@zhongrin | Zhongli + Itto = crystalise
“Gods, demons, vision bearers, the visionless… We’re all the same, really, aren’t we?”
tags: zhongli and itto are fighting for your affections, female reader, it's Lantern Rite but i forgot how it works in canon, reader lives in liyue, literally pure fluff, itto knows Zhongli is an archon
If there’s anything your life doesn’t lack, it’s drama.
Travelling across Teyvat does nothing but provide you with new companions to meet, and oftentimes it also leads to violent clashings of character. You thought you’d seen the worst of it when you accidentally reunited the Ragvindr brothers, but the most dramatic encounter was yet to come. Right now, though, you're enjoying the brief period of peace, as you walk alone through the bustling Liyue streets.
“Hey Sunshine!” Itto creeps up beside you, the smile on his face reflecting the smile blossoming in his heart. Yes, it's taken him a good few days to get to Liyue, and yes, everyone on board the ship really, really really loved beans, but he didn’t really mind. He gets to see you, so the sickness is worth it.
You spin around to see your favourite oni, his long white hair combed and braided to perfection, and his fanged smile wider than you’ve ever seen before.
“Was that supposed to make me jump?” You chuckle as he falls into step beside you.
“What? No. It was supposed to make you smile.” he grins. “And that it did.”
How is anyone not supposed to smile around him? He exudes energy and an optimistic naivety that you’ve not seen in anyone for a long time. His cheerfulness is even more impressive when you knew the things he’d experienced. He’d seen hell in person, but he chose to live every day pretending it didn’t exist.
“How was the trip?" you ask. "I wasn’t expecting you to get here so soon.”
“You knew I was coming?"
“Mmm,” you reply, watching as stalls begin to pop up for the upcoming Lantern Rite—undoubtedly your favourite festival of the year. “You put a sign on the message board saying that Liyue better be ready for The One and Oni Arataki Itto to show them how a real festival is done. I couldn't have missed it.”
Itto laughs heartily. “That means my work was done perfectly, as always. I should thank Shinobu. If I remember.”
“I’ll send her something on your behalf, don’t worry. I’ll grab something from the Lantern Rite stalls.”
“You would? You’re amazing. Seriously.” Itto grins. “So when’s Lantern Rite? Can I come? Do I get to set up a stall or something?”
“You put that message up on the board without even planning anything in advance?” You ask. His response sends you into a fit of giggles—one that pricks the ears of the retired geo archon.
It’s not like he’s jealous. You’re not his property, and never will be. But he is intrigued by this…demon who makes you giggle like that. You’d never laughed so heartily whenever you spent time with him. Maybe he'd get a slight chuckle at him and his antics, but nothing more. Not that he cared.
You didn't even notice you’d walked past the funeral parlour in the midst of your laughter—and you always noticed.
He’s not upset. At all. That would be absurd of him. He’s simply curious. You associate with people from all over Teyvat, a quality of yours that he’s always loved, so he’s not surprised. Either way, he decides to find out who this man is for himself—by bumping into you guys by chance.
“So are you going to let me come or not?” Itto huffs. You’d been talking about the history of the Lantern Rite for so long that he’d nearly forgotten his original question.
“A friend of mine has agreed to take me around this year, so you should definitely come with. He’s great with the history, and he knows where all the good food spots are.” Itto’s steps slow down almost comically.
“I’m going to have to share you?”
“Yes…?”
“Can I at least meet the guy?” he pouts. He came all this way to see you, and he's going to have to share your attention with another guy? He’s not a fan. He’s also not a fan of the creepy old man watching him from across the street, with his fancy jacket and tailored trousers and lean frame. What is he doing, staring at you?
“Sunshine, some weird guy over there is staring at you.” he nudges your side slightly. “You need me to tell him off or something?”
You glance over at the guilty party, who its watching you with an almost forced placidity. “Oh, that’s just my friend. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
Itto tilts his head to the side slightly. He knows that in order for someone to get along with him they’d have to be a certain kind of fearless and non-judgemental, but this is something new. Instead of being afraid of the weird dude making eyes at you, you call him your friend?
“Are you sure? I can deal with him if you like. You don’t need to be so chill.”
“Itto, it’s fine.” You grin, taking his hand and dragging him along with you. “Hi Zhongli!”
The man's blank expression breaks into a slight smile. “Hello, yn. It’s a pleasure to see you.”
“How many times have I told you to quit it with the formalities?” you giggle, squeezing his arm.
“Plenty of times.” Zhongli says. He glances at your hand—the one holding Itto’s—and his smile drops imperceptibly. “It’s impolite to not introduce your acquaintances, you know.”
“Hey, old man, don’t stick your big words on me. Me and yn are bona fide buddies. None of this acquaintance business. You make us sound like we work together.” He scowls. Admitting that he and you were friends was kind of…irritating. He liked being your friend, but he wanted more than that. He wanted you to light up his day with that smile of yours all the time. He wanted to you to be his. But he also wanted you to want that—and he doesn’t know where you stand on that front.
