one more chance (zhongchi)

chapter 9 - finale <3

"HE'S AWAKE!" Childe hears a female yelling next to him. He heard a door slam open as what sounds like a group of people running into the room. He wasn't quite sure what was happening but he heard mumbling and button pressing. Childe passes out from confusion.
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Childe wakes up again and sees a guy with brown hair, another younger guy with red hair, and girl with ginger hair sitting next to him, all seeming like they fell asleep. Childe tries to look around him to make sense of things and finally realizes that he is on a hospital bed and feels sudden pain in his leg. He looks at a wall and finally spots a mirror but the man who looks back at him had a very badly bruised eye, a bandage around his head, and a deep cut on his cheek.

"W-what happened..." Childe was taken aback.

The 3 people who were sitting next to Childe's bed suddenly jolted up and looked at him.

"Oh, thank goodness!" The female cries and stood up to hug him. Childe realizes that this is his sister, Lia, and the 2 other people were Zhongli and Teucer.

"Big brother!!" Teucer also happily runs over by Childe and hugs him.

Zhongli was still in his seat, looking like he was about to cry.

"I'm glad your okay Childe." He tries to keep his composure but breaks out crying.

Lia once again, called in the doctors and allowed childe to know what happened.
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"You had been hit by a bus." The doctor finally announced

"I- what?" Childe asked in disbelief. He looked at the Zhongli next to his bed and he seemed to be in perfect health conditions, unlike the Zhongli he had supposedly "seen" yesterday who also died in front of him.

"So it was all just a dream" Childe numbed to himself, relived.

The doctors do a quick checkup on him and asks Childe some questions before confirming that he is free to go home. Childe, Lia, and Zhongli all walk back to the bakery in silence while Teucer happily runs ahead. When they got back, Lia rushed Teucer and tried to give Childe and Zhongli some time to talk.

"So, um..." Zhongli said awkwardly.

"..." Childe responded.

"How... do you feel..?"

"I'm... okay... I guess..."

"Does anything hurt?"

"I did break my arm and dislocate my knee, so"

"Ah, right..."

*silence*

"I overheard you and Lia the other day"

"You... WHAT?" Childe tries to jump up but falls back down because of his knee.

"No! Listen, I wasn't trying! I just happened... to not leave yet...?"

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Okay, fine. I stuck around. BUT! I um, it felt like it was the right thing to do but I'm not so sure anymore."

"So did you believe my story?"

"I don't know." Zhongli looked away.

The space between the boys have grown significantly. Lia watches from the doorway with a worried look on her face as she can sense something was wrong. She decided to just go upstairs and not eavesdrop today.

"You love me?" Zhongli asked.

"Yeah. I do." Childe put his head on the table they were sitting at and started tearing up. "Do you love me back?"

"I've always thought of you as a friend..."

"So I take it, that's a rejection?" Childe looks up with a sad smile. "Morax..."

Childe quickly covered up his mouth with his hands. He did not want to say that name ever again because every time he does he would start crying as he missed his old lover.

"Ajax?"

Childe looks up, shocked.

"What did you call me?"

"Ajax." Zhongli smiles. "Ah yes, my beloved ginger wallet- er I mean lover haha" he jokes.

"You remembered?" Childe's whole mood improved in a matter of seconds.

Zhongli walks over to Childe and hugs him.

"I've missed you, love."

"But how did you remember..?"

"Oh dear, the way you say my name was always so special I could recognize it anywhere, even in another lifetime."
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Authors Note:
okay so basically they make out and then yeah and zhongli finishes his job at university and moves in with childe and helps with bakery yes :D

sorry for the bad and rushed ending but i'll keep adding more little headcannons in here or little short stories of zhongchi but this is the end of story

hope you enjoyed! thanks for reading this far <3