Work Text:
Ironically, or perhaps unironically, Childe (Tartaglia, Ajax, brother—) dies not with a bang but a whimper.
Ironically, or perhaps unironically, it isn't the geo-laced spear piercing his chest that hurts the most. No, it's the anguished face of the one wielding such a beautifully deadly polearm.
Ironically, or perhaps unironically, Childe does not fear the death that has befallen him. In fact, he welcomes his death with open arms. The only thing he wishes—but no longer has the breath to say—is that he could tell his killer:
I'm glad it was you.
Zhongli knelt in a pool of blood.
He wasn't sure how long he'd been there, nor did he particularly care.
His hands were numb, though they held tightly onto the body—broken and bloody—in his arms.
He was numb. Something in the back of his mind recognized it as shock, but it didn't quite register.
He knelt there, tears spent and eyes red.
Aether had come by sometime after the battle finished. The Traveler had apologized for some reason. Zhongli had ignored him, unable—unwilling—to respond.
What was there to say?
Childe was dead. He'd been killed by Zhongli's hands. Many would say that Childe needed to be… put down after— after—
Zhongli choked on his breath.
Why had it come to this?
How had it come to this?
It had been years—five years, two months, and thirteen days—since Childe left Liyue Harbor, parting ways with Zhongli for good. Unintentionally or not, they had both hurt each other, and so Zhongli abided by Childe's wordless decision to separate them. Childe had left, and Zhongli had stayed in the harbor until one day the Traveler begged him to come save Childe.
Childe and Zhongli had never engaged in an intimate relationship despite what most thought. Zhongli never really moved on from Childe, but there hadn't been anything to move on from, had there? Nevertheless, Zhongli had followed the Traveler all the way to Snezhnaya, only to find—
Zhongli could feel the erosion rapidly eating away at him – festering and all-devouring.
He scrambled to hold onto what memories he could.
Childe's smile. The smell of glaze lilies in full bloom. Ocean air and warm earth.
What color had Guizhong's eyes been? Which god had he sealed beneath Guyun? Last Lantern Rite had been dedicated to..?
The world crumbled around him.
Ajax ran and ran and ran. Branches and leaves whipped across his face. It stung, but it would hurt more if those— those things caught up to him. At first he'd thought they were wolves, but what kind of wolf hovered in the air and glowed?
He choked on a sob as a series of howls sounded behind him. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? He had been so sure that he hadn't made a ruckus when entering the forest, so why had they targeted him?
( I'm scared— )
A snarl echoed from his left. Ajax barely managed to duck in time before a claw swiped above his head. He nearly fell on his face as he picked himself up, awkwardly leaping over a tree's roots, and he bit back a whine of terror as the creature made to lunge at him again.
He tumbled over the side of a short drop, falling into the snowdrift at the bottom with a surprised yelp. Panting, Ajax scrambled back onto his feet. The not-wolf growled at him from the top of the ridge, but Ajax didn't waste any more time keeping an eye on it.
He was lost—so desperately lost—with no hope of finding his way home. Tears filled his eyes, stinging his cheeks as the biting winds swirled around him. He had just wanted to see what was beyond the mundane and boring life of the little fishing village. He didn't ask to be hunted down.
( I want to go home— )
Ajax only made it five more steps before he felt the ground buckled beneath his feet.
Eyes widening, Ajax stared down in the yawning abyss that opened up where the ground had once been. His heart leapt up into his throat as he began to fall and kept falling—
Something grabbed the collar of his hooded jacket, jerking him to a halt in the air. His breath left him in a winded gasp, and he flailed in his heightened panic.
( I don't want to die— )
A deep growl—different from those not-wolves'—made him freeze up, and his body was jostled as whatever had grabbed him turned to face the not-wolves. Ajax squinted through half-frozen eyelids as the not-wolves snarled their baying rage and retreated, leaving him to this monster he'd fallen onto. He tried and failed to hold back a whimper – only really managing to bite through his bottom lip.
Blood dripped down his chin.
A puff of hot air ruffled his hair, and Ajax's breath stuttered as he heard the monster inhale the metallic scent. Whatever it was had caught him by its teeth, hadn't it? Ajax didn't know if this was better or worse. Would this creature at least kill him quickly? Or would it eat him alive?
( Idon'twanttodie— )
And then the monster moved, carrying Ajax the rest of the way across the hole in the world. It kept moving, going too fast for Ajax to see beyond the streaks of white snow and brown trees, taking Ajax who knew where. Wind whipped past them, and the cold bit into his shivering limbs.
