When Childe first proposed the idea of a fun day in the midsummer Liyue sun, he had the beach in mind. Swim trunks, beach balls, and those delightful little ice pops that Xiangling occasionally makes on special days. His gaze narrows as he surveys Zhongli, who's just arrived at their rendezvous spot.
"Say, Xiansheng… you aren't planning on wearing that, are you?"
Zhongli presses a hand to his chest and looks down, surveying his usual suit. Childe thinks he looks utterly ridiculous, but at the same time isn't surprised. Zhongli is the most routine man he's ever met. "My clothes are perfectly functional," says Zhongli in that quiet, understated, and prim way of his.
"If you were going to a funeral, yeah."
Zhongli's brow furrows. "I just came from a—"
"Working? On a day like this?" asks Xiangling, standing near Childe's elbow. She's dressed appropriately, of course, bedecked in a swimsuit as yellow as summer itself. She reaches into the portable icebox that's slung around her shoulder and pulls out an ice pop, handing it to Childe without a word.
"I knew that I loved you," says Childe, already savoring the sweet delight.
"Get in line," says Xiangling with a mischievous smile. "That's what everyone says."
Childe laughs, nudging her shoulder with his elbow. His face falls slightly as he sees Ganyu step forward, wearing her own beachy number, and a cute sun hat to boot. He frowns.
Xiangling winces, leans closer, and says in a stage whisper: "Do you think that she's here—"
"To babysit me? Definitely."
"Come now, don't be silly." Ganyu smiles placidly as she readjusts her hat. "I was merely encouraged to bring my work to the beach."
Childe levels here with a very pointed stare. "Yeah, like I said—to babysit me."
Ganyu has this kind of serene smile that isn't really nice—it's more like she's making fun of you silently. Childe itches a little under her gaze as she pulls out a towel from her bag and looks for the best place to lay it out.
"There are worse options," says Xiangling in a loud hiss, "You know—like Keqing?"
Childe huffs. "She'd be too busy to pay me any mind. Ganyu though…"
"Ganyu will be a pleasant addition to the afternoon, I think," says Zhongli. Childe regards him once again, his eyes lingering where Zhongli's arms are clasped firmly behind his back. Always so proper.
"Relax a little, yeah?"
Zhongli frowns again, a little wrinkle forming on his brow. He looks at his suit like he's genuinely confused and Childe sighs. Better luck next time, he supposes.
Others arrive slowly. Paimon and Lumine, even Xingqiu and Chongyun—they'd all promised him, of course, but Childe isn't holding his breath.
The life of a Harbinger is strangely lonely at times. He can't trust anyone—he can't. One wrong move and there's a new dude with his title. Childe is always watching his back because even his coworkers he can't trust, which has led to a perfected, cocky attitude.
The more people are annoyed by you, the easier it is to keep tabs on them and all that. They come to him, which makes his work all the easier.
That being said—Childe is tired and his stationing here within Liyue has shown him that.
"What are you thinking about?" asks Xiangling, nudging him with her shoulder. Everyone else has picked a spot to settle into, towels and bags and shoes dotting the beach.
"Nothing much, really." Childe shrugs. "Just been a while since I've had a day off, you know?"
Xiangling's face crinkles in amusement. "Have you ever had a day off?"
Childe doesn't think so but it's never been something that he's thought much about.
Until now.
#
Childe falls asleep and wakes up feeling like he's on fire.
So, maybe dumb, laying out on his stomach under the sun. But it was warm, and it smells of the ocean, and the sounds of everyone around him lulled him right under, and well—
He's paying for it now, isn't he?
"No, no—" Then he hisses.
"Oh shush," says Ganyu, smoothing her hand over his red shoulders. "You did this to yourself."
"It was an accident."
"Accidents can still have faults. You're very lucky that I brought this coconut yogurt along, otherwise you'd be worse off."
"Worse," grumbles Childe under his breath. "Stings like a—"
Ganyu digs the palm of her hand just a little too harshly into his burned skin and Childe yelps dramatically. Xiangling looks at him, face crinkled with mild amusement. Zhongli regards him like he's trying to solve a puzzle. Paimon screams something about how he looks like a boiled lobster because, of course, she'd compare him to food.
None of it helps Childe forget about his blistered skin.
