Tags and trigger warnings: Sickfic, Vomiting, emetophilia, Hurt/comfort, Spoilers for Liyue's main story line, Mentions of/possible PTSD

Summary: Takes place after the events of Liyue's main story and Childe's character story, in which he pays the price for abusing the power of Foul Legacy transformation.

Posted to Ao3: Apirl 15th 2021

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Childe was not sick.

Just because his throat ached, his chest felt like it was being stepped on and his stomach was churning like a whirlpool did not mean he was sick. Tired, maybe but sick? Absolutely not.

A soft groan left his lips as the words on the paperwork he was attempting to fill out seemed to swim before his eyes. He closed his eyes, massaging them for a moment as he placed the paper down on his desk.

Currently, he was in his office at Northland bank attempting to fill out the near mountain of paperwork. Normally, it was something he could just pawn off to Ekaterina as it was his least favorite aspect of his job, but this time he didn't have that option considering he had to fill out a very large report to the Tsaritsa regarding the incident with Osial and the Traveler.

Then there was the fact that Teucer had somehow smuggled himself aboard one of the ships headed for Liyue to surprise him with a visit, showing up the other day. And Childe while he was indeed surprised and quite happy to see his younger brother, he wasn't exactly pleased to find out how Teucer had gotten to Liyue.

Thankfully though the boy was gone now, having headed home on the very next ship home. Although Childe could not see him off sadly, as he needed some rest after using the Foul Legacy transformation again so soon.

Childe leaned forward resting his face in his hands for a moment as he let out a shuddering breath. His office felt strangely warm, almost uncomfortably so despite having taken off his jacket hours earlier, the normally soft glow of the lamps causing his head to throb and his eyes to ache.

He was not sick. He could not be sick. Childe reasoned with himself. He was just tired, the reason his muscle ached was because he'd been sitting at his desk most of the day inside of being out and about like he usually was.

Yes, that was it. It was the only logical explanation after all.

A knock on his office door drew his attention.

What does Ekaterina want now ? He wondered as he glared at the door. He'd closed it for a reason, she'd known how busy he was at the moment so why in the world was she disturbing him.

If it's anything short of a direct correspondence from Her Majesty she's getting reassigned under Scaramouche or Signora. Childe thought as he gave a huff.

Leaning back in his chair Childe sighed. "Come in!" He called out, grimacing a moment later as his throat ached as though he'd somehow swallowed glass.

Surprisingly it was not Ekaterina who entered the room, instead, it was Zhongli.

Childe rolled his eyes. "What the hell do you want?" he grumbled, still a bit upset with the man for tricking him for much of his time in Liyue.

Normally Child would've been more open to the idea of the consultant wanting to spend time with him but at the moment he was beyond irritable, tired, and kind of just wanted to be left alone.

Zhongli however gave the harbinger a familiar warm smile full of fondness long having gotten used to the man's frequent mood swings. "You invited me over for drinks today, remember?" Zhongli reminded him, holding up the bottle of wine and two glasses in his hands for Childe to see.

"Right," Childe sighed, massaging his eyes in an attempt to ease the ache in them. "Right. I must've forgot, I've been in here all day doing paperwork." Despite his words, the very thought of drinking any alcohol at the moment caused his stomach to churn even more.

Why was his office so warm? Childe wondered as he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand.

"I am aware, Ekaterina told me," Zhongli said as he placed the items down on a nearby table. "Considering how busy you were between the paperwork and Teucer's surprise visit I am not shocked that it would have slipped your mind."

Childe frowned as he opened his eyes and looked at Zhongli. When had he closed them? "Who told you about Teucer's visit?" He asked as he was very sure he'd not said anything about it to the consultant. In fact, he hadn't had the time to say anything in the first place.

Zhongli chuckled as he approached Childe's desk. "The Traveler informed me during lunch earlier today," he said a grin spreading across his face. "The tale of Snezhnaya's greatest toy salesman."

