The Ruthless Prince (Part 19) Scaramouche x fem!reader [Genshin Royal AU]
Summary: When Prince Scaramouche picks you out of a random group of commoners to marry, your life is turned upside down. He’s mean, snarky, condescending and he doesn’t act like a proper husband or prince at all. However, when Prince Tartaglia from the neighbouring kingdom takes an interest in you, Prince Scaramouche finds himself even more annoyed than usual. This is the story of him and you navigating this roller coaster of a relationship.
Warnings: heavy angst on Scaramouche’s part, severely injured reader with heavy thoughts of death
Word Count: 4.9k
Summary and a recap on the Royal AU plots are here.
Read other parts: (Ruthless Prince Masterlist)
“You did well, son,”
Two days after the incident, the king and queen, Scaramouche’s mother and father, arrived back from their long tour and journey of traversing other kingdoms and building alliances. It was a necessary thing to do, if they wanted their own kingdom to thrive.
✦ content warnings: smugbedo and kazuflirt is totally a series now you can't stop me; kazuha's part is lengthy compared to the others.
albedo: kreideprinz
✦ Albedo would wake you up every morning for breakfast, which is different everyday. One day it could be fluffy pancakes, the next it's oatmeal. You always wonder where Albedo gets his meal ideas from, but the blonde refuses to spill. Between you and me, it's probably Pinterest.
"My love, breakfast is ready."
You awake to Albedo's voice and a light kiss on your cheek. Groggily, you swat your hand in the general direction of Albedo's voice in an attempt to shoo it away and get more shut-eye. Feeling your wrist taken ahold by (presumably) Albedo's hand, you reluctantly open you eyes.
Centimetres away from your own face, you can't help but admire the twinkle of mirth in his cerulean eyes and the slight smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. "Welcome back to the land of the living," Albedo teases, before pressing a light kiss to the inner wrist of your captive hand.
Standing up from his leaning position above you, Albedo brushes a strand of hair away from you forehead and walks to the bedroom door. Pausing for a second, he turns back to you. "By the way, your class starts in an hour."
✦ Kazuha would always ends up on your bed and in your arms one way or another, even though you have separate rooms. Like a cat the refuses to sleep in the newly bought bed and insist on staying inside the package box even though you repeatedly carry the cat back to its proper bed, Kazuha somehow manages to find his way back to you. I make it sound endearing but I promise it's just as annoying.
When you open your eyes, you fully expect Kazuha to be sleeping next to you, despite going to bed alone last night. And he is, though he isn't sleeping - rather, he's looking at you with a dazed expression and a serene smile upon his lips as the morning light shines on Kazuha through the curtains.
Blinking the sleep from your eyes, you move to sit up but find yourself stuck. Kazuha has subtly caged you by tangling his legs with yours and wrapping his arm around you, resting on the small of your back.
"Where are you going?" It's an innocent question, but you know better than to answer and fall for the trap, especially since it's in the breaking hours of dawn and Kazuha is in a playful mood.
Kazuha shifts, and you find your face is now resting in the crook of his neck. "It's the weekend - there's no need to rush," Kazuha murmurs, and you try not to flinch when you feel the male's not breath on you ear, for that's the exact reaction he's aiming for. "Won't you stay with me?"
But of course, Kazuha always notices your small jolt of movement, as indicated by the feathery dance of his fingers across your bare neck and arms. Resigning, you give in and indulge in Kazuha as you thread your fingers through his lose, semi-long hair.
What a spoilt brat. Evidently, the thought is as plain as day on your face, as Kazuha giggles, and buries his face in your hair.
kamisato ayato: pillar of fortitude
✦ Ayato would make you go through a checklist of necessary items before you leave the house, even if you aren't forgetful. If you've ever lost or misplaced something and need it urgently, Ayato somehow has a spare of it somewhere on his person and conjures the wanted item seemingly out of his sleeves nowhere.
"Do you have everything?" asks Ayato, going through the daily morning procedure before leaving the house. "Do you have your wallet? House keys? Student I.D?" You nod at every question, shifting from one foot to the other.
"Then," smiles Ayato, eyes crinkling into half moons as he offers his hand to you. "Shall we?" You playfully respond with your own smile, lacing you fingers with his outstretched hand. Ayato hums fondly, and leans to press a kiss at the crown of your head. "Perhaps you should leave something behind. It would give me a reason to look for you."
You snort at the mischievousness of the male, but you know Ayato will always, by hook or by crook, come up with a excuse to see you.
thoma: protector from afar
✦ Thoma would cook six course meals with no hesitation, even though there's only two people residing in the apartment. Thus, many ingredients are used, and you both find yourself making frequent trips to the nearest grocery store - Thoma so that he can handpick his vegetables, and you so that Thoma won't splurge become distracted on the many sales, bargains and discounts.
Consulting the strip of paper in his hand, Thoma repeatedly looks back and forth the shopping list and the two cans of soup taped together. You stand next to Thoma, amused and leaning on the trolley handle as he internally debates as to whether or not to purchase the buy-one-free-one offer.
"Should we get it?" murmurs Thoma, face scrunched up in concentration. The blonde turns to you in hopes of getting you to choose for you, but you simply waggle your eyebrows and laugh at the predicament Thoma is in.
At the pout Thoma gives you, you cave in and gently pluck the cans from Thoma and place them at the bottom of the shopping cart. Linking your elbow with him, you start to push the trolley again, offering him a smile.
Thoma responds with a flustered smile, slightly embarrassed at your public displays of affection.
xiao: vigilant yaksha
✦ Xiao would give you his clothes to wear. He doesn't say anything; rather, he opts to simply hold up the garment, pointedly not looking at you directly in the eye. He's shy. If you're not around at the present moment, he'll purposely leave the clothing somewhere you're bond to see it.
The back of one of Xiao's black jackets has his name and jersey number stitched on it, which is why you always have it on your person whenever Xiao doesn't need it. Needless to say, many people have seen it and have attempted to interrogate you on your relationship with Xiao. Your one and only response is to tell them to ask Xiao for themselves.
As you walk back home with Xiao after clubs, you move to take off the jacket and return it to him, but a light yet firm hand on your wrist prevents you from doing so.
At you questioning glance and tilted head, Xiao has a small smile. "It looks better on you. And..." Xiao trails off, and you narrow your eyes. Was the Xiao blushing? "Everyone will know you're mine."
Genshin Detective AU
Detective! Fem reader x Various!
<zhongli, xiao, childe, scaramouche, heizou, diluc, kaeya>
cw; proof read who?
Synopsis: You’re a fucking genius detective! Like literally! A good one! Your captain calls you a prodigy! Age 25 you already made ur name known and climbed ranks. Made it to newspaper headlines and the evening news! The only problem with you is you don’t want to accept your promotion.
Zhongli <Police Captain>
Your captain. He used to teach at the academy but now you’ve been working with him for two years. He’s your favorite senior! You admire him so much, the skills and intellect he shows are incomparable. But what caught your eye is his demeanor. Whatever he do he’s always this calm and collected guy, he really contrasts your colleagues who either breaks down or yells “fuck this job i’m not paid enough for this shit.” So it really caused the souls of all the officers who witnessed his fit when you denied your promotion to Detective III.. He didn’t yell or anything but his face shows it all. That’s what make everything so scary.
“Y/N. I know how you clutch those cases of yours with hunches but think rationally for once, I’m not saying this as a friend nor senior, but as your captain. You’re talented, i hope you won’t make this opportunity pass again. It’s an order.”
Xiao <SWAT Sniper/Observer>
A long time friend and colleague. Same division different unit. You’re from CIU (criminal investigations unit) and he’s from SWAT. You two are childhood friends, you were classmates in elementary but you two got into different classes in middle school and high school. You used to show your love for anatomy and stuffs so he got really surprised when he saw you at the police academy he’s like “wtf why are you here?” and got somehow more grumpy that you hid secrets from him. As an officer he’s very timid, and got those ‘fuck off’ expression so co workers and criminals both hate him. He doesn’t attend get togethers but he’s very diligent at work, very loyal to the law and captain. He’s in SWAT so danger is automatically present everytime, whenever enemies got the upper hand on their team he tends to sacrifice himself (which is ‘very foolish’ team operator’s thoughts not yours) He knows why you declined your promotion, the reason goes way back and you ended up telling him when you entered the academy when he got so upset with you. He’s an adoptive son of the captain btw.
“I already told you not to pull anything in front him, you may be close with the captain but you don’t know him to the extent as I do. You don’t want to taste his wrath. Also It’s already been seven years, the people had moved on too. Maybe it’s time to let him and the case go. You deserve better…someone who won’t hold you back.”
Ajax <Highschool Boyfriend>
A guy in your past. He’s popular, you’re a background character and somehow you two met etc. traditional cliche B-rate romcom stuffs blablabla. The thing going on with you two are more than friendship, highschool was fun because of him. Though your relationship with him was a secret because of a thing he has going on (that you don’t exactly know about.) You two used to sneak around the science lab during lunch time and after school. Childe truly loves you, he just can’t keep secrets from you no matter what. Instead of lying he tells you his problems vaguely whenever you asks him. He wants to protects you and his family, when it came to the point where everything is so messed up he decided to ‘k-word’ himself. Which you didn’t believe bc it’s not like him at all! Like dying is out of his bucket list, also you met him in the bridge 4 months after his so called burial wearing all-black like a random sus person. He handed you a bracelet he’s supposed to give you on your birthday and key you didn’t know what for and yelled “you shouldn’t use that pretty head of yours to worry for an asshole!” then he was suddenly shot in the chest and fell in the river like a lunatic when you try to catch up to him.
