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The Winter had been peculiarly harsh in Snezhnaya…

The land was used to bear the Cold of the World, as if ice and snow gathered here when they couldn’t land over the other Nations–and with Natlan and Sumeru refusing the frostbite, there was a lot to gather–but this Winter… This Winter was worse. Each creature of the World hurried to shelters of all kind.

If they stayed outside, they would die, without doubt.

Ajax blamed himself for being this stupid! Last year, when the mating season had started, he was so busy fighting off every other male for the pleasure, he didn’t even realize he was ready to be breed. Perhaps he thought he would be from those who would mate, or probably he didn’t care about it at all, too focused on the thrill of battle, of making worthy opponent excited by the smell of female in Heats… His Heat? Perhaps they came to him not to fight for territory but because they wanted to mate him?

He hated having been this stupid, because, when he realized he was in Heat, ready to have his very own babies, he remembered how he loved to take care of babies for his parents at the day care. There were no more precious moments than when he was giving all his heart to those little ones, helping them to use their animals part astutely. Although his mother was still mad at him for having taught to a little girl to use her turtle’s shell to attack that Pure Human that keep bothering her…

Ajax was kind of proud of himself, he had to confess.

But when he entered in Heat… when he finally was ready to have his babies of his own, no one wanted him. They all have mated, some of them setting themselves for life. Why would they care for him? Not only no one wanted to breed him, but as the Winter came to its end, the Spring replacing it, that meant he wouldn’t be able to give birth before the great Cold.

And here they were.

On the last day of his Heat, he laid a Human who pressed more than once to touch his tails or his fluffy ears, and let him fondle his fur as much as he wanted, as long as he took away his virginity, and his need. He let the man use him to the point he felt disgusting, but the nausea was rewarded by a more positive one, a few weeks after…

But now, the Cold had ravished Snezhnaya and, not only was it the peak of Winter, but this Winter promised to be peculiarly rigorous.

Everybody had already got their babies, a shelter, and was ready to face the Worst Time of their Life, but him… him, he could barely move around, his belly so heavy.

Ajax found a burst of hope when he apperceived a little cavity, soon to be covered, providing a better shelter against what many could believe. It was his last chance!

He hurried as much as his round tummy allowed him to, and he had to scratch away the snow to slither in. His hands were so cold he believed he would lose them to the frostbite, and the den was so narrow for his pregnant body, he believed he would stay there, stuck. But, one last push, and he rolled down the den. He let out a horrendous squeak as his body tumbled. A big stone hit him on the side, and he wailed his pain.

Yet!

He quickly moved his hands to press them over his tummy.

The baby! He hoped the baby would be fine!

He couldn’t…

He heard a growl. A low and dangerous growl…

Ajax jolted.

Then, he hissed to the cavernous growl.

“I don’t care!” he yelled. “I don’t fucking care!! You can growl if you want! I’ll hiss at you! You can attack me, I’ll bite back at you! I get it’s your fucking den, but there is no other place in this damned Country!” He yelled again, but more than the rage, it was the pain. The baby had decided it was the moment. He had found a den just on time to give life to his baby in a warm spot, and there was nowhere else he could go! “It’s freezing outside so have some fucking compassion!”

He yelled again, the earth shook around him.

Oh no… this was really bad. The tunnel wouldn’t fall on him because of the echoes of the pregnancy hassle? If the den collapsed, okay, perhaps the one occupying it already must be allowed to hate him and throw him outside. But he didn’t know what he would do… He could barely move because of the pain flaring his guts and if he was thrown outside… if he didn’t die, his baby would.

He didn’t ask more than some compassion.

He could muzzle his screams.

He could stay quiet.

He just…

Out from the shadow, the golden eyes gleamed even more, and something stepped out. Ajax could only be terrified as he saw some weird shape. He never saw that. In this Nation where it was so common to see people mixed with animals, he never saw a face covered with scales, nor going along what appeared like deer antlers, and the tail, there again, had nothing like a lizard… some characteristics of it, yes, but not this huge tuff… and lizard people wouldn’t survive in Snezhnaya, in any case, so seeing one of this kind managed to make Ajax more uneasy than the gleaming eyes.

He didn’t know in whose den he slithered in, but…

He growled still, grabbing a stone on the floor, showing off his fangs.

“Don’t you come closer!” he yelled.

“You’re about to give birth.”

Shit! Ajax knew nothing about that kind, perhaps they were baby-eater. He immediately wrapped his arms around his belly and pulled away.

“If you approach!” he roared.

“Keep calm…”

That’s when the voice sounded so calm that Ajax realized it was talking his language but with a very strong accent coming from somewhere else.

Where?

Ajax dreamed to discover the World but had still not managed to jump into a boat, he knew nothing about the other Nations, but he heard it wasn’t usual for them to be mixed with animals. Here, it was the norm, two casts within a same country and no one knew why, one day, Human with animals traits started to abound. They just knew, even if one Animal like him let a Human touch him, breed him, there was very little chance for his baby to not have a bright fur like his.

