5 Months before the Rite of Descension
Many people said that age lead to wisdom. Most of the times, they were right.
Morax was never known to be affective. On the many texts written by historians and researchers alike there was no mention of any past lovers. Sure, there were many works of fiction that liked to pretend he visited women or men in different human forms, but he didn't pay those books any mind.
He certainly didn't read any book like that–not of him at least. It was preposterous, of course, but not threatening in any way, so he let it slide.
He couldn't debunk these rumors in good conscience.
After all, he had been in love once.
He… didn't like remembering the outcome. Not when, for all intent and purposes, it was his fault his beloved had perished.
So that was why, when he realized a simple truth, he stumbled, startling a few merchants and guards at the sight.
Hu Tao, childish, earnest, weird Hu Tao, was infatuated… with him.
It wasn't hard to spot the signals. Block-headed, he was once called. Not dense, never dense. In his almost six-thousand years, he learned how to recognize the tribulations of his people.
The stolen looks, the slightest of blushes, the ponderation in lieu of mountains of paperwork.
The guilt.
He knew the feeling; he had lived it once. Sure, under different circumstances… but lived it he did. That day when he stood in front of her defeated form… at least it wasn't a defeat borne from the throes of that war, if he had been the one to kill her, he wouldn't have been able to live with it.
Guizhong, prideful yet elegant, her confidence and pride had been her downfall.
He wasn't called the Prime Adepti for nothing, he had won her proposed duel, bested her without getting a single speck of dust on his robes.
The human form mortals knew as Zhongli hadn't even been formed yet, his Gnosis not quite missing but yet to be earned.
During the War, he was thankful it hadn't happened there.
To his future chagrin, he was the more prideful of the two, his emotions not quite tempered by five-thousand years of grief, victories and losses.
He was boastful, almost derogative of her and the destruction of their improvised arena.
Guizhong, defeated and humiliated, was stripped of her main source of power, forced into his army by none other than Morax himself. He wanted to go back and erase his existence for even considering such act.
Guizhong, humbled by years of comradery with the humans she was charged to lead.
Guizhong, gentle and understanding of the pain of his people, thousands of years before he himself even learned to do it.
Guizhong, making him understand his mistakes and taking an honest apology from a God that could probably kill her with the flick of a wrist.
Guizhong, teaching him the greatest power in the Universe.
Guizhong, loving him with unparalleled tenderness, breaking the stoic mask of a God who had killed far too many innocents, heroes and villains.
Guizhong, broken by the hand of a God he never knew. There was nothing left of said God after Morax ended him.
Guizhong, tender even during her dying moments.
Guizhong could have survived the War far away from him.
It's all your fau-
"Mr. Zhongli?"
Right, he was still in the middle of the street, the power of Geo barely contained within his Gnosis.
"My apologies, Miss Xingxi, I seem to have remembered that I had to do something."
Not even waiting for a reply, the God of Contracts turned and made his way towards his home.
He wondered why Hu Tao looked at him guiltily… Was it simple embarrassment perhaps? Maybe guilt born from lust? The thought made no sense to him.
For all his knowledge of Liyue and its people, he never bothered learning about their romantic feelings. It felt intruding.
He guessed one never knew something would be useful until one needed it.
He reached his home in the mountains well after sunset. He was not in need of sleep, Archons–beside the drunken bard, didn't require it to properly function. He could only meditate his findings, trying to find an answer to what should be his next course of action.
Reject Hu Tao on principle? What would happen to his plans to abandon Godhood? To let Liyue prosper on its own–let his children prosper on their own?
Accept Hu Tao's feelings? Could he open up again like that to another? Did he want to? Did he really want to bitterly remember another lover when her time on this world was over?
He was startled to admit he didn't know, he was confused, after so many years, he was back to that time when he realized his feelings for her.
The earth trembled alongside him, for in this private moment, away from any expectant and reverent eyes…
He felt afraid.
-.-
1 Month before the Rite of Descension
He… was probably a coward.
He had carefully pretended ignorance about Hu Tao's feelings, he had purposefully avoided thinking about how guilty he felt about it.
