୨୧﹑synopsis :: childe was a troublemaker as a child, basically
୨୧﹑genre :: fluff
୨୧﹑content :: child childe, gn reader, use of childe's real name, mm family fluff and childe embarrassment served hot and fresh, reader is impled to be significantly older than childe
୨୧﹑words :: 724
generally all of my family/platonic works cover the other character being the more mature, role model-ish figure, but then I wondered about the reverse probably because I woke up with the worst stutter possible and here we are. childe isn't my first choice but something about hearing him say he wanted to team up against his siblings in a snowball fight made me think 'man what if he got punted into the sun with a snowball by his older sibling' and now we're here
something about Ajax's tendency to behave stronger than he is is cute, always trying to be the best for his younger siblings like he doesn't have older siblings who do that for him. he is always running off to get into trouble but when he was younger the trouble was at least manageable enough that you could go get him. there are many times that though he does not call on you, he secretly feels safer having an older figure to hide behind when you come to his rescue in the face of whatever trouble he got into.
at his age, he can barely believe it when you somehow find him every time he gets himself in danger and have no problem getting all up in the face of whoever he pissed off enough to put him in danger. yes he gets a stern talking to and a smack on the head for putting himself there in the first place, but the way you would endanger yourself for him... it makes him hug you on the way home every time and often lies as he promises he won't do it again.
he thinks you're just the coolest thing sometimes, but Ajax also likes when you care for him in other ways, like when he comes to you with a book well past his bedtime and begs you to read 'just that one' to him before bed. you grab a blanket for both you and him to hide under and tell him the story he picked, a simple pleasure but he likes how warm it is when he snuggles up to your side and you wrap your arm around him. he likes when he falls asleep there, head resting on your chest where he tries to watch the pictures as the pages turn.
he gets tingles up his spine when you stroke his hair as he listens to your voice speak softly next to his ear, calming yet memorising him. it's easy to fall asleep there, hard to wake up wrapped up snug in a blanket but without you there anymore. he tends to drag himself out of bed with his blanket to see where you went and refrains from whining about it when he finds you tending to one of the younger ones at the request of your Mother. you always make room for him to curl up in your lap anyway and hand the baby off to someone else.
but that's not his favourite thing. his favourite thing and when you and your Father scoop him up and take him out to go ice fishing, carrying him along on your shoulders to the lake your Father must've picked up thick with ice that he tries to help you chisel out though he provides little in the way of help, as you tell him some story you had heard about and even gossip of your own Father's adventures knowing he finds them exciting.
he wants to hear about 'what you do all day anyway' as he waits for his fish, and you usually tell him some story he thinks is boring and asks to hear about something better but with little else to say you have to laugh it off and smother him in your lap in his puffy coat to keep him warm. until something bites and he excitedly hops up to get it like the cold doesn't bother him, like the ice isn't slippery and like he won't slip and fall on his butt like he always does.
something about your little trifles changes as he grows, and something about him becomes less and less like little Ajax, though you coddle him all the same. you always have, he feels so cold in your arms after going missing for three days, hugs you so tightly like you think he'll fall apart even though he says he's fine. he lets you carry him home and scrub him clean in a warm bath, fuss over him like you always do.
and again you will run to him to protect him when he runs off to start fights far worse than before.
but a little Ajax has to grow into a big Tartaglia someday, doesn't he? Tartaglia doesn't need to call for your help, though the moment he does, you will find him--wherever he ventures.
something catches your foot and you trip in-front of him: xiao, cyno, tighnari, scaramouche/wanderer
✎ G/W: fluff, small mention of blood on scaramouche and tighnari’s part, swearing, reader is mentioned to be bubbly and cute on cyno’s part
a/n: so proud of how this came out, let me know if you’d be interested in hearing about this from other characters!
gender neutral reader
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈ xiao
the floor boards at the wangshu inn had been coming apart lately, and it was no mystery to anyone lingering there.
you hadn’t really understood everyone’s complaint about it, seeing as you found no problem with it since the problems arisen.
verr goldet had told you to meet her and her husband up at the balcony top for some dinner with the rest of the residents, you humbly accepted almost immediately
the sounds of everyone chatting reached your ears as you stepped up the steep and old stairs toward the balcony.
a patch of turquoise hair was what met your eyes first when you had reached the top and began to descend your way to where everyone was chatting
unbeknownst to you, a squeaky floorboard was resting at the entrance of the balcony and as soon as you reached the main floor, your foot caught the raised board and you couldn’t hold onto anything, meeting your demise to a crisp smack to the floor onto your face
embarrassment flooded your cheeks as you heard silence erupt at the scene you caused, and you could hear a couple foot steps coming towards your fallen form on the ground, but before they could reach you, xiao had already teleported behind you and lifted you up, holding onto both your arms
his eyes ran down your body checking for injuries, and unknowingly moved closer to your face, “are you alright name?”
