his beauty, you think to yourself, is far from quiet, yet unassuming at the same time. his ginger locks burn red and orange in the liyue sun. his blue eyes turn into ocean depths under cloudy skies. his skin is smooth; a specific shade of porcelain that only comes from the cold snezhnayan climate.
"a penny for your thoughts?" childe teases, nudging you. he produces a mora from his pocket and flips it towards you. you catch it with a laugh.
"a penny not to tell them," you reply in a similar manner, dropping it in his palm.
childe laughs. when you look at him, his eyes are sparkling.
it's a good day, then.
he captures your hand in his, swinging you arms between you as you walk. the streets of liyue are as busy as ever, bustling with people and vendors. the wharf is bright; the sea of clouds glitters like gems.
"humor me, wouldn't you? it's my birthday, after all."
with a playful sigh, you bump his shoulder. "oh, alright, fine. i was just thinking about how pretty you are."
"pretty?"
"yeah." you pause at the harbor, breathing in the salty air. "you're pretty, childe. beautiful, even."
"oh?"
you shrug, "it's true."
childe's wide grin drops into a smaller, genuine smile. "can you say that again?"
"say what? that you're pretty?"
childe blushes, cheeks tinging a pretty pink. he nods.
unable to stop your grin, you reach up, placing a hand on his cheek. his eyes are still shining.
"you're pretty, ajax. beautiful. stunning. and i love you, ajax. don't forget it."
she sings for you!! doesn't care whether or not there are others around. she's always willing to sing you a song. sometimes she'll make up a melody and lyrics on the spot, loving when you tell her how much you love her voice.
she loves being held by you. when you're alone, she lets herself be a little more at ease, nuzzling securely into your embrace.
she's probably really observant-- definitely makes notes of things you like and don't, and acts accordingly. you like your hands being held? she's holding them. you don't? that's fine. you like sweets? she'll get you your favorites. you don't like sweets? she has it noted in her mind.
quite protective, especially from her fellow harbingers. she'll accompany you around the Tsaritsa's palace, ensuring you're not mistreated. and if you are? well... she won't enact punishment right in front of you.
she's very enamoured with you, gazing at you with a soft smile on her lips whenever there's downtime.
oh! gifts! wherever she goes on her missions, she's sure to bring you back a souvenir<33
. . .pairing: kazuha x gn!reader
. . .cw: fluff! soft hours<33
. . .a/n: kazuha please come home;-; // acco does this count as a strike:pensive:
the sun sets over the distant horizon, kissing the shimmering navy sea.
golden summer sun drifts its dreamy fingers over the land, setting grass and trees ablaze. in the light, kazuha's eyes turn into deep crimson pools, and his cheeks bloom a rosy hue.
or, perhaps, the pink of his cheeks was due to his proximity to you.
dusk breeze blows over the both of you, pulling the scents of the city's restaurants and the soft chill of the waters up to your little portion of mountainside.
"the sunset is beautiful," you comment quietly, and kazuha hums in agreement.
"the clouds are exquisite," he adds after a beat of silence. "like fields of dandelions."
you break into a grin at that. "have you seen dandelions before?"
"once," kazuha admits, returning your smile. "i'd always wanted to visit the city of freedom."
"well then," you sweep a hand out with dramatic flair, settling back onto the grass on your elbows. "tell me about them."
for a moment, kazuha falls silent, brows furrowing ever so gently as he recalls the memory.
"dandelions... they blow apart at a single breath, yet withstand the daily breeze. they look harmless but tickle your nose to an almost insufferable degree. they're soft, and so so light, and when you hold its fluff in your hands, it's barely there-- they catch a ride on the next wind that comes by and they're gone. just like that," kazuha brushes his fingers together and opens his palm, as though he's a magician performing for an audience. "you know, i once heard that dandelions carry messages. so every day I was in mondstadt, I would collect a few dandelions and whisper to them, 'would you tell my y/n that i love them?' and send them on their journey."
kazuha laughs, shaking his head as if it was silly of him to have done so.
you shift closer, letting your fingers twine gently, subtly with his.
his smile and blush grow, eyes still watching the sliver of sun sink under the horizon.
