eternal flame | tartaglia x reader

Chapter Twenty

Ajax has placed a pair of snow boots in your arms. Holding the weight of them is familiar and foreign at the same time. After all, it's been well over a year since you've last felt the crunch of snow under your feet.

"How did you find a pair of these in Liyue?" you ask Ajax.

Ajax shrugs.

"I had them imported."

Ajax doesn't expand any further, so you opt to simply press a kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you Ajax, they're very nice."

There's a beat of silence before Ajax speaks again, "I need to ask you about something."

"Sure," you nod.

"I'm being relocated to Mondstadt. My coworker left our relations in pieces, so I'm being tasked with cleaning up the mess," he sighs.

"How long is the assignment?" you ask him.

"Two months, give or take."

You're silent after this. If Ajax wants you to go with him, it's up to him to ask. You'll miss him, but you're independent enough to survive on your own for a few months if it comes down to it. You've placed the snow boots on the floor without another word and turned back to drafting sketches for your next piece.

A few minutes pass before Ajax speaks again.

"Would you like to come with me?"

You look up from your drawing with a grin, you couldn't help but find his shyness endearing.

"Of course I'll come with you. Why were you so hesitant to ask?"

There's relief written all over Ajax's face, "I didn't want to pull you away from Liyue. I know that it's your home now."

"Oh, Ajax," you say, leaning towards him to wrap both arms around his shoulders, "You are my home now. It doesn't matter where we go."

The two of you are set to leave the next week, and you ought to start tying up any loose ends in Liyue. You're busy, collecting on invoices from customers who have yet to pay, and finishing any last commissions for art that you have. It was liberating, to say the least, as you received money for your very last Rex Lapis memorial piece. It seemed that Liyue Harbour was healing, as it moves into a new time.

It's on your walk back to your apartment that day, when you pass a presence so strong that it makes you pause for a moment. You hear his voice and it's familiar, you've definitely heard it before.

You freeze as you're stricken with epiphany. It's Zhongli. It's Rex Lapis himself.

Images of Ajax so vulnerable, so broken, during that night at Wangshu inn flash in your mind. You're angry. If this was a novel, or a theatre production, you might have marched over to Rex Lapis and hit him. Cursed the god in front of his followers for harming someone so dear to you.

But it's not. Ajax needs the closure of a conversation with this man, he needs an apology.

"Mister Zhongli?" you say instead, turning towards him with a smile.

He raises his eyebrows and wow, you may have not minded painting Rex Lapis so many times if he had looked like this in all of them.

"My name's Y/n, I think that you know- er- Childe?"

The awkwardness of using his alias makes you want to blush a little.

Zhongli smiles, "That's right, he speaks very highly of you."

"Could you spare a few minutes to come over and have some tea? I think that Childe would love to have a conversation with you."

"Of course, if he's ready then I would love to," Zhongli replies.

"If he's ready?"
"I've been trying to give Childe some space, we haven't spoken since-" he pauses, "Well, my past actions have been regrettable."

Maybe they'll even be able to make amends before you set off for Mondstadt. You refuse to process the fact that you're leading Rex Lapis (Morax) (Geo Archon) (God of Commerce) (The Warrior God) back to your apartment, but you're pleased to see that Ajax is already home when you arrive.

"I've brought a guest," you call out once you open the door, to give Ajax a fair warning.

Ajax expression falls a little bit when he turns towards you and sees who it is, his face is almost pleading. You won't let him waver your heart, this is for his own good.

"Why don't you settle somewhere with Mister Zhongli? I'll put on some tea," you tell him.

Once the tea is brewed and the two men (one man and one god?) are positioned tensely at the dining room table, you leave them alone in the apartment to have some privacy. You should probably find Beidou and say goodbye to her, anyway.

"How did it go?" you ask later that night, Ajax's arms wrapped around you as you lay in bed.

By the time that you returned to the apartment, Zhongli was gone, but the air felt lighter. The pot of tea was empty, which you took to be a good sign.

"It went well, thank you for getting him to come over."

There's a swell of pride in your chest. You're glad that you both could leave Liyue without regrets.

"By the way, why the snow boots? Mondstadt isn't much colder than Liyue is."

"I thought it'd be fun to take a boat from the Harbour to the edge of Dragonspine. We can spend a few days adventuring through the mountain before we make it to the city," Ajax replies.

It's easy to forget since Ajax is so adaptable, but he didn't choose to be moved to Liyue. Sure, he's always wanted to be an adventurer who travels far and wide, but it's not the same as being forcibly stationed so far from your home. He must miss Morepesok, and Dragonspine would give him a taste of home.

"That sounds perfect," you tell him earnestly.

It did sound perfect, until you realised what a treacherous hike it would be to get through Dragonspine. The winding paths never seemed to end, and while it was easy to stay warm with your pyro vision, it didn't do too much to protect you from the harsh winds. At least you were able to travel light, as Ajax's subordinates already took any unessential luggage to the Grand Goth Hotel, where you were supposed to be staying while in Mondstadt.

However, you had no intention to express your displeasures. Since you've set foot in snow again, Ajax has been glowing. You can tell that he's thriving in this scenery that is so similar to that of Schneznyah.

"Do you know what day it is?" you ask Ajax on your third night on the mountain.

"What day is it?"

"It's July nineteenth."

"So I'll be twenty-one in a few hours?" Ajax asks.

"That's right," you reply.

Ajax mumbles something about being back in a minute, then quickly disappears from your campsite. He returns less than ten minutes later, and ushers you to throw on a coat and scarf. Once you're adequately bundled up, Ajax takes your glove hand in his and leads you towards a lake. It's not quite frozen over as the ones in Morepesok are, but you can guess what's coming next.

There's a spot with two stools, a fishing rod and a vial of fire-water beside the shore.

"Up for some ice-fishing? Or, just fishing really," Ajax is all grins.

"How'd you get this all set up so quickly?" you ask him.

You both settle into the spot, watching as Ajax threads bait onto the hook of the fishing rod.

"I have very resourceful subordinates," he shrugs.

You laugh at the idea of a usually intimidating Fatuus fetching these supplies for their boss.

It's the sweetest kind of familiarity, basking in the moonlight as you wait for the clock to strike midnight on Ajax's birthday again.

"Happy birthday, Ajax. I love you."