like you were written for me
summary: in which i read a lot of pretty things that remind me of a lot of genshin impact characters.
featuring: albedo (hurt/comfort), dainsleif (angst, reader has passed away), diluc (hurt/comfort), childe (fluff and angst?), kaeya (fluff), kazuha, thoma (fluff), venti, xiao (fluff), xingqiu (fluff), zhongli (fluff) x g!n reader (sepereately) (i'm pretty sure there are no gendered terms, but this isn't proofread, so if there are, please let me know so i can fix it)!
cw: implied eating disorder/body dysmorphia in albedo's, mentions of childe's real name
personal favorites: albedo, childe, xingqiu
albedo — the role of a lover is exactly the same as the role of an artist. if i love you, i must make you aware of the things you do not see." james baldwin
albedo doesn't normally return home until late in the night, his research ruined his sense of time. so you thought you had time—time to clean up and keep this little incident a secret from your lover. but you thought wrong, because the first thing albedo noticed upon entering the dark bedroom was your form balled up in the middle of your shared bed with tears staining your cheeks. he took cautious, quiet steps towards you, not failing to notice the half eaten plate of food sitting neglected on the bedside table.
taking you into his arms, he gently questioned, "have a bad day?"
you bobbed your head once, answering him. "'m sorry, i was doing so well," your voice trailed off, your words choked by tears.
the sound of your sadness pained the alchemist endlessly, he hated to see you like this, especially over an issue like this. "it's okay darling," he cooed. "we all have bad days, it's just our brains bullying us." his arms enveloped you, his hands moving up and down your back in a comforting motion. "mind to tell me what your brain told you today?"
"the same old same old," you took a shakey breath. "i couldn't stop looking in that dumb mirror, bedo. i couldn't stop scrutinizing what i saw in it."
his hands moved up from your back to your hair, then around to cup your face. "you may not like what you see, but would you like to see what i see?" he pulled your face close, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead.
he then got up to rummage through his bag; it was brown and made of leather, the bag he always took with him, the bag he was never seen travelling without. after some seconds, he pulled out a sketchbook. though you had accompanied albedo when painting on many occassions, you had never seen this particular book.
coming back to where you sat on the bed, he gingerly positioned himself next to you and opened the book, flipping through its contents.
your eyes widened as he turned the delicate pages—they were all filled with you. sketches of you when you cooking, playing with klee, talking about something that excited you, resting your eyes after a long day of work. sketches of you that were made with such care, with such love.
"[name], i began to draw in order to better myself in the field of alchemy. in that time, i became an artist. but i am no longer just an artist—i am also a lover. your lover."
he flipped to the latest drawing in the book. it pictured you in a field of flowers, a crown of cecilias adorning your head, your mouth curved into a bright smile.
"and the role of a lover," he continued, "is exactly the same as the role of an artist. if i love you, i must make you aware of the things you do not see." he placed the sketchbook in your hands, using one hand to softly grasp your chin, his eyes deeply looking into yours, as if exploring their endless depths.
"you do not see your own beauty, but when i look at you that is all i see."
he pressed his forehead to yours, his words lingering in the air. in this moment, you felt a tear escape your eye; this time, not one of sadness but of joy.
childe — "have you ever seen the hell in somene's eyes and loved it anyways?" maram rimawi
you and your lover walked lazily along yaoguang shoal; the gentle seabreeze carrying the essence of the ocean to your senses, the sound of waves crashing into one another filling the comfortable silence. ajax was always the busy man, his harbinger status brought boundless responsibilities along with it. so moments like these—moments where it was just you, him, and the world—were truly precious.
hand in hand the two of you walked with a comfortable rythym. staring out at the ocean, you couldn't help but compare the water's hue to that of ajax's eyes. you tugged at his wrist, stopping his movements. a questioning look adorned his face. you merely stood on your toes and lovingly planted your lips against his. love overcame his confusion, his left arm wrapped around your torso while his right hand rested against the side of your face.
backing away, you looked deeply into his eyes. they were just lke the sea: an alluring blue, a depth that seemed deeper than eternity.
