Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"I wanted to give Aether something thoughtful, you know? I mean—he's such a great person and all," Ajax rambled, talking to his friend as they both sat inside the bubble tea shop, facing one another on the farthest corner of the booth.

"A thoughtful gift, then?" The man questioned, his arms crossed as they waited for their names to be called by the barista behind the counter.

Ajax's been babbling non stop about what he should get for their friend as a congratulatory gift for getting his dream job, and sure, Ayato was all ears, but—

His attention was on the cute green-eyed blonde from the distance, whose face was scrunched with utmost concentration, writing the name of the customers on the cup that he was holding.

"Yeah, can you help me think of at least anything? We've been best friends for a long time now, and it's honestly the least I could do for him." He sighed, resting his cheek on his palm as he watched the group of students passing by, clad in uniforms on a rainy afternoon.

Huh, how nostalgic.

The ginger was waiting for a reply, but decided to shift his gaze to his friend, only to realize that his attention was on someone else this entire time.

"Oh, come on!" Ajax whined, pouting. Ayato felt no bit of shame when the guy named 'Thoma' (written on his name tag), noticed him from afar. Ayato even had the nerve to wink at him, sending the blonde into a coughing fit, his face burning red.

At this, he turned his attention back to the ginger, who was sulking.

"Sorry Ajax, you should've picked a different meeting place if you wanted a serious conversation." Ayato chuckled, his eyes caught between dazed and fond after the strange event with the cute guy behind the counter. Ajax rolled his eyes and fake gagged, regretting his decision of going to Ayato for advice.

"I decided to adjust to your preferences and pick your favorite place, but now I've realized that you're not after the drinks here, are you?" Ayato couldn't help but chuckle out loud at Ajax's accusation, his eyes swirling with amusement at his cheeky friend.

"Hmm, you may or may not be wrong. Let me give you a hint though, the drinks are just a bonus." He winked at Ajax this time, yet the ginger's face was blank. It was more of him being irritated, trying his best to not show it.

A few seconds of silence passed, before a bright and cheerful voice called his name from the distance.

"Sir Ajax? Your order is ready." The blonde yelled from the counter, getting both of their attention.

Before he could stand up to get the drinks that he paid for, Ayato was quick, already taking strides towards the blonde, a casual smirk planted on his lips as he approached the barista.

Ajax's face morphed into disgust, letting his friend flirt with the blonde as he decided to shrug off his ridiculous antics.

He turned away from the two and took the time to rethink about his ongoing situation, a deep sigh leaving his lips as he remembered his past issues with an anonymous stalker.

The last time he was followed, it was months ago. It stopped ever since he moved into his new condominium due to the security there being lock tight.

He certainly hoped that he'd never have to encounter such thing ever again.

Ajax then roamed his eyes outside the glass as a distraction, watching the raindrops pouring down the streets, his gaze on a particular puddle that formed near the sidewalk.

He squinted his eyes to get a better view, only to see some random colors that reflected on it.

That's when it hit him, as if something inside his brain clicked. He decided to stare at the shop that was on the water's reflection, his eyes going wide upon reading the first few letters of the sign, along with the obvious floral decorations of the store.

"A flower shop?" He mumbled out loud, thanking the heavens as he finally found a perfect solution to his little problem.

Ayato stared at his friend with confusion when he noticed him approaching them. He was about to say something, but Ajax was quick enough to shut him up.

"I'll be borrowing your umbrella, thanks for your time. Also, you can have my drink." After uttering those words, he was already gone, the glass door swishing as he ran across the rainy streets with an umbrella in hand.

"Woah, why is he in such a hurry?" Thoma asked, sparing some time to talk to one of their regulars while waiting for more customers.

"Let's just say that he's a busy man." Ayato smiled, leaning forward as they both continued their earlier conversation. Thoma grinned sheepishly in return, scratching the base of his neck in a bashful manner.

~*~

The sound of chimes echoed inside the store as Ajax opened the glass door of the shop, closing the wet umbrella in his hand. The first thing that grabbed his attention was how neat and organized the whole flower shop was. From the small namecards of the flowers attached to its respective booth, to the color-coded scheme and the eye-catching arrangements.

It was beautiful.

He stared at the hanging pots of orchids, the evergreen lush of plants decorated with dew drops, as well as the soft and vibrant saturations of the floral designs of the shop.

"Can I help you?" A rich and alluring voice was heard, interrupting him of his reverie. He was about to hum words of appreciation regarding the shop's decor, but felt his whole body freezing on the spot when his eyes landed on possibly the most beautiful man he'd ever seen in his whole life.

Everything about the stranger was enchanting, from his hued amber-tipped brunette hair, to his perfectly defined features, sharp nose, soft lips, and most especially those eyes.

Yes, his eyes were a deep shade of gold, creased to perfection with red eyeshadow at the corners.

Ajax's body ran cold.

"I—I..." He stuttered, his eyes turned to saucers as he felt beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. His heart was beating so fast, his hands slightly trembling as his whole temperature arose real quick.

The mixed signals that his body was unconsciously sending out almost made Ajax dizzy. He panicked as he frantically thought of an attempt to re-establish his pride after being humiliated for gawking at the shop owner. He cleared his throat and looked away from those eyes, his gaze landing on the batch of plain red roses that were in front of him.

"Uh—G-Good afternoon..." Ajax started, already wanting to bang his head against the wall for stuttering like an awkward teenage girl.

"Good afternoon." He greeted back, but Ajax couldn't see the expression he wore on his face, as he was avoiding eye contact. God knows what kind of crap he might spout next if they were to stare into each other's eyes.

Ahh, yes... the floor suddenly looks interesting...

He chose to walk around the shop to calm his nerves, yet the slow pace he settled for did nothing to pacify his instincts that were practically begging for help to get out of such awkward situation.

What should he even say? What kind of topic should he bring up? Why the hell was he even here in the first place?

Those kinds of questions were spreading through Ajax's mind like the plague, as every step he took did nothing to quell the uneasiness that was churning inside his guts. He knew that those golden orbs were on him, observing his every move, and he wanted nothing more than to dig down on the exact spot he was standing on, only to bury himself alive.

Perhaps the florist was staring at him with amusement? Or better yet, pity? He couldn't tell which one, as it was just him imagining things. He couldn't bring it in himself to turn his gaze towards him, it was too much.

Then as if on cue, he heard his voice yet again, ringing agaisnt his ears.

"Are you searching for a particular kind of flower? Let me offer you my help." Ajax felt his heart stop when he heard the florist right behind him.

Wait a second, since when did he get so close?

And how come he didn't hear any footsteps?

Ajax pursed his lips in thought, wondering whether or not he should look behind him. He decided to gather enough courage, muttering streams of prayers and pleas in his mind before he turned his head to stare at the man behind him.

Fuck, he was even more gorgeous up close.

The stranger had a pleasant and accomodating smile on his face, his eyes crinkling in the process.

Oh—Dear God... someone save him.

Now that he was within his proximity, Ajax noticed that the florist was slightly taller and broader than him, yet his features were so pretty and soft, opposite to his own mischievous and prideful aura.

Opposites attract, right?

"W-Well..." Ajax mumbled, looking away once more as a light red blush scattered across his cheeks. Goddamnit, Ajax! What the hell is wrong with you? Your tone right there sounded like you pointing your two index fingers together!

"I wanted to ask uhm... what kind of flowers would be perfect for a gift," he said, slowly regaining composure as he steadied himself. He watched the way the florist's features shifted as he thought of an answer, and Childe honestly found it endearing.

"Is it for that special someone?" He asked, a playful grin on his lips as there was a subtle tease in his tone.

"N-No! Not at all!" Alright, time to jump off a cliff.

Why did he have to sound so desperate? He refused the idea faster than Thanos could snap his fingers.

"Oh? Then who is it for?" The brunette asked, a brow raised as he tried to dissect whatever was going on in Ajax's mind.

"It's for my best friend." He smiled, trying to ease off the tension between the two of them. At this, the florist nodded, pacing around the shop as he gathered a few samples of the flowers that would make a perfect bouquet.

"What is the intention behind the gift? Gratitude? Or perhaps, sympathy? Maybe there are some underlying negative emotions behind it as well?" The florist asked, his golden eyes back on Ajax as he awaited his response.

"It's just a congratulatory gift, since he finally got the perfect job he's always wanted." At the mention of his friend's achievement, he couldn't help but smile at the thought, his heart somewhat feeling lighter than before.

Maybe this gift meant so much to him because they both have always been there to support each other through thick and thin, way back in their school years.

Now seeing that Aether finally got his dream job, the exact one he'd been explaining to Ajax during high school, it certainly brings back memories.

"I see, so it's a sentimental type of gift. Let me see what I can think of." The man mused, able to read the ginger like the back of his palm. Ajax looked away from the florist, quite intimidated by his strange yet charismatic demeanor.

"There are plenty of different flowers that can have the same meaning, or possibly convey the same emotions. As for saying congratulations to somebody who landed on their dream job, a bouquet of yellow roses would usually do the trick." He acknowledged, gently plucking a couple of yellow roses from the stand.

With one quick motion of his fingers, he urged Ajax to follow him, and the latter did so—quite too eagerly.

"Daffodils on the other hand convey new beginnings, a great choice for your best friend if you're asking for my opinion. These symbolize a big change in life, such as getting a new house, finding a new job, or even having children. Do remember that one stalk of this flower can signify bad luck, so settle for a bunch if you want to convey a positive meaning." The man informed, stopping on his tracks as he pulled a bunch of daffodil stalks.

With his unique voice, Ajax wouldn't mind listening to him narrating the shopping channel for hours.

The florist then picked a bunch of daisies from the container, staring at it's quality before placing it on his working table.

"Last but not the least, daisies express deep friendship. Judging from your enthusiasm, I can tell that this job is indeed a big achievement for him." He stated, staring at the three different kinds of flowers he chose, leaning to his artistic side as he thought of how to arrange a presentable-looking bouquet.

Ajax nodded, replying with glee. "It really is, that's why I wanted to give him something special." The florist stared at him after he uttered those words, his face devoid of any emotion. He then stared into his eyes, as if he's trying to read him off of his pupils.

Ajax gulped unconsciously, unable to utter a single word as he was put on the spot with such sharp gaze.

The man was silent, studying him for a couple of seconds that felt like hours to Ajax, before he broke their eye contact.

"Very well, please wait for a moment while I finish this up." The enchanting man smiled once more, preparing all the necessary materials in a neat pile as he started cutting up the stems using floral scissors.

Ajax looked away from the strange man, ignoring the way his heart thumped against his chest in quick spasms. He then resorted to staring around the shop, distracting himself from the way his body reacted around the mysterious guy.

He also paid no attention to the way he sweated around his forehead, as if his body sensed his nerves due to his current predicament.

For the next couple of minutes, the air around them was so tense that Ajax could feel himself suffocating, meanwhile the other man in the room seemed to enjoy the peaceful silence, blissfully ignoring his presence.

His hands were practically aching to at least fiddle with something, to somehow lessen the surge of awkwardness that bubbled in his throat. He had a couple of options, either to check the time on his wrist, to grab his phone and swipe around his home screen to pretend he was busying himself, or to initiate a conversation with the devil in the room.

Ajax was no coward, but the third option was a nightmare in the making, so he opted for the second idea, pulling his phone out of his pocket to unlock his screen.

Due to his eyes being glued to his phone, he failed to notice those amber orbs roaming on his body, gaze calculative and scheming.

Ajax thought his heart leaped out of his chest when the deep vibrato of the florist's voice echoed in the shop, his phone almost slipping from his grasp as his eyes were wide open in shock.

"Are you alright? You seem to be nervous." The stranger asked, raising a brow at his reaction.

"I—I'm fine..." Ajax stuttered for the umpteenth time, avoiding his eyes at all costs.

"I wanted to ask which color you prefered for the ribbon of the bouquet." He queeried his customer, who looked like he just saw a ghost behind him.

Ajax cleared his throat in embarrassment, taking further steps towards the florist as he observed the variety of silk ribbons that were available.

