Latest Posts by jeno-has-jaem - Page 3

call it what you want.

a genshin impact smau | xiao x gn!reader

SUMMARY as part of the student council, you’ve been tasked to recruit the local band playing in your university’s bar. xiao, who’s the band’s bassist, seems to be the only one refusing your offer to join the foundation day. you have two weeks to make him agree to perform on stage in front of the whole university or you’re off the council for good.

GENRE modern, fluff, slight(?) crack, mild angst if u squint

STATUS ongoing - sporadic updates - taglist open!

NOTES welcome back to another smau by naev and her sporadic updates t__t this is actually a lot longer than what i intended HAHA may sometimes do double updates but i’m starting to get a bit busy

EPISODE LIST

your dropees | xiao’s band

001 — beloved vp ♢ 002 — failed night out

003 — bench front ♢ 004 — deleted tweet

005 — hashtag boy ♢ 006 — fuckin’ with ‘ya

007 — know yakshas? ♢ 008 — this is betrayal

009 — go ahead without me ♢ 010 — why not?

011 — follow back, vp ♢ 012 — annoying pest

013 — ah, that’s why ♢ 014 — he likes who?

015 — never mind ♢ 016 — actually, i hate you

017 — you like them, right? ♢ 018 — my treat!

019 —so a game? ♢ 020 — he agreed?

021 — not my boyfriend ♢ 022 — for you

023 — don’t ask me to ♢ 024 — breakfast

025 — tokyo ♢ 026 — suddenly gone

027 — don’t reply please ♢ 028 — get rid of it

029 — time to cry ♢ 030 — the last song

031 — just worried ♢ 032 — just ignore him

033 — because he told you to ♢ 034 — hate me

035 — tba ♢ 036 — tba

MISCELLANEOUS time stamps do not matter unless i say so !! this will go through heavy editing in the process ^__^ not so sure if xiao is a bit ooc here but annoying xiao agenda pls >>> feedback greatly appreciated <3 chapter names may be changed depending on what happens

what about a detective rivals to lovers story with heizou? (warning: it gets pretty long.)

(parts two, three, four and five)

so like, you and heizou are the tenryou commission’s most promising minds, and as a result, you have a habit of trying to outdo each other when it comes to cases— things such as who can solve it the fastest, who can catch the criminal first, and so forth— and over time this has turned into a rivalry. though it doesn’t necessarily harbour any serious negative feelings about each other, it’s not exactly a friendly and positive rivalry, either.

(continued utc)

for example, you dislike the size of heizou’s ego and his seemingly never-ending supply of energy, while he has problems with your seeming lack of passion and indifference when you’re working; not to mention your habit of simply abandoning cases if they don’t interest you enough. he often goes out of his way to continuously annoy you; distracting you to get reactions of any kind, tries to play mind games with you, almost like a child, and he’s disappointed whenever you figure out (and ignore) his ever-so-cunning tactics. he gets on your nerves, and you rub him the wrong way.

and so, when a particularly dangerous and intelligent organisation start stirring up trouble, the tenryou commission decides that the only way this case is going to get resolved is if you both work on it. together.

you almost gag at the thought. heizou doesn’t look too pleased when he receives the news, either; he scoffs and sends you a look containing a hint of condescension, as if he thinks himself better than you. your skin crawls, but your face betrays nothing of the internal curses you’re muttering. 

when you first get started on the case, your interactions are snappy and as short as possible; neither of you want to spend any more time than necessary in the other’s presence. rather than working together, your dynamic is more along the lines of “i’ll go away and make some deductions, you’ll go away and make some of your own, and then we’ll come back together and argue about who’s right”. in short, the word ‘cooperation’ suddenly ceases to exist when you’re around each other.

but as a result of your petty bickering rather than focusing your energy on cracking the case, the crimes committed by this organisation begin to grow more violent, and more unpredictable. murders start popping up more frequently in the news. you both hesitate when you hear this; because of your inability to work together, and instead having your focus set on poking trifling holes in each other’s theories, has costed lives. for the sake of the greater good, you make a silent agreement to put aside your rivalry and problems with each other for the time being.

and in doing so, you start realising things about each other that were previously shrouded in bad impressions when you messed with each other; for example, heizou’s habit of playing mind games with people has started to corner potential suspects, while your ability to see through such tricks has stopped both of you for falling for various traps set out for you along the way. though you often face cases with a disinterested manner and apathetic glance, heizou doesn’t fail to notice the passion and time you’re pouring into your work; maybe you do care about these things, after all, and he just failed to notice it before.

perhaps, he starts to think, your mask of indifference is a result of this passion; you spend so much time and effort engrossed in your work that you simply don’t have energy to show it. looking at how diligently you draw connections between pieces of data, heizou could almost describe you as getting lost in your work. but nobody, no matter how skilled or intelligent, can go on like this forever. a foreign feeling begins to settle in his gut; is it concern? 

but though he feels guilty, he says nothing of it; he needs you working on this case with him more than he’d like to admit.

as the case progresses, you start to bounce your ideas off each other rather than try to drag the other down; you pose questions to each other and fill in gaps that may be missing in your deductions. when you counter a theory, it’s no longer out of spite, but a way of strengthening the line of thought even further.

in fact, though the very thought disgusts the both of you, one looking from the outside could describe you almost as close. of course, is someone were to say such a thing, you’d belittle the statement. however, you can’t deny that a little voice inside you is seeming to say, ‘maybe he’s not that bad after all.’ you glance at heizou from the corner of your eyes; he catches it, and returns it with a wiggle of his eyebrows and a mischievous grin. the words ‘like what you see?’ are written all over his face. you roll your eyes at him, unimpressed, but can’t help but wonder if he thinks the same.

soon enough, exhaustion begins to take its toll on you. long hours spent analysing evidence have sapped you of your energy; even looking at the progress you’ve made makes you want to be sick. it’s been a while since you allowed yourself to get this engrossed in a case, and for a good reason; getting burnt out while in the middle of investigating murders isn’t exactly what you can call convenient timing.

heizou notices the light coming from your study that burns throughout the night, and when he sees you these days, the resulting weariness has begun to settle in your voice and in bags under your eyes. when he suggests getting some rest, you dismiss the suggestion, claiming that you’re fine and don’t need any sleep. he isn’t convinced— and neither are you— but, yet again, he doesn’t probe any deeper into it. perhaps it’s selfish of him to do so, but something within him doesn’t have the heart to send you away from his side, even if for your own benefit.

in fact, he realises that he’s coming to rather enjoy your presence, gods forbid. no, more than enjoy; he finds himself actively seeking it out, and when you’re not near him, it’s you he’s thinking of rather than the case. 

ah. this isn’t good. 

but since he’s already caught feelings for you, he may as well check whether you share the sentiment.

heizou’s behaviour around begins to change. not by much, but he starts showing off more than usual and trying to impress you with his ‘impeccable deductive thinking skills’ (as he calls them). you, much to his disappointment, remain completely unmoved. he’s a rather well-liked guy, and has a fair share of fans; these tactics always work on them. but you’re a tough nut to crack, it seems. 

no matter. he can wait.

he tries to look for some other signs that you like him back; after all, he can usually read people like a book, but with you, he can find no hints, no body language, no indications that you return these feelings; this irks him. for the first time, he finds himself unable to deduce somebody’s motives. you’re a mystery to him, and this frustrates him as much as it captivates him.

——————

now, one night, he’s returning from a day-long investigation of the most recent crime scene, scribbled notes and observations tucked under his arm, whistling to himself as he saunters into your shared office to share his recent findings with you. you, meanwhile, agreed to stay inside and make sense of what you’ve got so far. the lights are still on, so you’re most likely still working away. he looks forwards to discussing his discoveries with you. 

he pushes open the door, calling a playful ‘hello-o!’, expecting for his enthusiastic greeting to be returned with an exasperated sigh as per usual. but to his surprise, there’s no answer. heizou tilts his head, mumbling an ‘eh?’ under his breath. he’s painfully aware of the absence of your voice.

he peeks inside the room, puzzled. his eyes sweep over the interior, and land on a familiar figure.

you’re slumped over your desk, a pile of annotated, scribbled-on paperwork beneath your head. there is a quill still loosely gripped in your hand, and a light burning beside you.

he can’t help but chuckle under his breath, shaking his head as he approaches you. “you’ve really overworked yourself, haven’t you?” he muses. the only response is your quiet breathing. heizou walks over and pulls out a chair to sit beside you, watching you with a hand propping up his cheek. the light bathes you in a warm glow, and he can’t help but think, hey, you look kind of cute. he shudders to think how you’d react to that statement if you were awake. looking at you, so unkempt and vulnerable, he feels an urge to play with you a little. pull a prank, perhaps. an impish grin spreads across his face, and he reaches his hand towards you— whether to pinch you, poke you, or play with your hair, he doesn’t know.

but then, just as he’s about to make contact, his hand hesitates. you look so peaceful, for once, and he can’t bring himself to disturb you.

he pulls his hand away. you deserve your rest.

because, mixed in with his feelings of endearment and mischief, the concern he held for you before begins taking form as guilt for not stopping you earlier. if he had been more firm about you getting some rest, perhaps you wouldn’t be in this state in the first place. thought it’s tempting, he’s not about to drag you back into the waking world just when you’ve finally got some rest for the sake of his amusement.

you must be uncomfortable, he thinks. even if you sleep for three days, in this position, there’s no way you’ll wake up feeling any better than the moment you nodded off. he briefly considers the possibility of taking you back to your place, but waves it away; your home is hardly nearby, and he would have to wake you to get you there. then he recalls that there’s a minuscule side room containing a bed, should the person using this place need to sleep there. only problem is, there’s only one bed.

heizou shrugs. no problem. he can take the sofa. 

he stands up, considering how to move you without waking you. very, very gently, he tips you backwards against your chair to make it easier to lift you. then, still ever so careful, he places an arm under your back, and another under your legs, and picks you up, holding you close to his chest.

you shift your head, mumbling a few vague noises, likely roused by the movement. momentarily panicking, heizou hushes you with a soft ‘shh’, and you relax once more. he breathes an inwards sigh of relief, his heartbeat accelerating. when you lean unconsciously into him, it grows even faster.

heizou lays you down on the bed, resting your head on the pillow, careful to make the impact as soft as possible. he removes his hands, waiting there a moment with held breath to check if you stir again. nothing. phew. 

the possibility of joining you arises in his mind. it is tempting, he has to admit.

he shakes away the thought. you would certainly find it uncomfortable if you were awake, so he shouldn’t disrespect that merely because you’re sleeping. however, he can’t help but cast a final glance at you before leaving the room. he smiles to himself.

he snuffs out the light and lies down on the sofa, sleep soon taking him, too, in its embrace.

when you awaken in the morning (or, as you’re later informed, late afternoon), heizou’s already awake, sticking some notes to the ever-growing mural of photos and documents on the wall. you feel… well rested, for once. you could’ve sworn you fell asleep at your desk last night, not in the bed, but maybe your memory is blurry.

you yawn, and heizou turns around at the sound, eyes lighting up when he sees you. as per usual, there’s a playful glint of mischief in his gaze.

“somebody slept well.” he teases, unable to keep himself from smiling at the state of your bedhead and general unkept appearance. 

you rub your eyes and grunt. “mn.” 

you pause, before saying, “i had a weird dream last night.”

heizou’s grin widens, and he suddenly feels a little giddy. “oh? what was it about?”

“not sure,” you frown. “can’t remember the details. i think it was a nice dream, though.”

“really?” he quirks an eyebrow, an hint of smugness entering his voice. “i’m glad.”

——————————————————————

aaand that’s all i can come up with for now, but i doubt this is the end of that idea. i definitely intend to continue writing this further, and also have a few other heizou-related ideas in store…

be my mistake.

a genshin impact smau | xiao x fem!reader

summary having been broken up for months, you decide to sell the rest of your ex-boyfriend’s things. after going for so long with no form of contact, you give xiao the option to buy all his things from you. and with a hefty price too.

genre modern, fluff, slight(?) crack, exes to lovers

status completed as of 03/21/22

notes thank you so much to everyone who has supported be my mistake during its run t__t i couldn’t have done this without any of your support! i dedicate all my writings for you all <3

episode list

your friends | xiao’s friends

001 — the brandless jacket ♢ 002 — protected tweets

003 — unexpected reply ♢ 004 — a hypothesis

005 — blackbird ♢ 006 — little mishaps

007 — now following ♢ 008 — a check in

009 — research paper ♢ 010 — who r u dating

011— stood up? ♢ 012 — peace offering

013 — last time ♢ 014 — again?

015 — no reason ♢ 016 — i wonder

017 — still you ♢ 018 — then be mine

Modern au xiao! Is the type to Shazam a song at a party bc he’s too embarrassed to ask anyone for the song name LMFOAOAO

footprints

[ zhongli x child!reader ]

summary: the lonely archon does not seem to be lonely anymore, not with the presence of a little human.

notes: self indulgent gnhn was going to be a longer fic but i got tired of waiting and went for the cute moments lmao :') | m.list

words: 601 | warnings: fucking adorable i swear

zhongli finds the snow magnificent. he's not a big fan of it, but he can't deny that this particular season makes liyue more beautiful than it already is. the chill in the air feels great in his lungs, although it stings a little bit when he stays outside for too long. for now, the pair of gold crystals admires the way the snow slowly fills the ground like the sand filling the bottom half of an hourglass.

"oof!"

amused, a quiet chuckle escaped from his chest, listening closely to the sounds of footsteps shuffling in the snow.

one of the reasons zhongli can relax peacefully without the weight of his past is you.

over the months that he had taken you under his care—as much as he can, that is—you had continuously followed him around the harbor, always right behind or beside him whenever he searched for you. your small footsteps have become familiar to his ears and he finds himself restless when he can't feel your presence. you have also helped him in the ways of humans—your young mind not processing the fact that he himself should have known how that works without your help.

keeping a slow pace, his head turns sideways to take a look at you. before his eyes, is the most purest creature of all doing the most adorable thing in the world.

on the blankets of snow, your footprints are nowhere to be found.

the reason? you were too determined to step on his footprints, your feet too small to even fit on the size of his. your face held the most wonderful smile, eyes set downwards on the set of footprints his feet left for you to follow.

suddenly, the cold air that filled his lungs earlier disappeared and his is chest embraced with a warmth that he hasn't felt before.

with a certain glint in his eyes and a deep chuckle, his left foot steps farther, followed by his right foot with the same distance. slowly, the spaces between his footprints start to grow, far enough that you have to stretch your little legs to reach.

he watches as you waddle to his direction, lips pursed, and your arms outstretched for balance.

he unconsciously stopped on his track, deciding that watching you seems more worthwhile than the beauty of the landscape behind him. nor does he notice the fond look on his face the closer you got to him, still stepping on the footprints he left.

