A/n: jaiwjwwj Felt that, fr though where can we find a man like him pls. got me googling Zhongli bf. Anyways - this may be one of my favorite drabbles for him :') Made some changes the scenery, hope you don't mind. I hope you enjoy it! Thank you for the request too! <3 and- Happy Birthday, Zhongli!!🌙✨
Contents: fluff, use of (Y/N), gender neutral
The towering figure stopped halfway across the bridge, his brow rising in inquiry as he turned his body to look at you.
"Yes? Is something the matter?" The deep soft timbre of his voice called back, alluring and warm, welcoming in all the senses of the word. Yet, your heart picked up its beat unusually so, and you knew the reason why. He saw the concern lay in your eyes, mingling with other emotions he could not recognize in the moment and the downward tug at your lips had his heart clenching. A flurry of thoughts hailed in your mind and it took effect on your body, tensing your shoulders and your hands you held together. Zhongli fully turned to face you, closing the distance between you and giving you an even more worried look when he heard your nervous chuckle.
"I have.. something to tell you. Will you please listen to me? I will not hold you for much longer, but I simply need to get this off of my chest" - you spoke at long last after clearing your throat, the nervous smile not quite reaching your eyes, and surely being the opposite of convincing. You look up at him, finding him nodding firmly, the answer already inscribed in his eyes before he even said it - “Of course, I will always hear you out”.
And there it is again, the pipsqueak voice at the back of your mind, screaming in anticipation and cheering and causing a cacophony of sounds you couldn't focus on all at once. His gloved hands brush against yours as he takes them in, brushing his thumbs over your knuckles in hopes to comfort you, to ease whatever burden that weighs your soul down. “What troubles you, my dear..?”
A faint choked sound rasps against your throat before you forcefully clear your airways again, smiling all the while as if to comfort both of you. “I just.. have been feeling very odd recently… And for a while I didn't know why, it confused me a lot and it was the reason why I was so.. blue and distant, I suppose I can describe it like that. But now, I believe I know the reason why. And I am ready to confront it” - you began, voice evened out but breath shaky. Zhongli nods again, patient. You wanted to continue, but a ship with no wind is a slow one, and the light shine of relief in Zhongli's eyes acts as a further anchor. After a pause he dares to be pushy - “Well, what is it?” And the look on his face is hardly the face of a hard man some described him to be.
Staring at him, locking your eyes onto his - those eyes you loved so dearly you dreamed many a night of them - you can see concern fill in them once more. But he is keeping his composure. For you. And warmth floods you with that thought, setting fire beneath the soles of your feet and adrenaline flows through your veins.
“Zhongli..” you breathe out. His head perks up again at the call of his name and he blinks at you when your palm rests against his cheek. It felt too sudden, but it felt right.
“People say you go alone if you want to go fast, don't they? I heard it a long while ago.. And until now I went by that.. But lately, I found myself questioning my ways, my routine and if that is really what I wanted. The reason I was not feeling myself was because I was uncertain of my emotions. .. Not simply for my work and life, but for a certain someone. Because, people also say.. you go together if you wish to go far. Never have I thought of it that much. But having met you, and spoken to you night after night and day after day, sharing drinks and food and stories and so much more, I came to understand I wanted to go far with you, Zhongli. And you.. You may deny it but you are the best thing that I have come across in my life, you have a big heart, and you never looked quite as handsome and beautiful as you do under the moon- Zhongli…” you pause to breathe, and only then notice the faint appearance of a smile across his lips while his eyes widened. You hurry, perhaps nervous your courage would flee or that he would interrupt you, for you failed to feel the way his grip tightened on you, and his eyes glazed the more you spoke.
“I wish to love you, and to be with you and be loved by you…if you are to accept it. Forever, if we can. Until the hills go flat and until the rivers dry and it snows in summer.. I love you, Zhongli” - you finish, but wish to speak more as you finally found your winds, propelling you onward. But as you go to open your mouth again, the man before you takes your hands in his again and brings them to his lips. Peppering them with kisses he silences you and chuckles, in disbelief at what his ears reported to him. His heart is racing just as yours is - a heart of stone is a heart nonetheless, and you unearthed it long ago.
“In all my years.. and not a single confession as pure as this..” he muttered, smiling against your hand before he brought your knuckles to his forehead, cherishing the feeling and subtly praising you with the gesture. “(Y/N), you truly mean what you said?” he asked softly as he picked up his gaze.
“Of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't have given my breath to those words.. I mean every word.” with that confirmation his eyes shined, and for a moment you thought you saw tears reflect on his lash line. Not only have you ignored your heart and breath, but you failed to notice the tears that gathered in your eyes. Zhongli brings his hands beneath your eye and sweeps his thumb under it, being so gentle in doing so.
"I've been mortal, or so I wish I could say certainly…But some part of me is mortal now, I'm no longer like my fellow Adepti.." - he chuckled faintly, the words slipping off of his tongue like honey even in his light unease. His hands held yours, letting them hang between your bodies languidly as he gazed down at your eyes. Not even the silver lamp of the moon could hide the darkening of your cheeks, but it made it all more endearing to watch for the old Archon. “My dear (Y/N)...” he sighed softly, looking at you in pause as you wondered of his answer.
“I love you, as well. And wish to spend my days with you, as much as time allows it. I never would think you shared the same feelings as I, truly - but for once I am more than joyous to see how foolish I was.. in a way. But I could have held you sooner if I thought about it and if I came to you before about this... (Y/N), will you be with me? Be mine?”
Your eyes widened, and your grin spreads up to your cheeks and his own expressions reflected the crinkling of your eyes, the pure mirth that shined. “Yes! I will, I…” you exclaim, perhaps a bit too loudly for the quiet environment, but you knew that the only witness to your love now was the full moon itself, and you knew the moon wouldn't mind.
“May I, then?” - he inquired, his hands sliding to your waist and like puzzle pieces coming together, your arms circled his neck out of pure nature. The affection didn't feel foreign nor strange. It felt homely. It was warm and made you crave more. No other embrace you gave him felt as wholly as this, now with both of your emotions on display.
He sees you nod, and your eyes tell him all else. Zhongli dips his head down and you meet him halfway, brushing your lips against his as well as your nose, before molding your lips into one.
Ⓒ n0tamused. Do not repost, translate, edit, and/or copy any of my works. Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated.
