Tags: Hybrid Au (half Animal Half Human), Fem!reader, Reader Is A Child Therapist, Norwegian Forest Cat!aizawa,

WHEN YOU CALL THEM PRETTY BOY.

izuku, denki, bakugou, shoto x gn!reader

cw. cursing, mentions of eating, not proof-read note. this is to make up for the half-assed drabble i wrote at 6am yesterday <3

—— IZUKU was sitting by his table, studying for the upcoming exams with his back to you. he’d been at this for quite some time and you were getting worried, he’d been studying for more than six hours straight, with no bathroom-breaks, snack-breaks, or just break breaks, even. you were on your fifth or so break, and wanted him to come lay down for a bit. sure, studying is important, so is passing your exams but doing it for a very long time was not at all good for you.

standing up from his bed, you go behind him and wrap your arms around his shoulders, leaning your head on him, “hey pretty boy, take a break for a bit.”

“huh?” he stammers, placing his hands on your arms.

“a break. let’s take one.” you repeat.

“i meant the nickname,” he says, turning a little to see you.

“oh. pretty boy.” you smile at how his cheeks turn red, “you’re my pretty boy ‘zuku.”

“i’m your pretty boy,” izuku mumbles with a shy smile. “okay, let’s take a break.”

—— DENKI loved nicknames. he claims that he’d called you all the nicknames in the book, even the slightly gross ones, he had added with a gag. he was cheesy, but not thatcheesy. so, when he knocks on your door and you open it with a, “oh. hey pretty boy.” he can’t help but almost drop the bags he was carrying. he walks inside and places the bag on your table, turning around with a huge, infectious grin.

“new nickname?”

“wha—” you smile in realization. “yeah. you like it?”

“like it?” he questions in mock exaggeration. bounding up to you with that bright smile of his and wrapping his arms around you, placing his head in the crook of your neck, he mumbles. “i love it.”

“it suits you,” you mutter, hugging him back, running your hands through his blonde locks.

“i’m your pretty boy, right?” he brings up a hand and pokes your cheek. he didn’t look up but you could feel his cheeky smile.

“yeah, you’re my pretty boy.”

—— BAKUGOU lays with his head in your lap, scrolling through his fyp as you lean against the wall and do something on your phone. getting the sudden urge to go and get something to eat, you try to gently push bakugou’s head away and stand up, only to receive a glare from him as he plops his head back down on your lap. “katsuki,” you groan. “come on, get up, i want to go get something to eat.”

“no,” he grumbles. “stay here.”

rolling your eyes, you shake your head. “come on, pretty boy. move.”

“huh?” his shock gives you a few seconds to push his head away (again, gently) and stand up.

“what do you mean, ‘huh?’” you ask, going into the kitchen.

you hear a thud and hurried footsteps behind you.

“what the fuck did you just call me?”

—— SHOTO is the resident pretty boy of class A, and he really deserves the title. so many people call him that, but he just brushes their compliments off because he knew they weren’t really genuine. but when you say it, even if you say if for only one time, he still treasures the moment with his life.

he’d been looking something up on his phone, seated on the couch when you walk into the room, took a seat beside him and asked, “do you wanna go out for a walk, pretty boy?”

and he does a doubletake, his eyes go wide in surprise and he blinks once. twice. thrice, before he replies, “did you just call me…” he trails off, a red dust coating his cheeks.

“pretty boy? yeah?” you tilt your head, placing a hand on his cheek and smiling, “aw, you’re blushing.”

shoto grins softly. “it sounds, nice, when you say it.”

“i’ll call you that more often, then.” you stand up, extending a hand, “so, how about that walk, pretty boy?”

—   ( SUMMER RAIN )

˚ SUMMARY. two unlikely students are paired together for a documentary — but sometimes love finds us in peculiar ways ( aka an our beloved summer au. or also in other words high school unlikely match / rival au )

˚ FEATURING. ayato, albedo, childe, kaeya, thoma, xiao x gn! reader

˚ WARNINGS. mentions of “pretty” in albedo’s. mild swearing. usage of mx

˚ LINKS. masterlist

˚ NOTES. im posting this even though it technically isnt valentines day yet for me but by the time i post this tmrw it wont be valentines for most people so … enjoy !! all fluff :D

( interlude )

“a documentary,” you say, slowly.

“yes,” the cameraman says. “it’s only for a month. we’re pairing up the [pair] and we’ll basically filming you throughout the month. just pretend we aren’t there — it’s just a documentary about youth life, and you just go on about your day-to-day lives.”

you hesitate. this sounds like a mistake.

it’s one month, a voice in your head whispers. you can do one month, can’t you?

you clear your throat. “so who’s the other person going to be?”

ayato: most proper and least proper

kamisato ayato has a rep around inazuma high and it isn’t necessarily a bad one

the only thing you know about him is that his family practically runs the town

and apparently, an asshole

he has a rep for being closed off – you never see him hang out with anyone other than his sister and thoma. and you’re on good terms with thoma - but you’ve never talked to ayato

you’ve never had reason to; you’re never in the same class as him, and he always seemingly disappears every time you approach thoma

stuck up ass, is basically what you’ve always thought of him; he often had an air to him that said he’s too good for everyone

you think he looks down on you because you’re not as prestigious as he is - he’s proper, he comes from a rich family. he probably doesn’t even need the money from the documentary

still, at first, in the documentary, you try to be friends with him.

it goes horribly wrong.

on the first day of the documentary, you buy yourself a coffee at the local coffee shop. and you end up buying him one as well

however, when you try to give it to him, you end up tripping it and spilling it all over his business project that he’s stayed up all night to work on

there’s a beat of absolute silence as he slowly looks up to stare at you. you swear his eyes are burning holes into your head

and then he slowly looks back down, grabbing his water bottle, unscrewing the top lid, presumably to take a drink.

“sorry” you say, hurriedly. “i was trying to give you coffee, because i know you always stay up-”

he dumps the water over your head

a small shriek gets stuck in your throat, as you get soaked from head to toe

“i said sorry,” you say. your voice isn’t angry, still in shock. but the anger rises in your chest all the same

“oh.” he looks back down at his project. his voice is nothing short of sarcastic. “sorry.”

and then, at that moment, you decide that you hate this kid. with a burning passion

and of course he never gets into trouble because nobody would ever suspect ayato of doing something bad

the only person who sympathizes with you is thoma who just shrugs with a crooked grin and says “he’s sly. there’s a reason he’s never gotten caught.”

you’re forced to sit in the same classes, next to each other, for the sake of the documentary

but even through the filming, you’ve never been afraid to tell the camera how much you dislike ayato

“oh things i hate?” you ask, staring at the camera. “kamisato ayato.”

he doesn’t turn his head to you but you can see his scowl all the same. “funny, i was going to say the same.”

your arguments are equivalent to a child’s argument — often times, when arguments spark, they’re accidents like the coffee; it only gives him more fuel to dislike you, and you to dislike him

once, he decides to give you coffee with a “sorry :(“ sticky note attached to it

and like the fool you are, you decide to drink it

he watches from outside the door, not being able to resist a smirk

salt floods your taste buds, but instead of spitting it out, you make eye contact with him in the door and continue to down the entire thing

ayato also basically has this claim to a parking spot in the school - it’s not technically his, but everyone’s agreed it’s ayato’s spot

you stole it as soon as you could

it becomes a competition on who can get to school first to steal the spot. and that leads to both of you being to school two hours earlier

which means you actually spend a lot of time together ! and soon, your dislike for him, melts into something softer

you like spending time with him. in fact, you look forward to it

and you don’t miss how his smiles become fond - sometimes, when you’re on the verge of falling asleep in class, you see him smile softly as you rest your head on his shoulders

or sometimes, when you wake up, you just find his jacket over your shoulders

and there’s this one time when someone else makes an off hand comment about your clumsiness

the next day, the kid doesn’t show up to school. and when he shows up again, his face is bright red and his hair has been dyed green

when you turn to ayato, he just gives you his signature smirk with a shrug. “i don’t get caught.”

you two end up terrorizing your teachers. they never figure out who has been leaving alarm clocks around the building to disturb class, and ayato always turns to you with a fond smile

“how do i feel about y/n now?” he breaks into a soft smile. “i love them — i couldn’t ask for a better partner in crime. but don’t tell them i said that. i will never hear the end of it.”

albedo: smart & smart

you’ve never talked to albedo before this - but you’ve noticed him from afar

you’re both top of your class - both of you competing for number one spot

he’s never had many feelings towards you, other than the fact that you’re smart. he notices your name on the top scorers of exams, but knows nothing of you other than that

you never see albedo hang out with anyone - he has a few people he talks to, but none that he ever seems to be friends with

and it’s not for a lack of trying either - you ask kaeya about him once, wanting to get an idea of who albedo was

and kaeya just says “albedo — a strange one. he’s nice. but don’t interrupt him while he’s working. or ask him to hang out. he will always say no. it’s quite embarrassing.”

but when you talk to albedo, he’s actually quite nice! he’s never been anything but kind to you

you work together on a lab, and he’s always been patient with you. you’re able to bounce ideas off each other, and you’ve never worked with someone better

the rivalry doesn’t kick in until the second day. and then oh boy

but you also work at a daycare after school hours — and there, you take care of a child named klee

and you love klee ! klee’s the best !

sometimes, you help klee make these little water bombs as pranks to help her terrorize this “big bad brother” she complains about in daycare

and you share all your knowledge with her

and then, one day, when klee decides to set off her bombs on “big bad brother” albedo asks klee where she learned to make these new kind of bombs

klee — the absolute icon she is — isn’t able to keep a secret. “mx y/n helped me,” she says, sheepishly, swinging back and forth

albedo stops. “y/n l/n?”

klee shrugs. “i think. they says they’re your age. i like mx y/n more than you. they let me go fish blasting!”

so the next day, albedo, naturally comes to ask if you work in a daycare and you know klee

“yeah, i know klee.” you chuckle, thinking about her. “the other day, i helped her make mini water bombs — not a dangerous kind, don’t worry — to prank her brother. she’s amazing.”

he gives you a deadpan look. “klee’s my sister.”

oh. oh shit.

“and by the way,” he says, “i make better water bombs than you.”

and if to prove it, the next day, you find a container on your desk. and when you open it, water sprays in your face

and next to you, albedo is chuckling

oh it is so on.

you do most of your pranks through klee, bribing her to prank albedo. and albedo does the same

you both compete to be klee’s favorite — and whenever albedo comes pick klee up, you both have to tone down on the swearing

but you two are never mean to each other - it’s always been fun little pranks, with no mean intentions behind it, something you both know

“how do you feel about albedo?” the cameramen ask you, once, for the documentary.

“albedo?” the cameras don’t miss the small smile that spreads across your face. “he’s kind. a little closed off, but an absolute menace.”

but even though your words don’t say the whole truth, the cameras catch it

the cameras catch every time when you’re working late in the lab and he brings snacks for you

or every time either of you don’t understand something, you’re always patient, while explaining it to the other

or sometimes, during class, if you’ve pulled an all nighter, he’ll let you rest on his shoulder as he takes a little more notes as usual that way you’ll be caught up in class

and one day, when you’re taking of klee, she tells you

“my brother says he likes you.” she grins from ear to ear. “he says you’re very pretty.”

needless to say, you played a clip of your documentary at the wedding

“how do i feel about y/n?” albedo hums. “don’t tell them i said this, but i’m happy klee likes them. i want to make them apart of our family.”

more undercut !

Keep reading

“WELCOME TO COTEA CAFE!”

Note:

I'm so sorry for not posting anything for two weeks, I just got busy with school so I couldn't stay on tumblr for too long! I made sure to type every now and then so now I finally finished typing this chapter out! I hope this is long enough to compensate. :'D

—› I DON'T POST IN ANY PLATFORM EXCEPT IN THIS ONE!

