A/n: UFCKCKVJDHJ best friend made me read the entire thing and HOLYYYY SHITTTTTTT
Qifrey x g/n reader (spoilers for later chapters)
--
Qifrey carefully carried you upstairs to your shared room in the atelier. The girls were long asleep, Olruggio gone off on a mission, leaving you both alone downstairs in deep conversation.
But this time to Qifrey it felt deep- too probing for comfort. So once he reveals what he read in the tower of tomes, your face filled with concern. He can feel the silverwood taking root, so when he caresses your face a familiar routine takes place.
He erases your memory, he can't remember the amount of times he's had to remove your memory or the countless more to come. But it never feels normal, or natural- just another thing he has to do to protect himself.
He lays your unconscious body onto the mattress as he begins to undress, he's in his thoughts as he unbuttons his pants. The brimmed caps incidents would only worsen from here, when will the one with his eye appear and grant him release? How much longer will he deal with this.
He hears the shuffling of blankets, turning his head slightly to gage your wake. "You fell asleep downstairs, again" he added quietly putting on his nightgown. "I did?" you ask rubbing your eyes, "it happens quite often, you must be working far too hard" he smiled softly settling beside you.
"You should take more breaks" he added caressing you cheek, "get ready for bed it's late". you look up to see his sweet smile.
He watched as you hesitantly got up from the mattress and into the washroom, he knew you better than anyone. He knew you didn't suspect anything, but you knew something was wrong. It's wasn't like you to just pass out, just like that. Qifrey needed to prevent it, you were always asking about incidents like these. How could you suddenly wake up in a new room each time you suddenly "fell asleep", and each time you were alone with Qifrey.
"We're going to bed early from now on" he said as you cozied next to him, "so you'll sleep like a baby". His arms hugged your body, the smile not reaching his eyes this time. "Yes, I suppose" with a small hum he gently lulled you to sleep again.
Though he didn't sleep for awhile, his eye looking out the window. He knew it was hurting the both of you, even if you didn't know it. It was to protect himself, he wanted nothing more than to give a genuine smile.
But he had to put himself first, to find out the truth. As his thoughts spiraled, he felt a warmth on his cheek.
"are you not tired" you mumbled softly.
"ah, no it seems my heads gotten to me again" he mumbled into the palm of your hand, his slender fingers covering yours.
"why don't we all go out tomorrow, it's been a rough few days"
"that sounds lovely" he smiled softly, here you were after he's removed your memories for the nth time. Offering to take him and the girls out, he pressed a chaste kiss onto the palm of your hand.
"I don't deserve you"
"you always say that"
"I know, and it's true"
"How come?"
He felt the familiar cycle start once more.
"I'll tell you later" he uttered not wanting to erase your memory for the second time in one night.
--
uhffhdfghhhghg my debut into the wha fanfic world hello
A/n: UFCKCKVJDHJ best friend made me read the entire thing and HOLYYYY SHITTTTTTT
Qifrey x g/n reader (spoilers for later chapters)
--
Qifrey carefully carried you upstairs to your shared room in the atelier. The girls were long asleep, Olruggio gone off on a mission, leaving you both alone downstairs in deep conversation.
But this time to Qifrey it felt deep- too probing for comfort. So once he reveals what he read in the tower of tomes, your face filled with concern. He can feel the silverwood taking root, so when he caresses your face a familiar routine takes place.
He erases your memory, he can't remember the amount of times he's had to remove your memory or the countless more to come. But it never feels normal, or natural- just another thing he has to do to protect himself.
He lays your unconscious body onto the mattress as he begins to undress, he's in his thoughts as he unbuttons his pants. The brimmed caps incidents would only worsen from here, when will the one with his eye appear and grant him release? How much longer will he deal with this.
He hears the shuffling of blankets, turning his head slightly to gage your wake. "You fell asleep downstairs, again" he added quietly putting on his nightgown. "I did?" you ask rubbing your eyes, "it happens quite often, you must be working far too hard" he smiled softly settling beside you.
"You should take more breaks" he added caressing you cheek, "get ready for bed it's late". you look up to see his sweet smile.
He watched as you hesitantly got up from the mattress and into the washroom, he knew you better than anyone. He knew you didn't suspect anything, but you knew something was wrong. It's wasn't like you to just pass out, just like that. Qifrey needed to prevent it, you were always asking about incidents like these. How could you suddenly wake up in a new room each time you suddenly "fell asleep", and each time you were alone with Qifrey.
"We're going to bed early from now on" he said as you cozied next to him, "so you'll sleep like a baby". His arms hugged your body, the smile not reaching his eyes this time. "Yes, I suppose" with a small hum he gently lulled you to sleep again.