His mother was Human too.

“Keep calm,” the creature repeated. “Come here.” Ajax hissed, growled. The man chuckled in retaliation. “I won’t do anything to your baby, don’t worry. Come here, it’s warmer.”

Ajax was on his guard… but his baby would need the heat. He moved on his knee, moved closer, and, discovered a spot very hot. The man just laid here, so it wasn’t surprising to be honest. Ajax curled up on this spot, feeling the sweat along his body. He wrapped further the belly to protect it from the cold, and he didn’t know what would happen now. He wasn’t equipped to give birth naturally. That’s where their race failed, not that he was displeased to give birth as a Male, he would be the best mama, he knew it… No, he just didn’t know why their bodies didn’t also foresee the fatidic moment of birth.

“Do you need anything?” the beast asked.

Ajax shook his head, but the truth was that he needed so many things in contrary. It was just hard to explain, and his mind was too blurry for that.

“Let me grab you some snow, you need a bit of fresh.”

Ajax wanted to protest. No! The baby needed some warmth… but when the beast pressed some cold snow on his forehead, it was actually delicious. So delicious, he moved slightly to snuggle in, so the beast could press it better.

“Oh,” the beast let out.

“Sorry,” Ajax mumbled.

As he tried to move away, the beast held him back.

“No, no… please, make yourself at ease,” he said. “What is your name?”

“Aj…ax…” Ajax whispered through a wave of pain. “Y…ou?”

There was a light silent. “Zhongli,” he said. “I’m sorry if I have frightened you. We’re going to help you having your baby… Yes, Ajax?”

Red of efforts and exhaustion, Ajax breathed slowly, sweat rolling along his face and his limbs. He wouldn’t have believed this was this hard, but he could do anything for his baby.

His babies.

This man, Zhongli, laid the little boy on his chest, just next the little girl. Two babies. Ajax nuzzled against them, his hands on their back. One for one. He pressed his head against them. They were sleeping softly now, a bit red from having yelled so hard, the eyes closed, two little ears for each, one little tail in dark hues. They would turn brighter, redder in the future, for now, they were just tiny unidentifiable things.

But they were his most precious treasure still.

His two babies…

“Thank you,” Ajax said with a weak voice.

He knew he needed to eat something if he wanted to take good care of the babies. He doubted having enough milk for them. The season had been meagre and he was already hungering himself since a few days, too busy to try searching for a den to stay and give birth.

Now he had to find a solution.

“We won’t stay long,” he said. “Just a couple of hours still. Once I’ll feel better, we will leave.”

“This is too dangerous,” Zhongli protested. “You may lose your life, or kill your babies.”

Ajax moaned and squeezed the babies against him.

Why was he so cruel?! His babies! He didn’t want to let his babies die. He would protect them always! If Zhongli couldn’t get that…

“Allow me to go hunt for you,” Zhongli said.

“Hunt for me?” Ajax repeated, perplexed.

“I don’t have given birth just at the instant, I certainly can resist the coldness a bit more longer than you.”

Ajax pressed his lips together. Something told him it was very wrong to rely on this beast he knew nothing, but Zhongli didn’t attack the babies while he helped him to give birth, nor he attempted anything after. And now, he was offering to go hunt food for them? It was the best he could take, honestly. Zhongli was right: Ajax wasn’t sure he would have survived long time in the snow and under the assaults of the frostbite…

“Fine,” he accorded. “I’d love some rodents please! Or maybe some birds! Oh yes! I’d love a big big juicy eagle!”

Anyone might have told him ‘you’ll get what I’ll get’ but Zhongli laughed, especially in front of the excitation making the ears dance–still with quit low energy because he was so tired from the labour, but it was adorable nonetheless.

“A big big juicy eagle it is then,” Zhongli said. “I will make protection spell over the den, so no one will tumble in and you will be in security.”

“Eh,” Ajax said with a light laugh, but his eyes were saying ‘thank you’.

He snuggled with the babies, and closed his eyes, holding them tight in his arms.

When Zhongli came back from his expedition, a big big eagle in his hand, he could hear the sound of three little breaths in his den. He approached the fox to find him with his two babies still. Zhongli couldn’t help a smile. Should he awaken the mama? His eagle would soon not be very fresh anymore. He knew some foxes liked to eat carrion, but he wanted only the best for this mama.

“Ajax?” he called.

Ajax moaned, snuggling further with the babies.

Zhongli held out the eagle under the nose of Ajax. Immediately, the eyes opened, and not even two seconds after, the bird was snapped out of his hands.

Zhongli could only let a chuckle and watched at him with endearment, not even taking the time to wonder if he had a common smell capacity and had decided to ignore the prey until then or perhaps the fatigue played in? Ajax tried to keep his babies in his cradle while swallowing bite of blood meat, spitting out feathers.

