[It is a little cryptic, though Childe doesn't read much into it, really. Either Zhongli's just going to cut it off right now, he assumes, or he's got some kind of trick to loosen it easily--probably some piece of leatherworking trivia he picked up a few hundred years ago or something. Maybe Zhongli will tell him a story about it or something; it'd be nice, he thinks, to take his mind off of the heat and discomfort.
And the. Y'know. Awkwardness that comes from being touched by someone you may or may not like more than you should.
But Childe is good at compartmentalizing, so he valiantly pushes aside any untoward thoughts as he shifts to make sure Zhongli has room behind him. His senses sharpen, as they always do, when his companion moves out of his line of sight--but Zhongli wouldn't need stealth even if he did have a reason to attack him, so after a moment he forces himself to try and relax.
Even so, he remains acutely aware of Zhongli's proximity. It's only his years of training and discipline that stop him from jumping when he feels Zhongli's fingers. He resolutely holds still, trying not to interfere with... whatever it is Zhongli's doing.]
Haha, don't worry about me, xiansheng. This is nothing.
[ zhongli still notes the tensing of shoulders, the quick straightening of childe's neck as he comes behind him. aside from the view of childe's back, shirt mottled with sweat, sticking to the shape of bone and toned muscle, there's the way his orange hair tapers in a line down the back of his neck, long hairs dissolving into one's thin and fine then disappearing before it reaches his collar.
there is an inclination to hook his finger over the back of his collar, drag it down, and taste the salt on the back of his neck.
zhongli stifles it. he's used to quelling these thoughts by now. it was alarming at first, to lose focus for a brief instant. he's trained himself to quickly pull back to the present.
more fingers draw beneath the ring of metal that keeps a strap around his shoulder. childe's back is warm and damp through his shirt. zhongli doesn't know if he should be grateful for the fact that he removed his gloves. ]
This may feel strange.
[ childe might be aware of how zhongli leans forward, forehead and nose grazing his shoulder. there's a warm exhale against his back and then a small and sudden ringing, a sharp snipping of metal. the straps immediately come loose, held by zhongli's hands to keep from snapping against childe's skin. then he lets them go.
[The warning has his brow furrowing, but before he can ask what Zhongli means, he feels movement behind him. Abruptly, Zhongli is even closer than he was a moment ago, and Childe feels his breath so clearly that it might as well have been against his skin directly. It's so unexpected that it makes him shiver before he can stop himself; hopefully Zhongli won't notice, he thinks, but he digs his nails into his palm and holds as still as he possibly can to prevent it from happening again. He's taken his gloves off in the heat, too.
He probably could figure out what just happened if he thought about it. But he's distracted and overheated, so he doesn't try. Instead, he can't help twisting a little, looking over his shoulder as if he might be able to see what Zhongli's doing for himself.
He can't, of course. What he does see is Zhongli's face much closer than he'd expected--a little silly, given that he'd felt it just moments ago, but it's somehow very different to see proof of it. Quickly, he looks forward again. Dimly, he registers the loosening of the strap--relief, paired with the slight sting of exposure, given how badly it had rubbed his skin raw--but he holds back from checking the damage for now.]
How'd you get it? [It sounds better than what are you doing, though probably not by much given how antsy he is.]
[ zhongli's not missing any of it. tightening your hands means tightening your arms, your shoulders, your neck—all things zhongli is keenly aware of at the moment when it comes to childe. that shiver courses lightly against zhongli's hands.
was it nerves? it's not like childe to be afraid, and there's no chance of a draft. it could have been the ringing of the metal. zhongli can find several ways of reasoning it, but nothing explains the slight turn of childe's chin towards him before it quickly darts away. nothing but one possible thing, anyway.
zhongli is quiet a moment after childe's question, gold eyes settled on the back of his hair, the curve of childe's ear. maybe he should test it.
he places one hand on childe's shoulder, and the other curves around his arm to show him the rounded square of metal, clipped open at one of its sides. ]
I'm able to manipulate ore when needed. However, the heat makes my hands slip too easily, and my fingers often ache afterwards.
[ he's carefully studying what he can see of childe's profile. ]
To simply cut metal, biting down works in a pinch.
[He glances down at what Zhongli's showing him, but in truth, he isn't really looking. His attention, instead, is on the warmth of Zhongli's palm through his shirt, on the way Zhongli's arm brushes against his when he leans closer.
