Glaze Lilies (Chili Flower Shop AU)

Chapter 12

Zhongli was quiet as he moved about Barbados's house. He grabbed his jacket, pulling it on and checking his pockets for his keys and wallet. It was still quiet in the home, still dark outside. Zhongli had left instructions for the day so Barbados would know what to do as well as his number and his sister's number. He had spent a week away from his shop and the loss of income hurt. He intended to do for the day, open the shop and make sure everything was in order before contacting Hu Tao and having her run the store while he was away. Still, he knew Barbados would disagree with him going even once so he figured it was best to avoid the argument.
Zhongli slid into the driver's seat, starting the car and letting it warm up a moment before pulling away from the house, driving off, heading to his shop. It was an hour and a half drive back into Liyue City and not far from there to his shop. Zhongli parked just out front, not planning to stay too long. He entered, locking the door behind him. His phone chimed from his pocket, loud and annoying just like it's contact. Zhongli sighed, pulling it out of his pocket.
"This is Zhongli." He said as he moved to the counter, grabbing a pen and paper.
"WHAT IN CELESTIA DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING LEAVING YOUR CHILDREN WITH ME MORAX!?" Barbados yelled from the other end.
"I couldn't bring them with me. Take them to the park and let them play. They will be fine." Zhongli explained as he walked through his flowers, writing down the ones he would need to order.
"That's not the point, Morax!" Barbados snapped.
"There should be enough bottles pre-made for Xiao and a detailed description on how to change his diaper when he needs it." Zhongli added.
"Where are you?" Barbados grumbled.
"I had to stop by my shop. I'm not opening, but I have to take inventory, order new flowers, and get a few things ready. I'm going to have Hu Tao run the show while she isn't in class and I need to make sure she is okay by herself. I knew it wouldn't be safe so I left the boys there." Zhongli explained. Barbados sighed on the other end.
"You're insane Morax, you're asking to be killed." Barbados said, his tone done with Zhongli.
"I don't plan on staying here long, but I need to make sure Hu Tao knows what she is doing. She hasn't done much else aside from running the register and helping customers." Zhongli explained.
"This is insane." Barbados grumbled. "Fine, if you want to get yourself killed, go ahead. Just come back safe this time."
"I will. You may want to check on Xiao, he is likely crying already." Zhongli explained.
"I hate you Morax."
Zhongli's phone buzzed against his ear and he pulled it away. Kaeya was calling which, given he was still laid up at home recovering, was a surprise.
"Hey, I've got to go, Kaeya is calling me." Zhongli said. He didn't give Barbados a chance to respond before hanging up on him and answering Kaeya's call. "This is Zhongli." He said with a hum as he moved back to the counter.
"Zhongli? Are you and the boys okay? I saw what happened on the news." Kaeya said. There was giggling on the other side from Diluc who was nearby with Albedo.
"What are you talking about? Of course I'm fine." Zhongli frowned at that.
"Where are you?" Kaeya asked, grunting as he sat up.
"Kaeya, you need to rest so you can finish recovering." Albedo spoke up, scolding his boyfriend.
"I'm fine Be, it's mostly healed." Kaeya reminded him.
"I'm at the shop at the moment." Zhongli answered.
"Turn on the news, any station should work." Kaeya told him.
Zhongli was confused, but moved to the back, turning on the TV and flipping to his Liyue news station.
"We still have no idea how the fire started. Most of the tenants have been accounted for, all except for one. The tenant of the apartment the fire started in is currently missing along with his three boys." A picture of Zhongli’s face showed up on the screen and his heart sank. "If anyone has any information regarding the start of the fire or the whereabouts of this man or his boys, please contact the hotline below."
"What? My apartment burned down?" Zhongli asked, for a moment forgetting Kaeya was on the phone.
"You didn't know? This happened late last night. I saw you were missing, I wanted to make sure you were okay." Kaeya explained.
"I've been staying with Barbados the last week." Zhongli answered. "The Tsaritsa learned about my connection to Childe and we thought it would be safest for myself and the boys to stay there until this blew over." Zhongli explained quietly, turning off the news.
