Chapter Text
“Are you ever coming on deck?” Childe asked, leaning in the doorway of their stateroom. Zhongli had sequestered himself in a corner with a book. He’s shut the windows and made sure the curtains were drawn to block out any sign of the ocean. “We’re going to be at port in a few hours and you’ve been in here the entire trip.”
Xiao had locked himself away in his room, too, but Childe knew better than to bother him. Zhongli was fair game for teasing.
“I’m comfortable where I am.” Zhongli closed the book and set it aside. He crossed his arms and one leg over the other, sitting up straight. “I will depart our room when we arrive at the dock.”
“If I knew the ocean was your weakness, I should have taken you out on a boat ages ago,” Childe said. He strolled into the room and grabbed Zhongli by the arm. “Come watch the ship pull into port with me.”
“You said it’s hours away.”
“I sure did.” Childe tugged, digging his heels playfully into the ground when Zhongli didn’t budge. “Come on! There is a beautiful ocean out there and you are missing it.”
Zhongli watched Childe pull on his arm and his mouth formed a small smile, amused at Childe’s lack of progress in getting him out of the chair. “I have seen the ocean.”
“I want you to.” Childe leaned back. He let gravity do the pulling as he held tight to Zhongli’s arm and balanced on his heels. “Please?”
The Geo Archon dropped his shoulders and visibly pouted. “Is it that important to you?”
“Yes.”
“Very well,” Zhongli said. He stood and pulled Childe flat onto his feet. Zhongli took his hand and walked with it out of the stateroom and into the hallway. “I am holding you responsible if I get seasick. Riding on a boat and flying above the water are two very different modes of travel.”
“You forgot your coat.” Childe tugged and pointed back at their room. “I don’t remember if you get cold or not, but it’ll look odd if you don’t have one like everyone else. It’s freezing outside.”
Childe had already dressed in his own heavy coat, far more prepared for the trip home than the last time he’d taken a boat there. He pulled his hood up in the hallway, ready for the icy wind.
“All the more reason to stay inside room,” Zhongli said. Childe pouted and he shook his head. “I’ll get my coat.”
The god disappeared into the stateroom and returned wearing the coat Childe had chosen for him. Zhongli was well versed in fashion, but he wasn’t good at choosing items based on their utility. When they’d gone shopping for the trip, he’d shown up with three decorative coats, none of which had the lining needed to keep a person warm in the snow. Childe put them all back and got him a coat from a Snezhnayan merchant.
It felt only fair to dress Zhongli up in Childe’s home fashion after all the Liyue clothes that had been added to his own wardrobe.
Zhongli dragged his feet in the hallways and up the stairs, but Childe did get him on the deck. The passenger ship had couples and children running around in the open air. All of them were dressed in their warmest clothes, gloves, and hats. Childe stepped around a couple of kids running to their parents and took Zhongli to one of the railings.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Childe asked. He crossed his arms over it and watched the ocean waves crashing against the side of the boat. “I could stay out here for a week.”
“Water is your element.” Zhongli hovered near Childe, but stayed a good few feet from the railing. “The ocean is lovely, however.”
“Can you swim?” Childe asked. He turned back to look at the fidgeting Archon and grinned wider. “Is that why you’re so bothered on the open water? You can’t?”
“I can swim,” Zhongli said. He looked away and frowned. “The nearest earth out here is far, far, below us. It is an unsettling sensation and I wish you had reconsidered my offer to fly you there.”
“I’d rather ride the boat,” Childe said. He went back to watching the water and smiled. “I couldn’t see the water from above the clouds.”
“How many hours did you say we were from port?”
“About two now.”
“At least the weather is pleasant.”
Zhongli kept his gaze toward the clouds in the sky and the wind blew his hair around his face. His hood was back, but he didn’t seem to be cold. Childe watched him for a little longer before taking in the water again. Zhongli stood near him for another twenty minutes before he retreated back to lean against a storage crate.
Childe let him be until the bell rang and people rushed to the front of the ship to get a better look at the port as the ship neared.
“Do you want to watch with everyone else?” Childe asked. “I’ve come into port plenty of times, so I don’t need to.”
“I can see it from here,” Zhongli said. As they approached the shore, he seemed to relax. Zhongli even joined Childe at the railing and held it with both hands. “Is this your hometown?”
