No character indicated in particular! Just a bunch of general fluff
It’s a time when you’re outside, and your hands get cold and a little bit numb - they intertwine your fingers together, asking if you want to hold hands to warm them up.
Their fingers are cold too, but it’s true that it doesn’t feel as numb when you lace them together, and slowly you get the feeling back in them.
You still keep your hands linked afterwards, even if they aren’t freezing anymore
Imagine sitting by a window with them at a cafe, hot chocolate and marshmallows in your mugs as you both watch the snow drift about outside.
Your friends ask when you two plan to go out to join them - your partner simply says you’ll do so after you finish your drinks.
You don’t miss the way they take a small sip, smiling as they asked if you preferred the warmth of the building. They prop their chin on their palm, leaning against the table to fix you with glittering eyes.
Hmm, who’s the one that doesn’t want to go out? “I guess I’d like to stay in here a little longer.” You said amusedly.
Imagine sitting on the floor by the christmas tree - it’s not even the right time to open presents yet, but since you were so curious, they agreed to do so earlier with you.
You’re a bit distracted by the gifts, smiling in a way they swear brightens up the room more than any light can - and then you pick up a box with their name on it, placing it into their hands.
They blink, not expecting this - admittedly, they were simply happy with seeing your excitement with your gifts. It hadn’t occurred to them yet that they might be opening theirs as well.
You’re looking at them with anticipation, making them laugh and unwrap the present carefully. Their eyes widen at the gift inside.
Oh, this was your present to them, wasn’t it?
Imagine talking to them and not knowing you were under the mistletoe - but when it’s finally pointed out they give you a tender hug instead, before placing a chaste kiss on your forehead and leaning away.
The next times you end up like that again, they do different things other than the simple kiss on the lips - when you asked why, they simply said that if they did, they might be even more inclined to drag you under the mistletoe on purpose all day
When you’re feeling a little lethargic, you’d bundle up on the couch or bed and spend hours like that together. Your legs are sometimes tangled or bumping against the other person’s, but considering how cold it was that day you didn’t really mind.
Perhaps they might sing for you as you drift off to sleep, or read something aloud, or simple ramble as you’d requested because you found the sound of their voice comforting - to be honest, they’re not really sure who’s doing who a favor here, because when they see you sleeping so soundly their heart feels so much lighter.
Imagine sharing a kiss just as the snow starts to fall outside - you laugh as your friends yell at you to go indoors, and your partner brushes the snow off of your hair and kisses the tip of your nose before you start to head back.
Readers please start reblogging your favorite writer’s works! Some of you often complain about how there aren’t no fics, but perhaps you need to start reblogging and leaving more comments. Because tumblr doesn’t care about the likes and more about reblog and when you don’t reblog the writer thinks their writing is horrible and goes unnoticed. So if you like their writing leave a comment and reblog. That’s what writers stop writing every day or delete their blog.
So show your appreciation <3
1000% agreee!!
I know I don’t post very often and have only posted a few of my writing but it’s so rewarding and sweet to know that people like my content ☺️☺️
— a/n: yup. quick post because i’m here to tell you why shiba boy is the best and u will listen to me. u are being hypnotised. stan gorou.
— tags: unprotected sex, breeding kinks, overstim, degradation, possessive gorou, pet name ‘puppy’ tho it’s used as mockery, dacryphilia, mentions of praise kinks n shit, love bites, mentions of choking, slight humiliation but nothing too extreme, semi-public / public sex
Warnings: Symptoms of depression, use of feminine nicknames
A/N: for my wonderful wonderful friend @deus-lapidis <3 ilysm!! everyone go send nice messages to her rn (｡ì _ í｡)
Brushes your hair for you. He won’t pressure you to take a shower, but he’s worried that any knots or mats will be uncomfortable so he does his best to brush your hair for you
Holds your hair gently but firmly to ensure he doesn’t tug on your scalp
Always ready with whatever you need. Medicine, tissues, and water are always within reach of your bedside, and Zhongli will gladly fetch you a snack or a stuffie or a cat if you so request
When you ask him to buy something for you, please be sure, if nothing else, to specify around how much $$ to spend for the item, or he will have no baseline to guide him and buy whatever he thinks is best for you, but not necessarily for your wallet.
Doesn’t mind staying up with you or waking up at odd hours to accompany you and your thoughts. Adepts don’t need technically need sleep, and he was only sleeping to match your lifestyle anyways. And there is nothing Zhongli would love more than to spend more hours with you.
Whispers quiet encouragements to you. “You’re doing so well, princess. I’m so proud of you. How lucky I am to be able to walk this world with you by my side.”
Reads you poems and stories to distract you from your thoughts. You don’t have to comment or anything after all this man loves listening to himself talk lol OSMANTHUS WINE-
Zhongli’s voice is low and soothing, almost reminiscent of the quiet rumbling of a content cat. It’s easy to give into the lull of sleep when he’s reciting an old story from his pre-Archon days
Always pulls the blankets over you and gives you a kiss on the cheek when he sees that you’ve fallen asleep <3
“We’ll get through this together, darling, I promise.”
summary — it was only recently you found out kamisato ayaka was, in fact, not an only child after all! seeing ayato for the first time gave you the severest case of the butterflies but according to ayaka, he’s off limits, especially to you as her most treasured friend. well, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt, right?
ೃ note: if you enjoyed this, please do reblog! it helps a lot! and if you want to be a part of my taglist, answer this form! ♡ (also i’m really proud of my genshin sims so i thought this was a great way to implement them into my works <3)
ೃ note: if you enjoyed this, please do reblog! it helps a lot! and if you want to be a part of my taglist, answer this form!♡
ೃ this was very self indulgent. i wanted to write something that applied to my current situation now and this really helped me a lot. i hope these headcanons can give you a sense of comfort as well!
