Archive of Our Own

Zhongli aka Morax, or as the gang calls him–Rex Lapis–was currently sitting in one of the luxurious rooms inside his headquarters. The room was decorated with various kinds of expensive paintings and furniture. From the huge painting of a dragon that was hung behind his desk to the finely crafted teacup that was carved out of jade, the lavish decoration made the room look like it belonged at a palace rather than a mafia boss' office. 

The decor was also done in shades of golden and brown, his favorite and signature color, respectively. The walls were lined with bookshelves, full of all kinds of literature that he had collected over the years. Each bookcase contained a different collection of titles that was related to each subject. Medicinal herbs, history, and even a book about different kinds of rocks in Teyvat were all kept within the shelves.

There was also a large bookshelf filled with books about politics and economics, law, philosophy and poetry, and just everything about society that wasn't really related to his line of work. The numerous shelves of knowledge and information were spread across the room in a way that seemed more like a library than something a person could keep track of simply because they liked reading. It was like this room was a place where you could relax and forget your troubles when all was said and done.

This was actually what Zhongli had hoped for when he decided to have his private study room instead of using the main office like everyone else in the organization did. This was where he wanted to be most of the time.  This office wasn't just any office, this was also Zhongli's sanctuary in his busy life. It was his escape from the stresses and problems of everyday life. It was a place where Zhongli could get away from his responsibilities as the leader of the Liyue Mafia and spend some time with only himself. Away from people and his responsibilities.

Hence, the reason why the man was currently sitting inside of his private study room, surrounded by all his favorite literary texts.

His long, dark brown hair was falling loose over his shoulder, framing his handsome face perfectly. His legs were crossed underneath his desk with his hands rested gently on top of them. A small smile played at the corners of his lips as he took another sip of his tea.

If one were to look at him in passing, they would think that the man was enjoying his evening leisurely while immersing himself in one of his literature. Especially with the way those golden eyes seem to glow softly under the dim light of the room. But if they were to pay attention, they'd notice that instead of taking pleasure in the books on his shelves, there were numerous photos strewn about his desk, all featuring the same young man with a pair of deep blue eyes and ginger locks. 

Taking a closer look at each of these photos, one would notice that the only difference between these pictures was the clothes that the man was wearing.

In some of these photographs, he was always dressed in suits or formal wear, with a red scarf wrapped around his neck and his hair styled neatly. In others, he was wearing the typical attire of a bodyguard, with a gun strapped to his belt and a black leather jacket on. These images, however, featured none of the close-up photos; all seemingly captured from above or from someone with a high camera angle. In fact, some of them are candid shots; and a few others were seemingly captured from CCTV cameras. Scattered on the edge of the desk were several photos that were looking like they were taken from behind, in which his features could barely be made out due to the angle.

The sheer amount of photos and the conspicuous angles of the shots made it clear that the man in all of these photos was either being targeted as the next target of a certain assassination mission, or someone who had been sent by the neighboring mafia group to either kill him or to capture him.

After all, it is normal in this line of business to have lots and lots of photos of someone who either wants you dead or who you want to get rid of, right?

That is why Gentry Maocai, a merchant who had recently arrived in town to do business with the Liyue Mafia, had nonchalantly asked Zhongli if he would want to get rid of that person in these photographs; he had accidentally stumbled across the room while looking for the secretary office to get his permit processed. Needless to say, Zhongli had narrowed his eyes at the merchant, before shaking his head and telling him to leave the room immediately.

Later on, Maocai would meet with the ever-so-friendly undertaker Hu Tao along his way out,  who then told him that Zhongli had kept all that photos to himself was due to personal reasons, or, as Hu Tao had bluntly put it, "he was just being a creepy stalker". These were the exact same words Hu Tao had told Zhongli when she retold the story to him later on, cackling with laughter while doing so.

Zhongli had only let out an exasperated sigh at her antics at that time, although he did scold her that the term "stalker" seems too extreme for his fixation with the pictures.

Sure, he had fancied the man a little bit (more so than he should, probably) since they first happened upon each other three months ago, but Celestia, that's all it was. He knows there is little to no chance for them to stumble into each other again after that, yet he hadn't expected the disappointment he felt when his thoughts came true.

He had attended every meeting and gatherings they had with the Fatuis, as that is the name the Snezhnaya mafias had given themselves, and he had found no sight of that man. He had even tried to ask the Tsaritsa herself, but the leader of the Snezhnaya mafia had refused to tell him anything, stating that she "wouldn't let an old man like him to lay a finger on her youngest".

Zhongli closed his eyes in frustration. He had been so annoyed with the Tsaritsa's stubborn refusal that he almost started to consider breaking into the Fatui HQ and searching for the pretty man himself. However, he knew very well that kind of action wouldn't end up in any good outcome. It took years for him and the Tsaritsa to build their trust, and he didn't want to jeopardize it by going and asking her questions and making her suspicious.

So he settled down.

He tried not to think about the man anymore, no matter how many sleepless nights he had spent thinking about him.

Just like tonight, he mused as he took out a cigarette from his pocket and placed it between his lips.

When he lit it up with a golden lighter, he leaned back in his chair and blew the smoke up into the air. He isn't much of a smoker;  but he likes to think that he smokes as a sort of ritual to calm himself down after a stressful day. This is only the first cigarette, and he always keeps the number to not go past three. He takes another puff, and as the smoke fills his lungs along with the nicotine seeping into his mind, he lets out a contented sigh.

He could still vividly remember the first time they had met.

That night, the Liyue Mafia had gone on an undercover mission  together to investigate a new drug cartel that had suddenly risen up from nowhere.

They go by the name of ”Abyss Order'' and have been operating in various areas all over Teyvat for three years now. While they aren't particularly dangerous, it's definitely a concern considering the fact that the drugs they sell are extremely addictive, making the victims lose their minds and start experiencing severe hallucinations. Even if the drug doesn't kill the victim, there will still come a point where the drug will be enough to turn the person completely mad; and once the addict starts getting violent, it becomes almost impossible to stop them.