“Yes,” Childe said. He turned and sat on the railing, leaning back to hang over the water and get a better look. “Say hello to Morepesok, Zhongli. The best little fishing village in Snezhnaya.”
“I look forward to seeing where you grew up,” Zhongli said, smiling. He leaned over and his hair fell out of his coat over his shoulder. “Will we be staying at your house?”
“Yes,” Childe said. Zhongli had allowed Childe to make all of the arrangements outside of gaining permission for the visit from the Tsaritsa. He suspected it was Zhongli’s way of making him feel “in charge” of something, but Childe didn’t mind the humoring. Making plans for his visit gave him plenty to do. “There’s enough space for the three of us in my room. It’ll be snug, but it’ll work.”
“As long as we aren’t imposing.” Zhongli gave Childe’s coat a gentle tug. “You may want to get down. I see children looking your direction and you should set a good example.”
Childe snorted and jumped down. To his surprise, there were a couple of kids watching him and at least one looked like they were headed to climb on the railing. He cursed under his breath and jogged over to grab the kid before he got too far.
Zhongli chuckled behind him and they ushered the children to join their parents.
When the ship stopped at the port, Xiao joined Childe and Zhongli on deck. He had bundled up in the coat Childe had bought him and it was still odd seeing him in casual wear. With the clothes Zhongli had bought him under the coat, he looked like any other young man on the boat.
“He lives,” Childe teased. “Did you finally decide to get some fresh air?”
“It is much too cold here,” Xiao said. He shoved his hands in his coat pockets and looked over the dock as the sailors secured the ship. “The snow in Snezhnaya is beautiful, though.”
“If you think it’s cold now, just wait until the sun goes down.” Childe patted Xiao on the back and headed for the door to the deck below. “Let’s go get our stuff. They’ll be letting passengers off soon.”
Zhongli and Xiao followed Childe to gather their luggage. Childe had brought a small hand cart to make sure they could carry it all. He was used to having extra baggage in the form of gifts, but it was the first time he’d had luggage for more than one person. It was more to carry, but it felt good to have.
“Morepesok isn’t that large so you shouldn’t get lost, but try not to get distracted,” Childe said as they stepped onto shore. “The market can get crowded quick this time of day.”
“We will follow you,” Zhongli said. He held the small parcel with more delicate gifts close to his chest. “Are we headed straight for your home?”
“More or less,” Childe said. He made sure their luggage was secured and tied to the cart. “I want to pick up some fish in the market on the way. I didn’t get the chance to tell my folks Xiao was coming, so Mama wouldn’t have prepared for him.”
“I don’t require meals,” Xiao said. “You don’t have to go out of your way.”
“You’re pretending to be mortal,” Childe said. “Mama will be upset if you don’t eat her food.”
Xiao frowned, but he had no right to complain after inviting himself onto the trip at the last minute. Zhongli patted his bag with his own look of resignation. The Geo Archon disliked seafood but he would suffer through it to keep from insulting Childe’s parents.
“You can’t come to Morepesok and not eat their fish,” Childe said. “It just isn’t done.
Neither Adepti looked too amused at his statement.
Childe gave them a quick tour of the market while he shopped. Xiao stayed close to the cart and observed the people around them. Zhongli chatted business and imports with a few of the sellers, unable to help himself regardless of his feelings about seafood. All in all, they left the market after having a pleasant afternoon.
They made it home an hour before dinner. Xiao stayed outside and wandered to look at the yard, while Zhongli joined Childe at the front door.
“Thank you for inviting us into your home,” Zhongli said, bowing to Childe’s parents when they opened the door. “Ajax is a remarkable young man and I am blessed to share his company.”
Childe bit his lip and tried not to laugh as his parents gaped at Zhongli.
“Don’t stand there with your mouth open,” his mother hissed. She collected herself first and tapped his dad’s arm. “Take Mr. Zhongli’s coat.”
“Right!” his father exclaimed and shook himself out of his stupor. He stepped back for Zhongli to come inside and helped him take off his coat. “How was your trip.”
“It was pleasant, thank you.” Zhongli followed Childe’s parents into the main sitting room. “I don’t often travel by boat, so it was a new experience.”
