Chapter Text
The burning sun blazed down on the Sumeru sands, making the horizon a flickering, unstable mirage. Wanderer trailed a few paces behind Childe, his eyes narrowed against the stinging grit of the desert wind. He watched the ginger haired warrior weave through the dunes with a restless energy, as if the vast desert was merely a playground meant solely for his amusement.
"Careful," Wanderer cautioned, his voice cutting through the howl of the gale. "The winds are unpredictable here. They’ll sweep you off your feet before you even realize you’re stumbling."
"Even better!" Childe called back, his voice brimming with anticipation. Instead of slowing, he quickened his pace, his boots kicking up plumes of gold as he chased the horizon.
Wanderer rolled his eyes, a small, involuntary huff of amusement escaping him. Despite the heat and the constant irritation of Childe's impulsiveness, there was a strange, quiet peace in this solitude a rare moment where the world felt stripped down to just the two of them and the endless sky.
That peace was shattered in an instant. A jagged, wind borne shard of stone came hurtling through the air, aimed directly at Childe. Before Childe could even sense the danger, Wanderer surged upward, a gust of Anemo lifting him effortlessly. He snatched the projectile out of the air mere inches from Childe's face, the stone's edge nearly grazing the ginger's cheek.
"I told you to be careful, you reckless idiot," Wanderer snapped, landing gracefully and glaring at the man who hadn't even flinched.
Childe chuckled, a low, breezy sound, and tilted his head to look at the stone in Wanderer's hand. "I could have caught that, you know. My reflexes are the best.”
"Of course," Wanderer shot back, his voice soaked in a sarcasm that seemed almost palpable. "After all, you are the almighty, all seeing warrior. Clearly, the laws of physics and sudden projectiles exist only to entertain you."
Before Childe could offer a witty comeback, the mood shifted. Their banter was abruptly severed by a shimmering distortion in the air. Wanderer froze, his eyes narrowing as a strange phenomenon manifested before them a geo crystalfly, pulsing with an unnatural light, was fluttering through the air like a confused dragonfly. A geo crystalfly in Sumeru was nothing short of a miracle.
The crystalfly flapped its wings one last time before settling gently onto Childe's open palm. Instead of shattering into a core, the stone began to soften and reshape, morphing under the light into a crisp, elegant letter. Of course, Wanderer thought, a sense of disbelief washing over him, only an Archon could pull off something this ridiculous.
It was a plea, written with desperation, begging Childe to return. It was a humbling sight to see the weight of divinity used to plead with a mere mortal.
“Dear Baobei,” the elegant script of the letter read.
Wanderer stares at the paper, his brow furrowing in a look of pure, unadulterated bafflement. "Baobei?" The word felt heavy, far too intimate to be tossed around so casually by a man as composed and dignified as Zhongli. He glances at Childe, half expecting a blush to bloom on the ginger’s cheeks, but finds only a mischievous glint in those hydro blue eyes.
“Котик doesn’t know Chinese?” Childe chuckles, the sound light and teasing as he leans back, seemingly delighted by the confusion radiating off the smaller man.
“It means student,” Childe adds, puffing out his chest with an exaggerated, unearned sense of pride. “I have a sort of... teacher student bond with him. It’s a sign of respect!”
“Right,”Wanderer murmurs, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. He isn't a fool, he knows exactly what baobei implies, and the lie tastes bitter in his mouth. A spiral of frantic thoughts begins to take root in his mind. Is Childe truly this oblivious to the weight of the word, or is he playing a game? If the former, then Zhongli has wormed his way into Childe’s inner sanctum with terrifying ease. If the latter then Childe thinks Wanderer is nothing more than a simpleton, easily swayed by a well placed lie.
The uncertainty is suffocating, a knot tightening in his chest. He swallows hard, forcing his gaze away from Childe’s face to face the setting sun.
“It’s getting late,” Wanderer says, his voice hoarser than expected “It would be wise to head back now, before the light fails us entirely.”
