Sights | Zhongli x Reader [Vampire AU]

• Chapter Eleven •

Zhongli's POV
I was sitting beside Y/N in the hospital, and had been for the past few hours. Relief was rushing over me...
she survived and those vampires did not. Everything was going to be okay.

She was still unconscious, but now under the doctors and nurses' care she would be alright.

However... I could not get one specific sight out of my mind.
The way she looked at me after that vampire stabbed her in the stomach... it felt like time had stopped in the moment, and every time I thought about it my heart dropped.

Dr. Baizhu walked into the room, holding a clipboard and a small container.
"Oh? I thought visiting hours ended."
He said upon noticing me.

"My apologies, I did not want to leave her. She has been through so much today." I admitted.

He chuckled and shrugged it off.
"I'll let it slide. Has she not woken up yet?"

"Not yet. I am awaiting that moment."

Baizhu placed the container on the bedside table, along with a glass of water. He wrote some information down on the clipboard.
"Now, when she wakes up tell her to take these pills and then get some rest. I will be back soon to check on her."

I could not bring myself to make eye contact with Dr. Baizhu, I was too focused on the girl in front of me. He noticed this and sighed softly.
"You know, it's a miracle she survived. Many of the nurses were sure she would die."

I smiled. In truth, I had no clue what I would have done if she did die.

"Is everyone okay in the harbor?"
I asked, finally turning my head.

Baizhu nodded.
"Yes, though we are all confused. We are lucky that fire did not cause any damage, really."

"Hmm..."

He held his clipboard under his arm, and pushed up his glasses.
"Is she your friend?"

"Yes, but... I cannot help but feel like I want more than that."
It was a bit uncharacteristic of me to talk my feelings aloud.

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"Well... addressing Y/N as 'a friend' does not feel... complete. I have not known her for long, but I still feel this way. Ever since we first met."

Baizhu laughed, like he knew something I didn't.
I glared at him in confusion.

"Wait... you're serious?"

"Yes? What part made you doubt that?" I asked.

His eyes widened.
"Zhongli, you are in love."

Love?

"Ah... I have never experienced that feeling in my entire life. I doubt that is the case. Besides... like I said, I have not known her for long at all."

Baizhu shook his head with a smile.
"Just because you have never felt it doesn't mean you can't! Anyway, if she takes her medicine she will be discharged from here in a few days time."

He shut the door, leaving me to my thoughts.

"Love..." I whispered to myself. "This... feeling... is it really that?"

Y/N opened her eyes, and took a moment to observe her surroundings.
"Where... am I?"

"You are in the hospital, how do you feel?" I immediately forgot everything I was thinking about when she awoke.

She tried to sit up, but groaned in pain and put her non broken hand on her stomach.
"Everything hurts. Especially my stomach..."

I took the pills out of the container and put them into her hand.
"Dr. Baizhu said you need to take these and rest."

Y/N put the pills in her mouth and I helped her sip the water.
"How are you...?"

I laughed.
"Me? I am fine... it is you who you should be worrying about, you were very close to dying."

"I thought I did." She said, leaning her head back. "It was weird... I felt like letting go of life, but then I saw a golden flow of magic and then suddenly I had killed him."

I was glad that I was able to help her.
"Then... can I tell you something?"

She nodded.

"That was me."

"Wait... what? You did that?"

"Yes. I did not know how to defeat the vampires with it, so I decided to lend you part of my power to help you do it."

Her reaction was basically priceless.
"Then... how did you do it?"
I leaned in close and whispered into her ear.

"I used to be the Geo Archon. I was Rex Lapis, Y/N."
Her jaw hung open, and I grinned.

"You... you... what? Well... that will explain how you know so much about Liyue, then..."

I wish I had more to tell her, because I really loved how she reacted to what I had said.

Maybe Dr. Baizhu was right...?