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Zhongli had already put the car in park, and turned the engine off. It was time for him to open the door, to rise from where he sat, but--
He couldn’t. His legs wouldn’t move. He registered his boyfriend’s rich baritone voice speaking, but he couldn’t make sense of the words. The only thing he could feel was the pit in his stomach, and the pinprick of pain he created by digging his nails into his own palm.
“Ajax?” Finally, he could understand him. Zhongli placed his hands on his over the car console, to stop them from shaking. “We don’t need to do this, you know.”
“W-we drove for five hours.” Ajax said, voice devoid of emotion.
“And we can turn around and go back home. It doesn’t matter to me.” He said, confident and steady as ever.
Ajax finally met his eyes--he really was beautiful, golden eyes which always looked at him with adoration, his long, dark hair tied back--if it was loose, he’d let Ajax run his fingers through the soft strands, like he always did at night. He was a vision in a camel colored sweater, warmer than the clothes he would usually wear in Liyue. But, they weren’t in Liyue.
They were in Snezhnaya.
Ten feet in front of them was Ajax’s family home. The same home he’d been unceremoniously kicked out of at just fifteen years old by his father. Ten years. It had been ten years since he had seen all of them together in this home. Sometimes, his mother would video chat, and put Tonia and Anthon on the phone, just long enough so he could see the twins squabble like always, and of course, Teucer, the youngest one of them all, who had seen Ajax more on a phone screen than in real life at this point. His older siblings weren’t around much, one of them had a family of his own now, though he had never met them.
“No.” He said, resolute. “We have to go in. For mama.”
Last year, when he spilled the beans to her about Zhongli, she had just about lost her mind. Her baby Ajax had a boyfriend? Even worse, they had been together for four years, and she had never met him? No, that simply wouldn’t do. She had nagged and nagged, until Ajax had finally agreed to visit, boyfriend in tow.
How she got his father to agree, he’ll never know.
Ajax found himself opening the door, his boots crunching on melting snow, until he was standing by the front door. He raised his hand to knock, only pausing when he saw his scarred hand, shaking.
In the end, it was Zhongli who knocked on the wooden door, because Ajax couldn’t bring himself to do it.
How could he, after what had happened? After all the strife he caused, and all the strife he endured under this roof. Without anything to his name, Ajax stole, begged and cheated his way out of Snezhnaya, hitching rides through Fontaine, through Mondstadt, running until he found himself in Liyue Harbor. He didn’t know the culture, he barely had a middle school education--but he worked hard, very hard, and he received his high school diploma, all while working shitty jobs to have a roof over his head. After that, he started a new job as a bank teller at the Northland Bank.
By the time he turned twenty-one, he could at least support himself. It was then that he started to seek out information on the city he had landed in, and attempted to learn something about its culture. He found himself at museums on the weekends, checking out the ancient depictions of Liyue’s fabled god, their beloved Rex Lapis. He even weaseled his way into the university library, and that’s where Ajax met the love of his life.
Zhongli. He had just started his doctoral studies then, five years older than him and a lot wiser. When Ajax told him he was trying to learn more about his new home, his golden eyes had lit up, and Ajax was a goner. He fell in love at first sight, and then more everyday, with every nerdy fact and info-dump.
Now, he was Liyue University’s newest history professor, and Ajax couldn’t have been more proud.
It was with that thought that he swore to see this day through. Zhongli was perfect, and Ajax was going to show them all how well he’d done for himself.
The door opened, and the pair came face to face with Tonia, his younger sister. His sigh of relief was audible, and he was suddenly engulfed in warmth, as she threw herself into his arms, frizzy red curls nearly touching his chin--she had grown so much.
“I missed you,” He whispered, but she heard him anyway, and her arms wrapped even tighter around him.
“Tonia, you can’t strangle him.” Anton’s voice was deeper than the last time they spoke. Gods, they were all grown up now, weren’t they.
“Yes I can.” She said, defiant.
“You haven’t even said hello to his boyfriend. And you’re keeping them out in the cold.” Anton was always the more level-headed between the two of them. Honestly, for twins, they were night and day.
“Oh. Oh! Hi, Mister Zhongli!!” She said, moving to hug him too. It must have been tight as well, because Ajax heard an audible “oof” come from his boyfriend. He snorted.
