𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐞

33 | Sol et Luna

The Sun shines
the fog blinds
together they make
a rainbow in the sky.

The Moon stares
into a lake
and wonders why,
he's a big mistake.

Why can't he be the Sun
and light up the day.
Why can't he be the one
to make the bad go away.

Why can't he be the light
that brightens everyone's day.
Instead he sits in the night
wishing the Sun would go away.

- Barry Andrew Pietrantonio

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Ever since that migraine had struck me, I hadn't felt completely like myself. I was sure everyone had noticed, but none of them had really come up and asked me if I were okay... Still, I really didn't want to ruin Lei-li's party with something that would undoubtedly prove to be minor anyway. It was a migraine, I'd had countless over my 8,032 year lifetime. It didn't mean anything.

That being said, a small part of me felt as though it wasn't minor. Gods don't fall sick so easily. We're elemental beings. Mortal illness could barely hope to harm us.

My eyes drifted down to my gloved palms, my fingers flexing as I stared. I'd move to stand under a random tree some time after the party had started. Everyone else had migrated toward the center of the party venue—even Hercules seemed to be enjoying speaking with everyone. I pursed my lips, trying and failing to get a sense of what was wrong with me. My eyes flickered to the sky before resettling on my hands and finally going back to settling on the festivities that I'd settled myself away from. Okay, so maybe it hadn't been such a bright idea to seal away my negative emotions as a hotfix.

Well, most of the thinking that had been done in my life had been done by Delta up until four thousand years ago. I rubbed a hand down my face and rubbed at my nose bridge. Lei-li's first birthday party since she'd woken up in modern Teyvat and I already felt as though I ruined it. The irony that the whole reason I'd done that hotfix to prevent myself from ruining the party hadn't escaped me.

A hand settling on my arm jolted me out of my thoughts. "I hadn't realized you were so deep in thought," Zhongli said as my eyes met his. He took his hand off of me. "I apologize for startling you. You looked as though you were troubled and I wanted to be sure you were alright."

A wry smile settled on my face. Okay was the very last thing I was and probably would ever be until that wretched island in the sky fell from the heavens. "Oh, I'm perfectly fine," I said, waving off his concern. It probably didn't sound as convincing as I'd hope if the way the other man's eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly said much. "I'm just a little lost in thought, is all. I'm just happy Lei-li's enjoying herself."

Sure, it was a bald faced lie and I knew Zhongli could see through, but, as I said, I was content to suffer if it meant Lei-li was happy. Zhongli's frown deepened, but he turned to observe Lei-li chatting with Xiao, Hercules and Ganyu. "Yes, I suppose I can agree," He paused for a moment. " You don't seem to be enjoying yourself, however." There's a knowing look in those amber eyes of his. I would've openly cringed had I been a lesser man. Even after so many millenia apart, Zhongli remained one of the few people that could see past my bullshit like no other. It was quite frankly both flattering and unnerving because I was typically not the one being psychoanalyzed.

I forced myself not to falter and gave him a half-shouldered shrug. "I am enjoying myself," I insisted. "My thoughts are just a bit scattered." As was the new norm for us, he clearly didn't believe that. The brunette let the topic drop however, not even giving me an exasperated sigh.