Follow @linzi-yay As Fast As Light ^^

Diluc, teaching Y/n how to drive: okay, you're driving and see both Childe and Lumine on the road. Quick, what do you hit?

Y/n: oh, definitely Childe

Y/n: i can never hit Lumine

Diluc: the breaks. You hit the breaks.

our secret.

secret relationship trope.

pairings: diluc, scaramouche, xiao + gender neutral reader

author's note: fluff!! also might make a pt.2, what characters would y'all like to see for that? (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

☆ diluc: modern au

the red-haired male simply rolls his eyes, ignoring his irritating brother, kaeya, and his teasings of the mysterious keychain stuck to diluc's belt loop.

the keychain is of a very cute, miniature green dinosaur, which feels very uncharacteristic for someone like diluc ragnvindr to have. and kaeya knows his brother, does he not? the very man who's stoic face and aura drives most women looking for romance away, has a dinosaur looped to his belt.

...it's definitely odd.

every question about the keychain from his brother goes straight through diluc's ear and right out of the other, but once diluc's wine bar closes for the night, kaeya finally leaves out of the door (thankfully! ).

yet the next following afternoon, when kaeya goes out for a relaxing lunch break with his co-workers, he notices that there's a familiar looking bracelet wrapped around your wrist as you wave your hand around and talk to jean.

and what do you know... it's a blue dinosaur...?? that looks very similar to diluc's keychain??

when kaeya asks you about it after your conversation, you calmly respond with a "oh, this? amber got it for me! it's cute isn't it?" while lisa fawns over it, kaeya concludes that there's no way you and diluc are matching accessories, leaving it at that.

you don't mention that amber gave you those in a pack of two.

when it's time to go back to your offices, you let out a discreet sigh of relief and keep a calm smile on your face. because after all, kaeya noticing your bracelet lets you know that your lover did wear his matching keychain, in the end. even after he told you he wouldn't be able to use such a thing.

☆ scaramouche: canon universe

dropping a little something on accident during a harbinger meeting is practically considered normal. you just crouch down, pick it back up, and everybody moves on with the talking.

sometimes it may be childe dropping a pencil, la signora dropping a pen, or dottore accidentally letting a paper slip away. sometimes it's even you who drops something, but nobody ever dotes on it for too long before continuing.

in the current meeting of the day, a pen accidentally slips out of your palm— but as usual, it's no big deal. you bend down to pick it up, but as soon as you get back up, you can feel scaramouche's hand gently cover the back of your head so you don't hit it harshly against the underside of the table.

you sit back into your chair and mumble him a quick thank you, but everyone else around the table still seems to notice it; especially childe who currently has the biggest wide-eye look on his face. but who would dare interrupt the tsaritsa about it during the meeting?

when the meeting is eventually over and childe points it out afterwards, the cobalt-haired male just scoffs in reply that it was "common human decency". and of course, childe has to mention that scaramouche never did that for him— cue the two of them starting a reckless banter in the hallway. even la signora throws you a curious look.

unbeknownst to you, though, all scaramouche can think about is the urge to explain that childe that he isn't his lover, so why should he cover the ginger's head?

but of course, the relationship between you two should be kept a secret... for now.

☆ xiao: highschool au

truthfully xiao does not mind having a private, romatic relationship with his partner. in fact, he prefers it— to be able to be affectionate with his lover with no one there to judge him on the sidelines.

yet... having a secret relationship does have its downsides.

for example: when xiao cannot be found during a lunch break one day, he is unfortunately interrogated by a certain someone when he arrives back to the classroom for the next class. of course there's a bombard of questions from hu tao, 'cause where on earth could xiao could've have gone in that time?? especially when he usually hangs out with her, keqing, and ganyu?

in the end, xiao flatly responds to the main question of "where were you?" with a simple "nowhere", having to sit through the feeling of hu tao's eyes digging suspicious holes into the back of his head during class.

well, what else is he supposed to do? explain that he was exchanging secret hugs with you in the empty classroom on the floor above, and revealing both of your relationship statuses in the meantime?

you had texted him previously that you had failed a test he knew you studied really hard for (because you came over to his house to study), and just something in him despite being the tsundere he is knew to comfort you somehow. and apparently he was right and that physical affection was your main love language, cause tucking your face into his chest and patting the back of your head gently got you to feel better.

...but obviously, xiao won't be informing his friends about that anytime soon. so avoiding questions will have to do for now.

Kamisato Ayato x Reader

Notes: just a small something since he came home. Gender-neutral terms, blood & injury mention, protective boyf Ayato✨

Cornered, you considered your options. Run and risk the two men chasing you? Fight back and risk a black eye at the least, all while your lover’s jacket turned dirty with your blood?

You really had no way out, pressing yourself impossibly closer into the alleyway as though it were possible for the wall to swallow you and transport you elsewhere. To think all this happened over a misunderstanding.

“You scum, wearing the Commissioner’s coat like that.”

You opened your mouth to protest, a hoarse and cracked sound pleading for a break. “No, I - “

The man puffed out his cheeks, an ugly red colour popping through his face in profound anger. “Unless you’re some whore who ran off indecently with the Commisioner, threatening to tear down his reputation!”

The man accompanying him scoffed, adding in another sentence before you could get a word in. “So which is it, are you a filthy thief or have you seduced our honourable Yashiro Commisioner?”

You sigh. The men were harassing you over borrowing Ayato’s coat to keep you warm from the cooling winds. You only wanted to run your errands around Hanamizaka in peace, not be cornered and threatened for something clearly trivial.

“Ah, is there a problem here?”

Thank Narukami. Your shoulders immediately relaxed upon hearing the familiar cadence of your boyfriend as he directed the men’s attention to him.

