♡ GENSHIN IMPACT + HOW LOVE FINDS THEM ♡

𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭

✦ summary: Chat knows that they have an s/o. If only they weren't so avoidant about the topic of romantic relationships.

Or, Albedo, Childe, Itto, Kazuha, Scaramouche, Xiao and Zhongli separately!! have offscreen s/o's but won't admit it. (hc//streamer au)

✦ c/w: the return of smugbedo and kazuflirt, slight swearing on scaramouche's part

✦ now playing: we could happen - aj rafael

albedo: kreideprinz

✦ Albedo is well known in the general gaming community as that one streamer with fabulous fanart and intricate cosplays. Which, may I add, are all self made (tailorbedo when).

✦ Most of his social media posts are either Aelbdo’s art and cosplay showcases, with the exception of promotional event posts. Interestingly, the model for every character cosplayed whether male, female or non-binary, is the same person. The model tagged is linked to a private account, with the only information available stating that the owner of the account is a model.

✦ Naturally, chat got curious and began investigating. In any cosplay post that depicts a ship, it’s always the mysterious model and Albedo posing. The camera is angled in such a position that the model’s facial features are indistinguishable or hidden.

✦ susbedo 100% when asked about the model.

“Oh? I suppose you’ll find out sooner or later.”

tartaglia: childe

✦ That streamer who manages to talk animatedly while playing an intense section of a game. He’ll be focused on winning a battle royale while still interacting with his viewers. King of multitasking??

✦ Of course, Childe has many things to talk about: A dog he saw at the park; the flavour of ice cream he ate today; what his s/o made for breakfast today. The topic of Childe’s s/o seems to be an intensely recurring topic.

✦ If Childe doesn’t talk about his s/o at least once per stream, then you know that this isn’t the real Childe: it’s an imposter who’s holding Childe hostage offscreen.

“Did I tell you about the time my s/o bought me this adorable narwhale keychain?”

itto: hanamizaka heroics

✦ Himbo streamer who also has very wholesome energy. Seems like he boasts a lot but they’re all truths.

✦ Itto can’t stay still for long periods at a time, so every once in a while he leaves his desk to walk around the room. While he’s stretching, there’s a pair of hands that seem to spawn from nowhere that keeps the stream entertained. When big man’s ready to continue whatever he’s doing, he places his chin on a waiting upturned palm which promptly squeezes Itto’s cheeks.

✦ Sometimes Itto holds the hand when he’s doing something that only involves his dominant hand.

“Hey! Whaddya mean they’re too good for me? You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

kaedehara kazuha: scarlet leaves pursue wild waves

✦ Calm streamer with an even calmer voice that can make you fall asleep within five minutes - even if he’s reading a horror story.

✦ Every approximate two hours, someone knocks on the door and enters with a drink, food or both. When this happens, Kazuha never fails to pause whatever he’s doing at the moment to have (as dubbed by chat) “Kazuha’s wholesome break”.

✦ During the time period of twenty minutes, Kazuha spends the time interacting with the stream and the person who makes and delivers his meals. He also shows off the meals since they look like they’re straight out of an aesthetic cafe.

✦ What makes chat so sure that this mysterious person is Kazuha’s s/o? Why, it's the very fact that he kisses their knuckles just before they leave and has a smile that outshines the light of the sun.

"Chat, aren't these pancake adorable? It looks like a bear..."

scaramouche: balladeer

✦ A streamer that only plays single player games and games where you have direct control over who can join your world.

✦ Scara only plays in multiplayer (especially in genshin as it’s free) with one person: his s/o. When he’s not screaming to blind people in quests or cursing when he’s pushed off a cliff when exploring by Paimon, Scaramouche is inhabiting the world of his s/o.

✦ Either farming materials, speedrunning commissions or visiting the heart island, Scaramouche carries his s/o (even though they’re both the same adventure rank).

✦ Since he turns on his camera, chat can occasionally see soft Scaramouche asking someone offscreen if they’re doing okay.

“I deny everything! Stop calling me a damn simp!”

xiao: vigilant yaksha

✦ The streamer that has played every game in existence and is probably an expert in every single one of them.

✦ He streams in his bedroom with his face camera on. There’s almost always someone sitting behind Xiao on his bed, but chat can’t tell who it is since Xiao has a blurred background filter and the other person is too far away for the microphone to pick up their voice.

✦ Chat often hears conversations between Xiao and the person in the background, though they can only hear Xiao’s side. From what they can tell, Xiao’s dating this person.

✦ Xiao denies all existence of his s/o, but he makes no move to hide the banter taking place. Also Xiao’s s/o falls off the bed often, which leads to the stream being ended abruptly.

“I don’t have an s/o. [pause] Yes, our date is still on this Sunday.”

zhongli: vago mundo

✦ Clueless streamer. His stream doesn’t know what’s going on most of the time, but they stay around anyway because of his voice.

✦ Whenever something happens that Zhongli can’t make a head or tails out of, such as a chinese lottery ad opening and he doesn’t know how to close it, he calls a person offscreen to help him. He doesn’t actually say any names, opting to use pet names such as "dear" or "my love." It’s really infuriating, but he’s probably not doing it on purpose. Probably.

✦ Whenever someone asks zhongli who this mysterious person is, he’ll give a vague answer such as "Hm? Someone I live with" or "Oh, just someone I know" and then tactfully changes the subject. This could mean that this person is just a family member, but we all know you don’t just call your sibling or parent pet names reserved for a significant other.

✦ Speaking of which, if you strain your ears a moment after Zhongli utters a pet name, you can hear a laugh in the background.

Cute things they do | Tokyo Revengers

Characters: Takemichi, Chifuyu, Draken, Mikey, Baji, Mitsuya, Kazutora, Ran, Rindou, Kokonoi, Inui, Sanzu, Izana, Wakasa, Shinichiro.