Muttering a curse under his breath Childe rolled his eyes. "Of course they did."

He wasn't exactly surprised that the Traveler had told Zhongli about that. After the incident at the golden house, he was pretty sure that the Traveler was attempting to pay him back for it with interest.

"Just forget about it, wipe it from your memory, it never happened," Childe said looking away.

"I am afraid that I can not do that, it is a very entertaining memory," Zhongli told him.

He frowned slightly as he stared at Childe, the harbinger appeared quite a bit paler than usual, he also seemed to be sweating. He had closed his eyes, his head leaned back against the chair, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Zhongli reached out toward Childe, only for Childe's eyes to practically snap open as he smacked Zhongli's hand away.

The consultant froze as did Childe as they stared at one another with wide eyes. A jolt of worry seemed to open up in Zhongli's chest, something was off about the other man.

"Childe?" He said, tilting his head to the side as he watched him.

Childe opened his mouth, seemingly searching for his words for a moment before he gave a soft almost sheepish chuckle a slight smile on his face. "Uh, sorry about that. I've just been on edge since Teucer left, you know? Just in case he gets the idea to surprise me again."

Zhongli's frown and worry only grew; however, the harbinger's smile was strained and tired, his eyes missing quite a bit of their characteristic sharpness instead appearing glazed over.

"Childe are you-"

"I'm fine!" Childe snapped before Zhongli could finish, his tone harsh. "I'm just a bit tired," he insisted as he glared at the Archon as if daring the man to challenge his claim.

And Zhongli did just that his gaze softening, eyes full of concern as he reached out once more. "Childe, I believe you may be-"

"Stop it!" He practically snarled shooting to his feet. The world seemed to sway before his eyes and it felt as though his heart had dropped into his stomach. "I'm fine! So stop looking at me like that!"

"Childe, it's alright," Zhongli said as though he was trying to calm a frightened animal, and honestly he might as well have been. He moved slowly towards Childe a bit, watching the other with a careful gaze.

"Stop looking at me with pity your eyes dammit!" He growled. Childe groaned, pressing the heel of his right hand to his forehead, he suddenly felt both too cold and hot all at once He tried to take a deep breath to focus but it was as though his lungs refused to cooperate. "I'm...I'm not...sick. I...I can't be," he mumbled his words slurring as his eyes fluttered.

Not even a second later he fell, like a puppet who'd had its strings cut. Zhongli practically lunged forward eyes wide as he grabbed Childe's shoulders, just narrowly preventing him from smacking his head against the desk.

Zhongli frowned as his eyes roved over the harbinger, dread practically humming in his veins. Letting out a soft sigh, he carefully maneuvered Childe onto the floor placing his head in his lap. Childe's face was pale and pinched in pain, a red feverish blush on his cheeks, small shuddering breaths leaving his mouth.

Raising his hand to his mouth, Zhongli used his teeth to remove one of his gloves and placed his hand on Childe's forehead, a small hiss escaping his mouth at the heat practically radiating off of the other man.

Hearing footsteps approaching toward the office, Zhongli looked up, forcing himself to look away from Childe.

"Master Tartaglia? Is everything alright? I heard quite a bit of yelling," Ekaterina asked as she poked her face into the room. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the state her superior was in. "What happened?"

"Ekaterina, can you please go to the pharmacy and retrieve Qiqi while I tend to Childe?" Zhongli told her.

Shaking away her shock the woman nodded. "Right away," she said before practically running off.

Alone once more Zhongli turned his attention back to Childe once more gently running his fingers through his hair.

How long has he been sick ? Zhongli wondered, while he had not seen Childe since the day before yesterday the man hadn't seemed ill. A bit irritated with him yes, but not sick like he was now.

Childe moaned softly, grimacing as he shifted a bit, his eyes opening slightly. His eyes slowly looked around the room, glassy and unfocused before finally meeting Zhongli's gaze.

