Early evening was settling over the bustling streets of Liyue Harbor, and despite a long day of work slaving away at his desk at the Northland Bank, the harbinger Childe couldn't seem to find himself tired. Rather, he walked with a spring in his step, returning the street vendors' cheery waves but not sparing a moment to let them advertise. He had places to go, and more importantly, someone to see.

Gods, how long had it been since he'd been in such high spirits? Childe wasn't a naturally grumpy person, far from it, but he couldn't remember being so giddy since he was a child, probably since before he joined the Fatui.

But upon arriving in the warm streets of Liyue, here had come not only a new environment, but a new friend, the wonderful and knowledgeable funeral consultant. Whenever he hung out with Zhongli, whether for business or pleasure, the man's mere presence wiped all of Childe's worries away, and the harbinger couldn't deny that he found himself utterly enamored. How could he not be, when Zhongli was so… Zhongli? He was beautiful and kind, with the softest of smiles, most soothing rumble of a voice, and the wittiest of remarks to counter Childe's own. Childe had spent bucketloads of time and mora on the man and never regretted a second of it. The feeling he got from realizing that Zhongli enjoyed spending time with him too, that he actively sought it out, was more than enough of a reward. He had no inclination to believe that Zhongli returned the more romantic side of his feelings—Childe would be shocked if he did; the man was way out of his league—but, well, he could be content with that for now.

Smiling to himself, Childe rounded the corner to where he knew Xinyue Kiosk stood. He and Zhongli met up about three or four times a week, and more often than not it was at a restaurant. Zhongli seemed determined to feed Childe as much spicy food as Liyue could offer until he got used to it, and while the harbinger decidedly did not enjoy the burning feeling on his tongue and the need to down several glasses of water after a few bites, he tolerated it. It hindered his ability to speak sometimes, but that didn't matter, for Zhongli did that himself anyway, and Childe was more than happy to sit back and listen to him talk. He talked a lot, mostly about Liyue's history or various trivia, and he could go on for hours at a time. Childe hoped this would be one of those nights.

His eyes scanned the front of the restaurant, combing through the people in his search for—there. Childe's smile broke into a huge grin when he saw the unmistakable profile of Zhongli waiting somewhere near the door. He looked stunning, Childe thought, bathed in the golden rays of sunset. If he didn't know better, he'd have almost thought the amber tips of the man's hair were glowing. Beautiful. And he was all Childe's again tonight.

Seeing Childe approach him, Zhongli turned his head and smiled, a perfectly timed breeze lightly ruffling his hair. The crisp air was familiar, and suddenly Childe felt as if he could be back in Snezhnaya during the summer—how funny, that the coldest months of Liyue were on par with the warmest of his homeland. Oh, he wanted to bring Zhongli there someday… he would look so good in the snow…

"Hello, Childe." Zhongli's voice startled him out of his fantasies, and Childe scolded himself briefly. Why fantasize about Zhongli when he could look at the real thing? Childe smiled and, thoughts still lingering on Snezhnaya, instinctually stepped forward, snaking his hand around Zhongli's back and giving him one, two, three little kisses on the cheeks.

Instantly, Childe realized his mistake. He froze.

Oh, no.

Zhongli was as stiff as a board underneath his hand.

Childe pulled away, but it was much too late; mortification flooded through his body. He could feel his face burning as he began to splutter, trying desperately to mend the damage.

"Zhongli!" he squeaked by some pathetic way of greeting. The consultant looked stunned. A faint blush was dusted over his cheeks, but it was nowhere near the redness Childe knew was painting his own. "It's, uh, good to see you! Sorry, I—" His hands flailed, as if that would somehow help his explanation. "That was just, um, a greeting where I come from. Old habits die hard, you know," he said with a breathless laugh. It was true, but it sounded painfully like a half-assed excuse. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't think about it."

Zhongli stared at him. "It is fine," he said faintly. His demeanor said otherwise.

"Right," Childe said nervously.