His hand reached out to grasp the ribbons, hands on the colorful bands as he felt each of their textures underneath his fingertips.

While his gaze was down on the multicolored bows, another pair of eyes were locked on his wrists, examining the contrasted hues of the ribbons on his skintone.

"The green one seems nice..." Ajax pointed, a pleased grin on his face as he finally tilted his own chin up to stare at the florist, his eyes catching the name tag that was attached to his plain white apron.

"...Mister Zhongli..." He hesitated, but went on with it, calling the stranger by his first name.

Once again, Ajax failed to notice the way the florist's eyes glinted upon hearing his name roll out of the younger's tongue. He chuckled lightly, the corners of his lips twitching as he grabbed a pair of scissors and measured the length that he would use for the bouquet.

"And how may I address you, my dear customer?" The man named Zhongli asked, his tone a little more carefree this time.

"You can call me Ajax." He replied, finally easing off some of the tension between them. To him, it looked like the florist was slowly trying to get acquainted with his presence, so he decided to give him the same treatment in return, even though he was getting jittery just from the thought.

"Alright, dear Ajax."

Holy Shit.

The way Zhongli called his name, it felt as if they both knew each other for a long time. It's almost as if he's so familiar with his unique name that it rolled off so casually.

That, and perhaps hearing his deep voice sent a reaction straight down to his pants.

Come on, he even used the word 'dear'!

"I'm almost done, so please bear with me, Ajax." Zhongli smiled, finishing up the final touches of his bouquet.

My god, he said it again!

"Take your time!" Ajax mumbled in a polite manner, yet inside his head, he hated the fact that he sounded so kind.

It was so obvious that Zhongli was affecting him in the strangest way possible, and he was also aware that the other knew.

To be fair, he was being very obvious.

After cutting up a few more leaves, Zhongli stared at the bouquet with a satisfied look on his face, before showing Ajax his handiwork.

"What do you think?" He grinned, his expression filled with glee as he awaited his response. Ajax gawked at the sight, unable to shut his mouth from the sheer beauty that blinded him.

And yes, 80 percent on the beholder and 20 percent on his art.

"Very, very pretty!" Ajax clasped his hands together, his cheeks tinted pink. On a genuine note, the outcome was so beautiful that it made him all the more excited to surprise Aether the following day.

"I'm glad you liked it. Let me just list down the total amount for your order." Zhongli informed, giving the bouquet to Ajax as he clicked on his pen and started jotting down on a blank sheet of paper.

Ajax stared at the floral arrangement in awe, admiring how pleasing the whole bouquet looked.

"Here you go—" Before Zhongli could hand him the piece of paper, Ajax had already shown him his credit card.

After the payment process, Zhongli pushed the glass doors himself, sending his satisfied customer out of his shop.

"Thank you, please do come again." He greeted him goodbye, a beaming smile on his lips. Ajax grinned with excitement at his remark.

"Oh, definitely." He paused after hearing his own words, coughing awkwardly as he looked away and avoided the amused smirk on Zhongli's face.

"Looking forward to it." If Ajax wasn't all embarrassed, he would've given a witty reply to Zhongli's suggestive and flirty comeback, but his mind was as blank as a clean sheet of paper and he didn't want to humiliate himself further, so walking away was the safest option.

Zhongli watched his recent customer from the distance, waiting until he was out of plain sight, before rushing to close down the shop for the day.

Once everything inside was shut and closed-off from the public eye, he was quick to remove his apron, chucking it aside as he immediately grabbed his phone that was faced down on the counter.

He paused the ongoing voice memo, saving the file on his phone before searching for the timestamp that made his skin tingle with anticipation.

He kept on playing the memo, until his ears picked up what he was looking for.

"I wanted to ask which color you prefered for the ribbon of the bouquet." The recording echoed.

Almost there...

"The green one seems nice..." The recording played out loud.

So close...

"...Mister Zhongli..." He stopped the voice memo.

He couldn't help the sadistic grin that etched on his face, replaying that part again and again, hands sweating profusely and lips trembling in excitement.

A deep and maniacal laughter left his lips as he clutched his phone with naught, resting his back on the counter.

He placed the audio port near his ears, replaying the younger's voice once more, addressing his name so innocently.

Of course, it couldn't compare to his melodious voice in real life, but getting to hear it again and again was more than enough for him.

At this, he placed his phone down on the counter once more, talking to himself with an eerie smile on his lips.

"My dearest Ajax, you're not the only satisfied customer here..."

~*~

Ajax stared at the bouquet of flowers near the nightstand, unable to get an ounce of sleep from all the events that unfolded earlier.

He sat up on his bed, staring at the wide glass-window of his room that showed the tall skyscrapers, as well as the life of the city night. He sighed deeply, removing the blanket that covered his body.

He couldn't ignore the constant reverie he had of that man from earlier, his pure entity coming to haunt his dreams despite him being wide awake.

For some strange reason, there was dread welling deep down in his guts at the mere thought of that man, an invisible shove that's urging him to stay away from him, yet at the same time, that exact dread was fused with temptation.

To put things simply, the red flags were everywhere, yet he chose to turn a blind eye to them.

Well, the mere thought of seeing that man again was enough to enthrall him.

~*~

A few weeks had passed ever since their first encounter.

Ajax had been nose-deep in his work one night that he failed to notice the time. He was busy tapping away on his keyboard that a single shove from his coworker got him glaring daggers at her direction.

"Chill Ajax, it's just me." Rosalyne rolled her eyes while pressing a cold brew against his cheek. The younger winced at the sudden contact of cold that he lightly jumped.

"You alright? You've been acting strange recently, certainly not the Ajax I remember." She asked, leaning her hand down on his working desk as she stared at all the words he typed in his most recent document.

"And it looks like you're starting on scratch work that's due next week. You're intentionally busying yourself." She mumbled her observations, eyeing their other short coworker who decided to approach the duo.

"He's loathing, that's good. I hate seeing him so cheerful all the time, it irks me." Kunikuzushi added, causing the older woman to gasp at his words.

"So do I, but come on, it's strange seeing him like this." The girl frowned, feeling sympathy for their youngest friend, who seemed to give up on typing, his head slumped down on the desk.

"And what, he'll start bugging us again? Please, this new side to Ajax is refreshing!" The short guy teased even further, hands on his hips as he awaited a reaction from the ginger, who would've started chasing him around the office by now.

Seeing as he didn't even lift up a finger, Kunikuzushi raised a brow at this.

"Told you." Rosalyne grunted, sipping on the water bottle that she grabbed from the vending machine. She ruffled Ajax's hair and stole one of the nearby seats, placing it beside him as she sat down and thought of a way to comfort him.

"If you don't have anything good to say, just leave us be, shortie." Rosalyne half-teased, but she was very serious regarding the whole issue.

Kunikuzushi shot her a dirty look, before turning away to pack his stuff and leave for the night, a deep scowl on his face.

"In fact, I will. Good night fellas!" He waved at no one, slinging his bag around his shoulder as he shut the doors and left the two.

Once the echoes of the door shutting was heard, Rosalyne looked at Ajax once more, a hand on his back as he lightly patted him.

"Alright, now that the party pooper is gone, do you want to talk about it?" She asked, patiently awaiting his response. Ajax then looked up and stared at his friend, who was eyeing him with evident concern.

He sighed, knowing that he couldn't bring it in himself to hide anything from her.

"Rosa, do you remember that issue I told you about before? If you're going to call me insane for it just like everyone else—" Before he could continue, the woman stopped him, raising a hand to halt his upcoming words.

"I won't. Is this about that stalker again?" She asked, and the sudden shift of Ajax's expression proved her claim to be true. She frowned at the young man, worried at his situation.

"Yeah. I can't report it to the police, I have no evidence at all! I mean, how does this person even... Ugh, I just can't..." Ajax struggled to get the right words out, covering his face with both of his palms due to stress.

"Deep breaths, take it easy. Elaborate from the very beginning, I'm here to listen." Rosalyne smiled, trying her best to be there for him, as it is the only thing she could do.

"I'm not sure how often it happens, but I can tell that they've been following me for quite a while now. Back when I didn't live in a condo yet, I was followed to my house almost everyday." Ajax shivered just from the thought, his body running cold from the memories.

"But the strange thing is that I've never seen their face. I can sometimes hear their footsteps, and I know that they're there, but I've never seen them." Rosalyne could tell why he was called insane for it, but she knew that Ajax had precise instincts that were usually spot-on, so she believed him.

"I walked home from work yesterday, and sure enough, I sensed that person once again." Rosalyne frowned, wondering how long Ajax's been experiencing this whole stalker issue.

"Do you get strange e-mails or text messages?" Rosalyne asked, causing Ajax to stop for a brief moment. He then pulled his phone out of his pocket to check, scrolling through his messages from unknown recipients.

"No, I don't." Ajax muttered, putting his phone aside. Rosalyne thought for a moment, a hand on her chin.

"If you do get a strange message from this stalker, don't hesitate to track down the sender's location using their number. Then you can send that location to the police." Ajax's eyes widened at the woman's brilliant idea, grabbing her hands as he started thanking her profusely.

"Well, it'll only work if this person does send you a text, so let's wait and see." He nodded, now seeing the small gap of light out of the dark and long tunnel. He then shut off the office pc and stood from his seat, slinging his bag around his shoulders. He gave the woman a hand, helping her up from her seat.

"When's your due?" Ajax asked, staring at her swollen belly with a cheerful grin. Rosalyne rolled her eyes at how fast her coworker changed the subject, her hand gently rubbing her bump as she mentally counted the upcoming months.

"Two more months and she's popping out of here. Rostam's been so excited, always shopping for her clothes almost everyday." She chuckled, wondering if she'd come home later to find more paper bags filled with adorable outfits for their child.

"Well, uncle Ajax will definitely get her something, that's for sure!" He grinned, his chest feeling light at the thought of children and family. Rosalyne smiled with adoration for the young boy, motioning for him to follow her.

After shutting off the lights of the office, she pushed open the doors, but was genuinely surprised to see a familiar face at the side, whose ear was pressed on the walls of their office room.

"Uh... Kuniku—" Before she could finish, the short man pulled away from the wall and started whistling, ignoring the two as he rushed down the stairs and pretended as if he wasn't caught eavesdropping.

"My goodness, can you believe that guy?" Rosalyne muttered, her tone filled with disbelief. Ajax chuckled at their coworker, the two heading for the elevator as they left the building together.

Once the two were outside, Rosalyne unlocked her car, giving him one last offer before she left for the night.

"Do you want me to drive you home? It's the least I can do for you." She offered, concern evident on her face as she worried for his situation.

"I'll be fine." Ajax smiled, sending her off. She doubted his response and was about to insist, but Ajax cut her off.

"Thank you so much for today, I really appreciate you listening to me. Go on now, Rostam must be worried." Rosalyne frowned, but she knew that she couldn't persuade Ajax, even if she wanted to. She sighed and nodded at his response, closing the door of her car as she muttered her goodbyes and drove off the distance.

Once her car was out of sight, he took the time to walk around the empty streets, searching for any small establishment that was still open.

Most of the shops were already closed around this time, as it was almost midnight, but strangely enough, there was one ramen house that was still open at this hour.

Ajax stared at the Inazuman-inspired shop, looking through the glass window when suddenly, his phone vibrated against his pocket.

He grabbed his phone and stared at his notifications, his eyes squinting as he saw a random message from an unknown recipient. He tapped the notification and unlocked his screen, expecting it to be some kind of spam message.

His eyes turned to saucers upon seeing the sight, his body running cold at the mere thought of him getting followed at this exact moment. He stared at his phone again, zooming the picture that was sent to him.

There he was, side by side with Rosalyne. It looked as if they both just exited the building, distracted in a seemingly good conversation, since there was an obvious smile on his face.

Then there was another message right below the sent photo.

‘Who is that person with you?’

Ajax gritted his teeth in anger, checking his surroundings once more. He then remembered Rosalyne's earlier advice, a grin quickly morphing on his face.

He could finally end this now!