Ganyu seems to take pity on him though, and her hands lighten up as she cools the yogurt with her Cryo and slathers it across his back. And Chile has to hand it to her—it's a soothing mixture that works well. The whine that rises from the back of his throat sounds pathetic.
She leans over his shoulder with that too-sweet smile that means anything but. "Have we learned our lesson?"
Childe looks at her, sheepish. "Yeah. Wear the damn sunscreen."
Ganyu laughs kindly and Childe thinks perhaps she doesn't mind her job for the day.
#
Ice fishing is simple and lacks finesse. Find a frozen lake with a thick enough layer that is safe enough to walk out on. Cut a hole in the water and drop a line in, then you wait forever while you drink vodka and swap stories with family and friends.
Childe thought that deep-sea fishing wouldn't be much different. Childe is woefully wrong.
The boat lurches underneath his feet, bobbing with the ocean tide. Childe's feet slip across the wooden planks as he clings to the edge because what kind of boat doesn't have a proper railing? Boats in the traditional Liyue style, apparently.
"Oh," he murmurs, "Oh—" And then he vomits right over the side.
"Surely you came to Liyue on a boat."
Childe wipes at his mouth and looks to the side. Xingqiu sits there quietly on a beach chair, slathered in a pasty sheen of sunscreen. He doesn't bother with looking away from his book, licking his thumb to turn a page.
"Yes," says Childe, "and that was just as miserable an experience as this." His gaze slides to Zhongli who stands perfectly still at the bow. "I'm surprised he has sealegs, though."
"I have a distaste for seafood, Childe, not the ocean." A pause, and then, "Though I don't particularly like being away from land for very long."
Well, that clears up absolutely nothing.
Once they anchor the ship, it still rolls with the waves. Childe manages to find his grounding, albeit on wobbly legs. "Alright, then. Who's fishing with me?"
Xiangling is the only enthusiastic taker, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, barely containing herself.
Childe's gaze sweeps the deck as he frowns slightly. "What, no other takers?"
Zhongli's mouth is pursed with distaste—they might've gotten him to leave land, which was a feat in itself, but Childe knows he draws the line at handling fish. A pity. Childe thinks that it'd be hilarious to see Zhongli try. He's articulate with his words but not so much with his actions. Childe imagines it would be endless entertainment.
"Hey, kid."
Xingqiu looks up from his book, eyes narrowed as though annoyed by the interruption. Childe waits expectantly. "You can't be serious," says Xingqiu with a sigh. "I came out here to enjoy this new publication, I won't—"
Xiangling pulls the book from his fingertips, snaps it shut, and tosses it right into the ocean. Childe gapes. Xingqiu gapes. Zhongli hides a well-placed snicker behind his gloved hand.
And Xiangling just bounces on her feet as she smiles at him sweetly.
"That was—"
"Was it a first edition?" asks Xiangling brightly.
Xingqiu looks aggrieved, his face turning an impressive shade of pink. "No," he hisses, "I suppose not."
"Then no harm, no foul." Then Xiangling smiles, her lips curled into a mischievous grin. "Or should I say, fowl—"
"Okay, okay, enough with the puns," says Childe, rooting through rods and lines before finding a set that suits her well enough. "I trust you know how to fish?"
"Of course," she says with a huff. Then, Xiangling nudges him. "Question is, do you?"
Childe snorts. "Of course. I grew up on the ice, you know. Practically raised in the tundra waters. Ever seen permafrost? I breathed it."
Xiangling's brow rises and she whistles. "Impressive," she says kindly. Childe can tell that she isn't remotely dazzled.
"The boat," says Xingqiu, unhelpfully. He's still lounging about in the beach chair, making no effort to move. "You need to learn how to stand on it first."
"I am standing on it!" Childe gestures to himself as if to prove the point. Then the boat swoons and Childe trips, barely catching himself. Xingqiu just raises an eyebrow. "Right, look—not the point. I'm a master at fishing, just you wait."
Childe then holds out a rod to Xingqiu, who only regards him with a once-over, arms crossed over his chest. "Oh, I'm not fishing. I want to watch you make an absolute idiot of yourself."
"Oh, you little—"
"Hey."
Everyone on the boat stops and looks. Lumine stands there clad in a white and blue striped swimsuit, Paimon floating beside her face. The one person who strikes fear into Childe's heart, and no, it isn't because she kicks his ass at the Golden House every single Monday. It's because—
"Childe," says Lumine shortly.