“They think I stole your coat!” You called over the men, seeing the silent confusion written on Ayato’s face.

The two men’s eyes widened comically as they looked at one another and shook their heads. “Commissioner! We were simply looking out for you! We aren’t sure what they were doing parading around in your - “

Ayato held a hand in the air to stop them from continuing. Clearly, these scoundrels held no respect or foresight whatsoever.

“It appears to me that you’ve unnecessarily cornered my partner,” Ayato motioned to your form huddled against the wall, still shaken but less scared than before, “surely the two of you can see that I am not in my coat now, yes? I fail to see why any of this is worth scaring them.”

“Lord Kamisato, we - “

“A clear oversight on my part. It seems that I haven’t done my duty as well as I would have liked.”

Ayato walks past the two men, stance and posture upright, determined, graceful. He approached you and carefully leans to capture your chin between his fingers, tilting it ever so slightly to meld his lips lovingly against your own.

Pulling back slowly and softly, a satisfied hum reverberating upon seeing your shocked and confused expression and sensing the two men still present behind him, Ayato gives them a pointed look.

“My duty is to protect those closest to me. If either of you approach them again, it will be your last.”

“You can’t possibly threaten us, that wouldn’t be a good look for you, Commissioner - “

“Ah,” Ayato grinned, “the two of you look familiar. I believe… yes. You two have committed numerous acts against the Tri-Commission in the past through petty games - namely tax evasion. I protect Inazuma and therefore, you two have disrespected the Raiden Shogun by neglecting your citizen’s duty. You understand the consequences of directly harming a Tri-Commission member,” he motions to you, as you were his and thus affiliated with the Yashiro Commision, “Perhaps that is enough cause to, eloquently put, stay quiet?”

That was enough to send the two into a flurry of apologies, profusely bowing before they ran out of the alleyway with their tails beneath their legs.

Ayato gave a soft smile, turning back to you and trapping you between the wall and him with his arm next to your head.

“Now, where were we?”

fill my inbox ❣️

- fuck, marry, kill - would you rather - make me choose between two things - send me song & movie recs - ask me for advice - tell me about your day - talk to me about makeup - confess something to me on anon - ask me questions to get to know me - ask me about my fave things - ask for a blog rate - tell me what you think about my blog - srsly anything !!!! just don’t be a perve

Don’t trust people who aren’t out of breath by walking up the stairs in their school

amusing beginnings.

premise: the dramatic prelude of a tale spun by the workings of fate, weaved with strings of scarlet linking futures untold. this is a story of innocence, of unforeseen encounters offering no clue of a romance that will blossom much, much later — this is how you begin together, yet there is no telling if there will ever be a proper conclusion for the prose you call love.

or, plainly speaking, a series of meet-cute scenarios i am far too lazy dedicating individual fics for. i just wanted to sound smart about it.

includes: xiao & itto !

xiao, a friend from an mmo game

moving to a different town and entering a new school in the middle of the year... are inconvenient. friend groups within the class had already been established, and badgering your seatmate to put up with your presence during lunch break or free time outside of lessons when you just don't click together as friends doesn't sound very appealing.

it doesn't help that you aren't extroverted, bumbling and awkward as you try to interact with others more. but if you don't want to feel like a loser for the entire year, you'd have to exert some effort to make friends.

so when you hear about a multiplayer game everyone's been raving about, you thought that was your chance to fit in — after all, if you had common interests with your classmates, couldn't you invite them to play together or something?

thus, you download the game, lament the astronomical numbers of space it took up in your storage, and experiment with the controls until you get more familiar with them.

except some high-leveled assholes who have nothing better to do keep killing your poor level 1 in-game character, armed with a dull sword, starter equipment, and flimsy armor that had no way to defend against level 41 fire blasts, and wait until you respawn to do it all over again. with this hindering your progress, you couldn't complete the main quest in order to advance to the next area.

they taunt you in the world chat, too obnoxiously prideful for someone miserable enough to pick on amateurs, and that's when he appears:

geared in what looks like expensive armor, equipped with rare weapons retrieved from the highest difficulty of dungeons, his name written in bright front and his level, 174, just above it. alatus, his ID reads.

it takes him no more than one move to wipe them all out.

what are you doing? he types in the world chat. hurry up and go before they respawn.

thank you so much!!!!! you reply with a flurry of exclamation points and emotes, shocked that you'd run into someone so high leveled right off the bat. the other players in the server watching the spectacle seem to think he's intimidating and steered clear of him, making a wide circle around you.

though he told you to hurry up, he lingers by your side, almost like he's guarding you. he escorts you all the way until you finish the main quest, not speaking a word and only silently killing surrounding enemies too high for your level.

you wonder if it would be too cheeky of you to send a friend request; he's one of the best in the server, boasting all kinds of achievements and artifacts in his player profile. why would he be interested in befriending a newbie like you?

you're terrible at this, he sends in the chat. this is the first i've seen anyone flubbing basic attacks. don't just press any button you see.

you cringe. his words are harsh but truthful. you kept pressing the wrong buttons to dodge and always receive the brunt of the attacks.

however, you pause when a notification flashes on your screen: player alatus has sent you a friend request! accept or decline?

jolting, you scramble to click accept, lest he take it back last minute. can he even do that? whatever. following that is a present from a friend sent to your mailbox, a pair of level 50 dual blades and defensive armor. they pale in comparison to his current gear, but they're plenty powerful for normal players, especially for an amateur who barely just reached level 7 after grinding some missions (and with help).

old equipment. needed to clear out my inventory, he adds, as if he doesn't want you to get the wrong idea.

you've lost track for the amount of times you've thanked him in the past hour or so, and you try to send more exclamation points and different emotes so you wouldn't appear like a broken record. though i appreciate everything, can i ask you why you're helping a new player like me? you ask tentatively, eager to hear his answer.

there isn't much else you can do at this level. that's all there is to it. and you were pitiful.