Have they ever been this close before? Surely they have, with how often they've strolled through the city together or sat beside each other, sharing drinks and conversation. But those were fleeting instances, nothing that truly crossed any boundaries. This, though--this feels... different, even though it really shouldn't. Zhongli's just helping him out, after all. It must be the heat, then. It's getting to his head, melting away his common sense. In a few days, he'll probably look back on this and realize how ridiculous he's being.
He nods to show he's listening, even though he kind of isn't. Not doing so would be rude.
Right, yeah. Biting. Ore. Makes sense or whatever.]
That's-- [STOP. LISTEN. HE'S CATCHING UP.] --I mean, you realize humans can't do that, right? Should I be worried about you biting forks in half when you travel?
[He's not actually worried about that. (Mostly. Archons can be really fucking weird sometimes.) But it distracts him from his actual thoughts, such as do you have normal human teeth or have you been casually hiding fangs this whole time or what and hey I've got a great idea on how to find that out, neither of which he's actually going to say. Obviously.
He does, however, glance over his shoulder again, his gaze darting to Zhongli's mouth, then away, then back again, as if he doesn't dare to linger too long. Truly, he's too curious for his own good.]
ah, so he's curious. childe tries again to look over his shoulder, blue eyes glancing sidelong at his mouth but ultimately missing zhongli's golden gaze.
there's something inexplicably amusing about this.
zhongli's hand falls from childe's shoulder, hot where his palm had pressed to his skin. they are certainly closer than they've been before, at least with respect to zhongli. of the two of them, he's the least likely to outwardly indulge in something that could be taken as affectionate.
did he feel affectionate towards childe? yes. was he also enticed by him? that's a secret. (yes.) ]
I bring a pair of chopsticks when I travel. And no, I do not break my utensils. This is a power bestowed upon me as the Geo archon. You are the first to witness it after a few hundred years.
[ then he remembers. there's an idea. ]
You seem curious. ...There is a buckle at the front of your chest that will need to be removed. I can show you my teeth then.
[Ah. Childe rolls his eyes, and something in his demeanor seems to shift, like he's come to a conclusion. He turns around again, and he seems a little more relaxed--or maybe he's just wilting under the humidity again. The teahouse is still pretty warm, after all.]
Alright, alright, make fun of me all you like.
[Because he's an idiot, he thinks Zhongli is teasing him... and hey, he's not totally wrong, even if he's missed the mark. Still, he idly lifts a hand to the buckle in question, rubbing at it in contemplation.]
[He shrugs, then regrets it immediately when the motion irritates his skin again. He drops his hand from the clasp, carefully wiping sweat from his brow.]
Come on, xiansheng, you're obviously teasing me. [He doesn't sound fussed about it, though, just very sure that he's right.] You can't hide your sense of humor from me, you know. I see right through that serious persona.
[He's partially joking, but that's his answer. "For what reason?" "Because you think it's funny", essentially.]
[Well... no, not really, but Zhongli's not laughing like he'd expected, so now he's not so sure. He blinks a few times, but he doesn't turn to look at Zhongli again--doesn't dare, not when Zhongli's still so very close.]
[ there it is. zhongli pauses, watching the profile of childe's face, eyes hidden by his hair. then he scoots back by an inch or two. he can't risk losing too much proximity. this might be less amusing otherwise. ]
The smart thing to do, of course, would be to laugh it off. To break this odd atmosphere that's settling over them like the humidity has, and move away under the pretense of grabbing food or a drink. Through sheer force of will, he's resisted imagining what Zhongli's described; if Zhongli's being serious, and he truly does exactly what he'd--what he'd said, then he won't be able to avoid it. He doesn't need to embarrass himself any further than he already has, and he can only blame the heat for so much.
But if he were that wise, he probably wouldn't have impulsively hopped a ship to Liyue in the first place. And if he doesn't turn around--if he retreats, in other words--then the curiosity will eat him alive. It's not a challenge, but it kind of feels like one, and Childe's incapable of resisting those.
He's still so alert, so aware of Zhongli's presence. The back of his neck prickles with something he can't put a name to.
Zhongli could still be bluffing, he reminds himself. If even Childe can tell how clearly awkward he must seem right now, it must be blatantly obvious to Zhongli, too. He can't discount the possibility of extended teasing.
He hesitates for long enough that it might seem like he hadn't heard Zhongli at all--but eventually, he turns around. He moves slowly, in part because he's still trying not to chafe his skin any worse than he already has, watching Zhongli closely as he settles back in place. His gaze is searching, very clearly trying to figure out what game they're playing so that he can brace himself against Zhongli's next move.]
