SUMMARY: just the things they’re willing to do and they do when they’re courting you.
FEATURING: diluc, kaeya, childe and zhongli
WARNINGS: mentions of violence and death in childe’s part.
NOTE: i’m back everyone! *looks at my asks and schedule* maybe not… *goes into hiatus for a month*
DILUC
even though diluc is a very busy man, he doesn’t forget to give you your favourite flowers every morning—with a letter containing compliments and other things he wants to say.
free drinks at the tavern. he would give it to you in front of everyone with a soft smile just so that everyone will know that he adores you and you only.
giving you gifts. it’s either something that reminded him of you or something you eyed last week when he accompanied you because you wanted to buy groceries (he was about to pay for everything you bought but you stopped him and said that it’s fine but in the end, diluc won and paid for it.)
letters, again. if he has some free time, he would write you letters. sometimes, it contains poems but he thought it was cringe so he swore he won’t write you anything like that again—and now, his letters only contain how he misses you (if he’s in another nation doing business) and how he wants to see you…or just straight up praises.
he’s willing to do anything for you, no questions asked. he doesn’t care if it’s going to make him look stupid. he doesn’t care if he’s going to get hurt in the process. this man loves you so much that he doesn’t care about anything when it comes to you.
he’s a 10/10. i’m going to say yes immediately.
more characters under the cut!
KAEYA
when he told you how he feels about you, you thought he was only joking. you thought that it was just kaeya being kaeya—but he wasn’t. he was serious.
like diluc, he will give you flowers too! he’s willing to neglect his work as the cavalry captain just to annoy and flirt with you.
speaking of flirting, this man only flirts with you. he doesn’t flirt with any random people anymore—just you.
the literal definition of “cool on the outside, sweating on the inside”.
to you, he’s like a mysterious man—full of hidden secrets and mysteries but he’s willing to tell every single thing about him to you when the time comes.
this man’s love language is physical touch and quality time (same kaeya, same) so expect this man to be clingy. CLINGY. he’s literally attached to your hip when he has free time.
ah yes, trust. kaeya trusts you so much that for the first time (in like- forever) he took his eyepatch off in front of you as he smiled softly. his adoration for you written in his eyes.
and for the second time, kaeya felt the warmth of a home—and it’s you. his safe haven.
CHILDE
literally has his guard down when he’s with you, shows you his “true and real” emotions, laughs with you but very loudly, can’t stop wheezing every time you make a joke about something and you’re telling me that this man isn’t down bad for you?!?!
he spoils you so much. gifts, and other things? he got you covered bro. you don’t have to worry about mora when childe’s there. you just gotta chill and let him court you.
even if he’s doing his missions, his brain can’t stop thinking about you. you’re literally on his mind 24/7.
to quench his “y/n starved” self, he looks up and watches the stars. it reminds him of your eyes…shining and full of emotions, unlike his.
when he’s done with his missions, he will go straight back to you, wrapping his arms tightly around your waist as he whispers in your ear how much he missed you.
LMAO why is he acting like you guys have any label
like diluc, he’s willing to do anything for you. he already stained his hands—and it won’t hurt him if he stains it more. he will do unspeakable acts for you. he will quit the fatui if you want him too. mans obsessed…
ZHONGLI
he’s so old fashioned when it comes to courting but i love him for that and i know you do to :((
he treats you very gently. he respects your boundaries and privacy too (not in a yandere way but this guy sometimes follows you for fun and to know more about you)
acts of service and gift giving is his love language. he will give you trinkets that remind him of you or he made by himself. he will also accompany you if you like! it doesn’t matter where you want to go—he will follow you.
compliments and praises EVERY SINGLE DAY. this man won’t get tired and he never runs out of things to say too! sometimes, he will brag about your achievements in front of childe and hutao! he can’t even control how his lips form into a smile when he talks about you!
he’s willing to do anything for you (3) and he’s also willing to spend his everyday life with you—since mortals only have a little time to live.
he literally keeps everything he does with you in his mind—his favourite moments, the times he made you flustered, and the times he kissed your knuckles goodbye.
SUMMARY: you punched his main target’s child, how would he react?
FEATURING: diluc, kaeya, childe, zhongli and ayato
WARNINGS: mentions of reader punching someone and cursing
NOTE: spy x family au woooooo!!!! :D i’m sorry if anything in these didn’t make any sense i was writing this at 11:50 pm :( this is just for fun though :D
DILUC
he was definitely crying inside. this man literally thought that he warned you enough and that nothing would go wrong—but you still punched his target’s child instead of just holding it back? he knows that you’re probably so done with the kid that you can’t help but punch him but STILL!- he just sighed very loudly and forced himself to smile at you. “how was school today?” if you answered him honestly, he would just forget about it and just ignore the first red flag of his mission and he would ask you to apologise to him—because it’s wrong and it’s not elegant but if you chose to lie to him, he would just nod and smile and think about getting a new kid (it’s a joke he won’t).
KAEYA
he was pretending to be a janitor and he heard how his target’s son bullied you (don’t worry the kid didn’t bully you, kaeya was just too worried that he called it bullying and besides, the kid has a crush on you so there’s no way he’s going to bully you). kaeya was internally cheering on you and wishing for your patience and sanity to be longer—but your patience was so thin that your sanity just went “bye!” and BOOM! you punched the kid and he went FLYING across the hallway /hj he was so shocked that he just went home and thought about his life choices. hours passed and when you knocked in the door, he opened it with a smile. if you weren’t a mind reader, you would think that he’s smiling at you genuinely. but if you read his mind—he’s screaming and panicking. i just know that this man is a perfectionist /j and seeing this MAJOR RED FLAG (you and what you did) makes him wanna pass out but he still greeted you happily.