...kind of pretentious, but okay...

can i play with you again some other time? you type before the thought of wanting to do so even registers in your mind. not just so you can help me. it's been really fun spending time with you!!!

three minutes of silence pass. your confidence to reach out and make friends shriveled up and died.

sure.

then, later, i usually play at evening or at midnight. our schedules might not line up.

there's no problem! i stay up most nights, too!

then i'll see you some other time. i'm logging off.

relief crashes over you, only dwindling when alatus has gone offline. he was fine with being friends... and promised to play together again in the future... well, maybe not promise, but something like it, and that's enough.

--

the months fly by, and opposed to your prior concerns, you fit in class just fine. playing the mmo game to have a common interest with your classmates was the right move, and it had opened ways for you to connect with others more through other similar hobbies.

but even after you achieved your goal, you didn't drop the game. you're not the most avid player, but you grind dungeons a normal amount, clearing time-limited events if you find them entertaining enough.

it's mostly just to spend time with alatus, though.

alatus, or xiao as you later learned after you exchanged your real names, is quite the charmer. not that you've ever seen his face; he is just... cute, in general. he appears gruff and intimidating, but really, he's an awkward guy who can't act soft because it's “undignified.”

you think he is sweet and kind, though you'll never say it to his face since it'll only make him feel embarrassed. not only does he come to save you each time you tell him you're having a hard time defeating a boss in your private chat, and he gives away precious weaponry and potions to you exclusively as if any other player wouldn't willingly hand over all their gold just to get a piece of it, he makes a great listener.

you have a bad habit of rambling and getting immersed in your thoughts at late hours of the night. you speak of your insecurities, your weaknesses, your fears, and he listens even if he doesn't type a reply all throughout your flood of messages. he keeps his response concise, but they're thoughtful advice, ones that you take into heart. he's a comforting figure, regardless of being a stranger behind a screen.

sometimes, you like to think you're sorta the same for him. xiao isn't as straightforward as you when he wants company, but he asks if you can stay online longer than usual, just to talk or to do the more relaxing tasks in the game. he trusts you to an extent, enough to offer exchanging real names at least.

enough to ask you to marry him.

your in-game character, of course! what else could that possibly mean?! okay, so you may have nearly fallen out of your chair in shock when he sent you a marriage proposal through chat of all things, but that's all it means! nothing more!

there was a couples-exclusive event dungeon, and the loot was desirable. some beautiful skins for pure cosmetic, and also a power-enhancing ring that you couldn't find anywhere else. xiao, the game nerd that he is, couldn't pass it up.

so yeah. technically, you can say you married him.

it was a hot topic at some point. alatus was one of the best players in the server, notorious for his aversion to cooperating with others, and he hadn't married anyone despite all the rewards you could reap with the marriage function.

then there's you, level 47, not especially skilled in anything, not especially appealing in your character's outward appearance, and not especially... notable. the very meaning of an average player, so to speak. he specifically chose you, but nobody could understand why.

well. whatever. the marriage is old news already. the present hottest news is the huge gaming convention to come in two weeks. fans are hyping it up and you'd be lying if you said you weren't excited too. in fact, your friends already made plans with you to come on a weekend.

when you talk to xiao about it, there's a rare moment of hesitance before he types out a reply, almost like the times where he gets nervous before asking you a favor.

are you going too? you ask, grinning to yourself.

yeah, he answers back. a minute and a half of silence.

then, startlingly, do you want to meet up?

you've always doubted the feasibility of choking on air before, but after experiencing it firsthand, you learn that anything really is possible. including meeting the elusive guy you've had a massive crush on, no matter how unlikely it seemed.

--

you are severely late.

but! for good reason! you'd hate to look like a hobo, so you made sure to dress nicely! ...maybe too nicely for a gaming convention where everyone will be sweaty and icky, but better prepared than sorry!

somehow, i'm not even surprised, reads xiao's text — yes! you exchanged numbers! — and you can picture him scoffing at the other end. don't rush and trip in the middle of running. i'm not going anywhere.

you ignore the way your heart skips a beat at that and focus on getting there safely. he said to do just that, after all. but while waiting at the crosswalk, you wonder what xiao really looks like... would he be tall and scary? or unexpectedly soft and cute?

in all honesty, you should've sent pictures of yourselves to identify each other easier at the venue, but against your better judgment, you suggested only describing your attire and keeping your appearances a secret because the mystery is “fun” and it'd be nicer to see each other for the first time face to face. (you've only been trying to prolong your inevitable death, because whatever he looks like, you're bound to fall deeper anyway.)

i'm here, you text to him, beginning to anxiously look around your surroundings. he said to meet up at the entrance, and there are more people than you expected...

i'll find you. stay by the first advertisement banner at the front.

alright!

you bite your lip, clammy hands holding your phone tightly. you're a lot more nervous than you thought you would be. did you look okay? you've asked your friends over and over again if you looked presentable, enough times to annoy them, probably. you styled your hair differently too... you wonder if it looks weird. xiao said he would be wearing a green jacket and dark pants, and he had piercings in his ear, and then you can't remember what else because oh my god, what does xiao look like with piercings in his ear.

you snap out of your thoughts when a path opens up in front of you. first, there are disgruntled noises from people being pushed away, then they disappear like wisps of smoke the second after. quiet gasps of surprise come from the group of girls nearby, and if you had to guess, it would likely be a good-looking cosplayer passing by.

the figure stops in front of you, sneakers in your line of sight where you stare blankly at the floor. slowly, your eyes rake up — dark fitting jeans, a trail of silver chains disappearing under the hem of a green jacket, a white shirt printed with dragons...

you're reluctant to glance anywhere higher above the line of his neck.