[ the tension settles like a fog after zhongli speaks—and it could be blamed on the humidity, but also, how could it be? it almost oppressively bears on the chest and lungs and heart, apparent in childe's defeaning silence, how he never moves a muscle in those infinitesimal moments between when he receives those words and when he finally turns around.
childe thinks that he doesn't know what that neck-prickling feeling is. zhongli could take a guess. in fact, he may not believe that childe doesn't recognize it at all.
neither of them speak, just searching one another, blue to amber-gold. childe looks almost apprehensive; zhongli looks with intent, calm and silent, waiting to see what childe might do now that they're facing each other.
up until now—and not just during this stifling heat, but from the beginning of their time together—they were always along the precipice of whatever this was. there were small suggestions of it, quips and looks and jokes-haha-but-what-ifs. zhongli is about to pull them into another dance that he's fashioned for them on his own, for nothing but the fun of it.
after that long moment of staring, zhongli's mouth curves into a thin smile. ]
You seem nervous. Or perhaps it's still too warm.
[ his gaze falls to the strap around childe's middle, the divot where his shirt has been unclasped, revealing the plane of skin underneath. zhongli watches a trail of sweat follow the others down childe's bare neck and stomach.
not for too long, though. if childe lets him, he reaches and slips his fingers underneath the straps. he gently pulls the buckle away from his chest, pinched between his fingers. he leans down slowly, murmuring. ]
[It's always so dangerous, meeting Zhongli's gaze. His eyes are so bright, so intense, so easy to get lost in if you're not careful. A clear sign that there's more to him than he lets on. In hindsight, Childe doesn't know how he ever assumed Zhongli was anything less than a god.
Childe's looked at him enough that he really should be used to it. And really, he kind of is--by now, he can mostly stop himself from staring like every other lovestruck fool in the harbor. But now and then, Zhongli still finds ways to hold him spellbound. When he smiles just so, or turns his face towards the sunset, or says things like I'm glad you're here with devastating sincerity.
He'd known, he'd known this would be one of those moments. But knowing doesn't help, and he finds himself caught anyway.
Gods, he's an idiot. He shouldn't have turned around.
At least Zhongli saw him at the pier, straight off of the ship. He knows, then, that the pink of Childe's skin must come from his time in the sun. That surely, if he looks more flushed now than he did earlier, it's just because they've moved out of direct sunlight. Not for... any other reasons.]
I'm not nervous. [He says, nervously--but it's the truth to the letter, if not in spirit. If Zhongli's teasing him, then Childe will complain to hide his embarrassment, but that's a harmless enough result that he has no reason to be nervous about it. If Zhongli's not teasing...
...Well. He doesn't actually know what he'll do then. But that's why it's only a half-truth.
His pulse betrays him anyway, rabbit-fast and impossible to hide when Zhongli's fingers are so close to his heart. "Still too warm"? Hah. At this rate, he wouldn't be surprised to hear the ice on Dragonspine has melted away.
Keep still, Zhongli says, but it's an unnecessary warning. Childe isn't sure he could move even if he wanted to.]
[ they're too close now for zhongli to not notice it. the shineless blue in childe's eye fixed on his, deep and enraptured. zhongli could have held it there for an age.
has childe ever asked himself if zhongli shared this sort of friendship with anyone else? how often he shares his promenades and meals and drinks with any others, compared to him? if the quiet suggestions of intimate affection were words he offered to someone else? if not, they may be questions worth parsing out. if he had, and if he'd decided that his presence was a minnow in a great sea of zhongli's memory, he's deluding himself.
he saw how the sun painted a flush on the high points of childe's face. that redness sunk even deeper now. zhongli can't deny the possibility that it may be because they're out of the sun, but there was just as much of a chance that it meant something else. the look in childe's eye and the rabbiting pulse in his chest told him otherwise.
"otherwise" could mean that childe wanted him. he isn't resisting his zhongli pulls on the front of his strap, or his fingers brushing against the muscled curve of his chest. zhongli's nerves jump to meet every movement and touch against damp skin. maybe childe should strip altogether.
ah. so zhongli wanted him too.
there's a brief smile when childe insists he's all right. zhongli is leaning in to bite, lip peeling back to expose his teeth: normal aside from the sharpened pairs of canines, a scant few centimeters from the crowns of his other teeth, easy enough to hide. he stops just short of the buckle and raises his head to face childe again.
he studied him carefully, smile falling. his fingertips slide against the underside of the belt and stop just under the pulse of his heart. he feigns gentle concern. ]
Your heart is beating fast.