Lots of people in his organisation have already lost their lives to their addiction, either through death from overdose, suicide attempts, or being shot to death due to their uncontrollable madness. All of these incidents have resulted in the deaths of quite a number of members of the Liyue Mafia.

Being the head of the Liyue Mafia, it will not do him any good to allow the drug to become widespread in society, especially with the amount of criminals and gangs that the organization controls. Thus, Zhongli decided to brought this matter up during his annual meeting with The Seven; a coalition of the seven powerful mafia organization in Teyvat, with him and the Tsaritsa, along with his old friend Venti, the leader of the Mondstadt Mafia as the members.

It was during this meeting where he discovered that the Abyss Order is responsible for several misdeeds happening across Teyvat, with them recently managing to dominate the whole Enkanomiya District in Inazuma. Makoto and Ei, the twins that run the underworld of the Inazuma Mafia, explained that they were forced to sacrifice the whole district to keep the Abyss Order occupied and contained. They had been too late at that time to prevent the drugs that the drug cartel were distributing, causing the entire district to be engulfed in madness.

Venti also reported that there were several sightings of the Abyss Order near the border of Mondstadt and Liyue, which led to him having to send out his elite mafia group–the Favonius Knight–to try and catch them. Unfortunately for him, the Abyss Order was able to evade most of the Favonius Knight that Venti had sent and disappeared into thin air.

Surely, with such a dangerous unknown organization running rampant across their territory, it was understandable why all the seven leaders were growing worried and apprehensive about the Abyss Order. With each of The Seven voicing their own worries against this particular organization and the possible threat they posed to everyone, they quickly concluded that the best course of action to take would be to infiltrate one of their headquarters and find out more about them. The problem then lies in finding the location of the headquarters; with the drug cartels slowly gaining their momentum, the Abyss Order seemed determined to keep the location of their operations a secret.

It wasn't until Xiao, his right hand man and the head of his scouting division, received word that the Abyss Order had been spotted around the outskirts of Liyue Harbor that they could finally make their move.

So, here he is, walking down the hallway of a five-star hotel in the Chasm District with Venti by his side; both of them, being the only male in the groups, were forced to check out the place while the others waited outside, ready to provide their own assistance as soon as they are needed. Yet that doesn't mean that the two of them were left to their own devices; in order to ensure the safety of the two, Zhongli had Xiao and his own elite mafia agents stationed at various parts of the hotel to act as backup should something go wrong. Of course, Xiao had been reluctant to let Zhongli and Venti go on their own accord, fearing for the safety of his leader and his boyfriend. However, after much assurance from the latter that nothing would go wrong, Xiao eventually gave up trying to convince the two of them and lay in wait with the rest of the adeptus.

"Well, it seems the Tsaritsa can't make it. She has an important meeting that can't be postponed," Venti commented as he looked at his phone, before turning to look at Zhongli and adding, "She said that she will be dispatching three of her harbingers that are around the area to fill in her place." 

"Harbingers?"  Zhongli asked as he furrowed his brows in confusion.  He had never heard of that name before, but since the Tsaritsa had enough faith to send them in her stead,  he supposed that they must be a trusted member of the Tsaritsa's inner circle, or perhaps a high-ranking member of the Fatui itself.  "I don't recall ever hearing the Tsaritsa mention anything about harbingers…"

Venti let out a chuckle, shaking his head.

"Well, blockhead," he started, earning himself a glare from the other man. "I would say that the name was probably on par with your adeptus and my favonius knights? Although compared to us, their numbers are significantly smaller...Maybe around ten?"

The shorter man turned his attention back to his phone, typing out some messages before looking up at Zhongli again.

"Oh, she replied. She said that one of them was already waiting for us in the conference room, codenamed “The Fair Lady."

"Only one? How about the other two?" Zhongli questioned as he glanced at his watch, it was already half past eight, and they would need to hurry before the time hits nine.

The dark-blue haired man shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe they have their own assignments to do?" he answered, before he cheerfully continued, "Anyway, let's hurry! The Tsaritsa said that she also sent some fire water for us!  I'm sure you know what that means!" he exclaimed with a smile, giving Zhongli his signature wink.

Zhongli sighed as he ran his fingers through his long black hair, letting out a loud huff.

As much as fire water sounded appealing, he can't afford to have Venti getting himself drunk because of it. The last time the younger male had gotten his hands on those Snezhnaya liquors, he had ended up passing out and almost drowning himself alive. It is thanks to Xiao's quick reaction that he hadn't drowned himself to death, as the teal-haired male had quickly swam and pulled him onto the shore safely. After that incident, both Zhongli and Xiao had given Venti a stern talking-to along with many reminders to stay away from those liquors no matter how tempting the offer sounded. 

"Listen, Barbatos. You know how serious this situation is. I don't need you causing unnecessary damage–" Zhongli stopped, his golden eyes narrowing as he spotted a shadow from the corner of his eyes. Years of training and dealing with the mafia had allowed him to notice the slightest movement of his surroundings, thus immediately catching sight of the shadowy figure moving toward the other side of the corridor. Venti seems to have senses the same thing as well as his gaze turns sharp and focused.

"That's an amazing speed for a regular guest." Venti remarked as he observed the empty corridor. Most people probably wouldn't have noticed the shadow, believing the corridor was just as empty as before. But to both of the leaders, this was a huge warning sign that something wasn't right.

Venti moved a little bit, moving closer to Zhongli and whispering. "Did you manage to get a look at who it was?" he questioned quietly.

"No, they are too fast. Whoever they are, they seemed to be in a hurry," Zhongli replied, glancing over at the direction in which the shadow disappeared.

"That direction... There is an elevator leading down to the basement over there," He stated, taking out his own gun and holding it tightly in his grip. "Barbatos, you go and meet up with Tsaritsa's harbinger. I will go to the basement and see if there is anything I could find."

"Huh? Are you sure you want to go alone?" Venti asked, slightly surprised at what the elder man had just proposed. He tilted his head worriedly, his aqua green eyes staring straight into the older man's golden ones, as he watched him nod his head in reply.

