FIFTY SEVEN
SCARLET EYES FILLED with delicate plum blossoms. Hu Tao's irises were one of a kind. With short, thick lashes; and the faintest red pigment drawn at the corners. Now looking at it from up close, (Y/n) made sure to take in all the little things about her friend's appearance.
"You were in Mondstadt, right?" The brunette asked, "You must've seen a lot."
Hu Tao kept her attention anchored towards the pages in hand she flipped through.
Tracing circles against the tabletop, (Y/n) spoke. "I'd seen a lot, lived a lot," She began, "I had a whole life there. And it definitely wasn't easy at times..."
The sound of Hu Tao shuffling through papers filled the room. "Well, if you ask me, I'm sure it wasn't hard for you to fit in. Right?" She glanced up briefly, "I mean, pretty sure it comes naturally to you from what I've seen."
Did it? (Y/n) wanted to ask. But instead, her eyes caught sight of something else.
The doors to Hu Tao's workroom were left open slightly ajar. Had it not, (Y/n) wouldn't have captured the brief image of Zhongli passing by.
It was the sound of his footsteps that beckoned her to turn his way quickly, then his shadow. And once his shadow completely filled the empty hall, his figure soon followed. (Y/n) hadn't captured the look on his face, but surely he was concentrated to his duties.
Seeing him again reminded her of yesterday. Of the "talk" they had about the Anemo Archon. She just couldn't shake it off.
"Hu Tao," (Y/n)'s eyes flickered from the doorway back towards the girl, "Do you mind if I ask you something?"
The brunette kept her attention down. "Ask away," She said with a smile.
Taking in a a deep breath, (Y/n) spoke.
"It's about Zhongli."
For a second, Hu Tao's eyes froze above a few words. "What about him?" She asked as she resumed skimming the page.
(Y/n) leaned back in the chair she sat. "I was wondering if by chance you could tell me more about him. Like how he knows so much about things people like you and I wouldn't know, for example."
After she asked this of her, (Y/n)'s gaze followed Hu Tao as she gently dropped the stack of pages in hand.
Her scarlet eyes darted across the first sheet of the stack as if thinking about what to say. Then, she glanced up when she seemingly made up her mind.
"Zhongli may have quite the youthful glow, but his personality should speak for itself," She began. "He's a bit dusty, if you hadn't noticed. And his head is like a grove of knowledge..."
Hu Tao pressed a finger towards her bottom lip in ponder. "Hmm... now that I think about it, couldn't be that he's a..." She paused briefly, the ends of her mouth suddenly curving upward in amusement.
"Hehe," A giggle escaped her throat, "Forget it, whatever."
But (Y/n) didn't want to let it slip by.
"What?" She asked her, "What were you going to say?"
But before Hu Tao could say a word, a gloved hand snaked it's way across the jarred door.
"Pardon me," Zhongli's voice rang throughout, "I hate to interrupt you two, but there's a client asking for the Hus herself."
(Y/n) turned her head around.
Even amidst the dark, warm atmosphere of the building, his eyes shone a somber glow.
Hu Tao's figure crossed her field of vision as she made her way towards him.
"I'll see to it right away," She said
(Y/n) watched as Hu Tao slipped past the man, leaving nothing but the brief glimpse of her twin tails as she dashed down the hall.
She's never seen her so serious before.
From the corner of her eye, she could see as Zhongli's eyes followed his boss before she eventually disappeared the further she went. And once she was completely gone, he then turned to face her.
"Do you mind if I join you?" He asked.
(Y/n) glanced over at him. Shaking her head, she responded, "Not at all."
Her eyes followed the ends of his coat as he took his place in the seat beside her. By then (Y/n) had turned her head back around, facing the empty chair across from her where Hu Tao sat not too long ago.
There was a brief moment of silence.
It wasn't this awkward tension. (Y/n) could feel it was more or less like a pause before speaking what's on the mind. She assumed he must've had something important to tell her based off of it.
Once comfortable, Zhongli kept his attention facing ahead towards the large window behind the desk. It was the only thing illuminating the dark room. So grand and beautiful, light poured in, cascading.
In the midst of a comfortable silence, that was when he finally spoke.
"I have been around for quite some time," He began, "Along with it, you come to learn a thing or two."
(Y/n)'s gaze flickered towards his figure. She studied him carefully, noting how concentrated the expression on his face became the more he talked.
"When time permitted, you and I enjoyed partaking in walks through the city," He said, "Those moments, I found them very calming."
He then turned his attention towards her, his head slightly moving. "It became routine. And every day thereafter I knew not what to expect with the sole exception I anticipated her gentle company."
(Y/n)'s eyes grew impatient with curiosity. "Where are you going with this?" She asked politely.
Zhongli took notice. "I believe in transparency and authenticity in my dealings with other people," He said, "That means if I have something to say to someone, I do not engage in any sorts of mental calculus. Instead, I tell it."
"Yesterday, when I first saw you, I came to realize how much your absence bothered me," He expressed, "And in saying so, I also wanted to say I'm glad to have you by my side once more."
(Y/n) cracked a smile. "Zhongli, you have quite a lengthy way of telling me you missed me," She teased lightly.