Type: fluff

Warnings: none

Words count: 1,377

There's some domestic thing so think about it with their future self if you want.

English is not my first language so I'm sorry if there're any mistakes ♡

Chifuyu - catch your hand when he's excited

He's childish and gets excited over small things. So every time he sees something he likes or wants to do something cool with you, he takes your hand and squeezes, shake it while smiling wildly. He can take a high-pitched voice and get you where he wants without asking twice or letting you answer. You don't mind, it makes you happy to see him like this. If he excuses himself for being brutal, you shut him down with a kiss and tell him that he wasn't and you love him. 

Mikey - stuff his cheeks while eating

He loves to eat so either of you usually invite the other to go out to eat. You don't necessarily eat but he always does and that's the cutest thing to see. He's there, talking about gang stuff that makes him angry or anything while his cheeks are stuff with food. Imagine his face, dead serious, a frown and a dramatic gaze while he talks seriously with his big cheeks? Cute. You can't take him seriously and just laugh a little, still listening to him and humming to show him you are. 

Draken - fix your hair

Fix your hair when you're doing something and it bothers you, like your homework. He's not always with you of course but every time they happen to go in your face and he's here, he tuck them behind your ear for you. Sometimes offers to tie them for you. He also takes the stray hair off your clothes. He likes taking care of you that way. 

Mitsuya - hides his face on your shoulder when he's tired

He'll come to you and just nuzzle his nose in your back when he comes back tired and you're in the kitchen. You don't talk much and wait to see if he wants to or not. But, usually, he just recharges himself like this. He can also take you on his lap so his head can stay on your shoulders while you watch the tv. Hugging you tight against him so he's sure you're not going anywhere. He just found a lot of comfort in this position. 

Takemichi - nose scrunch when he doesn't like something

It happens pretty often to to say the least. Whenever it's about a not that good garde, something he tastes and doesn't like or about the gang : he does that all the time. When he whines about something to you too, so you take great pleasure to boop his nose for him to stop. He'll blush hard if you chuckle on top of it but call him cute and it's long forgotten. 

Kazutora - hide his face with both hands when he laughs

He's the cutest. I don't make the rules. I feel like he'll be shy about his smile and laugh so he covers it. His hands even cover his nose and you can feel your heart exposed cause it's too much for you. You'll hold it dramatically, making him confused but amused. With time, you'll start to take his hands off when he laughs and tell him that he's so pretty that he doesn't need to cover his smile. I'll literally die to make Kazutora feel good about himself my sweet baby 

Baji - love going outside when it's raining

He'll pull you outside without asking twice and make you run through the storm that began outside. People are running around you to find a shelter but he's keeping your hand in his, running while laughing at them. Pure joy is written on his face and you can't help but laugh with him. Yes you'll end up wet to the bones and maybe sick as hell, but it's okay if you can see him that happy. 

Koko - types in the air before actually typing on his laptop

He works a lot but loves to have you near him while doing it. He spends most of his time on his laptop, checking a whole bunch of things that you don't understand at all. Plus you're busy with your own things but you still steal glances from him and always catch him typing in the air when he thinks. Sticking his tongue out is a basic thing for him but seeing him doing both is the best sight. 

Inui - fall asleep on your shoulder, sometimes drool

He loves to hug you from behind or your side when you're working. You keep going on with your studies when he doesn't and he wants to show you that he got your back even if he can't help you. So he stays with you like this for hours till you're done. But he often falls asleep in the process and your shoulder is the best pillow. His deep breath close to your ear doesn't really bother you, but when he drools on your shoulder you can't help but sigh. It doesn't disgust you, just being wet is not the most comfortable thing. You don't mention it when he wakes up anyway. 

Ran - hug pillows

You honestly never expect that so when he steals the pillow on your back to hug it you were like "eh ?" inside. But do not tell it outside and go on with your movie night. It was just so adorable, you were taken aback. Then you notice that he takes a pillow on him even when you just talk, on his lap or his arms without thinking about it. You will fangirl deep down, wanting to hug him and play with his cheeks but he'll never let you. You wanted to be the pillow tho. 

Rindou - check if he has his glasses on

Yeah pretty basic I know but wait, imagine him putting his whole hands in front of his face to check. Like, he's casually writing and then bam two fingers go to his eyes to check if he wears them. He ends up with two dirty prints on his glasses or one in his eye. He'll curse under his breath even tho he's ready to kill himself and wants to say it out loud. When you catch him doing that you laugh so fucking hard like it's the funniest thing ever. He will tell you to shut up. btw I do that

Sanzu - bread smile, like :]

It's a thing he does when he's disappointed or doesn't understand something. He keeps his straight face beside that, it's only his lips that go in a thin line and his cheeks seem suddenly full. His scars make it even cuter. "You okay Haru ?" You'll ask, to know if he needs anything. He usually shakes his head and deals with it alone cause he's a big boy. But you end up helping him often. 

Izana - pulling stray hair when it comes in front of his eyes

You couldn't say you notice this but watching him pulling his hair is just so funny. He looks like an idiot with his eyes focused, looking for that one hair that always leaves the others. A little "ah" always comes out of his mouth when he's done. He doesn't really know you're looking at him when it happens so don't mock him please, he will pout. 

Wakasa - hide you in his Brahman uniform

He comes behind you without you noticing and the next second you can't see. Yes, he does that outside too, to annoy you or keep you warm. He just loves the way you completely disappear in it, it's adorable and you look even shorter. Hug him please, he'll blush and even if you don't see it, you know it. 

Shinichiro - put his shirt inside out in the morning

He gets dressed while being half asleep almost every morning and it's never not funny to see the tag on the top of his back. You're still in bed, under the warm cover when he gets dressed at the end of the bed. His sleepy head and mumbling about how tired he is and don't want to go to work. It's so funny to you : he's always bothered by it. So you slowly get up to wrap your arms around him, kissing his cheek sweetly while hugging him before you say "it's inside out again love." And he'll sigh with all his soul.