"your eyes are beautiful," you breathed.
his eyes widened at this. "you think so?"
you nodded your response, entranced by his gaze.
"well, maybe you shouldn't. these eyes have seen too much to be pretty," he looked scorned by the thought of himself.
"no, they've seen too much to be pure. but no amount of hell can take away their beauty."
he frowned, creating some distance between you both. "how can you see the hell in someone's eyes and love it anyways?"
pulling him closer to you once more, you whispered, "i'd rather face an eternity of hell with you than spend a second in heaven alone."
dainsleif — "maybe forever was a word meant for memories and not people."
the tired knight eased his back against a tree, relaxing his shoulders for the first time in a while. his eyes were fixated on the view beyond the hill he decided to rest on: a vast ocean, deep like an unsolved mystery, with light from the lowering sun shimmering against its waves. it was beautiful, he thought. but not as beautiful as the posy that laid in his grip. white petals hanging from an iridescent stem, the bundle of inteyvat flowers littering his hands was second to only one: you.
but he didn't have you anymore, now did he?
all that remained of you were these flowers, carefully kept in a porcelain vase you had crafted together, and your memory. he found it cruel in its comdey, how memories were all he now possessed: the memories of his homeland, of his family, of his men, of you.
chuckling sadly, his lashes fluttered closed.
"dain!"
hearing the smile in your voice, dain turned his neck to face you.
"what've you got there, love?"
you hastily brought your hands to your front, extending your hands to present a bouquet of inteyvats to him. "i found these in an old antique store," your voice was soft—tender even.
"i do, i do," the flowers exchanged hands. "i love you even more for giving them to me."
"so you'll love me forever then?" you teased.
"forever and then some."
the sounds of ships drifting across the water below spurred him from his daytime reverie, keeping him from getting lost in his memories, in your memory.
"forever, huh?"
he sighed. it was a soft and somber sound, one dainsleif found himself making far too often these days. "maybe forever was a word meant for memories and not people—not for you, not for us."
diluc — "i burned so long, so quiet, you must have wondered if i loved you back. i did, i did, i do." annelyse gelman
"where are they?" diluc managed to cough up those words despite nobody being around to hear them. pure rage clouded his vision as he arched over his desk, head in his hands.
you had been missing for four days now. four days since you had dissapeared in the midst of the afternoon sun. four days the heir spent looking and asking and tracking. four days of desperation, of loneliness, of regret.
desperation to find you, loneliness without you, and regret of all the things he failed to say to you.
the last time you were together, he hadn't been his best self. he ignored his feelings for you in a hope that they would dissapear, in a hope that they wouldn't end up hurting you. but, in his efforts to save you from himself, hurt is exactly what he did to you.
"can we please just talk, 'luc?" you pleaded with him.
"apologies, but we have nothing pressing to discuss at the moment." he tried to keep his voice even and reserved.
as you turned to leave, diluc didn't fail to notice the tears escaping your eyes.
oh how he wished he talked to you then. because, if he did, you wouldn't be missing from his grasp now. suddenly, adelaide came crashing through his office doors.
"master diluc," she began. "we've found them! they're staying in a small house in the outskirts of qingce village."
