hi there!! welcome to the narcie archive! feel free to explore and relax
requests are currently open!
if you want to request - you can do it here! rules for requesting are down below.
i decided it was about time i made a new masterlist. youâll find everything iâve ever published in here!
requesting rules
i havenât done this before because i donât believe thereâre many, but i wonât write for:
nsfw (iâm okay with talking about these topics, im an adult, but im really shitty at writing those)
a romantic relationship with a kid, so no lolis, as for haikyuu, the high schoolers are okay, we all seen teenage love before havenât we
yandere content
topics related to severe illness or abuse, simply because every experience with those is different, and one might not relate to the things i relate to, etc etc.
as such, i will write:
fluff, angst, hurt/comfort
both headcanons and fics
mentions of violence, graphic descriptions, death and injuries, all properly tagged of course
both romantic and platonic stuff, so you can request the character as, for example, a family figure, or just a friend. if you wonât specify though, i will make it romantic, since thatâs what most requests are about, from my experience.
most of the works i write are gender neutral, as i rarely ever use any gendered pronouns or pet names, you can request a female reader if you want, though.
thereâre no mentions of physical appearance, other than a few indications of someone being smaller, mainly in haikyuu! (bc come on itâs volleyball players) so i hope everybody can relate to the things i write!
masterlist
genshin impact
 tartaglia
exhausted hurt/comfort
nightâs troubles fluff
five more minutes angst
notice hurt/comfort
consequences angst
tough hurt/comfort
loved and loved and lost you angst
happy birthday fluff
 kaeya
exhausted hurt/comfort
five more minutes angst
notice hurt/comfort
tough hurt/comfort
loved, and loved, and lost you angst
happy birthday fluff
 diluc
exhausted hurt/comfort
nightâs troubles fluff
notice hurt/comfort
consequences angst
loved, and loved, and lost you angst
happy birthday fluff
gift(ed) fluff
albedo
nightâs troubles fluff
worry hurt/comfort
zhongli
five more minutes angst
consequences angst
sparks fluff
worry hurt/comfort
happy birthday fluff
gift(ed) fluff
xiao
happy birthday fluff
haikyuu!!
 sakusa kiyoomi
injured hurt/comfort
 omi doesn't like flowers  fluff, birthday special
 for eternity and one day more angst, pure angst
 bed sharing fluff, crack, hurt/comfort
 the lady and the tramp fluff
 making him a playlist fluff
 making you cry hurt/comfort
 all of me fluff
 prom queen fluff
 miya atsumu
injured hurt/comfort
 making him a playlist fluff
 making you cry hurt/comfort
 night sky general sfw, keep in mind this is a very old work and the writing level is lower than the usual
 oikawa tooru
making you cry hurt/comfort
 bruises fluff, general sfw, keep in mind this is a very old work and the writing level is lower than the usual
 kuroo tetsuro
bed sharing fluff, crack
 akaashi keiji
bed sharing fluff, crack
 kageyama tobio
bed sharing fluff, crack
making him a playlist fluff
making you cry hurt/comfort
 shirabu kenjirou
i am not a robot fluff, keep in mind this is a very old work and the writing level is lower than the usual
The last time you posted was two years ago. Are you still alive ?
-rose anon
i am! i think about coming back every now and then, but iÂŽm not up to date with neither of the fandoms im in, and college has been a bitch so far. but iÂŽm in the process of motivating myself to start writing again <3
Heyy there :) can i req a part 2 of 'Consequences' with Thoma, Xingqiu and Gorou? feel free to decline tho! and also, one more thing, sometimes my asks doesnt send so pls let me know if this does get to u :D
consequences (2)
plot: the reader decides to break up with the character after not speaking to them
contains: tohma, xingqiu, kaeya
here's part (1) with diluc, zhongli and tartaglia
warnings: angst, breakups, implied past toxic behavior, implied use of alcohol
a/n: i'm sorry i can't do gorou's personality yet </3
tohma
one more day was passing by that he couldn't even begin to focus on his chores and assignments. trying hard to just make little steps and focus on here and now, his mind kept betraying him and going back to that night when the both of you got really wasted after celebrating the resistance's victory.
he was just so excited, and so enamored with the magic of the moment, of the warm night with fireworks shooting high up in the sky, with people dancing around to folk music, with smiles and cheers all around, with-
exactly. who was enamored with that night might've just been the reason he was in this place in the first place.
he looked at himself briefly in the mirror he was passing by, hung in one of the corridors of the kamisato estate, so long he used to get lost in them and worry he'd never be found again when he was younger.
he looked in the eyes of the blond-haired man, styled with his usual high ponytail he only did for cleaning, clothes wrinkled and scruffy, the eyes staring back at him being tired and lacking their natural shine.
"you idiot" he scoffed, lips pressing into a tight line. he wanted to quit looking and leave, yet he knew he deserved this silent screaming match with himself he was having.
you had everything you ever wanted. you made them like you, you made them smile, laugh, dance, cheer, you were really doing great. and you just had to fuck it up, didn't you?
he kept thinking and thinking, constantly finding new ways to insult the reflection he was seeing, but to his surprise, it stared back at him with nothing but indifference and coldness. was this the way he stared at you, too? was this really his face?
"tohma!" he heard a shout at the other end of the corridor, and lifted his gaze up instantly. a young boy was waving at him in order to catch his attention. "there's someone here to see you!"
he nodded, and began walking to the main entrance of the mansion, but what started by walking ended in a run towards the door, in fact, he ran so fast he barely managed to stop at the end.
could it be you? it had to be you.
"darling, it's you!" he grinned suddenly, walking up to you and wrapping you in the tightest of embraces. all of the sudden you felt out of place, like you forgot why you were here.
why were you here?
oh, right. to break up with him. right.
"tohma" you said way softer than intended, caught off guard by his sheer enthusiasm. he pulled away from you with eyes so hopeful yet so guilty, you were honestly surprised one person could manage having so many emotions at once. "could i talk to you in private?"
you walked for what seemed like an eternity to a slope located behind the estate. with the view of the ocean behind him and his bashful expression in front of you, you took a deep breath and began explaining as slowly as you could, not to get carried away with all the emotion.
"do you... by chance... remember what you said to me the other night?"
how could he ever think this was going to be a normal conversation? lying to himself really seemed to be one of his talents.
"i do" he mumbled, gaze falling to the ground. "i figured that's what you're here to discuss."
"honey-" you started before you realized you really shouldn't be this gentle with him "we have to discuss it, though. you told me you loved a person that's very much not me, and i'm your partner. how would i not discuss it with you?"
"i didn't mean it" he whispered "i was drunk"
you half chuckled, half scoffed.
"sure. everybody says that when their sober self has to deal with the consequences of their actions, but tohma, people rarely lie when it comes to love, you know?"
"but i really-" he tried to speak up, but words got uncomfortably stuck in his throat, causing it to hurt, his eyes watered, and suddenly he wasn't capable of forming a sentence.
"i would love nothing more than to believe you." you sighed "but something tells me i can't."
you looked him straight in the eyes with that aching expression and only then did he realize how badly he was hurting you by denying what he said. right, you must've been feeling like an idiot, listening to him defend himself.
"i- well, i- it's more complicated than just a simple word-" he started, and you turned your teary eyes away with a scoff, knowing the tears were about to spill, and when they would, they'd flow endlessly. "please look at me!" he raised his voice in desperation, hands flying to capture your cheeks and bring your face back in front of his, so he could try and soothe you with whatever apologetic smile he could muster.
"tohma" you stammered carefully, waging every word you were about to say, and before you did, you crafted the most positive smile you could. "she's amazing, i agree. and beautiful, and kind, and sweet, and everything you said about her, she's all of that. i just... i hope she'll make you happier than i did"
you took a step back, not letting the smile get off your face, watching as his expression turned dejected and crestfallen.
"at least let me make this right!" he tried to stop you, but you moved your arm away, beginning to walk back to where you came from.
"goodbye, honey."
xingqiu
if he were more aware of his surroundings he would have noticed that the house he lived in, normally loud and filled with action, went quiet. that servants stopped coming in asking if he needed anything, that no clients emerged to speak with him urgently, that not even his family seemed to be around. how long was he pacing back and forth in this dark room? who knows. the food on the plate someone had prepared for him was long cold, and the curtains weren't necessary to shield him from sunlight anymore, but other than that, he had no indications of time having passed.
his mind was focused on one thing and one thing only, and that was how much of a dick he had been to you a couple of nights before. it took him some sleep to realize, but he woke up with the guiltiest feeling and couldn't shake it ever since. how could he? honestly, how dared he speak to you that way?
a very similar thought seemed to have taken over your mind as well, as you walked through the silent house, being guided by an offly quiet servant, who told you at the very beginning that "master xingqiu isn't taking any visitors" and shut up that exact same moment.
he left you at your boyfriend's door, and you found yourself standing there, unable to knock and enter. this was a crucial moment, but before you could come to terms with that, the door opened right in front of you, and on the other side you found xingqiu, the man himself, in an attire you had never seen him in before, consisting of loose pants and a stained shirt, looking as if you just awoke him from a deep trans.
he called you by name, and you responded with the same, the both of you staring back at each other with similar shock painted all over your faces.
he cleared his throat.
"by all means, please, come in." he urged, stepping to the side and waving at you to enter, and so you did, though hesitantly.
the room was different than you remembered as well, it was dark and the air seemed tense. it was probably just the lighting, but well, there were reasons for the vibe to feel off.
"to what do i... to what do i owe the pleasure?" he tried really hard to be composed and civil, but as soon as you turned to him and shot him one of your deadly looks, his official tone and faux clueless were long gone.
"xingqiu, i- i don't consider myself a very delicate person. but i am, to my misery, fragile, when faced with bitterness from those i love. and frankly, you're part of that group. of the people i love. i do not enjoy having someone i love make fun of something he knows damn well" you made a pause to make your point painfully obvious "i'm insecure about. that's a shitty and fucked up thing to do and i hope you realize that, even if i was too... thrown off to tell you that right away. oh, and by all means, i'm hoping you even recall what i'm referring to, because you might as well have just forgotten all about it, right?"
"love, i-"
"this is the part when i talk, and you listen. i felt humiliated, and broken, and well, i felt my worst. because i trusted you to not pull anything like this on me when i told you how uncomfortable i was with the subject. but hey, i guess that that's on me for putting my trust in you. and now, not only have you betrayed said trust, you've broken my heart. i hope, i sure hope you're proud of yourself"
you took a break to catch your breath and examine xingqiu's reaction, and for the first time in quite the while, he felt as if he was about to cry.
"love" he started again, his trust in the power of his sweet talk never failing "i realize that i hurt you, i realized it the second i said it, i just... didn't know how to make it up to you right away. and i know i can't just say shit like that and then just expect you to forgive when i <make it up to you>, but trust me, i- i'm sarcastic, and mean, and i push people's boundaries too far, and sometimes i don't know where to stop, i know all this, i do, and obviously i'm aware this doesn't explain what i did, but-" he babbled, and babbled, and probably got lost in his own train of thought but you let him finish "but it was a mistake. i never wanted to make you feel small or humiliated, or broken, i just never realized the affect my thoughtless comments might have on someone. i'm sorry. i'm truly, deeply, sorry."
to be honest you were taken aback by the sheer sincerity of his words, and the frightened look on his face, but it only made you realize it wasn't a good sign that you were shocked by sincerity. you shouldn't be expecting lame excuses and lies.
"i'm glad" you said, and the faintest of smiles entered the corner of his mouth, in hope for a good verdict from you, because obviously, xinqiu never lost. "maybe you'll remember that for the next person that chooses to trust you, but i won't do it again."
wait. hold up.
this wasn't the way this was supposed to go at all. you were starting to leave, and xinqiu's mind started racing in all directions but the right one, as he searched for something, anything, to make you stay.
next person? there was no next person, you were it! how did you miss that? you were the one for him, how could he ever have some other person?
"this isn't right! wait!" he ran out to the hallway in chase after you, but you didn't seem want to look over at him. he rushed to get past you and stand in front of your face. "darling. love. please. this isn't how we're supposed to end!"
he got cold just from the way you looked at him.
