the common tongue of you loving me

Oneshot

inspired by my friend dan p's art, featured as the cover!

Childe knew, logically, that he ought to pay attention to the words Zhongli was speaking - a long winded, already thirty minutes long explanation on the naming conventions the Romans had and how the series they had been trying to watch (trying as the main word here, because Zhongli was going on and on and on, even though the character in question had been killed three scenes prior) was not as historically faithful as it could be. However, emotionally, he was busy observing his boyfriend, who looked positively glowing in the firelight, wearing one of the most hideous sweaters Childe had the pleasure of seeing, talking at a hundred words per minute about... The romans. Maybe. It was entering a small fast food tangent.

Again, he should pay attention. However, watching Zhongli's inflamed eyes as he discoursed about it was much more interesting that character would've been, had the producers bothered to do five minutes of research. Childe, himself, doubted the producers would've spent so much time on a character that lasted, perhaps, half that time alive, but hey, watching Zhongli excited about some minor minutiae was fun to him.

Zhongli cocked his head, then leaned in, kissing the curve of Childe's neck. Childe himself almost jumped, going back to reality instead of musing about him.

"Zhongli?" Childe asked, feeling the warmth of the other's lips against his bare skin. "Hello?"

"I supposed you were not listening, and I confirmed it." Zhongli said, his breath tickling him. Childe quite liked that. "So, what was weighing in so heavily on your mind?"

Zhongli looked up, and Childe's breath caught in his throat. He was - too lucky. He did not deserve someone as good as Zhongli. And yet - and yet, there were the two, snuggled in the couch, the television already passing to the next episode of the series.

"About you, who else?" Childe replied, in a tone that implied this was a lie. It wasn't, but Childe would rather die than speak his feelings, so it was better for him.

Zhongli let the words pass by him, as if water, and made a small trail of kisses on Childe's skin, from the curve to his neck to his mouth, kissing the little small freckles one by one until they found each other laying on the couch, Zhongli's amber eye staring at Childe's blue ones.

"You're not a very good liar, are you?" He asked, pushing a strand of Childe's red hair away.

"You're just a great reader, babe." Childe kissed him, and the two forgot completely about the historically inaccurate roman-based series.