For Archon's Sake

Stitches and Glass Castles

"I wouldn't move too much if I were you. I just did your stitches, and whatever you did yesterday almost tore your muscles apart."

Childe hissed as he opened his eyes, blinking them into focus. Zhongli was standing over him with bloodied strips of cloth in his hands, his coat discarded onto the loveseat in the corner. "Wow, I was beginning to think you slept in that thing," Childe wheezed, a laugh rasping out of his throat. He winced. "Shit, that hurt." Zhongli sighed as he tossed the used bandages in a basket with an alarming pile of them. "I'm starting to think you like pain. Either that or you like ignoring me." He rinsed his hands in the basin of water near the bed, his back turned to Childe. "I need to change your bandages. I'm not going to ask what on earth you were doing, or why you were passed out on my front porch. I'm just going to make sure you don't keel over and die, and let you know that you got blood all over my floor. Which means I now have to deep clean. Blood doesn't come out of things easily you know. And I had to carry you all the way to the guest room, which means it dripped on the way here..." Childe shut his eyes, blocking out the rest of the consultant's tirade. "Please shut up. I'm begging you. I almost prefer dying."

Zhongli narrowed his eyes. "As much as I would love to make that dream come true for you, I can't send one of the Tsaritsa's soldiers back like this. That was not part of our agreement. Now sit up," he said, bringing over new pieces of cloth. "I need to change your bandages." Childe looked down at his pants. "These are new." Zhongli furrowed his brow. "Yes, and I have a shirt for you once I finish replacing the bandages. I also started dinner, but I'm afraid it will burn if I take too long tending to you." "You put them on me?" Childe's lips curved into a smile. Zhongli's face remained unchanged. "There wasn't much to see, believe me. And as uptight as you think I am, I'm not a prude. Now shut the fuck up and let me wrap your ribs before the food burns."

Childe coughed as he chuckled, and slowly rose to lean against the headboard. "Wow! Mr. Court Manners himself ladies and gentlemen!" He tensed as Zhongli's fingers skittered across his skin. "Easy there, comrade." "I barely even touched you," Zhongli accused. "Perhaps you aren't as formidable of a fighter as I thought you were." Childe grinned. "You thought I was formidable? Oh, you can add handsome, smart, ruthless- OW !" Zhongli snorted as he tightened the bindings. "This is all your fault. I was hardly this.... coarse in my word choice before I met you. You've ruined me." Childe pouted. "Oh no, please forgive me, sir. I didn't mean to cause you so much tr- YOU'RE DOING THAT ON PURPOSE NOW !" he howled, laying a hand on his ribs. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you a damsel in distress, sweetheart," Zhongli smirked. Childe leaned in, almost close enough to touch noses. "I'm no damsel." Zhongli swallowed, but didn't immediately move away. "That you are not, Harbinger." Wow, his eyes are really pretty, Childe marveled, almost like...cor lapis. "Can I ask you something?" Zhongli whispered. "What is it?" Childe said equally as quietly. "Would you have stopped me that night if I hadn't done so myself?"

Childe inhaled deeply, taking in the smell of him. Sandbearer wood from Minlin. Freshly printed books. Qingxin flower oil. Archons, this man was going to kill him. "No, but I'm not sure why that matters given your tendency to be so high and mighty. We probably wouldn't have even gotten that far." Zhongli laughed dangerously low, and Childe's toes curled. Thank archons he isn't at the end of the bed. "I wouldn't have gone that far. An interesting conclusion you've come up with." He pressed his lips to the base of Childe's throat, and the Harbinger gripped the sheets tightly. "Just how far," Zhongli said, kissing his way up to Childe's ear slowly, "Did you think I was willing to go?" Childe shook, his brain almost short-circuiting as he tried to come up with a halfway coherent sentence. "I...you....we could've...sh-shit-" he stammered as Zhongli licked the shell of his ear. "I suppose I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I didn't stop here," he purred, his breath hitting Childe's ear at just the right spot. Childe inwardly cursed at his ruined body. He wanted to taste him properly, see how much a gentleman could make him sweat recovery be damned-