[ one hand slips free and lightly touches his fingertips to childe's cheek. his free hand still holds the strap away from childe's chest, arguably keeping him tethered and close. he runs his thumb over the pink flush over his cheekbone, seemingly benign to his reactions. ]
You also seem to be burned here. I have a salve from Inazuma to treat this, if that interests you.
He must. Childe has his blind spots, yes, but he isn't a complete idiot--there's no way Zhongli isn't aware of what he's doing, not when he so easily calls attention to Childe's racing pulse and flushed skin. He's got to be doing this on purpose, but the very idea seems impossible.
It's true that he's never given much thought to Zhongli's potential other companions. That he hadn't assumed anything they did was particularly notable to Zhongli, not like it was to Childe. They'd been dancing around the precipice of something before the truth came out, but that didn't necessarily mean Zhongli treated him any differently than anyone else he was fond of.
At least, that's what he'd thought. But now, Zhongli is--is undeniably flirting with him, no matter how wrong it feels to ascribe such a term to Zhongli, a man who seems untouchable even to a person like Childe. He can't possibly not be doing this on purpose, right? He's seen Childe's reactions for what they were, and chosen to move closer to him instead of steering them away towards a safe, professional distance.
...Or maybe he's just reading too much into it. Maybe he's seeing what he wants to see, tempted evermore by the most dangerous path he can find. It wouldn't be unlike him.
So few people are capable of flustering him. He would feel ridiculous, staring at Zhongli like a wide-eyed schoolboy the way he is, but he hardly even notices his own expression when he's so distracted by Zhongli. There are too many possible revelations happening in short succession, he doesn't know where to start.]
Uh. [Right. He should speak. Or do anything at all to get his thoughts to move beyond Zhongli's fingers are so long.
[ childe doesn't refuse him. there is no sputtering, no shoving, no shrinking away. his ever-mischievous, silver-tongued companion flushes even deeper, staring at him wide-eyed, like he's the only thing that exists in their star. he's flustered, off-guard, confused, and zhongli knows what motivates it. childe unearthed an old and unfamiliar feeling, urging him to tip up childe's chin with his fingertips, reel him in by the belt across his chest, savor the sight of him.
he doesn't. ]
Yes.
[ surprise. actually he has a pretty good reason to have that salve on him. he slips his hand from childe's cheek and turns to fish something from his pocket. reluctantly—though childe wouldn't know it—his fingers also unhook from around the strap on his chest.
in his hand, he holds a thin, circular metal tin, no bigger than the divot in the center of his palm. he opens it and reveals the inside: soft and waxy with a blue tint, lightly melted along the circular edge. ]
This mixture made from cocoa butter, sea ganoderma extract, and the crushed rind of an amakumo fruit, among other natural ingredients. It can be used for healing burns and dry skin. It also acts as a sun protectant.
[ maybe a normal person would offer it for the other person to put on. put zhongli is dipping two fingers in, running circles until the pads of his fingertips are coated. ]
It appears sheer on the skin after application. The blue is extremely faint and imperceptible.
[Zhongli lets him go, and Childe can't stop the small flare of disappointment that follows. He pushes it away immediately--what had he even expected?--turning his attention to the tin in Zhongli's hand.
He doesn't move away. He doesn't move closer either, but then again, there isn't much room between them. His eyes track the motion of Zhongli's fingertips, but he looks away quickly, lest he get distracted by inappropriate daydreams. Celestia knows his thoughts can't be trusted right now.
Granted, not that his second choice is much easier on his heart. His gaze flicks up to Zhongli's face, as if searching for evidence of the balm on Zhongli's skin even though Zhongli had just said it wasn't that visible. Is it at least partially an excuse just to look at him while he's so close? Maybe. But maybe he's searching for other things while he's at it--hints of mischief in Zhongli's eyes, for instance, or any other possible cracks in his facade. Anything to let him know what Zhongli might be thinking, that might help him navigate this unfamiliar path they've wandered onto.
Still, even with his focus elsewhere, he has it in him to smirk in amusement.]
And just how did you pay for that, huh? [It's a joke, playful and good-natured, but one he can't resist when the opportunity is right there.] Don't tell me the poor ferrylady is still handling your bills.
[If that woman isn't at least halfway in love with Zhongli, Childe will eat his scarf. Not that he pays attention to that or anything.]
[ from the ferry lady. but childe doesn't have to know that unless he asks. ]
I have no need for such things, even in my current vessel. However, it would be a waste not to find use for a kind gesture. It seems that it provides a dose of moisture to the lips.