Though he didn't sleep for awhile, his eye looking out the window. He knew it was hurting the both of you, even if you didn't know it. It was to protect himself, he wanted nothing more than to give a genuine smile.
But he had to put himself first, to find out the truth. As his thoughts spiraled, he felt a warmth on his cheek.
"are you not tired" you mumbled softly.
"ah, no it seems my heads gotten to me again" he mumbled into the palm of your hand, his slender fingers covering yours.
"why don't we all go out tomorrow, it's been a rough few days"
"that sounds lovely" he smiled softly, here you were after he's removed your memories for the nth time. Offering to take him and the girls out, he pressed a chaste kiss onto the palm of your hand.
"I don't deserve you"
"you always say that"
"I know, and it's true"
"How come?"
He felt the familiar cycle start once more.
"I'll tell you later" he uttered not wanting to erase your memory for the second time in one night.
--
uhffhdfghhhghg my debut into the wha fanfic world hello
⊱ Pairing. college au - volleyball player! geto x cinematography major! reader (f)
⊱ summary - In the chaotic world of college life, you should have expected your drama production to turn south as fast as it did. When your lead actor drops out just weeks before the play, you’re left scrambling to salvage the show that means everything to you. Enter Geto Suguru—talented, charming, and the last person you’d expect to help. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and you find yourself convincing him to step into the spotlight.
⊱ warnings/tags - 18+, fluff, angst, smut, fem reader, romance, unrequited love, pining, yearning, one-sided, slow burn, friends to lovers, acting, college au, alcohol/drugs, injury, jealousy, Geto is bad at feelings, oblivious, love triangles, messy, heartwarming
⊱ status - ongoing
⊱ chapters - 2/x
⊱ word count - 4.8k
⊱ Previous Chapter
⊱ A/N - YES, an actual chapter. I've not null more to say :p
You were surprised that Cecilia didn't question you about Geto coming to audition. You had a feeling it was because she didn’t want you to know that she had attempted to sleep with him, and in all honesty, you were fine with that. One less headache to deal with, anyway.
What did give you a headache though was waiting on Geto to show up. You told him to come at 4, but only realized after the fact that you had no number to confirm with. It all happened in such quick succession, exchanging numbers was the last thing on your mind and from then on, all you could think was how plausible it was for him to have just agreed to come to get you out of his face. What if he's that type of person?
"Would you stop pacing? It's making me nervous!" Mai sits on the table where you and her will be watching his audition from, not nearly as anxious as you are but you suspect she's trying to look at this with a more zen attitude.
You had asked two other actors to come in today. One to act the scene with Geto and the other to get a third, unbiased opinion on his performance. For some reason you felt like you were going to need that.
"I can't help it. There's absolutely nothing binding him to keep his end of the deal, he could easily bail if he wanted to."
"And I don't think it's fair for you to assume that he won't show when it hasn't even passed 4 yet. Just calm down. Take an advil." She opens her bag where she religiously carries a stash of pills. You think it comes with the territory of loving to drink.
You take the two pills before she can outstretch her arm and swallow it whole without any water to take it down, then grimace, because the vile taste of plain pills registers on your tongue and you lean over the table to take your water out of your bag.
"Hate this taste-..." You mutter with a grimace , twisting your cap and chugging a few gulps.
"(y/n), the speakers." One of the first year projectionist students came over to the edge of the stage. Jabbing a thumb behind him to refer to the speakers he was told to take for a different lecturer.
"Did you unplug the cables?" You ask him, closing your water and leaving it on the desk to follow him up the stage. He proceeds to explain what he did and where he left everything. You just needed to confirm that everything can be accounted for and then he can bring whoever he plans on helping him transport the giant speaker to the lecture hall.
"Oh my gosh, dude." You whine, looking at the mess of cables he left on the floor for you to deal with. He gives you a sympathetic look.
"Sorry. There's a lot of em."
You sigh, probably more frustrated than you need to be, then give him the go ahead to take it then he's off to bring who knows who. You kick the cables to one corner, out of sight out of mind, and just then register the cocaphony of students walking in the campus halls when the doors to the theatre open.
You pause mid-sweep to look over and freeze when you see him walking in casually. A complete contrast to the mayhem you had been. You think everyone saw him because what little chatter had been going on inside suddenly siezed. After all, no one knew he was the one coming to audition except for Mai, and you were suprised to see how many other non-cinematography majors had stuck their heads in to watch as if they didn't believe he was stepping foot into the theatre and only stopped when that projectionist kid closes the door behind him.
You find yourself, more than anything, feeling incredibly relieved that he had actually shown up. Making your way over to the edge of the stage as he makes his way to the front of it.