"get out of my sight."
kaeya
ironically enough, he wasnât at the tavern when you looked for him. you asked diluc if he saw him, but he shook his head.Â
âiâm not here all the time, but on the times iâve been behind the counter this week, i havenât seen him since... four days ago, i thinkâ he answered, not stopping in his chores to answer your questions. âis everything alright, though?â he raised an eyebrow, examining your rather lost expression and constant checking of your surroundings.Â
âyes, of courseâ you lied swiftly, as one does when faced with a question like that, thanked him for his information and went on around the city.Â
so he wasnât home, he wasnât here, he wasnât at the headquarters. where could he be? lost, you decided to take a walk around the city, one last search before the sun would set. and as you strolled the streets of mondstadt, slowly emptying before nighttime, on one key moment you looked up at the night sky, and noticed a figure sitting at the city walls. chuckling to yourself, mentally wondering why didnât you consider this an option at first, you rushed towards the gate to the tower.Â
âhiâ you announced yourself quietly upon reaching the top. kaeya turned around in a split second, eyes wide in surprise.Â
âloveâ he whispered in relief, lifting himself up swiftly to walk up to you. he reached out to grab your hand, but you moved it away just as quickly.Â
âkaeya.âÂ
you could see the heartbreak in his eyes as you stated his name where once would be an overly sweet petname, as you started drifting away from him so evidently he could physically feel it.Â
âsoâ he sighed âiâm guessing we both know what youâre here for?â he looked away, as if embarrassed, and crossed his arms at chest level defensively. fuck, this hurt. you almost wanted to blame him for making this worse, but he had every right to be sad. you just had every right to be angry as well.Â
âi guess soâ you agreed, looking at the ground, at the sky, everywhere but at his hurt appearance. âkaeya, i- you know i have to, or youâll never changeâÂ
âi could change with you with meâ he gritted, obviously fighting back tears.Â
âyou had a long time to do that before, and you didnâtâ. it was hellishly difficult to just say that to him, to your love, your darling, your kaeya, but it had to be done and both of you knew it damn well. âgodsâ you scoffed âif only you showed up those four days ago, i wouldâve forgiven you for everything, you know. i always forgive you for everything.âÂ
he looked back at you with regret piling up in his heart, destroying the hope that grew there shyly. you were right. you had a fight, he apologized, he wanted to make it up to you and he didnât show. this was a natural consequence of his own actions.Â
he truly was busy, yes, it was an excuse, but it would be a good one if this was the first time, not the last straw.Â
âdid you forgive me now?â he asked so quietly you almost misheard.Â
âobviouslyâ you replied in an instant âi love you too much to hold grievance. but you need to learn not to take my love for granted.âÂ
âi didnât deserve it, thoughâ he shook his head, almost as if ignoring all the rest of what you said, and only focusing on the first part.Â
âmaybe you didnât. and maybe you did. but i forgave you either way, and thatâs my problem.âÂ
he fell silent for a second, for once. he was truly thinking about the whole situation. you knew long ago he regretted what he did every time, but you were never sure if he ever just... thought it through. and now he was doing precisely that.Â
you walked up to him, and pressed a very soft and quick peck on his cheek, your hand grabbing his and squeezing it lightly before letting go.Â
and in that one precise moment, he was free of all worries. for a second, he was as if happy again.Â
but then you moved away and he felt the cold win hit his skin, the same way your departure hit him like a brick in the face.Â
âbyeâ you said at the verge of a whisper âi hope youâll sort yourself outâ
he remained quiet as you walked away, tears pooling under your lashes, hand covering your mouth so he wouldnât hear you sob, as you broke down the second you turned your back on him.Â
it didnât feel like the right thing to do.Â
âthat makes the both of us.â he answered, but you were already too far to hear.
Iâm happy to announce that requests are open again [briefly] here
warnings: hurt/comfort, but very little comfort, description of self hate (the character, not the reader)Â
i listened to god must hate me and nearly made myself cry writing this one
there was exactly zero thoughts in your head as you headed back home from your stroll. initially, you were just going to stop by bubu pharmacy and pick up some things, but from then you just went on walking through each and every little street and pathway liyue has to offer, enjoying the nice weather and the overall gleeful mood everyone seemed to be in.Â
by the time you reached the door to your home, it was already getting dark, and your hand was all red and hurting from carrying the shopping bags for a long time, but it didnât seem to have dampened your mood. you turned the key in the lock of your door and pushed it open with your foot.Â
âiâm back!â you shouted, announcing your return to your boyfriend, who you supposed had to be home by now, considering it was his day off as well, but mentally you were prepared to find a note with his usual âhi love, i got called back to work, donât know when iâll be back, see you later, love you, donât miss me too muchâ resting on the kitchen counter or the dining table.Â
when you were met with silence, the thought of him having left seemed even more realistic, and though you werenât exactly surprised, it did sting you a bit, you were looking forward to spending the day together.Â
having closed the door, and while making peace with the fact that you had to entertain yourself alone this evening, you began the tedious task of putting the groceries away, and generally organizing everything that youâve bought. only after finishing that did you venture further into your home, intentionally walking towards the bathroom, to maybe make yourself a nice bath or something of sorts.Â
you halted upon hearing a soft thud coming from the room that has been recently turned into tartagliaâs workplace, or more likely, gym, as if someone fell in there. frozen in place, suspecting it to be a thief or something, because surely if childe was home he wouldâve said hi, you waited for the next sound.Â
you didnât expect it to be a curse word said in a brittle voice, followed by something sliding towards the floor. recognizing the owner of said voice instantly, you didnât even bother to knock before opening the door wide, and marching in there.Â
you were met with a difficult situation. your boyfriend was indeed there, and as it turned out, he was the one to have fallen on the floor, now hiding his face between his knees and crossed arms, looking like a lost kid. in front of him, there was a punching bag that has seen better times, and besides, a lot of broken objects that he had to slam against the floor or something along the lines of that. the room seemed tense and you stayed silent for a moment before coming back to your senses and walking up to his side.Â
âlove?â you asked quietly, crouching in front of him. he didnât notice your presence, still very deep inside of his own mind, muttering another âfuckâ under his breath. âheyâ you nudged his shoulder, attempting to speak as softly as it was humanly possible.Â
to say it was rare to see the almighty, confident and even presumptuous lord tartaglia like this would be an understatement; you were almost sure you had never, ever seen him break down, nor have you heard of a situation like that happening. hence, you didnât exactly know how to act. it got to you rather painfully that, while he was an expert at cheering you up and getting you out of the worst breakdowns, you had to idea how to do the same for him.Â
he didnât lift his head up, but you did hear a quiet âwhat do you wantâ coming from him. it was hoarse and wobbly, and didnât sound like him at all.Â
âwhatâs up? whyâre we sitting in the dark?â you continued carefully, your fingers running through his hair, since he normally liked it, in any attempt of bringing him some comfort.Â
the room fell silent again, and you thought of either leaving him be and just sitting there, or asking another question, but were thrown off tracks by a sudden reply.
âiâm a lost causeâ he said slowly, leaving you completely stunned. âiâm-â he started again, but ran out of breath âi canât even-â
âeasyâ you coaxed, feeling his body tremble under your hand. âdarling, look at meâÂ
ânoâ he shook his head instantly, attempting to cover up even tighter.Â
âcome on, please. i want to help you.âÂ
witnessing him struggle to even show you, a person he loved, his face, was breaking your heart piece by piece, but nothing couldâve prepared you for what you saw when he finally did lift his head up.Â
your eyes were met with his, usually bright and blue, like the sea on a sunny day, now painted a hue bordering on violet, tired and dark, bloodshot with veins all around the iris. his face was as if broken and glued back together with a lavender glue, like his blood turned a different shade and painted his face, almost as if with makeup. the lines were glowing slightly, shining a sickly light at the rest of his pale condition. it wouldnât feel enough to say it was scary sight - it got the blood in your veins circle back into your heart, or at least thatâs what you felt.Â
his face was wet with tears and sweat, and had a desperate look painted all over it. you didnât think twice before moving your hand to cup his cheek, but he urged away from the contact, as if it hurt him.Â
only then did you start noticing a bunch of very familiar and very worrying details - how his clothes were ripped, how he struggled breathing, how hot his skin felt, how his hair looked as if he was out faced with strong wind, instead of just sitting in a room.Â
âyou used itâ you stated âwhy?â
as if on cue, tears started spilling from his eyes again, and he turned away, searching for words.Â
âi was trying to get better at itâ he admitted âi thought... the reason for why i always feel like iâm dying afterwards is because im tired from battle, or because of something in the environment, or... i just hoped it wasnât just my faultâ
âbut-â
âthe last time i trained it in safe conditions were still in the fatui facilities. i was young. i thought that now, now that i stopped growing and all, maybe itâd have less of an affect on me. it didnât. it doesnât.âÂ
âwe know for a while now that it doesnât. you know it damn well. why would you-â
âoh for fucks sake!â he interrupted with more energy than in the entirety of the conversation âhow would you feel knowing that you have something, you are something every damn army in the world would desire, that youâre supposed to be so special and all, and you canât even do it right?â his voice was balancing on the fine edge of a cry. âi am nothing more than a simple instrument of war and havoc, and iâm failing at the one thing iâm supposedly good at. i was sent away from home, my father hates me to this day, i spent my teenage years being trained, tested, looked down on, pointed at, sent away as far from my homeland as possible, all for nothing? all for not even being good enough at the one thing that caused it?â
your heart ached. your entire body and spirit ached. you wanted to shout ânoâ at him, but you couldnât interrupt something so important, thought heart wrenching.
âajax, youâre a human being.â you whispered âhuman beings have boundaries.â
âi have been told i was a monster far too many times to still believe something as naiveâ he hissed, an unknowing shade of hatred appearing in his eyes. even if it wasnât directed at you, you still felt small under his piercing gaze. he cleared his throat before coming back to the previous subject. âi... wanted to see how long i could manage. recently i noticed i get tired way easier than i once did when using it, and that the effects last longer. and other than that...â he stopped, looking into your eyes, as if he was searching for your approval to continue. âitâs taking control over me. i get... i get dreams, visions, my face looks different, sometimes a voice in my head starts whispering into my thoughts. itâs terrifying.âÂ
like hell it was terrifying. just the way he said it made shivers run up your spine.Â
âcontrol as in...?â you asked carefully
âas in itâs either going to kill me or make me do it myselfâ he murmured before practically bursting into tears. you rushed to hug him, feeling your eyes prickle as well, and this time were met with hands embracing your body desperately, pulling you as close as he possibly could, to a suffocating extent. âi donât want to die yetâ he begged in a whisper, making you sob as well.Â
you wanted to say something, you had to, but words just wouldnât come out.Â
âfuck, if i was just a little stronger, had just a little more willpower... why do i have to be this pathetic? the unbeatable tartaglia beaten by tartaglia himself! i guess thatâs a fitting end to my storyâ
this was your cue for bringing yourself back up and facing him with a fierce look.Â
âyouâre not pathetic. and youâre not going to die. youâre by far the strongest person i know, and i know by previous experience you can do anything you set your mind to. youâre the one who always turns problems into challenges, and arenât challenges what you love the most? if thatâs what you fear, then do what you always do and defeat it. and iâll be there to say you won, just as you always do.â you tried hard to steady your voice and to make it sound confident, even thought you were at the verge of panic. you believed every word you said, but still, even the thought of loosing your love was way too hard for you to bear. âi will turn the world upside down if thatâs what i have to do in order to help you, but i will do it. i will do anything to ensure youâre safe. i promiseâ you said, wrapping your pinkie around his, just like he always does.Â
you watched as the violet strings on his face slowly subdued and color returned to his cheeks.Â
âyou really believe that?â he asked, but it wasnât at all sarcastic. there was a desperate hope in his voice, a need of reassurance youâve never seen him show before.Â
âi know itâ you answered confidently. âi mean, your parents really did look into the future before naming you after a mythical heroâ
âa mythical hero who went insaneâ he argued immediately.Â
âwell, unless youâre on bad terms with a god like athena then i donât think that kind of an end awaits youâ
âsomeone has done their readingâ it was nice to see humor coming back to him âwell, not unless mister zhongli countsâ
âisnât it him whoâs on bad terms with you?â you joked carefully, knowing rex lapisâ lie was still a sensitive subject with your boyfriend.
âgodsâ he chuckled âi mustâve done something really good in my past life to deserve you in this oneâ
I don't know if requests are open or not cuz I am new to this.... If they are closed please ignore this if not consider lending some of yyour creative juice to this idea
Itto, zhongli, childe and diluc (any of them or other characters of your choice) hurts there s/o physically unintentionally and now they are afraid to be near them. (please forgive me for my poor English as its not my first language) also I recently found your page and you are like really really cool! Like I have cried while reading so many of your works
fragile
hi! i closed requests, since my final year started and i have loads of exams to prepare to, and lots of assignments, but I figured i might make exceptions for some asks because i have some time on my hands for the next few days, so here it goes!
plot: character unintentionally hurts the reader
characters: childe, diluc (sorry i have no idea how to write itto yet)
warnings: curses, unintentional harm caused, absolutely NO toxic actions so donât worry, angst to fluff, hurt/comfort
the sayings that childe uses at the end of his part are both Slavic, although one is Russian and the other is polish. I wonât brag with my rusty Russian (havent studied it since middle school), but it translates precisely to âweâre gonna live, weâre not gonna dieâ and the polish one is âdo wesela siÄ zagoiâ and itâs also precisely âitâs gonna get fine [implied: the wound is gonna heal] before the weddingâ
diluc
when one is put out of the line of duty abruptly, like diluc when he left the knights, and doesnât train on a daily basis, even if he does engage in fights, one can easily forget the kind of strength he holds.
even if he was called the youngest, most talented calvary captain the order had, even if mondstadt whispers the name of the darknight hero with admiration, he still forgets that that person they talk about and him, diluc of the mondstadt winery, are one and the same, and therefore their strength is one and the same.
âgod, i canât believe weâre still going over this. you wanted me here by 7 and unscratched, i came home three hours later and, well, not unscratched. i said i was sorry. i said i was going to be more mindful of how i handle myself. can we please, please end the topic here?â he pleaded, voice coated with a layer of sarcasm that he only uses when tired and annoyed. you, knowing heâs tired and annoyed, grew even more irritated with how little thought he put in the situation the two of you are currently in.Â
âno, we canât, because clearly youâre still not getting my point!â you raise your voice a little in frustration. itâs like he suddenly turned into a child whoâs incapable of understanding why his parents are grounding him, and mistaking you for the bad guy here, even though you were just quite simply worried.
âfine then, whatâs your point, enlighten meâ he scoffed, making your heart ache slightly. he mustâve had a nasty day, you were sure of that, but you werenât going to let him get all that out on you.