[ 😌
anyway, this answers the question of whether or not childe can see evidence of it on his face: there is none, only a sheen of sweat and a collected countenance. if he was flirting at all, he seems unaware, all of his actions measured and precise, based on the circumstances.
this doesn't mean that he doesn't know how to flirt, though. you learn a thing or two when you've been alive as long as he has. he had sometimes been acutely aware of childe's attraction to him, almost purposely provoking in little gestures and sincere words. only now was it coming to a head, when zhongli finally came close enough to feel his pulse, mouth inches from his chest. it made zhongli's old heart beat up against his breast.
his eyes raise up to childe's, calm and reserved. there's not a crack.
he raises his fingers to one of childe's burning cheeks. his focus is centered on his cheekbone, but he's attentive to all things in his periphery. ]
Predictably, Childe walks straight into the trap and lets his eyes drop to Zhongli's lips. He lingers for a moment, two, his expression blank--he's had a lot of practice keeping his thoughts off of his face, after all. It's meeting Zhongli's gaze again that's harder--something in those Cor Lapis eyes always makes him feel so utterly seen, as if there's nothing at all he could do to stop Zhongli from understanding every part of him with a single look.
Ugh. Archons.
...Would that be so bad, though? He's wondered that before. Right now, with Zhongli's fingertips inches away from his skin, he's seeing a compelling argument in favor of letting himself be known.
His face is still flushed, heart still pounding in his chest, but his eyes remain fixed on Zhongli's face, abandoning any pretense of trying not to stare. When he nods in acquiescence, it's so minute that it wouldn't have been noticeable with any kind of distance between them--good thing there isn't any.]
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And the. Y'know. Awkwardness that comes from being touched by someone you may or may not like more than you should.
But Childe is good at compartmentalizing, so he valiantly pushes aside any untoward thoughts as he shifts to make sure Zhongli has room behind him. His senses sharpen, as they always do, when his companion moves out of his line of sight--but Zhongli wouldn't need stealth even if he did have a reason to attack him, so after a moment he forces himself to try and relax.
Even so, he remains acutely aware of Zhongli's proximity. It's only his years of training and discipline that stop him from jumping when he feels Zhongli's fingers. He resolutely holds still, trying not to interfere with... whatever it is Zhongli's doing.]
Haha, don't worry about me, xiansheng. This is nothing.
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there is an inclination to hook his finger over the back of his collar, drag it down, and taste the salt on the back of his neck.
zhongli stifles it. he's used to quelling these thoughts by now. it was alarming at first, to lose focus for a brief instant. he's trained himself to quickly pull back to the present.
more fingers draw beneath the ring of metal that keeps a strap around his shoulder. childe's back is warm and damp through his shirt. zhongli doesn't know if he should be grateful for the fact that he removed his gloves. ]
This may feel strange.
[ childe might be aware of how zhongli leans forward, forehead and nose grazing his shoulder. there's a warm exhale against his back and then a small and sudden ringing, a sharp snipping of metal. the straps immediately come loose, held by zhongli's hands to keep from snapping against childe's skin. then he lets them go.
childe can probably guess what just happened. ]
There. That's the first.
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He probably could figure out what just happened if he thought about it. But he's distracted and overheated, so he doesn't try. Instead, he can't help twisting a little, looking over his shoulder as if he might be able to see what Zhongli's doing for himself.
He can't, of course. What he does see is Zhongli's face much closer than he'd expected--a little silly, given that he'd felt it just moments ago, but it's somehow very different to see proof of it. Quickly, he looks forward again. Dimly, he registers the loosening of the strap--relief, paired with the slight sting of exposure, given how badly it had rubbed his skin raw--but he holds back from checking the damage for now.]
How'd you get it? [It sounds better than what are you doing, though probably not by much given how antsy he is.]
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was it nerves? it's not like childe to be afraid, and there's no chance of a draft. it could have been the ringing of the metal. zhongli can find several ways of reasoning it, but nothing explains the slight turn of childe's chin towards him before it quickly darts away. nothing but one possible thing, anyway.
zhongli is quiet a moment after childe's question, gold eyes settled on the back of his hair, the curve of childe's ear. maybe he should test it.
he places one hand on childe's shoulder, and the other curves around his arm to show him the rounded square of metal, clipped open at one of its sides. ]
I'm able to manipulate ore when needed. However, the heat makes my hands slip too easily, and my fingers often ache afterwards.
[ he's carefully studying what he can see of childe's profile. ]
To simply cut metal, biting down works in a pinch.