"Yes, I am. We are running out of time, and someone has to notify the others," Zhongli answered, giving the shorter man another reassuring nod.  "Don't worry, I will be fine.  Just get going. I'll meet up with you shortly."

Venti had this look on his face like he wanted to protest even further, but the seriousness of the situation got to him and he knew that it would be pointless arguing with the older man.

"Fine, fine," he sighed in defeat, "Just be careful down there, you hear me?" he added, giving the older man a small grin and patting him on the shoulder.

"I'm sending Xiao if we haven't heard from you by the time I finished talking with the Tsaritsa's envoy, okay?" he continued, but Zhongli had already began to run down the direction that the shadow had vanished into, not listening to any of his protests, leaving Venti with no choice but to shake his head in resignation and turn around, ready to do his part and meet the harbinger that the Tsaritsa had sent for help.

Zhongli dashed down the hallway, keeping an eye on his surroundings in case there was any danger lurking in the corners waiting to attack him.

Thankfully, there was nobody else around by the time he reached the elevator, although a quick glance at the pixelated screen above the button showed him that it was still at its lowest level, meaning that the elevator wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Without wasting any more precious seconds, Zhongli pushed open the door leading to the emergency stairs, making sure to close it behind him, before rushing down the flight of stairs.  His footsteps hardly made a sound as he carefully climbed down the stairs, his instincts telling him that if anything dangerous is lurking below, it would jump him first and ask questions later.

As he reached the first floor, he slowed down, placing his feet gingerly on each step until his hand found the wall once more to guide himself down the next set of steps. His pace quickened when he reached the basement floor, and with one final push, he managed to open the door that led him to come face to face with the elevator, a sense of relief washing over him at the fact that he had somehow managed to make it to the bottom floor without being spotted. However, the feeling didn't last as long as he thought it would, as he realized that the elevator door  had been left wide open, revealing that it is now devoid of any passengers that might have been inside previously. Confused, he took several deep breaths before cautiously taking a step closer to the elevator, glancing around to try to locate any hint of life, only to find none.

That is, until suddenly something, or someone, jumped out of nowhere and tackled him to the ground, causing him to grunt in pain. The impact knocked the air out of his lungs as a figure pinned him to the ground, pressing a knee against his chest, trying to prevent him from escaping. His gun was knocked out of his hands and out of reach, and there was a whiff of floral ozone with a mix of bergamot as the assailant attempted to use his weight to keep him down, moving his whole body on top of Zhongli in a straddling position.

"Heh, gotcha! You are pretty strong yourself, aren't you?" the voice spoke from above him, and he took note that it belonged to a man. A rather slender man, judging by the way he is sitting on him, as he was using all of his strength to keep Zhongli in place.

However, Zhongli wouldn't be the mafia boss he is right now if he didn't have some tricks up his sleeve to deal with situations such as these. If the other man thinks he is going to beat Zhongli, he has another thing coming.

"Whoa!!"

With a swift move, he raised his arm, grabbing the other man by the waist and pulled him forward, switching their positions so that now the man is lying underneath him, trapping the intruder under him. The stranger lets out an audible gasp in surprise, and Zhongli immediately uses his free hand to grab the attacker's wrist, pulling the man's arm up above his head as his other hand moved from  the man's abdomen to his thigh, pinning him firmly against the ground. The man gave an exasperated groan as he struggled beneath him, trying in vain to break free from the hold that Zhongli is keeping on him. Unfortunately, the other man is no match for Zhongli, and it didn't take much longer for the older man to successfully trap him underneath him.

"Not so fast." Zhongl growled in a low tone as he tried to catch his breath from the sudden assault earlier. The other man struggles, trying to break free from Zhongli's hold, but to no avail. Not a single muscle within the man's body moved. In fact, the moment Zhongli's gloved fingers came in contact with his skin, a cold shiver shot up the latter's spine, sending chills throughout his entire body.

"!!!"

Zhongli smirked inwardly when he felt the man stiffened under his touch.

"You're not going to get away that easily." Zhongli growled, gripping tighter on the assassin's wrists while trying to get a good look at his attacker's face.

He could feel the man squirming beneath him as he kept applying pressure to prevent the intruder from attempting to break free again. This is definitely a challenge he hadn't encountered before, Zhongli admitted mentally. He can tell that the intruder isn't your ordinary person. Perhaps a high ranking officer from the Abyss Order? That doesn't seem too far off from the possibility. Yet before Zhongli could ask the man beneath him a question or even get an answer out of him, the man had fought against him with such a powerful strength, gaining a newfound energy that forced Zhongli to use his whole weight to pin down the man. Taken aback by the sudden action, he shifted his hold over the man's thigh, spreading the man's leg out so that it is between Zhongli's legs instead of between his torso and chest.

The other man let out a grunt of surprise as he tried to shift his body away from Zhongli's groin area, failing miserably due to the amount of pressure that Zhongli exerted upon his thigh muscles, rendering them useless.

"Give it up. You can't win against me." Zhongli warned, moving his other hand now that he has managed to trap the man's body with his own. However, his mind comes to a halt when he feels his hand brushed against...frills?

Frills?!

A sudden rush of confusion and shock flooded through Zhongli's body and instantly he froze, his gaze shifting downwards so that he could get a better view of what exactly was laying underneath him.

For a second, Zhongli wondered whether or not he was dreaming, since it was simply impossible for him to be seeing right now what he thinks they are supposed to be seeing. Now that he had regained his composure and was able to take a good look at the man below him, he realized that the other man was clad in the same uniform that he had seen the maids in Ragvindr's Manor wear. All black and white, including the white apron on the front and the white frills headband adorning the man's ginger locks. But what stood out to Zhongli the most is that due to their previous scuffle, the knee-length dress had hiked up quite a bit, revealing a belt which contained two polished sharp knives wrapped around a fair yet toned thigh. 