It really look alike with the other one but I thought about it so here it is, sorry I'm not the most original person ever. I was thinking about an another one but I finished this first

For Sanzu, I actually thought of Jaehyun in nct and thinking about this with his scars lslslss adorable

ドキドキ (heart fluttering)

character(s) : bakugou katsuki, todoroki shouto, shinsou hitoshi, kaminari denki (bnha)

part two — tokrev ver.

legend : [Y/N = YOUR NAME] gender neutral, quirk’s not specific

headcanon type : fluff, crack-ish🤔(x reader)

note(s) : things you did that caused these characters to blush for the first time 💀 i had a hard time sticking with ideas for this one— either way, i’m sorry for the lack of posts 🧎‍♀️

bakugou katsuki

calling him by his full hero name

as we all know, his hero name has gone through several revisions. the reactions of his classmates and teachers after hearing about “king explosion murder” deemed them unacceptable, unworthy (for the time being) to hear of his official, on the paper hero name.

even then, “great explosion murder god dynamight” still has its mixed reviews— mostly questioning the blond’s naming process. they all sincerely wish he’s not in charge of naming whoever’s kid.

which is why, hearing you say his full hero name and in it’s correct order— mind you, nearly caused him to erupt into shades of red, which could rival his very own irises.

the self control he possesses sometimes

he thinks you’re mocking him at first, naturally. considering that, everyone either stuck to the name’s simplified version, “dynamight” or, they just completely avoided the mention of his hero name all together.

until he sees the sincerity in your eyes— confusion swirling in your irises at the lack of katsuki’s response.

he goes to correct you, until he remembers that the order’s absolutely correct. so then, he asks you to say it again, a hand cupping his ear, so he could hear the way the name rolls off your tongue, as you stare at him with anything but ill intent.

katsuki doesn’t realize he’s blushing, until kirishima innocently points it out, believing his blush was the work of the newly purchased hot sauce.

“was the hot sauce i bought really intense? if so— i’m really glad, y’know! i scavenged the aisles for that specific bottle”

“the hell are you talking about?”

“uh, you’re like.. really red, bro. that’s.. that’s what i mean.”

“… i’m not. you’re just fucking colorblind. are you sure the hair dye isn’t seeping into your brain?”

“…i’m sure that’s not how it works—”

“no.”

katsuki ends up not sleeping on time, and it’s all due to you. he concludes he might need professional, medical attention (no, katsuki. you just have a crush— and that’s perfectly fine 😭)

todoroki shouto

calling him his first name

his family only ever called him by his first name, which is a given. but, ever since he made it his official hero name, more and more people have been calling him by his first name.

is it something that he regrets occasionally? yeah, sometimes. did he choose that as his hero name, because he wanted to be recognized as him, and not the child of endeavor? yeah.

did he also make his hero name “shouto”, so he could erase the less than kind memories that associate with his name? maybe.

despite it all, he finds himself fighting the heat that threatens to spread along his cheeks, when you whisper his first name for the first time— addressing him as shouto in private.

not in a training set up, or in front of other classmates— but in each other’s company alone.

activating his right side, to regulate his temperature, he tilts his head to the side— prompting you to speak further.

“you weren’t responding, and i also never said your first name before so.. yeah. wanted to test that out.”

shouto holds down an uncharacteristic stammer. with shaky hands, he slowly (maybe even cautiously), approaches you.

“was that out of line—”

“no.” he starts, “it was quite— nice. yes, nice.” he nods with vigor. he likes the way you say his name, is what he wants to say. but, the words don’t come out as well.

“my first name. it’s free for you to use as you like.”

“oh— thanks, shouto!”

even when he says that, there’s undeniably some redness sprinkled across his cheeks. unsure of what just happened to him— he quickly turns around, hoping you don’t question the uncharacteristic action.

he only notices that he’s blushing, when midoriya takes one look at him, and offers him aloe vera gel

“aloe vera gel?”

“it’s for your..” midoriya gestures to the entirety of his face, “i don’t know what it is, but it looks like a rash?”

“why? what does my face look like?”

“really red, todoroki-kun.”

it dawns onto him on what it actually is, “oh.” not knowing how to reply to that, he accepts the gel.

it occurs to shouto, that there’s something he needs to figure out. whatever it is, it is causing him chest issues. he also believes that it’s detrimental to his ever so perfected temperature control. in reality, this was all because of his feelings towards you, but he’ll figure it out soon enough

shinsou hitoshi

oddly specific

for as long as he could remember, hitoshi has gotten used to paying attention to people, and their voices— because he needed to, if he wanted to pursue being a hero.

gradually, he just knew when to expect something, just by reading the conversation’s pattern, or maybe even their body language.

he thinks that people can be so predictable sometimes. so, when something else happens— it throws him off the loop.

like now, when you complimented him on his bone structure. something so oddly specific, and something he’s never been complimented on before.

to the point that heat flared up on his face— or a blush, he doesn’t know. either way, he just hopes it’s not obvious.

hitoshi knows a part of him would’ve been pretty amused at this compliment— then again, he’s never received such compliment before.

“bone structure, huh?” he questions, hand flying up to his nape, something he does as a fidget, or— when he finds himself shy.

the insomniac teen sincerely hopes this action does something to control whatever blush, or heat that’s about to emit off his face to no end.

“yeah. you have good bone structure. has no one told you that?”

“no, not really. but uh.. thank you?”

you smile, patting his back, “don’t sweat it.”

oh but, he will.

hitoshi only realizes he’s blushing, when aizawa points it out first (he wonders, why it had to be his mentor out of all the people.)

