Chapter Text
After they got back from Snezhnaya, and after everything was unpacked and back in place, the first thing they did was practically run into each other's arms, Zhongli's adepti features manifesting seemingly out of control.
As always, his tail was loosely wrapped around Ajax’s ankles.
“It's my turn now, then,” she murmured, tracing her fiance’s horns with her fingers. “You got to deal with my crazy family, and now I deal with the adepti.”
Zhongli hummed, “I suppose so. They would probably be upset if I went off and got married without letting them know. Especially to someone who can and will be with me forever.”
She nodded. “Yeah—ok. That is. I can do that. Probably.”
“Are you sure? None of them are my parents, even in terms of chosen family. I could just send them invites when the time comes,” he muttered softly, only a small hint of mischief in his voice, “I know how…much they can be. If the experience would be too overwhelming for you, I will not force it.”
“No, no—it's important to you. I know that. If I could deal with the confrontation with my parents, I can deal with the adepti. Who, y'know, actually care.” She gave a self-deprecating chuckle, “Besides, I know that even if they don't like me, you'll marry me anyways. It's a formality to you, nothing more.”
Zhongli made a pleased sound—it was somewhere between a cat’s purr and the rumble of an earthquake—and the tail around her legs tightened slightly. “Correct. Thank you for being willing to do this for me.”
One of his hands moved to the side of her head, running through her hair and causing her horns to sprout—and her tail right along with them. “Though, I wouldn't be so quick to assume that they will dislike you. Especially if you show up with these visible.”
“Zhongli…” she murmured, leaning into his hand as his fingers trailed along her horns, “You know I don't like showing them to anyone but you and the kids.”
“I am aware, yes. And if you truly do not want to, I will not force you. But,” he paused, seemingly considering his next words, “If I may ask, would you feel better doing so if mine were present, as well?”
She jerked, turning her head to fully look up at him in shock. “You hate having them visible around others more than I do!”
He shrugged. “Perhaps. But it would make the adepti, especially Cloud Retainer, a lot more comfortable around you, which in turn makes fights less likely. I also know you've been trying to get more used to your new less than human aspects and experiences. Using your hybrid form around other non-humans will help with that.”
She buried her head back into his shoulder. Thought about it. Thought about it some more.
“...you'd really have yours out, too?” She eventually asked, voice small.
“Yes, my love. I would have mine out as well, if that's what it took for you to feel comfortable,” he affirmed softly. “The small discomfort I will feel is nothing in comparison.”
“I—” she took a deep breath, head spinning, but she knew what she wanted to say. “I'll do it. It'll—it'll suck, and I'll probably feel extremely vulnerable the whole time, but I'll do it. I'll at least try.”
“Thank you, my treasure,” Zhongli murmured as he leaned down to press a kiss to her hair, “I will be right next to you the whole time. If they say or ask anything inappropriate, we will leave.”
She nodded against his shoulder. “Yeah—yeah I know. I trust you. Just—can you get there first? And talk to them a bit?”
“Of course.”
She felt like she might regret this, but she doesn't vocalize it. She just hides in her fiance's arms and tries her best to calm her anxiety.
~~~~~~
Zhongli walked up the mountain to Cloud Retainer’s abode at a steady pace, letting his mind wander as it often did.
As always, he eventually landed on Ajax.
Sweet, kind, fierce Ajax. A child who survived far more than they ever should've, and an adult who still has a loving heart despite it. Someone who would not only give her life for the ones she loves, but would learn how to live as well. Who looked in the face of all she's been through, of all it did to her, and instead of running away from it, chooses to heal. Chooses to let him guide her, teach her not only how to love herself but how to let others love her.
She felt like she didn't deserve gifts, yet accepted anything he gave her anyways, always responding to his insistence that she deserved it with a mumbled “I know”.
She believed that no one could love her unconditionally, yet listened to him tell her how much he loved her on the daily. All she would do was say she loved him back with a shaky smile on her face.