1/3 smdh
Have they ever been this close before? Surely they have, with how often they've strolled through the city together or sat beside each other, sharing drinks and conversation. But those were fleeting instances, nothing that truly crossed any boundaries. This, though--this feels... different, even though it really shouldn't. Zhongli's just helping him out, after all. It must be the heat, then. It's getting to his head, melting away his common sense. In a few days, he'll probably look back on this and realize how ridiculous he's being.
He nods to show he's listening, even though he kind of isn't. Not doing so would be rude.
Right, yeah. Biting. Ore. Makes sense or whatever.]
2/3
3/3
--Like, with your teeth?!
[What else would he bite with, stupid]
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Yes. If there is a way to bite down without using one's teeth, I'd be interested in hearing it.
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[He's not actually worried about that. (Mostly. Archons can be really fucking weird sometimes.) But it distracts him from his actual thoughts, such as do you have normal human teeth or have you been casually hiding fangs this whole time or what and hey I've got a great idea on how to find that out, neither of which he's actually going to say. Obviously.
He does, however, glance over his shoulder again, his gaze darting to Zhongli's mouth, then away, then back again, as if he doesn't dare to linger too long. Truly, he's too curious for his own good.]
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ah, so he's curious. childe tries again to look over his shoulder, blue eyes glancing sidelong at his mouth but ultimately missing zhongli's golden gaze.
there's something inexplicably amusing about this.
zhongli's hand falls from childe's shoulder, hot where his palm had pressed to his skin. they are certainly closer than they've been before, at least with respect to zhongli. of the two of them, he's the least likely to outwardly indulge in something that could be taken as affectionate.
did he feel affectionate towards childe? yes. was he also enticed by him? that's a secret. (yes.) ]
I bring a pair of chopsticks when I travel. And no, I do not break my utensils. This is a power bestowed upon me as the Geo archon. You are the first to witness it after a few hundred years.
[ then he remembers. there's an idea. ]
You seem curious. ...There is a buckle at the front of your chest that will need to be removed. I can show you my teeth then.
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Alright, alright, make fun of me all you like.
[Because he's an idiot, he thinks Zhongli is teasing him... and hey, he's not totally wrong, even if he's missed the mark. Still, he idly lifts a hand to the buckle in question, rubbing at it in contemplation.]
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'Make fun of you?' For what purpose?
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Come on, xiansheng, you're obviously teasing me. [He doesn't sound fussed about it, though, just very sure that he's right.] You can't hide your sense of humor from me, you know. I see right through that serious persona.
[He's partially joking, but that's his answer. "For what reason?" "Because you think it's funny", essentially.]
that icon
Do you not believe me?
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Should I?
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Turn to face me.
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The smart thing to do, of course, would be to laugh it off. To break this odd atmosphere that's settling over them like the humidity has, and move away under the pretense of grabbing food or a drink. Through sheer force of will, he's resisted imagining what Zhongli's described; if Zhongli's being serious, and he truly does exactly what he'd--what he'd said, then he won't be able to avoid it. He doesn't need to embarrass himself any further than he already has, and he can only blame the heat for so much.
But if he were that wise, he probably wouldn't have impulsively hopped a ship to Liyue in the first place. And if he doesn't turn around--if he retreats, in other words--then the curiosity will eat him alive. It's not a challenge, but it kind of feels like one, and Childe's incapable of resisting those.
He's still so alert, so aware of Zhongli's presence. The back of his neck prickles with something he can't put a name to.
Zhongli could still be bluffing, he reminds himself. If even Childe can tell how clearly awkward he must seem right now, it must be blatantly obvious to Zhongli, too. He can't discount the possibility of extended teasing.
He hesitates for long enough that it might seem like he hadn't heard Zhongli at all--but eventually, he turns around. He moves slowly, in part because he's still trying not to chafe his skin any worse than he already has, watching Zhongli closely as he settles back in place. His gaze is searching, very clearly trying to figure out what game they're playing so that he can brace himself against Zhongli's next move.]
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childe thinks that he doesn't know what that neck-prickling feeling is. zhongli could take a guess. in fact, he may not believe that childe doesn't recognize it at all.
neither of them speak, just searching one another, blue to amber-gold. childe looks almost apprehensive; zhongli looks with intent, calm and silent, waiting to see what childe might do now that they're facing each other.
up until now—and not just during this stifling heat, but from the beginning of their time together—they were always along the precipice of whatever this was. there were small suggestions of it, quips and looks and jokes-haha-but-what-ifs. zhongli is about to pull them into another dance that he's fashioned for them on his own, for nothing but the fun of it.
after that long moment of staring, zhongli's mouth curves into a thin smile. ]
You seem nervous. Or perhaps it's still too warm.
