Genshin Impact X Reader - Blog Posts

scaramouche being all huffy and "it's not like i like you or anything" is honestly kind of adorable (if you can ignore everything else about him lmao)

i wonder what would happen if darling accidentally let it slip that they think that? would he get angry, assuming he's being mocked? or would he get flustered after hearing that darling thinks he's cute?

personally, i think he'd start to get angry before the words process in his mind. then he probably turns red and replays the scene in his mind for the next few centuries

oh, he'd most definitely start voicing his dissent in very colorful terms.

adorable... the audacity of you. do you see these hands of his? do you know how many lives they have ended? how many they'll continue to take? not so adorable now, is he? ... right? please say yes. he wants to be taken seriously. he's starting to wonder if perhaps you've forgotten who you're dealing with, that maybe he's let you speak a little too freely. none of his admonition really sticks with you. you just wait for him to go through with his monologue and move onto the next thing.

it'd be a blow to his pride, undoubtedly. he has an image to maintain! you inadvertently condemned any fatui guards that may have been in the vicinity. they probably started perspiring aggressively the second the words left your lips. well, at least their families will get a generous payout from the tsaritsa for dying in the line of duty. what a dumb way to go though.

later that night, when the dust has settled and he's done stomping around, it'll hit him. hold on. wait just a moment. that was... a compliment, right? you complimented him? huh. well. in that case, he supposes he can forgive your transgression, just this once. his face is warmer than the inazuman sun come june.

consider yourself fortunate.

secret relationships with them. includes xiao, albedo, cyno, childe. gn!reader. modern au! slight college au?. no warnings. wc: 1,428 . semi proof-read.

xiao — [✧]

despite being in the same circle of friends, no one has seen you and xiao interacting outside hangouts. no one has seen you two talking for at least five minutes, either one of you always talking to someone else. and so, no one would think you two are close, right?

in truth, your relationship with xiao was never meant to be a secret. if one were to ask either of you if you two were together, you two would answer the same thing: yes.

though both of you had never agreed to keep it under wraps from your friends, it just seemed as if it was a normal thing to do. you two were still friends, at least to others.

no one even notices the changes when xiao starts telling them that he'd drive you home, always shrugging his shoulders if they'd ask him to drive them home too.

often, on the weekend, when hutao proposes to meet up for lunch, you and xiao always come at the same time—and like always, you'd tell them you caught up to him in the parking lot.

he would sit beside you every time, only because there were no seats left, and hold your hand under the table. sometimes, he places his hand on your thigh, brushing his thumb over them as he talks to kazuha about something you have half the mind to listen to.

though you suppose you aren't hiding your relationship, you don't talk about xiao to hutao or yanfei. they'd never shut up about it, is what you say.

sometimes, when you're saying goodbye to everyone else, xiao waits for you by the corner, waiting for everyone to leave. he'd hold your hand more freely in the car, placing his lips on your hand as he murmurs a small i love you.

because your relationship isn't in the open, xiao is always frowning whenever yanfei brings up another man's name, telling you that you just have to meet him.

still, even if you and xiao sometimes decide on telling them that you have been together for months now, you two find it amusing whenever they seem so clueless. maybe for a few more months, you'd keep it a secret.

albedo —[✧]

keeping everything a secret was more of an agreement made by you. initially, you were afraid of what others would say. you had made such a fuss about not falling for him—because god, albedo was always competing with you in everything.

at first, albedo had pointed out that no one would be surprised should you tell everyone you two were together. they're already expecting it, he says.

but your relentless whining and pouts made albedo agree, only on the condition that you'd start talking to him more on campus.

and no one notices the way how albedo's gazes go from observing to loving. he wouldn't be able to count on his fingers how many times he had looked up from his laptop to find you laughing along with your friends.

if you ever made it to the lecture before him, albedo would tap three times on your table—i love you.

when you walk past him in the hallways, albedo brushes his fingers with yours, smiling lightly as he talks to aether about his new findings.

you always end up in the same places for lunch, with you telling amber and eula that you want to eat in that specific place. eula wonders why albedo and his companions are everywhere you go.

no one notices the lingering stares and the suppressed smiles albedo sends your way. somehow, you are the only one who notices the subtle expression on his face, and he tells you it is meant for only you.

still, as the days pass and you begin to regret your decision on keeping it a secret, albedo would remind you of the consequences, humming as he'd hold you.

and once you finally had had enough of albedo continuing the agreement you both made, you'd come up to him once your classes end, and grab him by the hand.

you'd tug him along after, entwining your fingers with his as he lets out a small laugh, telling you that he found you cute.

cyno — [✧]

no one suspects cyno to be romantically entangled with someone, hell, it is a mutual agreement by those who know of him that he barely had any emotions other than that of discipline and justice.

no one suspects that it is you who had wormed the way into his heart, the stoic and straightforward cyno's object of affection.

even before you had met him, he was always an enigma to you. always hearing of him from your friends but never getting too close to meeting him.

and when you did meet him, he kept you at arm's length, always brushing you off; his serious personality almost pushed you away. hint: almost.

and similar to cyno pursuing individuals who had done something wrong, he would pursue you to the ends of the world, wanting to hold you behind closed doors.

every time without fail, cyno would wait outside your lecture hall, ready to reprimand you so that you'd come along with him. no one knows that he leads you home, your finger intertwined.

because many view cyno as crude, he has vowed to keep you safe from others, resorting to keeping you as someone who has constantly broken rules that he cannot overlook—it is only he and you know otherwise.

despite being seen as a threat to others, cyno often accompanies you at night when you need to submit requirements, talking to you laxly as if there is no other person in the world.

and really, even the people who he considers friends do not know the secret between the two of you, always hiding you from them so as to not let them know that he has one particular weakness.

and being his weakness, when there are no more lingering eyes of those who he considers enemies, cyno takes you in his arms, nuzzling his face by your neck as you'd laugh.

often, you sit across him from his desk, watching as his brows scrunch up, finishing whatever task he had left. he looks pretty, you say, and he simply hums.

and while cyno is eager to let others know you are his, he will have to put up with it for now, keeping you to himself within the shadows.

childe — [✧]

with childe, your relationship with him is more of a game. though both of you had initially agreed to tell everyone else that you were officially together, you had told him a small joke—one that you two laughed about the whole time.

who would confront the two of your first? would it be hutao? or would it be kaeya? maybe keqing if she was nosy?

childe was always touchy, even before the two of you began dating. no one questioned the back hugs, the holding of arms, or the constant poking of sides.

hiding your relationship with childe was easy, at least you thought so at first.

even when you are together with your friends, childe makes it a point to never linger for too long with you, either deciding to sit on the couch with kaeya or argue with xiao about god knows what.

when everyone is saying their goodbyes, childe simply waves at you, telling you that he'd see you next week—no one knows he'd wait a few meters away, watching to see if there is no one else but you who can see him.

and not once have you gushed to any of your friends about childe. you had not told anyone about him holding your hand in the car or him zipping up your jacket.

as the days go by, you begin to grow annoyed at the game you had put yourself in. you were stuck in your own dilemma.

but once, keqing had told you that childe keeps looking your way. just when you had lost all hope—ready to admit to everyone that yes, we are indeed together!—keqing comes to the rescue.

xiao follows after, scoffing that childe has not kept his eyes off your for the past hour. then, you remember that childe had taken one too many drinks for the night.

and not even a minute later, childe is announcing his love and adoration for you. always a lightweight in alcohol, you'd watch as he stumbles towards you, laughing.

at least now the game is over, and no one had won.

NOTES this originally had kazuha in it but i couldn't write him bc i really couldn't envision it in him HSAHHASHS might be my last post for a while as i'm running for honors and i really have to focus on that

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ᵔᴗᵔ . . 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗳𝗮𝗿 !

ᴖ.ᴖ . . fem! reader ⁝ wc. 1.2k ⁝ reblog

𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗲 [𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗿]

“if only you can talk…” you crouch on the ground to pet your cat. it watches you curiously. tilting its head, it meows back at you.

come as no surprise, you find a lone lavender melon waiting on your kitchen window sill. inspecting the fruit in hand, you note that it was a day early from growing ripe. whoever left it must’ve factored in the timeframe of when you’d stumble upon it.

it previously bewildered you to see them appear without fail considering it was situated on your moody companion’s claimed surface area. you were thoroughly impressed to see that you had yet to be faced with complaints of a cat attack. after all, it was rather protective of you and your home.

members of the village know what an enormous grump it is; even hissing at greetings or coos from kind strangers.

today ultimately marks the nth moment you received a little present from your supposed ‘admirer.’ frankly speaking, you beg to differ. why would an admirer leave fruit instead of flowers? it made no sense. you’re more likely to believe that it’s simply a good samaritan and nothing more.

you tried to actively gather information from your neighbors in the past. alas, it was all for naught. they couldn’t give you anything useful, it was too vague, stating he’s an unfamiliar face wandering the quaint village. placing the lavender melon in a water filled basin, you carefully wash it and place it in a bowl with other fruits you were waiting to ripen.

with that out of the way, you prepare for your travel to town. slipping on your boots, you sense the unwavering glower of your companion. you guess it wouldn’t hurt to bring it along with, you just window shopping for future purchases.

“fine… you can come along, little one,” you playfully sigh, as you boop its nose.

the hike was a blur. your mind fully distracted with thoughts of your alleged shy admirer—who he was, what he looks like and his personality, and why he was doing this. you were immediately pulled away from your daydream after you take one step into the market.

the environment was bustling to the brim with chatters of a newcomer. it was a big deal for a small community like your village. the tiniest change received much attention. and although you couldn’t discern their murmurs, you were able to catch at least two words.

eccentric wanderer.

the rumblings grow louder, inevitably seizing your attention and forcing you to follow where it comes from. to your utter shock, your feline companion meanders right under your nose. it was rubbing itself against the leg of a young man in peculiar clothing. despite its scuffed fabric, you can still tell it was made from the finest cotton in inazuma.

nonetheless, that isn’t what you focused on. your stare falls on the lavender melons in his arms. when your gaze met his own, he visibly shrinks at the attention. the poor thing looks frightened, hiding behind the veil draped over his head. your pet cat continues to purr for his affection, which raised a few brows—including yours.

he didn’t loosen up until you offer him a small grin and wave his way. his eyes widen in childlike wonder at you before red colors the tips of his ears and the apples of his fair cheeks. in the softest voice you’ve ever heard, he says,

“it appears fate has called for us to finally meet.”

𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶 [𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗼𝘀]

since your younger years, you’ve heard tales about guardian angels from the elders of your community. they tell you that each being in this life has one of their own watching over them. truthfully, you didn’t believe them. you thought it was a load of rubbish. if it were true, then what do they make of those who perished for mondstadt’s freedom?

be that as it may, it didn’t stop their taunts. the sisters from the cathedral coo that you must’ve been looked after by the anemo archon himself! the less loony, but loony regardless, tease the wind sprite must be fond of you. the first three incidents they list can be passed off as coincidences in your eyes.

it first took place on a super windy day. your freshly washed laundry was swept off the clothes line to only heaven knows where, just to return neatly folded on your doorstep the next morning. the second time it happens, you were helping amber and the traveler decorate the main square of the city tor the windblume festival.

you stand on a ladder, as you mull over on how to fasten the flora banner to the building’s exterior when you accidentally lose your footing. gasps echo the area, preparing for the worst when a strong gust of wind passes, cradling you for a graceful landing. amber dashes to where you lay and fusses over you for any injuries.

aether, on the other hand, stays a foot behind you two while he waits for instructions. a breathless chuckle escapes your lips when it clicks in his mind who saved you.

and last but not least, possibly the most significant one and what had you second-guessing yourself, it plays out on your way home one evening after a day of running errands. you were walking on the grassy road outside of springvale when you hear a few hilichurls come near your direction. you can’t explain what occurs next without sounding like you’ve gone mad.

a gust of wind breezes past your figure, rustling the bushes distances away. it snatches the attention of the behemoths and earns you a window to flee. it was hereafter you start noting every unusual encounter. though, it was a senseless chat over a bottle of dandelion wine, a tiny remark from the town bard about your woes changed your mind.

“from your story, i’d say the anemo archon is greatly fond of you, miss,” venti slurs, then downs his nth swig of the night. the warm lighting of the tavern displays his inebriated state, highlighting the redness of his cheeks.

you’ve heard it one too many times. you would’ve scoffed at him if you weren’t sincerely piqued by what he had to say. it had you resting your arms on the table and leaning in to get a better look of his face. “the anemo archon?”

“hm...” he lazily nods his head along. “did you not know that he is still one with the wind? besides, it’s typical of barbatos to grow attached to his people. have you not heard of the stories? however… i have yet to hear a tale similar to yours.”

venti shrugs. “maybe the almighty god is endeared by a fair maiden like yourself.”

you didn’t reply.

you swallow the remainder of your drink before bidding him goodbye. deep down, you didn’t accept his answer. it made no sense at all! why would an archon fawn over a mortal? it sounds absurd. you make haste to return home and piece it together yourself.

without your knowledge, the subject of what’s been on your mind was overseeing your journey back. venti releases a big sigh of relief once he senses you set foot in your cottage safe and sound.

Wait wait wait wait wait wait that thing you said about leaving a lavish offering at the church while making direct eye contact with Venti to assert dominance gives allllll the brainrot… proposing to Venti by leaving a lavish offering to Barbatos at the church’s statue, complete with a ring in a box on top (let’s pretend that proposal rings are a thing they do in Teyvat and not just in select cultures in our universe). Just there in public, eye contact locked on Venti. I mean what’s he going to do?

-🫧

Sometimes I forget some people actually read my tags lol

But honestly it's so full of potential

Really just doing nice things in the name of Barbatos, knowing full well Venti's true identity, but he can't physically react or give off any indication that he appreciates it, appreciates you, because he's dead set on keeping the charade up

Just going up to him in the church when you both happen to be there and striking up a casual conversation about how much you adore and look up to the amazing Anemo Archon, going on and on about how thankful you are and how incredible he is, while Venti is having an increasingly hard time not turning completely red

He wants nothing more than to just pull you into an embrace, bury his face in your clothes, pull you directly out of the church into somewhere more private to show you exactly how much those teasing comments mean to him

It's just so much fun to give him affection and praise with him not able to do a single thing about it

Then the offering thing is an entirely different idea, wine and some Mora and a few more personal things that would only make sense to Venti (ok but imagine offering a cat plushy or something as he gives you a deadpan fighting back a smile look)

He'd probably complain to you later that you could have simply given the offerings to him personally (he's obviously going to sneak in to 'steal' them but that's not the point), you better not start giving the figure Barbatos more attention than our dear Venti, otherwise he might start thinking you're being performative

Now if you choose to actually propose that way there's no way he's keeping his composer, it's just not happening, whether he runs into your arms, tears in his eyes, repeating different forms of the word "yes" over and over, or if he has enough self restraint to pull you directly outside the church and do the exact same thing, is entirely based on how the day's going

You gonna get some confused looks either way tho, I mean you're literally offering a wedding ring to the alter of the Anemo Archon, is this some convoluted way of saying you want to become a nun? Then the reaction of the local alcoholic Bard, whose kinda infamous for performing 'blasphemous' songs about their holy God... Strange morning—

you can't tell me that venti doesn't LOVE putting his hands all over the object of his affection. he blames you, really - how can he not touch you when your body is so soft? his fingers look so pretty when they sink into your flesh to squeeze it with reverence, his cheeks flushing at the thought of how his fingers would look dug into either side of your hips.

[ he's relentless from the moment he first lays eyes on you. he sings you a tune, makes you smile, places his hand over yours as you're sat in the night air... and when he offers to walk you home, he'll make an excuse to lay against your arm, letting his eyes drift to your chest. he's tipsy, and you're so soft... he's already addicted.

days later, and it's like the bard is practically attached to your side. ]

venti is shameless about his desire for you in public. he'll squeeze your ass when you bend over, giggling when you whine that someone might see you. when he's tipsy, it's even worse - he'll mouth open kisses against your neck whilst his hands roam your chest, sighing about how soft you are.

(you were haunted by the sound of diluc awkwardly clearing his throat and suggesting venti had one too many when the bard had nearly mounted you after hugging you from behind one evening.)

you know that barbatos doesn't answer every prayer, but you do wonder what it means when your prayers are answered by a breeze that feels a little too deliberate in the way it dances across your skin.

it reminds you of how venti runs his fingers across your body. how curious.

He loves me, I love him not

Synopsis: When he tells you he loves you and you don't say it back. {So like forever ago I don't remember how long, there used to be this Tiktok trend where a person wouldn't say I love you back to their partner and film their reaction.} That's the idea behind this but it's not really a modern au. The boys aren't being filmed. You're just messing with them.

Disclaimer: No pronouns used/gender specified. Not a modern au just straight up fluffy stuff with a small amount of angst in Chongyun's part.

Characters: Aether, Chongyun, Tighnari, Venti, Scaramouche.

A/N: I want to write a new 5wirl post so bad but I also doubly realized how much I enjoy writing for Tighnari. So you guys will have to suffer till I get bored of him.

Venti

☆ He says he loves you so often that your reply has become second nature. So much so that you worry you might not be able to trick him like this.

☆ Yeah part of it was because he was the absolute cutest and sweetest boyfriend ever. But the far louder side of your brain nagged on about how you'd end up hurting his feelings.

☆ Though you pushed those worries aside and did it regardless. It was just a test of sorts after all: "I love you." He mumbled sweetly into your ear as the two of you sat side by side, feasting on apples and bread for breakfast.

☆ The words sat on the tip of your tongue, an equally affectionate reply replaying in your brain. "Mhm." You settled on.

☆ His head swiveled towards you so fast you could've sworn it'd disconnect from his body. Though it only took a glimpse of the corner of your eye for a small smile to stretch across his face.

☆ "Not feeling it this morning, Windblume?" His words so close to your ear cause the hairs against your neck to raise and you let a little shudder flow down your spine. "Or maybe you just feel like teasing."

☆ "Ven.." You cut off at the feeling of his lips on your cheek.

☆ "It's ok." He giggles "Though if you ever genuinely don't feel like saying it back, don't worry I understand."

☆ "I love you too, so much."

Tighnari

☆ Listen he rarely ever says these three words. Not because he doesn't feel as strongly for you as you do him or because he's heartless. He just doesn't want to overuse the phrase. He thinks it should mean something every time.

☆ And it's been a while since he last said it so at this moment he just stops, deadpanning in the doorway.

☆ No words to break the awkward tension just a full blown not blinking staring contest.

☆ "What?" You gaze back at him innocently

☆ "Don't play dumb, I believe I said something very romantic and heartfelt a moment ago."

☆ "Did you??" You continue to tease, pulling a confused expression for effect.

☆ And yeah sure you could spend the whole day trying not to let a grin slip as his unamused grimace gets darker. But of course you slip and say it back. Just be prepared for him to be the petty bastard he is and revoke kissing privileges later.

☆ What do you mean he's dodging your kisses? He's just busy right now. Guess you'll have to wait till he stops finding your annoyed huffs funny.

Aether

☆ He says it at least once every time he sees you for two reasons: One the constant fear that the next time he sees you will be the last. And two he's just naturally affectionate in that way.

☆ So yeah: this time when he says it and he's met with pure silence he's more than a little worried. He's not exactly looking at you right now. He's cleaning the last of the dishes in the sink, while you dust the living room only a few feet away.

☆ He ponders over whether or not you heard him or maybe in fact he just hadn't heard you. So he just repeats himself, waiting a bit anxiously for a reply. Though this time he notices the quick flinch of your shoulders and the way your cheeks puff only to relax a second later.

☆ Suddenly your little game is exposed. He dries his hands, walking up behind you quietly enough that you don't hear him coming.

☆ He soon enjoys the wriggle of your hips in his grasp as he pulls you off the table you'd been standing on. Gently he lowers you to the ground his kisses swiftly covering every inch of your face. A soft murmur of "I love you" pressed into every spot on your face until all you could do was breathlessly wheeze his name.

☆ Now you can't help but state the words back outright. Your beaming grin and adoring eyes giving you away before you could even utter it.

☆ But Aether's, Aether so of course neither of you are moving from that spot till he gets the appropriate amount of kisses and love you's back.

Chongyun

☆ Another one who doesn't say he loves you often but he knows what displaying those emotions can do to him plus he's a little shy. It's ok you live with it.

☆ Today had been sort of rare though. He'd been off the whole day, just meditating during the early morning and training until the sun had finally set.

☆ Unlike Xingqiu, you didn't play pranks on Chongyun. Actually you were the one who normally took care of him after Xingqiu's latest prank. But you felt a sort of playful mood arise. Perhaps not seeing your boyfriend today had stirred up some energy in you.

☆ He slipped into his side of the bed like he always did, reaching out to intertwine your hands. "Goodnight Name, I love you." He whispered

☆ "Goodnight, Yun." You shifted closer to him, eyelids drawing shut.

☆ You can feel every shift of the mattress as Chongyun wiggles about, hand holding yours a little tighter and then suddenly everything stills.

☆ You almost pretend to wake up but he takes the choice away, taping your shoulder.

☆ "Name, Did I upset you? You always say you love me back.." His eyes shift between each of yours as he nibbles the popsicle. (You honestly can't imagine where he got it from.)

☆ "Yun.."

☆ "Is it because I didn't spend the day with you? I probably should've have, shouldn't I.. I didn't mean to be a bad boyfriend.. I'm more accustomed to training on days off and-"

☆ And of course you have to kiss his cheek and talk him down because he won't stop worrying.

☆ "I'm so sorry Yun. And I do love you."

☆ The light pink dusting his cheeks makes the pang in your chest lighter as you pull the blankets up to cover you. (Not him cause heat.)

☆ "I am thankful you were just pranking me." He mutters into your collarbone. "But next time if you do can you just do it the way Xingqiu does instead?"

☆ If you love him at all you will never do that shit again.

Scaramouche

☆ He's surprisingly spontaneous with how infrequently he'll tell you he loves you. Someday's he'll say it when he first sees you and then again at night. Other days you won't hear the phrase uttered at all.