But instead of tracking, he could just call the number and see if the ring would echo, since he was in an abandoned-looking alley in the first place.

He quickly called the number, the man quick on his feet as the sound of a ring from the distance made his heart jump. He ran towards the direction of the sound without second thoughts, not caring whether his stalker was armed or not.

All he wanted to know was this stalker's identity. That's it.

Just when the sound was impeccably close, he stopped in front of a dumpster, the strong scent clogging his nose. He coughed at the weird smell, opening the lid since he could her the ringing inside.

He then noticed a normal-looking android phone chucked inside, ringing loud now that the lid was unsealed. Ajax tried calling the sender's recipient again, only to see the lockscreen of the phone reset, his exact phone number plastered on its white screen.

"What the..." Ajax mumbled, his lips turning pale. This guy was definitely here, he was so close that Ajax could literally taste it—

"Ajax? Is that you?" He yelped in shock upon hearing someone else calling his name. He whipped his head towards the direction of the voice, feeling his soul leaving his body when he saw who it was that called him.

"U—Uhm!" He stuttered, wondering what the hell Zhongli was doing out here at this hour. He wanted to ask him a few questions, but he realized how awkward his predicament was, with his supposed-to-be crush catching him rummaging through the garbage.

"Are you perhaps searching for something in there?" Zhongli teased, causing Ajax's face to heat up in embarrassment. He immediately closed the lid and canceled the call on his phone, putting it in his pocket as he cleared his throat.

"N-Nothing of importance." He muttered, completely forgetting the main issue at hand.

Zhongli almost pitied the fact that Ajax didn't put two and two together.

Speaking of which, the boy stared at Zhongli in confusion, blinking his doe blue eyes as he tilted his head to the side.

"How about you? What are you doing out here? It's very late already." Zhongli smiled at him, his hand pointing towards the ramen shop.

"I wanted to order some take out, but since you're here, why don't we go together?" He suggested, waiting for his reply. Ajax's heart did a little skip at his offer, and before he could think about his next words, he accidentally blurted a cheesy pick up line.

"Is this a date, Zhongli?" Zhongli's eyes widened upon hearing what he said, the man staring at him for a while, before his frozen and stoic expression shifted to one that was filled with fondness.

"Do you want it to be one?" He teased, chuckling at Ajax's reaction, who suddenly clutched his chest.

How adorable.

"Y-Yes..." He half-whispered, but it was loud enough for Zhongli to hear. The man discreetly bit the inside of his cheek at his blunt response, a surge of emotions welling up inside of him at how clueless this poor and innocent boy was.

Perfect.

"Then let's go." The brunette lead the way, followed by a flustered Ajax who couldn't control the pace of his heartbeat.

~*~

"Two miso ramen please, dine in." Ajax ordered at the counter, while Zhongli sat on one of the booths. The florist insisted on paying for the two, but as persistent as Ajax is, Zhongli had no choice but to sit and wait for their orders.

While Ajax's back faced his, Zhongli pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of him while looking unsuspicious, pretending that he was just using his phone while his body was tilted towards the ginger's position.

Upon noticing him coming back with two bowls on a tray, he pretended that he was scrolling through a social media app, a chuckle leaving his lips as he watched a random trending video on his page with interest.

"What's that?" Ajax asked, while plopping down on his seat, placing the tray on the table. He then grabbed one bowl and gave it to Zhongli, who turned his phone and showed him a video of two puppies playing with each other.

"Awwww, how cute!" Ajax cooed at the sight, watching the clip replay with great interest.

"Not as cute as you." Zhongli's line caught Ajax off guard, his eyes turning wide as he stared at Zhongli with shock, his jaw dropping to the ground. He then started coughing out of nowhere, covering his mouth as he looked away.

"Are you alright?" Zhongli asked, concern evident on his face at the sudden coughing fit. Ajax calmed down after a couple of seconds, drinking a glass of water that the waiter provided after seeing his struggle.

"I'm fine..." Ajax mumbled, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, a frown on his face.

Zhongli stared at him with adoration evident in his eyes, observing all the little things about him that even Ajax wasn't aware of.

"Let's eat?" Ajax nodded, skipping the chopsticks, his hand reaching out for the provided broth spoon and fork. Zhongli watched him silently as he split his own wooden chopsticks into two, eating his food in silence.

After a few minutes of peaceful eating, Zhongli couldn't help but state his observations out loud.

"You don't know how to use chopsticks?" He queeried in an amused tone, putting his own pair down while staring at Ajax, who was sipping on the broth of the ramen with a spoon.

"I don't. Please don't judge me." He mumbled after taking a few more sips, using his fork to twirl the noodles in the bowl, opening his mouth wide and slurping his noodles loud.

Zhongli bit back the chuckle that abruptly left his lips, clearly entertained with his table manners. He sighed in a comical manner, crossing his arms as he continued to watch the younger man eat his food.

Ajax noticed that he was being watched, his instincts reacting in a strange way, as if it's trying to send him a warning. He wondered why his body reacted so differently, when it was only Zhongli who was watching him eat.

"What?" He muttered while chewing his food, turning away from the critical stare that Zhongli directed towards him.

"If we have time soon, I would like to teach you how to use chopsticks." Ajax grumbled at Zhongli's response, rolling his eyes as he refused in an instant, not even giving Zhongli the chance to explain.

"No need for that. It'll take you all the time in the world before I could learn how to use those sticks." Ajax replied, a snarky grin on his face. He was so sure that Zhongli wouldn't insist anymore, but he was wrong.

"Then all the time in the world, it is." He smiled, clearly amused at the frown on Ajax's face. He continued to eat his food in silence, a tinge of pink on his cheeks as he avoided trying to start a conversation with the cunning man.

After a while, both their bowls were completely empty, with Ajax rubbing his tummy in satisfaction.

"That was delicious." He said, his stomach not too full and not too empty. It was just right. The man infront of him nodded, cleaning their table free of mess with the provided paper towels.

"How are you going to get home?" Zhongli asked, placing both their bowls on the tray after washing his hands in the nearby restroom. Ajax then remembered his earlier predicament, his blood pressure spiking at the thought.

"M-My place is just close from here, I can walk there. How about you?" He tried shifting the topic away from himself, not wanting to disclose such confidential information to the other, who had no involvement whatsoever in his current situation.

"That won't do, it's already late. You should be more careful at this hour." Zhongli adviced, his voice stern.

Oh, the irony...

"I know..." Ajax replied, already worried to take a step outside. Zhongli noticed his uncomfort, hence he decided to make a decision for the both of them.

"I'll drive you home on my motorcycle. Be glad that I have a spare helment." He smirked, winking at Ajax with utmost pride, who immediately flushed red at the display of confidence.

"Please, there's no need—" Ajax was interrupted by Zhongli, who spoke in a higher volume than him.

"I insist. You were persistent with the bill, so let me be the same for your safety. No buts." His voice was authorizing, hence Ajax had no choice but to keep his mouth shut, following him outside the ramen shop.

On the outside, he barely showed any kind of emotion, but on the inside, his heart was practically leaping with joy and excitement at the thought of sharing a ride with the older man.

"Have you ever tried riding a motorcycle?" Zhongli asked, walking to the spot where he parked his vehicle. He was trying to distract Ajax from the fact that it was parked a little close to where he chucked the temporary phone out, praying to the gods that he wouldn't notice.

Thankfully, the younger went along with him, answering his question as he grabbed the spare helmet from Zhongli's hands.

"Last time I tried, I was still a college student with my ex. He drove me around different places at night, good times." Zhongli paused at this, his eyes devoid of any emotion, golden orbs turning dark and empty as he clutched on his helmet.

He silently put it on, refusing to show Ajax the imminent jealousy that tainted his features at the mention of having a previous lover.

"I think I can tell why it became your last." He distracted his own self, swinging his leg on the vehicle and waiting for Ajax to hop in. The ginger laughed at the sudden memory, wearing his helmet and taking a seat behind Zhongli.

"Yeah, but I've let go of the feelings a long time ago, it's simply the memories that remain." He replied, a little hesitant to wrap his arms around Zhongli's torso. He waited for the other to say anything, but he was silent. He then noticed Zhongli turning around, his tone clearly messing with him while his hands were on the handles of the motorcycle.

"What are you waiting for? Come on." Ajax gulped, finally hugging him from behind. He also leaned his chest forward, getting comfortable as he closed his eyes and basked in Zhongli's warmth.

Zhongli started the engine and ignored the frantic beating of his own heart, eyeing Ajax's hands that were wrapped around his body. He simply released a heavy sigh and gripped hard on the handles, before driving them to their destination.

~*~

"Thank you so much for today, Zhongli! I had lots of fun." Ajax smiled sincerely, giving him his helmet back. Zhongli nodded, grabbing it from his hands. The younger couldn't see what kind of expression Zhongli had, since his head was still covered by the helmet, but he hoped that the brunette was at least smiling back at him.

"I had fun too, Ajax. See you around." Zhongli said, about to drive off, however, Ajax was quick to stop him by calling his name out loud.

He immediately grabbed his pen and started writing down something, rereading it for a second before handing Zhongli a small piece of paper.

"It's my number, in case you want to uhm... talk about stuff..." He trailed off, a bright shade of red on his face as he waited for Zhongli to accept it.

The latter was quick to read the digits, pretending that he wasn't aware of the boy's personal information, when in fact, this sequence of numbers were tattooed in the back of his mind.

The silence was killing Ajax, his face growing a shade redder than the last as he waited for his response. He then noticed him pulling his phone out, typing the number on his contacts and waiting for a ring.

Suddenly, Ajax's phone rang in his pockets. Zhongli then ended the call and typed something, his thumbs quickly tapping on the screen. He then locked his phone and placed it back on his pockets, bidding the younger farewell, before speeding off.

Ajax frowned at the sudden turn of events, wondering if Zhongli didn't want his number in the first place—but he was suddenly interrupted by a notification from his phone.

He opened his lock screen to see a message from an unknown number. He then noticed that it was the exact recipient that left him a missed call just now, which was obviously Zhongli.

He then read the message out loud, his face turning so red that he started gasping for air, his hand on his chest as he felt his heart pounding hard and fast against his ribcage.

'Looks like I finally got the cutie's number.'

Ajax squeeled outside the building of his condo, covering his mouth as he stared at his phone for the umpteenth time.

He seriously had a major crush on that guy, there was no more saving him.

~*~

Zhongli drove on the empty streets with his mind clouded, his head busying itself with thoughts from earlier.

He hadn't expected Ajax to call that fake number he used, the sudden notion making him panic. Unable to leave the scene, he decided to use his perfect acting skills to convince Ajax that he just so happened to be a passerby.

Perhaps Ajax already knew that he was the one stalking him this whole time?

No, that wasn't right. He wouldn't accept his invitation of driving him home if that was the case.

Nevertheless, he had to be more careful with his schemes next time, or else he'd get caught red-handed.

Chapter Text

"I might be your best friend, but I do not condone your strange behavior and obsession towards that boy, Zhongli." The young-looking man reprimanded, crossing his arms in disbelief. Who knew that the smartest student from their class would turn out like this?

"Don't worry, Venti. I promise, I won't get caught. You already know how long I've been doing this." Zhongli commented, snipping away the excess stems of the flower crown he's making.

The teal-haired boy requested for two flower crowns made of qingxin and cecilia flowers, since he wanted to match with his boyfriend for their first year anniversary next week.

"Tsk, this isn't right. You've been stalking that kid back in our highschool days! I thought you'd grow over that phase, but I was wrong." He frowned, deeply concerned for the behavior of his dear friend.

He'd simply look solemn while staring at all the pictures he snapped of that boy, from him holding his bag while walking to school, him eating lunch on one of the school tables, even him getting inside the school bus.

Venti admitted before that it was disgusting, since he was already seventeen that time, and the boy was merely a twelve year old, but Zhongli paid no attention to his warnings, printing out the pictures he took using his phone with an eerie grin on his lips.

At one point, he wanted to leave Zhongli's life when it had gotten too far, his eyes wide open as he pushed past the door to his room, only to be welcomed with pictures of that Ajax kid, littered across his walls.

