Okay, so I’ve been poking around the Zhongli/Mavuika tag on AO3 for a few months now, mostly out of curiosity because the dynamic is… weirdly compelling? I mean, on the surface it’s an archon and a Fatui harbinger, which is classic enemies-to-something. But because Mavuika’s lore is still so sparse, writers have a ton of blank canvas. The most common thing I see is a heavy focus on grief and legacy. They’re both ancient beings who’ve lost their original nations and purposes, so a lot of fics are just these melancholic, atmospheric pieces where they sit in a Liyue teahouse and talk about the weight of centuries. It’s less about romance and more about two old souls recognizing the same kind of weariness.
Another huge trope is the ‘cultural ambassador’ angle. Mavuika, being from Natlan, gets written as bringing fire and passion and a more chaotic, vibrant energy to Zhongli’s stone-and-contract stability. Fics love to play with the elemental contrast of Geo and Pyro—not in a fighting sense, but in a personality one. He’s order, she’s change. He’s memory, she’s the present moment. I’ve also stumbled into a surprising number of ‘contract marriage’ AUs for political alliance between Liyue and Snezhnaya/Natlan, which feels like a stretch but hey, it’s fanfiction. The spice usually comes from the formal, ritualistic setup slowly eroding into genuine respect and then affection. It’s a very slow-burn friendly pairing.