content: suggestive !! not exactly nsfw but slightly kinky ⊠modern au (college/university), financial domination, barista reader, athlete kinich, dom/sub undertones
wc: 1.7k
an: perchance i write more for this ... im not too sure yet lmk what yall think kekeke
university was exhausting, miserable, and, most of all, expensive.Â
tuition, housing, club fees, foodâ the expenses all started to add up.
it wasnât until you opened your fridge after a long shift at the campus cafe, lutece, to stale bread and eggs, the same foods that remained your sustenance for weeks, that you decided you needed something on the side to help you live a little more comfortably.Â
but you were in class most of the time, and you already had a part-time jobâeven though it didnât pay the best, you were fortunate enough to work on campus.
so after a sleep-deprived night of searching for solutions online, it seemed the best option to make a little extra mora on your own time was⊠well⊠join a certain subscription-based platform and post some âŠintimate photos of yourself.
except digital footprint is forever, and you were terrified at the thought of the whole of teyvat seeing you like that.Â
even though you had mostly given up the thought of making some more money, you stumbled upon a fairly obscure community of the internet that same night: financial domination.
it didnât seem too bad after a little bit of researchâwhile there was more of a fetish aspect to it, most of it was girls getting paid to be pretty. the really successful girls would post themselves suggestively; it didnât seem as mortifying as the earlier option, and it wasnât not like you thought you were jaw-droppingly beautiful, but you definitely believed you werenât uglyâif others could do it⊠you guessed you could give it a try.
â
and just under a year later, thatâs how you found yourself complaining to your co-worker and best friend, mualani. while the campus cafe was usually packed, most people had gone home for reading week, but you needed the money, and at least the emptiness of the cafe allowed you to whine over the sensitive topic.
âmaybe i should give up. itâs been like a year since i started and i still havenât blown up,â you groaned, phone in hand as you stared at your three-digit follower count.Â
even with your full-time studies and part-time job, you still dedicated an immoderate amount of time into findom, hoping youâd catch a whaleâs attentionâjust enough that youâd be able to pay off your student loans and live comfortably. but you found that your side hustle was just a bunch of acting; though mildly uncomfortable, you would enjoy it more if you were actually successful.
mualani threw her arm around you, eyes soft as she tried her best to give words of encouragement, âcome onnn!! maybe your big break will be tomorrow⊠maybe even tonight! you canât give up just yet!â
but you just felt so defeated.Â
between trying to maintain enough anonymity online, to coming up with captions and figuring out camera angles that made you look best, you began to think it was time to move on.
âlisten, you know I care about youâŠâ her words sounded serious, but her tone didnât, âiâve seen the toll this whole thing is taking on you⊠maybe we should find you a boyfriend!â there it was.
you let out an exhausted sigh, chest heaving as you throw your arms over the counter of the cafe, your head following straight down.
âokay⊠my bad. seriously though, maybe give it a bit more time and then see if youâre ready to quit?â mualani mumbled, allowing you to finally hear the sympathy in her words.
âI guess.â
your head was still down as you contemplated reasons as to why you werenât as successful as others. you had seen some new girls hit over 3k followers in the span of a week. posting as frequently as them, albeit a little less risque, you started to wonder⊠were you not attractive enough?
your contemplative trance snapped when you felt mualaniâs elbow nudge your arm.
head snapping up, you looked back at your friend, but she seemed to have found herself busy polishing the silverware. her silence constituted a refusal to elaborate on the physical contact moments prior, instead only cocking her eyebrows toward the register with a smile.
you followed where her eyebrows pointed, only to be met with a customer who had just entered your place of work.
the unassuming boy studied the cafe menu a little longer than most customers did, and out of boredom, you watched. though his skin glistened with sweat and his compression shirt hugged his muscles, your eyes found focus on the bandana supporting his messy ebony hair.
âiâll just have⊠an iced americano,â he said, sternly.Â
you slowly punched his preference into the till, didnât even bother to ask the name for the order. after all, he was the only customer there. leaving him with the terminal, you went to make his drink; nothing fancy, just ice, espresso, and water.Â
before you could hand the drink over, mualani tutted while the boy was distracted on his phone, âdonât forget the cafe policy!â you hated that policyâhandwritten notes on cups to âfoster campus community.â you widened your eyes sharply at her, silently questioning her career proactivity, but her smirk extended, reaffirming her position.
fostering campus community. although the proposition was good-intentioned, you thought it was a bit silly. sure, sometimes it also made you feel good writing little messages, but it was also a pain in the ass during rush hour. this time, you were in no rush; you decided to take advantage of the opportunity, hoping your customer would look past your aloofness and tip.
âhereâs your iced americano,â you slide the drink across the counter.
âthanks.â his eyes scanned the cup: nice bandana : )
âbefore i forget, i forgot to ask you your name..? for the order, of course⊠for next time.â
he could sense the hesitancy in your voice. were you flirting with him?, he thought.