CHILDE:
“(Y/N)!” Childe calls out lovingly from the kitchen when he hears you enter your shared apartment. His voice never fails to provide you a sense of comfort and love despite how miserable and stressed out you are right now. "How was your da-“
And yet, today indeed took a toll on you— more than it should.
"Terrible.” You interject, throwing your body into the closest cushion you could find, slowly sinking into the couch. “I feel like absolute shit. I think my professor is out to make my life a living hell."
"C'mere.” He tugs at your hand, dragging you out of the couch as you let out a begrudging moan, falling gracefully into his arms. “Want me to kick his ass?” He proposes.
“Sure. Want to get expelled?"
"I’m kidding. I’m kidding.” He tousles your hair, combing his fingers through your scalp to help ease your stress. “I know I’m pretty intense, but not that intense."
"Mhm.” You internally roll your eyes, cooing in delight as he continues to pamper you with unprompted massages. “Just let me c-cuddle with you… for a while.” You drawl.
There’s a moment of silence as Childe pulls you over to the couch again, your sad and clingy self still wrapped tightly around him, like a cute sloth clinging onto a tree branch. All is well, and you could honestly make do with spending the night in his arms.
But… he had other plans.
“Bingo!” Childe has a eureka moment as he claps his hands together, sitting up from the couch and gently placing you to the side. “Take a hot shower first, then come back to the living room, ‘kay?” He plants a kiss on your forehead, which undeniably soothes you to a momentary peace. “I’ll have a surprise waiting for you after.”
“Fine. Fine. Fine.” You sigh exasperatedly, lulling your head at the edge of the couch. “This is going to be one of those somber types of showers, so expect me to be out in 40 minutes because I’ll be moping on the shower floor and listening to sad music.”
He chuckles. “It’ll be ready by then."
Forty minutes finally pass by as you leave your bedroom in comfy pajamas, a clearer mind, and in a less weird headspace. You do as you are told and make a beeline for the living room, an array of surprises waiting for you.
"Surprise!” Childe jumps out from behind the couch, confetti spreading everywhere, and balloons rise to the ceiling. Your eyes dart to the table in front of him and notice your favorite home-cooked ramen, Boba for dessert, new books (you have been dying to read) neatly wrapped at the side, a cute stuffed teddy bear holding a pin that says “I Wuv U. Get better soon!” and a potted hydrangea you’ve been eyeing at the store for quite a while now. It was the ultimate comfort package made in about Forty minutes. How was he able to do this?
“Oh my god.” You exclaim in awe, blissful wonderment gleaming in your eyes. “C-childe… This is…”
“Do you like it?” He grins, confident at the fact that his surprise was a success. “It was hard having to jump from one store to the next whilst trying not to burn the ramen, but I did it!” He points to himself, beaming with pride. “Your boyfriend did it!”
“Thank you.” Your voice grows hoarse, yet Childe could note nothing but love and appreciation embedded into your words. “This means a lot to me.” You run into his arms before he could even fully approach you, burying your face into his chest. “Thank you for making an otherwise shitty day so much brighter.”
He chuckles once again, stroking the back of your head. “Anything for you. It’s alright to feel like shit sometimes, but always know that I’m here, alright?”
“Always?”
“Always.”
KAEYA:
“Kaeya."
"What’s up, babe?”
“Which one would you like to use?” Holding on to two different kinds of Korean face masks, you ask for his opinion. “The Avocado one?” You raise a mask sheet designed with green accents. “Or the Pomegranate one?” You lift the other composed of dark accents.
“I’ll go with the Avocado.” He gingerly pulls the green mask from your hand. “I chose this not because of its healing properties, but because of that one vine. That Fresh Avocadoe one.” He jokes nonchalantly, hoping for your amusing response, yet he does not get one.
You merely chuckle at his witty jest, shaking your head suspiciously. “Pfft. That’s pretty funny.” You sit down beside him, trying to further conceal the sadness you were hiding from within. “Can’t believe you remember that vine, though.”
And so, he knew something was off.
“(Y/N).” He calls out sternly. He sighs, beckoning you to scoot closer to him. “If anything is going on right now, I’m here for you. You can tell me anything.”
Your body visibly trembles as you move closer to your indigo-haired lover. Kaeya opens his arms for you to crawl into, his hands hidden underneath your matching sweater paws, deep cerulean eyes ever so stark and bright.
You try to keep it in- but you can’t. You break.
A waterfall of tears unceremoniously streaks down your face as soon as Kaeya envelops you in his arms. “I don’t feel like existing right now.” You murmur, resting your head on his shoulder. “Can the world just stop moving for a second? I can’t keep up. I feel like I have no purpose."
”(Y/N) my Love…“ He gently strokes your cheek, gesturing you to look up at him. A serious look written all over his face, yet his eyes filled with kindness. "Even on these bad days and nights where everything feels lost, you still have purpose. It has been inside you since the day you were born. That passionate and feisty human being that I fell in love with. A tiny firefly born from the light of the universe. There is a world of reason and hope inside you—an entire library of thoughts, memories, and emotions. For all the moments that steal your hope and your wonder, remember the universe intended for you to happen. I’m here for you until the end of our days. I’ll never let go."
Absolutely flabbergasted over Kaeya’s sweet (which are usually coquettish) and genuine words, you bury your face even deeper to hide the heat creeping up to your cheeks. Your voice muffled. "I don’t deserve you, Kaeya.”