“Great, you’re gonna kill him before he even comes inside.” Anton deadpanned, and then stepped aside, allowing them all to finally get out of the cold. Ajax and Zhongli removed their layers, hanging them up on the coat racks. Zhongli looked around for the house slippers, but Ajax stopped him.
“We don’t really take our shoes off at the door here. Too much snow.” He said, and Zhongli gave him a nod of understanding, making his way further into the house.
“Mama!” Tonia yelled. “Ajax is here.”
“She’s in the kitchen. Been cooking for days.” Anthon said, pointing them in the right direction.
“You should say hello now--once Teucer sees you, you know he won’t let go for hours.” Tonia half-joked. “I’ll try and keep him busy.”
“Thanks.” Ajax said, before pulling an inquisitive-looking Zhongli forward into the kitchen. He looked like he did when faced with a historical account, or a newly discovered artifact. There was a bit of wonder in his golden eyes at his surroundings.
His mother was there, back turned as she stirred something in a pot on the stove. She was so…small. When he was little, she felt like a giant, always there to protect him.
“Mama,” he said, surprised at the softness in his own voice. She turned around in a hurry, red braid whipping around as she did, and she became visibly teary eyed.
“My Ajax,” she said, tears falling down her plump cheeks. “Home at last.”
He couldn’t move fast enough then, embracing her, feeling his own tears finally fall from his eyes. The frog in his throat dissipated from her embrace.
“Mama, there’s someone I want you to meet. This is my boyfriend, Zhongli. I love him a lot, and I hope you will, too.”
And, if Ajax was taller than her, Zhongli absolutely towered over her, but he bent at the waist for a respectful bow.
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
“Call me Polina. Or Mama, whatever you’d prefer. Oh, Ajax, he’s so handsome.” She gushed, and Ajax didn't miss the way Zhongli blushed in embarrassment.
“Mama, you’re embarrassing him. But, I know, isn’t he the prettiest man you’ve ever seen?”
“Ajax--” Zhongli’s flush had made its way to the tips of his ears.
“BIG BROTHER!” Ah, so Teucer could no longer be contained.
“Teucer! My most babyist brother!” Ajax said, catching the boy who was determined to launch himself into his arms. Oh, he was harder to hold now--he had grown, too. Gods, Ajax wished he could be little forever.
“I missed you,” Teucer said, managing to hug him even tighter than Tonia. “Big brother Sasha said you wouldn’t come, but I didn’t believe him.”
“Of course I would come, I said I would.” Ajax said, ignoring the hurt that Teucer’s words caused.
“Ah, Sasha does send his regards, Ajax.” His mother added. “His wife is about eight months pregnant, so he didn’t want to make the drive. And, Vanya, well, you know Vanya. Gods know when she’ll show up.”
Of course his older siblings wouldn’t come. Hell, he didn't blame them. The last time he saw Sasha, they had come to blows. Ajax broke his nose. And Vanya, well, she saw the way their family was falling apart, and wanted nothing to do with them. The second she turned eighteen, she moved to the city, and she rarely made any effort to see them.
“Mister Zhongli! My oldest sister Vanya is a model.”
“Oh, is that so?” Zhongli said, humoring him.
“Yep! She’s really pretty. But, she doesn’t come home a lot.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. Family is important.”
Teucer looked at him with all the scrutiny a ten-year old could. “Are you a model, Mister Zhongli?”
Ajax snorted from behind him.
Zhongli looked surprised for a few long seconds, and then responded. “No, I am a history professor. Why?”
Teucer leaned in close, like he was telling a secret. “You’re really pretty, too. Maybe even prettier than Vanya.”
And, Zhongli was flushed all over again. He never was good at receiving compliments about his appearance.
Ajax laughed and laughed, as well as his mother next to him, and suddenly he didn’t feel so out of place here. He was with his family, and the love of his life.
“Dinner is almost ready. Teucer, get the twins and set the table, okay?”
“Okay, Mama.”
She turned to the two of them. “Why don’t you rest for a few minutes. It was a long drive.”
…
Zhongli rested on the soft sofa, stretching his arms out, a little sore after such a long drive. It was quite a sight, Zhongli in his family home. He tended to think of his life in two parts, everything that happened before he lived in Liyue, and everything that happened after, so seeing someone from his “new” life in his old home, well, it was kind of off. Like a glitch.
“Your family is sweet.” Zhongli observed.
