Steadfast [miya Osamu X Reader]

kiss & don’t tell | albedo

some soft albedo fluff bc I had a busy day. This was just wordvomit and not planned to be a full thing but here we are many words later ^^;

pairing | albedo/reader

genre | soft, fluff, developing relationship, dense idiots

Consider Albedo who you always go to for help with makeup for very important events and dates. Albedo who humors you and just lets you rant and talk about your day as he delicately applies eyeshadow with shimmering accents that complement your outfits. Albedo who has slowly developed feelings for you with each makeup session and hangout and slowly loses his patience with each date you go on that results in nothing more than a night wasted.

“May I ask why you come to me for wardrobe matters?” he’ll ask as he sighs with a small smile, already setting up the palettes he’s chosen for this particular outfit you’ve shown up in. “What makes you think I’m the best suited for this?”

You just smile, always using the same reasoning. “As an artist, you have a keen eye for colors and style. It’s never too much or too little. As an alchemist, your hand is steadier than mine when it comes to applying eyeliner. You’re perfect for this Bedo.”

“Perfection is hardly attainable,” he chuckles, but turns your seat in the direction of the mirror behind you once he’s finished. “But I’ll make sure you’re nothing but the pinnacle of grace and perfection when I’m finished.”

“And that’s why you’re my number one makeup artist,” you tease with a beaming grin.

You thank his services by bringing him lunch when he’s too busy holed up in his lab back in the Favonius headquarters. Though he says the gesture isn’t necessary, there’s always a little glimmer of intrigue when the meal you bring him is something homemade by you.

The formal gala, an event at Angel’s Share, a random date here and there— Albedo was there for them all. The less recurring of the these was a date. He didn’t really show interest, not really. But the few times you showed up the next day disheartened or with visible signs of crying— well, suddenly the alchemist’s heart began to do confusing leaps.

“What’s the occasion this time,” Albedo asks with a sigh through his nose, turning you in the chair to face the mirror as he clipped your hair out of your face. He asks for formality’s sake but seeing the same lovely black satin dress and shimmering necklace adoring the loose dip of the bust— he already knew this one was another date.

You dutifully close your eyes as he begins dabbing some hydrating face cream on you. “Date night. Lisa set this one up.”

He lets out a chuckle. “You don’t sound very enthusiastic.”

It doesn’t take much to get you talking if it’ll fill the silence. Not that you minded some peaceful quiet. “Well, he’s a little boring but I should give this a chance.” The forced smile on your face is more so to convince yourself. “I’ve been around this guy before and… he puts me to sleep faster than the Acting Grandmaster’s paperwork.”

Albedo hums.

“What is your ideal outing, then?”

You pause to think as he finishes the skilled flicks of his wrist for your eyeliner. Albedo holds your face steady with a gentle crook of his finger under your chin, and suddenly you’re hyper aware of his quiet breathing and calculated hand movements. With closed eyes, your mind wonders what kind of concentrated expression he holds as he works on you.

“If I’m honest, the ideal would be— this. Hanging out like we do. They’re all too shy, too boring, too dull for my tastes. They hardly ever initiate anything.”

You sigh and open your eyes, watching as Albedo listens intently while picking the perfect shade of lipstick for you. Though you don’t have to, you close your eyes as he approaches to apply the lipgloss he’s decided on. It’s better than the nerves you get when staring into his eyes as he softly runs a thumb over your lips.

Before he starts, you get your final little complaint in, “It’s always me taking the lead, me asking sweetly for a kiss, me holding their hand. How frustrating that none of these men leave me—“ You’re cut short by the warm press of lips on your cheek. “—Guessing.”

When you open your eyes, Albedo is methodically applying lipgloss as if nothing happened. The smug look on his face only confirms that you aren’t imagining things as a warmth spreads across your cheeks.

“Was that unexpected enough for your liking?” he asks with a side glance as he packs up your supplies neatly into their bag.

You blink owlishly at him, eyes a little unfocused as your mind runs in too many directions at once.

He makes his way over to neatly sweep your hair over one shoulder, ignoring your loss of words. The brush of his fingers over your shoulder makes you audibly gulp in anticipation.

“Allow me to make a proposition,” Albedo begins, circling around you to idly fix up his desk. “And this is entirely up to your moral alignment. However, if I were to suggest standing up this arranged date of yours in favor of going out to Angel’s Share with me— what would be your answer?”

It takes you a moment to collect yourself, but you smile genuinely. It’s an answer enough in itself.

“I’d love nothing more.”

☾ the witching hour

☾ decision: kitchen

☾ warnings: f!reader, alcohol mention

☾ word count: 1.5k 

Keep reading

Your event is so cool and unique, I just saw it pop up in the tags and would like to request Kazuha with loach pearls and luminescent spines. I think it'd be very sweet.

Promise Me

a/n | aw thank you anon! and you couldn’t have picked a better combination imo for the event this was so fun to imagine and write. i got way too invested in the backstory but how can i not kazuha is just so—🥺❤️ i really hope i did this justice! (art credits: @/maiaiiaiiai on deviantart).

warnings | self-contained slow burn fic, unedited

genre | fluff, childhood crushes + love confession

word count | 3k

pairing | kazuha x reader

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In those wondrous days so many years ago, your messy hair bounced freely, your toothy smile often turned into infectious giggles, and your eyes were bright with endless possibilities. The puddles of a rainy spring day were portals to a new world waiting to be explored. The shells washed ashore after a midsummer storm hid the secrets to an underwater palace. The piles of golden-hued leaves carried on the autumnal wind were your unpredictable guides to distant lands hidden between trees.

The world was your oyster, and you had the best adventurer as your loyal partner through thick and thin. Though, you wouldn’t know it just by looking at him.

He was the quiet type, not one to easily approach others for help or fall prey to rash decisions. No, he chose his words carefully and sparingly, weaving the most eloquent phrases or witty replies. You always wondered where his mind was behind those scarlet orbs, but it was apparent he never let his guard down no matter how lax he seemed.

He was much more attuned to the sounds of nature. He could hear an intruder from a mile away, smell the faint traces of an abandoned campfire from the night before, and feel the breeze warn him of a distant storm. His observant eye made him an excellent traveling partner, indeed.

Your mother would only let you venture as far as the outskirts of the rural village you called home. But that never stopped the both of you from wandering through the Inazuman wilderness until nightfall, a tattered leather backpack full of the day’s lucky finds strapped to your shoulders and a rusty sword sheathed on your friend’s hip.

You found it quite fitting when you learned of his name the first time you asked him to help carry your precious treasures home. Somehow this mysterious, cream-haired boy had guessed the direction of your hidden trove before you even told him. ‘When I am lost, the winds whisper the way forward,’ he had declared matter-of-factly to your astonished face.

Kaedehara Kazuha. Ten thousand maple leaves, painted with the warm colors of wisdom.

“Here we are!” you announced excitedly, rushing to the small opening in a huge tree with lots of big sprawling roots twisted through the dirt. You quickly stuffed your finds into the little tree hollow next to your myriad of unique rocks and fossils. “Welcome to my secret base, Kazuha. You’re my first visitor ever! So don’t even think about telling anyone else about this place, alright?”

The skinny boy hummed in response, taking in the vast green canopy of the tree. There was a makeshift treehouse stationed high up and he spotted a worn hammock draped from a particularly sturdy branch. “You picked an ideal spot.”

That was the fateful day you and Kazuha became friends.

You were surprised to discover that his imagination was just as wild and boundless as yours, conjuring up far-fetched fantasies of ancient prophecies and protecting you from harm like the gallant knights from your storybooks. He loved roaming the countryside with you. Hand in hand, you’d rush to a shiny treasure that caught your eye from afar and Kazuha would laugh merrily at your adorable antics as you dragged him along.

Sometimes your eager curiosity would get the best of you, suddenly putting you and Kazuha face-to-face with a dangerous foe. When anything dared to attack you, Kazuha would instantly place himself between you and the assailant, dull blade ready to defend you as his most precious friend. Thankfully that didn’t happen often. The worst enemy you encountered was a buried Dendro slime that grew angry after you so rudely stomped on its sprouts in a hurry.

At the end of the day, you were both just lonely kids desperate for an escape from the monotony of reality. Growing up was a scary notion and you weren’t planning on giving up your free-spirited lifestyle anytime soon—or ever.

There was one memory you cherished deeply, when you and Kazuha spent hours recuperating from the day’s excursion in the lofty treehouse. The warm sun hugged the horizon for miles on end as it sank lower and lower, its rays washing the sky in breathtaking watercolor hues. A few of the brightest stars were barely visible in the heavens, and the collective sound of crickets stretching their legs filled the air.

Your treehouse wasn’t anything special, just a small wooden platform with railing. It didn’t have a roof, which was perfect for watching the movements of the night sky amid plenty of sheets and comfy pillows splayed out on the floor. There was no hustle and bustle of the city to interrupt the tranquility of nature. No parents to come running after you, chastising you for who-knows-what.

It was just you and Kazuha, and you preferred it that way.

You recounted the thrilling and unexpected parts of your trek, waving your hands in the air animatedly as Kazuha watched amused. He would poke fun at how you mistook an innocent Geo slime for a idle rock to sit on or how your terrible Hilichurlian impression landed you both in an unusual predicament. You’d deny it and try to brush him off, only for Kazuha to tickle your sides until you admitted to your silly shenanigans.

“Okay, okay, Kazu!” you pleaded between bouts of hard laughter, trying to push his hands away from your sensitive torso.

He stopped as you asked, his own giggles happily humming on his lips as he turned on his side to fully face you, leaning his chubby cheek on his hand. When you met his fond gaze, your heart leapt and your tummy felt strange, almost giddy.

“There are many lands left unseen, many secrets yet uncovered, and many treasures to be had in this world. Like a bird learning to fly, you’ve inspired me to soar beyond the nest and into the unknown,” Kazuha smiled earnestly, casting his expression downward in contented reminiscence with a dusting of pink on his skin. “You are my best friend, (Y/N), and I want to travel the world with you. No matter how long it takes or what happens.”

Immediately your face brightens enthusiastically and Kazuha breathes a small sigh of relief as if it was difficult to finally express himself to you. His proposal had you beaming at the moon hanging above, imagining what it would be like to explore each of the seven nations with Kazuha. With a pleased sigh, your eyes sparkle with the possibilities of the future. “Me too. I wouldn’t have it any other way… Pinky promise me? We’ll be friends forever?”

Nodding, the young boy assured, “I promise.”