“Well…” There’s a particular suggestive tone to his voice. “I mean, I am Kaeya Alberich. The most dashing man to ever-”
“Oh. Forget I ever said anything.”
“I was just kidding!”
DILUC:
The downpour of heavy rain was a perfect match to your current mood.
Amidst the current storm happening outside that brought nothing but bad news, your professor finally released the midterm results you’ve been waiting for so long. Unfortunately, despite studying hard for the test, the results were appalling.
This wouldn’t be an issue if you crammed all of the lessons into your brain, but no. You prepared for this. You poured your blood, sweat, and tears into acing this exam. But… why did you get a below-average grade? Does your professor hate you or?
“Diluc….” You groan, dragging yourself into the living room where your boyfriend was seated on the couch, wearing his cute rimmed spectacles (the literal embodiment of a handsome dork) and his computer practically glued to his lap. “What grade did you get on our Mondstadt History test?”
“I got a 4.0.” He responds casually, taking off his reading glasses and putting them back in their case. “What about you?”
“Well, I g-got a…” Your words trail off as you turn your eyes to the phone and gaze back at him. “A 2.0.” Your lips curl to a frown as you throw yourself to the couch, hurrying over to lay on his lap and bury your face on a pillow. “I worked so hard for this test. I didn’t expect this at all! What did I do wrong!? Am I just not enough to academically please Professor Venti!? Am I not cool enough to have a huge group of friends and be invited to cool college parties!?"
The thunder roars, the lightning flashes, and the rain grows stronger as soon as you finish venting to Diluc. You were never one to put too much thought into simple frustrations, but this little predicament indeed brought you to the edge.
"You are enough.” Diluc whispers, emphasizing his words in his usual stern but loving tone. “You’re strong and beautiful, and the way you present yourself or the number of friends you have doesn’t change how big your heart is.” Diluc begins to grow flustered as he continues, “Your hair looks nice, and so do your eyes, and the way you eat a half tub of ice cream is… sexy as hell. You are the most important person in my life, and in times that you feel as if you’re not worth it all, trust me. You’ll always be enough for me.”
A cheeky smile forms on your lips as you look up to gaze into his starry crimson eyes. Wrapping your arms around the crook of his neck, you plant a kiss on his lips.
“Thanks.” You give him another peck. “I really needed that."
ZHONGLI:
Zhongli has his day off from classes today, whereas you had one from 12 to 3 pm.
Which also meant that it was his time to do the chores around the apartment. Not that he didn’t mind, though, although he’d love to do things as mundane as this if he were doing it with you. Doing the laundry, buying groceries, and cleaning the house… There was never a dull moment if he got to spend it with you.
Whilst he was cleaning the bedroom, he stumbled upon a crumpled piece of paper on your side of the desk. Written on it were doodles of sad little faces, a cute drawing of him hugging you with a cup of tea in between the both of you, and words that spelled out "I wish this class would end.
I’m so tired that I just want to sleep for a million years and just cuddle with Zhongli ” He then deduced that you had written this in one of your Psych classes that you were also taking today.
Wanting to cheer you up, he decides to make a little surprise for you in the most Zhongli way he can.
“Z-Zhongli?” You call out in an exasperating tone. “I’m home.”
No reply.
Shrugging to yourself, you walk straight into the bedroom, hoping he’s there reading a book, yet he isn’t. After dropping your things, you walk into the kitchen, hoping he’s cooking some bamboo shoot soup, but he isn’t there either.
“Zhongli?” You call out again.
Then, you hear a knock from outside. Turning around to look for where the sound may come from, you see your graciously tall boyfriend knock from behind the glass door leading to the balcony.
He then bows, scooting to the side to see what he has prepared for you—bamboo shoot soup for two, your favorite herb relieving tea, and an envelope wrapped with a ribbon.
Pushing the door aside, you walk up to him as a tired smile forms on your face. Your worries were slowly washed away.
“I prepared a little something for you.” He announced. Gentlemanly pulling out your seat so you can plop down comfortably. “Along with a short poem.”
You tilt your head at him, reaching out for the golden brown envelope before you as you begin to read its contents.
I wish I could do more than kiss your tiredness away.
I wish I were a celestial being from the skies— One of the seven archons of the past so that I may wish your worries away with a wave of my finger.
But… you must know. These feelings do not make you weak or clingy or overly emotional. They make you strong, brave, and beautiful. You are not merely made of stardust; you are the comet streaking through the sky on the way to do good and bright things. You are a blessing to this world. A divine gift that only a few may appreciate at this time, but know this: Your tiredness is temporary. You will do great things, and I will always be right behind you. For whenever you may fall and whenever you may falter, I will help you stand up once again.”
XIAO:
At the dead of the night, his phone rings.
Xiao was not the type of person to answer calls or messages, especially at 3 in the morning. It was undoubtedly uncharacteristic of him. Given, he was awake and had harrowing thoughts that kept him up at night, but he didn’t want to entertain anyone else when he lies on his bed and contemplates life while staring at the blinking fairy lights taped to the edges of his ceiling.
Then, he sees the Caller ID.
It’s you.
His most beloved– The most precious soul to ever walk into his life. You are the only one to have made his heart love in the most inexplicable ways despite all the mistakes he has made.
He immediately picks up.
“Xiao?” Your voice is frail and quiet from the other line. “Are you awake?”
“Yeah, I am. What’s wrong?”
“I’m just worried about the future, you know. I want to be free and see places. But… I feel as if it’s impossible.” You reply, your voice growing more agitated. “Can you play My Heart Will Go On on the flute for me, please?”