☆ To be fair It's always a little shocking to hear how easily those words come to him no matter how long the relationship has gone on for.

☆ He's just sort of laying in your lap when you decide to test him. His head cradled by your thighs. Your hands carding sections of his hair away from his closed eyes.

☆ A little sigh falls off his lips before those affectionate words fall off his lips. You opt for pure silence however. Keeping a blank expression as best as possible as his eyes soon fixate on you from his spread out angle.

☆ "Didn't you hear me?" He asks

☆ "Hmm?"

☆ His hand reaches up to take your wrist, "I said, I love you."

☆ "Ok, heard you loud and clear." You give him a thumbs up.

☆ You only get a split second view but his grimace is instantly noticeable. "You can be so annoying sometimes."

☆ "Scara wait!" You can't hide your giggles as you trot along behind him but he doesn't even bother to stop walking.

☆ Don't worry he's already accepted your apology. He just really hates your little pranks.

thinking about being apprentice to a tailor in mondstadt; perhaps with one with a sterling reputation, who deals with the elite, the powerful, and anyone who can afford to have their clothes tailored instead of simply making do and mend.

measuring up diluc’s inseam, when your master tells you to do that because he’s getting old and his hands are cramping, and how diluc’s cheeks flood red at it. carefully wrapping your tape measure about jean’s bust whilst she remains as stately and as self-assured as ever, though you can see her eyes look heavy and your gentle touches seem to make her want to fall asleep. feeling kaeya’s muscles flex beneath his loose shirt as you measure the span of his back and he chuckles and says ‘don’t be scared, sweetheart. you can get up close and personal with me, i don’t mind a bit’. fingers brushing lisa’s bare thigh over her stockings as you check a hem-line and you begin to get all flustered whilst she just smiles knowingly down at you.

ah. how often you find yourself wordless and embarassed. how much gossip you must pick up on. and how intimately you have grown to know certain details about people (kaeya asks for his trousers to cling tightly to his rear. diluc’s shirts need more give across the shoulders to allow for ease of movement wielding a claymore. lisa has a mole on her right breast that she prefers her neckline cover up. albedo’s shorts need to be let out in the crotch area, or they’re too tight for him there and he risks letting people see more of him than they should)–

꒰⚘݄꒱₊ 𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 ! · · · ♡

— pairings: heizou, kazuha, dottore, itto x f!reader

— warnings: hickeys (obviously), heizou is a little shit (affectionate), suggestive content but pretty tame tbh, kazuha is a tits man i said what i said, dottore is a little bit (lotta bit) of a sadist, minor bloodplay (?) in dottore’s part, itto also nicks you but it’s an accident this time. this is not proofread btw EL O ELLLLL

— synopsis: how different genshin men like to mark you up.

— notes: technically a part 2 to what i posted on my old blog (found here!). i hope u guys like this as much as i enjoyed writing it <3. i may or may not have started losing steam around itto’s part so if it seems a little lackluster compared to the others, thats probably why and im sorry &lt;/3 i’ll do him justice one day.

THIS IS AN 18+ BLOG! MINORS DNI, PLEASE AND THANK YOU. &lt;3

✧˚ · . SHIKANOIN HEIZOU. ༉‧₊˚.

→ heizou is a playful lover.

→ he adores marking you up to let the rest of inazuma know just who you belong to.

→ can and will feign ignorance when you go to complain about the MULTIPLE markings blooming along the smooth expanse of your neck and collar.

→ “h-heizou, c’mon, you know it’s hard covering these up…” you murmur, lacing a hand through his soft locks as he grins lopsidedly against your collar. he responds by nipping at your sensitive skin, pulling a yelp from you.

→ as a response, you tug his hair back a little and the little groan he lets out sends heat straight between your legs. he grins even wider at you.

→ oh, heizou knows the effect he has on you. he knows how to play you so expertly, as if he were a pianist playing a masterpiece at a recital.

→ “pretty girl, i don’t want you to cover them up,” he hums, cupping your face with a hand. he strokes his thumb lovingly over your cheek. “all of inazuma should know you’re mine. i can’t have other men looking at you, right?”

→ your face heats up at his possessive words, pressing your face closer to his hand as if it’ll hide your flustered state from him. if anything, it does the opposite. he giggles and presses wet, open-mouthed kisses up your neck before he claims your lips with his.

→ maybe you would indulge him a little bit. maybe you’d try a little less harder on covering up the numerous markings littering your neck.

✧˚ · . KAEDEHARA KAZUHA. ༉‧₊˚.

→ kazuha prefers to leave hickeys in places only you two will ever see.

→ he doesn’t need the world to know the two of you are together. the quiet whisper of affection between lovers is more than enough for him.

→ that, and he thinks that it is much more intimate to have markings only the two of you know of.

→ “zu, that- ah! that tickles!” you gasp as he sucks a mark right by your navel, hands gripping the plush flesh of your hips as he grins up at you.

→ he kisses a trail up to your exposed breasts, trailing his hands up higher as he stares up at you with intense crimson eyes.

→ “would you rather i kiss you up here?” he murmurs, planting his lips on the sensitive skin of your chest. he sucks a mark right above where your bra covers you up from him, feeling your chest rumble as you let out soft noises of pleasure.

→ all the noises you made was like music to his ears, his incentive to keep going. “may i?” he asks, tucking his fingers under the band of your bra. you nod your head, but he waits until you verbally say, “kazuha, please.”

→ with a melodic hum, he unhooks the garment with practiced ease and goes right back to making the song he loves to hear.

✧˚ · . IL DOTTORE. ༉‧₊˚.

→ dottore is precise with how he marks you up.

→ it makes him feral, seeing you lying there below him, submissive and pliant just for him. letting him play with you as he pleases.

→ loves watching hickeys bloom across your skin, teasingly nipping at ones already prominent and sore just to hear you yelp.

→ every twitch, every sound you make, it burns into his brain. how could he ever forget anything about his beautiful little pet? marking you up so nicely for the other fatui to see. after all, they must know you belong to him and him only.

→ most the time, he’s careful with how hard he bites. we wouldn’t want to hurt you too much, now do we?

→ but occasionally, there’s a nagging in the back of his mind, telling him to do it, do it, you just taste so delicious. and on days when you act out, or days where you get on his nerves, whether you’re aware of it or not—he decides a little bit of punishment is in order.

→ so he gives in and bites down on the juncture between your neck and shoulder, just hard enough to puncture your tender flesh with his canines, tearing a cry from your throat. his tongue laves over the wound immediately, his senses flooded with the copper tang of your blood. he grins maniacally up at you.

→ “it’s okay,” he soothes you in response to your teary eyes, pressing a kiss over the angered skin. “you know i would never do anything to actually harm you. it feels good now after all, doesn’t it, my pet?”

→ he knows that you’re clenching your thighs together. he knows that you’re a little bit of a masochist—he wouldn’t have it any other way. you were his perfect little darling pet.

✧˚ · . ARATAKI ITTO. ༉‧₊˚.

→ itto is another one of the playful lover types.

→ he’s a little worried he might nip you a little too hard with his teeth, but a little bit of reassurance from you goes a long way.

→ that, and there’s that feral oni urge that nags at him to mark you up so that everyone knows you’re his. of course, he loves it even more if you return the favor, letting you add to the many red markings that already adorn his skin.

→ the gang is never surprised when the two of you emerge from some dark alleyway with matching hickeys at this point.

→ “itto, itto, careful!” you gasp softly as his teeth leave pretty little indentions on the smooth skin of your shoulder, the man in question letting out a little yelp before kissing it quickly (and gently) in apology.

→ “sorry bunny, you just taste so sweet!” he mumbles, kissing your temple. you smile up at him with adoration in your eyes.

→ “s’ok, you know i’ve never minded,” you speak softly, combing a hand through his unruly hair. his chest rumbles with what suspiciously sounds like a purr. you grin widely.

→ with the amount of times he’s accidentally pricked your skin, you’re used to it by now. you would even dare venture to say that maybe it felt good. just a little bit.

→ he hefts you up in his arms suddenly and you let out a squeal of surprise, your legs locking around his waist as his hands cup your ass. you drape your arms over his big shoulders as he grins at you.

→ itto also happened to be an insatiable lover—it must’ve been the oni blood in him. you were in for a long night.

© rinneverse (2022). rbs and interactions are super appreciated !!

·:¨༺     𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮.    ༻¨:·.

— characters:  xiao, albedo, tartaglia, diluc

— warnings: suggestive, biting, i got a little sappy on childe’s sorry, also got carried away on dilucs (sorry again), hickeys galore! MINORS DNI!

— notes:  my debut piece for this blog >:) hehe i hope u guys enjoy it <3

꒰ ★ ꒱ XIAO.

→ i’d like to think he has little fangs—they prick your skin in the best way possible.

→ and at first, he was afraid of hurting you.

→ but with a little bit of coaxing, xiao bites the juncture between your neck and shoulder, and the animalistic desire that courses through him should be illegal. he can feel your entire body shudder beneath him as his tongue laves over the mark he left.

→ he’s a big fan of seeing physical proof that you are his and his alone.

→ “x-xiao, careful,” you whine softly as his teeth nibble at the sensitive skin of your neck. his hips rut into yours at the same time his teeth grazes your pulse point and the noise you let out has him groaning.

→ “you’re mine.” he growls, low and deep in his chest, and the gasp you let out only makes him all the more harder as he sucks on the sensitive spot on your neck.

→ and the next morning, as you look in the mirror, you squint at all the little love bites littered across your neck and chest. you can see xiao staring at your reflection with a satisfied look on his face.

Keep reading

— In which their s/o gets kidnapped 

Scaramouche | Diluc | Raiden Ei | Cyno

Tags & Notes | GN! Reader, hurt to comfort (?), a little angst. Reblogs and comments are very appreciated. Stay safe and healthy everyone! <33

Warnings | Mentions of torture.

Additional Note | The 3.1 trailer was honestly everything to me, Scaramouche’s comeback, Dottore’s first appearance in the game, Cyno and Al Haitham fight, and Candace <3

•─────────────────•  

SCARAMOUCHE

“Find them! If I see one scratch on them, I will turn you all into corpses!”

He’s obviously not having any of this. 

You said it yourself that you would be by his side no matter what and he let you in his life and now…

Oh, a fool he was to let his subordinates take care of this matter.

“On a second thought, I’ll handle this myself”

He’ll bring only a few to help him clean the mess he’s going to be making once he’s done with the people who decided to take his jewel away from him.

Keep reading

OF ALL THINGS, I BECAME A SEELIE!

Of all things, you became a seelie when you got isekai’d into your favourite game, Genshin Impact. You decide to make him fall for whatever charms you have left in hopes of being taken in as a pet to survive.

➸ Aether, Dainsleif.

➸ Gender-neutral reader.

➸ Inspired by the manhwa Of All Things, I Became A Crow.

#AETHER

You were ecstatic when Aether chose you over the purple seelie; you didn’t want to be trapped in the glass container you had been captured in for an eternity shortly after being isekai’d into Genshin Impact.

Aether would be surprised by your immense enthusiasm to travel with him, and he laughs softly when you nuzzle his cheek. He certainly picked an affectionate seelie and doesn’t regret his choice at all.

Your intelligence comes as another surprise for him. He knows that seelies are good at finding treasures, but you seem to be a special case as the intelligence you possess is on par with a human’s. You’d help him solve the complicated puzzles scattered around Inazuma, and you don’t hide like his other pets when monsters show up! Like a true companion, you float by his side in battle, empowering him with your moral support. He truly appreciates you.

Aether takes really good care of you, and even Paimon pointed out how he seems to love you more than her. You don’t need to eat as a seelie, but he sometimes forgets that and ends up pushing the food he made against your blob-like body, earning a squeak of protest from you. He also tends to sleep while hugging you like a teddy bear; he didn’t think you were one to enjoy cuddles until he found you all nestled up in his arms one morning.

You’re an adorable and smart seelie, so of course you’d attract the attention of his friends. Childe complimented you on how brave you are to not poof out of existence when there’s danger, and Xiangling commented on how chewy you look… However, Aether’s greatest concern is Ayato; when the Yashiro Commissioner noticed how intelligent and loyal you are, he kept trying to bargain with Aether to keep you as his pet. Of course, Aether would shoot him down every time whilst holding you protectively.

Aether is used to people leaving him - but after embarking on many adventures with you as an extra companion, he can’t imagine things ever being the same if you suddenly disappeared one day. You’ve become an important presence in his life and he swears to protect you from Ayato. You and Paimon will always be with him, right? He didn’t realise he asked the question out loud until he feels you press against his lips, causing his cheeks to flush happily.

Keep reading

OF ALL THINGS, I BECAME A SEELIE!

Of all things, you became a seelie when you got isekai’d into your favourite game, Genshin Impact. You decide to make them fall for whatever charms you have left in hopes of being taken in as a pet to survive.

Aether & Dainsleif ver.

➸ Cyno, Al-Haitham, Nilou, Tighnari.

➸ Gender-neutral reader.

➸ Inspired by the manhwa Of All Things, I Became A Crow. Al-Haitham is a little mean here 😂

#CYNO

Cyno finds you buried in the sand when he went to the desert, having been drawn towards your burial spot by your frantic squeaks. When you got isekicked to Teyvat, you had the worst luck of running into a group of eremites who decided to bully you, but fortunately, Cyno happened to be nearby after you were trapped in your sandy coffin.

He isn’t sure what type of creature you are and decides to bring you to the Akademiya once you were dugged out. He’s surprised when you wiggle free from his hands and float up to rest on the spot between the ears of his headpiece, but he doesn’t say anything since you weren’t being difficult. Just as he’s about to step inside the Akademiya, he’s quickly stopped by Aether who then tells him that you’re a rare seelie.

It doesn’t take very long for Cyno to warm up to you. He thinks that you’re rather cute (but would never say it out loud) and would sometimes poke your squishy body out of curiosity. There was a time when he disturbed your sleep with his incessant poking, which earned him a tiny slap on his index finger.

Seeing the General Mahamatra with a downgraded version of the Traveler’s flying companion is certainly a sight in Sumeru City. You’d follow him everywhere, even when he’s apprehending a scholar for plagiarism or other academic violations. You act like an extra pair of eyes for Cyno, which he is grateful for; if the scholar tries anything funny, you’d instantly alert him. You eventually became Cyno’s unofficial partner, and he’d feel a little lonely if you’re not around to listen to his god awful jokes.

Cyno initially didn’t know that you don’t need to eat and has tried to feed you dried fruits and nuts on occasion, only to get uno reversed every time. Taking the seedless date from his palm, you proceed to push the fruit against his lips to silently tell him to eat it. He hesitantly opens his mouth as you shove it in, and he couldn’t stop the minuscule smile from surfacing when you rub against his cheek with an adorable squeak.

Whenever he has a meeting with an official, he lets you fly off on your own, knowing that you’ll come searching for him once you’ve done enough exploration for the day. His only concern is you running into Al-Haitham; he’s an Akademiya lunatic and Cyno doesn’t trust him at all. He’s not sure if you understand him, but he would always remind you to avoid Al-Haitham.

Later on, Cyno orders a mini version of his headpiece for you to wear so that the two of you could match. You don’t miss his soft smile as he carefully puts it on you and calls you his seelie Mahamatra.

Keep reading

— and i'll call you..!

summary : when the genshin men call you "his".

cw : nothing to note

genre : romantic fluff!

characters : albedo, diluc, xiao, ayato

albedo ; the science of observation.

getting matching stationeries with albedo was a terrible idea. it's hard to discern which pens are yours when they're identical to his. your only hope of finding out would be by asking your boyfriend. "hey, albedo? is this pen mine or yours?" is a question heard often during study sessions. one quick glance, and he'd answer with a curt "mine." but on days where studying gets a little too boring, you decide to play with him. "albedo, is this mine or yours?" he does his signature quick glance, only to double take when he sees your finger resembling a mischievous arrow to yourself. he pulls you closer to study your features- eyes glazing over your skin with a smirk. "hm... i believe this is all mine."

diluc ragnvindr ; rare occurrences.

many a time does diluc call you his- though he mostly doesn't do it verbally. rather, the title of being 'diluc's partner' comes with the many gifts and accessories he gets you. you don yourself with expensives only the uncrowned king of mondstadt could afford, and he cannot be prouder of himself; hoping to get more and more until you've drowned yourself in his name. despite this, the times he's actually uttered the word "mine" can be counted on one hand. you add one more to the list when he comes up behind you, facing a mirror. a small smile graces his face. "you're stunning," he whispers, before taking a hesitant breath. "you.. look like you're mine."

xiao ; noisy lips.

xiao isn't a vocal lover. he's more of an action guy, someone who presents his love on a plate of romantic gestures. hold him in your arms, however, and his tight lips turn loose. his breaths explore the vast expanse of your neck as he snuggles up within your embrace. "mine," he mumbles, smearing a warm sensation onto your skin. that warm sensation is followed by a kiss- short, wet, and full of affection. "mine," he whispers again. again. again- leaving a trail of kisses that lead up to your jaw. and when his pupils meet yours through the top half of his eyelids, you're met with an urgent question. "mine?" and it's almost a plead. you laugh- "yes, xiao, i'm yours."

kamisato ayato ; claiming his rights.

being ayato's partner means that you're often free when he's not. there are, of course, many ways in which you would spend your time. thoma would be one of them. on days when you're feeling active, consuming your energy is best done with inazuma's fixer. him running errands all over town is your second best source of entertainment- the first being "accidentally" bumping into ayato at the boba store. your lover's feigned surprise always ends with a playful wink; right before he leaves for more work. at the end of the day, as you chat with thoma through the exhaustion, ayato'll come to pick you up. "pardon the intrusion- i'd like to take back what's mine."

5 (+ 1)

or five times you attempted to pet tighnari's ears and the one time he let you

tighnari x gn! reader rated: t wc: 9k+

a/n: i swear i'm not a genshin writer. every now and again one just really hits me and won't leave me alone. i'm shaking at the prospect of meeting cyno.

|1|

when you had taken up the life of a very luxurious forest ranger, you hadn’t done so with any grand goal in mind. growing up you’d never been enticed by the prestige of the akademiya. the too tight robes warded off any appeal of unlimited knowledge. 

you weren’t much of a haggler either, so market trading had never been much of an option. to be honest, in most cases you couldn't be bothered and would give away something for free if it meant getting the person out of your face.

maybe as a child you’d dreamed of theatre. promises of dancing in front of a crowd. or performing a sincere song of gratitude in honour of your generous archon. but there was a reason why only the children of sumeru dreamt. because it saved you the reality of embarrassment. 

ultimately it made sense for you to be a forest ranger. you were blessed with a vision and had the aptitude for conflict when needed. you didn't mind being outside. sumeru was a beautiful land of bountiful vegetation and fauna. you were proud to be part of the force protecting it. 

so naturally, you were destined to join their ranks. you would fit in splendidly as long as you followed the basic code of conduct.

the rules were simple:

execute every possible strategy to ensure the safety of the public

do not engage in any withering zone excavation without first reporting it

do not under any circumstances attempt to touch master tighnari’s ears.

you believed that honour should be given where it was due, and tighnari certainly earned a bulk of it in sumeru. he was as tenacious in his research as he was in his determination to cull the withering.  

it was admirable. unquestionably gave his subordinates something to look up to. it helped that he made an easy guy to work for. tighnari was an abundance of knowledge, never failing to deliver relevant facts about any form of botany in sight. 

during your initial interview he completely sidetracked himself from testing your competency in favour of dumping the equivalent of a knowledge capsule on the entire forest on you. and during the whole time all you could think was how cute.

those fluffy, distractingly soft ears he had that twitched with every emotion. you noticed that sometimes they swayed unprompted, as if they had a mind of their own. the man himself seemed oblivious to your obsession, or just so immune to the attention at this point that it hardly phased him. 

it was a shame really. 

because by the time he realised you were out of your seat, he had a split second to snatch your offending hand before your fingers to reach the fur. the utterly adorable culprits seemed to tease your failure, flickering invitingly just out of reach of your wiggling fingers. 

at least you had enough integrity to smile in the face of defeat as your future boss leered at you unimpressed. 

he spent the remainder of your now orientation laminating over the very extensive punishment policy to be expected of any broken infractions. 

|2|

it was safe to say the threat of punishment didn’t weigh too heavily on your consciousness. what you did learn, was everything more the life of a ranger had to offer. it wasn’t as though you belittled it to a simple forest guide. you were well aware of how each and every one of your colleagues put their life on the line to protect the gifts from the first of the dendro goddess. 

but you never expected your contribution to feel so satisfying. 

every day your body got stronger, gaining the resilience and stamina to endure long treks through the forest. you became more in tune with your vision, able to protect not only yourself but others from harm. unexpectedly, tighnari’s long winded tangents began sounding more appealing as you absorbed the information rather than repel it. 

with each passing day you grew into the role of a proper forest ranger.

though there was one thing you hadn’t grown out of. 

“you two will be assigned with me. we’ll patrol the southeast canopy.”

tighnari was always so serious when delegating assignments. archon’s bless him. given it was a momentous occasion as it was imperative to understand everyone’s role so that their was a fair opportunity to return home safe and sound. 

it was just he way his ears followed each command. the adorable quiver not at all equivalent to his resolute voice. even after over a year under his command, it was still so distracting. to be fair, you’d learned to control your urges. after the second attempt and a week of making sure the long row of lamps remained glowing, you had at least accepted the pressing issue of testing his patience. 

your respect didn’t go unrewarded either. over time, you learned that under those cute ears was a very interesting man. you always knew he valued his time in the forest and that the publications were not just for show like some of the akademiya graduates. but to witness his unfiltered passion for the forest was … kind of refreshing. 

it made for genuine conversations that allowed you to feed off one another. while you’d never quite match his never ending knowledge for botany, you accompanied it well with your growing love for fauna. 

in short, tighnari had become an unexpected friend. 

with very endearing ears that you still felt the urge to touch after many, many months of barely held restraint. 

it was admirable. 

worth the gained friendship. 

and yet.

collei’s shoulder knocked comfortably into yours as she hopped with glee. her joy made her unaware to the sharp gazes watching her exuberant movements for any signs of fatigue. being around collei had eventually led you to believe that something was different about her.

as a fellow trainee for a time, the two of you had grown close enough for her to feel secure in delving into more of her past. her illness wasn’t necessarily rare but it wasn’t often you met many affected with as much optimism as she had. 

there was no doubt she had bouts of pain. sometimes you would cover her patrols to give her extra days of rest. tighnari was the most observant, always knowing when she needed a break. still the girl was a refreshing take on life in these darkening days. 

it helped that you both shared a fixation with a certain pair of furry ears.

whereas she was more timid in her appreciation, you had yet to shed your bold approach. 

well, maybe you got a little smarter. 