Then eventually came the fateful day you didn’t show up to the old maple tree as usual. Kazuha had seen you yesterday, softly bidding you goodnight when you had to return home for dinner. It was a day just like any other, and his mind was already preoccupied with the prospect of tomorrow’s adventures that were just a night’s rest away.

Were you simply running late? Did you get caught up with household chores? Could you have fallen ill this morning?

Kazuha patiently waited under the tree for you to arrive at any moment, but that moment never came. A naturally laid-back person, he decided to assume you were busy and stopped by your house. He took a sneaky glance in the window, but you weren’t there either. Typically your mother stayed to take care of you and the house, yet she wasn’t in the kitchen cleaning up breakfast. In fact, no one was home. And it was barren.

“Excuse me,” Kazuha politely inquired of your neighbor, worried that something bad may have happened to you or your family. “Do you know when the (L/N)s will return home?”

“Oh, dear,” the old woman drawled out, a saddened look on her wrinkled features. “They won’t be coming back anytime soon. I’m afraid they left Inazuma late in the evening yesterday, hun.”

“L-left? For good?” Kazuha’s chest felt tight, his heart cracking at the thought of you no longer with him—his closest traveling partner had simply vanished into thin air. What about the adventure you planned for today? What of your treasures left behind in the old tree hollow? Who would whisk Kazuha away into the vast wilderness searching for fantastical dreams the way you did?

What about the promise you both made?

The awful creak of the elderly woman’s rocking chair snapped Kazuha out of his spiraling thoughts. She nodded feebly, “Yes, dear, I’m sorry.”

He couldn’t bear to stand idle any longer. Before he knew it, his feet had taken him far away, as far as his poor legs would take him with tears quietly streaming down his cheeks. Far away from anything that reminded him of your presence that had been there just the day before. He ran and he ran through forest and thickets until he collapsed at the beach’s edge, ruby-red eyes glassy and blurred.

All he could do is hope that fate would be kind enough to allow your paths to cross again in some corner of the world.

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Liyue Harbor was unlike anything you had ever seen. Streets lined with hundreds of different local businesses, sidewalks crowded with a sea of faces you’d never recognize, and buildings towering several stories connected by strings of paper lanterns. There was never a dull moment with all the holidays, festivals, or competitions going on. It was the biggest city you had ever visited, stretching along the southern coast of Liyue into the huge ocean that separated it from Inazuma.

It had been years since your parents forced you to move to the land of the Geo Archon. Your heart still aches miserably when you’re reminded of everything you left behind, especially the one and only person who lifted you up when the world often weighed you down. You remember how you sobbed so hard and resented your parents for taking your best friend away from you.

You never anticipated that one day might be the final adventure with your beloved comrade. You weren’t given the chance to offer Kazuha a proper goodbye. No exchanging addresses to write one another, no farewell gifts to remember each other by. You couldn’t even stop by the maple tree to pick up your collection as a token of your many adventures.

You always wondered what Kazuha had thought or felt after you left the country out of the blue. It hurt you so bad to think of him. Who was there to guide Kazuha across the treacherous terrain if not you? Who would be the one to help him find rare treasures right beneath his feet? Who would keep him company despite his solitary nature?

Worrying over Kazuha was pointless, you had eventually come to terms with. You’d probably never see him again. Your parents tried to encourage you to make friends in Liyue, but none of them were as eccentric in all the right ways like Kazuha. As you grew older, you became an outcast. It was difficult making friends in a foreign city you never wanted to go to in the first place. City folk wouldn’t understand your love for exploring nature anyway so you busied yourself with work from the Adventurer’s Guild, where at least you could still pursue your passion.

Today Katheryne had tasked you with picking up and delivery a large shipment for Miss Ying’er and her perfume shop from the Crux Fleet. You were quite used to being a postal carrier since the Adventurer’s Guild refused to give you scouting missions because of your insistence on working alone. Apparently Beidou had made the perilous voyage through Inazuma’s tempest for some special circumstance, which included the flora and seedlings Miss Ying’er requested.

You were in the harbor marketplace when the huge ship pulled into the docks, weighing its anchor into the sea. Already, you could see the crew gathering wooden crates and vases, preparing to unload them onto the cobblestone sidewalk. You waved to Beidou, who acknowledged that you were to pick up some of the items.

“Long time no see, (Y/N)!” the captain yelled from aboard her ship. “If you need a helping hand, I’m sure one of my guys wouldn’t mind.”

“Hey, Beidou! Thank you!” you called back, turning your attention to the crewmen placing more crates on the wooden dock.

Suddenly you spotted one with a large flower emblem stamped on the side, so you reach out to ask for the light-haired crew mate to hand it to you. “Oh! Actually, I need that crate please.”

“Of course,” he replied, lifting the crate of flowers back up and turning to you.

As you attempted to position your hands to hold the crate, you spare a passing glance at the man and instantaneously your body freezes in place. The flowers felt unusually heavy in your arms as your lip quivered and heart raced at the impossible revelation before you.

“(Y/N)?” his soothing voice broke the silence. “Is it really you?”

The mysterious crew mate’s soft gaze bore into you with a peculiar familiarity, like he could see the years of repressed thoughts, feelings, and longing rush back through you. Was this man before you actually who you think it is? How could he bear to speak to you after your sudden disappearance? The idea of looking him in the eyes again, facing so much guilt but also so much happiness at the same time left you utterly terrified.

Slowly, you gathered the courage to meet his patient expression. You couldn’t believe he was right here in front of you, just handing you a crate of flowers. He could’ve been anywhere in Teyvat, for all you knew. But he was here with you again, after everything.

You noticed how his hair had grown much longer, tied back into a lazy ponytail, with a long scarlet highlight on the side. He had the appearance of a wanderer with a much nicer blade resting on his hip than you last remembered. There was something different about the way he carried himself, but you couldn’t quite place it. When you saw a glowing Anemo vision clipped next to a faded one, you understood.

“Kazuha?” you breathed in shock, uncertain of his reaction.

Swiftly, he set aside the crate and embraced you in a surprisingly tight hug, holding you so close as if to keep you with him a bit longer—to make sure you were real. Kazuha buried his nose deep into your shoulder and you wrapped your arms around him, rubbing his back in small motions. You smelled like home, a nostalgic reminder of all those days spent exploring the secrets of Inazuma in his distant childhood.

Quickly separating himself from you in embarrassment, Kazuha bowed apologetically. “I-I’m sorry, I just… It’s you. I’ve missed you dearly, comrade. I never imagined I would find you in Liyue after all these years.”

“No, no,” you cried frantically, shaking your head. “K-Kazuha, if anything, I should be apologizing to you. I… I left you. My parents wouldn’t let me say goodbye. I didn’t even have time to write a note to you. I—”

You began to panic from so many conflicting emotions flooding you, hot tears threatening to spill and an anxious lump restricting your voice. Kazuha instantly reached out to pull your hands away from your distraught face gently, whispering to you, “(Y/N), dove, there’s no need to cry over me. I forgive you, okay? Let’s take care of these crates and we can catch up.”

Once you both delivered Miss Ying’er’s shipment, you invited Kazuha to watch the twilight descending over Liyue Harbor from the cliffs north of the city. You could not stop your heart from thumping with excitement, or maybe anxiety, every time you accidentally brushed hands trekking up the mountainous path. It was as if there weren’t years of separation, and you were silently thankful that Kazuha was an understanding person.

When you reached the ideal spot, you sat in the wild flowers and grass together overlooking Liyue. The crickets were waking up, and you were reminded of your favorite evening with Kazuha so long ago. How he teased and tickled you, a cute blush tinting his cheeks, promising to stay by your side forever. You wondered if he held those memories as fondly as you.

“I’m happy to see you faring well,” Kazuha hums thoughtfully, reveling in the warmth of the setting sun. He peeks an eye open to catch your reddened face, smiling that clever smile of his. “My memory pales in comparison to your lovely visage.”

“And you still have such a poetic tongue,” you roll your eyes and laugh lightly, leaning toward him teasingly to nudge his shoulder with yours. “I always loved that about you. I missed the way you’d talk about our adventures with your pretty words.”

“You know, I’ve always kept one of our treasures with me. Would you like to see it?” he asked.

Your face brightens, looking Kazuha over to see if you recognized any embellishments that might resemble one of your precious tokens. “Really? Yes, show me.”

From beneath his clothes, he pulled out a black necklace with a single piece of polished jade resting against his chest. He fingered the stone affectionately before turning to you, who had leaned even closer to take a look at the treasure. Though you cannot tell, Kazuha’s heart leapt too.

“I like to think this little charm brought me a sense of peace. I didn’t want to forget you,” he admitted sheepishly, letting his voice trail off softly. For a moment, his lips parted but he dismissed the idea with an embarrassed shake of his head.

“Kazuha,” you call to him delicately, attempting to catch sight of his wine-crimson irises beneath his fluffy bangs. “I’m glad we found each other again. I don’t think I could stand to be without you again.”

“Then let’s never part again, dove,” Kazuha grabs both of your hands in his and caresses them lovingly, searching your eyes for any sign of discontent or hesitation at his advance. Although his nerves make him feel shaky, he has to put his mind and heart to rest once and for all. “On one condition…”

“Let me call you mine.”

thanks for reading! reblogs are appreciated! my masterlist

𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮

pairing: akaashi keiji x reader

prompt: sharing clothes

word count: 3.6k (oh my fucking god KAJSDAKSLD)

A/N: LMAO OKAY the way the actual prompt is only mentioned like twice in the actual fic,,,,,i’m sorry i just took the idea (loosely based on an ad for the show “dash and lily” on netflix whoops) and REALLY RAN WITH IT. anyway, hope you enjoy anyway haha this is unedited (and uh,,there’s a bit of angst) i’m so sorry

complete fluffvember masterlist can be found here!

The bell rings quietly as you push the door open, and suddenly you feel like you’re home.

It’s a small bookstore a little ways away from your school. You’ve been visiting for years now, so you’ve gotten used to the dark red wood facade, the slightly musty scent of old books, and the dim lighting inside.

“Hello.” you greet the old woman behind the counter politely, bowing your head as she smiles.

“Hello, dear! We just got a new shipment in the back, you should take a look! Might be something you like there.”

With another nod, you drag your feet toward the back as instructed, drinking in the sight of all the shelves. Your fingers drag over the spines of the books as you pass, as though trying to extract the stories from within each of the bound pages. Finally arriving at the book of the store, you see that the owner was correct—there’s a variety of new books available, all different genres and sizes.