“[name]?”

fuck.

it's him.

you take a deep breath, squeezing your eyes shut. then you look up, properly.

you see golden eyes, specks of stars glittering in his irises.

his skin is pale, pink from the warm sun. his lips are pink too, a traitorous part of your mind marvels, slightly parted in surprise and shaped around an o. his hair is dark, tied up into a messy ponytail, sharp tips dyed in teal poking his cheek, framing the sides of his face.

oh no. he's hot.

he is so hot.

and he's staring at you.

“x... xiao?” your voice comes out strangled. embarrassingly. oh god. you are so fucked.

his face grows redder, and he scratches his cheek. “...that's me.”

silence.

you have to say something.

“do you... want to go outside?” he coughs into a fist. “the event has already started.”

“uh, yeah! sure! of course!” you ramble, walking past him in the hopes you wouldn't make a bigger fool of yourself. your face looks weird, surely. “i can't wait to see the cosplayers! they're also announcing a new chapter for the main story today, aren't th-”

“wait.”

he catches your wrist. you stop breathing, at risk of choking on air again.

“it's crowded.” his hand curls tighter. oh no. “don't get lost.”

“i won't, what are you talking about?” you laugh awkwardly. seeing him, hearing him, touching him, is such a strange thing.

“i wouldn't be surprised if you did.” his fingers dip lower, fitting in the spaces within yours. properly holding your hand. oh. oh. “so don't wander off without me.”

“yeah.” you're positively breathless. “yeah. i won't.”

he squeezes your hand. you're not looking at him directly, but you see him tilting his head at the corner of your eye. “...no complaints about this?”

“none at all.”

“okay.” he squeezes again. carefully, tenderly. his palms are sweaty. at least that tells you you're not the only one nervous. “if you say so.”

itto, a delinquent in the downpour

arataki itto is an idiot.

an idiot who keeps picking fights with people he can't beat, and kujou sara tells him off for it. an idiot who grabs the last piece of fried chicken on the table, agrees to thoma's proposal for a battle of rock-paper-scissors to get it, only for itto to lose each time. an idiot who bets on his entire deck of trading cards in his beetle fights, never truly realizing the risk until he'd already lost everything to kamisato ayato.

but arataki itto doesn't regret.

he doesn't regret trying to beat kujou sara even if it's his loss in the end, because she doesn't look down on him for losing and his friends are always there to patch him up. he doesn't regret doing rock-paper-scissors with thoma, because thoma would end up sharing the piece of chicken anyway. he doesn't regret betting on his deck, because ayato is never greedy, and he will always, always give it back to itto and tell him to try better next time.

arataki itto doesn't regret it this time either, even if he doesn't gain anything. even when he's battered and bruised, drenched in the rain, slumped against a wall in the middle of a dark alley. even when the boy he just saved from money-grubbing hooligans didn't spare him another look nor gave him any word of thanks, left him to fend for himself when the men's hostility had already been directed at him. never called for help, either, just allowed him to be outnumbered in a fight, and as strong itto is, there's no way he can beat five bulky guys on his own.

he doesn't regret, but it stings a little.

his entire body prickles with hurt, but at the same time he's unfeeling, numb in the cold rain. his line of sight is getting blurry, too, blobs of color instead of people darting past, streetlights small bright spots like fireflies.

he tries to open his mouth to ask for help, but that stings too. a busted lip, maybe. his voice is feeble, silent in his own ears. it can't be heard over the pouring rain. he tries to sit up straighter, but the effort to nudge his shoulder back exhausts all his energy. he wants to reach out a hand at least, but before he can even try, his body won't listen to him. his eyes close against his wishes.

he knows for sure he isn't too deep in the alley. can't anybody see him? or are they deliberately ignoring him because they don't want trouble? there's nothing wrong with that, really. not everyone has the time to help, or the bravery to approach a big guy covered in wounds. he understands. but he still hopes anyway.

ah, it's cold. the brick wall behind him is rough. his clothes are uncomfortable, sticking to his skin like this.

he forces his eyes open. there, he sees a pair of shoes, forming ripples across puddles when they step closer.

they halt.

they turn the opposite direction.

they leave him alone.

(he doesn't notice the umbrella they leave behind.)

--

he wakes up to someone patting his cheek. someone is speaking, but everything is muddled. it's still cold, and his back is still resting against the brick wall. but there's no rain anymore, only the pitter-patter sound when it hit the pavement.

he wonders how long he'd been shielded away from it.

“...llo... can... stand...”

stand. do they want him to stand? he's afraid that's too much to ask for.

the rain covers him again, icy drops falling on his skin. warmth overlaps with the frost, grabbing his arm, curling it around... something. he's being lifted up. not very effectively, but they're trying.

so he tries his best too. shifting his weight, blinking his eyes open, staying awake. they take him somewhere. it's dry, and when they push him over, it's to a plush seat. they don't complain when he leans his head on their shoulder, possibly soaking their clothes with his wet hair. he has to apologize, but sleep overtakes him.

itto doesn't remember much after that. just a hand on his forehead for some time, parts of his body wiped and wrapped in gauze. a blanket tucked carefully around him, fingertips brushing by his shoulders before they leave.

--

when he fully comes to, the first thing that registers to his mind is a room full of white. white sheets, white ceilings, white curtains. then a head of blue hair, standing by the window.

“oh, you're awake!” ayato exclaims, beyond relieved. “i was surprised when i picked up your call and it was someone else speaking. good thing they rushed you to the hospital, huh?”