"a little closer," you mumble under your breath, feeling your legs start to hurt from the stretching it has done.

with one last set of footprints left, your foot got caught in the snow, throwing your balance off and pulling your body down to fall on the blankets of cold snow.

"eek!"

fortunately, zhongli was fast enough to catch you. he chuckles at the bewildered look on your face.

"careful, little one."

"thank you, mister zhongli!" you beam at him, pearls white as the snow on display with how big your smile is.

the warmth in his chest once again made its presence known, as he took your hand in his to help you travel through the snow.

"shall we head back? the cold will not be good for your health."

"can we have hot chocolate? or your signature tea?" your eyes sparkle, rendering the snow around you useless with how they shine against the light.

"of course, little one."

on the way back, the lonely archon's footprints don't seem to be lonely anymore, not with the second set of small footprints accompanying him wherever he goes.

an adepti's wisdom

[ zhongli x young adepti!reader ft. xiao ]

summary: a wise man once said, "once the snow is thick enough, we can eat it," and you're one obedient child.

note: it's cute, got a problem with that? fhskfj istg i can't get over xiao's dialogues :) | m.list

words: 546 | warnings: zhongli being a grandpapa

"look, mister morax, the first snowfall of this year."

the archon's eyes followed the direction the young one was pointing at. indeed, snow scatters around the skies of liyue, slowly falling from above and descending unto the ground of rex lapis' beloved abode. he makes a humming sound as a response to the young adepti in his arms.

it has been a while since he took care of the young adepti, his very own creation, for he had tasked xiao in guarding for them while he busies himself with his archon duties. but none of his duties are enough to take his mind off of the young adepti he created with his own blood and power.

he watched as the adepti in his arms reached out their hand to catch one of the snowflakes but failed to do so. the pout on their face made him chuckle, standing up from where he sat with the adepti still in his arms.

"do you want me to help you catch snowflakes?"

"yes please!"

he can feel his heart soar with how their eyes sparkled with joy. soon enough, rex lapis had taken the young adepti to the top of qingyun peak just for the sole purpose of gathering snowflakes in their tiny hands.

"won't your hands get cold if you keep holding it like that?"

rex lapis kneeled to take a better look at the young adepti, curious eyes watching their little hands form the snow into a ball.

"mister morax, look at what big brother xiao thought me!"

rex lapis, much more curious than he was earlier, nodded to let the child continue.

no one can ever expect the young adepti to bite into the ball of snow, as if it's the most natural thing to do, and happily munch at it as if it taste as good as normal food.

"dear!"

rex lapis' concerned tone caught the attention of the adepti, looking up at him with snowflakes smeared at the corner of their lips. the archon covered their hands with his, stopping them from further taking another bite.

"yes?"

"why would you—ah," he stops, lowering his voice before continuing, "did big brother xiao really taught you this?"

the mere mention of the other adepti's name made the young adepti smile, nodding their head enthusiastically. rex lapis suddenly felt so bad for stopping them.

"yes! he said that once the snow is thick enough, we can eat them!"

"i—i see," he cleared his throat, gently taking the ball of snowflake from the young adepti's hand to hold them in his, "well, snowflakes can't exactly satiate your taste buds, can they?"

"oh, you're right, mister morax. indeed, it doesn't really taste like anything at all," the young adepti ponders.

"well then, why don't we get some real food, would you like that?"

"of course, mister morax!"

with their consent, rex lapis gathered their little body in his arms, hugging the young child to keep them warm.

he's going to have a word with xiao later.

on the other hand, at the roof of wangshu inn, xiao sneezed into his hands, while the other holds a balled up snow.

"adepti can't possibly be affected by the cold, can they?"

shrugging his concerns, he bites into the ball of snow.

mono

[ xiao x little adepti!reader ]

summary: xiao realizes that he wasn't really alone.

note: i miss little devil and xiao :'> | m.list

words: 1622 | warnings: mentions of perilous trails and kinda shitty narrative because it's 4 am and im sleepy | REPOST

"they've been staying at that exact spot for three days, mister zhongli," verr turns to the child sitting on a blanket at the balcony of the inn with a worried look on her face. in her hands is a tray with a plate of almond tofu and a glass of water. she was just about to deliver it herself, when she came upon zhongli, who was also making his way to the balcony.

"i think they're waiting for xiao to come home," the gentleman can only sigh in response, for he had already expected this before he made his way to dihua marsh.

"i see. thank you for letting me know. may i?" he gestured to the plate and cup, "i came to check upon them, so if you don't mind?"

"of course," she carefully hands him the tray, "thank you. now, if you'd excuse me," she gives him one last smile—albeit a little sad—before turning to walk back to the front desk.

zhongli nods at her, before continuing his ascent to the balcony with the tray in his hand. the sound of his footsteps on the wooden platform alarms the figure on the floor, little shoulders perking up and turning around to face him.

your eyes are not as bright as they were a few weeks ago, zhongli noted.

"baba," you smile at him—too timid and doesn't reach their ears, he thought— "is that almond tofu?"

"indeed," he placed the tray on a nearby table, taking the plate and the fork and kneeling beside you on the blanket, "would you like to eat it now while it's still freshly made?"

"yes please."

handing you the plate and fork, you start to feed yourself little by little.

zhongli watches you do so from the corner of his eyes, lips tugging downwards from how you seem so… in your own world. silence was not an unusual thing with you, but this kind of eerie silence is slowly eating him. you've always been a child full of wonder and curiosity. if he's not retelling thousands of his stories, then it's you theorizing about everything and anything.

"baba," zhongli snapped out from his thoughts, gold eyes meeting your somber ones, "were do you think gege xiao is?"

oh.

so this is what this is about, zhongli turned his head towards the direction of the harbor, as if searching for an answer. in some ways, he is. he didn't want to speak about the chasm or xiao's impending doom to you.

"xiao is… facing a big obstacle right now."

"will he be alright?"

in all honesty, even zhongli doesn't have a definite answer. he knows xiao, alatus, is strong and more than capable of protecting himself and others. if he wasn't, he would have been swallowed by his karmic debt long ago. he is most resilient and devoted to his cause. but he is also too destructive for the sake of others—self sacrifice and unshakeable from his own principles. too much that he disregards his own safety.

"his safety is not guaranteed—" zhongli grimaced at the way your lips wobbled, "—but i can guarantee that the strength he had when he first decided to face his predicament, will be with him throughout and will remain within him right to the end."

zhongli pats the top of your head, letting your body lean on his side with a relieved smile at the somewhat at peace expression on your face.

he may not have quelled the storm within you, but he hopes that his words had at least given you more hope and confidence in your brother.

"i miss gege," you whimpered.

"worry not, little one. he'll return to us soon."

he says this to you and to himself.

xiao can feel exhaustion eating away inside him.

when he said that escaping will take everything he has, he really did mean that in all ways. the method used in the end wasn't the same as he had first planned, but either way, both still required all of his power.

the only difference was that there's a chance of survival with the second option.

well, he wouldn't have survived without rex lapis' help, but he at least came very close to that chance.

"heroes, huh," he says to himself, looking down at the shrine below him. the words that the traveler and the cow—ushi, was it?—had told him just a few minutes ago echoed in his mind.

a lot had transpired in just a few days—days for him but it might have taken them more or less than a week though, he's not too sure about that—and even after the vigilant yaksha said that he'd take their advice, there's still a lot to mentally go through with the whole experience.

maybe it was because seeing bosacius—for the last time—brought a lot of ache in his heart or the fact that he had almost met his end in the deep and dark underground space. perhaps it's a combination of both. for the few seconds that was spent falling into the depths of the chasm, he had felt the loneliest that he has ever been.

it somewhat scared him. the crippling fear when you know that it's the end and no one is there to witness you do so—it seems that yakshas do have fears of their own. his just happens to be the fear of dying without ever leaving a dent in someone's mind.

maybe this fear manifested because he was never really alone at all.

"gege!"

that's right. i was never truly alone. i just didn't really acknowledge that someone was there for me.

"gege!"

in fact, someone was always there for me, holding onto me.

xiao ignores the cries of rest from his muscles, limbs trembling at the ache that seems to dig itself into his bones. but he persevered, like he always does, pushing himself to stand.

"gege xiao."

the call for his name was clear as the sky—back at the chasm, he realized that the muffled noise he kept hearing at the back of his head was his name being called numerous times, the sound being blocked by whatever lives in that underground space. this time, finally, he can hear it as if the voice was right next to his ear. it sounded weak, a plea for him to appear.

it sounded like they've been calling him for so long only to be in vain.

with one last surge of his power, he enveloped himself with a green mist, disappearing and reappearing as fast as the wind could take him. only this time, his feet meet the wooden platform of his home.

ah, home. this is the first time i ever called someplace home.

"gege?..."

his head lifts up to where the sound came from, amber eyes meeting puffy ones—evidence of the time you've spent crying.

he says nothing, nor can he really think of something to say in this kind of situation. instead, he drags his heavy feet to your flabbergasted form on the floor.

once close enough, his knees fell to the ground with a loud thud, arms immediately sweeping you close with a relieved sigh.

"it's me," he whispers, "i'm here. i came back—and i'm never leaving you again."

after a moment of silence—you were still processing his sudden appearance—he hears the start of your cries, soft whimpers and sniffles right next to his ear and your small arms barely wrapping around his neck, fisting the cloth on his shoulder.

xiao does not initiate any kind of affection. yet here he is, striding towards you across the floor of the balcony with an urgency that you've never seen him have before, embracing you himself in a tight hug. it spurred more tears from your already weary eyes, the familiar warmth of your dear brother and his reassuring voice giving you a sense of peace—the ugly voices in your head are no more.

"w-where have you been?" you sobbed against his shoulder, trying your hardest to sound a little mad to scold him.

he only scoffs with mirth, finding your attempt endearing.

"i… met with my older brother."

"you left without telling me!" your fist thumps on his shoulders.

"forgive me, baobei—" he pulls away from the hug, calloused hands wiping the tears away from your puffy cheeks, "—i did not expect the trip to last weeks."

nor did i really think i'd ever come out alive.

"but i am here now," a rare smile appears on his face, immediately stopping you from your feigned tantrums to stare at him.

gege never smiles.

you sniffled, pouting at how he seemed unaffected. it must be an adult thing, you concur. still, this doesn't stop you from shooting him questions later.

"how was," you hiccuped, "how was your brother?"

a hum was his only response. he smooths down the disheveled mop of hair on your head, looking anywhere but your eyes.

"he's somewhere far from here."

"far from home?"

“mhm, very far. but where he is doesn't matter now," xiao shakes his head of any negative thoughts, "he may be far from us, but his memory will be preserved within our minds."

"can you tell me a story about him?"

"if you wish to hear it."

"mhm!" your eyes sparkled from excitement. it was xiao's first time to tell you a story from the past and you are more than ready to listen to his voice, his voice that you haven't heard in weeks.

"what was his name?"

"his name is bosacius. hundreds of years ago, i was not alone in protecting the land of liyue."

i was never alone before, nor am i alone now.

"there were four others—"

and now i have you.

little devil

[ xiao x newborn adepti!reader ]

summary: what started out as an 'annoying little devil' turned out to be 'my little devil.'

note: wanted to post something for xiao's release and his necklace caught my eye gnekf also not proofread because im lazy as fuck fhskfj also the time line is a little bit after the archon war or something | m.list

words: 425 she smol | warnings: not proofread fjskfj

"i see that the two of you are getting along."

rex lapis chuckled at xiao's bewildered face, grumbling underneath his breath that he did not agree with what he had said—despite the fact that the child mentioned is currently seated between the yaksha's legs, fiddling with a few pieces of beads and what looked like a blunt arrowhead.

"is that so?"

"i am merely doing what you asked me to do," he grumbles, eyes casted down at the child.

"i see, do you want me to take them from your care to lessen your burden?"

tongue tied, xiao mentally cursed himself for not answering fast enough, for the archon's face resembles a smug man who just won a gambling session. another reason to berate himself was the fact that, indeed, he does not want the child to be taken away from him.

what started out as 'an annoying little devil' turned out to be 'they're my little devil.'

from beside him, rex lapis smiled at the yaksha, glad that he's not as tense as he usually is now with the presence of the newborn adeptus in his arms. it started out as a little joke, to test the yaksha's patience. but now that he can see how fond xiao had grown towards the little one, he knew it was the right decision.

"careful, that may not be sharp enough to cut but that does not mean you can eat it."

xiao took the blunt arrowhead from the little one's hands, uttering a disapproving 'tsk' when their little hands reached for the arrowhead once again, softly whining.

"brat."

"so, what might be your answer?"

rex lapis knew well enough what the yaksha's answer would be, but he wanted to tease him a little bit, wanted to hear it straight from his mouth.

xiao paused, weighing the pros and cons of the decision he wanted to make.

"big brother xiao?"

he hummed, meeting the round eyes of the small adepti, who had their hands stretched in his direction, motioning him to take something.

in their hands is a necklace, complemented with white bead, two pink larger ones, two smaller green ones, two lighter pink tassels, and the blunt arrowhead in the middle as a pendant.

xiao allowed the small adepti to hang the necklace around his neck, the weight of the pendant somehow feels reassuring to the yaksha.

now with a confident answer in mind, xiao patted the smaller adepti's head, turning to look at rex lapis to give him his answer.

"i want them to stay."

With Xiao's banner being up, I've thought of a particularly painful scenario.

"If you awake to a knife at your throat, if monsters dig their claws into you, if death comes knocking at your door... Call out my name. Adeptus Xiao. I will be here when you call."

You felt so cold, so tired. You felt like you were fading away. The battle has finished and your team had emerged victorious but why was it that blood was still flowing out of your wounds. You gasped as you slowly sat up, some wounds reopening. The snow numbed your fingertips and your breaths became white in the air. You could barely see in front of you as you stumbled down a path, trying to see something that would tell you where you were.

You thought of your team. Were they alive and well? How was the traveller? Where was Xiao? You contemplated calling out Xiao's name but a memory flashed before your eyes and it made your heart squeeze in pain.

"You called me out for this? I have more pressing matters to attend to."

No. You can find your path home. You're probably just close by, you couldn't have gone too far from the scene of the battle. You continued down the path, the freezing breeze creating little icicles on your lashes and hair. Your lips were turning blue and your eyes were drooping from the exhaustion. Little frozen puddles of your blood being left behind.

How long has it been? How long have you been walking this path It's all been towering snowy mountains and frozen lakes. Have I been walking in circles? You think for a moment but you can't tell if you have been. The snow has been falling heavier by the minute and you've lost more blood than you ever have. You want to lay down, sleep but you know better than to do that right now. If you closed your eyes now, you wouldn't open them again.

You slowly lose hope in finding a way out of this place alive. It's too cold. You've bled too much and there hasn't been even the slightest sight of the flicker of a flame in hours. You aren't sure if you can even bend your toes anymore. I want to see him again. You wish to all of the archons to let you live just long enough to see him for a last time. You have a thousand words you want to say and another thousand more stuck in your throat but there's three words you want to say again for the last time.