A sudden notification interrupted Venti from his thoughts, his eyes on Zhongli's phone. He pursed his lips in disappointment upon seeing the other's wallpaper, with Ajax's back facing the camera, standing in line while ordering food.

But what surprised Venti the most was the sender of the text on his lockscreen. He gawked at the sight, switching his gaze from the phone to Zhongli's face, who was looking at him with a cheerful grin.

"Zhongli, what the hell?!" He shouted, snatching the phone on the desk with quick hands. He stared at the lock screen and saw the name 'Ajax' with multiple hearts. He couldn't read the message since it was locked, but he harbored a glare that could kill.

"Are you serious?" He snapped, eyeing him, as if he offended his whole bloodline. Venti could not believe what he was seeing, his hands clenched into fists at the realization.

"This is wrong, Zhongli. You're not treating him with respect. In fact, you're not treating him like a human at all!" Venti seethed, unable to control the anger that he felt due to his friend's unforgivable behavior.

"Venti, does it look like I care?" Zhongli was straightforward with his words, an unamused look on his face as he stopped what he was doing, just to have a serious conversation with him.

Venti gasped in shock at the other's response, the boy trying his best to not lash out on the elder, who was being very unreasonable. He exhaled a heavy breath, wincing at the incoming ache that seared his head.

He glared at Zhongli, muttering out words laced with a venomous tone.

"Be glad that I care about you, or you would've been locked behind bars right now." Venti sighed and looked away from his so-called 'friend', extremely disappointed with his intolerable actions.

"I am, Venti. I'm very glad." Zhongli assured him, getting back to the flower crowns with a serene smile, the tall man looking so innocent, yet keeping the dirtiest laundry of them all.

Venti looked at the florist with pity, wondering what kind of life he would have right now if he wasn't so obsessed with that Snezhnayan boy.

His future had so many possibilities. He had the brains, the brawns, the looks. He had everything that made all men green with envy, yet his potential was getting wasted all because of some fucked up idolatry and obsession.

"You do know that you'll get caught someday, right?" Venti became crystal clear with him, not wanting to minimize the consequences of his actions. Zhongli paused for a brief moment, his golden orbs on the short man, as if discreetly observing his gestures.

"I'll accept my punishment for that, just let me observe him for a little while longer." Zhongli's vision went dark, carnal desire evident in his glazed eyes, his teeth somewhat resembling sharp canines.

Zhongli was a predator that was observing his prey from afar, waiting for the perfect time to pounce.

And so far, this wasn't the perfect time yet.

Venti looked sullen at his friend's remark, wondering just how long he could go on living like this.

~*~

A month had passed with Ajax and Zhongli communicating often, the latter eager on taking him to late night dates, driving across the city in Zhongli's motorcycle underneath the bright street lamps and tinted shade of the moonlight.

Ajax hugged Zhongli even tighter than before, humming the song that Zhongli played from his playlist, the two sharing airpods. There was a gleeful expression on his face, staring across the tall buildings from the distance with his head leaning on Zhongli's back.

He hadn't felt this comfortable in a long time, so close to the presence of someone who would protect him, especially this late at night. The thought left him smiling like a lovestruck teenager.

He watched the view around him without the tint of a helmet obstructing his view, head free from any sort of cover.

Zhongli's eyes darted towards the side mirror, the angle perfectly focused on the younger's face. He was glad that the helmet covered his own expression, or else the boy would've easily caught him staring.

Ajax had a bashful yet blissed out look on his face, smiling with content as he leaned his cheek on Zhongli's back, wrapping his arms around his torso and cuddling into his warmth.

Zhongli's heart jumped at the sight, a strange emotion clawing his chest at the thought of how clueless the boy was, his ginger locks flowing with the wind, blue eyes gazing the distance.

Perhaps, this was guilt?

Zhongli wasn't aware that Ajax's features literally stunned him, his mouth agape as he cleared his throat, eyes focused back on the road and hands on the grip of the motorcycle.

"I wonder where you're taking me this time, Zhongli." His cheerful voice caught the elder off-guard, turning his head back to indicate that he heard what he said. Ajax lifted his head up to stare at Zhongli, wondering what kind of emotion he wore on his face through his helmet.

"That's a secret. We're almost there though." He replied, speeding up on the ramp that went upwards. Ajax tightened his arms around Zhongli's torso, his eyes gradually getting wide as he accidentally felt the hard muscles of Zhongli's abdomen underneath his palms, blood rushing to his face in an instant.

'Wait, he's jacked?!' He thought to himself, pouting as he felt a little jealous.

Suddenly, a loud and deep gut laughter echoed. Ajax raised a brow at the sudden outburst, wondering what had gotten Zhongli so worked up.

"Well, let's just say that I work out once in a while." Ajax was confused at his remark, but after a few seconds, realization hit him like a truck, his cheeks impeccably red as he started stuttering, face heating up at a rapid pace.

"I—I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" He panicked, wanting to slap himself for accidentally blurting his thoughts out loud. Zhongli chuckled at his cover-up, the younger hugging him tight and burying his head on the space between his right shoulder and neck.

"You're adorable." Zhongli teased, finally slowing down upon reaching their destination. He carefully parked his motorcycle behind the large oak tree, waiting for Ajax to hop out of the vehicle before he unclasped the lock of his helmet, pulling it out of his head.

"Am not..." Ajax huffed, crossing his arms while staring at Zhongli, who turned off the engine of his motorcycle, pocketing the keys and swinging his leg out of the seat.

"Don't try to argue with me, sweetheart." Zhongli warned, his tone slightly different compared to earlier. He then walked towards Ajax and pinched his cheek in a playful manner, the gesture followed by a pout from the younger.

He looked away from Zhongli, trying his best to look annoyed, when in reality, he was trying to control himself from squealing like an idiot.

"Follow me." Zhongli caught his attention, the brunette walking towards the wooden bench that was located underneath the massive oak tree. He then took a seat, patting the empty space beside him.

Ajax followed, sitting down. He was about to ask where they were, but the sight of the city from above made him forget what he was supposed to say in the first place.

He watched the city lights twinkling from the distance, in awe at the beautiful scenery. It was only now that Ajax realized that they were at one of the highest points of the mountain, free from the public eye.

"Woah..." He muttered, roaming his gaze around the vast horizon of the night sky. He was about to mumble something out loud, but the sound of a lighter interrupted him.

He turned his head to stare at his companion, who had a freshly-lit cigarette stick between his lips. He then pocketed the lighter and rolled up the sleeves of his plain white dress shirt, the sight enough to weaken Ajax to his knees.

There Zhongli was, arms decked out and adorned with black ink, cigarette between his index and middle finger as he exhaled the chemicals out of his lips, his focus on the scenery from afar.

At that moment, he was the focal point of his naked eye, everything else in the distanced wiped to nothing but a blur. If perfection was personified, then the man in front of him was the epitome of that.

His amber-tipped bangs that covered parts of his face, the light red eyeshadow that creased his eyes so beautifully, even his soft lips that emitted large puffs of smoke.

But what really made Ajax's heart stop was his enchanting pair of golden eyes.

And now they were on his, too.

He was so lost in his gaze, unable to utter a single word as time stopped. The only sound heard between them was loud breathing.

Of course, Ajax had to break the tension.

"I didn't know you had so much tattoos." He mumbled, cutting the two off from their intense eye contact. Zhongli had a barely visible smile permeating his face, his line of vision on the stars above.

"Didn't I tell you that on one of our previous phone conversations?" Zhongli laughed, his memory as sharp as ever. He could even remember what he was doing while sharing that fact about himself, hoping that it would stir something within the younger.

Or maybe he just had really good memory with everything concerning Ajax.

"Of course I didn't forget that. I just didn't expect your arms to be so full of them.” He mused, pulling his arm out of nowhere. Zhongli stared at him with confusion, but realized that those ocean blue eyes were now scorching their way through his arm, Ajax so intrigued and mesmerized at the art that was inked on his skin.

"A dragon? That's so cool..." He admired, noticing the scales of the said beast that wandered across the planes of his body. Ajax could only see a few parts of it, such as its tail, but he was sure that the rest of its detailed body was hidden underneath his clothing.

"Show me your other arm." He hummed with excitement, swinging his legs under the bench as he watched Zhongli roll his white sleeves even higher, exposing even more of his skin to the young man.

"Oh, a flower?" Ajax questioned, staring at the extremely detailed design on his left arm. He reached his arm out and touched the skin with his fingertips, tracing the outlines of the said tattoo, weight lighter than a feather, before turning his head back to face Zhongli with a curious look on his face.

Zhongli had to resist himself from the strong urge that washed over him.

"Yes, these are called oleanders." Ajax nodded, waiting for him to continue explaining.

"There's nothing special to them, just my favorite kind of flower, that's all." He added, observing the way Ajax's eyes twinkled in wonder.

"Ahh you see, I don't believe you on that." The ginger teased, crossing his arms. Zhongli was surprised at the sudden display of demeanor coming from Ajax, so he decided to play along, a sly grin on his lips.

"Why not? You think I'm lying?" He faked a hurt tone, clutching his chest in defeat as he frowned. Ajax stared at him in a dumbfounded manner, raising a brow in suspicion.

"No, not that. You're a florist, so out of all the flowers out there, why oleanders?" He questioned, putting Zhongli on the spot. He wanted a straightforward answer from the guy, pressuring him to see if he'd respond and give him an actual explanation.

"Personally, I think they're very beautiful flowers. Delicate and soft." Zhongli started, looking at his left arm that was adorned with a few of them. He then switched his glance to Ajax, who was still staring at him.

"However, there's a catch."

"Like I expected. Go on." He smirked, enjoying the game that they were playing. He watched Zhongli toss the cigarette stick somewhere, the man slowly leaning towards him.

He leaned his back on the wooden bench and awaited the florist's next words, his eyes half lidded as he noticed Zhongli inching closer and closer to him.

"They're... deadly..." And with that, both their warm breaths fanned each other's faces, Zhongli so close to his proximity that one simple movement is all it took for them to crash onto each other.

With neither showing signs of stopping, Zhongli decided to close the gap, tilting his head and locking his lips with the younger, who immediately wrapped his arms around Zhongli's neck, reciprocating the heated kiss.

"Mmhh—" A suppressed whine left Ajax's lips, the noise caught by Zhongli's mouth. The elder slipped his tongue inside the other, exploring his cavern with so much ferocity that it left Ajax clutching onto Zhongli's back for dear life, his brows furrowed up in pleasure as he emitted countless muffled moans.

Zhongli was shaking in anticipation, unable to control himself as he slipped his hands underneath Ajax's clothing, his palms on both sides of the younger's waist, the series of warm touches sending tingles down the Ajax's spine.

Both withdrew from each other's mouths to catch their breath, a string of saliva connecting both of their lips.

He could taste the strong tinge of chemicals from his cigarette.

"Zh—Zhongli..." Ajax's voice was paradise, a taste of heaven on earth, calling his name out with so much need.

His name.

His name and no one else's.

"Hngh—Zhongli!" Ajax yelped, his eyes shut tight as he felt Zhongli's mouth latching onto the skin underneath his jaw, sucking hard on the plump and soft patch of his neck, followed by his hot and wet tongue swiping across the fresh hickey that marked the spot red.

Ajax didn't understand how long Zhongli's been waiting for this moment.

"W—Wait!" Ajax gasped out, a bright red blush on his cheeks as he noticed Zhongli unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt, exposing the deep and beautiful juncture of his collarbones, his skin so pale it highly contrasted his clothing.

Zhongli inhaled a sharp breath, his eyes turned to slits as he burned the memory inside his head like his life depended on it.

Without wasting time, he immediately dived down to his neck and bit on the skin of his collarbones, lapping up the trickle of crimson that seeped out of his skin.

"Ahh—!" Ajax choked on a scream, throwing his head back at the sensation of pain and pleasure that caved in his body, his toes curling in the process. He bit his lip and dug his nails on Zhongli's back, his breath coming out as stutters.