âmy point is i was worried! youâre out late at night, every night, almost, and return all bloody and aching and unwilling to talk with me, tell me, how am i supposed to just go along with that? how do you expect me to not be worried?â
âoh for fucks sake, you treat me like im five or somethingâ diluc groaned, eyes set on the ceiling, but upon being met with complete silence, he looked at you.
you were standing there, in the middle of his, or more specifically, your shared bedroom, arms crossed at chest level, your gaze seemingly set on him, but practically piercing through his figure and looking into complete nothingness while tears gathered and threatened to spill at the brim of your eyes.
fuck, he thought, he made you cry. for a brief second he wondered if it were his actions or his words that hurt you more, but quickly decided that the whole situation was just handled really shitty.
what was he supposed to say to you, that he wouldnât do it again? he knew damn well it would be a lie. he could come clean about his little nightly ventures, but some part of him, some deeply set teenager-self that never grew up and lived in the dark corners of his heart begged him not to, screamed at him for even considering it an option.
right as he was about to apologize, you spoke.
a quiet âfineâ was the only word that broke the silence before you proceeded to walk out the room.
in order to do that, youâd need to walk past him and through the door, and while you were heading there, his mind raced in a lot of different directions, but most importantly, toward the fact that he desperately didnât want you to leave without him apologizing first.
and so he grabbed your wrist. you just realized how fast you were walking, by how strongly he pulled you back with just his grip. you sighed.
itâs not like you were walking out on him, or like you were mad, you just wanted to clear your head for a little, so you wouldnât say something youâd regret later.
âeither you talk to me, or im going for a walkâ you stated, but he stayed silent. he battled himself, wanting to speak up, but didnât have a version of events to tell you ready just yet.
you sighed yet again, attempting to rip your hand out of his embrace, but failing, being met with his grip on you tightening to an uncomfortable level.
âdiluc-â
âiâm going to explainâ
âfuck, diluc, youâre hurting meâ you scolded, still trying to get your arm away. he looked at your expression, your lips pressed tightly in slight pain, and he let go immediately, taking a step back.
âiâm sorryâ he tried explaining as soon as he could âiâm very, very sorryâ his voice turned desperate really fast, and you looked up at him in surprise. sure, you did tell him his grip hurt, but it wasnât as severe as he was clearly imagining it to be, and you quickly realized you may have just triggered some subconscious fear of his. âI didnât mean to do that, i just- well, i-â he stumbled over his words, growing mad at himself for not being able to form a sentence.
âitâs fine, calm down firstâ you said rather bluntly, still massaging your wrist a little, which didnât go unnoticed, and still wearing an annoyed look on your face, but having clear intentions. âitâs not a big deal.â
âno, no, it is, but i just⊠i didnât want you to go because i really suck at apologizing later, and it never turns out the way i want it to, and i hate leaving things open like this, and i-â he ran out of breath âi do want to explain tonight to you, but i donât know if i can, and i need time to think, and-â
âheyâ you approached him slowly, switching your irritated grimace with a slight smile. âIâm not nearly as hurt or as mad as you think i am. youâre just quite strong and i wanted you to know your grip kinda hurt. and im not angry overall, im worried, as i said earlier.â
diluc looked down at his hands guiltily, and after a while, grabbed your wrist ever so slightly and softly to see if there wasnât any mark left, and to his surprise, and more importantly, relief, there wasnt. he laced his fingers with yours carefully before looking up at you and taking a breath.
âforgive meâ he pleaded âI have lost my cool, but it wonât happen againâ
you nodded, assuring him you knew he meant no harm. just as you were about to remind him the reason for your fight again, he began speaking.
âcome sit with me. thereâs a huge story i need to tell you.â
the little teenager in him was still screaming, but hopefully you could ease his anger just as you eased the adult dilucâs pain every single day. at least so he hoped.
childe
ever since tartaglia and you became more serious, he had been skillfully separating his work life from his private matters completely.Â
if you hadnât known him before, you probably wouldnât have even guessed he was part of the fatui, let alone a high-ranked diplomat.Â
you grew annoyed at his antics, but never uttered a word, because you understood the reasoning behind it, he just didnât want to put you in harms way, it was actually kinda sweet.Â
nevertheless, you were glowing with pride when he had to return to the site of his subordinatesâ training, and decided to take you along
âsee guys, this is precisely what i was telling you about earlier.â he said, halting the sparring exercise the young fatui agents were in the middle of, walking up to a practicing pair, wanting to show something on their example. âif you look too much on what youâre doing, on your hands, your feetwork, whatever, youâre eventually gonna get caught up in checking your form and miss the opponent making a move on you. and while form is important, it really is, itâs nearly as important, as, well, keeping all your teeth, or your life, for that matter.â he said half-jokingly, patting the shoulder of the boy he was standing in front of, now explaining something to him only.Â
he looked endearing while he was teaching, you thought. being young himself, he was still playful, and at times immature, when he was with you, but now he had sort of a mentour mask on him. it got to you that you may have even disregarded his experience - he was so positive and enthusiastic all the time that it was easy to forget that he was like a deadly machine when needed to, and that a lot of unpleasant experiences leaded to him being that way.Â
you shook the uncomfortable thought, saving it for later, now focusing only on taking in the sight of your boyfriend being all in his zone.Â
âcome on guys, iâll walk you through this step by step, i just need a volunteer to work with me. i donât bite, promiseâ he laughed, but the audience stayed in place. not like they didnât like him or anything, but you noticed they were really scared of sparring him. who wouldnât though, humans have survival instincts after all.Â
âaightâ you said, jumping off your spot âiâll spar with youâÂ
tartaglia looked over at you in an instant, eyes growing a bit worried.Â
âyou sure?â he asked nonchalantly, but you sensed the displeased undertone in his voice.Â
âpositiveâ you responded âif i do it, itâll show everybody itâs not as scary as it seems, considering i have little to no training compared to you allâ you looked at the students with a bright smile. they watched your every moved as you got ready and set to fight, and you couldnât quite tell if it was admiration they were looking with, or just pure shock.Â
âdo try to keep upâ tartaglia teased, getting into position.Â
you parred all of his attacks for the most part, not attacking, because you knew itâd end badly, but you stood your ground quite well. you could even sense childe being sort of impressed. he was talking a lot, considering it was all a scene to teach something to the young agents, and you couldnât focus on your movements. you could tell he was cutting you a lot of slack, his punches stopped milimeters away from your skin, to then barely even touch you, and you grew irritated of that. as stupid as it was, you felt insulted.Â
so just as you figured he was about to finish, you kicked him by surprise with all you had in you, completely throwing him off track, causing him to instinctively pin you down, as he would normally to ensure his safety. he jokingly counted to three, like they do in sparring matches, and lent you a hand to raise you back up before continuing with his speech. you walked over to the place you were sitting previously, a sharp paing in your back forcing you to lean forward and limp a little.
the training lasted another hour or two, you couldnât tell because of how focused you were on the pain in your back. the students left the site in quite a hurry, partly because it was finally dinner time, and physical training does make one hungry, and tartaglia walked back to you.Â
âman, these guys have so much left to learn, i mean, compared to my group when i was still in training, or even compared to my squad, they kinda suckâ he laughed âbut i guess iâll make it work, iâve seen worse groups going into the line of duty beforeâÂ
he was talking while packing his bag, not glancing at you until he was ready.Â
âshall we?â he offered you a hand âsorry this interrupted our day together, but, tell you what, how about i say dinnerâs on me and we can go eat it at that one terrace over the harbor, where you like? the sunâs beginning to set, itâll look quite lovely there? and then we can do anything you want after we get homeâÂ
he smiled so warmly you felt it deep in your heart, leaning forward to press a kiss to the tip of your nose.Â
âwell, get up, or weâll miss the momentâ he urged you, and you did try to jump off your spot, but fell forward, taken by surprise by yet another shot of pain, a string of curse words leaving your mouth.â whatâs the matter?â he immediately asked. âare you hurt?â
âno, iâm not, iâm fine, itâs just-â
âyou donât look fine to meâ he interrupted quickly, his hand moving from your embrace to the place of your injury, pressing down on it ever so slightly to see your reaction. you hissed in pain. âyouâre far from fine! why didnât you tell me earlier something was wrong?âÂ
âwell i didnât want to seem weak in front of all these people, and well... youâ you sighed, feeling even more pathetic as he raised an eyebrow at you, like you were a little kid and he was about to give you a lecture. you decided then and there you much preferred the immature childe from the mentour-like childe. âitâs just, you were already treating me like i was made out of glass there, so i wanted you to actually consider me an even partner, it would be so dumb to prove you right now by being hurt!âÂ
he almost scoffed.Â
âprove me right? youâre not proving me anything right now! the only thing youâre proving is that what you did was hella dumb, iâll give you that!â he began lecturing, but then stopped himself. he moved his hands to cup your face, the look he gave you softening slowly, from âyouâre groundedâ level to âyouâre so lucky i love youâ level.Â
âlisten. the only reason for why i was, to quote, treating you like you were made out of glass, is that, a, thereâs no need to beat the shit out of each other in class, and b, to me, you are, in fact, made out of glass whether you like it or not! and itâs not about me considering you weak or strong, because you are strong, and i do see that, but because i love you, more than anything in the world, life itself, even, and iâd hate myself if anything happened to you because of me. which is kinda what iâm feeling nowâ he gazed away from you, biting the inside of his cheek, clearly searching for the right words to say precisely what he was thinking.Â
âbut i wanted you to treat me like youâd treat anyone else, i wanted to get hurtâÂ
âwell then thatâs just plain dumbâ he blurted out instantly. âi mean- doesnât matter what you wanted, there was no need for me to act on instinct like that. i couldâve easily just blocked your kick if i had thought a little more, but i didnât. thatâs on me, and iâm sorry.â he looked back at you, with guilt practically eating him alive. he sighed. âiâm really sorry. tell me, where does it hurt exactly, here?â he pressed his fingers against the lower part of your back again, and you winced, but shook your head.Â
âa little lowerâÂ
âhere?â he said after shifting the possition of his fingers, earning a frantic nod from you. âmay i?â he asked, lifting the material of your shirt a bit, and after you nodded again, looked over you to examine the kind of bruise that was definitely forming.Â
âwell, youâre just bruised, badly, but still, looks like nothingâs broken or anything like that. i have an ointment at home thatâll make this go away in no time.âÂ
he looked back at you, visibly a little more relieved, smiling softly.Â
âiâm really sorry i hurt youâ he said quietly, suddenly seeming so small.Â
âitâs nothing, really, i did kinda brought this on myselfâ you giggled, but obviously he didnât find it funny.
âiâll make it up to you, i promise, and it wonât ever happen againâ he was so caught up in his own guilt-tripping thinking process that he probably didnât even register you were finding this situation okay.Â
you leaned forward to press a kiss on his cheek, and rested your head on his shoulder.Â
âi know youâd never even lay a finger on me on purpose. iâm aware. accidents happen, and itâs completely fine, iâm gonna live.âÂ
he let out another sigh, before nodding in agreement and lifting your chin so youâd look him in the eye again.Â
âi truly wouldnât.â he whispered with such desperation, like he was begging you to understand, even though you already did.Â
âalrightâ he murmured after some time âwe should get goingâÂ
and with that, he lifted you up and proceeded to walk down to the harbour, carrying you in his arms.Â
âi can stand on my own, you knowâ you whined âand besides, youâre pressing the bruiseâÂ
he chuckled, whispering something to himself, in a language you didnât quite understand.Â
âwhat does that even mean?â you giggled, getting comfortable in his embrace.Â
âitâs a saying from my homeland, and to translate precisely, it means weâre gonna live, we wonât die. itâs a way of saying that everything is going to be okay. we do also say something like - itâs gonna get better before the wedding.â
âwhat wedding?â
âoh, itâs just a sayingâ
âbut whose wedding, mine?âÂ
âoh for heavens sake, do you know the saying curiousity killed the cat?âÂ
Okay so, you know those fics where Y/N gets insulted, and their S/O is immediately about to fight the person who insulted their lover? But the person who was told that is always like âbabe itâs fine donât worry about itâ and they walk away?
Can you write some headcanons for Zhongli and maybe Diluc where this happens, but instead of them walking away, Y/N absolutely destroys the person who tried to make them sad? EX:
âYour voice is annoying,â
âYeah, well, Iâm not the one always going after other people despite having out-of-season shoes, Patricia.â
(Sorry if this is too long and specific!!!)
bite back
plot: reader reacts to an insult
characters: zhongli, diluc
warnings: some insults, nothing crazy
zhongli
weâre talking about a man with patience that lasts a millenia, so heâs really, really not too bothered by anything people would ever say to himÂ
you know how at some point you donât care anymore and donât even realize? he has reached that point time and time again
so if someone vaguely insults you, just saying something passive-aggressive, not anything too heated, heâll just try to get you to move on from it
from his perspective, itâs really easy to get violent and irritated when irked, so he really respects a calm approach towards the situation - and i mean his heart really does skip a beat.
the streets of liyue get quite busy this time of the year, with all the merchants from the six other nations flooding the streets, various festivities either showing up or slowly closing, and just generally a lot of people in every corner of the city.Â
it makes it exciting to take a little walk through the controlled chaos, but you canât always count on people to be nice. so as you roam the main avenue, with your partner heading off to a stand he got particularly interested in, you feel yourself bumping into a guy.Â
âoh, sorry about thatâ you say, about to dismiss the whole situation, but the person at the other end of the scene doesnât seem to be as in favor.Â
âto hell with your sorry, i almost spilled my coffee!â the guy yells, attracting various peopleâs attention, and, what you didnât notice, zhongliâs as well.
