[Childe x Zhongli] One Day You'll Love Me Again

CHAPTER 04: break your heart worse

Going back to the bedroom was...awfully awkward, to say the least.

The Snezhnayan was still occupied with berating himself—or well, more like internally screaming at his own idiocy; because what in the Tsaritsa's sacred name had made him accept such a stupid proposition?—when he instinctually registered the three sets of inquiring eyes zeroing in on him and his friend as soon as they stepped back into the room.

"We've figured the little details out," said friend chirped way too happily before passing him to put the wooden box with the medicine on the nightstand next to an empty bowl and a scratched up Starconch of all things. Did no one clean around here or what? "Childe's gonna take over for now since Paimon and I have some other matters to attend to."

Ganyu hummed in helpless confusion as the apparent Yaksha scrunched up his eyebrows before crossing his arms. "As for your personal matters I understand, Traveler. However, I fail to see why his presence would be needed here."

"Because he has lots of experience as an older brother and knows how to take care of others," the short blonde offered as if it was a given.

That he did indeed. His lovely, younger siblings could attest to that, he thought proudly.

"I can assure you that we can take care of our master adequately without any help if the contrary is what you were attempting to imply." Surprisingly enough, it was said without any real bite.

The blonde and Paimon shot the green haired guy an unconvinced look.

"Traveler, I trust you and your judgment but why would you choose a Snezhnayan Harbinger of all people to help us?" the blue-haired girl not really interrupted them to ask uncertainly. "Why not someone we all know? Someone from...Liyue perhaps?"

Now it was the Traveler who blinked in confusion. "But we do know Childe!"

"Yes!" Paimon squeaked out unhelpfully, slowly reawakening the ginger's pulsing headache so it could reach its former pain levels. "We know him, you know him and Xiao, too. Right?"

The green haired guy and Ganyu exchanged uncertain looks before she opened her mouth again. "From attempting to sink Liyue Harbour...?"

It was hard to stifle the surprised snort suddenly building in his chest but somehow he managed to mask his amusement with a neutral cough.

Well, she wasn't wrong, was she? He at least could appreciate her straightforwardness.

"That's it?" The blonde looked confused at them. "You haven't met besides that—uh— occasion?"

"No, I have never personally met him," Xiao added with even harder furrowed eyebrows. "But I can smell the Abyss wafting off of him."

The corners of the Harbinger's mouth lifted humourlessly at said boy who wearily watched him from the corners of his eyes.

So what if he did? It wasn't his business.

"Oh. Let me reintroduce you guys then." The Traveler smiled in a mix of sheepishness and hope. "Besides being a Harbinger, Childe's the person Zhongli spent most of his free time with for the past months of his mortal life."

Both the girl and the boy looked surprised as Childe's eyebrows shot up.

Wait a moment.