“but i already know about the sweetwater mushrooms,” collei whispered back, confusion staining her voice. there were times like this that her charmingness rivalled tighnari. 

you resisted the urge to pat the crown of her head. 

you all knew about the infamous fungi. upon its discover, tighnari had spent nearly a month after submitting his entry into the new rainforest guide speaking all about its elements; to anyone or anything regardless how responsive. 

if it was a botanical topic the fox found it hard to resist engaging. 

leaning closer, you kept a close eye on the leading man.” i know you do but tighnari always has something more to say. i just need you to ask him about it.” you refrained from using the word distract. 

collei’s ability to lie wasn’t a favourable skill. more often than not she caved in on herself before being able to spin a convincing tail. you’d learned fairly quickly the first time you convinced her to test a new route. the two of you hadn’t found any trouble but the slight delay in return roused a few questions. and of course tighnari had been the investigator. she never had a winning chance. 

“i still don’t get why i have to ask.”

“because i need an opening to try to touch his ears.”

the sharp gasp she left out was enough to shatter the gossip bubble as tighnari turned with a suspicious frown. his gaze fell heavily on you as the culprit. 

“what are you two muttering about?”

laughing sheepishly, your hip checked subtly against the younger girl’s as you took the lead. “just about the dusk birds. their mating season is approaching.”

tighnari raised a brow, but didn’t question further. one of the ways you’d managed to bond with collei had been over the observation of the bird hatchlings. they were one of the safer offsprings you were allowed to track in your earlier days, making you very familiar with their nesting grounds. it was one of the few areas he allowed you both to wander together without supervision. 

“uh huh, well unfortunately i doubt we’ll get many sightings this low. please try to stay vilgint for any threats.”

tighnari rolled his eyes at your comical salute but was unable to hide his small grin. it only fed into your wider one. 

good. he was in an amicable mood today. you’d both need it. 

collei managed to remain cool headed despite your hanging plan as the three of you ventured through the more worn paths. travellers and students alike tended to frequent these parts, fending off most wildlife who didn’t want to be bothered. it was mostly flora that flourished, taking up any available space. 

the perfect conversation starter. 

the green haired trainee squeaked when you cleared your throat and nudged her softly. the noise caused a flicker to tighnari’s ear but he otherwise left the two of you to your devices as he examined the population of fungi. 

your gaze darted to the seemingly preoccupied man and back, to which collei gulped but carefully approached. “um, master tighnari. do you mind going over the procedure for warning travellers about fungi again? sometimes i stumble with the more insistent ones.”

you could hear a bit of truth bleed into the ploy. it was certainly convincing enough as tighnari gestured for her to come to closer as he plucked a few samples. “certainly! it’s always good to familiarise yourself. sometimes they can get a little tricky. like this one, the bell-shaped and conical caps can often confuse people. you have to really pay attention to the arch…”

archons bless him, it didn’t really take much. 

tighnari’s eyes darted briefly to you as you settled near them. his body turned to welcome you into the discussion, but he otherwise continued his deep analysis of proper measurements of cap width. the fleeting eye contact was enough for you to witness the undeniable brightness as he conversed. 

as much as you liked to tease him, the jest hardly had any weight when the man was as serious about his research. he often responded with a chide about the importance of understanding and how it promoted coexistence. and then he would give you editions of his publications for you to study. 

the first few times, after you’d baulked at the depth of the information, you’d actually managed to discover a few interesting elements. despite his ability to drone on, the passion he felt was undeniable when reading through this material. even if you didn’t retain much of the actual reading, the smile you developed lingered. only to widen when you’d witnessed the excited flicker of his tail when you’d returned the books with a few inquiries of your own. 

tighnari took your interest in the fauna populating the forest seriously, cultivating the bud of fascination and furthering it. you hadn’t developed enough academic discretion to attempt a article- not that it would have been credible without the proper education- but tighnari baubles your insights all the same, often using your tracking skills to help develop new routes during various mating and hibernation periods. 

it … really helped you feel at home. valued amongst the other forest rangers. 

so what if you occasionally found your cheeks warming whenever he complimented your new discoveries. 

“when people ask, it's important to point out as many examples as you can to help them identify. in most cases you only have their attention for a few minutes so you need to capitalise.”

you had to give it to collei, she was either fully immersed or integrating very well into the diversion. though when tighnari got like this, it was nearly one in the same. 

rolling onto your knees, you paused as those endearing astute ears twitched in your direction. tighnari hadn’t skipped a beat, however instinct was so inherent. it made for an unfair advantage, however you had desensitisation on your side. the next disturbance you made as you leaned closer hardly got a reaction as his second nature focused on the world outside your bubble. 

it was a flattering downfall that you’d happily exploit as your hand neared your objective. 

“- actually that’s a common mistake. some of the gills look similar but if you notice here..:”

oh no. 

in one fluid motion, tighnari managed to capture your hovering hand, dragging it forward under his arm to come in contact with his other. the motion dragged you flush against his back as he manipulated your fingertips against the underside of the mushroom. 

“-… there’s a coarser distinction. of course, you have to be careful when encouraging other to touch freely as some can still be poisonous.”

naturally you doubted tighnari would use you so freely as an impromptu demonstration, punishment be damned. though the way he kept your appendage hostage implied that you weren’t free from reprimand. 

poor collei chuckled nervously as tighnari held out the fungi for her to try, eyes wondering anxiously between the two of you. from your imprisonment, you were unable to see what expression tighnari was giving off, but if the tight grip was any indicator it was safe to hypothesise that it wasn’t in your favour. 

“i um- see. thank you, master.”

tighnari didn’t appear to have any ill will towards the girl which was a small grace. his tone, however, was noticeably pinched as he directed the conversation over his shoulder. 

“do you have any questions, ranger?”

yep. 

there’s the wrath. 

accepting defeat, your head careened forward into the hollow of his shoulder as you mumbled your negative with the shake of a head. Immediately you felt his posture stiffen in responses to your relaxed submission. the proximity awarded you a personal showcase of the heat crawling up the back of his neck. 

interesting. 

“well then!” tighnari forced a cheerful bravado as he brought you both to an abrupt stand, releasing you in favour of stepping forward to lead. “collei, listen closely as they recite every classification as we finish our patrol. we can make note of their mistakes so that they don’t make them again when they extensively copy them onto the new pamphlets for next release.”

it didn’t evade you how the fox refused to face you as he pressed forward. you dared to guess that the rosy hue of his neck might match the roundness of his cheeks.

perhaps some discoveries were worth the failures. 

|3|

“I really want to feature the spinokrok in my next story but I’ve never really seen one up close. dad says it’s too dangerous though.”

“he’s right. they’re at the very bottom of the ravine.”

“oh…”

“but sometimes i pass through on patrols. if you’d like, i can snap a reference photo for you!”

“really? that would be awesome, thanks so much!”

children’s happiness was truly a unique fruit of motivation, both gratuitous and frankly slightly treacherous to consume. tighnari might liken it to one of the colourful sprouts that populate the banks near the cliffside; beautifully cunning but sure to leave you with a nasty surprise.

—okay, maybe that was a little dramatic. 

but you were certainly going to be in for quite the scolding if tighnari found out that you derailed your patrols for the sake of taking a leisure photo of wildlife. in the defence of safety, the fox wasn’t as easily swayed by a childish promise. 

fortunately, you were adept enough with just about any patrol path through the rainforest by now. your experience often persuaded tighnari to give allowance for you to tend to the paths along the outskirts of the village solo. 

which you were totally doing. 

just from a view a couple hundred metres below. 

the path towards the wetland ravine was a muddy line in the undergrowth, a quieter trail that rarely gathered much traffic: traveller or wildlife. to be honest, you hardly ever saw anything other than the spinokrok’s down here. though given their diet, it wasn’t much of a surprise. 

you carefully neared the bankside, watching the position of the sun in between the treetops. you’d already bartered away a lot of your time venturing this low. while you were known for a bit of wandering, if you took too long to check-in someone would end up alerting tighnari before long. the sky was already beginning to bleed into a light orange, the beginning shades of the setting sun melting into the blue above. 

not your first nighttime return, but the light scolding would be easy enough to shake off. 

the sudden splash drew your attention to the winding river as a crane took flight. the skittish fowl wouldn’t have been alerted to your presence this early which meant that your targets weren’t far off. 

tugging the kamera from your knapsack, you followed the line of the water through the lens. 

“there you are…”

razi would be pleased with the prints of the small brood of three. highlights from above complimented the red scales nicely. curious, you swung the lens further upstream in an attempt to capture a few more. known for their meat, if undisturbed it would be easy enough to find at least another two or three. 

however as the slithering vines stretched norther further, twisting through branches on its congest to conquer vegetation, you found the rapidly darkening view to be concerning. sure enough, the once plentiful flora was beginning to shrink on itself and take on a dull shade. the distinctive red flow of the withering zone was seated right in the apex of the blistering landscape. 

“here too?”

the area was small, but this route was part of the weekly assignments rather than the more frequent. had you not come here in search of fauna, it likely wouldn’t have been discovered for a few more days. unfortunately, locating it yourself was tantamount to giving away your private detour. 

for a brief moment you debated taking the chance to report, weighing the pros and cons. ultimately, the loss of independency once tighnari tracked your impromptu route was too great of a squander. besides, it was a small devastation. you were qualified to handle it.

—except for the corrupted machina lingering just out of sight. 

the narrow lens of the kamera hadn't been able to capture the additional dangers before you neared. had you been aware, you would have attempted to at least down one before you got too close. it was a tight battle, suffering under the thick miasma while trying to cut off the source. 

you’d managed to down the bulkier of the two, but the swindling snake-like projection had been doing an annoying job of evading your strongest attacks. with your hp at threatening level, coupled with low energy regeneration, you were starting to regret your choices just a little bit. 

you briefly wondered if tighnari would scold you through the eulogy. 

the darkness blanketing the forest worked against you, as the remaining threads of daylight faded. the red glow of the withering was the least comforting form of light to rely on as you made a hasty dodge away from the blasting beam. 

“oh, crap.”

a miscalculation saw your foot caught on a fraying vine, careening your forward as you landed heavily onto the ground. the threatening wind of the machina generating energy had you sucking in a harsh breath as you attempted to stand, resulting in a sharp jolt of pain as your ankle protested. a cold chill numbed your body in the worst way as the unsettling realisation of your actions weighed in. scrambling feebly for your weapon, you attempted to shield the next blow though you knew it wouldn't be enough. 

“enshroud!”

your body jerked in alarm as a cloud of green circled the earth around you. the lack of visibility should have been worrying, had you not been very familiar with it’s caster; and the inevitable reckoning that would come. 

the first half came in the form of a series tanglevine shafts trained to track and devastate. the secondary wave wiped out the last of the threats before your savour was able to focus on the bleeding blooms. you’d never been more grateful to witness a successful clearance, as the suffocating effects of the withering abed away. it gave you just enough clear air to breath a grateful sigh of relief before it all soured. 

the second half of your retribution, was a quieter approach of wraith then you were use to. tighnari refused to look you in the eye as he kneeled before your injured limb. not that that you were trying to see the reflection of your guilt staring back at you. it gave you the opportunity to observe that he’d come alone, making you wonder if he’d been informed or had simply stumbled upon you. 

neither option was beneficial. 

the fox was obviously simmering, that much was clear even in his silence. he’d produced a small aid kit from his belt and was examining your ankle. the first sounds of annoyance permeating the air when you squeaked at the firm pressure against the joint. 

it was obvious that you wouldn’t be walking out of here. 

as if you weren’t in enough trouble. 

tighnari’s reticence preserved as he tied a stiff bow at the end of your wrapping before turning to offer his back. sighing, you accepted your fate and looped your arms around his neck. tighnari waited until your knees settled at his sides before he rose to his feet, added a second security under the weight of your thighs. 

at first you hoped to construct a plausible excuse in his silence, but after you’d practised the same redemption for the twelfth time you were starting to become more concerned about his resilience. you dont think you've ever witness tighnari hold back a scolding this long. 

unable to hold out any longer, you poked the hornet’s nest. 

“so razi has this new story idea.”

yeah you were throwing the kid under the bus, sue you. 

the first flicker of his ears was a subtle warning, but you pressed through. 

“he wanted to use the spinokroks as his next character but he’d never really been able to see one up close. and naturally it wouldn’t be safe for a child to traverse the forests. even with his father.”

there goes the second ear. 

“so being the helpful forest ranger i am under your tutelage, i offered to secure a reference photo for him. which of course—”

tighnari’s voice came quiet and strained. “please stop talking.”

you waited for him to say more, sure that he’d have more to tack on, but no other words left his lips. it was disconcerting in a way you hadn’t experienced before. you'd suffered through annoyance, frustration and some rage. 

but rarely disappointment. 

it was bitter tasting. 

it was rather telling when even the wildlife seemed to avoid the pair as you ascended out of the ravine. tighnari managed to not only reach the outskirts of the village, but did so without cracking under the pressure of your culpability. 

unfortunately you weren’t as robust. 

“tigh—”

“for every word, i’m adding a week of lamp maintenance duty.”

you squeezed your arms and legs around him in a hug, seeking out a thread of comfort through the throbbing pain of your ankle. 

“i’m sorry.”

tighnari sucked in a sharp breath as his steps halted. you could see the first glow of the lamps in the distance, no doubt a night crew lingering near to welcome the late returners. 

“you’re an idiot.”

a tight fist squeezed your heart as you shuddered against his back. 

“i know.”

“another week! i cannot believe your absolute disregard for your welfare. not only in straying from your patrols but to attempt to clear a withering zone without reporting it first. what were you thinking?”

your lips parted, voice small,” well i thought given how far off it was that no one would come across it before it spread.”

the fox was quietly shaking under you,” i’m tempted to bench you for a year for this alone. you could have been killed.”

“but i wasn’t.”

tighnari didn’t acknowledge the crackled excuse as he resumed the ascent towards the heart of the village. the conversation was over, at least for tonight. you almost felt bad for those hapless to witness the quiet fury as the leader trudged through the canopy. though the arrangement surely painted a telling story no one dared to stop or question.

upon entering your bungalow, tighnari silently backed into your bed until you took the hint.

as your arms slipped from around him, your fingertips brushed against the furry cartilage. though the action went ignored by both parties.

“rest, we’ll discuss this in the morning.”

|4|

the discussion did not come the following morning, or the rolling day as the sun rose and set. given your ailment you weren't exactly able to seek out your punishment, though the waiting game felt like the precursor. 

for the first three days, your only visitors were collie and one of the local healers. tighnari likely hadn’t banned the nervous girl, allowing her to stumble in at first light to assess your injuries. it seemed as though he also didn’t inform her of much as she tired to glean what she could. 

unfortunately, your mood hadn’t really improved from the night before, nor had your pain levels. you managed a tight smile at best, gritting through a scarce overview. the overhanging rumours were that you finally pushed tighnari to his limits. which was not too far from the truth. 

your medicine came in three intervals, and each visit was just that. umm only offer a genial knowing close-lipped smile as she applied the numbing cream and rewrapped your joints. the only news came from collei with each meal. it was never what you wanted to hear, but the sound of a voice other than your thoughts was welcome. 

you were able to keep up with light chat, the both of you doing an amicable job at avoiding the shaggy sumpter beast in the room. if the flightiness she gave off was anything to go by, then tighnari hadn’t completely cooled off. initially, you’d only probed subtly. asking about her patrols to see who accompanied her. questioning new withering zone reports to gauge who might be assigned. either tighnari had instructed her to be tightlipped or she was on as much of a lockdown as you were because the information gleaned was inconsequential. 

it wasn’t until the fifth day, when you were able to balance on your injured ankle for longer than a minute that you dared to try for more. 

umm had just finished, stepping clear of the doorway to allow collei to maneuver freely with the two bowls of lunch. the younger girl was in a lighter mood, giving you the extra confidence to push. 

you took a bite of the leftover stew first, before testing the waters. “has tighnari taken you on any deeper patrols lately?”

the girl stiffened but otherwise did not show any signs of distress. 

“not really, he’s been kind of strict with patrols lately. only seniors have been assigned to the forest floor. i patrolled the understory with nasrin yesterday though! the dusk birds are starting to nest.”

you could resist a soft smile as the girl lead comfortable into a short tangent about the different locations she’d tracked in her notebook. she loved to watch the hatching process from the birth to first flight. tighnari was often more lenient with her during this season. you were pleased to know your mess up hadn’t resulted in that being taken away.

“hopefully i’ll be healed enough to catch one of the hatchings.”

collei’s gaze flickered to your freshly wrapped ankle, “master tighnari wouldn’t say but he’s been pretty testy about ranger etiquette lately. well more than useful.”

“yeah, i was pretty stupid,” you muttered, quoting the fox’s words from that night. 

collei sat upright on the chair by your desk, responding to your despondent mood. “he’s not nearly as bad as before though. i mean that morning after he was really mad. not like loud angry, but everyone knew not to test him. but he’s calmer now”, she assured.

you assumed as much. avoiding you was likely the best way to keep his temper in check.

you watched as the green haired trainee squirmed in her seat, no doubt uncomfortable at the idea of being between the brewing conflict. tighnari no doubt tried to ease that predicament by withholding information. the least you could do was honour your half to keep from setting her off. 

“umm said i should try walking around more. i got permission to pace the platform if you want to join.”

the girl jumped at the chance, nearly losing her bowl in the process. laughing, you quickly took hers and set it on the desk with yours before standing to your feet. collei was at your side, urging your arm over her shoulder. it wasn’t really necessary but you’d never turn down the girl’s assistance. 

carefully the two of you ambled through the leaves shrouding your entrance. it wasn’t the first time this week that the sun warmed your skin. umm had urged you to test the distance from your bed to your porch on the second day with each visit there after. it helped tp press your limitations while keeping the joint from getting too stiff. but this was the first time you’d been able to venture far enough out to interact with more than the same two people for the last few days. 

collei remained diligent as she led you down the straight path, attention not straying from your gait as you greeted faces you haven't seen in awhile. the reception was overall positive, your health and wellbeing superseding the wraith that had hung over the encampment for the past week. it narrowed down the list of those you’d need to apologise to at least. 

“oh it’s master tighnari!”

your gaze snapped to her extended finger, noting the tall tuff of ears before anything else. his back was turned to you, a fortunate thing as you still weren’t sure how to face him just yet. he appeared to be conversing with a group, though it wasn’t the usual collection of rangers waiting for assignments. 

you recognized the garments however. 

collei groaned as she sagged under your arm. “its the akademiya again. when will they ever learn?”

likely no time soon, as the pressure from both the forest and threat of the ‘scarlet king’ followers continued to rise. the first time you witnessed the prestigious envoy attempting to recruit the fox, you’d been in awe. it was somewhat of an honour to be approached by anyone doning the gowns. next to the archon herself, they were the reigning power. however the prestige lost a light grace, when tighnari scoffed at the invitation. 

it was one of the occasions that you’d really come to appreciate more than just his vast knowledge. of course, you respected him as a leader but it was different to consider his understanding of plant life on a scholarly level. his tangents that he loved to rattle your ear with were published and very popular articles. 

he was something of a celebrity. a fact that you loved to tease just to see the tops of his cheeks grow warm at the admission. 

now, even at this distance, you could see a similar red dusting his fair skin. but not in the pleasant way that warmed your chest. 

no it seemed that an inkingly of your excursion still peaked his heart rate. and this wasn't making it any better.

that wasn’t good.

“collei, please help me.”

“huh? oh, wait! not too fast.”

tighnari grit through a tight smile, barely hanging onto his fangs to keep them from showing. at a young age his mother taught him that human could find it threatening. frankly, right now he wished to find out how much of a truth that was if it got these nuisances out of his hair. 

this was the last thing that he wished to deal with right now. the institution had taken a different route it seemed, sending students under the premise of studying under his tutelage. something he would maybe consider any other time than now. 

his foot tapped irritably as one of the bolder ones spoke his piece, spouting words of prose that meant nothing to him. they were all weak and obvlivious children wandering aimlessly. he had enough of those under his own watch. 

“master tighnari, i've read all your publications intensively and feel that i would be a valuable asset in your further research of the withering zones. i believe that together we can find a cure.”

tighnari barely resisted rolling his eyes. it was almost laughable. the withering had plagued them for centuries and they were still no closer to curbing it. no amount of research at this point was going to factor in. all they could do was contain, and that was a skill the akademiya didn’t teach.

breathing audibly through his nose, the fox attempted to remain cordial. “i appreciate your determination, however, i'm not in a position right now to allocate more rangers to facilitate your safety. the forest—”

“—i’ve also read intently on the local fauna and proper was to track warning signs of predators…”

tighnari really hated when he was interrupted. 

“i’m confident in my ability to spot danger before it becomes a problem.”

especially by know-it-alls who were overstepping in his domain.

the student continued on unware of the growing dangers, “i’ve brought a few of my manuscripts with me if you’d like to browse some of my speculations and hypotheses…”

tighnari's brow twitched as the student droned on. for someone who boasted about extensive research on understanding predators he was rather obvious to the one standing before him. the same couldn't be said about his colleagues who were carefully edging back. 

