🖊️ by @asteronomical
🏷️ Choose-Your-Own-Adventure, Mafia AU
You're a college student drowning in debt, and you need to make money FAST. Luckily, it seems your roommate Aether can help you with that, even if it seems a bit... sketchy.
pairing: scaramouche x gn!reader
tags: fluff, 6nemo mention, scaramouche is bad at feelings, so are you, pining if you squint your eyes, a bit of explicit language
a/n: this was stuck in my notes app for a year now lmao. This actually took me longer than expected since the power went out. Anyways, I was trying to find a writing style so I'm really sorry if it's messy and bad. Writing pov's are so hard 😔. I'd love to know your thoughts about this honestly.
A cross-country road trip from Mondstadt to Liyue wasn't on your bucket list this summer.
Yet here you are with your group of besties, squashed together in a run-down minivan that Venti had somehow found a way to rent without raising suspicion. The scent of cheap booze clung to the leather seats, and the backseat windows were smashed. The rickety radio screeched a familiar melody. Heizou lights up instantly and claims it's his jam.
Two minutes in, and he's singing off-key to "Party in the USA." You cackle, Scara snorts, and Venti makes a comment about how he sounds like a dying cat. Aether hunches against the window, his shoulders shaking as he desperately tries to hold his laughter in. Xiao scoffs. Kazuha grins too. He playfully nudges Venti’s shoulder, insisting they just appreciate the wonderful voice Heizou blessed them with. Yet he chortled like a drunk donkey.
It was chaotic. It was madness. But it feels like home.
Hour 1
You love your friends. No cap, fingers crossed. It was the absolute truth. You wouldn’t trade them for anything, even if the world were ending and they were the key to survival. But Scaramouche? That’s a different story.
You’d trade him for a corn kernel without hesitation. And wear that like a badge of honor.
It’s a miracle how you two even became friends. Well, “friends” is a strong word. More like “arch enemies with the same friend group so they’re forced to coexist with each other”. You’re 100% sure your other friends have noticed the tension whenever you two were within 100 feet of each other. But they’d argue that you two would make a cute couple. And they’re pretty persistent with that agenda.
Because in this 3-hour drive to Liyue, Venti had the bright idea to have you and Scara crammed in the backseat, with the multiple luggage you guys brought as company. You curse to yourself. Reminder 1: Venti never has good ideas. Reminder 2: strangle Venti once you get your hands on him.
A light kick landed on your left thigh. You scowled at Scara. He just shrugged.
“Oops, thought it was Aether’s duffel bag,” he says, squinting like the little shit he is.
You raised your brow, “Bullshit. You can see Aether’s bag on the right!”
He glances at the bag you pointed at and sneers. You feel the urge to punch his pretty face. But you’d rather not have a fist fight in a cramped space that two people can barely fit in. So you opted to kick him back.
"I swear, if you don't move your legs, I'll crush them with my foot.”
Scara yelps before throwing a similar scowl in your direction. He rolls his eyes, "Can you, though? You’re weak as fuck. Who’s the one who could barely open the pickle jar last week?"
“That’s because the pickle jar was sealed tight!”
“Pft, excuses,” he says, flicking his wrist like you just bored him to death. “That’s all you're ever good at, aren’t you? Making excuses to hide behind because you kno no one’s backing you up.”
Okay, you’re not beyond throwing punches right now. You grab his wrist without thinking, your nails biting just enough to make him flinch.
"Watch me, you cocky brat. You’re all bark and no bite. Like a little puppy. Besides, aren’t you the one who hides behind a facade because you’re too scared to face your problems?"
Scara’s eyes widen for a split second. A flash of anger flicks through them."Oh fuck you, you motherf—"
"Will you two shut up and stop whining? I’m trying to get some sleep over here." Xiao’s voice was sharp, slicing the fragile veil of arguments exchanged.
You shut up. And so did Scara. He holds up a middle finger in your direction. And you respond with the same gesture. Asshole. You sigh. A little guilt nips at your chest for bringing up his problems. But he brought yours up first. It’s fair game. You glance at him. He glances back.
Yet not a single word was spoken.