Ajax shut his eyes at some point. He was sore all over from the numerous tumbles he'd taken while running for his life, and he was just so… tired…
"Don't fall asleep just yet," a warm, familiar-yet-not voice rumbled in his mind. "You might not wake up if you do."
But it was so cold. And he barely had any energy left to move. He couldn't even feel his hands anymore.
"Hold on, child. Just hold on a little longer…"
Ajax's last thought before finally succumbed to the dark call of unconsciousness was to wonder why this voice cared if he lived.
Ajax gradually woke to warmth and the soft sound of a crackling fire nearby and a whirling snowstorm somewhere in the distance. It took a long moment for him to recall his last memories, but when it all came rushing back, he sat up with a jolt, only to find that he was wrapped up in— some kind of coat??
It was a dark brown color—like that of the earth beneath thick layers of snow—with intricate patterns detailing symbols that Ajax didn't recognize. But… who did it belong to? He had been captured by some kind of monster, hadn't he? Why was he in this cave? And why was there a fire? Had someone rescued him?
"Ah, you're awake…"
That voice! It was the same one that had spoken in his mind!
Ajax wiggled within the confines of the coat, eventually managing to turn and look up at the person, who held Ajax close to their chest. They were missing their coat—obviously—but were still wearing what looked to be fancy dress clothes. However, Ajax was more drawn to their eyes: bright and sharp, amber in color with glowing yellow pupils set in the shape of diamonds and red eyeliner on the lower lids of their eyes.
The person was so pretty— or handsome? Their voice sounded like a man's, but Ajax knew a person in his village that clearly looked like a boy yet called herself a girl.
He realized he was staring a little too late but averted his own eyes anyway, a blush rising to his cheeks. What was he doing? Ajax mentally berated himself. This was some weirdo, who brought him to a cave in the middle of nowhere during a snowstorm and who may or may not have possibly been the same creature that saved him from the not-wolves.
Ajax fought back a shiver as he felt a rumble emanate from the other's chest as they chuckled. "There is no reason to be embarrassed. This was the only way I could warm you up without endangering you further," they told him.
That wasn't what Ajax was embarrassed about, but what did–? Oh, yeah… Ajax had gotten too cold, hadn't he? His mother had warned him about hypothermia many times before.
Ajax frowned as he mentally replayed what the other said. "What do you mean 'endangering further'?" he asked – or tried to. Instead, he coughed roughly, throat dry and voice hoarse after the events of the previous night.
Eyes squeezed shut, Ajax was still catching his breath after the coughing fit when he felt the person shift, and then something was pressed to his lips. He startled slightly, but upon opening his eyes again, he saw that the person was trying to give him some water, which he drank gratefully. Ajax hadn't realized how thirsty he'd been until then.
When he tried again, his voice came out as a rasping whisper. "Whaddya mean… end'ngerin' further?"
He wasn't really thirsty anymore, but he was a little hungry. He wasn't sure where his bag of bread went; he must've dropped it and his shortsword somewhere in the forest while trying to escape the not-wolves. At least he was warm now, and the person he was resting against was kinda comfortable. He could feel himself drifting off again.
"Rest, child. I will watch over you," the person promised.
He didn't particularly like being called a child, but he was too tired to argue with the other right now. "Pinky promise?" Ajax mumbled.
They chuckled again, arms curling around him as he snuggled into their warmth. "It's a contract."
When Ajax woke up again, the person… wasn't a person anymore – or, well, they didn't look human. The sight of umber scales and golden fur filled his vision where the creature's body coiled in loose circles around him. A mass of that golden fur—the end of its tail—was draped over Ajax like a blanket. When Ajax lifted a hand to brush over the fur, he marveled how it was incredibly soft yet had a dull sheen but stopped when he saw how some of the strands came loose as he pulled his hand away.
That was also when Ajax subsequently realized that his freed movement meant the person's coat was gone. It must have been part of them, Ajax reasoned, fighting down a blush. Which was stupid. Why was he blushing? This person/creature was a total weirdo.
Shoving those thoughts away, Ajax sat up as best he could, peeking over the mound of brown scales and yellow-orange fur to see that the storm outside had finally stopped at some point while they were both asleep. Then, Ajax wondered why the creature-person was asleep. He knew that most animals were almost impossible to sneak up on, so surely the creature-person would wake up at even the slightest hint of danger.
But that only raised the question of why this creature-person trusted Ajax enough to keep sleeping while he moved around.
