7 reasons to love Zhongli
a/n: I'M SORRY AAAAAAAAA. the original idea was drawn by my friend ray, @/kageyumii on instagram. she's a lovely person and you can go check her out! therefore, idea credits not from me. i have her permission to write this :o) also pls dont let this flop huhu
warnings: TW/CW: angst, death
char.: platonic xiao + zhongli [father figure zhongli]
notes: i made xiao a touch more childlike here, and not just stone faced. he may be ooc. zhongli may also be ooc here. screams. also: please try to read through the whole thing! i know it's a bit lengthy but i worked really hard on this TuT
While I am able to see demons, I tend to be able to see other things as well – non-humanoid things. One day, I woke up with the ability to see numbers above people's heads. Though I wasn't quite sure what it represented at first, I kept seeing them all around me.
I remember that Lumine had more than 25,000+ on her forehead. On the other hand, Childe had 19,047. As each day passed, the number decreased. I didn't know what it represented, so I never exactly gave a thought about it... I had other things on my mind, anyway.
However... the person who has the least amount of numbers.. is my Xiansheng, Zhongli. I've been serving him for as long as I can remember, after he had released my contract from my old master. I saw him as my father figure, and there were many reasons why I loved Zhongli.
Zhongli is Zealous of the world around him.
"Little one, look at this. Isn't it wonderful?" He asked, a gentle smile gracing his tired face and a finger pointed at a blue butterfly. Zhongli outstretched his hand and the butterfly landed on his palm.
"Yes, Xiansheng. It's pretty." I replied. He carefully led the butterfly onto my palm, the creature twitching and eventually flying away.
"Haha, it's alright. There are many butterflies here. We can find another one."
There was the number 7 embedded on his forehead.
Zhongli is always Helpful – not just to me, but to others around him.
"Mr Zhongli!" The eccentric director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlour ran towards us. We were on another walk that day.
"Do you need something, Hu Tao?" Xiansheng asked, not unkindly.
"I may have gotten into trouble with the millelith. Again. I"m sorry, I didn't mean it!" Hu Tao pouted.
"Alright, alright. Let's go talk to JiaYi and see if we can figure something out." He signed.
There was the number 6 embedded on his forehead.
Zhongli is always Optimistic. No matter what.
"Xiansheng... help. It hurts." I sobbed softly, Xiansheng stroking my back. My karmic debt was high, and so was the pain that came from it.
"It'll be alright, Xiao. I promise. One day, the pain will finally stop." My body trembled against his, his body heat warming my cold one.
"It hasn't stopped... for centuries. Please, make it stop." I begged. He held me close, my shaking body held still in his gentle grip. He was the one that I went to for everything, and I trusted him with my life.
"It'll be okay, little one. It'll be okay."
There was the number 5 embedded on his forehead.
Zhongli has really Nice hugs.
"Xiansheng.. do you think Liyue will be okay? After Osial and the passing of Rex Lapis?" I asked. My anxiety flared up after trying to protect Lumine and the entirety of Liyue after what happened with Childe and Osial. And what had happened at the Rite of Descension.
"I have faith in the Qixing and the adepti. It will be alright." He wrapped an arm around me.
I'm not a tactile person, but Zhongli seems to get me in a way no one else does. It's... strange. It's as if I can trust him with everything in my life – I'm safe.
"Alright then. If anything, everyone's here to help out. Call my name, and I will be there."
There was the number 4 embedded on his forehead.
Zhongli is a Good listener.
"Do you... do you think I'm overreacting to this? Forgive my abrasiveness, but I don't know what I should be doing in terms of her. Forget her? Keep her closer than before? Argh, these mortal feelings... they astound me." I growled softly. The traveler has been... good to me, lately. Feelings have grown and our bond has tightened.
"No, it's alright. It's natural. The two of you have spent a lot of time together lately, it's only natural that you start liking her more and more. Whether it be platonic or romantic."
"Isn't it strange, though? That we adepti are still capable of feeling things we need not feel?"