She trusted him. After everything her family did to her, after everything he did to her, she trusted him. She knew that he only had her best interests in heart, knew that she could ask for things from him, knew that she could call him out if he was making bad decisions.
A lot of the time, Zhongli felt small in comparison to her. Not exactly that he saw himself as inferior; more that he could barely comprehend all that she went through. He had been through many wars, yes, and they had done their psychological damage, but—
He had never seen the abyss with his own two eyes. He never had to sit there and take it as his own blood mocked him, belittled him, and told him he didn't deserve love.
He had been through wars, but he had always had someone right by his side, ready to reach out a helping hand whenever he needed it.
But Ajax? Ajax survived the abyss, and for 11 years, had no one. Her family did not believe her, the Fatui—no matter the Tsaritsa’s attempts to curb it—had used her. She had not felt truly loved since she emerged from that horrible place.
After he had actually met her parents, he wouldn't be surprised if she had never felt loved at all.
That was, of course, until she met him.
Ajax had caught his eye the moment he met her. She was strong and fierce and battle hungry, yet she was also kind and generous and protective. He clicked with her in a way he hadn't with anyone for a very, very long time.
He still carries the guilt for what he did to her, its weight heavy on his shoulders. Even if just for a week or two, he had made her think he was just like the others. Only using her for their own gain, “loving” her with alternative motives.
Just like her so-called parents.
After they made up, he swore to himself that he'd show her that he wasn't. That he loved her no matter what, that she'd have to tell him to herself for him to leave.
Based on the intricate chopsticks sitting in a prized place in his storage room and the ring she always wore on a chain around her neck, that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.
He shook his head slightly, realizing he had already arrived at Cloud Retainer’s abode. He quickly materialized his horns and tail, already mentally preparing for the teasing and prodding he was no doubt about to face, and walked inside.
“Zhongli! Oh, my, you're feeling generous today.” Cloud Retainer appeared in front of him first, reaching out to try and touch his horns as she always did. In response, as he always did, he stepped aside, just out of reach.
“You still have to ask permission to touch them even when they're already out, Cloud Retainer,” he scolded softly, making her squawk in a way that was remarkably similar to the one she made in her true form. “Bah! What're they even out for, then, if not so we can finally interact with them? Morax?”
He hummed, wrapping his tail around his legs before she could accidentally step on it. “I'm bringing a guest today. She is not fully comfortable with showing her own inhuman features yet, so I offered to join her if it would make it easier for her. She accepted, so here we are.”
“Guest?” The voice came from his other side, and he turned to see Mountain Shaper, his avian head tilted to the side in confusion. “Yes, guest,” he confirmed, eyes scanning the entire area to make sure everyone was listening. “You may have heard of her from the people. Her name is Ajax, and she is the recently ascended God of Childhood Dreams.” There was a soft murmuring of recognition and understanding, and he let it die down before he added: “She is also my fiance, and we will be wed in a little under four months.”
The entire mountaintop exploded with noise. He stood in his spot, listening to all the questions screamed at him and letting them get it out of their systems(though a few of the harsher comments made the tip of his tail swish agitatedly). When he felt it had been long enough, he held up his hand, silencing them all. He did hate using their respect for him in such a manner, but they were adults here, and real conversation needed to be had.
“I understand your surprise, frustration, and even to a degree your concerns, but this is not something you can change. Ajax has impacted my life in more ways than you can ever imagine, and this was not a choice I made lightly.” He glared specifically at Cloud Retainer, who had been the most vocal in her distaste for the idea. “She is a wonderful being who I love very, very deeply. I'm bringing her to meet you all because it is tradition that I do so. However, if you do or say anything that makes her uncomfortable we will leave. Immediately. She is being very generous by indulging me in this meeting, and even more so by being willing to show up in a form she is uncomfortable in, all to make you more at ease. Understood?” No one said anything, all looking at him incredulously, but too respectful to truly challenge. “Am I understood?” He asked again, voice considerably sharper.
