Chapter Text
Ajax, for once, finds himself at loss for words.
La Signora asked him to come to retrieve the gnosis with her– given they were both already working on the same mission, apparently. Tartaglia was already beat at the time, having been so involved with all the chaos that almost destroyed Liyue.
He remembers thinking "wow, this archon must be a piece of shit if he can't even give his gnosis one last use to save his own people". Of course, at the time, he didn't know the archon's true identity. Now, he can for certain say nothing could've prepared him to see who Rex Lapis actually was.
So now he stands, absent like a ghost, blankly staring at Zhongli, who's standing in front of them with an unreadable expression. Any kind of snarky remark or joke has died on his throat. And, considering the resigned look in Zhongli's eyes, there are no questions left to ask either.
"You remember the agreement, Morax. The gnosis, please," La Signora stretches her hand in Zhongli's way, oblivious to Ajax's internal conflicts.
Ever since he got here, Zhongli hasn't even spared a look in Ajax's way, and it leaves Ajax itching to punch that stupid face. They shared a bed last night and now he won't even look at him! Right after betraying his trust like this! Ajax should kill him. Destroy him.
"The contract is fulfilled. That which thou seeketh is now bestowed unto thee, for my promise is solid as stone," Zhongli materializes a gnosis in his hand and hands it to her. When he speaks, for a second, Ajax gets a glimpse of the Rex Lapis, God of Contracts, and the oldest archon around since the archon war.
But this archon, no matter who he really is, is Ajax's Zhongli. And he has yet to look at him; since he entered the place, he hasn't spared a glance in Ajax's way, and it's starting to get on his nerves.
And if Zhongli won't look at him, Ajax will make him. "You're the Lord of Geo," he spits every word, as soon as the exchange is done, almost snarling at him. Finally, the archon turns his head and spares him the gentlest of glances, making Ajax's resolve waver, if ever so slightly.
"It had nothing to do with you, my friend," Zhongli warmly smiles at him and Ajax can almost pretend that this never happened, that they are still sharing a bed, that it's still last night and that they never have to face each other like this. "It's a matter solely between the Tsaritsa and I."
At the mention of his queen, Ajax abruptly snaps out of his daze.
No.
You betrayed me.
In a swift movement, Tartaglia pulls out his twin blades, taking a fighting stance. "You of all people shan't speak Her name!" He warns, narrowing his eyes at Zhongli, who looks sincerely hurt at his words. Good. "Don't you feel the last bit of remorse? You've practically kept me in the dark!"
Just then, La Signora clears her throat, making both men, if slightly reluctantly, snap their heads in her direction. "If anything, I think the Lord of Geo ought to thank you for your performance. You played no small part in this, Childe," she praises him with an easy smile.
"Stop mocking me," Tartaglia says with a scoff, but finds himself relaxing at her soothing comment. He makes his blades vanish and straightens his back. "Now I'll be forever proscribed as a disturber of the peace. Great," he rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.
The dots have connected in his mind: the chaos from earlier was always meant to happen because it was a plot, knowing Zhongli, it was probably to see whether his people could handle his absence as their god. It's a smart play, truly. Too bad Zhongli had chosen to keep him out of the loop, because, otherwise, Ajax would have gladly helped him.
"Come, Childe," La Signora calls for him, and Ajax finds himself nodding along, like a puppet. "We have no use for iddle chatter now. We should return to Zapolyarny Palace and seek an audience with Her Majesty."
"Lead the way," Ajax tells her, sparing one last glance at Zhongli, who's now the one looking like a kicked puppy, before he leaves the place right after her.
The two harbingers make their way out of the Golden House silently, and Ajax takes a second to appreciate the cold breeze hitting against his face, washing his pain away.
"I love you," Ajax mutters in the dead of the night, as he lies next to the love of his life. The words don't feel foreign in his tongue anymore; he's pronounced them enough times for them to feel natural, even if they're not in his mother tongue. He's leaning on his elbow as he gazes at Zhongli with the perfect combination of lust and endearment.
Because this isn't the first time they lie together in bed, nor the second or the third, they've lost the certain awkwardness that came with new relationships. Now they can enjoy each other's presence without any issue.
Instead of returning his love with words, Zhongli leans forward and plants a sweet kiss on his temple, then another on the tip of his lips, and, lastly, a good kiss on his lips, to which Ajax leans forward and lets their tongues dance together.
Once they pull apart, Ajax feels even more giddy with love. "I would do anything for you," he confesses.
Zhongli seems honestly amused at that, cocking one eyebrow up at him with a growing smirk. "Anything?"
Anything but forgive him for what he's done to him, Ajax now realizes with grief in his heart. He could never do that, no matter how much he loves him.
Once they reach the Northland Bank, La Signora and him part ways, having already set up their trip back home for the midnight: they would have just enough time to get their things and go to the port.
Katheryne greets him as soon as he enters the bank. "Good evening, Sir!"
