Childe is desperate to get off, but Zhongli coaxes him into taking it slow.

CW: Smut

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It starts as it often does—with wandering hands and lingering touches throughout the evening.

Innocent at first, usually. Zhongli no longer sits across from him at Wanmin Restaurant, but rather, side-by-side. The more that the sun dips below the horizon, the closer he leans, talking to Childe quietly with a soft smile. They eat their fill and laugh at dumb jokes, Zhongli's hand settled gently against his thigh, squeezing.

These are the sort of touches that Childe is not used to, soft and fleeting shows of affection. Zhongli is physical in most that he does, the tenderness in his fingers weighted like solid stone, but he is private about it. These are the sorts of things shared for them alone, rarely in public.

As the sky darkens and the stars begin to twinkle, those touches turn more articulated and precise. Zhongli squeezes just a little too high on Childe's thigh, fingertips ghosting the inner edge of his trousers. Childe is thankful for the table that hides his half-hard cock as he squirms in his seat.

Zhongli watches him with golden, glinting eyes. "Childe, is everything alright?"

Childe tugs at his collar. "Yeah," he breathes. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Zhongli's mouth curves into a grin, hidden by the curl of his palm. Childe licks his lips as he sits there, fidgeting at the table, trying his best to listen to Xiangling list off the dessert menu for the night.

Impossible, with Zhongli's half-lidded gaze trained on his face with fondness.

They never last long, of course. They always find themselves back in Zhongli's apartment because it's warmer and lived-in, and Childe finds comfort in the mild disarray. The sheets smell like him. It takes no effort at all to close his eyes and lose himself, drowning himself in the feel of Zhongli as he leans close.

Zhongli's back is against the headboard with Childe in his lap. He pulls Childe against him, an arm wrapped around his waist, palm flat against his chest. He's already tugged his shirt from Childe's waistband, dragging the soft leather of his gloves across those well-known scars. Zhongli slides a finger underneath the strap of his chest harness, tugging at it gently. "This is new," he says, his breath warm against Childe's ear.

It isn't, but Zhongli is stupid at times, his attention in the clouds, or books, or whatever else he muses about. "It's just hidden by my jacket. I'd think with as much as you undress me, you'd have noticed it by now."

Zhongli snorts, amused by the tease. "You are, admittedly, distracting." Those devilish fingers smooth over the curve of Childe's pecs. "And my attention is usually down here" His hand slides down and presses against the bulge in Childe's trousers.

Childe whines, hips lifting, seeking out friction against his hand. Zhongli laughs, kissing the soft skin just below his ear. Childe leans back, pressing his weight against Zhongli's front. His hand slides down too, slipping into his trousers to curl around his cock.

"Impatient," says Zhongli, hands moving back to grip his chest, thumbs circling around Childe's nipples. He pulls at one, rolling it between his fingers until it's rosy and stiff-peaked. Childe squirms at the stimulation.

"I—so are you." Childe's gaze tips down to wear Zhongli's forearm rests against his side. His sleeves are rolled up past the elbow, leaving charcoal and gold on display. He glitters with Geo, that unearthly part of him twinkling in the dark of the room.

Childe goads him a little, dragging his fingertips over the length of Zhongli's arm. "Already so lost that you can't keep a grip on yourself?"

"You jest," he says, nipping at the skin there, his teeth just barely sinking into Childe's skin, "but you have no idea what it is that I see. That I smell." Zhongli presses his nose against Childe's sweaty nape, inhaling deeply. "Ajax," he says, his lips curling around his name, folding it in the deep timbre of his, "you are divine."

Oh, that does things to him. Pleasure settles in Childe's gut and his cock stiffens fully just at the sound of Zhongli's voice in his ear. His breath is warm against his neck. His teeth are a little sharp as they nip at his jaw. Zhongli spreads his hands over Childe's chest, tugging at the harness, his nipples, and the scars on his skin.

Childe hasn't even removed his gloves, he's so desperate to get off. He hisses as he pulls his trousers down a bit, freeing his dick, moaning the moment he gets a hand around it.

"Touching yourself?" Zhongli shifts behind him, settling his chin against Childe's shoulder to watch as he jerks himself off. Which does things for him too, stinging heat striking down his spine with a shudder.

Childe works himself quickly and efficiently, Hydro sprouting in his palm to slick the way. "Gods," he mutters softly when Zhongli's hand takes him by the elbow, holding it gently.

"Eager," muses Zhongli, squeezing at Childe's pec with his other hand. "I'm right here and you'd rather get yourself off."

"I'm—no, that's not—" But Childe can't deny that his hand does wonders as he grips himself tightly. He huffs, groaning at the slick glide of his palm across the tip of his cock.

"Ajax," says Zhongli then, sliding his hand down the length of Childe's forearms. The smooth leather of his gloves raises gooseflesh. It is quiet, save for the squelching of Childe's hand against his dick, and his soft, stuttering moans.

