Chapter Text
Zhongli was not entirely sure why he accepted this offer. Maybe it was sympathy? Maybe it was his own instincts overriding his logical brain? Maybe it was something else entirely, that he would never be able to put a pin on. Yet here he was, not certain if this would have been the correct choice in any scenario. He was waiting in Chenyu Vale, as heavy rains pelted the ground. It had been so clear before, such a lovely day.
His attention was grabbed by a figure approaching in the distance. He frowned softly at her. This was technically her responsibility, and yet she was shirking it. Though, in the grand scheme of things, if she was to shirk it regardless of his answer to her proposal, this was the better option. A child should never be abandoned. Maybe it had been sympathy, or… perhaps pity.
She was dragging the young boy she spoke of in her letters, by the hand. He begrudgingly followed her. He was so small, too small for his age. Had she been feeding him well? Or… what had she been feeding him? Their kind had sensitive stomachs at such a young age. A dam’s milk would be best, but Zhongli was sure that would not be an option for this little one.
Finally she arrived in front of him, her hand tightly holding the boy in place. Zhongli looked at her with a smidge of disdain. He had not held a very high opinion of her before, and this situation certainly did not aid her reputation in his mind.
“Morax,” she said bluntly, not even offering a polite bow. The audacity of this woman, even though she was in his lands, and he was taking over her problem.
“Egeria,” he responded with equal bluntness.
“… I did not know what to do with him,” she admitted, forcing the small boy to stumble forward. Zhongli’s eyes glanced over him. He truly was small, and his entire frame trembled in fear. He was crying, which Zhongli belatedly realized was the reason for the rain.
“That was quite obvious,” he sneered, crossing his arms, but not looking at her. He did not take his eyes off the little dragon in front of him. He was somewhat surprised the boy wasn’t trying to seek comfort from the goddess, instead he huddled up into himself, a very classical Fontaine style jacket draped over his small body. It looked uncomfortable, in Zhongli’s opinion.
“I’ll… leave him in your care,” Egeria shuffled from foot to foot. She slowly backed away and soon was far in the distance, returning to her nation. The boy stood still as stone, not meeting Zhongli’s gaze for a second.
“Little one,” Zhongli chimed, squatting down to be more on his level. “You may call me Zhongli, I am… to be your caretaker until you are grown enough to care for yourself.” He stated it so awkwardly. He was fine with children, he liked them in fact, but he never considered caring for one, especially of his own kind.
The boy simply sniffled and shuffled his feet towards Zhongli. The rain came down harder than before. He was clearly in turmoil, and Egeria had not even bothered to mention his name, if he had one. The boy had no parents, no family to name him or feed him, no one to teach him.
“Hydro dragon, hydro dragon, please don’t cry,” Zhongli hummed the little nursery rhyme. It seemed to do the trick, they boy’s tears stopped in surprise, and the rain let up. He looked at Zhongli in apprehension. Had Egeria told him nothing? “Come, take my hand, and tell me your name.”
He hesitantly grasped Zhongli’s gloved hand and whispered hoarsely, “Neuvillette. She… named me.”
“Neuvillette,” Zhongli nodded and wrapped his warm hand around Neuvillette’s. “Do you know why you are here?” The boy stayed rather quiet, like he was debating with himself internally. Zhongli took in his small stature for a moment. He seemed to be rather comfortable in a human form, which was good to see, but… he seemed to have issues hiding his horns, or rhinophore, in Neuvillette’s case. They bounced a little as he walked, the long blue sticking out of his icy colored hair.
“B-because… I bothered… No… made problems for Mademoiselle Egeria,” he eventually said, sounding rather sad.
“Made… problems?” Zhongli ventured to ask.
“Mm, lotsa humans complained, they didn’t like me fishing… and uh… didn’t like… me in town,” he mumbled, under his breath.
“Because you are a dragon?” Zhongli sighed softly.
“Mm,” he nodded, “I… am I gonna cause problems for you too Monsieur?”
“I do not believe so,” Zhongli said with false confidence. He wasn’t entirely sure what to do with such a young one. It was hard to remember all the things his own parents had done for him, when he was just a hatchling. Who would watch him while he performed his duties? How would he react to a different culture? Was he prone to tantrums? How did one soothe a scared child?
