zhongli x childe short stories

I have the biggest crush on my husband (he married me!!! how awesome is that!!!)

supposed to be a cute fluffy story about Childe reflecting on happy memories with his husband. He also goes to war briefly. Brief descriptions of war related horror and death. 

Childe still can't believe that he's married to Zhongli, even after seven years together.

It's been seven wonderful years struggling to pick an outfit and messing with his hair so he'd look just right when they went out. Seven euphoric years of hearing his phone buzz and hoping it's Zhongli.

The truth is, Childe has the biggest crush on Zhongli. And well, he loves him, of course. He's his husband (isn't that wonderful?). But there's a difference between having a crush on someone and loving them. And Childe has a crush.

Seven years they've been together, and Childe still finds himself staring at that devastatingly handsome face, thinking he's just the most handsome guy. And sometimes, when he turns to look at him to see Zhongli already staring, Childe still gets butterflies and feels himself blush.

He still gets giddy and nervous around him. Not in a bad way, of course. But giddy in an oh boy, I just can't wait to see him kind of way; in an I just want him to lean in and kiss me kind of way. Zhongli always gets the message.

Childe just can't fathom that out of all people, he got to marry this perfect man.

It started with a business trip. He was abroad in Liyue to broker some business deals for the Northland Bank. Boring business, but Zhongli made it interesting. As long as his spiels were, his eloquent delivery made even the most mundane of topics burst with life.

Childe had no idea how he did it. He'd spent one too many meetings listening to senile old men drone on and on about the economy, stocks, and other boring old things that Childe couldn't care less about. But the way Zhongli's eyes lit up as he explained the rise and fall of something as trivial as the osmanthus wine market in intricate detail captivated Childe. He couldn't help but be drawn towards him.

This is exactly why Childe requested that Zhongli join him for dinner: to hear more. It would certainly be beneficial that he be well versed in Liyue's culture, and who better to ask than this polymath who seemed to know everything there was know about the whole world? It was only a bonus that the man's eyes shone like sunlight, gold, and everything beautiful in the world.

That dinner spiraled into daily meetings. Once strictly meals, their activities soon evolved into strolls through the city, opera visits, and shopping trips.

They gravitated towards each other, drunk on the company of the other; genuine smiles without a hint of forced professionalism hung on their lips as touches blossomed with warmth and gazes lingered a second too long. Once a cordial distance apart, they now bumped hips and hands as they traversed the city side by side.

It wasn't just his words, everything about the man was captivating. His eyes shone as he spoke of a particular topic of interest. That sheepish smile of his when he realized he forgot, yet again, to bring his wallet. It was funny. The man remembered the soil composition of Mt. Tianheng but did not bring his wallet while wandering around the land of commerce. Childe adores him.

Zhongli filled each day in Liyue with laughter and ecstasy, and Childe had never felt freer in his entire life.

It was seven months spent in heaven as Zhongli and Childe strolled happily through it all. Childe felt stronger for Zhongli than he had for anyone in his life. Seeing him became part of his nature, like coming home, even on the other side of the world.

Zhongli listened, Zhongli stayed, and Zhongli stood on the other side of the gate as the time came for Childe to return to Snezhnaya.

Childe's job had brought him to many new places. He'd never stayed long and the only impressions left on him were the varying qualities of meeting rooms he visited all while wishing he were home.