Zhongli was lost in the darkness of his own mind, unable to register the fact that it was actually him doing these things to Ajax.

It was him defiling the other of his innocence and purity.

Nobody else but him.

Zhongli groaned at the taste of Ajax, licking his own lips to express his extreme satisfaction of his entity, his whole being.

His Ajax.

Until he heard a voice.

"P-Please stop... Zhongli, I'm not ready yet." The boy underneath him pleaded, eyes stained with fear as he stared at him. Something inside Zhongli broke at the sight, slowly pulling away as he watched Ajax scrambling to button his shirt once more.

Once Ajax was finished tidying himself, he glanced at Zhongli, feeling guilty at his downcast reaction. He quickly cupped Zhongli's cheeks and tilted his head, forcing the brunette to face him.

"It's not that I don't want to. I just genuinely like you and I want us to take our time building this relationship." Ajax explained, looking at him right in the eye to show that he was being honest. He was tired of playing games and wanted something serious this time.

"I respect that. I also apologize for forcing myself onto you so suddenly..." Zhongli sighed in defeat, avoiding Ajax's eyes. The latter frowned, aware that Zhongli was still upset with the whole outcome.

"I'll drive you back home, Ajax. It's already late." Zhongli stood up, rolling his sleeves back down as he walked towards the parked motorcyle.

Zhongli was out of himself while heading for his vehicle, a thousand thoughts racing across his mind.

His main goal back then was to stalk Ajax and merely observe him, promising himself to never enter his personal life.

He made an oath to not meddle into his business and content himself with the sight of Ajax from afar.

Even if he kissed someone else, locked hands and went to dates with someone else, made love to somebody and scream a name that wasn't his,

He was supposed to be contented with that, keeping a watchful eye and admiring a beauty that was never meant to be his.

Yet where was he now?

Of course his plan was doomed to fail from the very beginning,

Especially with those ocean blue eyes finally staring at him for the first time after all those years of him peeking behind the curtains.

He couldn't bring himself to not get involved, not when Ajax was so close to him, finally acknowledging his presence.

Finally staring at him, talking to him.

Before his mind could come up with any more obscure thoughts, he was interrupted by a pair of warm hands that hugged him from behind.

"I like you a lot Zhongli, I really do. I've never felt this way with anyone else before. I want us to take our time, because I want to be in a serious relationship with you." Ajax confessed, pressing his cheek against Zhongli's nape as he hugged him tighter, hoping that he was able to convey his true feelings to him.

The darkness inside Zhongli's mind never cleared up so fast, his overthinking coming to a complete halt, his heart stopping.

Then, he felt another heartbeat behind him, one that was so fast.

He was then brought back to reality, his eyes wide open in shock. He looked down and saw Ajax's arms around his torso, not showing any signs of withdrawal.

"I won't let go, not unless I hear you say something." He mumbled, securing his hold on the man. A raspy breath left Zhongli's lips, feeling a strange rush of blood on his cheeks.

He placed a hand over Ajax's, squeezing it tight.

"Then, let's take all our time in the world."

~*~

After driving Ajax home, Zhongli laid on his bed, wide awake. No matter how hard he tried to look for a comfortable position, he couldn't bring himself to sleep, not with the tidal wave of events that crashed down earlier.

He stood up and walked towards the wall of his room where he stuck most of Ajax's recent pictures, his eyes on that exact photo where he tried learning how to use chopsticks from one of their recent dates.

He pretended to text an acquaintance, when in reality, he was snapping cute pictures of the boy, who had a deep scowl on his face, unable to grasp the tuna sushi with the wooden chopsticks he held.

"Zh-Zhongli..." Ajax's voice haunted Zhongli's mind for the umpteenth time, his eyes bloodshot with terror as the streams of melodies replayed on and on like a broken record inside his head.

No matter how much cigarettes he smoked, he couldn't calm down, not when he finally had a taste of Ajax all blissed out like that.

He imagined his hands running across his soft and pale skin, pulling out lewd moans from the younger as he made love to him, making sure that Ajax felt like it was the first time all over again, his face contorting to sinful pleasure as he screamed Zhongli's name again and again.

"Ajax..." Zhongli groaned, slumping his forehead on the wall, hands trembling as he lit another cigarette in hopes of wiping off the memory of Ajax's body out of his mind.

No, it was impossible.

If he couldn't bring himself to forget the very first time he saw the young prepubescent boy in the hallways, gathering the books that fell out of his grasp when someone else bumped into him, then how was he going to forget the memory of that exact same person, whimpering his name out loud with so much desire?

Zhongli's hands formed into fists, his knuckles turning white from the sheer force, digging his nails deep into his palms.

"I was only supposed watch you from afar, my dear..." He mumbled, pulling away from the wall. He then turned to stare at the other pictures he had of Ajax, arranged in perfect order from the beginning til end.

He went closer to one of Ajax's younger pictures, admiring the way he matured from a cute little boy, to a handsome and fine young man.

Mine...

He stared at one of his favorite pictures of him, one where he was sleeping peacefully inside his tent from their old school's camping activities.

It was strictly an event for their grade level, but he pretended to be one of the older students who accompanied them, staying away from Ajax's line of sight for the whole day, until he snapped lots of photos of him when he was sound asleep that night.

"Ajax... you don't know me, you don't know who I am..." He trailed off, talking to himself. He sat back on his bed, grinning sadistically at the thought of Ajax lying down on the exact same bed he slept on every night.

He carefully removed the band that tied his hair together, tying it up into a bun, before stripping off his shirt, revealing the splotches of ink across his skin, his whole chest and back covered with tattoos.

"You only know my name... while me? I know everything about you." He chuckled, a dark expression painting his handsome features.

~*~

Ajax closed his eyes and let the stream of water droplets run down his face, the shower stall steaming the glass around him. After rinsing off all the products he used, he turned off the shower and grabbed his towel, wiping his face and hair first, before wrapping the cloth around his lower half.

He stepped out of the shower room and stared at himself in front of the mirror, letting his insecurities get the best of him upon observing his reflection.

"Zhongli... what do you see in me?" He asked himself, observing the way he looked. There was absolutely nothing special about him, so what exactly did Zhongli see?

He was nothing compared to that man, his golden eyes so captivating, everything about him oozing seduction and appeal that would make anyone kneel on the spot.

Upon looking at his state of being, he noticed a dark and red mark that almost resembled a bruise, right under his jaw. His eyes widened at the revelation, inching closer to the mirror and tilting his face to the side to check.

He winced, thinking of a way to cover up the huge mark. He couldn't just barge into work sporting that ugly bruise, his coworkers would tease him to no end.

After changing into his sleeping clothes, he heard a notification from his phone. He quickly dashed to his phone, plugging it out of the charger, expecting a text from Zhongli.

What he didn't expect however, was a message from an unknown number.

He hesitated, before unlocking his phone and opening his messages.

After reading the text message sent to him, his blood ran cold, lips turning pale as he blocked the number on the spot.

There read,

'I can see what you're doing right now, Ajax.'

He quickly turned on all the lights of his room, whipping his head around to check if he was alone or not.

Of course he was, the security of his new home was top notch.

He sighed, trying his best to not let the text message affect him in any way. He headed for the glass window and was about to cover it with the curtains, but something caught his eye.

For a moment, he thought he saw Zhongli's reflection, standing right behind him, his eyes gleaming.

Ajax quickly turned his head to stare behind him, but there was nothing.

He then observed the glass window again, seeing nothing but him and the reflection of his room.

He blinked a couple more times, but turns out that it was just a hallucination.

"Am I lacking sleep? I mean, we've been spending so much time together at night..." Ajax told himself, ignoring the way his instincts reacted. He pushed down the strange ideas that surfaced across his mind, paying no attention to the intrusive thoughts that plagued his head.

He lied down on his bed, closing his eyes. The strenuous work he did earlier was enough to tire him out, his mind going lights out after feeling the contact of the soft pillow on his head.

~*~

Ajax adjusted the scarf around his neck in discomfort, a huge scowl on his face. He kept on muttering how annoying it felt.

He also cursed Zhongli for leaving a mark on that spot, but it was accompanied with a light blush as he remembered the sensation of his warm and wet tongue on his neck, so he was having mixed feelings about it.

While in the middle of typing a new file, he ignored the sound of the doors swinging, thinking that it was just one of his colleagues coming back from their lunch break, but based on the sound of the footsteps, the person was heading straight for him.

He raised his head to stare at the newcomer on his right, his jaw dropping at the sight of his best friend, who was holding a small bag.

"Ajax! Long time no see! I decided to surprise you with homemade lunch that Lumine and I prepared." Aether grinned, placing the small lunch bag near his desk. The ginger gasped in excitement, standing from his seat as he hugged the blonde with much enthusiasm.

His friend returned the same energy, the two giggling together while taking a seat.

"Aether, how have you been?" He asked, his mood already a hundred times better now that his best friend was here. The shorter of the two laughed, brimming with excitement as he shared all of his new experiences on his dream job.

Aether's happiness was so contagious that Ajax didn't realize how wide his smile was, eager to listen to his best friend ramble on and on about the things happening in his life.

"Oh, and I almost forgot! Lumine wanted to ask where you bought that customized flower bouquet. She wanted to buy one for her girlfriend since it's almost her birthday." Aether asked, a little surprised to see the sudden shift of Ajax's face.

"Oh my God! Speaking of that, I have so much things to tell you!" Ajax yipped in excitement, thinking of where to begin.

"Yes, spill the tea bestie!" Aether cheered, forgetting that they were both supposed to eat lunch together.

"Okay, so this is what happened..." Ajax began explaining everything to Aether, who listened attentively, interrupting him from time to time when his story got too intense, a huge gasp leaving his lips.

"No way!" Aether wheezed, slapping his best friend's arm when he showed him the hickey that his so-called 'crush' left on his skin.

"Tell me his name, maybe I can stalk him on social media." Aether smirked, a devious grin forming on his lips as he pulled his phone out. Ajax rolled his eyes at his best friend's antics, crossing his arms.

"His name is Zhongli." Ajax half-whispered, even though it was only the two of them in the office room.

Ajax waited for a response, but Aether was dead silent. He then turned to stare at the blonde, who was sporting the most confused look he's ever had in his whole life. This caused Ajax to raise a brow, the two mirroring each other's bewildered expressions.

"Zhongli?? But... didn't you know him already? During our school days?" Aether questioned, extremely disoriented at the fact that Ajax did not know who Zhongli was. The ginger was perplexed, his mouth agape.

"Uhm... No? Are you joking?" Ajax replied, feeling uneasy with their current exchanges. Aether glared at him, his brows furrowed down in anger.

"Why would I joke about this? Me and Zhongli lived in the same area before, so we rode the same school bus going home. He was seventeen that time, and we were still twelve." Ajax felt his heart drop, his eyes wide open as he tried to absorb the information that Aether was telling him.

"I actually thought that both of you were good friends? I mean, I remember him carrying a picture of you." Ajax's world stopped revolving at once, his heartbeat accelerating. He felt his palms sweating, his mind unable to comprehend whatever was going on anymore.

"H—Hey... Tell me more." He stuttered, terror evident in his voice. Aether studied his friend, extremely puzzled, but complying nonetheless.

"A—Alright..."

___

Aether took a seat at the back of the bus, checking all his stuff incase he left anything behind. Once all his belongings were in place, he hugged his backpack and stared at the view outside, his eyes on the kids who w ere chasing each other in the playground.

He whipped his head when he noticed someone else taking a seat beside him, the tall guy placing his bag on the seat, arranging a couple of books on his lap. The strange guy then adjusted his glasses, opening his book discreetly from time to time.

During the whole ride home, the two were silent, busy in their own worlds.

That was until the school bus came to a sudden halt.

Aether hugged his backpack to prevent himself from the sudden impact, his eyes roaming to the driver's seat as he wondered what had happened.

The sudden movement of the vehicle caused a couple of pictures to fall off of the stranger's book, his hands quick to pick up the photos that slipped out of his grasp.

Aether decided to help him, picking up one of the photos that landed near his foot. He flipped it and stared at the picture, his face morphing to confusion as he saw his best friend on it.