“Itto. Manners.” You poke his stomach lightly. “He’s my friend from when I went to visit Inazuma. He may not look it or sound it, but he’s a bit of a cynic.”
“Hmm.” Zhongli hums. “And a demon.”
Itto scowls. “An Oni. Look at the horns.”
“They’re almost shiner than mora. There’s no way I could miss them.” Zhongli retorts. Itto beams, not aware that Zhongli’s comment wasn’t exactly a compliment.
“Thanks, dude. Anyway, Sunshine here says that you’re taking her to the Latern Rite. I myself have an affinity for festivals and music and all that jazz, and she said I could tag along. That alright with you?”
Zhongli hums. “I suppose.” He doesn’t want Itto there. Inviting you to Lantern Rite was his attempt to get you on your own, to talk to you and see whether you share the same feelings, and now it’s been foiled. He can’t even be mad, because the the demon beside you makes you smile. He loves the sound of your laugh, and so, he has to appreciate anyone who makes you do that. “Do you know much about Lantern Rite?”
“Nope. But I am good with festivals. I held a drum-along in Inazuma. The drum was dirt cheap so we made a massive profit. So many people showed up, it was awesome.”
Zhongli raises an eyebrow. “The drum-along? I was told that was a menace to all involved.”
“Li,” You hiss. “Drop it. That’s a sensitive subject.”
“No, no, Sunshine. Let the man speak.” Itto smiles amicably. “I like to know what people are saying about me.”
Zhongli’s eyes flash amber for a second. “I heard nothing else. I do apologise for speaking out of turn, you’re more than welcome to join us tomorrow, Itto. And on that note, would you mind terribly if I stole yn from you?”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Itto shrugs. Zhongli nods and turns to walk away.
“Hey Itto,” You grin, chucking your house keys at him. “You know where I live. Make yourself comfortable, I’ll take you out for dinner when I get back.” You wink at him before turning around to catch up with Zhongli. “My treat!”
Itto wants to complain, but you looked so happy at the thought of going out for dinner that he chokes down his disappointment at your being stolen and traipses to your house. How has an old man with creaky knees and a vocabulary straight out of the archon war period managed to fill up your time so thoroughly that you would pick him over Itto?
Zhongli is boring and quiet and judgemental. The sheer opposite of what he is. But at the same time, that makes him the opposite to you, and opposites attract, right? And then he decides to stop himself falling down the self hating wormhole he’s skirting, and makes himself at home in your living room.
“So, Sunshine,” Zhongli chuckles as you walk to the nearest tea shop.
You grin at him, chuckling lightly. “Why did you say it like that?”
“I’m just intrigued by the company you keep,” Zhongli hums. “I never would have expected you to get along so well with a demon.”
“Gods, demons, vision bearers, the visionless… We’re all the same, really, aren’t we?”
“I would argue that gods are a little higher on that pyramid.” He mutters as he pulls out a chair for you to sit on.
“You’re such a jealous little man,” You chuckle. “You can’t even bear to see me with my friend.”
“I am also your friend, and I admit that I often have ulterior motives for wanting to be around you. It’s perfectly natural for me to be suspicious.” he shrugs.
“I’m pretending I didn’t hear that.” You smile. “Anyway, what did you want to show me?”
~~~
Allowing Zhongli and itto to come with you to Lantern Rite was a mistake.
Itto wants to check out all the fun stalls, which you want to do. But Zhongli wants to tell you about the history of the festival, which you also want to do. Watching them try to subtly fight for dominance is too funny for you to keep a straight face throughout.
“Oh come on, old man, Why should I listen to you talk when we could be getting street food? Sunshine, what do you want?”
You cover your mouth to try and stop yourself from laughing at Zhongli’s expression. He looks hilarious. The archon is the picture of placidity, the only giveaway that he’s three seconds away from slicing Itto’s prized horns off being the slight clenching of his jaw.
“I’ll take a kebab, please.” You smile. Itto runs off to get you something to snack on and you turn back to Zhongli, whose eyes soften slightly. “You may continue.”
“I’m struggling to understand why you’ve invited both of us,” He hums. “You clearly know our personalities clash. Why subject yourself to this?”
You don’t answer him straight away. You’re not an idiot—you’re aware that both of them like you, and you might even admit to being guilty of egging them on slightly today. But all in all, you enjoy both of their company. Sure, you could separate them, but you're greedy.
“You’re both hilarious.” You reply finally, turning to look back at the sky.
“We both know you’re a lot smarter than you’d like most to believe.” Zhongli pushes. “You’re fully aware of what’s happening here. Why not put us all out of our collective misery?”
“You want to be put out of your misery?” You ask innocently, turning back to face him properly. He hums lightly. “Then fight for it.” Zhongli clenches his jaw slightly, lost for words. Never in his life has he been told what to do in a way that makes him want to obey, but he supposes there's a first time for everything.
Itto returns with the the kebabs and you take them excitedly, gushing over how fresh they were. “How did you get these so quickly?”