“B-but I’m… you know I’m a dragon,” Neuvillette argued weakly. Zhongli paused, and without asking, scooped the boy up into his arms. How despicable, to let him think that he was nuisance, rather than educate her own population. The boy squeaked and his little, barely clawed fingers dug into Zhongli’s attire.
“You do not have to hide that aspect of yourself here, little hatchling,” Zhongli rumbled, his voice sounding like how a trembling earth felt. “For, I too am a dragon. This is the reason Egeria believed you would have a more comfortable life in Liyue.”
“You… don’t look like a dragon,” Neuvillette grumbled, more specifically, looking at his head, as if he believed no dragon could hide their horns.
“I am simply hiding many of my features,” Zhongli paused watching his tiny expression crinkle in disbelief, “Including my horns.” The boy’s eyes widened and he blushed a little, ducking his head, like he had been caught with his hand in a cookie jar. “I will show you them at a later time, if it would please you.”
“O-okay,” he sniffled, his voice still raspy from crying. Zhongli, without thinking, ran his thumb over the boy’s small cheeks, wiping the remaining tears. He looked a little surprised, but did not move away from the touch, if anything, he seemed eager. The poor thing had no horde for his formative years, something Zhongli would attempt to remedy. It may not be a complete dragon horde, but there would at least be himself and Azhdaha to watch over him.
The boy stayed relatively quiet as they walked through the autumn landscapes of Liyue. It was a good thing he had decided to carry the hatchling, or else he would have fallen asleep on his little feet. The boy’s head nodded slowly and dropped on to Zhongli’s shoulder. He could feel the soft breath against his neck as slumber claimed his new ward.
It was late by the time they arrived back in the harbor. Neuvillette was still asleep, his little claws sometimes scrabbling against Zhongli’s clothing. They slipped into the city without raising any suspicion. Zhongli wished for the small dragon to settle in, before anything was announced to the public. He was not sure what he would tell his nation, nor his adepti.
The palace was relatively deserted when he arrived back, under the cloak of night. The guards outside knew not to bother him as he strode inside. They surely had questions, but those could wait. And any gossip would stay inside the palace, at the very least. His private wing was empty, no servants or attendants bustling around. All he wanted to do was to change from his sodden robes, and curl up in his nest.
He supposed he would not be alone this night, like many others before. He slid his doors shut behind him, as he entered his lavish bedroom. The wooden floors were freshly polished, but his nest was untouched. It was a large, sunken pit, in the middle of the room. Large enough for him to uncoil his body, should he wish to. He had collected blankets, pillows, furs, anything soft he could get his hands on to fill it. Beautiful rocks of all kinds, many of them gifts, lined the outer edge of the nest.
As much as he longed to simply curl up in the fabrics, the dampness of his clothing deterred him. He would not soil it with mud and water. With the utmost care, he laid Neuvillette on his dressing chaise, making sure the boy was still in deep sleep. He doubted the little one would wake up, his past few days must have been fraught with terror and uncertainty. He loathed that Egeria did not take the time to thoroughly explain this plan to the little dragon.
With practiced ease, he slipped out of his heavy robes, and into something far simpler, and warmer. He scrounged in the back of his wardrobe for something smaller. He should have asked Cloud Retainer for Ganyu’s hand-me-downs, or even seen if little Xiao had any extra clothes from when he was younger. He settled on a simple and light coat. It was mean to cover only the top half of his attire, so odds were that it would fit much like a normal hanfu would on the small boy. He wasted no time getting Neuvillette changed. Though there was a part of him that wondered if the hydro dragon liked being wet, like how he liked the occasional roll in the dusty rocks of the mountain side.
He shelved those thoughts for another day. He would allow the boy to swim as much as he pleased. The harbor did have a great source of water surrounding it, and many lovely pools to dip into. Zhongli’s own personal baths were sure to be a hit with the little one. He scooped Neuvillette up in his arms, and carried him to the nest. He let his features relax, his horns splitting from his skull, and his tail falling from his lower back. This hybrid state was rather comfortable, though it unfortunately drew much attention to himself.
He settled Neuvillette into the middle of the nest, laying blankets over his chilled body. Zhongli found himself curling around the young one, his tail draping protectively over his small body. Such a little one, a little miracle. Dragons were rare these days, they had such a hard time co-populating, that every little egg was precious. He was saddened to know that this little one had never had the chance to bring his parents joy. He did wonder how long he rested inside that egg, waiting for the chance to join the outside world. Zhongli wondered if other eggs laid abandoned around Teyvat, waiting for their chance to breath in the fresh air.
