Chapter Text
Zhongli, for as knowledgeable a man as he is, apparently does not know about certain intricacies of relationships in the present day.
He’s perfectly fine in many aspects of relationship (you know first-hand, considering you’re romantically involved with him), but apparently, disclosing his polyamorous tendencies isn’t something he had considered to do.
Before now.
“I’m elated to see that you’re getting along, Y/N, Childe. It’s a relief to have one’s lovers be amicable towards one another.”
Why exactly Zhongli thought it would be a good idea to drop this bomb on you while you’re sitting across from his other (apparent) lover—Childe, Tartaglia, a goddamn harbinger —is beyond you, but suddenly, you begin to fear for your life.
It’s not that Childe has ever been violent towards you. On the contrary, over the past few months of knowing each other, with Zhongli serving as your common link, you’ve come to like Childe. While his status within the Fatui ranks is a bit off-putting, the two of you get along well whenever your paths happen to cross. There’s never really been any issue between you…until today.
Now, Childe stares at you with cold blue eyes, a mask of indifference shifting into place as he attempts to reign in his shock. However, despite his aptitude for hiding what he’s thinking and feeling, you can still sense the tension that now sits heavy in the air.
Zhongli seems to notice it too.
His smile drops, his golden eyes shifting between Childe—who is wearing one of the fakest smiles you’ve ever seen—and you, who has your lips pressed together, eyes looking anywhere but the Harbinger.
“Have I said something wrong?”
Zhongli cocks his head to the side, concern painted on his face as he regards the both of you. You begin to wonder how long it’s been since Zhongli has been romantic with anyone, and can’t help feeling a bit bad for him. Clearly, he hadn’t intended to upset either of you.
Although, if you’re being honest, Childe is taking this worse than you.
It’s not that you’re not upset at finding out what you and Zhongli have hasn’t been as exclusive as you had assumed. It stings a little to know that Zhongli isn’t solely yours , which is an idea you’ve grown to love, considering Zhongli is a former archon , but at the end of the day, you can’t put all the fault on him.
When the two of you got together, you hadn’t bothered inquiring about his past (or present) relationships.
Clearly, Childe hadn’t either.
“I think…neither of us were, um, aware that you’re… involved with the other,” you tell him, managing a small smile. You can see the realization wash over him.
“Ah,” he says, and you hate how he manages to look like a wounded puppy. “I…I am sorry. I suppose I never considered how relationships in current times favor monogamy over all else. Admittedly, it has been a long while since I’ve found anyone that I am comfortable enough with to initiate intimacy. I apologize if I have offended either of you. That was not my intention.”
“Intention or not, I have to admit I’m a bit wounded, xiansheng,” Childe finally speaks up, leaning forward to rest his elbow on the table. He places his chin in his palm, eyes locking on the archon. “I thought I was someone special.”
Zhongli sighs at his words, and you silently debate kicking Childe for that little comment of his. However, before you can think of acting on your thoughts, Zhongli’s voice fills space between you.
“You are both dear to me,” he admits, his tone nothing but sincere. “Even if your feelings for me have lessened due to my unfortunate lack of foresight, you both will remain close to my heart.”
Zhongli picks up his tea, then, his golden eyes reflected on the surface of the steaming liquid. He’s quiet for a moment.
“As much as it would pain me to lose either of you, I understand if you decide to end your relations with me.”
You feel your heart crack.
How did a perfectly normal, friendly dinner with Zhongli and Childe turn into this??
“No, Zhongli, we—,” you glance to Childe, who is still staring at you with those ocean blue eyes of his, and you hate that you can’t tell what he’s thinking. You can’t speak for him, so you try to change your wording. “I—"
Before you can get the words out, Zhongli speaks up once more.
“However, regardless of my actions, and whether you decide to remain with me or not, I would still like to discuss the matter I intended to tonight. The reason I asked you both here.”
Beside you, Childe sighs and sits back in his seat—his arms crossing over his chest.
“Well, you’ve already dropped the shock of the century. I suppose there’s not much else that will surprise me.”
Taking that as a go ahead, Zhongli places his cup on the table with a quiet thunk. At the same time, you raise your own glass to your lips, feeling quite parched.
“I think that the two of you should copulate.”
And now you’re trying not to choke on the tea you’ve just swallowed.
As you struggle to breathe, turning away to cough into your arm, Childe has the audacity to laugh . Zhongli can only cock an eyebrow at the sound.
