biting ajax tartaglia childe where his tummy is exposed.
— tartaglia x gn!reader ✧ suggestive ✧ 600 words
you're lying down, head in his lap. the blades of grass are cool beneath you, a contrast to the sun warming your skin. his body casts a shadow that protects your eyes from the bright morning rays.
he's perfectly in your line of sight and you greedily drink in the vision before you. his weight is supported by his arms, biceps flexing beneath his clothes to keep him up. he, too, is enjoying the sun—head thrown back as light pinks the skin of his cheeks and ignites his hair into a beautiful blaze of orange laced with gold and red.
but your eyes keep drifting down to the triangular patch of skin that is exposed by the cut of his shirt.
you get to see more skin than usual, with the way he's leaning back. the pale expanse is broken up by a smattering of freckles. a scar decorates his abdomen, raised and thin, half hidden by the folds of his clothes. there's a shadow that cuts diagonally from his side towards his belly, taunting you as it vanishes beneath his belt.
you swallow.
there are so many things you want to do right now: kiss his freckles, lick his scar, touch him to feel the warmth of his skin. you want to show him that he's beautiful and you are so, so grateful he lets himself be like this around you—vulnerable, open, at peace.
you do none of the above. all your instincts clash or they overwhelm your decision making abilities, because instead of doing any of the other things you thought of to show your adoration, you bite him.
in a sudden movement, you lift your head, tilt yourself in toward his tummy, and bite. teeth pinch at the tantalizing stretch of muscle that had distracted you earlier, the cut of it perfect for you to nip.
ajax inhales sharply and his stomach contracts, a visible shudder rolling through him. you pull away and look up, eyes wide as you catch the blush deepening the sun-kissed pink on his cheeks. his reaction fills you with glee, pleased that you get to fluster him for once, instead of the other way around.
"what-" he sounds shocked and wrecked.
he doesn't get to say another word before you strike again, dipping your head in to bite farther up, just to the left of his belly button.
this time, your bite elicits a groan.
your teeth leave pale little marks, surrounded by pink skin. seeing your claim on him—a sign that he let you get so close to him, that he's yours and you're his—fills you with undeniable delight.
you lift your hand to gently touch your marks to soothe over the sting he must have felt. but a strong, calloused hand circles the back of your neck, pulling you into his lap as a firm thumb presses beneath your jaw, tilting your head back to gaze up at him.
the sight of ajax sends a shiver through you. his eyes are fathomless ocean chasms, deep and ready to devour. the blush still stains his cheeks, but you have awoken something in him that was lying dormant all morning long. a smile spreads slowly across his face as he feels the flutter of your pulse beneath his thumb; a panicked little hummingbird at the mercy of something hungry.
when he speaks, his tone is teasing, yet the intensity makes heat rush to your head. "why did you stop? you shouldn't have started something you can't finish, sweetheart."
your breath hitches in your throat.
his grin widens at the sound. his thumb brushes over the side of your neck, as his tongue flicks over his teeth.
"you know i will never back down from a challenge."
super corny, like straight out a romcom corny. not to mention flirtatious like some sort of teen movie love interest
surfer boy vibes, like the hot lifegaurd you see at the beach. sandy but not literally and dare I say tan... am I allowed to say childe has a tan
i know I said childe was bad at baking during the valentines post but lets be realistic all his sibling experience definitely made him a good baker, or just good at all household activities in general. cooking, cleaning, like he can definitely do it all
he loves animals, mostly because they remind them of his siblings when he's away from home. I can just imagine him begging you to keep a pet in the house when y'all move in together.
and he loves ALL animals like not even just like cats and rabbits and the cute ones like he even thinks snakes and moths and other "unattractive" animals are cute. and the animals would definitely love him back
back to him being good at house work he's so acts of service like Imagine him making you a healthy lunch, cleaning the house when your tired, cooking you meals he just does it all
the one thing childe cannot do however is be smooth like I know I already said he's corny but I MUST emphasize it like its crazy how cliche and cringy he is, but you don't even hate it like its funny y'all laugh together because like what is childe if not very silly
is it crazy to say that I think Childe's lack of a childhood would definitely make him really affectionate in a relationship. like imagine PHYSICAL. TOUCH. CHILDE. constantly running around trying to find you so he can slide his arms around you, hold your hand, give you kisses, etc!!!
Imagine teasing Zhongli in his tiny dragon form...and it backfires.
"My daaaarling!" You smooch the bajeezums out of your husband, who is currently small, fluffy, and chonky for your cuddling convenience. "My precious sweetie pie!"
Tiny dragon Zhongli purrs in delight and licks your cheek, eyes blissfully closed as he enjoys the attention he's receiving. His little paws cling to your top as his chunky tail wags like crazy. On leisurely days like these, he adores lounging around like this with you. "Ah, there's not a single being softer, warmer, or cuter than you," you tell Zhongli, booping his little nose, and he gives you a mrrrrp! of agreement, wiggling.
Eventually, through all the cuddles and compliments you give him, a mischievous grin spreads across your face. You bring him closer to your face.
"Since you're smaller than me...shall I eat you?"
You laugh in delight as your fluffy little husband wriggles in dismay, but you're not letting go - you playfully chomp the air around him while he lets out soft whines, pawing and grrring in futility at you.
You can't help it; he's so much fun to tease! "So cute! I'm gonna eat you! Raaaah!"
He then decides he's had enough and morphs back into the human-form Zhongli you are most accustomed to.
"Oh! Hello my love!" You make to cuddle your now-grown man of a husband, but Zhongli adjusts his position over you so that he's practically straddling you now, his hands splayed on either side of your head. "Zh-Zhongli..?"
"Hm." He brings his thumb to caress your cheek. "I am that amusing when small, is it?"
"Well..." You squirm in embarrassment, and gasp when Zhongli nuzzles his face into the crook of your neck, reveling in your scent. He then begins to make use of his teeth and tongue, making you shiver and whimper after his hot breath lingers.