âkinichâŠâ he trailed off, dark circled two-toned gold and green eyes scanning your nametag instead of returning the question.
you smiled awkwardly, dipping your head in an attempt to nod.
âright.. hope to see you aroundâŠ!â
kinich gave a curt smile back before leaving.
âŠ
once he was out the door, you had a feeling this wouldnât be the last time you saw him.Â
âsoooâŠ. heâs kind of cuteâŠ!â mualani teased.
even though you didnât want to admit it, she was right.
and that fact was enough for you to ignore the way he never tipped.
â
at home, you examined yourself in the mirror, head moving at different angles to check if you liked the way your makeup sat on your face, finishing the look with a touch of lipgloss.Â
the photos you took this time had made you proud, and you so desperately hoped theyâd get you some more attention. more attention meant more money⊠and although you were a bit scared to put them out, they felt riskier to post.
you uploaded the post, your heart pounding as you threw your phone across the bed, hands covering your face out of mild embarrassment, even though you were the only one in the room.
now, you just had to wait.
â
the discipline and dedication required for extreme sports are unmatched, and the training for it comes to a close second. kinich knows this. he knows from the way he gets up early every day to feed his lizard before training and attending his classes. he knows from cooking and packing his own meals to avoid paying for lunch on campus, and most of all, he knows it from the way heâs conditioned himself to stay practical; in his eyes, heâll only pay for what he has to. even though heâs a firm believer in rewarding good work, he also believes itâs an employerâs job to pay their employees.
1300 mora for an iced americano? itâs basically daylight robbery, but then again, he knows heâs paying for campus convenience and labour.Â
door opening when his fob hits the sensor, heâs happy to be back in the comfort of his place, with his devious little lizard, ajaw.
âyou were good while i was gone?â he asked as he passed by ajawâs terrarium.
silence. then a blink.
the soft hum of the microwave filled the room as kinich laid on his desk, resting his chin on his arm as he stared into the terrarium, reflecting on his day,
what a weird girl.
he looked back at the cup, glossing over your note before looking into his reflection on the terrarium glass.
did you really mean it when you asked his name âfor next time?â did you want to see him back there at lutece?
beep! beep! beep!Â
suddenly interrupted by the microwave, he strolled back to the kitchenette as he scrolled through his phone, brushing past leaks of his favourite game. now wasnât the time to be distracted. after all, he was about to enter into an extreme sports competition, and he couldnât stray from his path. not for a girlâespecially when he couldnât be so sure that you were into him.
ânew posts near you:â
as he opened the microwave and grabbed his bowl of spicy meat stew, he scrolled to the section that had just caught his eye, expecting to see what other students were getting up to,
it was you.Â
then came the crash. stew everywhere on the hardwood floor. shards of broken porcelain scattered.
you, the same girl who served him coffee at the university cafe.Â
the way you stared into the camera, the way your plump, glossy lips were slightly ajar, the way one arm pushed into your side to create cleavage.
fuck.
transfixed, kinich didnât know what to feel. he gulped, heat growing in his cheeks and throbbing growing in both his chest and pants as he scrolled through the rest of your profile, studying each picture you posted.Â
he quickly realized how different this post was.Â
why these photos? why today?
kinich barely even knows you. to him, youâre just a barista who attends the same university.
but everything in his mind was telling him how wrong it felt for you to be posting this,Â
for him to be seeing this,Â
for him to be enjoying this.
and that fact, despite all his traditions and beliefs, was enough for him to tip.
pairing: kinich x reader (fem intended but gender neutral reader for the most part)
content: modern au (university), angst, idk how much i would classify this as fluff? kinich has no game LOL?, alcohol ig, implied trauma, kinich backstory
wc: ~2k
kinich isnât one to mess around.Â
he never gave domestic life much thought.Â
home life wasnât the best for him; an alcoholic, abusive father, and a mother who he couldnât blame for leavingâthe boy quickly learned how to survive, rather than live. the thought of finding a girlfriend naturally remained at the back of his mind.Â
but he unfortunately isnât the most social either. university came time to meet new people, so he swore he would put himself out there, yet most times he finds himself cooped up in his dorm playing his video games. apart from the atmospheric hum of his pc fans, and the click and clack of his keyboard, the outstanding silence almost felt as if his lizard, ajaw, was mocking him.Â
and so he reflected on his solitude, an acquaintance in the esports club suggested dating apps, but kinich quickly shut that idea down, citing that he âwould much prefer to meet someone ânaturally.ââ
kinich isnât one to mess around, but he quickly realized how unlikely his statement was. . .
but heâd be lying if he said heâs never wanted someone to screenshare his game to, a player twoâsomeone who could show him how to live, that there was more to life than just mere survival.