“if i could just get a few samples—”

the student had sense enough to notice as the plant scholar suddenly flinched, hand coming up to grasp the wrist of the hand threatening to touch the tip of his ear. it was the first time since opening his mouth that he’d taken into account the strained curl to the lips of the botany researcher. 

his gaze then flickered to the more relaxed, if not slightly sheepish smile of the forest ranger behind. they seemed otherwise unconcerned despite the death grip they'd been trapped in for … attempting to touch master tighnari’s ears?

the student felt a shudder wrack his body as the fox’s grimace smoothed into … something that he would one day recognize as a reckoning he’d be fortunate to survive in years to come. 

“apologies, you’ll have to excuse me. it appears one of my rangers feels well enough to venture off their bed rest and is due for some new assignments.” with that, the lead ranger looped the still trapped limb over his shoulder before assisting the injured ranger back up the canopy. 

“you can give your manuscripts to my trainee, collei.”

the green hair trainee in question waved timidly, unsure of how she got in this position but willing to help.” hello, im forest ranger trainee collei. please let me assist you safely out of the forest.”

|5|

“it’s master tighnari!”

believe it or not, forest rangers did get off days. while it was still heavily frowned on to use that time to exploit certain privileges to free roam the forest, there were other activities that some could get up to. 

some would use the opportunity to travel to the city or port for the market or to visit family.

others utilised their freedom to work on personal research. 

then there was tighnari who used the opportunity to research the local flora … via oral experimentation. 

your small project had been tossed aside in favor of darting out of your bungalow at the cry of fright from the green haired girl. it wasn’t the first time you’d witnessed tighnari taking his passion … to the next level. that time, curiosity had thrown him into a rather long slumber that he’d conveniently woken up from after a gratuitous amount of panicking on collie’s part and just in time for you to return with the rescue aid party. 

it was safe to say that was not the last occassion, and tighari had treated you both to several lunches to make up for the scares. 

but it wasn’t often that he was brought back to the village in a state. more often than not the ailments resolved in the time it took someone to find him or simply shaken off with no concern. 

it was enough to have you barreling unannounced through the head ranger’s door with apprehension. firm but fraying hands caught you as you stumbled through, righting your body before you could embarrass yourself. 

“don’t worry, tighnari is fine. it’s a harmless reaction to one of the fungi he consumed.”

umm brought her hands to a comfortable leisure behind her back as you peered over her shoulder. 

tighnari was lain out across his bed. it looked as though he had been tucked away intentionally, but the man had fought away the sheets in a fit. there was a light coat of perspiration doting his forehead and his skin had taken on a rosy flush. it hardly looked harmless. you’d never seen the lead forest watcher look so … unravelled. 

when was he going to learn to stop experimenting so freely?

umm gave a passing pat to your shoulder,“with a bit of rest he’ll be just fine.”

you had hoped as much but it eased some of your worries to see him at least home safe. though his predicament still tested your resolve. you would distract yourself for the time being concocting your own chiding speech. seriously, someone needed to hold him accountable. as it seemed, you were the only one daring enough to challenge the fox. 

heavily a relieved sigh, you turned to leave. collie would likely need a second dose of comfort now that you’d taken your own inventory of the indisposed ranger. umm, bless her soul, wasn’t a very convincing source of comfort. having collie help prepare your speech would do some good for her as well.

“wait, don’t go yet.”

you stiffed at the unexpected plea. the voice behind you sounded a bit stronger than it should be in this predicament, more like the fox you recognized. umm hadn’t left you with any instructions, but it was safe to assume he was meant to rest as not to rile up his heart rate anymore. something you were very good at doing.

you liked to think that the two of you were on agreeable terms thus far. you’d been a textbook ranger over the last few weeks. not testing the limits of your privileges or boundaries. it allowed for the two of you to have some nice conversations. though you doubted anything very articulate would come from his mouth right now. 

it was unfair, how adorable he looked with mussed hair, heavy eyes and creased clothes. umm had taken responsibility to rid him of the more decorative parts of his uniform, leaving him in a simple shirt and pants. the said shirt appeared to have been tugged open, revealing the lean muscles of his chest and abdomen. 

that was decidedly leaning away from cute, as you tore your gaze away and scolded yourself. 

“you should really lay back down, tighnari, i need you to be yourself when i deliver your scolding later.”

“tigh.”

“huh?”

you were shaken out of your stupor when he stood, concern triggering your fight reaction as you quickly huddled him back onto the bed before he fell. he allowed you to do so, however when he glanced up at you his olive eyes showed annoyance.

“i prefer when you refer to me as tigh.”

your mouth open and closed silently at the admission. you could never recall tighnari outright scolding you for the curtail of his name. you used it so sparingly, and only ever in the comfort of just yourselves or collei. 

he never really showed any emotion other than surprise the first time he’d realised what you said. you never assumed he’d catalogued the occurrences to feel any ownership over the name.

you fidgeted under the scrutinised of the fox, unsure of how to proceed from there. it was obvious that he was still mildly effective if the rose of his skin was anything to go by. but there was undeniable clarity cutting through the fog in his eyes. it was enough of a relief to have your shoulders sagging slightly. 

if it got him to comply and rest through the remainder of the effects, you could concede. 

“okay, … tigh. please stop eating flora so carelessly.”

it wasn’t your intention to start the chastising prematurely, but if he wanted you to talk, you’d do so. you weren’t sure what all of this he would recall, but you hoped the echoing nag of your voice would hover like a hangover next time he considered experimenting alone. you knew he only tested things with vague assumptions, just enough to ensure that he wouldn’t perish on sight. but it was still close enough calls for you to worry. 

you thought nothing of the way he snared your hands, too used to having them detained in pursuit of your goal. maybe another time you would be the one to catalogue just how frequently the two of you help hands. certainly enough to suffer from desensita-

your speech cut off with a choke as the fox brought one of your hands to the crown of his head. it was the closest you’d ever gotten to your prize, just a simple flex of your fingers and it would be yours. 

and he was just allowing it. 

“um, tigh…?”

you swallowed as his hold slid to your wrist, thumb caressing the inside. 

“it’s what you want, right?” unintentionally your finger flexed under the strain of resisting, just the casual brush against the ear causing the body to shudder. tighnari managed an even breath through his nose, but you suspected his heart was creating as much of a racket as yours was. “ i want you to. i don’t mind if it’s you.”

you sucked in a sharp breath at the omission.

it took strength that you didn't think you had, and stupidity you’d likely reflect on later that night as you regrettably pulled your hand away. firmly not thinking at all about the soft whine that left the fox’s lips at the action. 

your smile was wobbly, frail under the weight of emotions teetering at the edge. you gave his bicep a comforting squeeze before you urged him to lay back in bed. thankfully he didn’t put up much of a fight as you tucked him in. 

his lashes fluttered closed against the cool caress of his cheek.

“next time, promise.”

between one breath and the next, he fell asleep.

|+1|

tighnari woke to a low hanging sun and a heavy head. despite the warnings he opened his eyes, then immediately shut them. though blurry and out of sequence, the master ranger was able to piece together the majority of his last coherency. 

he’d been experimenting with the effects of the moonshade mushrooms. there had been reports of unaware travellers losing consciousness in the middle of the forest and waking in a fevered state. naturally, he’d taken it upon himself to test the outcome in order to properly assign warning labels in his next publication. 

the initial bout of slumber had been brief, broken by a wave of nausea and the sensation of his body overheating itself. he then recalled umm stripping away his uniform in order to help him cool down.

and then there was you.

he remembered the sound of your concern and the inkling of berating though he couldn't exactly call back the wording. he was sure to get an encore either way; well deserved. 

there was a gaping absence in his recollection, but the sensation of your hand settled between the space of his ears hadn’t escaped him. when had he gotten bold enough to daringly reach out like that? sure you’d done the same on multiple occasions but it had been in pursuit of a singular goal while he—

tighnari stared at the leaf drawn entrance of his chamber, face burning. 

but surely that could not have all occurred before noon. 

“oh good you’re awake. that mushroom managed to down even you for a full day. it's certainly something to be aware of.”

the elderly woman peered briefly through the cut of the door before granting herself entrance. tighnari sat obediently still as she flittered over his vital signs, ensuring his temperature and heart rate were within agreeable boundaries. 

she scribbled the notes like clockwork into the parchment on his desk. while his methods weren’t often agreed upon, umm saw the value in the repercussions. her diligence had help assist in multiple breakthroughs. tighnari would be sure to deliver a nice basket of her favourite tree sap candies once he was back in working order. 

amir would have certainly taken initiative to oversee assignments for the day. he would certainly owe collei a visit as well to assure her fears. he vaguely remembered her putting up a fuss when he’d been carried in, shortly before she’d been directed out leading to her alerting you. 

tighnari’s cheeks grew hot again. he refused to acknowledge the rising blush even as umm chuckled quietly while gathering up her kit. instead, he kept his eyes on the entrance as he pinned his sashes in place and equipped his vision. 

it wasn’t as if the two of you weren’t already rather close. it was safe to say he gave you more allowances than most. sure, your futile attempts to touch his ears could be frustrating at times, but more so because of the opportunities you took than the actual actions. 

despite popular belief, tighnari didn’t truly hold his ears in that high regard. it was more out of proprietary that he shied away from strangers acting out of curiosity. to be honest, he really wouldn’t mind too much if a ranger asked to pet them. but it seems as if their own misconceptions had fed into the unspoken rule that his fox-like features were out of the question. 

except for you. 

over time, the two of you managed to lapse into a comfortable game of cat and mouse. tighnari knew if he’d shown any true signs of anger you would have backed away from the start. but his tolerance had permitted you to try again and again. 

so what if the occasional punishments he placed on you deterred the others, it never snuffed your fire and that was all that mattered to him. 

it was only natural that over time constant exposure would ignite his own interest. he could recall with vivid memory the way it felt to have you pressed against his back that time in the forest when you attempted to claim your prize in the middle of his lecture. he’d made you wait there while he finished the lesson, all the while relishing in the heat permitted his back. 

had it been just the two of you, he would have let you. 

yet when he finally caved and gave you the permission you'd been seeking all this time, you’d backed out. 

‘next time’ you’d promised. 

“if you’re done laminating, once you've finished eating you can go find them. i  believe i saw them returning not long before i came here.”

umm didn’t wait for a response as she saw herself out, her amusement audible even as she descended the ramp to her own domain. 

tighnari didn’t rush the act as he finished his meal and the provided water. once he finished, his lips turned at the dimming sunlight. his schedule was all but thrown out the window for the day, though he doubted anyone expected him to contribute much. still it stung his consciousness as a leader to leave his subordinates hanging , even if they were all self-sufficient adults. at least the headache had disappeared with proper nourishment. there would be time to salvage his routine later.

the sun was positioned late in the afternoon, but the dim light still irritated his eyes. he blinked through the sting as he welcomed the sight of the quaint village operating adequately in his absence. 

he returned any passing waves and gave brief responses to their questions. for the most part everyone seemed confident that he’d make a full recovery, though he still harboured the guilt of worrying them. 

brow pinched, he waved nasrin closer. “have you seen collei?”

the purse of her mouth didn’t spell anything good. tighnari hoped her illness had not acted up in his absence. “she had trouble sleeping last night so someone swapped patrols with her. she just set off not too long ago.”

the girl sometimes had trouble sleeping when plagued with anxiousness. tighnari settled that he would confront her upon her return, for now he had one more stop. he had a feeling he knew who offered to adjust their schedule to accommodate the girl.

he found your bungalow with practised ease, delivering a single knock before you offered entrance. he found you seated at your desk, no doubt detailing the report of your finding before submission. it was a relief to see that you took a break from your typical mischievousness to conduct a seemingly uniform patrol while he was indisposed. 

“i don't suppose you came across any new interesting flora on your patrols?”

tighnari watched as your shoulders stiffened at the unexpected sound of his voice. your head whipped around, eyes assessing him carefully before you gave a timid, relieved smile. 

“i think we can all agree that you’ve had enough adventures for one week,” you noted with light scolding. 

grinning, tighnari cared little if his fangs showed, knowing you wouldn't find them threatening. your gaze followed him as he secured the leaves behind him before approaching your desk. he leaned comfortably against the wooden structure as he browsed the report. it had been routine indeed, not a single withering sighting. 

“are you sure you’re alright? you had me worried for a bit.”

tighnari’s brow rose,” only a bit?”

scoffing, you rolled your eyes,” it’s not the worst thing you’ve eaten but seeing you down for so long was concerning. collei will be relieved to see you back on your feet.”

tighnari braceed his palm against the dest and leaned into the posture,“and you?”

“i owe you a scolding. you always get onto me about being aware and careful of my surroundings. yet here you go testing unknown fungi alone in the forest. at least bring it back before you test it out so we can be there if you need us.”

tighnari waited for you to finish, eyes shining with thinly veiled amusement. you seemed to recognize it as well, huffing as you realised your scolding didn't have as much weight as the seasoned scholar. 

unable to resist, the fox reached out to run is fingers along the side of your face before letting them rest against your shoulder. he watched as your chest expanded to take in the small gasp of surprise. it was a rare moment for him to initiate contact like this, especially given the recent occurrence only yesterday. while his recollection was misty, yours was clear as day. 

“i think you owe me something else too.”

tighnari watched your reactions carefully, from the flutter of your lashes to the rapid thrum of your heart beat against the pulse under your jaw. he never shied away from a discovery the promise of a satisfying understanding driving him from one revelation to the next. 

admittedly, you’d been a gradual observation. the question at the tip of the scale all this time while he’d unknowingly researched you thoroughly with each new interaction. day and day again, you prompted him with new variables both under his control and not. it was only today that he managed to form a working hypothesis. a hesitant theory that he knew would shift everything.

tighnari watched with growing fascination as the initial shock meddling into purposefulness as your hand came into view. impatient, he couldn't resist ducking his hand to meet you halfway. the first careful touch was equally inquisitive and hesitant. each time in the past, your hand had darted out with such certainty. yet now with it all willing at your fingertips, you allowed yourself the time to explore.

he hadn’t realised his head had come to rest against your collar bone until he felt the rumbled of your laughter. you didn’t simply just touch his ears, you caressed the length form the widest part to the tip. your fingertips tickled the tufts of fluff at the base. and the light scratched you delivered against the firm cartilage had him all but melting into your hold. the burst of new stimuli tickled his nerves and left pleasant sensations.

later he would analyse the data but he was already certain about his conclusion. 

your words mussed the top of his head as you spoke, humour bleeding into your intrigue. “can’t believe it took you a year to crack, tigh.”

tighnari sagged further at the uttering of the name. you flinched, not expecting the words of response to be mumbled into your skin. gratefully, it didn't cause you to pause.

“what was that?”

your touch slid from his ears to the curve of his jaw as his head rose to meet your gaze. 

“i actually had two hypotheses I wanted to test.”

though he didn't speak more than that, he could tell you were well aware of the implications. your lips parted to respond, but no words could pass the lump in your throat. tighnari tested the waters, leaning closer enough to brush the tup of his nose against yours. when you didn't pull away, he leaned down and pressed your lips together, firmly but briefly. as he breathed in deeply,  the smell of lush forestry, sweet flora and you invaded his scenes. the scent of familiarity minding with the aroma of what he called home was intoxicating. 

your eyes shone bright with mischief as tighnari pulled away, no doubt observing the rosy hue spreading across his face. 

“i think we need to experiment a little more before we can come to a confident conclusion.”

tighnari leaned back in and nuzzled you affectionately. 

“i agree.’’

tagging upon request: @lott-the-otter @uhohitsemmy

You’re probably swamped with asks and I’m so sorry to add another but your writing of Venti and the SAGAU real-world AU is so good! If you’re still accepting can we have a drabble of Venti meeting creators parents? Thank you so much and please make sure you’re getting plenty of rest ❤️

Something of a Family Reunion

Thank you very much, but it's only one 1 am, so I think I'll probably be fine for now—

I've actually been trying really hard to avoid using gendered pronouns along with the phrase (Y/n), but I really physically don't think I can get around it this time without making my dialogue choppy, so I apologize for that, reader is also explicitly female here

Warnings: general sagau, mentions of readers parents, mild cussing

-

He had been with you for over a year now.

You knew this was coming.

Things were getting more serious, well it's not as if they weren't serious from day one when he barged into your house and claimed you were a God, but this was a completely different kind of serious.

"My love, I'm almost packed." Venti practically sung, carrying a rather large suitcase as he rushed past you to put it in the car.

Ever since the beginning he had wanted to know everything about you, including all the people you were either related to or chose to hang out with.

You had managed to put it off this long, but you should have known he would have set something up behind your back.

Then again, it was kind of more right in front of your face.

You happened to get a call from your mother, and he happened to answer first, despite the amount of times you told him not to pick up the phone.

Cheerful and smooth as always, never making anything but a good first impression.

You did manage to get the phone back about five minutes later, but the damage had already been done.

You and him were now taking a rather long road trip to get to your parents, no ifs ands or buts about it.

You had felt a strong desire to yell at him after that, stronger than usual at least, but the way that he looked at you, apologetic but beaming.

You knew that he wanted this, and you knew that it was partly your fault for putting it off so long.

As much as you wanted to, you couldn't bring yourself to blame him for it.

You were pulled immediately out of your thoughts as he boomeranged back around, giving you a quick peck before going to grab the last bit of luggage.

You hadn't seen him this excited since he found that sale on wine a few months ago—

The car was finally packed, both of you in your respective seats.

You were obviously driving, leaving Venti to take up the responsibilities that come with the passenger seat.

He was insistent not to turn on the radio, claiming that he was perfectly capable of simply providing music himself for the four hour ride.

You had to give him credit, he did go a solid hour.

When he seemed relatively tired out you decided to just talk instead.

"So, same rules as when we're in public, no 'your grace', none of that 'creator' business, and absolutely no mentions of 'God' when referring to either me or you. And I shouldn't have to say don't mention Teyvat at all."

You two had already gone over this before you left, and after it was decided that you were going to come over about a week ago, but you really couldn't afford any mistakes on this.

"Of course, I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing."

Venti laughed at how you practically rolled your eyes, he really should have been taking this more seriously.

"Well, we're only staying there for a few days, I really should have just booked a hotel." The last part you said more to yourself than him.

Booking a hotel was your original plan before your mom just had to emphasize that they had a spare room, and it would be such a shame not to use it in an opportunity like this.

The idle chitchat between the two of you made the time go by quicker, and before you knew it, you were driving into the same driveway you remembered from all those years ago.

Venti was basically bouncing in his seat, you could see metaphorical stars in his eyes as he practically jumped out of the car.

You got out yourself and physically grabbed him by the shirt to pull him back, he almost fell into you and gave you a confused look.

"Remember what I said." There was warning behind those words, and a promise of something if he didn't heed it.

"Of course my love, I won't mess up, I promise." He gave you a small smile of reassurance, one that satisfied you enough to let him go.

You walked to the door, your nerves climbing higher and higher at every step until they were practically in your throat.

You hesitated for a moment before knocking, giving very serious consideration to just turning around and immediately going back.

It wasn't as if you didn't like your parents, of course you loved them, but this just had 'bad situation' written all over it.

Your hesitation was in vain because the door quickly opened before you even had the opportunity to let out a single knock.

"(Y/n)!" your mother quickly embraced you in a hug before pulling back at arm's length to look you over, "It's been too long, you really should call me more, I've been so worried about you recently you know."

You only managed to let out a nervous laugh. She looked at the same as ever, sometimes you wondered if she would ever look any different.

"Right sorry, things have just been a bit hectic lately." You weren't lying, you just couldn't tell her exactly how much you were telling the truth.

Her eyes drifted over to Venti who stood straight, you assumed to make himself look a bit taller.

She seemed to be taken by slight surprise, her eyes widened ever so slightly before returning to their same inviting look.

You mentally cursed at yourself for only just now realizing that it would be kind of surprising how young Venti looked, could you even manage to convince them that he was over twenty-one when he had quite literally nothing to prove it?

"This much be Venti right? The one I've heard so little about?"

That, of course, was a direct jab at you. You could feel guilt seeping at how secretive you'd been about this whole thing, but it wasn't as though you really had a choice.

"Yes ma'am, it's very nice to meet you, I love your daughter greatly." The sincerity in the way he said it almost caused you to blush.

Your mom just laughed at that, "Well come in, both of you, me and your dad can help you unpack a bit later."

Oh right, your dad...

Venti took your arm in his as you both went into the modest house, although even while being modest it beat the place you were currently living at.

Your dad, who was previously sitting on the living room couch, rose to meet you at the door.

"Well it's about time, and here I thought we might never see you again."

You smiled slightly as you gave him a hug, it had been a while, and you would be lying to yourself if you said you hadn't missed them both.

When you both had pulled away he looked over to see Venti at your side, a brief flicker of a similar expression your mom held crossed his face for a moment, causing your stomach to drop slightly.

"This is Venti, he was the one who set this up to begin with."

Your dad gave him a quick once over, but Venti's smile didn't faulter even slightly.

Instead, he simply extended his hand, one which your dad accepted after a moment of hesitation.

"Nice to meet you sir, I've heard a lot about you."

That was a pretty blatant lie, you never really talked about your parents to him, but you had to stop yourself from laughing at the formal way Venti said it.

'Ma'am'? 'Sir'?? You almost felt the need to compare him to Zhongli.

"Hey," you turned at your mothers voice to find that she was beckoning you to the kitchen, "Come give me a hand won't you?"

You let out a quick "Be right there" before grabbing Venti's arm and physically pulling him with you.

You received no protest from him.

Your mother looked over towards you when you entered, putting down the knife she was using to chop vegetables.

She looked over at Venti, giving him a small smile before hurting you out of the kitchen rather quickly.

"What are you—"

"So, that's your boyfriend then?"

You didn't quite like the way she phrased it, a tone that was on the borderline between accusing and worried.

"And uh, how did you two meet? How much younger than you is he exactly?"

You knew this would be brought up eventually, so you made sure to study your voice before calmly speaking, "He's twenty-one." That number was missing a few zeroes, but you had a feeling they would have an even harder time believing you on that one.

Your mom just pursed her lips, stuck between the option of believing and not believing your statement. It's not as if she had any reason not to believe it, other than his general appearance looking a bit younger than that.