He has never replied in the same way. He has looked at you with affection before but that look has become more and more scarce especially with the arrival of the traveller. What was once your place next to Xiao became the traveller's. He looked so at ease with her. You even saw him crack a smile and a light chuckle in front of her.

He hasn't even smiled at me before. No. Stop with those thoughts. I'm not that replaceable. I've been with him for longer, stood by him even in the worst battles. What haven't I done?

Have him love you back. A dark voice spoke in your mind. It paused before laughing at your despair. As soon as it came, it disappeared just as quickly.

You shake off the thoughts before continuing to stumble down the snowy path. Just a little bit more. You think to yourself when your knees buckle and you fall down to the ground, face down. You try to push yourself up but you can't. You barely manage to flip onto your back. Your lips quiver not from the cold but from the truth. Xiao hasn't looked for you ever since you've woken up. Was your presence or absence unimportant to him? Has he thought of you?

The truth was scary. You knew you wouldn't be able to escape on your own out of this place. Not in this state. You reach a hand up in the sky, grasping at the stars and the falling snow. You lick your dry, bloodied lip as you are barely able to speak your thoughts as your brain starts to make you see an image of Xiao. It ripples when you reach towards the image, but despite it being only an image, it brings you comfort to see him in this time.

"I want to see you again. I want to be by your side no matter what. I want to be selfish. I want to love you, kiss you, hold you. But I can't." You pause for a moment, trying to stop yourself from coughing up blood but failing. Once the coughs subside, your eyes dull. "Xiao..." You stop for a moment. You expect to see him come but you can't see or hear him at all. Did he not hear you? "Adeptus Xiao..." You try again. Maybe he'll hear it this time. You wait a little bit longer. "Xiao, the one that I love, save me, please..." You barely choke out as tears bubble in your eyes. The streaks of tears freeze in seconds as they flow down your cheeks. "Alatus... Adeptus Xiao- Xiao-! Please hear me- save me... Anybody... Please..." Your begs for rescue were unheard. You call out his different names but he doesn't show. Darkness ring around the edges of your sight and it blurs what you can see but you don't stop calling out to him. Not until your voice becomes low whispers and you call his name for the last time before you are silenced for an eternity.

Xiao feels like something is amiss. Ever since that battle weeks ago, everything has felt a little bit off. Everyone was there. Verr Goldet, the traveller, the people at Wangshu Inn. He cannot recall anyone missing. Has there been a task he had yet to finish? He isn't able to think of anything and writes off the feeling. Perhaps it was the adrenaline. He steps back into the balcony as he stares out at the peaceful sight in front of him. A hand suddenly places itself on his back and he instinctively calls out your name as he turns to face you. Only that the person in front of him isn't you. It's the traveller. Where were you? He hasn't seen you... Since that battle...

He disappears and returns to the scene of the battle. You aren't there. He teleports to places you've gone together and you still weren't there. Where are you? He scours the land of Teyvat to look for you but only at the outskirts of the Entombed City in Dragonspine does he feel a trace of you. He follows this trace and sees dark maroon marks on the dirt and rocks. He hasn't felt this type of impending doom. You couldn't be here. You must've just visited. At any moment, you'll just jump out and place that warm hand of yours on his arm or back as you always had and smile at him with that bright smile like you always have.

Any hope of seeing you smile at him again is diminished when he sees you. Your body frozen and encased in solid ice coffin. He tries to break the ice but no matter how much energy he pours into it, nothing cracks the ice. It regenerates faster and is stronger than the strange ice. "I will save you now. The day came where darkness has taken you and I was not there. It will be up to me to undo what has been done."

He continues to strike against the regenerating ice until- "I knew you'd save me, Xiao." Your voice is carried by the wind. He turns to the source of the sound and he sees an apparition of you. It's the you he remembers. Unharmed, smiling, and warm. Not the you beside him. Wounded, pained, and cold.

You smile at him like you always do. Your apparition fades before he can speak and reappears. It was showing him your final moments. You crying out to him. Your declarations. Everything. He wants to say that he's too inhuman to be carried by such trivialities like love and emotions but it's you. You've always been by his side but he hasn't been by yours in the longest time and he sees it now. He remembers how your smiles twitch when he leaves you behind in favor of accompanying the traveller. He remembers how you shrink bank when the traveller joins in and you become part of the background. He remembers you cooking almond tofu so many times just to make sure he has something to eat if he returns at any time. He remembers your kindness and he wishes that it wasn't just being remembered. He wishes for you to be by his side again but seeing how pitiful you were, calling out to him for so many times in your last moments and not being heard. What was he even doing then? He wasn't injured too badly. Where was he when you were suffering and calling out to him? Was this the way he'd return your kindness? By forsaking you at your last moments?

Even the most evil creatures wouldn't be this cruel.

"I will find retribution for my actions and bring peace to you. I will go with you in the afterlife. I will do right by you in our next lives."

-Big-Sad Anon

ԅ༼;´༎ຶ ۝ ༎ຶ༽ᕤ yes officer. This. This made me cry. Arrest them.

Oh. My. God.

How am i supposed to even function normally after this 🥲 comrade i cant even open my eyes im crying too much why would you do this /j 😭

Spiderman!Kazuha where he's needy and wanted attention from the reader but they shoo shoo him away so they can concentrate from their work- he tried few ways to get their attention until the reader gave up and finally give what he wants :D

Anon I apologize for the late answer!! I was busy with studies </3

But yes yes I agree I love needy, wanting attention from the reader kazuha. If you were so busy why did you invite him (his thoughts not mine 😥) he practically was annoyed but, not because you were doing work. It was because you would just not give him the attention he wanted 😭

It was okay the first few hours because he could entertain himself with the funny rumors about Spider Man, as it started getting later and later he was getting bored so he thought of a few ways to distract you which included kissing you all over the face and hanging upside down from the ceiling (which resulted in him failing which finally concerned you enough to focus on him )

“kazuha, you need to stop doing stupid things!” you were bandaging his wound that he got from falling head first onto your desk (which also got your parents up and they asked if you're okay to which you yelled yes) he was stupid but at least you looked at him! Progress is what counts to him, he loved seeing your face up close. It reminded him of his love for you that just can't stop growing.

Until I found you

summary: Xiao has to face the memories of his late lover at the bottom of the chasm

a/n: part 2 ~ read this while listening to only love can hurt like this and the feelings are on point

Xiao hears the cries for his name from the group as they're teleported away and his energy falters as the platform underneath him finally breaks.

The light from the surface gets smaller and smaller as he falls, he closes his eyes, embracing his sacrifice.

In these final moments as this place devours him, he can't help but think back of his old friends, ones he thought of family.

Your face flashes in his mind....he misses you so much.

It's been so long without you here by his side.

'I swear it's wasn't me that wrote on your face, Xiao.' You hid behind Menogias who watches amused at how quickly Xiao to the conclusion that his own lover scribbled on his face while he slept.

Xiao quickly snatched you from behind the taller man who had did no effort to help you escape from Xiao pinching your cheeks as he glared at you but you laughed at how his face furrowed with angry.

"Just because we napped together doesn't mean I drew in your face this time—" He pinches your face more as his face flushes red.

"Brother Bosacius help me!" You cry out and Xiao turn to look at to see him quickly trying to hide a marker out of sight.

His face flushes red at this.

Bonanus and Indarias giggle to each other as they watch their fellow two yakshas have a tiny agreement as Xiao was telling you why you did immediately tell him it was Bosacius who drew on his face.

"ah, young love.' Bonanus says, watches how Xiao kept pinching your cheeks. "To think Xiao got a lover before us....well, with all the pinning going between those two, I think they're compatible with each other, don't you think?"

Indarias smiles, "yes, I hope we're invited to the wedding." She jokes as they both laughing, at this point you and Xiao stopped arguing, faces bright red at Indarias's comment.

He feels himself being swallowed up, the darkness consuming him as he feels relieved.

"Promise me, you'll keep living for the both of us...okay?" He held your dying self in his arms, hands filled with your blood as he stares at you with disbelief, tears running down his face. Leaning forward, he puts his forehead against yours until you take your last breath with him by your side.

Xiao opens his eyes, his promise to you, one he forgot all this time and he sees golden lights reaching out to him as it shapes itself to a hand reaching out him.

"Xiao!" He hears your voice, it could have been his imagination but nevertheless he reaches for the hand, warmth engulfing him as he's back on the surface of the chasm with everyone else.

Taking deep breaths, he feels a familiar presence and looks up towards the direction of it to see a figure walk away.

"Xiao! Are you alright?" The traveler and Paimon rush over to him as he spots something on the floor beside him that catches his attention.

Taking a closer look, he sees it's a necklace with something attached to it. Opening his palm, his eyes widen as he spots a familiar ring tied to the string.

'A ring? Why did you buy me a ring?' You ask him, currently the two of you were out patrolling before taking a small break. He gives you a ring and you take a look to see a stone of your favorite color along with a stone that represents him.

You see he has his back faced to you and you see how red his ears are. "Xiao?"

"....I asked Bonanus and Indarias about what they said and they said you love someone so much and willing to spent your life with them...you give them a promise ring." He says and your face goes red as you look at the ring and to him again.

"A-are you asking me to marry you?!" You scream and Xioa had enough as he teleports away with embarrassment. Takes you a few minutes to realize you're alone and you ile brightly, shyly putting on the ring on your finger.

It was your prized possession afterwards and now it reunited with Xiao eons later thanks to Zhongli.

"Heh, I look forward to when we get married Xiao." You grin like a lovesick person as you adore the ring unaware that Xiao hide behind some trees in the distance.

Xiao looks at the ring, gripping it close to his chest before putting it on over his neck, the ring now dangles from his chest as he stands up.

a/n: okay this is cute but sad too, I might do a part three where Xiao confronts Zhongli about the ring and how it came in his possession.

Masterlist

Until I found you

summary: Xiao has to face the memories of his late lover at the bottom of the chasm

Xiao wakes up as he's leaned up against a familiar yet distant warmth, a warmth he yearn for so long and picks up his head to see h/c hair tied into a low ponytail with a ribbon he recognizes....he gifted it. He takes a step back and then another until he's a good distance as he watches the h/c haired turns around to look at him and he's fighting back tears, the clutching feeling in his throat is too much.

"I want you back so badly, Y/n.....but not like this." He summons his polearm, closing his eyes, not wanting to feel this emotion again. The feeling of having to cut down his partner again.

He knew that this illusion of his late significant other was a part of his memories being used against him by the powers of this part of the chasm. "I know this isn't really you, so I won't make you wait any longer."

He says before he lungs forward, a battle sparking between them.

After what felt like an eternity, his polearm finally pierces through the illusion and the h/c haired falls over and he's quick to catch them.

But before he could say anything, he watches at they smile at him before slumping into his arms as they body begins to vanish, leaving his arms empty as the flickering of tiny butterflies of light and they too vanish, and he's alone once again.

Masterlist

going on a blind date

feat. Diluc, Thoma, Kazuha

DILUC

“Trust me Y/n, I’m the best matchmaker Mondstadt has to offer!” Venti’s words replayed in your head as you walked towards Angel’s Share.

For whatever reason, the bard wanted to set you up on a blind date. And for whatever reason, you agreed to it.

Keep reading

idol au xiao x reader pt. 2

here’s a link to pt. 1!

here’s a link to pt. 3! (COMING SOON)

modern idol au!

female implication, but can be gender neutral

more into the relationship aspect 🤭

[ cw// none ! ]

· · ───────── · 𐀔 · ───────── · ·

♪ dispatch really did not let that night go dude.

♪ and from then on, they kept a close eye on you two. 😰

♪ the dating rumors only multiplied when you + xiao performed at the award show.

♪ did your company care?

♪ no, actually, they encouraged it.

♪ so… since there was no dating ban… you two decided to try out this whole dating thing!

♪ the kamisato siblings were the first to know of your relationship + frankly, they shipped it too.

♪ they were glad for the most part, because if had been a member from another company, that would be a whole different story. 😰 (its giving jennie + kai)

♪ the only thing they requested was for both of you to at least try and make your relationship a secret from the public.

♪ they knew dispatch was already constantly following you, so they did everything in their power to protect you + xiao. <3

♪ plus, it brought in a lot of popularity to your respective groups which brought in the money for the company.

♪ bag alert, major bag alert, BAG!

♪ let’s see what dating idol xiao includes:

· · ───────── · 𐀔 · ───────── · ·

♪ first things first though, I would like to announce the official line up of LUN4R: the members consist of lumine, hu tao, mona + you! why? idk! space girl concept! its giving loona! stan loona! the members will start to play a big part of the story from now on.

♪ back to our regularly scheduled program:

♪ flirting in the practice room!

♪ you get to see his real self + not the fake emo boy persona that the company made for him.

♪ he’s so sweet + so absolutely loyal to you it’s so adorable.

♪ often finds excuses to spend time w/ you.

♪ “(y/n)… can you help me with this move please?” 🥺

♪ even thought he knows damn well how the choreography goes.

♪ loves watching you dance.

♪ he looks like he’s going to murder you, but he just really likes the way you move to the beat + the way your eyes light up whenever you get a difficult dance move down.

♪ he also watches intently to see if he himself can pick up a move that your struggling w/ so he can smoothly come up to you and show you how to do it.

♪ “no, it’s like this” he says as he slows down his movements.

♪ he sees your still struggling and he goes over to you.

♪ “mmm.. here,” he places his hands carefully on your hips + he gently guides them in the directions they’re supposed to go.

♪ “ohhh… wait, that’s actually pretty easy! thank you my love :DD”.

♪ ABSOLUTELY FLUSTERS when you call him cute nicknames.

♪ ‘my love? I like that… I’m (y/n)’s love… I’ll keep in mind to call them something sweet later’ constantly plays in his head throughout the day.

♪ LATE NIGHT ESCAPADES.

♪ you stay extra hours after 5wirl finishes their practice just to wait for xiao so he can take you to the chicken restaurant or the grocery store down the street.

♪ (the only downside is the constant stans + paparazzi + FUCKING DISPATCH watching you.)

♪ speaking of, xiao is DEFINITELY the type to protect you from stalkers + saesangs.

♪ he just has these animal-like instincts that just sense people w/ ill intentions, + he would do anything to get you out of there safely, even at the cost of his own career + pride.

♪ he hits the saesang or dispatch reporter w/ a death glare, but smiles his sweetest smile to you, “love… we should get home… its getting late and you have a music video shooting tomorrow.”

♪ “awh mane… but I wanted to go get that plushie for hu tao!” you pouted.

♪ it took all his will to not give in, eventually you both went home after he convinced you that he would buy it for you to give to hu tao tomorrow.

♪ your respective members tease you both so much.

♪ “WE CALLED IT!” venti yelled when he found out about your relationship + high-fived heizou.

