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“So, you’ve never met the famous Iudex of Fontaine?” It’s the first question Childe asks after the dishes are set on the table.
Zhongli supposes it was inevitable given the course of their conversation. After all, it’s impossible to talk about Childe’s trip to Fontaine without mentioning that he was imprisoned in the Fortress of Meropide, and certainly, without thinking of the person who mercilessly sentenced him to such a fate.
Although this is a topic Zhongli would naturally prefer to avoid, the day has dawned sunny, the sky is beautiful — not as much as Childe, of course — and they’ve managed to get a good table shaded by the rooftops. After enjoying each other's warmth on this lazy morning, they bathed together, Childe made breakfast, and in exchange, Zhongli took him shopping at the Mingxing Jewelry and then brought him to the Wanmin Restaurant for lunch, choosing to spend some of his savings on a celebratory feast for their first Valentine’s Day together.
Since Childe had been traveling, Zhongli had been harboring endless longing for his beloved. Now that he’s right before him, Morax's mood is as bright as the lapis-colored gemstone that glitters on his ring finger, perfectly matching the noctilucous jade on Childe's left hand. The smell of freshly prepared food by Xiangling is formidable, and his boyfriend looks wonderful as always, his red hair tousling in the breeze, hickeys hidden under his collar, and the scent of Zhongli clinging to his skin.
There’s nothing Zhongli would prefer more than to spend time with the one he loves.
“It’s hard to explain...” He begins to speak, hoping the subject might be carried away by the wind or buried in the depths of the earth. “Let’s just say that, once, I saw him from afar, many centuries ago, on some occasion arranged by the destiny. But I never felt the urge to approach him or engage in a conversation.”
Childe is struggling so adorably with his chopsticks that it’s almost endearing. Compelled and amused, Zhongli lifts a piece of roasted pork from his plate and offers it toward his mouth.
A blush spreads across the harbinger’s cheeks softly, but he leans forward and bites the offered piece. Cute. Zhongli watches intently as his tongue flicks over his lips, licking away the excess honey that drips from one side.
“Why not? It’d be interesting to see you two meet.”
A frown appears between Zhongli's eyebrows.
“Interesting?”
Childe laughs nervously before responding:
“You know.” — He definitely doesn’t. “You two are, or at least were, hugely important figures in the governments of two equally important nations. The Iudex is also old and speaks in that refined way that sort of reminds me of you, Xiangsheng.”
“You think I'm old?” Zhongli says in a light, playfully hurt tone to make it clear it’s a joke. He's been the oldest of the Archons for too long to deny the fact.
“Do you prefer ‘ancient’? As archaic as the first rocks born beneath the earth? ”
“Should I take that as an insult?”
“More like a compliment.” Childe smiles, and Zhongli feels it’s all right to forgive him. “I’d say Xiangsheng has aged like fine wine.”
“Osmanthus wine, then. That comparison pleases me. Thank you, Ajax.”
The warmth in Zhongli’s voice as he expresses his thanks makes Childe avert his gaze, bashful, and they return to eating for a few moments, the silence filled only by the sound of chopsticks.
“Is it because he’s, like... hmm... some kind of ‘sea creature’?”
Zhongli pauses with his chenyu tea cup five centimeters from his lips, steam wafting up his face. He gazes at Childe with a touch of confusion mingled in his amber eyes.
“Pardon?”
“He’s the Hydro Sovereign Dragon, isn’t he? And you once told me you’re not a huge fan of sea creatures. It was when I made my favorite dish for us, remember?” Childe pouts “You turned down the chance to taste true Snezhnayan cuisine without a second thought.”
Zhongli laughs because Childe genuinely seemed somewhat hurt on that occasion, even though he had explained his reason carefully.
“Let's see...” He places his chopsticks over his half-finished rice bowl, contemplating. “We’re both dragons, and I suppose there is an instinctual rivalry. Something territorial, perhaps, though I wouldn’t like anyone else putting their hands on what’s mine.”