you nodded, unable to speak due to the embarrassment you felt seconds ago, and reached down to dust your pants from the fall, telling everyone you were alright and it was just a tiny accident
xiaos hand never left your back after that during the whole night, just to make sure you wouldn’t fall again ⋆
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈ scaramouche/wanderer
your shared home with scaramouche had been a dream come true, everything you could of wished for definitely came up to this moment.
he had been an okay roommate, you definitely didn’t appreciate how he seemed to have a habit of leaving things around the house, especially the floor.
his clothes often littered the floor of your room instead of resting clean in your laundry basket, and he had a habit of accidentally dropping things off the counter and not making the effort to pick it up either.
he didn’t do this unknowingly either, you had told the wanderer multiple times that you wanted a clean household, and he told you he’d make an effort, but that’s slowly looking like a lie from your part now.
scaramouche was resting on the couch, manspread, watching tv with a half-full drink in his hand.
you had just finished your laundry and was walking back to the shared room when a pencil lying on the floor shot from under your foot and sent you barreling to the floor in front of you.
a loud bang followed, and you, along with your clothes were sprawled out on the cold wooden floor.
scaramouche, getting full witness of the event, burst out into laughter at the sight of you completely eating shit on the ground, from a measly pencil too.
he continued laughing, even when you got up and brushed yourself off, slowly picking up your clothes with sore muscles.
but his laughter quickly died down when he saw the wince on your face walking to where you intended to go, and the sore, slightly bloody, red marks on your knees.
“are.. you okay? name?” he said with a hesitant soft voice, standing up from his seat on the couch and following you into the bedroom.
the slight prick of tears in your eyes nearly broke him in his spot, and he felt 100 times worse for laughing at you, placing an arm on your shoulder to get a better look at the front of you.
his redemption was later made, with a lot of kisses, bandaids, and hard work cleaning up his messes. ⋆
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈ tighnari
patrolling the forest on a nearly 95°/ 35° afternoon was not how you wanted to spend it.
it was hot, boiling even, and you could practically feel your clothes sticking to your skin drenched with sweat from walking around with collei all day.
“can’t the forest just save itself, hah, mother nature for christ sake, hah, it’s so hot..!!” you said, having to take a breath from the steep hill you two were climbing back to camp.
collei gave a heart-warming smile and attempted to cheer you on, just for a little longer and then you guys would be done for the rest of the day, the junior forest ranger seeming to have a lot of experience in the hot sumeru weather.
the sight of everyone up ahead at the camp gave little hope, even the sight of straightened ears that flinched towards your direction gave small hope compared to the burning heat on your back.
tighnari caught sight of you both, but heard you two way before that, turning to your direction to give the both of you a smile and wave.
collei returned it almost immediately, but you on the other hand remained hunched while climbing the hill.
your exhaustion, mixed with overheating caused you to completely drag yourself towards your destination, not using any muscle whatsoever to get there
this caused your feet to slide on the rough dirt ground, and a perfectly placed rock seemed to cast upon you evil doings.
your feet collided with said rock, and down you went, almost in slow motion, a rough smack to the face from the ground, and an even rougher smack to the noggin from another rock placed 3 feet from the previous one.
not only were you in terrible pain from the heat, your exhaustion, the fall, and now the scrap on your head from the rock, your body basically accepted your fate that the ground was now your home forever.
collei rushed down immediately once you fell to aid you, and tighnari’s voice almost boomed in your ear as he ran to come help
“name!! are you alright name!! are you hurt??” his worried voice came rushing towards you, as he crouched down to help you up, letting you lean on his shoulder for support
only a little blood was noticeable from the scrap, and tighnari almost felt his whole body exhale from relief, he smiled at the sight of your exhausted face and quickly ran to lay you down on one of the medical beds, kissing your forehead and patching you up from the fall
“thank goodness you’re okay..” he said with a smile as he stared at your resting form on the bed. ⋆
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈ cyno
waking up from your slumber to the small rays of sunshine reaching the exposed corners of your blinds, you found yourself in an empty bed, seeing as the general mahamatra already left for work,
a small wet spot residing on your forehead from him giving you a goodbye kiss, you smiled and begun your day as the perfect stay-at-home partner
noticing the wrapped up lunch still on the kitchen counter, you realized cyno forgot his lunch! and planned to bring it to him on a short notice
cyno never appreciated your cute choice of wrap for the lunch, always basking in embarrassment when he’d have to take it out near his fellow workers and see their amused faces towards him
you smiled, remembering last time you came to give him his “forgotten” lunch and how his look of shock surprised everyone else around him, cyno’s cute partner coming to hand him his lunch, with small bunny rabbits decorating the lining.
