The Artist And The Gem: Part 1

wondergays x showtime sleepover comic!!

(aventurine x reader /// continuation of this concept)

"explain to me," the good doctor demands, "why do you need my help?"

"because." you fumble around you're words. your lips feel cold. herta's space station, especially this deep in it's bowels, is an unpleasant place to have any conversation, let alone one that is also unpleasant. "i don't have time."

"and you assume i do?"

"partially?" you rub a hand over your cheek. "throw me a bone here, doctor."

ratio has been sizing you up for the better part of half an hour, scrutinizing your intent in any way he can. you have been skillfully attempting to dodge most of those attempts, but veritas ratio is as diligent a man as he is intelligent. which is to say that he is not letting up until you divulge the truth.

you sigh.

"you will explain to me," he says outright, gaze piercing. "how one of the intelligentsia guild's most esteemed researchers needs help with an algorithm that is far below both of our skill levels. it's insulting to both myself, and yourself."

you sigh again, deeper and harder, "i, once again, do not have time. i have the 'full time job' of handling aventurine's odds, and those calculations don't run like any other odds i've ever worked with, and he is a variable constantly in motion. i need help making this algorithm so i can have some assistance with my main job at hand."

the doctor scoffs, and walks a circle around you, "i'm sure he's just thrilled with the company."

"we— he manages."

more than. but, veritas doesn't need to know that. you're sure he'll figure it out eventually.

veritas tagged the briefcase on a nearby table. it's gleaming, with a discreet ipc logo embossed on the side. the sight of it makes you nauseous with anxiety.

"is this bribe from him?" he asks.

"no." you've stopped aventurine anytime he has tried to intervene and make things easier for you. he rarely listens, but your relationship with ratio and the guild make him somewhat neutral territory. "higher up."

"i assume diamond wouldn't bother to dirty her hands. so, jade?"

"yes."

dr. ratio, for the first time, seriously considers your offer. then scowls. "it would be a waste of my time."

you sigh. there was a 67.22% chance of this outcome. luckily, you have gamed out the conversation from here.

"so you can't?"

"you know i can."

then, you laugh, and shake your head. "yes, i do. sorry to tease. i'm quite tired."

"you should go find your gambler." veritas crosses his arms, looking sidelong at the briefcase.

"i will, eventually." you turn your back to veritas as you begin to leave the open atrium. the air is hollow and frigid. "i'll just ask some other intelligentsia guild members about the project first. i'm sure they'd be happy to help."

you only take a few steps before dr. ratio grabs your arm. his grip is far too strong.

(chance of failure to secure dr. veritas ratio's assistance: decreased by 31%.)

"don't bother them."

"someone needs to help." you turn back to look at him, expression schooled. "and if you won't, i'm very sure someone else will be happy to work beside 'one of the intelligentsia guild's most esteemed researchers'. or, does such a title not truly apply considering i've been ousted from my previous position?"

he frowns, but before he can speak, you interrupt him. you haven't seen veritas since being tied down to your current post. you haven't let him have it. he deserves it, maybe.

"i heard from jade that i received a glowing recommendation from another well-respected scholar. apparently, the position was being considered for either one of us. somehow, with that recommendation, i drew the short end of the stick and now play handler for a man with a death wish and a statistically measurable chaos quotient that's ever-changing in multiples of three."

veritas's face is unmoving. unchanging. but you know you've struck something. it was to be him or you in this position. and you don't have the pride he does. you place your hand over top of his, posed to speak, to tear him apart—

a shrill ringtone shatters the tension. it's yours. you already know who it is.

you flip your phone open with one hand, still staring at ratio.

"hello," aventurine's voice beckons from the other side, smug and smooth. "where is my favorite, most brilliant mind hiding out? we're due to leave soon."

"sadly, with another one of your favorite, brilliant minds. i'll be finished up shortly and meet you at the docks."

"aw, did he not get onboard? that's quite the choice for him to be making. do you want me to give him a talking to you?"

"no, it's fine. i'm working something out."

"you sound upset."

"i'm tired." you rub at your eyes and break away from veritas with a yawn.

"you can nap on the ship. we have quite the journey."

"that we do. i'll see you in a bit?"

"see you there." you can hear the smirk in his voice.

sending you down to veritas alone was aventurine's gamble. one that is working out, predictably. never mind the damage your reputation will take after these next moments. you close the phone with a sigh and begin toward the grand elevator.