Childe snorted as Zhongli’s class won over his mother and father in record time. He’d never seen them so impressed so quickly. A few wisps of snow entered the doorway and Childe almost closed the door but he remembered Xiao was still outside. “I should get—”
“Ajax!” Tonia grabbed Childe’s arm and manhandled him into the kitchen. She shoved him through the doorway and spun him around. Tonia looked him in the eye with a dead serious expression. “That is the most beautiful man I have ever seen in my life. Is he single?”
Childe asked, “What?”
“Single!” Tonia shook Childe’s arm. “Is your friend looking for a wife? He’s handsome, educated, and from the look of his clothes, he also has great taste. Tell me he’s single and wants a wife.”
“Wife?” Childe hit his chest to remember how to breathe. “You aren’t old enough for that!”
“I’m nineteen not nine,” Tonia said. She poked her head around the kitchen doorway to watch Zhongli in the living room entertaining their parents. “I’m old enough to know when I want a man to put a baby in me.”
“Tonia!” Childe’s voice cracked. Who taught his adorable little sister how to talk like that! But instead of asking who he needed to kill, Childe exclaimed, “He’s already taken!”
“Really?” Tonia turned around and crossed her arms. She pursed her lips together in thought and huffed. “What are the chances I can win him over? I could wear that dress from Liyue you bought me.”
“My apologies, Ms. Tonia,” Zhongli said, stepping up behind her. “While I am sure you are a charming young lady in your own right, I am afraid your brother already has claim to my heart.”
Tonia jerked up straight and turned red with an open mouth. She looked over her shoulder at Zhongli before whipping back around to face Childe. She shoved him in the arm. “Ajax! You said in your letter you were bringing your friend! Not your boyfriend!”
“Boyfriend?” His mother popped her head into the kitchen after all of them, her eyes open in shock. “Mr. Zhongli is your boyfriend? You brought your significant other here to meet for the first time and didn’t tell us!”
Two angry sets of eyes zeroed in on Childe. He took a step back and made plans to dash out the window in a Hydro burst. He’d freeze outside but it was his fastest escape.
Teucer saved him before it was necessary.
“Mr. Zhongli!” Teucer crashed into Zhongli’s legs, running into the kitchen from the living room. “Do you remember me?”
“Hello again, Teucer.”
“He has a Geo Vision!” Anthon shouted. He had followed Teucer from their bedrooms and ran up to look at the Vision hanging off Zhongli’s suit jacket. “That is amazing!”
His father stared in confusion from the living room while his mother tried to get Childe’s youngest siblings under control. While Tonia was also distracted by the chaos, Childe escaped outside to find Xiao. The cold air would clear his head and Xiao was a voice of reason. He’d help sort everything out.
Childe stepped outside in time to watch Xiao take a bite out of a large snowball. “What are you doing?”
Xiao licked a chunk of slush off his lip. “The snow tastes different here.”
Childe turned around and went back inside.
Zhongli found him staring at the ground and asked, “Are you all right?”
“Xiao is outside eating snow.”
“Oh, yes.” Zhongli nodded as if that were normal. “It has no flavor and he loves the texture. Winter is his favorite season.”
“Ajax!” Mama called from the kitchen. “Tonia has your brothers and your father is going to keep Mr. Zhongli company. Come help me set the table and you will tell me everything about this nice young man that you’re dating.”
“Yes, Mama.”
Childe ignored Zhongli’s chuckle and went to face his fate in the kitchen. He helped his mother cook and answered her hushed questions. She had picked up that Zhongli had good hearing and did her best to keep the conversation between the two of them. Childe kept his answers vague: They met in Liyue while shopping and had an instant connection.
His mother gave him a suspicious look, but didn’t push too much. Instead, she redirected her energy into cooking to impress Childe’s boyfriend. Together they finished up quickly and were calling everyone back to the dining room to eat by the end of the hour.
“I don’t believe we caught your name,” Mama said as Xiao joined them at the table. When Childe went to get their luggage from outside, he also dragged Xiao in with it. “You are?”
“That’s Xiao,” Childe said. “He’s Zhongli’s son.”
Both Zhongli and Xiao frowned at Childe, but he kept setting the table with plates and silverware. They wouldn’t correct him while they were trying to keep their mortal covers. Childe would take his fun where he could get it, even if he knew he’d pay for it later when they went back to Liyue.