He gulped nervously, trying hard not to stare at the man's exposed skin. He desperately tried to pull his gaze away, but he couldn't, because as the man continued to move beneath him, he felt himself begin to tremble slightly as he noticed how nice it feels when to have the man underneath him. It was like an electric current running through his body every time the guy beneath him moved, and it wasn't helping in the slightest to calm the raging heat of desire burning inside of him.

 "Uh.... You," Zhongli called out, trying to get the attention of the man lying beneath him, who seems to be struggling to regain his breath also. He regrets doing it though, because as soon as the man stared back at him, he was greeted with a pair of deep blue eyes so beautiful that it almost seemed like they were glowing. Zhongli blinked for a few moments, stunned speechless for seeing such a pretty face, before breaking out of his daze and quickly averting his gaze from the stranger, trying to hide the blush creeping up onto his cheeks.

"Um..." he trailed off as he tried to collect his thoughts, trying to formulate a logical reaction as to why the man had chosen to wear such a... peculiar yet charming uniform. Was it really necessary for a member from the Abyss Order to wear such a thing? Or, was the reason for it a personal choice by him? Or...was this just another disguise? Zhongli's brow furrowed as he racked his brain, trying to find the answers he needed and coming up with nothing. 

As if sensing the distress and confusion that he was emitting, the assassin let out an amused chuckle from beneath him, prompting Zhongli to finally look back towards him.

"You could just ask, you know." The stranger said in a soft tone, a playful smile playing at his lips as he watched Zhongli struggle for words.

"Take it as a reward from being able to win against me," He continued, chuckling.

When Zhongli did nothing more than give him a blank stare in response, the assassin rolled his eyes, "Oh, please, I always keep my words. I will answer whatever question you have, as long as it doesn't concern the Tsaritsa." His gaze turned sharp as he spoke. "I will not be divulging any information about the Fatui, so don't waste your time trying to dig it out of me." The assassin stated matter of factly, causing Zhongli's jaw to drop as a shocked expression took over his face. Did he just hear the other correctly?

"The Tsaritsa?" Zhongli asked quietly. In his mind, he recalled his conversation with Venti earlier; about how the Tsaritsa had sent three of her harbingers to assist them in her place, yet only one of them would be meeting with them to discuss the plan. Venti doesn't exactly specify the other two, saying only that they will be joining them later on. So, does that mean...? "Could you be... one of the Fatui Harbingers?"

The pretty stranger had actually looked taken aback by the question, his eyebrows knitted together in bewilderment, clearly not expecting the question that Zhongli asked him.

"Eh... Are you really going to ask me that? Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" He responded, sounding rather offended that Zhongli would even ask such a thing.

"Well," Zhongli began, hesitating momentarily before continuing. "It's hard to believe that I'm talking to a member of the Tsaritsa's Harbingers if you're wearing something so…unusual." As if to emphasize his point, Zhongli glanced downwards once again to the uniform the man wore, desperately trying to ignore the way his stomach clenched at the sight of the other's exposed thighs. 

At this, the man followed his gaze curiously, only to let out a gasp when he caught sight of his attire as well. He looked absolutely scandalized, his eyes wide as saucers as he  stared down at himself, visibly embarrassed by what he was currently wearing. A light pink dusting his cheeks the instant he remembered his current attire, especially when he noticed that Zhongli was still staring at his naked thighs. Yet with their current position, the man was unable to cover up any part of himself. And with his embarrassment, his cheeks grew rosy red.

"O-oh... That makes sense... "  He mumbled quietly as he lowered his head, averting his gaze away from Zhongli.

Delectable, thought Zhongli as he allowed his gaze to linger on the other male's face.

The man has such delicate features with the perfect proportions of his face and his eyes were mesmerizing as they held both the color and hue of water. Even his hair was captivating, shimmering like gold in the darkening night sky as he lay there, pinned down by Zhongli. His eyes were framed by thick lashes, giving him a very alluring appearance, one that Zhongli is tempted to reach out and touch. He swallowed harshly as he attempted to fight down the urge, his heart quickened its pace as his desire began to grow by the second. Nevertheless, as he gazed into those eyes that glittered brightly under the dim lighting of the room, he found himself drawn towards the man lying underneath him. 

"So... Are you a friend? Or a foe?" The man suddenly asked, drawing Zhongli out of his reverie as his attention returned back to the man, who was now gazing up at him with an innocent little pout taking hold of his lips. It seems that he had managed to get over his  embarrassment enough to be able to talk normally once again. 

Zhongli paused for a moment, before slowly letting out a small laugh as he shook his head.

"I am a friend." He answered truthfully, releasing his hold over the man's wrists as he took out his geo vision from his pocket, proof that he is a member of The Seven's alliances. He let the man examine his vision in wonder,  before looking back up at Zhongli and smiled softly.

"Thank you. I would have showed you my own vision, but, well... " He motioned to his attire,  "... I'm afraid that isn't possible at the moment."

"Ah, yes. If it doesn't bother you, may I ask why... " Zhongli stopped mid sentence, clearing his throat as he attempted to compose himself properly.  "...Why are you dressed like that?"

He finally blurted out, hoping that his words won't offend the man. After all, it's not that he doesn't like it; correction, he loved it. Especially the view that he gets from their current position, which is a sight he makes sure to never forget. However, not everyday someone could see a member of the mafias, let alone an elite servant to the Tsaritsa in such attire. Surely there must be more reasons behind it?

The stranger raised an eyebrow as he looked down, inspecting the dress more closely, before sighing heavily.

"Apparently, my co-worker decided to pull a prank on me." He muttered, looking rather annoyed.

"He took my clothes away when I'm changing, and now I'm stuck in this maid outfit until I can find that shorty or my clothes." He complained, running his now free hand through his hair as he sighed dejectedly. "Next time, I will make sure to burn that big hat off of him."

Zhongli doesn't know who this "co-worker" that he's referring to is, but he figured that it was probably one of the harbingers that had come to help in their mission. But then again, he couldn't say that he was too sympathetic about the loss of the man's clothes because at least he's been blessed with such a lovely sight.

