Inazuman Boys Overhearing A Conversation Where You Admit You Have A Crush And/or Would Sleep With Them.

Resolve ★ Kazuha

— ★ Scry: Solar Scintilla + Kazuha — ★ Genre: Platonic + Fluff — ★ Concept: There are times when he wakes up crying and cold, but those are quick to dissipate after remembering that he's been blessed with fate's mercy. — ★ Words: 3.6k — First Part: Vigil — ★ Blood A/N: Although the scry didn't explicitly state to be in Vigil's universe- 'solar scintilla' is an invitation- I hope anon dear didn't mind eeeee— read the first part (original) for context!

“Nee-san, come look!”

“My, what’s this?”

Little Kazuha beams as he shows the contents of his paper, watching his older sibling try to make sense of his drawing, “It’s home!”

“It’s pretty—but I don’t see a house?” [Name] flips the parchment to look at its backside, but there is nothing.

“There’s no need for one,” he smiles, “Because us two makes a home!”

A samurai lives with honor and vigilance, striking down foes with a wayward strike of a blade.

Known weaknesses are to be overcome and be a root of power, and with each descent of a comrade in the battlefield equates to honoring their death and trudging on to triumph over the war.

This creed is held above all for those who wield the sword, and Kazuha is no different from it.

It becomes his reason the moment his hand burns with the transient blaze of his friend’s Vision—becoming his purpose as he flees from Tenshukaku.

He has rooted deep into his heart the reality that he will have to respect Tomoaki’s decision. Accepted that he will honor him by bearing the now masterless Vision in hopes that one day, something greater will trounce that vicious lightning.

That passing shall be his source of strength, he will proceed with his own war.

But he later realizes with grave denial that he is far from being prepared to live by the code of the samurai.

“You…” a broken whisper in the cold.

He is not ready to march on his battlefield alone. It is an inopportune time—a cruel hand of destiny, a devastating turn of events. He did not want this.

He doesn’t want to honor this.

“Have to leave me.. Kazu..” a tiny plea lost to his ears.

Underneath the eternal squall that plays a part in fate’s cruel thesis, the fugitive runs with only the wind and his resolve as his incentives.

The lasting echoes of numerous bellows make him run faster.

But the heavy rain lags him down. The stormfall minutes ago has at long last begun to pour its tears, crying for a tragedy that is minutes away from reaching fruition.

Not if he goes against it, though.

Another murmur resounds, more desperate than ever, “They will catch you..”

The burn in his chest, the ache in his limbs, the mist in his eyes—why is it that even his body is going against his will?

Why must even he fall victim to this tragic play?

“I’m only slowing you down.”

He can’t allow it—no, he won’t allow it.

The boat is close—he has managed to outrun the shogunate, there is no way he’s stopping now.

The arms around his neck start to unlink themselves, letting go after the realization that he will not bend to the wish to let go. Feeling the deliberate loss of security on his person, he begins to panic.

Stop it. He can’t pause midway to move his sister from his back into his arms, there’s no time. Stop it… !

Amid the cold, he feels warmth seeping into the fabric of his already soaked clothes.

It’s his kin’s blood.

And just being here, bare in the watching eyes of life, trying to rescue someone who—despite is knocking on death’s door—still thinks of him in her last moments, makes him rasp out a sob he’s been trying to keep at bay.

“[Name], please just let me save you,”

His voice gets muffled by the rain and the shouting, but he knows his sister can hear him well, what with the responsive twitch of her fingers.

I cannot let it end like this, he thinks after recalling how bright [Name] had been when talking about the future. You cannot pass like this.

Why is that when he has finally started to reach back for the fingers that have grasped his—they are withdrawing farther and farther from him? Is this the universe’s reprisal for his negligence?

For knowing only how to lament and regret when everything is already too late?

“Please..” he tightens the hook of his grip on his sibling’s legs.

I’m sorry, I’m sorry, just please—please don’t take her.

Though he doesn’t remember when his thoughts begin to overpour with his grief, nor does he know who listens to his prayers, he doesn’t care.

Don’t take my sister from me.

He cries, “I can’t lose you, too.”

“…”

The sound of the rain is all that there is, but he doesn’t let up.

In all honesty, he believes that his voice no longer reached his sibling—that he’s far little, too late, and the hope inside is dying- but then he feels quivering hands latch onto him again.

Weak, barely even noticeable—but he does notice, and he almost cries out in utter relief, but he knows the battle has not ended yet.

He does not stop moving even after he has gently set the lady in the boat and he moves to push it in the waters.

Does not let his aching muscles ease as he summons a burst of wind that helps propel them forward and guide them in the direction of Yashiori.

Everything is a blur to him afterward, though he does remember his tremors as he overlooked the paling form of his sister and her open wound.

He remembers arriving at the shore near Fort Fujitou, having barely escaped the arrows from passing the shogunate stationed at the borders of Kannazuka.

No matter how hard he tries to cling to his sense of reason, the mix of hysteria and panic is enough to conquer rationality.

It’s still raining when he takes his kin into his arms to race towards the resistance camp some distance away.

But he has overestimated his body—before he knows it, his legs have given up on him and he falls onto the sand.

The horror that gnaws at his conscious intensifies after seeing his sister’s body roll away, followed by a feeble yet sharp groan of pain.

Washing away towards the rolling tides near them is a dull hue of red, darkening to crimson.

An endless stream of blood.

But what captures his focus the most is not the stream, but the pair of [c]s and the hand that is reaching out.

The unpleasant telltale of disquietude tears out raw distress and he almost breaks back into tears seeing his dying kin reach for him.

With newfound resolve and clawed fingers against the sand, Kazuha pushes himself up—only to collapse, the strain on his body too much to overcome.

His vision begins to blacken and—no, no, no, no.

I can’t, not now.. ! Even moving his arms have gotten so difficult, but he keeps on struggling- keeps on fighting. I’m so close… someone..

He mirrors the action, hand reaching forward to the distant figure of his sister in a silent cry of desperation. Please-!

But his vision finally fades to black.

Nee-san… !

Kazuha gasps, resurfacing from the ghoulish clutch of the night’s terror with a lurch from his bed.

His hand is hanging in midair, reaching for nonexistence—at least, now that he’s awake, there is nothing he’s reaching for.

Still at the crest of consternation, the dropping of his arm is slow, like the turning cogs and gears in his mind that start to make sense of what’s happened.

Another—another awful nightmare. What’s the count again?

Oh, who is he kidding, he no longer is able to take count of it.

It’s always the same dreamscape whenever he escapes to his slumbers, the fear, the denial… he still feels them even after waking up.

A raw wound—an eternal scar.

He tries not to think much of it, knowing that there’s nothing to worry over now.

But all that greets him when he closes his eyes is the blood—the spear, the time of impalement, and he all but throws his covers away in mild annoyance.

There is no way he can sleep now. That is basically just inviting the nightmares again.

With unease nestling in his still racing heart, he makes the decision to leave his cabin as silently as possible—so as to not wake those who sleep in the same room.

The rest has had enough of waking him up when he’s stuck in those horrible terrors and couldn’t for the life of him open his eyes.

The timid rock of the Alcor as it continues its voyage in the sea thankfully gives him some peace of mind, though it can never replicate the comfort provided by the elder Kaedehara.

He ascends to the main deck where he sees Beidou behind the wheel, her good eye leading him to the starboard.

Sitting upon the barrels nearby is none other than his sibling, who seems to be stitching something under the light of the moon.

His chest immediately surges with relief. She’s alright.

Sometimes, all he really needs is the reminder that his resolve did not fail him—that his fear can be put to ease knowing that the [c]-eyed lady is still alive.

“Oh, Kazuha, you can’t sleep?”

He shakes his head at this, almost embarrassed, but the understanding smile on his sister’s face tells him that everything is fine.

She pats the space next to her in a wordless invitation and the samurai doesn’t hesitate at all, taking the chance to revel in the comforting solace.

The latter realizes that the fabric being worked on is the scarf, its golden trim being fixed.

“What has gotten you up?” her voice is as kind as ever, already on the precipice of giving succor if need be.

It has the kind of cadence that will urge one not to lie even if it’s for the sake of not worrying her.

Perhaps he didn’t notice that he has failed to respond as quickly as usual—or maybe it’s because his answer is already known before it can form into words, for a hand is already laying upon his wrist.

[Name]’s expression is blunt with understanding.

“Oh, Kazu,” her murmur is soft, almost lost in the evening wind, “It’s okay. I’m here.”

The way his taut limbs go lax at the gentle reminder he so desired to hear is almost pitying, but he can’t be bothered to care.

Closing his eyes, he takes in a sigh of relief, grateful for the wind’s gentle caress.

The comfortable atmosphere proceeds without any interruption, the ambiance only being the breeze’s encapsulating sound and the sloshing of the tides against the hulls.

“You need not be scared any longer,” he opens his eyes after hearing his sibling speak, turning his eyes towards her—though she’s still engrossed with fixing the scarf.

“Do you remember when you came back to Inazuma to fight alongside the Traveler?”

Ah… he hums, letting his memory reel in the scenes just a few weeks ago, “Of course.”

When he blacked out by Fort Fujitou after his dire escape from the city, the General has found and taken him to camp. [Name] has been personally treated by the Divine Priestess and.

Kazuha has never been so grateful in his entire life.

Just being able to recall the miracle—the shred of mercy, the saving light in his darkening world—is enough to drive him back to tears.

In a rather dismaying case, however, he still has to leave the camp. He’s a fugitive then, after all, and he couldn’t bear to endanger the Resistance.

He left with a promise to help overturn the tides when he returns with more allies and swears to grant them any favor, be it big or small, in exchange for keeping his sister safe.

[Name]’s comatose forbade them from saying goodbye.

It hurt—and his eyes still stung when he left, even still when he came across Beidou.

He recalls attempting to reawaken his friend’s Vision as a way to lift himself up from the cliff of his negativity, and thus he met the Traveler, whose journey requires them to head towards the land of eternity.

Kazuha wished to step down from the Alcor then but knew it to be a reckless move, so he kept himself patient.