“Cowards run from their problem, and courageous people faces them. I would say i’m neither and also both. Does that explains it? Told you those books aren’t making you smarter hahahaha why don’t you just stop attending your night classes and focus on me hmmmm? Because no matter how much you study, no book in this world can describe the feelings i have for you. Argh! Damn that smile! My heart feels like it’s going to burst, can you prescribe me a kiss doc?”
Heizou <Detective I>
He’s a new face to you. So you got really surprised when you found out that he’s ur co worker! You actually thought he’s a random ass civilian snooping around your unit until he showed you his badge to proved you wrong. From what you heard from Kojou Sara is he’s a detective too. Though he’s a rank lower than you, but he’s a genius! Like you he refuses to be promoted because he likes the crimes, the chases, and the thrill of the frontlines. He refuses to be promoted until he becomes a “true detective” according to him. He’s known for solving cases in a peculiar way, apparently he’s the type to just vanish into the wind without a word to his superiors and would just reappear declaring ‘case solved’. It’s a headache. What ties you to him is when he was punished for disappearing for 6 months for that one drug case. He ends up cleaning everything up including your office where he found Ajax’s case. He pestered you to let him in the case saying he knows someone who can be a lead. You didn’t expect to see a higschooler Ajax look alike in the front of your house at 10 am in the morning. Wait- Is that Teucer?!
“There’s a reason why everything i handle has a 100% succeeding rate, and if you want too know what lies behind this, you must do everything in my way. You are not alone in this case anymore! Just shut up and take my hand Detective! It’s about time for you to trust me too.”
Kunikuzushi <Ajax’s friend slash neighbor>
As a a detective, you very much exploited the idea of the phrase ‘keep your friends close but your enemies closer’. It becomes handy on missions and in real life situations, sometimes being a star officer makes you feel you always have the upper hand. You would never expect that would backfire to you. You have known Kunikuzushi since highschool because of the fact that him and Ajax are well known friends with complete opposite personalities. He’s infamous for his stingy foul words, mean attitude and unexpectedly high marks. But you get along well with him surprisingly.
It’s rare for anyone to move in your neighborhood without being paid a sum for the pricings are quite high… that’s why everyone is eager to know who just moved in the biggest house in the neighborhood! (it’s next door) It didn’t surprised you much to see it’s kunikuzushi, you already knew he’s loaded when you met him. I mean his mother used to be a mayor in their city. But while catching up with him you can’t help but suspect him. He said he hate his mother and he didn’t accepted a cent from her, so he ends up having an office job after college. He lives lavishly for a ‘normal’ office guy. You used to think he dresses well, but any fashion expert could tell at first glance he’s wearing designer clothes head to toe. He’s really nice as a neighbor, he let your visitors wait inside his house whenever you’re still asleep or still out (most likely some of your co workers and of course teucer) Xiao says he’s smells like bad news like your ex while Heizou would describe him as a two faced whiny scum bitch when he first met kuni. He was ‘bribed’ offered with food and ‘he’s incredibly nice about it didn’t suit his face at all!’ unbeknownst to you this guy works for the Fatui. He’s the 6th harbinger, alias ‘scaramouche’. One of the faults for Ajax’s disappearance. But hey! Atleast he didn’t lie that he works as an office guy.
“Good morning Y/N! Are you heading out now? Do you want a ride? Oh… by the way Ajax’s death anniversary is coming up, i heard you’re still the one handling his case from the officers who visited your house yesterday morning. Seven years had passed already but I just want to tell you if you need a shoulder to cry on or a someone you can vent to, i am always here. Just like old times… don’t you miss it? The comfort of someone during your hardest times? Unlike my other services, my arms are free of charge you can pull me a hug anytime you want. :)”
Diluc <CSI Team Leader>
You don’t have a lot to say about diluc to begin with. He’s a very uhm quiet guy. Diluc and the captain has some bond, maybe it’s because of their personalities? Other than him you don’t see anyone that close to him. Well if you’re going to describe diluc in some words you can say he’s your dream guy. He’s everyone’s dream guy it’s actually illegal to look at him. I mean have you seen him?!?!? Sometimes you just stare at him from your office window, he’s so dreamy with his high pony tail, his build and tiddies popping under that white dress shirt, and damn that glare of his-wait is he looking this way?!
Well there’s his looks, but he’s more than that! You got to know him on this one office party where you felt uncomfy because all the attendees are male and they’re all drunk asf gladly diluc accompanied you through out the night! You found out despite having that stand offish attitude he’s actually a fun and good guy! He’s a huge gentleman and fucking filthy rich too. Who knew he owns a huge ass winery? After that night you two just clicked and started hanging out whenever you two would like to meet. You already stayed over his place a lot of times already. While spending the night, you accidentally found out him and kaeya are brothers due to the hanged frames at the wall. You actually don’t know what’s your relationship with diluc, if ur being honest rn you would say you would like to try dating him, and he feels the same way too. It’s just that the both of you has a lot of baggage to unpack before you two can actually take it to the next step. For now you’ll just be contented to the subtle glances and hangouts with each other.
“Is it a bit selfish to say that i don’t want you thinking about work or anyone else while we’re together? You’ve been busy with your cases lately. now, can i have you for myself?”
Kaeya <Detective II>
Kaeya. He’s that person in ur work that u either like or hate. It’s just that he’s a very complex person! Being in the same rank and all you always see his face. No, it’s not that kaeya’s ugly. Actually he’s one of the hottest guy in ur unit and u’ll srs get on bed with him if he just asks but it’s his fucking attitude and laziness. It’s a huge turn off! Especially when he makes you do all the paper work while he drank his life away and you spend your night in ur office. Also kaeya’s a huge flirt. He flirted with you when you were first new at work and this being kaeya and all you actually fell for his charms until you saw him doing this to everyone even the criminals he interrogates which is kinda annoying and killed the sparks that actually lit up. Well, those are the least of your problems when dealing with kaeya. He’s been much more annoying lately, butting on all of your businesses and all. He even buts into all of your conversations whether it’s with diluc, xiao, with the captain or even ur neighbor! He’s everywhere! In kaeya’s defense it just irks him that you’ve been running around and talking to everyone but him lately, while ur 24/7 living rent free in his mind. What’s with the sudden change? It’s not like you’ve found out he’s been working as a double agent right?
“I’m a mind reader and yes I will sleep with you- aw you won’t? Ok damn girl chile, there goes my 576 chance ig”
Kaeya loves holding your waist and pulling you closer to him. This gesture makes you question if it's from affection or if he's just teasing you. Either way, it's both. He does that so others would know who you belong to, sometimes he just does that out of habit though. There are times when he does that purposely because he knows that it would fluster you.
Diluc would come up behind you and hug you from behind whilst his head is resting on your shoulder. Doesn't matter if you're doing something, like cooking or working or even cleaning. He'll just peek over your shoulder and watch what you're doing while giving you little pecks on your shoulder and neck.
Childe spoils you with flowers. Every time he comes back from a mission he would always have a bouquet of flowers in his hand. Sometimes he just goes out just to find you some flowers. He even went to Dragonspine to search for one. He's the type to do anything for you and give you anything you want, even if it meant risking his life for you. Which led you to scold him a lot.
Zhongli would hold your hand anytime and anywhere. Even if you're just eating he would grab your hand under the table, brushing his thumb over your knuckles. He would also kiss the back of your hand from time to time while looking at you lovingly. There are times that he subconsciously grabs your hand without meaning to do so. Nonetheless, you love it.
Xiao would always leave a flower on your bedside table every time he goes to leave the next morning. It's a little reminder that he'll be away for a while and it's his way of saying "I love you". Since Xiao is still unfamiliar with love, that's all he could do. But he hopes you know that he loves you very much and that the flowers he leaves will show it to you.
Albedo spoils you with artifacts he would find during his experiments. There are lots of rare artifacts in Dragonspine and surprisingly, instead of using them in his experiments, he gives them to you. Of course, you give him some as well and he will treasure them with all his heart. He would always freak out whenever he loses them, ended up scaring Sucrose, and lets out an audible sigh of relief when he finds them again. He hopes that you also treasure the ones he gave you.
Scaramouche loves giving and receiving hugs. He may not look like it, but he yearns for hugs as it gives him comfort. He doesn't admit it but you could read him like a book and that makes you hug him tighter. There are times that he would find the courage to pull you in a hug as he buried his face into your hair/chest to hide the blush. Childe caught you two one time and teased Scaramouche all week. Scaramouche ended up kicking him in the face a bunch of times.
includes: cuddling, kissing, crying, use of his real name (just once plslsls)
a/n: i have this hc that soft mouchie is scared of thunder/lightening (｡•̀ᴗ-)
the loud thunder rumbled, and large amounts of rain splattered against the living room window. you frowned at the sight, knowing it somehow frighten scaramouche. the moment the storm started, he had cuddled up against you on the couch.
his head rested against your chest, eyes tightly shut. you made sure to warm him with a blanket over yourself and him. was this another of his vulnerable states? you didn’t mind though, he was extremely cute like this.
your fingers gently smoothing his indigo locks, admiring his pretty bangs. his soft breathing that you could listen to all day..
“..you know, you’re cute when you’re scared.”
“i’m not scared.” he quickly denied, a small frown portraited his face.
“yeah, yeah, you’re totally not scared.”
a sudden loud thunder came from the skies above, which slightly caused scaramouche to jump. you laughed out, and he groaned at you.
“it’s alright to be frightened from thunder my love, i’m here.” you cooed, bringing his head up towards yours, gently nuzzling his cheeks. you noticed a tear trailing down his face, and immediately began to panic.