WIth a quick scan, one book sticks out to you. It’s decently thick, a red spine with gold lettering in a pretty calligraphy font. Your fingers twitch toward it, ready to pull it out and inspect it, when a sudden sound from your phone makes you flinch.

(1 new message)

keiji: Do you want to hang out today? I know you had a rough calc test, maybe we can de-stress together. Just let me know.

Keep reading

I'm a sucker for calm, sunshine-y characters going berserk upon seeing their loved ones hurt. Can I request Kazuha and Thoma rescuing their kidnapped s/o from treasure hoarders, only to find them bruised and beaten? Tysm ❤️ And congrats for 145 followers, you deserve ten times more!

close your eyes for me.

masterlist!

# — pairings: thoma, kazuha x gn!reader

# — characters: gender neutral reader, thoma, kazuha, ayaka, beidou, treasure hoarders

# — summary: he doesn't want you to see him like this.

# — warnings: violence, blood mention, minor character death, injuries, kinda ooc thoma

# — tags: drabble format, angst, kidnapping and rescue, revenge, hurt/comfort (physical), fluff

# — notes: anon, i really, really, really like your taste :D i actually almost made myself sad writing thoma's.. i love him dearly :( as always, reblogs and reactions are always appreciated, and i hope you enjoy!!

✧— 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚 — ✧

thoma doesn't panic right away when you don't arrive on time.

you were supposed to meet him at komore teahouse for a date; you two made it a routine to have dates there at least twice a week whenever he had the time. it wasn't normal for you to be late, but you'd told him in advance that you were coming from konda village after staying there for a few days, since your parents lived out there. thoma told you to be careful on your way, since there were wandering ronin and treasure hoarders on the outskirts of the island.

"i know you can handle yourself just fine, but," thoma's green eyes swam with concern, "if you come across them, try not to fight, okay?"

you patted his cheek twice. "alright, you big worrywart." you laughed when he perked up a little and leaned in to kiss his nose. "i'll try my best."

thoma wrapped his fingers around the back of your neck, preventing you from pulling away. "do you promise?" he said lowly.

you hummed, an enamored smile parting your lips. "i swear i'll be as careful as i can. if i come across any danger, i'll get away as quickly as i can."

the two of you made a rule early on in your relationship that promises were to be sealed with a kiss, so you kissed him twice for good measure; once to seal the promise, and another time to keep him from whining. as charismatic and confident as thoma may appear, he was actually quite clingy when it came to you. you thought the two kisses would be enough, but thoma doesn't let you go.

"not yet," he murmured against your lips. "just a little more."

you chuckled. "you're so greedy."

as the minutes become hours, thoma's stomach starts to sink. was something wrong? did something happen to you? did you get into any fights and lose?

"no." thoma denies quickly. you wouldn't lose -- you couldn't. call him biased but your strength was unparalleled; you wouldn't let some random treasure hoarder best you. he closes his eyes as he thinks about you wielding your claymore against a mob of attackers. you handled your weapon with so much grace that people often thought it weighed nothing. thoma's about to lose himself in daydreaming about you when a worker of the teahouse appears in the entryway.

"sorry to intrude," she says with a bow, "but i received a letter for you. it was delivered by a suspicious individual, so i came to you right away." in her hands is a yellowed envelope, the edges of which seemed to be burnt.

thoma struggles to keep his expression even as he takes the letter. only when the employee is gone does he allow himself to be swept away by the waves of anxiety. he doesn't have to open it to know that this is a ransom note; this wouldn't be the first time he's seen one. he removes his headband and tentatively removes the seal and pulls out the letter.

the first thing that catches his eye is the large stain on the paper. bile sours thoma's tongue when he works out what it is.

the blood -- your blood -- has already started to oxidize, the stain taking on a rusty color. you must have been gone for far longer than he'd thought if that was ths case. thoma works his fingers through his hair as he reads the contents.

'two billion mora,' the letter reads, 'or they die.'

"two billion." thoma echos. he puffs out an incredulity. you were worth so much more than some two billion mora, but as comforting as that thought was, he knew the kamisato clan didn't just have that much money lying around. even if they did, as a retainer, it wasn't his place to ask for such a large sum anyways; his reputation amongst the staff was very good, but it can't possibly be that good. he makes himself sick just thinking about ways to preserve his reputation while you were missing.

as much as it pains him to do it, thoma tries to go about this rationally first. his body is itching to scour every nook and cranny of jinren island (since your abductors were kind enough to tell you where they were -- probably for ransom delivery), but he knows he would achieve nothing that way. plus, he'd likely be outnumbered. thoma smiles bitterly as he puts his headband back on. who cares about being outnumbered? he needed to see you safe and sound sooner rather than later.

he gets back to the kamisato estate in record time, where he heads straight to ayaka. she's having tea with ayato when he sees her. if this were any other day, he'd feel bad for intruding; the siblings don't get much time to see each other due to their respestive duties, but this -- you -- were far more important.

"thoma, you look exhausted," ayaka comments as she stands and makes her way over. he'd tried to keep a level head as he traveled, but he must have tried to sprint all the way here. no wonder his chest was burning. "you look about ready to pass out. is everything alright?"

thoma doesn't respond right away. he can't, not with how tight his chest feels. his breath comes in short and shallow. he pulls the crumpled letter from his pocket. he'd crushed it impulsively after reading it. ayaka tentatively takes the note from him and gasps when she realizes who exactly was missing. there was only one person that could make him panic like this.

ayato approaches next and reads the note. his face hardens and he crumples the paper back up. "i don't believe we can spare that much mora," he says through grit teeth, "but if i explain the situation to the tenyrou commission, then--"

"that's very kind of you," thoma interjects, "but what would people think of the yashiro commission if they found out you were doing all of this for a mere retainer?"

ayaka looks cross. "you're not just a retainer, thoma." she rests a hand on his shoulders, squeezing gently when she feels trembling. "you are like family to us; you know that."

thoma inhales sharply. he's already past his limit. he hasn't felt this helpless since he first arrived in inazuma all those years ago. he really didn't miss this feeling. ayaka's heartfelt words do very little to soothe him. because while it's always nice to know that he's got a family within the kamisato siblings, he also has a family in you.

but you're not here.

molten tears sting his eyes, but he blinks them back before they get the best of him. thoma's never cried in front of anyone before, and he didn't want to start now. "i appreciate it," he says after a while, offering the siblings his most grateful smile. "but i think i'll go and get them on my own."

ayato puts his foot down. "absolutely not. you're far too valuable, thoma; going there alone would be a suicide mission, and i refuse to endanger you like that."

"then you can rest easy; you're not the one putting me in danger." thoma feels a bit of his usual energy return to him as he give ayato a reassuring smile. "i'll be endangering myself."

"that's not--" ayato sighs harshly. he rolls his shoulders back -- a sign that he's admitting defeat. as expected yashiro commissioner, he's likely already thought ahead. he can't stop thoma. they both know it. "very well. come back safe. do you understand? that's an order."

ayaka nods and steps beside her brother. she doesn't look like she agrees, but there's not much she can do now. thoma supposes it's for the best. he gives them both a grin before accepting the order and leaving a bow. as soon as he exits the room, the smile drops from his face. he was going to head straight for that island without wasting another second. "i'll be there soon." he mutters to the open air.

getting to jinren island took a lot longer than he hoped it would.

it was so far off the coast of narukami; he could see why it was a gathering place for criminals. thoma hadn't been very subtle in his arrival, so he's greeted by about four treasure hoarders, two of which held large shovels. after doing a quick sweep, thoma notices that none of them have visions.

good. that makes this a lot easier then.

thoma raises his hands in surrender. "gentlemen." he greets with his most diplomatic smile.

"where's the mora?" one of the bulkier men demands. he growls when thoma clicks his tongue.

"now, now, don't you boys know how negotiations work?" he chides gently, like a parent scolding their child. "especially when something as precious as another person's life is at stake... has no one ever taught you this? let me confirm that they're alive first, and then you get the money."

the treasure hoarders aren't as stupid as he was hoping. one of them shoves a blade in his face. thoma doesn't flinch.

"boss says that that's not how it goes."

"do you not trust me?" thoma raises a brow before jerking his head in the direction of the boat he came in on. "if you don't believe me, then by all means, feel free to check my bag."

the criminals locate his bag easily. they lift it with some difficulty and hear the familiar jingling of what they assume is mora. thoma has to bite back a mocking laugh when he realizes that they didn't even check the bag; they just thought he brought mora. content with the "ransom", they escort thoma further onto the island.

there's a wooden cage in the center of some platform on a hill, and more treasure hoarders standing guard around it. there's more wooden cages, but since no one is near those, it's safe to assume they were empty. when thoma finally steps onto the platform, he sees you.

you're crumpled on the floor of the cage, your body curled in on itself. it looked like you'd passed out while clutching your stomach. thoma blindly sprints towards you and glares at a treasure hoarder until he opens the cage. the door swings open, and thoma's by your side in an instant, fretting over your unconscious body. you don't wake when he shakes you, and bile rises to his mouth again. he tilts you to get a better look at your face, and--

"how long were they here." thoma doesn't recognize his own voice. he gingerly wipes the fresh blood from under your nose with his thumb, grimacing when he feels some more dried blood crumble beneath it. your breathing shallow and stuttered, and thoma feels rage beginning to simmer. you have a black eye and there's both dried and fresh blood caked to your forehead. you have a few deep cuts on your cheeks that have clearly been treated with very little care, and as thoma's eyes trail down your body, he sees violet and yellowing bruises extend down into your clothes.

the rage grows to a boil in no time. "i asked how long they were here." thoma speaks again. "answer me."

a scrawny treasure hoarder nearby shrugs. "about three days."

that's exactly how long you were gone for. you must never have even made it to your parents.

thoma's about to summon his spear when a deep groan bubbles out of your chest. his anger fizzles like a spark dampened by water as he watches you wake up. "hey, hey." he whispers, his smile fragile as your eyes flutter open. his heart crumbles as he sees you try your best to focus on him, especially with your bruised eye. "good morning, sunshine."

his attempt to keep you calm doesn't work. you hardly get to rasp his name before you're coughing violently, tears forming in your eyes as you do. you can't seem to stop, and the very sensation only seems to worsen the pain. "what are you--" you're interrupted by your own coughing again.

thoma shushes you gently. you must have a broken rib. "i came to pick you up. you were late for our date, you know." he's trying so hard to remain calm, trying to keep himself sane since he's finally found you, but when you return his weak smile and he sees the blood staining your teeth, the rage reignites itself.

