In Life And Death / 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄
In Life and Death / 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄
♡ read the prologue here :D
♡ When everything you know is shrouded in light, it’s often hard to remember to peek into the darkness. Your family has long since been a part of those who avoid it, choosing to hide comfortably amongst the high ranks of Mondstadt’s nobility. Your father, the King, has fought hard to keep it that way, especially following the Queen's unfortunate death. However, with a sudden push from the Fatui, certain old wounds are quickly reopened.
It's why upon tragedy striking, you aren’t alone in the assumption that the foreign nation is to blame. But when unseen circumstances quickly push the question of the culprit's identity over to you, you find that the situation is much deeper than meets the eye. Between the mysterious nature of an unknown killer, familial doubts, and the 11th Harbinger launching himself into the scene by making an attempt on your life, you think you're completely in over your head.
Even if Childe claims you have the picture all wrong.
And so, in a gruesome twist of events, you're faced with a choice -- trust Childe's convenient involvement and get to the bottom of everything together, or risk becoming victims yourselves.
♡ warnings: violence, mentions of choking, blood, and knives.
♡ word count: 7.3k
You had long learned to never trust a man who is no more than his glare, because even the most innocent of dogs will still bear their teeth. And inside the walls of Mondstadt’s gates, this ideology very well may be known to many -- because from the darkened alleyways to busy courtrooms, there will always be those who show more than they are ready to give.
Unfortunately, the same can often be said of the king.
You are as much of a stranger to his dealings as he is, though the difference in you lies in your capability of being disappointed. The King is extremely lucrative when he can be, handling his power in a way where those around him are left in a constant state of wondering, when will he strike next, and how? The answers are often underwhelming.
Of course, you know better than them. Each side-eyed glance and nuance of a threat is always held, but sometimes you suspect that behind your father's guarded eyes, there's nothing more than a man paralysed with fear. It's why your first reaction is to write him off when you get to thinking about the person you'd lost -- however much you want to blame him for it. His inherent innocence is the entire reason that the concept of a murder on the royal grounds terrifies you so much.
You hadn't ever been extremely close to the Chamberlain, but news of her death shook you like it would anyone. Because she had been a pleasant young woman, certainly no one that deserved to meet their end in such a way.
This does not mean Mondstadt is crime-free, of course. Pickpockets and murderers alike dwell in the deepest corners and behind closed doors, but none have ever dared to show themselves in such a fashion. Though, a sizable bit of the population in these parts do tend to include fatui agents from outside the nation, perhaps entrenched in the only ways they know how.
Someone other than the king had dealt a life-ending blow to someone of no consequence -- bearing their teeth, so to say. It was done as if they had known they could get away with it. The offence was haughty, too confident to be considered a crime of the usual degree. Hence, in your opinion, the large possibility of a fatui agent testing the waters.
But with nothing being confirmed, the question of the sudden nature of events remains. And despite the warning bells in your head, despite any disapproval the king may have, you would be better suited trying to uncover the mystery with everyone else than just sitting around. In fact, that's exactly how you managed to see the effects of the situation in the first place.
It was more difficult than usual to sneak around, but upon arriving at the ugly leftover scene under the guise of a maid, you almost change your mind.
There was no major evidence left behind, no trace of a second person besides a ring of purple around her neck, the indentation of thick fingers settled heavy in her skin. Apparently mere choking had not been enough to subdue the woman, too — the main offender is much more striking.
An injection had ultimately done her in, the pin-prick small but only noticeable thanks to the crystallised blood surrounding the wound. Much like the odd suit of frost covering her skin, it was unusually cold to the touch.
But, you had been discovered and ushered out of the room before you could unearth much more. As much as you’d like to do something with the information you’d snuck by, other clues are not so readily available. You'd expected as much, but to be shunned so quickly? It was almost too odd to overlook the convenience of it.
Left with nothing to process, you are steadfast in your blaming of the foreign Snezhnayan officers. But whether any truly useful information exists or not, you hadn't been allowed around long enough to find out.
Grave events such as this one are debilitating, they shake normal life in a way usual events do not. But just as the king is well aware of the fear that envelops the royal court, he is also in tune with the mechanics of the city he rules. He will take all means necessary to confine the circumstances, to avoid pressure from Snezhnayan diplomats if nothing else.
So, you know well that the lack of information provided is entirely intentional.
The Chamberlain's death had occurred three whole days ago, and you still haven't heard a thing. Not even the town gossips are aware of the turmoil that drenches the castle, and the maids are equally tight-lipped.
Tapping a pen against the mahogany of the wooden desk, you sigh. The writer’s callus on your dominant hand is tinged with blue ink, darker in the low light of the library only you populate. The usually bustling halls have been noticeably empty within the past few days. However, it is a good side effect -- with less to see your actions, the more freedom to investigate you are given.
Though, any so-called ‘investigations’ you’ve completed thus far have been nothing more than quick brainstorming sessions, wherein the same vague points are turned over and over again in your head. Sighing at the blank sheet of paper in front of you, you slump in your seat.
It frustrates you to know that in these moments, you are often royalty in title alone. You are a woman of title, a person of royal blood, are you not? Yet, because of a single wave of the king’s hand, you are kept in the dark just as every courtier and servant is, inevitably leaving one amongst you vulnerable to repeat the same unfortunate mistakes the chamberlain had.
However, you are not a courtier. Not a servant. So, why dangle such information above your head, why withhold any greater power your status holds? The reason, your father will likely never share, but your lack of knowledge in any event is undoubtedly purposeful
It may just be for your protection, though his intentions are never so simple; he thinks like a king, not a father.
But, albeit his strange tendencies, bits and pieces of the father you want to see remain in every stroke of his lacquered pen. He is the puppet behind only your menial troubles, and it would be unfair to pin much more than a daughter’s bitterness on him. Perhaps this is just his out of touch way of protecting you -- like you need it.
“My lady,”
A soft yet firm voice bids for your attention. There is an immediate regret that blooms in your chest as you stand up abruptly, feet pushing you out of your chair only to meet the patient eyes of a maid. You offer her an apologetic smile as you will your heart to slow.
It’s not your place to be jumpy, not when there are those who work soundlessly to ensure your protection.
Perhaps they’re a bit too soundless, though.
“My apologies.” The old woman bows her head slightly, leaning a careful hand on your shoulder. “You startle very easily lately, are you feeling well?”
You nod, gaze anywhere but her as you search for an escape. “Yes, yes, of course. Just nervous, is all.”
The maid watches you as you gather your things, eyes lingering a moment too long on the shaking hands you fail to conceal. You clutch the notebook and pen to your chest, offering her an awkward smile.
“Everything will be alright,” She assures you, gesturing to the rest of the empty library. “Extreme measures are being taken to protect anyone else in the castle from succumbing to a similar fate.”
As you nod wordlessly, the calmness in her voice does not dissipate. You feel almost scrutinised under her polished gaze — it is gentle, but concerned nonetheless. Your fears are merely surface level affairs to the familiar woman, despite how deeply you attempt to hide them.
Offering her a nod as you duck past her, you mumble a quiet goodbye. The maid’s eyes remain stuck to your back as you begin to walk away, patient.
“I had tea prepared not long ago.” You stop at the doorway, hand coming up to ghost over the wooden frame as your head turns back. The same unwavering smile adorns your sight. “Enjoy your night, my lady.”
You respond with a quick smile, fastening your grip on your belongings as you hurry from the room. The particular woman’s kindness truly runs deep, though you can’t help the discomfort you experience under her weighted gaze -- she studies you as if you are translucent, hungry eyes searching for fears to quell.
As your shoes click on the hard floor, you grimace. Of course, her intentions are nothing more than those of a dedicated caretaker, and guilt pokes at your inside unnervingly for pushing her innocent concern off. There is a part of you that wants to confide in someone, whether it is a maid or someone entirely different -- but, for reasons unknown to even you, it’s not something you’re willing to do.
On your worst days, you fear someone will attempt to face your emotions head-on, regardless of your wishes. And while such a person is bound to appear, it’s instances like these that you learn to stave off those indulgent enough to get too close. It is only practical, after all, as a member of the royal family to keep your troubles close.
Your mother had been a wonderful example of what compassion could do to someone of your status. Evident in every generation, in every string of events, there will always be someone looking to take advantage of such raw trust. So, while cowardly, it is a caution that no one can fault you for.
It is a truly vile way of thinking, yet in this walk of life, it is unfortunately necessary.
You have long stopped wondering what others think of your fears, though simultaneously, you have recently found it harder to maintain a cooler composure. No action seems just right, no demeanour enough to please everyone. Your honest desperation is heartbreakingly truthful, and you can only hope it's enough to excuse the way you act.
The low evening sun passes over your face through the windows of the hall, decorating your body in an array of warmth. And whether the world sees fit to tease you or not, you don’t mistake the oddly timed shiver that runs through your body. Shaking your head, you wish tiredly for nothing more than everything to be over.
The crystalline doorknob to your personal chambers is slippery beneath your clammy grip, exhaustion seeping through your veins as you stand there without luck. The tiny inconvenience tests your patience extremely closely. Luckily, the halls are empty around you, void of anything but yourself and guards stationed some ways away.
Offhandedly, you wonder if you could get away with sneaking off. Perhaps it’s an action you may need to take eventually, but with the steady droop of your eyelids, you surmise it can wait. Even your tired mind can discern that there is little you can do in your state.
Moments later, you find yourself sitting on your bed, the tricky doorknob locked shut behind you. You have little desire to do anything but to crawl under your covers and move on to the next day. But, the commentary-scribbled notebook still weighs lightly in your hand.
With a narrowed gaze, you consider stuffing it into your pillow case -- what could be a better hiding place than directly beneath you? Your eyes are heavy as you carry out the action. The process isn’t meticulous by any means, but you decide it will work well enough for now.
