Work Text:
"You've got to be kidding me" Childe stands in front of a mirror and huffs at the sight, his eyes not believing what he's seeing.
Some of his classmates gasp and compliment him.
He huffs again.
After two weeks of relentless begging and threats, yes threats, from Lumine no less, Childe finally agreed to let Aether make a custom outfit for him. The school's festival was right around the corner and their class finally decided to go for a 'Traditional Chinese restaurant' as their theme. In the beginning, it was one of the many ideas being thrown into the air and many people liked it, excited to try on clothing on the more traditional side. It was only cemented by the fact that Xiangling excitedly offered to be in charge of the kitchen, dragging a not-so-excited Xingqiu and a pale-looking Chongyun with her.
The majority of the other boys offered help in the kitchen and those who didn't, were in charge of standing outside the classroom to maintain order in case there were too many customers.
Childe would later come to know their actions were fueled by fear. It seemed like the girls were far too enticed with the idea of dressing up the boys. Much to their disappointment, they escaped.
Now here is the problem, Childe was down with a cold that day, so he wasn't present, meaning he hadn't escaped like the others. No, he was at the mercy of all the girls in his classroom, not able to do anything about it.
So yes, he finally accepted to be fitted into a dress as per request of the girls. He just didn't expect it to be like this.
Looking at himself in the mirror, Childe couldn't help but blush from embarrassment. A beautiful red cheongsam with golden patterns adorned his body, hugging his chest, waist, and hips tightly, highlighting his slim figure. He turned and oh, it did wonders to his ass. The dress made him look sexy and he would be lying if he said he didn't like that. Yet despite how good it made him look, Childe still felt conflicted.
"Aether, mind telling why the hell the slits are so high up?" The tightness of the dress he can deal with, but having the slits reach his upper thigh, a few centimeters apart from his hip was something else. Heck, if it was just a tiny bit higher he would expose his ass whenever he moved. At least the twins had the decency to not do that. But still, was he even allowed to wear this at school?! "I've seen the dresses for the girls and their slits aren't nearly as high as my one! I'm almost flashing everyone when I move"
"You said it my friend, almost . Now, don't mind the small details, there is a really good reason why. I mean, objectively speaking, Childe you have nice legs and this dress simply brings attention to that fact"
Grumbling, Childe doesn't say anything back because it's true. The cheongsam complements his long legs, exuding gracefulness and elegance with each step he took.
Is it bad that he likes that?
Aether has the nerve to smile innocently at him and he curses internally when a few of the girls pat his back giving him a thumbs up.
"Aether, he looks perfect!" One of them squeals.
"Holy shit! Childe is so pretty. Do we even need to dress up ourselves?" They giggle and coo at him.
Yep, no way he was getting out of this.
"Ah! Childe, could you please spin?"
With a heavy sigh, he complies and–
Flash
"Huh?"
"Oh, let me see!"
Everyone huddled together and Lumine was standing in the middle, holding a camera.
She took a picture of him.
"Oh my god! Is this for–"
"Yup"
"You think you can give me a copy?"
That sets off a barrage of requests for a copy of his picture.
Childe approaches the group.
"Lumine, why did you take a picture?" the ginger raises an eyebrow and silently nudges the other to answer.
"Hmmm, you'll see " with a wink she turns around and walks away, the group trailing behind begging her for a copy.
Scoffing and grumbling, Childe makes haste into changing back into his uniform or so he wanted. With a squeal he jumps back in surprise at finding Aether standing behind him, always moving as silent as a cat.
"Jesus, don't just stand there in silence, I swear to god one of these days you are gonna give me a heart attack" clutching his chest, Childe squints his eyes at the blonde.
Aether chuckles and pats his shoulder with a cheeky smile on his face "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. It seems Zhongli is doing rounds this time, so he should be checking up on us soon. It's best if you hurry unless you want him to see you" wiggling his eyebrows, the blonde laughs at the blush spreading across his cheeks.
