Chapter Text
Daylight seeped into the room atop the second floor of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor as Zhongli slid the windows open. He blinked when the gentle glare met his eyes, though he had no particular need to adjust to such a sudden illumination. He stood still for a while, looking down at the people who came out to the center of Liyue’s commerce, seemingly back to their regular routine after Osial’s attack only a month ago. Zhongli’s chest swelled with pride, but the place where his heart should be burned with some kind of wistfulness.
No matter this feeling, he thought. Liyue and its citizens would outlive the memory of Rex Lapis with an equal amount of strength and grace. He, on the other hand, was bound to remember Liyue from its conception to its ever-present future. It was fortunate that he would not be alone.
He placed his hand on his stomach and felt a light yet steady thrum of geo energy within. It was slightly similar and at the same time very distinctive from his. Whereas Zhongli’s own essence was earthly and solid as the stones he presided over, this energy surged with a certain restlessness, yet it still brought him a semblance of absolution, like a stream that constantly flowed and provided fresh water for the parched.
But Zhongli could not reach true absolution, not without the forgiveness and love of the man whom he had inadvertently yet undeniably wronged. It was never intentional, and Zhongli was aware that he was not the only one at fault—a contract was in motion, and revealing himself to Ajax as Rex Lapis would not aid in its success. At first, it was because he knew that Childe would not hesitate to outright challenge him. Then, after they became more to each other, he still chose to hide because he knew Ajax would have hesitated.
For all the threads of lies and half-truths sewn into their bedsheet where they once laid at night, Zhongli had never doubted Ajax’s love. It was true that their relationship began under false pretenses—him, masquerading in his mortal identity as the funeral consultant and Childe, the Harbinger sent to promote trade relations between Snezhnaya and Liyue. But things had changed from how they were intended to be. Business lunches soon turned into dinner dates, and guided tours quickly became daily strolls across the land he presided over.
Zhongli knew it was not particularly about their compatible dynamics—it was customary for Liyuens to wear scent blockers in public, and even a foreign alpha like Childe was quick to adapt. And Zhongli was never an omega to begin with, no matter how his physique would suggest otherwise.
No, their mutual attraction began in earnest curiosity that fanned into the flame of love and affection for all that the other was. It was inevitable that they would have fallen into bed with each other, almost all pretenses dropped.
‘Call me Ajax, Xiansheng.” Childe—no, Ajax said as he broke away from their kiss
‘And you will call me Zhongli, Ajax.” Zhongli had said with a smile, but he could not help but felt like a liar. He hurriedly buried his face into Ajax’s shoulder to hide his expression. He hoped that one day, Morax would truly be gone and Zhongli would be the only name Ajax knew him by.
To be Ajax’s Zhongli was a vain hope, but it was one he needed at the time. Now, Zhongli realized that he should have left it at that. He should not have let them become anything more than that.
But this was what Zhongli wanted, was it not? The Riptide mark on his stomach had long since faded away, replaced by this growing life inside of him. A life born out of his and Ajax’s love.
A means for Ajax to stay.
“It’s always family first in Snezhnaya, Zhongli, and you’re my family now.” Had Ajax known back then that Zhongli was bastardizing Ajax’s sincere love for his own gain, he would not have said those sweet words to him and meant them. He would always remember Ajax’s frozen figure, his face betraying nothing while those ocean eyes shattered, revealing all the hurt he was feeling.
The sharp, agonizing pain that pierced through Zhongli’s spine as he schooled his countenance into perfect indifference, inwardly suppressing the instincts that wanted him to embrace and comfort his chosen mate, to apologize. It still burned every time Zhongli thought about it.
Yet despite the certainty that Ajax’s love had been lost, Zhongli could not help but yearned to be with him till the day it all would end. He wanted to be with Ajax, to be Ajax’s family again. Should Ajax prove to be unable to love him again, Zhongli hoped that he would not leave him and their child.
Perhaps it was out of guilt for the selfish thought that Zhongli had yet to reach out to Ajax and tell him about their unborn progeny. At two months pregnant, his belly was barely protruding, not visible to the eye in his dark attire, and he felt no urgent need to announce the news to anyone. As an adeptus, he was above mortals’ concept of secondary genders, and although he did have a scent and everyone thought him an omega, the scent blocker would hide just how much his scent had become sweeter. It was perfect for him because everyone who had seen them together would know that the child was sired by none other than the presumed culprit of Liyue’s almost destruction.
But should Zhongli see Ajax again before the latter went elsewhere to carry out the Tsaritsa’s will, he promised to himself that he would say all that needed to be said.
His morning sickness had begun a week ago, and it was not so terrible as it was tiring, but he still went to work like nothing was going on.
And today was just another day. After he woke up and drank a cup of tea, he ended up heaving all of his drink. Were he a lesser being, he would have been hugging the toilet and sobbing in relief when the whole episode was over. He managed to clean himself up and changed into his day clothes, forgoing his very much unneeded meal for a breath of fresh air outside the window. Zhongli glanced up at the sun and down at his pocket watch. There was some time for a stroll in the market before clocking into work.