"veritas," you call his name. "i forgive you, for what it's worth. try not to do it again."

"i couldn't."

you laugh and shake your head as you ascend. by the time you arrive at the docks, the ipc's premier vessel is packed away and priming its engines. lights and sirens echo from it. aventurine's idles outside, waiting for you. he beams when he sees you.

"so," he whistles, guiding you with a hand on your lower back. you let him. "was the good doctor as prickly as ever?”

"if not more so" you admit. aventurine gestures with a sweeping hand to your shared quarters for the time being. there's a single bed, but you're used to this. you've come not to mind it. "i think i bruised his ego."

with a genuine laugh, “i don’t think that's possible."

"want to bet on that?" you ask.

your phone's text tone chimes and you shoot aventurine a sharp smile.

aventurine's odds are ridiculous. ever changing, constantly moving. none of your perceptions and calculations that are usually steadfast and unmoving can keep up with him. not with efficiency, anyways. it's exhausting work. however, the likelihoods of everything but aventurine? the predictions of a man like ratio?

easy. simple. you could do them in your sleep.

aventurine squishes against your side as you open your newest message.

[SENDER: Doctor Ratio <intelligentsia guild>]

> here is a first draft. forgo payment. i do not need to be in the stonehearts’ pocket.

[file attached: STONE ALGORITHM DRAFT 1.0.spqxxxiun.pqo]

aventurine laughs, muffling it against the side of your neck. his teeth are sharp and his breath is warm. it settles something in you. you lean into him and deflate, sliding down into your lap so your head is pillows there. a gloved hand cards through your hair.

"you're quite good at the game, when you choose to play." aventurine reminds you. he tells you this often.

"i know." you turn your face into his hand as the ship rumbles. "but it's your job."

aventurine pauses his pets, then thumbs over your lips. he looks sour, only for a moment, before resuming his motions, a bit rougher this time. you relish the feel of it, sinking into it.

"one of us has to, right?"

"right."

"and the other," he taps your lips. your sputter, indignant. "plays support."

"one of us has to." you remind him.

it's silent between the two of you as the ship whirs and bellows, taking off from herta's space station without reverie. onto your next destination, wherever aventurine is deigned to be needed, with you by his side, dutifully.

you press your face into his stomach, letting the smell of linen and his cologne envelope you.

neither of you have a choice to play this game. the cards are stacked, and you best not loose count from aventurine's side. you'll be damned if you do.

(there is a 98.769% chance that you are damned regardless.)

at least, at least, you have each other, you think as aventurine bundles you up closer, and you wrap yourself around him. you'll take that, for as long as it lasts.

The woman laid in his arms, her eyes blinded from the attacks in battle. She bled out from the sword embedded into her stomach, but it had been so long that she couldn't feel the pain anymore. He had long since ordered his soldiers to find the medic back at camp, but it was taking too long.

The light, slow, gentle snowfall had been ongoing since the night before, covering the ground in a thin layer of white that was now dyed red all around the two of them. Her sightless eyes gazed up at the snow-filled clouds, a few snowflakes landing gently on her face and melting faster than she could tell.

He promised her that he'd keep her safe.. that he'd protect her, but he couldn't make to her in time.. he was on the other side of the battlefield, but the moment he saw the enemy raise their sword against her, he shoved away the one he was fighting and ran. He ran as fast as he could but he wasn't fast enough.

Now the enemy was gone, leaving a battlefield littered with different bodies of both his team and the opposing, but they didn't even cross his mind when she was bleeding out in his arms. He couldn't even do anything besides press his already blood covered hands against her wound.

She called out his name, her voice holding a small tremor. He immediately looked over at her blood-stained face that was still so beautiful, even with the cuts and show of war..

"It's quiet.."

so was her voice.. he had to lean over to hear her better. He slowly lifted his hands away from her wound when he realized that she wouldn't make it out of this place..

"..Is the snow pretty..?"

he pressed his lips together as he held back tears.. she always loved the snow, but she couldn't even see it once more before she passed. Without even raising his gaze from her face, he spoke gently. His voice was always gentle when he spoke to her, such a difference compared to when he ordered around his other soldiers.

"..mm.. it's breathtaking.. it always is.."

