Even Gods Grow Weary

I went to work and somehow this spawned from my downtime. I'm so happy to be writing my babies again. Enjoy!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zhongli's feet dragged as he left the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. He was thoroughly exhausted but did his best to maintain his composer as he politely waved to the people who greeted him on his way home. Normally he loved to slowly walk home as he took the time to talk with people on his way, but now.... Now he was determined to get home with as little stops as possible. The sun had just started to get lower in the sky as he climbed the stairs to his home. Jamming the key in the door and using his body weight to push the door open, he sighed in both frustration and relief when he was greeted with darkness and silence.

As much as he desperately hoped that someone was home, he was also relieved that no one else would have to see him like this. He did not have the energy to engage in conversations or even move. He loved listening to people and telling them stories, but nothing sounded interesting to him right now.

He toed his shoes off and lazily kicked them together and against the wall before shrugging out of his outer jacket that seemed to weigh more than the heaviest mountain as it bared down on his shoulders. He dropped it on the back of the couch and threw his gloves down next to it. His vest followed and was draped across the back of another chair as he stalked to the kitchen. He hiked up his sleeves as he eyed the random fruits and snacks on the counter, he had no desire to eat and instead grabbed two distinct bottles off the counter.

He shouldered open the patio door and practically dropped his body down to sit. He loved this spot. It was in the perfect location to people watch while still providing privacy to anyone on the patio. He easily popped the seal on one of the wine bottles as he watched people scurry about as they got off work, went for food, or rushed to shopped. Liyue always had such a relaxing atmosphere but today it felt suffocating. The thought of having to go to work again tomorrow loomed over his head as his body and mind protested the idea violently. He wanted nothing more than to crawl away somewhere and disappear for a few days at least.

He tipped the bottle to his lips and took a few large gulps. The taste was remarkably close to that of his beloved Osmanthus wine from years past. He smiled as he thought of the fiery red head from Mondstadt that actually managed to create such a stunning replica based off Zhongli's description alone. His absence from their home burned a hole in his heart as he tried to stubbornly ignore the feeling. The rich scent of the flowers in the mix made his skin long for the touch of the man who had used his medical expertise to mix herbs and help create the wine. A gorgeous green filled his vision as his skin pricked, he wouldn't be coming home tonight either due to visiting a patient in a nearby town. Zhongli drank more of the wine to shove the feeling further down.

Zhongli let out a hum at the pleasant buzz that had started to fill his head as he downed the wine. He did his best to ignore the thoughts that continued to swirl in his head as he watched the people below him continue to buzz around. Zhongli scowled slightly as he watched them move seemingly without a thought in the world. It wasn't fair. Zhongli had retired from his position as an Archon, but still he was plagued with too many things that needed his attention. His people were doing well without their god, but things still lurked in the shadows, dark things that a mortal should go their whole life without knowing. Grand schemes filled with an almost childlike hope for the future constantly pestered him. He still wasn't sure if the plan from the queen of ice would work, but old contracts and a silver tongue had him giving up his gnosis to the cause.

He didn't regret the actions from his past, but it was days like these where he wasn't sure of the future, and it made a panic crawl beneath his skin. Was this really what was best for his people? Was this really something that could be pulled off? He had been a fighter and a strategist for so long, but even this was beyond the scope of his knowledge. He had been strong for so long. He had been responsible for so much for so long. The cracks in his armor that had been filled with a brilliant gold were starting to expand once again. Old pains and worries from the past plagued his mind as he finished the first bottle.