It was the same every time you were with Scara. Childish insults. Foul language. Like you two are bound to be a broken record, hurling the same aimless words over and over again. Without having the courage to say what you want to say. It was exhausting. For the other five passengers in the car. And maybe for you too.
You leaned over the second row seat, your head poking between Xiao and Aether. Might as well distract yourself. Heizou looks at you, grinning. “You look like you want to murder Venti,” he comments. You brush him off. Oh, you definitely will. Just not now.
"Remind me again why I'm seated beside him?" You ask Venti, gesturing to Scara as he crossed his arms. He mumbles to himself. Something along the lines of “As if I want to sit next to you too”. Reminder 3: Find an abandoned building you can bury Scara in.
Venti, the bastard drunkard, giggles and replies, "Because you two need to get along, you're always fighting whenever you're together. Besides, it's not that bad to be seated next to him once in a while, no?" You snort. Cheeky brat.
"You two should just start dating already. I mean, you two fight like an old couple," Heizou chimes in with a smirk. Scara glared at him. You did too. You’re definitely adding him to the list of people you’d throw over the Inazuman river. Heizou had the audacity to laugh.
"See? Synchronized actions too."
"I actually think you'd look cute together," Aether says, as he adjusts his sitting position.
"Classic enemies-to-lovers trope," Kazuha chuckles. He eyes both of you through the rear-view mirror. "I think you'd love that Y/n. You're always gushing about how you want a little spice to your love story."
Scara snorts, "Seriously? I didn’t know you were this pathetic."
You snap your head in his direction. "At least I don’t lash out when five-year-olds beat me in Dress to Impress."
Scara glares at you, yet his lips curl upwards. "At least I’m not obsessed with a shit game like Grow a Garden."
"At least I—"
Xiao groans as he covers his ears.
It was nothing out of the ordinary. But you caught his glance in between insults. There was something off with the way he was looking at you. You shiver. You’re familiar with this feeling. It was one you wanted to run away from. Like a coward.
You two gawk and squawk like a broken record, playing the same screeching tune. Did he hate it too? The wailing noise that won’t shut up? Is he also looking for a way to escape this maddening cycle?
Hour 2
"Move over and stop bitching—"
"I swear, if you two are still arguing after a fucking hour, I’d throw myself out of this car”, Xiao cuts them off. His sleep was disturbed for the 3rd time now. “I'd rather hear you two making out than hear you argue about space in the backseat again,"
You roll your eyes. Scara galres at Xiao.
"You know it's serious when even Xiao is shipping you both," Venti laughs. Xiao rubs his brow, as if warding off a headache. "It's so painfully obvious that they like each other. It doesn't take more than 2 brain cells to figure it out."
"Are you calling me dumb?" Scara questions with a raised brow.
"Yes you are. You're an idiot. And so is Y/n"
You tilt your head, bemused. "What—"
"Am I wrong?" Xiao snaps.
You stare at him, jaw wide open. Did he really just ask that? "Of course you are! Scara doesn't like me!"
Xio deadpans with an “Are you being serious right now?” look. "He is literally always by your side."
"Yeah sure. To get under my skin and annoy me."
Heizou smirks. “Defensive, aren’t we?”
Aether jumps in with a wide grin, "At this point, we're just waiting for a confession."
You take it all back. Maybe you don’t love your friends that much. Inhale. Exhale. You reach for the bottled water lying on the ground. The one Venti handed out earlier. You need to calm down for a moment.
"C'mon, stop teasing Y/n. That's Scara's job. You know how he hates it when other people tease what's his" Kazuha smirks.
Scara growls and snaps at Kazuha. "Shut up and focus on the road. You're going to get us killed."
You almost spat the water you had in your mouth. Keyword: almost. Although it wouldn’t be that bad, honestly. These people deserve it. Especially the wannabe detective in front of you. You swallow the water before voicing a protest too.
"I don't belong to him—"
But Heizou cackles and shuts you up.
"Yet".
Venti hollers, holding his stomach. Heizou titters. Kazuha and Aether are giggling. Xiao was laughing too. You groan. Whatever. You’ll let them have their fun.
You returned to the backseat, leaning against the car door. Scara sat beside you. You scrunch your nose in disgust,
“Quit that, I don’t have a choice”, he sighs.