How can he forget the moment his feet stepped onto the shoal of Nazuchi when the time has finally come to battle against the forces brought by Kujou?

And in the aftermath of the battle, when they have succeeded and will return to camp, he can’t ever lose the memory of his speeding heart.

When Kazuha looks at his sister now, he can only envision the second he sees the same silver hair standing out from the crowd weeks ago.

[Name] had been treating the wounded and had just finished passing the bandages when their eyes had met.

The world is a blur after that. Nothing else mattered other than the tight embrace shared between them amid tears.

If he dwells on that memory for a while longer, he swears he can feel the warmth from that hug.

“You know, I’ve always had my doubts about leaving Inazuma,” [Name] stops with her work, setting the materials aside as she lifts the newly stitched scarf with a smile.

Kazuha hums, not expecting the divulgence. This is new.

He never really knows how his wanderlust is perceived, so to say that he’s intrigued is more than correct.

The scarf is lowered back onto [Name]’s lap as she caresses its fabric, her smile turning more nostalgic and despondent.

“Because all my life, I’ve devoted my time to making sure that you’ll grow up in a place that you can really call home,” with a wistful tone, she continues.

“Sometimes I even thought of marrying into one of the renowned clans if it means helping to restore the Kaedehara’s honor and give you the luxury that we lost. Leaving means forgetting my purpose.”

He is a part of that purpose.

His first outward reaction to this is to flinch.

I.. wasn’t aware of such plans, he swallows thickly. All this time, you’ve been doing everything for me.

Perplexed, he turns to his sibling, grasping her by the arm and taking her by surprise.

“You needn’t do such things… !” he breathes out in concern, worried that this mindset carried over until the present, “I am beyond content even with the way things are now, you—”

He zips his lips and bites down on them. You needn’t sacrifice more of your happiness for my sake…

[Name] pats the hand on her arm in a gentle fashion, reassuring, “I know, that is why I joined you. I had a time of repose and epiphany when we reunited.”

She takes a few moments for herself, letting nothing but her [c] eyes speak of the hundred of words she cannot utter in a second. Still, it eases the samurai.

“What you said as I was treating your wounds struck me a lot… do you remember it?”

He does, with perfect clarity.

Kazuha had been drowning in the words and emotions he’s suppressed that when he spilled even a portion of it, the dam was breaking.

He refused the healing offered by the Divine Priestess to be treated by his sister, instead.

And when they’re alone—he finally spoke of it.

“In the first suns and moons following the fruition of my wanderlust, it’s been lonesome,” he remembers the words as if he said it yesterday.

“For although a haven has been provided by the Crux, I’ve come to realize that I am not entirely delighted in my travels.”

He remembers [Name]’s look of confusion—because why would he be not content when his wish was to travel all along?

He remembers the way her hands gently tremored at the notion of another departure, remembers the look of loneliness in those eyes- that he just falls silent again and allows his memory to reign free.

“’It ails me to know that I left home’,” [Name] chuckles, “That’s what you said before asking me to join you.”

“I apologize for my selfishness, but—will you join me?”

He purses his lips with a nod. Because I’ve learned that you are my sanctuary—and I can’t bear to leave again.

“I realized then that perhaps leaving wouldn’t be so bad, not when my little brother is there with me to make it worthwhile.”

Kazuha watches with slightly wide eyes as the black and red scarf is placed on his person, snuggling around his neck in a perfect fit, complementing his attire.

“After all,”

Because the last time he was given this same article of clothing, he rejected it. Oh, was that such a foolish move of his.

[Name] gives him an endearing smile.

The same one she gave him when she woke him from his nightmares, when she told him to come back safe in the night—when she only thought of his welfare as she pleaded to be left behind so that he can escape.

“Us two together makes a home.”

He is instantaneously swept over by a wave of nostalgia.

It has his fingers rising to clasp the scarf around his neck, wary that if he chooses to hug his sibling, it may hurt her.

Eyes glossing and heart weighing—because even after all those years, she still remembers that—, he shakes.

Nee-san…

Although he does not say anything, [Name] nods, welcoming his wishes with the slight opening of her arms.

Kazuha does not turn away from this, scooting closer and making himself comfortable in the loving embrace.

The fact that he’s no longer a child does not even faze him in the slightest—in fact, he wallows in his own grief within it.

How could he have ever turned a blind eye to his only sister when all that she’s done was for him alone?

He made mistakes at a heavy cost, nuanced changing behaviors that progressed arguments and yet—

A tear slips past his eye. And yet you still honor and accept me.

It’s this heart-wrenching realization that bolsters the samurai’s resolve to do right this time around. To cherish, to respect, to be grateful.

He swears upon himself, as he’s lulled to sleep by the brushes upon his hair, over and over again.

I will return all that you gave me.

“Anchors!”

The Alcor is beginning to dock and as usual, many are waiting by the pier for various reasons—perhaps a returning loved one, or foreign goods.

Regardless, everyone’s faces are full of mirth.

It is rather contagious, but Kazuha doesn’t need its influence to work up a smile of his own. His reason is already standing by him.

“So this is Liyue…” a murmur of awe and disbelief, “It’s beautiful… what will we do here?”

To ease his stiff neck and aching shoulders—to sleep on mere barrels whilst sitting was uncomfortable but worth it—he rolls them a few times, taking an ample amount of time to respond.

Not like it’s a bad thing, he actually doesn’t want to impede his sister from admiring the harbor.

“Aside from a few commissions I plan to take for earnings, I wish to show you all that I’ve explored in the meantime.”

This will be the first time he’ll take up commissions.

It’s a new feat but not something he’s not willing to do. If this is to be any other case in which he’ll travel alone, he will simply make things work even if he has to sleep outside and hunt.

But now that someone is traveling with him—someone who has allotted all her time for his sake and growth—he will turn to… proper means of living.

He’d hate to make this any harder than it is.

“I’ve heard of some festival in a few days’ time, as well,” he informs as they bid farewell and thanks to the crew, at long last stepping onto the harbor of a different nation.

It almost feels surreal to watch [Name] take a step—almost hesitant as if she’s still in disbelief—forward, turning her eyes to all possible directions in muted excitement. Seeing it is rather bittersweet.

He hasn’t seen her this happy—and he didn’t expect himself to feel just as jovial. Oh, what a wonderful feeling this is.

“I heard of glaze lilies and dandelions, oh, it’d be a sight to see them.”

Dandelions?

Kazuha hums at the familiar sound of the flora before nodding, “Ah, those are found in the city of wind. A neighboring nation.”

“Mm..”

He knows that distant look anywhere. It’s almost foreign. He hasn’t seen it in a long time but still knows what it means—perhaps, this is because they are siblings.

You’ve always kept silent about your own wishes because you’re prioritizing mine, he sighs. That won’t do now.

“We can visit if you so wish.”

The way those [c]s flash alight with a gleam so beautiful and liberated makes him stop breathing for a moment. Happy.

Nee-san… his voice is lost. For a second—it seems like they haven’t surfaced from great troubles and everything is fine.

“Truly?” [Name] smiles, radiant and blooming and alive.

Feeling his heart warm with gratitude—for the universe’s mercy—and ease, Kazuha allows himself to smile.

Oh, who is he kidding?

“Of course.”

As long as they are together, there will be no rainclouds.

“That’s lovely! Oooh, I’m rather excited—but wait, we must eat first! I overheard some people talking about a restaurant, let’s go!” [Name] claps before darting into the crowd.

Kazuha buzzes in shock, hurrying after her with a call of, “Nee-san!”

Just a reviving bond, a pleasant journey…

“I understand your eagerness, but please do not rush so suddenly,” the samurai sighs, much to [Name]’s giggles.

“My bad, but! It seems like we found what we’re looking for. Shall we?”

The older Kaedehara begins to amble through the sea of people again and Kazuha follows, his fingers pinching the ends of his sister’s sleeve.

... And a loving home.

a/n: at long last... the alternate ending.. A HAPPY ENDING! FOR KAZUHA AND NEE-SAN .·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·.

@cherryflushz @e7t3 @scarlet-halos @lordbugs @nebulaera @annoying-and-upset @hanniejji @applepi1415 @tjjjrsj @azirajane @uwu-dreams @yvechu @hey-comrade-hold-stil @limelightsuperhero

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭'𝐬 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬

「BNHA Boys and their favorite kinds of dates」

⤷ Bakugou

he loves those date nights where you drive to the outskirts of town, park your car and just stare at the stars all night while sharing a blanket and a drink. you talk about all the different shapes and constellations you see and come up with names for them. he lets you snuggle in his arms when it gets cold and you talk to each other about your lives, your ideas and whatever comes to your mind as you lie under the moonlight and thousands of stars.

⤷ Deku

really enjoy taking long trips with you. there is no better feeling than opening the windows, enjoying the breeze and contemplating all the beautiful sights you find along the way, hand in hand with your love. sometimes you share new playlists with each other or just enjoy old favorites together; he also likes to gently tap his fingers on your thigh in time to the music. sometimes you talk and reconnect after a while without seeing each other. or sometimes you just drive in comfortable silence, making the most of each other's company.

⤷ Kirishima

he doesn't have a favorite type of date in mind, but it's usually the crazy and unexpected ones that end up becoming his favourites. random dates, like deciding to play hide and seek at the mall or suddenly playing a game of tag where you run through busy places. or ordering an extremely spicy meal and laughing together through tears because neither of you can finish it. or encounters where you become each other's stylists and make each other try on the craziest (and coolest) clothes. these are his favorite types of dates.

⤷ Todoroki

todoroki's favorite date types are ones where you can go with the flow and at the same time enjoy the environment; go to a museum where you can relax while wandering, but also be able to enjoy the collection of art / historical artifacts, a walk through a quiet village; eating ice cream and talking about anything and everything while exploring the place. or to a bookcafe where you read your books separately while patting each other's hands under the table.

⤷ Denki

loves encounters at amusement parks or arcades. he loves to see you smiling and also loves emotion and playful competitiveness. he also finds these types of dates stress-relieving. he likes to challenge you to different games in the arcade and, after spending all the coins, the loser needs to buy food for both of them. or amusement park encounters where you team up to win a prize at each booth and then kiss on top of the Ferris wheel or holding hands and playing with each other as you ride the carousel.