"took you long enough." you wheeze. your eyes lose focus again. "you're a little blurrier than i remember you." you try to joke.

thoma doesn't laugh. he knows you're trying to put him at ease, but it's not working. it's not going to work. he slips away from you and rises to his feet. "that's fine, baby. get some more rest for me, yeah? let me finish up here and then we can go home."

the treasure hoarders around you two sense something’s off and brandish their weapons, pointing them at thoma, whose got his own polearm at the ready. "what do you think you're doing?!" one of the men yells.

on the ground, you call thoma's name. "w-what's going on? what are you--?"

your boyfriend turns around for a second and gives you his sweetest smile. even with hazy vision, you can see the playful shimmer of his emerald eyes. "sleep for just a little while longer, baby." he faces the enraged treasure hoarders again, his voice dropping to something you've never heard before. "i'll be quick."

(he wouldn't know until it was over, but you had actually passed out as soon as soon as he told you to sleep. it wasn't so much that you were obeying him, but more that you physically couldn't stay conscious any longer.)

thoma doesn't think he's ever fought so viciously in his life.

he swings his polearm to the side, relishing in the cracking he hears as he knocks over two treasure hoarders. he makes quick work of the potioneers, bringing the base of his polearm down on the backs of their heads without a second thought. they crumple like ragdolls, and for a split second, he wonders if he killed them. he wanted to kill them -- he wanted nothing more than to skewer each and every one of these bastards and fling them into the ocean -- but if anyone were to find out what happened here, it would only complicate things.

he tries to avoid killing the remaining few, but not without stabbing them in non-vital areas with the blade of his weapon. one of the treasure hoarders has the gall to beg for mercy. "funny," he chuckles, swiping the blood off his cheek with a thumb, "i'm sure my lover said the same thing."

the last treasure hoarder gives him a hard way to go. the rest of the shovel holders went down pretty quickly, but this one clearly dwarfed everyone with his size. thoma assesses him very quickly and nearly succumbs to the darkest thought in his head.

someone had to die for this. one body wouldn't hurt, would it?

his next thought halts him in his tracks, nearly getting his head crushed by the burly treasure hoarder. as nice as it would be to kill at least one person, screw the commission -- if you found out, what would you think of him then? thoma makes up his mind quickly and inserts himself into the fight once more.

after a lengthy struggle, thoma finally manages to jam his polearm into the treasure hoarder's thigh, bringing him to his knees. thoma finishes the fight with a solid crack to the back of his head, knocking him out cold. he observes the mess he made and nods to himself. this felt good; giving them what they deserved. he makes his way back over to you.

you're exactly where he left you, curled on the floor of the cage. thoma picks you up as gently as he can and carries you back to the boat he came in on. he's about to rest you down when he sees two more boats coming in, both bearing symbols of the kamisato clan.

ayato and ayaka were on one boat. even after he told them not to, they came to assist him. the other boat held a few samurai to arrest the treasure hoarders. ayato helps thoma carry you onto their sturdier boat while ayaka strokes your head to keep you asleep amidst all the commotion. her touch is feather light, and it works to keep you asleep.

maybe it works a little too well, because the next time you open your eyes, you're in a bed.

you wake with a start, desperately sucking in air as if you were drowning. you regret it immediately as your lungs and ribcage scream in protest. a large set of hands is on you quickly, the one on your back rubbing soothing circles. you slap it away quickly. "don't touch me, i-- thoma?"

any fight you managed to muster leaves your body at the sight of your boyfriend by your side. there's dark circles under his eyes, shadowing their usual forest green color. "hey, stranger. you feel any better?"

your shoulders droop and you reach over, holding his face in your hand. thoma leans into your touch, holding onto your wrist for dear life. he practically nuzzles your palm with closed eyes, waiting for you response. you're so shocked by his behavior that it takes you a minute. "how... how long was i asleep for?"

thoma's eyes open, but not all the way. "about 36 hours. you..." he sighs, clearly bothered by the information. "you got roughed up pretty bad. how do you feel?"

"i feel like death, but did you sleep?" you brush your thumb over his cheek, your heart cracking when he sighs, content. "you must have been so worried, thoma, i'm sor--"

"don't," he snaps. he catches himself, murmuring an apology. "don't say sorry. no, i didn't sleep much. i was just-- i was worried you'd disappear again. last time you left my sight, you..."

every word seems to take more and more energy out of him. you may be the injured one, but thoma's distress has to be the most painful thing for you right now. love works so strange sometimes. you move your hand and run your fingers through his hair. "i'm not going anywhere again, okay?" you giggle lightly when thoma nearly purrs at the feeling. "look at you. you're like a giant cat."

"i'm your giant cat." he smiles then, and you see a glimmer of his usual self start to show. you know you mean a lot to him, but to see just how much is almost overwhelming. "i love you. so, so much, you know?"

"yeah." you grin. maybe you'll heal faster with him by your side. "i know. now go get some sleep, thoma. i'll be here in the morning."

"...you promise?"

you beckon him towards you, remembering your usual promise tradition. he leans in and you peck his lips, laughing when he starts to pout. there he is, you think. there's your thoma.

"i promise."

✧ — 𝐤𝐚𝐳𝐮𝐡𝐚 — ✧

kazuha will never forgive himself for not being the first to notice your absence.

it's beidou who brings it up first. it had been a few weeks since the crew made a stop in liyue harbor. everyone went their separate ways; some to visit family, some, like kazuha, to explore the surrounding areas. you and kazuha had gone your separate ways two days ago since he decided to venture further out, but you had responsibilities aboard the alcor.

"are you going to set sail with us again?" you finally mustered up the courage to ask. you were on edge all night, caught between asking kazuha to just stay with you and letting him go. you knew he was a free spirit, and you feared that once he started on his journey, you two would have to part ways for good.

kazuha crossed the room and sat beside you, his head tilted in question. "are you afraid that i might not?"

you nod wordlessly. it's embarrassing enough that you had to ask; you probably sounded clingy, and you knew how much kazuha hated it, even if he never said it out loud.

"...it seems like you've come to a conclusion without me. may i pick your brain, my love?" he nudged your shoulder with his.

it was impossible to keep secrets from him. you knew this. kazuha's observation skills were second to none, even when it didn't involve nature. you decided to confide in him, knowing that your relationship wouldn't grow unless you communicated. "i'm just worried that you might not return."

kazuha hummed. "if it's my combat skills that youre concerned about..."

"no, no, it's not that! i... i feel like once you leave, you'll find that you're happier out there." you swallowed down the unwelcome tightness in your throat. "you're a wanderer, kazuha, and i'm bound to the alcor. i'm scared that after this little break, you won't want to come back."

kazuha, stunned by your vulnerability, blinked a few times. even though you valued communication, you still struggled to talk to anybody, including him. he looked at you a little longer, trying to figure out why you would think he would ever leave your side.

it's true that he's a free spirit, but even the wind has to settle sometimes.

"dove," he said, taking your hand in his own, "i could never leave you for long." he chuckled at the look of mild disbelief that you gave him. "to me, it sounds as though you thought i would be upset with you for asking me to stay."

"i don't want to stifle you." you confessed. "i love you too much to do that to you."

kazuha made a small "ah" noise. he got off the bed and stood between your legs, tilting your head so you could look up at him. "ask me to stay." he pursed his lips for a moment. "on second thought, tell me to stay."

it wasn't worded like a question. you hesitated.

"i love you as you love me, perhaps even more so, if you would believe me." kazuha's hands explored your face gently, fingers smoothing over your eyebrows or lightly pinching at your nose. he had the most lovestruck smile on his face, and it made you flush. "i would do anything for you; i would grow roots and stay by your side if you'd let me."

"of course i'd let you!"

kazuha leaned down. "then tell me." he whispered. "tell me to stay. wherever you go, i'll go; wherever you stay, i'll stay. to the ends of teyvat, my dove, i would follow you anywhere."

this wasn't what you had in mind when you made up your mind to talk to him. you felt as though you were a child with a crush all over again, growing more and more flustered by the second with how close kazuha was to your face. he kissed your cheek. "go on, dove. say it."

"kazuha..." your heart sat in your throat, and the lump you suppressed earlier returned with a vengeance. "i don't know, i--"

your lover kissed your other cheek, his ruby eyes encouraging you to answer. you hated that you were so conflicted over this, but if he grew to hate you for forcing him to settle down--

"you're not forcing me," kazuha said. your face burned as you realized you said that out loud. he kissed your lips this time. "you're so lovely, my little dove. say it."

your walls came toppling down a lot easier than you expected. the pros of having kazuha around greatly outweighed the cons, and if he ever did wish to go his own way, then that was a conversation he would most likely have with you. he wouldn't just abandon you without a word. so you tell him.

"stay." you barely had the word out before kazuha kissed you, stealing it right from your lips.

"again." he murmured.

"please, stay."

kazuha pressed light kisses all over your face, drinking in the giggle you gave him. "as you wish."

you had little difficulty parting with him after that. reassured by the promise of return, you flew through your tasks aboard the ship with ease as you waited for the day kazuha returned.

but when he did return, you were nowhere to be found.

kazuha knows that he shouldn't blame himself for not being able to find you first, but he does anyways. he wasn't the first to board the alcor -- beidou was. when he got there later that morning, she pulled him into her cabin and slammed two things on the table. it was a dagger and a sheet of paper with demands scribbled on it. he didn't have to read the contents to know what it meant.

