No Time Left | Childe x Zhongli

Where He Came Back

Liyue... It was supposed to be a light-weighted trip. He was supposed to enjoy and savour the traditions of Liyue. Yet, why was his chest so heavy? Why was he not having fun? Why? He asked himself. What was this heavy sensation within him, weighing him down ...

He couldn't figure it out.

The feeling ... when he and Scaramouche went over their plans on completing this mission. He couldn't talk about it all.

Even once, a horrifying idea came across his mind but he pushed it away. It was hard, with Scaramouche nagging him 24/7 and the buzzing noises of the crowd in Liyue when he tried to take a walk.

3 months later

Childe couldn't take it anymore ... so he walked out of Liyue, barely knowing where his feet were taking him. At last, his feet came to a halt at a high cliff, with god-knows-what kind of monsters luring right at the bottom of the cliff.

Maybe it would be a win-win situation: peace for Childe and meat for the monsters. The thought of falling down ... the thought of hitting the bottom harshly ... raised fear in him.

But he had to do this ... he wanted to be free from this reality. He didn't want to see Mr. Zhongli ...

That wouldn't matter anymore he had just done this right now.

Childe drew closer to the edge of the cliff ... and-

"What are you doing?" a deep voice asked from behind.

Well, shit.

"Hehehe ..." Childe laughed, spinning around. "It was nothing. Merely enjoying the v-"

He froze at the sight of the man standing in front of him.

"Mr. Zhongli!" Childe yelled. He launched himself at Mr. Zhongli so suddenly, causing him to lose balance and they both fell onto the grass with a thud. Childe, however, couldn't care less. Nothing mattered more than his return.

"God, I missed you so much!" he exclaimed, hugging Mr. Zhongli even more tightly. "I was lonely then, without you. I'm so glad!"

Then he realised he was on top of Mr. Zhongli. Embarrassed, he straightened up and offered him his hand. Mr. Zhongli took it and Childe pulled him to his feet.

"Sorry about that ..." Childe coughed, averting Mr. Zhongli's eyes.

Zhongli's face softened when Childe's cheeks reddened, and he smiled.

It felt like a wave of waves rushed upon him when Mr. Zhongli smiled gently at him. His heartbeat started to beat faster and it might have exploded when his target hugged him in return, whispering, "I'm glad I got to see you too. I thought you had left Liyue already."

"How was your trip? It must've been fun, wasn't it?" Childe bombarded Zhongli with questions about his trip. Sometimes, he kind of reminded Zhongli of the adeptus, his number one fanboy.

'Well...' Zhongli hesitated. "Honestly, it was kind of dull. It wasn't that different, and I didn't get to meet any interesting people..." His gaze briefly flickered towards Childe and then away.

"Oh." Childe was kind of disappointed.

Suddenly, he stiffened as he realised he'd completely forgotten about the murder plan while being immersed in the conversation with Mr. Zhongli. Oh, shit. Meeting Zhongli here may just have been the worst decision of his life.

He recalled the words Scaramouche had said to him several months ago, and his blood ran cold. Oh, and just so you know, we're killing him as soon as he comes back. Can't waste any more time.

Childe's insides filled with dread.

As soon as he comes back.

Childe slowly turned his gaze towards Zhongli, his heart hammering. The man was looking at him quizzically. "What's wrong? You spaced out for a while."

How do I get him out of here, and fast? Childe thought in a panic, his thoughts wandering frantically. "Mr. Zhongli, I...I think I might have to..."

I have to hide him, or get him out of here. If straw-hat knows I came here...no, it's already too late. He definitely knows. Even worse, he might even be staring at us from a distance away, waiting for the best time to catch his target off guard...

Caught by a sudden sense of urgency, Childe looked at Mr. Zhongli, and before he knew it, he had grabbed the man by his forearm and was tugging him away with a strength he hadn't known he had. "We need to get out of here. Fast."

Zhongli gave him a look of confusion. "Why?" he demanded, attempting to free his arm from Childe's grip, but it was too strong. "What's wrong? You can tell me."

"There's no time." Childe's voice was hushed, and he had a feeling in his gut that was ten times worse than earlier.

He could feel the back of his neck prickling, which meant there were eyes looking at them from somewhere they couldn't see, somewhere no one would notice. And then he knew. It was definitely too late now. They had run out of time.

Childe swore inwardly. Shit.