CHILDE
i bet he was the one who taught you how to punch someone HARD in the face. it was supposed to be used in emergencies but THAT GUY deserves to be in the emergency room after all those things he did to you. when you come home, like diluc—he’s going to ask you “how was school?” and he won’t be mad at you, in fact, he’s very proud that he taught you that (you delivered a very good punch) and will be celebrating it with you! he’ll buy you whatever you want and spoil you! (fuck the mission- he’ll let this slide because you’re just too cute and his efforts paid off!). but you’ll have to practise apologising after that.
ZHONGLI
the calm one. like others, he would ask you how your school was. he doesn’t care if you lie to him or not because he was literally disguising himself as your history teacher and of course, you know that and you forced yourself to do good in “his class”. and i bet this man would be there to stop you before you could get to punch the kid. (but if you did punch the kid, he won’t do anything about it and just sigh). expect to be scolded though. apparently, you didn’t do very well at history and he also saw your test papers. (he’s also the type to make you apologise to the kid because of his mission and he also doesn’t want you to get tonitrus striked).
AYATO
smiling through the pain. he’s definitely a perfectionist and seeing a part of his plan fail (basically you befriending his target’s kid) makes him want to go and execute the plan alone. but that won’t happen because he can’t disguise himself as a kid (and he got TOO attached to you) so he’ll just report this to the headquarters and mark it as a minor problem (he trusts you) and like zhongli, he’ll ask you to apologise to the kid (don’t worry he’s not mad! just ignore everything he’s saying in his mind and watch your favourite spy cartoon on the tv)
Summary:Just a simple headcannon about him being a parent with you
Fandom:Genshin Impact
Character:Childe (your daughter’s name is Stella :3)
Genre:fluff + modern AU!
f reader!
Warnings: self indulgent, slight angst
(A/N: i’m back~! i’ve been facing with writers block for a past couple of weeks and I’m sorryy.. I made this on my finals, please don’t let this flop.. TwT.. I hope you all enjoyed it! request are opened :D)
(hearing the song while reading this will improve the experience)
Mornings
“Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning. Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile”
Every morning, Childe would wake up your daughter while you prepare the breakfast
“Darling.. wake up.. it’s time for school..” he coos ever so softly
Once Stella woke up, he help him get ready, do her hair, and wear her uniform :3
Stella then run to the kitchen where you are, “Mommy~” she hugs your leg
“Oh? good morning, dear.. breakfast is almost ready~” you said to her and she sat on the table
Childe watched her, she reminds him so much of you
How she smiles, how giggly she is and how bright she is.. it reminds him of you
“Daddy, come eat together-!” she called, he then snapped back to reality and join the two of you
He watched the both of you eat and hear your conversations with her..
It warms his heart so much, he feels so happy to be with both of his very loved ones
He and Stella then walk to the front yard with you waiting at the door
She then went inside the bus, “Have a good day, sweetie~” he waved at her as the bus slowly moves away from the house
Yet he still can see her smile and say, “bye bye mommy and daddy~”
“hmm, I’ll be waiting..”
Thoughts
“The feeling that I’m losing her forever. And without really entering her world”
When he’s alone, his thoughts takes over him
Time is cruel for everyone and he is no exception
To see Stella grow and change by time, he sometimes can’t handled it..
His little girl is now growing up..
When he thought he know her well, she changed little by little..
Childe sometimes felt upset about it
He just wanted to understand his daughter well but he can’t, because the world keeps moving
Talking and hearing her stories did soothe him
Laughing with her is simply a joy for him
Since he got married to you and Stella was born to the world, he’s really happy.. nothing can’t pay the feeling of being with you and her
But the thought that time stops for no one did make Childe feel upset
“If only time could stop or slow down.. it would be great.. I just wanted to know her.. cherish everything with her.. I don’t want her to grow up yet..”
Day offs and vacations
“Slipping through my fingers all the time, I try to capture every minute, the feeling in it”
When he got a day or week off from work, he’ll immediately wanted to spend time with the both of you
Even though he’s busy with his works, he usually plans vacations and which place that all of you can have fun and have a great time
Like today for summer :D
“Hey my two angles~ we’re heading to the beach~” he announced, Stella jumped in excitement and hugged him, “Yeayy-! we finally have fun togetherr~” Childe giggles and pick her up, kissing her face
You then walk to the both of them and kiss them, “haha~ can’t wait, I’ll prepare the things for us” you smiled
The next day, you all arrived at the beach
You and Childe put all of your things down while Stella waits for both of you
“C'mon~! I can’t wait to swimm~” she cheered, both of you giggled and you put the float on her and some suncreen
She then run to the water and Childe runs with her
You giggled and grab the camera, snapping pictures of them
Some of them smiling to the camera with Stella giggling and some are them splashing at each other
Smiling seeing the pictures, you then put the camera down
Childe on the other hand, his heart swells with love, all of you are laughing and having fun
You then rent a kite and played with her while snapped a picture of the two of you
Before going home, all of you take a cute family photo :3, it was sunset and both of you wanted to cherish it
Tired, all of you finish taking a shower, taking turns
After a fun day, you all will nestled in one bed, cuddling each other
You and Stella both fell asleep after awhile, Childe? He’s just happy, kissing both of you a good night kiss
“I love you both so much, can’t wait for another vacations and spending time with you two..”
Stella’s Birthday
“Each time I think I’m close to knowing, She keeps on growing”
He’ll no doubt will take a day off just to celebrate her birthday
It depends on Stella whether she wants to throw a party and invite her friends or just have fun with her beloved parents :3
On morning, Childe cooked her favorite breakfast and serve it on bed, both of you can’t forget the morning kiss for Stella, “Happy Birthday~!”