“I know that’s a meme, (Y/N).” He snaps, shaking his head at your attempt to make a joke. “I’m not that dumb, you know.”
“Well… can you sing me a lullaby then?”
He sighs. But you know he’ll give in anyway. “Fine."
With a clear of his throat, you hear his voice grow louder as if he was speaking directly through his phone’s mic. Then, he begins.
"I guess I’ll have to face that in this awful place, I shouldn’t show a trace of doubt… But pulled against the grain, I feel a little pain, That I would rather do without… I’d rather be Free-ee-ee from here.”
Hoping for a pleasant reaction, Xiao receives silence. That one gets when the person on the other line had fallen asleep. It was peaceful. Tranquil. He could imagine your sleeping figure now, lulled to sleep by his sweet lullaby.
Xiao shook his head once again, a ghost of a smile present on his face. “Goodnight (Y/N). I love you. I hope I was able to ease your worries away… and I hope I’ll be able to ease more to come.”
A/N:The amount of time I took to draw that (^) banner just to have it for 4nemo ficlets— a-ah, I love how it turned out anyway soOOO- anyway! This is sort of 4nemo’s… origin story? At least mytake in how the group was built.
There will be three parts to this, Blooming, Falling, and Loving! (And a bonus angst because it won’t be me without angst, Withering)
✤ she/her
Words: 4.1k
≿————- ❈ ————-≾
A dream is a wish your heart makes—isn’t that a saying from a fairytale?
Text reactions!! Venti text reacts along with a special guest!!
Warning(s): Light “fighting” (if it can be considered fighting.) and the mention of the word yandere. Also might be cheesy or a bit oc but I write Venti this way because I think that he really is afraid of loosing another loved one and he might be for the first year(s) a bit insecure about your relationship. But anyways enjoy guys!!!
*What dating Venti would look like* (For me of course. You can or may have different opinions which I gladly would like to know and discuss with you in comments section, ask, or dm. Pls do I enjoy talking about Venti and I always see all of your guys comments!)
1) He is a cheeky person so be prepared for a lot of teasing and flirting.
2) If you tease and flirt back with him, he would become a bit shy and definitely be flustered. Might even become a little tsundere.
• “Venti are you flustered?” , “Of course not! You must be seeing things. After all it’s just the wine getting to us.”
3) Be prepared. He is clingy and he likes touching/pda whether it’s your hands or hugging your waist. (He does respect if you are not comfortable with it but he would like to grab your hand and he would ask before grabbing it.)
4) He is pretty and he knows it. So if he can expect to be bothered a lot because he will ask for a lot of favors. He will also outsmart you a lot.
• “Y/N please buy me wine.”, “Y/N please distract Master Diluc.”, “Y/N please! Please! Please! Pleassssseeeeee!!” Along with him hugging you from behind and doing puppy eyes.
5) You must believe (or at least respect) his Wine Supremacy. Sadly this comes at the price of dealing with his drunk butt afterwards. On the bright side he is highly wine motivated.
• “Y/N! Did you know you are the prettiest in my eyes?”, “Yes Venti, you told me already 7 times.”, “Did you also know that I love you?”, “Yes Venti I know.”, “Y/N do you love me?”, “Yes Venti I do.”, “*Hick* No you don’t! You won’t tell me you love me! *starts crying*”, “*sighs* I love you Venti please stop crying we are almost home.”, “Really? You love me?”, “Yes Venti.” “Yay!” And then he would cling to you for the rest of the night.”
6) You guys would have an unrestricted relationship. Meaning that he wouldn’t interfere (unless you want him to or ask him to) with any of your decisions, responsibilities, etc. and you also wouldn’t interfere in his life as well.
• An example, he won’t interfere with your job and you won’t interfere with his nights at Angels Share.
7) His love language is quality time. Meaning that despite the fact that he may leave from time to time (because I do believe he is someone who would leave for 2-3 days unannounced). He always makes sure to give you at least 2 days of pure dedication and affection. He doesn’t want you to feel sad and neglected after all. (Don’t worry he spends more time with you but he makes sure to spend two days with you)
8) You both are each other’s emotional support. He cheers you up while you motivate him to do and try new things.
9) He is friends with a dragon! So expect to spend time with Dvalin. He also can create big wind currents. Meaning that you guys tend to have many gliding dates!! Also nice picnics are expected under Windrise or anywhere to be exact.
10) He is still an Archon and he still the archon of freedom. So for your relationship to survive it is crucial to have trust, respect, and freedom. Meaning that you can’t try to limit him or hold him back. Your guys relationship is literally the saying, “If you love them let them go and if they love you they will come back.”
━━ SUMMARY: morning routines could lead to exciting discoveries — just as how everything in your life seem to fall at all the right places at all the right times.
━━ CONTAINS: modern!au
━━ VALENTINE’S 2022 EVENT SPECIAL
the first thing he heard when he opened his eyes was your soft, little snores that automatically drew a drowsy smile on his face. you were still wearing his shirt, a faded red one that had his high school’s mascot printed in front. the fabric didn’t swallow you whole like the shirts in your rom-com movies do but that was fine. his heart held a lot of affection for the sentimental things in his life and he was more than willing to share every single one of the things that made him kaedehara kazuha with the person who stole every bit of his poetry. it didn’t take long for him to pull you close, absentmindedly snuggling into the crook of your neck as he relished in the gentle thrumming of his heart. with legs tangled under the quilted blanket you gave him last christmas, kazuha decided that he could afford to stay in bed for five minutes longer if it meant having you for himself for just as long.
the five minutes that passed felt like an eternity that ended too soon— yes, that was the perfect way to describe it. an eternity of finer details spun and observed meticulously by awestruck ruby eyes. kazuha was eloquent but not necessarily verbose. besides, he smiles to himself as he ran a hand through his free-flowing locks. what else was there to say when you were doing all the explanation by just looking wonderfully majestic first thing in the morning? true art, the ones that could only be crafted by the genius of nature itself, have no need for unnecessary adjectives uttered by someone clumsy and blind at the sight of love incarnate.
