Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This was the Traveler’s fault. 

It was their idea to invite Childe for a spar anyway. It was their fault why Childe accidentally hit the leyline monolith, minding its own damn business, with a hydro whale attack instantly destroying it, causing a massive elemental explosion. 

“Even if I didn’t dodge, you would’ve still hit it.”

And it was certainly their fault why they were now running back to Liyue Harbor with an unconscious little girl on his arms, after finding said girl in the middle of the crater after the dust around them had settled. 

“Keep telling yourself that.” Paimon said with a straight face, “Paimon still thinks this is your fault for getting carried away.”

—

“Nothing seems to be quite wrong with her.” Baizhu said after examining the girl. “No visible injuries and her vitals are stable. She appears to be… asleep. Might as well just let her rest and wait for her to wake up.”

Childe guessed they had no choice but to wait until she wakes up to ask about where her parents were and how she ended up near the monolith in the first place. He inspected the girl closely. She had long chocolate brown hair with golden tips. Her face looked strangely familiar as well. Had he seen this kid before?

When the girl finally opened her eyes, Childe was met with a startlingly sharp, beautiful blue eyes. 

—

The girl immediately zeroed in on Childe, “Papa!” And then jumped out of bed and gave Childe a tight hug. 

Stunned silence. 

“WHAT!?” Paimon’s voice broke Childe from his stupor.

“Huh, who would’ve thought you’d have a cute kid?” Traveler started laughing at Childe’s face. 

“No! No! No! No! I— I don’t have a kid!” Childe yelled. Besides, the only person he ever had sex with was… he shook his head. The point was, this kid might actually have sustained an injury in the head or something if she was confusing him with her father. 

Childe gently pulled away from the girl and kneeled in front of her. He then ruffled her hair, similar to how he does it to his younger siblings. First thing first, “Can you tell me your name?”

The little girl looked at Childe, obviously confused about the question. “Papa, its me, your Mei-Mei!” She then gently placed a hand on his forehead, “Are you alright Papa? Are you sick?”

“Are you sure that thing is your father?” Traveler asked. Childe gave them a glare. 

Mei-Mei nodded, “Yup! He’s my Papa!”

—

The Traveler, Paimon and Childe then spent the rest of the day going round Liyue trying to find Mei’s parents or just someone who could recognize the girl, (much to the girl’s confusion and irritation), until they bump into a certain funeral consultant. 

Childe sighed. He haven’t seen Zhongli ever since that day when the ex-Archon gave his Gnosis. (And no Ekaterina, he wasn’t avoiding Zhongli at all!)

“Traveler, Paimon,” Zhongli looked at Childe, expression unreadable, “Tartaglia,” (Ah, so they were back to that, huh. Childe hides his disappointment), “It’s good to see all of you.”

Mei-Mei gasped out loud, eyes widening in surprise. She pulled her hand from Childe’s hold, ran towards Zhongli and gave the consultant a hug, “Baba!” 

The consultant stared at the girl in shock, then back at them, frowning. “I believe you have quite a story to tell me.”

—

Through a series of events and how little Meiling recounted her stories, her familiarity about Liyue, the adeptis and Zhongli’s closest friends and associates and even Childe’s own family in Snezhnaya, they eventually figured out that she was from the future. This little girl that looked so much like Zhongli, except for that blue eyes that was definitely from him was (will be) his daughter. 

His and Zhongli’s child! 

Childe’s little girl. 

Zhongli… Zhongli who could change and shift his body at his will. 

Wait.. he and Zhongli!? Were they together in Mei’s future? Does she know what and who her Baba was? Does she know what Childe was and what he does? If he had been an ordinary man, he wouldn’t have been able to wrap around all the information that was thrown at him. Still, he could feel the beginning of a migraine forming. 

—

Childe and Zhongli decided to live together temporarily (at least while Mei-Mei was still with them as they try to find a way to get their daughter back to her own time). The little girl had started to become upset and unconsolable when they parted ways. Mei-Mei had decided to go to her Baba (and no, he doesn’t feel disappointed that his daughter chose Zhongli over him!) so Childe had no choice but to move to Zhongli’s residence.

The ex-Archon’s house was surprisingly… homely. Childe would even describe it as warm and inviting. At the corner of the living room was a cabinet, where all the trinkets and shiny rocks he had bought for Zhongli before were arranged and displayed. 

“They’re all important to me after all.” Zhongli said when he noticed Childe staring at the collection. 

Childe felt his face heat up. 

—

Zhongli’s house had two bedrooms. They gave the second room for Mei-Mei. Childe and Zhongli shared the other. 