“Do you need help for anything? I can hold the babies if you wa…” Ajax growled to him. “Fine! Fine!” Zhongli said softly. He yet removed his coat. Ajax pulled away with another growl, but Zhongli only laid the coat on the floor, not even trying to hand it to him. “Here to keep you and the babies warm. It’s all I have sadly.”

Ajax stared at the coat. He held out his bloody hand to grasp it and wrapped quickly the babies in them, bringing them against his heart. Ah, they seemed a bit more appeased. He had no clothes for them so it would be the best.

The fox looked up towards the lizard holding up at a few steps from him, not even trying to be close, in fact, he stood as far as he possibly could without offering himself to the coldness of Snezhnaya…

Ajax wasn’t only grateful for the efforts the stranger was doing, but also grateful at how much he was trying to provide while stepping into his boundaries. While he may want to be an aggressive and protective mama for his two babies, Ajax couldn’t deny that to Zhongli. He was doing a lot without receiving the slightest rewards, treated as an enemy when he did more than any of his allies would never do for him.

Naturally, a little voice in his head kept whispering ‘perhaps he is trying to foul you, lure you’ and he had to protect his babies!!

But… Zhongli could have let him die outside; Zhongli could have killed him while labour; Zhongli could have devoured the babies when he was too tired to fight back… Zhongli was doing way too many efforts if all he wanted was truly to hurt him and his family, and nothing more.

Perhaps Zhongli was a kind soul.

Ajax leaned over the carcass of the eagle and bite down and huge bite of it, so huge, there was no way he could swallow this without choking in or having to masticate for hours. Zhongli believed it may be to provide protein and energy while he would feed the babies, until he saw Ajax cautiously remove every feather of it, and handle the weird bloody mass to Zhongli.

“For me?” Zhongli asked with surprise.

“You should eat to.”

“Thank you,” Zhongli said.

He accepted the half-chewed meat and, while he was positively repelled by its aspect, rawness and… others details, he knew he wasn’t in position to protest. In the first place, he wouldn’t be in a cold fireless den if he had been able to make some fire. Oh! He could make fire. He had the knowledge and abilities for that, what he couldn’t do, on the other hand was making fire in Snezhnaya where the air was so cold, and the wood wet of snow…

“Also, it’s a bit cold… You should come snuggle here,” Ajax said.

“I wish I could have made a fire, but…”

“I will make one,” Ajax cut short. He yawned, snuggling with the babies. “But not now. So you should come over if you want to stay warm.”

“Are you sure?” Zhongli asked.

Ajax positively groaned as he closed his eyes, his tail wrapping the babies so they would stay nice and warm. Zhongli came closer, gently warned, and spooned Ajax to not only feel his heat but help him to keep it. Ajax opened his eyes to watch at the powerful lizard tail wrapping them, the hand laying on the back of his babies. They were either very tiny or this hand was huge.

Maybe both.

“I don’t trust you,” Ajax whispered.

“I understand,” Zhongli said.

Yet, he couldn’t help a smile when the white tip of his shiny bright tail brushed the tip of the golden tuff of his dark and glooming tail…

Fire crackled in the den.

Outside, the Winter raged, brutal, merciless… No one would dare to go disturb the white coat of Snezhnaya. This bright fire wasn’t only providing brightness to the den, revealing each bump and hollow, the roots of the big tree above them and many little bugs teeming around the stones and in the soil, but also a very soft warmth to protect them from outside.

Snow slithered down the slope, and a little form urged towards it.

“No, no!” Ajax let out.

Too late, the little head was already digging in the cold matter. A yelp replied to it, and the little form bolted on the other direction, hurling itself in the bosom of the mama who cradled it with a little laugh. One hand was closed over the little back of another form whose lips were closed around a nipple.

“You’re doing too much all alone.”

“It’s fine,” Ajax replied. “Beside, I couldn’t go outside, as I have to take care of those babies.”

He pressed his lips on the forehead of the little boy who snuggled further, all taken in his feeding, his ears and his tail shivering with joy. The milk was so hot and comforting. He could feel the heartbeats of his mama. Felt comforted…

It had been a couple of days, and Zhongli was impressed to see the babies already wander around. Humans rarely could pretend this, and then, not even two weeks around, started to discover the den, jumping on each other. They weren’t as bold as would be tiny foxes and would always need the comfort of their mama, however. Ajax wouldn’t let them go outside before the end of Winter or maybe the start of the Spring. At this period of the year, some couples might have tried to form themselves, but Snezhnaya was so ruthless this year, only the bolder would try this… Or perhaps the forged couple who waited a bit more to create a family.

Zhongli might not be in his advantage in Snezhnaya, he didn’t loath his mission of going outside to bring one or the other thing. For all Ajax provided. Maybe Zhongli braved the coldness to gather the wood, but Ajax made the fire to bring comfort in this little den of them; perhaps Zhongli walked to the river, dragging water from it, boiled it and installed them into big jar made of geo elements but Ajax was the one making delicious meals. As much, mayhap Zhongli was the one who defied the frostbite, but the delicious fragrance feeling the den, he could only owe them to Ajax. And he was doing this while taking care of the babies?! He even had prepared little clothes for them with the skin of a deer Zhongli hunted down the second day.