She gave a small, serene smile. She knew he didn't look, and she also knew the hidden meaning behind his words.. he took her hand in his, giving a gentle squeeze, which she was too weak to return.

"I'm glad.. I've always liked the snow"

..'I know'. He let out a shaking, pained breath as he watched her let her eyes fall closed before she whispered one last time.

"I hope you see me when it snows.. I'll be there.."

As he watched her, he could only give a small nod even though she wouldn't see it. The tears finally fell from his eyes when he could no longer see the small cloud her warm breath created against the cold air. He leaned over and pressed his forehead against hers, letting out quiet sobs as he hugged her limp body against his chest.

now I’m thinking about going to see aventurine perform at a concert thanks to that animated short…

TAGS: nothing but cuteness, use of his real name, not proofread this is pure word vomit, just a little something between studying for finals, can you tell I love writing him as an affectionate loser, 1.3k wc

When Aventurine told you that he’d be performing at the upcoming Robin concert as the lead guitarist, you were pleasantly surprised, to put it shortly. He’s a man of many talents, but how he managed to secure a spot alongside the famous singer is beyond you. 

You don’t even have to ask if you could go. As soon as you’re about to pop the question, he presses something into your hand- tickets to the best seats in the venue and a highly coveted VIP backstage pass that you know people will be fighting to get their hands on. 

In the weeks leading up to the performance, he’s busy practicing. When he’s home, the sounds of him making his way through a difficult passage can be heard, along with the soft meows of your cat critter pets as they gather around him curiously. You’re the one to massage his cramping hands after hours of practice and kiss his weary fingertips that are starting to callus.

(“It’s sounding really good so far. You should take a break now,” you say as you set down some snacks and tea besides him. He shoots you a thankful smile but makes no move to stop practicing.

“No, it has to be perfect. After all, you’re going to be there. I can’t have my darling seeing me at anything less than my best, can I?”)

When the day of the performance comes and you arrive at the venue with a bouquet of flowers in hand, he’s already waiting and greets you with a big kiss on the lips and a grin on his face.

“Darling, you’re here! And so early at that. Are these for me? Aw, you shouldn’t have!”

He’s quick to lead you backstage into the dressing rooms, where you see all the performers getting ready. The star of tonight’s show, Robin, is sitting at her vanity doing her makeup, gorgeous as ever. But in addition to her, you also spot a couple of other faces. A Knight of Beauty, the retainer of the Xianzhou Luofu’s general, and a… Stellaron Hunter? 

(From the back of your mind, you recall something about Aventurine telling you that it wasn’t just Robin performing; it was a collaboration with talented people from all over the galaxy. What a colorful cast of performers tonight… seems like that was true.)

It doesn’t take much convincing from him for you to help him with his makeup. You pull a chair up next to him as you begin doing his eyeliner.

“I know I can always count on you, darling.”

The look on his face is smug and you scowl.

“Stay still otherwise your eyeliner is going to end up all wobbly.”

Your face is illuminated by the led lights on the mirror and your brows are scrunched in concentration. He chuckles a bit before stealing a kiss from your lips, laughing when you sharply gasp. It’s a cute look on you, he thinks. But he likes seeing you flustered more. 

One of the stage crew members lets everyone know the show is about to begin. The other performers speed through the last of their makeup or warm-ups before leaving, until it’s just the two of you in the empty room.

With the start of the performance mere minutes away, stage fright is getting to Aventurine, even if he tries to brush it off. He adjusts his hat every few seconds and keeps fiddling with his guitar pick in place of his usual poker chip.

“Nervous?”

“Hah, me? Never,” he confidently declares, but you don’t miss the nervous quiver in his voice. You merely roll your eyes and sigh before stepping closer to him. One hand reaches out to fix his tie while the other reaches behind his back to grasp his left hand clenched into a tight fist. Your thumb traces soothing circles over the skin. The tension dissipates from his hand as he slowly unclenches his fist and lets it fall back to his side. 

“You’ll do amazing,” you say as you redo his tie. “You’ve been practicing so much you could play everything in your sleep at this point. And if you get nervous, know that I’m there in the audience. Just keep your eyes on me and it’ll all be fine.”

You tug at his tie one last time.

“All done now. Look at you, so handsome.” 

“For your eyes only,” he teases back with a wink. 

You pat down his suit jacket and adjust his hat one last time.