reaching the akademiya, you entered only to spot him almost immediately talking to some very important looking people, your footsteps echoed against the high walls as you made your way towards him, some people around noticing you and elbowing their friends to look as well
“cyno! i’ve come to give you your lunch that you forgot!” you said! picking up a lighter jog to reach him quicker
his head almost nearly snapped to turn towards you, and the people he was speaking with also turned to meet your gaze
when you were almost near him, a book you didn’t notice rested on the ground near a table, away from your eyes to witness it before it was too late, and down you went
tumbling to the ground almost immediately and getting the attention of everyone on the bottom floor study hall as your face glowed red with extreme embarrassment
the lunch, somehow, remained completely intact on the floor next to you, and cyno was already next to your fallen body as soon as his eyes caught the book on the ground, crouching to check if you were alright and to help you up
“name . . .”
“does anyone wanna tell me who left this book here, or do i have to beat that out of all of you until i find out.” cyno said, holding your arms while looking around at the people near you, everyone nearly shrunk to microscopic size under the general mahamatras stare, and remained silent
“cyno… i brought you your lunch!” you said bubbly, ignoring his gaze of death at the people surrounding you, bending down to pick it up and holding it out for him.
cyno looked down and smiled at your gesture, before pressing a kiss to your forehead and accepting the wrapped lunch.
cyno did in fact eat the lunch with pride, and also beat the shit out of whoever admitted to mistakingly placing the book there after you left with a smile ⋆
-> Getting close to mortals was always a bad idea. Xiao knew it would end it tragedy... and it did
-> Reader has no gender or pronouns mentioned! Reader has an undefined terminal illness! Reader death - not graphic!
Xiao was far from approachable and often didn't even show himself to mortals. He had no desire to interact or grow close to them, their lives were short and he would live beyond countless of their life times. Connection would be pointless as they would die long before him and he would be left empty and alone again. There was also his bad karma - his taint and sin that would harm or corrupt those around him. The only thing he had left to live for was serving the Geo Archon and fulfilling the contract he made with him, until the day he finally met his end.
Despite all of this, you still managed to make yourself a place in his life - in his heart. Your bright eyes and warm smile blew him away... You were careful and kind with every step you took to bring down his walls, stone by stone with time and you never pushed his boundaries. Your warmth scared him, your kindness suffocated him - but with you he didn't feel like he needed to air or to breathe. How you managed to do all that was beyond him, perhaps deep inside he craved for someone like you to appear and soothe his centuries old wounds...
Ypu were always so full of life... He would see you climbing around everywhere, especially the tree that housed Wangshu Inn. Even if you didn't like heights it felt amazing to be able to climb up there with your illness. You would do it during the evening to watch the stars at night. It was an ethereal sight to see you so content with your gaze to the sky, he just couldn't look away. His instincts were to scold you for such a stunt - what if you were to fall? You could so easily get hurt! Humans were so easily broken... Their light could so easily fade in an instant. He was overwhelmed with the need to protect you from everyone and everything.
Yet there was something even he could not protect you from - your own body. You had been ill and bedridden from a young age, through age and careful care you got better to the point you were able to go out and experience life like any other being. You made friends with not only humans, but animals and even him... You brightened the world of everyone you came across, some were more than content to try and take advantage of you. Thankfully he was always there to protect you.
Sadly your health had been in a steady decline for sometime now... Xiao would notice all the signs, yet could do nothing but watch as you slowly got worse day by day. It started simple with your growing lack of hunger and constant tiredness no matter how much you slept, you became out of breath or dizzy after just a short walk when before you could climb to the top of Wangshu Inn with barely a sweat - now stairs became your worst enemy. Xiao didn't mind carrying you to see the stars on the balcony, but he didn't take you higher to not tire you out more.
He couldn't stand seeing you like this, watching as you withered away slowly right before his eyes... He blamed himself for worsening your already compromised health. It had to be his bad karma that was draining you and making you sick - you would still be happy and healthy were it not for him! But that wasn't true and you both knew it. You were just lucky to have had some years where your illness was better and you could live relatively normally without it wearing you down constantly. The only thing you could do to prolong the inevitable was to lay in bed and rest, take some medicine to numb your pain and use incense to help you breathe better.