And today…

“Would this be enough?”

Ajax let out a little impressed yelp as he saw the big bear carcass thrown next to him. How Zhongli even managed to make it passes the hole of the den?

There was many things Zhongli hide Ajax, and Ajax was intrigued.

“So many meat! I’ll conser…”

“No,” Zhongli firmly said.

“It’s not for us?” Ajax asked with a pout.

“It is, but let me do. I’ll chop the meat to pieces, will conserve them in the cold. I’ll clean the bones, and will make toys for the babies with it.” Ajax caressed the little heads at the mention. “I’ll also try to clean the fur so we can have warm cover. You shake every night.”

“I’m used to it,” Ajax dismissed. “The babies are fine, it’s what matter.”

Zhongli sighed.

Ajax was used to be independent, and he honestly believed it was a big part of the charm of him, but he also needed to rest and took care of the babies.

“I will take care of this myself and you and the babies will have a blanket this night,” Zhongli announced.

“I was thinking…” Ajax leaned over the pot made in compressed earth. A delicious stew of boiled snow, remaining of deer, potatoes saved from a field not far away, and some broccoli. It wasn’t the best but would be delicious with the bread Ajax made this morning. Zhongli had brought gallons of flour and salt, then it wasn’t this hard to prepare side dishes. And Zhongli had to recognize he rarely had so odd and yet tasteful meal before. “I can’t keep calling the babies ‘babies’, isn’t it? They need a name.”

“Obviously,” Zhongli said. “What have you thought?”

“And you?” Ajax asked. “Is there any name you like?”

“Me?” Zhongli repeated.

“You,” Ajax said.

As the little boy pulled away, Ajax caressed his head then pulled up his tank’s strap with a light shiver. Zhongli thought he should quickly do this blanket but, for now, he removed his coat to wrap it around Ajax’s shoulders.

“Hm… What about…” Zhongli knew Ajax had an old name from those lands of Enkonomiya now lost. And he also knew Ajax loved flowers more than he pretended it, because he wanted to fight, not to gaze upon flowers. Zhongli wanted to shower him with flowers and prove him there was still some good in beauty and tenderness, especially because fighting was too hard and destructive. “Antonia,” he said.

“Anton and Tonia?” Ajax repeated. Zhongli opened the mouth to correct him, but Ajax was already hugging his babies. “This is adorable! Tonia and Anton then!! You’ve heard the pretty name da…” Ajax blushed and cleared his throat. “Mister Zhongli found you?” he corrected himself.

Zhongli stared.

Daddy?

Was he about to say ‘daddy’? He wanted to ask but…

“Sorry,” Ajax mumbled. “Usually, the one who provide food like this is the father, and I…”

“I don’t mind being their father if you want to,” Zhongli eagerly said.

Ajax let out a chuckle. Very nervous. “I didn’t mean to make you be their father. It was just… a slip.” Ajax caressed the head of Tonia snuggling against him for now. Anthon was more a snuggle baby, Tonia loved to explore the den. “I don’t want to force you to stay with them… us,” he said under his breath. “I don’t even know why you are here. You’re not from Snezhnaya isn’t it?”

“Indeed,” Zhongli replied.

“I knew it. Lizards can’t survive here. But what… and why?”

“I’m a Dragon…”

Ajax’s eyes widened. “Can Dragon survive in the cold? And…”

“And half a Qilin.”

Ajax pressed his lips together. “And so… can Qilin survive in the cold?”

Zhongli let out a light laugh. “Yes. It’s a creature along the kind of deer or horse.”

“Was it bad to eat deer? I wouldn’t want the babies to eat their father?”

“It should be fine,” Zhongli said with an endeared laugh. “Most of Qilin don’t eat meat, barely swallow other thing that flowers about to pass out or grain, but due to my Dragon nature, it never had been a problem for me. And I swallowed my share of deer and horse, don’t worry. As for the reasons bringing me here… I’m coming from Liyue. I am…” Zhongli wondered if he could say it to him. While he grew fond of that little fox, he never knew what danger could lie behind a pretty smile. “Our land is seeing the weather perfectly warm since so long.”

“Is it bad?” Ajax wondered. “Here, it’s mostly cold all the time, so I can’t imagine…”

“Indeed, this is worse than one can imagine. Without the snow, our river don’t get filled with clear and new water, so we can’t cultivate nor drink; the temperature, due to the lack of coldness, has been rising and rising until the fruits, vegetables and feculent such as rice we used to grow are having hard time to simply survive, more again to offer a quantity decent for the population to feed on. The warmth is slowly changing into intense heat and heatwave… This is the reason why I came here, to Snezhnaya.” Zhongli sat next to Ajax and smiled as Tonia moved away from her mama to come to him. Maybe they really believed him as their father. “I wanted to ask the Tsaritsa to cast a Winter upon Liyue, and, perhaps, safe it. I was ready to face the wintry weather and its freezing frog, but when I arrived here…”

“We are living a colder time than before,” Ajax said. “None of us expected that. Usually, we could survive in the towns or in dens… but dens ended up being filled and there was no place for anyone anymore. Perhaps Snezhnaya could use Liyue’s weather,” he added with a light smile.