"So cute." He softly bites your shoulder, a preamble for what was to come. His golden eyes gleam bright as the ghost of a teasing smirk plays on his lips.
hello!! can i pls request the sumeru men with a reader who's a confectioner? and like, they can make from cookies to cute bento cakes to super elaborate, detailed, huge cakes.
affectionate confectioner!
he thinks your job makes you even sweeter. 『wanderer, tighnari, cyno, kaveh, al-haitham』
wanderer!
get him out of the kitchen please i beg
he loves you, sure, but he loves inconveniencing you even more
scale? gone. any measuring tool? gone too
since he doesn't enjoy sweets all that much he won't show much interest in consuming most of what you make
seeing you design the cakes, though? amazed
if you somehow annoyed him that day and you're making something small (like cookies) he'd definitely try to mess up a batch just because
if it stressed you out or something he'd lowkey feel bad and "begrudgingly" help out
if you ever make him something that's not as sweet (or a dessert that's meant to be bitter) as your usuals he'd nag you for ages to make it for him
aka he does it whenever he's in your kitchen
can't complete any customer's orders with him around smh
tighnari!
your bento cakes are his favourites but he advertises everything you sell to anyone who shows interest
you gave him one that had cute mushrooms and aranara
wouldn't shut up about it and sometimes orders it whenever he stops by
most of the time he picks something up for collei because sweet girl deserves it
sometimes cyno too but most of the time he allows him to get it himself because he's tired of the jokes
but! whenever he does get something for himself he makes sure to brag to his rangers but in a passive way
he doesn't seem like the biggest sweets guy so other than the bento cake he'd most likely buy cookies once in a while
the last time he bought something for cyno was for his birthday
never again would he do that
collei and him wanted to leave the small hangout they planned because he wouldn't shut up
cyno!
he's your self-appointed taste tester and no you can't stop him
due to his position he sadly can't visit your shop as much as he wants but he makes sure to be there when you're trying something new
when you experimented with jam sandwich cookies he barged into tighnari's room with a container of them
and proceeded to say a horrible joke. and explained it. like always
"what did the blueberry say to the strawberry? 'i can't believe you got us into this jam!' this relates to these because-"
he repeated it at dinner (which included himself, tighnari, collei, and you) before doing three others about the same cookie
tighnari was debating on just foraging for dinner at this point but he knew he wouldn't be safe from the jokes
kaveh!
he still remembers the feeling of the general hunting him down to show him the combination you were nervous about and the jokes he had prepared
but due to his somewhat constant visits some of his coworkers started to check out your shop
he unknowingly became your walking advertisement as well. oh well
dude is all for your extravagant cakes
he breathes architecture and design so seeing the sketches for the client's cake got him like ⚆⚆ ⚆⚆ ⚆⚆
usually he doesn't get involved in your business because that's not his forte but just seeing the plans for an upcoming event had him begging for permission to help
but like how could you say no? one) he's one if not the best structural designer in sumeru and two) he's cute and you love him
turns out the cake was for the celebration of al-haitham's promotion to acting grand sage
biggest disappointment in his life but he got to spend time with you so who cares
but in terms of consumption he chooses more towards your fruit-orientated pastries
like you made this fruit tart special with fresh fruit on top and he bought basically all of them
the same thing happened with a pie you made
it got to the point where you had to decline him from buying any more for the day
al-haitham!
he takes high interest in any scones and simple cookies you make
also anything he can enjoy in the morning with his coffee
enjoys snacking on any extras you bring home for him while reading throughout the day
he doesn't mind the other things you make but he finds them more of a hassle to eat while passing the time so he usually avoids them
whenever he's craving something a little extra he might get a cupcake or bento cake and enjoy it in your shop
also gets a slice whenever he's looking over submitted applications for archived files
he either lures in or away business - it's a struggle for you
there's sometimes some akademiya nerds who wanna be closer figuratively to the scribe and buy a lot before scurrying away when he glances up
then there are people (kaveh) who see him in the corner and immediately leave
he got so annoyed with people (again, kaveh) continuously entering and leaving where it got to the point where he asked to move in the back
“ give me a kiss!” kaveh begged, his hair splayed beautifully on your lap as he held his hands up to cup the sides of your face. he attempted to pull you closer, frowning when you took his hands into yours instead.
you smiled mischievously, kissing the back of his hands before letting go of them. “ mm . . why?”
“ because you love me and I want a kiss.” he laid his arms back as he stretched, still laying in your lap as he relaxed again.
smiling, you leaned down to give his nose a small kiss before pulling away. kaveh’s face turned slightly pink, smiling happily.
he adjusted himself, sitting up and situating himself properly onto the couch before pulling you into his lap. he placed his hands onto the sides of your waist, kissing around your face.
you giggled at his gesture, deciding to run your hands through his hair, causing him to relax significantly as he stared at you.
“ kiss me more.”
“ why?” he smiled sweetly, causing your face to flush reddish from how pretty he looked.
cupping his face in your hands, you pulled him close to kiss him. he sat idly before kissing back lovingly, yelping quietly when you bit his bottom lip.
you giggled at his reaction, starting to kiss his cheeks and jaw. trailing down, you began to gently bite and suck his neck.
“ n-nghh . . w, wait. . what if ‘hai-haitham comes b-back midway?”
you hummed, acknowledging him but not answering. you tugged his hair back, biting into the side of his neck and sucking harshly.
kaveh whined and pulled at your hips, beginning to grind against you. “ hnngh. . [name], c’monnn! we sh-shouldn’t be doing this in the li-iving rooom.”
pulling away from his neck, you let go of his hair to kiss his cheek. “ we shouldn’t be doing what in the living room?”
“ you- ” he was suddenly cut off by a different voice.
“ shouldn’t be doing that in this house at all without me.”
hi there!! this blog is awesome! <3 can i request dottore being soft only for reader? LMAO i know this man is literally insane but i love the thought of him being sweet for his s/o 😭
♡ 𝐃𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 ♡
synopsis: Horrifying stories about Dottore frequently float around amongst the Fatui recruits. However, it's a bit hard to believe when they see him with you.
includes: dottore w/ gn! reader
notes: This is it. One of my favorite tropes ever. Villains being soft for their partner. Thank you anon for this, because I love your thoughts as well!
Everyone knows that he’s like an on and off switch when you’re around. One minute he could be terrorizing Fatui underlings and threatening to experiment on them, but as soon as you appear, his attention is completely diverted from them, and is now wholly interested in you. At this point, everyone knows that if they want Dottore to show a shred of normalcy, you need to be around. Dottore really tries to not treat you differently in public, still calling you an idiot and scoffing, but anyone who works with him can easily see it’s not done maliciously to you. When Dottore’s fellow researchers don’t understand something, he’ll ignore them while subtly insulting them, telling them to figure it out themselves. If you ask, he’ll grumble a bit, but go into full-length, in-depth lectures about anything you need.
The easiest way to unlock soft Dottore is if you knew him during his Sumeru Akademiya days. This Dottore and prime/Harbinger Dottore are different in my opinion. He was scorned in his hometown as well as the Akademiya so these wounds would still be fresh in his heart, even though he never shows it. So if you consistently show him any kind of kindness or positive attention, he would eat it up and slowly start to warm up to you. It would also be easier to get him to do things with you since he was just a student, not a Harbinger back then. (I’m just obsessed with the idea of you and Dottore getting along in the Akademiya. I think the antics you pull on him would be funny, and he would probably get mad at you but can’t bring himself to kick you out because he’s never enjoyed another’s company this much, although he refuses to admit that.)