After she went to school, both of you went shopping
Buying her favorite chocolate cake, new clothes, toys and such
Childe even pick her up from school together with you
“Mommy, daddy-!” her high pitched voice and little figure runs to you
Both of you greet her and take her home as she waved her hand to her friends
Arriving at the house, she run inside and saw the cakes, presents and some decorations
“Uwohh-! both of you did this??” she smiled excitedly and both of you nod
Changing both of your clothes and her into a mini dress, you then take the cake out and light up the candles
“Make a wish, dear~” Childe told her and Stella close her eyes for a moment
She then blows it and both of you clapped then take a picture together like usual :)
After eating some of the cake and Stella finish opening her presents, you and Childe bring her to her favorite park
All of you just enjoy the day to just talk, have fun and walk together :3
“You grow up so fast darling, I wish you are a happy person as you grow up and keep loving us..”
Young Adult
“Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture, And save it from the funny tricks of time”
You and Childe have raised her with great education and with so much loving-care for Stella
She’s now a young adult (around 18), which means now it’s time for her to face the outside world
Childe assigned her to University in Fontaine, which was her dream collage
She’s been studying hard to get in and have both of your out most support for her
And guessed what? SHE GOT ACCEPTED, isn’t that great~!
Both of you are really proud of her and celebrate a little with a dinner :D
Since she’s a teen, sometimes she’ll spend time with her friends, with that means sometimes she’ll come a home a bit late sometimes (but not until 12 or 4 in the morning)
She’ll be home at the latest around 8 o'clock
Although she’s out, she’ll never forget about the two of you at home :3, such a sweet girl
Stella looks a bit more like Childe but her eyes and hair color are yours
“Haha, you really did portrayed the both of us, dear”, Childe giggles and she smiled shyly, “well.. I’m mom and dad’s daughter after all”, she responded with a really soft smile
It makes both of your heart swell so much..
Now, the time has come for her to attend collage and went to Fontaine
You helped her pack what she needs and Childe already book a flight and taxi when she arrived there
Both of you accompany her to the airport and bid farewell
“Mom.. dad..” she turned to the two of you, “I’ll miss you..” she smiled sadly and hugs you two
“aww.. we’ll miss you too, dear..” you gently rub her back and kiss her cheek, “You’re welcome to call us anytime, dear.. don’t hesitate to ask something that you need..” Childe cups her cheek gently
Every parent knows that there’s a time where the child has to leave and live a new life independently
Her flight got called in an announcement that it’ll be gone in 30 minutes
“there it is, I have to go now..” she looked at the schedule and hug you one last time
“Good bye sweetie, have a safe flight..” you kissed her cheek, and she then waved good bye and went to the ticket booth and after a few minutes, she went inside and her plane is now leave
“Mom and dad will wait for you, dear.. We hope you have a great and a safe life out there..”
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?
༊…FEATURING;childe. ⇝ CW/TW;basically suicidal thoughts, multiple possible impliedmental illnesses.
liyue has never felt so dull.
your legs shift beneath you, the fabric of your clothing catching on the splinters of wood that stick out from the railing. the wind sifts past you then, a cool breeze that makes goosebumps rise on your skin; desperately chasing warmth. it finds none.
the ground is far, perhaps too close. the cracks in the pavement, oh so subtle, scream at you. memories of moments long ago; the fall of a brick, heavy, easily shattering the concrete. shattering itself in the process. you wonder, just briefly, how easy it’d be to tip over the edge, how simple it would be to do the same—how simultaneously excrutiating but painlessit would feel, making contact with the ground.
the breeze picks up, much like a warning. the careful slamof the entrance to northland bank feels like a slap to the face—what time is it? what are you doing here? you need to leave, you need to get away before it’s too late, before—
“what are you doing out here, comrade?”
“looking,” the answer comes too quickly as you wave up at the sky.
childe spares only the smallest of glances towards the view; nothing new, liyue always looks like this so early in the morning. he, however, can focus clearly on the intent behind your words—it’s not unfamiliar, the way your voice rises in pitch. he knows why, hell, he knows all too well. looking,you’d said?he grimaces, looking for? looking at? perhaps you’re not really looking at all.
“hmm.”
you try not to cringe; old habits die hard. childe is as embarrassing as ever.
the distance between the two of you is unfamiliar—always either too close or too far apart, you were. this time, though, he remains at least a few yards away. boundaries have never been spoken of between you two, always too entranced by the other to care; childe wants nothing more than to reach out, hold your hand, hold you tight, and never, everlet go.
he cannot do that. what he can do, though, is look. that is all childe has been able to do. he can’t remember the last time you’d touched—the last time you’d so much as spared him a glance. he wonders how unexpected it’d be if he were to reach out now; maybe not at all. you know him better than anyone else, anyway. i’m sorry, he wants to say, the moment the sun breaks over the horizon.
he can’t miss the way your eyes gleam so shamelessly under the light; eyes once so bright, a blessing to his own. he wants to see your smile once again—it has been long enough. he may not even carry the rightto drag that out of you, but he wants to try, anyway. anything for you.
you breathe out, a quiet exhale. he looks away.
“i should go.”
this time, he does not speak. although it’s not unexpected, and sure as hell not uncalled for—why would he care, anyway?—his footsteps are slow, languid, more ajax-like than they were only moments prior. they get louder, and louder, and louder, until suddenly his warmth is behind you, a silent kind of question.
he’s so close. too far. you lean back, subconsciously, burrowing yourself into him. into ajax, childe, tartaglia—whatever he goes by, now. the steady wrapping of his arms around your shoulders is not unwelcome, nor is the pressure of his chin on the top of your head. the way childe hugs, the way he holds, the way he embracesyou..it’s comforting, in a way it should not be.
“don’t go yet.”, he whispers.
don’t go where? you wonder, because where would you go? there is nowhere to be. then, you realize, the ground is so close, there is no one in the street, and that in itself is answer enough. “why?” you ask, because the newfound eleventh harbinger should not care about a local such as yourself. he is not your ajax anymore—no, he’s the tsarita’s faithful servant. he has better things to do, as do you.
the response takes longer than it should; you and childe think horribly alike.