You were done with laying down and resting - you had done it all your childhood and lost years to your illness. It could not be cured and it would not get better, death was at your doorstep and prolonging it felt pointless and painful - you wanted to actually live before you had to go... Xiao wanted you to rest like your doctors told you to, but respecting your wishes was more important than his own feelings.
“I just wish I could climb up this tree just one more time and watch the stars until the sun starts rising...” You stared up at the branches of Wangshu Inn longingly.
“I will take you.” Xiao simply responded. You turned to look at him in surprise to see he was already picking you in his arms.
He knew you wanted to climb up yourself, but you both knew it sadly wasn't possible for you to do anymore. He held you tightly and asked if you felt secure as you wrapped your arms around his strong shoulders from pure instinct - he had carried you enough for it to be normal and natural for you two. You simply nodded with a smile. The climb was quick due to his teleportation, he could have teleported to the roof straight away, but he didn't. You wanted to climb so he let you feel the wind caress your features the higher you got.
Tears of happiness began gathering in your eyes as you felt so touched by his actions - even as he didn't want you out of bed, he respected and even fufilled your wish. By the time you reached the highest point the tears had began falling down, Xiao was shocked and concerned as he swiped them away carefully. He gently laid you down to sit on the roof and he did the same, the wind was colder high up and Xiao noticed you shivering from it. He moved to sit behind you with his arms around your middle pulling your back to rest against his chest. His body was surprisingly warm and his embrace made you feel more comfortable.
The night sky was pitch black with the starts covering it entirely, they shone exceptionally brightly tonight. You tried your best to make out any constellations you could see. It was to keep yourself from acknowledging the overwhelming tiredness washing over you... It wasn't the kind where you needed sleep, it was the kind from which you would never wake up from. You didn't feel scared however, this was the most beautiful night you had witnessed in your entire life - you couldn't be happier to be in the safe and warm embrace of the man you loved. You wouldn't mind slipping away like this...
You stayed mostly in a comfortable silence with the occasional banter shared between you until the dark night turned into the bright dawn. The first rays of the sun began lighting up the world around you, illuminating the world golden. But, was the sun always this bright? You felt as if it turned into a blinding white light that didn't stop shining even as you closed your eyes. It slowly dimmed down turning into blackness that you couldn't escape, the world became silent and your body felt completely numb... Until everything was gone...
Xiao stared at your face silently, your expression was so calm and serene... He could feel your body become limp in his hold and cold against his heated skin. His shoulders began shaking as he silently sobbed, he could barely hold back from screaming in agony as he felt his heart shatter when yours stopped beating. You were at peace and no longer in pain, but he couldn't help but wish things could have ended differently. A selfish part of him blamed himself for not making you rest - you would have lived a little longer, just a little longer... But he knew it wasn't right. You didn't deserve to live in pain for his sake. You died content and happy, not many had such a fate.
He burried his face into your soft hair, it smelled like sweet soap - like you. His tears wouldn't stopping falling no matter how long or much he cried. He truly was cursed to suffer the loss of those around him, the people he cared about the most. He knew you opened his heart for you in hopes you would do the same to someone else. But he opened it for you and you only... And now you laid dead in his arms. He never deserved your kindness and love, yet you gave it to him without a second thought. But he was so glad to have you for the short time you had together. He just couldn't understand how the world could let you die just like that and he would never forgive it for this...
I'm sorry :') I'll admit I had tears in my eyes while writing this, but it might just be me being sensitive lol
masterlist
characters: scaramouche (platonic)
genre: angst
contains: spoilers for chapter 3 act iii, scaramouche spoilers, character death, injuries
summary: how did things end up this way? how did you go from a doll to something more?
notes: trying to get back into writing genshin :) had my hoco yesterday and my booster shot right before that. i'm so tired but i still finished the new archon quest :D
parts: [the making of a god (1)] || [the betrayal of a god (2)]
"hng... ngh... nnn..."
"just a bit longer," was all you could hear. you couldn't see anymore, but that was your normal now. they had long since taken your eyes.
"haaaah... blugh... ku... mm..."
"ah, there we are," he hummed, the poking and prodding at your insides finally stopping. it was a strange sensation, feeling anything that is. you weren't made for this, so why? why did you suddenly feel things?
ah, was it then? perhaps it was.
you could recall the very moment you opened your eyes. a woman with long purple hair stared down at you, here eyes occasionally flicking upwards.