That tone. Childe winces like a boy who's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Lumine mothers him more than his actual mother does, and that's saying something. "Ah, Lumine—"
She holds out her hand, waiting for the rod. Childe slaps one into her hand without a word.
"Is there a Paimon-sized one?" Paimon looks at him so innocently, with those round, sort-of bugged eyes.
"I think I have a kid's rod somewhere," murmurs Childe, rifling through his things again.
Eventually, everyone is settled in with fishing rods and line. Xiangling stands, her line cast and legs allowing for the push and pull of the tide like she was born on the damn sea. Childe can't help the subtle jealousy that rises in his throat. He he sits down, legs hanging over the side.
Lumine joins him.
"It's not about fishing, is it?"
"You, always coming at me with complicated questions."
Lumine looks amused. "Complicated? I could fight you instead. Topple this boat right over."
"No, no, you've already beaten me up once this week. That's plenty."
Lumine chuckles and bumps their shoulders together. They both have their lines cast, but they aren't paying much attention. Childe can feel the way that Xingqiu's gaze bores into the back of his head, willing something to happen.
"It's nice," says Lumine. "Inviting everyone out to fish."
"Well, I didn't. I asked Zhongli for the best spots because we all know he's as old as dirt—like, literal dirt. And then Xiangling overheard so she invited herself along, and then—"
"No doubt our beloved former Archon shared the news with everyone else."
Childe rubs at his neck sheepishly. "I mean, it's fine. I was going to come out here alone, but it…"
"It's nice. The company." Lumine says it quietly.
Childe often forgets that they're both outlanders in the beautiful land that is Liyue. Lumine, though, is always traveling as she moves on and on. Childe was once like that—he stepped into Liyue with only the intent to do his job and get out, but—
Well, funny how things change.
The more time that passes, the more that Childe wants to stay. Liyue feels more like home to him than Snezhnaya ever did and he was raised there.
Lumine nudges him again. "What are you thinking?"
Childe is quiet for a long moment. "That's exactly it—that's what I wanted to come out here and do. I wanted to think."
Lumine hums. "Thinking is annoying. Just enjoy the chaos. Isn't that the sort of thing you like, anyway?"
Chaos, thinks Childe. He used to dream of it, relish it, even, when it came to battle. Xiangling lets out a shout, pulling her fishing rod back. The line goes entirely taut as she fights with the weight on the other end of it. The line sinks deep into the water, pulling stock straight.
"Oh, it feels like a big one!" she says excitedly, her eyes round and wide like dinner plates. In her excitement, she smacks Childe with her arm and he loses his balance, tipping right into the ocean.
There's panic—Xiangling panics about losing her fish; Lumine panics about Childe tumbling into the water; and Xingqiu panics about Lumine potentially falling right in after him as she leans over, trying to yank Childe back up.
It's a simple matter of commanding Hydro and Childe is back on the deck, entirely drenched, but no worse for wear.
What a boat they make. A young, budding author. Xingqiu bursts into laughter at the dredged sight of him. A world-renowned chef. Xiangling yelps in praise, showing off her fresh catch—a sea bass that's nearly half the size of her. An outlander who's further from home than he'll ever be. Lumine throws a towel over his head and Paimon cackles in amusement. And a former Archon. Zhongli is still perched near the bow, his face weathered by amusement.
Chaos indeed.
Childe loves it.
#
The sun is slipping past the horizon and a bonfire has been lit on the beach.
Xiangling flits around the cookfire, roasting fish and working her magic when it comes to food. Ganyu stands by, watching with a sweet smile. Xingqiu rests on a towel, a new book in hand. Lumine sets about readying eating utensils and Paimon shrieks about delicious eats.
Childe sits on the beach, watching the water. He's sunburnt—pink and peeling. He's barefoot, his toes dug into the sand. He can feel the salt clinging to his hair, curling it. All in a day's work, he thinks, though his days used to be full of different sorts of endeavors.
"Childe," says Zhongli as he settles next to him. He's still dressed to the nines in his stuffy, prim suit, but he's pulled off his shoes at least. He digs his toes into the sand too, resting his arms over his knees. "So rarely do I see you so… quiet."
"Thinking," he says, looking at Zhongli with a wily smirk. "I'm known to do that on occasion."
Zhongli watches him back with that ageless stare of his. "You think more often than not, I would say."