They stood there in silence for a moment, Childe shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Zhongli seemed utterly and thoroughly stunned, his hand slowly raising to flutter his fingers over a spot where Childe had kissed him. Oh, archons, Childe had kissed him. Sure, it might have been the very thing Childe had been dreaming about doing the past few weeks, but not like this. He wouldn't have been surprised if Zhongli walked away right then.

The silence was deafening. Say something, Childe begged silently, but Zhongli was oblivious to his prayers. After a couple more unbearable seconds, Childe swallowed and choked out, "I really didn't mean to make you uncomfortable—"

Instantly, Zhongli raised his hand for him to stop. He still looked shocked, but Childe's words seemed to have snapped him out of his stupor, and the smile was returning to his face.

"Don't worry," he said. "I am not, and there is no need to apologize. After all, you have made such an effort to familiarize yourself with the customs of Liyue; is it not fair that I learn some of yours, should you choose to share them?"

"Uh…"

And all of a sudden, so fast Childe thought he could've imagined it, the consultant leaned in. Gently but confidently, his fingertips brushed along the edge of Childe's jawline, and he returned the ginger's earlier gesture with three gentle, featherlight kisses.

Childe thought he might faint.

Zhongli stifled a laugh at the expression on his face. "Are you alright?" he asked with an amused smile.

"Yeah," Childe practically squeaked. "Uh, thanks?"

Zhongli couldn't hold back his chuckle this time. Childe's heart fluttered at the squint of his golden eyes, the brief flash of white teeth, the low and smooth timbre of his laugh, and the fact that he'd been the one to coax the sound out of the prim and proper consultant. "You're welcome," Zhongli said. "I will continue to practice."

He's going to be the death of me, Childe thought in faint awe, feeling like his soul had long since left for Celestia. He really is.

His foolish brain decided that conjuring up images of Zhongli kissing him was of the highest priority that night, so needless to say, he had a bit of a hard time focusing on the man's stories.

Childe pushed his way through the doors of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, arriving at 12:05 sharp like he always did before his and Zhongli's lunch dates. Not dates, he quickly corrected himself, at least not in that sense. Maybe one day, though Childe doubted the man would be as eager about the concept as he was.

On the way out for her own lunch break, the funeral parlor's director gave Childe a cheery wave. "Hey there!" she greeted. "Zhongli's in his office today. Head right in!"

"Thanks," Childe grinned. He didn't often visit the parlor for any reason other than to pick up Zhongli, so Hu Tao had gotten used to seeing him pop in and always let him know where her consultant could be found. Their acquaintance was casual but friendly.

As he moved to turn into the hallway, however, it seemed Hu Tao had more on her mind today, and in fact wanted to prevent him from heading right in. "You know, you two go out so often, you'd be surprised to know he never hung out with anyone before," she said.

"Oh, really?" That surprised Childe, for the consultant was well-known around Liyue Harbor for his knowledge of history and art. Surely he'd be sought out quite regularly? He asked her as much.

Hu Tao nodded. "I don't mean business meetings," she clarified, "or whatever other nerd gatherings he goes to. I mean hanging out with someone as friends, you know? I was starting to worry he only spent his free time studying artifacts," she snorted.

Childe laughed; that was something he could see. But if what Hu Tao said was true… the fact that of all people, he was the one Zhongli chose to spend his time with, lit a warm feeling in his chest that only further brightened his mood, and he suddenly felt the urge to get to the man as soon as possible.

"Wouldn't want him to spend his free time with corpses, either," he quipped. "So I'd best not keep him waiting."

"He doesn't even work on autopsies!" Hu Tao protested, but her good-natured grin remained present. "But yeah, yeah, go get him. So long as you keep covering his bills," she muttered. "Archons know how much debt I'd have if the parlor kept funding his souvenirs, not to mention your little lunch dates… when do I get a rich Fatui boyfriend who will spoil me rotten…"

Childe laughed and started down the hallway with a wave, but he'd barely taken two steps when his mind registered what Hu Tao had said and he stopped in his tracks. Whirling back around, he stared with wide eyes at the director. "Wait, did you say boyfriend?"

