More Than Meets The Eye

Chapter 18

Ajax wasn't sure when he woke up, or if he actually did wake up. Part of him was saying that last night had all been a dream - a very pleasant and realistic one, but a dream nonetheless. The thought saddened him, that none of it had been real and that Ajax's imagination was simply running loose from several days of sleep deprivation and over caffeination. For several heart wrenching seconds, the potential that it had all been a dream, that Zhongli still didn't remember and that Ajax was still on a seven-month streak of not getting his brains fucked out ran through him, that annoying voice inside his head only feeding his doubts.

All those doubts disappeared when he attempted to roll over, coming to two realizations; one, that he was now practically shoving his face into Zhongli's bare chest, and two, that his entire lower half burned. So at least that meant that the sex was real. Good. If the sex was real, then so was everything else, Ajax had no doubts about that. 

In some twisted way, Ajax almost thought he'd miss the times when Zhongli didn't have his memory. Sure, they were hard on them both and had taken months to recover from, but those months gave him a chance to start over, to build a second relationship off of an honest, strong foundation rather than one that was injured by misunderstandings and worries. Those months helped him learn, helped him grow, helped him change, preferably, for the better. So maybe, it was selfish of him, but he was thankful that Zhongli let him stay by his side for those seven months.

A raspy voice broke his train of thought, nearly making Ajax jump. "Good morning, love. Did you sleep well?"

"Better than I have in weeks," Ajax replied truthfully. He hadn't noticed that Zhongli was awake. 

Some time during the night, they'd ended up separating, though Zhongli's arms were still tightly wrapped around Ajax, and the two of them were pressed together as close as they could be. Behind him, Zhongli's hair spilled onto the bed sheets in a perfect circle of inky black waves, giving Zhongli an ethereal look even more than the one he usually had. When Ajax had first met Zhongli, he'd been very confused about why Zhongli would ever keep his hair so long. Now, though, he was entranced by it, taking a particularly long strand and curling it around his fingers.

They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, though Zhongli was eventually the one to rise first. (Probably because Ajax physically couldn't get himself to do it. They'd ended up going for several more rounds last night, which at the time had seemed like a great idea, though in hindsight, maybe they should've taken it a little slower.)

Ajax didn't have time to react before Zhongli scooped him up, one hand behind Ajax's back and the other under his legs, and all he could do was let out a quiet yelp as he was carried ceremoniously to the bathroom. Zhongli carefully placed him onto the countertop before turning to fill the bathtub with hot water. Only once it was halfway full did he help put Ajax into the tub, quickly following him. 

The water sloshed as they both settled into a more comfortable position, which, unsurprisingly, resulted in the two of them slotting against one another, as if they were two parts of a whole. More of the water threatened to spill over the side as Ajax leaned into a small kiss, all but losing himself in the combined taste of the both of them on his lips. He managed to pull away before he made any decisions that would lead to the further hindrance of his ability to walk.

Instead, they settled for relaxing into the tub, scrubbing at one another's skin. Even now, Zhongli's touches were careful, too careful, as if he was scared Ajax might fall apart. He wasn't sure whether the constant care was endearing or simply becoming too much for him. Soap-lathered fingers washed away the sweat and cum off of Ajax's skin, his blunt nails gentle as they dragged over old scars as if the injuries were still fresh and would flare up with pain if pressed too hard. Maybe with time, that carefulness would disappear, though for now, Ajax was thankful for it. The same way that he was trying to help Zhongli recover from the injury, Zhongli was trying to help him recover from The Abyss and reassure him that he wasn't alone with this.