhongli’s expression softened at the mention of the yaksha’s name. “Ah, you speak of the young adeptus of Guili Plains.” The man sighed, his tone nearing remorse as he made his way around to the other side of the desk. He opened one of its drawers and retrieved a small stoppered vial of thick amber liquid from inside. Returning to Aether’s side, he offered it to the blonde. “Please, give this Remedium Tertiorum to him on my behalf.”
Aether gazed at the contents of the vial curiously. “What is it?”
“Medicine,” Zhongli explained simply. As the word left his mouth, his eyes widened slightly in realization. “Oh, yes…do be sure not to let Paimon eat it. Nothing of this world can withstand its power,” He added.
The addition caused the traveler to pause just sort of accepting the container into his own hands, wary of the potential harm such a strong remedy could cause if it spilled. He pulled back slightly as a result, lifting his eyes from the vial to the other man’s face in thought.
Coming to a decision, he let his arms fall to his sides. “Why don’t you give it to him yourself?” He suggested, reaching for his bag as he continued, “I told Xiao to come to my teapot at sunset so I could give him the tofu. He should be there soon if you don’t mind waiting a bit.”
Aether gently pulled the delicately glazed teapot from his bag, holding it up in his hands between them as an invitation.
Zhongli paused at the offer, considering the prospect for a long moment. Eventually, he moved to hold the medicine closer to himself for safekeeping and nodded. “That sounds like a splendid idea.” He said with a smile.
“Great! Do you mind if I put this on your desk?” The blonde asked, to which the brunette shook his head.
“Not at all.”
With the older man’s permission, Aether carefully placed the teapot down in the center of the desk, then reached into his bag again to pull out the corresponding realm dispatch. Zhongli held his gloved hand out for the younger to tap the relic on his palm, shortly after beginning to feel the characteristic pull on his consciousness that came with entering an adepti realm.
_____
“Come inside, you can wait in the common room if you want. There’s nothing much to see out here,” Aether said shortly after they arrived, turning towards the door of the realm’s Liyue-style mansion with a brief wave to Tubby. Zhongli took in the realm’s lofty mountain peaks for a moment before he made to follow, walking through the front door behind the shorter male into the spacious common area.
The blond motioned further into the room, and the ex-archon looked to the far wall where a bleached stone fireplace sat in its center, the coals inside ablaze. “There’s a couch under the staircase on the right if you want to sit down. I’ll be in the kitchen. Want me to get you anything?”
“A pot of tea, if you wouldn’t mind,” The brunette replied.
Aether smiled. “I figured. I have a kind I think you’ll like,” He said, heading for the hallway on the right.
Once the realm’s owner left, Zhongli leisurely walked past the large dining table in the middle of the room, observing the paintings on the walls, then the furniture out across the living space. As Aether had said, a lightly upholstered couch sat off to the right, close enough to the fireplace that one could feel its warmth without growing too hot. An embroidered rug was laid out in front of it, two plush red pillows sat neatly on the cushions and a blue quilt draped haphazardly across its back. It appeared as though the furniture was a frequent location for naps.
On the other side of the room, a small bookstand caught his eye. The man picked up the hardcover sitting out on top of it and read the title fondly. Rex Incognito’s third volume. A well-used bookmark held a place near the beginning of its pages, indicating that it was its owner’s current read.
The quiet sound of footsteps behind him caused the man to look up from the book to see Aether placing a tea tray down on the end of the dining table. Zhongli turned fully to face him, still holding onto the book. “Thank you, Traveler,” He hummed.
“You’re welcome. Lemme know if you need anything else,” The young man replied before quickly disappearing back into the kitchen, the door closing quietly behind him. Ever the good host.
No sooner had Zhongli finished pouring himself a cup of tea than he heard another door open. Thinking it was Aether again, the man glanced over to the hallway, only to see it vacant. He then looked to the front entrance, watching as the adeptus he was waiting to see came into the home.
“Hello, Xiao,” The man greeted with a welcoming smile, and the younger’s head jerked in his direction. “It’s been a while.”
Even with the distance between them, he could see Xiao’s eyes widen in realization. “Master Zhongli,” He said breathlessly, undoubtedly surprised by the retired archon’s impromptu appearance.
“I go by just ‘Zhongli’ now,” The retired archon corrected gently. He’d long since told the adeptus that there was no need to refer to him so highly, yet ‘master’ was a title he didn’t seem keen on letting go of so easily.
“How have you been?”
Xiao stuttered at first, seeming to struggle with how to respond. “I-I’ve been watching over Liyue. Even after the announcement of your…death, I’ve upheld the terms of our contract.”
Zhongli chuckled fondly at the seriousness of his response, and the adeptus’s brow crinkled in confusion. “While that’s all well and good, my dear yaksha, that is not what I asked,” The man replied patiently before repeating his question again. “How have you been?”