“shinsou, you good?”

“yes, sir. why?”

“you look like you’re burning up.”

“i am? ..huh.”

“don’t “huh” me, i don’t want to be unwell during training. it won’t benefit you, and it’ll only worsen your condition.”

“uh.. i don’t think..”

“—unless, i’m misreading this all, and it’s not what it appears.”

“…yeah.”

hitoshi wonders if he was blushing because he was given an unexpected, and oddly specific compliment. or— if it’s because you were giving him the praise. but knowing himself, it’s probably because of you. (he’s screwed, he thinks to himself)

kaminari denki

when you flirt back

kaminari denki can flirt, but he doesn’t actually expect any form of reciprocation.

he knows when to back off and all— he’s not a creep. regardless of the fact, whenever he does flirt with someone, they either shyly shrug it off, or they ignore it all together 💀

then there are those rare occasions, where he gets told off, but hey— at least he tried, and at least they were honest.

denki thought you were just being nice, when you only smiled at his borderline cheesy attempts at throwing flirtatious punchlines.

which is why he doesn’t know what to say, when you actually flirt back with him. it was totally unexpected on his end— especially since you’ve never mirrored him in like, ever.

“i think if we were a couple, you’d be the pretty one,” he says in an flirtatious attempt, and he opens his mouth to move onto the next topic, when you reply back with

“hm, i don’t know— you’re pretty good looking yourself. we’d really be one pretty couple.”

denki stares at you dumified, and the lack of words only cause the smile that was already on your lips to spread even wider.

what time is it? where is he? is the room spinning? is the world spinning? he knew, but it seems to be that he forgot about all concepts of time and location.

he believes he short circuited— the way his agape mouth closes and opens like a fish, and the way he stares at you dumbfounded is just enough to wrap a conclusion around his head

but he doesn’t see sparks of electricity, or an expression of worry on your face— which is something he catches a glimpse of, whenever he short circuits due his quirk

so maybe, it’s something else entirely.

denki only realizes that he’s blushing, when bakugou lands a slap on his back, straightening his posture.

“ow, bakugou! what was that for?”

“your expression, ‘s fucking haunting. the hell happened to you? got struck by lighting on the way or something?”

“huh??”

“your face, dimwit. look at your face— it’s red as shit!”

“what— oh. oh.”

“what?”

“i just realized something. i think i’m screwed.”

“sounds like a personal problem.”

in reality, it really was. in a span of few hours and a hamburger, denki came to realize this unlabelled fascination, is him actually developing a crush on you— the subject of his daily banter.

likes and reblogs are appreciated, thanks for reading!

i do not own bnha/mha and it’s characters. boku no hero academia/my hero academia belongs to horikoshi kohei, i only own the writing and i do not profit off of my hobby

do not plagiarize, reupload, translate, or use my works for audio readings without permission :))

TAGLIST (bold couldn’t be tagged 😔 lmk if you’ve changed your url ‼️) :

@baku6o @angelicsano @anactualfuckingnerd @kitsuji @tamewkii @astridismissing @sweethcnvy @why-couldnt-it-be @kioyoki @t0ra-kazu @givingeraserhead @uxavity @snowymaltese @escapenightmare @taurus852 @han-the-fanboy @crack-squirrels @keisukeist @vdoesthings @gravity-gacha @blxck-hxney @electricpainterwobblergoop @nopenotallie @mhasimp666 @shelteredheart @lovingshoto @lxislxis @luluwiie @avengs @princ3rae @solaxena

zhongli ▪︎ beloved

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

His archon days were long over.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Only to pause as you stirred.

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

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

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

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

You moved your gaze away from his with groggy blinks—

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

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

Your eyes sprang wide.

—oh no!

What if you snored? Or worse, drooled?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ordinary? Nothing about him was ordinary.

Even as a mortal, he makes heads turn.

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

You couldn't blame them though.

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

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

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

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

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

There were intricate signs of wealth all over the vehicle.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not on him.

His brows rose.

…but on you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You were aware of the many praises about you.

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

But a woman of beauty? Never.

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

"And you must be Mr. Zhongli!"

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

You looked over at Zhongli in mild surprise.

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

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

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

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

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

“Oh, my sister—”

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

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

So this was Lady Wen, your eyes widened.

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

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

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

You? A woman of beauty? No way.

It was Lady Wen.

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

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

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

Ah, you understood now.

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

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

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

Hers and his.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enough.

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

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

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

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

Maybe you should go help Jun out?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There was a frown on his face.

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

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

“A little excited?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then you grew curious.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You blinked in shock at him. Husband ??!

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

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

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

Marriage, huh.

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

You were forgotten by Zhongli the moment this commission started.

Lady Wen Rong and Zhongli.

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

Perhaps…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“She is a wonderful friend.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Thank you for your offer in marriage.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

And his heart sank.

…No.

Then Zhongli broke into a run.

“Thank you for your offer in marriage.”

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

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

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

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

Hurry to where?

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

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

Shit.

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

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

So you ran.

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

Where was the main gate again?

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

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

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

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

You skidded around a bend and—

well, SHIT.

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

You needed another escape route.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What did you have to offer?

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

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

Shit.

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

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

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

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

Then you moved forward, trying to sidestep him.

But before you could make it past him—

Your eyes widened. ...!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why did Zhongli…?

How could he…?

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

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

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

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

A frown creased between your brows.

“But…” Doubt clouded your heart.

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

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

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

You flinched with bashful blinks, not expecting his reply.

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

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

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

“What? Tha-That’s too sudden!”

You two haven’t even officially dated!

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

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

Silence.

“...yes, of course, eventually.”

Zhongli smiled. “Good.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

.

.

.

