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Zhongli wasn't usually one to evade confrontation. He didn't seek it intentionally, contrary to a certain Harbinger he missed dearly, but he didn't mind it either.
He only made an exception to that rule when a drunk Barbatos was involved. Because while the bard didn't pose any threat to the safety of his people, the same couldn't be said for Zhongli's reputation.
The consultant didn't even know what had brought the Anemo Archon to Liyue this time. At the moment, nothing seemed relevant except for his inhebriated state and the foolish things it made him do.
Namely, calling him Morax and Rex Lapis loud enough for the whole harbor to hear, and telling every single soul they crossed path with how lucky they were to be in the presence of not one, but two Archons.
Zhongli couldn't let it go on any longer. At this rate, all his efforts to conceal his true nature and fake his death would end up being for naught.
He refused to give up on his long-awaited retirement because of Venti's mischief. His new life fitted him perfectly, and he didn't want to attract any unwanted attention.
So, when Barbatos got distracted by a merchant praising the quality of his wine, Zhongli saw it as his cue to escape his mortifying predicament.
He started by walking away slowly, so as to not arouse the bard's suspicion, then he straight up bolted away, all decency be damned.
Luck smiled on him; just as he turned around a corner, he came across a stall that sold Exuvia stuffed toys. Each one had a unique design, and the vendor was nowhere to be seen.
Zhongli took a quick look around to make sure the rest of the street was deserted. Thankfully for him, it was relatively early in the morning, and the city wasn't buzzing with life yet.
Once certain that no one would see him, he listened to his whim and turned into his small dragon form. With a defeated sigh, he jumped among the Exuvia plushies, then laid down next to them.
That way, maybe Barbatos would not continue bothering him with his antics. And even if he did, it would not shock anyone to see him call a representation of their god Morax.
He didn't have to wait long before a smug-looking Anemo Archon appeared in front of him again, holding a new bottle of alcohol in his hand. Somehow, it was already half-empty.
However, he didn't even notice Zhongli, just like he didn't seem troubled by his sudden disappearance. He took a sip out of his bottle, unbothered, then returned to his quest for more drinks.
The moment he lost sight of him, Zhongli let out a sighed in relief. However, before he could shift back to his human form and take his leave, the owner of the stall returned.
Zhongli immediately stilled, pretending to be an inauspicious toy and not a real, breathing dragon. Fate apparently decided to be on his side once more, because the seller didn't realize anything was out of the ordinary.
All things considered, this wasn't so bad, Zhongli decided. He would just have to wait until the vendor took a break again. In the meantime, he could just bask in sunlight. Actually, he was just starting to realize he'd miss that. The warmth felt nice on his scales and soothed his instincts.
He was considering closing his eyes and taking a quick nap when he spotted a way too familiar red-haired Snezhnayan. His heart clenched as his eyes fell on Childe. This was the first time they found themselves face to face, or rather, face to snout, since Zhongli had handed out his gnosis to Signora.
Recently, Childe had been avoiding him, that much was obvious, although Zhongli failed to understand why. Even his attempts to seek him at the Northland Bank had been met with failure.
His absence only served to remind the consultant of how important the Harbinger had become to him in the span of just a few months. Even his daily routine had been planned around the other man's schedule so they could spend time together.
Childe took a few steps toward the stall, which allowed Zhongli to examine him more closely. He looked paler than in his memories and dark circles underlined his eyes. He was wearing a bandage on his right arm, and light scratches were visible on his face. For once, his hands were deprived of gloves, but covered in wounds and bruises. From the way he moved, Zhongli could tell he was only suffering from minor injuries, but he still disliked seeing him hurt.
Childe silently glared at the Exuvia plushies that were on display, a slight scowl on his lips. His shoulders slumped in defeat, and he pointed a finger straight at Zhongli.
"I'll take this one, please."
The consultant gulped. Did Childe see through his imitation of a plushie? If so, this would soon become the most mortifying experience of his long life.
Despite his unnerve, he forced himself to remain still as a bag of mora changed hands above him. Revealing his true identity to the passersbys was still out of the picture, so he had no choice but to play along with this.
His hind legs and tail hung in the air as Childe picked him up. Zhongli wasn't prone to vertigo, but finding himself in his arms still made his head spin. Considering his line of work, the Harbinger's hands had no right to be this soft.
To his surprise, Childe didn't say a word to him once they were alone , not even to teasingly mock the terrible life choices that had gotten Zhongli to this point. Instead, he carried him all the way to his private quarters in the Northland Bank, to Zhongli's greatest puzzlement.
Once inside, he closed the door behind himself and ran a hand through his ginger hair in an exasperated gesture.
"What the hell am I even doing..." The Harbinger muttered, souding angry with himself.
With a heavy sigh, he went to sit on his bed. Once there, he pressed Zhongli against his chest and buried his face in the dragon's golden fur.
"I'm sure it would give Rex Lapis quite the laugh if he could see me right now. Archons, I'm so pathetic."
There was a worrying tremble in his voice, and what started out as a sad chuckle soon turned into a full-body sob. Contrary to what Childe believed, Zhongli felt no joy when tears fell on his golden mane. On the contrary, he hated to see the Harbinger in such a miserable state.
"I should have known not to get attached. It... It should have been obvious, right? No one in their right mind would show genuine interest to someone broken like me. Zhongli was bound to have some hidden agenda. I'm just... so stupid!"
He hugged the dragon in his arms tightly, squeezing the air out of his lungs.
"I don't even have any right to be mad. I was using him too, weren't I? Guess I had it coming. If at least battles were enough to make me forget how badly I miss him... Then I would not be crying just because a silly stuffed toy reminded me of him..."
Childe kept pouring his feelings onto the plushie, unaware of who he was actually confessing them to. Zhongli struggled to make sense of his muffled cries, but in the end, he managed to isolate the core of the issue.
Childe believed that he never cared about him. Worse even, that he took pleasure in deceiving him, in causing him hurt.
Zhongli couldn't let it stand, his dignity be damned.
He closed his eyes and willed himself back to his human form. Childe gasped in shock when the small dragon he was hugging turned into the man he was blabbering about.
"What in the Abyss..." He cursed.
"Childe, please listen to me. My affection toward you has always been 'genuine', as you put it. I deeply apologize for letting you believe otherwise. During the time we spent together, you have become very dear to me, regardless of my contract with the Cryo Archon. Playing with your feelings was never my intention..."
Childe's bewilderment quickly morphed into panic, and his face turned white.
"Shit, how long have you been here? Wait, did I summon you by talking to this plushie of the Exuvia? Is that a thing?"
"The truth is a little more embarrassing, I am afraid, " Zhongli winced. "But my words still stand. I have missed you too, Childe, and I hate to be the cause of your tears."
"You... You mean it? For real?"
"I do, and I apologize for the distress I have accidentally caused you."
Zhongli was taken aback when Childe threw himself in his arms. However, he was quick to react and to pull him close, only to loosen his grip almost immediately when the Harbinger yelped because of his injuries.
"Sorry, I did not mean to cause you any more pain, may it be physical or emotional." The consultant whispered in a sheepish tone.
"It's okay, I know that now," Childe replied in a soft voice.
He rested his head on Zhongli's shoulder, which was more than enough to fill his chest with a pleasant warmth. It felt so perfect, being this close to Childe. And to think the Harbinger had let himself believe Zhongli held no love for him in his heart...
Maybe he owed Barbatos a bottle of wine for unwittingly giving him the opportunity to clarify that misunderstanding.