Presented with the question another time, Xiao contemplated it for a bit longer. “I’m alright,” He replied honestly, crossing his arms over his chest in what did not go unseen as an attempt at self-comfort. “The news of Rex Lapis’s passing was…jarring. While I can’t say I understand your reasons, I have come to accept them.”
Zhongli frowned, dismayed by the display of discomfort. Clearly, the yaksha had been more affected than he was willing to admit if his distress was showing so visibly. He supposed it was to be expected, given the relatively close relationship they had; however, the weight that his recent actions might have on others had not been at the forefront of his mind as he was carrying out the terms of his newest contract. Only now, seeing the effect that unceremoniously faking his own death had caused in his usually stoic charge, did he realize that his actions had resulted in unintentional consequences for those dear to him.
“I sincerely apologize for not telling you sooner. Were it not for the powers at play, I would not have done things in the same manner,” He apologized, aware that there was very little he could say to repair the damage he’d already done.
Xiao nodded in awkward acknowledgment, oddly absent from the action for what was expected of the vigilant yaksha. His mind seemed to be elsewhere, evidenced by the way he stared through Zhongli’s face, never quite seeming to focus on a particular feature. Immediately, the older man recognized the odd behavior, and his gaze softened considerably.
“Would you like to stay for a while? Perhaps we could chat over some tea,” The retired archon asked in a sudden change of topic, and the yaksha immediately averted his gaze in response. To an outsider, the question seemed irrelevant; the traveler had already invited the young man to stay for some time that evening. The deeper meaning of what Zhongli had truly asked had not been lost on him, however, if the hopeful flash that had crossed the boy’s eyes was any indication.
Xiao seemed to earnestly think about the sentiment for a moment. “I- uh…,” He started, still staring off to the side, before pausing with a frown. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he finally met the other’s eyes and shook his head. “No, thank you. I’m only here to fulfill the terms of the traveler’s request. I’d rather not overstay my welcome.”
Sensing his hesitation, Zhongli continued to push gently. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. He seems quite fond of you; surely he’s invited you here before?”
The light flush that colored adeptus’s cheeks proved him correct. “...Yes. He has offered his...housing accommodations to me several times after requesting my aid in battle,” He admitted, and the man hummed knowingly.
“Well then, surely it wouldn’t hurt to indulge him, just this one time?” Zhongli suggested. Still, Xiao seemed hesitant, glancing off to the side nervously once again as he pondered how to respond. After another moment of thought, he appeared to dredge up the courage to nod his agreement. His gaze flickered over to the taller man, looking for his reaction to the shy acceptance.
Zhongli’s eyes crinkled with the force of the smile that spread over his face, and Xiao ducked his head abashedly at the acknowledgment. “Come with me. Let’s get you more comfortable. There’s no need to wear a warrior’s ornaments in this realm,” The man said as he brought a hand to the small of the yaksha’s back, gently urging him towards the nearest staircase.
The two made their way to the second floor together. With a little prompting from Xiao as to where the guest room was, Zhongli guided him to the door on the right side of the hall. It opened up into a fully furnished and decorated bedroom, made up entirely of Liyue-style furniture. It appeared that the traveler had truly made more of an effort to make Xiao feel at home in the teapot than he had realized.
Zhongli closed the door behind them, then led Xiao over to the nearby desk. Turning to face the other, he began carefully removing the adeptus’s accessories, first untangling the sash flowing down his back from the beads circling his neck and lifting both items over his head. Next was the boy’s gauntlets and vision, then the golden ornaments that hung from his waist and the adornment that rested on his shoulder. The thin chains tethering the yaksha’s mask to his hip were unclasped with care, it being placed gently on top of the desk with the rest of the boy’s belongings. Lastly was the rest of the sashes that hung from his waist and his arm, as well as the bands clasped around his right pant leg.
As an afterthought, he placed the medicine intended for the boy beside his belongings. He could give it to him later at a more appropriate time.
Xiao stood quietly while he worked, not doing much in the way of helping. It was not uncommon for him to be hesitant when offered a chance to relax, considering how infrequently he put aside his duties; for him to be so uncharacteristically withdrawn, however, was the fault of his caregiver. It had been too long since they’d done this, especially when recent events were considered. Zhongli’s recent absence had no doubt added to those feelings.
The adeptus was doing a poor job of masking the turbulent emotions whirling just beneath his surface. They showed through in the faint shine in his eyes, in the slight downturn of the sides of his mouth, in the way his gloveless hands fumbled with the seams of his pants, anxiously searching for something grounding to hold onto. It squeezed at the man’s heart, to see him trying to hide from the only person around whom he usually felt comfortable expressing them.
“Why the long face? Cheer up, little one. I’m here now.” To emphasize his statement, the man leaned down to press his lips to the yaksha’s cheek and blew. While a foolish action to some, Zhongli knew the familiar touch was just the kind of push the boy needed to come out of his shell.