♪ aether sighed as he slid $50 to the two of them.

♪ kazuha patted xiao on the back, “to be very frank, I did not think you would pull it off.” he gave an lopsided smile as he put in his $50 to the small pile of money that had accumulated.

♪ xiao sat there w/ a confused yet serious look on his face, “you guys bet on whether or not (y/n) and I would date?”

♪ “yup. sorry man, but you guys were kinda obvious about your little crushes on each other.” aether shrugged.

♪ “call lumine and mona, I need to collect my winnings >:)” heizou flexed while throwing the two dollar bills in the air.

♪ suddenly the door to the boys’ dorms had burst open.

♪ “BWAHAHA AETHER!!! KAZUHA!!! 50$ NOW!!!”

♪ oh god, its hu tao.

♪ “sorry for the intrusion!” lumine bowed apologetically while entering followed by mona + you.

♪ mona had looked like she saw a ghost, + it wasn’t hu tao this time.

♪ “this is the last of my earnings… oh lord, barbatos… let our repackaged album sell well please…” she cried as she handed ten 10$ bills to venti + heizou respectively.

♪ venti smirked at mona’s pleas + EVEN LAUGHED AT HER 😀.

♪ throughout the chaos you managed to find your way to xiao, who had retreated to his shared room w/ aether.

♪ “alatus?” you knocked on the door + came in.

♪ you saw him sitting on his bed staring off into space. he stood up + came over to you to give you a big, tight, + comforting hug.

♪ “I can’t believe they placed bets on our relationship. their absurd.”

♪ you sighed. you didn’t exactly think it was big deal, just some friends having fun, but knowing xiao, your relationship means everything to him.

♪ and if anyone could calm him down from his overthinking, it was you.

♪ “I’m sure they meant no harm, love” you took his hand + lead him over to his bed, sitting him down while you placed yourself on his lap, straddling him so he faced you, “if anything, they’re happy for us.”

♪ you stroked his hair thoughtfully + smiled.

♪ he couldn’t help but return the gesture, a faint smile grew on his face as your hands went through his hair.

♪ he interlocked your free hand in his, feeling how smooth it was, how small it was compared to yours, + how it just fit so perfectly in his.

♪ he looked away, flustered.

♪ he loves your touch so much.

♪ “I know… but still…” he drifted off as he felt you cup his face gently to face you once again.

♪ he suddenly pouted, “kazuha had zero faith in me! see if I’ll ever do his laundry ever again.”

♪ you laughed at his silly antics. as he continued to ramble, you admired him + his features.

♪ his golden eyes glowed even in the room, his skin is silky smooth, his hair soft even w/ hair dye in it, the way his face makes various expressions while he talks about his members, all while his own beautiful hands lay gently on your waist.

♪ this is a side of xiao only you can see.

♪ he’s beautiful. I can’t believe he’s mine. god, I wanna kiss him. 😩 you thought.

♪ you couldn’t take it any longer.

♪ “— and you know what venti said? he said I was a pussy! at least I can actually get puss— mph!”

♪ right in the middle of his long winded rant, you kissed him, not to shut him up, but because he just looked so precious + ethereal that you couldn’t resist.

♪ slightly confused + flustered, xiao kissed back.

♪ it was a delicate kiss, one full of smiles + as sweet as sugar. it made you have butterflies in your stomach. it was full of love.

♪ you parted for air, but xiao followed your lips just a bit. he wanted more, but he restrained himself.

♪ his arm went up to cover his mouth + he looked away, absolutely red in the face, yet you could still tell he was smiling + giddy from the kiss, “what was that for … ?”

♪ “I love you.”

♪ his eyes widened. he suddenly placed his hands on your waist once again, + pulled you closer.

♪ once again, he kissed you.

♪ a hand in your hair, gently stroking your locks. an arm around your waist pushing you even closer to him. he couldn’t hold back a smile against your precious lips.

♪ you knew.

♪ the kiss was his way of saying “I love you too.”

♪ *click* *camera flash*

· · ───────── · 𐀔 · ───────── · ·

woo !! super fluffy ending !!

or is it…?

also i wanted to say thank u guys for the support for ur support on the first one ! it gave me hella motivation to write a second part :))

i think ill make a part 3 + move on to write something else so stay tuned for that

i can’t guarantee that itll still be for the idol au, but itll probably still be genshin related LOL

anyways 5wirl ring ding dong cover when ?:&:!&

Who do you think? 

[1:46pm]

Imagine sitting at your desk with your paperworks in front of you, waiting to get done with. Your eyebrows were furrowed from concentration, it was almost as if you were glaring holes at the paper itself.

As you were internally cursing the work you had in your mind, the entrance to your room opened slowly and a figure entered inside. You perked up at the sound and removed your eyes from your papers.

wondering who it is? well, much to your surprise, it was the almighty adeptus!

he stood in front of your desk with a gloomy atmosphere surrounding him. you question yourself if it was his karmic dept, or just him sulking(again).

he averted his gaze away from you with a small pout gracing his lips. you smiled softly at this and decided to speak up.

“oh, xiao. what brings you here,” you paused for a moment to let go of your pen and placed it next to the stack of paperworks. “to the jade chamber? I do not recall of you being fond of visiting such mortal places.”

L/n Y/n.

The Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing and now owns the floating Jade Chamber in the skies of Liyue.

Now, you might be wondering why you are the tianquan, are you? the former one who had that title, ningguang, retired from her work to travel with someone in particular. she claimed her retirement as:

“I have been managing this for years now, I suppose I do need a break now.” she glanced at the woman next to her. “besides, I wish to spend my whole life with my beloved.”

and that was the reason why she entrusted the grant title to you since you were the most fit and perfect for it.

back to the present, xiao remained silent and refuses to answer your question which left you hanging. you were patient with him since you know that whenever he was acting like this, he was either upset or needs attention, nothing to worry aboutz

when he still hasn’t responded, he grumbled something inaudibly under his breath and closed his eyes with his arms crossed on his chest.

you sighed at the treatment you received from him and decided to play with him a little bit. just a little.

“well then, if you do not wish to state your business,” you stood up and was about to head to your door “I shall take my leave now— w-woah!” xiao suddenly grabbed your wrist to prevent you from leaving him in the dust.

“I..” xiao finally spoke after a few moments. you turned your body to face him. walked closer, and closer, until your face was a mere inches away from his.

you hummed and urged him to continue what he was going to say which made him turn bright red and have steam coming out of his head.

“can you.. please accompany me to mt, hulao tonight..?” he asked you oh-so kindly. it was a rare sight to see the yaksha ask for something, especially with the word ‘please’.

“hm, I suppose so. It wasn’t that hard to ask for something, was it? xiao?” he once again, almost fainted at the teasing tone you used on him and ended up stuttering on his words.

you chuckled at his adorableness but you immediately turned into teasing mode again. “but.. I’m sure that wasn’t all you wanted.”

“I- huh—!? what do you mean?”

“clearly, you are hiding something. come on now, love. you don’t have to hide it away from me.”

he lets go of your wrist and used both of his hands to cover his whole beaming face, “no! you dare question an adepti with his motives?? you have the n-nerve!”

“I guess I do have the nerve if it comes to you, oh dear adepti.” you grabbed his hands and removed it away from his face and you lightly smirked at the expression he was making.

“now, ask away.”

“…”

“do you wish to stay silent? then that leaves me no choice—”

“—cuddles..”

“what?”

“p-please. just hug me tonight while we gaze at the starry sky.”

you patted his green- teal locks, “my pleasure. since you asked nicely.”

later that night.. xiao was snuggling into your body for warmth. he honestly looked like a small, vulnerable cat.

requests are open :)

flowery conversations - xiao

summary; traveler meets an... interesting character..

genre; comedy, fluff, family fluff, xiao cannot handle you, platonic chaos, traveler can be either lumine or aether, dendro vision reader, zhongli is father i love him, mute! traveler canon <3, angst with traveler lol

[gender neutral reader]

word count; 643

a/n; i sort of just mushed these two requests together if that is okay, reader gender neutral in this

im so sorry that it's taken me so long to get to some more requests. i dont really have much of an excuse other than stress and depression lmao

anything traveler "says", they're just using sign <3

the traveler didn't know how they got in this situation nor did they want to know.

"hello traveler! i heard a lot about you!" you smile brightly at the honored traveler. "i heard you met my brother xiao!"

at that paimon exclaims, "xiao's your brother?!"

"yep! always has been! nothing changed since then! wouldn't say i miss the old times but zhongli was such a crazy father! it was a crazy time for everyone back then." you laughed heartily. "nice to meet you, traveler! were you looking for xiao?"

"yeah. we need to talk to him." they sign to you.

"hm? is that so? he doesn't really like talking to people. you must really be special after all!" you hummed, "let me lead the way then!" you started walking cheerily towards qingyun peak.

the traveler nods in acknowledgement, paimon floating around by their side while they notice the flowers blooming around a bit more brightly than usual. upon another look, they point the dendro vision on your waist. pointing it out, they earn a small smile from you, "yep! that's my vision. i wish i got a geo vision like morax but nonetheless i'm pretty thankful for this one! i can help xiao with it. but i can still kick ass too!" you laughed.

with an nice conversation between you and the two outlanders, you make it to the highest point in liyue. the beautiful view of all of liyue never fails to make you breathless (or maybe it was how high in the air was the reason for your breathlessness). "xiao! you have a visitor! it's me and traveler!" you wave your hand rapidly in excitement upon seeing your brother. you and traveler can hear xiao's heavy sigh before he turns to see you practically vibrating and ready to see xiao interacting with traveler.

it would be the few times you would see xiao willingly talk to someone that wasn't an adepti.

"what is it?" traveler soon explained a message they had gotten from zhongli, who was hoping to see you and xiao in just a few moments. traveler was thankful in knowing that xiao was here which would save themself some time as zhongli would be on his way to qingyun peak.

"dad is on his way here? can't wait to see him!" upon your excitement, anyone can see the spike of growth of plants around your feet. "also look at you xiao making a new friend! i'm so proud!" despite your words sounding so teasing, you meant it all. before xiao could reply with any sass or annoyance, you have your arms wrapped around him in a hug.

traveler can only watch with masked happiness and hidden pain. maybe one day they'll find their sibling.

pushing the thought away, they wave goodbye to you and xiao, you being the one to wave as xiao was stuck in your hold, arms bound to his sides.

bonus;

upon traveler leaving, zhongli had arrived not soon after, seeing the two of you watch the orange sky slowly turn dark.

"it's so pretty.."

"you say that everytime."

"because it's true! i like appreciating beauty!" a deep chuckle stops an upcoming argument. you gasp, quickly running over to zhongli and engulfing him in a hug, "dad! i missed you! xiao was bullying me!" you point at xiao, who merely stands there unimpressed with your accusation. zhongli hugs back, patting your head.

"i don't think that's quite the case there, dear. but shall i scold xiao for you?" he asked, amusement swimming in his eyes as your pleading ones meet them. you nodded before laughing.

"yes yes! you hear that xiao? dad is gonna scold you!" xiao can only sigh upon being teamed up by you and zhongli. the flowers bloomed a bit brighter as your laughter rings out in the night.

idol au xiao x reader

modern 5wirl au !

female reader implication, but mostly gender neutral pronouns

i can’t wait to put the ot5 tag on this one and watch the actual kpop stans ask who 5wirl is 🤭

[ cw // none ! maybe some smut-ish parts but mostly fluff ]

♪ “WAHHH XIAO OPPAR !!!” “XIAO I LOVE YOU” “XIAO MARRY ME” “5WIRL GAY ICONS 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈”

♪ is what xiao often hears pretty frequently from his many adoring (+ somewhat concerning) fans.

♪ he knows damn well none of those mfs have a chance LOL.

♪ 5wirl feels like that type of boy group that had a certain “flower boy” or “cutesy” concept at first but as they grew to be more popular, the stans started demanding them to take their clothes off because “their not children anymore.”

♪ god, I hate kpoppies. 😐 (p.s. I am a kpop stan)

♪ DEFINITELY had personalities created for each member based on visuals + popularity.

♪ xiao is definitely main dancer. argue w/ the wall. 🤨

♪ xiao was the “emo, tough, bully, tsundere guy” because of his piercing glare + handsome visuals.

♪ but he is actually the purest + sweetest person out of all the members !!!

♪ “ah, we should thank the staff for their hard work today… aether, we should go buy some food for them.” ✨

♪ ✨“do you think venti hyung would like this beverage?”✨

♪ “you want me to do aegyo? uhhh, the company said not to— I MEAN ! I-I’m not exactly good at that type of thing…”✨

♪ and oh BOY, did the stans eat that shit up.

♪ and thats how you ended up dating xiao for 2 years until your relationship was EXPOSED by DISPATCH 🤬🤬🤬

♪ that was a very smooth transition shut up.

♪ FR THOUGH LEAVE THE IDOL BITCHES ALONE DISPATCH 🤬🤬

♪ let me start from the beginning:

· · ───────── · 𐀔 · ───────── · ·

Keep reading

Genshin Volleyball Dream Team [Volleyball Team AU - Inspired by Haikyuu!] Introduction Headcanons

Notes: Guess who started watching Haikyuu! FML As if I didn’t have enough things to do I decided to fall in love with like 5 different volleyball teams with an average of 10 players. 

I couldn’t get it out of my head. I’m sorry.

Scenario: What if the Genshin boys were a volleyball team?

In the next part: How would it be working as their manager? What if someone hits on you? What if some girl fans bully you? Also, how would it be to date a Genshin volleyball superstar?

Other works in the Volleyball Team AU Series: Click Here

If you’re not familiar with volleyball (or Haikyuu) here’s a link explaining what each position in the team does.

Keep reading

- See you in my 100th life.

Scaramouche x reincarnated!Reader (2nd person)

loosely based on the webtoon see you in my 19th life

word count: 1.3k

content: your first meeting with the balladeer was one you'd remember forever. no matter how many centuries pass and life's you live. fluff ; friends to lovers ; enemies (?) to lovers ; eventual smut (will be tagged accordingly) ; blood

general tag list (message to be added/removed) 🏷 @icedthoma @citrussaurus @danibby

status. ongoing // chapter II

a.n. ah, something about being so in love with scaramouche that you pursue him in every reincarnation just makes me feel alive. xoxo sophie

CHAPTER I — first meeting/goodbye.

You still remember your first meeting with Scaramouche… or even better, Kunikuzushi— wait, no. He was still nameless at that time.

His long dark hair cascaded down his shoulders, bangs framing perfectly his face. He had a timid look in his amethyst eyes, almost afraid, staring up at you as you approached him.

"Are you hurt?" You asked, reaching for him.

The boy instinctively crawled away from you. While your frame was smaller than his, he was still wary about physical contact, yet, he longed for it as well. It was cold and pouring after all.

"My house is not far, I can carry you there if you need!" You removed the haori that covered your shoulders and wrapped around his head. The boy looked like he needed it more than you, especially since he was wearing only a thin kimono.

