A/N: Take my fight then fuck.
It's the thrill of the battle that does it, supposes Zhongli─ sets Childe off and gets his blood pumping. His eyes sparkle at both the prospect of a fight and the aftermath. It doesn't matter if he wins; he's equally satisfied, either way, his veins thrumming and spellbound as his high reaches its peak.
It's nearly orgasmic, strangely, how Childe reacts. Zhongli understands. He'd felt those same stirrings thousands of years ago in a bygone age. He's quiet now and older, wiser and more subdued─ but this has always been something shared between the two of them.
They spar several times a week, much to his amusement. Zhongli is more than happy to assist, happy to give in to this request because it shows him a side of Childe that he doesn't see otherwise.
He's beautiful. There's no use in denying it. Youthful and bright, that brilliant shock of ginger hair─ but Childe is the most handsome when he's got sparring on his mind; when he's wielding his bow with practiced ease; in the way that he darts around and reacts accordingly.
Even when he loses, he wears the bruises and cuts so handsomely. Zhongli loves them.
And hates them. Reminds him that Childe is only mortal and that he's prone to pushing himself beyond his limits. Zhongli's grown more than fond of him, his heart teetering on the edge of something far more dangerous, and the last thing that he wants is for Childe to throw the last of his caution into the wind.
If Childe spars with him, Zhongli can ensure that he stays alive and relatively unscathed.
This night isn't much different. They've cleared a space in Tianqiu Valley, and it's deep into the stars with no one else around.
Childe's created a spear from Hydro and meets Zhongli in an explosion of elements. Something's amiss. Zhongli never sees him like this, so riled up. Rarely does he pull out something other than his bow or fists. Childe is aggressive in the way he pushes back, meeting every blow with one of his own.
They part and step back for a breather. Childe wipes at the sweat already forming on his brow.
Zhongli hums as he watches him. "Childe," he says quietly, "What is wrong?"
"Nothing," says Childe with a chuckle, but it's dark and pitched low, so unlike the amused tone he usually takes with their sparring.
He's the next to make a move, darting out with his spear at the ready. Zhongli avoids easily, turning on his heel to throw a pillar of Geo at him.
Childe's eyebrows raise and he lets out a whistle. "Really, Xiansheng? Pulling out the big guns?"
Zhongli grunts at that. If Childe wants to up the ante, he'll happily do so within reason. "Isn't that the point?" he asks coolly, "The entire reason as to why call me out here so frequently? I'm certainly a better fight than your comrades."
"Yeah, when you actually fight," says Childe, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "Which you never do. Come on, Xiansheng, show me what you've got."
This is dangerous, thinks Zhongli. The way that Childe's acting. He's thrown all caution into the wind. The last time Zhongli saw him like this was in the aftermath of Osial. Childe hasn't quite forgiven him for his slight, but there's too much between them to sour whatever it is.
"Childe," says Zhongli, a little tartly, and it makes Childe's face tip into an annoyed huff. "Calm down."
"You aren't my father," says Childe petulantly.
And oh, Zhongli hates the comparison, because that's the absolute last thing that he wants to be. "Father," he murmurs, irritation creeping into his tone. Zhongli is a patient man but Childe's always been one to flip his impervious nature right over.
"A fight, then," says Zhongli, "That's what you want?"
Childe lifts his head in a taunt. "Come on, you old man. Show me what you really can do."
Zhongli's eyes narrow at the slight, huffing at being called old. Fine then. Childe's asked for it.
He's the next to move, practically a blur across the field as he summons his spear and swipes at Childe's side. He'd never hurt him─ not to the point of death─ but he certainly doesn't ever get this close.
Childe barely dodges, his face shocked. Then he smiles, a fearless thing, and Zhongli knows that his blood is pumping. Gone is the Hydro at his fingertips and out comes his Delusion instead, arms crackling with electricity.
Zhongli pauses, only briefly. Childe hasn't ever done this with him, shown this side of himself.
Childe notices his hesitation. "Changing your mind?"
"The Delusion is fine," says Zhongli, "But I won't fight the Foul Legacy."
Childe snorts at that. "Are you going to make me promise?"
"A contract," proposes Zhongli, "I will fight you, and only you."
"It's part of me." Childe's voice is quiet, though. Unsure.
"Whatever it is that you picked up down there certainly isn't. You can't tell, you can't smell or feel it, but it's a power that coats you. It isn't intertwined, it isn't a part of your being." Childe looks mildly interested by that, and perhaps they can chat about it another day. Zhongli continues with, "It's a simple contract only meant to keep you alive."
Childe's expression softens ever so slightly. "You'd never─"
"Of course not. You, however, are entirely a different case. You're reckless at your best."
