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“I’d hoped, since you have experience in the abyss, that you would volunteer to come with me.”
These are the words that begin Childe’s descent.
“I don’t know…” Childe rubs the back of his neck while the Traveler crosses his arms. “Now isn’t really a good time for me. Why would you want to go to a place like that, anyhow?”
Aether explains, rather vaguely, that he has certain goals to reach on the lower levels of the abyss. Something about rewards and gems…
Childe hasn’t been back to the abyss since he escaped all those years ago. That place… changed him. In many ways, for the better. It made him stronger. But it also changed him in ways he doesn’t quite understand.
His Foul Legacy form… isn’t human. And whatever it is, there are times when Childe can hardly bear to use it.
Like right now.
It only happens twice a year, but the older he gets, the worse Foul Legacy’s… needs get. Childe would prefer to just stay out of that form until it passes, because there’s no way he’s letting himself stick his cock into any and every hole available like his abyssal transformation demands. Not because Childe doesn’t fuck. But because…
No one would survive it.
As long as he’s human, the effects are manageable. He can deal with being extra horny and aggressive just fine. But in a place like the abyss, there’s no guarantee he wouldn’t need to transform.
“I wish you had asked me this any other time, pal… but I really can’t right now.”
Childe hates the disappointment in Aether’s frown. Even Paimon has her arms crossed and eyebrows raised like she can’t believe Childe would turn the Traveler down.
Admittedly, the idea of letting Aether explore the abyss on his own doesn’t sit right with Childe either.
For the first time in his life, Childe has someone he can truly call a friend- not out of circumstance or false pretenses. Aether has been on the other side of Childe’s blades- on the other side of the battlefield from Foul Legacy- and still treats him like normal. The Traveler has no idea what that means to Childe.
Aether turns to Paimon. “Do you think we’ll be able to find someone else on such short notice?”
“You’re going today?” Childe cuts in.
“Yep! All the preparations have been made. I just didn’t expect the final task would be the hardest…”
“You mean getting me to come.”
Childe understands how odd it must seem for him to turn down an opportunity for battle. Honestly, he could sorely use a good fight right about now. Ever since he found out he was being used in someone else’s game here in Liyue, he’s been… out of sorts.
His mission was technically a success, but he just can’t help feeling like a failure.
Not to mention… It’s been a week since he’s seen Zhongli. Of course it makes sense that he has no use for Childe anymore. Why would he want to see him?
Forget the fact that Childe has intentionally been avoiding crossing paths with Zhongli…
On the verge of depression, Childe can’t help but be tempted by Aether’s request.
“How long will you be down there?” he asks.
“Not long,” Aether answers. “Maybe a few hours. We have to travel there first, though. We should be back out by nightfall.”
Sweat beads on the back of Childe’s neck- not from nerves or from Liyue’s heat- but a side effect of the tormentous week to come. But that’s all it is, so far: an unpleasant feeling. He should have time before it fully takes effect.
“Mmm… fine,” Childe says, throwing his hands up. “Let’s go.”
“Really? You’ll come?” Aether’s eyes light up. “What changed your mind?”
“I just don’t feel like sitting uselessly around Liyue anymore for the moment. Besides, you said it yourself. You need someone with experience in the abyss.”
What the Traveler neglected to mention, was that he’s invited two others into the abyss with him, too.
Childe recognizes that familiar back the moment he steps on the island. The man turns, golden eyes focusing on Childe without any surprise or… any reaction at all, really.
“Hello, Childe.” The corner of Zhongli’s lips turns up ever so slightly as he greets him, just as always.
It’s as if nothing happened.
Childe nearly turns right back around. He stands there, frozen in place, while Zhongli returns his attention to the other person waiting by the portal.
As Aether passes by, he pats Childe on the back, quietly whispering, “No hard feelings, ok?”
“...”
Why is he always being played the fool?
Aether joins the others, leaving Childe to contemplate his life choices.
Leaving now would be pathetic. It would mean he’s the only one affected by the outcome of his and Zhongli’s… whatever it was. So, as much as it pains him to even look at Zhongli knowing now what he truly is… Childe puts a mask on his emotions and follows the group into the abyss.
Their fourth teammate is some annoying twerp from Mondstadt that won’t stop singing the whole way down the Abyss. The green-clad boy pesters Zhongli, nudging him playfully and making fun of him. He must not be aware of who he’s dealing with. Although the two do seem to have known each other before this venture…
Zhongli never mentioned this friend to Childe. Just like he never mentioned a lot of things.
The large stairway deep into the ground is almost never-ending, made longer by the bard’s never-ending banter. However, Childe considers that the alternative is an awkward silence and finds this boy, Venti, tolerable instead.
How he’ll hold up in the abyss when the monsters attack is another question, though.
The tension in Childe’s frame grows the deeper they travel. It’s been many years since he’s last been here. He had almost forgotten how dank the air is down here or the way gleaming eyes follow them through the dark. He ignores them for now. They’re no threat… yet.
Taking stairs one level at a time into the abyss is far easier than Childe’s quick first descent straight into the lowest depths.
The first several rooms they come to are easy to clear out, hardly worth mentioning. Between a god, a harbinger and a strange kid from another world, the way down is rather easy. Zhongli is clearly still holding back his true power.
Even the bard shows incredible ability, forcing Childe to actually put effort into his own fighting so as to not be outdone. He still has some pride left to defend. For every enemy Venti defeats, Childe pushes himself to match, striving for more.
He silently competes with the bard this way to kill the boredom of fighting weaker opponents… but also to avoid interaction with Zhongli. Every now and then, Childe can feel those golden eyes on his back… What is that man thinking?
However, the most important role this unspoken competition plays is helping him ignore the itching feeling crawling down Childe’s spine the deeper they go into the abyss.
At first he thinks it’s apprehension. His time here in the past was not pleasant. Then he begins to mistake it for the bloodlust he had picked up in his time here. He had learned to control it once he returned to the upper world, but perhaps it’s coming back against his will now that he’s returned?
But no, he can’t keep denying what he knows it is. It’s the need that comes with his Foul Legacy’s time of rut. Usually, it’s only a slight urge, easy enough to soothe when he’s free to fuck the feeling away. It’s a restlessness that’s easy to ignore… a heat in his veins that can be pushed aside.
But somehow it’s so much worse this time. It wasn’t so bad earlier in the day. Yeah, he had been a little bit miserable from being unable to do anything about it this time… No one in Liyue would want him after the stunt he pulled.
He plunges his blades into an abyss mage’s chest, piercing it to the floor. They’re on a lower level now, and their opponents are actually putting up a decent fight. As the heat begins to consume him from the inside out, Childe descends deeper and deeper into his own head, his competition with the bard forgotten as the need to take his frustrations out on something takes over.
His urges had been manageable enough for him to agree to coming on this mission. But down here, everything is different. It’s like the air itself is changing him, reminding him where he comes from- reminding him where he was created. It’s harder and harder to remain disconnected from the part of him tainted by the abyss. He can try to fight it all he wants, can try to pretend he is human, but now he knows. Last time he was here, he was changed. His entire state of being was altered.
Deep down, he is a beast on the verge of descent.
The abyss mage splutters out some choked off nonsense before Childe rips his hydro blade back out of its chest. He stays bent over the broken body for a while, trying to calm his breathing. It isn’t enough. He needs to fight something stronger. This isn’t a good enough distraction anymore. He needs to sink his blade into something worthy. He needs to feel the satisfaction of blood on his hands. He needs to sate this desire. He needs to fu-
“Childe?”
He flinches away from the hand on his shoulder.
“ Don’t touch me!” he spits, whipping around to glare at the one who approached him now of all times.
Golden eyes are wide with shock. Zhongli lowers his hand where it had still been raised toward Childe. “Forgive me, I…” his brows furrow in frustrated confusion at not quite knowing what to say for once.
As Zhongli’s face comes more into focus, Childe comes back to his senses. He blinks away the haze. The next moment, he’s tearing his eyes off Zhongli like he’ll be burnt.
His cock, thick and hot in his pants, had flexed eagerly at the mere sight of the god…
How long had he been in such a state? He had been completely unaware of his surroundings besides himself and his opponents. He can see over Zhongli’s shoulder that the others have finished clearing out the rest of the room they’re in. He can’t even remember entering the room. Aether is looking at him with concern while the bard has finally stopped his antics to stare at him almost too knowingly.
Childe scowls.
“I shouldn’t have come here,” he says, standing and turning his back to them.
It’s pointless, because he knows they’ve already seen the bloodthirsty state he was in. Is in. Even now, he fights it. His attention is completely focused on Zhongli’s presence behind him now, even though he carefully keeps his gaze lowered- anywhere but on that person. It seems as if even one glimpse of Zhongli right now could send him over the edge.
He should leave. He should crawl his way back up the spiral and find himself a different hole to crawl into until this is over. Or a hole to fuck into. Whichever. So long as it’s not here.
But the thought of leaving them down here, a party member short, sends something different but equally as unpleasant as his rut clawing down his chest.
“...You’re still angry with me.”
Despite his dwindling better judgment, Childe forces himself to look at Zhongli for more than a second. For the first time since that day in the Northland Bank, there’s guilt visible on the god’s features. Childe wants to deny that statement just to make that pitiful expression on Zhongli’s face go away. But the fact of the matter is that he is still angry.
Zhongli’s betrayal hurt him more than he ever would have thought possible.
But no matter how angry he is with Zhongli, it would never be enough to give into Foul Legacy’s cravings. Right now, the longer he stares at Zhongli, the worse he can feel the demands of his abyssal form. Foul Legacy wants free . Free to do horrible, filthy things to the one Childe least wants to hurt.
The need is so thick that it seeps out and over the surface of his skin, abyssal energy leaking out against his will.
Zhongli takes a step closer.
“Stay away!” Childe yells.
The god freezes, stricken by Childe’s tone. How can he be the one so hurt? He’s the one who-
Rage bleeds through him, raw and powerful. So powerful that it is sobering.
Childe curses under his breath. “We… need to leave.”
Before Childe descends into depravity.
Three pairs of eyes look at him like he’s lost his mind. How can he convince them to put this expedition on hold and return to the surface? It’s not like he can tell them he’s struggling with the urge to either fuck Zhongli where he stands or rip him limb from limb.
It’s the bard who finally speaks first after a long bout of silence. His eyes are scrutinizing as he begins almost accusatory, “You…”
Whatever he is about to say gets forgotten as the ground beneath them trembles.
Paimon’s voice becomes more annoyingly high-pitched as she asks, “uhhh what is that?!”
Childe’s pupils shrink in recognition of the eerie call echoing through the abyss. This is bad.
As the one with experience in the abyss, naturally, the group’s eyes fall on him, seeking answers.
“Let’s go back,” he hisses.
Perhaps it is the expression on his face, but no one argues with that. They turn to retreat, but…
It’s too late.
The ground beneath them quakes as the voice calls again, closer.
