my goodness those zhongli headcanons were so lovely!! may i request a follow up to that little scenario, perhaps some caretaking fluff…. i’m not sure who exactly the caretaker would be, childe, dr baizhu, etc etc, i just crave for that lovely man to get some care and comfort and rest ^^;
Hey, sorry this took so long to answer, but hopefully this is what you were looking for! I threw in a little angst, but our beautiful Zhongli finally gets the care he deserves. :)
Disclaimer: MiHoYo is the creator and owner of Genshin Impact and its characters.
Content warning: the following includes mentions of violence and mild description of injury. Read on at your own discretion.
Childe took the damp cloth from Zhongli’s forehead, placing it in the basin and wringing it out.
The young man shook his head at how much heat the rag had soaked up in just a few moments. His fever was getting worse. Baizhu had told him not to worry; he had cleaned every cut and abrasion he could find, while assuring him that a fever was nothing out of the ordinary. Nevertheless, it still concerned him. Zhongli’s temperature had risen significantly in the last few hours and he had no doubt it would continue to do so.
“Here…this should help with your headache.”
The harbinger carefully brushed dark, sweaty locks out of the way before pressing the wet cloth to his friend’s forehead. A soft moan of relief made his heart squeeze just a bit—he couldn’t imagine how much pain the poor man was in.
He placed his hand on Zhongli’s head, numbly stroking through the silky dark locks of hair. Only a few hours prior it had been matted and tangled with dried blood and muck. Baizhu’s little girl had spent over three hours shoving the several feet of hair into a bowl of water, combing through the messy clumps with blank-faced determination. Once returned to its previous satiny state, it was pulled back into a simple ponytail and tied with a pink ribbon.
Though his heart was heavy, Childe couldn’t help but smile at Qiqi’s kind gesture. She had been positive that her favorite hair tie would make Zhongli happy.
“Ugh…” a low grunt from the bed snapped Childe out of his daze. He turned to see two golden eyes squinting ahead as their owner reached out an arm, slowly searching the air. “Childe…Childe, where are you?”
“Hey, it’s okay. I’m right here.” The harbinger gently grasped Zhongli’s hand. “See? I’m still here. Can’t get rid of me that easily.” His smile wavered as shaking fingers clutched desperately at his own. “You’re alright.”
He waited patiently for Zhongli’s feverish brain to convince him that he was really there.
“Childe…” the sick man murmured after a few minutes. He sounded relieved, or tired. “I…please…please…”
“Zhongli? What’s wrong?” He searched his friend’s face desperately, gently tapping his cheek to pull him back. “Are you okay?”
For a moment, the man on the bed didn’t respond. He stared at the ceiling with glazed amber eyes, completely unaware that he was being spoken to. Childe felt his heart freeze over with terror. Was something wrong? He glanced to the door, ready to call for Baizhu.
He didn’t have to, because Zhongli finally spoke.
“Water…please…”
Mildly relieved, the redhead lifted the glass from the bedside table, moving his chair closer to help Zhongli drink. He gently eased his hand beneath the man’s head, murmuring soft apologies whenever he winced. He made sure the patient was steady before lifting the cup to his lips.
“Here you go. Drink slowly, okay?” He kept supporting the other body as his friend took grateful sips of the water. “That’s it. Have as much as you need.” Childe supported him as he drank slowly from the container, helping him lean back against the pillows once he had finished.
“Thank you, Childe.” He muttered weakly. “I’m grateful for your assistance.”
“It’s no problem, xiansheng.” The younger man leaned on the bed, propping his face in his hands. “You always help me when I need it. I’m glad I can do the same for you.”
Zhongli looked pale and tired, but a faint ghost of a smile flickered at his lips.
“It’s just my duty as your acquaintance.”
The two sat in silence for a few moments, listening to the clock ticking or Baizhu’s distant voice speaking to another patient. It was peaceful and quiet, and most of all, it was safe. Zhongli seemed to be comfortable enough; his tattered suit had been replaced with a soft pharmacy robe, and he looked very at peace while he rested. Even just watching him stare at the wall brought such relief to Childe, as well as other feelings he was struggling to push down.
“You had me really worried, you know.”
The harbinger murmured softly, running a hand through his ginger hair.
“You didn’t come back last night. Everyone was starting to get anxious.” The harbinger tugged on one of his black gloves as he chuckled grimly. “Your little yaksha friend was going feral. Practically foaming at the mouth when I brought you back. Archons, you were a sight…” he inhaled shakily.
“I-I don’t understand.” His eyes burned, stinging with a familiar sensation that he shoved away. “You’re the kindest person in Liyue, xiansheng. You listen to everyone, you help whenever you can, you give up everything to make people feel safe.”
His next breath sounded like a sob, but he wasn’t crying yet.
“And those—those cowards. Those worthless roaches who thought they could touch you, thought they could leave you bleeding—“ he slammed his fist against the mattress, hanging his head in dispair. Rage vibrated through every fiber of his being, making his shoulders shake with pure red fury. It wasn’t fair. Of course he had hurt people in the past, but they were imbeciles, useless maggots who challenged the will of the Tsaritsa. Not grubby little thieves who attacked and tormented innocent bypassers, or his friends. He looked up with a storm brewing in his ocean-colored eyes.
“I’m going to kill them, Zhongli. I’m going to kill every last one of those bastards. I don’t care if the Qixing herself throws me in jail to rot over it, I want to kill them all—“
Splash.
He looked down at the cold sensation of Hydro magic swirling in his hands and noticed he had subconsciously summoned his blades. The sharp weapons glinted in the dim lighting of the room, reflecting his angry face almost mockingly. His chest swelled with guilt.
Childe swished them away before turning to apologize to Zhongli, but his friend was fast asleep. His mouth slightly agape, shadowed eyes closed peacefully, his chest rising and falling gently with each breath. Childe sighed deeply, getting out of the chair to sit on the edge of the mattress. He held his head in his hands, letting his mind wander off. The anger cooled as quickly as it had flared up, like a bucket of ice water being thrown on a raging fire.
He glanced at the sleeping body, noticing that Zhongli’s hand was twitching ever so slightly, fingers grasping for something even in his sleep. The harbinger inhaled deeply, before sliding his hand into his friend’s.
“You’re safe now. Sleep well, Zhongli.”