"let's get you sitting up, shall we?" she had hummed, flicking her wrist. as if she had you on strings (which she did, you would later learn), your body moved on its own. you were "sat up" as she called it and the world turned sideways. She seemed pleased with herself as she nodded and, with another flick of her wrist, your head turned to your left.
sitting beside you was a boy, dressed in the same white garb as you. he had the same purple hair as the woman did but his eyes were duller than hers. they were glassy, blobs of tears running down his round cheeks. his face seemed to emulate yours, a wide look of wonder and awe present on his doll-like face. if he looked like you, did you have tears running down your face too?
"now stand," the woman commanded, both of your heads turning back to her. despite her command, neither of you moved. your bodies remained stagnant. and all the woman did was sigh, her hands moving together at the same time. "...i see."
this time, your bodies did move. the woman moved her hands and walked out of the room, you and the other boy following behind her. she stood at a terrace overlooking a world that was... colorful, to say the least. plenty of bright colors that you couldn't identify filled your vision.
and soon it was all you saw as you and the boy were left in a place with many vibrant colors. the woman stared the two of you down before turning away, hurrying off, and disappearing into the colors.
the next time the colors changed, you were finally able to move. the boy helped you up at first. apparently, he figured out how to move by "observing the surrounding fauna" as he claimed, a string dangling in front of his face. what a smart boy.
you clung to his arms, your hands clasped around his in a vice grip. you couldn't feel anything at first except a slight tingling in your fingertips. and then there was a tingling in your feet and a little tickle that was barely distinguishable from it.
"we were given names," the boy began, keeping his hands on your arms to steady you. "m...mother told me. before you woke up." when you didn't respond, he took it as a sign to continue. he reached up and moved the string out of his face and then moved his hand to brush a part of your veil out of yours. "you were called (name). and i... kunikuzushi."
"ku..." your lips moved like his, copying the words that left his mouth just a moment before. "kuni...kuzu...shi. kuniku... zushi..."
"kunikuzushi," the two of you said together. "(name)."
"kunikuzushi. (name)."
kunikuzushi and (name). that was all you knew how to say at first. perhaps you were defective. kunikuzushi didn't like to say that but it was a word you had heard from him. he liked to call you different. younger. precious.
and you only knew how to call him by his name or by the little syllables that made it up. you often yelled out for him as you got used to "walking" as he explained. you waddled around aimlessly, occasionally tripping over the strings that tangled up around your feet and ankles.
kunikuzushi only laughed lightly, helping you back up to your feet and brushing away the "leaves" and "petals" that clung to your veil. and then he would take your hand, promising to keep you steady as you walked away from where you were "abandoned".
you learned a lot of words from kunikuzushi during that trip. you learned a lot of words from your big brother.
"monster" was the first word you learned from someone other than your brother. "monster!" the boy cried out as he held up his hammer in defense. you and kunikuzushi stood in his workplace, hand in hand prepared to learn more from him, just as you did the day before. but why was today any different?
why was he so scared of you two? what did "monster" mean and why was he calling you that. that wasn't your name!
"kunikuzushi. (name)," you had tried to explain motioning towards your brother and yourself. it all had to be a misunderstanding, right? maybe he thought "monster" was your name, right?
"monster!" he hurled his hammer at you, the edge he used to flatten the weapons thumping against your chest. a dull pounding resounded in the spot the hammer had hit.
kunikuzushi cried out to you as you fell, his hand shakily hovering over the hole that now appeared on your body. you whimpered, clutching onto his kimono sleeve. he shushed you, hurriedly covering your face with your veil and scooping you up into his arms, running away as the boy continued to cry out "monster! monster!"
"promise" was the second word you learned from someone other than your brother.
the boy was smaller this time and kunikuzushi had to remind you that, no, this was not the same "monster" boy that caused the hole in your chest. this boy was giggly, holding up his hands to you and kunikuzushi.
"fluff" flowers surrounded the three of you and the boy only giggled more when the fluff was caught in your hair and in your brother's clothes. his laughs grew louder when you pointed at the fluff that also covered him.
"promise to come back?" he asked the day you met him. you looked over at kunikuzushi, your precious big brother who always knew what to say. he glanced over at you before nodding to the boy.
"we promise." and you would "fulfill" that promise as your brother said. you came back the next day. and the next. and the next. the next. the next. the next.
and you continued to return every day, even when the boy was in no mood to laugh, his parents nowhere to be found. you continued to return every day until you didn't need to anymore, having permanently moved into his home because he was "ill".
you didn't know what that meant at first. you figured it was something big as your brother always coddled the boy, especially when he was unable to move like you and kunikuzushi upon your "birth".
"promise... to come back?" he had asked you the last day you saw him.
