𝙂𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙀𝙮𝙚𝙨 [ 𝘼𝙐 𝙕𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙘𝙝𝙞 ]

6: Starconches

When they finished seeing the Art Gallery, Zhongli proposed to Childe to go to dinner, since two hours had passed and it was already eight o'clock. The redhead rejected the offer, his emotions had mixed with his headache, which was re-emerging after having been moderately well.

"It's a shame, however I have enjoyed spending time with you," Zhongli spoke as they walked to the car. Childe nodded, unable to speak because of the pain he felt. His state did not go unnoticed in the brunette's eyes. "Childe, are you sure you're okay?"

The one with the blue orbs was forced to speak, forcing a smile and turned to look at Zhongli, who stopped walking. "Yeah, sure... I'm just a little tired," Zhongli frowned a bit, obviously he wasn't going to believe a lie like that.

"You should have informed me of your condition earlier, I told you before," Childe said nothing, walking back as Zhongli followed closely behind. His head began to spin, his vision began to blur and black spots began to fill it. Childe felt his right knee buckle inadvertently, causing him to become unsteady. Zhongli stopped his fall by putting an arm around his back and catching him by the side. "Childe!"

"I'm... I'm fine..." Zhongli took off his glove and put his hand on his forehead, checking that the other had a fever. Childe didn't react to the touch. The golden-eyed one had noticed a slight smell of alcohol at the beginning of their meeting, but he preferred not to say anything. However, now things were like this. Zhongli would talk to him later. Childe's breathing started to get heavy, he felt his eyelids droop and he was struggling to stay conscious. Zhongli helped him walk until they reached the car, which luckily wasn't that far away.

He put Childe in the passenger seat, buckling him up. Zhongli drove to Childe's apartment, checking that the boy had fallen asleep —or passed out— at some point along the way. The brunette picked up Childe and fumbled for the apartment keys in his pocket, managing to open the door successfully.

He was surprised that the air inside the building was even colder than that of the street, he couldn't help but wonder how he didn't get hypothermia. He closed the door behind him, reattaching the lock and placing the keys on the hall table. Zhongli looked around, the smell of Childe and alcohol were the only things he could detect. Zhongli wrinkled his nose at this last smell, it smelled too much. It didn't take long for him to find the redhead's bedroom, he carefully placed him on top of the bed, taking off his jacket and shoes. Zhongli hadn't stopped to look around him in the rush to leave Childe, but when he did, he froze.

Clothes were strewn about the room, boxes piled up, and garbage scraps. Zhongli made a disgusted face, how could he live like that? He sighed, turning his head and finding the box of chopsticks he had given to him.

He wondered if Childe had made use of them or just left them there, doing a mental note to teach him how to use them. Next to the box was a photography of Childe with three children who looked like him. Zhongli guessed that they would be his little brothers. He remembered that the redhead had mentioned about an older sister, maybe Childe would have more older siblings?

He did not want to invade the other's privacy, especially when he was unconscious and ill. Zhongli headed for the bathroom, which wasn't hard to find either. This one was quite clean compared to the bedroom, he searched a closet for a clean cloth and soaked it with water and returned to the bedroom, where Childe was still sleeping. He put the wet cloth on his forehead, noting how red his cheeks were.

Zhongli headed for the kitchen, finding a bottle of vodka less than halfway up on the marble.

"This explains a lot of things," he thought, looking around again, noting that in one corner was an open bucket filled with bottles of alcohol. He frowned, was he an alcoholic? He left the bottle where he had found it. He felt a little bad about tapping other people's belongings, but he didn't want to leave him alone in his state either. Zhongli went to the hall, where there were also some post-its and some pens next to the keys. He wrote in one that he would be back in a moment, going back to the bedroom and leaving it on the nightstand.