Still in your day clothes, you let your body fall on top of the comforter. You’re briefly freed of your anxieties as you will your mind to go blank. You forget about the murder, about your deathly curiosity, even about the mug of tea that continues to go cold on your nightside table.
Your worries may encompass dire things, they may not. But at the end of the day, they can only be worries.
“I don’t understand.”
The spring air is sweet in your nose, but for all that it’s worth, it’s easily outshined by the distinctly rotten taste that grows in your mouth. Mornings in the castle are usually filled by the former; golden sunlight within the deserted halls, the chirping of bluebirds heard from beyond the cracked windows, bowls of fresh fruit carried by passing servants -- but today, you find these peaceful things to be stifled.
You’d been called on during the early hours of the morning, long before you normally even rise. Perhaps it was a precautionary action, perhaps the particular subject just made your father restless, yet in any case, the first hour of your day is spent moderately.
“This is by no means a complicated thing to ask of you.” Your father says this, and while he may be right, he should be one of the last to consider giving you such an order.
You shake your head slowly, trying not to let your distress shine through. “No, it’s not, but it’s not necessary, is it? Someone is dead. I’m only expressing discomfort in my own way.”
“...Your coping mechanisms seem awfully dangerous.”
Avoiding his eye, you yawn into the back of your hand. Call it what you like, but coping mechanism be damned if it’s the one thing that makes you feel secure living as you do.
“I don’t see how trying to figure out what happened is dangerous,” You say, taking in your father’s demeanour. It’s an early morning for him as well, but you know better than to push his limits on purpose. “Please. It’s only a personal reassurement. I’ll be sure not to take it too far.”
He shakes his head. “I’m not concerned about you taking things too far, because I know you’ll do that regardless of what we agree on today.”
You’re silent at that.
“I just don’t need you getting hurt because someone chooses to see you as a threat, not when there are more capable people to be assessing this situation.”
Your lips and patience both simultaneously thin. “If there are more capable people available, then where are they? I would be more than happy to hand things over to them.”
Your father’s head tilts slightly, voice raising an octave or so. “I'm in the process of gathering help. Are you questioning me?"
Dread begins to ferment in your stomach as you shake your head, words heavy in your mouth. “No. I only urge you to take this more seriously. I think it would be the better choice, knowing what has happened when we let our guard down in the past.”
His eyes narrow as you turn your head away, avoiding his eye as casually as possible even while your heart thumps loudly in your chest. There is not a day that goes by wherein your father does not honour your late mother in some way. But, you do not understand the reason he chooses to push aside an event so similar to the one that has affected him so greatly now.
“I recommend that you visit the tavern this afternoon.” If your jab has ignited anything in him, it’s lost in the moment he turns to take a thin binder into his hand. You accept it warily as he continues. “The sister celebrations are quickly approaching. Despite the unfortunate events that have taken place recently, we must prepare as if on a normal schedule."
You quirk a curious brow. “Aren’t we on one already?”
“Yes, as of now.” Your father sizes up your expression before hesitantly continuing. “But, if things do get worse, I’m afraid we might have to postpone the events.”
Eyes widening, you stand up.
“There’s such a thing on the line, and still no one is investigating anything yet?!”
He says your name in a tone of warning, voice stern. “I'm handling it, but you must understand that there is not much to work with. I’m sure you know this as well.”
You try to meet his eyes, but they never quite meet yours; they follow his actions behind his desk, your fidgeting, but never anything else. You do not take it as a truthful promise, yet under his attention, all you can do is nod and believe that he will do as he says -- hope that he will listen to the concerns of the only family he has left.
You move to leave, keeping careful note of the binder in your hand as you grumble a muffled goodbye. You can only guess its contents, but aren’t too keen on stopping to read it under the stifling atmosphere you’ve created. At the door, you pause as he calls your name.
“Do not mention your mother to me again.”
His words settle with you as you disappear into the morning haze, the inkling of a frown pushing at your lips. The King had said that he was in the process of gathering help, but given his past, you aren't too inclined to believe him.
The conversation gets you thinking -- in the reality that he does end up finding someone to handle the situation, would you give up so easily? You aren't quite sure you know the answer. Especially not if the sister celebrations are in jeopardy.
It's why, when the afternoon comes, you are more than willing to pay the tavern a visit. As you’d discovered on your meandering walk back to your chambers, the binder your father had handed you is composed of nothing but numbers -- all necessary information for the numerous courses set to be available at the day of Ludi Harpastum and its most beloved partner, titled Dies Luctus.
A commemorative event by title alone, Dies Luctus is a masquerade that takes place yearly that exists to pay respects to those who have passed -- though in recent years, it has become more of a prologue for later festivities to the unseasoned eye.
Small details here and there exist to remind you of its history, in the dark masks that are given to attending patrons, or the waves of silence that occasionally pass over the crowd, even the single flowers provided as offerings to those who have lost someone. The most menacing of these signs, however, remains to be the empty throne at the king’s side.
Your hands are clammy as you trek to the tavern. Be it a masquerade or a way to respect the dead, you will sooner be a part of those honoured than let a petty murder be the reason the world is not reminded of your mother’s existence once again.
Angel’s Share’s bell chimes from high above as you enter, but no one looks in your direction even as the door slams shut behind you -- at least, save for the bartender. Trained vermillion eyes find yours in an instant, surprise melting through the depths as he beckons you over with the rag in his hand.
You can’t help your smile as you slip onto the stool in front of him.
The bar is polished finely, though maybe even more so than usual due to the presence of Master Diluc. His appearance at the bar is rare these days because of the looming dates of Dies Luctus and Ludi Harpastum -- but since the unfortunate passing of his father five years ago, the responsibility of coordinating the technicalities of the two events has since been passed to him.
You know firsthand that it’s a lot of work, but there is no one you feel safer leaving the job to than the man in front of you. He has proved time and time again that he is steadfast in all he does.
“Look who’s finally decided to show themselves.” Diluc nearly puts down the glass that he’s cleaning to ridicule you, a sure sign of his irritation. “I’d almost forgotten what you look like.”
Exhaling a light laugh, you shrug. “You know it’s busy up there. I barely have time for myself anymore, much less to come here.”
He shakes his head as if the explanation is so-so.
“You were never bad at sneaking out here before.” He quirks a brow, trading in the dry glass for another.
“That was before someone was murdered in the place I’m sneaking out from.” You point out, taking gratification in the way Diluc lets out a resigned sigh. “Of course, it hindered me a bit.”
You place the notebook on the counter as you speak, not missing the way Diluc’s eyes land on it briefly.
“Right.” He nods thoughtfully, lips thinning. “I hope you’re doing well. In that case, it’s better to stay where you can’t be hurt.”
“Glad I have your approval.” You nod, eyes trailing back to the menu board behind him. There is a good reason why the Dawn Winery is widely regarded as the finest winery in Teyvat -- Angel’s Share’s menu has remained consistent with classic favourites that have served multiple generations well.
“Here,” He nudges your usual order to you, and in a haze, you realise you must have spaced out. Mumbling a soft apology, you take the cold glass in your hands.
Diluc releases a quiet sigh, nudging the notebook with his knuckle. “Is something wrong? Do you need my help?”
“Kind of.” You admit, shrugging. He opens the binder with a curious hand. “It’s the catering needed for the sister celebrations coming up. It was given to me this morning.”
Diluc skims the pages silently, but you get the feeling he’d finished doing so long beforehand. He has always been so reserved, so thoughtful, even when you were children. His perseverance after the death of his father was something that you could never accomplish on your side of things, not even with time. Even as you stumbled behind, he grew capable -- capable of returning to see that you went in step with him, to the end.
“I… had assumed the festivities would be postponed at the very least, concerning the recent events.” He admits, eyes flickering up to meet yours. “Is that not the case?”
“What?” You scoff, gesturing to the book. “Of course not. The king probably gave me that to deliver because he’s sure to have a solution by the time it comes around. He wouldn’t dare miss it.”
“Do you believe that?”
It’s a harmless question with a simple answer, but it stops you short. To see Diluc, such a powerful man, so unsure sometimes leaves your hopes exceedingly low. You train your eyes on the wall of alcohol behind him in hopes that he will not notice your hesitance.
“...Fine. I don’t know what you’ve been told,” Continuing quietly, you’re suddenly acutely aware of the patrons near you. “I know that the longer it’s covered up, the worse it will get. But the issue will be gone by the time Dies Luctus starts, even if I have to make sure of it myself.”
“We’ve had problems before, but we’ve never missed it. And we won’t this time either.”
Diluc nods silently, your unspoken message reaching him clearly. Since your mother, the queen’s, murder almost six years ago, you have not once missed Dies Luctus -- the event is a memorial for the dead, but it is much more to you. Out of the three hundred and sixty five days a year, it is the only one your father will ever acknowledge that the queen is gone.
“Then I’ll do what I can to help.” Diluc leans down on the counter on one elbow, all so that he can come closer to your face. It’s as if he believes your distance will affect how clearly you remember his threatening concern. “You need to tell me if anything else happens, okay?”
You can’t help a smile, leaning back. “So you will accept my request this time, Master Diluc?”
He shakes his head, fighting a smile. The jab of sudden formality is something that you will never let go of, even if he refuses to use your own title in return.
“I hope I won’t have to.”
You fear many things. darkness, the unspeakable acts spoken of in rumours that reach the castle’s halls, occasionally you even let your imagination fill in the blanks -- but not even the stormiest nights can compare to the dread that ferments deep in your bones in this moment.
A cold sweat breaks out over your neck as you lay still, waiting, praying for the movement outside your door to still. There are two guards stationed outside your door on a typical night, and you have learned their schedules and how to recognise their gaits gradually over the hours of sleepless nights. Such an abundance of interruption is definitely rare.
