"So how do we, ummm..." Ganyu looked as if she wanted to bring up a subject but either could not or it was sensitive. "How do we see her?"
"We'll find a way." Zhongli whispered. His voice was stronger than it was the past week but he still preferred to whisper in case anyone walked in on him.
"Oh, hello Miss Tsaritsa." Hu Tao grinned at the white blonde and waved to the Snezhnayan prince and the three celestials behind.
"Hello Hu Tao." Tsaritsa smiled at the girl and sat at her usual spot at the head of the table. "So, today you and Childe will spend the day together, Zhongli."
Zhongli seemed stunned by the request but went along with it. Yet his body betrayed him and began to tense up, making him let out a soft cough.
"Here." Xiao noticed this and handed him half of the pill.
"Thanks Xiao." Zhongli ate it and drank the water in front of him.
"Remember, if you need anything, call out my name." -X
"Overprotective much." -C
"That's what happens when your dad has a history of, well, not the best childhood." -G
"I see. So is he allergic to anything?" -T
"Not really but he hates seafood. Or just anything with tentacles. And anything slimy." -HT
"Ok?" -L
"Come Aether, Lumine. You guys can relax later. The issue is important. Paimon, you can come too." Tsaritsa stood up and beckoned for the blonde twins and their floating emergency food to follow her.
"Well, see ya." Aether waved to the people at the table. Lumine waved and the three exited the room.
"So, a few basic questions for Childe. How old are you, when is your birthday and what is your favorite thing to do?" -HT
"Twenty one, July twentieth and archery." -C
"He's like Gorou." Zhongli mumbled to himself, thinking of his little brother back on Liyue.
"What was that?" Signora noticed him silently mumbling as she joined them at the table, Tonia, Teucer and Anthon right behind her. "And Scara and Dottore aren't joining today."
"N-Nothing." Zhongli shook his head.
"Ok. So what about you Zhongli?" -LS
"Twenty eight, December thirty first and...cooking? I honestly don't know." -Z
"Damn Childe. Got male wife material right there." Signora jokingly smirked at the flustered ginger and brunette.
"SHUT UP SCARA!" Childe yelled at the boy.
"Dad, here. Grandma Ningguang and Grandma Beidou sent this." Xiao handed Zhongli a letter.
A-Li, don't forget to take your meds and you can use Xiao to send messages to us. See you in a month. We all miss you but more importantly is what good you're doing to our nation. We're all very proud of you.
"Xiao? Why does it say see you in a month?" -Z
"I actually don't know. OI! What's happening in a month?" Xiao yelled at the harbingers.
"Oh. You don't know? I guess mom forgot to tell you. In a month, all of the nations are coming to Snezhnaya to celebrate the union of the two nations. Like celebrating the engagement of you guys." Dottore leaned on his hand.
"Oh...at least I can see them again..." Zhongli once again mumbled to himself again. This time only Xiao heard it.
"If you want I can send them a message." -X
"Yes. Here." Zhongli gave Xiao the piece of paper that Ningguang had sent her letter in.
"Alright. See you in two hours." Xiao got up and disappeared into thin air.
"He's fast." Teucer stared at the spot where Xiao once was.
"The journey usually takes four days." Tonia remarked.
"His name means swift. Not small, even though he is the shortest here, besides Qiqi." Hu Tao smirked.
"Please stop bullying him about his height. Or she's gonna be richer than she already is." -G
"Heheheh. I run Wangsheng funeral parlor. Dad works there part time." -HT
"May I know where the library is? I've been wanting to look for some interesting books to read." -G
"Teucer, Anthon and Tonia can show you. They spend most of their time there." -C
Ganyu and Childe's siblings excused themselves and left for the library in happy chatter.
"I'm going to train." Hu Tao stood up. "Want to try that cool spear trick you showed me."
"Well good luck Tartar Sauce." Signora, Dottore and Scara left the room, each clapping the shocked Snezhnayan on the back as to say good luck. At last, they were left alone. With neither of them talking and just sitting there in awkward silence, Childe decided to take the first step.
"So what do you want to do?" Childe walked towards Zhongli's seat. He placed his hands on either armrest and gazed down at the brunette, who was now looking up at him.
"Can we...just sit outside?" Zhongli nervously mumbled as he cleaned his plate.
"Sure." Childe helped Zhongli out of his seat and they walked to the Snezhnayan gardens. Even as cold as they were, it didn't bother either of them. Childe had been in these gardens thousands of times to clear his mind but it was until he saw Zhongli's reaction to the way the snow fell gently off the trees and onto his hair or the icicles hanging from certain arches or maybe the white roses. Whatever made him happy, Childe was just glad he was not running away from him. In the comfortable silence they walked in, Childe felt this was better than any other attempt to get close to this practically impossible to reach prince. It even felt like an accomplishment.
"Please tell me if you're uncomfortable with anything I do." Childe gently grabbed the other's smaller hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
"...Childe...thank you." Zhongli went in for a hug much to the ginger's surprise and buried his face into Childe's shoulder. Before he knew it, he felt a wet patch on his shoulder.
C: Is he crying? Hasn't anyone told him this? Or has no one taken the chance to care? Does anyone know what basic human decency is? But to be fair I did act like a bitch when he first came.
Childe's head was filled with questions but he wisely asked none. Instead, he returned the hug.
"You'll be fine. I will be here for you." -C
"Thank you." -Z
They continued to stand there locked in the hug. Snow began to fall around them, creating a small flurry. At last, they separated as they had to go inside to eat. On the way back, however, they had to change because they were covered in snow.
"Do you want to hang in my room later?" -C
"Sure." -Z
They sat at the table and waited for the rest to come and join them. The meal went on as usual and once finished, the two of them got up and went to Childe's room, ignoring Xiao's bombastic side eye as they left. Nothing happened that night besides the fact they slept together again in each other's warm embrace.
Words: 1182
Pls comment, I'm getting worried no one likes it.
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FanfictionUpdated version out now! Slight change in plot and writing style and more detail! Pls read! Zhongli has been shut up in Liyue for a thousand years and he refuses to go anywhere outside of Liyue. But as old age is getting to his mothers, he needs to...