"Well I'm glad you're safe. The Neutral Zone is definitely a lot better for you right now." Kaeya agreed.
"Kae!" Diluc cried for his brother.
"I've got to go. You said you're at your shop right now?" Kaeya asked.
"I am, yeah." Zhongli said with a nod.
"Don't stay too long. Seems Barbados was right to have you move. I'll talk to you later. Take care of yourself Zhongli." Kaeya said before hanging up.
Zhongli moved back to the front of the store. He glanced around the place. With his home burning down, it wouldn't be safe to have the store opening, even without him there. He wasn't eager to put Hu Tao in danger. He gathered a few things, removing the cash from the drawer and the safe before moving to the back. He grabbed a bag, packing up the boys' toys and the movies and shows they kept there. As he worked, there was a crash from the front, of glass breaking. Zhongli stopped, sholdering the bag before moving to the front.
Smoke had already started flooding the room, the fire catching easy on the dying flowers. The drapes caught with ease and it was only a moment before the room was engulfed in flames. Zhongli moved quickly into the back room, closing the door, shoving blankets into the crack to keep the smoke out. He was trapped, locked in his back room. The only exit was the front door with only small windows in the back that there was no way he could fit through. Zhongli rummaged through some of his drawers, pulling out a towel. He doused it in water, covering his mouth with it as smoke began to seep in despite the bkankets blocking them he gently touched the handle, pulling his hand back as it burned. He was trapped in his store, with no way out except walking through fire.
Zhongli took a step back, kicking down the door. There was a rush of heat that hit him as fire blew in. He stepped back, covering his face as it settled before pushing through into the fire. The whole room was already engulfed in flames. It was loud and chaotic and as Zhongli pushed through he found himself lost in the flames. Zhongli was coughing, desperately searching through the flames for the exit. There was a loud crash as the glass in the window shattered.
"ZHONGLI!?" A voice tore through the flames.
Big arms wrapped around him, pulling Zhongli towards the door. The rush of fresh air hit Zhongli as he was pulled away from the burning shop. He clung to his savior as coughs racked his body.
"You're safe." He said gently, holding Zhongli. Zhongli glanced up, both shocked and relieved to see Childe.
"You shouldn’t be here." Zhongli coughed, shaking his head.
"I wanted to see you and when I saw what happened to your apartment I had to make sure you were okay. Looks like I showed up just in time." Childe smiled.
Sirens blared in the distance, catching their attention. Someone had called the Millileth.
"You should go, you can't be here." Zhongli said, pushing Childe away.
"I'm not leaving you like this." Childe insisted.
"Childe, I will be fine. The Milleleth are on their way." Zhongli insisted. "You will get caught if you stay though, you have to go."
"I'm not going to leave you." Childe insisted, stepping closer to Zhongli again.
"Then we aren't staying here." Zhongli pushed past Childe, moving for his car.
"Woah, where are you going? You need to go to the hospital." Childe insisted, catching his arm.
"You can take me. You can't stay here." Zhongli said, coughs wracking his body again.
"Fine. I'm calling your sister." Childe snapped, leading Zhongli to the car.
Childe helped Zhongli into the passenger seat, buckling him in before moving to the driver's seat. Childe pulled away just before the Millileth arrived. Zhongli passed Childe his phone, rolling down one of the windows to let in fresh air as he continued coughing. Childe searched through Zhongli’s phone, clicking the photo of Ayaka, calling Zhongli’s sister. It rang a few times before Ayaka answered.
"Zhongli, you know its early right? I just got off-"
"Ayaka, hey, it's Childe, I'm using Zhongli’s phone." Childe said quickly.
"Childe? What are you doing with Zhongli? Where is he? Let me talk to my brother!" She snapped, her groginess disappearing in a moment.
"He can't come to the phone right now. I'm driving him to the hospital." Childe answered.
"What happened?" Ayaka asked, he could hear a door close on the other end.
"He was in his shop when a fire started. He inhaled a lot of smoke and I have no doubt he is burned pretty badly too. He is awake though, just having a hard time catching his breath." Childe explained.
"Alright, I'm on my way back in, I'll meet you at the hospital." Ayaka told him as her car started.