No matter how often they talk or share meals, Zhongli never ceases to surprise him. Perhaps it's because Zhongli's had eons to watch mortals, but Childe thinks that he understands them more than he lets on. Experiencing it personally, however, is wholly different.
"What is the adage? A Mora for your thoughts?"
Childe laughs at that. "Isn't there a Mora shortage?"
Zhongli hums, thumbing at his chin. "I suppose I haven't thought much of it."
Because of course, he wouldn't; Childe still plays bank to Zhongli's spending habits, not that he's complaining. Childe takes care of his friends, and so, he happily foots the bill. Before being stationed in Liyue, his accounts sat untouched for the most part, only accruing interest. It was a pity to let his earnings go to waste.
"It's strange, you know," says Childe, "how much I've come to love it here. When I think of my days, I think of the people that I spend them with, not the job that I do. And when I think of home, it isn't snow-covered peaks, it's Wanmin restaurant and the meals I spend with you and Lumine. Maybe I've become soft, but—"
"No." Zhongli's voice is quiet but firm. "Childe, you are allowed to enjoy yourself."
Childe starts at that. It's something he's never really thought about. Childe is a Harbinger, one of the Tsaritsa's hands. He was gifted a title and has effortlessly executed what's been asked of him, time and time again.
Except here, in Liyue, he sleeps in on his days off. He forgoes hunting targets down and bloodying his sword. He enjoys tea, practices using chopsticks, and most importantly, feels welcomed and wanted.
The warmth of his found family here is different from the stark, winter cold of Snezhnaya.
"I was wondering why you've been hesitating," says Zhongli. "Going back. Surely she's asked for you to."
The Tsaritsa has. Childe's desk is littered with letters requesting his arrival back home at the Palace, but it hasn't escalated to true order. Yet. It's only a matter of time.
Childe sighs, dragging a hand down his face. "Lumine told me to stop thinking about it. To just enjoy the chaos."
"Sound advice," says Zhongli.
"I'm not dumb enough to think I can stay here forever." Childe's voice is quiet and for the first time, he realizes just truly how much he'd like that. To stay here, in Liyue. Surrounded by friends and the warmth of the sun, and the salty sea breeze.
Childe has been more at ease here than anywhere else in his entire life.
"I decided to retire because I wanted to live for myself." It's the first time that Zhongli has ever expressed such a thing so outright. When Childe looks at him, Zhongli seems pensive. "And perhaps I didn't know what that meant, and it's likely that I still don't—but it's ever-changing as I learn more and more with every day. My goals, I mean. The things that I want. The one thing I have learned, though, is that it's natural for our wants and desires to change over time."
Zhongli looks at Childe, his eyes soft as they glow amber. "Loyalties come and go, and they shift. That isn't a bad thing. You deserve to be selfish."
Childe chuckles. "So, sit here and enjoy it for as long as I can, yeah?"
"Or choose to stay and retire as well. I will enjoy our friendship nonetheless."
Childe hesitates, thinking about the idea of it longer than he should. Retirement. Such a thing doesn't exist for Harbingers but it's a nice fantasy to entertain. "You know, Xiansheng, you're probably my best friend. I've never had one before."
"Oh?"
Childe smiles, nudging Zhongli's shoulder. "Don't let it go to your head."
"Certainly not."
Their conversation comes to a close when Xiangling careens over the sand, nearly tripping over her own feet. She heaves heavy breaths, her hands resting on her knees, and then— "Oi! Dinner!" She reaches out and tugs Childe to his feet.
"Okay, okay—"
"Come on, come on!"
Childe does. He follows Xiangling, close on her heels. The bonfire crackles brightly, hot with its brilliant fire. Everyone settles around as they load up their plates with delicious food. There is laughter, warmth, and kind words. Slaps on shoulders and tight hugs to the side.
Everyone seems so happy to just be there, having enjoyed the day spent on the beach.
Childe's heart crackles, white-hot with a kind of affection he never knew he was capable of. These people—these friends—bring him more satisfaction than the thrill of the hunt ever will. They warm his chest more than the pull of his Delusion.
"Hey, eat up!" Xiangling thrusts a plate into his hand, piled high with fish and all the trimmings. Then, she plops into the sand right next to him, tucking into her own portion, eyes bright and her smile wide.
You deserve to be selfish, said Zhongli not five minutes prior.
Childe thinks that perhaps he's right.