“you woke up early,” he felt you shuffle before slumping over his back, movements exposing your left leg to the cold morning breeze. you honestly didn’t care. it wasn’t that cold but kazuha wordlessly adjusted the blanket for you anyway, “worrywart.”
kazuha shook his head amusedly, “just looking out for you.”
you eyed his pleased expression before fiddling with the hair tie on your wrist — his hair tie. a little something that you wouldn’t be having on your person if it weren’t for this man who enjoyed your touch unabashedly. adjusting your position, you carefully detangled the knots in his hair: a routine you have come to know every time you stayed the night over his place.
“what should we have for breakfast?”
you hummed, “you’re cooking?”
“it’s valentine’s day,” kazuha smiles and though you weren’t facing him, you knew his silken voice by heart that you could carve the image in your mind with as much ease as you have when you breathe, “a special day for a special someone entails a special treatment, yes?”
“don’t try too hard to be perfect. any more and you’ll make me order a ring.”
“feeling bold, aren’t we?”
you only laugh in reply, patting his head twice to tell him that you’re done styling his hair. deciding that your mischief will temporarily end there, you don’t comment as your keen eyes caught kazuha slightly tilting his head to lean into your touch. a cat. he reminds you too much of a cat who enjoys lounging around in the corners where the sun’s glow hits just right.
“the rain has stopped… i guess we’re not having breakfast together after all,” you said after a few moments worth of silence. the reason for your stay was the torrential downpour that happened late last night. as brave as you are to attempt to fluster your composed lover, you weren’t quite brave enough to walk home in poor visibility. too busy recounting what has transpired, you missed the frown that uncharacteristically painted kazuha’s face darker.
“…so it seems.”
you blink, turning your gaze to kazuha to ask him a silent question but he only kissed the inside of your wrist with a coy smile.
indifference has never been your forte and it didn’t help that kaedehara kazuha, as a result of the countless hours he has devoted in honor of preserving your image in his memory, knew every single one of your quirks. as you cleared your throat, kazuha could only smile in content as you didn’t attempt to pull your hand away from his hold. a cat. sometimes, you reminded kazuha of a cat who jumps away from the slightest show of affection. other times, however, you stuck close like you had all the intention of becoming his second skin. you’d deny this if he told you but he knew better. his mother had once tucked a stray strand of his hair while softly saying that nature favored him for his free soul and it appears that this time, he owes them another prayer of gratitude. the rain has once again proven that it was his friend — a friend that had kindly bought him more time with a small bonus of having you crave the warmth that emanated from his palms.
“shall we go out of bed?”
you groan but made no further move to protest. it wasn’t as if you had any intention of running away from your responsibilities. while it was valentine’s day, it was also a monday, the most dreadful of all workdays, and you had no intention of losing your good mood to the morning traffic.
“i’ll at least help you with breakfast—” kazuha shakes his head before guiding you to the bathroom, spare towel and clothes in hand. you didn’t even notice that he had everything ready until he was telling you that he had everything covered, “you sure?”
“you’ll be late.”
“meanie.”
kazuha made no move as he watched you pad to the bathroom. he ought to tell you off for walking barefoot when the mahogany flooring was cold but there was something strange in his lungs. it squeezed — lightly, not enough to be painful but enough to be felt — and oddly, it was a feeling he could easily mark as delightful. it was befuddling to face an emotion he has yet to recognize but it was fine. if it was a feeling he gained from being around you, he’s bound to put a name to it eventually. after all, he was planning to stick by your side for a long, long time.
content with his realization, kazuha tugged at his sweater’s sleeves. he could hear the sound of the shower being turned on, followed by the rhythmic pattering of water to the tiled floor. once, he had no use for a heater, having an inexplicable tolerance for the freezing water in his apartment but then you came along and he found himself scurrying to accommodate you. the shrill scream you let out as you showered for the first time in his place was quite unforgettable and even more so was your blatant avoidance of his gaze. embarrassment on you was a hue that he found endearing but he’d never place his satisfaction over your comfort. lying wasn’t his forte, preferring very technical wording instead but somehow, it was easy to smile apologetically and tell you that he was having trouble with his morning showers as well.
not soon after, you gifted him one of the many piles of blankets he had stored in the spare room. “stay warm. i’m not very good at looking after sick people,” you said and he wondered how he could be stuck freezing in the cold when your eyes were the warmest of all. sincere and caring. you didn’t tell him that you won’t look after him when he’s all gross and vulnerable — just that you weren’t the best at it. kazuha had shuddered then, finding the intensity of your gaze to be the right amount of heat that he was craving for all this time.
it was no wonder that kazuha has earned a lot of mocking contempt from his friends for always thinking and speaking of you fondly but how could he ever stop when you’re effortlessly adorable as you wore his go-to scarf with a frustrated pout. you didn’t even have to do anything. all you had to do was stand still and breathe and he would be all over your feet, singing you praises and thanking you repeatedly for sharing your tender heart with him.
the bedroom door suddenly opened and he realized that he was too burrowed in his thoughts to realize that you have long left the shower. you were fiddling with his scarf. a pleased smirk came to his face as he realized that a part of him was going to be with you all day long and that it should be enough to silently cue your coworkers to stay on their lanes. how strange… it was unlike him to be so territorial. perhaps the valentine mood wasn’t all lie after all. shaking such nasty thoughts, he met you in the middle, gingerly unraveling the scarf to rewrap it around you but without the unsightly creases your earlier rush caused.