Childe's express cools off then. "Fine, I accept your stupid contract. We fight─ and you honestly fight me─ and I won't release it."
"Accepted." The moment Zhongli agrees, he's gone, his spear at the ready and Geo swirling at his fingertips. It's been a long time since he's done this, since he's truly put up a fight. His muscles strain slightly, unused to being put through such work.
But it's exhilarating, the thrill of it, how his blood sings at just the mere thought.
Zhongli is the Martial God, an Archon of old, bred to do this exact thing. Childe's good and he'll scratch this itch in a very satisfying way. And, in return, Zhongli will take pleasure in watching the true joy on Childe's face, the one time that he feels as though he sees who he really is.
They meet in a clash of Geo and Electro. Childe's summoned a blade instead, putting himself at a disadvantage with his weapon type. But he's quick like this, with how he steps back and forth, sliding across the ground to avoid the tip of Zhongli's polearm.
Two can play that game. His spear winks from existence and Zhongli conjures a blade of Geo instead. Childe blinks, startled by this, but then his face quickly melts into interest, excited by something new and foreign.
Childe strikes first this time, his Electro blade dancing off of Zhongli's sword with sparks. He's fast, but Zhongli is fast too, his feet sweeping easily over the uneven terrain. They meet blow after blow, pushing back at each other. Childe is contentious in his advance, taking a harsh offensive with the intent to disarm.
Zhongli is still like an unmovable stone, defensive in his posture, his strikes rising only to answer Childe's hits.
Childe grows frustrated with the stagnant bout. He stops and pulls back, rolling his shoulders. Walks the length of their chosen spot as Zhongli patiently watches. Then, he pulls off his shirt, revealing a pale and toned chest. Zhongli swallows thickly as Childe wipes at his brow with the thick fabric.
Finally, he summons his Delusion properly, throwing spikes of Electro at Zhongli without mercy.
Zhongli can't dodge the way he wants, he's so utterly distracted, so he goes with the flow of the lightning, lifting his sword and breaking it into two twin dao─ one that absorbs part of the energy, swallowing it right up, and the other which merely redirects the rest.
Childe barely dodges. "Two?" he hisses when they meet gazes again. Zhongli can't help the way that his gaze lingers at Childe's tapered waist. Hopes that Childe doesn't notice.
"You said you wanted a good fight." Zhongli motions him forward, goading him. "Now isn't the time for complaints."
"I said an honest fight."
"This blade has always been two. Perhaps if you'd gotten closer, you would've noticed."
Childe seethes, but not in anger. Instead, it's the challenge he's just been presented. He's hungry for more, to trade every blow that they can so his blood can be set alight.
Zhongli feels his blood pulsing in a different way─ down and straight to his cock. Childe looks so good like this, unabashedly himself when it comes to what he does best. That outer facade that he generally keeps just seems to melt away, leaving nothing but who he truly is.
Gorgeous, thinks Zhongli, that deep-burning lust stoking his inner fire. Just like the molten core of the world, and the sleeping volcanoes that he can still feel the thrum of.
Childe doubles his efforts to no avail. Zhongli's keeps on the defensive, still dodging every blow. He dances around Childe, sliding his blade to the side. The Electro does so little when his Geo gobbles it up like a tasty snack.
There's a grunt of frustration from Childe, but it only seems to fuel him.
And then Zhongli feels it, the pressure in the air around them changing. The Foul Legacy threatening to bring itself forth. Childe pauses, trying to regain his composure. Just barely manages to do so.
"Is it time to end this?" asks Zhongli bluntly.
Childe laughs darkly. "The fight isn't over till it's over, Xiansheng. You know that."
Right, then. Zhongli moves and Childe isn't ready. He tries to block him, but just barely misses. Maybe Childe's tired, or maybe he's distracted; Zhongli doesn't know, but he gets a hit in, his blade nicking Childe's side. He's uncaring about marring Childe's skin, what with the urge to win that's boiling in his veins.
Childe's sword dissipates and in a last-ditch effort, he throws a fist instead. Zhongli catches it, holding him firm. Childe's surprised by his strength, Zhongli can tell. Logically, the boy knows, he knows, but─
He's never been on the end of it. Usually, when they spar, Zhongli toys with him, giving him just enough to be satisfied with their bout.
Zhongli wrestles him to the ground, and Childe lets him. Zhongli settles over his waist, pinning him down, and asks, "Do you yield?"
Childe's eyes are bright with adrenaline, practically reeking it from every pore. He licks at his lips as he looks up at Zhongli, his chest heaving with every breath that he takes. His pale skin glistens with sweat. He holds stock still underneath him, pouty mouth stunned silent. Childe watches Zhongli back with a strange reverence he's never noticed before.