“Do you find my words to be humorous, Childe?”
“Oh, yes ,” he admits, placing a hand on his knee as he leans forward, a grin stretched across his lips. He looks a little crazy, like this, and a part of you wonders if the contrast between Zhongli revealing his relationship with you, and then brazening asking Childe to fuck you, has caused the harbinger to go insane.
“I haven’t heard anything so funny since the zombie girl at Bubu Pharmacy sent you on a wild goose chase with the traveler to find a Cocogoat.”
“While I’m glad to see you’re no longer sulking —,” Zhongli says with blatant accuracy, making Childe’s grin falter, and your own lips twitch into a smile. “—my words are not meant to be humorous. I am serious, Childe. I believe the two of you would get along well in bed.”
“And why do you think that, xiansheng?” The harbinger challenges. The two men lock gazes, and you glance around the restaurant, worried that others will overhear Zhongli’s impending response, which will definitely not be suitable for all audiences.
“How about—,” you quickly intervene, pressing to your feet, and forcing a smile at them both. You reach across the table and snatch Zhongli’s wrist, and then kick the leg of the chair Childe is sitting on, ignoring him when he cocks an offended eyebrow. “—we discuss this somewhere a little more private , please.”
“Ah,” Zhongli says, suddenly remembering that the three of you are currently in public. “Yes, I suppose that would be best. Come, you two, we can return to my home before continuing this conversation further.”
With a hefty sigh, Childe stands and begins to follow after you and Zhongli. However, he doesn’t make it more than a few steps before there’s a cough behind him. He turns to find a waitress with the bill in her hand, and an expectant look on her face.
Childe almost groans.
“Really? I still have to pay?”
“You always have before now,” you pipe up. Childe shoots you a glare, but you only smile. Perhaps it’s the fact that Zhongli is currently at your side that emboldens you, because you continue, “What? You suddenly won’t pay because you’re mad that your guts aren’t the only ones getting rearranged? Perhaps your personality is living up to your alias.”
Childe’s face darkens at your comment, his hand jabbing into his pocket for some money to cover the bill, and you decide to hurry along before Childe can get close enough to maim you. Zhongli waits patiently in the street for the Harbinger to finish paying.
“I’m going to kill her,” Childe says, glaring daggers into your back where you’re waiting for the two of them atop the redwood bridge that leads towards Feiyun Slope. Zhongli chuckles, but keeps his comment of “ I don’t believe you would” to himself.
One familiar, yet awkward walk later, you find yourself in Zhongli’s home. This isn’t the first time you, Childe, and Zhongli have gathered together in the space, nor is it the first time you’ve occupied the couch with the Harbinger sitting at the opposite end. But...it is the first time since Zhongli has admitted he’s been fucking the both of you, and because of that, the previous dynamic has crumbled.
You and Childe no longer know how to feel about each other—the playful, friendly atmosphere that typically encompassed your relationship is no more.
“So, you dragged us all the way here,” Childe is the first to speak, his elbow leaning against the armrest at his side as he stares at the ex-archon. “Tell us your logic.”
Zhongli smiles, crossing his legs over one another. He leans back in his own seat across from the both of you. You watch him with bated breath, a part of you curious to know why exactly Zhongli thinks you and Childe should…have sex, while the other part of you wallows in embarrassment.
After all, it’s not every day a man—a god —sits down his two lovers and tries to convince them of their sexual compatibility.
“At first, it was my intent to explain myself, but now that we’re in private, I think perhaps it would simply be better for the two of you to…become intimate.”
“How can you say that so easily?” you ask, baffled, and a little horrified. Your gaze falls on Childe, who’s staring at you skeptically, and your voice hushes further. “He’s…he could snap me in half in a split second.”
Childe sighs and lifts a hand to rub through the hair at his nape.
“Listen…I might be a bit ticked off that I hadn’t realized you and xiansheng are also an item, but I won’t kill you, okay? If I tried, Zhongli would have my head. And as much as I love a good fight, I don’t want him to hate me.”
“So…basically you’re saying you won’t kill me because you don’t want to piss off Zhongli . Glad our months of banter meant so much to you.”
Childe rolls his eyes. Zhongli chuckles, and a beat of silence descends as the funeral consultant simply observes the both of you, his eyes shifting between your bodies.
“Y/N.”
“Hm?”
“Sit on Childe’s lap.”