You didn’t know this, but your actions made his heart race and face go numb. It's been a day since he was abandoned by his creator, and any act of kindness felt like a blessing from the Archons. For the first time since your brief encounter, the boy looked into your eyes and he felt the oxygen leave his lungs.

You were the most beautiful creature he has ever seen.

The trip back to your house was calm and quiet, the only thing heard was the pouring rain and distant thundering. You tried your best to talk to the boy, but he did not utter a word and only nodded or shook his head at your questions.

Your house was a shack compared to his creator's, but your mother's cooking warmed the place up and made the boy feel right at home. Your mother sent you two to bath as she prepared everything, and once you and your new friend were both in warmer clothes, she served the rice cake soup she was preparing earlier.

"Mom's cooking is the best! She's a chef in the city's inn." You boasted, bringing a spoonful of soup to your lips. "Eat! Your feel better." He didn't take long to imitate your actions and eat the meal set in front of him, and just like a baby, once he got a taste he couldn't help but gulp it down faster, almost choking in the process.

Soon, you and your mother realized the boy didn't have a name, but she was quick to suggest one.

"What about Kunihiro?" Your mother suggested, brushing his hair to get rid of the knots which formed during the bath. "That was my big brother's name."

"Kuni..hiro?" The boy repeated.

Your eyes sparkled and you held onto his hands. "Yes! That's perfect!" You sat closer to him and once again his face grew hot at the proximity. "We'll be friends from now on okay?"

For the first time since he abandoned, Kunihiro smiled.

He wasn't alone anymore.

Time went by flying, and soon "Kuni" got used to living with your family. Well, your mom. Your dad passed even before you were born and now she's your only family and supporter. A strong woman who works as a chef at the small inn in town. They don't pay well, but it's enough for the three of you.

It's been a couple of years since your first meeting and Kunihiro was your best friend and basically family… even if sometimes you felt your heart beat faster when he got too close or when he helped you carry heavy bags. But how could you not fall for your best friend? With his long hair and purple eyes to match, he was basically perfect. His porcelain skin looked doll-like, the expensive kind you never had the chance nor funds to buy. And his eyes? Those were your favorite part of him, especially now that he allowed you to put on red eyeshadow on him to really make them pop out. It started as a joke, but once you were done, he looked so breathtaking you decided to turn it into a routine.

So, you spent a long time just staring at him, taking in his beauty. Sometimes he'd cry in his sleep, call out for his "creator", who you assumed was his mother, even though he refused to call her such a name. During those nights you'd hug him close, and while he pretended to sleep, you knew he was awake from the way he'd wrap his arms around you too.

"C'mon Kuni! If you don't walk faster I'll leave you behind." You called out for Kuni as you ran, a basket full of herbs on your back. You and Kuni would go into the forest to look for medicinal herbs to sell in town later. The sun had set long ago and it was raining again, just like the day you first met.

"Don't run or you'll fall!" Kunihiro sighed, holding your hand and quickly averting his gaze. "Also, there have been rumors in town about the strange wolves attacking, we have to be extra careful."

Ah yes, the flying thunder wolves. Even with the Shogun doing her best to slaughter them all, the attacks haven't ceased yet. Dozens died already, but luckily your house was far from the city, and they haven't been spotted in the area yet.

You nodded, holding firmly onto his hand. "So… what are you doing for dinner?"

Your mom caught a cold, so while she was the one doing the cooking around the house, you and Kuni were the ones in charge of it until she got better. You'd be lying if you said you weren't worried for her well-being. Your mother was never the healthiest woman around, but you tried your best to not look down next to her.

"Uhm, I was thinking about grilled unagi with rice." Kuni answered, turning around to face you and quickly flicking your forehead. "And don't look so worried, auntie is too strong to let a cold bring her down." He smiled, bending down so he could place his lips on the place he just flicked.

"D-don't hurt me if you're just going to kiss it better right after." You muttered, trying to keep your cool. It wasn't easy when he was so close, with his hand holding your cheek.

"You know I can't really hurt you for long." He giggled. "Seriously, it'll be alright."

"Thank you Kunihiro." You whispered, allowing yourself to lean into his chest.

You two remained like that for a while, until Kuni pushed you away. Startled, you looked up at him, but his eyes were looking in the direction of your house. "Something's up, we have to go."

Blood. That's all you remember.

First, all over your mother's room. And now, all over yourself too.

It was the wolves, they found your house and attacked your mother, and when you and Kuni got closer, another attacked you. Your best friend was able to fight it off, you don't really know how. All you remember is a bright purple flash, and then you were in his arms, bleeding out it seems.

"H-hey, don't cry Kuni." You called out, holding his face. "We'll meet again soon, I know it—" You coughed up blood, accidentally splattering some of it on his face. You wanted to apologize, but he stopped you before you could. "Can, I ask you one last thing before I go?"

Kuni nodded, tears still falling from his eyes, even though he was unable to say anything without choking on his words.

"Can I get a kiss?"

And just like that, he did as you asked, feeling your life slip away as his lips lay on yours.

The last thing you hear is his wailing, before slipping into darkness.

"Uh— Where am I?"

Streamer Xiao

Xiao X GN! Reader

Little fluffy messy drabble about streamer! au Xiao (:

Word Count: 1.3k

Xiao, “X_SamuraiAdeptus_X” Twitch’s resident emo boy. (That’s what his followers call him, anyway.)

He started off as a vtuber on twitch, just to dip his toes in the shit show that is streaming. Probably had some sort of demon model, definitely the type A LOT of people simped for (think that streamer Shoto). His model was def how he got his first 1k followers.

Alas! He slowly opened up more, and eventually did a face reveal, of which went viral and trended, and then just started streaming with his real face.

He always has somewhat tousled hair with dark eyeliner. His eye’s are so captivating even through the screen!

His model is still beloved in the fandom, but now it’s a joke that he’s a slayer of demons because he “killed” the demon that possessed his channel.

Yeah, most of his followers are weirdo’s in that fun creative way.

He’s actually an artist, too, draws his own Twitch emoji’s and avatar.

He supports small artists, though, often commissioning Discord server emoji’s.

The king of vibing in a dark room with nothing but a bunch of colorful LED lights everywhere to provide light, as well as the king of streaming in the dead of night (for him, anyway). Starts his streams at 9pm most days, ends somewhere around 1am. This changes sometimes, of course, but you can clearly tell he’s some sort of night owl.

Keep reading

call it what you want.

a genshin impact smau | xiao x gn!reader

SUMMARY as part of the student council, you’ve been tasked to recruit the local band playing in your university’s bar. xiao, who’s the band’s bassist, seems to be the only one refusing your offer to join the foundation day. you have two weeks to make him agree to perform on stage in front of the whole university or you’re off the council for good.

GENRE modern, fluff, slight(?) crack

STATUS ongoing - sporadic updates - taglist open!

NOTES welcome back to another smau by naev and her sporadic updates t__t double updates since 004 or i try to be hehe >__< send in an ask to be tagged instead of replying !!

EPISODE LIST

your dropees | xiao’s band

001 — beloved vp ♢ 002 — failed night out

003 — bench front ♢ 004 — deleted tweet

005 — hashtag boy ♢ 006 — fuckin’ with ‘ya

007 — know yakshas? ♢ 008 — this is betrayal

009 — go ahead without me ♢ 010 — why not?

011 — follow back, vp ♢ 012 — annoying pest

013 — ah, that’s why ♢ 014 — he likes who?

015 — never mind ♢ 016 — actually, i hate you

017 — you like them, right? ♢ 018 — my treat!

019 —so a game? ♢ 020 — he agreed?

021 — not my boyfriend ♢ 022 — for you

023 — tba ♢ 024 — tba

MISCELLANEOUS time stamps do not matter unless i say so !! this will go through heavy editing in the process ^__^ not so sure if xiao is a bit ooc here but annoying xiao agenda pls >>> feedback greatly appreciated <3 chapter names may be changed depending on what happens

Tokyo Revengers incorrect quotes: (Haitani brothers)

Ran: *running towards Rindou with open arms* Rindou: *moves out of the way* Ran: Hey, why’d you move?! *inserts offended face*

Rindou: I thought you were going to attack me. Ran: I was going to hug you! Rindou: Why would you hug me? Ran: WHY WOULD I ATTACK YOU!?

Genshin + Spending the morning with them

With: Scaramouche

Words: 1,1k

Warnings: suggestive, slight making out, fluff

Note: The reader is gender neutral, enjoy :)

Xiao Part

The moment you wake up, you know it’s going to be a tiring day; as lately a lot of your days have been.

It’s early. Too early for the sun to be up, but the dawn was bright enough to let you admire the sleeping form next to you.

After all this time, you find yourself still adoring how at ease, even nearly peaceful Scaramouche could look while sleeping. So contrary to his usual intimidating demeanor. Hair falling all over his face, legs tangled with your own and some parts of the blanket.

At times like that, he isn’t the 6th Fatui Harbinger, he isn’t the balladeer, he is simply… Kunikuzushi

It is truly a shame to have to leave, but unlike your lover, you aren’t a harbinger, thus having a tighter, more governed work schedule.

So, you swing your legs over the bedside, stretching the tiredness away and looking a little dazed around the room, mentally preparing yourself for another day of work.

But you are stopped in your movements when you suddenly feel a hand curling around your waist.

“And where do you think you’re going,” a voice, barely awake murmurs. Scaramouche rests his head down on your shoulder, hugging you lightly from behind.

You chuckle softly.

“You know, you have to get up soon, too, right?”

He grunts disgruntled somewhere near your ear. It was common knowledge that the balladeer solely does whatever and whenever he pleases. Unless of course, the order comes from high above.

You smile to yourself, placing a hand above his own on your waist.

Scara’s breath tickles against your neck, before you feel him slowly starting to plant down soft, nearly delicate kisses down your skin. He moves from your neck, up to your jaw, the sensitive skin right below your ear and then down your shoulders again.

Shivering, you hold your breath. It isn’t very usual for him to act that affectionately, let alone during early morning hours.

But just as you are about to close your eyes in enjoyment, he stops. You try not to pout, not wanting to get him the satisfaction. Still, you turn around to face him-

-when you suddenly find yourself pinned down on the bed, hands spread to each side of your face. Scara is holding your wrists firmly, but not enough to hurt you.

His lips are curved into a sly smile, mustering you. Though, the sleepiness in them balances his comportment. “You know I could just order you to stay here, right?”

Your eyes narrow. Oh, that’s where this is going.

“Sure, you could,” you tease. “But who said I would listen?”

To this Scaramouche furrows his brows, his eyes darkening a little. Then he bends his head dangerously down to you, lips hovering above yours.

“Well then,” he whispers in a lowered voice. “I’d like seeing you try to deny my wishes.”

Your mouth twists, clearly amused by his antics, but nevertheless your heartbeat fastens. A lot. “Shut up and kiss me already.”

“What, that desperate?”

You blink, a little baffled.

This cheeky little bastard…

Deciding, not to let him get his way, to just tease him a bit more, you shrug your shoulders, looking away from him. “Well, seems like I have to go to work then.” Moving to stand up, you try to push him aside, but – of course – he doesn’t let you. Instead, his grip around your wrists tightens just a little bit, forcing you to stay.

Scara raises an eyebrow. “Better watch your mouth, darling.”

You stare back up at his eyes, mustering him curiously. “Or what?”

Daring today, aren’t we?

At this he tilts his head, eyes narrowing. Then he leans forwards a fraction, his face so close to yours that your gaze widens for a second.

You hold your breath, eyes consistently darting from his eyes to his mouth.

His eyelids drop and - blinded by instinct - you lean in. Just before your lips could touch, though, Scaramouche backs up again, just an inch.

He chuckles darkly, eyes burning in delight at your misery. “Go on. Ask me.” He lifts his hand and slowly starts running his thumb over your lips.

“Wow, you’re such a tease today,” you reply, though your voice comes out much weaker than you had anticipated.

“Say the word, darling.”

Merely inches apart from each other, you stare at each other’s lips, breath fastening.

Swallowing, a hoarse whisper escapes you. “Kiss me.” Then you lick your lips and say “please.”

Scaramouche doesn’t wait a second longer.

This time he bends fully down, lips pressing against your own, capturing you all in; your whole body, mind and spirit are filled up with him. His touch, his smell, his body.

Brows furrowed, he moves his hand slowly over your shoulder, into your hair, while loosening the grip on your wrist to stabilizes himself on the bed.

You pull him a little closer to you, deepening the kiss; fingertips running down his spine, you could feel him shiver at your touch.

At the time you break apart your limbs are tightly pressed together, chest panting with heavy breaths. For a few moments you are unable to open your eyes, savouring the feeling, the sensation of his lips on yours.

“What are you thinking about?”

Still a little dazed, you look up into Scara’s smug face. Not even surprised that he doesn’t look even the slightest bit out of breath.

“You.”

Scaramouche lets out a low chuckle. “Precisely.”

Though in the next moment his taunting demeanour lessens, instead something more… mellow appears in its place.

With a soft touch he runs his fingers along your face, slowly gliding over the darkened skin beneath your eyes.

You’re exhausted.

Lately, you’ve been working a lot more than usual. He has noticed of course.

So, yes, he wants you to stay in bed, For his own benefit, but also for yours. Though, he wouldn’t phrase these reasons aloud.

“Stay here.”

You muster him, fingers gently playing with some strands of his hair. “You know I can’t. Contrary to you, people are not afraid to get upset with me, you know. I might actually lose my job.”

He clicks his tongue in disapproval. “Tsk, I’m not a harbinger for nothing. They won’t dare to bother you if I intervene.”

You couldn’t help but give a lopsided grin. “You’re cute when you’re still half asleep like that.”