Synopsis:

Your cafe had been getting a few attention from the playable characters, you are glad and feeling happy, but you did not expect for a group of people to be inside of your small cafe. In fact, they looked like they weren't the types to go inside of a cafe just to eat something.

Genshin characters x fem!reader.

Warning: grammatical errors, SPOILERS, inaccurate lore, not proofread, swearing, ooc.

Part: one, two, three, four, five

It was safe to say that both Tighnari and Cyno are okay, however, the fact that they managed to get inside of your cafe is something you are never ready to hear for so you didn't bother to ask any one of them.

"And then aether grabbed paimon like this!"

Cyno, Tighnari, and the others that came from mondstadt watched the floating creature in amusement as she tried her best re-act what her traveler companion did, she even asked you for a cup so she can demonstrate properly.

"I see, did he hurt you? You're not injured, are you?"

Your question made her stop, tilting her head and checking her body for any injury that she can use to make you upset towards the traveler.

"I'm okay." She exclaimed, rather dejectedly as she puff out her cheeks towards her traveling companion.

After that, you looked at the blond, raising an eyebrow when he discreetly avoided eye contact with you. He turned his head towards the door instead as he felt like a scolding incoming from you.

"Go to the counter, kneel, and repent for what you did to the poor paimon, aether." The stern tone on your voice made his body stiff.

He was gonna protest, but as soon as the thought of disobeying your command crossed his mind, made him lost his control over his body, he paled at that fact as his own body move towards the counter, facing the wall as he kneeled down on the floor.

To say that the others are surprised, is a something that you can understand.

You did not expect him to do what you had just said.

"Anyways," you cleared your throat, "What can I get you, good sirs? Table for two? Four? Or separate table from those two?"

Cyno stepped in front, not bothering to ask questions about the sudden teleportation inside of your cafe.

"Table for four."

You nodded your head, guiding them towards the next table beside the four citizen from the city of freedom. Your presence making them tremble on their seat and this didn't go unnoticed by the general mahamatra.

It was chaotic after that, paimon teasing aether was one of the thing you didn't expect that you'll enjoy. Surprisingly, Tighnari liked laing, pinakbet and pancit bihon from the menu, on the other hand, Cyno preferred pork sisig, ginataang gulay, and langka.

When their order are served, you went back to your desk, just beside the sitting aether who is still on the floor, but not kneeling anymore, he's just accompanying you as you read whilst slowly munching on the pandesal with malunggay, partnered with the good ol' kopiko brown.

"Uhm, excuse me." You perked up at the sound of Jean's voice, she sounded so timid and uncomfortable as she tapped the top of the desk to get your attention.

"Yes?" You asked, looking over her and quickly noticing that she's pointing at the menu.

"May I order a take out?" She smiled, albeit a little forceful.

Your expression brightens up, "Of course! What would you like to have?"

She immediately scrambled closer to you as soon as you opened the menu, her eyes scanned the surface with inks, eyebrows furrowed as she think hard on what to take home for her little sister.

"If you're gonna order for Barbara, paimon suggest taking halo-halo or adobong manok for her! If not, you can choose lechon na manok and suman since it taste good too!" The floating creature said as she look over on Jean's shoulder whilst tapping the woman on the shoulder as she says the food recommendation.

"Seems like you know almost everything on the menu." Kaeya said, walking over to the desk with the same smile plastered on his face.

"Not almost, paimon knows everything (name)'s cafe could offer, you know!" She pat her chest, seemingly proud of herself as she smiled broadly towards the captain with a mischievous glint on her eyes.

"And miss (name) approved of that?" Kaeya asks, not willing to back down while putting an emphasis on the word 'miss' to show respect and to silently tell the floating creature to stop being friendly with you.

"Of course she did! Right, (name)?!" Sadly, the little creature couldn't take a hint and continued addressing you with your given name.

While preparing what Jean asked for a take out, you nodded your head to whatever she was saying because frankly, you are quite busy yourself. You agreed with paimon's whims which caused for a silent war to start between her and the cavalry captain.

Both Diluc and Rosaria could only watch from the back as they shoot disappointed glances towards the gorgeous dark skinned man. (He's beautiful, anyone who says otherwise can get the fuck out of this story.)

Cyno and Tighnari watched from their seat as the four citizen from a different nation— mind you, they already know them due to the expedition from a couple of months ago, but refused to acknowledge them— cause a ruckus inside of the cafe, they are still eating, savoring the mouthful flavor of the dishes they had picked from your menu while watching the commotion takes place.

It didn't take long for you to prepare the take out, in just a couple of minutes, you are already handing the paper bags towards the acting grand master.

"Thank you.." Jean trailed off, unsure of what to call you.

"(Name), you can call me (name)." You informed her which made Kaeya and Paimon turn their attention on you.

"Why would you let them call you by your name?"

"Can I also call you that, miss?"

Their outburst came out at the same time, voice loud and clearly competing against with one another, but you didn't bother calming them down, instead..

"Sure, you can call me by name as well." You politely agreed, containing your excitement to yourself.

Kaeya cheered, paimon went slacked against your shoulder.

It was clear who won that silent war between them and it was quite a sight to see the captain cheering to himself as he smirked towards the dejected paimon.

The commotion died down as Jean gave you mora for their meal and for the take out, it was quite cheap, Diluc's words, not yours so he added a pouch of mora towards their payment— he also enjoyed the meal, a lot, that's why he's not scared to spend money to show his appreciation towards your small cafe.

"Please come again!" You called out.

How?

They wanted to ask you, but they knew that you wouldn't be able to answer since they came through the door of Angel's share's cellar after all.

They could only wish to visit your cafe once more, the delicious food you served them made them feel warm and giddy inside which they wish to feel again, if teyvat would allow it.

"See you tomorrow, Cyno! Tighnari!"

Paimon called out, the two of them were the last customer for the evening since Aether will stay by the second floor, he begged asked you if he can stay and he almost took a leap in the air when you agreed.

"Let me show your guys to your room so you can start preparing for sleep as I clean downstairs." You told them as you lead them to their room.

"Can paimon sleep with you?" The floating creature asked, "Paimon wants to give Aether some alone time since he is quite loud when he sleeps."

An embarrassed look cross the blonde's face, silently and glaring menacingly at his traveling companion.

"Of course." You agreed, smiling as Aether tried to swat paimon, but he missed when she floats away, sticking her tongue out while floating beside you.

"This is your room." You told aether as you opened the door and stepped inside with the two of them following, "There are fresh stitched clothes over there, no one has used those yet so you can be the first one to do it."

"The bathroom is over there, there's a shower and a bathtub, warm and cold water are separated just in case, the extra pillows and blankets are inside of that cabinet, feel free to take out some if you're not comfortable with the current ones." After telling him where everything else are, you excused yourself while carrying paimon on your arms.

"You have to wash up too so do it while I'm cleaning downstairs, okay?" You told her, of course, you made sure to tell her where everything are to avoid getting your place ransacked.

Now, after telling paimon to take care of herself and sleep, you took your time placing the chairs on top of tables, upside down, to prevent any dust from accumulating on top of the wooden surface.

You are humming a song that came from your world, light and quiet steps were made as you move around the room, broom and dustpan in hand.

Sweeping, the dusts slowly gathered into the pan and you are more than happy to tap the dustpan against the trash.

You walked inside of the kitchen to take the usual rag you use to wipe the dusts off from the furniture and bookshelves of the cafe, you were busy washing the cloth with soap when you heard the familiar sound coming from the door.

Ring!

Ring!

Ring!

Oh? Did you forgot to close and flip the sign of the cafe?

You are not scared, no, of course not. For all you know, you could kill whoever has a malicious intent towards you, it's not a joke for someone to have multiple elements on their grasps after all.

"I'll be there in a minute!" You still called out, despite not knowing if they are a customer or not.

You continued humming, the rag on your hand as you walk out of the kitchen, however, the familiar faces of the people that greeted you made you stop in your track.

"Oh, how are you in this lovely evening?" Pantalone's voice is smooth and deep, almost sounding fancy as he politely greeted you with the business smile he always wore, "I'm quite afraid that me and my.. Companions, are lost, can you give us directions?"

Lies. You thought, you've been here for business and shits.

"I'm so sorry, I'm new to this place as well, I just opened up my cafe a few ago you see." You said, as politely as you could while giving him the same practiced poised smile that you would give to a customer.

You quickly took notice that they lack the two fatui harbingers, Ajax and Pulcinella.

"What a shame." Pantalone commented while his eyes racked the place as he took in the fact that you are closing, "Since this is a cafe, you don't mind us staying for a few drinks and meals, do you?"

At the mention of them ordering, your face brightens up, "Of course not, sir! Let me place down the chairs for each and one of you." You placed the rag on the desk, skimming through the floor and you held your hand out to reach for the chairs, but a voice called out.

"No need." Arlecchino firmly stated, "They can do it."

"Yes?" You blinked, looking towards Dottore and Pierro as they both stepped closer before taking the chairs off the table and actually placed it down on the floor, quite gently.

"No need to be tense, we're just here to have a meal~" A melodic voice came from behind of Capitano and Sandrone, "I'll be sitting next to the Jester!"

You saw Columbina emerged from the two, her seemingly silky and long hair getting dragged against the floor as she took a step closer to the tallest man of the bunch. She sat down beside him, smiling.

"Okay.. How about you, sirs.. And ma'ams..?" You asked the group of people standing on the door.

"I'll separate myself. Another table, please." Sandrone spoke, her eyes staring at you as if she's judging your existence before looking away, quite prideful on her part.

Capitano didn't spoke any word and just waltzed his way towards the Damsellete, he sat down beside her without uttering nor making a sound, only nodding towards you to let you know that your presence has been acknowledged.

You hastily placed the chairs on the floor, unsure if someone else will take a seat on Sandrone's table.

Before any fight or commotion could escalate, you decided to bring them the menu so they can start ordering. You didn't expect for them to sit still and not get into an argument since it was known world wide that the fatui harbingers aren't in good terms with the others.

You're thankful for the peace though.

"Hmm, I don't know how to pronounce any of these.. Mind helping me, beautiful?" Pantalone asked, eyes flickering towards your body from the menu.

You unintentionally let out a squeak, not expecting him, out of all the harbingers to call you.. That.

"Yes, sir." You replied, the same practiced poised smile on your lips as you chant the names of the food from your cafe's menu, eyes never leaving the inked surface as you read the names out loud for the other harbingers.

It took a while since you got a bunch of meals, desserts, pastries, delicacies and beverages thrown into the menu.

"Well then, I'd have bicol express, crispy pata, sinigang na baboy with halo halo." Pierro said, closing the menu on his large hands and placed it on top of table. He ordered a lot, but not as much as paimon's orders.

You quickly jotted it down, eyes focusing onto the sticky notes on your palm as you sweat bullets, feeling the stares of Columbina, Arlecchino, Sandrone and Pantalone on you. You want to ignore their stares and you will do so with all your will power.

".. Adobong pusit, bopis, tapsilog, kopiko brown." Capitano's voice was deep. It sounded so deep and masculine that you ended up flinching on your spot, you have heard that The Captain might have a deep voice, but not this attractively deep.

Shakily jotting it down, you tried to keep the poised smile on your face as you respectfully looked away from him.

"I'll have the palabok, suman, the mango ice candy and.. Ooh, this carbonara sounds nice too~" Columbina cooed, smiling expectantly at you, although, you didn't see it which made her puff out her cheeks.

"Pancit canton, extra big, pancit, pancit bihon, pandesal and black coffee." Dottore said, grinning towards your direction as you raised an eyebrow at his interesting choice of meal for the evening.

You wrote The Doctor's and The Damsellete's orders on your note before hearing another voice from behind you.