"only if you promise to be here when we do," kunikuzushi replied. and the boy nodded, his doll clutched in his hand and a little cough escaping his lips.
he didn't fulfill his promise.
the lavender melon your brother cradled in his arms fell to the ground with a thud, rolling to the side as you almost fell to your knees. you managed to stay standing before rushing over to the boy, your hands landing on his shoulders.
you and your brother left that very night, the only remnants of the house being the small doll the boy had "died" with. your brother trembled as the place you used to live in burnt to the ground, the boy's body still inside.
"let's go," he urged, tugging you over to the path that was covered in snow. he paused for a moment, lifted a conical hat onto his head, adjusted your veil to cover your face, and returned to the road.
it was just you two, he promised. just the two of you from now on.
he promised... and yet here you were. dangling in the air with tubes and rods shoved into your body. it was the same as your birth, your body no longer under your control. you felt like you still had strings attached to your limbs. the hole in your chest was now blocked by a single tube that led to some sort of box if you remembered correctly.
your eyes were taken near the beginning of this "project" as the man called it.
"our god will need them more than you," he explained when you asked. and when you asked why all you felt was searing pain from your body, he would only respond with a single word, "test". when you asked why you could no longer feel your leg, he told you "our god is in need of one."
kunikuzushi, you wanted to cry out. you could still feel tears running down your cheeks. did you look like him when he was first born? kunikuzushi, please!
he promised. he promised it would just be you two. and he betrayed you. did he even know? did he even care?
maybe you could think about that after you slept. you were awfully tired. what a new and interesting feeling.
◇ tags ◇ absolutely teeth-rotting fluff, slightly suggestive on some
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ⬙ 𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡
zhongli frequently calls you “dear”, “darling”, and “my dearest”. if you’re married, he would be the type to call you and always refers to you as “(my) wife/husband/spouse”. whenever he feels a little clingy or needy misses you, sweeter nicknames like “treasure”, “jewel”, “sweetheart”, or “little one” would come out, and that’s your cue to drop everything you’re doing to coddle this man.
whatever nicknames you use to refer to him, he loves it all - just your sweet voice calling his name will make his day brighter…. just be careful when you call him with his old archon names, especially in the bedroom ;)
diluc only calls you “beloved” in private at first, but as you get comfortable with your budding relationship he starts to use them in public too.
he finds himself loving the ticklish sensation in his chest when you refer to him as “my boyfriend” or “my husband” when talking with other people. cuter nicknames like “my firefly”, “boyfie”, “hubby”, and “my love” will always bring his cheeks aflame. he abhors his “darknight hero” nickname, but he thinks it’s not so bad when you call him “my darknight”.
childe has an assortment of nicknames he calls you and the list is quite literally endless, but he especially abuses the use of “babe”, “baby”, “love”, and “my water fairy”. oh, and you know those weird nicknames lovers have for each other? that’s the two of you. there are probably a lot of inside jokes between you both for those nicknames, and he especially loves the weirded-out looks you get from strangers because they would never understand.
still, his absolute favorite has to be you whispering his actual name as you stare into each other’s eyes under the moonless nights, with the overabundance of love he doesn't think he deserves contained within your voice - “ajax”.
xiao’s names carry a multitude of memories and significance. a new beginning, a war machine, a symbol of protection, a desperate attempt to save one’s life... but when they fall from your lips it turns into something dear, something precious and pure, free of bloodshed and karma and war. like you’ve washed it anew and cradled it within your warm arms for millennia, your warmth seeping into cold, cracked jade.
he mostly calls you by your name, only because you calling him by his renewed name makes his heart do a little flip and a stutter. but on some rarer days, you might hear him utter sweeter names like “my dreamcatcher” or even “love”...
just maybe.
.... if you’re really lucky.
ayato is a fan of calling you embarrassing nicknames in public so he can see you lose your composure. “sweetheart”, “darling”, “my dear”, “my love”... he has no shame. when your engagement is finalized, there isn’t a day that passes where he doesn’t call you “my fiance” or “my betrothed” at least ten times. people referring you to “mr/mrs/mx kamisato” after your formal union never fails to bring a genuinely proud smile to his lips.
you won’t see him lose his cool no matter how many cringy nicknames you use on him. secretly, he enjoys your attempt and has a tier list of the most amusing ones you manage to think of. so far “my black camellia”, “mr. pillar of teasery”, and “sugar daddy” (he had no idea what it meant at first but he lost it when he finally found out what it meant) are the top three.
kazuha’s nicknames are as poetic and as free as he is. he doesn't settle for any specific names and every day you have a chance of getting a new one, but you’ll know he’s calling for you because he’ll be using that special tone. “dove”, “sparrow”, “maple”, “leaf”, “sunshine”, “moonshine”, “my heart”, “my soulmate”, “my home”, “my one and only” - the list is expanding as we speak.
