Eight kisses between Zhongli and the Traveler. Tried to keep everything neutral to the best of my ability.


Their first kiss was certain, affection asserted in action rather than word. After all, he tried to convey it in a multitude of ways, verbal and otherwise, but they were too oblivious, too used to kindness to consider it anything else. Fingers curled under their jaw, lifted their head, and he said, "If you permit me, might I demonstrate what my meaning?"

Nothing was ever the same. In the midst of the chaos unraveling in Liyue, a God found companionship and a Traveler found an anchor.


Although the people of Teyvat had been mostly kind and welcoming, the world itself was harsh and filled with peril. Without their sibling, everything felt a little less certain and a bit more terrifying. For a moment, every morning, that vanished.

Morning kisses were the softest, the gentlest. So much conveyed in a single gesture. Warmth. They thought of floating dust motes in the sunlight on a lazy morning and the comfort of exploring a new world, learning everything there was to offer as one picked through a buffet of delicacies.

They tried not to think about how long this would last.


He overworked himself to serve the people, even now.

They would find him, especially in moments of a spreading illness or a skirmish, working until the oil in the lamp was low and the servants began to whisper about the amount of tea consumption. Again .

As much as he didn't need sleep, truly, his body did.

They touched his shoulder, the other hand reaching for the pen and setting it down, careful of any ink splashes. He relented, melting into their touch when they reached for his face, their thumb finding dampness near the signs of dark circles.

A quick glance at the obituary told them the dampness was recent and without another word, ushered him to bed.

Too much death was a toll on the average mortal but a being of divinity, who looked out for the land for millenia?

Even he wasn't numb to it all.


His enthusiasm was infectious and it seeped into everything like a strong tea, rich-bodied and nuanced.

All consuming, raw, and experienced. His passion was not dissimilar to that of the incoming tide, lapping at the shore until it rose higher than before, pulling away only to return with twice the intensity.

He was selfless, his passion driving him to serve and remind them of just who was capable of giving them such sensation, such emotion.

As if they could ever forget.


He was ruthless when the mood struck him, the persona of a humble gentleman falling away much like the coat he sheds upon entering the room one night. He used his teeth to remove the leather from his hands, something darker than mischief glinting in his amber eyes as they caught the light.

No, as they glowed.

It was easy to forget, at times, that he was an Archon. But it was impossible to forget the thrum of their pulse at the realization, the thrill of what was to come.

His lips crushed theirs, an avalanche of not only need, but a desire for control . His tongue was as quick, as merciless as his polearm in battle, unrelenting until his opponent could no longer breathe.

When it was over, he was attentive and careful, tending their every need. After all, they tended to his.

It was only fair.


Kissing his smile was like kissing the sun. Warm, bright, and although many saw it, few knew its blessings. Even fewer saw that smile, wide and full of expression that they could never quite put a name to.

The laugh that came from his chest was pure, rich in amusement.

Sounds only for them. And a sight that would always keep them returning home .


But their time in Teyvat was never permanent. It was a truth they spoke a handful of times.

He was an Archon. Immortal until he wasn't. And they were human, fragile to the passing of time. Without a Vision, none of this would last.

Like his companion before him, the one who, with their dying breath begged him to protect Liyue, so too the Traveler slipped from his fingers.

Their final breath passed their lips and brushed his own, a gentle breeze on a summer day. Not unlike the one that skimmed his neck the day they arrived in Liyue.

Once again, he was tasked with caring for those who passed, those he would never join.