He's clad in a pair of black trousers and a baggy jersey, leaving everything to the imagination but also nothing at all. One hand snug deep inside his pants pocket while the other held your script that's comapratively small and his hair is slicked back lusciously rather than tied up like it usually is. If you didn't know any better, you'd think he just came back from freshening up after volleyball practice.
You crouch down to talk to him when he stops in front of the stage. Head slightly tilted back to accomodate your height and his blacker than black, gauged piercings on perfect display between both his ears. You have to remind yourself that this is strictly professional and his bad boy, nonchalant facade is the last thing you need to be thinking about.
On the other hand, Mai only now registers that he had come in and chokes on her bottle of water that she had been chugging, lurching for a tissue from your tote bag.
You glance at her to make sure she's okay, but Geto doesn't, only looking at you and with a neutral expression on his face.
"For a second I thought you weren't gonna show." You say.
"You said four." He reminds you easily. You're a little taken aback by the sound of his voice not layered with frustration like last time, but a softer, rough around the edges kind of cadence that reminds you of someone talking you through it. You're a little shocked by how vulgar you've gotten over the years. Thankfully, you know how to not act out your thoughts.
"I have a bad habit of thinking of the worst." You gesture to the script in his hand. "How'd you find the script?" He looks at it as he hands it over. Your eyebrows knit together when he does.
"I enjoyed it. You write well."
"Thanks." You take the script from him hesitantly. "You can use the script while you audition, it doesn't have to be off by heart."
"I won't need it. Do I do it here?" He holds onto the edge of the stage, his fingers close to your shoes.
"Hm, here's fine. Cecilia!" You finally stand, calling for Cecilia whose been hiding backstage ever since she got in. You hop down the stage from where you stood while Geto opted for walking over to the stairs and made his way.
When you reach Mai whose now recovered from her frantic fits of coughing, she grips your shoulder in disbelief.
"I cannot believe Geto Suguru, the Geto Suguru showed up."
"But you said he would." You look back at her increduously.
"Girl, I was just trying to keep your head from imploding, of course I thought he bailed too."
"I freaking knew it."
"No you did not. I'm zen now."
As you chatted away with Mai and your third party member made their way to the front table to grade Geto's performance, Cecilia had come out from behind the curtains, purposefully avoiding Geto's line of sight and opting for her script instead despite already knowing every one of her lines and his off by heart.
Geto stands beside her a little annoyed that she doesn't even look his way. "Won't this require you to look at me?" He questions. She doesn't respond. He raises a brow in disbelief, but also can't care enough to get her to answer. He waits patiently for you.
You and the other two get seated and when you're ready to watch his audition, he starts. And boy does he start.
Off the bat you can tell Cece has no intention of looking at him and though that should effect his performance, he doesn't seem to even need her. He speaks as if the words had jumped right off the page, wrapped in a blanket of emotion nobody should be able to convey on their first try. He's got Kazuki nailed down to the minut detail, embodying him, who you had tried so hard to build, like it was his own. He acts with effortless ease, dips his voice in golden honey at the most gut-wrenching parts, and then leaves you utterly starved, waiting to hear every syllable that he's willing to share.
He somehow took your script that you had thought was perfect already and transcended it to a whole new level of excellence. You finally come back down to earth and think to yourself that you must be the only one that thinks this. You look over to your two other partners that are supposed to be of help and most importantly unbiased in this grading, but you might as well have drawn hearts in their eyes because they're just as starstruck as you. Fuck. You need him. This play absolutely needs him and they all know it.
By the time he's done, Cecilia had barely kept up with him and stormed off the stage like she couldn't stand being beside him anymore, and you're left struggling to figure out what in the world you're going to say to him to make sure he says yes no matter what.
"How was that?" His voice echoes in the silent space.
You struggle to find the words. "That was...it was..."
"BRILLIANT! YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Mai suddenly jumps right out of her seat and rounds the table so she could jump onto the stage. "Holy shit Geto you are a natural talent, a star born amongst mediocrity, a living, breathing-"
"Angel!" Your third partner chimes in. Mai looks back at her with a hand to Geto's shoulder and a finger gun pointed in her direction.
"Not quite my love, but definitley stunning, you nearly made me cry." She throws a fake tear away.
"So, good then?" He laughs along, not expecting such an uproar, truly, he hadn't done this in awhile.
Mai brags a laugh, pressing her palms together with a curt bow of the head. "You are too humble, I could parade you around like a trophy. (y/n)!" She turns to you, whose still stuck in your seat, perking up at the sudden draw of attention.