"Ajax," repeats Zhongli, this time closer to his ear, a whisper for him alone even though they're in the solitude of their home. He's hard too, his erection pressed tightly against Childe's back, twitching. "Slowly." Zhongli presses his hand against the back of Childe's palm to still it. "Like this," he says next, pulling it away entirely before his other hand drops to wrap around Childe's length.

"Zhongli—"

"Shh, let me."

Childe does. He sinks back against him, eyes slipping closed as he melts at the touch. Zhongli is methodical in the way that he stokes him, his grip loose and slick, but slow and steady. It holds pace and builds pleasure, but it's just barely not enough, which makes Childe whimper softly.

"Come on," he says, "I'm—"

"Too restless. Settle and let me take care of you."

Easier said than done. Childe feels like he's near the edge of a cliff, just about to teeter off. Zhongli's solid presence lulls him, heat spreading in his belly as he kisses the spot just underneath Childe's ear.

"This is what I meant by divine, you know." Zhongli has his face pressed against his nape again, nuzzling his sweaty hair with the tip of his nose. "Everything about you, but particularly the way that you respond. So quickly near the end and we've barely begun."

"It's because—oh, shit, Zhongli." Childe bites at his lip when Zhongli squeezes his cock tighter. He still strokes him at a grueling, bitterly slow pace, but Childe's cock twitches with every drag of the leather across the sensitive crown.

"Yes, like that." Zhongli sounds so warm, so full of love. But also debauched; his breathing is heavy and the room swirls with Geo. Even his grip has lost its cadence, his fingers moving in an uneven grasp.

Childe grinds back against him and Zhongli stills. His forehead drops to Childe's shoulder, his free hand gripping at his hip. "Ajax," he says.

"What, can't take it?"

Zhongli moans again, pulling Childe's ass into a better position against him. "Are you sure that you want to test me?"

Childe can think of worse things to do. He wriggles, bucking into his grasp, and then back against Zhongli's cock where it sits painfully hard in his trousers. "If it means you'll fuck me, yeah."

"Such a filthy mouth," says Zhongli, his hand rising to press two fingers against Childe's lips. He opens them immediately, sucking around them, showing Zhongli just what he can do with his tongue.

And he knows Zhongli that thinks about it. He's spent hours with Childe's mouth wrapped tightly around his cock. Childe loves the heft of it against his tongue and the way that it strains his throat.

Not for tonight, though; tonight Childe is impatient, keen on getting off and loosing all his pent-up energy. His hole clenches at the thought of Zhongli slipping in and settling deep, and judging by the way that he's already losing his composure, it's the sort of night where Childe will feel it for days after.

"Please," he begs around Zhongli's fingers, the word muffled. "Please, I need you. Not just your hand, not just—"

Zhongli sighs against him. "Incorrigible," he says, tapping his fingers against Childe's tongue. "Not yet. Like this, first." He squeezes Childe's cock as if to make his point before.

"I'm not sure if..." He can. Oh, but he can, and likely with little more effort than Zhongli just holding his dick gingerly while whispering dirty praises into his ears.

And Zhongli is no fool. Childe feels the way that he grins against his neck. "Won't you be good for me? Come so sweetly, just from my hand?"

Childe moans as Zhongli speeds up his hand just the slightest bit. "Yes," he says in a hush, still gagged by Zhongli's fingers. "Yeah, I can—Gods."

Zhongli is an expert in the way that he works him, each wring of Childe's cock better than the next. He'd rather come on his cock, full and satisfied as Zhongli grinds himself in deep. He whimpers at the thought, his dick leaking all over Zhongli's glove, smearing across the leather.

The fingers from his mouth are pulled away abruptly. Zhongli drags them down the length of his body, pulling at the harness. They swirl around his nipples and trace old scars and freckles. Then, around Childe's front and into his trousers, caressing his balls as he squeezes them.

"Fuck," hisses Childe, going taut against him. "That's, oh, oh—"

So little, for Childe to tip over the edge, spilling his seed all over Zhongli's hand. Zhongli strokes him through it, biting at his ear, licking at the skin that's just below it. "Look at you," he says, his tone warm. "Just like that."

Childe feels like he ran a marathon, his chest heaving. His gut feels tight and his cock is spent, but—he moves then, lifting his hips and shucking off his trousers. "Zhongli, please."

Zhongli grabs his wrists to still him again. He rolls over until Childe is pressed into the sheets, suffocated by his presence. "You've been so good for me, darling," he says, kissing his forehead. Then his nose, and then his mouth.

Childe moans against him, tongue slipping past Zhongli's lips. Their teeth clatter together as Zhongli tries to slow his movements into something quieter, but that isn't what Childe wants. "Fuck, just wreck me, already. I'm begging you, just—"

Zhongli chuckles then, pulling back to watch him through a half-lidded gaze that shows just how affected he is. He's holding on to himself, but just barely, arms tense as he holds himself up over Childe. "So desperate," he teases.

"With you? Yeah."

The rest of their clothing comes off in haste. When Zhongli settles back against him, slotting between Childe's legs, his cock twitches with the anticipation of sinking in deep. Not his usual dick; this one's the one that's caught between his forms, longer and thicker, pulsing with a golden hue.