"Two leche flan, three order of taho, one order of ginataang bilo-bilo and earl grey tea." Sandrone stated, handing you the menu and sitting properly against her robot's arms whilst ultimately ignoring her colleagues' look of suspicion when her gaze lingered a little longer on you.

"Puto, Bibingka, Kutsinta, Mango Graham Taho? I'll have that, ensaymada, pan de coco, pichi-pichi, and black coffee." Arlecchino's orders are all sweets but manages to balance it out with the coffee as her drink, you could only write her orders down on the note along with Sandrone's.

"Lechon kawali, inihaw na liempo and tinola, this one looks like it would bring warmth onto my stomach, I'm quite famished so I need its broth, would you mind that?" Pantalone asked, tapping his gloved finger against the wooden surface of the table as he smiled at you.

"No, sir." You replied, eyes focused on the note as you jot down his orders.

"Oh, and please add any drink that you think would go perfectly with my meal." Another smile offered on your way yet got ignore due to your eyes never leaving the piece of sticky paper.

"Of course, sir." Again, another polite response, "Would that be all for you good sirs and ma'ams?"

There was a series a of yes and grunts to answer your question before you hurriedly made your way over to the kitchen and closed the door as soon as you stepped inside. You leaned against the back of the door, heart beat racing and breath hitching at the back of your throat.

Why is the fatui harbingers on your cafe?

You could only silently hope for Aether and Paimon to be quiet upstairs, taking a well-deserved rest instead of going downstairs to check up on you. You don't want them to meet the harbingers yet, especially when the traveler hasn't meet any one of them except for Tartaglia and Signora.

For now, you need to start working on the meals, desserts and beverages from the harbingers if you want to see another day in teyvat.

You could only hope for the best outcome of this situation, you wouldn't like to resort to violence after all.

Tag lists: @okamikishiroyu @mikiafina @esthelily @persephone-kore-law @bloop-booop @victoria1676 @lordbugs @yumi-genshin-writer @yandere-city @sarah22447 @chaoticfivesworld @whisperingwinters @iamapotatoe @leeyanyanyaaan @iruiji @angstylittleb1tch @we-wo-we-wo @mikokage11 @crinklypink

These are the users I can't tag for some reason, but I would still put this here!

@observation-subject-753 @cyberrmish @zomerlovesme @maddysflower @kirara4170suiiz

© kunichigo

— revoked privileges 

summary: taking away their cuddling privileges for a month after a fight had happened

warnings: grammatical mistakes may occur, having to reject their cuddle sessions, usage of petnames, slight crack, tiny angst

genre: hurt/comfort, fluff

inc: childe, diluc, albedo, scaramouche, kazuha (separated)

part two

Keep reading

zhongli ▪︎ beloved

pairing: zhongli x traveler!(f)reader (in 2nd PoV - "you") or Lumine if you wish

genre/theme(s): angst with happy ending + jealousy, fluffy as fuck, midst-of-a-slow-burn-romance type, mutual pinning, misunderstanding

word count: 5.9k+ (omg sorry didn't really plan for this fic to be THIS LONG)

summary: rex lapis has plenty of time on his hand ever since he stepped down from his former seat as the geo archon. currently as zhongli the mortal, it is not so rare for him to accompany her on her commissions now and then. over the time spent together, the feelings she harbored for the man were no longer as simple as one would hold for a good friend — it took one interesting commission for her to realize that. if only she knew she was not alone in this. — | m.list

a/n: I'm finally back after LONG hiatus. i'm very thankful for this break; my inspiration was as dry as the desert. picking up where I left off, i've decided to release this long overdued fic rotting in my drive. i needed the warm-up hence here is that fic. I decided to give writing in 2nd PoV (You) a try, and I have to say I enjoyed writing this fic in that way! You could pretend the reader to be you (the traveller) or simply Lumine (i mean, Lumine IS the traveler which is YOU - if you play female MC ofc.)

enjoyyyy. i look forward to reading feedback <3 please do me a favor and reblog this too! :)

Canopied by the overhanging trees, golden eyes squinted against the sunlight shining down at them through the leaves, then lowered their gaze.

Back to the soft breathing by his right shoulder where his lips met the crown of your head with an accidental brush at the turn of his head — one that he made no move to pull away from.

The edges of his lips lifted as incoherent words were murmured against him in your slumber.

A surge of wind tugged his eyes up and onto the glistening ocean beyond the green, grassy hill they sat on.

Liyue Harbor was right across, bustling and busy as ever.

Even from the hill across the city, he could hear the hollers of the dock crews and see the locals milling along the wharf. Ships were departing and docking, in and out.

Strong and prospering on its own feet, Liyue Harbor ran like clockwork.

There was nothing more he could do for the city he had built.

His archon days were long over.

Morax, Rex Lapis — he had abandoned these names and every meaning behind them.

No longer the Geo Archon, he was simply Zhongli the mortal now, and truly enjoyed everything about this mundane life.

Strolling leisurely while taking in the sights around the city, listening to stories told at Third-Round Knockout with tea to accompany him, and watching businesses unfold between merchants and their customers in the lively market.

These were the many things he grew fond of as Zhongli, but what he found himself looking forward to the most...was your company.

Whether it was just a mere chat over tea or out on adventures in the wilderness every now and then, your presence seemed to brighten his mortal days even more.

As a gust of wind blew at the hilltop, Zhongli raised a hand, his eyes focused on the lock of your hair blown into your face by the wind.

Only to pause as you stirred.

Fingers on your face dropped back onto his lap as he watched you open your eyes, with a small frown between his brows.

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

You met his apologetic gaze drowsily. "No..." A yawn escaped your mouth.

Your head shifted against his chest. Since when were tree trunks this comfortable to lean on?

You moved your gaze away from his with groggy blinks—

Then jolted upright with a sharp gasp, flinching away from him like you were scalded.

Flustered blush colored your cheeks. How did you end up sleeping on Zhongli?

Your eyes sprang wide.

—oh no!

What if you snored? Or worse, drooled?

Your hand flew to your lips to check, horrified at the absurdity of that thought; it was ghastly to even think about salivating all over a former archon.

Thankfully there was none, you dropped your hand back to your lap as relief left you.

"My apologies," Zhongli's voice turned your head. "I didn't think you would be uncomfortable being this close to me."

There was a strange expression on his face, "I just thought you would sleep better against me than this tree." — a faint smile that made him look somewhat...disappointed.

You broke into a smile, laughing. "No no, I was just surprised," Another yawn was stifled, "Thank you, Zhongli, I had a really good nap."

Your eyes darted to the trees behind theirs, in time to see distant figures among them, moving in their direction.

"...Looks like they're here." You turned your head to watch Zhongli climb to his feet. "It still puzzles me why they made such a request; I'm afterall just an ordinary funeral parlor consultant."

You stood as well, brows raised in incredulity at his words but said nothing.

Ordinary? Nothing about him was ordinary.

Even as a mortal, he makes heads turn.

Almost every single woman they met on your commissions seemed to be enamored with him. It was hard to tell whether he was ignoring their obvious advances or was simply oblivious to the attention he got.

You couldn't blame them though.

Zhongli was a gentleman known for his vast knowledge and talents. His speech and mannerism were sophisticated enough to charm anyone on the streets albeit not intentional, or at least you thought so. Even as a close friend, you weren't immune.

He was like...a natural ladies' man, so much so that you often felt like a third wheel whenever they traveled the lands with female clients.

And from these experiences, it had not been pleasant being on the receiving ends of suspicious glares and calculated stares despite being introduced by the man himself as a mere good friend.

A sigh left you as you stepped forward with Zhongli, silently hoping for none of those this time.

Grass and dirt crunched under its wooden wheels as the horse carriage rolled towards them.

There were intricate signs of wealth all over the vehicle.

The roof of the carriage had an edge rimmed with gold and carved dragons in the polished wood. Guarded by the back of the horseman, the carriage hid its occupant away from the world behind its sturdy wooden doors.

The horseman himself wore a short robe of black and blue, armed with a metal plate across his chest and a sword on his back.

Unmistakably, this whole picture was a telltale sign of their client — a daughter of a rich man; whoever this Lady Wen was.

Even the stallions pulling it wore expensive cloths marked with a symbol around their necks.

In an anticipating silence, they watched as the carriage finally slowed to a stop.

The man at the front hopped off the carriage with ease, robes fluttering with his movements as the grassy ground met his feet with a rustle.

You two watched him begin to move, fully expecting him to pull open the door for his passenger to step out.

But instead, he started walking towards you two, almost eagerly, with his hand raised and extended before him. When he came closer, you noticed he was a young man with dark hair long enough to be tied loosely in a semi-ponytail and a face decent enough for ladies to take interest in.

Zhongli was the first to mirror his gesture with legs moving forward and a hand raised to meet the man's, but for it only to fall back to his side when he realized that the man was fixated on something else.

Not on him.

His brows rose.

…but on you.

"You must be her," with admiration on his face, and hand around yours. "...that woman."

Did he mistake me for Zhongli…? He does know that Zhongli is a man right —

Shock elicited a surprised gasp out from you when he suddenly brought his lips down to the back of your hand in a greeting kiss.

You could only stare back at the stranger with wide, blinking eyes, unsure what to do.

Next to you, Zhongli’s golden eyes narrowed as a feigned cough ensued from his throat.

You jolted at the same time with the man. "Oh right! How can I forget my manners?" he released your hand, eyes darting briefly over to Zhongli.

"Forgot your manners, indeed." You thought you heard Zhongli mutter under his breath,

"I'm Young Master Wen." the man introduced, “You may call me Jun instead.” as he returned his attention, hopeful gaze back to you under Zhongli’s furrowed scrutiny, just as you were bringing your offended hand behind your back, afraid he would kiss it again.

You wiped your hand hastily against your clothing as subtly as you could, not expecting his next line. "...I've heard of what you've done for both Mondstadt and Liyue — definitely a woman of power and beauty!"

—you coughed, spluttering on choked saliva in your surprise.

You were aware of the many praises about you.

Strong, yes. Cute, yes. Pretty, maybe.

But a woman of beauty? Never.

You could only manage an awkward thank you as Jun finally turned to Zhongli. Thank god, the overly passionate gaze on you was getting a bit too much.

"And you must be Mr. Zhongli!"

"Ah yes, Young Master Wen." Zhongli merely said, shaking his hand.

You looked over at Zhongli in mild surprise.

There was something different about how he greeted the man — almost grudgingly if you were to squint. His usual cordial enthusiasm was lacking.

You swore you saw a dagger-like glint flash across his golden eyes, just as the man turned his head back to you, about to step towards you with the same fascinated look on his face.

Zhongli moved fast so you didn’t realize until you suddenly found yourself blocked by a broad back and peering over Zhongli’s shoulders at Jun instead.

“Enough, Young Master Wen, I’m sure she understands quite clearly that you admire her.” Zhongli intervened, feeling the coil of frustration in his chest tightened. “—now, where’s this Lady Wen who seeks me? Your sister, I assume, going by your title?”

You felt the tension in your shoulders leave with your silent sigh when Jun finally pulled his gaze off you. Weirdo.

“Oh, my sister—”

“It's been a long time since we met, Zhongli."

All eyes swiveled to the carriage to watch a lady emerge from its confine.

So this was Lady Wen, your eyes widened.

So she was the one who asked for Zhongli in the commission letter Katheryne passed to you?

Though siblings, the Lady Wen standing in person before you was not what you had expected. Apart from her wealth, her face also sets her apart from other women; for she bore a face men would compare to a goddess.

Mesmerized by the flowery grace and gentle sweet smile of the approaching woman, you knew you were right to doubt the compliment the man sang of you.

You? A woman of beauty? No way.

It was Lady Wen.

So what did this beautiful lady want with Zhongli? You wondered glancing between the man standing before you and the woman.