₊ . ⊹ ݁ ₊‧ . ‿̩͙⊱༻☂︎༺⊰‿̩͙ . ‧₊ ݁ ⊹ . ₊
“Childe! Hat guy!” Paimon’s voice chirped, her tiny hands waving frantically as the two made their way through the bustling streets of Sumeru City.
“Back from Liyue so soon?” Wanderer asked, his gaze sweeping over them with a practiced air of indifference, though his eyes lingered a second too long on the ginger haired Harbinger.
“Yeah, we wrapped things up faster than we expected,” Aether replied, adjusting the strap of his bag as they navigated the crowd.
Childe, uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, tilted his head toward the sky. “Tell me, how has Mr. Zhongli been lately?”
“Not bad,” Aether answered simply, though a hint of amusement danced in his eyes.
“He sure had me fooled,” Childe murmured. A strange, unreadable shadow flickered across his features an expression so complex and heavy that Wanderer found himself unable to decipher the exact shade of it. It wasn't quite sadness, but it lacked the usual boisterous warmth that defined him.
“How about we all grab a meal!” Paimon suggested, her stomach growling in anticipation, her eyes practically turning into Mora Aether couldn't resist a witty retort about her bottomless stomach, and soon they were settling into a shaded table at a local eatery.
“So, how long are you staying in Sumeru, Childe?” Paimon asked, her mouth already half full of steaming delicacies.
“Not much longer,” Childe answered, his gaze drifting toward the horizon. “I might depart for Liyue in a few days.”
“Liyue?” Aether asked, perking up with sudden curiosity.
“I have some unfinished business there,” Childe replied, his his voice dropping an octave.
A bitter taste bloomed on Wanderer’s tongue, a sharp contrast to the savory aromas drifting from the kitchen. He loathed it. He knew exactly what this 'unfinished business' entailed a desperate attempt to bridge the gap with the consultant. Is begging and casting aside one's pride really enough to make a man like Zhongli change his mind? he wondered bitterly. Was Childe truly prepared to cast aside his pride, to go back and beg for a scrap of attention from a man who seemed as unmoving as the mountains themselves?
“I’ll be taking my leave,” Childe announced, sliding out of his chair from the table. He didn't wait for a rebuttal before thudding a heavy, clinking pouch of Mora onto the wood. “I have a few souvenirs to pick up before the ship sails. Don’t worry, though the meal is on me!”
“You’re the best, Childe!” Paimon squealed, her tiny hands clapping together in pure, unadulterated greed.
Aether rolled his eyes, though a small, knowing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You just like a free meal,” he teased, nudging the floating sprite.
“Hey! You like it too!” Paimon retorted, puffing out her cheeks in indignation. Aether simply offered a silent, defeated shrug, conceding the point as the ginger warrior waved a final goodbye and vanished into the bustling Liyue streets.
As the door creaked shut behind the Eleventh Harbinger, a heavy, expectant silence descended upon the table. The three of them sat frozen for a moment, staring at the empty space Childe had occupied, before Paimon broke the tension with a curious tilt of her head.
“Sooo, Hat Guy,” she chirped, leaning in closer to the brooding figure across from them. “What’s new with you?”
Wanderer didn't look up immediately. He stared into the depths of his tea, his expression unreadable, before he spoke with a startling, quiet gravity. “I fell in love.”
“What?!” Aether and Paimon shrieked in unison, their voices echoing off the rafters as they leaned so far forward they nearly tumbled into their plates.
“You heard me. I’ve fallen for a certain Snezhnayan rascal,” Wanderer adds, his gaze drifting toward the horizon where Childe had just disappeared, a rare, uncharacteristic softness lingering in his eyes.
Paimon blinks, tilting her head as she watches him walk away. “Wow... Paimon thought you were just being dramatic when you said he was your heart. Guess Paimon was wrong,” she mutters under her breath.