"Evening," Ajax flashes her a quick smile before he heads straight to the staircase that leads to his office. Once inside, he grabs the suitcase under his desk and starts packing all the important stuff – mostly work documents and letters from his family. The rest of his things would be found at Zhongli's place, but there's no way he's ever returning there.
As soon as he's done with packing his things up, he goes back downstairs, waves the people there goodbye and leaves the bank. He wants nothing to do with Liyue anymore. He just wants to get back home and forget he was ever here.
Once he's back outside, Ajax ignores the tears slowly welling up in his eyes and tries to blink them away when they become too many. Of course, he soon gives up and lets them freely roll down his cheeks, and even goes to lean his back against a nearby tree, after making sure no one's around to see him.
"Damn it," Ajax curses in his mother tongue wipes away his tears and resumes the trip to the port. And, before he knows it, he's reaching his destination, so Ajax lets out a sigh of relief.
The first thing he notices while he's going through the port is that the ferry isn't really too big– not because he and La Signora can't afford it, obviously, but for stealth reasons. After all, the tale told in Liyue is that this whole catastrophe was, at least partly, caused by the Fatui, so they really don't need to bring any more attention to themselves.
Ajax easily makes his way up the stairs that lead to the ferry and, once he was on it, he spots La Signora smoking a cigarette in the front of the ship. They exchange a glance and she looks away, leaning her crossed arms against the railing.
After that, he enters the ferry, making a beeline through the common room and to the hallway, which will certainly lead him to the rooms. He can't wait to lie down and call it a day.
His room – that's exactly like La Signora's but empty of personal stuff – turns out to be on the first door in the right. It isn't much but it will do: it has a king-sized bed, a light table, a desk, and another door that Ajax supposes that leads to the bathroom.
He throws his suitcase on the bed and falls right beside it with a groan, feeling the soft mattress slightly bouncing underneath his weight. After a few seconds, Ajax closes his eyes and lets the darkness swallow him whole.
Eventually, hunger strikes, waking Ajax up from his dreamless rest. Once awake, he slowly gets up from bed, feeling exhaustion in his very bones. A quick look through the window above the desk tells him his little nap didn't take a lot of time;
The moon, as beatiful as she always is, reflects over the ocean like she belongs in it. Her grace is like a soothing balm against a wound, the deep wound left in his bleeding heart.
With a sigh, Ajax walks away the window, leaves his room and joins the common room; there's a table that takes most of the space, and it's already set, with many delicious dishes of food and bottles of wine. Ajax soon grows aware of the fact that Signora has started eating without him, and almost laughs.
The cooks and people in charge of the ship are nowhere to be seen. Right, they probably fear us, Ajax reminds himself as he takes a look over the food: it all really looks delicious.
However, as soon as he stops leaning against the nearby wall, everything in his vision field goes dark for a moment, and he has to support himself against the same wall for a second until his vision clears.
"Are you feeling alright, Childe?" La Signora calls for him, sounding slightly concerned. Really. You still surprise me, ma'am, Ajax doesn't say outloud, and looks at the woman, who has stopped eating at once, with her full attention on him.
Ajax nods his head, breathing heavily for a hot minute and still busy blinking the dark spots away. "A bit faint if you will," he manages a small smile as he takes a seat beside her.
"Betrayal does leave a bitter taste," she hums, with what he almost dares to catalogue as a sympathetic look.
"For how long do you plan on keep mocking me?" He jokes, with a more genuine smile now.
"Archons forbid I try to make some conversation," La Signora rolls her eyes, just as playfully. "Don't take it to heart, darling," she then adds, before she takes a sip of her wine. "You must've had fun bringing chaos to the land and skipping formalities, hm?"
"Maybe," Ajax grins at her, before he pours himself a glass too. Soon enough, he joins her in the meal and starts serving himself a generous plate of food.
He starts with the bamboo shoot soup because his whole body feels cold – which is odd enough, considering Liyue's the hottest place he's been to. Ajax chooses to believe it's the exhaustion making him feel cold and weak, and grabs a spoonful of the soup.
For the first time in his miserable life, Ajax gets seasick and promptly throws his guts up into the ocean.
Once he's done emptying his stomach, Ajax's left heavying for a few more seconds, feeling his eyes sting with tears.
"Was the food not to your liking?"
After using his hydro vision and willing some clean water to come up from the endless ocean around them to help him wash his mouth and face, Ajax shakes his head, slowly so that he won't grow nauseous again. "It was amazing, truly. If anything, it wasn't to my body's liking."
La Signora hums, leaning against the same railing as him, but still keeping a safe distance. "Do you want anything else to eat? Some almond tofu? Perhaps it will go easier on your stomach."
"That won't be necessary, Signora, but thanks anyway," Ajax smiles at her, and hopes it doesn't look too fake and forced.
For a second, she appears to be reading him with her eyes, but she doesn't say anything as reply, and soon vanishes inside once again.
Finally, Ajax is left as alone as he feels.