"Zhongli?" He rasped his eyes narrowing a bit as he tried to make the world around him come into focus. Childe attempted to sit up but Zhongli wouldn't let him, carefully guiding the man back into his lap once more.

"Do not try to get up. You fainted," Zhongli informed him. "How long have you felt ill Childe?"

Childe squeezed his eyes shut, everything felt too bright and hot."Wha..." he said, confusion evident on his face. He swallowed hard wincing as his throat ached. "I used the transformation but...I'm not..."

Zhongli's eyes widened at the harbinger's words, clenching his teeth. He knew what Childe meant by the transformation, while he had not seen it himself he did remember what the Traveler had said about it when they spoke to him about their fight with Childe in the Golden House. While Childe had not told him exactly where he'd gotten such a power, Zhongli knew the scent of the Abyss all too well.

"Yes you are," Zhongli huffed, disregarding Childe's obvious lies. "You are burning up in fact," he said as he ran his fingers through Childe's hair. As his fingertips brushed Childe's forehead once more he shifted slightly chasing the cool relief.

Childe was silent, his eyes still squeezed shut and he was swallowing repeatedly. He shakily lifted his hand to his mouth, feeling bile rise in the back of his throat.

"Childe?"

He shook his head and began trying to sit up once more. "Gonna be sick," he forced out his arm trembling from the strain of propping himself up.

Before Zhongli could move Childe was lurching to the side his stomach heaving as a strangled retched left his mouth.

"Fuck," Childe coughed wrapping his arm around his aching stomach. Zhongli grabbed his shoulders as he lurched forward with another retch, a gurgling belch clawed its way up from his stomach bringing with it pale bile that splattered across the floor.

Zhongli froze for a moment slightly unsure of what to do. Despite the human form he's taken, he is still an adeptus, he's never been sick much less had to care for a sick human. Reaching out he placed a hand on Childe's back gently rubbing soothing circles. "It's okay, it'll be alright," he reassured the man mimicking the actions he'd once seen Guizhong do for a human girl long ago.

Childe just shakes his head, his eyes squeezed shut once again. His stomach still feels like it's trying to crawl its way out of his mouth and the way the room is swirling before his eyes does no favors. As he starts to slump forward Zhongli grabs his shoulders holding him up to keep him from falling into the mess on the floor.

Moving one arm to wrap it around Childe's waist, he slings Childe's arm around his neck and pulls him off of the floor and over to one of the sofas that sat on either side of the nearby table.

"It's hot," He mumbled, his words slurring as Zhongli gently laid him down on the sofa. His glassy eyes slowly rove around the room before returning Zhongli.

He gives a soft hum but says nothing as he places his hand on Childe's cheek.

"Cool..." Childe muttered with an almost pleased expression as he leans into the touch practically nuzzling his hand.

Zhongli's eyes widened slightly when Childe does this. There's...something almost adorable about the action.

He hurriedly glances away, he can practically hear Barbatos laughing at him right now. He slowly drew back, biting his lip as Childe practically whimpered at the loss of contact.

Zhongli jumps slightly when he hears the sound of footsteps approaching the room along with a soft sigh from who he presumes is Ekaterina.

"Can you please walk a bit faster?" She says urging the small zombie girl.

A moment later she enters the room holding Qiqi's hand as she guides the little girl.

"Qiqi is here," she announces in her usual monotone voice.

Zhongli beckons the girl over a slight smile on his face. "Can you please see to Childe?"

Qiqi nods slowly before approaching the sofa, Childe's eyes open slightly as he turns his head a bit to look at her. His eyes widened as he stared at her, but it was as though his eyes were seeing past her, through her, to somewhere far away or to something that was not her.

Zhongli is very familiar with the look in Childe's eyes, having seen it quite a few times from Xiao, whenever the Yaksha was struggling under the strain of his karmic debt. So when Childe suddenly lunges at Qiqi, a near animalistic snarl leaving his lips Zhongli is ready, quickly grabbing Childe as he moves between the two.

