[As Ajax carefully places the earring on Zhongli's ear, he feels a flush of warmth spread across his nape. It's been a long time since he's received a gift so eagerly, and he finds himself bashful under Ajax's enthusiastic gaze. The weight of the earring feels different on his lobe, unfamiliar yet comforting in its presence. He glances at a nearby mirror to see how it looks on him, but he's so quickly distracted by his companion's bright smile that he doesn't even notice the card that Ajax flashes so exuberantly.]
Thank you, Ajax, [he murmurs, proper manners and grace at being offered something with so much meaning behind it, no matter the spontaneity of the moment. He offers Bolai a polite nod.]
Thank you for your assistance, Master Bolai. I wish you a good evening. [The shopkeeper's stiff demeanor is not lost on him. He knows the man is likely shivering to the bone with the realization of who he's dealing with, but Zhongli is not one to flaunt his status. He prefers to keep a low profile, to let his actions speak for themselves. He almost feels guilty.
Even if Bolai himself is counting every recent transaction he made and if it ever not benefited the dragon of Liyue.
With his attention back to Ajax as they make their way through the night market, Zhongli allows himself to truly feel the comforting warmth of the younger man tucked up against his side again, drawn to it more than he should care to admit. He's not used to being treated with such enthusiasm, to being wanted in such a way. He wonders, his thoughts drifting to the younger man in a way that he finds both exhilarating and terrifying if he enjoys this because he likes the attention or because he genuinely enjoys Ajax's company. But then he catches sight of Ajax's profile, the copper strands of his hair catching the warmth of the streetlights, the way that his eyes seem to glimmer, a contrast to how they usually look like darkened depths, as though borrowing from the life of Liyue itself. Zhongli is not accustomed to, the sensation of being wanted, of being cherished. And yet, as he looks down at Ajax's smiling face, he realizes that he could grow used to it, even if it feels like a selfish indulgence.
No, he's not enjoying this because he likes the attention. He's enjoying it because he likes Ajax—likes the way he fits into the fabric of Liyue, the way he moves with such effortless grace despite his outsider status. There's something undeniably magnetic, something that leaves him wanting more.
So he takes him with a smile to an antique shop, and a traditional toymaker stall allowing the craftsperson to talk shop instead of Zhongli, giving him tips on how to select the proper jade, despite the shopkeeper trying to swindle them. He then tugs Ajax closer, so they can walk along the harbor and the piers, listening to the sailors and the workers as they either prepare to stay the night or an early departure the next morning.]
I hope I am not stealing too much of your time, [Zhongli says after a while when the hullabaloo is muted by the distance.] I wouldn't want you to feel obligated to spend so long away from your family.
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Thank you, Ajax, [he murmurs, proper manners and grace at being offered something with so much meaning behind it, no matter the spontaneity of the moment. He offers Bolai a polite nod.]
Thank you for your assistance, Master Bolai. I wish you a good evening. [The shopkeeper's stiff demeanor is not lost on him. He knows the man is likely shivering to the bone with the realization of who he's dealing with, but Zhongli is not one to flaunt his status. He prefers to keep a low profile, to let his actions speak for themselves. He almost feels guilty.
Even if Bolai himself is counting every recent transaction he made and if it ever not benefited the dragon of Liyue.
With his attention back to Ajax as they make their way through the night market, Zhongli allows himself to truly feel the comforting warmth of the younger man tucked up against his side again, drawn to it more than he should care to admit. He's not used to being treated with such enthusiasm, to being wanted in such a way. He wonders, his thoughts drifting to the younger man in a way that he finds both exhilarating and terrifying if he enjoys this because he likes the attention or because he genuinely enjoys Ajax's company. But then he catches sight of Ajax's profile, the copper strands of his hair catching the warmth of the streetlights, the way that his eyes seem to glimmer, a contrast to how they usually look like darkened depths, as though borrowing from the life of Liyue itself. Zhongli is not accustomed to, the sensation of being wanted, of being cherished. And yet, as he looks down at Ajax's smiling face, he realizes that he could grow used to it, even if it feels like a selfish indulgence.
No, he's not enjoying this because he likes the attention. He's enjoying it because he likes Ajax—likes the way he fits into the fabric of Liyue, the way he moves with such effortless grace despite his outsider status. There's something undeniably magnetic, something that leaves him wanting more.
So he takes him with a smile to an antique shop, and a traditional toymaker stall allowing the craftsperson to talk shop instead of Zhongli, giving him tips on how to select the proper jade, despite the shopkeeper trying to swindle them. He then tugs Ajax closer, so they can walk along the harbor and the piers, listening to the sailors and the workers as they either prepare to stay the night or an early departure the next morning.]
I hope I am not stealing too much of your time, [Zhongli says after a while when the hullabaloo is muted by the distance.] I wouldn't want you to feel obligated to spend so long away from your family.