Two Sides Of The Internet

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    As soon as the show ended, Zhongli was hurrying to his cabin, sitting down on the couch after closing the doors. He buried his face in his hands, sighting quietly, still with the mask on. The show was going smoothly, not going to lie but… the events with it… *sigh*

    After these thoughts he buried his face even deeper into his hands, though he wasn't actually able to do that.

    Someone knocked on the door.. It took that person a while to say something. "Heyyy- lapis! You good? Can I come in?"

    It was Hu Tao, though Zhongli wasn't really sure if it was a good idea for her to come, even if she was a good friend of his, not only on the internet. He didn't answer, he only groaned as the door opened, revealing her.

    "What happened? Mhh?"

    She asked, still holding the door handle, while looking at Zhongli, whose head was pointing down. She realized something was wrong. Even with that mask on, she could tell that he was not feeling good.

    Zhongli sighed again, taking a deep breath and calming down a little. That was the sign that she could come in.

    "Don't worry! I will lock the door and you can get your mask off! Well- it's only me and you and I already saw you without it. We're good friends after all!"

    As she said, she did. After Hu Tao closed the door and approached Zhongli, sitting right next to him, it took him a while to start speaking of the events.

    "I have a friend and.." His words got cut off by her.

    "Take that mask off! I can't understand nor hear your words properly!"

    She tried to joke about it but she immediately wanted to take it back. But it seemed like Zhongli didn't care and wasn't in the mood for jokes, so he pulled his mask off, now, holding it in his hands which were hidden somewhere in the black gloves he was wearing.

    "I have a friend," he repeated, continuing now without being cut off again. "and he might have fallen in love with a faceless streamer…"

    Hu Tao smirked, giving that teasing tone of her voice that no one could copy. "Awhhh- someone's jealous~"

    "No.."

    He sighed once again, not making a big deal of what she said, but he needed to make sure she wouldn't think up anything else. "I just.. It's funny how he has fallen in love with a faceless streamer and- he is also in love with 'someone else'."

    He crossed his fingers on his lap, while Hu Tao was listening to what he had to say. "What I mean by that is.. that he is quite comfortable with me around… and he also joked about having a crush on a faceless streamer as we were walking down the street though we both knew he wasn't joking about that."

    He laughed a little bit and a smile appeared on his face which Hu Tao was not expecting. After all, something was bothering him, or?

    "I still don't get the point-" The female spoke up after a few seconds and Zhongli didn't say anything. He just looked at her and remained silent.

    "Ah? You want me to ask for his nameee~? Mkayy- can you tell me the name of your friend?"

    At that, Zhongli laughed even more and shook his head. The sadness, or, more like blank expression on his face disappeared. She was happy to see him in his natural form and expression and she smiled at these thoughts.

    "I didn't mean it like that.." He took a break and continued. "Do you know a streamer named Tartaglia?"

    He responded with a question. He knew he could say it openly. He trusted her and she wouldn't betray him. He, too, knows a lot of her darkest secrets.

    Hu Tao realized what he was talking about and after puffing her cheeks, she let out a loud laugh that filled the whole room. She knew who Tartaglia was.

    "That guy from fanfiction? The one who sent you 10,000 bucks? Don't tell me that he has fallen in love two times with the same person- pfffff-"

    "I wished I could."

    "Wait- wait, wait, wait, wait, wait-" She was curious and wanted to make sure she understood it correctly and that she was thinking of the right person. "Are you sure you are the streamer, Zhongli?"

    "Yes, I am."

    She put a hand on her mouth so she can calm a little bit and not alert everyone outside.

    "Oh myyyy gaaawd- That's just too cute!"

    Zhongli smiled slightly and Hu Tao was laughing for a good while now. "He doesn't know about you being rexlapis, right?"

    He just shook his head in agreement to 'he doesn't'. Yes, Ajax did not know about it and Zhongli is not going to tell him, at least not now. It is too early for that.

    Hu Tao didn't ask him the question why he didn't. She somehow understood.

    "But still…" Zhongli continued. "It is really bothering me.. We've known each other for a week and something in real life, and some years on Twitch and other social media but… I feel like I am non verbally lying to him. He already got on topic if he doesn't know me from somewhere but- he is quickly brushing it off as overthinking.. I am tearing and breaking his imagination, his world, his-"

    Zhongli words were cut off by the female again.

    "Naaww- you're not. Don't worry about it. You're doing the right thing. I am sure he would understand why you didn't tell him sooner when you two will talk about it in the future." She tried to cheer him up, but unfortunately, it didn't really work.

    She realized how sad his expression got again. She can hug him to feel better! No.. He does not enjoy hugs and he doesn't feel comfortable hugging someone after what happened a few years ago. She didn't blame him for it. He got his reasons.. But- what should she do to make him feel better?

    Zhongli was staring somewhere after he lay down on the couch, which was big enough for him to do that, while Hu Tao was still sitting in the corner of it. He slowly closed his eyes, quietly questioning his thoughts.

    What should he do? He was hurting Ajax, or he wasn't? He really did not know. But being only Zhongli in front of Ajax was probably the best solution for now. Not sure for how long, but it was surely for now.

    "I see now… The fanfic topic must've been hard for you to answer.. But you did great! No- amazing!"

    Hu Tao was looking at him with a sad and worried look on her face. The words didn't help at the slightest. They probably made it even worse and as he opened his eyes to stare at the pale white wall, laying there without moving. She didn't really know how he was feeling, but it must've been some really bad feeling of being unable to do something, hiding things from his friend…

    "The hangout we agreed on."

    "Yes. I will be there." He smiled a bit, shut his eyes once again and was thinking about a lot of things.