Ekaterina lets out a startled gasp, while Qiqi simply looks up at Childe with her usual blank expression blinking slowly.

Raising one hand Zhongli begins to run his fingers through Childe's hair muttering soft reassurances to him in an attempt to calm him down.

"It's alright, it's okay, I'm right here," he told him gently. As he speaks Childe's fierce struggling slows down before stopping altogether, but there is still a wild look on his eyes as they dart around the room with a mixture of fear and panic on his face. Glancing down at Qiqi Zhongli gives her a small smile. "It's okay, he is just a bit startled."

Qiqi tilts her head to the side blinking. "Qiqi...is scary?"

Zhongli shakes his head as he turns his attention back to Childe. The man looks up at him with wide eyes.

"Gde ya?" Childe says as he glances around the room before his eyes settle once more on Zhongli's.

Zhongli frowned, Childe's words sounded as though he was asking a question but he can't be sure as he knows little of the Snezhnayan language. He looks at Ekaterina.

"Ummm...he's asking where he is, " she said. Then she turns to Childe. "Bezopasnyy, " she tells him gently.

Zhongli doesn't know what exactly Ekaterina said but it causes a look of relief to appear on Childe's face.

He allows Zhongli to set him down on the sofa practically sagging into it as he blearily stares up at the ceiling. As Qiqi moves toward Childe once more, Ekaterina lets out a soft sigh.

Turning to her Zhongli smiles slightly. "May I ask what you told him?"

"Oh, I just told him that he was safe," she responded.

Zhongli nods as he gives a small hum, his eyes return to Childe when he feels a hand grip his own. "Do you know how long he's been ill?"

Ekaterina grimaces as she opens her mouth only to close it again. "When he returned to the bank yesterday he did seem very tired and out of it. After speaking with the Traveler he briefly went home before coming here early this morning."

He nodded. "Yes, he did admit that he used his Foul Legacy transformation recently."

Ekaterina's eyes widened but she neither confirms nor denies what he said, instead choosing to quickly look away.

Qiqi steps back from Childe before she turns to Zhongli. "He is tired. And...I helped, but fever will not disappear quickly," she reported in a hushed, monotone voice. She stops, pulling out her small notebook, and begins writing something on it. "I will tell Dr. Baizhu. He will...probably prescribe something."

"Thank you, Qiqi," Zhongli said, giving the girl a small smile. "Would you like one of us to escort you back to the pharmacy?"

She shakes her head, then reaches up to tap a hand on the sigil on her forehead, as though she is confirming it's still there. "No. I will go now."

As she exits the room, Childe groans softly, his eyes sliding shut as his hand goes limp in Zhongli's grip. Despite his color improving slightly his face is still streaked with a feverish blush.

"I'll bring him home, so that he may rest," Zhongli tells Ekaterina as he carefully moves Childe up and on to his back. He wraps his arms around Childe's legs, shifting him until he's slumped against his back, his arms draped across Zhongli's shoulders.

Ekaterina nodded, it's not the first time either man had stayed at the other's apartment. In fact, they'd given each other spare keys.

Zhongli exits Northland bank and begins walking home, incredibly aware of the listless form on his back, Childe's hot shuddering breaths fanning across his neck.

They are almost at Zhongli's apartment when Childe suddenly moans softly shifting a bit. "Where...where are we?" he rasped slowly. While his words are still slurred slightly it is nothing like earlier, which does cause Zhongli to feel a bit of relief.

"You are sick, so I am bringing you home so that you may rest," Zhongli explained softly.

What he is not prepared for is the way the harbinger giggles slightly and practically snuggles into his back. "I've...always wanted to live together, " he mumbles softly.

Zhongli's eyes widened at his words, as he glanced away, his gaze turning to the ground. Despite the fact that he is unable to get sick, his face feels a bit warm. "I see, " he said a small smile on his face.

