Deception{Childe x Zhong Li}[OneShot]

"Deception"

The streets of Liyue was bustling with full of activity, the crowd of people wandering around Liyue to get to work or meet family and friends or to just simply have meals and such. Childe and Zhong Li were at the Xinyue Kiosk having Lunch, they sat outside at the perch of the restaurant in a corner as Zhong Li entice Childe about what dishes he should try, Childe nodded as Zhong Li described each dish, all the while taking sips of tea from the cup. Childe wearing his usual grin, one that expressed how carefree and gleeful Childe was, though the smile was fake and all an act to convince Zhong Li that he was interested and listening to him but most of all, to convince Zhong Li that he truly loved him. Once the dishes they ordered were set onto the table, Zhong Li grabs a set of chopsticks and hands it to Childe who reluctantly takes, "Have you been practicing with them?" Zhong Li asked as he brought the cup up and took a sip of the warm tea after blowing on it. Childe eagerly nods as he then demonstrates the manner to hold them which made Zhong Li sigh, "No no, you have to hold it like this" Zhong Li states as he showed Childe the right way to hold them which Childe couldn't replicate, "Do I really have to use them? Aren't there any spoons or forks?" Childe asks as he huffed, still trying to replicate the manner to hold the pair of chopsticks properly, "You'll have to be adapt with them if you are to be truly appreciating Liyue's culture" Zhong Li states as he takes another sip from his cup yet again. In the end, Childe eats his food with holding the chopsticks crossed together since that was the only way he could use them effectively, Zhong Li was displeased about it but he lets Childe carry on, extremely patient with the other man. After an enjoyable time at lunch, Zhong Li brings Childe around Liyue, Zhong Li walks along the street with Childe by his side, the two looking around for anything interesting, Zhong Li soon stops at a stall that sold flowers, "Hm.." Zhong Li hummed out as he gazes at the flowers, his fingers on his left hand cupping his chin as his right arm supported his left arm. Childe made his way through the crowd as he appears behind Zhong Li, "Is there anything you want Zhong Li-Sensei?" Childe asked as he looked at the flowers, unable to identify what attracted Zhong Li. The Geo Archon reaches a hand down and grabbed the bundle of Qixing flowers as he took in its scent, "Such a strong scent, such a vibrant yellow in the middle, you can tell it was freshly picked this morning..it would be a shame not to get this" Zhong Li murmurs out, Childe then looked at the lady behind the stall, "Well hello there! May I ask how much these cost?" Childe says in a friendly tone, "Ah, those would be 2000Mora" The lady said, Childe nodded and ravaged a few coins from his pouch at the side of his fatui uniform as he takes out a few coins, handing them to the lady, she nods and gestured that the flowers were his, "Ah..thank you Childe.." Zhong Li said, snapping back to reality as he was dazing off by the bundle of Qixing flowers, Childe chuckles, "Of course, anything that interest you is usually worth buying so of course I'll get them for you!" Childe says in a jovial tone as the two continues walking around Liyue, they both ended up at Liyue Harbour, Childe walks around the harbour as he takes some time to glance at the fishes and other seafood that was being sold, they weren't merely as big as those he usually caught during ice fishing back home at Snezhnaya, he looks over at Zhong Li whom seemed disgusted and unpleased with the environment, "Is something wrong?" Childe asked, Zhong Li was gazing at the ocean before he looked at Childe, "No, there's nothing wrong, it's just the smell of the fishes harvested from the sea fresh in the morning is quite unpleasant to the nose" Zhong Li explains as he looks at the different types of seafood, "..And also because I dislike seafood" Zhong Li added which made Childe laugh, "Alright Alright, then let's head somewhere else, any suggestions?" Childe asked as he stared up at Zhong Li, "Hm..Maybe Qingyun Peak, I'd like to watch the sunset" Zhong Li said, starting to walk the other way, "Alright! As long as I'm with you I'll go anywhere!" Childe chuckled out. After a few hours, they made it up Qingyun Peak, 'just in time..' Zhong Li thought as he watched the sun slowly shift down, starting to be blocked by the mountains, "What a beautiful sight.." Zhong Li thought as he stared at the sun, Childe was behind Zhong Li, finding the next moment the perfect opportunity to strike, to get the gnosis and leave, without any hesitance, he walks up and conjures a water blade in his left hand as he then stabs Zhong Li through the stomach, the blade piercing through him with relative ease, Zhong Li's eyes widened and he coughed out blood, quite shocked from the sudden attack, "C-Childe.." Zhong Li mumbled out, "It's about time I take the gnosis from you, I've been waiting too long, now I can fulfil the Tsaritsa's request" Childe said, smirking as his smirk was a degrading and sinister one, just as he was about to reach his hand to take  the Gnosis, he heard a chuckle..from Zhong Li, "I figured it was about time.." Zhong Li choked out, blood coating his lips, "..I knew of your intentions for awhile now.." Zhong Li struggles to continue as he groaned from the excruciating pain, "Childe, remember this day, I loved you these few months and there were times where i felt the same kind of affection from you, so I'm quite glad..knowing that I'll be able to fulfil my lover's wishes before I go.." Zhong Li chuckles out, that was when Childe felt something, a heavy guilt, if Zhong Li had known all this time, why hadn't he stopped him? It was because he truly loved him, that was when Childe dispatched the blade and it caused Zhong Li to collapse onto him, he crouched down to catch him, the man now in his arms, Childe felt his heart ache, almost as if it had been stabbed, what had he done? He suddenly felt a deep love for Zhong Li, was this..what Zhong Li had meant? Tears started to form in his eyes, "No.." he murmurs out in fear as he looked down at Zhong Li, "No, don't leave me, please, I'm sorry!" Childe says as he looked down at Zhong Li, he felt tears run down his cheeks which soon dropped down from his chin onto Zhong Li's uniform, "I'm so sorry.." Childe gasped out as he looked at Zhong Li whose eyes were half opened, "This is the last time..we'll watch the sunset together, so take a good look at it" Zhong Li says, a smile on his face as Childe faces the sun that was slowly hiding itself behind the mountains, that was when he knew, this would be the last time he would hear his voice and see his eyes, he then felt a broad hand cup his left cheek which caused him to look back at Zhong Li, "Live your life with no regrets, Childe, this is what you wanted isn't it?" Zhong Li asked with a warm smile as his eyes soon closed and his hand fell onto Childe's lap as his whole body laid limp in his arms..gone, 'No, this isn't what I wanted!' Childe thought as he looks down at Zhong Li, or what was left of him after his soul had left it, "No, I'm sorry! Please, don't leave me!" Childe yells as he leans down and pulls Zhong Li's body up to hug it as he starts to cry into the corpse's shoulder, in a puddle of blood, his mind repeatedly saying, 'I'm so sorry!'. After awhile, Childe finished crying, he stood up and carried Zhong Li's body with him as he then buries Zhong Li's body on the top of Qingyun Peak, with the flowers Childe had bought for him, Childe stayed there for awhile, after he had buried Zhong Li, he stared down at the spot which beneath has Zhong Li's body, 'live your life with no regrets..' Childe thought, but he regretted everything, he hadn't even cherished all those months with Zhong Li, he was a terrible person, playing with other's feelings, he hadn't even taken the Gnosis..no, he couldn't take the Gnosis, it would make him overly guilty, so Childe just stays there, sitting down and recalling everything about Zhong Li, every moment with him he could have appreciated but didn't, this was a kind of guilt that could never leave his heart..one he could never fix.
The End

Alright, this is my first ever bl, I hope you enjoyed it if you've read up to here, I will be writing more bl so stay tuned🤩