all heâs ever wanted is to be able to throw himself into arms he knows he can find comfort in ⊠that maybe donât have to involve semblances of a past he once lived.Â
again. heâd ruminate on his solitude.Â
â
this particular friday, he sat in his chair, the cheap university-provided seat creaking every time he swivelled back and forth. kinich was bored; the dishes done, the laundry basket not full enough to constitute a full load, and worst of all⊠the servers for his favourite game were down for updates.
with nothing for him to do at home, he thought heâd go on a walk to pass the time. then he remembered the esports club mixer. he sighed, staring at his own reflection in ajawâs terrarium.Â
well, if all went wrong, he could at least probably make a new friend.Â
kinich walked a good seven minutes across campus to the event. the building was sparsely populated, esports club members tucked away in a tutorial room on a mostly empty floor.Â
after pacing outside for a few minutes, he was ready, making his way toward the room, his hesitancy showing in his body language as he walked with his head down.Â
the fluorescent university lighting emanated through the hallââare you here for the esports club event..?ââand hit the side of your face as you suddenly approached kinich.Â
âyeah,â he muttered, confused. whenâd you get there? had you noticed him pacing?
and you somehow answered his unasked question,Â
âmy bad. just came out here for a little less noise⊠did you fill out the form online? matches were made in advance.â
kinich shook his head. âah. sorry. i can just head off then,â his body turning to leave.Â
ânonono! itâs fine. everyone is paired up⊠i think. but itâs esports club and letâs be real. most people here are not getting any play, and i bet nobody else is coming anywayâŠiâll be your partner!âÂ
you trailed off toward the middle of your declaration. now,
kinich isnât sure whether or not he just got friendzoned already, but with a cute girl in front of him, heâs reluctant to admit he hoped not.Â
the âmixerâ the both of you attended turned out to be speed dating in disguise. but the two of you seemed to (awkwardly) hit it off, and to spare the shame in admitting you attended a speed dating event, you and kinich agreed to stick together for the rest of the night; if it never happened, you never had to admit it.Â
and the rest was history.
the rest being two weeks in which you two barely spoke.
â
the two of you hadnât talked much since the event. he thought you werenât very interested in him. sure, you initiated conversations and tried getting to know the boy better, but kinich was DRY⊠not that he realized. he liked your voice, wanted to call you a few times but didnât think you guys were at that point in your friendship.Â
even still, you managed to learn some bits and pieces about him: ajaw, his favourite games, travelsâ
winter break was imminent and you were eager to get back home, breaking the chokehold that the monotony of university life held against you. you wondered how he fared. being away from university meant being away from kinich.Â
meanwhile;;Â
kinich sighed, the steam from his shower escaping into the rest of his room. he collapsed onto his bed and checked his phone.Â
âu going anywhere for holidays?â
âno whyâ
âheading home tmr, you mentioned you liked travelling so just thought iâd askâ
âcoolâ
âŠ
âsend me travel pics?â
âkeep me company on call while i pack?â
he was pleasantly surprised you remembered his like of travelling. and maybe it was that little detail, or your sweet voice, or simply the way you actually listened, but kinich found his chest tightening, and mouth smiling.Â
with your voice filling his room on speaker, there was no more turbulence for kinich to think of as ajawâs silent lizard mockery.Â
â
a month had passed.
there was just something that drew you to him; perhaps it was the thrill of talking to somebody in a different major? or perhaps you found him cool since he was the only person (that you knew of) with a lizard on campus?
you didnât know what it was, but you enjoyed his presence.Â
multiple photos and videos of your city, paragraphs of reviews on numerous food items you thought he might enjoy, kinich loved it all.
you loved it too. photos and videos of his upgraded setup with parts he bought for christmas, ajaw, and dishes heâd cook, the idea of something more started to blossom in the back of your mind.Â
and so the two of you became closer friends over the break. you looked to him as more than a friend, but not quite a confidant either?Â
then that thought always lingered.Â
when you returned to university, you guys finally met up for the first time since the âmixer.â his typically nonchalant demeanour was⊠different. though still stoic, you could tell he was putting in more effort when interacting with you in comparison to your first encounter.Â
kinich hoped it wasnât too much.
if anything, his mind had just as much of an inkling as you did when thinking about what the two of you could be.Â
so he hoped.Â
â
more weeks passed.Â
more weeks of your voice filling his otherwise empty room, stolen glances, gazes that were a few seconds too long, brushing knuckles,
more weeks where neither of you deliberately made any moves for the other to catch onto.Â
then one night came. midterm season and all of those lingering feelings culminated at a head.
so for that one night you thought youâd forget about it; tag along to that party your friend invited you to, have a drink⊠or five⊠and hopefully not make any brash decisions you know you would regret otherwise.Â
the third drink you had made you realize you lost your friends.Â
and by the fourth drink, some dejected asshole struck up a convo with you, hands gripping your hips. wouldnât take no for an answer.Â
a fifth drink was the excuse you used to get away, but the asshole followed. not knowing what to do with your friends gone, you realized you had texted kinich. you missed him.Â
and so your mission failed;Â
the boy was puzzled, confused as to why you sent him an address so late at night.
why was it so sudden? were you hurt? did you need him? without thinking twice, he rushed out his door, game still open on his pc, leaving ajaw in the dim light.Â
kinich isnât one to mess around. not one to use dating apps or go around partying either.Â
but the door to the house was open. students littered the front yard for a smoke, some sitting on the steps, blocking kinich from entering. it was loud. and the air was hot and heavy,
he quickly realized why he hated parties, despite never attending a proper one.Â
yet he continued to look for you. and then he saw you;
more like, you saw him first, calling his name to grab his attention.
