warnings: yandere, unhealthy relationship, obsessive behavior, not poly - 2 men competing for your attention
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getting caught between these two is akin to getting engulfed in a tsunami - childe being the wave that consumes your whole being, while zhongli is the moving earth plates; the catalyst that pushed the ginger to do so.
it was fine at first. childe's curiosity makes him wave and calls out to you whenever he bumps into you in the harbor. he makes small talk, discovers something new about you, and leaves you with a smile.
only... after a few times, his questions start getting more and more personal, he starts to intrude on your personal space, and before long whenever you're just walking down the street, if you feel arms snake around you from behind, you immediately know it's childe.
zhongli does the same, although at times he would not be opposed to tagging along with you, surveying the market stalls and helping you do your errands. it's very gentlemanly of him, and he's always so ever helpful, so of course you would enjoy his company, of course you would willingly spend more time with him, to the point of inviting him over for tea, because you've got to repay the man somehow for never failing to help you with things, right?
yes, it's all fine and dandy until one day, childe spots the two of your together, and it would have been fine if he hadn't seen how the ex-archon kissed your hand as he excused himself.
and the worst part?
you were giggling, seemingly embarrassed by the gesture, and yet anyone can see that you liked it.
oh.
oh, the hunt's on.
from thereon, childe treats you like a conquest: lavish gifts begin to flood your doorstep; from pieces of jewelry to exquisite chinas to bouquets of the freshest flowers. he laughs when you try to give them back, and for the first time, he tells you things like how you're worth all the mora in the whole teyvat. that he just wants to make you happy because you're important to him.
zhongli gives you a bouquet of flowers when you met him that day, and you sheepishly joke that you don't have a vase to store them in, since the ones you have are currently housing all the flowers childe has been giving you these past few days.
hm? childe is giving you flowers now?
interesting.
the relationship between zhongli and childe is... up in the air, up until that point. they weren't exactly friends, yet they were no strangers to each other. they're not hostile to each other, yet they aren't exactly the most amiable. their motives and goals differ from each other, and therefore when there are no reasons for them to mingle, they prefer to stay out of each other's way.
but now, there's you.
a tiny sprout that childe wishes to shelter and nurture all on his own. the finest gem zhongli wishes to possess and examine in detail. a fleeting butterfly that managed to mesmerize them with the elegant flutter and the intricate patterns of your wings.
beautiful.
hypnotizing.
brittle.
they simply have to compete to entice you to settle onto their palm. surely you would be happier if you were to be put in a garden they've made just for you? a space full of your favorite flowers and the only one person who would be able to appreciate your entirety to the fullest?
and if your perfect wings has to become justa little bit imperfect for you to end up in his grasp, then that's a small price to pay, doesn't it?
"as someone who's willing to give up the nation he's built for thousands of years, why don't you be the gentleman that you are and back off this time, xiansheng?""i do not think you understood my actions correctly. never have i 'given up' on liyue and its people. in fact, i believe i have never given up anything that managed to catch my eye throughout the course of my life - for you see, i pride myself of having an eye for the most exquisite crafts. whenever i recognize such brilliance, i must add them to my collection. no matter how much it costs."