Odd.
"Childe," repeats Zhongli, "Do you yield?"
"Yes," says Childe, his voice hoarse and cracked with strain.
Zhongli frowns. Perhaps he's worked himself too far, or perhaps it was Zhongli who pushed him to it. He's never seen Childe like this, so flustered and pink-cheeked, even when coming down from the high of a fight. Childe shifts underneath him, causing Zhongli to do so as well.
"Wait," says Childe quite suddenly, reaching out to grab Zhongli by the waist. The touch is like fire that settles deep into his bones. Zhongli needs to pull away before he does something stupid, he needs to leave, he can't─
Zhongli shifts back and feels it. Childe's cock, painfully hard in his trousers, pressing against his ass insistently. For the first time, Childe seems fearful, his eyes locked onto Zhongli's face. Entirely unsure what to do. Embarrassed.
"Shit," he murmurs, digging the heel of his hand against his face. "Shit. Look, I can explain─"
"Childe," murmurs Zhongli, reaching out to press his hand against his sternum, "It's normal for adrenaline to rouse you. It's the nature of the fight." He's trying to reassure him the best that he can.
"Archons," curses Childe, his eyes slipping closed, "Xiansheng, it's not─ that's not what it is."
Zhongli frowns which only causes Childe to laugh, a piteous thing that's aimed more at himself. "Gods, you really have no idea, do you? The shitlord of a bard was right. You're so dense."
Childe reaches up, curls a hand into Zhongli's shirt, and pulls him down with surprising strength. Their mouths are close enough for Zhongli to feel Childe's warm breath on his lips.
"Xiansheng," he says, his voice pitching into a low murmur, "It's you. You're the one that gets me heated like this."
Then, he kisses Zhongli, gripping him tightly by the chin. In contrast, his lips are soft and warm. Zhongli moans against him, his fingers smoothing over the wide expanse of Childe's chest, digging into his skin as though it'll ground him.
His head is spinning. He can't breathe. Zhongli's heart lurches painfully because he has no idea what in the Abyss is happening.
Childe pulls away with a sigh, pressing their foreheads together. "Fuck," he breathes, "You just─ Gods, you're so beautiful when you fight. You always are, but tonight was something else entirely."
Oh. Oh.
Zhongli pulls back, leaning against his waist again. Childe's hand drops to rest against Zhongli's hip. They stare at each other, both trying to figure out what to say. Zhongli, truth be told, never expected such a development, for Childe to feel the same way.
"Childe, you…"
Childe sighs as he thumbs over the fabric at his waist. "Shit, I knew this would be awkward."
Zhongli leans back over and kisses him again, hoping that it might be enough to get the point across. It does, judging by the way that Childe immediately responds, his mouth opening to invite him right in.
Their tongues meet eagerly, Zhongli licking into his mouth. Childe's hand finds his hair, curling into the silky strands to scratch lightly at his scalp. Then, he tugs just slightly, pulling his head back. Childe's mouth leaves his to press kisses against his neck instead.
Childe groans, his tongue sliding across his pulse. "Is this okay?" he asks, his hands slipping down to grab Zhongli by the ass instead.
"Yes," says Zhongli immediately. It's been a long time since he's given into such strange, carnal desires, but it's impossible to say no when Childe is so willing below him. Childe shifts, dragging his legs up to prop Zhongli against his thighs.
And stars, Zhongli can feel him, the hard line of his cock where it tents his trousers, nestled perfectly against his backside. How Childe pulls his hips down and grinds against him, hands on Zhongli's hips as he holds him there. How his mouth traces a line across the column of his neck.
It's addicting. Zhongli wants more.
Childe inhales deeply, nosing at Zongli's collarbone before pressing his forehead to rest against his sternum. "Shit, this is the stuff of my dreams, you know. I can't tell you how many times I've imagined this."
"How many?" murmurs Zhongli, raising a hand to comb through Childe's hair, the thick locks curling around his fingers. "Was it often?"
Childe laughs against him. "You don't want to know the answer to that." Zhongli very much does. "You're also usually a lot more naked."
"Hm." Zhongli considers this before shifting against him. "Easily remedied."
"Xiansheng─" starts Childe, but his mouth snaps shut the moment Zhongli's hands find the front of his coat, undoing the buttons with ease. Zhongli watches the way that Childe just looks, the way that his throat bobs as he swallows.
How Childe's hands tighten their grip on his hips. "You don't have to indulge me," he says so softly that Zhongli nearly doesn't hear.