The next morning Zhongli awoke with the light of dawn. He blinked his bleary eyes open, and gazed upon the sweet sight of a slumbering dragon. Neuvillette had somehow tangled himself up in his blankets, like a little butterfly would cocoon. He looked content in the warmth the nest provided. He did not even stir when Zhongli gently lifted his tail off of the hatchling. With a little rumble, Zhongli adjusted the blankets around Neuvillette, ensuring he’d sleep for a bit longer. Zhongli dressed himself swiftly, in something simple. He would not be leaving the inner palace today, so there would be no need for him to be extravagant.
He opened his door, only to be faced with multiple Adepti crowded around his door. All of them looked as if they had been caught doing something naughty. Zhongli simple rose an eyebrow at them all in quiet curiosity.
“May I help you all? I sense this is no simple invitation to breakfast,” he drawled out, crossing his arms.
“Do not play games with this one,” Cloud Retainer grouched, cocking her hip to the side.
“We heard something odd from the guards last night,” Azhdaha rumbled in clear amusement.
“I told you to stop bothering Lord Morax,” little Alatus hissed at them as he passed down the hall with the other Yaksha. Zhongli chuckled at his brash words, such a precious boy.
“Hey, we’ll bother him if we want kiddo!” Ping grumbled, swinging her eyes back to Zhongli. “We are after all your Adepti. Do you need to tell us something?” She spoke to him like she did to the girls her trailed after her in admiration.
“What will the public say!” Cloud Retainer faked weeping into her arm.
“I wasn’t aware you were into that side of the coin,” Azhdaha teased, slinging an arm around him, clearly knowing how false those words rung, but adding fuel to the fire.
“… I am greatly confused,” Zhongli muttered, feeling a headache coming on.
“My Lord, the guards are saying you snuck a child into the palace last night…” Ping huffed, shoving him lightly, “Why didn’t you tell us? Where was the egg? Why not lay it here?”
“This is a very large misunderstanding… “ he started to speak, when the door to his room slowly crept open. Little Neuvillette poked his head out, and jolted in surprise, seeing he was surrounded.
“Celestia above!” Cloud Retainer screeched and hit Zhongli, “How old is he? This one guesses at least one hundred! How long has our lord been hiding this little one from us?” Zhongli dodged another one of her hits. Even Ping and Azdaha looked grimly at him.
“Nonsense!” Zhongli growled and light smacked Cloud Retainer back, “Now hush and let me explain!” Neuvillette whimpered softly behind him. “Aiya, little one shh,” Zhongli gathered the little dragon into his arms and soothed him. He could already hear the rain pelting the roof.
“He doesn’t look like you,” Ping huffed, staring at the child, “… He’s not Liyuen.”
“No, he is not,” Zhongli breathed a sigh of relief at Ping’s common sense, “Neuvillette is a hydro dragon from Fontaine. He will be staying with us for the foreseeable future. I did not sire, nor lay him. Egeria asked me to take him in and foster him.”
“Oh… one finds that admirable,” Cloud Retained stopped squawking, taking a moment to actually inspect the dragon. “This one believes he is much too small!”
“I agree, and I would like to have him eat, but your crowding is making him nervous,” Zhongli sighed, and watched the three sheepishly back off. “Neuvillette, these are my retainers, they are known as the Adepti, there are more of them, but these three are rather nosy.” Zhongli looked to see Neuvillette’s response, but he only found the boy staring at his head.
Suddenly little hands yanked his head down by the horns, “You are a dragon…” he whispered in awe. The three Adepti began to laugh so hard they cried. Almighty Rex Lapis was being manhandled by a toddler. Zhongli ignored them to the best of his capabilities. He wanted Neuvillette to be comfortable with him, and if he lost a little dignity along the way, that was just fine.
“Are you satisfied small one?” Zhongli rumbled, adjusting the boy in his arms. “I did not lie to you,” he chuckled in amusement as Neuvillette’s fingers poked at his scaling and how his eyes widened at Zhongli’s fangs. Neuvillette opened his own mouth in response, showing off his baby fangs. “Very sharp,” Zhongli agreed with a small nod.