Xiao’s expression immediately crumbled at the tender contact, amber eyes flooding with tears that the boy quickly wiped away, only for more to roll down his cheeks in their place. He covered his nose and mouth with his hands as he shakily inhaled, attempting to regain some semblance of composure. His next breath came out in a sob, and Zhongli’s heart ached in sympathy for him, for the young boy who had grieved alone over a lost caregiver for weeks, believing him to be dead, ached for not having comforting him earlier despite having had every opportunity to do so.
Zhongli gently slid his hands below Xiao’s underarms, and when the adeptus didn’t pull away, lifted him onto his hip. The little took the chance to hide his face in the man’s neck, his chest jumping with choppy breaths and muffled cries. With little else to do to comfort him, the retired archon rubbed slow circles on his back and paced the room.
“Bà-bàba’s mean! Wh-why go aw-way-y?!” Xiao wailed, his voice muffled behind the fabric of his caregiver’s shirt.
Zhongli frowned remorsefully, though the boy couldn’t see it. “I’m sorry, Xiao. I didn’t want to,” He apologized, sincere. “I never meant to hurt you.”
The adeptus only cried harder in response, coughing miserably as he worked himself up, and his caregiver shushed him gently, not wanting the boy to make himself sick. “Deep breaths, little one,” He instructed, only for his effort to go mostly ignored.
“Miss you!” Xiao wailed instead, and the man couldn’t help the way the corners of his lips twitched upwards at that. Archons, how he’d longed to see his yaksha.
“I missed you too.”
Zhongli continued to whisper comforting words to the young boy as he cried, even when his weeping became more akin to indecipherable babbles than words. After some time, Xiao’s sobs quieted down to occasional sniffles, and his caregiver hummed to fill the silence. He didn’t move to sit up, and the man continued the gentle ministrations on his back, allowing him to lay on his chest for as long as he needed.
When the yaksha eventually pulled away to sit up, Zhongli did not expect to see the angry pout on his face, though he supposed it was well deserved, all things considered. “Oh, dear. What have I done to deserve that look?” He chuckled, thumbing away the tear tracks beginning to dry on the boy’s cheeks. It wasn’t often that his little one grew upset with him.
He’d done quite a lot lately that was worthy of Xiao’s anger, however. He didn’t need a pout or words to tell him that; he was aware that he had handled recent events poorly. Though he didn’t know how to go about it just yet, he would find a way to apologize properly later. Now though, his charge desperately needed some time to cope first.
“Would you like to go downstairs? The traveler should be done making your almond tofu soon,” The man asked, distracting from the conversation they would inevitably need to have, and the boy’s expression quickly turned anxious as he shook his head.
“Don’t wann’ see him,” Xiao replied.
“Are you worried that he’s going to make fun of you?” The caregiver asked next, resuming the comforting motions on the little’s back, who nodded sheepishly in response. “The traveler cares a great deal about you, Xiao. He will not treat you any differently for having a healthy coping mechanism.”
His little one wasn’t immediately convinced. “S’ weird,” He pouted, and Zhongli clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“You know that isn’t true, my dear,” The man said.
Xiao lowered his gaze, frowning deeper. “Still weird,” He mumbled.
Zhongli sighed in defeat. It was clear to the man that he wouldn’t be winning this particular battle today. Trying a different angle, he said, “Remember, he invited you here to give you something you like. If we don’t go see him, he’ll be sad that he didn’t get to give it to you.”
Zhongli saw the hopeful spark return to the boy’s eyes and smiled. “Let’s go get your treat. I think you’ve more than earned it,” He said, punctuating his sentence with a kiss to the yaksha’s cheek.
Xiao didn’t protest again, comforted by the gentle praise and affection. “Okay,” He said quietly, curling up to lay his head down on the man’s shoulder once more.
Once the boy was comfortable, Zhongli left the room and descended the stairs into the common area, only to feel Xiao tense up anxiously in his arms as they reached the bottom. “It’s alright, little one. The traveler is still in the kitchen,” He soothed, seeing the room still in the state he’d left it in.
As he made his way over to the couch, he picked up the volume he’d found earlier, holding in the hand under the boy to also grab his forgotten cup of tea. While not steaming hot anymore, it was thankfully still drinkable. After carefully depositing the china down on the small table beside the couch, the man turned and sat down.
He gently pulled Xiao away long enough to sit him down in his lap, then let the little make himself comfortable again. The boy wiggled a bit, laying his head down on his caregiver’s chest and curling his hands up under his chin before he laid still. Already, Zhongli could feel Xiao’s body growing heavy with sleep, the child sinking even further into him as he was covered with the nearby quilt.
Perhaps a nap for the little one wasn’t uncalled for, he mused.