"i thought we checked there already?" "we checked qingce, but not its surronding area, sir." she said, voice heavy with guilt.
diluc wasted no more time in his office. he was quick to grab his coat and greatsword, rushing off to you and your hideaway.
it was already late when he left, the moon acting as his only light source. normally, he wouldn't trouble himself to travelling all the way to the qingce area in such a short time, but tonight was different. he would trouble himself for you.
eventually, a small house began to come into view. diluc didn't know how many hours had passed, all he knew was you were finally back in reach. now standing in front of the door, he raised his hand and knocked on the door. in the past, he would've hesitated with you, but he knew he couldn't afford to hesitate any longer.
he heard movement behind the wooden door: the shuffling of feet—your feet. as you opened the door, your eyes gaped at the sight of an out-of-breath man dressed in black staring back at you. his eyes told you more than his mouth had in the entire past month: longing, aching, regret.
before you could overcome your chock to speak, he spoke. "i'm sorry," he dropped his head. "i'm so, so sorry. i shouldn't have pushed you away for all this time."
you fiddled with your fingers. "you don't have to say that, mister diluc. you don't have to lie to make me feel better."
"'luc," he raised his head to look you in the eyes. "call me 'luc."
"no, it's okay. i won't be a bother to you anymore," you gave him a sad smile, holding back tears.
"but it's not okay. i wasn't honest with you from the start but i should've been. so let me be honest now." he softly held your head in his hands. "i've burned so long, so quiet, you must have wondered if i loved you back. i did, i did, i do." it sounded as if he, like you, was on the verge of tears. you mimicked the way he held you, pulling your foreheads together.
you both stood that way for a while, relishing in the painful comfort of each other's company, bathed in the moonlight's glow.
kaeya — "what is a home if not the first place you learn to run from?" clementine von radics
something had felt off with your boyfriend as of late: he'd been less touchy, more avoidant, and his usual sly comments had lost their edge. you wondered if you did something to him, said something to him, something that was the cause of his change. deep in your thoughts, you walked mindlessly around mondstadt—the city's ambience bringing some peace to counteract your storming insides. as you rounded the corner near good hunter, you ran into the man that consumed your every waking thought.
"kae!" you called out to him.
the cavalry captain stopped in his tracks, his expression hesitant. "hey there, lover." he gave a little wave and attempted to feign normalcy, but his voice was far too strained for that.
"kaeya," you held his eyes. "is everything okay"
a questioning look. "what do you mean?"
you sighed, shoulders sagging. "it's just, you've been kinda avoidant lately. did i do something to upset you?"
a myriad of emotions swirled in his uncovered eye, as if he knew what he wanted to say but not how to say it.
"no," he gave you a soft yet sad smile. "in fact it's quite the opposite. you make me so happy; like i'm finally home." he paused. he didn't know if should say this next part, but he did know that keeping the truth in the dark didn't keep it from breing brought to light. reluctantly, he continued, "and what is a home if not the first place you learn to run from?"
understanding took over your features. as a nationless, fatherless, step-fatherless, brotherless, horseless man that had always had a house but never a home, he was afraid of getting too comfortable with you—with the warmth and security you provided.
"oh kaeya," you cupped his face. "it's a place to come home to at the end of everyday, a place to take off your shoes and rest your feet, a place for you and for me."
smiling down at your pretty face, he wrapped his arms around your waist, pushing you flush against him, pulling you in for a honeyed kiss. the sudden affection normally didn't bother you, but you were right in front of a restaurant. the two of you basically had an audience. noticing the red painting your cheeks, the knight flashed a teasing smirk.
now that's the kaeya you knew and loved.
thoma — "we'd be a wonderful us." keira cass
if you could've had any power, it would have been the power to read minds. his mind, to be specific.
you looked longingly at the boy in front of you. he was so focused on knitting sweaters for the local street cats he failed to see you staring at him in awe. even had he caught you, he wouldn't have minded. you had been friends for so long, afterall. but you didn't want to be friends anymore; you didn't want to be "[name] and thoma", "him and i", "me and him", any longer. you wanted to be "us."
lost in thought, you gasped in surprise as something poked your head. "hey! i finished up that last sweater," he presented the clothing on it's new owner, an adorable calico cat. "doesn't it look just dashing on him?"
you pursed your lips, "it's perfect."