Scoffing, Scara rolls his eyes, sliding his hands down to hold you by the waist. “Remind me to kill you later,” he murmurs just before he presses his lips back on yours

Thanks for reading! :) Comments and reblogs are appreciated <3

lights, camera, action!

premise. in which you get yourself involved in a lot of unscripted drama. (genshin celebrity au.)

includes. xiao, childe, albedo, ayato, scaramouche, thoma & kazuha.

previous episode. watch here.

note. the long-awaited sequel nobody actually waited for lmao. please read part 1 if you still haven't! this entire fic would be incomprehensible otherwise :'D

四 ; ayato, the cannon fodder

although xiao is, with absolute certainty, regarded as your definite favorite celebrity in your heart, ayato comes a close second.

he's a modern day prince; if anyone were asked to say which male lead they liked best, you can guarantee their answer would be among one of his roles.

he played a lot of characters—a school heartthrob, a ceo, a bar owner, and even an actual prince for a snow white retelling. each one with stellar execution, as you'd expect from an actor of his caliber.

so it is to your absolute horror to find him casted in this production as a minor villain. the one that happens to (futilely) seduce the journalist to bed, no less!

is he asking to get his image destroyed?! which... actually does make sense. he's already been typecasted as the “prince” type of male lead, and you can guess how frustrating that can be. it must suck to play one persona over and over, mindlessly spouting recycled lines; not much room for creativity there.

but he's had different roles too, of course. one that stuck to your mind is another murder mystery, a film focusing on the death of a family head. the power struggle for the place of successor isn't a secret even to the public, and the prime suspects are primarily composed of the victim's relatives who stand to benefit from the family head's death.

ayato played the role of the first son, believed to be the one most likely to inherit the riches. which means the sooner the family head dies, he gets to have all the assets. he's suspicious due to his probable motive, but overly so that it's too obvious; ironically enough, this leads the audience to think he definitely couldn't be the killer.

except he is exactly that, but for a reason nobody would expect. rather than greed, the first son murdered his father for driving his biological mother to madness due to abuse and then sent her to a psychiatric ward, where she eventually died. he took in a second wife, a woman only after his money, who kept on pressuring her husband to make her daughter his successor.

contrary to popular belief, ayato's character didn't loathe his step-sister. in fact, he cared about her quite a bit, and his hate for his father grew whenever he scorned her for being “lacking” or “good for nothing.” his scummy personality led to his demise.

in the end, the step-mother was wrongly arrested, and the true murderer wasn't revealed until after the credits, where ayato was shown sitting at his father's desk and laughing to himself, followed by a scene detailing how the actual murder took place and how he tricked the investigators successfully.

the contrast between his acting as a shallow young master and a cunning mastermind had been praised by many. to tell the truth, you don't know how he was typecasted as a prince when he's clearly more suited for “villain” roles.

...even so, his current role isn't anything like the previous one! a cannon fodder and a genius murderer are nowhere near alike! he's only there to make the protagonist jealous and his character is fated to die one week after the scene with the journalist!

you suppose your disbelief must've shown on your face when each actor's respective role was announced because he couldn't help but chuckle when he looked at you.

“...by any chance, did you audition for the murderer role? because- it's hard to believe that-” you struggle to piece together words, rambling while ayato is busy signing his autograph on your phone case. (as luck would have it, you don't have paper on you. you said he could sign the back of your shirt but he politely declined, insisting the shirt would get dirty like you aren't planning to get it framed on your bedroom wall and declare it your heirloom.)

you don't even feel shy talking to him from the sheer incredulity of the situation. ayato only laughs as he hands you your phone case. “i did. but it turned out getting a minor role is a good thing since i'm planning to be on vacation soon.”

“oh. that's understandable, then...” barely. you still have complaints about it. as an actor, you respect the director's decisions, but as a loyal fan, you oughta give him a talking to and demand to give your idol the role he deserves.

“do you dislike it?”

your brows knit together, eyes momentarily leaving your now prized phone case to glance at him. “dislike what?” dislike that you're treated like this? that you have to act as a brainless villain? that you don't get much screentime? then fuck yeah.

“dislike that you're going to do that scene with me.” almost bashful, he leans closer to whisper to your ear. “you know. the one in the hotel.”

all the blood in your body rushes to your cheeks. impishly, ayato's lips curl into a smile of mischievous nature, a far cry from the elegant simper he usually holds. “i... that isn't what i... no, i mean it's not that i don't like you as my partner, but- but-!”

sufficiently entertained by your fumbling, he stops being mean and lightly pats the top of your head. “let's both do our best. truthfully, i'm not the most adept with bedroom scenes, but if you need help, you can always rely on me.”

rely how exactly?!

...

“is it too tight?”

“um... a little.”

“okay. is this better?”

“yes. am i too stiff?”

“mhm, a bit. you don't have to be nervous. it's just me.”

ah yes. it's just THE kamisato ayato pinning you down your bed, breathing down your neck, moments away from stealing your lips. nothing to worry about, clearly.

he adjusts his grip on your wrists, loosening it to your liking. his character is meant to push you down forcibly, but of course he doesn't want to actually harm you during filming—to prepare before the shoot, practice is of utmost importance. you have to give the illusion of an aggressive assault when in reality he's handling you like a piece of glass.

but you're doing this right after a day's work, and you have to blame your stupid mouth for running off without command and casually asking him if he could visit your apartment to go over the scene. in late hours of the night. in what can be interpreted as a much more scandalous suggestion.

thankfully, you're not dealing with childe so you're spared from wiggling eyebrows or phrases with flirty implications.

but him being ayato doesn't make it any easier.

“don't you feel embarrassed making out on screen...?” you laugh awkwardly in an attempt to ignore the weird tension in the air, slightly overwhelmed by his intense gaze. “i know you've done this several times, but i imagine the awkwardness never wears off.”

“not quite,” he agrees. “but a job is a job... i say that, but i'd like to make it comfortable for you, if possible. how are you faring? do you need a break?” he sits up, allowing more distance in the space between you. you shake your head.

“i'm fine. just... nervous. it's my first time doing a bedroom scene...” you look off to the side, staring at the lights beyond your window. though you're in the comfort of your own room, having an unfamiliar man on your bed makes it all feel so strange.

...as you thought, it really was weird to invite a co-actor to your bed! eh? would booking a hotel be better? but isn't it overboard to go to a hotel for practice? inviting him to your apartment is equally as bad, though?!

“all the cameramen watching can be pressuring,” he adds in afterthought, releasing one of your wrists only to pin them with a single hand. you flinch a little when his fingers skim over your cheek, but you slowly relax into the heat. “it's best if you try to forget about them.”

“i'm afraid that's easier said than done,” you murmur, voice growing weaker as he leans down once more.

“really? i consider myself a decent kisser.” he grins, sly and confident. “i'm certain i can keep other things off your mind for a while.”

“wh- i'm not supposed to enjoy it, remember?!” you squawk indignantly with flushed cheeks.

“oh? my bad.” he relishes in your reaction, chuckling lowly. “you'll have to work hard acting like you don't like it, then.”

his lips hover above yours, breaths mingling with each other. the proximity catches you off guard but his hand is a steady weight holding you in place, urging you to look at him.

“don't think about anyone else. just focus on me.”

五 ; scaramouche, the best friend

“fantastic. i was also looking forward to a drama adaption but you've already ruined it for me.”

“that's not nice! you're supposed to congratulate me for passing the audition!”

“my courtesy towards you has already expired 5 years ago.”

“yes. you've made that very apparent.”

“have i also made my ire apparent? it's like the universe is telling me seeing you everyday isn't enough, i have to see you on television too. frankly, we see too much of each other.”

“you say that but you're the one coming over my apartment uninvited.”

“this is where i store my beer.”

scaramouche has a perfectly functional fridge so you know he's only doing that as an excuse. he's been this way for 8 years. (of course, he'd only been storing milk at your house when you were both still underage.)

(the milk didn't do any favors for his height, unfortunately.)

his words are as harsh as ever but believe it or not, he's your closest friend. not that he'd ever admit it, even at gunpoint. it's a feat you should add to your resume, honestly, because as far as you know, you're one of the few people he doesn't hate.

he tolerates you enough that he can practice your lines with you (with enough pressure), though he delivers his part of the script with such dispassion it makes it difficult for you to get into the mood. but in his own brand of patience, he lets you reiterate your lines an endless amount of times until you feel like you get it right.

he helps you with expressions too, albeit in a manner you find hard to appreciate.

“you look like you're constipated, not about to cry.”

“your jaw is hanging open. want to catch a fly with your tongue? act like you caught your husband cheating, not like you're about to eat half my burger when you said you'd only take a bite.”

(personal grudges were involved.)

he's not interested in the film industry at all, but he was the one who pushed you to pursue your dreams when everyone else was discouraging you from taking an unstable career. he's your pillar of support; even if he's glaring at you scathingly or giving cutting words matter-of-factly, he's all bark and no bite. the moment you shed tears, he's already pulling you to his chest, remaining silent as he rubs comforting circles on your back. he doesn't even complain when you bury your face to hide in his neck, soaking his shirt with tears.

underneath all that layers, he's pretty nice.

(admittedly, you have to dig real deep.)

when you're smiling and happy, however, he takes the chance to complain. sneering, he blurts, “what's up with you taking roles in romance dramas all the time? besides, you're way too old to be in high school.”

“i still look fresh.” you batted your eyelashes at him, celebrating inwardly when he made a scandalized noise. “but i'm auditioning for a different role soon. if i get it, you'll see me as a murder victim instead of a high schooler.”

two weeks later, you get the e-mail confirming the love interest role. scaramouche goes so pale you consider taking him to the hospital.

“i know the journalist is your favorite character, but aren't you overreacting? do you hate me acting as them that much?”

he rolls his eyes so hard you almost think they're going to be permanently pointed heavenward. “are you stupid? that's not what i'm worried about. wouldn't you have to- you know- do that scene-”

“which one?”

“...the hotel scene...”

ah. well that certainly is a cause for concern. it's steamier than what you're used to; so far, you've only done light pecks or kisses that don't last too long. bedroom scenes are definitely foreign territory.

“i can only hope my partner is good-looking, then. i wouldn't mind it, if that's the case.” you laugh sheepishly, missing the way his eyes narrow in disapproval.

“...whatever. suit yourself.”

“don't tell me you still feel weird about kissing scenes?”

“i don't have issues with kissing scenes. i just don't want to see you sucking face on tv.”

“don't use that word! it's too vulgar!”

as part of work, it's inevitable you have to do a kissing scene here and there. scaramouche has never been fond of seeing them, turning away from the television or excusing himself to the bathroom whenever they come up. it's a reaction you can sympathize with; it is rather awkward to see your friend making out with someone on screen.

but he especially detests the old recording of your high school play.

long, long ago, you were part of the drama club. by association, scaramouche became a member as well—the pair of you were considered as a package deal. he was your practice partner so often that he got forced into joining.

he'd die before he ever tells anyone, but he had a knack for playing villains back then, specialized in wicked cackling and bone-chilling monologues reeking of depravity.

but in your final year, he got roped into playing the prince when the original actor sprained his ankle. incidentally, you happened to be playing the damsel in distress in your (pretty much unrecognizable) rendition of sleeping beauty.

“why is the prince shorter than-” before you could end your statement, he already slammed your face with the script.

the play was a hot mess. scaramouche couldn't play a decent prince for the life of him, so your club made the play a comedy and reworked the entire script to fit him better. the valiant and heroic character became satirical, forced into saving you not for love but to fulfill a prophecy that definitely wasn't in the original sleeping beauty.

the audience was taking the change well, intrigued by the bizarre twists and turns. the huffing-puffing prince was hilarious to watch, too.

it wasn't long before you laid in the casket, blinded by stage lights even with your eyes closed. the cardboard dragon had already been defeated, and the prince was fast approaching.

to your utter distaste, it was decided the prince would slap you awake. so you prepared for it when the last lines were being said, bracing for the stinging pain.

but then there was a rise in pitch, nearing to a yelp, then a loud thud, then the weight of two hands pressing on either side of your head, and-

your lips were touching something soft and warm.

the squeals and yells reverberated in the whole theater, the narrator stammering awkwardly and improvising ad libs last minute. your eyes snapped open and you'd gotten a front row seat to see scaramouche's blushing face, an explosion of pink dancing across his features.

after the play wrapped up and he peeled off the ridiculously frilly prince costume, he'd been set on destroying every record—alas, your friends weren't so keen on deleting such good footage. to this day, he still bristled at the thought of it; his and your first kiss showcased to hundreds of people.

it's harder to endure when he sees you kissing someone else, however. he never gets used to it, no matter how many times he tells himself to.

“oh, finally. it took so long for them to get together,” his co-worker groans as he watches the tv at the break room, airing the latest episode of the drama you star in. scaramouche glances at the screen, turning away when the camera flits to the boy with ashy brown hair. he's touching your face for the millionth time, bright teal eyes staring into yours so deeply scaramouche almost thinks he's actually besotted with you.

“you're not watching? i thought you liked this series?”

“i don't.”

for his own sake, he doesn't give the tv another glance, stepping out of the room.

this is fine. it's not the first time he's felt like this.

(it doesn't feel any less terrible.)

六 ; thoma, the former male lead

there are as many aspiring actors as there are stars in the sky; it's unfortunate only some of them shine brightly enough to be noticeable, and the rest twinkling weakly in miniscule dots.

for your case, and for your friend thoma's, you belong to the latter.

thoma is handsome, that much you can see with your own eyes, but a pretty face can be found anywhere in the industry—he lacks that special something that makes him stand out. that being said, you don't have it either, so you're on the same boat.

you're best pals, comrades in arms, partners in crime.

actual partners. once. for a romance drama.

(but not the main characters. just an obligatory side pairing, of course. you're the rebound for the second male lead.)

it was your first work, and you'd rather delete your existence than watch it again. hopefully, that also erases your dark history.

your... amateurish acting had been unsightly. the innocence you portrayed wasn't lovely, just a ghastly display of incoherent mumbling and lack of comedic timing. you wanted to tear apart each clip and toss it in some imaginary ditch where nobody can find it again.

thoma's performance wasn't as severe as yours. it wasn't half-bad, almost decent if not for the scant instances of awkwardness in scenes that required more emotional acting.

alas, the end product was just about what you expected; a series no one paid attention to. both a relief and a disappointment, because even if you hated it with every inch of your being, the effort you poured into practice and filming was real.

but after the drama ended, you kept in close contact with thoma, chugging down beer at dinners as you complained to each other about work. failed auditions, mistakes in filming, inability to get roles—you shared everything, and he did the same. each moment of embarrassment and each moment of breakthrough that called for a celebration, you told each other. through thick and thin, you had the other's back.

naturally, he was one of the first few people you called (second only to your manager) when you received the e-mail confirming your role as the love interest for arguably one of the most anticipated series to date.

he'd been overjoyed, above all, his elation overruling his surprise; it was a far cry from other violent reactions. (“are you sure it's not a prank?” scaramouche had said in disbelief.)

“you're finally going to be acknowledged!” gleefully, thoma chattered on, “that's the best news i've heard all year!”

and that was good. it was nice having his support. he'd been the one to give you a pep talk before you had to start rehearsals, soothing your fretful worries.

when you don't understand the essence of a particular scene, he's more than happy to help—“i'm just one call away!”

when you fumble your lines on camera, he laughs but not with mockery (a stark contrast to that little gremlin scaramouche)—“it's no big deal. you only have to do your best tomorrow.”

when you recount your experiences working with famous actors, he listens attentively—“you're starting to get along, huh?”

and then you would hesitate. it sounds like you're... bragging.

he says he's only one call away, but he's busy with his own work; still, he makes time for you. he listens whenever you complain, but he has bigger problems, ones that he doesn't say because he knows it'll dampen your mood. he has to hear about you acquainting with celebrities he can't even dream of meeting, like you're showing him the things he can't have.

you got lucky. what about him?

slowly, your face bleeds to commercials, advertisement banners, even huge outdoor LED displays on shopping malls featuring the drama cast—yet he remains as a blurry, nameless figure in the sea of aspiring actors.

he doesn't show it, doesn't even hint at it, but he must be... envious, right?

it's not hard to be. you've been in the industry for the same amount of time, began at the same starting line, yet only one of you found success, the other one left behind in the dust.

still. still. he never shows it. never stops being your biggest fan. never lets you think otherwise. he watches every episode, every interview. babbles how amazing your performance was in this scene. rambles how you did so well in this drama and he's so proud of you. smiles at how you have to wear a disguise now whenever you go out together so nobody can recognize you.