Why? Why? Why?
After waiting a little while, Ajax reached out to poke the creature-person – only to stop and stare at the glowing, golden bracelet-thing around his wrist. How had he missed that earlier? Ajax wondered incredulously as he continued to stare at it. He shook his wrist—not quite trusting if he should touch it yet—and noted in awe at how though it moved with his arm, it didn't jostle around like a normal bracelet.
Ajax eventually came to the conclusion that the weird but nice creature-person had put the equally weird but cool-looking magic bracelet on him.
His stomach grumbling reminded him why he'd intended to wake the creature-person up in the first place, and Ajax followed through on poking their tail. They woke instantly, amber eyes snapping open and locking onto Ajax, who froze under that intense gaze. Then, they relaxed, uncoiling and recoiling to shift Ajax into a new yet similar hold closer to the smoldering fire, carefully mindful of keeping Ajax away from the jagged and rock-like spines jutting out along their back.
"I'm Ajax. Wh-What's your name?" he blurted out.
"I have many names," the creature-person answered after a long moment – the whiskers attached to their muzzle twitching slightly. "But you may call me Zhongli."
Zhongli… Ajax hadn't heard of a name like that before. Where was Zhongli from?
In response to his apparent bemusement, Zhongli did that rumbling chuckle of theirs—his?—which seemed to be shared across both of his—their?—forms, and then Zhongli nudged a bag towards Ajax. After a moment's hesitation, Ajax took the bag, opening it to find that it was the same bag of bread he'd lost earlier. Frowning at the bag in confusion, Ajax nibbled on a piece of bread while inwardly questioning if Zhongli had come across the bag first or gone back out for it later.
Once he had eaten enough to appease his stomach, Ajax set the bag of bread aside and nervously turned back to where Zhongli's head hovered. "Um, I can leave, right?"
Ajax winced at how plaintive the question came out, but Zhongli only glanced over to the cave entrance, seeing like Ajax had that the snowstorm had stopped. "I certainly won't stop you," Zhongli told Ajax. His whiskers rose and fell along with the words even though his mouth didn't move, which was fine by Ajax because he wasn't all that curious about finding out how long Zhongli's teeth were in this form. "Your village should be an hour's walk to the north."
North? Oh, so Zhongli had taken him to the nearby mountain range. Ajax didn't remember any of the mountains being that close to Morepesok though. Zhongli must have found this cave in a cliff somewhere between those mountains and the forest. Plus, the cave didn't really look lived-in beyond the small fire Zhongli had supposedly made, which made Ajax wonder again where Zhongli was actually from if he wasn't from anywhere in Snezhnaya.
"But I imagine your family will be searching for you now that the storm has passed," Zhongli went on, seemingly oblivious to Ajax's wonderings. "You could stay here or meet them halfway."
Ajax snapped out of his thoughts at that. "Huh? Where're you going?" Ajax questioned.
"I'm afraid I cannot stay much longer," Zhongli answered vaguely, whiskers drooping.
Ajax tried to ignore the icy claws of disappointment at the news. "T-Then at least tell me what this means," he said, sticking his wrist out to show Zhongli the magic bracelet. "I know you're the one who put it there."
"Ah… that," Zhongli murmured. His muzzle drew near, and Ajax fought the urge to fidget. "I should have known you would notice it, though no one else will be able to see it lest you show it to them. It… is a symbol of our contract, tying us together."
"A contract?" Ajax repeated, drawing his arm back to stare down at the 'bracelet'.
Zhongli nodded solemnly. "You needn't be concerned about fulfilling your end. That will come naturally with time."
Ajax wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean. It wasn't reassuring at all, only cryptic. What had they even made a contract about? Ajax barely remembered asking for a pinky promise— Ajax's eyes widened. Had Zhongli taken Ajax seriously about watching over him? But was only supposed to be until Ajax woke up!
"Our time together has run short, dear Ajax," Zhongli went on again before Ajax could voice his protests.
An amber claw tipped with gold was placed against his temple, and Ajax's consciousness was snuffed out.
You're too far gone… but that doesn't mean it's too late to save him.
Without a word, the dragon-qilin shifted in his humanoid form, ignoring the growing cracks that ran across his skin, and picked up the boy into his arms.
How do I know if you're real? That you mean well?
He briefly paused to grab the boy's bag, and then he walked out of the cave with his treasure.
You don't. You'll accept my offer anyway. We mean too much to you.