“Oh! Well, it’s nice to meet you.” Mama took a moment to call for his siblings to come sit at the table. Childe wished his older siblings could come too, but he understood they were busy with their own kids at home. His mother got Teucer and Anthon settled and smiled at Xiao. “I hope you and Ajax are getting along. I know it can be hard to watch a single parent date.”
“I manage.” Xiao sat at the table and crossed his arms. “It’s not like I’m a child, and it’s hardly the first time. My father divorced his first spouse and his second passed and left him a widow.”
“Xiao,” Zhongli said. He lowered his shoulders and sat between Xiao and Childe. They’d squeezed in the extra two chairs, putting them thigh to thigh at the table. “I’m not sure that is appropriate conversation for dinner.”
“My apologies,” Xiao said. “Ajax knows about both already, so I didn’t believe it was to be kept in confidence.”
“You boys came to go fishing, right?” Childe’s father broke into the awkward conversation. He took a seat at the table’s head on Childe’s other side and put a basket of rolls in the center of the table. “Tonia said Ajax planned a week long trip out on the ice and wanted to borrow some camping gear.”
“Yes,” Zhongli said, accepting the change in topic. “Ajax has been telling me about ice fishing since we met. I’m sure he’s looking forward to it.”
“Would you mind if I join you?” his father asked. “I haven’t been in a while myself.”
Childe hated how little he sounded when he asked, “You want to come?”
“Yes. We can make a father and son trip out of it since Mr. Zhongli brought his boy, too.” His father licked his lip. “Though I suppose it is a little odd since one son is dating the other’s father.”
“Don’t think too much about it,” Mama said. She set the rest of the table with Tonia’s help and they all took their seat. “You boys should all go out and have fun. Maybe the other three will go with you, too.”
“Ice fishing is so boring, though,” Teucer said, almost whining. “You sit and wait for the fish! And you have to be quiet the whole time.”
“I wouldn’t mind going if Mr. Zhongli is,” Anthon said. He leaned on the table and smiled. “I wanted to ask him more about Liyue!”
“I’d be happy to answer those questions,” Zhongli said, smiling wider. “I’ve heard that you desire a Geo Vision of your own.”
“Yes!” Anthon crossed his arms on the table. “I don’t know how to get one, though.”
“No one does,” Zhongli said. He accepted a stack of plates from Tonia and divided them between himself, Xiao, and Childe. “They are gifts from the gods, but who receives one is a mystery even to the divine until it is time for one to be given.”
“Huh.”
While Anthon stared at his plate in quiet contemplation, Childe leaned closer and whispered in Zhongli’s ear. “What are his chances, Mr. Geo Archon?”
“Dendro may call to him first,” Zhongli said. “But we’ll see. It may be a few years yet before he’s ready.”
“Please don’t flirt at the table,” Mama said. “We’re about to eat.”
“Sorry, Mama,” Childe said. He laughed and straightened in his chair. “Thank you for the meal.”
They served the guests first and both Xiao and Zhongli did excellent jobs pretending to enjoy the broiled fish on their plates. Childe and the others ate next with their parents serving themselves last. He was glad he’d picked up extra in the market, because there wasn’t anything left by the time dinner was complete.
“Ajax said you were a funeral consultant?” His father sat next to Zhongli in the den and lit a few candles on the table between them to scent the room. “What does that entail?”
“I give lectures on traditional rites and etiquette for funerals for the divine or people of importance, like members of the Qixing.” Zhongli folded his hands in his lap. Anthon and Teucer sat near his feet, while Tonia sat with Childe on the couch opposite them. He closed his eyes and listened to Zhongli speak. “Adepti are immortal in that they do not age physically, but they can pass. When that occurs, it’s important to help them pass to the next life with the utmost respect and thanks. However, those deaths are rare and often have thousands of years between them. I help keep the traditions alive in modern Liyue in the event they are needed again.”
“That’s a job for all year round?” Mama asked as she came in the room with a plate of cookies and Xiao following her with one in his hand. She set it on a coffee table and sat next to his father. “That must be a lot of information.”
Zhongli chuckled. “It is, though I only give lectures twice a week. The rest of my time is spent helping to perform regular funerals based on our clients wishes. The Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor believes that tradition is important, but it does not supersede the wishes of the living.”