Childe would rather die than let Zhongli see him dressed like this. His classmates are fine, he doesn't mind wearing the cheongsam around then but Zhongli, that's a whole different story. He's had a big fat crush on the president of the student council for the longest time, for almost three years to be exact. It's been so long that Childe has a vague memory as to why he likes Zhongli but all he knows is that he does. And perhaps, is the way Zhongli gifts him intimate small smiles, or perhaps is the way his molten eyes brighten whenever he explains something he is passionate about (Childe would die to listen to Zhongli's honey-like voice every day), or perhaps is the way Zhongli sometimes places his hand on the small of his back when they walk, a gentle touch that sends butterflies soaring in his stomach. A touch he yearns for.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear, Zhongli slides their classroom door open and Childe jumps. Fast as lightning he runs and hides behind a curtain, poking his head out to find his crush standing at the entrance, eyes searching around the classroom.
Amber meets cerulean.
Just the sight of him makes his chest flutter. His heart pounds against his chest when Zhongli's gaze softens ever so slightly and smiles at him. Although it doesn't last long.
"Childe, is everything alright?" Zhongli raises an eyebrow in confusion. Ah, he was hiding behind a curtain wasn't he?
"Oh– ah– um— yes? I mean yes! Uh– I'm looking for my pencil!" with an awkward smile, Childe mentally curses at himself. A pencil, really? Worst of all, Zhongli doesn't look like he's buying it either and begins to walk toward him. He panics, racking his brain for a better excuse or something to prevent Zhongli from coming closer.
"Will you look at that, if it isn't the president of the student council" like a knight in shining armor, Lumine intercepts Zhongli and grabs him by the arm. Much to his relief, Lumine practically drags him out of the classroom, amber eyes looking in his direction before the door is promptly closed.
Aether flashes him a reassuring smile while handing his uniform to him. Childe quickly begins to change and sighs in relief once he's finished.
Looking at the dress in his hands, he thinks.
The student council is in charge of overseeing the stands outside, so no Zhongli should be near the classroom, so problem solved.
For all the reluctance he might show, Childe actually really likes the dress. He feels good in it.
Surely not many people would come.
So there shouldn't be a problem, right?
Nope, he couldn't be more wrong.
There was a big problem.
More like problems.
"What the actual fuck!?" Childe just finished changing into the cheongsam, the day of the festival arrived and it was time for his shift as a waitress. All in all, he expected a couple of customers here and there, but not a swarm of them.
The hallway was packed with students waiting in line to get inside, his classmates doing their best to keep them in order.
There is no way they were gonna serve so many customers.
Much less not attract attention.
That's bad.
What if Zhongli–
Nope, let's not think about that.
Childe got to work and only then did it hit him just how many people were coming to their class. The cue to enter was seemingly infinite as people kept coming in. It also didn't help the fact people were looking at him, their gaze burning the back of his head whenever he walked. Weirdly, many of the customers had blushes on their faces, blubbering and stuttering when Childe asked for their order or so much look at them.
He could swear people were whispering about him.
Some of them even asked to take a picture with him, trembling when he stood next to them while Lumine's camera flashed.
With a shy 'thank you' they would walk away, holding the picture to their chest like it was a treasure.
Taking a picture with a guy from next door, he spots something on the floor as he walks away, a pamphlet. Childe picks it up and turns around, ready to call the guy back but stops when he throws a quick glance at the content. His mouth hangs open when he sees himself on display.
It was the picture Lumine took.
Although Childe wants to get mad, he can't because the picture she took was good. With a soft expression and his ginger curls mid-bounce, the dress lightly flowed around him, exposing his legs. He had to admit, the picture made him look pretty. But, a single question pops inside his head.
"Why did that guy have this?"
As far as he knows, the only promotion for their class were posters with some silly drawings on them. Childe doesn't remember anyone handing out pamphlets.
Weird
Curious, his eyes search for the twins around the room and once he spots them at the side he makes his way across the room, their voices barely reaching his ears.
"Crap"
"Lumine, what's wrong?"
"We are fucked Aether! Apparently, Zhongli found out about the pamphlets!"
"Oh shit. Okay, don't panic, I'm sure we can do something about it"
"Uhgg! We shouldn't have distributed so many of them!"
Childe stops in his tracks, surprised by what he just heard.
"Wait, what!? Aether–" he's swarmed by what feels to be a hundred people, all requesting a picture with him, no room left to escape.
'Zhongli has seen the picture, has seen him wearing the dress'
If he could die of embarrassment, he would die right this moment, let the earth swallow him, or a thunder strike.
