If I Can't Take Your Pokémon, Can I Have Your Heart Instead?

Sweet Kiss

Zhongli shows up again the next day just as Childe is about to close up, and they walk to the Pokémon lab together. Childe's heart totally does not skip a beat at all when their fingers brush together.

They walk through the doors of the lab together, and Zhongli leads him down some winding corridors. Childe tried to remember every doorway they go through and any familiar landmarks, trying to figure out the most efficient way out in case he decides to pull a heist (and because he feels horribly, horribly lost). He snaps himself out of his thoughts. Zhongli is a friend. He shouldn't steal from him. Not the best way into his heart. What? No. He did not need Zhongli's heart. That's ridiculous.

Zhongli opens a final door and Childe is blinded by the light that spills from it. On the other side is a stunning courtyard filled with life. Pokémon prance about on the grass, a waterfall bubbles cheerfully to the side as Pokémon swim and splash each other. Flying Pokémon are doing flips in the air, and a few fighting types are wrestling around in the grass. He is in awe at the beautiful space around him. The Pokémon look so happy, it warms his heart to see them thriving. He turns to Zhongli to find his eyes already on him. His eyes looked so warm, like melted pools of honey.

"Would you like to let your Pokémon out?"

Childe smiles and throws his poke balls in the air. His Pokémon come out and run off, squealing happily.

"Every day I come out and feed the Pokémon, and then begin to study them," he explains, then goes into the eating habits of a variety of different Pokémon. "Then I go out again to feed the Pokémon again, and if I have any time left, I'll take a walk and think about things."

"Oh?" Says Childe, "What do you think of?"

A mischievous twinkle comes into Zhongli's eyes.

"Oh, all sorts of things, Childe," he gives a toothy grin that makes Childe feel a certain way. "The Pokémon, the weather, teas, what I'm eating for dinner, you, all sorts of things."

Childe blinks a few times. Did he hear that correctly? Him?

"Huh? Little ol' me?"

Zhongli laughs and gives him a gentle touch. Childe blooms. They sit together watching the Pokémon play for a while, and he feels at peace. Suddenly, Zhongli taps his shoulder excitedly. Childe is surprised, he's never seen Zhongli like this before.

"Come with me."

Zhongli drags him down some more winding hallways, but up some stairs this time into what seems to be Zhongli's own private living area. It is very well kept, and it just seems, so Zhongli. Childe does not fail to notice how Zhongli never let's go of his hand, even when they have stopped walking. He'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it.

The ambience of the area is overall very cozy, and whoever did the interior design really excellent in their craft. The only thing wrong is the mess of various trinkets crowding the space, but it's a little endearing.

"Have a seat," says Zhongli. "I'll go brew up some tea."

Childe does and looks around. There are a few framed photos on the walls. A younger Zhongli smiling with some happy Pokémon. Zhongli on a shiny onix's back. Zhongli holding... is that a Champion's trophy?

Surely Zhongli wasn't actually the world champion. It was probably just some scholarly trophy or something. Childe would not have to steal from him. Absolutely not. Though he must admit he was quite interested in the Pokémon in those photos with him, and a shiny onix? That was quite the catch. No. He was not going to steal from Zhongli. Not when he'd finally gotten to have some semblance of a normal relationship.

Zhongli returns with the tea. They settle down. Childe asks about his Pokémon, and his eyes light up.

"Oh, my onix. One of the Pokémon that has been with me the longest," he says with a fond smile. "I caught it when I was much younger, and had just started out as a trainer. I didn't even know that it was special!"

They laugh together.

"How did you decide you wanted to be a professor, then?" Asked Childe.

"Well, the Pokémon I had raised had started to get older and while they were ever so eager to please, they were simply just burnt out, and so was I. I loved the thrill of the battle, but I loved my Pokémon more and decided that it was time to let them rest. And now I study them so I can help everybody know what's best for their Pokémon. I hope I can inform trainers all over the world and make their lives better."

Childe is nodding along, hanging onto every word when Zhongli sets down his cup of tea and pulls our something small from his pocket. A pokeball. He hands it to Childe, he stares at it, then at Zhongli, confused.

"Go on, open it."

He does, and out comes an Applin. It blinks its big, goofy, green eyes at him, and he smiles down at it.

"Aww, it's so cute!" He reaches out to pet it, and it shivers in delight, jumping around.

Zhongli chuckles, and Childe is even more delighted by the bright smile on the professor's face. After a few moments of playing with the Applin, he turns to Zhongli once again.

"It's really adorable, and I appreciate the sentiment, but why would you give this to me all of a sudden?"

Zhongli's eyes widen as he clears his throat, his face turning a shade rivaling that of the Applin's.

"Well you see..." he trails off.

Childe looks at him expectantly.

"Do you... know what it means to give someone an Applin?"

Childe just blinks at him in confusion, but he's internally screaming at how he gets to see Zhongli flustered.

"Applin are often given to people one admire as an act of confession."

Oh.

Oh.

Childe definitely turns redder than the Applin.

The Pokémon jumps into his arms, rubbing its head against his chest.

"I do hope that you may... consider my confession?"

Zhongli sounds so unsure of what he's saying, Childe laughs and Zhongli tenses. Then he pulls Zhongli as well and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"I return your affections, Zhongli," Childe says with a warm smile as Zhongli wraps an arm around his waist, pulling him close again. "Not the Applin though. It's too cute. Mine forever."

Zhongli fucking chuckles again and presses a kiss to his lips.

"I feel the same for you."

Childe blushes and swats at his face. Zhongli just takes Childe's hand in his and kisses his knuckles. Childe swears he'll get diabetes from the amount of sweetness Zhongli has showered upon him today, and the Applin in his arms makes gagging noises.

Childe decided that the only thing he wants to steal from this man is his heart.