“you can’t leave me alone.”
the breathless laughter, almost sob-ridden, makes your heart race just a little faster than it should. it may have been a while, a while toolong, but childe is no stranger to you. the two of you know that better than anyone; the connection the two of you carried cannot and will not sever itself. even beyond the extent of your lives, it will retain itself towards infinity, however long that may be.
“just a little longer, i promise.”, he adds.
it’s a lie, you think, at the same time his grip tightens around you. it feels like a plea, a beg for mercy, a vulnerability ajax has never shown to anyone but you. you know you cannot accept such a request, you won’t, you shouldn’t; it won’t be just a little longer, you know.childe will become and remain a constant in your life the moment you accept. he will honour the vow he’d taken years ago, won’t let you go the second he has you back. not when you’re like this; simply because, deep down, in that twisted, ugly heart of his—he will always care for you.
perhaps that’s what you need. perhaps it’s what you crave. your hearts have always been just a little too similar.
“okay.”
the hum you receive in response speaks a thousand words. this will not make everything better, no, of course it won’t; what it will do, though, is help you hold on just a little longer. it’s all you have, anyway.
ೃ 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)
━━ 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.
━━ SUMMARY: peace was both boring and lonely, you realize as you went through your morning routine with the absence of the pleasant breeze of chaos. thankfully, peace wouldn’t be there for too long.
━━ CONTAINS: modern!au, singer!venti, too much love
━━ VALENTINE’S 2022 EVENT SPECIAL
the day started with an eerie sense of peace.
whether it was a blessing or a curse to be accustomed to waking up at exactly eight o'clock in the morning was yet to be known but you did know that there was something incredibly unfamiliar in the way your morning was going. with one final yawn, you sat up from the contorted position you managed to place yourself in during the night. as always, your eyes first moved to your bedside table where the numbers ‘10:32’ shone in a bright red color of the one digital font you’d see in every morning sequence of an american film. you slept in but thankfully, that wasn’t the source of concern. rather, it was the stillness in the air; the unmoving black screen of your phone that continues to lay undisturbed from the position you left it in last night.
“why isn’t he texting?” you mumbled to yourself, voice still hoarse from the lack of use, “is he okay?”
the 'he’ in question, venti, was someone who has taken a habit of incessantly messaging you until you replied at exactly eight in the morning. so far, you have never escaped his clutches nor have you managed to sleep through your phone’s restless buzzing, hence, you were always, always awake at the same time he was. you were mostly a sleep-deprived zombie moving on muscle memory alone because of it but at the same time, it was only thanks to his early bird nature that you were never, never late for whatever plan you have set for yourself. venti being venti, that fact alone was something that he insisted you speak your 'undying gratitude’ for.
perhaps that was why it was so unnerving to have some peace and quiet today and if you were going to be honest, well, the silence was pretty lonely. you’ve heard of pavlov’s dog and you wondered if venti somehow managed to trick you in some similar way. subconsciously, a snort comes off you as you absentmindedly squeezed a pea-sized blot of toothpaste on your nylon-bristled toothbrush (there is a special emphasis on this because venti was very, very specific about this as well. bless him and his perfect pearly white teeth and the tedious oral hygiene routine he forced you to copy.) very strange indeed… you could barely remember what time was like before he was facetiming you the moment you say 'i’m awake.’
“clingy bastard,” you grumbled through the foam in your mouth but your eyes said otherwise, “what are you up to, now?”
to some, maybe his action was taking it a little too far but you found it oddly adorable. venti was, first and foremost, a performer. before he was your boyfriend, he was already someone who could make a grown man cry from just the words he sang alone. getting together was the easy part because he was charismatic and really, really easy to love. he beams as if he was the sun and appreciates the world as if he was the moon. he’s a star who loves to explode into unpredictable stories at equally unpredictable times and he’s venti. what other reason could you require?
you’ve watched your songbird (he loves the nickname even though you first mentioned it in a sarcastic bout) grumble about not being able to do all those normal couple stuff where the guy wakes up next to his partner and cuddles them even more and— the list goes on and on as he was incredibly, and you really mean it when you say incredibly, specific about the things he wished to do with you during the mornings he love so much. no one can doubt it when it’s you who are speaking about it because you personally listened to him whine about it for almost an hour and a half during one of his drunken nights. it’s a shame that performers need to, well, perform and the performances he does usually lead him sleeping alone in a cold, unfeeling hotel room at the other side of the city if not the country itself.
you suggested doing your morning routines together in a call and he was excitedly waving your intertwined hands up and down as he asked “really? can we? can we really?!” that was why you never said 'thank you’ for your eight am wake up call. you did this to yourself and if you had any regrets, there would only be yourself to blame. thankfully, you have yet to need to go that far.
cutting the small trip to memory lane there, you sighed unexpectedly as you wiped your face dry with the matching towel he got you for no reason at all. seeing as he got it for you, you saw no reason to not accept. besides the small edelweiss embroidered in the corner was beautiful. ah, you sighed again. what has happened to you that you remember him every time you did so much as look at something? at this rate, you’ll be mourning over his lack of presence whenever you see a glass of water (because, as the joke goes, even venti drinks water.)
“well, if he’s not going to call…” a small tap at your phone and you were greeted by yours and venti’s smile. it was a picture from your nineteenth date — one that he took and one that he hurriedly airdropped you because it was his favorite among the two burst shots he took. briefly stopping to admire the pure, unadulterated joy on your faces, you found yourself suddenly craving for the same sandwich you ate that day.
there was one ring, then two, and finally, on the third, he picked up.
“good morning, my beautiful beloved! come to my apartment later. hm… around eight-ish?”
a small noise slips out of your pursed lips as you leaned into the counter, “good morning to the demanding love of my life too… aren’t you supposed to start with 'are you free around eight this evening?’”
“…are you free around eight this evening?”