Childe doesn’t know how or why that thing is so far up in the higher floors. In his time spent in the abyss in the past, the barren place had no set rules or governance, and yet there was definitely a hierarchy. The strongest stood at the top of the food chain. Literally. Childe had only seen him once- the unspoken ruler of the abyss.
Back then, Childe had been young and weak, untempered yet by the abyss. He had hid himself in a crevice between two rocks as the shadow fell across the land. Every living thing in its path was devoured, no matter how big or fierce the prey seemed. The image haunted him even after Skirk found him and began training him. It stuck with him and inspired the shape of his largest hydro attack. While his tides take the shape of a great narwhal, the being his attack was inspired by is much more sinister to look at.
It couldn’t really be called a whale, although the resemblance is there. Like everything in the abyss, its original form is distorted beyond recognition. Razor sharp teeth a whale would never have… unnatural speed… an intelligence in its dark beady eyes revealing the true threat it poses… Even Childe, who would normally never run from a fight, knows better than to pick this one.
Although he hoped to one day cross paths with the beast again, Childe is not yet strong enough to face it. And yet… Here it is, soaring towards them through the cavernous “sky” of the abyss.
As their party makes their retreat, the behemoth’s eye swivels, locking onto them. Childe curses as he realizes they aren’t going to make it out in time. The air grows heavy, pressure building up around them as the creature’s massive tail makes its deceptively slow descent to crash into the place they occupy.
Zhongli and the bard share a look, silently communicating something. Venti nods and creates a wind current, grabbing Aether and accelerating their retreat. Meanwhile, Zhongli suddenly digs his heels into the stone floor and swivels to face the oncoming threat.
Childe skids to a stop beside him.
“What are you-”
His words catch in his throat when he sees the determination on the god’s face.
Surely not…
Could the Geo Archon really make quick work of the abyss’s largest predator? But… Zhongli isn’t even an Archon anymore.
The massive tail descends, but does not land on them, instead flying past them just overhead. The wind whips their clothes around them in its wake as the creature slams its tail into the far wall… right above the exit. The avalanche of falling stone effectively blocks the path of Venti and Aether before they can make it out to the spiral.
Their retreat has been strategically cut off.
Zhongli creates shields for both himself and Childe, eyeing him warily from the corner of his vision. It’s impossible for him not to notice Childe’s reluctance to fight the thing, which is as big of a red flag as any. However, what else can they do now, but fight?
Childe barks out a laugh and swaps out his hydro blades for a bow. This isn’t how he would have liked it. But what better chance does he have than with the Geo Archon and the Traveler on his side?
“Let’s do this.” Childe charges his bow to full capacity, aiming it up at the whale.
He could almost swear the beast smiles down at him as it opens its maw. It happens in an instantaneous flash of light- the beam of dark abyssal energy that shoots out from its mouth strikes them before they can move.
Breathless, Childe is surprised not to have felt a thing. The shield around him has absorbed the damage, cracking from the force.
“Heh. My turn.”
“Childe, wait-”
He and Zhongli are forced apart as that thick tail crashes down into the space between them, shattering the floor.
Ignoring Zhongli, Childe bursts into action, leaping onto the tail and swapping his bow back out for blades. Making his way up it, the shield around him crumbles to dust.
With a click of his tongue, Zhongli extends his arm, casting a new shield over Childe as he rushes the beast.
The whale takes notice of his approach with a whistle and flicks its tail harshly.
Childe has to dig his blades into the flesh to prevent being flung off as he is swung through the air. Only-
He lets go at the last second before the tail smashes into the cliffside, creating another shower of crumbling stone.
Childe falls, but his descent is slowed by a gust of wind. Aether flies past him on the current with a mighty yell and a swing of his sword, slicing into the tail. The cut isn’t very deep.
Angered, the beast bellows, circling in a large arc. Tail out of reach, its mouth opens once more, flooding with pale blue light.
This one is brighter than before, teeming with power.
“Dodge it!” Zhongli yells from down below.
There is only a split second to react, but Childe instinctively follows Zhongli’s instructions, leaping out of the way at the last moment.
Rolling to a stop, Childe glances back and whistles.
The place he just stood is now a large smoldering crater. The cliffside has been hollowed out as well.
Aether lands beside Childe, a look of absolute horror on his face.
“What is that thing?” Paimon cries as she, Zhongli, and Venti cross over to join them.
“The ruler of the abyss,” Childe answers, giving a wan smile as the monstrous whale charges up another attack.
Glancing at Zhongli, Childe nearly does a double take. He’s never seen such a serious expression on the man’s face. Gone is the soft and serene consultant…
Zhongli raises his arm, radiant golden light gathering at his fingertips. In his hand, a massive spear forms. In one swift movement, he launches it at the beast circling in the distance.
It is so fast, Childe can hardly see it- but still the whale manages to dodge it, flickering out of perception with its speed.
Childe swallows nervously knowing that the slowness of the whale’s hulking form is only for display.
With a grim expression, Zhongli turns to Childe. “Is there another way out?”
“I don’t know this place like the back of my hand,” he snaps. “But… yes. There should be.”
“Then we go deeper,” Aether says.
“Deeper?!” Paimon shrieks.
“It is the only way,” Zhongli says. “I do not have the power to defeat this thing in my current state.”
“Aww, is someone getting too old?” Venti teases, somehow still in a light mood.
“Now, you know very well-”
The sky turns bright once more as the beast charges another attack.
“Later!” Aether snaps at them, pulling Paimon with him as he runs for it.
“This will hold it off!”
Venti fires his bow and all of the air seems to be sucked towards where his shot lands, wind whipping wildly this way and that around the whale, confusing it.
They escape into a tunnel leading deeper into the abyss. Inside, they relax a little, knowing the beast can’t follow them here.
“Why didn’t you warn us about that thing?” Paimon scolds Childe.
“It lives in the deepest pits of the abyss. How could I have known it would just happen to wander its way up here today?” He answers darkly.
“What’s gotten into you today?” Aether asks, surprised by his hostility.
“I told you we needed to leave before that thing even showed up. But did anyone listen? Of course not. No one ever listens.”
The tunnel lets out into another large open area. Below them stretches a canyon so deep that the bottom cannot be seen. Luckily, there is a natural land bridge leading across.
Feeling like there’s something crawling beneath his skin, Childe hangs back as they cross it. He knows full well that he needs to get a grip. This is turning into a pretty dire situation. If he doesn’t get them all out of here before his rut completely sets in…
If it comes to that, they’ll be better off without him in their party. In that case, he’ll just leave them. He’s survived in the abyss alone before. He can do it again.
Ahead, Zhongli begins to slow from the others until he is one pace in front of Childe.
Childe grits his teeth.
Without turning, Zhongli softly speaks.
“If this is about what happened in the Northland Bank… Childe, you should know that I-”
Everything lights up, blinding blue illuminating the jagged rows of teeth towering over them, close enough he could nearly reach out and touch.
How-?
The whale must’ve known exactly where that tunnel let out and waited for them…
As if time has slowed, Childe watches the others turn to look at him with terror in their eyes. Even Zhongli wears an expression he’s never seen before as the whale’s attack charges up aimed point blank at Childe.
Ah…
If this is how he dies, lost in that concerned golden gaze… then so be it.
Zhongli reaches out, gold emanating from his fingertips, a cry on his lips.
It’s hard to tell which hits first- the whale’s attack or Zhongli’s body as he crushes Childe to him, pulling him into his own shield and putting himself between Childe and the blast.
The world shatters.
The ground gives out beneath them as the bridge collapses. Stone and rubble rain down along with shards of golden jade.
Hair whipping past his face as he falls, Childe can make out the whale circling up above as Venti whisks Aether and Paimon to solid ground.
Good… they’re safe…
But…
Zhongli’s body is completely lax, falling alongside him. His eyes are shut, the clothes on his back burnt and shredded from the blast.
Childe reaches for him, pulling him into his arms, heart lurching in his chest as they continue to fall deeper and deeper.
Just like before.
There’s only one way to survive. There’s no choice.
He stops fighting it.
The abyss seeps through his veins, consuming him and reshaping his being. Childe gives up control, letting it take over in a time when doing so means losing himself to its second nature.
As his mind sinks beneath the dark waves of the abyss, he begs his more primal counterpart to at least maintain some reason.
Their lives depend on it.
To Zhongli, the feeling of regaining consciousness in an unfamiliar place is foreign. Nothing like this has ever happened before. Everything is dark… and damp. The air stinks of the abyss. Those noises…
He slowly becomes aware of the chaos just beyond the pile of rubble he lies in.
It takes a moment to make sense of what he sees. Hordes of abyss creatures surround the corner he’s in, throwing themselves viciously at the lone figure standing between them and himself.
Zhongli tries to move, but his body doesn’t respond. What…?
Everything comes back to him all at once.
The week of coping with mortality after the loss of his gnosis… The nervous excitement at seeing Childe again… The realization that his friend no longer sees him as such… and then… the whale… the bridge-
Childe!
The one defending him… Is it Childe? Surely not… The figure is much too large.
Who else could it be, though? It must be him.
The whole way down, Childe had seemed like he couldn’t care less about Zhongli anymore. And yet, here he is with his back to Zhongli, facing the creatures of the abyss that would die for the chance to devour a god.
Childe’s massive electro spear slices through a creature that gets too close. In the opening, another creature leaps to sink its teeth into his exposed shoulder. It is flung off and away several meters in the next moment.
It looks dire.
Zhongli’s body is slow to respond to his will. Whatever internal damage he sustained from the fall is slowly being healed by his Adeptal powers, but it takes all of his energy to raise his arm, extend it out towards Childe, and cast a geo shield.
He may not have a gnosis anymore, but he is still a god. He cannot be this weak…
Zhongli flinches at a sudden nearby growl.
One of the beasts has found its way to him.
Zhongli cannot make it out in the dark but for its pair of gleaming red eyes. Attempting to sit up with his newly mended spine, he summons his spear, prepared for its attack.
The glowing eyes are joined by another pair… and another. Numerous monsters lurk in the shadows, waiting… watching for any sign of weakness- signs that he is prey.
Well, he most certainly is not.
Just as Zhongli is about to release his pheromones as a warning, something large and heavy drops down in front of him, crouched to attack the lurking monsters.
Childe- no… Is it really Childe? Now that it is closer, Zhongli is sure that this is not the man he knows.
The hulking beast lets out a powerful wave of pheromones itself, sending the smaller creatures scattering.
With that, all the abyssal monsters have either died or fled… save for one.
Zhongli’s hand tightens on his polearm as the beast turns towards him. He is surprised to discover it is humanoid. Its armor and horned mask are both covered in blood splatter.
“Zhong… li…”
Its voice is heavily distorted and pained, but…
Zhongli lowers his weapon. “Childe?”
“Zhongli…” he repeats, falling to his knees before him. “Are you… hurt?”