“Perhaps,” Zhongli replied. “But Snezhnaya seems to do very well so far. I will make sure to repay such favour to the Tsaritsa, however, if she accesses to my request.”

“This sounds like a nice request.” Ajax pinched his lips together. “To be honest… I am… a Harbinger of the Tsaritsa?” he whispered. “When the cold season will be over, I can introduce you to her?”

Zhongli was first tempted to brush the offer away. He didn’t need the help of a Harbinger, his sole status of Archon would allow him all the audience he needed, but brushing this offer away was brushing some more precious moment with the mama and those babies.

“I’d love it, thank you so much, Ajax.” He frowned. “Ah… Perhaps you go by a different name, then.”

“Oh… Yes, I… I didn’t think about that.” Ajax sighed. Due to pregnancy, and when his belly became too big to allow him to fight efficiently, he had been allowed to take a few rests. For a moment, he was Ajax again. He didn’t thought one second when he gave his name, in the throes of agony, of birthing, and he started to feel grow fond of those lips uttering his name. No one ever pronounced it since the Tsaritsa ripped it away from him. “Tartaglia, or Childe… but you can keep using ‘Ajax’ if you want to.” He grinned.

“Thank you so much.”

Suddenly, the coldest season Snezhnaya never had to undergo passed to ‘horribly too long’ to ‘sadly too short’.

Ajax looked at Zhongli, holding the little Tonia in his strong arms, smiling to her. She was keen, vivacious, and they would find her back trying to run away from the den so often, Zhongli had to catch her once or twice out of it. She had to be wrapped in their love and warmth to survive.

But would any of them complain?

Due to her hybrid nature, just like her brother, she was more resourceful than most of Human’s babies. At the age of almost three months, she appeared more like a one year baby. Her brother was a bit more sedentary, loving to stay in the bosom of his mama, staying there for so long, but he was wily as well when needing. Their fur had turned of a beautiful bright fur and they could walk on their four but it was so much better to be snuggled in their parents embrace.

From now, as they could run away from danger, they would slowly decrease in matter of growth and they would meet the average Human kind.

Ajax could still remember how he was the best baby of the nursery, but at the age of five, he had resumed to a shy boy who didn’t dare to do anything and would hurl himself in the skirts of his mother.

That was… before everything.

He didn’t know what would happen for the babies, however, but he was excited to see them grow. And on the other hand… also annoyed. He didn’t want his babies to grow fast! He didn’t want to let them leave… He didn’t want them to leave, just like their father.

“Here we are!” Ajax said, with a yet, happy tone. “I’m getting back my baby now!”

“Oh!” Zhongli let out. “Obviously, my apologies.” He leaned to install Tonia in her mama’s arms. He pressed a kiss on her little forehead through the chestnut hair taking some ginger hues under the bright sky. He leaned in to press a kiss on Anthon, snuggled in the embrace of the mama, sleeping softly. They were both just two mini-Ajax. So adorable… “Will it be fine for you?”

Ajax nodded. “Don’t worry.”

“Can you take care of them while doing your Harbinger work?”

New nod. “Don’t worry. Now that the weather is less cold, I may be able to hunt myself, and to have a good shelter somewhere. Beside, I’ll soon resume to my Harbinger work, so I guess I can have a chamber here or something. Perhaps a chamber here… so you wouldn’t have to search after the babies everywhere if you want to see them again.” He pinched his lips. His heart hurt so much. “You would like to see them again… right?”

“Yes,” Zhongli eagerly said. “I will also send you letter, and present for them.”

“Oh! This is sweet!” Ajax said with a laugh.

It hurt so much.

He was about to cry.

Zhongli watched at him with an evident despair. Ajax was throwing him away… He had expected they could find a way to stay together. He would have said it was for the good of the babies, and if he did believe this, it was also for the peace of his heart. He fell. He fell hard for this mama. They snuggled, cooked together, laughed, shared fragments of their past, worried together for the babies, elated for the babies as they moved for the first time. Zhongli would help Ajax to hold the den clean; Ajax would help Zhongli in return… he still remembered when the wounded deer ripped open his side, and Ajax healed him with care and tenderness.

That day, he was about to lean in, cup his face, beg for a kiss… but Tonia jumping on her mama’s lap reminded Zhongli he was just the man who allowed Ajax to shelter himself.

He was just the father of the babies because he took the father’s role.

He may as well be forgotten if not erased in a few days.

“I’m leaving then,” Zhongli forced himself to utter. He leaned on the babies once again to kiss their little hands, caress a little ear or a cheek. “Baba loves you a lot,” he said to them.

He watched at Ajax, and saw the eyes so dead shining.