"Oh, is it that obvious I like girls?" she said absentmindedly, already turning back towards the front door. "I mean, I do, but I don't remember mentioning it."

"No, I mean—good for you, but—" Childe mouthed wordlessly at her, gesturing from himself to the hallway in a wild and vague motion.

Hu Tao raised an eyebrow, glancing back over. "You okay?"

"Zhongli and I aren't boyfriends," Childe spluttered.

Hu Tao's eyebrow went so high it looked like it was trying to escape from her forehead. She studied him for a moment, then a loud, decidedly unpleasant wheeze escaped her as she doubled over. Childe stared at her, frowning, for a moment as she cackled.

"You really thought no one would notice?" the director giggled, making a valiant attempt to straighten herself up. "Oh, you idiots. I am so teasing Zhongli about this later. Gossip spreads fast in the harbor, you know," she told him in a singsong voice, coupling the statement with a ridiculous wink that only deepened Childe's scowl. "And it doesn't help that you kiss him on the cheek every single time you see him."

Oh.

Well, fuck.

Childe felt like he'd been hit in the head with a brick.

People had seen that? Of course they had, Childe scolded himself; he was stupid not to have anticipated this. He and Zhongli had kept the gesture up until it became a habit, and a quick few pecks on the cheek upon seeing the other had since become second nature to them. It wasn't like they had kept it under wraps, either. In the parlor, the bank, the middle of the street—they'd kissed everywhere, out in public for all the world to see. For the people of Liyue, who weren't used to the casual Snezhnayan salutation, of course it would look like he and Zhongli were dating. Of course their outings would look like romantic dates. Childe groaned, wishing he could sink into the ground in embarrassment.

Although… beneath the shock of this revelation, a tiny part of Childe was shining with glee. The thought that people looked on and saw Zhongli kissing him, that they thought it was out of romance, the mere idea that they could be a proud couple… Childe's heart gave a little squeeze. He almost wanted to lean into the fantasy, to tell Hu Tao that yes, they were, in fact, together, and love truly was the motive behind their enthusiastic greetings. She was already convinced, why not let her believe it? He almost wanted to convince himself.

But… that wouldn't be fair. Childe sighed inwardly; no matter how hard he wished it was true, it was a fact that to Zhongli, he was only a friend. Like he'd said the first time Childe kissed him, he was simply learning the custom out of courtesy and curiosity. The decision to tell the world they were a couple would have to come from both of them, and Childe knew that would never be.

Childe's posture deflated a little bit. He could feel Hu Tao watching him with an engaged eye, surveying the rollercoaster of emotions that must be flashing across his face. Right, he still needed to respond. He wished he didn't; he had enough to focus on inside his own brain right now.

"No, I…" Childe bit his lip and gathered the words in his head. "I can see how that would be confusing. But in Snezhnaya, kissing is just how you're meant to greet someone. We're not… together."

Hu Tao looked unimpressed with his answer. "Mm-hm. A Snezhnayan custom. And we're in Liyue right now, are we not?"

"I'm from Snezhnaya!"

She sighed, stepping forward to clap her hands on his shoulders. Her expression was one of amused pity, leaving Childe with a mild scowl. "Alright, I see what's going on here. Childe, you are hopeless," she shook him, "and I'm starting to think Zhongli is too. You don't need to make excuses to kiss someone you're in love with. So long as they love you back and it's consensual, of course, but I don't think either of those are a problem in your case. Just ask the guy out already! You act enough like a shameless couple already; I'm sure nothing will really change, but it'll feel nice to get it off your chest."

Childe could feel himself flushing. "Wait, wait, hold on a moment! Who says I like him?"

Hu Tao's silent stare said plenty.

Childe grumbled, pushing her hands off him. "I'm not gonna talk about this. I'll be late," he said, turning back into the hallway.

"Have fun on your daaate!" Hu Tao trilled. Childe clapped his hands over his reddened ears, resisting the urge to just flip her off.