“nope.”
you hear a scandalized gasp from the other end of the line and you immediately bite your lip to stifle the mean laugh that was inching away at your restraint, “what do you even have to do on valentine’s day?! should i fight your boss for you? wait— do you want me to make a diss track or something? you can blast it in your office and pretend as if you just forgot to plug in your headphones and if he questions why you’re listening to that in the first place, just say that you’re being a supportive partner—”
“i was kidding,” you finally interject, “but that doesn’t seem to be a very bad idea.”
“isn’t it?! but enough about that… you’re quite a mean one, aren’t you? after i went out of my way to make sure that i’ll meet you today? hah… the life of the one who loves more is truly plagued by much turmoil…”
“okay, hold on… who loves who more now?”
venti merely giggles, half-aware that dealing with him could be just as upsetting as being falsely rejected in his spontaneous advances.
“it’s too early to start the 'who loves who more’ debate for like the five hundredth time now—”
“then just concede so we’ll have no reason to bring this up ever again!”
“hah! never but as i was saying—”
“i love you more.”
“i love you more. in fact, i love you so much more that i’ll be there at eight tonight. bye.”
you could vaguely make out the beginnings of a counterattack but before he could say anything more, you ended the call with a thoroughly entertained and lovely smile. disgusting. this type of love was what you read about when you were twelve — the age of horror when things like “if you were a fruit, you’d be a fine-apple” would definitely land anyone a date with you. still, this wasn’t too bad, you thought to yourself as you hummed the tune of his latest single. since there was nothing much to do, you might as well find something to wear for something that’s still nine hours and twenty-three minutes away.
see? you loved him more.
those words continuously echoed in your mind as you struggled to find something to do. in the end, you found your legs propped up the arms of the sofa as you mindlessly scrolled through youtube shorts. it’s almost demeaning how excited you were that you could barely think of anything other than meeting him. granted, it has been two weeks since you last saw him — him being busy with finalizing his new album and you, with your own job. taking all things into consideration, it was a miracle that you managed to even have some semblance of a date today. since such meetings were so rare these days, would it matter if you were an hour and thirty minutes early? you think not and with that, you slipped on your shoes and opened the door only to see a face you were expecting to see a little later.
“sorry,” venti innocently grinned, “i got a little too excited, you see…”
“what—” before you could get over your surprise (and horror because you almost thwacked him with the bag containing beer bottles), venti was already pulling you into a hug, “venti! you’re freezing!”
“mhm… warm me up?”
you sighed, taking a few blind steps back because you knew better than anyone that he has no plans of letting you go anytime soon and that is true even if it would make both of your lives at least three times harder than it already was. with that much effort, you were able to lock the door shut and safely place your bags down. with a little more effort, you were also able to drop him off on the couch without knocking your head like last time. you swear on your signed 'windblume’ album (venti’s first-ever album for reference) that he must have dealt with witchcraft because no way in hell would you believe that it’s always you who’s getting the shorter end of the stick when this happens.
“shoes.”
venti chuckled teasingly as he rolled over and lifted his feet in your direction. the sheer audacity of this b—
much to your surprise, he abruptly sat up on his own, “just kidding! aha, you look like you’re about to kick me out for real…”
“shouldn’t we be at your apartment? how about we both kick ourselves out of my apartment that i just cleaned?”
“you make it sound like i’m a literal homewrecker…”
“aren’t you? ah—!”
you shot him a glare, clearly not believing the sad, apologetic contortion of his face. venti, while you adore him and his jovial nature truly, was someone who needed a good scolding or two. even the intimate heat that radiated in the atmosphere was not enough to warm his awfully cold feet but you don’t think that was an excuse for him to playfully shove them to your bare thighs.
“’m sorry! i don’t know what came to me!”
the pillow you threw (lightly. how could you ever intentionally do anything that could hurt him?) landed directly at his face and venti made no move to remove it. he just laughed loudly and the pillow eventually fell because of how widely stretched his facial muscles were. this person, really… you sighed disapprovingly. one second, venti stares at you. two seconds, he wiggled his eyebrows with a knowing grin. three seconds, you cracked. venti began giggling again as soon as he saw the beginnings of the laughter you were trying to contain. he knew you’d never succeed in withholding your amusement either.
“i’m so sick of you! for real this time!” you managed to wheeze out (and even copy his words from before) in between uncontrollable fits of laughter. what you were laughing at was unknown by this point but when did you or venti care? “whatever! i’m getting popcorn!”
“hey!” venti giggles as he runs after you, “that’s unfair! you can’t leave without letting me hug you first!”
you cried in disbelief, “again? didn’t you do that the first thing you saw me?”
the thing with the bard is that hugs are never just a few seconds trapped in his hold. they are ridiculously long — measuring from sunset to midnight on occasion because he 'accidentally lost track of time.’ that was a lie, of course. a lie that you shamefully accept time and time again because it was a good excuse to get what you want as well.
“what do you mean?! you could cling to me like a koala for the rest of your life and it still wouldn’t be enough!”
“ew! you love me so much, it’s gross!”
at your teasing comment, venti very, very dramatically gasped before failing to continue his act. instead, he cackled as he tickled you without no warning whatsoever, “didn’t you say you love me more? then you’re grosser!”
“wow! just wow, you sly cuddle monster!”
fueled by your words, venti stopped his ministrations to squeeze your soul out in the most bone-crushing hug you’ve ever received. tapping the floor three times in disbelief and utter defeat (you fell over while laughing so hard and thankfully, venti placed his hand over your head before you could knock your head against the table again,see the january 21st date for reference).
“i’m not letting you go until you agree to let me stay the night.”
“why?” venti rose a brow of confusion, “why should i?”
“because you’re my hostage?”
“i am very unimpressed. i’m so unimpressed that i’d walk out of the door right now and spend the night outside in the freezing cold.”
venti let out a half-wheeze, half-snort sound. knowing you, you’d probably walk out of the door to prove a point and threaten him back only to realize you didn’t bring your keys with you so you’d have to spend the night outside for real. “okay… well, i give out good hugs!”