The elder was quick to snatch the photo away from his hands, the man sporting a glare, before putting it back inside his book.

"Uhm... big brother, why do you have a picture of my best friend?" Aether asked, a little baffled upon seeing a photo of Ajax reading a book in the library.

For a second, Aether n oticed his eyes shifting in panic, before he concealed such expression with a gentle smile.

"You see, your best friend and I are really good friends! I wanted to surprise him with these pictures, so don't tell him a thing, alright?" Zhongli affirmed, bringing a finger to his lips to indicate him to keep quiet about their exchange.

As gullible as Aether was, he nodded immediately, agreeing to keep a secret.

"If it's a surprise for my friend, then I'm willing to keep it a secret!"

___

All previous emotions were wiped off of Ajax's face, his eyes blank as he stared at nothing in particular. Aether had to ask him a couple times to check if he was okay, snapping Ajax out of his trance.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked, concern evident in his voice. The ginger nodded, lifeless. Aether sighed at this, opening the lunches he and Lumine made.

After unpacking one of the bento boxes, he showed Ajax the neat and colorful presentation of the lunch, the food enough to catch Ajax's attention.

"Come on, let's eat first." Worry about all that later." He commanded, taking out the utensils from the bag. Ajax nodded yet again, still stuck in a trance.

~*~

It didn't take a genius to connect two and two together, all the signs shown right before his very eyes.

That would explain why his instincts was sending him warnings everytime he was with Zhongli, the alarms setting off, yet he chose to ignore them.

That night when he received a text and a photo after talking with Rosalyne, it was painfully obvious that it was Zhongli who threw that phone inside the garbage, pretending to be a passerby just to blend in.

Else, he would've been caught on the spot.

And how did Zhongli know his address when he offered to drive Ajax home? He didn't mention his place at all, so how did Zhongli know the exact condominium where he lived?

The thought of Zhongli being his stalker all this time made him sick to his core, his mind getting dizzy as his feelings for him resurfaced, conflicting his decisions.

And to think that Zhongli had been stalking him ever since he was a young boy...

Utterly disgusting.

He was about to pull his phone out to message Zhongli, but his hands stopped, fingers trembling as he remembered those golden orbs trailing over his body, making him feel good with even the subtlest of touches.

The memory of Zhongli's picture-perfect features haunted his mind, his body sculpted to perfection, hands soft and warm, touching him so gently, so lovingly...

Those lips that latched onto his before, kissing him with so much fervor and passion that it melted his body, sanity included.

Ajax touched his own lips, his whole state of mind a mess as he struggled to form a coherent thought, his brain playing countless tricks on him as he slid down to the floor of his room, his hands threading on his hair.

"What the hell am I supposed to do..." He shuddered, his arms recalling the way it wrapped around his stalker's warm body while he drove to all of their previous destinations.

The way Zhongli's eyes shone with happiness upon watching the younger talk about hilarious events that happened in the past.

The way he stared at him with so much fondness and adoration...

The fact that he actually wanted to get into a serious relationship with his stalker.

That thought was the final push he needed to cut Zhongli off from his life, his hand clutching on his phone as he scrolled through his contacts, pressing on his number and calling it without so much as a second thought incase everything backfired.

He couldn't stop the panic that surged through his body when he finally heard the man's voice from his phone, calling his name out with so much concern.

"Ajax, are you alright? What made you call?" Zhongli asked, his tone laced with worry. He wanted to chuckle at the fake display, gulping at Zhongli's sheer audacity for sounding so worried for his wellbeing, when he knew this whole time that he was the one causing most of his troubles.

"..." Ajax was frozen on the spot, unable to utter a single word. His body was cold, face pale with horror at the realization. He couldn't bring himself to say anything, his hands shaking as he covered his mouth.

"Ajax? What's wrong?" Stop it... stop calling my name...

"Zhongli..." His voice was lifeless, a stark contrast compared to the usual cheery tone he greeted Zhongli with.

"Yes Ajax? I'm here for you." Lies...

"W-Why?" Instead of reprimanding him or screaming profanities at his ear for doing such fucked up things, he started tearing up from the overdose of feelings that caved in, his hand quick to wipe himself free of any tears, as if Zhongli could see him.

"Ajax, tell me what's wrong—"

"You're the one that's wrong! You... You sick piece of shit!" He snapped, sobbing uncontrollably. He shook with disgust at the thought of possibly falling for the same man he was afraid of all this time, his hands gripping the phone hard.

"I don't understand—"

"Stop playing dumb! You always play dumb, that's exactly what you did when I caught you stalking me!" Ajax screamed, unrestrained emotions overflowing out of him like a strong current. He was so conflicted to the point where both his head and heart ached, unable to decide which one he should use to make his decisions for him.

There was nothing on the other line, not even a pin drop could be heard. He had to check if the other was still on the phone, and sure enough, he was.

He had to make this quick, or else his heart would start hesitating once more.

"Listen, I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore. If you won't stop what you're doing--then I'm going to the court to file a restraining order." Ajax ignored the searing ache that clawed his chest, the man closing his eyes to calm himself down.

Of course, he wasn't going to regret this.

But if that was the case, then why was he crying? Why was his heart beating so fast? Why did it hurt?

Why did the thought of not seeing Zhongli again hurt so much?

Before he could add anything else, he quickly pressed the red button to end the call, tossing his phone aside. He rested his tear-stained face on his palms, light hiccups leaving his lips as countless thoughts raced his mind.

"Fuck you, you sick bastard." He whispered half-heartedly, remembering the way those golden orbs locked on his with an enchanted gaze, mesmerized, fond, amazed, all those affectionate words that would make his heart melt.

Tears blurred his sight as he thought of Zhongli's hands caressing him in a loving manner, the man showering him with countless praises as he reveled in his presence.

Ajax hugged himself a little longer, resting his face on his knees as he wrapped his arms around his legs, taking in heavy breaths.

He must've looked so foolish in Zhongli's eyes, harboring a massive crush on his stalker and being extremely oblivious about it, perhaps it was comedic to the man.

Playing around with his victim and toying him like that, must've been so entertaining for him.

His state was so pityful...

~*~

"Zhongli, you're really good at acting! You should take up real acting classes, you're more than qualified." Zhongli smiled at his classmate's compliment, the girl giving him a thumbs up and a wink for the massive success of their play earlier, with him as the main character.

"I'll think about it." He replied, a grin on his lips. He then walked towards his locker, returning the books that they used for today's classes.

While he faced his locker, his expression quickly shifted to that of disgust, clicking his tongue in irritation. Aside from his good looks and all his other redeeming qualities, it was tiring to hear the same thing over and over again.

He couldn't even tell which one was fake and which one was sincere enough.

Well, people usually act so nice when they want something from him.

He was growing exhausted from everyone's praises, unaware of his true attitude as he guised himself to be that perfect student that everyone admired.

He stared at all the new love letters that piled inside his locker, eyeing each lovely-crafted and scented envelopes with pity. High chances are they fell for his exterior and fake side, the demeanor that caught everyone's attention and stole all their hearts.

He wasn't as lovely as they all thought he was.

After reading a few of the letters, nothing short of amusement made it's way into his face, entertained at how all these men and women would literally do anything just to be noticed by him.

It felt great, but it wasn't fulfilling.

He's grown tired of the spotlight shining on him everywhere he went. He was annoyed at the fact that all heads would turn on him, irritated at all the double takes going his way.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he noticed two kids bumping into each other. The raven-haired boy quickly stood up and ignored the other, while the ginger muttered out apologies, grabbing the books that fell out of his hands upon impact.

Zhongli was silently observing the kid, expecting him to look all angry and pissed after such incident, but what caught him by suprise was the fact that he brushed it off like it was nothing, a cheerful grin plastered on his face as he continued to run outside the school building.

He stared at the boy in confusion, unaware that his feet were slowly trailing towards the same direction where the kid ran off to.

After exiting the building, he noticed that same red head sitting down on one of the benches, grabbing a bite to eat while swinging his short legs that didn't touch the ground.

A strange and unfamiliar emotion bubbled up in his chest, and the next thing he knew, he was staring at him from afar, watching him rush to the school bus with his brown backpack slinging behind his back.

Minutes passed after that peculiar kid's departure, yet he was still stuck in a trance, standing on the stairs and looking into nothing when suddenly—his friend snapped his fingers on Zhongli's face.

"Earth to grandpa, do you copy?" His best friend said, using his other hand to make a pretend phone on his ear as he mumbled out fake low-signal sound effects, causing Zhongli to roll his eyes.

"What do you want, Venti?" He sighed, turning back to the school building. They both settled for a slow pace, ignoring his best friend's antics of annoying him.

"I just noticed that something caught your attention? Just wondering what it was..." Venti trailed off, crossing his arms as he followed the elder in a childish manner.

Zhongli pocketed his keys and headed back to his lockers. He then made sure that no one was around, before he grabbed the handful of letters, chucking them down the garbage without second thoughts.

Venti frowned at the sight, heartbroken at the fact that all their poetic efforts were in vain.

"You're the only one who knows me, Venti. You know how much I hate this, how much I hate acting, how bad my parents want me to pursue it, I'm just so tired of everything." He sighed, forcefully shutting his locker. Venti winced at the loud noise, pursing his lips as he thought of something.

"I know, but I'm here for you. No matter what goal or dream you want to pursue in, I'll support you!" Venti comforted him, hugging his best friend from behind. He couldn't really understand how his mind works, but as his friend, he was willing to keep on trying.

"Thanks, Venti." He mumbled half-heartedly, cold eyes on the floor.

What exactly did he want, he wondered...

Suddenly, a new and peculiar face came to mind.

~*~

"My, you look terrible, Ajax." Rosalyne frowned, staring at her colleague who had deep and dark circles underneath his eyes. From the corner, she could sense Kunikuzushi glaring at them in a mocking manner, pretending to not care.

"I just... haven't slept well recently." Ajax responded, massaging his temples. He couldn't stop thinking about all the events that happened, these two weeks giving him nothing but stress.

"Same issue?" Rosalyne asked, stealing one of the chairs and taking a seat beside him. Ajax nodded, but was extremely careful with phrasing his next words.

"Yes, but now it's different. I know their identity this time." Rosalyne's eyes went visibly wide upon hearing his response, her mouth a little agape. She then scooted her chair closer to him, leaning her head forward in a rather enthusiastic yet cautious approach.

"Go on, I'm all ears." She whispered, waiting patiently. Ajax then relayed the story to her, but kept most of the embarrassing details hidden, specifically those parts with that stalker's mouth on his.

She didn't need to know that.

After listening to his story, she covered the gasp that involuntarily left her lips, the woman staring at Ajax incredulously. She wasn't even aware that their short and annoying friend was much closer than before, leaning his back and crossing his arms as he tried to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Aren't you going to report him to the police?" She asked, extremely concerned for his well-being. She held his hand tight, rubbing his back to soothe him.

"That won't be necessary. It's been two weeks and he hasn't followed me ever since. I think it's finally over, it's just... the memories that remain." Ajax mumbled, feeling a strange wave of deja Vu wash over him.

"If you say so." Rosalyne doubted for a couple seconds, but decided to shrug off the uneasy feeling that permeated her.

~*~

"Milk bubble tea as always, how about you?" Ayato smiled, waiting for Ajax's order. The man was quiet, staring at the floors of the shop without putting up much effort to mutter anything.

Thoma frowned, both his and Ayato's gazes on the gloomy boy, who was clearly not doing well. Ayato sighed, telling Thoma to make two orders of his chosen drink, before he ushered the boy to the nearest table.

After taking a seat, his questions followed.

"What's wrong? I might not be of much help, but seeing you like that is such a terrible sight." Ajax wanted to laugh at his friend's way of comforting people, but nevertheless, he appreciated the sincere effort.

"Just personal stuff. It's not a big deal, don't worry—"

"You're telling me not to worry? When you look like that? Please, just cut to the chase." Ajax's face was blank, uncertain with his decision of keeping Ayato in the dark, or sharing a few details with him.