“Yes, Rex Lapis.” Xiao was the first to break, bowing his head slightly. “I may not understand your decisions, but they are yours to make, and your…betrothed will be treated with all the respect she deserves.”
“Thank you, Xiao,” he praised, very pointedly not correcting him on the title. Xiao’s face soured, and he looked away. After him, the other three quickly followed. Wait…three?
“Have any of you seen Streetward Rambler?” They all shook their heads, as best they could. He hummed. “I wonder what's keeping her.”
“Fetching your wayward fiance, that's what.” He turned around, seeing Ajax leading her by the arm, inhuman features proudly on display. Yet her stiff shoulders and swiftly swishing tail gave away her nervousness. “I was not wayward, I was doing my job,” she corrected indignantly, “A kid needed my help. I don't ignore that. Ever.”
Streetward Rambler laughed, patting her hand softly. “I know, dearie. Let an old woman have your jokes. Besides, you would've ended up very lost without me.” Ajax’s face reddened at the statement, and Zhongli let out a small chuckle. She turned to face him, some of the tension melting off her shoulders.
“She's correct, my love,” he commented, amused. She rolled her eyes, slipping her arm out of the adeptus’ and walking over to him. Naturally, he rested his tail around her ankles.
She made a sound that was almost a giggle, her own tail swishing happily, occasionally brushing his. “Protective old dragon,” she teased. “I am a being of Geo,” he retorted, a deep happy rumble coating his words, “Protectiveness is in my nature. You cannot blame me for treating you like the treasure you are.”
Oh, how he loved when her face flared with color like that. It started in her cheeks, filling in the spaces between her freckles with red, then it spread through to her ears and, if his wording was just right, it would continue down to her neck and chest.
“I—you—you know what, I'm not even gonna acknowledge that,” she spluttered, frantically looking away—presumably to calm herself down—but almost immediately locking eyes with Cloud Retainer.
Ajax broke first, eyes darting around the space before they landed back on him. “B-besides! We're here for you to introduce me to the rest of the adepti, right? We can just focus on that.”
“Of course, my treasure,” he agreed, internally rejoicing at the expression she made as she tried to hold back her reaction. She really was fun to tease. “Why don't you start? Introduce yourself, however you'd like.”
She nodded, that determined expression on her face that was a large part of why he fell in love with her in the first place as she turned to face his adepti. “So—hi? My name’s Ajax, also known as Mechtat’, The God of Childhood Dreams. I don't know if any of you have heard of me, I try to stay out of the spotlight.” Her voice was steady as she spoke; higher-pitched than usual, her voice training was paying off. It sounded lovely. “I'm not gonna tell you the whole story of Zhongli and I—it's long and complicated and has its ups and downs, just like any relationship, but I can promise you that I love him more than anything. And I don't break promises.”
No one else said a word after she said her last. He watched her carefully, looking out for any signs of true discomfort. He wasn't above whisking her away the moment it seemed too tense.
“You say you're the God of Childhood Dreams,” the voice of Xiao cut through it, quiet but harsh. “Recently ascended. What do you do? What do the citizens say about you? What makes you worthy of our Lord?”
Zhongli's shoulders tensed, and he was about to step forward with an even harsher correction when Ajax put her arm out in front of him. “No, I'll answer him.” Her gaze was hard, focused on Xiao and Xiao alone. He stepped back, giving her the stage.
“I ascended a little over a year ago, curled up in the ocean with no idea what was happening to me. It was one of the most painful things I have ever experienced.” All the adepti flinched, gazes flicking to him, silent questions in their eyes. His silence seemed to be enough to answer them. “As I was coming out of it, a faraway voice relayed a message. It told me that my name was Mechtat’, and I was the God of Childhood Dreams, brought forth to protect the youth of Teyvat.” Something in his chest ached as her previously steady voice cracked as she continued. “I had no idea what was going on. I was 27 and suddenly thrown into a position of extreme power that I never asked for, with nothing and nobody to tell me what I was supposed to be doing. For the next week, I was on edge, trying to figure out how to keep my horns and tail hidden without them randomly popping up, and just waiting for something to happen.”