“someone took me here?” itto asks, sitting up. “where are they?”

“they took off after i arrived. said they were late to an interview because they had to stay here... ah. that must've meant they probably didn't get the job...” he murmurs, grimacing. “i should've asked for their number so we can thank them properly. no point trying to find them now, though.”

but itto saw them. not very clearly, but he remembers kind eyes glazed in worry, a shirt partly soaked through, and a silver star hanging from their necklace.

arataki itto was never especially smart, but if anything, he is stubborn, and if he put his mind to it, he can do anything.

--

“isn't there any part-time job out there that doesn't pay minimum wage?”

“what? you saving up for something?”

“summer vacation is coming, you know! vacation trips aren't going to pay for themselves,” you sigh, burying your face in your folded arms.

“it's not like you have a boyfriend to spend it with.”

“can't i go on a vacation with friends?”

“and who are these friends you speak of? everyone is dating somebody. they're probably too busy,” she retorts, looking envious. “even xiao has someone when all he does is play games everyday.”

you scrunch your nose. “damn those happy idiots...”

“that aside, i thought you found a good part-time job? you didn't get it?”

hearing that, you turn even gloomier. “i didn't tell you? i blew it. i came late on the interview, and that didn't make a very good first impression. plus i looked horrible from the rain.”

“hm. find a rich boyfriend, then.”

“like who...?”

“kamisato ayato from the other department?” your friend suggests, grinning. “he's good looking. his sister is pretty too, i saw them walking together once.”

you snort. “way out of my league. i'm better off not hoping.”

“don't be like that~ i heard he was going to attend the next mixer. thoma told me himself-”

the door to the lecture hall opens, interrupting your conversation. “is [name] here?” a voice queried, rough and a tad bit too loud.

“right he-”

your friend slaps a hand over your mouth frantically, turning you away from the door. “what are you doing?!”

“what?” you blink up at her, whispering, “he's asking for me, isn't he?”

“didn't you see who it was?” she hisses, shielding you from view. “arataki itto! the one who beat up a senior on his first day as a freshman, remember?!”

arataki itto?

doesn't ring a bell.

“come on, that's just a ridiculous rumor, isn't it?” you wave her off, laughing. “wasn't kazuha rumored to have a criminal record at some point? you should know better than to believe them. so don't worry and let go of me, i'm sure he's not-”

your eyes flit to his sharp eyes, gleaming with intent, and his muscular build that could probably crush your skull with a single hand.

“...going to kill me...” your voice trails of too a whisper, face paling in horror. “on second thought, please be my meat shield?”

“[n-name] is over there!” a terrified classmate points in your direction the moment itto turns to glance at him inquisitively. a snitch! a tattletale! you're never lending him your notes ever again. given that you live another day, that is.

“oh. thanks.”

how polite! thanking him for his contribution in your likely murder!

“wait wait wait, what does he want with me?!” you shrink further behind your friend, but there is no escape. he can see you peeking over her shoulder.

“shouldn't you know that?! did you piss him off or something?!”

“i don't know! i've never seen him before!” you cried. you really haven't! you swear you have nothing to do with him! you don't deal with people who look like trouble! sure you might have dragged a delinquent to the hospital a few weeks before, but he was unconscious and defenseless! he could barely stand! this guy can punt you off to mars!

“you're [name], right?” his eyes sparkle with recognition, just an arm's width away from you now. your friend, traitor that she is, silently moves away.

an involuntary squeak is punched out of your lungs. “y... yes, that's me,” you respond meekly, attempting a wobbly smile. “did you need me for something?”

itto clears his throat, expression similar to that of a constipated man's. “well... that is... i was... how do i say this...”

the deafening silence stretches for what seems like hours. the back of your neck prickles at the attention, everyone's eyes focused solely on the pair of you. you can't read him at all. what kind of offense did you do that he had to come to you like this?

“ah, dang it, 'm not good at things like this...” he grumbles, scratching his head.

eh? what is he not good at? public execution? no, no, he wouldn't go that far right?

“so, what i'm trying to say is-!”

he flails about, thrusting out the hands he'd been hiding behind his back. a bouquet of pink roses, delicate and small, is curled within his grasp. your eyes widen, taken aback, turning even wider when you see the way his cheeks redden, entire face aflame, fingers trembling nervously. his face, pinched tight with restless energy, is nothing but earnest and sincere.

“i admire you a lot! i...” he takes an intake of breath. “i would like to court you!”

and, ever so eloquently, you respond with, “wuh?”

First time?

um .

hello, fellow omi-omi stan! buttt I'm afraid I'm here to ask for a genshin fic hehe

if you do multiple characters, what do you think of diluc + kaeya + zhongli + childe finding their s/o dead after defending their child? the kid is alright, but the s/o, unfortunately, isn't.

the heartstrings need a good tugging today I think. wonderful work with your fics btw ✨

loved, and loved, and lost you

a/n: oh MY i've been looking forward to doing this ask, HI OMI NATION HI, and i hope you enjoy the hurt i'm about to offer. tbh i don’t like how this turned out at all but oh well-

plot: the character finds the reader dead after protecting their kid

contains: diluc, kaeya, tartaglia

warnings: children (i know some of you hate that) death, mentions of violence, blood, traumatic experiences, self-blaming, panicking proceed only if you're comfortable with the topics!

tartaglia

even though he had been introduced to a big family at the very start of his life, and never imagine his own adult life any different, from a very young age tartaglia had his doubts about eventually becoming a father.

obviously, he had wanted that, and always had known he wouldn't feel as accomplished without it. his mindset, however, was doubted in his second year serving the tsaritsa. he was merely an agent, a damn good one, but still no more than a little agent, seemingly unrecognizable. still, as he watched one of the "enemies of state"' he was sent to kill die beneath him, the guy, coughing blood and staining the teenager's brand new uniform, muttered a sentence that was to be forever engraved inside ajax's, or later tartaglia's brain.