"baha, isn't it? well, now that we're done here, i think we should treat ourselves to some dinner at the komore teahouse."
as you nodded your agreement, he took your hand and helped you off the ground. he doesn't let it go once you were upright though; he kept your hands locked, fingers securely entertwined as if they were always meant to be there. you could feel the heat warming your cheeks. oh archons, you hoped he was too busy talking about what food he was gonna order to notice.
thoma did notice, of course, and he was pleased with your reaction. unbeknownst to you, he too wanted to be more than what you both were now.
you two treated yourselves to a lovely dinner: unagi chazuke, tri-flavored skewers, wakatakeni, sakura mochi. needless to say, you were grateful that thoma's "retainer of the kamisato clan" title protected you from a hefty bill.
seated across from each other at the table, you entertained yourselves. laughter and comfort filled the air in your corner of the room, all other patrons fading into the background.
but there was a moment of silence when cups occupied both your lips, the conversation drying your throats. it was then you could hear the chatter of the other patrons in the space:
"oh, what lovely sweethearts they are!" "do you remember when we first looked at each other like that, hon?" "oh to have a man look at me the way he's looking at them-"
all their statements were flustering, but that last comment was especially quick to heat your cheeks.
"ehe, i guess everyone thinks we're a pair," you cuckled awkwardly. "don't worry though, thoma, i wouldn't disrespect you like that."
a pregnant pause.
"what if i want you to?"
your eyes met his, widening significantly. "well—i-i mean, i wouldn't mind...doing that..." your voice stuttered, getting quieter with every word. you weren't even sure if your following, "i'd love for you and i to be an us," was audible.
it must have been though, as the blonde in front of you chuckled and took your hand in his, lifting it to his lips, leaving a kiss there. "i think we'd make a wonderful us, my darling."
xiao — "no human being has ever stood so close to my soul as you stand." james joyce
the time between protecting liyue from darkness and the sunlight peeking under your bedroom's blinds was the yaksha's favorite time of day. seeing your calm, resting figure with your chest moving in a relaxed pattern brought nothing but peace to his mind.
it meant you had a good rest; and to have slept soundly in the night was to have a good day, and he wanted nothing less than good days for you. and knowing you trusted him enough to wait for you to awaken by your bedside was xiao's greatest honor.
he didn't truly understand what was going on between you two, but he was grateful for your trust, for your unashamed closeness. as an adeptus, he was very used to solitude, so much so that he seemed to detest intimacy. and he did. or, at least he thought he did.
you ruined all that he had thought he was. all those preconcieved ideas about himself, all those characteristics he self-endowed went out the window when you came into the picture.
all of a sudden he didn't want to be alone. he wanted to be with you. all of a sudden, he didn't want to spend his nights chasing demons by himself. he wanted to spend them chasing shooting stars with you. and he just didn't get it—what happened, what changed, why he felt this way.
pondering these questions as he knelt beside your bed, his arm mindlessly drifted over your form, rubbing your arms and back. the motion was so comforting but it stirred you from your slumber nonetheless.
eyes prying open, you breathed, "xiao?"
"good morning," he lifted your hand and pressed a kiss there.
"well, this is a nice surprise," your tired smile shifted into one of humor. "why do you look constipated?"
"i look what?"
you giggled.
"i was just thinking, love."
you tried your best to sober up, and asked through small laughs, "thinking about what?"
"about you." he looked at you so lovingly. " about how no human being has ever stood so close to my soul as you stand." he leaned over you, resting his forearm against the mattress, bringing himself face-to-face with you. "thank you for that."
xingqiu — "i wanted to write down exactly what i felt, but somehow the paper stayed empty. and i could not have described it any better." wtm
xingqiu's hand cramped with its position under the feather quill. "ha," a low sound emitted from under his breath, a sign that his fustration over the letter he was witing you was beginning to overcome him.
it seemed to be teasing him, the paper in all of its blankness. as a successful, published author, writing about his passions and interests was supposed to be the easiest, most straightforward thing in the entire world, and what was he more interested in than you?