Wanderer lets out a dry, hollow chuckle that doesn't quite reach his eyes. “He may be my heart, but his heart belongs to another.” As he speaks, his grip tightens on his chopsticks so fiercely that Paimon flinches, fearing the wood might snap under the sudden tension.
“What does he have that I don't?” Wanderer mutters, the words dripping with a bitter, simmering jealousy.
“Uhh, who are we even talking about? Paimon’s totally lost!” the fairy squeaks, waving her hands frantically.
“Who else could possibly be worthy of Childe’s heart other than an Archon?” Wanderer spits, the name tasting like venom on his tongue. “Rex Lapis... or as that man insists on being called, Zhongli.”
Aether and Paimon exchange a wide eyed, stunned look. “Zhongli and Childe?” Paimon gasps, her jaw dropping. “Paimon didn't think that was ever going to happen!”
“He sent a letter today, delivered by a crystal fly,” Wanderer spits, the words tasting like ash as he tosses the shimmering insect onto the table. “The man has truly done the impossible.”
He pauses, his expression darkening into something sharp and predatory. “Baobei. He actually called Ajax baobei.” The endearment rolls off his tongue dripping with venom, a bitter mockery of the intimacy it implies. “That man is a walking catastrophe of surprises; he sent a missive overflowing with pathetic pleading and groveling, begging Childe to return to his side.”
Aether and Paimon exchange a stunned glance, their eyes wide at the sheer audacity of the revelation.
“Though, can I truly blame him?” Wanderer mutters, his gaze drifting toward the horizon as if he could see Childe through the distance. “Childe possesses a certain... treacherous beauty. A charm capable of toppling nations, laced with a grace that would make even the Archons descend into war just to claim a glimpse of him.” He scoffs, his eyes snapping back to his companions. “And now, the fool is heading to Liyue, because apparently, groveling is a language he speaks fluently.”
“Well, from what we’ve seen, Childe and Zhongli aren’t exactly a thing yet,” Aether offers cautiously, trying to bridge the tension. “You might still have a chance.”
“Yeah! Go get him, Hat Guy! Chase your man!” Paimon adds, pumping a tiny fist in the air with newfound fervor.
Wanderer’s lip curls in a cynical half smile. “Perhaps. Or perhaps Morax would make a far more stable lover than a wandering puppet like me.” His voice falters, the bravado slipping just enough to reveal the raw ache beneath. “But the jealousy... it’s suffocating. I don't know if I could survive the sight of him looking at someone else with that light in his eyes.”
Paimon softens, her usual frantic energy settling into something uncharacteristically wise. “Well, when you start doubting yourself, you have two choices— give up or change”
Aether nods in solemn agreement, his gaze steady as he looks at Wanderer. "What Paimon said isn't entirely wrong. You can either give up and watch him find someone else someone who can make him happy or you can change. You can be the partner who makes him happy."
"So ask yourself: what do you actually want?" Paimon presses, leaning forward over the table. "Whatever it is, just go do it. You won't have any regrets if you can at least say that you tried."
A heavy silence settles over the table, thick with the weight of the choice laid bare before him. Finally, Wanderer exhales a long, shaky breath and pushes himself up from his seat. "Very well then," he murmurs, his voice regaining its usual composed edge, though a flicker of resolve lingers in his eyes. "I’d better get going. I have somewhere to be."
"Go get 'em, Hat Guy! Paimon's rooting for you!" she chirps, pumping a tiny fist in the air.
Wanderer pauses at the edge of the restaurant, glancing back. A rare, genuine softness touches his lips a smile that doesn't quite reach the level of a grin, but carries a warmth that feels entirely new. "Enjoy your meal," he says quietly before stepping out into the light.
Aether watches him go, then turns to his companion with a playful smirk. "Woah, Paimon, when did you get so wise? Should I be worried?"
"Hey!" Paimon huffs, puffing out her chest with immense pride. "Yae Miko taught Paimon everything she knows!"
Aether chuckles shaking his head at Paimon's antics.