“Go and steal the show now, Kakavasha.”

He gives you a cheeky grin.

“No good luck kiss?”

“You don’t even need one considering you were blessed by a goddess. But come here.”

Yes, he demands a good luck kiss before the show begins. Yes, he also demands kisses during intermission where he sweeps you off your feet in an affectionate hug coupled with kisses all over your face.

“How was I back there?” he asks once he sets you down. He doesn’t seem to mind that others are watching with varying levels of amusement but he’s always been unapologetically shameless with his displays of affection. 

“Perfect,” you say. “You sounded even better up on stage than at home.”

But it’s not over yet. He has a solo in one of the pieces during the second half of the concert, and it’s what he’s most worried about.

Aventurine’s eyes wander during the pieces leading up to his solo and he notices a perpetually yellow lightstick glowing in the VIP section near the stage. Robin is performing right now, meaning that almost all of the lightsticks are glowing white. 

He smiles to himself. You really are too supportive of him. 

Robin stops singing and now it’s his time to shine. The spotlight hones in on him and follows him down the stage to the screams of fans. The lightsticks quickly switch from white to yellow, but his eyes are on one person only. 

You scream his name followed by an enthusiastic “I love you!” so loudly that you think you’ve made the people next to you go deaf. His gaze meets yours under the blinding lights and the way he looks at you- you think you’ve fallen in love all over again.

Like you told him to, he keeps his eyes on you. His breathing slows down and his trembling fingers gripping the fingerboard stop shaking. He readjusts his stance and without any further hesitation, dives into his solo.

Many in the audience vye for his attention, smitten by his good looks. They reach for him as he passes by, but his attention is on one person only. Your gaze grounds him, keeps the stage fright at bay, and encourages him to keep going, if only to fulfill his wish of you seeing him at nothing less than his very best. 

His solo is flawless. Perfect. As the last note reverberates through the air to the cheers of adoring fans, his eyes seek you out once more. His heart pounds in his chest, riding off the high of a successful performance- and your loving gaze. 

You watch as Aventurine spins around in place, seeking you out. When his eyes meet yours, you wave your lightstick excitedly and blow him kisses. You see the adrenaline rush written clearly all over his face, but also the joy in his eyes after seeing your pride in him. He pretends to catch the kisses you blow his way before blowing a few back. Your entire section erupts in chaos, but you alone stay put, gazing up at him with a tender and proud look that he always feels like he never deserves.

But tonight, he feels like he does. 

Aventurine is a born actor, able to fool everyone and himself. But in a crowd of many, he’ll always bare his heart for you. 

Masterlist

Trigun (Stampede and Trimax)

Vash the Stampede

Royal AU/Prince Vash x Knight reader

Royal AU/Prince Vash x Knight reader at the ball

Vash X reader who plays flute

First oral with Vash (f! receiving)

First oral with Vash (Vash receiving)

Vash x grieving s/o

Protective and comforting Vash

Vash thinking on dating a human woman

Morning cuddles with Vash

People watching

Vash with immortal s/o

Vash pining for reader

Vash biting (nsfw)

Vash x reader (eldritch horror au)

Vash crying during sex

Vash x physically strong muscular reader

Vash x touch-starved reader

Decay (hurt/comfort)

Uncanny Vash

Uncanny Vash smut (nsfw)

Vash tending to reader's wounds (sfw, fluff)

Nicholas D. Wolfwood

Livio The Double Fang

First time with Livio

Morning cuddles with Livio

Livio x small reader (nsfw)

Livio proposing hc (sfw)

Livio x reader who wants family (sfw)

Millions Knives

CSM

Aki Hayakawa (only SFW)

Kishibe

Kishibe's kinks

JJK

Satoru Gojo

Lucid dreams

Kento Nanami

Toji Fushiguro

Toji x bimbo girlfriend

Bodyguard!Toji x rich girl!reader

Honkai Star Rail

Himeko

Himeko pampering you (nsfw)

Jealous Himeko (nsfw)

fem!reader caressing Himeko's breasts (nsfw)

Himeko nsfw alphabet

Himeko riding reader's face (nsfw)

Serval

Serval riling up reader (nsfw)

Sampo

Sampo pegging h/c (nsfw)

Sampo x fem!reader who works at Natasha's clinic (sfw)

Gepard

Jealous Gepard (nsfw)