Although, judging by the way that the other man was speaking about it, it sounded as though it must have been quite embarrassing to walk around in such attire. Perhaps he should have done something else to help him? Should he suggest that perhaps he could lend him some of his garments so that the man could change? Technically, he should; but Zhongli would be lying if he said that he wasn't slightly disappointed by the idea that he would not be able to enjoy such a wonderful view for much longer. However, a part of him also wondered if the man would look good in his clothing.

Just imagining the man clad in his favorite shades of brown and gold made Zhongli feel warm inside, causing him to shake his head and clear his thoughts before he spoke again.

"I'm sorry to hear about that." He offered. "If you want, I could lend you some clothes to borrow." He suggested, feeling slightly guilty that despite his willingness to help, he also had an ulterior motive behind his offer.

The other man seemed to perk up at the invitation, a bright, hopeful smile crossing his lips as he tilted his head to the side, his eyelashes fluttering slightly.

"Really?! You'd do that?!" He exclaimed, seeming a bit surprised at Zhongli's sudden proposition.

"Yes, I would, as a gesture of goodwill," Zhongli nodded, smiling gently. And to see you wearing my shirt, which, of course, was left unsaid.

The other man looked like he wanted to reply to Zhongli's offer with an excited 'yes' when a voice called out from behind him.

"Hey, you two!" The pair snapped around, Zhongli's eyes widening at the sight of several men making their way over in their direction. He narrowed his eyes when he noticed that the men were clad in purple, the telltale signs of the Abyss Order. Added with the hood covering their face and how they were carrying large wooden boxes, it left no doubt that these men were members of the drug cartel they're after. And judging by the expressions on the harbinger's face as the men approached the pair, he knew that they both shared the same thought.

"So they are really here," The man said, his voice dropping in a hushed whisper. His azure eyes gazed at the approaching group warily before returning to meet Zhongli's own  gaze. His expression softened considerably, though not entirely in a friendly manner, as he asked, "Can you contact someone to tell everyone to come down here?"

"I can," Zhongli nodded, showing the man his phone with Xiao number already on speed dial. He reached out for his own gun that was left lying nearby,  checking it quickly to make certain that it's fully loaded and functioning properly before returning his attention back to the man before him. "I will contact them after we deal with these people." He reassured the younger man, his tone firm.

But the latter shook his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"No, no. I will handle it. Go inform your men." The ginger insisted, raising himself up from off the ground. He stretched his arms above his head, a satisfied hum leaving him as the tight grip on his shoulders loosened ever so slightly.  He glanced at Zhongli once more, flashing a charming grin.

"Don't worry, just keep your bullets. I will be fine." His grin widened at the sight of the bewildered look on Zhongli's face, chuckling lightly to himself as he walked past the other man, heading straight for the Abyss Order. The men halted once they spotted the other man walking towards them, immediately raising their guns towards the man.

"Who are you?! Don't you know that the basement is limited--ARGH!!" One of the men shouted, only to be cut off as a throwing knife embedded itself on his chest, sending him staggering backwards as blood flowed freely from his wound. Another man immediately fired multiple bullets at the ginger, only for another knife to lodge itself right between his eyebrows, killing him instantly. A third man immediately tried firing another bullet but missed as he was hit in the arm, forcing him to drop his weapon, while a fourth man attempted to fire at the ginger, only to be struck in the neck by another knife as he fell onto the floor, clutching his neck weakly.

"I-INTRUDERS! STOP THAT MAID!"

As the Abyss Order members continued to fire at the harbinger, he ducked and rolled forward, grabbing ahold of the closest enemy's legs and tossing him aside, his hands darting out to grab hold of the collar of the man that had fallen to the floor, yanking him upwards forcefully.

Out of his precious knife, he swiftly grabbed the man by his throat before slamming his foot into the man's stomach, knocking him over and making him fall down onto his ass, coughing up blood, which was now splattered on the floor.

With quick reflexes, he kicked the man on his feet once again, throwing him across the room into his comrade, causing them both to stumble back and dropping their firearms,  allowing the harbinger to take hold of their guns, shooting both of them in the forehead and send them toppling over, dead bodies littering the floor.

"SHOOT HIM! SHOOT!! WE HAVE TO STOP HIM!"

Meanwhile, among the chaos that had erupted as the maid slash harbinger continued to hack his opponents apart with ease, Zhongli was left speechless at the scene before him. It's not that he never  witnessed violence and murder before, he was a mafia and a leader at that. Such a scene of one versus many definitely didn't surprise him in the slightest. He had been in the same situation before, as well as many situations that involved blood being spilled. However, never in all his life had he seen anything even remotely close to what he is witnessing right now. 

"GAH! RUN! TELL THE OTHERS THAT---AAAHHHH!!"

He watched as one of the men screamed, turning his head to see the harbinger standing behind him before a knife had lodged itself in the man's temple, killing him instantaneously.

Then another man comes running, trying to knock the man unconscious only to have himself fall prey to his colleague's bullets.

Such alluring gracefulness, such elegance and perfection and such overwhelming power; all those things were being put together by this young man wearing a maid uniform. He was beautiful, stunning. So mesmerizing and entrancing that Zhongli felt as though he may just melt into a puddle right where he stands, as he helplessly watched on. Even though he had killed countless people himself before, it was nothing compared to this man's performance.  He could only stare in awe as he saw yet another man fall at the ginger's feet, his body contorted into an unnatural position as he choked on his own blood. Then, the last man of the group followed suit, dying with a bullet through his chest and meeting the ground with a loud thud.

It was the harbinger and his beautiful figure, who had caused all of this bloodshed, yet somehow managed to retain such an aura of grace.

Zhongli couldn't tear his eyes away, his heart thumped furiously against his chest with each beat and there was an indescribable sensation stirring within him, the desire of wanting to capture this image forever. He stared as the man walked over to the corpses, pulling his knife free from each one's corpse, seemingly satisfied with his work as he returned his attention to Zhongli.