“Well, the parts of it you met, yeah, they’re sweet.” He said, honestly.
“Ajax, are you alright?” Zhongli said, holding his hand out to him. “We can still leave, you know. Say the word, and we will.”
Ajax took his hand in his. “I’ve got to see it through. But, when my father gets home, there’s a non-zero chance he’ll throw us out. Or make a scene.”
“Okay.”
“Best case scenario, he says nothing at all.” Ajax said, trying to be honest.
“You’ve never told me everything about what happened here. And, you don’t ever have to. But, I’m here, if you ever need to, Ajax.” Zhongli said, thumb stroking the back of his hand lovingly.
“I love you,” Ajax whispered.
“I love you, too.” Zhongli answered, before leaning forward to place a kiss on his cheek. Ajax, because he was a brat, turned his head, so Zhongli’s chaste kiss became a kiss on the lips instead. Zhongli smiled, before kissing him back, still quite innocently.
The door opened, letting in cold winter air. His father’s entrance broke their kiss. He cut an imposing figure, tall and broad in layers of winter coat, and Ajax felt the panic begin to settle into his stomach again.
“Hello, father.” Ajax said, hating how strained his voice sounded.
“Mm.” He grunted, barely looking him in the eyes, before heading into the kitchen.
Zhongli didn't say a word, letting Ajax process.
“That was…well, that was something.” He said, still trying to figure it out.
“Dinner’s ready!!” His mom’s voice startled him from his thoughts.
…
Dinner was an interesting affair--Zhongli spent about twenty minutes asking his mother questions about Snezhnayan cuisine, and in doing so, he had won her heart twice over. The rest of the time, however, was a hardcore interrogation of his boyfriend, starring Tonia, Anthon and Teucer.
Anthon wanted to know about Liyue, and Zhongli was only too happy to speak about it. He told them stories of the city from its past, and interesting things about its present. Ajax contributed too, he told them how great the food was, and cool things he and Zhongli had done, like attending traditional Liyue Opera performances, or visiting historic battle sites where Rex Lapis had allegedly fought.
Tonia wanted to know all about their relationship, which made Ajax embarrassed, but Zhongli was braver than he in the face of a teenage girl, and told them all about their disastrous and hilarious first date, where they had opted to dine outside and got caught in a thunderstorm. Thankfully, he didn’t tell her that they had had their very first kiss in the middle of the downpour. He would have died from mortification.
Teucer wanted to know about Zhongli’s family. Zhongli told him a little bit--his father had sadly passed away when he was younger, but his mother was a great woman beloved by her community. How he had a younger sister named Ganyu that worked for the government, and a younger brother named Xiao that was a college student. Ajax jumped in too. He told them that Xiao was fiercely protective of Zhongli when they first met, but they had eventually become friends, and now they liked to play video games together, sometimes making Zhongli join, even if he was terrible at them.
All in all, it was a nice time--except for his father, staring at him, not saying a word.
…
Ajax helped clear the dinner table with his siblings. Zhongli tried to help, but his mother wouldn’t let him. He went into their family room to rest, and Ajax went into the kitchen to load the dishwasher. Once all the food was cleared, he went to look for his boyfriend, only to spot him through the open doorway, speaking to his father.
Zhongli didn’t look pleased, so Ajax, quietly, moved closer to the doorway to eavesdrop.
“...a lot of trouble for this household. You seem like a nice person, but he’s not worth your charity.”
“Charity? Sir, I’m not sure what you mean.” Oh, Zhongli was pissed .
“Ajax is damaged beyond repair. He tore this family apart, and he’ll bring shame to you and yours. Surely there’s some other man or woman in Liyue for you--he’s not worth it.”
Zhongli’s jaw was clenched, he could tell how hard he was trying to remain calm. “Do not presume you know anything about Ajax. Ten years is a long time.”
His father laughed. Laughed. “To hell with the both of you, then. But, don’t say I didn't warn you.” He said, bitterly, and then shoved past Ajax, now standing in the hallway, and moved to some other room.
Zhongli’s eyes went wide when he saw him standing there, and he moved to gather him up in his arms.
“How much did you hear?”
“It’s nothing I haven’t heard before,” Ajax said.
“Oh, there you are,” His mother said, happily. “You will stay overnight, won’t you?”
Ajax opened his mouth to respond, but Zhongli beat him to it.