They are ordered to stay still so as not to disturb you, but the sounds that reach your ear are distinctly unnatural, and unnervingly close. Surely, you're just paranoid. You can only hope.
The curtains are drawn halfway shut across the room, letting the only source of light in through tiny gaps and slivers. It paints a suspenseful image as muffled noises come to a stuttering stop outside your door. Your breath catches as you’re shocked back into attention by a large thump against the wood. Abruptly, you sit up, clutching the sheets in a grip that has your knuckles turning white. Something is wrong.
Suddenly, someone steps carefully into your room. You eye the man warily. Because your guards rotate in shifts that change in the early morning, you cannot recall ever seeing the faces of the men who guard you while you rest.
Breath stumbling, you ask, “…What’s going on?”
The guard shakes his head silently, face hidden beneath the haze of the night that blankets the room. You swallow thickly.
“You aren’t my guard, are you?” You say quietly.
A thousand thoughts run through your head. Is this perhaps your karma for pursuing the killer? It may only be your luck that has brought them to you, a harbinger of death is certainly a disposition that would find you eventually. But no amount of self pity or regret could overtake the fear that seizes you.
“Clever.” When the fake finally responds, his voice is deeper than you had expected it to be. “I was told that you weren’t able to recognise your guards. Though, I presume that isn’t completely true, am I right, Your Highness?”
The man is quick and virtually soundless as he crosses the floor, all but for the way his boots occasionally clink together. Your heart sinks as his supposed plan comes together in your head.
“Don’t.” You order him sternly, putting out a shaking palm that betrays your voice. “How- how close do you think my other guards are? I presume you weren’t told how quick their rounds are?”
It’s a complete and utter lie — no matter how close any patrolling guards are, the ones you mention are hours away from arriving. But you notice it when his body stills for a moment anyway. In slight panic, you throw your covers back and stand in a helpless attempt to gain leverage.
“Don’t move.” He warns, putting out an empty hand. “You have the choice to make this a lot easier for the both of us.”
You scoff quietly, the sound broken. “...And let you kill me?”
You frown, trembling hand reaching for the abandoned cup of tea on the nightstand with a vengeance. But the man follows your movements too quickly, coming close and tearing the ceramic from your grip. The cold liquid splashes harmlessly back onto him.
He is faster than you in every sense. The late hour muddles more than just your mind, leaving ample opportunity for his hand to wrap around your collar and bring you closer. You half expect to see a creature of nightmares -- a mangled face, soulless eyes, but instead you’re met with the blank canvas of a black masquerade mask. Not even his eyes are visible through the tiny gaps.
The cold edge of his knife presses into the skin of your neck, the same wide hand pulling your back to his chest. Your eyes grow wide at what little patience the man seems to have.
“...Who are you?” You breathe, grimacing as the blade presses farther into your skin. It’s cleverly positioned, deep enough to draw blood yet still shallow enough to lift most of the pressure from your voice. No words pass between you as he looks over you from the depths of his mask, silent and patient.
“Did you take the chamberlain’s life like this, too?” You choke, gasping for air as you begin to feel the gash on your neck slide open further with each word. “Or were you kinder to her?”
A small groan of pain leaves your mouth hanging open as he jolts the metal -- it’s not enough to hurt you a large amount, but it quiets you nonetheless. You wince when he says,
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’ve killed no one yet.” He says, breath hot against your ear. “You should worry about yourself.”
Unwelcome shock ripples through your chest. Of course, he must be bluffing, but you can’t quiet your mind long enough to focus on the implications of his words. It’s fairly obvious due to the burlesque way he holds onto you, but you suspect if the man put any amount of his normal strength forward, you would stand no chance.
Brashly, you hiss, “Are you dragging this out on purpose?”
You can hear the smile in his voice as he speaks. “Only if you’d like me to, Princess.”
“…You say pointless things.” You grumble, trembling hand shooting up to latch onto his clothed wrist. Most of your willpower goes into keeping your voice still, but any semblance of control you attempt to fake is lost on your body. Though, he pays no mind to you.
You’re even almost certain he mirrors your look of irritation as he finally dares to make a calculated slash across your neck. Gasping in pain, your legs falter. It is exceedingly thin, barely noticeable for all but the way you bleed. The wound that opens across your neck meets the cold air all too fast, hot blood ghosting across the mess of hands at your collar.
He seems to think his warning will convince you to secede.
Hesitantly, you speak, nearly gagging at the sensation of blood that drags down your throat. “Do you enjoy holding my life in your hands?”
Your captor doesn’t respond, circling you to your front cautiously. He keeps the knife to your throat as a precaution before finally allowing the mask he wears to slip over the bridge of his nose. Chilling blue eyes stare back at you, clean and free of emotion. For a moment, these eyes seem hauntingly familiar -- but you force yourself to quit dwelling on the man that holds a knife to your throat.
“And if I do?”
The challenging words ignite a sense of desperation in you. You have little ability to fight back, fearing your delicate wound opening into something more; your blood already makes a mess of anything it can reach, and you doubt you can withstand it for much longer.
“Then,” You’re breathing heavily as his eyes narrow. “Try your best.”
You had first learned how to hold a dagger beneath the shade of a grapevine on your thirteenth birthday -- it had been a drab thing, metal worn and rusted from years of disuse. Yet, Diluc had sworn to you that it was as good as any. With his skills, maybe that was true, but as you took the handle like you would a kitchen knife, you knew immediately that you would have a different experience.
The concept was at first no more than a way to have fun, intended for an impossibly different future. Though, you’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that Diluc took his role as a teacher seriously -- he almost embodied the position as he guided you, solidifying your once meagre skills.
Then Diluc received a vision.
Pyro and matching his once upbeat personality, the fifteen year old that had received it was delighted. Quickly, he lost the need to know how to throw a knife, and how to utelise it as an effective weapon. He had many other things at his disposal that were much more interesting, after all.
And yet, he stayed with you. He continued to teach you everything he knew, even as he began to forget it himself. You make a mental note to never admit that you’re the same, that most of his words from back then are lost to time. But, as frustrated tears well up in your eyes, you’re suddenly unsure if you’ll ever get the opportunity to see him again.
Because in truth, you are more human than you give yourself credit for. You pale in the face of danger just as anyone else would, losing your reason just as fast as you may lose your blood -- but the difference in you, is that you will seldom let people say they have bested you.
With a staggering breath, you back away suddenly, wincing at the slight grit of metal releasing skin as you move. There are no easy countermeasures to take, no hidden weapons tucked away for situations like these. The man points his weapon at you easily, threats materialising in his gaze as he takes a step forward. You take a step back in return.
“If you come quietly, I’ll make it hurt less”
The same dreaded pattern continues until the back of your knees hit the bed.
“And if I don’t? You’ve had ample opportunity to take my life, and yet you haven’t.” You say bitterly, hiding the way your hands shake behind your back. The knife he holds still shines red with the tint of your blood. “If you’re trying to hold me for ransom, I’d save your breath.”
He seems amused, but there’s a flicker of genuine interest over his face. Thumbing the knife in his grip, he asks quietly,
“And why is that, Your Highness?”
You don’t respond. Turning quickly to slip the notebook from beneath your pillow, the weighted canvas is heavy in your hand. His eyes widen as you swing it over him directly, and though it misses the target you had intended, you’re able to knock the dagger from his unsuspecting hands.
But, you’re too sloppy as you dive for it. The man catches up to you easily, taking the window you struggle to pull you back into his chest as the knife clatters to the floor. You cry out as he forces your neck upwards, tears rushing to your eyes.
“Not so fast.'' He clenches his jaw, grip tightening over your throat as tears rush to your eyes. “I’ve heard how good you are with a knife.”
Fighting the darkness that threatens to invade your vision, you croak and claw at his arms. “If- if you didn’t kill the chamberlain, why are you here?”
“Cooperate, then I'll tell you.” The man grits. You let out a desperate groan.
In a hopeless attempt to gain leverage, you jump – he’d made the easy mistake of letting your feet touch the ground, giving your flailing limbs enough time to push into him. The nauseating sound of bone hitting bone suddenly resounds in the quiet room, though it’s moderately covered by the obstinate curses of the man behind you. He releases his grip on you reflexively. Coughing furiously, you shove your weight back into him with all of your might.
When he staggers, you take the opportunity to tackle him down, forcing your weight on top of him before he can counter. Now, as your legs straddle him, you hold the knife to his throat with one hand, the other holding one of his arms above his head.
Your captor’s body is completely relaxed, and though you know it’s a plot to get under your skin, it still scares you.
“Name your price,” You rasp, voice still weak from being briefly cut off. “Or I’ll kill you myself.”
The man says nothing, hair mussed and breathing heavy. His reason for breaking in must be so clouded that it blinds his own reasoning. In your mutual struggle, his mask has started to slip further beneath his eyes, though it saddens you slightly to know you have no free hand to reveal the man’s identity completely.
Your jaw locks as you push the blade into his skin. It catches you off guard when you notice his face shifting into an incredulous smile.
“I would never take the money of a fake King."
You push him into the ground, taking note of the way he grunts in response. “Be quiet.”
The man’s short laugh splits the air, the beginning of a bruise blooming on the underside of his chin.
A beat of uncomfortable silence passes between you. But, before the man can goad you any further, a shaking hand brings the knife away from his throat. In the most simple way, your thoughts are a jumble of wires – the shells of countless new plans that will never be anything more than inklings.
Consequently, you barely think anything of it when you decide to turn away, nothing more guiding your panicked aim than your wildly beating heart.