"He's your guy, right? He has to be your guy." She gestures to him with an open hand then he's looking at you, waiting for the verdict, and you can almost pinpoint the imperceptible smile he makes as if waiting to hear the gush of confidence you're going to pour all over him too, but all it makes you conclude is that there's nothing you could possibly say to make this exchange sound more beneficial to him than to you because it's written all across your face that you completely loved it.
"Yeah...he's...he's it, if you want to be?" You throw everything in his court, all or nothing. He could either leave and never be seen inside this theatre ever again, or he could make history within these walls and be whispered amongst future students.
You can see him take a breath, then look around the massive room with contemplation. The spotlights, the velvet curtains, the main stage, then finally back to you. You hold his gaze. You bet he can see just how badly you want this to happen and before he can even speak the words okay, you and Mai jump for joy in reaction.
"Oh this is swell! This is so swell! Hanako!" Mai points to the girl beside you, jumping down the stage and already delegating to her the task of calling every member for the rehearsal tomorrow.
Your smile feels painfully exaggerated as you watched them hurry away. You couldn't fully grasp that your play was genuinely back on again. After getting no sleep last night fully expecting him to either not show or hate the concept entirely, this was not even a maladaptive day dream.
You felt like you had to go over and say thank you from the bottom of your heart before you combusted from rising levels of dopamine.
Geto just made his way down the stairs before you intercepted him.
"I can't believe...you said yes." You exhale in disbelief.
He raises a brow, leaning against the edge of the stage to talk. "I thought I was an asshole?" He casually reminds. You blink in surprise that he still feels the need to mention that, then turn sheepish, recalling that Mai had described at least 10 other people dropping what they were doing to assess the situation and someone even claimed that they had also been cheated on by Geto.
Still, his guilt-tripping was a far cry for sympathy. Crossing your arms and raising your eyebrows as you said.
"Yeah you were, god knows for how much longer if I hadn't stepped in."
He blinks back in shock just as you had, probably not expecting it. He muffles his smile though, then with the swipe of his palm over his mouth he nods in succession. "No, you're right. I needed someone to put a leash on me."
The blunt comment had your body shiver. Glancing away awkwardly, you think he said that on purpose before he changed the subject, glancing around the larger than most theatre space. "Honestly though, you guys made it hard to not feel a little excited about it."
That brings a smile out of you, relaxing a little. Considering he must get a lot of compliments thrown his way for way more than this, it's nice to know that you and Mai's enthusiasim still comes across as genuine to him. "I'm glad you think so, but trust me, you've still got your work cut out for you. Nobody likes a prodigy." You tease.
He hums understandably. "Fair."
You stand in silence for a second or two before you find yourself itching to continue the conversation. Having not yet said what you intended to. "But, um, seriously, jokes aside, thank you for really considering this." You gesture with a hand before settling it on the edge of the stage where he's leaned.
It may have been your overflourishing imagination, but you swear you made his unassuming irises soften a little before he pushed himself off the stage with a grunt and walked past you. "Your debts not repaid yet Miyazaki. Still owe me that coffee, remember?"
You look back to watch him walk away in shock. How does he know who that is? Let alone that he's one of your most inspirational role models that practically led you down this path. "Right now?" You call after.
"I'm free." He hollers back.
You grab your bag from the chair, putting away your things as you yelled over your shoulder to Cecilia whose still backstage. "Wait for Mai and Hanako, Cece!"
What you've gotten yourself into giving the part to one of the most prolific students in the school is still a little blurry to you, but in your opinion you've gotten past the toughest hurdle and now nothing can stand in the way of you and making it big.
You jog out of the theatre and turn to the side a little startled to catch him waiting for you beside the door. He pushes off the wall and continues down the relatively busy hall with no hurry while you sling your tote bag over your shoulder. You try and not pay attention to the few wondering eyes that seem to follow Geto's movement. He doesn't seem to notice, or maybe he doesn't bother with it. You also notice that he had shortened his steps considerably to make up for your height difference.
"Have a particular place in mind?" You ask.
He hums a yes, glancing over at you. "You good for a walk?"
Tossing your hair over your opposite shoulder, you sigh through an answer. "Yeah, why not. Should probably try and get my steps in anyhow."
As you walk in silence, you notice that he doesn't look down at his feet to see where he's going, only when you get to the doors of campus to walk down the stairs, and even then, he's so concious of it. Like nothing he does is not already methodically mapped out. You can't imagine tardiness becoming a problem with him. How did you manage to get so lucky?
You leave the gates behind and enter the busy streets of the city. Imperceptibly he takes the side closest to the road, but you've read enough books to appreciate the subtle gesture.