Childe thinks he won’t survive. Not when his brain started replaying the memories of what happened last time they first shared a bed. Zhongli lost in pleasure, making those sounds, begging for more…

Fuck. He’s an idiot. 

He wonders what Zhongli felt at the moment.

—

He does survive. Sleepless he might be, at least his dignity was intact. 

—

Their lives fell into a domestic routine. Mei-Mei’s laughter and happiness was infectious. Childe had never seen Zhongli so open and happy before even when the two of them were going on to those dates. The consultant’s stoic and cold expression seemed to melt off when with little Mei-Mei. 

As for his daughter, she was an intelligent girl. Wise beyond her age. Knowledgeable about many things. She was so much like Zhongli. Except for that stubborn streak and high energy that she definitely got from Childe. Unfortunately for Zhongli, she, like her Papa, loved seafood. Childe thought that was hilarious. 

Still, every time Childe looked at Zhongli and Mei-Mei together, his heart felt so full. He never would’ve thought domesticity was something he’d like. 

—

Childe was still Tsaritsa’s Harbinger despite it all and he was observant. He noticed that Mei-Mei preferred Zhongli’s company over him. She would always follow Zhongli around like a puppy to her mother. Gave her Baba all the hugs and the kisses. Asked to be carried by Zhongli. Asked for more bedtime stories from Zhongli until she fell asleep at night.

It wasn’t jealousy. She was their daughter after all. And children sometimes preferred one parent over the other parent. He himself preferred his mother and his siblings had their own preferences as well.

But…

Childe’s relationship with his parents, especially his own Father had been strained ever since he came back from the Abyss a changed person, becoming worst when he became Tsaritsa’s Harbinger. 

What if… what if he wasn’t a good father to little Mei-Mei at all in the future? 

— 

In a rare instance where Mei-Mei chose to be with Childe for the day, he asked her. He doesn’t know if it was appropriate to question a child about something like that. But he doubted he’d be able to sleep at night thinking about what kind of father he would turn out in the future. 

Mei-Mei gasped and gave Childe a warm embrace which he eagerly returned, “You’re the best Papa in the whole world!” She said, “You always bought me toys and pretty dresses and shiny rocks!”

Childe gave a weak chuckle at that. 

“You always read me bedtime stories! And cook yummy seafood! And— and I love you so much!” 

Oh. 

“I’m sorry if I made you feel like a bad Papa.” 

If Childe cried, then it was his and Mei-Mei’s secret. 

—

Little Mei-Mei became pensive ever since that day. Childe often caught his daughter staring longingly at Zhongli. Something was definitely amiss. 

“You know, if something’s wrong… you can tell me anything.” Childe told his daughter one day when she went with him to go shopping for supplies. He brought her daughter to rest and eat under a tree were there weren’t many people. Zhongli wasn’t able to come with them due to a meeting with a client. 

“You always have a sad face when you look at Baba.” Childe said as casually as he could. 

It was all the push needed to open the dam. Mei-Mei dropped the skewer she was eating and grabbed Childe by his sleeves. Tears had started to form at the corner of her blue eyes, “Papa…”

She whispered, “Baba he… Baba died when I was still a baby.”

Childe’s mind screeched to a halt. What…?

“I don’t remember him because I was still too little, but you and Aunt Ganyu always show me pictures of Baba and tell me stories about him. Aunt Hu Tao even has lots of funny pictures of Baba!” 

“What… what happened?” Zhongli dies. Zhongli… five thousand years old God, the oldest of the seven Archons, Prime of the Adepti… impossible. Even Tsaritsa was doubtful enough to be able to attain his Gnosis through sheer force and opted to make a contract with him instead. 

Unbelievable. 

But he knew Mei-Mei wasn’t lying either. 

“Aunt Ganyu said there was a great battle. And Baba protected everyone from bad people and monsters.” 

Zhongli died in a battle. Bad people and monsters? What did that meant? Where was Childe in all of those? And why was he not with Zhongli? Why was he not with his family?

Mei-Mei pulled on his sleeve once again, snapping him out of his thoughts, “You always looked so sad when we talk about Baba. Aunt Hu Tao told me that you and Baba love each other very  much.”

Childe had nothing to say to that. What could he say exactly? His daughter had been vague about what had happened. Maybe even she doesn’t know what truly happened. How do you even console a child for something like this?

Childe gave her a hug and Mei-Mei immediately tucked her head on his neck. 

“I want to go back home…” she said in-between sobs, “I know Papa is already worried sick about me.”

Childe huffed out a weak chuckle, “He most likely is.”

“But I want to be with Baba too… I miss him so much.”

 —

When they arrived home, Zhongli was already waiting for them. Table ready, dinner prepared. 