You’re the first person he tells his discoveries to and your opinion matters more than anyone. Dottore’s noticeably more excited when talking about his research to you because you genuinely will sit there for hours on end while he explains all his theories and data and connections. No one has ever seen this side of Dottore. He sometimes sends you to the Fatui meetings instead of his clones to report because of his confidence in you. Also wants you to accompany him on any mission outside of Snezhnaya. You are always in tow with him wherever he’s going. You’re the only person who has seen his bedroom. You have stolen his mask and worn it too even though it keeps falling off your face.
Dottore doesn’t care about anyone but would raise hell if anything happened to you. He’s one of the strongest Harbingers and takes any rudeness against you as a personal insult to him. You’re the one person he’s deemed worthy enough to be with him, he wouldn’t let anyone else’s irrelevant opinion fly. You’re also the only person who can talk back to him without dying. Cue the two of you having long discussions while the rest of the Fatui watch in fear.
You’re the only thing that can tempt him away from his research. (That, and when he reaches his limits and falls asleep randomly.) The way he treats you is a huge warning sign to the other recruits to keep their hands off you unless they want to be experimented on by Dottore. Even though he’s soft on you, he still can be sarcastic and mean to you because that’s just how he is. But he’s observant and even if he doesn’t notice himself that he hurt you, his clones definitely will. So while he won’t apologize verbally, he’ll do something for you which is his own way of saying sorry. Speaking of being observant, this man knows literally everything about you, probably even more than you know about yourself. Will use this to his advantage to make you suffer or make you happy.
When Fatui soldiers get injured, they are sometimes sent to Dottore if the camps get too full (this is everyone’s nightmare.) He’s a very unethical doctor so his procedures of healing would not be pleasurable. But if you ever get hurt, God forbid, the sadistic side of him would be gone and his smile would disappear. Treats you as tenderly as his deadly hands could. (Fatui recruits still pass on this story for years.)
If you show any personal interest in experimenting on something yourself, Dottore would help you with the process. Gathers all the materials and tools and would be excited to show you the ropes. However, the first time you didn’t tell him what exactly you were doing and in the end roped him into doing some famous kids experiments. He would be baffled, upset, and then get seriously into it by critiquing every aspect of the experiment, by going into long rants about how it’s not very accurate. (It’s futile to explain to him that it’s designed for kids. You and Dottore making a volcano science experiment is real though.)
Pester him to let you braid and play with his hair. He denies this at first, but when you start going to his clones for this, immediately bans you from that and begrudgingly allows you to curl those two long bangs around your fingers. If anyone walks in on something like this, he makes a mental note to get rid of them later <3.
I just really need Dottore fluff with his clones that is not nsfw so can we get reader that has been with Dottore since his academia years and is just being loving towards his younger clone version while his clone is just shy about all the attention that he's getting?
AAAAH I’M OBSESSED WITH THIS!!!! this is the cutest idea ever ur so galaxy brained for this
favorite • il dottore x reader
Being with Dottore so long, you had the privilege of seeing him grow into the man he is now. Correction: men he is now. Since he was expelled from the Academia, you witnessed Dottore’s scientific endeavors into more uncharted topics. The one that fascinated you far more than the others had to be his penchant for cloning himself. You already loved the real Dottore, so having even more of them was great!
All of them were instructed by the real Dottore to love and care for you just as he did. This instruction, however explicit it may be, was unnecessary, though; These clones were made to perfectly replicate him and every iteration of him loved you without having to be told to do so. Of course, since they represented different stages of Dottore’s adult life, they expressed that love in various ways.
Your heart sank when Dottore told you he had to go to Sumeru for the Fatui. These kinds of things happened with other Harbingers all the time, but since Dottore was so vital to the Tsaritsa’s homeland operations of creating delusions, you didn’t expect him to have to leave you for an extended period of time.
“I’m never going to finish this report with you here like this…” Dottore muttered, more to himself than you.
The two of you were in his laboratory in Zapolyarny Palace, with you sitting on his lap, chest against his, while he tried to focus on his job. Honestly, you never cared about his work as a Harbinger, especially not when it was about to take him away from you. You just wanted to be close to him before he was gone.
“I just wanna be together before you have to go tomorrow,” you whined. If you had been facing him, you would’ve seen a faint smile on Dottore’s face at your loving words.
He began to trace invisible circles on your waist with his unoccupied hand, soothing your sadness at his imminent departure. “The clones will be here, you know,” he suggested.
“But they’re not you,” you countered, disappointed in the idea of having to use the clones as a replacement. “I want you, Zandik.”
You felt the vibrations of a low chuckle move through his chest. “You say that now, but I think you’ll change your mind tomorrow.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” you pondered aloud, never quite understanding what Dottore was talking about.
“You’ll see,” he smirked. You could tell he was amused with his own thoughts, as he often was. You just hoped that whatever he had planned wasn’t going to hurt anyone.
The next day, Dottore had left for Sumeru. You’d never let him (or anyone) know, but you cried as soon as you were alone. How were you supposed to fare without your Zandik? It wasn’t fair. Silently, you cursed the Tsaritsa for sending him away.
In his absence, you found your way back to the lab in Zapolyarny Palace, hoping to at least feel at home in a familiar environment that you often shared with Dottore. None of the Fatui stopped you, a non-member with little to no scientific knowledge, from entering by yourself; They knew that Dottore had given you full clearance and if they caused you any trouble, they’d be on the receiving end of one of his less than ethical experiments. Most of the time you pitied Dottore’s poor reputation but it seemed to serve you well here.
You didn’t have the chance to admire the space that Dottore called his own upon entering. Instead, you were met with the figure of someone all too familiar. It was Dottore — it looked like him, but young, like when you met in the Academia. Your mind raced through a thousand memories of the young Zandik you fell in love with all those years ago, long before the gears of time and corruption of man ripped up his kind heart. He was just as cute as you remembered; Appearing no older than his late teens to early twenties, his soft face was framed in wavy blue-green hair and his red eyes still sparkled with hope and aspiration.
So that’s what he meant when he said you’d change your mind about the clones.
“Ah, my apologies!” the clone exclaimed, flustered by your unannounced entrance. “Lord Harbinger didn’t tell me that you would be coming here today.”
You shrugged, smiling sincerely at this clone’s attitude. It was different than the Dottore you knew now and much more similar to the one you met years before. “No need to apologize, it’s my fault for coming over without telling anyone. I take it you’re a new clone?”
