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One of favorite chapters to write <3
Warning: Very explicit language.
Standing atop the mountain, Childe was forced to stare at the man in front of him again. Zhongli continued to avert his gaze, his eyebrows furrowed, sadness spread across his face, painted and etched into every corner of the flawless body he inhabited. Childe felt his throat close up, frustration, anger, fear, flooding him. The bridge of his nose burned and his vision began to blur, the muddy skies seemed to stare at him, laughing at his foolishness. If it was anyone else, he would've killed them the moment he knew of their betrayal. But he had never opened up to anyone else. Anyone else besides Zhongli. He felt like a kid again, wandering into the Abyss, innocent, and naive. But Childe knew that he was no longer that kid. He knew that the only resolution he knew to everything was fighting. And that was what he was going to do.
"I'm not joking when I said I would kill you." Childe muttered, turning his back to Zhongli.
"You won't." Zhongli replied solemnly, behind him.
Child snapped around, furious.
"You—" He dashed at Zhongli, a Hydro dagger in hand, as Zhongli sidestepped surprised, last second. With a snap of his fingers, the dagger materialized into two long swords. Childe clenched onto them, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. Zhongli clicked his tongue, a golden spear appearing in front of him. He gracefully kicked it into the ground towards Childe, sending it spinning towards him. Childe leaped aside, sending a ripple of Hydro towards Zhongli. Zhongli put one hand out, a Geo shield appearing in front of him, staggering back slightly on the impact of Childe's attack. The spear returning to Zhongli in a boomerang, he made his first attack.
With one stamp of the polearm, he summoned a geo pillar from the ground, narrowly missing Childe.
"Nice try—" Childe began before getting hit by a wave of Geo damage radiating from the pillar, flying back.
"Shit." Childe coughed out, wincing at the bruise beginning to form by his hip. Dissipating his swords, he took up a Hydro polearm.
"Now, we are even." He laughed, lunging forward. His spear clashed with Zhongli's in a series of movements where the two went back and forth repeatedly. Zhongli sidestepped calmly, but Childe could tell his breath was getting heavier.
"It's kind of funny, how we are back, huh?" Childe gasped, sparks flying as Zhongli's spear clashed with his centimeters from his face. "Except this time we really did fuck." Zhongli's flashed flushed for a second, as Childe took the opportunity, the side of his polearm grazing Zhongli's cheeks. Blood gushed out, dripping down Zhongli's face. "So you are still somewhat human. Not that I didn't know that, in bed, anyways."
"Childe." Zhongli spoke out, his golden eyes piercing into Childe's glowing blue ones as his face shaped into a scowl that Childe had never seen before. Childe grinned, his intentional provocation working. He quickly created distance between them, made a bow, shot it into the air, and with his hands, shaped the water into a whale by command. It slammed Zhongli, full force, knocking him backwards, but like the first time they fought, had no real damage on his shield. Childe tried switching weapons, this time to a claymore. He hacked at the shield while subsequently dodging Zhongli's swings. On his heaviest swing, the shield cracked, the swing missing Zhongli but the sheer impact tore a diagonal sear through Zhongli's clothes.
But before Childe even had the chance to triumph, he was blinded by a light. Squinting through the light that blinded him, he could see a figure standing in front of him decked in white garment. A new Zhongli stood in front of him, his arms infused with dark brown scales and gold pulsing through them. He was still somewhat human, but the new Zhongli no longer had a melancholy look on his face, and the slits of his eyes appeared from snakelike than human.
"It's my turn." Zhongli spoke, his voice creating a rumble that could be felt all throughout Teyvat. He floated up towards the sky, raising both of his arms and moving them as if he was doing Tai-chi. Childe, stunned, could see the formation of a dragon above him. The dragon roared, the mirage of energy merging with the polearm Zhongli had been using mid-air.
"May Celestia determine your fate."
With that, the polearm shot directly at Childe at lightning speed. Childe help the handle of his polearm horizontally in front of him, the counter unsuccessful as his polearm came flying out of his hands. He closed his eyes and braced for the impact.
At that moment, a flood of regret washed over Childe. He cursed his pride, his irrationality, and his impulsive nature. What was he thinking? No mortal could ever win against Archon. Even among the Archons themselves, Childe knew that Morax was the strongest. The God of War, the Lord of Geo. The very god who helped shape the world that Childe lived in. Childe found it funny how much he pined to be a god, fruitlessly yearning for battle after battle as Tsaritsa's underling hoping that someday he would able take control of this upside-down world and save it from the terrors of the Abyss. His ego had overshadowed his pursuits, and he was going to suffer the consequence of dying at the hands of who he had sought to love.
But perhaps it was justice. The bridge of his nose burned again, but this time he let the tears leak through. They slide down his face, underneath his closed eyelids. For once, he was subject to fate.
There was a huge thud that pierced Childe's ears.
A few seconds past, as the dust of the Earth around Childe began to dissipate.
Childe felt something wet drip onto his battered face. He opened his eyes.
Beside Childe stood the spear, still glowing from the Geo element that coursed through its veins. Zhongli hovered above Childe, his face contorted with sadness, tears flowing out from his dragon eyes.
"I was wrong. I could not—I could not bear it. The thought of a future alone again. I—" Zhongli choked on a sob. Childe reached out to caress the side of Zhongli's face, feeling where the segments of scales merged with human skin. His own tears were also uncontrollable at the point. Childe sat up slightly, his head angling toward Zhongli and inching closer to him. Zhongli met him halfway, their lips connecting briefly before Childe broke away, coughing out blood from internal bruising. Zhongli propped him up.