in turn, you do the same to him, and he would be lying to say that he’s not looking forward to what you’re going to call him today. in fact, it might inspire him to write yet another haiku, which he will write and stash within his drawer, along with hundreds other papers of poems previously written from your influence.
albedo didn't exactly understand the appeal of sweet nicknames until you start calling him things like “my stardust”, “dear”, and “my prince”.
it’s like you opened a floodgate since then. you’re [name] but you're also “my starlight”, “my love”, and “dearest”. he doesn't have a lot of petnames for you but there's always a soft smile on his lips whenever he calls you one. however, this doesn’t seem to extend to when he’s talking with other people - for these occasions, he will still refer to you by your name properly. the only exception is when he’s talking with klee, he always refers to you as “big sis/bro/sibling [name]”, as if he’s prepping for the inevitable future where you three will become a family.
al haitham is another one who mainly calls you by your name. you might think that it hides your relationship from the public eye. but contrary to your thoughts, even blind people would know that you’re a couple, due to the soft undertone in his voice as his tongue rolls carefully to pronounce your name.
you can call him whatever you want and he wouldn’t mind. a few too many embarrassing nicknames in public might break his composure, though.
behind closed doors, he might slip out a “sweetheart” or even “love”. they might sound uncharacteristically gentle and soft compared to his usual selection of stoic words, but just remember to pay attention to his tone, because sometimes he will use them whenever you’ve pushed his buttons a little too far, and it might be a sign for you to back off…..
After hundreds of years, since you've died, Zhongli's wedding ring breaks.
He has taken great care of it, but time thinned it out, for he has worn it every day since you two have pledged yourself to each other. He's heartbroken, his voice wavering, every time he looks at the imprint it left on his ring finger. The band was well worn, worn with pride and solemn, but now nothing more than a mark and reminder of your wedding.
And once again, he's lost a small bit of you, that he misses so dearly.
NO BC IMAGINE after the wedding ring broke, he literally puts it in a tiny glass box on a bedside table so every morning he can still feel the small bit of comfort knowing you aren't there for him anymore.
crack!au where genshin characters are modelled after a real person, who is also your lover........ but aside from their appearances their personality or likes/dislikes is a 180 from the game lol
zhongli in game: *sips tea*
your irl zhongli: disgusting. uncultured. shameful. unfathomable. incorrigible. leaf drinker-
childe in game: *gushes about teucer*
your irl childe: *glares tiredly at his little brother who's finally asleep after making him run around for four straight hours* you're a devil spawn and i can't wait until you get admitted to a college out of the town so i won't have to live with you anymore-
chaotic xiao who smiles a lot and is a total social butterfly, who isn't afraid to prank people for laughs, and a totally cuddly boyfriend of yours! he tried to act like the in-game xiao when his story quest came out and you're just. you can't take it seriously at all lmao
he also jokes around whenever you call his name, like-
"YES HI HELLO YOUR FAVORITE GUARDIAN YAKSHA HERE!"
"HERE I AM, ANY EVIL CONQUERING YOU NEED TO BE DONE BABE?!"
it's so fucking cursed but it's so hilarious help-
scara in game: *scoffs and calls you degrading nicknames, but will probably kill you if you ever decide to leave him for another man*
your irl scara: "hey, love! have you eaten? no? oh... uhm... may i ask why? were you just not hungry or were you too busy? should i get you food? i can run to the nearest favorite restaurant of yours-"
i feel like the first time you see his model being... well, scaramouche... you would close the game in shock. bc. i mean. your shy and caring and soft bf? to irl you, that in game scara is the cursed one. your irl scara probably has to comfort you and tell you he would never be that mean especially to you bc he loves loves loves you very much lmao
crack!au where genshin characters are modelled after a real person, who is also your lover........ but aside from their appearances their personality or likes/dislikes is a 180 from the game lol
zhongli in game: *sips tea*
your irl zhongli: disgusting. uncultured. shameful. unfathomable. incorrigible. leaf drinker-
childe in game: *gushes about teucer*
your irl childe: *glares tiredly at his little brother who's finally asleep after making him run around for four straight hours* you're a devil spawn and i can't wait until you get admitted to a college out of the town so i won't have to live with you anymore-
chaotic xiao who smiles a lot and is a total social butterfly, who isn't afraid to prank people for laughs, and a totally cuddly boyfriend of yours! he tried to act like the in-game xiao when his story quest came out and you're just. you can't take it seriously at all lmao
he also jokes around whenever you call his name, like-
"YES HI HELLO YOUR FAVORITE GUARDIAN YAKSHA HERE!"