He nodded wordlessly, obviously intimidated by you. Oh, you were going to have so much fun with him.
-
A month had passed without the real Dottore returning from Sumeru. Everyday you grew more and more lonely, eventually tempting you to command invite the young clone to live with you until his creator returned. The poor thing was so nervous about it, saying that “Lord Harbinger wouldn’t want him to take his place with you.” You reminded the clone that Dottore created him to act as a replacement in his stead, giving him no choice but to come home with you.
Having the clone around made you feel years younger, as he was a constant reminder of your shared youth with Dottore. It was like you got to relive all those fun little things that you just couldn’t do anymore. In the Academia, you loved to tease Dottore about his very obvious crush on you. He would always get so flustered and try to quickly exit the conversation, usually saying he had class as an excuse. The clone was the same; Every time you wanted to do something as simple as hold his hand, he would get so anxious. (You wondered how Dottore was able to make an artificial person blush. Was there blood in him?)
Your overwhelming affection for the clone spiraled out of control, with him now leaning against the headboard of the bed you shared with his creator, shivering with adrenaline as you straddled his thighs and and he pressed countless kisses to his face and neck. He was whimpering at your touch, very clearly flustered, but you had no intentions of stopping anytime soon. You couldn’t help yourself!
But, you could also tell he was a bit uncomfortable, maybe not in a fun, cute way. You’d never want to hurt the clone, even if he wasn’t a real person. He still had feelings and you respected that.
“You’re uncomfortable,” you noted reluctantly as you backed off a bit. “I can leave you alone if you want.”
His cheeks flushed (again, how was that possible?) and he gazed up at your through long eyelashes. “I’m not uncomfortable! Please don’t go,” he begged, sparkly red eyes beginning to tear up. “I’m just not meant for this.”
“What do you mean?” you asked. Like his creator, you didn’t know what the clone was talking about.
“I don’t think Lord Harbinger created me for this purpose. I wasn’t made to fulfill your romantic needs,” he explained, unable to meet your eyes.
You never intended to feel so strongly for one of Dottore’s clones, but something about his youthful reminiscence and shy sincerity tugged at your heartstrings. You petted just head gently, lightly scratching that specific spot that the real Dottore always asked you to. The clone practically melted into you. He was just like the real Dottore.
“But you were,” you reassured him. You pulled the clone into your warm, comforting arms as you recounted various stories about your time in the Academia with the creator he was modeled after. It made the clone feel a little better, like he was supposed to be here.
That was until the real Dottore burst through the bedroom door, interrupting the sweet moment you shared with his clone. The clone scrambled off of the bed and away from you in hopes of appeasing the Harbinger, but he paid him no mind. You, too, arose from the bed to greet your lover with a kiss, leaving the clone all by himself.
“I missed you,” Dottore whispered almost inaudibly, like he was unable to let himself experience his love for you as wholly as he would like to.
You shrugged. “I’d say the same thing, but…”
You went back to the clone and wrapped your arms around his waist with no warning. He awkwardly stared at his creator, as if to say, ‘I’m sorry, they started it.’
“This clone is so cute!” you beamed. You swore you felt the clone let out a tiny sigh of relief.
Dottore stared at the two of you, surprised that you had taken such a liking to the clone. He created him with the intention of you loving him, sure, but you seemed downright in love with it. Dottore wasn’t worried, though. The love you had for the clone stemmed from your even stronger love for him, he knew that.
“Perhaps he can always be around when I’m not,” Dottore suggested, a teasing lilt in his tone. He shifted his gaze to the clone and addressed him, “Would you like that?”
The clone nodded, still not quite used to feeling your hands on him.
The real Dottore, Zandik, laughed at the clone’s behavior. It really did remind him of his old self. “Well, I guess it’ll have to be the three of us together until then.”
request from anon - "Can you do headcanons with blurbs about protective Zhongli and Childe?"
a/n - i love this idea so much >:) i also realized that i usually write childe like a himbo LMAO
pairings (separately!) - childe/tartaglia, zhongli x gender neutral reader
word count - 2386
genre - fluff
format - headcanons + blurbs
warnings - protectiveness, light gore (childe punches some ppl, typical), implied attempted assault for zhongli's
summary - protective headcanons for my two liyue lunatics :)
childe is very much the protective type
he guards what he loves most dearly with his life and won't hesitate to take matters into his own hands if he sees fit
usually he's got this goofy attitude around you, he's pretty confident albeit rash sometimes in execution of things like dates or declarations of love
however if you're being threatened, harassed, bothered, or anything within the realm of uncomfortable
bye bye to the goofy attitude
he makes himself look bigger, taller, and scarier with just his appearance and body language
childe wants to make sure that whatever's trying to hurt you or the like knows that they'd have to get through him first
and he also wants to let them know that the chances of getting through him first are slim to none
childe won't hesitate to draw his weapons, not with the intent to kill but definitely with the intent to protect and harm your offender
he gives off guard dog vibes
if you insist on taking up a weapon (if you haven't already), he'll reassure you that with him around, there's no need
he'll be your weapon
doesn't look like it but he's pretty attentive though he fixates on one thing at a time and can therefore pinpoint threats to your wellbeing and safety easily
can and will give his life to protect you no matter what
“...i thought mr. zhongli said he wanted fifteen silk flowers, not an entire basket! where the heck did you even get so many?!” you couldn’t help but stare in utter disbelief at the humongous amount of silk flowers childe held in his wicker basket.
“ten? oops, seems i got carried away, heh.” childe grinned and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.
“what am i ever going to do with you?” you mumbled to yourself with a smile and stooped down to collect your own wicker basket full of herbs and plants.
“i can think of a few things, most of them involve kissing though...actually all of them do.” he sent an exaggerated wink your way and you playfully rolled your eyes in response.
“har har pretty boy, if you want kisses you’re gonna have to work for ‘em.”
childe pouted and gestured with wide arms to the basket filled to the brim with silk flowers. “does this not count as work?? c’monnn just one kiss?” pursing his lips together and making gross kissy noises, he began to lean in closer to your face. you kindly responded by slapping your palm on his lips. he whined like a puppy but turned his face inwards and planted a kiss on your palm.
“that’s all you’ll get for now. when we reach the gates, you maybe can get a cheek kiss.”
“...turn that maybe into a definitely and you’ve got yourself a deal.” admitting defeat, you sighed and nodded.
“alright alright, now come on let’s head back.” you turned to walk back onto the sandy, dirt path when all of a sudden, childe’s hand whipped in front of your body, stopping you in your tracks.