"Look after him." Childe said quietly.
"I will, I promise." Ayaka assured him. "And Childe?" Ayaka asked him.
"Yeah Ayaka?" Childe asked with a hum.
"Thanks for saving my brother. Hopefully it gets through his think skull that he has to be careful now." Ayaka sighed. "Alright, I'm driving now, I'll see you there." Ayaka said before hanging up.
Childe passed Zhongli his phone again, continuing onto the hospital. Childe pulled up to the front where he was relieved to find Ayaka waiting for them. He parked the car and she ran over to them, pulling open the passenger.
"Ayaka?" Zhongli coughed.
"Stupid idiot, you should have stayed put." Ayaka muttered, helping Zhongli out of the car.
"Childe wouldn't leave me and he would have been caught if he stayed. We are in the neutral zone now so the Tsaritsa can't touch him here." Zhongli muttered, leaning into his sister. She called to one of her coworkers for a stretcher and they ran off to get one.
"I can't stay, I just wanted to make sure you could be safe. I've got to move before the Tsaritsa realizes I saved you." Childe explained.
"Go. I'll be okay." Zhongli promised.
"I left those gifts I mentioned for the boys in your car. That's why I showed up there in the first place." Childe explained. "I'm going to park his car and then I'm gone. Look after him." Childe said before climbing back in, driving off to park.
Ayaka's coworker returned with the stretcher and Ayaka laid him down, the two rushing him inside. Zhongli went through various tests and x-rays, checking on his lungs to make sure he hadn't inhaled too much smoke. They had him moved to a room and Ayaka personally made sure his breathing mask was kept on as she sat with her brother. Aside from the smoke inhalation, he was mostly unharmed, just covers in soot.
It didn't take long for the word to spread through the family, Guizhong was the first to show up, sitting with her wife as the two talked, discussing the accident. Thoma and Ayato showed up after with Zhongli’s boys. All three of them were crying, scared and confused. Venti ran over to the bed as soon as he noticed his father laying there. Ayaka helped him up and he snuggled up with Zhongli. Ayato carried both Xiao and Gorou over, laying Gorou on Zhongli’s other side and Xiao on Zhongli’s chest. He hugged his boys close keeping them safe and gently reassuring them that he was okay.
After a day of rest and using the oxygen mask, Zhongli’s lungs had cleared enough for him to be released. He was warned against doing anything that involved heavy breathing or smoking. The boys had been taken back to Barbados's home by Ayato and Thoma who had stayed to help look after them. When Ayaka's shift was done, she made her way with Zhongli to Barbados's home to watch over him. Zhongli however, wasn't happy to be forced to rest, but was glad to spend some more time with his boys. They were cuddled up with him, napping and refusing to leave their father even to sleep.
Barbados set a cup of tea down on the table in front of Zhongli, sitting down in the chair beside him. Ayaka had fallen asleep on the other couch, exhausted from the over night shifts and then having to look after her brother. Thoma and Ayato had already left so it was just the three of them now.
"You were right." Zhongli sighed, picking up the cup of tea.
"I'm just glad you're safe." Barbados shook his head. "What happened?"
"I had stopped by the shop to try and get everything set up. After talking to you, I spoke with Kaeya who had apparently seen that my apartment had been burned down during the night. When I realized that, I gathered some things and was about to leave when the fire was started. I tried to get out but the flames had grown too quickly. I was trapped. I wouldn’t have made it out if Childe hadn't saved me." Zhongli sighed, stroking Venti's head. His son snuggled closer, clinging to him.
"So what are you going to do now?" Barbados asked.
"What I have to do in order to protect my boys. They won't be safe until I am." Zhongli muttered, watching his boys sleeps.
"Are you sure? You went through so much trouble to be with them. You have no idea how much you'll be able to be with them if you do this." Barbados frowned.
"What else can I do? I can't start over, the Tsaritsa has made that clear. I can't stay here with you. You've done a lot and I'm grateful, but this is your home and I'll over stay my welcome eventually." Zhongli explained.
"Seems you already made up your mind." Barbados hummed.
"Yeah, I have." Zhongli sighed. "It's time for the world to know that Morax is still alive."