Even the man below you seems confused at your thought process. But as soon as the decorative vase sitting by the door shatters over the hard tile, he is competent enough to know that despite your compromising position, you are the only one of you who believes that you are fighting for your life.
You half expect the noise to set him off. But, the incoming danger does nothing more than make him attempt to break away from you.
You shout for anyone nearby before mustering the courage necessary to push him further into the tiled floor, cementing your palm into the nook of his wrists until he grimaces. A glimmer of something close to understanding rushes through his eyes.
“If you wanted to be close to me so bad, you could’ve said so.” He teases, though the fear in his voice is raw. It almost manages to catch you off guard.
“I wouldn’t move if I were you.” You spit, voice shaking as he attempts to fight back. Though you want to pride yourself in your ability to keep him down, something seems suspicious about it -- he had no problem overpowering you before, so a simple change in position shouldn’t be as important.
By now, you’ve certainly noticed the cerulean vision strapped to his hip, signifying his power threshold. Though, you’re unsure of whether his disuse of it frightens or relieves you more – he has certainly only been delaying the inevitable, but why?
It’s as if something had flipped in his mind. He’d certainly thought of something in his time since entering the room, but whether it was previous plans or an entirely new one, you don’t know.
Swallowing your doubts, you push more of your weight onto his arms. The man grunts.
“I don’t know what you want,” You breathe, force evident in your voice. “But you won’t get it.”
He conveniently manages to break out of your grip just as the door to your chambers slams open, a group of masked guards rushing in unhindered. You fall back onto the ground hard. But, as the man searches for a viable route of escape, one of the braver guards rushes forward to your side and yanks you out of harm’s way.
In their grip, you’re nothing but a bag of bones being strung along, stunned into silence.
The criminal’s mask has since been adjusted back to its normal position, and yet, you still feel the depths of his sheathed gaze when it finds yours. A frown is evident on his face.
“You’re going to regret this.” He speaks to you as if you’re still the only two in the room, focus inconveniently centred even as the guards in front of you begin to crowd him. A heavy hand comes up to ghost over the afflictions on your neck. The pain is fresh, blood adorning the shallow slit as well as a tightness that rests in the skin he had grabbed you. It will likely bruise.
But, you can’t find it in you to take pleasure in the way that he fends off the guards – he seems a decent match for them, an excellent fighter in his own right, but he plays the same wretched game and only you are aware of it. The man’s punches are too sloppy to be natural, his footwork too elementary to belong to someone who had quietly replaced a guard without issue.
Much to your chagrin, he’s soon placed in handcuffs. A jumble of threats courses through the room on the account of both parties. Though, you have to admit: however fake they may be, the man’s promises are certainly creative.
But most of all, you take great pleasure in seeing the guards at last pull back his mask, revealing his face to the full extent.
You gut twists as stunning sapphire eyes meet yours in full capacity for the first time. You can’t help but shudder at the sense of familiarity his appearance lends you, despite his plain clothes and foul mouth. Even more surprising, though, is the way he immediately seems to recognise your train of thought – his gaze cuts deep into you even without the handicap of a physical blade.
However, the words he attempts to convey are lost on you. And rather than feel dejected, you find comfort in your inability to understand. Because when you see the scratches up his arms, and the bruise that blooms dark on his chin, you don’t let yourself forget that in the end, he has lost.
He merely lets himself be pulled upright. Even if his eyes allude to pain, the man makes no effort to resist, nor to even elaborate as his form disappears beyond the doorway. He leaves almost entirely unscathed as you stand rigid in the scrapping he’d left behind.
You release a throaty cough, finally allowing yourself to sit up straighter from your tense position on the floor. There is very little you can do beyond touch the skin on your neck gingerly as the silence of the night begins to fade in.
It’s only now that you notice the guard that had originally caught you has hung back, silently waiting for the right moment to act -- a patient approach, but unfortunately, not a helpful one. Your lips thin in a strained frown as tears finally begin to spill over your cheeks.
The knight reaches out an armoured hand, concerned but mechanical -- this is merely his duty, not his want. You turn it down shakily, reeling back from his worry even if you want nothing more than for someone to be brave enough to look past your fear.
“My lady--”
“Find Master Diluc. Now.” You choke out, gaze turning on him as you stand shakily. “I- I will make my way to the infirmary--”
They reach out a hand once again, but this time, when you see it coming, you freeze.
The floor is hard against your body, and so, so unbearably real. You are not the farthest from death that you’ve ever been, but remembering the feeling of cool steel against your skin, you can’t help but wonder if it was closest. The gravity of the situation hits you all at once as the adrenaline drains from your blood.
The guard’s voice is distant as a mindful hand finally makes the jump to support you. Yet, as you choke on blood that you can’t touch, as desperation rises to your eyes, you realise you don’t have it in you to respond. You can do nothing but turn your painful gaze on them before you come so close to losing everything once again.
© tartaglicious 2022, please do not repost
More Posts from Fluffshelf and Others
#WITH CUPID’S HELP
CHARACTERS: ALBEDO, BENNETT, CHONGYUN, DILUC, KAEYA, KAZUHA, THOMA, ZHONGLI
PAIRING: CHARACTER X GN!READER
GENRE: FLUFF!~ （＾ω＾）
“HOW SOMEONE GETS YOU TWO TOGETHER.”
A/N: inspired by @kageyuji’s “their friend accidentally confesses for them“ haikyuu post!! mwah go read it and leave him some rb‘s and kisses <33 ♪(´ε｀ )
NAVIGATION
#ALBEDO (KLEE)
listen. klee is convinced the two of you are made for each other!! she saw you two talking and went, ah yes, a couple!! (๑>◡<๑)
in her mind, the two of you looked just like any of the other couples she has seen around mondstadt!! you’re probably married, right? wait…she wasn’t invited to you wedding! how dare mr albedo do that!! >:o
imagine her surprise when albedo told her that, no klee, y/n and i are just friends. where did you get this idea from? - so you’re not married? and i didn’t get not invited to the wedding? - no???
after her “discovery”, albedo’s afternoons with klee consisted of, “mr. albedo, did you ask y/n yet??”, “well i think y/n likes you because you like them too!!” and “can we go visit y/n?? please??”
he’s truly struggling keeping up with her questions about you, especially because she just doesn’t get tired of it?? he’ll tell her that you’re just friends and she’ll be like, no, you’re not and that’s it! checkmate mr smarty pants (๑･̑◡･̑๑)
luckily for him, klee never actually mentioned him or how she thinks you two should be together to you??? well, she didn’t…
…until she did (*⁰▿⁰*)
klee asked you to have lunch with her and albedo, and you obviously agreed because who could say no to that?!
you and klee are on your way to pick up albedo from dragonspine, chatting and having a great time when she suddenly hits you with the, y/n, you have to go out with mr albedo. ok? he never listens when i tell him to ask you! it’s so annoying!!
safe to say, you were stunned. klee, what are you talking about?? albedo and i-
he likes you! and you like him, i know it! so be together! >:( klee’s getting all pouty and stomps her little feet because ugh!! just date already!! it’s so obvious, so please!!
you tried to brush her off and were ready to just pretend nothing happened, to never speak a word about this to albedo…klee on the other hand, didn’t （＾ω＾）
you reached his camp, and even before albedo was able to greet you two, klee excitedly told him, mr. albedo, i did it for you!! i told y/n about it and they’re gonna say yes, so just ask them now, ok? (๑╹ω╹๑ )
seems like now both you and albedo had to face your feelings ♪( ´▽｀) klee walking up to jean like hehe yes i did that thank you
#BENNETT (BARBARA)
barbara found out about benny’s crush on you while patching up some of his wounds, actually! he was still high on adrenaline and kind of just said whatever came to mind? ٩( ᐛ )و
he passed by you on his way to the cathedral and now his mind’s running, both from the adrenaline pumping through his veins as well as from seeing you-
oh and i went to good hunter with them and fischl yesterday! it was so good and pretty! the food was good and y/n was pretty, i mean- and also! did you know that y/n also knows how to fix my wounds? they helped me last time, when you were out and-
he’s just rambling and rambling and rambling and barbara just listens to him gushing about you with a smile, well, did you ask them out if you like them so much?
and he just freezes (*´ー｀*)-
he regains his composure a bit and immediately is like, oh no! i could never!! me and my bad luck would bother them so much and i don’t want them to possibly get hurt, and what if they don’t even like me like that and it could ruin our friendship and make us awkward and-
barbara feels so bad for him?? she knows it’s not her place to do anything but she doesn’t want him to think like that, especially when she knows that you might, possibly, perhaps also like him :((
so she takes it upon herself and writes a little anonymous note to you!! she mentions that a certain member of a certain one man adventure team might be fond of you, and that you definitely should ask him out!! (^з^)
unfortunately, barbara isn’t that good at hiding things? which results in her avoiding you like the plague because she doesn’t trust herself to not expose that she was the one.. ∑(ﾟДﾟ)
but at the same time she always tries to subtly ask bennett if anything…special…happened…if there was something…happening…and poor benny is clueless and is always just like? no? i don’t think so? ( ・∇・)
barbara is frustrated!! she fears you might’ve never actually received the letter? what if you lost it before you could read it?? what if she accidentally put it in someone else’s pocket?? dear barabtos, what if…what if you don’t even like bennett back?! what then?! oh dear archons-
her train of thought is interrupted by the door swinging open, a beet red bennett stumbling in, goofy smile on his face..
and would you look at that!! from now on, benny gets to gush about you to barbara as your boyfriend!! wowie!! ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶
#CHONGYUN (XINGQIU)
there’s rarely anything xingqiu enjoys as much as tormenting chongyun - lovingly, of course! but…
…if there’s one thing he absolutely hates, it’s the way chongyun torments himself by not confessing to you,,,heck, he doesn’t even have to confess!! merely talking to you would be a reasonable step to take!! (￣^￣)
xingqiu tried everything. from being very gentle and understanding to giving chongyun rather aggressive love and support- and nothing works!!