“No. Unfortunately I need to work tomorrow. My apologies, but we should leave before it gets any later.”
He lied. Zhongli absolutely hated lying. Was he doing it for him?
They said their goodbyes there, first to his mother, and then the twins, and finally Teucer, who looked about ready to cry, but let them go.
When they got into Zhongli’s car, Ajax felt fuzzy, like he was going numb.
Before he turned the car on, Zhongli looked at him. “Are you going to be alright, Ajax?”
“Yeah.” He responded. “I think I just need to take a nap, if that’s ok.”
“Of course it is. Get some rest.”
…
But, Ajax did not sleep. No, he just looked out the window as once familiar landscapes became unfamiliar country highways. Zhongli knew he wasn’t sleeping, but he didn't speak, just leaving him alone with his thoughts as he drove. The only sounds were from the infrequent directions given by the GPS they were using.
He didn’t know how long they had been on the road for--judging by the signs on the highway, they had crossed into Fontaine some time ago. Gods, he remembers hitching rides across this country, holding a knife in the pocket of his sweatshirt in case anyone tried to hurt him.
There was a detour in the road, taking them onto a smaller road for a few miles. Gods, here he was, running away from home again, because he would never be welcome there, would he. No, Ajax was always going to be the good for nothing, messed up, piece of shi--
He was crying. Oh, that was great.
Zhongli swore, before turning off the road into some deserted strip-mall’s parking lot. He parked in the empty lot, before undoing his seat belt to reach out to him across the console.
“Hey,” He said, pulling him against his chest. Ajax went, because he had no energy to resist. “It’s alright, love.”
“No, it’s not.”
“It’s not alright that your own father would speak about you that way.” Zhongli grumbled.
“I mean, he’s not wrong.”
“Of course he is!” Zhongli exclaimed, and Ajax thought that was the first time he’d ever heard Zhongli raise his voice.
“Of course he’s wrong.” He tried again, softer. “Because, you’re perfect, Ajax. Not without flaw, of course, but perfect, just the way you are.”
He loved him. He loved him more than anything else in the world.
“Zhongli, can I tell you a story?”Ajax asked, shaky.
“Now?” Zhongli said, sounding a little tired.
“Yeah.”
“Okay.”
“When I was young, my father and my older brother, Sasha, used to make fun of me. It was kind of light-hearted, I guess. They called me weak, a scaredy cat. My father liked to tease me for being a mama’s boy, learning to cook with her. The only thing we ever did together was go ice fishing, and he used to tell me stories about great heroes.
“Well, when I was fourteen, I was tired of feeling weak, it felt like I was crawling out of my own skin, so I ran away from home. I didn't have anything with me, just a warm coat. At first, I ran into the woods, but soon I realized that I couldn’t really find food or water there. So I pushed through the woods and walked along the highway, until I found someone to drive me to the nearest city. I was left there, with no money, so I had to steal food from street vendors, and I’d have to run when they chased me down. I even stole some people’s wallets from their pockets, and used the cash to buy food instead.
“For two days, I walked around the streets of the city, until I got caught trying to pickpocket someone. Not by the police. There was a local gang, of course, I didn’t even know these kinds of people existed. I was an idiot.”
“You were a kid.”
“Yeah. But, anyway, the gang didn't appreciate some small-time criminal on their turf. They kicked the shit out of me, and left me for dead, bleeding on the street. Luckily, someone found me, and called an ambulance. I woke up the next day in a hospital, and my parents were there. I guess they had been looking for me, and the police put two and two together from the missing persons report.
“My mom was beside herself. She wouldn’t stop crying. My dad was worried too, but he changed that day. I guess I did, too. I got paranoid. I felt unsafe around everyone, and I started fights if anyone got too close to me. I got suspended from school a lot, and I went from being a good student to practically failing. I just was always looking over my shoulder.
“Of course, it was hard on my family. My mom had me in therapy, they said I had PTSD or trauma from being attacked, my dad just said I was messed up. My brother hated me for the stress I put them through. We got into it a lot. He was two years older, but I had been in so many fights that I easily won the fights when they got physical. I broke his nose twice.
“My sister dipped around that time. She didn't want to be there anyway, and the second she could, she practically vanished, moved into some old man’s apartment in a big city and he funded her modeling career. She wanted nothing to do with us, and I was a convenient excuse. I never blamed her for leaving.