She chose to drop it, walking back to the kitchen as you followed suit.

You both walked in to find Venti meticulously cutting vegetables.

"Oh! God I'm sorry, there's no need for you to do that. I can take care of it."

Your mother quickly rushed in to take the knife, her instincts not to let guest do any work kicking in at high speeds.

"I'm going to go start unpacking while you finish that."

Your mom barely had time to register what you said before you had grabbed Venti and left the kitchen.

You both went out to the car before he stopped you, putting his hands on both sides of your face as he gave you a worried look, "What's wrong? You seem nervous."

You practically laughed at that, "Nervous? Now what possible reason do I have to be nervous?"

His frown deepened at your sarcasm.

Venti pressed a gentle kiss on your nose and gave you a smile, "Don't stress yourself out so much, nothing bad is going to happen."

You wanted to believe him, really, you did. But your outlook on this entire situation was getting dimmer by the second.

"It didn't even occur to me before we got here how young you looked, I told my mom you were twenty-one, what a lie that was."

Venti giggled at that, "That is just slightly off."

You let out of breath as you tried to clear your mind for a moment, to let yourself believe that this would all work out. He stood there looking at you the entire time, eye's filled with such profound feeling.

Venti almost regretted making you come here, putting this stress on you, being the direct cause of it in a way. All he could do to make it up to you was give back to you in this way, to reassure you that he would do everything in his power to make this go well.

After you had calmed down slightly, you both grabbed a few suitcases and moved them inside, you directing him to the spare room.

It was your old room, though it looked nothing like it had when you lived in it.

Once you had finished explaining that this was the room you had spent the majority of your time living here in, Venti's excitement pretty much shot through the roof.

He jumped onto the bed immediately, sprawling out, barely able to restrain his mind from thinking about all times you had laid in this exact spot.

You plopped down next to him and he immediately gravitated towards you, clinging to your waist.

You couldn't help but laugh slightly as you patted his head, allowing him to rest on your lap.

After about five minutes you pushed him off, despite his protests, choosing to open a suitcase and start unpacking instead.

You weren't able to get very far before your mom called you both for dinner.

Another bundle of nerves decided the best resting spot would be directly on top of your chest, because it was getting harder and harder to breathe at the thought of sitting at a table together for roughly an hour with nothing but small talk.

Venti could tell by your facial expressions exactly what you were feeling and pulled you into a hug, giving you a kiss as he whispered how he wasn't going to mess up and remembered everything you told him.

The beginning of dinner wasn't quite awkward as much as it was quiet, nobody seemingly wanting to be the first person who spoke.

Your mother did eventually break the silence, looking straight at Venti while doing so, "So, you've been together for a year right? I don't believe (y/n) ever told me how you two met."

Venti sat for a moment, looking almost as if he was recalling the memory fondly, "Well we met through a mutual friend actually, he introduced me, and I knew as soon as I saw her that I very much wanted to get to know her."

You guessed that some of that was partly true, at the very least your mother seemed to believe it.

"So your name," your dad spoke next, "is it Italian?"

"Yes actually, although I'm not."

You wondered for a second how he knew that, before resigning yourself to the fact he probably wouldn't tell you.

"We're just so glad (y/n) has found someone they like." Your mother cut in, giving that all too familiar patient smile, "We were worried for a while she wasn't ever going to date anyone."

"Mom."

Your mother simply responded by laughing, "It's true, you never really made connections with people easy."

The more that came out of her mouth the more embarrassed you were starting to feel.

"Well, I would never have guessed that, your daughter is actually a very popular person, I know quite a few people that care for her greatly." Venti spoke in a way that was practically laced with praise and good intentions, wanting so strongly to announce you as the most important person in his world.

You simply responded by clearing your throat and taking another bite of the food in front of you.

"So where are you from then?"

You mentally cringed at that question from your dad, you were hoping to avoid it at least a bit longer.

Before Venti had the opportunity to fumble for an answer you 'accidentally' knocked over your glass of water, startling them all.

"Oh shit sorry, complete accident—"

You darted off in the kitchen to grab a towel as your mom followed you.

It took a moment for you to get yourself dried off, and by the time you got back, both your dad and Venti were debating about alcohol.

You rolled your eyes and use the towel to wipe off the remaining water on the table, "Well, this has been pleasant, thank you very much for the meal, but I think I'm going to go ahead and retired to the room, tired from the long drive and all."

There were general murmurs of disappointment amongst your parents before they both wished you good night, adamant on the fact you would all do something together tomorrow.

You simply replied with a nod and walked away as Venti followed you quickly.

You practically buried your face into the pile of pillows when you finally found yourself comfortably laying on the bed.

"Well, it wasn't that bad now, was it?"

You had to admit that could have gone a lot worse, you couldn't even imagine what answer he would have given for where he was from.

You hummed in acknowledgement as he crawled into bed with you, quickly situating himself on your side.

"Just four more days." You mumbled to yourself.

"I think we'll pull it off just fine." Venti responded, pressing a kiss to your shoulder before you rolled over to face him.

This was a long shot, but maybe you could actually get an answer out of him.

"Hey, how did you know your name was Italian?"

He responded with a very sheepish looking smile, "I didn't."

You couldn't help but laugh at that, pulling him into your embrace.

"Well, at least you're a good bullshitter."

He only gave you an affectionate kiss on the cheek in response.

You hadn't really intended on falling asleep so soon, but all the stress just seemed to melt away when you were lying there with him.

You would get out of this week alive.

As long as your mom decided to keep the family photo album with all of your younger pictures to herself that is...

I have a habit that I learned from my mother where if anyone’s lounging next to me with their bare legs, I’ll instinctually start massaging it.

Of course, it only happens with my friends and family. If I ever did it to a stranger I would die @.@

Anyways, acolytes’ reaction xD

Hey hey! I chose a few characters I personally liked to write about, but feel free to send in another ask if I missed the characters you wanted! I also changed the prompt here and there; it’s basically ‘’an unexpected massage’’, hope it’s still alright :)

Note: not proofread, wanted to post it tho

It had been a while since you first arrived on Teyvat. Everything is a lot more peaceful and you're able to enjoy your days with relatively little stress. 

One of the only chores you needed to do included paperwork. You have an office of your own where you do most of your work, usually with the help of some acolytes. Generally, you'd be at your desk, but today was a couch day. So as one does, you plopped down and patted the seat next to you

Venti is constantly testing how far you'd let him go. He'd hug you, attempt to cuddle up to you, he even tried to sneak in a kiss! So when he'd lounge himself onto the couch it's no surprise that he'd move his legs into your lap. Venti thought you were too occupied with your 'stupid paperwork', so he assumed something like this would bring your attention back to him. He'd be surprised when you'd continue to read the paperwork while your free hand starts to gently massage his leg. His shock passes quickly, and suddenly he doesn’t seem to hate the paperwork as much as before. When you notice that his constant nagging stopped, you look up; Venti isn't usually silent. When he throws a cheeky smile your way, you realise the situation you brought yourself in and get flustered real quick. 'Don't worry your Grace! I'll return the favor any time, ehe!'

Zhongli has no trouble helping you. He liked spending his time with you and felt happy whenever he could aid you in these tasks. His voice was a bonus for you as well, and you always listen carefully when he points out the important parts on the papers. His figure is close to yours and you’d been leaning closer to get a good look at the papers in his hand. Unknowingly to you, you had grasped his free hand in yours and had started to gently massage it. Believe me, he didn’t want you to stop but it was hard to point out things on the paper without a hand. He'd bring the situation to your attention and would give a deep chuckle when he'd see you get flustered. After he further explained the paperwork, he decided to massage your shoulders instead. Perhaps some closer contact would help your focus? 'Do you wish to remove my gloves, Your Grace?'

You were in Mondstadt for the upcoming weeks and decided to visit Diluc at the Dawn Winery. There had been enough time for you to visit the city and other places, but the endless workload still chased you. After procrastinating for a good while, you decided that Diluc could be your motivator! If he’s working, you might feel obligated to work as well! At least, that was the idea. At one point during your stay in his office you invited him to sit on the couch with you. Unfortunately, from that moment forward it’s Diluc that’s unable to work. The moment you moved closer to his figure,- his brain stopped working. He could feel his leg touching yours, -and why did you have to place your hand on his leg to massage him? He was certain you could hear his heartbeat. Are you doing this on purpose? It’s only when you remove your hand after finishing your paperwork that he regains the ability to think. ‘Hey Diluc, you’re not procrastinating right?’ You tease him. He huffs in response and returns his focus on his work, hopefully then you wouldn’t see his face. ‘I’d never.’

playing hard to get [pt. 2]

as you were a person of bubbly character, he'd gotten used to your bright and cheerful nature, and the ridiculous shenanigans that came along with it. that included your numerous tries to woo him into dating you, with each attempt ending in failure. you weren't too depressed by it, returning to your usual jovial personality even after rejections... and he'd taken that for granted. he didn't expect you to do the “push-and-pull” tactic on him, and neither did he expect it'd work so well.

includes: zhongli, albedo & kazuha

pt. 1 - diluc, xiao & childe

pt. 3 - ayato & heizou

ZHONGLI, despite his tendency to forget his wallet in times he offered to pay for dinner or his shortcomings regarding with romance in general, still managed to grasp the hearts of men and women alike. it wasn't odd for the ferrylady to knock on his door and tiredly brief him about yet another visitor eager to see him, and he had to wave them off if they weren't a client for the funeral parlor.

there was one person he couldn't possibly fend off, though. you.

it's not that ZHONGLI didn't want you to leave. it was more of his inability to urge you to do so. his stern rejections didn't deter you from continuing to court him, thus you were unafraid to see him once more even after yesterday's answer being a firm “i can't reciprocate your affection.” your tenacity was impressive, he'd give you that, but that wasn't an actual compliment, was it? he was only calling you a stubborn fool, one way or another.

it didn't help that you were closely acquainted with the funeral parlor's director, hu tao herself. your presence was greatly welcomed in his workplace, as her good friend, and nobody could turn you away. ZHONGLI could understand why you got along so well; you were both troublemakers in your own right.

when you came over that afternoon, he had already prepared himself for a terrible time. you often pestered him to go on a date with you, and he regularly turned down the invitations without a second thought. the thing is, you could take “no” for an answer... but the reason you assume behind that rejection was “he doesn't like the place” instead of “he doesn't want to go with you,” hence you pestering him to visit a more agreeable location. you knew he'd eventually give in if you annoyed him enough.

but that didn't happen. you headed straight to hu tao's office without offering him a single glance, papers in hand, and he assumed it was work related. that meant you wouldn't come disturb him anymore: a cause for celebration!

yet that didn't pull a sigh of relief from him, much to his surprise. he only felt... conflicted. his muddled feelings mixed into a sense of unease, and it wouldn't leave.

ZHONGLI perked up when the office doors swung open an hour later, unknowingly anticipating your figure to strut through. “do you want to go out for lunch? i heard the restaurant nearby got a new menu. my treat, since i received this month's salary,” you grinned at hu tao, who brightened upon the news of free food.

meanwhile, ZHONGLI did the opposite, slumping over his chair. he'd heard of the new menu. in fact, he thought it sounded delicious, fitting perfectly with his tastes. he assumed you'd ask him out like you always did. he wanted you to ask him. no, hold on a second... why was he feeling this way?

“a tempting offer, but...!” hu tao sighed loudly, catching his attention. with an inconspicuous wink, she said, “i'm afraid i have a pile of work waiting for me! hey mr. zhongli, would you mind coming for my stead?”

he was sure you'd think hu tao was helping you court him and not the other way around. that was okay for him, too.

“...it's fine,” he said, settling his paperwork off to side of his desk before standing from his seat.

“nope, don't be so fast to reject me, ZHONGLI! if you don't like that restaurant, then we can- huh?” you blinked at him owlishly, in utter disbelief. he almost chuckled fondly at your strange expression.

(he steeled his resolve to end this “push-and-pull” once and for all.)

it was of no surprise to know ALBEDO despised anyone who'd dare disturb him in the middle of his studies, and yes, perhaps you were the sole exception, but you were on thin fucking ice. even klee had to stay out of his room when he was busy. he'd been patient at first, politely requesting you to leave for the time being or wait until his work was over, but it was hard to remain as generous when you were... plainly speaking, being a bother. everybody knew it was taboo to intrude his office, and really, you were only a distraction he didn't need to be around.

sucrose had been the poor recipient of all his grumblings, left with no other choice but to awkwardly laugh whenever complaints spilled from his mouth. still, she noted the hint of fondness lacing his words; annoyed nonetheless, but not to the point that it gravely upset him.

“is it that bad for me to visit? i try not to talk...” you inquired one day, pouting as ALBEDO was clearly occupied with mixing an oddly colored concoction. he sighed, explaining that even only the presence of another could be a hindrance. he pointedly left out the part where he'd end up getting distracted by your pretty face, which was actually the real reason behind his actions.

that moment, you simply nodded in solemn understanding, but he didn't think better of it. yet when the next day came, you didn't swing by; ALBEDO was elated, assuming it was just a lucky day, but you didn't visit the next day either. or the next, or the following days after that. when a week passed and there was no sign of your whereabouts anywhere near his office, his concerns grew tenfold.

it was, admittedly, humiliating to turn to the door excitedly whenever he heard a knock, only to be crestfallen to see sucrose. honestly, what was he expecting? she was his assistant, so of course it'd be her and not anyone else. that was how it was supposed to be in the first place without your meddlesome presence.

ALBEDO was certain she picked up on his disappoinment, though, if her amused giggle was anything to go by. “i heard [name] traveled far to fetch the flower you wanted to examine since forever,” she informed, kindly pretending not to see the embarrassed flush of his cheeks. “we should give a gift in return!”

“...yes, you're right.”

he didn't miss you, not one bit. absolutely not.

...that being said, he should probably practice his poker face before you returned to mondstadt.

KAZUHA, as carefree as he might seem on the surface, was more cautious than everybody gave him credit for. he didn't respond to your advances not because he didn't like you back, but because he didn't deem himself fit to be your significant other when he'd often leave liyue with the crux fleet to explore. he couldn't promise you a stable relationship, and he thought you deserved someone better than a boyfriend so quick to abandon you.

he told you as much, but you never listened, firm in your decision to stay with him. no matter how long his trips lasted, or how many other people asked for your hand — you wouldn't budge at all.

KAZUHA became content with that, deep down in his heart. he didn't want you to date someone else either. but it wasn't like all his thoughts would be shown to the entire world, so he could choose his words carefully, pick the most rational option. and that option was to let you go, since that would make you happiest.

still, he loved it whenever he saw you waving enthusiastically at him from afar each time the alcor arrived at the harbor. he loved it when you jump into his arms, eager to touch him again after weeks without seeing a glimpse of him. he loved it when you bury your face into his neck, unable to see the pure adoration reflecting in his eyes, the fond expression he had to hide all the time when you were around.

he loved you.

but he had to restrain himself for your sake. that was for the best, wasn't it? he couldn't be selfish. binding you to a relationship wouldn't do you any good. it was far better for you to meet someone else who could actually stay by your side, someone who wouldn't trade you for anything else. someone who could treat you right.

but something in him shatters when he doesn't see you at the docks. the alcor finally returned after a month, and he was near enough to recognize faces from afar, but you weren't there. you were nowhere to be found, and he was growing frantic. you didn't have to be there, but he felt nauseated without your presence. where were you? he hopped off the ship, landing gracefully on steady ground, and he didn't hesitate. his eyes swept across the entire area, searching and searching and searching, and-

who was that man beside you?

“oh, KAZUHA, you're back!” you exclaimed with familiar cheer, grinning widely. he couldn't bring himself to force a smile. “ah, i'm a bit... busy at the moment.” you gestured towards your companion, who nodded at KAZUHA in greeting. “but i swear i'll come once this is over, i promise.”

“it's fine. take your time,” the words managed to escape from his mouth despite the uncomfortable feeling lodged in his throat. you frowned at his despondent countenance, reluctant to leave him as is. you glanced at the man accompanying you, and he took it as his cue to walk ahead.

awkwardly, you shifted your weight from one foot to another. “w-well, i'm... uh...” you were unsure of what to do to lift his spirits. still, you raised your hands to grasp at his shirt, taking a deep breath to prepare yourself. you pecked him on the cheek, successfully snapping him out of his stupor, and he yelped in surprise, his whole face erupting into a shade of crimson. before he could compose yourself, you hastily stepped away from him, waving farewell. “w-we'll be going now! don't miss me too much, okay?”

dumbfounded as he was left behind, he cupped his cheek, the skin where you made contact with tingling beneath his fingertips.

you were just in front of him seconds prior but he already wanted to see you again, so it seemed that he couldn't follow your instructions, unfortunately.

playing hard to get [pt. 1]

as you were a person of bubbly character, he'd gotten used to your bright and cheerful nature, and the ridiculous shenanigans that came along with it. that included your numerous tries to woo him into dating you, with each attempt ending in failure. you weren't too depressed by it, returning to your usual jovial personality even after rejections... and he'd taken that for granted. he didn't expect you to do the “push-and-pull” tactic on him, and neither did he expect it'd work so well.

includes: diluc, xiao & childe

pt. 2 - zhongli, albedo & kazuha

pt. 3 - ayato & heizou

DILUC wasn't too pleased to see you at angel's share so often at the beginning, but he eventually got used to your presence — begrudgingly, of course. there would be no way he was anticipating your visits, that's plain absurd. he just so happened to be the bartender that time, and you were the one coming to see him, not the other way around. that said, you don't approach him the moment you step foot inside; you made it a habit to converse with other customers first before taking a seat on a bar stool, showering DILUC with the usual compliments and idle chatter. it never seems like he listened properly to whatever you were saying, too busy mixing drinks and wiping glasses, but you knew he was. on what basis? a hunch. which wasn't all that trustworthy, but you wholeheartedly believe in it.

this night didn't start out differently from the rest. the door swung open, and his eyes flickered to the newcomer. ah, it was you, strolling up toward a table with your acquaintances. nothing out of the ordinary. but time passed: half an hour had gone by, then another, and then... huh, it's awfully late. it was right about the time you usually left- hey, wait, you're already leaving? DILUC was nearly startled into dropping a glass, and it wasn't his proudest moment. why were you going when you haven't said a single word to him?

“you're leaving?”

you knew you'd won the second he uttered those words. you spun on your heel, looking almost smug, and DILUC had never felt so defeated before. “yes, i have an early start tomorrow, so i'm afraid i don't have the time to chat right now.” he wanted to argue that you had enough time to chat with the other patrons, he really did, but he'd only look like an immature fool.

he placed down the wine glass in his hands, sighing. “would you allow me to accompany you home?”

oh, you've won, alright.

XIAO was often the receiving end of your pointless chatter, ranging from complaints from an exhausting day at work to trivial matters like what you were planning to have for dinner that evening. it was an arrangement XIAO never signed up for — somehow, you'd gotten a hold of his usual spot at wangshu inn and made it a habit to sit next to him whenever you were free and proceed to fill his ears with useless blabbering. he thought of it as a mild inconvenience, and told you as such: “your presence is irritating.”

you seemed a little shaken then, frozen in shock for a split second. but your expression warmed into a sheepish smile, and it looked somewhat stiff, but XIAO made no move to comment on it. “is that what you really think?” he didn't feel inclined to nod, nor did he deny it.

perhaps he should've.

you didn't visit the next day, or the next, or even the next after that. XIAO thought nothing of it at first, since it wasn't odd for you to miss visits on consecutive days. but you didn't come for a week, and then another, and-

he was tired of turning around to look behind him each time he heard footsteps padding against the floor, only to be devasted to not see the person he was expecting. it was certainly strange... how come you never paid him a visit? you've never gone for so long without seeing him, which obviously meant the same for him, and he'd been feeling antsy without the assurance you were alive and well. verr goldet had told him you were only busy with your job, but he needed to confirm it with his own eyes.

he was just about ready to give up waiting for you that day and head off to his own room when his ears picked up on the sound of creaking from the stairs. he glanced at its direction, mentally prepared to be disappointed, only to see... you, hesitant to step closer. oh. it was actually you.

his heart fluttered in glee and you nervously laughed, “oh, sorry, i didn't think you were still here... yanxiao asked me to fetch a couple of things for him and it was late so i didn't assume you'd still be around.”

your words were deaf to his ears as XIAO himself approached you with his own feet. and, well, if he'd walked with hurried strides or accidentally slipped a smile or two, then nobody could blame him.

CHILDE could be described as mean. not a total douchebag, but pretty close to it — even scaramouche had dubbed him as such, and it wasn't just because he disliked the fellow harbinger.

CHILDE was fully aware of his own charm, and though he wasn't one to boast about it, he knew how attractive he was: physical features aside, he was good at fighting, and he knew how to cook, not to mention he had an overwhelming wealth to brag for. it wasn't unusual for people to flock over him to curry his favor, and he'd be lying if he said he disliked it.

he had a terrible hobby, you see. CHILDE would set his eyes on a particular person that piqued his interest, shower them with attention, gift them with whatever they could ever ask for, and treat them with nothing but kindness. but then he'd act distant the next moment, indifferent to their advances, until that person would become impatient and take the initiative themself. he found satisfaction in the way someone would beg for his affection, the way they clung to him so desperately... and yet he'd grow tired of them once the fun was over, and he'd repeat the process again. a heartbreaker at his core.

at the beginning, you were just that — another pitiful victim to CHILDE's whims. you were so, so gullible, so easy to please. you smiled at every insincere compliment, gasped at even the cheapest of presents. “thank you,” you'd say each time, genuine gratitude plastered all over your expression, and CHILDE would feel the tiniest twinge of guilt squeezing his heart. his conscience was screaming at him to stop.

but more than anything, he wondered what you would do if he ignored you altogether.

he thought you'd be adorable, shyly grasping the back of his shirt to ask him out on a date yourself. he wanted to see that, to tease you for being so straightforward. and maybe he'd even take you seriously, something he'd never done before. you were a special case, after all; the idea of dating you was... nice. he'd treat you even better than before, treasure you to the best of his abilities. he'd give you anything you asked for.

but you didn't seek him out. no, you never paid him any mind, batted an eyelash at his sudden absence. you weren't bothered by his disappearance at all, just as cheerful as you've always been, and he didn't like that. he didn't like that at all. he didn't want to see you being fine without him, when he'd been aching from distancing himself from you. it was unfair. he wanted you to long for him the same way he longed for you.

and at his wit's end when he knocked on your door at late evening, coming face to face with your knowing smile, he knew he got a taste of his own medicine.