"That was a little too easy," The harbinger commented, a slight grin forming on his lips. His once pristine maid uniform had now become stained with his victim's blood, and he could tell from the amount of red that surrounded the fabric that it had stained quite a bit. Still, Zhongli found the sight of the man's handsome face covered with blood pleasing to behold. The man wiped the remaining blood on his knives clean before holstering them, walking closer towards Zhongli.

"Did you manage to call for backup?" The harbinger asked, looking concerned, glancing briefly at the phone still clutched tightly in Zhongli's hand, a worried crease on his brows

"...."

Zhongli doesn't immediately answer , watching as the ginger took another step closer towards him, his eyes focused on his lips.

As if sensing his intense stare, the man suddenly stopped in front of Zhongli, looking confused.

"What...is it?" He asked in confusion, tilting his head sideways as his brows furrowed together.

It was a very harmless act; however, it was more than enough to make Zhongli want to lean in and taste the crimson liquid coating the man's plump lower lip. He could feel himself falling more and more in love with this man who had appeared before him, who seemed to have some sort of inexplicable effect on him.

So, it's only natural that when the man tried to talk to him again, his quick response was a simple two words;

"Marry me."

The harbinger blinked, his eyes widening ever so slightly as a shocked gasp escaped his parted lips. His eyes searched the taller man's face as he tried to comprehend what Zhongli had just said,

"Wha...what did you say?" He stammered in disbelief, his brows knitted together, unable to grasp the meaning behind Zhongli's words. There is a tint of pink tingling his cheeks, which, in turn, brought a small smile to Zhongli's lips. Yet the man seems unconvinced, still staring at Zhongli incredulously, "Look, can you repeat it one more time? I think I mishear you--"

His words were interrupted by the sudden ringing of the cell phone in Zhongli's pocket, drawing his attention to the device instead as he looked down at it, sighing softly when he saw Venti as the caller ID flash brightly in the darkness of the room. He picked up the phone without any hesitation, bringing it to his ear as he watched the man across from him surprisingly doing the same.

"What is it, Barbatos?"

"Oh, Morax!" Came Venti 's cheerful voice, a hint of worry lacing his tone, "How is the situation? Is everything okay?"

Zhongli let out a quiet sigh, "Yes, everything's under control. But I will need you to send more people down here," He glances toward the boxes lying scattered across the hallway. He hadn't been able to  get a clear look at what was inside them, but he had gotten the gist of their contents. "We've got several boxes filled with the drugs that we are looking for down here, so be sure to send that blonde genius of yours."

"Oh, Albedo? Okay, I will send him down here. What about your people?" There is a vague sound of bottle cap clinking against a glass, and Zhongli hopes that Venti doesn't drink himself silly like the last time he sent him up to do something. That was a disaster waiting to happen. "Tell Xiao to secure the exit. And don't worry about the rooftop, Ganyu will be keeping an eye out for anyone suspicious," Zhongli informed him. "I assume you have your own men scouring the floors already?"

Venti chuckled, "Of course we do, the Ragvindr's duo is already on their way to the third floor. We also received information from the Fair Lady that they have managed to secure two Abyss Lectors around the perimeter." Zhongli nodded slowly, letting out a deep breath as he listened to Venti's report. "Also, no need to wait for my team down there. You are needed at the west wing, since we have spotted two more of Abyss Lectors there. I will see you there, Morax."

"Alright, got it," Zhongli replied before hanging up the telephone. Looking up at the harbinger, he found that the man was still engaged with his own call,  seemingly oblivious as he shouted at the person on the other line. "--I'm not going there! Not unless you give me back my clothes! Give them back to me, damn it! Don't make me steal your big hat and--." He paused briefly upon hearing the other end of the phone, his eyes narrowing, before  finally responding, "Ugh... Fine, fine. But if I found out that you were lying, I will tell Ei about what you did to her precious katana, got it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhongli's eyebrows raised at the mention of Ei, but he decided not to say a word. Instead, he waited until the man hung up the call before turning his gaze back to him.

"Are you done yet?" He questioned, eyeing the harbinger curiously.

"Ah, yes... Although it seems this is where we part ways..." The harbinger replied,  a frown etched deeply on his face as he took a few steps backwards, giving him a wide berth. "I'm needed at the south wing, and my colleague had decided to return my clothes to me, so..."

"It's alright. I'm glad you will get your clothes back." Zhongli nodded, although he would be lying if he said he didn't want the other man to stay longer.

This man had been far too intriguing; his appearance alone made Zhongli want to know more about him. But at the moment, he knows that both of them are needed somewhere else. If not for the fact that they are currently fighting against a large organization that seems keen on drugging everyone on Teyvat, then perhaps they could have exchanged names or even numbers. However, this isn't really feasible at the moment,  especially since it seems that there are still enemies lurking around.

As if sensing Zhongli's thoughts, the man smiled, "I guess that means we will be seeing each other at the celebration feast, then?"  He teased, his blue eyes shining with mischief.

This of course, caused the corners of Zhongli's mouth turn into a smirk, "Why not?"

They stood there quietly for a moment, neither of them daring to take a step closer, their eyes constantly trailing along each other. Eventually, the man's eyes flickered upward, meeting Zhongli's gaze directly.

"Well then, I bid you goodnight, handsome~" With that, the man abruptly turned his body around, making his way through the maze of hallways without giving Zhongli a second glance. Zhongli remained standing there for a long while after he disappeared from view, watching as the man made his way further away from him.

In the end, they never got to attend said banquet, since several of the Abyss Lectors and Heralds had managed to escape during the chaos. There were rumors of them taking refuge on the outskirts of Sumeru, and Zhongli had gotten his hands full trying to chase after them that he hadn't noticed all three Harbingers had been called away to go help with securing the area around Snezhnaya.

According to the Tsaritsa, she had received reports from Dottore, one of the Harbingers, about the suspicious drug smuggling activity near Snezhnaya, and had immediately pulled all her Harbingers to investigate it.  Though Dottore had insisted that it shouldn't be necessary, the Tsaritsa insisted otherwise, insisting that it was better safe than sorry.