Probably a reflect of the snow, but he wanted to believe Ajax was about to cry because of their paths parting from each other.

Ajax wanted to beg him to stay. He could say ‘don’t abandon your babies!’ when he truly didn’t want Zhongli to abandon him. But Zhongli only stayed for he was a good man, for the babies, perhaps…

Zhongli stayed because Ajax needed someone to help him hunt as he couldn’t leave the babies alone, and it was just warmer when he was there. He forced him to take the role of father, throwing it at his face because of instincts and Zhongli was probably too glad to rip off it. He was too nice to say otherwise…

But Ajax still remembered that day, when Zhongli came back from hunting, his waist bleeding. He said it was nothing, and Ajax didn’t care. He knew what it was to get his side ripped off. He still wore the flaring mark of it. He immediately started to heal him, afraid to lose him, and at second, a divine second he still cherished, he believed Zhongli would lean on him, kiss him… Tonia jumped on his lap, and he took care of her, of course, the instant after… everything was back to normal.

It was just a dream.

And he realized, having a little family with Zhongli was just a dream.

He would blame his new mother-instincts, hope the need vanish in time, and he would make himself a reason, not suffer anymore from the cruelty of being alone, being without Zhongli…

His lips whispered ‘goodbye’ but what he truly wished, was his lips to be kissed…

Pushing the door open, a basket with two babies sleeping in on his shoulder, the fox looked at the room that had been left alone for so many weeks. The smell from it attacked his vulpine sense, and he thoughts his primal instincts not to hiss at the air and dust…

He would need to make a bit of cleaning…

But that was a chance for him: he loved to clean.

“Well, well,” he said to himself, “ready to be Tartaglia again.”

Sometimes, as he was the only Hybrid amongst the Harbinger–he had long thought Pulcinella was an actual rooster for the man really mollycoddled him, but he was his Mother Hen, and nothing more–he sometimes would call himself Foxtaglia, because he found that funny… but it only reflected over him how lonely he was.

There was Hybrids amongst Fatui, but it wasn’t the same things. With the dominant gene in the Hybrid being held by the one with the womb, it had been a fluke for him to be an adorable little fox. But this strained his soul even more. Even if he had two brothers and one sister, he was the only Hybrid. He thought it would make him be closer from his father, but it only brought resent within his siblings.

Foxtaglia was a really cute name, but it had to have the same effect that the smile on his pretty lips.

A net under him to catch him if he fell from the tightrope of the fake happiness.

Tartaglia did have someone to look over now. He leaned over the basket and pressed a kiss on a cheek on each baby, his ears twitching with delight.

He would make this room the prettiest for the babies!

Motivated, Tartaglia started to clean and tidy, remove the overpowering smell of closed, chase away the spiders, remove the dust and webs, and start to think about what kind of meal he could offer himself.

The babies would still drink his meal, of course.

They started to get interested to meat, so he might make a bit of mush for them. To see!

Tartaglia was in the middle of his cleaning, his long tail sweeping the dust from the little furniture he had while he would use a duster for the plinths and other top of wardrobe, tapping the curtains with his hand, when he heard knocks at the door.

Hm?

What could it be?

He wasn’t used to get visit, but on the other hand, he had been absent for almost six months, and he was one of the best and most faithful vanguard of the Tsaritsa.

She might need him.

He walked to the door, a white bandana with the Harbinger symbol pushing and hiding his ears–but most important protecting the poor ears from the dust.

“Yes! What can I do for y…”

“Your Excellency,” Morax bowed, displaying his Adeptus nature–horns and tail, scales and claws and fangs–as a respect for her. This was the same reason he walked in Snezhnaya in these features making him pass for a Hybrid. He didn’t expect to lose three months in a den. “I really appreciate your help. Liyue is in your debt.”

“I do hope,” she answered. “I may need the help of the God of Contracts one day. But you cannot make the snow melt, nor warmth my people. What could you do to help us in return?”

“I could try to convince Murata for you, and would be in her debt without you needing this. I could create habitations as you need. None of my Adepti truly knows the art of fire, but I can ask some of them… perhaps could they find a solution that still is away from my grasp…”

“Very well then,” the Tsaritsa answered. “Should I take it as a Contract?”

“If this is what you desire. If you want to, consider you can ask me one vow. Whatever it is. I will fulfil my part of the Contract.”

“This is interesting,” she replied. “Empire may have fallen for less than this. Do you know what kind of game you are playing?”

Morax nodded.

She smiled more.

Having the God of the Contracts at the other side of such arrangement… having Liyue in the palm of her hand.

“You may leave,” she said. “I am glad to do a deal with the God of Commerce, I feel like I won’t regret it.”

“You won’t,” Morax replied. He bowed once again. In another place, another day, she would be the one bowing in front of his magnificence and age, his power and his wrath fighting his calm. But today, he was in her Nation, in her room, and he was glad to bow in front of her. “However…” he stopped himself before leaving.

She glanced at him, intrigued.

“Yes?” she said.

“I wondered if I could ask you… let’s say, a second favour.”