“it must be hard,” he comments as you hide in a secluded park, nearly getting found out by someone you noticed following you around. “you can't get around as freely anymore. are you okay? nobody follows you home or anything?”

always the worrier, you think. “of course not. my manager drives me around everywhere these days. you don't have to worry.”

thoma grins, plopping down at a bench. “that's a relief.”

for a moment, you just sit in silence, basking in the slight chilly air. the orange and pinks of sunset darken to streaks of blue, streetlights flickering to life.

“...did you know there are rumors of you dating xiao?”

you choke on air, coughing to your fist. “what?!” not that you feel flattered. not at all. (you've badgered xiao to come with you to the carnival last week, and then the waterpark a week before that with the rest of the cast, and- well. you suppose there's reason for people to speculate. you also wore matching animal headbands—how on earth you got xiao to do that, you're not sure either.)“why did that- how did it come to that?!”

“it's surprising for me, too,” thoma says. “if anything, i'd expect dating rumors with the actual male lead. or childe. he seems... particularly clingy.”

“albedo? there's no way he'd like someone like me.” you furrow your brows. if anything, it's only gotten awkward between the two of you ever since the confession scene. “ajax... well. i never know with him.” you honestly can't tell if he's flirting or not.

thoma laughs, eyes crinkling with mirth. “you look close with all of them. if i didn't know any better, i'd think you were acting a romance film outside of the project.”

you shudder. “if, and only if, i end up dating one of them, i'll attract all kinds of bad attention. it's not even good PR. i'd hate to think of all the fan girls who'll start cursing me, stealing their man and all that. hell, i'm not even dating anybody and i'm already being cursed.”

“i'll reply to every single mean comment and defend your honor.”

you snort. “do you even have the time for that?”

“...unfortunately, yes. i'm not receiving much work at the moment.”

oh.

fuck.

“i can... i can recommend you to the director. i heard he's starting a new project soon, so maybe-”

thoma frowns and you ground to a halt. “it's fine. i don't want you to do that for me.”

it sounds like you're pitying him. like you don't trust him to rise on his own.

but you want to help.

“is this why you look sad around me every so often?” he realizes, astonished.

“i... can't help but feel guilty,” you admit, unable to maintain eye contact. “every time i say a silly story about xiao, or ajax, or albedo, i feel like i'm showing off. every time i complain, you never try to compare, you only comfort me and never tell me about your problems. i want to do something for you, but i don't know what. i care about you, and i want you to do well because i know how talented you are. except everyone else doesn't, and i want them to see you.”

it's not fair. he's putting in the effort. the same as you are. but it's still not working out for him, and it's not fair.

“you... want to help me?”

you manage a weak nod. you hear an intake of breath, feel him shuffling closer. then he places his hand on top of your clenched fist.

“[name]. can you look at me?”

slowly, you raise your head. his green eyes are shining so brilliantly, bright emeralds gleaming in the moonlight.

yet they also seem... resigned.

“you're really nice, [name]. but you don't have to feel guilty. it's not your fault i'm still like this, and i'm already thankful you're worrying about me. i can't say that i was entirely... not jealous of what you have now, but that's just my problem. so you don't have to make that face, okay?”

he smiles, just like always. you open your mouth to respond, but then you feel that sensation again—that prickle at the back of your neck, the feeling that makes your hair stand on end.

“you're kind.” his hand cradles your cheek ever so softly, tenderly. your lashes tremble, like the flutter of a butterfly's wings. “that's why... i hope you can forgive me.”

this position is familiar. you know this, because you've experienced this before.

long long ago, just when you started your career, you'd practiced this scene with him in the dressing room—hearts pounding, hands awkwardly finding their places;

your lips brushing together in a shy kiss.

now, his fingers are carding through your hair, the closest he's ever been to you in years. you flinch, gripping his shirt, uncomprehending, and-

you hear it.

the shutter of a camera.

七 ; kazuha, the murderer

the first time you heard a complete newbie would act the murderer role, you were in disbelief.

alright, you were an unremarkable actor before your current role, but at the very least, you had experience. not only is this person entirely new to the industry, having nothing to show for himself, he's an amateur. it sounds like a recipe for disaster.

it's even more baffling when you discover ayato, THE kamisato ayato, tried for the role and didn't get it. who the hell is this newbie? someone who got in through nepotism? preposterous! the murderer is an incredibly important character to the plot, the whole series would be ruined if he turned out to be awful!

and then you see who he actually is, and oh boy, he does not look like a murderer.

he's more like a harmless bunny. fluffy white hair, round red eyes, a polite disposition—did you arrive at the wrong set, kid? maybe you were aiming for the high school romance drama and came here by mistake?

the webtoon murderer was no pretty boy. just an average-looking dude working at a convenience store nobody suspected to be the killer because of his unassuming looks, and that was the point. yet this eye-catching hottie is the complete opposite.

but everyone else in the cast is hot as hell, so maybe the murderer needs to be hot too so he can blend in??? director, what exactly did you have in mind?

“[name]!” just as you were staring at him, he turns and notices your gaze, expression immediately brightening. like an innocent baby chick, he walks up to you. “good morning.”

it's another day of rehearsals for the upcoming episode. so far, you haven't gotten to see his true skills yet—the most he's done is act like an ordinary extra part of the background and out of the limelight. it's understandable, since his character doesn't appear much until halfway through the series.

“kazuha,” you acknowledge him, still a little unused to his... general stickiness. you don't know what he found so appealing about you but he's taken to sticking by your side most of the time. childe has teased you more than once that perhaps the little chick has a crush on you.

“do you want to eat lunch together? i know a good fried chicken place.” so it's cannibalism now?

you agree to go anyway because fried chicken sounds great. plus, as much as you came to find that even celebrities are just regular people and you managed to befriend a lot of them, there's a sense of comfort in kazuha—he's the one you felt least intimidated by.

even if you text xiao for hours now, or come over to childe's house frequently, or go on food trips with albedo, or go clothes shopping with ayato and his sister, they're still people you can't get close to without boundaries. there's still a sense of distance separating you, one that you can't cross, but can happily do so with kazuha.

being with kazuha is just comfortable. there's never a need for formalities, and rather than co-workers, you feel closer to being friends.

sometimes, you feel as if you're babysitting though. he just... screams youth. holds the freshness of an amateur, clutching to naive hopes and wishes in the path of stardom. it's endearing to see, and it's like seeing a younger version of yourself.

it's a shame you've buried those naive wishes long ago, but you hope kazuha's career goes well for him. this drama will undoubtedly be a big boost for his popularity, but will also backlash on him if he performs horribly.

“this is my treat.” kazuha pushes the plate of chicken fingers to your side of the table, eyes shaped in smiling crescents.

you shake your head but take one nonetheless. “what kind of senior would i be to make you pay? order all you want, it's on me.”

kazuha doesn't pout but comes close to it, sulking as he bites on a piece of korean bburinkle chicken. “i can't tell if you're doing this on purpose.”

“doing what?”

“letting me off easy.”

...? this kid says some pretty strange things sometimes.

“i'll order some drinks. what do you want?” he offers, standing up.

“iced tea is fine.”

“got it.”

as he moves, his wallet drops on the floor. you're about to tell him so but you think better of it, already considering the possibility of kazuha sneakily paying for your meal on the counter and ordering drinks as an excuse.

you sigh, bending down to pick it up from the ground, but the wallet faces up, revealing the contents.

the first thing you see is your face.

you nearly jolt and hit your head on the table in shock, but you manage to suppress your surprise in a garbled mess of choking. this photo is... from that modeling gig you did a year ago. but why is it in kazuha's wallet-?!

you quickly put it back on the table, just in time for kazuha to arrive. he raises an eyebrow at your flustered expression but doesn't mention anything.

he makes a face seeing the wallet he forgot on the table. you were right after all.

later, as you return to set and practice ends after a few more hours, you recount the order of events to xiao, who could not be anymore uninterested at your entire spiel. perhaps childe would've made a more engaging conversation partner, but you'd rather not deal with his teasing right now.

“-and my face was right there! as his wallet photo! what the hell does that mean?!” years ago, you never could've guessed you'd ever be able to rant to xiao's face like this. yet here you are, unashamed in front of your idol.

“isn't it obvious?” xiao isn't even pretending like he's giving you his full attention anymore, preoccupied with the game console in his hands. “he likes you.”

“???”

xiao sighs, dead fish eyes looking straight at your clueless expression. “don't you have a photo of me in your wallet? that's the same thing.”

“that is certainly not the same thing! you're- xiao, and i'm just me. you're popular.”

xiao almost rolls his eyes. you're way too humble for someone who gets recognized by people on the street daily. “congrats, then. you met one of your rare fans.”

that was an unbelievable thought, before. you? having a fan? whenever you searched up your name, you couldn't find anyone talking about you. your character is different; you're looking for people who's interested in you as a person, not just your role.

now, though. you've accumulated enough fame for a fan club. several maybe, even.

... but even then. that modeling gig hadn't been successful. only someone who knew about it a year ago would know about it now, since it faded from the internet pretty fast.

as far as you know, you didn't have fans a year ago.

xiao makes a realization. “...isn't this the fourth time he invited you to lunch this week?”

“yeah?”

“.....isn't he just hitting on you then?”

now that's just not in the realm of possibility. xiao is so funny.

“he literally baked you cookies the other day.”

“friends give each other cookies, xiao. i can even make some for you if you want.”

“they were heart-shaped, [name].”

(you end up making him cookies to prove a point.)

days pass by, xiao giving you increasingly odd looks, and kazuha finally proves his worth in filming.

his performance rivals that of albedo's—the soft edges of his eyes sharpening into something menacing, gaze cold and apathetic, his lips downturned to an unfamiliar sneer. you're watching the birth of a star, and it's only a matter of time before his talent will be acknowledged.

he's different from ayato as a villain. ayato is cunning, the perfect example of a mastermind. malicious and dripping with spite. but kazuha looks innocent, a cute little bun you'd never guess can make those kind of facial expressions—twisted, vicious, malevolent.

it's part of the act, but you flinch when his character turns violent; kicking down doors, smashing glass windows with a bat. holding the extras acting as murder victims by grabbing them by the hair, throwing down cops like they weighed nothing.

and then right after that scene concludes with the director's “cut!”, with (fake) blood still splattered on his face, kazuha runs up to you grinning innocently, fishing for compliments. “did i do good?”

nevertheless, you give him headpats. “you're terrifying.”

he flushes, not too pleased giving that impression to you. the next day, he acts all sweet to you again, giving you a batch of cream puffs this time. xiao snorts somewhere in the background.

eventually, your manager notices the snacks you receive regularly. “oh, it's from that kid?”

“kazuha? mhm.” you nibble happily on the pastries.

your manager chuckles. “never thought i'd see him again here.”

“...what do you mean?” blinking owlishly, you pause from chowing down. “you know him?”

“he used to work at the bakery you went to often before, didn't he? the kid you kept telling to watch your first drama. you forced him to watch the episodes on your phone during his break.”

...............FUCK.

you do remember doing something that stupid. during the filming of your first drama, you frequently stopped by at a nearby bakery to buy snacks, and you remember there was a cute kid working there. you often pinched his cheeks and cajoled him into watching the series.

but when filming ended, you couldn't go to the bakery anymore. the filming location was far from your house, and the bakery was simply out of the way.

did that kid... kazuha... support you all this time? from that early on?

you curse your manager for telling you this right before filming. your mind is a mess, having trouble connecting that cute, precious child (why are you always calling him a kid, he's barely 2 years younger than you) to the smooth and flirty man today.

it's an important scene today too! the confrontation between the detective, his partner, and the murderer. it needs your complete concentration, and you just don't have it right now. you've never seen the director lose his temper, but you can probably manage to do it today.

albedo is performing well in front of the cameras as always, so much like a protagonist that you feel like you're watching from a television screen already. but you have a job to do too, so you do your best in the spotlight, pretending to be unaffected.

kazuha looks even scarier up close, so unhinged and unreadable. you know what his next move will be, written on the script, but that doesn't make you any less uneasy.

“you're bold,” kazuha drawls, playing with the knife in his hand, “coming to see me by yourselves.”

you can hear what he's saying, but it feels like your head is full of cotton. why are you so distracted? “so it really is you,” you speak, praising yourself for acting normally.

the other two exchange lines, and you thank the heavens you're mostly silent for the time being. for the meantime, you have a few moments to collect yourself; there's a chase right after this, and you'd rather not do something stupid like trip over yourself in the middle of something so serious.

...

sometimes, you're gifted with foresight.

but! to be fair! you did not trip over yourself! the staff forgot to fix the cables in one part of the set, and you tripped over those. so no. not entirely your fault.

albedo is too far away—he's on the side trying to unlock the doors with his brain powers somehow, and you're the bait distracting the murderer before he does. he can't catch you with his male-lead-in-a-romance-drama-slash-protagonist reflexes now.

ordinarily, you would not trip over the cables. you have able eyes, and you could easily step over them. but you're at the stairs where darkness falls with each lower step, and wire cables don't exactly glow in the dark.

...you're at the flight of stairs. and you're about to fall over. FUCK. WHY DID THE DIRECTOR WANT A CHASE SCENE IN THE STAIRS.

you brace for the impact, hands outstretched, praying to at least save your face, but then in a complete break of character, kazuha reaches for you.

you're leaning too far to the edge now. there's no way to pull you back to even ground. kazuha grits his teeth, pulling you to his chest, and in an immense show of strength, twists around so he'd be beneath you.

you descend in a disgraceful tangle of limbs. you're enveloped in a warm embrace, cheek resting on a firm chest. a chin is tucked into the crook of your neck, heavy breaths tickling the skin of your shoulder.

heart pounding in adrenaline, you jolt back to action when the relief fades away and the panic settles back in. “your head-!” you scramble to touch kazuha's head, feeling for any bumps or even worse, blood. kazuha hisses, so you soften the touch, tracing over his body to check for other injuries. he became a literal mattress for you, and you crushed him under your weight. he looks so so frail, what if you permanently crippled him or somethi- what the hell is all this muscle?“what about your back? did you get sprained anywhere?”

“i'm fine,” kazuha wheezes under your caressing.