And the cherry on top has to be Zhongli actually bursting through the door, desperately looking around.
Amber meets cerulean once again.
Except this time, instead, those molten eyes darken at the sight, displeased with what they see. Shooting a deathly glare at the twins, Zhongli pushes through the group surrounding him and grabs his wrist tightly, pulling him away.
It's Childe's time to get dragged outside the classroom by a very pissed-off Zhongli, no one dares question him.
With no time to react, the next thing he knows is being pushed inside an empty classroom, body pressed against a wall and Zhongli caging him between his strong arms. A blush spreads across his cheeks like wildfire, shyly peeking at Zhongli through his eyelashes. And oh , Childe's heart stops at the blatant want behind amber eyes. His breath shudders and his lips part slightly.
"Zhongli?" his voice was nothing but a soft whisper.
"I'm sorry" it's the only thing he hears before a pair of lips clash against his in what can only be called desperation and Childe freezes.
Zhongli is kissing him.
Zhongli is kissing him.
All the feelings he bottled up in the course of three years, spill and turn into a fervent desire to feel those warm hands explore every inch of his body like a map. To feel those lips tracing over every bump and ridge on his body. Childe melts into the kiss, knees turning into jelly when Zhongli cradles the back of his head, deepening the kiss.
Relishing the way Zhongli's hands hold his waist in a possessive manner, a gasp and a whine leave his throat at the feeling of Zhongli biting his lower lip and tongue entering his mouth. The silence in the room is filled by their gasps and grunts and sloppy kissing. Childe throws his hands forwards, clinging onto Zhongli's shirt as his knees buckle underneath him and slowly he becomes undone. Zhongli was eating him up like he was the world's best delicacy and he loved every second of it.
His face debauched as Zhongli's lips slowly trail down to his jaw and neck, teeth lightly nibbling at the skin before sinking in. Childe helplessly moans and shivers, letting Zhongli leave bite marks all over his neck. He mewls at the sensation, earning a pleased hum from the other, and is rewarded by a light squeeze on his waist.
Zhongli pulls away and looks at him, satisfied with all the marks on his neck. A silent message saying 'mine'. Childe shudders at the thought.
Long fingers cup his face gently before a pair of lips peppers light feathered kisses on his cheeks.
"Childe, I like you"
'Huh?'
He looks at Zhongli in disbelief. That can't be right, it must be his brain hearing things.
Right?
To prove his point, Zhongli leans in closer, rubbing his cheek softly with his thumb.
"Childe, I really like you. I thoroughly enjoy spending time with you, I always look forward to seeing you every day. Your smile, your eyes, your laughter, your kindness, and more often than not, your mischievousness, are things I hold dear in my heart. All the memories we share are my most prized treasures"
He's left breathless by the sheer sincerity behind Zhongli's eyes.
"I wasn't planning to confess today, much less in this way but my feelings still stand. Childe, will you go out with me?"
He chuckles, they were making out a few moments ago yet here he stands, asking him out.
"You think I'll make out with just anyone, of course I will go out with you" giggling, Childe throws his arms around Zhongli's neck kissing the tip of his nose softly.
They both smile and stand there, basking in each other's presence.
Maybe wearing a dress in front of Zhongli wasn't that bad.
"Wait, by any chance, were you jealous? Is that why you came into the classroom?"
He's met by silence.
Extra
Lumine and Aether watch Zhongli walk away.
"Good thing Childe hid behind a curtain"
"Huh?"
"You really think Zhongli would let Childe walk around dressed like that? As if, I'm sure he'll kill us when he finds out"
"Okay, so why did you take a picture then? Weren't you planning to use it for promotion?
"I am"
"How? The student council is in charge of overseeing everything related to the festival, including promotion"
"Yeah, I know. This is exactly why these pictures are going to be secretly distributed between a selected number of people. I'm not sure if you are aware, but Childe has a little fan club of simps"
"He does!? Since when?"
"I dunno, all I know is that they are gonna bring people into the restaurant and we get first place in the competition"
"But what if Zhongli finds out"
"Well he'll be jealous and confess to Childe and we still get the prize!"
"You are unbelievable"
"We all win!"