⤷ Tamaki

he loves cozy nights where you can spend quality time together. cooking a meal together while talking about anything that comes to mind is a wonderfully intimate feeling for him. a simple but romantic candlelight dinner and afterwards he's more than happy to watch a movie or listen to music, and maybe have a good conversation, but mostly just enjoying each other's presence. he loves how romantic and pure these types of dates are, but he still has that comfortable feeling of being "at home" with the person he loves most in the world.

⤷ Shinsou

he loves the simplicity of cafe dates. he loves the cozy corner of the cafe that ends up becoming 'your place' where you make so many memories together; the little place where you share so many laughs, stories and loving looks. some days, you work or study together in this place. and some days, you just talk all night, losing track of time; you don't even notice how dark the sky has gotten outside until the waiter says it's closing soon. only then do you realize that is emptier now and how people are leaving one by one.

🏷 tags! @1nterbad, @jdwndk, @anarchythedork, @blossominglark, @mhasimp666, @sweetlilhoneybunny, @gluchie, @pasteldaze, @call-an-ambulance-but-not-for-me , @insomniacwreck, @kleeixe, @yesuraloser, @glamuxxbabe, @luluwiie, @drownedbytears, @kitkozume, @onewsblue, @mikaelatp, @crustycashmeresweater, @viper-mxxn,@goldenbby7, @racistareversa, @kitsuji, @deadmansdoctor, @uxavity, @dukina, @artof-apollo, @t3ddyb34r, @escapenightmare, @shiggyscumrag, @hnscherry, @dnarez, @honeyr4ven

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Hello! Congratulations on 600 followers! May I take part in the event, please? Viola + Bonten!Mikey + Angst. Despite the fact that Mikey tried to protect his friends, fem!reader dies.

❅ manjirou "mikey" sano & fem!reader.

❅ event: viola: “you’re very warm.”

❅ warning(s): mentions of bl**d, d**th, g*ns/g*nfire.

❅ note(s): hi, sorry it took so long! hope you like it :') mikey, esp bonten mikey, has always been someone i have a little difficulty writing for, so i deeply apologize for his ooc-ness (and apologies for any grammar mistakes...it's nearly 3 am for me :'))

“what the fuck do you think you’re doing?!”

you hold back a hiss of pain as the man in front of you slams you against the stone wall, the cold muzzle of his gun pressed against the side of your head.

“sniffing around like some fuckin’ bitch! people like you get us in trouble with the higher-ups.”

“so, you are associated with bonten,” you conclude, smiling up at the man.

the man flinches, looking back at his associates as they share glances of surprise. “how did you—”

just as i predicted.

you duck at the sound of gunfire, shouts and screams intermingling with screeches of agony and blood splattering all over the walls. they echo throughout the abandoned building, sending shivers down your spine.

well, at least you got what you wanted—if you couldn’t get to mikey, then get mikey to come to you.

“you’ve always been pretty sharp.”

you smile, catching sight of the man you’ve been hunting for the past couple of years. here he is, in the flesh—instead of seeing him in pictures. well, just barely; most of them either showed his side profile or the back of his head, bonten tattoo in display.

“s’nice to see you too, manjirou,” you greet, taking a seat on one of the worn-out chairs. “you look handsome. pathetic, but handsome.”

“you can’t speak to boss like that, bitch,” a pink-haired man sneers, cocking his gun at your temple. “friend or not.”

“leave her, haruchiyo. that’s how she’s always been,” mikey orders, taking a seat across from you. “i want to talk to her in private.”

the man leaves without a word.

you grin, warmth bubbling up in your chest. “my honesty has always been your favorite part about me, actually—”

“you shouldn’t be here,” mikey interrupts, shifting his gaze from the ground to you. “after everything i’ve done to keep everyone safe, you come here, looking for me? i don’t want to be found. forget about me.”

“so, keeping everyone safe is pretending to go against them and severing all contact, huh? that’s pretty fucking selfish of you, leaving everyone and me so abruptly like that,” you force out a laugh, bottom lip trembling as you stare into his blank obsidian eyes—the ones you’ve always loved, the ones that reminded you of the moonless night sky. “then again, that’s how you’ve always been.”

“you’ve never asked for help. you’ve always kept your personal demons to yourself and look where that’s gotten you—leading a life that you would’ve never even thought of leading, without your true friends by your side,” you close your eyes, tears dripping down your cheeks. “shin—shinichiro-san would be sad to see you like this.”

“don’t talk about my brother,” is all you hear, along with the cock of a gun.

you clench your fists.

if this is the last time i'm seeing him, then i need to say what i've always wanted to say.

“manjirou, i—”

you pause for a moment, blinking owlishly at the sound of gunfire ringing in your ears.

huh. mikey didn’t fire at you...

ah.

one of those men must’ve still been alive, then.

strangely enough, you don’t feel a thing, even when there’s a hole in your stomach.

you keel over, mikey catching you before he’s firing shots at the corpses behind you. your ears ring as he brings you closer to his chest, just barely hearing his shouts for that pink-haired man to come.

“heh...mikey, you’re very warm. c-can’t believe a twig—twig bastard like you can re-retain body heat, b-but here you are,” you splutter, blood spilling past your lips and trickling down your chin.

“stop talking, (name). just for once in your life, stop fucking talking.”

you hold back a laugh. as morbid as it sounds, hearing him telling you to shut up was mildly funny to you. so, instead, you rest your head against his chest, listening to his erratic heartbeat. it was going so, so fast—in contrast to your own, that was slowly beginning to calm and eventually…

“i—i was interrupted earlier, y’know. i was going—going to say that i—”

“don’t.”

mikey doesn’t want to hear it. he doesn’t want your final words to him be that—he doesn’t deserve it. after threatening to shoot you, of all things, you still wanted to tell him.

how could you have such strength to do such a thing?

how could you?

it’s something he deeply wishes he had. a strength like yours, like takemitchy’s.

like his brother’s.

he flinches at the sensation of your cool hands wiping his tears, the back of his throat burning as you smile up at him.

“my d...my death isn’t y-your fault, okay? i br-brought this upon myself, going around a-asking about one of the worst crime—crime organizations in japan,” you reassure him, trying to gather as much energy as you could to keep your hand on his cheek. “if you bl-blame yourself, i will haunt you.”

you laugh feebly at your own joke, only for more blood to spill from your mouth. you curse in your head, your mouth already beginning to numb—as if there was cotton filling up in your mouth.

you let out a ragged exhale, weakly clinging onto his shirt.

“h-hey...hold—hold me closer, p-please. your warmth is the last thing i want...i want to feel.”

he obliges, bringing you closer to his chest as he presses on the wound on your stomach.

mikey doesn’t want to believe you’ll die. he wants to cling to that faint sliver of hope that help will come on time, one last time.

but what can he say as he feels your body slowly beginning to lose its warmth? the rise and fall of your chest slowing? the way you’re struggling to keep your eyes open, to talk?

he knows better. he let go of that hope a long, long time ago.

that help will come for him.

...he—he hears it.

it’s quieter than a whisper, just barely managing to catch it.

he half-wishes he never heard it come from you as you took your final breath, a small smile on your face.

a smile, of all things.

for him.

i love you, manjirou sano.

Crystalflies and Calla Lilies

kaeya x reader

word count: 801

warnings: not proof read

although Kaeya has never been keen on celebrating his birthday, you just couldn't help yourself

a/n; I would have written and posted this yesterday had I not been so busy. it's a bit rushed as you may be able to tell but I still wanted to post something for kaeya because he deserves it. happy belated birthday to my beautiful wife!

When you came knocking on Kaeya's door at exactly 12.00 am he was worried to say the least. He was expecting some kind of threat or danger to succeed the sound of your voice at such an hour. So when he opened the door, weapon at the ready, to you beaming with a radiant smile akin to the sunlight at noonday, that worry immediately dissipated, leaving only confusion behind. And he sunk further into this confusion when you dragged him from out of his quarters and out of the walls of Mondstadt.

He quickly gave up on questioning what exactly you were doing, simply going with the flow, a soft chuckle escaping his lips each time he caught the determined glint in your eye. You refused to answer his questions or respond to any teasing or gentle taunts, just telling him to keep following you. So he did. He followed you past Springvale and even past the Winery until the two of you reached a more secluded but still atmospheric and scenic part of Mondstadt.

All of a sudden, you let go of his hand and started running forwards in front of the two of you. You stopped abruptly before throwing your hands in the air and whisper-yelling ‘surprise!’.  This made Kaeya really pause to take a look around. You stopped by a river bank decorated by all kinds of flowers, mainly snapdragons and, your lover’s favourite, calla lilies. The night sky was illuminated by the numerous crystalflies dancing in the air while the moon light waltzed with them on the surface of the water. With you in the middle, the scene was absolutely breathtaking.

“What’s all this?” Kaeya breathed out, not even bothering to mask the genuine surprise in his voice.

“A little birthday gift for you since I know you didn’t want any grand gestures! Happy birthday”, you spoke, trying to contain your excitement.

You knew that your partner was never particularly fond of celebrating his own birthday, he never really enjoyed anything that meant drawing attention to or dwelling on himself for too long. For this reason, he has always avoided birthday celebrations and even tries to elude telling people his birthday much like when he told Klee he was born on the 31st of February. He knew he shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was that the person he loves the most wanted to celebrate the day he came into existence in a way he would be comfortable with but he just couldn't help it.

“Thank you sweetheart,” he murmured while swiftly catching a crystalfly in his fist before unfurling his fingers to reveal only the crystal core.  “Truly, thank you.”

He neatly tucked it within your hair so that it rested on top of your ear and gave your temple a gentle kiss as he pulled away. And it was then that with both eyes revealed to you, you saw Kaeya bare and as he was – uncertain but still grateful – and the stars in his eyes glimmered with adoration for you.

“I didn’t really do much”, you smiled, enjoying the view of your boyfriend under the moonlight, the luminous crystalflies fluttering around seemingly highlighting him.