“Are you hungry small one?” Azhdaha asked leaning over Zhongli. Neuvillette blinked at looked up at him with wide eyes. He pointed at the sharp horns on the man’s head. “Yes, yes, I am a dragon as well,” he laughed and ruffled Neuvillette’s silky hair. “Come, we should all eat.” Zhongli shook his head gently as Azhdaha took his waist and guided him towards the parlor he normally ate in. Ping and Cloud Retainer trailed behind them, snickering. When they entered, little Ganyu perked up from her book. She stumbled over her feet to say her hellos. She froze when she saw Neuvillette.
“Ganyu,” Cloud Retainer patted her horns, “We have a new resident, treat him well.” She nodded rapidly and looked at Zhongli with pleading eyes. He knew she longed for a playmate that was not Xiao. The boy was too old in her humble opinion. He did not play make believe very well.
“Ganyu, this is Neuvillette,” Zhongli rumbled, “He is to be my ward until he is grown. Please be kind to him.” Ganyu’s face split into a huge grin and she began to try to pronounce the little one’s name. Zhongli set him down in front of her, and then without warning, she tugged him over to play with the little mechanical birds Cloud Retainer made. Zhongli watched fondly as they both lit up in excitement every time the birds moved. Zhongli however did not miss the way every once in a while, Neuvillette would glance over to make sure he was still there.
“So much excitement this morning,” Marchosius laughed heartily as he brought out tea for them all. “A little ward for our Archon?” The large man teased.
“Yes, a dragon belongs with its kind,” he rumbled, “It would errant of me to refuse to shelter him.”
“You’re already soft on him,” Marchosius chuckled, handing Zhongli a cup.
“If Guizhong could see you now,” Ping commented with a great deal of warmth.
“She would be fond of him too… he shares some similarities with her, no?” Zhongli hummed softly.
“If I hadn’t noticed he wasn’t Liyuen, I would have thought he was hers,” Ping agreed, “It’s the hair for me… the rest is a bit too Fontaine, you know?”
“Ganyu, do not chew on that,” Cloud Retainer sighed, “She’s teething again… goodness how do dragons teeth? Ganyu is an herbivore after all.”
“Mm… I teethed on rocks and occasionally bones, if my dam let me,” Zhongli thought back to his own parents. He remembered the big Cor Lapis rock he chewed on when his teeth hurt. The resonance had helped sooth the ache.
“Rocks…” Cloud Retainer looked at him in mild disgust, “Of course…”
“My dam cleaned them,” Zhongli argued with a grouchy expression.
“Well, aside from rocks, what should I serve a baby dragon?” Marchosuis asked, looking over at the young pair.
“Mm, I always preferred raw meat,” Zhongli tapped his chin, “Dragon stomachs are very sensitive to cooked foods for the first few hundred years…”
“Why don’t you just ask him?” Ping pointed out, “Ganyu, Neuvillette, Uncle Marchosius wants to make you both breakfast, what would you like?”
Ganyu popped up in excitement, “C-can I have qingxin and milk?” She lightly tugged on Marchosuis, who’s patted her head gently. Neuvillette looked nervous, and the way he looked at Ganyu was greatly confused. “… what is it?” She asked curiously.
“Fishy,” he said softly.
“Would you like fish small one?” Marchosius asked kneeling for Neuvillette. “Cooked or raw?” Neuvillette’s eyes widen in excitement at the options. He held up a little hand, signally option two. Then he looked at Zhongli, as if making sure it was okay with him.
“Did… Did Egeria not allow you to eat raw fish?” Zhongli asked, stunned.
Neuvillette shook his head, “She said… it was ucky, and… and a waste…”
“You cannot stomach cooked foods well yet, as you grow we will introduce some into your diet. For now though, raw seafood would be best for you,” Zhongli hummed, and watched Neuvillette scamper over and hug his legs happily. Zhongli could not help but churr and lift the boy into his arms. Without hesitation, Neuvillette snuggled into him, playing with the fabric of his robes. Zhongli felt overwhelming affection for the young soul, for the first time he knew he had done the right thing. His chin rubbed over the flexible horns in Neuvillette’s hair, rumbling in delight.
“He has you wrapped around his talon,” Azhdaha laughed, “Already scenting him like he belongs to you.”
“He does, he belongs with me now,” Zhongli hissed quietly. Neuvillette would always have a place here with him, even if his destiny would eventually lead him back to the waters of Fontaine. Neuvillette buried his face against Zhongli’s chest, but his little stubby tail thumped happily. Neuvillette stayed within Zhongli’s arms until Marchosuis served up their meals. The young one squirmed to get closer to a huge plate of cleaned and sliced fish.