How bitter he felt when he saw Hu Tao's dropped shoulders.
But he was still responsible of Liyue's people, for the moment, at least.
He stared at the elegant letter an Adepti had brought to him.
Vortex Vanquisher was summoned from its ornate place in the wall. It was time.
-.-
The Exuvia was faster than any being on Teyvat, thousands of years of experience helped him avoid any inclemency from the winds or the weather, not that it truly was needed, the winds always helped him.
Zapolyarny Palace was an imposing structure made of Ancient Rime, impervious to any attack from outside forces save from those who knew its weaknesses, it was probably the best defended castle in all of Teyvat.
The rows of Fatui guards and soldiers lining up behind their Archon were another reason why the Palace would probably never fall.
He was at a technical disadvantage, for he had come alone, he had to. None of his Adepti would like what he was about to do.
Landing in front of the Tsaritsa without even making a sound, Rex Lapis stood prideful and strong. No need to give himself up to the Fatui before he was even out of the job.
"Morax, you arrived." The small woman in front of him bowed in respect, this was not a reunion between enemies, after all.
"Your letter asked me to come in full haste." He replied, coiling slightly to allow his head to bow too.
"I did. Please, come with me, welcome to Zapolyarny Palace." The Tsaritsa bowed again and turned around to guide him inside.
He didn't need to say any word, only follow his fellow Archon.
He stepped through the massive front doors, not a single soldier followed them, the Cryo Archon made a gesture with her hand and the doors closed.
He transformed into his robed figure, receiving only a nod from the other Archon, it was an interesting reaction, considering she had never seen him like that.
It was a silent walk towards the castle's Council room. A massive map of all of Teyvat and its neighboring continents dominating its center. He raised an eyebrow at the fleets clearly shown exploring those abandoned continents, the wall filled with more maps of the many domains of the Abyss and its Spiral. He stopped to look at them with narrowed eyes.
"What is your business with the Abyss?"
The Cryo Archon stopped in her tracks, turning around to look at him with curiosity and mild surprise.
"Why, they are our allies, of course."
He stood there in deep thought.
"I assume they have something to do with your interest in my Gnosis?"
The Tsaritsa nodded.
"You want me to hand it to you, right?"
"Of course I know it sounds like heresy, but believe me when I tell you that I have a good reason and a bargain to be engraved in contract."
"Why exactly do you want my Gnosis?"
"I plan to obtain every Gnosis," he frowned, "I already have another, in fact, I think you'd recognize-"
Both wind and ice barely stopped the Geo-infused spear from piercing the woman's heart.
"What have you done to Barbatos?" he snarled, eyes shining with pure power.
"He's still in Mondstadt!" grunted the Cryo Archon.
The onslaught on her barriers immediately stopped.
"Are you quite done?" grabbing both of her arms, the Tsaritsa looked at him with a pained expression. "By Celestia nobody told me of your impulsiveness-"
"My… My apologies, I-"
"Save your explanations, I already know about your confusion."
He stood still for a second. "Confusion?"
The Archon's smile was enormous, extending her healed hands, she shone with power. "About your feelings for that mortal… Did you forget that I am the Goddess of Love?"
"… What?" He asked, completely thrown off by the sudden change in the Tsaritsa's mood.
"We'll sign the contract regarding the Gnosis after we talk about this girl, you seem to need it."
…
"What?"
The Archon's laughter could be heard across the Palace.
-.-
A/N: This wasn't meant to be more than a one-shot, it was supposed to be simple Hu Tao x Zhongli fluff…
Now it has become a place for me to practice and to just write about this peculiar ship I have been interested in for a while.
I will come back as many times as possible to write in this small piece of Universe I made, regardless if I finish the main story in time.
So, yeah, a better writer might have written those missing months of Hu Tao and Zhongli being mutually requited block-heads in a multichaptered fic… unfortunately, I lack the confidence and experience to do it.
I might do it in the long run, I might even decide to rewrite or make a new Hu Tao x Zhongli fic.
I hope so, at least.
This is my attempt at understanding Zhongli while doing fluff and trying to practice world-building, hope you like it : )
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-THoTD, He who ships everything.