Gepard pegging h/c (nsfw)

Dan Heng

A tale of tails (nsfw)

Jealous Dan Heng

Reader straddling Dan Heng's lap and holding his chin

Creampie with Dan Heng (nsfw)

Lapis Lazuli (nsfw)

Bad day

So I decided to look up what songs are turning 10 this year and I'm very *dabs* old and upset

Stories

Kaedehara Kazuha/f!Reader

A/N: aah i’ve been working on this one for a while! i really hoped to get it posted today, so i’m sorry if it sounds rushed;; there are some intense scenes later in the story so please be aware if you’re sensitive towards that! i tried to write an inazuma setting so i hope i used accurate terms. it’s heavily inspired by teapot dialogue and kazuha’s character stories// the bake-danuki mentioned are the little tanuki who prank people and dance

warnings: swearing, light blood, violence, break-in, intense scene, ooc, reader mentioned to be smaller than kazuha

SFW

word count: 5.8k

summary: You live in a forest far from the city. When someone knocks on your door during a storm, will you regret opening it to greet them?

-

Crash!

Lightning struck nearby, its booming echo piercing through the dense rain. The night sky was pitch black, visible only when another flash of lightning sparked life into the thunder clouds. The intensity of Inazuma’s storms had been slowly increasing as of late.

Keep reading

you let out an audible groan after you see dan heng peel another orange for you, "dan heng, please. please tell me how you peel the oranges without getting splashed with orange juice," you pleaded, leaning your head on the man's shoulder as you wrap your arms around him.

the express was quiet tonight. everyone was asleep, and it was just you and dan heng lurking in the kitchen for the night. you woke him up because you were bored and needed someone to talk to. at first, you felt a little guilty for your abrupt arrival, but dan heng reassured you that he was not asleep (even though he yawned and rubbed his eyes when you woke him up).

dan heng only shakes his head, continuing to peel the orange, "you need to be quieter."

you only huff in response, throwing your head closer to the nape of his neck, "c'mon! please? i need to know how you do it! if i don't, i'll just keep getting juice in my eyes," you urged.

he chuckled in response, and he even sounded relaxed, for a change, "that wouldn't have happened if you hadn't ripped the orange out of my hand mid-peel."

your eyes bulged and dan heng could not resist the smile forming on his lips, "first of all, i did not rip it out. i grabbed it. second, i wanted some autonomy for a change!"

dan heng playfully rolled his eyes, "if your autonomy means juice getting splattered all over the kitchen, then i suppose it's a good idea to keep this orange out of your reach," his sarcasm prevailed.

you huff, leaning your head into dan heng’s neck. then, you get an idea. your arms⎯once wrapped around his shoulders⎯made their way around his neck. your fingertips led to the beginning of his chest, and you had to stand on your tiptoes to progress a little lower.

you feel dan heng tense up at the contact, and you wonder if you've taken it too far. you're about to remove your body from his, but you feel his muscles relax. you find that, when dan heng relaxes, it's like his entire body turns to mush. he's easier to scare, easier to prod at, easier to touch; you know this because of your observations, and most definitely not because you willingly choose to notice these things.

"what are you doing?" dan heng turns his head to meet your grinning face. his eyebrow is quirked up in the same inquisitive way it always is. the sight makes you beam even further, and you swear you could see dan heng turn a little red.

"i'm cold," you simply say, pressing yourself closer onto him, "is this... okay?"

dan heng stares at you. he looks into your eyes with nothing but admiration. he stares at you like you are his definition of beauty: of all the things he has seen whilst traveling on the express, it seems that his eyes are only truly mesmerized when they land on you. you are the one for him, his eyes describe.

alas, you are too preoccupied with other things to think about this. as dan heng tries to formulate his answer, your hands reach down to his and snatch the orange out of his hands, jumping back and hitting one of the countertops by accident. you wince, but shortly get over the pain after seeing the orange in your hand.

dan heng stares at you in momentary shock. at first, he tries to process what just happened. did you touch him to feel him, or only to get the orange? did you mean it? was it worth it? his mind spiraled with questions similar to those.

however, his worries were set aside when he saw you narrow your eyes, waiting for him to make a move. and he realizes that everything is going to be okay. there’s no worry around you; there’s never been.

the dim light of the kitchen can only illuminate so much. dan heng is grateful that you couldn’t see the way his previous expression melted away. he takes two strides towards you and you’re already backed into the counter. you prop yourself up, holding the orange close to you, as dan heng comes closer.