Zhongli shrugs off his coat and tosses it to the side. Leans back over Childe, the loose strands of his hair framing his face. Childe swallows again and Zhongli can hear the way that his pulse pounds in his neck, how his heart is hammering in his chest. Zhongli catches his chin in a gloved hand and says, "I'm the one who's indulging."
Because he has been from the start. Every fight they've ever had was a shameless, self-interested bid to see Childe in those rare moments because Zhongli likes the way that it sets his heart blazing. His thumb swipes across Childe's lip as he considers him, but it's Childe who closes the distance once more.
This time the kiss is savage, not unlike their spar earlier. More teeth than tongue, Childe nipping at the corner of his mouth. Zhongli moans against him and Childe eats it right up and swallows it down. Zhongli loves the way that he responds so eagerly, how Childe makes his need so utterly evident.
"Gods," Childe whispers against him, "I want─ I need─" But he can't finish his words, diving right back to devour Zhongli all over again.
And Zhongli needs him too, needs this, whatever this is. He'll take what he can get, be it a quick fuck, or feverish hands, or wining-and-dining forever and then some.
He hopes it's the latter.
Zhongli shifts and leans back, grinding down against Childe's cock. Loves the way that it sits heavy and fat against his backside. His hands sweep across Childe's chest, fingers darting across his nipples and down his abs before settling in the down hair just under his navel.
Then, he grabs Childe's hand and pulls it against his trousers.
"Fuck." Childe's face is flushed with wonder as he squeezes at Zhongli's cock.
It's been a long time and Zhongli's nearly forgotten how good something so simple can feel, even just a hand groping at him over thin fabric.
"I want to feel you," says Childe, "All of you. Every last inch. Please, Zhongli."
That's what does it, the soft utterance of his proper name instead of some stupid, teasing title. "Yes," hisses Zhongli, his head falling back as Childe's hand tugs at the waistband of his trousers.
It takes more effort than either of them likes to get them off. Childe fiddles at the fastenings with shaking hands to the point where Zhongli has to take them gently to calm him down. He presses a kiss to the knuckles of each before kicking off the rest of his clothing.
"Kinky," says Childe when Zhongli straddles him once more, leaning against him. "We're desecrating the ruins, huh?"
"As far as I'm concerned, this place belongs to me, just as the entirety of Liyue does." Childe gives him a strange look then, something unreadable. "Childe?"
"Sometimes I forget," he says, "Exactly who you are."
Zhongli sighs and says, "Pay it no mind."
"Hard not to when I'm about to fuck a god." Childe says it cockily and with humor, but his smile doesn't quite reach his eyes. Zhongli's face dips back down for another kiss, this one tender.
Then he grinds his cock against Childe's abs, shivering at the skin-to-skin touch and how he drags precome along the honed muscles.
"Oh," breathes Childe, his head falling back against the grass, as Zhongli guides his hand to cock. Childe wraps his long and calloused fingers around him─ finally─ and it's everything he's dreamed of.
Zhongli hisses, his head tipping forward to rest in the juncture of Childe's neck, and he can't help the way that he tries to press into Childe's hand. Childe gets the picture, tightening his grip, his fingers sliding across his length to create delicious friction.
"Childe," says Zhongli, kissing at his shoulder.
"Fuck, everything about you is beautiful," says Childe into his ear. "Having you over me like this, the sounds that you're making. Even your dick is gorgeous with how it fits in my hand." The tight grip glows slick with the help of Hydro, and Zhongli keens as he ruts into Childe's fist.
Childe's other hand grabs at his ass, fingers digging into the muscle. "Softer than I thought," murmurs Childe against his temple. "All the time I've wasted just staring and I could've just asked you."
Zhongli moans, the words sinking straight to his dick. Childe's grip is tight but slow, tugging at him just enough to stay his orgasm, to keep him from tipping over the edge. The pleasure is hot, boiling in his belly, and Zhongli sobs a pathetic little cry.
"Childe, please, I want to─"
"Shh, not yet," says Childe, pulling at his asscheek, "Just a little bit longer." A finger dips into Zhongli's crack, resting against his hole. Childe slicks that hand up too, and for a moment, Zhongli actually considers thanking Celestia for blessing him with something so useful.
Childe presses against him a little more firmly, the pad of his finger circling his rim, massaging it gently. Zhongli doesn't want gentle, he wants to feel it for days and never forget. He's perfectly hardy, built to withstand even the worst of pain.
"Childe, you don't need to be so careful."
"I'll do this how I please," says Childe, taking his sweet, stubborn time.
"Childe."
"Impatient," he tuts, "Who would've thought? No, I want to take my time and truly enjoy this. I want you to fall apart on nothing but my fingers."