âagain, sorry, i didnât look where i was goingâ you answer, apologetically, yet not particularly involving yourself in the nonsense this manâs creating.Â
âdoesnât fix it!â he scoffs âdid you know how much this shirt cost me? bet you donât, an idiot such as yourself wouldnât even dare to dream about prices like thatâÂ
he seems to be in a better mood after saying that, even if it made no sense whatsoever, and stares back at you with a confident smile, waiting for your reaction. you smile as well, crossing your arms at chest, walking a couple steps closer towards him.Â
âobviously only an idiot, such as yourselfâ you quote âwould use a price tag of something in order to attempt winning the conversation. did that make sense in your twisted little brain?â your smile grows a bit wider as you nod, cooing in the most babyish voice you could muster.  âwell, i supposed i did you a favor there, considering how hideous that shirt looks on you! i can see why youâre worked up about spending money on it. i wouldnât, but then again, my brain has a little more capacity than yours seems to.âÂ
upon finishing, you pat him on the shoulder, and pass him by, completely unfazed, searching the crowd for your partner. you nod acknowledging his presence, taking his hand into yours again before walking off.
the two of you remain in silence for a little while, before zhongli finally manages to whisper:
âthat was well-handledâÂ
âoh, i know i went a bit too far with the brain capacity, but the nerve this guy had! i just couldnât shut up once i startedâ you giggle lightheartedly, surprising him even more.Â
âno, i meant it, that you handled that well. i did. i just... find myself at a loss of words, i guess?â he chuckles.Â
âwhyâs that?â you smile at him, looking him right in the eye, waiting for the response. he smiles too, before shaking his head.Â
âi canât quite explain.âÂ
what he meant was - that was almost too attractive.Â
diluc
can really go from 0 to a 100 in less than a second
heâs ready to stand up, an insult already at the tip of his tongue, hand clenching into fists
ready with a capital r
when you beat him to it, though, heâs gonna be⊠well he himself doesnât know
itâs not pride, itâs less positive, but nevertheless heâs content you donât let anybody walk all over you
heâs familiar with the character that is donna for quite some time now, although he hides it very well, growing professional with the way he pretends to always not quite look where she stands or be some place else when she attempts to talk to him.
an expert at wriggling out of social situations like him doesnât find any trouble in simply avoiding the problem all he needs to.
so when the both of you come back to mondstadt city after a walk, and pass the gates, he catches her figure with the corner of his eye, but doesnât give even the slightest signal that he did notice it. taking your hand in his very gently, he leads the two of you towards angelâs share.
he even engages in a puny conversation about some flowers, letting go of the observation of his surroundings in order to look at the way your whole face brightens up when you smile.
before he knows it, someoneâs in front of the both of you, spilling a red and sticky liquid all over you. surprised, you look up, noticing the way donnaâs face scrunches up in a grin, before she gasps in faux shock, eyes darting at your companion.
âoh, iâm so sorryâ she says in an overly sweet tone âIâm so clumsy, totally didnât see you there! but then again, maybe itâs for the better you get rid of that⊠shirt you got thereâ
her skin wrinkles from how hard sheâs smiling, and diluc can feel the irritation in him rising, but before he can even react, a similar expression paints your face, mouth opening to say:
âdonât mention it! thanks for your advice, but i think you need to reconsider how you dress, first, though! seems like even something as revealing as this canât get you anywhere in your pursuit, can it now?â
you squeeze closer into dilucâs side, careful not to stain his clothing with the substance, hand affectionately running up and down his arm.
you watch her eyes widen in anger, mouth pressing into a tight line, all causing satisfaction to flood your chest, as you smile brightly.
âhave a good one!â you wave off, starting to walk away, diluc mindlessly following suit. as soon as the two of you reach safe distance, you whisper to him lowly: âi wasnât too mean, was i? sorry, she was getting on my nervesâ
he has to clear his throat before answering, âno, no you werenât, she had it coming with how rude she was towards youâ he explains, a protective shoulder wrapping around yours.
âgoodâ you breathe out, looking down at your attire. âwell, this is ruined nowâŠâ
diluc registers just then how dirty your shirt looks, and the level of anger inside him rises once more, heâs ready to go and talk some more sense into donna right then and there, but gives up on those hopes.
âiâll get it cleaned as an apology for this⊠scenario. come, i definitely have something clean in the backâ
âas an apology? you didnât do anythingâ
âyes, but⊠well we both know why sheâs after you like that.â he sighs âif it happens again, iâll be sure to deal with it myselfâ
with a kiss to your forehead, heâs gone in search for that shirt.
warnings: angsty and like one curse word, thatâs all
diluc was a cute kid.
as the heir to one of the most wealthy and powerful families in mondstadt, he was polite not only to his senior, but also incredibly nice to his friends, as well. different that most boys his age, he didnât go around yelling dumb, inappropriate jokes, and didnât take pride in making girls feel bad.
he was always sweet to those doing worse than him in class, be it theory or sparring, and acted like an absolute saint to his adopted brother.
naturally, how could one not adore a kid like that? how could the mondstadt girls not line up to see him each time, how could the boys not want to play with him? how could anyone resist, when he had that charm to him that seemed to draw people near almost against their free will?
finally, how could you not take pride in the fact that out of all those over-the-top girls who fought over each other to talk to him, out of all those boys that never failed to bug him in each little scrap of his free time, he chose to try and get close to you?
you didnât understand it at first, but it seemed like he genuinely wanted to know you, his eyes looking as though they were studying your expression at all times, a warm smile welcoming you each time you passed him by.
his words were careful and his sentences always strained, as if he struggled to talk, but a sense of honesty and genuine sympathy always seeped through his words, confusing your little childish brain, but also forming a warm and fuzzy feeling inside your chest.Â
over the years, not only did you finally answer to his advances, but also befriend the kid. his rare smiles were reserved for your eyes only, and his mind opened up before you each and every time you talked, no restrain and limitations between you two.Â
heâd sit behind you in class, sometimes passing you notes with an answer to questions you didnât know, or a funny note about the teacher, or just simply asking if you want to hang out after school.Â
youâd go to windrise and sit under the tree, talking for hours about the most useless of things, about what you thought the clouds looked like, but also your futures, your dreams and hopes.Â
heâd explain math to you before every exam in the dark rooms of dawn winery, hair pulled up and tea made for the both of you, looking at your struggling with unmistakable patience and affection, but what could you know? you were kids, barely even teenagers. why would you think anything of the way he said heâll âalways be there for youâ after some simple math tutoring? how could you analyze his kind stare that you never saw him wear for other people?Â
and so you didnât.Â
heâd sit with you on the counter of his kitchen, carefully caressing your back as you wet his shirt with tears, quietly telling you that âthey didnât deserve you anywayâ after your first ever heartbreak. to hell with the fact that his own heart was breaking a millimetre more with every word he spoke, if what he said calmed you in any way, heâd talk all night, going on and on about how you deserve the world, and nothing less.Â
you held his hand at his fathers memorial service, letting him tighten his grip on your fingers harder every time, you wiped away the tears, you listen to his sobs and pleas when the two of you were alone. you offered solace to him over the next painful months, you justified every word he hurt kaeya with, only to make him feel better about himself.Â
to him, you were like an angel sent from above. you restored the faith he had lost in the world, you stuck by his side and lighted up his days one after the other, how could he not adore you?
how could he not fall in love?Â
and trust when i say, he did really try to avoid it. he tried pushing his thoughts away, he tried focusing on something else, tried avoiding you, tried everything. no matter what he did, his mind circled back to your smile, and unconsciously he smiled as well, even if the next second heâd look in the mirror and wipe it off his face as if it was a crime to smile.Â
diluc was a cute kid, and he grew up to be a polite gentleman, whom you called a friend. and as any polite gentleman, he wouldnât dare do anything to loose the honor you had given him, so he stayed silent. stayed silent since his in-class notes, through talks about the future, through your breakups, through all the times you had been there for him. in no universe would he ever mention how the weight was lifted off his shoulders every time you as much as looked his way, how all the clouds went away at the sound of your laugh, and how he was ready to do anything in the world to keep you happy.Â
somewhere in his mind, perhaps he thought you had somehow known all along, and would reward his efforts to not complicate your life with his emotions with loving him back, but how could you know? how, if he kept it a secret that well?Â
in the end, his own plan backfired on him, and he realized he had lost when you ran through his door, tears in your eyes, but a smile on your face, showing off a ring, shining in sunlight, resting on your finger.
if he ever thought âthey didnât deserve youâ hurt him, âiâm so happy for you!â stabbed his soul a thousand times more painfully.Â
to normal people of mondstadt, there was no change in behavior from the gloomy and serious owner of angelâs share, but a few noticed how heavy his presence was, how desperately he blinked back the sheen layer of tears, glistening in the candle light while he was serving drinks, and you were off somewhere in the back, laughing with your lover by your side.Â
he had lost his chance, and now there was no way in which he could get you back. no way at all. all his life, he had built up a hope inside that one of these days, heâll get a happy ever after, and lived with that thought through all the bad moments that came along the way, and now these years of carefully building this scenario came crushing down with the realization.Â
in a desperate search of any relief, he came to the conclusion that the only thing to be even remotely at peace with himself was to... simply just tell you.Â
so there he was, right outside your door, the watch on his wrist striking ten in the evening, stars shining brightly on your doorstep, as you appeared before him, merely a nightgown shielding you from the cold air of the night, a soft smile adoring your lips from the moment you realized it was him.Â
âdiluc? whatâre you doing here this late?â you said, grabbing a coat from behind the door and closing it behind you. a foolish hope sprung inside him when you joined him outside, as he stared at you with a little grin, working up the courage to speak up.Â
âthereâs something i wish to tell you aboutâ he merely whispered, gesturing you to come with him.
the walk to windrise was longer than the ones you remembered from your childhood days, and the sharp air nibbled on your skin mercilessly, to the point your legs hurt a bit when you reached the tree.
diluc turned your way and spoke for the first time in what felt like forever, but was thirty minutes.
âi hoped not to burden you with the secret iâll share with you now, and iâm sorry for whatever bad outcome it might cause, but⊠truth is, i canât keep it to myself anymore, and if i want to have some peace for myself, i have to trouble you with it.â he said quietly, settling worry in your gut.
âyou can tell me anythingâ you assured calmly âyour secrets are always safe with meâ
he took one last look into your caring eyes, feeling a little better just having you smile at him, and took a breath before spilling.
âi mightâve been in love with you for the last ten yearsâ he said calmly âand i know this is hardly the time, i really do, but i just-â
âwhat?â
you looked at him in surprise, blood audibly pumping through your veins as you tried to comprehend what he just said.
âi do understand that youâre engaged, but-â
âdo you? do you, really?â you said bitterly, making his heart sink in regret. âbecause to me it seems like i waited for you all those years, i hoped, and i prayed, and i wished, and after i finally, finally gave up, you decide to mess with my emotions right when i thought i had them figured out?â
diluc was stunned. so you felt the same way about him, once? he couldâve had all he hoped for? he didnât even comprehend the rest of your sentence fully, focusing on how you just admitted to having feelings for him somewhen in the past.
âno, iâm not trying to mess with you, Iâm-â
âbut you are! honestly, diluc, i knew you were somewhat insensitive, but this is blatantly cruel! what- i donât- why didnât you say this to me earlier?â
âi wish i did, but to me it seemed like you were always chasing someone else, and i didnât want to-â
âbother me? is that it? you didnât want to bother me so now you decided to try and mess with my relationship? god, i- i need to be alone right now. sorry.â
and with that you were out of your usual childhood spot, leaving him alone under the tree that shared both of your secrets and plans for so long.
a longing stare pierced through your back as you ran back to mondstadt, not going home right away, but trying to find a spot where nobody would find you.
âfuckâ he muttered. he was familiar with the feeling of loss, but the fact that it was nobodyâs fault but his own made it a hundred times worse.
diluc was a cute child, and grew up to be a polite gentleman. so he was there to apologize to you on countless occasions, ready to beg forgiveness for his recklessness and lack of thought, but you were never there to hear his pleas.
and so it went on, a huge wedding covered the streets of mondstadt in white while he stood in the sidelines, his friends said goodbye to you as he watched from a safe distance. you left, and so did every remaining proof of his embarrassment.
nevertheless, he sent countless letters, no address on the envelope, save for the name of the city, hoping that one of them would eventually reach you. sorrow and tears almost spilled from the words written in a tidy cursive, but he never had any certainty about wether they reached you or not.
hi Lovely people, Iâm sorry Iâm not currently posting, but Iâm celebrating my birthday this weekend and literally donât have time to breathe; Iâll do all your requests as soon as I get some alone time!
hi! (this request is heavily inspired by a kdrama i just watched called sweet home lmao) could i request a childe x gn reader fic where childe and the reader r both severely injured and the reader had to kill someone for self defense and as theyre running away the reader feeling super guilty is like âiâm so terrible i killed someoneâ and childe is trying to comfort them and they find a place to rest while being both on the verge of death and the reader is like âi killed someone, iâm so scared that itâll be my last memoryâand the childe is like âtry to forget abt it itâs okâ and the reader is like âu donât think abt either tooâ (yk implying like oh donât think abt the ppl youâve killed before childe, bc im assuming heâs killed a lot of ppl) and heâs like ok with a sad smile and they die together in each otherâs arms holding hands?)/?:))2 help this is wayyy to detailed iâm sry but if u want the reference scene itâs from this video , they show the specific scene in time stamps 0:57-2:56 again iâm so sorry if this is too detailed or if u donât wanna write it!!! tysm <3
memory
a/n oh my god that is just my kind of angst, thanks for the request and i hope you'll enjoy!!
prompt: honestly? dying with tartaglia (that sounds like a creepy tv show's title and i'm proud of it)
contains: tartaglia
warnings: angst, death, blood, major character death, self-blame, murder, more blood, really a lot of dying and bleeding, please do not proceed if you're not comfortable with the topics
adrenaline was probably the last string that had your body moving and functioning in any way. the blood in your veins made you deaf, only capable of noticing the sounds of it pumping behind your ears, head pulsing like a bomb about to explode.
your whole body shook, and you felt a metallic taste on your tongue, covering your mouth with your hand to prevent throwing up, which you predicted would happen in a matter of seconds.