âkiniiichhh! over here!â
as he walked over, you stumbled into him, slightly shaking and clearly a little too inebriated as your mind moved faster than your body. kinich caught you, eyeing the man beside you.
âtold you i have a boyfriend...â you rolled your eyes at the asshole, signposting for him to leave you alone. luckily, kinich quickly understood, tightening his toned arms around you.
his grip wavered after the man left, but yours never did.Â
and so the world felt still, it was just the two of you, quietly coexisting in a corner of that loud living room as bodies brushed up against each other;
hands gliding on waists,
arms around necks,
lips locking passionately,
it was in this moment that kinich, again, would reflect on his solitude.Â
boyfriend? of course, it was majorly an excuse to get away from that creep, but he couldnât help but wonder if there was any desire for your affirmation.
the truth is that there was, but he had no way of knowing that.
heâs skeptical.
and, archons,Â
how he wishes you were sober right now.
though he made the conscious effort to let go of you, the distance between your bodies never decreased.Â
âahem,â he coughed, â letâs get you home.â kinich mumbled.Â
something about kinich was a little different. you didnât know what it was, maybe the alcoholâ you couldnât tell if he was blushingâ were you in his arms? did you make any drunk confessions?
youâll ask in the morning.Â
â
the sunlight peered through unfamiliar blinds, hitting your face in an unexpected pattern. soft breathing filled the room, its source appearing to be a dark haired boy sitting on the floor, head down and opposite the bed. you pieced together that kinich slept on the floor. did he not like you? or did he not want to disturb you or make you feel uncomfortable after the night you had?
âmorning. you never told me where you lived so⊠just brought you back here. youâre kind of heavy, ya know?â he says groggily.Â
you know he doesnât mean any malice, but the embarrassment of the situation has the guilt rising from your chest into your cheeks as you watch him get up from the floor to feed ajaw.
âiâm sorry,â you manage to stutter out. âi drank too much, i didnât mean to text you and disturb your night.â
âdonât worry about it, just be glad nothing bad happened to you,â he replies without meeting your gaze.
he insisted you stay for breakfast,Â
but the rest of the day is a blur.
because kinichâs mind is still stuck on that moment. heâs glad he was there for you in the moment, but heâs also conflicted.
the moment he felt his heart drop into his stomach, dread swirling around it as his gaze met your fingers curled around a premixed cocktail, your skin all glowy from the other drinks you consumed earlier in the night.Â
it wasnât even that much, maybe 6%? he hadnât known how much you drank, yet the thought of you consuming something so... corrupting, crushed him.Â
itâs not like he ever told you about how he grew up. you didnât know. he couldnât blame you.
and he wonât. but he still finds it a little weird.Â
parties, drinking,Â
he has to realize itâs more of the norm in university.Â
but kinich;;
he doesnât understand.Â
he wants to understand.Â
so for now, heâll feign understanding.
heâll learn.
kinich isnât one to mess around.
his eyes are only on you.
itâll be a few days before he finally awkwardly asks you out, inviting you over back to his dorm so he can cook the two of you a quaint little dinner.
maybe im just picky asf but i feel like its so hard to find a good smau bc i feel like so many characters are mischaracterized .. a text exchange with xiao would probably be like:
âhey xiao wyd :3â
âNothingâ
âoh have you seen that new show that just came out?â
I keep liking xiao edits from like 2024 on tiktok and I just realized I prob look insane bc now my mutual is getting notifs that Iâve liked a really old vid they reposted
OK.. I just made this flipping blog but the fact itâs a side blog is kind of pissing me off bc following and likes r tied to main ,.. do I just start fresh after a day ,
if anyone actually reads this PLS lmk before Iâm in too deep
pairing: kinich x reader (fem intended but gender neutral reader for the most part)
content: modern au (university), angst, idk how much i would classify this as fluff? kinich has no game LOL?, alcohol ig, implied trauma, kinich backstory
wc: ~2k
kinich isnât one to mess around.Â
he never gave domestic life much thought.Â
home life wasnât the best for him; an alcoholic, abusive father, and a mother who he couldnât blame for leavingâthe boy quickly learned how to survive, rather than live. the thought of finding a girlfriend naturally remained at the back of his mind.Â
but he unfortunately isnât the most social either. university came time to meet new people, so he swore he would put himself out there, yet most times he finds himself cooped up in his dorm playing his video games. apart from the atmospheric hum of his pc fans, and the click and clack of his keyboard, the outstanding silence almost felt as if his lizard, ajaw, was mocking him.Â
and so he reflected on his solitude, an acquaintance in the esports club suggested dating apps, but kinich quickly shut that idea down, citing that he âwould much prefer to meet someone ânaturally.ââ
kinich isnât one to mess around, but he quickly realized how unlikely his statement was. . .