A relatively short walk later, you don't know what you expected to see when he said he had a coffee place in mind, but you're sure a random coffee stand on the side of the road was last on the list.
"Here?" You mumble just shy from the cart so the person behind wouldn't hear. He chuckles softly, turning to face you.
"A diamond in the rough."
"If you say so..."
You were not much of a fan for coffee anyway so you wouldn't know the high end to the low. You simply stand in front of the vendor and order exactly what Geto had wanted, two of them, because he claims it's very good.
After Geto and the kind man exchange their familiarities, you pay the man and bow your head to thank him before turning around with the steaming cup and blowing off the top to settle the heat, standing just a ways beside the cart next to Geto.
Whilst you hold it with both your hands and alternate between your fingers, Geto seems unbothered by the heat and holds it firmly with one. The other casually tucked inside his pocket as he leans back on hips, legs slightly parted.
He takes a decent sip without blowing on it first and you watch the way his adams apple bobs when he swallows. Thick and merciless in the way it protrudes. The most masculine thing about him right now.
You find yourself swallowing uncharacteristically in response, feigning obliviousness when he hums lowly, swirling the last few sips in his cup. You have to force your eyes to look away and not watch the way he uses his thumb to swipe off the excess coffee on his lip. But then you notice the two or three pairs of other eyes smitting at the gorgeous man beside you.
You pulled your bag a little closer to your body. How does he ignore everyone so easily.
"You're not gonna try it?" His sudden voice startles you.
"o-oh, yeah, when it's a little cooler."
He tosses the cup into a nearby bin without walking over to it and you find yourself asking if he wanted another.
He just shakes his head, situating both his hands back into his pockets. "One a day, otherwise I'd get addicted."
Your lips purse in curiosity, glancing down at the still steaming cup in your hands. Is it really that good?
Geto watched from beside you, alittle amused with how you have to prep yourself before going in for a taste. You blew against the brown liquid, licked your lips in anticipation, then took the tiniest sip before your entire face scrunched up in disgust.
"Oh god,"
He laughs. "No?"
"Hell no, it's so bitter, how do you drink that?" You hold your tongue out, trying to stay away from the taste, but it's seeped into your palette and became your saliva's partner.
"Usually with no sugar. I asked him to use a single shot for you."
"You mean to tell me this isn't pure coffee?" You hold it up for exaggerative effect.
"I think you'd collapse if it had to be." He holds his hand out to you, feminine at first glance, but you notice the callouses at the fingertips.
You hand him the cup without hesitation. Your fingers briefly connecting before he takes it entirely.
your face is still pulled from the aftertaste of bitter coffee beans when you look at him down the rest of it for you. You don't expect the drop in your stomach at the sight, partly because he said he doesn't have two a day, and mostly because that could be treated as an indirect kiss. As childish and old school as that may sound, the idea has you wonder how good he must actually be.
Quickly you try and focus on something else, which is the fact that he just drank that foul beverage with not so much as even a grimace.
"Why do you like it like that so much? I've heard of people having it with a lot of creamer."
He tosses the cup away for you and you only now notice that the bin was atleast a metre away from him. He had incredible accuracy, no surprise.
"Used to have it to stay up late for finals in high school. Now I just enjoy the flavour."
You cross your arms over your chest, continuing to walk along side him, but stiffen when his hand suddenly finds your shoulder and gently guides you to the furthest side of the road. You don't comment on it, frankly you try your hardest to not think about it.
"So it's an acquired taste. I've never had the need for it. Not yet at least."
He hums in response, but doesn't say anything after. A man of few words you're starting to notice, yet there's something inexplainable about how you so irritatingly crave to know more about him.
Like why he hides that chain you got a glimpse of when you rudely watched him finish his drink, or why he wanted gauged ear piercings of all the choices in the world. It's a little hindering, to be honest. He's got this closed off demeanor about him. Saying just enough to feel answered but never quenched.
You make your way back to campus, a menial and comfortable silence developing between the both of you. Glancing over at one random man yelling through his phone, you notice Geto seemed more relaxed amidst the city. The wind blowing his thick hair up and away from his face, shoulders slack and less stiff.
You find yourself enjoying the silent walk too, embracing the lively atmosphere and crowded side-walks. You haven't done much of anything else since preparing for your play so it's been a minute.
"Can I ask you something?" You ask after awhile. He hums a yes without looking over.
"I get why you joined, but I don't get what made you wanna try out? The play, I mean."
He takes his time to answer. No rush in his words. "I had the time. Needed some extra credit. Seemed like the logical thing to do."
His answer sounds like it should be enough, but it's not. "Oh, but there are tons of other ways to get credit, no? Certainly not as long as it would take for you to do this."