“you don’t need to leave so soon,” he smiles tenderly as he gently tugs at your arm to pull you back to his warmth, “my place is yours, after all.”
you knew what he was referencing. fragments of you could be found everywhere you look in his cozy apartment and it was as if cupid shot yet another barrage of arrows to your heart as you fall crazy in love all over again. you like this. you truly, with all of that word’s sincerity, like this. you like how you seamlessly mesh into his life— how natural your toothbrush sits next to his fancy bamboo one. you love how his body was always the right degree of warm during rainy days. you love him. you love him so much that it’s a wonder that this world could contain it.
“very sneaky,” you drawl, making no effort to hide your entertainment, “i never thought you’d be the one to influence me to lag behind.”
“there is no need to make me out to be a villain, dove. i am always by your side, wishing for you to receive only the best.”
you pause before nodding, burrowing your face into the scarf in the process. it smelled like him — like his apartment; like home and you wonder just when you began recognizing this small but cozy place to be the one place you’ll come back to after a day’s worth of work. you don’t question the why because you knew the first time you set your foot inside this place — even when back then the wallpapers were old and dirty and he refused to pay for ‘unnecessary’ appliances — that it was only a matter of time before you were dancing in the kitchen as you cooked dinner with a skilled artist as your sous chef. it was never a how or why, only a when and even that didn’t matter all too much because it would come to be eventually.
domesticity. the mere sound of the word had your blood rushing in excitement for what was in store for the future and without a doubt, you knew that you and kazuha had both silently agreed that you liked how that word sounded with the affectionate articulation of the other.
“i have to go now. you’ve held me back long enough, mister.”
kazuha easily dodged the soft flick you were supposed to give him. realizing that you weren’t going to call in sick after all, he sighed before handing you a carefully crafted bento. noticing your confused stare, he shrugged nonchalantly, “it’s unhealthy to skip breakfast and someone has to make sure that you’re not doing so just because you are running late.”
“holy crap,” you gape at him, heart going mad crazy underneath all your layers, “marry me. like right now.”
kazuha rose a brow before laughing, placing one final kiss on your cheek before shooing you off gently. your words had affected him a little too well and the lung-squeezing feeling from before returned ten-fold. whatever it was, it was for sure your doing and he had not the heart to complain. similarly, he has yet to find the heart to speak of the box hidden under his sock drawer ever since a year ago. no matter… it will come to be eventually — naturally and all in the due course of time that looked upon you fondly.
“You’ve ruined my life because I have a warped idea of what love is and I can’t live without you. But now you’re trying to leave me and I won’t allow that. You left me alive. You have a duty to live for me and by me. I’m not letting you go.”
Alatus was once told a story by his Master. A sinner who falls into hell is rewarded for his only good deed, choosing not to kill a spider. As his reward, a thread is lowered down for him to climb out of Hell. In the end, the sinner remains in Hell because he kicks aside others and the thread breaks. Alatus doesn’t remember why his Master told him this story but he still empathizes with the sinner. He would have done the same or asked for this ‘saviour’ to extend their hand down instead. That way he could pull them down.
“Xiao? Are you okay?”
He slowly opens his jade eyes to see you hunch over, peering down above him, eyebrows furrowed together in concern as you reach down and softly tap his temple. He allows you to take a moment to do whatever you want with his face before he reaches up to grasp at your wrist gently, holding back on his want to rub circles into your skin. His reminiscing can wait for now.
“What is it?” he asks curtly, sitting up and resting his elbow on his raised knee. You pout at his curt tone but shrug it off as you take a seat next to him and lean your shoulder against his. You dig into your bag and pull out slips of commission papers and hand it over to him to read through what needed to be done today. A few Hilichurl camps needed to be taken care of, sabotaging a slime balloon, all tasks that seem mundane to someone who fought in a war. As he’s preoccupied, you take a moment to look at Xiao’s face. He’s just the slightest bit unnerved whenever you do this because you always seem to know what’s bothering someone.
“Were you dreaming of her again?” you ask quietly. The silence is a good enough answer but you nod understandingly. You never knew his Master personally but you did fight a long strenuous battle against her. From one look you could tell she was a manipulative and cruel woman. While it may not be very kind to say, you were glad that with her passing, Xiao would be free from her physically. But mentally…there were still some things to work out. But Xiao was a very reclusive person, especially with his emotions, so pushing him any further would only make him irritated and closed off.
“Venti and Zhongli are joining our party for a bit if that’s alright. They’ll help out a lot with our commissions and travelling. I like Liyue a lot but climbing mountains stresses my shoulders out,” you laugh as you change the subject to something less depressing. Standing up as you dust your clothes off before turning to Xiao and holding your hand out for him to take. He stares at it hard for a few moments before huffing and reaching over to clasp your hands together.
It has been so frustratingly peaceful since the war ended. He’s not used to it and he can still feel the lick of cutting winds and the heavy pressure of rocks against his body when he sees the bard and funeral parlor consultant just on the horizon. If it were up to him, he wouldn’t play nice with these two Archons but they’re important to you so he bites his tongue until he tastes blood. He knows the Archons do the same. As soon as the two of them spot you both, Venti is already rushing and tackling you to the ground in his excitement.