[ his gaze falls to the strap around childe's middle, the divot where his shirt has been unclasped, revealing the plane of skin underneath. zhongli watches a trail of sweat follow the others down childe's bare neck and stomach.
not for too long, though. if childe lets him, he reaches and slips his fingers underneath the straps. he gently pulls the buckle away from his chest, pinched between his fingers. he leans down slowly, murmuring. ]
Keep still.
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Childe's looked at him enough that he really should be used to it. And really, he kind of is--by now, he can mostly stop himself from staring like every other lovestruck fool in the harbor. But now and then, Zhongli still finds ways to hold him spellbound. When he smiles just so, or turns his face towards the sunset, or says things like I'm glad you're here with devastating sincerity.
He'd known, he'd known this would be one of those moments. But knowing doesn't help, and he finds himself caught anyway.
Gods, he's an idiot. He shouldn't have turned around.
At least Zhongli saw him at the pier, straight off of the ship. He knows, then, that the pink of Childe's skin must come from his time in the sun. That surely, if he looks more flushed now than he did earlier, it's just because they've moved out of direct sunlight. Not for... any other reasons.]
I'm not nervous. [He says, nervously--but it's the truth to the letter, if not in spirit. If Zhongli's teasing him, then Childe will complain to hide his embarrassment, but that's a harmless enough result that he has no reason to be nervous about it. If Zhongli's not teasing...
...Well. He doesn't actually know what he'll do then. But that's why it's only a half-truth.
His pulse betrays him anyway, rabbit-fast and impossible to hide when Zhongli's fingers are so close to his heart. "Still too warm"? Hah. At this rate, he wouldn't be surprised to hear the ice on Dragonspine has melted away.
Keep still, Zhongli says, but it's an unnecessary warning. Childe isn't sure he could move even if he wanted to.]
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has childe ever asked himself if zhongli shared this sort of friendship with anyone else? how often he shares his promenades and meals and drinks with any others, compared to him? if the quiet suggestions of intimate affection were words he offered to someone else? if not, they may be questions worth parsing out. if he had, and if he'd decided that his presence was a minnow in a great sea of zhongli's memory, he's deluding himself.
he saw how the sun painted a flush on the high points of childe's face. that redness sunk even deeper now. zhongli can't deny the possibility that it may be because they're out of the sun, but there was just as much of a chance that it meant something else. the look in childe's eye and the rabbiting pulse in his chest told him otherwise.
"otherwise" could mean that childe wanted him. he isn't resisting his zhongli pulls on the front of his strap, or his fingers brushing against the muscled curve of his chest. zhongli's nerves jump to meet every movement and touch against damp skin. maybe childe should strip altogether.
ah. so zhongli wanted him too.
there's a brief smile when childe insists he's all right. zhongli is leaning in to bite, lip peeling back to expose his teeth: normal aside from the sharpened pairs of canines, a scant few centimeters from the crowns of his other teeth, easy enough to hide. he stops just short of the buckle and raises his head to face childe again.
he studied him carefully, smile falling. his fingertips slide against the underside of the belt and stop just under the pulse of his heart. he feigns gentle concern. ]
Your heart is beating fast.
[ one hand slips free and lightly touches his fingertips to childe's cheek. his free hand still holds the strap away from childe's chest, arguably keeping him tethered and close. he runs his thumb over the pink flush over his cheekbone, seemingly benign to his reactions. ]
You also seem to be burned here. I have a salve from Inazuma to treat this, if that interests you.
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He must. Childe has his blind spots, yes, but he isn't a complete idiot--there's no way Zhongli isn't aware of what he's doing, not when he so easily calls attention to Childe's racing pulse and flushed skin. He's got to be doing this on purpose, but the very idea seems impossible.
It's true that he's never given much thought to Zhongli's potential other companions. That he hadn't assumed anything they did was particularly notable to Zhongli, not like it was to Childe. They'd been dancing around the precipice of something before the truth came out, but that didn't necessarily mean Zhongli treated him any differently than anyone else he was fond of.
At least, that's what he'd thought. But now, Zhongli is--is undeniably flirting with him, no matter how wrong it feels to ascribe such a term to Zhongli, a man who seems untouchable even to a person like Childe. He can't possibly not be doing this on purpose, right? He's seen Childe's reactions for what they were, and chosen to move closer to him instead of steering them away towards a safe, professional distance.
