Til Death Due Us Part I ZHONGLI X CHILDE

Chapter 3> Realization

Childe was slowly getting better by each day. One day he got up from his bed to walk around Zhongli's House wondering around while looking at old adepti trinkets of any sort, but an old painting caught his attention. It was hung on the hallway towards his room, it was a painting of a beautiful girl with blondish brunette hair and she was wearing a hanfu with different varies of blue. Her eyes has the shade of a brilliant blue color, it was like childe's but if only childe had A sparkle in his eyes. He noticed a signature on the side, written on it was

"My morning glory,
My Love
And my
Sunset.
Guizhong - God of wisdom"

Childe had a strong feeling that Zhongli
Was the one who made the portrait, he knew Zhongli's hand writing. A moment of silence passed as childe suddenly felt a sharp pain on his chest, coughing as hard as he can.. He noticed blood was coming from his hand, there were also flower petals. He looked at his hand with pure horror.

"What the heck is this.." He continued to cough as more blood splattered on the cold floor, childe managed to stop coughing though he was still in shocked on what happened, he quickly wiped the floor. He was still horrified on what happened so he started to look for a book from Zhongli's Old Trinkets, He wanted to know what was going on with him without worrying zhongli.

He soon found a book called "curses of celestia" he found his condition in the.. Love section?! He was really shocked to find out what caused this. The hanahaki disease, A curse that is laid upon a mortal who Fell in love with a godly being. He was confused because he never liked any godly beings, then he remembered zhongli.. Though he kept rejecting those thoughts, he knows that zhongli is the godly being that he had fell for. "Damni-" as childe coughed up blood again, "I need to leave this instant" he quickly washed his hands off and tore some pages off the book that had any connection to the hanahaki disease. While packing up he felt as if Something was growing in his lungs or so, he couldn't even breath normally.

He Wrote a letter to zhongli before leaving,

"dear mr. Zhongli"

I'm dearly sorry to have broken the
Contract that we have agreed upon,
I will bare any of the consequences later
On. But for now I'll stay away from you, I left Mora beneath your study.. It's the most I can do for your kindness that you've shown to me.

-Tartaglia"

Childe then Returned to his own residence in liyue, he immediately started to cough harder and more bloodier than before. "At this rate I'll die because of blood loss"..it was a painful and bloody evening for childe

Zhongli soon arrived to find the letter on the table left my tartaglia, as he finished reading the letter he noticed speks of blood with tiny petals on the ground, zhongli found it quite miss leading. It left him with many questions without answers, though he's still worried about childe.. He wasn't even fully recovered and there was already blood in the house, he figured that childe might've just wanted space. So he just Waited for a week to pass by to come and meet childe,
But for childe's case, his disease has worsened he couldn't even Work properly. He thought that zhongli might visit him, he waited for zhongli but he never came. "Wasn't he worried for me? Then why didn't he come to visit me" childe said while looking down on his feet while sitting down.

After a week had passed, childe could barely do his job anymore. He needed at least 5 fatui agents to escort him to prevent more Problems, One day childe decided to have a walk around the Docks he sat down by the water while admiring the beauty of the sunset, he still wondered why zhongli hadn't even visited him or anything. Childe started to question his feelings for zhongli, while looking at his reflection on the crystal clear water. He received a tap on the shoulder from A short Purple haired man.

"Scaramouche?" Childe asked in confusion knowing that scaramouche was dispatched on inazuma, "What?" Scaramouche replied as he sat down with tartaglia. "Where's your boyfriend? Hmm? You seem lonely as hell." Scaramouche asked with a striking tone.

"Boyfriend?! Now how can you even say that?"

"You pay for his stuff, you spoil him to the bone, you get red like a tomato whenever he calls you other than childe, I'd be more surprised if you two aren't dating" scaramouche replied

"I thought that's just part of you know, friendshi-" he was cut off as he coughed up blood and petals again, scaramouche was in disbelief. "Tartaglia what the hell"
Childe just brushed it off as it was normal to him now "what?" "What do you mean what?! You literally coughed up blood and crap! You idiot don't you know that-" "I know" childe looked at scaramouche, "I know I'll die some day."
Scaramouche looked at him "and you do know that anyone with the hanahaki disease will get sentenced to death right?" Childe looked at scaramouche with pure disbelief in his eyes as his shocked face turned into a smile, "either way, I'll soon die as well" Tartaglia said while looking at the sunset, "you physcho people are afraid to die and your looking forward to death!? You really are so f-cking stupid" scaramouche said while taking a glimpse at childes bloody hands. "When did it start? " scaramouche asked "one week ago" tartaglia turned to look at the purple haired man. "Your in the danger zone now, if you want to die peacefully don't tell anyone about your disease, if the tsaritsa hears about it. You'll be doomed childe" scaramouche implied.

"Too bad, I've already told them my situation" Tartaglia smiled and chuckled at The balladeer.