“Well, one day, I was in town, don’t really remember why, and a man approached me. He was my father’s age. He told me that I had beat up his son, and he was there to teach me a lesson. I told him I beat up lots of people’s sons, so he had to be more specific. He tried to hit me, in the middle of town. I just…saw red, and before I knew it, I had beat the crap out of him. I mean, a man twice my size. My father happened to be passing through, and he pulled me home by my hair. He said I was lucky if the man didn't press charges, and then he told me to get out.
“My mom protested, said I needed help, but he put his foot down. Said I destroyed their family, and that the best place for me was either in a cell, or in the ground.”
“Ajax,” Zhongli said, voice shocked.
“He gave me a coat, a hundred dollars, and a pocket knife, and told me never to come back. So I ran. And ran and ran. A hundred is nothing, as I quickly discovered, so I had to steal food and wallets again. I stole and hitchhiked my way through Snezhnaya, and into Fontaine. That didn't last long, and by the time I was seventeen, I worked at a bar in Mondstadt. Some seedy dump. Half the time, people offered to pay, you know, for a night with me. I said no, but only because I still couldn’t stand it when people touched me. But, I had no money, and I never had a steady place to live.
“Anyway, by the time I was eighteen, I realized that Mondstadt wasn’t doing it for me, and I made my way into Liyue. And I loved it. The food, the people. I was able to get a job I could actually hold down, and I rented a tiny place in Chihu Rock. Because I had an address, I could go to school again, and I was able to get my diploma. After that, I was able to get a better job, and start saving some money. I like the bank--Katya is always nice to me and she’s from home.
“Anyway, I realized how far I’d come--I was twenty-one, I had a job, a place, and I didn’t feel like crawling out of my own skin anymore. I decided I would make Liyue my home, and learn more about it. And, well, then I met you, and the rest is history.”
He met Zhongli’s eyes. The man had tears in them, threatening to spill over.
“Don’t cry for me, please, babe.” He grabbed his hand.
“Look, I can even touch people now. I’m so much better. A lot of that is thanks to you.” He said, earnestly.
That broke Zhongli, tears flowing freely as he leaned over the car console, burying his face in Ajax’s neck. He sobbed, truly sobbed in a way that Ajax had never seen from the other man. It made it easier for the tears to fall from his own eyes, as he finally let himself cry about it.
They stayed like that for a few long minutes, before separating.
“I’m so sorry that you had to go through all of that alone, Ajax.” Zhongli said, wiping tears from his eyes.
“Me too. But, I’m here now. I’m on the other side. Maybe I can’t make it right with my father or my brother, but the rest of my family loves me. And, so do you. That's enough, Zhongli.”
“Ajax.” He said, small smile on his face. “Let’s go home.”
…
The rest of the ride home was uneventful. They didn’t speak much, but every so often, on long stretches of empty highways, they would hold hands over the car console.
When they were almost in Liyue Harbor, Zhongli turned off onto an exit.
“What are you doing?” Ajax asked.
“I want to show you something.” He said, focusing on the road.
“Now? It’s 3 in the morning.” Ajax said, knowing he would go along with it anyway.
…
“Mt. Tianheng Scenic Viewpoint” was their destination, a small viewing area off of the highway that overlooked all of Liyue Harbor. The parking lot was deserted this late, he was actually quite sure they weren’t supposed to be there, but nevertheless he followed Zhongli out of the car.
“Woah.” He said, looking down at the city. It was late, but there were hundreds if not thousands of lights still making the harbor shine. It was like a twinkling gem, from mountain high all the way to ocean deep. It was quite a view.
“I wanted to show you this view of the city.” Zhongli said.
“It’s beautiful.”
Zhongli took his hand. “Tomorrow, or the next day, we’ll have dinner with my mother, Ganyu and Xiao. Maybe cousin Yanfei will come, if she’s not busy. We’ll have our standing date at Wanmin on Tuesday nights, and Xiangling will make you try whatever new thing she came up with. During our meal, I’ll tell you all about whatever prank Hu Tao has decided to play on me this week in class.”
Ajax snorted. “You say you can’t stand her, but next semester, I know you’ll miss her.”
“Liyue is your home, Ajax. This place is your home. The people here are your people. I want you to know that.”
“I do.”
Zhongli fiddled around with something in his coat pocket. “I was hoping to receive your family’s blessing. But, I no longer need it.”