"Shit," whispers Childe when his gaze latches onto it. What a rare treat.

Zhongli takes his time with the prep, even though his touches are tense. He's losing his patience too, even if he clings to his calm and aloof demeanor. Childe can tell though—Zhongli presses his fingers in a little too quickly, spreading his rim wide with stinging pressure. And then a third, too soon. Childe moans, bucking against his hand, trying to take them deeper, trying to angle them just so.

It works. Zhongli's fingers press against that spot, that bundle of nerves that leaves Childe's toes curling, and his back arching. He cries out, yelping in surprise before sinking into the mess of silk sheets as Zhongli fucks him with his fingers.

"I'm—fuck, yes, there, that's—"

Zhongli pulls his fingers out before he can wrench out another orgasm. Childe's cock is hard again, red at the tip and leaking watery precome all over his stomach. "No, no—"

"This is what you wanted," says Zhongli, his voice pitched low in the bedroom. His face is pink and ruddy, and his eyes glow with a debauched haze. He presses Childe's thighs back, hiking his hips closer, and guides the tip of his cock to Childe's hole. "This is what you asked for," he says, slowly pressing in.

"Yes, yes." Childe's words are lost as he chokes on them slightly when Zhongli sinks in, right to the root. He feels full, so, so full. Zhongli's cock is thick in his ass, pressing against all the right spots. "Archons," he curses.

Zhongli leans close, pressing their chests flush as he buries his face into the crook of Childe's neck. He doesn't move, just sits there, a painful sort of torture as Childe squirms against him. He wants friction, any type, whatever he can take. "No." Zhongli's voice is half-offended, and it takes Childe a moment to comprehend.

"Zhongli," says Childe. "Zhongli—" Zhongli pulls out to the tip before slamming back in, and Childe keens, curling against him. "Fuck, that's... you're—Please, don't stop."

Childe is suffocated by his presence. Zhongli grunts as he thrusts into him, his face covered in a sweaty sheen. This isn't just Zhongli, this is Morax too, and Childe can see the hazy outline of horns as his forms start to bleed together. Geo swirls around them and Childe just falls into it, clawing at Zhongli's arms as he clings to him tight.

"So perfect for me," says Zhongli into his ear. His voice is strained as he noses along Childe's sweaty nape. "So tight, despite how you yield at my behest. And the glow of my cock through your skin—Mhmh. Made for this." His dirty talk is old and archaic, but it still burns its way through Childe's gut, tightening into pleasure.

His cock drags across Childe's insides with addicting friction. Childe arches against him, meeting every thrust as Zhongli ruts into him with a bruising force.

And yet, it's affectionate. Zhongli fucks him like a beast but whispers soft praises and sweet nothings into his skin. His touch is soft when he presses their palms together, fingers slipping into the spaces between Childe's.

Zhongli's teeth graze the delicate skin of his neck, hesitating.

"Do it," says Childe.

Zhongli squeezes his hand tight and sinks his teeth into his skin, biting him. It burns, more than stings, but it's the sort of thing that Childe thrives on, an inkling of pain that reminds Childe that he's alive. Better than any sort of fight. His gut tightens and his vision goes white as he comes again, this time untouched. He clamps tightly around Zhongli's dick, causing his movements to stagger, and his grip against Childe to tighten.

Zhongli fucks him through it, his cock thick in his ass, deep in his guts. It's too much, isn't enough. Childe's legs are locked tightly around him as he pulls Zhongli close, wanting more.

"Celestia," murmurs Zhongli, his voice tight in his throat. "Ajax," he hisses. He still holds Childe's hand in a bruising grip, hips crashing together as he rolls his cock in and out. Childe gasps, tearing up in his overstimulation. He feels pulled thin and plucked dry, but it's good, it's so, so good.

Zhongli comes then, his hips stuttering as he grinds in as deep as he can, filling him up with his spend. Childe clenches, squeezing every last drop out of him, wringing Zhongli's dick until it's dry. Zhongli kisses him again, slowly and languidly, like he's trying to map out Childe's mouth. As if he hasn't already. As if there isn't a freckle on Childe's being that Zhongli hasn't memorized. Childe melts into the touch as he kisses him back.

This is how they come down from their highs: curled around each other and tangled in the soft sheets. Zhongli eventually pulls out and spreads Childe's asscheeks wide, thumbing across his hole as he takes stock in his work. Childe hides his face in the crook of his elbow, which makes Zhongli laugh.

"Handsome," he whispers, kissing his forehead. "Beautiful. Perfect—"

"Keep that up, you might pull a third one out of me." Childe is mostly joking, but Zhongli's gaze narrows in a challenge.

"Oh?" Zhongli's hand finds his hole once again, two fingers slipping into the sloppy mess of come and oil. He curls them, dragging them across Childe's prostate gently, which leaves Childe writhing in the sheets and biting at his lip.

"Oh, oh—" And then his cock twitches. Childe swallows thickly as Zhongli gives him a pointed smirk before sinking lower.

And then, Childe is lost to the wiles of his mouth next.