Operation: Make Zhongli Smile Forever

Part 5 - Slow Dancing (with some minor complications)

They slept for a few hours. Childe realised once he woke up, the sky outside turning a deep vermillion with hints of fuchsia; the sun was barely peeking over the city walls, casting a golden glow across the rooftops. Zhongli still seemed to be sleeping, his chest rising and falling slowly with serene breaths; his arm still rested on Childe, a weak grasp upon the Harbinger's shoulder. With a gentle movement, Childe slithered out of bed and made his way out towards the window.

Businesses seemed to be closing already, merchants and shopkeepers counting up their earned mora and locking up their shops, headed either to their own houses or one of the taverns in the city; of the many bars there were, two seemed to be the most popular- Angel's Share and Cat's Tail Tavern.

"Good Evening," Zhongli sighed, picking himself up and sitting on the edge of the bed he was asleep on, "what time is it?"

"Around six, maybe seven. Everyone's packing up though, maybe we visited at the wrong time," Childe answered, leaning against the window and crossing his arms over his chest, "anything else you wanna do before we head out for the night. Venti said his performance is at around half past seven."

Zhongli sighed and looked out past the window at the stature of Barbatos in front of the cathedral looking over the city.

"I have all the time in the world," Zhongli sighed, falling back against the bed. Childe slowly made his way over to the bed and sat beside Zhongli; with a slightly cautious movement, he gently placed his hand on his friend's head and started stroking his silky, umber hair, stray strands weaving between Childe's gloved fingers.

"6000 years is a long time huh," Childe breathed out and Zhongli lifted himself up and hesitantly placed his head on Childe's shoulder.

"You have no idea. Time simply has no meaning to me anymore. Nothing in my life progresses," Zhongli muttered, his voice stern and flat, completely monotone.

"Once you have a family, and you will, you'll feel it. Time passes differently when you're surrounded by... the people you love. I promise," Childe answered, placing his hand out and extending his pinky, "pinky promise." Zhongli stared curiously as the strange gesture.

"I don't seem to understand," the consultant chuckled slightly, eyes falling on Childe's own.

"In Snezhnaya, a pinky promise is unbreakable, it's stronger than any other promise. It's almost like a contract, you could say," the Harbinger explained, mind lost in Zhongli's eyes; truly around him, time seemed to stop, "you just link pinkies and then it's sealed."

Zhongli extended his own hand, and the two of them linked their fingers, shaking gently; the Archon chuckled at the slightly childish nature of the promise, such a large meaning behind a simple gesture.

"Promise sealed," Zhongli smiled, pulling Childe up with him as he thrust himself off the bed, "we better depart for the tavern if we want to see Venti." Childe laughed at his companion, and with one small top-up of his small mora pouch from the larger bag he had packed, the two left the hotel and began walking towards Angel's Share.

--

"Woah," Childe managed to get out as he saw the huge crowd gathering outside the tavern, rowdy locals drinking from whatever they could, cheers erupting from the gathering every few seconds.

"People from Mondstadt really like drinking," Zhongli answered, peaking over the people at the closed entrance, searching for Venti's familiar mint hat.

"Zhongli!" a voice called out from above, causing both Zhongli and Childe to peek upwards at Venti peeking his head out of the window on the top floor of the tavern, "use the back entrance! I'll let you in!"