You don’t say anything. Neither does he. You bask in the quiet you didn’t even know was possible. It was fun when you two bantered, but somehow it hurt when you two were silent. You’re profoundly aware of Scara’s proximity to you. Your clothes were touching, and you could hear him breathe in and out. That familiar feeling gnawed in your chest. How you wished you could touch his skin too.
You shot up. What kind of thoughts are those? You wave a hand, as if it would cause them to vanish nd retreat to the depths of your mind. You watched Scara. For once, he was silent. No snarky comments. No nothing.
“Sorry,” you quietly mumble. It wasn’t your intention to speak, but you wanted to say something. Anything. The silence was killing you. Or maybe you missed his voice already.
He looked at you, perplexed. As if he’s seen aliens or something.“You’re apologizing? For what?”
“For bringing up those kinds of shit earlier. Didn’t mean to touch on your problems,” you quietly mumble.
Scara blinks. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. You? Apologizing? Did they crash or something? Is he dead? What kind of reality is this??
He’s quiet. One minute passed. Then two. Then three. He snapped out of his trance and found his voice.
“It’s fine. Don’t bother. We make that kind of comment almost every time. I don’t see why you have to apologize now. Besides, I brought it up first, didn’t I?” he scoffs, masking his bewilderment under layers of sarcasm.
You let out a quiet chuckle, “Yeah, I guess. I don’t know why I even apologized.”
It was still once more. No squabbles. No fights. Maybe the silence was growing on you. You caught the way Scara’s lips curved into a small smile.
Maybe you both wanted the melody to fade, you just didn’t know how.
Hour 3
The car was tranquil. For the first time in the past 2 hours, not a single peep was audible from the two confined in the backseat. Venti snored from the shotgun. Heizou and Xiao were on their Nintendo Switch, grinding Animal Crossing and trading items with each other. Aether was probably asleep. Kazuha was diligently keeping us from crashing.
It was like a miracle from the Archons themselves. Maybe they got tired of all the disputes too. You can almost hear Xiao mutter, “Thank Lord Barbatos the annoying shits behind me shut up”.
You didn’t bother responding, slotting one of your AirPods in your ear. You stare at your fingers as you idly fiddle with the other pair. Kazuha had gifted these to you on your previous birthday. Said it was from someone else. You wouldn’t have accepted such suspicious gifts if not for the custom work that caught your attention.
There was a curious cat meme painted on the case. It looks like it was done by hand too. A smile tugged at your lips at the fond memory. You don’t know if you believe Kazuha or if it’s all bullshit, but oh well. Maybe you’ll try nagging Kazuha next time to figure out this “mystery” person.
You pop the other one in before closing your eyes. It was black. It was soothing. The beat drummed against your ear. You hummed along.
But the music stopped on your right. Your eyes fling open. Scara grins, holding up the other piece.
"Wha— Hey!" You reach out, trying (and failing) to get it back.
"C'mon, let me listen in. I’m bored," he mocks, sticking out his tongue like a loser kid. You groan. You know he won’t stop pestering you until he has what he wants.
"Fine, but don't complain to me later when it's not your type of music. And no, you can’t call it shitty either. You subjected yourself to this."
He chuckles, "I won't". Then a little smirk appears on his face, " Probably".
You roll your eyes, not having the energy to retort. Your head leaned against the window. You close your eyes again.
"Arctic Monkeys, huh? Didn't take you to be a fan," Scara teases. You scowled at him. "Shut up. Can you keep quiet? I’m trying to keep in touch with my inner peace here."
And Scara does. He holds his tongue, letting the music play through. A familiar outro plays, and he pauses. It’s one he knows by heart. One that he has on loop in his own Spotify playlist.
I Wanna Be Yours.
He peers at your hunched form. Were you asleep? His breath caught in his throat when your eyes locked with his. There was silence that followed. But there was something different about it this time. Something he can’t quite name yet, but it’s there. Lingering in the air, rendering them senseless.
Scara’s hand brushes yours. Neither of you pulls away. His touch becomes more confident. He holds your hand, fingers slipping to interlock with yours. You looked away. Stayed silent. But you squeezed back. Scara clears his throat, a shade of red painting his face and neck.