Then you caught the quiet admiring gaze on Zhongli, and a faint sign of recognition on the said man’s face. “—Wen Rong.” You heard him utter.

“It's been a long time since we met, Zhongli." Her greetings echoed back in your memory, then it clicked.

Ah, you understood now.

Night fell over like a curtain of darkness, just as the carriage arrived at a distance five hours away from your destination.

Shadows lurked in every corner of the campfires, behind the trees and the bushes.

The fire crinkled and sizzled in the soft breeze, dancing lightly on the firewood stacked atop of each other. Over the warm light it emitted, you could hear their laughter.

Hers and his.

Despite not seeing each other in years, their friendship rekindled almost instantly.

You sneaked a glance at them, to where you previously sat before you realized you were too dumb to understand what they were saying.

You weren’t sure what they were chatting about, but you knew they were subjects Zhongli loved to share with you when you two hung out. Most of the time, you would either end up nodding and feigning understanding, change the subject or just zone out completely.

Things were definitely different from the other commissions you two have taken on. You weren't on the receiving end of suspicious glares and calculated stares this time round.

There was no one vying for Zhongli's attention; it wasn't necessary when the female client was his friend and someone like Lady Wen.

Lady Wen was not only the definition of beauty; she was grace and wisdom too, with a soft, friendly personality like a cherry on top.

Every aspect of her seemed to compliment the former archon so well.

This was one of the few rare times you had seen Zhongli so immersed in conversations with someone on a commission. But of course, it was because they met before.

And perhaps, the only commission Zhongli had barely spoken a word to you, or you to him — you didn't see why you should interrupt them.

A bitter sense of helplessness and frustration curled like a tight knot in your chest as you hugged your knees closer to your chest, nails digging into your palms.

...but why does this bother you so much? Zhongli and you were just good friends after all.

As a good friend, shouldn't you be happy for Zhongli if he found someone he could spend his mortal life with?

You were afterall a mere child to him…or at least that was what you felt sitting with these two.

Enough.

You fought, begged the strange twinge inside your heart to stop.

The Wen Mansion was just five more hours away from here, and you will be done with this commission. Why should you care? It was so silly.

For whatever reasons Lady Wen's father wanted to meet Zhongli, it was not your business to care. It was Zhongli’s.

Staring at the fire, your jaw clenched as their laughter reached your ears once more.

Maybe you should go help Jun out?

For a young master, he was pretty adapted to the outdoors. He reminded you of a puppy — a nice, weird puppy that was a little overboard with his admiration for you.

He was a bit strange and a little too enthusiastic for you to handle but c’mon, you practically fought both humans and monsters for a living. What was so scary about this man anyway? Besides, you needed fresh air to clear your head.

You rose to your feet and stepped over the log you sat on. The voices of the two grew faint as you entered the vegetation around the camp, in the direction you knew Jun headed for.

Jun insisted he should be the one carrying back your share to their camp despite occupied arms, but you walked ahead before he could grab the ones in your grasp.

Following you into the camp like a shadow, you saw him walk away in a different direction, to the fire closer to where Lady Wen and Zhongli sat from the corner of your eyes as soon as you two broke into the edge of the camp.

You shrugged, returning to the one further away. The one you left behind to find Jun.

The bundle of sticks and branches gathered in your arms was placed by the fire as you kneeled down to the dirt ground. The warmth of the flame instantly engulfed you; you felt a sheen of chill on your skin vaporize in its heat as you drew near to feed it more wood.

Nights in Liyue, especially in areas dense with trees, were often dewy and cold and this night was one of them. You could feel the cold penetrating your usual traveling cloak and nipping at the skin your dress underneath failed to cover.

The fire crackled and jumped as you fed it the last stick from your finding. Just as you leaned away and settled on the log behind you, you felt a presence hovering beside you.

“It wasn’t wise to go off into the woods alone with him.” His voice answered your question before you could turn to find out who.

There was a tinge of disapproval on his face when you looked up to find Zhongli gazing down on you.

A small ball of anger curled inside you at that face. “I don’t see why not.”

Your eyes flitted behind him, wandering to where Lady Wen was, and found her glancing over while saying something to Jun.

Shuffling feet and the shift of the log beneath you moved your gaze to your side in time to watch Zhongli settling down beside you.

There was a frown on his face.

“Didn’t you see how he looked at you this afternoon?” His gaze seemed to cut into you from the way his piercing eyes dug into yours. “You made me worried sick just now when I looked over and you were not there.”

You looked away; his eyes on you always set your heart pounding. Staring into the fire, you threw out a careless laugh. “Jun isn’t so bad. He’s just a little excited about me, but he is actually pretty nice.”

“A little excited?”

You couldn’t see Zhongli’s face but you could hear the incredulity and exasperation in his voice.

“Anything could have happened among those trees. I’ve lived long enough to know what perverted minds would do and I can see right through him.”

Your breath hitched when you felt the tip of his leather glove graze your hand, but you snatched it away before he could hold it. “Please, could you stay away from him?”

Quite often when you two talked side by side like this, you would always find your hand in his, fiddled absentmindedly as his voice coated the air, but you weren’t up for it this time.

“I’ve fought long enough to be able to handle them.” You hated the way he lectured you like you were a child.

Maybe you were indeed one to him, and this possible fact in your head brought up the memories of Zhongli and Lady Wen’s laughter, the silent look of adoration on Lady Wen’s face, and how clueless you felt sitting around them.

You stood up. “Stop treating me like a child, I don’t need your concerns, Zhongli.” Your voice was icily calm. “Your priority should be Lady Wen, not me.”

You saw something flash across Zhongli’s face but you had too much inside to care and ran for the woods.

Morning came, and this meant it was time to hit the road once more.

You avoided him as much as you could until the carriage was loaded and ready to go. You could feel his eyes on you the entire time you helped to prepare the carriage. You spared no glance at him through it all, but you could sense it off him; his desire to speak to you.

And even more so when you settled yourself beside Jun at the front of the carriage instead of inside.

Jun appeared oblivious, happy you chose your place beside him, not noticing the tension between you two, while Lady Wen glanced between you two but said nothing before politely beckoning Zhongli into the carriage with her.

Zhongli seemed to have resigned himself to your silence and stopped glancing over. The troubled crease between his brows softened as he helped Lady Wen onto the vehicle with a steady hand around hers like the gentleman he is.

Once everyone was settled, Jun beside you turned his head back to the front.

At a flick of his wrists, the horses began to move. The wooden wheels beneath clattered out of their campsite and onto the main path.

You squinted against the filtered sunlight as you cast a glance up at the forest’s canopy, and back down to find a clearing ahead.

The dirt path grew bumpy near the mouth of the forest; you had to resist shooting your hand out to hold Jun who was indifferent to the jerks under them. The path along the forested area eventually led the carriage out into a vast field, instantly greeted by the warmth of the morning sky.

You breathed a sigh of relief as you fell back against the wooden wall behind you the moment the bumpy path ended, connected to a man-made road paved through a small village.

As you were about to straighten away from the wall behind, you caught laughter. Familiar laughs from last night coming from the confines of the carriage behind you.

Zhongli was sure laughing a lot — you couldn’t help noticing as your heart sank with sadness — even he doesn’t laugh this much around you.

Then you grew curious.

“Young Master Wen,” You tried to block out the muffled voices behind you as you turned to Jun, “I hope you wouldn’t mind me prying...but may I know what did your father want to meet Zhongli for?”

You hesitated. “I mean, you know Zhongli is a funeral parlor consultant right? Sorry if I’m being too insensitive, but does anyone require that kind of service in your home?”

Jun didn’t look offended at all, in fact, he burst out laughing at your question, his eyes amused as he flickered a glance over at you.

“I’m not supposed to reveal this yet, but…” His voice dropped even lower, so soft you almost had to lean over to capture his next line. “Mr. Zhongli is being invited over for marriage.”

Your eyes flew wide while your heart dropped. What? Marriage?

“You mean as a guest to witness a wedding?”A sudden fear hammered in your chest. Why were you so scared? It could just be a harmless wedding invitation?

Jun shook his head. “No, as my sister’s husband.”

You blinked in shock at him. Husband ??!

A burst of laughter barked from Jun once more at your reaction. “My sister had loved Mr. Zhongli ever since their encounter. Wen Rong’s birthday is coming up and my father wanted this marriage to be a surprise gift to her.”

Jun turned his eyes back onto the galloping horses before them. “She doesn’t know about this herself; she only thought it was for business, so could you help me keep this a secret?” He threw a grin over and winked.

“Hahaha, sure.” You forced a smile back at him.

Marriage, huh.

This came out of nowhere, but it somehow made sense to you. You’ve seen the chemistry between those two. When they chatted, it was like there was no one else in this world.

You were forgotten by Zhongli the moment this commission started.

Lady Wen Rong and Zhongli.

They were a match made in heaven or what Teyvat has as heaven. Celestia? Whatever.

Perhaps…

You watched as the carriage climbed a gentle hill towards a compound of prestigious-looking houses. Their roofs colored dull green could be seen from where you sat.

…this was where all it ends with Zhongli. He had found a better place, a better person to spend his mortal life with. And you should stop holding him back.

The Wen residence was exactly how you had imagined it to be when you saw it from the hill. The carriage itself was a reflection of all that would greet you.

The corridors stretched far and wide across the large courtyard, around manicured gardens, and connected to the many houses owned by the family.

Perched on the railing dividing the corridor and the trimmed grass beneath your dangling legs, your eyes were once again drawn to the closed doors a small distance away.

—to where Zhongli was enthusiastically escorted into by the Head of the Wen family himself, with Lady Wen treading on their heels.

It happened the moment they stepped through the main gate. Quick gratitude from Lord Wen was all you were given with a generous bag of Mora before he swept the former archon in with his daughter in tow.

Jun had offered you tea and food but you politely rejected them. Your appetite had vanished the moment you heard the news from him on the carriage.

Now, you were caught between wanting to leave and wanting to listen in about their marriage. But the latter quickly won, and you found yourself sneaking over with the stealth you learned from your travels.

Lightly pressing your head to the wooden door, muffled voices penetrated but you had to listen hard to understand them.

Golden eyes pondered over the steaming cup of tea on the table before him, as the memory of the sadness on your face flashed by in his head once again.

It was subtle and he only managed to catch a glimpse of you over his shoulders while he was being whisked away by Lord Wen — but he had watched and memorized you long enough to read you.

It never sat right with him whenever he saw sadness in your eyes. This time, it was unbearable because he was aware he was the cause of it.

But why? Was it wrong of him for wanting you to be safe?

He wanted to apologize, but he knew he shouldn’t until he understood what he was doing it for. It wasn’t because he was prideful; he simply believed an apology should be sincere and not for the sake of it.

Zhongli dropped his shoulders quietly with a soft sigh at the thought of you, eyes flickering over to the doors as he raised his gaze to Lord Wen who had finished giving his servant orders.

Beside her father, Lady Wen was quiet and gazing at her own cup, occasionally stealing glances at him.

“Thank you for coming all the way here, Mr. Zhongli.” The lord finally turned his attention to them, his fingers locking together on the table between them.

Zhongli simply nodded. “Thank you for your invitation, Lord Wen.”

His eyes strayed to the doors for a quick second, along with a silent question about your whereabouts. It felt weird not having you around, especially since this was your commission.

“Right,” He was quick to catch himself from drifting away and cleared his throat, “As much as it’s an honor to be invited here, may I know the purpose of this invitation?”

Zhongli found himself itching to stand and leave this room to search for you, but he could only eye the father-daughter pair with calculated patience.

Lord Wen let out a hearty chuckle, stroking his long beard. “Before we get to the point, what do you think of my daughter?”

At his question, Zhongli glanced over at Lady Wen for a quick second to find her sharing a similar puzzlement on her face.