“You know,” Kaeya began as he lowered himself to the ground and started picking the calla lilies one by one. “It’s been so long since I celebrated my birthday that I actually forgot about it until now.”

A wistful smile made its way across his lips and you didn’t miss the melancholy glint in his eyes as he looked at the flowers in his hands.

“Well, I’m glad to be the first to celebrate with you after all this time”, you spoke softly as you sat down besides him, picking a flower out of his hand to place gently behind his ear.

Your tenderness rendered Kaeya speechless, leaving him struggling to choose words that could accurately express his feelings in that moment. He felt as though his heart wasn’t supposed to carry so much love for anyone in his lifetime so all of that love was overflowing in that moment, cutting off the connection between his brain and mouth. Though that didn’t matter, he didn’t need to say anything because you started speaking first.

“You’ve given me an idea, actually”, you sprung up on your two feet. “Crystal cores would be good for styling your hair, no?”

And as Kaeya watched you clumsily leap and stagger around in attempts to catch crystalflies as opposed to his sleek movements from earlier, he wondered if you were even aware of what he was really thanking you for earlier. Not only had you made him start to enjoy the thought of seeing another birthday, you also made him realise that he truly wasn’t alone anymore. Because of you, he never would be again.

@bat-mlm-blog

zhongli ▪︎ beloved

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

His archon days were long over.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Only to pause as you stirred.

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

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

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

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

You moved your gaze away from his with groggy blinks—

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

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

Your eyes sprang wide.

—oh no!

What if you snored? Or worse, drooled?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ordinary? Nothing about him was ordinary.

Even as a mortal, he makes heads turn.

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

You couldn't blame them though.

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

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

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

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

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

There were intricate signs of wealth all over the vehicle.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not on him.

His brows rose.

…but on you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You were aware of the many praises about you.

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

But a woman of beauty? Never.

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

"And you must be Mr. Zhongli!"

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

You looked over at Zhongli in mild surprise.

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

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

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

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

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

“Oh, my sister—”

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

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

So this was Lady Wen, your eyes widened.

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

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

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

You? A woman of beauty? No way.

It was Lady Wen.

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

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

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

Ah, you understood now.

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

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

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

Hers and his.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enough.

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

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

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

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

Maybe you should go help Jun out?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There was a frown on his face.

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

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

“A little excited?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then you grew curious.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You blinked in shock at him. Husband ??!

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

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

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

Marriage, huh.

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

You were forgotten by Zhongli the moment this commission started.

Lady Wen Rong and Zhongli.

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

Perhaps…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“She is a wonderful friend.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Thank you for your offer in marriage.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

And his heart sank.

…No.

Then Zhongli broke into a run.

“Thank you for your offer in marriage.”

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

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

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

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

Hurry to where?

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

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

Shit.

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

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

So you ran.

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

Where was the main gate again?

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

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

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

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

You skidded around a bend and—

well, SHIT.

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

You needed another escape route.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What did you have to offer?

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

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

Shit.

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

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

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

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

Then you moved forward, trying to sidestep him.

But before you could make it past him—

Your eyes widened. ...!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why did Zhongli…?

How could he…?

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

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

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

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

A frown creased between your brows.

“But…” Doubt clouded your heart.

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

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

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

You flinched with bashful blinks, not expecting his reply.

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

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

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

“What? Tha-That’s too sudden!”

You two haven’t even officially dated!

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

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

Silence.

“...yes, of course, eventually.”

Zhongli smiled. “Good.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

.

.

.

—published on 28.01.2022

all rights reserved ©justgenshin

💋Single Dad Zhongli | A Beautiful Beginning

Warning: None (SFW)

Pairing: Single Dad!Zhongli X Fem!Reader

Mia's notes: wtf...I wrote 8,314 words for something. Like it took me weeks to write 10k words for a project I'm working on and I speed wrote this in 2 days fufufu. Anyways here is the first part of Single Dad Zhongli!! First part...I have to go through this a good 10 more times for the other characters...fuck. Anyways hope you enjoy reading this! Reblogs are appreciated! Love you guys!!

WC: 8.3k

When you get a look at him walking down the street in his turtleneck sweater and blazer, with his hair flowing in a perfect low ponytail, amber eyes practically glowing golden in the sunlight and that dashing smile on his lips, you’d think he was a god who had descended upon the earth to grace everyone with his presence.

He’s the ideal man; well mannered with his gentlemanly gesture, a silky deep voice that had you entrapped in his knowledgable talks of history and the sort, and how can we forget about his tall build and great looks? Really a one in a million kind of man.

Men and women admired how he carried himself during formal events, a wine glass in his hand and a warm smile on his face as he entertained the crowd, even though it wasn’t him hosting, most of the time.

During the day, he’s usually deep into his work, analysing various rock samples and writing down his reports, pushing the thin metal reading glasses up the bridge of his nose without his concentration flickering the slightest. Sometimes his eyes would flicker to the felt framed picture standing on his desk, him with two little kids in his arms, the three of them grinning widely.

When Zhongli is in job mode, stopping him is almost an impossible feat since he’s always so engrossed in the rocks that lay on the table.

His job as a lead geologist, working at the Natural History Museum never felt like a job to him, since his passion was in understanding the mysteries and beauties of Earth. History had always interested him ever since he was a child.

He’d often been invited to various exhibitions with other well-known people, and whenever he opened his mouth to talk of the beauty of the cor lapis or the noctilucous jade, a crowd gathered around him.

His job was well paying, really well paying. He had an apartment in one of the richer parts of town and if anyone ever had the pleasure of being invited to one of the parties he hosted, they’d be in awe of the sleek interiors and various geodes that decorated the rooms.

Everyone loved him for who he was, loved him so much that they’d even offer to pay for his meal if he ever forgot his wallet at home, an event that occurred one too many times. Of course, he would send a gift basket to their homes as a form of thanks.

Out of all the people who loved him, there were two little angels whose love surpassed everyone else’s, and who he loved in equal -possibly greater- amounts. His daughter of 7, Ganyu and his younger son of 3, Xiao.

He tries his best to balance his job and kids, and it shows. He always tried to take out time for his two children, making sure to come home on time to eat dinner with them and tuck them in, reading them their favourite bedtime stories and kissing them goodnight.

If ever he couldn’t make it home due to reasons, his assistant and kind-of babysitter, Aether was always there to take care of the kids. He was practically their elder brother by now, with how often he was with the kids, having known them for over 2 years.

Xiao, his little son, was a very naughty boy. Always throwing a fit and making life harder for Zhongli, and Aether whenever the poor man was left to care for the child. He wants the same book read to him every night, he wants 3 kisses before he sleeps and he must have his dragon stuffed toy or else…

Zhongli made a note to start disciplining Xiao since he was to start going to daycare soon, and he would have to behave well over there. Maybe he needs a little motivation. Something sweet…

To stop Xiao from crying about how the green paint didn’t colour his hair green permanently or how his feet were Missing when he put on his shoes, simply pass him a bowl of sweet almond tofu. In an instant, his sobs would dissipate as he starts stuffing his tiny mouth with the dessert. Zhongli would find it so amusing at times, giggling while wiping the syrup off of Xiao’s little lips.

Ganyu, his elder child, was mature much beyond her age. She loved drawing, loved doodling flowers and deer, like sketches littering her art books. Zhongli was always filled with pride whenever she showcased some of her artworks to his guests, enjoying how they gushed over her skill.

She loved playing with her dolls and dressing them up, saying that when she grows up, she’s going to make pretty dresses for her dolls to wear. She even promised her papa that she would make him a pretty princess gown and Zhongli laughed heartily, patting her head and telling her that he’d be looking forward to that day.

Ganyu was a quiet child and didn’t really like going to school since there were so many kids everywhere. Zhongli was there to comfort her, dropping her off at school and telling her to have a great day. He would also personally ensure that her lunch is packed and her bag has her homework.

First grade went smoothly, she even made a friend, Keqing. Zhongli was happy for her, seeing her open up and enjoy school. On a random day during second grade, she went in all excited, brighter than the sun that morning. But when Zhongli came to pick her up in the afternoon, a little(much) later than usual, his heart broke to see her crying figure curled in the lap of some woman sitting on the stairs at the main gate of the school. A really…pretty woman.

With work and his children, the question of finding love again… never came up.

Well, he did get tricked into going on blind dates, all thanks to his stupid friend Childe. But it just never worked out. All the women he met were peculiar. Some of them very obviously wanted him for his wealth, some of them just wanted to have a good time, and then some who he thought were nice, they just couldn’t handle taking care of children so fresh into the relationship.

Maybe he just wasn’t meant to have a lover again. Well, he did think he needed one nor did he think he could add romantic relations to his tight schedule. He had his sweet angels, he had his work. That was his life.

The desire to find love had long flickered away, all being left was the smoke coming from a dying candle.

But something sparked in him when that pretty woman raised her head and made eye contact with him, her smile so warm and serene.

“Hello. Do you happen to be Ganyu’s father?” You softly smiled at the man as he approached you in long, hurried strides. The school grounds were empty and the sun was almost setting down the horizon. Zhongli was very, very late that day. He gave a quick nod and kneeled in front of you, reaching to touch the shoulders of his quivering daughter.

“Angel? What’s wrong?” He tried prying her off you but all she did was shake her head and dig her nose deeper into your neck, clutching the neckline of your lilac tee in her small fingers. Zhongli was taken aback. His daughter was refusing his embrace?

His eyes searched yours for an answer as you shushed the crying child and patted her hair. “She’s upset that you arrived…later than the other parents. She thought you forgot about her.” Your brows furrow when her crying increases at your words. Zhongli sighed, a small smile appearing on his lips a second later.

He mouthed a thank you while sitting beside you so that his daughter could get a better view of him. “Ganyu, my little angel. I’m sorry for coming late, I promise I’ll buy you some ice cream to make up. Don’t you want to go home now?” He whispered, dropping his head down for him to look into her eyes, something he couldn’t do because of how snuggly she had been wrapped in your arms, face hidden against your skin. When he reached to cradle her red cheeks, Ganyu swatted her father’s hand away and vigorously shook her head against your neck. “No! I don’t want to talk to papa ever again.” She spoke, cries muffled.