xingqiu’s is at the end of his rope while chongyun is the same lovestruck fool he always was 😀👍
xingqiu doesn’t want to confess for him or anything, because that’s a little too far, even for him! (￣^￣)
(also, he’s sure chongyun’s first instinct would be to say that he’s lying and that it’s not true. so, maybe he would, but it would probably backfire.)
sooo…since he can’t be the one to tell you about chongyun’s crush, who could?…well, how about chongyun himself 👀
xingqiu knows that his plan might be a little mean, but he’s truly just looking out for chongyun!! especially because he’s about 97% sure you like him back-
because you see, xingqiu’s plan was to have you ‘accidentally‘ overhear chongyun talking about his feelings for you!!
is it a little mean? yeah, but it’s all in good faith! xingqiu just really, really wants to help chongyun out - and if it means making him a little mad in the process, so be it
they met up to have dinner together, and xingqiu invited you too, unbeknownst to chongyun - and unbeknownst to you, he invited you a little later
that way, he has enough time to ease into the subject and have chongyun ramble about you by the time you arrived!!
say, chongyun, how’s your little crush on y/n going? - w-what? well, it’s going fine. i mean, i haven’t told them yet and i’m not even really thinking about telling them because that would be crazy right? y/n surely doesn’t like me back and-
and what can he say, it worked!! perfectly, actually (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵) well, perfectly except for chongyun‘s face that looked like it was about to explode while you stood there like Σ੧(❛□❛✿)
tldr; so while chongyun might got a little mad at first, at the end of the day, xingqiu was the one who got you two together! ha, checkmate! (*´꒳`*)
#DILUC (JEAN)
jean absolutely did not mean to say anything. she would’ve taken the knowledge of diluc’s infatuation with you to the grave if she had to. especially because not even diluc knew that jean knew!! it’s a mess- (*´Д｀*)
the second she accidentally let it slip, she froze and just stared at diluc for a second…who seemed just as shocked as her ( ・∇・)
um, i-…did not mean to say that. i’m sorry, please forget about it. it’s absolutely none of my business, i never would’ve said anything, i-
she’s panicking while diluc is still frozen, his mind racing; how did she know? did he tell her at some point? did someone else tell her? did she figure it out on her own? if she figured it out on her own, dear archons, does that mean he’s that obvious? but if that’s the case, other people would’ve surely noticed as well, right? what if-
the ungodly shrieks both of them let out when you come into the tavern, greeting them- 💀
they both try so hard to pretend like nothing happened and jean tries her darnest to come up with an excuse to leave immediately, she can’t take this anymore ( ´θ｀)ノ
them: ( ・x・) you: (*^ω^*) hey guys!!
jean really doesn’t mean to butt into diluc’s business!! especially not his love life- (ﾟ∀ﾟ)
but she’s also someone who really likes to help people…and she’s seeing how much diluc’s struggling with her own two eyes…
would it really be that bad if she were to just..help out a little..?
now, jean herself also has no idea what she would do in his situation, much less any idea what she’s supposed to do as a bystander!! so she figures that encouragement would be the way to go! (๑>◡<๑)
so, the next time she meets diluc she tries to subtly bring you up, which seems to work well until she looks up at diluc and he stares back at her with the iciest glare she’s ever seen 😀-
i-…i just mean…you know, i think it would benefit you if you told them? i think it’s pretty obvious to anyone that you and y/n have some sort of…special relationship? surely it would be best for you to…, jean trails off, seeing you slowly get up from the floor behind the counter where you had been helping diluc by sorting and refilling some ingredients ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ
very much awkward silence. it takes a solid 10 seconds for anyone to move, and once shock dies down, it’s chaos from there :(；ﾞﾟ'ωﾟ'):
right when jean found the words to say something, anything, to take back what she said and explain, diluc had a ‘ah, screw it’ moment and asked you to follow him outside for a second
the second you two went out the door, jean rushed to the back door of the tavern and hurried back to the knight’s headquarters - there’s no way she’s gonna stay around after the utter embarrassment she felt ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3
she and diluc silently agree to not talk about how you and him got together ( ✌︎'ω')✌︎
#KAEYA (ROSARIA)
does rosaria care about kaeya’s little crush on you? absolutely not. the only reason she even knows about it is because kaeya let it slip after a few drinks at the tavern (°▽°)
what she does care about, though, is the fact that he just won’t shut up about you. it’s like a broken faucet, he just keeps rambling on and on and on and on and on and-
she had to do something, okay? something to get him to shut up - so she took it upon herself to get you together (one way or another)! ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ
the thing is, though, that rosaria doesn’t…care? not enough to come up with some elaborate plan or give kaeya a pep-talk, at least-
to be fair, she did try to get him to confess to you before - which kaeya just shrugged off and dismissed, telling her, ah, i wish i could
she’s quite literally about to just march up to you and let you know that kaeya likes you and that you should talk to him about it, for her sake if not for anything else ( ˙-˙ )
the thought has been swimming around her mind for a while, but she never really felt the need to go through with it…until kaeya refused to talk about anything else but your upcoming birthday, which at that point was still a whole 2 weeks away (*´ー｀*)
surprise gift that, surprise dinner this - for days, all he talked about was putting together an amazing birthday surprise for you while all rosaria wants to do is sit in the tavern, drink and relax…ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ
quite frankly, she had enough 😀🤚
so imagine your surprise when rosaria pulls you aside the second you enter the tavern, brows furrowed
listen, y/n, i need you to do something about that little thing you and kaeya have going on. it’s so painfully obvious, and he won’t ever shut up about you, so for the love of all archons, just get it together. both of you.
you just stood there like Σ('◉ ⌓ ◉’)…and then you locked eyes with kaeya, who was standing behind rosaria- (kaeya and you suddenly locking eye(s) like Σ(‘▇ ⌓ ◉’))
rosaria follows your stare and turns to look at kaeya, shrugs and goes back into the tavern. her mission is done here! ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ
it’s safe to say that both of you were a little flustered during the conversation you and kaeya had afterwards (〃ω〃)
it didn’t take long for kaeya to turn all suave again, though! ε-(´∀｀; )
(poor rosaria though, because now that you and kaeya are actually dating, he won’t ever shut up about you ٩( 'ω' )و)
#KAZUHA (BEIDOU)
kazuha regrets ever confessing his feelings for you to beidou about two times a day ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ
he’ll forget to do something and she’ll be like, kazuha, how are you gonna get y/n to date you if you can’t even prepare the rice?!
she’s very direct and definitely wants him to confess to you - but, being the responsible captain she is, she also makes sure to remind him that a romantic relationship means change
he’ll have to figure out if he wants you to come with them, or if he’d like to stay with you - maybe nothing will change and you’ll only see each other every few months? beidou is very supportive of him, though, and always encourages him to be brave and go for it
she just really wants to see him finally be happy darn it!! (＞人＜;)
the crux had a little celebration the day before they were leaving liyue for a few months, and beidou made sure to tell kazuha to invite you!!
at least invite ‘em to the celebration! you don’t have to give ‘em your heart, but at least bid a proper farewell to ‘em. you’re gonna miss y/n either way, whether they know or not
when beidou told him that kazuha kinda just went hm. (。-∀-)
because she’s right!! but the way she said it also made him want to confess really badly,,,
so you’re invited to the little celebration held on the crux!! how fun!! well, it is quite fun, but it would probably be a little more fun if kazuha didn’t look so gloomy the whole time? Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑)
he’s just brooding the whole time, which is so unlike him?? you’re not sure what’s wrong, so you decide to ask beidou about it…she’s had a few drinks, so you had to ask her a few times until she got it ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ
ahhh, that idiot…you know what, y/n? i’m a great captain. amazing even! so i’m gonna do what’s best for one of my own. listen well, yeah? that poet has the hots for ya. for a while now. won’t stop worryin’ about it. ‘s probably why he’s borodin’, he’s worried you’ll be gone by the time we come back.
while you’re standing there, processing what she just told you, she turns around and beckons kazuha over. she pats his shoulder and gestures towards you, i told ‘em about it. you can get mad at me tonight, but make sure to thank me tomorrow
beidou used to poke fun at the little poems kazuha would come up with when he was still crushing on you, and now she’s poking fun at him for the poems he writes down as your boyfriend. they’ll never change ✌︎('ω')✌︎
#THOMA (YOIMIYA/AYAKA)
thoma struck pure gold in terms of finding the absolute best friends he could ever ask for!! yoimiya is the passion and confidence he needs and ayaka stays rational and talks him out of anything stupid (*´ω｀*)
now, yoimiya has been telling him to confess for months. years. eons. ever since she caught wind of his little infatuation with you, she told him to go for it, thoma!! what could possibly go wrong?
…which was met with ayaka telling him to calm down and go about it slowly, thoma. spending more time with them and getting closer gradually is better than just springing it on them out of nowhere like that
it’s safe to say he’s struggling a little trying to decide what to do |(￣3￣)|
even though yoimiya and ayaka couldn’t exactly agree on the way thoma should go about asking you to be his, they did however agree that this couldn’t go on any longer - poor thoma is all up in his head because of you!! (´；Д；`)
so, they decide to help out! thoma’s birthday was coming up anyways, and what’s a better gift than to finally be able to confess his love to the person he’s been pining after for so long? (๑･̑◡･̑๑)
they had a perfect plan - the two of you would be sent out on your own, you believing you’re the ‘distraction’ that has to buy some time and while you’re walking around (with coincidentally placed flower petals and pretty lights everywhere), yoimiya is going to set off the prettiest fireworks!!
it’s going to be the perfect moment for both of you to come clean about your feelings and arrive to the birthday party as couple!! (๑>◡<๑)
yoimiya is burning with excitement and works on the fireworks with a completely new found fervour while ayaka is organising the surprise party~
they’re both just so excited to see thoma be happy with you :(( <3
and when the day finally comes, it all seemingly goes according to plan - you’re out with thoma ‘distracting’ him and buying time for the people still decorating the kamisato residence, then the fireworks go off - it all went smoothly!! ayaka and yoimiya are both excitedly waiting for you two to walk in (｡･ω･｡)
and you do walk in!! you’re both smiling, thoma very obviously excited, and yoimiya can’t help but blurt out, FINALLY! FINALLY YOU ASKED Y/N OUT!!