“She is a wonderful friend.”

A cough ensued from the lord. “No no, what do you think of my daughter as a woman ?”

Lady Wen’s face went red at that question but her reaction went unnoticed.

“Ah, as a woman.” Zhongli’s hand paused in the midst of a sip. The cup was set down as he blinked in bemusement and thought carefully. “...Wen Rong is a woman of wisdom and many talents. Also, with beauty comparable to a glazed lily.”

He didn’t quite expect Lord Wen to burst out laughing as if he was told a joke. “Wen Rong? First-name basis already eh?”

Zhongli looked at him strangely. “I’m not particular about formalities between friends.”

“Nonsense!” Lord Wen waved his hand dismissively at his reply with a wide grin, “Alright, let’s cut the chase. What do you think about marrying our Ah Rong?”

“Father!” Lady Wen looked horrified and extremely embarrassed, glancing over at Zhongli with silent hope among her bashfulness.

But Zhongli did not notice, caught off guard by the sudden marriage proposal.

No wonder. Understanding dawned on his face. He should have realized where all that odd, rather awkward questions were leading to.

Zhongli found himself ready with a clear response to the proposal; he knew his answer right away. His mind went straight to you the moment this question was sprung on him; it has been clear to him for a long time.

Cup to his lips, Zhongli tilted his head back in one sip. He could feel their anticipation on him.

Golden eyes glinted decisively as the cup, now empty, was set down on the table in a quiet, yet firm manner.

“Thank you for your offer in marriage.”

He mirrored Lord Wen, gloved fingers locking together on the table.

“I’m very flattered to be presented with such a priceless offer, given that Wen Rong is a dream to, I’m sure, many men in this world.”

He watched Lord Wen’s face brighten. “But I—”

A muffled shuffle of footsteps outside the room snatched his gaze away from the father and daughter; their eyes followed his.

Zhongli caught a flicker of silhouette behind the paper screens of the windowed doors. Could it be…?

Alarmed, he quickly climbed to his feet and threw open the doors, much to Lord Wen’s protests. His head turned in the direction of where he saw the movement and—

And his heart sank.

…No.

Then Zhongli broke into a run.

“Thank you for your offer in marriage.”

Zhongli...He was going to accept it, huh.

“I’m very flattered to be presented with such a priceless offer, given that Wen Rong is a dream to, I’m sure, many men in this world.”

You rose from the crouch you were in. Tears were flooding your eyes and you were frustrated.

Frustrated at yourself for feeling sad instead of happy for your friend. Frustrated that you could not compete with Lady Wen for Zhongli. Frustrated that you accidentally gave yourself away with that loud shuffling of your feet. Frustrated at the tears for nearly blinding you as you hurried away.

Hurry to where?

You didn’t know. All you wanted was to get as far away as you can. Somewhere you could disappear to, so that you could just make sense of yourself and all these crazy emotions inside you.

But, you heard the doors you left slam open before you could get any further.

Shit.

Your heart hammered in your chest and your mouth went dry. You did not need to turn around to know who burst through those doors.

—and he was the very person you wanted to get as far away from.

So you ran.

Your legs were carrying you down the hallways the fastest they could to outrun the longer pair behind you. You didn’t want to be a drama queen, but you just couldn’t stop.

Where was the main gate again?

You did not know where the hell you were running to. You just ran blindly, turning into any corner the winding vendettas led you.

There was a chance you could end up in a dead-end but screw it, you will find a way out of this maze-like compound even if it meant climbing over the walls fencing around it.

You could hear him calling out your name in a voice you’d never thought you would hear from Zhongli.

There was desperation leaking through the cracks in his voice— why was he even desperate? Desperate to tell you he was sorry that he was going to leave you?

You skidded around a bend and—

well, SHIT.

— your hands palmed against the wall curled into fists. Just your luck to really meet a dead end. You glanced up, hoping that it was a fence wall, but only to find no opening.

You needed another escape route.

You spun around and gasped instantly to find that Zhongli had blocked off your only way out. Unlike the voice you heard him speak in, he did not look desperate at all.

The tension in his shoulders and the unreadable look in his golden eyes made him look…almost menacing as he approached. Step by step.

He did not look like the Zhongli, the funeral parlor consultant you hung out with — your breath shook with your heart as the sight before you intimidated you with a creeping fear.

—from the way his golden eyes blazed amber at you, he looked like the Rex Lapis he was instead. The Geo Archon of this land.

Spending so much time with Zhongli has made you forget that he was an archon, he was a god everyone in Liyue worshipped.

And this made you realize how much more inferior you were—

You didn’t have the beauty, comparable enough to a goddess like Lady Wen or the wisdom to keep up with him.

What were you? You’re just a traveller who only knows how to survive in the wilderness, all just to take back your missing brother from some unknown god.

What did you have to offer?

…foolish of you to think that you could stand beside him when you didn’t even belong in Teyvat. You were unworthy.

Tears were starting to well up in your eyes once again at these thoughts.

Shit.

You could not bear to meet his eyes, knowing the tears in them were obvious. Your eyes dropped away from his, looking for an opening, anything so you could just…just...

A resigned sigh left you, your shoulders falling slack as you felt energy leave you.

“—let me go.” your voice was thick with falling tears as you finally spoke. You brought your eyes back to his. “I’m leaving, and you’ve got a wedding to plan for.” You wiped your tears away.

Your gaze lingered on his in the brief silence.”...I’ll wait for your invitation.”

Then you moved forward, trying to sidestep him.

But before you could make it past him—

Your eyes widened. ...!!!

—he met your lips forcefully, slanting his lips over yours dominatingly.

You felt the air knocked out of you and your heart missed a beat as Zhongli backed you up onto the dead-end wall behind, with a hand caressing the back of your head and your mouths connected by the onslaught of his lips.

Over your head, his left arm propped against the wall behind you as his mighty figure bent over your smaller one, with a sound similar to a growl coming from the back of his throat.

Quickly losing foot against his demanding lips, you found yourself unable to resist as you melted at the feel of his lips pressed over yours. You were weak for him; you always were.

The aggressive force behind his lips grew faint the moment he felt you relax into him. His kiss was now tender, almost a delicate dance of twisting and turning over yours, and eventually inside after he coaxed you to open.

As if you were the dearest thing to him, treating you like you could break if he was any rougher like he did seconds ago.

Short, heavy breaths accompanied your locking lips as he hoped the affections behind his kiss were enough to tell you what you needed to know.

After a few lingering seconds, his lips on yours slowed as Zhongli made a move to end the kiss, reluctantly pulling his lips away. 

Disbelief crashed like a wave upon you the instant your lips lost the warmth of his. Things still seemed surreal to you.

Why did Zhongli…?

How could he…?

Hand raised, its warm, bare palm cupping against your cheek cut off the doubtful thoughts in your head before it could drown you.

Your eyes hesitantly turned to his as he tilted your face up to his — then your breath was caught in your throat at the softest look you’d ever seen in his eyes.

In the sea of gold and amber, there was worry in the midst of his affection that was beaming down at you just like the sun.

“Wen Rong is just a friend to me,” His voice was firm but gentle, “so I will not be accepting her father’s offer.”

A frown creased between your brows.

“But…” Doubt clouded your heart.

Despite sensing his love from the kiss, stubborn doubts still continued to whisper about yourself. It was no longer about Lady Wen and him.

“Are you sure?” … about me? You wanted to voice that, but your fear held your tongue.

There was a pause of silence before Zhongli chuckled. “Not that I mind, but are you trying to get me to kiss you again?

You flinched with bashful blinks, not expecting his reply.

Zhongli suddenly regarded you seriously, the amusement in his eyes gone.

“...Or perhaps I should just marry you.”

His hand released your chin and went to his own as he stepped back with a thoughtful face.

“What? Tha-That’s too sudden!”

You two haven’t even officially dated!

There was another pause of silence from Zhongli before he cleared his throat, hiding his laughter behind a cough at how red you got.

“But would you want to?” He was serious again.“I meant, get married to me.” Zhongli added as if he wasn’t clear enough.

Silence.

“...yes, of course, eventually.”

Zhongli smiled. “Good.”

You felt your heart flutter in your chest at that smile; he was truly happy about your answer.

Your eyes caught movement below and flickered down to watch his hand envelope yours. “Come,”

With that said, Zhongli gently tugged you to walk with him, his hand releasing yours as soon as you fell in step beside him.

You have always suspected Zhongli was a romantic, being a gentleman and all he was.

But knowing and being the receiving end of his affection was worlds apart, so you found yourself surprised again when he pressed a chaste kiss to your temples.

“...Let’s reject their offer properly together.”

.

.

.

—published on 28.01.2022

all rights reserved ©justgenshin

---

— when you first call him by his nickname

characters; kuroo, yaku, bokuto, ushijima, and hinata

genre; fluff

notes; send in requests please!! also, reblogs appreciated <3

— kuroo tetsurou

he was shocked at first, but he really liked this new nickname

damn, he was in love with you, and the nickname you gave him

you said it so casually too, like you called him this often

“hey tetsu, can you get me a glass of water please?”

but he absolutely loves the nickname ???? he finds it so adorable !

he forbids you from calling him ‘tetsurou’ anymore.

if you don’t call him tetsu, or by a pet name, he isn’t responding

— yaku morisuke

he was in total shock at first

did you just call him by a new nickname???

his heart skipped seven beats, you’re def gonna be the death of him

but like you said it so nonchalantly?! like you’ve been calling him this forever

“hey mori, can you hand me that bowl please?”

he loves it tho, obsessed almost

tho he would never admit how much he loves it

— bokuto koutarou

he almost cried tears of joy

it was like the cutest thing ever !! and they way you said it ? ugh is he in love even more

his heart grew three times bigger, didn’t even know his heart could get any bigger

“hey kou, can you toss me that pillow?”

he fell in love with the nickname instantly

especially from you ?? addicted

like, you can’t call him anything but pet names and the new nickname

— ushijima wakatoshi

he didn’t really think much of it at first, you were always calling silly nicknames

but secretly, it made his heart flutter

a new nickname ?? specially for him !?? yes please

“hey toshi, have you seen my mug?”

the nickname was so cute,

it’s simple but adorable, def is favorite one yet

pls he wants you to call him that all the time

— hinata shoyo

his heart started doing flips

the new nickname was the cutest thing ever

and you made it sound so natural?? omg omg his heart

“hey sho, can you pass me the remote?”

his heart can’t take this cuteness

he absolutely is in love with the new nickname ??? his new fav thing

taglist (fill out this form to be added): @tetsusbbygrl @escapenightmare @bngtnparkjm @maipxilia @itsbrittneybsh @arashi-onannoko @kenmaslov3r

pairing: akaashi x reader

genre: fluff

prompt: somehow, i always seem to end up here, with you

you had always loved going to the park whenever you felt sad. no matter what time of the day it was you would always find yourself there. it was relaxing and only a few people went to that park since they preferred to study in the library, cafes or their own dorms.

today was one of those days where you just weren’t feeling it. you had just received an email from one of your professors regarding your score in one of his major exams. the one you studied so hard for 75/100 written in bold. it was barely passing for your standards.

it was already late but who cares, you wanted to go to your happy place on campus even if it’s the middle of the night. you grabbed your keys and put on your shoes and headed for the park.

the walk was silent, only seeing a person from time to time, maybe they were walking back to the dorms after a party. you didn’t really care though.

you arrived at the park noticing another person there, and you realised it was akaashi keiji the boy from your history class.

you approached the boy wanting to talk to him and maybe because you had a little crush on him. he saw you and smiled at you when he realised who you were.

“somehow, i always seem to end up here, with you” you chuckled at him

“i guess so. this is the only place that seems to have normal people and besides it’s more quiet here” he noticed that you were shaking a bit, probably from the cold. he took off his jacket and handed it to you. “here, you look like you need it”

you gladly took the jacket thinking how dumb it was for you to bring your own and muttered a “thanks” he responded with “no problem. hey wanna get some lunch tomorrow after class?”