The final sentence is said with a possessiveness that sends a sudden chill down Childe’s spine. He swallows hard, taking a sip of tea to shake off the sensation. The liquid’s heat nearly burns his tongue.
“Is that why you avoided him last time? Because he put his hands on something that’s yours?”
“Oh?”
“The Traveler told me when we met,” Childe clears his throat, as if reluctant to reveal some implied information, “that you seemed to be avoiding Mr. Neuvillette on purpose at this year’s Lantern Rite.”
“Do you often ask the Traveler about me?”
Childe sounds embarrassed, but doesn’t hesitate to reply:
“Sometimes, when I miss you and can’t come to visit. Or when you simply forget to tell me about certain matters in the letters we exchange.”
“Dear, you can ask me everything.”
Terms of endearment are usually reserved for the bedroom, no secret Ajax likes them a lot.
“I know, Zhongli.” Zhongli strokes his cheek affectionately, not caring that they’re in public. And Ajax is warm even against the fabric of his gloves. “But I enjoy when you tell me. I like the tone of your voice and the refined way you speak. Basically, everything...”
The ex-Archon chuckles softly, though his heart skips a beat at seeing the soft blush on Childe’s face. It’s something so gentle and beautiful that Zhongli wants to protect it, keep it safe like a precious gem locked in a vault at the Northland Bank.
Sometimes, he forgets how naturally tender Childe can be, charming in the smallest of details, and needy as a parched land — constantly needing care and attention to flourish. Zhongli can be a dedicated gardener, however.
“Do you want to know why I avoided the Iudex of Fontaine? I can tell you, though it’s rather obvious given the... circumstances .”
Suddenly, Childe holds Zhongli's hand firmly enough for him to feel every scar on his skin; too many calluses for someone so young. His blue eyes have a seriousness that doesn’t quite fit the moment.
"Xiansheng, I've spent most of my life speaking with my fists. I was stupid enough to don't realize, for months, that you were courting me, even when you carved our initials into a rock and took me on a picnic with the Cloud Retainer.” His honest words bring another laugh from Zhongli. "So, no, I don’t know the reasons. But I’m more than eager to hear one of your stories.”
With a calm sigh, Morax leans back into his chair, resigning himself.
"Alright. Just don’t expect a long and complex story. It’s actually quite simple.”
"Go ahead.”
.
.
.
The clouds filled the sky like thick smoke, leaving not a single inch of space for stars to shine in that rainy night. Thunder rumbled, and raindrops hit Zhongli's apartment window like blunt blades, disturbing him from his reading more often than he would have liked. The steam from his tea and the warm yellow glow of the lamps brought him partial comfort, enough to let him immersed in his book.
Soon, the clock on the wall would strike eleven at night, and if it weren’t for a sudden, uneasy feeling in his chest, Zhongli would have been asleep about two hours ago.
At first, it all started as a faint strange sensation in his heart, an invisible knot in the back of his throat, barely noticeable, which quickly began to bother him more and more. The feeling lingered for days, present from work hours to the moment he woke up. Reluctantly, Zhongli concluded that it was a premonition of something bad happening.
He had only experienced such episodes rarely during his journey as an Archon — mysterious instincts detecting impending catastrophes — although nothing had ever been so enduring, making him question what could be so wrong when life continued normally, and everyone around him seemed fine.
Everyone, except… Ajax.
Ajax, who had been away from him for months and hadn’t even replied to his last postcard.
The worry grew so much within Zhongli — even while maintaining his calm and stoic demeanor day-to-day — that it caused him nightmares, and before long, the funeral consultant found himself losing sleep in the early morning, wondering where his boyfriend could be at that moment. The signed photo kept in his drawer, the clothes in the closet, and the ceramic mug Zhongli had gifted him for his birthday were the last remnants of Ajax besides the memory of his smiles and loving kisses.
The answer to Zhongli’s question arrived nearly a month later, along with the summer night storm. But instead of lightning and wet earth, it took the form of a young woman with white hair and lifeless eyes.