The man finally took a sip of his tea, then flipped to the beginning of the book and began to read, taking care to not displace the traveler’s bookmark. It was not something he hadn’t read before, but he was more interested in the utterly domestic atmosphere of reading in front of a fireplace with his yaksha held close than the words on the pages.
Several chapters passed in the peacefully quiet ambiance before a voice spoke up, breaking the moment. “Just finished cooking! Now I just gotta wait for Xiao to get here,” Came Aether’s voice suddenly from the hallway, prompting the man to close the book and look in its direction.
Despite having been half-asleep, Xiao tensed again immediately at the sound of the young man’s voice. Zhongli wrapped a steadying arm around him to cup the back of his head, keeping him close as the traveler turned the corner into the room.
Aether’s steps stuttered to a stop as the young man balked at the sight of the two on the couch in surprise. Zhongli held a finger of his unoccupied hand up to his lips as their eyes met. Blessedly, the traveler abided by his unspoken request to not ask about the scene he’d walked in on. The man gave Aether a short moment to regain his bearings before saying, “Xiao arrived some time ago. He’s been looking forward to tasting your cooking; is it ready to eat yet?”
“Oh- uh, yeah! Be right back,” The traveler replied before quickly turning around and disappearing around the corner again. The kitchen door opened and closed, and Xiao relaxed somewhat in his caregiver’s lap.
“Bàba,” He fussed anxiously, and Zhongli shushed him gently.
“Don’t worry, my dear. It’s alright.”
Aether returned shortly after with a bowl of almond tofu in his hands. He paused at the threshold of the living space with his eyes on the duo again, seeming to contemplate something. Zhongli looked up at him, waiting patiently, and the traveler eventually moved closer to offer the bowl to him. The young man’s expression was drawn taut with worry, likely concerned by the uncharacteristic behavior of the adeptus in his lap. It was no surprise to the caregiver that he was unaware of this side of his only remaining yaksha; very few beings knew of this younger mindset- and none of them human.
Zhongli accepted the food with a reassuring smile. “Thank you, traveler.”
“You’re welcome,” Aether replied hesitantly. He looked between the two on the couch again, seemingly unsure of who to address. “I hope he likes it,” He said finally, his brow crinkling nervously as if he was concerned he’d said the wrong thing.
“I’m sure he will,” Zhongli replied amiably, hoping to put his mind at ease.
Aether nodded and stepped back, twiddling with his fingers awkwardly for a moment before he turned to leave, this time heading upstairs. The older man watched him go, then turned his attention to the boy in his lap once he was out of sight.
After a bit of coaxing, Xiao sat up enough for Zhongli to spoonfeed him small bites of the sweet treat. The boy rubbed his eyes tiredly in between mouthfuls, seeming more than ready to go to sleep once he was finished. For all his fussing that adepti did not need sleep, he was just as susceptible as any other toddler to needing a post-cry nap every now and then. If ever one was warranted, it was certainly now.
It wasn’t long before footsteps began making their way down the steps again, indicating the traveler’s return. Xiao started to breathe unevenly, still anxious about being seen in such a vulnerable state, and Zhongli was quick to bounce him gently on his thigh as he offered another bite of the almond tofu, hoping to settle him down. The motion only served to make the boy grizzle and turn his face away, on the verge of bursting into tears again in earnest.
His caregiver placed the bowl down on the side table, as it was clear that the little was no longer interested in eating. “Come here, little one,” The man cooed, pulling the adeptus in close and guiding him to lay down in the crook of his arm. Xiao immediately hid his face in the man’s chest, who soothingly ran his fingers through the boy’s hair as he began to rock them back and forth.
The traveler entered the room with a zabuton in his hands, which he gently tossed onto the floor in front of the fireplace. He glanced up to the two on the couch, eyes drawn to the motion of the rocking, and paused to smile fondly at the scene. He then looked around briefly, his gaze landing on the book Zhongli had been reading earlier. “Can I take this back?” The traveler asked, motioning to it, and the man nodded.
“Of course.”
He untangled his fingers from Xiao’s hair to hand the hardcover to Aether, immediately resuming their gentle motion afterward. The young man thanked him quietly before lowering himself onto the zabuton, opening the book to where he had left off.
Slowly, Xiao relaxed into Zhongli’s lap once he realized the traveler wasn’t going to comment on his odd behavior. It wasn’t long after when he started to doze, his frame becoming heavy again as he was lulled to sleep by his caregiver’s continued rocking.
The smile the sight brought to the archon’s face was bittersweet. He was happy he no longer had to stay away from his yaksha due to the terms of his contract, yet saddened by the reminder that their reunion was less than cheerful. Overall, though, he was relieved that their relationship didn’t seem to be broken beyond repair.
One thing was for sure: he was in for quite the lecture from his toddler when he woke up from his nap.