but heâd be lying if he said heâs never wanted someone to screenshare his game to, a player twoâsomeone who could show him how to live, that there was more to life than just mere survival.
all heâs ever wanted is to be able to throw himself into arms he knows he can find comfort in ⊠that maybe donât have to involve semblances of a past he once lived.Â
again. heâd ruminate on his solitude.Â
â
this particular friday, he sat in his chair, the cheap university-provided seat creaking every time he swivelled back and forth. kinich was bored; the dishes done, the laundry basket not full enough to constitute a full load, and worst of all⊠the servers for his favourite game were down for updates.
with nothing for him to do at home, he thought heâd go on a walk to pass the time. then he remembered the esports club mixer. he sighed, staring at his own reflection in ajawâs terrarium.Â
well, if all went wrong, he could at least probably make a new friend.Â
kinich walked a good seven minutes across campus to the event. the building was sparsely populated, esports club members tucked away in a tutorial room on a mostly empty floor.Â
after pacing outside for a few minutes, he was ready, making his way toward the room, his hesitancy showing in his body language as he walked with his head down.Â
the fluorescent university lighting emanated through the hallââare you here for the esports club event..?ââand hit the side of your face as you suddenly approached kinich.Â
âyeah,â he muttered, confused. whenâd you get there? had you noticed him pacing?
and you somehow answered his unasked question,Â
âmy bad. just came out here for a little less noise⊠did you fill out the form online? matches were made in advance.â
kinich shook his head. âah. sorry. i can just head off then,â his body turning to leave.Â
ânonono! itâs fine. everyone is paired up⊠i think. but itâs esports club and letâs be real. most people here are not getting any play, and i bet nobody else is coming anywayâŠiâll be your partner!âÂ
you trailed off toward the middle of your declaration. now,
kinich isnât sure whether or not he just got friendzoned already, but with a cute girl in front of him, heâs reluctant to admit he hoped not.Â
the âmixerâ the both of you attended turned out to be speed dating in disguise. but the two of you seemed to (awkwardly) hit it off, and to spare the shame in admitting you attended a speed dating event, you and kinich agreed to stick together for the rest of the night; if it never happened, you never had to admit it.Â
and the rest was history.
the rest being two weeks in which you two barely spoke.
â
the two of you hadnât talked much since the event. he thought you werenât very interested in him. sure, you initiated conversations and tried getting to know the boy better, but kinich was DRY⊠not that he realized. he liked your voice, wanted to call you a few times but didnât think you guys were at that point in your friendship.Â
even still, you managed to learn some bits and pieces about him: ajaw, his favourite games, travelsâ
winter break was imminent and you were eager to get back home, breaking the chokehold that the monotony of university life held against you. you wondered how he fared. being away from university meant being away from kinich.Â
meanwhile;;Â
kinich sighed, the steam from his shower escaping into the rest of his room. he collapsed onto his bed and checked his phone.Â
âu going anywhere for holidays?â
âno whyâ
âheading home tmr, you mentioned you liked travelling so just thought iâd askâ
âcoolâ
âŠ
âsend me travel pics?â
âkeep me company on call while i pack?â
he was pleasantly surprised you remembered his like of travelling. and maybe it was that little detail, or your sweet voice, or simply the way you actually listened, but kinich found his chest tightening, and mouth smiling.Â
with your voice filling his room on speaker, there was no more turbulence for kinich to think of as ajawâs silent lizard mockery.Â
â
a month had passed.
there was just something that drew you to him; perhaps it was the thrill of talking to somebody in a different major? or perhaps you found him cool since he was the only person (that you knew of) with a lizard on campus?
you didnât know what it was, but you enjoyed his presence.Â
multiple photos and videos of your city, paragraphs of reviews on numerous food items you thought he might enjoy, kinich loved it all.
you loved it too. photos and videos of his upgraded setup with parts he bought for christmas, ajaw, and dishes heâd cook, the idea of something more started to blossom in the back of your mind.Â
and so the two of you became closer friends over the break. you looked to him as more than a friend, but not quite a confidant either?Â
then that thought always lingered.Â
when you returned to university, you guys finally met up for the first time since the âmixer.â his typically nonchalant demeanour was⊠different. though still stoic, you could tell he was putting in more effort when interacting with you in comparison to your first encounter.Â
kinich hoped it wasnât too much.
