Thread by @Daine_93

#ZhongChi #鍾タル
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Ajax walked with a limping leg in the middle of the crowds.

His right hand's holding the wound in his right abdomen, making his coat soaked in blood.
Those azure eyes of his were looking at his path blankly, until he saw a family of five across him. Happy.

A tightened sensation weighed his heart as his mind remembering his siblings far away in the north.

The children were beautiful, hugging and teasing each other while the youngest stayed in their mother's arm. Very much like him, Teucer, and Tonia when they were little.

Until he fall to the -----
Ajax bit his lips in horror.
What happened after that jolly experience made his breathing turned rapid, filling his lungs with the cold snow that burning his nose and slowing his thought.

He still remember clearly how he was crying in his room,

locked by his parents as they were celebrating without him.

He could only hear them from his room. Laughing and eating together in a warm and jolly supper. Sound of clinking glasses, a torn wrapping paper, christmas carols, and tons of thank yous accompanied his sobbing.

Even now, those memories still lingered in his mind. Torturing his heart with longing and the question:

Why?

"... Khh," Ajax cleared his throat as he walked away. The blood from his wound starting to dropped down his fingers, painting the white road of busy Liyue Harbor with

dots of red and his footprints. Those dulled eyes turned darker as he saw many families in the same manners, laughing happily and warmth to each other.

If they can have it, why can't I?
He thought while lowering his gaze to his feet, avoiding all of that scenery that

made him more envious.

Christmas is not for him.

It will never be.

"Ugh," Ajax leaned on his front door, trying his best to keep his consciousness as dizziness starting to take over. He took out his hand from the coat and staring blankly at his bloody hand.

It doesn't matter anymore.
Screw it.

He idly opened the key of his door and switch the nearest lamp with his other hand, making the lively decorated living room that full of people greeted his eyes.

Ajax blinked in confusion.

"Surprise!!"

Thunderous claps and cheered from

his intruders blasted his ears, making his shoulders jolted by that sudden loud voices. He could see most of the guests are his Mondstadt colleagues: the sweet Barbara, his loud friend Kaeya, the energic Bennet, Traveler, and lastly the one

whose presence has made this surprise more remarkable.

Zhongli.

"Goodness! Ajax, you are hurt!" Barbara immediately approached him and healed his bleeding wound. The cheering noises from before quickly turned into gasps.

And the rest he heard was muffling noises.

He stared blankly in each one of them, still shock with their surprised.

But as his chest tightened up, he could feel something warm streamed down his eyes.

His vision turned blurry.
Their smiled gone.
And his laughter streamed in the air.

Ajax laughed loudly as tears kept streaming down his eyes, making him looks like crying in laughter. All of the attendance just stared blankly at his face, not knowing what to do.

But when Kaeya started to laugh nervously, the other just follow along.

Melting the tense atmosphere from before.

"This must be because of Bennet's bad luck, I got stabbed by stag on my way home!"

"What--that's not even a stag's horn wound!"

"How can you know that?"

And the ginger just teased the youngest boy in the room, making the other laughed

along as Barbara still healing his wound.

The feast, the games, the dances, the presents, those are his perfect first Christmas experience.

He even dueling a carol with Barbara that oddly ended in a draw.

All of the things he could only imagine and listened are now happening.

And as the night almost end, they closed the party by singing classic carols he longed to sing.

He let his voice out, giving all he could in every note and blended well with Barbara's voice. He could see Zhongli swung his body along across them, with a smile on his face.

How it was magical.

And when the guests were sleeping in front of the fireplace, Ajax could only smile widely like a child.

His feet swung as he hold his ginger milk near the hallway, leaning on the wall with bright christmas tree beside him.

It was a peaceful and warm christmas night.

All is calm and bright.

"Not sleeping yet?" Ajax turned his head to the man behind him, looking straight to his golden eyes with smile still hanged on his lips. "I'm still enjoying my milk."