Oh, oh, Zhongli wants to do that too. He wants to feel them as he's spread apart, wants to fuck back against them. Wants to watch Childe's face as he enjoys Zhongli coming entirely undone.
Childe doesn't make him wait much longer, pressing his finger right in, straight to the last knuckle.
"Fuck," cries Zhongli, and Childe's hand stills. "No, don't─"
"I've never heard you curse," says Childe in awe, "Shit, Zhongli, I've─"
Zhongli presses back against his hand, trying to drive Childe's finger as deep as it'll go, trying to feed his addiction for that delicious stretch. Childe eagerly gives in to his wishes, his finger slipping in and out.
"Ah," breathes Zhongli, when Childe adds a second finger, adding more slick to ease the way.
"Perfect," says Childe, "The way that you respond." He presses a kiss to Zhongli's ear, to his jaw, to the underside of his chin. His tongue gives him little kitten licks, tasting the salt there. Childe's other hand is still holding his cock, jerking it slowly, with the intent to just keep him hard.
What a long-suffering thing. Zhongli leans on his elbows, supporting himself over Childe, his hands tugging at the coarse, ginger hair. He fucks back against Childe's fingers, ruts into his hand, does just about anything he can to put an end to the sweet, low-hanging torture.
Childe finally takes pity on him, twisting the fingers in his ass just ever so slightly. Spreading them wide as they press back in, searching around for that blessed bundle of nerves.
And then he finds it. Childe smirks against his skin and Zhongli goes taut against him. Every touch to his prostate sends lighting through his nerves, and Zhongli begs for more. Childe obliges, fucking him on his fingers, pulling at his rim in the most delicious way.
The pleasure coils in his belly, tightening and tightening. One hand giving Zhongli hard, punctuated thrusts that send shocks straight through his core; the other palming at his cock with fervent intent.
All the while, Childe murmurs soft and sinful words into his ear, the kinds of things that would make Zhongli die of embarrassment─ so tight for me; what beautiful sounds you're making; fuck, how I've dreamed of this.
The praise hits home and Zhongli comes quickly, his orgasm sneaking up and laying him to waste. His vision blurs as he cries out, his fingers tightening in Childe's hair. Childe talks him through it, his voice is a soft morning as his lips graze against Zhongli's brow. He lets go of Zhongli's cock, but leaves his fingers inside him, an incessant and grinding tease.
Zhongli whines into his neck, oversensitive. Loves the feeling of tipping over the edge but hates how he's lost himself to it. Hates how it isn't enough. Zhongli finally finds himself again, fingers scrambling against Childe, palms smoothing over the pale, taut skin of his stomach.
"Xiansheng─"
Zhongli hates the title right now, would much rather Childe call out his name instead, the same way that he tattooed it into his skin just moments ago while fucking him on his fingers. Zhongli's the sentimental type and wants to hold Childe close; but more than anything, he wants to see him come apart too.
He groans at the loss of Childe's fingers once he moves, raising his hips and turning around. He unbuckles Childe's trousers with surprising deftness, despite his shaking hands, and the nearly overcoming distraction.
Fuck, he's too old for this, too ancient to be this rattled. There have been plenty of others over the years, furious fucks to let out pent-up frustration, but Zhongli has never felt the visceral need he does when he looks at Childe.
It has nothing to do with the adrenaline of the fight, or how beautiful he is when he's in his element; it's something far more that's carved itself deep into Zhongli's stony, stubborn heart.
Zhongli pushes Childe's trousers and smalls down just far enough to free his cock. He marvels at its form and the way that it fits so well in his hand. Heavy and hard, already leaking at the tip. Zhongli hums before he leans over to lap at it.
"Oh─ Oh gods."
Zhongli hums around his dick, tonguing along the underside as he pumps the rest with his hand. Childe jerks, nearly kneeing him in the face, and Zhongli catches his leg with his free hand, holding it tight.
"Xiansheng─"
Zhongli bites at him─ not hard, but with enough teeth to get his point across. Childe yelps in surprise, his hands finding purchase against Zhongli's ass. It's what he gets for bedding down a dragon. They like to play with their teeth, always a little too close for comfort but never enough to harm.
Childe's distracting himself, Zhongli can tell. The sound of his breathy moans and the way that his chest hitches. How Childe pulls his asscheek to the side, looking at his earlier work. Anything to keep his mind off how his cock is being sucked into oblivion. Zhongli moans around him when he fingers his loosened rim, just barely slipping them back inside.
"I'm going to die," he moans, such a depraved sound, "This is heaven. Wait, wait, no this is hell, because there's no way that I've ascended to Celestia."
Zhongli indulges for a little bit longer, his lips sealed tight around Childe's dick, sucking. His hand cradling his balls, rolling them gently. One hand still on his knee, holding it down to keep his legs splayed.