“sure” you smiled thinking maybe today wasn’t so bad after all.

sincerely,

yours truly (part one). / sincerely (part two).

premise: your diligent efforts to uncover the identity of your secret admirer had ultimately amounted to nothing. in fact, your investigations only raised more questions — your companions' strange behaviors and shifty-eyed gazes hadn't completely escaped from your awareness, not to mention you've become... privy to some of their affections...

and what is the last thing you need while trying to search for one person who liked you? more people to like you, of course!

but that is exactly what you receive. (goddamn it all.)

includes: zhongli, kaeya, scaramouche, itto & the real secret admirer !

note: oh god i have done it. it's even longer than the other one but since this is the 10k celebration fic, it's only rightfully so! i hope you enjoy this... likes and reblogs are appreciated <33 please read the first part if you haven't already!

zhongli:

all things considered, zhongli is an unrelated figure to your personal issues, not particularly concerned with such trifling matters. you lived worlds apart, and he's generally preoccupied by his own studies anyway, too absorbed in his thesis to mind who has a crush on who and whatnot.

yet it seems as if fate is intent on pulling you two together whether you like it or not.

you belong in different majors, your lecture halls on opposite sides of campus, and he's an upperclassman. not to mention the upperclassman everyone looks up to, the senior equivalent of albedo. though he holds an air of benevolence and warmth, he's unapproachable in the way nobody would dare impose themselves in fear of bothering him with their presence.

professors only speak of his name in accordance with endless words of praise, and legend has it that any paper he proofreads is guaranteed to receive a high grade... not that anyone could confirm it, since nobody has been gifted that luxury.

except for you, of course, living the y/n life — you'd been slaving away on your assignments per usual at diluc's cafe when, in a moment of misfortune, zhongli had crashed into a waiter and spilled his coffee on your papers, soaking pale sheets in brown splatters and smudging the inked sentences you'd painstakingly written for the past hour.

if only your laptop hadn't run out of battery, you wouldn't have resorted to drafting with pen and paper. or you could have done your work in a later date instead of being productive for nothing. fuck.

witnessing your expression crumpled to disbelief and misery, zhongli apologized through offering his assistance in doing your assignment with you. and oh boy, he did it well. it was better than what you could've ever done, the insight he provided beyond profound. he was humble even as you showered him with compliments, still looking quite apologetic for the fiasco he caused.

and. right. it could've ended there. after that occasion, you would wave at him if you passed by each other at the hallways, but that's where the extent of your relationship ended, a pair of underclassman and upperclassman who'd known each other once.

but of course it's never that easy.

he pops up when you least expect it, running into you frequently even though the rumors articulated “you'd hardly get a glimpse of him since he's busy all the time” clearly. and he's acquainted with people you know well, just that you never paid attention to it; keqing seems to respect him a lot, so does xiao, ganyu perks up whenever he's brought up in conversations, and childe sticks to him when given the opportunity. perhaps it was only a matter of time that you begin a friendship with him as well...

but what's up with these horribly timed drama tropes you keep experiencing with him?!

bumping into him and dropping your books to the floor so he offers to walk you to the library, locked into a room when a professor asks you to collect materials for class with him and the door has a faulty knob, getting photographed by a student while you study in the same table and everyone assumes you're dating,,

you've been seeing far too much of him.

everyone's patience has been wearing thin. xiao tries his best to keep his annoyance at bay but fails. childe has resorted to bribing zhongli for free lunch to lead him away from you. albedo straight up drags you to the opposite direction whenever he spots zhongli within vicinity.

but it's like there's a force of nature compelling you to stick right back to him.

hosting events for college fests had never been your kind of thing, but attention follows you if you're acquainted with famous people, and keqing was unwilling to be an emcee if she didn't have a friend alongside her to act as a second host. of course, that meant everyone was deadset on dragging you with her.

you're not very keen on standing on a stage to face the whole school like a kid participating in a talent show, but you've never been good at saying “no” to your friends.

hence why you find yourself clutching on a microphone now, blinded by bright stage lights. you would much prefer if you were part of the audience. or if you were in ayaka's place instead, holding up cue cards behind the curtains.

there's some kind of beauty pageant going on, a popularity contest for the prettiest people in uni. votes are collected via online polls, and you're tasked to reveal the top 10. you don't doubt for a second your friends will all join you on stage eventually, and you've already asked ganyu to drag xiao up the platform if he tries to escape. sweeping off a piece of confetti by your shoulder, you flip open the folden paper in your hand and announce the winning names.

zhongli steps up as one of the candidates for first place and you faintly hear gasps of awe and high pitched squeals.

you nod at him in acknowledgement, and he returns the gesture in kind. you head on over to hand him a mic of his own, keqing busying herself by doing the same job for other contestants, and...

in your carelessness, distracted by fumbling with the paper in your hand to hide it back inside your pocket, you trip over an electrical cord.

you've been waiting the entire night for the time where you'll eventually embarrass yourself in front of a crowd. perhaps a voice crack in what's supposed to be a tense situation, a stutter in your words, falling off a stage even, but here it is, even more horrifying than what you could've imagined.

squeezing your eyes shut instinctively, you brace yourself for the hard surface to tumble onto. instead, what meets you is something squishy, someone's hands gripping around your shoulders, and-

FUCK. you banged your knees on the ground.

the first thing to pop in your mind is a myriad of swears that could stun a sailor.

the second is the oddly plush surface your lips had landed on.

the third is the sight of widened golden eyes. they look very familiar. but you'd rather not think about who they belong to.

the ugly screech of the microphone dropping to the floor is drowned out by gasps, yelling, and the scandalized choke of keqing behind you. xiao — who did end up being a contender for the stupid popularity contest and is standing only a few meters away, makes an alarming noise that could trigger a person's fight or flight reaction.

you hastily attempt to rise to your feet, but the floor is slippery what the actual fuck, and zhongli, oh for fuck's sake, innocent and oblivious zhongli grabs your hips to keep you steady.

.....of course the accidental kiss and caught in a compromising position tropes were going to happen eventually.

kaeya:

“it's from me.”

your gaze travels from the fresh, new bouquet of flowers emitting a sweet fragrance lying in your arms, and the face of the man currently standing before you, lips curled in what seems to be a supposedly reassuring smile.

“you mean... this and the carnations last time?”

his lips are still firmly quirking upwards, admirably patient in spite of reiterating the same phrase over and over again whenever probed with your repetitive questions.

still, he doesn't quite give off the impression of someone deeply infatuated.

and okay, not to be narcissistic, but you expected a secret admirer to... well, admire you more, yet this person looks as nonchalant as ever.

and he doesn't look like the type to profess love through subtle means. at all.

you'll be blunt. you've heard of kaeya. who hasn't? whether it be of mischief, or something more scandalous in nature, he's more or less always involved with trouble, gossip about him traveling fast. it may be an insane prank in the boys' dormitory or someone he bedded (who's supposedly out of everyone's league, yet fell for his charms so easily), you hear of his name quite often.

it's just that you didn't expect you'd associate yourself with him...

and if you have at least two brain cells to rub together, you can easily piece together the conclusion: this guy is definitely talking out of his ass.

nobody has ever heard of kaeya pining over someone so badly that he personally sent bouquets and other small gifts to appease them, admiring them from the shadows. it's so clearly not his style. if he likes someone, he'd flirt with them a bit and cleverly worm his way into their heart, and absolutely not give away presents expecting nothing in return.

but if he's not your secret admirer, then for what reason is he pretending like he is?

you want to seek the truth, and playing along for the meantime sounds like the best option. and this may draw out the real secret admirer, the sly part of you voices internally.

thinking it'll be rude to turn him down publicly (since of course he initiated this exchange in the middle of a crowd, and that only gives you more reason to doubt him), you decide to see how things go first.

if anything, this whole “wooing” business with kaeya seems like it's done out of spite. does he have a bone to pick with you? or he made one of those stupid “it'll only take a week for you to fall for me” bets with his friends? hopefully not, because that's terribly out of trend.

your indifferent responses do nothing to deter him from sticking to you like glue though, doing this and that to earn your favor. he's... not doing anything wrong, actually. if you didn't know any better, you'd think he's like any other eager guy who wants to receive your love.

he does a great job of remembering what things you like and dislike, making a habit of inviting you out for a meal in your favorite restaurants every now and then or taking note of what movies you're looking forward to so you could watch it in the cinema together.

... it feels more like hanging out with normal friends now.

kaeya eases into the idea of that notion, too, insisting on meeting you outside of his shady “i'm your secret admirer” business. it doesn't take too long until you begin to reach out to him as well, inviting him to go shopping with you to look at jewelry together (and dear lord, does kaeya know how to accessorize) or giving him a ticket to the amusement park when kokomi bails on you. (“so i' m just a rebound? a back-up plan?” kaeya arches a questioning brow, acting deeply hurt to provoke a reaction. you smack his shoulder and he laughs in mirth.)

(he definitely tries for the “let's go to the haunted house so you can cling to me when you're scared” cliche but fails. why does he feel disappointed though...)

if given more time, maybe the time would come where you'll both just shrug off the secret admirer thing and continue on normally as friends. it'll be the last thing on your minds, a joke that never had a punchline. just some prank kaeya didn't see through the end.

but then it resurfaces when kaeya had already given you your daily dose of coffee — yes, he somehow knows the secret recipe you like, something you plan to ask him about later — but another cup is waiting at your desk, its once warm temperature turning lukewarm.

you inspect it, judging for yourself, and you confirm it's the same recipe you like.

so this one is from the real secret admirer then, the one who's still hiding in the shadows. that, or this recipe is just popular.

the people residing in the same room as you observe the scene with interest, because apparently your romance drama became a spectator sport, stares pinned in kaeya's direction.

you knew he was a fraud from the very start, but others do not, and he's not sure what to say.

someone else makes the excuse for him. “do you have another person who likes you, [name]?” amber asks innocently, essentially saving kaeya's ass without her realizing it. you let your gaze shift from her to kaeya.

“...maybe.” you place the two cups of coffee side-by-side, feigning nonchalance.

if the real secret admirer found out that someone's pretending to be him, this must be his way of saying kaeya's a fraud in front of everyone. after all, if he was actually the secret admirer, there'd be no need for kaeya to give you another cup when he'd already placed one on top of your desk.

and a couple of people already know who the real one is, anyway. xiao just doesn't want to tell you.

kaeya sends what seems to be a longing gaze your way but ends up turning away to head to his own classroom. he'd only offered to walk you towards yours, and you didn't share classes. it gives you more time to ponder how to confront him.

you didn't have to. he explained things himself.

it comes in the time you least expect, a peaceful lunch like any other. he suddenly arrived at your table, tray in hand, and sat opposite of you. “it's not me,” is the first thing he says, no context at all. he admits the obvious truth and you shovel more food in your mouth in your hopes of hiding how curious you are for what else he has to say.

“but i know who's been giving you flowers... and the coffee. also the chocolate the other day. i helped him pick out the presents, actually.” and that's where you choke because that's not what you were expecting at all.

“he was considering sending a love letter, but i told him you'd recognize his handwriting because you know him very well. and he refused to give a printed letter because he thought it was 'lacking' and you deserved better than that.” he scoffed at the thought. “and that's cute of him. endearing, if you will. but he seriously pissed me off last month and i wanted to mess with him a bit.”

“so you... tried to date the person he likes?” your expression sours. that's a dick move. he immediately shakes his head, as if to say perish the thought.

“not that. i knew for a fact you wouldn't like me anyway. i was just teasing him,” kaeya huffs. “and he got angry at me. well, it's a justified reaction. but i didn't plan on keeping up the charade for long. i only wanted to fool around for a few days.”

