Chapter Text
It's was a pleasant afternoon in Dihua Marsh. Horsetail grass rustled in the light breeze, loaches scuttling back into the water at the minor disturbance. Finches hopped around in the grass, their chirps creating a soft white noise.
In the midst of it all stood a statue of seven, and in front of it, a lone navy haired traveller.
The traveller seemed anxious, his disposition out of place in the peaceful surroundings.
He checks his phone again, rereading the message that brought him here....
~~~~~~
Dan Heng
Ren.
Bl@D3
What is it Heng-er?
Dan Heng
I found my father.
Bl@D3
Oh, I see.
.....
wait what-
Dan Heng
I found my dad Ren-er.
We're on a planet called Teyvat.
Bl@D3
wow... Congratulations Heng-er...I'm so happy for you
*pompom hug emoji*
Dan Heng
*pompom heart emoji*
Remember what I said back on the Luofu?
Bl@D3
about wanting us to meet him?
Dan Heng
yeah.
Bl@D3
I'm in the middle of a mission right now, but I promise I'll be there as soon as possible.
I assume you'll be staying there for a while?
Dan Heng
Mn.
Take your time.
Stay safe.
Bl@D3
*pompom thumbs up emoji*
I'll tell Kafka.
What about Yuan-er?
Dan Heng
I want to surprise him.
We can go to the Luofu together.
Dad agreed to come with us for a short vacation.
Bl@D3
good idea.
I can't wait to see his expression when he finds out.
Dan Heng
Agreed.
Bl@D3
okay, gtg.
I'll text you when I get there.
Dan Heng
*pompom thumbs up emoji*
~~~A few days later~~~
Bl@D3
*StatueofSevenDihuaMarsh.jpg*
I'm here.
Dan Heng
!!
will be there soon.
~~~~~~
Blade's heart thrums in anticipation. He nearly paces a hole into the ground as he waits for his lover and his lovers father. (His father in law? Could he call him that? Technically Blade was already Dan Heng's mate. Did that count as being married to him?)
Was he supposed to bring gifts? He'd heard that it was custom to give gifts to your other half's parents on the first meeting. But, it was too late to think about that now.
Blade bites his nail nervously, thoughts running a mile a minute.
What if his father in law didn't like him? What if he thought Blade looked too dangerous? Was there any blood on his coat?
He quickly walks to the river near by and looks at his reflection, making sure that his appearance is presentable.
The Stellaron hunter adjusts and readjusts his visible bandages, doing the same with his coat, keeping his hands busy in an attempt to ease the butterflies in his stomach.
His incessant fiddling is interrupted by a familiar voice calling his name.
"Ren!"
Blade turns around as swiftly as possible, his face softening instantly upon seeing his beautiful lover.
"Heng-er."
He's about to say more when he notices a tall elegantly dressed man standing next to Dan Heng.
Pausing, he notices the similarity in facial features and immediately understands who it is.
Dan Heng chooses this moment to introduce the two of them.
"Dad, this is Ren.... My mate. Ren, this is my father. He currently goes by the name Zhongli."
Blade bows respectfully.
"It is an honor to meet you, sir...."
When Blade straightens again to look at the older dragon, he's taken aback, frozen in place by the man's sharp gaze.
Zhongli's golden eyes glow with an inhuman light, pupils contracting into slits.
Dan Heng blinks in surprise at his fathers change in mood. But, before he can voice his doubts, Zhongli glances at him, silencing his words.
The ex-archon raises an arm in Blade's direction.
"Rise."
Blade's eyes widen as pillars of geo suddenly erupt on all sides of him, restricting his range of movements.
He stares, stunned, while the man that Dan Heng calls his father slowly sheds his human skin. Draconic horns sprout through his forehead, and his long tail lashes against the ground as he walks towards the stellaron hunter step by step.
Blade can feel the sheer power thrumming in the air, power the likes of which he'd only ever felt from an Aeon.
He gulps. He would be lying if he said he wasn't intimidated, but Blade couldn't look away. This man was his beloveds father. He needed to get his approval.
Dan Heng does not move, heeding his fathers wordless order to stand down. It was a given that he trusted his parent to not harm his lover. Still, he couldn't help his shoulders from tensing as he watched their interaction.