Of course, Zhongli was disappointed to learn that the pretty harbinger had returned to his homeland without any name or number to call.

He wasn't quite sure why, but he felt the need to get to know him better. Perhaps it was because he had the strangest feeling that he had known him for a long time, like they had shared something special; something that he couldn't explain. Or maybe it was the thought of having someone by his side that wouldn't be intimidated by his powers or his reputation in society. Whatever it was, Zhongli knew that he wanted to know more about this mysterious man. He didn't want to lose him just yet.

Which is why Zhongli may have been a bit too persistent in his effort to track the man down; going so far to press Venti for details of the three Harbingers that had been sent that night.

In hindsight, Zhongli should have known better than to ask Venti in the first place; for despite him managing to obtain the name of his ginger muse, Venti had taken it onto himself to tease Zhongli about the said harbinger--The Vanguard, Tartaglia--in every chance he gets, which was enough to bring about a headache within the confines of the office.

At first, Zhongli tried to ignore the man's antics, hoping that Venti would eventually stop and leave him alone, but that only seemed to spur the man on even further. The nosy drunkard had even spoiled his plan by blabbering to the Tsaritsa in his drunken state about Zhongli's particular interest toward a certain harbinger, thus triggering her own protectiveness for her Harbingers. For the trouble he had brought to him, Zhongli had almost, almost dropping his own bomb–Planet Befall–atop Mondstadt if it's not for Xiao begging him to not ruin his beloved's domain. 

Left without any means of contacting the harbinger, Zhongli had resigned himself to monitor the man's movement instead.

He had ordered the adeptus to keep a close eye on every sign of Tartaglia, sometimes snapping a picture or two when he had access to a CCTV that happened to be in the area of the man's mission.  It wasn't much, but it was something to work off of. At least with all of the photos and video surveillance in place, he could ensure his precious harbinger's safety, and, along with it, get a good look at his pretty redhead in various kinds of outfits.

He was aware of what his action looked like to his subordinates and allies, but Zhongli tried to tell himself that he would stop when the Tsaritsa finally relented and let him meet with Tartaglia.

Yet days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months, and still, there is no permission from the Tsaritsa. By now, Zhongli had developed a habit of (cough) stalking (cough) the harbinger, with his photo collections of said ginger growing ever wider. It's funny how fast Zhongli had fallen for him, when in reality, the man barely gave him a single thought aside from some teasing banter and flirting here and there. But Zhongli wasn't one to give up easily, especially when he wants something. 

So as time went on, he had started to brainstorm various ideas to get past the Tsaritsa's watchful eyes.

If it were up to him, his original idea was to simply forge a contract with the Tsaritsa, him giving her the Mora that she wants in exchange for the youngest of her Harbinger. It was a win-win situation in his opinion, and he was more than ready to proceed with the contract if not for his trusted friend Guizhong, who was very adamant that it was not a good idea to do so. Instead, he was forced to devise another way, one that would allow him meet Tartaglia without risking the Tsaritsa's trust or the peace between them.

He had tried to request for another harbinger's help, namely Signora, with the hope that the Fair Lady would be able to give him access to the harbinger. But the lady refused, stating that the man was like her "younger brother" and he is too young for a courting relationship.

So Zhongli gave up with that avenue of endeavor and went to seek out the aid of some other harbingers instead. However, none of them would agree to lend him a hand, each of them seemingly unwilling to let him meet their youngest.

The Balladeer even had the audacity to glare at him and said "I know you just want to fuck him stupid, you old man." before getting dragged home by Ei with Makoto profusely apologizing for her niece's behavior toward him. Needless to say, Zhongli got a clear message that both the Tsaritsa and the rest of her Harbingers are very protective of Tartaglia, another obstacle that Zhongli must overcome.

He shook his head, cigarette dangling from his lips as he stared towards the city lights below him.

What other option did he have? To try and force his way into the territory of the Tsaritsa herself and confront her about it? Or maybe he should request a fake assassination attempt with himself as the target? But it's going to be a gamble whether or not Tartaglia will be the one that they send. With his motive practically put in the open by that drunkard, the Tsaritsa is very unlikely  to believe anything else that he might say. She'd definitely catch onto his ploy quickly, and Zhongli would find himself in a much harder position to gain the Tsaritsa's trust back. 

His brow furrowed slightly as he continued to think about his options, a frown slowly forming on his face. He really needed a plan.

But how in Celestia was he supposed to come up with one that won't be shot down by his colleagues? Every week he would ensure to hold a meeting with his trusted adeptus, Xiao included, to discuss a plan on how he can breach the Tsaritsa's defense and kidnap a certain redhead so that he can meet his beautiful assassin again. Unfortunately, none of his plans were deemed successful by the adeptus, as they couldn't agree on anything. Zhongli had even ordered Xiao to tell him the story behind him and Venti to gain more insight into the cross-mafia relationship. The boy had told him all about it, albeit with his face turning beetroot red and a few pauses here and there as he relayed the story of how he met the Mondstadt leader in Dihua Marsh.

As if on cue, Zhongli heard his phone vibrating against his thigh, startling him as it vibrated against his skin.

Looking down at the screen, his eyes narrowed  at the screen, the name "Barbatos" staring him right in the face. His eyebrows rose upon seeing the caller ID, and if he isn't reminded of the fact that he still has to keep his business relationship with Mondstadt intact, he  was sure he would have ignored the call entirely and turned it off. Instead of doing so though, he answered the phone, hoping it wasn't one of Venti's drunken antics, given that it is almost midnight. 

"This better be important," he grumbled into the phone, his irritation evident through his tone.

He was tired, and after being called to the headquarters so early in the morning to sort out the troubles concerning permits and contracts regarding The Chasm, all he wants to do is sleep his fatigue away. And looking through his photo collection of Tartaglia--but no one needs to know that. 

Zhongli could hear a faint chuckle on the other line, followed by the sound of rustling paper before he heard Barbatos' voice coming over the line again,  "Aw, no need to be so hostile, Morax! You know that I wouldn't bother you unless it was an emergency." There is a hint of mischief in his tone that he could clearly detect, and Zhongli felt the urge to roll his eyes at the statement.