“and then?”

“...i missed the timing to pass it off as a joke. then we started to hang out like friends. but i assured him that you didn't actually think i was the real secret admirer, so he forgave me as long as i... do some work for him.”

oh. he's right about that though. and that also explains why kaeya looked so tired recently, helping out a friend with his project as a sincere apology.

“does he plan on revealing his identity anytime soon?” you can't help but ask, your eager eyes betraying the nonchalance in your voice. kaeya sighs at that, leaning back on his chair and crossing his arms.

“i've been trying to convince him to. it's exhausting to look at him flailing about like an idiot. he talks about you all the time.” he frowns at the way your cheeks color. “you should try luring him out.”

you tilt your head in question. to show his point, he reaches out his arm, grabbing your hand. you let him do as he pleases, even as he brings the spoonful of your meal to his lips, and takes a bite out of it.

distantly, you hear a metal clatter against the floor and a voice cry out in surprise. you turn your head towards the noise, and you see—

the hell. it's just bennett tripping.

... but it's not like bennett dropped a metal utensil or anything. he is the one who cried out, though.

“wrong direction, sweetheart. you were supposed to look at the right. what a shame, you didn't see him picking up his fork like a fool.” kaeya laughs, releasing your hand from his grip.

he seems strangely reluctant in doing so, but you decide not to look further into it.

scaramouche:

at best, he is an unwilling spectator.

emphasis on “unwilling” because he truly does not wish to see you. like at all. you're pretty sure he hates your guts, but he'd amassed a lifetime's worth of misfortune and keeps seeing you... and the guys around you.

it's safe to say if your love life was turned into a k-drama, he'd probably seen the entire series.

he'd walked in on you when childe confessed he likes you, purple eyes narrowed into a sharp glare before he turned on his heel and left the room. he'd seen the way xiao looks at you, starstruck and excruciatingly fond, because of course scaramouche sat beside him in class (long, long ago they settled a mutual agreement to not speak to each other unless necessary, even if they hadn't verbally discussed it). he'd seen you at diluc's cafe, too, when diluc poured coffee at the angry customer. scaramouche's clothes were stained, as he was the customer sitting beside your table.

he'd seen you with kazuha when kazuha came to pick you up in the rain. he'd seen albedo draw sketches of you in the corner of his notes. he'd seen thoma with you while out for grocery shopping. he'd seen gorou follow after you not unlike a loyal puppy.

he's, reasonably, tired of seeing your stupid face and your stupid harem and he hates you.

by the looks of it, none of your friends like him. especially mona. she had a few arguments with him already. they didn't mix well, and scaramouche liked poking fun of the astrology she loved, a firm disbeliever of such things. “how is my birthday supposed to dictate my personality? or my relationship status? is this fortune-telling? tell me, then. what's my lucky color for the day-” and he only shut up when mona landed a clean kick to his shin.

...yeah. he's kind of an asshole. the type to scowl 24/7, glare at you for no reason, and bump into you without apologizing. then when you do try to make small talk to alleviate the awkward atmosphere, he scoffs and pointedly ignores you.

but you can't blame him for finding you and... the guys following you irritating. you imagine it must be an eyesore for outsiders. there's already quite a bit of rumors about you going around seducing men (and women, you add, because apparently you can't be friends with pretty girls without having those kinds of intentions... and yoimiya and ayaka could be somewhat touchy) and rumors are almost always wildly changed with each pass of gossip from one person to another.

of course your friends don't believe it one bit and are ready 24/7 to defend your honor, but scaramouche is very obviously not your friend, and he may regard you with something less than pleasing.

it's only understandable you're caught by surprise when you chance upon him picking a fight with people badmouthing you, shoving a boy to the wall with brute force you wouldn't expect from someone his size. (you berate yourself for making fun of his height in this kind of situation.)

“shut the fuck up,” scaramouche drawls out, fisting the boy's shirt collar. “your voice is grating to the ears. surely, you have better things to do than yap nonsensical bullshit out in the open?”

“what's your fucking problem?!” the guy responds, panicking within his grip. “it's not like we were talking about you! don't think so highly of yourself!”

that prompts a scoff from him, and he tightens his hold on the boy's collar. he immediately shuts his mouth, thinking it better not to retaliate. scaramouche's glare promises something beyond simple violence if he continued to act prideful.

somwhat satisfied by the fear glistening in the guy's eyes, scaramouche finally releases him. “scram.”

the group runs off, and you quickly duck behind a wall to hide from his sight as he walks away. you're not sure what to feel, conflicted by his usual prick demeanor and shockingly kind(?) actions behind the scenes.

unfortunately, your confusion reflects directly on your face. after a handful of times catching you staring at him, he finally snaps, “what do you want.”

your expression twists into something complex, and scaramouche's frown deepens. “uh... no, it's nothing, really...”

“you've been looking at me all day. do you take me for a fool?”

your face sours. so much for planning to thank him. maybe he didn't stand up for you and actually just found the noisy gossiping annoying enough to choke a guy and pin him to the wall. if it's scaramouche, it isn't too far-fetched at all.

and what were you going to say to him, anyway? it's not like he explicitly stated he did it for you. it would be beyond mortifying if you thanked him for it and he clarified that little detail, thinking you were stuck-up enough to assume the world revolves around you.

... no, that's too much overthinking, isn't it...

“well?” scaramouche impatiently taps his foot, raising an eyebrow expectantly. you hold back a defeated sigh and decide to stay put.

“sorry if i made you uncomfortable. i was, um, looking at...” who does he sit with again? “xiao!” you mentally apologize to your friend, using his name as an excuse.

impossibly, he becomes more irate than before, his taps ceasing into a calm quiet. the silence pierces more than the tense conversation prior.

without another word, he walks away.

...well. okay. that was safely evaded.

life continues on per usual. you don't interact for the next week, and you want to leave it at that.

except your life is a joke. a romantic comedy you never wanted to be a part of.

...you're assigned to a group project. with him. with childe too, no less. the childe who confessed his love to you not too long ago and you still have problems wrapping your head around it, not sure how to talk with him like you did before.

amidst this drama, scaramouche is stuck smack dab between you. he's unquestionably furious.

he's present when childe looks at you in the same excruciating way xiao does. he's present when childe tries to make jokes to ease off the tension, and it doesn't work in the slightest. he's present in the lingering gazes, awkward pauses when you graze fingers as you hand materials to each other, and reluctant conversations that never last any longer than seven clipped sentences.

scaramouche feels wronged. had he committed a war crime in his past life to deserve this despair?

and you. you just want to get this over with. collect information, make a powerpoint, and present in front of the whole class. easier said than done.

the three of you together doesn't sit right with you, but left with only two isn't any better either. childe and scaramouche don't get along if you leave them long enough for an argument to brew. scaramouche hates you and doesn't fill the silence when childe leaves for a bathroom break. childe tries too hard to talk when scaramouche leaves for a coffee break.

when the first day of working together ends, you nearly cry tears of joy.

“i can walk you home,” childe offers out of goodwill. it's certainly not because he has other intentions in mind, he's just concerned since it is pretty late.

“we take the same bus,” scaramouche speaks, for the first time joining your conversation. “we can go together.”

childe smiles in relief, lifting a hand to ruffle your hair. then he stills. old habits die hard. damn.

for his sake, you don't comment on it. you walk out of the library, scaramouche in tow.

the stroll to the empty bus stop isn't a comfortable one, but at the very least, you're accompanied by an acquaintance and you don't have to feel anxious being alone. you take a seat as you wait but scaramouche chooses to remain standing, placing a fair amount of distance between you.

“...you haven't made up?”

his voice is small, almost swallowed by the howling winds. you're surprised he wants to talk about it, but you laugh. “we didn't fight or anything.”

“fighting would've been better,” he replies. “an apology could still repair your relationship. but there's nothing you can do if you don't see him that way, and he can't see you as a friend.”

you look down at your feet, heels resting firmly against the pavement. “yes... it's tricky. i don't know how to act around him. i don't want to hurt him, but... maybe not rejecting him is painful, too.”

“then turn him down properly.”

“it's not that easy...”

“would you rather him still have hopes for a chance with you and eventually get disappointed instead of dealing with it once and for all?”

he makes an excellent point. it's reasonable enough... but you don't know how to bring it up with childe. not now. not yet. you'll have to think about it properly, the way to reject him with the least amount of discomfort from his side.

“receiving relationship advice from you... if someone told me this would happen today, i'd think they've gone mad.” you chuckle. “do you deal with friends whining about hardships like these often?”

“apparently, they think of me — someone who has no interest in dating — as the perfect person to consult for relationship problems.”

“hm? you don't date? do you like anyone, at least?”

he gives you a look. it's perfectly blank, devoid of his usual arrogance or irritation. you blink at him, the pause in the conversation stretching too long to be comfortable.

“you could say that. but i don't... try things i know won't work out.”

“...like?”

he rolls his eyes. “think about it this way.” he removes his hands from his pockets, approaching your seated figure. he comes startlingly close, mere centimeters away, and his fingers curl around your wrist. your lips part and close, and you wonder if he's trying to kiss your knuckles-

“if i told you now that i like you, with this many people who like you too, there's no way i'd win, is there?”

it's an example, you tell yourself. you asked him a question and he answered it.

“...so the one you like is popular...”

but his gaze looking directly into your eyes is too earnest, too honest. sincere. light reflects against the violet pools, a turbulent storm clouding within.

you neither nod nor shake your head. the bus arrives and you scramble to get on it.

scaramouche pulls you by the wrist when you nearly trip over the small set of stairs, leading you to a pair of seats. if you have something to be grateful for, it's that he doesn't try to talk anymore, using the pair of headphones resting by his neck for the rest of the ride.

itto:

itto barges into your life in a whirlwind of chaos.

it comes in the form of a stray volleyball plummeting towards your back, and the sheer force behind it knocks the wind out of your lungs. your knees buckle and you kneel on the floor, heaving violent gasps of air. the searing pain makes you wonder if you broke your spine.

distantly, a screech bellows from the court. a figure almost flies past the gymnasium's doors to check on your condition. “are you okay?!” it's gorou, you realize, his eyes blown wide with panic.

you don't want to worry him and say you feel as if you've permanently shattered a bone, but your back hurts like a bitch and you tell him so, “fuck me with a hammer, did a bowling ball crash into me or something?”

he ignores your interesting choice of words and answers, “my friends and i were playing volleyball, i'm so sorry! we didn't see you there at all!”

you steer your sight to the gymnasium entrance and oh my god. the doors aren't especially massive, and one of them is even closed, so what are the chances you walk past the small space and precisely get slammed by a stray ball? it's gotta be lower than a five star drop in gacha.

“can you stand?” gorou holds up a hand for you to take but you really can't move away from your fetal position without an explosion of ache jolting through your body. he's three seconds away from offering to carry you when someone else beats him to it.

“did you get hurt?!” a blur of white hair passes through your eyes, and you blink up at an unfamiliar man. gorou's friend, you're guessing, most likely the one who injured you too — that powerful force from the volleyball could only come from someone like him. tall, athletic, muscular. he's ripped. shredded. probably tore your muscle fibers too.

you don't let the pain cloud your mind. he didn't mean to kill you, you remind yourself. you stretch your lips into a smile, but it may just look like a grimace.

however, with a gentleness you didn't expect from him, he carefully hoists you on his back. oh. he's strong. and really warm.

...sticky with sweat too, but you'll try not to mind it too much...