if anything, his mind had just as much of an inkling as you did when thinking about what the two of you could be.Â
so he hoped.Â
â
more weeks passed.Â
more weeks of your voice filling his otherwise empty room, stolen glances, gazes that were a few seconds too long, brushing knuckles,
more weeks where neither of you deliberately made any moves for the other to catch onto.Â
then one night came. midterm season and all of those lingering feelings culminated at a head.
so for that one night you thought youâd forget about it; tag along to that party your friend invited you to, have a drink⊠or five⊠and hopefully not make any brash decisions you know you would regret otherwise.Â
the third drink you had made you realize you lost your friends.Â
and by the fourth drink, some dejected asshole struck up a convo with you, hands gripping your hips. wouldnât take no for an answer.Â
a fifth drink was the excuse you used to get away, but the asshole followed. not knowing what to do with your friends gone, you realized you had texted kinich. you missed him.Â
and so your mission failed;Â
the boy was puzzled, confused as to why you sent him an address so late at night.
why was it so sudden? were you hurt? did you need him? without thinking twice, he rushed out his door, game still open on his pc, leaving ajaw in the dim light.Â
kinich isnât one to mess around. not one to use dating apps or go around partying either.Â
but the door to the house was open. students littered the front yard for a smoke, some sitting on the steps, blocking kinich from entering. it was loud. and the air was hot and heavy,
he quickly realized why he hated parties, despite never attending a proper one.Â
yet he continued to look for you. and then he saw you;
more like, you saw him first, calling his name to grab his attention.
âkiniiichhh! over here!â
as he walked over, you stumbled into him, slightly shaking and clearly a little too inebriated as your mind moved faster than your body. kinich caught you, eyeing the man beside you.
âtold you i have a boyfriend...â you rolled your eyes at the asshole, signposting for him to leave you alone. luckily, kinich quickly understood, tightening his toned arms around you.
his grip wavered after the man left, but yours never did.Â
and so the world felt still, it was just the two of you, quietly coexisting in a corner of that loud living room as bodies brushed up against each other;
hands gliding on waists,
arms around necks,
lips locking passionately,
it was in this moment that kinich, again, would reflect on his solitude.Â
boyfriend? of course, it was majorly an excuse to get away from that creep, but he couldnât help but wonder if there was any desire for your affirmation.
the truth is that there was, but he had no way of knowing that.
heâs skeptical.
and, archons,Â
how he wishes you were sober right now.
though he made the conscious effort to let go of you, the distance between your bodies never decreased.Â
âahem,â he coughed, â letâs get you home.â kinich mumbled.Â
something about kinich was a little different. you didnât know what it was, maybe the alcoholâ you couldnât tell if he was blushingâ were you in his arms? did you make any drunk confessions?
youâll ask in the morning.Â
â
the sunlight peered through unfamiliar blinds, hitting your face in an unexpected pattern. soft breathing filled the room, its source appearing to be a dark haired boy sitting on the floor, head down and opposite the bed. you pieced together that kinich slept on the floor. did he not like you? or did he not want to disturb you or make you feel uncomfortable after the night you had?
âmorning. you never told me where you lived so⊠just brought you back here. youâre kind of heavy, ya know?â he says groggily.Â
you know he doesnât mean any malice, but the embarrassment of the situation has the guilt rising from your chest into your cheeks as you watch him get up from the floor to feed ajaw.
âiâm sorry,â you manage to stutter out. âi drank too much, i didnât mean to text you and disturb your night.â
âdonât worry about it, just be glad nothing bad happened to you,â he replies without meeting your gaze.
he insisted you stay for breakfast,Â
but the rest of the day is a blur.
because kinichâs mind is still stuck on that moment. heâs glad he was there for you in the moment, but heâs also conflicted.
the moment he felt his heart drop into his stomach, dread swirling around it as his gaze met your fingers curled around a premixed cocktail, your skin all glowy from the other drinks you consumed earlier in the night.Â
it wasnât even that much, maybe 6%? he hadnât known how much you drank, yet the thought of you consuming something so... corrupting, crushed him.Â
itâs not like he ever told you about how he grew up. you didnât know. he couldnât blame you.
and he wonât. but he still finds it a little weird.Â
parties, drinking,Â
he has to realize itâs more of the norm in university.Â
but kinich;;
he doesnât understand.Â
he wants to understand.Â
so for now, heâll feign understanding.
heâll learn.
kinich isnât one to mess around.
his eyes are only on you.
itâll be a few days before he finally awkwardly asks you out, inviting you over back to his dorm so he can cook the two of you a quaint little dinner.
oh anon iâll be so real i have NO idea who that is⊠but i looked them up and will hear you out.