Her frown furrowed. “What could Morax want more…?”

Tartaglia glanced at the bed where he had installed the basket of babies–with a kind of thin net over it so they wouldn’t suffer the dust or worse–as he opened the door. This could be a terrible move, offer his weak spot to a potential opponent but it was without counting how apt he was. There was very little blows that could reach him before he would stop it. And if he couldn’t stop this blow… Then, that would be his mistake.

“Yes! What can I do for y…”

He hiccupped as he turned the head to the entrance.

It couldn’t be…

Why?

He tried to calm himself. It was useless to come to conclusion before he would know. His heart was racing, but…

“Hello.”

“Hello,” Tartaglia replied.

He wanted to jump on his embrace now and coo a soft ‘you stayed for me’, but there was no love between them, just two strangers sharing a den… Perhaps, if he really came back ‘for him’, he then came back rather for the babies.

He would still love him dearly for that.

“Zhongli! What a nice surprise! Did you want to say goodbye to the babies before…”

“I wanted to see you,” he interrupted. Tartaglia’s breath stopped. He stared at him with the hope that the next sentence would be life-saving. “I asked the Tsaritsa if she would consider accepting a Diplomat from Liyue here.”

“Oh…” Of course. Zhongli probably wanted him to take care of that Diplomat. “I suppose she would.”

“She accepted,” Zhongli approved.

“That’s a great thing! If you need help to welcome the Diplomat, I’ll be delighted to help you with that!” Tartaglia said with a soft purr.

“The fact you’re offering this,” Zhongli gently said. “Would you allow this Diplomat to live with you?”

Tartaglia glanced at the babies more than the room.

“It’s a bit… Tonia and Anthon…” he started to answer, confusedly.

Zhongli let out a chuckle that warmed Tartaglia’s inside more than he was willing to recognize it…

“Would you consider it, if it was me?”

“YES!”

Tartaglia pressed his hand against his mouth as if he could swallow back the spurt out, and blushed, the tail between the legs, the ears back along his head as Zhongli chuckled again.

Zhongli leaned over him, his hand at a few centimetres from his cheek; his forehead at a few centimetres of his forehead.

“May I?” he asked.

“Kiss me?” Tartaglia asked, pulling away his hand. His ears wriggled with excitation.

“Touch you,” Zhongli corrected. “But I can kiss you too, if this is your desire.”

“Touch me, kiss me, do me everything you want to!!” Tartaglia eagerly invited.

The chuckle warmed him again. “Let’s take our time… No rush. I have the firm intention to spend many more months by your side, if you still want me.”

The fox purred as an answer, and he smiled as the hand touched his cheek, as their forehead met. And he gave him his lips with the burning need to finally feel those lips against his…

“Mama! Mama! Look!”

Tonia dashed towards a white rabbit trying to merge with the snow to eat some meagre herbs they found, by luck.

“No!”

Tartaglia grasped the little girl before she could jump on the rabbit. She let out a confused shriek, and the little beast ran away with a slap of their paws.

“But Mama!”

“We said you will first learn how to hunt!” Tartaglia reminded.

“But…”

She sighed. She had waited this day so much… They had waited in the den for so many months, having to watch as mama came out to go to work everyday and worrying he wouldn’t come back from the snowstorm–it was actually mere falling snow, but the little ones never tried to peak out in the cold season before this year–and now they finally reached the promise time… The time where the snow was still fresh but started to be covered by a thin layer of ice. Just enough to walk around without littles foxes to be swallowed by the snow.

They were still too young to know how to be light as a feather.

They were still too young to know how to hunt…

But Tonia had been looking forwards to hunt since so many months. She wanted to bring back a bunny to her mama. He fed her for so many years, she wanted to give it back now! And she wanted her mama to be extra proud of her.

“Look!”

Tonia pulled away, launched herself and jumped in the air. Her arms against her body, the impulsion threw her head right into the snow… and there was only the legs appearing now. She moves them quickly, trying to free herself from the snow, but she was blocked! She let out a shriek smothered by the snow as Anthon, next to her, tried as well. He launched himself, jumped in the air, and moved his arms to protect himself. The elbows broke the thin ice and his glasses flew a few meters away.

Tartaglia softly laughed as he came to them, grabbing the glasses to put them back on Anthon’s face as he laid a soft kiss on the reddening nose, and then he grabbed Tonia by her pants to take her out. Tonia shook her head, making fly snow as she was pouting.

“So!” Tartaglia smirked. “First, we’ll learn!”

Both of them had their ears down.

“This isn’t fun,” Tonia protested.

“Now, now!” Tartaglia replied. He got up and stepped away. He was about to ready himself to jump and show the technic, his tail slightly waving, when he noticed something. He smiled. “Look at this! We have some guests!”

Zhongli smiled with tenderness, holding in his arms a little boy looking exactly like his beloved. From the chestnut hair to the bright blue eyes without forgetting the little ears, the fluffy tails and those myriads of smoochable freckles over the pale skin.