Zhongli could feel himself fading; he needed to get his precious Ajax back to his family sooner rather than later.
… How will this work?
Ajax would forgive Zhongli for his transgressions, though perhaps not for leaving him so suddenly.
"Ajax— Ajax, can you hear me? Seven above! It's been three days, you silly boy— Yuri, I found Ajax!"
( … Mom? )
"Mila, quick! We need to get him inside—"
( Dad..? )
"Yuri… Isn't that..?"
It was a Vision – a Hydro Vision.
"Never mind that, Mila. We can ask him about it later. Now, let's get him inside before the Fatui patrol comes this way."
( Where'd Zhongli go? )
"Right, right— Of course—"
( I miss him… )
Two years passed.
Ajax begged his parents to let him go find 'Zhongli'. But they refused, citing that Ajax had to wait until he was of age… which was kind of fair. Even if he could reasonably go out on his own right now, it wasn't like Ajax even knew where to start looking for Zhongli.
So, Ajax spent most of that time mastering his Vision and learning how to fight, even going so far as to clear out the riftwolf population in the forest near Morepesok. He wasn't a master by any means, but he definitely knew his way around multiple weapons these days. He learned how to use his Vision and the weapons because he wanted to become stronger – strong enough to face Zhongli one day and prove he wasn't just some weak little kid anymore.
He had a couple close calls with the Fatui, whom he actively tried to avoid since he wasn't looking to get enlisted and essentially trap himself in Snezhnaya. Besides, the Fatui was full of bullies and weirdos wearing masks – like that 'doctor' who came by Morepesok 'asking' about a recent 'elemental disturbance' in the area. Who'd want to join them?
On his sixteenth birthday, Ajax's father pulled him aside from his mother and his siblings to tell Ajax: "This 'Zhongli' of yours… That's a Liyuen name."
Once he said his goodbyes with promises to write back to his family, Ajax left Morepesok on a trading ship headed to the Land of Contracts.
Cloud Retainer stared down her beak at the human… boy with no small amount of both bemusement and irritation. She let him continue eating – a test of sorts, twofold. Firstly, Cloud Retainer was observing the boy's disposition. And secondly, she was making him try creations from her current prototype of the Supreme Cuisine Machine.
(The boy—for the life of him—could not use chopsticks; however, Cloud Retainer was willing to let this small detail slide based on the sole fact that the boy ate every single one of her dishes and gave appropriate feedback for each.)
Currently, Cloud Retainer had determined that the boy wasn't a threat and that the food device prototype would need several more tweaks until it reached her minimum standards. Aside from that, the crane adeptus was still trying to figure out how the boy had managed to make it all the way to Mount Aocang before encountering any sort of troubles within Jueyun Karst. It was nearly unheard of, especially for humans without a sigil of permission.
The enlightened crane made the boy try another dish. He was too thin in her opinion. He clearly hadn't been taking care of himself properly in the time it had taken him to get here from… wherever he came from, though he must have been a fairly competent adventurer to make it this far. Oh, yes, she had taken note of the Hydro Vision at the boy's hip, but that was hardly an indication to the boy's experience. On the other hand, his familiarity with the sword she'd first seen him with meant that he at least knew how to defend himself.
Upon seeing that the boy was well fed, Cloud Retainer demanded the boy's history. Surely, something had occurred within the boy's life that would explain the discrepancies taking place. It started off as expected: the boy hailed from a small fishing village in Snezhnaya; he grew up wanting to be an adventurer like his father, who had settled down with the boy's mother and started a family.
That was all well and good, but Cloud Retainer was far more interested in whatever events transpired to grant the boy a Hydro Vision. She waited—relatively patiently—as the boy continued his tale, helping himself to the refreshing tea Cloud Retainer had set out on the table.
(The tea wasn't for the boy, but of the ones whom the tea was actually meant for, the living one rarely showed his face these days…)
Ah, there it was. The boy had ventured away from his home one night in a fit of restlessness and with an ill-conceived notion to prove himself. He had gotten lost in the forest and chased down by monsters until a strange creature saved him. The creature brought him to a nearby cave and took care of him until a snowstorm passed.
What truly caught Cloud Retainer's attention wasn't the creature's name ('Zhongli') nor the boy's descriptions of the creature (dark brown scales, golden fur and horns, amber eyes) but rather the fact that the creature—a dragon perhaps, she noted—had made a contract with the boy.