"i couldn't find them when i got here," she sighs, her arms folded tightly over her chest, "so i asked any early crewmates but they said they haven't seen them either. then i found this stabbed into my door."

kazuha's jaw jumps as he tries to find the proper words to say. he now understands how you must feel whenever you're trying to stop yourself from being crass with people who you dislike. his eyes flutter shut. if he looks at that letter any longer, he'll have much more trouble containing himself. "what does it say," he asks flatly. "who is it and what do they want?"

beidou, who seems equally as pissed as kazuha, reads the ransom note again. "they want all our valuables, so... my guess is treasure hoarders. how did those scummy bastards manage to organize something like this in the first place?"

how, indeed. it's a great question. kazuha doesn't care for the answer. "is there a location?"

the captain squints. "don't tell me you actually want me to surrender our supplies." if she were anybody else, that would come across as her prioritizing materials over your safety, but kazuha knows her better than that. he can see it when he opens his eyes. "it says they're near qingxu pool. there's a bunch of abandoned homes out there, so--"

"will you assist me, captain?" kazuha's not the brash type, never one to interrupt someone midsentence unless absolutely necessary, but beidou takes no offense to it. his expression is blank -- too void of emotion to be normal. needless to say, she gets why he's being a little impulsive.

beidou herself isn't one to dive headfirst into situations like this. as the captain of the crux fleet, she is not only responsible for overseeing the crew's behavior and the ship's maintenance, she is also a diplomat meant to keep the peace.

but she, like kazuha, is also a fighter. her answering smile is sharp. "i'll go inform the crew that we're gonna delay our departure."

once technicalities are out of the way, kazuha and beidou exit liyue harbor and walk towards the designated location. the trip is silent as kazuha tries to imagine all the ways this could go.

if he found you and you were unscathed, then he would have no trouble taking you and leaving. treasure hoarders like these don't have the means of following you. if you had a few scratches, then maybe he'd have to get physical.

an intrusive thought gives him pause. what if this was a trap and you were already dead?

"kazuha." beidou's voice makes him jump. she's stopped walking as well. they're finally here. "just know that whatever happens in there, i don't blame you."

kazuha runs her words through an internal translator right away.

"if you feel the need to kill someone, then go ahead."

it's sickening, feeling like a rabid dog on a stray leash. but never, not once in kazuha's life has he ever experienced something like this. he's a bit lost in the motions. he follows closely behind beidou as she approaches where the treasure hoarders are holding you captive.

your kidnappers did a horrible job hiding you. kazuha and beidou find you slumped against the concrete wall, your hands bound by some flimsy rope. neither of them make a sound, nor do they move to free you right away. it's not the presence of poorly hidden treasure hoarders that's got them frozen in place but rather, the that state you're in.

dried blood cakes the wall behind you, smeared a little bit above your head and trails down to where the back of your head rests. a rainbow palette of bruises paints your arms and face, and there's blood on your forehead and at the corner of your mouth.

kazuha reaches for his sword without a moment's hesitation. beidou stops him. "not yet." she warns. then, "we know you're there! come on out before i come and find you myself."

surprisingly (or not; treasure hoarders are pathetic excuses for human beings), the kidnappers come out. there's a large number of them, but that, too, is to be expected. they provoked the woman who took on the haishan alone and a samurai whose skills they knew nothing about. their cooperation may be a ploy, but a head count is pretty helpful.

"fourteen," kazuha says aloud. seven shouldn't be a problem for him. he's encountered more enemies on the run.

"where's the goods?" a skinny treasure hoarder asks. "we told you we'd kill them if you didn't bring what we asked."

beidou shifts her posture once before summoning her weapon, resting it on her shoulder. the entire room crackles with the tension of an upcoming battle. "touch them one more time, and i'll have to get my hands dirtier than usual."

her threat does nothing. a treasure hoarder next to you pushes you with his foot and you groan. you're alive, but--

"kazuha, wait." beidou commands.

kazuha didn't even realize he'd drawn his own sword. you once praised him for his exceptional restraint and ability to keep himself cool under pressure. he skims your body once more and notices that something’s... off. something’s missing. "their vision." kazuha finally speaks. "where is it?"

a treasure hoarder to his left laughs and pulls your anemo vision from his pocket, waving it around tauntingly. "you mean this thing?" he sneers.

the flashbacks happen so fast that it nearly blinds him.

the sight of his best friend being defeated right before his eyes, his cracked blade falling at his feet. his vision flying through the air, devoid of its elemental glow.

the hysterical cries of people who had been robbed of their visions -- their ambitions. the rainbow that projected onto the ground in inazuma city during mid-afternoon, the sun reflecting off of the confiscated visions.

there's a flash and a clang before something -- the treasure hoarder's severed forearm -- hits the ground with a dull thud.

your vision now rests safely in kazuha's hands. "yes," he replies to the treasure hoarder he unknowingly attacked, his agonized screams falling on uncaring ears. "this thing."

beidou mutters, "fuck it," before charging at the seven treasure hoarders on her left. her powerful strikes are audible as she swings her claymore. kazuha cradles your vision as he takes on the remaining six treasure hoarders.

if you were to ask kazuha what happened that day, he probably wouldn't be able to tell you. not because he's ashamed of what he did, but because he really and truly doesn't remember.

adrenaline and molten fury give kazuha the strength he needs to cut down each of his opponents. he doesn't miss a single one -- doesn't leave a single stone unturned. each treasure hoarder he encountered met the same fate. when there's finally one treasure hoarder left, kazuha doesn't kill him right away.

"in your next life," kazuha seethes, his voice foreign to his own ears, "you will die another death by my hands." he silences the treasure hoarders please by dragging his sword across his neck, and like that, brings the fight to a close.

kazuha peers down at your vision, which is still pulsing with life. you may be incapacitated, but perhaps this was your way of giving him strength. when he sees blood smeared on the shell, a twinge of guilt starting to grow. "you said you wouldn't blame me." he says as the adrenaline seeps out of him. "do you think they would--"

beidou slaps the back of his head, shutting him up. "please, they'd have started fighting a hell of a lot sooner than you did." she looks him over once before looking down at herself. the two of them are covered in blood, none which was their own. "ugh, let's go. there's doctors that can treat them on board."

kazuha cups the back of his head with a quiet hiss, but follows along anyways. he heads over to you and picks you up as gently as he can, careful not to upset any wounds you may have that he can't see. "i'm sorry i didn't come sooner, dove." he whispers. "i'm so, so sorry."

when you finally wake up, it's to the sound of seagulls. you shoot into an upright position, but your vision starts to swim and you feel the need to throw up. you lean back on the headboard. what the hell happened? why did you feel like someone ragdolled you into a wall? you close your eyes and try to listen to the crash of waves outside. at least you were on the alcor -- maybe you should try to remember what happened until someone came in. the door opens about 45 minutes later, and you're greeted by a familiar head of platinum hair.

it's kazuha.

he rushes over and kneels at your bedside. your lover doesn't say anything for a long while as he cups your hands and bows his head away from your sight, his shoulders shaking slightly. thankfully, you managed to recall what happened in the two days you were apart, so you can't blame him for being this way. he must have been scared stiff.

the only thing you can think to say in the moment is, "welcome home, kazuha."

his shoulders still for a moment before starting again, but this time, you can hear soft laughter. kazuha looks up at you, his eyes teary. "i'm back, dove," he says, pressing your hands to his forehead. "i'm back."

"did you miss me?" it's a cheeky question, and probably a bit calloused considering what happened, but you both needed a smile right about now. kazuha's smile grows, and your heart flutters.

"more than anything." kazuha kisses the back of your hands, the gesture laden with affection and longing. "a day apart from you feels like an eternity, my star."

you chuckle. "never have truer words been spoken."

kazuha pushes himself off the floor and sits on the bed near you, holding your face in his hands. you're sure you're still swollen and bruised; you must be unsightly and yet kazuha's looking at you like you hung the stars in the sky for him. he leans forward and rests his forehead on yours.

"you are my everything." he declares softly. it's like a prayer to you and you alone, spoken a space inhabited only by the two of you. his words are sacred and special, and you soak in every last one. "the brightest star in my sky; my universe."

you're starting to get dizzy. he must have been terrified by your absence. "kazuha--"

his lips cover your own and you melt, unable to resist him. "i adore you." he says when he pulls away. "i always will."

you cling to those words like they're your last lifeline. "and i, you." you say in return, shutting your eyes when he kisses you again.

✧ (whew! this monster grew bigger and bigger as i wrote it! i got carried away again,,, but! i do hope you enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it!)

annotations of love

summary: although you're always looking out for any mistakes he makes, you think you've found the perfect rival in kazuha. but when you begin to spend more time with him, you begin to realize he's also the perfect love interest... after all, why else would someone lend you an personally annotated book?

pairings: kaedehara kazuha x gn!reader

tags: enemiestolovers!au, modern!au

genre: fluff, humor, slight angst

a/n: i've been having something of an obsession with sylvia plath even tho we finished reading her work last november. i love it and i will not stop talking about her potrayal of women and will include it in a fic about kazuha. god, i just want to have an academic rival who will convince me to read an annotated book so that i can fall in love with them. okay, enjoy this brainrot <3 also ps: i enjoyed writing this kazuha a lot so if you have any requests i will be more than happy to cater to them :)

🍁

“So, class how did we like reading Sylvia Plath?” Miss Aranaki, your Literature teacher, crosses her arms across her chest as she regards the twenty or so of you sitting in front of you, “Any thoughts?”

“I didn’t like it much, actually,” a voice pipes up and without seeing, you know who it is, a groan escaping your lips. Aranaki gives an amused laugh, “Kazuha. Please do elaborate on why you dislike Plath so much.”

Unwillingly, your eyes travel until they come to rest on the mostly-platinum-blonde-headed boy who has his copy of The Bell Jar dismissed on its back by his elbow. “Well, to start with, her poetry is too easily interpretable once you know everything about her enough and the themes are usually just the same old feminist, complaining about privilege and children. Although I must say the touch with the cheating husband in The Rival was interesting, but that was as good as it got.”

Before Kaedehara Kazuha can continue, you, who’s had Plath’s novel clutched tightly in your hands, interrupt him. “Excuse me, to me it sounds like you’re complaining about having to read about a complex female experience. It’s a shame to see men like you roaming around in the campus’ feminist activism clubs when in class you cannot tolerate the slightest shred of powerful women in action.”

Kazuha meets your eyes in a flash, a familiar smile in place - one that is almost friendly, but at the last moment, turns smug. “I’m sorry if I came across as discarding Plath’s unique persona - but I just refuse to credit her writing simply because she’s a woman. It wouldn’t be fair otherwise, don’t you think, Y/N?”

“Please,” you scoff, ears a little red from exasperation, “Her poems are not easily interpreted, Kazuha, you’re just overly entrenching them in context. You can’t make Plath’s poems all about her factual life if you want to take anything from them. The Rival is not definitely about her bastard husband’s mistress - it could just as easily be about her mother if you try to keep your mind open.”

Kazuha opens his mouth to speak but Aranaki cuts him off, “Alright, alright, the two of you. Always a pleasure to hear you go back and forth. Some very valid points have been made. But remember, this class consists of 18 other students. Let’s give allow everyone to speak.”

“Either you really were not paying attention to what we’ve been saying in class, or your brain is simply broken,” you stand up, following her out of the class.