Childe leaned his head back as Zhongli continued to talk about his job and Liyue. The conversation ended around nine when Mama shooed the children off to bed and helped Xiao and Zhongli set up cots in Childe’s room.
The three of them turned in for the night and Childe collapsed on his bed. The other two talked quietly with each other and Childe fell asleep to their soft voices.
Childe woke a little after midnight. Xiao sat on his cot with his eyes shut and hands in his lap and Zhongli watched the scenery out the window. He was in his pajamas and under the blankets of the cot, ready to pretend to be asleep if someone checked the room. Childe couldn’t imagine sitting still and doing nothing all night.
“Do you want to take a walk?” Childe whispered. Zhongli turned his head toward Childe as he put his socked feet on the cold floor. “I was thinking of taking one.”
“This late?” Zhongli asked. “Won’t your family worry?”
“I wasn’t planning on telling them,” Childe said. He nodded toward the window. “I used to sneak out all the time when I was Teucer’s age.”
“A walk sounds nice.” Zhongli pushed his covers aside and got up. “Are you coming, Xiao?”
“No.” The Adeptus inhaled slowly and exhaled. “It’s cold.”
“We won’t be out long.”
Childe and Zhongli dressed. They made sure to bundle up in their thickest coats and Childe opened the window. He slipped outside first and waited for Zhongli to drop into the thick bed of snow in the yard. Childe pulled the window down behind him and lit a small lantern.
Zhongli rubbed his arms and followed Childe. He had been fine during the day, but the nighttime temperatures could be deadly for a mortal, so even a god had to feel the chill.
“I love it out here at night,” Childe said. His cheeks stung from the cold and he felt alive. “It’s like time has stopped and everything is quiet.”
“It’s beautiful.”
They walked around the Ruin Guard parts and the other large decorations that Teucer had been gifted until they reached the fence that marked their property line. Childe and Zhongli climbed over it, dropping into the even thicker snow on the other side. It came up to their knees, but Childe enjoyed the challenge. Zhongli followed his trail, having a much easier time of it.
When they reached the bottom of the hill, Childe stopped and faced Zhongli. The man’s face was pink from the cold, but he didn’t seem too bothered. Childe stepped closer until their chests were close and he could stick his hands in Zhongli’s coat pockets.
“My dad hasn’t asked me to go fishing since I was fourteen,” Childe said. He leaned forward and dropped his head on Zhongli’s shoulder, putting his face in the crook of his neck. “What magic did you use?”
“None,” Zhongli said. He kissed Childe’s head and hugged him. Zhongli rubbed Childe’s back up and down. “I’m a neutral figure that can help bridge any awkwardness between you two. I’m sure your father has been waiting for such an opportunity and jumped at the chance when he saw it had been granted.”
Childe whispered, “Thank you for coming.”
“I’m glad I could give this to you.” Zhongli kissed Childe’s temple and his lips were warm on his skin. “But I’m still never letting you go.”
“I figured that out.” Childe fell in love with a selfish, blockheaded god. “At least you’re cozy.”
Zhongli yelped when Childe shoved him over into the snowbank behind him. He crawled on top of him and kissed him hard. They leaned against the incline of the hill and snow fell on their heads as Childe warmed himself with Zhongli’s tongue.
“I want to take you,” Childe said. He tugged open the bottom buttons of Zhongli’s coat and dug under them for his pants. “In the snow.”
“It sounds romantic but I worry you’ll get frostbite,” Zhongli said, breathing hard. His words didn’t match his actions as he went back in for another steamy kiss and helped Childe get his pants down by raising his hips. “You’re already rather chilled.”
“Then you better keep me warm.”
Zhongli shivered as Childe got one of his legs out of his pants. He kissed Zhongli and fell flush against him, grabbing his thighs to pull Zhongli’s legs around his waist. The god wrapped his arms around Childe’s shoulders and held onto him as they kissed and Childe rocked against him.
Childe’s teeth chattered from the cold but he didn’t care. He pressed Zhongli deep into the snow until it packed solid under them. Childe rutted against Zhongli and held his face. He didn’t stop kissing him as their hips rocked. The snow tumbled around them as they moved it and his cheeks burned.
