11. Meeting

Zhongli ascended Mt. Hulao as fast as he possibly could, summoning multiple geo pillars to aid his climb. The male's eyes burned with determination. 

He had to see Childe again.

Zhongli didn't know why, though. 

Childe lied about being in love with Zhongli.

Childe only wanted Zhongli for his own ulterior motives.

Childe only wanted to use Zhongli. 

And yet, Zhongli felt as if seeing Childe again would fix everything. As if the conflict between them would simply dissolve. As if Childe would forget his ulterior motives and truly fall for Zhongli. 

Now Zhongli desperately had to see Childe again.

--

Zhongli flung himself over a frail tree, clambering onto the peak of Mt. Hulao, immediately scouting the area for the Snezhnayan male. 

As he paced the peak, Zhongli noticed a small round table on top of a flat rock, surrounded by ambers. He reached towards the table, briefly resting his hand on top of the silk tablecloth covering the surface of the table before his ears perked up at the sound of a familiar voice. 

"Zhongli?" 

Zhongli swung around, his eyes desperately scanning the area for the source of the voice, before his eyes were met with a pair of familiar azure ones. 

Childe stood roughly 5 or 6 metres away from Zhongli, his eyes desperately staring at the male in front of him as his eyebrows creased upwards. He staggered backwards, biting his lip anxiously, averting his gaze. 

"Childe." Zhongli stated, his voice quivered as he took a deep breath as an attempt to regain his composure. 

"Wh-what are you doing here.. I mean.. so.. suddenly, I didnt- didn't expect you." Childe stuttered, walking towards the brunette. 

How is he speaking so casually? Zhongli thought, his mind whirring furiously.

"Nobody should be able to talk to someone who rejected them so casually." Zhongli began, startling Childe, "Just admit that you never liked me."

Childe's eyes widened, as he clenched his fists.

"Zh-zhongli, we can talk about this. Please take a seat, I set this up for you!" Childe mumbled, pointing towards the small table.

Zhongli grit his teeth.

"Shut up." He spat, "Stop this. Tell me what you want from me."

"What?"

"I said, tell me what you want. Don't waste my time."

"Zhongli, I-"

Zhongli swatted his hand across his torso, actioning him to be quiet.

"How dare you address me as my sacred human name? YOU KNOW I'M REX LAPIS. I ORDER YOU TO ADDRESS ME AS THAT."

Childe's heart dropped. 

"Are you serious? You just fucking disregarded my feelings. I told you I loved you and this is what you do to me? You fucker, I wish I never had to get involved with you!" Childe cried, stomping closer towards Zhongli.

"You really believe that you're in the right?" Zhongli remarked, summoning his polearm in his left hand, stepping off the flat rock, towards Childe, "Then tell me WHERE you got the goddamn audacity to challenge a god?"

"I WAS JUST DOING MY JOB!" Childe yelled, shutting his eyes. 

"So you admit it." Zhongli's voice dropped to a low whisper, his eyes, just out of Childe's sight,  laced with disappointment. "What was your mission?"

...

"I was to retrieve Rex Lapis's gnosis."

Zhongli hung his head down, his brunette hair obscuring his face, as he locked his spear into the mountain terrain, the ground around him rising and exploding into sharp spikes composed of geo, as great amounts of elemental energy poured out of Zhongli's back. His grip on his spear tightened, as he stomped the ground with his right foot, eroding a solid path into the ground, leading to the shaking male who was experiencing firsthand the wrath of the angered geo Archon. 

Childe braced himself in a protective position, however, instead of fighting the angered male, he found himself tearing up, his heart dropping to the floor and shattering upon hearing Zhongli's voice.

"Why?" Zhongli's gentle voice wavered, as his body quivered and shook.

"Why would you do this to me?" He whispered. "I thought.."

I thought I wouldn't be lonely again.

"I thought you cared about me."

I thought you loved me.

"I thought I mattered to you."

Zhongli raised his head, gazing into Childe's desperate eyes, his own eyes smeared with salty tears.

Childe staggered towards Zhongli, raising his hands slightly. 

"I- I do care about you, you do matter.. I love you."

Zhongli stepped back.

"How the fuck can you say that right now?"

"Zhongli, I didn't know you were Rex Lapis. I thought you were a normal person. I fell in love with Zhongli, not Rex Lapis."

What?

Zhongli breathed out an overwhelmed sigh.

His legs wobbled with shock, moments before they gave out on him. 

Childe sprinted forward, grabbing the dumbfounded male and helping him back up.

"Y-you.. that means.."

Childe nodded slightly, hugging Zhongli tightly.

"You really love me?"

Childe looked at Zhongli.

"Yeah. I love you, Zhongli, and I'm so sorry. I really had no idea that you were Rex Lapis. I had no other choice than to accept the job either way. Tsaritsa would-" 

Big drops of tears streamed furiously from Childe's eyes as he buried his head into the nook of Zhongli's neck.

"It's fine. I understand." Zhongli whispered to Childe, caressing his back.  

"I- I really love you."

...

"I love you too."

--

word count: 930

a/n

hi everyoneeee! i'm soo soooooo sorry for not being able to upload for such a goddamn long time, i honestly had no good reason for not uploading other than my fat fat writer's block, i finally got to uploading this chapter so i hope ya'll enjoy it! <3