I feel at home, just not with you.

Summary: After noticing Kazuha becoming rather distant and unusually rarely poetic than he usually is while staying in Inazuma, you notice how happy he is in the crux and when you had brought it up with your dear friends Kujou Sara and Yae Miko, they had told you the painful truth; He was tired of you and Inazuma. It was time to let him go. You thought his home was Inazuma and you, but it didn’t make him happy. His home was the Crux, not you.

Relationships: Kazuha x F!Reader, Lumine x Kazuha (suspected)

Warnings: Angst with no comfort. like there's no happy ending. uhm suspected kazuha is in love with lumine. some lumine slander (only for the fic i acc love lumine)

Characters: Kazuha, Beidou, Lumine, Thoma, Yoimiya, Yae Miko, Kojou Sara

“Hey guys!! So good to see you again!!” Yomiya ran up to you and Kazuha, squeezing you both tight. “I can’t believe the Vision Hunt Decree is finally over! Like oh em gee we should totally all go get dinner since you know Kazuha isn’t wanted anymore and Ayato doesn’t have to deal with so much and Thoma’s on his break and-”

“Yoimiya!” You cut her off, giggling. “We should all go to dinner sometime. But for now, I wanna spend some time with Kazuha.”

“Of course! He’s a free man now, so have fun lovebirds.” She ran off to some little kids, giving them candy.

“That girl is full of energy,” Kazuha said, letting out a breathy chuckle. 

You smiled at him, grabbing his hands. “Come on Zuzu. We have all of Inazuma to see.”

The next few hours was your entire day as you and Kazuha made sure to visit every single island, shrine and special places of Inazuma. On his own request, he had gone to the Kamisato Mansion to greet his old friends again, and Watatsumi island to see Gorou and Kokomi.

The entire day you made sure to take him to places with all his friends so he could see them again. But, for some reason, he wasn’t his usual self.

His ‘poetic’ self you dare say. He always had a way with words, but today he was rather…off. He had a smile, but even you could notice how fake it looked. 

He was barely even talking too. Usually, he always had childhood memories or stories to tell you whenever you visited a certain spot in Inazuma. Whether it be the shrine or the Kamisato house, there was always a story to follow it.

But there was none.

When you questioned it on him, he just said he was tired from the fighting he had done just a few days ago against the Shogun and her forces. 

That fight, the one he fought alongside the Traveler with. You didn’t know her well, but heard many things about her. She was kind, strong, and willing to help whoever she could, no matter how far they were. She had saved Mondstadt just a year ago, apparently saved Liyue from a water-dragon-snake thing, and now saved Inazuma from the Vision Hunt Decree.

Kazuha always talked about her whenever he would sneak into Inazuma, whether it to give Yoimiya fireworks that were shipped from Liyue or just to see you. 

You’d never admit, but you were jealous of her. 

“Where do you wanna go next?” You asked. “Oh! Or do you wanna continue tomorrow?”

“Y/N..” He turned to you, frowning. “I have to return to Liyue.”

“What?! What do you mean?” 

“I’m a member of the Crux now, and I agreed to travel with the Traveler. We’re heading back to Liyue.”

“Oh..” You sighed, trying your best not to let tears flow out. The Traveler. Lumine. Everyone talks about her, about how great, wonderful and beautiful she is. That she could be as strong as the archons themselves and is the definition of perfection.

“You can come with us!” He suggested, giving you a small smile.

Your eyes lit up at that. You really didn’t wanna see the traveler, or leave home, but you’d do absolutely anything for Kazuha and to be with him.

You nodded in agreement, and on your way home, you couldn’t stop the twisting feeling in your stomach.

Leaving Inazuma? You’ve never set foot anywhere else than the islands in Inazuma. You’d be leaving all your friends here, not even being able to say bye to them because you had to leave first thing in the morning.

But you couldn’t stay away from Kazuha any longer.

The feeling in your stomach only became worse when you had arrived in Ritou to get to the Crux, and you saw his entire face changed into real happiness when he saw Beidou and the Traveler.

It made you wanna stop in your tracks, not even boarding the Crux to go say hi.

“Y/N?” Beidou called, “You coming up?”

Kazuha, who had already boarded turned and looked at you confusingly. 

You couldn’t stay here. This wasn’t where you should be. But Kazuha had already told Beidou the great news of you traveling with them. 

“Uhm..” You breathed out, trying to think of something. As you looked around, you saw a Ms Hina poster and your eyes lit up. “I’ll be back tonight. Just need to go talk to a few people!”

Before they could ask, you had already run off. 

If you couldn’t figure him out, maybe someone else could…

~~~~

“Leaving Inazuma?”

Even the Head Maiden of the Shrine was rather surprised. So was Sara, who sat beside Yae Miko.

You knew that she was Ms Hina and that she made Gorou dress up as her. But even still, she was always answering advice for everyone behind it. So, why not go to her for advice?

When you had gotten to the shrine asking for advice, her and Sara were just having a normal conversation when they saw you. They had gotten a table and a few chairs and set it in the middle of the area, tea being made by other maidens.

“You know, I could’ve just asked without all of this.” You pointed to the tea, and all the maidens gone for privacy.

Sara chuckled. “Well, when it comes to you, there’s always a rather long story to everything.”

“It’s Kazuha…” You said, and giggled when she rolled her eyes at the name.

“Your husband?” Yae asked, and you spit out your tea.

“Nonono..” You shook your head. “Boyfriend.” 

“Whatever.” She scoffed. “No difference just need a ring.”

Sara put down her tea, straightening her back. “What’s up, Y/N? You usually never ask for help or advice when it comes to him.”

The next few minutes went by with you explaining everything to them. You had first started with the traveler, and of course they knew who she was.

“Not the biggest fan of them.” Sara said, and you felt a little bit of relief wash over you.

“I understand, Y/N.” Yae put a hand on your shoulder, before sipping on her tea. “Continue, dear.”

Minutes turned into an hour as you explained about Kazuha; How you haven’t seen him in months due to the Vision Hunt Decree, and the only moments he could have with you when he visited inazuma was always with Lumine. 

You talked about how happy he was whenever he saw the Crux and Beidou, but while you both walked around Inazuma, he didn’t look genuinely happy when with you or walking around his home. 

You talked about how you thought that it would make him happy- that he could finally roam around Inazuma again free with no one trying to arrest him or take his vision. Maybe Inazuma was just no longer his home.

As you talked and talked, you didn’t notice how Yae and Sara glanced to each other with frowns.

“That…was a lot to take in.” Sara put down her now cold tea.

Yae nodded in agreement, but then took ahold of her hands. “Y/N, do you want to leave Inazuma?”

“For Kazuha-”

“No.” She cut you off. “For yourself.”

You blinked a few times trying to think, and then shook your head. “No. I don’t.”

Sara sighed. “I’ve never been in love before but-”

She was cut off with Yae laughing, probably about the fact Sara was so visibly in love with Itto.

Sara rolled her eyes and continued talking. “Maybe his home just isn’t Inazuma anymore…nor is it you.”

Yae immediately stopped laughing and looked at her wide wide eyes, and so did you.

“You really think that?” You asked, tears starting to well up.

“A home should make someone happy.” Yae spoke, her hands squeezing yours. “Home isn’t a place, it could be anything and anyone. Y/N, my dear…I don’t think is home is Inazuma anymore.”

“But what about me?” You whisper-asked.

Yae and Sara gave each other a sad glance.

You already knew, and they knew you did too. You weren’t his home, nor were you his love anymore. He just didn’t know how to break it to you…and something else. 

The way he talked about her…you knew it.

“He’s in love with Lumine.” Sara whispered.

The painful truth.

It wasn’t you anymore. Maybe it was just never you. Even if he still wasn’t in love with you, you were in love with him, and all you wanted was for him to be happy. Maybe it was best you let him go on his travels without you.

“It’s time to let him go Y/N.” Yae let go of your hands, frowning when she heard your sniffs from crying. “Inazuma…and you…is no longer his home.”

You chuckled and let out a sniff. “The Crux and the Traveler is.” 

“How are you gonna do this?” Sara asked.

You looked up to the sky, it was already getting dark out. By the time you were to head back, it would already be dark, and maybe Kazuha would be asleep by that time.

“Do you have paper?” You asked, and Yae snapped her fingers and a maiden came, already holding a paper and pen.

“We’ll help you write it.” Sara smiled.

The next few minutes went by with a lot of tears falling onto your final words to Kazuha.

~~~~

“Hey!” Beidou greeted you as you walked aboard the Crux. “Kazuha and Lumine just went to sleep. I’ll show you your quarters, com-” She stopped talking when she noticed your tears. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

You gave Beidou a smile. “I can’t come. I’m sorry. I can’t leave my home.”

Beidou frowned. “Sad to see you leaving, but I know what it’s like. You wanna go say bye to Kazuha?”

You wiped your tears while shaking your head. “No, but can you give him this in the morning?” You handed her the letter you had wrote folded in an envelope.

She nodded, and gave you a final hug before getting off the ship, and a small smile grew on your face when you saw all your friends waiting for you.

“Guess no dinner after all, huh?” Yoimiya chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood.

Thoma looked like he was gonna cry. “Hey, sweetie.” He hugged you tight.

You assumed Sara and Yae had told them the news. Surprisingly, Sara was crying a little.

But you cried more as you watched the ship leave, soon disappearing into the fog.

“Goodbye Kazuha.” You whispered, breaking down in Thoma’s arms as he hugged you tight.

Dear Kazuha,

It pains me to write this. This was the last thing I ever wanted to do, but I guess the universe just had other plans for me, and for us.

I think you already know I’m not on the boat with you, and I’m sorry. But I cannot leave Inazuma, and especially not with someone who doesn’t love me anymore.

I see the way you stare at her, and how happy you become when your around her. You used to do that around me, but not anymore.

I know you’re in love with Lumine, and all I want is for you to be happy, so I wish you the best on your travels.

Now for us, our goal was to always stick together no matter what. If the other had to travel, we always know the other would come back no matter what. But it looks like we are straying farther from the goal, and the dream we had of us being together forever. 

You won’t feel at home with me, or here in Inazuma, and I don’t know what path you will be led on, but I know that you’ll feel at home with the Crux and Lumine. 

Goodbye Kazuha, and farewell. I wish you the best.

Y/N.

Do you write for Kazuha and Diluc yet? I read your blanket hog thing and I'm wondering what they'd be like, please? ;w;

I do write for them, yes! I was planning on doing a part two of that as well since so many people liked it. I’ll definitely add them in this one!

Genshin Men With Blanket Hog Reader Part 2

Warnings: Use of pet names, a little suggestive at Kazuha’s part but nothing explicit

Diluc

This man is rarely ever sleeping in bed at night

He’s either working late nights at Angel’s Share, or fulfilling his duties at the Dark Knight Hero

So when he has came home early in the morning to see you still sleeping, blankets wrapped around you, he had a good idea that he would be better off bringing his own blankets.

On nights where he does lay beside you to go to sleep, you two always cuddle up underneath the covers.

And Diluc always wakes up in the middle of the night because of the cold air

To which he just sighs, reaches down to get the spare blankets, and drapes them over himself before going back to sleep

He’s a man that adapts to situations, and this is no different

Sometimes when he wakes up, he just stares in wonder and confusion at how you even managed to get the blankets wrapped around you so tight

He’s almost convinced that you do it on purpose sometimes just to annoy him

He secretly finds it adorable though. He’s a stoic man with a soft heart.

He goes right back to cuddling you too with a sigh of annoyance once he’s situated with his own blankets

Kaeya

This man smirks and tries not to laugh

He has photos on his Kamera of you hogging the blankets in the most inhumane positions ever

He uses those photos to tease you

“Oh, Jean, look at this one with my dearest in the blankets practically covered in drool-“

“Kaeya I will kill you.”

He’s even hung the photos around the house and cackled as you lectured him about it with an embarrassed blush on your face

Much like Childe, although more gentle, he will snatch the blankets away from you to give himself some warmth

Which causes you to snatch them back

You both just go back and forth till he pins you down by hugging you

With your protests being ignored, he wraps the blankets around the both of you and goes to sleep

I’m pretty sure you do it almost nightly just to have him hug you to sleep

Which I mean, I’m not judging, I’d do the same

Although there have been nights where he has gotten slightly annoyed that you took the blankets away from him for the fifth time within the past hour

During those times, he’s tempted to keep the blankets in place with ice

He actually did that one time, which you had to explain to him that that’s counterproductive cause now it’s extra cold in the room

He just shrugged, “At least now you get to feel what I feel dearest, now, come here and let me cuddle you for warmth. Maybe then you’ll leave the blankets alone, hm?”

Kazuha

Ever the gentleman, he’ll let you have the blankets

He doesn’t want to disturb you from your sleep, you look so peaceful

He instead settles on cuddling close to you for warmth

On a particularly cold night at sea, he woke up shivering

He tried to slowly wedge the blanket out from under you, but ultimately ended up waking you up

He smiled at you before apologizing, “I’m sorry my love, I didn’t mean to wake you, please go back to sleep. I’ll be right here when you wake up once more,”

You felt so bad, especially with how you saw him shivering like a leaf in a harsh storm

Since that night, you made it an effort to tuck him into bed first to ensure the blankets stayed on him

Beidou teases you both for it ever since she accidentally walked in on you tucking him in one night

During a conversation when Beidou was teasing you guys about it, he just smiled at her before stating, “I’m just grateful that that’s all you walked in on us doing.”

Cue a spit take from Beidou and her cackling like a madman

You had to walk away from the shear amount of ignominy you felt coursing through your system

Kazuha just gave a soft grin as he watched you walk away

Yae Miko

Early into the relationship, she would have gently woken you up and asked for the blankets back

Then she would cuddle in close to keep you from moving around so much

If you kept taking the blankets, then she would zap you till you gave them up

Not in a harmful way, but just enough to make it tickle

She’ll have you in tears from laughing until you’ve learned your lesson

She also just loves your laugh but don’t tell anyone that

Later into the relationship, once she knows she can truly trust you, she’ll sleep on the bed with you in her fox form

At that point, you can hog all of the blankets if you’d like to. Her fox form keeps her warm enough

She’ll snuggle up to you in her sleep, her tail and ears flickering every now and then

Then in the morning, since she wakes up before you, she’ll turn back and pepper your face in kisses before leaving to go do shrine duties

10/10 best person to hog the blankets from

remote working ! (twothau w/ gn!reader)

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ YOU HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER, LET’S SEE WHAT’S INSIDE! ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

salutations. remote working (requested by anon)

addressed. diluc, kaeya, tartaglia, zhongli, thoma, xiao, scaramouche, and arataki itto

content. mentions of covid-19, fluff/no-angst, mild swearing, wholesomeness, modern!au, yakuza!au, this fic is based on the way of the househusband

sypnosis. how househusbands are like with you remote working (work at home) during the pandemic.

penpals. @scaraslover @saving-for-xiao @dawgimsohot @kazu-topia @chiruru @aqualesha @renamichii

links. the way of the househusband au | teyvat's penpal service | requests info

post-script. shoutout to my bestie irl who helped me out with her big brain on xiao, kaeya, and scaramouche's parts <<3

DOESN’T GO TO YOUR OFFICE — diluc

when you first told DILUC that you'll start working at home from now on, he was relieved. ever since the announcement of a certain virus that's been infecting everyone like wildfire, the man could only worry about your safety – especially since your workplace has so much people – so now that you're officially working at home, he can now rest peacefully.

as someone who respects privacy and silence, diluc makes sure to not be noisy outside, including not vacuuming in front of your office and wouldn't put the volume on the tv to the max (im sorry but hes honestly the type to make his tv loud just to have a bg noise), which you appreciate a lot. though you wonder if he forgot the fact that your office is sound-proof.

he also doesn't want to go to your office, mainly because he doesn't want to be seen by your nosy colleagues and because he simply doesn't want to disturb your meetings with his presence. it's like the tables have been turned around the both of you since back then, you're the one who didn't want to interrupt with his work.

sometimes when he feels like it, diluc would send you a text message and ask if you'd like him to bring a drink or snack to your office. if you said yes, expect yourself to hear a few knocks one second after you sent your message. turns out, he was actually supposed to come in to your office unannounced with your drink and snacks but decided to text you first because of his conscience bothering him. it'll take months before he'll actually start visiting your office without having to text you that's a lie, he'll never do it.

LOVES YOUR BOSS MOMENTS — childe, kaeya

the moment you informed CHILDE that you’ll be working at home, he was honestly curious to see how you work. are you the type to scold many of your coworkers in a scary manner? are you the fun and chill type that made your coworkers love you? ah, so many questions !!

eventually his curiosity was lifted when he overheard you while he was cleaning outside your office, causing him to stop cleaning for a moment to hear what you're saying to your colleagues, listening to you destroying your coworker for something they’re trying to bring you down from.

it only increased his love for you because wow, who knew you would be such a boss at your job? don’t get him wrong, he very much knows how great you are — it just astounds him since you’re so closed off about your work ! childe could only smile from just imagining how scared his old subordinates would be if you were a part of his organization.

expect him to try and convince you to start telling many of your work stories — doesn’t matter if they’re all embarrassing in your eyes — as long as you tell him the ones where you prove yourself that you’re a boss (as you should !!)

KAEYA would be happy that you no longer have to go out to your crowded workplace and risk your health anymore when you told him. he feels even more unease when it comes to your safety since there’s been a virus that’s been causing so much trouble for everyone, so now that you’ll stay home until it’s considered safe to go out, kaeya can live happily.

unlike childe, kaeya only gets to see your angry side when your coworkers didn’t do their job and would think wow, you're so cute when you're angry as if he hasn't seen you being mad at him at all. he doesn’t even have to go near your office to hear your angry voice because he can simply hear it from where he is (given that unlike diluc’s, your office isn't sound-proof).

during those times when you're mad, kaeya will make sure to help you calm down after the meeting. he'll either stop by your office to give you a snack and drink or cuddle with you until your next meeting starts. if you're into sweet-talk, then kaeya's the right person for you, expect him to start telling you sweet-nothings in your ear and do everything he can to make you smile or make your cheeks feel warmer than a stove.

as much as kaeya adores your boss moments, he doesn't like how you're too busy with your work because of your piled up works to do. whenever you sometimes overwork yourself from the amount of work you've been given, your lover will make sure to make you take breaks every now and then by dragging you out from your office and spend time with him even if it takes a few minutes. you may be cute but not when you're stressed and overworked >:00 !!

VISITS YOUR OFFICE TO GIVE YOU FOOD — thoma, zhongli

when THOMA finds out that you'll start doing your work at home, he beams. mainly because you don't have to get out from your home and risk your health and definitely not because he misses you a lot.

he would often find himself at the kitchen daily even more than before, trying out snack recipes that he thinks you’d like as taroumaru watches from afar, eating his dog treat happily as always. if he deems the said snack worthy, then thoma will immediately take it away to your office and give it to you with taroumaru following.

however, unlike the rest of the househusbands besides diluc and scaramouche, thoma wouldn't be seen by your colleagues since he makes sure that he's not seen in your screen – whether it'd be going behind your laptop and place the food beside your things, or stay a few steps away from you and just give you a thumbs up before rushing off outside to not disturb you anymore.

whenever you're done with your meetings, you always have your favorite choice of drink waiting outside with your lover and dog watching a movie or resting while waiting for you to finish. expect him to try and help you clean up your desk so that you can have a tidy spot for once.

sweet-sweet ZHONGLI, who smiles so wide when he realizes that he won’t have to feel lonely anymore because of the fact that you’ll be staying home without going out to work. expect him to take you to your workplace to get your things and will help you start rearranging your office to make it more comfortable and suitable for your online meetings.

sweet-sweet zhongli, who makes sure to be quiet whenever he’s outside of your office and always prepares snacks for you. it’s scary how he always knows when you’re craving for something to eat, something that he excuse it as a coincidence and chuckles about it. he likes to think that it’s an instinct of his to know when you’re starving and/or know what you want.

sweet-sweet zhongli, who always makes sure to knock on your door before entering with foods that’ll surely make your mouth water at the aroma alone. at this point, it’s normal for your colleagues to see his lower body coming to view in your screen and putting down the tray that has your meal. they actually find it endearing and a bit jealous.

sweet zhongli, who listens to what you did for work as he massages your shoulders happily after your tiring meetings, adding a few comments here and there so that you’ll know that he’s listening to your rants. he's that good of a househusband <<3

SOMETIMES IN THE BACKGROUND — itto, xiao

ITTO felt excited when you said you'll start working at home, thinking that you meant that you’re willing to help him with the farm – only to find out that you meant you're actually still working in your career but at home, much to his sadness. nevertheless though, he was still happy because hey, at least you're now staying with him 24/7 :DD !!

like diluc, itto wouldn't dare to enter your office during your meetings in fear of disturbing you as well. despite that though, your colleagues know him already because of your choice of.. background.

you see, your office has a window that shows the beautiful view of the farm and field, something that you thought would look great as your background since the window is behind you and is visibly seen to your colleagues. what you don't think about is the fact that your husband could be seen by your many colleagues – leading many occasions where they can see itto talking with his farm- animals and/or getting chased by chickens and hens.

it only took you a long time before you realized that itto can be seen thanks to one of your friends who pointed it out, causing you to feel your cheeks warming when you realized your mistake. how could you face your lover knowing that almost all of your colleagues have seen the things he did outside?!