"No, it isn't. You can have feelings for them, Xiao. It's perfectly alright to do so." He smiled.
There was the number 3 embedded on his forehead.
Zhongli is Laid back and he takes things slowly.
"Xiansheng, we need to go. The others are waiting for us." I looked at him. We had stopped at a teahouse for a while now, and I was itching to go. I couldn't sit still for long.. not when others needed my help. Mortals were fragile, after all.
"It's alright, Xiao. We should take our time – intricate beauties don't come often after all." He replied, pouring himself another cup.
"Are you sure? It would be nightfall by the time we come back to Wangshuu Inn."
"Then we will come back at nightfall. Calm down, Xiao. The monsters aren't going anywhere." He chuckled, bringing the cup to his lips again.
We spent the rest of the evening at the teahouse, and indeed came back at nightfall. It was alright, though – Xiansheng kept stopping to point out the butterflies and lizards and squirrels.
I noticed that there was the number 2 on his forehead.
Zhongli is an Ideal leader.
"What do we do now?" I asked, bandaging my wounds. A mitachurl had attacked us at Cujie Slope, and had wounded us rather badly. Xiansheng and I barely had any energy left.
"Don't worry. I'll teleport us back – focus on bandaging your wounds. If untreated properly, it may cause you even more pain."
With that, he teleported us away, back to Liyue Harbour. Baizhu immediately ran out to get us, me wincing in pain.
"It's okay, Xiao. Can you stand for me?" Zhongli helped me up, supporting my shoulder.
It took a few hours for my leg to heal, but Baizhu and Qiqi managed to heal it as much as possible. Zhongli stayed by my side through it all, though.
I saw a number 1 on his forehead.
"Xiansheng... did you know that you have a number on your forehead? I've been seeing them since last month... it's been decreasing by each day. Do you know what it is?"
"Hm? What number is it today?"
"1... I think I want to tell you something, Xiansheng. Seven letters... seven precious letters."
"You can tell me tomorrow. Rest well, Xiao."
Xiansheng and I fought side by side, attacking hilichurls and plunging our polearms into mitachurls. However, something unordinary struck my eyes. The numbers weren't on his forehead anymore. The '1' embedded into his skin was gone. I stared at it, confused – and that was my mistake.
"Xiao, watch out!" Zhongli cried.
Everything became a blur as I was thrust aside, and the mitachurl's weapon was plunged into his chest.
"No!" I screamed – Zhongli, Zhongli, I'm sorry! I was careless! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid – I'm sorry! I watched helplessly as Zhongli laid there, panting and breaths tumbling out of his mouth.
Screaming with rage, I struck the monster one last time, the being disintegrating into fine dust.
"Zhongli, Xiansheng, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have been more careful, I should have been alert, I'm so sorry!" I sobbed, hunching over his body.
"Shh, Xiao. It is alright." He looked up at me, smiling gently.
"But it's not! You're dying, and it's my fault, Xiansheng. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! If I could take the blade, I would!"
"Xiao. Listen to me. I knew that this day would eventually come, and I'm glad that it was me, not you. You still have a life ahead of you. And I think I realised what the numbers meant. Those were the days I had left." Zhongli reached up to stroke my cheek.
Stupid, stupid, stupid! If only I had realised it sooner, I could have- I should have done something!
"I think... I might rest now, little one. Our time has been enjoyable – do not forget me, alright? Shh, do not be troubled. None of this is your fault, Celestia has called me back home. It will be alright. Goodbye, Xiao. Thank you."
"Good.. goodbye, Xiansheng. Thank you." I pressed my forehead to his as his body went cold and limp on mine. That's it. He was gone. Centuries of memories with him would replay in my mind from then on.
Seven letters, Xiansheng.
Those were my seven letters to you. I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.
wooooo thanks for sticking until the end! it was pretty long! sigh i hit xiao with another angst afhjskgfkdj im sorry TuT pls don't let this flop, like/rb if you liked this! fluff fic out tmr <3
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