“Ajax,” Zhongli said in his ear. He rubbed Childe’s back and stayed wrapped around him, giving him precious body heat. “Ajax, please.”
He wanted to sob.
When did he start to like his name on Zhongli’s lips?
Childe kissed Zhongli harder to stop him from saying his name again. He already felt too raw with his skin burning from the cold of the snow and the heat at their waists. Their lantern melted the snow next to them and the moon gave them light from above.
“You need to finish for me,” Zhongli whispered. He kissed Childe’s cheek and moved his own hips. “I want you inside me now.”
Childe made a choked noise in Zhongli’s mouth when he came. He shuddered and clung to Zhongli, collapsing in the snow. The Archon petted his head while Childe caught his breath.
“We need to get you back to the house,” Zhongli whispered. He kissed Childe’s hair and gathered him up to fix his pants and coat. “You’re freezing.”
“I want to do that again,” Childe said. He watched his breath in the night air and swayed as he sat up. “We are doing that again.”
“Not tonight.” Zhongli pulled on his own clothes and winced at the slush that snuck into his pants. He huffed and stood, dragging Childe up with him by the arm. “I’m serious, though. You need to warm up before you catch ill.”
“I’m fine.” Childe laughed and pulled his hood up. He hugged Zhongli and nuzzled him in the afterglow. “I’m from Snezhnaya. The cold is home.”
“Your home is heated and built to keep the cold out,” Zhongli countered. He gave up trying to get Childe to cooperate and picked him up. “I’ll carry you if I must.”
“Hey!” Childe laughed as he was throne over Zhongli’s shoulder like a rag doll. The god cheated and used his pillars to get up the hill faster, climbing them like a temporary staircase. Childe relaxed and cradled his head in his arms over Zhongli’s back. “I’m going to sleep. You can tuck me in when we get back.”
Zhongli pinched him. “You can sleep after I tuck you into bed.”
Childe groaned, but he couldn’t be angry. He felt good and decided to distract Zhongli with kisses the entire walk back instead.
“You snuck out in the snow with your boyfriend last night, did’t you?” Tonia asked. She cut her eggs in half at the breakfast table and huffed, shaking her head. “You two aren’t as quiet as you thought. My room is right next door.”
“At least you weren’t in the room when they came crashing in,” Xiao said, sighing. He had fixed himself a small bowl of snow and ate it with a spoon. “They hit my cot.”
“My apologies again.” Zhongli cleared his throat. “We meant to be quiet.”
They would have been, too, if Childe hadn’t tripped on the window sill and fell over laughing from his clumsiness. He’d been colder than he thought and his limbs had started to numb. Zhongli warmed him up with snuggling and snuck him some warm cloths from the kitchen when that didn’t work well enough.
Xiao had not been pleased with the cuddling, though he hadn’t realized his sister had woken. Childe was surprised she hadn’t banged on the wall to make them stop.
“Sorry, Tonia,” Childe said. He added salt and pepper to his own plate and hummed. Teucer yawned along side a dozing Anthon. Neither were very good with mornings. “But I missed it too much to not run around outside. Besides, I need to take my chances while I can get them since I’m moving to Liyue.”
“It’s still hard to believe you’re moving out for real,” Tonia said. “I’m used to you being gone all the time, but this is different.”
“A little,” Childe said. “But I’m still going to write you letters and you can come visit any time you want. My house has plenty of room.”
“It’s huge!” Teucer said. “There were twice as many rooms as our house!”
“See?” Childe smiled. He could picture his house full and alive with all of them fighting for the best guest room or running around outside in the wet marsh or visiting the villages. “You’d love the city, Tonia.”
“I will make plans.” Tonia ate her eggs and glanced at Zhongli. “If all the men are as handsome as Mr. Zhongli, then it’ll be worth the trip.”
“You are teasing me and I don’t appreciate it.” Childe dropped his face in his hands. “Let me go back to believing you’re too young to date.”
“No.”
Zhongli smiled and ate his eggs and Childe matched his grin as he continued to play bicker with Tonia. Things would still be tough adjusting to his new life in Liyue, but he would make it work. With his family chatting around him and Zhongli next to him, Childe allowed himself to relax.
Childe was alive, well, and loved.
The rest could work itself out when he went home to Dihua Marsh.