"hey!" you finally heard childe yell, sounding distant even still, when you lifted your gaze away from the body before you and noticed he was standing fairly close. "come on, move, or his buddies" he said pointing to the lifeless man beneath you "might just come to get revenge"
with that he took your arm by the waist and pulled you along with him.
you stumbled over your own feet, and almost fell down every couple of minutes. your lungs started to burn after mere seconds, and you couldn't even find breath to tell him to slow down. you also knew he couldn't, having better self-preservation instincts than you, he understood the situation you two were in better.
fuck.
you looked behind you, to the spot where blood painted the grass red under a pile of dead bodies, some of your allies, some of your foes, but from this kind of distance, you couldn't even make out which one was which. your gaze fell down to your hands, covered in sticky redness as well.
you just killed somebody.
it wasn't even the consequences that frightened you, it was the sheer act of life leaving his eyes before he fell down, of his pupils staring at you in one last beg for mercy before freezing like that for the eternity ahead, for how his body seemed to have gained weight in a matter of seconds, almost pulling you down with him. the ringing in your head got more intense as you choked on a strained sob.
"they're dead" you breathed out, making your partner laugh sarcastically.
"good guess" he answered, his grip on your arm loosening as the both of you climbed up a hill.
"no, you don't understand, they're- dead dead! i- i didn't think i-" you stumbled over your words, panic settling in your eyes as you tried to comprehend the situation.
"what, you didn't think that if you pierce a person through with a blade they're gonna die?" he asked rhetorically, back almost slamming against a tree, sliding down to the ground with a breath of relief. "fuck, looks like i got pierced, too" he noticed, looking down onto his side, the grey material of his uniform getting dark and sticky. he hissed, trying to lift it up, and gave up on his attempts, instead opting to look at you.
you didn't sit down, but kept staring forward with the most frightened expression he had ever seen you wear. eyes wide open as you searched for answers in thin air, hands shaking, moving up to cover your mouth.
âheyâ he whispered way gentler than before, urging you to sit down in front of him âitâs okay, it was only self-defense. you did kill them, but you didnât murder them or anything, it was kill or be killedâ
his words held so much confidence in what he was saying, you almost felt comforted. he really did master the art of bending the truth to his liking, didnât he?
âi did it, what if he was someoneâs father, or brother, or whoever else, what if i just destroyed someoneâs world? he was a human being just as much as i am, i had no right-â you started relapsing into panic, hands gripping on your hair, head moving down to hide between your legs.
only then did tartaglia notice the huge wound right across the back of your thigh, and several others. fuck, he instantly thought, whoever did it knew what he was doing, cut you in a very specific place, with intent to kill.
he couldnât even fight back the wave of anger coming crushing at him, but bit his lip instead of saying anything. there was no way the both of you could get to a safe place in time.
he used to be so passionate about continuing to live, normally he wouldâve just throw you over his shoulder and run, until his legs gave out, but now, he didnât even have the energy to stand up. he barely could move his hand, and the more he tried to fight it, the more tired he became.
the feeling of helplessness was eating him alive, both from not having any way of providing you safety, and for not protecting you earlier, not to mention how he couldnât find the right words to say to you now.
âlistenâ he started carefully, waiting for you to stop sobbing. âitâs painful, killing someone. it leaves a hole inside you that you donât know how to cover. it makes your thoughts twist and fight back against you, it makes you want to leave your own head for how bad you feel. it sucks, believe me, i know. you didnât deserve to have to feel this shitty. iâm- iâm sorry. for not shielding you well enough.â he said bluntly, not a hint of comfort or the usual beating around the bush that he used every time he intended to coax you. just pure, brutal truth. for once.
âitâs okayâ you mumbled quietly. your head felt heavy on your shoulders, and you felt how it started to fall off its support. the numbness in your legs, this sort of stressful feeling of being constantly out of air- âi donât want to die, thoughâ
the sentence felt like a whimper, a cry of help, but tartaglia knew there was exactly nothing he could do.
âam i gonna die?â your voice felt a little stronger, laced with fear, and you lifted your eyes back onto him, in search of a ânoâ that you knew you wouldnât find. âiâm gonna leave this world with killing a man as my last memoryâ you laughed bitterly, before laugh became a cry, and tears mixed with sweat on the surface of your cheeks. âthatâs the worst fucking death i could ever imagineâ
âbaby, look at meâ he asked calmly âcome hereâ
when you moved to sit on his side, his hand, sticky from blood, intertwined its fingers with yours, and squeezed tightly.
âlook. weâre sitting on a hill, under a tree, the sun is high up in the sky, a meadow below us, itâs a perfect date!â he laughed so authentically, you almost believed it was true. âweâre on a dream date, isnât that amazing? and look.â
with that, he tilted your head towards his, and kissed you softly and shortly.
âi love you.â he said in the calmest manner he could force out âis that a better memory?â
you placed your head on his side, attempting to hug him even a little bit, tears staining his uniform even more.
âi donât want to leave you.â
âiâll be right behind you. guarding your back, like i always do. after all, i promised to always protect you, right? death wonât change my plans.â
hmm this is like my first time responding to a request thing so here goes: (slight webtoon spoilers!!)â- imagine if you/reader finds out about kaeyas secret accidentally, before he told diluc. how would he react to that? iâve given some thought into it and iâd love to see your perspective!
dark whispers
plot: hurt/comfort, reader finds out about kaeya's secret before anyone else
contains: kaeya
warnings: WEBTOON SPOILERS, the story takes place before the start of the game, approximately 5-6 years, alcohol, acting under the influence, you can even say underage drinking, curse words
the sun had long set behind the mountains adoring the territories of mondstadt city. it's people had already closed their shops, workshops and businesses, having gone home to their families, many of them possibly already drifting off to sleep.
some individuals, as everyday, be it a workday, weekend, or a holiday, decided to go entertain themselves with different kinds of alcohol at the local tavern.
but to some of the mondstadt folk, that day, that evening was a special one, for it was a celebration of the ever so famous master crepus' adoptive son, kaeya, turning seventeen.
the night fell special even for regular customers, not only the ones celebrating, for it was rare for the master of the dawn winery himself to pour drinks and serve them at his establishment. for the birthday of his son, though, he had abandoned his normal nightly duties, and stood behind the counter for a good couple of hours, giving one speech and joining everyone in singing happy birthday for the young knight.
he had gone home around an hour ago, leaving the happy, slightly drunk bunch of customers in the hands of a younger bartender.
"alright" kaeya's older brother, and cerpus' firstborn, diluc, had made everyone quiet with the way he clapped his hands, a sly smirk on his lips as he looked his friend and brother in the eyes. diluc, being older, already knew the taste and... other qualities of alcohol a little better than the blue-haired boy, so he found nothing but amusement in the way kaeya couldn't find balance on his chair, or in how his eyes just wouldn't focus on one spot, instead wandering around the walls and ceiling of the tavern. "kaeya" he called out, making the boy face him with a dumbfounded look. "you're one round of shots behind me"
kaeya's expression changed to distressed within seconds, as he examined the three glasses before his eyes, wondering if he'll even fit those in his stomach.
"is yer head made out of stone or sum?" he slurred out "how're ya this sober?"
diluc laughed, pointing to the glasses.
"less complaining, more bottoming these out" he rushed, arms crossing at his chest, as he leaned back on his chair and observed his little brother struggle to make the decision.
"go to hell" kaeya mumbled, emptying the drinks one by one, a grimmace coming to his face right after he had laid the last glass back on the table. "what even is that?" he asked, unamused, as diluc responded happily:
"firewater."
a smile of satisfaction painted the redhead's face.
"what?" kaeya's eyes widened "how'd you even get this past father?" he leaned lower on the table, studying diluc's expression. âthatâs like, forty percent sheer alcohol!â
"i have my ways" he responded enigmatically, and kaeya shook his head in resignation.
"aight" the birthday boy took a deep breath "your turn. ya don't want to loose now, do you?" remains of a grin lifted the point of his mouth, as diluc chuckled, pouring the transparent liquid into the glasses yet again.
"what's the prize?" you asked one of their friends, having come late to the scene of the challenge.
"oh, the one to loose has to do the other's chores for a month" the guy responded, eyes not darting away from how diluc managed to empty all three glasses, much to kaeya's dispair.
hours had passed, and everyone slowly left the birthday party, diluc leaving kaeya in your hands, as he helped the bartender clean up the mess the young knights had made. you asked the blue-haired boy if he wanted to get some fresh air, to which he nodded, you can't say eagerly, but nodded nonetheless. so that leaves you to where you were now, slowly walking towards your place, kaeya bumping into your side every now and then as he lost balance.
"did you have fun?" you asked happily, eyes focusing on his face, waiting for a response.
"yea" he murmured, not even sparing you a look.
"poor you, are you that wasted?" you continued, amused, as a hiccup left his throat.
"'m not wasted" he denied instantly. " 't was nice to spend some time with diluc, we all know i don't have much of that left"
your eyebrows furrow in confusion, as you stop in your tracks, making him stop, too. he seemed to have thought this was a normal thing to say, and politely waited for you to start walking again, but you didn't, instead crossing your arms, and asking again.
"what do you mean by that?"
he scoffed, almost rudely. " he's gon' hate me for life, isn't it obvious?" he slurred, head lifting to look on the starry sky, hands going deeper inside his pockets. your expression turned even more confused, as he stared up, acting like it was the most natural thing to say, and like everybody knew this.
"what's he gonna hate you for? he's your brother, he loves you deeply, right?" you wanted to rub his arm, or something, do anything to soothe the feelings that must've been eating him alive, but stayed still.
"brother" he scoffed again. you couldn't possibly see, from the angle his head was at, but hot tears flooded his eyes as he said the word out loud, and the moment of silence that came after, he used to calm down even the slightest bit. "i think that's the most beautiful lie i ever came up with, y'know? brother." he repeated.
"what- what do you mean by that?"
"i've been nothing but a useless homewrecker to his family for as long as i have been in this world. how did i ever find the audacity to call myself his brother? oh my, even i hate my guts for this." he chuckled, painful irony overflowing his voice "and my dearest, short-tempered diluc is gonna flip the fuck out, for sure"
"kaeya" you asked, growing to be scared of how mysteriously he was acting "is there anything you wish to tell me?"
you swallowed a gulp in your throat by saying that, and awaited the reply in stress, even if you didn't know why.
his gaze finally came down from the sky, as he looked at you with a sad smile.
"if it was up to me, i'd wish not to tell a soul anything. but i have been lying for far to long, and my so-called family did nothing to deserve that. nothing, nothing bad, ever, and yet they've been cursed to deal with one like me. truly unfair, the fate of this world. how kindness pays off in nothing but sorrow."
you could tell he was a bit more sober by how his words were more understandable than before, but he was still far from his right mind. you would've stopped him, but there was really no going back now, and you almost needed to hear what secret he was talking about.
"my dearest" he said, addressing you "please, do not get angry with me as well. i don't know what i'd do if i lost even more people than i intend to with this information."
after you nodded in confusion, he explained the story, briefly and in a twisted way, having little control over his slurred words.
you stood there in silence for a good long while as silent tears rolled down from both yours and his eyes.
"i'm sorry" he finally mumbled "i'm sorry, i swear i didn't do what i was designed to do, i didn't tell anyone anything, i didn't attempt to harm anyone. it wasn't my decision to make, i swear, i hold no loyalties to-"
"kaeya" you interrupted him, and he feared for the worst. "that must've been so confusing for the little kid you were"
the worried tone of your voice, the way your words were covered in affection, the way your eyes seemed to care, it all flooded his wrecked soul all too quickly and all to strongly, making him gasp for air, as if it was knocked out of his lungs.
"you- you don't think i'm a-"
"no" you interrupted again, afraid of how he might finish the sentence. "and neither will diluc. i can't promise you he won't be mad, because he probably will, but you're brothers, by blood or not. you're gonna fight and you're gonna make up, because no anger will ever top the love i'm sure he has for you. and if rougher days are really coming your way" you said, approaching him to wrap your arms around his shaky form. "then i'll stand by you to face them with you."
little did you both know. the date of diluc ragnvidrâs 18th was approaching faster than anyone could ever anticipated.
Hello you precious human! I saw you're taking request and I thought of something.. mabye you have an idea for this one, if not just ignore the ask >.< what if diluc and zhongli (seperate) don't know that their s/o is an artist and one day their sweetheart gifts them a full ass beautiful portrait of them. Maybe they had a hard day and you wanna make them feel better and surprise them or it's an anniversary gift idk, go wild with it âĄ
Have a nice day ! Ily and thanks!
gift(ed)
a/n: thank you for this absolutely lovely ask! hope you enjoy reading this!
plot: the reader makes the character a portrait of them
contains: diluc, zhongli
warnings: none!
diluc
you know he hates his birthday, for very obvious reason
but what hurts even more when you hear it, is that from what his old friends say, he used to love it, once
it hurts to think that it became one more aspect of himself he has grown to forget
so you decide to do something about it
you know very well he doesnât want any celebrations to be held, so therefore he also denies any gifts, but you can only hope heâll accept this one
you work your ass off for a good long while, wanting it to be absolutely perfect, not one flaw on your canvas, worried heâd notice right away
when the time comes to finally gift it to him, youâre stressed beyond reason, sweaty palms probably ruining the nice packaging that covers the result of your relentless efforts. you have arranged to meet with diluc on starsnatch cliff, hoping to do it casually enough for him not to notice itâs a birthday thing, but also sure he will know, heâs far too intelligent to fall for anything like this, after all.
the sun begins to set as you sit down on the edge of the cliff, testing how far away from the stone can you move your foot without starting to feel dizzy.
the grass is already getting cold from the humidity of the night air, and you wonder if you should stand up after all, so not to stain your outfit.
itâs only a call of your boyfriend that rips you away from your train of thought.
âdarling?â is what diluc says, voice uncertain as he stands below you âyou asked to see me?â
you turn around, a welcoming smile crawling up your lips, and even though he doesnât know the reason heâs here for yet, he already thinks it was worth it, just to see you, smiling like that in the field of cecilias.