Zhongli comes to a stop right in front of Blade, narrowed eyes glinting with unknown emotion.
"So, you are that man. The one who possesses my child's heart."
He hovers a clawed hand over Blade's chest, the golden veins on his arm pulsing with power as they resonate with the heart of his kin inside.
Despite his growing unease, Blade does not falter. He nods.
Zhongli hums in consideration.
"I can smell his blood on your hands."
Blade jolts in shock. He glimpses at Dan Heng, catching the tense expression on his lovers face.
Dan Heng purses his lips. Instinctively, he takes a step towards them, wanting to help his mate explain. But, his attempts are halted by the subtle shake of Blade's head.
Setting his jaw, Blade faces his beloved's father and bows his head low in repentance.
"I have indeed tried to kill Dan Heng numerous times. I know that regardless of the circumstances, my actions at the time were inexcusable. However, I intend to make up for them with the rest of my life. I truly love Dan Heng, and I promise you, that I will never hurt him again. I would rather have my flesh be carved off of my bones while I am still breathing than allow my hands to cause even the slightest harm to him."
He looks up, determined crimson gaze meeting piercing gold.
"If I ever break this promise, I will come to you myself and you may punish me as you see fit."
Zhongli raises an eyebrow at that. He scans the stellaron hunters features for any traces of dishonesty.
A long minute later (that felt more like an hour), his lips finally curve up in satisfaction.
Zhongli snaps his fingers, letting his stone constructs crumble into golden dust as he steps away.
Dan Heng takes that as his cue to come over, and joins them with quick strides.
"Was that really necessary mom? I already told you everything that happened."
At that, Blade tilts his head in confusion. Zhongli only laughs in response.
"I just wanted to see for myself if he was really worthy of my son's heart.... It seems my worries were for naught."
Zhongli's smile is gentle as he nods at Blade.
"I trust that you'll take good care of Dan Heng in the future."
Blade blinks blankly, and Dan Heng chuckles at the rare dumbfounded expression on his face.
"Wait...That's it? But I hunted your son for years-"
Zhongli huffs, interrupting Blade's words.
"Every couple goes through their rough patches. Though, I must admit, chasing someone through the universe is rather romantic. As for the rest, I have no place to comment on your peculiar courting methods....not when I have had a fair share of such unorthodox experiences myself."
Blade's jaw drops. Dan Heng shakes his head exasperatedly, recalling the few stories Zhongli had told him of his lovers.
(That's right. Lovers. plural. It was no wonder Zhongli wasn't surprised when he found out that Dan Heng had more than one mate. It must run in the family.)
Zhongli clears his throat.
"Nonetheless, I expect you to keep your promise moving forward. Unless you wish to witness the Wrath of the Rock."
Blade nods firmly, reverently taking Dan Heng's hand in his own and pressing a kiss to his knuckles.
"I will."
Zhongli's eyes curve in approval.
"Good."
~~~~~~
Hours later, Dan Heng and Blade sit side by side on the terrace of Wangshu inn, watching the sunset together.
(Zhongli had left them to their own devices a while ago, stating that he had other duties to attend to. Dan Heng knew that those other duties were probably related to the mates his father kept talking about.
Dan Heng would have to meet them sometime before they left for the Xianzhou....He was rather curious about the people that managed to snag his moms, an Aeons scion and an ex-archon's, attention.)
Dan Heng listens attentively as Blade expresses his sincere admiration for Zhongli's extensive knowledge, especially in the fields of crafting and weapon smithing, reiterating parts of their earlier conversation that Dan Heng had missed.
(The dragon had left the two on their own for a while, letting them bond while he took his sweet time to bring back some snacks. He came back to his lover and father engaged in a very in depth conversation regarding the above mentioned topics, both of them too focused to even notice his arrival until he placed the food on the table between them.)
Blade sighs appreciatively by the end of it, unable to help voicing his awe.
"... It's been a long time since I had this much fun speaking to someone about my craft. If only I'd met your father when I was still the furnace master of the Luofu.... Heh, those so called craftsmen with more bark than bite would finally shut up."
He chuckles at a certain thought.
"It's honestly rather off putting, when comparing the sheer vastness of his knowledge to his youthful appearance."
Dan Heng laughs at that and elbows Blade playfully.