“you’re going to make a mess,” dan heng advises you. he sounds like a nagging husband. you let yourself be amused with the comparison at first, but then the implication of your thought kicks in, and you find yourself subconsciously inching away from dan heng. he only comes closer, almost making his way between your thighs.

“am not,” you hide the orange behind your back, “and if you want it, come and get it,” you prompt with a smirk.

dan heng’s eyes narrow: not in an annoyed way, but rather, in a challenging way. his arm slinks behind your back and tries to reach your hand, but you throw your arm in the air. you hold the orange up in the air for a while, moving your arm in all sorts of different directions while dan heng tries to grab it. the dim kitchen is lit up by your conjoined laughters.

when you try to take the orange with your other hand, dan heng’s hand interlocks with yours midair, keeping it in place. with your temporal shock, dan heng manages to grab your wrist that holds the orange, trapping you in his grasp.

you blink down at him several times, wondering how he’s managed to get you in this position. the orange was still in your hands. you could choose to hold it tenderly, or drop it to the ground. there were more oranges anyway.

“can i have the orange back?” dan heng asks, looking up at you in such a way that could rival a star’s glow.

you take a second to answer his question. now you can look at him: finally look at him. his hair, though tussled and messy, falls into his face in perfect waves. he is as tranquil as the ocean itself, but he still has rough currents.

his eyes are never wary around you. they are calm and peaceful, always gazing at you in the quietest ways.

did his lips always look so soft? or were you just imagining things?

you lower the orange down with your hand, and dan heng removes his hands from yours. you take your other freed hand and bring it over to cover the orange, in case it falls. when your covered hand meet’s dan heng’s open one, you look up at him with mischief in your eyes.

the hand once covered the orange moved to peel off a piece of skin. but, since you never knew how to peel oranges, your peeling method was disastrous: juice squirted out of the orange, and it landed perfectly under dan heng’s eye.

you snickered a little bit, then you began to laugh a little more loudly than permitted. dan heng was left with a deadpan expression, no longer in shock or disbelief. in hindsight, he should have known there was something like this coming. but what can he say; he loves you too much.

“i’m sorry!” you say in between laughs, your hand (the same one that got orange juice on his face) covered your mouth as you laughed. “i’m sorry,” you giggled.

“what did i tell you? i hope you know you’re gonna be cleaning⎯” dan heng is distracted by your thumb making contact under his eye, where the juice was sprayed. he’s stunned momentarily, eyes watching your thumb carefully as you wipe the juice off his face.

with the excess juice on your thumb, you do something so provocative that dan heng is eternally grateful for the dim lighting. you take your thumb and put it in your mouth, sucking the juice off your finger. the sight makes his eye twitch a little, only amusing you further.

you cover your next laugh with the paper towel that you use to wipe off your finger, “i’ll clean up the orange juice,” you tell him, sliding off the counter, “but isn’t this just more proof that you need to teach me how to peel oranges?”

“i think this is more proof that oranges need to be taken away from you,” dan heng counters, bemusement evident in his tone. he faces away from you now, trying to fight his blush from earlier (and now).

you gasp, “but isn’t this just a good way to teach me?! i just wanna peel my own oranges, man. what if you’re not here and i’m stuck orangeless! i don’t even wanna think about⎯mmph!?”

dan heng sticks an orange slice into your mouth.

he tries to ignore how you had just said that you’d be sad without him, even if you were probably referring to the oranges.

dan heng puts his fist up to his mouth, trying his best to contain his own laughter at your puzzled face. you chew and swallow the orange, only to look at him with bewilderment.

“what was that for!?”

“you were talking too much,” he shrugs. you kick his shin.

on the kitchen island, you see that one side of the orange hasn’t been fully peeled like the other. one side⎯the side you just ate⎯had no white strings on it. it was a perfectly naked orange.

the other side had lots of white string. this was also the side that sprayed dan heng.

while you may not know much about peeling oranges, you know how to remove string. you grab the orange once again, this time peeling the white string off of the orange fruit. you’re extremely focused, and dan heng thought you couldn’t get any cuter. how marvelous it must feel to fall drunker and drunker in love with you every minute.

when you get rid of the excess string, you look up at dan heng with hopeful eyes. you’re showing him what you just did; you’re expecting something. dan heng goes to open his mouth to say something, but he’s interrupted by an orange slice colliding with his mouth.