It must be him. His voice is different, but it has to be Childe. Zhongli had thought he had been catching whiffs of another alpha throughout their trek into the abyss. Now he understands. So Childe was hiding something like this all this time…
Humans do not have secondary natures. Only beings like Zhongli, who are something more than human, have traits that put them into distinct categories of alpha and omega for… breeding purposes. It is rather common in the abyss, so Zhongli didn’t think much of the pheromones he’d been catching scent of.
They were fairly weak before, but now…
Hovering over him, Childe bears the distinct, overpowering aroma of an Alpha in rut. That must be why he’s having a hard time speaking too.
As an alpha, himself, Zhongli should be safe. However, this does not bode well for their situation. Childe clearly isn’t in the right state of mind- hasn’t been since they entered the abyss.
Somehow, this relieves Zhongli. Perhaps Childe isn’t as angry with him as his behavior has made it seem…
Childe’s body hovers over his, hand reached tentatively for Zhongli. “Hurt?” he asks again.
Zhongli’s healing has fixed enough damage that he can move now. “I will be alright in a moment. Thank you for defending me, Childe.”
As he says this, he tries to sit up, pushing his hand against Childe’s chest to put some distance between them. However, the hulking form of the other won’t budge.
“Zhongli…”
The god sighs, lamenting the decline in intelligence that always comes with an alpha’s rut. There’s likely only one thing on Childe’s mind now that all potential threats have been dealt with. He’ll just have to wait for the man to have a moment of clarity if he wants to have a meaningful conversation with-
“Childe…” Zhongli speaks low in warning, grabbing the man’s wrist to stop his hand in its tracks.
That large hand has wrapped itself around Zhongli’s thigh. He has to put his whole strength into prying it off of him.
“Listen to me,” he orders, waiting for that mask to focus on him. “You’re in rut. I didn’t know mortals could go into rut, but then again you’re clearly something else...”
Childe is clearly struggling to pay attention, his gaze wandering off Zhongli’s face, lower…
“Focus,” Zhongli commands, putting a little bit of his own alpha pheromones into it.
This is a mistake.
Childe reacts negatively to the attempt to force him into submission. Suddenly, Zhongli finds himself pressed to the ground. He is met with a powerful wave of Childe’s pheromones, battling with his own will.
“You will listen to me, Childe-” his words cut off into a gasp as the larger alpha suddenly grips him by the waist and slots their hips together.
For a moment, Zhongli’s mind wipes completely blank. Having never been in such a position before, he is too stunned to react as Childe grinds himself against his body.
Th- this is… not how an alpha in rut should react to another alpha.
It occurs to Zhongli…
Having been born human, does Childe even understand the difference between an alpha and an omega? Does he even recognize Zhongli as an alpha at all? Or is he just another hole to fuck in the heat of the moment?
“Childe-” Zhongli grunts out, trying to shift out of the other’s grip.
The mask looms closer, parting to reveal a sharp set of teeth. Childe’s hot breath fans over Zhongli’s neck as the god turns his face away, pressing his cheek flat against the ground to avoid it.
This is bad…
Childe drags Zhongli’s lower body off the ground, angling it up so that he can grind his bulge straight against Zhongli’s clothed ass. Sharp claws dig into Zhongli’s sides.
“Zhongli,” he groans, voice full of confliction. “I… need…”
Sensing the smallest bit of reason within Childe, Zhongli decides to switch tactics. Relaxing his body, he releases his pheromones, not in an attempt for dominance, but to soothe the alpha rutting against him.
These pheromones are not unlike the ones he would use to comfort an omega in distress, but stronger.
Childe leans in closer, pressing his masked face right into the crook of Zhongli’s neck. His tongue swipes wet and heavy across his scent gland, causing the god to shudder.
The larger body above Zhongli begins to relax, loosening its grip on his waist and lowering him back to the ground. All of the frenzied need leaves the alpha as he is calmed by Zhongli’s pheromones.
He still grinds himself against Zhongli, but it no longer feels as though Childe wants to devour him whole.
Suddenly, Childe stiffens above him.
“Zhongli?”
His voice, while still distorted by the abyss, sounds clear with reason for the first time.
Sensing his rising panic, Zhongli pushes out more calming pheromones. “It’s alright, Childe. We’re alright.”
He runs his hand through the back of Childe’s hair as he speaks, encouraging him to remain calm.
Eventually, Childe begins to shrink, transformation wearing off. He pulls himself out of Zhongli’s hold, face gone scarlet, and refuses to meet Zhongli’s eyes.
“Uh… Sorry,” Childe says, rubbing the back of his neck. He finally peeks at Zhongli. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“Not at all,” Zhongli says. “You protected me while I was vulnerable. Thank you, Childe.”
Childe’s lips press together as he stares at Zhongli sheepishly.
Zhongli can practically hear the chaos inside his head. Childe must understand exactly what almost happened between them…
“How did you…” Childe clears his throat. “You calmed me down somehow?”
Zhongli intensifies his pheromones so that Childe can feel them even in his human state.
“ Oh.” Childe looks him up and down. “You’re…?”
“I am an alpha, same as yourself.”
“Of course. Her Majesty the Tsaritsa is an alpha. Why wouldn’t the Lord of Geo be an alpha too? How could I not have noticed?” Childe groans, slapping his hand against his forehead, still torn up over failing to discern Zhongli’s true identity.
“I typically keep my secondary nature firmly under control so that it does not affect humans. It is not your fault you could not sense what I am.”
“...” Childe stares at him a long moment, seeming to have something to say, yet unwilling to say it.
“You can ask me anything you like once we’re out of here. Right now, we need to focus on regrouping. Can you hold yourself together for a little longer?”
Childe nods, but his expression doesn’t look too convincing.
Zhongli pushes himself up off the ground, forcing himself to ignore the way his body aches. Healing takes a lot out of him, and he is still suffering the backlash of parting with his gnosis.
“We need to find a path back up. There should be lower chambers of the spiral. Perhaps we can find one of them and then go up from there. The Traveler and the others are likely avoiding being spotted by the whale, but I’m sure they’ll be making their way back too. We have to trust their capabilities just as they hopefully trust ours. Childe, are you listening?”
He looks over his shoulder to find the man still sitting, staring dumbstruck.
“Zhongli… Your back.”
Feeling a draft, Zhongli can imagine how his back must appear, exposed and likely not yet healed properly from the whale’s blast.
“It will be fine in due time. Worry about yourself. You need to stay calm. More importantly… We need to keep you hydrated at a time like this. There must be drinkable water down here…”
“There is,” Childe answers with certainty.
As they search for water, Zhongli glances at Childe sideways. When Aether told him he was bringing someone along with experience in the abyss, Zhongli hadn’t expected Childe to show up. He’d thought Childe was pretty open with him about his life. He knows all about Childe’s family and his life before joining the Fatui. He’s even heard plenty of stories of Childe’s time in the Fatui before becoming a Harbinger. And yet, he’s never been told anything about Childe venturing into the abyss…
Perhaps he doesn't know the man as well as he’d thought.
“Zhongli…”
Childe’s voice is uneven again… filled with need. Zhongli can feel the man’s eyes on his bare back.
“I am not an omega,” Zhongli sternly reminds him with a release of his alpha scent.
As before, Childe doesn’t back down from the knowledge that Zhongli is an alpha. If anything, it riles him up more.
Still, Zhongli never would have expected Childe to be so bold as to grab his wrist and spin him around, pressing him chest-first against the cavern wall.
With Childe’s chest warm against his chilled back and his cock wedged between Zhongli’s cheeks, hot enough to be felt through the fabric of his pants… some part of Zhongli snaps.
In one swift movement, he spins them around, holding Childe at a distance by the back of the neck and forcing him flat against the wall instead.
All at once, Childe returns to his senses. Having realized his own behavior, Childe obediently goes slack. “I- I don’t know what came over me.”
“We both know exactly what you want from me, Childe.”
“I’m sorry,” Childe whispers, stricken. “It won’t happen again. Use your pheromones on me again if you need to.”
Zhongli relaxes, taking pity. It has been thousands of years since Zhongli has had to go through a rut. The power of the gnosis has held it at bay… Now that it’s gone…
Unfortunately, he very well may end up in a similar state as Childe before the year is up.
He lets Childe off the wall and turns his back on the other alpha once more, contemplating…
This is not the time to be hesitating. The best way to survive this situation… Zhongli has long surmised it.
“If you must fuck something… I am not unwilling.”
“....What?”
Gods help him. Why does Childe sound so horrified?
Zhongli turns, taking in the man’s petrified expression.
“What I am saying is… Well, I am offering to help you through your rut. For the proper compensation, that is. I want you to do the same for me when mine comes.”
Zhongli doesn’t really understand why he’s suggesting such a thing. Dire circumstances are dire circumstances, but outside of them, why would an alpha need another alpha to satisfy their rut? He should search for an omega that can handle an alpha’s stamina and… knot.
“Zhongli…” Childe begins mildly. “I don’t think you understand.”
“Oh? Enlighten me.”
“It’s not me that’s in rut. It’s Foul Legacy. I can fuck anything and everything during it, but It won’t end until…”
Until it is satisfied.
“I see…”
That does change matters. For an alpha whose body is not designed to take the extreme size of another alpha’s cock or knot to take something the size of Childe’s abyssal form…
Childe musters a short laugh at Zhongli’s conflicted expression. “See? Don’t trouble yourself over it. I’ll manage.”
“It is you that might trouble me . How am I to trust you in this state?”
“Come on, Zhongli. Let’s not pretend like you’ve ever trusted me.”
Zhongli is struck silent by those words as Childe’s somber gaze reveals just how deep he’d been cut by Zhongli’s deception.
“Childe…”
As Zhongli reaches out for him, Childe jerks his shoulder away.
They continue on their search in silence for a while with Zhongli contemplating what Childe had said… and the expression he’d worn while saying it. He’s felt it for a while now… that he’s become the object of all of Childe’s frustrations and disappointments. The man’s unnatural reaction to another alpha… could it stem from these same emotions?
Zhongli doesn’t know how to feel about it.
From the very beginning, he hasn’t known how to feel about the Harbinger sent to him by the Cryo Archon.
The pull is magnetic- the desire to be around the man… to spend time with him and tell him everything. Even before discovering that Childe has a second nature, Zhongli has always found his scent a comfort.
Zhongli values his friendship with Childe… deeply. Deep enough to even suggest what he did… An alpha offering himself to another alpha. Outside the heat of the moment, Zhongli is not immune to the shame that brings. The thought of being underneath another alpha… twists something unpleasant in his gut.
And yet, the thought of lying beneath Childe…
Why does that stir heat in Zhongli’s core?
Most embarrassing is the fact that he was rejected… in the midst of an alpha’s rut, no less.
Finally, they come to a shallow body of water and they both quench their thirst.
They find shelter tucked behind a log beneath a rocky outcrop and Childe’s complexion returns to normal as they rest. He watches Zhongli with heavy-lidded eyes.