Their little Teucer…

Tartaglia ran to them although Tonia called him back with despair. He leaned in to press a kiss on one of the round cheeks, then moved up and offered his lips to receive a gentle kiss on his lips. He purred with delight under the soft attention.

“Go, my Love,” Zhongli whispered, “our babies are waiting for you.”

“Yes,” Tartaglia said, “but I still can have a bit of time for my beloved husband.”

His tail wrapped Zhongli’s legs, and his ears twitched with delight as Zhongli laid kisses on his throat as a retaliation.

The weather was so cold, and his extremities were definitely reddening under the harsh wind, but those kisses warmed his skin and his heart.

“I have all the night to love you,” Zhongli said tenderly.

“This looks like a promise,” Tartaglia cooed. He leaned in to kiss Teucer’s nose. “Okay! Take care of our baby,” he requested.

“Naturally.”

Teucer wriggled in the arms of his baba as his mama dashed back to his siblings to teach them the technic of hunting.

“No, no, little guy,” Zhongli said.

He might not hold Teucer as hard as he could. If he wanted to hold him tight, he would, but Teucer would probably cry and call his mama.

He decided not to hold him tighter and let him wriggle, the tail waving in the air, and the little fists closed tight.  He let out a little yelp then managed to slither through the warm coat and fell on the floor as the mama showed another posture. Teucer glanced at his baba and made a try at his feet.

Zhongli chuckled and grabbed him to install him back on his feet, dusting away the snow from his hair.

“Look!” he gentle said.

Teucer looked up to see his mama showing the gesture again, then run away. Teucer had to be hold back as he wanted to dash after in. He could feel the fluffy tail wriggle against him, and also see Tonia and Anthon’s tail wave as they waited for their mama to show again, and, more specifically, to hunt down a prey.

Tartaglia was extremely focused, his bright fur taking Sun-like hues with the light taking on the snow and echoing on him. He was framed, wrapped with those golden hues, and Zhongli couldn’t help smiling thinking that this beauty was his sun for so many years now.

It was a mere accident.

It was the blessing of his too long life.

He couldn’t help a chuckle as he saw Tartaglia jump and land in the snow, only his fluffy tail coming out for a moment, and then he came out, victorious, a vole in his mouth. He threw it on the snow, blood spot contrasting against it. The critter still moved thought, it was only knocked down.

“Come, come,” Tartaglia invited to his babies.

Tonia launched herself in. Anthon followed, but less excited. He let out a little yelp when he saw the little rodent. Before he could decide himself, his sister already performed the hunt move, and a little squeak echoed in the plain.

“Congrats!!” Tartaglia said, bringing her in his embrace to kiss her little face.

She laughed.

Anthon pouted because he would have loved to get the hugs and love too, but killing that critter suddenly frightened him. He wasn’t sure he would ever be made for that.

His pouting face was pulled by two loving hands, and kisses landed on his freckles.

“You did great too!” Tartaglia said.

A little yelp echoed, and Tartaglia didn’t have the time to look away, pull away, that a little fox jumped on him. Anthon let out a scream as he fell in the snow, and before he could move away, Tonia jumped–or rather performed the hunt again–on her mama. If said mama first protected the two little boys–you never know–he grasped her in his embrace and rolled with them.

Zhongli couldn’t help a smile as he watched at his precious little fox family, the blessing of his life… He never regretted to come to Snezhnaya to ask Tsaritsa to save Liyue, he certainly didn’t regret to have decided to stay here instead of heading back for Liyue.

Before them, Liyue was his life, his duty, his love… but also his burden.

Now, Liyue was different, for… every six months, when the time for more clement, they would head back to Liyue, all of them. Tartaglia would turn into a diplomat, work for the Tsaritsa, and make sure to bring winter with him so Liyue would never suffer the heat waves that almost destroyed it to ashes. Being Liyue’s Archon became a pleasure again, an honour, and if he had this persona, working in the shadow, he was also so glad to preen around with the most beautiful foxes of all Teyvat.

It was in Liyue, that, one day, Tartaglia–his little Ajax–jumped on the bed, and grasped his hands to press them on his belly, tears in his eyes. Zhongli had first worried. Was their love so beautiful Celestia would steal this away from them? Steal his beautiful wife?

Then, he saw the smile.

‘Do you feel it?’ he had whispered, ‘Us.’

Pregnant…

Ajax was pregnant of their baby.

A little one unexpected, but not fully undesired. Zhongli had loved to be the male to take care of those Heats, and turn the despair of a fox searching anyone that would fulfil the order of nature to some beautiful instant of love and fusion. And this baby was their baby.

Ajax fell on his den, one day where he wondered if he would ever come back to Liyue, and while being the bearer of Winter, he made blossom love and life in his heart. Zhongli also knew he provided trust and love to a fox who felt alone, insignificant, who believed fighting or being a mama for his babies was his sole goal in life.

Now, they have a goal.

They have something to look for…

And they have the eternity to love each other and their little family…