"some days, i'd look up at the sky and wonder if you'd ever received my messages-- if the legend was really true."
you hum, remembering the season he refers to: the spring that he'd left you with a promise of return-- one that he'd kept.
you remember the drifting leaves as blooming flowers took their place, remember the slow, warm rain, remember the sprouting grass.
you lift a hand to turn his face towards you.
slowly, you press a gentle kiss first to the corner of his mouth, then his lips.
neither of you pull away when your lips break apart. while you still breathe the same air, forehead pressed softly against yours, you murmur,
they would be content to wander teyvat forever, so long as you are by their side. hold their hand, wouldn't you? hold their hand, and they'll guide you through every storm safe and sound...
. . .cw: fluff, non-genshin au, soulmate/reincarnation au, gore, violence, mentions of war + death
. . .a/n: i'm... kind of in love with xiao so<33 (i plan to make this a multi-part!)
synopsis: happy endings only happen in fairy tales... you only thought you were living in one.
The ocean air is coarse in his lungs. The sky is still pale and hazy, a pensive gray that hangs heavy with morning mist.
Xiao's arms rest on the railing of the ship, the wood hard and comforting against his skin.
And yet, for all his adoration for the sea, troubles still cloud his mind.
He was one who dared brave the untamable seas. That, of course, meant only one thing.
He was searching for something-- for someone.
Even now, Xiao hardly knows your name. He doesn't know your face nor the tone of your voice. All he knows is that his soul yearns for yours, and the knowledge that he'll know when he meets you.
This is not Xiao's first life. Far from it.
The sun climbs higher, chasing away the fading stars to make space for baby blue sky.
When he grasps for memories aren't his (but still his, in some sense of the word), he recalls steel. He remembers the faintest feel of your armor against his hands, wisps of the crown upon his head, the barest traces of wind-chapped lips against his, muted "Your Highness"s against his skin.
He's able to recall pale memories of a canvas, of the subject of his art, imagines the texture of your hair threaded through his fingers.
These memories may not be tangible, but the sharp ache of his heart, the blooming nostalgia that enwraps his soul, the breathless need that wraps around his entire being are real.
So very real. In the way he knows you are, too. He knows that you're somewhere out there in this life as well, that you're searching for him as he does for you, that he won't be truly whole until he finds you.
The sun rises higher. From the ship's cabins, crewmates begin to awake, tying knots and mopping the floor to prepare for the day.
With another glance towards the far horizon, Xiao steps away from the side of the ship. Land was fast approaching.
---
It's often that a ship docks at your harbor.
It isn't often that a ship docks at your harbor in the middle of such a tragedy.
War ravages your homeland, your city burnt or burning, the ground stained a dark crimson.
Why had they come?
You stare as an anchor is dropped. They couldn't possibly be here to help. Few cared about your little island, with its rocky shore and small population.
Were they the enemy?
Someone approaches. They run over the stretch of land between you and them, features blurred by distance slowly becoming clear.
You know him.
When he collapses to his knees beside you, you're reminded of the bright amber of his eyes in such a way that makes you wonder how you ever forgot.
When his hand grips yours, you're reminded of his name. You're reminded of soft skin against your iron gauntlets, of gentle lips against your own.
You're reminded of the faintest remnants of his fingers through your hair, of the colors that had bloomed on his canvas.
"Xiao."
"Y/N."
This wasn't fair. Your eyes water with tears as weakness saps at your limbs.
"I'm sorry," is all you can say, because feeling leaves your legs and fingers, bleeding from too many wounds to count.
"Don't be sorry," Xiao's voice is a choked whisper. You want to wipe his tears away, want to hug him close and protect him from this reality. "But.. but promise me, would you? Promise me that we'll meet again."
You crack a smile at that, vision blurring in and out of focus.
"Of course, my love. Let's meet again." Your lungs seize. "I-in the ne-next life."
Xiao can do nothing as your pulse drops.
Alone.
Again.
Wait for me, Y/N. I'll find you, no matter how many lives it takes.
Ruby smiles brightly as she shakes her head lightly.
“No, no. Surprising me with coffee and cake as well as keeping me company is very kind of you, I can’t ask anymore of you,” she sips her coffee delicately. “Is there anything you require my assistance with? I am not skilled with tea preparation but perhaps I can help you with something?”
Dwyer’s been so kind and helpful since his arrival to the astral castle.. She would love to repay his kindness with some of her own.