“Your scent…”
Zhongli has been releasing a small dose of calming pheromones since Childe’s last outburst.
“Is it bothering you?”
Childe shakes his head. “It’s just… I’ve only met two others like us. My Master and the Tsaritsa. Both of them are alphas and they’ve never… Well, to put it bluntly, their pheromones are scary as fuck.”
“Is that so?” Zhongli lets out a small laugh.
Childe shifts to get more comfortable across from him. “Master used to keep me in line with her alpha nature. She was fierce, but… Her Majesty is terrifying when she uses it. She only turned it on me once and I never want to feel it again.”
Zhongli listens quietly for Childe to continue.
“Yours is… comforting.”
“I can be frightening, too.”
“Oh, I know. I wasn’t in my right mind, but I remember you using it. I just didn’t know there was another option. I didn’t know alphas could be… soft.”
“You think I am soft?”
“You know what I mean.”
No, Zhongli doesn’t really understand what Childe is trying to say. It doesn’t seem like he wants to insult Zhongli, though.
“Just keep doing it,” Childe says, dozing off.
Zhongli can’t fault him for falling asleep after such an intense day. Especially lulled by Zhongli’s scent.
Zhongli is exhausted too. His back has finally finished healing at the cost of a good deal of energy. Soon enough, his own eyes drift shut.
After a few short hours, they resume their search for a way up.
Childe is in a worse state than before, constantly losing focus and snapping at Zhongli at every small inconvenience.
Zhongli decides to keep the rutting alpha three paces ahead of himself at all times so that he can keep an eye on him.
Every now and then, they are swarmed by monsters. Childe relishes in the fight, able to spend some of his pent up energy. As long as Zhongli calms him down afterwards, everything is fine. But that is getting more and more difficult for him to do.
By the end of the second day, Childe’s behavior has become so erratic and uncontrollable that it draws the unwanted attention of larger, more powerful foes- which only further fans the flame of Childe’s current territorial nature.
Childe stands above his latest prey, body heaving from exertion and eyes scanning their surroundings for something else to fight. He is running himself ragged.
“Childe,” Zhongli calls.
Sharp blue eyes pin to Zhongli like he is his next prey. Such is not a new occurrence, but this time his eyes don’t clear after he recognizes Zhongli. He drops down off of his fallen foe and stalks towards Zhongli. It is only when he comes within range of the thick calming scent Zhongli is pumping out that his eyes lose their sharp edge.
Zhongli sighs. He doesn’t know how much more of this he can take. His control over his pheromones is beginning to slip after pushing them for such a long time.
With the battle having subsided, Childe looks more haggard than ever.
Seeing the state he’s in, Zhongli finds his resolve.
He takes a step closer than he has allowed them to come in hours. “Let me help you…”
Childe flinches at his touch, jerking away.
“Have you forgotten what I told you? There’s no way. I’m not myself in that form. What if I…”
“Childe, it’s alright. I can't watch you go on like this any longer. I can take it…”
Childe splutters for a moment before spitting out, “Absolutely not.”
He says this, but his skin has started to release the telltale signs of abyssal energy leaking out at the mere suggestion.
“I would not offer this if I was not certain it is the best course of action. You need it. And I need you to pull yourself together, so if this is what it takes…”
Zhongli digs inside his coat, procuring the piece of parchment he always keeps on hand. As he speaks the contract, it is written into existence.
Once finished, he hands it over for Childe to inspect.
As Childe reads, he murmurs along, “...accompany for the duration of his rut, fulfilling his physical needs, including but not limited to…”
“It is a simple exchange,” Zhongli explains. “I help you through this rut so that we can make it out of here alive. In return, you help me through my next rut- the first one in two thousand years. I do not know what to expect from it and would appreciate sharing it with someone I trust.”
At the word trust, Childe’s eyes nearly glimmer. With a nod, he adds his name to the bottom of the document.
“The contract is sealed,” Zhongli says, undoing the first clasp of his coat. “Shall we begin?”
Zhongli can pinpoint the exact moment that Childe gives in to his secondary nature, his blue eyes going dark as the deepest abyss.
Zhongli’s fingers slip off the next clasp, unsuccessful, as he is distracted by Childe’s silent transformation. It hasn’t been that long since the first time Zhongli saw it, but somehow he had already forgotten just how big Childe’s Foul Legacy transformation is.
Childe tried to warn him about Foul Legacy’s nature, but even so, Zhongli is unprepared for the speed with which he is put on his knees, forced down by just one of the man’s hands on his shoulder.
The alpha must have truly been at his limit. Without hesitation, he grabs a fistful of Zhongli’s hair and shoves him face down into the cold abyss floor. His other hand presses into the small of Zhongli’s back, forcing his body into a submissive arch.
Zhongli’s own alpha instincts rear up in refusal to accept this position. However, he forcefully slams down the instinct to free himself and put the younger alpha in his place. Right now, Childe needs this.
He forces himself to remain calm even as his pants are shredded clean through by careless claws, exposing him further to the cool dank air of the abyss.
Childe’s heat settles over Zhongli’s back as he uses his leg to force the god’s knees further apart.
As that thick cock nudges hot and heavy between his spread thighs, Zhongli can't help but tense up.
He is no omega. Taking something so large will not be easy, even for a god. In all of his six thousand years of life, while he has had many sexual partners, he has never once allowed himself to be the one mounted. His chase for mortality must have weakened his pride. Rather, a certain scoundrel came along and made him care less for his pride.
Thankfully, even in his state, Childe has enough wits about him to use his hydro ability on himself to ease the way a bit before he begins to push his entire length deep into Zhongli’s body all at once.
Zhongli makes a shocked noise, muffled by the ground as he’s speared open. He chokes back his protests, knowing they will do no good. He will only regret it later if he tries to fight this now.
Zhongli is no omega… His body was not made for this. It hurts.
It is impossible to breathe. Every sense he has is focused to one point in his body. He holds in the pain, refusing to make a single sound as Childe’s cock breaks him.
However… Zhongli is a god, gnosis or not. The moment Childe takes to steady himself once he’s fully seated is all Zhongli’s body needs to heal itself from the initial intrusion.
As the searing subsides, Zhongli is finally able to feel just how deep Childe is. If he was an omega, he knows he would be preening from the feeling of a full womb right now. As it happens, he has no womb. There is no space in him made specifically for an alpha to fill. There is only an uncomfortable fullness that he can’t escape from.
He can feel it pressed against his lungs, making it difficult to inhale.
Tears spring forth in his eyes as Childe finally retreats, pulling Zhongli’s insides with him, only to push right back in. All the while, he is forced to remain in this submissive position with Childe’s massive hands spanning across his lower back, pressing down and holding him in place as he fucks his cock at an antagonizingly slow pace into Zhongli’s deepest place.
It is humiliating.
If this were anyone but Childe, he would have snuffed out the life of whoever dared use him this way- with such little care or respect.
Even with it being Childe, Zhongli has to fight the instinctive urge to retaliate against every harsh thrust punching through his intestines and hitting against his stomach. To do so would be to violate his contract. He agreed to this, so he must see it through to the end.
To his uttermost shame, Zhongli’s own cock has filled out from the stimulation, straining, still trapped inside what’s left of the front of his pants.
There will be bruises on his waist and thighs from this. He knows he will hurt in the places Childe has touched him, inside and out, for days to come. However… Somehow… this feels…
Right.
How could it possibly? Zhongli is an alpha. It is in his nature- not to give himself- but to take. That is all he’s ever known. But to be taken by Childe… bent over and forced into submission by a larger alpha… maybe what he’s meant to take is Childe’s cock.
The pressure builds faster than Zhongli can comprehend. One moment, he’s tormented by the overwhelming sensations. The next, he’s arching his back further, raising his hips, and shooting his release into his undergarments in shaky bursts of blinding white pleasure.
Childe slows his pace, having noticed the way Zhongli’s body has tensed up. He growls, pushing his cock as deep as it will go. One hand leaves Zhongli’s waist to wrap around the back of his neck, forcing his face back to the ground.
Belatedly, Zhongli realizes that the alpha thinks he’s resisting. He is quick to release his pheromones, assuring Childe that he is still willing.
Part of him wonders what Childe would do if he truly wanted free. He knows the man would never do anything Zhongli didn’t want… but the alpha on the other hand…
Secondary natures bring the most animalistic traits out of beings like Zhongli and Childe. It doesn’t matter what’s rational. In this moment, Childe’s brain is wired to do one thing and one thing only.
Breed.
It doesn’t matter that Zhongli is another alpha and that he can’t be bred. Childe will try. He doesn't stop, fucking Zhongli more fiercely now. From the increase in his speed and the uneven pace, Zhongli knows it won’t be long before…
Oh, gods…
It hadn’t really sunk in yet. Zhongli is already so full as it is, but…
Childe is going to knot him.
Zhongli releases a deep whine, letting his body go fully limp in Childe’s hold. The cock plunging into his guts has already begun to swell at the base.
Zhongli’s heart hammers in his chest, both from trepidation and excitement. He might just break from it, but somehow the idea is thrilling. He wants it just as much as he rejects the very idea of being knotted.
Some deep quiet part of Zhongli wishes that he were an omega so that he could truly appreciate the size of the knot about to stuff him tight. If he were, his tears would purely be from pleasure. He would be begging with need by now for this alpha’s knot. How satisfied he would be with an alpha so large…
But, as things are, Zhongli can only choke back a pained sob as his alpha body is stretched past its limits. Childe fucks downwards, crushing Zhongli to the ground with the weight of his thrusts, trying to force the swollen base of his cock into the pliant body below. He eventually slows, focusing on strength rather than speed as he pushes himself further and further inside.
Zhongli can’t help it. His legs kick out beneath him- failing to find purchase on the cold abyss floor as he instinctively tries to get away from the intrusion. But he is held firmly in place as the beast above him rolls his hips demandingly until, finally, the thickest part of his knot slips inside and the rest quickly follows after.
Zhongli inhales, sharp and ragged, holding his breath as the fat tip of Childe’s cock breaches an even deeper part of him, pumping wave after wave of hot liquid.
Childe groans in satisfaction just above Zhongli’s head. And still, he keeps grinding his hips, filling Zhongli more and more to the point it feels he may burst.
He’s too close. Childe’s hot breath tickles the hair at the back of Zhongli’s neck.
He wouldn’t…
It never even occurred to Zhongli that Childe might try to bite him. Zhongli is an alpha , after all. The instinct shouldn’t even be there. But then again, Childe has reacted strangely to him from the very beginning.
“Childe,” Zhongli grunts out as something presses sharp against his nape, shifting towards his scent gland “Wait, don’t-”
!!!
Sharp teeth pierce his flesh, sinking deep into the tissue.
“gh!”
Childe’s pheromones wash through Zhongli, copying his calming technique to soothe the struggling alpha. Eventually, Zhongli’s fight leaves his body as he is flooded by mating bond endorphins.