—published on 28.01.2022

all rights reserved ©justgenshin

---

OKAY so I imagine you and Xiao just laying in bed because Xiao FINALLY admitted to himself that yes, he likes being held by you. So you guys are just laying there facing eachother and talking quietly, when you suddenly lean forward and press a kiss to his forehead.. Xiao’s breath hitches, it seems that, no matter how many times you’ve done this, it still makes him feel oh so special. 

His cheeks turn a lovely shade of red- a sight you’ve seen, many, many times. But he seems even more flustered this time however, judging by the way he burries his face in your chest. You smile fondly at him, but your smile falters as he mumbles something in your chest, something that you couldn’t quite catch. You gently ask him what he said, and Xiao nearly whimpers. Now you’re REALLY confused bc what the fuck Xiao…

He slightly lifts his head, not enough for you to see his face, but just enough for you to actually understand what he’s saying. “I… I love you…” he mumbles out, that’s the very first time you’ve ever heard him say that, so PLEASE be nice to him and don’t say “I love you more” 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

After you said your ‘I love you’ back, Xiao lets out a sigh of relief and visibly relaxes.. you pull him closer to you and softly pet his head…. hnngngngn soft cuddles w Xiao…

---

I WANT THIS LIIIIFEEEEE

HEADCANONS + VARIOUS || daydreaming reader au

note: I got an ask about what would the second years of Jujutsu Tech do if their fellow classmates, and soon I was flooded by all the prompts to the point where I get inspired to do this lmao. honestly, this is just a self indulgent hcs for me cx i hope you enjoy tho! you can find all of my asks under the #daydreaming!reader and see all the original prompts and the original ask too!

also this is so long wtf lol - i went insane 

original commenter: @currentlydaydreamingsworld

pronouns: she/her 

daydreaming!reader masterlist  |  buy me a coffee?

the youngest heir to her clan, she is considered to be the baby of the family - so she was treated like one. yet she possesses so much potential that it was a given that she was going to become a sorcerer

that being said though, she is just naturally the way she is - always having her head in the clouds,  oblivious to the people and things around her as she thinks about things through her window of understanding. people have learnt that the hard way

“hey Y/N, what’s your favourite colour?”

“Oh, I love bubbles too!”

yes she’s a bimbo - but a very powerful bimbo with superhuman strength and agility; but still a bimbo nonetheless

Keep reading

I SHOULD'VE BOUGHT YOU FLOWERS ( all the things i should've done, i don't want to love you from afar. ).

— genre : headcanons. angst to fluff. — cw : breakups, swearing, parties, alcohol. — characters : childe, kaeya, albedo, xiao, thoma.

childe ; the childhood friend that grew apart and drifted away.

you remember when you and childe were still neighbours and best friends and so clearly two youngsters crushing on each other. what a trope for a promising pair that ended up as strangers.

he used to approach you with that shit - eating smile, clearly hiding something behind his back ( he's terrible at surprises ), his voice quite literally two octaves higher as he shoves yet another gift in your face. rich boys, you guess. his mom would smile fondly in the background, waving at you from the doorway of his house. you'd jump into his arms and he'd catch you just in time, strong arms holding you up against his chest.

it's all just platonic, he'd tell everyone. we're just friends. oh how he regrets saying that so confidently now.

childe really likes you. did he ever tell you that? he likes how you always accepted him for who he was and not everything he had. not how rich his parents were, not how good he was at sports, not how many girls swooned over him at parties. you liked him because he was ... him, whatever that meant to you.

it meant a lot to you.

but now childe is different. he's popular, not to say you aren't, but he's POPULAR popular. he plays beer pong on friday nights and winks at girls in the hallways and always has tons of fans cheering for him at those swim meets and hockey games. and he doesn't pay attention to you. you're way out of his league and you got the hint a long time ago.

and you act like you don't know him at all, but he knows it's really his fault. his fault for acting like he was better than you all for the attention of others, acting like you weren't worth his time once he became popular, ditching you to hang out with the cool kids. you act like you can't tell when he's upset, blue eyes too easy to read after all these years. you act like his smile doesn't remind you of when you were still young.

he misses you. he misses how you'd come to his hockey games with his jersey on, always catching your eye in the crowd. he misses how you feel clinging to his back like a koala as he piggybacks you around the neighbourhood. he misses walking home with you every single day, conversation flowing so naturally, words that cannot be exchanged anymore.

so when he's arriving home at an ungodly hour of the morning still a little tipsy, and sees your sleep - deprived form in an oversized hoodie, he quickly jogs after you.

"hey." he breathes, the scent of alcohol on his breath and a forced smile on his face — and yours. "hey." you mumble back, pressing pause on the music blasting through your headphones. he hesitates before speaking again, softly. "you shouldn't go alone. it's dangerous."

you laugh incredulously and childe is taken aback by your disdain for his genuine concern. "i've been doing this for years since we stopped hanging out. i'm fine." you turn around to continue walking, and make no effort to tell him to stop, so he follows you down the street to the convenience store.

he opens the door before you can, buying you your favourite drink from the fridge before you can reach for it yourself. you widen your eyes at his memory. you assumed he'd forgotten all about you, after all. and as if he can sense your thoughts, childe gently holds your palms in his as you stand awkwardly outside in the parking lot.