“not so nice when it’s you, huh?” you poke his chest, grabbing a slice of orange for yourself. you two chew in silence as you both finish off an orange slice.

“you do realize you could have used a slice from the half that didn’t have any white stuff, right?” dan heng tells you after he finishes eating. you set the orange on the counter as you wipe your hands off.

“yeah, but i wanted to do more work,” for you. you wanted to do more work for dan heng. you didn’t want him to always peel oranges for you. you wanted him to take a break. to relax. to enjoy himself for once in his life. even if it was a little thing such as peeling the white strings off of an orange, you hope that you can bring him the tranquility he never had before.

but little do you know, dan heng has been doing the opposite thing for you. he peels oranges so you don’t have to; because he doesn’t want you to work so much. he peels oranges to make life easier for you, because he knows how you get during the night. he peels oranges when you cannot, so you know that you always have someone there to guide you to the light.

dan heng is speechless. he only stares at your smile, completely different from earlier in the night. it’s toned down, more quiet, more sincere. you look up at him with anticipation lurking within you. you look up at him with enthusiasm and excitement and stars. it was criminally easy: how dan heng was able to love you.

but he couldn’t tell you. not yet, anyway.

“you’d stop peeling after the second orange,” dan heng jokes, poking your cheek. you puff them up in an attempt to shake his finger off, but he still stayed. you unpuffed your cheeks and rolled your eyes.

“i would not,” you cross your arms and stick your tongue out at him, “you know what, i think i’ll ask mr. yang to teach me. then i’ll be a real peeler master.”

a selfish part of dan heng wants to stop you and teach you himself. a selfish part of him only wants you to himself. it seemed stupid and moronic to consider mr. yang as some sort of rival, but he couldn’t ignore the way his heart stopped at the mention of someone else. maybe it was because that meant these nights between the two of you would be over.

but with the smirk you give him after your sentence, dan heng knows these nights will be far from over. he leans onto the counter with one hand propping him up.

“if you say so. i can’t wait for the day to arrive,” dan heng says, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

he hopes the day that you learn how to peel your own oranges, never shows up.

WHERE CRIMSON MET IVORY.

a kaedehara kazuha x gn!reader oneshot.

SUMMARY    ▏he was crimson, you were ivory, and you never had looked good in red.

WARNINGS   ▏angst; major character death; mentions of violence; death; blood; swords / blades.

WORD COUNT   ▏1.8k words, 10.2k characters

AUTHOR’S NOTE   ▏introductory oneshot to tumblr!! how r we feeling >:D also it had to be angst, sorry i think. i specialise in this shit

Kaedehara Kazuha was no stranger to the colour red.

Red surfaced in the scarlet tint of his clothing, the soft blend of sunset and evening sky, the streak that shot through his hair. It reminded him of the bright glow of pyro visions, autumn leaves flitting about the wind, the dark passion that came to life in battle. Red was love; red was hate; red was something fierce and bold.

Red was the vividness of his eyes, red was the paleness of his lips, red was the flush to his skin. In a way, he was red as well, with his hair and eyes and clothing. You glance at him and your vision would flood with red. But there was something else, too—a kind of red embodied something both beautiful and gruesome. An elixir of life.

Crimson was also the colour of blood.

Blood, the essence of the living and the liquid of the dead. It flowed through the veins of humans, monsters, gods, and nearly every living being on Teyvat was powered by red.

And as Kazuha is to red, you were to ivory.

To you, ivory was fallen snow gracing the peaks of high mountains; it was the delicate petals of cecilias, where white descended into pale green before reaching the gentle, green stem. Ivory was the seafoam that washed ashore when cerulean waves would visit land, the shine of smooth marble, the quiet wishes whispered to the wind and lost to the loud whistling in your ears. You saw ivory in the sun, the moon, the stars; the clouds that drifted lazily along the high breezes.

Ivory was something born anew, a life blooming into existence. And you, with your tendency to be much too kind for your own good and an air of purity and kindness, were ivory.

And that was the thing. That was how it had always been. You had always been ivory; he had always been crimson. That was how it was meant to be.

So why were you choking on red?

Keep reading