After the first knock on the door, the pungent smell of the abyss permeated the oxygen like a suddenly lit incense, putrid and typically cold.
The girl frowned at the exact moment Zhongli stepped onto the carpet and, in return, the man's gaze instantly traveled downwards, capturing the image of a fainted and injured Childe, being held by her only by his collar.
"Ajax!" Zhongli exclaimed, quickly kneeling down to reach Childe. He took his unconscious body in his arms, extremely worried, even before the woman made any move to say or act, standing in the same place and staring at him with a strange expression.
"You are Mr. Zhongli? Zhongli, the 'Xiangsheng'?" Her tone was calm and uninhibited of emotions, although Zhongli could detect a slight trace of disbelief.
He ignored her long enough to check Childe’s true condition. His bangs were cold with dried sweat, and dark circles were prominent beneath his eyes. Cuts littered his skin, neck, arms, and legs — as seen from the occasional rips in his clothes — in completely random patterns. It was impossible to tell what kind of blade or animal had done it. He smelled like the metallic odor that the forces of the abyss gave off, the kind of unique smell that permeated everything after a training session with the Foul Legacy — which Zhongli always insisted that shouldn't be used — and that only came off when Zhongli scrubbed Ajax’s body with a soft brush and swiped his sandalwood soap across his freckles. A laceration on the boy’s waist, where his Hydro Vision should have been, had stained his shirt red before began to clot on its own; but other than this and a few scattered bruises, Childe thankfully didn’t appear to be carrying any other mortal wounds. The cause of his fainting must have been exhaustion.
“What happened to him? Who are you?” With an accusing glare directed at the woman, Zhongli touched Childe’s tired face with great care, holding it protectively against his chest as if she could do him any harm.
With her long hair and pale skin, the girl wore a type of black leotard underneath her short white dress. The stockings were made of a living material that not even Menogias would have woven in all his years in Teyvat. Her eyes displayed the same thing that Childe’s had before he started dating Zhongli: they were dull eyes, of someone who had witnessed death, the hostile threat and hopelessness that the abyss brought with it.
“My name is Skirk. I am the master that Childe has surely told you about. Now, what he really didn’t tell me is that his beloved Mr. Zhongli was the Archon Geo.”
“I am not an Archon.” He corrected in a measured tone, explaining: “This title does not belong to me. Not anymore."
"He spent too much time playing with my superior's pet." Skirk raised his right hand, from which a round, dark object materialized, an orb that pulsed with abyssal energy. Whatever was trapped inside it seemed to be struggling to free itself. "Actually, it would be more correct to say that Narval spent too much time playing with him. Nothing much will happen. You'll see that with a bath to get rid of that stench and a good night's sleep, Childe will be as good as new again. Otherwise, he's weaker than I thought.”
"Weak." A bitter taste had spread across Zhongli's tongue. Childe was powerful, brave, hard-working, and above all, nothing fit the concept of "weak."
"Ajax is not weak." There was no chance for argument in his voice, absolute and serious. "But I thank you for bringing him to me. I'll take good care of him."
"It's none of my business what you do from now on. Childe is already an adult and seems to trust you a lot, which is enough. Just ask him not to get into any more trouble next time he's in Fontaine. The Iudex doesn't seem to have taken too kindly to him, even though Childe saved the city from a crisis. And, oh, don't say I admitted that. Praise goes to his head easily, you must know how it is, and it will be a long way before he stops being just a littermate.”
Zhongli nodded, taking Ajax in his arms to get up from the ground. Judging by his weight, it was clear that he had also lost a few pounds.
Even though she gave off an arrogant air of someone of few words, Skirk definitely always had a lot to say. She wasn't Zhongli's favorite type — especially after the criticism — but she couldn't be a bad person altogether. At least Ajax had mentioned her briefly in some of their conversations, seeming very excited about the woman's level of strength and the prospect of fighting her one day.
"Again, thank you very much for coming here with him. I was worried about his absence."