"Why...are you carrying me?" Childe suddenly asked after a moment or two, his head was throbbing and his mind still too foggy to really process everything around him. His stomach was still upset and his throat sore, while he was incredibly tempted to close his eyes and slip away again he was also a bit on edge. As though his instincts were screaming at him that it wasn't safe.

"Because you are sick, and considering you fainted allowing you to walk on your own two feet at the moment is ill-advised," Zhongli reminded him calmly already expecting Childe to try to deny it once more.

At his words, a small spark of irritation manages to break through the haze in Childe's mind and his eyes narrowed. An instinct inside of him practically screamed at him to get away, to not let Zhongli see him so vulnerable, to not let him near him in such a state.

But another instinct, the one that has him practically snuggling into Zhongli's back won over.

Zhongli is safe. Let him take care of you. Zhongli will protect you. The instinct tells him.

Childe sighed softly as he buried his face into the crook of Zhongli's neck. "Okay..." he mumbled, his voice barely audible. "I may be a bit sick."

"Just a bit?"

"Yes."

Zhongli only gives a small hum not saying anything else on the matter, after all just getting the harbinger to admit he was sick in the first place had been like pulling teeth.

Reaching his apartment Zhongli helps Childe down off his back as he searches for the key to the front door, keeping an arm around Childe's waist to steady him.

Beside him Childe sways slightly, one of his hands is on his stomach slowly rubbing it as he stares at the ground.

Unlocking the front door he turns to Childe, not liking the hue of his skin one bit at the moment. It was almost as if the color of Childe's skin had drained to a startling pale with a slight green tint. "Do you feel like you're going to be sick again?"

Childe shakes his head slowly letting out a shuddering breath, his eyes closed. "Yes?Maybe? I don't know...stomach hurts and I'm nauseous but I haven't eaten since yesterday. Just wasn't hungry," he mumbles words slurring slightly.

Zhongli simply sighed, while he is not expecting the answer he is also not surprised. He carefully guide's Childe into the apartment, closing the door behind him before continuing to guide him back into the bedroom.

He sets him down on the bed and Childe wince's slightly as he clumsily removes his shoes, before laying back almost sagging into the mattress. He rolled over onto his side, arms curling around the medium-sized stuffed blue narwhal on the bed. "So you did keep it," he said a small smile on his face as he turned his head slightly to look at Zhongli.

"Of course I did," the consultant replied as he placed a nearby trash can beside the bed in case Childe needed it. "Why did you believe I wouldn't? You made it for me."

"It's just..." Childe glanced away. "After I gave it to you, I never saw it despite how much I've stayed over."

Zhongli smiled. "I usually put it away for safekeeping in the morning before going to Wangsheng funeral parlor and although there are times when I simply leave it on the bed."

Childe nods. "Maybe I should make a dragon one so it won't be as lonely when you're not around," he muttered more to himself than Zhongli. He yawned, his eyes becoming half-lidded.

Zhongli reaches over, placing a hand on Childe's forehead. His fever feels slightly lower than before, not by much and Zhongli would not be surprised if it returned in full force.

As he draws back Childe grabs his hand lacing their fingers together. "Stay with me? Please?" He asked as he gave him a slightly pleading look.

Zhongli gives his hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll be back in a moment, I promise."

A small smile crawls across his face as Childe practically pouts before releasing his hand a soft huff leaving his lips. "Fine..." he mumbled.

After pulling the covers over him Zhongli walks into the kitchen, placing his jacket over the back of one of the dining room chairs as he walks past it. Reaching into one of the cabinets he refiles through its contents for a moment before pulling out two containers of tea leaves.

Chamomile would help relax him enough to have a peaceful night's rest, but mint would settle his stomach. Zhongli thought as he looked between the two containers.