Iâve actually JUST returned to genshin so i only just unlocked sumeru hhhHhhhh and my world quests r stuck on chasm and inazuma âŠ. got like 17 fates saved rn . kinich will be mine >;)
pairing: kinich x reader (fem intended but gender neutral reader for the most part)
content: modern au (university), angst, idk how much i would classify this as fluff? kinich has no game LOL?, alcohol ig, implied trauma, kinich backstory
wc: ~2k
kinich isnât one to mess around.Â
he never gave domestic life much thought.Â
home life wasnât the best for him; an alcoholic, abusive father, and a mother who he couldnât blame for leavingâthe boy quickly learned how to survive, rather than live. the thought of finding a girlfriend naturally remained at the back of his mind.Â
but he unfortunately isnât the most social either. university came time to meet new people, so he swore he would put himself out there, yet most times he finds himself cooped up in his dorm playing his video games. apart from the atmospheric hum of his pc fans, and the click and clack of his keyboard, the outstanding silence almost felt as if his lizard, ajaw, was mocking him.Â
and so he reflected on his solitude, an acquaintance in the esports club suggested dating apps, but kinich quickly shut that idea down, citing that he âwould much prefer to meet someone ânaturally.ââ
kinich isnât one to mess around, but he quickly realized how unlikely his statement was. . .
but heâd be lying if he said heâs never wanted someone to screenshare his game to, a player twoâsomeone who could show him how to live, that there was more to life than just mere survival.
all heâs ever wanted is to be able to throw himself into arms he knows he can find comfort in ⊠that maybe donât have to involve semblances of a past he once lived.Â
again. heâd ruminate on his solitude.Â
â
this particular friday, he sat in his chair, the cheap university-provided seat creaking every time he swivelled back and forth. kinich was bored; the dishes done, the laundry basket not full enough to constitute a full load, and worst of all⊠the servers for his favourite game were down for updates.
with nothing for him to do at home, he thought heâd go on a walk to pass the time. then he remembered the esports club mixer. he sighed, staring at his own reflection in ajawâs terrarium.Â
well, if all went wrong, he could at least probably make a new friend.Â
kinich walked a good seven minutes across campus to the event. the building was sparsely populated, esports club members tucked away in a tutorial room on a mostly empty floor.Â
after pacing outside for a few minutes, he was ready, making his way toward the room, his hesitancy showing in his body language as he walked with his head down.Â
the fluorescent university lighting emanated through the hallââare you here for the esports club event..?ââand hit the side of your face as you suddenly approached kinich.Â
âyeah,â he muttered, confused. whenâd you get there? had you noticed him pacing?
and you somehow answered his unasked question,Â
âmy bad. just came out here for a little less noise⊠did you fill out the form online? matches were made in advance.â
kinich shook his head. âah. sorry. i can just head off then,â his body turning to leave.Â
ânonono! itâs fine. everyone is paired up⊠i think. but itâs esports club and letâs be real. most people here are not getting any play, and i bet nobody else is coming anywayâŠiâll be your partner!âÂ
you trailed off toward the middle of your declaration. now,
kinich isnât sure whether or not he just got friendzoned already, but with a cute girl in front of him, heâs reluctant to admit he hoped not.Â
the âmixerâ the both of you attended turned out to be speed dating in disguise. but the two of you seemed to (awkwardly) hit it off, and to spare the shame in admitting you attended a speed dating event, you and kinich agreed to stick together for the rest of the night; if it never happened, you never had to admit it.Â
and the rest was history.
the rest being two weeks in which you two barely spoke.
â
the two of you hadnât talked much since the event. he thought you werenât very interested in him. sure, you initiated conversations and tried getting to know the boy better, but kinich was DRY⊠not that he realized. he liked your voice, wanted to call you a few times but didnât think you guys were at that point in your friendship.Â
even still, you managed to learn some bits and pieces about him: ajaw, his favourite games, travelsâ
winter break was imminent and you were eager to get back home, breaking the chokehold that the monotony of university life held against you. you wondered how he fared. being away from university meant being away from kinich.Â
meanwhile;;Â
kinich sighed, the steam from his shower escaping into the rest of his room. he collapsed onto his bed and checked his phone.Â
âu going anywhere for holidays?â
âno whyâ
âheading home tmr, you mentioned you liked travelling so just thought iâd askâ
âcoolâ
âŠ
âsend me travel pics?â
âkeep me company on call while i pack?â
he was pleasantly surprised you remembered his like of travelling. and maybe it was that little detail, or your sweet voice, or simply the way you actually listened, but kinich found his chest tightening, and mouth smiling.Â
with your voice filling his room on speaker, there was no more turbulence for kinich to think of as ajawâs silent lizard mockery.Â
â
a month had passed.
there was just something that drew you to him; perhaps it was the thrill of talking to somebody in a different major? or perhaps you found him cool since he was the only person (that you knew of) with a lizard on campus?
you didnât know what it was, but you enjoyed his presence.Â
multiple photos and videos of your city, paragraphs of reviews on numerous food items you thought he might enjoy, kinich loved it all.