He was confused. “What?”
Zhongli finally succeeded in retrieving the small box from his pocket. “I don’t need their blessing because you are my family. I am your family.”
“Zhongli?” He was starting to get an idea what was in the box, and if he was right, he was about to ugly cry.
“I am all you need. You are all I need. You, me and our home.” Zhongli was quite choked up.
He opened the box. Inside were two rings, one silver with a blue gem inlaid, and one gold with an amber gem inlaid.
“Zhongli.” Ajax said. It was apparently the only word he could say.
“Marry me, Ajax?”
Tears were falling from both their faces. It was three in the morning. They were in a parking lot off of the highway.
“Yes! Of course I’ll marry you.” He said, vision cloudy with tears. They met in an embrace, and Zhongli pressed a silent “I love you” into his hairline.
“I love you so much.”
“As do I.” He took out the silver ring, and placed it on Ajax’s finger.
“May I?” Ajax asked, taking the golden ring, and holding out his hand for Zhongli’s.
“Always.” He said, giving his hand to Ajax. He placed the golden ring on his hand.
They stood there for a moment, just two people and the night. They had nothing to say, but it was comfortable. Ajax wanted to be close, wished desperately that they could magically be home in their bed so he could press the length of his body against his.
“C’mon.” He said, gesturing to the car. Zhongli followed him, making a confused noise when Ajax opened the back door of his car.
“Oh, we’re making out.” He said, gesturing for Zhongli to go inside.
“Oh. Okay,” Zhongli said, a smile on his face. He shook his head a little at Ajax’s ridiculousness, but he complied nonetheless.
When he was seated in the more spacious back of his car, Ajax climbed inside as well, shutting the door behind him as he crawled ungracefully onto his lap. Zhongli’s hands slotted into place at his waist, and no words needed to be spoken as their lips met.
At first, it was a simple thing, just the press of their lips together, but their long, emotional night had left them both sensitive and impatient, almost hungry for closeness. Simple kisses turned into something a little sloppy, a little desperate, and soon Zhongli was forcing his tongue between kiss-bitten lips, drawing a moan from Ajax.
His hands began to wander, first up Ajax’s back, then one up to tangle in ginger hair. The other slipped underneath his sweater, running a hand up the divots of his spine.
Finally they pulled away for air, but Zhongli was single-minded, lips moving down to suck a bruise to his exposed throat.
“Gods, I love it when you mark me.” Ajax breathed out, his own hands keeping Zhongli’s lips on his neck.
“Like this?” His voice had become deeper with want. His teeth dug into the junction of his neck and his shoulder, and Ajax was mildly shocked at the noise he let out.
“Oh, you do like that.” Zhongli said, laving his tongue over the harsh mark. Ajax wrenched him up by the hair, so they could kiss again, but before they did, he replied.
“I like you ,” He said.
“I love you,” Zhongli responded, before kissing him again. He kissed him until his lips were red and raw, until every kiss was just an excuse to grind his ass down against Zhongli’s interested erection in his slacks.
The next time they pulled back, Ajax was met with blown black pupils, only a thin line of gold surrounding them. A shiver ran down his spine. He loved this, loved knowing how badly Zhongli wanted him.
“Hey, babe, I bet you 200 mora that you have lube in this car.” Ajax said, only half joking. Zhongli was the type to be prepared for any situation. Such a boy scout.
“I…wouldn’t take a bet knowing I’d lose. It’s in the glove compartment.” He said, nonchalantly.
“Of course it is. Hang on,” He said, twisting around until he could squeeze his upper body into the front of the car, opening the glove compartment. He found his prize, an unopened bottle of lube, before maneuvering himself back into the backseat.
“You couldn’t have gotten an SUV, huh?” Ajax grumbled, while unzipping his jeans, and pulling them, and his boxers, off in the confined space.
“A sedan is much more practical, and better on gas mileage.” Zhongli explained, removing his belt, and moving his pants down just enough to get his cock out.
“This is officially the worst dirty talk we’ve ever had.” Ajax said, halfway between a laugh and a sob as he crawled back on top of his fiancé.
Oh. That word was nice to think. Fiancé.
So nice that he simply had to kiss him again, hissing as their cocks brushed up against each other. Zhongli wrapped a hand around the both of them, smiling into their kiss when he felt Ajax’s cock twitch, sensitive already.