“Baba!” Childe let his daughter go and she immediately ran towards Zhongli, “Look at what Papa bought for me!”

Childe watched Mei-Mei and Zhongli. This was the future she deserved. Zhongli died in Mei-Mei’s time. Childe wasn’t able to protect him, protect his family. She mentioned his future self looked sad whenever they talked about her Baba.

Guilt. Regrets. Childe was sure of it. 

—

“Childe, are you alright? You were quiet the whole dinner.” Zhongli asked once they were inside their shared bedroom, “Did something happen?”

“Xiansheng, I—“

Childe wondered what else his future self was guilty of, what else he regretted. He thought about Zhongli. He will die protecting the people he loved so much. Perhaps the only thing the consultant regretted, was leaving behind Mei-Mei without a Baba. 

But what about Childe? Where was he in all of those? Childe wanted to protect those he loved too. And Zhongli… he wanted to protect him too because he—

“Xianxheng, I love you.” Childe said, heart pounding inside his chest. It doesn’t matter. He already said it. There was no backing out now.

“Childe…?” Zhongli stared at him with wide eyes. 

“I love you.” He repeated, “And honestly, I do understand why you had to deceive me like that. But I was just too angry and too embarrassed for looking like a fool to talk to you again.” His pride got the better of him.

“I would like to apologize as well. As I was bound to the contract with Tsaritsa. But know that my feelings for you are genuine.” Zhongli brushed his lips against Childe’s, “I love you too.”

—

Childe stared at Zhongli’s sleeping face and gently tucked a stray hair behind his ear. The parts where he had bitten Zhongli during their lovemaking had started to darken and bruise quite beautifully. 

The future was not set in stone and even if it was, stone can be broken. 

Childe will protect this.

—

The only thing he felt when the Traveler finally came back claiming that they had a way to fix the leyline monolith and bring Mei-Mei back to her own time was heartache. And watching Zhongli slump in deep dejection, Childe knew he felt the same way. 

He couldn’t even listen to what the Traveler was saying about how the Sacred Sakura tree in Inazuma was formed and, and… Childe’s thoughts was focused solely on his daughter. 

For Mei-Mei to go back to that future without his Baba. But he knew… he knew the Childe of that future would’ve started burning the world to be able to get his daughter back. 

Mei-Mei looked at her parents and cried, “I’ll miss you Papa… Baba!” 

Their daughter had chosen what she wanted for herself. 

She spent her last night between her parents, tucked in Zhongli’s embrace. 

—

Childe pushed the strands of hair on Mei-Mei’s face and dried the tears on her eyes, “I promise I’ll take care of Baba. No harm will come to him.”

Mei-Mei sniffled, “But… promise me something too Papa.” She said, “Please take care of yourself too. I want the two of you safe!”

Childe’s heart swelled with love, “I promise.”

“Pinky promise?”

He kissed the top of her hair, “You know how I am with pinky promises, right? I always make them happen.”

Mei-Mei kissed him on the cheek and gave her father a grin despite the tears, “Then it’s a contract! If you break your contract, you’ll suffer the wrath of the rock!”

—

Mei-Mei disappears in a bright golden light. 

Childe and Zhongli stayed behind even after the Traveler and Paimon bid them farewell. 

Zhongli sighed, “It will be a quiet home now that she’s gone.”

“Yeah…”

Their daughter was a ray of sunshine personified. She changed their lives, and Childe promised to change the future. 

A pinky promise. A contract with his daughter. 

Childe took Zhongli’s hand and intertwined his fingers with the other’s, “I’ll miss her too. But, I’m sure we’ll meet her again.”

“Hmm, indeed.” Zhongli gave Childe a quick kiss on the lips, “Shall we head back home?” 

Chapter Text

When Mei-Mei arrived home after playing outside with her friends the whole afternoon looking forlorn, Childe knew trouble was at hand. 

If someone made his daughter cry, oh, he’ll make them regret it.

“And what if it was other children?” Zhongli asked.

Well, Childe was definitely going to have some WORDS with their parents, he answered his husband. 

Childe scooped his daughter up, “What’s the matter princess?”

“Well, Lulu’s baba got her a storybook from Fontaine…”

If Childe’s daughter wanted a storybook from Fontaine, or from any other nation, he’d buy and give her one in a heartbeat. 

“We read the book it a while ago…” she continued, “And… and…”

“And…?”

Tears started to form at the corner of her eyes, as she let some of her adepti features appear. Two small amber colored horns materialized at the side of her head at the same time, a long brown scaly tail with a soft puff at the tips similar to Zhongli’s very own, wrapped around Childe’s arm like a snake. 

Childe wanted nothing more than to ease whatever problem his daughter was having.