“I don’t know about that, Y/N. You both seemed like you were having a lot of fun-”

“I don’t know about that, Y/N. You both seemed like you were having a lot of fun-”

“Fun? Hu Tao, that man is borderline misogynistic and you think-”

“I think I deserve a little more credit than a borderline misogynist, my dear Y/N.”

You stop in your tracks with a sigh when you spot Kazuha behind you, bag slung lazily over his back. He’s holding his copy of The Bell Jar by the very edge, you notice much to your dismay. “You’re going to have to work harder if you want to seem like you actually care about reading feminist work from writers who are actual women. Not just old horny men—”

“Please don’t tell me you’re still holding that time I praised Murakami against me?” Kazuha’s brows furrow, looking almost genuinely concerned about what you think of him. You roll your eyes, catching the ill-covered laugh that leaves Hu Tao, who has been observing the two of you silently.

“No, but you really don’t think Murakami’s flat female characters, who by the way only function to serve the lonely loser men, are anywhere near the same kind of writing as Plath’s honest depiction—” You cut yourself off when you catch Hu Tao throwing you a suggestive look and scoff, “Never mind, I don’t have time to have this conversation. Let’s just go, Hu Tao.”

“But—” You promptly block Kazuha’s attempt to probably retort by taking Hu Tao’s arm and marching off, carrying a growing a feeling of doubt in your chest.

🍁

“That will be $15, please.” You nod at the cashier, internally crying at how expensive a single coffee was. You feel yourself cry even louder when you rummage through your wallet to only find a total of $10.

“Um, sorry, just a moment,” you feel yourself beginning to panic, ready to just about be hit by lightning, “I couldv’e sworn I saw another—”

“Here, I’m paying for them.” You jump up at the voice beside you and you swear to God if this morning could get any worse, it’d have to be because Kazuha stepped in to save you from some kind of financial crisis that would’ve inevitably lead into a public mental breakdown.

“W-What? No, I can pay for myself— ”Thank you for buying from us. We hope to see you again.”

You’d rather not the hold up the rest of the line any longer so you step away, pulling Kazuha with you, with a scowl on your face. You shove the $10 you’d been holding into his palm which he looks at in confusion, “I’ll pay you back the rest of it later, I—”

“No, you really don’t need to do that, Y/N,” the boy smiles, a soft comforting look in his eyes that you’ve never encountered before. It annoys you.

“Honestly, would you stop cutting me off all the time?” Kazuha shuts up with a serious raise of the brown, “I was very much capable of paying for myself back there but thanks. Bye.”

You intend to distance yourself from him as much just because you’re equally embarrassed and confused by his presence, especially at having been caught in a moment of somewhat vulnerability by him of all people. You take a seat in the cafe by the window, hoping to ease your worries with a productive rush.

Of course, the universe, and specifically, one crimson-streaked head, has other plans. “What the fuck are you doing?” you question as Kazuha settles into the seat across from you, resting his bag beside him, hands coming to drum against the table - the table that you’d taken to get away from specifically him.

“I’m doing what you’re doing. Studying,” he says, pulling out his laptop, nonchalant as if the two of you aren’t after each other’s throats in class all the time. You’re actually speechless as he actually starts typing away, eyes on the screen. You let out a frustrated sigh at his behavior, unable to just ignore his presence, a weakness of yours you absolutely despise.

“Kazuha, I think you’ve asserted your compassion enough for a day. You don’t have to continue acting like you don’t actually hate me,” your voice threatens to falter when Kazuha looks up with wide eyes.

“What do you— But I don’t hate you,” Kazuha replies, not losing a second of time after you’ve spoken. You shake your head at him, a headache imminent, as you stand up. “Wait- where are you going?”

“Somewhere else. See you in class, Kazuha. Leave me alone or I’ll report you.”

🍁

You suppose you feel kind of bad about the recent encounters you’ve had with Kazuha. You only met him in class, first in a course called The Graphic Novel where you had your first argument with him (you wanted to focus on the postmodern themes of V for Vendetta, while Kazuha was overly obsessed with the art and a specific sequence of events). From there, it just seemed like the two of you couldn’t get away from each other - next it was a creative course about nonfiction where you found yourself competing with him to see who could impress the famously cold teacher.

Before you’d known, you’d settled into a sort of rhythm with Kazuha where you’d each challenge and infuriate each other, always ready to pounce. It was surprisingly an interesting part of your education - maybe even the most interesting, since you hardly were able to spend a lot of time doing anything other than work on essays and study for the next thing. But recently, you were feeling more... bitter? around him. It was unsettling, especially when suddenly it seemed like Kazuha was capable of more emotions outside of disdain for you. You weren’t stupid enough to not realize you were having fun but when Hu Tao had so explicitly pointed it out... it almost felt wrong. Like you’d been lying to yourself somehow.

You groan as you zone back into reality, coming to terms with the fact that you had made no progress with the last assignment of the Plath course. It has been a few weeks since the course ended but Aranaki had sent out a final feedback-slash-evaluative essay question asking you to talk about a favorite text from Plath. It is optional, you recall, but you physically cannot forgo the opportunity to do extra work. You hit your head in thought, wondering what you are to do with yourself.

“Having trouble picking a favorite?”

You are not proud of the squeak that leaves you in surprise as you jump around in your seat. “Kazuha! You fucking— Stop sneaking up on people in the library! I swear that’s so insensitive.”

Kazuha, clad in a red sweatshirt that matches the red streak in his hair, sits down besides you with an amused laugh. You’re met with a sweet almond scent as he shifts closer to peek at your screen. “Sorry,” he whispers, “You’re writing about Ariel? I’m surprised.”

“Why? Don’t want me writing about the same thing as you?” You gesture toward his bag, which reveals the corner of a sheet with the essay question, “I’m sure you wrote a whole pretentious thing about how shallow and trite Plath’s poetry is.” The boy pins you with an unreadable look as he looks down at his hands before looking back up at you.

What is he so serious about?

“You don’t actually think I’m a woman-hater, do you?” You are tempted to retaliate with a compilation of all the times he was even remotely dismissive of a female author, but you cannot bring yourself to the longer you look at Kazuha. His eyes are downcast and don’t meet yours when you give a preliminary laugh of ridicule, which greatly worries you. Though you find it hard to believe, Kazuha seems genuinely hurt at the idea of you perceiving him as someone against women.

“Oh, well, not really. But you did seem slightly on the wrong side when you dismissed Plath’s experiences like that. And then, making her seem like she was entirely about her hatred for her husband wasn’t a very good look, either.” You try to stay in character without actually hurting Kazuha’s feelings but he seems crestfallen either way. You begin to feel bad for some reason when he pulls out a few sheets of paper from his bag, before handing you one.

“And what is this?” You raise your brow questioningly and all Kazuha replies with is, “Read this.” You look down at the sheet and find that it is a print-out of Plath’s poem, The Munich Mannequins. Your course on Plath didn’t include this particular poem because there wasn’t much time but regardless, you’ve read the poem enough times to not have to go through it again. What catches your attention is the little scribbles in green around the printed text.

It’s Kazuha’s annotations of the poem, you realize, and already find yourself somewhat moved. You know for a fact that Kazuha does not annotate something he doesn’t find truly meaningful. “Hmm,” you look back at Kazuha with a smile that is completely unlike you. But you can hardly help it, “Your analysis of the metaphor of the mannequins is... insightful, although I don’t agree with it.”

Kazuha’s dullness suddenly melts away when you speak, a bright grin in its place. “I’m glad you think so. I realized I was spending so much effort in trying to find out what Plath actually wanted to convey that in the end, I didn’t even have my own interpretations. And looking back at it, her work is actually pretty cool.”

This time you laugh, teasingly nudging Kazuha’s shoulder, “Way to go with the academic language, Kazuha.” Your laughter only grows louder when the boy’s cheeks color slightly pink. “But I’m really happy that you were able to appreciate Plath. I think maybe we found something we agree on.”

He nods, his usual easy smile returning, “I have to admit that I only gave Plath another chance because I couldn’t stand the thought of you thinking I was a borderline misogynist.” You feel yourself flush and you cough to cover it up, “Still can’t believe you were so bothered by that comment.”

“Of course, I was,” Kazuha says matter-of-factly, “You said it so seriously. And then that day in the cafe, you seemed to truly hate me. You even accused me of hating you. I felt like I’d done something unforgivable.”

You grimace in guilt. “Sorry about that,” you pat his back hesitantly, “I was just a bit in my head back then. I don’t actually hate you. Or think that you hate me.”

“That’s good. I wouldn’t want to have you stop talking to me, I think some life-giving part of me would die.”

🍁

Here’s the thing: you know how you’ve hardly been able to do anything outside of worry about your grades and keep track of your deadlines? Yes, that meant you hadn’t even enough time to have crushes, or even think about who you’re attracted. Which is why you’re caught in some real fucking trouble when you realize you like Kazuha.

Since your conversation with him in the library, something had changed between the two of you. You still made sure to battle each other fiercely in class, no doubt, but when you weren’t in class, you were actually able to hold a civil conversation. In fact, sometimes your conversations outside of class were more enjoyable than your arguments and disagreements, given that those same dissents would often turn into inside jokes outside of class.

It started with Kazuha asking you to peer-review an essay for another class (he wouldn’t dare to ask your help with a common assignment, that meant war) and you getting impressed again by his ability to analyze and argue. Slowly, it became a ritual for you to meet Kazuha after classes to work on something together, which took more time than required because you’d be bothering each other the whole time, chattering away loud enough that the librarian had banned your entrance in the library. So now you met him on the college lawn where your time together almost felt romantic.

“God, I hate myself,” you mumble into your hands as you cringe at your internal monologue. Hu Tao who’s keeping you company while you wait for Kazuha, laughs knowingly, “Stop hating on yourself for having feelings, Y/N. Believe it or not, it’s normal.”

“I know, but not for me! I’ve had like one romantic experience before and it involved hand-holding.”

“Hey, hand-holding can be pretty intimate, too,” she retorts, frowning, “I’m sure if you tried it with Kazuha, you’d actually combust on the spot.”

“Keep it down, Hu Tao, this is not exactly something I’m proud of—”

“What are you not proud of?” You freeze as Kazuha comes into sight from behind you but relax when you examine his expression and see nothing out of the ordinary.

“Nothing, just her usual spiel about hating life,” Hu Tao covers for you as she rises from next to you, smirking as she pushes Kazuha in her spot. He falls all too close to you, head hitting your shoulder.