“do you?” you motioned — or at least, tried to — at your current position, “i don’t even know if i’m being held by a human or trapped in a straitjacket.”
“or you know,” venti shrugs indifferently as he tries again, “i can always sing you a lullaby and serenade you if you want. you’re in luck. you have this romantic utterly smitten with your person.”
scoffing, you mumbled something about taking his exaggerated words far away from you. it’s a shame. with your attention directed to the embarrassment that was pooling on your cheeks, you missed the honey-sweet gaze your lover was unabashedly offering you. yes, he was so utterly smitten with you that if he had even a small fragment of normalcy in his being, he would’ve found himself kneeling in shame.
“i missed you,” he whispers uncharacteristically softly. the somber tone made you gape but before long, a relieved smile was seen on your face. it’s painfully sad to long for the presence of someone you know you haven’t lost but it makes for an even greater sense of joy; of content and belonging when you finally have him back in your arms, the place he’s supposed to be in for however long he wants.
“i missed you more.”
at your words, he was found and dragged back to how he is — to how he should always be because he looks the best when he’s carefree, happy, and in love. venti pokes your waist threateningly with a cheeky smile that you feel through the thin fabric of your collar, “no trying to fool yourself now! i missed youmore.”
“whatever… you win tonight. stay over or something…”
“i knew you were weak for me!”
the night ended with a really, really perfect amount of endearing chaos, and pleased with the turn of events, you look forward to the morning that would definitely not have any semblance of peace — eerie or not.
━━ SUMMARY: the stubborn reluctance to admit defeat leads some stories to end in bitter tragedies. thankfully, xiao was much too willing to give in against the nonexistent war your presence has brought.
━━ CONTAINS: modern!au, slightly vulgar language, one mildly suggestive scene
━━ VALENTINE’S 2022 EVENT SPECIAL
you’ll have more luck trying to find a needle in a ten-meter tall haystack than you’ll have when trying to decipher the inner workings of the human mind. there was just too much to consider — too much information and contradictions for our puny, little brains to comprehend. it’s nigh impossible and the only reason a big shot philosopher hasn’t screamed about it as they ran down the street, caffeinated and definitely insane, is because no one’s ready to admit that they don’t and will never know. still, if you want to be meaninglessly stubborn, taking a look into xiao’s brain is definitely a great place to start. he doesn’t really bother segregating information into ridiculously minuscule categories — just what he tolerates and what he does not. a simple mindset for a relatively simple man who liked to stay away from unnecessary baggage.
“crap man… it’s valentine’s day tomorrow. i don’t even know what to give my girlfriend…”
xiao sighed in disinterest, hoping that this person would speak softer for the sake of his peace of mind in this cramped train, “just buy her roses or chocolates like every other guy out there?”
“you know… this is exactly why no one likes you.”
he thought that it was better to zone out rather than be forced to listen to a conversation that was heading steeply into a conversation that he frankly couldn’t care less about. he tolerates most festivities and holidays because there was always a silver lining. valentine’s day, however? xiao wouldn’t go as far as saying as he despises it because that’s how little he thinks of the celebration.
it’s just a regular day turned into a breeding ground of opportunistic, capitalistic monsters. he’d hate to quote his horrible, narrow-minded teachers from his childhood but wasn’t love something that’s supposed to be shown every day and not just one day of the year? no matter how he looks at the situation, he just can’t see the point in buying overwhelmingly sweet treats or overpriced flowers that were sure to wilt the next day.
“listen… it’s the effort and the thought that counts! partners love the idea of special treatment. it makes them feel like they’re appreciated because there’s a day that’s dedicated just for them, you get me? no one stays for a lazy piece of shit who couldn’t be bothered to think of a special something to give…”
“…since when did you become a love guru? wasn’t your girlfriend just saying that she wants to break up—”
relief settled into his bones as people — including those high school students — poured out of the train. with more room to move, he stretched his legs out, pulling out the headphones he had in the process. xiao’s station was the last stop which was currently two stops away from where he was now. with everyone located in the other carts, there were only five other people seated around him, all of which are busy minding their own business with no intention of bothering him anytime soon. good. some peace and quiet… with that thought in mind, xiao’s eyes slowly fluttered close. a little nap couldn’t possibly hurt…
no one stays for a lazy piece of shit who couldn’t be bothered to think of a special something to give.
opening his eyes with a start, xiao cursed those burdensome kids and their equally burdensome words. he tried to pretend that the anxious feeling in his guts didn’t exist as he hurriedly shoved his headphones in his bag. seriously… why do unnecessary burdens keep on flying in his direction? biting back a groan, he stood up from his seat with what was without a doubt, his deepest frown of the day (a weighty comment seeing as he spent the entire day with a grumpily frowning).
he disliked valentine’s day a lot, he thought to himself as he stepped out of the train one station early, he was sure of it now.
.
.
.
sniffling out of habit, you tapped the send button on your phone for the sixteenth time in a row. xiao wasn’t one to send lovey-dovey texts first thing in the morning but he also wasn’t the type to leave you hanging. heck, he responds even when he doesn’t feel like talking to you after a fight! memories of that time only made you feel more uncomfortable so you settled on worrying your lips as you hailed a taxi. the logical angel on your shoulder tells you that you were probably thinking too deeply into the unlikely extremes but what can you say? you love the guy too much to be unbothered by his missing replies.
being apart from him without knowing what was happening was dreadful and the words ‘never again’ keep on etching themselves on your mind until all you could do was attempt to control your heart’s rhythm by looking at the blurred, discolored buildings outside the car. were cabs always this slow? it was running on sixty kilometers per hour, which in hindsight, was not necessarily slow when you consider the fact that you don’t usually move an inch until half an hour later when trapped in the usual morning rush. still, the antsy feeling that was making it hard to sit still remained and gnawed at your mind. perhaps it was the caffeine that was making you feel more nervous than necessary. whatever the case, you suddenly felt bad for taking the updates he usually sends for granted.
xiao might be a little rough on the edges but he was a sweetheart who just had a little more trouble when it came to expressing himself. he was someone who tells you that he’s at your favorite bakery as a silent cue for you to tell him what you want. he’s also someone who sends you random spotify qr codes when he’s feeling extra sweet so that you can listen to the same songs he was listening to. he’s different from other guys but you never once doubted his affections because every day, he reminds you that he does almost everything with you settled comfortably in the back of his mind.
thanking the cab driver for bearing with the way you were anxiously tapping your fingers on your knees for the past fifteen minutes, you rushed out of the car and into the three-story apartment building he was residing in for the time being. it’s stupid, really. you would’ve insisted that he move over to yours more if you knew that you’d run up three flights of stairs because of your wild hypothesis. maybe then you would worry more about who’s going to catch the roach in your bathroom instead of his entire safety and wellbeing.