“I don’t want to be a bad dragon and I don’t want to eat other people!” She shouted then tucked her head on the side of her father’s neck. 

“…Huh?”

—

Meiling then told him about what they had read about on the storybook. How the dragon kidnapped the princess, ate the people and reigned terror on the town until a brave prince slayed the dragon, saved the princess and the town. 

“But my Baba said dragons are friends and they protect the people!” She told her friends. 

“Not in Fontaine, they’re not. They have evil dragons that eat people!”

Then her friends started to role play the story and that had made her a lot more upset so she ran back home. 

—

Childe was scratching his head after his daughter recalled the events that afternoon. But at least, she looked calmer now.

“Is me and Dimi gonna eat people someday?” She asked in a small voice, looking at her father, worry evident on her eyes. 

Now, Childe knew he wasn’t a bad father at all, but THIS was Zhongli’s forte. He would know how to explain to their daughter about her own adepti heritage, how different and similar she (and her baby brother) was with other children her age in a way a child could easily understand. 

But Zhongli was currently asleep in their room after nursing their infant son. Dimitri had been fussy all night. He told Zhongli he’d take care of it, but his husband insisted that Childe just go back to sleep as the baby was probably just hungry again. Although, he was pretty sure Zhongli would definitely not mind to be awakened for this scenario.

No. He doesn’t want to bother his tired husband. Childe can do this. He had listened to Zhongli’s lessons about the nature of Liyue’s dragons to at least soothe his daughter’s concerns. 

“Baba is a dragon too… just like you and Dimi, isn’t he?”

She nodded.

“Liyue’s dragons are different from Fontaine’s. They’re… special!” Child said, “They’re very kind, very gentle and they protect the people they love.” He tapped Mei-Mei’s nose with his index finger, “Just like Baba, you and Dimi.”

Mei-Mei sighed, “I wish I have a storybook about dragons being friends with people.” 

“A storybook, huh…” The Traveler once mentioned making a story for the Yuheng so she’d pause being a raging workaholic for the Lantern Rite. Maybe…

—

One day, a handsome knight came across a large castle. He said, “Oh! This is the place the townsfolk where talking about! Now’s my chance to save the Princess and finally fight a worthy opponent!” So he bravely marched inside, sword on hand.

The castle was gorgeous and was decorated in gold and red, but was totally empty! With no other people on site to talk to, the knight continued his search inside and around the castle. When he finally reached the big courtyard, there it was… the dragon! It was finally the knight’s chance to fight it! But sadly, the large dragon was sleeping soundly and the knight thought it wasn’t very knightly of him if he attacked it while sleeping. 

The knight walked towards the sleeping dragon, “Hey! Mister Dragon! Wake up and let’s fight so I could save the princess!”

The dragon woke up with a big yawn and stretched its long body, “Oh, but Mister Knight, there are no princesses here, but…” The dragon glowed gold and when the bright light disappeared, there was a very beautiful prince on its place instead! The knight fell in love at first sight and decided to stay so that the dragon won’t be alone anymore. 

One night, the knight and the dragon noticed that the town was glowing orange… it was on fire and was being attacked! They quickly went to the town and defeated the bandits trying to burn the whole town down. 

And that was when the townsfolk realized that the dragon was actually really kind! They thanked the dragon and the knight for saving them all and haled them as heroes. 

—

“And that’s how the story goes!” Mei-Mei finished her story with a large grin on her face, blue eyes shining brightly. 

Zhongli chuckled and kissed his daughter on the forehead before tucking her in bed, “Its a beautiful tale, my dear. I’m sure your friend would love it.”

The girl beamed, “I hope so! Papa said its from Snezhnaya! I’m so excited to tell it to them tomorrow…. Do you think Dimi would love it too?”

“I’m sure he’ll love it as well.”

“Goodnight Baba, I love you.”

“Sweet dreams, I love you too, dear.”

—

“The Knight and The Dragon, hmm?” Zhongli sat beside Childe on their bed.

Childe rubbed the back of his neck feeling a little bit shy now that he heard his made up story from his daughter, “Ahahaha, I swear, I could’ve done better if there was more time.” His daughter did put him on quite a spot after all. 

Zhongli shook his head, “No need to be embarrassed, Ajax. It was very creative, in fact, I enjoyed it. You have a talent for storytelling.”

“Eh,” He shrugged, “I did something similar for my younger siblings when they were still little.” 

The two silently relaxed on their bed cuddling, enjoying their alone time and basking on each other’s presence.

Hmmm…

“So… for the story continuation… what if the knight and the dragon decided to make little princesses and princes, what do you say?”

Zhongli raised a brow.

“I’m just kidding!” 

Or was he?