Genshin Impact BL DISCONTINUED

Head & Heart (Diluc/Zhongli)

Diluc just being himself, this man needs some time to process feelings;

Zhongli is just...Zhongli.

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Unusual circumstances. Coincidence. Fate. Whatever you call it, it was what led Diluc and Zhongli to become friends. It had begun with Aethers' request to accompany him on a mission, by no means a special mission, he actually wouldn't even have needed help, but nevertheless he had decided to ask both. Maybe that was the part that could have been called fate. On this particularly rainy, cloudy day he had noticed how different Diluc behaved, in the vicinity of Zhongli, the longer they were on the road. Little things that were hardly noticeable. That he never looked at him as contemptuously as he looked at many others. That he listened to him carefully, no matter how long he talked about a simple, boring stone. That he talked to him even if the subject seemed meaningless. And that he had smiled, one of the rarest things Aether had ever seen.

Aether didn't know how many days or weeks had passed since then, but he knew that it was no longer uncommon to meet Zhongli at the Dawn Winery. Once he had even seen Diluc in Liyue, even if he was still not sure whether that was really the case or if he had simply imagined it.

-

"Check mate."
A soft chuckle followed the redheads words, golden eyes traced across the chessboard, the small figures reflecting in the darkness of his pupils.
"You have improved significantly.", Zhongli's voice sounded calm, almost satisfied, not in the least like that of a disappointed loser, more like that of a proud teacher.
"I assumed I was good at it before, but you proved me wrong. I simply had to improve.", Diluc replied, his red eyes meeting the other's gaze. A sight he had seen a few times before and yet he started to feel different each time. It was a slow process, barely clear enough to notice and yet he could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears as it got faster, could feel this unusual nervousness inside him that wasn't unsettling, more like a million tiny wings of butterflies. Only when Zhongli tilted his head to one side, a questioning expression on his face, did he notice how long he must have been looking at him without saying a word. Maybe he hadn't even blinked.
Diluc shook his head a little, turning his gaze back to the chessboard.
"Do you want to play another round?", he asked trying to just ignore what had happened, slowly putting the pieces back on the board.
"Unfortunately I have to refuse. It is already very late, I should be leaving by n-"
"You can stay if you want."
Zhongli had not finished his sentence when he heard the redhead's words, which seemed more like a reflex than a conscious act.
"...as I intented to say...the mansion has several guest rooms. Should you want to avoid the long journey around this time of the night, feel free to use one.", he added fast, trying to conceal his unplanned expression of one's own wishes as pure generosity.
He didn't expect Zhongli to agree, the other hardly ever seemed to shy away from anything and could hardly fear the darkness, but yet he couldn't deny the small leap of his heart when Zhongli nodded in agreement.
"I will gladly accept your offer. Seeing the grapevines in the morning dew is actually something I had set out to do, but to visit at such an early hour seemed inappropriate to me.", he replied, a pleased smile chiseled into the otherwise expressionless face.

-

The sun had barely risen when the archon sat on the wall in front of the property, a cup of freshly brewed tea in hand, his eyes lingering on the fields in front of him. The faint light, golden and pink hues that danced over the pale clouds, framed him like a divine cloak and yet they seemed so insignificant compared to the soft glow of the amber tips of his dark, silky hair that hung openly over his shoulders. He was still dressed in the night wear Diluc had lent him, almost as if he had put his composed and neat self aside to simply enjoy the moment, and yet he looked more beautiful than ever, divine almost pure.