You almost die at his words, shooting him a look of “are you fucking insane??”. You do feel a bit better since Childe has admitted he won’t flat out kill you, but just because he won’t murder you, doesn’t mean he’s not still upset with you for sharing what he considered to be his .
You’re just about to voice that you don’t think this is such a good idea when there’s a shift at the other end of the sofa. Your eyes nearly pop out of your head when you see Childe adjusting himself to accommodate you.
“What?” he grumbles, reaching over and latching onto your arm. “Xiansheng is stubborn. He won’t leave us alone until we give in.”
He tugs you over to him, and heat rises on your cheeks as you straddle his thighs with your own—your bodies as close as they’ve ever been.
“Are you sure it’s his stubbornness, and not the fact that you maybe have some sort of kinky contract with the Lord of Geo?” you question, the words spilling from your mouth before you can think twice about teasing the Harbinger in his already foul mood. “One that demands you follow his every command, or something like that?”
Childe’s hands find your waist, and he squeezes a little too hard, causing you to wince. You see his lips twitch up at your twinge of pain.
“You say that as if you’re not the biggest cocksleeve between the two of us, girlie.”
Well, if your face wasn’t red before, it certainly is now.
You open and close your mouth a few times, looking very much like a fish struggling for air as you try to think of how to respond, but Childe’s comment has stolen the winds from your witty sails.
For the first time since he found out that you’re also Zhongli’s lover, Childe smiles. (Honestly, it’s more like a cocky, shit eating grin, but you’ll take what you can get).
Seeing that the two of you are once again beginning to get along, Zhongli stands.
“I’m going to prepare us some evening tea.”
Stepping up beside the two of you, Zhongli cups the back of your head and leans down, guiding you into a soft kiss. He then repeats the action with Childe (who definitely chases after him when he pulls away).
“If you are not comfortable with the level of intimacy I have imposed, you may always move. I cannot force either of you into a relationship of romantic, or sexual nature. Nor can I force either of you to continue being involved with me. I only ask that you communicate about what you’re feeling. I would hate to see the two of you begin detesting each other because of a mistake that I made.”
Despite Zhongli speaking of the possibility of losing both of his lovers, he does not seem crestfallen. In fact, he holds himself highly as he exits the room. As if he already expects a favorable outcome.
Once he’s gone, you remember the Harbinger whose lap you’re currently occupying. With a deep breath, you turn to face him.
“Go on,” you say. “Say what you have to. I know you’re mad.”
“Why would I be mad?” he responds, and god you hate this sulky version of him.
“Because I’m fucking Zhongli,” you say bluntly, deciding that you’re tired of trying to be the bigger person tonight. You’ve been keeping it together, considering Childe is obviously upset, and you don’t want to anger him, but this is getting a little outrageous.
Doesn’t he realize you’re in the same boat as him?
“I’m fucking him, and so are you, asshole.”
Childe’s eyes widen a fraction at your name calling, and you huff in frustration.
“I know you’re mad, but don’t act like you’re the only victim here. You think I would be banging an ex-archon if I knew he was also shacking up with a Fatui Harbinger ? I don’t have a death wish.”
Childe snorts, apparently amused, and you sigh.
Reaching forward, you rest your hands on his shoulders.
“So go on, tell me what you’re thinking. You might not want to kill me, but I also don’t want you to hate me. Speak.”
You expect him to admit that he actually is pissed. That for a second, he likely did debate offing you earlier in the restaurant. However, Childe only hums, his thumbs rubbing small circles against your waist where he’s still holding you.
“Why don’t you want me to hate you?”
You blink. That’s…not the response you expected.
“I…well, I mean…I liked our dynamic before now.”
“That’s all?” he asks, suddenly leaning forward. As he closes the space between the two of you, you attempt to widen it—your heart jumping within your chest as you push back on his shoulders. However, Childe easily overpowers you, and with little effort, he uses his grip on you to keep you steady.
“You’ve only liked me for our dynamic, and nothing more?”
He’s just inches from you now, his gaze sliding from your reddened checks, to the pink tongue that pokes out to wet your lips.
“You…you can’t just ask shit like that,” you grumble, turning your head away, so you don’t have to look at the amusement dancing his ocean blue irises. You shift your hips, hoping to create a little room between you and the Harbinger who now seems intent on making you as embarrassed as he can, but freeze when you feel something hard press against the side of your thigh.