“He looks too small,” Marchosuis offered, “Little dragons eat a lot, right?”
“Indeed, maybe just as much as big ones,” Zhongli chuckled and let Neuvillette dig in. He’d teach the boy how to use chopsticks in due time. The boy ate with gusto, inhaling the fish in no time. Zhongli watched the boy turn his bright blue eyes on to Marchosuis.
“You want more?” The bear of a man asked slowly, surprise written on his face. “Oh man… during your next announcement you may want to mention that the fish industry is gonna boom. We’ve got a little black hole to feed.”
Zhongli could not help but laugh, “See, he is a wonderful addition, already boosting our economy and creating jobs.”
“Yes, indeed,” Ping laughed, covering her mouth, “What a blessing.”
Neuvillette wiggled and a little smile found its way on to his lips. The little boy began to giggle against Zhongli. The archon was unsure if he understood what they were speaking of, but he at least understood they were praising him. And he was rewarded with another large platter of fish.
—
Not much work was done that day. Neuvillette was introduced to the palace, and as expected, the Adepti, attendants and staff fell in love with his chubby cheeks and wide eyes immediately. Even though he was passed around, and coddled the entire day, Neuvillette always found his way back to Zhongli. He would sweetly tug on the emperor’s robes and ask to be picked up.
The staff would coo anytime the boy nuzzled himself into Zhongli’s arms. They all told him that Neuvillette was going to be such a precious prince of Liyue. Zhongli found himself in agreement with them. So when it came time to bid them all goodnight, Neuvillette was dozing against his chest, tuckered out from the day.
“You did very well today,” Zhongli praised him softly. Neuvillette wiggled his tail in thanks. It seemed if he did not have to talk, the little one would not. That was something they would have to work on. “It is time for us to bathe, and retire, mm?” Zhongli nudged their faces together gently.
“Water?” Neuvillette chirped softly, eyes lighting up.
“Yes, you like to swim, I assume?” Zhongli asked. He had noted that Neuvillette had features that helped with swimming rather than anything else. His tail was sleeker in design, and his horns were flexible so not to create friction as he swam. The young dragon nodded quickly and started to wiggle in anticipation. Zhongli crooned softly and brought him to the large, open air bath he had built himself. He was rather fond of hot springs and wanted one all to himself, but he would happily share it with the young one, since it brought him so much joy.
Neuvillette wiggled out of his arms and hopped in the water, clothes still on. Zhongli watched him sink to the bottom and stay there for a moment, Neuvilette bounced back up and breached the surface.
“Hot! Is hot!” He giggled, splashing the once tranquil waters around.
“Very, be careful to not burn yourself,” Zhongli advised. Zhongli helped him struggle out of the now soaked clothes, before he decided to disrobe. He shifted into his full draconic form before slipping into the pool. He let out a pleased rumble and slit his eyes. Little hands started to pat at his sides. Neuvillette was babbling to himself as he explored the sinuous body of the archon. He seemed absolutely delighted by the mane of orange fur around Zhongli’s neck. The boy snuggled into it, like he was meant to.
Zhongli rumbled quietly, eyes slit into upturned crescents. Had it only been a day? And the little dragon had already wormed his way to the stone Archon’s heart. There was a soft churring noise, and when Zhongli looked towards its source, Neuvillette was in his dragon form, kneading at Zhongli’s shoulder in contentment. With a little huff, Zhongli leaned over and ran his tongue over the small hydro dragon’s muzzle. He looked adorably bewildered, but squeaked up at Zhongli, demanding more. So, as his heart was already a slave to this child’s whims, he continued to groom the small dragon, until his sleepy lavender eyes closed.
Carefully, Zhongli lifted the small creature in his maw, padding back into his rooms. There were soft whines and sleepy noises of complaint as the air cooled their warm bodies. Those were soon remedied by the warmth of Zhongli’s nest. He set the little one down in the middle, and coiled tightly around him. He dragged a few blankets closer with his teeth, and made sure Neuvillette was surrounded by warmth.
Zhongli rested his head down, gazing softly at the hatchling, “Goodnight raindrop,” he purred.
“Night… baba,” Neuvillette yawned, making Zhongli’s heart stutter in adoration.