"Okay. I'd say that, in fact, you're the one doing me a favor here. I have to go now." Skirk turned and started walking. She waved as walked away slowly and disappeared into a portal materialized through the wall. " Goodbye, Mr. Zhongli."
The portal closed, disappearing.
“Goodbye, Miss Skirk,” Zhongli murmured when all that was left was the sound of the rain, turning back to watch Childe. His breathing against his chest was calm, though weak, and his face was a little dirty. Zhongli’s heart pounded painfully, both with longing and grief, and he leaned his face down enough to place a kiss on Childe’s chapped lips. Closing the door with his heel, Zhongli walked with his boyfriend in his arms until he reached the bathroom. He turned the faucet and let the hot water begin to fill a tub, steam rising in spirals from the marble structure, then he laid Childe’s body in it and carefully removed his clothes, one by one, until he was naked and-”
"Wait, wait a minute!" Childe waves his hands in a light gesture, his face very red and confused "Are you saying that the reason you don’t like the Dragon Sovereign Hydro is... me?! Is it because of me?! You avoided him because he locked me up in Fontaine and the incident with Narwhal happened?"
"Well, what is so strange about that?" Zhongli stuffs a piece of fried chicken into his mouth, chewing it patiently before answering: "I already said I do not like others touching what is mine, much less mistreating and sending it to prison. You deserve nothing less than kindness and good care, Ajax"
The blush on Childe’s cheeks intensifies further and he chokes, about to burst into flames.
"But-but...! This is different! I-I didn’t imagine that would be the main reason. It’s not exactly strange, but I don’t think I’ve had anyone care about me this much before. I-I mean, I have my family and I'm important to them and everything else, but with you it feels like..."
"Like...?"
"That you really love me. A lot."
Zhongli smiles, his eyes filled with adoration and affection.
How sweet...
When they first started dating, Childe had said that he had never been in a relationship before, not even a romantic approach that went beyond empty flirting thrown into the air; that he was completely new to this, that he wouldn't know how to act on a date or how to properly court him, so Zhongli shouldn't laugh or think he was immature, but this...
Oh, how he was in love with this boy! So irresistibly and deeply in love.
Every reaction from him is a delight that makes Zhongli's heart beat faster and faster. He wants to hold Childe's hand tighter, wants to lean in and kiss his lips right there; to take him home and make love with him for hours, until there's no doubt about his feelings for Childe.
"How could I not love you? You are charming and everything I've been waiting for six thousand years. So, yes, Ajax. I love you very, very, very much. And I will never like anyone who has hurt you, directly or indirectly. Not even if it is the Iude-"
His words are cut off when warm lips press against his, firmness and eagerness exuding from them.
Zhongli's eyes widen for a moment in surprise, but he quickly closes them and kisses Childe back with vigor. Ajax's mouth tastes sweet with tea and the honey used to sweeten it; that, combined with his natural scent mixed with his shampoo, draws a sigh from Zhongli. The way his tongue invades his mouth is authentic and genuine perfection, nothing less than a heavenly touch of the sky and the softness of the clouds. He holds Childe's chin, because the love he feels for him is greater than the restraint of remaining still, and his fingers soon rise towards his cheek to press and leave a soft caress there.
But then the sound of a cough pulls him back to reality and Childe pulls away, abruptly and quickly, leaving only the wet impression of his lips and the desire for more sown in Zhongli's core. "Excuse me...!" Xiangling is standing right in front of their table, a tray with two bowls of tofu pudding in her hands. The forced smile on her face is disconcerted and more nervous than truly enthusiastic. "Erm-... Sorry to interrupt you two, but I had forgotten to bring dessert and I didn't want the condensed almond cream to melt." She places the glasses on the table, one for Zhongli and one for Childe, who even has red ears and face turned to the wall "H-Here it is, hahah! Enjoy!"
As quickly as Xiangling appeared, she disappears from their sight, returning to the Wanmin Restaurant as if she had never left. The silence gradually spreads throughout the air for several moments and Zhongli laughs when he notices a dozen eyes fixed on him, falling upon their table.
Hutao will certainly be full of questions the next day.