"i didn't forget about you, you know." he smiles sheepishly. "even if i act like a dick sometimes."

you look up at him expectantly, eyebrow raised in response. maybe it's because he's still a little drunk or maybe it's because it's 3:30 in the morning, but he figures this is the right time to tell you how he's always felt, even with tears stinging the back of his eyes — and he doesn't know why. "i ... miss hanging out with you, i guess. and it's my fault that i let you go, haha. i'm sorry. i miss you. i'm —

ah, you still remember how to shut him up by squeezing his hands gently when he starts rambling. when he gets insecure. when he looks like he's about to cry, because no matter how much time you spend apart, you'd never want to see him break.

kaeya ; the ex who realises you're happier without him.

there's no denying kaeya alberich isn't the easiest person to get along with or get to know. but it's hard to resist getting tied up in all his fun and games when he's so goddamn attractive.

after your breakup, you realised how much you hated him. hated the way he would lie and pretend things were fine. hated the way he acted like he told you anything, just for you to find out from someone else yet another secret he had been keeping. hated the way it always felt like a game of push and pull, chasing after him even after you were already his. hated how you could never decipher that twinkle in his eyes when you asked him if he truly loved you.

but at the same time, being apart from him from even a day made you realise how much you missed his presence. even if he was so incredibly unbearable. you missed his silky voice, speaking up for you in that authoritative tone of his when you were about to get pushed over once again, because he knew how afraid you were to stand up for yourself. missed his hands that would touch you gingerly, knowing all the right places to land before finally swooping you into a perfect kiss. missed the way you knew him best, you knew just from the way he looked at you, despite all the secrets he refused to spill until the very end.

you think kaeya didn't miss you, not after the way he walked off without looking back that night, glittering eyes turned cold and dull, not even sparing well wishes. he hasn't texted you since, notifications empty since you've changed his contact name ( but for some reason you can't delete his number yet ). it's like he's disappeared from your life, and you think it's because he despises you so much he wants to get you out of his sight.

on the contrary, he removes himself from anything related to you so no one will have to see him break. he can't bear to hear your voice anymore, calling him by his name in a tone full of contempt when previously you would call out a cute pet name with a bright smile on your face. he can't bear to watch you laugh at someone else's jokes or make an exclusive handshake with some other guy, as stupid as it sounds. he hates knowing that you go out with someone else on friday nights now, that you have someone else to go to when you're upset, that someone else is getting to know you possibly better than he ever has, and that's his fault. and he thought it would be better to avoid you, because if he doesn't see all this happening with his own eyes, perhaps he can pretend it wasn't true.

mutual misguided impressions of wanting nothing to do with each other, and of course you tried to get on with life in every way possible. it's safe to say you went through the generic post - breakup glow up revival whatever they called it. you even started talking to someone else. a part of you was upset that kaeya never noticed, but why? was it because you wanted him to see that you were better off, wanted him to feel worse about himself — or was it because deep down inside, you hoped he'd get jealous and try to re - appear in your life once more?

it's at the party when he first sees you. he wasn't expecting to see you here, knowing that you two had gotten used to staying at home on saturdays for date nights instead of going out with other people. it appears things have changed, and he shouldn't really be surprised. he sees the way you giggle, the way you look so fucking good in that outfit ... not that you don't look good in anything, though. he sees how other people take an undeniable interest in you, and he just can't help himself but intervene.

because shit, you're so hard to get over it hurts.

"hey sweetheart, fancy meeting you here." kaeya cringes internally at his own words, knowing you're not some stranger he couldn't care less about. this is YOU, why would he say such a stupid thing, meeting you for the first time after the breakup?

"you know this guy?" the person next to you looks him up and down, but kaeya knows ( due to his big ego, of course ) that there's really nothing terrible that can be said about him — on the outside, at least. so he flashes his widest grin, swinging an arm around your shoulder. before you can speak, he interjects. "yeah. we know each other quite well, wouldn't you say so, darling?"

his overuse of pet names isn't a surprise to you, especially when you can practically smell the scent of alcohol on his breath. it's not uncharacteristic of him, but after months of not speaking or even seeing each other it would be a lie to say you weren't shocked. similarly, kaeya is pleasantly surprised when you nod and plaster on a smile, nodding in consent when he makes a motion to lead you towards the quieter balcony.

kaeya lets his hand trail over your cheekbones, touch so featherlight it makes your heart leap out of your chest. he knows all the ways to break you, so why is he doing everything right now that you aren't his anymore? "hi." he whispers, the expression on his face full of a raw longing. "missed you."

"you're drunk", you reply matter - of - factly. "don't say things you wouldn't say if you were sober." your voice quivers when you speak, and you don't know why ( actually, you do, but you just don't want to admit that you still have feelings for him after all this time ) .

albedo ; the brilliant student who had greater things to achieve.

oh, dear albedo. named after a scientific phenomenon and he follows in its footsteps too. as the two highest achieving students in your year, he's always been your ( friendly ) rival.

albedo may have a one - track mind, consistently focused on his academics and academics only, but he seems to still make time for others. albeit aloof and socially somewhat blunt and inadequate, he is a generous and gentle person — never turning down requests for help and always being able to handle it all whilst still doing incredibly well.

he's a gifted kid and yet he still has other things he's amazing at. painting, for example. everyone always talks of his oil paintings and charcoal sketches but one day you walk into the art room as he's painting watercolour on the balcony and you swear you've never seen something more beautiful. um, the artwork, of course. not albedo, that's for sure, haha. but there's no use denying that he's just breathtakingly gorgeous.

but what truly captivates you about him is how thoughtful he is. always has an extra pen for you, black gel ink in 0.5 thickness just the way you like it in case you lose one or forget it when coming to a lab. he remembers your favourite flower, pink camellias, and it just so happens he grows them on his balcony at home. whenever you have to work on a project together in the mornings ( because of course you're always only each other's partner ), there is always a coffee, ordered perfectly to your preferences sitting on the table along with a new pastry he insists you try.

despite all the good in him, he's so ... unreachable. there seems to be so much to albedo, yet it's impossible for anyone to figure out what exactly is beneath the surface. because he doesn't want to show anyone what that is, and you know that. you know it all too well from the way you've tried to do activities other than academic projects and he always refuses. from the way your text conversations always run dry when you try to change the subject. from the way you only ever see him when you're at school or studying for something important. "i have no time for that," he would say nonchalantly.

