Work Text:
Zhongli arrives in hell after missing the gyatt slide.
He slammed his own gyatt on the way down, which feels like some sort of symbolism, but he can't focus on that right now with the panic rising in chest. Everything around him is dark. His eyes are open, but he can't see his own hands. Is this hell? Isn't there supposed to be some type of fire? All that stretches for miles is a tangible, wispy darkness.
"Morax."
Zhongli screams, jumping six feet into the air. His head does a 360 while trying to find the source of the voice. Huh...does being in hell allow his body to move in ways he couldn't before?
He hears footsteps—and the darkness parts, revealing the most handsome man he's ever laid eyes on. With pale skin and the sharpest cheekbones, jet-black hair perfectly styled, stormy-grey eyes, and a billowing black...cloak? something of the sort—this is the most attractive being in existence. Zhongli is sure of it.
A blush rises to his face, and he stammers, too awed by the blinding beauty in front of him to be able to formulate coherent sentences. "W-who a-a-are—"
The man, right in front of him now, presses a lithe finger to his lips, and he nearly passes away on the spot. Wait, he's already dead.
"Hush," the man says. "I am the Darkling. I have been watching you for a long time, Zhongli, waiting for you to arrive here."
"H-how did you know I would miss the gyatt slide and land here?" Zhongli asks the Darkling.
The Darkling smirks, and oh, what Zhongli would give to be able to feed that mouth the most luxurious osmanthus wine.
"Don't you worry your pretty little head about that," the Darkling says reassuringly. "If you want to leave this darkness, you have to pass my test."
Zhongli nods eagerly. "Whatever you say, baby. Uh, I mean, Darkling."
The Darkling smiles, pleased and a little amused. "Good. Now, you're going to watch what I do and copy me exactly, okay? Watch first."
The Darkling starts pressing gently right under his chest, and Zhongli watches raptly. The Darkling gently starts to stroke that area; then, his hand travels upwards, toward his mouth. With a single thrust, he shoves his entire arm down his throat, and Zhongli jumps six feet into the air again.
"W-what're you—" Zhongli starts, shocked and a little panicked, but the Darkling hushes him.
Zhongli can see the Darkling's fingers through his clothes, the bulge right under his chest where he's probing at something. Zhongli tries to remember what body part is there, and he realizes—the liver.
The Darkling is stroking his liver.
"Okay Zhongli," says the Darkling, completely clear even with his arm shoved down his throat, "you can start now."
Zhongli gulps, heart pounding. What if he puts his hand down the wrong tube? What if he touches the wrong organ? What if he fails this beautiful man and never gets out of here? There's so many ways this could go wrong—but he looks at the man in front of him, unreal looks and in all his glory, and he knows he must do this. And so, he takes a deep breath, strokes his liver outside his body once, twice, then shoves his arm down his throat.
It's actually...not bad. He probes around for his liver, and when he finds it, he sees stars.
It's the most wonderful feeling ever—almost as good as drinking the finest osmanthus wine.
They stroke their livers in tandem for a while—and then the Darkling withdraws his arm. Zhongli follows suit, mourning the loss of feeling.
But the Darkling's next words utterly shock him.
"It's time for you to do it to me."
Zhongli's jaw drops lower than his knees. He...he gets to touch this ethereal being? So intimately? He hesitantly reaches his hand forward.
Zhongli pauses before the Darkling's mouth, and the Darkling, too impatient, grabs Zhongli's wrist and shoves Zhongli's arm down his throat himself.
Zhongli gasps at the cold that envelops his arm; it feels like the darkness he's standing in. He probes around for the Darkling's liver, and when he finds it, he strokes it. He strokes the Darkling's liver, just as the Darkling stroked his own liver.
Wow. That's actually crazy.
They do this for who knows how long, until the Darkling gets tired and they finally need to stop.
"Okay, that's...that's enough," the Darkling pants. "You've passed the test. You may leave this darkness."
Suddenly, the darkness around Zhongli dissipates, and he's met with blinding light. He looks at the Darkling, devastated to be leaving him, but the Darkling smiles and nods toward the light encouragingly.
Zhongli takes a deep breath, puts one foot in front of the other, and leaves the beautiful being behind, holding back tears. He ventures into the light, not knowing what is to come next, but knowing that it won't be good if the Darkling is not by his side.