Eventually, he went with the mint tea, after all, if it was true that Childe really hadn't eaten since yesterday then he really needed to get him to eat something.

~~~

Childe opened his eyes rolling over slightly when he felt a cool hand on his forehead. His movements were a bit stiff, his muscles practically screeching at him to lie still and never move again.

"I brought you some tea, if you are able to keep this down then I will make you something light to eat," Zhongli told him.

Childe nodded his throat still feeling raw and dryer than the Sumeru desert. He sits up, setting the stuffed animal in his arms off to the side as he takes the teacup that Zhongli holds out to him.

He can feel Zhongli carefully watching him as he raised the teacup to his lips and took a hesitant sip. He practically gives a sigh of relief when the nausea that had been nagging him all this time begins to ease up a bit.

"Qiqi should be bringing the medicine Baizhu prescribed for you tomorrow," Zhongli told him as he sat beside Childe on the bed.

"She is?" He asked, with a scowl. He didn't remember meeting the little zombie girl at any point today but then again he didn't remember much in between the times he lost consciousness.

Zhongli nodded. "I had Ekaterina fetch her while you were unconscious. Do you remember what you told me about how you ended up in this condition?"

Childe slowly shook his head. "I remember you bringing wine over, and that we got into an argument. Sorry for yelling at you like that by the way." He took another sip of the tea, a scowl on his face.

"It's alright. You were clearly exhausted and sick," Zhongli sighed. He looked at Childe. "You told me that you used your Foul Legacy transformation again."

Childe winced, as he grimaced slightly. "It was the only option considering the situation. I didn't want anything to scare Teucer and the Traveler wasn't going to be able to take down all those ruin guards in time," he explained.

"And you chose to return to the Northland Bank to work, instead of returning home to rest."

Childe frowned at Zhongli's tone. It was one he'd heard his parents use many times when they found out he did something he had no business doing. "I did go home first to get some sleep, only got about one or two hours of it though. I would've stayed home but the paperwork was starting to pile up, and it wasn't exactly something I could just have Ekaterina handle."

Zhongli nodded as he stood up. "I am aware, although I would've preferred that you stayed home to rest."

Childe couldn't help but notice that Zhongli sounded slightly upset with him.

I probably worried him. He thought as he watched Zhongli leave the room once more.

Eventually, he returned carrying a small tray and bowl of jewelry soup which with his nauseous almost entirely gone for the moment, made Childe's mouth practically water reminding him that he hadn't eaten since yesterday.

"Thank you, this looks great," Childe told him, as the tray was carefully placed in his lap.

"It took me a moment or two to decide what to make, I decided that this would be the best choice. The broth is light yet flavorful." As Zhongli explains he picks up the spoon on the tray.

Childe chuckled softly, as he allowed Zhongli to feed him. It was something he frequently did especially when Childe was struggling to use his chopsticks. Which meant just about every meal they shared together. "Well, you've always been a good cook. So I'm sure anything you made would be great."

Zhongli smiled. "Perhaps, but I did not always have this skill. It was taught to me by a close friend in Mondstaht, he said that watching me eat my meals like a beast disgusted him."

Childe gave a small snort. "A friend from Mondstaht? The Anemo Archon told you that?"

He nodded. "That drunkard is a disgrace to the arts. But I must admit he has quite the eye for wine."

The harbinger nearly chokes on his food at his words. While he knew that Zhongli could be incredibly blunt but he wasn't really expecting him to be that blunt.

Childe coughed softly as he massaged his chest with one hand. "I-I see."

Zhongli lets out a small huff, a scowl forming on his face. "Are you aware that he somehow talked the Traveler into drinking with him? Once I found out, I dealt with the matter swiftly."

"Meaning?"

"I traveled to Mondstaht and disciplined him," he said simply.

Childe didn't bother holding back his laughter. "So what your saying is, you beat him up." He knew that he didn't really have any place to talk but the image Zhongli's words had conjured in his mind was just too good.

Zhongli gave a small shrug. "If you wish to put it like that then perhaps. Barbatos also called me a brutish, blundering buffoon and an overgrown lizard. Dragons in Liyue are serpents, not lizards, there is a very clear distinction," he said, sounding almost offended.

"Ah yes, of course, there is." Dragons all looked like giant lizards to him but Childe wasn't going to tell Zhongli that.

It was only when Childe had finished eating that Zhongli finally joined him in bed.

"You still feel a bit too warm," Zhongli muttered as he pulled Childe close, wrapping his arms around him.

"Yeah, everything's too bright and hot, it's making my head hurt," he mumbled.

Giving a soft hum, Zhongli begins running his fingers through Childe's hair, it seems to help a bit as he notices some of the tension leaving Childe's face. He only stops when Childe eventually falls asleep, his face relaxing as his breathing becomes deep.

Wrapping his arms around Childe once more, Zhongli closes his eyes. While he doesn't need sleep that does not mean he can't if he chooses to.

