🐚 | genshin oneshot book

[003] home for the winter

i'm just making up ages for childe's siblings lol
[oneshot #3]

modern (college) zhongli x childe

---

"zhongli? can you help me with something?" childe asked, poking his head into zhongli's dorm room. zhongli glanced over from his laptop to the auburn-haired boy in the doorway.

"what's up, childe?" zhongli asked, turning around in his chair. his roommate, xiao pushed past childe into the room, casting a suspicious look over at childe but saying nothing.

"so, christmas break is coming up, and i have to go home for the holidays, right? well, i sorta said i had a boyfriend when i really don't and basically i'm here to beg you to fake date me for two weeks," childe said in one full breath. zhongli stared at him for a moment, about to reply when xiao interrupted him.

"what the fuck?" xiao asked.

"nobody asked you, short kid," childe replied, eyes still on zhongli.

"okay, let's go on a walk." zhongli stood before xiao could snap back at childe. zhongli pulled childe along by the shirt, closing the door to his room, leaving xiao alone in there.

they came to a stop in the courtyard. zhongli turned to face childe. "so, you want me to be your fake boyfriend for christmas."

childe nodded. "i'll, like, pay you or something." childe put his hands together in a prayer position.

"i'll do it, but you have to pay for all my groceries for two months," zhongli requested, nodding his head. childe beamed and threw his arms around zhongli for a brief second.

"thank you! i'll text you the details later!" childe yelled to him as he began jogging away, waving one hand. zhongli waved back, wondering what the hell he'd just got himself into.

---

a week later, when exams were finished, zhongli and childe were boarding a plane to snezhnaya. childe was rambling on and on about his home, and zhongli listened intently, bored otherwise.

"sunrises and sunsets are probably the best part of snezhnaya. fair warning, though, they're like really bright and hurt your eyes if you've just woken up. they're not a bad alarm clocks though."

"okay, okay. i'm going to see it in a few hours, you don't have to spoil every part of where we're living for two weeks," zhongli laughed, effectively shutting childe up. the redhead flushed, nodding.

the plane ride went fine, save for childe's mild panic whenever there was turbulence. the plane was a nightmare to get off, though, because everybody just wanted to go home for the holidays as quickly as possible.

as soon as they reached baggage claim, a tiny body barreled into childe's. he laughed loudly, hoisting up the kid into his arms.

"hi, teucer!" childe grinned widely. tonia and anthon stood a little further back with their father, but they began walking closer upon seeing zhongli.

"hello, you must be ajax's boyfriend," childe's father held a hand out. zhongli smiled and nodded, shaking the man's hand.

"it's nice to meet you," zhongli replied, still smiling. he let his hand drop.