“xiao?” you croaked out as you tried to regain your breathing. the small, wooden sign that read '304’ was barely hanging upright and the five consecutive knocks you did finally caused it to fall with a muffled thud, “xiao? are you home?”
no answer.
you knocked three more times — with more force this time and you wondered if you would have to keep standing here until your knuckles were all red and raw. to be honest, you would’ve left to try your luck elsewhere if it weren’t for your strangely precise gut feeling telling you that he’s somewhere in there. well, that and the fact that you could vaguely pick out the sound of clanking from beyond the door.
“shit!”
jumping in surprise, a panicked call slipped out of your lips as you heard xiao’s sharp curse. you were certain something was wrong now. bless him but xiao was more indifferent and passive-aggressive than resentful and feral — two things that you most certainly heard in what appeared to be a small burst of emotions. quite frankly, you have had enough of it. you knew that xiao, despite voicing out his dissatisfaction, began leaving a spare key somewhere after coming home to you sitting in the hallway pathetically because you forgot keys and wallet at home. you didn’t feel like walking for thirty minutes or so just to get home, you said, and the expression he wore in reply was still deeply ingrained in your memory: an exasperated and, it could’ve been just a trick of the light but you wanted to believe that there was endearment as well in his tired frown.
just as you remembered the foreign tenseness in his shoulders when he saw your slumped-over form, you found exactly what you needed. the key in question was small and silver-coated; particularly easy to miss behind the green, polka-dotted clay pot you gave as a gag gift to break the monotony of his place. fighting back your frown, you eyed the key on your hand. well… if things went south because of your invasion of privacy, you could always say that it was because he managed to snatch an extremely precious lover who worried a little too much over his seeming lack of concern about himself. right… surely, he won’t deny that much…
“xiao?” you called out softly, carefully taking a few steps forward as if the ground you were treading on was made of the most fragile glass in the world, “where are you?”
he still hadn’t replied but the unfamiliar metallic noises were much louder now that you’re inside. it didn’t look like he was in trouble as everything was exactly how you left it two days ago. one of your larger sweaters was draped over the couch, something you placed there on purpose because xiao had a horrible habit of choosing to suffer in the cold instead of moving out of his comfortable lounging position when he’s already so deep into scrolling through youtube videos. sighing, you crouched to pick up a notebook that had slipped out of his bag. it looks like he hasn’t tidied that up either when he got home yesterday.
it was all very unlike him and with a better sense of security now that you’re here, you find your concern transform into confusion. the xiao you knew wouldn’t stay inside the kitchen for long unless the world would cave in if he didn’t. with a small knock to announce your presence, you immediately find yourself stifling a laugh. the xiao you knew also wouldn’t be caught dead staring at you like a deer caught in headlights in the middle of what appears to be the remnants of a previously functional kitchen.
“what in the world…”
flinching at your not-question question, xiao immediately averts his gaze to the chocolate-covered floor, “why… why are you here?”
“am i not welcome?”
you didn’t mean to tease him but before you could stop yourself, the words were pouring out of your mouth. at your response, xiao sighs, running a flour-covered hand through his hair. an unknown feeling nibbled at some unfamiliar part of your brain as a strong urge to fix his hair in place became apparent. the flour had dusted his hair white and you realized that darker tones suited him better because it made his eyes pop out more; his eyes that were always firm and strong — always composed save for the times where it’s about you. his eyes that were always seeing through your white lies and hesitation; eyes that were also dim and tired and looking at everything but your inquisitive gaze.
“no, it’s not that…” he finally breaks his silence with another groan, “you weren’t supposed to be here yet.”
“hey, what’s wrong?”
xiao shifted his weight but nonetheless relented to your hold as you gently squeezed his forearms in encouragement, “i was… attempting to make a cake but i wasn’t aware that there are a lot of… ridiculous steps to it.”
“a cake? well, yeah… it’s a pretty tedious process at the start but what for?”
his frown grows deeper as he stared at you like you grew two heads in the span of the seconds he was not looking at you, “…you don’t know what day it is today?”
“what day?” you mirror his expression, “oh my god, did i forget your father’s birthday?”
“you’re hopeless… even i know what today is.”
cake… now that you thought about it, your instagram feed was oddly full of flowers and chocolate cakes… was it already february 14? time flies by fast but you don’t think xiao of all people would go out of his way to make you a cake on a holiday that’s not even a proper holiday. noticing the furrow in your brows, xiao sighs for the nth time. he had an inkling of what you were thinking about.
“i thought you’ll appreciate it if i did something everyone else is doing. i know that i’m not good at showing my emotions and all this romantic nonsense but i… i didn’t want you to think that i couldn’t be bothered to do things for you.”
of course, you knew that. if xiao was someone who genuinely didn’t try to make things work then you would’ve long walked out of the door with a relieved smile. the fact that you were here, face still warm from the way you rushed from your home to his just because you were afraid that something happened to him meant that you loved him. you loved him so much because he loved you just as much. you loved him because he’s always so willing to cross the boundaries he had set just to make you smile. the discomforting gloom that made his shoulders slouch almost imperceptibly made your eyes gloss over with gratitude. where else will you find a man who would go out of his way to do something for you even when it’s painfully obvious that he’s leagues away from his comfort zone? you’re doomed, you think as you took another step closer to him. he’s ruined everyone else for you and you’ve presented yourself as a willing sacrifice for this so-called demise.