“shh! someone’s nearby.” he harshly whispered near your ear, eyes scanning the surrounding area.
without warning, childe shoved you to the ground just as a flurry of arrows flew above where you’d just been standing. “sorry cutie, couldn’t risk you getting hurt.” despite your situation, he shot you a toothy grin as he hovered above your body.
you looked up from your place on the grassy floor and saw treasure hoarders in large amounts step forwards, some hidden in nearby trees, others behind bushes. they stepped forward in sync to where you and childe lay huddled together on the ground, childe hovering over your body like a shield for protection.
“hand over your valuables and you won’t get harmed. do it, now.” one of the treasure hoarders spoke from under his bandana, a menacing sneer hidden beneath the fabric. childe scoffed and casually propped his cheek up on his fist.
“or what? you’ll hurt us? i don’t think so.” from the tips of his fingers, water spouted and contorted to form his signature blades, each end dripping with the remnants of hydro.
“exactly that, we just want your mora and valuables. just cooperate and you and your friend will get out of this just fine.” childe couldn’t help but laugh as he rose to meet the treasure hoarders head on, leaving you vulnerable on the ground
“you’re making quite the mistake comrade, you do know who i am right?” he taunted, drawing closer and closer to the ground of treasure hoarders.
knowing how childe is, you scrambled to pick yourself up off from the floor and dashed to stand between your lover and the treasure hoarder. “come on guys, we can work this out right? no need to get violent, we’ll give you what you want.” calmly, you placed both palms on either man’s chest and gently pushed them apart from each other.
it seemed the other side hadn’t received your message properly. in an instant, you felt the sharp sting of a blade swish past your face. the sudden impact of the flying knife against your skin had you stumbling back downwards to the ground, cupping your now bleeding cheek as blood spilled from the open wound. you looked up at childe with bleary eyes and felt your blood run cold. on his face bloomed nothing but seething rage and fury, his eyes turned black as coal as they fixated on the treasure hoarder that misread the situation and threw the knife at you.
“(y/n), close your eyes and cover your ears.” his eyes didn’t meet yours, and if you weren’t listening carefully you would’ve missed his request entirely with how quietly he mumbled it. nevertheless, you shut your eyes and placed your hands over your ears.
though you saw nothing and heard nothing clearly, the earth beneath your body practically shook with vibrations and pulses. through your makeshift earmuffs, you heard faint screams and cries as well as the clang of metal and whips of weapons. you had no idea how much time had passed when you felt arms scoop you up and lift you into the air.
“hey! wha- childe?!” you squeaked, ripping your hands away from your eyes. one glance up had you reeling back from the sheer amount of bruises and cuts that littered his face and arms. with your ear against his chest, you could practically feel the loud hammer of his heart against his skin. the wicker basket filled with silk flowers hung from his shoulders and thudded against the small of his back as he walked with you in his arms.
the childe you knew was pretty lackadaisical and goofy, all dumb smiles and stupid jokes. but the frown on his face as his fingers trace the edges of the scar on your cheek was all too offputting. as if to silently reassure him, you placed your hand over his that trailed your scar.
“i’m ok, i promise.” though sincere, the tenseness of his jaw hadn’t let up.
“they won’t ever hurt you again, not on my watch.” childe buried his face into the top of your head and planted a kiss smack dab in the middle. the gesture warmed your heart and you couldn’t help but melt into his embrace.
“thank you, for protecting me,” you muttered into his neck before dipping back in his arms and draping the back of your hand across your forehead, “oh my great and valiant savior! where would i be without you?”
“hey does this mean i get that kiss now?”
“nope.”
you lied, you gave him lots of thank you kisses.
his temper is pretty rock solid (i’m on a ROLL today with my puns)
zhongli is very good at reading situations and changing his agenda accordingly
as such, he knows very well how to deal with menaces that try and harm you
he’s diplomatic and reserved, he’ll deal with situations as he sees fit instead of rushing into things
zhongli is a relatively protective person, a little above average
he’s seen so much death and carnage, he’d want to do everything to make sure you’re okay
he also recognizes that you’re your own person and can handle things on your own as well
but, if you ever need him to step in and assist, he’s there
he’d trust your judgement in situations and know that you’d come to him if you ever needed help
where childe was your weapon, zhongli is your shield
he’ll do anything within his power to protect your wellbeing both physically and mentally
no harm will ever come to you when he’s nearby
he’s relatively calm when protecting you since he more often than not has the upper hand (being an ex-archon and all)
however, like most people zhongli has a breaking point
when he reaches the aforementioned breaking point, there’s no telling how he’ll let his anger manifest
and it’ll result in him most likely giving a warning before he loses his control and does something he’ll regret
after all, your safety is his first priority and he wouldn’t want to jeopardize it
strolls through liyue just as the sun began to dip below the horizon had become a comfortable habit between you and zhongli. you’d loop your arm through his and let him lead you on his usual route, greeting business owners and stopping to play pirates with the local harbor children.
today was like any other day, except instead of taking your usual route towards yujing terrace you opted to stroll towards the docks to take in some sweet, sea breeze. “this is nice, we should come here more often.” you mused to your lover, who hummed in agreement.
“definitely, you were right to say the breeze is exquisite.” he breathed in deeply and exhaled through his nose. it put you at ease to see him so relaxed, you made a mental note to reroute your walks so they’d be by the docks more often.
unfortunately your serene moment broke when zhongli noticed a pop up vendor selling what seemed like fine pottery and other household decorations. zhongli turned to you with an almost pleading look and, of course, you conceded. “go on, have a look. just make sure you don’t hurt childe’s wallet too badly this time around.” you snickered and gestured for him to go inspect the wares for sale.
“i’ll just be a moment.” his lips smiled against your forehead. he turned and walked over to the table to examine the items for sale.
knowing how long he took whenever he got sucked into his shopping endeavors, you decided to pass the time by wandering closer to the docks and catching a glimpse of the incoming and departing ships. you found a comfortable, isolated spot on the wooden edge of a dock and swung your legs over the edge. the harbor was particularly busy this evening; you'd counted at least six ships in the dock’s port and two more incoming from the distant sea.
you got so lost in counting ships and letting the sea breeze ruffle your clothes that you hadn’t registered the gruff voice calling out towards you.
“hey! you! what are you- stupid or something?! outta the way, no loiterers!” you were roughly yanked up by your arm by a burly man with a nasty sneer and what seemed like thinning patience.
you squeaked in surprise and stumbled messily to your feet. “i’m sorry! i had no idea i couldn’t sit here-” the burly sailor cut you off with a grunt, still menacingly gripping your arm.
“you’re lucky you’re a cute little thing. otherwise i woulda thrown you off the damn dock.” his sneer turned disgustingly lustful, you felt his eyes wander all over your body.