Zhongli was at a loss for words. He was really sorry for his mistake and forgetting to tell Aether to pick Ganyu from school. He wanted to express his apology but what was he supposed to do now? He’s never had to encounter a situation when his perfect daughter acted out.

Again he looked at you with a desperate expression, pleading for some help. You gave him a subtle nod and looked back at Ganyu who was huddled up in your lap. You brushed away her falling tears with your thumb before talking to her in a hushed tone. “Ganyu, can you look at Miss Y/N for a moment? Please?” Zhongli felt his heart skip a beat at your honey-like voice, his astonishment increasing further when Ganyu pulled away to look into your eyes, occasionally hiccuping and wiping away her tears with the back of her sleeves.

You looked at her with a gentle understanding gaze, pulling out a handkerchief from your pocket for her to blow her nose. “Are you angry at papa?” You ask her, puffing your cheeks in exaggerated crossness, rousing a little giggle from her.

“Yes…papa forgot about me.” She sniffled, messily wiping her face with the cotton cloth. You tilt your head to the side and look at her questioningly. “But if papa forgot you, then why is he here to pick you up?” Your question made the little girl dart her gaze to Zhongli, who still had an ashamed smile on his face.

“Papa didn’t forget about Ganyu! How could he forget about his sweet little angel!” You make reference of the pet name Zhongli used for her, quickly catching his expression to see for any discomfort. Thankfully all you got in return was a charming smile. You poke Ganyu in her tummy, the ticklish feeling causing her to fall into a fit of laughter.

Seeing his daughter much calmer now, Zhongli tried again to pull her into his arms and this time she let him do so. He picked her from your lap and brought her in his own, hugging her tightly like he had never before, giving her the warmth and fatherly reassurance she needed. “I am so sorry Ganyu. Papa will be careful from next time, promise.” He vowed, giving her a kiss on her forehead.

You couldn’t help but feel your heart melt at the father-daughter bonding the two of them shared. The way he held her like the most precious being in the universe, it made you smile. Feeling the weight of a gaze upon him, Zhongli glanced at you, your eyes meeting and holding contact for a second too long.

“Oh, I am extremely sorry for coming late today. I assure you this is the first and last time this is happening. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble for you to stay and look after her.” Zhongli stood up and bowed slightly, holding Ganyu on his hip. He felt really bad for having put you in a position where you had no choice but to care for his daughter. Being a teacher, you surely had lots of work and other things to do, and he really appreciated you looking after Ganyu in his absence.

You laugh and wave your hands in front of you, brushing off his worry. “That is alright sir. Ganyu is a student of mine, and she’s no less than a daughter to me. Taking care of her is second nature to me.” You walk closer and pinch the girl’s cheeks and give her a wide smile, pulling a similar one from her.

When you took in a breath, the subtle smell of pinewood filled your senses, the smell of Zhongli’s cologne. Your face tipped up to see how close you were standing to the male and to respect his personal space, you took a step back, blushing profoundly. Only, Zhongli didn’t mind you standing so close to him, he quite liked it. But it wasn’t appropriate for him to voice those thoughts so he stayed silent on the matter.

Zhongli sighed in short-lived relief. “Though I am going to have to scold you for being late. Ganyu how do people who come to class late apologise?” You cross your arms playfully. Ganyu’s eyes light up as she tugs the lapel’s of her father's jacket. “Papa you will have to write on a paper ‘I am sorry for coming late’! You have to write it 20 times!” She exclaimed.

“Of course angel, I’ll get right to it when we get home okay?” He promised, giving a little oomph when Ganyu hugged his neck out of the blue. When you giggled softly, Zhongli peeked at you. That laugh of yours pulled his heartstrings and he joined you, the two of you giggling together.

“If that is all, then I should be bidding you farewell, Mister…” You trailed off, wordlessly asking the male in front of you for his name. He coughed and extended his free hand for you to shake. “Zhongli. Please, just Zhongli is enough.” Your smaller hand wrapped around his and your fingers felt so soft, Zhongli wondered if you’d held the clouds in your hands at some point during the day.

“I am Y/N. It is a pleasure to meet you, Zhongli.” His name coming from your lips felt so perfect. Never before had he felt warmth blooming across his face when someone spoke his name. This feeling was so strange yet so right at the same time.

The beginning of something wonderful and memorable.

Zhongli gazed at you warmly, “The pleasure is all mine Y/N.”

Aether was the most surprised, seeing Zhongli return with Ganyu in his arms and a giddy grin on his lips. You could practically see the halo of pink hearts floating around his head. “You look like you’re in a good mood. What’s up?” Aether chuckled, setting little Xiao in his seat and walking to take Ganyu and give her supper.

Zhongli snapped back to his original self, trying to gather his composure while walking into his house. “Nothing much, just met Ganyu’s teacher today.” Aether didn’t think much of it, brushing it off as a parent-teacher meeting, but sweet angel Ganyu had to open her mouth.

“Aether, Miss Y/N is the best teacher ever! She is so pretty and she makes me laugh and she even made papa laugh today. If Y/N didn’t help papa then I would still be mad at him. Even papa thinks Miss Y/N is pretty, right papa?” She blurted out, then proceeded to stuff her face with mashed potatoes.

The younger male glanced at his superior, smiling in amusement at the scarlet red blush that covered his embarrassed face. “Oh, is that so Zhongli?” He teased, giving him a knowing look.

To ease a forming lump in his throat, Zhongli walked to the fridge to grab himself a glass of water. “Yes, she is quite…beautiful and sweet. She was really nice to Ganyu when she started crying and it was very kind of her to take care of Ganyu when I reached to pick her up late and…I’m not going to speak any further for I don’t wish to embarrass myself more.” Zhongli gulped down the liquid and averted Aether’s gaze, one filled with mock and tease.

Days later Zhongli was still thinking about the attractive, kind teacher he met. Did he say attractive? Well, you definitely were, since he did find himself get attracted to you. Your smile and gentle eyes peering at him had etched themselves into his daydreams. It was quite strange, he never felt this sort of tightness in his chest before whenever he met another woman. But you, oh dear you, you had stained every vacant thought of his ever since that afternoon.

A knock on his bedroom door snapped him out of his thoughts. “Ahem, come in!” He called out, expecting it to be Aether with some reports or something of the sort. Only to his surprise, his daughter walked in, a sheet of paper and a bright red crayon in her hands.

“Hello angel. What’s the matter.” Zhongli spun in his chair and leaned down to lift his daughter in his arms, seating her on his lap. She laid the paper on top of his work and handed him the red crayon. “Papa you still have to write the apology to Miss Y/N! You have to write ‘I am sorry for coming late’ 20 times! Papa you promised!” The little girl huffed.

Zhongli laughed, but upon seeing Ganyu’s serious expression, his jest died down. She really did want him to write the apology. “Of course angel, I’ll start right away.” Even when he said that she refused to move from his lap until he started writing.

For his comfort, he used his own pen, the ink gliding across the sheet in his calligraphic handwriting. Whenever he finished writing down one sentence, his daughter cheered and counted down, a method of motivation which she had learnt from her teacher, she informed. Zhongli smiled to himself. Beautiful and smart. This woman kept surprising her.

“Andddd done!” He announced, putting a full stop at the end of his 20th sentence. He had to admit, even though he writes pages worth of writing in a single sitting, this punishment felt very taxing.

“Yay! Congratulations papa! Now when you give it to Miss Y/N tomorrow, she will surely give you a gold star.” His eyes widened and his cheeks warmed. “You want me to come to give it to her?” He inquired, making sure he heard her right the first time. Ganyu rolled her eyes dramatically, “Of course papa. If I give it to her, then she will think that I wrote the apology.”

Her reasoning was very valid for a 7-year-old, so Zhongli shrugged and decided to go along with it. “Then I shall come with you tomorrow.” He smiled. What a perfect opportunity to get to meet you again.

The next day when Zhongli woke up to take Ganyu to school, he felt…more eager to do that daily task. While getting ready, he spritzed on his favourite cologne, one which he saved for special occasions, he wore one of his better coats and sweaters and he made sure his hair looked better than it usually did. He thought to himself, ‘why am I dressing up so much? What is going on with me?’

And all his questions were answered when he walked into the school grounds and saw your smile as you greeted the other children and parents. You were practically glowing, shining brighter than a diamond in the moonlight. You walked to the children who were reluctant to leave their parents and you encouraged them, gave them the confidence to join you in your classroom.

“Papa come! We need to meet Miss Y/N before you go!” Ganyu’s excited figure pulled Zhongli through the crowd of adults and kids until he found himself standing a few feet from you. He froze up when Ganyu left his hand and darted towards you, engulfing your leg in a bear hug. He should also greet you, it’s polite to do so.

“Good morning, Ganyu! How are you today?” You kneeled to her eye level and conversed with her, grinning at her enthusiastic replies. “I am very good! I was a big girl yesterday and I made papa write the sorry note for you. Please give him a gold star!”

Your E/C trailed up to the man who stood behind Ganyu, his lips turned in a lopsided grin. “Oh is that so?” You look at him with a playfulness in your tender gaze, he couldn’t stop his heart rate from increasing.

He pulled out the slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to you, praying that when you take it from him, your hands would meet. He really wanted to feel your feather-soft touch once again. And thankfully the archons above heard his prayers for when you reached out to grab the paper, you lightly touched his warm hand, your touch sending waves of homeliness through him. Was it too soon to describe that feeling as homeliness? Maybe, but that word was just perfect to describe the sensation taking over him.

A delighted giggle escaped your lips as you unfolded the paper to find that he had indeed written the apology 20 times. You were amazed by his beautiful handwriting, almost finding it hard to believe that he wrote it and it wasn’t the product of a professional calligraphy artist.

“Ganyu, why don’t you go join your friends in class? I am sure Keqing is waiting for you.” You wink at her, seeing her bubble excitedly. She gave her father a quick hug and ran inside, leaving you and Zhongli standing in front of each other.