“there’s no need,” you smile sweetly as you laid your forehead against his, “you’re fine as is. i love you even without the grandeur and cheesy lines.”
without warning, he felt the air getting stuck in his throat. there had to be something seriously wrong with him. it wasn’t normal to hear the way adrenaline rushes to every crevice of his body and it was definitely not normal to have his hands shake as you slowly cradled them in between yours. he feels weak and rather helpless as all he could do was wait with bated breathe as everything that comprised your being overwhelmed and filled the blank void of his mind. nothing but everything about you — your tender caress, your citrusy shampoo — you. wars were unpredictable but this was no war. you came and you conquered, leaving him no room to fight back. actually, perhaps it was better to say that he didn’t want to fight back. the sweet repeat of your voice was coaxing him to say 'i surrender — all of me, all of what i will be. have it all if you want’ and he’s way past being ready to admit that he’s nothing but a subservient subject of yours who’ll present everything in this world if you gave him your word.
feeling the courage dealt by the aftermath of his intimate realization, xiao takes your hands off to properly pull you into a hug. blinking in surprise, you stifled another chuckle as his nose brushed over a ticklish part of your neck. ah, he’s doomed, he thinks as his eyes fluttered to a close to better remember the way his heart flips over and over in delight at the sound of your laughter. what have you done to him that he’s become exactly like the person he thought he’ll never be? the scent of sugar and coffee clung to his beige sweater and it’s sweet and nice and incredibly familiar just like the warmth that seeped through your clothes as his hands pulled you closer to his thundering heart.
“wait… just a little bit more… don’t pull away just yet.”
you tried your best to pretend as if you weren’t affected— as if your heart wasn’t seconds away from breaking through your ribs. you tried but why did you bother? those amber eyes could demand the most hideous from you and you’ll comply like a doll so pliant you could only be said to be made for him. how can you say 'no’ when he pulls back just so you could see the way his eyes grow a shade deeper — when his fingers, a little calloused from work, tenderly touch your cheek as if you were made of porcelain? his touch moves lower— to your jaw— and you mutter all the prayers you can remember in your lovestruck haze, all so his lips would meet yours just a second faster.
“thank you for understanding,” he whispers and the rarity of his words was nothing compared to the rarity of haze and love hidden in his voice. you don’t trust your own to deliver — finding that you have long lost your ability to communicate in front of someone who was undeniably in love with you and all the worry lines you had because of him; because you’re always so caring and gentle when it comes to him that it makes him weep for his lost rationality.
you look after him so well that it almost makes him feel so bad for taking so much from you.
“happy valentine’s, xiao.”
but he also was not above welcoming his greed as he finally slots his lips between yours.
silently leaned forward, poking a stick at the fire’s dying embers. You watched him, entranced by the way the small flames danced across his pale face. For just a moment, you were even able to forget the biting chill that permeated the air around you. Once he sat back, you came back to reality, and shivered while pulling your blanket tighter around your form.
This action didn’t go unnoticed by Kazhua, who then placed a gentle arm around your shoulder to tug a bit you closer to his side. His attention was elsewhere, however, ruby orbs much too busy scanning the snow-blessed evergreen trees that traced the surroundings. After travelling with the swordsman for so long, you had learned to practice reticence in these moments, the moments when Kazuha was carefully listening to the words of nature as they whispered and told him secrets you could never wish to uncover.
Still, the warmth emitting from the soft action he had performed seconds ago sent pleasant tingles crawling through your skin. You closed your eyes, resting your tired head on your lover’s shoulder as you released a quiet but contented sigh. A bandaged hand reached over to place itself on your cheek, further heating the area. In a tender gesture, Kazuha’s thumb traced your undereye area carefully.
“Sleep well my love. The snow will await the return of it’s sun.”
silently leaned forward, poking a stick at the fire’s dying embers. You watched him, entranced by the way the small flames danced across his pale face. For just a moment, you were even able to forget the biting chill that permeated the air around you. Once he sat back, you came back to reality, and shivered while pulling your blanket tighter around your form.
This action didn’t go unnoticed by Kazhua, who then placed a gentle arm around your shoulder to tug a bit you closer to his side. His attention was elsewhere, however, ruby orbs much too busy scanning the snow-blessed evergreen trees that traced the surroundings. After travelling with the swordsman for so long, you had learned to practice reticence in these moments, the moments when Kazuha was carefully listening to the words of nature as they whispered and told him secrets you could never wish to uncover.
Still, the warmth emitting from the soft action he had performed seconds ago sent pleasant tingles crawling through your skin. You closed your eyes, resting your tired head on your lover’s shoulder as you released a quiet but contented sigh. A bandaged hand reached over to place itself on your cheek, further heating the area. In a tender gesture, Kazuha’s thumb traced your undereye area carefully.
“Sleep well my love. The snow will await the return of it’s sun.”
psstt i never got a chance to thank this person who has been taking care of me since i was ar15 until im now ar57 until we cooped again recently and i, for once, was able to defend me and their ass which is kinda funny bcs it was just me spamming in chat abt im being attacked help, its a pleasure to thirst with you <3 @shadowarchon not me posting smut durinf ramadhan lmao
if anything, you knew that yashiro commissioner is a family man. he spoke nothing but the best for his clan, for his sister, for his family. they are lucky, loved by a man of that well, you couldn’t help but sometime to waddle in envy. you are far from it. the idea of family felt nothing like a heavy dull weight on your shoulder. your loyalty lies with the grand narukami shrine and the electro archon you held close to heart.
not in the hand of the man who finds interest in worshipping you instead.