you loved it too. photos and videos of his upgraded setup with parts he bought for christmas, ajaw, and dishes heâd cook, the idea of something more started to blossom in the back of your mind.Â
and so the two of you became closer friends over the break. you looked to him as more than a friend, but not quite a confidant either?Â
then that thought always lingered.Â
when you returned to university, you guys finally met up for the first time since the âmixer.â his typically nonchalant demeanour was⊠different. though still stoic, you could tell he was putting in more effort when interacting with you in comparison to your first encounter.Â
kinich hoped it wasnât too much.
if anything, his mind had just as much of an inkling as you did when thinking about what the two of you could be.Â
so he hoped.Â
â
more weeks passed.Â
more weeks of your voice filling his otherwise empty room, stolen glances, gazes that were a few seconds too long, brushing knuckles,
more weeks where neither of you deliberately made any moves for the other to catch onto.Â
then one night came. midterm season and all of those lingering feelings culminated at a head.
so for that one night you thought youâd forget about it; tag along to that party your friend invited you to, have a drink⊠or five⊠and hopefully not make any brash decisions you know you would regret otherwise.Â
the third drink you had made you realize you lost your friends.Â
and by the fourth drink, some dejected asshole struck up a convo with you, hands gripping your hips. wouldnât take no for an answer.Â
a fifth drink was the excuse you used to get away, but the asshole followed. not knowing what to do with your friends gone, you realized you had texted kinich. you missed him.Â
and so your mission failed;Â
the boy was puzzled, confused as to why you sent him an address so late at night.
why was it so sudden? were you hurt? did you need him? without thinking twice, he rushed out his door, game still open on his pc, leaving ajaw in the dim light.Â
kinich isnât one to mess around. not one to use dating apps or go around partying either.Â
but the door to the house was open. students littered the front yard for a smoke, some sitting on the steps, blocking kinich from entering. it was loud. and the air was hot and heavy,
he quickly realized why he hated parties, despite never attending a proper one.Â
yet he continued to look for you. and then he saw you;
more like, you saw him first, calling his name to grab his attention.
âkiniiichhh! over here!â
as he walked over, you stumbled into him, slightly shaking and clearly a little too inebriated as your mind moved faster than your body. kinich caught you, eyeing the man beside you.
âtold you i have a boyfriend...â you rolled your eyes at the asshole, signposting for him to leave you alone. luckily, kinich quickly understood, tightening his toned arms around you.
his grip wavered after the man left, but yours never did.Â
and so the world felt still, it was just the two of you, quietly coexisting in a corner of that loud living room as bodies brushed up against each other;
hands gliding on waists,
arms around necks,
lips locking passionately,
it was in this moment that kinich, again, would reflect on his solitude.Â
boyfriend? of course, it was majorly an excuse to get away from that creep, but he couldnât help but wonder if there was any desire for your affirmation.
the truth is that there was, but he had no way of knowing that.
heâs skeptical.
and, archons,Â
how he wishes you were sober right now.
though he made the conscious effort to let go of you, the distance between your bodies never decreased.Â
âahem,â he coughed, â letâs get you home.â kinich mumbled.Â
something about kinich was a little different. you didnât know what it was, maybe the alcoholâ you couldnât tell if he was blushingâ were you in his arms? did you make any drunk confessions?
youâll ask in the morning.Â
â
the sunlight peered through unfamiliar blinds, hitting your face in an unexpected pattern. soft breathing filled the room, its source appearing to be a dark haired boy sitting on the floor, head down and opposite the bed. you pieced together that kinich slept on the floor. did he not like you? or did he not want to disturb you or make you feel uncomfortable after the night you had?
âmorning. you never told me where you lived so⊠just brought you back here. youâre kind of heavy, ya know?â he says groggily.Â
you know he doesnât mean any malice, but the embarrassment of the situation has the guilt rising from your chest into your cheeks as you watch him get up from the floor to feed ajaw.
âiâm sorry,â you manage to stutter out. âi drank too much, i didnât mean to text you and disturb your night.â
âdonât worry about it, just be glad nothing bad happened to you,â he replies without meeting your gaze.
he insisted you stay for breakfast,Â
but the rest of the day is a blur.
because kinichâs mind is still stuck on that moment. heâs glad he was there for you in the moment, but heâs also conflicted.
the moment he felt his heart drop into his stomach, dread swirling around it as his gaze met your fingers curled around a premixed cocktail, your skin all glowy from the other drinks you consumed earlier in the night.Â
it wasnât even that much, maybe 6%? he hadnât known how much you drank, yet the thought of you consuming something so... corrupting, crushed him.Â
itâs not like he ever told you about how he grew up. you didnât know. he couldnât blame you.
and he wonât. but he still finds it a little weird.Â
parties, drinking,Â
he has to realize itâs more of the norm in university.Â
but kinich;;
he doesnât understand.Â
he wants to understand.Â
so for now, heâll feign understanding.
heâll learn.
kinich isnât one to mess around.
his eyes are only on you.
itâll be a few days before he finally awkwardly asks you out, inviting you over back to his dorm so he can cook the two of you a quaint little dinner.