XIAO felt like the gods have smiled upon him when he found out about the new changes in your work. he’s been anxiously waiting for the announcement of what will happen to your and your company, so now that it's official that you'll be staying at home, he won't have to worry about anything regarding you catching the virus.

now, unlike most househusbands, your office is an open-door room that leads to the kitchen and dining area, causing xiao to be often seen by your colleagues doing random things. whether it'd be cleaning up some items in the background, walking by but accidentally tripped, cooking a meal, or even eat almond tofu nearby, not knowing that he can be seen. you didn't bother telling him since you assumed he knew.

sometimes, you'd feel like a boomer. especially during the first month of remote working since you had never used zoom or any online meeting apps, so you often come up to xiao when it comes to encountering technical difficulties. thankfully, xiao's been with zhongli for a long time to know how to fix your problems and/or answer your questions. he's basically a technician to you now.

NOISY AS FU— — scaramouche

“so? i’m still your alarm either way.” is SCARAMOUCHE’s response when you first told him that you’ll start working at home. in reality, he was lowkey relieved since he didn't want you to risk yourself to go to work.

just like diluc, scaramouche respects boundaries and silence, so he makes sure to not interrupt any of your meetings. he'll only enter if he wants to let you know that he'll be going out to buy some groceries or if he brings you a drink after you texted him.

now, despite not being able to enter your office, he's often... loud outside without realizing it.

it's not that he's intentionally loud to disturb you – no, no – he just gets a bit clumsy whenever he cleans. whenever scaramouche cleans, he sometimes gets too deep in his thoughts that he doesn't pay attention to his surroundings besides the one he's cleaning in, leaving him accidentally stumping his toe on one of the table legs and speak in colorful language, much to your embarrassment and shock when you’re in your office hearing it. thankfully it only happens when you're not talking (so far, at least).

besides that, on occasions when you're taking a "short" break while waiting for your next meeting, scaramouche will make sure to keep an eye on the time to let you know when you need to go back in case you ended up procrastinating. if you ever say “just a few minutes”, you can say goodbye to your sweet bed because your husband will literally drag you away towards your office. it's honestly scary how strong he is 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♀️

genshin men and their red flags in relationships . ( gn! reader . )

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○ fear not, dearest . for some dream of mortals are sunrise stained and spring warmth flavored, others find no purer solace than the serene melody of an everlasting winter blizzard. you are the bearer of the stars - the one ruler of thy fate .

characters : kaedehara kazuha , diluc ragnvindr , xiao , albedo , venti , tartaglia , scaramouche , kaeya alberich .

genre / warning : angst / view on red flags . mentions of controlling/manipulative behavior , yandere tendencies / traits mentioned .

◇─◇──◇─────◇──◇─◇

[ conflict avoidant personality ] - kazuha is a true pacifist- too much so. respectful is he, his love like the first snow, beautiful, gentle and graceful. everything would seem perfect for a seemingly long time until one day he starts avoiding you. no matter how hard you try, you couldn't fit within his reach. in reality, he had been avoiding every bit of negativity in your relationship under any cost to preserve the peace, hoping day and night for the problem to solve itself. each time he felt his space being disrupted, every single small discomfort or dissatisfaction he felt in the relationship because of you, kazuha was afraid to offend you and break your bond, so he had endured with a polite smile and a kiss on your cheek. but the limit has come in the end. whilst you were dancing, basking in the beautiful wonderland of the love he built for you all along, he found no energy to pretend anymore. even until the end, he couldn't tell you his boundaries, you didn't find out what you could've done better. really, like the scarlet leaves pursuing wild waves, he was gone. no matter how hard you ran, you couldn't reach his soul anymore. maybe if you'd noticed his strained smile, maybe if you tried harder to read between the lines... you would never know now, would you ?

[ possessiveness ] - diluc is a wounded, but gentle soul. life has turned for the worse too quick for the young lad, having lost so, so much for someone his age. because of that, he was guarded. once upon a time you were outside of his stone cold walls too, knocking gently for him to trust you, to return your everlasting warm love. and trust you, he did. your love was like a burning fire, passionate and endearing. everything diluc wanted, you were the embodiment, his dear loving angel. he loved you, so so much to the point he would feel fear and anxiety pumping in his veins all the time. are they hurt? are they feeling comfortable right now? are they hungry, feeling sad or lonely? every part of you, he wants to protect with each piece of his own soul. anything you needed him for, anything you desired, he was willing to tear himself down limb by limb if necessary. diluc fell deeper in love with you each passing moment, and with his suffocating love grew his possessiveness. of course that guy was flirting with you, stay away from him. of course she didn't mean well giving you that suspicious flower, didn't you look at her mocking gaze while she offered it to you? it might be harmful. turn to me. rely on me. use me. need me. i'm all yours, all you'll ever need. i'll protect you darling, i love you so.

[ overprotectiveness ] - xiao isn't well versed in mortals, relationships or anything of the sort. he warned you, pushed you away, avoided you, even almost threatened you (with no ill intent) countless times in fear of harming both you and himself and convinced himself that it was for the good. but did it work? no. with your persistence, he was later able to accept that even he with bloodstained hands and karma-wrecked soul, deserved kindness and love. so he embraced you, the fragile, delicate mortal who he wanted to keep by his side for as long as heavens allowed them. he was so careful, asking, affirming and making sure before doing anything at all from touching, holding, fondling and gently kissing. his love felt feather light like butterfly wings caressing your heart. however even a butterfly wing's flap could cause a storm. if left unattended, if not explained and communicated properly, xiao would spend minutes, hours, days worrying over your safety. he would quietly inspect every inch of your body with his piercing eyes to make sure there were no bruises, wounds or anything of the sort. if you fell ill, he would scold you that you were careless to have gone out in the cold weather with your overly skimpy pretty human clothes, not even noticing your eyes silently watering at his coldness. and if anyone dare hurt you, whether it be verbally or physically, he would be willing to tear them apart, have them taste the vigilant yaksha's blood-curdling cold fury. you closed your eyes and hoped, wished desperately for his wrath to come to an end. your beloved alatus, you whisperer - you could fix this behavior, he is just not familiar with humans and your emotions... right?

[ knowing / unknowing manipulation ] - albedo silently prided himself in absorbing knowledge and social necessities quickly. he had spent a long time with humans and often even felt connected to the mortals already, so he didn't doubt his ability to be a loving partner to you and accepted with a gentle smile on his pretty face when you confessed your love. from the first touch of your hands to the first time you made love, everything was perfect- it felt like a fairy tale - your heart was safe in your beloved kreideprinz's delicate hands. but each day that passed, you just couldn't calm down the voices in your head whispering, warning you that something was wrong. you see, often time when you voiced out your concern or a small problem to him, albedo would listen to each of them with utmost undivided attention. he would ponder, comprehend, then accept your stance and apologize. after that, he'd decide to change and never do it again, molding into your desires perfectly. it had never been a problem before, but when he started subtly asking, demanding for you to keep your hair longer, to cut off your ties to some of your friends with "ulterior motive", to quit your current job and look for another because it "overworked you too much", you felt too much pressure. when you finally voiced this like your other problems though, albedo blinked and confusedly tilted his head in a questioning manner. he, for once, didn't see the problem. humans were give-and-take from nature, are they not? if you asked something of him, he would gladly change and make an effort for you. he's been doing so each and every time, it's only fair that he did the same to you whether it be with your knowledge or not. you were so happy with him, weren't you? you were happy when he said you looked more attractive with longer hair, and that friend of yours ended up badmouthing you to everyone after you cut ties, didn't they? see, he was right all along, he was doing just what was right to keep his love away from those... lowlives. he laced his fingers with yours with a charming, seductive smile, wrapping your tender heart with his tightly-woven red strings of destiny he weaved with you, as he liked to believe.

[ overwhelming affection and attachment issues ] - tartaglia knew he was a hard person to love. heck, he didn't even think he was ready for love but the first time he laid his ocean eyes on you, he swore his world stopped. you just had to be his. because of his certainty and determination, he courted you, bought you flowers and asked you out on a dinner date. brought you to lingju pass and opened your eyes to the beautiful view of jade moons over sea of clouds. he was a breath of fresh air, always leaving you wanting more, excitement and starstruck a part of your daily routine by now. but you were anxious that after a while, tartaglia's feelings would change. he was a fatui harbinger, it would be bothersome for him to remain committed, wouldn't it? oh, my sweet, sweet darling he laughed when you first voiced your worries. he held you in his hands, hugging you oh so tightly and pressed soft kisses on your shoulders to your neck. you see, he was worried to overwhelm you. from the moment he saw you, from your first encounter, he had already decided that you were his as he was yours. but if you were thinking such useless thoughts in your pretty head, you needed more validation, right? so he gave you just that. he spent millions, billions of mora to buy you expensive gifts, pretty things that reminded him of you. he would take you to snezhnaya to his family, showing you off and playfully claiming (or was he?) that you were his fiancée, the one he was promised to. he whispered words of love and promises of eternity each and every day, every moment you two locked eyes. the more you spent time with him, the fire in his eyes no longer seemed warm, it felt like it was burning you along inside. when his honey-laced voice confidently declared everlasting love, cuddling you and inhaling your scent that he would like to smell even on his death bed, you felt like his "eternal love" was more of a threat than you first assumed.

[ gaslightling / ignoring boundaries ] - venti has spent long, long lonely years in the physical form of his lost "partner". among those years in rapidly flowing time, he was not expecting to find someone possibly even dearer to him than his old friend. but oh his lovely, lovely muse, you were the embodiment of all the love songs he had ever heard in over his millenniums-long existence. but ah, just as he expected a relationship with a mortal came with many problems. he would hug you, kiss you, touch you any time of the day anywhere and giggle innocently in your ear- silently daring you to say no. if you did express your discomfort and voiced your problems with his overly-touchy behavior in the center of a blasting city in midday, he would just laugh and ignore your cute little protests. if you did emphasize and get angry or hurt over his little concern for your boundaries, he would be very confused. but this is what all lovers do, kiss, hug and all that! you're just being too sensitive, my muse. it's fine, no one cares what we do, i promise. he'd hum and hold you tight in his arms, just wanting to bask in your warmth as long as possible. he knew you wouldn't be by your side forever, he claimed. that's why he doesn't hold back, he explains further while holding your hands on his chest, that's why he never wants to be apart from you, because he loves you so much and wants to spend all of his time with you. it's fine love, i understand your boundaries! but you're just not used to receiving this affection dear, i'll teach you. it's fine, venti cooed in your ear with the softest, gentlest voice he can muster to tickle your fragile heart, to make you understand he is just doing this out of love, trapping you in his maze once again.

[ afraid of commitment / doesn't commit ] - kaeya was an enigma nobody could fully unravel, and he was all-too aware of it. he made sure to keep up that facade, after all. he had a lifelong mission, an unattended decision to make when the time has come. he had responsibilities, ones that would never ever end as long as he breathes, walks this godforsaken world but damn, he wanted you. he wanted you so bad, he wanted to whisper forever in your ear, he wanted to wipe your tears when you were struggling with nightmares (he was not a stranger to them too, the nightmares. but even that, even a trivial weakness like that, he didn't let you know.) , he wanted to wake up to you sleeping safe and sound next to him every single day. he didn't know what possessed him that day to accept your confession, maybe it was the liquor, maybe it was how beautiful the night skies were under the big tree of windrise combined with your pretty eyes avoiding his in embarrassment while uttering words of love- innocent, but truthful warm love for him, kaeya alberich. or maybe, just maybe because he truly loved you more than you ever knew, did he accept your confession with his signature coy smirk and teasing words. but kaeya was afraid now. he was afraid of how warm and fuzzy he felt around you, afraid of how all of his dreams (nightmares) were away for too long now. instead, each and every night he dreams of your featherlight kisses, your dazzling smile and your voice whispering i love you. if this keeps up, he knew all too well that his attention would be divided, that he would hurt you, him and everyone else around when the doomed time were to come. so he did you a favor, he convinced himself. kaeya smirked in that annoyingly fake, seductive way and declared that you were just not meant to be. he wouldn't say anything else and end your relationship with the same teasing smile on his lips. little did you know, the proud smirk fell the moment you left with teary eyes. he knew you wouldn't stay in mondstadt for long after that. at least for a while. he muttered to himself, at least for a while, you would be safe. safe from him. safe from the disaster he was cursed, obligated to cause one day.

[ anger issues / violence ] - scaramouche. where should you even start with him? oh the mighty harbinger balladeer, or should you even call him that? you scoffed, staring at the sunset in a mockingly beautiful estate he bought you on the land of inazuma- the one he was born- oh no, created in. he had multiple fancy estates, mansions bought under your name in each state of teyvat now, since you were to accompany him everywhere anytime he desired. you grimaced a bit at the stinging sensation when the servant girl wiped the lighting-shaped scar he had left you a while ago. it was still stinging, throbbing with tingles that made your stomach drop in uncertainty. a claim, a physical engraving over your body mind and soul, scaramouche claimed when he marked you with this... ugly scar. it might look like a normal lightning, similar to the electro vision shape if closely inspected. to some it may even look pretty, and that made you all the more upset. the o mighty balladeer was so flawless sometimes, apologizing to you in that sickeningly fake sweet voice, caressing your body gently with his "love" if he was even capable of such emotions. you silently cursed the day you fell in love with him and you felt forsaken now, since he claimed, and from then on miraculously "shared" your emotions. to him, he was doing everything to keep you, his pretty doll lover by his side. he didn't mind having your loving gaze on him, your pretty head full of his thoughts and most importantly, having someone who thought he was worth loving. someone who wouldn't abandon him. someone his. he would never let you go, he would love you, he would keep you by his side. that's what you agreed for from the start, didn't you? of course he sometimes lashed out, mildly harmed you mentally or physically from time to time and all, of course scaramouche understood that. he understood it well, he was not perfect after all- no one is! but if you try to talk to him about his flaws, he would laugh in your face as though you made a hilarious joke. who were you to say that to him? were you perfect? no you weren't - he would state each and every moment you defied his orders and made him dissatisfied, every single moment he remembered that you made the slightest bit of mistakes- but then in the end, stress that he kept you by his side even though you were such an ungrateful little "lover". he didn't abandon you, he didn't even harm you on purpose! he just left a physical engraving on you to wandering airheads who might think to touch what was his, what's wrong with labeling what is rightfully his? you offered yourself up to him, you said you loved him first, you started this. he was not going to let you slide so easily. his pretty, pretty little doll. all his, he murmured when he kissed your lightning scar on your thigh. love me, love me, love me more, my doll.

.

“Enjoying the view?”

as you stare at them longer than usual, they can't help but ask. — (2/2) for the collaboration of sweet 'n' spice by @bluexiao and @anantaru!

characters; kazuha, heizou, scaramouche, xiao

; gn! reader, established relationship, hella sus on scara's part, not proofread againnnn

KAZUHA appears unbothered, rather a bit more amused as you burn your stare onto him, playfully asking if you enjoyed his visuals that much. He's very aware that he possesses a face fairer than average, but was it really enough to elicit such intense stares from his lover? Yes, he has quite smooth skin and soft features that compliment his carefree and calm nature, but...why are you gawking like you've seen the epitome of beauty?

“Does it bother you?” You return his prior question with your own inquiry, chin still atop your hands as you stare at him lovingly. A chuckle escapes his throat, “No, of course. But mind telling me why you seem so...uh, focused?” You ponder his word of choice in the matter of your one-sided staring contest with him, sighing lightly as you sit up straight. “I just can't believe that I managed to get such a perfect man as my lover.” Noting your nonchalance at the statement, he smiles. Being humble won't change your mind about him being 'perfect' so he'll let it be for now.

HEIZOU always say this. Whethe it'd be a short momentary glance from you, or full on staring—he's always ready to act all smug that you're admiring the oh-so handsome Shikanoin Heizou even though you only turned to look at him because he kept nudging your shoulder for attention. You always respond to him by either giving a deadpan look, or simply switching your gaze onto something else. It's petty, but it works wonders as payback for him teasing you.

“Enjoying the view of your awe-inspiring detective lover?” he asks once more, not looking up from his book as you stare at him from across the table. He's surprised to say the least, staring in astonishment when you answer a firm “Yes.” A smirk most definitely grows as he puts his book down, mischief in his olive hues at your sudden change in reaction. “Oh? Where'd all the denial go? Have you finally realized that I'm the most handsome looking man there is?” Next moment, you immediately regret being honest. He's going to pester you about this the whole day for sure.

SCARAMOUCHE is a strange case. He's aware of his doll-like features, but he doesn't flaunt it verbally—naming it unnecessary to do so. Though, all of that reluctance will disappear once he has you—making sure to use his perfect appearance to his advantage when it comes to it. Calling you a pervert for staring for the sole purpose of seeing you embarrassingly scramble for a response, or seducing you in the late hours of night to feel your warmth under the sheets.

He's exactly doing the latter right now. The heat of your bodies entangled with the blankets of your mattress as he fondly leans onto your hand—which is delicately placed against his cheek. Blinking his indigo hues whilst his lashes tickle your skin as you caress his cheek. “You're rather touchy. Am I that beautiful?” he quietly snickers, staring into your dilated eyes. When you don't form a response, a smirk crawls onto his face as he examines your dazed expression. He had never considered using his face in the art of seduction, but if it gets him to marvel at how you look at him so needily, he might just do it more often.

XIAO would never dare to say such a thing. He's the type to dismiss any type of compliment thrown towards his looks, deeming them nothing but a hindrance. So instead, you'll be the one saying it. His standoffish nature is a norm in your relationship, and he barely initiates contact—this leads to him staring at you expectantly at random times of the day. Wants a kiss? Stares. Wants to hold your hand? Stares. Wants to sit next to you? Stares. He does it so often that it's inevitable for you to avoid teasing him for his shyness.

It's evil of you to think it's funny, but, it really is. He frowns when you ask if 'he's enjoying the view', staring out the balcony to overlook Guili Plains for a moment, before returning his gaze to you confusingly—“...I always see this view. Why are you asking that now?” Xiao—babe, no. The way realization and horror dawns on his face when you clarified that you meant if he enjoys staring at you. “Did—did it make you uncomfortable? I'm sorry...” Now you're stuck here trying to reassure him while patting his head—there goes your chances of seeing a blushy Xiao. T.T

i feel like i published these too early...was my excitement for the event too obvious?

★彡 REDAMANCY IN YOUR GAZE.

SUMMARY. redamancy is a love returned in full — except you express that by staring at your lover like a madman.

CHARACTERS. xiao, venti, kazuha, heizou, zhongli, albedo, gorou, itto, scaramouche, ayato, childe, diluc, thoma, kaeya.

GENRE. cotton candy fluff, little bits of crack, teeny tiny angst in kaeya’s part, established relationship.

CW. use of pet names.

THOUGHTS. weewoo, my first multi post! i may have screamed, kicked my feet in the air, and sobbed while writing this and i hope you do too <3 /pos

☆ masterlist.

XIAO turns his face away nervously. You are silent, yet your gaze speaks many volumes; volumes that he is unable to comprehend properly. What exactly should an Adeptus say to such peculiar manner of staring? Xiao clears his throat, “If you have words to spare, then spit them out.” Bold words for someone with reddening cheeks.

VENTI grins as if he had caught a thief red-handed. “Is it me or is someone awfully shameless today, hm?” Although it is clear as day that you’re not even trying to hide it, this bard sees the opportunity to tease you and he takes it in stride. As a performer, Venti is used to having eyes on him — but to receive such attention from his beloved is so much sweeter, is it not?

Keep reading

— title; when is a monster not a monster? (oh, when you love it).

— pairing; zhongli x reader

— summary; in which zhongli loses control and turns into a dragon, but you manage to bring him back.

— notes; i don’t play genshin, so i hope it’s not too ooc !! special thanks to @yuebloom​ and​ @degenerate-yandere and @teyvatstories​ for their support !! if anyone is interested, the song referenced in this fic is called asking the zither and can be found here !!

Screaming.

The sound that sears itself into your ears is like nothing you’ve never heard before, the hoarse scream of an enraged animal that vibrates through your whole body, scraping over your skin like claws.

With much effort, you finally manage to open your eyes. It’s excruciating. Your eyelids feel like they’re made of lead. Squinting against the sudden light, you try to sit up, but can only groan as your body erupts into joint-wrenching pains. Your face is wet, and dampness runs down into your collar.

Keep reading

do the other harbingers know about capitanos little dove 👀

Capitano never brings his precious treasure to any meetings with the Harbingers, but they've seen you on your routine strolls around Snezhnaya.

For some time now, the Harbingers have been watching his comrade and a pretty maiden sitting next to each other on the same bench, at the loneliest end of the promenade on a small, icy garden that's close to the headquarters.

You two made an odd couple for sure. The first time they saw you, they thought you were lovely but too fragile and frightened, like a little mouse. Sometimes they heard you chat. You more than him, who spoke little, but fixed his attention on you.

The first to really notice you was Pantalone. When he passed by you, he couldn't see your eyes, which were constantly lowered. He only saw your long eyelashes, full of shadow and modesty. This did not prevent you from smiling while listening to some musicians performing there, and he thought there was nothing so charming as that sweet smile with downcast eyes.

The next time he came near you, you raised your eyelids, and your eyes met. What strange and endearing quality does your gaze hold? He could not have said at the time.

You lowered your eyes; he continued on his way. What he had just witnessed was not the dull emptiness of fright; but a mysterious chasm that had parted, then abruptly closed.

He learned at that moment why Capitano held on to you in such a manner.

You were lovely indeed... the loveliest, most valuable creature on earth.

#SOMEONE WALKS IN ON YOU !

;feat. xiao, scaramouche, gorou, + zhongli/afab!reader

;contents. nudity, both suggestive scenes and explicit scenes, protective men heart eyes

a/n. HOPE U ENJOY

all characters presumed to be 18+. minors do not interact.

requests are open!

! XIAO

the cool water felt refreshing on your sweaty, overheated skin. you couldn't help but sigh happily as you felt all the grime vanish after the long, grueling commission you had been on.

"aren't you going to wash up, xiao?" you called to the adeptus who sat on a rock nearby, looking incredibly bored.

"i will later," he mumbled in response, chin resting on his hand.

