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The first thing he realized upon waking was that his head was pounding. The thrum of pain was constant, but slow, and perhaps he should be thankful for that. Afterall, had it been quicker, Diluc was sure he would be unable to open his eyes, as he was starting to now.
The second thing Diluc realized when waking was that wherever he was, it was dark. As feeling began to slowly work its way into his limbs, he allowed his gaze to wander as he took in the room. He could barely see the walls, though the shadowy look of crates and other storage was becoming clearer as his eyesight adjusted to the dim lighting. He would thank Barbatoes for this, since the dark didn’t add to his aching head, but he wouldn’t give that bard the satisfaction quite yet.
The last thing he realized upon waking, however, was arguably the more important. Actually, it was more like two things he realized, at the exact same time. His fingers twitched, rope rough against his skin, and he swallowed slightly. He felt around as much as he could, till familiar material was held tentatively between two of his fingers.
Behind him, hands tied just as uselessly, was most likely Zhongli. Judging by the lack of noise, he was still unconscious. Diluc felt his chest tighten slightly, and he gripped the fabric of the other’s coat a little firmer, eyes widening.
“Watch out!”
Zhongli turned, eyes wide, polearm in his grip, barely dodging the metal shovel aimed for his head.
Diluc barely had a moment to think, it was such a close call. He made to turn, to face the other treasure hoarder he was fighting a moment before, when something hard and heavy hit his head, and the world went dark with a familiar metal clang.
“...They must have gotten you after,” Diluc whispered, his dry throat protesting the noise. Swallowing down the pain, the pyro user felt for his vision. The familiar warmth near his side responded, and he mentally rolled his eyes.
Treasure hoarders, always so stupid.
An intake of breath caught Diluc’s attention, and he turned, hoping to catch a glimpse of his traveling partner. He caught sight of a rising head, and something cold seized his chest.
“Are you alright?” He demanded, brows furrowing. He could almost feel Zhongli swallow, and he wished he had some water for them both.
“...I will be fine,” came the quiet reply, much too raspy and tired for Diluc’s own comfort. Even so, the tightness in his chest receded for a moment.
“Mn,” Diluc nodded, going back to studying the room. They needed to get out of here, preferably as soon as possible.
Behind him, Zhongli made a small noise of pain. The ropes binding them shifted a bit, and after a moment, the consultant sighed. “...”
“Your head hurts.”
“I will be fine,” Zhongli muttered, and Diluc frowned.
They were quiet for a moment.
“I’m going to burn the ropes,” Diluc muttered, looking at the wall across from him to steel his nerves. “It… may hurt for a moment.”
Zhongli didn’t reply. Diluc felt a lump form in his throat.
“Zhongli?”
“Do it,” the other breathed, though it was raspy and about as solid as the mist of a summer morning.
Diluc nodded, and closed his eyes. Despite the pounding of his head, he focused on the warmth at his sides. He drew out a tendril of that warmth, twisting it through his body and to his wrists. He wrapped it around the ropes, imagining the warmth increasing.
The only thing to break his focus was the small hiss that came from behind. Diluc winced, before swallowing down his concern and continuing to burn away the ropes.
After a few minutes, what was left of the ropes fell to the ground with a soft thump, and Diluc opened his eyes, quickly drawing his hands away from his back and flexing them as he turned to his companion.
Zhongli had barely moved from his spot other than to hold his hands, curled over his lap and breathing heavier than he should be. Diluc leaned forward, a hand hovering over the consultant’s shoulder for a movement before he withdrew.
“Zhongli?”
Concern curled in his stomach. He reached out again, holding the other's shoulder and pulling him closer.
The consultant fell backwards faster than Diluc prepared for. He braced the other against his chest, eyes wide and searching his partners face and hands. Zhingli’s eyes were closed, the scrapes from the previous scuffle marring his face with dried blood and dirt that stood out against his normal smooth skin.
“Zhongli!” Diluc couldn’t help the concern that bled through his voice, his hands fluttering nervously before taking hold of the others, checking the skin for burns. The concern lessened slightly when he noticed the light marks, his pyro not leaving too much damage.
In his arms, the former archon groaned, and Diluc’s gaze snapped back to his face. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding when those familiar cor lapis eyes gazed back at him, albeit slightly glazed over.
“..m..my apologies….” Zhongli slurred, lips pale. “Master… Di..luc…”
Diluc swallowed back the urge to scold the other. It wasn’t the time. He settled for shaking his head, afraid his mouth may betray him if he spoke.
“You have a concussion,” he said instead, throat thick. “I-” He looked up at the room, spotting a door that must have been behind him when he awoke. “I’ll get us back home. Okay?”
He looked back down at the other, offering a smile that he was sure looked about as fake as it felt.
Despite that, his words seemed to do the trick. Zhongli relaxed minutely, giving the barest of nods. It shouldn’t have made the tightness in Diluc’s chest loosen as much as it did. The consultant’s eyes fluttered shut. He knew that one shouldn’t sleep with a concussion, but there was little he could do at this point.
Diluc looked back up at the door, holding Zhongli a little tighter in his arms. Time to get them home.
*-Picture Under Cut-*