Unfortunately, her words had gotten Childe's mind whirling. What did Zhongli see their relationship as? Childe had been sure it was only friendship, but Hu Tao seemed to be of the opinion that he liked Childe back. A flicker of hope rose in his mind, but he carefully pressed it down—he couldn't be sure, and he wasn't very keen on getting his hopes up, only for them to be subsequently squashed beneath Zhongli's heel.

Childe took a deep breath. He'd arrived at Zhongli's office door. Usually he'd burst in with no hesitation, but today he was more wary. If Zhongli did like him back, he couldn't mess it up by being too overbearing. Right? Got to act natural.

He knocked lightly and only had to wait a moment before a calm "Come in" resounded from inside. Childe opened the door, watching Zhongli's head lift to look at him from where he sat at his desk. A smile graced the consultant's features, making Childe's breath catch like it always did, as he stood and made his way towards Childe until he was standing in front of him. "Hello, Childe," he said.

"Hey," said Childe nervously. He couldn't help trying to scrutinize his friend's tone, searching for any hint that he returned the harbinger's affections. "Um, you ready to go?"

Zhongli didn't respond at first, and it took Childe a moment to realize he was leaning forward ever so slightly, anticipating their usual greeting. Childe's cheeks flamed up again—had Zhongli always done that? He'd never noticed, for he'd never hesitated to kiss the man before.

That thought made Childe want to groan. He really was shameless, wasn't he?

He'd waited too long. Zhongli leaned back, frowning. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Oh. He hadn't meant to make Zhongli worry. Putting on what he hoped was an easygoing smile, Childe assured, "Nothing to worry about! Just a bit tired, is all."

That made it worse. Zhongli searched his face with unbearable concern, hand coming forward to gently grasp Childe's forearm. "Is it work? I hope they aren't overworking you. You should ensure you are getting enough sleep," he worried.

This man. Even if Zhongli didn't end up liking him in a romantic sense, Childe could rest assured he at least meant something to the consultant. He was like a mother hen, fussing over Childe's offhand remark like it was the end of the world. It was so incredibly endearing. Archons, he'd make the perfect partner. Caring, smart, perceptive…

Zhongli leaned back a bit, frown deepening as he studied Childe. "No… something is bothering you."

Too perceptive, damn it. Stupid Zhongli and his stupid observation skills.

Childe's smile became a bit more genuine, though. He appreciated that Zhongli cared, even if it would be utterly mortifying to truly open up about what the problem was. "I'm fine, I promise," he said. As reassurance, he finally leaned forward to kiss Zhongli's cheeks, then instantly began to overthink it.

That was too late to be a greeting, wasn't it? What if he thinks it's weird? What if he suspects I like him? What if—

Before his fretting could sweep him away, Zhongli interrupted it by cupping the harbinger's cheek in his hand. Childe inhaled, snared effortlessly in the consultant's gaze. It was odd how he made Childe feel like he was floating and yet still grounded him. Perhaps it was that he got Childe to focus, for at the moment, the harbinger found that he couldn't think about anything other than Zhongli's skin on his.

It wasn't that they never touched. There was a nudge of an elbow here, a tap on the shoulder to get one's attention there, but never had Zhongli made a gesture so… intimate. Childe was positive his friend could feel his cheeks heating up through his leather gloves as Childe blinked at him, rather frozen.

"Tell me what's wrong," Zhongli said softly. Somewhere deep inside his brain, in a place untouched by shock, Childe wasn't that surprised—Zhongli always, without fail, asked him about his troubles when he was feeling down, though admittedly, this was the first time he'd held him like this. Was it because they were in private? Would Zhongli have done this in the past if they'd been alone? Of course, if he'd done it in public, it would have only further convinced onlookers that the pair were a couple, and Childe couldn't decide whether he loved or hated that idea.

Suddenly, Childe had a thought. What if he did tell Zhongli just what was on his mind? He could observe the consultant's reaction, and perhaps that would give him a clue as to the man's feelings for him. It was a scary idea, but also an enticing one. Here goes nothing, he thought.