nothing. literally nothing.
he would do anything with you, anything for you. see a performance at the heyu teahouse? sure. go jueyun chili picking in qingce village? why, he would love to. eat a bowl of stir-fried carrots for a date night? he'd eat two. and xingqiu hates carrots.
but that's just what you did to him. you turned his hatred into love and smoothed out all the rough patches. you made him feel crazy, sick in the head. and he wanted to express this to you in the best way he knew how to: in words, in writing. he wanted to immortilize you the same way he would any idea that popped into his head and stuck. because you popped into his life and stuck too.
but when he tried to describe his feelings for you, no words could come to mind—despite the fact that you yourself lived there rent free. he looked through every dictionary, asked locals around the harbor, but to no avail. there just wasn't a word strong enough, a word accurate enough, to define the feelings in his heart.
with the sun beginning to set, he knew he was running out of time to find one before his rondevouz with you at xinyue kiosk. rubbing his temples in defeat, he realized something. so, he packaged the unused paper and left the quill on the table.
approaching the restaurant's doors, he heard a sweet sound call his name. "xingqiu!"
he rushed over towards your voice, pulling you into a light embrace. "i have something to give you," he began.
your eyes lit up at his statement, but he raised a finger to your lips before you could respond. "nuh uh uh, hush. you'll have to wait 'till after we eat," his tone was thoughtful at best and mischievous at worst.
dinner was, as expected of the xinyue kiosk, was grandiose in its experience and delectable in its taste. xingqiu knew that'd be hard to beat, but he was hoping what he had to say might be more memorable for you than the food.
he handed you the envelope he packaged before leaving his home earlier tonight, saying, "go ahead, open it up." you did as he said, confusion quickly taking over your features at the sight of a plain piece of paper.
"love, you know i'm a writer. i like to write about everything i love, so, naturally, i'd want to write about you too. as it turns out, i couldn't think of a way to convey my love for you in writing. i wanted to write down exactly how i felt, but somehow the paper stayed empty. and i don't think i could have described it any better," he chuckled softly, cupping your face in his hands. "hopefully this will suffice." he captured your lips gently and you could feel the smile in his.
seperating, you look into his eyes. "oh, it sufficed."
zhongli — "i will love you if i never see you again, and i will love you if i see you everyday." lemony snicket
it had been a long time since you last encountered the old god. his previously loose hair was now tied up all prim and tidy in a low ponytail, his historic robes were exchanged with a sophisticated suit and timeless accessories. despite his different appearance, you knew he was the same rex lapis he was all those years ago.
right now, he was seated at the round, stone table in the middle of the lake at mount aocang. you approached him from behind, an offering in hand.
placing the bowl on the table, you spoke: "i hope this dish is still to your liking, morax."
his lids opened at your voice, revealing a pair of familiar golden eyes.
"ah jewelry soup," he smiled. "you always were a gem." he motioned for you to take a seat, his hand pointing at the stool across from him.
you spent a good time chatting, reminiscing about times past. eventually, the conversation moved from nostalgia to current joy. he recounted the events of late: the trade of his gnosis, his shift into mundane life. he seemed happy and at peace, and that brought you endless joy. you remembered just how brutal life was for him in the past, with the fall of cities and gods comes the rise of suffering.
you know you added to his suffering leaving him all that time ago. seeing him so fufilled now prompted you to apologize for that. "morax, i don't mean to bring up bad memories, but i'm sorry for dissapearing all that time ago." you reached out to him, placing your hands over his. "i'm staying for good now, we can even make a contract out of it," you chuckled. "i know how much you love those."
he gave you a kind smile. "[name], you recall our parting but you don't recall our parting words." he squeezed your hands, "i said, 'i will love you if i never see you again, and i will love you if i see you everyday."
he leaned over the table, reaching out to grab your chin. "that much has not changed. it never will."
-> likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated! <3