“kuni—oh my god, i’m sorry! please don’t cry..” you wrapped your arms around his back, patting it lightly. you never really knew why scaramouche was so afraid of thunder and lightening, but you never asked about it. it seemed personal. or maybe it’s a fear he had for a long time? you don’t question it though, he’s comfortable enough to show you another one of his vulnerable states.
“shh, baby, i got you.” you whispered, lightly placing the lost indigo locks behind his ear. he looked up at you, and leaned for a kiss. you, of course, accepted it. his lips tasted slightly salty from his tears, but you truly didn’t mind.
it was passionate and soft, you moderately taking the lead, earning these quiet, but barely audible whimpers from the balladeer. he pulled away, and nudged his head on your neck.
Warnings: mentions of killing and fighting, a bit of angst but nothing serious, mentions of Scara's real name + backstory, reader is not Traveler (and Lumine is the Traveler), let me know if I should add more warnings
The biggest thank you to @mari-on-dragonspine, I wouldn't finish this without your feedback and support <3 also credits to you for making up the perfect title!
This is my longest fic ever omg. I hope you all like it, don't forget to reblog and/or leave a comment, I'm interested to hear your thoughts!
You thought you could stop them, you thought you could help - but as you saw Scaramouche lying on the ground without movement, you knew you were too late. Traveler's sword was gripped tightly in her hand, while the other one held the sought-after gnosis. She looked at you, surprised to see you here in the middle of nowhere, but you paid her no mind. You could only think of him - your Kunikuzushi.
You felt your throat tighten as you fell to the ground next to him, checking for signs of life. You couldn't describe the relief that washed over you when you found out he's still alive. Tears fell onto his barely moving body, he looked so helpless...
"I didn't kill him," Traveler said anyway as she hid the gnosis away. "I only took what wasn't his."
If looks could kill, Lumine would already be dead. You hated her for hurting him. "It was his more than it will ever be yours," you spit with venom in your voice. Then, oh so gently, you pulled your lover into your lap.
"It's okay, I'm here. I'm so sorry..."You whispered as more tears left your eyes. Then another switch came as you remembered the one who caused this is still here, watching you.
"Aren't you satisfied?! Get out." You didn't look at her but when you couldn't hear her leaving, you gave her another look full of hatred. "I said GET OUT!" you screamed and that's when the blonde heroine finally decided to leave.
"I tried to talk to him-" Lumine was interrupted when ice spikes suddenly flew her way. She dodged them easily but she could feel the change in energy in this desolate place. She didn't want to hurt you so she decided to stay quiet and do as told. Soon, you were left alone, only with unconscious Scara on your thighs. You ran your hand through his locks, a comforting gesture he expressed to enjoy in the past.
"Kuni, if you can hear me... I'm really sorry for being late. I couldn't find you - you didn't tell me where you went," you sobbed, desperate to get this off of your chest. "I tried my best...but as usual, it wasn't enough..."
You saw his eyelids flutter, slowly opening up so you could see his beautiful stormy eyes. Unknowingly, you smiled at him, continuing to play with his hair.
"Hey. I was so worried for you," you breathe out, a bit of tension leaving your body with the held up breath.
"Who are you?" You felt a shiver run through your back and it wasn't from your vision. You held back the incoming onslaught of more sobbing.
"What? I'm Y/n! Are you okay??"
"You're...pretty. Why are you crying?"
Shocked by his words, you couldn't help the heat that rushed to your face and you had to look away to find your composure. Amnesia huh? You did not expect that.
"I'm crying because I thought I lost you," you said honestly, your voice still shaky. He's looking at you like he's seeing you for the first time, but also with such admiration as if he's looking at an angel.
"Do you happen to know who am I?" He asked so softly, you could barely recognise it.
"Who- she will pay for this I swear..." You felt rage grip at your heart. This was all her fault. You should've tried to kill her when you had the chance, when she was tired from the battle with Scaramouche. It's too late now though. You frown, stopping your hand and instead helping Scara to sit. He wavered a bit, his hand instinctually going to where his heart would be, where now only a nasty wound with electro marks was. He looked so confused, you felt the need to protect him - but that's nothing unusual for you. You loved him after all.
"I feel so empty," he sounded so broken and you fought the need to just pull him to you and kiss away the pain as usual. But you couldn't. If he didn't remember you, nor who he was, it felt wrong.
"It's going to be okay. I'll protect you. Do you think you can get up?" He nodded and with a bit of your strenght, he's on his feet again. You let go of him and you already missed his warmth.
"Now... Uhm. You called yourself Kunikuzushi. But you're also known as Scaramouche, or The Balladeer." He nodded once again, his eyes wide as he was taking in the information. "We're lo- ehm I mean, very good friends. You got hurt." You gently touched his wound that looked similiar to when he first inserted the gnosis there. He kept looking at you like a deer in headlights so you pulled away again.
"Sorry. We should leave this place. Are you in pain?" You wanted to hold his hand so badly. You wanted to tell him how much you love him. Yet you couldn't just do that. You were a stranger to him and that was a painful realisation. You will be strong for him though, you thought as you blinked away the tears that were so close to spilling again.
"No... But I feel like I've lost something important."
"You did. We will find the one who did this, don't worry. We'll get it back." You gave him a smile and in return, he tried to smile at you too.
***
You brought him back to your camp that consisted of a tent with Fatui symbols and a burnt out campfire. It wasn't much but you were used to harsh conditions and Sumeru, while dangerous in its own way, was nothing alike the cold winters in Snezhnaya. On the way, you tried to explain to him as many things as you could.
"So you're a member of this organisation-"
"Fatui, yes,"
"But you're on the run from them."
You nodded, finding his curiosity endearing. "I actually deserted because I couldn't follow the order they gave me. They wanted me to hurt someone dear to me..." You looked at him wistfully, wondering if you could tell him the full truth. However, too scared of overwhelming him, you kept out the important parts that connected to him." I don't think I'll be a member for much longer. They're probably already working on the paperwork necessary to make me a new target!" You laughed, although it held no joy and Kunikuzushi noticed.
"Why do you laugh when you don't find it funny?"
You shook your head, he's observant as ever.
"It helps me deal with the fact that my life is in danger. And by being with me, you're in danger too. It's...not an easy truth to accept." You smile at him sadly, once again not mentioning he's actually the one putting you in danger without knowing. The Tsaritsa wouldn't care about a lowly Fatuus like you. You only got your assignment because they knew about your close relationship with the main target - Scaramouche, and hoped they could exploit it. As if there ever was a chance your loyalty to them would be stronger than to the one who offered you his entire being.
Suddenly, there was a hand on your shoulder. Looking up, you saw an expression that mirrored your own. "I'm here with you. I'll help you."
You wondered if he knew about his powers. That would certainly make everything easier. Still, you were warmed by his kindness. It reminded you of his softer moments in the middle of the night, when it was just the two of you, accompanied by the moonlight. That was the time when most of his declarations of love happened... You sighed and put your hand over his, gently removing it from your shoulder and then lingering for a while. You haven't seen him for months before this. You've missed him so much...
"Your hand is warm," Kunikuzushi said with a slight blush as you continued to grip his hand. You let go of it immediately. He looked almost disappointed.
"I'm... Sorry, don't mind me. I'll go cook us a dinner."
And so you did. During the entire time, you were being observed by him. He was fascinated by you. He constantly felt the need to be close to you. Not only because you're the only one he knows. You showed him nothing but kindness. Although it felt like you are not telling him something, he was too unsure to ask directly. He thinks back to the moment he woke up, to your hand in his hair and how comfortable you were. Why did it look like you don't want to touch him all of a sudden? He didn't know why but he needed your warmth...
***
Scara kept you company the whole day now. It was so strange, seeing him like this, so...unguarded. He basically wore his heart on a sleeve. Is this what he was like when he first opened his eyes 500 years ago?
You've got an idea. If it's good or bad, only time will tell, but right now it was your only lead.
"We're leaving."
"Where to?" He asked, helping you pack the tent.
"Inazuma, nation of eternity. Your birthplace."
***
Getting safely back to Inazuma wasn't the easiest, nor the cheapest. Not to mention you still had to be sneaky, not being able to afford to get any of you recognised. Scara had to wear your cloak with hood the entire time to be less recognisable.
In the end though, you voyage was successful. Getting out of Ritou was easy now with all the repercussions gone but Kunikuzushi was interested in some of the food stalls so you stayed a bit longer. He enjoyed eating his dango while you were worried someone will know who you are. Yet as you looked at his happy face, how he licked his lips when he was finished and then the expectant look he gave you, you decided the stop was worth it. You still loved spending time with him, although you missed his talkative self. This version of him was much calmer, more thoughtful as he observed the world around him with childlike fascination.
The next time you stopped, you were already at the final destination. The Grand Narukami Shrine. You weren't exactly happy to be there but it had to be done. You were prepared for the ever-teasing Yae Miko. She won't catch you off-guard.
"My-my, who do we have here... If this isn't -"
"We need your help, Guuji Yae," you stopped her before she could say something that would ruin everything you were trying to keep away from Kuni. You weren't even pretending to like her, she just gave you wrong vibes.
"I figured you didn't come to just say hi." She retorted, and then looked at Scaramouche who's still carefully hidden in the cloak. "I certainly didn't expect you to show up after the last time." She gave him an annoyed look. Apparently even she wasn't in the mood for pretense.
"He doesn't remember." You said as you stepped closer to him, not wanting him to feel her sharp gaze alone.
"Oh? Now that's interesting. Tell me more," she lead you inside where no shrine maidens would listen to your private conversation, and there you told her all you know. Not that there's that much to begin with. Yae Miko looked thoughtfully for a minute, and then spoke again.