"With how you're phrasing your words, I might as well keep my mouth shut." Ajax laughed dryly, causing Ayato to flinch. The latter then closed his eyes and took a deep breathe, clearly in deep thought.

Ajax was about to shrug off his friend's behavior, but he was shocked when Ayato grabbed his hands and pulled it towards his direction, clutching onto his wrists tight.

"Do you not want to share anything because we are in a public setting? If that's the case, then we can come over to my place and ta—"

"Ehem!" Ajax cleared his throat, torn between the great urge to facepalm, or the urge to pinch Ayato's ear for being so casual with his invitation. He knew that his friend meant no harm and was being genuine, but his density clearly wasn't helping.

"Well, you clearly don't want to share it with me. I won't force you to. At least cheer up?" He mumbled, letting go of his friend's hands. Ajax nodded, peering through the clear glass window to stare at the scenery outside.

His eyes then caught that same flower shop from the distance, a wave of memories haunting him in the process. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes, thinking of that person yet again.

Ayato observed him silently, keeping the little details in mind. Jumping to conclusions was not his thing, so it was best to observe for the mean time.

"So, anything you want to talk about?" Ajax interrupted, eyeing his friend who called for him to meet up. The blue-haired man nodded, a gentle smile on his face as he started chatting his troubles away. Ajax was listening, but of course, his attention was divided.

___

"It's late and I've taken up lots of your time. Do you want me to drive you home?" Ayato asked, grabbing the keys of his car from his pocket. Ajax refused, telling him that he had other things to attend to. His friend doubted his excuse, but he paid no mind and headed off, the two exchanging their farewells before parting.

Ajax stared at his wristwatch, gritting his teeth in annoyance. This was the exact time when Zhongli would usually pick him up and drive him around the city for their so-called date.

He then crossed the streets and stopped on the sidewalk, a few meters from the flowershop that started it all. The shops surrounding the store were all closed, and the only source of light came from the street lamps and the store itself.

He tried to take a peek inside from the distance, but there was nobody on the counter. Before he could take a few steps closer, his mind came to a complete pause.

'Wait a second, what am I even doing?' He thought, feeling stupid for expecting that person to be there.

Wasn't he supposed to be avoiding him? If so, then how come he was now the one looking for him?

Before he could take another step back, his heart jumped when he felt warm breathing behind his ear.

"What are you doing here?" Ajax's soul left his body when he heard that voice, his head whipping back with the speed of light. There Zhongli was, crossing his arms as he stared at him with no emotion.

"N-Nothing! I'll get going now!" Ajax panicked, running off.

But before he could register what was going on, the brunette held his arm in a hard grip. He tried to pry himself off of Zhongli's grasp, but the man was too strong.

"You wouldn't come here if you had no motives. Just get it over with." Zhongli uttered, his gaze cold. Ajax was heartbroken at the sight, missing the way those golden eyes used to stare at him with so much fondness and adoration.

"I... I wanted to talk... about the whole thing." Ajax croaked out, his lips turning pale as he was finally face-to-face with his actual stalker. He didn't understand why, but his heart was beating so fast, both from fear and anticipation.

In short, he was strangely happy, yet extremely scared.

He couldn't understand his own self anymore.

Zhongli was silent, yet his grip on Ajax's arm was much tighter than before, causing the younger to wince at the sudden pressure.

The next thing he knew, he was dragging Ajax with him back to the store, locking it from the inside and and closing down the blinds, hiding the interior from the public eye.

"Zhongli?!" Ajax yelped, a loud cry leaving his lips as he felt his back bumping the wall. His eyes turned to saucers when he felt Zhongli's mouth latching underneath the skin of his jaw.

He was about to push Zhongli off of him, but the brunette was too fast, gripping hard on his wrists and pining his hands above his head. Ajax couldn't break free despite using his strength, his stalker continuing his assault on his body.

"Hnggh—!" Ajax bit his lips to suppress the involuntary moan, trying to pry himself off, but to no avail. Zhongli continued to swipe his warm tongue all over his prey's neck, nibbling and sucking on the pale skin.

"P-Please stop! Zhongli, this isn't you!" Ajax begged, a few tears slipping from the corners of his eyes. Zhongli seemed to halt his ministrations upon hearing Ajax's words, the man pulling away from his neck to stare directly into his eyes.

"Oh? Do you know the real me, then?" He asked, his voice octaves deeper as a menacing grin made it's way into his face. Ajax was caught off guard with the display, unable to say anything as he felt powerless underneath him.

"You don't, Ajax. Just like everyone else, you fell in love with my fake exterior, a facade." Zhongli laughed, admiring the fearful look that his victim harbored.

"You don't know anything about me, Ajax. You don't know just how obsessed I am with you—and to think that you walked right into my trap, defenseless? Who wouldn't grab the opportunity?" Zhongli mocked him, using one hand to pin both his wrists, the other grabbing hard on Ajax's face, tilting his head side to side, as if observing his next meal.

"If you think that you'll be able to walk out of here unscathed, then you're in for a surprise." Ajax gulped in horror, using up all of the leftover force inside his body, pushing Zhongli away from him. Once he found an escape, he managed to get away from his grasp, running towards a spare room and locking himself inside.

He then rested his back on the door, catching his breath in the process. His whole body was shaking in fear, fingers trembling as he turned on the light switch of the room. The sight that greeted him made the young man freeze in terror, his eyes scanning the hundreds of pictures that littered across the walls of the room.

Pictures of him.

He jumped after hearing that voice he feared the most, right behind the door.

"Is my dear Ajax running away? You know I can open this door anytime, right? Come on, open it for me." There was a whole door blocking Zhongli from getting to him, yet he could feel his voice tickling the shell of his ear, as well as his hands seeping from the door, roaming his rough palms all over his body.

"Over my dead body, you sick bastard!" Ajax snapped, bile rising up from his throat when he noticed a particular picture on the corner, one where he was still young.

He was an absolute fool to think that they could still talk about the whole thing.

Maybe he hoped, since there was a small part of him that refused to let go of Zhongli, despite his absurd tendencies.

Now, regret hit him heavy like a truck.

"Ajax, you know I don't like waiting." The way he uttered the last word creeped the younger out, his eyes shut tight as he guarded the door with his whole life and refused to move an inch.

"W-Why did you stalk me at such a young age..." Ajax couldn't help but blurt out, his hands trembling as he stared at the alarming amount of photos that covered the painted walls.

There was a pause from outside the room, a considerable one, before a loud bang caused Ajax's heart to leap out of his ribcage.

"Are you going to open the door, or do you want me break this and pull you out of there?" Zhongli's tone was eerie, Ajax could even imagine the deadly glare that accompanied his terrifying voice.

He started sobbing uncontrollably, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth. He wallowed in self regret, eyes brimming with tears at the monster that was behind the door, casually toying around with his physical, mental and emotional state all at once.

"Dear, why are you crying? It's just me." There it was again, that soft voice and kindhearted tone that managed to capture Ajax's heart. He could feel his body reacting to such sweet words from the man he had feelings for, yet his mind was in a state of havoc.

"Please Zhongli... stop... I—I don't want this..." Ajax trembled, eyeing the room for anything he could arm himself with. However, he didn't have much time to think, not when the sudden bangs on the wooden door became rampant. Ajax pleaded to whoever was up there that the door wouldn't break, but his pleas were left hanging in the air when Zhongli managed to break the surface, a small crack forming near the knob.

His blood pressure spiked at the sight of Zhongli's wounded knuckles from the gap, the sharp indents of the wood prickling against his skin, causing it to bleed. Ajax quickly ran away from the door, checking if there was another place he could lock himself in before Zhongli managed to break it.

After a few more seconds of thrashing, with the brunette's inhumane strength, he managed to unlock the door by opening a hole through the surface. After twisting the knob open from the outside, he pushed the door and checked the room, golden eyes boring holes on the only place left where Ajax could have possibly hid.

Ajax barricaded the door with his body, using the strength he had left, catching his breath. He ignored the beads of sweat that trickled down his forehead, praying to himself that this nightmare would end.

"Ajax..." Zhongli's voice set Ajax's whole body in a state of panic, his eyes wide open.

"Open the door for me." No, no way—

"No, Zhongli—please, please just stop, I can't take this anymore—!" Ajax sobbed, knowing that there was no more way out of this. He then checked the bathroom cabinets, sighing in defeat at the hopelessness of his situation.

He stared at his pathetic form in front of the mirror, observing the dried up tears that clung to his cheeks, his eyes both sore and red from crying.

Suddenly, his worst nightmare became true, his whole body frozen on the spot as he heard the dangling of keys from behind the door. A key was then inserted in the doorknob, and the next thing he knew, he was pushing up against the door, exhausting the last bit of strength he had left to prevent Zhongli from getting to him.

Of course, his strength was nothing compared to this guy. All it took was minimal effort from the man behind the door, before he pried the gap further open, leaving Ajax no choice but to back up to the farthest corner of the bathroom, shaking in fear as Zhongli slowly entered the room.

Zhongli's hands were bloodied and bruised, the man casually washing the blood off from his hands in the sink. After cleaning himself free of the iron-scented liquid, he then stared at Ajax and started unbuckling the belt around his waist.

"N—No—" Ajax cried out, his vision getting blurred with tears as he watched Zhongli strip his shirt off, finally exposing all the tattoos that hid underneath. His heart hammered against his chest with every step Zhongli took towards his direction, the man a mere few inches away from him.

He was expecting Zhongli to be rough with him, dragging him outside of the room with his hair, or beating him up until he was bruised all over.

He definitely wasn't expecting Zhongli to plant a soft peck on his forehead, before trailing his hands around Ajax's body. He then leaned down and started sucking on the skin of his collarbones, while carefully undressing him.

All hope was gone for him, a shameless moan leaving his lips when he felt Zhongli's warm tongue on his chest, gently sucking on the sensitive bud and simultaneously playing with the other using his index finger, rolling it around in such a motion that made Ajax's knees weak.

"Ohh~" A breathy gasp followed, the boy throwing his head back upon feeling Zhongli's hands on his waist, one hand massaging the flesh of his ass, the other doing gentle strokes on his cock.

The next thing he knew, all clothing from his body was gone, discarded around the bathroom. He was then carried by Zhongli, a gentle umph leaving his lips as he was pushed down on the soft sheets of Zhongli's bed.

His eyes then caught a long strip of black cloth that Zhongli pulled out of nowhere, his eyes going wide in the process. He was about to mutter something out, but was silenced by Zhongli, who was staring at him with sheer carnal desire.

"Do you mind indulging me for a while, sweetheart?" He smiled, his eyes shot with lust. Ajax didn't have the heart to complain anymore, not when the predator had him right where he wanted him. Escape was futile, and he had no other choice left but to withstand whatever Zhongli was planning to do to him.

He didn't give a reply, yet Zhongli still went on. He found it hilarious that the man was asking for consent, even though he completely disregarded what he had to say.

Zhongli was literally raping him, yet he had the audacity to ask such question?

The last thing he saw before Zhongli obstructed his vision with the black cloth was the sinister smile on his face, promising nothing but unconsented pleasure.

Now that he couldn't see a thing, his senses were much more amplified, anticipation crawling in his skin at the thought of Zhongli raking his eyes all over his body. He lightly spasmed when he felt warm breathing on the juncture of his neck, which was followed by teeth that nibbled on his skin.

"You might cause more trouble for me, so I hope you don't mind me doing this." He could hear the chuckle that accompanied his words, his hands shuffling to get something from the cabinet.

Before he could say anything, he felt something hard getting stuffed inside his mouth, choking at the sudden intrusion. He tried to protest, but his voice came out muffled and restrained.

"As much as I want to hear your voice, there are other things that I want to do to you first." He could hear a cap twisting from the distance.

"After all, obedient cock sleeves are supposed to be quiet." And with that, tears started streaming down his face for the umpteenth time as he felt fingers intruding inside of him. Something liquid and sticky akin to lube was smeared on his puckered hole, a muffled wince leaving his lips.