“Careful!” You scowl at Hu Tao as you steady Kazuha with a hand on his back. She winks at you as she turns to leave, “See ya for dinner tomorrow, stupid.”

Kazuha chuckles beside you and you can feel the sound vibrate through your hand, still warm against his back, “You must be really close to her if she can walk away alive after calling you stupid.”

You cough a little as you are suddenly reminded of the proximity, thanks to how Kazuha has made no move to remove his head from against your shoulder, even though you’d retracted your hand from his back long ago. “I’m not that easily offended, you know.”

Kazuha looks amused as he shifts to look at you, much to your chagrin because fuck! you’re still way too close to him so now you’re basically sharing the same air. “So if I called you stupid—?”

“Don’t even dream of it,” you push his head off and he pulls away, laughing lowly. You sigh in relief now that you’re at a distance that won’t kill you as Kazuha pulls out a red book from inside his jacket pocket.

“What book is that?”

Kazuha holds it for you with a hesitant smile, “It’s for you, actually.” You hum questioningly as you take it and scoff when you see the title. Sputnik Sweetheart. By Haruki Murakami.

“Before you chase me away for bringing Murakami in your sights, listen to me, okay?” he says, with a hand on your elbow and you fall silent, a little nervous. “I think you should read it because this book actually has complex female characters, unlike all his other work. There’s a lesbian relationship in there and a very unexpected plot twist, too. You might like it... I think.”

The amount of effort it takes to not scream on the top of your lungs because Kazuha’s cheeks are dusted adorably red as he rants to you about the book, his eyes not meeting you and you can’t take it because he’s so shy about it all. You silently open to a random page and you swear you die right there when you see notes in pencil along the margin.

“You’ve annotated this?” you ask through a small smile. Kazuha rubs the back of his neck, “Well, yes. I usually annotate my novels. I hope you don’t mind. Think of it as having a really long conversation with me?”

You chuckle as hit Kazuha’s forehead with the book lightly, “Why the fuck would I want to have a conversation with you about a book? I’m bound to give myself a migraine.” You bite your lip to stop yourself from grinning as you continue, “But oh, well. Since you went back to Plath for me, I think I’ll give Murakami a chance.”

Kazuha pumps a fist in the air, beyond delighted, “Yes! I promise you’re going to love me after this.”

🍁

“Kazuha, I have to something to tell you,” you say, hands clutched behind your back. Kazuha turns away from the conversation he’d just been having with Aether to give you a warm look.

“What is it?” He waves goodbye to Aether, grinning when you reveal the red book he’d lent you a few weeks ago. Kazuha jumps up and down as his hands cup to hold yours and you can’t help but jump excitedly with him. “Did you finish? What did you think of it? How was his description of Miu and Sumiere? Oh, what was your reaction to Miu’s backstory?”

You laugh as you pause to form your response. “Well, I actually did not hate it. I actually enjoyed his descriptions of the women—” Kazuha squeals in excitement as you continue, “But! There was man still, you know. And his presence as the narrator of everything was a bit suffocating. So, not perfect. But dammit, the parts about Miu watching herself that night in the park and everything Sumiere writes in her letters - Ahhh, that was just amazingly disorienting.”

“So?” Kazuha grins at you, shaking you by the shoulders, “You don’t hate Murakami anymore? I succeed in convincing you that he wrote one decent novel? You love me?”

You successfully ignore the last question he asks as you reply, “I guess I don’t hate him but I can’t say he’s a good writer still. He’s definitely got some dimension but he needs to stop putting men at the center of his universes.”

Kazuha nods as he takes back the book from you, “That’s fair enough, I suppose. I didn’t expect to—” he pauses, a new kind of smile blossoming on his face as he fans through the pages, “Oh, what’s this? Did you make notes on the book?”

Shit, you’d nearly forgotten about that. “Oh, right. I thought it would be funny to respond to some of your annotations. You like some really strange paragraphs, you know.” You quickly take away the book from him before he can grin at anymore of your notes, “I made them on sticky notes so that I can remove them. I just forgot.” You begin removing the loosely glued pieces of paper when Kazuha snatches away the novel back, holding it away from your grasp.

“No! Don’t do that. I want to read them. I can’t lose this opportunity to actually get to read your annotations,” he says, a full-fledged blush on his cheeks for some reason.

You laugh awkwardly, “F-fine, weirdo. Just remove them after you read them.”

“Why would I do that?” Kazuha hugs the book protectively with an annoyingly smug smile on his face, “I’m cherishing this for the rest of eternity.”

You turn around at that, clutching at your chest as if in pain, heart racing, “W-Whatever. I’m going to study. Come if you want.”

An hour later, you fall back into the grass with a whine because you really cannot get your mind off of Kazuha, which was not exactly aided by the fact that the boy was right next to you, opting to bump knees with you as he managed to concentrate with no issues.

“Y/N? What’s wrong?” You open your eyes to find Kazuha leaning over you, arm placed next to your head. You watch as his forehead is curtained by his hair and you pout as you silently flick at a chunk of his hair. “I don’t know why you even bother to tie your hair if it’s all over the place anyway.”

Kazuha shrugs with a playful smile and is about to reply before he cuts himself off, “Oh, there’s something in hair, I think.” You reach for your hair but Kazuha beats you to it, leaning closer to your face as he gently plucks off the said something off your hair, holding it up so you can see. “It was a leaf. Heh.”

You reach for your hair self-consciously and are surprised when you find Kazuha’s fingers through the strands. You pull away just as quick you touched him but his hand chases after you, coming to capture it in his, his fingers resting through yours.

“Mhmm,” Kazuha hums delicately, face hovering dangerously close to yours, “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while.”

You make an embarrassing choking sound before you place a hand against his chest, pushing with little effort. You avert your gaze as you speak, “S-Stop doing that.”

You can’t see it but Kazuha’s smile weakens as he asks, “Stop doing what?”

“Stuff like this. Like what you did back there with my annotations and- and- right now, this hand-holding stuff. It’s not funny, you know.”

“I don’t think it’s funny either, Y/N,” he says, “I’m always serious about you. So would you please look at me?” Your hand twitches in Kazuha’s as you glance at him and instantly turn away when you see him gazing at you. He does look serious, intense in fact as he looks at you.

His fingers tighten around yours when you suddenly feel a cold pressure against your ear. Your heart nearly leaps out of your chest when you realize it’s Kazuha’s nose pressed up against your neck. “K-Kazuha, cut it out—”

“I like you, Y/N,” he whispers softly, “Actually, that’s an understatement. I really, really like you. I’ve never been so excited to have arguments with someone and I’ve never cared so much about what someone else thought about a book. You’re the smartest person I’ve met.”

You can’t believe your ears, though they turn red anyway as Kazuha pulls away to look at you. “I think you’re so beautiful. I can hardly think right when I’m around you.”

You feel breathless when Kazuha looks at you like that, with an intimacy of a lover and fumble to reply, “I- I like you, too, Kazuha. You’re cool, I guess. And ridiculously handsome.” You mumble the last part but he seems to hear it, probably because you’re so close.

“Would you go out with me?” His eyes are swimming with adoration when you finally meet them. When you nod, a gasp falls from your lips at the feeling of Kazuha’s lips against your cheek. “Kiss me already, would you?” This time, you feel his laughter through your own bones, strong and loving.

🍁

Bonus:

“I really wish you would go easy on me in class, dove,” Kazuha complains against your lips and you pull away to laugh at the slight pout in his features. You run a hand through his open hair, arranging the red strands together, “No way, babe. Sorry but sometimes, you’re just wrong.”

He deflates against your neck and you pull him inside the blankets with you with a chortle, “But if you want, we can read Mrs Dalloway together for class?” He instantly perks up, arms coming to hugging you tight, “I would love that. I want to hear your reading voice. We can even play the parts to make it more realistic.”

You groan, “No, we’re not doing that, Kazu. Please don’t make me regret this.” Regret it you do later that week, when Kazuha proudly declares to the whole class, including Miss Aranaki, that the two of you had read the assigned reading together.

okay but have we considered waking up with rindou cause idk he's pretty and he's probably pretty when he sleeps and yeah i wanna kiss his face pls and ty

[ 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐘 𝐁𝐎𝐘 ] — 𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐈 𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐔

you wake up to the bed shifting, rindou’s body turning to face you as he adjusts the sheets. shuffling closer, you grin, kissing his bare chest while his eyes stay closed. you know he’s shifted to block the sun from your eyes with his body—though he’ll never admit it—but now that you’re awake, you don’t think you want to fall back asleep.

not with the sight that’s greeting you.

“quit staring,” he says flatly, not even looking at you to know your eyes are fixed on him. pouting, you rest your chin on his pec as you look up. his jawline looks incredibly kissable from this angle, the sharpness and well defined slant making your stomach do somersaults. so you do, leaning up and pressing a chaste kiss to his jaw, trailing a few down until you reach his chin.

“why?” you murmur. “i could be admiring you, instead.”

“y/n, go to sleep,” he snaps, lifting the blanket up and covering your head with it. giggling, you poke your face out, meeting his irritated one as he stares down at you. his eyes are soft, though, staring at you with love that he hides behind his irises, the gentleness he keeps stowed away peeking through his orbs when you cup his cheek.

“can’t,” you grin. “you’re too pretty,” you whisper. moving up, you kiss his cheeks, then his nose, and lastly, his forehead. rindou’s utterly tired of you. each day there’s a new reason he adds to his list of why you’re much too troublesome for his time, but he can never seem to let you go. you hold his heart with a vice grip, you just keep coming even when he’s pushing, and you stay. when he comes home expecting you to be gone, just when he thinks he’s shaken you off, you’re waiting for him, latching on and holding tighter.

and try as he might, he can’t forget about you. not the way your hands cradle his face, not the way you gently tend to the wounds he comes home with, not the way you reach for his hand in your sleep with a smile on your face, and not the way your soft lips feel against his rough and chapped ones. everything about you is engraved into the smallest crevice of his heart and mind and soul, and he hates you—he can’t stand that you make him love you.

“i hate it when you open your mouth,” he grumbles. despite his words, his arm curls around your body and tugs it down against his chest. “and you missed a spot.” and when you tilt your head up, batting your eyelashes at him innocently, he purses his lips at you. you did it on purpose, he realizes, but he still leans down and kisses you softly on the lips—and it’s somewhat needy, even.

“you know what you are?” you hum, rubbing your thumb over the warm skin of his cheek. “a pretty boy,” you whisper. “you’re a really pretty boy, you know that?”