A few minutes pass and his eyes dart back to you. But somehow, you’re already asleep. Long, even breaths and mumbling incoherent things. Admittedly… It was cute.
The car hits a bump. And so does your head. It hits the window, fortunately not that strongly. Scara wonders how that didn’t wake you up. He looks in front. Good. The others were minding their own business. His other hand hesitated, his grip on your hand tightening slightly.
He reached for you, gently bringing your head to rest against his shoulder. He just doesn’t want you to have brain damage. Yeah. That’s all. That’s definitely the reason why he’s doing this. No ulterior motives whatsoever.
He glances at your sleeping face. Is that drool on the side of your lips? He snickers. He’ll have to tease you about it later. For now though… He looks around once more. With no possible witness, he rests his head against yours. A small smile tugged at his lips.
The screeching, the wailing… It vanished. Instead what they heard was a soft melody, carrying the whispers and wishes made in the dark. Finally, the song of you and him has started.
Usually you write to him first, but sometimes he can take the initiative and share something himself by writing or recording a voice message. But usually these are small messages about how he is, where and what he is doing. He also asks you the same thing during the day. It often reminds you to do something, eat or relax, adding at the end what an dummy you are to forget about such basic things. At the end of the day, he always writes that he has already finished and warns if something goes wrong and/or he'll be late.
Like this time, the dance practice dragged on until late in the evening, so Scaramouch would definitely write down to you that he would be late and he will record a voice message mentioning how tired he is and how his whole body aches. And he will complain that when he became an idol, he was not ready for the fact that he would have to suffer with learning choreography more than with recording songs. In the background, at the end of the message, Heizou's voice could be heard calling Scaramouch by some stupid nickname he had recently invented, teasing that if he did not hurry up, they would stay even longer.
"- How you all fucked me up. If you call me that again, I'll personally lock you in the back room with inventory for all exits! That's it, fuck off. I'm going home,you loser's. " It seems that it was the last straw for Scaramouch and he left slamming the door after throwing something at Heizou. Sometimes, because of his character, he and the team have some disagreements and disputes, but after a while, when he cools down, everything comes back to normal.
" - I'll be home in half an hour. Today we were with the team at the mall, I bought you your chocolate that you wanted to try and talked about the other day. I don't understand how you can eat this sugar crap. In general, I will try to return as soon as possible. I ... love you, I'll be home soon"
It seems he stayed alone and softened recording a second voice message for you, saying, albeit still confused and somehow uncertain, but so tenderly and tremulously his words about love for you.
He usually writes a small message, briefly but to the point.
This time he would warn you that he will be a little late, because they are recording a song in the studio today, but that he will be returning home in an hour. He will ask how you are doing and, of course, in the end he will add that he missed you and loves you.
Recently, he began to add a smiley face to the words about love, because Venty once made a remark to him that not only does he write only on business, but that text also looks terribly dry. Xiao may have been annoyed at him for sticking his nose where he wasn't asked, but he took note worrying that you were thinking the same way. You thought it was very sweet.
"...I know we had plans to watch this movie together tonight, but it seems I'm going to be late. Sorry. I'll try to come back as soon as possible, I love you, light of my life♥️ "
Venty always takes everything off. Whether they are recording a song, shooting a music video or during a break - he always sends you either voice or video messages in his free (or not at all) time. There can be 20 or more of them per day. He likes to share with you everything that is happening around him, because he believes that he is getting closer to you during.
And this time was no exception. Venty recorded several video messages with how they were doing choreography, how Scaramouche again got into a fight with Heizou because of his unsuccessful jokes about the blue-haired man, and in the last seconds of the message it was seen how Skara threw something at Heizou. The video ends here. The last one was a voice message that he was already on his way home and he had a gift for you.
" - I've already called a taxi and I'll be home soon, Windbloom. I missed you so much! By the way, I bought something for you today when I went to the mall with the guys during the break. I've missed you so much and I'm already flying to you on the wings of the wind! ~ See you soon, I love you~"
Kazuha is still a romantic, so he often writes to you during the day if something impressed him and reminded him of you, or if he and the guys went somewhere, he wants to take you to a place that he liked. His messages are full of feelings and very gentle and sweet, it seems like that you are reading some kind of quote or excerpt from a book. In voice messages, even small ones, he also often talks about you. There was not a single message where he did not at least once say that he loves you and that he thinks of you, that you are his muse and inspire him.
