Look Me in the Eyes (and tell me that it's me) [Zhongchili]

Chapter 20 - Results Day

Life continues, tentatively.

Armed with the knowledge that Zhongli isn't trying to secretly retrieve his memories in order to screw him over, Ajax continues seeing him. Zhongli, to his credit, is no less than utterly sweet—even more so than usual. He takes Ajax out, locates books on ancient species for Teucer, donates an old dizi for Anthon, and purchases a set of silk ribbon hair ties for Tonia.

The trio loves their gifts, tearing them from their wrapping with oohs and ahhs, but Ajax doesn't let them know who they're from.

Not yet.

When they ask, he says there was a student sale at the university.

Explaining to Mother and Father that his partner of choice is a 5000-year-old adeptus from Liyue is not another fuss he can deal with right now.

The weeks leading up to Ajax's birthday pass, and although Ajax continues to train at the park, he's left itching for action; Zhongli fills almost every moment of his time, leaving him little opportunity for his midnight antics.

However, Zhongli does provide him with a different sort of action, and Ajax can't complain about that.

As he does every year, Ajax spends his birthday with his family. His siblings get him some hard candies, while Mother and Father buy him a red button up shirt, made from a thick, high quality cotton "for when he insists on wearing nothing even when it's so cold out," according to Mother.

It is, admittedly, a very nice shirt, and Ajax takes to wearing it whenever it's not being laundered.

The weekend after, Ajax takes turn celebrating with Zhongli, who sets up a tab at a local restaurant, and they eat their fill before setting off back to Zhongli's apartment. According to Zhongli, there's a surprise gift waiting for him at home, and although Ajax can't restrain himself from launching a series of rapid fire guesses at Zhongli the entire way there, by the time Zhongli is unlocking the apartment door, Ajax is no closer to figuring out what it is than he was before.

"Come." Zhongli takes his hand and leads him towards the sofa. "Please make yourself comfortable, and I shall fetch your gift."

Ajax sits, and Zhongli disappears into the bedroom before reappearing with a foot-long package, covered in shiny red paper. He presents it to Ajax, holding each end ceremonially, and Ajax takes it, placing it in his lap and peeling away the paper. From it, he slides out a wooden box, the front of which is engraved with a dragon, set among a pattern of interlocking squares.

Ajax's heart beats faster, and his hands turn clammy, trembling as they reach for the clasps.

What is this strange sense of anticipation? Why does it feel like he's opened this exact box before?

He opens it.

Upon a bed of silk sits a pair of chopsticks, upon which is engraved a design that takes Ajax a couple of seconds to make sense of. It looks like two creatures intertwined with one another, one of them similar to the dragon on the front of the box, and the other...

"The dragon and phoenix chopsticks?" Ajax looks to Zhongli, who stands in front of him expectantly. "Are these the same that you and Tartaglia...?"

"The very same."

"How did you get hold of these?"

"In truth, they have not left my possession for several centuries. They were one of the few possessions of his that I was able to...retrieve." Zhongli swallows, then places a hand atop Ajax's. "Do you recall their meaning?"

Ajax runs a finger over the pattern. Two living beings, forever intertwined, their existences etched together in the wood: the dragon, representing Zhongli, Rex Lapis, the exuvia; and the phoenix, the one reborn, risen from the ashes. Tartaglia. Ajax.