"but you're so dirty!" you teased, rising to your feet to step back onto the shore.

your boyfriend scoffed, a hint of a smile on his lips as he watched you towel off, "you think i actually worked up a sweat over some hilichurls?"

you giggled, opening your mouth to retort before the rustle of some nearby brush had you freezing, head snapping in the direction just as a man emerged with a fishing pole slung over his shoulder.

in an almost terrifying flash, xiao was in front of you wrapping your nude body in the towel before casting a glare over his shoulder. his body was tense as he held you against his chest, every instinct in his body telling him to protect you.

the man flushed red at the sight and scrambled to leave while throwing apologies along the way.

"stupid mortals," he spat under his breath before releasing you from his hold, "hurry up and get dressed already..."

you hurried to do as you were told, unable to deny the way his actions had made your heart race in your chest.

! SCARAMOUCHE

"turn," while his voice and demeanor is anything but kind and sweet, you could tell by the way his eyes were glued onto every lovely curve of your body that he was enthralled, "does it fit okay?"

"yeah, it's comfortable," you breathe, snapping the straps of your bra before shrugging your shoulders, "i like it!"

"excellent," he breathes, turning to pick up another set he had picked out.

you reached behind you and unclipped the bra, letting it fall down your arms before placing it aside. he turned back to you, meeting your gaze for a split second before removing the new bra from the hanger.

as he stepped up to you, the door flew open, slamming against the wall. you squealed, wide eyed watching the agent stand there panting.

scaramouche, with his ever fast reflexes, wrapped his arm around your chest, shielding your bare breasts from the unwelcome eyes.

"m-my apologies..." the agent whispered, standing up straight at the sight before him.

"close to door," scaramouche's voice was eerily calm and devoid of emotion, making your own anxiety spike, "don't even think about going anywhere."

"y-yes sir," the agent stepped out, shutting the door behind him as he did.

you glanced up at your lover who had his eyes glued to the door. he continued to hold you against him, covering your vulnerable body even from his own view and you let him, leaning into his chest until he decided to let you go.

and you knew that that would be the last mistake that agent would ever make.

! GOROU

after tireless days away from one another, he finally had the chance to have you underneath him again. and although it wasn't the most ideal, you couldn't deny how much you missed being pinned down with your cunt stuffed full of his thick cock.

"m-missed this so much, missed you so much," he whined, face buried in your neck.

"l-love you so much!" you cry, fingers tangling in his unruly hair, making him groan.

neither of you noticed the two swift knocks on the door until it swung open. gorou shot straight up, eyes eyes meeting the equally startled gaze of the subordinate.

"g-general sir....i...." the flustered man clears his throat before his gaze flicks to you.

a growl broke from gorou's chest before he was covering your exposed body with a nearby blanket. intent on hiding your vulnerable body from the unwelcome eyes.

"keep your eyes to yourself! that's an order! now leave!" gorou's voice reverberated around the room, making the man jump before he spat out a hasty 'yes sir'.

the slam of the door signified his exit and gorou slumped against you, ears pinned to his chest.

"do you think it's important? do you need to go?" you ask softly, wrapping your arms around his neck.

he shakes his head, meeting your gaze, "this is my leave, i don't have to do anything..."

you were surprised when he slowly started his pace up again but you weren't going to complain when it felt so good knowing you were under your handsome, protective lover.

! ZHONGLI

it wasn't by any means unusual for you to find yourself needy and pawing at your beloved right in the living room of zhongli's house. it wasn't like the man had a plethora of people who privately sought him out when he wasn't at work.

he sat back, hands on your hips for support as you lost yourself on him. his long, fat cock hitting every deliciously pleasurable spot inside you making your brain short-circuit. your pretty body was completely bare as opposed to his fully clothed self, perfect tits cupped in your hands and bouncing freely with your every movement.

you cried his name, head tossed back all while he watched you hump, grinding your clit against him every time. you were leaking, drooling down his cock and making a mess of his pants but he didn't care — this was all for you, he would let you use him until the end of time.

you were so lost in him that you didn't even notice the door opening or the glare zhongli tossed over your shoulder at the intruder. it was cold and cutting, causing the person to freeze where they stood. it was hard to miss you or even pretend like they didn't know what they walked in on.

he tugged you down against his chest to hide your face and breasts from view. his hand cupped around the nape of your neck as you started cum, sobbing and squealing into his chest — completely unaware of the unbridled rage brewing within him as the unwelcome visitor had a firsthand view of you expressing pleasure only he was supposed to see.

@xiax // do not modify or repost

Headcanon

Scenario: Sees another person flirting with you

Characters: Diluc, Kaeya, Albedo, Childe, Zhongli, fem!reader

Want more? Here’s the masterlist:  https://primofate.tumblr.com/post/651259258829225984/masterlist-requests

Consider following me so that you don’t miss anything! :D

Diluc

Would watch from afar. Trusts you not to do anything stupid.

Starts tapping his foot when the guy doesn’t leave you alone.

People next to him or passing by him are wondering if the temperature rise is from his pyro vision or just the pissed off vibes emanating from him

Finally uncrosses his arms when he sees you walking away

Small smile when he sees you waving and approaching him

Smile disappears when other guy grabs your wrist

He did not just fucking do that

Appears next to your side in a split second, giant sword in his hand. Fire in his eyes.

Keep reading

revoked privileges

𓍢 summary. taking away their cuddling privileges for a month after a fight had happened

𓍢 cw. grammatical mistakes may occur, having to reject their cuddle sessions, usage of call signs

𓍢 includes. childe, diluc, albedo, scaramouche, kazuha

part two

Keep reading

Loved revoked privileges! I couldn't find whether you accept requests, but if yes: If/when you have time, could you do the revoked privileges for Kaeya, Zhongli, Xiao (I kinda see him breaking it off tbh not out of spite but just he's seems flighty lol, but eh who knows), and maybbbeee aether?

revoked privileges (ii)

𓍢 summary. taking away their cuddling privileges for a month after a fight had happened

𓍢 cw. grammatical mistakes may occur, usage of call signs, tiny angst to fluff, hurt/comfort

𓍢 includes. kaeya, zhongli, xiao, aether

𓍢 note. i'm happy u liked it dear anon!! thank u for the request, i hope u like it and finally here’s the part 2 u requested for!! <3

part one

KAEYA.

will probably drown himself at work

petty fights are bound to happen once you got in a relationship with the cavalry captain as he sometimes has a playful demeanor, though they aren’t as bad as you thought and will just mostly end in playful fights. however one night a fight had occur wherein kaeya crossed the line by telling something back at you, that he thinks as a ‘joke’, when in reality it wasn’t funny at all in your perspective. so when you backfired at him, that’s when the playful glint in his eyes was gone and was now replaced by annoyance

he argued of how you can’t take a little joke which of course angered you more about how he cares more about what he said rather than what you felt when he said that. emotions were scattered all over the place and rational thoughts were thrown out of the window that you shouted at him that he’s not allowed to cuddle you for a month, that you’re revoking his privileges

before he can even get the chance to comprehend what just unfold in front of him, you’re already walking past by him and making your way to your shared bedroom as the loud bang of the door brought him back from his thoughts. he was now left all alone and just let out a tired sigh. he just hopes that you will forget about what you said tomorrow, and the both of you can apologize sincerely to each other. but what he expected to happen, didn’t happen at all the next morning...

as per usual he was the first to wake up since he still has something to do at the favonius headquarters, and as per usual after being all dressed up ready to go outside, he didn’t forget to place a ‘good morning’ peck on your cheek but when he was a few centimeters away from your face you turned your back on him leaving the poor man frozen in his place like his vision. it was then that he realized that you are serious about it, still frozen in his place he slowly moved away from you before leaving you all alone in your now shared bedroom

the knights have took noticed of a slight change in their captain’s behavior but didn’t dare to know more about it further, the grandmaster tried talking to him what’s wrong but all she just got was a laugh, hell even the almighty librarian is starting to worry what happened to him all of a sudden. it was when you paid a random visit for jean, when they started connecting the dots together by how you chose to ignore him as he threw subtle glances at you before focusing again on his work, and how his hands are tempted to be placed on you when you’re in close proximity

as we all know he tends to pay visit at the tavern and as usual diluc was about to tell him off again when he noticed there was a gloom persona surrounding his brother. never was the red haired man prepared for the day he’ll see his brother all bothered up by something, that he dropped off his statement and let him order whatever wine he wants. when the month is over, expect that he will take a whole month day-off from his duties which of course a granted permission from jean as she understands what had happened between the two of you

the moment you wake up the next morning after the whole revoking month ends, you will find kaeya’s side of the bed empty but then the bedroom door will open and there he was carrying a breakfast tray with a small bouquet of calla lily flowers. you felt bad for what you did, that you couldn’t help blurting a sincere apology at him, only for the both of you to apologize at the same time before laughing and smiling once again as he finally wrapped his arms around you letting out a contented sigh. the both of you started the month with a whole cuddle session on the bed as he will hug you and spoon you from time to time. let’s just say that he isn’t planning to get the both of you out of bed together because he’s going to savor this moment from morning till night, until you have to drag him that the both of you also need to eat and take a bath

of course with kaeya being off duty from being the cavalry captain of the knights, similar to diluc he will follow you around like a lost puppy while his hands are all over you. every second, minute of the day you will be hugged and cuddled to the very max, to the point that the both of you will end up in the couch as he nuzzles his face at the crook of your neck while peppering you with kisses every now and then, his teasing personality will be back again however his teasing is a little more on the cautious side, as he is careful not to repeat the same mistake again. he definitely became a spoiled brat for your cuddles the rest of the following days

“Considering that you made me suffer last month, I believe it’s time I get to be pampered and spoiled. Don’t you think?”

ZHONGLI.

will subtly pamper and follow you around

zhongli is a mature and a patient person, he keeps his rational thoughts in line whenever fights will occur between the two of you. it’s not often that the two of you fight, but when it does come around the both of you were quick to resolve it considering that the both of you are willing to see the bigger picture. as we all know, zhongli was a rather different person in his archon days so it was a surprise it came back again that time of the fight and it’s also not often that he’s busy doing his job at the parlor, however one night he came home unexpectedly late after a stressful and tired day at the parlor only to be met by you, who’s arms are crossed and are giving him the strict parent look like “where have you been? and why are you so late?”

he tried to brush you off, and told you that he will tell you the reason tomorrow because all he needs at the moment is to rest and sleep, but of course you aren’t going to let him off the hook that easily. before he can even move to the direction of the bedroom, you continued to block his way while still interrogating him with questions that he got to the point where his patience had slowly run thin that he lashed out on you with words that he didn’t even mean, you maintained your ground however you can’t help but feel hurt by his words that you shouted at him that fine you will leave him alone now, but expect that you’re taking away his cuddling privileges for a whole month. 

zhongli ignored what you backfired at him before also storming off from you and slamming the bedroom door with a loud bang, he can last a month with that, for now the objective here is he won’t last without a sleep. meanwhile you remained frozen in your place still replaying back the scenario that had happened. you weren’t even aware that a stream of tear left your eye, and it was not good to say that the night ended with your side on the bed empty, as the both of you slept separated with aching hearts

when he woke up during the morning, he expected to open his eyes with you on the bed, he expected you to exit the bathroom the same time he wakes up, all his expectations during the hours of his morning routine with you were all gone, he looked around the room and that’s when it hit him about what happened last night. 

soon guilt started appearing on his face, as he didn’t waste any moment to get out of the bed, frantically looking for you all over the house. his hopes are slowly fading away, as he starts thinking that maybe you did left him for the better, that maybe you deserve someone better, that- his thoughts were cut off with the sound of the front door opening and closing. man practically dashed to your direction, and when he was about to engulf you into a hug you moved away from him before telling him that you’ll just be in the kitchen, cooking breakfast

the silent between the two of you were too tense, that even the people in Liyue passing the both of you by can’t help but give the two of you questionable and concerned looks. however you ignored them, as you do your own things also ignoring the fact that zhongli has been following you around wherever you go, even though you already told him you will be fine on your own. he continued to dismissed that and whenever something eye catching will catch his attention that reminds him of you, he will ask the kids who are playing around in a nearby area if they can give this to you with a little letter with it, it’s either a compliment or an apology letter. deep down there is this temptation inside him of how just wants to hold your hands and kiss your forehead, muttering every now and then how sorry he was but how can he? how when you literally said a two meter distance between the two of you? poor zhongli forgotten his work just to get back his privileges

 first thing in the morning you will be treated like royalty, as he’s already sitting up on your side of the bed with a prepared tea on the bedside table. when you open your eyes, you will see him having an apologetic smile on his face as he sits you up before grabbing the both of your hands and kissing it, then kissing your forehead after, followed by a peck on the tip of your nose, as he apologizes to you that the both of you spend inside the bedroom for almost an hour. and when he finally gets to get his cuddles back? you bet that he’s ready to jump on you and give you the longest hug as if the both of you haven’t seen each other for a very long time, though he had to restrain himself for a moment as he doesn’t want you to be uncomfortable by the sudden action

when the month’s over you will find yourself in a stuck situation, and by i mean stuck situation you won’t be leaving zhongli’s side anytime sooner. oh he has work? don’t worry, it’s not like he’s planning to make an excuse that your presence is “needed” when he’s doing his job. oh you’re going somewhere? it doesn’t matter how far or how near where you are going, the former archon is already standing up and is having a look in his eye that he’s waiting for you to lead the way. every now and then, he will constantly hold your hand in public however when it’s just the two of you behind closed doors, he will bear hug you. trust me he will, sometimes you will have to tell him that you can’t breathe as you’re head is placed on his chest

“My dear, you have no idea how I missed you so much. Work has been tough lately.....would you mind accompanying me?”

XIAO.

will try to break if off spoiler: it didn’t work, second option is will act that it doesn’t affect him at all

xiao was new to relationships especially when he made it official with you, his mind was on set on making sure that whatever arguments the both of you will come through, as he is determined to make it end well. you were the first person to ever make him feel this way, which is why he tries and avoids to make misunderstandings with you as much as possible since he can’t bear the thought of what will be it’s outcome. but sometimes our emotions takes the lead before our brain can even process it, so when a fight had occurred between the two of you, what you think was a minor argument turned into something bigger

the sincere hearing of both sides turned into shouts and lashes of words that weren’t even connected to the fight, that it had come to the point that xiao was so done of it that he shouted at you if you can be quiet for a moment while he gathers his thoughts, but because you were determined to defend your point, the emotions got ahead of you that you complained that he’s always like this and that, before shouting he’s not allowed to physically touch you for the whole month as you walked out of the room

xiao was left standing there all alone with his eyes wide open like a scared cat, all gathering thoughts were thrown out of the window as he looked outside the inn searching for you and when he does caught sight of your figure, he didn’t waste no time teleporting to you then and there as he tried to grab your hand in hopes of changing your mind, that the both of you can still work this out. but when he saw the tired and hurtful look in your face, he retreated his hand that maybe.....the both of you needs to have a space for the meantime before seeing each other again

he stood there once again outside of the inn, as you walked away from him. the only time he left that position was when he made sure that your figure was nowhere to be seen, that you really don’t have any plans of turning back and crashing into his arms. the outcome xiao had feared and prevented from happening, had still occurred no matter how much he avoided it

the following days was painfully slow for him, as he tried to do his usual errands. if you’re not close to the adeptus you will most likely think that nothing’s wrong with him and his just normally in his usual self, but if you look a little closer you can see how there is a pleading and desperate emotion behind his eyes, as every now and then you will see him looking out for you, looking for any signs if you will visit him in the inn like how you always do. he tried to act that there’s nothing wrong with the both of you, he tried to not let his thoughts and emotions be affected of what happen, he assured himself so many times that maybe you’re just lying about what you said. when he had caught sight of you walking to Liyue to do your usual daily errands excluding the routine of visiting xiao in the morning, he may or may not have followed you all the way despite his dislike in being caught in large crowd. he’s hands are aching to hug you, he’s aching to put and hide his face under the crook of your neck, he has to restrain himself all the way not to hug you, because he respects what you had decided on

to your surprise you may have caught sight of him being in the same place and time as you, and whenever you will just shrug him off before doing your own thing, he will stare at you. yes, he will stare at you until he finds himself pouting on his lips as if he’s telling you that he can no longer pretend that this doesn’t affect him, that he needs his cuddles right now because he feels as if there is a missing part of him

once the month ends, don’t be surprised when he’s suddenly at your doorstep or maybe had teleported in your bedroom. archons you thought that someone was trying to get inside your house past midnight but when you opened it, you didn’t have the time to react who’s outside when you were tackled to the floor. you were about to let out a scream if it wasn’t for xiao mumbling on the crook of your neck that it’s him, your favorite person in the world. the both of you stayed there for a moment before xiao let out an apology while hugging you tightly, you felt bad for what you did to him that you played with his hair as you hear him let out a sigh. a sigh that finally the suffering he had gone through is finally over, that finally this is the outcome he got. you had to tell him that you can both move to the bed because who would want to do their cuddles on the cold and hard floor right?

after the whole fiasco, do you expect to leave that bed? no, you will be not leaving that bed anytime sooner and if you complain that you need to use the restroom he insists that he will wait for you outside of the door, and when you open the door he is carrying you back to the bed before wrapping his arms once again. he will be with you wherever you go, teleportation be damned. every now and then he will link your hands together or he will constantly stare down at you as if it’s his way of telling you that it’s cuddle time for the 5th time of the day , if there will be times where you will fall asleep on his chest or when he’s spooning you, you will be able to missed out how his eyes will soften while smiling down at you genuinely. if he was to be asked, he really doesn’t mind cuddling and hugging you all day if it means he can repeat this moments again and again. he will never get tired of the sight of it

“Dear archons, how can you....a mortal make me feel this way? Not that I’m complaining about it”

AETHER.

will probably take it as your way of breaking up with him

fights with aether will probably happen very rare since most of the time he is composed and is always trying to seek what you’re trying to point out. if ever, sometimes the fight gets too heated that it really needs for the both of you to cool-off and recollect of what you just said to each other, paimon is ready to step in and stop it if she has to. it was one of those days again wherein a small fight had grew big, you see the fight was about how he won't take a break from taking commissions at the adventurer guild, even though he gives you the same reason that it will only be quick, and paimon is there with him, when at the end of the day he'll come back with scratches. he tried to calm you down that it's no big deal and he became used to it, but no this doesn't sit very well with you, knowing that his main objective here is to search clues for his twin rather than being an errand boy being bounced back and forth.

even paimon sneaked in and told him that maybe the next day, the both of them can stop taking commissions for a while and use it as the time to make it up to you, for the lost time he wasn't there for your side. aether really tried his best to not scream at you but your constant nagging was the last straw that he just let it all at the both of you, shouting words that wasn’t even meant for you in the first place. it was quiet for a moment before your emotions had also went ahead of you that you backfired at him that you’re taking away his cuddling privileges for a month before dragging paimon away from the scene. not that the little companion was complaining as she also feels terrified by aether’s sudden outburst. you know that was a childish response, but who are you to be blamed? you’re just trying to look out for him right? 

and just like that aether was left all alone once again, he was frozen for a moment and soon his own thoughts started clouding in his mind, that what if what you meant is your way of leaving him, but this time for good? are you two really done now? does that mean he’ll lose you just like how he lost his sister? what about paimon? does that also mean paimon will not be his travelling companion again? 

his whole body started shaking with fear and anxiety that he had to be noticed by venti who was just randomly passing by. venti who took noticed what might just happened asked him what’s wrong and where did you and paimon go, he wanted to speak but his mouth was shut as if the moment he starts speaking it will be turn into stutters and sobs. he had to be escorted by venti to a safe place so that he can calm down and as for the bard for once, didn’t dare speak a word about it

the next morning aether will feel lost, so lost that he felt as if his whole world was falling apart. he feels those burning tears again trying to escape his eyes, but no he has to remain strong. he has to, for the sake of both you and his sister. everyone in mondstadt were giving him worry and concerned looks, as their honorary knight seems out of character and he doesn’t show any signs of smile or laugh that it had gotten to the point that jean needs to step and intervene in what’s wrong. but when she noticed your and paimon’s absence, that’s where she starts to connect the dots

you and paimon may never noticed him, but the both of you will feel his presence as if he’s peeking in a hidden corner if the both of you are doing okay, that both of you are not in danger. man definitely pulled a kazuha and muichiro, as he even managed to follow the both of you till springvale. when you’re not looking, his eyes are soft but it holds a desperate emotion as if his telling you that maybe he can still fix this, he will if he has to. sometimes when you do get a glimpse of him, he will look away as if he’s scared to face you again, as if he’s ashamed to face you again

when the whole month’s over, you will see aether standing in front of you but he made no action of running towards you. his eyes are darting to anywhere but you, and his palms are beginning to get sweaty. you were so guilty for how much you made him think that you opened your arms as if you’re encouraging him for a hug. he widened his eyes as he hesitated but when he saw the look on your face, he literally dived in your arms and hid his face in your chest. his arms were wrapped around you that you had to barely whisper him it’s too tight, as he let out a soft apology before hugging you again but this time it’s more comfortable. the atmosphere was silent and aether took a shaky breath as if he’s ready to apologize but when he received a shush from you, you mouthed at him “it’s okay, neither the both of us wanted it to happen” and just like that you have the outlander full on sobbing at the crook on your neck

i’m pretty sure you’re already expecting a clingy aether attached to your hip 24/7. for the next few weeks he refused to do any commissions, as he gave you all his attention. he will follow you around everywhere with either his pinkies or hands linked with yours, and when he’s feeling like it he will hug you, burying your face on his chest while his chin is placed on the top of your head as he will sway the both of you side by side. hell he will even let you do his hair in any other hairstyles you would like to see him in it. aether may never say it out loud but right now all that matters is you’re with him, that both you and paimon are with him. once the journey to finding his sister ends, he’s sure she will like you and he will not hesitate to ask for your hand in marriage. after all he might have brought a ring that’s been kept by him for quite a long time, and he’s sure that it will be more prettier with your finger on it

“I love you more than you think. Once our journey ends, I can’t wait to start a new life with you”