…never had anyone see the smile on thoma’s face warp into utter confusion so quickly 😀
w-what? i didn’t- what? - you…you didn’t? but…the plan? the light? the flowers? the ‘distraction’? the fireworks???
seems like they both planned everything to a t, except for letting thoma know what he’s supposed to do (´；ω；`)
in the heat of all the confusion (and embarassment, honestly) you excuse yourself and thoma and drag him outside - and the next time you enter the room, the smile on thoma’s face won’t be dropping so quickly ♪( ´▽｀)~
#ZHONGLI (HU TAO)
not once did zhongli even so much as mention you around hu tao, and still, she somehow figured out that he’s particularly fond of you?? and zhongli hates it!! _:(´ཀ`」 ∠):
she’ll randomly be like, oh! hey y/n!! just to watch zhongli turn around, ready to greet you with a tiny smile on his face, only to be met with no one…(￣ ￣) his smile drops so fast </3
hu tao’s thriving and zhongli’s losing his mind!!
she also always brings you up, no matter what they’re talking about! he’ll mention going to lunch and hu tao’s like, ah yes, lunch, try eating it with y/n, though! i think it’ll taste better!
the amount of times she almost said something in front of you is way too high to count!! and coincidentally, it’s the same amount of times zhongli almost suffered a heart attack (ﾟωﾟ)…
you see, zhongli actually does plan to confess to you - on his own terms, though. he absolutely does not want to rush anything or ruin whatever platonic bond you built over time
he wants to be sure that you also harbour romantic feelings for him!! so, he decides to wait; decides to be patient and let you relationship grow naturally until it feels right
…hu tao doesn’t think that his approach is very fun, to be honest. actually, she thinks it’s ridiculously boring!! why would he wait that long? and what’s that about letting your relationship grow naturally??? pffff- not on her watch!
straight up telling you about it wouldn’t be much fun, so hu tao decided to organise a cute little date, invite you in zhongli’s name via a little note, tell zhongli that you invited him for dinner and then she’ll just see what happens!!
and to even her own surprise…it worked quite well? zhongli was a little suspicious when she told him you invited him to dinner, but nonetheless, he took the chance - because what if it was actually you, and he didn’t show up? the idea of even accidentally standing you up makes his heart hurt (´･Д･)」
the two of you are having a great time and at one point zhongli kind of just decides that this right now is the perfect moment - you’re both smiling from ear to ear, listening to each other’s stories and basking the presence of one another
y/n, pardon me if this is not the right time, but, what would you say if i took the liberty of asking you out on a date? a real, formal date. romantically, of course.
hu tao was listening the whole time and she’s both flabbergasted and impressed?? she didn’t expect it to actually work!! 10/10 for herself, 10/10 for you and 7.5/10 for zhongli because the way he asked you out was way too formal for hu tao ψ(｀∇´)ψ
TAGLIST: @whygz @blissmal @zhongchi14 @kageyuji
Okay but like Akaashi with an s/o who always wants to be the bigger spoon and is always holding his hand and holding his face. But this one time she oversteps her boundaries and she retreats completely cause she’s worried she’ll do it again. Pls do head canons or your take on it.
s/o pulling away after overstepping boundaries
pairings: akaashi x reader
warnings: none
a/n: i wasn't 100% sure with what you wanted me to write, so i wrote what i thought was correct. i hope thats okay !!
akaashi is totally fine with you wanting to be the bigger spoon in the relationship
he's got nothing against it
however, as of lately
akaashi has noticed that there are times you feel down and start to pull away from him
which makes him somewhat concerned, as he feels like he might've done something wrong that's upset you or made you feel uncomfortable
he picks up on the fact that you pull away from him, yet he just doesn't have the right words to ask you if you're okay and if he's done something wrong
but when it comes more frequent, he starts to wonder why you start pulling away from him every now and then
you explain to him that you begin to pull away when you feel as if you're overstepping boundaries
akaashi is very understanding of this situation and that you feel like this,
he tells you to let him know if you're worried about what you're doing and even if you want to just ask him if it's okay if you can do what you want to do around him if you worry about him reacting badly
© all content belongs to akaashisbabygirl 2021, do not repost or change
Deku, who is now the number one hero and the symbol of peace, who meets the reader, an ex-villain during his at time at U.A,now she's a simple bartender but she remembers him.
"Oh you're Izuku Midoriya"
"Do I know you..?oh you are-"
Kinda awkward because at first you were to each other's neck, now you're serving him and his friends drinks, but that doesn't stop him to ask you out...
recognition flashes across the face of izuku.
"it's you..." he says, staring at you with wide eyes.
"it's me!" you reply with a smile while mixing a drink.
it's been a while since you've seen izuku midoriya. it was high school, and you found yourself caught up in some morally ambiguous organizations. you didn't plan to become a villian, but there you were, being chased down by the up and coming hero, deku.
since then, you've been through some rigorous villain-rehabilitation programs and are finally on the right track, scoring a steady job bartending and this local bar. past you would have never foreseen this.
but what you couldn't foresee was how goddamn good-looking that dorky hero that was chasing you down all those years ago would turn out to be. yet there he was in front of you, freckled skin and gorgeous green eyes that you could lose yourself in if you weren't careful.
"i-it's nice to see you," he says, nervously fidgeting.
it's cute to see that his boyish shyness never left.
"good to see you too... number one hero," you say teasingly, loving the way his skin turns bright red.
he nervously laughs and rubs the back of his neck, unknowingly showing off his drool-worthy arm muscles.
"yeah, i guess things have changed a bit since i last saw you," he says.
"well, last time you saw me, you were tackling me to the ground and handing me over to the police," you say pointedly.
izuku freezes in embarrassment. you start to feel bad for giving him a hard time, and begin to backtrack.
"it was for the best," you say. "after that, i got some help. and now i have this job and things are looking good."
you can see him let out a shaky breath before gently smiling at you. "that's good to hear."
"yep. it seems that every time our paths cross, you're here to change the direction of my life." you raise an eyebrow. "so... deku... what's it going to be this time?"
it’s fluff friday!
what would you do if i die?
characters: diluc, xiao, zhongli
genre: fluff, angst, comfort
warnings: nicknames, mentions of death, kinda ooc, lowercase intended, unedited, not proofread
author's note: this is my first time writing for genshin characters, this'll be kinda bad bcs i haven't write in a while :/ and i just played genshin for a month so it'll probably be ooc. but still, i hope you can enjoy reading this!
DILUC
both you and diluc were just strolling around mondstadt with a comfortable silence until you decided to ask the question you've been wanting to ask. "what would you do if i die?" you asked, gaining diluc's attention. you saw him getting surprised from the corner of your eyes. but you stared at him instead, waiting for his answer.
"i'm not answering that question." he replied before walking away from you, leaving you behind. your eyebrows twitched at his response as you follow him along, keeping up your pace to be even with him. "that's not fair, diluc." you huffed, crossing your arms, not sparing a glance at him.
"no, you are not fair. why would you ask something like that? i don't want to lose you, y/n. stop playing around with jokes like that." he argued, his voice coming out harsher than what he had expected. his sudden tone made you surprised. seeing your reactions, diluc sighed and pulled you into a hug.
"i'm sorry for bursting out, but please don't joke around like that."
XIAO
"xiao, what would you do if i die?" you called out. you were currently alone in wangshu inn, waiting for xiao to come. until you decided to call him instead since it seemed like he's not coming anytime soon. right after you asked the question, xiao appeared in front of you.
he looked at you up and down, checking around if there might be something bothering you or if you're hurt anywhere. "well, hi. i was waiting for you." you said, acting like you didn't just ask something so serious. xiao stared at you with his blank face.
"don't ask something like that, i hate it." he muttered, his eyes looking everywhere but you. you smile lightly looking at him. "i'm sorry, love. it was supposed to be a joke, forgive me, yeah?" you whispered, taking one of is hand into yours. "yeah whatever, i got this for you. i struggeled while choosing it, that's why i'm late." he mumbles, giving you a pretty hairpin he bought in liyue earlier.
ZHONGLI
"dear, are you busy?" you peeked through the door of zhongli's office. hearing your voice shifted his attention from his paperworks to you. "hm? i'm not. do you need anything, love?" he asked, his hand motioning for you to come closer. "nothing! i was pretty bored so i decided to come here and look at this— i brought you lunch!"
zhongli smiled looking at you, taking a chair for you to sit beside him. he waited for you to sit on the chair and gave you a kiss once you sit. "thank you darling." he said, opening the lunch box that you've brought for him. you both ate in silence, only having small conversations here and there. until you asked something to break the silence.
"what would you do if i die?" you asked casually. zhongli coughed once you finished your sentence. you hurriedly took a glass of water and hand it to him. "hey, are you okay? i'm sorry, i shouldn't have asked you that kind of question when you're eating." you muttered, slightly embarrased.
once zhongli had calmed down, he hold your hand and caressed your hand with his thumb. "is something bothering you? please tell me." he questioned. "love, it's nothing! it's supposed to be a joke i guess, i'm sorry if i made you worried." you explained. he let out a relieved sigh and gave you a hug.
reblogs or any kind of feeback are appreciated, thank you!