Before he could change his mind, Childe took a breath, which came out in a sigh. "I just had a conversation with Hu Tao," he confessed. Zhongli's brow furrowed, like he already understood, and Childe stifled a laugh—could she really be that bad? "She mentioned something about the way we, um, greet each other, and I guess I never thought about how it looks." No, he'd been far more attentive to the way it felt.

"How it looks?" Zhongli questioned. "Ah, have I been doing it wrong?"

"No, no, it's not that, it's…" He took another breath. Here we go. "People think we're a couple, Zhongli."

Zhongli tilted his head a sliver. "Oh."

Oh? Was that all? Childe searched his friend's face for something, anything, but he looked strangely impassive. Did he not care? Or had he just not understood? Childe thought he'd said it quite clearly.

"A romantic couple," he added for clarification.

"Yes, I understand," Zhongli said. He studied Childe mildly, giving a soft hum of contemplation.

Does he really not care? Childe stared at him, bewildered. Was he missing something? Zhongli seemed perfectly unbothered by this revelation.

"Yeah, um…" Childe scratched the back of his neck. "Hu Tao thinks we're going out. You know, when we have lunch and stuff."

"I see."

And?! Childe's mind was screaming. Is that all you have to say? Give me something to work with here!

Mercifully, Zhongli finally decided to talk. "I understand how our interactions would lead someone to believe we are a couple. Are you… uncomfortable with this?"

That's what I'm supposed to be asking you, Childe groaned inwardly. This was a mess already. "Uh, no, not really," he said. "I just thought I should tell you. In case you were, you know."

"I don't have an issue with it." The smile finally returned to Zhongli's face. "As long as the two of us are content, the thoughts and opinions of others mean nothing to me."

"Right," Childe nodded quickly, "uh, me too."

"I'm glad." Zhongli lifted his hand from Childe's face (Childe had almost forgotten it was there; his cheek fit perfectly in the man's palm, almost as if it belonged there) and wound it around the younger man's waist, resting it just above Childe's hip. The harbinger nearly squeaked at the feeling and struggled to keep himself composed. "Now, shall we go?"

Zhongli kept his hand around Childe's waist as they ventured into the harbor. It stayed as they traversed the streets, as they stopped at a food stall, as they chatted idly about their days.

Now enlightened about onlookers' perception of him and his friend, Childe was acutely aware of each pair of eyes that rested on them. They seemed to burn through him, and blood rushed to his cheeks when he imagined what they saw—Zhongli holding him close, arm wrapped around him… oh, gods. Why, exactly, was he so touchy today?

"Are you doing this on purpose?" Childe demanded.

"Doing what?" Zhongli's eyes remained on the path ahead of them.

"Nevermind."

Childe sighed, but leaned a little further into Zhongli's touch anyway. Maybe this was just Zhongli's brand of friendship. Maybe Childe had finally passed some threshold and was close enough to him now that Zhongli felt comfortable with this. It was a little surprising; Childe hadn't pegged the brunet as one to partake in lots of physical intimacy, but he couldn't say he was complaining.

He felt stupid for feeling a little mournful when they stopped in front of Wanmin Restaurant and the hand left his side.

"There is… something I would like to discuss with Xiangling," Zhongli said. "Do you mind waiting here a moment?"

"Sure," Childe said. Zhongli nodded, promising to be back quickly, and Childe leaned up against the wall to wait.

He sighed happily. Today was a great day. He hoped this new development would last, because the idea of Zhongli continuing to make physical contact… an arm around his shoulder, a hug, maybe even a hand holding his… Childe couldn't help the stupid grin that rose on his face. It was pathetic how far gone he was, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Ah… Childe?"

A timid voice brought Childe back to reality. He turned to see Zhongli poking his head out of Wanmin, sheepishness written all over his face. Childe nearly facepalmed. He knew that expression all too well.

"Do you… happen to have any mora on you?"

It turned out Zhongli had tried to purchase an expensive pair of chopsticks, and they were expensive, over a hundred thousand mora. Childe cringed a little as he brought out his bag of mora. It was okay. It was for Zhongli.

