Thank you all so much for all of the love to my ultimate OT4! I am very happy to be able to introduce you all to them. This story idea, and title, came from my Omi who also helped to create this OT4 in the first place. A huge shout out to them for feeding my writing brain and being one of the best people I have ever met in my life. Enjoy!
Zhongli loved his boys more than he would ever be able to say, but he also loved the peace that he always found in his home. He never regretted anything as his boys all moved in, but it was definitely an adjustment. His house on the outskirts of Liyue went from quiet and peaceful to buzzing with excitement with the addition of three more people living there.
It had started slowly as their relationship developed. Childe was the first to move in. Zhongli had long grown used to his clingy nature, but it was different at home. In public he always had a mask on and seemed as he always was, but at home, he let it slip as his shoulders hunched. He had to get used to Childe randomly sitting close to him as he read, sometimes chatting about too many topics at once, and sometimes not talking at all as he simply enjoyed his company. Some days he came home wired from a fight and still felt like bouncing off the walls with energy, and other times he walked in a barely said a word in greeting before flopping onto the couch.
It took Zhongli months to learn the signs of what could help Childe. Now he could pick up on the subtle slump of his shoulders as he tugged off his boots in the doorway. The way his feet dragged more than usual in his first couple of steps. Zhongli knew that meant that he was exhausted and needed to be lazy before he got back to work tomorrow. The former archon helped by making sure he ate after he rested for a bit, encouraging him to take care of himself when his body protested every movement.
On other days it was the opposite, Childe bounded into the house chatting excitedly about what had happened that day. It warmed his heart as he watched Childe open up and talk about anything that interested him without reserve. He knew it was because Childe actually felt comfortable in their home that some days he was practically exploding with energy. Zhongli patiently listened and offered his own thoughts as they jumped between topics.
Being home with Childe could be unpredictable due to his changing moods and energy levels from his job, but Zhongli was more than willing to put in the work to figure out what he needed. It was easy when he saw how Childe never hesitated to adjust to him. Sitting quietly to let Zhongli read, and listening to his stories when he ran across something interesting.
Zhongli had settled into the new routine well...just in time for Baizhu to be added to their little family. He was invited to move in quickly, but it was another big adjustment for Zhongli. After living alone for a few hundred years, suddenly having two people in the house and random hours felt almost overwhelming.
Baizhu was a homely person by nature, but he was nosy and talked to himself. He always liked to check in on the others and make sure they were doing okay. Zhongli was eternally grateful for his attention to their health, but the random visits into his office always made Zhongli think he needed something. He was used to Childe always being around him, so when Baizhu randomly popped up, he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he was just checking in. Eventually he got used to the random visits as Baizhu asked what he was up to, or if he'd eaten, or how much he slept. It was his way of making sure they were taking care of themselves since all of his boys had a horrible habit of overworking themselves.
Zhongli found himself picking up on the habit as he poked his head into whatever room Baizhu was in as he walked by. He didn't mean to at first. It started as he heard soft mummers coming from the room, but after receiving multiple "I wasn't talking to you, love" he started to linger in the doorway and listen first. Baizhu had a habit of talking aloud as he thought about how to modify a medication for a patient's region or particular needs.
Zhongli never wanted to make Baizhu feel like he was being ignored so he always asked him to repeat what he had been saying which earned him several of the now famous quote in their household. Zhongli slowly noticed that Baizhu had a habit of mumbling when he was thinking out loud, his words coming a lot quicker than normal, and sentences being left unfinished as his brain moved on. Zhongli had to bite his tongue multiple times as he learned, he didn't want to interrupt his train of thought and have him lose his place after all.
It took a bit of trial and error, but now Zhongli didn't even look up from his book when Baizhu walked by muttering about something. He was completely used to how his voice changed when he wasn't actually speaking to someone and knew to leave him alone.
The biggest change was when their last member moved in. Zhongli had just gotten used to two other people living with him, and now Diluc moved in. Zhongli was beyond thrilled at his boyfriend being around more, but their house dynamic completely shifted.
Diluc was very independent, but he was also very clingy at the same time. He went about his day, but after being alone and afraid to love someone for fear of them leaving for so long, he now relied on physical touch. It worked out well with how clingy Childe was. It was a common sight to see the two of them curled up together or sitting side by side, but Diluc still needed to be close to all of them. Half of the time he would walk into the room Baizhu was in and pull him into lap. Baizhu didn't even flinch as Diluc forced him to sit down and conserve his energy like he was supposed to be doing instead of pacing as Baizhu continued talking about a specific medication. Diluc had no idea what most of it meant but hummed along.
Sitting next to someone was not enough to relieve Diluc's clingy tendencies very well. Zhongli startled a couple of times when Diluc first started following him into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around his waist. Most of the time he wouldn't even say anything as he dropped his head onto his shoulder and moved with him. It turned into a kind of dance as Zhongli swayed around the kitchen and Diluc easily moved with him with more grace than one would have expected him to.
Zhongli learned to become obsessed with Diluc's constant contact. His solid presence and the warmth that always emitted from him did wonders to relax all of them. Their tired and sore muscles being soothed just by being held in his arms as their minds quieted down. Sleep also started to come easier after he joined their little group. His relaxing demeanor was infectious whenever he was in the house.
Without Zhongli even realizing it, his boys had also adapted to him. After living for so long there were times when Zhongli's brain would become very busy. Sometimes it was the kind of busy where he needed his boys to reach out to him and pull him from the depths of his own mind, but other times he needed peace and time to work through his thoughts. His boys had picked up on the different signs that broke through. Baizhu asked Childe to accompany him to the market to make the house empty. Diluc pulling Baizhu into another room away from Zhongli's office so he could mutter his thoughts out of earshot. They would wait for a while, occasionally peaking their heads in without speaking when it had been a while to make sure he was doing okay before leaving him alone again.
Zhongli started to figure it out when he realized he would break out of his thoughts to a completely quiet house. Sometimes he found a note on the counter saying where they went, or he found them curled up together and taking a nap to avoid the Liyue heat. He adored the new bustling atmosphere of his house so much, but he would never be able to describe how much it meant to him that they so easily adapted to him without him ever asking or mentioning anything.
Anytime he tried to express his gratitude they immediately waved him off. He had adapted so much to them; it was only fair that they did the same.
"It's just how to train our dragon." Childe quipped one day. Zhongli huffing at being "trained" while Diluc and Baizhu broke out in giggles.
Be sure to check my profile if you would like to see more of this OT4. There is definitely more of them on the way as well!
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