Ajax broke their kiss to open the bottle of lube, not ever caring when he squeezed out too much onto his fingers. He didn't miss the lustful gaze Zhongli was giving him as he reached behind himself, two fingers making their way inside of him. He was so ready for it that they went in easy, sucking him inside as he stretched and spread them apart.
“Do you like it, babe? Watching me prepare myself for your cock?” His voice cracked on the last word as he brushed against his prostate. He added a third finger, hissing a little at the sudden stretch, but he was too impatient to slow down. Zhongli’s hand was still stroking the both of them, but infrequently, his focus lost between stroking them off and listening to the sound of the fingers inside him.
The second he deemed himself ready, Ajax pulled his fingers out, and was positioning himself over Zhongli’s cock. He slicked him with the lube still on his hand, excitement mounting from just the sheer heft of him in his hand, and then, unceremoniously, he was lowering himself down, applying pressure until the fat head of his cock slipped inside of him. He sunk down, quickly, perhaps too quickly, hissing at the sudden stretch.
“Easy, baobei, easy.” Zhongli chided. “There’s no need to rush.” He said, voice airy, like being inside him had stolen all his breath.
“Yes, there is. I want you in me all the way. Want you to come home.” Ajax said, desperate and halfway crazed.
Zhongli’s hands moved upwards to cradle his face, kiss the new tears that had formed in the corners of his eyes, and then his lips, so sweetly that he wanted to cry even more. They stayed like that for a long moment, until Ajax could bear the feeling of him inside, and was able to move his hips in small motions, keeping him deep inside.
“My love,” Zhongli sighed. “So, so perfect for me.”
That kind of praise had always sent shivers down his spine, and it moved things along. Every roll of his hips became bigger, until he was riding him at a steady pace. Zhongli’s hands were firm on his hips, helping him move up and down.
Blue eyes full of tears met golden ones full of love. Their hot breath mingled and the windows of the car became foggy as his pace increased. Moans spilled from his lips like a fountain, and Zhongli answered with moans all his own, finally thrusting upwards to meet Ajax’s downward motion.
At this angle, every down stroke made his cock drag against his prostate, and Ajax’s thighs trembled, with pleasure, with effort. Sweat matted down his bangs as he approached his breaking point.
Zhongli, even in the throes of pleasure, was observant. “Are you close, baobei?” He asked, a hand sneaking between them to stroke his cock. “Come on then, cum for me.”
And Ajax, for once, did as he was told, spilling into his hand with a shout vaguely resembling Zhongli’s name. It didn't take but a moment later for Zhongli to follow, coming inside with a strangled moan, shivering as Ajax’s insides demanded every last drop.
As they both came down from the high of it, breathing harshly, Ajax rested his head on Zhongli’s shoulder. Zhongli’s arms wrapped around him, and they remained in that embrace for a while, until Zhongli’s cock had started to soften and Ajax removed himself from his lap. He grabbed his boxers and struggled to get them on, eventually succeeding without making a mess.
He watched as Zhongli stared at his palm, still covered in Ajax’s release. After considering for a moment, he licked it off his hand, until it was clean, and he could pull his own trousers back up.
“That was kinda hot.” Ajax said.
Zhongli shrugged. “Better that that dirtying the upholstery.”
“Oh my god. You’re such an old man.” Ajax said, incredulously.
“I am five years your senior, and I do not see how keeping a clean car makes me an old man.”
“You’re lucky you’re hot. And that I love you.” Ajax said, and when Zhongli smiled, all of his faux-annoyance melted away.
“I love you too. Let’s go home. It’s nearly four now.” Zhongli observed.
“Oh gods. We’re never gonna recover from this.” He groaned. Rest in peace to their sleep schedules.
“Hmm, how very “old man” of you, Ajax.” Zhongli teased.
“You--”
…
They did, eventually, make it home. Zhongli’s car was parked in the lot of their apartment, not too far from the university or the Northland Bank.
Ajax must have dozed on the way home, because he was shaken awake when they arrived, and he moved sleepily through the lot, the building, all the way to their door.
They went through the motions, taking off their shoes at the door, leaving a trail of clothes to the bed, which they both collapsed into in their underwear.
The last thing Ajax saw before falling asleep was the rising sun’s reflection on Zhongli’s engagement ring.
Yeah, he thought, everything would be just fine.
THE END