Genshin Impact BL DISCONTINUED

Family Picnic (slight Zhongli/Childe)

'Closed for personal reasons.
Director Hu and Consultant Zhongli will be back on Monday.'

Looking at the yellowish note taped to the door of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Childe wondered if there really could be a plausible reason to deny someone to die. Perhaps the question itself was strange, but that not only Zhongli but also Hu Tao had left the parlor was even stranger. Had Zhongli mentioned anything during their last dinner together? No, but well that wasn't really surprising. In spite of all the time they spent together, the dark-haired had probably always kept a few details secret. Sure, Childe had been mad about being a prawn in his machinations, but in the end he knew things like that only too well. And in the end he still had a major crush on the stoic man. He just hadn't told him yet. Maybe he would never. So... to tell the truth, he was worried about the ex-archon leaving work without telling him the reason why. That he would return on monday was a good sign, but why had he left? If Hu Tao left the parlor it was always about dealing with the dead, but why would she take Zhongli with her? Was something the matter with him? Was he sick because he gave up on his gnosis? Getting into the matter too much instead of simply asking someone, Childe decided to look for the dark-haired. He could just act as if it were a coincidence if there really was nothing to worry about.

The search got him a little worked up. He had searched the city, the surrounding area, the place he thought was Zhongli's favorite place to be, he had even been to the Wangshu Inn but hadn't even found Zhongli's aggressive son. If the yaksha hadn't even shown up to attack him, then that really wasn't a good sign, was it?

"Mornin' Girlie, sorry for the disturbance but could I talk to the Qixings secretary for a second?", Childe asked one of the other employees who looked at him as he was the devil himself.
"Miss Ganyu is not present today.", she replied in a stern voice, already walking him back to the door as he really wasn't a welcome guest.
"Calm down, I am not here to cause you any troubles haha... Do you know where she is?", of course he followed the woman to the door, but leaned against the door frame instead of just leaving the place immediately.
"Miss Ganyu is a very hardwoking woman, she certainly doesn't want to be disturbed on her day off. Especially since she requested this day yesterday without further notice."
"Spontaneously?.. how strange... Well then, thanks girlie."
Her answer had been more disturbing than reassuring, fueling Childe's worries quite a lot. Adeptus Xiao, Adeptus Ganyu, Director Hu, that they were all not where they usually were today couldn't be a good sign. It just had to have something to do with Zhongli and his condition.

Running up and down the mountains, Childe was heavily out of breath when he finally reached the area on top of Mt. Aozang, the last place where he hadn't been yet. From a distance he could see all those he was looking for today but not Zhongli. Wait, wasn't that the ex-archon in the middle of them, basking in the sun light, the tips of his hair and the scales on his tail shining like gold, the horns on his head emitting a golden glow with each of hits heartbeats. Wasn't it Zhongli who wore his hair down, the prettiest piece of fabric sewn into a hanfu covering his body, a fond smile on his lips as he looked like the god he had once been? Childe's heart skipped several beats while he was looking at him like that. He had never been allowed to see him like this before. And gosh, he was beautiful.

Childe could see Xiao sitting next to him, leaning against Zhongli's, or was Morax the better name now?, right side while Ganyu leaned against his left side. While the yaksha still seemed alert, Ganyu appeared to be asleep. Hu Tao, as someone he did not expect to see there with them, braided Zhongli's hair and decorated it with the strangest flowers. She laughed a lot while doing this. Childe didn't know why, but although he was relieved to see that the ex-archon was fine, he felt terribly dissatisfied. Jealous. In fact, he felt disgustingly jealous.

He heard a hiss just seconds before the yaksha appeared infront of him, grabbed him by his collar and dragged him to the others. Thanks to the moment of surprise and the use of his powers, he was there so quickly that the ginger would not have been able to react in time had he tried to.
"My lord, the harbinger was spying on us. I could kill him if you wish.", Xiao said as aggressive as docile, still holding Childe by his collar. While Ganyu only blushed when she woke up from the commotion and realized that she had fallen asleep leaning against Zhongli, Hu Tao wrapped her arms around the ex-Archon's neck from behind, leaned her whole weight on him and grinned mischievously.