“Trick of the trade. I saw a firework stall thingy. Wanna try it out?”
“Sure!” You beam. You look behind you to check if Zhongli is coming along, but’s he’s disappeared, and you let him go. If that’s the kind of man he is, maybe you're better off not bothering. “Let’s go.”
You go around the stalls, dancing with the musicians and trying out all the delicacies on your way to make the fireworks. By the time you make it there, the sun is beginning to set, and Zhongli still isn’t back. You genuinely didn’t think he’d just give up.
“What colour should I pick?” you mutter to yourself. “Oh, I can’t decide. Where’s Ushi? He always has the answers.”
“I left him in Inazuma. He doesn’t like boats very much.”
“I still can’t believe you took a boat. There are teleport waypoints all across Teyvat.”
“Seeing you after such a long time isn’t the same without a gruelling journey to make me miss you more,” He jokes, patting your head lightly. “Anyway, knowing him, he’d probably suggest brown. You know how he is.”
“Then brown it is,” you smile, pouring the relevant chemicals into the tube. You have zero clue how this works, and neither does Itto. He asks the lady at the stall to explain it, but once she starts bringing up chemicals, his eyes glaze over, and you realise he’s just nodding every twenty five seconds. “Thank you!” he says, once she’s finished. “That was super interesting. I understood every word.”
You swipe away the tear that began to form as a result of how hard you were trying to not burst into laughter. He's trying his best, he really is.
“Come on, come on, I want to see how these look in the air.” He takes your hand. “There’s a spot up there.”
You cross your arms, looking up at the big cliff. “Uh uh. No way. I am not walking all the way up there.”
“What? Why? I’ll carry you. C’mon!”
You shake you head. “My feet hurt and I really cannot be asked. And I know you, you’ll fall asleep at some point and then I will have to drag you back down.”
Itto scratches his head, his face taken over by a thought ful expression. “Okay, new idea. I’ll go up there. Set them off, and then come back down.”
“Or you can just leave her with me, and we can partake in an activity that does not involve cliffs.” Zhongli huffs, holding a lantern in each of his hands. Itto looks at him with scathing disdain.
“Not you again! What is it with you and just swooping in to steal my friend?” Itto stomps his foot in frustration, and once again, you find yourself holding back a laugh. He can be so cute sometimes.
“I simply find activities that yn will enjoy. That is all.” Zhongli crosses his arms, the lanterns before him hovering in the air with a faint golden glow—a subtle reminder of the power he holds.
Itto almost pouts. “Yn, were you enjoying yourself with me?”
“I enjoyed myself plenty.” You quip. “But I really don’t want to go up the cliff. Sorry.”
“Hey, no sweat! Don’t apologise.” He roughs your hair up. “I get it.”
“Well, if you’re done being so gracious, yn and I will be on our way.”
“Now, when did she say you could take her?” Itto scowls, crossing his arms. “You do realise she’s like a whole human and everything. Being a demoted god or whatever doesn't give you the right to boss her around.”
“I didn’t expect you to stoop so low as to start throwing insults.” Zhongli sighs. “Be honest with yourself, demon. Did you really—”
“I’m plenty honest! More honest than you and your big fancy words that mean nothing.”
You retreat slightly, watching as the two men argue. Or rather, watching as Itto argues. Zhongli’s face is as passive as ever, retaliating with calmly spoken facts that only seem to infuriate him further.
“Are you going to tell him where to get off?” Itto says to you finally, and you snap out of your own, peaceful, thoughts.
“No.” You sigh. “And frankly, this has gone past the point of being funny. I really just wanted to enjoy my festival with both of you, becasue I enjoy your company. The bickering was kind of entertaining at first, but now it’s just boring. Go home or something. Both of you.”
And with that, you leave them in the dust, making your way back home. You’d been too greedy, you decide. They both deserve better than this weird limbo you’ve left them in. So on your way home, you try to make a decision between the two men. Either would have the decency to accept being your friend, so which would you rather be stuck with?
You can’t make up your mind.
When you get home, you flop onto your bed, leaving your decision to wait until the morning. And whilst your dreams are plagued with the dilemma you face in the real world, you wake up with a beautiful clarity that leaves you feeling bright and cheerful.
You get dressed, ready for another day of Lantern Rite festivities, but as you leave your house, you notice two bouquets of flowers at the front door. One is bright and colourful, full of Inazuman flowers and spilling out of its vase, whilst the other is a lot less vivid and put together with slightly more precision.
You chuckle lightly to yourself as you take one of the vases and display it in your front window. And although you feel bad about the arrangement that you leave seated on your porch, you know it’s a decision that you would have had to make eventually.
a/n i am actually proud of myself for getting this done in time, i actually checked this before(!!) i posted it so if there are any errors someone tell me before rin reblogs and then the incorrect version is left to be seen by the world
i tried to make the ending ambiguous but we all know i chose Zhongli right? cause i picked Zhongli. I don't know about you but Zhongli is my favourite. Literally i love h
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