“She never stops talking about you.” You beam at him starting a conversation as the other students started crowding into the main building. The pride that filled his amber eyes beckoned you to speak further, wanting to see more of his handsome expression.

“She admires and idolises you, Zhongli. She always tells all her friends bout how her papa knows everything about the earth and she even told us stories about how the Liyuan Canyon was formed as a result of years of erosion by the river. She had the whole class captivated, I’ve never seen the students so quiet and interested in history.” You giggle as he sheepishly laughs and rubs his neck.

“Thank you for your kind words. Though I must express, you are a role model for her as well. She always talks about the pretty teacher who pays attention to all the students’ needs and encourages her to perform her best” He complimented, only realising he called you pretty when he recalled his words after seeing you blush. “Oh dear, I am really sorry. That was not professional of me.” He spluttered. ‘What happened to the calm and composed Zhongli?’ He cursed himself.

“I don’t mind the compliment Zhongli. Thank you.” You looked to the side to avoid his eyes, but when you noticed the emptiness around you, you realised that you had a class to take care of. “I should probably get back to my students.” You patted your clothes out of instinct as you waved at him and turned to walk away.

Zhongli mistook your hurry as discomfort from calling you pretty. Just as he was about to scowl at himself, you looked over your shoulder and grabbed his attention. “And about your gold star, how about I give it to you when you come to pick Ganyu in the afternoon?” Your offer to hang out with him for a while longer did not go unnoticed.

He stood tall and fixed his blazer, mirroring your gentle smile. “I’ll be looking forward to my reward.”

That afternoon he was greeted with you waiting to put a gold star sticker on the breast pocket of his blazer, Ganyu getting excited at how her father got his first sticker. All day that day, he subconsciously ran his fingers over the smooth star-shaped sticker, smiling to himself.

From that day, your relation progressed from father and teacher to some sort of friends.

In the crowd, his face was the one you’d always be most eager to see and he yours.

The two of you would talk of trivial topics before the school bell rang and you had to leave for your respective job; and in the afternoons he would stay back a little longer, your conversations drawing him in as Ganyu played in the grounds.

Your nightingale like voice and childlike expression whenever you spoke of something that excited you made him sigh in happiness. His mind was all fuzzy and he felt like he could spend hours just hearing you talk and admiring your beautiful features.

Conversations with you were never dull, you always kept Zhongli on his toes with the tales you had to offer about your teaching experience and he entertained you with historical stories that had your interests piqued.

One day you told him that Ganyu mentioned during a presentation that she had a little brother and you were hoping to see a picture of him. Happy to fulfil your request, Zhongli pulled out his phone and swiped through the gallery, showing you various pictures of him, Ganyu and Xiao.

He laughed heartily when you snatched his device and gushed over his younger child, commenting about how much he resembles his father. You even requested to meet him someday and Zhongli was more than excited for you to meet Xiao.

The first time you met Xiao, Zhongli was slightly nervous, constantly reminding Xiao to be on his best behaviour. He knew it would be hard for a toddler to follow such strict instructions, but a man could dream.

To his surprise, Xiao was much more mannered when you walked over and greeted him in your baby voice. His eyes were wide and head tilted to get a better look at your face from his father’s arms.

Looking at Zhongli for perMission to hold him and receiving a nod in return, you opened your arms, getting ready to hold him. Zhongli expected his son to shrink back, but Xiao’s eagerness to jump into your arms startled him.

Picking up the 3-year-old on your hip, you asked him questions such as his name and age, cooing whenever he answered. Your praises embarrassed him and he hid himself in your hair, softly playing with your H/C ends.

“I’ve never seen him this quiet. Are you sure you’re not a divine being?” Zhongli’s eyes lidded as he exhaled deeply, a lovestruck expression drawn on his face. You blushed at his words and gave your much more accurate reply. “I guess I am just good with children. I like them and they like me, isn’t that true little Xiao.” You booped his nose and he snorted a laugh in return, proving your claim.

The 15 minutes he stayed back turned into an hour, the three of you walking to a nearby park and sitting on a bench while Ganyu tried catching butterflies in her little fingers.

Often Zhongli would buy you some coffee or tea from a local cafe, whatever is your preference. Many a time you told him that he had no need to, but he insisted, saying that it was a treat, from one friend to another.

In the chilly autumn afternoons, with the sun’s dim light shining between the withering leaves, Zhongli came to fall in love with you, staring at your features as you cradled Xiao in your lap, poking his nose and laughing with Ganyu whenever he sneezed cutely.

But, what was he to do with these feelings?

“Papa! Papa!” His little daughter burst into his room, with Aether and Xiao trailing behind her. Zhongli’s eyes darted up from his work and he took off his specs, jumping from his seat to kneel in front of his frantic daughter. “Ganyu? Is everything alright?” His eyes scanned her for any injuries, raising an eyebrow when he saw her with an ear to ear smile.

“Papa it is Miss Y/N’s birthday tomorrow! We have to specially meet her tomorrow! We have to make her a card and buy her a gift! We need to buy her a pretty diamond necklace.” Ganyu rambled on, various gift ideas pouring out her mind. Zhongli smiled and shook his head. “Yes, we do need to buy her a pretty gift. Why don’t you go put on some shoes and we’ll go shopping right now?” Ganyu squealed and ran out of the room.

“Ah is this the reason you declined day after tomorrow’s invitation to the Historian Meet?” Aether wiggled his eyebrows at Zhongli, causing him to roll his eyes at Aether’s childishness. “It’s nothing like that. Y/N invited us to her house for her birthday dinner and I thought it would be quite rude to decline her offer over something that happens every second month.” He tried justifying himself. A simpler reason would have been, ‘I like her and I want to spend more time with her.’

That year her birthday fell on a Saturday and she had invited Zhongli and his children for a celebration dinner on Sunday, just the 4 of them. When she asked him over the phone if he could make it, Zhongli nodded like an eager child and then slapped his forehead in realisation that she couldn’t see him.

In the afternoon, Zhongli and Aether took Ganyu and Xiao to the shopping complex, and the two children who would usually be so engrossed in buying for themselves, their only goal for today was to find the perfect gift go you.

“Papa should we buy her a dress? I want to pick a dress for her!” Ganyu whined and pulled the others into a boutique. “I’ll take care of Xiao while you help Ganyu select a gift.” Aether declared, leaving the father to fend for himself.

A good 20 minutes it took for the 7-year-old to select a dress, with the assistance of her father and a store clerk. Zhongli was in awe of the floor-length mermaid shaped silver dress that Ganyu tugged from the shelves, proclaiming that it was the perfect gift for Miss Y/N. He sure hoped that his estimate of her dress size was accurate enough to fit her.

This is a very good choice Angel. You really like Miss Y/N, don’t you?” Zhongli gave her a close eyed smile, paying for the dress at the check out counter. She nodded vigorously, “Yes! Miss Y/N is my favourite and I know she’s your favourite too!” Zhongli choked on air as the cashier subtly smirked, having overheard their conversation.

“Ganyu! You don’t speak like that in public!” Zhongli spoke sternly but didn’t deny her statement. “Sir, I know it’s not my place to say, but would you like to check out our selection of pendants? Maybe you could find something of your liking.” The cashier offered, gesturing to the display of necklaces and gems aplenty.

Zhongli hummed to himself. A pendant would be a nice gift, holding great emotion and even hints of intimacy. He felt a tug on his pants and his daughter was having thoughts that overlapped with his. Maybe a necklace would be a perfect gift along with the dress.

Finally, the night of the dinner came. You were getting restless, repeatedly smoothening your knee-length dress while checking your make up in the mirror. How this night would end, you had no knowledge. But you really wanted to try your best, hoping to woo the man you had been developing feelings for.

When the bell rang, your heart pumped faster in your chest as you darted across your small apartment to open the door. There on the other side was Zhongli, Xiao on his hip and Ganyu standing beside him, clinging to his pants. Behind them was a blonde man you’ve never seen before, who you assumed to be Aether by the description Zhongli had given you in the past.

“Good evening Y/N. Wishing you the happiest birthday.” Zhongli leaned forward and pressed an air kiss to either of your cheeks in greeting. Seeing the way his father kissed your cheeks, Xiao reached forward and wrapped his hands around your neck, the suddenness of his action making you jolt forward to catch him and Zhongli scrambling to catch you with his free hand, in case you fall. Xiao cutely pressed a big kiss to your right cheek and then your left, mumbling a small hello.

Your face turned ruby red. But not at the child’s kiss. Zhongli’s hand was firmly gripping your waist as he held Xiao, the boy leaning on you in a very awkward position. The tension was thick, your eyes stayed fixed on Zhongli’s bright eyes as even he found it hard to tear away from his gaze from yours.

Thankfully, a deliberate cough from Aether helped snap you back to reality. “Let me hold him. And please! Do come in.” You took Xiao from Zhongli’s arms and opened the door wider, letting the 3 of them in. “I hope you don’t mind me calling Aether along, I required some assistance with the children.” He apologised.

“Nonsense! I am so happy to finally put a face to the name. It is great to finally meet you Aether. Zhongli doesn’t stop talking about how helpful you are, be it with his kids or in general.” You extend your free hand to shake his, getting a cheeky smile from him in return. “It is wonderful to finally see the Y/N that has Mr Zhongli daydreaming and-.”

“Oh by the way, here is your present. Ganyu selected it herself.” Zhongli grinned and took a well-wrapped box from Aether, preventing him from talking any further. You giggled at his obviousness and walked to the couch, sitting down and pouring some drinks for everyone, handing the kids a carton of fruit juice each.

“Come on Miss Y/N! Open your present!” Ganyu bounced on the couch in excitement, pushing the box further up your lap. Zhongli was ready to tell her off for misbehaving, but you quickly puller her to your side and together started ripping off the nicely done wrapping paper. Zhongli hissed internally at how messy the two of you were being, but seeing to smile at Ganyu’s elated figure, he guessed that you did that for her happiness.

