Work Text:
The warm wind blew the strands of hair that had escaped from the clip holding her hair at the back of her head. She was sitting on one of the stones, somewhere high in the mountains, looking ahead at the spreading land. Beautiful green meadows were separated by high mountain peaks covered in some places with vegetation typical of this area.
From here she could clearly see the port city stretching over the sea. Oriental-style houses and sculptures have made Liyue Harbor a favorite destination for travelers and traders since the beginning of time.
However, the huge network of small streets running between smaller and larger buildings was treacherous. Several hundred years ago, when the capital of the region was a small, newly developing town, she knew all the streets and passages by heart. Now, looking at the size of the buildings, she was sure that navigating the streets was not as easy as she remembered. She smiled slightly when she thought about how many new arrivals were getting lost somewhere between Yujing Terrace and the port itself.
She laughed quietly. He had fantasies… no matter what. she sighed quietly, wrapping her arms around her knee, which she rested her cheek against.
In legends, Liyue Harbour was described as a city beloved by one of the seven gods, belonging to the Great Seven, who watched over the seven nations on the continent. Before the Archon War, Rex Lapis had brought his men to this place to establish what she was currently looking down upon.
Some inhabitants believed that the gods and their adepts lived among them, trying to blend in with the crowd and participate in their everyday life, thus maintaining a hard-won peace.
Liyue. A beautiful, peaceful and rich region. The homeland of mora, the currency used throughout the continent, delicious oriental food, poetry and short written forms.
shesmiled slightly to herself. It has been in various places on the continent for the last several hundred years. Her journey lasted so long that at some point she didn't know what exactly she was looking for and why she was traveling. However, it was here that she felt at home.
Despite the painful memories of Archon's war and the deaths of her close friends, Liyue's peace seemed soothing.
She wondered where he was. Rex Lapis, later called Morax, geo archon and god who created and cared for Liyue after he won the war.
"Beautifully." suddenly rang out next to her. She nodded. Only after a while did she tear her gaze away from the view and move it to the man standing next to her. She widened her eyes in surprise, recognizing him in an instant.
"Morax…!" she jumped up from her seat, not knowing how to greet him.
He looked down at her and smiled slightly embarrassed at hearing a name he hadn't used for hundreds of years. A name that brought back many too painful memories not only from his past but also from the history of the world itself.
"call me Zhongli, that's the name I use now." he sighed quietly, resigned, as if he knew that his previous names and titles would never leave him, no matter how hard he tried. There was something strange and mysterious in his amber eyes.
"I'm sorry, I just..." she tried to find the right words, but at that moment her head was as empty as a well located somewhere in the desert bordering Liyue, Sumeru. The man raised his hand, showing that the girl did not need to explain herself. He sat down on a rock and looked fondly at the city beneath them. She smiled slightly, observing his beautiful, calm, thoughtful face. At times he acted like a father watching his child grow up with pride. Without a word, she sat down next to them, trying to keep their distance so that they wouldn't feel uncomfortable in each other's company. Many thoughts were swirling in her head. Lots of questions, information, things she wanted to tell him and talk to him about. She always treated him as a man of reason, able to accurately comment on any information. Moreover, he knew how to listen. They hadn't seen each other for several hundred years, so she didn't know where to start. She nervously searched her head for anything that could start a conversation longer than just exchanging two sentences. The silence stretched on, broken only by the singing and screeching of birds. – you haven't been here for a long time. – he finally said without looking at her. An uncomfortable silence fell between the two beings again.
"you know… this and that…" she sighed embarrassed.
The conversation was clearly not going well. They sat speechless, just observing the sight before them. The girl focused her eyes on the birds flying over the city.
"a lot has changed here." she finally said quietly. "the city grew and became more beautiful."
"True?" he beamed in an instant. She sighed quietly to hide her amusement at his reaction. He truly treated this place as his greatest work and pride. She couldn't be surprised.
"I can show you around later. There are a few places you haven't seen because they were built after you left..." there was uncertainty in his voice.
"gladly." she nodded and finally looked at him.
Their eyes met for the second time that day. For a moment, she felt as if she had forgotten how to breathe. She turned her head, feeling her cheeks burning.
Zhongli laughed quietly, shaking his head, but after a while his face returned to a calm, thoughtful expression. He grabbed his chin with one hand. She saw it out of the corner of her eye.
He had to admit that he had changed a lot. He was much calmer than the Morax she knew from the Archon War. His body was completely covered as if he was afraid that anyone would see his skin marked with divine marks that were described in legends. She could put it down to age, but in reality neither he nor she aged in the normal way that humans do. Zhongli was sentenced to eternity.
" I'm glad you're back."
"after all, we have a contract… like all your adepts." she said uncertainly without looking at him.
The man let out a louder breath as if trying to hold back a quiet laugh.
I guess it's fair to say that the Contract was the most terrifying thing that could have been made in Liyue. Morax, a god of many names and titles, was the god of contracts. The contract was sacred, once concluded it was not subject to discussion, and breaking the rules was associated with divine punishment.
"do you want me to believe that you came back here just for this reason?" he asked, looking at her, amused. She avoided his gaze. "I know you too well."
She lifted her head and finally looked at him. Her cheeks were slightly pink. He smiled slightly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing more of her face. He had to admit that her skin was still as porcelain as he remembered. Despite many years of separation, not much has changed. She still had the same big gray eyes that saw him at his worst, the pink full lips that always matched his own so perfectly. He ran his thumb gently across her cheek as if he still couldn't believe that she was finally sitting next to him safe and sound. She sighed quietly, feeling his gesture and deciding to let go. She buried her face in his hand, closing her eyes. She felt the warmth of his skin through the brown cotton glove that covered his hand.
His heart was pounding against his ribs as, with some uncertainty, he leaned towards her and connected their lips in a gentle but tender kiss.
short bonus
"Would you like me to invite you for a pot of fresh tea?" he asked suddenly
“I heard what you did,” she said, setting a small tray filled with tea on the table in front of them. He looked at her, slightly surprised, over the edge of the porcelain. She sighed quietly with a slight smile." about the show you did.
He sighed quietly and set the porcelain on the table. He crossed his arms on his chest and lowered his head slightly in thought. She smiled as she watched him. She rested her head on her hand and stared at him for a moment.
"what did you want to achieve with this? - she asked. - I've heard many versions of events from people all over Liyue, but I want to hear from you what really happened.
"So you sat on your hands and watched Liyue being destroyed?" she looked at him in disbelief. He shook his head.
"It's not like that." he sighed. There was silence between the two adults. Zhongli reached into the jug and began pouring the amber liquid into small cups on the table. She thanked him with a grunt, reaching for hers. - I didn't abandon Liyue. Liyue is my greatest treasure and the apple of my eye. - she smiled. - I'm just... I'm old. I wanted to see if the people living in Liyue were capable of taking care of themselves. It was a test.
"I admit that this is your style" she sighed with a smile, staring at a small tea leaf floating on the top of the liquid. "I actually expected this."