âyouâre here!â you exclaim happily, almost making him chuckle, because how could he not if it was you who asked?
you get up, careful not to show him the package behind your back too soon. he takes a big step forward, arm already securing you from the edge, hovering around your waist, but not touching you, still.
âletâs get further away from the edge, shall we?â he asks softly, and although you want to laugh at his endless worries, the love and care in his voice makes you swoon internally. âso?â he asks after making sure for your safety. âwhatâs with the scenery?â
âwellâ you grin, looking down at your feet, over the minute heâs been here he already managed to make you forget everything you had on your mind. âdonât take it as a birthday gift, cause itâs not that!â you explain rapidly, shaking your head âthe only thing i wanted was to make you smile, or, i donât know, the thing is, i hope you like it-â
you donât quite know what to say, but diluc chooses to surprise you with a soft look you so rarely get to see.
âdarling, itâs not like i have a phobia for birthday gifts or somethingâ he assures âit just feels a bit weird to celebrate myself on such an anniversary, but iâm honored that you spent your time with me on your mind, i really amâ
you feel more confident with that on your mind, and you hand him your gift.
he takes it, raising an eyebrow, slowly untying the ribbon you ornamented the packaging with. as he slowly unwraps the paper, his eyes notice something he genuinely didnât expect.Â
itâs a painting of him, or at least he thinks so, smiling with his eyes closed, hand tilted and resting on his hand, slight blush creeping up his cheeks. he wonders if thatâs really him, but the physical resemblance is unquestionable, even though he doesnât remember the last time he has seen this kind of expression on his face.Â
âi-â he attempts to speak up, but stutters âwhere have you had this ordered?âÂ
you grin even wider, knowing the biggest surprise is yet to be dawned upon him.Â
âi didnâtâ you explain âi painted it myself, do you like it?âÂ
you catch a sparkle shoot through his eyes before he lifts them up from the painting to find yours.Â
âno, really?â he asks in shock, quickly going back to admiring the gift. âitâs- youâre- youâre very talented, do you know that? itâs so detailed-â he shakes his head slightly, having a hard time comprehending all that was happening.Â
âi managed to sneak a photo of you on our anniversary dinnerâ you say âi wouldnât be able to paint this without a reference, plus, iâd like you to know what moment i based this on. if iâm able to make you smile like that from time to time, then i never want to stop.âÂ
you can swear his eyes glisten with a thin layer of tears forming, but he blinks them back as soon as possible, and you canât get a good look. instead, he looks at you again, love practically seeping through his gaze.Â
âthank youâ he says quietly, smiling just how you like it, not even fully aware that he is. he approaches you to wrap an arm around you and press a quick peck to your forehead. âthis just might be the best birthday iâve ever had.âÂ
zhongliÂ
youâve been to someoneâs birthday party togetherÂ
and it came in the conversation between the two of you that he has never received a proper giftÂ
offering is not a giftÂ
it was a whole deal, with choosing the present for that person, wrapping it up, decorating...
and you decided - why not just make him something, with no occasion necessary? maybe heâll like it, maybe heâll just acknowledge itâs existence, worth a shotÂ
so there you are, waiting outside the parlor, gripping on the package in your hands, and waiting for him to come out.Â
it feels like ages since the moment you arrived, but canât be longer than a couple of minutes. zhongli has no liking to material possesions, and youâre aware of that, so youâre hoping heâll value the effort and thought youâve put into your gift. you know heâd never hurt your feelings, not on purpose, at the very least, but youâre still kind of worried.Â
âhello thereâ you almost jump out in surprise as you hear a tranquil voice behind you.Â
âoh my, you scared me!â you let out a breathy laugh, but he seems to have ignored your comment.Â
âhave you been waiting long?â he asks instead, to which you shake your head slightly.Â
âno.â you say immediately, a gentle smile welcoming him as always. he nods and attempts to take your hand, intent to go on a walk in his mind, but stops, surprised as he feels the rectangular object in your hand.Â
âoh, are we planning to go to someoneâs party again today? i wish youâd included me in the gift picking process this time too, it was entertaining the last we did itâ even though he says that, no disappointment shows up behind his eyes as he waits for your response.Â
âah, no, you see-â you take a breath âthatâs actually for youâÂ
his eyebrow rises ever so slightly as he mentally studies what date is today and if he has forgotten about anything.Â
âohâ he finally mumbles âand may i ask to what do i owe the pleasure?âÂ
his talent with words seems to be on his side, and heâs apparently able to talk himself out of the confusion you put him in.Â
âto absolutely nothingâ you shrug, smile growing bigger, as his mind spins even harder, not getting the point more now. âother than being my amazing person.â you add.Â
he feels his heart flutter in a weird pattern, but ignores it as you place the gift in his hands. he just sort of looks at it for a while, and youâre already scared heâs going to say something unexpectable, but instead he starts to unwrap the thing gently and carefully.Â
you watch his eyes widen as he sees himself, painted by your hand, the softest of smiles painting his expression in warm colours. to you, thatâs just how he looks everyday, but to him?
this is just one of many forms to him. he doesnât look in mirrors a lot, he doesnât pay much mind to it, he never studies his appearance how others do. he doesnât get insecure in a way humans do.Â
it feels foreign to look at the picture. it feels as if heâs looking at someone, indoubtly at himself, but through your eyes instead. he never knew his eyes looked this kind, and that the corners of his lips didnât lift evenly when he smiled, instead having one slightly above the other.Â
you notice so many things, he realizes, and he looks up at you, a wandering gaze searching for your eyes, as he struggles to comprehend just how wonderful of a chance he had gotten to meet you.Â
he had seen miracles come to life and crumble before him, but never once had he though heâd be one to witness something as beautiful as your love and your affections are.Â
meanwhile you wonder if heâs searching for the right words to say you âjust shouldnât haveâÂ
you almost speak up, about how you just felt like doing something like this, and he doesnât have to keep it, or something, but he manages to comment before you do.Â
âyour work is gorgeous, dear.â he says blandly, but quickly adds âbut youâre the best gift i could ever encounter.â
Hey there, Iâve been following you from your haikyuu threads on Twitter, and I just wanted to say that itâs good to see you writing back, Iâve missed your writing !
Have a nice day!
oh my gosh those were some good days⊠iâm surprised someone has stuck with me for so long! iâm really honored, thank you!! gonna post something haikyuu!! related soon, i think, so watch out for that <3
Hi! I recently saw a comfort scenario you made and it was absolutely lovely, so sweet, you wrote down the characters so well and you could notice how tender and thoughtful you were about handling a difficult subject, thank you for doing so! If you donât mind, could you please also do a comfort scenario with zhongli, thoma, ayaka and xinqiu( if itâs too much characters just the first 2 please ) with a reader who has been working non stop ( literally non stop, everyday until late hours for months now ) and one day they melt down? Health wise- nauseous to the point of now being able to walk without feeling like they will throw up, canât stand up or focus, canât sleep, stomachache, shaking ( the symptoms of labyrinthitis but hard core ) They donât even realize itâs a bit mentally too when they start crying out of anxiety from thinking they wonât have time to do all of their work and âthis shouldnât be the time to be weakâ, today I had one of those and I need s bit of comfort, Iâm currently working my ass off and I feel so guilty I had this âhealth meltdown â because I donât want to leave my work buddies hanging, I know itâs a bit specific so you donât have to do it if you are not comfortable with the subject, thank you in advance and hope you have a good day :)
limits
a/n when i saw your ask, i wanted to do it almost immediately, as soon as possible, but i have a rule of doing things chronologically so i hope you didnât wait too long dear!! i hope you enjoy it and please rest when you can, no work is worth putting yourself at risk like that!
edit: iâm sorry this took so long, i had a harsh life situation and couldnât quite get to writing
plot: reader has an overworking meltdown
contains: zhongli, tohma, xingqiu
warnings: two to three curse words and like one mention of blood, in regards to biting lip, a non-very much detailed description of a panic attack
if you have any preferences: zhongliâs the toughest, tohmaâs the fluffiest and xinqiu is the only one who really knows what heâs doing
the most fluffy one is definitely tohma
zhongli
honestly, doesnât notice for a good long while
his own limits are much further from those of a human being, so itâs a common mistake that he measures something in how much effort would it take HIM
and the answer, usually, is not much, one of the many perks of being a god
however, heâs not dumb, heâs a very perceptive person, so the second things get really bad - heâs already there
âshitâ you mumble to yourself, fingers massaging your temples as you try to focus on the text before you âiâve read this like five times already, why doesnât it make any sense?â
you try squinting on the page, but it doesnât help, in fact, the second you widen your eyes again, dark spots cloud your vision, and your head starts spinning, causing a little bit of internal panic set in your gut, as your surroundings melt before you. you grip the table for stability, and try to focus your eyes on one point.
âlove?â zhongli suddenly asks, standing behind you âare you feeling alright?â
the question rings a familiar bell in your head, youâve heard it a lot these past weeks, and honestly, you almost answer how you always do. turning around slowly, you show zhongli the your sickly colored face, eyes foggy and glistening with a thin layer of tears, dark circles forming under them.
ânoâ you shake your head rapidly, blinking back tears âno, no iâm notâ
zhongli approaches you with a worried look, crouching next to your chair. he takes your chin in his fingers and analyzes your condition briefly, before asking further
âphysically or mentally?â
you sigh before answering âbothâ
âwell, i think-â he doesnât have the chance of sharing what he thinks with you, because you get up, saying youâre gonna throw up, but stumbling over your feet. âhey, watch outâ he says worryingly, arms catching you just in time. you honestly want to indulge in the feeling of something warm and strong supporting you, but end up getting yourself together quite quickly, rushing to save yourself the embarrassment.Â
âsorryâ you mumble, but he shakes his head.Â
âwhy would you be?â you sense a tiny little hint of anger in his voice, covered by worry and his natural calm, but thereâs something there nonetheless. he himself isnât sure what heâs frustrated, not angry, frustrated about, wether itâs you obviously not taking proper care of himself and taking the means to care for your body, or the situation that put you in this position in the first place.Â
maybe heâs angry at himself for having little to no clue what to do in a situation like this.Â
âcomeâ he clears his throat and finally says âiâll make you ginger water, itâll help with nauseaâÂ
with that, heâs guiding you over to the couch, sitting you down gently, but with way more than enough force, and disappears into the other room for a good while, before coming back with a drink.Â
âhereâ he states and when your hand comes into contact with the glass, you can feel itâs ice cold, and your eyes shoot up to face him immediately.Â
âcold drinks help faster than hot onesâ he explains âdo drink slowly, though.âÂ
as you decide to taste the surprisingly tasty predicament, the couch dips beside you, and youâre faced with zhongliâs worried eyes when you turn around.Â
he inhales loudly before asking: âwhat exactly are you feeling?âÂ
your eyes wander around for a bit, as if in search for the answer, before a shaky breath leaves your throat.Â
âmy head is spinningâ you start âi canât focus, my eyes hurt, my back hurts, fucking everything hurtsâ your words speed up, along with your breathing, before the last one becomes a sob, your head dropping, eyes facing the floor.Â
zhongli moves closer to you, hand travelling to rub circles on your arched back.Â
âdo you know why?â he asks, rhetorically, and you scoff in return.Â
âdonât turn this into a lectureâÂ
âi wonâtâ he agrees âbut the answerâs obvious, you do know that, right?â he nods along once you do, figuring out his next words âwhatâs even more obvious, though, is that this has got to stopâÂ
his voice is low and commanding, although soft, and you want to agree, you really do.Â
âiâll feel guilty if i doâ you mumble instead âi much prefer this to feeling guilty. in fact, iâve had enough of a break alreadyâ you put the glass away and attempt to get up, but zhongliâs arm wraps around your waist and pulls you back down.Â
âi will not allow you to damage yourself further if itâs the last thing i doâ he says again âthat is not up for debateâÂ
âzhongli, this is not funny-â
âexactly, itâs not, iâm glad we agree on the subjectâ he pulls you further to his side, resulting in your head resting on the side of his chest.Â
âwhatâre you even doing, let me-â you whine, but get interrupted again.Â
âweâ he accentuates âare taking a restâÂ
you donât even have the strength to argue with his logic, your assigned seat seeming like the most comfortable place on earth, eyes closing against your will. âfineâ you give up âbut iâm gonna get back to that in the morning.âÂ
âthat is definitely something to be decided, in the morningâ he states, leaving you unsure as to wether he agreed or not.Â
tohma
another one whoâs internally panicking because suddenly he doesnât know anything
but heâs determined to help you, and also more afraid to hurt your feelings than zhongli
like, zhongli would go to any distance to just make you rest, tohma will talk you into it
heâs more on the talking side than the doing one, and heâs just extremely soft, man panics the second he sees a tear on your cheek, so
you bite your lip again, hoping it would somehow wake your brain up and get it to work with you as you search through what seems to be the thousandth page of your paper materials. the metallic taste in your mouth is definitely not a get-me-up material, and you find yourself feeling even more sick than before.Â
your research slowly becomes a big blur, letters and sentences mixing together, colours combining into one stain before your eyes. you feel your elbow slipping from the desk, and suddenly youâre halfway through to the floor, grasping anything in sight to keep yourself from reaching the hard surface.Â
your head spins, and throat runs dry, as you pull yourself back up, and decide to get a glass of water. walking out of the study, youâre so focused on keeping on track, that you donât realize youâre bumping into something, or more likely, someone.Â
âhey-y, boss...?â tohma uses the nickname he knows always makes you chuckle, eyebrow raising in confusion, as he holds out his arms. âyou donât look to well, yâalright?âÂ
you nod mindlessly, focused only on getting your water, attempting to pass him and keep walking, but he finds himself right before your eyes again.Â
âwell you certainly donât look so fineâ he admits ânot like, looks wise, but...â he struggles with his words âugh, you know what i mean, you look sickâ he sighs âand not the good type of sickâ
âi knowâ is all you can mutter, shoulder slouching as you bring your hand over to cover your eyes, bright light of the room suddenly resulting very irritating to you. âi just need to⊠i need to finish this one thingâ you keep explaining.