Noticing that you’ve gone stiff, Childe grins, and forces you to roll down onto his lap—confirming that yes, he is, indeed, hard.
“This is insane,” you whisper, to yourself more than anyone. You still can’t bring yourself to look at him, and you feel a bit ashamed at how quickly arousal begins to pool in your gut. “At Third-Round you were looking at me like I was the scum of the earth. Now you’ve popped a boner because I’m on your lap? Please make up your mind.”
He laughs, and your heart stutters when he raises a hand and tangles it in your hair, forcing you to look him in the eye. There’s a bit of malevolence in his gaze—a silent vow that he intends to comply with Zhongli’s suggestion to bed you. To find out why Zhongli has taken to you, and why the consultant believes the two of you would be good together.
“Prepare yourself, princess,” he says, noticing the understanding that has settled on your face. You know what he’s thinking without him having to say it, and he appreciates that about you.
“I’m not as gentle as xiansheng.”
With that, he jerks your head forward and steals a kiss. You gasp, fingers digging into his shoulders, but Childe doesn’t lament. He curls his arm around your back, dragging you in until your torsos are pressed together, and his cock is poking at the space between your legs.
“Don’t I get a say in this?” you manage between heated kisses. Childe’s teeth nip at your bottom lip in annoyance, and before you can blink, he has adjusted your position. You now find yourself with your back pressed into the couch cushions, the Harbinger caging you in with one of his arms as the other reaches towards—
You squeak in surprise, attempting to press your legs closed, but Childe’s hand is already there—his gloved fingers pushing against your clothed pussy. He finds your clit after a moment of searching, and doesn’t miss the way your thighs clench around his hands.
There it is .
“So you’re telling me,” he begins, leaning down and connecting his lips to the soft, unmarred skin of your neck. “If I tried to fuck two of my fingers into you right now, your pussy wouldn’t greedily swallow them? I can tell you’re wet, sweetheart, even with my gloves on.”
“I—,” you stutter, frustrated in more ways than one. His teeth skim your throat, fingers rubbing circles into your clit, and you decide to throw caution to the wind. If Zhongli wants you and Childe to fuck, then you’ll stop resisting.
Grabbing Childe by his hair, you tug him back up to meet your lips.
“You’re insufferable,” you huff, whispering the words against him. You spread your thighs, free hand moving between your bodies to palm at his erection, and Childe grins into the kiss.
“And you’re horny for me. A god isn’t enough for you? You’ve been craving the dick of a Fatui Harbinger too? You might be the greediest person in Liyue Harbor.”
“You’re a lot cuter when you shut the hell up,” you tell him, giving his hair a tug. The inkling of pain goes straight to his dick, and he has to admit, he’s beginning to see why Zhongli felt you and he would be sexually compatible.
While sex with Zhongli is definitely enjoyable—the funeral consultant typically isn’t…well, a challenge.
Their love making ranges from tired and soft, to bruising and intense, with both of them finding themselves on the bottom from time to time. But when Zhongli’s the one taking on the submissive role, he tends to comply with whatever Childe demands of him.
There’s no banter, no struggle, no fight. And while Childe is elated by the fact that an archon is so pliant for him, he…misses the challenge.
Now, with you writhing underneath him—struggling to maintain your composure as he slips his hand beneath the hem of your pants—Childe thinks Zhongli, too, had realized what he’d been missing.
The challenge he’s been craving he can find in you.
Perhaps that’s why Zhongli had insisted on the two of you meeting all those months ago, and the reason he had continued to coordinate meals on nights all of you happened to be free. Childe had noticed at the time that Zhongli always smiled whenever you and Childe started bantering with one another, and he had assumed that it was simply because Zhongli enjoyed seeing his company get along.
Presently, though—
Childe listens to your breath hitch as he curls not one, but two digits into your tight heat—sinking them as deep as he can—and a wave of satisfaction rolls over him, only heightening when you grip at his forearm and dig your nails into his flesh.
–Childe’s beginning to think that Zhongli has been planning this for a while.
He can question the former archon later.
Right now, he has a need to see you come unwound on his cock.
“See,” he grins, leaning in to drag his tongue against your neck. “I knew you’d be wet.”
He presses a kiss against your skin, teeth nipping at the unmarred flesh, and you give his hair another tug.
“What did I say about shutting up,” you grumble, biting your lip to stifle a moan when he repeats the action.
