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“Damn is it cold out here,” Childe swears as he makes the trek back to Liyue Harbor. It’s a cold day here, colder than usual (it almost reminds him of home) he shudders even more at the thought. I wasn’t prepared for this kind of snow, he thinks watching his foggy breath. His thoughts swirl around his head in a similar way to the fog coming from his mouth. Hazy memories wrap their way around his mind and pull him in. Memories of home, family, and… memories of darkness.
The Abyss is something that Childe can’t forget, no matter how hard he’s tried (and he’s tried anything he could get his hands on). He could feel himself slipping back into his abyss self, and there was nothing he could do to get out of the thought. Like a bad dream he couldn’t escape from all he could focus on were the memories, the darkness. Archons, why is it so dark tonight? Suddenly Childe found himself gasping for air on the doorsteps of Zhongli’s house.
When Childe regained consciousness he could see the worried face of his companion standing above him. “Childe? What’s wrong, are you hurt?” Zhongli says with a serious tone, checking Childe all over. He leans over to hold Childe’s face and sighs, “memories?” Childe is then pulled into an embrace. “Childe it’s ok, you’re here, you’re with me, home and safe.” Childe pulls away and clutches at his chest desperately trying to get his lungs to work, “I can’t..” he whispers.
“Can’t what?” Zhongli asks quietly, looking at Childe with that worried expression Childe hates so much.
“I can’t,” stutters turn to angry, pained and frenzied gasps.
Zhongli looks at Childe wide eyed. “Hey, hey,” he shushes. “It’s alright, it’s ok.”
After a what feels like hours of Zhongli trying to hold a wild, frightened Childe in his arms, Childe finally quits down. Zhongli can feel Childe sink a little is his embrace, and takes him over to sleep on the bed. Zhongli sighs and pulls up a chair to the side of the bed to watch Childe and make sure he can be there if Childe wakes up in a panic and decides to break something in his frenzy again.