âdonât you want some help?â tohma replies cheerfully âi bet itâd be both easier and faster to deal with if you had another set of hands to assist youâ
âdonât- donât trouble yourselfâ you turn your head and try to get rid of that disgusting gulp in your throat that makes you feel like youâre going to puke âi can manageâ
tohma gives you a slightly condescending, but well-meant look of worry before moving his hand to do anything, caress your cheek, or soothe the skin on your arm, anything, really, but the moment he does feel your body, it keeps shaking, as if you were cold.
he immediately puts the back of his hand on your forehead, checking for a fever, but thereâs no signs of that.
âannoying, i knowâ you say bitterly âi donât know why my bodyâs doing that, eitherâ you take a breath before continuing âi actually donât know anything about it at all, or so it seems, itâs like Iâm on a freaking autopilot or somethingâ
âwhat do you-â
âi mean that i have no control over whatâs happening with me!â you gasp, trying to balance yourself with the help of a nearby wall, tears threatening to spill from your eyes, you donât even know if itâs because of frustration or just that theyâre irritated with no rest. âi canât sleep, i canât eat, i canât do anything right, I canât even focus on some dumb tasks!â you can feel your breath shallowing, lungs running small, as your head continues to spin and make you dizzy, the feeling vibrating all throughout you âi have to finish this so soon and i really canât have this happening now, yet-â
âshhâ he suddenly shushes you quiet, you stopping out of sheer surprise that heâd interrupt you. âi understandâ he speaks really softly, like a contrast to how loud and chaotic you were getting âi have watched you keep on your tippy toes to make this project happen and work it through, and i admire you all the way through, I really doâ his voice is filled with so much affection that it feels as if someone poured something warm on your heart, steadying itâs beating. âthe amount of work, and devotion, and your own heart that youâve put into this is astounding to me, and i donât want you to think like i donât respect it, or donât get it, because i do! i do, but-â
he seems to be at a loss of words again, so he just gently grabs your hand and guides you to a big mirror standing in the corridor, your whole bodies visible in the glass.
âlookâ he says âthese are the eyes that need some sleep in order to be able to focus againâ his manner of speaking is already warm and fuzzy, and now it seems as if he was talking to a three-year-old, and not you âthis skin looks out of colour like this because it lacks some rest and good food, too. and look at your under eyes-â
âthatâs the point, tohma! i canât sleep, even if i want to, my body wonât freaking let me!â tears are staining your face as your chest goes up and down uncontrollably, breathing not wanting to settle.
âall your body needsâ he says, wrapping his arms around your waist âis a little bit more care. can you let me do that for you? at least that?â
his touch is really comforting, and the heat radiating off him does nothing but enforce your tiredness. you ultimately nod, feeling defeated, but also reassured in some way.
âthanksâ he says, leaving a soft peck on your cheek âlet me get to work, for a change, thenâ
xingqiu
now this one, as i mentioned, this one knows what heâs doing
heâs really quite task-focused, so thereâs no convincing him to get off your back, thatâs not happening
heâs also very familiar with the concept of overworking, he did spend some sleepless nights on studying, and on his books, he can empathize with you way better
just an expert at work, really
you hear a knocking on your door, or at least your ears hear it, but your brain just registers it as background noise, eyes not daring to leave the sentence youâre writing, afraid youâll get lost again if you do as much as blink.
the knocking is relentless, but you ignore it anyway, so at some point xingqiu just comes in.
âare your ears not working today?â he asks sarcastically as he places a mug with a warm liquid inside on your desk. âhello?â
your eyes dart away from the paper, searching for his own, and once they do, he immediately furrows his eyebrows in worry.
âwell, you look as terrible as your sense of hearingâ he says quite bluntly, hand also checking your temperature, eyes set on examining your condition. âwhen was the last time you slept?â
âi donât knowâ you struggle to say over the sickness in your stomach, and the constant ringing in your head.
âthe right answer would be <i do know, and it was today>â he replies in an instant.
âlisten, if youâre here to mock me-â
âi was here to bring you some tea, i am here to drag you out, even if it means using forceâ his hand rests on your desk, and a determined look sets on his face.
âno way, i just have some more pages to do today, i swear iâm gonna be done in like, i donât knowâŠâ as you think, he takes the opportunity to speak his mind again.
âyou do know itâs past eleven, right? how much longer are you planning to sit here, exactly?â
âjust a couple more pages, i promiseâ
âoh, really. tell me-â he suddenly changes the topic, voice causal as he wonders what to ask âwhatâs 62 times 9â
your eyebrows furrow as you look at him in disbelief
âi canât do math right now, itâs making me feel more dizzyâ you answer after a while
âmy point exactly, you canât focus properly either way. and if multiplying in your head is making you nauseous, then youâre severely sleep deprived and on the verge of seriously illâ he explains in a stoic manner.
âyes, all that, but i wonât be able to get any rest if i donât get this done, itâs really supposed to be done for like, yesterday, and i cant afford to just stop nowâ you explain hastily, panic settling in at the very thought of that.
âno deadline is worth risking your own health like thisâ xingqiuâs arms cross at chest level, and he looks down to you with a really dead set look.
âyou donât understand, itâs not only my work, i canât let everybody down like this, i have to just push through and- and-â
you find yourself not believing a word that comes out of your mouth. you do want to stop, desperately. you want to rest, you need nothing more than just simply that.
but you wonder if you have the right to. if you really did deserve to rest, even if you were working non stop, like a machine, even then youâre wondering if you did enough to get a little while to yourself.
the movement of your chest speeds up as your head starts spinning even more, and your eyes water at an insanely high pace. everything around seems to be moving really fast, and you canât even make out the details of xingqiuâs face as panic settles in deep inside your stomach.
âheyâ you suddenly hear âhey, hey, slow downâ xingqiuâs voice sounds way softer than before, heâs crouching before your sitting figure, with his hand on your thighs. âeasy. slow down.â he repeats, waiting for you to follow his instructions âjust breathe through it, youâll be okay, itâs gonna passâ he explains calmly, an encouraging smile on his lips. âthatâs goodâ
âi canât-â you finally start, but he only shakes his head
âand i canât let you stay here like this. come on, weâre gonna go breathe some fresh air, okay? just follow me, slowly, iâm right here by your side. no need to worry.â
sorry if this sucked! if you do want to request something, you can do it [here]
I'm soft uwu may I request some soft yearning Childe who has been separated for so long (and even barely escaped his life from his mission) from his s/o that got him thinking of finally asking the question and asking for their hand in marriage?
When you know ...Â
Warning -> SFW, fluff (minor mentions of injury/pain)
Character X GN Reader | AnthologyÂ
Includes: ChildeÂ
Authors Note: I hope you loved this dear friend, If I could bring you closer to this I would -- and I hope this fills your heart with tenderness <3Â
Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and before he knew it, so much time had gone by that he worried everything heâd return to would have slipped from his fingers. How would he ever forgive himself for letting the most important thing in his life evade him, how could he live with never taking action when it was so stupidly obvious now.Â
He struggled with every step, every twist of his body as he labored forward. Out of everyone in his charge to follow him on this mission, only he made it out - and it was all because of the one thing that lingered in his mindÂ
âIâll be here when you return.â Your voice was sweeter than normal, it was as if you were trying hard to push down the pain threatening to creep through. It was a dangerous mission, you knew that, but you tried so hard to believe in him.Â
Childe looked at your expression knowing full well you were putting on airs just for him, but no matter how hard you tried to smile, he knew inside your heart was breaking - because his was too. His hand found your face and as he kissed you one last time, he did his best to commit you, everything you were to memory.Â
His legs gave way so suddenly he barely had the time to catch himself. How could the taste of dirt sit so strongly in his mouth, the smell of the earth commanding his senses with such intensity that he had to cough to get it all out? Rolling onto his back, he let himself restÂ
How long were his eyes closed, how long did the sun beat down onto him, he wasnât sure but the feeling of his throbbing legs and aching body shifted to a low tumble instead of a mighty roar and, with a grunt, he forced himself to sit up againÂ
He would make it -- there was no doubt in his mind that he would return to you -- please, just wait a little bit longer
âChilde!â You shouted, pushing him off of you while you tried to organize the photos in your albums. It was hard enough to keep these pristine, and it only became more challenging when a man was leaning on you. If you werenât careful, these prints you worked hard to gather would be ruined, and then youâd have to drag Childe back into the wilderness once again -- though now that you thought about it, it might not be a terrible idea.Â
âPay attention to me, Iâm bored.âÂ
âI will in a minute, I have to -- wait, what are you doing?â He wrapped his arms around your waist, his face pressing against your chest, shoulders lifting as he took you in.Â
âKeep working, Iâll stay out of your way.âÂ
âThis is hardly out of my way.â You laughed but didnât push him back. Instead, you went about your tasks, your fingers carding through his hair and you tried your best to focus on the work in front of you.Â
His lungs burned, his dry mouth making it even more challenging to take in oxygen but as he leaned against the natural archway and saw the city stretch out just at the end of the path, he felt more restored --Â it was right there, you were right thereÂ
Carefully, he stumbled his way hoping without hope that when he made it his body wouldnât give out, his nerves wouldnât hold him back, his will would be powerful enough to get him where he needed to beÂ
As the sights and sounds of the city started to replace his senses, he became flooded by memories of youÂ
The way you pulled your hair out of your face when you focused on something. The sight of your smile when you saw him, heard his name, thought about him, talked about him with those closest to you. The intensity of your affections as your arms wrapped around his neck and held him close - how he missed the feeling of your arms, your body, your lips.Â
You were the shining reflection off the surface of the ocean, you were the spectacular reefs that held life in your hands - his life - and you were the depths he would swim down to understand every detail about you. No matter how dark, you were his guiding light and he knew ⊠honestly, he always knewÂ
People watched him, and he did his best to walk with his head tall. The now rejuvenating thoughts of you filling his mind made him determined
please, are you waiting for me? I fought the darkness to make my way back to youÂ
When he saw you it was like he was here yesterday, it was like the nightmares he wrestled with were banished from his memories as his eyes fell onto you -- in an instant, he felt relief, he remembered how to breathe, his heart remembered how to beat, his sun finally had its moonÂ
You were busy handling the menial tasks that were always there. Day after day you did what you needed to just to hold on. There were some days, right when you woke up, that the memory and notion that he was by your side blanketed your mind, but when you turned over and found no one there but the cold pillows, the comfort slipped away as easily as your dreams.Â
With a sigh, you rested your head on the shelves. Please come back.
âHey there, comrade.â The shock in your heart caused you to freeze, and slowly, so painfully slowly, you turned to face the voice, his voice. When your eyes fell onto him, his cocky smile, his battered face, his ruffled hair, and torn clothes you thought maybe this was still a dream. âWhat, do I look that bad?â He laughed and the shackles on your legs exploded.Â
You rushed into his arms, unable to hold back your excitement. âYouâre back!âÂ
âI promised Iâd retu-ah, too tight âŠâ He wheezed and you immediately let go of him, your hands hovering over his arms as you took in the state of him.Â
âBy the archons! You're injured, come here.â You dragged him to the backroom and quickly set him down into one of the comfortable chairs. He collapsed and as he worked his way to settle, you hastily gathered up medical supplies. When you had enough - well you hoped enough - you tossed a pillow in between his legs and fell onto your knees, the items you gathered sprawling across the surface of the table as you tried to figure out where to start.Â
âYou look good.â Childe mused, his fingers extending to your face but you wouldnât look at him.Â
âYou look terrible, what happened?â Lifting, you leaned toward his chest and began to pull off bits of his clothes as you assess the countless injuries on him. Each time you found a new one, you shook your head.Â
âRan into some trouble, nothing I couldnât handle. I am quite capable you know.âÂ
âYou used your delusion didnât you.âÂ
âAstute guess.â He laughed, his fingers brushing against your cheek, his thumb running over your lips. âYou waited for me.âÂ
âOf course I waited for you --why wouldnât I wait for you, you promised youâd come back, right?â You scoffed, pushing his fingers away so you could start to clean his injuries.Â
He knew, he always knew, and right now, he couldnât wait anymoreÂ
âMarry me.â Your eyes shot to his, the expression on his face made your heart flutter. The intensity of his eyes, the sincerity of his words.Â
âWhat are you -âÂ
âMarry me.â He said it again and with everything you were experiencing, you scrunched your face and bit the inside of your lip. For nearly two months he was gone from your sight, the countless nights you waited for him, the days you hoped for his return, the frustration of not knowing if he was alive or dead, and now he was here just within your reach, and he ⊠he âŠÂ
âIâm done waiting, I want you to be my mine.â He leaned forward, his fingers moving to your chin so he could lift your face to his, he wanted to see you, wanted to hold you, wanted to have you -- âSo, Marry me.âÂ
Biting your lip and fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall beyond your control, you looked at him and gave the answer you always knew it would be, âOf course Iâll marry you, idiot.â Your fist landed onto his shoulder and when the lips you had waited to feel again pressed against yours, the emotional laughter that sounded from your throat was an outcry of your pounding heart.Â
I love your writing and how much youâre able to bring out the true personalities of each character!! I was wondering if you could do Kaeya, Xiao, Diluc, Zhongli, and Childe celebrating y/nâs bday. (My birthday was a couple of days ago but I didnât receive any greetings from my genshin team for some reason... đ)
happy birthday
a/n: SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! as for your problem, have you tried looking in character>voiceover>voicelines? the wishes should appear there, i dont know what happened if they don't
plot: celebrating the reader's birthday
contains: kaeya, diluc, tartaglia, xiao, zhongli
warnings: brief mentions of alcohol, otherwise pure fluff
kaeya
a surprise party
to be completely honest, kaeya barely cares about his own birthday enough to even remember the date
and obviously he does remember yours, how could he not, but- he's just not used to celebrating, you know?
so watch him know very well your birthday is coming up, with a mindset like: "okay, you've got time, you'll figure something great out, it's gonna be amazing"
and the day or two before he realizes, he indeed wants to do something great and amazing, but he completely ran out of time
fortunately, who cares about reservations when your brother's a bar owner, right?
he figures out that if he waits till sunset with the party he still has an entire day he can spend of preparing everything he needs
so as you sleep peacefully, he sneaks out of the room at the break of dawn, ready to work his ass off
he doesn't want you feeling bad, after all, right?
the thing is, you do start to feel a bit bad, as an entire morning goes by, and not only is kaeya nowhere in sight, literally nobody is! you walk through the streets of mondstadt, looking for any familiar face to spend the time with, but the city seems awfully empty of your friends. you end up having fun at diona's cat's tail, her complaining about everyone, and you, surprisingly, joining in, but it still doesn't replace the companion of your friends.
you go over your day as per usual, and decide to bake yourself a cake, since you think that'll cheer you up. you run out of flour, though, so it's necessary to go over to the store and stock up on some. right as you cross the city's main square, you run into diluc.