“I hope you like it Miss Y/N!” Ganyu played with her fingers as you lifted the lid of the box. Even Zhongli sat on the edge of his seat, waiting to see your reaction. He was more than pleased when you gasped and squealed, pulling out the sequinned fabric of the dress. You stood up and pressed the clothing to your chest, the dress draping in front of you. Zhongli imagined you in that dress, looking absolutely stunning with your current makeup and hairdo. He could hear the drumming of his heart in his ears, but that wasn’t able to drown out the sounds of you thanking him for buying you such a wonderful present.

“Please, I wanted to treat you. A wonderful person such as yourself only deserves the best.” He beamed as you folded the dress and carefully put it back in the box, ready to store it to be worn on a special occasion.

After a little more talking and laughing, the children started complaining about feeling hungry. Seeing the clock, you clapped your hands and announced that it was indeed time for dinner.

Once you seated everyone at the dining table and disappeared into the kitchen to bring dinner, Aether kicked Zhongli from under the table. Aether’s wide eyes and curled lips along with his head tilting towards the kitchen struck Zhongli as an instruction to go help Y/N. Not only out of politeness but also for some alone time.

He left the table and walked into the kitchen to see you gathering plates and bowls for everyone. He offered to help and even after you denying, he was resilient. Finally, you gave up and let him lend a hand, setting the plates and cutlery on the table.

He helped you carry all the dishes you prepared by hand. He wasn’t very happy that you went through the pain of cooking everything, especially since it was your birthday celebration, but the flavourful smell wafting through the air made him look forward to the meal.

At one point during the set up, the two of you reached for the same pot of curry sitting atop the counter, your fingers making contact. Like lovestruck teenagers, you stared at each other and started blushing, both offering to take it out instead. Using your ‘my house, my rules’ ability, you went and placed the final serving bowl on the table, with Zhongli trailing behind you only a breath away, bumping into you when you suddenly turned.

“Dig in!” You announced and everyone started eating. Moans of satisfaction and exclamations of ‘so yummy!’ filled the dining room, making you bashful.

Zhongli praised your cooking, telling you how he’s never tasted such delicious home cooked food and if he had a choice, he would eat such food for the rest of his life. Only when he was drinking water did he realise the implied meaning of his words. When he looked at you, he was relieved to see you smiling at him, in a way that showed that you accepted that hidden meaning. Could it be…

Dinner went by as smooth as it could. Yes, Xiao did start crying about how he did not want to eat his vegetable because they were yucky. Aether and Zhongli tried their best to convince him to eat, using methods such as the aeroplane and the chop chop train, but all in vain. Thankfully you stepped in to save the day.

Only when you did the aeroplane did Xiao agree to eat! He was happily eating the beans from your fork as if that was his plan all along, to be fed by you. You laughed at how Zhongli’s mouth was hung open. His own son had betrayed him, he wasn’t going to forget that ever.

Zhongli seemed to find more and more things about you to admire, from the way you were able to keep his children well behaved and still joyous with your humorous anecdotes to how you gelled well with Aether, laughing with him about Zhongli’s embarrassing parenting moments.

Eventually, dinner came to an end. Xiao very conveniently crawled into his father’s lap during dinner and fell asleep against his shoulder and Ganyu’s head was lolling around as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

Aether announced that it was time for him to take the children home since it was much past their bedtime and they had school the next day. As you went to shake Ganyu awake, she grabbed your hand and pulled your face down so that she could whisper in your ear.

“Papa has a special gift for you. I hope you like it.” And she was out like a light bulb.

You smiled to yourself and carried her downstairs, not wanting to bother the father or his friend with the task. Aether was quite thankful and once you were walking down the stairs, he caught Zhongli’s eye and winked at him teasingly, enjoying the reawakening blush on his face.

You and Zhongli set his kids in the backseat and buckled them up snuggly. Aether and Zhongli spoke a while and you not wanting to pry in their conversation continued to make the kids feel comfortable in their seats. A smile graced your face and their sleepy figures as you closed the door.

Aether stepped into the car and waved at you and Zhongli, the male finding his spot beside you.

“Are you staying a little longer?” You asked, hoping that he wasn’t going to head off for some last minute meeting or anything. Zhongli turned around to face your apartment building, lifting his arm and sticking out his elbow for you to grab. “I’ll stay if you want me to.”

You beamed at his offer and grabbed his forearm, walking with him back to your house. “Ah, I completely forgot about the cake!” You walked to the kitchen with Zhongli trailing behind you. From the fridge, you pulled out a small chocolate cake with Happy Birthday frosted on in royal red icing. “My cousin is a baker and she sent it for me. I was really hoping to share it with you and your kids.” You chuckle nervously, placing the cake on the coffee table in front of the couch.

“Well, maybe you can cut it in my presence and bring it over tomorrow to my place. We can have it along with a nice cup of coffee if you’ll accept my invitation.” He spoke while lighting up the birthday candles, both of you sitting side by side on the couch, your bodies almost touching. All either of you needed was a little encouraging push.

You nodded at him and picked up the knife. “Well, time to blow out the candles and make a wish!” You exclaim, closing your eyes and leaning forward. You were silent for a second, making your wish and once you opened your eyes, you blew the candles. Zhongli clapped as you cut a slice and before you could pick it up, he beat you to it, lifting the confectionary to your lips. “Birthday girl gets the first bite.”

You couldn’t deny the tension in the air when you wrapped your fingers around his wrist to guide the cake to your mouth. He couldn’t deny the feelings bubbling in his heart when you laughed with a face full of chocolate. Both of you could read the others eyes when he leaned forward to swipe some frosting off your lips.

“I…I umm brought you a gift. Apart from the dress.” He blushed and reached into his blazer pocket, pulling out a long velvet box. He sat up in front of you and opened the box to reveal a pendant- a gorgeous pearl-shaped one, the gem of a soft pink shade sparkling in the lighting of your house.

“Zhongli…this is so beautiful.” You hesitated to touch the gift, not knowing its monetary worth, but with his encouragement, you reach forward to brush your fingers against the silver chain and the glistening gem. You looked away from the necklace and saw his gentle eyes on you, taking in your fascinated expression. “Zhongli…can you help me put it on?”

He was taken aback by your request. Asking him to help you with your necklace, it was a direct request to be touched, for him to brush his fingers in butterfly soft motions over your skin. A request for intimacy.

He gulped and nodded, carefully picking the necklace out of its case while you turned around and lifted your hair, exposing your neck. The sweet smell of your perfume hit his nose and it was a lucky coincidence that you were unable to see his shaking fingering and red ears.

“This gem, it’s a rose quartz. And it does have some…meaning, if you wish to put it that way.” You shivered when the cold metal touched your collarbone, it sliding up your skin as Zhongli tried to clasp it behind your neck. You could feel his breath fan over the nape of your neck. “What’s its significance.” You whispered, the tone of the rooming dimming down.

“It…It’s a symbol of unconditional love. Of the purest and sincerest of emotions, from one person to another.” The click of metal signalled that the necklace was locked around your neck. You looked down to admire it in your fingers, giving great attention to how Zhongli’s hands dropped down to your waist. He shuffled closer, closer enough for your back to hit his chest and his chin rest on your shoulder, his burning cheek right up against yours.

You allowed his faint embrace, leaning back to rest your weight against him. He hummed in your ear softly. You could feel his Adam’s apple bob nervously as if he was itching to speak. A moment later, he found the courage to pour out his feelings.

“Y/N...I have a confession to make.” He pulled from you, causing you to shift in your seat and face him. You smile at his gentle smiling, feeling his hand reach up to cradle your cheek. Relaxing against his warmth, a satisfied breath escaped your lips as you slowly nodded your head, giving him to go to speak on.

“The reason I chose this gem was…as a confession of my growing feelings for you. I don’t know how or when it happened, but now when I look into your eyes, I…there’s no way around this.” He blushed bashfully and looked to the side, unable to collect his thoughts and convert them into words.

“Zhongli…just tell me what you’re feeling. Who knows, maybe I’ll reciprocate your feelings…” You lift your other hand to cover your pink cheeks. He chuckled lightly at slanted in your direction, till you could see the golden threads of his irises.

“Well then if I may be so bold to confess…Y/N, I have developed romantic feelings for you. My confession is in no means a way for you to feel obligated to feel for me back-“ He was going to ramble out a long apology after his small confession.

Your smile grew and you threw yourself into Zhongli’s arms, rubbing your nose against his neck. The overwhelming feeling of happiness was intoxicating as you giggled into his shoulder. “I like you too Zhongli. Like a lot.” Your confession, so simple yet filled with so many emotions, Zhongli laughed in relief hearing your words.

“I am so happy you feel that way.” His arms tightened around your waist, squeezing you in a bear hug. You squeal in his hold and pull your face away to see his soft happy smile. His smile faltered when he noticed how close your lips were to his, he could feel your warm breath on his lips, the sensation quite ticklish.

“May I…may I kiss you Y/N?” He gulped. Your lips brushed over his when you nodded and a wild part of him came to life.

His hands flew up to cup your cheeks as he pulled you in, placing his lips on top of yours with such gentleness, it made your head feel dizzy. His soft lips danced with yours in harmony, parting and meeting yours again and again. He delicately brushed his thumbs over your cheekbones, drawing you deeper into the kiss. Your hands dropped to his sweater, clutching the wool in your fingers. His kisses had you feeling drunk, and with every breath and gasp for air, you pulled him in for more.

You shifted closer to him till your thighs touched, every contact had electricity zooming through your nerves. Your fingers found the ends of his well-kept hair and shamelessly you tangled your digits in his soft chocolate locks, bringing him even closer if possible. His hands trailed down to your lower back, arching you closer to his body, till the warmth of your chest pressed against his. Your warmth… radiated that home like feeling again, and Zhongli welcomed that with open arms, holding you like the most precious being in the world.

Thoughts ran crazy in Zhongli’s head. He knew that if he ever had the opportunity to kiss you, your lips would feel so smooth against his, but he never expected it to feel so…perfect. As if his lips were made to kiss yours, fitting together like puzzle pieces. Butterflies flew crazily in his stomach, a sensation he’d completely forgotten about before he met you. You entered his life and gave him the love he didn’t know he missed and now that he had a little taste, he craved more and more of you.