“you don't sound fine! who are you trying to fool? you didn't have to do that!” you grab his cheeks as you admonish him, frowning severely. they're as soft as ever, just as pinch-able as you remember—but you won't let that distract you now! that was very reckless of him!

you scramble to scurry to the side, but his hands maintain their tight grip on your waist.

bashfully, he averts his gaze, the cheeks beneath your palm growning warm and flushing with a pretty pink. “i'm not hurt. it's because you're... on top of me...”

you blink, glancing down at your position. at a proximity entirely inappropriate, you're hovering above him, straddling his hips and making no move to get away.

this kazuha is too different from two minutes ago! wasn't he just chasing you down the corridor in murderous intent?! now he's blushing underneath you, like a pure maiden you defiled!

what's with this soft, sugary atmosphere?! last time you remembered, this was a murder mystery drama!

(when the drama ends, you're casted for a romance college series with kazuha as the male lead. figures.)

ah goddamn this hurts

Somewhere you can’t follow (3) - Genshin Angst [Modern AU]

Summary: You’ve always been there for him but he’s always still loved his ex. You finally had enough and did what you thought was best for you. You left.

Characters: Xiao, fem!reader

Warnings: crazy ex gf vibes, no comfort, pure angst, he basically goes back to his ex, cheating-ish (he thinks of you while he’s with his ex), I went overboard with this one…idk how. 

Other works in this series: (Diluc, Itto, Thoma) (Kaeya, Scaramouche)

Personal favourite line in this work: It was as if you wanted to keep it as evidence that he cared. Something to secretly squeal about at night when you replay the memory. Now just something to remind you that you were a complete daydreaming fool.

Word count: 2955

Xiao

He used to date someone who only dated him for the clout. You didn’t know if he realized it, but Xiao was a smart guy, he must have had some sort of idea…and yet, they continued that way for months, until the girl broke it off and Xiao was thrown aside. 

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before xiao, there was alatus. xiao x gn!reader. warnings: angst, mcd!!, blood, xiao's backstory. wc: 2,708. semi proofread.

before xiao, there was alatus.

alatus who served an unknown god with a deep desire for power and used him to slaughter those who opposed his wishes. helpless and weak alatus who devoured dreams and crush the innocent’s hopes. feeble alatus who withstood countless wounds and near-death experiences.

it was him who deserved the terrified looks of his victims, begging him to spare even at least their children and kill them—only for his body to move without his permission. he who dirtied his soul and tainted his hands at the blood that painted his face.

“you’re tending to wounds that won’t kill me,” alatus muttered.

“immortal yes, invincible no.” the once white cloth you had been using from a week ago was now a light pink and alatus knew it was the blood of his victims. it was wet and cold as you wiped the cloth across his face, removing all the red splatters and cleaning the wounds that he newly acquired.

“you’re thinking lowly of me. you know i’ll get dirty again once i step out and—” he let out a muffled noise as you wiped the cloth on his mouth, shutting him up from his self-deprecating talk. still, this earned you a glare.

smiling lightly—one that looked almost apologetic, you look down briefly. “i know…you hate seeing the blood of others on you. so let me do my job just this once, okay?”

of course, there were many things alatus hated in this world. he hated how you were always right. he also hated how you made him feel. hated how he became selfish at the thought of being with you.

you were a mortal and he an adeptus who still could not fend for himself. while you were free, alatus would be forever chained to his master. he’d told you many times to leave him be, that he was dangerous, that you’ll get yourself killed by him, but you merely smiled at his claims.

“stop looking so worried,” you giggled. “your master won’t come and barge in here. what do you know? maybe he’ll make me fight you and think you’re unfit for the job because you’ll lose to me!”

alatus scoffed—visibly frowning—and crossed his arms as he gave you a look of detest. “you mortals and your imagination.” 

“and this mortal,” you gestured to yourself, “is taking care of an injured adeptus.”

you leaned towards him, gently placing a hand on his cheek as you look up at him. “alatus,” you whispered.

he leaned into your touch, humming. your skin was warm and palm lightly calloused from the everyday work you did but he loved the way you held him. you let out a small laugh, thumb brushing over the healed wound on his cheek as he cracked an eye open to gaze at you tenderly.

“i went to town today and zhao told me there would be a war. do you think it’s true?” you mumbled, already knowing you would be separated from him.

“your god will protect you,” was all alatus could say to you.

war meant death, countless and thousands who would perish at the hands of whoever was responsible. and though alatus protected you from the shadows, he would not be able to be by your side once a war would brew. someone like him who bathed in death was for the battlefield—to kill, to destroy. war meant separation and alatus feared the day your hands wouldn’t be as warm as you held him now.

“hah…i suppose,” you said, your shoulders dropping. “at least i can spend today with you.”

“you talk as if our time is limited,” he scowled. “it’s not, at least for now. i’ll…still come by.”

the lies he told were piling up and he knew they would soon spill out. still, if the lies meant your happiness, alatus would tell a thousand just for the smile on your face to stay. he knew it was wrong—lying directly to your face as you believed him—but he couldn’t dare to see the look of anguish ever again.

with a content hum, you pulled him into your arms and basked in the setting sun. 

–

alatus will never tell you how he felt whenever he was with you. how his stomach would make him uneasy and transform him into a small shy cat, afraid that he’d hurt you in any way should you come close to him. how his day immediately brightens up when he sees you standing by a tree, a stern expression on your face.

"you have blood all over you again," you'd say with a sigh.

and even if you hid the fact that you were terrified of the things he did, you took him into your arms and ran your fingers in his hair. the sweet nothings you whispered when he’d nap on your lap even for a few minutes, leaning down to kiss his forehead made his heart swell.

and he’s glad that he didn’t abandon you the day he saw you.

instead, he listened to the way his name falls from your lips. he chose to lie in your arms and listen to the faint sound of your beating heart. alatus has looked into your eyes as he caresses your face in the moonlight, humming as you whispered about your day to him. 

you were all alatus had in this godforsaken world. he who is the devil would lay at your feet and repent for his actions. if alatus could never forgive himself, you would take his face by your hands and kiss his eyes for they were the reason he saw himself in such a bad light.

the only thing alatus wanted was to be by your side. forever.

he would hold your hand and watch the way your eyes would sparkle at the sight of the sun setting everyday if he wanted. carry you on his back if you ever felt tired from walking whenever you’d set out on a new journey with him. he would eat the food you prepared for him, biting back a soft smile as you complained that his master would treat him so cruelly to not let him eat.

he adored you wholeheartedly.

but you were mortal, ever so fragile.

there would be times alatus would not be able to be by your side and the thought frightened him more times than you’d think.

how could he live a life without you?

he was selfish but he knew you’d still risk it all for him. it was only natural for him to do the same. you were mortal and you’d vanish soon enough but alatus would do anything to keep you alive.

–

“it’s a new dish i’ve been trying out. the ingredients are kind of expensive, so don’t expect me to make it every time!” you reminded as you set the two plates down on the table. 

“your fingers are all…” alatus muttered as he picked up the spoon, eyeing your bandaged fingers—blood still seeping through.

you held them to your chest, offering him a laugh. “it’s nothing, i swear! don’t freak out if you find blood in your food—i’m kidding, i swear.”

he almost looked offended at your statement, looking down at the plate and nudging it with the spoon. it was times like this that alatus did enjoy your presence and warmth. just the two of you basking in the moonlight. the food quickly melted into his mouth and he closed his eyes.

“well?” you peered at him, nudging his shoulder with yours.

alatus turned to you, paused and reached his hand out to bring your forehead closer to his lips. he resumed eating after.

there was nothing he could say but he knew that you already knew the answer to your question.

you leaned onto him, your head on his shoulders as you looked up at the night sky. “hm. let’s name it…almond tofu? it’s made from that, or maybe we should call it tofu almond.” 

“it sounds like something a child would call,” he commented.

“alatus!” you gasped. “take that back!”

“i never said it wasn’t delicious.”

“i suppose you’re right… i hate you and your remarks.”

alatus chuckles lightly, nodding. he takes you in his arms and breathes you in—like a bee needing flowers to survive. you were the light that shone brightly beside the devil, his savior and sanctuary. 

-

fight for me and get me a seat as an archon, his master had demanded all so suddenly.

as he had always been in, alatus was back on the battlefield. his polearm would slash and destroy anything that came his way should they disobey his master, his god. the blood of the innocent on his hands as he slaughtered each and every one.

alatus would never forget the terrified looks on their face, begging him to spare their child.

he hated every second of it. he could not stop even if he wanted to, the strings on his body were being controlled by his god. his god who desperately wanted the seat as one of the seven—greedy and merciless, he spared no one.

red and black was all alatus could see—he had forgotten the colorful skies, the greenery of nature, and the color of the love you gave him.

his soul was tainted and dirty, no repenting could ever make you forgive him now. should alatus crawl to your feet and beg for forgiveness, he knew you would stare at him in disgust and punish him for what he had done.

home was no longer with you, no longer in your arms that would wrap around him and have you whispering soft nothings. alatus was leaving battlefield after battlefield and soon, it had grown into his home.

days felt like years and he wished to head back to you each time he would rest—but he was bound by contracts and his weakness, you. 

-

 “…isn’t that him? he’s disgusting. i can’t believe he’s one of us.”

“it’s like he doesn’t have a mind of his own! what are you—don’t leave me!”

“…master, alatus has caused a great casualty. your soldiers are dying at his hands as well.”

“…master, alatus has killed general zho… we must kill him, it’s the only way—"

“you dare disobey me? alatus is my greatest soldier.”

“alatus, you must kill everyone who opposes me.”

“no god will save you, you damned devil!”

and soon, alatus had begun to kill gods. gods who waged war with him and his master, gods who wanted to flee and save their people, gods who did not care about the seating of celestia.

do you actually think you’re not a monster?

do you know what’s worse than a demon like you? a liar.

you killed people.

no one would forgive you.

what would [name] think?

what would [name] think?

whaT WOULD [NAME] THINK?

it’s in the most gruesome battle that he awakens at your name.

“the name xiao is that of a spirit who encountered great suffering and hardship. he endured much suffering, as you have. use this name from now on.” morax stood in front of alatus—no, xiao.

his master was now dead.

he had won the battle—but at what cost? 

xiao fell on his knees. his world had crumbled.

death was inevitable, it really was. but he had told himself he would go to great lengths to stop death from clinging to him—stop clinging to anyone he loved. he had never loved anyone as much as you before, you were the only one he knew how to love.

so, tell him, why did death cling to him?

a minute earlier. ten minutes earlier. no, an hour earlier. god, maybe a week earlier. you, who he swore to protect with all his heart, clung to him desperately, sobs escaping your lips as you trembled in his arms.

“alatus…it hurts! it hurts!”

xiao bit back the tears, his head buried on your neck as you cried on his chest. “it’ll be okay, you’ll be okay, i promise,” he soothed, lips shaking as he held you tighter.

“i don’t want to die, alatus, i don’t want to!” your voice was weak, full of fear and heavy breaths. xiao wishes he could hear your voice from before, joyous and teasing.

like everyone he had killed, your blood was on his hands. on his arms. on his clothes. on his face. your blood was everywhere on him. it seeped into him and he could feel every bit of it. xiao wanted to vomit, you were everything he had and you were dying before him.

red—it was all he could see.

the blood that seeped through your clothes, from your arms to your middle to your legs. the wounds on your face must have hurt—he wishes he was there earlier. he would have kept you safe. he should have kept you safe.

your cries were even worse. it was the only thing he could hear as he held on to you, tears already down his face as he hung his mouth open—unable to accept the fact that you laid before him with blood. your cries were painful and it hurt him. hurt him till his bones and hurt him in his heart.

sobs wracked your body and you could feel the pain. how painful your wounds were. 

“it hurts!” you cried, “it hurts so bad!”

xiao ran his fingers through your hair, attempting to soothe your cries. his hand reaching out to cup your face as you looked up at him with tear-stricken eyes. you cherished life and you cherished being with him.

losing life meant losing him. 

“you won’t die,” he repeated over and over again.

please…

 xiao wished it was enough to comfort you but really, it was for him. for him to stop falling apart and hurry and take you to the adepti.

“alatus,” you choked out, “please i want to live, i want-i want to be with you…please save me.”

a new name, he wanted to tell you. he lived under a new god now. the cruel master that you hated was now dead and he was saved. the war you had told him about was now over.

you can be together as usual now. he had so many things to say but his body trembled and you simply cried into his shoulder, begging him and any god that you wanted to live and to be saved.

the pain was unmeasurable and both of you knew that you were unsavable. still, you begged him to save you. you were being selfish, so selfish. but you wanted to be with him, feel his smile against your shoulder, have him bury his face into your neck in embarrassment.

“you’ll live. you’ll live. i’ll-i’ll take you to-to morax,” he spluttered, already making up his mind that he should at least try anything to save you. but you hissed in pain when he lifted you up and xiao knew.

there was nothing he could do.

alatus, what do you think of my dish?

alatus, do you think we can gather some qingxin?

alatus, kiss me?

 alatus, welcome home!

 alatus.

alatus.

alatus, do you want me to die?

alatus, why are you so useless?

alatus, you killed me.

(i didn’t…!)

“alatus, i love you, i love you, i love you,” you whispered against his skin. briefly, you wanted to see him smile at you but you were already being too selfish; so, you buried your face into the crook of his neck and closed your eyes at the warmth he brought you. “even-even until death, i will-will love you.”

“you’ll be okay,” xiao whispered, hand by your head as tears rolled down his cheeks. he was weak—he’d always been weak. “it’s okay, i love you too… so, please… it’ll be okay, it won’t hurt anymore. i love you, i love you."

xiao could only wish you managed to hear it.

before liyue and its people, there was you who he swore to protect.

before xiao, there was alatus who wished that you could have stayed with him as xiao.

notes the 2.7 archon quest absolutely wrecked me, i felt so sad seeing xiao wanting to sacrifice himself so i wrote this to help <3 hope u like it because i know i did

gen taglist @ljinghe @yaefics @imtoodumbforaname @wccycc @sugxqts @cottonfluffs // join the taglist here

One Wish [Xiao x reader]

A/N: Yeah yeah Lantern Rite already passed but who cares. AFTER THE RECENT QUEST (2.7 chasm) I FEEL THE NEED TO WRITE FOR XIAO. 

And yes, the last bit is inspired by Tangled (the boat part).

Warnings: Cringe?? Haven’t written in a while.

Genre: A bit of angst at first, fluff (dw happy ending)

————————————————–

It’s been three weeks, and you still feel awkward around Xiao.

It’s not your fault really… or maybe it kind of is. Either way, you feel like you can’t look at him the same way.

Three weeks ago, you decided to take every ounce of your bravery, and confess to Xiao. You’ve liked him ever since that day at Wangshu Inn. The way he protects you, and keeps his promise by coming just by the call of his name. He even began to walk with you if he ever saw you nearby. It was difficult to keep your feelings to yourself for so long.

However, Xiao didn’t have the positive reaction you expected. 

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