~~~

It is the middle of the night when Zhongli awakens once more, Childe shivering and writhing in his arms.

Childe's hands are on his stomach practically clawing at it as he whimpers softly in his sleep.

Zhongli instantly sits up and begins trying to pry Childe's hands off of his stomach convinced that if he continued Childe might end up injuring himself. At first, Childe weakly slaps his hand away, groaning softly but Zhongli persists eventually placing a hand on Childe's stomach.

A frown covers his face as he feels the organ practically churning beneath his palm, the skin is almost radiating heat. Very carefully Zhongli begins to rub his stomach. However, he either didn't rub it gently enough or he pressed on a spot he shouldn't have because a second later Childe's eyes snapped open and he bolted up a hand clamped over his mouth.

Quickly grabbing his shoulders Zhongli directed him over the trash can next to the bed. He winced as Childe gave a strangled painful sound retch but nothing came up.

He moved a bit closer, placing one hand on the harbinger's back as Childe panted, drool dripping from his lips.

Childe groaned swallowing hard before another retch had him lurching forward. He gave a wet retch, feeling his dinner climb up the back of his throat. Zhongli grimaced, rubbing Childe's back as a flood of undigested soup poured from his mouth.

The harbinger coughed, his eyes squeezed shut as he shook his head. Then he's leaning forward again as his stomach heaved, the bile burning his already sore throat.

"It's alright, I'm right here, " Zhongli told him as he rubbed his back.

Eventually, Childe stopped vomiting, his body trembling as he continued to gag and dry heave for a moment or two.

He leans back into Zhongli's arms, whimpering softly as he wraps one arm around his stomach. "Ugh...it hurts, " he rasped as he snuggles up against the consultant's chest.

Zhongli frowned as he carefully laid Childe down on the bed. Before he could get up and make his way to the kitchen Childe grabbed his arm.

"Please don't leave..." He whined.

Zhongli looked at him intending to reassure him that he'll be back in a moment but froze when he saw the tears in Childe's eyes. Whether it's from exertion or a combination of the pain and fear he doesn't know.

But the panic and worry humming in his veins has him returning to Childe, wrapping his arms around him once more.

"I'm here, Childe, see I'm not going anywhere," he tried to reassure the whimpering form in his arms.

"I hate this," He mumbled his words slurring.

"If that is true then you shouldn't use the Foul Legacy transformation again," Zhongli told him as he ran his fingers through Childe's hair.

"Probably wouldn't if I had a choice," he muttered. "I...didn't expect to be using it nearly twice in a row. Everything was hurting but...I figured if I slept it off things would be fine."

"Ajax," Childe suddenly said softly.

Tilting his head slightly Zhongli looked down at him.

"Ajax...it's the name my family calls me," he continued sounding slightly embarrassed.

A small smile spread across Zhongli's face. "I see, Ajax."

Childe gives a soft huff but says nothing as he closes his eyes.

Eventually, Zhongli feels Childe's breathing even out, as he falls asleep once more. He presses a kiss to Childe's forehead as he continues to run his fingers through his hair. "Sleep well Ajax."