Separating for real this time, you panted, feelings his heavy breath against you. You lifted your head and bite your lip, stopping that huge grin from appearing on your face. Zhongli didn’t want to hold back his happiness. He laughed and hugged you tight, peppering kisses on your cheeks.

“I am so happy you’ve agreed to accept my feelings Y/N. So very happy.” He cheered, words trailing off as his eyes fell upon you again. He pecked your lips, once then twice, making sure the events that just happened weren’t a dream.

“So what does this mean for us? Do you think Ganyu and Xiao will be fine with you having a lover?” You hesitated with your words, trying to voice out your concerns. He understood your worries and grabbed your hands, bringing them up for him to place gentle kisses on your knuckles. “I think they’d be quite welcoming. They love you already and having you join our little family would bring them great happiness. That is, if you’re ready to?” Zhongli whispered softly, knowing the responsibility you would be agreeing to if you accept.

You think for a minute, then flip your hands to place Zhongli’s on top, giving butterfly kisses to his nervous hands. “I don’t know if I can think that far ahead. But what I know is that at this moment, I want to be with you, I want to be with Ganyu and Xiao. I want to see your face, first thing when I wake up and I want to kiss the children before they sleep. If you’ll have me, the way I am?”

Zhongli didn’t even need to give it a second thought, he was already nodding his head and pulling you against his chest, kissing you all over again. Hearing your angelic giggles and feeling your electrifying touch, Zhongli knew that for the first time in a long time, he was ready to love again.

izuku midoriya thinks it's the cutest thing in the goddamn world when you ramble. he can listen to you talk for fucking hours. and he just sits there, writing it down in the notebook of his mind with love struck eyes and a dreamy expression on his freckled face.

katsuki bakugou is the type that's all "stay the hell out of my kitchen" at first, but when you share an eagerness to learn he can't help but love the idea of teaching you. calloused hands guiding you through slicing an onion and reminding you to curl in the tips of your fingers so you don't cut them.

when shouto todoroki is finally comfortable enough to tell you the details of his childhood, the nitty gritty and ugly parts of it that he doesn't ever really tell anyone there's a weight lifted off his chest and he can finally breathe again. he never knew what it was like to not be weighed down by the past and all he can think is that your demons live in him too and the world doesn't feel so lonely anymore.

denki kaminari is so surprised the first time he finally gets the courage to kiss you he accidentally shocks you; hair stranding up wildly and you feel like you just pressed your lips to a dryer sheet. He's embarrassed, cheeks and nose turning a bright shade of red that even reaches to the tips of his ears but he can't help but sigh when you laugh and lean in for another one.

keigo takami is nothing short of flattered the first time you walk up to him and ask him to take you flying. something strange happens to his heart; feeling like it's much too big for his chest when he looks at the way you're nervously twisting your hands in front of you. But the pure joy, the elated way you look at him when you realize you can touch clouds.

levi’s always been quiet around your friend group. it’s not because he’s shy, or because he doesn’t like any of you (though to the untrained eye it may appear as such) - rather, he doesn’t really have all that much to say. someone so perfectly content with observing the crowd, gathering bits and pieces of information no matter how mundane it appears to be.

he knows more about you all than he’ll let on.

when you first joined the group, his stoic nature was something you figured stemmed from lack of interest or merely dislike. rarely did he engage in conversation or acknowledge your existence with much more than a short ‘hi’.

it really wasn’t until recently that you were proven wrong.

the six of you were all packed together in your friend’s dorm, savoring a night off from school and work and whatever else took up a good portion of free time. conversations were casual, talks of how shitty the week was or a bitch of a professor who apparently can’t grade papers filling the room. you, excited to finally interject about how much you loved your new english literature class, waited patiently for your friends to finish before speaking up.

“you guys, i’ve been-”

you’re cut off by the person diagonally from you loudly complaining about their job.

don’t give up; try again.

“i haven’t told you all about my new class i’m loving-”

“stop talking for a second so i can hear this.”

your friend’s words poke holes in your chest. still, you don’t want to quit now. they’ve had their chance to speak.

“can i just-”

“oh my god, no one cares.”

the comment was of course, a joke. you should know that, right? everyone’s laughing. it has to be. yet despite the teasing nature, as the group moves on to the next topic you can’t help but wish for the couch to swallow you whole. intrusive thoughts begin to plague your mind as the world around you becomes mere background noise.

you make everything about you.

stop overpowering the conversations. clearly no one cares.

don’t take this so seriously. have a sense of humor for once.

the words bite at your heart and you do your best to ignore them, to be a good friend and listen to whatever the hell is going on. just as you’re about to reel yourself back in, you feel something.

a tap on your shoulder.

your head whips to your left, where levi himself is sat on the couch at your side. in all the chaos you honestly forgot he was even here. not that he makes much of an effort to speak in the first place.

a small (dare you say friendly?) smile plays at the corner of his mouth.

“tell me about your class. i want to know more.”

steel eyes don’t stray from yours. it’s a moment of pure shock before you recover enough to talk. he’s never shown interest before - not many people have, if you’re honest with yourself.

a beat, and your chest burns with gratitude.

happiness.

without further ado you launch into full detail, stopping every so often only for levi to urge you on as he absorbs every word. you can’t help but grin as you speak, answering any and all questions he asks.

you’re surprised at how wrong your judgement of him was - yet you can’t say you’re all that disappointed.

-

based on my real life friend scenarios and i can only wish i had a levi to help me out so i give you this messy and terribly written product of my daydreams.

cocky bastard vibes - zhongli

ship: zhongli x reader

synopsis: in which reader shares their free thoughts on the liyue statue of seven

notes: standalone snippet part of the bookkeeping!verse

It was a beautiful day in Liyue. The grass was a luscious green and the birds were singing a beautiful song. After a nice stay at the Emerald Maple Inn, you and Mr. Zhongli decided to have a cup of tea next to the Statue of the Seven before heading on your way to Qingce Village. You were to accompany him to pick up supplies for the next funeral rite, and with the way the morning was going, you knew nothing would ruin this peaceful day.

"So how much do you want to bet that Rex Lapis was hot and knew it?”

You ignored the choked sound that came from your side as you gazed up at the picturesque statue. Though your companion would probably consider your question quite out of the blue, you couldn’t say it was the first time you wondered such a thing. Whenever you passed by one of them in Liyue, the thought always plagued your mind for a few hours after. Judging by Mr. Zhongli’s reaction, though, it seemed he did not share your sentiments.

"Ehem… That… certainly is an interesting thought. I can’t say whether or not previous records touched on such a topic."

You hummed, gazing up at the statue. Really? That couldn’t be true. Why wouldn’t anyone talk about a statue looking like that?

“Well there are many reasons why I’d say I’m right. First off, his outfit. He has a hooded cloak on while also being shirtless. There’s absolutely no logical reason to dress like that unless they’re from the deserts of Sumeru, wouldn’t you say? It obviously was a conscious fashion decision. If you pair that with the seductive way he’s sitting, I’d be inclined to assume he’s quite clearly feeling his look.”

Silence came from your side. Hm, Mr. Zhongli still wasn’t convinced? Then you would go on.

“You do see it, right? His posture is relaxed, yet confident. Not to mention the way he’s looking at that cube in his hand with practically bedroom eyes. His knees are apart too. My friend from Sumeru told me that when a man sits like that, he’s displaying his dominance.”

Still silence.

"You can't sit in a seductive pose like that without on some level being aware you look good doing it. I mean look at him! He's shirtless and everything! I've heard even macho fishermen say that they pray to the statue for a good night before coming home to see their wives. You can’t blame them, right?"

A hesitant cough.

"I-I'm sure it was a younger time when those statues were sculpted."

You groaned.

"Maybe, but you’re not even looking! If you did, you’d agree with me that Rex Lapis is clearly exuding such massive 'cocky bastard' vibes!" You countered.

For some reason, the more you spoke, the more flustered he became.

"C'mon, Mr. Zhongli! Why are you so embarrassed? It's not like I'm slandering his good name! I mean, if Rex Lapis didn't want us talking about him like this, maybe he shouldn't have made a statue with abs clean enough to eat off of!"

Okay, maybe at this point, you were piling it on a bit thick. Could anyone blame you? His face was in his hand as if he had a headache, and were his ears tinged the slightest hint of red? It was an interesting sight. Never had you seen him look so completely flustered. Sure you were rather blunt, but you didn't think your words were that provocative. Mr. Zhongli really was practically a 65 year old man.

"I thought you respected the Geo Archon…" He muttered weakly.

You gasped in offense.

"I do! I’d even consider my words the utmost of pious behavior. In Mondstadt, the sisters of the church consider themselves married to Barbatos, the Anemo Archon. So finding the Geo Archon to be a sex god is pretty much the same thing, right?”

“No, it is not.”

JUST KISS ALREADY

childe × gn!reader, fluff, drabbles, no warnings, childe is a bit of an idiot ( but a lovable one )

“hey, hey, y/n!” someone you instantly recognize as childe calls. you turn, and he's panting slightly, flushed but a blazing smile on his face. he's being followed by some off his friends, they try to be discreet but you already recognize the striking purple of scaramouche and some others.

“what's up?” you ask, amused.

he smirks coyly. “you know the next week's term break?”

you nod, a growing grin on your face though you're rather unsure on what he's up to now.

“so,” he declares with an air of feigned importance. then he freezes. “ah shit, what was the next line?”

you snort, and he blinks, a flush blooming on his cheeks and ears. “wait, it was... i, wait no-”

you cross your arms, glaring at him with an impatient raised eyebrow. this caused him to panic even further, and his speech was reduced to incoherent stuttering. the more he stumbled the more he panicked, and the more he panicked the more he blabbered and now he resembled a ginger tomato.

taking pity on him, you dropped the glare and adopted a more playful demeanor. “well?” you snark, “you're using a whole lotta words to say a whole lotta nothing.”

he turns bright red instantly, shutting up.

“oi! screw the script!” scaramouche yells all the way from the wall he was hiding behind to stalk the both of you, “hurry up and kiss already! it's burning over here.”

you both look at each other, and he shrugs, quirking a lopsided grin.

“okay, why not?”