and all the while, albedo is yearning to tell you why he feels as if he has to push you away. he's always been told he's too ambitious to be around — he makes people feel bad because he achieves so much more than they do, his busy schedule is too much for them to handle, the lack of quality time he has to spare means getting to know him better isn't worth it at all. albedo wishes he didn't have to watch your face fall when he gives you a small smile instead of a smooth remark like the other boys do, or control himself from hugging you just a few seconds longer when you look upset. if what they say is true, and it seems to be because so many people have repeated the same thing to him his whole life, then he doesn't want to ever put someone as wonderful as you through the inconveniences of being close with someone like him.

you had since graduated high school, let the memory of the genius boy slip from the forefront of your mind. you definitely didn't expect to meet him again four years down the road, accidentally bumping into him on the street on a cool spring day.

oh, he's still as pretty as ever.

a gaze of diamond blue collides with yours and you can't help but get lost in his eyes, his curious, captivating, and yet cautious stare so familiar and foreign at the same time. blond hair falls in front of his face, framing his delicate features perfectly, rosy cheeks flushed from the breeze.

"long time no see." he grins lopsidedly, his smile almost flirtatious in the morning sun. "long time no see," you respond, unable to contain the joy that spreads across your face. "so what are you doing here?" albedo sighs a little, and that's when you notice the pad of watercolour paper under his arm. "oh, i don't know. just finding fulfilling ways to pass the time."

you're taken aback — not due to his attention to detail or inquisitive nature of all that he sees and experiences, but because for once, he's not rushing somewhere or on the way to someplace greater. you swear you see a nostalgic twinkle in his eyes when he finally asks you whether you'd like to join him for the rest of the day. where to? he's not too sure yet either. but it should go perfectly fine with good company, no?

xiao ; the quiet boy at the back of the class who's always had a crush on you.

didn't you realise xiao has always noticed you?

maybe it's because he sits at the back of the class, his eyes glued to the front of the room — not at the whiteboard, no, at the back of your head, most of the time. involuntarily.

xiao tries to focus in class but it's only when you're not at school ( unfortunately ) that he can actually get any decent notes down. he makes sure to send them to you at the end of the day. you always reply with that cute little smiling emoji. it reminds him of how happy you always are compared to him.

or maybe it's because he doesn't talk much, preferring to stay quiet when the rest of the boys are rowdy and talk back to the teacher. when the rest of them go out to parties and try to hook up with some random girls they don't know, he's at home on the couch playing wii or mario kart with his younger siblings. when the rest of them ask him who he likes, he answers with a simple "no one. i'm not interested in people here."

but he knows he's lying to himself, because xiao knows the way butterflies flutter around in his stomach when you flash him a smile from across the room. he knows the way words get stuck in his throat when he wants to ask you a question, and the way his hands shake when he wants to tap you on the shoulder to get your attention. he knows the way his heart races every time you brush against him or accidentally come crashing into his chest in the hallways ( because you're always rushing somewhere for some strange reason he doesn't understand ).

he thinks you never notice him despite all the space you take up in his mind. he's wrong, though — you've always noticed him too, lonely yet beautiful amber eyes that catch your stare every time, gentle touches to manoeuvre you back in the right direction so you won't be late for class, a soft, low voice that asks if you're alright, thoughtful texts updating you about what the teacher said when you're home for one reason or another.

you noticed how he thinks he's sly when he slides a bracelet made of daisies onto your desk, accompanied by a sticky note with a smiley face so uncharacteristic of his cold personality. how he never talks to you in person but can stay up texting you all night. how he pauses his valorant matches for you because you watch him stream and every so often when you respond to his messages, he would let himself die in - game to reply — you swear it isn't on purpose. how he stutters when you interact at school, unable to do anything except nod or shake his head.

god, he's so cute.

so one day you decide to ask him out on a date. in letter form, of course, because no one ever said you were any more bold than he was when it comes to things like love.

it's 7:45 in the morning when you rush into the math classroom, putting a brown paper envelope face down on xiao's desk, sealed with a little sticker shaped in a heart.

it's 8:02 in the morning when xiao walks into class late, drenched from the early rainstorm. someone snickers at the way he shivers and his hair plasters across his forehead. you pointedly give them one of your best death stares.

it's 8:10 in the morning when xiao finally opens the envelope, hiding it behind one of his books. he's thankful you sit in front of him, because heavens forbid you see the way he can't resist a stupid smile when he realises this is you're handwriting, YOU are asking him to meet tonight, it's you, it's always been you.

it's 3:10 in the afternoon when you feel a tap on your shoulder, and you spin around, finally meeting eyes with him for more than five seconds for once. he opens his mouth and then shuts it, fumbling with the envelope in his hand, clearly extremely flustered at the attempted interaction. "hi."

"hey. uh -" he holds up the letter awkwardly. "if this is real, then ... yes."

"it's real!" you proclaim excitedly, probably a little over - the - top due to the adrenaline coursing through your veins. "see you tonight then right?" you smile sweetly and he thinks he'll combust at how inexplicably adorable you look right now. a blush creeps across his cheeks and he hates how he grows even redder when you reach out to hold his trembling hands. "hey ... don't be nervous, okay?"

fuck, you're so thoughtful it makes his heart want to beat out of his chest. "okay." he breathes, secretly wishing he could keep holding your hands for a little longer. "see you tonight."

thoma ; the best friend that watched you fall for someone else.

your best friend has always been one of the prettiest, most gorgeous people you have ever met.

emerald eyes that glitter in the golden sunlight, strawberry blond hair tousled over his constantly - smiling face, cheeks flushed with the excitement of wherever you're going together this time ...