"tonia" the guy said, smiling, even in the face of inevitable death. the boy's glance turned from disgusted to fierce as he rapidly turned his attention to the dying figure at the sound of his beloved sister's name, sister's who was merely a little girl at the time, not even ten. "oh, so my research had been correct" the guy smiled "you better keep a close eye on her if you decided to do me like this. there will be consequences."

ultimately nothing bad happened to tonia, but it was enough to send the young fatui agent's head into overdrive, fear not leaving him for months, moral of the story overshadowing on all his future life plans.

that's when he decided, there was no family to even consider starting until he had left the fatui, and snezhnaya too, if possible. and even then, he still wasn't sure if he'd be able to put both his future spouse and the kid, or kids, in that kind of danger, how bad would that make him, right?

you, your smiles and reassurance, your lighthearted approach, your charm, all that fouled him into believing his teenage nightmares were nothing more than just that, into feeling safe, like the danger was no longer there. like there was no one on his back.

so there he was, a fatui harbinger, recognizable, feared and loathed by far too many far too powerful people. with a family.

there he was,

"my lord?" a quiet, almost frightened voice was heard throughout his cold office.

"more courage, or i might not hear" he joked, still not lifting his gaze from the papers he had yet to fill through, a young mage from his own squad approaching him with a device.

"it's about the security cameras you had installed back at your house" she mumbled, startled by how fast he had turned around. he reached out a hand, urging her to pass him the screen.

the video was blurry, and in a very bad quality, but he still could make out the three figures standing in his living room - one, he didn't recognize, presumably a man, tall and with a covered face, two - obviously you, three - your daughter on the floor, hiding behind the table leg. he could feel the blood in his veins speeding up like almost never, visibly distressed by what he was watching.

"what the fu-" he wanted to say, but was interrupted by a voice from the video.

"send lord tartaglia my best regards" the deep voice stated, before his arm swayed forward, and just like that, your body fell to the floor with a dull thump.

everyone present in the office felt shivers run down their spines, watching closely as childe's eyes widened in shock, some could swear tiny little electric sparks escaped his tight grip on the device, before he threw it across the table, leaving in a hurry, not even bothering to throw his coat on.

he raced his way to the house, ignoring the burn in his chest, and vision blurrying with tears immediately after he wiped them away.

no.

no!

this wasn't happening, it was for sure a cruel prank, either scaramouche's or dottore's, both of these lazy bastards would for sure be able to come up with a plan as twisted. there was no other option.

no, he refused to believe this. he was so cautious! for once in his life, he cared about security guidelines and procedures, he went to incredible distances to hide whatever personal information of yours might've been leaked somewhere. hell, he even accepted all your fights and tantrums over how secretive and stressed he was. all of it, he did.

hence, there was no way that he would actually see what he saw on the tape when walking through the-

the first thing he heard was a string of faint "wake up" 's coming from a throat soared by screaming. the next - choked up cries, sentences slurred beyond recognition.

he leaned against the doorframe, feeling blood rushing away from his head at the sight before him.

he wanted to scream, too, he wanted to run out and find whoever did this, whoever forever stained his home with blood of the one, the only one he truly loved. he wanted to burn the world to the ground, with all those bastards along, doesn't matter who did it. everyone who ever dared even turn a bad eye on him deserved to be slayed by the wrath of his blades, everyone deserved to face justice-

that was all that filled his mind, up until his terrified gaze locked with the one of his only daughter. her huge eyes were red and glossy, and her hands shook, stained with crimson red blood.

"hey" he attempted to calm his voice, kneeling down to her level. "hey, hey, hey, don't look there, look at me" he pleaded, his hands moving to lock her face from looking over at you.

"they're not- they're- they're not-" she struggled to say over the tears, and he nodded.

"no, forget that, everything is fine, we're fine. don't be scared, princess" he urgently hugged her, for he didn't want her to see the tears gathering in his eyes. "shh, you're safe, you're safe now."

he used the moment when she was forced to face away from you to grab your cold wrist with his hand, fingers moving to find pulse, but he couldn't.

he barely managed to stop yet another scream from coming out, piercing pain stabbing his heart further than any dagger. his own hands began shaking as he began truly realizing what happened.

he had hoped to sense a slight pumping of blood through your veins, he hoped there was still a chance, but the cold of your skin painfully reminded him that he came in too late. he failed. he failed, but why was it you who suffered the consequences?

his panic spiral was once again interrupted by his daughter who began to struggle to catch her breath over sobs.

"princess" he called out to her "you won't be able to breathe if you don't relax. come on, i'll do it with you. ready?"

he began slowly walking her through her obvious panicking, an encouraging smile never leaving his lips, though dispair and hatred seeped through his eyes, showing his wrath more evidently that words ever could.

"i- i don't know what happened-" she finally managed to say, him nodding along.

"it's okay. it's not your fault, sunshine, don't worry about it. let's- let's think about something else, okay? something happy? what always makes my little princess happy, hm?"

"i- there was a, a man, but- it’s so blurry-"

"baby, that man's gone, don’t worry about him no more” tartaglia forced out his most reassuring smile, even though all he felt was anger and pain, praying his daughter won’t notice.

all he wanted was to temporarily make her feel safe again, but the talent to deal with kids, the talent he was born with, basically, seemed to be nowhere in sight as he struggled to find the right words to explain the situation.

the girl then leaned forward to hide her face in his red scarf, a thing she used to do a lot whenever she was nervous or scared.