He tried to get off from the sensation by using his legs as leverage, but his efforts were in vain when Zhongli grabbed onto his thighs and forced his legs down, his knees touching his chest.

He couldn't see a thing, choking on his own sobs when two long fingers teasingly circled the rim of his hole, before inserting them without warning. Those merciless fingers were quick to press on his insides, as if trying to find a specific area.

Once Zhongli pushed both of his fingers upwards, it hit a certain spot with utmost precision, causing Ajax's eyes to roll to the back of his skull. His whole body jolted due to the sudden pleasure, his toes curling.

A loud scream rippled from his throat, the gag muffling all the lewd noises from his mouth.

Zhongli continued to thrust his fingers in a quick pace, adding more pressure on his prostate. Each press further heated the coil that he felt on his groin, his legs shaking from the overdrive of pleasure that he wasn't used to.

"Mphh—!" His hands were clutching on the sheets hard, his body unconsciously leaning toward's Zhongli's fingers, trying to time his own thrusts. The sight made Zhongli smirk, enough to give him the urge to speed up his fingers.

The pressure in Ajax's stomach became much tighter, his back arching upwards when he felt his climax coming close. Zhongli bit his lip at the sinful sounds coming out of Ajax, extremely tempted to hear it with clarity.

Just when he needed one last push to his sweet spot, Zhongli removed his lube-coated fingers from Ajax's hole, the loss of sensation causing the younger to whine in confusion. He then started thrashing, finding a way to relieve himself of his delayed orgasm.

He was about to use his hands to pump on his reddening cock, but Zhongli grabbed both of his wrists hard and started tying up his hands on the headboard, restraining them.

Ajax whimpered, desperately finding some sort of friction to satisfy himself, but he couldn't do anything. Zhongli watched the boy with amusement all over his face, stepping out of the bed as he set up a hidden camera in the bookshelf of his room, pressing on the record button.

He then unbuttoned his pants and stepped out of it, followed by his undergarments that were tossed in a random corner of the room. Zhongli took his sweet time, stretching his arms with a pleased grin on his face as he watched his victim trying to get out of the confinements.

"Oh my, is there something wrong dear?" Zhongli asked, fully aware that the best response he could get were muffled moans. He noticed the younger's brows furrowed down, the brunette finding it cute.

Ajax then felt the bed dip, his breath stuttering once those rough hands started spreading his legs once more.

"You're so pretty everywhere, Ajax." He mumbled, outlining his inner thighs with his calloused fingertips. He then leaned down and stuck his tongue out in a devious manner, licking a long stripe from his thigh all the way to his stomach, alternating between gliding the wet muscle and sucking hard on his skin, leaving red marks.

Ajax shivered from the sensation, throwing his head back once he felt Zhongli's warm tongue teasing circles around his nipples, flicking the sensitive bud around with his tongue and mirroring the gesture on the other using his index finger.

He wanted to cuss profanities out loud for making him feel this way, yet he can't deny the fact that it felt so good, his body betraying him by craving more of Zhongli's touches.

"Mmmhh—" His back arched once more, hands tugging against the restraints that tied his hands to the headboard, his chest heaving up and down.

The thrill of not knowing Zhongli's next move was enough to make his skin crawl with anticipated excitement and fear, but mostly the latter.

His breath hitched when Zhongli's tongue darted to the juncture of his left collarbone, sensually trailing his wet muscle all his way from his neck to his chin in a hauntingly slow pace.

Without as much as a warning, his legs shook at the sudden intrusion of Zhongli's fingers inside him once more, pressing on his sweet spot with precise accuracy.

He jolted, a muffled scream of pleasure rippling out of his throat. His stomach caved in, breath ragged as beads of sweat trickled down from his forehead.

Zhongli took his time stretching Ajax out with his fingers, this time ignoring his prostate on purpose. The younger's muffled moans became needier, as if trying to coax him to make him feel good.

He watched in amusement at the way Ajax tried to get his fingers deeper inside of him, tilting his waist and arching his back. The sight was so gratifying that it left Zhongli shaking in sheer excitement, an eerie chuckle leaving his lips.

"Impatient, aren't we?" He teased, finally pulling his fingers out, hands clutching hard on his waist as he aligned his throbbing cock and teased the rim of his hole using the head.

Ajax quickly wrapped his legs around Zhongli's waist, a futile attempt at trying to push him inside, but to no avail. Even with the amount of pressure he was putting on his legs, it wasn't enough to make Zhongli budge.

Another whine was heard from Ajax, his light hiccups muffled by the gag as he struggled against the restraints around his wrists.

Zhongli then thrusted in, yet the pace was hauntingly slow that the breach was killing him on the inside. He could feel the outlines of the veins on Zhongli's cock pressing against his walls, his eyes rolling back beneath the blindfold.

His legs shook from the sensation, a high-pitched wail echoing across the room when Zhongli's length managed to hit his prostate with ease.

Ajax's whole body trembled, arms tugging against the restraints as the man on top of him picked up the pace, hands gripping hard on his waist, enough to leave marks.

Without warning, Zhongli started pounding even faster, causing warm tears to soak the blindfold. Every time his prostate was touched, it added to the build-up of warmth that pooled around his groin, aching for release that he's been denied of since earlier.

His moans started getting lewder the moment he could feel his climax coming close, the sound of skin on skin further heating up the arousal that he felt. His body was loving the rough treatment, his mind desperately ignoring the fact that he was being raped by his actual stalker, a man he had feelings for.

He could imagine Zhongli on top of him, his long hair sticking to the sweat around his body, torso covered in ink as a sadistic grin made it's way into his face, finding sheer satisfaction at his pitiful state.

The sight of Ajax thrashing underneath him was a clear sign, Zhongli giving him two more hard thrusts straight to his sweet spot, enough to send him on the edge. A muffled scream echoed in the room, Ajax's back arching up as his climax hit him hard, body trembling from the sudden wave that washed over him as he came untouched.

It felt so much like the first time, in fact even better. It was so good that it left Ajax panting, catching his breath as pools of warm and sticky liquid spurted out of his cock and into his abdomen.

Zhongli was in awe, capturing even the littlest of details, from the way his body shook, to his brows furrowed up from the sensation. Even the difference of the pitch in his voice when he's drunk off of pleasure was jotted down in Zhongli's head, his obsession for the boy getting out of control.

Too bad he had insatiable hunger and he wanted more.

Seeing Ajax reaching his limits fueled his own urge, not an ounce of sympathy found in Zhongli as he undid the restraints around Ajax's wrists and flipped his position with ease, forcing him on all fours.

Ajax yelped at the sudden action, his limbs too weak to support his weight due to the after effects of his orgasm. He fell face down on the pillow, hands gripping hard on the bedsheets as he tried to use his elbows to lift himself up.

Just when he managed to gain a bit of strength, he felt all the air in his lungs getting knocked out of his throat when Zhongli thrusted inside of him, his arms wobbling in the process.

Zhongli forced his head up by kneading his fingers through ginger locks, pulling him up as he started pounding hard and fast into Ajax's frail body. The blindfold slipped from his eyes due to the sheer force that came from Zhongli's hips, trying to break him in half.

The first thing that he saw after his vision cleared up was the blurry sight of the headboard in front of him, his ears picking up the sound of the bed creaking hard from the way Zhongli rammed into his tight hole.

He found it difficult to keep his eyes open and maintain his consciousness from the sensation of overstimulation that caused his body to tremble, eyes unfocused as more tears obstructed his view.

From the corner of his eyes, he couldn't really make out the rest of the photos that were stuck to the wall, but the familiar tuff of orange hair was evident.

The thought made him sick to his core.

But before he could ponder on it more, Zhongli rendered his brain shut as he rearranged his guts with his thick cock and merciless thrusts, causing him to moan like a needy slut, the noise still muffled by the gag.

"Fuck, that's hot..." Zhongli sneered, an eerie grin plastered on his lips, sharp canines on display.

The brunette leaned down and whispered sweet nothings to the ginger’s ear, warm breath and hushed noises tickling the shell of Ajax’s ear as his mind was forced into a delirious state, the pleasure too much for his body to handle.

Zhongli unclasped the gag on his lips and took his time listening to the sweet sounds coming out of the boy underneath him, the younger choking on his own spit as the noises he made became more incoherent and feverish, hands clutching hard on the sheets as he felt so full from the huge cock that was tearing him apart.

”Hah—! Ahh! Mhh~” Ajax was reduced to nothing but a moaning mess, filthy whimpers coming out of him with every thrust of Zhongli’s hips right into his abused hole, rim stretched apart to the point where it felt like he was going to split in half.

Without warning, Zhongli opened his lips and bit right through the skin between Ajax’s neck and shoulder, humming in satisfaction at the taste of the man he desired for so long. His ears perked up at the sound of the scream afterwards, his victim’s body shaking from the sensation of too much pain and pleasure.

Zhongli’s thrusts became sloppy and careless, groaning into Ajax’s skin as he came inside of him, panting hard as sweat covered both of their bodies. He felt so warm, his insides getting filled with his stalker’s cum.

It was sinful, shameless, immoral, and all the wrong words found in the dictionary, yet Ajax didn’t understand why he felt a tinge of fulfillment, even after being used in such a way. He couldn’t think straight, couldn’t even lift a finger or move a single muscle, but he still had a bit of sense left, blue pupils eyeing golden orbs.

Zhongli hovered on top of him, and Ajax expected him to look all menacing and scary after the stunt he just pulled, but his heart skipped a beat at the sight that greeted him.

The man’s eyes was glazed with fondness and adoration, his hand reaching out to tuck the messy strands of auburn hair behind his ears, carefully wiping the sweat, tears, and saliva that clung to his face. The aftercare that followed felt like a blur to him, the whole situation dawning to him after the bed had fresh new sheets and he was all cleaned up.

Zhongli followed him after, lying down beside him as he cupped his face with his hand, pretending as if the whole occurrence that happened beforehand was nothing out of the ordinary. Ajax turned his head away and avoided Zhongli’s gaze, his mind conflicted and his heart burning.

How lucky was he to get a sick and twisted man falling for him.

Hauntingly handsome and perfect in almost every way, but equally fucked up.

Then again, as they say, it was these kinds of people that loved the hardest. His affection resembled obsession, toxic infatuation. No matter how hard he tried to escape from the binds Zhongli locked him in, he’d eventually get caught again and again.

It was an endless cycle of torture in every possible way.

”Ajax...” Zhongli frowned, nuzzling his face on the ginger’s neck, leaving soft kisses on his skin. The effect was instantaneous, the hairs on his arms standing, as well as blood rushing to his face. It was these emotions that he couldn’t control, these feelings that made him reach out to Zhongli despite being aware of the danger that the man posed.

Perhaps he was just as fucked up as Zhongli was.

”Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?” Now he wanted to laugh. Hearing those words from Zhongli was enough humor for the night. What else could Zhongli do, after breaking him like that?

Ajax’s eyes roamed around the walls of Zhongli’s room, staring at his own photo album scattered everywhere. Candid pictures of him throughout the years, decorating his walls perfectly. His gaze then landed on the culprit behind everything, golden orbs staring right through his soul as his features resembled divinity once more.

His long hair was all over his torso, body covered with ink as he sat up from the bed and gave him a small smile.

This man was unreal.

“You can make it up to me... if you let me leave and pretend that none of this ever happened.” Ajax whispered, testing the waters. He wanted to see what kind of reaction he’ll get from Zhongli, who would clearly go lengths just for him.

The silence that followed afterwards was long, causing him to look at Zhongli. He gulped in horror as he saw the man’s eyes bloodshot and open, staring at him as if he were to disappear the second he blinks.

”No.” He uttered, crawling towards Ajax as he caged him with his tattooed arms. He leaned down for the umpteenth time that night, the ginger’s eyes shutting tight on instinct as he felt his warm tongue on his skin once more.

”I don’t care how long it takes Ajax, but I will make you love me.” He whispered hotly against his neck, sucking hard on the soft patch of skin underneath his jaw.

Love?

What a funny thing...

What’s even funnier is that Zhongli isn’t far off from getting what he wants.