"Are you trying to talk me out of it?" He questions, amused, looking over at you suddenly.
You sigh, "No, I mean it's just...unusual, that's all. In hindsight you really didn't have to, not in the direction that you're going."
He's silent for another second, looking ahead as he thought. "I was, at first, convinced that you were trying to confess to me."
You let out a little gasp. "Why the hell would you think that?"
He shrugs, "I don't know, you were acting shy, sizing me up,"
He playfully pinched his finger and thumb together, smiling cutely. "You also had this cute little envelope in your hand when you approached me, I thought it was a love letter."
Your cheeks bloomed pink at the sudden accusation. That entire time he thought that you were trying to confess your feelings? and in the middle of campus with every soul around? That's embarrassing...
"That was not a love letter, it was my admissions slip for booking out the theatre on opening night." You hurriedly correct.
He laughs delicately in response. "I know that now. After seeing your freeform script I realized that I was very off and you actually had a point."
You calmed down a little after he had explained. At least he knew where you were coming from, but that still didn't explain what convinced him to show up at all.
"I read your script that night and I was genuinely impressed. Your dialogue, the notes, you put a lot of work into it. At that point I was more moved by your determination to not give up than anything else."
You listened intently as you walked, noticing a leaf had gotten stuck to your shoulder, you picked it off then flicked it back into the air where the wind takes it. "Thank god my mounds of desperation got through to you. But now it feels like I haven't thanked you at all if you're doing this just because you wanted to help out."
He chuckles softly. Stepping just a little closer to you so someone clearly not paying attention to where they were going doesn't bump into him. His jersey brushes against your bare arm and the faint fragrance of his fresh cologne consumes you before he settles back.
"You have thanked me already. Twice."
"Yeah, well, coffee doesn't seem incredibly adequate, nor do the words, but I suppose there's nothing else I can give you until the opening night so..." You both make it back to the gates of Uni and face each other amidst the filing out of students and odd faculty members.
You have to stare up at him, the height difference a jarring distraction, but then you focus on how his eyes, soft as they were, looked just like the colour of the coffee he had wanted when the sun hit it just right. Like two swirling black holes about to engulf everything in it's path until there's nothing but darkness left. Oh to have his deceptively pretty brown eyes and a mind full of thoughts.
"Coffee again?" You finally say. "It'll be my treat."
He blinks in surprise, then the corner of his lips quirked up and you only realized after that your offer sounds an awful lot like you're trying to push for a date when you're very much not.
"wait, I don't actually mean-"
"A date?" He cuts you off teasingly.
He treats the prospect so casually, meanwhile your heart is racing at just the idea of a date with him. You went out for an obligated cup of coffee today, but even that he managed to make it feel like a little bit more without even trying.
God, your bar has been set so horrifically low, the most bare minimum human deceny has you imagining what he must be like on a real date and also wierdly envious of whoever will get to claim that experience.
"No, not a date." You correct him promptly. "Just a frugal attempt at paying back an unpayable debt."
He leans back on his hips, a soft smile fleeting across his lips as if he enjoyed messing with you there before the faintest shrug of his shoulders come. "Okay." He answers.
"Okay?" You take a steadying breath. "Cool. Whenever you feel like it after rehearsals, just lemme know."
Just then a random person you wouldn't know calls Geto by his first name. His head turns, giving you a perfect glimpse of his immaculate side profile, then he raises a slack hand to acknowledge the call before looking back at you and offering another smile.
"I'll hold you to that. See you tomorrow?"
You nod again. "Yeah, see you then."
"Oh. Wait." Before he goes he takes his phone out. A sleek, black Samsung with not a single crack or smudge on the screen.
You watch him curiously when he hands you the phone, already on the keypad.
"Your number. Will make it easier to communicate with each other."
Tentatively, you take the pristine phone, not in model but condition, and without saying a word, you typed out your number for his very own use. The casual exchange leaves you feeling more sheepish than you'd care to admit, but you suppose it just comes with the territory.
Just two days ago he was nothing more than a guy who played volleyball...really really well. And you'd seen him maybe once or twice when you'd attend some of the Todai games, well seeing is a bit of an exaggeration considering you were helms deep in the packed stands, but you can still distinctly recall leaving those matches with a sore throat and a pair of red, stinging palms from just how much you cheered for them to win those games and also screamed every time Geto would do one of his godly jump serves that always had the opposing team in shambles. You didn't need to know a whole lot to grasp that his technique was sheer will in the form of a ball. It was exhilirating to watch and even more to cheer for someone that's so good.
