Eyes of Perception

Chapter 16

He only woke up because intrusive rays of sunlight shone through the window of their inn, the sudden brightness almost like a personal insult to him. Still, he let his eyes flutter open, just to find himself to be buried in Zhongli's chest. Without thinking, he nuzzled himself against the skin, relishing in the closeness that it provided. His cheek rubbed against smooth skin, and subconsciously, his arms wrapped around Zhongli a little tighter.

The consultant shifted in his hold, and then a hand came up to Childe's face, gentle fingers running through matted hair. His face flushed red at the touch, but he melted into it nonetheless. For now, he could pretend that he was just Ajax, just the hopeful young man who'd been searching for love and finally found it in the form of a wonderful boyfriend. That he was here on a leisurely vacation, and that he had no responsibilities other than making sure Zhongli was enjoying himself.

"Good morning," came the deep rumble of Zhongli's morning voice, the motion sending comforting vibrations to Childe's chest. "Did you sleep well?"

The fucking audacity. He managed to wriggle himself out of the hold Zhongli had him in until he was at eye-level with the consultant. Then, with a completely straight face, "That was the best sleep I had in years."

The laugh that left Zhongli was carefree, like a bubbling brook, and Childe found himself wishing there was more people that Zhongli could laugh like that around. "Well, my dear warrior, I assure you that I found it equally as enjoyable."

Again, Childe found his face flushing red at the mention of it, and he buried himself into the crook of Zhongli's neck. The man radiated warmth, just enough to lure Childe in and lull him back to the sleepy state from before. The added motion of one hand brushing his hair and the other tracing down his spine only helped him relax even more, his eyes fluttering shut as he rested with a content sigh.

Zhongli shifted again beneath him. "As much as I wish to spend the day in bed with you, my love, I'm afraid you still have some meetings to take care of."

The mention of the meeting made Childe groan out loud in frustration and bury himself a little closer to Zhongli, enjoying the final moments of peace, before making an attempt to sit up. Ow, okay, so maybe that was a bad idea, and maybe he should try not to move around too much today. Still, even as he stood up on shaky legs, his back side sore and beautifully aching, he had no regrets.

Zhongli watched him for a few seconds, a smug look on his face, before he, too, got out of bed and helped Childe make his way to the washroom. There, the consultant took the time to fill up the provided bathtub before helping Childe lower himself into it, while Zhongli himself sat on the edge of the tub. His gentle hands scrubbed away the mess from last night and brushed through matted hair,  effectively piecing Childe back together after so thoroughly taking him apart. Childe made an attempt to return the gesture, but all he could do was sink into the cold water of the bath and let the feeling wash away all signs of soreness.

Way too reluctantly, he slipped out of the bath when he realized he had absolutely no more time to waste, and in slow, careful movements, he dressed himself in his usual Fatui uniform while Zhongli took the time to clean himself up, as well. The low, open collar of his shirt did absolutely nothing to hide the bite marks and hickeys that Zhongli had so graciously left behind, and Childe had half a mind to ask Zhongli if he could borrow one of the consultant's outfits instead. Then, he decided that he had no shame left in him, and he got his shit rocked last night and he was proud of it. 

He patiently waited until Zhongli stepped out of the washroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and another one patting down his hair. He was... incredibly hot like that, but Childe was certain he'd die if they went for another round, so he settled for sitting down on the bed and patting the space in front of him instead. Zhongli sat down without question, and Childe took over the process of drying the consultant's long hair.