You love Zhongli, you really do. Sex with him is never anything less than satisfying, and you think you could wake up next to the man every day for the remainder of your mortal life, but…Childe is a different sort of drug. His cocky attitude and teasing words make you want to fight—to deny him the satisfaction of seeing you submit.
…but when Childe pulls his fingers out of you and shoves a third in without warning, your determination to remain silent—to not give in to how riled up he’s made you—cracks.
A heady groan bubbles in your throat, hips instinctively pressing into the couch cushions to adjust the angle of Childe’s fingers. He chuckles, his hot breath fanning across your collarbone, and he feels his cock strain against his slacks. It’s starting to become impossible to ignore how badly he wants to fuck you. To watch you completely crumble.
And as much as he’d love to spend the next hour completely unraveling you, and making you beg for any sort of release, he doesn’t have the patience.
It’s been a long , emotional day for the harbinger. Between his duties for the Fatui, and his lover’s admission of not being as monogamous as Childe had assumed, he needs a bit of stress relief.
Without warning, Childe’s fingers slip out of you, and you find yourself flipped onto your stomach—your pants sliding down your thighs as Childe finally gets a good look at your sopping pussy. He drags you onto your knees, thumbs pulling your folds apart to view all you have to offer, and more blood rushes to your face.
You half debate reaching back to smack him, but are distracted by two noises at once.
One being the sound of Childe’s zipper sliding down—the head of his dick rubbing against you and gathering your wetness. The other noise is that of the floorboards creaking, Zhongli stepping back into the room just as Childe shoves you full of his cock.
The cry that leaves you has Zhongli’s eyes widening in surprise. However, his surprise soon morphs into satisfaction, a smile stretching on his lips, and his golden irises dancing playfully.
See , his face reads, I told you both you would enjoy it.
Heart thumping wildly, not used to being watched while performing such a lewd act, you curl your fingers into the fabric of the couch and bury your face into the cushion beneath you. Childe, still unaware of Zhongli’s entrance—his attention focused on the space between your bodies, where his cock disappears inside of you—slowly begins rolling his hips forward.
A sated groan bubbles in his throat, his fingers gripping your hips tight enough to bruise. He grinds you back onto his length, forcing you to meet him halfway, and your thighs quiver.
You feel a little shameful at how turned on you are, and the fact that Zhongli’s watchful gaze only fans the flames of your pleasure. The sole reason you’re still able to hold onto a fraction of your sanity is the fact that Childe hasn’t touched your throbbing clit, or located the sweet spot inside of you—
“Here.”
Zhongli’s smooth voice enters the space above you, a gloved hand pressing down on the center of your back. The action successfully forces your chest further down, and your hips higher up, and upon Childe’s next thrust, you actually sob .
Childe momentarily stills.
Completely embarrassed at the sound you had produced, you throw your fist out blindly, and manage to hit Zhongli in the thigh.
“ Bastard ,” you choke, the word coming out more nonthreatening than you had hoped. Zhongli chuckles, his palm rubbing against your hair to comfort you, and then retreats. Childe watches him as he makes his way around the coffee table, back to the armchair he had previously occupied. Without batting an eyelash, Zhongli takes up a cup of the tea he had prepared, crosses his legs, and refocuses his attention on the two of you.
“Well, don’t stop on my account,” he says, bringing the fine chinaware to his lips. “I just did you a favor, Childe.”
The harbinger blinks, his blue eyes returning to you. Experimentally, he rolls his hips once more, and your entire body writhes—knuckles turning white where they’re gripping the upholstery tight enough to ruin it.
Finally, Childe realizes that your cry hadn’t been one of pain, but one of pleasure.
Zhongli had guided him to the angle to wreck you.
Childe grins wickedly, and without bothering to warn you, doubles his pace.
The slapping of skin soon echoes through the room along with muffled moans, and heavy panting. The thrust of Childe’s cock between your walls unravels you a bit further—your sanity feeling like it may slip away—and you desperately continue hiding your face from view.
Apparently, that’s something Childe isn’t exactly privy to.
“C’mon, sweetheart,” he says, his fingers tangling in your hair as he tugs your head back. “No need to be shy in front of your lover, right?”
He purposely angles your head towards Zhongli, whose brilliantly colored irises have clouded over with lust. If it weren’t for his fine control, you’re sure he would have joined the two of you as well. It’s likely that the only thing stopping him is the fact that he wants tonight to be focused on you and Childe, and the changing tides of your relationship.
