Work Text:
The sun is warm overhead as Childe makes his way over to Wangsheng funeral parlour. He and Mr Zhongli have a lunch date today, as per usual, and since he managed to finish off his work early, he might as well pick him up.
He can see Mr Zhongli already, but he blinks a little at the unusual sight.
Normally, Mr Zhongli has his hair in a low ponytail. Today, though, it's neatly tied up, a hairpin pushed through. It's a crystallized branch of dark wood threaded with gold leaves and veins, cor lapis flower buds at the tips - beautiful and shimmering, gold glinting off his exposed neck, bright against his dark brown hair.
"Mr Zhongli!"
He calls for him as he walks up to him, but something feels off.
Mr Zhongli turns to him, and it clicks.
His earring is in the wrong ear. Instead of swaying gently in his right ear, it's on the left.
"You mean Madam Zhongli!"
Hu Tao's smaller figure was hidden by Mr Zhongli, but she tilts her body to be seen, pigtails swaying.
"Madam...?" He's confused, to say the least. Is this one of Hu Tao's teases? It doesn't sound like one...
"I'll take it from here, Director Hu."
Even Mr Zhongli's voice is different. It's more feminine, but still retaining that lovely low and sonorous intonation Childe adores. His lips, usually just a soft pink, are lined with red.
Director Hu waves them off, grinning.
Childe puts his arm out, and Mr Zhongli gracefully links their arms.
"So what was that about?" He asks idly as they walk.
"What in particular are you referring to?" Mr Zhongli's voice is as beautiful as always, but the slight change still catches him off guard, like he needs to check it's really Zhongli on his arm.
"When Director Hu called you Madam Zhongli."
"I see." Mr Zhongli tucks his hair behind his ear. "She uses that term of address when I'm like this. I would like it if you adopted it as well."
That... Doesn't help at all.
"I'm sorry, can we take this from the top?" Childe slows in his steps, drawing them to a stop. "What does 'like this' mean?"
Zhongli gazes at him with an air of curiosity. "When I'm a woman, of course."
Childe blinks. Rapidly. Zhongli ticks an eyebrow up.
"You're - I'm sorry - what?"
"I'm a woman, Childe."
"You weren't yesterday," Childe says breathlessly. "Wait - I didn't mean -"
Zhongli laughs brightly, greatly enjoying this. A blush spreads across Childe's face.
"I didn't mean to be an ass," he murmurs, "It's just a lot to take in all of a sudden."
"My earring is on the left today, Childe."
Is that meant to mean something?
"Yeah, I noticed that. Did you slip up or something?"
Zhongli's eyebrows furrow, mirth slipping away slightly.
"I wear it on the left when I'm a woman, Childe. Did you forget?"
"Forget? You never told me!"
Zhongli's cor lapis eyes widen just slightly. "I didn't..."
His free hand comes to his mouth, turning his head away slightly as he thinks.
They stand there in the middle of the street for a few minutes, Zhongli doing whatever it is he - she? - needs to do. His - her? - face doesn't really look any different than usual, but somehow it does at the same time. He can't really explain it. Maybe it's just to do with Zhongli's - he settles on using his name, just to be safe - general air being different today.
Zhongli's always been sort of androgynous-looking but leaning towards masculine - most people automatically assume Zhongli's a man. Today feels like the exact opposite, like anyone could lay eyes on Zhongli and assume Zhongli's a woman for no real reason other than some instinct, despite Zhongli not really looking much different aside from the different hair and lip tint.
Zhongli makes a little admonishing sound, eyebrows furrowed downwards in some dissatisfaction. Zhongli's hand lowers from Zhongli's mouth to rest in a loose fist upon Zhongli's chest.
Zhongli looks back up at him. "It seems I've committed a grave error. I've parsed through my memories, and it seems as though I really haven't informed you. I'm truly sorry."
Childe can't stand even a flicker of upset on Zhongli's face, and immediately rushes to reassure Zhongli.
"No, no it's totally alright! It just confused me a little. No worries M- Madam Zhongli."
"Really? It can't be an easy thing to suddenly take in." Madam Zhongli looks at him with an air of concern, lips pursed. Childe can't let that stand.
Childe reaches out to gently squeeze the hand that rests upon Zhongli's chest.
"You're the most charming woman I've ever met, Madam Zhongli. Please don't worry yourself."
Madam Zhongli gifts him a soft smile. "Thank you for your kind words."
Childe shakes his head. "It's all true, Madam Zhongli. Seeing you with your hair tied up took my breath away."
It's strange. Childe's sure he's complimented Madam Zhongli a thousand times before, but this smile seems so much shyer and sweeter, slightly embarrassed but shining.
Now that that was all cleared up, the two of them continued their walk.
"Oh right, should the pronouns I use for you change? I've just been calling you Madam Zhongli in my head," Childe asked, suddenly remembering his earlier struggles referring to Madam Zhongli in his head.
"When I'm a woman, I prefer feminine terms of address, and I suppose she/her pronouns would work best."
Childe smiles at her. "'Suppose'?"
Madam Zhongli nods. "Director Hu asked me that question before - what pronouns I prefer - and I had never thought about such things before. I had assumed the normal masculine ones would be fine, as they always had been. I didn't want to cause any more of a hassle for anyone.
But then Director Hu, as she is wont to do, ignored that, and when speaking to a client, referred to me as 'she'."
Madam Zhongli turns to him, cor lapis eyes glimmering. "It was like magic. Like someone poured glitter in my veins. It was like a sheer upwelling of happiness. And Director Hu, as she is wont to do, looked at me with a smug expression on her face, and asked me if my opinions had changed."
"I'm happy she did that for you, Madam Zhongli," Childe tells her. Madam Zhongli doesn't often speak about herself, and he finds himself enraptured that even Madam Zhongli, someone who seems so self-assured, is still learning about herself.
Madam Zhongli chuckles. "As am I. Now, shall we pick up the pace? I'm quite looking forward to trying that mystery recipe Xiangling mentioned."
Childe grins. "Of course, Madam."