Cloud Retainer might not know where Rex Lapis was approximately three years ago, but she knew for a fact that the dragon-qilin had not left Liyue's borders for several millennia – if one didn't count a certain leave of absence to deal with that upstart of a country, Khaenri'ah. However, there were little others who matched these exact descriptions. It could have only been Rex Lapis who saved the boy that night.
"Show this one the symbol of your contract so that this one might ascertain the sanctity of the agreement," Cloud Retainer interrupted him.
The boy nearly choked on his tea. "Th-The sanctity–?" he coughed.
"Yes," Cloud Retainer huffed, ruffling her feathers impatiently as the boy stalled.
Then, slowly, hesitantly, the boy held out his arm, and a golden 'bracelet' of power shimmered into view around his wrist. Staring for only a moment, Cloud Retainer nodded stiffly, allowing the boy to tuck his wrist away, and the contract's symbol faded from sight. She was right, then – somehow. That 'bracelet' had Morax's signature written all over it, but it was more than just the symbol of a binding contract.
That stupid, rock-headed brute of a dragon-qilin had laid claim on the boy as a mate.
Morax—or rather, Zhongli, as he was going by these days—landed on Mount Aocang with less grace than usual. He had been rudely awoken by a call from Cloud Retainer, and the crane adeptus was not one to simply be ignored until a more convenient time. Zhongli had the misfortune to learn this the hard way after missing one too many lunch sessions with Cloud Retainer and Guizhong. The God of Dust no longer walked Teyvat, but Cloud Retainer still made sure to treat Morax the same as she always did, even without their friend as a buffer.
Zhongli wondered what Cloud Retainer wanted. He already wasn't in the best of moods after an especially long week full of restless nights. As a god and a dragon-qilin, he didn't need to sleep like humans did, but this was something that had been plaguing him for years now if he was being honest.
(It itched like a half-broken promise. He hated the feeling. It reminded him of her death: the shattered oath and the loss of everything he could have had with her.)
Upon reorienting himself, Zhongli noticed that Cloud Retainer had a guest. He was somewhat acquainted with the crane adeptus's adopted daughter/apprentice, Shenhe, but this one was new. Zhongli was fairly certain the young man was a foreigner – Snezhnayan, by indication of his clothing.
Still a distance away, Zhongli paused, feeling a frown crease his brow. It wasn't necessarily concerning, though somewhat off-putting, that Cloud Retainer had called to him and that it must have been about this young man. Who hadn't yet reached human adulthood, Zhongli also noted as he drew closer.
However, the rather irritated expression on Cloud Retainer's face didn't bode well for Zhongli.
"Zhongli! It really is you," the young man exclaimed, standing up from that table with an excited smile on his face.
(That was their table – from days long passed of easy smiles and peaceful dreams. He didn't come here anymore. The memories were often too painful to bear, even on a good day.)
Zhongli—despite himself—paused again, which was unbecoming of him but reasonable in these circumstances. This… human recognized him, called to him by name, and yet Zhongli was quite certain he'd never met the young man before in his entire life. Zhongli also became acutely aware of the fact that his current form was not fully human since he had been expecting a one-to-one meeting with Cloud Retainer, who hardly cared if he showed up as a dragon-qilin, a human or something in between.
Cloud Retainer made a disapproving noise. "Have you become lax in your old age, Rex?" she snorted, beak tipped upwards. "Or perhaps it is because you never had much of a brain to begin with."
That… was not as harsh as it could have been, but Cloud Retainer was definitely Not Happy with Zhongli. He wasn't sure why, though. He couldn't recall doing anything extremely out of hand recently. There was only his slight troubles with not carrying mora on his person in the city markets—
Cloud Retainer's wing snapped out, and she cuffed the young man over the back of the head – albeit gently, for her. "Show this Zhongli what you showed this one."
"Why?" the young man grumbled, rubbing his head where she'd hit him. "He's the one who gave it to me—"
"Show him," Cloud Retainer repeated in no uncertain terms.
Zhongli felt his jaw drop as the symbol of a contract came into view on the young man's wrist. It was his – very clearly, undoubtedly his. He saw everything about the contract in a single look, but it was the preformation of a mating bond that left him truly overwhelmed.
(It was a contract but not: an offer accepted but not finalized. It was a promise of protection, of companionship, of unwavering love, of lives spent together until the end. But because it had been left incomplete—open-ended—it had started to turn into— into—)
So… This was what had Cloud Retainer in such a temper.
"Anything you have to say for yourself, Rex?" Cloud Retainer huffed.