“i'll carry you to the infirmary!”

your brain clears up from the haze of agony. “...wait, you don't have to-” before you get another word in, he rushes to the clinic, and you bypass many, many people. you settle for hiding your face as best as you can.

after proper treatment, he gives you a serious apology. you learn his name is itto, and you instantly recognize him. you've heard of the name itto before, that one popular student on a sports scholarship for basketball, but he's known more for goofing off with other sports teams. he's broken a lot of windows when he played baseball... and probably also broke bones of other people when he roughhoused too much on the soccer field. it's just that he's insanely talented, enough for most people to overlook his troublesome tendencies.

anyhow, famous or infamous, you can't tell yet. but he's very much willing to make up for your injury.

a free meal would honestly suffice just fine, but even after that, he insists on following you around, offering his assistance whenever needed. and, well. you have no problems with having an extra hand to help when you need to carry heavy equipment.

then he learns about the whole secret admirer thing and he proposes he'll help you lure him out.

“and how do you intend to do that...?” you inquire just as you enter the lecture hall, itto trailing after you and setting your bag on the table. his face splits into a grin and you have a vague idea of what he plans on doing.

he wraps an arm around your shoulders and tugs you close to his chest.

several things happen at once. a huff leaves xiao's mouth involuntarily. the crack of pencil lead breaking into pieces sounds from beside him, scaramouche holding the pen in his hand with too much force. the laughter ringing seconds prior comes to a halt, childe's face no longer displaying a bright smile.

itto blinks, retracting his arm. he didn't expect this outcome. “you have really overprotective friends, [name].”

as one would expect, you never got the results you want because too much people react to his provocations. it's tricky to pinpoint which one of them exactly is your secret admirer when they all like you the same. (this whole situation is truly absurd. it's not that you fed all these guys love potions by accident, right?)

itto doesn't dare upsetting gorou with this though, but with anyone else, it's free game. he begins calling you the most ridiculous pet names he could come up with, in the wrong place and in the wrong time.

my precious cupcake. my sweetest honeybun. little ducky. snugglepuff. they send shivers down your spine. (albedo is noted to be most affected when itto does this. it's not hard to imagine his brain cells frying when itto shamelessly calls you by such awful names.)

but then it becomes a habit. he's not doing it ironically anymore. his mouth had become accustomed to addressing you in manners only lovers do. more often than not, your friends would be caught by surprise when he wholeheartedly calls out “babe” to earn your attention and you turn towards him as if it's like the most natural thing in the world.

the cherry on top is when you attend one of his games for the basketball team.

it's not like you wore his varsity jacket to rub into everyone's faces the fact that you're dating. nor did you wear a cheerleader outfit of some sorts to show your passionate support as his significant other. you'd only come with gorou and kokomi, waving the banner the three of you made into the air as you were seated in the stands along the sides of the court.

when they won the finals, people on your side all rejoiced, flocking over to the team to praise them and offer their congratulations. thinking it would be better to stand by instead of joining the sweaty crowd, you stood aside with kokomi while gorou insisted on diving headfirst to the sea of people.

then a tall head approaches from afar. white hair, bright eyes, and a similarly blinding smile. “[name]!”

you didn't expect him to come to you. well. spares you the effort then. you throw a towel around his neck. “you're drenched in sweat. please don't touch me.”

he frowns. “not even a congratulatory hug?”

“not when you're this gross.”

at least that wasn't a stern no. itto grins. “wasn't i great out there?” he cards his fingers into his hair, fishing for compliments. you thought he had enough of those from the crowd currently swarming him. “i did a ton of 3 pointers. you saw me, right?”

“would you be disappointed if i said i was on my phone the whole time?”

immediately, his face twists into an offended look. of course that was a lie. you laugh and lean on the tips of your toes to reach his hair, ruffling it into a mess. “kidding. you were amazing, babe.”

that moment, you hadn't seen his expression clearly, occupied with patting his head. perhaps you hadn't even realized what you called him.

but to everyone around you, they could see it, plain to the eye — the shock in his gaze, the small twitch of his lips, the rise of his brows. then his cheeks flush a lovely color as he stares at you under his lashes with a hesitance as one would look at the sun, longing to admire its radiance yet afraid to be scorched by its brilliant rays.

he takes the leap anyways, staring at you as long as he wanted.

a lovestruck fool, keen to your touch.

your secret admirer.

relatively speaking, it's an ordinary day so far.

or as ordinary as it can be with a life as silly as yours. the past few weeks didn't feel real. you wish they weren't. everything has become too complicated. everyone kept on acting suspiciously and skirting around you, avoiding eye contact only to observe you from behind.

your day starts out seeing thoma when you open your front door, both of you telling each other good morning. you pass by kazuha having breakfast at a fast food joint. then you run into itto first thing in the morning, where he gladly helps in carrying a 3d model of your project into class. kaeya swings by to bring you coffee since you didn't get a chance to visit diluc's cafe, not having the extra hand to carry among the pile you already have. you make your daily greetings, saying hi to your friends and annoying xiao, as you always do. you nod towards scaramouche, and you even had enough courage to say hi first to childe too. when walking to another lecture hall, you happen to meet albedo, gorou and zhongli in separate times.

then at lunch time, when you briefly leave your belongings alone for a moment, someone leaves a packet of candies stuffed into your bag.

a sticky note is stuck on the surface, “please meet me at the physics classroom at 6 p.m.” scrawled in black ink.

the penmanship is good. it twists in elegant curls at the edges, brush strokes light and even.

you're able to recognize it at first glance, just as kaeya has told you.

you've seen it enough times to burn it in your brain. you've rigorously studied notes with that same handwriting, after all.

at 5:56, you stand in front of the classroom doors. in different circumstances, you'd have second thoughts before blindly following somebody's orders but you know who it's from, and it is decidedly not a murderer out to get you.

you collect an intake of breath, and twist the doorknob.

the last traces of sunlight bathe the room in a heavenly glow, a haze of aureate like shimmering flecks of gold. the billowing curtains hide the figure standing by the windowsill, the gentle breeze caressing your cheeks as you squint in its direction.

the figure moves of their accord, the sound of a book snapping shut following their actions.

albedo walks out, a serene smile displaying on his sun-kissed face.

“...hey.”

your heartbeat pounds in your ears. though you expected his appearance, it does nothing to dull your surprise.

“it's you.”

albedo had always admired you in quiet adoration.

he can't provide a clear explanation why his gaze is naturally drawn to you, turquoise eyes sweeping by your countenance before he realizes it. but it started out simple, as everything does: a curiosity piqued, when he heard of a person tagging along the supposedly unapproachable girls in school.

gossip comes and goes every season, and albedo knew it will pass soon. it's only a matter of time before they cling to another topic to babble about. most likely something kaeya did again, because he chases after trouble like a dog with a bone.

rumors are nasty. they paint you in malicious light, a person seeking attention among the most eye-catching lot. you wished you were on the same league as them, they said. you were only after the benefits of acquainting with those girls, they said.

but you were special on your own.

the way you carried yourself with confidence, against the judgmental stares and muddled opinions. the way you hadn't cared about what other people said, because you knew best about the situation and you were different from what they made you out to be. the way you genuinely loved your friends, sincerely wishing them happiness and doing everything you can to put a smile on their faces.

you were dazzling.

your laughter rang like bells in his ears, your grin a delight to see. your voice was melodious as you prattled on about the latest film you watched, or as you hummed a song with headphones covering your ears. your colorful expressions were amusing, a reflection of the feelings in your heart.

as the professor drones out during lessons, albedo finds himself distracted by his daydreams. what if he stood beside you? what if he could partake in conversations, not only able to hear your voice but you'd also hear his? what if he was the one faced with your smile, the reason of your smile, the one who made you feel such joy?

what if you permitted him to go further? to brush hands with you, to intertwine your fingers in simple intimacy, to curl his arms around your waist in a loose embrace, to press a kiss on the corner of your lips-

his ears burned in humiliation. what on earth was he thinking?

but forget “seeking attention from others,” it didn't even seem like you were interested in dating.

you showed indifference towards the idea, avoiding mixers and drinking parties. you also turned down quite a few dates. not to mention albedo wasn't even friends with you. he wasn't even sure if you knew of his name.

then you showed up at the library, and for the first time, albedo was thankful for the privilege nobody bothered his table, so you could sit alone together.

you became friends after his (despairingly embarrassing) insistent attempts to acquaint himself with you.

and he files away the little details, storing the small things about you in the corner of his mind. what you like, what you dislike. what days were you free, what things you prefer over the other.

it's a happiness he relishes in, the comfort of your friendship. but his greedy little heart yearns for more, for what you cannot give.

he tries anyway.

he's running out of time. you're always surrounded by people, whether you realize it or not. but he considers himself a selfish person. he doesn't want you to be taken away.

he may lose you entirely if he does it wrong.

but you're already here, eyes gleaming, lips pressed in a nervous tight line. the red dusting your cheeks leaves some hope for him, so he musters up his courage and simplifies the storm of feelings that eats away his heart each day:

“i like you, [name].”

Boyfriend Material

  Ft. J. Kirstein, A.Arlet, L. Ackerman,  E.Yeager, R.Braun, E. Smith

Lemme just preface this by saying I am so excited to start dabbling in other fandoms + writing. I have a silly demon slayer au I’m writing plus Levi 100 followers celebratory fic! So without further ado, enjoy! (Sfw & nsfw h/c about my fave boys! Modern au btw!) ((pps it’s kinda long bare w/me pls))

Keep reading

GENSHIN BOYS IN COLLEGE

pairings: xiao, zhongli, kaeya, albedo, diluc, thoma, kazuha, & childe x gn!reader

summary: them & their college shenanigans <3

warnings: fluffy. this is literal crack i'm so blocked

note: i was having writers block so enjoy some brain rot

xiao: the liberal arts major who hates everyone except you and his besties venti & albedo <3 when xiao's not trying to be the main character who's mysteriously drawing by himself under a tree, he's streaming on twitch with his active 400k fan base that consists mostly of teenage girls. oh, did i mention he's a secret drag racer?

zhongli: the teachers assistant for the world history class. this man knows everything about every historical event. you swear it's like he's almost lived through all of it! which leads to your speculations of zhongli being a vampire. anyway, this man is very sweet and definitely gets unwanted flirtatious attention from his students. poor man just wants to talk about history </3

kaeya: the frat boy who's almost never at his frat house. honestly if he didn't tell you he was a frat boy you never could've guessed. kaeya is your typical "bad boy heart breaker" trope. and of course, his only soft spot is for you <3 what you find even more shocking is that he's a chemistry major. suddenly the stupid science pick up lines he leaves on post it notes for you to find make more sense.

albedo: ah yes, our studious straight A albedo. he's a double stem major with a minor in art. albedo has to be one of the most underrated students in your class. he's kind, smart, and very pretty. albedo is always willing to help you with your work and always does so with a gleaming smile! everyone loves albedo <3

diluc: oh. him. that guy. so diluc's like super rich, but humble about it. you won't even know this man is rich you didn't see him driving around campus in his 150,000 sports car. you've only heard from rumors that he's not one to talk to and should be ignored. so it wasn't until you were forced to talk to him though a project that you realized diluc is the most socially awkward dork you know! strangely, you very much like him for it.

thoma: unintentional teachers pet. all of the professors love thoma. i mean, who doesn't love thoma? having a bad day? thoma to the rescue! he's always there for you, rain or shine. he majors in zoology and is president of the cooking club! he also seems to attract a ton of unwanted attention from his fellow peers, but in reality all his heart longs for is yours.

kazuha: mmm yes. another one apart of liberal arts. kazuha is a music major and probably one of the easiest going guys you have ever met. he writes you weekly poems that you collect over time and put in a shoebox you spent hours decorating. you'd never tell kazuha that obviously.

childe: the epitome of frat boy chad. childe did not come to college to study, he came to party his life away. what enrages your the most is childe's natural smooth talking skills. this loser can talk any professor out of failing him. but what you can't seem to wrap your head around is his pristine grades. how can someone get wasted on a monday night but still ace their exam!!

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