But that was it. Your close proximities were merely...coincidental. Now you've managed to bump him all the way up to a legitimate acquaintance, one that you'll see on a regular basis, and will most likely have to greet if you happen to cross paths.
A man like that you're sure has a ton of spectators, but funnily enough you peeked at the amount of contacts he had and it was much lower than you would have expected for someone so popular. Only 34. And now 35 after you clicked save.
"Here." You hand it back to him. You thought that would be the end of the exchange but then he calls the number and your embarrassingly niche ring tone erupts from your back pocket.
You hurriedly take it out to stop the sound. You had never in your life cared about what people thought of your ringtone, that is before you heard him chuckle over the noise.
"Cute ringtone. Save my number too."
And with that he takes a step back and turns on his heel, unhurriedly making his way to the people that were waiting for him further down.
You still stand there with a blank mind. Mechanically saving his number and typing the name Geto into your phone. Only after you've saved it and walked right across campus to your own car does it finally register to you that you've just made an irreversible deal with one of the most well known students in the entire university.
Valentine's Day Special (Academy AU) || Various! Genshin Men x Reader
Happy Valentine's Day!!!!
I've been working on these drawings since January, so I'm happy I can finally show them all off
This post also doubles for me to get onto VGen (I would really love to be able to do commissions on there), so if you you want to check me out, my profile is linked here (My Username is Momomizou on there as well)
But enough rambling, here's the Valentine's Day Special!
Oh, and how would you respond if any (or all) of these guys gave you a letter like this? Which are your favs? Who do I need to draw more? Do feel free to let me know in the comments ^o^
⋮ ㅤ♡ྀི ┆ five times enjin tried to kiss you - and one time rudo didn’t stop him.
you’d never meant to become this important to either of them.
rudo clung to you first. that was easy to explain. you cooked when there was food, patched him up when there wasn’t, scolded him gently and praised him loudly. you stood between him and the world like it was instinct, like you’d been built for it.
enjin watched all of that and fell a little more doomed every day.
𝟷 - the almost-kiss in the kitchen
the kitchen was quiet in that rare way that made enjin brave.
you were standing close, stirring something close to stew, your shoulder brushing his chest when you leaned over to grab salt. he smelled soap and smoke and you. his hand lifted without permission, fingers hovering near your jaw.
he tilted in—
“hey!” rudo’s voice cracked through the room like a thrown brick.
you turned instantly. “what?”
rudo stood in the doorway, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. “why is he standing so close to you?”
enjin stepped back like he’d been caught committing a crime. you laughed it off, ruffled rudo’s hair, and enjin spent the rest of the night staring at the wall like it betrayed him while replaying the half-inch he’d lost.
𝟸 - the rain soaked interruption
it rained hard that day. one of those relentless downpours that soaked through clothes and bones alike.
you came in dripping wet, shivering, and enjin didn’t think when he shrugged off his coat and draped it over your shoulders, fingers lingering as he pulled you closer.
“you’ll get sick,” he muttered, forehead dipping toward yours.
your eyes softened as you smiled up to him.
and then—
“stop flirting.”
rudo appeared from nowhere, towel in hand, jamming himself between you like a wedge. “you’re wet. dry off. don’t lean on weird adults.”
“weird—?” enjin spluttered.
you were already crouching to rudo’s level, thanking him, wrapping the towel around his shoulders instead. enjin stared at the ceiling and wondered if yearning counted as a chronic illness.
𝟹 - the quiet night watch
rudo slept between you on the floor that night, dead to the world.
enjin sat across from you, back against the wall, watching the way your chest rose and fell. the fire crackled softly. enjin watched the way your face relaxed when you thought no one was looking. everything felt fragile and warm.
you met his gaze and held it. slowly he reached out, brushing his thumb over your knuckles. you didn’t pull away, because you wanted it too. so much. he leaned forward.
rudo rolled over mid-sleep and kicked enjin square in the shin.
“ow!”
“don’t steal my person,” rudo mumbled, eyes still closed.
you bit your lip to keep from laughing. enjin nursed his bruised pride and bruised leg in equal measure. he reconsidered every life choice he ever made - but not you.
𝟺 - the teasing accusation
“you like her.” rudo said it casually, like he was commenting on the weather.
enjin froze. “what?”
“you like my big sister,” rudo continued, glaring. “romantically.”
you nearly dropped the cup you were holding. “rudo—”
enjin opened his mouth, heart in his throat, ready to finally say something honest.
“don’t,” rudo warned him, pointing a finger at enjin like a gun. “she’s busy. and tired. and mine.”
you sighed, pulling rudo into a hug and ruffling his hair playfully. enjin watched your arms wrap around the kid and swallowed his confession whole.