She took a deep breath, then two, and he knew what story was going to tell before she even started it. “On the 8th day, I felt it. That first tug. I didn't know what it was, but—something inside me told me to follow it. Commanded me to follow it. So I did. I fell into an elemental sprint and followed the pull, and before I knew it I was emerging next to a teenager sitting—sitting on the edge of a cliff,” her voice broke, and he could see tears gathering in her eyes. A quick glance at the adepti told him they were all paying rapt attention. Good. “I was so confused, I had somehow changed into these robes, and I couldn't get my features to go away, but- somehow. Somehow, I knew that this kid needed me.” He heard her breath shake as she tipped her head back, trying to combat the wetness in her eyes. “I walked up to them, sat down next to them. They only flinched a little bit when they noticed me. They asked my name. I told them it was Mechtat’. I asked them what they were doing up there. They—they told me that they felt like their life wasn't theirs anymore, and that they didn't know how they'd make it to the plans they'd dreamed of since they were little. That it almost felt like ending it all would be easier than trying to reach them.”
At that, everyone except her—even Zhongli, still not used to it after hearing it too many times to count -took in a sharp breath. No one ever truly thought about children in those positions.
“I talked them off that ledge.” Ajax stated after a few seconds, voice confident despite the tear tracks on her cheeks. “I got them off that cliff, got them to let me walk them home and got them to promise me to chase those same dreams they were about to throw away alongside their life. That is what I do. It isn't always as extreme as that—sometimes all it is is getting a little child to keep drawing, even if it feels hard to get the shapes right. But I keep people's hopes and dreams—the ones they've been carrying since before they could even remember—alive. And the world would be nothing if people didn't have their dreams.”
Now, there was silence. He walked up behind her, feeling the slight stubble on her cheek as he nuzzled against it, the fabric of her robes silky under his hands as he placed them on her waist. “You're doing wonderfully, my love,” he whispered, close enough to feel the heat of his own breath. She leaned into him, and he felt the next steadying breath she took. “I know,” she whispered back, “But thank you for telling me, anyways.”
The silence continued for a beat, all he could hear being the slightly strained breathing of his mate and her ever-steady heartbeat. Then Xiao cleared his throat.
“I…I apologize,” he said, tense and halting, “That—my questions were in bad taste. Thank you for answering to the best of your ability, regardless.” Zhongli hummed; it was progress, if nothing else. He wasn't one to expect miracles.
Ajax, on the other hand, simply snorted. “You're so polite,” she commented, then flashed a grin that reminded him just where she gained and mastered the power that forced her ascension with her next words; “Spar me sometime and we'll call it even, yeah?”
Xiao’s face scrunched up. He looked over at Zhongli. “She freaks me out,” he blurted. By the look on his face immediately after he said it, it was supposed to remain inside his head. Ajax burst out into laughter, wiggling her way out of his hold. “Well, that's one way to dissolve tension,” she commented, some leftover giggles still present in her voice.
“Look. I get it, I get why you're weary of me. Weary of the commitment Zhongli—your Lord is making. But we've been through so much together, screamed and fought and hugged and made up. He's taught me things my family should've but didn't, and I've taught him a few things myself. We're two imperfect beings, not quite human but desperate to fit in with them.” Suddenly, his eyes caught hers. Emotions flooded into his chest, catching all the ones swirling like whirlpools in her gaze. “But even though we don't, not quite, not ever, we fit in with each other. We've found peace with each other. And he's been there for me every step of the way, no matter where my path goes.”