Wordlessly, Zhongli stepped forward, a hand lifting up to the young man's temple. In a swift movement, the young man caught Zhongli's wrist with his own hand. Ocean-hued eyes met amber.
"I'd appreciate if you didn't knock me out this time," he murmured.
Zhongli, of course, had no idea what the young man was talking about, but he acquiesced anyway. Tapping into another's memories—especially those of a willing participant—wasn't an adeptal art that required either party to be unconscious. Unlike what Cloud Retainer often insinuated of his intelligence, Zhongli had actually paid attention to and remembered all of Guizhong's lessons, regardless of the subject matter, which happened to include this side application of dream walking.
Snow, trees, not-wolves-rifthounds— An Abyss—The Abyss—threatening to swallow him whole— Hold on, child— A cave, warmth, sharp amber eyes—his eyes—and half-spoken promises— This time a dragon—himself—and a name— You may call me Zhongli— The 'bracelet' and the 'contract'— Our time together has run short, dear Ajax—
Slowly, carefully, Zhongli retreated from the young man's—Ajax's—mind. Ajax blinked out of the hazy trance the spell induced, and Zhongli held out his hand to steady him when Ajax swayed in place. Zhongli continued to meet that blue gaze as even as he mentally reviewed the memories. It was unprecedented, but Ajax hadn't been lying about meeting Zhongli before – a Zhongli, anyway.
He didn't want to alarm Cloud Retainer since that Zhongli had long since left this world; however, the other had left behind serious consequences, ones which he had clearly intended Zhongli himself to respect. Ajax was important to him. That much, Zhongli had seen, and—perhaps—he wouldn't mind seeing for himself what made Ajax so special…
"Ajax will be staying in Liyue for the foreseeable future," Zhongli told Cloud Retainer.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "The boy may be of majority in his nation, but he is not yet an adult in the eyes of—"
"I am aware," Zhongli interrupted her. "Which is why I will leave him in your care. You may choose another to watch over him, should you wish, but I understand the need to separate us until Ajax is twenty-one," he added on further upon seeing Ajax's confused frown.
Technically, in Liyue, Zhongli would be allowed to start courting Ajax by the time he turned eighteen. However, given the extenuating circumstances of the contract's formation and that the… bond between them was formed when Ajax was a minor, it would be best if they stayed apart for a while longer – to ensure that Ajax's feelings were his own. Even then, it would be remiss of Zhongli to not fully explain what he could to Ajax now so that the young man could back out of both the 'contract' and the bond if he wanted to. Zhongli already planned on holding that conversation with Ajax once Cloud Retainer allowed them a moment alone.
Cloud Retainer snorted. "Very well, Rex. This one will take full responsibility of your fiancé until the time you can be lawfully wed and not a second later," she agreed.
Zhongli memorized the way Ajax's eyes widened as the young man realized what the 'bracelet' actually meant. Regardless of Ajax's decision to keep or break their bond, Zhongli did have to admit that Ajax's expressions were rather endearing. Ajax needn't worry so much, though. If they were to follow through with the wedding, Cloud Retainer would make sure that Ajax was thoroughly prepared for the ceremony traditions required of him. Zhongli also didn't doubt that Cloud Retainer would beat any sort of reverential or divine ideas about Zhongli out of Ajax's head before the end of the year.
(Zhongli had a feeling that it wouldn't be necessary, that Ajax only saw Zhongli – not Morax or Rex Lapis. It… was a comforting feeing.)
"Ugh, you might as well plan your retirement alongside your wedding," Cloud Retainer uttered under her breath. "Now get off this one's mountain before you are kicked off. This one does not wish to watch you make moon eyes at each other all night!"
Actually, now that Cloud Retainer mentioned it, retirement sounded like a wonderful idea, especially if it meant spending more time with Ajax.
"You did it, Zhongli."
"… They can… be happy? "
"Yup. It'll all work out for them!"
"That's… nice."
"Mhmm! I gave you a choice, and you chose to save lil' Ajax, who chose to chase after you and ended up with this Zhongli. Things will be a bit different, of course, but you saved them, Zhongli. You saved us… You can rest now."
"I'm glad… it was you…"
"… … I love you, too."
…
"Ajax?"
"He's gone."
"… I know."
"…"
"Let's go home, Ajax."
"Home… You know I love you, right?"
"Of course. Why would I be jealous of myself?"
"… Are you?"
"… No."
"Aw, Zhongli, baobei, you were!"
"We're going home."
"Mmm! Let's!"