Childe's thigh suddenly tenses and Zhongli immediately pulls off, clamping his hand around the base of Childe's cock. Childe whimpers pitifully, his orgasm stayed.
"I only dole out what I've received," says Zhongli with mirth, admiring how Childe's cock looks as it's squeezed tight between his fingers. An eye for an eye, he thinks. Childe had edged him so cruelly.
"Please," begs Childe, squirming underneath him.
Zhongli leans over once more, pressing a kiss to the crown of Childe's dick. Licks along his length, nipping at the skin. Nuzzles where the base of his cock meets his groin, inhaling the musky scent. Then, he bites down, working his teeth against Childe's skin to leave a mark.
The sound that spills from Childe's mouth is filthy and Zhongli loves it. Wants to soak it right up. Loves that he's staked his claim, soothing over the sore skin with his thumb before pressing a kiss there too.
Then Zhongli rights himself and settles overtop Childe once more. Looks down at him, dragging his fingers across the length of his pale skin. Traces the dustings of freckles and network of scars. His fingers pause over a particularly nasty one, just under where he swiped his own nick earlier.
"And you say that I'm beautiful," says Zhongli quietly.
Childe bites at his lip as he watches him back. "I could watch you forever," he blurts, "I already do. When we're out eating, or you have your head in a book. How you watch the ships roll into the harbor." He pauses, licking at his mouth. "That look you get when we spar."
That intrigues Zhongli. "And what look is that?"
"The one where you watch me back like I'm the only thing in the world."
Zhongli's heart dips and his cheeks warm, unaccustomed to such romantic sentiments. Childe seems to mean them, though─ truly and deeply. That foreign feeling that's been stubbornly persistent flutters in Zhongli's core.
He thought he'd been better at hiding it. Perhaps not.
Childe reaches up and pulls the tie from Zhongli's hair. Zhongli leans over, the loose strands cascading in a curtain around their faces. It doesn't matter anymore, where they are; the old ruins of Tianqiu Valley are all but gone and they're the only ones left in their little world.
"How long?" asks Childe softly, mirroring what Zhongli did earlier, tracing his chest and abs with his hand, fingering at old scars.
"Long enough," says Zhongli. As close to the truth he can get because he doesn't know exactly when. Only that one day he looked at Childe and thought mine, instead. Dangerous thoughts for a dragon to have because they certainly aren't ones to share.
Caused him to entirely redraft his standing contract with the Tsaritsa before Childe set his own plan into full motion.
"Childe," he says as he leans back, bracing himself with a hand on Childe's stomach. He reaches behind himself to grasp at Childe's cock. It hasn't flagged one bit, still as hard and aching as ever.
Childe waves his hand and there's slick, cold Hydro that pools in Zhongli's palm. Zhongli watches his throat bob as he watches, eyes shifting from Zhongli's face and to where he holds his cock. Down and back again, over and over.
The stretch of his cock is an exquisite, finite sort of sharp pleasure and pain. Zhongli grunts, slipping down his length a little too fast, a little too eager. Childe's grip on his hips is tight enough to bruise, and he lets out a strangled, half-choked moan.
"Fuck," manages Childe finally, his voice raspy. His eyes slip closed and he struggles to breathe. "Fuck, fuck─"
Zhongli moans when he bottoms out, and when he starts to move, Childe begs. "Wait, wait." He does, his legs tense and still around Childe's hips. He leans forward instead to press their foreheads together.
"Sorry, I'm just─ I'm trying not to bust on the spot, so just give me a moment."
Zhongli's face dips down and he chuckles against his ear. Presses a kiss there before tugging at it with his teeth.
Childe huffs. "Not helping."
"Hm," hums Zhongli pulling himself up and sits back, taking him full to the hilt. The glide is smooth and easy, as he lifts his hips and rides Childe like it's the last thing he might ever do.
Childe's moan is worth it, the way that his breathing is punched and his eyes are screwed shut. He bucks against Zhongli, rutting up into his heat, his cock carving into him with the most delicious friction.
Zhongli is masterful at holding himself back, but his composure starts to slip. The nails on his hand lengthen ever so slightly and sharpen into points. Tendrils of Geo curl around the edges of his being. He drags his fingers down Childe's front, scratching through the coarse hair at his groin.
"Zhongli," says Childe, his voice hitched and strained. His legs shift, feet flattening against the ground, using his thighs to get better leverage.
Childe thrusts into him with long and slow strokes that have weight behind them. And Zhongli wants more, he'll always want more, but this is so delectably perfect. Childe's cock is heavy and hard inside him.