"I assume he's lost his memory from having the gnosis forcefully torn out of him. It's only a theory though, I've never seen something like this happen in my entire life. Perhaps if you're able to get it back, his memory will return as well. Or you could go talk to the Raiden Shogun, I'm sure she'd love to see you." She giggled at your very serious, displeased expression. "If that doesn't work... I'm sure you'll figure something out. You still love him, no?" she chuckled, intentionally speaking loud enough for Kunikuzushi to hear. A bit of chaos never hurts in her humble opinion.
"We're leaving. Thank you for your help. May we meet again," you gritted through your teeth, hoping to not see this head of pink hair in the near future.
"Of course. Take care~" she said teasingly as you took your leave. The sooner you're gone the better. Scaramouche didn't speak at all during your visit but you could tell he has a lot to say. The way he would look at you, sometimes opening and closing his mouth, not even knowing where to start. You told him who Raiden Shogun was on your way to Inazuma, mentioning she could be considered his mother of sorts. Why didn't you just tell him he's a puppet? He's much more than that in your eyes and as long as he believed himself to be human, he could pass as one. He felt, acted, spoke like a human. Telling him he's not would be cruel.
"How do you know you love someone?" Kunikuzushi asked, giving you a quick glance to see your reaction. You were prepared, however, for a similiar question.
"It depends on the kind of love we're talking about. There's familiar love, something you'd feel towards your parents or siblings in a lot of cases. There's love between friends, people you aren't related to by blood. And then there's romantic love. I...don't know how to explain that one. It's similar to friendship but it's different at the same time. You want to spend your life with that person, basically? I guess..." You trailed off, giving it some more thought as you continued to travel to the Inazuma City.
"I want to spend my life with you. But we're friends, right?" He was confused why he felt so strongly about you without fully knowing you. It was as if his feelings were someone else's. He couldn't deny that the pull he felt towards you was very real though.
"Right. You can spend your life with a friend too though." You shook your head, frustrated at being so bad with words. "I'm not that good at explaining as you might've noticed," you sigh, looking at the way ahead of you but you could feel his gaze on you. "Let's hope we can get your memory back so I don't have to do it anymore!" You joked, adding a small laugh to it. He only nodded.
***
"We have to sneak into the Tenshukaku Palace," you said resolutely, eyeing the big building in the distance.
"Why? Can't we just walk in? If she is my mother?"
"I know it sounds simple but you forget about my affiliation. They wouldn't let me in with you." That seemed to change his tune.
"How do you want to do it?"
You thought for a bit, figuring out the best way in. "We'll go through the roof, find a window, break it and we're in."
"You want to climb it?" He asked in disbelief. You smirked and suddenly there's a big ice spike before you.
"I can make these and we can use them as a staircase, basically." You explain to him.
"How did you do it?" He touched the ice structure, almost as if he had to make sure it's actually real. Oh right. You forgot to tell him about visions. So that's what you did for the rest of the way to the city.
"Actually, you are able to control electro as well. Or you used to be. You were very powerful too!" You said enthusiastically, thinking back to all the fights you were in together, how you worked in sync, how he always beat you during your training... Finding yourself drifting to the past, you blinked a few times to root yourself back into reality.
"Anyway, look, we're almost in the city. We have some time before the night falls, would you like to browse the stores?"
"Sure," he nodded, while thinking how to channel his electro powers. Does it happen naturally or do you have to focus? He imagined a lightning strike next to you and lo and behold, an electric current really stroke there! You jumped away, looking quite bewildered.
"Kuni! You can't just...summon lightning whenever you want. What if you hurt someone?" You exclaimed. You might sound hypocritical but it really was dangerous to use elemental powers untrained in a rural environment, and you tell him so.
A quiet "Sorry," is what you got as a reply. As he apologised, you looked at him with a slightly ajar mouth. Did you hear that right? You're pretty sure this is the first time you've heard an apology from him. It made you feel uneasy for some reason. He's really nothing alike his old self.
Before you could say something, Scara got interested in a shop with books - ah, Yae Publishing House. You followed him and let him choose whatever he'd like. You still had some funds left but you were starting to run dry. The sun was slowly starting to set, making everything way prettier than it usually is but all you could think of was the plan you had to execute soon.
***
Climbing the roof was easier than you expected. Your makeshift staircase made of ice really worked. You had to be careful not to slip but that wasn't a big issue. Scara was a few steps behind you, the hood of your cloak now down because it didn't really matter anymore. Actually, it's better if he can be seen by the Raiden Shogun before she decides to make slash you in half. Quietly you climbed to the first floor and actually ending up on a balcony of sorts. The doors to it were closed though, as expected. There was no lock visible on them either.
"Hm..." You mused, looking around the balcony. Seeing nothing helpful, you frowned. "Maybe we could pry it open?" You wondered outloud, gesturing to the doors. Summoning your icy spear, you inserted it where the doors meet, using it as a crowbar. Surprisingly, it worked and once there was a small hole in the door, it didn't take much more effort to open it fully and go through. You went down the stairs together, hoping there are no soldiers inside. Honestly, you didn't even know where to find the Shogun. You never got this close to the palace, yet alone Inazuma's ruler.
It seemed like luck was on you side though, as just as you left the stairs, you were met by a tall woman with hair similiar to that of Kunikuzushi's.
"State you intentions," Raiden Shogun asked coldly, hand on her sword ready to draw it at any second. You moved to the side to let Scara through, hoping she recognises him - and she did, as her posture relaxed a bit.
"We need your help, almighty Shogun, " you said carefully.
"What makes you think I want to help you?" Her voice was a bit different now, not so emotionless.
"He lost his memories when the Traveler took the gnosis from him. This was actually Yae Miko's idea." You quickly explained while looking anywhere but in her face. It made you too nervous. "We want to return them."
"You saw Miko? Interesting..."
"Are you able to help?" You were a bit inpatient, yes, but who wouldn't be in such situation.
"Do you want your memories back?" She turned to Kunikuzushi, and the intensity of her gaze reminded you of his whenever he interrogated prisoners or troublemakers, or even the agents that had to answer to him directly.
"Yes," he answered simply, easily withstanding her sharp look.
There was silence for what felt like hours and you waited in anticipation what would happen next.
"I'll take care of him," she sounded gentle, caring, almost motherly. Did she actually care about him, even though he was a failure in her eyes? This went through your head as she lead him deeper into the palace.
"You can stay in the palace for the night, there are some free bedrooms in the right wing. I should be done with this in the morning." Raiden Shogun told you before leaving the room. Kuni turned to look at you, sad and unsure what's about to happen. So you smiled at him, hoping it would easy his worries, and he smiled back, and then left too.
***
To say you were worried would be an understatement. You couldn't sleep all night, thinking of all the possible scenarios that could happen. When the birds started to sing and the sun started to shine through the windows, you got up and went to where you last saw them. Uncaring, you sat on the ground and waited...and waited... Until you heard footsteps. Looking up, you saw Raiden Shogun and next to her, your dear Kunikuzushi. He certainly looked the same... You stood up and right in time as Scara made his way to you grabbing your forearm and dragging you away.
"We're leaving." His voice was harsh again and you only threw a surprised look his way and then Shogun's, who watched you without moving a muscle.
You let yourself be lead out of the palace by him, this time you went through the front door. He didn't say anything else until you left Tenshukaku. There he pulled you away from the main street to the trees, basically trapping you. He was scowling.
"I don't know if I should reprimand you or kiss you first." He smirked, eyeing your lips hungrily.
"How about telling me what the hell happened there?!" You were having none of it. You were so anxious and now you were getting angry.
"That would be a long story," he shrugged, a bit amused by your antics.
"I don't see any of us having pressing matters so please, go ahead and tell me." You stood your ground, looking him in the eyes without wavering.
"Fine. She did something to me. Then she talked to me. Sentimental crap. Nothing important." He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.
"Oh really? Then why are you acting like this? I know you, remember? You just use your anger to hide other emotions you don't know how to deal with. So, how about you tell me how are you actually feeling right now?" You pressed him more. You knew you were going the right way, especially when he stayed silent for some time.
"She told me she regretted how she handled me back then. And that I am not just a faulty puppet," he finally said, and you knew he had to feel really vulnerable now so you chose your next words carefully.
"Because you aren't. I've told you so many times. I don't think a" faulty puppet" would be capable of loving so strongly. You are perfect the way you are," you smiled, touching his cheek lightly and he leaned into your touch almost immediately, closing his eyes and smiling.
"You always treat me so nicely, no matter how badly I act." He opened his eyes again to be able to look into yours that always made him feel calmer inside. "I'm truly lucky to have you."
Your smile widened and your heart started beating faster.
"And... Thank you for taking care of me when I couldn't remember anything..." He added quietly with a cute blush. You leaned in to finally kiss him, after so long - and it was as sweet as you remembered. His lips soft and warm, fitting perfectly with yours. His hands went around you to pull you closer to him because he missed you dearly. He often regretted leaving you to run away with the gnosis but of course you found a way back to him. You were awfully resourceful when you had a good motivation.
When your lips parted, you were both a bit breathless as you just stared into each other's eyes lovingly. Nothing else mattered now.
"I've missed you so much, why didn't you take me with you?" You said, and the pain could be felt in your voice.
"About that. I was just trying to protect you. And I'd be successful at that if you wouldn't have followed me." He creased his eyebrows and you could tell this is what he wanted to reprimand you about.
"Yeah, you'd also still remember nothing. So... Maybe this will teach you that we're stronger together. Nothing can stop us, see?" He chuckled at that, resting his brow on yours.
"I do."
You smiled at that and pecked his lips once more. You were oh so happy to have him back. And you could tell he was too by the way he was still clutching you and refusing to let you go.