You really didn’t think you could love Shinichiro more than you already did.
None of you both had ever been big fans of love. Not even in an edgy love-isn’t-real way, but love simply didn’t matter that much, nor it was something you both went out looking for in life.
Even after a year and a half of being together, you still couldn’t tell much difference from when you were “just friends”, apart from the kissing.
But whenever you got to catch a glimpse of Shinichiro around his younger brother and his friends, something in you could feel it.
“Oi, Mikey, who even let y’all in here, huh? Shouldn’t you be at school?”, Shin’s voice echoed in the garage, and you giggled, sat on the motorbike he was cleaning.
He wiped his hands with a towel, the cloth now dirty with oil, and he rubbed his forehead with the back of his wrist, eyes fixed on his brother and two of his friends. They looked at you, sweet smiles on their faces, but eyes colored with mischief.
You shrugged when your boyfriend turned to look at you, a playful grin plastered on his features.
“Don’t look at me like that, it wasn’t me!”, you defended yourself, but shoot the kids a wink.
A yelp left your throat when you felt Shin’s hands wrap around your wrists, pulling you to his dirty body, wrapping his arms around your waist and he laughed.
“Leave her alone, pervert”, his younger brother spoke, holding back his laughter as your boyfriend let go of you to give him an offended look.
“Yeah, she’s waaayyy too pretty for you, Shinichiro”, Keisuke said, and you laughed, but were fast to take the dirty cloth from Shin’s hand before he threw it to the kid.
“Baji’s right, we hope you know you could do better, Y/n”, it was a surprise to see Draken join, but it didn’t disappoint, and you laughed again at Shin’s shocked expression.
He walked over to the three kids, messing Mikey and Baji’s hair with his hands, and lightly tapping Draken’s forehead as he clicked his tongue.
The boys laughed as he explained to them how, ‘as literal babies with zero girlfriends in total, they were in no place to comment on his relationship, but he would gladly give them advice if they ever needed it’
The kids rolled their eyes, hiding their blushed cheeks when the older boy pointed out how they were only being little bitches to him because they were jealous because of how beautiful you were, and how they all liked you so much, before giving you a fast goodbye and running out of the garage.
“Those kids, I swear…”, he started speaking as he turned back to you, rolling his eyes with a grin in his lips. He always had that look on his eyes when they were around, like he wanted to make them laugh, to take care of them, “So young and so fucking annoy— mhpm!”.
You cut him off with a kiss, to which he answered by wrapping his arms around your waist, holding you close.
“What was that for, doll..? You’ve got your pretty face all dirty with oil now, dumm—”.
“You’ll be a great dad one day, Shin”, you said, and he closed his mouth, looking at you with gentle eyes and a playful grin, “We’ll be the best parents to ever walk Earth, right?”.
“I promise you we will”.
♡ GENSHIN IMPACT + HOW LOVE FINDS THEM ♡
➳ ft. kaeya, diluc, zhongli, tartaglia
➳ tags ;; tooth-rotting fluff, hurt/comfort, alcohol as a coping mechanism, a little angst but happy endings always, extreme kaeya bias ngl, spoilers for kaeyas story, nonsexual nudity, gn!reader
➳ a/n ;; first time writing for genshin so if the characterization is funky.. my fault
➳ summary ;; genshin impact characters and how i think love finds them when they find you
ZHONG-LI
Sometimes, he admits to himself, it feels forbidden to love you.
When love finds him, it is on the stairway of a small cottage, tucked into a corner of Liyue. It is quiet and unassuming, more importantly shared. A place you’ve decided to spend hefty mora on to live in.
There’s a backyard and a space for a garden and there are sweet flowers that always seem to regrow after you pick them. On the walls are weapons and hunting gear but in the drawers are spare clothes and change. It’s got two stories but it’s not big. It’s a home, still.
You’ve invited him inside, an adopted street-cat at your feet as you make dinner. Zhong-li is a working man, but he spends his days off here. You are an adventurer, strong with a big heart and bigger dreams. Your silhouette makes up all the shadows that dance on the wall and you sway to the beat of a soundless song. A smile makes the corners of your lips twitch up and you stir the pot of whatever you’re making with boundless enthusiasm.
Zhong-li would not wish godliness on anyone. He thinks about it often. Where Rex Lapis ends and where the human, the mortal Zhong-li starts is a blurred line. Humanity is a grieving thing. People live and are happy and then they pass and it is the only thing someone can guarantee. You will be born into the world tearful but you will pass silently - like a wind.
Godliness means little is forbidden to you. Reality is something you fumble with in your clumsy hands and hope you can get right and humanity is a grieving thing. Always in that order. He knows there is no such thing as love that is truly forbidden - feelings like love and sadness and joy are things that cannot be settled by contracts or understood. They simply exist as if they are their own religion.
Zhong-li watches you pick up a white furred cat and let it’s nose rest against yours for a brief moment. You hug it and sing to it like it is a child and when you’re done, you let it fondly nudge against your legs.
“Stop being bad and let me cook dinner,” you’ll say, like it knows. And maybe it does - Zhong-li thinks to himself that it might. It prances off and sleeps in the basket you’ve bought, covered in blankets and linens. He stares at you for a long while, his eyes dancing down your silhouette.
There is something remarkably human about love. Perhaps love is the one thing gods cannot truly get their hands on. This greed, this loneliness, this tender feeling - so soft it might fall apart in his hands. In all of his years of living, he likes to believe he has known love. For his companions and for his people.
But this affection that soaks his bones, greedy and aching to be cared for, must be something only a human could get their hands on. He thinks he could only love you like this with his mortal body, his beating heart and dry mouth. With golden eyes that blink at you, curious to know what you’ll do or say next. If humanity is grieving, perhaps love is acceptance. Reconciliation. Maybe the reason no human complains about a short life is because they, at least once, have loved.
He thinks he understands it briefly. If redoing everything meant he couldn’t be with you, even once, he would keep it all the same. What a sentiment. He smiles at you as you dance and the sunlight hits the bare skin of your thighs, buried in the expanse of your skin. He longs to be so close to you too.
Remembering he can choose to be so close to you. That he can act upon this insatiable desire to be loved. It feels forbidden and unreachable.
But it isn’t.
He holds out his hand to you and you pause, tilting your head before taking it. He stands and wraps his arms around your waist and stares down at you with so much affection you falter. His lips press against the crown of your head. You’re warm and real.
When love finds him, it is just like this. Under the setting sun of Teyvat, harbored in his mortal body.
Keep reading
CALLING THE GENSHIN BOYS BY THEIR NAME.
genre. fluff, boyfriend au cw. male genitalia mentioned in a joking way. pairings. xiao, kazuha, zhongli, childe x reader.
all rights reserved to me. do not repost, translate or steal.
— xiao
tries to pretend he’s not bothered by it
tries miserably
with any other person, its literally just routine for them to call him by his name… y’know being a big bad yaksha and all
but when you call him xiao instead of your normal “sweetie”….
expect him to be an ass the next couple of days he gets so pouty and sulky
which is ironic cuz when he first met you he hated being called anything but his name
and now he finds that the best part of his day will always be in your presence with you calling him pet names
he’s absolutely whipped but he’ll never tell you that
— childe
the biggest little shit in teyvat
he can and WILL ignore you for as long as he needs until you submit
his name isn’t childe. or tartaglia. or ajax. it’s honeybear.
corny as hell but he would genuinely ignore you until you call him that, poker face and all
and when you do call him that…. expect an even cockier childe with a shit eating grin smothering your face in small kisses
— kazuha
freezes up when you call his name
he literally feels his heart drop into his pale, firm ass when you call his name
he thinks he did smth wrong
so while you’re waiting on his response he’s frozen in time trying to tap into his memories and try and remember if he did anything to upset you
but he literally cannot think of anything.
but he apologizes anyways with a sad, small voice and sympathetic eyes which makes you confused ??? like why is he apologizing
when he sees that you’re confused he explains and you’re left like ö oooohhh
all he wants is for you to call him your prince he’s like a clingy cat he loves attention and esp if its from you
— zhongli
yes he is a grown ass man with dick and balls and bills to pay
yes you will call him your baby because he is exactly that
your baby. not zhongli.
when you call him by his name he’ll stop you immediately and tell you to call him “that funny little name” you call him
while he wasn’t really a fan of pet names… you calling him that just makes him feel warm inside
hihi!! i was wondering if its possible to do a headcanon for mikey, draken, chifuyu, kazutora, and takashi (mitsuya), where they’re returning to their lover’s home in the middle of the night after a fight they had because of (any reason, maybe someone else talking bad about them so the boys defend their name) and they patch them up? just some fluffy stuff with the boys growing sleepy and falling asleep on them as they do so? 🥺 thank you lots, tee!!
𝐓𝐎𝐊𝐘𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔
𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: sano manjiro, matsuno chifuyu, mitsuya takashi, ryuguji ken, hanemiya kazutora
𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: sobsobsob imagine them defending your pride ugh he’s a keeper if he does bye
✿ 𝐌𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐘 pouts when you pull out the rubbing alcohol, grabbing your wrist and eyeing it unhappily. “i don’t need that,” he argues. with a scowl, you snatch your hand out of his grip, narrowing your eyes at him as you dab some onto a gauze. “mikey, it’s three am, i’m not in the mood to argue. don’t get into fights so often if you don’t like the clean up,” you grumble, pressing it to the gash on his side, making him hiss and grit his teeth. “ow! i defend your honor and this is my thanks?” he whines, dropping his head to your shoulder. pausing, you bring a hand to his head, threading through the messy locks as you take in his words. “defending my—you fought for that?” nodding, he hugs your waist, pressing soft kisses to your neck. “well, yeah. had to teach ‘em.” you pull away, sighing as you take in his appearance, frowning when you notice bruises appearing that hadn’t been there earlier. furrowing you’re eyebrows, you shake your head. “that’s not worth getting into a—” but he cuts you off immediately. “i was gentle this time. next time i won’t be,” he says firmly, and you know it’s useless arguing. and even if a part of you crumbles at the sight of him hurt, your heart flutters at how he protects you even when you’re not there. with a sigh, you kiss his nose before pulling him back into a hug, rubbing his back and threading through his hair with your fingers while he yawns into the crook of your neck. slowly, he grows limp in your hold, making you chuckle as you decide to let him stay like that for a bit.
