Eyes of Perception

Chapter 15

They got to the first debt collection camp in Tianqiu Valley near the evening of their second day of travel. The matter had been pretty simple - finding the camp itself had, quite literally, been the most difficult part. Even the wonderful instructions and map that Ekaterina had provided hadn't been enough, but they managed, so that was all that really mattered. After that, there was just the simple task of holding a proper meeting with the one who'd taken out the loan, and, much to Childe's disappointment, the matter got resolved without any fights. 

Satisfied with the day's work, Childe led them to another abandoned Fatui camp nearby, where, again, they hosted a picnic under the stars before retiring for the night. Along the way, Childe had hunted down a boar, and they used the campfire to cook the meat into a hearty meal. Or, it would be more accurate to say that Childe had been the one to do most of the cooking, while Zhongli watched.

Liyue Harbor was Zhongli's home turf - he knew all there was to know about the city, about each of its nooks and crannies and little corners. Here, though, in the wild with the nearest form of proper civilization was over two days of travel away? Here, it was Childe's area of strength. 

He didn't lose the way Zhongli kept staring at him in fascination, as if he'd never seen someone turn wild boar meat into a dish that could be served at a restaurant. Childe had to admit, it was a nice feeling. To think that something he considered to be a simple task would bring such a positive reaction from Zhongli.

It just made him want to showcase all his abilities even more, in hopes that at least one of them would catch Zhongli's eye and leave the consultant in absolute awe with Childe's skills. He wanted to impress Zhongli, to make Zhongli proud. The last time he'd felt that way was when he'd knelt before the Tsaritsa in his Harbinger ceremony, but that had been brought on out of respect, out of understanding that he'd never get a chance like that again. But with Zhongli? That need came from the desire to show Zhongli his affection, to show Zhongli his love for him. To feel Zhongli's love for him.

Childe had never considered himself to be greedy - quite the opposite, actually. He'd never hesitated to slide most  of his plate's contents to Teucer's plate whenever his little brother wanted seconds, or share his old belongings with Anton and Tonia. But here, with Zhongli's gaze on him, watching his every move as if it had entranced him, his amber eyes shining with pure adoration, Childe found himself wanting more, more, more. He'd had a taste of Zhongli's affection, and now he was addicted. 

Apparently, it had become second nature for them to remain as physically close to one another as possible, which meant that, for the second night in a row, they shared the makeshift bed with one another. (Childe had to admit, he'd thought it would be unpleasant for him. Sharing a bed meant exposing himself to someone else in the moments that he was at his weakest, and the very thought of it made his skin crawl. However, it had been a surprisingly welcome feeling, to have Zhongli's arms snaking around his waist with his chest pressed to Childe's back. It felt nice. Safe.)

They decided to head to Mingyun Village next, to save Wangshu Inn. Childe had originally planned to save Mingyun for last, to spend as much time as possible to analyze and study the little town, but on second thought, they might as well check Wangshu Inn out last and enjoy the cozy rooms after being accustomed to camping outside. 

Traveling to Mingyun Village took just a little over three days, though that was mostly because Zhongli felt the need to stop every so often and point out some particular landscape or rare plant. Never in his life did Childe think that he'd need to know about how the different parts of a castor oil plant could be used to create either different poisons or different remedies, but hey, the more you know, right?

By the fifth night of traveling together, Childe didn't have to think twice before reaching to hold Zhongli's hand as they walked, or spoon-feeding a portion of whatever he was cooking to Zhongli to make sure the food was edible. It felt natural by now, to care for Zhongli in any way he possibly could. (In turn, that also meant he no longer felt tense or uncomfortable when exposing himself to Zhongli. Rather, the consultant's constant touch and attention were something that he sought out, which, again, what the fuck? Since when had Childe been a touchy-feely person?)