"I will pay you back," Zhongli started, like he did every time, but Childe shook his head.

"It's fine. This is exactly why I've come to keep so much mora on my person," he teased.

"You never allow me to make it up to you," Zhongli protested.

"I have plenty of mora," Childe assured him. "And it's not like it's going to waste. I'm happy to buy you things."

Zhongli smiled warmly. "I am lucky to have you, then."

I'm the lucky one here, Childe thought, but he grinned at his friend nonetheless.

"And, as a matter of fact," Zhongli added, "these chopsticks were actually intended to be a gift for you."

"For me?" Childe blinked down at the utensils, noticing for the first time the shimmering design of a golden dragon and phoenix that was plastered on them. They were nice, definitely worth the mora—and Zhongli had wanted to get them for him?

"Indeed," the consultant said. He gave Childe a mysterious smile, one that confused the harbinger, as it seemed to come entirely out of nowhere. "Do you like them?"

"I do," Childe said, though he cocked his head a little. "Thank you."

Okay, Zhongli was definitely looking at him weirdly. His eyes seemed to be scanning Childe's face for a reaction; as to what reaction he sought, Childe was completely lost. "What's with that look?" he laughed.

"Nothing," he said, and he seemed strangely pleased with himself. "I'm glad." He turned to Xiangling, who had taken the mora and was now watching the pair with an amused expression. "Thank you, Xiangling; we will be on our way now."

"It's my pleasure! I hope those chopsticks serve you well," she said, sharing a knowing, almost cryptic look with Zhongli.

Oh come on, her too? Childe thought, more bewildered than annoyed. He and Zhongli bade the chef farewell and exited Wanmin to continue their stroll down the street.

"I feel like there's something you're not telling me," Childe said, not missing the way the edge of Zhongli's hand brushed against his, making the harbinger's pulse flutter. He received only a mild hum of acknowledgement from Zhongli, and Childe was sure the consultant was internally laughing at him. "You suck," Childe proclaimed.

"Oh, you don't mean that," Zhongli said easily.

"Let me have this!" Childe insisted. "I'm allowed to be mean to you after I had to pay for my own gift."

Zhongli laughed. "I suppose that's fair." He reached for Childe's hand, giving it a light squeeze.

The rumors about their relationship only grew after that day.

"Stay out!" Childe insisted, practically shooing Hu Tao out of the kitchen.

"I'm just trying to help!" she huffed. "It'll go faster with two people!"

"Oh, no. Zhongli's told me plenty about your disastrous adventures in the kitchen," Childe scoffed. "I am not giving you the chance to blow this place up." He'd invited the two Wangsheng employees over for dinner, but Hu Tao's interference was making it very hard to get any cooking done.

"Zhongli doesn't know what he's talking about," the director sniffed.

"Riiight."

"Seriously!" Hu Tao flitted close to his face; Childe resisted the urge to swat at her like he would a gnat. "I'm a better chef than you'll ever be! At least I know how to hold chopsticks."

"I've gotten better!" Childe protested. "I can hold them."

"Really? Prove it. Wait, do you even own any?"

"Sure I do." Childe opened a drawer, taking from it the ornate box in which sat his gift from Zhongli. He opened it to reveal the dragon-and-phoenix chopsticks, aware of Hu Tao peering over his shoulder. He positioned the utensils in his hand, albeit clumsily.

"See, look!" He proudly presented his hand, not daring to move his fingers a sliver lest the chopsticks slip and fall.

Hu Tao clapped a hand over her mouth. "Pfft!"

Childe had heard Hu Tao's witch cackle of a laugh enough times now that it didn't startle him; however, the lack of shock left room for annoyance, so he glared at the funeral director as she laughed herself silly, clutching her stomach.

"What?" he exclaimed. He was sure he'd gotten the position right that time. Zhongli had said so!

"Oh—oh, Childe," Hu Tao gasped, "it's actually true!"

"What's true?"