✿ 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐔𝐘𝐔 groans as you wrap the bandage around his arm tightly, watching as you look up at him with pursed lips. “keep that the way i put it, okay?” you say sternly, making him sigh defeatedly. “fine. told you i was fine though,” he mumbles, offering you a hasty smile when you glare. “any other injuries i should know about? and don’t hide them,” you warn, making him ponder for a moment before he smiles smugly at you. pointing to his busted lip, he pouts. “my lip’s in bad condition. i need you to fix it.” rolling your eyes, you can’t fight off your grin. “oh? how exactly?” he pokes your forehead, making you laugh and gently shove his hand away. “you know how,” he insists. with a shake of your head, you press a few light pecks to his lip before gently nudging him into your bed, helping him strip off his shirt and settle under the blanket. you follow right after and let him lay on your chest as you card your fingers through his hair. “don’t be mad, okay? i wasn’t looking for trouble. they just made trouble dragging your name into it,” he grumbles, yawning as his eyelids feel heavier from the soothing drag of your nails across his scalp. your heart melts at the lengths he’d went through for your sake, hugging him closer. “you always get into trouble. gotta keep my eye on you, always,” you chuckle, making him smile into your shirt as you tug the blanket over his body and cover him better as he loses himself to sleep, you pressing one last kiss to his forehead.
✿ 𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐘𝐀 knocks on your window apologetically, quietly stepping in and pecking your lips before following you to the bathroom. rubbing some dirt off his cheek, your face drops as you take in the cuts littering his collarbone, making his heart squeeze. “sorry, baby,” he mumbles sheepishly. “i told you to be careful,” you frown, helping him tug his shirt over his shoulders. “i was trying. but then they brought you up and i kinda lost it,” he rubs his neck, leaning into your hand when you cradle his face. he presses a soft kiss to your palm, offering you a reassuring smile. you sigh, bringing out the first aid kit and pulling out things you’ll need, only to be stopped by him bringing you into his chest, letting your cheek press against his bare skin. “you should’ve dropped it, you know. don’t want you hurt for my sake,” you say softly, making him scoff. “think i’m weak? that can’t even defend my baby’s name, huh?” giggling, you shake your head, grabbing his face and squeezing his cheeks together gently. pressing a soft kiss to his lips, you comb your fingers through his hair before you tend to his wounds, his expression soft as he admires you. somehow, mitsuya always finds a way to lighten the air, and you feel yourself soften at his loyalty. “you know that’s not what i meant,” you huff. he hums, leaning his head against the wall and dozing off, making you catch his head as it lolls forward, rolling your eyes with a smile as he grins sheepishly again. “sorry, ‘m drained,” he whispers, following you as you drag him to bed and pull him in with you.
✿ 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐍 stalks in quietly, not meeting your gaze, his eyes downcast on the floor as you sigh. it’s quiet as you stand between his legs, him sat in the bathroom with his shirt off, watching as you carefully clean the cuts and bandage them. “here, hold this,” you quietly murmur, pressing an ice pack to a particularly bad bruise. “thanks,” he mumbles. he still doesn’t meet your eyes, guilt creeping up on him when he notices you stifle a yawn, but gently, you gather his face in your hands, thumb tracing the edge of a cut on his cheek. “what was it this time, ken?” he almost thinks you’re tired of him for a moment, but the delicate kiss to his forehead makes him relax, reminding him you’re still here. his free arm wraps around your torso as he leans his forehead against yours. “had some low-life’s mention you. taught ‘em a lesson,” he grumbles, and you can hear the slight edge to his voice as he remembers the events. shaking your head, you fight back a smile—because draken’s always there, even when he’s not, and it makes your heart beat erratically. “you’re so dumb,” you huff, but he hears the smile in your words, and one of his own stretch across his lips too. “yeah, right. you’re welcome,” he chuckles, relishing in the soft kisses you place along his jaw as you hold his face. eyes closed and growing heavy, his breath starts to slow, making you tap his cheek gently. “don’t sleep here, you idiot,” you chide, making his lips pout slightly, groaning as he rubs his eyes. “come on, i’m tired,” he grabs your hand, bringing you to lay on your bed as he curls around your body.
✿ 𝐊𝐀𝐙𝐔𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐀 clutches onto your shirt as you turn to clean up the materials, making you turn to him in concern. gently brushing away a few strands of hair from his face, you grab his hand, gliding your thumb over his knuckles. “what’s wrong? something hurt? i can—” he cuts you off, leaning his head into your shoulder, burying his face into your neck. “no, nothing’s wrong. just stay,” he murmurs, making a soft smile paint your face as you rub his back soothingly, being careful not to apply too much pressure to his bruises. sighing, you kiss his temple, glancing down at the bloodied gauzes. “you need to be smarter about the fights you pick. that was way too many people to take on alone,” you scold gently. kazutora frowns into your skin, hugging you tighter, shaking his head. “no, they brought you into it. nobody gets away with that,” he mutters. and you know you’re precious to him, it’s no secret, he makes sure to remind you how important you are, how much of an impact you bring to his life—but times like these remind you how much of an impact he has on you too. he’s always put it all on the line for you. “i love you, you know. i don’t like it when you’re hurt,” you whisper, and he slumps more weight into you, nuzzling deeper into your warmth as you encompass him with your embrace. he lets out a soft snore, making you sigh, shaking your head with a chuckle—but you don’t have the heart to wake him just yet, eyes softening as you take in his features for a bit.
put your head on my shoulder
pairings: diluc, zhongli, kaeya, itto, thoma x gn!reader
genre: fluff
summary: small scenarios about resting w/ the genshin boys (unestablished relationship)
wc: 700+
warnings: none!
extra notes: hold me in your arms, baby~ (someone pls tell me they get the song reference-) i’m thinking of making a second part where i expand and turn the scenarios into small fics :)
you can find my masterlist here
diluc
imagine resting on him under the great tree at windrise at the end of a paired patrol one night. thanks to your insistence, the winery owner begrudgingly accepted your request. sleep overtakes you as you sit beside him and the poor man freezes when he feels a weight on his shoulder, slowly tilting his head to look at you.
adorable, he thinks. so adorable that it makes his heart squeeze in a way he’s never experienced before, and butterflies begin to flutter around in his stomach. after a long moment of contemplation he silently shrugs off his large coat and drapes it around your shoulders. not too long after, diluc places his cheek on top of your head, snoozing off with you. you seem content with the new warmth, huddling closer to the man who held your heart even if he didn’t know that yet.
(more utc!)
zhongli
the two of you were out for the whole day after he promised to help you with your commissions as repayment for all the money you’ve lent him. you shook your head in disagreement, telling him there was no need and that you just wanted him to remember his mora, but he was firm in his insistence.
night came sooner than expected and you were still a distance away from the familiar safety of liyue harbour. you were by wangshu inn, to be precise, but neither of you had the mora for a room. instead, zhongli found you both a relatively warm shelter under a tree and suggested sleeping there for the night. the ground was quite unforgiving, however, and soon you could feel yourself getting sore. noticing your discomfort from the hard ground, zhongli offered you his body. sturdy arms were held open invitingly, beckoning you to him.
kaeya
on his way back to his apartment after a long day at work you stumble across him and decide to make up for some lost time. you, yourself, had been busy at the guild and so you didn’t have as much time to spend with each other- much to both of your dismays. you decided that sitting by the lake outside the walls would be the best location to relax by.
kaeya passes out on you seeming to be asleep- but in reality he’s only pretending. it’s the only way he knows how to get closer to you without his false, flirty facade. you’ve rejected each one of his prior advances and it took quite the toll on his confidence. perhaps they truly feel nothing for me after all, he thought to himself dejectedly one day. so he took the cowards way out. if this was the closest he would get to you then so be it.
itto
it was raining by the time the pair of you decided to head back to hanamizaka. not wanting you to catch a cold (or perhaps more so to save his hair…), itto leads you to a nearby cave to take shelter. thunder claps in the distance and you startle, jumping at every boom in the sky.
a wave of understanding hits the oni suddenly as he clasps your smaller hand in his protectively, pulling you to his chest and making sure you felt as safe as possible. shuffling you so that you were basically using him as your makeshift bed, itto smoothed his hands up and down your back. his embrace was comforting and all-encompassing, and you dozed off feeling much safer.
thoma
whilst you loved your job as another estate keeper, days could really be tiring. you truly loved the people you worked with and the people you worked for but the job was quite physically exerting. nobody understood that better than thoma and so he grabbed ahold of your wrist and tugged you towards the nearby cliff.
the sun was just beginning to set beyond the horizon as you and thoma conversed for what seemed to be both an eternity and not enough time at all. though you were certain he’d never return your feelings, you couldn’t bear to be away from him and so you treasured tender moments between you. thoma turned to you after noticing the prolonged silence but was surprised to see you already fast asleep. shaking his head he carefully drew you in close enough to rest against his side, smiling to himself. he’d tell you how he feels one day.
published on 15/03/22
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my reading dump for genshin, bnha and other works (sfw only). feel free to give me recs
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