“u-um, sir i’d appreciate it if you let me go now…” you tried to pull your arm from his grip to no avail; he was definitely stronger than you. fear began to creep up from the small of your back all the way to your neck and you shouted the one thing you knew would help you in this situation: “zhongli!”
zhongli nearly dropped the intricate porcelain vase he’d been inspecting and whipped his head towards the harbor, where he was sure he’d heard your voice cry out for him. quickly he placed the vase back on its stand and hurried off in the direction of your call.
what he saw in front of him made the calm flow of his ichor blood boil with rage. a big, burly man had you in his arms and was attempting to drag you off somewhere, all the while you kicked and screamed his name. it took everything within him not to summon his polearm right then and there as he marched towards you.
you felt the pressure around your arm release and in its place, a secure arm wrapped itself around your waist and pulled you to a chest. from his scent alone, you melted and clung to zhongli’s jacket to muffle your terrified sobs into his chest. zhongli held the arm of the man in his free hand, sinking his gloved fingertips more and more into his skin.
“just what were you about to do to my lily.” his deep voice phrased it more like a statement that dripped with rage and menace, his golden eyes bore holes into the man before him who seemed at a loss for words. when he received no answer, zhongli yanked him forward, still gripping his arm with brute force.
“do not come near myself or my beloved ever again, do i make myself clear?” hastily nodding, zhongli shoved the burly man to the wooden floors of the dock and watched with burning anger as he scurried off to some other part of the docks.
with the menace out of the way, zhongli redirected his attention to your shaky form in his arms. “shh, i’m here now. you’re safe.” he whispered close to your ear and rubbed his hand up and down your back reassuringly.
you decided that day that maybe the docks weren't the best place to visit on your evening strolls, and zhongli was more than happy to oblige, after all you’ll always be under his protection no matter where you go.
request from anon - "oooo! Can you write something where reader gets so anxious Kaeya and Tartaglia will backstab them at some point they vomit (you dont have to put in the vomiting part if you don’t want to) and start crying when they have a nightmare where they do that? With some comfort and reassurance too?"
a/n - aww nonnie :( as someone with trust issues, this hits home way too hard LOL i hope i did your request justice! (also i'm really interested that you chose kaeya and childe for this, pretty intriguing in a good way :>) (also also additional note PFBFBT dreams are going to be in italics!)
pairings (separately!) - kaeya alberich, childe/tartaglia x gender neutral reader
word count - 3814
genre - hurt/comfort
format - drabbles
warnings - nightmares, vomiting, descriptions of betrayal, descriptions of gore, spoilers for kaeya's background, childe kills the reader in his version of the nightmare, use of petnames (darling, sweetness, dove, doll, sunshine, sweetheart, cutie, angel), NOT proofread kinda in a rush rn, subject to editing later!
summary - after a horrendous nightmare where the man you love betrays your trust, he's there (the real him), to remind you just how much he cares for you
black slime oozed from every corner and crevice of your surroundings no matter where or how far your eyes wandered. charcoal smoke rose from the ground and manifested into thick vines that had your legs and arms frozen in place. words tasted funny in your mouth, akin to the bitter flavor of spoiled milk or moldy fruit.
you'd never felt fear like this, fear so potent and so vile that you could feel every graze of adrenaline in your veins and every pound of your heart within its bony cages.
he stood in front of you, a menacing grin etched on his lips as he twirled a blade around the dents and bumps of his hands: the same hands that brushed away your tears and caressed your skin.
blood began to dribble from your nose and settled on the roof of your lips, which parted to ask him a flurry of questions only to be met with blinding silence. your voice had no ground to wander, your body felt as though it had been suspended in thick oil, and your eyes drooped with an unyielding weight that threatened your consciousness.
the dagger in his hand pointed itself to the line of blood from your nose and gently traced against your skin, collecting the irony blood onto the cool metal. your legs begged for you to run, flee far, far away from his malicious eyes and demonic smile. yet even if you wanted to, your legs remained rooted in place, seemingly bound by your affection.
the man who stood in the middle of the blackened room, examining your blood on the tip of his blade, was not the man you loved, not at all.
content utc!
the world around you morphed into that of fire and ash, blood and carnage. houses were set aflame, a look to the right saw that angel's share had crumbled to the ground. brick and debris scattered at your feet, as did the many corpses of mondstat's citizens and the remnants of life in the form of discarded, sullied clothes and shoes. your legs broke free from their invisible bounds yet you remained in place, frozen in time itself.
your shoulders bumped against those fleeing for the gates yet your eyes remained transfixed on the figure in the middle of all the destruction, even as the shrill cries of those who had just ran past you evaporated into thin air and the heat of an abyss mage's attack skimmed the edge of your nape.
his fur scarf fluttered in the grueling winds, periwinkle cape nowhere to be see. he seemed unbothered by the chaos that encircled him, arms spread wide and breathing steady at the horrendous picture that of which he held front row seats for.
hesitance began to creep up your sides as you approached with tentative steps. "kaeya?"
you hand stretched out to make contact with the charred fabric of his shirt, but froze when he finally craned his head back to make eye contact with you.
his eyepatch was long gone, exposing the iris corrupted in black and lined with edges of gold and silver. an unsettling star pupil glowed a faint, dark blue and hummed with energy. what frightened you the most, however, was his twisted smile that bore the fangs of a devil.
"come to see the show, sweetness?" he spread his arms wide and spun around, a delirious giggle fluttering up from him lips, "all this is thanks to you!"
no matter where you looked, destruction and madness reigned supreme. abyss mages and hilichurls battered innocent humans, the knights had been backed into a corner, blood and spatters of debris and carnage littered the streets. it was your worst nightmare. his phrasing had your blood chilling in your veins.
"thanks...to me?"
kaeya seemed so far away from you as he clicked his tongue and gripped your chin between his forefinger and thumb. "yes, darling, all thanks to you! after all, if you hadn't convinced jean to lessen patrols and ease up shifts, this invasion would've have been as easy,"
his voice dripped with false enthusiasm and something that tasted so bitter and vile on your tongue. the cool chill of his breath against the shell of your ear as he dragged your face towards him had you trembling under his grasp,
"you truly were quite easy to convince, perhaps love isn't as useless as i thought it was?" a sickly sweet smile crossed his features and your heart dropped into the pits of your stomach.
"you used me?" your bottom lip quivered in alignment with your hoarse whisper of a question. your hands desperately scrunched up the fabric that surrounded his biceps as if he'd wipe off the act and go back to the charming, fun captain that you knew so well and loved so much.
"finally catching on now, are you?" he purred, the hand that had been gently caressing your face suddenly moved to grab a fistful of your hair and yank your body away from his warmth.