"I see." Zhongli said as he crossed his hands on his chest. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes." Ajax let out several chuckles. "All thanks to you."

"Me?"

"Aether told me what happened. You were the one who asked him to gathered them here, didn't you?"

The former god smiled shyly. He looked at Ather who slept peacefully between Bennet and Kaeya, with the grey boy's

feet on his chin and Kaeya's long hair covering his face. "Even thought I've told him to keep this between us."

And both of them silent.

Ajax played with the edge of cotton marshmallow scarf he got from Barbara, pinching the fluffy texture of it as his eyes staring at the

the dancing flame on the fireplace.

And when he was going to walk, Zhongli hold his hand. Making the ginger looked at him with question in his eyes.

He could see hesitation on those amber, a sight he rarely seen from the mighty deity.

But when he saw a mistletoe hanged

above their heads, Ajax could felt both of cheeks slowly burning.

Is it what like what he thought?

"I was.. Thinking that I was surpassing the border." the brunette said in whisper. "But the more I thought about the stories you've kindly shared to me, I can't hold himself."

"Hold to what?"

"Making you feel.. Experience, the things you wanted dearly." Zhongli moved closer. "I'm.. Sorry."

"Why must you?"

"I.." Zhongli blinked his eyes. Ajax curled his smile as he could hear a gentle piano playing behind them, must be by one the boys.

But he didn't care.
The mood was right.
And he knew what Zhongli wanted to say, adding more joy to the day he has long despised.

The ginger took a glance at the mistletoe above as he move closer, feeling the warm and minty breath from the man before him. Those soft glance

that avoided his eyes, the nervous bite on his lips, those rosy cheeks that blended with the warm light from the fireplace.

He never thought seeing him like this.

So, he moved closer and switching his look between Zhongli's lips and eyes.

"I thought it should be me to said sorry. We're worshipping other god while you're here."

"It's your right. And I'm no longer a god." Zhongli's eyes twitched as he realized how close they're now, adding more nervousness to his face. "I'm just like you."

"And?"

"Pardon?"

"And?" The brunette hold his breath as he understood what the ginger meant. He could see how that once dulled eyes have found their lights, shining brightly and make his smile more radiant than ever.

Those words that hanged on the edge of his lips tickled the deity's mind to let go. Making him surrender to the gentle whispers that has stayed on his mind for months.

Slowly, he took Ajax's hand and make their noses touched in a slow and gentle move. Making their warmth

complementing each other.

"I like you."

And Ajax pressed their foreheads together. Letting the gentle ticklish sensation roamed from their skin, making both of them closed their eyes with fingers intertwined below.

"I like you."

Zhongli repeated it breathlessly.

The ginger before him rubbed their noses gently, making his tense muscles loosen by that unexpected act. "And I love you."

Zhongli now looked at his eyes. "Then I love you most."

"Okay, you win."
Both of them chuckled happily, feeling both relieve and embarrassed

on their own words
As he captured Zhongli's gaze switching again between his eyes and lips, Ajax tilted his head. Giving the man before him permission of what he had in mind.

And with a gentle touch on his cheek, Zhongli sealed their new bond with a kiss.

Their lips met in a chaste touch, sharing their warmth and heartbeat as Zhongli pulled his body closer to his. And as Ajax ended their kiss to start another, he saw Barbara smiling on the piano with hands danced beautifully on the keyboard.

Ajax happily took the new kiss

with smiled in his lips, rounding his arms around Zhongli's back as the older man curled his lips against his.

Wrapping his now lover first jolly christmas with a tender & warm hug.
He must do the next one better than this.

Maybe with his siblings visiting as another surprise.

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Fin
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I just realized the original texts were missing while I'm in the middle of church service. Sorry for the late update, it was supposed to be uploaded in a whole post.

But anyway, wherever you are, wishing you a happy holiday and Merry Christmas!

Sending lots of loves,
Daine

🎁🎄✨️