"You know, the emptiness becomes much more tolerable when I hold you. Maybe you're actually my heart." You'd call him out on the cheesiness if it wasn't for the fact he said it so seriously. Your own heart was drumming against your chest now as you shakily pulled him into a long hug.
"I love you, Kunikuzushi." You murmured into his shoulder. The love you felt for this man was a bit overwhelming but very much worth it.
congrats on 200 followers!! you just got another one!! meeee!! (im going to binge read all your work hehe) 😁😁🥳 may i request 21, angst to fluff with scara?? and could you include the quote “pretty little liar”
also can i be boba tea anon??🧋stay safe!
21 - “Some things just aren’t meant to be.”
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characters; Scaramouche, gn reader
cw/tw; Nightmares, surrealism, hurt/comfort, Scara attacks you (but not really), let me know if I missed anything
word count; 1.1k
notes; Hello !! Yes of course you can be added to the anon list, you’ve been there for a while and I hope you’re still hanging around !! Your request has been added, I hope you like it even though it’s been so long since you’ve sent this in. As always, going through my writers block so I’m sorry if it’s not that great
Please reblog if you like this!!
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
The heavy doors slammed shut as you were thrown to the ground, the guards behind you laughing as you let out a quiet groan. Your head raised slowly to face the back of your now-ex lover, your breath catching in your throat.
“Scara, I never-“
He raises his hand in warning, and you fall silent. He motions for the troops behind you to leave, and when the door closes again, the two of you were the only people left inside the room.
“I trusted you.” His voice is quiet, his words blunt.
“And you can still trust m-“
“Stop lying to me!” He whips around to face you, the tips of his fingers crackling with violet electricity, matching his iridescent eyes. “When were you going to tell me you betrayed the Fatui?!”
The world shifted around you as you took a step back, small cracks forming behind the man you loved. Dark purple outlined his figure, sparks flying almost uncontrollably out of his hand. You had never seen him so… You couldn’t quite name it. He was angry, yes, but there was something much more. Your eyes moved up to his face - only then did you catch the glimpse of a lone tear sliding down his cheek, dripping down the edge of his jaw and landing on the floor.
Ah. Hurt. That’s what he was feeling. Betrayed and abandoned; it had a funny little way of squeezing its way in his life.
You wanted to reach your arms out, hold him close, comfort him like you’ve done countless times. Unfortunately, you were the cause of this. Well, you would’ve been if the rumour he heard had been true. No, you didn’t agree with the Fatui, or the Tsaritsa for that matter, but you would never think of betraying Scaramouche. Not for one second. “Please just listen to me! Don’t you trust me?!”
You heard a quiet scoff, and that was all the warning he gave you before his catalyst rose in the air.
At first, you were too in shock to realise you had been struck by his merciless lightning. Then, the searing pain that started in your chest and made its way slithering through the veins in the rest of your body. You couldn’t move. Even though you desperately tried to cry out, verbalise your pain, you were immobilised. All that you could manage was a weak, warbling mumble of his name. The sound of his thunderous footsteps followed next, too slow for your liking. He was taking his time, or more so, stalling what was about to come - perhaps out of some scraps of love left for you.
“Pretty little liar, but a liar nonetheless. Clearly, some things just weren’t meant to be, like you…”His hand raised once again, casting a shadow over your helpless figure on the ground.
“And me.”
Frantic screaming echoed through the room as it fragmented, dissipating into nothing, and the next time you opened your eyes, Scaramouche was still looming over you. Wait… Something’s different. His eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth was moving, but there was nothing coming out. Confused, you tilted your head at him and your lips moved to mouth his name. When your eyes began to focus, your vision blurred by tears, everything began to make sense.
There was no purple glow anymore, no catalyst by his side, no harbinger number six. It was just your Scara, panic painted on his face even though he tried to conceal it.
“What… What happened?” Your words slurred when you attempted to speak, confirming your theory further.
“I don’t know, you tell me. You were the one who started screaming out of nowhere, dumbass.” Scara’s voice held none of its usual bite to it, his soft voice laced thick with sleep as he slowly moved away from where he was looking down at you.
A nightmare.
“Sorry…” You saw him shake his head as you began to prop yourself up on your trembling arms, only for them to slip from underneath you. His hands caught you before you could back on the bed, helping you sit up properly. Before you could apologise again for waking him up, he pulled you to lean against his chest, one of his hands stiffly moving up and down your back. Even in the state you were in now, you couldn’t help the upward curl of your lip at the small action. The harbinger wasn’t the best at comfort, and you could tell he was only copying you when you comforted him with his own nightmares, but he was still trying - for you.
“What happened?” He asked after a moment, his hand moving more fluidly against your back once he found a rhythm he was satisfied with.
When you blinked, flashes of vibrant purple eyes staring down at you plagued your memories, and you shook your head to rid yourself of them. From your silence, and the tears beginning to stream down your face, he could tell this was no ordinary run-of-the-mill dream about a fantastical scenario.
“… You don’t have to-“
“It was about you.” The two of you spoke at the same time, and both of you stared back at the other with owlish expressions. Your partner nodded at you to continue, and you took a deep breath to compose yourself.
“I’m not too sure about the details. But you thought I’d betrayed the fatui. And…” You let out a shaky breath, trying to push yourself through. “You… You…”
“Enough.” His voice silenced you, making you look in his direction.
“… Betray the Fatui all you want. Hell, join the traveller for all I care,” He scoffed, raising a hand to carefully wipe away your tears. “But I would never hurt you. I promise.”
“You wouldn’t?” You whimpered quietly, and the sound broke his non-existent heart.
“Never. I don’t care what side you’re on, nothing could make me do that.”
You heaved a heavy sigh of relief and slumped against the man you loved, snuggling your head against his shoulder. “Okay…” Hesitantly, he pressed his lips against the crown of your head and slid his arm around your shoulders, holding you closer.
Eventually, he noticed that your breathing had softened and evened out, bringing him to the conclusion that you had fallen asleep. The puppet drew you in closer, a rare smile spreading across his lips. No. Nothing in the universe could ever make him think of putting you in harm's way. Not the fatui, not the gods… Not Celestia itself. He’d rather die than let anything happen to you. And as he pressed his lips against your forehead before laying you back down, he hoped it would never have to come to that.
You and him, this was something that was meant to be.
summary: ayato realizes his feelings for you, his assistant
warning: not proofread as per usual
chapter: caught
"Thoma, a word please?" Ayato's voice came out of nowhere. Thoma, who was sweeping the floors of the dining area, dropped his broom and whipped his head towards the commissioner.
"Lord Ayato!"
Ayato doesn't normally call for him, as he was Ayaka's attendant, so it surprised him to see the Yashiro Commissioner there.
"I apologize for giving you quite a fright." Ayato's eyes glistened with amusement though, as though he enjoyed surprising people. "I would like your opinion on something."
"Does Y/N know you're here?" Thoma picked up the broom and grinned at Ayato. His assistant was quite adamant that they be informed whenever Ayato decides to leave his work unattended. There has already been quite a few times wherein Ayato would face your scolding.
"I left a note, never worry." He then took a seat before watching Ayato claim the one across him. "I have...a particular dilemma I hope you could assist me with." Then the amusement on Ayato's face disappeared, it was replaced by a serious look which made Thoma feel like something is terribly wrong.
"I may not be the right person, Lord Ayato. Maybe Y/N could-,"
Ayato shook his head immediately, "I don't think they can help. You see, the matter is about Y/N and I want your insight on it." He folded his graceful fingers on his lap, his eyes clouding up. "Y/N is incredibly efficient, nothing is wrong about their work ethic. I just find..." He cleared his throat, "I find myself...wanting to rile them up even more. I also have developed quite the addiction to hearing them praise me."
Thoma stared at the commissioner, wondering what was wrong.
"In some days, I discover that I may have been wanting to ignore my work just because in not doing my task for the day, Y/N hovers around me more. My heart quickens in their presence..." Ayato trailed off, his face flooding with color which seemed so off in his usual calm demeanor. "I keep on wondering if you have an idea on what it could be."
"What else do you feel whenever Y/N is around, Lord Ayato?" Thoma inquired further but he already knew the answer.
"Whenever my heart decides to calm down in their presence, I feel the most at peace whenever Y/N smiles and talks. May it simply be smiling because they have discovered a new thing in Inazuma or talking about what needs to be accomplished for the day." Ayato spoke about Y/N and in the process, his lips slowly twisted into the fondest smile. "With them, I feel the most peace like I do not have to leave the estate to hide from my duties. With them, my worries drift away as though they never existed."
Thoma had a hunch about how Ayato felt about you. Actually, all of the people who are able to see how you interacted with the Yashiro Commissioner could see the way his eyes lingered on your face, as though admiring your features. People could see him glancing subtly around to see if you are around, and brightening considerably whenever you drop by. They all saw how Ayato took all of your words seriously, melting like putty in your hands. No one, not even Ayaka, could put him in line before and everyone noted this.
It was just surprising that Ayato wasn't aware of this.
"My lord, perhaps you have grown to like Y/N?" Thoma offered an explanation for how the other man was feeling.
Ayato frowned, "Of course I like Y/N. They are very good-natured, a bit strict but extremely kind!" Was Thoma insinuating that Ayato didn't like you as a person?
But that wasn't what Thoma meant at all.
Thoma had to go to a more direct route, "Lord Ayato, from your stories...and from what I could see, you seem to have fallen for Y/N." Thoma was excited for you but he kept it inside. He knew you for a long time and you've never had any romantic conquest in your life.
"I have fallen for Y/N?"