"The day you killed the family. You nearly killed yourself." Zhongli started, resting the tip of his nail on Childe's forehead. "Here, maybe it's best if you remember yourself."
On contact, the brief memory resurfaced in Childe's mind. Crystal clear scenes replayed themselves in his head as he saw himself slumped beside the Archon statue, battered and on the verge of self-destruction. He then saw the contract between he and Zhongli solidify, the lone sweet flower at the feet of his younger self set into flames as Zhongli disappeared.
Childe opened his eyes again with a gasp.
"I-I still don't understand. Why did you have to hide yourself? What was this plan of yours? What made it so important to you that you had to lie to me and pretend like you didn't understand what the Liyue plan was—"
"Ajax."
Childe shut up, his wide eyes stared at Zhongli.
"I've participated in the killing of more inhabitants of Teyvat than you have, Ajax. I've protected this world and this region for my entire life from the evils that lay beyond but I think that, for the first time, the people of Liyue are strong enough to defend themselves. I also—like you—seek retribution. I think it's time for me to receive it. But I believe that mortality itself is more of a gift than a punishment. And..."
Zhongli looked away, as though embarrassed.
"I had found the person I wanted to spend the remainder with."
"Zhongli." Childe said, placing his hands on both sides of Zhongli's shoulders. "Look at me."
"I understand this may be a little shocking—" Zhongli said, refusing to look at Childe.
"Zhongli!" Childe repeated himself, giving Zhongli's shoulders a slight shake, "Look at me."
The moment Zhongli's head turned around, Childe grabbed the sides of his face, pulling him into a deep kiss. Childe angled his head one way and then another, the contact of their lips sealing the long-standing conflict between two. Childe felt something warm enter his mouth. He opened his eyes. Zhongli had returned to his original human form, and was staring at Childe with an sly expression that was unknownst to Childe.
"Sly" Childe drawled, grinning widely.
"And?" Zhongli replied, the tension between the two unbreakable.
"I like that." Childe leaned in again, this time using his tongue, exploring Zhongli and feeling the pleasure as he felt Zhongli's hands slip under his shirt, feeling his toned chest. Childe did the same, running his hands along Zhongli spine, making him shiver.
"Mmn—Childe—let's not do it outdoors 1,000 ft above sea level."
"Yeah, man, fuck all you want outside but like not in public okay? Have some decency, sheesh." A voice piqued up as Childe and Zhongli sprung apart.
There stood Venti, and beside him, a Xiao who looked disheveled with a loose shirt and messy hair.
"For Archons' sake! Venti!" Zhongli groaned, standing up. "What is it?"
"Hey, chill! I could clearly tell that the earthquake was yours! I know that I'm irresponsible sometimes but that doesn't mean that I'm not a good friend. In fact, we were in the middle of something too, y'know?" Venti huffed, crossing his arms.
"Yeah, you were getting your ass destroyed, that's what it was." Xiao said, smirking.
"No you! Everyone knows that my dick is bigger!" Venti whipped around, stomping his foot on the floor. The two began heckling as Zhongli and Childe stared at the two, dumbfounded.
"Well, we worked out everything." Zhongli said, patting himself down. "And thanks to you, I now have nothing to do."
"Wait, Zhongli, does that mean you are okay with outside s—" Childe began before Zhongli hand covered his mouth, his amber eyes giving off warning signals. "Okay, Okay." Childe said, muffled as Zhongli took his hand away from Childe's mouth.
"Let's go to Wanmin together!" Venti chirped after successfully winning the dick argument. Xiao sulked behind him. "After all, Liyue survived another day!" The green duo began to walk off, leaving Zhongli with Childe again, momentarily.
"Should we go?" Zhongli grabbed Childe's hands, and begin to lead Childe away.
Childe knew that although his life wasn't perfect, that he made many mistakes and suffered for them, the pain was nothing compared to the joy he felt when Zhongli gave him a wide, genuine smile for the first time. Whatever obstacle that lay in from of them, he would overcome.
"You know Zhongli," Childe chuckled, "maybe I should retire and really become a Snezhnayan toy maker."
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"S—Slow down!" Zhongli gasped as the door slammed behind them. Childe's blue eyes gazed at him, with the haze of alcohol. "We should've never let Venti order that many drinks!"
"How slow?" Childe whispered into Zhongli's ears as they made their way to the bed, Childe peppering Zhongli with kisses.
Once on the bed, Childe held Zhongli's face between his hands.
"Tonight...It seems as though you're more beautiful than you've ever been."
"!"
To be continued.
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Questions of the Chapter!
What part of Genshin are you the most curious about?
Which ships would you like to see me write? Any styles you would like to see?
Ch. 11 will be the closure of Bound by Contract, Zhongli and Childe's chapter.
It will consist primarily of a continuation of the "scene" (of course there will be a flickr link with images to an uncensored version, so look out for that!) and when Zhongli gives Childe those chopsticks (if you know, you know). The last chapter will also set up for an individual story above Xiao and Venti's relationship, and maybe introduce Kazuha and Scaramouche's story.
That being said, if you haven't checked Thieve's Heart, please do!
https://www.wattpad.com/story/282742049-thief%27s-heart-kazuha-x-scaramouche-genshin-impact
(or click on the link in the comment!)