“Traveler! I haven’t seen you in ages. You need to come and visit Mondstadt more,” Venti cried into your shoulder as you awkwardly patted him on his back. Always with the dramatics but you cared about Venti all the same. Xiao scoffed before flicking his jade eyes to meet gold as Zhongli stared down at him cautiously. Since the war ended, everyone seemed to have this warped idea that Alatus had some vendetta against the Gods and Celestia but he was fighting because he was told to.
“Xiao. It’s good to see you again,” Zhongli said to him. Xiao just nodded in acknowledgement. Even with this new mortal form, Morax never bothered to change his eyes. His gaze alone held the weight of the mountains he had thrown. If Xiao hadn’t been under one of them before, he might have crumbled under the pressure.
“Alright alright, Venti. I promise I’ll drop by sometime this month but we still have commissions to do!” you laugh as you haul the bard onto his feet and swat his cape down from the speckles of dirt. He grins cheekily at you, linking pinkies with you to seal your promise, before suddenly lighting up as if he just remembered something.
“Actually! Before we start anything, I need to speak to Mr. Zhongli and Xiao. Super important archon things, you know?” Venti nodded to himself as the two mentioned people stared at him with varying levels of confusion. But Venti just waved their worries off and linked his arms with both men as he dragged them off to a more secluded corner with a surprising amount of strength, “We’ll be right back!”
“Do what you need to do but don’t take too long,” you called after the trio as you trailed off to the side, messing with your bag of commission papers and gear. Xiao hated that. He knows that these two Archons are your…friends.. but shouldn’t you be a bit more cautious? Just because they have mortal forms doesn’t make them human, it doesn’t make him human either.
“Hey, there’s no need to look so scary. There really is something important I wanted to talk to the two of you about,” Venti speaks up as soon as you’re out of earshot. It still gives Xiao whiplash whenever he drops the persona and switches back to Barbatos. “Since Morax is the only Archon I trust with this information and, while I don’t trust you one bit, you’re the one that’s with her all the time you should also know. She’s ascending to Celestia.”
Barbatos gauges both of their reactions. Morax seems visibly surprised, his eyes slightly widened a fraction, while Xiao has no idea what that means. His Master didn’t exactly give him a history lesson on Celestia or Archons, just pointed to who was his enemy and dealt punishments when he failed.
“And what the hell does that mean?” Xiao asks as he crosses his arms. Venti appears for a second as the bard pouts before continuing.
“It’s like I said. A mortal who performs great, heroic feats can ascend to Celestia and achieve godhood. Where they will watch over their people from above. I’ve only seen this once before so it took me a while to recognize the signs. But 1000 years ago, I helped a woman named Vennessa with her ascension and with the traveler’s recent actions with winning the war. Well, you don’t need me to explain the rest,” Barbatos finishes. Zhongli simply hums as he cups his chin and absorbs what’s just been heard. He doesn’t seem troubled by the news at all.
“Have you told her about this?” Zhongli questions as he looks towards the direction that you left. Venti shakes his head. “That would mean that she would vanish from this world.“
“I know she loves this world. Whether she wishes to ascend or not isn’t my choice but I want her to continue her travels with that beloved smile on her face. But if she does choose to ascend, she will need our help,” Venti stares at the two of them in a mix of pride, sadness, and determination. “Can I count on you two for your help?”
It’s a complete white noise in Xiao’s ears as his surroundings fade out. He thinks he can see Zhongli nod to Venti wishes, the ever calm smile on his face to match the cheery grin on Venti’s. What, now you want to become a God? Leave this world behind? That’s not funny. You made him give up everything. While in your eyes, your blinded hero syndrome, you think you’ve liberated him from a soulless conquest but he still has nothing. You still took everything away from him and your only compensation was to have him by your side until he left himself. But now you want to leave without a warning? That’s not fair. You don’t get to take back what you owe. He won’t allow you to leave him behind.
“Did something happen? Did Venti say something unnecessary again?” you ask out of the blue. Zhongli and Venti had returned to their respective regions once your commissions were all finished. Since the three of them disappeared to talk Archon business, Xiao had seemed even more tense and aloof than usual. As if he was out of it? You knew that everyone was still suspicious of Xiao and they were angsty to leave you alone with him, but you knew Xiao would never do anything to hurt you. When he doesn’t answer, you slowly reach over and you subtly nudge his head up onto your lap and look at him curiously. Before reaching down and cupping his cheek. He leans into your touch before turning his face into your palm and leaving a soft kiss. It makes you giggle at the ticklish feeling as you look at him so softly. It annoys him.
“You were never connected to the war and yet you fought against us anyways. Even when I killed so many people, why did you choose to spare me?” he asked as you blinked at him before giving it some serious thought. He went on a rampage and almost destroyed the world. It was fun. He doesn’t have any regrets at all because he hated humanity. His own Master was human after all. But then you appeared and stopped him. A random outsider that wanted to play the hero. He thought it was cute. Perhaps he had underestimated the lengths someone would go to to save the world they loved but when he fell defeated at your feet. He said that this wouldn’t change a single thing. He would still scorn humanity and what they did to him. He was so sure he would die there but you chose to extend your hand down to him instead despite what your companions felt. Even when the war ended and he had nowhere else to go, you offered him to travel with you. Nothing changed about his mentality, every person that chose to talk to him was quickly scared away with piercing eyes. Every conversation started would end in silence. Every touch would be met by the tip of his spear. But you would link your hands together with his and smile brightly, and he would always end up forgetting his trauma for a moment. You’ve… become precious to him.