"You know he's absolutely ancient compared to you right?"
Blade wraps an arm around Dan Heng's waist, humming contemplatively.
"I know that. I've done the math. I have to say though, I'm quite curious how old he actually is now. You said there was a time rift separating Teyvat from our universe wasn't there?"
Dan Heng nods, leaning closer to Blade.
"Yes there was.... Hmm, If you're really curious, then I could tell you."
The dragon gestures for Blade to bend down. The stellaron hunter raises an eyebrow but does so anyways, allowing his lover to whisper into his ear as if he were divulging a terrible secret.
A few seconds in and Blade's lips part in visible astonishment.
He pulls away to look Dan Heng in the eye.
"Seriously???"
Dan Heng stares right back, no trace of exaggeration or jokes in his gaze.
"Seriously."
Blade swallows, a bit speechless by the discovery.
"....Wow."
"Mn."
Another moment of silent staring later, the two of them burst into giggles like a pair of children, finding hilarity in the fact that they were even having this conversation.
They support themselves against each other, holding on until their laughter dies down, and when it ultimately does, they relax into the others arms, simply enjoying the warmth between them.
It's unknown how long they stay like this, but eventually, the comforting quiet is broken by Dan Heng.
"Come out, Xiao. We both know you're there."
In response to the call, a slight gust of wind picks up before Xiao drops down from the roof.
"Gege."
Dan Heng tips his head, wordlessly gesturing for his didi to come closer.
Xiao walks over, looking between his older brother and the dangerous looking navy haired man next to him.
Blade observes the adopted brother that Dan Heng had told him about, allowing the other to scrutinize him in turn.
Xiao stops a few steps away from them.
"Was this the man you were talking about that night? The one who made your spear?"
The dragon blinks, mildly impressed that Xiao managed to connect the dots even without knowing what Blade looked like. (He'd only ever told him about the man's personality, never about his appearance.)
Dan Heng replies with an affirmative smile.
"Yes it is."
At that, Xiao refocuses his thoughtful gaze on Blade and asks him a question.
"Do you still think you are alone?"
Blade stiffens, suddenly feeling seen through. His gaze grows heavy as he carefully reassesses the boy in front of him.
Soon, Crimson eyes flash in understanding at what he finds, and his body unwinds.
Blade answers with a calm confidence.
"No. I realized I never was."
Xiao nods in acceptance.
"There are people who care for you. So, even if you cannot die, do not throw your life away so easily. If you wish to protect those you love, you must keep yourself alive first. Otherwise they will feel pain either ways."
Blade furrows his brows and ruminates on these words.
Then, In an instance of clarity, he glances at Dan Heng.
Dan Heng who's expression is clouded over as he relives the dark memories that were brought to the forefront of his mind by Xiao's reminder.
(Memories of the time Yingxing had taken the fall in battle for him, causing him to nearly go insane with pain and anguish. Memories of the numerous times Blade attacked him until he was forced to kill him in self defense.)
The underlying pain in the purse of Dan Heng's lips is enough for Blade to harden his resolve.
He tenderly caresses Dan Heng's cheek, drawing him out of the bad memories.
"I see. I will make sure to be more careful from now on."
Xiao nods once more, this time in relief. His lips quirk in a small smile.
"...please take care of gege."
Blade looks back at Xiao, and repeats the words he'd said to Dan Heng's father a few hours ago.
"I will."
With a gust of wind and a final nod, Xiao disappears, leaving a few fluttering bamboo leaves in his wake.
After a few minutes of silence, Dan Heng leans his head against Blade's shoulder, confirming what Blade seems to have already figured out.
"That boy... he suffers from karma, something similar to the Mara of our worlds. He has lost a lot of people in the past, just like we did. Had it not been for dad... he might've given up his life as well, and wouldn't be here today. He sees himself in you."
Blade hums and rests his cheek against Dan Heng's hair.
"Mm. I figured. But, I can see he's in a better place now."
Dan Heng smiles, tail materializing to wrap around Blade's calf.
"He is. What about you though?"
Blade grins and holds Dan Heng tighter, pulling his lover as close as possible.
"I couldn't be better."
Hands intertwined, the two lovers settle together, gazing up at the night sky.
Above them, the stars twinkle as they accompany the moon, just as they would for ages to come.