“ Or— ,” Childe continues after a moment, grinding forward particularly hard. Your breath hitches, an involuntary whimper slipping past your lips, and he laughs breathlessly. “—is it just that you don’t want me to know how good I’m making you feel? If so, it’s a futile effort.”
You release a shuddering breath when he lets go of your hair, his chest pressing against your back as he leans his weight on top of you, pining you to the couch. His lips brush against the shell of your ear, and you feel him smile.
“You’re already dripping onto the couch, after all.”
God, you hate him for teasing. You hate him for how he shoves his cock inside of you until the tip of his length is kissing your cervix, his hips remaining idle as he instead trails his mouth down your neck—stopping along the way to mark you with hickies. You hate him for acting so calm when you can feel his cock throbbing inside of you, begging for you to milk him of his seed.
And most of all, you hate him for making you this horny .
“ Move ,” you grunt, grinding your ass back against him. His teeth nip at your skin in response, causing you to whine, but he gratefully listens.
“Fine, Fine~”
Leaning back, he reclaims his hold on your hips, and begins rocking into you once more. You groan happily, arching your back and squeezing your pussy around him, and you hear his breath hitch.
“Shit,” he pants, his gloved fingers sliding up to grip the soft flesh of your ass. His brows pinch together, jaw flexing as he feels himself beginning to slip. His thrusts become erratic, hips snapping quicker, and while you’re not very far from your own release, you get the feeling he won’t last to see you through it.
So, shifting one of your arms backwards, you wiggle your hand between your thighs and attempt to stimulate your clit. Just as your fingers touch the bundle of nerves, however, Childe smacks your hand away.
“Cum on my dick or don’t cum at all,” he tells you seriously, and you can’t help the sound of protest that leaves you.
Desperately, you clench around him once more, curving your spine to once again find that damning angle, and—
“Fuck ,” you pant, hips jerking as his cock drags over your g-spot. “ There . Please—!”
The sound of your pleading is like music to his ears, and, thankfully, Childe fulfills your wish. He slides his length between your slick walls, hammering into you until your toes curl, and you’re choking on a curse. Your orgasm washes over you, prolonged by Childe’s desperate thrusts, and the harbinger groans .
He loves Zhongli, he really does, but nothing quite compares to the feeling of a pussy—and yours is currently spasming around his cock, driving him crazy.
Breathless, he fucks into you once, twice, and again, before finally finding his own release. He heaves a pleasant sigh as his seed paints your walls, your body going slack in his hold. Only once his orgasm has fully passed does he release his grip on you—allowing you to fall bonelessly against the couch cushions.
You grunt, clearly peeved at his lack of delicacy, but Childe only sits back and pats your ass.
Across from the two of you, Zhongli is all smiles.
“So,” he speaks, reminding you of his presence. You and Childe shift your gazes his way, watching him as he leans forward to set his now empty tea cup down. “Was I wrong in assuming there’s compatibility between you both?”
Childe sighs, running a hand through his lightly sweat-slicked hair.
“No, I suppose not.”
Nodding, Zhongli turns his attention to you. He breathes a laugh when you pout, clearly adamant to admit you have any feelings for the harbinger, but it’s also not like you can deny it considering you’re lying there with his cum leaking out of you.
“You’re not wrong,” you mumble.
You push yourself into a seated position, pulling your pants back over your womanhood so you don’t accidentally get any more fluids on the couch, and then reach for a now luke-warm cup of tea. Childe eyes you as you do so, satisfaction settling deep within him when he spots the dark bruises on your neck.
He could get used to this, he realizes.
“So, xiansheng, we’ve “copulated”, just as you wanted. And now you know that we get along just fine,” Childe says, glancing the ex-archon. “So, what are you hoping for now?”
You also turn your gaze on Zhongli, expectant of his response.
“Ideally, I would like for the three of us to mutually become lovers,” he says. You fix him with a weary look.
“Just the three of us, right…? I don’t think I could handle it if you suddenly mentioned you were also sleeping with, oh, I don’t know, Hammer Li, or Master Zhang—”
“No, you two are the only ones I’m interested in,” he assures you, chuckling at the names you had mentioned, and you can’t help smiling as well.