“great, thank you. now sleep,” he sighs. “it’s still early,” he adds, voice a bit softer.

“you’ll be gone by the time i wake up,” you pout, burying your face into his chest. his hand rubs circles into the small of your back, and in his head, rindou promises he’ll do everything he can to return to you by dinner time. he’ll sit and have it with you—because he knows you’ll wait to eat when he gets back, just like you always insist, and he hates the thought of you sitting with an empty stomach.

but you’re stubborn, he knows that. it’s why you’ve weaseled your way into his life in the first place.

“i’ll wake you before i go,” he mutters. “you can do my tie since you like doing it so much.” inwardly, he melts a little at the smile he feels against his skin.

“promise?”

“are you serious?”

“rin, come on,” you insist, poking his chest. he rolls his eyes at you, just like he always does. but he caves, just like he always does.

“fine. i promise.”

and the words mean more than that. i love you, they whisper, the meaning weaving into your mind the same way his fingers do with yours. i love you.

genshin boys react to someone pursuing you 1

pairing fem!reader x diluc, childe, xiao / part 2 here

genre fluff, angst, jealousy

warnings some suggestive lines, possessiveness / yandere personalities, a little aggression, stalking on the pursuer's part, minor swearing

note if you'd like similar hc's for zhongli, kaeya, albedo, or anyone else (refer to my character list) feel free to request!

synopsis an unwanted someone persistently continues their advances on you despite you clearly rejecting them and stating you aren't interested... let's see what the genshin boys end up doing >:)

diluc

always stoic and composed, and almost never lets emotion show on his face. or at least hides it enough so no one (except you) notices

diluc is often busy with work and tonight, he's taking a shift at the tavern- you decide to pay him a visit, after all, it's friday night and you'd probably be spending time with him if he wasn't here

he's pretty occupied while you're there, but he still flashes you that smile that's reserved for you, and only you. and plus, you're sitting at the bar and he's always looking out for you, but he knows he doesn't have to worry too much

that's until his brother walks in. ahem, cavalry captain kaeya

the smoothest talker in town walks straight over to you. he practically ignores his diluc's existence as he flirts, asking if he can buy you a drink or two

he's fine with kaeya's antics and doesn't want to give him the satisfaction of reacting. that's until his brother begins to touch you. tucking your hair behind your ear, gently slapping your hand as he laughs at your jokes, touching your thigh with a compliment slipping from his lips

god, he can't handle seeing another man's hands on your skin

diluc's trying not to look at you and kaeya too often... but then he's pouring a drink for a customer and he lets it overflow-

"uhm, master diluc?" "...shit."

he just really wants to take you home now. he'll have his hands all over you later

inside, diluc feels the anger and resentment boiling inside his stomach, but all he does is shoot kaeya a dirty look, but he's too busy flirting with you to notice

"ah, sweetheart, and i assume you're well acquainted with master diluc?"

sweetheart.

diluc scowls at the cute little pet name kaeya just loves to call you. he feels like slapping his brother across the face, but he knows that won't get him anywhere.

so before you can respond to the question, he interjects.

"being in a relationship, i'd say we're very well acquainted indeed, kaeya."

you can hear the stiff rage seeping through his voice as he glares daggers at the man sitting next to you.

"ah-"

before kaeya can finish his snarky, passive aggressive sentence, diluc's grabbed your wrist and leaned over the bar counter to press a rough, but warm kiss to your lips. he lingers a little longer than he usually would, especially in public, and in front of all these customers at the tavern- before letting his palm slide down the curves of your face as he stares into your eyes. he doesn't even give his brother a second glance.

before you know it, the stool beside you is empty after a forced chuckle, and a sudden blush is spreading across your face.

"d-diluc?"

"yes, dear?"

you still don't know how he manages to keep a straight face.

childe

oh boy, childe is already way too eager to fight. so a guy making advances on you when you've clearly said no? he probably would've murdered him beat him up already if it wasn't for you literally holding him back

shows ALL his emotions on his face and is terrible at hiding it, unlike diluc. he's literally a child, but you just can't resist those endearing blue eyes when he's acting all clingy, you find it adorable

"you sure you don't want me to fight him? c'mon darling, it'll be fun!"

no doubt will get jealous when he sees another guy with his eyes on you. after all, you're his and his only; no one else should be able to touch you or admire you

you immediately regret it when you tell childe about the guy who's been flirting with you every time you visit. you can see the anger flash on his features before an aggressively mischievous glint appears in his eyes

cue slightly yandere childe

he insists to follow you literally everywhere (when he's not running some mission for the tsaritsa), making sure that no creeps land a finger... or their gazes... on you

you're at the store with childe one evening. he's gone to buy a snack for you both while you continue shopping

in a mirror you can see the man who's been constantly pushing you to go on a date with him walk quickly towards you

when childe walks back into the store, he can immediately sense the insistence laced in your words and your annoyance radiating off you

he saunters up behind the guy, placing a firm grip on his shoulder. your boyfriend is taller than most, and he makes people cower underneath his looming stare

his typically cheerful grin turns cold in an instant, it almost scares you too

after he's successfully scared the living hell out of the guy, he acts all jealous and cute, whining and pestering you about why you wouldn't let him fight

"oh? and who might you be?"

childe's eyes narrow in suspicion at the man standing in front of you, who now drops his hand from its initial spot on your shoulder. his blue hues turn icy cold, and without looking at him you can already feel his anger rising up inside.

"don't know how to take no from a lady?"

"i-" the man can't even respond with a single word, let alone a sentence before your boyfriend has pushed him into a corner and pinned the fabric of his shirt against the wall. there's no hesitation in his voice as threats spill from his lips.

childe snakes his free arm around your waist a little more tightly than usual, pulling you close to his chest and then unapologetically pressing a kiss to your lips, watching the figure below him squirm.

"you lay a finger on her, and you're dead."

you know he means it.

xiao

even when you're not physically together, xiao's always watching over you and ready to protect you if you ever need it

you often take commissions during the day only to return home by foot when the sun has already set and it's dark out, and knowing the dangers that may lurk on the path back to wangshu inn, xiao will be on high alert; sometimes even teleporting to a high cliff just so he can see your surroundings and have peace of mind

he notices this particular figure who is almost always trailing not far behind when you're walking home after dusk. at first he brushes it off as a coincidence, he's just too anxious because it's you, but after a week or so he knows this guy can't be just behind you every night by pure chance

one night when you return to wangshu inn, you complain to xiao that you feel like someone's following you but you can't see anyone when you turn around

xiao purses his lips into a slight pout, before repeating those words you always hear him say. "hmm... well if you are ever in danger, call out my name." he hates this feeling of knowing someone else is trying to be close to you, and making you so uncomfortable in the process

but you just smile knowing he will always be there to protect you, regardless

the next night, you feel that same presence once again, and at your call xiao is immediately by your side

he doesn't waste any time, giving the guy an abrupt lecture about how he isn't respecting the ways of the adepti. the guy probably starts worshipping xiao in fear because few mortals actually ever meet the guardian yaksha

you can hear xiao give his usual scoff. "stupid mortal. now leave." he feels like stabbing the guy right through with his spear but he knows he's only meant to kill monsters with his weapon

ah, finally, he has you to himself now

the air around you seems frighteningly still as you pick up your pace. you're waking through dihua marsh, but you can feel a presence behind you. there's the occasional crunching of leaves or the snap of a twig. this feeling is familiar- and not in a good way. you can't actually see anyone or anything near you. maybe it's because it's dark out, or maybe because someone's hiding in the trees.

ugh, maybe i'm just paranoid. there's probably nothing here. i've been hearing these noises every day for a week now, and nothing's happened to me yet.

but you recall xiao's words from the night before, and the way he seemed to be hiding something that he knew when you told him about your fears. though it seems silly, calling him when there's no apparent danger, you decide you'd feel safer with him by your side anyways.

"xiao."

as soon as his name falls from your lips, you feel the intimate whisper of the wind swirl around your form, and he is next to you in an instant. staring into his warm amber eyes, you let this sudden wave of relief and comfort wash over you.

"i'm right here."

akira reacting to a (eventual) S/O that beats the phantom thieves in finding the treasure at palaces, like they always show up near the end to just give them the palace's treasure smugly or clear out all the shadows in the palace right before the PTs actually enter the palace? sorry if it's a bit confusing!

I’m pretty sure this isn’t the direction you expected me to take this but darkness my old friend paid me a visit :^)

“That was far too dangerous!”

“You should be thanking me!”

Shouts and defences fired back and forth as you and Akira argued in the safe room.  Stuck to the sides, the rest of the Phantom Thieves wore varying grimaces and frowns under their masks as they spectated the fight.

“We need to stick together in Palaces–how many times do I have to repeat myself?  This is a team!” the onyx-haired male practically snarled in frustration.

A scoff left you as you snubbed your leader before retaliating, “I can handle these small-fry on my own!  I already cleared us a path to the treasure so why can’t you just admit I’m doing a good job?”

“Am I supposed to be proud?  Just say "oh, nice job” while you throw yourself into danger?  There’s no way I’m anything but worried sick about you!“ Joker threw his hands up in exasperation.

"I can take care of myself!” you growled.

“Oh really?” the male responded as his pupils narrowed dangerously. “Then you can take care of yourself by yourself from now on.”

A collective gasp left the remaining members of the team as they processed Akira’s words.  Your own mouth opened in silent astonishment before it flapped in an attempt to make a comeback.

“Wait, what?” was all you could come up with.

Your regret, however, was far too late.  Akira had already turned his back to you and approached the others with a neutral air and discussed further plans for the Palace.  The other thieves were clearly uncomfortable, but stayed out of the personal dispute.  You tried to call out to the male, but all you received in return was the back of Akira’s black trench coat.

summertime sadness (albedo’s version)

Think I’ll miss you forever, like the stars miss the sun in the morning sky.

an ode to heartbreak masterlist:(x)

word count: 5790

genre: smut, angst

pairings: albedo x fem! ballerina! reader

content warnings: very nsfw, minors please block the nsfw-dango tag! friends with benefits, alcohol drinking (all of legal age), taking nudes, fingering, blowjobs, unprotected sex (make sure to wrap it before you tap it!), slapping, overstimulation, degradation

want to be tagged when future oth works come out? click here!

additional notes: a belated happy new year to each and every one of you! I swear I started writing this during the shadows amidst snowstorms event because albedo got me feelin some typa way. but life got in the way so. better late than never. did you guys get albedo during his rerun? :)

“8 pm. Meet me at the studio.”

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