She smiled again, dulled but still with an underlying sense of unease, and he had never been more in love with her. “I knew that coming into this, none of you would like me. Not at first. And usually I'd run from that, fearing that Zhongli would leave me for it, but—well. He wouldn't. We're here as a formality; he wants you to like me, but no matter how this ends, we'll be under that altar in 4 months' time, saying our vows and binding ourselves together for eternity. He's been trying to convince me that he loves me unconditionally since we started dating. I'm finally starting to believe him. So you have two options here—” her smile got sharper here, and he could almost understand what ‘weak in the knees’ meant, “—you either try to learn how to deal with me, maybe we'll find things in common that none of us even thought of, or you sit in your hatred for change and miss out on learning exactly why we're so eager to be married. You all pick.”
There was silence for a long moment, the adepti all in shock. Zhongli watched on with pride; Ajax really was learning how to be confident. In him, in their relationship, and in herself.
It made her all the more alluring, in his eyes.
The silence was broken with the start of a slow clap. When his—and everyone else's—attention snapped to the source, they found it was Streetward Rambler. “Bravo, child,” she praised, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Real spitfire, you are. Reminds me of a certain someone when she really got going about humans, eh Morax?” And oh, that comparison made something deep in his chest ache in a way he couldn't explain. “You're not wrong, old friend,” he agreed conversationally, but by the way Ajax's nose wrinkled slightly, she saw right through him. She always did. “My dearest treasure can have a very sharp tongue when she wants to, but it's never as sharp as her blade.”
The tension seemed to truly dissolve, after that. It seemed Ajax had passed whatever foolish test the Adepti had set out for her in their heads, and Cloud retainer—however begrudgingly—invited her to sit for a meal with them all.
Of course, she demanded that Ajax make a dish from her homeland for it, since her godly name was so clearly not Liyuan. She had laughed, shocked, but agreed with a smile, picking through the ingredients available and moving over to one of the stoves when she had made her decisions.
The adepti took the opportunity to harass him with questions about her and their relationship, all of which he answered easily and thoroughly. Streetward Rambler seemed to be the only one actually enjoying his stories, which he didn't mind. If the others didn't want the full answers, they never should've asked the questions.
Ajax brought over a Snezhnayan dish he had never seen before, which she announced as she set it down on the table. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she winked. “You may be over 6,000 years old, moya lyubov’, but you don't know everything.” The entire table, sans Xiao, let out reluctantly amused chuckles, and Zhongli felt his heart swell with pride and something he couldn't quite name. There might be a chance for her to fit into his family, yet.
After everyone had suspiciously filled their plates and taken their first bite, one by one, they all grumbled out some form of compliment. Cloud Retainer even apologized for thinking that Ajax would burn her mountain down and make something that tasted like feet. It might've been better if she had never voiced that idea at all, but. Well. Progress.
When he glanced over to check on his fiance after that particular comment, she looked like she was trying remarkably hard not to laugh, so he found it safe to assume it didn't phase her. In fact, when she caught him staring, she just mouthed ‘Feet?’. He chuckled softly, mouthing ‘Guizhong’ back. She froze for a second, before relaxing and letting out a little giggle of her own. It was beautiful.
She was beautiful.
“Mor—Zhongli, do keep your gooey eyes away from my table,” Cloud Retainer quipped, breaking his focus. “Really, I understand now that you love her, I’ve heard quite enough about it by now, but this blatant staring is borderline inappropriate.”
He tried to keep his attention on her, he really did, but he knew that Ajax must be blushing such a nice shade at this exact moment. A little glance wouldn't hurt, would it? And oh, it was worth it. Hearing it come from someone else's mouth clearly had a worse effect on her, it had spread down her neck onto her shoulders and he could even see a little bit on her chest between the folds of her robes—
“Morax.”
His attention snapped back to Cloud Retainer. “Apologies,” he stated, trying to at least sound sheepish. “It's a habit of mine, to stare at her. It cannot be helped when she is often the most beautiful thing in the room.”
He heard Ajax practically squeak, and as the rest of the table exploded into different exclamations of varying emotions, he himself stayed quiet, completely at ease.
This? This was what family was. The only thing that would be better was if his treasure could have her little treasures here, too.
Maybe, he mused idly, that wouldn't be too hard to make happen. In the future, at least.
It was something to think about.