"HERE I AM, ANY EVIL CONQUERING YOU NEED TO BE DONE BABE?!"
it's so fucking cursed but it's so hilarious help-
crack!au where genshin characters are modelled after a real person, who is also your lover........ but aside from their appearances their personality or likes/dislikes is a 180 from the game lol
zhongli in game: *sips tea*
your irl zhongli: disgusting. uncultured. shameful. unfathomable. incorrigible. leaf drinker-
childe in game: *gushes about teucer*
your irl childe: *glares tiredly at his little brother who's finally asleep after making him run around for four straight hours* you're a devil spawn and i can't wait until you get admitted to a college out of the town so i won't have to live with you anymore-
the air was knocked out of his lungs when heizou's viridiscent hues sees the figure that sat right beside his best friend's twin sister, arms crossed with an uninterest look on their face as they scanned around the arena. heizou couldn't help but chuckle at the way their eyes, seemingly bored out of their mind, scanned around the area to silently observe the students that were flocking in by the minute.
how pretty, he thinks.
(heizou briefly wonders if he just saw the archons' favorite child.)
aether, who hears his chuckle, glanced at his standing friend and gave a wave. "heizou! over here!" he beckons, pointing to the spot beside the stranger he was staring at seconds prior. lumine nods at him in acknowledgement before looking back down on her phone screen, typing away. "i saw my sister while looking for vacant seats. i hope you don't mind if we share the row with them." the blonde scratches the nape of his neck sheepishly, to which heizou waved his hand in dismissal.
"where're the others?" heizou walks towards the vacant seat that his friend had pointed at, eyes shameless wandering towards his seatmate before plopping down with a small smile on his face.
"an admin passed by and asked for thoma's help for the orientation. you know how he is. i'd assume he'd already be down there," he answers as he nudged his head towards the podium. "while kazuha is buying himself some snacks in the cafeteria."
aether hums before he perks up, his fist hitting his palm softly as if he realized something. "right! lumi, why don't you introduce your friends with mine?" he turns to his sister who seemed to agree that it was a good idea.
heizou's eyes travelled from the duo to the stranger beside him, the smile on his face never leaving. he does, however, had to snap out of his trance when he hears footsteps nearing them and stopping right infront of them.
"sounds stupid," the newcomer comments rather rudely.
lumine rolled her eyes, huffing. "you think everything's stupid, scara."
"your point?" scara clicks his teeth, purple eyes landing on heizou's form and began eyeing him up and down in judgement. (heizou didn't know whether to be amused or offended) lumine shoots him a stern glare and he sighs in annoyance, rolling his eyes as he reluctantly obliged. "fine! scaramouche. done. can i go sit now?"
aether laughs while his twin sister nods her head, pride seeping through her veins for being able to get her stubborn friend to do something.
he was about to reply with a small introduction of his own when a voice cuts through the air, silencing the siblings and gaining the attention of all four of them.
"[L/N]," heizou turns to look at the pretty stranger he was sitting beside with. his head titled to the side in confusion, as if asking them to repeat what they just said.
"my name. [L/N] [Y/N]," heizou could feel the world stop turning beneath his feet when his eyes meet theirs for the very first time. they stared rather coldly, reminding him of the grump who introduced first, piercing through his soul. although, heizou could tell—their eyes differed from him in numerous ways. for one, he could see the slight glimmer of curiosity shining underneath the arena lights; curious about him, he suppose. afterall, he is aether's friend.
breathe.
heizou had to remind himself to but, despite all his efforts, the oxygen in his lungs kept getting stolen right before his eyes. the slight up up turn of the corners of their lips did not escape his observant hues and he had to make a double take when they offered their hand to shake. "nice to meet you...?"
breathe, damn it.
his hand slowly reaches out to take them up on their offer, smiling away the nervousness that nipped at his skin. "shikanoin heizou. pleased to make your acquaintance, miss [L/N]."
DOUBLE TAKE: MASTERLIST / NEXT
synopsis. heizou keeps falling asleep in class yet, whenever he wakes up, his notebook is always filled to the brim with information from their lecture. he did not expect for it to be you, the most intimidating person he's ever met, writing his notes for him. and so, as an act of appreciation, he starts bothering you every chance he gets.
summary — it was only recently you found out kamisato ayaka was, in fact, not an only child after all! seeing ayato for the first time gave you the severest case of the butterflies but according to ayaka, he’s off limits, especially to you as her most treasured friend. well, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt, right?