“you’re safe, sunshine, daddy’s got you now, okay?” he could feel his voice beginning to crack, but kept going, hoping he would last just one more moment. “my brave little girl. the bravest they make” his fingers played with the girl’s thin hair, the other hand running up and down her back in soothing motions.

from where they were sitting now, he could clearly look over at the floor, and see you. tartaglia was a man used to both death, blood, and violence, but for the first time in forever, he felt his stomach do flips at the sight.

how was it possible? how could he keep promising that little innocent girl that he’s gonna protect her, if he didn’t even succeed at protecting you?

his body shook and threatened to give out as he covered the girl’s eyes, scooping her in his arms and taking over to her aunt’s, where she would be safe and sound as he made sure everyone responsible payed a good price for ever messing with his family.

first, though, he had to return home, or more likely, his house, since no place was a home without you in it, and take care of, well, the scene. but without someone to soothe, without having to be strong for someone, being all alone with you and his thoughts, he couldn’t even collect himself enough to pick you up.

he fell down to his knees the moment he entered the living room, hand curled in a fist, and resting on your still chest, sobs escaping his throat at an uncontrollable pace.

“i’m sorry” he first whispered, and kept repeating until it became a scream. “fuck, love, i’m so sorry”

what was sorry gonna do for you now, he thought, all he ever did was apologize. it was all the fault of his stupidity and naiveness, how could he ever be so blind?

his back leaned against the wall as he cradled your body closer to him, hugging you the tightest he could, as if that was gonna bring you back to him.

what was even the point in becoming stronger, if no power he had was able to stop this? you fraud, he told himself, you’re still the same scared, sheepish little boy, you haven’t change a bit. you’re still as useless and still as weak.

and here’s your price for that.

kaeya

this man had terrible experiences with family. his biological father only used him, and left him alone. kaeya didn’t even call him by that title in thoughts, he had lost the right to call himself his father the moment he left the poor boy outside of the dawn winery hoping for gods know what.

it took years to warm up and feel welcomed in the wonderful family that took him in, but the moment he started to feel comfortable considering master crepus his father, the man had died, and his biological son grew to despise kaeya’s guts.

the boy didn’t even feel like he deserved to have time to grieve over the traumatic incident, since he was nothing but a liar, and home-wrecker.

so naturally, he didn’t consider himself to be a good father material. how was he supposed to know what to do? what proof did he have that he wouldn’t be as shitty as his own father? that he wouldn’t run away like him? obviously he thought he would never do that, but what if it was just fated? running through the blood of his biological family?

he panicked when he found out he didn’t have a choice anymore, and was going to be a dad anyway. he wouldn’t show it, not to you, at least, but he had been terrified to the bone, up until the kid was born.

all it took for his doubts and fears to go away was for his firstborn son to mindlessly grab his finger when he was first laid in his arms.

love so unconditional and strong that he felt dizzy swept him off his feet, leaving him speechless and dumbfounded. after that he was sure, he would rather die than fuck up like his own father did.

and so his life went on peacefully, minor fights with diluc being the only thing disrupting his newly found peace. for once, he was certain he wouldn’t come home to a cold home, because now not only did he have you, his love and lifeline, but also a little walking bundle of joy, happy every time he’d see him.

so imagine his surprise when he was greeted with nothing but silence, the type that rings in your ears and creates an unsettling feeling in your stomach.

“darling?” he called out into the room “ya home yet?”

slowly and carefully he started to examine the place, looking for any sight of you, but every room he entered was painfully empty.

“baby?” he asked one more time, coming into your shared bedroom. you weren’t there, you also weren’t in the bathroom connected to the room, so he intended to leave and look some place else, but a small voice made him stop in his tracks.

“dad? is- is that you?” the whisper was coming from under the bed, and kaeya turned over his heels with a confused look.

if he’s home, you should be too, right?

he knelt on the floor and bent to look under his bed, to find an absolutely terrified figure of your son, holding his knees close to his chest.

“buddy?” kaeya chuckled “what on earth are you doing here?”

he offered the boy a hand, and pulled him out of his hiding place, settling him in his lap, fixing his hair.

“why’re ya home alone? were you grounded? now, be honest with me” he said with faux seriousness, a gentle smile lingering on his lips, but the boy just wrapped his arms around kaeya’s neck, quiet cries leaving his throat as he sniffled and mumbled something the man couldn’t quite get.

“hey, hey. easy now, whatever you did, i’m sure i can negotiate and get you out of trouble.”

“my room” the kid whispered “something came into my room. something not- not human”

kaeya stifled at the words.

the abyss order?

no, that couldn’t be. why would they strike at his family home? he was just another one of the knights. his office would be a far more attractive striking point.

right?

“buddy, we covered monsters from wardrobes and from under the bed already, they’re not real, remember? uncle aether was just scaring you that one time-“ he kept explaining in a soothing manner, up until he pushed the door open with his foot. “holy fuck” he whispered, unconsciously covering the little boy’s eyes. “listen, chief, be a good boy for me and wait right here, aight?”

with that, he put the kid down, and closed the door right before his eyes, forgetting about the danger that could still be present.

he only heard blood rushing through his veins and his heart beating out of his chest, and only thought of you.

he rushed to your side, hands gently patting your cheeks to wake you up.

“oi, come on, don’t pull this on me” he laughed almost historically “wake up, alright, prank’s over, you won”

he shook your body for a good minute, calling out for you and denying the fact that was already getting to him, until he finally realized - you weren’t breathing, there was no pulse, and the water that mixed with your blood on the floor indicated clearly who was responsible for this.

a strained sob came out of his throat, eyes roaming to notice one of his swords in your hand, fingers curled on the handle.

you were- you died-

protecting your son?