"The—the—" Hu Tao gestured to the chopsticks in his hand, then doubled over in giggles once more. "The fucking chopsticks, Childe! I guess I should congratulate you, I just—I knew you two were head-over-heels for each other, but this is so fast!"

"What?" Childe said again. He was lost. This was the hardest Hu Tao had ever laughed at him, and that was saying quite a lot, considering it happened every time he saw her. What, exactly, had her so worked up?

"Ah, this is priceless," Hu Tao said breathlessly, finally regaining her composure somewhat. "I must say, I heard the rumors, but I never imagined he actually proposed. Good for you, good for you!"

"Proposed?" Childe said, abashed.

"Is everything all right in here?"

The voice made the two of them turn. Zhongli had arrived in the kitchen and was now watching them with a slightly concerned expression. Ah, Childe realized, he must have heard Hu Tao's raised voice. She was really loud sometimes.

"Zhongli!" Hu Tao exclaimed, scurrying over to him. "Zhongli, Zhongli, Zhongli. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" the consultant asked. Hu Tao scrunched her nose up at him.

"About this!" She made a wide gesture towards Childe. "Why didn't you tell me you're getting married?"

…Married?

Zhongli reddened.

"Excuse me?" Childe blurted, heat rising in his own cheeks. "What gave you that idea?"

Hu Tao's brow furrowed. "You don't…" She looked at Childe, then at Zhongli, then back at Childe. Her jaw dropped, then slowly, a wicked grin started to unfurl on her lips. "Oh, Zhongli, you sly devil," she said, sounding impressed and a little bit in awe.

What's she talking about? Childe frowned.

"Hu Tao," Zhongli warned.

Hu Tao came back over to Childe, snatching the chopsticks out of his hand before the harbinger had time to react. "Childe! Did Mister Zhongli perhaps forget to tell you the meaning of this particular design of chopsticks? How very out of character for him! And how very convenient."

"Hu Tao," Zhongli said again, but Hu Tao simply scoffed at him.

"Come on, Zhongli. You can't have expected him to never find out," she said.

"Find out about what?" Childe demanded. "What meaning?" He was starting to get a bit irritated at being the butt of this joke only he didn't understand.

"You see, Childe," Hu Tao purred, "the dragon and phoenix are quite the powerful pairing in Feng Shui. They're a symbol of unity and marriage. Dragon-and-phoenix chopsticks, specifically, are often gifted as a form of dowry."

It was Childe's turn to have his mouth drop open. "You mean…"

He risked a glance at Zhongli. It was extremely hard to tell what he was thinking.

"Hu Tao, may we have a moment?" the consultant asked calmly.

Hu Tao smirked. "Alright, alright, I'll leave you to work through your relationship troubles. But get dinner started while you're at it, would you? I'm starving!" With that, she shoved the chopsticks back into Childe's hand and skipped out of the room.

Zhongli pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "She is insufferable sometimes," he said, almost to himself. He then turned to Childe, a fetching blush on his face as he gave a short laugh. "I apologize that you had to find out like this," he said.

Childe had to take a moment to gather his words, because what the hell. "It's fine!" he managed eventually. "I know you didn't mean anything by it, so…"

Zhongli cocked his head. "Ah, but it would be a lie to say that I didn't."

"Yeah, I—what?"

Now that the words had left his mouth, Zhongli looked nervous. "I gave you those chopsticks with romantic intentions."

Childe could only stare.

"To be specific," Zhongli added, "I wanted others to believe I did. You had told me many people suspected we were a couple, and the idea was… appealing to me. So I decided to encourage the rumors." He definitely looked embarrassed now, breaking eye contact with Childe to stare at the counter.

"So you're saying…" Childe said slowly, "you like me? Romantically?"

Zhongli looked him in the eye again. "I do."

"Enough to buy me a gift symbolizing marriage?"

"Yes." His expression shifted into something fond, and Childe could feel his heartbeat racing as the consultant reached across the counter to lace his fingers through Childe's. "You are a wonderful person, Childe. It is not often that someone catches my eye as you have. I consider myself quite lucky to have met you, and it was not long after making your acquaintance that I began to crave to share more of my time with you. In that time, I have come to view you as a dear friend and, as you have guessed, something even more."