You were planning to spend the evening together today, but unfortunately he was delayed at the recording studio of the song. That's why he warned you that he would be late and apologized for having to cancel plans for the evening.
"...I'm sorry about what happened, my love, please don't be bored. I will try to finish all the business as soon as possible. I will definitely compensate you for tonight ,on the next weekend, which we will spend just the two of us."
A minute later, he sent a voice message: "- And I love you~" He added that. You heard by his voice that Kazuha was tired, but he noticed that he had not written a word about love, so he hurried to record a voice message.
Oh, he's a tricky one, especially when it comes to you. Yes, he gives his best at work, during concerts, and in principle, he really treats his work with soul and zeal, sometimes even overdo it more than others. But still, he has his own "brakes" which are you. If Iter said that he would be at home specifically at such a time, he would be at home at that time. There was not a single case that he was late. Sometimes it's even embarrassing in front of the manager and the rest of the guys that your boyfriend treats time like that and often puts them in an awkward position if he need to stay somewhere and finish it, and he doesn't care and he goes home where you are waiting for him.
During the day, he can throw off cute stickers if he can't write to you at all, he also records a voice message telling you something and asking how you're doing, and that he misses you terribly and, as agreed, he will be home on time.
This time, during the shooting of the video, he and the team had to stay for a couple of hours and finish shooting, but, Aether it Aether. He had already gone home as soon as the hands on the clock reached 7:00 p.m. The manager just had to be indignant and think about how to get out of the situation while the idol was walking to the taxi talking to you on the phone. You asked several times if everything was okay, but he assured you that everything was fine and there would be no problems, and that it was time for you to get ready, as soon as he arrived you two would go on a date.
"Don't worry dear, everything is really fine. I'm already walking up to the car and I'll be home in 20 minutes. You should have packed up by now. I love you, I'll be there soon."
There were beeps, you just sighed, hoping that everything was really okay. As a result, the release of the video was delayed, but it didn't bother Aether at all, because it was important for him that he was able to spend the evening with his beloved.
But for the sake of decency, Aether really tries and gives his best during work, he comes to the studio before everyone else, so he leaves the same way earlier. He often additionally studies vocals or learns choreography and his parts, bringing everything to perfection, so that such antics are forgiven by virtue of his efforts.
Heizou often records something funny, flirts with you, and records funny voice messages with typical tackles. It used to embarrassing you a lot, but now you just laugh and think it's funny. He also often throws you photos or videos from tiktok with seals with the words "this is us" or "me and you". Also, Heizo writes every time you get bored or think about writing him yourself. It seems as if he reads your thoughts even without being around and easily anticipates your actions.
You knew that today they and the team were shooting a video for a new song, so you tried not to bother him, even though you were bored and sad alone. Usually you can keep yourself busy, but this evening the longing did not let you go for a very long time. You've been looking at the phone lying next to you for several minutes, and as soon as you picked it up, a notification came. You looked around, suspecting that cameras were installed at home because, well, how could he pick the moment so clearly again? Heizou recorded a voice message saying that he being a little late, but not much for a long time because there was one final scene left to finish. After sending a video message from the set, he himself stands in front of the mirror and winks and shows a smiling heart. You involuntarily blushed while smiling. How handsome he is in the chosen image for the clip.
" - I'll be a little late, but don't miss me too much there. I will be going home soon, it remains to finish the last scene. So, as soon as I get home, get ready, tomorrow is the day off, so tonight I won't let you fall asleep, I have big plans to show how much I love you and I'm going to pamper you so that you forget even your name~".
You were sitting all red, thinking what a sly fox and impudent he is. But you was looking forward to his return home, knowing that Heizou would definitely fulfill his promise.
shikanoin heizou; the top student of teyvat university's criminology major, a member of the student body organization, and the drummer of an infamous band called "6reeze" is head over heels for you—a burnt out chemical engineering major who's socially awkward.
note: june 2025.. heh. how’ve you guys been? (ignore date and timestamps. comment only on the masterlist to be added to the taglist.)