“i should’ve been there” he whispered to the room, eyes wide and set on nothing in particular “fuck, i should’ve saved the both of you, if only i-“

there was no if only. he wasn’t at the bar, he wasn’t bothering diluc for no reason, he wasn’t out with rosaria. he was just doing his job, he was working, like any other day.

it wasn’t anything he did that was at fault here. no mistake was made, the only reason for your death was

him?

he suddenly realized, the abyss order came here for a substitution for him. if he was no <savior> material, then they wanted to make one of his son. it made perfect sense.

the only thing you did to deserve this cruel fate was to choose him, out of the hundreds of men in mondstadt. your mistake was getting close to him.

he was dangerous just by caring about somebody. a walking bomb, ready to explode at any given moment.

how could he forget that? he didn’t need to leave his son to fail him. he only needed to be there.

the boy had opened the door.

“dad…?”

“i thought i specifically told you to wait outside?” kaeya turned around swiftly and glared art the kid, causing fear to settle into his eyes.

he immediately shook off the trans he was in.

“sorry kiddo, i didn’t mean to yell. i’m sorry, aight?” he reached a hand out to the child in a calming motion. “come on, let’s get you somewhere safe”

“i don’t wa-”

“it’s not up for discussion” kaeya summed up firmly, taking his son’s hand a little too harshly.

diluc

there was really no one better you could choose as the father of your kids rather than diluc. it’d be a blatant lie to say he was a natural, but he had a gentle soul, hands as delicate, and a heart bigger than the entirety of mondstadt combined.

the arrival of your daughter onto this world was the happiest day of his life. she was like a whole new sun for him, shining on his days and chasing the clouds away from his mind.

the huge mansion that was dawn winery suffered from silence for ages, since him and kaeya grew up, and you and her brought the light it needed back into the building’s long forgotten corridors, laughter into it’s ballrooms and filling for its empty spaces. he could swear even the grapes grew better with the both of you around.

he was focused on making a rather complicated drink, back at angel’s share, one for a show for his customers. as he poured liquor over the brim of the glass, explaining what he was doing out loud, his eyes shifted to a panting figure that just ran through the door, opening it with a loud slam.

a winery worker? he thought, surprised, and leaned over to hear what the guy wanted to whisper to him, not shifting his attention from the glass.

he only put down the bottle once he heard the bottom of the message.

“what do you mean treasure borders?” he said out loud, eyes wide, already excusing the clients, calling over another bartender. he grabbed his coat and was out the door.

upon arriving in the winery, he was greeted with many terrified looks, and people cleaning up mess created by an obvious attack.

“why the fuck is no one working around here?” he shouted, while walking towards the winery’s door. “how many of you all men are here? can’t you stand your ground when faced with a bunch of small criminals? if you’re really all this soft and mushy then maybe i should do some firing?”

diluc was a gentle soul, but as they say, is always the quiet ones who’s rage takes over the quickest.

“master diluc, i do sincerely apologize-“ the second-in-command of the winery, an old man, at that, started, but the red headed man just sent him a calming look.

“forget it. has anybody checked on my wife and spouse?” he asked, routinely, or so he thought, because the butler’s face went white, as he replied:

“aren’t they on a… on a trip?”

diluc’s eyes widened once more.

“no, no they’re not!” he raised his voice again, steps speeding up into a run upstairs, to where your rooms were. “love, are you both fi-“ he started, but no more words would come out.

in the middle of the floor sat his nearly ten year old daughter, your head laid on her lap, helpless whispers of begging for help filling the room. your weapon was lying somewhere near, but had been tossed aside rather thoughtlessly, and a lot of drawers around were opened, as if someone had been searching for gold, or other goods.

in a second he was near, checking pulse, breathing, trying desperately to help wake you up, as your daughter kept shaking her head, telling him she had already tried it all, her words falling onto deaf ears.

“wake up, wake up, wake the fuck up” he prayed and repeated like a mantra, his begging resulting it nothing at all.

“dad.” she tried to make him focus, but to no avail. “dad!” she yelled louder, his eyes locking with hers, and just like that,

he saw a younger version of himself inside her pain-filled gaze. he felt as if he travelled back in time, fifteen years, almost, and looked in the eye of the young and vengeful diluc ragnvindr, who’s sword had just been stained with the blood of his own father, emptiness being all that filled his mind, his eyes wandering in search for any solace, never to find anything of the sort. 

he saw his own anguish, his own pain, his own internal cry for help that never really came. but what would he say? he, an adult, at peace with his emotions, what would he say to a younger spirit in such need of both consolation and a way to let out the anger constantly rising in his gut? what were the right words he desired to hear all those years ago, and why did he suddenly not remember anything? 

how could he stop the trauma that he knew so damn well from infecting the heart and soul of his beloved daughter as well? 

he could feel himself failing in the archon-sent role of being a father, yet he didn’t know how to turn back from the road he was entering. he only knew to keep himself collected, so that she could panic all she wanted. but how could one be collected at the loss of his one and only love, his whole life? 

“hey” he whispered, grabbing the girl’s hand. his thumb stroked her skin gently, as he sighed, regaining himself, moving over to check up on her. “are you hurt?” 

was a good start.

if you enjoyed this, you might want to look into five more minutes as well

daily reminder that requests are open [here]

[1863]

They were standing out in the blood rain for a while…maybe clean up a little

(ft. my patented 1863 KDJ carefully Not losing his cool expression)

i love eatting dick anws ITS UR FAV POOPY DOOPY SHIT CAN I HAVE ANGST WITH US SEEING CHILDE CHEATING ON US WITH THE BIG MAN ZHONGLI if thats chill with u bro man

ZHONGCHI NOW?! WHAG (yea i'll try ig after i finished my ducking ahh wip)