Zhongli sat outside a small cafe in Liyue, sipping tea from a chipped china cup in his hands a contrast to the beauty of the nature around him, not that he minded. The steam from the tea in his hand swirled upwards, its scent mixing with the smell of the flowers that carried in the early morning breeze. The gentle chirping from the birds in the trees above added to his comfort, a distraction from the thoughts that weighed heavily in his mind.

His thoughts, as they so often did, drifted back to you.

How many years now had it been since he had seen you? Far too many. Time, to Zhongli, was something that usually slipped by unnoticed, as unimportant as singular drops of rain in a storm. But when it came to you, everyday without your presence felt like he was drowning, the storm flooding his heavy heart.

He lifted the cup to his lips once more, the warmth of the tea doing little to soothe his aching chest. He would never forget those eyes and the pain they held the last time you parted ways, the look you gave him forever burnt into his memory. Long had he wanted to show up at your door, begging for you back, but he couldn't bring himself to do so- he was too proud, too afraid that seeing you again would break him, just like the china cup he was gripping tighter with every memory that came back to him.

With a sigh, he shook his head, knowing full well that no matter how much time had passed, your face would never fade from his thoughts. And even if he could force it, he wasn't sure he'd want to.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a child's laughter, light and carefree. In Liyue, the city often was full of life, and the playful nature of children was a familiar to melody to everyone. Yet something about this felt... different. His chest tightened, an unexplainable tension rising as the laughter grew closer. The light footsteps were soon followed by another, slow and deliberate.

Zhongli's heart skipped a beat. He didn't need to look to confirm what his heart already knew.

It was you.