"my sweet little patrol captain was essential for making sure this invasion went off without a hitch," he cooed, using the hand still tangled in your hair to maneuver your head around to gaze at the destruction that surrounded the pair of you, "all of this? is thanks to you, who so easily did what i asked you to."
you tried to loosen his grip only for his hand to shove you towards the cobblestone, eyes glaring down at you with disdain. "you've done well, pet, but i have no use for you anymore." he crouched to speak to you like one would a child, and caressed the top of your head with false affection.
your chest felt as though it were on fire as his retreating figure faded into the burning chaos of destruction, blurred by the distorted rolls of the tears in your eyes.
you woke with a start, no longer laying the cold, harsh grounds of battered cobblestones, but rather the plush sheets of your comfortable bed that sat quietly in your little mondstatian apartment, in a mondstat that wasn't burning or destroyed. sweat had pooled at the base of your neck and trickled down from your temple. you heart hammered ferociously against your chest as your eyes darted around the dark room to gain some sort of rational reasoning. then it hit you: it was a nightmare.
sitting up to gather what was left of your composure, your eyes fell upon the man who slept blissfully beside you.
you knew it was just a dream, you knew he'd never betray you, or use you, or do anything like that. you knew this and yet you inched away in fear that he'd awaken with that malicious glint in his eye and bare those fangs of his that didn't exist.
your trembling hand came to gently tuck a stray lock of his hair behind his ear: this was your kaeya, not the one from your dreams. even with a thin trail of drool from the edge of his mouth, and the uneven strands of his inky, midnight hair that stuck up in mismatched directions, he still looked so beautiful to you.
despite the warmth of your skin underneath your palm, your mind couldn't help but be invaded by images of kaeya from your nightmare. the kaeya who discarded you when his need for you because irrelevant, the kaeya who reveled in the destruction and chaos of a city you thought, knew he loved.
turning away from him, you scooted to the edge of the bed and hugged your sweat soaked pillow close to your chest to alleviate the growing pain in your heart. irrational thoughts ran marathons along the tracks of your brain and swirled down deeper into your throat. you knew kaeya knew exactly how to get what he wanted by shifting like a chameleon, whether it was to adapt to the shadows or take the spotlight by storm. you knew, you knew he would never use his tricks on you...
but what if he was?
that thought alone ravaged your mind in an incomprehensible manner, thinking about it brought nothing but nausea and dizziness. your thoughts halted in place when the bed creaked from behind your back.
"darling...? what are you doing up?" kaeya groggily rubbed his eye and propped himself up on his elbow, voice tinted with the raspy remnants of sleep and dreams.
you swallowed the thick lump in your throat, but upon hearing the familiar murmur of his voice, images of the kaeya who shoved you by your hair to the ground and spat in your face began to bubble up to the surface. what if he really was using you? what if you were nothing but a tool to him? did he even really love you?
"no, that's not true!" you wanted to scream, but the words never left your mouth and were overshadowed by taunting cries that painted an image of kaeya laughing maniacally in front of embers that were once a grand city.
the contents of your stomach began to swirl and jump the more those incessant and invasive thoughts clouded your mind, and before you knew it your legs had jumped off from the bed and hurriedly carried you into the bathroom, and you found yourself hunched over the toilet, spewing out your insides.
kaeya's concerned voice hadn't met your ears nor your heart as your spilled out every bit of poison and black ink from inside your stomach, tears streaking down the side of your face. you felt his hand gently rub against the line of your spine and his whispers of comforting words from beside your ear, but all you could feel was the searing burn and his grip in your hair from your nightmare.
you weren't sure when you finished, but you knew you'd never felt so empty inside before, not in a way like this.
"i'll go get you some water, doll. stay here, okay?" his lips felt like the soft, downy touch of a bird's underbelly on your forehead, a stark contrast to the kaeya from your nightmare.
you nodded limply and watched with bleary eyes as he stood up and padded out of the bathroom in a hurry. with a final flush of the toilet, the last of your innards went tumbling down the drain. you focused your attention to the sink, where not even the biting sting of minty toothpaste nor the splash of cold water on your face could help alleviate the fear that took root somewhere deep within your heart.
the bed was still warm when you crawled back into it, eyes droopy and mouth tasting of nothingness with a hint of artificial mint. kaeya emerged in the doorway with a tall glass of water in one hand, and an odd looking blue thing on a plate in another.
"the honorary knight stopped by with some...unorthodox treats, though i figured they might help soothe your stomach." he said with a limp smile on his face. there he goes again, reading your mind as if it were a skill he knew like the back of his hand.
the glass felt cool and calming in your hands as you took kitten sips from the rim. he set the plate down on the bedside table and turned his attention back to you.
"now then," kaeya groaned slightly upon slipping back under the covers by your side, still sitting up, "are you perhaps sick? have you been overworking yourself again? you know jean wouldn't appreciate you collapsing on the job, remember what she did to me?" he gently nudged your shoulder with his, a shy smile on his face.
the memory of a worried jean going on and on about kaeya's health to his slightly delirious face was one that put a smile on your face. "ahh there it is, that smile i love so much." kaeya's palm traced the side of your face and swiped away at the leftover moisture that clung to your lashes.
"kaeya?"
"yes, dove?"
against all your will, the bottom of your lip quivered and you felt your eyes begin to well up with salty tears, "you love me, right?" you hoarsely whispered as your watery eyes met his.
"what? of course i do, what's going on?" his lips stretched into a thin frown doused with worry as his arms moved to hold you close against his body just as the onslaught of sobs hit you.
you tried to recount pieces of your nightmare in between your cries, only to be hushed by his soothing voice. "easy there, we can talk about it when you're calm and not getting snot all over my shirt." the last part compliment by the slight rasp of his laugh elicited a stifled giggle from you and a weak, pitiful hit to his chest before you burrowed into his arms and sought for the warmth that your nightmare had deprived you of.
when yours sobs had trickled away into little sniffles, it was only then that you began to recount the details of your vivid nightmare with a hoarse voice and tightening grip on his cotton night shirt. with every word, every detail, his grip spurred onwards to grow tighter, and tighter, until somehow your body had maneuvered into his lap and the soft of your cheek was pressed firm against his throbbing heart.
"i can't say that i'm a saint," he started when you'd finished recounting your nightmare, "but know this:"
kaeya's hands found their way to hold your face as if you were made of fine porcelain and would break under further pressure, his eyes lovingly spilled their deepest secrets to you in silent fashion and roamed over your tear soaked cheeks.