He returned the gesture eloquently. "I hope mine is one you never tire of, friend."
"No. Never," She responded.
A single, unsuspecting tear rolled down her cheek.
With wide eyes, (Y/n) raised a fingertip towards the corner of her eye. Delicately tapping the edge against her skin, she then hovered it a fair distance away from her face. (Y/n) eyed the teardrop from different angles, watching as the droplet glimmered.
It was strange. She wasn't sad at all. She had been smiling all day. Yet here she was with her eyes watering.
"(Y/n)." She heard Zhongli. "Are you alright?"
Nodding subtly, she quickly apologized. "Yes, sorry. I'm usually so well at keeping my emotions in check."
Hearing this, Zhongli slightly frowned. "You've been through a few rough patches recently," He said, "You're allowed to feel the way you do whether that be grief or anger. So never feel like it's something you must hide."
Amidst her grief, she felt when his hand was placed above her shoulder.
(Y/n) glanced up. She hadn't even heard when he stood from his seat yet here he was behind her.
But it was then her body felt completely at ease and opened up to the river overflowing inside. A few more tears rolled down her cheeks. They stopped just below her chin for a brief second before falling down onto her collar.
Maybe in face of her friend, (Y/n) subconsciously felt it safe enough to pour the sadness she didn't even know she was carrying. And perhaps Zhongli knew this too.
Placing a hand over his, (Y/n) spoke. "I'm okay," The tips of her fingers patted his gently, "Thank you."
Zhongli smiled warmly.
Amidst a gentle ambience that befell them, his eyes became soft and relaxed. His head was downturned, his amber eyes staring straight through her.
When her attention focused on the individual strands of his windswept hair that framed his face, (Y/n) turned to look away. And when she felt his hand slip away from hers, she missed it.
"If you'd like, we can pay a visit to the Heyu Teahouse," He said, "It'll be my treat."
Without looking at him, (Y/n) nodded. "I'd like that," She said.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps racing down the hall became louder and louder the closer they became. Both (Y/n) and Zhongli turned towards the doors as they were pushed open by none other than Hu Tao herself.
"Yo! (Y/n)!" She said excitedly, "Wanna come with me to run some errands?"
Feeling a bit reluctant, (Y/n) turned to Zhongli.
In turn, the man met her gaze. "The fresh air might do you good," He encouraged her, "I implore you go."
❦
A breeze crashed gently into (Y/n)'s face as Hu Tao pushed one of the large double doors open with her back. She used her legs to hold it open, waiting until (Y/n) passed through to slip away and let it close on its own.
When the brunette skipped to her side, (Y/n) glanced her way to speak. But before she could, a gust of wind blew harshly past them. The sudden push made both of them raise a hand towards their face.
Holding onto her hat, Hu Tao peeked upward towards the empty space in front of them. There, a swarm of glittering light manifested into physical form.
Strands of hair with dark shades and teal undertones were swept along a porcelain face. His skin glowed like snow in broad daylight, and his lips were a match to the color of his cheeks. A violet diamond rested like a crown on his forehead. It was obvious he was favored by the sun and everything in his orbit, including the wind.
Hu Tao slowly let her arms fall to her sides. As she eyed him excitedly, a smile made its way onto her face.
"You're looking a little paler today," She teased the stranger, her voice loud and clear, "Still got a pulse?"
(Y/n) turned her attention towards the girl, wondering who she could be talking to. That was when she took notice of the man standing before them and glanced up.
"As if I'd let you be the one to place me at rest," His voice was low with a flat tone.
As Hu Tao's giggle filled the atmosphere, time seemed to move slowly to still as the man met (Y/n)'s gaze. His golden-like eyes widened briefly as they explored hers, almost as if they'd seen them somewhere long ago.
And without saying a thing, he moved onward.
His figure broke down with each step he took; dissolving into fine, silken strands of light. By the third or fourth step, he had dispersed to the wind without a trace to be left behind.
(Y/n) stared at the spot where the man once stood. "...Hu Tao. Who was that?" She asked.
The brunette blinked her eyes a few times. "Oh, him?" She referred to the man, "That was the Adeptus Xiao. Ever heard of him?"
Shaking her head, (Y/n) responded with a soft, "No".
Placing both hands on her hips, Hu Tao followed her line of sight. "Yeah, he comes around sometimes. Doesn't stay long either," She explained, "Though, he left rather quickly this time around."
The girl surmised he was rather shy upon noticing (Y/n), who in his eyes was a complete stranger.
"I feel like I've seen him somewhere..." (Y/n) muttered to herself. Flashes of a dark night and glowing eyes came to mind.
"What was that?" Hu Tao leaned towards hers. She hadn't heard (Y/n) the first time.
But instead of getting an answer, (Y/n) chose to dismiss the strange feeling in her chest.
"It's nothing," She sighed, "Never mind."
Hu Tao just smiled in response. She took (Y/n)'s hand in hers, pulling her along as she picked up a pace.
The two disappeared beneath the setting sun who watched over the sea and land in peace. Listening to the laughing crowds and chatter of folk down every street in Liyue Harbor.
FIFTY SEVEN