“Im-possible…”
Zhongli’s eyes lose focus as he slumps in pure satisfaction and utter defeat.
Childe’s claim is… successful.
How can it be that- despite being an alpha, and despite their current predicament… Zhongli feels completely and utterly safe within Childe’s hold. Zhongli’s body recognizes Childe as his mate.
“Zhongli…” That gravelly voice whispers his name into his ear, somehow tender.
Childe is starting to come back to his senses now that he’s successfully knotted. One of his oversized hands reaches down beneath Zhongli, pulling his clothing up to tentatively cup the god’s distended belly, feeling himself inside.
Zhongli can’t help but wish his knot would deflate soon, whimpering softly at the obscene stretch to his lower region. Mate or no, the cock inside him is simply too large. Zhongli can’t help but want this torture to end.
“Are you hurt?” Childe asks again, and this time Zhongli can’t honestly answer “no”.
Something inside of him has been irrevocably changed. His pride as an alpha has been shattered, and he hasn’t quite felt right since the moment Childe’s teeth broke his skin. Not to mention, his insides have likely been at least temporarily rearranged.
“I will recover,” Zhongli answers in a hoarse whisper.
Childe goes quiet after that.
Zhongli has to wonder just how effective one single knot has been in clearing Childe’s head.
Eventually, the time comes that they must separate. Zhongli braces himself as Childe lifts them up and pulls himself out one inch at a time, far more careful than he’d been with inserting the thing.
“Sorry,” Childe says remorsefully as his cock pops free and Zhongli lowers himself to the ground, lying still for a long moment.
Zhongli closes his eyes, taking deep breaths as his internal organs right themselves. With his healing magic, he will recover from this far faster than any mortal would… if a mortal would have survived it at all. Even after his body is back as it should be, Zhongli can’t help but still feel… empty.
Gingerly, Zhongli pushes off the ground with shaky arms. Childe is there, offering a hand in an instant. He notably doesn’t touch Zhongli first, letting the god accept his hand on his own.
Zhongli uses it to pick himself up, staggering slightly as his legs do not wish to hold him anymore.
He takes a moment to examine Childe. The alpha hasn’t transformed back into his human form yet…
“Did it not help?” He asks mildly.
“It did.” Childe answers, distorted voice coming out small. Awkwardly, he adds, “Thank you.”
“And yet you are still… like this. It is not over. Is it?”
Childe shakes his head.
Zhongli doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Well, let’s make as much progress as we can while you’re clear-headed, shall we?”
Having Childe travel beside him in this form is both comforting and troubling. On one hand, his instincts are sharper. He can sense what lurks in the shadows far before the monsters sense them. On the other hand, Zhongli is kept constantly on edge. He can’t read Childe at all like this. His silence is… worrying.
Getting more than one or two words at a time out of Childe is difficult. Zhongli knows he can speak. He just… doesn’t. He simply attacks anything and everything on sight, like he’s taking something out on the poor abyss creatures.
Zhongli is grateful for this, as he hardly trusts his legs to hold him steady in a fight right now. This new sensation called weakness… is not something Zhongli wants to experience more than he can avoid.
Luckily, his coat tails are still intact, obscuring the view of his exposed rear from any prying eyes. It doesn’t do much to prevent the draft chilling Zhongli further with each step as Childe’s cum leaks out of him.
They make good progress this way, finding their way up several floors of the abyss.
And then, naturally, it happens.
Childe has a particularly fierce battle with a rift hound. By the time the monster’s body hits the ground, Childe is in… quite a state.
Zhongli is more prepared this time as Childe reaches for him with intent.
As Childe presses the smaller man’s back against the cavern wall, all the alpha can get out in his heated state is a single-word question.
“Contract?”
Childe wishes to know if their contract still stands. He’s giving Zhongli the chance to back out…
Zhongli still aches from the last time. The thought of doing that all over again sets his heart racing. However… there is also a heat blooming deep inside as his body remembers what it is like to be filled.
More than that, Zhongli is drowning in the thick musky scent wafting off the other. An alpha should not react this way to another alpha’s rut pheromones… but Zhongli is nearly quaking with the need to touch him.
It must be the mating bite.
No matter. A contract is a contract. Zhongli will see this through to the end. He gives Childe a resolute nod.
As if he’d been hanging on by the thinnest of threads, Childe’s patience snaps with that single gesture.
Zhongli is hefted up and braced against the wall with a large hand under each of his knees. Childe lines himself up, not even bothering with his hydro ability given how much cum is already lubricating Zhongli’s hole.
The god bites his own lip, bracing his arms against Childe’s chest, and drops his head to watch between their bodies as that inhumanly large cock disappears inside of him.
The entry is much less painful than before- even as much as it burns from how raw he still is.
Childe wastes no time, picking a quick and brutal pace from the get go. He moves with urgency this time, like he wants to get his knot popped as soon as possible.
Zhongli is exceedingly grateful as that moment comes sooner rather than later. As Childe spurts deep within, knot trapped inside, Zhongli grabs fistfuls of the fur around the man’s neck, gasping with his own sudden release.
This is the second time he’s cum on another alpha’s cock… and somehow this one was far more powerful than the first. His whole body is light, buzzing with energy. With his head thrown back against the solid rock wall, Zhongli gazes up at the numerous stars up above.
However, his view is cut off as Childe leans his weight against the wall, caging Zhongli in with his embrace.
This is nice too…
Zhongli inhales deeply, finding comfort in Childe’s scent while they wait for their bodies to no longer be interlocked.
While the first time had left Zhongli feeling sort of… devastated, he can no longer say he feels the same way. Not when Childe is rubbing his face so tenderly against Zhongli’s shoulder as if begging for forgiveness.
Zhongli’s pride is not such a grand thing that he cannot trade it for Childe’s salvation.
Alpha or not, Childe is Childe. If someone is going to take care of him, Zhongli is glad it is himself.
He rests his hand gently on the back of Childe’s neck, assuring him that all is well.
Despite how exhausted Childe must be, he still keeps his transformation after they’ve disentangled. Even now that his rut seems to have eased up.
Zhongli’s eyes never leave that large back ahead of him as his vision blurs and his legs tremble with each step. Keeping up with the larger man is becoming difficult even though Childe is clearly slowing his pace for him.
He’s really done it now… How long has it been since he’s had to use his healing abilities this much? How long has it been since he’s felt this gnawing hunger in his belly? Living comfortably in Liyue Harbor has spoiled him. Four days now with no food, little sleep, and hardly any water… even a god has limits.
The moment Zhongli stops walking, Childe stops in his tracks ahead of him. The alpha is more aware of him than he pretends…
The god staggers, lightheaded, and is caught in a loose embrace, gently guided to sit on a nearby rock formation. There, he lays his hand on his burning belly.
“Zhongli…”
The abyssal voice wavers with devastation.
“You’re injured, aren’t y-”
Zhongli’s stomach lets out an obscenely loud gurgle that leaves them both stunned.
As that mask stares at his face, painfully silent, Zhongli’s cheeks slowly heat up. Like many of his bodily functions, hunger was easy to stave off with the aid of the gnosis. With it gone…
“I am… unaccustomed to hunger. It will not kill me, though. Pay it no mind.”
One moment, Childe is there, looming over him. The next. he has vanished.
No more than thirty seconds later, he reappears with a slain furred beast in his hold. The corpse reeks of abyssal taint just like everything else down here, turning Zhongli’s nose.
“I do not think such beasts are edible, Childe.”
“...They are.”
Zhongli focuses on Childe’s unreadable mask, reading between the lines instead. He knows this from experience… Is that how he ended up with this form?
The creature in Childe’s hold is undoubtedly flesh and blood… meat. Zhongli’s hunger is worsened at the mere thought. However… What will happen to him if he consumes this?
Seeing his expression, Childe’s fist clenches, snapping the bones of his prey. He tosses the creature aside. It smacks sickeningly against the abyss floor.
“Starve, then.”
Zhongli frowns. So unreasonably angry… Just like- No, Childe is a rutting alpha trying to care for his “mate”. Zhongli is an alpha, not an omega. He does not need to be provided for by his mate. How can he even think of another alpha as his mate in the first place?
As Childe storms off, Zhongli touches the tips of his fingers faintly to the deep wound in his neck. The imprint of the other alpha’s teeth will not easily be healed… Zhongli has tried.
He sighs, long and deep.
There was a time… Zhongli has considered what Childe would be like as a partner. Having spent so much time with the man, it was inevitable he would at least consider the idea. Life with Childe was such a temptation that Zhongli was willing to tie himself to a man with a mortal lifespan… with no secondary trait to satisfy an Adeptus’ need for a true mating bond… if that man were also willing.
But that was before he discovered Childe is an alpha.
Could Zhongli, as an alpha, settle down with another alpha? Could he subject his body to this experience periodically? Would his instincts allow him to coexist with an alpha?
Something clenches tight in his chest at the alternative- at letting Childe go. How could he reject Childe as a mate when…
Even Zhongli’s body has not.
More than food… More than water or sleep… Zhongli’s body craves Childe. Even this short distance between them is too much. It is unthinkable that he wants those hands on his flesh again. He craves Childe on the inside.
Is he-?
Could Zhongli’s rut be starting already? In response to Childe’s? No, his mind is clear… he is level-headed. He just… wants his mate.
The real question is… When Childe’s rut is over and his mind is clear… What will he make of all this? Forget having to reject Childe… It may be Zhongli who is rejected in the end.
Zhongli covers his mouth with his hand as reality begins to sink in.
In the distance, where Childe has sat himself to wait for Zhongli’s recovery, the alpha’s head snaps up.
In a heartbeat, he is knelt before Zhongli, tilting the god’s chin up with a single claw.
Caught off guard and vulnerable, Zhongli’s eyes shine bright and wet under the light of a billion stars.
A low, deep growl emits from Childe’s chest. It must be frustrating to see a god show such weakness- especially at a time like this. It’s only natural he should be angry- that an alpha would not tolerate another alpha’s tears-
“hmph!?”
Zhongli’s surprise allows Childe’s tongue deeper into his mouth. It is long and thick, powerful as it roves Zhongli’s tongue and teeth. He is surprised to find human lips behind that mask- but certainly not human teeth.
The angle forces Zhongli’s head back, exposing his throat as that long tongue snakes down it. He doesn’t gag, though. A god does not gag.
He cannot help but swallow around the thick intrusion, though, taking small shallow breaths through his nose.
Childe’s hand is at the back of his neck, holding him steadily in place as he takes.
“Mm!”
Zhongli beats at Childe’s chest- because he is under no obligation to be subjected to this. It cannot aid in soothing Childe’s rut in the slightest.
But as his lips are relentlessly caressed and Childe’s pheromones wash over him, Zhongli loses the will to resist. His throat relaxes, allowing Childe to delve deeper, practically fucking Zhongli’s throat with his tongue.
It feels… good.
Why does it feel good?
Ah… What kind of alpha gets hard from having another alpha’s tongue down his throat?