"Deep," murmurs Zhongli, "So─ so deep." He moves, leaning back against Childe's thighs, changing the angle and─
"Oh─ Zhongli─ Fuck─"
Zhongli's so full. Childe's cock is perfect; hefty and long, hitting all the right spots. With Zhongli like this, leaning back on his knees and bracing himself against Childe's thighs, he pounds directly into his prostate.
His own cock stirs back to life, twitching as he moans. Childe's thrusts speed up, watching Zhongli through narrowly slit eyes and a flushed face. Utterly debauched, his cheeks ruddy and the veins in his neck bulging.
Childe moves. Pulls out of Zhongli and flips him over. Presses his front into the ground, his face buried into the grass. Zhongli doesn't care, he doesn't care, he keens in response, begging to be filled again.
Which Childe does. Spreads his hole wide with his thumbs and slides right back in. "Gods!" Zhongli hisses, the pleasure overcoming as he raises his hips and tries to fuck back against him. His cock is fully hard again, straining and leaking, red at the tip. He moans as Childe smooths his calloused hands across his backside.
Then Childe spreads his asscheeks to watch as his cock does its worst. "Fuck, you look─ Zhongli, I─"
"Childe," murmurs Zhongli, "Chi─ there─" He sobs Childe's name, begging as he curls in on himself. Childe keeps the angle and fucks into his prostate over and over.
The pleasure mounts and his vision blurs. Zhongli feels the dragon rise up inside him, a long-forgotten remnant of the past. It's hard to dampen it when he's like this; lost to supreme debauchery and so close to being undone.
He digs his claws into the earth, pulling at the dirt, trying to ground himself.
Zhongli doesn't want to though; he wants to feel Childe forever as he fills his ass. Wants to relish and bask in his attention as he furiously ruts into him. The murmurs of his name, the curses near his ear─ it's all so addicting.
Childe leans over, plastering himself across his back. Fucking into him like a man starved. It's hot and sweaty. Childe's trousers are still hung low around his knees. They look ridiculous.
Neither of them cares.
"It feels sacrilegious," says Childe into the nape of his neck, peppering kisses along the knobs of his spine. "Seeing you like this, on your knees, allowing me to─ Hng, Gods you feel amazing." Childe groans, his forehead pressed into the base of his skull. Sings his devotion into Zhongli's skin in a debauched prayer as a hand slips around Zhongli's front.
Childe's hand is scalding against his cock and Zhongli nearly yowls. Instead, he just claws and claws at the earth, trying to take Childe's cock like the god he is. He has utter control of the ground. He's unmovable like the stone the Liyue's settled into.
But then he thinks Childe's slick hand against him and the way it curls around the head of his cock. How perfectly he fills him up and stretches him out.
How complete Zhongli feels, right at this moment, something he hasn't felt in a very, very long time.
Zhongli comes all over Childe's hand, white-hot pleasure snapping, and the world with it. There's a quake across the ground as the earth rends under his palm, branching away from them until it cracks a nearby plateau in two.
Childe doesn't stop to ponder, only curses at the sight. His rhythm loses its cadence, his legs tense against Zhongli as they slap into his ass.
"More," moans Zhongli, drunk on the hazy aftermath of his orgasm, oversensitive and his emotions raw. Tears prick at the corners of his eyes, and he can feel the earth shift underneath his fingers. "More, more, more─"
Childe comes with a loud cry, yelling out as he presses his cock as deep as it can go. He grinds against Zhongli, collapsing onto his back, groaning into his hair as he whispers praise after praise after praise into his skin.
They stay like that for a long time; Zhongli pressed into the ground under Childe's hefty weight.
Finally, when Childe somewhat regains his senses, he asks, "Did I fuck you so well that you caused an earthquake?"
"A tremor," says Zhongli, rather testily, "Hardly worth considering."
They both turn their heads to see the rent ground, their eyes trailing the crack until where it ends. "Right," says Childe, "A tremor."
Childe pulls out of him gingerly with a soft little hiss and Zhongli cries out at the loss. He looks at his handwork and how his come slips out of Zhongli. Zhongli can't find it within himself to care much, his limbs like jelly and his brain entirely fogged. Childe presses his thumb back into his loose hole gently, soothing at his sore rim with the cool touch of Hydro.
Zhongli sighs gratefully, sinking into the aftercare, wholly satiated. Childe finishes cleaning them up with his soiled shirt and pulls his trousers back on. Doesn't bother to buckle them up properly, just sits against an outcropping of rock.
Then, he pulls Zhongli's face into his lap, his fingers curling into his tangled hair. "So," starts Childe, "Not that I'm complaining, but that was unexpected.
