𝐀𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 | Genshin Impact

ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ

"I've cherished the hours you and I have gotten to know one another. And should you choose to continue on your own, I'll be fine." He moved his hand towards her, as if he wanted her to take the flower from his grasp.

(Y/n) glanced down at the lily he offered her. She gently took it from him, holding it up close to her face. "Zhongli, I'll always need you," She said, "You're my first friend. I'll come to you for the littlest things or for no reason at all."

"I'm rather glad we met," A smile made its way across her lips, "I wouldn't change a thing. Even till now."

At her words, a rather relieved expression formed on the man's face. "As am I," He agreed.

Zhongli turned his attention to the skies, noticing how little left the sun had to set over the distant horizon. "We should start heading back now," He said, "By the time we arrive at the harbor it'll be quite dark."

❦

"Are you certain you'll be fine walking on your own?" He asked, "I don't mind accompanying you the rest of the way."

(Y/n) politely declined his offer. "I'm not scared of the dark, Zhongli," She said, "I'll be fine."

She bid him goodnight and turned to the dark street ahead of her, clutching onto the lily taken from the fields the two returned from. Her feet quietly walked through the slope, slowly made their way over the bridge, and then continued the journey down Chihu Rock.

Further down the road, (Y/n) spotted someone walking her way. In fact, they looked rather familiar.

She squinted her eyes, noticing the flash of vibrant, ginger hair in the wake of the moon before obscured by tall shadows.

(Y/n) prepared herself, waiting for the exact moment their shadows would cross. But it never came.

She glanced back towards the street, eyes widening when she realized the man was now hunched over, his hand pressed tightly against his stomach.

"...Hey!" She raised her voice for him to hear, "Are you alright?"

(Y/n) felt her breath hitch when the man lifted his gaze. Just above his bottom lip, scarlet red liquid stained his skin.

His gaze seemed rather clumsy, with his eyes narrowed as he tried to focus his sight. "...You again?" He mumbled to himself once he remembered her face from earlier.

The stranger's face then fell back down with a hiss escaping his lips, his hand slightly trembling.

Once (Y/n) was close enough, she hesitantly placed a hand gently underneath his arm. "...You're injured, aren't you?" She said as she looked down at his hand, watching as he pressed it tighter against his clothes.

"My place isn't far from here," She said, "Do you think you can make it?"

The man nodded without muttering a word.

❦

(Y/n) stood by the doorway to her room, a cup of water held between her hands. Her head peaked in, glancing at the redhead who rested above her sheets.

There he lay, with his bare shoulders sticking out from the thin blanket she placed over him not too long ago. The grey jacket he wore rested folded, neatly, over the nightstand beside the bed.

(Y/n) suckered up whatever unfamiliarity she felt and stepped into the room, warily keeping her attention on the injured man. His loss of blood was a result of a fresh wound inflicted just underneath his side, to which she tended to. The reason why he deserved it? She didn't know. And as sloppy as her aid was, it seemed to do the trick.

There were no lessons on how to help someone injured. Now that she thought about it, all the things that were taught to her were useless on this quest of hers.

The woman placed the cup on the corner of the nightstand, then turning her attention to the man.

He looked at ease, with his chest rising and falling with every breath he let out.

"Y'know, it's quite rude to stare." His lips moved on their own. And then, one eye snapped open, immediately landing on her figure.

(Y/n) took a step back. "...I've seen better things," She said, "An injured man isn't one of them."

The stranger snickered lightly, careful not to hurt himself with a peal of laughter as he weakly sat up.

"The name's Childe," He introduced himself.

(Y/n) raised a brow at his name. "...Childe?" She repeated.

"Code name: Childe," He clarified, "I'm waiting for you."

"(Y/n)," She said.

Silence.

"Hey. Don't you wanna know how I got this injury?" His tone sounded sweet, as if he was tempting her to ask.

"That's okay," She shook her hands at him, "It's really none of my business."

"Then answer me this, little lady," He began, "Where were you off to earlier this afternoon? Our gaze met and you ran off like a prey does from a predator."

Strange analogy. "I was late," (Y/n) spared the details.

"Late?" He seemed rather curious.

(Y/n) glanced over at the foot of the bed. "I was... meeting up with a friend of mine."

"Quite the afternoon, I see," He relaxed his posture, "May I ask who?"

She supposed it wouldn't hurt to say a bit. "Maybe you've heard of him... but he's a good friend. Zhongli."

"Mister Zhongli!" He sounded rather thrilled to hear his name, "Never in a million years would I think he'd ever indulge himself with someone like you."

(Y/n) furrowed her brows. "...You know him?"

Childe glanced over at her, a mischievous look to his face. "You can think of me as a friend of a friend."

SIX