"Why yes. Falling inlove is a different experience for an individual but it usually start off as wanting to be with them, thinking about their needs and their wants, desiring to see them happy, and feeling like home whenever they're around." Thoma explained further, that was when it dawned on the Yashiro Commissioner.
"I have fallen for Y/N."
Ayato has never fallen in love with anyone before. He was much too focused in his responsibilities that he never paid love and relationships any mind. He and his sister were both so busy fulfilling their roles day by day that they do not have time for it.
He has seen his parents and their love and affection towards one another but never thought he'd be in the position to feel love for someone.
You, of all people.
There is nothing wrong about feeling what he was feeling for you though. You were one of the people Ayato trusted with his life, and perhaps the only counsel he would seek. But you were his assistant, you were one of his most treasured people. What if you didn't feel the same way?
Would you resign from your post so you can save yourself from sheer awkwardness?
Ayato cleared his throat and pulled himself back from his thoughts. Thoma was watching him quietly, sensing that Ayato was thinking about the entire situation. "Thank you, Thoma. After knowing what this feeling might be, everything seems to clear now."
"I may not be the best person to give you an advice, my lord, but I do think that Y/N is one of the best people I know. You are probably one of the people I would fully entrust them with." He wasn't related to you in any way but Thoma felt a strong urge of fondness towards you. You were the sibling he didn't have and although he wasn't clear about how you felt, he knew Ayato would make you very happy. "So if you can, tell them. They should know how you feel."
Ayato nodded.
A beautiful emotion like this should not be hidden, not from you.
note. this is the product of watching too many c-dramas.
xiao as the inconsiderate classmate who closes the door on you even when he notices you walking behind him towards the lecture hall. the guy who never replies when you try to talk to him, like he believes it to be a waste of breath, always ready to put on the headphones resting around his neck and ignore your endless rambling. (the seatmate who quietly places a book upright on your desk when you fall asleep, preventing the teacher from catching you in the act. the boy who sneakily leaves your favorite bread and milk on your desk when he overhears you telling your friends you forgot your packed lunch at home.)
albedo as the haughty honor student who peeks at your test scores and does a little smirk. the boy who draws you with tiny devil horns and pointy teeth in art class. he doesn't roll his eyes when you grab his pencil case to borrow his stationery, but he comes close to it. you can't even begin to imagine what he's going to do if you break anything so you panic when the eraser's wrapping comes off; the cardboard slips away, revealing a name written underneath in elegant scrawls—and to your surprise, it's yours. (back in middle school, everyone believed the person you like will return your love if you wrote their name on your eraser... and succeeded in using it all. it doesn't take a detective to know this doesn't actually work.) (the eraser is only a quarter of its original size now.)
ayato as the jerk who tugs on your hair whenever he sits behind you and nobody believes the tale because “he looks too nice to do that!” (he isn't a 9 year old who bullies the girl he likes, goes unsaid.) the intolerable distraction who takes the seat beside you when you're studying at the library just to bother you, toying with highlighters and doodling small hearts on your notebook. with each sneer he receives, the bigger his smile becomes. (he likes your attention. steals it when you're talking to someone else, demands it back when you try to ignore him.) (he found that you look cute when angry, too.)
childe as the asshole who laughs in your face when he catches you in your pajamas while throwing out the trash. the rich scion who brandishes his wealth in every opportunity, dressed in expensive clothes and switching gold watches every day. randomly invites you to hang out one day without providing further context and frowns at your plain clothes while you gawk at his pressed suit. (he brings you to the mall, forbidding you from checking the price tags. he scours the store for the perfect outfit, grinning in satisfaction when the makeover is finished. “you're my date for zhongli's party today, okay?” ???)
scaramouche as the tyrant who sits at your lunch table without asking because “i can sit wherever i want” and apparently you can't do anything about it. the bully who chucks paper airplanes to your head, writing down stupid notes you pass back and forth via balled up paper and getting scolded by the teacher when he catches the both of you fooling around. (when he notices someone staring at you for too long in class, he smacks their head with a crumpled piece of paper scribbled with “what the hell are you looking at?”)
summary. your past exes, how you loved them, and why it didn't work out.
characters. venti, xiao, kazuha, scaramouche x gn!reader (separate but the stories are connected)
tags. modern au, fluff, angst
warnings. suggestive in xiao's part but nothing extreme. kind of ooc on scara's part but whtvr.
note. just a little something for you guys because i didn't update for a while. plus i wanted a genshin version of camila's song "consequences" idk i just love the angst in that song. i'm not the best at narrations and headcanons but i hope you guys still enjoy it! ^__^
LOVING VENTI WAS YOUNG, WILD, AND FREE.
venti was your fleeting but unforgettable love. you were young and inexperienced, didn't care much about a serious relationship. he was the one who suggested pranking your friends by going out as a joke. the two of you began dating despite not having feelings for each other. you loved the open and carefree aspect of your relationship with no actual commitment holding you back. having a label but still acting like friends.
you remember every little moment with him. how the two of you couldn't keep a straight face when you saw the shocked faces of your friends once they heard the news. how you brought each other to parties just to have a partner and not embarrass yourself. how the two of you joked about cheating whenever you flirted with strangers while drunk. how he randomly visited you at night to sneak out and walk around the neighborhood to talk about whatever. how he kissed you as a joke once and the loud laughs that followed after it. it was fun, it was exciting. you enjoyed every part of it.
you don't remember when, but at some point in time, you fell in love with him. everything you did together started becoming real to you. but he couldn't reciprocate, he just didn't see you that way. you were heartbroken but you accepted it, so you ended things with him before your feelings became too deep. you're still friends with him now, but everyone can see the distance that formed between the two of you.
if you could bring back time, you wouldn't have agreed to date him. because in the end, not only did you lose your first love, but you lost your best friend as well.
LOVING XIAO WAS COOL, HOT, AND SWEET.
xiao was your passionate love, a fierce fire that burnt out too fast. during a celebration night with your friends in a bar was where you met xiao, all alone, sitting on one of the bar stools. you were drunk enough to be bold and made the first move by buying him a drink. the next thing you know, you found yourself naked in his bed. you thought he was just a one night stand but you somehow kept meeting each other by chance. deciding to be friends, you kept in touch. after just a few months, you were already dating him.
it was a love that didn't hold any emotional connection. it was purely physical attraction for both of you. the passionate nights you shared were the only foundation of your relationship. you loved him, you truly did, but it was a love that you knew wouldn't last. your relationship with him escalated too quickly, you realized you didn't even know much about each other.
you two have a mutual breakup and agreed to stay friends. a month later, you find out about his new significant other. you see how they look at each other with pure love and adoration, completely different from the lustful one he used to give you. it's clear that they're meant to be together. you don't know why, but instead of feeling happy for them, you feel jealous.
if only you two tried harder back then, then maybe you would've made your relationship work. well, it's too late for regrets now.
LOVING KAZUHA WAS SUNSHINE, SAFE AND SOUND, A STEADY PLACE TO LET DOWN YOUR DEFENSES.
kazuha was an unexpected love, a breath of fresh air. before you started going out, the two of you were already quite close and had a lot of things in common. in contrast to your past relationships that started off on the wrong foot, everything with him started normally: you confessed, he reciprocated. just like how you'd expect people to start dating. you felt safe with him. he's calm and patient. he listened to you as you opened up about your insecurities and past heartbreaks. he's the ideal partner, one that anyone would die for.
the problem lies with your unbalanced maturity. he was at a point in his life where he was content and stable. you, on the other hand, were still on shaky ground. you were in constant need of assurance and support. it was your first healthy relationship which made you extremely dependent on him. he gave up valuable time when you needed him by your side. he stays with you everyday just because you were scared about him leaving you. the moment you realized that you were holding him back from living a carefree life, you felt guilty. you didn't want to be a burden anymore. you made him deal with your trauma when he just wanted a happy relationship from you. so you left with no explanation.
two years later, you receive an invitation, your coworker saying that it's from an old friend of yours. it's his wedding invitation. you attend, out of courtesy. you sit at the very back of the venue as you watch him exchange vows and promise forever with his new partner. you notice him look around the crowd, presumably trying to find someone. you leave before he could spot you.
you're happy for him, of course. you just wish you had the courage to face him and congratulate him personally. but you're too much of a coward for that.
BUT LOVING KUNIKUZUSHI HAD CONSEQUENCES
kunikuzushi was a mix of all your love in the past. he was your happiness, your fire, your solace—he was everything you ever felt. you met him through a mutual friend. you developed a small crush on him and eventually that crush turned into something deeper. but you simply admired him from afar because one thing was stopping you from getting close. it was that his heart was taken by another. you were content with just watching, you really were. because you were fine with being just a friend to him.
that was until they broke up. he was the first to approach you. the red flags were obvious, he just wanted a distraction. but you could see the hurt in his eyes and you wanted to be his comfort. so you let him use you. you became the rebound. you knew you deserved more but you didn't care because you loved him.
you wanted to end things at one point but he said that he needed you. you, being weak for him, stayed. you believed his words but still kept a guard around your heart. as time passed, he slowly took down those walls, leaving you bare and vulnerable. he made you feel special. you thought he was finally yours. you thought it was forever with him. you felt bliss and ecstasy as he showered you with attention. until you heard the news that he got back together with his ex. you felt your heart shatter. that was when you realized that you two never made things official. that he never said he loved you, not even once as a lie. he just kept you by his side to use you as he pleased. he was still in love with his ex and he left you in the dust as he ran back to their arms. because you were just his rebound.
you let him in and that was your first mistake. you were an idiot for ever letting someone like him capture your heart. kunikuzushi was your last love as your heart couldn't handle another.
note. hey! hope u guys enjoyed my little self indulgent angst gift <3 i wrote these in a haste so i may change some things in the future. it's not the best i'm still kind of learning how to write stuff like these properly TT but anyway these prompts were inspired by the song below go give it a listen
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hi hi!! May I request the teen reader who gets like really sick and moth takes care of them? I’m really sick at the moment and it’s no fun :/
-anon who asked for older brother childe ^_^
i was gonna write something else next but this is more important!! i hope you feel better soon and i hope this makes you happy at least!!
i believe This is the first thing you requested in case anyone else wants to read them, please feel free to correct me if i'm wrong!!
also, if you want more HCs of when you're sick i've got some Here!!