"there is absolutely nothing i would not do for you, (y/n), and though i'm hardly a good person, i would never ever abuse your love for me. i am yours faithfully until i take my final breaths."
somehow he always knew exactly what to say when you needed it most, and the punctuation of his words with a tender, loving kiss to your lips had you melting in his arms and giving in to his gentle touch. this was your kaeya, and he'd always remain as your loving, sweet kaeya who was yours faithfully until he took his final breaths.
the rising of the sun was a stark contrast to the blood that spewed from your mouth. desperate feet carried you out of snezhnaya's deep thicket of fir forests. a trail of crimson sin left behind a breadcrumb trail of sorrow in your wake, imprinted in the pure white snow. the arrow pierced through your stomach felt numb thanks to the biting cold and your mangled, labored breaths.
the snow concealed an uprooted branch, that of which your boot caught onto and sent you hurtling forwards down a snowy hill. death seemed to be at your doorsteps and yet you refused to answer with a kind smile. your legs burned as you tried to rise to your feet and get away once again, only for a strong leg to kick your abdomen and knock the air out of you.
"it's useless running away from me, you know."
any other time, you'd be relieved to hear that boyish voice of his, tinted with charisma and lined with snark.
but now, it only sent chilly shivers running up the length of your spine. the alarms in your brain sounded with the only goal in mind being to run, run far, far away from him. but any attempt to get further away resulted in the buckle of your knees and a face full of bloodied snow. childe seemed to find great joy in your futile efforts to rise from the ground judging by the sick, sugary lilt to his laugh.
"now, now, sunshine, let's stop this game of cat and mouse, shall we?" he stooped down so his body towered over yours like a predator about to gnaw their fangs into their prey. you trembled helplessly beneath his caged arms, silently begging him with your eyes to spare you mercy.
"ah, you can't give me those eyes. you know too much, cutie, i can't just let you go now, can i." phrased more like a statement, you knew the last sands of your hourglass were filtering through the thin funnel when he summoned forth his crystal hydro blades and teasingly ran the sharp edge down from your chin, to the base of your throat, before finally landing on your confused and hammering heart.
"c-childe wait! i promise, i won't tell anyone what i know! p-please, you don't have to do this...don't you love me?"
you loved childe's laugh, so full of love and life. you could taste it on your tongue: sugary, sweet like honey with a tangy aftertaste. but this laugh tasted of bitter, irony blood and cold, biting frost deprived of the warmth and love you craved most from him.
"oh darling, you've gotten attached haven't you? i must admit," he bent down to croon at your frightened face, "i've had tons of fun, but those who know of her majesty's transgressions must meet their end. you've been a great help in acquiring access into liyue's internal affairs, but your use has expired."
a wicked grin crossed his face as his thumb came to collect the stray tears that had fallen down your face and pressed the liquid against his slithering tongue.
"you shouldn't have let your guard down." were the last chilled words you heard before a blinding pain enveloped your entire body, and childe's dangerously oceanic eyes bore into your fading soul.
you awoke with a start, gulping air as if you'd been deprived of it for weeks. your hands desperately clutched at the fabric of your clothes to feel for something, anything that could ground you in reality away from that hellish nightmare of yours. a nightmare, a nightmare, you kept telling yourself over and over again that it was just a nightmare.
you rolled over in your sleeping bag only to be met with emptiness: childe often did like to train at night. the heat of the tent became too much and your breaths were nothing short of ragged, and desperately seeking coolness.
the cool, night air did little to calm your nerves. emerging from the tent, you rubbed your hands up and down your goosebump-ridden arms and took deep, staggering breaths. you usually loved camping trips with childe
there was no arrow in your stomach, there was no blood on your lips, and there was no hydro blade in your heart. you were alive, and childe hadn't betrayed you.
and yet despite this the lingering afterthoughts of your nightmare began to course through your veins, reminding you over and over again of how many times childe has deceived, or lied, or put on that big brotherly charming persona to lure others into a false sense of comfort before sinking his claws into their flesh.
your position in the liyue qixing often gave you access to viable information regarding liyue's safety, was he taking advantage of that? what if he was just with you because of your position? did he even really love you if that were true? why was he so persistent on wooing you? did he have ulterior motives in mind? would he kill you if he was ordered to?
the questions barraged your mind like a hammer to metal as you stumbled over to a nearby tree, feeling your insides begin to tumble. legs trembling, your sweaty palms found placement on the rough bark of the tree when you felt the shadows and burrowed worms of doubt in your stomach begin to retch out from inside and pour out of your mouth.
you heaved and sobbed as more and more of yourself came out onto the ground below, and were left to wonder if your tears were because of the jolt of your stomach or the pain of your nightmare.
the sudden presence of a gentle, soothing hand on your back made you jump. childe stood behind you, sweaty, dirty, and bruised donning only a grass and dirt stained tank top and loose fitting grey pants.
"it's okay, angel." he murmured for only your ears, even as you continued to spew black smoke and horrid, wiry bristles of innards.
despite the warmth of his hand, a stark contrast to the bitter cold from your dreams. even after you'd finished turning your insides out, your sobs remained ceaseless as you sank into childe's arms and imprinted his touch into your mind.
"what happened? is your stomach hurting? did you eat something bad?" childe's arms held you tight against his chest as his hand came to inspect your face, swiping away at whichever tears came rolling down the fastest.
your answers were only in vain, overshadowed by the relentless cries that bubbled up past the surface and left you in agony.
childe said nothing more and led you to a nearby stream, where you washed your mouth and face and gathered your thoughts all while he remained at your side, eyes lined with worry and mouth set in a firm frown. he let you crawl into his lap with a slight teasing grin and wrapped his arms firmly around your body once you'd finished cleaning up.
"something tells me you didn't eat something bad." despite the worry in his voice, the slight teasing lilt at least provoked a teeny tiny smile from your lips.
to the best of your ability, you told of the nightmare in which he betrays you, used you, and ends it all with a blade to your heart. with every teary word that managed to slip past your lips, you felt yourself be lost to the tide of your emotions and fears, until childe's lips found themselves nestled first on your head in the form of a sweet kiss, then to your wet cheeks, and finally your mouth, much to your chagrin.
"no childe! i'm gross right now!"
"i don't care," he muttered between frequent, tender kisses that seemed to last eons under his gentle touch.
"i don't care about the tsaritsa, i don't care about her plans. what i care about most is in my arms right now, where you go i'll follow and you can hold me to that, angel. i promise you, i'm yours forever." childe whispered, pressing his forehead against yours.
you were so lost in blue, the blue of his beautiful, ocean eyes that never seemed to end and stretched on forever. his words had you crying all over again.
instead of a blade to your heart, you felt the loving presence of his palm pressed firmly against your beating organ, one that he promised to protect with everything he was.