It is almost a relief when Childe presses forward with intent, grabbing Zhongli’s ass and dragging him to the edge of the rock so that he is perfectly lined up- No, it cannot be called relief, this fire that courses through Zhongli’s body the moment he understands that Childe means to have him again on this rock.
Tongue still fucking Zhongli’s throat at an even pace, Childe lathers his cock up with hydro and nudges himself against Zhongli’s entrance.
Zhongli’s cock twitches, hole still puffy and sensitive from the previous two times. His throat constricts on a failed moan, trapping that tongue into stillness as his body is breached once more.
His own debauched face is reflected in the orb of Childe’s mask, mocking him with his own pleasure. He tries to look past that reflection, to see the man behind the mask. Zhongli could not look at him either of the times before… but as Childe fucks him face to face, Zhongli wants nothing more than to know the alpha is watching him- is focused on him and not just chasing his own knot.
He must remember that this is merely a contract. Rut or not, Childe clearly is not happy with him right now. Perhaps it is a good thing he cannot see the other’s expression as he fucks him relentlessly upon this rock.
Zhongli’s exposed back scrapes against the rough surface of the rock, adding another layer to his pain.
As if sensing his distraction, Childe lifts him off the rock with ease and removes his tongue from Zhongli’s throat.
Choking for air, Zhongli isn't prepared for his waist to be taken in both of Childe’s hands and lifted. The alpha maneuvers his weight easily, up and then back down, using him like a toy…
As he is plunged onto that cock as deep as possible, Zhongli feels the tension escape his body. He melts under the sensations, forcing Childe to shift one hand to wrap around his chest to support him.
At this angle, Childe’s cock rubs up against something on every fall that sends shivers up Zhongli’s spine and makes his vision go bleary.
Held in Childe’s firm grip and manhandled to pleasure the alpha’s cock, Zhongli’s face becomes misty and time ceases to make any sense. He can’t stop staring into the eye of that mask, wondering… if Childe is watching.
Indeed, Childe seems to notice Zhongli’s rapt attention, shifting his thumb up to brush against Zhongli’s flushed cheek and then swipe over the god’s red, abused lips.
That deep rumble begins again as the rutting alpha growls, warning Zhongli of what’s to come.
The cock in him begins to thicken, Childe’s pace quickening. Zhongli throws his head back over Childe’s fingers, abdomen tightening as he finds his own release amidst the strain of having that bulging knot stuffed into him once again.
As Childe stills, emptying his balls into Zhongli, the god pants harshly in his hands, ribcage flared and belly hollowed out to accentuate the outline of the monstrous cock lodged deep inside his body.
With one thumb caressing Zhongli’s exposed throat, tracing the outline of Childe’s teeth, the alpha’s other thumb lightly strokes the god’s belly in awe.
“Still can’t… believe…”
Zhongli cannot find the energy or willpower to respond to Childe’s rare utterance. He is too busy focusing on not hurling. As usual, once the pleasure has come to an end, he is left with nothing but the pain and discomfort. His empty stomach is being pressed higher into his torso than it belongs. If he tries to speak, he will retch.
Noticing his distress, Childe shifts, testing the tether of their bodies. It is still too soon. He hides away, pulling Zhongli closer and leaning over to tuck his head above Zhongli’s somewhere the god cannot see.
Like this, Zhongli’s face is pressed right up against the other alpha’s neck. The satisfaction lingering in Childe’s scent nearly makes Zhongli petty enough to bite the alpha back.
Nearly.
He would never do that. Besides, the bond between them is already going to be hard to break without a return mark.
The mere thought of doing so, while still stuffed with his mate’s knot, causes Zhongli’s breath to hitch.
Is this how an omega feels towards their mate? This attachment? Surely a good-sized knot is not so powerful a thing to make even an alpha this emotional…
It must be because… Yes, even among mortals, having sexual intercourse with someone you don’t understand your relationship with will have consequences.
How he feels for Childe… and how Childe feels for him… it was already clear as mud. Now that this has happened, will they ever truly be able to know what’s real?
This is the question that plagues Zhongli the rest of the journey up the abyss. It won’t be much longer before they reach the floor that they fell from, and Zhongli still doesn’t have an answer.
He may not get one until they are out of the abyss and Childe’s rut has ended. Until then, Zhongli just needs to fulfil what is required of him and not make things worse.
There are bigger worries to focus on.
The number and power of monsters has lessened the higher they’ve climbed. Instead of searching the shadows for foes, Zhongli begins to watch the skies. Hopefully Aether and Venti have been successful in evading the whale. It would be fortunate if it has long since disappeared into whatever deep pit it ventured out of.
Childe is on edge, too. Whether it be the same worry as Zhongli’s or simply a pent up energy from the dwindling of enemies, he has gone completely silent again, body stiff.
Zhongli wonders if Childe feels fatigue in that form, too. How long can he maintain it? Perhaps indefinitely while surrounded by abyssal energy? He has not slept since the first night when he took on his human form. He has not eaten either…
As Zhongli ponders this, the two come upon a bridge. It is similar to the one they fell from, if not even longer. The darkness down below is a grim reminder of how deep their descent had been.
The starry skies are clear as far as they can see. However, crossing the bridge will leave them exposed. The whale has proven to be sneaky and willing to stalk and ambush its prey.
Do they really have time to find another way, though?
Childe doesn’t seem to share Zhongli’s concern, striding onto the bridge without hesitation. Zhongli can only follow, keeping a keen eye on their surroundings as they cross.
About halfway across, Zhongli freezes in his tracks, doubling over from a sharp twinge of pain in his abdomen. He catches himself on the stone wall of the bridge, breathless as he stares over the edge, watching a pebble fall into the darkness.
Something’s… off-
With a sharp gasp, Zhongli presses his chest to the wall away from the cold metal grazing his exposed lower back.
A heavy hand presses down, keeping him there.
“Right now?” Zhongli grits out as his coattails are brushed aside and his ass is exposed.
“Now,” Childe commands, voice garbled with the strength of his desire.
Zhongli hadn’t realized his rut had flared up so heavily again… He would have forced them to wait to cross if he’d known.
Zhongli grips the bridge tightly, face sticking out over the edge and peering into the endless depths of the abyss below as Childe pushes into him in one fluid motion.
It is like the first time Childe had taken him, rushed and desperate- like a caged beast suddenly set free on its foes. At least, that’s how Zhongli feels as he is brutally fucked on the edge of this bridge- like an enemy Childe has to conquer.
On a particularly rough thrust, a piece of the bridge crumbles and falls into the abyss.
A spike of fear shoots through Zhongli’s spine- body still remembering what it’s like to fall.
But it does something strange to him, as well. Being on the precipice and completely out of control has made Zhongli’s cock harder than ever. He reaches down, fumbling with the zipper of his pants between each rough thrust from the alpha above.
Something is different this time… There is something powerful building deep inside. Something… blooming. There’s no other way to describe the unfurling sensation in his core as Childe’s cock stirs his deepest depths.
Along with the strange sensation, Zhongli feels something familiar encroaching. He grips the edge of the bridge with one hand, knuckles white. And with his other hand, he strokes himself, timing his rhythm to match each time the tip of Childe’s cock reaches that sensitive burning place. Like this, it is entirely too good. Zhongli is going to…
His thighs go boneless as he grips the base of his cock, flesh swelling thick in his fist. He knots his own hand as Childe’s relentless pace fucking into him never slows, pushing him over the edge with a strangled moan that echoes through the abyss.
Not the actual ledge, thankfully. When Zhongli’s vision slowly returns along with his hearing, he is still firmly wedged between the solid bridge and the body above him.
With three harsh thrusts and one final push of his hips, Childe forces his knot fully inside. His cum pours in, thick and hot, further disturbing that place of unrest inside Zhongli’s core.
!!!
Utterly spent, Zhongli accidentally lets out a pained whimper. He truly did not intend for such an undignified sound to leave his lips. Especially knowing Childe would hear it. But he couldn’t help it. He’s never felt such intense pain before.
Is this it? Has he finally taken Childe’s knot one too many times? Has something in him broken beyond repair? His healing magic surges through the area, unable to wait for the intrusion to retreat first. Yet… nothing happens. The pain persists even though Childe has gone utterly still.
Zhongli’s hand leaves his spent cock to brace against his full abdomen instead.
Not everything is still. Something inside is… moving. His own organs, he realizes. They feel set aflame and… like they’ve been ripped to shreds.
Zhongli breaks into a cold sweat, body trembling as his eyes flood with tears.
What is happening? Is he… dying?
Even Childe’s scent, flooding him with calming pheromones cannot distract Zhongli from the torment.
The larger alpha’s own distress begins to seep through, ruining the attempt to calm Zhongli.
“Zhong-li-” Childe presses his head against Zhongli’s back. “ Sorry… I’m- sorry.”
He repeats this apology endlessly, his knot deflating faster than any time before. Even as he pulls out, Zhongli gains no relief. The god stays where he is, utterly still as he clutches his abdomen.
Childe’s choked apologies turn into whispers, dying out as he goes silent.
And then Zhongli is lifted, one arm under his back and a hand beneath his knees. He is pulled into strong arms and held against Childe’s chest as the abyss whirs by.
If Zhongli could speak through the pain, he would tell Childe to take more care for their surroundings. The whale could be lurking in wait anywhere. He would also make sure Childe knows that he doesn’t blame him for whatever’s happening to him.
As things stand, however, Zhongli doesn’t know if he’ll ever get the chance to tell Childe these things. Or how he truly feels about their time spent together. Or how much he wishes…
Because it feels like Zhongli is dying from the inside out.
Is this some side effect of taking in too much of Childe’s abyss-tainted seed? Perhaps that is a possibility Zhongli should have accounted for before writing that contract.
As Childe flies them faster through the tighter tunnels of the abyss, a soft sound on the breeze reaches Zhongli’s ears. He almost misses it at first. There should not even be a breeze in a place like this. That voice on the wind…
“Bar-batos-” Zhongli grunts out.
Luckily, Childe hears the voice too. The instructions whispered on the wind lead them higher, through three more corridors and over another canyon. It is only when they are at the door to one of the spiral abyss’ main floors that Childe falls to his knees, cradling Zhongli tight to himself.
In the time it took them to get here, most of the searing has subsided. Zhongli doesn’t know if his healing finally proved effective or if he’s only managed to temporarily put a stop to whatever’s happening inside. However, as Childe’s weight falls forward, Zhongli is able to reach out and stop their descent before they hit the ground.
By the time Childe’s weight covers Zhongli, he has shrunk in size, back to his true form.
From his scent, his rut has finally run its course.
“Zhongli…” he groans, eyes squeezed shut in pain. Barely conscious, he whispers.
“Please… Don’t hate me.”
Zhongli takes a deep breath and pulls himself out from under Childe’s weight. Carefully, he lays the man flat on his back. He takes a moment to take in the sight of him.