Zhongli's too tired to even grunt properly, so it comes out as a halfhearted little sound. "Your fault," he says softly. "You're the one who insisted on a good fight."
"And you were perfect," says Childe, scratching at Zhongli's scalp. "Everything that I dreamed of."
"Dreamed of," repeats Zhongli, clarity coming back to him. He shifts to look up at Childe's face. "I still can't… you dream of me?"
Childe gives him a pained sort of half-smile. "I can't believe you didn't know. I'm not exactly subtle about it."
Then remembers something else. The shitlord bard was right, he'd said earlier.
"Venti─"
Childe pinches the bridge of his nose. "Please, I'd rather not relive that conversation."
"What conversation?"
"The one where he told me to just, and I quote, 'Get on with it and fucking rail you'. Gods, I swear it's the most awkward thing I've ever had to listen to."
Zhongli doesn't even know where to begin to unpack such a thing. He thought he'd been subtle enough, and he certainly hadn't noticed Childe's attentions. Was he truly so unused to affection that he can't see it so plainly?
He swallows thickly. "I didn't think that you─ I thought that I was the only..." Zhongli pauses, his brow furrowing. None of this makes sense. "You call me old man, or Xiansheng─"
"Terms of endearment." That does, admittedly, sound like Childe. Ever teasing with his words and names and games.
"You ignored the chopsticks."
Childe's brow furrows at that. "The ones you gave me? I use them at home─"
"You what?" Zhongli doesn't mean to spit it out so rudely, and Childe jerks slightly in response, confused. Zhongli massages his temple. "No, no, that isn't your─ I should have realized that perhaps you wouldn't know the custom. It's a rather formal proposal."
"A proposal for what?" asks Childe with a small chuckle.
"Just that," says Zhongli, looking at him seriously.
Childe stops laughing as the meaning of what he says sinks in. Zhongli watches dozens of emotions flit across his face before Childe's mouth parts slightly into a little 'o', and he clears his throat awkwardly.
"I see."
"You were so angry at me," says Zhongli quietly, "After I gave up my Gnosis. I wasn't sure you would ever speak to me again. When you reappeared for lunch as though nothing changed, I was surprised but pleased. I don't want to lose you."
"I was angry, but only because I thought we were past that level of trust, you know."
"Childe, you were going to steal my Gnosis."
"I wouldn't have. I─ by then, I was already in too deep. My loyalties shifted somewhere along the way."
Oh. Zhongli's mind reels with this information. That long? Childe's been harboring feelings and dreaming of him for the better part of a year?
"Hey, stop thinking so hard," says Childe, flicking his forehead, "You might start another earthquake."
"I don't start earthquakes." Zhongli's voice is quiet and a little petulant, and they both wind up chuckling because it's a flat-out lie.
And then they fall quiet, enjoying the soft moment. Zhongli's eyes slip closed and Childe pays with his hair, his nails scratching across his scalp. He doesn't know how much time passes before Childe stirs him again.
They dress─ for the most part. Childe's shirt is beyond wearing, so he just winks at Zhongli when he catches him staring at his bare chest. The moment that Zhongli's coat is buttoned back to the top and he's about to pull on his gloves, Childe reaches out and grabs his wrist.
"Hey," he says, "I…" But whatever he's thinking, he doesn't find the words. Instead, he drops his hand and dips in for another kiss, this one slow and lingering.
Zhongli responds, pulling Childe flush with him, wrapping an arm around his waist. Relishing in the way that they fit together so well, how Childe licks into his mouth and cradles his face so gently. Zhongli can still feel the dangerous strength that swims just under his touch.
It sends shivers down his spine and pricks at his neck. In a good way.
"Stay with me tonight," asks Childe. Zhongli doesn't know what he was going to say before, but he knows it wasn't this. "No funny business. I just want to sleep next to you. Maybe I'll get a good night's sleep for once."
"What if I want funny business?" asks Zhongli, the slow-churning of his gut already simmering at the thought. It's as if he's young again, a teenager who's just learned how to palm himself.
Childe blinks and then he says, "I'm also okay with not sleeping."
Utterly shameless, thinks Zhongli, as though he's any different. He isn't. Still, it warms him that Childe wants to do something so domestic.
Zhongli has lived so long in solitude and loneliness that he didn't know what to do when Childe came crashing into his life. It won't be easy, this path they've chosen to walk. But, Zhongli's a good judge of his instincts when he pays attention to them. The way that his heart clenches and yearns for more can't be ignored. It shouldn't be.
So he won't.
Childe watches him with quiet and subtle amusement, and that half-smile that usually doesn't reach his eyes. Tonight it does.
When Zhongli holds his hand out, he takes it.