~ * ~
When Teen You is Sick HCs
Fluff/Comfort
Warnings for sickness, pills, headaches, nightmares, and fevers
~ * ~
-You’ve been visiting Childe in the woods for a good few months now
-You have of schedule of sorts- you can’t visit him everyday but on Fridays and Wednesdays at least you show up, sometimes even more if you happen to be free
-So when one Friday morning you don’t arrive bright and early like you usually do, Childe immediately worries
-He waits a little longer until the sun is high in the sky but you still don’t show
-That’s when he decides to set his shoulders and leave the forest to go looking for you
-He takes the route you usually use just in case you were injured on the way while walking
-Luckily he doesn’t see you which means that you’re at least not hurt or anything
-Hopefully
-The path he’s on eventually leaves the woods and leads into Liyue Harbor, which is crowded with people
-The sun is setting, so he waits only a few hours until nightfall, when most people are asleep in their homes
-The guards are still decently alert in the wee hours of morning, so he hides behind houses while following your familiar scent
-He eventually arrives at your house, with your room on the second story
-The window was left open a crack, so he shimmies up to peek through, and is immediately hit with the bitter scent of medicine
-He yelps in distress and SOMEHOW pushes your window open more and wriggles through it
-You’ve been trying to fall asleep but are roused by a THUMP in your room
-You crack open your sticky-feeling eyes to see Childe looking over you worriedly
-If you were feeling ok you would’ve been surprised to see him, but right now you didn’t even question it
-He whines quietly, but the sound is enough to spark your headache, and you wince as your temples pound
-Childe falls silent, his heart aching when he sees your pain. It reminds him of the distant memories of when his siblings were sick
-But he also remembers how he cared for them, and while you might not be related to him by blood, you’re still his little sibling in your own way
-So he decides to do what he’s always done when someone he cares about falls ill
-First he rearranges your blankets so they’re smooth and comforting instead of twisted around your legs, handling your pained head with care
-He puts a cloth over your eyes so the light from your room and the sun won’t disturb you
-Then he ventures out to get some food. He’s visited Chef Mao a few times, so he quickly whips up a light soup and presses it into Childe’s hands before closing up for the night, constantly looking left and right for Millelith
-He sneaks back into your room, placing the soup on a nearby nightstand
-Then he pokes through the medicine bottles you have, supplied by your sleeping parents (because there are too many orphaned kids in Genshin already)
-He picks some painkillers and fever reducers- coughs aren’t quite as important to deal with
-There’s a glass of water on the nightstand too, and he lifts your head up to drink it and swallow the pills
-He sets you back down and covers you with your blankets again, resting his own head on your stomach and letting out gentle purrs
-You mumble in your sleep, caught in some fever-induced nightmare
-He hears you cry out his name, asking where he was, where your safe, soft, big brother was
-He adjusts you so you’re laying in his arms, stroking and ruffling your hair, comforting and playful. He’s here, right here
-You both stay like that until dawn, when he has to depart and hide again
-But every night he visits and takes care of you, helping you sleep until the next day
-Your parents care for you during the day, and somehow you seem to be doing better and better each time you wake up
-And eventually, you awaken with a clear head, a cool throat, and a smile, alongside blurry memories of a warm and comforting presence in the night
-You have a sneaking suspicion as to who it is, and you can’t wait to playfully tease him about it
synopsis: getting off wasted at a party wouldn't hurt right? that's what college life is for - you study, eat, sleep and repeat. probably do something batshit once or twice. but who would ever know, it wouldn't hurt right? so why do you suddenly find the social reject's lips pressed against yours?
updates: irregular but will try to post as often as possible
title: false alarm
summary : scaramouche is informed that you, his wife, have been taken by treasure hoarders. fortunately for the both of you, this isn't the case. part of my npc wife & scaramouche series but you don't have to read the others to understand this one <3
pairing : scaramouche x f!reader
word count: ~1.8k
warnings : mentions of murder, kidnapping, & ransom, but nothing actually occurs. kind of a hurt/comfort fic?
a/n : my two little scrunglies (scaramouche & npc reader) are back. holds them up like im at show and tell and they are my barbie dolls.
scaramouche returns from his mission in silence.
the routine post-espionage visit to zapolyarny palace, in which he reports his findings directly to the tsaritsa herself, is mundane. there is new information on potential enemies of the fatui. scaramouche wouldn't be scaramouche if he was unable to obtain such information, after all. rather, the only thing that is different from usual is a congregation of panicked lower ranking agents in a fatui meeting room.
"are you sure this information is correct?" one agent says. "the wife of the balladeer has been taken by some treasure hoarders?"
"for the thousandth time, yes!" a cicin mage snaps back. "a ransom note was sent and i was ordered to inform everyone that one of us has to tell him."
and thus, the lower tiers of the fatui decide upon the fairest way of sending someone to their death before the balladeer: drawing straws. when the loser is declared, the rest of the room scatters, not wanting to console their fellow comrade who is delivering some of the worst possible news to one of the most tempestuous of harbingers. yet, fate is inevitable, so the fatui agent resigns himself to the will of the straws.
"lord scaramouche?" the agent calls with shaking hands. the envelope in his hands does little to hide his fear in the presence of his superior. scaramouche detects his nervousness, but pays no attention to it, chalking it up to nothing more than the usual nerves of those beneath him.
"speak," scaramouche says, disinterested.
"there is a letter for you," the agent says, ready to fall over at any moment. scaramouche almost has pity for him as he watches the agent extend the envelope out towards him. "it is from the treasure hoarders."
scaramouche looks at him with disgust. "why would i waste my time with such filth?"
the agent gulps nervously, biting back a hysterical laugh. "well, we haven't exactly started the investigation yet because we don't know where your home is, but..."
"investigation? of what?" scaramouche glares at the agent.
"the treasure hoarders claim to have taken your wife hostage."
the agent waits for an explosion. yelling. something. anything. but instead, he's greeted with absolute silence and an expression of complete neutrality from the balladeer. it is somehow worse than the usually predictable outbursts of rage from the harbinger. scaramouche takes the letter and walks off in silence, leaving the stunned agent alone in the hallway.
scaramouche has been assigned additional tasks from the tsaritsa. he has to work to serve his archon or whatever. to him, it no longer matters. in comparison to most of his coworkers, scaramouche has so little that he wants to protect. he doesn't care for any of his coworkers. the citizens of snezhnaya matter little to him. hell, even the people of his homeland hold no significance in his mind.
scaramouche hates to admit it, but you are all he has. and yet, the tsaritsa couldn't even protect that for him. the fatui is proving to be almost as unhelpful as the raiden shogun herself. almost.
nobody dares to bother the balladeer as he storms out of the palace. while he knows that others in the fatui likely know of the location of your and scaramouche's shared cottage at this point, he is the only one that will confess to knowing while others play oblivious. besides, he doesn't trust any of his coworkers at the moment.
scaramouche usually prefers to walk, but in this instance, he takes a horse to return home. the small village that you travel to in order to purchase groceries and trinkets will likely have less information than your home. you've always been the type to leave a note behind when you go out, even if scara isn't planned to return for another week or two. and so, scaramouche makes the journey from the palace to your home. it's an arduous half hour of full speed on the horse, but it's safer to have you residing farther from the palace than it is close to it.
in the distance, scaramouche sees the lights on in the windows of your cottage as he approaches. rage bubbles in his chest. were these lowlife treasure hoarders so prideful as to flaunt the fact that they had you? did they think he would negotiate for you? well... he would. he would do anything to get you back safely, but none of the treasure hoarders would dare leave the vicinity alive once he had you back in his arms.
scaramouche's main priority is to keep you safe, so he slows down the horse despite how much it pains him to do so. he ties its reins to a nearby tree, still a decent distance from the cottage. whatever fight may occur, the poor horse didn't deserve to be caught up in it. plus, scaramouche needs an escape route just in case you aren't here and this is just a ruse.
stealth is his forte and he approaches silently. with the curtains drawn, its difficult for scaramouche to see anything through the windows besides the light filtering through them. as he leans against the front door, he hears light footsteps. listening to them, scaramouche's eyes flutter closed as he calms his mind. anger wouldn't help you in this instance. his main priority is finding you and saving you.
scaramouche takes in a breath. he proceeds to knock the front door down, bursting in and seething with poorly suppressed rage. icy coldness settles in the pit of his stomach as he hears a short scream from you in unison with the sound of iron pans clattering against the stone floor of the kitchen. he sees red and immediately storms towards the source of the noise.
yet, when scaramouche reaches the kitchen, he only finds one person inside: you. you stare at him with a bewildered expression, holding up a kitchen knife in his direction defensively. your shoulders sag with relief as you realize it's just scaramouche, despite the practically murderous expression that is smeared across his face.
"archons," you swear as you catch your breath, setting the knife on the counter behind you as you clutch at your chest in a feeble attempt to stabilize your rapid heartbeat. "what was that? you nearly gave me a heart attack, kuni! you can't enter like t-"
scaramouche cuts you off by practically barreling into you, wrapping you up in one of the tightest hugs that he has ever given you. he clings to you, breathing shaky, and you cut off your chastising.