Childe’s face is gaunt, his expression wretched even in unconsciousness. He looks about as bad as Zhongli feels.
But Zhongli certainly looks worse than either of them feel. The others are just on the other side of the door. He does what he can to make himself look presentable. Although it would be impossible to hide what happened down there, he can at least maintain some face.
He takes the shredded clothes off of his upper body and ties them around his waist to hide the state of his pants. There’s nothing that can be done about their smell…
There’s no time to fret. What’s important is getting them all out of here safely.
Zhongli ignores the residual pain in his core to drag Childe closer and push the doors open.
Inside, he is met by three very relieved faces.
“You made it,” Aether releases a deep breath.
“Of course he did.” At least Venti has the decency to not sound surprised. “What took you so long?”
Zhongli pulls Childe’s arm over his shoulder and brings him into the chamber. “We had some issues to work out along the way.”
“Issues?” Paimon asks innocently. “Yeah, tell us something we don’t know about Childe.”
Venti looks Zhongli up and down and his hand flies to his mouth. “Pft!”
Aether frowns at Zhongli’s condition.
“You took care of it?” Venti gawks. He turns to Aether. “And here I thought, as omegas, you and I would have to toss a coin to decide whose problem it would be.”
Zhongli isn’t prepared for the intense reaction he has to that suggestion. Something uncomfortable and unfamiliar settles into his gut at the thought of either of them satisfying Childe’s rut.
Before Zhongli can remember to suppress his pheromones, both Aether and Venti snap their heads towards Zhongli as they catch scent of his shift in mood.
“Zhongli…” Aether begins, uneasy. “Your scent…”
“Forgive me. It has been a trying few days. My control has been severely tested.”
“No, it’s not that…”
Venti raises his eyebrows in slight judgment as he asks, “Really, Morax? You let a human bitch you?”
Childe taps his finger against the letter on his desk, staring absently out the open window of his office. He hasn’t left the Northland Bank since he woke up alone in the back room of Bubu Pharmacy.
Five days in the abyss… Childe can hardly remember most of it. The descent of the first day is crystal clear. He recalls slowly losing his mind to rut, egged on by the abyssal energy down there. The whale would be unforgettable, of course. He remembers the bridge- and Zhongli…
His finger stops tapping as his head falls into his hands.
Everything after the fall feels like a fever dream- a terrible fantasy his rut-addled mind must have cooked up.
There’s no way he really-
The letter on his desk is the undeniable truth. The clearest memory he has- of Zhongli discussing what needed to be done and creating a contract… was real.
Which means… So was the rest.
He’s replayed the hazy, sinful memories in his mind over and over in the past week of his isolation. The way he treated Zhongli… the ways he used him- hurt him.
Unforgiveable.
Childe has never been so disgusted by his alpha nature before. The possibility that he could slip up and something like this could happen had always seemed… unreal. He’d gotten too careless. He knew what Foul Legacy was capable of. And still, he agreed to-
Zhongli agreed…
Childe still cannot fathom why Zhongli would do such a thing for him. If it was truly about survival, Zhongli could have left Childe behind and saved himself. He didn’t have to-
But he did.
And Childe doesn’t know how to face him.
Zhongli is asking for him. The letter on Childe’s desk is actually more of a formal demand that Childe come fulfil his end of the contract.
It’s not that Childe is unwilling. He would do anything to make it up to Zhongli. But doing so means seeing him again- touching him again. It doesn't matter that Childe is no longer in rut. Both of those ideas terrify him.
That small sound of pain from Zhongli’s lips will haunt Childe for the rest of his life. He shouldn't know what it sounds like. He shouldn’t know what Zhongli’s pain feels like. He shouldn't know exactly how much force it takes to keep a god pinned beneath him, taking his co-
Childe’s fist slams on the table.
He can’t keep avoiding it. If Zhongli is in rut- if he needs him, it’s Childe’s duty to go to him.
“Zhongli?” Childe calls, knocking again.
Where else would he be, but in his apartment at a time like this?
There is a soft thud behind the door and then it cracks open.
“Childe,” Zhongli greets from the other side, voice full of relief. “You came.”
“Of course I did. We have a contract.”
“...”
“You would hunt me down if I didn’t, right?”
Childe’s attempt to lighten the mood sounds off to his own ears.
Clearing his throat, Childe starts over. “I’m honestly surprised you still want my help. If you didn’t want to see me again, I would understand.”
The door cracks open a bit further and Zhongli’s eye meets his before looking away.
“Childe, I am… unsure how to put this…”
Here it comes.
Zhongli forces himself to meet his eye again. “How much do you remember…?”
Childe’s face becomes heavy as he answers, “Most of it.”
“So you remember biting me?”
Childe winces. He had forgotten until the words left Zhongli’s mouth. But now the memory of sinking his teeth into Zhongli’s tempting neck is crystal clear. His mouth waters despite himself. He could almost swear he smells Zhongli’s scent even in his human form now.
Childe nods. “That must have hurt. Sorry.”
The moment the apology leaves his mouth, Childe’s heart lurches. A simple “sorry” will never be enough for everything he did.
“Zhongli, about everything that happened… I don’t know what I could possibly do to make it right, but you have to know how deeply I regret treating you that way.”
Zhongli’s eye leaves him again, his face turning a shade darker beyond the door.
“Childe, I… do not regret what happened.”
“...”
He can’t have heard him right. That’s bullshit.
“Then why can’t you look at me?”
Zhongli’s eyes flick to his and back to the floor again.
“Why are you hiding?” Childe demands. “It’s because I hurt you. Look, if you invited me here out of some obligation to fulfil a contract, I don’t want-”
Zhongli throws the door open, and the moment the scent from inside the apartment hits Childe’s nose, his mind goes blank.
“You’re-”
The only awareness he has is that Zhongli smells like…
Like his.
The possessive greed hits him like a ton of bricks, causing Childe to actually stagger back from the door.
“I am,” Zhongli states.
And that is the only reason Childe realizes he said “mine” out loud.
“You made me your mate, Childe.”
Childe’s mind is sent reeling in disbelief as that sinks in. What a horrible thing he’s done!
“I- I didn’t mean to…”
The sharp scent of Zhongli’s pain is familiar despite Childe’s weakened human senses. He reaches out on instinct before catching himself.
“If this is not something you want, I suggest you turn around and leave now,” Zhongli says, level voice denying the truth of his feelings on the matter. “Before it’s too late.”
Too late… That’s right. Childe is here for a reason.
“Before your rut?”
Zhongli’s lips thin. “No, Childe… Before my heat.”
“...What?”
Every association Childe has with the word “heat” cannot help his brain comprehend what Zhongli just said.
“But you’re an alpha.”
Zhongli shakes his head. “Why don’t you come inside. I will explain.”
Childe hesitates. Why does this feel like a trap? Even so, he cannot resist Zhongli’s offer. Not when he smells so inviting.
Zhongli pours him a cup of tea with trembling hands and Childe could very well cut his own hands off here and now for what they did to this man. That a god would tremble to be in the same room as a mortal…
Childe takes the teacup, careful not to touch Zhongli as he does. He cannot bring himself to drink the refreshment, however. He’s far too invested in what Zhongli has to say.
“I will put it simply,” Zhongli says, blowing gently on his own cup. “What happened between us in the abyss fundamentally altered my physiology. As our mating bond was somehow successful, my body took on the form most compatible with yours. I am no different from an omega, now. For the first time in my life, I am about to go into full-blown heat, and the responsibility is all yours… should you desire it,” he adds on.
Childe stares over the top of his cup, slowly absorbing Zhongli’s words.
“You are taking this rather well,” Zhongli says after a moment.
“I should be saying that to you! Are you not bothered by any of this?”
“Trust me, I am very bothered right now, Childe. I would prefer to receive your answer while I can still focus.”
Childe remains stiff on the edge of his seat, but calms down enough to fully take in Zhongli’s current appearance.
The man is looking… rough. In a delectable sort of way. Zhongli’s hair is loose. He lacks the layers he usually wears. There are beads of sweat clinging to his skin. His cheeks are flushed. His gaze is focused on the rippling surface of his tea and his hands still shake ever so slightly… not from unease at Childe’s presence, but from…
After a long moment, it finally clicks. Zhongli is unbearably horny right now.
Having become disappointed waiting for an answer for so long, Zhongli sighs. “Perhaps you should leave.”
“No-!” Childe interjects, a bit too desperate. “I’m not… I’m not saying no.”
He does have his reservations, though. “Responsibility”, Zhongli had said… Their original contract only required them each to help one another with one rut. Technically, Childe isn’t even bound by contract to help Zhongli with a heat. The God of Contracts should be well aware of this. It isn’t Childe’s responsibility as someone bound by contract. It is his responsibility as a mate.
Can he do that? Be that for Zhongli? Eventually, he will have to return to Snezhnaya.
More importantly…
“Do you want me?” he asks.
Four simple words hang heavy, a thousand words worth of meaning connected to them. Does Zhongli want him as a mate? Does he want Childe without the bond’s influence? Does he truly want to be touched by Childe again?
And with four words, Zhongli erases every single doubt Childe has had since the day he learned of Zhongli’s true identity.
“Yes. More than anything,” Zhongli breathes, like he’s only just realized this himself. For once, he is utterly and completely open.
That’s all Childe needs to hear. Suddenly, for the first time since he found out Zhongli was Rex Lapis, Childe doesn’t look at the god and not know what he sees. Now, he just sees Zhongli. He sees the man he spent months of his life falling for.
None of the rest matters.
Childe stands abruptly, closing the distance between them and leaning down. He tilts Zhongli’s face up with his fingers, mesmerized by the man’s flushed features. He waits like this, as Zhongli’s lashes lower, golden pupils blowing wide.
The god takes short shallow breaths as his gaze hovers at Childe’s lips.
Childe has never seen Zhongli like this before… on the verge of losing control.
“You poor thing…” Childe whispers, closing the distance between them. He seals their lips and the reaction is instantaneous. Zhongli moans, low and needy into Childe’s mouth as the bond between them flares, setting them both aflame.
Childe has never seen an omega in heat before- never breathed the scent of heat pheromones. His own mind becomes foggy with desire as he breathes Zhongli in.
He smells… There is no possible comparison. Childe has never smelled anything like it before, but the thick scent Zhongli puts off is the best thing he’s ever smelled. Like he was designed to perfectly fit Childe’s tastes.
Childe is already straining in his pants. And this is while his alpha form remains dormant…
It is there beneath the surface, not unlike when Foul Legacy is in rut. Childe has never felt it riled up like this outside of those specific times.
The need is slowly creeping, taking over his mind… the need to breed Zhongli.
He pulls the omega up out of his chair, never breaking their kiss as he presses Zhongli’s back against the table’s surface and grinds his cock between his spread legs.
Images- memories flash through his mind- of taking Zhongli without restraint on a cold hard surface just like this.
Finally, he breaks their kiss, pulling away to escape Zhongli’s needy mouth. The omega is spread out beautifully on the table, a tempting meal, but..
