Of Calm Calamities

Of Calm Calamities (22)

They were lucky it was still the first week or so of autumn. Had it been winter, the cool air would've been freezing instead, and the lush grass would've been covered in blankets of snow. Ajax was more than happy that Zhongli got to see Snezhnaya in all its glory before the snowstorms and cold would take over - it really was beautiful, though the harsh winters gave it a bad reputation. Still, Ajax would never forget the rolling green hills that graced the land when the weather was warm, and he'd always appreciate the colder months that would leave him frozen to the bone. Somehow, they both felt like home to him, and he hoped that Zhongli would feel the same way, too.

Compared to his abode back in Liyue, the massive house that Ajax's family owned to accommodate for their large numbers seemed run-down and tiny, though Ajax didn't mind. He fondly remembered the time when they were all living there together. The three older and three younger siblings he had, not to mention himself, had made it a little difficult for his parents to provide enough for all of them, though he imagined that it was a lot easier on them now that all his older siblings moved out and it was just little Teucer, Tonia, and Anthon bringing his parents trouble.

Speaking of trouble... He hesitated at the gate, a little unsure about whether or not he should enter. He hadn't been home in years, and suddenly showing up, unannounced with a boyfriend in tow, might be a little rude. Nevertheless, it wasn't like he could just turn around and leave - their method of transportation, Xiao, had kindly disappeared as soon he saw that Zhongli and Childe were standing in front of the house, and Ajax wasn't about to ask Zhongli to fly them all the way back to Liyue. Ah, well. He might as well make the best of the situation. He would've had to introduce Zhongli to his family soon enough, anyway, so why not now?

Zhongli reached out to hold Ajax's hand in a comforting gesture. "Everything okay?" His tone was soothing and patient. Ajax briefly wondered how it was that even though Zhongli was the one who was in a foreign country, meeting new people for the first time, he looked a lot more calm than Ajax felt. Maybe being a god meant that Zhongli had a whole lot of time to get used to the idea of meeting the family of his boyfriend, or maybe Zhongli was just naturally calmer than Ajax could ever be,

"Yeah, it's all good," he managed, nodding to clearing his head. "They can just be... a little much." Ajax almost laughed at that. 'A little much' could be used to describe when someone was just a tad more enthusiastic about things than most, but his family... maybe 'a little much' wouldn't give Zhongli the fair warning that he deserved. Then again, Zhongli had forced Ajax to stay in bed for entirely too long, so this could be considered payback.

"I'm sure it's nothing that I can't handle," Zhongli smiled back, and wow, his heart melted all over again. "Besides, they're your family. I'm certain they're just as lovely as you are."

Lovely? Sure, that could be one way to describe them. Personally, Ajax would've used over-the-top or way-too-energetic-to-be-normal, but that was only thanks to his own experiences with them. If Zhongli wanted to hang on to the idea that Ajax's family was lovely, then Ajax wouldn't be the one to stop him.

"Right. Okay." Deep breaths, Ajax, he reminded himself. This was nothing. Just the love of his life meeting his family. He could handle this. He absolutely could. He gave Zhongli's hand a squeeze of reassurance, though he wasn't sure if he meant to reassure himself or Zhongli. Probably both. Sweet Tsaritsa, why was he so nervous? It was just his family, right? He had no reason to be this panicked about it. His legs were unnaturally shaky as he walked to the front door, and he felt his mouth go dry. Ajax gave Zhongli one last nervous look before raising his fist to knock on the door.

There was a distant shuffling sound, then the clatter of something falling and loud footsteps that abruptly stopped. He was faintly aware of the fact that Zhongli was staring at him with wide eyes, to which he responded with a tense smile before knocking again. A faint 'I'm coming' came from inside, more clattering, and then the door opened to a girl with frizzy hair as red as Ajax's and glasses that threatened to slip off her nose. The girl looked up, blinked once, twice, and then broke into a massive grin. She wasted absolutely no time in tackling Ajax in a tight hug that almost sent him flying backwards, and he felt all of his nervous energy immediately disappear. Why had he even been nervous? This was his family. Of course they would be happy to see him, and even happier to meet Zhongli.