...Or maybe he's just reading too much into it. Maybe he's seeing what he wants to see, tempted evermore by the most dangerous path he can find. It wouldn't be unlike him.
So few people are capable of flustering him. He would feel ridiculous, staring at Zhongli like a wide-eyed schoolboy the way he is, but he hardly even notices his own expression when he's so distracted by Zhongli. There are too many possible revelations happening in short succession, he doesn't know where to start.]
Uh. [Right. He should speak. Or do anything at all to get his thoughts to move beyond Zhongli's fingers are so long.
Stupidly:] Here?
[Why would he have it here, Childe]
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he doesn't. ]
Yes.
[ surprise. actually he has a pretty good reason to have that salve on him. he slips his hand from childe's cheek and turns to fish something from his pocket. reluctantly—though childe wouldn't know it—his fingers also unhook from around the strap on his chest.
in his hand, he holds a thin, circular metal tin, no bigger than the divot in the center of his palm. he opens it and reveals the inside: soft and waxy with a blue tint, lightly melted along the circular edge. ]
This mixture made from cocoa butter, sea ganoderma extract, and the crushed rind of an amakumo fruit, among other natural ingredients. It can be used for healing burns and dry skin. It also acts as a sun protectant.
[ maybe a normal person would offer it for the other person to put on. put zhongli is dipping two fingers in, running circles until the pads of his fingertips are coated. ]
It appears sheer on the skin after application. The blue is extremely faint and imperceptible.
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He doesn't move away. He doesn't move closer either, but then again, there isn't much room between them. His eyes track the motion of Zhongli's fingertips, but he looks away quickly, lest he get distracted by inappropriate daydreams. Celestia knows his thoughts can't be trusted right now.
Granted, not that his second choice is much easier on his heart. His gaze flicks up to Zhongli's face, as if searching for evidence of the balm on Zhongli's skin even though Zhongli had just said it wasn't that visible. Is it at least partially an excuse just to look at him while he's so close? Maybe. But maybe he's searching for other things while he's at it--hints of mischief in Zhongli's eyes, for instance, or any other possible cracks in his facade. Anything to let him know what Zhongli might be thinking, that might help him navigate this unfamiliar path they've wandered onto.
Still, even with his focus elsewhere, he has it in him to smirk in amusement.]
And just how did you pay for that, huh? [It's a joke, playful and good-natured, but one he can't resist when the opportunity is right there.] Don't tell me the poor ferrylady is still handling your bills.
[If that woman isn't at least halfway in love with Zhongli, Childe will eat his scarf. Not that he pays attention to that or anything.]
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[ from the ferry lady. but childe doesn't have to know that unless he asks. ]
I have no need for such things, even in my current vessel. However, it would be a waste not to find use for a kind gesture. It seems that it provides a dose of moisture to the lips.
[ 😌
anyway, this answers the question of whether or not childe can see evidence of it on his face: there is none, only a sheen of sweat and a collected countenance. if he was flirting at all, he seems unaware, all of his actions measured and precise, based on the circumstances.
this doesn't mean that he doesn't know how to flirt, though. you learn a thing or two when you've been alive as long as he has. he had sometimes been acutely aware of childe's attraction to him, almost purposely provoking in little gestures and sincere words. only now was it coming to a head, when zhongli finally came close enough to feel his pulse, mouth inches from his chest. it made zhongli's old heart beat up against his breast.
his eyes raise up to childe's, calm and reserved. there's not a crack.
he raises his fingers to one of childe's burning cheeks. his focus is centered on his cheekbone, but he's attentive to all things in his periphery. ]
I must ask you to hold still once more.
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Predictably, Childe walks straight into the trap and lets his eyes drop to Zhongli's lips. He lingers for a moment, two, his expression blank--he's had a lot of practice keeping his thoughts off of his face, after all. It's meeting Zhongli's gaze again that's harder--something in those Cor Lapis eyes always makes him feel so utterly seen, as if there's nothing at all he could do to stop Zhongli from understanding every part of him with a single look.
Ugh. Archons.
...Would that be so bad, though? He's wondered that before. Right now, with Zhongli's fingertips inches away from his skin, he's seeing a compelling argument in favor of letting himself be known.
His face is still flushed, heart still pounding in his chest, but his eyes remain fixed on Zhongli's face, abandoning any pretense of trying not to stare. When he nods in acquiescence, it's so minute that it wouldn't have been noticeable with any kind of distance between them--good thing there isn't any.]
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the way I wrote this whole tag and then closed my browser and lost it
NOOO THE WORST
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we can timeskip or drop this!! next time childe wears the harness it's on sight