You’ve never exactly been in a polyamorous relationship before, but…you love Zhongli, and don’t exactly hate Childe, so…
“If it’s just the three of us, I’m willing to give it a shot,” you say, and then jab a thumb towards Childe. “Even if he is annoying.”
Childe narrows his eyes at you.
“How do you deal with this?” he asks, the question directed at Zhongli. “Doesn’t she drive you insane?”
“I think you’re the one who has managed to bring out this side of her, Childe.”
“Oh, lucky me,” he grumbles. You reach over and smack his thigh. He catches your hand and drags it to his lips, grinning against your skin when you flush red at the intimate contact.
Zhongli breathes a laugh.
“So? Are you, too, okay with this arrangement, Childe?”
“Yes,” he says honestly, surprising you. Noticing your dumbstruck look, Childe presses another small kiss to your wrist. His eyes then slide to Zhongli.
“However, I think you’ll need to make it up to me for secretly having another partner all this time.”
Zhongli dips his head.
“I can agree to that. Not telling either of you about the nature of my relationship with the other was a shortcoming on my part. It’s only fair. However,” he suddenly presses to his feet, golden eyes casting out the nearby window to look at the star speckled sky. “We can discuss the specifics tomorrow. It’s growing quite late.”
Assuming this is Zhongli’s way of dismissing you, you and Childe stand from the couch. Realizing that you both intend to leave, the funeral consultant quickly continues, “I would like it if you would both stay the night.”
Oh .
Before you can even think of saying yes, Childe is brushing past you, hands working to unbutton his jacket and shirt as he declares, “I call the shower.”
He quickly disappears up the hall towards Zhongli’s bedroom, leaving you in his wake.
“Bastard,” you whisper under your breath. Your thighs are slick with arousal, and cum, and he’s the one who gets to shower first?
Sensing your annoyance, Zhongli steps up beside you and places his lips against your hair.
“There are washcloths and towels in the spare bathroom, if you don’t feel like waiting.”
Honestly, a shower sounds better, but you can feel exhaustion from the long, eventful day beginning to sink into your bones, and you’d rather clean up before you end up passing out. It will have to do.
“Okay,” you sigh. You turn towards him, wrapping your arms around him in a hug, and he reciprocates your embrace.
“I’ll bring you something to sleep in,” he says, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, and you flash him a grateful smile.
A short while later, you pad into the master bedroom wearing nothing more than one of Zhongli’s silken sleeping shirts, and a pair of spare panties. (Apparently you had accidentally left a few at his home, and Zhongli had taken it upon himself to wash them and keep them safe. You’re…a little embarrassed, but grateful nonetheless.)
With Childe still occupying the main bathroom, and Zhongli taking up the one you had been using to prepare himself for bed, you find yourself alone in the sizeable room. Immediately, your gaze falls upon Zhongli’s neatly made bed.
Sleep sounds…so nice.
Tossing your dirty clothes aside, you crawl beneath the sheets and snuggle into a cozy spot near the edge of the mattress—knowing that you need to leave space for the other two men when they decide to join.
The sheets smell like Zhongli—earthy, with a hint of floral—and you breathe in deeply, feeling your body relax. By the time the bathroom door finally clicks open, you’re seconds from falling asleep.
Bare feet quietly shuffle across the floor, and the edge of the mattress dips as another body joins you beneath the sheets. A moment passes before calloused hands find your waist and roll you over. Immediately after, you feel fingers work the first few buttons of your sleeping shirt open, revealing a portion of your chest, and with a pleased sigh, the culprit snuggles his face against your boobs.
“Now these ,” Childe says, nuzzling your soft skin. “I missed. No offense, xiansheng.”
“I cannot compete with the breasts of a woman,” Zhongli responds honestly, stepping into the threshold of the bedroom. He smiles at the sight of you and Childe laying beside one another, Childe’s arms wrapping loosely around your waist.
Flicking off the lights, Zhongli’s golden irises shine in the darkness of the room—the ex-archon having no issue navigating his way to bed. Soon enough, he has joined you both, his chest pressing flush against Childe’s back.
None of you say anything. There are no witty comments, no wishing of sweet dreams, no “I love you”s, but they aren’t needed. The contented atmosphere of the room blankets all three of you, letting you know that the new relationship dynamic is accepted, and welcome, and with that peace of mind, you’re quick to fall asleep.
You can question exactly what the hell you’ve gotten yourself into later.
For now, you’re just going to enjoy the feel of the two men beside you.