“Not like this,” Childe says, scooping Zhongli into his arms. “Where is your bedroom?”
Zhongli nods towards a doorway and Childe carries him through it, depositing him onto the soft bed.
He hovers over Zhongli for a moment, breathless as the omega touches his face, golden eyes softening.
“Perhaps like this?” Zhongli whispers. His scent thickens further as he bares his neck to his mate. His knees fall open in invitation.
Childe lowers his body, pressing them together as he sticks his nose in the crook of Zhongli’s neck. At the source, it feels like he might lose his sanity. But before that, he needs to know…
“If I have you while you’re like this… Will you become…?”
“Pregnant?” Zhongli finishes for him. “It is a possibility.”
“And you still want me to…?”
“It is not a question of want, Childe. I need you right now.” Zhongli arches his body, raising his hips demandingly.
Childe cannot resist rolling his hips down against that inviting heat. He grinds against Zhongli for a bit, growl building in his throat at the obstructing clothes between them.
He takes deep breaths at Zhongli’s scent gland, trying to steady himself, but Zhongli’s scent no longer calms him. Right now, it sends him spiraling further and further.
“It is not fair-” Zhongli gasps as Childe swipes his tongue across the omega’s sweat damp skin. “-that now you have patience.”
Zhongli’s right. Childe was an utter beast last time, taking Zhongli without hesitation when he was an alpha that could hardly handle it. Now that he’s an omega…
“You need not handle me with such care, Childe. Feel for yourself…” He takes Childe’s hand and pulls the glove off, guiding it down between his legs. Even through his pants, he is soaked.
Still, Childe rubs his forehead restlessly against Zhongli’s shoulder as he grabs the omega’s hips tight in his hands. He will not make the mistake of hurting Zhongli again.
He will have some self control.
The omega shifts beneath him and Childe hisses in pain as Zhongli’s teeth sink into his neck. From that spot, pleasure washes through his body. His need for Zhongli reaches a crest-
“Let go,” Zhongli whispers.
And Childe’s control snaps. He tugs Zhongli’s pants off, unbuttoning his own next. His fingers trail down Zhongli’s abdomen, over his dick, and lower…
On the outside, Zhongli appears no different than he had before- a normal human male with maybe a suspiciously large cock… But his ass is gleaming with something slick and wet, leaking from his hole. Childe presses two fingers in and finds that Zhongli is very different from before. He is loose and ready for him, walls sucking greedily on his fingers…
That’s all the reassurance Childe needs to sit back on his haunches and free his own cock from his pants. He lets himself rest hot and heavy against Zhongli’s dick. He can’t help but compare… Even his human form- which is unaltered by his abyssal form’s second nature- is as large as the alpha-sized cock beneath his. If anything, Childe is thicker than Zhongli.
“Childe, please,” Zhongli urges impatiently, causing the alpha to glance at his reddened face. As if Childe’s inspection has struck a nerve, Zhongli shifts beneath him, turning over onto his belly to present his backside instead. His back forms a lovely arch as he presses his ass up against the bottom of Childe’s cock.
Last time Childe had Zhongli in this position, it had clearly caused him discomfort and emotional strain. But now…
Zhongli lets out a low preen as Childe covers his back with his body.
With his new mate so eager like this, it is difficult for Childe to resist teasing him. He rolls his hips, letting his cock fuck against the wet underside of Zhongli’s taint and balls as he lathers wet kisses on the back of the omega’s neck. Like this, he successfully turns Zhongli into a desperate, squirming mess.
He can only resist the invitation for so long, however. Finally, he shifts backwards, lining the tip of his cock up with Zhongli’s tight heat.
Perhaps there is some of his alpha nature leaking through, because Childe instinctively takes a hold of the back of Zhongli’s neck in one hand, pinning the omega firmly in place as he feeds his cock in little by little.
Zhongli’s thighs shake as he is filled, his voice muffled by the sheets as he lets out a guttural noise of satisfaction.
Childe has to take deep breaths to steady himself as Zhongli’s body milks him. He’s as deep as he can go, but aside from the fact Childe’s cock is smaller than last time and the way is wetter, Zhongli’s body doesn’t feel much different on the inside.
But it must be. If Zhongli is an omega, then surely he must have…
Fucking his cock in and out at a slow pace, Childe changes the angle of his hips every few thrusts, searching…
Eventually, as he pulls out further, the tip of his cock catches on something while pushing back in. He focuses his attention there, fucking that spot repetitively as Zhongli begins to mewl softly, clenching the sheets tight in his fists.
“Chi-lde! Zhongli’s voice hitches as the tip of Childe’s cock manages its way into that smaller channel.
Childe rests there a moment, overcome by how tight it is. Is he really meant to…?
Zhongli is babbling incoherently into the sheets, but his scent is filling the room with the omega’s pure satisfaction.
So, yes. Like this…
He pushes himself in further, all the way, until his tip presses up against the solid wall at the end. He braces his arms on the bed and frees Zhongli’s hands from the sheets to intertwine their fingers. And then Childe begins to fuck Zhongli with intent, rolling his hips hard and deep into that special place.
“Childe…” Zhongli moans his name on repeat, “I need- I need…” he begs over and over again between his pleasure cries.
Zhongli won’t spit out what he needs, so Childe fucks him more aggressively, hitting that inner wall on each harsh thrust.
Only when Zhongli has become a sobbing mess does Childe finally demand, voice rough by Zhongli’s ear, “Tell me what you need, darling.”
He slows his pace slightly so that his mate can manage an answer.
“Your knot-” Zhongli gasps out. “I need… your knot.”
Childe slows to a stop, earning a dissatisfied whine from his omega.
In human form, Childe doesn’t have a knot. Surely Zhongli must realize this. He can’t be asking for…
“I can't knot you like this, Zhongli.”
Completely lost in his heat, Zhongli sobs, heartbroken, into the sheets.
It’s heart wrenching enough to make Childe consider it. Zhongli was able to take in that form as an alpha. It should be easier as an omega, right? The path to Zhongli’s womb has softened already thanks to the efforts of Childe’s cock. Could Foul Legacy’s cock fit in here? That inner barrier isn’t as deep inside Zhongli’s body as he knows he reached last time.
But if it’s the only way…
“Please,” Zhongli begs, repeating the word softly against the sheets as he shifts his hips restlessly for friction.
“Alright, Darling.” Childe presses a soft kiss to the nape of Zhongli’s neck. “I’ll give you what you want.”
As he says this, his body slowly expands, transforming into Foul Legacy. His cock thickens and stretches inside Zhongli, causing the omega to cry out in pleasure.
The moment Foul Legacy takes over, the alpha is completely overcome by Zhongli’s scent. It is as if nothing else in the world- no rational thought exists outside of Childe’s need to breed the omega.
Zhongli must be one of the rarest beings on the planet- someone who has experiences both the rut of an alpha and the heat of an omega. The two are similar, but… they are not the same.
The blinding need takes over Zhongli’s rationality, just like during a rut. But rather than feeling the urge to go out and conquer the world, he has felt the need to remain somewhere safe, hide away the weakness overcoming his body for the duration of his heat.
The cravings are somehow stronger than in a rut. Zhongli didn’t expect that. It feels as though he will die without a knot. It feels as though… Well, nothing is right without the presence of his mate.
That is why he called Childe here despite the shame of having the man see him in such a state.
He has always been in control. He has always maintained order- both in his own life and in Liyue. But as Childe enters his home and accepts him as a mate, Zhongli loses every bit of rationality he’d clung onto up until this point.
That is why, even though Zhongli feels the way Childe’s cock presses against the opening of his wound even in human form, he still begs for Childe to transform and knot him. It is undignified, how he begs for Childe’s knot, knowing it will destroy him.
But, as an omega, there’s nothing Zhongli wants more than to be destroyed on his mate’s knot.
Zhongli spreads his legs wider, arching his back until his belly is pressed flat to the bed, yet his ass is still raised in offering as Childe’s body transforms.
The god releases a strangled moan as every crevice within him is stretched and filled.
This.
This is precisely what he’s wanted since the first time Childe took him in the abyss. To feel right as he is stuffed to the brim. To have his natural instincts preening at the hands pinning him to the bed, rather than urging him to fight them off.
If it is for Childe, Zhongli is happy to accept his new role as an omega. If it means he gets to keep Childe in some capacity, then it is a small sacrifice to make.
Well… As Zhongli’s senses are overcome by the pleasure radiating deep from his core… he cannot truthfully say that this exchange has been a sacrifice in the least.
Every time that the fat tip of Childe’s monstrous cock rams against the entrance of his womb, Zhongli prays that his body will give way and accept him in.
Childe fucks him with such tenacity… such determination… It is only a matter of time before-
Yes… Yes…
With the right amount of force, Zhongli’s cervix gives, and he releases a ragged, throaty moan as Childe’s cock breaches his womb.
Above him, Childe pauses…interested by the new development? Or perhaps worried by the ungodly sound Zhongli has just made.
The omega whines, clenching around Childe’s cock and pressing back against his pelvis now that his ass can reach it.
He is taking all of Childe… deep into his core. His alpha is in his womb.
Zhongli’s mind becomes hazy with need as he descends into delirium. Nothing exists outside of Childe’s cock grinding into his womb, gradually building in confidence.
Before long, he is truly being fucked- bred- by his alpha. The tip of Childe’s cock catches on every retreat, and on every thrust it forces its way back into that small space.
There is drool dripping from Zhongli’s mouth as his eyes roll back into his head, but he cannot move a single muscle. His body has completely submitted to what’s happening, core muscles constricting and releasing in deep waves of ecstasy. His mouth is not the only thing drooling. The bed is bound to be soaked beneath Zhongli’s belly by how much he’s cum since Childe first entered him.
As the alpha’s pace stutters, Zhongli’s senses snap back into focus. It’s coming.
“Childe~” Zhongli begs.
His alpha knows what he needs. Childe slams his cock in deep, allowing it to swell at the base inside of Zhongli this time. They are locked together, sealed tight, as Zhongli’s womb is flooded with scorching hot liquid.
He cries out in relief, voice strained against the bedding. But the cum seems endless, stretching his womb fuller and fuller… Eventually, Zhongli goes silent, squeezing the sheets in white knuckles.
Ah… even for an omega, Childe’s abyssal transformation really just… is too much.
Not that Zhongli minds. He’s come to expect at least a little bit of pain with Childe in his life. Perhaps it is better that way- a reminder of Zhongli’s deepest wish of all…
He can never change the fact that he is a god. But being with Childe like this, Zhongli feels as close to being mortal as he ever will be.
As Childe tenderly brushes the damp hair from the back of Zhongli’s neck and places a soft kiss there, Zhongli is the happiest he can ever recall being. From the way he is held close, even after the knot goes down, Zhongli knows that the alpha is his now just as much as the new omega belongs to Childe.
He prays that Childe’s seed will take.