𝟻 - the breaking point
it happened after a bad day. blood, exhaustion, fear clinging to all of you.
you’d snapped at enjin earlier, but apologized immediately with tears in your eyes. he’d taken your hands without thinking, eyes fierce and soft all at once.
“i can’t keep doing this,” he said quietly. “wanting you like this.”
your breath caught. “enjin…”
he leaned in… and rudo burst into tears. full on sobbing. wailing like the world was ending. it was such a rare moment to see rudo emotional that you panicked instantly. you dropped enjin’s hands to rush to rudo’s side, pulling him into your arms, whispering reassurances.
enjin stared at the ceiling again. he accepted fate. but he was also going to lose his mind.
𑣲 the one time rudo didn’t stop him
rudo fell asleep on your chest that night, worn out from crying himself dry. you didn’t move. you never did when he slept like that.
enjin sat beside you quietly, and rubbed your arm in comfort.
“he loves you,” enjin said softly.
you smiled tiredly. “i love him too.”
there was a long pause.
“and me?” enjin asked.
you looked up at him then. your eyes softened as you leaned forward - foreheads brushing, and your breathing mingled. it was you who kissed enjin first - just a soft press of lips.
you were careful, but certain. you might wasn’t able to tell him that you loved him yet, but you could show him that just meant as much to you than you to him.
enjin froze before he melted into you. his cheek rubbed against yours as he exhaled shakily.
from your chest, rudo sighed in his sleep. he didn’t wake up. or maybe he was awake and decided to give you that little piece of happiness. maybe he knew that enjin was serious about you, that he longed and yearned for your heart. rudo needed you too, but differently, and maybe he ‘allowed’ enjin to share you.
however - enjin swore it was the happiest moment of his miserable, yearning life.
We talk a lot about how possessive Leona or Floyd or even Jack can be, but where’s my love for Ruggie? I would argue that he’s the most territorial of the twst cast, rather than Leona, who’s generally too lazy to chase someone off unless they’re a direct threat to you or your relationship.
Ruggie, though, is territorial without boundary. Part of it is biological, spotted hyena’s are known for defending their pack mates and territory fiercely, but another part of it comes from life experience. He grew up poor, fought tooth and nail to get into NRC and to provide for his family, lost his mother during birth (heavily implied and I choose to believe it), and struggles significantly more with food insecurity and forming meaningful connections than anyone else at NRC.
If he were to have a partner whom he loved, he would be possessive without a doubt. Possessive of your time, of your body, of your attention. He doesn’t share, and he won’t share you with anyone for anything. You are the line he draws in the sand for his shady tactics, you are the thing he will not compromise.
That being said, his possessiveness isn’t exactly consistent. It ebbs and flows and it’s worse or better depending on the people you’re talking to. Ace and Deuce aren’t a problem for him, those boneheaded freshmen wouldn’t be a threat even if he was the ugliest guy on campus — which he knows he isn’t, even if he isn’t the prettiest either. Leona won’t really make him bat an eye, he knows the guy is too lazy to fight for your attention.
Where he worries is with people like Trey. He’s not overly flashy, not some hotshot magician. He’s kinda nice with a bit of a mean streak, but real reliable and pretty damn resourceful. Just a regular guy with the means to provide for you. A guy so close to being like Ruggie, but just a slight improvement.
Not to say he doesn’t think you could do better than him, he’d bet his left nutsack you could, but you don’t like those types. You’re not into beautiful movie star Vil or mysterious prince Malleus. You like regular guys like Ruggie, which means regular guys are the threat.
He’s real sneaky about his possessiveness, it’s easy to miss if you’re not sure what he’s up to. The slightest shift of his hand from your waist to your hip, randomly insisting you wear his blazer instead of your own, or a small scowl while you chatter on with some guy he doesn’t care for. Sometimes, if you listen closely, you can almost hear him growl.
He’d more than love to leave a nice bite on you, but his granny raised him better than that. So, he settles for scenting your clothes and neck while you’re alone together — whether you pick up on it is another thing entirely, but it’s pretty cute when he presses his head into your neck.
Now, all that being said, if someone he doesn’t like/doesn’t trust touches you it all goes out the window. He’s not the fighting type, he probably couldn’t do much in a fist to fist punch out, but he’d throw more than a few for you. He ain’t some moral savior, he’ll happily make their campus life hell for a little bit all for the purpose of sending a message: “Hands off.”
He’ll laugh it off if you ever point it out to him, he’s just bored and messing with some jerks, but it’s not funny. Not really, not to him at least. You don’t touch someone else’s partner (mate) and get away with it in the Savannah. Those rules apply at NRC too, whether students know it or not.