Childe gaped at him. It was going to take a moment for his head to stop spinning and truly take in what Zhongli said. The praise was making his heart go haywire.

Zhongli… liked him back? Was it truly possible that he meant as much to Zhongli as the consultant did to Childe?

Zhongli wasn't done, indicated by his conspiratorial smile. "Tell me, would it be wrong to suggest you feel the same about me?"

Childe flushed. Had he been that obvious? "You knew?"

Zhongli laughed. "I had my suspicions. And it seems you've just confirmed them for me." He regarded Childe's face, amused. "You're quite red." Childe proceeded to get redder.

"I, uh," Childe spluttered. "It's not every day the guy you've been obsessed with for the past few months confesses to you. Frankly, I'm still in disbelief."

Another soft laugh. "Then allow me to adore you and erase all doubt from your mind." Zhongli made his way around the counter and cupped Childe's cheek in his palm, his thumb idly and ever so gently brushing a strand of hair out of the ginger's face. "If that is what you want?" he asked quietly.

Archons above, this couldn't be real. Childe's breath hitched in his throat as he watched Zhongli, all beauty and grace and poise, look at him like he was the most precious being in all of Teyvat. Childe couldn't think of anything he'd wanted so much in his entire life, and he knew he'd cherish this moment until the day he died.

"Yeah," he whispered. "I'd like that."

Zhongli kissed him, and Childe didn't have the words to describe how it felt as he wrapped his arms around the consultant's neck. He only knew that this was the most incredible moment of his short existence, and that Zhongli was the most incredible person he'd ever met. Gods, he was so lucky.

Zhongli pulled away, only having time for a quick smile before Childe pulled him in for a hug. There was barely a moment of hesitation before Zhongli returned the embrace, gently yet securely wrapping Childe in his arms as Childe buried his face in the crook of his neck.

This felt… nice. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Thank you," Childe mumbled.

"What for?"

Childe didn't know how to answer, so he held Zhongli tighter. The consultant's hand came to rest on his head, petting it soothingly.

"No matter what happens, remember that I care for you," Zhongli said. "No matter what, my feelings and words right now are genuine. I swear it."

There was a hint of what might have been fearfulness or perhaps guilt in his tone. Childe was puzzled, but he decided to file the problem in the back of his mind for another time.

"Same goes for me," he said, smiling into Zhongli's shoulder. "Gods, I'm so happy right now. You're perfect."

Zhongli chuckled, his breath ruffling Childe's hair. "I am far from being so, but I am flattered you think so highly of me."

"Yeah, 'cause you're amazing. I'm so lucky," Childe sighed.

"Not lucky," Zhongli corrected. "You are deserving." He leaned back from their embrace, pressing a kiss to Childe's cheek to quiet the small noise of disappointment that came from the harbinger. Childe eagerly gave him one in return.

"You have no idea how happy I am I can do that without an excuse now," he grinned, thinking back to Hu Tao's words.

"I am glad as well," Zhongli smiled. "But does that imply you had mischievous intentions from the start?"

"It was a genuine mistake!" Childe protested. "Plus, you were the one who decided to continue it."

"I couldn't help myself," Zhongli lilted. "The thought of kissing you is quite irresistible."

"Oh, and I'm the mischievous one here!" Childe grumbled, even as the blush rose on his cheeks again. "Stealing my money and then my heart… I can't stand you." He punctuated his words with another kiss.

After a few more tender moments, Zhongli pulled back again, to Childe's slight gloom. "As much as I would love to stay like this all night," the consultant said, "I would hate to be the one to break to Hu Tao that we forgot to make any food. Would you like help cooking?"

"Sure," Childe said. "Somehow I feel like you're more reliable in the kitchen than her."

"All right, then. Where shall we begin?"

If Hu Tao was made into a bit of a third wheel the rest of the night… well, she didn't mind. It was a small price to pay for the satisfaction of knowing her two idiot friends finally figured out their feelings.