"you're safe," scaramouche mumbles as he buries his head into the crook of your neck. "you're safe."
you know your husband can feel how fast your heart is beating in the wake of the adrenaline rush he gave you from breaking into your shared home. so, for the sake of both of you, you take a deep, calming breath before hugging him back with shaky, startled hands.
"is everything alright?" you ask softly. to scaramouche, those three little words sound are the closest this hellish land has to an angelic chorus. his posture is still stiffened under your touch, but he adjusts his position and you sense him calming down. you snake one of your hands up to the back of his hair and lovingly run your hands through the strands of his hair as you wait for an answer.
"i thought i lost you," scaramouche said. you don't ask him to elaborate -- at least, not in this moment. that simple sentence gives you all of the information you need at this point. you understand why he barged in like that, why he looked ready to kill upon entry, and why he's clinging to you so desperately.
and yet, you fail to understand why scaramouche pulls away from you so soon. before you can question him, one hand hastily cups your cheek while the other cradles your head. your husband pulls you in for a clumsy kiss and you realize that this is the first time you've ever seen scaramouche frightened. you hope it's the last.
but, for now, you indulge him, kissing him back with the gentle sweetness you know he adores, even if he won't admit it. when he finally breaks the kiss, there's a faint anguish that rests deep within his irises. scaramouche had likely been playing all of the awful scenarios of what he thought he would return to in his journey home.
"i'm here," you reassure him, taking his hands in yours and holding them to your chest so that he can feel your heartbeat. "just a bit startled by your entry, but i'm here."
"i know," he breathes, but you keep his hands in place anyways until he is certain of the fact.
"i was just making dinner," you say soothingly. "i'm glad you're home, honeybun."
the sudden wave of peace and tranquility that washes over scaramouche at your words is too much for him to bear. he wants to unload a constant stream of expletives to showcase his anger, he wants to tear apart whoever sent the fake note, and, most of all, he wants to make sure that he's never in this situation again. yet, he does what he wants to least in this moment. he takes in a shaky breath.
and, for the first time since leaving inazuma, the balladeer, sixth of the eleven fatui harbingers, sniffles. tears begin to blur his vision and he quickly turns away from you, not wanting you to see him so weak. his hunched shoulders are pitiful and your heart nearly breaks at the sight.
for as much as he tries to hide it, you know that your husband has humanity within him. it shows in the way he gazes at you, touches you, and loves you. it shows in the awkwardly spoken compliments he gives you as he flusters himself with his own emotion. it shows in the protectiveness he has over you around his dangerous work and fellow harbingers. yet, no display of it has ever cut you quite as deep as the thorough sadness that coats his expression as he comes to terms with the overwhelming emotions that have been consuming him since the fatui agent delivered the news to him.
you pull him in for a hug. the warmth of your embrace is inviting and even though you hold him harshly, as if you are proving that you're firm, steady, and unwilling to be parted from him, scaramouche finds a tenderness in your touch that he knows he will only ever receive from you. and so, for the first time in many, many years, the balladeer breaks down in your arms.
however, this time is different from all of the others. this time, you are here to hold him and scaramouche knows that as long as he is alive, he will fight for you to remain beside him, in all of your comforting and loving gentleness.
— lapis dei | zhongli ( genshin impact ) x female! reader
— part one.
series genre: romance, angst, smut, fantasy mafia! au
summary: in your family, being married and giving an heir to a certain man you’re married to is a must. after zhongli lost his wife guizhong — he was devastated. but there’s no time wasting to find another woman who shall be his wife, and you were chosen.
cw in this chapter: strong language, arranged marriages, mentions of violence, mentions of pregnancy, mentions of death | please read at your own risk, and please send an ask if i missed any content warnings here.
word count: 1.2k
notes: ahh!!! i finally posted this! i've been wanting to write a genshin mafia au for so long 😭 i’ll probably make this a series— maybe around 3 or more parts :D | if you want to be added in the taglist, just send me an ask / reply. thank you ☺︎
one ( you’re here ) | two | three | four | epilogue
-15 / BLANK / AGELESS BLOGS DNI!
you knew you were going to be forced into getting married sooner than later, but you never thought it would be him.
zhongli, also known as rex lapis or morax, has been the mafia leader of liyue after the death of his superior. it shocked everyone when they learned that his wife, guizhong, was killed, especially when she hasn’t borne a child.
of course, it shocked you as well. you never really knew her personally, but you’ve heard from others that she was a kindhearted and sweet woman despite her husband being the most feared.
and now, you were getting married to him.
“…what?”
“exactly as i’ve said.” xiao kept a stoic face as he looked at you, and you couldn’t help but feel intimidated by him. “your father had already agreed to this.”
of course, your father did. you know he would just do anything to form an alliance with rex lapis.
xiao, or the vigilant yaksha, is one of rex lapis’ trusted men. you knew him— he is notorious for killing people who got in the way of rex lapis. he is also always reserved, and would rather not get close to other people he isn’t familiar with.
“wait, my daughter?!” your mother gasped, looking at you. “you— you’re getting married to rex lapis!”
yeah, you could tell she was excited about it.
you forced a smile to your lips, “i guess i am.”
xiao nodded, “tomorrow at 12 pm, i’ll pick you and your father up and bring you to rex lapis to discuss about the wedding. that’s all.”
as you thanked and bid the vigilant yaksha goodbye, you were starting to feel nervous about tomorrow.
zhongli… the man who is known to be ruthless when it comes to contracts. once you break a contract, you’re dead.
“dear. oh dear.” your mother started sobbing, pulling you into a hug. you sighed and patted her back, feeling the tears starting to form in your eyes.
you wondered what your life would be once you got married to him.
rex lapis’ place is beautiful.
you stared in awe. it was quite simple yet pleasing to the eyes.
“y/n, let’s go.” your father nodded at you to follow him, and so you did. the inside of rex lapis’ mansion is luxurious— you were almost convinced it was made of gold.
“welcome, mr. zhongli is waiting for you in his office.” one of the assistants, ganyu, flashed a kind smile, which you did the same with her. you and your father followed her and before you knew it, you were infront of a big office.
bodyguards in front of you opened the door, and you saw him, the rex lapis, sitting on a chair with an emotionless expression.
you followed ganyu inside, and she bowed before him. “mr. zhongli, miss y/n is here.”
and then, his eyes were on you. you could hear your heart thumping loudly.
he looked very… ethereal. like a god.
“i see,” he spoke, and even though you knew he had a deep voice, it still surprised you hearing it in person. it sent shivers down your spine. “you may go, ganyu. thank you.”
“yes, sir.”
and the woman stepped out of the office, only leaving you, your father, his trusted man xiao, and him.
“have a seat.” zhongli gestured at the two chairs, which you and your father sat on. then, he looked at you. “as you may have known by now, you’re getting married to me. your father, a good friend of mine, had already agreed to this. i would like to hear directly from you if you agree to this marriage. by agreeing, you will give me an heir which my former wife has failed to give me.”
you could almost feel your father’s fierce gaze. well, it’s not like you had any other choice.
“i agree.” you responded.
“very well. here’s the contract,” zhongli handed you a paper and while you read the contents, he said, “i suppose you know what happens if you break them, right?”
you were lost for words at first, so you stumbled over them as you mentally cursed at yourself for fucking up. “i— y-yes, of course.”
“good.”
gulping, you grabbed the pen he had offered and signed on the paper. after that, he and your father had discussed more details about your marriage. you realized how lonely your life is going to be after the wedding ceremony.
and the thought hurts just as bad as you thought it would.
a few weeks later, you were finally married to rex lapis. the wedding ceremony was big and overwhelming. you still remembered the way he had kissed your lips after the priest said, “you may now kiss the bride.”
his lips were so soft… and quite addicting.
now, you were in the bathroom of the reception area, trying to stop the tears from your eyes from spilling.
god, were you nervous.
you’re a virgin. you’ve dated some guys, but it never got too far. affirmations from your mother didn’t really help…
“fucking hell…” you sighed shakily, fanning your face. it's okay y/n. tell him you're a virgin, and perhaps he could be kind enough to be gentle.
after heaving a sigh once more, you left the bathroom.
as few people congratulated you and you thanked them, you looked for your husband— who's talking to a woman, lady ningguang.
she's almost as rich as zhongli, you've seen her in magazines. she is gorgeous... ambitious... luxurious…
zhongli saw you first, “there you are. i was looking for you.”
“oh— i’m sorry, i had to use the bathroom.” you answered, then turned to the woman beside him. “good evening, lady ningguang.”
she nodded with a smile. “good evening. congratulations on your marriage, by the way. i hope you both live happily.”
your husband thanked her with a smile, and it was your first time seeing it. his smile wasn’t big, it didn’t have much of an emotion but it made you wonder, could you bring a smile on his face, too?
“you’re nervous.” zhongli said as you both entered the hotel you’re staying at for the honeymoon. fuck, is it that obvious? or is it because he’s in the mafia— he has killed people, perhaps he knows how they are when they’re nervous.
“a bit.” you muttered. what a lie.
“we don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.”
your eyes widened, looking at him. “no— i want to. i’m just… scared. first times hurt, right?”
you could see the genuine look in his eyes. “have no worry. i will be gentle. i can’t deny that it will hurt since it’s your first time, but i won’t be rough with you.”
you gulped, and felt the hotness spreading through your cheeks. even though he had a stern voice, you felt… safe.
“o-okay. i trust you.”
and you swore your heart skipped a beat when you saw him smile. and no, it was different from the smile he gave to lady ningguang. it was definitely more genuine.
“good. well then,” he leaned into your ear, “shall we get started?”
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