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It was well past midnight when Childe showed up at Zhongli’s doorstep.
He had silently let him in, not commenting on the limp that followed as Childe stumbled his way into his living room, or the blood that was slowly seeping into his uniform trousers, spotting the dull grey like rust on an old blade.
Childe collapsed onto the living room couch, careful enough to leave his bleeding leg a safe distance away from the fancy silk draping and fine cotton as sounds of porcelain clinking and the smell of osmanthus and oolong wafted into the air.
“Thank you” Childe croaked out as Zhongli set down the tea tray on the counter before him.
“Think nothing of it” Zhongli brought a steaming teacup to his lips, a hand making its way to the small of his back to prop him up. “Rest your leg, the couch can be cleaned”
“Ever perceptive Mr. Zhongli,” Childe laughed, a little mirthless, “indulge me, won't you? I even cleaned myself up a little before coming here to not drip blood all over your nice floor”
Zhongli’s eyebrows creased at that, “ugh… not funny? I thought the delivery wasn't bad honestly”
“Childe” Zhongli began, a long lecture on the tip of his tongue, “Yes, yes, I get it Zhongli, ‘this is no laughing matter’, and ‘you should think more about your safety if you are to be a proper warrior’ I’ve heard it all at least a thousand times each from you already”
Zhongli sighed, setting his lips in a thin line, “Then may I at least inquire how this happened?”
Childe looked away, reluctantly mumbling something under his breath, “What was that?”
Childe pouted petulantly, raising his voice a little, “... the new domain in the Chasm… and the… the ruin grader”
“What?” Zhongli’s eyes widened, and Childe could feel the overbearing, micromanaging parent that was Rex Lapis returning to his lover even in his retirement.
Childe rushed to his own defence, “I mean come on it's a small enclosed area and it has really long arms” Zhongli stared back, unimpressed, “what? It was already almost falling apart. You really want me to run away when I could just finish it off right there?”
“... was it the spinning attack.”
“Haha Mr. Zhongli you have to be clearer, ruin graders do a lot of spinning–”
“Ajax.”
“Okay okay yes the spinning attack.”
Zhongli sighed, a long suffering, drawn out one as he massaged between his eyes, “it's nothing I swear!” Childe tried, “well, nothing I can’t handle that's for sure”
“Ajax you fractured a bone and you'd be bleeding all over the place if you didn’t suffocate your shin with that poorly tied tourniquet.”
“Hey! Rude much, I learned this from Dottore, it actually really helps to stem the blood loss–”
“Childe…” Zhongli all but whined.
“I've had worse in my time with the Fatui.” Childe waved dismissively
"Childe, this recklessness cannot persist" Zhongli pushed once more after a period of silence, eyebrows set in a severe line.
Childe’s eyes widened momentarily before he quickly schooled his expression once more “Come on Zhongli, I'm a Harbinger, it's part of the job description," he scoffed in response, offering Zhongli a crooked smile, "besides, it's an honour to die in service of the Tsaritsa."
"You might view yourself as expendable, but spare a thought for those who don't" Zhongli countered once again, voice softening towards the end as his hand caught Childe's wrist.
Childe narrowed his eyes, voice carrying a slight sneer “I thought you of all people would understand” he clicked his tongue “I guess I was wrong”. Zhongli flinched a little at that, expression faltering ever so slightly, but enough to make regret immediately pang in the Harbinger’s chest.
"...I appreciate it. I really do" Childe offered, sighing, after a silence fell over them, "but you'd be hard pressed to find someone who'd actually miss me,"
"And don't try to say anything about my family" Zhongli was cut off curtly before he could begin his protest, "they were happy to send me off to the fatui and be done with me, I'm sure they wouldn't mind a more permanent arrangement." Childe spoke, the tightness in his voice betraying his tenuous emotion.
Zhongli spent a long moment searching Childe's face, making new freckles from the holes he bore with his intense gaze. Childe swallowed harshly as Zhongli brought his hand up to his chest, "Then what about me, Ajax?" he tried, desperation seeping through the cracks in his control and golden eyes pleading.
"Zhongli," Childe loosed a small laugh, "I'm just a mortal coveting a moment of your eternity,'' Childe smiled with none of the bitterness he should have done so with, catching Zhongli off guard. "You witnessed the birth and death of generations of gods, and withstood it all," Childe paused, the hand in Zhongli's steady hold moving to trace across his cheekbones, "you'll withstand me too."
Zhongli watched silently as Childe gently removed himself from his hold, his own grip slowly loosening, helpless in another display of unfathomable humanity. Absently, he moved to at least steady Childe as he walked, the gaping gash and the fracture on his shin only barely remedied by a makeshift splint and tourniquet.
At least Ajax had allowed him this much, to tend to his wounds silently as they both stewed in their own melancholy. He rebandaged Ajax’s shin and replaced the too-tight tourniquet with what little healing arts he had learned from Ping to stop the bleeding and right the bone before placing it in a proper cast. Ajax was dutifully avoiding eye contact, head turned to perpetually stare into Zhongli’s pantry, occasionally gritting his teeth and hissing from the pain.
Even when Zhongli was done, they stayed like that, silent, with his hands placed protectively over Ajax’s shin, as if that would somehow make it heal faster, and Ajax’s head still resolutely turned, arms crossed even as he began to doze off.
“I’m sorry,” Zhongli said into the fading moonlight, moving to plant a kiss on his lover’s forehead, before finally getting up to prepare breakfast. Ajax stirred in his sleep, eyebrows knitting even as he resolutely kept his eyes shut.