"you're like a brother to me", you've always told him, and he has always been okay with it for as long as he can remember. he doesn't know when it all changed — when he internally grimaced at your platonic words of reference, felt his heart sink whenever you introduced him as your best friend and nothing more. even with all the time you spend together, all the friends who ship you two together and all the precious moments you've shared, he knows that there is a boundary he won't ever dare to cross in fear of changing the wonderful thing you two have fostered.

thoma thinks it's unfair. unfair how you're falling in love with someone who doesn't even love you, someone who has the audacity to lie to your face about how much they care. he thinks it's unfair how you can believe in their pretty deceitful lies and all the sugarcoated bullshit used to lure you into their toxic embrace. he thinks it's unfair how he's been there for you all this time, been so genuine and pure and kind and considerate towards everything YOU. and yet you seem to pay no mind to his efforts and instead have your eyes fixed on someone else.

but at the same time, he can't blame you, because he knows how attractive those others are compared to him. they're good at everything, have lots of friends, go to parties instead of being homebodies, and in general just know how to get you on the edge of your seat — something that a soft, gentle, shy guy like him could never do. he could never fluster you with a one - liner or make you blush at first sight. he's not that kind of person, and he knows it. and when he was still the one you were closest to in life, when you still listened to him and cared about him, he didn't mind so much. but now he's been thrown aside, sometimes he wishes he was someone else.

you've had this conversation far too many times. thoma tells you he's just caring for you out of the goodness of his heart, and you angrily push back, saying you know what's best for you. but there's a little voice of conscience inside that nags at the back of your mind, a constant reminder that you tend to be too blind to see what's in front of you while it's still there. a reminder that you often don't think things through, that since the beginning of time thoma has been there to help you solve problems in a calm way, to get you out of sticky situations, so stand up for you no matter how much he gets shamed or bashed for it. and yet, you still are indignant that you know better.

"this isn't healthy ..." he's tired of receiving your late night calls, not because he doesn't want to hear your voice or talk to you but because it's always on the topic of you stupid ex, one who keeps playing you over and over like a game that's just for entertainment. he's tired of it, hearing your broken cries and begs for his comfort, feeling his own heart shatter at your sobs and wishing he could get to your house faster. even if being harsh with you would be more effective, he could never bring himself to do so, always dampening his own emotions and practicing his patience to simply be the good listening ear he's always been.

you shake your head, opening your mouth to protest. "but —" "but he's just no good for you!" thoma raises his voice to interject for the first time, eyes blurring with unshed tears as you angrily wipe away your own. "why can't you see that?"

"god, why can't you just GET OUT of my personal shit, thoma? do you hate me or something?" as soon as you speak, you realise your mistake. he would never hate you, and it hits you as soon as you lock eyes with the sadness that fills his. "do i make you feel like i hate you?" his voice is quiet and timid, like an animal retracting back into its shell. "i'm really sorry."

regret instantly rushes into every inch and crevice of your soul and it engulfs you whole, arms instinctively reaching out to pull him into a hesitant hug as he sobs silently into your shoulder. "no, i'm sorry," you whisper, running your hand through his hair. "i know you're right. you always have been."

understanding, forgiving eyes meet yours and you wonder why you've never seen your best friend in a different light before. why you've never considered the fact that you feel so safe, so comfortable, so happy and carefree around him — you feel so much better in your own skin. and you know that no matter what you do, he will always be there to catch you when you fall.

overwork

gojo satoru x reader

summary: just gojo taking care and being proud of you when you have been overworking yourself

a/n: this was something I needed for myself because rip my schedules and stuff, hope you guys enjoy it too

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killing curses required stamina, energy, power… and health. neither of those were in your possession right now. you were tired, exhausted if you could exaggerate. your body was dragging you home and your limbs felt numb. your clothes were soaked because of the rain water and dirt was all over you from fighting curses in the forest. 

you walked inside your shared apartment with gojo. he was already waiting for you inside with the typical boyish smile on his face. you really wanted to return the smile, but you didn’t even have the power to give him a small gesture of love so he stood smiling at your tired face.

losing your balance, you tried to hold yourself up by leaning on the wall. without hesitation gojo came running to you. “you overdid it again”, he whispered as he held you under your shoulder.

you felt your body being lifted and assumed gojo had picked you up. he brought you to your bedroom, making sure you didn’t have to put effort into any of that.

you were grateful for him. if he wasn’t there for you you wouldn’t really know what you’d do on days like these.

Keep reading

everytime you're out on the street —or anywhere really— you hear that small bell jingle near you. at first you thought it was just your mind making it up, but that was just not possible after hearing it for so long. then, you decided it was the loudness from outside, which ended being false when you still could hear it while the streets were empty. your last option was blaming it on some cat that lives around, but the problem is you have never seen the cat that seems to follow you everywhere.

one day you wake up in rush, you're late. you stayed up all night thinking where could that sound come from, and now you're tired, sleepy and late. curiously you didn't hear that particular jingle today on your way, so you were able to forget about it all day until you where walking back home. you're walking peacefully, and suddenly you hear some meow at your feet. it was a cat. it purs and rubs on your leg, you immediately crunch down and start petting it, praises and loving words leaving your lips for the adorable animal.

“that's such a cute cat” says a voice near you. your head snaps towards the stranger that appeared seemingly out of nowhere. he was rather —really—cute. he tilts his head at you, his earring making a much familiar sound of a little jingle. “are you looking for a kitty? i'm pretty sure there must be one out there that wants you to own them” you feel somehow weirded out by his choice of words, or just him in general, but you just politely answer him. “i think i would like to get one” he smiles widely and his eyes get crazed spark in them. “oh? that's good to hear. well, bye now” he leaves abruptly. you're kinda relived he did. you keep walking home and go on with your routine.

but then, when you're about to sleep peacefully for the first time in a long time, you realize that little jingle that has been haunting you non-stop, came from him. from his earring. the cat wasn't wearing a collar. it was him.

you hope he really was talking about kitties and not other things.