He sighed, rubbing his temple as he replied, "It better be urgent because I am going to kill you when I see you next."

Venti chuckled once more and responded, "Of course, of course," before continuing to speak. "Anyway! Why don't you check your mail? I've got something special for you!" 

"What is it?" asked Zhongli warily, knowing that there was no doubt that whatever Venti had for him would most likely be nothing good.

"Oh, come on!  Don't be like that! Take it as my apology for the trouble last time. Xiao told me that I almost experienced 'The Wrath of The Rock'," Venti said while laughing lightly. "Go, go, go! I promise this will be worth it!"

Zhongli rolled his eyes once again, already regretting agreeing to see whatever it was that Venti wanted to show him.

"Fine," he muttered. "Give me a moment, but if I find out that  it isn't anything good then I'll end you."

After saying that, Zhongli promptly hung up the phone, ignoring Barbatos' laughter following his words. He took a last drag from his cigarette, letting out a cloud of smoke before he stubbed it out in the ashtray.

Lazily, he scrolled down his phone, scanning through the several apps on the screen before tapping on the mail icon. He had sorted through his emails earlier,  so his inbox was already empty of unread letters, except  for one new mail from Venti. It comes with a picture attached on it, and as he opens the email, he wondered what kind of picture that the man had insisted on him seeing... 

Only for him to feel his entire body stiffen as he was greeted with the shot of Tartaglia, dressed in the exact same maid uniform as the one he used to wear during their encounter.

The picture was taken in a peculiar angle, almost like the cameraman had crouched down to get a closer view of the pretty harbinger. It looked as if the guy was trying to take a sneak peek at Tartaglia's...ass, and if Zhongli isn't already aware that Venti is probably the only one shameless enough to take this kind of angle, he might demand to  know who the photographer was so he can has a.... nice conversation together of why it is very inappropriate for them to has this kind of photo. Not to mention the blush adorning the harbinger's cheeks as he realized that he was being photographed, the tiny speck of red on his pale cheek making him look more adorable...

... 

…

…

Saved.

He wordlessly downloaded the image to his phone along with ensuring that he had backup available in case something happened to his phone.

Of course, it means that he simply added one more photo to a folder titled 'Tartaglia' in his drive. Along with making a mental note to send the photo to his secretary Ganyu to be printed out later, preferably in a poster size so he can have it plastered on his wall. With that out of the way, he quickly dialed Venti's number, only for the man to pick it up with a laugh.

"Ahh, it seems that you've seen my mail! How is it~?"  his friend called cheerfully.

Zhongli groaned internally, and he would have humored Venti with their usual banter if there weren't any pressing matters on his mind. So he decided to let it slide, instead choosing to clear his throat before asking. "Is he still there? In Mondstadt?"

Venti laughed heartily, and Zhongli could imagine the grin on his face.

"Why yes, he is! And he will still be here for a couple of days! You should be thanking me, you know? It's supposed to be Rosalyne that comes to help with the mission, but I decided to trick her into going on a vacation with Rostam to Fontaine! In return, our cavalry captain had managed to get your pretty redhead here as a replacement, even coaxing him into dressing up as maid under the guise of a spy~" he cackled. "Anyway, how do you like the photo? I have several more of them! You should praise my photography skills!"

Zhongli blinked, trying to process everything that Venti had just revealed to him.

He doesn't know who is Rosalyne that Venti is referring to, and he doesn't bother to ask. However, he has the cavalry captain to thank for getting Tartaglia there in the first place, along with the maid outfit as a bonus. Yet that can wait later, since there is something that bothers him from Venti's statement.

"But why are you only sending me one? Where are the rest of them?" he demanded. 

"Don't worry, there's plenty more!" replied Venti with another laugh. "Though I'm afraid I can't send it unless, of course, you are willing to pay for it. Since it took me ages to get the harbinger in different kinds of... well... suggestive--"

"Name your price, Barbatos." Zhongli cut him  short, hastily rising up from his seat, grabbing his coat from  the back of the couch and draping it over himself.

Venti laughs at him, a hint of satisfaction palpable in his voice before replying.

"Alright, alright~! Five million mora, how's that? Surely you can afford that much, or maybe four million with two bottles of Osmanthus wine?"

"Five million mora and osmanthus wine, got it." Zhongli answered, reaching out for his card key and wallet which were on the coffee table beside him. Not bothering to close the call, he transferred the required mora, all while walking out from his study room toward the elevator before continuing. "Xiao will be bringing the wine tomorrow to you personally."

"Wow, that's fast. Guess I should ask for ten million instead, huh? Though I'll hold you to that, Morax~!" came the reply from the other line. "I will send all those photos to you right now, I'm sure you will appreciate it."

"You better." Zhongli said, pressing the button for the elevator.

"Alright, alright. Have a safe trip here! Au revoir~!" And with that said, both men hung up the phone.

Zhongli waited for the elevator to arrive before stepping inside, immediately heading toward his car on the basement floor. There is a soft ping from his phone, signaling that Venti had kept his word and sent him all the pictures of Tartaglia (or is it Childe) that he had. 

Well, Zhongli would have to look at that later, since he had a pretty assassin to catch.

to be continued?

Unarchived Scene:

Abyss Order's members: So... when can we finally interrupt those two?
Me: No, not yet. Zhongli isn't done simping. Hold on to your dying ticket for a moment.

Additional Notes

• Childe's scent is taken from the description of Tartaglia's scent in Genshin Impact Character Fragrance Perfume.
  Top notes: Bergamot, Eucalyptus, Green Apple
  Middle notes: Jasmine,  Orange Flower, Patchouly, Cumin
  Bottom notes: Floral Ozone, Nutmeg, Tonka Beans, Agarwood
• Having a vision in this universe is a sign of you being a member of one of the mafia that are under the alliances of The Seven. It is used as an ID between the mafias to ensure that you are trusted.
• Planet Befall is taken from Zhongli's skill in the game.