“I love this world and everyone in it. You are a part of that world even if you tried to destroy it. It…didn’t seem fair to leave you behind when you’ve suffered just as much,” you finish but it only seemed to spark a wave of deep anger inside of Xiao. He quickly lurched up, almost knocking your forehead with his, before grabbing the scruff of your shirt collar and yanking you forward.
“Cut it out with that "love of everything” crap. It’s revolting. So you’re saying the people I killed weren’t worth avenging? Do you think I’m so weak that I need protection? It’s one thing to try and please everyone but at least have some awareness would you?“ he snarled as he pushed you to the ground. He knew he was being harsh on you and you had every right to walk out and abandon him but you didn’t. Of course, you wouldn’t. You needed him as much as he needed you. You just reached over and tenderly reached your hand and placed it next to his. Damn it, why is he always the one stuck worrying about you.
"Then you want to protect me, right? Then don’t break your promise. You left me alive which means you have a duty to live for me,” he takes your hand in his and squeezes hard. Digging his nails into your own until crescents appear and tiny specks of blood appear so you know he’s serious. He doesn’t care how you interpret his words, just so long as you never leave him.
“Don’t die on me, Hero.”
It’s been a few hours since the conversation so it’s pitch black outside but Xiao was never one to sleep. Even if he could, his mind is too loud to fall asleep too. He’s startled when you melt against him fully asleep. Honey smooth as you curl up to his warmth and cling to him like moss to a rock. He can feel his cheeks start to flush as his heart begins to pound against his chest. He can’t breathe as his world is filtered through each beat that drums against his ears. He’s not sure if there’s actually something wrong with him or if it’s just been a while since someone got so close and his instincts haven’t left.
He’s just realized it. He’s feeling pain. The feeling in his chest is black but he can’t claw it away. It’s strange in a way that he can’t explain it, that he’s never felt before, that he’s never felt the need to experience. His life had been warped by battle and a constant push to submit to his Master. They are all things he knows but the gentle words that come from your mouth, the bright eyes that hold the world, the horrible ice-hot feeling inside of him is so foreign yet too easy. He doesn’t like it.
It makes him feel…clean in a way. Enlightened perhaps? His Master is long gone and it’s like you said. He’s free now. Free to make his own decisions and live his life how he wants to. He carefully turns over so as to not startle you away as he really looks at you. You look so peaceful in his arms, eyelids shut without worry, face slack without nightmares, breathing so softly against him. If you weren’t so close to him that he couldn’t feel the rise of your chest, he wonders if he would think you were dead. He stares at the lock of hair swaying back and forth with each breath like a starved man. The strange feeling doesn’t stop. He hates it. It’s everything that goes against him and what he knows and everything he should want. He’s supposed to be the villain in your story, he should kill you right now-
“Xiao…” he hears you mumble beside him as you lean further into his arm. Damn it. How low is he going to go?
“What are you thinking about now? You just need to think about me. Don’t think about anything else…but me” Xiao sighs before he wraps his arms around you and pulls you into him until you’re snug against his chest. Close to him, where he can touch you, where you belong. Not with Morax or Barbatos. Not with humans but beside him. He closes his eyes and nuzzles his head into your hair and he stares off into the distance. The feeling never leaves him for the remainder of the night.
“Ah! There you are. I was running around crazy looking for you,” he turns his hair to see your flushed form pulling yourself up onto the mountain cliff, “When I woke up I couldn’t find you anywhere! You gave me a scare there.”
He hates you. He hates you.
Words of his previous master ring in his ears, almost as if her very soul is wrapping around him as she whispers in his ear how weak he is. Ones with power that refuse to take what they want because they rather live in the comfort of nothing. Be greedier, take what belongs to you.
“Xiao?” you say as his piercing eyes stare directly through you. His Master always told him that she loved him. Even if he hated her he still clung to that false love. Of being wanted. Isn’t love for a single person vile? Would feeling such emotions for one person instead of “everyone” bring you down to reality? It’s not fair that you’ve crawled your way into his heart while you walk along in bliss. Now that he thinks about it. It was so simple. He just needs to monopolize your thoughts and love. This time it won’t be as friends.
“I love you.”
He’ll pull you down to where he is. You extended your hand down to hell so it’s your fault. He’ll drag you down kicking and screaming if he has to. You left him alive. You have to live for him and by him. He’s not letting go.
Reblogged for extra notes
[taglist] <- if you want to be added, please read this first.
Still in a very busy hiatus atm, but I took a lil time to look at notifications and comments, really brightened me up a lil thank you for the serotonin drops guys. I hope to be back fully soon!
This chapter is dedicated to albedocity on youtube (i doubt they will ever see this LOL) but their kazuha playlist gives me the best calming vibes while writing this, I can really imagine myself just sitting on a hill w/kazu watching the clouds. Please go check them out!!
Private QRTs don’t really work like that in twitter but it was a creative decision I took to make sure the formatting looked better . The locks more signify if it’s a private comment or not (locks are not shown for the original poster in the qrts as it’s their own comment section)
Xingqiu and Chongyun are v protective over y/n!! Xingqiu being more vocal about it.
If any problems for y/n arise Xingqiu and Hu Tao usually handle the admin/public side of it, while Chongyun and Benny are support hamsters
This was especially the case for the breakup too! (Nosy people at uni lol)
At the get together the gang watched a bunch of cheesy romcoms <33 it was a good time
Ayaka would be the best sister to someone who wears a hijab/headscarf. Super patient and kind and gets cutely excited to help do all sorts of intricate headscarf styles!!
Big brother Ayato who gets comfortable, beautiful prints of fabric too
