"You alright? The side of your face is all red." Al'Haitham had apparently emerged a while ago and was checking Childe's bitch slapped cheek.
"I'm fine. Let's go or Zhongli will get worried." Childe walked back to his dorm, Al'Haitham following. They began to talk about the brunette, destroying the awkward silence between them.
"Teyvat college? Damn Zhongli, got fancy did you?" Al'Haitham mumbled to himself as they went to the building that held all the dorms. Walking several flights in silence, Childe stopped at his dorm. Opening the door, Kaeya and Diluc's arguing greeted them.
"This is normal." Childe told a very confused Al'Haitham, who just nodded.
"Ah, greetings. Childe, who's this?" Ayato waved at them. Al'Haitham nodded in greeting.
"This is a friend of Zhongli's. In fact, how is Zhongli?" Childe remembered why he was out in the first place.
"He's in your room. Bring him down, I want to see him." Kaeya said once he and Diluc finally stopped fighting. Childe got up, put everything he bought back into the shelves and went up to his room. True enough, Zhongli was curled up on Childe's bed, hugging his narwhal plush close to his chest.
"I'm back. Did ya miss me, princess?" Childe snuck up behind Zhongli and hugged him tight.
"Childe?" Zhongli looked warily behind at the grinning ginger.
"I've got you something special!" Childe gently swooped up Zhongli into a bridal carry. Hugging his neck tightly, Zhongli let Childe carry him down. Most of his cuts and bruises had healed. It was only his ankles that were still hurt badly. Childe laid him down on the sofa.
"Hey Zhongli~" Someone leaned over Zhongli's ear and whispered a bit too close. Zhongli got up with a start and whipped around to see who it was.
"Al?!" Amber gold eyes widened as he saw the familiar face of Al'Haitham. The 2 of them embraced, both of them giggling like school girls.
"How's my bestie been?" Al'Haitham finally said after a lot of laughter and sitting next to Zhongli.
"Eh. Could have been better." He shrugged as Childe gave him more osmanthus tea and joined the 2 of them. Wrapping an arm subconsciously around Zhongli, Childe went on his phone.
"Ooh~ Someone's got attached~" Al'Haitham joked as he pointed at Childe.
"How's Nahida?" Zhongli averted his friend's attention by asking about his little sister.
"She misses you a lot. Plus, I've applied here, just for fun, and surprisingly got in. So you're stuck with me again!" Al'Haitham dived towards Zhongli, who knocked into Childe and the 3 landed in a heap on the sofa. The 3 of them went back to sitting normally.
"You 2 know each other?" Kaeya, who didn't hear what Childe said earlier, leaned on the couch.
"Friends since middle school. Had to go back to Sumeru. Came back, sister complained, got into college." Laying back on the couch, Al'Haitham noticed that both of Zhongli's ankles were swollen. "Zhongli...what happened?"
"Eh? Oh, nothing much. Baizhu is here too." Zhongli dismissively waved his hand.
"Did you two ever date?" Kaeya continued asking Al'Haitham questions, keen to get as much information out of him as possible.
"Ew no. You want some more?" Al'Haitham got up and took Zhongli's cup, who nodded enthusiastically. As he made more tea, the door was knocked on and Thoma went to get it.
"Oh hey Baizhu!" Thoma let a green haired male with a white snake in. He sat in the spot Al'Haitham left empty.
"How's your ankles?" Baizhu caressed Zhongli's thighs to indicate the swollen ankles.
"Better. Still can't stand. Al's here!" Zhongli pointed at the gray haired male in the back. Al'Haitham waved in a friendly manner but in reality, he wanted to punch the living daylights out of him. You see, Baizhu had a crush on Zhongli and Al'Haitham knew it. That's why Pantalone bullied Zhongli in the first place, which slowly turned into his own free will. But Baizhu didn't know that Al'Haitham knew about his crush and Zhongli was oblivious to whatever tension was happening between them. Baizhu waved back, a bit hesitant at first. Al'Haitham got back and gave the cup to Zhongli and sat down against the couch. He tried to squeeze in between Baizhu and Zhongli but ultimately failed. Childe turned on a movie, arm still wrapped around Zhongli protectively. He didn't like how touchy Baizhu was with his princess. Letting their knees touch occasionally, 'accidentally' moving his hand across Zhongli's thighs and sometimes going as near as his crotch, letting their knuckles touch, this was all too much for Childe to tolerate. And the fact that Zhongli was fine with it? This was a no. When Baizhu left, he leaned in close and kissed Zhongli's cheek.
"Bye Zhongli. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" Baizhu smiled as Zhongli nodded. Childe couldn't handle this anymore. Neither could Al'Haitham. He said he was going out for a bit of fresh air.
"Surprise, fuckass." Al'Haitham caught up with Baizhu and slapped him. Hard. "Can't you just leave him alone?"
"Forgive me Al'Haitham, but he is not yours." Baizhu seemed unshaken by the remark or the slap. He coolly answered Al'Haitham like nothing happened.
"He's not yours either." Deciding not to deal with his bullshit, Al'Haitham walked back to the dorm, letting himself cool off for a bit and opened the door.
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The Boy Who Cried Fox
FanfictionWhen a new student comes, a certain ginger goes head over heels just by him breathing. Now, while working undercover as an assassin, Childe is determined not to let his job stop him from asking Zhongli out. But when his job, his friends as well as h...
