For the work of a Harbinger

VI. Morning

    Door to Zhongli's office opened slowly, two minutes after he finished, "Is it done yet?" Hu Tao asked him. Zhongli stared at her. "What?" She said quietly, meanwhile Zhongli stood up, holding the papers in his hand, giving them to her. "Don't wake him up.." She looked at him confused, "What are you talking about?" Zhongli looked at that direction where Childe was sleeping, "Oh, I see now. Thanks for the work, you're off now."

    "Mh.. But what.. about him.. What are we going to do? He cannot sleep there." Hu Tao shrugged, giving him a funny look, after leaving his office. "You say, he's in your office after all." Zhongli sighed, looking at him quietly, thinking, "Ah.. What should I do with you, I don't want to wake you up.. You looked really tired."

    He sat down near him, thinking. "Right.. I can at least try to transfer you from this place to another.. So you won't wake up with back pain." With an idea in his mind, he stood up, picking him up somehow and without waking him up, he put him down on his bed. "I guess that might be fine…" he thought, closing the doors to his office.

    "What did you come up with?" Zhongli's eyebrows frowned, "That you're lurking around every corner-" Hu Tao giggled, covering her mouth while laughing quietly, "Of course. But, what about you? Where are you going to sleep?" Zhongli was thinking for a second again. He approached one drawer, taking out a blanket, "You needn't worry about that." he said, already laying down on the couch.

"Really?" Hu Tao looked at him as if he was some kind of a donkey, "You're going to sleep here?" Zhongli nodded, already trying to fall asleep, "Goodnight-" Hu Tao shrugged, walking away, saying the last words, "I can't wait to hear stories about your back pain."

    A couple of hours later, when the sun was already coming up, Childe woke up, looking around him completely confused. "Wh-at? How did I.. Get there-... Oh-" he realized what happened, "I remember now.." he said, standing up, rubbing his eyes, he came closer to the doors, opening them slowly.

    "Everyone's still asleep.. What time is it?..." Childe yawned, waking forward, "It's probably not polite to walk into the kitchen without… well- Invitation.. but.. I am really hungry… and.. The doors are locked." he was thinking loudly. "If I climb out of the window, they'll think that I am a thief or something." He looked around, spotting only Zhongli sleeping on the couch. "Zhongli?.." He said even if he didn't really want to wake him up,  "Zhongli.."

    "Mh?" Zhongli turned around, opening his eyes slowly, "What?" he said, really tired. "I-" Childe wanted to turn back time, but it was already too late. "I- am hungry.." Zhongli sighed, "Go into the kitchen and grab….something." Childe nodded, walking there.

    "Look at that. Morning bird is getting up early!" he twitched, "You again-" Hu Tao laughed, looking at him with tears in her eyes, "How can you get scared so easily- That's- that's so funny-" Childe's eyebrows frowned, "No it's not-" "It is." she laughed even more.   

    "What… is happening?... " said Zhongli, who just came into the kitchen. Childe, after hearing that familiar voice, came closer to him. "Sorry.. I didn't mean to wake you up sooner.." He smiled, opening the fridge, grabbing something to eat. "Do.. you.." he yawned, "want some?.." Childe nodded and Hu Tao spoke up, "He was asking me, not you." he just smiled, giving the food to both of them.

    Zhongli sat down on one chair, looking sadly on the ground. "Back pain?" asked Hu Tao, Zhongli didn't say anything. He just put his head down on the table, "I told you.", "Mh… I know-." Hu Tao was looking disappointed at him. Childe was listening while chewing slowly, "I got another paperwork for you. I feel like they are the last ones for the next two days." Zhongli smiled, "Hm… Two days off…that should do."
 
  "Any plans for that days?" She asked, "To be honest," Childe was listening to their conversation, "..I'll help Childe with some kind of his work. That's also the only reason why he's here." Hu Tao looked at Childe and then back at Zhongli, "What work?" she asked, looking at them confused.

    "I am afraid, I cannot shar-" Childe cut his words off, already saying his whole plan out loud, "Well, I was sent to Liyue to get the Gnosis from the Geo Archon and Zhongli is the one helping me. He said that he knows some of the old traditions and other stuff like that, I feel like it might help." Zhongli sighed, looking at Hu Tao. She was all red, laughing, choking on oxygen.

"G-get a Gnosis from Geo Archon? Wh-" she took a deep breath, trying not to laugh, but she did, "Pffff- Where are you from again?"

    "Snezhnaya… why?" Hu Tao laughed even more, already slamming her hand on the table, "You guys from Snezhnaya are so funny." and she walked off, laughing really loudly.

"That was rude…" Childe crossed his arms, looking at Zhongli, "Is it really that funny?". Zhongli looked at him, "I don't know if it is that funny or not… but- getting a Gnosis from the Geo Archon is really not that easy a task.."

Zhongli pointed his eyes down, after a while, closing them, "No one ever saw him, walking in the streets of Liyue." Childe smiled, putting his hand on Zhongli's shoulder, "It may be impossible, but I have you in my team."

    "Mh.. Team… what team?.." he asked. "When did you go to sleep last night?" Zhongli sighed, opening his eyes, "I am not sure." Childe nodded, thinking, "Right…" asking another question, "How did I end up on that bed?" Zhongli stood up, "I transfered you there. I didn't want to wake you up."

    "Why not? I said as soon as you got the job done, I'd go to the hotel." Childe was confused. "You were already sleeping.. I guess it does not matter." Zhongli cleared his throat, "I have some of the items still somewhere in my office but we're still lacking some of the others."

    "What items?" Childe came closer to him, "Here." Childe took the paper from Zhongli's hand, "You.. Already wrote all of it down?" he said while reading the list. "Flowers.. We can start by looking at florists in Liyue. It's not that hard to find flowers in this big city which is also Heart of Business in Teyvat."

    "Do as you think.. I have other business to attend to." Childe looked up at him, "What do you mean? I thought we're both in this task-"

Zhongli smiled, "We are. I am going to order some of the things that we need in Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. I can also order some of the things from the list." Childe looked at the list one more time, reading it again, "Right… But.. What can you order from these things?"

Zhongli laughed, "I have my own list. You have the second part of it. I thought that we could split it in half." Childe's eyebrows frowned, "So.. These things… I am the one who will need to.. Get them.. somehow?" Zhongli nodded, putting his coat on. "We'll meet on the terrace tonight. I will wait for you there." and he closed the doors behind him.