"oh, sorry, haven't seen you" you say, not even lifting up your face to look at who's chest did you bump on, until he grabs your wrist, stopping you in your tracks.
"someone looks dejected" he says, and you almost want to punch him for not realizing why. instead of doing that, however pleasing it sounds, you just shrug your shoulders. "come on, you look like you could use a special drink of mine"
and with that, he pulls you towards angel's share, letting you complain about your day, though you don't explicitly say it's your birthday, still mad he didn't remember that on his own.
"so he completely ditched you without a word?" he acts surprised and offended "that's so awful-" he continues, opening the door before you.
just as he opens it, and you hear the word "awful" you see the bar as if for the first time. flowery garlands are up beneath the ceiling, the tables are arranged differently and covered with colorful, pastel table cloths, music is playing. the backdoor is opened and you see the outside of the building decorated in a similar manner, candles and fairy lights spread all over the place.
the sun is slowly setting over the buildings visible through the back door, and the atmosphere inside borders on magical, but to top that all off-
"happy birthday!" you hear a lot of voices shout, and your eyes widen at the sight of all those who you hold dear present. you can't help but smile, seeing all of them cheer, grinning from ear to ear.
"i-" you look over at diluc "how'd you pull this off?"
you swear you saw him crack a soft smile before admitting that he in fact, didn't. you're about to ask who did, then, but you're interrupted by a silvery voice, coming from behind you.
"i did" the voice says, a hand moving to cover your eyes "wanna guess who?" you hear a whisper inches away from your ear, shaking from surprise.
affection swells in your chest as you quietly say "kaeya", your smile growing fondler, knowing that aside from all your friends, he's here too, and as a mastermind, at that.
"hope you don't hold leaving you by yourself for a couple of hours against me" he continues, arms sneaking around your waist, chin rested on your shoulder "d'ya like it?"
emotion gets the better of you, and you don't know what to say, so choose only to nod eagerly.
"a lot" you finally whisper, much to kaeya's satisfaction.
"happy birthday, then" he says, suddenly pulling away from you, as to exclaim loudly "attention everyone!!" he takes a fork to ring on his glass "i hereby declare, that the next round's on me!"
cheers fill the room, along with one "yea right" and another "like we'd believe that" before the owner of the bar speaks up as well.
"as much as i'd like to see that" diluc settles "today's drinks are on the house."
diluc
a magical evening
so heâs a fan of planning
not a diehard fan, but a fan nonethelessÂ
itâs just, he would rather have things planned ahead than wake up a day before and not know what to do (like a kaeya) like an idiot.
so you bet he has already calculated how much time he has left the moment you told him the date of your birthday.
unlike kaeya, he prefers to be working alone, but also likes to keep his plans a surprise. he himself hates surprises, but has to admit, doing one for someone else is quite the funÂ
he stays quiet about your birthday coming up until the very last moment, and if you want to ask him if he wants to do anything with you that day, he says he already has something in mind, you know, nonchalantly. as if he hadnât been thinking about it for archons know how longÂ
heâll wake up before you just to wish you a happy birthday the moment you wake up, and he might be unusually affectionate for a bit, but donât even bother asking what he has planned out - he wonât tell, not even if you beg.Â
diluc wanted to kick you out of the house all day. âoh, thereâs shopping to be doneâ âoh, this lady wanted to talk to youâ, or âyou know, come to think of it, didnât jean say she had something sheâd wanted to show you for your birthday?â every lame excuse in the book, he has used it.Â
you decide to finally grant him what he so obviously wanted, and leave, choosing to walk all around the city, and even outside the gates, you make it quite a trip, not knowing when to come back.Â
you smile upon thinking about how secretive he tried to be, but how even he, the mighty descendant of one of the noble families of mondstadt, a man as collected and stoic as can be, couldnât contain his excitement. you saw all his little side smiles and the way he bit his lip a little after settling todayâs rough plans with you, he was so happy, youâre satisfied just by seeing that, sometimes forgetting the real reason for why he was actively plotting something.Â
you walk and walk, and then walk some more, but your legs start to hurt, and youâre growing hungry, so you decide to finally get back home.Â
when you approach the winery, you can see the lights in the ballroom are lit up from a mile away. your heart canât help but flip with excitement, since diluc hates using the room, hates throwing parties, and would much rather just forget it exists.Â
itâs a beautiful venue though, looks like something out of a fairytale, and you always tell him how much you love it. itâs no surprised he decided to use it, but you canât wait to see it anyway.Â
as you get closer to the building, it becomes more and more apparent that the ballroom isnât the only place that got upgraded to a five star level for one night and one night only. the building looks amazing, and the gates are open all the way, as if there was a party to be thrown and guests to arrive any time soon.Â
but as youâre welcomed into the mansion, thereâs no one else in the hall, other than a dressed up diluc, his hair in a high pony, just how you always said you liked it, wearing a suit you hadnât seen on him since... well, you donât even recall.Â
âwell, if it isnât my honorary guestâ he announces with an official tone, almost making you a bit flustered.Â
âwhatâs all this? am i not, i donât know, underdressed?â you giggle nervously, and he approaches you, a tiny little black box in his hand.Â
âyou could wear a potato sack and shine brighter than all the stars togetherâ he says softly, showing you the little box. âand as tradition orders, happy birthday.â
you carefully open the box, a simple, silver necklace resting on the little cushion inside. you take it out, and watch the ornament, but canât for the life of you figure out what it is.Â
âyou seeâ diluc provides an explanation âitâs a common thing to do to gift someone jewellery as a gift, and almost as common to have necklaces with your star constellation. that is, the allignment the stars were in the moment you were born. but i decided, that i wanted to give you one with the alignment that shone on the sky on the happiest day of my life. well, according to mona it did.âÂ
you stay silent for a second, astonished with the present, before askingÂ
âand that is?â
âthe day we met.â
tartaglia
how to surprise your lover 101
when i tell you this boy knew EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS DOING from the moment he first thought of it
now. he loves celebrating, anything, really, the atmosphere of a party is almost magnetic to him
he grew up thinking every person deserves to have an amazing day once a year, only about themselves, so itâs very obvious to him that he IS doing something, and it needs to be huge
now, in a family as big as his, it was hard to keep things a secret, so he developed a whole plan on how to avoid having you finding out what he was planning
and that is: by having you know
itâs really getting annoying, how everybody keeps walking up to you, for a good week now, and asking if youâre excited for the big party childeâs throwing. the first time you hear it, you almost immediately run to confront him about it, since you explicitly said that a party, a big one, at that, is the last thing you want.
he obviously says that itâs nothing, and you neednât worry about that. not that you trust his words, obviously, but you let it go, partly because you know how attached he is to the idea of a huge celebration, and partly because arguing with someone as stubborn can really be tiring.
so you settle, and fake a smile for every conversation with the alleged âguestsâ for your alleged party, thinking youâll just suffer through it and then just do something with your childe the next day, having yourself plan it.
the wait is stressful, and when you finally see tartaglia walk through your bedroom door, dressed up really nicely, with a soft ribbon to tie on your eyes, so you wouldnât see anything before itâs âtimeâ, you almost want to ditch him, but that would be too rude.
complying begrudgingly, you let him guide you through the city, feeling the cold evening air hit your skin, wondering where did he set up this party of his, since you donât hear anything.
oh god, is everyone gonna jump out of hiding yelling âhappy birthdayâ? please, not that, at least not that.
when he finally unties the material covering your eyes, you see nothing but a wooden platform at the end of the harbor, with a blanket set up, some really nice-smelling food and what appears to be champagne laying on it. the sun is setting slowly behind the mountains in the distance, the only sound you hear being waves crushing on the rocks.
you canât help but gasp.
âbutâ you turn around to face childe with a questioning look âwhat about the party?â
âwhat party?â he looks surprised âi never said anything about any partyâ he adds with a knowing smirk.
as you analyze your surroundings, he watches you with a soft smile.
âcome on, donât be so shocked nowâ he finally says âi know you better than to plan you something youâd hate. iâm not THAT much of an assholeâ
his giggle sounds almost too good in the beautiful scenery around you, and you canât help but let your eyes water for a little while, before rapidly blinking the tears back.
âis this more similar to what youâve dreamed of?â he asks.
âyeahâ you whisper âyes, it isâ
âwell, thatâs the only thing that matters. shall we?â his hand points to the blanket, and you nod, smiling.
this may or may not be inspired by that one episode of Brooklyn 9-9
xiao
trying something new
birthdays? whatâs that
you mean to tell him he has lived two thousand years of his life without realizing the day it was brought to him should be celebrated?
yup, no, you can explain it all you want, he still doesnât get the idea. he just finds it to be way too trivial, okay?
what gets to him, though, is that thereâs a custom of doing something meaningful for the person celebrating their birthday, to make them feel important
well, you shouldâve led with that, that he can do!
he would never just go and straight up ask for help if he needed any. so donât be surprised if you hear yet more new stories about the yaksha that allegedly lives near wangshu inn sneaking into the kitchen, or watching through the glass.
he spends HOURS waiting for the chef to finally prepare the dish he hopes for, and once he does, he follows every step very carefully. and then again. and again. and one more time, up until he feels he can do it himself.
when he finally gets to enter said kitchen, itâs already way past midnight, and everything is dark, barely visible. he manages to find his way around, though, preparing all the ingredients, and starting to mix them the same way the chef did.
turns out itâs not as easy as it looks, for example, he didnât measure how long this thing is supposed to be cooked, or on what temperature, so the process gets a little messy at one point. he might even have to start over. like, twice, tops.
itâs already nearing dusk when he finishes, taking the fruit of his works with him.
as per usual, you wait for him on the roof, and as per usual you donât realize heâs right behind you until he speaks up.
âhappy birthdayâ he says out of the blue, causing you to jump up in shock.
âoh my, xiao, you scared me! again!â you laugh.
âitâs today, isnât it?â he continues, as if he didnât hear you. when he sees you nod, he awkwardly shows you the package he held behind his back, watching closely as you open it with a questioning look.
inside, thereâs a carefully wrapped serving of almond tofu, it could use a little bit of touch ups, but it still looks and smells delicious nonetheless.
âdid you do this yourself?â you turn around to face him, smiling in disbelief
âmhmâ he gets a little flustered, and decides not to tell you about his little kitchen adventure. âis it⊠is it good?â he asks, and you smile even more fondly.
âwhy donât you come over here and taste it with me?â
zhongli
one can never go wrong with a classic
zhongli knows every single tradition there is to know.
literally.
so you donât have to even tell him anything - he knows. he might not know what to do with his knowledge, but he does know what would make you happy
this man is a gentleman who believes that some moves to make someone swoon never get old
he even got a free day from work just for the occasion, or he may just think he told hu tao that he wants it? either way, heâs not there. not like his boss isnât used to it.
right as the clock strikes 5 pm, you hear a knocking on your door. checking how you look one last time, you smile to the reflection in the mirror, and walk over to answer.
as you open said door, you find yourself dumbfounded at the sight of a completely soaked zhongli, rain pouring heavily behind his back. his hair sticks to his face, and all the layers of his suit seem drenched to their very core, but a smile you see so rarely paints his face, as he presents you with a bouquet of flowers.
and my oh my, just how huge is it! he barely even manages to hold it in hand, and the flower crowns hide his entire chest and half his face when he places them in front of you.
âi believe this is for youâ he says gently âare you ready to go?â
you canât even find the right words, as you size the bouquet up, taking it from him with a quiet âthank you so muchâ before taking it back to the house, already in search of the right vase to put them in.
âmay i come in and dry myself up a bit?â he asks, still from the doorstep, and you laugh before granting him the permission.
when the both of you are ready to go, you meet in the hallway, both smiling softly at the other, a bit awkwardly, as the beginning of every meeting is.
âyou look even better than usuallyâ he finally says, pride rising in his chest at how your grin widens.
âsame goes for you, mr zhongliâ you answer just as cheekily, waiting for what heâs gonna say next.
âwell, thank you, but i donât think todayâs about me now, is it?â he counters with a bit of a side eye. âshall we go?â he points to the open door, and the both of you leave, you grabbing his arm to fit under one umbrella.
âmay i ask whereâre we going?â
you canât miss the way his smile turns prideful and confident as he says:
âiâ he accentuates âam taking you out to dinnerâ
he might feel a bit offended by how sarcastically you gasp at the revelation, but itâs okay. as long as he gets to see you laugh, itâs okay.
